Theme: "M&M'S" - Every theme entry is a well-known person whose initials are M.M.
22. The Duchess of Sussex: MEGHAN MARKLE.
41. Rebecca Pearson player on "This Is Us": MANDY MOORE.
43. Comedian whose podcast's final episode featured Barack Obama: MARC MARON.
64. Anthropologist who theorized that children learn by watching adults: MARGARET MEAD.
73. Oscar winner who gave her acceptance speech in ASL: MARLEE MATLIN.
95. Austin Powers portrayer: MIKE MYERS.
97. Actress who won a Tony and an Emmy for playing Peter Pan: MARY MARTIN.
Across:
1. Record player?: DEEJAY. Great clue to start.
7. __ accompli: FAIT.
11. Swimwear top: BRA. We all wear swimsuits at our pool. The lady in front is Jan, who was a lifeguard for many years.
14. Secrecy doc: NDA. Non-Disclosure Agreement.
17. Wrap: ENROBE.
18. British unit of mass: TONNE. 21. British unit of length: METRE.
19. Singer Rawls: LOU.
20. Like a good handshake: FIRM.
24. Dines after 10, say: EATS LATE.
26. Go to press?: IRON.
27. B'way passes: TIX.
28. Stops talking about: LETS DROP. The topic.
30. Comedy routine: BIT.
31. Gradually stop nursing: WEAN.
33. Fix, as a pool cue: RE-TIP.
34. Shop online, say: ETAILER. Noun "shop".
36. Bolt down the track?: USAIN. His nickname is "Lightning Bolt". Beautiful family.
39. Numbered work: OPUS.
45. Griffith Observatory style: DECO. The observatory opened in 1935, right in the heyday of Art Deco architecture.
46. Review that might go viral: PAN.
47. Strike: PICKET.
48. Typesetting unit: PICA.
50. Lucy's sitcom chum: ETHEL.Ethel Mertz.
52. "Fire away": ASK.
55. __-mo: SLO.
56. Valvoline rival: STP.
58. Establishment with teas and tabbies: CAT CAFE. The first cat cafés appeared in Asia before spreading around the world.
60. Sunset dirección: OESTE. West in Spanish.
62. Fan sound: WHIRR.
66. __ latte: CHAI. Do you cold brew tea in the summer?
69. Pee Wee of baseball: REESE.
71. Quintet that occasionally becomes a sextet: AEIOU.
72. Milky Way maker: MARS. Not the planet but the confectionery giant.
76. Eleanor in a Beatles hit: RIGBY.
78. "You know the __": DRILL.
79. Hair band: ELASTIC.
81. Pic of Pinocchio: CEL. Traditional animated films were created by painting characters onto transparent cels.
82. One of Tarzan's adopted family: APE.
85. Irish actor Stephen: REA. "The Crying Game"
86. Academy student: CADET.
88. James of "Misery": CAAN.
90. Malia and Sasha, to Craig Robinson: NIECES. Brother of Michelle Obama.
92. __ phrik: Thai chili sauce: NAM. Made from pounded chilies, garlic, shallots, and lime juice, and shrimp paste or fish sauce. Odd but very tasty dip for green mango slices.
93. Casual get-together: SESH.
101. Dog biscuit shape: BONE.
102. Green pasta sauce: PESTO.
103. Detail, as a bill: ITEMIZE.
104. South Asian pancakes: DOSAS. Rice-and-lentil pancakes.
106. Not more: LESS.
108. Reply to a meme, perhaps: LOL.
109. "I'll just leave a message": NO ANSWER.
111. "I'm __ yours!": ALL.
112. "My bad!": OOPS.
116. 87-Down predator: ANACONDA. 87. Area with the world's largest rainforest: AMAZONIA. Fortunately, Minnesota's lakes are free of anacondas.
121. 32-country org.: NATO.
