Theme: "Squad Goals" - Each common phrase is rephrased as a team of Olympians.
22. Olympic fencing team?: STICK FIGURES.
24. Olympic skateboarding team?: DECK CREW.
44. Olympic table tennis team?: SPIN DOCTORS.
52. Olympic volleyball team?: BLOCK PARTY.
65. Olympic basketball team?: SHOOTING STARS.
82. Olympic weightlifting team?: CLEAN SLATE.
90. Olympic gymnastics team?: FLOOR MODELS.
111. Olympic wrestling team?: PINHEADS.
113. Olympic relay race team?: RUNNING MATES.
And an extra 42. Like the Olympic torch: LIT.
Great title. Timely and fun theme. Very consistent with the first word related to the team in each clue. Both Rebecca and Amie are very accomplished constructors. Today's grid is extra sparkly with all those long Downs.
I'm just going to focus on Regan Smith (Minnesota), Summer McIntosh and Léon Marchand.
Across:
6. Student support orgs.: PTAS.
10. Chat room admin: MOD. Moderator.
13. Blackjack cards: ACES.
17. Not warranted: UNDUE.
18. Full body exercise: BURPEE. Quite challenging.
20. Shiba __: INU.
21. Hoped-for review: RAVE.
26. Victory lap speed: TROT.
27. "Schitt's Creek" surname: ROSE. Created Dan & Eugene Levy.
28. Massage places: SPAS.
30. Spuds: TATERS.
31. "Can confirm": YES IT IS.
33. Read a QR code: SCANNED.
36. Cacao __: NIB. Petty good with overnight oats.
37. On the town, say: OUT.
38. Stash: STOW.
39. Dog's wagger: TAIL.
41. Animation frames: CELS.
48. Spider-Woman voice actress Rae: ISSA.
49. Precipitation that may leave dents: HAIL.
50. Ergo: HENCE.
51. Certain vibe: AURA.
54. Pakistani language: URDU.
55. Bryant of "Human Resources": AIDY. She was with SNL for a long time.
56. Hot pot spot?: KILN. Ha. Hot pot indeed.
57. Corn serving: EAR.
58. Leave out: SKIP.
59. D'backs, on a scoreboard: ARI.
60. Have a fancy meal: DINE.
61. Haunted house decorations: WEBS.
64. "Group __!": HUG.
70. TV series pts.: EPS. Episodes.
72. Upscale: POSH.
74. Loathe: HATE.
75. Gender-affirming treatment: Abbr.: HRT. Hormone-Replacement Therapy.
76. Way of walking: GAIT. I really like this picture.
77. Color gradation: HUE.
79. Window glass: PANE.
80. Title for Julie Andrews: DAME. I used to confuse her with Julie Christie.
81. "Breaking Bad" actress Gunn: ANNA.
86. Pro __: at no charge: BONO.
87. "Atlanta" actor __ Tyree Henry: BRIAN.
88. Set a part?: COMB. Part the hair.
89. Playthings: TOYS.
92. Portmanteau hairstyle that sounds messier than it is: SLOB. Slick & bob.
93. Cartoon explorer: DORA.
94. For us: OURS.
95. "Evita" role for Mandy Patinkin: CHE.
96. "Toodle-oo!": BYE.
98. "This way to your table" speaker: MAITRE'D.
100. Jelly Roll Morton of jazz, e.g.: PIONEER.
104. Sleeps in, maybe: SLACKS.
107. Pi Day follower: IDES. 3/14, 3/15.
108. Actor Wilson: OWEN.
110. Donated: GAVE.
116. Supermarket with an aisle of "Finds" affectionately dubbed the "Aisle of Shame": ALDI.
117. Previously called: NEE.
118. Puts sourdough in the fridge overnight, say: PROOFS.
119. Surgical tube: STENT.
120. Certain gender presentation, for short: MASC.
121. Online convos: DMS. And 104. Text repeatedly: SPAM.
122. Eldest Haim sister: ESTE.
123. Good guys: GENTS. Tom Pepper came to my rescue again. He assembled the bath bench for my sister-in-law Connie.
 |
| David Liben-Nowell and Tom Pepper |
Down:
2. Between, in Spanish or French: ENTRE.
3. "Toodle-oo!": ADIOS.
