Sunday May 31, 2026 Samuel A. Donaldson

 Theme: "HARDLY RIGHT" - LY is added the end of the first word in each common phrase.

23. Kinda sorta up for it?: FAIRLY GAME. Fair game.

29. Like a portrait hung by a professional?: HIGHLY LEVEL. High level.

35. How beer is served?: COMMONLY COLD. Common cold.

49. Geeky without shame?: PUBLICLY SQUARE. Public square.

62. Faking trendiness?: ARTIFICIALLY HIP. Artificial hip.

93. Having the wealth of kings and queens?: ROYALLY FLUSH. Royal flush.

98. Like a smart recycler?: SAGELY GREEN. Sage green.

108. Sad, but composed?: CALMLY DOWN. Calm down.

A very consistent letter-addition theme. Adding LY to the first word of each familiar phrase transforms a noun into an adjective. 

Can someone explain the title to me? I don't quite get it. To me, it's just another theme entry. 

Across:

1. Sporty wheels: COUPE.

6. Cinematographer's choice: LENS.

10. Hasty: RASH.

14. "Purgatorio" poet: DANTE. "The Divine Comedy" consists of three parts: "Inferno", "Purgatorio", and "Paradiso".

19. Invalidate: ANNUL.

20. Four Corners state: UTAH.

21. Director Kazan: ELIA.

22. Hilo "Hi": ALOHA.

25. First man, in Maori mythology: TIKI. Gimme! 

26. Two-thirds of a magnum: LITER.

27. Cable giant acquired by AT&T: TCI.

28. An end to reason?: ABLE. Reasonable. 

31. Four-footed Jetson: ASTRO.

33. City on the Orne: CAEN. A city associated with the Battle of Normandy.

34. Ghostly sound: MOAN.

39. Yields to gravity: SAGS.

40. Promise not to tell, for short: NDA.

43. "__ of Girls' Things": poem by Sharon Olds: ODE.

44. "Great Expectations" ward: ESTELLA. Learning moment for me. 

45. Actress Spelling: TORI.

46. Marshmallow treat: PEEP.

47. Curly dos: PERMS.

52. Son of Rebekah and Isaac: ESAU. Isaac's favorite son. Rebekah liked Jacob more. 

53. "OutDaughtered" family name: BUSBY.

55. Unenviable grade: DEE.

56. "¿Cómo está __?": USTED.

57. Seawater evaporation site: SALT PIT. Also a learning moment. 

59. Sandwich shops: DELIS.

61. "Sure, I get it": AH OK.

67. Astrobiology subj.: SETI.

69. Toyed with: LED ON.

70. Cary Grant film about a gambler: MR LUCKY. Agnes probably saw this movie.

74. OB test: AMNIO.

75. Suffix with percent: ILE.

76. Print media: PRESS.

79. Unpartnered: LONE.

84. Early Mexican civilization: OLMEC.

85. Touchscreen image: ICON.

86. Charged particles: IONS.

87. Layered potluck staple: LASAGNA.

90. One of the orgs. merged in the Maastricht Treaty: EEC. European Economic Community. The Maastricht Treaty laid the foundation for today's European Union. Another learning moment for me.

91. Rainbow backdrop: SKY.

92. Burden: ONUS.

95. Baba ghanoush bread: PITA.

96. Bodies of water: SEAS.

97. "Here we go!": IT'S ON.

102. Yokozuna's sport: SUMO. Yokozuna is the highest rank in sumo wrestling. 

104. "__ Twist, Scientist": Netflix series with a magic lab: ADA.

106. Caffeinated: AWAKE.

107. Isn't 100%: AILS.

111. Spanish title: SENOR.

112. Many a "Survivor" locale: ISLE.

113. Magazine founder Eric: UTNE.

114. Pitcher's jam: MEN ON.

115. Barely beats (out): EDGES.

116. "Queer Eye" expert Jonathan Van __: NESS.

117. Letter opener: DEAR.

118. "Hello" singer: ADELE. Hello from the other side!

Down:

1. Lunchroom, for short: CAF.

2. Go __ great length: ON AT.

3. Like some parliaments: UNICAMERAL.

4. Perfectionist's creed: PURISM.

5. Beginning to lose?: ELL. The staring letter in lose.

6. Fastener on many European cars: LUG BOLT. I only know lug nut.

7. List abbr.: ET AL.

8. Reputation: NAME.

9. "That's all __ wrote": SHE.

10. Fixed, as shoelaces: RE-TIED.

11. Set straight: ALIGN.

12. One resisting the five thieves: SIKH. Here are the five thieves in Sikhism are kaam (lust), krodh (wrath), lobh (greed), moh (attachment) and ahankar (arrogance).

13. Last-ditch attempt: HAIL MARY.

14. Texas city where German chocolate cake was invented: DALLAS. I know this trivia.

15. "In space, no one can hear you scream" film: ALIEN.

16. Punishment for a Gen X kid: NO TV.

17. "Beautiful Mistakes" rapper Megan __ Stallion: THEE.

18. Viscount superior: EARL.

24. Tall tales: YARNS.

29. Permissible, in some diets: HALAL. Opposite of Haram.

30. Some meditation practitioners: YOGIS.

32. Temperature testers, at times: TOES.

33. Cheddar kin: COLBY.

35. Manages: COPES.

36. Ukrainian port south of Kyiv: ODESA.

37. Informal approvals: YEPS.

38. __ soda: CLUB.

39. Cirque du __: SOLEIL.

40. "How cool": NEATO.

41. Baseball Hall of Famer Jeter: DEREK.

42. Mimicked: APED.

45. Immune system component: T CELL.

46. Muscle training method: PUSH PULL. As in the popular Push/Pull/Legs workout split.

48. Genetic change: MUTATION.

50. Creative development: IDEA.

51. Covey member: QUAIL. A group of quail is called a covey. We also have 100. Group of pals: GANG.

53. Small amount: BIT.

54. Gas or elec.: UTIL.

58. Abbey figure: PRIOR.

59. Hullabaloo: DIN.

60. Sylvia of jazz: SYMS.

63. Makes a false show of: FEIGNS.

64. Runs in place: IDLES.

65. Last name of filmmakers Ethan and Joel: COEN.

66. Atty.'s billing units: HRS.

67. Noisy kiss: SMACK.

68. Relish: ENJOY.

71. Fall apart: COME UNDONE.

72. Joints with caps: KNEES.

73. "Ew!": YECCH.

74. "The Information" novelist Martin: AMIS. Son of Kingsley Amis. 

76. Says grace, e.g.: PRAYS.

77. Tabula __: RASA.

78. Airline that doesn't fly during the Sabbath: EL AL.

81. Like a fuzzy navel?: LINTY. Not orange.

82. "If it isn't my nemesis!": YOU AGAIN.

83. Online finance firm: E LOAN.

84. Bozos: OAFS.

88. Twinkle: GLIMMER.

89. Sleep aid brand: NYTOL.

92. Edmonton NHL team: OILERS.

93. Big Cup candy brand: REESE'S.

94. Like some questions: LOADED.

95. Black tea grade: PEKOE.

96. Hawks: SELLS.

98. RSVP convenience: SASE.

99. Blown away: AWED.

101. Ascend: RISE.

102. Quench: SATE.

103. Funny bone neighbor: ULNA.

105. USMC truant: AWOL.

108. Ruminant's mouthful: CUD.

109. Peruvian legend Sumac: YMA.

110. SSW reverse: NNE.

C.C.