Theme: Mark Time - Each theme answer contains GPA ( 110D. Scholastic mean, briefly, hidden in this puzzle's seven longest answers).
27A. It's a racket: PING-PONG PADDLE. Indeed. A racket. I am very fond of "it" or "they" containing clues.
41A. S.O.S, for one: SCOURING PAD
64A. "Come again?": BEG PARDON? Would be interested to know what Dennis was thinking.
89A. Group in power: RULING PARTY
101A.State of inaction: HOLDING PATTERN
15D. You might get it in your pajamas: MORNING PAPER. Another "it".
58D. More than a walk-on: SPEAKING PART
All of ING-ending phrases are in-the-language. Not the simple ING progress verb form.
Of all the theme answers, I like BEG PARDON the most.
Quite a few sports references in the grid too:
15A. National League East team: METS. But YANKEE (30A. New Englander) is not clued as baseball related.
40. Bobby Orr, for most of his career: BRUIN. Boston Bruins. Good to see Orr as a clue.
40. Mile High athlete: BRONCO. Denver Broncos. I've never heard of Mile High Stadium. Don't follow football.
80. Baseball Hall of Famer Wilhelm: HOYT. Pitcher. Have no recollection of his name, though I might have one or two of his baseball cards.
Very enjoyable puzzle. As the norm with Sunday puzzle, lots of entertaining clues. MESA (108. Big butte) made me laugh. Precious!
Across:
1. Group of notes: CHORD. Wanted SCALE.
6. Is, in Ixtapa: ESTA. Ixtapa is a beach resort in Mexico. Unknown to me. Alliteration.
10. Prefix with grain: MULTI. Multigrain.
19. Renée's "Chicago" role: ROXIE. Catherine Zeta-Jones played Velma.
20. Milky Way ingredient?: STAR. Sweet clue. I bet many thought of the chocolate bar first.
21. Guesstimate word: ABOUT
22. Speed-skating rink, e.g.: OVAL
23. Invites the public: OPENS
24. You can't go when you're in it: PARK. Another tricky "it".
25. Districts: ZONES. Plunked in AREAS first.
26. Pantheon site: ROME. And GODS (103D.Pantheon figures). Pantheon echo. We also have ITALIA (56. Venezia's land). Venice.
32. Begin to use, as resources: TAP
33. Just so: NEAT. I don't get this clue.
34. Most violent: GORIEST
35. __ de corps: ESPRIT
38. Caravan stopovers: OASES
43. Trevi Fountain coin count?: TRE. And TRI (99. Bi- plus one). I have no objections to words of same roots.
44. Gelling agents: AGARS
48. Having just seen a ghost, maybe: PALE
49. Mechanical connectors, half the time: MALES. Wikipedia says the "female" connector is generally a receptacle that connects to and holds the "male" connector. I've never heard of this term before. Sounds so DF.
50. Jumping contest entrants: FROGS
52. __ du jour: bistro special: PLAT. Sipped on SOUP first.
53. Hundreds of wks.: YRS. I liked the clue.
54. Cavalry blade: SABER. And EPEES (114. Duel-purpose equipment).
58. Feed store?: SILO. Would be a tricky though still valid clue without the question mark.
59. Alpine mont: BLANC. Mont Blanc. Highest mountain in the Alps.
60. Managing: COPING
61. Acts of faith?: LEAPS. Leaps of Faith.
68. Like urban populations: DENSE
69. In __ and out ... : ONE EAR. A 6-letter fill-in-the-blank partial. An exception to the 5-letter limit rule.
71. Pottery ovens: KILNS
72. Frankenstein aide: IGOR. I often confuse him with the "Othello" villain IAGO.
74. Throw a feast for: REGALE
75. Data transfer unit: BAUD. No idea. It's named after the French inventor J.M. E. Baudot.
76. Odessa's home: TEXAS. Ukraine too.
78. "Like that's gonna happen!": HAH
81. "Gymnopédies" composer Satie: ERIK
82. 1936 Olympics champ: OWENS. The only 1936 Olympics champ I can think of.
84. Simple fellow: SIMON. What? I only know Simon as a guy's name.
85. Seat of Hawaii County: HILO
86. Plebe's denial: NO SIR
88. Some hangings: ART
91. Asian menu assurance: NO MSG. Great entry.
93. Musical "don't play": TACET. Literally "Be silent". Same root as "tacit", Jazzbumpa?
94. "Very well": SO BE IT
95. Disconnects: HANGS UP
98. Knot, as of hair: HANK. A hank of hair.
100.Justice of the peace customer: ELOPER. Have never heard of Justice of Peace.
