I am unsure how to call this crossword puzzle; on the one hand, it was a solid mid-week challenge for me; on the other, it took a cheat peek to find out why I did not get the "ta-DA~!". Then, after staring at the theme answers for longer than I care to admit, I finally figured out the common thread ( only due to the fact that I recognized the first two as titles ) and it left me feeling less than pleased / satisfied; sorta disappointed it was not "more", I guess. YMMV. I did a count; 191 letters, and with the three spanners, a whopping 65 dedicated to the theme; that's 34%. Impressive, but - too many names again, even if they are fairly familair - I am not even going to bother linking to them this week; no circles, a balance of 21/22 3LW& 4LWs, and two unique fills (*);
17. Australia's unofficial national anthem: WALTZING MATILDA - Matilda, the book
23. Bite-sized treats: DONUT HOLES* - Holes, the book
37. Wide-eyed awe: CHILDLIKE WONDER - Wonder, the book
15. __ Speedwagon: REO - name #2, getting tired of this clue/answer - don't like the band, either....
16. Folk medicine figure: HEALER - I had _ E A _ _R, pondered "REAPER" - hey, technically, death is a "medical" thing
20. Punk subgenre: EMO - seems like every week now we get this fill
21. Debate topic: ISSUE
22. Obi-Wan portrayer Guinness: ALEC - name #3
26. Took a dip: SWAM
28. Former Russian ruler: TSAR - music interlude; here's an instrumental from Black Sabbath
They would open their show with "Supertzar" playing in the background
29. Bout ruling, briefly: TKO - Technical Knock-Out
31. Dug-out material?: ORE - yeah, I figured this was the common O-R-E fill, trying a different approach on the cluing - I'll admit, it's not bad
32. Overture follower: ACT I
35. Sign of things to come: OMEN
36. Go (for): OPT
42. Protein in a Monte Cristo: HAM
Now I'm in the mood for a sa'mich
43. Sisters in habits: NUNS
44. Analogy phrase: IS TO
45. Afore: ERE
46. "Your point?": "AND....~?"
47. Tried to buzz: RANG - a bit Meh.
50. Onetime Volvo rival: SAAB - two Swedish automakers
57. Highlands family unit: CLAN
59. "Barbie" director Gerwig: GRETA - name #4
60. Lucy of "Elementary": LIU - name #5
64. Sore: TENDER - my feet are sore - I have walked my neighborhood every day but one since I joined the gym; I need to get me some comfortable hiking footwear - suggestions~?
65. "__ the fields we go ... ": "O'ER"
66. "Diana" singer Paul: ANKA - name #6
67. "Voilà!": "PRESTO~!"
68. Hosp. workers: MDs
69. Outperform: BEST
DOWN:
1. Imitated a crow: CAWED - bleery-eyed, I read this as "imitated a COW", so I put in MOOED; that didn't work with "Waltzing...", so I switched to LOWED, and never checked my Across; hence my black marks in the grid below....
2. San Antonio field trip destination: ALAMO - name(ish)
3. Place to find high rollers?: SALON - high on one's head kind of rollers
4. Red block in Minecraft: TNT - good WAG on my part, but then again, three letters . . . .
5. "How Do I Live" singer Yearwood: TRISHA - I did recall this was spelled "SHA", not "CIA" - still, name #7
6. One who may remove a curse?: CENSOR - Think bloopers
7. Tycoon: MOGUL
8. "Now I've got it!": "A-HA~!"
9. Social media parent company: META - 'they' own Facebook and other social media outlets, I think, and the company is going with "Social Technology" for a title, promoting "virtual reality" goggles - I have tried a set with a model I built in Revit of a church pipe organ; I was impressed, but it made my modeling skills look lame by comparison. The webpage
10. Equipment for building sand castles: PAILS - what about the shovels~?
Methinks this is called "cheating"
11. "Legally Blonde" protagonist: ELLE WOODS - full name #8
12. Place to see stars: RED CARPET - the kind of stars whose NAMES appear too often in crosswords these days...
13. Historical span: ERA - the most over-used crossword fill
18. Comic strip about a teenager: ZITS - name(ish)
19. "I'd like to see you": "MEET ME."
