Theme: "Kinda, Sorta" - ISH is added to each common phrase.
23A. "Listen up, Madrid!"? : ATTENTION SPANISH! Attention span.
37A. "... and that's why I ate all of your favorite cookies," e.g.? : SELFISH DEFENSE. Self defense.
67A. Put Armor All on tires? : BURNISH RUBBER. Burn rubber.
93A. Hold a surprise party for Scorsese? : ASTONISH MARTIN. Aston Martin. James Bond's car.
112A. "My stocks are going down! My stocks are going down!"? : BEARISH REPEATING. Bear repeating. The clue sounds "Panic repeating" to me.
16D. Embarrassed flock managers? : SHEEPISH HERDERS. Sheep herders.
45D. Display that's both tasteful and ostentatious? : REFINED FLOURISH. Refined flour.
The title gives away the theme, yes?
Simple gimmick. Nicely executed. Only 7 theme entries, but they're all quite long, occupying a total of 103 squares, norm for 21*21.
Sunday puzzles often contain one or two or more "What?" words for me. Not this one. Super smooth.
Across:
1. Involuntary jerk : START. Not an easy clue to me.
6. Put into words : UTTER
11. Amazon.com ID : ISBN
15. Educational TV spots, perhaps : PSAS
19. Fail to recycle : WASTE
20. Unappealing music : NOISE. I'm in love with this song lately. So simple. So pure.
21. Politician's pursuit : SEAT. And 33. Washington figure : POL.
22. World-weary words : AH ME
26. You might draw one on a target : BEAD
27. Forest sticker : BUR. Learned from doing Xword.
28. Banjo parts : NECKS. "Deliverance" is probably the most terrifying movie I've seen.
29. Corner-office occupant : BOSS
30. Last Olds : ALERO
31. Capable of spontaneous movement, as cells : MOTILE
35. "Let yourself in!" : IT'S OPEN
42. "Give __ rest!" : IT A
43. Arranges logically : SORTS
46. Dirt clump : CLOD. Eager to work on my garden clod.
47. Dairy case choice : OLEO. I've never had Oleo.
48. Concordes, familiarly : SSTs
49. Bleachers level : TIER
50. Cinema name : ODEON
52. Give the boot to : OUST
53. NYC gallery district : SOHO
54. Certain alphabet opener : ALFA. NATO alphabet. Spitzboov knows them too well. BZ!
55. Whither Cain fled : NOD. Land of Nod. East of Eden.
56. A whole lot : OODLES
58. "I don't get it" : HUH. Dennis got a lot of "I don't get it" emails in my earlier days of blogging. Now he needs education. He does not know why tinted moisturizers are tinted. You?
59. Decide with money : FLIP A COIN. Nailed it.
62. Murmur : COO
63. At a minimum : NO LESS
66. Five-spot : FIN
71. Color TV pioneer : RCA
72. More-than-one-hit Wonder : STEVIE. Fun clue. Wonder is capitalized.
74. Maestro's gift : EAR
75. Fair-haired : TOWHEADED. New word to me. How is the color different from blond?
77. Cacophony : DIN
78. Put one's feet up : LOLLED
81. Carefree, in Calais : GAI. Like our "gay".
82. Rip asunder : REND
83. Dirty Harry's org. : SFPD
84. Mount rising above the Vale of Tempe : OSSA. Not familiar with Vale of Tempe, a gorge in Thessaly.
85. Sailing hailings : AHOYs
87. Native Canadian : CREE
88. Toon collectibles : CELs
89. Castaway's confines : ISLE
90. Vocal style that mimics an instrumental solo : SCAT
91. Had office hours : WAS IN
92. Metal in Montana's motto : ORO. Oro y Plata.
97. Topiarist's tools : PRUNERS. This green guy is a topiarist, pruned by another topiarist.
99. Grant-providing org. : NEA
100. Over-embellished : ORNATE
103. D.A.'s research aides : PARAs. Paralegals.
104. Take the show on the road : TOUR
107. Dork : DWEEB
109. Travelers' options: Abbr. : RRs
111. Elevator innovator : OTIS
116. "__ we forget ..." : LEST
117. "High Hopes" lyricist : CAHN (Sammy)
118. Lingering look : STARE
119. Make the grade : CUT IT
120. Pasty-faced : ASHY
121. Green-egg layers : EMUs. Chickens must be surprised to see emu eggs: OMG, I've always laid white eggs.
122. Autumn bloom : ASTER
123. Carpet layers work on them : KNEES. Another tricky clue for me.
Down:
1. Forensic evidence collector : SWAB
2. Ryan's daughter : TATUM
3. Former Colt .45 : ASTRO. Between 1962-1964. Look at this lovely bobblehead. Too bad he has a little chip on his right cheek. Would be worth thousands in its original box.
