Theme: "Past Due"- One word in each common phrase is replaced by its past tense.
22A. Chant by lumberyard workers during a lockout? : LONG TIME NO SAW. Long time no see, which originated in Chinese, right? 好久不见 is literately "long time no see".
37A. Citi Field shortstop or second baseman? : MET IN THE MIDDLE. Meet in the middle.
53A. Timid FBI agent? : CHICKEN FED. Chicken feed.
67A. Bunch of cattle reading menus? : DROVE IN RESTAURANT. Drive-in restaurant.
83A. One evoking yawns on an Alaskan island? : KODIAK BORE. Kodiak bear.
97A. Help when it's time to give up? : LENT ASSISTANCE. Lend assistance.
119A. Provide with surfacing material, as a pool parlor? : GET THE FELT FOR. Get the feel for.
Of
the seven theme entries, two changes happen in the front, three in the
back, one is in the middle. A nice mix. Consistently putting the changes
in front or back are quite daunting, as Paul's choices are rather
limited.
MET IN THE MIDDLE and LENT ASSISTANCE are a bit different, as they themselves are solid in the language phrases.
So many sparkling long fill in the Down slots, Paul!
Across:
1. Make out : NECK
5. Barley brew : ALE
8. Swedish cinematographer Nykvist : SVEN. Unfamiliar to me. Wiki says he was nominated for Academy Award for Best Cinematography for The Unbearable Lightness of Being.
12. Candy mogul Harry : REESE
17. Brazilian berry : ACAI. This Acai Bowl looks amazing. Trader Joe's now carries frozen acai puree packets.
18. Subject for a bar discussion : LAW
19. Pew's place : NAVE
20. Certain Ukrainian : ODESSAN
25. Brunch cocktails : MIMOSAs
26. Scene of sworn statements : ALTAR
27. Finish second : PLACE. Win. Place. Show. We also have 23. Horse race pace : TROT
28. Gothic architecture feature : GABLE
30. You can dig it : ORE
31. Chop off : LOP
33. "Be __": "Help me out here" : A PAL
34. Like real estate moguls : ACRED. Not a word I use.
35. Hit hard : SMITE. Not a word I use.
43. WWII org. that froze food costs : OPA. Googled afterwards: Office of Price Administration.
44. Ring spot, maybe : TUB. Nice clue.
46. Old Nair competitor : NEET
47. "Manhattan" Oscar nominee Hemingway : MARIEL
48. Hound : NAG
49. Anti: Abbr. : OPP. Followed by 50. Adversaries : FOES
52. Advisories : ALERTS
56. Beverage with a lizard logo : SoBe. Short for South Beach
60. Moore of "G.I. Jane" : DEMI
61. Pen : ENCAGE
62. Oft-quoted auth.? : ANON
64. Fall lead-in : PRAT
66. Canadian capital? : CEE. Canadian.
72. Lith., once : SSR
74. To be, in Tours : ETRE
75. It may be raised at a party : CAIN. Raise Cain. I was thinking of toast.
76. Accustomed (to) : INURED
79. Jack of "Rio Lobo" : ELAM. He's a gimme to me now.
81. Narcissus' love : SELF. Ah, not ECHO.
85. Chinese temple : PAGODA. This Giant Wild Goose Pagoda is very close to our home. It was built in 652 to to store the Buddhist scriptures.
88. Bring down : RUIN
90. Flue residue : ASH
91. Church kitchen server : URN
92. Hunk : ADONIS
93. British submachine gun : STEN. We saw this entry a lot in the old Wayne R. Williams days.
95. ER personnel : RNs
96. Crib sheet user : TOT. Cute clue.
101. Hidden : INNER
104. Sarducci in early "SNL" skits : GUIDO
105. Pastoral plaints : BAAs
106. Iowa campus : COE. Coe College.
107. Entrepreneur's deg. : MBA
110. Like Cheerios : OATEN. I like overnight oats. Just can't get into Cheerios.
111. Pays to play : ANTES
113. "Transcendental" Liszt piece : ETUDE
117. Place with care : ARRANGE
122. Fountain treats : SUNDAES. What's your favorite dessert?
123. Sheltered at sea : ALEE
124. Baseball rally killers, briefly : DPS (Double Plays)
125. Hang loosely : LOLL
126. Counter seat : STOOL
127. Lays down the lawn : SODS. Also 95. Tends to a lawn's bare spot : RESEEDS
128. '60s radical gp. : SDS. Students for a Democratic Society.
