Theme: "Eight is Enough" - The first words in theme entries spell out "My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nachos".
23A. *"I won't tell a soul!" : MY LIPS ARE SEALED. Reminds me the logo of Ashley Madison.
36A. *"You're not even close!" : VERY COLD. This refers to little kids' "Hot and Cold" game, right?
53A. *Not just a shot in the dark : EDUCATED GUESS
59A. *Sci-fi fleet leader : MOTHER SHIP
73A. *Not seriously : JUST FOR FUN. Purported reason for some to join Ashley Madison.
82A. *Words from the aptly punished : SERVED ME RIGHT. Lament for the exposed members of Ashley Madison.
94A. *Adversarial attitude : US vs THEM
113A. *Popular party dish : NACHOS AND CHEESE. I thought Nachos refer to the chips and cheese together? Never had Nachos myself.
35A. Familiar octet : PLANETS
104A. A typical one for the 35-Across can be found in the first words of the answers to starred clues : MNEMONIC
This might be our constructor. Congratulations on your LA Times debut!
I
solved this as a themeless. I'm sad to say that I never heard of this
mnemonic. Wish I immigrated to the US at age 13 rather than 30. Lots of
simple gimmes like this are just foreign to me.
Across:
1. Unwilling to listen : DEAF. Nailed it.
5. "Please don't __" : BE MAD. 34D. "__ needle pulling thread" : SEW A. 37D. Keep an __ the ground : EAR TO. And 44D. Take __: try the pool : A DIP. 110D. "The heat __!" : IS ON.. Fill-in-blanks are often partials. Rich normally caps the partials at four for Sundays. Two for weekdays.
10. Pot holder : CHEF. I was thinking of drug.
14. Japanese comics : MANGA
19. Lacking originality : UNCREATIVE
21. Work on the road : PAVE
22. Subject of a 1989 international trade ban : IVORY. Got via crosses.
25. "Yes __!" : SIREE
26. Riyadh natives : SAUDIS. 1,200 of them are members of Ashley Madison. Adultery is punishable by death there.
27. Botanical cover : ARIL
28. One scouring the junkyard : RUMMAGER
30. Dam city : ASWAN. I kept thinking of Hoover Dam.
32. 104 of Haydn's are numbered: Abbr. : SYMS (Symphonies). More music references: 41A. Like Brahms' Third : IN F. 95D. Violinist Louis who invented the chinrest : SPOHR. 98D. Pianist Watts : ANDRE. Both unknown to me. Also, 62D. Renaissance fiddle : REBEC. We had this before. I forgot.
39. Burpee product : SEED
42. Word repeated before "sis" : RAH
43. Ending with cup : OLA. Cupola.
44. Snoopy-Red Baron conflict, e.g. : AIR WAR. Friendly crosses.
46. Where some precious metal may be exchanged : ALTAR. Oh, gold rings.
50. Valued geologic mass : ORE BODY. How is different from ORE?
55. Whiskered swimmer : OTTER
56. "Ah Sun-flower! ... / Seeking after that sweet golden __": Blake : CLIME. Crosses again.
57. Sheltered at sea : ALEE
58. Dune buggy, e.g., briefly : ATV
64. Storm harbinger : CLAP. Thunder clap.
65. Hilo his : ALOHAS. Read it as "Hi's". We also have 79. Nonnative Hawaiian : HAOLE. Pronounced like "Holly", right?
66. Kubla Khan's palace : XANADU
68. Street __ : CRED
71. Cornmeal loaves : PONES
77. "Found it!" : AHA
78. Chopped down : HEWN
81. Stiller's mom : MEARA. OK, Ben.
85. 1966 #1 hit for The Association : CHERISH. I only knew Madonna's "Cherish".
87. DNA structure : HELIX
88. 7-__ : ELEVEN. They have fantastic snack food in Guangzhou: hot and tasty.
89. Foe of Chiang : MAO
90. Sigma follower : TAU
91. Jersey casino, with "The" : TAJ
93. Gets it : SEES
97. Apple and Google started in them : GARAGES. Did not know Google started in a garage as well.
101. "Dang!" : DRAT
103. Tending to ooze : SEEPY
106. Kind of agt. : GOVT. Tough crossing with VACs (107D). Roombas, briefly). I did not know what Roombas are. Robotic vacuum cleaner.
