Title: SECRET RETREAT
Husker Gary gladly caddying for C.C. and Melissa B today! These lovely ladies have hidden the word SPA in nine fills. You know, SPAS, where you can have various parts of your body wrapped, waxed, peeled, exfoliated, hydrated, stoned and rubbed. Sounds like a hoot!
THEME FILLS - All the theme fills were horizontal and SPA was split between the two words where the first word ended in S and the second word began with PA. A true model of consistency, not to mention wit from C.C. and Melissa B.
23. "Time for a shindig!" : LET'S PARTY
25. "Common Sense" pamphleteer : THOMAS PAINE - Count me in as honest, Tom!
37. Remarkable thing, in old slang : CAT'S PAJAMAS - Or luxury cat accommodations in Lincoln
54. Where to get the score : SPORTS PAGE - It had to kill the Seattle Times to give the score of Super Bowl XLIX on what may be the most stupid play call in history
71. Resort with a Forum Tower : CAESAR'S PALACE - What else are you going to name your towers there?
89. Very slow motion : SNAIL'S PACE - Finally a running shop that "get's me"!
105. Brewery product since 1777 : BASS PALE ALE - The famous Bass Red Triangle Label in Manet's 1882 A Bar at the Folies-Bergère
123. Reporter's entrée : PRESS PASS - I don't know this actor but everything else seems right
120. Acid test substance : LITMUS PAPER - We pitched the papers and used this
...and the three-letter reveal
125. Retreat hidden in nine puzzle answers : SPA - Do you see a hint that this SPA is located in Hershey, Pennsylvania?
Okay, I'll try not to rub you the wrong way as we massage this puzzle's wonderful content:
Across
1. Playground provocation : DARE - A brass statue in Hammond, IN (home of author Jean Shepherd who inspired A Christmas Story) dedicated to a famous movie DARE
5. Campus org. founded in 1906 : NCAA
9. Existing : BEING
14. Capers : LARKS
19. Religion of most Iranians : SHIA
20. Stops allowing : BANS
21. Complete : UTTER
22. Greenland native : INUIT - Where they were/are
27. Chichén Itzá builder : MAYA
28. Basque city with a Guggenheim Museum : BILBAO - In northern Spain. Uh, not TOLEDO!
30. Make up your mind : OPT
31. "Bus Stop" playwright : INGE - He said the play was based on people he met in Tonganoxie, Kansas
32. Juice unit : AMP
34. Knitting choices : PURLS - Oh, now I get it! Yeah right!
35. People's Choice Award winner for Favorite TV Drama, 2008-2011 : HOUSE MD
41. Winged stingers : WASPS
43. __ Plaines River : DES
44. Off-road ride, for short : ATV - High center of gravity, narrow base and idiocy make these so dangerous
45. Muchos meses : ANOS - Many months = Years (in español)
46. Dealer's query : YOU IN?
48. SEC concern : IPO - Initial Public Offering
50. Yemeni capital : RIAL - A Big Mac meal in Sana'a costs 1,833 ﷼ (RIALS)
52. Palm products : DATES - An ingredient in grandma's great Christmas cookies
59. Sicilian skiing attraction : ETNA - Who needs snow? Here's summer skiing on Etna's powdery volcanic ash
60. They may be about nothing : ADOS
61. Jacket material : SUEDE
62. Drops the ball : ERRS - Wes Welker does just that in Super Bowl XLVI and super model Gisele Bundchen famously said of her QB husband Tom Brady, "He can't f____ing throw the ball and catch it too!"
63. Top story : ATTIC
65. Move a muscle : STIR
67. Some might vote in it : ABSENTIA - Love this cluing
70. Time of life : AGE
75. CBS forensic series : CSI
76. Sammy Davis Jr.'s only #1 hit, with "The" : CANDY MAN
78. Short staffer? : ASST
79. Send payment : REMIT
81. Weymouth of Talking Heads : TINA - Bassist TINA and drummer husband Chris Frantz formed Talking Heads in 1971 and have been married for almost 40 years
82. Like clarinet music : REEDY
84. Clarinet kin : OBOE
87. "Drinks are __!" : ON ME - "I am very messy!"
92. Dishwasher handle? : AMANA
93. Simon of Broadway : NEIL - I can't pick a favorite NEIL Simon play. You? My daughter was a great Corie in this classic
94. Match part : SET
95. Big name in Russian ballet : KIROV- The KIROV Ballet Company declined greatly when Nureyev, Makarova and Baryshnikov defected to the West during the Cold War
97. Coal unit : LUMP
99. L.A. Galaxy's group : MLS - Major League Soccer
100. Gardner of film : AVA
103. Chinese menu assurance : NO MSG - The Mayo Clinic says there is no direct link to illness and MSG
108. "I don't think so" : NICE TRY - If he says "I don't think so", he'll never say "NICE TRY"
110. Whence Saint Teresa : AVILA - A 16th century Spanish Saint who is the patron saint of headache sufferers
111. Phone book no. : TEL - Ours was 132-J when we had to tell an operator
112. Ship stabilizer : KEEL
113. Unruly do : MOP
115. Spartan serfs : HELOTS
117. Its initials became its name in 1999 : AARP
126. Great Lakes natives : ERIES -What? I thought they lived around Lake Crossword! :-)
127. Novelist's list, perhaps : IDEAS - JK Rowling's hand-written spreadsheet notes to create Harry Potter. How'd that book do?
