Theme: "Center of Attention" - HALFTIME SHOW is orderly added to each common phrase.
21. Growling or barking, e.g.?: DOG THREAT. Dog treat.
28. Existence fueled by rotini and tagliatelle?: PASTA LIFE. Past life.
30. Driveway mistake?: GRAVEL ERROR. Grave error.
43. "You're talking to a haunted house expert here"?: I KNOW FRIGHT. I know, right?
47. Obnoxious poster in the r/wellsfargo Reddit?: BANK TROLL. Bank roll.
63. Rant against the sun?: DAY TIRADE. Day trade.
69. Providers of room service for musicians' tours?: BAND MAIDS. Band-aids.
81. Intense "don't blink" contests?: STARE WARS. Star Wars.
86. Opening dis at a roast?: FIRST SLIGHT. First light.
101. Erratic radiator?: FUSSY HEATER. Fussy eater.
103. Gigs as conductors and percussionists?: TEMPO JOBS. Temp jobs.
Sure hope circles all show up in your paper. Otherwise, some solvers might have missed the extra layer in this theme.
As
I mentioned last week, 12 entries in exact order is very demanding. You
just can't move theme around or put some in the Down slots to ease the
filling. Both both our constructors are pros.
Across:
1. Spot on a die: PIP.
4. Heel's opposite: FLAT. Shoe.
8. Relax: CHILL.
13. Broken bone's protector: CAST.
17. "You really think that of me?": AM I.
18. Take care of: SEE TO.
19. Casual layer: HOODIE.
20. "Barbie Girl" band: AQUA.
23. Overacted: EMOTED.
24. Hide furtively: LURK.
25. Rebel leader in a space opera: LEIA.
26. Iowa crop: CORN.
33. Thick lumps: GLOBS.
34. Smidgens: IOTAS.
35. Like the full-moon festival Boun That Luang: LAOTIAN. Boun = "Festival". That Luang ="Sacred Stupa",
38. Morsels: BITS.
41. Fig. calculated at a checkup: BMI. Body Mass Index. Also 61. Back muscle, casually: DELT.
Stuff Andy is interested in. This used to be his bed room, he turned it
into an exercise room during COVID. He now sleeps in my old room.
42. FYI kin: BTW.
51. Over yonder: THERE.
52. Soft ball: NERF.
54. German "no": NEIN.
55. Unit in many a Zillow listing: ACRE.
58. Food drive donations: CANS.
60. "Parenthood" actress Whitman: MAE. She plays one of the daughter in "When a Man Loves a Woman".
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62. Not again: ONCE.
65. Target: GOAL.
66. SmackDown figures: WRESTLERS.
68. Ultra big: MEGA.
71. Street: ROAD. 40. Italian 71-Across: STRADA.
72. Pocket-size: MINI.
73. Ambulance fig.: EMT.
74. Fashion monthly: ELLE.
75. "__ move": YOUR.
76. Lucy of "Pretty Little Liars": HALE.
77. __ monster: GILA.
79. Boise State's home: IDAHO.
90. Menopause treatment, briefly: HRT. Hormone Replacement Therapy.
91. Little taste: SIP.
92. Himalayan creature: YETI. And 119. Himalayan creature: YAK.
93. Like ears with studs: PIERCED.
95. Crete's highest pt.: MT IDA.
97. Was out: SLEPT.
107. Suckling spot: TEAT.
108. "My mistake!": OOPS.
109. Surrounding energy: AURA.
110. Title girl in Kay Thompson books: ELOISE.
116. Climber's hold: CRAG.
117. Straightforward: CANDID.
118. Shrek and Fiona: OGRES.
120. Seep: OOZE.
121. Palms, e.g.: TREES.
122. Group between boomers and millennials: XERS. Born between 1965 and 1980.
123. Intel seeker: SPY.
Down:
2. "If u ask me ... ": IMO.
3. Jargon with terms ending in -ay: PIG LATIN.
4. Born to be wild: FERAL.
5. 2022 U.S. Women's Open golf champ Minjee: LEE. Australian golfer. Her parents are from Korea.
6. Going slowly: AT A CRAWL.
7. Forest spirit in a Miyazaki classic: TOTORO. From "My Neighbor Totoro".
8. Dot follower: COM.
9. __ skirt: HOOP.
10. Collar attachment: ID TAG.
11. Von Trapp daughter: LIESL.
12. Resulted in: LED TO.
13. Four-letter name of a radio station, e.g.: CALL SIGN.
14. Word heard in a Spanish class roll call: AQUI. Here.
15. Ride the waves: SURF.
16. Confiscate: TAKE.
18. Backs (away): SHIES.
19. Playwright Ibsen: HENRIK.
22. Brand of hiking sandals: TEVA. Hebrew for "nature".
27. Naan kin: ROTI.
29. Jacobson of "Broad City": ABBI.
30. The "Gee" in "Bee Gees": GIBB.
31. Tomato type: ROMA.
32. Pop icon John: ELTON.
36. Put into a pot: ANTE.
37. Japanese drama: NOH.
39. Epiphany trio: THE MAGI.
42. "The Vanishing Half" author Bennett: BRIT.
44. "Be ready to prove your age": WE CARD.
45. Comes apart at the seams: FRAYS.
46. Let out: RENT.
48. Massage: KNEAD.
49. "I have to know!": TELL ME.
50. Bowling alley lineup: LANES. Boomer never would had imagined that now I need my lane also.
53. ATM charge: FEE.
56. Loops in: CCS.
57. Back in style: RETRO.
59. Literary device: SIMILE.
61. "I need the truth!": DON'T LIE.
62. Tough go: ORDEAL.
63. Close ones: DEARS.
64. Subscribe again: RENEW.
65. Assign points to, maybe: GAMIFY. Not a word I use.
66. Untamed territory: WILDS.
67. "Mambo No. 5" singer Bega: LOU.
69. "I __ of you!": BEG.
70. Landed: ALIT.
72. Wawa, for one: MART. Never heard of Wawa Mart.
75. Expert who's a real poser?: YOGI. The yoga pose-r.
76. Intrepid: HARDY.
78. Culture writer's milieu: ARTS PAGE.
80. Way cool: HIP.
82. Play area?: THE STAGE. Fun clue.
83. "Following these directions ... ": AS IT SAYS.
84. Wheels: RIDE.
85. Shadowbox: SPAR.
87. Cylindrical storage structure: SILO.
88. Lifted: HEFTED.
89. Verifiable: TRUE.
94. Collection of farm-fresh produce: CSA BOX. CSA = Community Supported Agriculture.
95. Persian greetings?: MEOWS.
96. Adhesive strip: TAPE.
98. Throw out: EJECT.
99. Big name in seltzer: POLAR.
100. Rib eye alternative: T-BONE.
102. Takes to the cleaners: HOSES.
103. Folded food: TACO.
104. 100 cents: EURO.
105. "Lucky" Grammy winner Jason: MRAZ.
106. Tots, e.g.: SIDE.
111. Close fam member: SIS.
113. Film with the Oscar-winning song "Naatu Naatu": RRR. Gimme for me.
114. Recruit: TAP.
115. __ blue: SKY.
Carmen sent me more Spring Festival pictures. I love the flower markets in Guangzhou.
 | |||
| Carmen and Lao Pan |
 |
| Good Luck Fruit |
Go solve this themeless Modern crossword if you have some extra time. It's edited by Anna Gundlach.
