Theme: "THREE'S COMPANY" - Each common phrase is reimagined as the names of three well-known people, two of whom share the same given or last name.
22. Ron + (Kristen + Alexander Graham): SILVER BELLS. Ron Silver. Kristen Bell. Alexander Graham Bell.
24. Clint + (Francis Scott + Keegan-Michael): BLACK KEYS. Clint Black. Francis Scott Key. Keegan-Michael Key.
30. Sally + (Julia + Philip): FIELD GLASSES. Sally Field. Julia Glass. Philip Glass.
48. Barry + (Elliot + Jimmy): WHITE PAGES. Barry White. Elliott Page. Jimmy Page.
51. Nia + (Elton + Tommy): LONG JOHNS. Nia Long. Elton John. Tommy John.
63. Grover + (Alton + Helen Gurley): CLEVELAND BROWNS. Grover Cleveland. Alton Brown. Helen Gurley Brown.
81. (Adam + Minnie) + Helms: DRIVER'S ED. Adam Driver. Minnie Driver. Ed Helms.
83. Fiona + (Lemmon + London): APPLE JACKS. Fiona Apple. Jack Lemmon. Jack London.
98. Cleary + (Faith + Jonah): BEVERLY HILLS. Beverly Cleary. Faith Hill. Jonah Hill.
109. Keith + (Garfunkel + Carney): URBAN ARTS. Keith Urban. Art Garfunkel. Art Carney.
111. (Underwood + Fisher) + Johnny: CARRIES CASH. Carrie Underwood. Carrie Fisher. Johnny Cash.
It
may look like an overwhelming number of names at first glance, but
nearly all of them are confined to the theme clues as a natural
consequence of the concept. The fill is so clean.
I think this Rich is our constructor.
Across:
1. Best of the best: A-ONE.
5. Syrup source: MAPLE. I don't think sugar maples grow naturally in China. Maple syrup wasn't part of my childhood.
10. That partner: THIS.
14. Fistfuls of dollars: WADS.
18. Authorize: ALLOW.
19. Cookies with a "You asked for it" collaboration with 29-Across: OREOS. 29. Peanut butter cup brand: REESE'S.
I think this Rich is our constructor.
Across:
1. Best of the best: A-ONE.
5. Syrup source: MAPLE. I don't think sugar maples grow naturally in China. Maple syrup wasn't part of my childhood.
10. That partner: THIS.
14. Fistfuls of dollars: WADS.
18. Authorize: ALLOW.
19. Cookies with a "You asked for it" collaboration with 29-Across: OREOS. 29. Peanut butter cup brand: REESE'S.
20. Surrounding glow: AURA.
21. La Scala solo: ARIA.
26. NYC drama award: OBIE.
27. Slangy contraction: AIN'T.
28. Land between Can. and Mex.: USA.
34. Like stress balls and fidget spinners: SENSORY.
35. End of term?: ITES. Termites.
36. "Knock yourself out!": PLEASE DO. 43. Knocked out: LAID LOW.
39. Suzuki who won nine batting titles in two countries: ICHIRO. Coolest player ever.
44. Some reservoir residents: FOWL.
54. Othello's betrayer: IAGO.
55. Bulgarian, e.g.: SLAV.
56. Endow with, as authority: VEST.
58. Autonomous vacuum: ROOMBA.
59. Utmost degree: NTH.
60. Aligned: EVENED.
62. Labors mightily to accomplish: TOILS AT.
68. Term of endearment?: IT'S LOVE. This clue doesn't quite click for me.
71. Leveraged __: corporate acquisition: BUYOUT.
72. "Print to" option: PDF.
75. Really sad: MOROSE.
76. Sound from a kettle or a snake: HISS.
78. Actor Epps: OMAR.
80. Island home of the Hana Highway: MAUI.
85. Speaker brand: BOSE.
86. Theater reviewers: CRITICS.
89. Plug's place: SOCKET.
90. Channel that rarely fails to make one cry: TEAR DUCT. Fun clue.
92. Matinee hrs.: AFTS.
94. "The Return of the King" king: ARAGORN. Played by Viggo Mortensen.
