Theme: Seas the Day - One word in each common phrase is replaced by a nautical term.
24A. Course for sailors? : ANCHOR MANAGEMENT. Anger management.
40A. Measures to ensure restful sleep on-board? : BERTH CONTROL. Birth control. Did it trouble or delight you that BIRTH (10A. Hospital delivery) also appears in the same grid?
64A. The Red Baron, belowdecks? : ACE IN THE HULL. Ace in the hole.
72A. Result of eating French fries at the ship's wheel? : SLIPPERY HELM. Slippery elm. Fun?
97A. Irrational weeping over a broken spar? : MAST HYSTERIA. Mass hysteria.
116A. Philosophical shrug about channel markers? : BUOYS WILL BE BUOYS. Boys will be boys. Punning on both ends. John saved the best for the last, grid-wise.
3D. Positive report from a deck hand? : THE JIB IS UP. The jig is up. The only entry where the conversion word is not at the beginning or the end.
77D. Bit of gear for a nuclear-powered dinghy? : URANIUM OAR. Uranium ore.
More nautical fill for our sailors Spitzboov & eddyB:
22A. South, in a north wind : ALEE
70A, English sí, at sea : AYE
89D. Asian sea : ARAL
I like John's grid design, the theme answers (occupying a perfect 100 squares) are spread everywhere. Looks simple, but it's the result of lots of tries and pure hard work.
And of course, John is a true artist when it comes to cluing, puns and clue echos aplenty. I'll just point out these:
60A. Bug barrier : SCREEN
62A. Bug killers : ZAPPERS
45D. Bug film in which Gene Hackman voices General Mandible : ANTZ
54D. Bug for payment : DUN. "Bug" is a verb here.
117D. Bug catcher : WEB
His clues are to be enjoyed and admired.
Across:
1. Sax object? : ALTO. Punny start. Reminded me of "Clinton blew it" for SAX.
5. Passing fancies : WHIMS
15. Dandelion's home, often : LAWN
19. Wonka's creator : DAHL (Roald). Willy Wonka.
20. Like much floor tile : VINYL
21. In __: awaiting delivery : UTERO
23. Suit to __ : A TEE
27. Taking drive-thru orders, e.g. : McJOB
29. "When I Take My Sugar to __": 1931 hit : TEA
30. Leaves out : OMITS
31. Outdoes : BESTS
32. Ones in concert with con artists : SHILLS. Nice clue.
34. Pollen-bearing organ : STAMEN. See here.
36. Insurance gps. : HMOs
38. Moistens overnight, perhaps : BEDEWS
45. "I'd like to buy __" : AN I
47. Corny jokes : GROANERS.
49. Corny picks : EARS
50. Audit trailer? : ORY. Auditory.
51. Plane front : NOSE
53. 19th-century Mexican president Juárez : BENITO. Always thought it's an Italian name.
54. Five-O booking agent : DANO. Or Danno.
55. Sleeper's choice : TWIN
56. Suit that beats the other three : TRUMP. And 68. Beat badly : TROMP.
58. Addams family cousin : ITT
59. Dastard : CUR
71. Noodle rings? : HALOS. "Noodle" = "Head".
76. Sweats : GYM SUIT
80. Word spoken before a shot : CHEESE. Say "Cheese". We say "Qie Zi" (eggplant) in Chinese.
81. Suffix with Caesar : EAN. Caesarean.
82. H.S. math course : ALG
84. Political housecleaning : PURGE. Like China's Cultural Revolution.
85. Flag throwers : REFs
86. "Ring around the collar" detergent : WISK. I've never used this brand.
88. Pesto herbs : BASILs
91. Try to find on the road, say : PAGE. Don't get this clue.
92. Some busts : ART
93. Stable upstairs? : SANE. Don't get this pun.
94. Stout, for one : DARK BEER. Hi there Jerome!
96. Citi Field team, on scoreboards : NYM. NY Mets.
100. St. Clare's town : ASSISI
102. Drain stain : RUST
103. Barbizon School artist : MILLET. Famous for his "The Gleaners". Saw it in Musée d'Orsay.
105. "Uncle!" : ENOUGH
108. Sock synthetic : ORLON
111. Yeshiva leader : REBBE. New word to me.
113. Four times daily, in an Rx : QID
115. How many nightclubs are lit : DIMLY
120. Gad about : ROAM
121. French fashion mag : ELLE. I like Elle Asia.
122. Quintessential flop : EDSEL
123. "__ in Words": New Ager's memoir : YANNI. He attended University of Minnesota here.
