Theme: "Wait, What?" - Long A sound is changed into short U sound.
23A. Good-natured complaint? : SMILEY FUSS. Like Gary and D-Otto's nits, if they have any. Base phrase is "smiley face".
29A. Everything you eat? : GUT RECEIPTS. Gate receipts.
36A. Skilled diver's advantage? : JUMPING OFF PLUS. Jumping off place.
65A. Fashion show photographer? : STRUT SHOOTER. Straight shooters.
71A. Inept painter? : MUCK-UP ARTIST. Make-up artist.
99A. Shore breezes caused by flapping wings? : GULL- FORCE WINDS. Gale force winds. NEAR GALE (86D. 7 on the Beaufort scale) should not have been in the grid. Easy to overlook this kind of dupe in a sound change grid.
106A. Potato expert? : KING OF SPUDS. King of spades.
119A. Prop for the gravedigger scene in "Hamlet"? : SKULL MODEL. Scale model.
Great title. Captures the puzzle gimmick perfectly.
Nora
Pearlstone is Rich's alias, anagram for "Not a Real Person". Always a
treat when Rich makes the puzzle. Can you believe he has not made any puzzle for the NYT since 2008 yet he still is the 3rd most published constructor under Will Shortz era?
I'm always grateful that Rich allows 144 words for LAT Sundays. He's a pro and totally understands the difficulties in coming up with clean fill for a 21*21 grid, esp for rookie constructors. Can Rich go low on word count? Of course he can. He made tons of themeless puzzles for LAT, NYT & other venues. He also authored this great book (don't think it has anything to do with USA Today puzzles). But he chose a 144-worder, which gives us a cleaner and smoother grid.
I'm always grateful that Rich allows 144 words for LAT Sundays. He's a pro and totally understands the difficulties in coming up with clean fill for a 21*21 grid, esp for rookie constructors. Can Rich go low on word count? Of course he can. He made tons of themeless puzzles for LAT, NYT & other venues. He also authored this great book (don't think it has anything to do with USA Today puzzles). But he chose a 144-worder, which gives us a cleaner and smoother grid.
 |
| Rich and his wife Kim |
Across:
1. Relieved reaction : WHEW
5. __ fit : HISSY. Not HONDA.
10. PC debut of 1981 : MS-DOS
15. Cabbage dispensers? : ATMs. Gimme for veteran solvers.
19. Emanating quality : AURA
20. Sadat of Egypt : ANWAR
21. Ring-shaped ocean formation : ATOLL
22. Fellow : CHAP
25. Wynonna's mother : NAOMI. The Judds. Look so young.
26. Olympian queen : HERA
27. "Key & __": Comedy Central series : PEELE. Anon T's favorite comedians.
28. Meditation class chorus : OMs
31. Cousin of com : ORG
33. Computer stylus battery : AAAA
35. Big strings : CELLI. One more I plural word: 112. Voices below soprani : ALTI
43. Exercise in a pool : DO LAPS. Also 7. Like some triathlon segments : SWUM
46. One, to Juanita : UNA
47. Political fugitives : EMIGRES
48. Sgt., e.g. : NCO
50. Tampico tots : NENEs
51. Slap (on), as cologne : DAUB
53. Attorney-__ : AT-LAW
54. Flora and fauna : BIOTA
56. Bank material : SILT. Not SAND. We also have 69. Bank construction : LEVEE
57. Teen attachment? : AGERS. Teenagers. Hard to tell if the answers is singular or plural with this type of clue.
59. Quincy of '70s-'80s TV et al. : MES. Never watched the show. I figured it might be MDS.
60. Outfits : EQUIPS
62. "... against a __ of troubles": Hamlet : SEA
63. Saharan dust swirlers : SIROCCOS. Sparkly fill.
68. Cote call : COO
70. Like some marked-down mdse. : IRR. Do you have Marshalls in your area? I scored quite a few great deals there over the years.
76. Book supplement : ADDENDUM
81. Angle preceder, in texts : IMO. Viewpoint "angle".
82. Playtime : RECESS
83. 2016 Cactus Bowl sch. : ASU.
No idea. Never paid attention to those bowls. Wiki said West Virginia
beat Arizona State. Rich is an avid sports fan. He knows these updated
sports trivia.
84. Not cramped : ROOMY
85. Bread sometimes prepared with chutney : NAAN. Also 93. Indian lentil dish : DAL. Split peas or lentils.
87. 11-Down, say : DATUM. And 11. Sports figure : STAT. I wanted STAR.
88. Kama __ : SUTRA
90. Key in : TYPE
91. First name in skin care : ESTEE
94. Limited carry-on items : LOTIONS. Boomer always gets the TSA-Pre lane. No idea why. Big
relief though, as taking off & putting on shoes is getting difficult
for him, then you have added pressure from the agent and the impatient
passengers behind.
