Theme: "Hanging Around in the Dark" - Seven BATs are hanging upside down in a cave where the down-hanging STALACTITE meets the upward STALAGMITE at E.
2D. *Lots opposite : NOT A BIT. Crossing 18. Terrible turnout : NO ONE. Tiny dupe.
5D. *Be blessed by Lady Luck : GET A BREAK
13D. *Traveled to Europe, say : WENT ABROAD
38D. *Annual postseason game played in Arizona : FIESTA BOWL. Three *TA B* break pattern.
43D. *Go all in : BET A BUNDLE
73D. *"Sweet Love" R&B singer : ANITA BAKER
81D. *Middle Eastern staple : PITA BREAD
93D. Hangout for the Dark Knight, and for creatures in the answers to starred clues : BAT CAVE Symmetrically placed against 2D.
In the middle, we have:
In the middle, we have:
20D. Rock formations that often meet in dark places, as illustrated here : STALACTITE TIMGALATS. Stalagmite goes upward.
If
the middle E is not shared in 20D, the theme entries will be 20-letter
long, impossible to be placed in the middle of a 21*21 grid. This is
such a brilliant maneuver.
Ed is known for his always creative themes. No words that precede/follow type from him. Most of his puzzles have a unique twist. This one is good example.
Ed is known for his always creative themes. No words that precede/follow type from him. Most of his puzzles have a unique twist. This one is good example.
Across:
1. Disguised, for short : INCOG. Common gimmick in old Chinese novels. The emperors or other big shots often traveled incognito.
6. "I see" : AH SO
10. Pipe material : COB
13. Ham's response : WILCO
19. Spice holders : RACKS. I bet our Steve makes his own curry powder mixture/paste.
21. Yoko from Tokyo : ONO
22. Often harmful bacteria : E. COLI
23. Auto suspension component : STRUT. This is new to me.
24. Dresses down : CHASTISES
26. Type of air passage : NASAL
27. Like "Et tu, Brute?" : CAESAREAN. I use CESAREAN spelling.
29. Close : ALMOST THERE. What a great entry!
31. NYC dance company : ABT
32. Garden plot : BED
33. Explorer Ponce __ : DE LEON
35. Demagogue, e.g. : RANTER
36. Liquid measures : LITERS
38. Eponymous electrical units : FARADS. Got via crosses.
39. Tease : RIB
40. Decisive parts of some NFL games : OTs
41. Floor in la maison : ETAGE. Just French for "floor".
42. Color named for a flower : LILAC
43. Louts : BOORS
45. Space fillers? : GASSES. Fun clue.
47. Track official : TIMER. We just had "Kitchen counter" yesterday, hence the new clue angle.
50. __ nerve : OPTIC
54. Some audio books : CDs
57. Korean imports : KIAs
58. "Baseball is __ percent mental. The other half is physical": Yogi Berra : NINETY
59. Caribbean destination : ARUBA
60. Lascivious look : LEER. Not OGLE today.
62. '40s Giant manager : OTT
63. __ Sketch : ETCH-A
64. "Mercury" coins : DIMES
65. Where Tibet is : ASIA
66. U.S. global monitor : NSA. This gave me the N in SION (46. "The Da Vinci Code" priory).
67. Fried rice veggie : PEA. My grandma's version is very simple: green onions, egg and cold rice. Everything tastes better with green onions.
68. Hunk's pride : BOD. 79. Lacrosse position : GOALIE. Thought of our own goalie Splynter.
71. Young __: political reformer : TURK
72. Turtle of comics and film : NINJA
74. Mouthy munchkins : BRATS. Alliteration.
76. The Rams of the Atlantic 10 Conf. : URI (University of Rhode Island)
77. Author Wiesel : ELIE
78. Gather bit by bit : GLEAN. Saw this painting in Musée d'Orsay.
80. Half-moon tide : NEAP
82. Skin coloring, briefly? : TAT (Tattoo)
83. Raw fish dish : SUSHI. I never had raw fish in sushi rolls. SASHIMI is for raw fish.
84. Capriciously, with "on" : A WHIM
85. Aphrodite's love : ADONIS
87. One way to sit : STILL
89. Clothing store section : GIRLS
91. Poitier title role : TIBBS (Mister). Also 86. Title in a Poitier title : SIR. Also 96. Fruit in a Poitier title : RAISIN. Fantastic clue echo.