104. Small donkeys: BURROS.
105. Ballerina's turning point: TOE.
107. Ancient France: GAUL.
108. "So Sick" R&B singer: NEYO.
114. New Mexico art hub: TAOS.
115. Santa's specialty: TOYS.
116. Leading: AHEAD.
117. Nikon rival: CANON. 118. Nikon products: SLRS.
119. Novelist mile: ZOLA.
120. Baking gloves: MITTS.
121. Pt. of IMF: INTL.
Down:
1. Defense witness, often: ALIBI.
2. Basic skateboard trick: OLLIE.
3. Many a Seanan McGuire work: NOVEL. New name to me. Seanan McGuire received five Hugo Award nominations in 2013.
4. Sheepish sort?: EWE.
5. Crib accessory: MOBILE.
6. Venues that often have corporate names: ARENAS.
7. Nails, as with snowballs: PELTS.
8. "U r 2 funny!": LOL.
9. Start at the beginning?: ESS. The starting letter in Start.
10. Guitar player's aid: TABS.
11. Hawaiian dance: HULA.
12. Nest egg letters: IRA.
13. Holy: SACRED.
14. Boat trailers?: WAKES. Powerful wakes.
15. Schoolyard retort: ARE SO.
16. Certain hardware store patron, casually: DIYER.
17. Smart-alecky: SASSY.
18. Lead-up to a date?: AS OF.
23. Convertibles: RAGTOPS.
25. Lotto game: KENO.
28. Thrifted, perhaps: USED. Anyone here use Poshmark?
31. Bleak: DIRE.
32. Spots for scrubs: SPAS.
33. "ManningCast" brother: ELI.
34. In stitches: SEWN.
37. "__ well that ends well": ALL'S.
38. Smokestack dust: SOOT.
39. "Game, set, match": I WIN.
40. Puss, in Paris: CHAT.
41. Top temperature: HIGH. Beautiful weather here in Minnesota the past few days.
42. Skater Midori: ITO.
43. 101, for one: LEVEL. Biology 101, e.g.
44. Tricks: FOOLS.
45. Measures of resistance: OHMS.
46. Liberty org.: WNBA. The New York Liberty.
47. Hurdle for a DA-to-be: LSAT.
49. Pain relief brand: ALEVE. Can you believe I hurt my lower back picking up an empty watering can?
50. Donated: GAVE.
52. "Oh, __ up!": GROW.
53. Connect: JOIN.
56. Williams with five Wimbledon singles titles: VENUS. 97. Wimbledon surface: GRASS.
57. Whirlpool: EDDY.
61. Captures: NABS.
62. Completely wreck: TOTAL.
63. Eggnog spice: CLOVE.
64. Concede a golden goal, say: LOSE. A golden goal immediately ends overtime in some soccer and hockey competitions.
65. Of all time: EVER.
66. Nose-tapping sounds: BOOPS.
67. Kind of roast: RUMP.
68. Site for film fans: IMDB.
69. Lawnmower brand: TORO. Based here in Minnesota.
70. Sanskrit honorifics: SRIS.
72. Rat or Brat follower: PACK.
73. Team led by Mike Krzyzewski for 42 seasons: DUKE.
74. Clenched hand: FIST.
76. Munich mister: HERR.
77. Terse affirmative: I DID.
79. Provide a new look: RESTYLE.
80. Prefix in many a Scottish surname: MAC.
82. Printer function: SCAN.
83. Closer at the Globe: ACT V. The Globe refers to Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. Many of his plays end with Act V.
84. Kid: JOSH.
87. __ sock: TUBE.
88. Winter puddle topper: ICE.
90. Many a "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" character: TOON.
91. Fake: ERSATZ.
92. Landing spot of Noah's Ark: ARARAT. Noah was 601 years old then!
93. Liquids: FLUIDS.
94. Borders: ABUTS.
95. Like most farmland: RURAL.
96. Shady spot: ARBOR.
99. Everglades wader: EGRET.
100. Like Machu Picchu: INCAN.
101. Listed, to a Brit: LEANT. We leaned.
102. Antibacterial brand: LYSOL.
103. Kind of Kind, in Köln: SOHN. Tricky bilingual clue. The second Kind is the German word for "child." Sohn means "son."