4. Shower attachment?: SUCTION CUP. Great fill/clue.
5. "Zoinks!": EEK.
6. Wrinkly-faced dogs: PUGS.
7. "I kid you not!": TRUE STORY. Also love these long fill: 13. Rabbit kin with a white winter coat: ARCTIC HARE. And 14. The plush toy Funshine, for one: CARE BEAR. 73. Well-worn style?: SHABBY CHIC. 76. Yard entrance: GARDEN GATE. 79. Base jumps?: PAY RAISES.
80. Yoda's words before "There is no try": DO OR DO NOT.
8. Coachella mo.: APR.
9. Waffles: SEESAWS.
10. Between the premiere and the finale, say: MID-SEASON.
11. Free throw value: ONE.
12. Channel: DUCT.
15. "Best. Day. __!": EVER.
16. Wraps (up): SEWS.
18. "About me" sections: BIOS.
19. NFL Draft airer: ESPN.
23. Crunchy addition to corn salad: FRITO. I can smell the taste.
25. Neb. neighbor: KAN.
29. Caribbean archipelago: ANTILLES.
32. Lip, casually: TUDE. Attitude.
34. Celebrity chef Cat: CORA.
35. Backbone bit: DISC.
38. Artist's workspace: STUDIO.
40. Rowing spot: LAKE.
43. Artful: SLY.
44. "Keep it down!": SHUSH.
45. Start to show some interest: PERK UP.
46. Stripe between 86-Down and violet: INDIGO. 86. Stripe between green and 46-Down: BLUE.
47. Egyptian capital: CAIRO.
52. Watch an entire series in a weekend, say: BINGE.
53. Source of some muddy prints: PAWS.
55. Relaxation exhalation: AAH.
56. Kunta __-Alex Haley Memorial: Maryland landmark: KINTE.
60. Jack's twin on "Black-ish": DIANE.
62. Hat hair cause, maybe: BEANIE.
63. "This Is __ Tap": SPINAL.
65. Give the cold shoulder: SHUN.
66. "Even still ... ": THAT SAID.
67. Marvel villain who said, "I am inevitable": THANOS.
68. Knight's cover: ARMOR.
69. Way to go, briefly: RTE.
71. Is super into, in slang: STANS.
78. Founded: Abbr.: EST'D.
82. Syringe units: CCs.
83. "Hahahaha": LOL.
84. The Get Up Kids and Saves the Day: EMO BANDS.
85. Weaving tool: LOOM.
87. Festival aesthetic: BOHO.
90. "Definitely": FOR SURE.
91. Hosting, casually: MC'ING.
97. __ out a win: EKE.
99. UMD player: TERP.
100. Calligraphy tools: PENS.
101. Put away: EATEN.
102. 100-meter dash, e.g.: EVENT.
103. Takes a breather: RESTS.
105. Grammy winner Downs: LILA.
106. Stuff in a long-jump pit: SAND.
109. Either spouse, perhaps: WIFE.
112. JFK, but not La Guardia: DEM. Fun clue angle.
114. Rejections: NOS.
115. N.Y. Rangers home ice: MSG.
Two extra notes:
1) In case you missed it, here is the obit of Chair Moe's interesting mom Phyllis.
2) The Midwest Crossword Puzzle Tournament will be held on Saturday, October 5, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. Click here for more information. Here is the full list of the organizers, constructors and editors, all are Midwest-based. I think Gary linked Carly Schuna's picture before. Super cool.
C.C.
Little words could be tricky: “HRT”, “Inu” and others. But, on the whole, this was a fair puzzle, and I had fun solving it. FIR, so I’m happy.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I also like “timely” puzzles and you can’t get much more timely than this!
ReplyDeleteWhat does CLEAN mean in weightlifting terms? that little section in the west gave me trouble for longer than I'd like to admit. I didn't know the SHABBY part of SHABBY CHIC and SLOB as clued. I was sure about CAST for [Set a part?], which made me question both LOL and EMO. The phrase CLEAN SLATE made sense but I couldn't see the punny weightlifting connection.
ReplyDeleteIt felt like there was an insane amount of names even for a Sunday, but without any Naticks, at least.
Good morning!
ReplyDeleteTwas not to be. Michigan, the Carolinas and SoCal remained stubbornly white. After 30 minutes, d-o's self-imposed Sunday time limit, I gave up. There was just too much new stuff for this old dog. Interesting, but not really fun. Thanx, Rebecca, Amie, and C.C.
