Theme: "In a Manner of Speaking" - Each common expression is reinterpreted literally.
22. "It's so cold my fingers are going numb": DIGITAL COMMUNICATION.
35. "I love my new down comforter": BLANKET STATEMENT.
52. "You should have seen that game-winning throw": PASSING COMMENT.
74. "I only carry one if there's more than a 50% chance of rain": UMBRELLA POLICY.
89. "Granite is best because it's heat-resistant and easy to clean": COUNTER-ARGUMENTS.
108. "Eve and I really wanted that apple": FIRST PERSON NARRATIVE.
I think this is our Jill Singer, a filmmaker in the Boston area.
She has a fondness for this type of rephrasing theme type. Chuckled at the clues. Fun.
This grid only has 138 words. Normally we have 142 or 144.
Across:
5. Penn State rival: PITT. Roc the Panther.
9. Church topper: SPIRE.
14. Not stick around: BAIL.
18. Old short film: ONE-REELER.
20. Like an escaped balloon: ALOFT.
21. "Free Willy" mammal: ORCA.
25. Conceptualism debate starter: IS IT ART.
26. Cursed: DOOMED.
27. Cattle markers: BRANDS. San Gu's son-in-law has a huge cattle farm. This is her grandson Er Cong. Don't think he wants to be a farmer.
29. Polar bear platforms: FLOES.
30. Piano key wood, traditionally: EBONY.
32. Laugh half: HEE.
33. Langley org.: CIA.
34. Craving: YEN.
40. Period of time: SPELL.
42. Really annoys: DEVILS. Did not know devil can be a verb. OK, deviled egg.
43. Creep: EDGE.
44. Escort: SQUIRE.
47. Beats by __: DRE.
50. Collapsible shelter: TENT.
51. Tangy salad herb: CRESS. Just had it last Sunday.
55. S.F. and L.A. locale: CAL.
56. Crème de la crème: A TEAM.
57. __ silence: RADIO.
58. Soak (up): SOP.
59. Starts of some logic problems: IFS.
62. __ photography: still-life genre: TABLETOP.
64. Business letters: LLC.
66. Wine grape variety: CABERNET.
68. Texter's apology: SRY. Sorry.
69. Like sashimi: RAW.
70. Ann __, Michigan: ARBOR.
72. Dye used in mehndi: HENNA.
73. Josh: KID.
78. Big shot: NABOB.
81. Court entry: PLEA.
82. Jimmy Eat World genre: EMO.
83. Rings around pupils: IRISES.
84. "__ be great!": IT'LL.
85. Part of the largest ethnic minority in the U.S.: LATINO. Hispanic and Latino. Han is the largest in the world. I'm a Han.
87. Very thin: GAUNT. And 99. Gray-faced: ASHEN.
93. Half of hexa-: TRI.
96. WSW reversal: ENE.
97. Urban scourge: RAT.
98. Composer Maurice: RAVEL. "Boléro".
101. Some field day races: RELAYS.
103. Peppermint __: PATTIE.
106. Sticks: ADHERES.
111. "Got that, boss": ON IT.
112. Brother's wife or wife's brother: IN-LAW.
113. Transfers legally: SIGNS OVER.
114. Cincinnati players: REDS.
115. Festoon: ADORN.
116. Cookie one might twist to open: OREO.
117. Robin's home: NEST.
Down:
2. Maroon: ENISLE.
3. Roman military group: LEGION.
4. Overused: TRITE.
5. Comice or Seckel: PEAR. Seckel pears.
6. Tattler's refrain: I'LL TELL.
7. Private eye: TEC. Detective.
8. Trampled: TROD ON.
9. Siberian dog breed: SAMOYED.
10. Reddish purple hue: PLUM.
11. "La Brea" actress Skye: IONE.
12. Microchip initialism: RFID. Radio Frequency Identification.
13. "You know the rest," briefly: ETC.
14. Buddha's meditation spot: BO TREE.
15. Oratorio solo: ARIA.
16. Words following a loss: I CONCEDE.
17. Positions to stick after vaults: LANDINGS.
19. Airport pickup figs.: ETAS.
23. One living a life of prayer: MONK. Nice clue.
24. Offers some bad advice?: ABETS. Really bad advice.
28. Quenches: SATES.
31. Part of an Uncle Fester costume: BALD CAP.
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32. Stop: HALT.
35. "Where have you __?": BEEN.
36. Spot for un béret: TETE.
37. Cartoon reindeer: SVEN.
38. Eyelash treatment: TINT.
39. Reagle who was a special guest on a crossword episode of "The Simpsons": MERL. Had a few nice email exchanges with Merl when I first started making puzzles.
