Sunday December 22, 2024 Alan Massengill

Theme: "Wheeling and Dealing" - Each common phrase is reinterpreted as if it's a car model.

23A. Shopping for a Kia subcompact SUV?: SOUL SEARCHING.

33A. No longer keen on that Ford crossover SUV?: OVER THE EDGE.

56A. Choosing the Nissan with the all-wheel drive?: GOING ROGUE.

60A. "Love the new Ford crossover"?: GREAT ESCAPE.

89A. Expert in hard-to-find Rolls-Royces?: GHOST HUNTER.

92A. Deep dive into the three-row Honda?: PILOT STUDY.

112A. Leaning toward the Honda sedan?: CIVIC MINDED.

128A. Last Nissan truck off the assembly line?: FINAL FRONTIER.

No Hyundai, their models are place names. Not good for wordplay. Eight theme entries, four in front, four in the back. Very consistent. 

Alan has collabrated a few times with Andrea Carla Michales and Doug Peterson. This is his first solo LAT Sunday. Congrats, Alan!

Across:

1. Pilates roll up targets: ABS.

4. Return advice pro: CPA. Tax return.

7. Emmy winner Uzo: ADUBA. Gained fame for her role in "Orange Is the New Black".

12. States with authority: SAYS SO.

18. Public notice: PLACARD.

20. Use a zoom: PAN IN. And 109. Zoom events: Abbr.: MTGS. Meetings.

21. Go over exam notes, e.g.: PREPARE.

25. Check one's math again: RE-TOTAL.

26. "I could go on": ETC ETC. Boomer's high school classmate Paul Newman visited me last Tuesday. He lives in a 16-acre farm. Has a story for everything.

27. Clay mineral: TALC.

28. French café partner?: LAIT. Cafe au lait.

30. Ryan Gosling and Kingsley Ben-Adir in "Barbie": KENS.

31. Coastal concern: SEA LEVEL.

36. 37-Across+Y: RE-DO & 37. PC shortcut key: CTRL.

39. Collaborators: TEAMS.

40. "Yikes!": EEK.

43. Figure on the shelf at Christmas: ELF.

45. Genesis figure: ENOS.

47. "Sorry, impossible": I CAN'T.

51. Flamenco star José: GRECO. Italian-born flamenco dancer. Learning moment for me.

54. "The Witch Elm" novelist French: TANA.

63. __ Rabbit: BR'ER.

64. Pans with patinas: WOKS.

65. Munich Olympics star Mark: SPITZ.

66. Asian mushroom: ENOKI. Common ingredient in Chinese, Japanese and Korean soup dishes and hot pots.

68. "Get Smart" crime org.: KAOS.

70. Bring home: NET.

71. NBA great Curry: STEPH. And 73. "Goosebumps" series writer: STINE. And 75. "Julie & Julia" actor Stanley: TUCCI. Three name in a row, but all well-known.

77. President's advisory gp.: NSC. National Security Council.

79. Skateboarding trick spot: RAIL.

81. Drum kit piece: SNARE.

83. Really irritated: CROSS.

85. Tiny amount: A TAD. Bill and Margaret loved my quinoa & sweet potato salad. I used a few drops of maple syrup in my dressing.

87. Commit a faux pas: SLIP.

95. Bone, in Bologna: OSSO.

96. Khaki kin: BEIGE.

97. Collection of plates?: ARMOR. Armor plates.

98. Farm baby: FOAL.

100. Hosp. theaters: ORS.

102. Limit: CAP.

103. Third-largest city in Israel: HAIFA.

107. Lego competitor: K'NEX.

116. Mooch: FREELOAD.

120. Guinness of "Smiley's People": ALEC.

121. Useful houseplant: ALOE.

122. Mindy, to Emily in "Emily in Paris": AMIE.

124. "Sit!": PARK IT.

126. Direct connection: LINKAGE.

131. Past-post wager: LATE BET.

132. Guitar-playing "Glee" kid: ARTIE. Played by Kevin McHale.

133. Disney film whose opening song is "The Family Madrigal": ENCANTO.

134. Fixers of fixer-uppers: DIYers.

135. Temps for bundling up: TEENS. You can still see guys in shorts in our grocery store. Crazy.

136. Low grade: DEE.

137. Retired jet, briefly: SST.

Down:

1. Semicircular recess in a cathedral: APSE.

2. Dabs at: BLOTS.

3. Béarnaise, e.g.: SAUCE.

4. Windsor __: CASTLE.

5. Lead: PRECEDE.

6. "__ Twist, Scientist": kid-lit bestseller: ADA.

