Sunday January 1, 2023 Laura Effinger-Dean & Christina Iverson

Theme: "Before Tea" ( "B for T") - T is changed into B in each familiar phrase.

22A. Give orders, even while dreaming?: BOSS IN ONE'S SLEEP. Toss is one's sleep.

42A. Request from one robot to another in "Futurama"?: LOVE ME BENDER. Love Me Tender

70A. One who starts a fight over the last crustacean at a seafood buffet?: SHRIMP BRAWLER. Shrimp trawler.

99A. Decorations for a "Bob the Builder" birthday cake?: BRICK CANDLES. Trick candles.

120A. "Oh, you're not acting so brave now, are you!"?: LOOK WHO'S BALKING. Look Who's Talking?

15D. Maintain forest health with a planned fire?: DO A GOOD BURN. Do a good turn.

69D. Illustrative tools in a neuroscience lab?: MODEL BRAINS. Model trains.

Looks like Laura's LAT debut. Congratulations! You all know Christiana, who used to be Patti's assistant. 

Such a great title! I'd be at loss. Slight tweak on a classical pinwheel Sunday design. This one has eight 9-letter fill!

 
Across:

1. Humidifier output: VAPOR.

6. Ratio phrase: IS TO. :

10. Dweeb: DORK.

14. Hubbubs: ADOS. And 78. Bobs and weaves: DOS.

18. Angry: IRATE. And 20. Fencing implement: EPEE. We see IRE, IRA, IRATE & EPEE frequently due to their friendly letter combo.

19. Twosome: PAIR.

21. Dark beer: STOUT. And 29. Light beer: LAGER. And 104. Brewpub handle: ALE TAP.

25. Muse of poetry: ERATO.

26. Tolkien creature: ENT. Tree being.

27. Contributes: ADDS.

28. Swiss chocolatier: LINDT.

30. Tanning bed fixtures: LAMPS.

33. Stripped (of): DIVESTED.

35. Bauxite, e.g.: ORE.

36. "Don't lose hope!": CHIN UP.

38. Mining engineer who became president in 1929: HOOVER. I did not know this.

40. Maine college town: ORONO.

44. In the center of: AMIDST.

47. List unit: ITEM.

48. Flit: DART.

49. Update, as charts: RE-MAP.

53. Vintage ski lift: T BAR.

54. Davis of "Grumpy Old Men": OSSIE.

56. 2022 World Cup city: DOHA. Argentina won the Cup.

58. "Dune" director Villeneuve: DENIS.

60. Ancient character: RUNE.

61. Small battery: AAA.

63. Target of some bark beetles: ELM.

65. Gets there in no time?: TELEPORTS. Nice clue/fill.

67. Rapper will.__: I AM.

74. "Hip Hop Is Dead" rapper: NAS.

75. Episodic option in some games: STORY MODE. Like this.

77. Feel crummy: AIL.

80. Put on board: LADE.

81. Colleague of Sonia and Ketanji: ELENA.

83. Latch (onto): GLOM.

86. Like Wiccans and Druids: PAGAN.

90. Domain: AREA.

91. Diploma word: LAUDE. Here's a typical Chinese diploma.

93. Monogram pt.: INIT.

95. Humorist Barry: DAVE.

96. Not as harsh: MILDER.

102. Via ship, e.g.: BY SEA.

105. Large grinders: MOLARS.

106. Polite title: SIR.

108. Face up to: CONFRONT.

110. Found loathsome: HATED.

111. Poet who wrote, "The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt": PLATH. Sylvia.

113. __-Roman: GRECO.

114. Darling: DEAR.

116. Narrow inlet: RIA.

119. Chateau-dotted valley: LOIRE.

124. Word with circle and tube: INNER. And 16. Word with space and planet: OUTER.

125. Capri, for one: ISLE. My sister-in-law Connie might have visited the place. She spent a few years in Italy and she still goes back there every year.

126. Voting no: ANTI.

127. Pizza slice, say: PIECE.

128. Charge (with): TASK.

129. Really, really overcook: CHAR.

130. Deli array: MEAT. Followed by 131. Introductory course: SALAD.

Down:

1. Hard-to-describe feeling: VIBE.

2. "East of Eden" brother: ARON. Cal's brother.