105. Texter's "Bye for now": TTYL.
106. Peak near Olympus: OSSA.
110. Aussie hopper: ROO.
111. Vid taker: CAM.
112. Sashimi choice: AHI.
113. Ecol. or geol.: SCI.
21. La Scala solo: ARIA.
26. NYC drama award: OBIE.
27. Slangy contraction: AIN'T.
28. Land between Can. and Mex.: USA.
34. Like stress balls and fidget spinners: SENSORY.
35. End of term?: ITES. Termites.
36. "Knock yourself out!": PLEASE DO. 43. Knocked out: LAID LOW.
39. Suzuki who won nine batting titles in two countries: ICHIRO. Coolest player ever.
54. Othello's betrayer: IAGO.
55. Bulgarian, e.g.: SLAV.
56. Endow with, as authority: VEST.
58. Autonomous vacuum: ROOMBA.
59. Utmost degree: NTH.
60. Aligned: EVENED.
62. Labors mightily to accomplish: TOILS AT.
68. Term of endearment?: IT'S LOVE. This clue doesn't quite click for me.
71. Leveraged __: corporate acquisition: BUYOUT.
72. "Print to" option: PDF.
75. Really sad: MOROSE.
76. Sound from a kettle or a snake: HISS.
78. Actor Epps: OMAR.
80. Island home of the Hana Highway: MAUI.
85. Speaker brand: BOSE.
86. Theater reviewers: CRITICS.
89. Plug's place: SOCKET.
90. Channel that rarely fails to make one cry: TEAR DUCT. Fun clue.
92. Matinee hrs.: AFTS.
94. "The Return of the King" king: ARAGORN. Played by Viggo Mortensen.
104. Small donkeys: BURROS.
105. Ballerina's turning point: TOE.
107. Ancient France: GAUL.
108. "So Sick" R&B singer: NEYO.
114. New Mexico art hub: TAOS.
115. Santa's specialty: TOYS.
116. Leading: AHEAD.
117. Nikon rival: CANON. 118. Nikon products: SLRS.
119. Novelist mile: ZOLA.
120. Baking gloves: MITTS.
121. Pt. of IMF: INTL.
Down:
1. Defense witness, often: ALIBI.
2. Basic skateboard trick: OLLIE.
3. Many a Seanan McGuire work: NOVEL. New name to me. Seanan McGuire received five Hugo Award nominations in 2013.
5. Crib accessory: MOBILE.
6. Venues that often have corporate names: ARENAS.
7. Nails, as with snowballs: PELTS.
8. "U r 2 funny!": LOL.
9. Start at the beginning?: ESS. The starting letter in Start.
10. Guitar player's aid: TABS.
11. Hawaiian dance: HULA.
12. Nest egg letters: IRA.
13. Holy: SACRED.
14. Boat trailers?: WAKES. Powerful wakes.
15. Schoolyard retort: ARE SO.
16. Certain hardware store patron, casually: DIYER.
17. Smart-alecky: SASSY.
18. Lead-up to a date?: AS OF.
23. Convertibles: RAGTOPS.
25. Lotto game: KENO.
28. Thrifted, perhaps: USED. Anyone here use Poshmark?
31. Bleak: DIRE.
32. Spots for scrubs: SPAS.
33. "ManningCast" brother: ELI.
34. In stitches: SEWN.
37. "__ well that ends well": ALL'S.
38. Smokestack dust: SOOT.
39. "Game, set, match": I WIN.
40. Puss, in Paris: CHAT.
41. Top temperature: HIGH. Beautiful weather here in Minnesota the past few days.
42. Skater Midori: ITO.
43. 101, for one: LEVEL. Biology 101, e.g.
