Theme: "SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERIES" - A chemical element is added to each common phrase. This element pairs nicely with the following word to form a valid phrase also.
22. *Cowardly Lion or Scarecrow, probably?: TIN MAN'S BEST FRIEND. Tin Man. Man's best friend.
33. *Question on a history test about westward migration in the 1840s?: WHY THE BIG GOLD RUSH. Why the big rush. Gold rush.
49. *Surviving Victorian society, for a Dickens character?: COPPERFIELD GOAL. Copperfield. Field goal.
65. *Useful download for archaeologists?: CARBON DATING APP. Carbon dating. Dating app.
87. *Plea for a way to advertise a business that is open all night?: GIVE ME A NEON SIGN. Give me a sign. Neon sign.
100. *Primate habitat banner when the zoo acquires a new gorilla?: WELCOME SILVERBACK. Welcome back. Silverback.
Reveal:
112. Unexpected twist, or what's found in the answers to the starred clues: ELEMENT OF SURPRISE.
Husker Gary mentioned a while ago that Chandi is a full-time puzzler out of Cambridge, MA. Her puzzles are always fun and witty.
Have any of you solved the Slate crosswords? Chandi is one of the regular constructors there.
Across:
1. Climb: ASCENT.
7. Fancy car upgrades: RIMS.
11. One who's crossed a line?: SCAB. Picket line.
15. Old AOL missives: IMS.
18. How crêpe suzette is served: FLAMBE.
19. Stew-thickening pod: OKRA.
20. __ platter: PU PU. Never heard of this until I started solving crosswords.
21. Wray of "King Kong": FAY.
26. Feminine concept in Taoism: YIN. I eat a ton of Yin food in
the summer: cucumbers, tomatoes, etc. Time for Yang food now: sweet
potatoes, kabocha squash, etc.
27. Whirling water: EDDY.
28. MMA decision: TKO.
29. Hit the jackpot: WIN.
30. Kevlar creator: DUPONT.
32. Marina del __, California: REY.
38. Surface: ARISE.
40. Solemnly swear: AVOW.
41. Cease and __: DESIST.
42. Used a "Safe!" word?: UMPED. Also loved this clue: 59. Square figure?: AREA.
44. Kapoor of Hindi cinema: ANIL. Wikipedia says he has appeared in more than 100 films.
45. Membership fees: DUES.
47. Actress Kate or Rooney: MARA.
53. Tinkered (with): TOYED.
54. Laze about: LOLL.
55. Stately 110-Downs: ELMS. 110. Shade provider: TREE.
56. Words of warning: OR ELSE.
58. __ trombone: SAD.
60. __ check: GUT.
61. Some critical care pros: EMTS.
63. Witch costume props: BROOMS. I saw a few guys digging stuff near our post office. The company is called "Ditch Witch".
70. Eager student's cry: ME ME ME.
73. Preternatural glow: AURA.
74. Poetic preposition: O'ER. This is the only word where V's is contracted, right?
75. Parliament members?: OWLS.
79. Language suffix: ESE.
80. Font option: ITALIC.
83. Cat's "Thanks for petting me": PURR.
84. Mule, e.g.: SHOE.
85. Group of eight: OCTAD.
91. "Storage __": reality TV show: WARS.
92. Document option: SAVE.
93. Omar of "House": EPPS.
94. Exposed: OUTED.
95. Many a soda can: POP TOP.
97. Without charge: FREE.
98. Tundra or taiga: BIOME.
104. Scot's denial: NAE.
107. Glinda portrayer: ARIANA. Ariana Grande. Ethereal.
108. Savings option, for short: IRA.
109. Computing pioneer Lovelace: ADA.
110. Word in sloth names: TOED. Three-toed sloth.
111. Peyton or Eli, to Archie: SON. Time for Arch to shine.
118. "Lenore" poet: POE.
