Our lovely leader has made a fun puzzle whose gimmick was finding two-word phrases where the first word ended in US and the second word started with a B. This yielded the now ubiquitous computer connection acronym of USB (Universal Serial Bus). Our crafty constructor C.C. also hid the reveal in the very last clue in the puzzle:
120. PC connection found in this puzzle's eight longest answers : USB
Husker Gary here and I am, as Lemon put it once, sherping for C.C. and revealing that I needed the reveal because
128. "I'm an idiot!" : DOH!
The back of this PC shows many common "Getting Connected" options including 6 USB ports
Theme Fills:
21. Omaha Steaks Private Reserve product : ANGUS BEEF - I'm sure you've got a great steak outlet 20 min from your house like I do!
27. 2009 recession response : STIMULUS BILL - Staying apolitical, I'll let you decide if it works for you
14. Sacred conviction : RELIGIOUS BELIEF - Staying areligious, I'll let you decide if it works for you
43. Gillette razor for women : VENUS BREEZE - Gel Bars obviate the need for shaving cream, I read.
92. Eponymous explorer of the Aleutians : VITUS BERING - A 1981 Russian stamp honoring the 300 birthday of Bering in Denmark. He joined the Russian Navy in 1704
111. Department of Commerce division : CENSUS BUREAU - Very interesting projection from the Bureau
Now let's get down to the somewhat 42. Not something to kid about : SERIOUS BUSINESS and other connections our brilliant Minnepolis friend has for us today:
Across
1. Abbr. for an unfilled slot : TBA
4. Limber : AGILE
9. Literally meaning "stick," it's the first word in a California city named for a 1,000-year-old redwood : PALO - PALO (Stick) Alto (Tall). Learning for me.
17. Hotfooted it : RAN
18. Merged oil giant : MOBIL
19. Contentious encounter : RUN IN
20. Soft leather : SUEDE - Why were Carl and Elvis so sensitive about these?
24. Dealt __: devastated : A BLOW
25. One doing a bank job? : PERP
26. Protest topics: Abbr. : RTS and 35. Folk legend Joan : BAEZ - She famously sang We Shall Overcome in support of Civil RTS
29. #1 thriller on AFI's "100 Years...100 Thrills" : PSYCHO - As we learned here recently, Bosco was used for blood
31. Stepped to the plate : BATTED
32. Thick carpet : SHAG
33. Bloomingdale's rival : SAKS
36. Mom in the woods : DOE
37. Boiling state : IRE - Different from 49 Across's temp scale but same as 3. Ticked off : ANGRY
40. Start to sing? : ESS
47. Hustle : SCOOT
49. Celsius, e.g. : SWEDE - Not a SCALE. It's recently been around 37˚C here. Ugh!
51. Blond shade : ASH
52. Try to quiet, as a persistent squeak : REOIL
54. Jamaican spirits : RUMS
55. Caesar's land : TERRA - 200 years after Caesar, Ptolemy made this map of the world and TERRA Incognita
56. Poorly paid workers : PEONS
59. Parks on a bus : ROSA - "The only tired I was, was tired of giving in"
60. Best Play, e.g. : ESPY - This year's winner was the Packer's Hail Mary pass to beat the Lions
61. Morphine is one : OPIATE
63. Sailor's guardian : ST ELMO
65. Easygoing sort : TYPE-B
67. Dockside activity : STOWING
69. Shower with flowers, say : WOO by a 94. Steady : BEAU?
70. Incline to a higher level : SLOPE UP - This is a modern day picture of what is called the Music Box Stairs in LA. I'll bet you remember the famous comedy team that used them in a 1932 movie and what they were moving up these stairs.
73. Let loose : UNTIE
74. "Knock that off!" : STOP IT - Rare is the parent who hasn't uttered these words!
77. Artemis' twin brother : APOLLO
78. Private place? : BASE
80. Subj. for a future vet : ANAT
82. Enclose, as livestock : PEN IN Now wait a minute...
84. Work outfits for many : SUITS - It started that way in teaching but has devolved into Goodwill chic
85. Pop foursome formed in Stockholm : ABBA
86. E! Online subject : CELEB
88. "Get it?" : SEE - Edward G. Robinson said "SEE" but not "Yeah, SEE"
89. Development areas : UTERI
90. Unfocused images : BLURS - Does this 48. Give you the willies : CREEP OUT?
96. Oft-chewed item : FAT
97. "You got it!" : YES - The rain in Spain does stay mainly in the plain!
