Theme: "Dance Partners" - Both words in this theme entry can proceed "Dance".
23A. Admirer banned for overzealousness? : FORBIDDEN FAN. Fan dance, yes! What is "Forbidden dance"?
41A. Where "Hissing 101" is offered? : SNAKE SCHOOL. Loved the clue. Snake dance. School dance.
44A. Contemporary poetry competition? : MODERN SLAM. Modern dance. Slam dance.
69A. Something the plumber's never seen before? : EXOTIC CLOG. Exotic dance. Clog dance.
73A. Hardly hipsters? : SQUARE FOLK. Square dance. Folk dance.
95A. San Diego mascot's topper? : CHICKEN HAT. Read here about the Chicken. Chicken dance. Hat dance.
100A. Follow the Scarlet Speedster? : SHADOW FLASH. Scarlet Speedster is the nickname of Flash. Shadow dance. Flashdance.
122A. Eating contest winner's paunch? : VICTORY BELLY. Victory dance. Belly dance.
Such
an apt puzzle title. And so many dances! This puzzle should delight our
Yellowrocks, who's the president of their square dance club.
Across:
1. Page 1 or 3, usually : RECTO. Right-hand page (Odd-numbered). Vs. Verso.
6. Perplex : BEMUSE
12. Digital readout abbr. : LCD
15. Workout target : FLAB
19. Hitching post? : ALTAR. Nailed it.
20. Cocky self-reference end : AREN'T I. Oh, I'm so ...., aren't I?
21. Sushi tuna : AHI
22. Rolling rock : LAVA
25. It's read monthly : GAS METER. Not magazine!
27. Farmer: TILLER
28. Begets : SIRES
30. Comparatively poor : NEEDIER
31. Table d'hôte alternative : A LA CARTE. Still remember you first day in Paris? I went to a party in a Paris suburb and ended up missing the last Métro.
34. Coveted annual honor : OSCAR. Timely.
36. Tuscaloosa-to-Huntsville dir. : NNE
37. Stretch named for a leader, perhaps : ERA. Clinton era, e.g.
40. Not even part-time : IDLE. So, IDLE here is an adjective, right?
48. Curse : EVIL EYE
49. .jpg file contents : IMAGE. I'm saddened by the passing of PK, Dave. But you loved her and took great care of her.
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| Dave & PK |
50. Scintilla : SHRED
52. Imitate a hot dog? : PANT. The HOT dog, not food.
56. Like the worst excuse : LAMEST
58. Beersheba locale : NEGEV.
Not familiar with Beersheba. Wiki says: it's the largest city in the
Negev desert of southern Israel. Often referred to as the "Capital of
the Negev".
60. Dolphins' order : CETACEA. Whales belong to the same order. Learning moment to me. This word looks like some kind of disease.
63. Picked up a split, say : SPARED. Bowling.
65. Handel work : MESSIAH
68. Shop _ you drop : TIL
75. __ & Perrins: Worcestershire sauce : LEA. Never heard of it, but I'm so happy Robin finds a new clue for LEA.
76. Macho sort : REAL MAN. Don't be deceived by the Macho look.
78. Shoppe sign words : YE OLDE
79. Some printers : INKJETS
81. Flower children? : SEEDS. Sweet clue.
83. Long-faced : SULLEN
87. "Meh" : SO SO
88. Grateful, maybe? : ASHES. Oh, she means Grate-ful.
90. Marsupial sometimes called a bear : KOALA
91. Ancient fertility goddess : ASTARTE. The Phoenician goddess.
104. Wind in a pit : OBOE
105. Frat letter : RHO
106. Not 'neath : O'ER
107. Assist with : DO FOR
108. Victuals : ALIMENTS
112. Apportion : PRORATE
114. Hamlet and Ophelia, e.g. : ROLES. Not enough space for LOVERS.
116. Payday, for one : NUT BAR. Never had this.
120. Nostalgic, in a way : HOMESICK. This is horrifying. Those ethnic separatists are Muslims. China has 56 ethnic groups. Han is the largest. Over 91% of the Chinese are Han, including me.
125. __ uproar : IN AN
126. Kingston Trio hit for whose hero Boston's CharlieCard was named : MTA
127. Daughter of Zeus : ATHENA
128. __ Gay : ENOLA
129. Standard Oil brand : ESSO
130. "Errare humanum __": Seneca : EST. To err is human.
