Theme: Do Something
23A: Instruction to a drinker?: HAVE A SHOT
24A: Instruction to a take-out diner?: CALL TO ORDER
36A: Instruction to a battery maker?: PUT IN CHARGE
42A: Instruction to a lumberjack's assistant?: GIVE THE AX
56A: Instruction to a sculptor?: PLAN AHEAD
59A: Instruction to ship Styrofoam?: SEND PACKING
78A: Instruction to a talcum buyer?: TAKE A POWDER
80A: Instruction to a corporal punisher?: HIT BOTTOM
96A: Instruction to a wooer? GO TO COURT
99A: Instruction to a judge after a mistrial: TRY TRY AGAIN
116A: Instruction to a mime?: MAKE A MOTION
119A: Instruction to a comic?: FEEL FUNNY
I felt so uncomfortable with 42A. I know GIVE THE AX is an idiom, but I still wanted to add ME. The clue seems to be asking for "GIVE (ME) THE AX".
I would put "Follow the instructions" rather than "Do something" as the theme title. In fact, all the above theme answers feel more like orders rather than instructions to me. The constructor chose "instructions" probably because of 24A CALL TO ORDER.
I like this punny theme. If someone has been reading our comments lately, he should be inspired to create a "Beauty Salon Names" themed puzzle, using Argyle & KittyB's "Curl up & Dye", "Shear Magic", "Hair Port", "Clipper Ship", "Chop Shop" etc.
Anyway, it's a great puzzle. I can't imagine how much research work he did in order to come up with such an amazing list of theme entries with a perfect combination of letters. Look at the way he gridded those 12 theme answers - all 20-letter fills separated by 1 block, amazing! As a result, lots of 3-letter fills are necessitated in the Across. But no complaints from me today.
Some minor flaws:
1) I would clue KNELT (69D: Prepared to pray) as "Prepared to propose" because of PRAYER (108A: Supplication).
2) 76A: Parallel grooves: STRIA. The clue should be in singular form. The plural "grooves" demands STRIAE. At least, that's what the dictionary says. It's a new word to me.
3) 6D: ___ -la -la!: OOH. The clue needs a quotation mark.
4) 100D: Astern: ABAFT. Visually grating. "Toward the stern" should be fine.
I had to resort to google for help, there is no way I can finish a Sunday puzzle unassisted. It may take me another half year. But he did it. I should be able to DO SOMETHING too.
Across:
1A: Ring overhead: HALO
19A: Orphanage transactions: ADOPTIONS. "Transactions"? Sounds so impersonal and cold.
22A: Civic firm: HONDA. Great clue.
27A: Discombobulate: BEMUSE. Ha, now I understand the clue. Thought it was a made-up word yesterday.
29A: In a hopeful manner: ROSILY. I've never seen ROSILY being used in any article. ROSY, yes.
45A: Jack-in-the-pulpit, e.g.: ARUM. I missed it last time, and I missed it again today. "Jack-in-the-pulpit", what a strange name. But isn't ARUM kind of lily?
47A: Canary island: LA PALMA. Unknown to me. Shouldn't the clue be "One of the Canary Islands"?
48A: Brother of Rebecca: LABAN. I had ?ABAN for eons. Had to google. I tank on almost everything Biblical. Anyway, Wikipedia says LABAN is the father of Leah & Rachel.
52A: Play part: ACT II
63A: Spoke snake: HISSED. I was in the wrong direction, thinking the clue was asking for a special kind of spoke-shaped snake like yesterday's RALES (death rattles).
72A: Valley where David and Goliath fought: ELAH. I got it from down clues.
73A: Of bears: URSINE
85A: Hagar's dog: SNERT. From "Hagar the Horrible". Just saw this clue last week. ODIE is anther comic strip (Garfield) dog, so is OTTO (Beetle Baily). Here is a list of all those Comic Dog Names.
88A: Hindu teacher: SWAMI. The Hindu guru. The alternative spelling is SWAMY.
