Theme: "At Any Rate" - The last words of the theme entries form a logical movement sequence.
23. *Old-fashioned establishment?: COCKTAIL LOUNGE. Resting rate.
37. *Measurement unit on some graph-ruled paper: SQUARE INCH.
46. *Commodity sold in board-feet: ROUGH LUMBER.
52. *Charge up?: PRICE HIKE.
66. *Annual upriver migration: SALMON RUN.
82. *Group nearly eradicated in "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy": HUMAN RACE.
90. *What may hang by a thread?: HEXAGON BOLT.
98. *Invasive species that may be spotted in the garden?: LANTERN FLY.
Reveal:
112. Loop in, and a hint to the progression found at the ends of the answers to the starred clues: BRING UP TO SPEED.
Steady progression, from stillness to fly. Just like the reveal explains, the constructors are bringing things up to speed.
Across:
5. Salsa partner on a dip platter, casually: GUAC. Tasty on the Seeduction bread.
9. Pasta __ Norma: ALLA.
13. The Beyhive, e.g.: FANDOM. Beyoncé's fan base.
19. Spark: IDEA.
20. Fully aware of: ONTO.
21. Tusked hog: BOAR.
22. Like Chamonix: ALPINE.
26. Features of New York's Guggenheim museum: CURVES.
27. Roller coaster material: STEEL.
28. Behind schedule: LATE.
29. [Cough cough]: AHEM.
31. Self or sheep suffix: ISH.
32. Smoked beef cuts: BRISKETS.
35. Writers with star power?: CRITICS. Because they rate in stars. Great clue.
40. Water cooler sound: GLUG.
41. "You rock!," facetiously: NOICE. OK, it's exaggerated Nice, not NO ICE. Thanks, Anonymous!)
44. Rush: HURRY.
45. D.C. pro: NAT.
48. Memoji platform: IOS.
49. __-12: athletic org.: PAC.
50. "__ Maria": AVE.
51. Staunton of "The Crown": IMELDA. She played Queen Elizabeth.
56. Blueprint: DESIGN.
59. Dates: SEES.
60. Travel plaza fuel supplier: SUNOCO.
61. Villain's hideout: LAIR.
63. Japanese camera brand: NIKON.
65. Org.-wide message: MEMO.
69. Kitten cries: MEWS.
72. Small sound: INLET.
74. "American Fiction" actress Rae: ISSA. Super talented.
75. "Sure, that totally sounds credible": YEAH OK.
77. "Shoot to Thrill" band: AC/DC.
80. Polar dome: ICECAP. Hence NOICE rather than NO ICE earlier. Patti normally doesn't allow this type of dupe.
85. Carving tool: CHISEL.
87. "Last Week Tonight" network: HBO.
88. Articulate: SAY.
89. Solder element: TIN.
93. Prevail: WIN.
94. Like slow lorises and snow leopards: ASIAN. Look at his eyes. Some live in China's Yunnan province.
96. Knicks legend Patrick: EWING.
97. Like some wine: OAKY.
100. Crux: ESSENCE.
102. Plovdiv's country: BULGARIA. Plovdiv is the second-largest city in Bulgaria, 93 miles southeast of Sofia, a la Wikipedia.
103. Buffalo Bills gp.: AFC.
105. Out of control: AMOK.
106. "You" actor Badgley: PENN. Also in "Gossip Girl".
107. Email option: REPLY.
110. Muss: TOUSLE.
117. Single word on its own line, in typesetting: ORPHAN. Learning moment for me. The orphan and the last widow look the same to me.
118. "If it __ broke ... ": AIN'T.
119. Subscription level: TIER.
120. At any point: EVER.
121. "Kinda weird ... ": IT'S ODD.
122. "Sky Landing" artist Ono: YOKO.
123. Salty septet: SEAS.
124. Ceremony: RITE.
Down:
2. Big bothers: ADOS.
3. Religious subgroup: SECT.
4. Place to sample Dassai: SAKE BAR. Dassai is a premium sake brand. It means "otter festival".
Their website said there used to be many otters frolicking in the nearby rivers where the brewery is based.
5. Net asset?: GOALIE. Hockey net.
6. College, abroad: UNI.
7. Falcons city, briefly: ATL.
8. Gather: COLLECT.
9. Borders: ABUTS.
10. Unaccompanied: LONE.
11. Twitch streamer's headache: LAG.
12. Throw on the floor: AREA RUG. Noun "throw".
13. Jewel side: FACET.
14. Lightweight metal: ALUMINUM.
15. "Code Switch" network: NPR.
