Theme: "UR Out!" - UR is deleted from each familiar phrase.
23. Where a displaced ex-hubby may sleep?: DIVORCE COT. Divorce court.
25. Determination as to which twin is born first?: NATAL ORDER. Natural order.
44. Poem about the letter nu?: ODE ON A GRECIAN N. Ode on a Grecian Urn.
63. Progressive Insurance icon's layoff?: SACK OF FLO. Sack of flour.
69. Dried, pulverized onions?: CRY POWDER. Curry power.
89. Three movies about skeletons?: THE BONE TRILOGY. The Bourne Trilogy.
111. Extension of an embargo?: BAN RENEWAL. Urban renewal.
114. Della's notable facial feature?: STREET CHIN. Street urchin.
Notice there are no straying UR combo in the grid at all?
Fred
Piscop is a master of course. He's never one to chase after a pangram
or low-word account. Smooth and clean fill is always his priority. I was
very lucky to work with Fred when he was the editor for the USA Today.
Across:
1. Identifies in a Facebook photo: TAGS.
5. __ basin: TIDAL.
10. Chitchats: GABS.
WeChat with my friend Carmen every day. She said most of the businesses
in Guangzhou have reopened. She's still too nervous to visit the hair
salon. This is a very good article about situations in China.
14. Prep for surgery: SCRUB.
19. Mil or mile: UNIT.
20. Kipling's "Lone Wolf": AKELA.
21. Release, as an odor: EMIT.
22. Reason to march: CAUSE.
27. Brunch dish: OMELET.
28. 2000 NBA MVP: O'NEAL. 100. 28-Across, for eight seasons: LAKER. The glorious days.
30. Clay-pigeon launcher: TRAP.
31. Guinness Book suffix: EST.
32. Back-to-zero button: RESET.
33. Delightful places: EDENS.
34. Closed (in): ZEROED.
36. Concerning: IN RE.
38. North Pole explorer: PEARY. Not SCOTT. Wiki says Robert Peary was buried Arlington Cemetery
40. Restaurant with skating carhops: SONIC.
50. Myriad: MANY.
51. Violinist's effect: VIBRATO. Here is Fred Piscop at the keyboard.
52. "Didn't mean it": SORRY.
53. Confession hearers: PRIESTS.
56. Lendl of tennis: IVAN.
57. Alloy containing carbon: STEEL.
58. "Any day now": SOON.
59. Body __: ART.
60. Elsinore natives: DANES.
62. Ex-White House Press Secretary Spicer: SEAN. Seems like ages ago.
66. Warning to a sinner: REPENT.
68. "__ Madness": old anti-drug movie: REEFER. Unfamiliar to me.
72. "The Swedish Nightingale" Jenny: LIND.
73. Littlest littermates: RUNTS.
77. Greek X: CHI.
78. Primatologists' subjects: APES.
79. Commonly abbreviated bit of Latin: ID EST.
81. Part of a hat trick: GOAL.
82. Hard bargain driver: HAGGLER. And 110. Flea market deal: RESALE. Guess our local flea market won't be open this year.
84. "CSI" part: SCENE.
85. African grassland: SAVANNA.
88. "Uh-huh": I SEE.
91. Clobbers with snowballs: PELTS.
93. Silents vamp Bara: THEDA.
94. Hammerhead cousin: MAKO.
95. Got ready to stop: SLOWED.
97. Needing a rinse: SOAPY. How I miss the days when Target had so many Method hand washes for me to choose.
105. "That's unfortunate": TSK.
108. Rebus animals: EWES.
109. Game akin to bingo: BEANO.
116. Poke around: SNOOP.
117. Artist who helped Hitchcock design a dream sequence for "Spellbound": DALI. Interesting trivia.
118. Colorful upholstery fabric: TOILE.
119. Gobs: A LOT.
120. Trivial: PETTY.
121. Manicure sound: SNIP.
122. Escargot: SNAIL.
123. Kitchen supplies: POTS.
Down:
1. House of Henry VIII: TUDOR.
2. "Speed Racer" genre: ANIME.
