Theme: "I'll Drink to That" - Drink pun. One word in each common phrase is replaced by a drink.
23A. Music group that can't march in a straight line? : RUM AND BUGLE CORPS. Drum and bugle corps. Fun clue.
38A. Preoccupied with a green liqueur? : ABSINTHE MINDED. Absent minded.
74A. Draft critiques? : BEER REVIEWS. Peer reviews.
106A. Single-malt liquor store? : WHISKEY VENTURE. Risky venture.
124A. New Year's Eve assurance? : CHAMPAGNE PROMISE. Campaign promise.
14D. Spicy liqueur? : GINGER SCHNAPPS. Ginger snaps. The only one punning on last word. Slight inconsistency.
52D. "Another Wild Turkey, please," e.g.? : BOURBON RENEWAL. Urban renewal.
This is a perfect puzzle for Argyle to blog. He is very knowledgeable about various drinks. I hardly drink anything now. The wild days of Long Island Iced Tea are long gone.
Great to see Pam Amick Klawitter's byline again. She is one of the most innovative constructors and her puzzles are always fun to tackle.
Across:
1. Invites : ASKS
5. Miami's former county : DADE. Miami-Dade County since 1997.
9. Wild fancy : DREAM
14. Yaks and yaks : GABS
18. Old U.K. carrier : BOAC (British Overseas Airways Corporation).
19. Last stage of insect development : IMAGO. After pupa.
21. Posturepedic maker : SEALY. I don't really know our mattress name. It's just super comfortable.
22. Company with a cool-looking logo? : ICEE. Cool clue.
26. Iditarod terminus : NOME
27. Doomed mission : ALAMO
28. German menace : U-BOAT. In WWI & WWII.
29. Quip : EPIGRAM
31. Hill regulars : POLS. Not ANTS. Capitol Hill.
33. "There!" : VOILA
37. Change for the better : AMEND
43. ER procedure : CPR
44. Waitress at Mel's : FLO
45. Put a line through, maybe : DELE
46. Serb, for one : SLAV
47. California locale where "Maria Maria" fell in love, in a Santana hit : EAST LA. Love the song. "... Oh Maria Maria/She feel in love in East LA...". I like Santan's "Smooth" a lot.