16. Capable of an even split: DIVISIBLE.
17. Vending machine bills: ONES.
18. Mosquito net fabric: MESH.
24. "Fresh Air" host Gross: TERRY. Used to listen to her often.
25. Pledge: OATH.
30. Lofty: HIGH.
33. Egyptian peninsula: SINAI.
34. Natural talent: KNACK.
35. Puzzle hints: CLUES.
36. Approaches: COMES NEAR.
37. Impossibly bottled objects: SHIPS.
38. Minimum needed for action: QUORUM.
39. Bearlike: URSINE.
40. Serves the people: GOVERNS.
42. Formally yield: CEDE.
43. Notable periods: ERAS.
46. Ad with a jingle, maybe: RADIO SPOT.
47. Connection: LINK.
49. Vietnamese beef noodle soup: PHO.
53. Creative type?: COMIC SANS. Because the font has a creative vibe?
54. B-school course: ECON.
55. Tail end?: ELL.Just the final letter Tail.
57. Shiba __: INU.
58. Martini ingredient: GIN.
62. Not unkindly: AMIABLY.
64. Portent: OMEN.
66. Length of 24 film frames, briefly: SEC. 24 frames per second is the standard frame rate for movies.
67. Gobbled up: ATE.
68. Repeated syllable in Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance": RAH.
70. "Let's say ... ": WHAT IF.
71. Gregarious: SOCIAL.
73. Stitch's friend: LILO.
75. "Woot woot!": YAY.
76. "Footloose" singer Loggins: KENNY.
77. Yearning: ACHE.
78. Think (on): CHEW.
79. Lemonade stand stackers: DIXIE CUPS.
81. Blow it under pressure: CHOKE.
83. Implementing: USING.
84. Big-brained ray: MANTA.
86. Deli sandwich filling: EGG SALAD.
91. Wearing white to a wedding, e.g.: NO NO.
92. Ritzy Boston neighborhood: BACK BAY. Tom Brady lived in this area for many years.
93. Carrot cake additions: WALNUTS.
94. Latin for "ram": ARIES.
95. Fish often served whole: SNAPPER.
98. Organ in the chest cavity: LUNG.
99. Blunders and bobbles: ERRORS.
101. Fix, as syntax: EMEND.
102. Lunch box with compartments: BENTO. Bento is derived from Chinese Biandang, literally "convenient".
103. Yours, in French: A TOI.
104. Cozy blanket structure: FORT.
106. "__ Pony Club": Chappell Roan hit: PINK.
108. 22nd U.S. vice president Morton: LEVI. Didn't know him. Under Benjamin Harrison.
109. Throw, slangily: YEET.
111. "Fellow Travelers" airer, for short: SHO.
113. Carnival city: RIO.
114. Dessert with a crust: PIE.
115. Rooibos, for one: TEA.
116. Hip-hop pioneer Dr. __: DRE.
C.C.
I had a pretty good
ReplyDeleteidea about the gimmick before the reveal. And though I may have a small nit about the crossing of “Pink” and “Penn,” for the most part the puzzle was fair and quickly sussed.
FIR, so I’m happy.
Also, I wanted to add that I have never heard the expression “no ice” either and it makes little sense to me, but in this case (as in others) the perps were kind.
ReplyDelete“Noice — bloody noice!” If you hang with any Aussies you’ll hear this…
Delete====> Darren / L.A.
Good morning!
ReplyDeleteI encountered the same issues as Sub-g with PINK/PENN and NO ICE. Completely missed the theme, but that's no surprise to anyone. Thanx, Kelly, Amanda, and C.C.
I believe the answer is not “no ice” but “noice” (accented, exaggerated “nice”)
ReplyDeleteThanks, I still don't like it, but it makes sense.
DeleteGood Morning:
ReplyDeleteI had no idea what the theme was until I read and completed the reveal clue/answer. The title was of no help to me during the solve, but makes perfect sense post reveal. Props for a playful theme, but a few demerits for the contrived Noice (brings Eliza Doolittle to mind) and the valueless Yeet, an abomination to the English language.
Thanks, Kelly and Amanda, and thanks, CC, for the expo and fine summary.
Have a great day.
Took 14:58 today to dash through this one.
ReplyDelete"Noice" isn't "no ice", but an exaggerated way of saying "nice".
