Theme: Chicago to Canton
(Chicago Bears Hall-of-Famer. NFL Hall of Fame is located in Canton, OH)
1A & 127A: Bear in Canton since 1993: Walter Payton
24A: Bear in Canton since 1963: Bronko Nagurski
70A: Bear in Canton since 1963: George Halas (Papa Bear)
115A: Bear in Canton since 1998: Mike Singletary
31D: Bear in Canton since 1977: Gale Sayers
41D: Bear in Canton since 1963: Red Grange
51D: Bear in Canton since 1988: Mike Ditka
55D: Bear in canton since 1979: Dick Butkus
No joy today in Mudville, mighty Casey has struck out! Brutal! I don't even know which Vikings are in the HOF. OK, Alan Page comes to my mind. He is our Supreme Court Justice now. Bud Grant? Yes.
By the way, I came across Chuck Foreman at flea market several times last year. He was selling his autographed photos/helmets/footballs, etc. This guy squandered all the money he made during his career I suppose. Twins Great Zoilo Versailles was the same. He had to wash airplanes for a living when he was old. That's just so sad.
Anyway, this puzzle was too much a workout for me. I was not in good shape football-wise, lots of panting, gasping for air, wild throw and cheating. But damned it, I finished it!
Across:
7A: Handle capably: WIELD
12A: Droop: WILT
16A: Ernie of the PGA: ELS. The Big Easy. I tried to copy his lazy swing, didn't work.
19A: Take for granted: ASSUME
20A: Nine: pref.: ENNEA
21A: Type of navigation system: INERTIAL
23A: Make additional cuts: RETRIM
26A: Host of a '70s variety series: FLIP WILSON. Sorry, I didn't know you.
28A: Brand name on cakes: SARA LEE
29A: Listening device: BUG. Have you ever seen an expert debug a phone, in person? Very fascinating.
32A: Inside:pref.: ENTO.
33A: Of bristles: SETAL
34A: Hermits: LONER
39A: Quickly: ASAP
38A: Long, thin fish: GARS. Often clued as long-snouted fish.
40A: Chicken caller: DARER. I like this clue.
42A: Vesicle: CYST
43A: Called (archaic): YCLEPT. Past participle of clepe. Ridiculous looking word!
45A: Extinct bird of New Zealand: MOA
47A: Any individual: SOMEONE
50A: __ Salt: EPSOM. Great for muscle pain relief. Trust me on this one.
52A: C & W fan's channel: CMT (Country Music TV). Country & Western (C & W)
54A: Soup scoop: LADLE
55A: When it's light out: DAY
58A: "The Thieving Magpie" composer: ROSSINI. Did not know him. The title looks interesting.
60A: Pink color: CORAL
62A: Wedge-shaped piece: GIB. I put Pie first.
63A: Non-network station: ITV (Independent TV network)
64A: Diarist Nin: ANAIS. I read 3 pages of her Delta of Venus. Wow, talk about graphic S scenes.
65A: Wailed: KEENED. I lifted this one out of dictionary.com. Keen, n/v, to wail in lamentation for the dead.
67A: End of a buck: AROO
68A: __ -Magnon: CRO. The Cave.
69A: Charles II's lover Nell: GWYN. Called "Pretty, witty Nell" by Samuel Pepys, another famous diarist.
73A: Go, in Glasgow: GAE. Scottish accent I suppose.
75A: Intervene: STEP IN
76A: Kind of cigar or sandwich: CUBAN
78A: Lilly or Wallah: ELI
79A: Main Street structure: STORE
80A: Small sphere: GLOBULE
82A: Deg. with teeth: DDS (Doctor of Dental Science)
83A: Taiwan Strait Islands: MATSU. I think our crossword editor is obsessed with this word, which has made at least 3 appearances since I started blogging.
86A: Israeli seaport: EILAT. Also spelled Elath. I only knew Haifa.
87A: Gambling: RISKING
89A: Grad. deg.: SCD (Scientiae Doctor, ie, Doctor of Science)
91A: Russian drinks: VODKA. Add Kahlua, you get your own Black Russian. Na zdorovje, Putin, for your power-grabbing prowess!