Anon@5:15, I'm no fan of weightlifting, but I do know that snatch, clean, and jerk are weightlifting terms.
Despite a slew of DNKs, LILA, BOHO, STANS, THANOS, DIANE, CORA, ESTE, SLOB, BRIAN, ANNA, HRT, AIDY, NIB, INU and EMO BANDS, somehow I managed a FIR in 39:28, obviously rescued by perps. We had TUDE yesterday and expect to see it again as modern slang is becoming a standard in CWs. ALDI was an Ektorp, as it was the only four letter supermarket I could think of. EVENT is an Easter egg. EPS for episodes was rather weak. I don’t have any SUCTION CUPs in my shower. Thanks Rebecca and Amie for the challenge, and C.C. for explaining it all.
ReplyDeleteAnon at 5:15, the CLEAN and jerk is a weightlifting move, the "clean" brings the weight to your chest then the jerk raises it above your head.
ReplyDeleteOtherwise I packed it in after 40 min, too many TV shows that I don't watch
FIR, but considering the unbelievable number of proper names today I'm rather surprised I did. There's a lot and then there's a ridiculous lot, and todays puzzle is the latter.
ReplyDeleteThe theme was clever and appropriate to the times, but the cluing was certainly crunchy.
I look forward to Sunday crosswords but today's can go on the trash heap. Certainly NOT enjoyable at all!
FIW. Done in by the crossing ANNA/STANS (ANNE/STENS?...meh) and LILA/MASC. Yes, in hindsight that last one makes sense, but given this puzzle’s obsession with LGBT, it might as well have been LILI/MISC. I even considered MYSC or MOSC, since there's always some gender-bending lingo I don't know. A miracle I got that close. (BOHO? BURPEE? INU? SLOB?)
ReplyDeleteAgreed. I hate being given a woke lecture in a game that's supposed to be fun.
DeleteGood Morning:
ReplyDeleteAs CC pointed out, there was a lot of sparkling fill in this very timely puzzle. Unfortunately, for me, this positive feature was overshadowed by the rampant unknown pop culture references, to wit: Burpee, Nib, Slob, Rose, all as clued, and Brian, Este, Emo Bands, Lila, Diane, Boho, all unknown, and the indecipherable abbreviation, Eps. I realize that there will always be generational gaps of pop culture knowledge and current slang, but I think this offering's cluing and fill lean too heavily in favor of the younger solvers. I thought the strongest themers were Shooting Stars and Running Mates, but I also found the cluing seesawed between clever and confusing. Props for the low TLW count and the absence of truly obscure entries.
Thanks, Rebecca and Amie, and thanks, CC, for your professional analysis and commentary. I always appreciate your pointing out the constructors' strengths and abilities, especially when they're not as obvious to a lay person.
Have a great day.
Gave up after 25 minutes this morning. Couldn't get into it and too many knowns. This puzzle was for movie and young television watchers. ROSE, ISSA,AIDY, HRT(never knew taking Premarin was 'gender-affirming), ANNA, BRIAN, SLOB, SUCTION CUP (new to me), CARE BEAR, SHABBY CHIC, MID-SEASON, FRITO, CORA, TUDE (two days in a row), DIANE, THANOS, STANS, EMO BANDS, BOHO, LILA,
ReplyDeleteALDI's "Walk of Shame", Wal-Mart has a long aisle of things that RONCO, K-TEL, and other "$19.95 plus S&H" items that never sold.
KS- agreed. This puzzle's theme fits exactly with the Olympic Opening Ceremony Friday. That show was ridiculous and disgusting. I wasted my time watching a bunch of obnoxious nonsense while the athletes had to endure a downpour sitting in open boats.
FIR somehow despite many unknowns. Fav clue was "Set a part?" COMB Haha!
ReplyDeleteMost controversial (for me) was "Stripe between 86D [BLUE] and violet," as there isn't one. That led me down a rabbit hole of discovering the difference between a rainbow and a spectrum. And why Newton said that indigo was one of the main colors of the rainbow because he insisted on 7 colors due to occultish beliefs about that number. Crazy, but I always learn something new doing xwords!
