Good Morning Cornerites. Let's begin with the reveal 'cuz I don't have a better way to start:
59. Keepers of the faith, and what can be found in the answers to the starred clues: RELIGIOUS LEADERS.
And, if you squint real hard, you can see a Religious figure Leading the answers.
18. *Quinta Brunson sitcom set in a school: ABBOTT ELEMENTARY. An ABBOT,
I've never seen this show but this clip popped up in my ad feed recently.
32. *First John Updike novel to feature Harry Angstrom: RABBIT RUN. A RABBI,
39. *Delivery room breathing technique: LAMAZE METHOD. A LAMA,
49. *"Get a load of me!": I'M AMAZING. And an IMAM
Walk into a bar <insert punchline here>.
I think this is Andrew's debut LAT. Congrats Andrew!
Across:
1. Feature of the UNICEF logo: GLOBE. After collecting all those dimes at Halloween, you'd think I'd have remembered the logo.
6. Spanakopita cheese: FETA.
10. Alligator abode: SWAMP.
15. Wrap sheet: SARAN.
16. Andy who coached the Chiefs to three Super Bowl wins: REID. No clue.
17. Desert retreat: OASIS. Second Thursday in a row. TTP, you had a good OASIS pick too!
18. [See: Theme]
21. Marcia's "Desperate Housewives" role: BREE. No clue. Name #2 (don't expect me to keep track like Splynter does.)
22. Track of one's tears?: DIRGE. I don't get it.
23. __ Minor: URSA. Little bear.
26. Kitchen cover-ups: APRONS.
28. Incline: RAMP.
32. [See: Theme]
34. Skateboard trick: OLLIE.
35. Pasture: LEA.
36. Extremely dry: ARID.
37. Fed. anti-mob law: RICO ACT. I loved watching Jack Webb in Dragnet (it's on MeTV @11:30p CDT). RICO - Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations.
39. [See: Theme]
42. Parting word: GOOD BYE.
44. Toast spread: OLEO.
45. Fist bump: DAP.
48. Tests: EXAMS.
49. [See: Theme]
51. Part of MSG: MONO. If you're a fan of Uncle Roger, you know this. //BTW, that's a persona he made up for YouTube but now uses it at his restaurants.
Down:
1. Student-led support org.: GSA. Graduate Student Association - the S is in the clue.
2. Chem class: LAB.
3. Poetic 1-Across: ORB.
4. Madagascar tree: BAOBAB.
5. __'acte: ENTR.
6. Marketing gimmick: FREE PRIZE. Check your cereal boxes!
7. Long swimmer: EEL.
8. Attached, in a way: TIED ON.
9. Syst. overseer: ADMIN. My early career was network ADMIN.
10. Playlist unit: SONG.
11. Belgian site of an 1815 battle: WATERLOO. You don't want to meet yours.
12. Red __ beet: A SA.
13. Former Russian space station: MIR.
14. Social science subj.: PSY.
19. Platter with a pot, cups, and saucers: TEA TRAY.
20. Hesitant sounds: ERS.
23. Link letters: URL.
24. Singer Carly __ Jepsen: RAE.
25. Govt. funds for a mom-and-pop shop: SBA LOAN. Small Business Association
27. "I can't believe you said that!": RUDE.
29. Disney film with Jafar and Jasmine: ALADDIN.
30. Podcaster's need: MIC.
31. Touch tenderly: PET.
33. Poetic feet: IAMBS.
34. Astronaut Ellen who was the first Latina in space: OCHOA. Name #?
37. Like many of Costco's Kirkland brand products: RELABELED.
38. List in detail, in Liverpool: ITEMISE. Notice the UK spelling.
40. Reprimand: ADMONISH.
41. NYC cultural center: MOMA.
42. Aquamarine, e.g.: GEM.
43. Brand of ergonomic kitchen tools: OXO.
46. "__ luck?": ANY.
47. The Masters org.: PGA.
49. Came out with: ISSUED.
50. Diminutive related to Alex: ZANDER.
52. Nintendo console: WII.
53. Waikiki welcome: ALOHA.
56. Many moons: AGES.
58. Daddy: PAPA.
59. Sales agt.: REP.
60. Timeline stretch: ERA.
61. Delt neighbor: LAT.
62. "Quiet, please!": SHH.
63. Make a mistake: ERR.
64. Color TV pioneer: RCA. Hi Misty!
65. Bashful: SHY.
The Grid:
The Grid
Sorry for the skinny expo today, folks. I spent the weekend catching up on worked missed whilst sick and then Monday waiting on DW to land at IAH from DFW only to have the storms turn her flight back to Dallas at 1am. Either FlightAware wasn't aware or I wasn't 'cuz I didn't figure it out unti DW texted me from Dalls. I got home around 4am.