4. Directions detail: Abbr. : RTE
5. Court shoes, casually : TENNIES
6. Org. with "Trick-or-Treat" donation boxes : UNICEF
7. Appropriated : TOOK
8. Altoids containers : TINS
9. Versatile Scrabble tile : ESS
10. Agent : REP
11. "There __ 'I' in 'team'" : IS NO
12. Tres y tres : SEIS. Six.
13. Baby baskets : BASSINETS. Very pretty.
14. Unknown power : NTH
15. Poet Neruda with a Nobel Prize : PABLO
17. Almond-flavored liqueur : AMARETTO
18. Kia minivans : SEDONAs
24. Don't hold in : TELL. Have never met an investigator who's not good at holding secrets.
25. Good at one's job : ABLE
30. Enzyme suffix : ASE
32. Feature of some Mary Janes : T-STRAP
33. LP player : PHONO
34. Like an extra sock : ODD. Mine are normally hidden in Boomer's large T-shirts.
36. Qing Dynasty general of culinary fame : TSO. Qing was China's last dynasty (1644-1912). Qin (no g) was the first imperial dynasty, when we had our first emperor, who built the first version of the Great Wall of China and the Terra Cotta soldiers.
38. Stranded at O'Hare, perhaps : ICED IN
39. __-mo replay : SLO
40. Exceed an infraction limit, in basketball : FOUL OUT
41. Ultimatum ending : ELSE
43. Provides personnel for : STAFFS
44. Like some retro lamps : OIL-LIT. Used candles for lighting until I was about 10.
48. R&B-influenced genre : SOUL. I used to confuse James Brown with Bobby Brown, husband of Whitney Houston. What a tragedy.
50. How actors should appear : ON CUE.
51. It's opened and shut : DOOR. So is CASE.
52. Dumpster emanation : ODOR
53. Sandcastle spot : SHORE. Castles & long legs are all Splynter wants.
57. Fall colour : OCHRE. The English spelling of "colour" hints an English answer.
60. In __: up the creek : A BIND
61. Ratings giver : NIELSEN
63. Classic pops : NEHIs
64. When, in Act II, Macbeth soliloquizes, "Is this a dagger ..." : SCENE I. Guessing game.
65. Turn blue? : SADDEN
68. Room at the hacienda : SALA
69. Colombian capital : BOGOTA. Chickie lived in Columbia a few years.
70. Bronx-Manhattan st. : B'WAY
73. Limo riders, often : VIPs
76. Mysterious matters : ARCANA
78. Faded in the stretch : LOST STEAM. Nice answer.
79. Peace Prize city : OSLO
80. Vladimir's villa : DACHA. Alliteration.
83. Notches : SERRATES. Always thought serrate is an adjective.
86. Not-so-subtle performer : HAM
88. "Lost in Translation" director Sofia : COPPOLA. Loved the movie.
89. Syr. neighbor : ISR
90. San Diego-to-Tijuana dir. : SSE
91. Recoup at the casino : WIN BACK. No, you won't.
93. DDE rival : AES
94. Calvary letters : INRI
95. Ebert's cohort : ROEPER (Richard)
96. Charlie Brown's kite eater : TREE
98. Far from friendly : NASTY
101. Said too often : TRITE. OK, It's "said too often". It's trite. I was thinking of a verb answer.
102. "Rubber Duckie" Muppet : ERNIE
105. Hanauma Bay site : OAHU
106. Caterer's carriers : URNS
107. "Curses!" : DRAT
108. "If wishes __ horses ..." : WERE
110. Capt. saluters : SGTS
112. Abbr. in old dates : BCE. I actually still use BC. Religion was forbidden when I grew up, yet BC was in common use. Very strange.
113. Issuer of nine-digit nos. : SSA
114. Cleveland __, O. : HTS
115. Winery vessel : TUN
Answer grid.
Here is a close-up view of Yellowrocks' avatar, the Golden Pavilion in Kyoto.
