Sunday September 12, 2021 Mark Feldman

Theme:  "Sounds Familiar" - Each theme entry consists of three rhyming words.

22A. Place for reading recipes?: COOKBOOK NOOK.

28A. Ink on a billionaire?: FAT CAT TAT.

34A. City center street performer?: DOWNTOWN CLOWN.

62A. Bit of carelessness at cocktail hour?: CHIP DIP DRIP.

85A. Postal mishap?: SNAIL MAIL FAIL.

97A. Starter for a noncompetitive race?: FUN RUN GUN.

104A. Reality TV believer?: BOOB TUBE RUBE.

42D. Hanks sobriquet for films like "You've Got Mail"?: ROMCOM TOM.

44D. Fashionista dog?: JET SET PET.

 

This theme looks simple, but it has layers. The first two-part is also a common phrase.

 

Good to see Mark Feldman back. We have not seen his byline for two years. Hope to see more of your grids in the future, Mark!

 

Across:

 

1. Only astronaut to fly in the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs: SCHIRRA (Wally)

 

8. Sushi order: AHI.

11. Short blue person?: DEM. Democrat. Short = Abbr.

14. Exile of 1979: SHAH.

18. Small bits of color: SPLASHES.

19. Easter lead-in: NOR. Nor'easter.

20. "Xanadu" rock gp.: ELO.

21. Aqua __: U.K. mineral water brand: PURA. Unfamiliar to me.

24. Fragrant tea-flavoring shrubs: JASMINES. Jasmine tea! My favorite.

26. Quakers in forests?: ASPENS. Can't fool our regulars.

27. Emailed: SENT.

29. Extreme disorder: MESS.

30. Through: VIA.

31. Madrid mama bear: OSA.

33. "The Bald Soprano" playwright: IONESCO (Eugène). Romanian-born. Wikipedia says "Ionesco contributed to the beginnings of what is known as the Theatre of the Absurd".

38. Flash __: MOB.

39. Third-party accounts: ESCROWS.

43. Provide with the latest: CLUE IN.

44. Green stone: JADE. You often see girls in Guangzhou wear a jade pendant.

45. Where one trying to score may be out: AT HOME.

46. U.S. Army medal: DSC. Distinguished Service Cross.

48. Classic Pontiac: GTO.

49. __ pool: GENE.

50. Like some stockings: SEAMED.

51. Congers: EELS.

53. React to a sprint: PANT.

55. A montage of them was presented at the 2006 Oscars: EPICS. That's the year "Crash" won best picture.

56. Native Alaskans: ALEUTS.

58. Fencing moves: THRUSTS.

61. Nothing special: SO SO.

64. Long stretches: EONS.

66. They're usually unbeatable: NEMESES. Plural of nemesis.

68. Accustoms (to): ENURES.

69. Storied building material: STRAW. For the first little pig.

70. Fit: TRIM.

71. Feds under Ness: T-MEN. T for Treasury.

72. Current amount: AMPERE.

73. Mail ctrs.: GPOS. Government Publishing Office. I just found out that they print passports.

75. Stadium cheer: RAH.

78. Offbeat: ODD.

79. Eyed impolitely, with "at": LEERED.

80. Bath buggy: PRAM.

81. Not at all light: SOLEMN.

83. Corn syrup component: MALTOSE.

84. Joplin's "Maple Leaf __": RAG.

89. Legislative group, e.g.: ENACTOR. Spell check does not like this word.

91. Backing-up key: ESC.

92. Bit in a horse's mouth: OAT.

93. Cleaning tools, for short: VACS.

99. Deli stock: RYES.

101. Formed with the tip of the tongue, like the letter L: APICAL. Learning moment for me.

103. Property receivers, at law: ALIENEES.

106. Axes: CANS.

107. KC-to-NYC dir.: ENE.

108. "The Ice Storm" director Lee: ANG. Same character as the An in Xi'an.