3. Old incarnations: PAST LIVES. Buddhists believe in reincarnation.

4. Extra NFL periods: OTS.

5. Outdoor gear giant: REI.

6. Old Apple devices: IPODS. Do you guys listen to Sam Harris?

7. Beachfront property?: SAND. Good clue also.

8. Links: TIES.

9. RN workplaces: ORS.

10. Came through: DELIVERED. Like this guy in black. Always came through. Always comes through. Do you like his bag?

 

11. First act: OPENER.

12. Swamp grasses: REEDS.

13. Didn't stray from: KEPT TO.

14. Razor brand: ATRA.

17. Put away for later: STORE.  D-Otto got me this onsen powder.  I have more coming. I'll never run out of this again.

21. Rarely: SELDOM.

23. Was out briefly: NAPPED.

24. Thin shard: SLIVER.

31. Iron deficiency: ANEMIA.

32. Fall flower, for short: MUM.

33. Pentagon org.: DOD.

34. "Mrs. America" political cause, briefly: ERA. The Equal Rights Amendment.

36. Advertising award: CLIO.

37. Red __: spicy candies: HOTS.

38. Protagonist: HERO.

39. Available, in a way: ON THE MENU. The Eucharistic Minister Bill and his wife invited me to their house for lunch on Friday. I had Cane's Chicken Fingers for the first time. Boomer would have loved them.

41. Drag racer's fuel, briefly: NITRO.

43. Awful: BAD.

45. Sleigh driver: SANTA.

46. Lock of hair: TRESS.

50. "Enter Sandman" band: METALLICA. I think Splynter likes this band. How are you doing, Splynter?

51. Fresh: ANEW.

52. Caplet: PILL.

55. "Gentle, gentle": EASY.

57. Jungfrau, e.g.: ALP.

59. Germ: SEED.

62. Sighed line: AH ME. Do you actually say this phrase?

64. Many an exec: MBA.

66. Hold (up): PROP.

67. Quran faith: ISLAM.

68. Breakout gaming company: ATARI.

71. Wallpaper unit: ROLL.

72. Inkling: IDEA.

73. Fix unlawfully: RIG.

76. Hide-and-seek word: READY.

79. Prepare to ride, in a way: SADDLE.

82. Ghostery, for one: AD BLOCKER.

84. Cleaning up the mess, say: ON KP.

85. Audio jack abbr.: MIC.

87. Cate Blanchett's "The Lord of the Rings" role: GALADRIEL. Ethereal.

 

88. Declare: AVER.

89. "Queer Eye" expert Jonathan Van __: NESS.

92. Prior to today, poetically: ERENOW.

94. "The Savages" filmmaker Jenkins: TAMARA. Learning moment for me.

97. Artist known for optical illusions: ESCHER. That M.C. guy.

98. __ Speedwagon: REO.

100. Hairy Addams cousin: ITT.

101. "__ so fast!": NOT.

103. Old English: ANGLIC.

104. Ring of color: AREOLA. I can't link this again. Will cause our blog trouble.

106. Go 50-50 on: SPLIT.

107. Massey of old films: ILONA.

109. College newbie: FROSH.

110. Sister's attire: HABIT.

112. Long haul: TREK.

114. Thoroughly cooked: DONE.

115. "¿Cómo __ usted?": ESTA. Ni hao ma?

117. Ancient Cuzco dweller: INCA.

118. Like much cheddar: AGED.

121. Hawaiian-style pizza topping: HAM. And pineapple.

122. Record collector's collection: LPS.

123. Carnival maker: KIA. Why did they stop using Sedona?

A few extra notes:

I gained access to our account for a few days with a temp code. But the code lost its magic yesterday. I really need the post office to hurry up their piled-up mail and get me my ATM card. The credit card was also a mess also due to our address "84 1/2 Ave. No." Wells Fargo site does not allow dash marks and the local banker was simply too incompetent to solve my glitches. Very frustrating.

I do have some good news. My best friend Carmen has improved greatly. She still has throat problems and body aches from COVID, but she feels good enough to WeChat me again.

I also found this clip of the musical fountain in the north square of the Great Wild Goose Pagoda, 30 minutes away from where I grew up. The guy who took the clip (and showed up in the end) happened to be my friend David, whom I last saw at the Gare Du Nord back in 2000. Thanks to our own Steve Marron, who's been in London for the holidays, David and I got reconnected. He now works in IT for the UK Cabinet Office.

Here are a couple pictures from David's archive. Both taken millions of years ago. I think the first one is in front of the Centre Pompidou. Pas certain. Does that bold red scene look familiar to any of you? I actually didn't recall having my picture taken with that sword guy, much to David's surprise.

Happy New Year! Wishing you lots of love and laughter in 2023!

C.C.

Saturday December 31, 2022, Evan Mulvihill

 Saturday Themeless by Evan Mulvihil

This is Evan's first solo Saturday puzzle for me. He and Adam Simpson co-authored one on November 5 of this year. I told Evan we must be of similar minds because I got this one done in 17 minutes and had fun in the process!

Evan told me, "I am a­ clinical pharmacist at Zuckerberg, San Francisco General, a crossword constructor and lover or all things word-play related."

