Theme: Funny Business - Familiar two-word phrases are humorously re-interpreted as if they are the workplaces for the corresponding occupations in the clues.
27A. Fishmonger's workplace? : SCHOOL BUILDING. School of fish.
41A. Justice of the peace's workplace? : HITCHING POST. This clue made me laugh.
65A. Cattleman's workplace? : STOCK MARKET. Windhover would love this answer.
89A. Matchmaker's workplace? : CHEMISTRY LAB. Awesome answer/clue, Annette!
104A. Dentist's workplace? : FILLING STATION. This one is for our Dr. G, who's a retired dentist.
15D. Racetrack owner's workplace? : OVAL OFFICE. Great workplace for Argyle/Dilbert/Tinbeni, all racing fans.
34D. Slapstick comedian's workplace? : CORN FIELD. Clue echo with PRATFALL (44A. Slapstick antic).
54D. Hard rock musician's workplace? : METAL SHOP. Crossing central hub answer STOCK MARKET, same as 34D.
70D. Ammunition supplier's workplace? : POWDER ROOM. What a drastic pun!
Very creative thinking, isn't it? I wonder if any race tracker owner actually does own an OVAL OFFICE to brag about. Several of John's theme answers made their first ever crossword appearances today.
A slight aberration from John's typical Sunday pangram puzzles. Two pairs of helper squares to facilitate a smoother fill in the middle part of the grid. Without them, we would not have the wonderful FILE NAME, subsequently SECOND HAND might be impossible. I love both of them very much.
The puzzle design resembles a bit of Rich's "Knock 'Em Dead" puzzle we had on August 15, with 9 theme entries, 4 of which are placed vertically. John's middle anchor STOCK MARKET intersects with two of the Downs, while there's no theme entry interaction at all in Rich's puzzle.
I've highlighted his characteristic clue echos in the write-up. Do feel free to add if I miss any. John is on vacation right now, so he might not respond to our comments.
Across:
1. Leg-pulls : JESTS. And PRANK (44D. Leg-pull). Quintessential John Lampkin style fun. clue.
6. Mean boss : OGRE. And DEVIL (10. Underworld boss?). Boss is related to Labor Day.
15. Chooses : OPTS
19. How some risks are taken, after "on" : A DARE
20. "I'd like to say something" : AHEM
21. Title singer of "You Must Love Me" : EVITA. Only know her "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina".
22. Full of oneself : VAIN
23. Beethoven's love : MUSIC
24. Grave : TOMB. And GHOUL (7. Grave robber).
25. Kids' snow creations : FORTS
26. Spell opener : ABRA. Opener to Abracadabra. This opener is for Jazzbumpa and all those who loves spells.
30. Ring tone activator : CALLER
32. Traffic tangle : SNARL. And JAMS (1D. Traffic tangles).
33. Strong-ox connector : AS AN. Strong as an ox.
34. Last to arrive at the station : CABOOSE. Here are some wonderful pictures and witty comments from John himself.
35. Ruler divisions: Abbr. : CMS. Centimeters. Then we have OLAF (40. Norwegian ruler) and TSAR (120. Old Russian ruler). Different rulers.
38. Letters from your parents? : DNA. Great clue, which works for RNA also, right, Al? Also EIEIO (51. Letters sung after various animal names).
39. Greenhouse gas : OZONE. And EIRE (61. Green land) & ST. PAT (97D. Green land patron, for short). Ireland.
48. First name in B-29 history : ENOLA. Enola Gay.
49. Bard's contraction : EEN. And OPE (39D. Reveal, to a bard).
50. Prince Valiant's son : ARN. Finally committed this word to my memory.
52. Hard drive title : FILE NAME. Debut entry.
55. Rice dish : PILAF
57. Bit for Fido, perhaps : SCRAP
58. Dept. store stock : MDSE (Merchandise)
59. It's south of Georgia : ARMENIA. The country Georgia. And VIRG (12D. It's N of North Carolina).
62. Bears : HAS
68. Twisting shape : ESS. And LIARS (46. Truth twisters).
69. Put __ on: limit : A CAP
71. Property claim resulting from a default : TAX LIEN. Needed crossing help.
72. Timber wolf : LOBO
75. Mill output? : RUMOR. Rumor mill.
77. Rimes of country : LEANN
78. Classic sitcom sidekick : ED NORTON. Always nice to see a full name.
82. Vermont tourist town, home to the Trapp Family Lodge : STOWE. It's named after whom, Lois?
83. One of Beethoven's nine: Abbr. : SYM (Symphony)
84. Denom. : REL. Religious denomination.
86. 1836 siege site : ALAMO
87. Big pain : HEADACHE. And SASH (3. It takes panes). Play on "It take pains".
93. Nymph who loved her own voice : ECHO. Plenty of clue echos in John's puzzle. He has a very imaginative mind.
94. Thigh muscles : QUADS
95. Spain's El __ : CID
96. Canyon pair? : ENS. Two letter Ns in canyon.
97. Begin : START-UP
100. One of two Monopoly squares: Abbr. : UTIL. And BOARD GAMES ( 73D. Monopoly and others). And AGORA (101D. Greek square). Also FETA (104. Greek cheese).
