Theme: Taking The Bite Out of the Dog
23A: About to land in northern Ohio?: (GR)OVER CLEVELAND
31A: Incredible hole-in-one?: AMAZING (GR)ACE
53A: Debts?: (GR)OWING CONCERN
76A: Traditional ghost stories?: (GR)EEK MYTHOLOGY
93A: Aristocratic Machu Picchu women: (GR)ANDES DAMES
106A: WWII intelligence oversights?: (GR)OSS NEGLIGENCE
37D: Angry gorillas?: (GR)APES OF WRATH
40D: Little queen in the library?: RESEARCH (GR)ANT
I glommed onto the theme immediately after I obtained AMAZING ACE. My favorite theme entry is APES OF WRATH, very evocative. I like how it crosses ORANG (80A: Malaysian ape). I am also fond of OSS NEGLIGENCE too. OSS is often clued as "CIA forerunner".
Very clever theme. Also neat to have three "Pay" in the following clues:
29A: Pay: SALARY. Wrote down AWARD first. Two letters fit.
38A: Not pay, as taxes: EVADE.
8D: Pay dirt: ORE
Several tricky clues today. I dodged a few. But struggled mightily with OPIATE (60A: Dentist's number?). Only realized a few minutes ago that I have to parse number as numb-er, stuff that numb me.
I still don't understand the cluing for NAS (105D: __ in November). Why? Is it related to the rapper NAS somehow?
Across:
1A: Photographer's buy: TRIPOD. And RIMS (82A: Lens holders)
7A: Maker of Infiniti hairstyling irons: CONAIR. Also the name of a Nicolas Cage movie.
13A: It precedes Blue Jays' home games: O CANADA. I got it immediately.
20A: Actress Swank: HILARY. Loved her "Million Dollar Baby".
21A: Defoe title surname: CRUSOE
22D: Rhine siren: LORELEI. This has become a gimme. Sirens are sea nymphs.
25A: Starry-eyed type: DREAMER. Life is too realistic to be a DREAMER now.
26D: 1931 Garbo role: MATA HARI. Unknown to me. I don't think I've watched any Garbo movie. MATA HARI was executed in 1917.
27A: Binding words: I DO. Sweet clue.
39A: Word in proof: ERGO
40A: Some NFL linemen: RGS (Right Guards). Not a football fan. Wanted RTS. Are right tackles linemen also?
43A: They're found under long hair: NAPES. D'oh. Of course.
44A: Douglas Aircraft jets used in Nam: F- TENS. No idea. I also did not know GIRO (75A: Old rotorcraft, for short). It's short for autogiro.
47A: Iowa college town: AMES
48A: Rice-: A-RONI. My husband loves their Spanish Rice.
51A: Follow: ENSUE
52A: Matter of law: RES. Latin thing.
56A: Spacemate of Michael and Buzz: NEIL (Armstrong). Aboard Apollo 11. The Moon Walk.
57A: "Strange Magic" gp.: ELO. Easy guess.
58A: Thing to go through: PHASE. Great clue. I kept thinking of LISTS.
59A: Twist, as floorboards: WARP
62A: Smooth style: FLAIR. Got the answer with Down help.
64A: PB &J cousin: BLT. I like peanut butter and honey combination.
65A: Kitchen gadget: CORER. Thought of PEELER immediately. I peel everything.
66A: In addition: AS WELL
68A: "Leaving Las Vegas" costar: SHUE (Elizabeth). Nice picture. I wrote down the other costar CAGE first.
70A: Time between mediodÃa y seis: TARDE. Spanish for afternoon. Between noon (mediodÃa) and six (seis). Stumper for me.
72A: USN rank: CPO (Chief Petty Officer). Another stumper.
79A: Throne letters: HRH. His/Her Royal Highness.
83A: Materialized: AROSE
84A: Reagan secretary of state: HAIG (Alexander). I remember his "I'm in control here".
85A: Facetious suggestion to public kissers: GET A ROOM. Funny.
87A: Layers: PLIES
88A: Mozart's "__ Alla Turca": RONDO. Here is a clip. I was stymied.
89A: __Kosh B'Gosh: OSH. New brand to me. What a strange name!
90A: "Same Time, Next Year" actor: ALDA. Not familiar with the movie.
91A: Badgers, in "Jabberwocky": TOVES. Anything "Jabberwocky' is beyond me.
92A: Softened by love: MELTED. Sweet clue too.
95A: Eternities: EONS. Wrote down EVER first.
99A: Ring floorings: KOS (Knockouts). Needs "briefly" for hint, doesn't it?