96. Always, in verse : E'ER
97. Key below E : D SHARP. Already had DS* in the slot.
102. Present in court : ARGUE. Verb "Present".
104. Garden resident : ADAM. Eden.
105. Gum ball : WAD
110. "There you are!" : AHA
113. __ Alavesa: Spanish wine : RIOJA. All crosses. Not into wines.
117. Sitar music : RAGA
118. Language that gave us "shawl" : FARSI
121. Law school newbie : ONE-L
122. Esteemed group : ELITE. Not A-LIST.
123. Hides : PELTS
124. Modest dress : MIDI
125. Close attention : CARE
126. "The Dance Class" painter : DEGAS
127. Product, as of labor : FRUIT
128. Huff relative : SNIT
Down:
1. Winged stinger : WASP
2. "A propensity to hope and joy is real riches" philosopher : HUME (David). I don't remember studying him in schools.
3. Pennsylvania snowbelt city : ERIE
4. Smack : WALLOP. Another nice word.
5. __ fever : HAY
6. Dope : INFO
8. Root beer source : SASSAFRAS.
The root is also widely used in traditional Chinese medicine. Cantonese slow-cooked soup tends to incorporate some kind of dried root & herbal stuff.
9. Cen. components : YRS
10. How-to : MANUAL
12. Means of access : DOOR
13. Early Mexican civilization : OLMEC
14. Did a deli job : SLICED
15. Greek warrior famous for his weak spot : ACHILLES
16. Title role for which Adrien Brody won an Oscar : THE PIANIST. Haunting survival story. Did you see the movie, Jayce? There's a pickle scene.
17. Shopping spot : MART. Not MALL.
18. Body wrap offerers : SPAS
24. Like "Halloween" music : EERIE
29. Mountain passes : GAPS
30. Tesla Motors CEO Musk : ELON.
I tried his full name in a puzzle two years ago. Rich asked me to
remove it, as it's not widely familiar to solvers. Might be good for a
themeless. No one debuted it yet.
32. HUD financing gp. : GNMA. Ginnie Mae. FNMA as well.
34. Number of good men? : A FEW
36. Traitor : JUDAS
37. Eel, at sushi bars : UNAGI. The smell of freshly grilled unagi is pure heaven.
38. Joe __, only MLB catcher with three batting titles : MAUER. Met him a few times. Incredibly gracious. He has twin daughters.
39. Cuban base, familiarly : GITMO
40. Unwelcome looks : OGLES
41. Sole : UNIQUE
42. Enemy lines infiltrator : SCOUT
44. Martinique volcano : PELEE. Got via crosses.
45. Astronomical red giant : S STAR
49. Singer Redding : OTIS
52. Record-breaking base stealer Lou : BROCK. We pulled an augrophed card of him from a Topps Heritage set a while ago.
54. Flat hat : BERET
55. Rose pest : APHID
58. Really clean : SCOUR
61. Hurting more : SORER
64. Dealt : COPED
65. Quake : SEISM
66. Sets in dens : TVs
67. Contrary afterthought : OR NOT
69. "Star Trek" regular ultimately promoted to Cmdr. : LT. SULU. Easy crosses a well.
71. Worked in a shaft : MINED. Before I read the clue, I already had ?INED in this slot, then ?UCK UP in Across. Was dazed for a second.
72. Member of the NCAA's A-10 Conf. : UMASS
73. Makeshift car door opener : COAT HANGER. Does this work on modern cars?
74. West Point, e.g.: Abbr. : ACAD
75. Label again : RE-TAG
76. Not still anymore : ASTIR
77. Red pig : DUROC. This got me last time. Again today.
78. Elder statesman : DOYEN. Don't associate this word with "statesman". Elder/senior, yes.
79. Called on the field : UMPED. Thought of CAWED.
80. "SNL" alum Mike : MYERS
83. Ford, for one : AUTOMAKER. I was not fooled, but it does have the same letter count as PRESIDENT.
88. Dozing place, perhaps : SOFA
89. Once more : ANEW
92. Therefore : ERGO. Hello Husker Chuck!
94. Honorary legal degs. : LLDs
95. Bee team : SWARM
98. Swollen, with "up" : PUFFED
100. LPGA member? : LADIES.
First word of LPGA. Ryder Cup will be played here in MN this year. Too
stiff a price. We do go to Sondheim Cup though. Much more affordable & fun. (Correction: Solheim Cup. Thanks, KenoRunner.)
101. They're not literal : IDIOMS
103. Virtual transaction : E-SALE
106. Ray of fast food : KROC
107. Collector's suffix : IANA. ANA suffix is more common.
108. Prude : PRIG
109. Court org. : USTA. WNBA too.
111. Netflix competitor : HULU
114. Chief Norse god : ODIN
115. Yoda trainee : JEDI
116. Landed : ALIT
119. Sunblock letters : SPF. Do any of you take Vitamin D? I feel that I should with the cold Minnesota winter.
120. Versatile ETO carrier : LST
C.C.
