Theme: "BIG SHOTS" - Each common phrase that ends with a synonym for "big shot" is humorously rephrased so that the phrase now describes a literal standout in the industry named in the clue.
22. Big shot in the bulb industry?: LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT.
35. Big shot in the sci-fi awards industry?: HUGO BOSS.
42. Big shot in the paver industry?: BRICK CHEESE.
61. Big shot in the podiatry industry?: FOOTBALLER.
67. Big shot in the treasure-hunting industry?: FINDING GOD.
89. Big shot in the champagne glass industry?: FLUTE PLAYER.
95. Big shot in the cab industry?: RED BARON.
109. Big shot in the refrigeration industry?: COOLING SENSATION.
Hard to believe, but this is Scott's solo LAT debut. All of his previous puzzles have been collaborations. As Naomi noted in her last blog, "Hogan is a patent attorney in Michigan who has frequently teamed up with other constructors, most often Katie Hale."
67-Across is the only verb phrase in the set, but the clue fits it perfectly.
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| Scott Hogan |
Across:
1. Béla Fleck's instrument: BANJO.
6. Pricey German imports: BMWS. We call BMW "Precious Horse" in Chinese.
10. Italian wine: VINO.
14. Chaps: LADS.
18. Not very approachable: ALOOF.
19. Source of a scoop: LEAK. Reporter's "scoop".
20. Overly caffeinated, perhaps: MANIC.
21. Social sci. major: ECON.
25. K: THOU.
26. Henry VI's school: ETON. He founded Eton.
27. __ of Man: ISLE.
28. Luv: HON.
29. Take in: ABSORB.
31. Cards: WITS.
33. Squandered: BLEW.
37. Put on a pedestal: ADMIRE.
40. Fort __, Florida: MYERS. Spring training place for the Twins.
41. Wash and wear?: ERODE. No laundry involved, Just good old-fashioned erosion.
44. Shrewd: CANNY.
45. Stocky antelope: GNU.
48. Green house?: BANK. Also 39. Money makers: MINTS.
49. Trending: HOT.
50. Fabled messages: MORALS.
52. "If I were in your __ ... ": SHOES.
54. Withdraw, with "out": OPT.
55. Salty one: MARINER. And 57. Salty five: OCEANS.
58. Skills assessment: TEST.
60. Spots: SITES.
64. "Daaaaang!": OH SNAP.
66. Drawing (in): LURING.
71. Make fast again: RE-TIE. Not "quick" fast, but "secure".
72. Concert gear: AMPS.
76. Old sub titles?: U BOATS. German submarines.
77. Positively reinforces: REWARDS.
79. Shrill bark: YAP.
80. Home of the world's largest irrigation project: LIBYA. The Great Man-Made River Project. Learning moment for me.
81. Source of some travel reservations?: JET LAG. The doubt/reluctance meaning of "reservation".
83. Put away: ATE.
85. Arequipa's land: PERU.
86. Baton Rouge sch.: LSU.
87. Drywall supports: STUDS.
92. Battery terminal: ANODE.
93. Blah: STALE.
94. Edmonton NHL team: OILERS.
98. Folk-rock supergroup, familiarly: CSNY. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.
99. Soapy residue in a sink: SCUM.
100. Come out: EMERGE.
101. Sanskrit honorific: SRI.
102. Ruler who commissioned the Taj Mahal, for one: SHAH. , Shah Jahan, the fifth Mughal emperor,
104. Slight advantage: EDGE.
108. Game that can only be played right-handed: POLO. Google AI: a rule implemented for safety to prevent dangerous head-on collisions
between players using opposite hands on their strong sides, ensuring
everyone stays on the same "side of the road," much like driving.
114. "Tell Mama" singer James: ETTA.
