Theme: AmazeBalls* - Ball can follow both part of each theme entry.
23. *Convenient carrier: HANDBASKET. Handball. Basketball.
25. *Small, flat legume: BUTTER BEAN. Butterball. Beanball.
44. *Octal system: BASE EIGHT. Baseball. Eight ball.
47. *Item found in a parlor: CUE STICK. Cue ball. Stickball.
64. *Pneumatic silo declogger: AIR CANNON. Air ball. Cannonball.
74. *Fund for fun: PIN MONEY. Pinball. Moneyball.
77. *Path for a promising young exec: FAST TRACK. Fastball. Trackball.
99. *It covers the Batmobile: BLACK PAINT. Black ball. Paintball
101. *Brie, e.g.: SOFT CHEESE. Softball. Cheeseball.
No reveal but theme entries are starred, puzzle title is starred also.
This type of both words can follow/precede type is quite hard to pull off. Tricky to find solid in-the- language phrases.
Robin is very fond of this theme type, as we've seen in the past. The grid is also classic Robin. Very clean.
Across:
1. Takes the odds: BETS.
5. Flop's opposite: SMASH. Smash hit.
10. Anchored: MOORED.
16. Braying beast: ASS. Alliteration.
19. Audition piece: ARIA.
20. 1988 Summer Olympics site: KOREA.Widely watched in China.
21. From C to C: OCTAVE.
22. __ Victor: RCA.
27. Braille bits: DOTS.
28. Poet Pablo Neruda, e.g.: CHILEAN. Boomer's 87-year-old golf buddy Jorge is Chilean.
30. "My treat": ON ME.
31. Distinctive Rolls Royce feature: GRILLE.
34. Many a text writer: SCHOLAR. We also have 96. Old copiers: SCRIBES.
36. Hikes from the center: SNAPS.
37. Wilson of "Pitch Perfect" movies: REBEL. Australian actress.
38. Heinz Field player: STEELER.
39. Rapid __: TRANSIT.
41. Nickname for young Skywalker: ANI.
42. Ramshackle shelters: LEAN-TOS.
43. One way to get you: RUSE.
51. Like Fran Drescher's voice: NASAL. Never into "The Nanny".
52. Cheerleaders' handfuls: POMPOMS.
56. Your cousin's 81-Across, maybe: MOM. 81. See 56-Across: AUNT.
57. Plague critter: LOCUST.
60. Pudding starch: TAPIOCA. Used in Bubble tea, popular drink in Guangzhou.
61. Carne __: ASADA.
63. Subject of a Dean Martin classic: AMORE.
66. "Your table's ready" gizmo: PAGER.
67. Chekov on "Star Trek": PAVEL.
68. Directed: STEERED.
69. Last to arrive: LATEST.
70. French article: UNE.
71. Proclaims: ASSERTS. Google claims one of our May posts has a link/image/video that breaks their policy. Been a week of 1) Remove the link 2) Send in Request for Review 3) Nope, problem still exists. Repeat. Repeat. Why don't they just tell you which link is bad?!
72. Passionate: FIERY.
82. Fouls up, as plans: DERAILS.
85. "The Crow" actress Ling: BAI. Chinese. Very edgy.
86. "The Star-Spangled Banner" quartet: STANZAS.
89. "Les Misérables" girl: COSETTE. Fantine's daughter.
90. __ Ste. Marie: SAULT.
92. Prefix with centric: HELIO.
93. Barbaric: BRUTISH.
94. Worrisome engine sound: RATTLE.
95. Teatro __ Scala: ALLA.
98. Right on the map: EAST.
107. Ottoman bigwig: BEY.
108. Cooling-off period?: ICE AGE. Nice clue. Tiny clue/answer dupe with 5. Ice __: SKATE.
109. City of NE Italy: UDINE. Unfamiliar to me.
110. Garbage hauler: SCOW.
111. B-day numbers: YRS.
112. "Full House" surname: TANNER.
113. Award for "Mr. Mercedes": EDGAR. Unfamiliar with this Stephen King novel.
114. Lift one's spirits?: TOPE. Good old clue.
Down:
1. "Phooey!": BAH.
2. Significant time: ERA.
3. Bronze component: TIN.
4. Tack room item: SADDLE.
6. Shade of green: MOSS. The name of Boomer's doctor at the Orthopedic Urgent Care is Kelli
Greene. Alas, the Methylprednisolone she prescribed has not worked its magic yet. And the pain spot has moved from left hip to lower/middle back.