97A: Robert and Alan: ALDAS
99A: Yen: URGE
102A: Sports venues: ARENAS
105A: Flags: TIRES
107A: Jedi teacher: YODA
109A: Half of B.S.: SCI
110A: Mid-ocean: OPEN SEA
112A: Work by Horace: ARS POETICA (The Art of Poetry)
117A: Whole lot: TUBFUL
121A: Partly: IN A SENSE
122A: Roofing material: TERNE. I only knew "slate" for the roof.
123A: Cosmopolitan: URBANE
124A: Confirmed: SET
125A: Blue-green color: TEAL
126A: Mighty mount: STEED
Down:
1D: Simple card game: WAR
2D: Peer Gynt's mother: ASE. I forgot her name.
3D: D-Day craft: LST (Landing Ship Tank)
4D: Greensward: TURF (sorry about the mistake earlier)
5D: French writer Zola: EMILE
6D: "Bronco Buster" Sculptor: REMINGTON (Fredric). It looks majestic.
7D: Destructive caterpillar: WEB WORM
8D: Calvary inscription: INRI. I mixed it up with Cavalry. These two words are so close.
9D: Tautomeric compounds: ENOLS. Why in the world should I know this?
10D: Filmed, slangily: LENSED
11D: Badlands states: DAKOTAS
13D: Claire and Balins: INAS
14D: Authorized by law: LEGAL
15D: Cornwall town: TRURO. It's in the UK.
16D: Anthony of "Hawaiian Eye": EISLEY. Never heard of him.
17D: NBA team: LAKERS
18D: Crafty to the max: SLIEST
22D: Hypnotic state: TRANCE
25D: Streaking: ON A ROLL
29D: Hound sound: BAY
30D: Trojans of sports: USC
34D: "Champagne Tony" of golf: LEMA. 12 PGA wins. Pretty impressive. On the Eve of his first win, He joked to the press that would serve champagne if he won the next day. Hence the nickname. I want K. J. Choi to win Masters this year.
37D: Stomach enzyme: PEPSIN
39D: Mia Hamm's game: SOCCER
44D: Greek letters: PSIS
46D: In the company of: AMONGST
48D: Medleys: OLIOS
49D: Moses's mount: NEBO
53D: Christmas star's place: TREE TOP
56D: Of an entrance court: ATRIAL
57D: Actress de Carlo: YVONNE
58D: Tattered: RAGGED
59D: Ahead: ONWARD
61D: Sticks: ADHERES
66D: Dawn goddess: EOS. Just for your information: Io is a moon of Jupiter, also from Greek Mythology.
71D: Quick impression: APERCU. It also means short summary.
72D: Daybreak song: AUBADE. Pronounced as Oh Bad. Sung at dawn to compliment someone.
74D: Actress Moore: DEMI Surprised that her marriage with Ashton Kucher is still solid.
76D: Neighbor of N. Mex.: COLO.
79D: Daytime timepiece: SUNDIAL
81D: Was extravagant: LIVED IT UP
84D: Riverbed deposit: SILT
87D: French city in Bretagne: RENNES. Never been there. Did not know it.
88D: Attics: GARRETS
90D: Tearless: DRY-EYED
92D: Circle segment: ARC
93D: __ disant (so called): SOI
94D: Judd and Campbell: NAOMIS. Naomi Campbell knows how to throw a blackberry tantrum.
95D: Sempervivum: ORPINE. Unknown to me, both the clue and the answer.
96D: Sneak a look: PEEK AT
98D: Part of a sonnet: SESTET
103D: Selling point: ASSET
104D: Cast net: SEINE. Can you seine in Seine?
106D: Let live: SPARE
108D: Legend automaker: ACURA. I love the clue.
111D: Latin handle: ANSA. It's a looped handle. Ansa is the Latin word for handle (Thank you Hugh Brown). By the way, Asian apricot is ANSU, so similar to ANSA.
113D: Caen's river: ORNE
114D: "Dear" columnist: ABBY
116D: Solidify: GEL
118D: Love-handles content: FAT
119D: One in Toledo: UNO
120D: Sportscaster Berman: LEN. Did not know him. Probably will forget him again. Love Joe Buck though.
Alright, now I am going to devour my high-carb breakfast.
C.C.
(Added later: Please let me know if you see any mistake or have any question. You can either Comment or Send me an email. Thank you.)
