Theme: Secret Retreat - See 122D: Secret retreat hidden in this puzzle's nine longest answers: DEN
23A. Lasagna ingredient : WIDE NOODLES
48A. "Beowulf" language : OLD ENGLISH
25A. Vogue publisher : CONDE NAST. Anna Wintour has been the editor-in-chief of Vogue since 1988. Conde Nast imported Tina Brown from the other side of the pond roughly around the same period. Quite a rivalry between those two ladies inside the house.
70A. Arrival of royalty, say : GRAND ENTRANCE
96A. "Works for me" : GOOD ENOUGH
117A. Business identifier : TRADE NAME. Like Remolisher. Contact them if you live in NY area and you need any work done for your home.
121A. Scraps : ODDS AND ENDS
36D. Concert band : WIND ENSEMBLE
41D. "Little Fockers" co-star : ROBERT DE NIRO. Don't put NIRO alone in your crossword. Rich does not like it.
C.C. here. When I first saw the puzzle title, I figured SPA was hidden inside each phrase. That's the retreat I had in mind, but soon grokked Gail's gimmick.
As with most of Gail's puzzles, the theme is simple & straightforward, and the grid is super smooth. Nothing tricky or obscure. And there's always an understated elegance in her puzzles. Look at these clues:
1A. Restraining order : HALT. Not from the judge.
32A. Field workers? : REFS. Not farmers.
59A. Good thing to avoid in public : SCENE. Not crowd.
107A. Port container : CASK. Port wine.
30D. Word often preceding a sentence : GUILTY. Prison sentence.
One clue I don't get is OBIT (55A. Late notice?). Why "Late"? "Final notice" makes sense to me.
Across:
5. Cereal fruit : RAISIN. I liked dried dates.
11. "Done!" : FINIS!
16. Personality component : EGO
19. Tiered treat : OREO
20. Cause of some droughts : EL NINO. This is the mildest winter since I came to the US.
21. Offer one's thoughts : OPINE.
22. Lace (into) : RIP
27. Dogie catcher : LASSO
28. So yesterday : OUT. Don't think jeggings will be OUT soon.
29. Quaint curse : EGAD
31. Purpose : USE
34. Raymond James Stadium player, familiarly : BUC. Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
35. Barely progresses : CRAWLS
39. Many a ski house : A-FRAME
43. Gulf of Bothnia winter phenomenon : SEA ICE. Gulf of Bothnia is "the northernmost arm of the Baltic Sea". Spitzboov might have mentioned this on the blog before..