Good morning folks. Today's expo is going to be a little skinny as my allergies turned into a chest cold. On the plus side, Youngest Graduated UT and is now taking a break in Spain before digging into Law at GW. I've got Eldest home for only one more day :-)
16. *Dolores Huerta, for one: LABOR LEADER. - The leader of labor is the letter L
25. *In the lead: OUT FRONT. - O is the front letter of out.
35. *Convention site: CIVIC CENTER. - The center of civic is the letter V.
52. *Portion of the Irish flag that's green: ONE THIRD. - The third letter of one is the letter E.
Yep, 1/3 Green
60. Messages containing X's and O's, and what the answers to the starred clues literally describe?: LOVE LETTERS.
Across:
1. Stirs in: ADDS.
5. Canines, e.g.: TEETH. Ripping teeth, not puppies.
10. "In a way": ISH.
13. Mammal that may steal fish from a fisher's line: SEAL. Humm, minus a T in Steal is the SEAL.
29. 2022 Wimbledon champion Rybakina: ELENA. The second E was my last square inked.
Elena Rybakina
30. Italics feature: SLANT.
31. Ear piece?: CANAL.
32. Some Slavs: SERBS.
33. Actress Dern: LAURA.
37. Instrument often paired with a harpsichord: BASS VIOL.
This
38. Knuckle cracking, for some: PET PEEVE.
40. Peddle: VEND.
41. Topper topped with a pom-pom: KNIT CAP.
43. Likely to work: VIABLE.
44. Mimic: APE.
48. Mythical vessel built in Thessaly: ARGO.
49. Comedian Dunn: NORA.
50. Included on a distribution list: CCED.
51. Sighed word: ALAS.
52. High-protein paste: MISO.
Miso
53. Pre-coll. exams: SATS.
54. Place that offers a menu of treatments: SPA.
55. 54-Down treatment: WAX.
56. Feel off: AIL.
The Grid:
The Grid
My experience:
WOs: wrong ALE, JEFF -> NORA (I was thinking of Dunham)
ESPs: ROSA, CYBORG (as clued), SLOAN, ELENA, KNIT hAt Fav: I'll go with ALTAR's clue.
56. Restaurant or theater staffers who work with patrons, or where the starts of 20-, 28-, 36-, and 48-Across can be found?: FRONT OF HOUSE.
The front of house, in restaurant parlance, are the customer-facing staff -- the host, servers, and bartenders. However, in this puzzle, the FRONT of the themers are also things on the FRONT of your HOUSE. Cute, eh?
20. One who is easily awakened: LIGHT SLEEPER. Think: your FRONT porch LIGHT.
28. Alley oops?: GUTTER BALL. Um, OK sure, many houses have GUTTERs.
//and Boomer will appriciate this being called an Alley :-)
36. Aerobic session with a small platform: STEP CLASS. Your FRONT STEPs.
48. Price-slashing event with early hours: DOOR BUSTER. But you get the picture by now...
For folks slow on the uptake ;-)
Across:
1. Wears a long face: POUTS. I know you've heard this one: A horse walks into a bar. The bartender asks, "Why the long face?"
6. Designer Wang known for bridal gowns: VERA.
10. Tears roughly: RIPS.
14. Insider vocabulary: ARGOT. Argot: the jargon or slang of a particular group or class.
15. Lab flunky of cinema: IGOR. "It's Frankenschteen." "Your putting me on."
16. Quod __ demonstrandum: ERAT. Didn't we just have this Friday?
17. Chevy model that shares a name with an alpine lake: TAHOE.
18. Soft drink: SODA. Pop up east and "coke" down south.
19. Constellation in the southern sky also known as the Sails: VELA.
20. [See: Theme]
23. Pierce of "Mamma Mia!": BROSNAN.
26. Better than good: GREAT.
27. Container weight: TARE.
28. [See: Theme]
32. Piques, as an appetite: WHETS.
34. Billion suffix: AIRE.
35. Golf peg: TEE.
36. [See: Theme]
40. NYC summer hrs.: EDT. New York City is on Eastern Daylight Time in the summer.
43. Prefix meaning "both": AMBI. Ha! Cute. ///Think AMBIdextrous.
44. Dark-colored beer: STOUT. I used to brew my own beer. I made a Russian STOUT once. Once.
48. [See: Theme]
52. "Joy of Cooking" writer Rombauer: IRMA.