(Chicago Bears Hall-of-Famer. NFL Hall of Fame is located in Canton, OH)
1A & 127A: Bear in Canton since 1993: Walter Payton
24A: Bear in Canton since 1963: Bronko Nagurski
70A: Bear in Canton since 1963: George Halas (Papa Bear)
115A: Bear in Canton since 1998: Mike Singletary
31D: Bear in Canton since 1977: Gale Sayers
41D: Bear in Canton since 1963: Red Grange
51D: Bear in Canton since 1988: Mike Ditka
55D: Bear in canton since 1979: Dick Butkus
No joy today in Mudville, mighty Casey has struck out! Brutal! I don't even know which Vikings are in the HOF. OK, Alan Page comes to my mind. He is our Supreme Court Justice now. Bud Grant? Yes.
By the way, I came across Chuck Foreman at flea market several times last year. He was selling his autographed photos/helmets/footballs, etc. This guy squandered all the money he made during his career I suppose. Twins Great Zoilo Versailles was the same. He had to wash airplanes for a living when he was old. That's just so sad.
Anyway, this puzzle was too much a workout for me. I was not in good shape football-wise, lots of panting, gasping for air, wild throw and cheating. But damned it, I finished it!
Across:
7A: Handle capably: WIELD
12A: Droop: WILT
16A: Ernie of the PGA: ELS. The Big Easy. I tried to copy his lazy swing, didn't work.
19A: Take for granted: ASSUME
20A: Nine: pref.: ENNEA
21A: Type of navigation system: INERTIAL
23A: Make additional cuts: RETRIM
26A: Host of a '70s variety series: FLIP WILSON. Sorry, I didn't know you.
28A: Brand name on cakes: SARA LEE
29A: Listening device: BUG. Have you ever seen an expert debug a phone, in person? Very fascinating.
32A: Inside:pref.: ENTO.
33A: Of bristles: SETAL
34A: Hermits: LONER
39A: Quickly: ASAP
38A: Long, thin fish: GARS. Often clued as long-snouted fish.
40A: Chicken caller: DARER. I like this clue.
42A: Vesicle: CYST
43A: Called (archaic): YCLEPT. Past participle of clepe. Ridiculous looking word!
45A: Extinct bird of New Zealand: MOA
47A: Any individual: SOMEONE
50A: __ Salt: EPSOM. Great for muscle pain relief. Trust me on this one.
52A: C & W fan's channel: CMT (Country Music TV). Country & Western (C & W)
54A: Soup scoop: LADLE
55A: When it's light out: DAY
58A: "The Thieving Magpie" composer: ROSSINI. Did not know him. The title looks interesting.
60A: Pink color: CORAL
62A: Wedge-shaped piece: GIB. I put Pie first.
63A: Non-network station: ITV (Independent TV network)
64A: Diarist Nin: ANAIS. I read 3 pages of her Delta of Venus. Wow, talk about graphic S scenes.
65A: Wailed: KEENED. I lifted this one out of dictionary.com. Keen, n/v, to wail in lamentation for the dead.
67A: End of a buck: AROO
68A: __ -Magnon: CRO. The Cave.
69A: Charles II's lover Nell: GWYN. Called "Pretty, witty Nell" by Samuel Pepys, another famous diarist.
73A: Go, in Glasgow: GAE. Scottish accent I suppose.
75A: Intervene: STEP IN
76A: Kind of cigar or sandwich: CUBAN
78A: Lilly or Wallah: ELI
79A: Main Street structure: STORE
80A: Small sphere: GLOBULE
82A: Deg. with teeth: DDS (Doctor of Dental Science)
83A: Taiwan Strait Islands: MATSU. I think our crossword editor is obsessed with this word, which has made at least 3 appearances since I started blogging.
86A: Israeli seaport: EILAT. Also spelled Elath. I only knew Haifa.
87A: Gambling: RISKING
89A: Grad. deg.: SCD (Scientiae Doctor, ie, Doctor of Science)
91A: Russian drinks: VODKA. Add Kahlua, you get your own Black Russian. Na zdorovje, Putin, for your power-grabbing prowess!