44. Tricks: FOOLS.
45. Measures of resistance: OHMS.
46. Liberty org.: WNBA. The New York Liberty.
47. Hurdle for a DA-to-be: LSAT.
49. Pain relief brand: ALEVE. Can you believe I hurt my lower back picking up an empty watering can?
50. Donated: GAVE.
52. "Oh, __ up!": GROW.
53. Connect: JOIN.
56. Williams with five Wimbledon singles titles: VENUS. 97. Wimbledon surface: GRASS.
57. Whirlpool: EDDY.
61. Captures: NABS.
62. Completely wreck: TOTAL.
63. Eggnog spice: CLOVE.
64. Concede a golden goal, say: LOSE. A golden goal immediately ends overtime in some soccer and hockey competitions.
65. Of all time: EVER.
66. Nose-tapping sounds: BOOPS.
67. Kind of roast: RUMP.
68. Site for film fans: IMDB.
69. Lawnmower brand: TORO. Based here in Minnesota.
70. Sanskrit honorifics: SRIS.
72. Rat or Brat follower: PACK.
73. Team led by Mike Krzyzewski for 42 seasons: DUKE.
74. Clenched hand: FIST.
76. Munich mister: HERR.
77. Terse affirmative: I DID.
79. Provide a new look: RESTYLE.
80. Prefix in many a Scottish surname: MAC.
82. Printer function: SCAN.
83. Closer at the Globe: ACT V. The Globe refers to Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. Many of his plays end with Act V.
84. Kid: JOSH.
87. __ sock: TUBE.
88. Winter puddle topper: ICE.
90. Many a "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" character: TOON.
91. Fake: ERSATZ.
92. Landing spot of Noah's Ark: ARARAT. Noah was 601 years old then!
93. Liquids: FLUIDS.
94. Borders: ABUTS.
95. Like most farmland: RURAL.
96. Shady spot: ARBOR.
99. Everglades wader: EGRET.
100. Like Machu Picchu: INCAN.
101. Listed, to a Brit: LEANT. We leaned.
102. Antibacterial brand: LYSOL.
103. Kind of Kind, in Köln: SOHN. Tricky bilingual clue. The second Kind is the German word for "child." Sohn means "son."
105. Texter's "Bye for now": TTYL.
106. Peak near Olympus: OSSA.
110. Aussie hopper: ROO.
111. Vid taker: CAM.
112. Sashimi choice: AHI.
113. Ecol. or geol.: SCI.
Chiang Rai, 2017
C.C.
Not too tough, although
ReplyDeleteAt first, I didn’t see what the title of the puzzle had to do with anything. But with C.C’s quick explanation- “D’oh!”
Anyway, FIR, so I’m happy.
And, Happy Birthday, MalMan!
I appreciate your sense of humor!
Providing two identical names in the themers doubled the chances that the solver would recognize at least one of 'em. I agree, C.C., "It's love" didn't work for me, either. A friend who worked with me at the Iowa crane manufacturer went on to a long career with TORO in Mpls. Thanx, Ray and C.C. (I can relate to throwing your back out with an empty watering can. In the '80s I threw my back out while sitting down putting on my socks to go bowling. Then I threw out my bowling ball.)
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday, Mal-Man. When they advertised a "room with shower" was that what you were picturing?
FIW, missing my SWAG @ NEYa x SaHN. But I guessed right at ICHIRO x CHAT, and NEYa x LEANT, so I got that goin' for me. Which is nice.
ReplyDeleteThe most impressive boat WAKES I've ever encountered have been from mostly-submerged submarines. You don't see the WAKES coming, they just slam into your boat with violent power. After I would regain control of my boat I would look around, and sure enough there was the mast of a sub within visual range. And they were going slow, either leaving or returning to their berth here at the world's largest naval base.
The late Jimmy Buffett wrote and sang RAGTOP Dayway too much A&E. At least I knew some of the names. And thanks to CC for another guided tour.
I meant "sail of a sub," not "mast." Also known as the "conning tower."
