23A Roadway closed for repairs?: DOWN STREET. Downing Street.
45A. TV show about Amtrak services?: TRAIN PROGRAM. Training program.
66A. Cornfield maze, e.g.?: LAND PATTERN. Landing pattern.
88A. Free-for-all debate?: OPEN ARGUMENT. Opening argument.
112A. Unarmed spy?: CLEAN AGENT. Cleaning agent.
114A. Sidewalk vendor's supply request?: STAND ORDER. Standing order.
37D. Incidental music at a race?: TRACK NUMBER. Track number.
41D. Make sketches of Barbie dolls?: DESIGN WOMEN. Designing Women.
DESIGN WOMEN is the only phrase clued as a verb phrase. Did you know that constructor Andrea Carla Michaels was a writer for "Designing Women"?
Seeing Gail's byline just makes me so happy. She never fails to deliver a solid puzzle. So many sparkling long fill in this grid.
Across:
1. Thin coating: FILM.
5. Square things: ATONE.
10. Hi-tech training site: PC LAB.
15. City on the Aare: BERN.
19. Palm native to South American swampland: ACAI. You can get the frozen acai packets at Trader Joe's.
20. Precept: TENET.
21. Family name in Civil War fiction: O'HARA.
22. Golfer Aoki: ISAO. Saw lots of legends at 3M Championship over the years. Not him.
25. Sturdy piece of lumber?: SOUNDBOARD. Fun clue.
27. "Not interested" feeling: ENNUI.
28. Maintain control (over): RIDE HERD.
30. Oater orphans: DOGIES.
31. Online biz: E-TAIL.
33. Quirky: ODD.
34. Prop for Mr. Monopoly: CANE.
35. Hot Wheels maker: MATTEL.
38. "Nixon in China" tenor role: MAO.
40. Showed up for: ATTENDED.
44. Omits an attachment, say: ERRS. I do this at times.
50. "Dumbo" actress Green: EVA. She was the Bond Girl in "Casino Royale".
51. Stephen of "Counterpart": REA.
52. Had a stable baby: FOALED.
53. Insignia automaker: OPEL.
54. Presentation prop: EASEL.
56. __ 5000: annual list of the fastest-growing privately held companies: INC.
57. "Stranger Things" actor: ASTIN (Sean)
58. Despicable sort: TOAD.
59. Surface: ARISE.
60. Pay attention: TAKE NOTE. And 76. "Right this way": FOLLOW ME. 92. Rutted route: DIRT ROAD. 105. Preempts the following show, perhaps: RUNS LATE. These are just four.
62. Cold War st.: SSR.
63. Pequod co-owner: PELEG.
65. HR dept. data: SSNS.
70. Agitated state: SNIT.
73. Apply to: USE ON.
75. Mdse. category: IRR.
78. Boiling words: I'M MAD.
80. PepsiCo-owned chip brand: LAYS. Cucumber-flavored.
81. Command to start playing: HIT IT.
82. Choose: OPT.
83. Plane part: CABIN.
84. Carson's successor: LENO.
85. "I won't miss it": NO LOSS.
86. Put a nick in: MAR.
87. Chemistry suffix: ENE.
91. Mother of Ares: HERA. Sister and wife of Zeus.
94. "You're a fine __ to talk": ONE.
95. Triathlon segments: EVENTS. Hope Tokyo Games will be delayed rather than canceled.
97. Address bar letters: HTTP.
98. Played for a sap: HAD.
100. Guitar-making hardwood: ALDER. And 121. Key wood: EBONY.
102. V8 veggie: CARROT.
108. Ford named for a legendary flier, briefly: T BIRD.
116. They're often scrambled: EGGS.
117. Big dos: GALAS.
118. Sure rival: ARRID.
119. It's near the humerus: ULNA.
120. Recipe smidge: DASH. Looking forward to my salt kelp.
122. Besmirch: TAINT.
123. Often-pickled veggie: BEET.
Down:
1. Lose steam: FADE.
2. Quicken's boxed Q, for one: ICON. Any of you use Quicken?
3. Scotts Turf Builder target: LAWN.
4. French social dances: MINUETS.
5. NFL pass, complete or not: ATT.
6. Gibbs of country: TERRI.
7. Ninja Turtles' human pal April __: O'NEIL. No idea. Read more here.
8. Requirement: NEED.
9. Kin of -kin: ETTE.
10. Prepared for a selfie: POSED.
11. Bit of guitar music notation: CHORD.
12. Heap kudos on: LAUD.
13. Prince Valiant's son: ARN.
14. Statistician's concern: BAD DATA.
15. Giant in the development of neurological disease therapies: BIOGEN. This Biogen employee has been widely ridiculed in China. I feel sad for her.
16. Actor Morales: ESAI.
17. Hard to come by: RARE.
18. Affirmative actions: NODS.
24. Webmaster's creation: SITE.
26. Animal-based fertilizer: BONE MEAL. Never used it.
29. Hula __: HOOP.
32. "He Was Despised," in Handel's "Messiah": ALTO SOLO.
34. PC corner key: CTRL.
35. Is worthy of: MERITS.
36. Concert venues: ARENAS.
38. Personal bearing: MIEN.
39. "So?": AND.
40. Improved in a barrel: AGED.
42. Pre-event periods: EVES.
43. Glen relative: DALE.
46. Porch furniture material: RATTAN.
47. Sci-fi visitor: ALIEN.
48. Stick in a cage: ROOST.
49. Genre of Vasarely's "Zebra": OP ART.
52. Twitter follower, often: FAN.
55. Recess rebuttal: ARE SO.
58. Bygone despots: TSARS.
61. Advanced French class assignment: ESSAI. Essay.
63. Positive particle: PROTON.
64. Signed up: ENLISTED.
67. Krall of jazz: DIANA.
68. Richard __, first black "SNL" host: PRYOR.
69. IRS convenience: E-FILE.
71. Convey: IMPART.
72. Colorful swimmers: TETRAS.
74. Sewer worker in a '50s sitcom: ED NORTON. "The Honeymooners".
77. Sgts.' superiors: LTS.
78. Like most cupcakes: ICED.
79. Salon service with a pedi: MANI.
80. Give for a while: LEND.
81. __ office: HOME.
84. Go for a rebound: LEAP.
85. "Sister Act" extra: NUN.
89. Thick soup: POTTAGE.
90. Jupiter and Mars: GODS.
91. Fragrant coating for grilling: HERB RUB. I seldom use herb.
93. Clobber: THRASH.
96. Preventative power: VETO.
98. Spicy Asian cuisine: HUNAN. Originated in Hunan province, which is south of Hubei province where Wuhan is the capital. Hu means "lake". Hunan means "south of the lake". Hubei means "north of the lake". The two provinces are neighbors separating by a big lake.
99. Pacing, perhaps: ANTSY.
100. Gaming pioneer: ATARI.
101. Bolshevik leader: LENIN.
102. Duped?: CC'ED.
103. Bit of plankton: ALGA.
104. Short standards?: REGS. Regulations.
105. Move, for short: RELO.
106. Six-part undergrad exam: LSAT.
107. Blade brand: ATRA.
109. Not occupied: IDLE.
110. Surrealist Magritte: RENE.
111. "Phooey!": DRAT.
113. Yak it up: GAB.
115. "Silent Spring" subj.: DDT.
Today
we celebrate the 79th birthday of Pat (PK on our blog). Stealing this
nice cake from CrossEyedDave again. Happy birthday, PK, you're a special
person!
C.C.