Across:

1. Accessory that may be paired with a smoking jacket: ASCOT.

6. "Euphoria" network: HBO.

9. Okra or orca unit: POD - Orca/Okra similarity did not get me

12. Like pins and needles: PLURAL.

14. "I cleaned my plate!": ALL DONE.

16. Largest moon of Uranus: TITANIA.

18. Many of the "GoodFellas" main characters: MADE MEN - In the American and Sicilian Mafia, a MADE MAN is a fully initiated member of the Mafia. To become "made", an associate first must be Italian or of Italian descent and sponsored by another made man. An inductee will be required to take the oath of omertà, the Mafia code of silence and code of honor. 

19. Behavioral psychologist's concern: PATTERN.

21. Squash: STEP ON.

22. Account statement?: SWORN TESTIMONY - Your account of what happened while under oath is SWORN TESTIMONY but still...

24. Maureen presented with an Honorary Academy Award in 2014: O'HARA - Presented by Clint Eastwood and Liam Neeson

25. Buff: FAN - I am a Husker buff. 

26. Kermit sipping tea and Keanu playing with puppies: MEMES.

27. Clothing store department: BOYS.

28. Turn in: GO TO BED.

30. Psyche segments: IDS.

31. Border dispute: TURF WAR - The most famous one in the movies was the Sharks vs Jets

32. Corp. execs: VPS.

35. Puzzle that uses every letter: PANGRAM.

36. Athlete who wrote the memoir "My Life and the Beautiful Game": PELE.

37. Drained of color: ASHEN.

40. Poetic dusk: EEN.

41. "Being the Ricardos" role: ARNAZ - The actual 1940 marriage license for Desiderio Alberto ARNAZ and Lucille Desiree Ball

42. Robin DiAngelo book about race relations: WHITE FRAGILITY.

45. "Very funny": HA HA HA.

46. Shut up: KEPT MUM - A requirement of all who worked on The Manhattan Project

47. "Did not expect to survive that": I'M ALIVE.

49. Like some passes: LATERAL - Here is a forward pass and two LATERAL passes (passes that do not travel toward the opponent's goal line)

51. "Hm ... ": LET'S SEE.

52. Have the gumption: DARE TO.

53. Mag wheels?: EDS - EDitorS are big wheels at MAGazines 

54. Archipelago part: Abbr.: ISL - Here in The Marianas Archipelago you will find the ISLand of Tinian from which the Enola Gay took off on August 6, 1945

55. Portends: BODES.

Down:

1. Apropos: APT.

2. Careless: SLIPSHOD.

3. Film flashbacks, essentially: CUTAWAYS - Titanic starts with Rose in modern times with the crew searching for the diamond called The Heart Of The Ocean. The bulk of the movie is a flashback to her time on the doomed ocean liner.

4. Figures of speech: ORATORS.

5. Mystical text in Sanskrit: TANTRA - Here ya go

6. Scenery chewer: HAM - I nominate Jim Carrey 

7. Heck of a party: BLAST.

8. Honoree who might wear a vintage uniform: OLD TIMER - Do you know these old Yankees? (* Answer at the bottom of the write-up)

9. Santa hat feature: POM POM.

10. Impossible NFL score: ONE ONE.

11. Chain with "all day diner deals": DENNYS.

13. Property claim for outstanding debt: LIEN.

15. Held: DEEMED.

17. Master of disguise?: ART FORGER - I'd bet our art curator/puzzle constructor, Jeffrey Wechsler, could spot the work of this person

20. One whose priorities are in order?: NEAT FREAK.

23. Winter figure: SNOW ANGEL.

24. Sash tied with a butterfly knot: OBI.

28. Staple __: GUN.

29. "Just like that!": BAM.

31. "Between the World and Me" writer Coates: TANEHISI.

32. Hazarded, as a guess: VENTURED.

33. Schoolyard friend: PLAYMATE.

34. "__ who?": SEZ - Mike wrote thousands of columns for the Chicago Tribune and always wrote exactly what he thought.

35. Potpourri pieces: PETALS.

36. First, in Spanish: PRIMERO - PRIMERO, segundo y tercero (First, second and third. masc.)

37. For a spell: AWHILE.

38. Brought low: SHAMED.

39. Kit parts with pedals: HIHATS - I'll bet you can pick out this part

41. Window-switching shortcut: ALT TAB.

43. Top picks, slangily: FAVES.

44. Apple TV+ device: IPAD.

48. Unadon fish: EEL.

50. "__ Espookys": 6-Across comedy series: LOS - Variety confirmed that on December 2, HBO canceled Los Espookys, the spookiest, weirdest, and most original comedy on television. Here is the weirdest 2 minute trailer you will ever see.

* Those Old Timer Yankees are Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, Joe DiMaggio and Casey Stengel.