Theme: "Decision Making" - CO is added to each theme entry.
22. Candle used in a lighthouse?: WAX BEACON. Wax bean.
28. Snake that can walk on water?: MIRACLE COBRA. Miracle bra.
42. Imitations of disapproving sounds?: RASPBERRY COPIES. Raspberry pies.
63. Workout trainers?: MUSCLE COACHES. Muscle aches.
72. Reward for a fan at a smokehouse drawing?: LIFETIME BACON. Lifetime ban.
97. Traveling jokester?: HIGHWAY COMEDIAN. Highway median.
Reveal:
121. Perform a pregame NFL ritual ... or, in four parts, phrase that hints at seven long Across answers: TOSS A COIN (Toss a co-in)
The
title is Rich's. I originally proposed "Toss a Coin" as a title. Rich
felt it worked better as a reveal, as it conceals the theme longer.
Rich allows 144 words for Sunday grids. So my Sunday grids are often 144 words.
Across:
5. Debate side: ANTI. And Pro.
9. First-string squad: A TEAM.
14. Degrees for some execs: MBAS. And 67. Corp. honchos: CEOS.
18. Graceful horse: ARAB.
19. Created: BORN.
20. James Gang associate Starr: BELLE. Rich's clue. Read more here.
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21. Summa cum __: LAUDE.
24. Genesis tower locale: BABEL.
25. Place out of the sun: ARBOR.
26. Casper-to-Denver dir.: SSE.
27. Word in a beauty brand since 1952: OLAY. I tried a mini bottle of this. Pretty good.
30. Snake secretion: VENOM.
32. On one's __: having recovered: FEET.
33. Brightly plumed songbird: ORIOLE.
34. Tax prep pros: CPAS. D-Otto is not one, but he's a tax prep pro.
36. More current: NEWER.
38. "Such a cute cat!": AWW.
41. Russo of "Thor": RENE.
46. Disobedient: REBEL.
49. Goree who played Cassius Clay in "One Night in Miami...": ELI.
50. Actor Morales: ESAI.
51. Baconator chain: WENDY'S. Never visited Wendy's.
53. Truth alternative: DARE.
54. Expressive chat image: EMOJI. Here are some of the new stickers and emojis on WeChat.
56. Even now: STILL.
59. Treasury Dept. variable: GNP.
60. Small container: TIN.
61. Big name in bread: PANERA. There's one in our neighborhood.
68. Tot's belly: TUM.
69. Rochelle Walensky's org.: CDC.
70. "This __ to stop": HAS.
71. Mt. Hood's state: ORE.
77. iRobot vacuum: ROOMBA.
81. Sci-fi author Palmer: ADA. She wrote "Too Like the Lightning".
82. Liquid meas.: GAL.
83. Loud laughs: ROARS.
86. Garden-variety: USUAL.
87. Lauderdale neighbor: BOCA.
89. Pump number: OCTANE.
92. Short statement or question: IT IS.
94. "Billions" airer, briefly: SHO.
95. Snow day coasters: SLEDS. I don't mind snow, but I dread
freezing rain after snow. The road to our mailbox is icy and slippery
even with my yaktrax. But this is Minnesota.
101. Barcelona bar bite: TAPA.
103. Goofy drawing?: CEL. Disney Goofy.
104. "Level Up" singer: CIARA.
105. Vaper's stick, for short: E-CIG.
106. Colombian capital: BOGOTA.
108. Throw out: DUMP.
110. Fr. misses: MLLES.
115. Pitcher Sparky, first American League reliever to win the Cy Young Award: LYLE. Rich's clue. Rich's a long-time Yankees fan.
116. Jeter's jersey number: TWO.
119. "__ we all?": AREN'T.
120. Yearly record: ANNAL.
123. Soft minerals: TALCS.
124. "Stranger Things" genre: SCI-FI.
125. Foil alternative: EPEE.
126. Craving: URGE.
127. Craftsy etailer: ETSY. I've never bought anything on Etsy. You?
128. Dry runs: TESTS.
129. Orderly: NEAT.
130. Julia's "Ocean's Eleven" role: TESS. Here she is with her husband Danny Ocean (George Clooney).
Down:
2. Golden years funds: IRAS.
3. Risky way to save: TAX EVASION. The rich avoids tax legally. Also Rich's clue.
4. Recede: EBB.
5. Rock-clinging mollusks: ABALONES.
6. Museum tour rule: NO CAMERAS.
7. Horse victim?: TROY. That's how we get "Trojan horse". Also Rich's clue.
8. Travel stop: INN.
9. Cornish of "Jack Ryan": ABBIE.
10. Convenient envelope-opening strip: TEAR TAPE.
11. Island off Tuscany: ELBA.
12. Smart guy?: ALEC.
13. __ Yello: MELLO.