108. Arrive, as clouds : ROLL IN. And 112. Contribute : ADD IN
117. "The Three Sisters" sister : IRINA
118. More than think : KNOW. MUSE won't fit.
119. Environmental activist : ECO-WARRIOR. Nailed it.
120. Allowed : LEGAL. So is LEGIT.
121. Alluring : SEXY
122. Moving about : ASTIR
123. Shore thing : SAND. Not DUNE.
Down:
1. Doo-wop syllables : DUMS. Crosses again.
2. "Orinoco Flow" singer : ENYA
3. NSA wiretap challenger : ACLU
4. When Shabbat begins : FRIDAY
5. Linden tree : BASSWOOD. Did not know Linden = Basswood.
6. BWI posting : ETA. BWI = Baltimore Washington International. Learning moment to me also.
7. Arizona opponent in a landmark Supreme Court case : MIRANDA
8. Categorically state : AVER
9. Both Arnaz guys : DESIs
10. Tax season VIP : CPA
11. Shakespearean prince : HAL. Prince Hal.
12. Where or when attachment : EVER
13. Exasperated : FED UP
14. Handle badly : MISMANAGE
15. Frequent flier's malady? : AVIAN FLU. Nice clue.
16. Sweden : Sverige :: Norway : __ : NORGE. What Norway is in Norway.
17. Meet partner : GREET. Meet and greet.
18. Australia's __ Rock : AYERS
20. Certain Prot. : EPISC
24. Mythological heaven : ELYSIUM. I like this word.
29. 11th-century year : MLI. 1051.
31. Friend : ALLY
33. Macon university : MERCER. Never heard of it. What are they famous for?
36. Formula One sound : VROOM
38. Butler with "a cynical humor in his mouth" : RHETT. Just fill in RHETT whenever you see "Butler" in the clue.
40. Record collection : DATABASE
45. Cave : RELENT
47. Bluish green : TEAL
48. Hammett hound : ASTA
49. It may contain regrets : RSVP. Had ??V? in the slot and wondered about LOVE.
51. Get conned : BE HAD
52. Russian city east of Kiev : OREL
53. Beethoven honoree : ELISE
54. Unleaded? : DECAF. Got me again.
56. Speaks for spirits : CHANNELS
60. Lured (in) : ROPED
61. "This I gotta see" : SHOW ME
63. Rejoice : EXULT
64. One using salt, perhaps : CURER. Oh, literally.
67. Rounded roof : DOME
68. Kind of cow? : CASH
69. South Korean president, 1948-1960 : RHEE. Nailed it as well. Korean RHEE = LEE = Li (as Jet Li). Same character.
70. "Downton Abbey" title : EARL
72. Cold response : SHIVER
73. Biblical baptist : JOHN
74. "Taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase": MLK : FAITH. Also the name of my mother-in-law. Her two other sisters are named Hope and Charity.
75. Latin bears : URSAE
76. Book describing the fall of Nineveh : NAHUM. Stumper for me.
78. Like typical snowflakes : HEXAGONAL
80. Way back when : AGES AGO
83. Carrot nutrient : VITAMIN A. Don't drink too much carrot juice. It makes your skin orange.
84. Swamp thing : REED
85. Check out, as a joint : CASE
86. Sci-fi transport : HOVERCAR. No idea. Like this?
89. Prohibitive words : MUST NOT
92. "Friends" actress, familiarly : JEN. Newly married. So happy for her. Can't less less about Angelina.
96. 1840s White House family : TYLERs
97. AOL alternative : GMAIL
99. Excavate again : RE-DIG
100. Founders : SINKS. Verb.
102. Where cruise ships go : TO SEA. Partial in disguise.
105. Sugar source : CANE
109. Sister of Luke : LEIA
111. Stereotypical computer whiz : NERD
114. Crew chief : COX. Coxswain.
115. Pacific Coast or Alaska: Abbr. : HWY. And 116. 115-Down offense : DWI
I'm still in shock that we lost the crossword legend Merl Reagle. I never met Merl in person. Just a few email exchanges with him over the years. He was always sweet, kind and encouraging. You'll always be in my mind, Merl!
Happy Birthday to Tinbeni, whose daily sunset toast to blog regulars often makes me smile. Hope it's a day full of pleasant surprises and romances, Tinbeni.
C.C.
