Theme: "IV Infusion" - IV is added to each theme entry.
33. Weekend activity for a group of clairvoyant sommeliers?: WINE AND DIVINE. Wine and dine.
46. Autograph on a rare baseball card?: CURSIVE OF THE BAMBINO. Curse of the Bambino.
62. Prayer candle depicting Taylor Swift as a saint?: POPULAR VOTIVE. Popular vote.
80. Excusing friends who secretly planned a surprise party?: FORGIVING AN ALLIANCE. Forging an alliance.
96. Ranking of recipes from most to least appetizing?: SALIVARY SCALE. Salary scale.
109. Turf damage caused by a raucous Czech band?: POLKA DIVOT. Polka dot.
Across:
5. Brewpub assortment: KEGS.
9. Sacred poem: PSALM.
14. Shore recess: COVE.
18. In the know about: ONTO.
19. Disney princess and restaurateur: TIANA. She's from New Orleans. The restaurant is called Tiana's Palace.
20. Expedition: HASTE.
21. Pt. of EMT: EMER.
24. Two trios and a duo: OCTET.
25. Melodic structure of some Indian music: RAGA.
26. Punched metal: TIN.
27. Nine-digit IDs on some W-9s: SSNS.
28. Nabe near NYU: SOHO.
29. Vinyasa series: ASANAS.
31. Game where it's bad to catch a break?: EGG TOSS. Fun clue.
36. Presuppose: ASSUME.
37. Right now: TODAY.
38. Many a dog agility competition: RACE.
39. More chill: MELLOWER.
41. Pet container: CRATE.
43. Stone fruit center: PIT.
49. Succulent spot: SILL.
51. Smidgen: TAD.
52. Smashes into: RAMS.
53. Chip in?: ANTE.
54. Stop making progress: PLATEAU.
57. Language of a haka chant: MAORI. Saw haka dance in person ages ago. Guys slapped their chests so hard and stuck their tongues out.
59. Domed recess: APSE.
61. Pilot's fig.: ALT.
66. Ragdoll or tuxedo: CAT.
69. Durable wood: TEAK.
71. Swell: BULGE.
72. Shows the ropes: MENTORS.
74. Get a lift, but not a Lyft: UBER. Ha.
76. Fender blemish: DENT.
77. Scrooge's 9-Down: BAH. 9. "Drat!": PHOOEY.
79. A law __ oneself: UNTO.
87. Tense WNBA periods, for short: OTS.
88. Shadow puppet shapers: HANDS.
89. Bygone big Apples: IMAC PROS. Discontinued in 2021.
90. Doily fabric: LACE.
91. Engages in witty banter: SPARS.
92. Strand at the ski lodge: SNOW IN.
101. Like the Ninja Turtles: TEENAGE.
102. Mercury, but not zinc: PLANET.
103. Soooo many: A LOT.
104. "Auld Lang __": SYNE.
105. "Modern Comfort Food" author Garten: INA. Her voice is comforting.
106. Alleviate: EASE.
107. Word with circle and peace: INNER.
112. Word before a Mass exodus?: AMEN. Smiled at the clue.
113. "Frozen" sauna owner: OAKEN. Learning moment for me.
114. Winter of "Modern Family": ARIEL.
115. Parisian papa: PERE.
116. Photoreceptor cells: RODS.
117. Tree houses: NESTS.
118. Subway Series side: METS. And 99. Subway Series side, familiarly: YANKS.
119. Yemeni port: ADEN.
Down:
2. Strips of gear, as a ship: UNRIGS.
3. Beekeeper boo-boos: STINGS.
4. Ride-sharing lane: Abbr.: HOV.
5. Ceramics ovens: KILNS.
6. Corn units: EARS.
7. Serengeti antelope: GNU.
8. Japanese honorific: SAN. So I'm C.C. San. And C.C.= 200. And San also means 3 in Japanese. You can just call me 203.
10. Satirist Baron Cohen: SACHA.
11. __ Martin: British sports car: ASTON.
12. 5G precursor: LTE.
13. Info about info: METADATA.
14. Skin care brand: CERAVE. Their best product.
15. Yemeni neighbor: OMANI.
16. Like Gardein products: VEGAN. I did not know "Gardein", a portmanteau of garden and protein.
17. Wipe clean: ERASE.
19. Curtain danglers: TASSELS.
23. Chemical relative: ISOMER.
28. Consume greedily: SNARF.
30. Guard dog's incitement: SIC EM.
32. Din: TUMULT.
33. Amazed: WOWED.
34. Logical prefix: IDEO.
35. Dribs partner: DRABS.
37. "L'Shana __": Rosh Hashanah greeting: TOVA.