24. Gas or elec.: UTILity - there's no gas lines in my area; I have to buy oil this week; my water heater is on the furnace
25. Distort, as data: SKEW
Don McMillan, Technically funny
27. Paris subway: METRO - another WAG on my part
30. Creative mind behind the Imagine Peace Tower: ONO - name #9
32. Feels yesterday's workout: ACHES - just in my legs
33. Thespian's role: CHARACTER - ah, good fill
34. Chance for an introvert to recharge: TIME ALONE - I am all for time alone - my ex-wife once called me "anti-social", which was a bonus - it meant I was diagnosed with a disability, and didn't have to participate - 😜
35. Says "Go ahead," say: OKs
38. Genetic material in Rosalind Franklin's "Photo 51": DNA - a "pivotal diffraction X-ray image" of the strand in 1952 - the story here
39. Source of inspiration?: LUNG - Breathe in~!
40. Rainbow band: INDIGO - I toyed with "ROY G BIV", but once I had some crossings, I see it was just ONE band of color
41. Nearby: NIGH - Ah, that kind of nearby, like the end is NIGH~!
( the second guy's sign has the definition of nigh )
47. Made a big stink?: REEKED - I once managed a nightclub that had live bands on the weekends, and one of the groups was called "REEKING HAVOC" - I tried to explain that it's WREAKING, but they're heavy metal, so their name was "better" 🤘
48. Daisylike blooms: ASTERS
49. Side with tandoori chicken: NAAN
51. Medieval poets: BARDS
53. Revved engine sound: VROOM
54. QB protectors, in football lingo: O-LINE - The offensive group of five (~) guys in front of the quarterback in the NFL
55. Pen sounds: OINKS - That kind of pen
56. Gently pull on: TUG AT
58. Opposite of da: NYET - Tsar-speak for yes and no
61. Valvoline rival: STP - another common crossword fill
62. "Dude ... ": "BRO..."
63. Smidgen: DAB - hey, at least it was not 'A DAB'
Splynter
Here's a picture of me with Picard at the UCONN sign, a mere five mins from my home in CT.
Here's the link to Ginger Roots to see some more pictures
[note, this cartoon is totally unrelated to the puzzle]
Puzzling thoughts:
I thought the name Dylan Schiff looked familiar. I discovered that I was the blogger of his January 8, 2021 LA Times debut crossword puzzle; a collaboration between he and Mark McClain
BTW, yesterday we had a puzzle from Zachary Schiff. Might they be related?
I digress ...
After completing today's puzzle I kept thinking, "is there more to this that I am missing?" So, with Mark McClain's help, I was able to reach out to Dylan and ask him about his thought process in coming up with today's puzzle. And no, I didn't miss anything. [phew!]
BTW, Dylan promises to stop by today and see what you all have to say about this, and answer any questions, so be nice!! 😀
Here are the entries:
17-across. Homeland, nation, or state?: ALT-COUNTRY. Three different (alternative) synonyms for the word "country"
The thesaurus-saurus agrees, in part
25-across. Soapstone, shale, or mudstone?: SOFT ROCK. Three different kinds of "rocks" that have a Moh's Scale rating of 2 or less. Remember when Chairman Moe used the scale below to rate puzzles??
50-across. Cheerwine, Maine Root, or Jones Soda?: INDIE POP. Not familiar with Cheerwine? How about Maine Root?Does Jones Soda come to mind when you think of a soft drink? As those who live or grew up in the Midwest/western PA area know, the word "pop" is the term used to describe a carbonated beverage. Other parts of the country refer to it as "soda", and "Coke" (see map in the video below). And for those in the deep South, you know that the word "Coke" refers to any carbonated beverage.
Here is an example of ordering a soft drink at a drive-through in Mobile, AL:
[you] "I'd like a Big Mac, Fries, and a Coke."
[voice in the drive-thru]: "What kind of Coke do you want?"
[you]: "I'd like a Pepsi, if you have it. If not, make it a Mr. Pibb"
Fun Fact: The term "indie" refers to independent (as in the term "indie" films which are produced by smaller companies not called "MGM", "Universal", "Disney", et al) Here, the examples of "indies" are the three independent bottlers
[note, the video also contains other terms besides carbonated beverages]
62-across. Mercury, bismuth, or lead?: HEAVY METAL. Once again, three types of metals that are "heavy" as it refers to their weight. Here is a link to how Wikipedia defines "heavy metals". As for the musical connection, heavy metal is not what I first think of when defining incidental music. But hey, it's fun to listen to! Here is one of my favorites from a band that arguably planted the seed for all heavy metal bands to follow
And the reveal:
38-across. Score that sets the mood, and an apt description of 17-, 25-, 50-, and 62-across?: INCIDENTAL MUSIC. From Dylan's e-mail reply to me: "This puzzle takes four music subgenres and clues them in non-music contexts by providing 3 examples. The revealer INCIDENTAL MUSIC points to how each of them also "happens to be" a music subgenre when put back in the musical context" ... so don't look for another, hidden meaning!! 😁
I've enclosed the finished grid to help you find the other answers ... since this puzzle featured an incidental reference to hardness, I will use the Moh's Scale Rating today instead of assigning ⭐'s. Given that it took me just 6:33 to solve (more like my time for solving a Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday puzzle) I have to rate it less than a "5", as it barely "whet my apatite" (pun, intended - go back and look at the Moh's Scale)
The completed grid
Across:
1. Food in red paraffin wax: EDAM. Moe-ku #1:
Judi Dench started
Cheese biz. Anagrammed headline:
"The Dame made Edam"
5. Luxuriate in the great outdoors: GLAMP. Glamp (see also, glamper and glamping) is a portmanteau of the words "glorious and camping", put into its verb form