119. Shortcut image: ICON.
120. One who's really trying?: BRAT. Stressful "trying".
121. Applies to: USES ON.
122. Texting tech: SMS.
123. High-grade: A ONE.
124. Organization that chases Carmen Sandiego: ACME.
125. Makes tea: STEEPS.
Down:
1. Renovation photo caption: AFTER.
2. Waterpark feature: SLIDE.
3. Sticky carnival treat: CANDY APPLE. We eat candied hawthorns during Chinese New Year.
4. Primetime award: EMMY.
5. Org. for James and Durant: NBA.
6. Dimes, to dollars: TENTHS.
7. Alicia Vikander's "Ex Machina" role: ROBOT. Learning moment for me.
8. 1950s prez: IKE.
9. "And here's to you, __ Robinson": MRS.
10. Parked it: SAT.
11. Bit of thyme: SPRIG.
12. Prompting an actor: CUING.
13. Chimp, e.g.: APE.
14. Heaps: BUNDLES.
15. "Suuuuure": IF YOU SAY SO. And 16. Opposite of indie: MAINSTREAM. 71. Activity where people are really locked in?: ESCAPE ROOM. 72. Subway network: METRO LINES. Two pairs of paralleled 10's. Amazing grid work.
17. EDM instrument: SYNTH.
23. Inner Hebrides isle: SKYE.
24. Texter's "This might be useful": FWIW. For What It's Worth.
25. Getup: DUDS.
31. Top-ranked: PRIMO.
33. Like a panoramic view: WIDE.
34. Fruit of the Loom rival: HANES.
35. Very bad: EVIL.
36. Font option: BOLD.
37. NFL star __ Beckham Jr.: ODELL.
39. Swap out: REPLACE.
42. Jackie Robinson Stadium sch.: UCLA.
43. Tie up, as a boat: MOOR.
44. Have the objective of: AIM TO.
45. Latissimus __: back muscle: DORSI.
46. Fed. with artificial archipelagos known as the Palm Islands: UAE. This looks surreal.
48. Contributes: ADDS.
50. Feel sorry for: REGRET.
51. Drop the ball: FLUB.
52. "You __ try this!": GOTTA.
53. U. of Maryland athlete: TERP.
57. Food court pizza chain: SBARRO.
61. Evoke: EDUCE.
62. Make a dent in: MAR.
64. American marsupial: OPOSSUM.
66. Among: AMID.
67. Not world-weary: NAIVE.
68. People, places, things, etc.: NOUNS.
69. "Sommersby" star: GERE. Not familiar with the movie.
70. Cat's "Please pet me": MEOW.
76. Neutral sound that may be a sleep aid: WHITE NOISE. Been a blissful few months. No weed. No noise. The company that owns 5501 decided to sell the house. Pending right now.
77. Theater section: LOGE.
78. Chat box button: SEND.
81. Visibly shocked: AGAPE.
82. Actress Tyler: LIV.
83. Rock, __, Scissors: PAPER.
86. Rescue rehoming org.: ASPCA.
88. Game show creator Griffin: MERV.
89. Fencing option: EPEE. The pride of Hong Kong: Vivian Kong. She won gold in women's epee in Paris.
90. Cozy reading spot: NOOK.
92. Kenya neighbor: SOMALIA.
96. "Don't you take that __ with me!": TONE.
97. Custard dessert: FLAN.
98. Singer Erykah: BADU.
99. High-flying guy of myth: ICARUS. His wings melted.
100. Winged stingers: WASPS.
101. Pegg of "The Boys": SIMON.
102. Sherlock adversary Adler: IRENE.
103. Roast turkey instruction: BASTE.
105. Greek fabulist: AESOP.
106. Unblemished spots: EDENS.
113. Green prefix: ECO.
114. Abbr. on an unfinished schedule: TBA.
115. Hobbit enemy: ORC.
116. Nearest and dearest, colloquially: FAM.
117. Oregon hrs.: PST.
C.C.
27 comments:
Although I didn’t
remember the title of this puzzle after I read it, the gimmick of the theme was easy to figure out from the first themed solve. And the puzzle went (relatively) smoothly from there. FIR, so I’m happy.
