Theme: "Interview With the Vampire" - Each common phrase contains a vampire-related word and rephrased as Vampire's answer to an question.
23. "What is your least favorite form of advertising?": CROSS PROMOTIONS.
34. "What pricing advice do you have for garden centers?": RAISE THE STAKES.
51. "What aspect of your personality are you working on?": SELF-REFLECTION.
68. "What would you wear, say, when spending St. Patrick's Day in Madrid?": CAPE VERDE.
85. "Not to put you on the spot, but who is your favorite pet?": BAT ONE THOUSAND.
97. "What investment do you recommend to your fellow creatures of the night?": CRYPTOCURRENCY.
115. "Above all else, what must your minions be?": DOWN FOR THE COUNT.
We've
seen a few Vampire puzzles in the past, but none with this approach.
Perfect title. I'm sure this puzzle starts the title first. I don't
recall a Sunday grid with two 15-letter non-theme fill. Stunning. John
is a great themeless constructor.
I mentioned before that John (upper left) runs the Boswords. The guy on the upper right is Andrew Kingsley. And you all know the third guy.
Across:
6. Foldable dish: TACO.
10. Study like mad: CRAM. You need
14. Nightstand lights: LAMPS and
19. Hotel bookings: ROOMS.
20. Wrinkle remover: IRON.
21. Georgetown athlete: HOYA.
22. Words of empathy: I CARE.
26. Edible Arrangements bit: MELON. Not famliar with Edible Arrangements.
27. Australian hub, for short: SYD. Sydney Airport.
28. Starters: A TEAM.
29. March Madness openers?: EMS. Starting letters of March Madness.
30. Last part: TAIL END.
32. Procedures: WAYS.
37. Les États-__: UNIS.
39. High pts.: MTS.
40. Spanish gold: ORO.
41. Depends (on): RELIES.
44. She, in Lisbon: ELA.
46. Phillies slugger Harper: BRYCE. Boomer would have proudly told you that he owned Harper's rookie card. We also have 42. Pitcher's stat: ERA. 99. BoSox rivals: YANKS.
48. HDTV choice: LCD.
55. Domed homes: IGLOOS.
57. Help at a wedding, informally: USH.
58. Took a spill: ATE IT.
59. Former SCOTUS monogram: RBG. Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
60. Sunscreen: PARASOL. I probably would have added ?
61. Garish: LOUD.
63. Does harm to: INJURES.
65. Pink cat in "Garfield": ARLENE.
66. "Tomorrow" musical: ANNIE.
70. Aquarium fish: TETRA.
73. Soy-based meat alternative: TEMPEH. Not fond of its taste.
75. Inorganic: MINERAL.
77. Sealed: SHUT.
78. Rum cocktails: MAI TAIS.
80. Finish with zero cards in Uno, say: WIN.
81. Couldn't stand still, say: PACED.
83. Musician Brian: ENO.
84. Throat part: TONSIL.
88. Math subj.: ALG.
89. 1970s Renault model: LE CAR.
91. Fútbol cheer: OLE.
92. Pan-fried: SAUTED.
93. Sis or bro: SIB.
94. "It's __-brainer!": A NO.
96. Missives: Abbr.: LTRS.
105. Trickster of the 109-Across: LOKI. 109. Norse pantheon: AESIR.
107. Title girl in a No. 1 song by the Knack: SHARONA.
108. Poetic contraction: OER. And
111. Poetic contraction: TIS.
114. __ grigio: PINOT.
119. Oft-taped joint for athletes: ANKLE.
120. Alan of "Bridge of Spies": ALDA.
121. Running shoe brand: AVIA.
122. Actress McDonald with six Tony Awards: AUDRA. She also has two Grammys.
123. Bouquets, at a vineyard: NOSES.
124. Articulates: SAYS.
125. "Roundball Rock" composer John: TESH.
126. Guide: STEER.
Down:
2. Like some horror movies: GORY.
3. Film with the Boston-accented line "How do you like them apples?": GOOD WILL HUNTING. Such a good movie. Partnered with a great 48. "Enough with your sass!": LOSE THE ATTITUDE.
4. Some online exchanges, briefly: IMS.
5. Composition: ESSAY.
6. Run out of steam: TIRE.
7. Like a cheering crowd: AROAR.
8. Grammatical pause: COMMA.
9. Musician Yoko: ONO. 12. Author Rand: AYN. 16. Oscar winner Rami: MALEK. 82. "Dance the Night" singer Lipa: DUA. All regulars in our grids.
10. Wind __: CHIMES.
11. Perch: ROOST.
13. Virtuosity: MASTERY. People were often surprised when I told
them that Boomer had 20 perfect games. He would have turned 77 today.
This photo was taken in 2002. Myrtle Beach.
14. Maximum or minimum: LIMIT.
15. Northeast Corridor train: ACELA.
17. Given (to): PRONE.
18. Elates: SENDS.
24. NBA stat: Abbr.: PTS.
25. "This is only a __": TEST.
31. Standoffish: ASOCIAL.
33. "Yeah, right!": AS IF.
35. Apple desktop: IMAC.
36. Shofar, e.g.: HORN. Shofars are used for Jewish religious purposes, according to Wikipedia.
37. "The Little Mermaid" witch: URSULA.
38. Liam of "Taken": NEESON.
43. Org. looking for alien life: SETI.
44. Seder prophet: ELIJAH.
45. Relent: LET UP.
46. Peaty wetland: BOG.
47. Everglades bird: EGRET.
49. Murmur: COO.
50. Broadband letters: DSL.
52. Yard dividers: FENCES.
53. Golf great Lee: TREVINO. He used to be here for the 3M Championship. Always in the same group as Jack Nicklaus & Gary Player.
54. "Peer Gynt" playwright: IBSEN.
56. Highway divisions: LANES.
60. Deliver a sermon: PREACH.
62. Meal plans: DIETS.
64. Send payment: REMIT.
65. Classified stat: AD RATE.
67. Inbox message: EMAIL.
69. Drive off: REPEL.
71. Athlete in a triathlon's last leg: RUNNER.
72. Holding conflicting views: AT ODDS. With.
74. Supplies additional criticism: PILES ON.
76. Many August babies: LEOS.
78. NYC subway org.: MTA.
79. Early ISP: AOL.
80. "One, two, three, four, I declare a thumb __!": WAR.
85. Hindu "sir": BABU.
86. Midday: NOON.
87. Brood: SULK.
90. Noisy insects: CICADAS. Tasty when fried.
94. Sports venues: ARENAS.
95. Foam toy material: NERF.
97. Channel created as a community service: C-SPAN.
98. Thick-skinned herbivore: RHINO.
100. Member of the working class: PROLE. Short for proletariat.
101. "For sure!": TOTES.
102. Rambunctious: ROWDY.
103. Make one's mark, in a way: CARVE.
104. Legendary Himalayans: YETIS. Called "Xue Ren" in Chinese, literally "snowman".
105. Tell tales: LIE.
106. Black-and-white whales: ORCAS.
110. Deposed Iranian ruler: SHAH.
112. Memo starter: IN RE.
113. Coveted symbol in Dr. Seuss's "The Sneetches": STAR.
116. Lisbon greeting: OLA.
117. Cheerios grain: OAT.
118. Tennis call: OUT.
I'd like to recommend this puzzle book to you guys. You can read this blog post from
Brooke Husic. I don't remember solving a puzzle book with
constructor notes. Quite a few LAT constructors have a puzzle in the
collection. Just from my puzzle answer sheet page, I see Rafa Musa, Darby Ratliff and Adam Aaronson (yesterday's constructor).
C.C.