15. Bay Area NFLer: NINER. As in "Forty-Niner" - the nickname (singular) of the SF area pro football team
16. DOL division: OSHA.
17. [entry]
19. Fix, as a pet: SPAY. Of course, I doubt that the pet would agree to be "fixed" if they had a say in it 😀
20. Beatles drummer: STARR. Moe-ku #2:
Quarterback Bart and
His Center, Jim, had a child;
Named him Ringo Starr
21. Unagi roll protein: EEL. One of 19 three-letter-words in today's puzzle. Hard to avoid that many when you have 4 entries (36 letters, total) and 1 reveal (15 letters) taking up so much real estate
22. Brand sold at Mattress Firm: SERTA.
23. Gondola propeller: OAR. "Gondolier" was too big to fit
25. [entry]
27. Without stopping: AT A CLIP.
31. With 30-Down, accessory that may coordinate with cuff links: TIE. (30-down. See 31-Across: PIN.)
And then, as if being a spoonerism of sorts, Dylan found a way of including this: (45-down). Baking pan that inspired the Frisbee: PIE TIN.
32. More, in Mexico: MAS. I kind of prefer this as an actual word (mas = Spanish for "more") as opposed to a clue that might read "Pa's companions"
33. __ out: discuss in detail: HASH. Moe-ku #3
I'm ticked off because
Number sign's (#) meaning's been changed.
Let's HASH(tag) this out
34. Falsehood: LIE. Fib also fits
36. Like many legal terms: LATIN.
38. [reveal]
42. French military caps: KEPIS. Also worn during the US Civil War/War Between the States
43. Movie SFX: CGI. Imagine that!
44. Insta- kin: REDI. OK, I know that this is not the "redi" that Dylan was after, but I much prefer videos ... this video dates back to 2009. I hope the plant in Pensacola is now able to meet demand for this fun-to-use product
45. Writing tool: PEN.
46. Baby hyena: CUB. My first choice was pup. Yours?
48. Without stopping: ON AND ON. Kind of like my sentences when I write a blog ...
50. [entry]
53. "Shameless" network, for short: SHO. Not a subscriber
54. "My goodness!": EGADS. For all of the solvers here that are members of the "Silent Generation"
55. Media center?: DEE. The "?" in the clue gave this away. The letter D is in the center of the word, media
57. Flattens (out): EVENS. I chose irons - anyone else make that mistake?
61. "Bob's Burgers" daughter: TINA. This solved by perps as I never watched this sitcom
62. [entry]
64. Part of a foot: INCH. Heel/sole/arch also fit, but I measured my choice precisely ...
65. See eye to eye: AGREE. Kind of an easy Friday clue
66. Assign stars to: RATE. So, if I did assign ⭐'s to this puzzle I would give it a solid ⭐⭐⭐⭐
67. "Because of You" R&B singer: NE-YO. Total perps. [internet info] "Shaffer Chimere Smith, known professionally as Ne-Yo, is an American singer and songwriter. Regarded as a leading figure of 2000s R&B music, he is the recipient of numerous accolades, including three Grammy Awards. He gained recognition for his songwriting abilities following the success of his first major credit, Mario's 2004 single "Let Me Love You"
68. __ verde: SALSA. Mi favorito!
Salsa = sauce; Verde = green
69. Approach bumper-to-bumper traffic, say: SLOW. I tried using the word "cuss" ... which is what I might have done once or twice back in my commuting days ...
Down:
1. Notable times: ERAS. We are currently in the Chairman Moe/Malodorous ManateeERA of Crossword blogging. I am coming up on my fifth year here at the Corner as your co-Friday blogger; MalMan is close behind ...
2. Numbskull: DOLT.
3. Flour ground in a chakki: ATTA. Not familiar with the word "chakki". The "Silent Generation" (and this "Boomer") would prefer this clue: " ___ girl!"
4. Aid in locating a lost pet: MICROCHIP.
5. Serengeti grazer: GNU. Moe-ku #4:
Serengeti Times
Deletes antelope stories.
No GNUS is good news
6. Actor's "What am I supposed to say?": LINE. Very clever clue for this word
7. Chips in?: ANTES. How many different ways has this word been clued?
8. Bordeaux grape: MERLOT. In my former life as a wine rep/sommelier, the "casual" wine drinker was still focused on the line from the movie "Sideways" and the popularity of merlot plummeted. I can honestly say that the best ever wine I drank was a bottle of 2001 Paloma Merlot (ok, it was a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, but it was f***ing awesome!)
