Theme: "French Connection" - Two words of the same meanings & same letter count are placed side by side. The first one is of French origin.
22A. Outcome : DENOUEMENT. Notice all the French-rooted words are English words. J'AI FAIM & I'M HUNGRY won't work. Wrong letter count also.
24A. Outcome : RESOLUTION
38A. "Win some, lose some" : C'EST LA VIE
41A. "Win some, lose some" : THAT'S LIFE. Same clues too of course.
65A. Bare : AU NATUREL
68A. Bare : BUCK-NAKED
91A. "Confidentially ... " : ENTRE NOUS. Also the title of this popular book. The author is actually an American.
94A. "Confidentially ... " : BETWEEN US
110A. Fine dining aficionados : BON VIVANTS
113A. Fine dining aficionados : EPICUREANS. Our Steve is one. Does the new consulting gig mean you've left Oracle?
All the French words are placed in front. Very consistent.
The separate 10 theme entries work like grid-spanners, in a way. I don't believe Paul put those black square stair steps in the middle on purpose. Just the result of grid design restrictions.
Across:
1. Starbucks serving : LATTE. Not MOCHA.
6. Pound foot? : IAMB. Ezra Pound.
10. Busy co. on Mother's Day : FTD. Our flea markets here officially kick off on Mother's Day. Some open today. Yay!
13. Put forward : POSED
18. Get too close to : CROWD
19. Françoise's friend : AMIE. 98. Coup target : ETAT. Stray French.
20. __ moment : AHA. Not IN A.
21. Capricious : FICKLE
22A. Outcome : DENOUEMENT. Notice all the French-rooted words are English words. J'AI FAIM & I'M HUNGRY won't work. Wrong letter count also.
24A. Outcome : RESOLUTION
38A. "Win some, lose some" : C'EST LA VIE
41A. "Win some, lose some" : THAT'S LIFE. Same clues too of course.
65A. Bare : AU NATUREL
68A. Bare : BUCK-NAKED
91A. "Confidentially ... " : ENTRE NOUS. Also the title of this popular book. The author is actually an American.
110A. Fine dining aficionados : BON VIVANTS
113A. Fine dining aficionados : EPICUREANS. Our Steve is one. Does the new consulting gig mean you've left Oracle?
All the French words are placed in front. Very consistent.
The separate 10 theme entries work like grid-spanners, in a way. I don't believe Paul put those black square stair steps in the middle on purpose. Just the result of grid design restrictions.
Across:
1. Starbucks serving : LATTE. Not MOCHA.
6. Pound foot? : IAMB. Ezra Pound.
10. Busy co. on Mother's Day : FTD. Our flea markets here officially kick off on Mother's Day. Some open today. Yay!
13. Put forward : POSED
18. Get too close to : CROWD
19. Françoise's friend : AMIE. 98. Coup target : ETAT. Stray French.
20. __ moment : AHA. Not IN A.
21. Capricious : FICKLE
26. It's a long story : SAGA
27. Advanced legal deg. : LLM. Master of Laws. Not LLD today. Also 44. Legal agreement : LEASE
28. Souvenirs with three holes in them : TEES. I was picturing a bowling ball. Pricey souvenir.
30. Is down with : HAS
31. Dr.'s order : MRI. Not EEG/MED
32. Keisters : CABOOSES
35. 640 acres: Abbr. : SQ MI. Drew a blank.
37. Hosea contemporary : AMOS. Biblical prophets. Also 52. Mount delivery : SERMON
45. Countryman of Gary Player : ERNIE ELS. George (Big Easy on our blog) has met Ernie Els a few times. Different format at Zurich Classic this year.
47. Training group : CADRE
50. One may be named for a president : ERA
51. Spread out : SPLAY
53. Onward in time : FORTH. Not AHEAD.
56. Often elided pronoun : YOU ALL
58. Grandpa Walton portrayer : GEER (Will). Used him in my own grid once.
60. Like Perot in the 1992 pres. election : IND (Independent)
61. The '70s, in a Tom Wolfe essay : ME DECADE
64. __ club : GLEE. Not GOLF.
70. Put __ appearance : IN AN. I had ON AN.
71. Org. with lanes : PBA. Lisa, one of Boomer's bowling friends, had two perfect games in a row in February. Their Monday league has many top bowlers.