100A: Church challengers: HERETICS
104A: Qom inhabitant: IRANIAN. Wikipedia says Qom is the largest center for Shi'a scholarship in the world. Very close to Tehran.
110A: South African liberator: MANDELA
111A: Show contrition: REPENT
112A: More to the point: TERSER
114A: Lists of candidates: SLATES. Our governor Tim Pawlenty just announced that he wouldn't seek for a third term. I am certain that he is aiming at the GOP presidential nominee.
115A: Prosecutorial staff member: Abbr.: ASST DA. Have watched so many "Law & Order" reruns, yet I still had trouble obtaining this answer.
Down:
1D: Shoe retailer McAn: THOM
2D: 1972 Derby winner __ Ridge: RIVA. No idea. Wikipedia says he won 1972 Belmont Stakes as well. Very exciting race yesterday. Calvin Borel almost pulled it off.
4D: "The Prodigal Son" and others: PARABLES. I did not know what "The Prodigal Son" is about. Thought it might be a novel.
5D: 14-Down flowers: ORCHIDS. And CORSAGE (14D: Gift for a big date). DIAMOND came to my mind when I read "Gift for a big date".
6D: Songwriters Bob and Jakob: DYLANS. Only know the father Bob DYLAN.
7D: MXXX ÷ V: CCVI. 1030/5=206.
9D: Match __: tie game, in Bordeaux: NUL. New term to me. NUL is French for "void".
11D: Give a charge to: IONIZE
12D: __wip: REDDI. I forgot this brand again. Only use Cool Whip.
15D: Seattle's 206, e.g.: AREA CODE. Stumped. I only know Seattle's #51. My first ever baseball card is a Topps' Ichiro.
16D: 1960 Wimbledon champ Fraser: NEALE. No idea. He is an Aussie. Hope Roger Federer realizes his Grand Slam dream this time.
18D: Forest bounders: DEER. Nice clue.
24D: Fraction of a joule: ERG
28D: Like the simplest process: ONE STEP
32D: Out of control: MANIC. AMOK is one letter short.
33D: Spots: ADS
34D: Garson of "Mrs. Miniver": GREER
38D: Detachable collars: ETONS
41D: Astronaut's garb: G-SUIT. Oh, I did not know they are called G-SUITS.
42D: "O Rare Ben Johnson" is engraved (in error) on one: STELE. My answer was STONE. The correct name should be Ben Jonson, a contemporary of Shakespeare.
44D: Brother in a hood?: FRIAR. Superb clue. I was thinking of those street gangs.
46D: Navel phenomenon: INNIE
49D: Camping pest: GNAT. And NOODGE (55D: Pest), a word I quickly forgot after it appeared in our puzzle last time.
50D: Unlike this ans.: ACR (Across). This answer (50D) is Down, not Across. I got it right away.
63D: Hotelier Helmsley: LEONA. The Queen of Mean.
64D: Believes: BUYS. Did not come to me readily.
65D: Angry: CROSS. IRKED popped into my mind.
66D: Disco era phrase: A GO GO. No idea.
68D: Protection for a bank job: SKI MASK. The robbery. I was imagining those surveillance cameras in the bank.
69D: "Let me think about that": HMM
70D: Whig opponents: TORIES. The parties in the UK?
73D: Fall preceder: PRIDE. I wanted Summer.
74D: "Lordy": OH GOD
77D: Weaken, as confidence: ERODE. Calvin Borel probably jinxed himself by talking too confidently.
78D: Cut a sandwich, say: HALVE
84D: Piece keepers?: HOLSTERS. I did not know a pistol is also called a piece Nice play on peace keepers then.
86D: Savvy sailor: OLD SALT
87D: Lap dog, for short: POM. The real dog. I was in the figurative direction.
88D: Commits an act of betrayal, maybe: RENEGES. Don't promise what you can't deliver.
91D: Mortarboard hanger: TASSEL
92D: Pat of "The Karate Kid": MORITA
93D: "Intervention" airer: A AND E. The answer emerged itself. I've never heard of "Intervention".
94D: Concerns of the god Janus: DOORS. January is named after him.
96D: Tucson is its county seats: PIMA. got the answer from Across fills.
98D: Tilted position: CANT. New definition to me.
100d: Alts.: HGTS. Altitudes & Heights.
101D: Technical sch.: INST
103D: Antitoxins: SERA
107D: Luxurious getaway: SPA
108D: Nothing but __: perfect hoops shot: NET. Ha ha, I thought it's Nothing but DUNK. I don't follow NBA.
109D: Charlotte-to-Raleigh dir.: ENE.
Answer grid.
C.C.
PS: For those who are not familiar with today's constructor Mike Peluso, here is his interview again.