Here is a clip of the movie and Paul Giamatti's utterance (NSFW). BTW, the character, Miles, loves Merlot. The problem is, so did his ex-wife; and every time he encounters that grape varietal it reminds him (negatively) of her
9. Be nosy: PRY. I reached out to Dylan for his thoughts about this puzzle before I finished my blog. Hope he didn't think I was pry-ing
10. Canadian lout: HOSER. Not sure that I would ever call this a CSO ... but maybe our resident Canadian, "Canadian, Eh!" can chirp in here and give us the true explanation for this 😉
11. "Just like we discussed ... ": AS PROMISED. I confirmed [@Crossword Tracker] that this entry phrase is seldom used; just twice (2019 and 2020)
12. "Tell me how to help": WHAT CAN I DO?. Another in-the-language phrase that is seldom used in crossword puzzles
13. Whitewater vessels: KAYAKS.
18. Like many a thesis defense: ORAL. Just throw in a bunch of Latin words to impress and defend!
22. Cook over boiling water: STEAM.
24. Maddens: RILES UP. If the clue had read "Madden's", the answer would have had a far different meaning (sports gamers will get this!)
26. Temps: FILL-INS. Moe-ku #5:
The dentist was out
Of amalgam, so he used
Gum for his fill-ins
27. Steak choice: AHI. The only kind of steak (tuna) that offers a three-letter answer - unless you count the word "RAW" as a steak choice (har har! Tartare!) 😂
28. Thomas, for one: TANK ENGINE. Congratulations, Dylan, this is a first use for the phrase tank engine in a major crossword publication! For those unaware of who this is ...
29. Dominance: ASCENDANCY. Congratulations, Dylan, this is also a first use entry ... you're on a roll today!
30. [see in the across comments]
35. List-shortening abbr.: ETC. and its clecho @ (58-down. List-shortening abbr.): ET. AL..
37. Fruit-filled pastries: TURNOVERS.
39. Chops finely: DICES.
40. In the past: AGO.
41. NL Central team: CIN. STL/MIL/PIT/CHI all fit, so I waited until a few perps came to the rescue
45. [see in the across section]
47. Corner store: BODEGA. I also thought about using the word "tienda" ... does anyone here know the difference between bodega and tienda?
49. [Your attention, please!]: AHEM.
51. The Gem State: IDAHO. Immediately following is (52-down. Gem from a mollusk): PEARL
That's a wrap, folks. See you in a couple of weeks. A personal "ps" from the Chairman, today is my little big sister's birthday. I know she won't be stopping by but as my only sibling, it is more than worth giving her a shout out. Happy Birthday, sis! 🎂
J.S. Bach - "Dorian" Toccata (no Fugue), Opus #538
This
puzzle was "on my wavelength", and it takes us on a musical journey.
Two 15-letter spanners, two 10-letter, and one centered 11-letter theme
answers, each starting with a synonym for "song", and revealed in the,
well, reveal. ALAS, we're missing "ditty" - but that's a 51D.
17. *Rainforest Cafe, for one: THEME RESTAURANT - I did not know about this place; the closest one to me now is in New Jersey - the Wiki; the décor seems too overbearing for dining, IMHO
23. *Depiction of integers at regular intervals: NUMBER LINE
34. *Imperial reign of China ended by Kublai Khan: SONG DYNASTY 44. *Florence Henderson sitcom role: CAROL BRADY - "NOEL" could be a theme answer, too
"The Brady Bunch"
And the reveal
50. Starts looking at things differently, as demonstrated by the first words of the answers to the starred clues?: CHANGES ONES TUNE - and I get the pleasure of looking for "compositions" that match some puzzle answers; I'll try to be diverse.... And Away We Go~! ACROSS:
