Theme: "Jam Session" - Each theme entry is a pile up of items hinted by the first word in each clue.
22A. Traffic jam? : TOYOTA JEEP AUDI KIA FORD. Veteran solvers probably recall Merl Reagle's traffic jam puzzle. He had two lanes of cars all jammed up in a 21*21.
35A. Raspberry jam? : YOU STINK BOO HISS GO HOME. This one made me laugh.
52A. Log jam? : ELM FIR OAK PINE ASH CEDAR
76A. Pearl jam? : BAILEY HARBOR BUCK ONION
93A Space jam? : VENUS NEPTUNE PLUTO MARS
111A. Paper jam? : GLOBE POST TIMES SUN NEWS. Newspapers.
So we have 6 spanners (total 126 theme squares) in a 134-word grid. Astonishing. We often see 142 or 144 worder with less than 100 theme squares.
Alan Arbesfeld is a veteran constructor. He has many many puzzles published by the New York Times and L.A. Times. He's also one of the constructors for the CrosSynergy puzzles. Look at those names, best in the business.
Across:
1. Best Supporting Actor nominee for "Forrest Gump" : SINISE. Lieutenant Dan.
7. Terra __ : FIRMA. Not COTTA.
12. Glass raiser's opening : A TOAST. We also have 77. Glass raiser's opening : HERE'S TO
18. Warren Buffett, for one : OMAHAN. Gary lives in Fremont.
19. Get off : DETRAIN. Do you actually use this word, or DEPLANE?
21. Entertain at bedtime : READ TO
25. Giraffe cousin : OKAPI. Hello there!
26. Sitcom planet : ORK
27. Less concerned with your privacy : NOSIER. I don't get it. You get nosy when you're less concerned other's privacy, right?
28. Was second to none : LED
29. Like many Richard Matheson stories : EERIE
31. Holy : SACRED
33. Remains at the butcher : OFFAL
40. Ticks off : ANNOYS
41. Nashville venue : OPRY
42. Traditional tomato paste fruit : ROMA
43. Moldova currency : LEU. Romania's too. Albanian is LEK.
44. Just make : EKE OUT
47. Oversupply : GLUT
49. Pub order, briefly : IPA
58. Belgian expressionist James : ENSOR. Gimme for veteran solvers.
59. Fed lines : CUED
60. __ Mae : SALLIE. Same letter count as FANNIE & GINNIE.
61. Kim's last name, in Kipling's novel : O'HARA. No idea. Never read the novel.
64. U.S. Army specialists' underlings: Abbr. : PFCs
67. __ Mawr: Pennsylvania college town : BRYN
69. Braves, but not Indians, briefly : NLERS. Gluey entry.
70. Stinging crawler : RED ANT
72. Of the flock : LAIC
74. Moistening liquid : BASTE
83. Penn in NYC, e.g. : STN
84. 9, at times: Abbr. : SEPT (September). Tiny answer/clue dupe with 93. Many September births : VIRGOS
85. Modern research aid : GOOGLE. Let's see how long it takes Google engineers to solve this "Bad Request" issue. The blank/double dupe glitch has been on forever.
86. Praise that's usually not prose : ODE
87. New Look designer : DIOR
89. Rope fiber : HEMP
90. Follow-up to a finish : EPILOG
100. "Let's give __" : IT A GO. Three-part partial.
101. Reach, as great heights : SOAR TO
102. Sock material : LISLE
103. Urgent knock : RAP
104. Morning prayers : MATINS. Have not seen this entry for a while, Lucina!
106. Pinky __ : TOE
107. Snap course : EASY A
116. Gretzky's first NHL team : OILERS. Boomer bought a fake Gretzky rookie card on Craigslist two years ago. Be careful about sports cards there.
117. Hot stuff : EROTICA
118. Pain in the side : STITCH
119. Stated with authority : SAID SO
120. Hamlet and others : DANES
121. Hong Kong airline __ Pacific : CATHAY. Used to take Cathay Pacific to Paris via Hong Kong.
Down:
1. Explorer Hernando de __ : SOTO
2. "Don't worry about me" : I'M OK
3. Poland Spring competitor : NAYA. What's your preferred water brand? Some of the caps are just so hard to open.
4. "With any luck!" : I HOPE SO
5. Fullness : SATIETY
6. "Bambi" doe : ENA
7. Data-uploading initials : FTP (File Transfer Protocol). TTP just solved a thorny issue for my Ginger Roots blog last week. Man, a bad DKNY link can put a post in jail for three years.
