Theme: "Wide World of Sports" - Each common phrase is humorously reinterpreted as sports-related, fitting the legend in each corresponding clue.
24. Perfect serve by Serena Williams?: POINT OF NO RETURN.
37. Asset for Simone Biles during a beam routine?: OUTSTANDING BALANCE.
51. Patrick Mahomes's responsibilities on the football field?: SNAP DECISIONS.
63. Lindsay Vonn's secret to winning the super G?: GOING DOWNHILL FAST.
83. Makes like Richard Petty in a NASCAR race?: GETS UP TO SPEED.
93. What the Reds had when Johnny Bench was behind the plate?: HOME SECURITY SYSTEM
112. What Rory McIlroy does to practice his golf swing?: TAKES A TEST DRIVE.
This is indeed Wide World of Sports, covering seven different sports. Each person in the clue is the GOAT in their own field.
This is our third puzzle from Jill Rafaloff and Michelle Sontarp. They make a great team
Across:
6. Yogi demonstrations: ASANAS.
12. NMSP qualifying exam: PSAT. NMSP is National Merit Scholarship Qualifications.
16. Black Mission fruit: FIG. So good when fresh.
19. Thrifty alternative: ALAMO.
20. Dynamite roll filler: SHRIMP. With shrimp tempura.
21. Dined at a table for one: ATE ALONE.
23. Flight leader: PILOT.
26. Blow past one's budget: OVER-SPEND.
28. Fulfill, as a promise: KEEP.
29. Elation: GLEE.
30. Scrap and start again: REDO.
31. Anxiety-related med. condition: OCD.
32. Paired fairly: EVEN.
34. Pay rate: WAGE.
43. Clip art?: BONSAI. We call it Penjing. Same art.
45. Up to today: YET.
46. "Plus others not listed" abbr.: ET AL.
47. Singer/actress Rita: ORA.
49. Functionality: UTILITY.
55. Collar insert: STAY.
56. Spreads uncontrollably: RAGES.
58. Attestation: OATH.
59. Sheer skirt need: SLIP.
60. Paul David Hewson's stage name: BONO.
61. "You've got mail" company: AOL.
62. Intel employees?: SPIES. Intelligence.
70. "The Iron Claw" actor Zac: EFRON. He bulked up for the role.
72. Espouse: WED.
73. Pork cut: LOIN.
74. Give up: DROP.
75. Ready and willing partner: ABLE.
77. Hellspawn: DEMON.
79. Crude content: SMUT.
87. Eighth planet from the sun: NEPTUNE.
89. Rough guess, for short: EST.
90. Rests one's feet: SITS.
91. Infuriated: MAD.
92. Hand in: SUBMIT..
99. Cheese with a red casing: EDAM.
100. "His Dark Materials" actress Wilson: RUTH. And 117. "The Office" actor Wilson: RAINN.
101. Weed whacker?: HOE.
102. Fissure: RIFT.
105. Golden calf, e.g.: IDOL.
108. Authors: PENS.
110. Unexpected charge: HIDDEN FEE.
118. Crumbly topping: STREUSEL. Often on top of the apple crisp at the Graybar Christmas luncheon.
119. Winner's wreath: LAUREL.
120. __-Roman wrestling: GRECO.
121. Pro motion?: YEA. Nice clue.
122. Profs' degrees: PHDS.
123. Fire remnants: EMBERS.
124. More peculiar: ODDER.
Down:
2. Castelvetrano, for one: OLIVE. Castelvetrano is new to me. Named after the down in Sicily.
3. Poetic name of Scotland: CALEDONIA. Also new to me. Wikipedia says it "was the Latin name used by the Roman Empire to refer to the part of Scotland that lies north of the River Forth, which includes most of the land area of Scotland.
4. With passion: AMOROUSLY.
5. Parcels: LOTS.
6. Facet: ASPECT.
7. "Scandal" producer Rhimes: SHONDA.
8. Like the McMurdo Dry Valleys: ARID.
9. Writer Anaïs: NIN.
10. Check no.: AMT.
12. French door piece: PANE.
13. Clock app option: STOPWATCH.
14. __ Lingus: AER.
15. __ Bo: 1990s fitness fad: TAE.
16. Rank: FOUL.
17. Subject line?: IN RE.
18. __ therapy: GENE.
22. Three-star mil. rank: LT GEN.
25. __ shui: FENG. Literally "wind".
27. Electron's antiparticle: POSITRON.
32. Pristine places: EDENS. Have you ever tried a brand called Eden? I recent bought a bag of millet from them. The taste is close to what I had as a kid.
33. Life, in Italy: VITA.
35. Jai __: ALAI.
36. Some folks: GALS.
38. Mai __: cocktail: TAI.
39. Big Board abbr.: NYSE.
40. Vivid root vegetable: BEET.
41. "Check your temper!": COOL IT.
42. Hudson of "Ghostbusters": ERNIE.
43. Crosstown transit option: BUS.
44. Baseball great Mel: OTT. Picture from Big Easy a while ago.
48. Nile reptiles: ASPS.
50. Bowen of "Wicked": YANG.
52. Piglet's pal: POOH.
53. Surrealist painter of "The Elephants": DALI.
54. Cos. like Xfinity and Verizon: ISPS.
57. Zeus, e.g.: GOD.
60. Container: BIN.
61. "One more thing": AND.
62. __ Antonio: SAN.
63. Sea cave: GROTTO.
64. "Didn't mean to do that!": OOPS.
65. Rice University athletes: OWLS.
66. Break down, in a way: WEEP.
67. Generative AI tool: LLM. Large Language Model. Learning moment for me.
68. Bird on the Canadian dollar coin: LOON.
69. Handled adroitly: FINESSED.
70. Boundary: EDGE.
71. Sassy: FRESH.
75. Tried: ATTEMPTED.
76. Pear variety: BOSC.
77. Narrator of "The Book Thief": DEATH. The cover looks scary.
78. Current event?: EDDY.
79. Barrel-wearing dog: ST BERNARD.
80. Prepared for burial, as in ancient Egypt: MUMMIFIED.
81. Sea urchin on a Japanese menu: UNI. We also have 109. Unadon fish: EELS.
82. Lunar New Year: TET.
84. Cheaper, perhaps: USED.
85. City on the Arno: PISA.
86. Send out: EMIT.
88. "__ 'er there!": PUT.
94. Disorderly fight: MELEE.
95. Serve-yourself coffee holders: URNS.
96. Cook (up): RUSTLE.
97. Shake with cold: SHIVER. This winter has been brutally cold.
98. Alpine sounds: YODELS.
103. Yard separator: FENCE.
104. Sax type: TENOR.
105. Teeny-weeny: ITSY.
106. Go out with: DATE.
107. Stew-thickening pod: OKRA.
110. Take on: HIRE.
111. "Logically, this means ... ": ERGO.
113. "Yo!": SUP.
114. Fire remnant: ASH.
115. Flow stopper: DAM.
116. "Ay, there's the __": RUB.
Anyone else on our blog takes Methotrexate? I started the pills last Tuesday for my rheumatoid arthritis, along with prednisone.
C.C.
