Sunday January 17, 2021 C.C. Burnikel

Theme:  "Hitting the Big Leagues" - Letter PRO goes backward inside each theme entry.

21A. *Discount ticket based on age: SENIOR PASS.

23A. *Raffle rewards, perhaps: DOOR PRIZES.

45A. *Avocado misnomer: ALLIGATOR PEAR.

69A. *Cause of some back pain: POOR POSTURE.

91A. *Pre-wedding bash: BACHELOR PARTY.

116A. *It's not 112-Across: MINOR POINT.

38D. *Building diagram: FLOOR PLAN.

53D. *Workforce: LABOR POOL.

Reveal:

119A. Leaving the amateur ranks, and a hint to the answers to starred clues: TURNING PRO.

I originally had eight entries. The total themage felt a bit slight to Rich, so I added one more.

I tried to intersect two theme sets. Alas, no luck. As usual, quite a few great clues are Rich's creation.

Across:

1. Splendid display: POMP.

5. Unable to decide: TORN.

9. Stare in wonder: GAWK.

13. Leaf through: SKIM.

17. Superlative prefix: UBER. Avoided the ride clue angle because I have another company closer by:  25. Sonata producer: HYUNDAI.

18. Quick attack: FORAY.

19. Causing the willies: EERIE.

20. Malek of "Mr. Robot": RAMI.  Won an Oscar in 2019 for playing Freddie Mercury.
 

26. Downed with an ax: HEWN.

28. Ration (out): METE.

29. Grain in granola: OAT.

30. Piece of cake: CINCH.

32. Acknowledge surreptitiously, maybe: NOD AT.

34. Pretender: PHONY.

36. Checking account lure: NO FEE. In Xi'an, even the street vendors accept mobile payment.

39. Mo. with dog days: AUG.

41. Winter's day outburst: BRR. Our road to the mailbox is so icy after the snow & rain mix last week.

42. Most capable: ABLEST.

44. One who gives a hoot: OWL.

48. Investigate again, as a cold case: REOPEN.

51. Itinerary abbr.: ARR.

52. "Gimme a minute": ONE SEC.

53. Part of a journey: LEG.

56. Gets by: DOES OK.

58. Downright or outright: DARNED. Rich's clue, of course!

60. Beer with a black eagle in its logo: TECATE.

62. Waze option: Abbr.: RTE.

63. Playground response: ARE SO.

65. Mexican buffet feature: SALSA BAR. The Palace Station buffet in Las Vegas is heavy on Mexican food. So fresh.

67. Trio for A-Rod and Trout: MVPS. Mike Trout. Angels.

72. Garden rodent: VOLE.

73. Lea Salonga, e.g.: FILIPINA.

75. Publisher Larry __, portrayal for which Woody Harrelson received an Oscar nomination: FLYNT. Rich's trivia as well.

76. IOC country code three before Qatar: POR. Portugal. And 36. Neighbor of Den.: NOR. Norway. Both Rich's clues.

77. Virtual alter ego: AVATAR.

78. Finds: DIGS UP.

81. Everest expert: SHERPA.

84. __ Diego Padres: SAN.

85. "The Irishman" Oscar nominee: PACINO. And 89. Many Oscar nominees: ACTORS. Pacino won one for "Scent of a Woman".

87. Encountered: MET.

94. Olive extract: OIL.

95. "See ya!": BYE BYE. Zai jian in Chinese.

97. Brouhaha: ADO.

98. Sweetie, in slang: BAE.

99. Twitch stream annoyance: DELAY.

101. Civil War general: MEADE.

102. Cried in the cornfield: CAWED.

104. Aficionado: MAVEN.

106. Squid's squirt: INK. Have any of you tried squid ink pasta?

107. Inquires: ASKS.

109. Exec's aide: ASST.

112. Having significant consequences: SERIOUS.

121. B-school subject: ECON.

122. Autobahn autos: AUDIS.

123. Layered veggie: ONION.

124. __ Millions: MEGA. The winning should be capped at $35K. Anything more is just trouble. I've mentioned to you before about how our old neighbor lost all his winnings plus his house. $35K can probably get you a decent SUV with a raisable passenger seat.

125. Puts in stitches: SEWS.

126. Part of a process: STEP.

127. Golf great Karrie: WEBB. Saw her in person once.

128. Asian laptop brand: ACER. Our monitor is Acer.

Down:

1. Promotional campaign: PUSH.

2. Follow: OBEY.

3. Channel guide, say: MENU. Our TV lost signal on January 6th. The DirecTV techs fixed it in the late afternoon. Then Boomer turned on the TV.

4. Hamlet, for one: PRINCE.

5. Like salves: TOPICAL.

6. "For You" co-singer Rita: ORA.