C.C.
23A. "Listen up, Madrid!"? : ATTENTION SPANISH! Attention span.
37A. "... and that's why I ate all of your favorite cookies," e.g.? : SELFISH DEFENSE. Self defense.
67A. Put Armor All on tires? : BURNISH RUBBER. Burn rubber.
93A. Hold a surprise party for Scorsese? : ASTONISH MARTIN. Aston Martin. James Bond's car.
112A. "My stocks are going down! My stocks are going down!"? : BEARISH REPEATING. Bear repeating. The clue sounds "Panic repeating" to me.
16D. Embarrassed flock managers? : SHEEPISH HERDERS. Sheep herders.
45D. Display that's both tasteful and ostentatious? : REFINED FLOURISH. Refined flour.
The title gives away the theme, yes?
Simple gimmick. Nicely executed. Only 7 theme entries, but they're all quite long, occupying a total of 103 squares, norm for 21*21.
Sunday puzzles often contain one or two or more "What?" words for me. Not this one. Super smooth.
Across:
1. Involuntary jerk : START. Not an easy clue to me.
6. Put into words : UTTER
11. Amazon.com ID : ISBN
15. Educational TV spots, perhaps : PSAS
19. Fail to recycle : WASTE
20. Unappealing music : NOISE. I'm in love with this song lately. So simple. So pure.
21. Politician's pursuit : SEAT. And 33. Washington figure : POL.
22. World-weary words : AH ME
26. You might draw one on a target : BEAD
27. Forest sticker : BUR. Learned from doing Xword.
28. Banjo parts : NECKS. "Deliverance" is probably the most terrifying movie I've seen.
29. Corner-office occupant : BOSS
30. Last Olds : ALERO
31. Capable of spontaneous movement, as cells : MOTILE
35. "Let yourself in!" : IT'S OPEN
42. "Give __ rest!" : IT A
43. Arranges logically : SORTS
46. Dirt clump : CLOD. Eager to work on my garden clod.
47. Dairy case choice : OLEO. I've never had Oleo.
48. Concordes, familiarly : SSTs
49. Bleachers level : TIER
50. Cinema name : ODEON
52. Give the boot to : OUST
53. NYC gallery district : SOHO
54. Certain alphabet opener : ALFA. NATO alphabet. Spitzboov knows them too well. BZ!
55. Whither Cain fled : NOD. Land of Nod. East of Eden.
56. A whole lot : OODLES
58. "I don't get it" : HUH. Dennis got a lot of "I don't get it" emails in my earlier days of blogging. Now he needs education. He does not know why tinted moisturizers are tinted. You?
59. Decide with money : FLIP A COIN. Nailed it.
62. Murmur : COO
63. At a minimum : NO LESS
66. Five-spot : FIN
71. Color TV pioneer : RCA
72. More-than-one-hit Wonder : STEVIE. Fun clue. Wonder is capitalized.
74. Maestro's gift : EAR
75. Fair-haired : TOWHEADED. New word to me. How is the color different from blond?
77. Cacophony : DIN
78. Put one's feet up : LOLLED
81. Carefree, in Calais : GAI. Like our "gay".
82. Rip asunder : REND
83. Dirty Harry's org. : SFPD
84. Mount rising above the Vale of Tempe : OSSA. Not familiar with Vale of Tempe, a gorge in Thessaly.
85. Sailing hailings : AHOYs
87. Native Canadian : CREE
88. Toon collectibles : CELs
89. Castaway's confines : ISLE
90. Vocal style that mimics an instrumental solo : SCAT
91. Had office hours : WAS IN
92. Metal in Montana's motto : ORO. Oro y Plata.
97. Topiarist's tools : PRUNERS. This green guy is a topiarist, pruned by another topiarist.
99. Grant-providing org. : NEA
100. Over-embellished : ORNATE
103. D.A.'s research aides : PARAs. Paralegals.
104. Take the show on the road : TOUR
107. Dork : DWEEB
109. Travelers' options: Abbr. : RRs
111. Elevator innovator : OTIS
116. "__ we forget ..." : LEST
117. "High Hopes" lyricist : CAHN (Sammy)
118. Lingering look : STARE
119. Make the grade : CUT IT
120. Pasty-faced : ASHY
121. Green-egg layers : EMUs. Chickens must be surprised to see emu eggs: OMG, I've always laid white eggs.
122. Autumn bloom : ASTER
123. Carpet layers work on them : KNEES. Another tricky clue for me.
Down:
1. Forensic evidence collector : SWAB
2. Ryan's daughter : TATUM
3. Former Colt .45 : ASTRO. Between 1962-1964. Look at this lovely bobblehead. Too bad he has a little chip on his right cheek. Would be worth thousands in its original box.
