Sunday March 18, 2023 Alan Massengill & Doug Peterson

Theme: "Bring It On" - IT is added to each common phrase.

22. Drill team for outlaws?: MARCHING BANDITS. Marching band.

31. Study up on Newton's theories?: GRAVITY TRAIN. Gravy train.

49. Book club choices for a church group?: PULPIT FICTION. Pulp fiction.

64. Vampire's introspective question?: TO BITE OR NOT TO BITE. To be or not to be.

82. Unusual cold snap in England?: BRITAIN FREEZE. Brain freeze.

96. Funny business in an Oregon city?: EUGENE LEVITY. Eugene Levy.

108. "Now where did that minty cocktail go ... "?: I'VE LOST MY MOJITO. I've lost my mojo.

Ah I think some of the regulars know the gimmick before they even start the grid. Revealing title.

Simple theme expertly executed. No other straying IT in the grid. I really like that 64A fill and clue. 

Every time I see Doug's byline I think of Barry Silk. They used to collaborate on themeless quite a bit.

Across: 

1. Classic cartoon horse Quick Draw __: MCGRAW.

7. Superhero with anger issues: HULK.

11. Rapper __ Nas X: LIL. Known for his "Old Town Road" and fashion sense.

14. Slavic native: SERB.

18. Beethoven's Third: EROICA.

19. "Ohhhhh": I SEE.

20. Point value of a gol de fútbol: UNO.

21. Egyptian peninsula: SINAI.

25. "__ it!": PROVE.

26. Be behind: OWE.

27. Texter's rebuttal: OTOH.

28. In the past: AGO. And 61. In the past: PRIOR.

29. __ tofu: SILKEN. Looks delicious. I mostly use silken tofu for miso soup.

30. Big name in casualwear: POLO. And 78. Big name in casualwear: IZOD.

35. Big name in cookware: T-FAL. My saute pan.

38. Ramp up or ramp down: INCLINE.

40. 2022 AL MVP Judge: AARON. Doug is Yankees fan I think.

41. Permits: ALLOWS.

43. Sword part: HAFT.

44. Pronombre personal: ELLA. Pronombre is Spanish for "pronoun".

45. Gather into loops: COIL.

52. Really big: IMMENSE.

54. Mariana Trench, e.g.: ABYSS.

55. Subject for a primatologist: APE.

56. Zen garden tool: RAKE.

58. Homeric saga featuring the Catalogue of Ships: ILIAD.

59. Door latch: HASP.

61. Put (together): PIECE.

63. Groups of sheep: FLOCKS.

68. Key with one sharp: E MINOR.

70. Legal docs: WRITS.

71. Leave out: OMIT.

72. Bossy star of a kid's game: SIMON.

73. Sony laptop brand: VAIO. The other four-letter laptop is ASUS or ACER.

74. Org. that oversees tobacco: FDA.

75. Apt name for some Aries: APRIL.

80. Has a tendency for: PRONE TO.

86. Hawaii's state bird: NENE.

87. Pasta type: ZITI.

89. "Voilà!": DONE.

90. Lady Bird's husband: LYNDON. I know what Boomer would have linked.

91. Swiped: STOLE.

93. Hyundai model: ELANTRA.

95. "Alice in Wonderland" bird: DODO.

99. Egyptian vipers: ASPS.

101. Academic's achievement: TENURE.

102. In the manner of: A LA. I'm still waiting for David to finish my USA Today "Reciting Pi" puzzle. Notice he can't even get 64A. But this is only his first 15x15.

103. __ chamber: ECHO.

104. Atlanta-based network: TBS.

107. Met's lineup?: ARIAS. The Met. Not the Mets.

113. Bishop's hat: MITRE.

114. Secret code: PIN.

115. 20 quires: REAM.

116. Twist in a novel: OLIVER. Great clue also.

117. Pomegranate bit: SEED. Called Aril.

118. Reproductive cells: OVA.

119. Lady __ of "A Star Is Born": GAGA.

120. "Prithee make thyself scarce": BE GONE.

Down:

1. Inbox item: MEMO.

2. Sticking point, metaphorically: CRAW. And 69. Sticking point: MIRE.

3. 1990s vice president: GORE.

4. Pro wrestler Flair: RIC.

5. Blessed sound?: ACHOO.

6. Limbo for a college applicant: WAIT LIST.

7. Daily temperature stat: HIGH. More snow last week. Now we've had over 80 inches in the Twin Cities area this season.

8. Computer port initials: USB.

9. Grassy expanse: LEA.

10. "Crazy Rich Asians" actor Jeong: KEN. South Korean heritage. This name is sometimes spelled as Chung, as in Jamie Chung.

