Sunday March 2, 2025 Jill Singer

Theme: "In a Manner of Speaking" - Each common expression is reinterpreted literally.

22. "It's so cold my fingers are going numb": DIGITAL COMMUNICATION.

35. "I love my new down comforter": BLANKET STATEMENT.

52. "You should have seen that game-winning throw": PASSING COMMENT.

74. "I only carry one if there's more than a 50% chance of rain": UMBRELLA POLICY.

89. "Granite is best because it's heat-resistant and easy to clean": COUNTER-ARGUMENTS.

108. "Eve and I really wanted that apple": FIRST PERSON NARRATIVE.

I think this is our Jill Singer, a filmmaker in the Boston area. 

She has a fondness for this type of rephrasing theme type. Chuckled at the clues. Fun. 

This grid only has 138 words. Normally we have 142 or 144.

Across:

1. Go from ice to water: MELT.

5. Penn State rival: PITT. Roc the Panther.

9. Church topper: SPIRE.

14. Not stick around: BAIL.

18. Old short film: ONE-REELER.

20. Like an escaped balloon: ALOFT.

21. "Free Willy" mammal: ORCA.

25. Conceptualism debate starter: IS IT ART.

26. Cursed: DOOMED.

27. Cattle markers: BRANDS. San Gu's son-in-law has a huge cattle farm. This is her grandson Er Cong. Don't think he wants to be a farmer.

29. Polar bear platforms: FLOES.

30. Piano key wood, traditionally: EBONY.

32. Laugh half: HEE.

33. Langley org.: CIA.

34. Craving: YEN.

40. Period of time: SPELL.

42. Really annoys: DEVILS. Did not know devil can be a verb. OK, deviled egg. 

43. Creep: EDGE.

44. Escort: SQUIRE.

47. Beats by __: DRE.

50. Collapsible shelter: TENT.

51. Tangy salad herb: CRESS. Just had it last Sunday.

55. S.F. and L.A. locale: CAL.

56. Crème de la crème: A TEAM.

57. __ silence: RADIO.

58. Soak (up): SOP.

59. Starts of some logic problems: IFS.

62. __ photography: still-life genre: TABLETOP.

64. Business letters: LLC.

66. Wine grape variety: CABERNET.

68. Texter's apology: SRY. Sorry.

69. Like sashimi: RAW.

70. Ann __, Michigan: ARBOR.

72. Dye used in mehndi: HENNA.

73. Josh: KID.

78. Big shot: NABOB.

81. Court entry: PLEA.

82. Jimmy Eat World genre: EMO.

83. Rings around pupils: IRISES.

84. "__ be great!": IT'LL.

85. Part of the largest ethnic minority in the U.S.: LATINO. Hispanic and Latino. Han is the largest in the world. I'm a Han.

87. Very thin: GAUNT. And 99. Gray-faced: ASHEN.

93. Half of hexa-: TRI.

96. WSW reversal: ENE.

97. Urban scourge: RAT.

98. Composer Maurice: RAVEL. "Boléro".

101. Some field day races: RELAYS.

103. Peppermint __: PATTIE.

106. Sticks: ADHERES.

111. "Got that, boss": ON IT.

112. Brother's wife or wife's brother: IN-LAW.

113. Transfers legally: SIGNS OVER.

114. Cincinnati players: REDS.

115. Festoon: ADORN.

116. Cookie one might twist to open: OREO.

117. Robin's home: NEST.

Down:

1. Alter: MODIFY.

2. Maroon: ENISLE.

3. Roman military group: LEGION.

4. Overused: TRITE.

5. Comice or Seckel: PEAR. Seckel pears.

6. Tattler's refrain: I'LL TELL.

7. Private eye: TEC. Detective.

8. Trampled: TROD ON.

9. Siberian dog breed: SAMOYED.

10. Reddish purple hue: PLUM.

11. "La Brea" actress Skye: IONE.

12. Microchip initialism: RFID. Radio Frequency Identification.

13. "You know the rest," briefly: ETC.

14. Buddha's meditation spot: BO TREE.

15. Oratorio solo: ARIA.

16. Words following a loss: I CONCEDE.

17. Positions to stick after vaults: LANDINGS.

19. Airport pickup figs.: ETAS.

23. One living a life of prayer: MONK. Nice clue.

24. Offers some bad advice?: ABETS. Really bad advice.

28. Quenches: SATES.

31. Part of an Uncle Fester costume: BALD CAP.

32. Stop: HALT.

35. "Where have you __?": BEEN.