DeleteI wrote some other stuff, but it disappeared itself. No big loss, except for wishing our MalMan a happy birthday.
DeleteLooks like the deleted stuff was at the end of the link to the Buffett tune. I must have highlighted the rest accidentally, then hit another key. It proofread fine. The joys of laptops.
DeleteGood Morning:
ReplyDeleteA fun theme adds so much more solving pleasure to a Sunday puzzle and this one is a good example. The personalities were mostly well-known or easily discernible, so no problems coming up with the threesomes. As CC mentioned, the grid was very clean with no obscurities, a rare Sunday achievement.
Well done, Rich, thanks, and, as always, thanks, CC, for the professional viewpoint and analysis. Hope your back heals quickly.
Happy Birthday, Joseph, hope it’s a special day! 🎂🎉🎊🎈
Fun theme and I agree with Desper-otto, doubling the identical names increased the solver’s chances of getting one of them, otherwise I would have been defeated since many of those names were unfamiliar to me.
ReplyDeleteHowever I DNF, the crossing of NEY? and S?HN got me. It took me a while to see a cat for puss. For reservoir residents I entered dogs, thinking of the movie, but FOWL was needed. I don’t get that clue. And I really wanted nutmeg in my eggnog, not CLOVE.
Otherwise, nice solve this morning. Thank you C.C. for your recap.
Happy birthday MM 🎊🎉🎂
Never cloves I'd eggnog. Nutmeg every time!
DeleteShould say " Never cloves in eggnog.".
DeleteFIR. This had a slight bit of bite to it. It took a while for me to fill Ichiro because "chat" made no sense to me. Still doesn't. But in my baseball memory bank I seem to remember him.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I dislike proper names in puzzles, the theme was actually fun. I got it early on and that helped a lot.
Overall an enjoyable puzzle.
KS, I too was flustered by puss. It’s supposed to stand for cat and CHAT is French for cat.
DeleteYes, CHAT is French for "cat" AKA "puss," and Paris is in France, so ... ICHIRO filled by perps.
ReplyDeleteFOWL is a category of birds that includes ducks, grebes, and other feathered friends that live on lakes and reservoirs.
Where I failed was the cross of NEY_ and S_HN. I LEANT toward the letter O, guessing SOHN for "son," but NEYO didn't look right, so I left that space blank. DNF!
Very clever puzzle, Rich! I'll echo the appreciation expressed by others for having multiple proper names to help with the theme entries. C.C., you have a gift for clear and succinct explanations of what seems complicated to me.
Happy birthday 🎂 MalMan!
Thank you, Rich and C.C.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday, Malodorous Manatee!
Fun puzzle. Easy solve. No problems. I wouldn't recognize any of NE-YO's songs, but I've seen his name in crossword puzzles enough times that it's a quick fill. I knew SOHN from my time in Germany and due to all of the in-law relatives.
ICHIRO was a favorite player of mine, too. Amazing 5 tool ballplayer.
My neighbor's daughter sells on Poshmark. And on Etsy. And on Facebook Marketplace. And a couple others. She apparently does quite well.
Has anyone heard from Chairman Moe after he had his carpals tunneled?
FLN, Darren, holy guacamole! You filmed that, too? Dude, you need to have an IMDb page. Or create your own Wikipedia page. We had a regular commenter her that created one on himself. Anyway, my girlfriend loved Hall and Oates and their string of hits. She had MTV on all the time* and that Maneater video got a lot of rotation back then. I just watched it again. That panther wasn't filmed through glass walls? What a cool story!
* About the only time she didn't watch MTV was when Knight Rider was on. That was must see TV for her. She had an 82 black Camaro that was the same production body style as the Pontiac Trans Am that the Knight Rider KITT car was based on. I don't know whether it was the car or Hasselhoff, but she would stop whatever she was doing to watch that program.
You crack me up, @ TTP! “ Holy guacamole” etc 🤣👍🏽
DeleteI tried to enter my name to IMDB, but there’s evidently another guy already there with the same name — and their interface is so complicated I couldn’t even get through to whomever runs the site. Guess I’m too spread out with different credits; I’ve done too many varied jobs, so they can’t figure out which hole to stick this pigeon into 🤣
No, the panther was right there in front of us!