115. Per __: ANNUM.
116. Serpentine: EELY.
117. Place for a cross: STAND.
118. Show the way: LEAD.
119. Actor Postlethwaite: PETE. Don't know him.
120. Scandinavian capital: OSLO.
121. Plot inconsistencies: HOLES.
Down:
1. Hay bundle: BALE.
2. Came down to earth: ALIT.
3. Off-limits: NO GO.
4. Antihero played by Keanu Reeves: JOHN WICK.
5. Many times o'er: OFT.
6. Sprinkle with holy water, e.g.: BLESS. You can bless yourself when you enter or exit the church.
7. Combo, say: MEAL.
8. Make a parting gesture: WAVE BYE.
9. Chicago WNBA team: SKY.
10. Like the subject of a Carly Simon classic: VAIN. "You're So Vain".
11. Gerund maker: ING.
12. Medical research org.: NIH.
13. Umbrella shape, typically: OCTAGON.
14. Does not disturb: LETS BE.
15. Sneeze sound: ACHOO.
16. Closers: DOORS.
17. Gives the cold shoulder to: SNUBS.
20. Asks for more catnip, perhaps: MEOWS.
23. Advanced, as gadgets: HI-TECH.
24. "Infected be the air __ they ride": Macbeth: WHEREON. Not many ways to clue this archaic word.
30. Part of some security checkpoints: BODY SCAN.
32. Vex: IRK.
34. Jean Valjean's story, familiarly: LES MIS.
35. Get well: HEAL.
36. Large garden planters: URNS.
37. Head monk: ABBOT.
38. Fall in folds: DRAPE.
40. Descriptive piece of HTML code: META TAG. Working behind the scenes.
43. Zeroing (in on): HOMING.
44. Holiday singer: CAROLER.
45. Tender prelude?: GOAL. Preceding "tender": goaltender.
46. State bird of Hawaii: NENE.
47. Space race initials: USSR.
51. Third in a ring: REF. The referee is the third man in the boxing ring.
53. Wife of Hägar the Horrible: HELGA.
56. Shows up for duty: REPORTS.
57. Four Tops singer Benson: OBIE. Just learned this from doing another puzzle.
59. Until midnight: TODAY.
60. IRS tracking info: SSNS.
62. Render obsolete: OUTDATE.
63. Blue, in Burgundy: TRISTE. Sad "blue". .
65. Had to pivot to plan B, say: HIT A SNAG. Keep pivoting!
67. Out of room: FULL.
68. Wading bird in Egyptian art: IBIS.
69. Japanese-Peruvian fusion chain: NOBU. Signature dish: miso-marinated black cod.
70. Third key in a reboot sequence: DEL. Ctrl+Alt+Del.
71. Sleeve style: RAGLAN.
73. "Poppycock!": MY EYE.
74. Prep chef's knife: PARER.
75. San Antonio team: SPURS.
78. Enters the room airily: WAFTS IN.
81. Grand Slam Tokyo discipline: JUDO.
82. Paradise: EDEN.
84. Multiple ages: EPOCHS.
85. Tree on South Carolina's flag: PALMETTO.
88. "In summary ... ": TO RECAP.
90. Government Grant?: ULYSSES. Capitalized Grant.
91. Simu of "Barbie": LIU.
92. Overseas: ABROAD.
93. Hanging in the theater: SCRIM. For curtains.
95. Put off: REPEL.
96. Really get into a role: EMOTE.
97. Airline that grew from a crop-dusting operation founded in 1925: DELTA.
99. Panasonic subsidiary: SANYO. Literally "three oceans". San = Three in both Chinese and Japanese.
101. Swivel around: SLUE.
103. "Inferno" setting: HELL.
105. Tuning knob: DIAL.
106. Out of the park: GONE.
107. Pulls the plug on: ENDS.
110. Individual: ONE.
111. Province between Man. and Que.: ONT.
112. Prefix with cache: GEO.
113. Bat wood: ASH.
C.C.
2 comments:
Some of the clues
were fun. I liked “salty one” for “mariner” for example. However, I did not care for the answer of “foot baller” and the “B” was a lucky WAG.
In general, even though I neglected to read the caption of this puzzle, I didn’t have too much trouble with it.
FIR, so I’m happy.
Good morning!
There were plenty of clever, misleading clues in this one. I liked it. Needed my Wite-Out to change CAGEY to CANNY and the Z to S in LES MIS. Excellent Sunday debut, Scott. Thanx for the explication, C.C.
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