Theme: Drop Me a Letter
23A: One way to look at dieting?: AS A MATTER OF FA(C)T
61A: Let them be so-so?: LAISSEZ - FAIR(E)
98A: Connected to nature?: (G)ONE WITH THE WIND
16D: PETA's position?: DOWN ON ALL F(O)URS
38D: Bribes?: GREASE MON(K)EY
51D: Kooky wish granter? (F)AIRY GODMOTHER
Great puzzle! Much more interesting than the "Exed Out" puzzle we had in June.
I like this kind of "word transformation" themed crossword - adding a letter or dropping a letter. I think I can handle changing- a- letter too. Not sure I am up to the word reversal or anagram, but I am game. Try me!
This morning I kept thinking why the constructor decided to drop C, E, G, O, K and F. Without the F, we could have had a "GECKO". I guess there is no hidden meaning behind her drops, she simply just needs those random drops for her grid. Sometimes a cigar is a just a cigar.
Structurally, this grid looks very appealing to me. I don't think I've seen an Across theme entry intersects a Down theme entry so perfectly, right in the middle and with the identical 11-letter word count. Very beautiful.
The only flaw is the clue for GOLLY (33A: Gee whiz! ). GEE WHIZ is the answer for (33D: Yipes). I can assure you that the constructor's original clue for GOLLY is not "Gee whiz".
I had some trouble with FAIRY GODMOTHER (51D: Kooky wish granter). I misread the clue as "Kooky fish granter", and I had the following silly intersecting fills:
68A: Scott Joplin's genre: RAG. I filled in RAP. Had never heard of Joplin before.
92A: Command to Fido: SIT. I had SIC.
77D: Dishes with chips: DIPS. Really struggled with this one. My final answer was RIMS, ridiculous, I know, but I filled in the M with a sound reason, as my answer for 65D: Covered with bubbles was FOAMY instead of SOAPY. I was thinking of dish plates with chips along the RIMS.
So I was staring at AIRYPORMOCHER for eons and could not make any sense of it. I still don't grok how "Kooky" and "AIRY" are connected. Kooky means eccentric, and AIRY means lofty or snobbish, how can they be synonymous?
Across:
13A: Miss Muffet's surprise: SPIDER. Ha, pure guess. Nursery rhymes stump me all the time.
19A: North star: POLARIS
22A: Gangster Al: CAPONE 50D: Writer Capote: TRUMAN. I always confuse CAPONE with CAPOTE.
25A: Frank admission: AVOWAL
31A: Winchester rival: ETON. Not familiar with Winchester college. ETON's rival is always "Harrow" to me. Wikipedia says ETON is modeled on Winchester.
32A: Wing movements: FLAPS
36A: Dancing Buttons: RED. I've never heard of him. Got his name from the down clues. For a long time I could not understand why RED is the "Dancing Buttons", so confused by the plural form "Buttons". Then I realized the B is in capital letter. Excellent clue. Who is that lady in the middle?
37A: Christie of "Don't Look Now": JULIE. I still think she should have won Oscar for "Away From Her", brilliant performance. I've never seen "Don't Look Now" before. Is it good?
38A: Cosmetic product: GELEE. Ah, irresistible lip gloss, tasty too.
43A: Byron poem: LARA. I don't know this poem. Only know LARA as "Dr. Zhivago's love", also played by the beautiful Julie Christie.
44A: Over in Ulm: UBER
49A: Put on: STAGED. Does this refer to "STAGED a play"?
53A: Pop preference: FAVE. Should have added "slangily' in the clue.
55A: Pavarotti performances: ARIAS
57A: Saw-tooth ranges: SIERRAS
59A: E-I connection: FGH. I think I like the "I follows them" clue better.
69A: Antique shop's affectation: OLDE. OK, this "Ye OLDE Shoppe" has been bothering me for a long time. What does "Ye" mean? Why "Shoppe" instead of "Shope"?
72A: Creamy dessert: MOUSSE. I want a slice of this berry MOUSSE.
73A: Deviation from the norm: ANOMALY
79A: Turning muscle: ROTATOR
82A: Prone to overacting: HAMMY
86A: ___, right in the kisser!: POW. I've never heard of this phrase before.
90A: Cardiff's country: WALES. Cardiff the capital of Wales. Here is Tom Jones, the best WALES has offered to us.
96A: Division in a group: SCHISM
102A: Person with a financial burden: LIENEE
107A: Moocher: CADGER. I would not have got HIC (101D: __ jacet) without this CADGER.