8. Author Levin : IRA
9. Off-color, as a joke : RAUNCHY
10. Olympic skater Ito : MIDORI
11. Liqueur-flavoring plants : ANISES. I never grow anise, you?
12. Two-time Indy 500 champ Luyendyk : ARIE. We had him before.
13. Spot for a spot : TEAROOM. Hmm, dim sum.
14. Clumsy sort : OAF
15. Big name in menswear : ADOLFO. Are you a fan of this brand?
16. Transfer for immediate viewing : STREAM
17. Take baby steps : TODDLE. Is this a common verb form?
19. "Criminal Minds" agent Morgan : DEREK. Unknown to me.
20. Fearful sound : EEK
23. Participate : JOIN
24. Former apparel store with a backwards letter in its name : KIDS R US
30. Staircase components : RISERS
31. Absorb : SOP UP
32. __ valve: heart part : AORTIC
34. Govt. mortgage agency : FHA. Federal Housing Administration,
35. Beinecke Library site : YALE, Not familiar with the library.
36. Scott Turow memoir : ONE L
37. Coin word : UNUM
38. Hire : BOOK
39. Black-clad subculturists : GOTHS. There's a Lady Goth in our flea market. She wears the same black outfit every Sunday, for over 10 years.
45. Surgeon general under Reagan : KOOP. I'm thinking the next one will be Ben Carson.
46. Winter hat feature : EARFLAP
47. "The Waltons" actor Will : GEER
48. Insect making spotty appearances? : LADYBUG. Cute clue.
49. Just sitting, say : IDLE
50. Scissors need : PAIR
51. Son of Zeus : ARES
53. Wild : FERAL
54. Cockamamie : INANE
55. Central point : NUB
56. "The Divine Comedy" division : CANTO
57. Pompeo of "Grey's Anatomy" : ELLEN. She plays Dr. Grey.
61. Eyes, poetically : ORBS
62. Pressure : HEAT
63. Server's edge : AD IN. Tennis.
65. Amazon icon : CART
66. Bro or sis : SIB
68. Shaker contents, chemically : NACL
71. Boxing's "Iron Mike" : TYSON
73. Convincing : COGENT
75. '50s-'60s country singer McDonald : SKEETS. No idea. Was he popular then, D-Otto/Argyle?
78. "Love is a smoke raised with the fume of sighs" speaker : ROMEO. Deep thought from a 13-year-old.
79. 1995 comet observer : BOPP (Thomas Bopp). I drew a blank.
80. Kansas city: IOLA. I forgot. But our PK must knows. By the way, she can read all the posts/comments. She just can't comment. Her iMac is still sick.
81. Olfactory stimulus : ODOR
82. Requirements for prints, for short : NEGs
87. Was really into : DUG
88. Related compounds : ISOMERS
89. Author Zora Neale __ : HURSTON. We see NEALE often.
91. Cornmeal dish : POLENTA. You can't tempt me with Polenta!
92. "My mind is made up!" : I MEAN IT
94. List closing : ET ALIA
95. City near Monte Vesuvio : NAPOLI
96. Composed : POISED
97. Indian spiritual tradition : TANTRA
98. 2010 Literature Nobelist Mario Vargas __ : LLOSA. Peruvian novelist.
99. Road reversals, for short : UIEs
105. Lhasa __ : APSO
106. Gumshoe : TEC
108. First family brother : SETH
109. Female leadership org. : YWCA
110. Pale : ASHY
112. Bunk, e.g. : BED
113. Meteor tail? : ITE. Meteorite.
114. Start to represent? : MIS. Misrepresent. Jazzbumpa is averse to this type of clue, esp if the entries are wobbly.
115. Trojans' sch. : USC
22A. Traffic jam? : TOYOTA JEEP AUDI KIA FORD. Veteran solvers probably recall Merl Reagle's traffic jam puzzle. He had two lanes of cars all jammed up in a 21*21.