109."Enough already!": I GIVE.
111.Dig find, perhaps: TOOL. Primitive tool.
112.Part of a TV signal: AUDIO
113.Constantly: EVER
115.Command after "Oops!": UNDO. Nice clue.
116.Touches the tarmac: LANDS
117.Brooding place: NEST
118.Soup scoop: LADLE. Alliteration.
119.Thorn in one's side: PEST
120.Cut drastically: SLASH
Down:
1. Harvester's haul: CROP. And OXEN (3. Farmer's helpers).
2. Northern Arizona native: HOPI. They make beautiful ollas. Today's constructor is from Scottsdale, AZ, the same city as our Lucina and Frenchie.
4. Sound right: RING TRUE
5. Lose heart: DESPAIR
6. Armchair QB's channel: ESPN. Nailed it.
7. Men-only affair: STAG. And LONE (12. Sans companions lone)
8. Field shield: TARP. Rhyme.
9. Hot Springs National Park state: ARKANSAS
10. Tribute and Miata: MAZDAS. Had trouble obtaining the answer.
11. It might have a nut at each end: U-BOLT. Another "it".
13. Digital watch abbr.: TUE
14. Dress shop compliment: IT'S YOU
16. Draw forth: EVOKE
17. Emulates a horse whisperer: TAMES. I loved the movie "The Horse Whisperer".
18. Frozen drops: SLEET. And RAINS (46. Gully fillers).
28. Most favorable: OPTIMAL. Nice non-est ending entry.
29. Scout's good work: DEED
31. Mezzo's moment: ARIA
34. Sportscaster Gumbel: GREG. Oh, his mug is very familiar.
35. See from afar: ESPY
36. Wound remnant: SCAR. Scab too.
37. Campaign vets: POLS. And TREND (43. Exit poll indication).
38. Eye impolitely: OGLE
39. One making a good impression?: APER. Indeed. Fun clue.
42. Mover and shaker: NABOB. Learned this phrase from Agnew's "nattering nabobs of negativism". I can see Dennis nodding in agreement.
45. Exhausted: ALL IN
47. Frontier transport: STAGE. Stagecoach.
50. What the dauntless lack: FEARS
51. [Quoted verbatim]: SIC. Only ten 3-letter words in this grid.
54. Rope fiber: SISAL. Can never remember this word.
55. Needing spicing: BLAND
57. Ruckuses: TODOS
59. High 80s, roughly: B PLUS. Oh, good to know. We did not have A, B, C grading when I was college.
61. "Space Cowboys" actor __ Dean: LOREN. Nope. First meeting with this actor.
62. Start of a new año: ENERO. January.
63. Tutelage: AEGIS. Sometimes it's spelled as egis.
65. "La Dolce Vita" actress: EKBERG (Anita). I peeked at the answer sheet.
66. Beanstalk menace: GIANT. From "Jack and the Beanstalk".
67. President who appeared on "Laugh-In": NIXON. "Sock it to me?".
70. '20s-'30s Flying Cloud, e.g.: REO. I think we had this clue before.
73. Rap genre: GANSTA
76. Scrabble piece: TILE.
77. Throw off: EMIT. New meaning of "throw off" to me.
79. Cathedral voices: ALTI. Plural of alto?
83. Slender-bodied stinger: WASP
84. Silently endure difficulty, in slang: SUCK IT UP. Cool fill.
85. Chronic: HABITUAL
87. Greeted the judge: ROSE
89. "Atlas Shrugged" author: RAND (Ayn)
90. Internet gateways: PORTALS
92. Spark in a bookshop: MURIEL. Muriel Spark, Scottish novelist. Unknown figure to me.
93. "Thy Neighbor’s Wife" author: TALESE (Gay). Stumper also.
95. Studly sorts: HE-MEN
96. Naproxen brand: ALEVE
97. Small victory margins: NOSES. Win by a nose.
98. Crude abode: HOVEL
101.Zipped: HIED. And NONE (102.Zip). Zip echo. Different meanings.
104.Conspiracy theorist's subject: PLOT
105."Show Boat" author Ferber: EDNA. Several authors in today's puzzle.
106.Clears (of): RIDS
107.Small snack: NOSH. Alliteration.
Answer grid.