53. Ancient Greek region: IONIA.
54. Sack with letters: MAIL BAG.
56. [See: Theme]
60. __ of March: IDES. Et tu?
61. Landed on a perch: ALIT.
62. Reference book with maps: ATLAS.
66. "__ kleine Nachtmusik": EINE.
67. Lavish party: FETE.
68. Pioneering gaming company: ATARI.
69. Cincinnati MLB team: REDS.
70. Cheeky talk: SASS.
71. Space object with a tail: COMET.
Down:
1. Butter serving: PAT.
2. "You & I" singer Rita: ORA.
3. "Gross!": UGH.
4. Kits with wrenches and hammers: TOOL SETS.
5. Biergarten mug: STEIN.
6. Four-armed Hindu deity: VISHNU.
7. Four-award acronym: EGOT. Mel Brooks got 'em all. Right?
8. Fishing poles: RODS.
9. Central Asia's North __ Sea: ARAL.
10. Echo effect in a recording studio: REVERB. I know Splynter can do this.
11. "Let me stress ... ": I REPEAT.
12. Light-colored brew: PALE ALE.
13. Take by surprise: STARTLE. So, sorry folks, story follows, I was at a hacker meetup and someone dropped their water bottle. I was STARTLEd. I was told by a lady-hacker that folks that STARTLE easily are empathetic. Is that true? ///I think it's just Army training :-)
21. Practical joke: GAG.
22. Way out: EGRESS.
23. Brief "And another thing ... ": BTW.
24. Sidelines cheer: RAH.
25. Mine output: ORE.
29. Unspoken: TACIT.
30. Shop __ you drop: TIL.
31. Slice of history: ERA.
33. Take a __: try: STABAT.
37. Outback bird: EMU.
38. Airer of Ken Burns documentaries: PBS.
39. High heel: STILETTO.
40. One who bestows wisdom: EDIFIER.
41. Like a last, desperate effort: DO OR DIE.
42. Without success: TO NO END.
45. Poetic globe: ORB.
46. Actress Thurman: UMA.
47. Label: TAG.
49. Hoses off: RINSES.
50. Acts big, so to speak: EMOTES.
51. "Home to India" writer Santha Rama __: RAU.
55. Violinist Stern: ISAAC.
57. Clumsy boobs: OAFS.
58. Pet collar target: FLEA.
59. "Billboard" entries: HITS.
63. Go on the __: skip town: LAM.
64. "__ we good?": ARE.
65. Gain a lap: SIT.
The Grid:
The Grid
My breakdown:
WOs: TOOL boxe (oops), VESHrU
ESPs: BROSNAN (duh!), ISSAC (as clued), VELA (I bet HG knew that at first read!) Fav: I can't not ignore IGOR
Sorry for the lack of Hahtoolah's comics today, but that's all I got folks. See you on the 18th! Tip your waitstaff.
28. Board game with forbidden words: TABOO. Couples friends and us played this in college. There's a word at the top of each drawn card and you have to get your partner to guess it without using the five words below. The opposing team gets a buzzer and monitors clue-r. Once, a buddy's girlfriend, who was a bit ditzy, had to get him to guess orange without using the word "color" or "fruit." Her first clue: "It's the color of an orange!" Buzz! Buzz!
30. Exclamation with a hand clap: BLAM.
31. Actress Davis: GEENA.
34. Makes shiny, in a way: LACQUERS.
36. [See: Theme]
39. Dessert that may be topped with cheddar cheese: APPLE PIE. I prefer ala mode.
Why?
42. Bangladesh's capital: DHAKA.
46. Bakery unit: LOAF.
47. Like a big brother: ELDER.
50. Fish and chips fish: COD.
51. Novelist who created the detective Adam Dalgliesh: P.D. JAMES. WikiP says: "Phyllis Dorothy James White, Baroness James of Holland Park, known professionally as P. D. James, was an English novelist and life peer. Her rise to fame came with her series of detective novels featuring the police commander and poet, Adam Dalgliesh."
53. Maybelline product: MASCARA.
56. Walking stick: CANE.
57. Put back: REPLACE.
58. Rec. device: CAM.
59. [See: Theme]
63. Mex. neighbor: USA.
64. "What are you __!?": DOING. "Um, nothing."
65. Best course of action: PLAN A.
66. "Mic Drop" boy band: BTS. K-Pop boy band that we all should know by now.