Down:
2D: Suggested: POSITED
3D: With ice cream: A LA MODE
4D: Asian noodles: RAMEN. I like udon, soba is good too. Lots of food in today's puzzle. Xchefwalt would have enjoyed it.
6D: Unit of Morse code: DIT. What's the difference between DIT and DOT? Someone mentioned last time that DOT and DASH are the codes, DIT & DAH are how those codes sound like aurally. Is that true?
12D: Accepted second best: SETTLED. Under certain circumstance, yes.
37D: Is in accord: JIBES
41D: Bandleader Xavier: CUGAT. Have difficulty committing his name into my memory.
43D: Burton of "Roots": LEVAR. I've seen "Roots", but I did not pay attention to his real name.
56D: Pitcher Koufax: SANDY. Gimme gimme. He is a HOFer. This is his 1955 Topps rookie card. Feels like PSA 8 rather than 5.
58D: Key of Beethoven's "Eroica": E FLAT. Learned from doing Xword. I've got no understanding of Beethoven's music. This is for you!
62D: Like speedy service: SAME DAY
63D: Throw out of bed: ROUST
76D: Tree colonies: FOREST. I just learned a new woody word today - sylvan.
78D: Cowboy bars: SALOONS. It indeed looks like a wonderful to eat, drink and have fun. Interesting photo above the bartender's head.
79D: Alice Kramden's hubby: RALPH. I don't know this RALPH. But I know this clue will someone very happy today.
80D: First part: OPENING. See, Sallyjane, here is another example where you do not need an *ING clue for an *ING answer.
81D: Love affair: ROMANCE. I think Oscar Wilde was wrong in saying "Nothing spoils a ROMANCE so much as a sense of humor in the woman."
82D: Bothersome situation: HASSLE
83D: Soul singer Keys: ALICIA. I like this photo, with her talent & passion in full display.
87D: "Our Town" playwright: WILDER (Thornton). I googled the book.
90D: Chess side: WHITE
95D: Fleck or Bartok: BELA. Know the composer Bartok, not Fleck.
To steal a line from Buckeye, I must be off. Make exciting comments today, and turn me on.
C.C.
23A: One way to look at dieting?: AS A MATTER OF FA(C)T
61A: Let them be so-so?: LAISSEZ - FAIR(E)
98A: Connected to nature?: (G)ONE WITH THE WIND
16D: PETA's position?: DOWN ON ALL F(O)URS
38D: Bribes?: GREASE MON(K)EY
51D: Kooky wish granter? (F)AIRY GODMOTHER
Great puzzle! Much more interesting than the "Exed Out" puzzle we had in June.
I like this kind of "word transformation" themed crossword - adding a letter or dropping a letter. I think I can handle changing- a- letter too. Not sure I am up to the word reversal or anagram, but I am game. Try me!
This morning I kept thinking why the constructor decided to drop C, E, G, O, K and F. Without the F, we could have had a "GECKO". I guess there is no hidden meaning behind her drops, she simply just needs those random drops for her grid. Sometimes a cigar is a just a cigar.
Structurally, this grid looks very appealing to me. I don't think I've seen an Across theme entry intersects a Down theme entry so perfectly, right in the middle and with the identical 11-letter word count. Very beautiful.
The only flaw is the clue for GOLLY (33A: Gee whiz! ). GEE WHIZ is the answer for (33D: Yipes). I can assure you that the constructor's original clue for GOLLY is not "Gee whiz".
I had some trouble with FAIRY GODMOTHER (51D: Kooky wish granter). I misread the clue as "Kooky fish granter", and I had the following silly intersecting fills:
68A: Scott Joplin's genre: RAG. I filled in RAP. Had never heard of Joplin before.
92A: Command to Fido: SIT. I had SIC.
77D: Dishes with chips: DIPS. Really struggled with this one. My final answer was RIMS, ridiculous, I know, but I filled in the M with a sound reason, as my answer for 65D: Covered with bubbles was FOAMY instead of SOAPY. I was thinking of dish plates with chips along the RIMS.
So I was staring at AIRYPORMOCHER for eons and could not make any sense of it. I still don't grok how "Kooky" and "AIRY" are connected. Kooky means eccentric, and AIRY means lofty or snobbish, how can they be synonymous?
Across:
13A: Miss Muffet's surprise: SPIDER. Ha, pure guess. Nursery rhymes stump me all the time.