1. Greenlights: OKs
4. Dish that may or may not contain beans: CHILI - my chili contains red & black beans
9. Time at a job: STINT - I am hoping that my "stint" with the Pipe Organ company is my last career
14. Feline pet: CAT
Meow
15. Brief mission?: RECONnaissance - Frawnche~!
16. Wobbly craft: CANOE
20. Portion out: ALLOT
21. Deciduous tree with oblong leaves: ELM
22. God, to Rastafarians: JAH - the first word of this "ode"
The Outernationalist - Thievery Corporation
Ambient Electronica, my preferred music genre now that I am "older"
27. Guacamole fruit: LIME
28. "__ Te Ching": Laotzu text: TAO
29. Casual contraction: AIN'T - and the first word of this "ballad", too
Ain't No Sunshine - Bill Withers
30. Direct elsewhere: REFER
31. Like a zebra: MANED - if you hear the thunder of hoofs....
he's sporting a "Mohawk" mane
33. Big fans: BUFFS
36. "Summer of My German Soldier" novelist Greene: BETTE - needed perps for this author
37. Shrewd: CAGEY - some obscure Blue Öyster Cult for your ears
Cagey Cretins from the Secret Treaties Album
38. Breeze (through): WALTZ - more music, this clue/answer hinting that one "rolled" through ( in 3/4 time~? )
39. Wax counterpart: WANE
There's a Solar Eclipse Monday, 8Apr
40. Grab a chair: SIT
43. The 411: INFO
47. Situation Room gp.: NSC - no clue; I tried NSA first
48. Spicy tuna roll tuna: AHI - becoming a crossword staple
49. Totally buy: EAT UP - I don't eat up sushi
55. Unsettling: EERIE
56. Unexpected ending: TWIST - as found in this "melody"
Hole in the Sky - Black Sabbath
57. Single-stranded genetic molecule: RNA
58. Specs dished in a gossip sesh: DEETS - Text/Gen Z-speak for a 'session' and the 'details'
59. Zipper alternative: SNAPS
60. Noggin: NOB
DOWN:
1. One-eighth of a circle: OCTANT - overthought this; I was trying to come up with a clever pizza slice reference
2. Ingredient in a white or black Russian: KAHLUA - plus vodka, and milk makes it 'white'
3. Sailor's patron: ST. ELMO - there was a "coming-of-age" movie
"St. Elmo's Fire" during my high school years, but I cringe at the "see
24D." of similar films in the decade - I was more "Raiders of the Lost
Ark" & "Ghostbusters" kind of fan
4. "Zorba the Greek" island: CRETE - it's all Greek to me - perps
5. She/__ pronouns: HER
She's A Lady - Tom Jones
6. Curling surface: ICE - I'd like to try this "sport"
7. __ Angeles Sparks: LOS - of the WNBA
8. Aim: INTENT
9. Bathtub buildup: SCUM
10. Roofer's sealant: TAR
11. Right away: IN A JIFFY
12. Total randos: NO-NAMES - heard in this Glam "rocker"
Wild Side, Mötley Crüe - Lyric at 2:36, after the spinning drum cage stunt
13. Tie: TETHER - this looked weird in the 'down'; I had "TET_E" from perps
18. Horde: MOB
19. Bass beer: ALE
24. Gamut: RANGE
25. Served up a whopper: LIED
26. Race-sanctioning body since 1994: INDYCAR - this did not make sense until I cut and pasted the clue into Google, and got the Wiki; I was wondering if it referred to the race car's 'open wheel' body style at first
27. Southpaw: LEFTY
- I am one - we have several at the Pipe Organ company; "Sinister"
types make up about 17% of the population, and let me tell you, it's
really frustrating to see how much of the world "assumes" everyone is
right-handed, e.g. all vending machines, ever
See~? You'll look at them differently from now on....
30. Bit of deception: RUSE
31. Words on a family banner: MOTTO
32. Animated film with talking bugs: ANTZ - I thought "A Bugs Life" was better
33. Bialy kin: BAGEL
34. Practices for personal well-being: SELF-CARE
35. Prefix with tech: NANO
36. Wailing spirit of Irish folklore: BANSHEE - there's Siouxie and the Banshees, and another band called Banshee as well - not a fan of either, TBH
38. Showed vicarious embarrassment, in a way: WINCED
39. Midriffs: WAISTS
40. Body with notable rings: SATURN - oh, right, the, um, planet
A midriff with a ring
41. "Search me": "I DUNNO"
42. Universal blood recipient's designation: TYPE AB
44. Jost's "Weekend Update" co-host: CHE - Saturday Night Live members Colin and Michael
45. Outperforms: BESTS - Not beAts, the first "S" being my last fill
46. Snitch: RAT - we already had an 80's Hair Band, but how can I pass this up~?
Round and Round - Ratt - AND - Milton Berle
48. Long time: AGES
51. Minor quibble: NIT
52. Hold title to: OWN
53. Actress/director Vardalos: NIA - all "Greek" to me here, too; her IMDb
Theme: "In Tune" - Each theme clue
is a song. The synonym of the first word in each song is hidden inside
each theme entry, which defines the remaining part of each theme clue.
23. Friends in Low Places?: DEEP SEA TRENCHES. Dears.
38. Dust in the Wind?: SOPRANO CLARINET. Soot.
54. Party in the U.S.A.?: THE LAND OF OPPORTUNITY. Do.
77. Dancing in the Street?: SANTA MONICA BOULEVARD. Samba.
91. Crazy in Love?: ABSOLUTELY ADORE. Outre.
110. Down in the Boondocks?: MIDDLE OF NOWHERE. Low.
Just in awe of this theme. So many layers. So much work involved finding workable theme entries. 77A is amazing.