Good morning!
Started right off with an error -- ASCENd, and kept making them: tsa/GUT, AIM at/TO, bff/FAM. Even misread the clue as "Bit of rhyme." It wasn't d-o's finest hour. Found all the elements without difficulty, and managed to finish under 20 minutes, better than an average Sunday. Enjoyed the exercise, Chandi, and your expo, C.C.
FIR. I got the theme with the first long answer. However at first I thought it might just be metals, what with tin, gold, and copper the first three, but carbon and neon cured me of that.
I love the clue parliament members. Very clever indeed!
For a Sunday puzzle this really didn't seem that difficult.
Overall a very enjoyable puzzle.
Good Morning:
Once again, CC’s professional eye caught the double meaning of each of the themers, a feature that I overlooked and one that gives me all the more reason to praise this offering. The title, theme, and reveal were all spot-on, IMO, and some clever cluing and fresh and lively fill were the frosting on the cake. I loved the two playful feline clues and fun answers, Purr and Meow. I also liked the clues for Umped, Owls, Brat, etc. Top-notch fill included White Noise, Candy Apple, Escape Room, If You Say So, Mainstream, etc. I think the only unknown was Dorsi and any other stumbling blocks were overcome by the generous and plentiful perps. The grid was clean and dreck-free and the TLW count of 28 was par for a Sunday puzzle. Most of all, the solve was truly enjoyable and satisfying.
Thanks and congrats, Chandi, for a fun, clever, and just-right Sunday challenge, and thanks, CC, for your professional analysis. Your pointing out the technical achievements of the construction, plus the artistic talents of the author, adds an extra layer to our appreciation and understanding of every puzzle.
Have a great day.
Took 14:37 today to iron out the details.
The Actresses/Actors of the Day were tricky (Fay, Mara, Liv, Simon Pegg/Pegg Simon, Ariana, & Anil). When you add in Alicia' V.'s role (robot doesn't seem accurate enough; cyborg maybe?), it seems like a lot of IMDB names.
I agree with Ms. Irish Miss's comments.
One Sunday, I will remember to look for the title of the puzzle before doing it.
“V” can also be contracted in ever (e’er) or never (as in ne’er-do-well)
FIW, missing with TBd / dCME. To me, tbd implies an unfinished schedule, while TBA implies "we know, but we ain't telling." Don't know anything about Carmen Sandiego, but I know a lot about the Shelter Island area of San Diego. I guess a Wile E. Coyote clue would have been too trite for a Sunday grid. Also, ascend->ASCENT, loaf->LOLL, main street->MAIN STREAM, mute->SEND (what's a chat box? "Chatbox" is some kind of AI doohickey I see) and opossom->OPOSSUM (UNTIE!)
Aside to CC: "Ditch Witch" is the company that manufactures underground construction equipment, similar to Caterpillar and Bobcat.
Another aside to CC: That picture is of Arch Manning, Archie's grandson.
FLUB made me think of the discussion we had a day or two ago here in the corner regarding Fred MacMurray movies. As a kid, I loved son of FLUBber.
I think of MEOW as "you may pet me now."
Oregon will have PST in the future, but they don't today.
Thanks to Chandi for the fun Sunday workout. And thanks to CC for another fun review.
GOLD standard puzzle from Chandi Deitmer, and a GOLD star review from C.C. Sunday puzzles are a long haul, but this one was worth the effort, and C.C. helped us appreciate the elements that made it special. On to the list of Sunday chores!
Super Sunday puzzle. Fun theme that I was lucky enough to notice right away when TIN and GOLD showed up. For the reveal at first I had ELEMENTal, but the TBA and ORC corrected my error.
I too started with ASCENd. My only tricky fills were FWIW and BADU crossing ADA.
I love FLAN. Many years ago I had á dear colleague from Cuba who made á killer FLAN
By coincidence my grand nephew told me two days ago he had seen the unfamiliar to me, movie Ex Machina and hear it in the CW.
Thank you CC for your recap and your YIN yang recipes for good health.