46. More chilling : EERIER
47. Halifax hold : GAOL. Jail.
52. Prefix with -frice : DENTI. Dentifrice.
53. Leafy recess : ARBOR
56. Recorded, in a way : TAPED
58. Nutritional figs. : RDAs
60. How to enjoy some amusement park water rides : LAZILY
62. Somme soul : AME. Learned from doing Xword.
63. Asian holiday : TET. Only in Vietnam.
64. Golfer Garcia : SERGIO. He plays with a passion. Dated Martina Hingis for some time.
66. Prior to : ERE
67. Cell in a network : NEURON. Brain cell.
69. Ideal conclusion? : IST. Idealist.
75. Place for a peel : SPA. Facial. Gimme for Melissa.
78. Words to one on the way out : DON'T GO
80. Bygone intl. carrier : TWA
81. Relief givers : EASERS
83. Crunch unit : REP (Repetition)
84. With it : HIP. These fake see-through skirts were HIP for a short period. The panties are printed on the skirts.
85. Appeared in a big way : LOOMED
88. Marathon measures : TIMEs
89. Scoop holder : CONE
90. Where to find a lot of corned beef : ON RYE
92. Marine predator : ORCA
93. Mosey : AMBLE
94. In __: stuck : A BIND
99. Surveyor's drawing : PLAT
100. Take out, in a way : BORROW. Oh, take out a loan. We also have 126A. Provided with temporarily : LENT TO.
102. Prepared to eavesdrop : BUGGED
103. Mends, as a bad stitching job : RE-SEWS
105. Comedian's sidekick : STOOGE
106. Part of a line: Abbr. : SEG (Segment)
109. Flying fig. : ALT (Altitude). For Dudley.
110. Haywire : AWRY. Love this clip Len linked yesterday.
111. Recede : EBB
112. WWII torpedo vessel : E-BOAT
124. Sharer's word : OUR
125. Delta preceder : GAMMA
127. Frenzied : AMOK
128. Comforting companion : PET
129. Game trail : SPOOR
130. Scoundrels : KNAVES. Also learned from doing Xword.
131. Meddle (in) : MESS
Down:
1. Yuk it up : HOWL. Did not know HOWL means "laugh" also.
2. Rossini specialty : ARIA
3. Watch displays, briefly : LEDs
4. Hose fillers : TOES. Was picturing a sprinkler.
5. 1906 Runabout, e.g. : REO. No idea on Runabout, Argyle!
6. Unfriendly : ALOOF
7. River near Karachi : INDUS. Originated in China. In Chinese, it's called "Indian River".
8. It builds up in channels : SILT. "It" clue is often tricky. Same with "What", like "What's up" for SKY. Drives me nuts at times.
9. Having four sharps : IN E. I trust you, being musically blind.
10. Feeder with fodder : NOSEBAG
11. Italian flatbread : FOCACCIA. I've never had it, Steve. Lots of rosemary on this one.
12. It can help you carry a tune : iPOD
13. "Collages" novelist : NIN (Anaïs)
14. Bring about : INDUCE
15. Blows a gasket : SEES RED
16. Victorian __ : ERA
17. PX patrons : GIs
18. Decline, with "out" : OPT
24. Par : NORM
26. Not as far from : NEARER TO
33. Job ad abbr. : EEO
37. Sic on : LET AT
38. Hindu honorifics : SRIs
39. 2006 tennis retiree : AGASSI. Look, he's back.
40. Some comedies : FARCES
42. As a companion : ALONG
43. Took by force : SEIZED
44. Complete : ENTIRE. No FINISH. Adjective "complete" here.
45. Albéniz composition "Cantos de __" : ESPANA. "Songs of Spain".
49. Hi-tech titter : LOL
50. Corp. alias : DBA (Doing Business As)
51. Studly dudes : HE-MEN. This is my favorite "He-man" picture. Don't know if I should be sorry or happy for FL.
54. Hold sway : REIGN
57. Court tie : DEUCE. Tennis court.
61. Slowly, to Mozart : LENTO
65. Grass-B-Gon maker : ORTHO
68. Bit of gaucho gear : REATA. Or RIATA.
71. Sitting in a cask, say : AGING. Wine again. Do expensive wines really taste better? Psychologically maybe yes.
72. "Consider it done" : NO PROB
73. Score in a pitcher's duel, perhaps : TWO ONE. Two to One. Low-scoring (2 runs at most), fast paced, few hits, lots of strikeouts. There you have a pitcher's duel.
74. Accomplish using force : RAMROD
76. Future litigator's study : PRE-LAW. Lawyers are all pretty wordy.
77. Items of value : ASSETS
79. Speed demon's delight : OPEN ROAD
82. Fools : SIMPS
83. Assembly line worker : ROBOT
85. Book that might be cooked : LEDGER
86. Old French coin : ECU
87. Former U.N. leader Hammarskjöld : DAG
89. Hotel entrance lineup : CABS. Long clue/answer dupe.
91. "Is that a promise?" : YOU SWEAR? My favorite answer.
95. Angled fairways : DOG LEGS. Not really a problem for short-hitters.
97. Crème brûlée ingredient : EGG YOLK
98. Time pieces: Abbr. : HRs
101. Moist towelette : WET NAP
104. Barely managed, with "out" : EKED
107. "The Mentalist" airer : CBS TV. What's "The Mentalist" about?
108. Taper off : ABATE
110. Shells and such : AMMO
111. Flamboyant Dame : EDNA. Dame Edna.
113. Smile from ear to ear : BEAM
114. Tab-grabber's words : ON ME
115. Fusses : ADOs
116. Chiding sounds : TSKS
117. Tank or tee : TOP
118. Regret : RUE
119. Display on the wall : ART. When I was a child, every family had Chairman Mao's portrait on their wall.
120. Latin lover's word : AMO (I love)
123. Phone bk. info : NOs
Answer grid.
