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.
3 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.
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