Our blog tags show that this is the Kyle and Dylan's second collaboration. The first one isthis themeless Gary blogged last year. Kyle is known for his clean and sparkly themeless grids.
Across:
1. Capital known as "The City of Trees": BOISE. And 19. Capital known as "The City of Stairs": AMMAN.
6. HS course for a future poli-sci major: AP GOV. Also 61. Capitol Hill fig.: POL.
11. "How silly of me!": DOH.
14. Cook brisket, perhaps: SMOKE.
20. Quinceañera accessory: TIARA. So pretty, everything.
21. Singer profiled in the 2022 Netflix documentary "Halftime," familiarly: J. LO. And 85. "__ Kai": Netflix series: COBRA.
22. Ancient manuscript: CODEX.
26. Outkast rapper __ 3000: ANDRE.
27. Org. whose logo features crossed clubs: PGA.
28. Oct. 24 observance: UN DAY.
29. Chemical in bagel-making: LYE.
30. Cream-filled pastries: ECLAIRS.
32. Way off: RANCID.
34. Some truffle hunters: BOARS.
36. Colorado State's sports team: RAMS.
37. Jellicle Ball attendee: CAT. The musical "Cats".
44. Love, in Verona: AMORE.
46. Walking tall: PROUD.
47. Half-inning trio: OUTS.
48. Can opener: TAB.
49. Pixar swimmer: NEMO.
50. Lacking proper punctuation, perhaps: RUN-ON.
51. Delight: AMUSE.
53. School member: FISH.
58. "Am __ blame?": I TO.
59. Presto, musically: FAST.
60. 20s dispensers: ATMS.
62. Amsterdam waterway: CANAL.
64. "Just watch me!": CAN SO.
66. [Crying emoji]: I'M SAD. When I pushed off the wall, I just could not submerge low enough to do the underwater dolphin kicks. Life is hard when you can't sink low.
70. Video art pioneer __ June Paik: NAM. Unknown to me. Wikipedia says he's "considered to be the founder of video art".
72. Licensed transport: TAXI.
73. Train, as a boxer: SPAR.
76. Hilton-owned hotel chain: TRU.
83. Basic ballet move: PLIE.
84. Antibiotic units: DOSES.
86. Central Plains tribe: OTOE.
87. Organ with a hammer: EAR.
88. Foie __: GRAS.
89. Ticket prices?: FINES. Parking ticket.
90. Tons and tons: SLEWS.
95. DOJ agency: ATF.
96. Bench press targets, for short: TRIS.
97. College administrators: DEANS.
98. High-end hair dryers: DYSONS. Very pricey.
101. Flatbread served with dal: PARATHA. And 118. Less spicy, in a way: TAMER. Indian food are a bit spicy for me.
104. Projectile's path: ARC.
105. Beach balls?: LUAUS. 114. Play place?: STAGE. 121. Oyster cracker?: OTTER. 82. Power base?: VOLTS. Fun clues.
108. Noisy fight: ROW.
109. Vessel implant: STENT.
115. To's opposite: FRO.
116. Model/actress Kate: UPTON. She's married to Justin Verlander.
117. "__ mañana": HASTA.
119. Bros: MEN.
120. __ profundo: low voice: BASSO.
Down:
1. Unflattering media coverage, briefly: BAD PR.
2. Rolex competitor: OMEGA.
3. "Seriously!?": I MEAN COME ON. 16. "Weird, right?": ODD ISN'T IT. I love these two long fill.
4. Maple syrup base: SAP.
5. Like a hotel bathroom, often: EN SUITE.
6. Teeny bit: A TAD.
7. Gyro wrapper: PITA.
8. "Slow Horses" actor Oldman: GARY. My favorite Gary. Gosh, 10 years already.
9. Deposit for processing: ORE.
10. Unit for soccer practice carpool, say: VAN LOAD.
11. Video game with a turntable-shaped controller: DJ HERO.
12. Copa América cry: OLE.
13. Slip 'N Slide need: HOSE.
14. Quantities such as mass and time: SCALARS. Opposite vectors.
15. Address for Hercule Poirot: MON AMI.
17. Steve with nine NBA titles as a player and coach: KERR.
18. Old flames: EXES.
24. Finish: END.
25. The "C" of the CMYK color model: CYAN.
31. Prepare to move, as artwork: CRATE UP.
33. Christmas tune: CAROL.
34. Pop star Mars: BRUNO. Loved his "Just the Way You Are".
35. Scrubs: SCOURS.
38. Root veggies: SPUDS.
39. " ... then again, we could try something else": OR NOT.
