Sunday, January 19, 2025, Ricky J. Sirois

 Title:  "Rank and File."

The Count on the 9th hole.

Constructor Ricky J. Sirois returns to our favorite page of the L.A. Times for the fourth time, asking us to count in ordinal numbers from first to ninth.  The theme clues and answers, symmetrically placed throughout the Across lines of the puzzle, are:

22. First place: TOP OF THE LINE.

30. Second banana: ASSISTANT MANAGER.

45. Third base: HOT CORNER.  Malodorous Manatee explained this baseball reference in his blog post for Amanda Cook's puzzle on Friday, January 10, 2025.

52. Fourth Estate: PUBLIC PRESS.  In the time of the French revolution, the first estate was the clergy, the second estate was the nobility, and the third estate was the commoners and bourgeois.  A few years later, folks began to refer to the press as the fourth estate.

68. Fifth wheel: SPARE TIRE.

80. Sixth sense: GUT INSTINCT.

91. Seventh heaven: SHANGRI-LA.  Shangri-La is a fictional place in the mountains of Tibet, described in the 1933 novel Lost Horizon by English author James Hilton. Hilton portrays Shangri-La as a mystical, harmonious valley. Shangri-La has come to mean any earthly paradise.

106. "Eighth Grade": COMING OF AGE STORY.  Eighth Grade is a 2018 American coming-of-age comedy drama film.

117. Ninth circle: CENTER OF HELL.  The Inferno is the first part of Italian writer Dante Alighieri's 14th-century narrative poem The Divine Comedy, followed by Purgatorio and Paradiso. The Inferno describes the journey of a fictionalised version of Dante himself through Hell, guided by the Roman poet Virgil. In the poem, Hell is depicted as nine concentric circles of torment located within the Earth.

No circles of hell here, though!  Just a few unknowns that are solvable by perpendicular entries.

Let's wander through the rest of the clues and answers.

Across:

1. Headbanging genre: METAL.  An intense sort of rock and roll music.

6. Colts and fillies: FOALS.  Baby horses!  Colts are male, fillies are female.

11. Kept involved via email: CC'ed.  "Carbon copied" (in the days of typewriters), or copied on an email.

15. Broncos org.: AFC.  American Football Conference.

18. Circumvent: EVADE.

19. Fictional teen sleuth Belden: TRIXIE.  Trixie Belden is the title character in a series of mysteries written between 1948 and 1986. The first six books were written by Julie Campbell Tatham; the stories were then continued by various in-house writers from Western Publishing under the pseudonym Kathryn Kenny.

20. Off-color: BLUE.

21. LeBron's team, on scoreboards: LAL.  Los Angeles Lakers.

22. [Theme clue]

24. River crossed by Washington's troops: DELAWARE.

Washington crossing the Delaware by Emanuel Leutze, 1851

26. Steps in: ENTERS.

27. Frigg's husband: ODIN.  In Norse mythology, Frigg is the wife of Odin, the king of the gods, and the goddess of marriage and motherhood. 

29. Oscar nominee McCarthy: MELISSA.

30. [Theme clue]

34. Largest organ in the human body: SKIN.

35. Butter servings: PATS.  I worry about the ones we leave uneaten on the cafe table.

36. Yankees great Gehrig: LOU.

37. "Then what happened!?": GO ON.

38. Duane __: pharmacy chain: READE.  Discovered this pharmacy chain in NYC.

39. Make an oopsie: ERR.

40. Skit show featuring Kenan Thompson since 2003, briefly: SNL.  Saturday Night Live.

42. Pinterest pin: PIC.  On Pinterest, users "pin" images they've found online -- like a virtual bulletin board.

45. [Theme clue]

47. Welcomes: SAYS HI.

49. Tibetan priests: LAMAS.

51. Exploit: FEAT.  Exploit used as a noun:  a striking or notable deed; feat; spirited or heroic act:

the exploits of Alexander the Great.

52. [Theme clue]

55. Flamboyantly showy: GARISH.

60. Teri of "Young Frankenstein": GARR.  Sadly, Teri Garr died from complications of multiple sclerosis in October 2024 at the age of 79.

Teri Garr

63. Sign of distress: SOS.  SOS is a Morse code distress signal ( ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ), originally established for maritime use. SOS was not an abbreviation when it was first used. Later, a backronym was created for it in popular usage, and SOS became associated with mnemonic phrases such as "Save Our Souls" and "Save Our Ship."  The phrase "SOS" has entered general usage to informally indicate a crisis or the need for action.