67. Airport board info: GATE.
68. Teen magazine of the 1990s: SASSY. I did not remember this one on the racks.
Down:
1. Docs sent to potential employers: CVS. Curriculum Vitae. Academics and the (23a) BRITISH use CV instead of resume. I'm not sure about Canada.
2. Panama spot, perhaps: HAT TREE. Cute.
3. Where to find some Cirque du Soleil performers: ON A WIRE.
Today, Tom and C.C. replace Hs with Os. Get it? H to O? Fun ensues.
Let's dig in to the themers:
23. Destroying personal chicken pens?: BUSTING ONES COOPS. Busting one's chops is an idiom meaning to tease or criticized in a lighthearted way.
39. Spilling a drink or double-dipping chips?: PARTY OOPS. Party hOPS - goes from party to party. I've had to do this at Christmas time before I toned down my calendar.
58. Exuberant support for Polo?: MARCO MADNESS. March Madness - College basketball's championship series of games in March.
83. Attendee at an orca training center?: POD CANDIDATE. PhD candidate.
97. Cold comfort for a YouTuber?: VIDEO COAT. Video chat. You know, what we did during Covid.
118. Relishing every bite of a fluffy French dessert?: LOST IN THE SOUFFLE. Lost in the shuffle.
41. Grain for one who eats like a horse?: COWBOY OATS. Cowboy hats.
Toy Story's Woody complete with Cowboy Hat
46. Dirty film at a movie theater?: SCREEN SOOT. Screen shot - taking an image of your computer screen.
Wow!, Tom & C.C. - eight (8) fun, water-making, clues.
As Paul Harvey might say, "Now, for the rest of the fill..."
Across:
1. Taj Mahal locale: AGRA.
5. The Bee Gees brothers: GIBBS.
Jive Talkin'
10. 10% church offering: TITHE. Pop ponied up 10% so Bro & I could attend St. Joe's.
15. Proper partner: PRIM. Prim & Proper - too stuffy if you ask me.
19. Prepare, as water for tea: BOIL. Tell us if you have an electric kettle.
20. Zhou of China: ENLAI. No Clue. WikiP says he was a "Chinse statesman, diplomat, and revolutionary who served as [... China's premier ...] from 1949 until his death in 1973."
22. 40th anniversary gem: RUBY. Oy!, I only have four (4) years to save up.
23. [See: theme]
26. Polish language?: EDIT. Ha! Who else was thinking Poland?
27. Classical theater: ODEON. Like really classical Greek / Roman.
28. Storybook baddie: OGRE. Try as he might, Shrek wasn't a real baddie.
He's got a heart of gold.
29. Mechanic's job: LUBE.
30. Get-together, casually: SESH. My cackles get raised when my co-worker says this.
31. Import tax: TARIFF.
33. Reduced to mush: PUREED.
Will it Blend? - SciFi edition
35. Inning sextet: OUTS. Three outs per side finish an inning.
37. Terrible fate: DOOM.
39. [See: theme]
41. Raven's cry: CAW. Who else thought Poe and wanted to enter "TAP, Tap, Tapping at my chamber door."
44. Impudence: SASS.
47. Snake in the grass: RAT.
49. Like some stories: SHORT. Isaac Asimov's are some of my favorites.
50. Island farewell: ALOHA. Out of context, it also means hello.
Beatles!
52. "Mayfair Witches" network: AMC. I think this is a show DW & Girls enjoy.
53. Like a pug's tail: CURLED.
56. Assent, in Paris: OUI.
57. Hawkish: PROWAR.
58. [See: theme]
61. Copa del Rey cheer: OLE.
63. Soccer icon Wambach: ABBY.
64. Shave sheep: SHEAR.
65. Internet rabble-rouser: TROLL. Don't be one in the comments below ;-)
66. Abruptly stops daydreaming: SNAPS TO.
68. Running time: LENGTH.
70. Nabe where one might find tteokbokki: KTOWN. K-Town is Korean Town a NABourhood where you can find tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes(?)). Houston has a small K-Town in the South Spring Branch area. I went there with my buddies for dinner - we had to cook our own meat :-)
72. Alcohol in windshield wiper fluid: METHYL.
74. Kenyan capital: NAIROBI.
76. Mountain, in Hawaiian: MAUNA.
78. Make slicker, in a way: REOIL.
80. The Beatles' "Back in the __": USSR.
Sir Paul lights up The Philharmonic
82. "Discreet Music" artist Brian: ENO.
83. [See: theme]
85. __ skirt: POODLE.