7. Class for a mathlete, informally: AP CALC.

8. Arlene of the silver screen: DAHL.

9. Billion-dollar start-up: UNICORN.

10. British trash can: BIN.

11. Viewpoint: ANGLE.

12. 7UP competitor: SPRITE.

13. "Think" singer Franklin: ARETHA.

14. Up to this point: YET.

15. "Eat Mor Chikin" sloganeer, e.g.: SPOKESCOW.

16. Completely full: SATED.

17. Red-haired primate: ORANG.

19. Crystal __: CLEAR.

22. "What __ can I do?": ELSE.

24. GPS directive: RTE.

29. Class with smocks: ART.

32. Electric fence measures: VOLTS.

34. Daily Insta post: V-LOG.

35. Arab honorific: EMIR.

38. Steep places?: TEAPOTS. Steep tea.

40. Half a zygote: EGG.

41. Miscalculates: ERRS.

42. Stays cool: KEEPS CALM.

44. Turn toward: FACE.

46. Weep noisily: SOB.

48. Argumentative: AGONISTIC. New word to me.

49. Zap in the microwave: NUKE.

50. Doctor's order: TEST.

52. "I Am __": Jenner reality show: CAIT.

53. Kelp forest dweller: OTTER. From Google: One of the most important mammals in a kelp forest is the sea otter, who takes refuge from sharks and storms in these forests.

55. Mums' mums: NANS.

57. Rankle: IRK.

58. "How cool!": NEAT.

59. Curmudgeon: GROUCH.

61. Convenience that may take a toll?: E-ZPASS. Great clue.

62. Squeezing (by): EKING.

67. No longer even: IN A HOLE. Casino, right?

69. Benchwarmer: SCRUB. Scrub player.

72. Sword handle: HILT.

74. God with magical arrows: EROS.

76. Pet protector: CONE.

77. Good place to pick up a cab?: NAPA. Cabernet.

78. Commotion: STIR.

80. Lucy who played Watson: LIU. Wang, Li, Zhang, Liu and Chen are popular surnames in China. 

82. Petrol provider: ESSO.

84. Angry Birds owner: SEGA.

86. Thingamabob: DOOHICKEY.

88. "See attached" attachment: PDF.

90. Singer Mel: TORME.

91. Sales __: REP.

93. Gillette brand: TRAC.

94. Tie together: YOKE.

99. Slow and steady, musically: ANDANTE.

101. "First ... ": STEP ONE.

104. Radiologist: IMAGER.

105. Options at Ruth's Chris: FILETS. We have a Ruth's Chris in Minneapolis.

106. "So is that __?": A NO.

108. Cases for Mulder and Scully: X-FILES.

110. Hurried look: GLANCE.

111. "That's not totally wrong": SORTA.

112. Dial up: CALL.

113. "The Song of Achilles" inspiration: ILIAD.

114. Starbucks order: VENTI.

115. Skim, as homemade chicken stock: DE-FAT.

117. Zebra on a field: REF.

118. Claude of "B.J. and the Bear": AKINS. Unknown to me.

119. Pescatarian and vegetarian: DIETS. Connie is a pescatarian.

123. Course opener?: MAIN. Main course.

125. Bouncy gait: TROT.

127. Actor Vigoda: ABE.

129. Indignation: IRE.

130. __ velvet: RED.

C.C.

Saturday, December 21, 2024, Stacey Yaruss McCullough & Matthew Stock

 Saturday by Stacy Yaruss McCullough & Matthew Stock

 

Today is the Winter Solstice which means Nebraska will only get 9 hrs 11 minutes and 47 seconds of daylight. Tomorrow we will add four seconds to that total as we head towards spring. 

This puzzle kept me in the dark most of the way through. What a slog!

On a personal note, this week marks the beginning of my eighth year of blogging Saturday themeless puzzles for C.C. at her wonderful site.

