Theme: "Haiku" - LINE can follow each word of the three-part phrase.
23A. *What it often is on a summer day : HOT OUTSIDE. Hotline. outline. Sideline.
36A. *One-to-one conversation : PRIVATE PHONE CHAT. Private line. Phone line. Chat line.
59A. *Scuba divers' bash : UNDERWATER PARTY. Underline. Waterline. Party line.
83A. *Highly sought-after charter captain : TOP FISHING GUIDE. Top line. Fishing line. Guideline.
99A. *Iconic suburban symbol : WHITE PICKET FENCE. White line. Picket line. Fence line.
15D. *Awkward TV silence : DEAD AIR TIME. Deadline. Airline. Timeline.
68D. *Sale indicator : RED PRICE TAG. Red line. Priceline. Tagline.
Reveal:
119A. Feature of haiku, and of the answers to starred clues : THREE LINES
I
think this is the first time we see such a three-part theme in LAT.
Some of theme entries are not quite solid in-the-language. Just nature
of the game.
We've seen a few both words that can precede/follow gimmick, which is already very hard to make. Three part is just incredible.
Across:
1. Word heard in Bedrock : YABBA. "Yabba Dabba Doo!". From "The Flintstones". I drew a blank.
6. West Point letters : USMA. We also have 10. Military setting : BASE
10. Dark horses : BAYS
14. Sam seen in bars : ADAMS. This Sam.
19. Scott who wrote "Island of the Blue Dolphins" : O'DELL. Any of you read the book?
20. A golf green may be shaped like one : PEAR. Like this. I thought of OVAL.
21. Face cream additive : ALOE
22. Paganini's birthplace : GENOA
25. Rodeo goad : SPUR
26. Bother a lot : EAT AT. Not NAG AT
27. WWII spy gp. : OSS. Office of Strategic Services
28. Big mouths : MAWS. Not YAPS.
29. Tampico trio : TRES. We also have 7. José's half-dozen : SEIS
31. Mask wearers : BANDITS. Wanted GOALIES.
33. Salem-to-Portland dir. : NNE
34. Chihuahua or Maltese, in dog shows : TOY
35. Slangy sib : SISTA
43. Texter's "Just a thought ... " : IMHO
47. Candy aisle choice : ROLO. Not SKOR.
48. Kid in a '60s sitcom : OPIE. And 37. 48-Across player : RONNY
49. K-12, in brief : ELHI. El(ementary) + Hi(gh school). Often draws objections from our retired teacher crowd.
50. Its flag features a six-pointed star : ISRAEL
52. Scale starting words : ONE TO
54. 911 responder : EMT
56. Barbecue supply : BUNS. Not RUBS.
58. Functional : UTILE
63. "Wayward __": Shyamalan TV series : PINES. New to me.
64. Salon supply : DYE. Not GEL today.
65. Ancient region of Asia Minor : GALATIA. This clue often calls for IONIA.
66. Longship crew : NORSEMEN
68. Half a track? : RAIL. Two rails on a track.
69. London's "Ye Olde Mitre," e.g. : PUB. Steve might have been here many times.
71. "The Way __": 2007 Timbaland hit : I ARE. I thought it might be I WAS.
72. Loud speakers : STENTORS. Ha ha, I actually know this word.
76. Travelocity enticement : LOW FARE
79. Pooh, to Roo : PAL
82. Broadway restaurant founder : SARDI. Sardi's.
86. Office holders? : CLIPS. Great clue.
87. Gilbert who created TV's "The Talk" : SARA
88. The Silver St. : NEV
89. Graphic start : ORTHO. No "Garden products brand" today. By the way, Anon-T, we planted both seeds and flowers. The flowers survived the cold weather, thankfully.
90. Warns : ALERTS
92. Frees : RIDS
94. They catch a lot of shrimp : NETS
97. Continue : GO ON
98. Sitcom pioneer, familiarly : DESI
103. Word with link or letter : CHAIN. Lovely clue as well.
105. French article : UNE
106. Damage : MAR
107. Haunted house sounds : SCREAMS
110. Lacking : SANS
112. Eye opener? : OPTI. I thought the clue was asking for DEAD/EVIL/SHUT.
113. Improve, in some cases : AGE. This qualifier makes me smile.
116. Cutie : TOOTS
117. Chop __ : SUEY
122. Charged : RAN AT
123. Sport with double touches : EPEE. New clue angle.
124. Slices of history : ERAs
125. Minnesota's "10,000" : LAKES. Wisconsin says it has more lakes than Minnesota. They count big puddles.
126. Play area : STAGE
127. Cold War initials : SSRS
128. Hide from an animal : PELT. Another nice clue.
129. Treacherous type : SNAKE. Girls who were born in Year of the Pig should not date guys who were born in Year of the Snake.