87. High-tech FX: CGI. FX == special effects; CGI == Computer-Generated Imagery.
89. Baggage handler: SKYCAP. The guy right outside the terminal that you tip $5/bag to get you checked in.
90. "__ in the Bed": classic counting rhyme: TEN. Does this have anything to do with monkeys jumping?
91. Large deer: MOOSE.
92. Alaska's 365 million: ACRES. MOOSE wouldn't fit (and we just had it :-))
94. Sashimi fish: AHI. Sashimi == fish & no rice; sushi == fish on rice.
95. "Hey, c'mere!": PSST.
96. Foraging insect: ANT.
97. [See: theme]
101. Salt Lake County ski resort: ALTA.
103. Quick-with-a-joke types: WITS. "And he's quick with a joke or to light up your smoke / But there's some place that he'd rather be" [Billy Joel - Piano Man]
104. Pickleball point starters: SERVES.
106. Swung up and down: YO-YOED.
110. Flip-flop, e.g.: SHOE.
113. Common blood type, briefly: A POS. ABO blood typing. A+ means you have the Rh (rhesus) factor and the antigen A in your red-cells (with the B antigen in your plasma). There are three antigens - A, B, & O. //My MOS was 92B [read: my army job was medical lab tech]
115. Per person: EACH.
116. Yoda's power, with "the": FORCE.
117. Prepare for takeoff?: TAXI.
118. [See: theme]
122. __ so slightly: EVER.
123. "OK, we're doing this!": ITS ON. It's on like Donkey Kong!
124. Turner of "Rivals": AIDAN. Irish actor.
125. Fuel fire suppressant: FOAM. Los Angels saw a lot of this in January :-(
126. Darn, say: MEND.
127. Seated twist, e.g.: ASANA. Yoga.
128. "Don't play" symbols: RESTS. Musical reference.
Notes and Rests
129. Hardens: SETS.
Down:
1. Man on a mission?: ABBOT. Ha! A mission like the Alamo.
2. Mild yellow cheese: GOUDA. It's a real gooda!
3. Choir platform: RISER.
4. Tin mints: ALTOIDS. When I quit smoking I went through a tin a day. I switched to sugar-free Ice Breakers to save my teeth.
5. Next-__ hardware: GEN. Next GENeration. I think we're up to the iThing 16 now.
6. Gerund suffix: ING. To make a verb function as a noun, add ING - in case you were askING.
7. __ single: BLOOP. In baseball, a bloop single it's a lightly hit fly ball that goes over the infield but not quite to the outfielders.
8. First-rate, as a job: BANGUP. Tom & C.C. did a bang up job on this grid.
9. Romeo follower: SIERRA. The NATO Alphabet.
10. Tic-__-toe: TAC.
11. "See!?": I TOLD YOU.
12. Slacks, slangily: TROU. TROUsers.
13. Half a pair of waders: HIP BOOT.
14. Relax: EASEUP.
15. Media coverage: PRESS.
16. "The disrespect!": RUDE.
17. Bird with a curved bill: IBIS.
Ibis
18. Prometheus, for one: MYTH. Greek mythical god of fire.
24. Dirt, so to speak: INFO. The skinny. The word on the street.
Jon Lovitz [L] & Phil Hartman [R]
25. Future readers: SEERS. Cute, Tarot readers SEE the future.
32. Message board: FORUM. Not an ODEON? :-)
34. Community spirit: ETHOS.
36. Pre-1917 autocrat: TSAR. We're back in the USSR. [See: 80a]
38. Race named for a Greek battle: MARATHON. Pheidippides ran 26.2 miles [40km, C, Eh!] from Marathon to Athens to deliver news of victory.
40. Constellation containing Betelgeuse and Rigel: ORION. Knowing this told me Party Foul (filled b/f I knew the gimmick) was wrong.
41. [See: theme]
42. Starbuck's boss: AHAB. Melville's Moby Dick rather than CEO of the said named coffee chain.
43. Cautious (of): WARY.
44. __ Club: SAMS. Wal-Mart's Wholesale club and competitor of COSTCO. In college DW & I "joined" Sam's hoping to save $$. We did but spent the entire grocery budget on 50 packs of ramen, a dozen burritos, 4 tubes of toothpaste, 40 rolls of toilet paper, and 3 lbs of beef jerky :-)
45. Menotti's shepherd boy: AMAHL. Waseeley probably knows Menotti's opera featuring Amahl and the Night Visitors.
46. [See: theme]
