Theme: "BOOK REPORTS" - Each theme entry is humorously reinterpreted as a rave review of a book associated with the profession in the clue.
23. Praise for a Cy Young biography?: PITCH PERFECT.
33. Praise for a meditation guide?: BREATHTAKING.
53. Praise for a rock climber's diary?: GRIPPING STORY.
70. Praise for a mechanic's handbook?: FIRES ON ALL CYLINDERS.
89. Praise for a Hope Diamond history?: AN ABSOLUTE GEM.
102. Praise for a bartender's manual?: FULL OF TWISTS.
119. Praise for a scuba diver's memoir?: DEEPLY MOVING.
Congrats to Ralph Sharaga on his LAT debut. And a Sunday! You picked a great collaborator. I enjoyed how each clue paints a vivid mental picture. Every theme answer sounds like the kind of glowing blurb you'd find on the back cover of a book.
This grid design is a model LAT Sunday: 144 words and 76 black squares. Very clean, with a stunning numbers of long fill.
Across:
1. Fish-cleaning gadget: SCALER. Our local Asian market has live seafood tanks.
7. Extra option: ADD ON.
12. Pricey German cars: BMWS.
16. Muscles worked by planks: ABS.
19. Elaborately showy: ORNATE.
20. Ungainly: GAWKY.
21. Honolulu Museum of Art's location: OAHU.
22. AAA job: TOW.
25. "Voyage to India" singer: ARIE. Her surname is Simpson.
26. "The Mole" host Shapiro: ARI.
27. "How've you __?": BEEN.
28. After the bell: LATE.
29. "Over here": PSST.
30. Mineral in hemoglobin: IRON. 126. 30-Across deficiency: ANEMIA.
31. Slaw, e.g.: SIDE. Sometimes I buy bags of coleslaw, but I stir-fry it instead.
37. Lifesaving pro: EMT.
40. Underground explorer: CAVER.
43. Trade fair: EXPO.
44. Cell service initials: LTE. Long Term Evolution.
45. Baltic capital: RIGA.
47. Toy with a Botanicals line: LEGO. Didn't know this. So pretty.
48. Flyer: LEAFLET.
50. UV-filtering measurement: SPF.
56. By and large: AS A RULE.
58. "Priscilla" writer/director Coppola: SOFIA. Based on Priscilla Presley's book "Elvis and Me".
59. Branch of Islam: SHIA.
60. Can openers: TABS.
62. Showbiz grand slam: EGOT. 22 people have achieved this milestone.
63. Wrath: RAGE.
65. Water or elec.: UTIL.
67. Wild adventure: ESCAPADE.
74. Cross-examination follower: RE-DIRECT.
75. __ & Chandon Champagne: MOET.
76. French denials: NONS.
77. Funds for one's golden yrs.: IRAS.
78. Small recipe amts.: TSPS.
81. Like rams: MALE.
83. Drastic policy change: U-TURN.
86. __ 500: DAYTONA.
92. Raised trains: ELS.
93. Like part of a corkscrew: HELICAL.
95. Luxury shoe brand: TOD'S.
96. Copenhagen resident: DANE.
97. Galahad's title: SIR.
98. "You can leave now": OK GO.
99. Treadmill setting: SPEED.
101. Tyrannosaurus __: REX.
107. Nutrition figs.: RDAS. RDA stands for Recommended Dietary Allowance.
109. Grayish: ASHY.
110. "Muy __": BIEN. Very good.
111. Belfry sound: PEAL.
114. Burkina Faso neighbor: MALI.
117. "Houdini" singer Lipa: DUA.