Across:

1. Bad Bunny genre: LATIN TRAP - I found out it is not LATINO RAP. Here is what it is.

10. Maker of Cleansing Melts soap pads: OLAY.

14. "There's a storm brewing": I CAN FEEL IT - As seen from Nebraska Memorial Stadium last spring

16. Traffic sign: CONE 😀

17. Digs at the beach: SAND CASTLE - I got "Digs" as a noun and eventually the rest came

18. New clothes hangers?: TAGS - Minnie Pearl's iconic TAG

19. Yurchenko double __: vault now called the Biles II: PIKE.

20. Stick in the water: POOL NOODLE - BOAT PADDLE worked for a long time! Is this really a stick? 😀

22. Oaf: CLOD.

24. CrossFit moves: BURPEES.

25. Neither early nor late: ON BEAT 😀 Rhythm!

28. Dark: MORBID.

29. Artistic hot spots: KILNS 😀

30. Products of deductive reasoning?: TAXES 😀

31. Study: DEN - Noun not verb

34. Loads: A LOT.

35. Yarns: TALES.

36. Exclamation of approval: VIVA - _ _ V _ turned out to not be RAVE

37. Bow wood: YEW - 

38. Acts like a gobstopper: LASTS - We called them Jaw Breakers in my misspent yute 

39. Unspoken: TACIT.

40. News segment: SPORTS.

42. Grapefruit relative: POMELO.

43. "Do I look like I care?": SPARE ME - 

45. Word with freeze or fry: DEEP.

46. Precursor to getting one's just desserts?: CAKE BATTER 😀

48. "Well, that used to be true ... ": I WAS.

52. Quarreling: AT IT.

53. Lao Gan Ma condiment: CHILI CRISP - ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Lao Gan Ma (old grandmother in English) was invented in a small Chinese town by Tao Huambo. This has become very popular and made her very wealthy. All you'd want to know. From C.C.: This brand is hugely popular in China. [My brother] Andy puts it in everything. Cantonese food is mild. Not much chilis. But Sichuan food is super spicy.

55. Eerie spray: MIST.

56. One of three in the Girl Scouts logo: SILHOUETTE.

57. Bridesmaid's accessory: POSY - Today I learned a POSY is simply flowers joined together by stems or floral wire to make it easier to carry.

58. Entertainment on a carousel, once: SLIDE SHOW - This fabulous scene from Mad Men is great TV writing and would have made for amazing ad copy.

Down:

1. Condition whose therapy may include hissing like a snake: LISP.

2. __ palm: ACAI - A Swiss Army knife of cwds

3. School house?: TANK 😀

4. Overexposed?: INDECENT.

5. George Halas Trophy org.: NFC - The Philadelphia Eagles were champions of the National Football Conference of the NFL but lost to the AFC champion KC Chiefs in the Super Bowl.

6. Vessel at a teddy bear picnic: TEAPOT 😀

7. Task on a postseason to-do list: RESOD - We chose to merely RESEED and it worked out fine

8. High, in Italian: ALTO - L'affitto è molto ALTO. (The rent is very high)

9. Some brimless hats: PILLBOXES - On 11/22/63 Jackie gave this hat to her secretary Mary Gallagher at Parkland Hospital but no one knows what happened to it after that.

10. Deep-ocean mollusks: OCTOPI.

11. Funny bones?: LOADED DICE.

12. Perspective: ANGLE.

13. Party planner's list: YESES.

15. Grants for researchers?: TENURES - Getting that grant can go a long way toward keeping your job

21. Contact juggler's props: ORBS - Contact manipulation is a form of object manipulation that focuses on the movement of objects such as balls in contact with the body.

23. __ Vegas Raiders: LAS - To some of us, they will always be the Oakland Raiders. My dad always referred to the Brooklyn Dodgers not the LA ones.

25. 3 out of 5, say: OKAY.

26. __ Valley sunbird: Middle Eastern species: NILE.

27. Air busses?: BLOWS A KISS 😀

28. Soda shop treats: MALTS.

30. Spoon-fed line: TASTE THIS 😀

32. Profoundly bad: EVIL.

33. Gp. with a compass rose emblem on its flag: NATO.

35. Southwest expanses?: TARMACS 😀

36. Many "What We Do in the Shadows" characters: VAMPIRES.

38. First unsigned artist to record a Billboard No. 1 hit: LOEB.

39. Golf club part: TOE - Not where you want to hit the ball

41. Sort of: PRETTY.

42. Stopping point: PERIOD 😀

43. Rascal: SCAMP.

44. Grillmaster's domain: PATIO.

45. Territory nearly surrounded by Haryana: DELHI - As you can see, DELHI is mostly in the state of Haryana (yellow below) but extends into Uttar Pradesh

47. Contribute to grass roots movements?: TILL - I had seed as the first verb

49. "__ pleasure!": WITH.

50. Regarding: AS TO.

51. Be effusive: SPEW.

54. Prompt: CUE.