48. Letters before a recap: TLDR. Too Long; Didn't Read. Basically, a memo's Executive Summary.
51. Really hated: LOATHED.
53. Welsh herding dog: CORGI.
54. Mushroom in bulgogi hot pot: ENOKI.
55. Muscle used in lateral raises: DELT. Deltoids are the muscles on your torso's sides.
57. Cacio e __: pasta dish: PEPE.
59. Baseless rumors: CANARDS.
60. Replay effect: SLOMO. For our first anniversary, I purchased a VCR for DW so she could record her soaps. She claims I bought it for myself 'cuz it had cool features like 4x SLOw MOtion :-)
62. Don Quixote's home: LAMANCHA. Spanish Lit.
66. Moved stealthily: SNUCK.
67. Take it all off: STRIP.
Adam Ant
69. Grove growth: TREE.
71. Rolls of bills: WADS.
73. Lo-cal brews: LITES.
75. Lawn bowling game: BOCCE. When Pop & his wife go to The Hill in STL, they play bocce ball.
77. Dasani competitor: NAYA. Bottled water brands.
79. Time to give up?: LENT. The forty (40) days following Fat Tuesday "to give up" something (fast) until Easter. It's no fair giving up drinking if you don't.
80. South Indian semolina porridge: UPMA.
81. Any day now: SOON.
83. King or queen, in chess: PIECE. I'm so glad someone threw me a bone with the "in chess" bit.
84. Newspaper: DAILY. Clark Kent worked for the newspaper at the DAILY Planet.
86. Jeans pioneer Strauss: LEVI.
88. 2,240 pounds: GROSS TON.
92. Super Bowl commercials, e.g.: AD SPOTS. This year, 30 seconds will run you about $8,000,000.
93. Existentialist Kierkegaard: SOREN.
95. Bribes: PAYOFFS.
98. Torino locale: ITALIA. DW's first car, a Torino, was located in Shreveport, LA :-)
99. Incarnation of Shiva: AVATAR. An Indian (Asian, not Native American) god.
100. Gadget enthusiast: TECHIE. My reason for the 4x SLO MO feature.
102. Vegan protein: TOFU.
103. Bizarro: WEIRD. It's weird to me that the word doesn't follow the "I before E (except after C) unless it sounds like an A" rule. Bizarro!
105. Storage sites: SHEDS.
107. "Friend __?": OR FOE. Um, if foe, wouldn't they lie?
108. Brilliant display: ECLAT.
109. Considers to be: DEEMS. Seems to be that I deem it that way.
110. Originate (from): STEM.
111. "__ a nice day!": HAVE.
Blazing Saddles
112. Farm workers: OXEN. Serf fit too. Just sayin'.
120. Warmed the bench: SAT. In my youth when I played baseball, I was not a bench warmer. Other sports are another matter.
121. Iron-__: heat-activated patches: ONS.
Iron On on a 86d LEVI jacket
The Grid:
The Grid
The skinny:
WO: PARTY foul -> OOPS
ESPs: ENLAI, AMAHL, LAMANCHA, AIDAN Fav: Polish language == EDIT
Cheers, -T
Notes from C.C.:
1) Thanks for the great write-up, Tony!
2) Happy 54th Birthday to dear Splynter, our
faithful Wednesday Sherpa. Splynter also blogged the Saturday puzzles
for us for many years. May this year bring you joy, good health, a loyal
four-legged friend and a special two-legged friend.
Good Sunday morning. Today C.C. presents a puzzle so dazzling, adding PR to the themers, the press must cover it. Let's take a look:
22a. Ultrathin bicycle chain holder?: LIGHT SPROCKET. Remove the PR and you get light socket.
This light-weight set of sprockets [a gear] will set you back $280
40a. Divinely inspired binge session?: THE HOLY SPREE. The Holy See. It's not a body of water, like I used to think, but the government of the Catholic Church in the Vatican.
58a. Number important to bakers?: VANILLA PRICE. Vanilla Ice. I'll spare you a rap song.
81a. Guaranteed ball catchers?: PROVEN GLOVES. Oven Gloves. I've stopped using them. All cotton side-towels work just fine and you don't have to walk over to get a mitt.
97a. Question from a grocery mister?: SHALL WE SPRAY. Shall we say?
118a. Fairyland queen?: SPRITE MANAGER. Site Manager.
34d. Garment for a gingerbread cookie?: PRALINE SKIRT. A-Line Skirt.
39d. Avid fan of Chunky Garden pasta sauce?: PREGO BOOSTER. Ego Booster. If you want to boost my ego, lie to me about how much you enjoyed this expo ;-)
Across:
1. "Alright, Still" singer Lily: ALLEN. Never heard of her or the song.