40. Natural fiber in rugs and rope: SISAL.
41. Steakhouse selection: PRIME RIB.
44. Quarrels: SPATS.
45. Saudi Arabia neighbor: QATAR.
46. Important date: USE BY.
48. Towel holder: ROD.
49. Wakim of "SNL": EMIL.
51. Meeting point of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans: CAPE HORN.
53. "Oh, __ up!": GROW.
54. Wisdom tooth, e.g.: MOLAR.
55. Kernel holder: COB.
58. "Love Song" singer Bareilles: SARA.
59. Civil rights leader Roy: INNIS.
60. Ideal yard feature for pet owners: FENCE.
61. Legal postponements: STAYS.
63. Small amount: TAD.
65. Indigenous Canadians: CREE.
66. City on the Rhine: COLOGNE. 73. 66-Down, in German: KOLN.
67. Got going again, as a gas lamp: RE-LIT.
71. Anti-racism gp.: BLM.
74. Cosmetics chain with beauty salons: ULTA.
75. Golda of Israel: MEIR.
76. Sound of a slamming door: BANG.
77. Name of 12 popes: PIUS.
78. More sympathetic: NICER.
79. Right, as a wrong: ATONE FOR.
80. Transit option to Boston's Logan Airport: BLUE LINE.
81. Hair band?: PART.
85. "It's the __ I can do": LEAST.
86. Play in which the Stage Manager is a character: OUR TOWN.
88. On the loose: AT LARGE.
90. Secret meetups: TRYSTS.
91. Common street name: MAIN.
92. "Nevertheless ... ": EVEN SO.
93. Not just survive: THRIVE.
94. Actor Keanu: REEVES.
95. Magazine addition: INSERT.
99. Exclamations of understanding: AHAS.
100. Determined to have: SET ON.
102. Like the Namib: ARID. The Namib is world's oldest desert.
103. Await settlement: PEND.
104. Folk singer Guthrie: ARLO.
105. Peter the Great or Nicholas II: TSAR.
107. Spy film starring Sean Connery: DR NO.
109. Actress Zadora: PIA.
110. Affectation: AIR.
C.C.
It really wasn’t too hard, in spite of the length of some of the themers. I did have to replace “ elite” with “A-team” but that was about it, as far as substitutions go. FIR, so I’m happy.
ReplyDeleteGood morning!
ReplyDeleteIf Jill's from Boston, that could explain the BLUE LINE answer -- seems obscure to moi. "Bosc" would've been helpful in that clue for PEAR. The R was my last fill. Still not sure how a PART would be a "Hair band." In the end, d-o got 'er done in good time. What is it Shakespeare said? "All's well that ends well." Thanx, Jill and C.C.
Having worked for a couple years in Boston, BLUE line was a gimme, the only 4 letter line, the others being red, green, and orange.
DeleteYeah, the BLUE line is where offsides is determined in hockey.
DeleteFIR in 31:31, but it did take an A-run to get the R in IS IT ART/PEAR for my last fill, like d-o I am not familiar with those varieties. Not exactly a LEGION of names in this one, but I did need perps to get MERL, SARA, and EMIL, had to correct Paul to PIUS when perps didn’t agree. BOTREE and TABLETOP photography were unknowns. I liked the clue and fill for USE BY. I had BALD ___ , and first thought “wig”, but that woulda been too much of an oxymoron. If I say “I CONCEDE”, it’s admitting that I’m destined to lose so I will TITT, I don’t say it after I had already lost. A nice Sunday exercise, I enjoyed the theme and long fills, thank you Jill, and to C.C. for providing the recap.
ReplyDeleteTook 21:21 for me to get blackjack, I guess.
ReplyDeleteI knew today's actress (Pia). I agree that "blue line" seems obscure to anyone not from Boston. Bo tree & Innis were new to me.
I think DEVIL is usually used in the passive - you are beDEVILed by a problem.
ReplyDeleteWhen you PART your hair you reveal a BAND of scalp
Let's see if that was it. General Joseph Hooker lost to General Robert E. Lee in the Battle of Chancellorsville.
ReplyDeleteGeeze - even my "my post disappeared" post disappeared.
DeleteI started slow and finished fast with the unknown BOTREE crossing HEE as the last fill. It took a while to get going. Some thing didn't make sense at first and I still don't see how "Hair band" and PART are related.
ReplyDeleteBLUE LINE, SATA, EMIL, BALD CAP, PEAR, INNIS, TABLETOP, IS IT ART- DNK those as clued.
LATINO is not an ethnic minority. They are only related by language. Most people in Mexico are American Indian or Spanish-Indian. People from Spain are not considered as Hispanic, they are European.
FIR. It took several WAG's to finish today's puzzle correctly. Rfid, bo tree, bald cap, devils, among the ridiculous answers to weird clues.