89A: Picked for the wrong part: MISCAST
92A: Disguised, briefly: INCOG. Short for INCOGNITA or INCOGNITO.
95A: Nagy of Hungary: IMRE. I simply forgot, again. How can I remember his name? I'm RE?
104A: Address of a DPL: EMB. DPL (Diplomat) is not a familiar abbreviation for me.
111A: Upolu resident: SAMOAN. I just learned that Robert Louis Stevenson spent the last 5 years of his life here.
121A: Van Gogh location: ARLES. This is the place where he painted "The Sunflowers". I pass by this painting every morning on the way to the kitchen. So easy to get lost in his vibrant yellow cast.
123A: Silent quality: TACITNESS. Only knew the adjective TACIT.
Down:
3D: Zero in tennis: LOVE. And 49D: Zilch: NADA.
4D: Autobahn auto: OPEL. It's part of GM.
5D: Cut apart for analysis: DISSECT
9D: Disqualified due to prejudice: RECUSE
16D: Salad green: ENDIVE. It's too bitter for for salad, don't you think so? I like Belgium ENDIVE.
17D: Aguilar of Ariana Franklin novels: ADELIA. Unknown to me. I've never heard of Ariana Franklin or any of her book.
18D: Voice box: LARYNX
28D: Molten rock: MAGMA
33D: Upright walkers: BIPEDS
36D: Insect's feeler: PALP. How quickly I forgot this word! P-ALP. Good Pedi-PALP picture.
37D: Russian range: URAL. Also the Russian river. The city Orsk is on the URAL River.
38D: Big, band tote: TUBA. What kind of clue is this?
39D: Somali model: IMAN. They seem to be very happy together.
40D: Up, in the ballpark: AT BAT
42D: Senator/astronaut Jake and family: GARNS. I've never heard of him. Wikipedia says he was aboard Space Shuttle Discovery in 1985.
43D: NBA all-star guard: T-MAC. Rockets' Tracy McGrady.
44D: Type of artificial fly: HACKLE. Did not know this angling term. Here is a black gnat soft HACKLE.
47D: Stay sleeping: LIE IN. Dictionary explains LIE IN as "to be confined to bed in childbirth". So, how can it be "Stay sleeping"?
57D: Overly excited: HET UP
58D: Madrid month: ENERO. Ah, the Año opener.
60D: Drummer of Rush: PEART (Neil). No, he is totally foreign to me. I've never heard of this "Rush" rock band.
67D: Japanese drink: SAKE. I guess this is not really a SAKE ad. The language is in Korean, what the heck is George Clooney drinking then?
68D: Dynamic leader?: THERMO. "Hot"!
75D: That is: Lat: ID EST
77D: Touch of color: TINCT
79D: Fan extension?: ATIC. Fanatic. Or "Problem ending".
82D: Writer Janowitz: TAMA. One more unknown. She wrote "Slaves of New York". Was she a gimme to you?
83D: Actor Katz: OMRI. I googled his name. I was too deeply mired in this corner. Wikipedia says he was in "Hocus Pocus" & "Dallas".
87D: '84 Modine movie: BIRDY. Another google. Not familiar with "BIRDY" or the actor Matthew Modine.
94D: Girl's school athletic uniform: GYMSLIP. No, no, no. What year was this photo taken? 1950's?
96D: See red: GET MAD
97D: Chicago cow owner: O'LEARY (Catherine). Nope. I enjoyed reading this story though.
98D: Small bell sound: TINKLE. I wanted JINGLE.
103D: Preface: PROEM. One more new word. Kind of like preamble, isn't it?
107D: Pravda source: TASS. Ha, finally a gimme. TASS was founded in 1925. Pravda ("Truth" in Russian) was founded in 1912.
108D: Boater's walkway: PIER
113D: Unique individual: ONER
114D: Latin handle: ANSA. I don't understand why the clue is always "Latin handle"? Is "Vase's looped handle" too long?
120D: Author Umberto: ECO. I forgot his name again. He has appeared several times in TMS puzzle. I would not have any problem were it clued as "Green" prefix or something environmentally friendly.