118. Six-time Emmy winner Tyne: DALY.
123. Hectic hosp. areas: ERS.
124. Designer Gucci: ALDO.
125. Snoring cause: APNEA.
127. Place to get much-kneaded therapy?: SPA. Ha, kneaded.
128. Fromage hue: BLEU.
129. Party spreads: PATES.
130. Zeroes out: RESETS.
Down:
1. Drench: SOP.
2. Baby bed: CRIB.
3. Cost of hand delivery?: ANTE. Poker hand.
4. Shoestrings: LACES.
5. Sharing a common culture: ETHNIC. I belong to the Han ethnic group, the largest in the world,
6. Gym unit: REP.
7. Uttar Pradesh tourist city: AGRA.
8. __ Punk: "Get Lucky" duo: DAFT.
9. Nerdy type: DWEEB.
10. The NBA's Thunder, on scoreboards: OKC. The Oklahoma City Thunder.
11. "The Daily" podcast producer, briefly: NYT.
12. Brag about: BOAST OF. This is super impressive, Splynter!
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13. Heron habitat: MARSH.
14. Shaves (down): WHITTLES.
15. Go after, in a way: SUE.
16. Centipede maker: ATARI.
17. Fifth element on the periodic table: BORON.
18. Batting practice concern: SWING.
24. Natural rolls, in craps: ELEVENS.
29. Tropical fruit: PAPAYA. I like mild green papaya salad. This looks too hot.
30. 1950s prez: IKE.
32. Big name in surrealism: DALI. 38. Big name in surrealism: MIRO.
34. Move, informally: RELO.
35. Bring to bear: EXERT.
36. Flour for some flatbread: ATTA.
37. Crew team's workout machines: ERGS.
39. Chili's rival: TGI FRIDAYS. And 41. Springtime lawn parties: EGG HUNTS. 50. No. 1 hit from the album "Everything's Archie": SUGAR SUGAR. 61. Waistband feature: BELT LOOP. 88. Toy for indoor games: NERF BALL. Love those entries.
42. Bilingual "Sesame Street" Muppet: ROSITA.
46. Beekeeper: APIARIST.
49. Cold yogurt drink: LASSI. Mango lassi.
51. Walks heavily: PLODS.
52. Swanky shindig: FETE.
54. "Your table's ready" device: PAGER.
55. Kite extension: TAIL.
57. Felt contrite: REPENTED.
64. Language suffix: ESE.
66. A.I. tool that generates text: LLM. Large Language Model.
68. MS NOW rival: CNN.
69. Score after deuce: AD OUT.
70. Not domesticated: FERAL.
71. In base eight: OCTAL.
72. Tool with teeth: COMB. I've been using the same comb I bought at Watsons decades ago. Watsons is basically the Walgreens of Guangzhou/Hong Kong.
73. Ingredients for brewers and bakers: YEASTS.
74. Go by train: RIDE.
79. Cram: PACK IN.
80. Hitches: SNAGS.
82. Advanced in years: ELDERLY.
84. Actress Russo: RENE.
85. Ariz. neighbor: NMEX. And
87. Indiana neighbor: OHIO.
90. Oodles: A LOT.
91. No longer mint: USED.
94. "Next one's on me": I OWE YOU.
97. Wily: SLY.
100. Big band singer Vic: DAMONE.
102. Loses color: FADES.
103. Seize illegally: USURP.
104. Sacred city of Tibet: LHASA. Meaning "Place of the Gods" in Tibetan.
105. Spanish diacritic: TILDE.
106. Went on a shopping spree: SPENT.
108. Goalie's stat: SAVES.
112. Fencing blade: EPEE.
113. "Sad to say ... ": ALAS.
115. Soil acidity reducer: LIME.
116. "My heart's just not __": IN IT.
118. Bit of makeup: DAB.
119. Fist bump: DAP.
120. Clean air org.: EPA.
121. Scuff up: MAR.
122. Highway sign: GAS.
Happy 72nd Birthday of Subgenius (Darryl). Wishing you a wonderful birthday filled with happiness, good health, and all the little things that make you smile. Have a beautiful day, Darryl!
I made today's puzzle for the Atlantic. Click here to solve. It's edited by Kelsey Dixon.