122. Apple platform: IOS.
123. With 89-Down, "Delta of Venus" writer: ANAIS. 89. See 123-Across: NIN.
124. Polynesian language: SAMOAN.
125. Relay part: LEG.
126. TV journalist Cabrera: ANA.
127. Geek (out): NERD.
128. Famous last words?: THE END. Aptly placed as the last entry.
Down:
1. Prefix with -tasse: DEMI.
2. Cabinet dept. with a sun on its seal: ENER.
3. Therefore: ERGO.
4. Film assassin played by Keanu Reeves: JOHN WICK.
5. Legal org.: ABA.
6. Busybody: YENTA.
7. Not against: FOR.
8. Spots for some bracelets: ANKLES.
9. Cove: INLET.
10. Start of a round: TEE TIME. Golf round.
11. Wasn't colorfast: BLED.
12. Laughed loudly: ROARED.
13. Option in some password managers: AUTO-TYPE.
14. Org. with Cowboys and Chiefs: NFL.
15. Devil, in Spanish: DIABLO. The author of "Juno" is Diablo Cody.
16. More stylized: ARTIER.
18. Burden: TAX.
23. Key word?: MINOR.
25. Musical based on "Monty Python and the Holy Grail": SPAMALOT.
29. Modernistic: SPACE AGE.
32. Tangle up: ENMESH.
33. Like an ancient alphabet: RUNIC.
35. Charged particle: ION.
36. Strike callers: UMPS.
37. Cruise (by): SAIL.
38. Not pizzicato: ARCO. With the bow. In string music, pizzicato instructs players to pluck the strings with their fingers, while arco tells them to return to using the bow.
40. Dad: POP.
42. "The injustice!": NOT FAIR.
44. Wardrobe: ATTIRE.
45. Mining target: DATA. Data mining.
49. Bedouin mounts: CAMELS.
51. Like Superman: HEROIC.
52. Far from land: ASEA.
53. Take the lead: STAR.
54. Shoe brand founded by U.S. Rubber: KEDS. Didn't know this.
57. Program for some psych majors: PRE-MED.
59. Skulls: CRANIA.
61. "The Pitt" award: EMMY. Medical drama set in Pennsylvania.
62. Last words, often: WILL.
63. Most genuine: REALEST.
65. University of Oregon city: EUGENE.
66. Nav. officer: CMDR.
67. Fabulous loser?: HARE. Another fun clue.
68. Diva's big moment: ARIA.
70. Driver's licenses, e.g.: STATE IDS.
74. Chevy coupe with a cargo bed: EL CAMINO.
75. Hankering: ITCH.
77. Goodyear fleet: BLIMPS.
80. Stealthy patterns, for short: CAMOS.
82. Fab: ACES.
83. Saucy: PERT.
84. Canadian gas brand: ESSO. The name comes from pronouncing the initials "S.O." for Standard Oil.
91. "Class, pay attention!": EYES ON ME.
92. MLB team in blue and orange: NYM. New York Mets.
94. Olaf, for one: SNOWMAN.
96. __ green: KELLY.
97. La Scala locale: MILAN.
98. Like music that's hard to sing along to: ATONAL.
99. Connect: RELATE.
100. Continue enjoying a book: READ ON.
101. Train lounge: BAR CAR.
105. Rive Gauche waters: SEINE. Left Bank.
107. Horror film loc.: ELM ST.
110. Artemis II org.: NASA.
111. Two-time loser to DDE: AES. Adlai Stevenson lost presidential races to Dwight D. Eisenhower in both 1952 and 1956.
113. Great Plains tribe: OTOE.
114. Think ahead: PLAN.
115. Email action: SEND.
117. Gear tooth: COG.
119. Josh: KID.
120. Pleased sigh: AAH.
C.C.
25 comments:
Some names were more
obscure than others, but at least the theme was obvious from the beginning.
FIR, so I’m happy.
Good morning!
I recognized all but one of the theme names, and that helped a lot with this one. I needed C.C. to explain what NYM was, though. ANA Cabrera used to have a two-hour morning news slot; now she's MIA. Simple theme, well-executed, though REALEST was ugly. Thanx, Jeffrey, Katie, and C.C.
FIW, missing with JOHN WIkK x MARk MARON, both unknowns to me. I printed the puzzle from the Ocala newspaper, and it didn't include the theme. Fortunately, it was obvious. BTW, MARS was once named "M&M MARS," which would have fit right in with today's theme. (MARS also makes Eukanuba, Iams, Nutro Products, Pedigree, Royal Canin, Sheba, and Whiskas pet foods. Gives me the Snickers.)
MEGHAN MARKLE is a gift from the USA to the UK. And no, you can't give her back.
MARLEE MATLIN was fabulous in Children of a Lesser God and The L Word. But I still had to wait on perps for speling.
You'll never see "totes adorbs" from a constructor who uses ""I'll just leave a message." How quaint.
Thanks to Jeffrey and Katie for the fun Sunday challenge. Too much A&E for my taste, but enjoyable nonetheless. And thanks to CC for explaining it all. I'll get around to your "Stepdad" Universal puzzle later this morning.
