Theme: "Pollination" - BEE sits on top of each flower.
23. *Henry James heroine: DAISY MILLER. And 18. Hardwood tree: BEECH.
29. *Hip-hop artist with the 2014 #1 hit "Fancy": IGGY AZALEA. And 26. "Three Tall Women" Pulitzer playwright: ALBEE.
42. *Youngest NBA player to win the MVP: DERRICK ROSE. And 37. "Cold one over here, please": BEER ME.
67. *Bashful one: SHRINKING VIOLET. The only flower with BEES on top. See 60. 2007 IHOP acquisition: APPLEBEE'S.
93. *"Under the Net" novelist: IRIS MURDOCH. And 87. Designer Geoffrey: BEENE.
109. *Looney Tunes girlfriend: PETUNIA PIG. And 99. Borscht veggie: BEET.
117. *Add unneeded ornamentation: GILD THE LILY. And the reveal on top: 114. Creature found atop the apt part of each answer to a starred clue: BEE.
I love this theme!
Don G and I had the same idea
a few years ago. But ours is only a weekday grid. I'm amazed at the
amount of theme entries Jason put in this grid. The fill is really good, despite the challenges of those paralleled BEEs.
Across:
1. "Behind the __ I'll convey myself": Polonius: ARRAS.
6. Base near home: THIRD. FIRST too. We also have 6. Target Field team: TWINS. And 34. Pitcher Hershiser: OREL.
11. EMT skill: CPR.
14. Judge's seat: BANC.
19. Fail to make use of: WASTE.
20. WC: LOO.
21. Prayer opening: O LORD. Boomer has been going to church faithfully since last November. Making friends with God.
25. Top of a scepter, perhaps: ORB.
27. German university city: ULM. University of Ulm. Albert Einstein's birthplace.
28. Initial payments: ANTES.
31. Pays attention: LISTENS.
34. Delivery pros: OB/GYNS. Baby delivery.
35. One taking a selfie: CELL.
36. AP rival: UPI.
40. Campaign funding org.: PAC.
46. Big risk taker: DAREDEVIL. Great fill.
52. Happening: EVENT.
53. Studio supporter?: EASEL.
54. Remote, as a road: LONESOME.
55. Dwindle: FADE AWAY.
57. Divested (of): RID.
58. Bird in Saint-Saƫns' "The Carnival of the Animals": SWAN. Learning moment for me.
59. 1912 Olympic legend: THORPE (Jim). Native American.
66. Barrett of Pink Floyd: SYD.
71. "NCIS" was spun off from it: JAG.
74. Key movie scenes: SET PIECES.
75. 60-year-old Mattel classic: BARBIE.
79. Since: AS OF.
81. D.C. VIP: SEN.
82. Pocatello natives: IDAHOANS.
84. Korean rice dish: BIBIMBAP.
Literally "mixed rice". Various julienned veggies and sliced beef or
other meat on top of steamed rice. And an egg in the middle. Koreans
like featuring an egg in their dishes. See their iconic cold noodles
below.
Bibimbap |
Korean Cold Noodles. The stuff under the egg is sliced Korean pears. |
90. Keats, for one: ODIST.
91. "These go to eleven" band: SPINAL TAP.
95. Prefix with Pen: EPI.
96. Nab: ARREST.
98. Pocatello-to-Provo dir.: SSE.
102. Approached: NEARED.
105. Go back in: RE-ENTER.
111. "The way I __ ... ": SEE IT.
115. Pine Tree State campus town: ORONO. Alma mater of dear Hahtoolah.
116. __ Diego: SAN.
120. Some, in Stuttgart: EINES.
121. Bit of work: ERG.
122. Saying: ADAGE.
123. Big fight: MELEE.
124. Palindromic Latin verb: ESSE. And 126. Palindromic court star: SELES.
125. Rehab woe: DTS.
127. Creases: FOLDS.
Down:
1. "Idol" judge replaced by DeGeneres: ABDUL.
2. "Around the Horn" host Tony: REALI.
3. French coronation city: REIMS.
4. Coolers in windows, briefly: ACS.
5. Timid: SHY.
7. Cease: HALT.
8. Bermuda, e.g.: ISLE.
9. GPS data: RTES.
10. Aachen article: DER.
11. Blocked, as a drain: CLOGGED.
12. Gershwin title lover: PORGY.
13. One-named Swedish pop singer: ROBYN. Guess what? She was born Robin.
14. Ruth's husband: BOAZ. Total stranger to me.
15. Allowing admittance anywhere, as a pass: ALL ACCESS. Another great fill.
16. Highborn: NOBLE.
17. Angler's basket: CREEL. Also 107. Caught congers: EELED.
22. Reason to shake: DEAL. Nice clue.
24. Overexcited: MANIC.
29. Watson creator: IBM. They have a woman CEO. She probably knows a regular on our blog.
30. Vail alternative: ASPEN.
32. Tina and Lana: TURNERS.
33. Mel Blanc's "That's All Folks" et al.: EPITAPHS.
37. Donkey sound: BRAY.
38. Dawn deity: EOS.
39. Linguistic suffix: ESE. And 41. Citrus suffix: ADE.
42. Skillful: DEFT.
43. Cole Porter's "Well, Did You __?": EVAH.
44. Make over: REDO.
45. Mauna __: KEA. Not LOA.
47. Suspect's story: ALIBI.
48. Copland ballet with a hoedown: RODEO.
49. Gives one's word: VOWS.
50. "It could happen": I MAY.
51. Allow to use: LEND.
56. "The Way We __": WERE. Such an idealistic movie.
57. Guns: REVS.
60. Like, with "to": AKIN.
61. Dessert option: PIE.
62. __ Park: Pirates' field: PNC.
63. Part of XL: Abbr.: LGE.
64. Site of Napoleon's exile: ELBA.
65. Fish in the genus Hippocampus: SEAHORSE.
68. Where __: IT'S AT.
69. Hip-hop's Salt-__: N-PEPA.
70. Walked-on: TRODDEN.
71. Some punches: JABS.
72. Take __ of: taste: A SIP.
73. Mongolian desert: GOBI. You can still see part of the old Great Wall.
76. Scott of "Charles in Charge": BAIO. Some #MeToo trouble as well.
77. Etched: Abbr.: INSC.
78. Bk. read at Purim: ESTH.
80. Tweaks: FINE-TUNES.
82. Research ctr.: INST.
83. JFK, say: DEM.
85. Plan, with "out": MAP.
86. Pancakes sometimes served with caviar: BLINI. Here is a plate of Chinese pancakes. Popular breakfast food. Do you like cong you bing, Jayce?
87. What Superman first looked like?: BIRD.
88. Prior to, in poems: ERE.
89. Grafton's "__ for Evidence": E IS.
92. Sliced-off parts: PARINGS.
94. "He that __ many words shall be abhorred": Eccl.: USETH.
97. Coffee order: Abbr.: REG.
99. Fraternal org.: BPOE
100. Strange: EERIE.
101. Preppy jackets: ETONS.
103. Abated: EASED.
104. Aside (from): APART.
105. Ceremonies: RITES.
106. Govt. security: T-BILL.
108. Judy of "Devious Maids": REYES. Another learning moment.
110. Support for glasses: NOSE.
111. Facet: SIDE.
112. Israeli airline: EL AL.
113. Margin: EDGE.
117. Energy metaphor: GAS.
118. "Unbelievable" rock band: EMF.
119. Celestial lion: LEO.
C.C.