Theme: "La-la Land" - Each two-word theme entry has LA & LA in them.
22A. Cocktail made with Southern Comfort : ALABAMA SLAMMER. What's your favorite cocktail?
28A. Starbucks order : VANILLA LATTE.
I remember the first time I visited Starbucks in Guangzhou. Holy
smokes! I spent almost 100 Chinese Yuan for a cup of a coffee and a tiny
piece of sweet something. The delicious lunch at the local diners cost
about 10 Yuan.
57A. Windows material : PLATE GLASS
74A. With "The," 2002 Steven Pinker best-seller subtitled "The Modern Denial of Human Nature" : BLANK SLATE. Not familiar it the book or the author.
100A. Security measure : BURGLAR ALARM
108A. Modifying words : RELATIVE CLAUSE. New phrase to me.
31D. Steinbeck novel set in Monterey : TORTILLA FLAT
42D. Dog once shunned because it wasn't black : CHOCOLATE LAB. Did not know this.
Simple & elegant theme. Reminds me of my R2- D2
theme a while ago. Oh, Argyle, I just noticed two of the pictures in
your write-up are now invalid. At least, no lawyer or law firm wrote to
me to remove those two pictures. I get those requests from time to time.
Nice grid design. Another low-word 140. I like the themer overlaps at the top and bottom. The top is especially clean.
Nice grid design. Another low-word 140. I like the themer overlaps at the top and bottom. The top is especially clean.
Across:
1. Dance with a queen : PROM. Great clue. Stumped me though. Skipped to the next entry immediately.
5. Facebook tally : LIKES
10. Bug : IRK
13. Conductor's setting : TEMPO. I was thinking of a place for "setting".
18. Texter's guffaw : ROFL. Rolling On Floor Laughing. And 35. Texter's "Beats me" : IDK. I Don't Know.
19. The Little Mermaid : ARIEL
20. Catching-on cry : AHA
21. Survived the test : BORE UP. All crosses.
25. Rat, for one : RODENT
26. Plural French pronoun : ILS. They. Did you try CES also?
27. Mets' rival : NATs
30. Origins : ROOTS
32. Common Market inits. : EEC
34. From, in German names : VON. Did your wife grow up in Germany, D-Otto?
36. __ student : MED
37. How some flowers are planted : IN ROWS. I'm not fussy about flowers. Green beans, yes.
39. Kate, before being "tamed" : SHREW
41. Joined in a film lab : SPLICED
43. Eponymous band location : E STREET. Springsteen's E Street Band.
45. Geologic time unit : EON
46. 22-year-old golf phenom Jordan who won the Masters, U.S. Open and FedExCup in
2015 : SPIETH. Great role model for kids. Tiger was too cold to fans.
47. Syrup source : TREE SAP
49. Disreputable : SHADY
50. 12-member oil gp. : OPEC
54. Eighth-century year : DCCI. Put in DCC, then waited.
59. Italy's La __ : SCALA
60. Like some hygiene : ORAL. White teeth do not equate to healthy teeth. Learned it the hard way.
61. Prince __ Khan : ALY. Mindlessly put in AGA.
62. Chicago mayor Emanuel : RAHM. In hot water right now. What's the matter with Illinois, TTP?
63. Reproductive units : SPORES
64. Like an ill-equipped rowboat : OARLESS. Waited for crosses.
66. Wranglers, e.g. : JEEPS. Not JEANS.
68. Sub compartment : AIRLOCK. Drew a blank.
69. King who succeeds his father, say : DYNAST. Not a word I use. Dynasty, yes.
70. Of the highest quality : A-ONE
71. Old televangelist org. : PTL
72. Old, to Oskar : ALTE. Just German for "old". It's "Lao" in Chinese, hence Lao Tze, literally "Old master".
73. Takes it easy : LOAFS
77. School barometer : TEST
78. Ltr.-bottom letters : ENCL. Is the mail delivery is your area reliable?
79. __ cum laude : MAGNA
80. Cough drop : LOZENGE
82. "The Joy Luck Club" author : AMY TAN. Love the book.
84. Dog days mo. : AUG
85. Cut back on food intake : ATE LESS
89. How food may be salted : TO TASTE.
I love pickled food and eat it every day. I should probably cut down on
my salt intake.
91. Threaded hardware : SCREW
93. "... baked __" : IN A PIE. 6-letter partial.
