Theme: "GENERATION X" - In each common phrase, a K sound becomes a KS sound, represented by the letter X.
23. Cowboy boots, saddles, etc.?: TEX SUPPORT. Tech support
25. Linen-lined outerwear?: FLAX JACKET. Flak jacket.
35. Child's complaint to Father Time?: YOU MAKE ME SIX. You make me sick
57. "I need to install brighter lights later"?: BETTER LUX NEXT TIME. Better luck next time.
80. Common finds in a salmon smokehouse?: LOX, STOCK AND BARREL. Lock, stock and barrel.
97. Country known for its devotion to a General Mills cereal?: CHEX REPUBLIC. Czech Republic.
114. Charon?: STYX FIGURE. Stick figure.
116. High-strung Latin ruler?: NERVOUS REX. Nervous wreck.
Even though the spellings vary (tech/tex, luck/lux, lock/lox, stick/styx), every transformation follows the same phonetic idea, so creative.
Congratulations to Yijing Chen on a terrific LAT Sunday debut!
Across:
1. Purple or green herb: BASIL. Purple basil tastes just like the green variety.
6. Discovery org.: NASA. Space Shuttle Discovery.
10. "Bye-bye!": I'M OFF.
15. Electronic music duo __ Punk: DAFT. French duo.
19. Skybox setting: ARENA.
20. North __ Sea: Kazakh lake: ARAL.
21. Finnish tech giant: NOKIA. And
22. Finnish currency: EURO.
27. Feed adequately: SATE.
28. Drama produced in a recording studio: RADIO PLAY.
30. Birds associated with the Egyptian god Thoth: IBISES.
31. Part of BTW: THE.
33. South, south of the border: SUR. Opposite of "norte".
34. Broccoli part: STEM.
42. "So helpful!": WHAT A PAL.
46. Wee bits: IOTAS.
47. Backless slippers: MULES. 92. Wearing 47-Across, perhaps: SHOD.
48. "Pretentious? __?": MOI.
49. Roman moon goddess: LUNA. In Chinese, it's Chang'e.
50. Get ready: PREP.
51. Entourage: POSSE.
52. Transparent layer in the eye: CORNEA.
55. Swine: PIG.
56. Unit of corn: EAR. Our church just held its annual Corn Fest.
The corn was picked fresh that morning, then dipped in pure butter. I
was thrilled that my puzzle attracted bids.
60. Reacted to a chill: SHIVERED.
62. Fragrant chain: LEI.
63. Unwanted giveaway?: SPOILER.
64. D-backs, in box scores: ARI. Arizona Diamondbacks.
65. Not in favor: OPPOSED.
69. Printer supply: INK.
70. West Indies country also known as the "Island of Spice": GRENADA. Learning moment for me.
74. Produce, as an egg: LAY.
75. "Unfortunately, yes": AFRAID SO.
84. Mender's target: RIP.
85. Furisode sash: OBI.
86. Field with a trolley problem: ETHICS. The classic trolley problem.
 |
| The trolley problem presents a dilemma: is it preferable to pull the lever to divert the runaway trolley onto the side track with just one person? |
87. Decided: OPTED.
88. Window shade: TINT.
89. Howler with four legs and teeth: WOLF. And
88. Cutter with four legs and teeth: TABLE SAW.
91. Having four sharps: INE.
92. Bad look: SNEER.
93. Start of a religious title: DALAI.
94. In hot water?: STEEPING. Fun clue.
100. Kung __ tofu: PAO. Hi Splynter, make this dish.
101. Sargasso Sea fish: EEL.
102. Bert's favorite bird, on "Sesame Street": PIGEON.
105. Doozy: HUMDINGER.
110. Icelandic saga: EDDA.
118. Father: SIRE.
119. All fired up: EAGER.
120. "Can't argue with that": TRUE.
121. Comic-Con event: PANEL.
122. Name in a Chinese American dish: TSO'S.
123. Superhero who says, "For the honor of Grayskull!": SHE-RA. Princess of Power.
124. Some tennis shots: LOBS.
125. Gave one's word: SWORE.
Down:
1. Softball clubs: BATS.
2. Geographic region: AREA.
3. Exchange heated words?: SEXT.
4. Certain close-up: INSET MAP.
5. Cantopop star Andy: LAU.
6. Cabbage variety called "big white vegetable" in Chinese: NAPA. Exactly! In Chinese, napa cabbage is literally "big white vegetable," while bok choy is "small white vegetable."
7. Three-time AL MVP in the 2000s: A-ROD.
8. South Asian wrap: SARI.
9. Palo __, California: ALTO.
10. Mass arrival: INFLUX.
11. Grinding tooth: MOLAR.
12. "All right": OKAY.
13. Jam: FIX.
14. Dish served in a sizzling skillet: FAJITA.
15. __ point: DECIMAL.