Here is another baseball haiku from Ant's book:
geese flying north
the pitcher stops his windup
to watch
C.C.
23A. Lasagna ingredient : WIDE NOODLES
48A. "Beowulf" language : OLD ENGLISH
25A. Vogue publisher : CONDE NAST. Anna Wintour has been the editor-in-chief of Vogue since 1988. Conde Nast imported Tina Brown from the other side of the pond roughly around the same period. Quite a rivalry between those two ladies inside the house.
70A. Arrival of royalty, say : GRAND ENTRANCE
96A. "Works for me" : GOOD ENOUGH
117A. Business identifier : TRADE NAME. Like Remolisher. Contact them if you live in NY area and you need any work done for your home.
121A. Scraps : ODDS AND ENDS
36D. Concert band : WIND ENSEMBLE
41D. "Little Fockers" co-star : ROBERT DE NIRO. Don't put NIRO alone in your crossword. Rich does not like it.
C.C. here. When I first saw the puzzle title, I figured SPA was hidden inside each phrase. That's the retreat I had in mind, but soon grokked Gail's gimmick.
As with most of Gail's puzzles, the theme is simple & straightforward, and the grid is super smooth. Nothing tricky or obscure. And there's always an understated elegance in her puzzles. Look at these clues:
1A. Restraining order : HALT. Not from the judge.
32A. Field workers? : REFS. Not farmers.
59A. Good thing to avoid in public : SCENE. Not crowd.
107A. Port container : CASK. Port wine.
30D. Word often preceding a sentence : GUILTY. Prison sentence.
One clue I don't get is OBIT (55A. Late notice?). Why "Late"? "Final notice" makes sense to me.
Across:
5. Cereal fruit : RAISIN. I liked dried dates.
11. "Done!" : FINIS!
16. Personality component : EGO
19. Tiered treat : OREO
20. Cause of some droughts : EL NINO. This is the mildest winter since I came to the US.
21. Offer one's thoughts : OPINE.
22. Lace (into) : RIP
27. Dogie catcher : LASSO
28. So yesterday : OUT. Don't think jeggings will be OUT soon.
29. Quaint curse : EGAD
31. Purpose : USE
34. Raymond James Stadium player, familiarly : BUC. Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
35. Barely progresses : CRAWLS
39. Many a ski house : A-FRAME
43. Gulf of Bothnia winter phenomenon : SEA ICE. Gulf of Bothnia is "the northernmost arm of the Baltic Sea". Spitzboov might have mentioned this on the blog before..