Happy 89th Birthday to Jazzbumpa's mom!
C.C.
27A. It's a racket: PING-PONG PADDLE. Indeed. A racket. I am very fond of "it" or "they" containing clues.
41A. S.O.S, for one: SCOURING PAD
64A. "Come again?": BEG PARDON? Would be interested to know what Dennis was thinking.
89A. Group in power: RULING PARTY
101A.State of inaction: HOLDING PATTERN
15D. You might get it in your pajamas: MORNING PAPER. Another "it".
58D. More than a walk-on: SPEAKING PART
All of ING-ending phrases are in-the-language. Not the simple ING progress verb form.
Of all the theme answers, I like BEG PARDON the most.
Quite a few sports references in the grid too:
15A. National League East team: METS. But YANKEE (30A. New Englander) is not clued as baseball related.
40. Bobby Orr, for most of his career: BRUIN. Boston Bruins. Good to see Orr as a clue.
40. Mile High athlete: BRONCO. Denver Broncos. I've never heard of Mile High Stadium. Don't follow football.
80. Baseball Hall of Famer Wilhelm: HOYT. Pitcher. Have no recollection of his name, though I might have one or two of his baseball cards.
Very enjoyable puzzle. As the norm with Sunday puzzle, lots of entertaining clues. MESA (108. Big butte) made me laugh. Precious!
Across:
1. Group of notes: CHORD. Wanted SCALE.
6. Is, in Ixtapa: ESTA. Ixtapa is a beach resort in Mexico. Unknown to me. Alliteration.
10. Prefix with grain: MULTI. Multigrain.
19. Renée's "Chicago" role: ROXIE. Catherine Zeta-Jones played Velma.
20. Milky Way ingredient?: STAR. Sweet clue. I bet many thought of the chocolate bar first.
21. Guesstimate word: ABOUT
22. Speed-skating rink, e.g.: OVAL
23. Invites the public: OPENS
24. You can't go when you're in it: PARK. Another tricky "it".
25. Districts: ZONES. Plunked in AREAS first.
26. Pantheon site: ROME. And GODS (103D.Pantheon figures). Pantheon echo. We also have ITALIA (56. Venezia's land). Venice.
32. Begin to use, as resources: TAP
33. Just so: NEAT. I don't get this clue.
34. Most violent: GORIEST
35. __ de corps: ESPRIT
38. Caravan stopovers: OASES
43. Trevi Fountain coin count?: TRE. And TRI (99. Bi- plus one). I have no objections to words of same roots.
44. Gelling agents: AGARS
48. Having just seen a ghost, maybe: PALE
49. Mechanical connectors, half the time: MALES. Wikipedia says the "female" connector is generally a receptacle that connects to and holds the "male" connector. I've never heard of this term before. Sounds so DF.
50. Jumping contest entrants: FROGS
52. __ du jour: bistro special: PLAT. Sipped on SOUP first.
53. Hundreds of wks.: YRS. I liked the clue.
54. Cavalry blade: SABER. And EPEES (114. Duel-purpose equipment).
58. Feed store?: SILO. Would be a tricky though still valid clue without the question mark.
59. Alpine mont: BLANC. Mont Blanc. Highest mountain in the Alps.
60. Managing: COPING
61. Acts of faith?: LEAPS. Leaps of Faith.
68. Like urban populations: DENSE
69. In __ and out ... : ONE EAR. A 6-letter fill-in-the-blank partial. An exception to the 5-letter limit rule.
71. Pottery ovens: KILNS
72. Frankenstein aide: IGOR. I often confuse him with the "Othello" villain IAGO.
74. Throw a feast for: REGALE
75. Data transfer unit: BAUD. No idea. It's named after the French inventor J.M. E. Baudot.
76. Odessa's home: TEXAS. Ukraine too.
78. "Like that's gonna happen!": HAH
81. "Gymnopédies" composer Satie: ERIK
82. 1936 Olympics champ: OWENS. The only 1936 Olympics champ I can think of.
84. Simple fellow: SIMON. What? I only know Simon as a guy's name.
85. Seat of Hawaii County: HILO
86. Plebe's denial: NO SIR
88. Some hangings: ART
91. Asian menu assurance: NO MSG. Great entry.
93. Musical "don't play": TACET. Literally "Be silent". Same root as "tacit", Jazzbumpa?
94. "Very well": SO BE IT
95. Disconnects: HANGS UP
98. Knot, as of hair: HANK. A hank of hair.
100.Justice of the peace customer: ELOPER. Have never heard of Justice of Peace.