Kind of rhymes with "choice", but with an "n."
I knew one of two of today's actresses (Issa, not Imelda, though I enjoyed "The Crown"). I even got the French today (atoi), though the perps played a big hand in that.
Like Ms. Irish Miss, I am ever happy to see "yeet" in a puzzle.
FIR, but one of the more joyless FIRs I've had. Too cutesy wootsy for me (no woot woot today). I find myself with more FIRs even with nonsensical clues and themes, and non-word answers. I wonder if I should be concerned.
ReplyDeleteFIR. I had no problem with today's presentation. Except for noice? Even spellcheck doesn't like it. Noice, WTF?
ReplyDeleteBut the puzzle was relatively easy so I didn't even pay attention to the theme until the reveal. My only nit would be with lounge. All the other answers involved moving? Lounge to me is being still. Oh well.
Overall this was an enjoyable puzzle.
Musings
ReplyDelete-The gimmick wasn’t a straight forward progression and my left brain had no idea what it was until the reveal on this fun puzzle. Dang OCD!
-I enjoy on the modern STEEL coasters and the old wooden one are annoying and rattle my teeth
-Put me on the “any port in a storm” NOICE negative band wagon but it was not a real issue.
¬-The PAC-12 is dead and all its star institutions are now in the Big “10”
-We love Rick Steves’ travel shows
-Golfers know that LAG is a big part of a good swing. Non-golfers won’t really care
-Impossibly bottled objects was fun cluing
-Comic Sans is my font of choice on my Power Points but the cluing here was unclear
-CHOKE: A boy from my hometown school was shooting two free throws to win the state tournament and neither of his shots even got to the basket
Imagine playing 54 holes of PGA Tour golf and only scoring above a 4 on one hole, that being a bogey on a par 4. Not surprisingly, the result is an 8-stroke lead going into the final round this afternoon. (The Byron Nelson tournament was held adjacent to my office when I worked in Las Colinas.)
DeleteA Sunday grid with a Monday vibe, should be an easy stroll for regulars on here. Saw the title but it really didn’t figure into the solve, but the theme was clever in that the speed increased in descending order (would have fit the reveal better if the themers went upward). Only a few unknowns which could be classified “as clued”. Last fill was the P in the PENN/PINK cross, is it PENN Badgley or Badgley PENN? Erm…there’s that pesky YEET again, Psych!! When I worked in the BACK BAY I spent many a lunchtime walking around the neighborhoods of row houses and some magnificent churches, inside and out. Thank you Kelly and Amanda for the Sunday treat and to C.C. for delineating with your insight!
ReplyDeleteFIR, but slicer->CHISEL, urge->ACHE, and stew->CHEW.
ReplyDeleteThere's such a thing as a HEXAGON-head BOLT and a HEXAGON nut, but I've never heard of a HEXAGON BOLT. Either is universally shortened to HEX.
I really wanted the more exotic titanium, but ALUMINUM had the right number of letters.
I'll bet that C-Eh! also says UNI for "college."
Best laugh of the entire puzzle - the notion that GOVERNS=serves the people. If you didn't at least chuckle, I suggest that you read Parlement of Whores by the late P. J. O'Rourke.
I can almost remember BENTO boxes, and if we get it as fill a couple of dozen more times I think I'll get it.
Thanks, I think, to Kelly and Amanda. There was far too much A&E and other dreck (I'm lookin' at you, NOICE) crapola for my taste, however "small sound" for INLET, "throw on the floor" for AREA RUG, and "creative type" for COMIC SANS were sterling. And thanks to CC for leading us through this one.
I fooled you, Jinx. How much was that bet? I didn’t know UNI until I met it doing CWs. It seems that “Britishism” didn’t make it to this corner of the Commonwealth.
DeleteDang! I was sure, because I learned the term from the Canadian comic strip For Better or for Worse. The family in the strip lives in the Toronto area. Reddit offers differing opinions on this subject, but most say something like "colleges offer technical certifications, UNIs offer bachelors degrees and higher." I'll buy you a drink and me a cold water if I ever get to your area.
DeleteInteresting that you remember Lynn Johnston using UNI in her comic strip. She did have Michael go off to university in London, and apparently she chose that location as a prank on readers, who would be thinking of London, England, not Ontario. That may explain the use of UNI.
DeleteYes, we do use the terms University and College differently, as we consider them totally different streams of education.
