Theme: Misstakes (Miss-takes) - Take is missing from each them entry.
23A. Accept unpleasantness : (Take) THE GOOD WITH THE BAD
37A. Be skeptical about : (Take) WITH A GRAIN OF SALT
56A. Demonstrate unselfishness : (Take) ONE FOR THE TEAM
75A. Find a path of least resistance : (Take) THE EASY WAY OUT
91A. Start to deteriorate : (Take) A TURN FOR THE WORSE
110A. Tackle a problem head-on : (Take) THE BULL BY THE HORNS
3D. Use a roundabout route : (Take) THE LONG WAY HOME
51D. Emulate a bank robber : (Take) THE MONEY AND RUN
I actually misread the puzzle as "Mistakes". You?
Can't tell you how impressed I am with Dr. Fludzinski's grid today. Read more about him here.
Let's count. Total 120 theme squares. Very high. And only 136 words and 65 black squares. Very low. Our norm is 144 words & 78 black squares. Simply amazing.
 |
| Pawel Fludzinski |
Across:
1. Mystery writer Cornwell : PATRICIA. We don't often see a 8-letter for 1-Across.
9. Former clandestine org. : KGB
12. Ruler of Asgard : ODIN
16. Beer choice, briefly : IPA (India Pale Ale)
19. Command levels : ECHELONS
20. Subatomic particle : NEUTRINO. The Saturday Stud just had this yesterday, clued as "It's not charged".
22. Lass : GAL
25. Neil Armstrong's L.A. alma mater : USC
26. First word of Dante's "Inferno" : NEL. I forgot. I've seen identical clue before.
27. Lid troubles : STYES
28. Like non-oyster months, traditionally : R-LESS
29. Cold War defense acronym : SEATO (South East Asia Treaty Organization). The Asian equivalent of NATO.
31. In concert : AS ONE
33. Worked undercover : SPIED
35. Browning output : SONNET. Browning the poet, not food.
36. Part of MSG : MONO
42. Certain RPI grad : ENGR. Hi there Spitzboov & Splynter & Dr. Fludzinski! Who else on our blog went to RPI? Argyle went to Cornell, so did Bill G.
43. Relevant, in law : AD REM
44. Greek vacation spot : CORFU
45. Finagle : WANGLE. More familiar with WRANGLE.
47. Bear witness : ATTEST
50. To be, to Bizet : ETRE
54. MLB stat : ERA
60. Snookered : HAD
61. Lighter yet warmer, as winter wear : LAYERED
63. Covered walls : PAPERED. This reminds me of Marti's walls.
64. "The Three Faces __" : OF EVE
66. More pale : ASHIER
67. Champagne word : SEC
68. Hank Schrader's org. on "Breaking Bad" : DEA
69. Record listings? : CRIMES. Oh, criminal record.
70. Screen gems : ICONS
71. Sources of soft wool : MERINOS
73. Corrupts : POISONS
74. "Platoon" setting, briefly : NAM
78. Clandestine org. : NSA
79. Part of a CSA signature : (Robert) E. LEE
81. Feelings of dread, in Düsseldorf : ANGSTE. We just had this last Sunday.
82. Like Craig Ferguson's show : ON LATE
84. Cunning : GUILE
86. Boorish : CRUDE
88. Gomer or Goober : PYLE
97. Film critic Pauline : KAEL. For "The New Yorker".
98. Parking garage location : LEVEL A
99. Totaled : RAN TO
100. __ hand: help : LEND A
101. Magna __ : CARTA
102. Destines, not in a good way : DOOMS
104. French for "chewed" : MACHE. So Papier-mâché = "Chewed paper". Learning moment for me.
108. A few minutes in the pool, say : DIP
109. Mama bear, in Madrid : OSA
114. "Oy __!" : VEY
115. Openings to fill : CAVITIES
116. Official state dog of Alaska : MALAMUTE. Alaskan Malamute. I have no idea what's Minnesota's state dog.
117. O staff, briefly : EDs (Editors). Oprah's magazine O.
118. Wellness gps. : HMOs
119. Org. for marksmen : NRA
120. Many divas : SOPRANOS
Down:
1. Sugar or cookie : PET NAME. Never been called "Cookie".
2. Truman secretary of state : ACHESON
(Dean). I forgot also. We had him before. Here is what Wiki said:
"Acheson helped design the Marshall Plan and played a central role in
the development of the Truman Doctrine and creation of the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization."