16. Arctic seabirds: AUKS.
17. Available for a meeting: FREE.
18. Kiddos: TOTS.
24. Grade before grades, for short: PRE-K.
26. Lie for, say: ABET.
29. Trident-shaped letters: PSIS.
32. Possesses: HAS.
34. Waxes, maybe: SHINES.
35. "Holy cannoli!": YIPES.
36. Marine Corps cry: OORAH.
37. Ultrasound targets: UTERI.
38. Be theatrical: EMOTE.
39. Can't-miss activity: MUST DO.
40. Otherwise: ELSE.
41. Oracle: SEER.
42. Like favorite jeans: WORN. My favorite pair of jeans is 25 years old. No holes, perfect wash, perfect stretch.
43. Schoolkid: PUPIL.
44. "One Piece" medium: ANIME.
45. Pilsner, for one: LAGER.
48. Pluck: MOXIE.
51. Green gem: PERIDOT. A green variety of the mineral olivine.
52. Stage signals: CUES.
53. Like last month's deals: EXPIRED.
54. Discordant, musically: ATONAL.
57. Badger: BERATE.
58. Fallingwater architect Frank __ Wright: LLOYD.
59. Polynesian carving: TIKI.
61. Converse rival: VANS.
66. Spot: PLACE.
67. Chef's collection: PANS.
68. Speedy fish: DARTER. A small freshwater fish related to perch.
70. Exhibits brilliance: GLOWS.
71. K9 of "Doctor Who," for one: ROBOT.
72. Cast out: EXILE.
73. Like post-marathon muscles: ACHING.
76. French brother: FRERE. Mon frère. Ma sœur.
77. "This is not a __!": DRILL.
78. Exodus mount: SINAI.
79. Eye-related: OPTIC.
81. Mattress choice: KING.
82. Fillet's lack: BONE.
83. Peak: APEX.
90. Ships overnight, in a way: FEDEXES.
93. Expected: DUE.
95. [And it's gone!]: POOF.
96. Some belly buttons: INNIES.
97. GoPro product: CAMERA.
98. Spanish "but": PERO.
100. Less polluted: PURER.
102. Furtive "C'mere!": PSST.
103. "For real?": IT IS.
104. Greek wrap: GYRO.
105. Mammoth: HUGE.
106. Like some LAX flights: INTL.
107. Roman emperor after Claudius: NERO. Ruthless guy. He ordered the death of his mother.
108. Wormlike larva: GRUB.
109. Holiday precursors: EVES.
111. James Bond's first movie foe: DR NO.
112. Trail cam regular: DEER.
113. Soap Box Derby rod: AXLE.
115. Cry of exasperation: GAH.
117. __ and downs: UPS.
C.C.
The title of this
ReplyDeletepuzzle helped me to solve this long, involved puzzle. So it wasn’t as difficult as it might have been. Still, it did take a bit of “work.”
FIR, so I’m happy.
Good morning!
ReplyDeleteI was certain the first themer had to begin with TEXAS. As a result, it was the last themer to fall. YOU MAKE ME SIX brought a smile. Nice debut, Yijing. Thanx for 'splainin' NAPA vs Bok Choy, C.C. Don't think I've heard of NAPA, except as an auto parts dealer or a wine producing valley.
FIW, missing PufF x PIGEfF (¯\_(ツ)_/¯) and DuNG (¯\_(ツ)_/¯). I'd much rather be paid in dungs than in DONGs. YMMV.
ReplyDeleteThe late historian Jimmy Buffett wrote:
And the lady she hails from Trinidad
Island of the spices
in his Son of a Son of a Sailor.
I've toured the campus of Florida Southern University with its 13 Frank Lloyd Wright structures. IIRC, I was allowed to enter only one, as many are still used for classes.
I may just be grumpy today, but I was a little put off by the "s" sound in the X-substitute that kept the resulting word from matching the plain English phrase. I was ok with TEX SUPPORT, NERVOUS REX and maybe LOX STOCK AND BARREL, because the extra "s" is the way most people talk. But not the others - no one says "flacks jacket," "you make me sicks," "better lucks next time," or "Czech's Republic." Yes I know that the clues have been stretched to match, but as Ron Weasley said, I don't like this. I don't like this at all.
Thanks to Chen for the challenge, and to CC for the fun tour.
Good Morning:
ReplyDeleteThis type of theme is not one of my favorites, especially in a large Sunday grid, but props to the author’s efforts with this debut. The title and first few themers left no doubt as to the gimmick, so the solve was not that difficult. There were the usual obscure entries, Lau, Dong, Pao, She Ra, Ethics, as clued, Pero, etc., but the perps were fair. Perps also corrected Erns/Auks and Emerald/Peridot.
Thanks, Yijing, and congrats on your debut and thanks, CC, for the explanation of the theme and its execution. Congrats on your auction bidding success.
Have a great day.
FIR. I had to really work at this one. Thank goodness the theme, which I figured out early, helped with the solve.
ReplyDeleteMy one sticky spot was the crossing of She-Ra and gah. I had no idea who the superhero was. It took a WAG to ice the deal.
Overall a so-so puzzle.