Theme: "I Candy"- A is replaced by AI in each theme entry, and short A sound becomes long A sound.
23A. Ryder Cup two-man team?: PAIR FOR THE COURSE. Par for the course.
34A. Locally organized event with rides and games?: FAIR FROM HOME. Far from home.
66A. Signpost signaling farmland?: PLAINS AHEAD. Plans ahead.
93A. Source of Capitol Hill water?: CONGRESS MAIN. Congressman.
112A. Overworked employee at a desert diner?: HOT RUNNING WAITER. Hot running water.
16D. Periodical for some Downton Abbey employees?: MAID MAGAZINE. Mad magazine.
59D. Only bucket you'll ever need?: LIFELONG PAIL. Lifelong pal.
D-Otto caught the extra short A to long A sound change. He said "Pair" sounds like "Payer". But to me and Agnes, "Pair" just sounds like "Pare".
The great Jeffrey confirmed D-Otto's observations. It is common practice for clues and titles of puzzles to be edited. Because Jeffrey thought the given title might not have touched on the full extent of his theme (suggesting only the addition of an "I"), he offered the comment placed at the end of the review.
Jeffrey is an expert in letter addition/removal/substitution themes. There's always something extra in his theme, extra layer. Or long strings of letter gimmick others would not even imagine.
The grid design is also very Jeffrey. Stacks of 8's and 7's on tops rather than our standard 4's and 5's.
D-Otto caught the extra short A to long A sound change. He said "Pair" sounds like "Payer". But to me and Agnes, "Pair" just sounds like "Pare".
The great Jeffrey confirmed D-Otto's observations. It is common practice for clues and titles of puzzles to be edited. Because Jeffrey thought the given title might not have touched on the full extent of his theme (suggesting only the addition of an "I"), he offered the comment placed at the end of the review.
Jeffrey is an expert in letter addition/removal/substitution themes. There's always something extra in his theme, extra layer. Or long strings of letter gimmick others would not even imagine.
The grid design is also very Jeffrey. Stacks of 8's and 7's on tops rather than our standard 4's and 5's.
Across:
1. Stationery item with printed margin lines: LEGAL PAD.
9. Arrive with a flourish: SWEEP IN.
16. Artistic dynasty: MING.
Vases! Tang Dynasty is more artistic. Golden age in Chinese
civilization. Greatest period of poetry, painting, woodblock printing,
etc. Its capital was in Xi'an.
20. Haydn's "The Creation," for one: ORATORIO.
21. Casual beer order: TALL ONE.
22. Suzette's gal pal: AMIE.
25. Othello deceiver: IAGO.
26. MLB info: STATS.
27. Virus' protein shell: CAPSID. Learning moment for me. Looks like teeth.
28. Moved with effort: TRUDGED.
30. Bunk array: COTS.
31. Cinque e uno: SEI.
33. Gooey treat: S'MORE.
41. Photogenic expanse: VISTA.
44. Copied, old-style: DITTOED.
45. Wilder's "__ Town": OUR.
46. Occultist symbol: PENTAGRAM. Five-pointed star.
50. Lazy ones: IDLERS. And 51. Little ones: TOTS.
52. Look too closely?: OGLE.
53. Rhyme scheme in Frost's "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening": AABA.
54. Boop frame: CEL.
55. Blunt, as reality: STARK. Not HARSH.
57. Zagreb native: CROAT.
58. Biblical mount: ZION.
59. Cad: LOUSE.
60. Pass: ENACT.
62. Don of talk radio: IMUS.
63. Choir group: ALTI.
70. Evening, in ads: NITE.
71. Kale unit: LEAF.
72. Memorial __ Kettering: NYC hospital: SLOAN.
73. Less than right?: ACUTE. Nailed it.
75. Unthreatening: TAME.
76. Sewing cases: ETUIS.
78. Brush brand: ORAL-B.
79. Rock bass supplier?: AMP.
82. "The __ that men do lives after them": Antony: EVIL.
83. Wang of fashion: VERA. Wang means "king" in Chinese. #1 surname in China. Simple to write. See?
84. Some beer orders, initially: PBRS.
86. Immature insects: LARVAE.
88. Moved: RELOCATED.
90. Okinawa okay: HAI. Same in Cantonese.
91. "Just watch me!": HERE I GO. Sparkly fill.