40. [It's gone!]: POOF.
41. Ardent desire: LUST.
42. "No sweat!": EASY.
43. "Truthfully," in a text: TBH. To be honest.
44. Shenanigan: ANTIC.
45. Conductor Zubin: MEHTA.
50. Genetic letters: RNA.
51. Many NYC addresses: APTS.
52. Tibetan dumpling: MOMO. Similiar to xiaolongbao.
53. Festival entry: FILM.
55. Major key of Chopin's "Heroic" Polonaise: A FLAT.
56. Spreading fear: PANIC.
57. Bête __: NOIRE.
63. "The Favourite" queen: ANNE.
64. Candy __: CANE.
65. Graph line: AXIS.
67. Minnesota's Paul Bunyan, for one: STATE FOREST. Maybe I should explore the trails there someday.
68. Item in a quiver: ARROW.
69. Bros: DUDES.
71. Wild hurry: MAD RUSH.
72. Threw out: TOSSED.
73. Serious: SOBER.
74. Coach purchase, perhaps: PURSE. Coach bags.
75. __ plancha: Spanish cooking method: A LA.
77. Concrete piece: SLAB.
78. Classic travel trailer: AIR STREAM.
79. Castle defense: MOAT.
80. Sour compounds: ACIDS.
81. One-named Irish singer: BONO. Not ENYA.
83. Test subject for Gregor Mendel: PEA.
88. Nail polish enhancer: GLITTER.
89. Devotees: FAN CLUB.
90. "Oh, really?": SAYS WHO.
92. Mandarin, e.g.: ORANGE. Mandarin oranges were a must for Boomer's fruit salad.
93. "I'll follow you": LEAD ON.
94. Patio spot: YARD.
98. Green owl in a popular language app: DUO.
99. El __: America, in Mexico: NORTE.
100. Necessitate a bleep: SWEAR.
101. Soft "Over here!": PSST.
102. "__ boy!": ATTA.
103. Radio toggle: AM FM.
105. Oodles: LOTS.
106. Sci-fi craft: UFOS.
107. Latin dating word: ANNO.
111. Anger: IRE.
112. AirNow.gov partner: EPA.
113. Prominent part of a beefeater's uniform: HAT.
Kyle is a science and tech consultant at the British consulate in Chicago and I have
blogged many of his themeless Saturday puzzles. Today he teams up with Dylan Schiff, who is a middle school science teacher like I was for 42 years. This was a big test for this solver and I enjoyed it immensely as I never felt I was out of it (except for two cells!). My issues were the two cells you see highlighted here in the grid. I had never heard of BOSS FIGHT and so I had BOSS HIGHS? where HEAT was a possible Guiness record data and SASHA could have been a character in a TV show. Buzz, we have some lovely parting gifts for you, Gary.
Across:
1. Next-level experience?: BOSS FIGHT Boss Fight Entertainment is an American video game development company based in Allen, TX.
10. "The Hobbit" figure: DWARF.
15. Around: IN THE AREA - Middle infielders used to only have to be "IN THE AREA" at second base and not tag the base to have the runner called out. Not so any more after new rules make the fielders safer by making it illegal to "go after" the infielder.
16. Registration info: OWNER - I always intend to fill those out...
17. Strips at a party: STREAMERS 😀
18. Emma Roberts, to Julia Roberts: NIECE.
Emma, Julia and Lisa who is Emma's mother and Julia's sister
19. Raises: HOISTS - A double HOIST
20. London institution with a Los Angeles namesake, familiarly: THE TIMES - For a price you can get this London TIMES edition proclaiming a 54-year-old event. Addendum: The British Open simply calls itself The Open Championship and The London Times simply calls itself THE TIMES
22. Drop (out): OPT.
23. Industry titan: CZAR.
24. Chichi: POSH - A POSH stateroom on the Titanic that could have hosted John Jacob Astor and his wife. Astor made a huge fortune in 29. Hides: SKINS but it didn't save him from drowning on that April night in 1912.
25. High wind: PICCOLO - A stirring patriotic John Phillips Sousa song with a famous PICCOLO descant that starts at 2:00.
31. Technical drawing: SCHEMATIC - Beautiful movie star Hedy Lamarr famously drew up a schematic on a cocktail napkin. Her device helped in the WWII effort and was the forerunner for a lot of modern technology. All you'd like to know
34. Boddingtons, e.g.: ALE.
35. Doesn't surprise, in a way: LIVES UP TO - LaBron James skipped his last two years of high school playing for the Irish of St. Mary's in Akron, Ohio. He has LIVED UP TO every expectation.