6. Split asunder: CLEAVE. This is a fun word 'cuz it's a contranym. Cleave means to tear apart but also means to cling to. [Cite [49:31 - Cleave is @2:30]]
12. Sought a dog treat: BEGGED.
18. Computer in a messenger bag: LAPTOP. My laptops go in a backpack along with a second monitor and various cables and lockpicks.
20. Throws in the trash: TOSSES. We learned Thursday to recycle eWaste.
21. Real: GENUINE. In my head I pronounce it like Mr. Haney [Pat Buttram] from Green Acres.
22. [See: Theme]
24. "Hold your horses!": EASY NOW. Just slow down your gumption.
25. Purple palm berry: ACAI.
26. High-pitched bark: YELP. Yip was too short.
27. Modern art?: ARE. LOL! Thou art -> You ARE.
28. Weighty burden: ONUS.
29. Poultry farm sight: COCK.
Foghorn Leghorn
31. Meat in a Cuban sandwich: HAM.
Yum!
33. Comics dog with a long tongue: ODIE.
34. Drain pipe material: PVC.
37. Stay-at-home worker?: UMP. Cute. In Baseball the UMP is at home plate.
40. [See: Theme]
44. Cookie with a churro flavor: OREO. There's a churro stand not far from me - they're good. A churro is pâte à choux (cream puff) batter, piped into hot fat, deep-fried until crisp, and shaken with cinnamon-sugar.
I checked. They exist(ed).
45. Trunk: TORSO. Not on an elephant nor a train :-)
47. Peddle: SELL. It's funny, I can recognize peddle from pedal but, when it comes to writing it out, I get confused.
49. Delany of "China Beach": DANA. China Beach was a TV series on ABC ('88 to '91) and she was the lead actress, or so I've Googled.
Dana Delany
50. Sherlock adversary Adler: IRENE. She only appeared in the short story "A Scandal in Bohemia."
51. "I know kung fu" character: NEO.
I love this movie!
52. Land in the Seine: ILE.
53. "Get a hold of yourself!": COOL IT.
55. Batter's practice area: CAGE.
56. Plot progression: ARC.
58. [See: Theme]
61. Succulent harvested for its gel: ALOE.
Sorry Splynter, it's obligatory :-)
62. Judged to be: DEEMED.
64. Bracelet closure: CLASP.
65. Nancy Drew's beau: NED.
66. "Nicely done!": BRAVO.
68. Scent: AROMA.
70. Yonder things: THOSE.
72. "Hamilton" actress Phillipa: SOO. Perps
74. The "L" of Samuel L. Jackson: LEROY.
76. Thrill-seeker's activity: BUNGEE. Everything you wanted to know. I'm still not doing it.
78. Quiet attention-getter: PSST.
81. [See: Theme]
84. Doctor's orders, for short: RXS.
85. Middling: OKAY. I like the clue here.
86. Refuse to give in: INSIST.
87. Jaden's role in "The Karate Kid": DRE. The 2010 reboot of the movie. I had to LIU after the solve 'cuz I had no idea.
88. Spanish uncle: TIO. Makes sense since TIA is an aunt.
90. Resume highlight: SKILL.
91. Fancy party: FETE.
92. Som tam cuisine: THAI.
93. Small earring: STUD.
95. Intrinsically: PER SE.
96. Flintstones Vitamins shape: FRED.
Mom doled these out daily.
97. [See: Theme]
100. Asphalt alternative: TAR. On a Southwest flight after a bumping landing, the announcer said, "Oooh, that wasn't the pilot's fault; that was the asphalt."
101. Turk. neighbor: SYR. Turkey and Syria are neigbors.
102. Dude from Dundee: SCOT. The company I work for has an office is Aberdeen and that's the only place I've been in Scotland.
103. Pocket-sized: WEE.
104. "What __ have you got?": ELSE.
106. "The Alienist" author Caleb: CARR.
107. Find work for: USE.
109. Drink with cardamom: CHAI. Chai just means tea in Hindi. My co-worker from India laughs when anyone says chai tea: "Why are you saying tea tea?"
Marsala Chai
111. Cast down?: MOLT.
115. Pack of camels: CARAVAN.
118. [See: Theme]
121. One with a cordial rivalry: FRENEMY. A portmanteau of Friend and Enemy.
122. Exactly right: DEAD ON.
123. Fancy party: SOIREE. At my last company we called our Christmas Party a soiree on the invites. One of the partners thought is was funny and pretentious so he'd be funny and pretentious when he said this word.