ReplyDeleteI got the theme early on and that really helped with the solve. But I found the cluing left a lot to be desired.
Overall not an enjoyable puzzle.
DNF. Upper half was too “Saturday-ish” for me (how long before we see that in an LAT puzzle?) ENISLE? Really? Anyway, at least I can do a Stooges joke.
ReplyDeletePatron: Can you dye my dress henna color?
Stooge: Why sure, we can dye it henna color you want.
My post about Charley on the MTA also disappeared. I know it was posted because I received the email saying there had been an update.
ReplyDeleteGood Morning:
ReplyDeleteThis was a refreshing theme with solid, in the language phrases, prompted by sometimes amusing cluing. The fill was strong and lively, for the most part, with the usual smattering of unknowns, i.e., Bo Tree, Tabletop, RFID, and Emil, as clued, but there were no real obscurities or dreck. Enisle wasn’t my favorite and On It is becoming tiresome, but it was a treat to see Cabernet vs Cab, for a change.
Thanks, Jill, for a smooth and satisfying solve and thanks, CC, for the usual insider’s viewpoint. Cute picture of little Er Kong and, of course, the handsome Samoyed.
Have a great day.
5 Across clue should be "Former Penn State rival." As a PSU alum and supporter, that had me stumped for the longest time. That rivalry ended in 2019 with no future games planned.
ReplyDeleteMusings
ReplyDelete-A fun gimmick and obscurities went quietly
-After playing 100 games, the Pitt/Penn State FB rivalry ended in 2019. I read that PITT claimed PSU wanted 2 home games for every game played at PITT.
-IS IT ART? It’s in the eye of the beholder
-RADIO SILENCE was part of Japan’s sneak attack on Pearl Harbor
-Mehndi is not in my vocabulary, but dye and HENNA are
-This Roy Orbison classic song was inspired by Ravel’s Boléro
-I CONCEDE: Throw in the towel, lay down your king, yell uncle… Others?
-The Atlantic and Pacific Oceans meet at CAPE HORN but do not mix
-Double possibility: “Never let it be said that I didn’t do the LEAST I could do”
Here's tomorrow's weather forecast for CAPE HORN. Remember it is late summer there.
DeleteVery strong WNW winds with dangerous seas. Gale Warning. Hazardous Seas Warning. Large mid period waves.
Winds: WNW 37 to 47 knots.
Seas: W 15 feet at 10 seconds.
I love sailing, but you can have my share of rounding this CAPE. (The Beagle, with Charles Darwin aboard, was nearly lost there.)
Ooh, I liked Jill's puzzle and FIR. Neat theme and long answers!
ReplyDeleteI agree with YooperPhil at 6:55 AM that "I CONCEDE" comes before, not following, a loss.
Big Easy at 8:39 AM may be right about some folks' usage of the word "Hispanic," but Hispania is Latin for Spain, and Hispanic refers to all Spanish speaking countries and people.
Thanks for blogging, C.C.!
As a political junkie, I'm familiar with the I CONCEDE speech happening after the race is over. (Let's see if this one gets zapped too.)
DeleteThaw before melt, one of those days where you are half way through Wordle, your missing 3 letters, have 3 choices left, and there a 6 possible words...
ReplyDeleteI guess - I could chalk it up to a learning experience...
Jill's challenge today struck me as a formidable effort on her part. It featured an interesting theme, led by two 20-word near-grid spanners. The fill was for the most part fresh and enlightening.
ReplyDeleteI was delighted to see the late Merl Reagle make an appearance. For those who never had the pleasure of doing a Reagle puzzle, let me say this: For years he did the San Francisco Chronicle Sunday puzzle, which is how I first knew his work, as I lived in San Francisco. He also did puzzles for Games magazine and numerous other publications.. When he constructed, he did it all with paper and pencil. No computers. He and Will Shortz appeared in an episode of The Simpsons where Bart and Lisa were working on a crossword. The next day, that very crossword they were struggling over appeared as the New York Times' daily crossword! When the history of crossword puzzles is written, Merl Reagle's name will be prominent. And C.C. knew him!
Some random observations on Jill's puzzle:
--some entries were new to me, such as ENISLE and BOTREE. I appreciate learning new words like these. ENISLE is the kind of word that Shakespeare often invented. Maybe he did.
--i had a Natick issue at the top, due to IONE and RFID. Neighboring perps took care of it.
--I wouldn't have clued ICONCEDE (16D) as words following a loss; they're words expressed when you throw in the towel.
Thanks, Jill, for a well-constructed and fresh Sunday challenge; and thanks, C.C., for your enjoyable review and recap.
Extremely difficult and unenjoyable puzzle. Too many obscure unknowns. Door slamming is a bang?