11. Video game brother: LUIGI.

12. Counting everything: IN TOTAL.

13. __ Angeles: LOS.

14. Round Table knight: SIR LANCELOT. Sparkly fill.

15. Thin mushroom: ENOKI. I used to eat these regularly. So pricey after Covid.

16. Poe's "ungainly fowl": RAVEN.

17. "Muy __": BIEN.

21. Hubert's successor: SPIRO.

23. Twelve sharp: NOON.

24. Bautista of "Guardians of the Galaxy": DAVE. He played Drax the Destroyer,

29. Hall of Fame football coach Hank: STRAM. Google info: "On January 11, 1970, Chiefs Head Coach, Hank Stram, became the first NFL coach to wear a wire in a Super Bowl."

30. Fat raindrop sounds: PLOPS.

31. Candied, as cherries: GLACE.

32. Breach: RIFT.

33. Not pro: ANTI.

34. New Haven Ivy Leaguer: YALIE.

35. Andalusia appetizer: TAPA.

36. Part of a blooper reel: FLUB.

37. Fellow fighter: ALLY.

39. Great Lakes people: CHIPPEWA. I thought the Chippewa Falls is in MN. But it's in WI.

42. Thanksgiving snapper: WISHBONE.

44. Put into law: ENACT.

46. Ready if required: ON ICE.

47. Novelist Dinesen: ISAK. She wrote "Out of Africa".

48. Parts of some flashlights: LEDS.

50. Observe Ramadan, say: FAST. This is hard.

51. Cookies with an occasional Mystery Flavor: OREOS.

53. Word with service or surplus: MILITARY.

57. Low-carb regimen: KETO DIET. This is hard also. Why doesn't love carbs?

60. Bubble filler: AIR.

62. Mtge. figure: INT.

63. Heist film antagonists, often: Abbr.: FBI.

64. Shakespeare's title Athenian: TIMON.

65. Ready for anything: ON ONE'S GUARD.

66. Savannah antelope: ORIBI. Hi there.

67. Persian Gulf sultanate: OMAN.

68. Network with a "Deportes" channel: ESPN.

73. Soft sheer fabric: VOILE.

74. __ pack: FANNY. Often worn as a crossbody bag now.

76. Hangs: PENDS.

77. Try again: REDO.

79. Former host Jay: LENO.

81. Oil region?: T ZONE. Due to its T shape. Oily area.

83. Rice cake served with chutney: IDLI. Never had this.

84. Fits __: TO A T.

85. Quickly assembled group: FLASH MOB.

88. Israeli port on the Mediterranean: TEL AVIV. Nice to see a full name.

92. Clipped: TERSE.

93. Short critique?: EVAL. Evaluation.

94. Risqué: RACY.

96. Haunting: EERIE.

97. Join together: UNITE.

98. Justice Kagan: ELENA.

100. English Channel port: POOLE. New to me.

101. Scottish lids: TAMS.

103. "Room" novelist Donoghue: EMMA.

104. Record, in a way: TIVO.

105. Bingo call: B TEN.

106. Vexed: SORE.

108. Stock acronym: IPO.

109. Alternative to edu: ORG.

110. Coral __: SEA.

111. Playground game: TAG.

112. Leprechaun's dance: JIG.

C.C.

Saturday, March 18, 2023, Hoang-Kim Vu

Saturday Themeless by Hoang-Kim Vu

A global health and international development professional with twelve years’ experience in directing complex global public health programs, with specific expertise in malaria and behavior change communication. Deep expertise in project management especially for USAID, leading field programs to improve activity implementation, operations, and client service.

WOW! The triple stack of grid spanners at the top and bottom with one in the middle for good measure were very eye-catching! The top set went very easily but the bottom, especially on the left hand side, of this puzzle had beaucoup issues for me. I'll try to make a case for my struggles in the write-up.

Across:

1. "Not my first choice, but it's fine": I GUESS THAT WORKS.

