Theme: "Hollywood Endings" - Each common phrase is rephrased as if the last word is a movie starred by the actor in the clue.
23. Editing scenes from a Wesley Snipes vampire film?: CUTTING BLADE.
28. Putting the final touches on an Ed Asner Pixar film?: WRAPPING UP.
47. Going on a promotional tour for a Sigourney Weaver family film?: PLUGGING HOLES.
64. Showing the final cut of a Jennifer Lawrence sci-fi film?: SCREENING PASSENGERS.
89. Hiring actors for a Shailene Woodley survival-at-sea film?: CASTING ADRIFT.
103. Composing the music for a Tom Hanks fantasy film?: SCORING BIG.
112. Acquiring the rights for a Sandra Bullock action film?: LANDING SPEED.
Very consistent set. The last words are all movies, most are well-known ones by big stars. Adrift is new to me.
This is Gary Larson's favorite theme type, rephrasing common phrases. He's a wordsmith.
Across:
6. Relishes: SAVORS.
12. Speck: DOT.
15. First word for some babies: MAMA. Universal. Mama. Papa is "Ba Ba" in Chinese.
19. Spare place: TRUNK.
20. Footnote notation: IBIDEM.
21. French article: UNE.
22. Grows old: AGES.
25. Sleep stage: REM. Feels amazing waking up to normal air. The weedy smell really drove me nuts.
26. New Rochelle school with an award-winning pipe band: IONA.
27. Nth, for one: ORDINAL.
31. Least risky: SAFEST.
33. "Fire away": ASK.
36. Dump: UNLOAD.
37. Big letters in home security: ADT. I finally had Simplisafe installed.
38. On top of everything: TOO.
41. Four score and ten: NINETY.
43. Fireplace piece: GRATE.
51. Faced: BRAVED.
52. Wedding dress option: SAREE. Pretty.
53. Chocolaty cereal brand: OREO O'S.
54. Like some conclusions: FOREGONE.
56. Withdrawing: IN RETREAT.
58. Colorful tee: TIE DYE.
60. Came out on top: WON. Who do you think will win the World Series 2023?
61. Hearth residue: ASH.
62. Welcomes: LETS IN. Windhover might visit me next year. Splynter also. Who else will come to Minnesota for a gathering if both of them come?
63. Hungers: YENS.
72. Deodorant brand: MENNEN.
73. Hosp. areas: ERS.
74. No-goodnik: CAD.
75. Chuck who broke the sound barrier: YEAGER.
76. Many a night owl: LATE RISER. Not me.
82. Gilbert and Sullivan work: OPERETTA.
84. Envelope: MAILER.
86. Skin care brand: NIVEA.
88. Tribal emblems: TOTEMS.
92. Singer/actress Kazan: LAINIE. She was in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding".
94. Word in the names of two MLB teams: SOX.
95. Island chain?: LEI.
96. Dig: INSULT.
98. College major that may involve many museum trips: ART.
100. Bring in: IMPORT.
110. Facility: EASE.
111. Santa __ winds: ANA.
117. Adroit: ABLE.
118. Jump the __: GUN.
119. Costello partner: ABBOTT. "Hu's on first?"
121. Herd noises: MOOS.
122. Place with a trough: STY.
123. Dictate: DECREE.
124. Kaitlin of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia": OLSON.
Down:
2. __TV: reality show channel: TRU.
3. At the wrong time: OUT OF TURN.
4. Between, in French: ENTRE. Nous.
5. Loses control on the ice: SKIDS. So much snow last year.
6. Communicate with one's hands: SIGN.
7. "Fernando" singers: ABBA.
8. Country estate: VILLA.
9. "Ghost" psychic __ Mae Brown: ODA.
10. Primary color: RED.
11. Small duck: SMEW.
12. Two-time NBA Finals MVP Kevin: DURANT. I thought he's retired already. Nope.
13. Like cheap toilet paper: ONE-PLY.
14. Beat: TEMPO.
15. Downtown street: MAIN DRAG.
16. Eager: AGOG.
17. Drop-down list: MENU.
18. PDQ: ASAP.
24. Capone cohort: NITTI (Frank). Chicago mob.
29. Wishes undone: RUES.
30. "Ditto": I AGREE.
31. Enervates: SAPS.
32. 1950s politico Stevenson: ADLAI. Haven't seen this name for a while.
34. Haughty one: SNOOT.
35. Drug bust unit: KILO.
39. __ about: circa: ON OR.
40. Brute: OGRE.
42. Drink brand with a green leaf logo: NESTEA.
44. Declarer: AVOWER. Who uses this word?
45. Mortise inserts: TENONS.
46. Paradises: EDENS.
48. Poet __ Manley Hopkins: GERARD. Unfamiliar to me. English poet and Jesuit priest.
49. Down source: GEESE.
50. "Isn't __ bit like you and me?": Beatles lyric: HE A.
51. Actor Yul: BRYNNER.
54. Come clean, with "up": FESS.
55. Cartoon canine: ODIE.
57. Queens team: THE METS. Patti's team.
59. "__ only money": IT'S.
62. ICU worker: LPN.
63. Formal agreement: YES SIR.
64. Apply haphazardly: SLAP ON. And
65. Officially give: CEDE TO.
66. In apple-pie order: NEAT.
67. Swenson of "Benson": INGA.
68. U-turn from SSW: NNE.
69. Liechtenstein's language: GERMAN.
70. Coffee machine setting: GRIND.
71. "Sicko Mode" rapper Travis __: SCOTT. With Kylie Jenner for a while.
75. Omani neighbor: YEMENI.
76. Carafe size: LITER.
77. Frazier opponent: ALI.
78. Canadian bank notes featuring civil rights activist Viola Desmond: TENS.
From Wikipedia: Desmond was a "Canadian civil and women's rights
activist and businesswoman of Black Nova Scotian descent. In 1946, she
challenged racial segregation at a cinema in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia,
by refusing to leave a whites-only area of the Roseland Theatre. For
this, she was convicted of a minor tax violation for the one-cent tax
difference between the seat that she had paid for and the seat that she
used, which was more expensive ..."
79. Thus: ERGO.
80. Dark signs: EVIL OMENS.
81. Allude (to): REFER.
83. Pension beneficiaries: RETIREES. My faithful Springbrook
hiking friend Dan has just retired. He introduced Elk Creek to me, but we never hiked there together until last week. He's too fast for me. He runs a ton every day, rain or snow.
 |
| Dan the Engineer |
85. Bhutan locale: ASIA.
87. In a quarrel: AT IT.
89. Big name in banking: CITI.
90. Chopping down: AXING. Dan's been chopping trees. Behind his shack, there's a huge lake. He swam yesterday when it was like 40F. Crazy, but normal for him. He polar-jumped at
Antarctica last year.
92. Wheel securer: LUG NUT.
93. Hudson River capital: ALBANY.
97. Hose woes: SNAGS.
99. Architectural style: TUDOR.
101. Botch: MISDO.
102. Trainee: PUPIL.
103. Clothing line: SEAM.
104. Baja resort, familiarly: CABO.
105. Nobel Institute city: OSLO.
106. Elated: GLAD.
108. Solemn ceremony: RITE.
109. Poker stake: ANTE.
113. Simpsons grandfather: ABE.
114. Peacock network: NBC.
115. __ trip: EGO.
116. Get into: DON.
C.C.