ReplyDeleteI really liked this one. Thanks Jill. The theme answers were fun and humorous to ascertain. No complaints here, I enjoyed it all.
ReplyDeleteIt's always nice to see a reference to Merl. I got to meet him once at a CW tournament that was being held in Santa Monica. It turned out that we were both fans of Rocket J Squirrel and Bullwinkle.
ReplyDeleteDelightful Sunday puzzle, many thanks, Jill. And your commentary is always a help and a pleasure, C.C., thank you for that too.
ReplyDeleteWell, it wasn't until I saw that reference to a FIRST PERSON NARRATIVE at the bottom of the puzzle, that I felt it was okay for me to weigh in with comments today. Having the debate start with the question IS IT ART? made it clear that any question about the state of puzzles was more than just a PASSING COMMENT. It certainly wasn't TRITE and would probably require a response from a SQUIRE or a NABOB or an A TEAM with LATINO skills to verify the artistic status of this puzzle. Let's just hope that no-one felt readers were DOOMED by DEVILS that would require them to BAIL out on all this stuff and SIGN OVER work on this puzzle to the editorial IN-LAWS. After all, we all probably had huge pleasure and delight in working on it today--didn't we? So let's vote on maintaining the pleasure of this daily puzzle without any COUNTER ARGUMENTS! And let's look forward to a different theme tomorrow!
Have a pleasant Sunday, everyone.
Love this puzzle! The theme entries and clues are terrific...and how very cool to see my dearly beloved -- and much missed -- Merl in the grid. (For this Bostonian, BLUE LINE was a gimme.) Thanks, Jill, and thank you, C.C. for the wonderful expo.
ReplyDeleteI’LL TELL you what I decided to SET ON my TABLETOP before tackling this puzzle. I RE-LIT the burner, thinking I was going to make a PATTIE MELT from RAW ground beef, then saw a TAD of leftover PRIME RIB and some corn on the COB in the fridge and thought IT’LL be NICER, especially with a side salad of CRESS with slices of PEAR and PLUM ON IT. I paired that with a CABERNET, but I CONCEDE that REDS would’ve been better. I finished with a BANG and had a few OREOs for dessert. So that SATES me and I FIR!
ReplyDelete😆👍🏽, good one! ====> D.
DeleteOh, no. I just lost my entire post! Drat!
ReplyDeleteI finished it in good time and now I forgot what I wrote.
BO TREE? I studied philosophy, including Buddhism, and have never heard or seen it called that. It is a BODHI TREE. Do we get syrup from a MAP TREE? Do we line hope chests with wood from the CED TREE?
ReplyDeleteOther than that "bo tree" abomination, I liked this puzzle and admire Jill Singer's skill in constructing it.
ReplyDeleteI've often wondered why, on some forms, "White" is a separate check box from "Hispanic." If "Hispanic" simply means that you speak Spanish as your primary language, then why isn't there a check box for, say, "Gallic" or "Germanic" or "Scandinavian"? And if I'm black and speak English I'm "Black" but if I'm black and speak Spanish I'm "Hispanic"? Makes no sense to me.
ReplyDeleteWhat doesn't make sense to me is our obsession with putting individuals into pigeonholes. I remember some outrage when the wife of some national politician checked the box for African American. Since she was paler than Heidi Klum, she was asked why she did so. She answered something on the order of "I was born in Cape Town. Where were you born?"
DeleteSo is Elon Musk.
DeleteBack when forms listed a choice of "Native Amrican" I checked that box every time. Maybe that's why most now say "American Indian"!
ReplyDeleteGreat! Now Nikki Haley can check that box!
DeleteA fairly straightforward puzzle for a Sunday; I had fun with the themers, which pretty much revealed themselves without too much digging. There were indeed some questionable fills; ENISLE? BOTREE?? Not buying either of them — it was a BOhdi TREE, and that’s not something even the Buddha would abbreviate. An ARIA being an oratorio is a learning moment, along with TEC being short for a private eye (I’ve heard “dick”, as in Dick Tracy). Prior to my arrival on the scene, my mum was a “store dick” in San Francisco. By the way, my thanks for using CAL as a short for my home state, as opposed to the affectated “Cali”, which most natives hate as much as the derisive “Frisco” for S.F.
ReplyDeleteHand up for “ivory” before EBONY (pretty sneaky clueing since they both use O and Y in the same spots) and “shut” for 53D until the perps demanded GROW. And a big “Thank You!” to Ms. Singer for minimizing our favorite “hate”, those stinky old obscure pop-culture references; the ones in today’s puzzle were (for the most part) well-known, such as DR NO and ARLO. Also, I appreciated the dual-language gag with COLOGNE and KÖLN — nice play!
Lastly, as always, thanks to C.C. for the clear reveal on the fills 😎
====> Darren / L.A.