37. Allow: LET.
38. Place where stuff sells left and right: SHOE STORE 😀
42. Coastal habitat: MARSH.
44. Carry a torch for: CRUSH ON - to have a feeling of romanticlove for someone. She is CRUSHING ON him.
45. Like many of Ruth Bader Ginsburg's jabots: LACY - Jabot (zha bō or ja bō): a pleated frill of cloth or lace attached down the center front of a woman's blouse or dress, from the French for bird's crop. You're welcome.
46. "Now, about ... ": AS TO - RGB might have written, "This is unconstitutional, now AS TO what we are going to do about it..."
49. Yoga roll: MAT 😀
50. Onetime carrier based in Cairo: AIR SINAI - Air Egypt also fit and I found out AIR SINAI was a subsidiary of Air Egypt
52. "The Crown" role, familiarly: LADY DI - Actual images and images from TV series The Crown
55. Short-tailed weasel: STOAT.
56. Taboo gathering?: GAME NIGHT - 😀 Can you make your partner say the top word on the card?
Saying the word or the other five words is Taboo
58. Flip side?: TAILS - This choice starts every Super Bowl
59. "All good?": ARE WE COOL?
60. Diamond Jubilee number: SIXTY - QEII on her 60th year of rein. It's also used for 75th year.
61. Beach club?: SAND WEDGE 😀 - If someone lands in a sand trap, others (certainly not me) might say, "It's all good, you're on the beach!"
Down:
1. Chess pieces known as elephants in Russia: BISHOPS - Yes, Castles (yeah, I know it's rooks) fit too.
2. Focused: ON TOPIC
3. Elaine who had a recurring role as Jack's mother on "30 Rock": STRITCH.
4. First word of Tom Petty's "Free Fallin'": SHE'S.
She's a good girl, loves her mama Loves Jesus and America too She's a good girl, is crazy 'bout Elvis Loves horses and her boyfriend too
5. Potential Guinness entry, say: FEAT - Cycling backwards on a bike for 60km in 5hrs.
6. Perfect Portions brand: IAMS - I wonder what our Lily would think
7. Test with a max verbal reasoning score of 170: GRE - Sample
Since she believed him to be both candid and trustworthy, she refused to consider the possibility that his statement had been __________.
A irrelevant
B facetious
C mistaken
D critical
E insincere
8. Enterprise rival: HERTZ.
9. Smith of TV's "Empire": TASHA.
10. "That's a bad idea": DON'T.
11. O'Hare and Bush, for two: WWII PILOTS - O'Hare had the Chicago Airport named for him. George H.W. Bush was also a hero and our 41st president
12. Sea __: ANEMONE - A clownfish with a symbiotic relationship with a Sea ANEMONE
13. Nook: RECESS.
14. Straight from the garden: FRESH.
21. Unsure sounds: ERS.
23. __ du Rhône: COTES - Literally "the hillsides of Rhone" that is the home of great wines
26. Seasoning on a Chicago-style hot dog: CELERY SALT - I usually don't ask my lovely bride for her input but on a whim, I asked Joann if she knew a 10-letter seasoning for a Chicago-style hot dog starting with a "C". After ten seconds she gave me the correct answer! Yay, Joann!
27. Forgets, maybe: OMITS.
28. Heathrow facilities: LAV - LAV or LOO?
30. Japanese cutlet: KATSU - Another name for something I have never heard of.
32. "Roughly": ISH.
33. "The Flight Attendant" star: CUOCO - Of course we know Kayley broke through in The Big Bang Theory
36. What "p" may stand for: PER - I'm probably the only person thought of how p resembles the Greek letter rho ⍴
37. Brand with a Pamplemousse flavor: LACROIX - Pamplemousse is French for grapefruit. La Croix is French for the cross and was founded in La Crosse, Wisconsin.
39. "What?!": OH MY GOD.
40. One who crosses the line?: ROADHOG - Our new car gives a slight tug in the opposite direction if you drift over a line sand gives the warning you see here on the dash if you hit the dividing line.
41. Warrant: ENTITLE.
42. Cocktail flavored with orgeat syrup: MAI TAI - Full recipe
43. "Always and Forever, Lara Jean" novelist Jenny: HAN.
45. Holds up: LASTS.
47. Long-term investment accounts?: SAGAS - I wrote to Kyle about this clue/fill. I told him I thought it was about stories (accounts) told to people who a real interest (investment) in a common history (long-term). Kyle said that I did have it right he was glad I wrote. Both things made me very happy.
48. Pageant prize: TIARA - I'm not sure if this a TIARA or a crown but it is picture of a lovely girl I had in class fifty years ago. She is the same girl that I told you about that now raises Alpacas in the highlands of Colorado and makes hats out of their hair.
51. Minute: ITSY.
52. Blue: LEWD - The girl with the TIARA/crown above said she would look for a picture with a TIARA but felt she do better with this clue! She's a hoot.
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