Never heard of BURPEE as clued, tripped over some unknown actors, and wrinkled my nose at the idea of FRITOs as an ingredient in salad. Weird mix of 1960s cuisine with 2020s pop culture -- but still FIR with appreciation for the theme clues and answers.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Rebecca and Amie, for the Sunday morning Olympic workout, and thanks, C.C., for explaining it all with a positive SPIN.
Nope. Gave up after half an hour when I realized that I was not having fun. Too many clues that made no sense, to me anyway! I'll Echo Big Easy and IM on this one.
ReplyDeleteSure we're a lot of abbreviations and three letter answers
ReplyDeleteMusings
ReplyDelete-Two bad cells with obscure names and cultural references marred my experience
-HAIL caused $5,200 in damage to neighbor’s car when she was only three blocks from home
-Jess Rucks is a constructor who was an USAF URDU linguist (not interpreter)
-Jess spent some time with fellow constructor and circus performer/trainer Carly Schuna this year.
-Amen on INDIGO Rusty Brain. I taught kids it was there for many years before I learned the truth. It does complete a nice mnemonic though.
-What Irish said, again!
When I saw the timely theme I got excited because I really like that. Unfortunately I soon realized this CW was not for me. The frustration of encountering so many pop culture names and references discouraged me, so I abandoned it.
ReplyDeleteBurpee is an exercise from standing to push-up position, may or may not include a push-up, and then back to standing. I did them in school in the 60’s so not quite pop culture.
ReplyDeleteHand up happy to see the timely OLYMPIC theme. We don't have cable and have no way to watch the games. Very frustrating.
ReplyDeleteHand up not happy about the crossed unknown names that were utterly obscure to me. Last to WAG was A?DI/LI?A, which could have been almost anything. Did FIR, but not happy about that. Never heard of that meaning of PROOFS. Learning moment.
Hand up not happy about some of the woke stuff. I am all for civil and human rights. But HRT is a very gray area for children.
Happy to see FESTIVAL. Last weekend I performed with our Santa Barbara Early Music Ensemble in the Central Coast Renaissance FESTIVAL in San Luis Obispo.
Here is my article about our adventures at the Renaissance FESTIVAL.
Merlie and I enjoyed the fun costumes and crazy activities. Including some serious bashing of KNIGHTs in ARMOR. Check out that video. Not sure if any of this was BOHO.
Super Sunday. Thanks for the fun, Rebecca and Amirpe, and C.C.
ReplyDeleteI FIRed online in good time, and loved the Olympic theme.
(Yes, C.C., all of Canada is watching Summer McIntosh and Maggie MacNeil in the pool, Andre DeGrasse on the track, and many more. We are sorry about the scandal around our women’s soccer team, and hope for the players’ sakes, that they can show their fortitude.)
The mid-east coast was the last to fill. CHE, BOHO, BRIAN, STANS required a perp or two to fill, bringing the Aha.
Sass changed to TUDE, Omit to SKIP, Levy to ROSE.
We have had other ARCTIC Animals recently.
This Canadian knew ALDI from past CWs and because my Facebook feed keeps bringing up the ALDI Aisle of Shame.
This Canadian was misdirected to see JFK and La Guardia as airports; who was La Guardia (I will LIU)? OK, Wikipedia informs me that La Guardia was a mayor of NYC; but it says he was a Republican. I am confused!
Wishing you all a great day.
C-eh. JFK was a Democrat, LaGuardia as you say said was a Republican
DeleteOffhand, with all the personal names of actors being used, do constructors ever think about CW’s from 20 plus years ago (and especially 40 years ago) never had so many shows from which to choose an actors name. Most people not only don’t have access to every single network, much less time to watch them and know each person’s role. Add in slang, informal references, and abbreviations which are now rampant and how anyone finishes a Friday, Saturday, Sunday puzzle when the constructor uses these copiously is amazing!
ReplyDeleteFIW, missing my WAG @ TeANOS x eRT. spin factors>SPIN DOCTORS, omit>SKIP, cast>COMB, adieu>ADIOS, thats true>TRUE STORY, and lol, which was later vindicated.
ReplyDeleteThere must be some sport that does victory laps without benefit of fuel, but I can't think of one. Race cars don't TROT. Victory laps used to be known as "insurance laps," taken just in case the flagman flies the checkered flag one lap too soon. It happens, notably just this year at the F1 24 Hours of Daytona race.