51. Brindled cat : TABBY
54. Spreadsheet input : DATA
56. Times to remember : ERAs
58. New England seafood : SCROD
59. Engross : ABSORB
61. See-through item : LENS. Was thinking of a blouse.
63. NBC post-prime time staple : SNL
64. Bundle : SHEAF
65. One with a mouse : USER. Me. I'm with a mouse now. I'm so sorry about your cat, Linda. But I'm hoping for the best.
67. Garfield's "purebred clown" : ODIE
69. Manhattan Project, e.g. : CODE NAME. Mine would be "Deep Throat". I bet CrossEyedDave's would be cat-related.
71. Growl : GNAR
77. "... long __ both shall live?" : AS YE
78. Reuben component : RYE BREAD. For eddyB.
80. Summers on the Seine : ETES
81. Opera starter? : SOAP. Soap opera. I like this clue.
83. Sandbox reply : AM TOO
84. Letters in TV Guide : TBA
86. Genesis grandson : ENOS
88. Home of The Trop : ST PETE. Tropicana Field (Tampa Bay Ray's)
92. Flowering tropical plant : SENNA
93. One may involve scales at La Scala : ARIA
95. Shpeak thish way : SLUR
97. Daisy lookalike : ASTER
98. Belle and Bart : STARRS. Not familiar with Belle Starr.
100. __ buco : OSSO
102. Sylvan bounders : DEER
104. Beach shade : TAN
105. Linguistic ending : ESE
110. Ghanaian former U.N. leader : ANNAN (Kofi)
112. Perot's "giant sucking sound" maker : NAFTA
113. Chick chaser? : ADEE. Chickadee.
114. Precipitated, in a way : SLEETED
116. "To recap ..." : IN SUM
119. Speed reader? : RADAR. Did you nail it?
123. Lobster delicacy : CLAW
129. Little bit : IOTA
130. Many a chat room visitor : AOLER
131. Had a bug : AILED
132. View from Presque Isle State Park : ERIE
133. Small-runway aircraft acronym : STOL (Short Take-Off and Landing)
134. Swampy tract : SWALE
135. Brand of women's socks : PEDS
136. Old wanted poster word : DEAD. Or LIVE.
Down:
1. Magician's opening : ABRA
2. Motown genre : SOUL
3. __ Sutra : KAMA
4. Red Lobster offering : SCAMPI
5. Finished : DID
6. Attacked from hiding : AMBUSHED
7. Apply, as finger paint : DAUB
8. Thick & Fluffy breakfast brand : EGGO
9. U.S. Army medal : DSC. And 70. U.K. mil. medals : DSOS
10. Antique auto : REO
11. Sympathetic attention : EAR
12. French high spot : ALPE
13. Forgotten social network : MYSPACE. Wow, guess what? Justin Timberlake now owns Myspace.
15. Item in a fall stash : ACORN
16. Hit the roof : BE MAD
17. Come across as : SEEM
20. Early Norwegian king : OLAV I
24. Whistle time : NOON. I don't get this clue.
25. Preppy jackets : ETONS
30. Gridlock : IMPASSE
32. Old Ford luxury car : LTD
34. Warming the bench, maybe : IDLE
35. Some corporate rides : LEARS
36. Forward motion : ADVANCE
38. Mennen product : AFTA
39. Run off at the mouth : BLAB
40. Convulsive sounds : SOBS
41. Its frequent flier program is called Matmid : EL AL. Gimme for Hahtool. I never heard of the program.
42. High streaker : METEOR
48. Financial off. : TREAS. Treasury or Treasurer? Since Off. can be office or officer.
49. Rich, as soil : LOAMY
50. Charge based on line count, perhaps : AD FEE
53. Timeline data: Abbr. : YRS
55. Giant of wrestling : ANDRE. André the Giant.
57. Loses steam : SLOWS
60. Emmy winner Neuwirth : BEBE
62. Número de días en una semana : SIETE. 7. Number of days in a week.
66. Vaquero's rope : REATA
68. Chooser's call : EVENS
71. Some clippings : GRASS
72. Queens player, briefly : NY MET
73. Company name inspired by a volcano : AETNA
75. '50s Bears quarterback : ED BROWN. Total stranger.
76. Tristan's love : ISOLDE
79. Finds hysterical : ROARS AT
82. One-time connector : AT A. One at a time.
85. Tyler of "The Talk" : AISHA. Here she is.
87. Chop __ : SUEY. Suey is literally "pieces". Chop Suey = Assorted pieces.
89. Words to a double-crosser : ET TU (Brutus)
90. It may be taped : TEAR. Nice clue too.
91. Shore eagle : ERNE
94. "No way!" : AS IF
96. Overhauled : REVAMPED
99. Native New Yorkers : SENECAS
101. Old Roman seaport : OSTIA. Looks like a bone word, doesn't it?
103. Checker choice : RED
107. Hundred Acre Wood mom : KANGA. Roo's mom.
108. Fictional Wolfe : NERO
109. Yoked : TEAMED
110. Divvy up : ALLOT
111. "Awesome!" : NEATO
114. Some H.S. courses : SCIS
115. Indian Ocean vessel : DHOW. Learned from doing Xword.
117. Salon sound : SNIP
118. Ubangi tributary : UELE. How do you pronounce UELE?
120. Like some straits : DIRE
121. China setting : ASIA
122. Robert of "The Brady Bunch" : REED
125. In the style of : ALA
126. Tillis or Tormé : MEL
127. Cautionary beginning? : PRE. Precautionary.
128. Some may be dirt-covered: Abbr. : RDs
Answer grid.
Happy Birthday to Jeannie! Check in when you feel like it. Your presence is really missed here.