Hate, hate,hate, this sort of puzzle.nothing but obscure names.TITT
Happy Father's day to 40Ds everywhere! I'm up early to maximize being waited on hand and foot. LOL
I knew most of the themers, except how to spell some of them, and I went through and entered all the starting Ms which made it a little too easy. Others will have trouble with all the names.
I didn't know that the actor from "The Office" and "Hot Tub Time Machine" was related to the Obamas. This just in - it's another Craig Robinson, the basketball player and coach.
Thanks, C.C., for hitting all the highlights.
This is today's co-author Jeff Diton checking in with some background on the puzzle. Thanks, C.C., for the nice commentary on the puzzle. This is actually my second puzzle for the LAT - my first one was back in 2021 titled Broadway Smashes if anyone remembers that. Firstly, I have to give a big thank you to my co-constructor Katie Hale on this. My original puzzle was a 15x15 grid - Katie asked if I had thought about making this a Sunday puzzle. I had more "M&Ms" to use, but I had never constructed a 21x21 grid before. Katie helped with the grid construction and, considering we only communicated via emails and .puz attachments, we had a wonderful collaboration. Each new iteration got better and better and I thank her immensely for all her help. A second big thank you goes to my best friend's daughter Allie who lives in LA and will be sending me hardcopies of the Times so my mother can hang the puzzle on her refrigerator.
I worked at M&M/Mars for almost 35 years, and this puzzle is an homage to my long-time employer. It was a fabulous place to work! My original puzzle had MandMs as a revealer, but it wasn't in the last across slot which is a requirement for the LAT. We just couldn't get the fill right, so we had to go with M&Ms as the name of the puzzle. Oh well - we did manage to get an Easter Egg in at 72-across. I read the comments about the obscurity of some of the "M&Ms" - sorry about that. I wish we could have fit Marilyn Monroe in the puzzle, especially after seeing a wonderful exhibit on her at the National Portrait Gallery in London. Next time. Happy Solving everyone!
DNK either Craig Robinson. The only White House sibling I remember is Billy Carter, namesake for Billy Beer. Oh, and Jeb Bush and Bobby Kennedy. No First Lady sibs, though.
Jeff, thanks for checking in. BTW - Did you run across an HR exec named Nancy Ailstock? She was also at MARS for many years, and was my late DW's best friend.
FIR. Thank you Jeff for weighing in. The last fill was the N in unknown MARCMARON crossing with RUNIC. Not quite a WAG since I remember seeing RUNE as a common CW answer. I once had a work colleague who liked to distinguish a TONNE (1000 kg, 2200 lbs) from a TON (2000 lbs) by pronouncing it “TONNY.”
Generally liked this since there were decent perps for most of the proper names, but I did have an IIWK (if I were King) moment…IIWK, I’d ban crossword puzzle clues that end in a question mark.
Good Morning:
First of all, thanks Jeff Diton for dropping by and giving us some background info on today’s offering.
My objection to this type of theme is the lack of challenge in solving it. These are all well known people and, other than some spelling issues, reduced to just a fill in the blank exercise. No wordplay, no deduction, no suspense, no fun, IMO. On the positive side, the grid was clean and free of the usual Sunday obscurities and quasi words that we often encounter.
Thanks, Jeffrey and Katie, and thanks, CC, for the review and commentary. Your professional opinion is always welcome and informative.
Have a great day.
FIR. Happy Father's Day to my fellow fathers.
For a Sunday I thought this had a little crunch to it. I recognized the theme immediately, but a few of the names weren't familiar..But I soldiered through and got the win.
Overall a so-so puzzle.
Yes, I knew Nancy Ailstock!
My great-aunt, Mildred Pensack, worked as the president's executive secretary in Hackettstown, probably before your time, though. I remember her bringing home almond M&Ms at Christmastime.
The old double-letter (alliterative) M&M theme and AEIOU today. Katie even threw in the maker of M&Ms-MARS. But I managed to FIW at the cross of DOSAS and SEINE, DOSA was unknown and originally wrote RHINE before NO ANSWER changed it to REINE, Left DORAS.
MANDY MOORE and MARC MARON were unknowns but easy fills, thanks to perps. I know MARLEE from crosswords.
I know of MARY MARTIN because she was 'J.R. Ewing's' (Larry Hagman) mother.
