Theme: "MAJOR CHANGE" - Each academic degree is reinterpreted as a different kind in a fitting field.
22. Degree in promoting mani-pedis?: DIGITAL MARKETING.
37. Degree in restoring historic factories?: PLANT CONSERVATION.
55. Degree in flytrap innovations?: WEB DEVELOPMENT.
81. Degree in pudding skin consistency?: FILM PRODUCTION.
94. Degree in preaching?: MASS COMMUNICATION.
116. Degree in building polite society?: CIVIL ENGINEERING.
Perfect
title. All the key words shift meanings, key to this type of theme. Six
long entries totally 94 theme squares, right in my sweet spot for a
21x21 grid.
This grid also has chunky stacks along the left/right edges, with plenty of solid 6's and 7's.
Across:
1. Combine: MERGE.
6. Gym amenity: SAUNA.
11. Primate that can be lesser or great: APE. We're great, of course.
14. Tags on social media: ATS.
17. Salchow cousins: AXELS. Salchow jump is named after its inventor, Ulrich Salchow,
18. Like this answer: ACROSS.
20. Young boy: LAD.
21. Blueberrylike fruit: SLOE.
25. Luau interlude: HULA.
26. Vivacity: ELAN.
27. Northern Scotland native: GAEL. Gaelic is their language.
28. Beverage suffix: ADE.
29. Biology blueprints: GENOMES.
31. Muscle at the end of the clavicle: DELTOID. Strengthened by dumbbell lateral raises.
33. Blueprints: PLANS.
35. Building unit: CONDO.
36. Poetic tribute: ODE.
42. Accessory coordinated with a pocket hankie: TIE.
43. Remove from office: OUST.
44. Neighborhood: AREA.
45. Pick up with a fork: STAB.
48. "That girl?": HER.
49. Dish that helps expand cultural horizons?: PETRI. Lab dish.
51. Paths on a flight tracker: ARCS.
60. Cloud of cosmic dust: NEBULA.
62. Goof: ERR.
63. ATM code: PIN.
64. In a strange way: WEIRDLY.
66. Bhutan neighbor: TIBET.
67. Sicilian snack whose name means "little oranges": ARANCINI. Deep fried rice balls.
70. "How could you?" sound: TSK.
71. Without fail: EACH TIME.
73. Mutton busting venue: RODEO. Mutton busting is a learning moment for me. Kids ride sheep in this event.
74. Fashion designer with the fragrance Dolly Girl: ANNA SUI.
77. N.Y. tech sch.: RPI. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Hi there Agnes!
78. "Four Quartets" monogram: TSE.
79. Starbucks size: TRENTA.
84. "Odyssey" peak: OSSA. And 114. Sicilian peak: ETNA.
85. Breezy songs: LILTS.
87. __ in igloo: I AS.
88. Trip stops: INNS.
89. "Insecure" star Rae: ISSA.
90. Deceptive "Frozen" prince: HANS.
92. Coffee maker unit: CUP.
101. Letters before a stage name: AKA.
104. Aristocratic: ELITE.
105. Award quartets, for short: EGOTS.
106. Perched: ROOSTED.
108. Some small suits: SPEEDOS. Most guys wear jammers. Want to see me flying?
111. UPS wt. units: LBS.
112. Cute "Star Wars" character: EWOK.
115. Grotto: CAVE.
120. Hit a hole-in-one on: ACED.
121. "Gotcha!": HAH.
122. Cry for more: ENCORE.
123. Be in sync: AGREE.
124. __ Vegas: LAS.
125. Meditation sounds: OMS.
126. Gave a prescription: DOSED.
127. Parts of fish sticks?: REELS. Not the fried ones.
Down:
1. Muddled through: MADE DO.
2. Like Romeo at the start of Act V: EXILED. From Verona. "The Butterfly Lovers" is often called China's Romeo and Juliet.
3. Tell amusing tales to: REGALE.
4. Twinkle: GLINT.
5. D.C. hrs.: EST.
6. Nestea shelfmate: SALADA.
7. Top: ACME.
8. Range that starts near the Kara Sea: URAL.
9. "That's neither here __ there": NOR.
10. Demand much (of): ASK A LOT.
11. "The Greatest" subject: ALI.