95. Shapiro of NPR : ARI. "All Things Considered" host.
98. Consumed : ATE
99. "Oh gee" : DEAR ME
101. Big name in gaming : HARRAH. Oh now I see how Harrah's got its name. It's huge.
102. Strauss waltz subject : DANUBE
104. Portraitist Charles and his artist sons : PEALEs
105. Mars or Venus : ORB
106. Residential ending : ITE. I guess it's like Wisconsinite.
107. Title awarded only once to a New Englander (Connecticut, 1933) : MISS AMERICA. Surprising trivia. See here. Minnesota has 3.
109. Last check, maybe : SEVERANCE. Also got via crosses. I was not in the money direction.
112. "Wicked Game" singer Chris : ISAAK
113. Shoulder neighbor : RIGHT LANE. Nice clue/fill also.
115. Knighted composer : ELGAR Sir Edward Elgar.
116. Hint of color : TINGE. Not TINCT.
117. DDE's VP : RMN. Nixon was/is high respected in China.
118. 122-Across user : SALON. 122. Lock fixers : GELs. Filled in without any hesitation. Advantage of being a constructor who has to clue GEL/GELS all the time.
119. Vibrant : ALIVE
120. Scornful look : SNEER
121. Distress letters : SOS. Look at what these folks went through. Can you imagine living without salt for a day?
123. Alice's workplace : DINER
Down:
1. Like architectural drawings : IN SCALE
3. Big name in civil rights : CORETTA. She'd be sad to see the estate fight.
4. Burden : ONUS
6. Like the flight of a boomerang : ARCED
7. "Very funny" : HA HA
8. Muckrakers' subjects : SCANDALS. Sparkly.
9. Thumbs-ups : OKs
10. "All that is or ever was or ever will be": Sagan : COSMOS
11. Result of a leadoff single : ONE ON
12. Order : BOSS. Oh, as in "Boss around".
14. Former TWA owner : ICAHN. I did not know this.
15. Get fewer votes than : LOSE TO
16. Red choice : CLARET
17. Edmonton skaters : OILERS
25. TV classic "__ Three Lives" : I LED
28. Court matter : RES. So glad we did not have Latin in school.
30. Little pigs, e.g. : TRIO
34. Hurler's stat : ERA
37. Future tweeter : EGG. This clue makes me smile.
39. 2016 FedExCup winner McIlroy : RORY
42. Trials for aspiring D.A.'s : LSATs
44. Lemon-lime drink : SPRITE
48. To be safe : IN CASE
49. "Doesn't do much for me" : MEH
51. Chaotic situation : TUMULT. I saw TUMULTS the other day, D-Otto, You can't pluralize TUMULT, can you?
52. Spanish airline : IBERIA
53. Vampire's daybed : CASKET
54. Alarm sounds : CLANGS
55. Arnaz-Ball collaboration : DESILU
56. Fishing nets : SEINES
58. Sherpa, usually : NEPALI. They had a strike last year. Such a dangerous job.
61. Indian dignitaries : RAJAHs
69. Former Uh-Oh! cookies, now called Golden : OREOs. The fillings are different in China. Some has green tea cream.
70. Sigourney's "Gorillas in the Mist" role : DIAN. Guessable.
75. Stadium cheer : RAH
79. Strong wind : GALE
85. Marketing of pieces? : ARMS SALE. This "Piece/Pieces" clue gets me all the time.
88. Tabloid twosome : ITEM
90. Spleen : IRE
92. Earn : BRING IN
94. More diaphanous : SHEERER. Diaphanous is a new word to me.
95. Comes clean about : ADMITS
97. Half-baked : INSANE. I sent to Rich plenty of half-baked puzzles. Mostly SANE when I hit the Send button.
99. Condescends : DEIGNS
100. Per person : EACH
101. Charlemagne's domain: Abbr. : HRE
103. Grammar subject : USAGE. RetFizz, you were correct, C.C. stands for Chou Chin, Cantonese spelling of Zhouqin.
104. First-class : PRIMO
105. Places to raise dough : OVENS. I've been enjoying almond butter-stuffed apples lately.
108. Does as humans do? : ERRS
110. Carbon compound : ENOL
111. "__ want for Christmas ... " : ALL I. Our high today is only -8, but warming up next week.
114. Fall behind : LAG
C.C.
C.C.