3. Helps the cause: GIVES.
4. Made off with: STOLE.
5. Negotiating asset: TACT.
6. Clanton gang leader: IKE. Ike Clanton. O.K. Corral.
7. __ ring: encryption toy: DECODER.
8. One way to work: ALONE.
9. Grow dark: LATEN.
10. USAF VIP: GENL.
11. Org. with an oft-quoted journal: AMA.
12. Marsh bird: BITTERN.
13. Bright at night: STARRY.
14. Sharpshooters' aids: SCOPES.
15. Sleeping __: CAR. Very effective fill-in-the-blank clue, since there are a few three-letter candidates.
16. Far from polite: RUDE.
17. Doesn't waste: USES.
18. Muppet with a unibrow: BERT.
24. Eye part: RETINA.
26. Vientiane native: LAO.
Their food is very similar to Thai food. Both love long-grained sticky
rice. Short-grained sticky rice is more popular in China and Japan.
29. Set a high goal: ASPIRE.
33. Logician's word: ERGO.
34. Buffoon: ZANY.
35. Fuller's geodesic creation: DOME.
37. MLB Expo, since 2005: NAT. Who are you top three Montreal Expo players?
39. Counts' equals: EARLS.
41. __ spray: NASAL.
42. Toastmaster's opening: INTRO.
43. Dermatologist's concern: CYST.
44. "Amores" poet: OVID.
45. Operatic icon: DIVA.
46. Abba of Israel: EBAN.
47. Difficult: ORNERY. Great word.
48. Ritzy spread: ESTATE.
49. Either "Fargo" director: COEN. Pride of Minnesota.
53. Elbowed: POKED.
54. Urban sunbather's spot: ROOF.
55. Derive: INFER.
57. Orders to go: SENDS.
58. Potpourri quality: SCENT.
61. Bud protector: SEPAL. Saw buds in our neighborhood hedge yesterday.
62. Home of the Ninja Turtles: SEWER. No idea.
64. No longer in bed: ARISEN.
65. Thrifty: FRUGAL.
67. St. Peter's Square figure: POPE.
69. Climactic film scene: CHASE.
70. Bright Orion star: RIGEL.
71. Pressed through a sieve: RICED.
72. Celeb with a TV "Garage": LENO.
74. Pitcher's gem, in baseball lingo: NO NO. No hitters.
75. Brand associated with NASA missions: TANG. Also a big & prosperous Chinese dynasty.
76. Crack up: SLAY.
77. Casino disk: CHIP.
80. Lower in status: DEBASE.
83. Catches on to: GETS.
84. Slough off: SHED.
85. Stick around: STAY.
86. Torah holder: ARK.
87. Roy G. Biv hue: VIOLET.
89. Saint-Saƫns work with a memorable cello solo: THE SWAN. Also unknown to me.
90. Big-box stores, e.g.: EMPORIA. Plural of "emporium".
92. Yawning, say: SLEEPY.
93. Coarse woolens: TWEEDS.
96. Part of BYOB: OWN.
98. Brewers' ovens: OASTS.
99. Playwright Chekhov: ANTON. "Three Sisters".
101. Tunesmiths' org.: ASCAP.
102. Hayek's "Frida" role: KAHLO. She nailed the role.
103. "Silas Marner" author: ELIOT.
104. Monopoly fees: RENTS.
105. 1/2 fl. oz.: TBSP.
106. Level-headed: SANE.
107. Half hitch, e.g.: KNOT.
109. Dot on a radar screen: BLIP.
110. "Riverdance" dance: REEL.
112. Hogwash: ROT.
113. Dethroner of Foreman: ALI.
115. Lilly of pharmaceuticals: ELI.
Last week I linked one of the YouTube videos by constructor Todd Gross. You can watch all of his work here.
This 21*21 is particularly interesting. I can't imagine the amount of work that went into that grid.
C.C.