A decent puzzle soiled by the additions of NOICE and YEET. Who speaks that way??
ReplyDeletePretty sure I've heard "noice" a few times, but only on tv shows featuring stoned teens. My exposure to "yeet" has been limited to crosswords, thankfully.
NO ICE is the opposite of "on the rocks" so maybe that has something to do with it. Still makes little sense. And YEESH! For YEET.
ReplyDeleteEdward Los Angeles: worked my way clockwise from the NW.
ReplyDeleteEasy, fun ah HA moments!
YEAH, OK, I tossed in the towel on this one. Clues seemed to come from a different universe than the one I live in. Way too much A&E, "cutesy", and WTF for me today.
ReplyDeleteme doing the puzzle...
ReplyDeleteHG, no one ever told me about lag. I'm not a golfer ( due to two herniated discs ), but I'm still curious. actually, it explains a lot about my early attempts.
It didn't take much for me to BRING UP TO SPEED on this one. But the revealer definitely helped - I was solving as a themeless until the end. The puzzle starting at Lounge speed seems a little off, but I guess Kelly & Amanda wanted to start at the absolute bottom.
ReplyDeleteThe theme reminded me of the popular t-shirts commemorating Usain Bolt's Olympic achievements as "the fastest man on earth" : Walk; Jog; Run; Sprint; Bolt.
I'm not a sports nut, and as such, my knowledge of players is pretty limited. With crosswords, that's usually a good thing because the first (and and often only) name that pops in my head is the right one. Today we had Knicks legend Patrick and EWING somehow appeared in the dusty recesses of the RustyBrain. To me that means the clue is fair.
STEEL coaster are great! My first love was the Loch Ness Monster at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, VA. Working there summers with friends, we had free rein of the park after hours and rode that thing nonstop. But wooden coasters offer a different kind of thrill - that of flying off the rails at any second! The Rebel Yell at Kings Dominion near Richmond featured twin tracks so you could "race." Eventually, they reversed one set of cars so daredevils (like me!) could run through it backwards.
Thanks CC for the write up, I always learn something new. I researched the difference between a widow and an ORPHAN (though often used interchangeably). A widow is a single word on the last line of a paragraph, while an ORPHAN is widow completely separated from it's paragraph as when it starts a new column. I know, TMI.
David Bywaters published a new puzzle today. His introduction:
ReplyDelete"What is it all for? It’s a question that eventually occurs to every thinking mind. Some turn to religion, some are content to rest in ignorance, and some distract themselves with more answerable questions like, “What’s 1 Across?”
FLN - Big Easy, we grew up in different worlds. My mom played blackjack with me for wooden matches to teach me arithmetic. I must have been about 5. Us kids were also taught how to play Rook to learn how to bid and follow suit, hoping that we would become bridge players. It worked for my two sisters, but not for me.
BE here-your mother wasn't a staunch Baptist. Mine was an organist and choir director.
DeleteRight! Mom was a deacon in the Christian Church ( aka The Disciples of Christ.)
DeleteI liked this puzzle except for NOICE and YEET. NOICE reminds me of the character Onslow in the old British TV show "Keeping Up Appearances."
ReplyDeleteGood afternoon. I went bike riding early and just got around to a puzzle with a neat theme, I FIR, but didn't like all the Entertainment Tonight clues. Add the two unknown shows and one unknown host on channels- HBO, SHO, & NPR- I don't use. Then there's YEET, GUAC, MESH (who thought up those words?) show up too often. NOICE is completely new to me.
ReplyDeleteI guess the Beyhive wants to sting Swifties. Remember those phony "Fan Clubs" the record labels had for their singers.
The clue for HEXAGON BOLT was great. We just called the hex bolts and hex nuts.
I DNK as clued: BULGARIA, IOS, IMELDA, INU, RAH, LANTERN FLY, PINK Pony Club, LEVI, TEA, PENN, SAKE BAR. It took some guessing to get those unknowns.
I have no knowledge of "Fellow Travelers" but Lenin called the American fellow travelers "useful idiots".
My last fill was the Y at the cross of YAY and YEAHOK. I’m not familiar with woot, woot, and I couldn’t think is a word ending in HOK. Then my alphabet run took me all the way to the penultimate Y before the I could utter “Yeah ok! Yay!”