64. Target in mini golf: PAR.  This threw me off.  Isn't PAR also the target in regular golf?

65. Cooling-off period: DETENTE.

66. Something to go by?: ALIAS.

68. [Theme clue]

72. Consumer: EATER.

73. Pipián verde seeds: PEPITAS.  Pipián verde is a traditional Mexican green mole (sauce) that gets its color and flavor from pumpkin seeds.

Pipián verde

75. Rolls on the dirt?: SOD.  Very clever.

76. Blonde brew: ALE.

78. Search meticulously: COMB.

79. Like a drive through the mountains: SCENIC.

80. [Theme clue]

84. Pixar title fish: NEMO.

86. Abdicates: CEDES.

87. Street musician: BUSKER.

91. [Theme clue]

96. Spoil: MAR.

97. Manhattan spirit: RYE.

98. Bird that lays green eggs: EMU.  Yup!

Emu egg

99. Some pajama tops, casually: CAMIS.  Short for camisoles.

100. Suffix that turns adjectives into nouns: NESS.  If I am tardy, please excuse my tardiNESS.

102. Nest egg inits.: IRA.  In a world where many workers don't have company sponsored pensions, it's important to have an Individual Retirement Account or similar plan in place.  

104. Desertlike: ARID.

105. Singer India.__: ARIE.  We've met Ms Arie on this page many times.

106. [Theme clue]

111. Apple AirTag, for one: TRACKER.  Bad guys are dropping these in people's pockets!  If you find one among your things, remove the battery and call the police.

113. Garment worn with a choli: SARI.  A choli is a fitted shirt worn with a wrapped sari.

114. Pays: REMITS.

115. Ireland, in Latin: HIBERNIA.  Hibernia is the Classical Latin name for Ireland. 

117. [Theme clue]

121. Slithery swimmer: EEL.

122. Roti flour: ATTA.  Roti is an Indian circular flatbread, made with ground whole wheat flour or “atta.”

123. Pelvic exercises: KEGELS.  The life-long assignment of all women who have borne children.

124. Country singer Tucker: TANYA.

125. Pig's pad: STY.

126. "The __ of Summer": Don Henley song: BOYS.

127. Shared account?: STORY.

128. Like San Francisco's Lombard Street: STEEP.  Steep and curvy.

Lombard Street

Down:

1. Joined: MET.  As in, met (or joined) for dinner ...

2. Annual gaming tournament, for short: EVO.  The Evolution Championship Series, commonly known as Evo, is an annual event that focuses exclusively on fighting-style electronic games. 

3. Carole King album with the song used as the "Gilmore Girls" theme: TAPESTRY.

4. Dreamboat of Greek mythology: ADONIS.  In Greek mythology, Adonis was the mortal lover of the goddesses Aphrodite and Persephone. He was considered to be the ideal of male beauty in classical antiquity.

5. Some turns: LEFTS.

6. San Joaquin Valley city: FRESNO.  Harder if you're not Californian.

7. Word with can or pan: OIL.

8. Saying that goes without saying: AXIOM.

9. Blair of "The Exorcist": LINDA.

10. Dating: SEEING.

11. Chem. in some calming pet treats: CBD.  Cannabidiol (CBD) is one of 113 identified cannabinoids in cannabis plants, and accounts for up to 40% of the plant's extract.  Medically, it is an anticonvulsant used to treat multiple forms of epilepsy.  Clinical research on CBD includes studies related to the treatment of anxiety, addiction, psychosis, movement disorders, and pain, but at this point there is insufficient evidence that CBD is effective for these conditions.

12. Baseball Hall of Famer Roberto: CLEMENTE.  Roberto Enrique Clemente Walker (1934 – 1972) was a Puerto Rican professional baseball player who played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball for the Pittsburgh Pirates. In December 1972, Clemente died in the crash of a plane he had chartered to take emergency relief goods for the survivors of a massive earthquake in Nicaragua.  He was posthumously inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Roberto Clemente

13. Graph theory pioneer: EULER.  Leonhard Euler (1707 – 1783) was a Swiss polymath who was active as a mathematician, physicist, astronomer, logician, geographer, and engineer.  He founded the studies of graph theory and topology and made influential discoveries in many other branches of mathematics such as analytic number theory, complex analysis, and infinitesimal calculus.