72. Elegantly, to Vivaldi : GRAZIOSO. New word to me. Sounds thankful.
74. Offense : SIN
75. Bell curve figure : MEAN. Got via crosses.
76. Like a quarter's edge : REEDED. Not a word I use.
77. Coagulates : CLOTS
81. Rifled : LOOTED
83. In the cards : FATED
84. Routine first baseman? : WHO. Who's on First?
85. Go after : ENSUE. TTP is chasing morels these days. Do you eat them fresh or do you dry them?
86. Mushers' transports : DOG SLEDS
89. "I Hated, Hated, Hated This Movie" author : EBERT
96. Gospel singer Winans : CECE. Same pronunciation as my name, right?
99. The 3rd Avenue line was the last of them to operate in Manhattan : EL TRAINS. Drew a blank.
101. Beatle bride : ONO
102. Actress Garner, familiarly : JEN. Wish they were still together.
105. Singer DiFranco : ANI
106. Sorts : ILKS
116. Senescence : OLD AGE. Senescence sounds old.
117. Even so : YET
118. Take-out order? : DELE. Gimme for regulars.
119. Snowy __ : EGRET
120. Holds up : LASTS
121. News letters : UPI
122. Cheek : SASS
123. Chinese toys, for short : PEKES. Toy dogs.
Down:
1. Some SLR displays : LCDs
2. Side squared, for a square : AREA
3. Chinese secret society : TONG. A bit obscure.
4. Feature of many Broadway musicals : TWO ACTS
5. Email ending : EDU
6. 1975 Jackson 5 hit : I AM LOVE. The answer filled in itself.
7. Autobiographical subtitle : A MEMOIR
8. Time div. : MIN
9. Actress Davis : BETTE
10. Make out : FARE
11. Site of Mount Olympus : THESSALY. Somewhere here.
12. "__ Kapital" : DAS
13. Name of 12 popes : PIUS
14. Fall mo. : OCT
15. Whole alternative, in Nottingham : SKIMMED MILK. Skimmed makes better sense.
16. Ecuadoran province once famous for its gold : EL ORO
17. Patron saint of France : DENIS. Sometimes it's DENYS.
21. Swing wildly : FLAIL
23. Island near Corsica : ELBA. BunnyM is going to her little island in the Mexican Caribbean next week. They go there every year to celebrate their wedding anniversary, I think.
25. Resistance units : OHMs
29. Co-star of Bea, Betty and Rue : ESTELLE. "The Golden Girls"
33. Amber __ : ALE
34. Erotic : SENSUAL
36. Parts of gals. : QTs
37. A long way off : AFAR
38. Pitch indicator : CLEF. Musical pitch!
39. Architect Saarinen : EERO
40. Coal-rich German region : SAAR
42. Get better : HEAL. Positive thoughts to our Lemonade and a few others. Hope all's good, Spitzboov!
43. Champagne bucket, e.g. : ICER
46. Apple variety : iPAD
48. Actress Blakley : RONEE. Forgot. We had her a while ago.
52. Watch word? : SEIKO. Tricky clue. Plus, so many five-letter watch brands.
54. Fed after tax evaders : T-MAN
55. Worked (up) : HET
56. __ Buena, town that became San Francisco : YERBA
57. Continental divide? : OCEAN. Great clue.
58. Surgical dressing : GAUZE
59. Castilian hero : EL CID
62. Had : DUPED
64. Canterbury pen : GAOL. Jail.
65. Bridal path : AISLE. Side by side with 66. Wedding : UNION
67. They go by in a flash : NANOSECONDS. Another great clue/fill combo.
68. Banker's bane : BAD DEBT
69. Pres. advisory team : NSC
72. Prepares : GETS SET
73. It holds the line : REEL
75. Face : MEET
76. Popular pasta topping : RAGU. Staple in our household.
78. Actor Wilson : OWEN
79. By way of, briefly : THRU
80. Tipplers : SOTS
82. Air : TUNE
83. One may echo in an alley : FOOTSTEP. The image reminds me of the frequent plot device in Chinese movies about 1940's.
86. Chain letters? : DNA. Fun clue also.
87. Obstructs the progress of : DERAILS
88. Batting positions : STANCES
89. Poetic dusk : E'EN. Evening.
90. Surround : BESIEGE
92. Superman player : REEVE
93. It towers over Taormina : ETNA. Not familial with Taormina. I do know 104. Italian wine center : ASTI
95. 2012 Nintendo debut : WII U
96. Early computer language : COBOL
97. __ Gay: WWII bomber : ENOLA
100. West Yorkshire city : LEEDS
102. Sprightly dances : JIGS
107. Frolic : LARK
108. Cap site : KNEE. Kneecap.
109. Retired fliers : SSTs
111. Winery sight : VAT
112. Manhattan sch. : NYU
114. Patch grower : PEA. No peas in our small garden. I do love sugar peas.
