Theme: "READ THE INSTRUCTIONS" - Each answer ends with something that's meant to be followed, and each clue is a literal example of it.
22. "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink," e.g.?: GUIDING PRINCIPLE.
32. "Oral contracts are binding," e.g.?: UNWRITTEN LAW.
50. "A new pope shall be chosen at a conclave," e.g.?: CARDINAL DIRECTION.
66. "The strike zone is between the chest and knees," e.g.?: BATTING PRACTICE.
87. "The ball must hit the cushion before dropping into the pocket," e.g.?: BANKING REGULATION.
102. "Chickens will be fed in the coop," e.g.?: PECKING ORDER.
119. "Wear sensible shoes and a lumbar support belt," e.g.?: LONG-STANDING RULE.
Every clue is a literal example of the second word in the answer, while the first word naturally fits that literal context. Very consistent set.
I wouldn't be surprised if the theme set required very little editing. Katie is an outstanding Sunday constructor as well as Patti's assistant.
The grid is also a model LAT Sunday: the total word count, black-square count, and number of three-letter entries all align with the style Patti has long favored.
Across:
1. Add some oomph to: AMP UP.
6. In good __: STEAD.
11. "The Marvels" director DaCosta: NIA. Didn't fare well in the box office.
14. Latch (onto): GLOM.
18. Speckled horses: ROANS.
19. Dodge: EVADE.
20. Zingy flavor: TANG.
21. "Sorry, I slipped": OOPS.
25. "Frozen" reindeer: SVEN.
26. "Come back __!": HERE.
27. See 91-Across: EAGLE. 91. With 27-Across, patriotic Muppet: SAM.
28. Like rum barrels: OAKEN.
29. Ms. Marvel, for one: HERO.
30. Fruity drink suffix: ADE.
35. Cause of a soccer ball bending midair: SIDE SPIN.
40. Vigor: ELAN.
41. Fish eggs: ROE.
42. Character who calls Homer "neighborino": NED. Flanders.
43. Romania neighbor: MOLDOVA.
45. Letters said while showing a badge: FBI.
47. "Ew, stop talking!": TMI.
55. Fall (over): TIP.
56. Et __: and others: ALIA.
57. Polite contraction: YES'M.
58. Castle protectors: MOATS.
59. Turn to rubble, briefly: DEMO. 81. 59-Across stuff: TNT.
60. Ancient land of the Fertile Crescent: ASSYRIA.
63. Scout leader?: GIRL. Girl Scout. Literal sense.
64. NHL trophy namesake: NORRIS.
71. Significant amount of spots?: AD FEES. Ad spots on TV/radio.
74. Piglet moms: SOWS.
75. Drank daintily: HAD A SIP.
79. __-back: LAID.
80. Unsettling look: STARE.
82. Target of some laser therapy: SCAR.
85. City bond, for short: MUNI.
86. Birthplace of MLK: ATL.
92. Home security co.: ADT.
93. Malaysian fleet: AIR ASIA. One of Asia's largest low-cost airlines.
94. __ for tat: TIT.
95. Mexican lager: SOL.
97. AKB48 genre: J POP. AKB48 is Japan's best-selling idol group, with dozens of rotating members.
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100. Miami Beach fair for gallerists and curators: ART BASEL.
107. Designer initials: YSL.
108. Former Yankee slugger, familiarly: A-ROD.
109. "That wasn't wholly true": I LIED.
110. Tennis star Naomi: OSAKA.
114. Airport pickup option: UBER.
118. Space City pro: STRO. Short for Astro, Houston is nicknamed "Space City" because of NASA.
122. Coming-of-age story subject, often: TEEN.
123. Cheap, plastic camera type: LOMO. Refers to the inexpensive film cameras associated with the lomography movement. Learning moment for me.