C.C.
Not too tough.
ReplyDeleteAll the themers were standard in-the-language phrases. And the puzzle was fun, on the whole.
FIR, so I’m happy.
Happy birthday, Sub
DeleteGood morning!
ReplyDeleteFinished in 20 minutes, well ahead of my self-imposed time limit. Stumbled when REGRETTED was too long, but that was the only Wite-Out moment. I always assumed LTE meant "Lite." Vic DAMONE was big in the '50s. Very nice Doug, Ralph (congrats on your debut), and C.C. I enjoyed it.
FIR, but push in->PACK IN, and tap->DAP.
ReplyDeleteCAVER? I've always heard "spelunker."
Three-letter fill for "blah, blah, blah Lipa" is gonna be DUA. Four-letter fill for "blah, blah, blah Tyne" is gonna be DALY. AKA Cagney. Or Lacy.
For "by and large" I wanted "heuristically," but it wouldn't fit.
DNK LLM, but it made me think of LISP, a nearly 70-year-old predecessor.
*Name one thing that's not available at Chili's: A) Caesar salad B) Sirloin steak C) Chili D) Eggrolls
I guess that CNN is a rival of MS NOW, if the goal is second place. Fox News has more prime time viewers than both of them combined.
National Lampoon published a highway sign photo that I took. It was taken on I-15 between Barstow and Las Vegas, and advertised the mountainous filling station Pass GAS. (They also published another of mine in a separate issue: LAX Medical Clinic.)
Thanks to Ralph and Doug for the fun Sunday romp. And thanks to CC for the guided tour.
*Answer: Chili. Chili's doesn't serve chili.
Fox "News", LOL
ReplyDeleteWell then MS News lol…
DeleteIs it asking too much to enjoy a quiet Sunday morning working a puzzle without involving politics? Yeesh
Agreed
DeleteFIR. This had a little bite to it for me. I had a hard time with 10D, I knew it was Oklahoma but the letters OKC just looked wrong. Also I didn't know Daft Punk. But "pitch perfect" looked so right I just went with it.
ReplyDeleteThe rest of the theme answers were relatively easy.
Overall an enjoyable puzzle.
Took 14:19 today to self-publish.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday to our pace setter and my good friend, SubG!
I knew the Actresses of the Day - Rene & Daly, although I don't know the latter from which shows/movies - just the name. "Lassi" only took 5 perps.
Good Morning:
ReplyDeleteSunday puzzles are not my favorites, so I often skip solving them. Not today, though, as Doug Peterson’s byline is always an enticement for a fun and satisfying solve. Today’s theme was cleverly executed and had enough of a challenge to elevate it above the all-too common fill-in-the-blank pattern. I think my favorite themer was Praise for a Cy Young biography = Pitch Perfect. The lack of obscure references and the mostly straightforward fill added to the ease and enjoyment of the solve.
Thanks, Doug and Ralph, and congrats to Ralph on the debut and thanks, CC, for your professional opinions and observations of some of the important facets of construction that we might otherwise miss. Your highlighting of great fill or clever cluing is appreciated by both the solver and author, I’m sure.
Happy Birthday to our dear Darryl. I hope it’s a very special day for you! 🎂🎉🎈🎊❤️
Have a great day.
A LOT easier than my attempt yesterday. I wouldn't call it an ABSOLUTE GEM because it was too easy. But I really enjoyed the lack of proper names that usually require all perps, especially if you've never seen or heard of the show, book, author, or actor. This ELDERLY Simpson knew ARIE because she shows up in puzzles A TLO. My last fill was the cross of BOAST OF & LEAFLET. I had boast ON first.
ReplyDeleteMy yard is not a "Heron habitat" but a night Heron comes in at sundown and dawn when the cicadas come out of the ground. I was working in the yard and it flew in over my head and landed about 30 feet away.
LLM, ROSITA, and DAFT Punk took all perps. LEGO was filled before I was the clue and I'm glad; wouldn't have known it.
