Theme: The Last Shall Be First - Common words/phrases with the component word order reversed.
23A. Hayride musical group?: WAGON BAND. Bandwagon.
25A. Results of a burglar's bumps and bruises?: TAKING PAINS. Painstaking. Someone please explains the clue/answer rationale to me. Why "burglar"?
38A. Bleating art?: GOATSCAPE. Scapegoat. Goatscape is like landscape I suppose, at least, in the Windhover Farm.
42A. Brief film on kneading and baking?: BREAD SHORT. Shortbread.
61A. Contest related to the knife toss?: FORK PITCH. Pitchfork. Hello, Iowa!
78A. Violinist who loves the spotlight?: STRING HAM. Hamstring. My favorite theme entry.
96A. Handy lint-removing tool?: POCKET PICK. Pickpocket.
98A. Primitive projectile that's like new?: MINT SPEAR. Spearmint.
118A. Disaster at a Ritz factory?: CRACKER FIRE. Firecracker. Very evocative.
120A. Astronaut's alien squeeze?: MOON HONEY. Honeymoon. But there's no life on the Moon, where does the astronaut get the squeeze?
All the base phrases are simple and solid. I intuited the gimmick immediately with the rather self-revealing puzzle title. Then the second theme entry quickly confirmed my instinct. I picture today's constructor Tom Heilman is fun to be around, from the way he clued his theme answers alone.
Also loved his clue for FRI (119D. Time assoc. with a common superstition). Friday the 13th. Disliked the clue for YOS (77D. Informal his). The "his" in the clue is a plural of hi, isn't it?
Across:
1. Prayer start: LORD. Crossing DOOMSDAY (4D. End of the world).
5. Assertive comeback: AM SO
9. Sir Toby of "Twelfth Night": BELCH. Shakespeare's stuff often stumps me.
14. Done with: RID OF
19. 1970 Neil Young protest song: OHIO
20. Spa option: PEEL. Honey & sea salt exfoliates rather well.
21. Donovan who played Amber in "Clueless": ELISA. Total stranger to me.
22. January, in Juárez: ENERO
27. Choice: PRIMO. I was thinking of noun "choice".
28. "The Thieving Magpie" composer: ROSSINI
30. Jumpers, e.g.: DRESSES
31. "Thou shouldst not have been old till thou __ been wise": "King Lear": HADST
32. Like a hoops shot: ARCED
33. Sexually attractive: NUBILE. One of Buckeye's favorite words.
35. Justice Dept. org.: DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration)
37. Valuable deposit: ORE
47. "Full Metal Jacket" gp.: USMC (United States Marine Corps). Gimme for Dennis/Argyle. I've never seen "Full Metal Jacket".
48. __ populi: VOX. The popular opinion. Vox = Voice.
49. Not easy to hang onto: EELY
50. Some have prizes inside: CEREALS. I'll go nuts for those small bobblehead promotions.
52. "Alrighty then": OKEY DOKE
56. Rock genre: EMO
57. Director Vittorio De __: SICA. I've yet to see his "The Bicycle Thief".
58. Matched, as a bet: SEEN. Keep forgetting the card bet meaning of "see".
60. Parroted a Persian: MEOWED. Cat.
64. Afternoon celeb: SOAP STAR
67. Ruin: SPOIL
68. Hipbone prefix: ILIO. The hip bone is ILIA.
70. Trim: NEAT
71. Carpentry files: RASPS
75. Early development: NASCENCY
80. Phrase on a mailing label: SEND TO
83. Semi-convertible auto roof: T-TOP
85. Vermilion and cardinal: REDS
87. Fund source: TREASURY
90. Unlike the life of the party: ASOCIAL
92. __ Blair: George Orwell's birth name: ERIC. Unknown to me.
93. Classified ad letters: EEO. And TYPE (129. Classification).
94. Boss: HEAD
102. Covert __: spy missions: OPS
103. Soft & __: DRI
104. Beat: RHYTHM. Nice strings of consonants.
105. Prepare, as merchandise for a sale: RETAG
108. Cruise, for one: ACTOR. Tom Cruise.
112. Tenor Pavarotti: LUCIANO. Italians are so expressive.
115. Impose: OBTRUDE. With "upon".
117. Joe of "Hill Street Blues": SPANO. He's in "NYPD Blue" also.
122. German thanks: DANKE. And ERDE (124. German earth). For Kazie.
123. Like the verbs "cast" and "cost": Abbr.: IRREG. Chinese verbs have no past tense.
125. Part of NEA: Abbr.: EDUC
126. Dispatches, as a dragon: SLAYS. Dispatch = Kill.
127. 1980s-'90s Olds: CIERA. Cutlass Ciera. Stumped me.