124. Auction bids: OFFERS.
125. Pitching battles?: AD WARS. This was cute. Not a (baseball) tie in the 10th inning reference, but ads. Eight clever stunts in ongoing ad wars.
126. Word between God and you: BLESS. LOL! Not a prayer nor a scene in Oh, God but God Bless You - like gesundheit.
16. Capital One's virtual assistant: ENO. Did music's Brian voice this? ;-) //that's a joke - Brian ENO is puzzledom's favorite music man. ENO is also ONE (part of Capital One) spelled backwards
17. Drops on the lawn: DEW.
19. "Ha, fooled ya!": PSYCH. Clecho! And what I wanted for NOT! at 5 down.
21. Crystal hunter's finds: GEODES.
23. Some toy doggies: PEKES.
30. __-Missouria Tribe: OTOE.
32. Everywhere: ALL OVER.
33. "1984" author: ORWELL. Prepare. 1984 is coming 40 years late.
34. [See: Theme]
35. Marco Polo's hometown: VENICE. I've actually been to his home in Venice. It's a little off the beaten path - at least that's how DW & I got there.
UNESCO image
My snap
36. Like many candies: COATED.
37. City east of Syracuse: UTICA.
38. Principled: MORAL.
39. [See: Theme]
41. Consequently: HENCE.
42. Go around in circles: SPIN.
43. Diver on Louisiana's state seal: PELICAN. I lived in North Louisiana for ~8 years so this was a gimme.
44. Scent: ODOR.
46. Mocking smile: SNEER.
53. Redeems, as a check: CASHES.
54. Info on a political rival: OPPO. Opposition Research.
56. Pre-Christmas season: ADVENT. A four week period where you light a candle each Sunday leading up to Christmas. Lucina can explain.
57. Corp. shake-up: REORG. Oy! Last week at my Corp., a re-org was announced and layoffs are impending.
59. Brick made of soil and straw: ADOBE.
60. Balloon material: LATEX.
63. Like some city races: MAYORAL. I kept thinking of fun runs / marathons.
67. Happy hour picks: ALES. Hand up if you order that expensive scotch at a happy hour 'cuz you're too cheap to buy it IRL.
69. Not-to-be-missed: MUST SEE. Y'all remember NBC's MUST SEE TV of Seinfeld & Friends?
71. Gave an address: SPOKE. Orated didn't fit.
72. Gussies (up): SPIFFS. In slang, "Church it up."
73. Cantankerous: ORNERY. Mom said I was ornery. I assumed it meant impishly entertained.
80. "The Accidental Tourist" novelist Anne: TYLER. Name.
82. Fought (for): VIED.
83. Face concealer: VEIL. Oh, not makeup.
89. AI field: IT SECTOR. I didn't realize last week when I posted an IT SECTOR joke that I was cribbing from the wrong puzzle and may have given a spoiler.
90. 1974 espionage spoof: SPYS.
92. Tough to solve: THORNY.
94. Night vision?: DREAM.
97. Leaves in a hurry: SCRAMS.
98. Sister show of "SmackDown": WWE RAW. Wrestling shows.
99. Smith or Jones, sometimes: ALIAS. In HS, we used Townes - more believable and, if "they" looked it up, it'd get our buddy in trouble :-)
102. Piggy bank filler: SAVER. Not the coins but the person inserting them. Cute, C.C., cute.
105. Spam, e.g.: EMAIL.
106. Sugar crop: CANE.
107. Food safety org.: USDA. United States Department of Agriculture.
108. Ignored the limit: SPED.
110. Chick tenders: HENS. Ha! Not snacks for tots but the bird that tends to baby chic.
112. EverQuest monster: OGRE.
113. Some bell-bottoms: LEES. Oh, please - let's not go retro and bring those back.
114. Number before cuatro: TRES. Spanish counting. Uno, dos, TRES, cuatro, cinco, seis, siete, ochoe, nueve, diez. Two semesters of Spanish and that's as little as I remember. Father Guido Sarducci was right! [3:55]
115. Exec. who holds the purse strings: CFO. Chief Financial Officer.
116. "I want my bone!": ARF. You didn't really think you'd escape an Anon -T review w/o some heavy metal, did you?
117. B-ball official: REF. Basketball is REFereed.
119. State next to Ore.: IDA. Oregon & Idaho.
120. San Francisco's __ Hill: NOB. A ritzy part of SFO just south of Lombard St.
The Grid:
The Grid
Thank you, C.C. for another wonderfully fun puzzle!
