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Solution to today’s crossword in the New York Times
Solution to today’s SYNDICATED New York Times crossword in all other publications
CROSSWORD SETTER: Alan Arbesfeld
THEME: WISECRACKS … each of the theme answers is a well-known expression but with a “Y” missing:
23A. Chocolat, say? : TREAT(Y) OF VERSAILLES
39A. Macho drag queen? : A STUD(Y) IN SCARLET
50A. Like literary classics? : GOOD AND READ(Y)
54A. Call to the bar? : BEER BELL(Y)
68A. Like a centaur? : PART(Y) ANIMAL
70A. “Don’t let that youngster get off without paying!”? : BILL(Y) THE KID
86A. Unbiased account? : FAIR(Y) TALE
89A. Announcement made by a transplant surgeon, perhaps? : LIVER(Y) STABLE
97A. Stigmatize a “great” king? : BRAND(Y) ALEXANDER
119A. Two reasons to avoid a dog kennel? : THE SOUND AND THE FUR(Y)
COMPLETION TIME: 34m 28s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 4 … GAEA (Gaei), SABRA (Sabri), ADDIE (Addae), ATRI (Atra)
Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Apologies, everyone. I am still doped up on over-the-counter flu remedies and will be sleeping instead of doing look-ups today. Hopefully I’ll be up to the task tomorrow.
Bill
For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Course preparer : CHEF
5. Close shave : SCRAPE
11. John Lennon song that ends “I love you, yeah, yeah, now and forever” : WOMAN
16. Deck (out) : TOG
19. Tops : A-ONE
20. Like some church matters : LAICAL
21. Monster slain by Hercules : HYDRA
22. Lead-in to meter : ODO-
23. Chocolat, say? : TREAT(Y) OF VERSAILLES
26. Shorten, with “off” : LOP
27. In the limelight : ON STAGE
28. HBO competitor : STARZ
29. Emphatic denial : I SAID NO
31. Home to the Minutemen, informally : UMASS
33. When repeated, an old New Orleans tune : IKO
35. Word repeated four times in the last line of Shakespeare’s “All the world’s a stage” speech : SANS
36. Polyester fabric : DACRON
39. Macho drag queen? : A STUD(Y) IN SCARLET
46. Shield border : ORLE
47. Make, as a copy of a CD : BURN
48. Stop on a line : DEPOT
49. Dockworkers’ org. : ILA
50. Like literary classics? : GOOD AND READ(Y)
54. Call to the bar? : BEER BELL(Y)
56. Weirdo : NUT
57. Earth goddess : GAEA
58. Bobby who sang “Take Good Care of My Baby” : VEE
60. Hall-of-Fame pitcher Joss : ADDIE
61. Unsurprisingly : AS USUAL
63. Skinny? : DERMAL
65. Discreet signal : NOD
68. Like a centaur? : PART(Y) ANIMAL
70. “Don’t let that youngster get off without paying!”? : BILL(Y) THE KID
75. Rural setting : LEA
76. Had way too much of : ODED ON
78. Words from a con man : TRUST ME
79. Given a number, maybe : RATED
83. Flushed : RED
84. Baseball’s strikeout king : RYAN
85. Go (for) : OPT
86. Unbiased account? : FAIR(Y) TALE
89. Announcement made by a transplant surgeon, perhaps? : LIVER(Y) STABLE
92. British isle : AIT
93. Allan-___ (figure in the Robin Hood legend) : A-DALE
95. Omelette ingredient : OEUF
96. Middling grades : CEES
97. Stigmatize a “great” king? : BRAND(Y) ALEXANDER
100. Hankering : THIRST
102. Salon selection : UPDO
103. Twin killings, on a diamond: Abbr. : DPS
104. Went off course : YAWED
106. Part of the inn crowd? : LODGERS
110. Access requirement, maybe : LOG IN
114. Old-fashioned ingredient : BITTERS
118. Big collection agcy. : IRS
119. Two reasons to avoid a dog kennel? : THE SOUND AND THE FUR(Y)
122. Apt name for a 1-Across? : STU
123. Unenthusiastic : TEPID
124. Maximum : ALL OUT
125. Bar mixer : SODA
126. Rx amt. : TSP
127. Wonderland message : EAT ME
128. “Are you kidding me?” : REALLY
129. Ocho minus cinco : TRES
Down
1. Roman censor : CATO
2. Game ender, at times : HORN
3. Chemical endings : -ENES
4. Given prominence : FEATURED
5. “A diamond is forever,” e.g. : SLOGAN
6. Saint-Germain-des-Prés sights : CAFES
7. Ohio or Colorado: Abbr. : RIV
8. Some tennis winners : ACES
9. Head line? : PART
10. Lanchester on the screen : ELSA
11. Little genius : WHIZ-KID
12. Olive ___ : OYL
13. Mid 16th-century year : MDLI
14. God with a shield : ARES
15. Launch party? : NASA
16. Was duplicitous : TOLD A LIE
17. Former co-host of “The View” : O’DONNELL
18. Lose it : GO POSTAL
24. ___-shanter : TAM O’
25. Of no interest : ARID
30. See 32-Down: Abbr. : ISR
32. Native of 30-Down : SABRA
34. It’s solid yellow : ONE-BALL
36. Take a peke? : DOGNAP
37. Excitement : AROUSAL
38. Debate ender : CLOTURE
40. Do more than threaten, say : SUE
41. Pilgrim : TRAVELER
42. Anesthetized : UNDER
43. Tore : SPED
44. Like some dorms : COED
45. Title town of a Longfellow poem : ATRI
51. Chihuahua drink : AGUA
52. Tandoor-baked bread : NAAN
53. Where heroes are made : DELI
55. Elaine of “Seinfeld” : BENES
59. Represented : EMBODIED
62. Outlaw Belle who is said to have harbored Jesse James : STARR
63. Many a Little League coach : DAD
64. River to the Rhône : AIN
66. When many German steins are lifted : OKTOBER
67. They get bigger when you smile : DIMPLES
69. Hit the runway : MODELED
71. Astronomical distance: Abbr. : LT YR
72. Refrain syllables : TRAS
73. Easter activity : HUNT
74. Abhor : DETEST
77. Actor Alain : DELON
80. Barely : A TAD
81. “I did it!” : TADA
82. It’s grounded every Saturday : EL AL
84. Prepare, as some Mexican-style beans : REFRY
86. Aesop, notably : FABULIST
87. Places for gates : AIRPORTS
88. “That makes sense” : IT ADDS UP
90. Saturn S.U.V. : VUE
91. Conclusive trial : ACID TEST
94. Lose it : EXPLODE
98. Holiday quaff : NOG
99. Not worth ___ : A SOU
100. Singer of the 1958 #1 hit “It’s Only Make Believe” : TWITTY
101. The first “H” in Hanukkah : HETH
105. Former TV judge : ABDUL
107. Suffix with cigar : -ETTE
108. Cousin of an ostrich : RHEA
109. Back-to-sch. time : SEPT
111. Growl : GNAR
112. Sitting on one’s hands : IDLE
113. Simba’s mate : NALA
115. ___ effort : E FOR
116. Tactless : RUDE
117. Mmes., over the border : SRAS
120. Actor Alastair : SIM
121. Cambodia’s Lon ___ : NOL
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