40. Like a Christmas tree at night: LIT UP. And 43. Holiday garland embellishment: PINE CONE.
41. One-named flamenco guitarist: CHARO.
42. Transfer payment: REMIT.
44. Defensive take, for short?: INT. Interception.
45. Ballerina's pivot point: TOE.
46. Crashes: CLATTERS.
47. Treasure __: TROVE.
48. __-relief: BAS.
49. Break room?: SPA. I don't get this clue. Never been to a spa. What "break"?
50. Queasy: ILL.
55. Green Power Partnership org.: EPA.
56. Just peachy: AOK.
57. Mediterranean island country: MALTA.
58. 2022 World Cup winner: Abbr.: ARG.
59. Pennsylvania in D.C.: AVE.
60. Back-to-school purchase: PEN.
63. Pipe trap: U BEND.
64. Important organs for a flutist: LUNGS.
65. "Sounds good, man": I'M HIP.
67. Oil production?: ART. Oil painting.
68. Chinese kitchen general: TSO. We should ask Splynter to show off his non-authentic Chinese dishes.
70. Unit of work: ERG.
73. University of Arizona city: TUCSON.
74. ET's ride: UFO.
75. Captcha target: BOT.
76. Greasy spoon: DINER.
77. Lay on, as a horn: BLARE.
78. MLB postseason semifinal: ALCS. American League Championship Series.
81. "__ a dream ... ": I HAVE.
82. Time off: VACATION.
83. Bite playfully: NIP AT.
84. British barrister Clooney: AMAL.
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85. North London soccer club: ARSENAL.
86. "It's already taken care of": NO NEED.
90. Goods with a dedicated closet: LINENS.
91. Looks down on: SCORNS.
93. Didn't enforce: WAIVED.
94. Pretend not to notice, maybe: IGNORE.
95. Declutter: NEATEN.
96. Pointy fishing tool: SPEAR.
97. Memorable Texas landmark: ALAMO.
98. Zapped surgically: LASED.
100. Wintry rain: SLEET.
101. Wee ones: TYKES.
104. Skirt feature: SLIT. Prominent feature of Chinese traditional Qipao.
108. Glasgow no-go: NAE.
109. Actress Dawber: PAM.
110. Mine find: ORE.
111. Hoppy brew letters: IPA.
C.C.
26 comments:
As C.C. suggested, I understood the gimmick straight from the title of the puzzle. And though there were a few obscurities (“Oaken,” anyone?) the perps were kind, so I didn’t have to much difficulty with this puzzle. FIR, so I’m happy.
Good morning!
Got the theme early, and that helped a lot. Still don't understand the succulent and SILL connection. (Put a pot on a window sill?) Don't think I've ever heard of the CERAVE brand, even with the space in the middle. OAKEN was a mystery, not on my bucket list. Thanx for your Sunday debut, Amanda, and for the tour of the grid, C.C. (203. Methinks one goes to a spa when they need a break.)
Desper-otto: “OAKEN was a mystery, not on my bucket list”. Ouch. So hoosiers yer daddy? ;)
Anyway, FIR by some miracle, but it took a couple of WAGs in the NE corner with some obscure crosses. Why does a dog race require any special agility? I know the pooches can’t be tripping all over each other, but I don’t get it.
I’m glad we got to revisit Charo. I must confess my only memories of her are as a “celebrity” married to “CUGAT!” (As she used to say it.) I guess I had assumed she must have had some talent, but I never knew what it was.
FIR, but erased scarf for SNARF, sasha for SACHA (UNTIE!) and iced in for SNOW IN. Now, I'm a believer that skiing should only be done behind a powerful boat, but I would think that if ya got skis you shouldn't ever get SNOWed IN at a ski lodge.
Today is:
NATIONAL MAY RAY DAY (celebrates the sunbeams of the year’s fifth month. Gonna be cloudy and chilly here today)
NATIONAL TAKE YOUR PARENTS TO THE PLAYGROUND DAY (kind of a takeoff on “take your brats to work” day)
NATIONAL DEVIL’S FOOD CAKE DAY (tastes so good, but my doc says it’s evil)
I remember CHARO from Johnny Carson's show. She was pretty good with that guit-fiddle, and good looking too.
The fabulous actor Allison Janney, in her title role on Mom, denied she was jealous of her daughter's success. She listed the few things that she was jealous of, including "that chick who bagged Clooney," but not her daughter.
FLN - Darren, I didn't realize it was only a couple of miles from the Isthmus to Avalon. I've never traveled between them at sea, just once on a tour bus. (The driver/tour guide pointed out the various cacti in the area, noting that Mrs Wrigley was "a succulent lover," causing the less mature of us to giggle. Fits right in to today's grid.)
Thanks to Amanda for the fun Sunday challenge, and to 203 for another interesting tour. Nah, I think I'll keep using C.C.