7. What Indiana sought: ARK.
8. "What did I tell you?": SEE.
9. Chopper: HATCHET.
10. Calder pieces: MOBILES.
11. Telescope eyepiece: OCULAR.
12. Weasel relative: OTTER.
13. Pro follower: RATA.
14. 102-Down opposite: EVEN. And 102. 14-Down opposite: ODD.
15. "__ Rosenkavalier": DER.
16. Spots for sports: ARENAS.
17. Trattoria entrée: SCAMPI.
18. Least extreme: SANEST. Lower back/hip pain can drive you insane. Boomer normally has very high pain threshold.
24. Weevil's target: BOLL.
24. Weevil's target: BOLL.
26. Tied-under-the-chin topper: BONNET.
29. Prefix with gram: HOLO.
31. Take the wrong way?: GRAB.
32. Sofer of soaps: RENA.
33. Sacred Nile bird: IBIS.
34. Longtime "60 Minutes" reporter: STAHL. She always wears pretty earrings.
35. Small price to pay: CENT.
36. Backtalk: SASS.
38. Sonic the Hedgehog maker: SEGA.
39. "Mr. Citizen" autobiographer: TRUMAN. Another learning moment.
40. Regrets: RUES.
42. Santa has a famous one: LIST. How I miss our own Santa!
45. Acclimatize: ENURE.
46. Art supporter?: EASEL.
47. Fashion first name: COCO.
48. Pixel pattern: IMAGE.
49. Secret stuff: CODES.
50. Target rival: KMART. I love these Target bath towels. So soft and light. And only $3.99. You can get a new one after a couple months. Little luxury in life.
52. Worrywart, at times: PACER.
53. Eye-fooling genre: OP ART.
54. Extraction sites: MINES.
55. Golden or Walden: POND.
57. Drink from a bowl: LAP UP.
58. Spender of rials: OMANI.
59. Group of 13, traditionally: COVEN. Here is our corner blog California Coven.
 |
| L to R: JD, Garlic Gal, Chickie & Jill, 2013. |
60. Genealogy chart: TREE.
61. Spaced out: APART.
62. Lustful deity: SATYR.
64. Portfolio listings: ASSETS.
65. Wee: ITSY.
69. Rents: LETS.
71. "Frozen" princess: ANNA. We see ELSA often.
72. Conviction: FAITH.
73. "Cast Away" setting: ISLE.
75. Fanatic: MANIAC
76. Anise liqueur: OUZO.
77. Dieter's concern: FATS. Both fats and carbs raise our A1C, correct?
78. Lie next to: ABUT.
79. Birdsong: CALL.
80. Toy with a tail: KITE.
82. Skeptic: DOUBTER.
83. Italian noble family: ESTE.
84. Budget bin record: REISSUE.
86. Ramshackle: SHABBY.
87. One taking a lot of notes: TELLER. Oh, I like this clue.
88. Soothes: ALLAYS. I'm also rubbing this St John's Wort oil on Boomer. So many positive reviews on Amazon. Thanks again for delivering it quickly to us, D-Otto!
89. React to an awkward moment: CRINGE.
90. Military band: SASH.
91. Bear witness: ATTEST.
93. Queen lead guitarist __ May: BRIAN.
94. Track figure: RACER.
96. Animal lovers' org.: SPCA.
97. French city where William the Conqueror is buried: CAEN. Did not know this trivia.
98. Italian smoker: ETNA.
100. Many an IKEA buy: KIT. We've only been to IKEA once. It's close to Mall of America.
103. Newton fruit: FIG. Trader Joe's Organic Turkish Figs are the best.
104. Green prefix: ECO.
105. Sponge (up): SOP.
106. Woolly mama: EWE.
The super cool crossword constructor Brendan
Emmett Quigley visited Minnesota last Tuesday. Our local constructor and solvers had
another gathering. You can see more pictures here. Brendan publishes two free
puzzles at his site every week, Monday and Thursday. And he has been doing that for many years. Just amazing!
First Row: Brendan Emmett Quigley, David Hanson (Rosebud), Tariq Samad and Victor Barocas.
Second Row: C.C., Ron Dahlquist, George Barany, Theresa Horan (Teedmn), Chris Adams, Stew Lelievr and David Liben-Nowell
Marcia Brott was there somewhere inside Barnes & Noble also.