14. "I agree to those terms!": DEAL!

15. Juneau native: ALASKAN.

16. Gary Larson comic strip, with "The": FAR SIDE.

17. After-hours employee, perhaps: CLEANER.

19. In __ to: deeply engrossed in: THRALL.

23. Vietnamese New Year: TET.

25. Better informed: WISER.

28. 119-Down formula: NaOH.  Sodium hydroxide (NaOH) is a white, odorless, corrosive solid that is used in many industrial and household products. It is also known as lye or caustic soda.

30. Chimpanzees, e.g.: APES.

31. Gilbert of "The Conners": SARA.  Sara Gilbert is an American actress best known for her role as Darlene Conner on the ABC sitcom Roseanne.

32. Rapper Shakur: TUPAC.  Tupac Shakur (1971 – 1996) was an American rapper and actor.  He is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, having sold more than 75 million records worldwide. His lyrics are noted for addressing social injustice, political issues, and the marginalization of African-Americans, but he was also synonymous with gangsta rap.  He was murdered in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas.

Tupac Shakur

33. Makes an oopsie: GOOFS.

38. Take turns: ROTATE.

40. Moo __ pork: SHU.

41. Ballpoint tips: NIBS.

43. Little hellion: IMP.

44. Latin "Seize the day": CARPE DIEM.

46. Parakeet enclosure: CAGE.

48. Graded injury: SPRAIN.  A first-degree sprain is the mildest form of sprain, resulting in minimal tissue damage and quick recovery time.  A second-degree sprain happens when one or more ligaments has been damaged.  A third-degree sprain occurs when the ligament has torn.  These are ordinal numbers through which we would prefer not to progress.

49. Challenge for a speech therapist: LISP.

50. Usher to a table: SEAT.

53. End of a hot streak: LOSS.

54. __ Lanka: SRI.

56. Doesn't keep a poker face: REACTS.

57. Call __ question: INTO.

58. Fruit holder: STEM.

59. Mint, e.g.: HERB.

60. Unaccounted-for times on a résumé: GAPS.

61. Knighted actor Guinness: ALEC.

62. Fragrant, in a bad way: RIPE.  "Ripe" can be used as an adjective to describe a smell that is strong and unpleasant, similar to being stinky.

65. Shop with a meat slicer: DELI.  Delicatessen:  a good place to purchase sliced pastrami or corned beef, if you're into that sort of thing.  DH craves the veggie Reuben sandwich at Canter's Deli in L.A.

67. Result of stirring up a hornet's nest: STINGS.

69. Sun Devils sch.: ASU.  Arizona State University.

70. Source of some coll. scholarships: ROTC.  Reserve Officers' Training Corps is a leadership training and development program that prepares full-time, college-enrolled students for service opportunities in the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and Space Force.

71. "Shucks!": RATS.

74. Laptop giant: ACER.

77. Genderqueer identity: ENBY.  "Enby" is a term used to describe someone who identifies as non-binary, or outside of the male and female gender binary.  It's pronounced "en-bee."  This is perfect crosswordese, as we are used to spelling out the sounds of letters in our answers.

80. Humanoid creature of Jewish folklore: GOLEM.  A golem is an animated anthropomorphic being in Jewish folklore, which is created entirely from inanimate matter, usually clay or mud. 

81. Secrecy doc: NDA.  Non-disclosure agreement.  Promise not to tell!

82. Typographical flourish: SERIF.

83. Stick at a table: CUE.  Pool table.  Billiards.

85. Smaller side: MINORITY.

88. Portable stove fuel: KEROSENE.  I was finally relieved of pumping kerosene stoves when I married DH.  He is not a camper.  DH says, if the Lord meant for us to go camping, why did he create all these fine hotels?

89. Gulf States title: EMIR.

90. Football film with the tagline "Sometimes a winner is a dreamer who just won't quit": RUDY.  Rudy is a 1993 film about the life of Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger, who dreamed of playing football at the University of Notre Dame, despite significant obstacles.