128. Fertilizer ingredient : PEAT
129. Lose it : SNAP
130. Holy, to Henri : SACRE - SACRE' bleu (Sacred Blue) became a common sound-alike for SACRE' Dieu (Sacred God) which was considered blasphemous
131. Theatrical device : ASIDE - A frequent device in House Of Cards
132. Use one's outside voice : YELL
133. Grammy winner James : ETTA
Down
1. Surfing letters : DSL - Digital Subscriber Line is now passé
2. Small clearing? : AHEM - Cute
3. Beatles girl : RITA - The Lovely Meter Maid
4. Piece-of-cake courses : EASY A'S
5. Magic org. : NBA - Orlando pro basketballers
6. Concern for some losers : CARB
7. Ristorante course : ANTIPASTO - From the Latin: ANTI (before) PASTUS (meal). Served at the SPA?
8. Safe haven : ASYLUM
9. "Furthermore, however, ... " : BUT ALSO
10. Cultural spirit : ETHOS
11. Judge in 1995 news : ITO - Some think Johnnie Cochran was in charge of the OJ trial
12. Pixar protagonist : NEMO - In 2016 Pixar is now finding NEMO'S friend
13. Boardroom props : GRAPHS
14. Edge : LIP - Where some putts go to die
15. "Delta of Venus" author Nin : ANAIS - Common fare here at the Crossword Cafeteria
16. Beyond repair : RUINED
17. Checkers speech? : KING ME
18. Renaissance fair rides : STEEDS
24. Argentine plain : PAMPA
26. Restraining order? : STOP IT
29. Donkeys' cries : BRAYS
33. How to watch Mei Xiang and Bei Bei : PANDA CAM - Very appropriate so close to Mother's Day
36. Delivery letters : USPS
37. Close attention : CARE
38. Like political foes, frequently : AT IT AGAIN - "My opponent is a thespian and a masticator!"
39. Dish forerunner : TV ANTENNA
40. Steinbeck hero Tom : JOAD - "Wherever they’s a fight so hungry people can eat, I’ll be there."
41. Erase completely : WIPE
42. Battery terminal-related : ANODAL - On the positive side
47. Seizes illegally : USURPS
49. Welcoming sign : OPEN
51. GPS figure : LAT - I live at 41˚North LATitude in eastern Nebraska, same as Rome, Italy. Uh, not the same weather!
53. She, in Sicily : ESSA
55. First name in country : REBA
56. Aesthetic film genre : ART CINEMA - I don't dig subtitles
57. Grain processor : GRIST MILL - A beautiful one in West Virginia
58. Morales of "The Brink" : ESAI
61. Actress Spacek : SISSY
64. Like a "daggers" look : ICY
66. Wall Street regular : TRADER - Politicians campaign against them but still take their money
68. Dress down in a big way : SCREAM AT
69. Broad shoe size : EEE
70. Book following the Gospels : ACTS
72. Holliday friend : EARP
73. Devious ones : SNEAKS
74. Splittable bit : ATOM
77. Place for a speaker : DAIS
80. Cal. column : MON - Unfortunately this month has 5 MON's
83. Smokeless smoke, briefly : E-CIG
85. Fast-growing sapling : BALSA TREE - Now that's my kind of logging!
86. "Movin' __": "The Jeffersons" theme : ON UP
88. Otherwise : ELSE
90. Fast time? : LENT - Cute again
91. Rages : STORMS
92. Be of use : AVAIL
96. FDR's side, on a dime : OBVERSE - Generally the larger, main image as opposed to the reverse side of a coin, medal, flag, etc
98. Ardent requests : PLEAS
100. They're just over two feet : ANKLES - Cute some more
101. Former moderator of "The View" : VIEIRA
102. Vinegary : ACETIC
104. Reason for spectacles : MYOPIA - Nearsightedness
106. __ Joe : SLOPPY - Named after a cook named Joe at a Sioux City, IA restaurant who added tomato sauce to his loose meat sandwich
107. Tick away : ELAPSE
109. Wascally wabbit wival : ELMER
110. Best way to leave Vegas : AHEAD - Take the money and RUN!
114. Mice move on them : PADS
116. Official emblem : SEAL
118. Emotional blog entry : RANT
119. Natl. Merit Scholarship qualifying exam : PSAT
121. Find a job for : USE
122. Canada's smallest prov. : PEI
124. Airport NW of the Gateway Arch : STL
Only someone in a Fool'S PAradise would skip your comments that follow:
The Grid
Notes from C.C.:
Congratulations to our beautiful
Melissa on her L.A. Times debut! Melissa and I have been kicking around various
puzzles ideas for a few years. So happy we persisted and finally made it. It's a joy and comfort working with Melissa, who constantly inspires me with her strength, tenacity & incredible poise.
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| Left to Right: Melissa's daughter, Melissa's mom Barbara B, Melissa |
The title is Rich's. It captures the hidden gimmick much better than our original "Hot Spot". Click here to see our originally submitted grid. Rich took time and redid our 38D & 39D area. He was concerned that GIRLY MAN (76A) maybe seen as pejorative by some. Rich also caught our SPAN (49D) goof, as it has SPA in it. So we redid the right middle.