129. Direction in Durango : ESTE
Down:
1. "The Lion King" lion : NALA
2. Earth Day subj. : ECOL
3. Prominent angle : CANT. Can you give me an example?
4. Capital of Rwanda : KIGALI. Got via crosses.
5. Ring master? : ALI. Great clue as well.
6. Spot for a bulb : LAMP
7. Young female sheep : EWE LAMB
8. Vehicle with caterpillar treads : SNO-CAT. I did not know there's a term for those continuous treads.
9. Healing aid patented in 1872 : VASELINE. Great fill.
10. Actress Mendes : EVA
11. Historic London prison : NEWGATE. Wiki says "The gate/prison was rebuilt in the 12th century, and demolished in 1904.
The prison was extended and rebuilt many times, and remained in use for
over 700 years, from 1188 to 1902."
12. Like some summer school classes : REMEDIAL
13. Spaniard's "that" : ESO
14. "Happy Motoring" company : ESSO
15. Moselle tributary : SAAR. Not ORNE.
16. Bay State motto opener : ENSE. This will appear again. You just need to remember it.
20. Old card game named for the Spanish for "man" : OMBRE. Helpful clue.
21. Fix : DILEMMA. Noun "Fix".
24. Where small animals may be picked up : NAPE
29. Eight, in Essen : ACHT
32. Bugbear : PET PEEVE. Another great fill.
35. Hall of Fame pitcher Warren : SPAHN. This is the original Hartland statue. He was with Milwaukee Braves then. We have a copy made in the 1980s I think.
36. Puff, notably : MAGIC DRAGON. Puff is the only Magic Dragon I know. Chinese are often called "Descendants of the Dragon". You'll see dragon dance in Chinese Spring Festival. "Hoping one's son will become a dragon" is an idiomatic saying, meaning you hope your son succeed.
38. Capone nemesis : NESS
39. 1856 Stowe novel : DRED
40. Beeline : DIRECT ROUTE
41. "I can help" : LET ME
42. Dinsmore of kid lit : ELSIE. Learning moment for me.
43. First word of "The Raven" : ONCE
45. "Buffy" airer after The WB : UPN
49. Rock band known for quirky, viral videos : OK GO. Unfamiliar with the band.
50. Aromatic herb : FENNEL
51. Carbon monoxide's lack : ODOR
54. Wheels : CAR
55. Laissez-__ : FAIRE
57. Alternative : OPTION
58. Stigmatize : BRAND. Oh, I learned a new word from my eye doctor the other day: Astigmatism.
59. Evian, e.g. : EAU
63. Japanese computer giant : NEC
65. Period of the first dinosaurs : TRIASSIC. New word to me also.
68. Sci-fi staples : ETs,. Also 114. Roswell sightings : UFOS
69. Storytelling pseudonym : SAKI. I sure need "H.H. Munro" in the clue.
70. Pharaoh's symbol : ANKH. Chinese emperor's symbol is dragon. All emperors wore dragon ropes.
71. Essence : NUB
72. Flower part : SEPAL
73. English glam rockers since the '70s : SLADE
77. Diamond flaw : ERROR. Baseball.
78. Bad impression? : DENT
80. Alpes sight : MONT
82. Guitar line : FRET
84. "At Seventeen" singer Janis : IAN
86. Slash : DIAGONAL
87. Soften : ASSUAGE
89. With sustained force : UNABATED
93. Pro or con : SIDE
94. 1992 presidential also-ran Paul : TSONGAS. No idea. He lost to Clinton.
98. Positions : SITES
99. 1598 edict city : NANTES. Edict of Nantes. I learned from doing crosswords.
100. Like the Pope: Abbr. : CATH (Catholic).
102. Carol : NOEL
103. Irritate : NETTLE
107. Come together : MASS. I did not know MASS can be a verb.
108. Champagne designation : BRUT
109. New Yorker cartoonist Peter : ARNO
112. Bay Area cop gp. : SFPD
115. Chowderhead : DOLT
116. Agatha contemporary : ERLE
118. Big deal : ADO
120. "Eldorado" rock gp. : ELO
121. Double curve : ESS
Happy Birthday to dear Chickie (Leah), who joined our blog in
2008. So happy to see her stay busy and active.
 |
| Chickie & Bill |
Happy Birthday to Spitzboov's sweet wife Betty as well! They've been married for 52 years. Does Betty solve crosswords, Al?
 |