128. Certain title: DEED
Down:
1. Like acidic detergents: LOW PH. Got me.
2. "BUtterfield 8" novelist: O'HARA (John). I've never heard of the book (film). Why is U capitalized?
3. Stiff: RIGID
5. LAPD broadcast: APB
6. Anne of "Awakenings": MEARA. Rich picked "Awakening" for alliteration purpose.
7. Hombre's address: SENOR
8. It's often hard to settle: OLD SCORE. Great clue.
9. Happen: BETIDE
10. Vigor: ELAN
11. Preferences: LIKINGS
12. Drama set in Vegas: CSI
13. Return, as graded papers: HAND BACK. Can't wait for Lois to return.
14. Staves off: REPELS
15. "Hang on!": IN A SEC
16. Agnus __: Mass prayers: DEIS. Agnus Dei = Lamb of God. Uncommon to see its plural form.
17. D-day invasion river: ORNE. The Normandy river.
18. Composer Lukas: FOSS. First encounter with this guy.
24. Wrote down: NOTED
26. Mettle: GRIT
29. Perfect Sleepers, e.g.: SERTAS
34. Man of Messina: UOMO. Italian for "man". I was at sea. Messina is a seaport in NE Sicily. Alliteration again.
36. Computer data acronym: ASCII
39. State purposefully: AVOW
40. Nudge: POKE
41. Left one's mark on: EX'ED. My grandma did not read.
44. Ecuadoran province named for its gold production: EL ORO. Literally "the gold". I've never heard of it before. Makes perfect sense.
45. Feverish: HECTIC
46. Divine counselor: ORACLE
47. Apply to: USE ON
51. Bandleader Brown: LES
53. 911 respondent: EMT
54. Has strong desires: YEARNS
55. Biker's headgear, perhaps: DORAG
57. Water balloon impact sounds: SPLATS
59. Rob Roy refusals: NAES. Scotish for "no".
62. In a manner of speaking, slangily: KINDA. Sorta.
63. Suggestion: HINT
65. "The Alamo" co-star Jason __: PATRIC. Another foreign name to me. The name is crying for K.
66. Unbroken sequence: STREAK
69. Oars in a quad scull, e.g.: OCTAD. Two oars for each of the four rowers then.
72. Lewis with Lamb Chop: SHARI
73. Go to pieces: PANIC. "Go to pieces" is a new idiom to me also.
74. Slap: SMACK
76. Insignificant amount: SOU. Not worth a sou.
79. Whittled on the porch, say: IDLED
80. Restrain: STEM
81. "Oh the joys that came ... __ was old!": Coleridge: ERE I. Got it from crosses.
82. Night light: NEON. Rhyme.
84. Corny gadget?: POPPER. Oh, popcorn.
88. Bombast: RHETORIC
89. "Righto": YEAH
91. Like some ball attendees: COSTUMED
92. Milton or Virgil: EPIC POET
95. Large wardrobe: ARMOIRE
97. Criticize severely: TRASH
99. Devious: TRICKY
100. Jiggles: SHAKES
101. Joe __, confrontational '50s-'60s talk show host: PYNE. No idea. Hosts are not supposed to be confrontational.
102. Former Sandinista leader: ORTEGA (Daniel). President of Nicaragua. I was ignorant of the Sandinista Party.
106. Dig deeply?: ADORE. I dig this clue.
107. Glittery rock: GEODE
109. Frequent Cronyn co-star: TANDY(Jessica). Hume Cronyn was her husband.
110. Outdo: ONE-UP
111. Automaker Henry: ROYCE. Founder of Rolls-Royce.
112. Some time displays, briefly: LCDS
113. River through Magnitogorsk: URAL. The Europe/Asia boundary river.
114. Site of Jesus' first miracle: CANA. Where Jesus turned water to wine.
116. Fox's title: BR'ER. Uncle Remus tales.
121. Novelist Buntline: NED
Answer grid.