124. Deservedly get : EARN
125. Copyright datum : YEAR
126. 1970s Big Apple mayor : BEAME (Abe)
127. Lane associate : OLSEN (Jimmy). "The Daily Planet". Lois Lane.
128. "__ Tu": 1974 hit : ERES
Down:
1. John in the White House : ADAMS. John Adams. John gets his name into the clue.
2. Closing mechanism : LATCH
4. Fútbol cheer : OLE OLE. Fútbol = Football. Their soccer.
5. Wheeling's st. : W VA
6. Clue or cue : HINT
7. Like the ocean's roar : INCESSANT
8. What I might eat in defeat? : MY HAT. Made me smile.
9. __-mo : SLO
10. Downers : BUMMERS
11. "If __ broke ..." : IT AIN'T
12. Musical based on Puccini's "La Bohème" : RENT
13. Raccoon attractor : TRASH CAN. Any raccoon in your neck of the wood, Creature? What's their life expectancy?
14. Refuse to share : HOG
15. Least believable : LAMEST
16. Stout alternatives : ALES
17. Headed out : WENT
18. Butterfly catchers : NETS
25. Classical guitar family name : ROMERO. Gimme for Splynter/Bill G. I've never heard of the brand before.
26. Poetic blacks : EBONs
28. Campus unit: Abbr. : BLDG
33. Balkan native : SERB
35. Be an accessory to : ABET
37. In a moody way : MOROSELY
39. "Alas!" : WOE IS ME.
41. Home, metonymically : HEARTH. Look, Marti, H-E-A-R-T!
42. Wheel on a spur : ROWEL. See here.
43. Bay window : ORIEL
44. Singer Loretta : LYNN
46. Ibsen's "doll" : NORA. No idea.
48. Silents star Naldi : NITA. She just won't die in crosswords.
52. Frat bash refuse : EMPTIES
55. Bind tightly : TRUSS UP. New phrase to me.
57. Heist participants, to cops : PERPs. Or crossing entries, to our blog crowd.
59. Sky over Paris : CIEL
61. Bite : CHOMP
63. Ravine-crossing hauling systems : ROPEWAYS. Oh, these.
65. "All the Way" lyricist : CAHN (Sammy)
66. See : EYE
67. Dickers : HAGGLES
69. Out-of-the-box feature : PRESET
72. Toondom's Princess of Power : SHE-RA. He-Man's twin sister.
73. Johansson's jabs : LEFTS. Ingemar Johansson, the Swedish boxer. I can only think of this Johansson. Good enough match for the OVERCOAT guy yesterday, I think.
74. Chew the fat : YAK
75. False front : MASK
78. Punk star __ Pop : IGGY
79. Be crawling (with) : TEEM
80. Jam-pack : CRAM
83. Celebratory drinks : LIBATIONS. And 118D. Intoxicating letters? : BYO. Is it "Brew Your Own" or "Bring Your Own"?
87. Good way to take things : IN STRIDE. I like this clue too.
88. Security holder, in law : BAILEE
90. Zairian dictator Mobutu __ Seko : SESE. He lives on in crossword also. As I mentioned last Sunday, crossword is a medium where well-done is rare. Every puzzle has a few SESE, NITA & UGLI.
93. Eschews : SHUNS
94. Court action : DRIBBLE. Basketball.
95. Coat to peel off : RIND
98. Verne __, Mini-Me portrayer in Austin Powers films : TROYER. Recognized his mug after I googled.
99. Symbol : EMBLEM
101. Evening musicale : SOIREE
104. Tantamount : EQUAL
106. A polarizing filter reduces it : GLARE
107. Choral offerings : HYMNs
108. Follow : OBEY. And 109. Thing to follow : RULE.
110. She gets what she wants : LOLA. From the "Damn Yankees".
112. "Lohengrin" heroine : ELSA
114. Force unit : DYNE
119. Biblical no-no : SIN
Answer grid.
Seas the Day! Tomorrow is not promised to any of us, a la Kirby Puckett.