101. Danny of the NBA : AINGE. Nope. Don't follow NBA.
103. Drive to drink? : THIRST. "Drive" here is noun.
109. Baja buck : PESO
110. New, in Nicaragua : NUEVA. Alliteration.
112. Sticky substances : GOOS
113. Spiritual sustenance : MANNA. Food from heaven.
114. Folk singer Guthrie : ARLO
115. Adlai's running mate : ESTES (Kefauver). Have not seen his name for a long time.
116. Protagonist : HERO
117. Duck down : EIDER. Also ABATES (31D. Dies down) and HAIL (90. Come down hard?). Fantastic down tapestry.
118. Pour : TEEM
119. They're always advancing : YEARS. Awesome clue.
121. With a wink, perhaps : SLYLY
Down:
2. PTA concern : EDUC
4. Small chamber groups : TRIOS
5. Used : SECOND-HAND. Nice answer.
6. Healthful cereal choice : OAT BRAN. Eww, I can't stand bran product.
8. Do-fa links : REMI. Do Re Mi Fa.
9. Decorate with brilliant colors : EMBLAZON
10. Rebellious : DEFIANT
11. Four-time Australian Open champ Goolagong : EVONNE. First encounter with the lady.
13. Addams family cousin : ITT
14. Where "Madama Butterfly" premiered : LA SCALA. Easy guess.
16. Cubist Picasso : PABLO
17. Some swing seats : TIRES. Triple alliteration.
18. Drum kit item : SNARE
28. Legal scholar Guinier : LANI. Stumped me again. My brain just refuses to digest certain things.
29. Brit. mil. awards : DSOS. DSO = Distinguished Service Order.
35. Anthony Bourdain, for one : CHEF
36. 2004 iPod debut : MINI
37. Small-runway mil. craft : STOL (Short TakeOff and Land). Another mystery answer, Dudley.
42. Skelton's Kadiddlehopper : CLEM
43. "Golly" : GEE
45. Hawk's nest : AERIE
47. Horses' gaits : LOPES
50. Mem. of seven consecutive All-Star Game winning teams, 2003-2009 : AL'ER. National League won this year.
53. Admin. aide : ASST. Alliteration.
55. Image creators : PR MEN. Spin doctors.
56. Somalian supermodel : IMAN. Wife to David Bowie.
59. Analogous : AKIN
60. Oodles : A TON
62. Austere : HARSH
63. Extreme, as pain : ACUTE
64. Margaret Mead subject : SAMOA
66. Daisy whose buds may be used as a caper substitute : OXEYE. Unknown trivia to me.
67. No blabbermouth : CLAM
74. Airport south of Paris : ORLY. Hub before Charles de Gaulle Airport.
76. Hits back, say : REACTS
78. Yale Blue wearer : ELI. Have never heard of Yale Blue before.
79. Fishing souvenir? : TALE. Fun clue.
80. Land on its own gulf : OMAN. Gulf of Oman.
81. Heads, in slang : NOBS
84. Traffic stopper : RED LIGHT
85. Ambulance initials : EMS
88. Indian relish : CHUTNEY. Love mango chutney.
89. Old sailor's blade : CUTLASS. And SCISSOR (91. Cut with small blades).
92. Salon request : TINT
94. Tremble : QUIVER
98. "Done" : THERE
99. Shopping cart path : AISLE. And E-TAIL (102. Shopping with virtual carts).
105. Denials : NOES
106. Dr. Jones, familiarly : INDY. Indiana Jones?
107. Scott Turow memoir : ONE L
108. Quaint "not" : NARY
111. Employment : USE
Answer grid.
Our constructor John Lampkin writes:
A few months ago, Annette made a really sharp comment here about one of my puzzles. I immediately contacted her through her email link and invited her to be a beta tester for my upcoming puzzles. She has been phenomenal and always has solid suggestions for improvements to the clues. Also, I ran today’s theme idea by her at the early stage of construction and she came up with CHEMISTRY LAB Where matchmakers work? So a big heartfelt thank you to Annette, congratulations on her debut as constructor’s helper, and a big cheer for this blog!