The puzzle had the trifecta of the liberal press, plus an extra. MSNOW, CNN, NYT, and ARI from NPR.
This was Big Easy
DeleteJust discovered that today’s NY Times puzzle’s authors are Ralph and Doug! What are the odds of that coincidence? Congrats, Ralph and Doug!
ReplyDeleteMaybe not AN ABSOLUTE GEM, but in my book, PITCH PERFECT. What I didn’t know, perps or a good old WAG filled, like OKC and DAP, still don’t get that one. We had ARIE and ARI.
ReplyDeleteThank you C.C for the review. Nice botanical LEGO pic and i didn’t know you could make a salad of PAPAYA.
Happy birthday Subgenius. 🎈🎁🎉🎊
Puzzling thoughts:
ReplyDeleteCongrat's to the collaborators for the fine puzzle and to C.C. for the recap
Similar to Irish Miss I rarely work on a Sunday puzzle but as with she, when I saw Doug Pederson's name as the collaborator I knew it would be a fun solve - congrat's to Ralph on your debut
HB to Subgenius - hope you party hearty
This was about the paragon of Sunday CW’s, cool theme and friendly perps which should make for a doable solve for most. I FIR in about a half hour with only a handful of unknowns, SOFIA, and LLM/MOET (the M was.a WAG). HELICAL was a new word for me. I always thought the D in RDA stood for ‘Daily’, not ‘Dietary’. Thank you Ralph and Doug for your fine collaboration, and to C.C. for the recap.
ReplyDeleteHappy b/day to our lead off hitter Darryl! 👊🏼
Yooper Phil ⬆️⬆️⬆️
DeleteMusings
ReplyDelete-A familiar intersection that I have used for decades now is crossing a four-lane highway and a right turn and then a U-TURN is now necessary to continue.
-All I know about MALI is that it is home to Timbuktu
-A town in Ganzhou has a store named Watson’s?
-USED – I buy all my golf balls at. Lostgolfballs.com
-Happy Birthday, SubG.
-Me too, Irish!
Thank you, Ralph, Doug and C.C. Congrats on your debut, Ralph.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday, SubG!
A flat 20:20 today. Answers flowed. My typing did not.
Has anyone ever heard of TOD'S? Barely FIR. That top central area with OKC, DAFT, NYT as clued was almost a DNF. Never heard of DAMONE. Only musician I know with a similar name is RAMONE.
ReplyDeleteImpressed by the number of creative theme answers.
I did CC’s today’s Atlantic CW. Doable enough except for 1 across, therefore the north stayed blank á while. The rest went pretty smoothly. Definiyworth doing.
ReplyDeleteThat should read definitely worth doing.
DeleteThis is Jayce. I loved this puzzle.
ReplyDeleteI noticed DAB and DAP, ARI and ARIE, ABS and AN ABSOLUTE GEM, and ADDON and ADOUT.
I like the word GAWKY.
Happy Birthday, Subgenius.
Acesaround here. This one went smoothly. Very well done. Two Sunday puzzles in one day. Very unusual. It was interesting reading about LLMs Cc.
ReplyDeleteFun and solvable! I really enjoyed it. Thanks to the constructors, C.C., and Happy Birthday, Subgenuis!
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday 🎂 Subgenius! Thanks for bravely making the first comment almost every day! (When the Red Sea parted, some brave soul had to be first to step in there!) 🌊
ReplyDeleteThis was a lovely puzzle with a neat theme, and it was solvable with a lot of hopping from one completed answer to another. Thanks, Ralph and Doug. Many thanks to C.C. for the expert analysis.
Anonymous at 1:01 PM: Yes, there is Tod's shoe store in Beverly Hills and the brand is also available at Nordstrom. Men's loafers go for about $800 a pair, but hurry! They're on sale for $450! 👞 A bit rich for my blood. 💰 🤑