98. Children's advocate LeShan : EDA
100. Will of "The Waltons" : GEER - Grandpa Walton
101. Indian bread : NAAN
103. Shakespearean deceiver : IAGO - Edwin Booth as IAGO in 1871. Yup, he was that guy's brother
105. Bewhiskered test subject : LAB RAT
107. Cue : PROMPT - A furry paw on my nose at 5 am is a PROMPT for me
114. Look good on : FIT
116. Taverna sandwich : GYRO - Here ya go...
117. Type of daisy : OXEYE
118. Readily available : ON TAP
121. Basilica recesses : APSES
122. Can't stop loving : ADORE
123. Itty-bitty bits : ATOMS
124. Periodontist's org. : ADA
125. Like many a cause : LOST
126. Madre's hermanos : TIOS - Mi madre tenÃa tres hermanos (Mom had 3 brothers). Por lo tanto yo tenÃa tres tÃos (Therefore, I had 3 uncles)
127. Brightest star in Cygnus : DENEB - Beautiful part of tonight's sky
Down
1. "The Sound of Music" family name : TRAPP
2. Ruinations : BANES
4. Morning hrs. : AMS
5. Lose it all : GO BROKE
6. "Yeah, right!" : I BET
7. Polygraph blips, perhaps : LIES - "Yes, I'll still respect you in the morning!"
8. Tolkien race member : ELF
9. Prize administered by Columbia University : PULITZER
10. Cartoon style : ANIME
11. Party headed by Netanyahu : LIKUD - Hebrew for consolidation
12. First-year J.D. student : ONE-L
13. Two-time Masters champ Watson : BUBBA - After winning $1.6M at the 2012 Master's, "plain eating" BUBBA celebrated that night at a Waffle House leaving a $148 tip
15. Much-loved star : IDOL
16. Kitten cry : MEWL
19. Cowboy singer Tex : RITTER
20. Military bands : SASHES
22. Lines at Walmart? : UPC'S - I miss prices on items a little
27. 9-5 automaker : SAAB
28. Troop entertainment gp. : USO - In season 10, they made it to M*A*S*H 4077
30. Dig in : HAVE AT IT
31. Air rifle ammo : BB SHOT
34. Easy A, say : SNAP
36. Paine and Hugo, philosophically : DEISTS - Reading Paine's Age Of Reason might challenge your RELIGIOUS BELIEFS
38. Lopsided win : ROMP - The Husker's undefeated 1995 National Champions 41. Won every game : SWEPT in 12 ROMPS
39. Crafts website : ETSY - For a long time, I wanted this to be E-[something] that made sense
40. These, to Luis : ESTOS
44. Puts to work : USES
45. Architect Saarinen : EERO - I'll bet you recognize this wonderful EERO design
46. Madhouse : ZOO
50. Close in : DRAW NEAR
53. Clapton classic : LAYLA
57. Eye of __: "Macbeth" witches' ingredient : NEWT - Let me be the first...
58. Regatta racer : SLOOP
62. Pioneering computer : ENIAC - Only one Scrabble letter above 1 point
64. Wear a long face : MOPE - Advice to Washington Senators from the Broadway stage - You gotta have hope, Mustn't sit around and MOPE!
66. Lifestyle website targeting female millennials : POPSUGAR
68. Palais des Nations locale : GENEVA
71. Extreme : ULTRA
72. Assume as fact : POSIT
74. "Ignore this change" : STET - "Forget 87 and put Fourscore and Seven back in"
75. Many a Sunday magazine : INSERT
76. Coliseum section : TIER
78. Crib sheet user : BABY
79. __-bodied : ABLE
81. Baba or a boxer : ALI
83. "Fat chance, Friedrich!" : NEIN
87. Sources of irritation : BUGBEARS - Nowadays, Dungeons and Dragons heavies
91. Seamless changes : SEGUES
93. Colorful wrap : SERAPE - Not a Muumuu as it turns out
95. Part of a preschool schedule : NAP TIME
99. Peruvian pair : DOS
102. Yuletide drinks : NOGS - For years mom made this for me at Yuletide because she thought I loved it. Uh, not so much.
104. Until now : AS YET
105. Day after dimanche : LUNDI - "Subway, Work, Sleep" "Like a typical Monday"
106. Mischievous droid, familiarly : ARTOO - The surname is DETOO
108. "Sorry about that" : MY BAD
109. Home of Velázquez' "Las Meninas" : PRADO - Madrid Museum
110. Holy scroll : TORAH
111. Its burning is a major source of Beijing smog : COAL
112. Fair : EXPO
113. Place for a row : BOAT
114. Big bash : FETE
115. Aware of : IN ON
119. Roam (about) : GAD
Now for some CHIVALROUS BANTER from the GRACIOUS BUNCH that frequent this little Kool-Aid word stand of ours:
GRID:
(Ed Note: I fixed that littler mistake Owen, Thanks! Gary)