Wow, I just got one of those errors that looked like I lost another post. Thank goodness it was a false alarm.
FIR. I got the theme from the get go, and that helped on down the line. But I still found this Sunday puzzle to have a little bite to it. Several learning moments for me, and some clues I felt were a stretch.
But overall this was an OK puzzle which I enjoyed finishing.
Took 16:47 today for me to find the vein.
I didn't notice that it said "IV infusion" under the grid until after I finished.
I'm ok with that.
My unknowns today included: Tiana, raga, oaken, ubend (I know p-trap), and today's French lesson.
Good Morning:
A Sunday grid with minimal unknowns (Asanas, Māori, and Oaken, all as clued) and only one w/o (Diana/Tiana) is a rare occurrence and contributed greatly to a pleasant solving experience. Additional positives were a cute theme that was helpfully indicated by the title, some clever cluing, and a just-right difficulty level for the day. Even with such an obvious title, parsing the themers was not a slam dunk, but required some thought. Being a life-long Yankees fan, my favorite was Cursive Of The Bambino. I also enjoyed the duos of Yanks/Mets, Sleet/Snow, IPA/EPA, and Bas/Bah. Another treat was some fresh fill, i.e., Tumult, Clatters, Mellower, Plateau, and Vacation vs Vacay. CSO to Bill at Kilns and, once again, Wilbur at Nae.
Thanks, Amanda, for a pleasant and enjoyable Sunday solve and congrats on the Sunday debut, and thanks to CC for the insider's observations and commentary. I agree with you on Ina Garten's voice and demeanor. I think it's sad that the Food Network has turned into the Fool's Network! The current shows emphasize entertainment and showmanship instead of the original premise of the network, which was teaching and exploring all facets of the culinary world. End of rant.
Have a great day.
Musings
-CURSIVE OF THE BAMBINO WOWED this solver!
-All the obscure fills had sufficient “outs”
-My students learned about water’s boiling, freezing, condensing and melting PLATEAUS
-Switching my iPhone to LTE lets me get into FaceBook at school where it is blocked on their WiFi
-Off to Lincoln where granddaughter graduates with 300+ classmates
-Thanks for the write-up, 203!
John M27, dog agility (jumps, tunnels, slalom) IS the competition, really against the clock, so a RACE.
Spent time wondering what "Dolly fabric" was, until I cleaned my glasses
Quite a nice presentation today. Great job Amanda! Glad to see C.C, alias 203, back on the job at her regular Sunday beat.
Most of the grid was straightforward with only a couple of places to go astray. Didn't know if the ovens would be oastS or KILNS. Had to decide if the horn was going to BLAst or BLARE. Liked the theme answers. All good selections.
The three letter word count was low, only 14 by my count. Irish Miss will be pleased.
Drink to me only with thine eyes and I will have a shot for you..
Subtle.
I too got the theme immediately, still it required some effort on my part to fill in the long answers. That was enjoyable.
My last fills were the NW corner. I don’t know if it’s regional, but here a boo boo is an error and a bobo is scratch or sting. In addition, I had in on for ONTO. It finally got sorted out.
Very few unknowns and perps took care of them.
Thank you CC. Glad to see you back.
203, bu yong xie.
87A Tense WNBA periods - PMS
Enjoyed the IV theme. Our campus town here is Isla Vista, which is usually called IV.
Learning moment about EXPEDITION meaning HASTE. It does make sense, given the word EXPEDITE. Curious how it came to have such different meanings. Hand up I don't get the clue for RACE. Learning moment that RAGDOLL or TUXEDO could be a CAT. Learning moment that POLKA is CZECH. Thought it was Polish.
Here I am with my artist and musician friend TOVA.
TOVA has kept me sane during the insanity about Israel since October 7. We both feel quite isolated from our anti-Israel friends. TOVA means "good" in Hebrew.
From Yesterday:
Misty Thank you for following up regarding feeding Gophie the tortoise. I am honored that I inspired you to broaden her diet. And happy that she enjoyed the fruits. Do you have even one photo of her? If you could email a photo to me at earthmanrobert (at) gmail.com, I can post it.
Lee @ 9:46 ~ I think maybe a recount is in order as I counted 31 TLWs, twice. I didn't comment on the number as it is pretty well within the normal range for a Sunday grid. 😉
We have not heard from A-t in a while. Could it be because of the weather mayhem in Houston?
billocohoes - thanks. Shows what kind of upbringing I had. Always thought a dog race involved a mechanical rabbit. :)
FLN- been out of town for a few days and picked up the Saturday puzzle. This constructor had so many obscure fills (I knew none of them), it reminded me of 18th century composers who wrote music that was extremely difficult just to see if the pianists could actually perform it.