131. Looked impolitely : LEERED
132. One-named Swedish pop singer : ROBYN. First time encounter with this lady.
Down:
1. Finn's vessel : RAFT
2. Sci-fi people : ELOI
3. Shift neighbor : CTRL
4. Sitar accompaniment : TABLA
5. Bay window : ORIEL
6. Good, in some cases : BAD
7. Preposition with multiple homonyms : ERE. Air, Heir, Aer.
8. Criminal intent, in law : MENS REA
9. Not qualified : UNFIT
10. Rubbernecks : STARES
11. Article in Die Zeit : EINE. Die Zeit= The Time. German national weekly newspaper well-regarded for its journalistic quality, a la Wiki.
12. Jet __ : LAG
13. Pulpit locale : CHANCEL. I'm surprised I know this word.
14. Part of CDC : DISEASE
15. Skedaddled : FLED
16. Bodega patron : LATINO
17. Skin care brand : AVEENO. I like their tinted moistuizer.
18. Rodeo prop : BARREL
24. Pull the plug on : DRAIN. Literally.
26. "Heavens to Betsy!" : MERCY
29. Dry Italian wine : SOAVE
32. They're burned on purpose : CDs
33. Pledge of Allegiance ender : ALL
35. Road mark cause, maybe : SKID
37. Disney's "__ and the Detectives" : EMIL. No idea.
38. Italia's capital : ROMA
39. Biblical Rodin work : ADAM
42. Pre-performance feeling : NERVES
43. Air filter acronym : HEPA. I have to Google: High-Efficiency Particulate Absorption.
45. Cast out : EGEST
46. Inhale and exhale : RESPIRE
47. Flavor enhancer : MSG. Have you tried Chinese dumplings, D-Otto? Trader Joe's has a veggie version that I really like.
51. Sewer line? : HEM. Nice clue.
53. X-__: tool brand : ACTO
54. Playwright Simon : NEIL
55. "Confess!" : TALK
57. Musical "don't play" : TACET
58. Snidely Whiplash fearer : NELL. Drew a blank.
59. Ancient Dead Sea land : EDOM
60. "See ya!" : CIAO. I seldom use this word in daily conversion, too similar to Chinese F word.
61. British noblemen : EARLS
62. Wayne nickname : THE DUKE. The only Republican Orson Welles really admired.
64. Some TVs : RCAs
66. Carpet meas. : SQ YD. Square Yard.
67. Petitions : SUES
69. The Whiffenpoofs of a cappella fame : ELIs
70. Alien: Pref. : XENO. As in Xenophobia.
71. Cork sources : OAKS
72. Deep cuts : GASHES
74. Record holder? : FELON. Another nice clue.
77. Bridal bio word : NEE
80. Steinbeck hero Tom : JOAD
82. Key that cancels : ESC
84. Comic actor Bert : LAHR
85. David and Goliath's battlefield : ELAH. The Valley of Elah.
86. Defense gp. : NATO
88. Janis' comics mate : ARLO
89. First Super Bowl MVP : STARR (Bart)
92. What jerks serve : SODAS
93. Betray : TWO-TIME. Chilling when you discover your husband has another email account.
94. Touches : AFFECTS
96. Block and tackle, e.g. : HOISTER. Had to consult Argyle. He said "Block and tackle is used to hoist things up".
97. Creator of Watson : IBM. Hi there Chicago!
98. Cedar Rapids college : COE. I learned from doing Xwords.
99. G on a sax? : KENNY. Kenny G.
100. Oscar role for Meryl : SOPHIE. Sophie's Choice.
101. Long-legged waders : HERONS
102. Kitchen emanations : AROMAS
103. Ice cream-making supply : HALITE. New trivia to me.
109. Café con __ : LECHE
110. Rutabaga or yam : TUBER.
One of our readers told me that real African yams are white-fleshed. So
all these years I've been just eating sweet potatoes, even if they're
marked "Yams" in our grocery store.
111. Gregg user : STENO
113. Gambling town on I-80 : RENO
115. Like an oeil-de-boeuf window : OVAL. French for "bull's eye". Another learning moment to me.
117. Shapeless mass : BLOB
118. Friend : ALLY
119. Actor Gosling : RYAN
121. Dennings of "2 Broke Girls" : KAT
123. Number of Beethoven operas : ONE. Fidelio.
124. "Far out!" : RAD
Mike Alpert told me yesterday that you don't have to be a ACPT competitor to attend the Cru Dinner.
I hope some of our NY area readers can make it. Precious opportunity to
mix and mingle with other solvers & constructors. The Saturday Stud
might be there if his work schedule works out.
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| Splynter |
C.C.