124. Curtain beam, often: I RAIL.
125. Agree to take part: OPT IN.
126. Latin 101 verb: ESSE.
127. Copy: APE.
128. Public affairs network: C-SPAN.
129. Source of wealth: ASSET.
Down:
1. Petulant cry: ARGH. And
2. Petulant look: MOUE.
3. Salt and pepper, e.g.: PAIR.
4. Like Dracula: UNDEAD.
5. Air pump meas.: PSI.
6. Super Monkey Ball developer: SEGA.
7. Rating for mild language, perhaps: TV PG.
8. Countess counterpart: EARL.
9. French farewell: ADIEU. Or "Salut".
10. Recliner room: DEN.
11. Part of a table setting: NAPKIN.
12. Shoreline feature: INLET.
13. Sales rep: AGENT.
14. "Gee, that seems unlikely": GOSH NO.
15. Treasure-y note?: LOVE LETTER. Cute clue.
16. __ glasses: OPERA.
17. Jen Psaki's network: MSNOW.
20. Dress-up box item: TIARA.
23. Liam of "The Naked Gun": NEESON.
24. Draped neckline: COWL.
31. Moore of "The Substance": DEMI.
33. Get close: NEAR.
34. "__ go bragh!": ERIN.
35. Shuts up tight: SEALS.
36. "Hijack" star Elba: IDRIS. Who do you think will be the next Bond?
37. Dabble in: PLAY AT.
38. Just hanging about: IDLE.
39. Dozes (off): NODS.
42. Sweet Sixteen org.: NCAA.
44. __ and vigor: VIM.
45. Toned: FIT.
46. Sarajevo's region: BOSNIA.
48. "Light My Candle" singer in 117-Down: MIMI. 117. Musical set in Alphabet City: RENT.
49. Long-term goals for some startups: IPOS.
51. Sleeper sofa: DAYBED.
52. Dubai leader: EMIR.
53. "Downton Abbey" countess: CORA. Cora Crawley.
54. Powdery mineral: TALC.
59. Imagined: DREAMT.
61. Issa of "Barbie": RAE.
62. "What a downer": IT'S SAD.
63. Rte. finder: GPS.
65. Anxiety-related med. condition: OCD. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.
67. Novelist Dinesen: ISAK.
68. Tuna roll wrap: NORI.
69. Singer Stefani: GWEN.
70. Force measured in newtons: THRUST.
71. Start of a lament: ALAS.
72. "Star Trek" android: DATA.
73. Movie soundtracks: FILM SCORES.
76. Family-friendly hotel room: SUITE.
77. How anchovies may be packed: IN OIL. I liked dried anchovies.
78. Guinness serving, often: PINT.
82. __ Lanka: SRI.
83. Michael of "Barbie": CERA.
84. Vegan thickener: AGAR.
87. Indonesian island: BALI.
88. Gawk: GAPE.
89. Tripoli resident: LIBYAN.
90. Small clock inserts: AAAS.
96. "And I'm finished": OK DONE. And
97. "Come along for the ride": JOIN ME.
98. Italian "You're welcome": PREGO.
99. Bet calculations: ODDS.
101. Drinks noisily: SLURPS.
102. Wasabi product: PASTE. You can find this brand in the Asian aisle at your local grocery store.
103. Some deco pieces: ERTES.
104. __ Wafers: NILLA.
105. Sludgy stuff: GLOOP.
106. Big cat sounds: ROARS.
111. Finger click: SNAP.
112. College basketball coach Barnes: ADIA. Head coach of the SMU Mustangs. Another learning moment for me.
113. Potter's oven: KILN.
115. Objections: BUTS.
116. Author Wiesel: ELIE.
120. Involuntary spasm: TIC.
121. Southwestern Indian state: GOA.
C.C.
Getting the right kind of
ReplyDelete“Pop” (J?K? or?) was a little tough, but I got it.
The rest of the puzzle wasn’t terribly difficult. I enjoyed it.
FIR, so I’m happy.
Good morning!
ReplyDeleteTorque instead of THRUST really slowed me down. ART BASEL was a total unknown, but the perps said it had to be. But it all came down to _POP (guessing KPOP didn't help), _OIN_E, and LO_O. After staring at that for about 5 minutes, I gave up and came here for elucidation. Bzzzzzt. Thanx, Katie and C.C.
