Theme: "Split Decisions" - Each of the 8 animals is cracked by a black square in this grid. See this.
28A. *Wine ingredient?: LONG I. Just the letter i in Wine. And 29A. *Sarah of "Suits": RAFFERTY. Giraffe.
49A. *Slip through the cracks: OOZE. And
50A. *Traffic stoppers: BRAKES. Zebra.
86A. *Take by force: HIJACK. And
88A. *"A Clockwork Orange" antihero: ALEX. Jackal.
104A. *Closely match: PARALLEL.And
109A. *Aconcagua's range: ANDES. Eland.
11D. *Biblical possessive: THY. And 33D. *Put on the books: ENACT. Hyena.
20D. *Gene variant: ALLELE. And 56D. *Ghost: PHANTASM. Elephant.
38D. *Norse mythology battle used as the subtitle of a 2017 "Thor" film: RAGNAROK. And 92. *Place abuzz with activity: APIARY. Okapi.
80D. *Dangerous strain: E COLI. And 116. *It's next to nothing: ONE. Lion.
Reveal:
66A. Product with lots of shapes ... or what each of four black squares effectively is?: ANIMAL CRACKER. This intersects two more theme entries.
Incredible concept, so brilliantly executed. All theme entries are symmetrically placed.
Guys, I'm speechless. I can't imagine the amount of work designing and filling this grid.
Across:
5. Shrink: ANALYST.
12. Traditional koa wood product: UKULELE. "Somewhere Over The Rainbow". Israel Kamakawiwoʻole.
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19. "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" author Loos: ANITA. And 38. Diamonds, in slang: ROCKS. "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend".
21. Unworthy of: BENEATH.
22. Started up again: RESUMED.
23. __ officer: NAVAL. So cool!
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| Spitzboov |
24. Bishopric cousin: CANONRY. I only know canon.
25. Like aftershave after a shave: BRACING.
26. 1994 A.L. batting champ Paul: O'NEILL. Yankees' color commentator.
30. Pigment used in rustproof primer paints: RED LEAD.
32. Blood lines: VEINS.
34. Bananas or nuts: LOONY. Crackers too.
37. Monetary "p": PENCE.
43. Rib-tickler: JOKE.
46. Oval-shaped wind: OCARINA. We also have 116. They're seen among the reeds: OBOISTS.
48. Benefit: AVAIL.
51. Junk bond rating: CCC.
54. Yitzhak's predecessor: GOLDA (Meir)
55. Allegro non __: fast, but not too fast: TROPPO. New to me.
57. Umbrella component: RIB.
58. Problematic to the max: THORNIEST.
60. Gas pump fractions: TENTHS.
61. Fermented honey drink: MEAD. Never had it, you? I don't know why people would want to ferment sweet honey.
64. Mountain nymph: OREAD.
65. World Cup "Way to go!": OLE.
70. Poli-__: SCI.
73. Absinthe flavoring: ANISE.
74. A-line line: SEAM.
75. Bench warmer?: BOTTOM. Ha.
77. Stone set alone: SOLITAIRE.
81. Basic card game: WAR.
83. 1994 Olympic gold medalist skater Baiul: OKSANA.
84. __ donna: PRIMA.
85. Triple __: liqueur: SEC.
89. Keys: ISLES.
90. South American river with a crocodile namesake: ORINOCO. I know this from Enya's "Orinoco Flow". Looks docile.
92. Clumsy boats: ARKS.
93. Tribal emblem: TOTEM.
94. Minty cocktail: JULEP.
96. Gun: REV UP.
98. Daredevil's stock-in-trade: PERIL.
99. Put out: EMITTED.
114. Conditionally let out: PAROLE.
115. Winning game after game: ON A TEAR.
118. Samurai lacking a master: RONIN. Japanese for "wanderer" . Same in Chinese. The character on top just means "wondering", the second means "person".
