Theme: "Gee Whiz" - G is added to the start of each common phrase.
22A. Potentially comforted by a bottle of Beefeater? : GIN CONSOLABLE. Inconsolable. The only entry where the base phrase is one word.
34A. Place for a complainer? : GRUMBLE SEAT. Rumble seat.
57A. Forty-niner after a lucky strike? : GOLD YELLER. "Old Yeller". And 109D. 49ers' org. : NFL. I'm guessing the constructor is a 49ers' fan. Constructors like to put their local teams in the clues/answers.
68A. Christian path to salvation? : GRACE TRACK. Race track.
89A. Stagehand splitting his sides? : GRIP ROARING. Rip-roaring.
107A. Like a baseball player who couldn't find his way to the field? : GLOVED AND LOST. Loved and lost. "Better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all."
16D. Ineptly prepared mess hall offering? : GRUB THE WRONG WAY. Rub the wrong way. Change the verb "rub" into a noun "grub".
42D. Man at the altar yet again? : GROOM FOR ONE MORE. Room for one more. The answer feels a bit awkward for the clue.
The theme makes me smile. Don and I have been working on a similar project.
It would very very cool not to any other G-word in fill. But it's quite challenging if not impossible in a 21*21 grid. Lots of Down 7's.
The puzzle was tough for me at a few spots. I had a much easy time with Gareth Bain's "Gas" last Sunday.
Across:
1. Marshy ground : MORASS. One more blank for my SWAMP.
7. Parties for royalty, say : FETES
12. Finger lever : TRIGGER. Did not come to me readily.
19. Too : OVERLY
20. Lively Baroque dances : GIGUES. Stumper. I think we've seen the singular GIGUE before.
21. Bench warmer : RESERVE
24. Cruel partner : UNUSUAL. Cruel and unusual.
25. Loosen, in a way : UNTIE
26. Rescued orphan in Byron's "Don Juan" : LEILA. No idea. Haltool might know.
27. Cutlass maker : OLDS
28. Eagle's org. : BSA. First thought was PGA.
29. Be inclined : LEAN. And 51. Is inclined : TENDS.
30. 1994 World Cup host : USA. Any important event in your life in 1994? I graduated from the college and broke up with my first boyfriend of 7 years.
31. Carts without fixed sides : DRAYS
33. "Take __ from me ..." : A TIP
39. Community character : ETHOS. This word always gives me trouble.
40. Boxer's greeting : WAG. Dog.
43. Catch sight of : ESPY
44. Blue gem, briefly : LAPIS
45. Worry-free : SERENE. JD always has a serene look.
46. Scrape : ABRADE
48. Kept talking, and talking ... : RAN ON. Any man who's been in Bangkok for even one night can talk hours and hours about his story. Sin city, Santa!
49. Spread here and there : STREW
50. Some electron tubes : DIODES
52. Mailing ctr. : GPO
53. Johnson of "Laugh-In" : ARTE
56. Run to Reno, maybe : ELOPE. Or get divorced.
59. Double-minded : TORN. Roberto hates when I hesitate. He's the most efficient person I know.
60. Rep.'s opponent : DEM
61. Dolphin's home : MIAMI. Don't follow football. Are Miami Dolphins historically good? Vikings suck.
63. Is in need of : LACKS
65. Critic's pick : NIT. Ha ha!
66. Data : INFO
72. Celtic, for one : CAGER
74. Inert gas : NEON
75. Show stoppers : ADs
76. Hag : CRONE
77. Be half-asleep : DROWSE
78. Chaucerian estate manager : REEVE. I bet it's a gimme for Nice Cuppa. I'm lost if the clue has no "Christopher" in it.
80. San Antonio landmark : ALAMO
81. Treat with carbon dioxide : AERATE. I have no idea what they put in.
82. Quality : CHOICE
84. Word with land or sea : SCAPE
85. Seem less important : PALE
87. "You betcha!" : YES. Very Minnesotan.