C.C.
24A. Course for sailors? : ANCHOR MANAGEMENT. Anger management.
40A. Measures to ensure restful sleep on-board? : BERTH CONTROL. Birth control. Did it trouble or delight you that BIRTH (10A. Hospital delivery) also appears in the same grid?
64A. The Red Baron, belowdecks? : ACE IN THE HULL. Ace in the hole.
72A. Result of eating French fries at the ship's wheel? : SLIPPERY HELM. Slippery elm. Fun?
97A. Irrational weeping over a broken spar? : MAST HYSTERIA. Mass hysteria.
116A. Philosophical shrug about channel markers? : BUOYS WILL BE BUOYS. Boys will be boys. Punning on both ends. John saved the best for the last, grid-wise.
3D. Positive report from a deck hand? : THE JIB IS UP. The jig is up. The only entry where the conversion word is not at the beginning or the end.
77D. Bit of gear for a nuclear-powered dinghy? : URANIUM OAR. Uranium ore.
More nautical fill for our sailors Spitzboov & eddyB:
22A. South, in a north wind : ALEE
70A, English sí, at sea : AYE
89D. Asian sea : ARAL
I like John's grid design, the theme answers (occupying a perfect 100 squares) are spread everywhere. Looks simple, but it's the result of lots of tries and pure hard work.
And of course, John is a true artist when it comes to cluing, puns and clue echos aplenty. I'll just point out these:
60A. Bug barrier : SCREEN
62A. Bug killers : ZAPPERS
45D. Bug film in which Gene Hackman voices General Mandible : ANTZ
54D. Bug for payment : DUN. "Bug" is a verb here.
117D. Bug catcher : WEB
His clues are to be enjoyed and admired.
Across:
1. Sax object? : ALTO. Punny start. Reminded me of "Clinton blew it" for SAX.
5. Passing fancies : WHIMS
15. Dandelion's home, often : LAWN
19. Wonka's creator : DAHL (Roald). Willy Wonka.
20. Like much floor tile : VINYL
21. In __: awaiting delivery : UTERO
23. Suit to __ : A TEE
27. Taking drive-thru orders, e.g. : McJOB
29. "When I Take My Sugar to __": 1931 hit : TEA
30. Leaves out : OMITS
31. Outdoes : BESTS
32. Ones in concert with con artists : SHILLS. Nice clue.
34. Pollen-bearing organ : STAMEN. See here.
36. Insurance gps. : HMOs
38. Moistens overnight, perhaps : BEDEWS
45. "I'd like to buy __" : AN I
47. Corny jokes : GROANERS.
49. Corny picks : EARS
50. Audit trailer? : ORY. Auditory.
51. Plane front : NOSE
53. 19th-century Mexican president Juárez : BENITO. Always thought it's an Italian name.
54. Five-O booking agent : DANO. Or Danno.
55. Sleeper's choice : TWIN
56. Suit that beats the other three : TRUMP. And 68. Beat badly : TROMP.
58. Addams family cousin : ITT
59. Dastard : CUR
71. Noodle rings? : HALOS. "Noodle" = "Head".
76. Sweats : GYM SUIT
80. Word spoken before a shot : CHEESE. Say "Cheese". We say "Qie Zi" (eggplant) in Chinese.
81. Suffix with Caesar : EAN. Caesarean.
82. H.S. math course : ALG
84. Political housecleaning : PURGE. Like China's Cultural Revolution.
85. Flag throwers : REFs
86. "Ring around the collar" detergent : WISK. I've never used this brand.
88. Pesto herbs : BASILs
91. Try to find on the road, say : PAGE. Don't get this clue.
92. Some busts : ART
93. Stable upstairs? : SANE. Don't get this pun.
94. Stout, for one : DARK BEER. Hi there Jerome!
96. Citi Field team, on scoreboards : NYM. NY Mets.
100. St. Clare's town : ASSISI
102. Drain stain : RUST
103. Barbizon School artist : MILLET. Famous for his "The Gleaners". Saw it in Musée d'Orsay.
105. "Uncle!" : ENOUGH
108. Sock synthetic : ORLON
111. Yeshiva leader : REBBE. New word to me.
113. Four times daily, in an Rx : QID
115. How many nightclubs are lit : DIMLY
120. Gad about : ROAM
121. French fashion mag : ELLE. I like Elle Asia.
122. Quintessential flop : EDSEL
123. "__ in Words": New Ager's memoir : YANNI. He attended University of Minnesota here.