109. Acted like: EMULATED.

110. Most massive known dwarf planet: ERIS.

111. Rehab hurdle: DTS. Delirium Tremens.

112. Screening org.: TSA.

113. Western movie threat: RATTLER.

Down:

1. Imagine, colloquially: S'POSE.

2. Horse-and-buggy ride sounds: CLOPS.

3. Cod relatives: HAKES. I sure don't want eat them.

4. Library vol. ID: ISBN.

5. Letters after pis: RHOS.

6. 1906 Runabout, e.g.: REO.

 

 

7. Shows hospitality toward, as a visitor: ASKS IN.

8. Before long, to Shakespeare: ANON.

9. Bird named for its cry: HOOT OWL. Don't all owls hoot?

10. Annoy: IRK.

11. "This seems familiar" word: DEJA. vu.

12. Jubilance: ELATION.

13. University of Idaho city: MOSCOW. I only know Idaho State.

14. Malice: SPITE.

15. Spider that stalks its prey: HUNTSMAN. Also new to me. Odd to call it *man.

16. Opening number?: AREA CODE. No musical number.

17. Surely is: HAS TO BE. No sororities in our university, D-Otto. Girls and guys lived in separate buildings. Just the school rules.

18. Con job: SCAM.

23. Bar specification: NEAT.

25. "Death in Venice" author: MANN (Thomas)

28. Aspect: FACET.

30. Bugs with brakes: VWS.

32. Wrapped in a blanket, say: SNUG.

34. Mosque toppers: DOMES. No dome for the Great Mosque of Xi'an.  It's within Xi'an Muslim Quarters. Hahtoolah was there once. Xi'an has a large Muslim population. They're called Uyghur. Xi'an also has lots of Koreans, called Chaoxianzu in China. Both Uyghur & Koreans are major minority ethnic groups in China. Read more here. I'm a Han, like 91% all Chinese.

35. Due: OWED.

36. Block off: OCCLUDE. Not EXCLUDE.

37. Award-winning Mark Tatulli comic strip: LIO. Another learning moment.

39. Relaxes: EASES.

40. Apply, as a brake: STEP ON.

41. Lawn chair: CHAISE.

46. Knish sellers: DELIS. I had them at the Vegas buffets. Tasty.

47. Ooze: SEEP.

49. Oxlike antelope: GNU.

52. Stretch: STINT.

53. Letters before chi: PHIS.

54. Duchamp contemporary: ARP (Jean)

56. "What about me?!": AHEM.

57. Layered Italian dessert: SPUMONI. Have some!

58. General direction: TREND.

59. Bullfight figure: TORERO.

60. Traps: SNARES.

62. Long-running forensic series: CSI.

63. First name in an 1857 case: DRED. Dred Scott v. Sandford.

65. Activist Greta Thunberg, e.g.: SWEDE.

67. Hosp. units: ERS.

69. Suspect: SMELL.

72. End of a ball game?: ALAI. Jai alai.

73. Like table salt: GRANULAR.

74. Composer of solo violin études: PAGANINI (Niccolo). Namesake of the Paganini Competition.

75. "Vive le __!": ROI.

76. Karen of "Starman": ALLEN.

77. Fashion lines: HEMS.

80. Introduction: PREFACE.

81. Portraitist John Singer __: SARGENT. Here's his "Portrait of Madame X".

82. Long-vowel symbols: MACRONS. I did not know the term.

83. Tatami, e.g.: MAT.

85. Leave speechless: STUN.

86. "Thanks, it's already done": NO NEED.

87. "Stay" singer Lisa seen in GEICO ads: LOEB.

88. "Get a move on!": FASTER.

90. Salad green: CRESS.

93. Like some popular videos: VIRAL. China just banned the biggest BTS fan site. Enormous culture changes there. You guys might be shocked reading this article.

94. Perceptive: ACUTE.

95. Pole tossed by a Scot: CABER.

96. Downhill traveler: SLED.

98. Applications: USES.

100. Discipline with stretches: YOGA.

101. Lie next to: ABUT.

102. Hide: PELT.

104. Cricket club: BAT.

105. Thurman of "Pulp Fiction": UMA.

Happy 62nd  birthday to Steve, who faithfully guided us on Thursday for many years. We miss your humor and sharp observation, Steve!

 

Steve and Jill, June 12, 2016

Tea at The Queen Mary