Theme: "To Be or Not To Be" - BE is added and removed from each common phrase.
22. Final task on a medical supply manufacturer's assembly line?: PROBE BOXING. Pro boxing.
33. Fer sure, totally give birth?: BEHAVE LIKE A CHILD. Behave like a child.
47. Spring-loaded necklace element?: POPUP BEAD. Pop-up ad.
63. Tree surgeon's undergrad degree?: BABE IN THE WOODS. Babe in the woods.
70. Like the Ugly Duckling on the verge of adulthood?: BECOMING SOON. Coming soon.
85. Public perception of certain evergreens?: FIBER OPTICS. Fiber optics.
99. Tolerate a weekend marathon of a Bette Midler tearjerker?: STOMACH BEACHES. stomach aches.
Orderly execution: BE is added, then removed from the next theme entry.
From
the byline order, we can see that Gary came up with the theme, then
Doug came up with more theme entries and together they made the grid.
Lots of great clues in today's puzzle.
Across:
1. Metric feet: IAMBS.
6. Scotch mixer: SODA. I had my first Cola-Cola in 1987.
10. Put out: EMIT.
14. "__ bon!": TRES.
18. Sound (off): SPOUT.
19. Major alternative for a composer: MINOR.
20. Inspiring figure: MUSE.
21. Home of the stadium nicknamed the "Taj Mahal of Tenpins": RENO.
The National Bowling Stadium. Boomer would have entertained you with
his Reno stories. He went there a few times for some tournament.
24. Baum princess: OZMA.
25. "How unfortunate": ALAS. And 17. "How unfortunate": SO SAD.
26. Phillies div.: NL EAST.
27. Board that supposedly chose its own name: OUIJA. Oh really? I know it's just Yes and Yes.
29. Honeydew relative: CASABA. Told you about Hami last time. It's sweeter than casaba.
31. Supermodel Bündchen: GISELE.
36. GOP org.: RNC.
37. Make an effort: TRY.
39. Soak up the sun: BASK.
40. Stevenson villain: MR HYDE.
41. Retro console: ATARI.
43. Exclusive British school that originally served the poor: ETON. Didn't know this.
45. Admit: COP TO.
49. Start to care?: OBAMA. Obamacare.
51. Harpo Productions CEO: OPRAH.
56. Baaing mamas: EWES.
57. Last word in the "Gilligan" theme song: ISLE. "Here on Gilligan's Isle!"
58. Uncommon event: RARITY.
60. Caramel-filled treat: ROLO.
61. Hard-to-hit pitch: HIGH C. Not CURVE-ball.
65. In a power pose, perhaps: AKIMBO.
68. __ Dame: NOTRE. Suspended their men's swimming this year due to gambling. Sad for Chris Guiliano.
69. Occupies, as a table: SITS AT.
73. Biblical possessive: THINE.
75. Put up with: BEAR.
76. Esquire: LAWYER.
77. Unpaid: OWED.
78. Track for some small cars: SLOT. And 11. Elevator tracks?: MUZAK. Different tracks.
82. Sleep clinic study: APNEA.
84. Leaves in stitches: MENDS.
87. 100 centimes: FRANC.
89. Baby-faced: CUTE.
90. Shelter org.: ASPCA.
91. Critic Gene: SHALIT.
94. Free TV spots: PSAS.
96. Moo __ pork: SHU. Never had this in China.
98. Brita alternative: PUR.
103. Fragrant compounds: ESTERS.
105. "I Hope You Dance" singer Lee Ann: WOMACK.
106. Luke's bot: ARTOO. _Artoo -Detoo.
107. Came to a mutual decision: AGREED.
109. Actress Lena: OLIN.
110. Site of Napoleon's exile: ELBA.
116. Tear to shreds: REND.
117. Common merch: TEES.
118. Lucy's sitcom chum: ETHEL.
119. Eyelike openings: OCULI. Latin for "eyes".
120. "Orinoco Flow" singer: ENYA.
121. Home of the Whiffenpoofs: YALE.
122. Mil. awards: DSMS.
123. Round flatbreads: ROTIS.
Down:
2. Bank loan abbr.: APR.
3. Crater-pocked vista: MOONSCAPE.
4. Crooner Michael: BUBLE. I loved his version of "All I Want For Christmas Is You".
5. Dart feature: STEEL TIP.
6. __ sense: SIXTH.
7. U.S. maritime agcy.: ONI.
8. Soccer Hall of Famer Landon: DONOVAN. Soccer's MVP award was named after him.
9. Makes one's case: ARGUES.
10. Angry Face With Horns, for one: EMOJI.
12. Marx follower: ISM.
13. Server on wheels: TEA CART.
14. Lowbrow: TRASHY.
15. Installed again, as linoleum: RE-LAID.
16. Provide power to: ENABLE.
19. Calendar pgs.: MOS.
23. Prizefighter Max: BAER. Beat in "Cinderella Man".
28. Type: ILK.
30. Blessed sound?: ACHOO.
31. Chardonnay, for one: GRAPE.
32. Like repos, often: IN TOW.
34. Quarters: ABODE.
35. Feeler in a sci-fi novel: EMPATH.
38. "Oh, come on!": YEESH.