7. Impulsive: RASH.

8. Wall St.'s "Big Board": NYSE.

9. Nat __ Wild: cable channel: GEO.

10. Pizzeria allure: AROMA. Had my first pizza in Pizza Hut Guangzhou. Hawaiian pizza.

11. Bugs in cop shows: WIRETAPS.

12. Held on to: KEPT.

13. Hindu honorific: SRI.

14. Easy-to-play instruments: KAZOOS.

15. "To clarify ... ": I MEANT.

16. Not quite foggy: MISTY. Our Misty with her husband Rowland.

18. Hall of Fame quarterback Tarkenton: FRAN. With the Vikings.

19. Sitcom sewer worker: ED NORTON.  "The Honeymooners".

22. Garfield's frenemy: ODIE.

24. Supersedes: REPLACES.

27. Dallas Wings' org.: WNBA.

31. Grass-skirt dance: HULA.

33. Monotonous sound: DRONE.

35. Yachter's pronoun: HER.

37. Had to pay: OWED.

40. Building beam: GIRDER.

43. Ladybug or weevil: BEETLE.

45. "I'll take that as __": A NO.

46. Understanding: GRASP.

47. Feature of Japan's flag: RED SUN.

49. Watch dogs?: PET SIT. Rich's clue!

50. L.A.-to-Tucson dir.: ESE.

54. List-ending abbr.: ET AL.

55. "Chicago" star: GERE.

57. Unstable subatomic particle: KAON.

59. Spots for ski racks: ROOFS.

61. Romp: CAVORT.

64. Amp carrier: ROADIE.

66. Language __: ARTS.

67. Degs. for playwrights: MFAS.

68. Bounty rival: VIVA.

69. High seas concern: PIRACY.

70. Dry spell at the plate: SLUMP.

71. Blood bank category: TYPEA B.

74. Chicago NFL team's founder: PAPA BEAR. Nickname for George Halas. Rich's clue also.

76. Push-up target: PEC.

79. Marriage acquisition: IN LAW.

80. Alton Brown cooking show "Reloaded" in 2018: GOOD EATS.

82. Monetary trifle, in slang: HAY. Oh, OK, ain't hay.

83. La Scala highlight: ARIA.

86. Borrow from a library: CHECK OUT.

88. Disneyland shuttle: TRAM.

90. Sneaky: SLY.

91. Nap site: BED.

92. Engine parts: RODS.

93. One who scoffs at bagged pekoe, perhaps: TEA SNOB. I'm not one. I just prefer loose jasmine tea.

95. "No fighting!": BE NICE.

96. Informal "Get me?": YA KNOW.

99. Laura of "Big Little Lies": DERN.

100. Total mystery: ENIGMA.

101. Silent performers: MIMES.

103. Line to the audience: ASIDE.

105. Blood line: VEIN.

108. Retreats with peels: SPAS. Chemical peels.

110. Pack away: STOW.

111. Adjust for pitch: TUNE.

113. Crude cartel: OPEC.

114. Implore: URGE.

115. Go sky-high: SOAR.

117. Walk-__: small roles: ONS.

118. Quick drink: NIP.

120. Celery piece: RIB.

Here is the list of the frequently used abbreviations on our blog. Let me know the ones I should add to.  Just the ones specific to our blog, not common ones like YMMV, IMHO, OMG, etc.

C.C.

Saturday, January 16, 2021 Peter Collins

 Themeless Saturday by Peter A. Collins

Today's puzzle is from Pete Collins who told us this about himself on 8/8/20:

I'm still a high school math teacher in Ann Arbor, about to start my 41st year (albeit virtually).  I also still teach at the University of Michigan in the summer.  I'm still married with four daughters, but now we have two grandsons as well.  We're fortunate that everyone is still local, so we get to see the family a lot.

Here is what he had to say about this puzzle:

Hi Gary,

It was good to hear from you!  Yeah, Michigan football has been a disappointment for years (Same for Husker FB - hg), but our basketball team is doing well.

I'm still teaching, but it's all virtual.  The struggle is real...

As for the puzzle, the seeds were STAY IN YOUR LANE and FIVE SECOND RULE - a couple of 14-letter entries.  Other than IER, the fill isn't too ugly, methinks. I think Rich kept about half my clues.  I'm glad he kept my clue for FIVE SECOND RULE, but he nixed my clue for ANNUM [MIX, for one] Bummer! (hg - Maybe you get this, but I had to contact Pete to get an explanation for this clue/fill and I posted his reply at the bottom of this write-up*)

- Pete

Across:

1. "__ Secretary": MADAM - I like Téa Leoni and will have to check out this series 

6. First Negro League electee to Cooperstown: PAIGE - In 1965 Satchel pitched three scoreless innings for the KC Athletics at age 59 to become the oldest man to pitch in an MLB game. What a pity he had to wait that long.

11. Radical '70s org.: SLA and 13. Warnings, perhaps: ARFS - Our usual 3-letter radicals are the SDS not the group that took Patty Hearst

14. Durance who plays Lois on "Smallville": ERICA - Her IMDB

15. Per __: ANNUM - My first teaching job was at $5,800 per ANNUM

16. Comparative suffix: IER.

17. Grim: STARK - Neil's words: "[The Moon] has a STARK beauty all its own. It's like much of the high desert of the United States."