124. Deservedly get : EARN
125. Copyright datum : YEAR
126. 1970s Big Apple mayor : BEAME (Abe)
127. Lane associate : OLSEN (Jimmy). "The Daily Planet". Lois Lane.
128. "__ Tu": 1974 hit : ERES
Down:
1. John in the White House : ADAMS. John Adams. John gets his name into the clue.
2. Closing mechanism : LATCH
4. Fútbol cheer : OLE OLE. Fútbol = Football. Their soccer.
5. Wheeling's st. : W VA
6. Clue or cue : HINT
7. Like the ocean's roar : INCESSANT
8. What I might eat in defeat? : MY HAT. Made me smile.
9. __-mo : SLO
10. Downers : BUMMERS
11. "If __ broke ..." : IT AIN'T
12. Musical based on Puccini's "La Bohème" : RENT
13. Raccoon attractor : TRASH CAN. Any raccoon in your neck of the wood, Creature? What's their life expectancy?
14. Refuse to share : HOG
15. Least believable : LAMEST
16. Stout alternatives : ALES
17. Headed out : WENT
18. Butterfly catchers : NETS
25. Classical guitar family name : ROMERO. Gimme for Splynter/Bill G. I've never heard of the brand before.
26. Poetic blacks : EBONs
28. Campus unit: Abbr. : BLDG
33. Balkan native : SERB
35. Be an accessory to : ABET
37. In a moody way : MOROSELY
39. "Alas!" : WOE IS ME.
41. Home, metonymically : HEARTH. Look, Marti, H-E-A-R-T!
42. Wheel on a spur : ROWEL. See here.
43. Bay window : ORIEL
44. Singer Loretta : LYNN
46. Ibsen's "doll" : NORA. No idea.
48. Silents star Naldi : NITA. She just won't die in crosswords.
52. Frat bash refuse : EMPTIES
55. Bind tightly : TRUSS UP. New phrase to me.
57. Heist participants, to cops : PERPs. Or crossing entries, to our blog crowd.
59. Sky over Paris : CIEL
61. Bite : CHOMP
63. Ravine-crossing hauling systems : ROPEWAYS. Oh, these.
65. "All the Way" lyricist : CAHN (Sammy)
66. See : EYE
67. Dickers : HAGGLES
69. Out-of-the-box feature : PRESET
72. Toondom's Princess of Power : SHE-RA. He-Man's twin sister.
73. Johansson's jabs : LEFTS. Ingemar Johansson, the Swedish boxer. I can only think of this Johansson. Good enough match for the OVERCOAT guy yesterday, I think.
74. Chew the fat : YAK
75. False front : MASK
78. Punk star __ Pop : IGGY
79. Be crawling (with) : TEEM
80. Jam-pack : CRAM
83. Celebratory drinks : LIBATIONS. And 118D. Intoxicating letters? : BYO. Is it "Brew Your Own" or "Bring Your Own"?
87. Good way to take things : IN STRIDE. I like this clue too.
88. Security holder, in law : BAILEE
90. Zairian dictator Mobutu __ Seko : SESE. He lives on in crossword also. As I mentioned last Sunday, crossword is a medium where well-done is rare. Every puzzle has a few SESE, NITA & UGLI.
93. Eschews : SHUNS
94. Court action : DRIBBLE. Basketball.
95. Coat to peel off : RIND
98. Verne __, Mini-Me portrayer in Austin Powers films : TROYER. Recognized his mug after I googled.
99. Symbol : EMBLEM
101. Evening musicale : SOIREE
104. Tantamount : EQUAL
106. A polarizing filter reduces it : GLARE
107. Choral offerings : HYMNs
108. Follow : OBEY. And 109. Thing to follow : RULE.
110. She gets what she wants : LOLA. From the "Damn Yankees".
112. "Lohengrin" heroine : ELSA
114. Force unit : DYNE
119. Biblical no-no : SIN
Answer grid.
Seas the Day! Tomorrow is not promised to any of us, a la Kirby Puckett.
C.C.