88. Many an Indian : HINDU. Hi there Vidwan! Don't be a mouse.
92. Surface statistic : AREA
93. Aromatic compound : ESTER
95. Three abroad : TRE
96. Spell opening : ABRA
100. Sleep lab letters : REM
101. Vintage autos : REOS
102. Hyperion, for one : TITAN
104. Challenging winds : OBOES. Why is it challenging?
105. Riot figures : LOOTERS
110. The Urals divide it : EURASIA
111. Like a jack-o'-lantern's eyes : AGLARE
112. Time of merriment : FIESTA. I like the sound of this word.
113. Completely absorbed (in) : STEEPED. This is a fascinating video. Can you guess what the song is about? It's in Cantonese.
114. Striking hammer parts : PEENS
115. "Help!" film director Richard : LESTER
Down:
1. Mound on the slopes : MOGUL. For Marti.
2. Woolly, in a way : OVINE. In a way, yes.
3. Oscar de la __ : RENTA. Laura Bush's favorite designer.
4. Like an arrow in the air : ARCING
5. Blackthorn fruit : SLOE
6. Genuine, for real: Abbr. : SYN. Genuine is a synonym of "real".
7. Befitting offspring : FILIAL. This kid is already pondering on his filial duty.
8. Alike, to Alain : EGAL. The only Alain I can think of is Alain Delon.
9. Big brass : TUBA
10. Snaky fish : EEL. Yum! Snake meat is quite tasty too.
11. Boston-to-Nantucket dir. : SSE
12. Indeed : TRULY
13. Tears apart : RENDS
14. "We have met the enemy and he __": Pogo : IS US
15. Some microwaves : GEs
17. Taxpayer's crime : EVASION
18. Take a turn for the worse : RELAPSE
20. Is called : GOES BY
23. Stretch with no hits : SLUMP. Boomer loves Pujols. So, go Cardinals!
27. Porridge, essentially : OATS
31. State under oath : DEPOSE
32. "Still Falls the __": Edith Sitwell poem : RAIN
33. "You're in for __!" : A TREAT
35. Cash in : REDEEM
36. Exploits : USES
37. Twisty-horned antelope : ELAND. Horny!
38. Like many beaches : SANDY
39. Always, in verse : EER
40. Began energetically : WADED IN. This phrase always has a "careful and tentative" connotation to me.
41. Texas city near Dyess Air Force Base : ABILENE
45. Baby carrier? : STORK. Fun clue.
47. Payroll service giant, initially : ADP. Automated Data Processing.
48. Civil War cannon, e.g. : RELIC
49. Paint droplet : SPECK
51. Inquisitor __ de Torquemada : TOMAS. Spanish for Thomas, right?
52. Iced, as cake : GLACE
54. Italian seaport : TRIESTE. So similar to TRISTE.
55. Main courses : ENTREES
57. Avant-__ : GARDE
58. South American plain : LLANO. Still remember LLANERO?
62. "__ my love a cherry ..." : I GAVE
64. Filter out : SCREEN
67. Iroquois tribe : ONEIDA
69. Food that's French for "flash of lightning" : ECLAIR. Did not know the entomology.
70. "The Sound of Music" family name : TRAPP
71. Former Colorado governor : ROMER (Roy). Complete stranger to me. Looks like he's late for a date.
73. "__ b?" : A OR
77. Spanish surrealist : DALI
79. Coin first minted under Louis IX : ECU. Two choice: ECU or SOU.
80. It might be a whole lot : ACRE
82. Dickens's Darnay : CHARLES. from "A Tale of Two Cities".
83. Offer one's services for a fee : HIRE OUT
84. Certain NCOs : SGTs
85. Mardi Gras event : PARADE
86. Boston's TD Garden, e.g. : ARENA
90. Web-footed mammals : OTTERS
91. Triangular house sections : GABLES. Melissa linked a good one last time.
93. Spine-tingling : EERIE
94. "Alas!" : SO SAD
97. Upward thrust : BOOST
98. Rouen remainder : RESTE. French for "rest" I suppose.
99. Sirius, for one : A-STAR
101. Breathing: Abbr. : RESP. Respiring?
102. Gilded metalware : TOLE. Like this.
103. One of the Karamazovs : IVAN
104. Comic strip drooler : ODIE
106. __ kwon do : TAE
107. Mountain pass : GAP
108. T-shirt size : LGE
Answer grid.