36. Spot for un béret: TETE.

37. Cartoon reindeer: SVEN.

38. Eyelash treatment: TINT.

39. Reagle who was a special guest on a crossword episode of "The Simpsons": MERL. Had a few nice email exchanges with Merl when I first started making puzzles.

40. Natural fiber in rugs and rope: SISAL.

41. Steakhouse selection: PRIME RIB.

44. Quarrels: SPATS.

45. Saudi Arabia neighbor: QATAR.

46. Important date: USE BY.

48. Towel holder: ROD.

49. Wakim of "SNL": EMIL.

51. Meeting point of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans: CAPE HORN.

53. "Oh, __ up!": GROW.

54. Wisdom tooth, e.g.: MOLAR.

55. Kernel holder: COB.

58. "Love Song" singer Bareilles: SARA.

59. Civil rights leader Roy: INNIS.

60. Ideal yard feature for pet owners: FENCE.

61. Legal postponements: STAYS.

63. Small amount: TAD.

65. Indigenous Canadians: CREE.

66. City on the Rhine: COLOGNE. 73. 66-Down, in German: KOLN.

67. Got going again, as a gas lamp: RE-LIT.

71. Anti-racism gp.: BLM.

74. Cosmetics chain with beauty salons: ULTA.

75. Golda of Israel: MEIR.

76. Sound of a slamming door: BANG.

77. Name of 12 popes: PIUS.

78. More sympathetic: NICER.

79. Right, as a wrong: ATONE FOR.

80. Transit option to Boston's Logan Airport: BLUE LINE.

81. Hair band?: PART. 

85. "It's the __ I can do": LEAST.

86. Play in which the Stage Manager is a character: OUR TOWN.

88. On the loose: AT LARGE.

90. Secret meetups: TRYSTS.

91. Common street name: MAIN.

92. "Nevertheless ... ": EVEN SO.

93. Not just survive: THRIVE.

94. Actor Keanu: REEVES.

95. Magazine addition: INSERT.

99. Exclamations of understanding: AHAS.

100. Determined to have: SET ON.

102. Like the Namib: ARID. The Namib is world's oldest desert.

103. Await settlement: PEND.

104. Folk singer Guthrie: ARLO.

105. Peter the Great or Nicholas II: TSAR.

107. Spy film starring Sean Connery: DR NO.

109. Actress Zadora: PIA.

110. Affectation: AIR.

C.C.

Sunday February 23, 2025 Gary Larson

Theme: "Toy Story" - Each common phrase is humorously reinterpreted as if it's a toy.

23A. Spinner for an early riser?: TOP OF THE MORNING.

44A. Classic playset made of cut logs?: LUMBERJACKS.

67A. Equipment for playing catch in a costume?: MASQUERADE BALLS.

93A. Rollerblades that are a dime a dozen?: CHEAPSKATES.

115A. Competitive activity with infinite possibilities?: GAME FOR ANYTHING.

17D. Shapers for kids' goo?: SLIME MOLDS.

73D. Travel version of a stackable building set?: ROADBLOCKS.

I like this playful twist. Reminds me of this "This is not a toy" puzzle I made with Tom Pepper five years ago.  

My childhood was stolen. No toys or games. We did kick Jianzi a lot. I was wearing my red scarf just like this little girl does.

 

Across:

1. Halls rival: RICOLA. Boomer liked Halls cough drops.

7. Open to change: ADAPTIVE.

15. Irritates: RASPS.

20. Undermines: ERODES.

21. Army training exercise: MANEUVER.

22. Radiant: AGLOW.

25. Waititi of "What We Do in the Shadows": TAIKA. Husband of xword regular Rita Ora.

26. Proton partner: NEUTRON.

27. Finish: END.

28. Fate: KISMET.

29. Future esq.'s exam: LSAT.

30. Punchy salad ingredient: CRESS. This refers to watercress, right?

33. Overused theme: TROPE.

34. Sp. titles: SRAS.

37. Free: LET OUT.

39. James of "Funny Lady": CAAN.

40. __ and cheese: MAC.

43. Unkempt do: MOP.

47. Magic, on scoreboards: ORL. Orlando.

48. Headline writer: EDITOR.

52. "Enough already!": TMI.