As a kid I sold BURPEE seed packets door-to-door. Kids that do that today would end up with Child Protective Services.
I've never had any luck with SUCTION CUPS for more than a short time.
Do toadies suffer from YES-ITIS?
Around these parts, HRT means "Hampton Roads Transit."
WTH is a BOHO?
Seems to me like this puzzle was constructed to see how much clever fill could be packed into an awful puzzle. I really liked the theme, "source of some muddy prints" for PAWS, GARDEN GATE crossing GAIT, and almost nothing else. The very best thing about this puzzle to me is that it's done.
C-Eh, The clue is "JFK, but not La Guardia." I gotta give the constructors props for that one too.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jinx. I misread the clue.
ReplyDeleteI've been stewing over one clue/answer, not because it's "woke," but because I think it's wrong.
ReplyDelete"Gender-affirming treatment: Abbr.: HRT."
Hormone Replace Therapy is used for women experiencing menopause. Their estrogen levels fall, and their doctors may choose to replace it.
Individuals who want help affirming the gender that they believe fits them best may receive hormone therapy. Not the same thing as HRT.
Sorry, meant to write Hormone ReplaceMENT Therapy is used ...
ReplyDeleteNope.
ReplyDeleteNo medal for me. Maybe a bronze for the construction? Nope? Okay, lead then.
ReplyDeleteThanks to Rebecca and Amie for their Olympic-themed puzzle, sprinkled with more Olympic fill (LIT, SAND, TROT)! The perps were a big help sussing the unknowns (to me). I ended up with a silver medal today.
ReplyDeleteFAV themer was RUNNING MATES. However, I wince at comparing elite gymnastic athletes with FLOOR MODELS. I am getting an "eye candy" vibe. Maybe that's just me.
I like the clue for SLOB because "sounds messier" is helpful even if one has never heard of that style.
I need help with AAH vs. AHH. I always get those wrong.
Thanks to C.C. for her Sunday write-up and the link to the Midwest Crossword Tournament! That is so cool that you are a part of that!! Is anyone planning to go? (I'm looking at you, H-Gary and SS.)
Hola!
ReplyDeleteRarely do I give up on a puzzle but today I did. It was just too filled with modern lingo that I'm unfamiliar with and after a while I just got tired of it. After reading the answers I see that I would not have been able to finish. Kudos to those of you who did so.
I hope you are enjoying your Sunday! I ventured outside for a bit and it is really hot!
I'll join the chorus: DNF & disliked the cluing. Way back when (i.e. "before computers) puzzles were filled with general knowledge terms and facts, not the "pop culture" crap in this puzzle, we had fun learning usable info doing these puzzles. Not any more!! I counted 32 "Pop Culture" clues in this waste of time. I missed going to lunch with an old friend today struggling with this mess.
ReplyDeleteSunday Lurk say...
ReplyDeleteSPIN DOCTORS? ['90's band that DW met before their album was the biggest thing of the Summer]
Yesterday... HTML is the markup language for Web Pages; HTTP is the protocol. I didn't teach the protocol in my 101 class.
And I was happy to see CED back The Corner. I was thinking Friday night, "CED's not made me laugh lately."
That's only ~1/3 of what we'd miss about you. And we'd wonder "who's going to feed the pretty dog?"
But then, what a great guy that would explore parks and taxi his daughters around the NE.
Too early to read your x-word OBIT, dude! :-)
That's all for now.
Cheers, -T
*at The Corner.
ReplyDelete-T
Two items from today's opus horrorum.
ReplyDeleteFirst, does anyone know how 'is super into' could be transmogrified into "STANS"?
And a cluing complaint: "Festival aesthetic" is not marked as being abbreviated, yet the answer, "BOHO" is certainly short for 'Bohemian.'
A fitting battle on the 110th anniversary of the start of WWI
ReplyDeleteThis one? A love/hate struggle with a great theme (favorite was FLOOR MODELS, with PINHEADS following a close second); but since when must I spend my life watching TV in order to know all these 🤬ing proper names? At least clue ROSA with something meaningful and erudite, like “Bus-rider Parks” or “Ferrari’s speedy Testa”. Enough of the cutesy stuff, already. Sheesh.
ReplyDeleteI’ll quit now before I let y’all know what I REALLY think… 😆
====> Darren / L.A.