Sunday Janaury 7, 2024 Jordan Hildebrandt

Theme: "Following Protocol" - Each HTTP error is re-phrased as knight-related:

22. HTTP 504: Knight fails to return to castle before portcullis closes for curfew: GATEWAY TIME OUT.

 35. HTTP 403: Knight not approved to embark on second search for the Holy Grail: FORBIDDEN REQUEST.

49. HTTP 419: Knight's squire's apprenticeship no longer in force: PAGE EXPIRED.

80. HTTP 500: Knight fails to tip waitstaff at banquet: SERVER ERROR.

96. HTTP 405: Knight illegally aims for opponent's head during joust: METHOD NOT ALLOWED.

Reveal:

113. Medieval protocol for knights, or an alternate title for this puzzle?: CODE OF CHIVALRY.

I bet D-Otto and Anon-T enjoyed this puzzle. They know all the errors. Thankfully you don't need to know those error messages to solve this grid. 

Don't recall seeing such a theme anywhere before. Love the freshness and originality.

Across:

1. Totally wiped: BEAT.

5. College Board exam for jrs.: PSAT.

9. Fondant colorer: DYE. I did not know the meaning of "fondant", cake icing.

12. Dream big: ASPIRE.

18. Roman aqueduct section: ARCH.

19. Active volcano on Sicily: ETNA.

20. Timely benefit: BOON.

21. Bedouin, e.g.: ROAMER. Brave souls, those who live in the Sahara.

25. Soft cotton fabric: MUSLIN.

26. Literary comparisons: SIMILES.

27. Organs that affect balance: EARS. 39. Swab for 27-Across: Q-TIP.

28. Boutonniere counterpart: CORSAGE.

29. Bed cover: DUVET.

30. "Turn up the heat!": BRR. Bill & Margret's new co-op place is toasty. And I feel so safe and loved.  Margaret painted these.

 

31. Fade, say: WEAR.

33. Triangles on a map, typically: Abbr.: MTNS.

34. Flower in some O'Keeffe paintings: IRIS.

40. Snap veggies: PEAS.

41. Sign into law: ENACT.

42. Push notifications: E-ALERTS. Not a word I use. All my notifications are off. I check when I want to check.

43. DOJ staffers: ATTYS.

45. Ryan of "Star Trek: Picard": JERI.

46. Puglia lang.: ITAL. Not familiar with Puglia.

53. Gets fit: SHAPES UP.

57. Routine material: JOKES. Stand-up routine.

58. Store securely: STOW.

59. Blues label based in Memphis: STAX.

60. Icy layer: RIME.

61. "Pressure" singer Lennox: ARI.

62. Tennis unit: SET.

65. Some fossils: TEETH.

67. Citi player: MET. Patti is long-time Mets fan.

69. 16th POTUS: ABE.

70. Baby carrier: WOMB.

72. Spindly: BONY.

74. Villain's hideaway: LAIR.

76. "The Sparks Brothers" director Wright: EDGAR. He often collaborates with Simon Pegg.

78. Commuters' region: SUBURBIA.

83. Meh: SO SO.

84. Lump of soil: CLOD.

86. Finnish tech giant: NOKIA.

87. Lowered a lot, as prices: SLASHED.

90. New cadet: PLEBE.

92. Rowdy crowds: MOBS.

100. French friend: AMIE.

101. Fairy tale meanie: OGRE.

102. White peg in Battleship: MISS.

103. Car port?: AUX. Connection port. 

104. Waterfall on a doughnut production line: GLAZE.

105. Fuel mining site: COAL PIT.

107. Angry speech: RANT.

109. Toyota sedan: COROLLA.

112. Suggest: HINT AT.

116. Rise: ASCENT.

117. "Sadly ... ": ALAS.

118. Spark interest?: LEND. Great clue.

119. For a __ pittance: MERE.

120. Hi-fi system: STEREO.

121. Civil rights initialism: BLM. Black Lives Matters.

122. Brouhahas: ADOS.

123. 115-Down votes: AYES. 115. Affirmative: YES.

Down:

1. Sack: BAG.

2. Error remnant: ERASURE.

3. Probiotic yogurt brand: ACTIVIA.

4. Rap anthem by Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five: THE MESSAGE. 1982. Another learning moment for me.

5. Ring out: PEAL.

6. Warm compress target, maybe: STYE.

7. Termite eaters: ANTS.

8. Mai __: cocktail: TAI.

9. "Monsters, Inc." factory product: DOOR.

10. "Pinkie promise?": YOU SWEAR. Also 14. Make the grade: PASS MUSTER. 71. Place for a pick-me-up?: BUS SHELTER. 85. "Time to blow this popsicle stand": LET'S ROLL. Excellent entries.

11. Isengard attacker: ENT.

12. Weapons expert: ARMORER.

13. Sweet and __: SOUR.

15. "Better get a move on!": I'M LATE.

16. Royal tenures: REIGNS.

17. "Ready Player One" author Cline: ERNEST.

20. Santa costume need: BEARD.

23. Sharp quality: WIT.

24. Warrant: MERIT.

28. Attention: CARE.

29. Swing dance move: DIP.

30. "The Graham Norton Show" airer: BBC.

32. Recruit: ENLIST.

35. Big bash: FETE.

36. Agate kin: ONYX.

37. Speaks with a sore throat: RASPS.

38. "No good __ goes unpunished": DEED.

44. Model/activist Holliday: TESS.

45. Like tiaras: JEWELED.

47. Parmesan substitute: ASIAGO.

48. __ support: LUMBAR.

49. Like a sponge: POROUS.

50. With hands on hips: AKIMBO.

51. Teensy: ITTY.

52. Fishy topping: ROE.

54. Goofy sort: HAM.

55. Splitting tool: AXE.

56. Coeval: PEER. Is "coeval" a common word?

57. Spielberg shark thriller: JAWS.

59. Sister on "Succession": SHIV. Unknown to me. Happy for the new clue angle.

63. Flow partner: EBB.

64. You, in Montréal: TOI.

66. Driveway-patching gunk: TAR.

68. Actress Hatcher: TERI.

73. Cheesy layered snack: NACHOS.

75. Keep up on the issues?: RENEW.

77. One prone to histrionics, informally: DRAMA LLAMA. Learned from doing crosswords.

79. Hershey caramel candy: ROLO.

80. Faygo or Fanta: SODA. Wikipedia says Faygo is "a soft drink company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan."

81. Get-up on Sunday morning?: ROBE. Sweet clue also.

82. __ out a living: EKED.

88. Come clean about: ADMIT TO.

89. Sulky mood: SNIT.

90. Ninth planet, until 2006: PLUTO.

91. Fishy topping: LOX.

93. Ill-fated "Grey's Anatomy" resident George: O'MALLEY.

94. Nutty: BIZARRE.

95. Match at the poker table: SEE.

96. Coffee-and-chocolate concoctions: MOCHAS.

97. Narcissist: EGOIST.

98. Hypnotic state: TRANCE.

99. Areas of expertise: LANES. Splynter's lane is wide.

104. Sen.'s domain: GOV.

106. Greenhouse unit: PANE.

108. Genesis figure: ADAM.

109. Included in an email thread: CC'ED.

110. "How terrible!": OH NO.

111. Divests (of): RIDS.

113. Uber or Lyft alternative: CAB.

114. Tampa's st.: FLA.

C.C.

I was very sad to learn that Old Man Keith passed away. He was an active member of our blog for so many years. Always a gentleman. You can learn more his life here.