Oops. That should be here it is.
I always enjoy the Sunday puzzles, the difficulty level being early to mid week, refreshing after what is usually a Saturday slog. Only a few unknowns, ROBOT, ANIL, SIMON, and maybe some day I will remember Erykah’s last name BADU, but I didn’t today. Perps dictated OCTAD and not octet. DORSI sounds plural but the clue is singular so it must be. I got the lead out and FIR in 27:22. Thanks Chandi for your fine work on this one, I liked the cluing, fill, and the theme. C.C. ~ thanks for providing your insights from a constructor’s point of view.
FLN - yesterday Lucina posted late about a new word she had learned, “scute” which I had never heard of either, meaning ‘the outer shell of a turtle or snake’. I also saw a word in another CW a few days ago that I was unfamiliar with, “oyer”, meaning ‘the hearing of a document read in court’. Seems like a puzzle friendly 4 letter word, but I don’t remember ever seeing it in the LAT.
Ada/badu?
I think I discovered the most alphabet run Unfriendly Natick in history...
Think you can improve this disaster? Go on, try all the letters, I dare you...
Musings
-This physics guy took a lot of pleasure in Chandi’s fun offering today. She even supplied ample help for fill I did not know.
-Note to self: ASCEND is a verb and ASCENT is a NOUN but BUNCHES and BUNDLES are interchangeable.
-My neighbor was a SCAB for the Dallas Cowboys when the NFL players went on strike.
-I am a big fan of Perry Mason on Prime Video and was so surprised to see FAY Wray was in an episode. She plays a bad person who gets murdered but still…
-Recently we had “Cease and desist” as a clue for VERBS
-The Huskers TOYED with Akron last night and won 68 – 0.
-Two famous uses of O’ER: Star Spangled Banner and Jingle Bells
-ARCH looked terrible against Ohio State but was good yesterday against out-manned San Jose State. To his credit he has downplayed all the hype he has had to endure.
-Slides of my misspent youth had hardly any safety features
-OPOSSUMS are welcome night time visitors to our bird feeders
-Lily does not MEOW to be petted, she steps on my foot
-I can UNSEND an email but not a text message.
-Starting times for many future college football games are TBA because TV has to determine how to get the best ratings
I loved this puzzle.
No problems with an enjoyable puzzle except where I entered "elemental surprise" but saw I needed a change. I was familiar with "pu pu" because we would always say in the Navy "heavy pu pu" when there was going to be plenty to eat at a function. Glad your environs are improving CC.
I’m glad to see that Oregon is going the way of we Arizonans, i.e. to standard time.
Sherlock never said "ELEMENTary, my dear Watson", but the puzzle had all the ELEMENTS (4 metals, one gas, and Carbon) of a normal Sunday puzzle. Not to difficult with the usual number of A&E proper names. Other than those, the only unknowns were ACME and SAD trombone. I've never heard of the term but it's easy to hear the high-to-low note slide. No knowledge of Carmen Sandiego.
ANIL, ARIANA, GERE, BADU, SIMON, ROBOT,- unknowns.
ODELL (OBJ) went to LSU. So Did Mondo Duplantis (polo vaulter) and all four of their parents were also LSU athletes.
At least I knew MARA, MERV, DUPONT, ADA,
RIMS- in the hood, when they know their car will be repossessed, they will take the wheels off and leave the car on blocks. Don't want to lose those fancy rims but sometimes people will break into apartments to steal them.
“PUPU plate” as a menu item name would need a rewrite if I owned a restaurant.
Challenging but delightful Sunday puzzle, Chandi--many thanks for this gift today. And your commentary is always helpful and delightful, C.C.--many thanks for this Sunday one today too.
Well, when I saw OKRA near the start of this puzzle, I looked forward to getting a whole series of food items--and early on we did get that PUPU platter (whatever that is) and some CANDY APPLES. But there wasn't too much more. We did get a soda can with a POP TOP, and some FLAN, which was good. But it sure would have been better to get that ROAST TURKEY rather than just the instructions to BASTE it. Well, let's go back and just hang out with TIN MAN'S BEST FRIEND, that might make more of a fun day, wouldn't it?
