theme: YIN AND YANG- all the theme entries are in the pattern of A B AND C, both "A B" & "B AND C" are common phrases.
16A. Recommendations at the salon : HAIR-DOS AND DON'TS. anyone remember the episode of mary tyler moore with mary's 'hair bump?'
21A. Intricacies of cells : PHONE-INS AND OUTS
34A. Attributes at the links : GOLF-PROS AND CONS
51A. Vicissitudes of cargo space : HOLD-UPS AND DOWNS. a vicissitude is an alternation between opposite or contrasting things.
57A. Miscellany of benevolence? : GOOD-ODDS AND ENDS
melissa here. in buddhism, the four vicissitudes, or 'worldly winds' are praise & blame, gain & loss, pleasure & pain, and fame & disrepute. self-explanatory theme, but the clues were quite tricky. on the other hand (get it?), the non-theme clues seemed a bit on the easy side.
lots of artsy references today (theater, literature, and music), which i've highlighted in blue, just for fun.
across:
1. It may be shown to an usher : STUB
5. Flying Disney critter : DUMBO
10. Semi compartment : CAB. truck.
13. Like a firelit room on a cold night : COZY.
14. 1992-'93 NBA Rookie of the Year : O'NEAL. shaquille.
15. Apollo's org. : NASA
19. Greatly smacked of : OOZED
20. At the right time : ON CUE
26. Gloss target : LIP
27. Collector's goal : SET. c.c. collects baseball memorabilia, any other collectors out there?
28. Roleo roller : LOG. we had this word recently - log rolling competition.
29. Word with weight or worth : NET. many people wish their net weight decreased as much as their net worth.
30. __ Bator : ULAN. capitol and largest city in mongolia.
32. Feverish fits : AGUES. ague - a fever (as malaria) marked by paroxysms of chills, fever, and sweating that recur at regular intervals.
41. Exams for future attys. : LSATS
42. "As __ saying ..." : I WAS
43. Airport safety org. : TSA. transportation security administration.
46. Brit. record label : EMI. electric and musical industries, ltd. one of the 'big four' record companies, along with universal music group, sony music entertainment, and warner music group.
47. Hugs, symbolically : OOO. x's and o's.
50. Crew tool : OAR
55. 11th-century Spanish hero : EL CID. in case you're curious.
56. Jacket material : TWEED
63. Not for : ANTI
64. Levels : TIERS
65. Talk show host Banks : TYRA.
66. LAPD rank : SGT
67. One in a black suit : SPADE. playing cards.
68. Site of Charon's ferry : STYX. river in greek mythology. the band styx was named after this river - vocalist dennis deyoung says it was the only name "that none of us hated."
down:
1. PTA meeting place : SCH. school.
2. __ fault: excessively : TO A
3. Action film weapon : UZI
4. "She Walks in Beauty" poet : BYRON. there's your CUE, clear ayes.
5. Lollapalooza : DOOZIE. also an annual music festival.
6. Like some angry email, wisely : UNSENT
7. Honey beverages : MEADS
8. Shut out : BAN
9. __ Spice aftershave : OLD. the smell makes me think of my dad.
10. Yucatán resort : CANCUN
11. Sharp as a tack : ASTUTE
12. Most abject : BASEST
15. It's verboten : NO-NO
17. Mates for bucks : DOES
18. Didn't exactly answer, as a question : DODGED. most politicians make an art of it.
21. Advertisement : PLUG
22. Hawaii's __ Bay : HILO. who's been there?
23. Birthstone after sapphire : OPAL. september is sapphire, opal is october. any opals here?
24. Pond plant : ALGA. this makes jeannie and me think of sam gribley in 'my side of the mountain,' and his alga experiments.
25. It may be proper : NOUN
31. Org. for Bucs and Jags : NFL
32. Biblical mount : ASS
33. Biol., e.g. : SCI
35. False start? : PSEUDO. nice.
36. Wheelchair access : RAMP
37. Bluesman Redding : OTIS. sittin' at the doc of the bay.
38. "Man, that hurts!" : OW OW
39. Asian bread : NAAN
40. Old red states?: Abbr. : SSR'S. soviet socialist republic.
43. Something to step on while driving : THE GAS
45. "Little Women" author : ALCOTT
47. Leader's exhortation : ONWARD
48. Danish seaport : ODENSE
49. Had too much, briefly : OD'ED
52. Gogo's pal, in "Waiting for Godot" : DIDI. samuel beckett play.
53. Sailing, say : AT SEA. yesterday it was clued as 'bewildered.'
54. "Awake and Sing!" playwright : ODETS
58. Souse's syndrome : DT'S. delirium tremens, latin for shaking frenzy.
59. Party bowlful : DIP
60. "All the news that's fit to print" initials : NYT. new york times motto.
61. Prohibitionist : DRY. among other things.
62. Jazz combo horn : SAX. ha, last wednesday we had sacks, sachs, saks and sax.
to finish off, today's perfect 'theme' song: opposites attract.
answer grid.
melissa
to finish off, today's perfect 'theme' song: opposites attract.
answer grid.
melissa