12. Hockey commentator Darren: PANG. Don't know him, the lead color commentator for the Chicago Blackhawks.
13. Advantage: EDGE.
14. Reunion invitees: ALUMNI.
15. Maumee River city: TOLEDO.
16. Use spices: SEASON. Look how much red pepper flakes in this Biang Biang noodles.
19. Rental category: SEDAN.
21. "Rats!": SHOOT.
23. Adaptable: AGILE.
24. Cards with the most pips: TENS.
30. Org. whose NIL rules changed in 2021: NCAA. NIL stands for Name, Image, Likeness.
32. Polish letters: OPI.
33. Windows boxes?: PCS. Plural Windows.
34. "Sleepless in __": Nora Ephron movie: SEATTLE.
38. Christmas tune: NOEL.
39. "Presumed Innocent" writer: TUROW.
40. Telugu-language movie originally named for the initials of its creators: RRR. Featuring the Oscar-winning song "Naatu Naatu."
41. Line in blue cheese: VEIN.
42. "Not sure yet" letters: TBD.
45. Avow: SWEAR TO.
46. Little brats: TERRORS.
47. Wears down: ABRADES.
48. Reddish-brown dye: HENNA.
49. Start paying attention: PERK UP.
50. Conclude: END.
51. Somewhat: A BIT.
52. "Sure, go ahead and gloat": RUB IT IN.
53. Tigers of South Carolina: CLEMSON. The Clemson Tigers.
54. Glossy fabrics: SATEENS.
56. Magic Kingdom neighbor: EPCOT.
57. Seven, on a sundial: VII.
58. Poppy parts: PETALS.
59. Bette's "Divine" stage name: MISS M.
61. Guiding principle: ETHIC.
65. Gridiron gains: YARDS.
68. "99 Luftballons" group: NENA.
69. Stir up, as passions: INFLAME.
72. Apple core, for short: CPU.
75. Complaint hardly worth mentioning: NIT.
76. Russian fashion model Shayk: IRINA. She shares a daughter with Bradley Cooper.
80. "Plus ... ": ALSO.
82. Brewery oven: OAST.
83. Bit of advice: TIP.
86. Belief system: ISM.
89. Matcha option: ICED. I only drink it hot.
90. Click a paper airplane icon, say: HIT SEND.
91. Aug. runners, often: ACS.
92. "Twistin' the Night Away" singer: COOKE (Sam)
93. "One card left!": UNO.
94. Tequila kin: MESCAL.
95. Andean camelid: ALPACA.
96. Strainers: SIEVES.
97. Majestic mount: STEED.
98. Wrinkly fruit: UGLI.
99. Aristocratic: NOBLE.
100. Flattened, in a way: IRONED.
101. Invite information: ATTIRE. I was baptized on Easter Vigil. Guess who showed up and sat through the full 3-hour service?
 |
102. Pet hotel: KENNEL.
103. Well-known sayings: ADAGES.
107. Sturdy fabric: SERGE.
109. __ Rios, Jamaica: OCHO. Eight Rivers. Many scenes from "Dr. No" were filmed there.
110. Thailand, once: SIAM.
112. Boardroom battlers: EGOS.
113. Hidden mic: WIRE.
117. Blockbuster format: VHS.
118. Sgt., e.g.: NCO.
119. Piercing spot, perhaps: EAR.
C.C.
15 comments:
One bad letter:
I put “enflame” instead of “inflame.”
(The perp was no help at all.)
Oh well, the rest of the puzzle was fun.
I imagine that most of the rest of you did better than I did.
And that’s okay.
Good morning!
The Wite-Out got a workout this morning: SeinES/SIEVES, acai/SLOE, eLSe/ALSO. That I at the ANNA SUI/IRINA cross was a lucky WAG. This one pushed right up against d-o's thirty minute limit. Nice work, Darryl and C.C.
FIW, missing my SWAG @ ARAnCINI x nENTA, but getting them @ AXELS x EXILED, nENA x TRENTA, and IRENA x ANNA SUI and HANS. Also, etna->OSSA, alps->URAL, and denim->SERGE.
Thanks to Darryl and CC for the Sunday fun day.
PS: Happy 80th birthday to Al Bundy (AKA Ed Oneill,) and 47th to Carrie Mathison (AKA Claire Danes.)
FIW at the same place as Jinx, but a fun puzzle. Enjoyed the challenge and the fun wordplay. Lots of AHA! Moments, too!