109."Enough already!": I GIVE.
111.Dig find, perhaps: TOOL. Primitive tool.
112.Part of a TV signal: AUDIO
113.Constantly: EVER
115.Command after "Oops!": UNDO. Nice clue.
116.Touches the tarmac: LANDS
117.Brooding place: NEST
118.Soup scoop: LADLE. Alliteration.
119.Thorn in one's side: PEST
120.Cut drastically: SLASH
Down:
1. Harvester's haul: CROP. And OXEN (3. Farmer's helpers).
2. Northern Arizona native: HOPI. They make beautiful ollas. Today's constructor is from Scottsdale, AZ, the same city as our Lucina and Frenchie.
4. Sound right: RING TRUE
5. Lose heart: DESPAIR
6. Armchair QB's channel: ESPN. Nailed it.
7. Men-only affair: STAG. And LONE (12. Sans companions lone)
8. Field shield: TARP. Rhyme.
9. Hot Springs National Park state: ARKANSAS
10. Tribute and Miata: MAZDAS. Had trouble obtaining the answer.
11. It might have a nut at each end: U-BOLT. Another "it".
13. Digital watch abbr.: TUE
14. Dress shop compliment: IT'S YOU
16. Draw forth: EVOKE
17. Emulates a horse whisperer: TAMES. I loved the movie "The Horse Whisperer".
18. Frozen drops: SLEET. And RAINS (46. Gully fillers).
28. Most favorable: OPTIMAL. Nice non-est ending entry.
29. Scout's good work: DEED
31. Mezzo's moment: ARIA
34. Sportscaster Gumbel: GREG. Oh, his mug is very familiar.
35. See from afar: ESPY
36. Wound remnant: SCAR. Scab too.
37. Campaign vets: POLS. And TREND (43. Exit poll indication).
38. Eye impolitely: OGLE
39. One making a good impression?: APER. Indeed. Fun clue.
42. Mover and shaker: NABOB. Learned this phrase from Agnew's "nattering nabobs of negativism". I can see Dennis nodding in agreement.
45. Exhausted: ALL IN
47. Frontier transport: STAGE. Stagecoach.
50. What the dauntless lack: FEARS
51. [Quoted verbatim]: SIC. Only ten 3-letter words in this grid.
54. Rope fiber: SISAL. Can never remember this word.
55. Needing spicing: BLAND
57. Ruckuses: TODOS
59. High 80s, roughly: B PLUS. Oh, good to know. We did not have A, B, C grading when I was college.
61. "Space Cowboys" actor __ Dean: LOREN. Nope. First meeting with this actor.
62. Start of a new año: ENERO. January.
63. Tutelage: AEGIS. Sometimes it's spelled as egis.
65. "La Dolce Vita" actress: EKBERG (Anita). I peeked at the answer sheet.
66. Beanstalk menace: GIANT. From "Jack and the Beanstalk".
67. President who appeared on "Laugh-In": NIXON. "Sock it to me?".
70. '20s-'30s Flying Cloud, e.g.: REO. I think we had this clue before.
73. Rap genre: GANSTA
76. Scrabble piece: TILE.
77. Throw off: EMIT. New meaning of "throw off" to me.
79. Cathedral voices: ALTI. Plural of alto?
83. Slender-bodied stinger: WASP
84. Silently endure difficulty, in slang: SUCK IT UP. Cool fill.
85. Chronic: HABITUAL
87. Greeted the judge: ROSE
89. "Atlas Shrugged" author: RAND (Ayn)
90. Internet gateways: PORTALS
92. Spark in a bookshop: MURIEL. Muriel Spark, Scottish novelist. Unknown figure to me.
93. "Thy Neighbor’s Wife" author: TALESE (Gay). Stumper also.
95. Studly sorts: HE-MEN
96. Naproxen brand: ALEVE
97. Small victory margins: NOSES. Win by a nose.
98. Crude abode: HOVEL
101.Zipped: HIED. And NONE (102.Zip). Zip echo. Different meanings.
104.Conspiracy theorist's subject: PLOT
105."Show Boat" author Ferber: EDNA. Several authors in today's puzzle.
106.Clears (of): RIDS
107.Small snack: NOSH. Alliteration.
Answer grid.
Happy 89th Birthday to Jazzbumpa's mom!
C.C.