42. South Dakota memorial: RUSHMORE.
44. Soft mineral in some cosmetics: TALC.
45. __ asada: CARNE.
46. Not name: OMIT.
48. Well-financed lobbying group?: BIG OIL. Well-clued. Also 63. Wasn't cheer-ful?: BOOED. 95. Got the point?: SCORED.
49. Stump figures: ORATORS.
50. Scottish tyke: BAIRN.
52. Boycotts or strikes: PROTESTS.
53. Some bounders: ROOS.
54. Swit co-star: ALDA.
55. Zoom meeting initiator: HOST. Every time I Zoom with David, he's in dress shirt. Must be a British thing, yeah?
59. Words of affirmation: YES I DO. And 67. Volunteer's offer: I CAN.
62. Tech giant with more than 120,000 patents: IBM.
64. Connect four in Connect Four, say: WIN.
65. "Voulez-Vous" singers: ABBA.
66. Castle stronghold: KEEP.
68. PopOdyssey Tour headliners: NSYNC. New clue angle.
71. MVP of the 1969 Super Bowl: NAMATH. "Broadway Joe".
72. Hailee's "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" voice role: GWEN. Hailee Steinfeld. Gwen Stacy (Spider Woman).
73. Ninny: TWIT.
74. Toast starter: HERE'S.
77. Handy: OF USE.
79. Rolled across the edge of a golf hole: LIPPED OUT.
80. Come about: OCCUR.
81. Deposed autocrats: TSARS.
83. Insurance company with a quacking mascot: AFLAC.
86. Stop briefly to allow: PAUSE FOR.
88. Ready to tumble down: RICKETY.
89. (In) a secret partnership (with): CAHOOTS. Not many ways to clue this.
91. Lifted: STOLEN.
92. Hulled corn used in grits: HOMINY.
93. "Insecure" actress Seales: AMANDA.
94. "__ the Bunny": touch-and-feel baby book: PAT.
97. Bach title: HERR.
99. Made an oath: SWORE.
100. Tower of __: BABEL.
101. Make blank: ERASE.
102. Fills past full: SATES.
104. Phone service outfit: TELCO.
108. Type of manicure: GEL.
111. Broadway star Salonga: LEA.
113. Omega, on a physics test: OHM.
114. 2001 film depicting the Rumble in the Jungle: ALI.
115. "__ a pity": TIS.
4 comments:
At one point, I had to replace “swan” with “soon.” Other than that, I had little trouble with this puzzle. However, I didn’t notice the pattern of when the “be” was added or subtracted until I learned about it from C.C. Anyway, FIR, so I’m happy.
Good morning!
D-o should'a read the puzzle title. Maybe the theme would've come into focus, and I would've known that it was Pat The Bunny Bzzzzzt. Tried SISKEL for SHALIT. Fixed. Once again there was no joy in Mudville. [Sigh.] Thanx, Gary, Doug, and C.C.
Although it’s not always the case where a puzzle’s title will greatly aid in the solve, today’s title was of significant help for me. I think most of us will appreciate this grid from two veteran constructors, and shouldn’t garner the number of negative responses as yesterday’s themeless. FIR in 36:39 when I changed PET to PAT. DNKs were OZMA, EMPATH, BAIRN, GWEN and DONOVAN as clued (not up on soccer, now if it had been clued as ‘ex Eagles quarterback McNabb…). GISELE may be a supermodel but she is much better known as having been married to another quarterback. SHALIT immediately brought the image of that frizzy hair and mustache. I always liked him, and he’s still around at age 98. Back to Napoleon instead of Idris for ELBA. Oh joy, YEESH again, I rank that up along ‘erm’. Golfers (HG) hate to see that their putts have LIPPED OUT. IBM could have been clued simply as ‘tech giant’, the 120,000 patents the Ektorp part of the clue. Thanks Gary and Doug for the fun Sunday solve.
C.C. ~ thank you for the rundown of today’s grid. A bowling reference in a CW always elicits a memory of Boomer.
Good Morning:
When I finished, alas, there was no Tada! A grid check soon discovered the error of Musak instead of Muzak. Not knowing the Disney princess, Ozma, led to this error. I agree with CC that there were several clever clues and, also, some lively fill such as Rickety, Moonscape, Rushmore, Cahoots, Lipped Out, etc. Hand up for Siskel before Shalit. Seeing Yeesh reminds me of Jace, but his trademark might be Sheesh, I'm not sure. This is not one of my favorite types of themes, but Gary and Doug carried it off quite well.
Thanks, Gary and Doug, and thanks, CC, for the always informative insider's opinion. I'm sure everyone thought of dear Boomer at that Ten Pin Stadium clue.
Have a great day.
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