35A. Raspberry jam? : YOU STINK BOO HISS GO HOME. This one made me laugh.
52A. Log jam? : ELM FIR OAK PINE ASH CEDAR
76A. Pearl jam? : BAILEY HARBOR BUCK ONION
93A Space jam? : VENUS NEPTUNE PLUTO MARS
111A. Paper jam? : GLOBE POST TIMES SUN NEWS. Newspapers.
So we have 6 spanners (total 126 theme squares) in a 134-word grid. Astonishing. We often see 142 or 144 worder with less than 100 theme squares.
Alan Arbesfeld is a veteran constructor. He has many many puzzles published by the New York Times and L.A. Times. He's also one of the constructors for the CrosSynergy puzzles. Look at those names, best in the business.
Across:
1. Best Supporting Actor nominee for "Forrest Gump" : SINISE. Lieutenant Dan.
7. Terra __ : FIRMA. Not COTTA.
12. Glass raiser's opening : A TOAST. We also have 77. Glass raiser's opening : HERE'S TO
18. Warren Buffett, for one : OMAHAN. Gary lives in Fremont.
19. Get off : DETRAIN. Do you actually use this word, or DEPLANE?
21. Entertain at bedtime : READ TO
25. Giraffe cousin : OKAPI. Hello there!
26. Sitcom planet : ORK
27. Less concerned with your privacy : NOSIER. I don't get it. You get nosy when you're less concerned other's privacy, right?
28. Was second to none : LED
29. Like many Richard Matheson stories : EERIE
31. Holy : SACRED
33. Remains at the butcher : OFFAL
40. Ticks off : ANNOYS
41. Nashville venue : OPRY
42. Traditional tomato paste fruit : ROMA
43. Moldova currency : LEU. Romania's too. Albanian is LEK.
44. Just make : EKE OUT
47. Oversupply : GLUT
49. Pub order, briefly : IPA
58. Belgian expressionist James : ENSOR. Gimme for veteran solvers.
59. Fed lines : CUED
60. __ Mae : SALLIE. Same letter count as FANNIE & GINNIE.
61. Kim's last name, in Kipling's novel : O'HARA. No idea. Never read the novel.
64. U.S. Army specialists' underlings: Abbr. : PFCs
67. __ Mawr: Pennsylvania college town : BRYN
69. Braves, but not Indians, briefly : NLERS. Gluey entry.
70. Stinging crawler : RED ANT
72. Of the flock : LAIC
74. Moistening liquid : BASTE
83. Penn in NYC, e.g. : STN
84. 9, at times: Abbr. : SEPT (September). Tiny answer/clue dupe with 93. Many September births : VIRGOS
85. Modern research aid : GOOGLE. Let's see how long it takes Google engineers to solve this "Bad Request" issue. The blank/double dupe glitch has been on forever.
86. Praise that's usually not prose : ODE
87. New Look designer : DIOR
89. Rope fiber : HEMP
90. Follow-up to a finish : EPILOG
100. "Let's give __" : IT A GO. Three-part partial.
101. Reach, as great heights : SOAR TO
102. Sock material : LISLE
103. Urgent knock : RAP
104. Morning prayers : MATINS. Have not seen this entry for a while, Lucina!
106. Pinky __ : TOE
107. Snap course : EASY A
116. Gretzky's first NHL team : OILERS. Boomer bought a fake Gretzky rookie card on Craigslist two years ago. Be careful about sports cards there.
117. Hot stuff : EROTICA
118. Pain in the side : STITCH
119. Stated with authority : SAID SO
120. Hamlet and others : DANES
121. Hong Kong airline __ Pacific : CATHAY. Used to take Cathay Pacific to Paris via Hong Kong.
Down:
1. Explorer Hernando de __ : SOTO
2. "Don't worry about me" : I'M OK
3. Poland Spring competitor : NAYA. What's your preferred water brand? Some of the caps are just so hard to open.
4. "With any luck!" : I HOPE SO
5. Fullness : SATIETY
6. "Bambi" doe : ENA
7. Data-uploading initials : FTP (File Transfer Protocol). TTP just solved a thorny issue for my Ginger Roots blog last week. Man, a bad DKNY link can put a post in jail for three years.