92. More clement: NICER.
95. Europe's longest river: VOLGA.
98. Vulcano of "Impractical Jokers": SAL. No idea. But I like the new clue angle.
100. Stare open-mouthed: GAWP.
101. Frozen treats: ICE POPS.
104. City near Mount Rainier: YAKIMA.
106. Exemplar of corporate malfeasance: ENRON.
111. Medical lab liquids: SERA.
116. Wells people: ELOI. "The Time Machine".
117. Words of desperation, perhaps: I NEED IT.
118. Metaphorical scrutiny, in modern lingo: DEEP DIVE. Thorough analysis.
119. Nursery staple: SOIL. Still lots of snow in our yard.
120. Charge for using: LEASE TO.
121. Took stock of: ASSESSED.
Down:
1. Cut: LOP.
2. Times to remember: ERAS.
3. Track pace: GAIT.
4. Big name in razors: ATRA.
5. Hit in the 7-Down: LOFT. 7. See 5-Down: AIR.
6. They know the ropes: PROS.
8. Many a late '90s startup: DOTCOM.
9. Leaves the office for a bit: STEPS OUT.
VA Radiation Department has a "No Smoking in This Area" sign outside
the entrance. Alas, you could still find someone smoking there before or
after their session.
10. WWII females: WACS.
11. Plaza Hotel imp: ELOISE.
12. Get away from: ELUDE.
13. __ favor: POR.
14. Part of MIT: Abbr.: INST.
15. At no time, poetically: NEER.
17. Mature insect: IMAGO.
18. Neighbor of Chad: NIGER.
19. Crystal-bearing rock: GEODE.
24. One holding a derby?: HAT HOOK. Great clue/fill.
29. Open org.: USTA.
30. Fish-and-chips fish: COD.
Boomer now eats fish every Friday and goes to church every Sunday. He's
a good Catholic now, after lapsing for many many years.
32. "No need to shout": I'VE GOT EARS. Not a phrase I use. I'll answer this to Boomer next time.
34. Banking org. since 1933: FDIC.
35. One might run an errand: AIDE.
36. "__ take a while": IT'LL.
37. GPS datum: RTE.
38. "Too little payment __ great a debt": Shak.: FOR SO.
39. Relax between games: REST UP.
40. Union title?: MRS.
42. Visiting the Griffith Observatory, say: IN LA.
43. Editor's mark: STET.
46. Place for a rocker: PORCH.
47. Spider-Man films director: RAIMI (Sam). I thought he was married to Kate Winslet before. Nope. It's Sam Mendes, who directed the "Skyfall" and "Spectre".
48. In the area of: ABOUT.
49. Cleric's residence: MANSE.
51. They work on books: TREASURERS.
56. How to talk to the hand?: Abbr.: ASL.
57. "The Godfather" actor: CAAN (James). Hotheaded Sonny Corleone
60. Genesis grandson: ENOS.
61. Clandestine org.: NSA.
63. Transmogrify, e.g.: ALTER.
64. Get going: LEAVE.
65. Sri Lankan people: TAMIL.
67. Homeric epic: ILIAD.
68. 2010 health law: Abbr.: ACA.
69. Airport serving Washington: DULLES.
74. Ski resort helpers: T BARS.
76. Pre-hurricane emergency op: EVAC.
77. Footballer's tool, in France: TETE.
78. Literally, "folding paper": ORIGAMI.
79. Sports shoe brand: AVIA.
80. Star trek figures?: MAGI. Lovely clue.
81. Low-level laborer: PEON.
84. Saigon soup: PHO.
They were inspired by Cantonese rice noodles. No basil latter though.
We tend to sprinkle sliced green onion or cilantro on top of noodles.
 |
| Vietnamese Pho |
 |
| Cantonese Beef Noodle |
85. Ram: BANG INTO.
87. Sleep stage: REM.
89. "See you later!": CIAO.
91. Old-school "cool": HEP.
93. Artist Monet: CLAUDE.
94. Its capital is Kigali: RWANDA. Thankfully KIGALI is not the answer.
95. Carpentry shop gadgets: VISES.
96. Kitchen sponge brand: OCELO.
97. The king of France?: LE ROI.
99. Old-time actor Lew: AYRES.
102. February forecaster from Punxsutawney: PHIL.
103. Sound measure: SONE.
105. Make woolens, say: KNIT. And 106. They're woolly: EWES.
107. Travel pillow spot: NAPE.
108. Clears (of): RIDS.
109. Redding of blues: OTIS.
110. "Party of Five" actress Campbell: NEVE.
113. In-flight drink option: TEA.
114. Some appliances: GES.
115. Like most of Denmark's flag: RED.
C.C.
Note from Jeffrey:
"I’ve become particularly alert to this type of situation ever since Jeff Chen reviewed a NYT puzzle by me and thought the theme gimmick was rather weak. Upon learning that the theme was a bit more complex than he originally thought (it also involved the consistent pairing of one letter with another added letter), he edited his comments to be much more positive about the theme. My Sunday puzzle’s gimmick is comparable to that of the NYT puzzle, so it is susceptible to precisely the same partial interpretation. Of course, this may seem like (and probably is, to most people) a rather small matter. But we crossword constructors are an unusual bunch, and such niceties are part and parcel of our attempts at creativity"
 |
| Jeffrey and Mike Alpern, ACPT, 3/23/2019 |
