Sunday January 12, 2025 ~ Zhouqin Burnikel

Theme: "PR Stunt"

Good Sunday morning. Today C.C. presents a puzzle so dazzling, adding PR to the themers, the press must cover it. Let's take a look:

22a. Ultrathin bicycle chain holder?: LIGHT SPROCKET. Remove the PR and you get light socket.

This light-weight set of sprockets [a gear] will set you back $280

40a. Divinely inspired binge session?: THE HOLY SPREE. The Holy Sea. It's not a body of water, like I used to think, but the government of the Catholic Church in the Vatican.

58a. Number important to bakers?: VANILLA PRICE. Vanilla Ice. I'll spare you a rap song.

81a. Guaranteed ball catchers?: PROVEN GLOVES. Oven Gloves. I've stopped using them. All cotton side-towels work just fine and you don't have to walk over to get a mitt.
 

97a. Question from a grocery mister?: SHALL WE SPRAY. Shall we say?

118a. Fairyland queen?: SPRITE MANAGER. Site Manager.

34d. Garment for a gingerbread cookie?: PRALINE SKIRT. A-Line Skirt.

39d. Avid fan of Chunky Garden pasta sauce?: PREGO BOOSTER. Ego Booster. If you want to boost my ego, lie to me about how much you enjoyed this expo ;-)

Across:
1. "Alright, Still" singer Lily: ALLEN. Never heard of her or the song.
 

6. Split asunder: CLEAVE. This is a fun word 'cuz it's a contranym. Cleave means to tear apart but also means to cling to. [Cite [49:31 - Cleave is @2:30]]

12. Sought a dog treat: BEGGED.

18. Computer in a messenger bag: LAPTOP. My laptops go in a backpack along with a second monitor and various cables and lockpicks.

20. Throws in the trash: TOSSES. We learned Thursday to recycle eWaste.

21. Real: GENUINE. In my head I pronounce it like Mr. Haney [Pat Buttram] from Green Acres.
 

22. [See: Theme]

24. "Hold your horses!": EASY NOW. Just slow down your gumption.

25. Purple palm berry: ACAI.

26. High-pitched bark: YELP. Yip was too short.

27. Modern art?: ARE. LOL! Thou art -> You ARE.

28. Weighty burden: ONUS.

29. Poultry farm sight: COCK.
 

Foghorn Leghorn

31. Meat in a Cuban sandwich: HAM.
 

Yum!

33. Comics dog with a long tongue: ODIE.

34. Drain pipe material: PVC.

37. Stay-at-home worker?: UMP. Cute. In Baseball the UMP is at home plate.

40. [See: Theme]

44. Cookie with a churro flavor: OREO. There's a churro stand not far from me - they're good. A churro is pâte à choux (cream puff) batter, piped into hot fat, deep-fried until crisp, and shaken with cinnamon-sugar.
 

I checked.  They exist(ed).

45. Trunk: TORSO. Not on an elephant nor a train :-)

47. Peddle: SELL. It's funny, I can recognize peddle from pedal but, when it comes to writing it out, I get confused.

48. Seats for the faithful: PEWS.
 

You can buy it here

49. Delany of "China Beach": DANA. China Beach was a TV series on ABC ('88 to '91) and she was the lead actress, or so I've Googled.
 

Dana Delany

50. Sherlock adversary Adler: IRENE. She only appeared in the short story "A Scandal in Bohemia."

51. "I know kung fu" character: NEO.

I love this movie!

52. Land in the Seine: ILE.

53. "Get a hold of yourself!": COOL IT.

55. Batter's practice area: CAGE.

56. Plot progression: ARC.

58. [See: Theme]

61. Succulent harvested for its gel: ALOE.
 

Sorry Splynter, it's obligatory :-)

62. Judged to be: DEEMED.

64. Bracelet closure: CLASP.

65. Nancy Drew's beau: NED.

66. "Nicely done!": BRAVO.