C.C.
23A. Music group that can't march in a straight line? : RUM AND BUGLE CORPS. Drum and bugle corps. Fun clue.
38A. Preoccupied with a green liqueur? : ABSINTHE MINDED. Absent minded.
74A. Draft critiques? : BEER REVIEWS. Peer reviews.
106A. Single-malt liquor store? : WHISKEY VENTURE. Risky venture.
124A. New Year's Eve assurance? : CHAMPAGNE PROMISE. Campaign promise.
14D. Spicy liqueur? : GINGER SCHNAPPS. Ginger snaps. The only one punning on last word. Slight inconsistency.
52D. "Another Wild Turkey, please," e.g.? : BOURBON RENEWAL. Urban renewal.
This is a perfect puzzle for Argyle to blog. He is very knowledgeable about various drinks. I hardly drink anything now. The wild days of Long Island Iced Tea are long gone.
Great to see Pam Amick Klawitter's byline again. She is one of the most innovative constructors and her puzzles are always fun to tackle.
Across:
1. Invites : ASKS
5. Miami's former county : DADE. Miami-Dade County since 1997.
9. Wild fancy : DREAM
14. Yaks and yaks : GABS
18. Old U.K. carrier : BOAC (British Overseas Airways Corporation).
19. Last stage of insect development : IMAGO. After pupa.
21. Posturepedic maker : SEALY. I don't really know our mattress name. It's just super comfortable.
22. Company with a cool-looking logo? : ICEE. Cool clue.
26. Iditarod terminus : NOME
27. Doomed mission : ALAMO
28. German menace : U-BOAT. In WWI & WWII.
29. Quip : EPIGRAM
31. Hill regulars : POLS. Not ANTS. Capitol Hill.
33. "There!" : VOILA
37. Change for the better : AMEND
43. ER procedure : CPR
44. Waitress at Mel's : FLO
45. Put a line through, maybe : DELE
46. Serb, for one : SLAV
47. California locale where "Maria Maria" fell in love, in a Santana hit : EAST LA. Love the song. "... Oh Maria Maria/She feel in love in East LA...". I like Santan's "Smooth" a lot.
