Sunday January 21, 2024 Taylor Johnson & Chandi Deitmer

Theme: "Double Bill" - A musical is inserted into another musical.

23. *"This should be just right, my furry friends"?: AS YOU CATS LIKE IT. As You Like It.

32. *Peculiar pair at the office?: THE ODD COMPANY COUPLE. The Odd Couple.

53. *Things that make you go hmm ... ?: THE DOUBT PRODUCERS. The Producers.

69. *Salon pro who's a genius with AquaNet?: THE HAIRSPRAY WIZ. The Wiz.

92. *Lament from a Red Sox fan?: DAMN WICKED YANKEES. Damn Yankees.

109. *Eerie Midwestern downtown area?: A STRANGE CHICAGO LOOP. A Strange Loop.

Reveal:

123. Embedded narrative, and a description of the answer to each starred clue: PLAY WITHIN A PLAY.

I chuckled at the 92A clue and entry. Immediately thought of our LalaLinda, who's an avid Red Sox fan. 

Ideal Sunday grid. Great title. Great reveal. All the plays are all well-known.

Across:

1. Some small dogs: TOYS.

5. Musubi wrap: NORI. The Hawaiian Spam musubi. We also have 21. Russian crepes: BLINI. And 29. Indian flatbread: ROTI.

9. Intel research: RECON.

14. African capital where Akan is spoken: ACCRA. I did not know Akan, the largest ethnic group in Ghana.

19. "Scram!": SHOO.

20. Germ carrier?: BRAN. Also 100. Hill worker?: ANT. 106. Drink list?: BAR TAB. Fun clues.

22. Frasier's brother: NILES.

26. Liquid-Plumr rival: DRANO.

27. Origins: ROOTS.

28. Fair-hiring initials: EEO.

31. Color that is equal parts blue and green: CYAN.

38. Has motivation for: CARES TO.

40. Bout enders, briefly: TKOS.

41. "Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody" director Lemmons: KASI. Did not know her.

42. Dwarf planet named for a goddess of discord: ERIS.

43. MYOB part: OWN.

45. Dam on the Nile: ASWAN.

49. Escher museum site, with "The": HAGUE. M. C. Escher was Dutch.

52. Sleepy pal: DOC. The Dwarfs.

57. Tour guide's badge words: ASK ME.

59. Baby sheep: LAMB.

60. ABC News anchor David: MUIR.

61. Duds: TOGS.

62. Push back, in a way: RESIST.

64. Reef-dwelling Pixar character: NEMO.

67. "Be prepared" org.: BSA.

68. New prefix: NEO.

75. Butterfield of "Sex Education": ASA. British actor.

78. Work on a lawn: MOW.

79. Old-timey dagger: SNEE.

80. Breathe Right user, maybe: SNORER. Nasal strips.

84. Mete (out): DOLE.

86. Substandard: POOR.

88. Wager: RISK.

91. Many Vegas lights: NEONS.

97. 1981 cable debut: MTV. CNN debuted in 1980.

98. Teeny bit: SKOSH.

99. Skating legend Sonja: HENIE.

101. Permeate: SEEP.

102. "If the __ fits ... ": SHOE.

104. Wild guess: STAB.

107. Sneaky coward: DASTARD.

115. "Grease" actress Conn: DIDI.

116. Sand hill: DUNE.

117. "__ you for real?": ARE.

118. Hasbro game that requires quick reflexes: BOP IT.

121. Make up (for): ATONE.

128. Switchboard section: PANEL.

129. Out: PASSE.

130. Not pizzicato: ARCO. Did not know the meaning of pizzicato. From Wikipedia: "On bowed string instruments it is a method of playing by plucking the strings with the fingers, rather than using the bow. This produces a very different sound from bowing, short and percussive rather than sustained."

131. No. in a forecast: TEMP.

132. Lock: TRESS.

133. Word on a triangular sign: YIELD.

134. Exemptions for top seeds: BYES.

135. __ buco: OSSO.

Down:

1. Former Eurasian leader: TSAR.

2. Rather: OH SO.

3. Rock the baby, around the world, etc.: YO-YO TRICKS.

4. Comforts: SOOTHES.

5. "Night Court" TV network: NBC.