C.C.
23A: Instruction to a drinker?: HAVE A SHOT
24A: Instruction to a take-out diner?: CALL TO ORDER
36A: Instruction to a battery maker?: PUT IN CHARGE
42A: Instruction to a lumberjack's assistant?: GIVE THE AX
56A: Instruction to a sculptor?: PLAN AHEAD
59A: Instruction to ship Styrofoam?: SEND PACKING
78A: Instruction to a talcum buyer?: TAKE A POWDER
80A: Instruction to a corporal punisher?: HIT BOTTOM
96A: Instruction to a wooer? GO TO COURT
99A: Instruction to a judge after a mistrial: TRY TRY AGAIN
116A: Instruction to a mime?: MAKE A MOTION
119A: Instruction to a comic?: FEEL FUNNY
I felt so uncomfortable with 42A. I know GIVE THE AX is an idiom, but I still wanted to add ME. The clue seems to be asking for "GIVE (ME) THE AX".
I would put "Follow the instructions" rather than "Do something" as the theme title. In fact, all the above theme answers feel more like orders rather than instructions to me. The constructor chose "instructions" probably because of 24A CALL TO ORDER.
I like this punny theme. If someone has been reading our comments lately, he should be inspired to create a "Beauty Salon Names" themed puzzle, using Argyle & KittyB's "Curl up & Dye", "Shear Magic", "Hair Port", "Clipper Ship", "Chop Shop" etc.
Anyway, it's a great puzzle. I can't imagine how much research work he did in order to come up with such an amazing list of theme entries with a perfect combination of letters. Look at the way he gridded those 12 theme answers - all 20-letter fills separated by 1 block, amazing! As a result, lots of 3-letter fills are necessitated in the Across. But no complaints from me today.
Some minor flaws:
1) I would clue KNELT (69D: Prepared to pray) as "Prepared to propose" because of PRAYER (108A: Supplication).
2) 76A: Parallel grooves: STRIA. The clue should be in singular form. The plural "grooves" demands STRIAE. At least, that's what the dictionary says. It's a new word to me.
3) 6D: ___ -la -la!: OOH. The clue needs a quotation mark.
4) 100D: Astern: ABAFT. Visually grating. "Toward the stern" should be fine.
I had to resort to google for help, there is no way I can finish a Sunday puzzle unassisted. It may take me another half year. But he did it. I should be able to DO SOMETHING too.
Across:
1A: Ring overhead: HALO
19A: Orphanage transactions: ADOPTIONS. "Transactions"? Sounds so impersonal and cold.
22A: Civic firm: HONDA. Great clue.
27A: Discombobulate: BEMUSE. Ha, now I understand the clue. Thought it was a made-up word yesterday.
29A: In a hopeful manner: ROSILY. I've never seen ROSILY being used in any article. ROSY, yes.
45A: Jack-in-the-pulpit, e.g.: ARUM. I missed it last time, and I missed it again today. "Jack-in-the-pulpit", what a strange name. But isn't ARUM kind of lily?
47A: Canary island: LA PALMA. Unknown to me. Shouldn't the clue be "One of the Canary Islands"?
48A: Brother of Rebecca: LABAN. I had ?ABAN for eons. Had to google. I tank on almost everything Biblical. Anyway, Wikipedia says LABAN is the father of Leah & Rachel.
52A: Play part: ACT II
63A: Spoke snake: HISSED. I was in the wrong direction, thinking the clue was asking for a special kind of spoke-shaped snake like yesterday's RALES (death rattles).
72A: Valley where David and Goliath fought: ELAH. I got it from down clues.
73A: Of bears: URSINE
85A: Hagar's dog: SNERT. From "Hagar the Horrible". Just saw this clue last week. ODIE is anther comic strip (Garfield) dog, so is OTTO (Beetle Baily). Here is a list of all those Comic Dog Names.
88A: Hindu teacher: SWAMI. The Hindu guru. The alternative spelling is SWAMY.
89A: Picked for the wrong part: MISCAST
92A: Disguised, briefly: INCOG. Short for INCOGNITA or INCOGNITO.