ReplyDeleteSubgenius "may have a small nit about the crossing of “Pink” and “Penn,” but I have a WAG there! Thanks to that lucky P, FIR. I found the puzzle challenging. The theme was opaque to me until the reveal. I did enjoy the exercise, but agree it wasn't nice to include NOICE. Great write-up C.C.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous at 3:13 PM is NaomiZ. Haven't quite got the hang of keeping my identity on a new phone.
DeleteI enjoy the la times puzzle so much more and consistently than The NY Times the quality is just so much better thanks Patti and all the constructors!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Kelly and Amanda and Kelly, and thank you, C.C.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I read (after the fact) NOICE is apparently a Joisey (New Jersey) elongation of nice.
For golf fans, how about Scottie Scheffler's victory today? Amazing. He had what, 4 bogeys in 72 holes of golf and shot 31 under par?
I played 9 holes in league play Wednesday night and had 8 bogeys (and a par). Extrapolated, that would have been 64 bogeys and 8 pars on my scorecard over the 4 full rounds that he played.
I think I'll keep my day job.
And don't forget that the courses they play are longer and tougher than the ones we hackers play. I once played the Las Colinas TPC the Monday after the Byron Nelson. The rough was so high that it was hard to find your ball, even though you thought you saw exactly where it landed. Definitely needed forecaddies that day. Also, the greens were incredibly fast, even though they weren't cut that morning. Still great vendor golf.
DeleteScotty didn't have a score greater than 4 in the first 46 holes!
DeleteIf you can play bogie golf on a good course, you are a decent golfer. It's extremely hard to get to the green in regulation and make two putts. Until about 5 years ago, I played the TPC course used for the Zurich classic one or two times a week. I considered myself lucky if I broke 90. You have to be able to fly on the green, and make it stick without rolling off on 17 of the 18 holes. You can roll the ball onto the green on a whole #4, but you have to be able to avoid the hundred yard long sandtrap on the left side of the fairway that runs all the way to the green.
DeleteBig Easy
Jinx, I paid up ($$$) to play Dubs Dread the day after they played the Western Open one year. From the tips, just because., like the pros. At the time, it was considered the fifth major. I shot 108 , and yes, any shot (or approach) that landed in the rough was a challenge to find. Talk about a humbling experience.
DeleteBig Easy, I agree. I've also played the tour course at the Woodlands in Houston and the Blue Monster at Doral in Miami. One big regret was having to turn down an invite to Medinah because I couldn't get away from work. I gave up my membership to a private club because of work. The golf I play now are all on public courses. What pros would call dog tracks, but the game is still fun and challenging as I age.
DeleteSunday SPEED-run (actually it took a while). Thanks for the fun, Kelly and Amanda, and C.C.
ReplyDeleteI took a triple run through the ACROSS and DOWN clues before things Sped up for me. But then things fell into place. YAY.
Can some carpenter please explain 90A to me? Bolts are threaded, but did it have to be a HEXAGON BOLT to meet the clue?
Wishing you all a good evening.
Thanks to Kelly and Amanda! Keeping those themers in order must have been an extra challenge. Well done! HEXAGON BOLT was my last themer to fall. FAVs were Net asset? and Throw on the floor.
ReplyDeleteI have taken the Dassai tour in Japan. IIRC, they let us stir the vats of sake.
A new Pho place opened not too far from me. I've been there 3 times in the last 3 weeks. Hope they stick around!
Thanks to C.C.! Loved the slow loris and bento box pics!
Hola! Whew! Almost missed the party altogether! I worked on this off and on all day, first before church, then after lunch. My niece accompanied me and took me to lunch. I then checked the pantry where visiting mice have left surprises but haven't touched the bits I left for them. I've been switching from cardboard and paper containers to glass and metal in the hopes of thwarting them.
ReplyDeleteSo finally I finished the puzzle, including the much despised GUAC and had no idea about NOICE. It could have been clued as NEAT and made more sense. And what an odd clue for ORPHAN.
I love IMELDA Staunton. She is such a fine actress.
Kelly and Amanda, you outdid yourselves. I hope all enjoyed a great Sunday.
We also have a new PHO restaurant nearby and I have the same wishes as sumdaze. Good food!
ReplyDeleteI was much more comfortable knowing slang (Beastie Boys used "noice" often; relatives in their 20s used "yeet" all the time) than knowing French. SW corner was a fail, due to atoi, emend, orphan, and it's odd). Wondering if Issa Rae gets residuals for the amount of Crosswords she's in.
ReplyDelete