91. Lambastes: SCATHES.

92. Abolitionist Tubman: HARRIET.

93. In a friendly way: AMIABLY.

94. Sister's daughter: NIECE.

95. Garage sale caveat: AS IS.

97. Wild parties: RAGERS.

101. After-school treats: SNACKS.

103. Almost never: RARELY.

104. In addition: AT THAT.

106. Italian hundred: CENTO.

107. Welcome: GREET.

108. "Weird Science" band __ Boingo: OINGO.  "Weird Science" is a 1985 song by American new wave band Oingo Boingo.  The song reached No. 45 on the US Billboard Hot 100, No. 21 on the US Dance Club Charts, and No. 81 in Canada.  It is Oingo Boingo's most successful single.

109. Punk kin: EMO.  Emo is an offshoot of punk rock, according to many crossword constructors.

110. Aerates, as flour: SIFTS.

112. The Krusty __: SpongeBob's employer: KRAB.

116. Inserts for some electric toothbrushes: AAs.

118. Rx notation: TER.  Terbinafine is used to treat fungal infections.

119. Caustic chemical: LYE.

120. Swimmer's unit: LAP.

Here's the grid:

C.C. had computer problems, and asked me yesterday to substitute for her today.

Because this review was hasty, please excuse any GOOFS due to my hastiNESS!

-- NaomiZ

Sunday January 12, 2025 Zhouqin Burnikel

Theme: "PR Stunt"

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.

48. Seats for the faithful: PEWS.
 

You can buy it here

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.

Down:
1. Gnocchi __ Romana: ALLA.
 

Recipe

2. Nonclerical: LAIC.

3. Org. for women who are great drivers: LPGA. Not cars but Lady's Professional Golf Association.

4. Set of principles: ETHIC.

5. "Ha, fooled ya!": NOT.

6. Lower left PC key: CTRL.

7. Contract flaw: LOOPHOLE.

8. Upper left PC key: ESC. Nice clecho.
 

9. Dickinson's advice column: ASK AMY. I know of AMY Dickinson from Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me - she's a very competitive guest.

10. Turn suddenly: VEER.

11. Haim sister mentioned in Taylor Swift's "No Body, No Crime": ESTE. Perps.

12. Fitted cap: BEANIE.

13. Succeed: ENSUE.

14. Fellas: GUYS. Or Dudes (whether or not a SCOT [see: 102a])

15. Liquor in a Negroni: GIN. Negroni is a cocktail, made of equal parts gin, vermouth rosso (red, semi-sweet), and Campari, generally served on the rocks, and commonly garnished with an orange slice or orange peel. It is considered an apéritif. [WikiP]

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.

75. Overly familiar: OLD HAT.

77. Category: GROUP.

79. Pico de gallo, e.g.: SALSA. I love pico and oft sauté it for scrambled eggs.
 

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!

Cheers!, -T

Sunday January 5, 2025 Gary Larson & Amy Ensz

Theme: "Out of Order" - The first word in each theme entry is an anagram indicator, the second word is an anagram of the last word in the corresponding clue.

 24A. Produced charts?: MODIFIED STARCH. Charts & starch.

 36A. Stirred up rages?: SHIFTED GEARS. Rages & gears.

 66A. Developed genres?: MIXED GREENS. Genres & greens.

 94A. Acquired taste?: ALTERED STATE. Taste & state.

109A. Discovered vin rosé?: REVISED VERSION. Vin rosé & version.

16D. Found Crusoe?: CHANGED COURSE. Crusoe & course.

56D. Begat Eric?: CONVERTED RICE. Eric & Rice. 

This theme reminds me of the "Scrambled Signals" we had a while ago. Different approach.

I wonder how Gary and Amy collaborate. I'm thinking they brainstorm theme and theme entries together, then Gary makes the grid and Amy writes the clues.

Across:

1. Big name in shortening: CRISCO. My grandma always used lard.

7. Roman __: NUMERALS. I'm worth 200.

15. In base eight: OCTAL.

20. Give a terrible review: HATE ON.

21. Neapolitan standard that provided the melody for Elvis's "It's Now or Never": O SOLE MIO. My Sunshine.

22. Birch of "Hocus Pocus": THORA. Also in "American Beauty".

23. HS podcast recording sites: AV LABS.

26. Disclose: TELL.

27. Oscar winner Guinness: ALEC.

29. Quaint lodging: INN.

30. Basketball position: CENTER.

31. __ of Skye: ISLE.

33. Heap affection (on): DOTE.

35. Stormed (in): BARGED.

41. Hardly windy?: TERSE. Long-winded "windy".

42. More refined: PURER.

43. "Deal me in" payment: ANTE.