23A: About to land in northern Ohio?: (GR)OVER CLEVELAND
31A: Incredible hole-in-one?: AMAZING (GR)ACE
53A: Debts?: (GR)OWING CONCERN
76A: Traditional ghost stories?: (GR)EEK MYTHOLOGY
93A: Aristocratic Machu Picchu women: (GR)ANDES DAMES
106A: WWII intelligence oversights?: (GR)OSS NEGLIGENCE
37D: Angry gorillas?: (GR)APES OF WRATH
40D: Little queen in the library?: RESEARCH (GR)ANT
I glommed onto the theme immediately after I obtained AMAZING ACE. My favorite theme entry is APES OF WRATH, very evocative. I like how it crosses ORANG (80A: Malaysian ape). I am also fond of OSS NEGLIGENCE too. OSS is often clued as "CIA forerunner".
Very clever theme. Also neat to have three "Pay" in the following clues:
29A: Pay: SALARY. Wrote down AWARD first. Two letters fit.
38A: Not pay, as taxes: EVADE.
8D: Pay dirt: ORE
Several tricky clues today. I dodged a few. But struggled mightily with OPIATE (60A: Dentist's number?). Only realized a few minutes ago that I have to parse number as numb-er, stuff that numb me.
I still don't understand the cluing for NAS (105D: __ in November). Why? Is it related to the rapper NAS somehow?
Across:
1A: Photographer's buy: TRIPOD. And RIMS (82A: Lens holders)
7A: Maker of Infiniti hairstyling irons: CONAIR. Also the name of a Nicolas Cage movie.
13A: It precedes Blue Jays' home games: O CANADA. I got it immediately.
20A: Actress Swank: HILARY. Loved her "Million Dollar Baby".
21A: Defoe title surname: CRUSOE
22D: Rhine siren: LORELEI. This has become a gimme. Sirens are sea nymphs.
25A: Starry-eyed type: DREAMER. Life is too realistic to be a DREAMER now.
26D: 1931 Garbo role: MATA HARI. Unknown to me. I don't think I've watched any Garbo movie. MATA HARI was executed in 1917.
27A: Binding words: I DO. Sweet clue.
39A: Word in proof: ERGO
40A: Some NFL linemen: RGS (Right Guards). Not a football fan. Wanted RTS. Are right tackles linemen also?
43A: They're found under long hair: NAPES. D'oh. Of course.
44A: Douglas Aircraft jets used in Nam: F- TENS. No idea. I also did not know GIRO (75A: Old rotorcraft, for short). It's short for autogiro.
47A: Iowa college town: AMES
48A: Rice-: A-RONI. My husband loves their Spanish Rice.
51A: Follow: ENSUE
52A: Matter of law: RES. Latin thing.
56A: Spacemate of Michael and Buzz: NEIL (Armstrong). Aboard Apollo 11. The Moon Walk.
57A: "Strange Magic" gp.: ELO. Easy guess.
58A: Thing to go through: PHASE. Great clue. I kept thinking of LISTS.
59A: Twist, as floorboards: WARP
62A: Smooth style: FLAIR. Got the answer with Down help.
64A: PB &J cousin: BLT. I like peanut butter and honey combination.
65A: Kitchen gadget: CORER. Thought of PEELER immediately. I peel everything.
66A: In addition: AS WELL
68A: "Leaving Las Vegas" costar: SHUE (Elizabeth). Nice picture. I wrote down the other costar CAGE first.
70A: Time between mediodÃa y seis: TARDE. Spanish for afternoon. Between noon (mediodÃa) and six (seis). Stumper for me.
72A: USN rank: CPO (Chief Petty Officer). Another stumper.
79A: Throne letters: HRH. His/Her Royal Highness.
83A: Materialized: AROSE
84A: Reagan secretary of state: HAIG (Alexander). I remember his "I'm in control here".
85A: Facetious suggestion to public kissers: GET A ROOM. Funny.
87A: Layers: PLIES
88A: Mozart's "__ Alla Turca": RONDO. Here is a clip. I was stymied.
89A: __Kosh B'Gosh: OSH. New brand to me. What a strange name!
90A: "Same Time, Next Year" actor: ALDA. Not familiar with the movie.
91A: Badgers, in "Jabberwocky": TOVES. Anything "Jabberwocky' is beyond me.
92A: Softened by love: MELTED. Sweet clue too.
95A: Eternities: EONS. Wrote down EVER first.
99A: Ring floorings: KOS (Knockouts). Needs "briefly" for hint, doesn't it?
