Theme: "Yes, But Is It Art?"- Various phrases are reinterpreted as if they're art-related.
23. Molding okra likenesses?: PODCASTING.
25. Accumulation after many oil changes?: BRUSH PILES.
35. Housekeeper-artist barter agreement?: DUSTING FOR PRINTS.
56. Asset for sketching the human body?: A HEAD FOR FIGURES.
80. Traditional Western song to sing while cleaning up the atelier?: GOODBYE OLD PAINT.
98. Sculpting painstakingly, as ice?: LICKING INTO SHAPE.
115. Foundation for nude sketches?: BOTTOM LINE.
117. Color for a "Starry" Dutch classic?: NIGHTSHADE.
This title is so John, a talented artist with a terrific sense of humor.
I'm not familiar with "Goodbye Old Paint", who is the Old Paint in the lyric?
We're treated with a 140-worder with four sparkling long Downs. The clues also have John's hallmark wordplay and clue echos.
Across:
1. They often offer free Wi-Fi: CAFES.
6. Julie's "East of Eden" role: ABRA. Julie Harris. Here she's with Cal (James Dean).
10. Bygone Swedish wheels: SAAB.
14. Suit material: LIBEL. Lawsuit.
19. Tickle: AMUSE.
20. Fruity commercial prefix: CRAN.
21. Up-in-the-air bear: URSA. Minor/Major.
22. "Do __?": I DARE.
27. Therefore: ERGO.
28. Clotheshorse's collection: TIE CLIPS.
30. Singer?: STOOLIE. One who sings.
31. Cube-ic Rubik: ERNO. Rubik's Cube. This guy is 76 years old now.
33. "__ Rebel": 1962 hit: HE'S A.
34. Handles: SEES TO.
40. Dirty Harry's org.: SFPD.
43. Lab eggs: OVA.
47. Schwarz of toys: FAO.
48. Therapist's concern: NEUROSIS. Woody Allen's characters tend to have this problem.
50. Bait: TEASE.
53. Employing: USING.
55. Stuffed shell?: TACO. Great clue.
60. Two-handed tool: SLEDGE.
63. Unable to find the way: LOST.
64. Rates highly: ADMIRES.
65. Stand-up's goals, informally: LAFFS. Laughs.
68. Philippines' highest peak: Abbr.: MT APO. Wiki says the name
of "Mt. Apo comes from Apo, a title of respect meaning "revered elder"
in various languages of the surrounding Lumad tribes." Sort of like the
"Lao" in Chinese then. Lao Tzu, Lao Shi (teacher).
69. Decision maker: CHOOSER.
72. Very little, to Vivaldi: POCO.
75. "Yikes!": SHEESH.
84. Flu symptom: AGUE.
85. "Coffee __?": OR TEA.
86. Minimal: LEAST.
87. High-level banking aids: AILERONS. Airplane's banking.
90. Wanna-__: BES.
91. Augustus' devious wife: LIVIA.
94. Place to make waves: SALON.
95. Conservatory subj.: MUS.
96. Bucolic lines: IDYL.
103. Precepts: TENETS.
105. Pickle pick: DILL.
106. They're depressed during recitals: KEYS. Ha ha.
107. Resolve: IRON OUT.
109. Introspective Randall Thompson choral work with a joyous title: ALLELUIA. Same as "Hallelujah", right?
112. Jr.'s exam: PSAT.
119. Golfer's cry after holing a long putt: IT'S IN. Also 10. Good in golf ... otherwise, not so much: SUBPAR.
120. Unceasingly: EVER.
121. Boxer Oscar __ Hoya: DELA.
122. Sister of Goneril: REGAN. Mean one.
123. "I think of slaying Holmes ... He takes my mind from better things" writer: DOYLE.