8. Author Levin : IRA
9. Off-color, as a joke : RAUNCHY
10. Olympic skater Ito : MIDORI
11. Liqueur-flavoring plants : ANISES. I never grow anise, you?
12. Two-time Indy 500 champ Luyendyk : ARIE. We had him before.
13. Spot for a spot : TEAROOM. Hmm, dim sum.
15. Big name in menswear : ADOLFO. Are you a fan of this brand?
16. Transfer for immediate viewing : STREAM
17. Take baby steps : TODDLE. Is this a common verb form?
19. "Criminal Minds" agent Morgan : DEREK. Unknown to me.
20. Fearful sound : EEK
23. Participate : JOIN
24. Former apparel store with a backwards letter in its name : KIDS R US
30. Staircase components : RISERS
31. Absorb : SOP UP
32. __ valve: heart part : AORTIC
34. Govt. mortgage agency : FHA. Federal Housing Administration,
35. Beinecke Library site : YALE, Not familiar with the library.
36. Scott Turow memoir : ONE L
37. Coin word : UNUM
38. Hire : BOOK
39. Black-clad subculturists : GOTHS. There's a Lady Goth in our flea market. She wears the same black outfit every Sunday, for over 10 years.
45. Surgeon general under Reagan : KOOP. I'm thinking the next one will be Ben Carson.
46. Winter hat feature : EARFLAP
47. "The Waltons" actor Will : GEER
48. Insect making spotty appearances? : LADYBUG. Cute clue.
49. Just sitting, say : IDLE
50. Scissors need : PAIR
51. Son of Zeus : ARES
53. Wild : FERAL
54. Cockamamie : INANE
55. Central point : NUB
56. "The Divine Comedy" division : CANTO
57. Pompeo of "Grey's Anatomy" : ELLEN. She plays Dr. Grey.
61. Eyes, poetically : ORBS
62. Pressure : HEAT
63. Server's edge : AD IN. Tennis.
65. Amazon icon : CART
68. Shaker contents, chemically : NACL
71. Boxing's "Iron Mike" : TYSON
73. Convincing : COGENT
75. '50s-'60s country singer McDonald : SKEETS. No idea. Was he popular then, D-Otto/Argyle?
78. "Love is a smoke raised with the fume of sighs" speaker : ROMEO. Deep thought from a 13-year-old.
79. 1995 comet observer : BOPP (Thomas Bopp). I drew a blank.
80. Kansas city: IOLA. I forgot. But our PK must knows. By the way, she can read all the posts/comments. She just can't comment. Her iMac is still sick.
81. Olfactory stimulus : ODOR
82. Requirements for prints, for short : NEGs
87. Was really into : DUG
88. Related compounds : ISOMERS
89. Author Zora Neale __ : HURSTON. We see NEALE often.
91. Cornmeal dish : POLENTA. You can't tempt me with Polenta!
92. "My mind is made up!" : I MEAN IT
94. List closing : ET ALIA
95. City near Monte Vesuvio : NAPOLI
96. Composed : POISED
97. Indian spiritual tradition : TANTRA
98. 2010 Literature Nobelist Mario Vargas __ : LLOSA. Peruvian novelist.
99. Road reversals, for short : UIEs
105. Lhasa __ : APSO
106. Gumshoe : TEC
108. First family brother : SETH
109. Female leadership org. : YWCA
110. Pale : ASHY
112. Bunk, e.g. : BED
113. Meteor tail? : ITE. Meteorite.
114. Start to represent? : MIS. Misrepresent. Jazzbumpa is averse to this type of clue, esp if the entries are wobbly.
115. Trojans' sch. : USC
Happy Birthday to the real Big Easy (George Simpson), who's an excellent golfer and volunteers at the Zurich Classic where he meets with Ernie Els every year. George and I made two puzzles for the L.A. Times, he was just amazing. A natural.
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| Big Easy and his wife Diane |