6. British pop singer Rita: ORA. Here with her husband Taika Waititi, the director of "Thor: Ragnarok".

7. Made the grade: RATED.

8. Bee or butterfly: INSECT.

9. Sac fly result: RBI.

10. Antlered ruminant: ELK.

11. Olds of old: CIERA.

12. Shallot kin: ONION.

13. __ Gritty Dirt Band: NITTY.

14. "Your point is?": AND.

15. Big top performance: CIRCUS ACT. And 16. Skeet target: CLAY PIGEON. We don't often a 10 & 9 pair in a themed grid.

17. Kidney-related: RENAL.

18. With a single voice: AS ONE.

24. Takes advantage of: USES.

25. Gander: LOOK.

30. "Eww!": ICK.

33. Short "And yet ... ": OTOH.

34. Woodworking connector: DOWEL.

35. Utah city near two national parks: MOAB.

36. Soft summons: PSST.

37. Lanikai Beach's island: OAHU.

38. Like some grilling planks: CEDAR. This cedar plank salmon looks yummy.

39. Got up: AROSE. And 71. Got up: AWOKE.

44. Confidentiality doc: NDA. Non-Disclosure Agreement.

46. Typist's meas.: WPM.

47. Curaçao neighbor: ARUBA.

48. Hard on the ears: NOISY.

50. Goad: URGE.

51. Canadian gas brand: ESSO.

53. "Intelligence for Your Life" host John: TESH.

54. Hilton competitor: OMNI.

55. Some airport rides: UBERS.

56. Attracts: DRAWS.

58. Charles River sch.: MIT.

63. Andante and adagio: TEMPI.

65. Hotmail provider: MSN.

66. La Scala performance: OPERA.

70. Flask filler: HOOCH.

72. Harness strap: REIN.

73. Homey lodgings: INNS.

74. "Big Little Lies" actress Kravitz: ZOE. Star-studded cast.

75. Throws in: ADDS.

76. Time in the tub: SOAK.

77. "Nearly finished!": ALMOST DONE. And 81. Orchard fruit originally from Ohio: ROME APPLES. So many nice fill in this grid.

82. "Come on in!": ENTER.

83. Answered an invite: RSVP'D.

85. Puts in a Hall of Fame, say: ENSHRINES.

87. Kylo of the "Star Wars" sequels: REN.

89. Jamaican genre: SKA.

90. Sport with bamboo swords: KENDO.

93. "Hold it, horses!": WHOA.

94. Share hot goss: DISH. Hot gossip.

95. Himalayan recluse: YETI.

96. Citation abbr.: ET AL.

101. Degrade oneself by: STOOP TO.

103. Word with year or rear: END.

105. South American palm: ACAI.

108. Asian noodle: SOBA. I prefer it cold.

109. Get used (to): ADAPT.

110. Instrument in Hindi cinema: SITAR.

111. Pet in a tank: GUPPY.

112. Zhou who hosted Nixon: ENLAI.

113. Stop: CEASE.

114. Walt Disney Concert Hall architect Frank: GEHRY.

119. Alpo rival: IAMS.

120. Tit for tat, e.g.: TYPO.

122. Some city trains: ELS.

124. Luxury bag monogram: YSL.

125. Tied the knot: WED.

126. Broomball surface: ICE.

127. Denials: NOS.

 

A few extra notes: 

1) Happy 76th birthday to Madame DeFarge (Janice), who used to comment on our blog regularly. We miss you, Janice! 

 

From L To R: Abejo, WikWak and Madame DeFarge

 

 

2) Happy birthday to sumdaze, our creative Monday Sherpa. Who else can ride 65 miles in one day?  I'm so lucky to have you in my life, Renee! Feel better soon!

3) Happy 16th birthday to our blog! Thank you so much for visiting and commenting.

4) Have a go at this "Farm Girls" puzzle I made for Atlas Obscura last Monday. I wish someone would blog about their puzzles. 

5) My left arm still has slight twinge. I pull wide on that side and often do not pull through, but I'm so happy to be back to the pool again. I don't over-rotate anymore and my bilateral breathing continues to be good. Now I need to focus on kicking harder with my right leg. So odd since I'm right-handed. You'd think I have a dominant right leg also. 

 

 C.C.