====> Darren
Oops, missed the KITT bit. Guess I helped make your girl’s day 👍🏽 That was another fun title shoot.
DeleteI loved this puzzle. What a clever gimmick! I sit in admiration.
ReplyDeleteC.C., yes, I totally believe you hurt your lower back picking up an empty watering can.
ReplyDeleteFun theme which made the solve go faster than usual
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday MalMan!
I, too, loved this puzzle! Thanks to All, for a fun puzzle and recap! And …
ReplyDelete🦛🐣 HIPPO BIRDIE 2 U, MM!
Have a great week, Folks!
Great puzzle! The theme was clever and fun, and the fill was so clean.
ReplyDeleteThanks to Rich for the Sunday stunner, I hope to see more of your puzzles!
Thanks to CC for the enjoyable review! And Happy Birthday to MalMan!
Superb Sunday. Thanks for the fun, Rich and C.c.
ReplyDeleteI FIRed online (red letters off). (I left that O/A dilemma at the cross of SOHN and NEYO until the very end; I entered the O and got the Tada.)
Great theme and very helpful when I figured it out. The plural S wasn’t automatically on the end.
ICHERO required some perps.
This Canadian grew up on MAPLE syrup, and still enjoys it nearly every Sunday on waffles or pancakes. Yummers.
I knew the French CHAT but not the German SOHN.
Filling Serb before SLAV held up that area.
Happy 76th Birthday MalMan.
Wishing you all a great day.
Ach, I remained Anonymous (but I bet you knew who it was!)
DeleteRelateable names + (fun fills + great clues) = sterling Sunday grid! Nice one, Rich 🤙🏽😎
ReplyDeleteIt took me ‘til LONGJOHNS to get the equation, no adding machine required. Really unique theme and yes, thanks for the “extra names” (y’all know how much I looove A&E names in a CW…). Awesome clue for TEARDUCT, and only one “meh” (ITSLOVE), so pretty much a “just keep chugging’ it” job today. But alas, no FIR; my text-speak is not up to speed, so I left TTtL “ta-ta til later” because TOtS sounded plausible for Santa’s specialty, what with the degree of deception in this grid — “Lead-up to a date” and the TEARDUCT clue (brilliant!). But what the hail, y’can’t win ‘em all, and I still enjoyed the trek. Nice cross with LEVEL and EVENED, and of course we have the obligatory OREOS 🤣. I do have a couple of minor beefs: for 118A, I’d think “Some Nikon products” would’ve been better — they make a ton of other stuff: binoculars, microscopes and non-SLR cameras. Plus, a question about LAIDLOW as the answer to “Knocked out” — isn’t that “laid out” (ref: “The Boxer” by Simon & ART Garfunkel)? This fill usually means to hide out…am I just being myopic?
Noah was 601? I guess they used old math back then…like, ancient math. And who the heck puts CLOVEs into their eggnog?? Yuck!
Anyway, it was a fun Sunday cruise; thanks to Rich, and to C.C. for the tour. I hope your back is healed…this “getting old” thing is a (literal) pain some days. Speaking of which, a big Hoppy Birthday (have a 🍺) to our Mal-Man! 76, good on ya mate— I’m trying to catch up to you, got a year to go…but, of course by then, you’ll be… 😎. And I gotta admit: I have yet to experience an elephant shower.
====> Darren / L.A.
Well, there's Paul Simon lyrics
Delete"Oh, little darling of mine
I just can't believe it's so
Though it seems strange to say
I never been laid so low"
in his classic hit Mother and Child Reunion.
It seems the cross of SxHN and NEYx was another case of Constructor FIW that stumped many of us. I did WAG to FIR, but it is still a Constructor FIW.
ReplyDeleteAgree: The doubled names theme made it easier to guess the names. Didn't know half the names, but the duplicates saved the puzzle. Clever theme.