I figured out JPOP and JOINME at the end after a long stare. But STRO? SRSLY???
DeleteBob, I'm not a baseball fan, but I've often heard the Astros referred to as the Stros.
DeleteFIR, getting my SWAGS @ MOLDOVA x NEESON, and OSAKA x ADIA. Ten erasures, including torque->THRUST, fanged->UNDEAD, and hair->SCAR.
ReplyDeleteThe problem with oral contracts isn't that they aren't binding, it's that there is nothing to document what was agreed to, or if an agreement was even reached at all. It relies on the parties' good will and honesty, and if that's present the absence of a contract is moot anyway.
Sweet Sixteen™ is a trademark owned by the Kentucky High School Athletic Association, and is used by the NCAA under license. The term originated due to the Commonwealth's teams being divided into 16 regions, each having one school qualifying for the state tournament.
"Family-friendly hotel room" should have been pluralized. The essence of a SUITE is multiple rooms.
Okay, ADIA. Rick Barnes is the Coach Barnes. You can be the Coach Barnes when you amass more than 861coaching wins in D1. Only 684 to go!
My idea of a vegan thickener is a half-pound hamburger with triple cheese, and chili topped with more cheese and sour cream on the side. If that doesn't thicken up our vegan friend, nothing will.
I'm back in the connected world. I loved being in the RV down on the farm, but only having phone service occasionally was a real problem since I have contractors working in the house who need to contact me at times. And one of them accidentally set off my alarm system, and since the monitoring system couldn't contact me, they called the police. The cops checked out the house and cleared the painters, as it was obvious that it was work in process.
Thanks to Katie for the mostly-fun puzzle, but it would have been much more fun without all the A&E dreck. And thanks to CC for another solid tour.
FIR but I don’t know how. Unknowns and made up words crossing made this a tough one for me (GLOOP, LOMO, the inanely-clued ADFEES), along with the usual fare of proper names. Hockey fan, so managed NORRIS. More traditional college basketball fan, so ADIA had to kick out RICK once the perps clicked.
ReplyDeleteThe theme gave me no problems, except for the second one. I entered MSNBC, so LAW never showed up. Apparently there was a change while I wasn’t looking.
ReplyDeleteI had some difficulties with some names; some filled with perps like NORRIS, NED, CORA, NIA, SOL, but the south and SW kept me from getting a FIR. PASTE crossing STRO got me, though in retrospect I should have WAGged that, but then JPOP, GLOOP, LOMO just escaped me. Are there any more ___ POPS out there besides K-POP and J-POP?
Strange we had OPT IN and I‘m reading a novel titled Alan Opts Out.
Thank you CC for the recap and info.
FIW. I was doing fine and actually expecting to get the win until I encountered the SW. I just couldn't get pecking order and my WAG's in a few spots failed me. Lomo, Jpop, Stro, and ad fees remained mysteries.
ReplyDeleteOverall an enjoyable puzzle despite not getting it right.
Lots of standard vertical fill (ie: CWs favorite couple IDRIS Elba and Issa RAE), made it much easier to fill in the blanks on the themers. Typical Sunday difficulty IMO as I FIR in 36:14. Perps to the rescue for the unknowns DATA, ADIA, NIA (the only one I know is Peeples), LOMO (or lomography for that matter), RENT and MIMI. Always need perps for EVADE or elude, and CERA or Cena. I went to a pub in Soho, London called ‘The Devonshire’, claim to fame is they sell more PINTs of Guinness than anywhere in the world, 22,000 a week. Anyone who eats store-bought sushi knows that it comes with a piece of ginger and a GLOOP of wasabi PASTE, which is usually much tamer than the tube shown in C.C.’s photo, which I prefer, in moderation cuz it’s extremely hot 🥵. Thank you Katie for your fine construction and enjoyable solve, and to C.C. for your write-up.
ReplyDelete[Force measured in newtons] are you kidding me? What's next, [Pressure measured in PSI]?