Have a delightful and enjoyable Sunday, everybody! And thanks again for a fun crossword puzzle, Chandi and C.C.
I learned about pupu platter from my Hawaiian neighbors.
Hola! What a challenging but doable puzzle today! Thank you, Chandi Deitmer. I want to remember the name in case we have another one in the future.
I can't say the ELEMENTS were helpful in solving, but looking back at the finish, I saw them and yes, it was a SURPRISE!
ANIL is usually clued as "bluing" and I wonder what the meaning is, if any, in Hindi.
If anyone us unaware of ADA Lovelace's accomplishments, they really should look it up. What is most surprising, is who her father is!
Enjoy your Sunday, everyone!
FIW. Agree with Dave about the crossing of ADA with BADU, but I actually had a correct guess there. Done in by misspelling SOMoLIA and not recognizing the clue referred to Ariana Grande. The clue did indicate a feminine name and I was just not clever enough to recognize it. Ruined what was otherwise a pretty decent puzzle, although the theme was a bit weak. Call me cynical, but I don’t think carbon, gold, & copper were scientific discoveries…just a bunch of ancients stumbling over some rocks and deciding they had some utility pretty much right out of the ground. Kind of like calling water, nuts and berries scientific discoveries.
Big Easy here.
Arch had already graduated from Newman HS and enrolled at UT for the spring semester. My grandson was an acquaintance of Arch and all the guys were laughing that Arch lost his UT ID Card the first day he enrolled. Some joker put a photo on SNAP that day. Yesterday
He threw 4 TD passed and ran for one yesterday. But he wasn't playing against Ohio State.
Similarly, I learned about them from playing on a local's golf course on Maui. We met a retired AT&T employee who had moved there, and played that course most days with a Polynesian woman who explained that explained the PUPU concept. They had free PUPUs during happy hour.
For those Cornerites who indulge in golf, this course featured a par three with a green that couldn't be seen from the tee box. The green was also a couple of hundred feet lower than the tee. You teed off toward the Pacific and trusted the trade winds to blow it back to the green. I would have been lost had I not been playing with a couple of locals. (We paid somewhere around $50 each, but the two Maui residents paid $5 each. Seems like they had to buy a yearly pass of about $25 every year to get that resident's rate.) Anyway, I hit the green, but we never saw my DW's ball again.
Beautiful construction in Dubai built by imported non-arab workers without benefits. They were sent home if they got sick.
A nice casual cruise through this taste of the Periodic Table by Ms. Chandi — fun stuff with her theme fills without too much A&E junking it up; only one “ech!” item in it, the aforementioned cross of BADU and ADA. Fortunately, I knew the singer, so that didn’t MAR my chance at the FIR.
Ditch Witch has also become a generic name for any machine that’ll dig you a nice trench to lay pipe or pour a foundation. Kinda like the Kleenex of the dirt machinery world. And yeah, one generally learns about PUPUs if one has been to Da Rock, a.k.a. Hawai’i 🌴 Thanks for the expo on that in your fine recap, C.C.!
I didn’t know ACME ran a beef with Carmen Sandiego; I always figured Wile E. Coyote had an exclusive with that corporation…
I remember those playground slides, H. Gary; I got bounced off one or two as a kid — that hump was diabolical design, probably by some guy that hated kids 😆
Funny story about “Flubber”, too (actually the sequel, “Son of Flubber”): There used to be a drive-in theatre right next to I-10 out near Ontario, CA that re-ran older movies. Back in I think the late ‘70s the marquee had a Disney double feature up on the board, right next to the freeway, advertising “Son of Flubber” and “Million Dollar Duck”. One night some clever wags climbed up on said marquee in the wee hours and switched a couple of letters around; the morning commuters were amused with seeing “Son of Dlubber” playing with… 🤣 Made the evening news — slightly redacted, of course!
====> Darren / L.A.
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