100A: Church challengers: HERETICS
104A: Qom inhabitant: IRANIAN. Wikipedia says Qom is the largest center for Shi'a scholarship in the world. Very close to Tehran.
110A: South African liberator: MANDELA
111A: Show contrition: REPENT
112A: More to the point: TERSER
114A: Lists of candidates: SLATES. Our governor Tim Pawlenty just announced that he wouldn't seek for a third term. I am certain that he is aiming at the GOP presidential nominee.
115A: Prosecutorial staff member: Abbr.: ASST DA. Have watched so many "Law & Order" reruns, yet I still had trouble obtaining this answer.
Down:
1D: Shoe retailer McAn: THOM
2D: 1972 Derby winner __ Ridge: RIVA. No idea. Wikipedia says he won 1972 Belmont Stakes as well. Very exciting race yesterday. Calvin Borel almost pulled it off.
4D: "The Prodigal Son" and others: PARABLES. I did not know what "The Prodigal Son" is about. Thought it might be a novel.
5D: 14-Down flowers: ORCHIDS. And CORSAGE (14D: Gift for a big date). DIAMOND came to my mind when I read "Gift for a big date".
6D: Songwriters Bob and Jakob: DYLANS. Only know the father Bob DYLAN.
7D: MXXX ÷ V: CCVI. 1030/5=206.
9D: Match __: tie game, in Bordeaux: NUL. New term to me. NUL is French for "void".
11D: Give a charge to: IONIZE
12D: __wip: REDDI. I forgot this brand again. Only use Cool Whip.
15D: Seattle's 206, e.g.: AREA CODE. Stumped. I only know Seattle's #51. My first ever baseball card is a Topps' Ichiro.
16D: 1960 Wimbledon champ Fraser: NEALE. No idea. He is an Aussie. Hope Roger Federer realizes his Grand Slam dream this time.
18D: Forest bounders: DEER. Nice clue.
24D: Fraction of a joule: ERG
28D: Like the simplest process: ONE STEP
32D: Out of control: MANIC. AMOK is one letter short.
33D: Spots: ADS
34D: Garson of "Mrs. Miniver": GREER
38D: Detachable collars: ETONS
41D: Astronaut's garb: G-SUIT. Oh, I did not know they are called G-SUITS.
42D: "O Rare Ben Johnson" is engraved (in error) on one: STELE. My answer was STONE. The correct name should be Ben Jonson, a contemporary of Shakespeare.
44D: Brother in a hood?: FRIAR. Superb clue. I was thinking of those street gangs.
46D: Navel phenomenon: INNIE
49D: Camping pest: GNAT. And NOODGE (55D: Pest), a word I quickly forgot after it appeared in our puzzle last time.
50D: Unlike this ans.: ACR (Across). This answer (50D) is Down, not Across. I got it right away.
63D: Hotelier Helmsley: LEONA. The Queen of Mean.
64D: Believes: BUYS. Did not come to me readily.
65D: Angry: CROSS. IRKED popped into my mind.
66D: Disco era phrase: A GO GO. No idea.
68D: Protection for a bank job: SKI MASK. The robbery. I was imagining those surveillance cameras in the bank.
69D: "Let me think about that": HMM
70D: Whig opponents: TORIES. The parties in the UK?
73D: Fall preceder: PRIDE. I wanted Summer.
74D: "Lordy": OH GOD
77D: Weaken, as confidence: ERODE. Calvin Borel probably jinxed himself by talking too confidently.
78D: Cut a sandwich, say: HALVE
84D: Piece keepers?: HOLSTERS. I did not know a pistol is also called a piece Nice play on peace keepers then.
86D: Savvy sailor: OLD SALT
87D: Lap dog, for short: POM. The real dog. I was in the figurative direction.
88D: Commits an act of betrayal, maybe: RENEGES. Don't promise what you can't deliver.
91D: Mortarboard hanger: TASSEL
92D: Pat of "The Karate Kid": MORITA
93D: "Intervention" airer: A AND E. The answer emerged itself. I've never heard of "Intervention".
94D: Concerns of the god Janus: DOORS. January is named after him.
96D: Tucson is its county seats: PIMA. got the answer from Across fills.
98D: Tilted position: CANT. New definition to me.
100d: Alts.: HGTS. Altitudes & Heights.
101D: Technical sch.: INST
103D: Antitoxins: SERA
107D: Luxurious getaway: SPA
108D: Nothing but __: perfect hoops shot: NET. Ha ha, I thought it's Nothing but DUNK. I don't follow NBA.
109D: Charlotte-to-Raleigh dir.: ENE.
Answer grid.
C.C.
PS: For those who are not familiar with today's constructor Mike Peluso, here is his interview again.