53. Build on: ADD TO.

54. Muse of history: CLIO.

55. Discover: LEARN OF.

57. Japanese dog breed: AKITA.

59. Gamekeeper: WARDEN.

61. Phrase on Texas license plates: LONE STAR.

63. Nickel, e.g.: METAL.

66. Verdon partner: FOSSE. Gwen Verdon and Bob Fosse.

71. "A Christmas __": CAROL.

74. "The Hobbit" dragon: SMAUG. I'm a descendant of the dragon. All Chinese are. 

75. Homer that scores one run: SOLO SHOT.

79. Likes a lot: ADORES.

81. Arena levels: TIERS.

84. Like a sailboat's mainsail: SCALENE. Scalene triangle with the longest edge along the mainmast.

85. Narrow inlets: RIAS.

86. Louisiana cuisine: CAJUN.

89. Volkswagen convertible: EOS. Not a car person. No idea.

91. Did a do: STYLED.

92. Place to retire: BED. And 98. Study, say: ROOM.

96. Fellow: LAD.

97. Hero: SUB.

99. Tailor, at times: FITTER.

101. "__ cannoli!": HOLY.

102. Rest atop: LIE ON.

104. Step up from nano-: MICRO.

106. Buggy terrain: DUNE.

108. Ethically challenged: AMORAL.

110. Embargo: BAN.

111. Folks who may be up a creek with a paddle: CANOERS. Now I know how to swim, I look forward to canoe someday.

114. Center of power: LOCUS.

120. Bracelet spot: ANKLE.

121. Natives of Wyoming: ARAPAHOS. Google shows that they were close allies of the Cheyenne tribe.

122. Skilled speaker: ORATOR.

123. Honkers: NOSES.

124. Totals: DESTROYS.

125. Meditative genre: NEW AGE.

Down:

1. No longer working, briefly: RET.

2. Part of a press kit?: IRON. Pressing.

3. Carry on: COPE.

4. Nonalcoholic beer brand: O'DOULS. 

5. Some driving instructions: LEFTS.

6. Type of plane that doesn't fly: ASTRAL. Astral plane.

7. Hymn ending: AMEN.

8. Three Gorges project: DAM.

9. "Should I take that as __?": A NO.

10. Piece of rpm: PER.

11. Fixes, as a piano: TUNES. My mentor Don G is a piano tuner.

12. Political columnist Molly: IVINS. Quick wit.

13. Hawk: VEND.

14. Indoor rower, for short: ERG.

15. Controls supply: RATIONS.

16. Showing shock: AGASP.

18. Jab: POKE.

19. Smack: SWAT.

24. Monopoly purchase: HOTEL.

28. Polish metropolis: KRAKOW. Poland's second-largest city.

30. Clause separator, at times: COMMA.

31. Puzzle cube creator: RUBIK.

32. Nice season: ETE. Nice, France.

33. Diplomat's skill: TACT.

34. Common sense?: SMELL. Also like this clue: 76. Phone line?: HELLO.

35. Bull rider's sport: RODEO.

36. Like some drones: APIAN.

38. Sound of reproach: TUT.

39. Currency with toonies, briefly: CAD. The code for Canadian $. More here. CNY is Chinese Yuan.

41. Sign before Taurus: ARIES.

42. Geneticist's research subject, perhaps: CLONE.

45. Like most films: RATED.

46. Social app with a synagogue directory: JDATE.

49. Kevin Bacon horror film with an "Aftershocks" sequel: TREMORS.

50. Marked down: ON SALE.

51. Goes off: ROTS.

54. In an angry manner: CROSSLY.

56. Website help pages: FAQS.

58. Public relations concern: IMAGE.

60. Like ice cubes in water: AFLOAT.

62. Piña colada ingredient: RUM.

64. Muscles worked by planks: ABS.

65. Southeast Asian nation: LAOS.

68. Really enjoy: EAT UP.

69. Ancient civilization remnants: RUINS. So many ruins in my hometown Xi'an. Our city wall. Rectangular. 4-hour walk.

70. Inc. relatives: LLCS.

71. Keto no-nos: CARBS.

72. "So long, mon ami": ADIEU.

77. NBA analyst Shaquille: O'NEAL.

78. Bear in a crib: TEDDY.

80. Pod relative: SCHOOL.

82. Broadcast again: RE-AIR.

83. __ voce: SOTTO.