C.C.
27A. Fishmonger's workplace? : SCHOOL BUILDING. School of fish.
41A. Justice of the peace's workplace? : HITCHING POST. This clue made me laugh.
65A. Cattleman's workplace? : STOCK MARKET. Windhover would love this answer.
89A. Matchmaker's workplace? : CHEMISTRY LAB. Awesome answer/clue, Annette!
104A. Dentist's workplace? : FILLING STATION. This one is for our Dr. G, who's a retired dentist.
15D. Racetrack owner's workplace? : OVAL OFFICE. Great workplace for Argyle/Dilbert/Tinbeni, all racing fans.
34D. Slapstick comedian's workplace? : CORN FIELD. Clue echo with PRATFALL (44A. Slapstick antic).
54D. Hard rock musician's workplace? : METAL SHOP. Crossing central hub answer STOCK MARKET, same as 34D.
70D. Ammunition supplier's workplace? : POWDER ROOM. What a drastic pun!
Very creative thinking, isn't it? I wonder if any race tracker owner actually does own an OVAL OFFICE to brag about. Several of John's theme answers made their first ever crossword appearances today.
A slight aberration from John's typical Sunday pangram puzzles. Two pairs of helper squares to facilitate a smoother fill in the middle part of the grid. Without them, we would not have the wonderful FILE NAME, subsequently SECOND HAND might be impossible. I love both of them very much.
The puzzle design resembles a bit of Rich's "Knock 'Em Dead" puzzle we had on August 15, with 9 theme entries, 4 of which are placed vertically. John's middle anchor STOCK MARKET intersects with two of the Downs, while there's no theme entry interaction at all in Rich's puzzle.
I've highlighted his characteristic clue echos in the write-up. Do feel free to add if I miss any. John is on vacation right now, so he might not respond to our comments.
Across:
1. Leg-pulls : JESTS. And PRANK (44D. Leg-pull). Quintessential John Lampkin style fun. clue.
6. Mean boss : OGRE. And DEVIL (10. Underworld boss?). Boss is related to Labor Day.
15. Chooses : OPTS
19. How some risks are taken, after "on" : A DARE
20. "I'd like to say something" : AHEM
21. Title singer of "You Must Love Me" : EVITA. Only know her "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina".
22. Full of oneself : VAIN
23. Beethoven's love : MUSIC
24. Grave : TOMB. And GHOUL (7. Grave robber).
25. Kids' snow creations : FORTS
26. Spell opener : ABRA. Opener to Abracadabra. This opener is for Jazzbumpa and all those who loves spells.
30. Ring tone activator : CALLER
32. Traffic tangle : SNARL. And JAMS (1D. Traffic tangles).
33. Strong-ox connector : AS AN. Strong as an ox.
34. Last to arrive at the station : CABOOSE. Here are some wonderful pictures and witty comments from John himself.
35. Ruler divisions: Abbr. : CMS. Centimeters. Then we have OLAF (40. Norwegian ruler) and TSAR (120. Old Russian ruler). Different rulers.
38. Letters from your parents? : DNA. Great clue, which works for RNA also, right, Al? Also EIEIO (51. Letters sung after various animal names).
39. Greenhouse gas : OZONE. And EIRE (61. Green land) & ST. PAT (97D. Green land patron, for short). Ireland.
48. First name in B-29 history : ENOLA. Enola Gay.
49. Bard's contraction : EEN. And OPE (39D. Reveal, to a bard).
50. Prince Valiant's son : ARN. Finally committed this word to my memory.
52. Hard drive title : FILE NAME. Debut entry.
55. Rice dish : PILAF
57. Bit for Fido, perhaps : SCRAP
58. Dept. store stock : MDSE (Merchandise)
59. It's south of Georgia : ARMENIA. The country Georgia. And VIRG (12D. It's N of North Carolina).
62. Bears : HAS
68. Twisting shape : ESS. And LIARS (46. Truth twisters).
69. Put __ on: limit : A CAP
71. Property claim resulting from a default : TAX LIEN. Needed crossing help.
72. Timber wolf : LOBO
75. Mill output? : RUMOR. Rumor mill.
77. Rimes of country : LEANN
78. Classic sitcom sidekick : ED NORTON. Always nice to see a full name.
82. Vermont tourist town, home to the Trapp Family Lodge : STOWE. It's named after whom, Lois?
83. One of Beethoven's nine: Abbr. : SYM (Symphony)
84. Denom. : REL. Religious denomination.
86. 1836 siege site : ALAMO
87. Big pain : HEADACHE. And SASH (3. It takes panes). Play on "It take pains".
93. Nymph who loved her own voice : ECHO. Plenty of clue echos in John's puzzle. He has a very imaginative mind.
94. Thigh muscles : QUADS
95. Spain's El __ : CID
96. Canyon pair? : ENS. Two letter Ns in canyon.
97. Begin : START-UP
100. One of two Monopoly squares: Abbr. : UTIL. And BOARD GAMES ( 73D. Monopoly and others). And AGORA (101D. Greek square). Also FETA (104. Greek cheese).