C.C.
22A. Potentially comforted by a bottle of Beefeater? : GIN CONSOLABLE. Inconsolable. The only entry where the base phrase is one word.
34A. Place for a complainer? : GRUMBLE SEAT. Rumble seat.
57A. Forty-niner after a lucky strike? : GOLD YELLER. "Old Yeller". And 109D. 49ers' org. : NFL. I'm guessing the constructor is a 49ers' fan. Constructors like to put their local teams in the clues/answers.
68A. Christian path to salvation? : GRACE TRACK. Race track.
89A. Stagehand splitting his sides? : GRIP ROARING. Rip-roaring.
107A. Like a baseball player who couldn't find his way to the field? : GLOVED AND LOST. Loved and lost. "Better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all."
16D. Ineptly prepared mess hall offering? : GRUB THE WRONG WAY. Rub the wrong way. Change the verb "rub" into a noun "grub".
42D. Man at the altar yet again? : GROOM FOR ONE MORE. Room for one more. The answer feels a bit awkward for the clue.
The theme makes me smile. Don and I have been working on a similar project.
It would very very cool not to any other G-word in fill. But it's quite challenging if not impossible in a 21*21 grid. Lots of Down 7's.
The puzzle was tough for me at a few spots. I had a much easy time with Gareth Bain's "Gas" last Sunday.
Across:
1. Marshy ground : MORASS. One more blank for my SWAMP.
7. Parties for royalty, say : FETES
12. Finger lever : TRIGGER. Did not come to me readily.
19. Too : OVERLY
20. Lively Baroque dances : GIGUES. Stumper. I think we've seen the singular GIGUE before.
21. Bench warmer : RESERVE
24. Cruel partner : UNUSUAL. Cruel and unusual.
25. Loosen, in a way : UNTIE
26. Rescued orphan in Byron's "Don Juan" : LEILA. No idea. Haltool might know.
27. Cutlass maker : OLDS
28. Eagle's org. : BSA. First thought was PGA.
29. Be inclined : LEAN. And 51. Is inclined : TENDS.
30. 1994 World Cup host : USA. Any important event in your life in 1994? I graduated from the college and broke up with my first boyfriend of 7 years.
31. Carts without fixed sides : DRAYS
33. "Take __ from me ..." : A TIP
39. Community character : ETHOS. This word always gives me trouble.
40. Boxer's greeting : WAG. Dog.
43. Catch sight of : ESPY
44. Blue gem, briefly : LAPIS
45. Worry-free : SERENE. JD always has a serene look.
46. Scrape : ABRADE
48. Kept talking, and talking ... : RAN ON. Any man who's been in Bangkok for even one night can talk hours and hours about his story. Sin city, Santa!
49. Spread here and there : STREW
50. Some electron tubes : DIODES
52. Mailing ctr. : GPO
53. Johnson of "Laugh-In" : ARTE
56. Run to Reno, maybe : ELOPE. Or get divorced.
59. Double-minded : TORN. Roberto hates when I hesitate. He's the most efficient person I know.
60. Rep.'s opponent : DEM
61. Dolphin's home : MIAMI. Don't follow football. Are Miami Dolphins historically good? Vikings suck.
63. Is in need of : LACKS
65. Critic's pick : NIT. Ha ha!
66. Data : INFO
72. Celtic, for one : CAGER
74. Inert gas : NEON
75. Show stoppers : ADs
76. Hag : CRONE
77. Be half-asleep : DROWSE
78. Chaucerian estate manager : REEVE. I bet it's a gimme for Nice Cuppa. I'm lost if the clue has no "Christopher" in it.
80. San Antonio landmark : ALAMO
81. Treat with carbon dioxide : AERATE. I have no idea what they put in.
82. Quality : CHOICE
84. Word with land or sea : SCAPE
85. Seem less important : PALE
87. "You betcha!" : YES. Very Minnesotan.