124. Stitches: SEWS.
125. Like Florida scrub: ARID. Not familiar with "Florida scrub".
126. Immobile: INERT.
Down:
1. Batgirl garb: CAPE.
2. Love in Spain: AMOR.
3. Thick dessert topping: FUDGE SAUCE. More food item: 7. French wheel: BRIE
4. Source of protection: ESCORT.
5. It has a watery bed: SEA.
6. All of Albee's "The Zoo Story," essentially: ACT I.
8. Spanish spreads: RANCHOS. Not food.
9. One catching with flies, maybe: ANGLER. And 38. It might be caught with a fly: FISH.
11. LAX touchdowns: ARRS.
12. Sun Devils' sch.: ASU.
13. Short-legged hounds: BASSETS.
14. Slimming procedures, informally: LIPOS.
15. Some how-to book targets?: IDIOTS. Idiot's Guide.
16. Unusually energetic sort: BALL OF FIRE. Abejo!!
17. "__ Went Mad": Riley poem: ERE I.
18. __-majesté: LESE.
24. Gems: STONES.
26. It's a blast: H TEST.
29. MSN, for one: ISP. Any of you use CenturyLink?
32. El __: NINO.
34. Show disdain for: SNEER AT.
35. Prohibitions: DONT'S.
36. Type of eye layer: UVEAL.
37. Karmann __: sports car: GHIA. I don't see the beauty of this car.
39. __ facto: IPSO.
41. Philatelist's buys: PANES.
42. Hounds, e.g.: DOGS.
46. Manga series about gaming: YU-GI-OH. I've seen a ton of these cards at card shows. Some are worth hundreds of dollars.
49. Retinal receptor: ROD.
50. Lao Tzu's "way": TAO. We say "dao" in China.
51. Text changers, for short: EDS. Editors.
52. Back in a shell: AFT.
54. Big __: SUR.
57. Scullers' pair?: ELS. Just the two letters in "Scullers".
58. OTC drug agency: FDA.
59. Rapscallions: IMPS. Always makes me think of Spitzboov.
 |
| 17-month old Spitzboov |
61. All-encompassing: GLOBAL.
62. __ chair: EASY.
66. Ante, e.g.: FEE.
67. Romps: FROLICS.
68. Reply of feigned innocence: MOI?
69. Prepared, as apples for strudel: CORED.
70. Copacetic, in slang: HOTSY-TOTSY. More familiar with hoity-toity.
71. Thomas Gray's "The Bard," e.g.: ODE.
72. Smooching on a plane, for short: PDA.
73. Photo possibilities: OPS.
74. Tractor brand, familiarly: CAT. Caterpillar.
76. Vibration sensor: EAR.
77. Flattery: EGO MASSAGE. Another sparkly fill.
78. First light: SUNUP.
79. "Demian" author: HESSE.
80. Mongolian dry spot: GOBI. My favorite childhood TV drama has
many scenes in the Gobi Desert. The guy on the left grew up in Mongolia
under the care of Genghis Khan, who's so romanticized in many Chinese
novels.
81. Fail to be kept private: LEAK.
82. Pakistani bread: NAAN. Also dal bean: 97. Legume family bean: LENTIL.
83. Slant: TILT.
88. Carefully consider: LOOK AT.
89. Bay State motto opener: ENSE.
92. Intestinal tract division: ILEUM.
93. Grub: VITTLES.
94. More over the top: SILLIER.
99. Ones just hanging out: IDLERS.
100. Zilch: NIL.
101. British actress-politician Jackson: GLENDA.
102. Wi-Fi connection?: HYPHEN. Great clue.
104. Very disappointing turnout: NO ONE.
107. Kin of op. cit.: IBID.
108. __-Rooter: ROTO. Bad service. High price. Don't use them.
109. Over: ANEW.
110. Jamaican citrus: UGLI.
111. "__ no idea": I HAD.
113. 29-day Hebrew month: ADAR.
114. Traveling carnival sight: TENT.
116. "__ been thinking ... ": I'VE.
118. Indian title: SRI.
C.C.