4. Gas pump spec. : REG
5. Words of defeat : I LOSE. I say "I LOST".
6. Rail family bird : COOT
7. __ 500 : INDY
8. "Even __ speak ..." : AS WE
9. Dubbed one: Abbr. : KNT
10. Ripken broke his record : GEHRIG (Lou). For consecutive games played. Gehrig: 2,130. Ripken: 2,632.
11. Whodunit cliché : BUTLER
12. They're mined for metal : ORES
13. Schoolyard claim : DIBS
14. Grieg's "Piano Concerto __ minor" : IN A
15. Dozes : NODS OFF
16. Exotic pet : IGUANA
17. Muted color choice : PASTEL
18. "Little Women" writer : ALCOTT (Louisa May)
21. Silents star Bara : THEDA
24. "This __": formal phone response : IS SHE
30. Follow : ENSUE
32. "A Doll's House" heroine : NORA
34. Canola oil spray : PAM
35. More or less, informally : SORTA
37. Baseball great Honus : WAGNER. His T 206 card is the Holy Grail of baseball card collection. It's worth over $1 million in "Very Good" condition. Over $2 for "Near Mint".
38. Killed time : IDLED
39. Not kosher : TREF. This stumped some last time.
40. Cooler in hot weather : ICE TEA. No D.
41. Poked : NOSED
46. Gripe from the weary : NO REST
47. Netmen's org. : ATP
48. It has its ups and downs : THE DOW
49. Mother with a Nobel prize : TERESA
52. Super Bowl XLVII champs : RAVENS. Can't they just change Roman numerals to the year?
53. Ancient capital of Macedonia : EDESSA. In modern day Turkey. Learned from doing xwords.
54. With 106-Down, 2000s Secretary of Labor : ELAINE. And 106. See 54-Down : CHAO. She was born in Taiwan, where Jayce spent a few years. The best snacks are made in Taiwan, in my opinion.
55. Scamp : RASCAL
57. Covent Garden offerings : OPERAS
58. Intolerant sort : RACIST
59. "The Karate Kid" co-star Pat : MORITA
62. German article : EIN
65. Hi-__ : FIs
67. "If I Had a Hammer" co-writer : SEEGER (Pete)
69. Washington's Grand __ Dam : COULEE. Is this pronounced the same as "Cooli"?
71. __ Park, N.J. : MENLO. And 83. I-95 comprises most of it in N.J. : TPKE
72. Science guy Bill : NYE
73. Swimming spots : PONDS
76. Israeli port : HAIFA
77. "__ move" : YOUR
80. Marsh bird : EGRET
85. Open, in a way : UNLATCH
86. 100 lbs. : CWT. Another answer I only see in xwords. It stands for "Centum weight". Centum= Hundred.
87. Spacious : ROOMY
89. Prefaced : LED INTO
90. Ticks by : ELAPSES
91. Breakfast spot : ALCOVE
92. Ribbed : TEASED
93. Beach hazard : UV RAYS
94. Steelhead, e.g. : TROUT
95. Lincoln's first vice president : HAMLIN. Hannibal Hamlin.
96. Tony-winning playwright Eve : ENSLER. No idea. But I must have googled her before. I remember seeing her play title: "The Vagina Monologues".
100. "The Merry Widow" composer : LEHAR (Franz)
102. "Whip It" band : DEVO
103. Ties in Tokyo : OBIs
105. Bank offerings : ATMS
107. Menu that includes suggestions : HELP. Computer menu.
111. It's often cured : HAM
112. Eagles' org. : BSA. Boy Scouts.
113. Medical suffix : OMA
C.C.