97A: Robert and Alan: ALDAS
99A: Yen: URGE
102A: Sports venues: ARENAS
105A: Flags: TIRES
107A: Jedi teacher: YODA
109A: Half of B.S.: SCI
110A: Mid-ocean: OPEN SEA
112A: Work by Horace: ARS POETICA (The Art of Poetry)
117A: Whole lot: TUBFUL
121A: Partly: IN A SENSE
122A: Roofing material: TERNE. I only knew "slate" for the roof.
123A: Cosmopolitan: URBANE
124A: Confirmed: SET
125A: Blue-green color: TEAL
126A: Mighty mount: STEED
Down:
1D: Simple card game: WAR
2D: Peer Gynt's mother: ASE. I forgot her name.
3D: D-Day craft: LST (Landing Ship Tank)
4D: Greensward: TURF (sorry about the mistake earlier)
5D: French writer Zola: EMILE
6D: "Bronco Buster" Sculptor: REMINGTON (Fredric). It looks majestic.
7D: Destructive caterpillar: WEB WORM
8D: Calvary inscription: INRI. I mixed it up with Cavalry. These two words are so close.
9D: Tautomeric compounds: ENOLS. Why in the world should I know this?
10D: Filmed, slangily: LENSED
11D: Badlands states: DAKOTAS
13D: Claire and Balins: INAS
14D: Authorized by law: LEGAL
15D: Cornwall town: TRURO. It's in the UK.
16D: Anthony of "Hawaiian Eye": EISLEY. Never heard of him.
17D: NBA team: LAKERS
18D: Crafty to the max: SLIEST
22D: Hypnotic state: TRANCE
25D: Streaking: ON A ROLL
29D: Hound sound: BAY
30D: Trojans of sports: USC
34D: "Champagne Tony" of golf: LEMA. 12 PGA wins. Pretty impressive. On the Eve of his first win, He joked to the press that would serve champagne if he won the next day. Hence the nickname. I want K. J. Choi to win Masters this year.
37D: Stomach enzyme: PEPSIN
39D: Mia Hamm's game: SOCCER
44D: Greek letters: PSIS
46D: In the company of: AMONGST
48D: Medleys: OLIOS
49D: Moses's mount: NEBO
53D: Christmas star's place: TREE TOP
56D: Of an entrance court: ATRIAL
57D: Actress de Carlo: YVONNE
58D: Tattered: RAGGED
59D: Ahead: ONWARD
61D: Sticks: ADHERES
66D: Dawn goddess: EOS. Just for your information: Io is a moon of Jupiter, also from Greek Mythology.
71D: Quick impression: APERCU. It also means short summary.
72D: Daybreak song: AUBADE. Pronounced as Oh Bad. Sung at dawn to compliment someone.
74D: Actress Moore: DEMI Surprised that her marriage with Ashton Kucher is still solid.
76D: Neighbor of N. Mex.: COLO.
79D: Daytime timepiece: SUNDIAL
81D: Was extravagant: LIVED IT UP
84D: Riverbed deposit: SILT
87D: French city in Bretagne: RENNES. Never been there. Did not know it.
88D: Attics: GARRETS
90D: Tearless: DRY-EYED
92D: Circle segment: ARC
93D: __ disant (so called): SOI
94D: Judd and Campbell: NAOMIS. Naomi Campbell knows how to throw a blackberry tantrum.
95D: Sempervivum: ORPINE. Unknown to me, both the clue and the answer.
96D: Sneak a look: PEEK AT
98D: Part of a sonnet: SESTET
103D: Selling point: ASSET
104D: Cast net: SEINE. Can you seine in Seine?
106D: Let live: SPARE
108D: Legend automaker: ACURA. I love the clue.
111D: Latin handle: ANSA. It's a looped handle. Ansa is the Latin word for handle (Thank you Hugh Brown). By the way, Asian apricot is ANSU, so similar to ANSA.
113D: Caen's river: ORNE
114D: "Dear" columnist: ABBY
116D: Solidify: GEL
118D: Love-handles content: FAT
119D: One in Toledo: UNO
120D: Sportscaster Berman: LEN. Did not know him. Probably will forget him again. Love Joe Buck though.
Alright, now I am going to devour my high-carb breakfast.
C.C.
(Added later: Please let me know if you see any mistake or have any question. You can either Comment or Send me an email. Thank you.)