18. Removes with a putty knife: STRIPS OFF 

22. Where hauls may be divided: HIDEOUTS - This trail allows you to hike to one of Butch Cassidy's purported Utah HIDEOUTS

23. Pouchlike shoulder bag: HOBO and 50. __-Picone: fashion house: EVAN 

25. Nearly straight-horned antelope: ORYX.

26. Going up: SCALING 20. Out: ASLEEP - This climber is ASLEEP on on a cliff face she is SCALING

29. Tender: OFFER.

32. Warning to a meddler: STAY IN YOUR LANE - My mother used to say, "Tend to your own knitting"

34. Cote sounds: COOS - Marlon Brando and Eva Marie Saint visit his cote on the roof in On The Waterfront

35. Pilot's place: CABIN - Behind the pilot's CABIN in the new Boeing 787 the crew now has  Crew Rest Compartments

36. 442 or 88, e.g.: OLDS.

37. Guideline when something is dropped from one's diet?: FIVE SECOND RULE - Very clever, Pete! Uh, no, it isn't valid

40. Eclair filling: CREME.

41. Stylish filmmakers: AUTEURS - Their fingerprints are on every aspect of their movies

42. Shepherd's pie bits: PEAS.

44. Poet's rhyme for "home": ROAM - "Oh, give me a home..."

45. Important artery: MAIN ROAD 48. Construction equipment: DOZERS - Even the DOZERS had trouble making the MAIN ROAD for the Alcan Highway

53. Coldly devious: REPTILIAN.

55. Vaudeville production: REVUE.

56. Preceding, poetically: ERE.

57. Name in 1976 Olympic news: NADIA - The scoreboard maker for the 1976 Olympics was assured there would be no scores higher than 9.99. So when NADIA got a perfect 10/10 the display only showed 1.00

58. Totally remove: ERASE.

59. Palindromic song from a palindromic band: SOS - I never miss a chance to post an ABBA video!

60. Funding source: GRANT.

61. Prohibition details: DONT'S.

Down:

1. Most populous U.S. city that isn't a county seat: MESA - MESA has a population of 528,000 and is in Maricopa County with Phoenix

2. Fine things?: ARTS - Fine ARTS

3. Tuner, sometimes: DIAL - "Papa, you had to turn the DIAL on the radio?"

4. One of Yellowstone's two million-plus: ACRE.

5. Be opportunistic, metaphorically: MAKE HAY - Apropos here in farm country

6. Dance step: PAS.

7. "A Cook's Tour" host: ANTHONY BOURDAIN.

8. Cross letters: INRI - Latin - IESVS NAZARENVS REX IVDÆORVM (Mocking sign for "Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews") J and I were not distinguished in Latin until the 17th century

9. Forklift truck friend of Luigi in "Cars" films: GUIDO.

10. Largest penguin: EMPEROR.

11. Seat of South Dakota's Minnehaha County: SIOUX FALLS - It would be about a 2.5 hr drive for both C.C. and me to meet in Sioux Falls (pop. 183,000)

12. Bailed: LEFT.

19. Alternative baking staple: SOY FLOUR - This is from Korea

21. Regulate: POLICE.

24. Breath spray brand: BINACA.

26. Lincoln wore them: STOVE PIPES - The Welsh hat is also called a STOVE PIPE hat. It first appeared in the 1830's in Wales

27. Window with a crank, often: CASEMENT - Part of Lily's domain

28. Pursue: GO INTO - I decided to GO INTO teaching when I was 12.

30. Köln closing: ENDE - Dies ist das ENDE der Straße. (This is the end of the road)

31. Lo-__: RES.

32. Yvette's evening: SOIR  - Paris est très beau le SOIR (I'm betting you can translate on your own)

33. Foes of Buffy: UNDEAD.

34. Phased-out propellant: CFC - Chlorofluorocarbons were thought to be ozone depleters

38. Intense, as pain: SEARING.

39. Spread by moving dirt?: RUMORED - Dish the dirt

43. __ energy: SOLAR - Toyota is building a car that recharges itself with its own SOLAR panels and is 46. Dynamic start?: AEROdynamic

45. Field food, briefly: MRES - Just add water and you've got a hot meal in a big hurry

47. John/Rice musical: AIDA.

49. Celsius freezing point: ZERO.

51. Sign of age, maybe: RUST - The melancholy song The City Of New Orleans tells of riding by "graveyards of the RUSTED automobiles" A cwd friend singing it

52. Dates: SEES - Facilitated by online dating services 

54. N.L. East player: NATionals 

* MIX cluing for ANNUM explanation from Pete - "ANNUM is Latin for year.  MIX would be the year 1009.  Maybe it's a bit of a reach.   That's probably why Rich nixed it. Yeah, I thought having it be a real word added to the misdirection.  I figured the all caps might be a subtle clue."