Down:
1. Pirate's syllables : YO HO. Partial.
2. They're often about nothing : ADOs
3. Adds to the pool : BETS
4. Rain-__ bubble gum : BLO
5. Smith grad : ALUMNA
6. High hairdo : UPSWEEP
8. Satiric magazine founded in 1952 : MAD
9. Kid-to-kid retort : ARE TOO
11. Hurdle for Hannibal : ALPS
12. Mirror image? : YOU. Not MOI.
13. Homeland of tennis star Novak Djokovic : SERBIA
14. "The X-Files" extra : AGENT. Normally a clue for ETS.
16. Protester : ANTI
17. Defensive ditch : MOAT
18. H.S. hurdles : SATs
24. Ma non __: not too much, in music : TANTO. No idea. I can't read sheet music.
30. Cub great Sandberg : RYNE
32. Bubbly source : ASTI
34. Lincoln Center attraction, familiarly : THE MET
35. Eastern faith : SHINTO. Shin - God. To has the same meaning as Chinese TAO (way).
36. Word in a Marines slogan : PROUD
38. __-France : ILE DE. Very limited way to clue this partial.
39. Register a preference : VOTE
40. St. Peter's Basilica sight : PIETA
41. Exile isle : ELBA
42. Make, as butter : CHURN
44. Katahdin is its highest peak : MAINE. Never hard of Mount Katahdin.
45. Beatrix Potter's real first name : HELEN. Also a new trivia to me.
46. Cries after fútbol goals : OLEs
51. Freudian conscience : SUPEREGO
53. Player in a loft : ORGANIST
55. Vacation choice : TRIP
57. Aleppo native : SYRIAN
60. Reservations can help avoid one : WAIT. You have to have a reservation at our neighborhood Fantastic Sams. Otherwise, 30 minutes wait, at least.
61. Apportions : ALLOTS
62. Eighth-century pope : PAUL I. Not PIUS I.
67. Puppeteer Tony : SARG
70. Cap'n's aide : BOSN
72. Room at the Louvre : SALLE
73. Doesn't give up : TRIES
74. Enter noisily : ROAR IN. Not a phrase I use.
75. Nautical pole : SPRIT. Forgot. We had this before. Spell checker flashes it.
77. Word of origin : WHENCE
78. Marathon practice run : FIVE-K
79. Spike for Hillary : PITON. Edmund Hillary.
80. Like some focus groups : AD HOC. We often have "committee" in the clue for a fat gimme.
81. Freetown currency : LEONE
82. Slew : SCAD. Normally plural, right?
84. Grow pale : FADE
85. Push : URGE
91. Did a few laps : SWAM
93. Made on a wheel : SPUN
95. Play set on an island, with "The" : TEMPEST. Got via crosses as well.
96. Cabinet department : STATE
100. Greets the villain : HISSES
101. Conforming : IN STEP (with)
102. Elegant trimmings : FRILLS
104. Speed : HASTE
107. Orch. section : STRS. Strings. Gluey fill constructors dread to use.
108. Primer layer : COAT
109. Novelist Jaffe : RONA
110. Psychic : SEER
111. Motion carriers : AYES. I like this clue also. Lots of S's in this little section.
112. Tough test : ORAL
113. Self-titled 1974 pop album : ANKA
114. Many a techie : GEEK
115. Latin being : ESSE
118. FedEx rival : UPS
120. Otto I's realm: Abbr. : HRE
121. Knighted McKellen : IAN. He was on Fresh Air a while ago. Funny guy.
Thanks for letting me know the puzzles in your local paper. I fear I'm the lone voice here asking our local Star Tribune to change the puzzles. So sad. Why their syndicate does not publish LAT crosswords is beyond me. I start to doubt if the Trib Variety Editor even solves crosswords.
C.C.
C.C.