68. Scent: AROMA.

70. Yonder things: THOSE.

72. "Hamilton" actress Phillipa: SOO. Perps

74. The "L" of Samuel L. Jackson: LEROY.

76. Thrill-seeker's activity: BUNGEE. Everything you wanted to know. I'm still not doing it.

78. Quiet attention-getter: PSST.

81. [See: Theme]

84. Doctor's orders, for short: RXS.

85. Middling: OKAY. I like the clue here.

86. Refuse to give in: INSIST.

87. Jaden's role in "The Karate Kid": DRE. The 2010 reboot of the movie. I had to LIU after the solve 'cuz I had no idea.

88. Spanish uncle: TIO. Makes sense since TIA is an aunt.

90. Resume highlight: SKILL.

91. Fancy party: FETE.

92. Som tam cuisine: THAI.

93. Small earring: STUD.

95. Intrinsically: PERSE.

96. Flintstones Vitamins shape: FRED.
 

Mom doled these out daily.

97. [See: Theme]

100. Asphalt alternative: TAR. On a Southwest flight after a bumping landing, the announcer said, "Oooh, that wasn't the pilot's fault; that was the asphalt."

101. Turk. neighbor: SYR. Turkey and Syria are neigbors.

102. Dude from Dundee: SCOT. The company I work for has an office is Aberdeen and that's the only place I've been in Scotland.

103. Pocket-sized: WEE.

104. "What __ have you got?": ELSE.

106. "The Alienist" author Caleb: CARR.

107. Find work for: USE.

109. Drink with cardamom: CHAI. Chai just means tea in Hindi. My co-worker from India laughs when anyone says chai tea: "Why are you saying tea tea?"
 

Marsala Chai

111. Cast down?: MOLT.

115. Pack of camels: CARAVAN.

118. [See: Theme]

121. One with a cordial rivalry: FRENEMY. A portmanteau of Friend and Enemy.

122. Exactly right: DEAD ON.

123. Fancy party: SOIREE. At my last company we called our Christmas Party a soiree on the invites. One of the partners thought is was funny and pretentious so he'd be funny and pretentious when he said this word.

124. Auction bids: OFFERS.

125. Pitching battles?: AD WARS. This was cute. Not a (baseball) tie in the 10th inning reference, but ads. Eight clever stunts in ongoing ad wars.

126. Word between God and you: BLESS. LOL! Not a prayer nor a scene in Oh, God but God Bless You - like gesundheit.

Down:
1. Gnocchi __ Romana: ALLA.
 

Recipe

2. Nonclerical: LAIC.

3. Org. for women who are great drivers: LPGA. Not cars but Lady's Professional Golf Association.

4. Set of principles: ETHIC.

5. "Ha, fooled ya!": NOT.

6. Lower left PC key: CTRL.

7. Contract flaw: LOOPHOLE.

8. Upper left PC key: ESC. Nice clecho.
 

9. Dickinson's advice column: ASK AMY. I know of AMY Dickinson from Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me - she's a very competitive guest.

10. Turn suddenly: VEER.

11. Haim sister mentioned in Taylor Swift's "No Body, No Crime": ESTE. Perps.

12. Fitted cap: BEANIE.

13. Succeed: ENSUE.

14. Fellas: GUYS. Or Dudes (whether or not a SCOT [see: 102a])

15. Liquor in a Negroni: GIN. Negroni is a cocktail, made of equal parts gin, vermouth rosso (red, semi-sweet), and Campari, generally served on the rocks, and commonly garnished with an orange slice or orange peel. It is considered an apéritif. [WikiP]

16. Capital One's virtual assistant: ENO. Did music's Brian voice this? ;-) //that's a joke - Brian ENO is puzzledom's favorite music man. ENO is also ONE (part of Capital One) spelled backwards

17. Drops on the lawn: DEW.

19. "Ha, fooled ya!": PSYCH. Clecho! And what I wanted for NOT! at 5 down.

21. Crystal hunter's finds: GEODES.

23. Some toy doggies: PEKES.
 

30. __-Missouria Tribe: OTOE.