44. Twist a peg on a guitar, say: TUNE. Young Splynter.

45. __ tape: DUCT.

49. Earlier: AGO.

50. Latin "and others": ET ALIA.

53. Announce, on a stream: POST.

54. Cause for a blessing: ACHOO.

55. Father on the sidelines: SOCCER DAD. Soccer is huge in China.

57. Brain activity tests, briefly: EEGS.

58. "If these walls __ talk": COULD.

59. Gem with fire and matrix varieties: OPAL.

60. Perfect 10s: IDEALS.

62. Animated film about a racing 61-Down: TURBO. 61. Garden creeper: SNAIL.

63. "Agatha All Along" star Kathryn: HAHN.

70. Tampa Bay team: RAYS.

71. Pain relief brand: ALEVE.

73. Ball honorees: BELLES.

74. Lummoxes: APES.

76. Direct (to): REFER.

77. KOA client: RV'ER.

78. Many crime drama characters: FBI AGENTS. Who's your favorite fictional FBI agent?

83. Uncredited actor: EXTRA.

84. Graph lines: AXES.

85. Classic theater name: RIALTO.

86. "Got it!": AHA.

87. Yard holder: MAST. Sailing "yard".

88. Pulls even with: TIES.

89. Swing music: JIVE.

90. Faith founded by Muhammad: ISLAM. Most of the Chinese Muslims live in Xinjiang. They're called Uyghurs. Xi'an has a large Uyghur population. I love the food in the Muslim Quarters.  

92. Water pitchers: EWERS.

97. Some family cars: SEDANS.

99. Sharp plumlike fruit: SLOE.

100. Gospel-singing sister of Aretha Franklin: ERMA.

101. 1980s game consoles: ATARIS. 119. Some smartphones: SAMSUNGS.

102. Colorado Native: UTE.

103. Kunis of "Bad Moms": MILA.

105. Viral social media bit: MEME.

113. Less biased: FAIRER.

115. Raise: ERECT.

116. Fistfighter's fist: MEAT HOOK. Not famliar with this term.

117. Harder to see: TINIER.

118. Range where tomatoes originated: ANDES. I made the Brazilian salmon stew last week. With two tomatoes. A bit too coconut-y for me.

120. Biases: SLANTS.

Down:

1. Kibitz: CHAT.

2. Give a great review: RAVE.

3. "__ make your head spin!": IT'LL.

4. Aquarium collection: SEA LIFE. We have this in Mall of America. Also 15. Furry swimmers: OTTERS. 95. Slippery swimmer: EEL.

5. Corn discard: COB.

6. Up for auction: ON SALE.

7. Norton Sound port city: NOME.

8. Sports org. that added a "P" to its initials in 2019: USOC. OK, United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee.

9. Stylish, in the 1960s: MOD.

10. First name in pharmaceuticals: ELI. Lilly.

11. Brings in fresh equipment: REFITS.

12. Nitrogen compound: AMINE.

13. Security for a debt: LIEN.

14. Outfield layer: SOD.

17. Flourless cake: TORTE.

18. Like a rainbow: ARCED.

19. "If I Only Had the Nerve" singer Bert: LAHR. Boomer loved this movie and could recite many of the dialogues. 

25. Cause alarm: SCARE.

28. Commanded: LED.

32. Actress Meryl: STREEP.

33. Statistician's focus: DATA.

34. Buried treasure: ORE.

35. Not straight: BENT.

36. Daycation locations: SPAS.

37. Victor of French literature: HUGO.

38. Sporty Camaro: IROC.

39. Glamorous event: GALA.

40. Seat of Garfield County, Oklahoma: ENID.

41. Little dustup: TUSSLE. 69. Little dustup: SPAT. Also 48. Flaps: TO-DOS.

44. Forum frocks: TOGAE. Roman Forum.

46. "Star Trek" lieutenant: UHURA.

47. Cheese similar to cheddar: COLBY.

51. Hong Kong transport: TRAM. Bus, tram and ferry.

52. Unprepared remark: AD LIB.

53. Looks: PEERS.

54. Magician's set: ACT.

57. Lawn care tool: EDGER.

60. Runs in neutral: IDLES.

63. __ pants: baggy trousers: HAREM.  93. Pants measurements: WAISTS.