C.C.
23A. Hayride musical group?: WAGON BAND. Bandwagon.
25A. Results of a burglar's bumps and bruises?: TAKING PAINS. Painstaking. Someone please explains the clue/answer rationale to me. Why "burglar"?
38A. Bleating art?: GOATSCAPE. Scapegoat. Goatscape is like landscape I suppose, at least, in the Windhover Farm.
42A. Brief film on kneading and baking?: BREAD SHORT. Shortbread.
61A. Contest related to the knife toss?: FORK PITCH. Pitchfork. Hello, Iowa!
78A. Violinist who loves the spotlight?: STRING HAM. Hamstring. My favorite theme entry.
96A. Handy lint-removing tool?: POCKET PICK. Pickpocket.
98A. Primitive projectile that's like new?: MINT SPEAR. Spearmint.
118A. Disaster at a Ritz factory?: CRACKER FIRE. Firecracker. Very evocative.
120A. Astronaut's alien squeeze?: MOON HONEY. Honeymoon. But there's no life on the Moon, where does the astronaut get the squeeze?
All the base phrases are simple and solid. I intuited the gimmick immediately with the rather self-revealing puzzle title. Then the second theme entry quickly confirmed my instinct. I picture today's constructor Tom Heilman is fun to be around, from the way he clued his theme answers alone.
Also loved his clue for FRI (119D. Time assoc. with a common superstition). Friday the 13th. Disliked the clue for YOS (77D. Informal his). The "his" in the clue is a plural of hi, isn't it?
Across:
1. Prayer start: LORD. Crossing DOOMSDAY (4D. End of the world).
5. Assertive comeback: AM SO
9. Sir Toby of "Twelfth Night": BELCH. Shakespeare's stuff often stumps me.
14. Done with: RID OF
19. 1970 Neil Young protest song: OHIO
20. Spa option: PEEL. Honey & sea salt exfoliates rather well.
21. Donovan who played Amber in "Clueless": ELISA. Total stranger to me.
22. January, in Juárez: ENERO
27. Choice: PRIMO. I was thinking of noun "choice".
28. "The Thieving Magpie" composer: ROSSINI
30. Jumpers, e.g.: DRESSES
31. "Thou shouldst not have been old till thou __ been wise": "King Lear": HADST
32. Like a hoops shot: ARCED
33. Sexually attractive: NUBILE. One of Buckeye's favorite words.
35. Justice Dept. org.: DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration)
37. Valuable deposit: ORE
47. "Full Metal Jacket" gp.: USMC (United States Marine Corps). Gimme for Dennis/Argyle. I've never seen "Full Metal Jacket".
48. __ populi: VOX. The popular opinion. Vox = Voice.
49. Not easy to hang onto: EELY
50. Some have prizes inside: CEREALS. I'll go nuts for those small bobblehead promotions.
52. "Alrighty then": OKEY DOKE
56. Rock genre: EMO
57. Director Vittorio De __: SICA. I've yet to see his "The Bicycle Thief".
58. Matched, as a bet: SEEN. Keep forgetting the card bet meaning of "see".
60. Parroted a Persian: MEOWED. Cat.
64. Afternoon celeb: SOAP STAR
67. Ruin: SPOIL
68. Hipbone prefix: ILIO. The hip bone is ILIA.
70. Trim: NEAT
71. Carpentry files: RASPS
75. Early development: NASCENCY
80. Phrase on a mailing label: SEND TO
83. Semi-convertible auto roof: T-TOP
85. Vermilion and cardinal: REDS
87. Fund source: TREASURY
90. Unlike the life of the party: ASOCIAL
92. __ Blair: George Orwell's birth name: ERIC. Unknown to me.
93. Classified ad letters: EEO. And TYPE (129. Classification).
94. Boss: HEAD
102. Covert __: spy missions: OPS
103. Soft & __: DRI
104. Beat: RHYTHM. Nice strings of consonants.
105. Prepare, as merchandise for a sale: RETAG
108. Cruise, for one: ACTOR. Tom Cruise.
112. Tenor Pavarotti: LUCIANO. Italians are so expressive.
115. Impose: OBTRUDE. With "upon".
117. Joe of "Hill Street Blues": SPANO. He's in "NYPD Blue" also.
122. German thanks: DANKE. And ERDE (124. German earth). For Kazie.
123. Like the verbs "cast" and "cost": Abbr.: IRREG. Chinese verbs have no past tense.
125. Part of NEA: Abbr.: EDUC
126. Dispatches, as a dragon: SLAYS. Dispatch = Kill.
127. 1980s-'90s Olds: CIERA. Cutlass Ciera. Stumped me.
