Theme: "Better With Age" - AGE is added to each common phrase.
22. Ancestors infamous for tasteless jokes?: OFFENSIVE LINEAGE. Offensive line.
32. Instruction from the Juicy Juice shipping supervisor?: PACKAGE A PUNCH. Pack a punch.
49. Videobomb in an otherwise Pulitzer-worthy newscast?: FOOTAGE FAULT. Foot fault.
68. Chaos at the spa?: MASSAGE HYSTERIA. Mass hysteria.
89. Evidence of vacuum misuse?: HOOVER DAMAGE. Hoover Dam.
106. Political strategy that relies on folksy sayings?: ADAGE CAMPAIGN. Ad campaign.
120. Neosporin motto?: I'M WITH THE BANDAGE. I'm with band.
I had difficulty parsing PACKAGE A PUNCH. Others are all solid.
Scott Hogan and Katie Hale are a dynamic duo. They've made quite a few Sunday LAT and NYT puzzles.
Great follow-up to the last "Getting Old" puzzle we had a long while ago. Been ages since we last solved a James Sajdak puzzle.
Across:
1. Semaphore gear: FLAGS.
6. Studio output: ART.
9. Baby bird: CHICK.
14. Make a scene: ACT.
17. British semi: LORRY.
18. Gymnast Suni: LEE. Pride of Minnesota. She grew up in St. Paul.
19. Hallowed: SACRED.
21. Composer Stravinsky: IGOR.
25. Org. with a "meatball" insignia: NASA. From their website: In
the "meatball" design, the sphere represents a planet, the stars
represent space, the red chevron is a wing representing aeronautics. No
meatball though.
26. Not fooled by: WISE TO.
27. Bring a suit: SUE.
28. Skyscraper locales: BIG CITIES.
30. Graham who co-founded The Hollies: NASH.
35. Some hip muscles: FLEXORS.
38. "King __": KONG.
39. "Star Trek: Picard" actress Jeri: RYAN.
40. Mars, to the Greeks: ARES.
41. Engage in a linguistic battle, maybe: RAP.
43. "Careful what you __ for": WISH.
45. Manchester United mascot: DEVIL. Fred the Red Devil. The club's nickname is the Red Devils. Learning moment for me.
53. Pacers and Hornets: AMCS.
56. College email ending: EDU.
57. Author Rand: AYN.
58. Everett of "An Ideal Husband": RUPERT.
59. Scratching post fiber: SISAL.
61. Shorten, in a way: CROP. Do I look good in this pair of sunglasses? Tom Pepper's.
62. Tour employee: ROADIE.
64. "So?": AND.
66. Airport screening?: TIMETABLE. Fun clue.
72. Goes it alone: FLIES SOLO.
75. Cyberyuk: LOL.
76. "Dust in the Wind" band: KANSAS.
80. Starring role: LEAD.
81. Arm rest?: SLING. And
83. Overnighter: LODGER. My friend Carmen is finally off her sling. She was in Shenzhen ten days ago.
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| Carmen 8/21/2024 |
86. Half of deux: UNE.
87. Purpose: AIM.
88. TV host Kotb: HODA. I think Big Easy knows her first husband.
92. Forbidden: TABOO.
94. Do the hustle?: SCAM. Amazing clue!
96. Fair-hiring letters: EEO.
97. Enthusiastic: AVID.
98. Climate control syst.: HVAC.
101. Brontë sister: ANNE.
103. Can't miss: MUST SEE.
111. Perfectly: TO A T.
112. So very much: A WHOLE LOT.
113. Coconut __: OIL. Have any of you tried coconut sugar?
115. Savanna, taiga, etc.: BIOMES.
119. Brief note: MEMO.
124. Garbed: CLAD.
125. Remote target: TEE VEE. And
126. Remote insert: AAA.
127. Polynesian kingdom: TONGA. East of Fiji. Vanuatu is to the west.
128. Passe: OLD.
129. Atlanta WNBA team: DREAM.
130. Lode load: ORE.
131. "Lah-di-dah" type: SNOOT.