ReplyDeletePretty standard Sunday theme, and pretty standard Sunday fill quality. GLOM x MSNOW isn't exactly a great crossing.
FIR in less than 30 today, with the NW the last to fall. Is ARGH a real word? I wanted POUT be left it blank until the end and filled MOUE, a word that I seriously doubt that anybody ever uses. The cross of the unknown LOMO and GLOOP took a guess; I've always heard GLOP or SLOP but I guess GLOOP is just as good for the sludge. YUCK!
ReplyDeleteTHRUST- NASA still uses 'pounds of thrust'; Newtons of thrust' just wouldn't sound right.
NIA, AIR ASIA (Malaysia Air's missing plane has never been found), ART BASEL, CORA, ADIA Barnes, DATA, J-POP, RENT- did I really know them as clued? Nope, but I got them.
Colt 45s became the ASTROS and are now the STROS. Give me a cool Stroh's.
My only changes on Katie's puzzle were NAPS to NODS, I'M to OK DONE, an MAAM to YES'M.
I'd never heard of MOLDOVA until a friend's son got sent there for his first post in the State Dept. and had to learn the language. Then he got sent to Italy. Then sent to Chile.
FBI- I never had the pleasure of meeting them, just more visits by DEA and FDA agents than I care to count. The FBI labs are fabulous; the agents, their methods are archaic. They always send TWO agents, one taking notes while the other asks questions and they NEVER audio or video record anything. Multiple police have told me that if approached by FBI agents, tell them you want a lawyer, another witness and to video or audio everything. They will walk away.
I enjoyed the theme and the puzzles was not difficult to solve but GLOOP, ARGH and a few other answers (as clued) were NIMW.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed today! A straightforward puzzle - with fun themers! THX, Katie! And - an informative write-up! Thx, CC!
ReplyDeleteThese were my misses:
pout —> moue; naps —> nods; head —> laid
Caught them by perps — why do I never learn to ALWAYS check perps before fill!? Just cocky, I guess!
I almost never “know” sports stuff; better on older celeb and movie/tv/music stuff! Today I checked thrust/Newtons w/ my physicist hubby. (I know biology and chemistry (my undergrad), but managed to mostly avoid physics - only 8th grade “general science” and 10th grade “intro to physical science”).
I’m always impressed when I see info here about the crossword community connections (like CC’s comments on Patti’s style and Katie’s working w/ Patti). And gets me wondering, ;-D is there some club(s) for crossword-ers I should know about?
Or is it (just) CC - cuz she is such a great constructor and solver! And explainer! So she knows everyone; and they know her?!
Thanks again! Have a great Labor Day! And a great week!
Katie whipped mah butt today — just could not get on her wavelength with all the A&E trash, obscure clues and words no one in the modern world uses (MOUE, ERTES…c’mon, kid), it just wasn’t gelling. The themers I got — they were fun and doable, but some of the other fill necessary to make the grid work…ARGH!!
ReplyDeleteAt least C.C.’s review relieved some of the frustration when I saw what some of the vague clues represented…
Oh well. On to something more entertaining — IndyCar finale at Laguna Seca 🏎️
====> Darren / L.A.
This is Jayce. Years ago my wife and I used to go to Laguna Seca to watch the car races.
DeleteJayce, for many years, starting in the fifties, every August we would go to the Historic Car races at Laguna Seca.
DeleteThis is Jayce. I had more than the usual amount of difficulty with this puzzle today, but it was not unpleasant.
ReplyDeleteBACKSPIN-->SIDESPIN. In good FAITH-->In good HANDS-->In good STEAD.
It took a while to get HAD A SIP, although I figured the word SIP was going to be in there somewhere. OCD, BOSNIA, and PINT helped, as good perps are supposed to do.
I like Mexican beer but I confess I have not heard of SOL.
Hand up for KPOP at first.
Other hand up for never having heard of the term LOMO, (nor lomography for that matter. Hello Yooper Phil.)
Good reading all your comments.
FWIW, MOUE is pronounced “moo.”
ReplyDeleteLM. TY.
ReplyDelete