88. Many an Indian : HINDU. Hi there Vidwan! Don't be a mouse.
92. Surface statistic : AREA
93. Aromatic compound : ESTER
95. Three abroad : TRE
96. Spell opening : ABRA
100. Sleep lab letters : REM
101. Vintage autos : REOS
102. Hyperion, for one : TITAN
104. Challenging winds : OBOES. Why is it challenging?
105. Riot figures : LOOTERS
110. The Urals divide it : EURASIA
111. Like a jack-o'-lantern's eyes : AGLARE
112. Time of merriment : FIESTA. I like the sound of this word.
113. Completely absorbed (in) : STEEPED. This is a fascinating video. Can you guess what the song is about? It's in Cantonese.
114. Striking hammer parts : PEENS
115. "Help!" film director Richard : LESTER
Down:
1. Mound on the slopes : MOGUL. For Marti.
2. Woolly, in a way : OVINE. In a way, yes.
3. Oscar de la __ : RENTA. Laura Bush's favorite designer.
4. Like an arrow in the air : ARCING
5. Blackthorn fruit : SLOE
6. Genuine, for real: Abbr. : SYN. Genuine is a synonym of "real".
7. Befitting offspring : FILIAL. This kid is already pondering on his filial duty.
8. Alike, to Alain : EGAL. The only Alain I can think of is Alain Delon.
9. Big brass : TUBA
10. Snaky fish : EEL. Yum! Snake meat is quite tasty too.
11. Boston-to-Nantucket dir. : SSE
12. Indeed : TRULY
13. Tears apart : RENDS
14. "We have met the enemy and he __": Pogo : IS US
15. Some microwaves : GEs
17. Taxpayer's crime : EVASION
18. Take a turn for the worse : RELAPSE
20. Is called : GOES BY
23. Stretch with no hits : SLUMP. Boomer loves Pujols. So, go Cardinals!
27. Porridge, essentially : OATS
31. State under oath : DEPOSE
32. "Still Falls the __": Edith Sitwell poem : RAIN
33. "You're in for __!" : A TREAT
35. Cash in : REDEEM
36. Exploits : USES
37. Twisty-horned antelope : ELAND. Horny!
38. Like many beaches : SANDY
39. Always, in verse : EER
40. Began energetically : WADED IN. This phrase always has a "careful and tentative" connotation to me.
41. Texas city near Dyess Air Force Base : ABILENE
45. Baby carrier? : STORK. Fun clue.
47. Payroll service giant, initially : ADP. Automated Data Processing.
48. Civil War cannon, e.g. : RELIC
49. Paint droplet : SPECK
51. Inquisitor __ de Torquemada : TOMAS. Spanish for Thomas, right?
52. Iced, as cake : GLACE
54. Italian seaport : TRIESTE. So similar to TRISTE.
55. Main courses : ENTREES
57. Avant-__ : GARDE
58. South American plain : LLANO. Still remember LLANERO?
62. "__ my love a cherry ..." : I GAVE
64. Filter out : SCREEN
67. Iroquois tribe : ONEIDA
69. Food that's French for "flash of lightning" : ECLAIR. Did not know the entomology.
70. "The Sound of Music" family name : TRAPP
71. Former Colorado governor : ROMER (Roy). Complete stranger to me. Looks like he's late for a date.
73. "__ b?" : A OR
77. Spanish surrealist : DALI
79. Coin first minted under Louis IX : ECU. Two choice: ECU or SOU.
80. It might be a whole lot : ACRE
82. Dickens's Darnay : CHARLES. from "A Tale of Two Cities".
83. Offer one's services for a fee : HIRE OUT
84. Certain NCOs : SGTs
85. Mardi Gras event : PARADE
86. Boston's TD Garden, e.g. : ARENA
90. Web-footed mammals : OTTERS
91. Triangular house sections : GABLES. Melissa linked a good one last time.
93. Spine-tingling : EERIE
94. "Alas!" : SO SAD
97. Upward thrust : BOOST
98. Rouen remainder : RESTE. French for "rest" I suppose.
99. Sirius, for one : A-STAR
101. Breathing: Abbr. : RESP. Respiring?
102. Gilded metalware : TOLE. Like this.
103. One of the Karamazovs : IVAN
104. Comic strip drooler : ODIE
106. __ kwon do : TAE
107. Mountain pass : GAP
108. T-shirt size : LGE
Answer grid.
C.C.