64. "__ & Katie": Netflix sitcom: ALEXA.

65. Tests by lifting: HEFTS.

67. Ancient Persian king: XERXES.

68. Fabled toymakers: ELVES.

72. Timeline division: ERA.

75. Teamwork hurdle: EGOISM.

78. High follower: FIVE.

79. Braddock's opponent in "Cinderella Man": BAER. Max.

80. "The Lion King" lion: NALA.

81. Not this: THAT.

82. "The feeling is mutual": SAME.

84. Puts on the tube: AIRS.

85. Initiation, e.g.: RITE.

88. Like a tightrope: TENSE.

89. "Atlas" actress, familiarly: JLO.

91. Triathlete's asset: STAMINA.

94. Weather advisories: ALERTS.

96. Pub offerings: DRAFTS.

97. Firm: STERN.

98. Like an icicle-covered house, perhaps: EAVED.

99. Cause of a kettle's whistle: STEAM. I don't own kettle. I use this pot for everything. I also don't have a wok. 

101. Field: AREA.

102. Iris layer: UVEA.

103. Synthesizer pioneer: MOOG.

104. Printer refills: INKS.

106. Environmentalist Brockovich: ERIN.

107. Track event: MEET.

108. Makes a wrong move: ERRS.

110. Private exchanges, briefly: DMS.

111. Moo __ pork: SHU.

112. Electron transfer result, maybe: ION.

114. Feel sick: AIL.

C.C.

Sunday December 29, 2024 Adrianne Baik

Theme: "Runway Show" - Each theme entry is a "show" in the sky.

27. *Dish service: SATELLITE TV. Normally our first themer starts in Row 3. This one starts at Row 4.

29. *Animated film with the tagline "Honey just got funny": BEE MOVIE.

44. *"Rumpelstiltskin" or "Cinderella": FAIRY TALE.

47. *Many a sunset image: CLOUDSCAPE.

86. *Kids party entertainer's craft: BALLOON ART.

88. *Asian competition involving line cutting: KITE FIGHT.

105. *Repeated tweets: BIRD SONG. And 58. 105-Across producers: WRENS.

108. *Chinese festival performance said to bring good luck: DRAGON DANCE.

Reveal:

63. Long-haul travel perk, and a description of the answers to the starred clues: INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT.

I'm not famliar with kite fight. Looks like it's popular in Southeast Asian countries. 

Fresh theme. Such a fun reveal. Congrats to Adrianne Baik on her LAT debut.

Across:

1. Farm stores: SILOS.

6. Shell competitor: MOBIL.

11. Secures: BAGS.

15. Big serving: SLAB. Thick Chinese bacon.

19. Cover, in a way: ALIBI.

20. Press backspace: ERASE.

21. Welsh accent feature: LILT.

22. Company picture: LOGO.

23. Eldest von Trapp sister: LIESL.

24. Ride __: roll backward while facing forward on a skateboard: FAKIE. Learning moment for me.

25. Greek venues: ODEA.

26. Taj Mahal site: AGRA.

31. Kerfuffles: ADOS.

32. "Wonder Woman" antagonist: ARES. Look at  his armor.

33. Sounds of hesitation: ERS.

35. KPMG employee: CPA.

36. Company VIP: CEO.

38. Turns loose (on): SICS.

40. Focal point in a cathedral: APSE.

42. Sign on a staff: CLEF.

43. British "sir": GUV.

50. Reasons some check Zillow, for short: RE-LOS. Zillow price is not that far off. We also have100. Real estate expert: AGENT.

51. "... as all __-out": GET.

52. Do not disturb: LET BE.

53. Truckloads: A TON.

54. Chewy Japanese noodle: UDON. Hmm, I love a good seafood udon.

55. Inner circle members: PALS.

57. Honey holders: HIVES.

59. __ Deng: pygmy hippo of internet fame: MOO. So cute.

60. Finish with a lower score: LOSE.

61. High quality: A ONE.

62. Asian language: LAO.

71. Expressive rock genre: EMO.

72. Handled talent show intros, e.g.: MC'ED.

73. Spiny succulent: ALOE.

74. __ favor: POR.