19A: North star: POLARIS
22A: Gangster Al: CAPONE 50D: Writer Capote: TRUMAN. I always confuse CAPONE with CAPOTE.
25A: Frank admission: AVOWAL
31A: Winchester rival: ETON. Not familiar with Winchester college. ETON's rival is always "Harrow" to me. Wikipedia says ETON is modeled on Winchester.
32A: Wing movements: FLAPS
36A: Dancing Buttons: RED. I've never heard of him. Got his name from the down clues. For a long time I could not understand why RED is the "Dancing Buttons", so confused by the plural form "Buttons". Then I realized the B is in capital letter. Excellent clue. Who is that lady in the middle?
37A: Christie of "Don't Look Now": JULIE. I still think she should have won Oscar for "Away From Her", brilliant performance. I've never seen "Don't Look Now" before. Is it good?
38A: Cosmetic product: GELEE. Ah, irresistible lip gloss, tasty too.
43A: Byron poem: LARA. I don't know this poem. Only know LARA as "Dr. Zhivago's love", also played by the beautiful Julie Christie.
44A: Over in Ulm: UBER
49A: Put on: STAGED. Does this refer to "STAGED a play"?
53A: Pop preference: FAVE. Should have added "slangily' in the clue.
55A: Pavarotti performances: ARIAS
57A: Saw-tooth ranges: SIERRAS
59A: E-I connection: FGH. I think I like the "I follows them" clue better.
69A: Antique shop's affectation: OLDE. OK, this "Ye OLDE Shoppe" has been bothering me for a long time. What does "Ye" mean? Why "Shoppe" instead of "Shope"?
72A: Creamy dessert: MOUSSE. I want a slice of this berry MOUSSE.
73A: Deviation from the norm: ANOMALY
79A: Turning muscle: ROTATOR
82A: Prone to overacting: HAMMY
86A: ___, right in the kisser!: POW. I've never heard of this phrase before.
90A: Cardiff's country: WALES. Cardiff the capital of Wales. Here is Tom Jones, the best WALES has offered to us.
96A: Division in a group: SCHISM
102A: Person with a financial burden: LIENEE
107A: Moocher: CADGER. I would not have got HIC (101D: __ jacet) without this CADGER.
Down:
2D: Suggested: POSITED
3D: With ice cream: A LA MODE
4D: Asian noodles: RAMEN. I like udon, soba is good too. Lots of food in today's puzzle. Xchefwalt would have enjoyed it.
6D: Unit of Morse code: DIT. What's the difference between DIT and DOT? Someone mentioned last time that DOT and DASH are the codes, DIT & DAH are how those codes sound like aurally. Is that true?
12D: Accepted second best: SETTLED. Under certain circumstance, yes.
37D: Is in accord: JIBES
41D: Bandleader Xavier: CUGAT. Have difficulty committing his name into my memory.
43D: Burton of "Roots": LEVAR. I've seen "Roots", but I did not pay attention to his real name.
56D: Pitcher Koufax: SANDY. Gimme gimme. He is a HOFer. This is his 1955 Topps rookie card. Feels like PSA 8 rather than 5.
58D: Key of Beethoven's "Eroica": E FLAT. Learned from doing Xword. I've got no understanding of Beethoven's music. This is for you!
62D: Like speedy service: SAME DAY
63D: Throw out of bed: ROUST
76D: Tree colonies: FOREST. I just learned a new woody word today - sylvan.
78D: Cowboy bars: SALOONS. It indeed looks like a wonderful to eat, drink and have fun. Interesting photo above the bartender's head.
79D: Alice Kramden's hubby: RALPH. I don't know this RALPH. But I know this clue will someone very happy today.
80D: First part: OPENING. See, Sallyjane, here is another example where you do not need an *ING clue for an *ING answer.
81D: Love affair: ROMANCE. I think Oscar Wilde was wrong in saying "Nothing spoils a ROMANCE so much as a sense of humor in the woman."
82D: Bothersome situation: HASSLE
83D: Soul singer Keys: ALICIA. I like this photo, with her talent & passion in full display.
87D: "Our Town" playwright: WILDER (Thornton). I googled the book.
90D: Chess side: WHITE
95D: Fleck or Bartok: BELA. Know the composer Bartok, not Fleck.
To steal a line from Buckeye, I must be off. Make exciting comments today, and turn me on.
C.C.