FIW and NO fun. Not on the same wavelength as the constructor/editor I guess. Got two unknown brands (SALADA, OPI) but not another (ANNASUI---didn’t help that this one crossed with also unknown IRENA). Crossing of NENA with ARANCINA with interference from TRENTA and OSSA added to the PITA puzzle construction. And I guess I’ve managed to use email for over thirty years without needing to know that the various stylized arrows were actually paper airplanes (in some cases).
I managed to FIR but I do not understand ATS for "Tags' or REELS for fish sticks parts. And reels only made it after 'Invite' wash shorthand for invitation to fill ATTIRE. I wanted IDS (identifies) for 'Tags but it wouldn't work. Is the ATS plural for @?
MAJOR CHANGE- it seems most college do it after realizing there are some courses they'll never pass. Especially all those pre-med freshmen.
Computer Science majors change to Information Technology when they realize they can't write a program from scratch.
RODEO- I'd never heard of 'Mutton busting'.
ANNA SUI- ditto for Dolly Girl.
ARACINI was unknown to me.
PANG- no hockey down here
RRR, Telugu-language, and "Naatu Naatu'-all foreign to me.
IRINA- wait for the perps
SALADA-unknown to me as was TRENTA. But I don't drink tea or coffee and the closest I've been to a Starbucks is the nearby one that's between DiMartino's Deli and MacDonalds. And a new drive-thru place named 7-Brew recently opened on the other side of the deli. The deli doesn't have a drive-thru but the other three always have cars in line.
FIR. Took a WAG at the crossing of arancini (?) and Nena, neither of which I knew. Other than that, and a few learning moments, I got through pretty much unscathed.
I got the theme early on and that helped a lot.
But overall a so-so puzzle.
"Fish sticks" for REELS was the clunkiest clue in this puzzle. Assuming that the "stick" in question related to fishing gear, the ROD would be the stick-like part.
"Ats" is social media jargon for using the "@" to tag somebody in a comment.
Musings
-The TRENTA/NENA/ARACINI confluence kept me from perfection but I had a nice time and maybe will remember next time. Yeah, right…
-MERGE is the only strategy for small schools in western Nebraska to survive. Towns who were bitter athletic rivals for over 100 years now must unite.
-PETRI cluing was great. OTOH, PANG just seemed wrong at first.
-ANNA SUI/IRINA eventually came to heel
-Some flight ARCs go over the North Pole
-Swimming is just another skill in your huge repertoire, C.C. Congrats on your baptism; mine was also when I was an adult.
-Romeo is banished from Verona to Mantua by Prince Escalus for killing Tybalt to avenge Mercutio’s death. Huh?
-TOLEDO on the Maumee seemed odd for a southern city. Oh, now I see, it’s not the Sewanee River!!
-Can anyone hum a few bars of Naatu, Naatu? :-)
-My former student raises ALPACAS in the Rockies and makes beautiful hats from their fleece
-Our priests need a crash course on MASS COMMUNICATION to produce better homilies which is the only non-scripted part of the service.
Gary--pretty good synopsis of Romeo's banishment, but I don't understand your question.
I nominate Aug runners as the second worst clue
I enjoyed this theme with all it's amusing redirections
Like HG I thought Maumee sounded like it was somewhere in the South
I'm watching the Masters and imagining Gary doing that as well- we gave a Midwestern farewell to some long term friends who are visiting on home leave from Chad/North Africa. And now ready to veg out.
I looked up Darren PANG an unknown for me. Not too many with an Asian last name in NHL. He was a player before he was a commentator- amazing that he was a pro goalie for the Blackhawks and was only 5'5"
Just on a women friends' trip last week and one night we watched "Sleepless in SEATTLE". Tom Hanks's floating home was very close to where my daughter went to college.
Thanks CC for the blog and congrats again on finishing your course and baptism and to Darryl for the creative puzzle
Who is the guy in the photo with C.C?
I liked most of this puzzle.
Hola! i flubbed at FILM PRODUCTION! But otherwise managed to fill the grid in good time. I don't remember HANS from Frozen, but it was a good guess. And I don't mind asking ALEXA when I don't know a name, NENA and PANG were the unknown ones. And although I live in one, CONDO took a long time to emerge.
My copy of Sam COOKE songs was stolen from my car, along with several others.
Congratulations C.C., on your Baptism!
I hope your weekend has been relaxing, everyone!
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