If I ever hear anything else about gold-digger MEGHAN MARKLE, it will be too soon.
CAT CAFE- do the cats roam free, come in cages, or on leashed?
KEDS was the status brand with the blue label on the heel for 'other kids' in the 1950s. We got the cheaper Jeepers brand from Sears.
Nice puzzle where I got all the names (but one) for once. My only quibble was, the NY Long Island RR bar car wasn't a 'lounge' - it was the same car as all the rest except for a fellow who wheeled in a portable cart. It was usually the smoking car too (way back when). So I thought maybe they meant the 'Barcalounger' sofa?? As a kid in NY, I seem to remember pronouncing it a 'Barker Lounge'. Anyway, I didn't know doSas crossing SeiNe crossing aNAis so my only miss. Otherwise happy.
When I started scanning this one for a good place to get a foothold, I thought it was going to be really tough. But, when I caught on to the theme, things started to roll, and I finished up pretty quickly. Thanks Jeffrey, Katie, and CC.
Not my favorite type of theme, name -challenged that I am. Some I knew others perps helped. Yes, spelling is an issue and that kept me from a FIR. I spelled MEGHAN’s name MeRKLE, so no TAX and TIX. I don’t know the latter anyway.
I understand and appreciate Jeffrey’s desire to reminisce about his M&M experiences. The placement of THE END sure is clever.
We loved our EL CAMINO.
Thank you CC for the recap and Jeffrey for checking on us.
Best puzzle of the month, in my opinion. Nice flow, nice fill, a few perp-friendly unknowns, no ridiculous obscurities.
Learning moment: I was stunned to learn that Darryl from “The Office” is Michelle Obama’s brother.
Unlearning moment: finding out that it’s actually a different Craig Robinson.
Musings
-A very fun and straight forward puzzle where MARC MARON was the only name I did not know.
-Thanks so much for the inside info, Jeffrey!
-Seinfeld’s hilarious BIT on handshakes
-LET’S DROP it. Are men or women much more likely to say this?
-Any term paper I had to laboriously type in school sent me to the PICA machine, not the elite.
-REESE: I’m iffy on literary names but ball players of the 50’s and 60’s are right in my wheelhouse
-AIEOU and occasionally Y got an LOL from me
-Today’s cash register tapes ITEMIZE down to a gnat’s, uh, eybrow
-My IOS iPhone has different procedures than my IOS MacBook for the same apps
-Granddaughter showed up in the parking lot at 10 am for a 10 am TEE TIME. We discussed why that is not the thing to do. :-)
-Modern UMPS feel embarrassed when the automated ball-strike system overturns their calls on a huge screen even though the challenges prove them right 93% of the time.
-I loved your picture in the pool, C.C.!
WAY too easy. So easy that it wasn't even fun. As stated earlier, it was basically just "fill in the blank".
Roam free. Have a video of a kitten untying my shoe laces
Challenging, but interesting and delightful Sunday puzzle, so, many thanks for Jeffrey and Katie, and thank you for checking in with us, Jeffrey. And thank you too for your always helpful commentary and pictures, C.C.--also a very important support on a Sunday.
Well, this puzzle began with having a woman ENROBE herself with a BRA, and probably also all the additional clothes that go below, and this may be why people who watched her get dressed ROARED in good humor. Not clear if this situation was a bit ARTIER than other such moments, but there's little evidence of anything unpleasant going on, and she may have looked quite DECO in her handsome ATTIRE when she was finished. I hope that she also had a lovely voice and was able to sing an ARIA that turned her into a bit of a STAR performer in her evening program. I only wish I could have been there and heard her HEROIC performance in person. That would have been a wonderful Sunday treat!
Thank you again for this delightful puzzle, Jeffrey, Katie, and C.C., and have a wonderful day, and a healthy, happy week coming up.
He and Michelle have a popular podcast called IMO (In My Opinion) and have had some interesting guests on
Hola! I'm thankful this puzzle was not more challenging as I am feeling under the weather today. I got all the names and MARC MARON is the only unknown one for me. And I believe we had DOSAS recently in another puzzle.
Thank you, Jeffrey and Katie. Happy Father's Day!
I liked this puzzle. ARTIER and REALEST made my nose wrinkle a bit, but I really liked the words PICKET, ITEMIZE, ANACONDA, AMAZONIA, and CRANIA.
DW and I lived in EUGENE, Oregon, for 4 years while I was going to college at the University of Oregon. Our son was born there.
Happy Father's Day.
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