128. Certain title: DEED
Down:
1. Like acidic detergents: LOW PH. Got me.
2. "BUtterfield 8" novelist: O'HARA (John). I've never heard of the book (film). Why is U capitalized?
3. Stiff: RIGID
5. LAPD broadcast: APB
6. Anne of "Awakenings": MEARA. Rich picked "Awakening" for alliteration purpose.
7. Hombre's address: SENOR
8. It's often hard to settle: OLD SCORE. Great clue.
9. Happen: BETIDE
10. Vigor: ELAN
11. Preferences: LIKINGS
12. Drama set in Vegas: CSI
13. Return, as graded papers: HAND BACK. Can't wait for Lois to return.
14. Staves off: REPELS
15. "Hang on!": IN A SEC
16. Agnus __: Mass prayers: DEIS. Agnus Dei = Lamb of God. Uncommon to see its plural form.
17. D-day invasion river: ORNE. The Normandy river.
18. Composer Lukas: FOSS. First encounter with this guy.
24. Wrote down: NOTED
26. Mettle: GRIT
29. Perfect Sleepers, e.g.: SERTAS
34. Man of Messina: UOMO. Italian for "man". I was at sea. Messina is a seaport in NE Sicily. Alliteration again.
36. Computer data acronym: ASCII
39. State purposefully: AVOW
40. Nudge: POKE
41. Left one's mark on: EX'ED. My grandma did not read.
44. Ecuadoran province named for its gold production: EL ORO. Literally "the gold". I've never heard of it before. Makes perfect sense.
45. Feverish: HECTIC
46. Divine counselor: ORACLE
47. Apply to: USE ON
51. Bandleader Brown: LES
53. 911 respondent: EMT
54. Has strong desires: YEARNS
55. Biker's headgear, perhaps: DORAG
57. Water balloon impact sounds: SPLATS
59. Rob Roy refusals: NAES. Scotish for "no".
62. In a manner of speaking, slangily: KINDA. Sorta.
63. Suggestion: HINT
65. "The Alamo" co-star Jason __: PATRIC. Another foreign name to me. The name is crying for K.
66. Unbroken sequence: STREAK
69. Oars in a quad scull, e.g.: OCTAD. Two oars for each of the four rowers then.
72. Lewis with Lamb Chop: SHARI
73. Go to pieces: PANIC. "Go to pieces" is a new idiom to me also.
74. Slap: SMACK
76. Insignificant amount: SOU. Not worth a sou.
79. Whittled on the porch, say: IDLED
80. Restrain: STEM
81. "Oh the joys that came ... __ was old!": Coleridge: ERE I. Got it from crosses.
82. Night light: NEON. Rhyme.
84. Corny gadget?: POPPER. Oh, popcorn.
88. Bombast: RHETORIC
89. "Righto": YEAH
91. Like some ball attendees: COSTUMED
92. Milton or Virgil: EPIC POET
95. Large wardrobe: ARMOIRE
97. Criticize severely: TRASH
99. Devious: TRICKY
100. Jiggles: SHAKES
101. Joe __, confrontational '50s-'60s talk show host: PYNE. No idea. Hosts are not supposed to be confrontational.
102. Former Sandinista leader: ORTEGA (Daniel). President of Nicaragua. I was ignorant of the Sandinista Party.
106. Dig deeply?: ADORE. I dig this clue.
107. Glittery rock: GEODE
109. Frequent Cronyn co-star: TANDY(Jessica). Hume Cronyn was her husband.
110. Outdo: ONE-UP
111. Automaker Henry: ROYCE. Founder of Rolls-Royce.
112. Some time displays, briefly: LCDS
113. River through Magnitogorsk: URAL. The Europe/Asia boundary river.
114. Site of Jesus' first miracle: CANA. Where Jesus turned water to wine.
116. Fox's title: BR'ER. Uncle Remus tales.
121. Novelist Buntline: NED
Answer grid.
C.C.