101. Danny of the NBA : AINGE. Nope. Don't follow NBA.
103. Drive to drink? : THIRST. "Drive" here is noun.
109. Baja buck : PESO
110. New, in Nicaragua : NUEVA. Alliteration.
112. Sticky substances : GOOS
113. Spiritual sustenance : MANNA. Food from heaven.
114. Folk singer Guthrie : ARLO
115. Adlai's running mate : ESTES (Kefauver). Have not seen his name for a long time.
116. Protagonist : HERO
117. Duck down : EIDER. Also ABATES (31D. Dies down) and HAIL (90. Come down hard?). Fantastic down tapestry.
118. Pour : TEEM
119. They're always advancing : YEARS. Awesome clue.
121. With a wink, perhaps : SLYLY
Down:
2. PTA concern : EDUC
4. Small chamber groups : TRIOS
5. Used : SECOND-HAND. Nice answer.
6. Healthful cereal choice : OAT BRAN. Eww, I can't stand bran product.
8. Do-fa links : REMI. Do Re Mi Fa.
9. Decorate with brilliant colors : EMBLAZON
10. Rebellious : DEFIANT
11. Four-time Australian Open champ Goolagong : EVONNE. First encounter with the lady.
13. Addams family cousin : ITT
14. Where "Madama Butterfly" premiered : LA SCALA. Easy guess.
16. Cubist Picasso : PABLO
17. Some swing seats : TIRES. Triple alliteration.
18. Drum kit item : SNARE
28. Legal scholar Guinier : LANI. Stumped me again. My brain just refuses to digest certain things.
29. Brit. mil. awards : DSOS. DSO = Distinguished Service Order.
35. Anthony Bourdain, for one : CHEF
36. 2004 iPod debut : MINI
37. Small-runway mil. craft : STOL (Short TakeOff and Land). Another mystery answer, Dudley.
42. Skelton's Kadiddlehopper : CLEM
43. "Golly" : GEE
45. Hawk's nest : AERIE
47. Horses' gaits : LOPES
50. Mem. of seven consecutive All-Star Game winning teams, 2003-2009 : AL'ER. National League won this year.
53. Admin. aide : ASST. Alliteration.
55. Image creators : PR MEN. Spin doctors.
56. Somalian supermodel : IMAN. Wife to David Bowie.
59. Analogous : AKIN
60. Oodles : A TON
62. Austere : HARSH
63. Extreme, as pain : ACUTE
64. Margaret Mead subject : SAMOA
66. Daisy whose buds may be used as a caper substitute : OXEYE. Unknown trivia to me.
67. No blabbermouth : CLAM
74. Airport south of Paris : ORLY. Hub before Charles de Gaulle Airport.
76. Hits back, say : REACTS
78. Yale Blue wearer : ELI. Have never heard of Yale Blue before.
79. Fishing souvenir? : TALE. Fun clue.
80. Land on its own gulf : OMAN. Gulf of Oman.
81. Heads, in slang : NOBS
84. Traffic stopper : RED LIGHT
85. Ambulance initials : EMS
88. Indian relish : CHUTNEY. Love mango chutney.
89. Old sailor's blade : CUTLASS. And SCISSOR (91. Cut with small blades).
92. Salon request : TINT
94. Tremble : QUIVER
98. "Done" : THERE
99. Shopping cart path : AISLE. And E-TAIL (102. Shopping with virtual carts).
105. Denials : NOES
106. Dr. Jones, familiarly : INDY. Indiana Jones?
107. Scott Turow memoir : ONE L
108. Quaint "not" : NARY
111. Employment : USE
Answer grid.
Our constructor John Lampkin writes:
A few months ago, Annette made a really sharp comment here about one of my puzzles. I immediately contacted her through her email link and invited her to be a beta tester for my upcoming puzzles. She has been phenomenal and always has solid suggestions for improvements to the clues. Also, I ran today’s theme idea by her at the early stage of construction and she came up with CHEMISTRY LAB Where matchmakers work? So a big heartfelt thank you to Annette, congratulations on her debut as constructor’s helper, and a big cheer for this blog!
C.C.