95A: Nagy of Hungary: IMRE. I simply forgot, again. How can I remember his name? I'm RE?
104A: Address of a DPL: EMB. DPL (Diplomat) is not a familiar abbreviation for me.
111A: Upolu resident: SAMOAN. I just learned that Robert Louis Stevenson spent the last 5 years of his life here.
121A: Van Gogh location: ARLES. This is the place where he painted "The Sunflowers". I pass by this painting every morning on the way to the kitchen. So easy to get lost in his vibrant yellow cast.
123A: Silent quality: TACITNESS. Only knew the adjective TACIT.
Down:
3D: Zero in tennis: LOVE. And 49D: Zilch: NADA.
4D: Autobahn auto: OPEL. It's part of GM.
5D: Cut apart for analysis: DISSECT
9D: Disqualified due to prejudice: RECUSE
16D: Salad green: ENDIVE. It's too bitter for for salad, don't you think so? I like Belgium ENDIVE.
17D: Aguilar of Ariana Franklin novels: ADELIA. Unknown to me. I've never heard of Ariana Franklin or any of her book.
18D: Voice box: LARYNX
28D: Molten rock: MAGMA
33D: Upright walkers: BIPEDS
36D: Insect's feeler: PALP. How quickly I forgot this word! P-ALP. Good Pedi-PALP picture.
37D: Russian range: URAL. Also the Russian river. The city Orsk is on the URAL River.
38D: Big, band tote: TUBA. What kind of clue is this?
39D: Somali model: IMAN. They seem to be very happy together.
40D: Up, in the ballpark: AT BAT
42D: Senator/astronaut Jake and family: GARNS. I've never heard of him. Wikipedia says he was aboard Space Shuttle Discovery in 1985.
43D: NBA all-star guard: T-MAC. Rockets' Tracy McGrady.
44D: Type of artificial fly: HACKLE. Did not know this angling term. Here is a black gnat soft HACKLE.
47D: Stay sleeping: LIE IN. Dictionary explains LIE IN as "to be confined to bed in childbirth". So, how can it be "Stay sleeping"?
57D: Overly excited: HET UP
58D: Madrid month: ENERO. Ah, the Año opener.
60D: Drummer of Rush: PEART (Neil). No, he is totally foreign to me. I've never heard of this "Rush" rock band.
67D: Japanese drink: SAKE. I guess this is not really a SAKE ad. The language is in Korean, what the heck is George Clooney drinking then?
68D: Dynamic leader?: THERMO. "Hot"!
75D: That is: Lat: ID EST
77D: Touch of color: TINCT
79D: Fan extension?: ATIC. Fanatic. Or "Problem ending".
82D: Writer Janowitz: TAMA. One more unknown. She wrote "Slaves of New York". Was she a gimme to you?
83D: Actor Katz: OMRI. I googled his name. I was too deeply mired in this corner. Wikipedia says he was in "Hocus Pocus" & "Dallas".
87D: '84 Modine movie: BIRDY. Another google. Not familiar with "BIRDY" or the actor Matthew Modine.
94D: Girl's school athletic uniform: GYMSLIP. No, no, no. What year was this photo taken? 1950's?
96D: See red: GET MAD
97D: Chicago cow owner: O'LEARY (Catherine). Nope. I enjoyed reading this story though.
98D: Small bell sound: TINKLE. I wanted JINGLE.
103D: Preface: PROEM. One more new word. Kind of like preamble, isn't it?
107D: Pravda source: TASS. Ha, finally a gimme. TASS was founded in 1925. Pravda ("Truth" in Russian) was founded in 1912.
108D: Boater's walkway: PIER
113D: Unique individual: ONER
114D: Latin handle: ANSA. I don't understand why the clue is always "Latin handle"? Is "Vase's looped handle" too long?
120D: Author Umberto: ECO. I forgot his name again. He has appeared several times in TMS puzzle. I would not have any problem were it clued as "Green" prefix or something environmentally friendly.
C.C.