Down:
2. Like a stripped-back recording, briefly: LO-FI.
3. Dog sounds: ARFS.
4. Least experienced: GREENEST.
5. Grammar subject: SYNTAX.
6. Mahershala who was the first Muslim performer to win an Oscar: ALI. For "Moonlight". Won another for "Green Book".
7. Checks an engine, perhaps: REVS.
8. Elevate a golf ball: TEE UP.
9. Forensics drama franchise: CSI.
10. "To All the Boys" novelist Jenny: HAN. Korean-American.
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11. Some anti-inflammatories: ICE BAGS.
12. Pitcher Kimbrel with more than 400 career saves: CRAIG. See here. Top 5.
13. Many a frat party: KEGGER.
14. Over bidding?: AGAIN. Not auction bid.
15. Sine's reciprocal, in trig: COSEC.
16. Dis: TRASH.
20. Radioisotope activity: DECAY.
21. On the same wavelength: IN TUNE.
23. Underwhelming: SO SO.
24. Water bottle problem: LEAK.
29. Sleeping tablets, at times: IPADS. OK, the screen goes to sleep.
31. Onboarding official, for short: HR REP.
33. Loose hood: COWL.
34. Crafts with yarn: KNITS.
35. Cold treat, casually: FROYO. Never had frozen yogurt, but I'm the best soy yogurt maker in Minnesota.
36. British singer Lewis: LEONA.
37. Ump's call: SAFE.
40. Way over yonder: AFAR.
42. Exemplar: PARAGON.
44. Knows the answer: HAS IT.
46. Conjugated word: VERB.
47. Pedestal dweller: IDOL.
48. Hip-hop's __ Fiasco: LUPE.
50. Diva's big moments: ARIAS. Oh, I don't think I ever mentioned Qinqiang opera before. It's sung in Xi'an dialect.
51. "Seems that way": GUESS SO.
52. Online periodical with the slogan "Cure Ignorance": UTNE.
54. Angela Lansbury role: MAME.
55. Worked for a judge: CLERKED.
60. [Heart eyes emoji]: IT'S LOVE.
61. "Misery" co-star James: CAAN.
63. Sent a private message, briefly: DM'ED.
65. Shipping option: DHL.
67. Prom crown: TIARA.
69. Auction cry: SOLD.
70. Aka follower: ALIAS.
71. "No regrets" hashtag: YOLO.
72. Lacking pop: FLAT.
73. Skywalker twin: LEIA.
74. Poetic measure: IAMB.
77. Elegantly charming: SUAVE. I associate this word with Agnes's Gary Grant.
78. Harmon of "Rizzoli & Isles": ANGIE. Boomer loved her in "Law & Order".
79. Pomegranate bit: SEED.
82. World's second-largest cocoa producer: GHANA. The largest is the Ivory Coast. Also learning moment for me.
84. Judge to be: DEEM.
85. Tiler's supply: GROUT.
88. Ramshackle residence: HOVEL.
90. Potent prefix: OMNI.
91. Mammoth's older relative: MASTODON.
93. "Thank heavens!": OH GOOD.
95. Locked up: CAPTIVE.
99. Nail the final: ACE IT.
100. Settled (down): CALMED.
102. John Legend achievement, briefly: EGOT.
104. Japanese bowlful: SOBA.
105. Corrupts: TAINTS.
106. Repair chain with classic "beep beep" commercials: AAMCO.
107. Reside (in): DWELL.
108. Sports commentator Rashad: AHMAD.
109. Blade shortener: MOWER.
110. Chinese greeting: NI HAO. Ni = You. Hao = Good.
114. "Oh, that way madness lies" king: LEAR.
116. Honduran hand: MANO.
117. Waffle brand: EGGO.
118. Ticket line?: SEAT. Another creative clue.
121. Lapsang souchong, e.g.: TEA.
122. __ and haw: HEM.
123. Boo: BAE.
