Theme: "The French Disconnection" - LE is removed from the end of each theme entry.
23A. Painting of an annoying bricklayer at work?: MORTAR AND PEST. Mortar and pestle.
30A. 15th-century food-stained collectible?: GUTENBERG'S BIB. Gutenberg's Bible.
46A. Fabulist's Cheer alternative?: AESOP'S FAB. Aesop's Fable.
63A. Dollar for a shot?: BELT BUCK. Belt buckle.
67A. Dollars for shots?: ROUND TAB. Round table. Classic John Lampkin clue echo.
82A. "Snow White" witch's download?: POISON APP. Poison apple.
94A. Mud, slop, pig, etc.?: ELEMENTS OF STY. (The) Elements of Style. There's a stray LE in the first word.
107A. Sailing maneuver to avoid a pirate's threat?: DEFENSIVE TACK. Defensive tackle.
43D. Vehicle hired to carry steeplechase horses?: JUMPER CAB. Jumper cable. The only Down entry. Expertly placed in the middle.
Reveal:
113. French article whose singular form is "disconnected" from nine puzzle answers: LES.
I actually read the title as "The French Connection" and thinking ET might be added to each theme entry.
Great to see John back. No one entertains like he does. Just look at these fresh and original clues:
I actually read the title as "The French Connection" and thinking ET might be added to each theme entry.
Great to see John back. No one entertains like he does. Just look at these fresh and original clues:
4. Their pockets aren't deep: PITAS.
7. Movement at a boring concert?: NOD.
7. Movement at a boring concert?: NOD.
28. Bios unread by their honorees: OBITS.
44. Tip for changing your answer?: ERASER.
56. Tip for solving in ink?: NIB.
Across:
1. Dropped-jaw stare: GAWP. Not GAWK.
5. Like loving caresses: SENSUAL.
12. Audio units: Abbr.: DBS. OK, decibels.
15. "The Americans" agcy.: FBI. Never saw this series. Starring Keri Russell. I like her "Felicity". Very sweet.
18. First name in erotica: ANAIS. And 105. 18-Across and family: NINS.
20. Place for a bootee: TOOTSIE.
21. Seedy motel, say: RAT TRAP.
25. Japan's emperor: AKIHITO. Since 1989.
26. Like many forest roads: UNPAVED.
27. Suffer: AIL. Glad you can be out of the hospital today, WikWak!
28. Least obfuscated: OPENEST. Tiny dupe with the clue 36. Breezy and open: AIRY.
29. Football laterals, e.g.: TOSSES.
33. Beachcomber's pace: STROLL.
37. Glance: PEEK.
38. Chaotic mess: SNAFU.
42. Bot head?: ECO. Wiki says "EcoBot is short for Ecological Robot
and it refers to a class of energetically autonomous robots that can
remain self-sustainable by collecting their energy from material, mostly
waste matter, in the environment."
43. Harbor protector: JETTY.
45. Dutch South Africans: BOERS.
48. "Exodus" author: URIS.
49. Chickadee kin: TIT. Old Man Keith has a good blue tits story.
50. Undocumented Nepali?: YETI. Fun clue.
51. Peak in Thessaly: OSSA.
52. Big D cager: MAV. owned by Mark Cuban.
53. Annoy: IRK.
54. PC linkup: LAN.
57. Mexican mama bears: OSAS.
59. Slip away: ELAPSE.
61. Popular Oahu beach: WAIKIKI. And 45. 61-Across wear: BIKINI.
66. "Hmm": GEE.
68. Piles up: AMASSES.
69. Captain Hook's creator J.M. __: BARRIE.
71. Eight furlongs: MILE.
72. Caught: GOT.
73. Erstwhile U.K. recording giant: EMI.
74. Kind of trading, briefly: OTC.
75. Sweet Sixteen org.: NCAA.
77. With the bow, in music: ARCO. I learned from doing crosswords.
80. Of __ mind: ONE.
81. Qatar's capital: DOHA.
84. Refine, as ore: SMELT.
87. Stick on the grill: KEBAB.
Popular street food in Xi'an. Often marinated in a mix of hot red
pepper and cumin. I don't recall any other Xi'an food with cumin.
