22A. *Alternative to a pizza oven: BAKING STONE. Jamaica.
38A. *Office group leader: TEAM MANAGER. Jordan.
60A. *Online gaming attraction: VIDEO SLOTS. Norway.
77A. *Mathematical abstraction with evenly spaced integers: NUMBER LINE. Germany.
100A. *Only occupant of Vostok I: YURI GAGARIN. Latvia.
15D. *Lead singer of a group whose first two Top 40 hits reached #1: FRANKIE VALLI. Ukraine And 89. 15-Down singing style: FALSETTO.
62D. *Breakfast order usually made with ham, onion and green pepper: DENVER OMELET. Italy.
118. Startup funds ... and a hint to what's hidden in the answers to the starred clues: SEED CAPITAL.
What a great title and reveal entry. Solid rationale for a hidden theme gimmick.
The clue and answer reminds me of my START UP CAPITAL for the LAT two years ago.
Across:
1. Plot again: RE-MAP.
6. Brand created by a periodontist in the 1950s: ORAL B. Love their tongue brush.
11. Zap: TASE.
15. Kite user's verb: FLY.
18. Yawning: AGAPE.
19. Iris aperture: PUPIL.
20. Being broadcast: ON TV.
21. Toledo's lake: ERIE.
24. Word derived from the underworld god Orcus: OGRE. I only know Hades. This Orcus guy has a big mouth.
25. Quarterback's option: PASS.
26. "Romanian Rhapsodies" composer: ENESCO (Georges)
27. Birds that tell time?: CUCKOOS. Nice clue.
29. Tolkien race: ENTS.
30. What Brits cross to get here: THE POND. Best wishes for Jill, Steve!
34. Forsaken: LORN.
35. Orange __: PEKOE.
36. Like some airports: Abbr.: INTL.
42. Those with clout: INS.
43. Reef dweller: POLYP.
45. Line of clothing: INSEAM.
46. Harsh: SEVERE.
48. Blow away: AWE.
49. Latin being: ESSE.
51. Part of a court game name: ALAI. Jai alai.
53. Elimination: REMOVAL.
56. General on a menu: TSO. General Tso's chicken.
57. Rat: SNITCH.
59. Antique shop transaction: RESALE.
65. Designer Cassini: OLEG.
67. Street in Mason's office: DELLA.
68. Sews up: ICES.
69. Dynamic start?: AERO. Aerodynamic.
70. Norse patron: OLAV.
72. Encouraging words: OLES.
73. Rotund man in a bright suit: SANTA. Sure miss our Santa.
75. Metalworking union: WELD.
79. Farriers' tools: ANVILS.
81. Like some mistakes: STUPID.
83. Ode title starter: TO A.
84. Shooting marble: STEELIE.
86. Passion: ZEAL.
87. Daring exploit: GEST.
89. Luthor, to Superman: FOE.
92. Not for kids: R-RATED. Restricted.
94. Sign up: ENLIST.
96. Wrangles: SPARS.
98. Former General Motors division: GEO.
102. Varieties: ILKS.
103. Teaspoon equivalents, roughly: LUMPS.
105. Goddess with cow's horns: ISIS.
106. Track wagers: EXACTAS.
109. Conception: IDEA.
110. Not full: UNSATED.
113. Judging groups: PANELS.
116. Ring at the chapel: TOLL.
117. YA fiction reader: TEEN. YA= Young Adult.
122. Manitoba tribe: CREE.
123. Fails to be: ISN'T.
124. Beach, in Baja: PLAYA.
125. Futuristic toon dog: ASTRO. "The Jetsons" dog.
126. Monopoly token: HAT.
127. D-Day craft: LSTS.
128. Gunpowder ingredient: NITER.
129. Feed, as a fire: STOKE.
Down:
1. "Streamers" playwright: RABE (David). Unknown to me.
2. Pulitzer-winning novelist Jennifer: EGAN.
3. "The Egg and I" woman: MA KETTLE. Read more here.
4. In an imitative way: APISHLY.
5. Parts of a pound: PENCE.
6. Special __: OPS.
7. Same old same old: RUT.
8. GI's address: APO. VA hospital here in Minnesota is so overwhelmed with the coronavirus that they canceled Boomer's blood tests for the next two months. They're just going to send him oral chemo pills without seeing the blood work.
9. "The Mod Squad" role: LINC.
10. __ cheese: BLEU.
11. Began to deal with: TOOK ON.
12. Fluffy felines: ANGORAS.
13. Like gales vis-à-vis breezes: STRONGER.
14. Gift-wrapping times, perhaps: EVES.
16. Champ dethroned by Clay in 1964: LISTON (Sonny)
17. Approvals: YESSES.
21. Duel tool: EPEE.
23. Political initials since 1884: GOP.
28. V8 relative: CLAMATO.
31. Elevator name: OTIS.
32. Hawaiian goose: NENE.
33. Court figs.: DAs
35. Program for future docs: PRE-MED.
36. Draft pick: IPA.
37. When repeated, a cautioning word: NOW. Now, now.
39. Wherewithal: MEANS.
40. Timbuktu's land: MALI.
41. Incessantly: EVER.
44. Cancún cash: PESO.
47. Reddish rash: ROSEOLA.
50. McGwire rival: SOSA. Boomer once pulled an autographed of Sosa from an Upper Deck set. Luckily he sold on eBay before Sosa's stock crashed.
52. Apple storage place: ICLOUD.
54. __ wrench: ALLEN.
55. Limited-term usage contract: LEASE.
56. More irritable: TESTIER.
57. Eric of "Pulp Fiction": STOLTZ. I watched the movie ages ago. Never understood it.
58. Position of control: HELM.
60. Travel docs: VISAS.
61. Defeatist's words: I CAN'T.
63. "Ben-Hur" author Wallace: LEW.
64. Valuable rocks: ORES.
66. Idle talk: GAB.
71. "Cone of shame" docs: VETS. Here's why it's called "Cone of shame".
74. Quiets: ALLAYS.
76. 90 degrees: DUE EAST.
77. Wafer brand: NILLA.
78. Goes bad: ROTS.
80. In __: as found: SITU.
82. Twinge: PANG.
85. Strange quality: EERINESS.
87. Unofficial EU leaders group: G SIX.
88. Peak seen from Messina: ETNA.
90. TV planet: ORK.
91. Start to save?: ESS. Just the starting letter.
93. Political opposition: DISSENT.
95. Cause of yelling, often: IRE.
97. One working on a bench?: PIANIST. Nice clue also.
98. Snag: GLITCH.
99. Writer Welty: EUDORA.
101. 2014 World Series champs: GIANTS.
104. __ ale: PALE.
107. Tax pro: CPA.
108. Calamares or caracoles: TAPAS.
110. Elec., e.g.: UTIL.
111. Locker room shower, at times?: ESPN.
112. Where to find a hero: DELI.
114. Bit of mischief: LARK.
115. Wild plum: SLOE.
119. Wolf down: EAT.
120. Salon coloring: DYE.
121. Saturn or Mercury: CAR.
Stay
safe, everyone! Back in late January and February, I mentioned how the
streets were all deserted in Xi'an/Guangzhou. The daily numbers were
scary. But now even the night street food market is Xi'an is open.
We'll overcome this.
We'll overcome this.
C.C.