16. Dating milestones: MONTHIVERSARIES - Two days ago was the MONTHIVERSARY of my surgical procedure. 

17. Fare for some Catholics on Lenten Fridays: PESCATARIAN DIET - Not a word I've ever used but pretty easy to suss out.

18. GPS heading: SSE.

19. Comedian Foxx: REDD - Redd did 23. Talk dirty: SWEAR on his LP's of sixty years ago but it all seems so tame now.

20. Dubious ability: ESP.

21. Cranks (up): AMPS.

27. Warts and all: AS IS is what is implied when you 28. Select: OPT to buy something at a garage sale

29. Peach: GEM.

32. Smooch in a lift, say: SNOG.

33. Sportswear portmanteau: ATHLEISURE.

37. "Been there": I KNOW THE FEELING.

39. Color choices for bandages, e.g.: FLESHTONES.

40. Sister who brings the snowman Olaf to life: ELSA.

41. "Chopped" host Allen: TED.

42. Post-WWII alliance: OAS.

43. Soften up: MELT.

44. Knife block insert: PARER - PARE is a common verb here

46. __-Rooter: ROTO.

47. Gibbon, for one: APE.

49. Squeezed (out): EKED.

51. "CrazySexyCool" trio: TLC.

54. The Marshall Project cause: PRISON ABOLITION - I had trouble coming to terms with this social construct. Therefore it was not much help with some tough down fills. More info

59. Lacrosse strategy: ONE ON ONE DEFENSE - Man-to-man is much more common term. Saying person-to-person for girls has never really caught on.

60. Quality inspection?: PERSONALITY TEST - Want to take one?

Down:

1. Rascals: IMPS.

2. Says: GOES - I go, "Where do want to go eat?" She GOES, "Any place is fine." I go, "How about The Hacienda on 22nd St?" She GOES, "No, I don't want to go there!" I go, "😧".

3. Lacking flavor or experience: UNSEASONED - UNSEASONED players can be a liability in a championship game

4. More succinctly?: ETC. 😀

5. Medical waste collected in red containers: SHARPS - My grandson, the "phleb" goes through dozens of SHARPS in a day.

6. Spots: SITES - Our school district has just spent big dollars to get SITES for new grade schools to replace 70-year-old buildings we now have

7. Spot: TV AD - Not a problem with Netflix

8. Steers steers: HERDS 😀

9. Graynor of "The Disaster Artist": ARI - The woman in this pictorial collage

10. Gp. known for screenings: TSA.

11. Haggard, perhaps: WAN - This word has stuck with me since H.S. English

12. Sequence: ORDER - Currency in my billfold has to all be in ORDER and facing the same direction.

13. Social reformer Jacob: RIIS.

14. Last: KEEP - Honey is one food that will KEEP forever I'm told

15. Retired boomer: SST.

22. "Bad and Boujee" hip-hop group: MIGOS - Google if you must for lyrics I can't post

24. Fictional detective who was born in Montenegro: WOLFE

25. Pentathlon equipment: EPEES.

26. End in __: A TIE.

27. Tattoo joint?: ANKLE.

29. French Revolution device: GUILLOTINE - As soon as I saw this word I thought of our lovely Madame DeFarge (Janice) who is definitely not as callous as the one in Tale Of Two Cities!

30. "The Elephant Celebes" painter Max: ERNST - What's it all about?

31. Hertz prefix: MEGA - Ads for our favorite classical station leaves off the MEGAhertz

32. Filter (through): SIFT.

33. Perfume oil: ATTAR - A frequent crossword scent

34. "All __ in favor ... ": THOSE.

35. Female lobster: HEN.

36. Nasty fall: SLEET.

38. "Mind. Blown.": WHOA - How 'bout changing the light at the top of the Empire State Building. 

43. Change: MODIFY.

44. Mexican cheese?: PESOS - It is not queso, it's just slang for money.

45. "Jojo Rabbit" actress Wilson: REBEL - Bottom left in this picture 

46. Fill a flat again: RELET - REAIR is the red herring here. Of course a flat is a British apartment where there might some snogging going on.

47. "Rule, Britannia" composer: ARNE - His tomb is in St. Paul's Courtyard in London

48. Docking station: PIER.

50. "The Power of the Dog" Oscar nominee Smit-McPhee: KODI - KODI, Benedict Cumberbatch and Kirstin Dunst attend a screening in NYC.

52. "Your __": LOSS.

53. Tech news dot-com: C-NET - Their website

54. Grammy category: POP - How many of these 2022 nominated songs do you know?

55. Half an iconic 1981 Rolling Stone cover: ONO.

56. Start to sense?: NON

57. __ Matronic of Scissor Sisters: ANA - ANA is the sole female member of this group. 

58. Holiday celebrated with bánh chu'ng: TET - Vietnamese, square, sticky rice cake