51. Brindled cat : TABBY
54. Spreadsheet input : DATA
56. Times to remember : ERAs
58. New England seafood : SCROD
59. Engross : ABSORB
61. See-through item : LENS. Was thinking of a blouse.
63. NBC post-prime time staple : SNL
64. Bundle : SHEAF
65. One with a mouse : USER. Me. I'm with a mouse now. I'm so sorry about your cat, Linda. But I'm hoping for the best.
67. Garfield's "purebred clown" : ODIE
69. Manhattan Project, e.g. : CODE NAME. Mine would be "Deep Throat". I bet CrossEyedDave's would be cat-related.
71. Growl : GNAR
77. "... long __ both shall live?" : AS YE
78. Reuben component : RYE BREAD. For eddyB.
80. Summers on the Seine : ETES
81. Opera starter? : SOAP. Soap opera. I like this clue.
83. Sandbox reply : AM TOO
84. Letters in TV Guide : TBA
86. Genesis grandson : ENOS
88. Home of The Trop : ST PETE. Tropicana Field (Tampa Bay Ray's)
92. Flowering tropical plant : SENNA
93. One may involve scales at La Scala : ARIA
95. Shpeak thish way : SLUR
97. Daisy lookalike : ASTER
98. Belle and Bart : STARRS. Not familiar with Belle Starr.
100. __ buco : OSSO
102. Sylvan bounders : DEER
104. Beach shade : TAN
105. Linguistic ending : ESE
110. Ghanaian former U.N. leader : ANNAN (Kofi)
112. Perot's "giant sucking sound" maker : NAFTA
113. Chick chaser? : ADEE. Chickadee.
114. Precipitated, in a way : SLEETED
116. "To recap ..." : IN SUM
119. Speed reader? : RADAR. Did you nail it?
123. Lobster delicacy : CLAW
129. Little bit : IOTA
130. Many a chat room visitor : AOLER
131. Had a bug : AILED
132. View from Presque Isle State Park : ERIE
133. Small-runway aircraft acronym : STOL (Short Take-Off and Landing)
134. Swampy tract : SWALE
135. Brand of women's socks : PEDS
136. Old wanted poster word : DEAD. Or LIVE.
Down:
1. Magician's opening : ABRA
2. Motown genre : SOUL
3. __ Sutra : KAMA
4. Red Lobster offering : SCAMPI
5. Finished : DID
6. Attacked from hiding : AMBUSHED
7. Apply, as finger paint : DAUB
8. Thick & Fluffy breakfast brand : EGGO
9. U.S. Army medal : DSC. And 70. U.K. mil. medals : DSOS
10. Antique auto : REO
11. Sympathetic attention : EAR
12. French high spot : ALPE
13. Forgotten social network : MYSPACE. Wow, guess what? Justin Timberlake now owns Myspace.
15. Item in a fall stash : ACORN
16. Hit the roof : BE MAD
17. Come across as : SEEM
20. Early Norwegian king : OLAV I
24. Whistle time : NOON. I don't get this clue.
25. Preppy jackets : ETONS
30. Gridlock : IMPASSE
32. Old Ford luxury car : LTD
34. Warming the bench, maybe : IDLE
35. Some corporate rides : LEARS
36. Forward motion : ADVANCE
38. Mennen product : AFTA
39. Run off at the mouth : BLAB
40. Convulsive sounds : SOBS
41. Its frequent flier program is called Matmid : EL AL. Gimme for Hahtool. I never heard of the program.
42. High streaker : METEOR
48. Financial off. : TREAS. Treasury or Treasurer? Since Off. can be office or officer.
49. Rich, as soil : LOAMY
50. Charge based on line count, perhaps : AD FEE
53. Timeline data: Abbr. : YRS
55. Giant of wrestling : ANDRE. André the Giant.
57. Loses steam : SLOWS
60. Emmy winner Neuwirth : BEBE
62. Número de días en una semana : SIETE. 7. Number of days in a week.
66. Vaquero's rope : REATA
68. Chooser's call : EVENS
71. Some clippings : GRASS
72. Queens player, briefly : NY MET
73. Company name inspired by a volcano : AETNA
75. '50s Bears quarterback : ED BROWN. Total stranger.
76. Tristan's love : ISOLDE
79. Finds hysterical : ROARS AT
82. One-time connector : AT A. One at a time.
85. Tyler of "The Talk" : AISHA. Here she is.
87. Chop __ : SUEY. Suey is literally "pieces". Chop Suey = Assorted pieces.
89. Words to a double-crosser : ET TU (Brutus)
90. It may be taped : TEAR. Nice clue too.
91. Shore eagle : ERNE
94. "No way!" : AS IF
96. Overhauled : REVAMPED
99. Native New Yorkers : SENECAS
101. Old Roman seaport : OSTIA. Looks like a bone word, doesn't it?
103. Checker choice : RED
107. Hundred Acre Wood mom : KANGA. Roo's mom.
108. Fictional Wolfe : NERO
109. Yoked : TEAMED
110. Divvy up : ALLOT
111. "Awesome!" : NEATO
114. Some H.S. courses : SCIS
115. Indian Ocean vessel : DHOW. Learned from doing Xword.
117. Salon sound : SNIP
118. Ubangi tributary : UELE. How do you pronounce UELE?
120. Like some straits : DIRE
121. China setting : ASIA
122. Robert of "The Brady Bunch" : REED
125. In the style of : ALA
126. Tillis or Tormé : MEL
127. Cautionary beginning? : PRE. Precautionary.
128. Some may be dirt-covered: Abbr. : RDs
Answer grid.
Happy Birthday to Jeannie! Check in when you feel like it. Your presence is really missed here.
C.C.