94. Passel : TON
95. GPS offering : RTE
96. School attendance drop-off cause : FLU. Nice clue.
97. __ Miguel, largest of the Azores : SAO
99. Balearic island : IBIZA. I first heard of this place from my old colleague Adam, who was quite a party animal.
104. Machu Picchu dweller : INCA
106. Film lover's collectible : CEL
107. Web browser? : SPIDER. Another brilliant clue.
111. Nuts in some ice cream : PECANS.
I've tried nearly every brand of walnuts. All smell a bit moldy, though
the taste is totally fine. Do you have the same problem?
112. Fair-hiring initials : EEO
113. Gradually gather : GLEAN
114. Anesthetize : DRUG
115. "Later!" : SEE YA
116. One of 400,000-plus in the U.S. : ATM. Holy smokes! I had A?? earlier on, just did not think of ATMs.
117. Before the crowd : EARLY
118. Drive-thru transactions: Abbr. : DEPS. OK, deposits.
Down:
1. Grassland : PRAIRIE
2. Deodorant options : ROLL-ONS
3. In some respects : OF A SORT. Simple in retrospect. I just could not see the answer.
4. Diamond org. : MLB
5. Dalai __ : LAMA
6. Steamed : IRATE
7. X's in some letters : KISSES
8. Slender fish : EEL. Your local grocery store (Asian section) should carry this brand. So good.
9. Pole or Croat : SLAV
10. Irritated response to "Aren't you awake yet?" : I AM NOW
11. Bonn's river, in Bonn : RHEIN
12. Marx not seen in films : KARL. Nailed it.
13. Mechanic's set : TOOL KIT
14. "Ring Cycle" goddess : ERDA. German for "earth", right?
15. Tryster's request : MEET ME. Never sent or heard of this request.
16. Gave up the ball : PUNTED
17. Chose, with "for" : OPTED
21. Basketball Hall of Famer who was inducted while a U.S. senator : BRADLEY (Bill). No idea. I don't care basketball. Do care politics. But Wiki said he left the Senate before I came to the US.
23. Comeback : ANSWER
24. Expert : MAVEN
29. Fatty compounds : LIPIDS
33. Look the wrong way, maybe : CHEAT. Tricky clue.
38. Look beyond : SEE PAST
40. Leeway metaphor : ROPE. I wanted ROOM.
41. Muscle malady : SPASM
44. Blinking and sweating, in poker : TELLS.
Thought of my brother. We used to play Chinese-style poker. He was not
good. By the way, PK, my brother still lives in Xi'an, in the same
apartment we grew up.
46. Persian sovereigns : SHAHS
48. For instance : SAY
49. Offended smack : SLAP
51. __ officer : PAROLE
52. Chooses : ELECTS
53. Vampire's bed? : CASKET. Indeed.
54. Idle drawing : DOODLE. And 55. Drawing stick : CRAYON
56. Envelope-to-the-forehead TV persona : CARNAC. Stumped me also. Johnny Carson character.
58. __ salad : GREEK
59. It starts in Mar. : SPR
63. Sailing component? : SILENT I. Cruel clue. This refers for the first i, correct? Sailing.
65. Superman's symbol : ESS
66. Big name in fabric stores : JO-ANN. Never been there. Maybe this Joann frequents that place.
67. Sicilian resort : ENNA
68. Attending an afternoon social : AT TEA
70. Pond plants : ALGAE
71. Guerra's opposite : PAZ. Peace. Guerra = War.
74. One swinging in a box : BATTER. Baseball.
75. Derogatory remark : SLUR
76. Theater sections : LOGES
79. "Goodness me!" : MY STARS!
81. Friendly : GENIAL
83. 1963 hit on the flip side of "Candy Girl" : MARLENA. Never heard of it.
84. Integra maker : ACURA
86. Gastronome : EPICURE. Our Steve. I don't know anyone who's more foodier than Steve. From Japanese to Indian to French, he knows them all.
87. Judges : SIZES UP
88. What landlubbers lack : SEA LEGS
89. Piece on top : TOUPEE. Oh, on top of your head.
90. How chop suey may be served : ON RICE. Chop suey is American Chinese food.
91. Race with gates : SLALOM. Another nice clue. Are you still reading us, Marti?
92. Relinquishing of rights : WAIVER
94. Cookbook amts. : TBSPS
96. Speedy : FLEET
98. Oscar winner at age 10 : O'NEAL (Tatum)
101. Down Under howdy : G'DAY
102. Vicinity : AREA
103. Monthly budget amt. : MTGE
105. Harlem sch. : CCNY. I had CUNY first.
109. Dockworker's org. : ILA
110. Stick in : ADD
So some of you know that Boomer has been in a slump this season. He bowled his 20th perfect game on Friday Dec 11. One of his friends got it on camera. Click here. Boomer was pretty excited about the breakthrough, but started a new slump in no time :-)
C.C.