4. Directions detail: Abbr. : RTE
5. Court shoes, casually : TENNIES
6. Org. with "Trick-or-Treat" donation boxes : UNICEF
7. Appropriated : TOOK
8. Altoids containers : TINS
9. Versatile Scrabble tile : ESS
10. Agent : REP
11. "There __ 'I' in 'team'" : IS NO
12. Tres y tres : SEIS. Six.
13. Baby baskets : BASSINETS. Very pretty.
14. Unknown power : NTH
15. Poet Neruda with a Nobel Prize : PABLO
17. Almond-flavored liqueur : AMARETTO
18. Kia minivans : SEDONAs
24. Don't hold in : TELL. Have never met an investigator who's not good at holding secrets.
25. Good at one's job : ABLE
30. Enzyme suffix : ASE
32. Feature of some Mary Janes : T-STRAP
33. LP player : PHONO
34. Like an extra sock : ODD. Mine are normally hidden in Boomer's large T-shirts.
36. Qing Dynasty general of culinary fame : TSO. Qing was China's last dynasty (1644-1912). Qin (no g) was the first imperial dynasty, when we had our first emperor, who built the first version of the Great Wall of China and the Terra Cotta soldiers.
38. Stranded at O'Hare, perhaps : ICED IN
39. __-mo replay : SLO
40. Exceed an infraction limit, in basketball : FOUL OUT
41. Ultimatum ending : ELSE
43. Provides personnel for : STAFFS
44. Like some retro lamps : OIL-LIT. Used candles for lighting until I was about 10.
48. R&B-influenced genre : SOUL. I used to confuse James Brown with Bobby Brown, husband of Whitney Houston. What a tragedy.
50. How actors should appear : ON CUE.
51. It's opened and shut : DOOR. So is CASE.
52. Dumpster emanation : ODOR
53. Sandcastle spot : SHORE. Castles & long legs are all Splynter wants.
57. Fall colour : OCHRE. The English spelling of "colour" hints an English answer.
60. In __: up the creek : A BIND
61. Ratings giver : NIELSEN
63. Classic pops : NEHIs
64. When, in Act II, Macbeth soliloquizes, "Is this a dagger ..." : SCENE I. Guessing game.
65. Turn blue? : SADDEN
68. Room at the hacienda : SALA
69. Colombian capital : BOGOTA. Chickie lived in Columbia a few years.
70. Bronx-Manhattan st. : B'WAY
73. Limo riders, often : VIPs
76. Mysterious matters : ARCANA
78. Faded in the stretch : LOST STEAM. Nice answer.
79. Peace Prize city : OSLO
80. Vladimir's villa : DACHA. Alliteration.
83. Notches : SERRATES. Always thought serrate is an adjective.
86. Not-so-subtle performer : HAM
88. "Lost in Translation" director Sofia : COPPOLA. Loved the movie.
89. Syr. neighbor : ISR
90. San Diego-to-Tijuana dir. : SSE
91. Recoup at the casino : WIN BACK. No, you won't.
93. DDE rival : AES
94. Calvary letters : INRI
95. Ebert's cohort : ROEPER (Richard)
96. Charlie Brown's kite eater : TREE
98. Far from friendly : NASTY
101. Said too often : TRITE. OK, It's "said too often". It's trite. I was thinking of a verb answer.
102. "Rubber Duckie" Muppet : ERNIE
105. Hanauma Bay site : OAHU
106. Caterer's carriers : URNS
107. "Curses!" : DRAT
108. "If wishes __ horses ..." : WERE
110. Capt. saluters : SGTS
112. Abbr. in old dates : BCE. I actually still use BC. Religion was forbidden when I grew up, yet BC was in common use. Very strange.
113. Issuer of nine-digit nos. : SSA
114. Cleveland __, O. : HTS
115. Winery vessel : TUN
Answer grid.
Here is a close-up view of Yellowrocks' avatar, the Golden Pavilion in Kyoto.
C.C.