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Today's was a comparative walk in the park with the usual amount of guessable unknowns using perps. I caught added IV the theme immediately at TR-IV-AL RUN.
OAKEN, AMAL, TIANA, TOVA, VEGAN, ARIEL- filled by perps.
CERA VE- use both the cream and lotion for my ultra-dry skin
U BEND- if you don't use the garbage disposer very much, the U-BEND will not get clogged.
I put nothing down my kitchen drain except soap and water going through a mesh screen trap.
WAIVED- I wish DA's and the US Attorneys would enforce laws instead of selective prosecution. The only time I had to use a criminal court was when a customer wrote us an NSF check on a C.O.D. delivery- that's theft. I had to do all the work for the asst. DA, who showed up about 10 minutes before the trial and went over the evidence. The 'perp' was convicted and I got my company's money-$50,000 over 4 years- because the judge said he would serve prison time if he didn't pay.
Having had my arm attached recently to an IV for a week (for shingles), I found it pleasant to discover the humorous side of an IV! Some of my favorites were WINEANDDIVINE, SALIVARYSCALE, POLKADIVOT, and of course Babe Ruth's handwriting, CURSIVEOFTHEBAMBINO.
A few clues I found borderline farfetched, but nothing that a few nearby perps couldn't vanquish, as well as some lucky wags.
Nice job, Amanda and Patti, on a well-constructed and clever Sunday workout. And to C.C. for guiding us through.
Congratulations to Amanda for her Sunday debut! I enjoyed the solve!
Hand up for knowing the gimmick from the title and for liking CURSE OF THE BAMBINO.
More FAVs: METADATA; Pennsylvania in D.C.; and Word before a Mass exodus?
Thanks to 203 for her blog! I always smiled when my Japanese friends said "Omega-san" for "Omega-3". It's little things like that that remind us of how big the world is.
My goodness, what a complicated, interesting Sunday puzzle we got this morning! Thank you for this hard work, Amanda, which was both a challenge and a pleasure. And, C.C., your commentary was so helpful, especially with the tougher items here and there. Thanks for your help with that too.
As soon as I saw how challenging this was going to be I thought I'd better get myself some HOT TEA, and maybe pray a PSALM before my TRIAL RUN, which was certainly not going to be TRIVIAL. I could have used a MELLOWER breakfast with an EGG TOSS, but at this point I'm getting more ready for some WINE and DINE. Continuing with the puzzle, I felt I could have used some MENTORS to help me out with a couple of HANDS, and I don't mean TEENAGE ones. But soon I was done and said AMEN, and decided to come here and thank Amanda and C.C. again for your great help this morning.
Have a good week coming up, everybody.
Thank you Amanda for helping me complete a TRIPLE PLAY weekend, with major assistance from Teri on Friday and Saturday.
And thank you C.C. for gIVing us the theme explication and several wonderful illustrations of the clues, especially 104D SLIT 😁.
A few favs:
9A PSALM. The core prayers of the Liturgy of the Hours.
5D KILNS. I have 3, but the big one stopped working years ago.
8D SAN. So you're 203 C.C.? Funny, you don't look a day over 30! 😀 My favorite SAN of course is Cho Cho SAN, aka Madama Butterfly, who couldn't live with honor, so she died with honor. She sang this song while waiting for her faithless "husband" to return to her in Nagasaki.
13D META DATA. Crossword clues can be thought of as META DATA about fill. And some of the trickiest are META CLUES.
14D CERAVE. Teri helped me on this one.
31D TOVA. I had TODA (Hebrew for "thanksgiving" I think) before figuring out where the IV was needed in 46A CURSIVING OF BAMBINO, which turned out to be my favorite themer. The "Babe" was born in Baltimore and there is a museum in his honor here.
49D SPA. I think a SPA weekend is taking a "break" from the daily routine.
57D MALTA. Our lector at church today for the Solemnity of Pentecost is a Dame in the Sovereign Military Order of MALTA, but I don't think she carries a sword.
84D AMAL. Until George met AMAL, he was the most eligible bachelor in Hollywood, but he took one look at her and she won that suit! 😀
Cheers,
Bill
Picard, I'm sorry this latest idiocy has come between you and your friends. Unfortunately, it looks to me like the anti-Israel chants and posters have become more anti-Jewish. That's a terrifying thing to happen to our Republic. As an omen, remember that Hitler was appointed chancellor in 1933 by German President Paul von Hindenburg. The Nazi Party was popular in Germany, and von Hindenburg obeyed the polls instead of his conscience. Think it couldn't happen here?
I very much enjoyed the insertion of the letters "IV".
Jinx Thank you for the kind words. I am grateful for friends like TOVA and for many of you here. The political sides seem to be in a state of flux.
In the words of the Eagles "This could be heaven and this could be hell." Thank you, Jinx.
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