87. Many moons: AEON.

88. Copier problem: JAM.

90. Firm up: SET.

93. Clothing lines: CREASES.

94. Colonel Sanders's place: KFC.

95. Midsize car: SEDAN.

100. Damon who wrote the stories adapted as "Guys and Dolls": RUNYON.

101. Donkey's call: HEEHAW.

103. Victor's cry: I RULE.

104. 111-Down and Phillips, in a 1960s pop group: MAMAS. And 111. Singer Elliot: CASS.

105. Klutzy: INEPT.

107. Paris possessive: NOTRE.

108. "The Traitors" host Cumming: ALAN.

109. Not stereo: MONO.

110. Show: BARE.

112. Actress Wilson: RITA.

113. Lip-lock, in London: SNOG.

115. Josh of "Wolf Like Me": GAD.

116. Way off: FAR.

117. "Well, lookee here!": OHO.

118. Wizzard singer Wood: ROY.

119. Test for M.A. hopefuls: GRE.

 

Thank you, Husker Gary, for making my 400th LAT puzzle so memorable. Thank you all for the sweet messages.

C.C.

Sunday February 16, 2024 Jill Rafaloff & Michelle Sontarp

Theme: "Wide World of Sports" - Each common phrase is humorously reinterpreted as sports-related, fitting the legend in each corresponding clue.

24. Perfect serve by Serena Williams?: POINT OF NO RETURN.

37. Asset for Simone Biles during a beam routine?: OUTSTANDING BALANCE.

51. Patrick Mahomes's responsibilities on the football field?: SNAP DECISIONS.

63. Lindsay Vonn's secret to winning the super G?: GOING DOWNHILL FAST.

83. Makes like Richard Petty in a NASCAR race?: GETS UP TO SPEED.

93. What the Reds had when Johnny Bench was behind the plate?: HOME SECURITY SYSTEM

112. What Rory McIlroy does to practice his golf swing?: TAKES A TEST DRIVE.

This is indeed Wide World of Sports, covering seven different sports. Each person in the clue is the GOAT in their own field.

This is our third puzzle from Jill Rafaloff and Michelle Sontarp. They make a great team

 
Across:

1. Not shy about giving one's opinion: VOCAL. Also 11. Verbalized: SPOKEN.

6. Yogi demonstrations: ASANAS.

12. NMSP qualifying exam: PSAT. NMSP is National Merit Scholarship Qualifications.

16. Black Mission fruit: FIG. So good when fresh.

19. Thrifty alternative: ALAMO.

20. Dynamite roll filler: SHRIMP. With shrimp tempura.

21. Dined at a table for one: ATE ALONE.

23. Flight leader: PILOT.

26. Blow past one's budget: OVER-SPEND.

28. Fulfill, as a promise: KEEP.

29. Elation: GLEE.

30. Scrap and start again: REDO.

31. Anxiety-related med. condition: OCD.

32. Paired fairly: EVEN.

34. Pay rate: WAGE.

43. Clip art?: BONSAI. We call it Penjing. Same art.

 

45. Up to today: YET.

46. "Plus others not listed" abbr.: ET AL.

47. Singer/actress Rita: ORA.

49. Functionality: UTILITY.

55. Collar insert: STAY.

56. Spreads uncontrollably: RAGES.

58. Attestation: OATH.

59. Sheer skirt need: SLIP.

60. Paul David Hewson's stage name: BONO.

61. "You've got mail" company: AOL.

62. Intel employees?: SPIES. Intelligence.

70. "The Iron Claw" actor Zac: EFRON. He bulked up for the role.

72. Espouse: WED.

73. Pork cut: LOIN.

74. Give up: DROP.

75. Ready and willing partner: ABLE.

77. Hellspawn: DEMON.

79. Crude content: SMUT.

87. Eighth planet from the sun: NEPTUNE.

89. Rough guess, for short: EST.

90. Rests one's feet: SITS.

91. Infuriated: MAD.

92. Hand in: SUBMIT..

99. Cheese with a red casing: EDAM.

100. "His Dark Materials" actress Wilson: RUTH. And 117. "The Office" actor Wilson: RAINN.

101. Weed whacker?: HOE.

102. Fissure: RIFT.

105. Golden calf, e.g.: IDOL.

108. Authors: PENS.

110. Unexpected charge: HIDDEN FEE.

118. Crumbly topping: STREUSEL. Often on top of the apple crisp at the Graybar Christmas luncheon. 

119. Winner's wreath: LAUREL.

120. __-Roman wrestling: GRECO.