46. More chilling : EERIER
47. Halifax hold : GAOL. Jail.
52. Prefix with -frice : DENTI. Dentifrice.
53. Leafy recess : ARBOR
56. Recorded, in a way : TAPED
58. Nutritional figs. : RDAs
60. How to enjoy some amusement park water rides : LAZILY
62. Somme soul : AME. Learned from doing Xword.
63. Asian holiday : TET. Only in Vietnam.
64. Golfer Garcia : SERGIO. He plays with a passion. Dated Martina Hingis for some time.
66. Prior to : ERE
67. Cell in a network : NEURON. Brain cell.
69. Ideal conclusion? : IST. Idealist.
75. Place for a peel : SPA. Facial. Gimme for Melissa.
78. Words to one on the way out : DON'T GO
80. Bygone intl. carrier : TWA
81. Relief givers : EASERS
83. Crunch unit : REP (Repetition)
84. With it : HIP. These fake see-through skirts were HIP for a short period. The panties are printed on the skirts.
85. Appeared in a big way : LOOMED
88. Marathon measures : TIMEs
89. Scoop holder : CONE
90. Where to find a lot of corned beef : ON RYE
92. Marine predator : ORCA
93. Mosey : AMBLE
94. In __: stuck : A BIND
99. Surveyor's drawing : PLAT
100. Take out, in a way : BORROW. Oh, take out a loan. We also have 126A. Provided with temporarily : LENT TO.
102. Prepared to eavesdrop : BUGGED
103. Mends, as a bad stitching job : RE-SEWS
105. Comedian's sidekick : STOOGE
106. Part of a line: Abbr. : SEG (Segment)
109. Flying fig. : ALT (Altitude). For Dudley.
110. Haywire : AWRY. Love this clip Len linked yesterday.
111. Recede : EBB
112. WWII torpedo vessel : E-BOAT
124. Sharer's word : OUR
125. Delta preceder : GAMMA
127. Frenzied : AMOK
128. Comforting companion : PET
129. Game trail : SPOOR
130. Scoundrels : KNAVES. Also learned from doing Xword.
131. Meddle (in) : MESS
Down:
1. Yuk it up : HOWL. Did not know HOWL means "laugh" also.
2. Rossini specialty : ARIA
3. Watch displays, briefly : LEDs
4. Hose fillers : TOES. Was picturing a sprinkler.
5. 1906 Runabout, e.g. : REO. No idea on Runabout, Argyle!
6. Unfriendly : ALOOF
7. River near Karachi : INDUS. Originated in China. In Chinese, it's called "Indian River".
8. It builds up in channels : SILT. "It" clue is often tricky. Same with "What", like "What's up" for SKY. Drives me nuts at times.
9. Having four sharps : IN E. I trust you, being musically blind.
10. Feeder with fodder : NOSEBAG
11. Italian flatbread : FOCACCIA. I've never had it, Steve. Lots of rosemary on this one.
12. It can help you carry a tune : iPOD
13. "Collages" novelist : NIN (Anaïs)
14. Bring about : INDUCE
15. Blows a gasket : SEES RED
16. Victorian __ : ERA
17. PX patrons : GIs
18. Decline, with "out" : OPT
24. Par : NORM
26. Not as far from : NEARER TO
33. Job ad abbr. : EEO
37. Sic on : LET AT
38. Hindu honorifics : SRIs
39. 2006 tennis retiree : AGASSI. Look, he's back.
40. Some comedies : FARCES
42. As a companion : ALONG
43. Took by force : SEIZED
44. Complete : ENTIRE. No FINISH. Adjective "complete" here.
45. Albéniz composition "Cantos de __" : ESPANA. "Songs of Spain".
49. Hi-tech titter : LOL
50. Corp. alias : DBA (Doing Business As)
51. Studly dudes : HE-MEN. This is my favorite "He-man" picture. Don't know if I should be sorry or happy for FL.
54. Hold sway : REIGN
57. Court tie : DEUCE. Tennis court.
61. Slowly, to Mozart : LENTO
65. Grass-B-Gon maker : ORTHO
68. Bit of gaucho gear : REATA. Or RIATA.
71. Sitting in a cask, say : AGING. Wine again. Do expensive wines really taste better? Psychologically maybe yes.
72. "Consider it done" : NO PROB
73. Score in a pitcher's duel, perhaps : TWO ONE. Two to One. Low-scoring (2 runs at most), fast paced, few hits, lots of strikeouts. There you have a pitcher's duel.
74. Accomplish using force : RAMROD
76. Future litigator's study : PRE-LAW. Lawyers are all pretty wordy.
77. Items of value : ASSETS
79. Speed demon's delight : OPEN ROAD
82. Fools : SIMPS
83. Assembly line worker : ROBOT
85. Book that might be cooked : LEDGER
86. Old French coin : ECU
87. Former U.N. leader Hammarskjöld : DAG
89. Hotel entrance lineup : CABS. Long clue/answer dupe.
91. "Is that a promise?" : YOU SWEAR? My favorite answer.
95. Angled fairways : DOG LEGS. Not really a problem for short-hitters.
97. Crème brûlée ingredient : EGG YOLK
98. Time pieces: Abbr. : HRs
101. Moist towelette : WET NAP
104. Barely managed, with "out" : EKED
107. "The Mentalist" airer : CBS TV. What's "The Mentalist" about?
108. Taper off : ABATE
110. Shells and such : AMMO
111. Flamboyant Dame : EDNA. Dame Edna.
113. Smile from ear to ear : BEAM
114. Tab-grabber's words : ON ME
115. Fusses : ADOs
116. Chiding sounds : TSKS
117. Tank or tee : TOP
118. Regret : RUE
119. Display on the wall : ART. When I was a child, every family had Chairman Mao's portrait on their wall.
120. Latin lover's word : AMO (I love)
123. Phone bk. info : NOs
Answer grid.
Here is another baseball haiku from Ant's book:
geese flying north
the pitcher stops his windup
to watch
C.C.