75. Family, in Hawaiian: OHANA.

78. Dipper's twin in "Gravity Falls": MABEL. Mabel Pines.

80. Read a QR code: SCAN.

81. List title: TO-DO.

82. Didn't give: HELD.

83. Preps vegetables, maybe: DICES.

84. Fashion designer Anna: SUI. Her niece is actress Chase Sui Wonders.

85. Holiday time, slangily: VACAY.

91. Hosp. areas: ORS.

92. D-Day conflict: WWII.

93. Final notice?: OBIT. Good old clue.

95. River residue: SILT.

96. Thanksgiving tuber: YAM. This is candied yam, Xi'an style.

97. __ of the line: END.

98. Big stretch?: ERA. Time stretch.

99. Crunch in the cereal aisle: CAP'N.

101. Takes in: EATS.

111. Vocalist's spotlight moment: SOLO.

112. Machu Picchu native: INCA.

113. Less noble: BASER.

114. Biotech giant: AMGEN. They make Enbrel.

115. Color choices: HUES.

116. Pair: DUAD.

117. Calendar entry: EVENT. Our blog turns 17 years old on 1/21/2025. 

118. Spills the beans: TELLS.

119. Crafty marketplace: ETSY.

120. SFO info: ETAS.

121. Checks: TESTS.

122. "Easy on Me" Grammy winner: ADELE.

Down:

1. Part of a taco assembly kit: SALSA.

2. Epic set in the 10th year of the Trojan War: ILIAD.

3. Dupe: LIE TO.

4. Extreme preoccupation: OBSESSION. We have total ten 9-letter fill in Downs: 8. Efforts to get dough from cookies?: BAKE SALES. 13. Groups that create harmony?: GLEE CLUBS.16. Digital circuit building block: LOGIC GATE. And 17. Come to the same conclusion concerning: AGREE UPON.76. Learn of: HEAR ABOUT. 77. Looking sunny: ALL SMILES. 78. Small glazed treat: MINI DONUT. 80. Travel baggage: SUITCASES. 81. Tackled together in tandem: TAG-TEAMED. Simply amazing.

5. Window feature: SILL.

6. Impatient kid's cry: ME FIRST.

7. Give a TED Talk, e.g.: ORATE.

9. Doubter's query: IS IT?

10. "Frasier" actress Jane: LEEVES. She played Daphne Moon.

11. Ambiguous shapes: BLOBS.

12. Teacher's helper: AIDE.

14. Spooked wildebeest movement: STAMPEDE.

15. Bulgarian or Bosnian: SLAV.

18. Feathery wrap: BOA.

28. Like some veils: LACY. Traditional Chinese bridal veils are not lacy.

30. Clumsy hulks: OAFS.

34. Got comfortable in a La-Z-Boy: RECLINED.

37. Hot spots in the kitchen: OVENS.

39. Org. that takes many forms: IRS.

41. Veterinary patient: PET.

42. Dove shelter: COTE.

44. Consumed: FED ON.

45. Icy: ALOOF.

46. Shoelace tip: AGLET. Learned from doing xwords.

48. Digger controller: LEVER.

49. Billiards bounce: CAROM.

50. Persian poet: RUMI.

55. __ stick: POGO.

56. Fire sign?: ASH. And 65. Fire sign?: EMBER  

57. Guest spot?: HOTEL. 68. Big time?: EPOCH. 84. Go on a run?: SKI. All great clues.

58. Dwindle in size: WANE.

60. Capital near the Andes: LIMA.

61. Old relation: ANCESTOR.

62. MGM mascot: LION.

64. Tennis star Ivan: LENDL.

66. Wordless: TACIT.

67. French cookbook term: A LA.

69. Greet silently: NOD AT.

70. Donald Glover's "Community" role: TROY. Google shows that he was "the star quarterback of the football team and also the prom king."

75. "Here we go again": OH BOY.

79. Deep purple fruit: ACAI.

83. Con: DOWNSIDE. Pros and cons.

85. Disney's Cruella de __: VIL.

87. Was short: OWED.

89. Gamer's field: ESPORTS.

90. Twain hero: FINN.

94. Hundred-to-one shot: BAD BET.

98. "Good grief!": EGADS.

102. Camera view: ANGLE.

103. Pathogen fighter: T CELL.

104. Vibe: SENSE.

106. Hopeful: ROSY.

107. College World Series org.: NCAA. Held in Omaha every June.

109. Critic's kudos: RAVE.

110. Spreadsheet filler: DATA.

111. __ shed: SHE.

C.C.