121. Pro motion?: YEA. Nice clue.

122. Profs' degrees: PHDS.

123. Fire remnants: EMBERS.

124. More peculiar: ODDER.

Down:

1. Gaseous matter: VAPOR.

2. Castelvetrano, for one: OLIVE. Castelvetrano is new to me. Named after the down in Sicily.

3. Poetic name of Scotland: CALEDONIA. Also new to me. Wikipedia says it "was the Latin name used by the Roman Empire to refer to the part of Scotland that lies north of the River Forth, which includes most of the land area of Scotland.

4. With passion: AMOROUSLY.

5. Parcels: LOTS.

6. Facet: ASPECT.

7. "Scandal" producer Rhimes: SHONDA.

8. Like the McMurdo Dry Valleys: ARID.

9. Writer Anaïs: NIN.

10. Check no.: AMT.

12. French door piece: PANE.

13. Clock app option: STOPWATCH.

14. __ Lingus: AER.

15. __ Bo: 1990s fitness fad: TAE.

16. Rank: FOUL.

17. Subject line?: IN RE.

18. __ therapy: GENE.

22. Three-star mil. rank: LT GEN.

25. __ shui: FENG. Literally "wind".

27. Electron's antiparticle: POSITRON.

32. Pristine places: EDENS. Have you ever tried a brand called Eden? I recent bought a bag of millet from them. The taste is close to what I had as a kid.

33. Life, in Italy: VITA.

35. Jai __: ALAI.

36. Some folks: GALS.

38. Mai __: cocktail: TAI.

39. Big Board abbr.: NYSE.

40. Vivid root vegetable: BEET.

41. "Check your temper!": COOL IT.

42. Hudson of "Ghostbusters": ERNIE.

43. Crosstown transit option: BUS.

44. Baseball great Mel: OTT. Picture from Big Easy a while ago.

48. Nile reptiles: ASPS.

50. Bowen of "Wicked": YANG.

52. Piglet's pal: POOH.

53. Surrealist painter of "The Elephants": DALI.

54. Cos. like Xfinity and Verizon: ISPS.

57. Zeus, e.g.: GOD.

60. Container: BIN.

61. "One more thing": AND.

62. __ Antonio: SAN.

63. Sea cave: GROTTO.

64. "Didn't mean to do that!": OOPS.

65. Rice University athletes: OWLS.

66. Break down, in a way: WEEP.

67. Generative AI tool: LLM. Large Language Model. Learning moment for me.

68. Bird on the Canadian dollar coin: LOON.

69. Handled adroitly: FINESSED.

70. Boundary: EDGE.

71. Sassy: FRESH.

75. Tried: ATTEMPTED.

76. Pear variety: BOSC.

77. Narrator of "The Book Thief": DEATH. The cover looks scary.

78. Current event?: EDDY.

79. Barrel-wearing dog: ST BERNARD.

80. Prepared for burial, as in ancient Egypt: MUMMIFIED.

81. Sea urchin on a Japanese menu: UNI. We also have 109. Unadon fish: EELS.

82. Lunar New Year: TET.

84. Cheaper, perhaps: USED.

85. City on the Arno: PISA.

86. Send out: EMIT.

88. "__ 'er there!": PUT.

94. Disorderly fight: MELEE.

95. Serve-yourself coffee holders: URNS.

96. Cook (up): RUSTLE.

97. Shake with cold: SHIVER. This winter has been brutally cold.

98. Alpine sounds: YODELS.

103. Yard separator: FENCE.

104. Sax type: TENOR.

105. Teeny-weeny: ITSY.

106. Go out with: DATE.

107. Stew-thickening pod: OKRA.

110. Take on: HIRE.

111. "Logically, this means ... ": ERGO.

113. "Yo!": SUP.

114. Fire remnant: ASH.

115. Flow stopper: DAM.

116. "Ay, there's the __": RUB.

Anyone else on our blog takes Methotrexate? I started the pills last Tuesday for my rheumatoid arthritis, along with prednisone. 

C.C.

Sunday, February 9, 2025 ~ Tom Pepper & Zhouqin Burnikel

Theme: "H2O"

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."

21. Ventricles' counterparts: ATRIA. Heart anatomy.

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'.

114. Peak in Thessaly: OSSA.

119. Cookbook writer Garten: INA. Crosswordom's favorite foodie?

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.

Splynter with Cooper on Christmas Day