119. Go back over: RETRACE.
120. Superheroes always have them: NEMESES.
121. They come with strings attached: YO-YOS.
122. Fine-tuned: TWEAKED.
123. Krypton, but not Tatooine: ELEMENT. Tatooine is the desert planet in "Star Wars".
124. Canapé spread: PATE.
Down:
2. Pointless: INANE.
3. Stayed: LIVED.
4. Business for many Amazon explorers?: E-TAIL. Fun clue. Thank God for Amazon these days.
5. Agatha Christie's "The __ Murders": ABC.
6. "The Day the Earth Stood Still" actress Patricia: NEAL.
7. Part of A.D.: ANNO.
8. Musician Redbone: LEON.
9. Half the taijitu symbol: YANG. Taiji is how "tai chi" spelled in China. Tu just means "picture".
10. Tried hard: STRIVEN.
12. Polished: URBANE.
13. Grooves made by a saw: KERFS. D-Otto might know this term. Not me.
14. Sky-high gp.: USAF.
15. Time co-founder: LUCE. Henry R. Luce.
16. Mideast leader: EMIR.
17. Fast time: LENT.
18. On pins and needles: EDGY.
27. Vientiane native: LAO.
29. Ocasek of the Cars: RIC. Just had him last Sunday.
31. Means of access: DOOR.
35. Elon University st.: N CAR. 112. "__ quam videri": 35-Down motto: ESSE.
36. Washington city where Olympic skiers Phil and Steve Mahre were born: YAKIMA.
37. Circle ratios: PIs.
39. Egg-shaped: OVOID.
40. Racer Yarborough: CALE.
41. Roasts, in a way: KIDS.
42. Blind segment: SLAT.
43. Brando role in 1978's "Superman": JOREL. Brando played Superman's father.
44. Critical layer: OZONE.
45. Fulfilled: KEPT.
47. Defies authority: REBELS.
49. Ringling Brothers brother: OTTO. No idea. Read more here. He died in 1911.
50. Half a Balkan country: BOSNIA.
52. Prefix with -aholic: CHOC.
53. Magnum stopper: CORK.
59. Boston-based sportswear giant: REEBOK.
62. Hotshot: ACE.
63. Attract: DRAW IN.
67. Goddess with a throne headdress: ISIS.
68. Insignificant: MERE.
69. Key of Schubert's "Trout Quintet": A MAJOR.
70. Cornfield sight: STALK.
71. Sundae alternatives: CONES.
72. Big name in movies?: IMAX.
73. Mann of 'Til Tuesday: AIMEE.
76. Winter Palace resident: TSAR. Winter Palace is now part of the Hermitage Museum.
77. Roasting rod: SPIT. In Xi'an's night market, you'll always
find these lamb skewers. Cumin-heavy. Most from Muslim-vendors. Xi'an
has a large Muslim population. Hahtoolah visited the Muslim Quarters a
while ago. Muslims are called Uyghurs in Xi'an.
78. Rounding phrase: OR SO.
79. Merry-go-round tune: LILT.
82. Derby, perhaps: RACE.
86. Cool: HIP.
87. Anchorage for a galleon: COVE.
91. Mark down, maybe: RE-LABEL.
94. Sent raspberries to?: JEERED. Blowing a raspberry.
95. Text letters often in blue: URL. See our Blog Photos.
97. Diamond pro: UMP.
98. Location: PLACE.
100. Body with arms?: TROOP. Not our body.
101. 1994 rival of Nancy: TONYA.
102. "The Cocktail Party" playwright: ELIOT (T.S.)
103. Fog modifier: DENSE.
104. Red dessert wine: PORT.
105. From square one: ANEW.
106. Appraise: RATE.
107. Cutting-edge brand?: ATRA. Good old clue.
108. Security problem: LEAK.
110. Iditarod terminus: NOME.
111. Carpe __: DIEM.
113. WWII weapon: STEN.
According to Wiki: STEN is an acronym, from the names of the weapon's chief designers, Major Reginald V. Shepherd and Harold Turpin, and EN for the Enfield factory.
117. JFK arrival, once: SST.
C.C.