14. Like "Lost" characters: MAROONED.
15. Unwinding luxury: BUBBLE BATH. I love hot baths with Epsom salt. No bubbles.
16. Love to pieces: ADORE.
17. Blood drive fluids: SERA.
21. More frilly: LACIER.
23. Many, many years: EON.
28. Bygone Ford div.: MERC.
29. Make an oopsie: ERR.
31. Medium gift: ESP.
32. "Wine Country" actress: FEY (Tina). Also Rich's clue. Here's the crew. I see Tina Fey, Maya Rudolph, Amy Poehler on the left. Don't recognize anyone else.
34. Obnoxious sort: CREEP.
35. Mallorcan seaport: PALMA.
37. Legal order: WRIT.
39. Come out on top: WIN.
40. Thick-heeled shoes: WEDGES.
43. Lebanon's capital: BEIRUT. Endless conflicts in that area.
44. Head-turning birds: OWLS. They can turn their heads 270 degrees on either side. How far can you turn?
45. Match sound to video: SYNC.
47. Great Lake near Detroit: ERIE.
48. Microscope part: LENS.
52. Wildlife trail: SPOOR.
55. Jump in a tutu: JETE. Amazing.
57. Online source for film buffs: IMDB.
58. 2021 Pixar film set in Italy: LUCA. He's a sea monster.
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62. Panama pal: AMIGO.
64. Half a toy train?: CHOO.
65. Pop singer Del Rey: LANA. Love her "Young and Beautiful".
66. Stir up: AROUSE.
69. TD Garden NBAer: CELTIC.
72. Research places: LABS.
73. Childhood hero, perhaps: IDOL.
74. Small drying aids: FACE TOWELS. I've been using these utility towels from Walmart as my face towels.
75. Jet speed measure: MACH.
76. Staff for sailing: CREW.
78. Shop with record sales: MUSIC STORE.
79. Its supreme body is the Universal House of Justice: BAHA'I.
80. Word after string or sing: ALONG.
84. Costa __: RICA.
85. Nolde watercolor with a turbulent title: STORMY SEA. Here's the painting. My clue is just "Feature of some ocean painting". I'm not familiar with Nolde.
88. "Mad Men" business: AD AGENCY.
90. Candle count, maybe: AGE.
91. Where teams annually make ice picks?: NHL DRAFT.
93. "Ready when you are!": I'M ALL SET. Xi'an is still under a strict lock-down. Government delivers free food package to each family. Here's Andy's package yesterday: cabbage, potatoes, daikon radishes, cucumber, green onions and some other greens. Everyone must have a COVID test daily.
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96. Pool and pickleball: SPORTS.
98. Pinnacle: ACME.
99. Shrill bark: YIP.
100. "Mudbound" director Rees: DEE. Wikipedia says she's "the first Black woman nominated for an Oscar for adapted screenplay."
102. Common tweet symbols: ATs.
106. Fictional Kazakh journalist: BORAT.
107. "... and __ of thousands!": A CAST.
109. Jamaican citrus fruits: UGLIS.
111. Grazing area: LEA.
112. Bánh mì condiment: PATE. I love the pickled carrots and daikon more than anything else in a banh mi.
113. At the moment when: ONCE.
114. Aussie colleges: UNIS.
115. A bit less than a canter: LOPE.
117. Drag show toppers: WIGS.
118. People: ONES.
121. Decathlon number: TEN.
122. Edit, in a way: CUT.
C.C.
Boomer is still in the hospital. As
Nina said to me, his COVID was a blessing in disguise. He was able to
quarantine in his own room for 12 days. Now he has to share a room with a few others (one is a bad snorer.) To answer some of your questions, Boomer had no symptoms at all. I often wonder if it's a false positive. But the VA nurse was sure of the test result.
I was so happy to see him yesterday. We had never been apart for so long. He's so eager to come back home and take care of me. The other day I could not even open the Aldi olive oil bottle. I was ready to just smash the bottle.
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| Boomer, VA, 1/1/2021 |
