Theme: "Going on a Bender" - Each of the eight theme entries takes a 90-degree turn.
1A & 6D: Gets hitched : TAKES THE PLUNGE. That's how our TTP got his avatar name.
7A & 12D: Unpopular party gal : DEBBIE DOWNER. Not familiar with this phrase.
13A & 17D. Goes 0 for 20, say : HITS A SLUMP
43D & 65A. PRESS FORWARD. This is where I cottoned onto the gimmick.
48A & 51D: How some Niagara stunts are done : OVER THE FALLS
76D & 99A: Passenger's direction at the corner : HANG A RIGHT. Also an easy corner.
74D & 100A: Play a trick (on) : PUT ONE ACROSS
68D & 101A: More than breaking even : COMING OUT AHEAD. A few tricky clues in that corner.
Reveal entry:
58A. Wax eloquent ... and what to do to solve eight puzzle clues : TURN A PHRASE
Across
Lite does not allow empty clues, so Rich normally uses a dash to
indicate that there's no clue for that word. Dashes often hint at a
turning gimmick.
None of the turning phrases is random. Every themer has a key word indicating a downward or forward turn.
The total symmetry added an extra layer elegance to this grid. It also made filling challenging for the fun-loving Bruce.
Across:
18. Get some fresh air : BREATHE. I just turn to NPR for Terry Gross.
20. Complained : RAILED
21. Drives unsteadily : WEAVES
22. Give an edge to : SHARPEN. And 81. Giving an edge to : HONING
23. Maestro Toscanini : ARTURO. My very first entry.
24. Half of a storybook duo : HANSEL. Same letter as Gretel.
25. Knocks in the theater : PANS
26. Seafood entrée : PRAWNS. Isn't strange that PRAWN is plurable but not SHRIMP? Same food.
28. Put an edge on : WHET
30. Big Ten sch. : PSU. The Nittany Lions. All crosses for me.
31. "The Simpsons" disco guy : STU
32. Director's cry : PLACES. I wanted ACTION. When does a director shout "Places"?
33. Already : BY NOW
35. Growth period : BOOM
36. Former South African president for whom a gold coin is named : KRUGER. The coin is Krugerrand. Named after this guy Paul Kruger. Both stranger to me.
37. Caine captain : QUEEG
38. Stopped lying? : SAT UP. I thought of AROSE first. At least I was in the right direction.
39. One may be personal : TRAINER. And 71. They may be seconded : MOTIONS. Quite a few clue echoes in this puzzle.
41. Harold's film partner : KUMAR
42. Leading : FIRST
43. Book intros : PROLOGS
44. Wisecracks : QUIPS
45. Pac-Man feature : MAZE
46. Call it a night : RETIRE
47. Salad veggies : CUKES. Trader Joe's has these wonderful Persian cucumbers. So crisp and tender.
52. Buttermilk rider : EVANS. And 78. Trigger rider : ROGERS
53. Bee output : QUILT. Sewing bee! I just can't keep my mind of beeswax.
54. Rains cats and dogs : POURS
56. Zebra on a court : REF
57. Link clicker's destination : SITE
60. "The Clan of the Cave Bear" heroine : AYLA. This has become a gimme for me.
61. __-Cat : SNO
62. Beauty's admirer : BEAST. Beauty and the Beast.
63. Hardly seaworthy : LEAKY
64. Divulge : SPILL
67. Violin-playing comedian : BENNY. Drew a blank. Sadly I don't know much about Jack Benny. I do know his age though.
68. Price-fixing bloc : CARTEL
69. Spots to crash on the road : INNS
70. Physics particle : QUARK
72. Hogties : BINDS
74. __ willow : PUSSY
75. "Now We Are Six" author : A. A. MILNE. Big fat gimme.
76. __ Sack : HACKY
77. Extremely : QUITE
78. Confrontations : RUN-INS
79. Vanquishers of kings : ACES. Oh, poker.
80. "Designing Women" actress Annie : POTTS.
82. Large vessel : VAT. First thought is URN.
85. Collar : NAB
86. Staff note : MEMO
87. Motley, as a crew : RAGTAG
88. Options list : MENU
89. Matured : GREW UP
91. Ewan's "Moulin Rouge!" co-star : NICOLE. Gimme.
94. Fill with crayons : COLOR IN
96. Commercial charge : AD RATE. And 15. Plugs for tubes? : TV SPOTS
97. Charm : ENAMOR
98. "I'm okay with that" : SUITS ME
Down:
1. Recipe amts. : TBSPs
2. Buddhist who has attained Nirvana : ARHAT.
Wiki said it's Sanskrit for "one who is worthy". My landlord in
Shanghai completely ruined Buddhism for me. He drank every night. He
also burned incense and chanted every night.
3. Reeves of "The Lake House" : KEANU
4. Wave catchers? : EARS. Lovely clue.
5. Indy letters : STP
7. Bureau division : DRAWER
8. Merits : EARNS
9. Comic's routines : BITS
10. __-ray Disc : BLU
11. Comparative suffix : IER
13. Cops : HEAT
14. Creator of Q and M : IAN. James Bond.
16. Escorts to the door : SEES OUT
19. Infuriates : ENRAGES
21. "That was a close one!" : WHEW
27. Taiwan-based computer company : ACER. Our monitor. Great quality.
29. Monopolize : HOG
32. Group below abbots : PRIORS
33. Removes from the schedule : BUMPS
34. Affirmative votes : YEAs
35. Having less coverage : BARER
36. Tigers Hall of Fame outfielder Al : KALINE.
And 39. Two-time U.S. Open champ : TREVINO. I nailed both. Just saw Lee
Trevino at the 3M this summer. He was surprisingly quiet that day. A
bit name heavy in this area.
37. "Shh" : QUIET PLEASE. What a great entry.
38. Hat stats : SIZES
40. __ cuff: shoulder muscles : ROTATOR
41. One of Fran's puppets : KUKLA
42. Only NFL quarterback with more than 10,000 pass attempts : FAVRE. I'd not have played for the Vikings.
44. "Jaws" shark hunter : QUINT. Unknown to me.
45. Timid : MOUSY
47. Junkyard dogs : CURS
49. Fitting comment? : TRY IT ON. Lovely clue/answer.
50. Greek : HELLENE
53. Campus areas : QUADS
54. Popular frat activity : PRANK
55. Like some chards : OAKY. Wine. I kept thinking of the veggie.
58. Shore fliers : TERNS
59. Name of eight English kings : HENRY
60. Typically wet times : APRILs
62. Toss about, as ideas : BANDY
64. Filling fully : SATING
66. Flirtatious signals : WINKS
67. Arrests : BUSTS
70. Pack it in : QUIT
71. Rock band 10,000 __ : MANIACS. No idea. Of course I thought of 10,000 lakes for MN.
72. Captain Morgan rival : BACARDI
73. Emotionally cold type : ICEBERG
75. Close relative : AUNT
77. Iranian holy city : QOM
80. Toon skunk Le Pew : PEPE
81. Anaheim team, in sportscasts : HALOS. Angels.
82. Frost lines? : VERSE. Robert Frost.
83. Jungian principle : ANIMA
84. Pitched well? : TUNED. This corner was hard for me.
86. Many a shelter resident : MUTT
87. Cowboys quarterback Tony : ROMO
88. Light-loving flier : MOTH
90. Nursery noise : WAH
92. Business magazine : INC
93. Monopoly token : CAR
95. __ Fáil: Irish coronation stone : LIA. This I learned from the Wayne R. Williams era. We had this all the time.
C.C.