88. Beat it: LAM.
89. Jamaican hybrid fruits: UGLIS.
90. Fine-tune: HONE.
91. China-related prefix: SINO.
92. Irritates: EATS AT.
98. Mist and such: VAPORS.
103. Show great respect for, perhaps: IMITATE. This is true.
104. Mythical flapper: ROC. Very popular skin care brand as well.
105. Gulf of Guinea country: NIGERIA.
106. Easy time: LEISURE.
110. City on the Elbe: DRESDEN.
111. Morning paper, e.g.: EDITION. Tiny dupe: 114. Newsroom VIPs: EDS.
112. "Gymnopédies" composer: SATIE. Erik.
115. Boot protectors: TOECAPS.
116. Smartphone component: LENS. John is a great nature photographer. And a pianist.
Down:
1. Full range: GAMUT.
2. "That's __!": A NO NO.
3. Twists: WARPS.
5. Dutch town: STAD.
6. Geological period: EON.
8. Twin-but-not-Twins' city: ST PAUL. Our local crossword tournament used to be held in St. Paul.
9. Half a fitness motto: USE IT.
10. Freezer __: AISLE.
11. Allow: LET.
12. Window hanging: DRAPERY.
13. Where brownies come together: BAKERY. Not the girl scout brownies.
14. Wasp's weapon: STING.
15. Disc golf "ball": FRISBEE.
16. More eccentric: BATTIER.
17. WSJ news bit: IPO. Uber soon.
19. Sets money aside: SAVES UP.
22. What an X may mark: THE SPOT.
24. Arm or chin follower: REST.
30. Universal: GLOBAL.
31. Endemic: NATIVE.
32. Neh. and Esth.: BKS.
34. Penalty callers: REFS.
35. Ric of The Cars: OCASEK.
38. Opinion: SAY. So lucky to have Inanehiker (Dr. Nina) to turn to for advice.
39. French word in bios: NEE.
40. Home of Elaine, in Arthurian legend: ASTOLAT. Learning moment for me.
41. Forces fraudulently (upon): FOISTS.
47. Cavalier "My bad": SO SUE ME.
49. Emotional wounds: TRAUMAS. VA Hospital has this wonderful slogan for their PTSD patients: Strong Enough to Serve, Strong Enough to Recover.
53. Iconic WWII island, briefly: IWO.
54. Unlike idioms: LITERAL.
55. Going by, for short: AKA.
58. Not in class: ABSENT.
60. Mystery award: AGATHA.
62. "Constant Craving" singer: K D LANG.
63. Carousel item: BAG.
64. Broody rock genre: EMO.
65. Long-running forensic series: CSI.
67. Put more varnish on: RE-COAT.
69. Owie: BOO BOO.
70. Not out-of-bounds, as a ball: IN PLAY.
76. Goals: AIMS.
78. Cost-of-living no.: CPI. Consumer Price Index.
79. Photo possibilities: OPS.
80. Bama rival: OLE MISS.
81. Tightly packed: DENSE.
83. Some leave you powerless: OUTAGES. Another great clue.
84. Miss, say: SHE.
85. "Tartuffe" dramatist: MOLIERE.
86. Foes: ENEMIES.
87. Cute calendar subjects: KITTENS. Now we can't live without Google Calendar and D-Otto's sturdy pill box.
91. Caught: SNARED.
92. "Blah, blah, blah," briefly: ETC ETC.
93. Tel __: AVIV.
95. Liszt work: ETUDE.
96. Middle Corleone brother: FREDO. No spine.
97. Mezzo-soprano Anne __ von Otter: SOFIE. Swedish. Another learning moment.
99. Part of a flower: PETAL.
100. Speak: ORATE.
101. "Breaking Bad" toxin: RICIN.
102. Benefits: SAKES.
106. Cholesterol letters: LDL.
107. Tigers' home: Abbr.: DET.
108. Vardalos of film: NIA.
109. Bread, for stew: SOP.
Boomer updates:
Boomer got his ELIGARD (hormone) shot on Tuesday after the MRI and bone scan. He'll also receive Zoledronic acid shot next month. This shot is supposed to protect his bones. This will be repeated every 3 months. The hormone shot is every 6 months.
We're going to meet with a radiation oncologist on Nov 6th, 2018 to discuss the radiation process for those bad spots in his back. Dr. Thomas Downs and their neurosurgery department are quite concerned with those spots as they're too close to the spinal cord. Boomer also has a fractured T11. No wonder he has been in so much pain.
They're going to provide Boomer with a special brace to protect his back during this period. We're waiting for the fitting call.
Lots of tests, scans and treatments ahead, I hope you continue cheering Boomer up on Mondays (He does not read other days' blog posts). Thank you!
C.C.