32. Everywhere: ALL OVER.

33. "1984" author: ORWELL. Prepare. 1984 is coming 40 years late.

34. [See: Theme]

35. Marco Polo's hometown: VENICE. I've actually been to his home in Venice. It's a little off the beaten path - at least that's how DW & I got there.
 

UNESCO image

 

My snap

36. Like many candies: COATED.

37. City east of Syracuse: UTICA.

38. Principled: MORAL.

39. [See: Theme]

41. Consequently: HENCE.

42. Go around in circles: SPIN.

43. Diver on Louisiana's state seal: PELICAN. I lived in North Louisiana for ~8 years so this was a gimme.

44. Scent: ODOR.

46. Mocking smile: SNEER.

53. Redeems, as a check: CASHES.

54. Info on a political rival: OPPO. Opposition Research.

56. Pre-Christmas season: ADVENT. A four week period where you light a candle each Sunday leading up to Christmas. Lucina can explain.

57. Corp. shake-up: REORG. Oy! Last week at my Corp., a re-org was announced and layoffs are impending.

59. Brick made of soil and straw: ADOBE.

60. Balloon material: LATEX.

63. Like some city races: MAYORAL. I kept thinking of fun runs / marathons.

67. Happy hour picks: ALES. Hand up if you order that expensive scotch at a happy hour 'cuz you're too cheap to buy it IRL.

69. Not-to-be-missed: MUST SEE. Y'all remember NBC's MUST SEE TV of Seinfeld & Friends?

71. Gave an address: SPOKE. Orated didn't fit.

72. Gussies (up): SPIFFS. In slang, "Church it up."

73. Cantankerous: ORNERY. Mom said I was ornery. I assumed it meant impishly entertained.

75. Overly familiar: OLD HAT.

77. Category: GROUP.

79. Pico de gallo, e.g.: SALSA. I love pico and oft sauté it for scrambled eggs.
 

80. "The Accidental Tourist" novelist Anne: TYLER. Name.

82. Fought (for): VIED.

83. Face concealer: VEIL. Oh, not makeup.

89. AI field: IT SECTOR. I didn't realize last week when I posted an IT SECTOR joke that I was cribbing from the wrong puzzle and may have given a spoiler.

90. 1974 espionage spoof: SPYS.
 

92. Tough to solve: THORNY.

94. Night vision?: DREAM.

97. Leaves in a hurry: SCRAMS.

98. Sister show of "SmackDown": WWE RAW.  Wrestling shows.

99. Smith or Jones, sometimes: ALIAS. In HS, we used Townes - more believable and, if "they" looked it up, it'd get our buddy in trouble :-)

102. Piggy bank filler: SAVER. Not the coins but the person inserting them. Cute, C.C., cute.

105. Spam, e.g.: EMAIL.

106. Sugar crop: CANE.

107. Food safety org.: USDA. United States Department of Agriculture.

108. Ignored the limit: SPED.

110. Chick tenders: HENS. Ha! Not snacks for tots but the bird that tends to baby chic.

112. EverQuest monster: OGRE.

113. Some bell-bottoms: LEES. Oh, please - let's not go retro and bring those back.

114. Number before cuatro: TRES. Spanish counting. Uno, dos, TRES, cuatro, cinco, seis, siete, ochoe, nueve, diez. Two semesters of Spanish and that's as little as I remember. Father Guido Sarducci was right! [3:55]

115. Exec. who holds the purse strings: CFO. Chief Financial Officer.

116. "I want my bone!": ARF. You didn't really think you'd escape an Anon -T review w/o some heavy metal, did you?
 

117. B-ball official: REF.  Basketball is REFereed.

119. State next to Ore.: IDA. Oregon & Idaho.

120. San Francisco's __ Hill: NOB. A ritzy part of SFO just south of Lombard St.

The Grid:
  

The Grid

Thank you, C.C. for another wonderfully fun puzzle!

Cheers!, -T