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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: John Lampkin
THEME: Predictable Partings … each of today’s themed answers is how a member of a certain profession might make his or her parting, in a “punny” sort of way, giving us a well-known phrase:
23A. The paparazzo … : WAS GONE IN A FLASH
35A. The demolitionist … : BLEW THE JOINT
55A. The civil engineer … : HIT THE ROAD
60A. The lingerie manufacturer … : SLIPPED AWAY
69A. The chicken farmer … : FLEW THE COOP
74A. The sound technician … : MADE TRACKS
92A. The film director … : QUIT THE SCENE
108A. The soda jerk … : RAN LICKETY-SPLIT
15D. The ecdysiast … : TOOK OFF
17D. The percussionist … : BEAT IT
84D. The van driver … : MOVED ON
89D. The paper doll maker … : CUT OUT
BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 29m 41s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 2 … FOIL (fool); NEIL (Neol!!)
Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
14. Bayonets, say : STABS
A bayonet is a blade that is attached to the muzzle end of a rifle. It’s thought that the term derives from the French city of Bayonne in Gascony where perhaps bayonets were first made.
19. “That Old Black Magic” composer : ARLEN
“That Old Black Magic” is a song written by Harold Arlen with lyrics by Johnny Mercer. The song has been recorded by many artists over the decades, but was first released by Glenn Miller and his Orchestra in 1942.
20. Bit of riding gear : CROP
A riding crop is a type of whip, one without a long lash.
21. Big acronym in energy : OPEC
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) was founded in 1960 at a conference held in Baghdad, Iraq that was attended by Iraq, Kuwait, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. Nine more countries joined the alliance soon after, and OPEC set up headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland and then Vienna, Austria in 1965. The basic aim of OPEC was to wrench control of oil prices from the oil companies and to put it in the hands of the sovereign states that own the natural resource.
22. Actress Parker : POSEY
Parker Posey is an American actress who has earned the nickname “Queen of the Indies” due to her success in several indie movies. She did miss out on one mainstream role though, as she was edged out by Jennifer Aniston to play Rachel on “Friends”.
23. The paparazzo … : WAS GONE IN A FLASH
Paparazzi are photojournalists who specialize in taking candid shots of celebrities. The name comes from the famous Fellini movie, “La Dolce Vita”. One of the characters in the film is a news photographer called Paparazzo.
26. Día de San Valentín flowers : ROSAS
In Spanish, a gift of roses (rosas) might be given on the 14th of February (14 de febrero), Saint Valentine’s Day (Día de San Valentín).
Saint Valentine’s Day was chosen by Pope Gelasius I in 496 AD to honor various martyrs with the name Valentine. However, the saints’ day was dropped by the Catholic church in 1969, by Pope Paul VI. Try telling that to Hallmark though …
30. “Santa Baby” singer : KITT
Eartha Kitt sure did have a unique voice and singing style. Her rendition of “Santa Baby” has to be one of the most distinctive and memorable recordings in the popular repertoire. Some of you will no doubt remember Eartha playing Catwoman on the final series of the TV show “Batman”.
31. New York City’s ___ River : EAST
The East River is a strait in New York City connecting Upper New York Bay to Long Island Sound, separating Manhattan Island from Long Island. As it connects to Long Island Sound, the East River was once known as the Sound River.
33. Division in biology : MITOSIS
Mitosis is the process by which the complement of chromosomes in a cell nucleus replicates and then divides into two identical sets of new chromosomes. Mitosis is followed by division of the cell itself, resulting in two identical cells. Meiosis is a special type of cell division that results in reproductive cells that have half the full complement of chromosomes. The reproductive cells join together, with one cell coming from each parent, to form a new cell with a full complement of chromosomes. That new cell develops into offspring that have characteristics of both parents.
42. Roll in a disaster supply kit : DUCT TAPE
What we tend to call “duct” tape today was originally known as “duck” tape. In its first form, duck tape was rubber-based adhesive applied to a duck cloth backing, hence the name. Cotton duck cloth is a canvas-like material, a plain woven cotton fabric. The name “duck” comes from the Dutch “doek” meaning “linen canvas”. Duck tape started to known as “duct tape” in the fifties, as it was commonly used to wrap air ducts in the construction industry.
44. Christmas wrapper? : ELF
Our word “oaf”, meaning a stupid or clumsy person, comes from the Old Norse word “elf” meaning “silly person”. Our word “elf” has the same root. On the other side of the Atlantic, the plural of “elf” is “elves”, and in some dictionaries the plural of “oaf” is written as “oaves”.
49. U.P.S. driver assignments: Abbr. : RTES
United Parcel Service (UPS) is based in Sandy Springs, Georgia and has its own airline that operates out of Louisville, Kentucky.
57. Grab (onto) : GLOM
“Glom” is a slang term meaning “steal”, although it can also be used to mean “latch onto” when used as “glom onto”. The term probably comes from the Scots word “glam” meaning “to snatch at”.
58. One heading to the cape? : TORO
In Spanish, the bull (el toro) might be charging at a bullfight.
59. Kitchen tool : RICER
A potato ricer is a kitchen tool used to force potato through small holes that are about the diameter of a grain of rice. It usually looks like a large garlic press.
60. The lingerie manufacturer … : SLIPPED AWAY
“Lingerie” is a French term, but as used in France it just means any underwear, worn by either males or females. In English we use “lingerie” to describe alluring underclothing worn by women. The term “lingerie” comes into English via the French word “linge” meaning “washables”, and ultimately from the Latin “linum”, meaning “linen”. We tend not to pronounce the word correctly in English, either here in the US or across the other side of the Atlantic. The French pronunciation is more like “lan-zher-ee”, as opposed to “lon-zher-ay” (American) and “lon-zher-ee” (British).
66. Emulate Harry Connick Jr. : CROON
Harry Connick, Jr. is one of those singers that has made a successful move into the world of acting. He had a recurring role on the sitcom “Will & Grace” from 2002 to 2006, playing Grace’s husband Dr. Leo Markus. His first acting job was in the excellent 1990 movie “Memphis Belle”, in which he did a great job playing a tail gunner with a peppy sense of humor. He played a similar role in 1996’s “Independence Day”.
68. ___ City, 1939 film locale : EMERALD
The Emerald City is of course the capital of the Land of Oz in L. Frank Baum’s series of “Oz” novels.
The movie “The Wizard of Oz” is full of irony. The Scarecrow wants to be intelligent and discovers he is already very smart. The Tin Man wants to be able to love and finds out that he already has a heart. The Lion thinks he is a coward but turns out to be fearless. And the big reveal is that the Wizard of Oz, who is positioned as all-powerful, is actually just a bumbling and eccentric old man.
71. “___ around around around around” (repeated line in Dion and the Belmonts’ “The Wanderer”) : I ROAM
The 1961 hit “The Wanderer” was recorded by the singer Dion. The backing group for the recording was uncredited, but was actually a vocal group called the Del-Satins. Dion had sung with the Belmonts, but went solo in 1960.
79. Scale part : SOL
Do re mi fa sol la ti do …
80. “The Jungle Book” bear : BALOO
“The Jungle Book” by Rudyard Kipling was originally published in 1894 and is a collection of adventure stories or fables featuring the animals of the jungle and a young boy called Mowgli. Baloo is a sloth bear who teaches the cubs of a wolf pack the Law of the Jungle. His most challenging pupil however is no lupine, but the man-cub Mowgli.
83. Fund for a third party : ESCROW
One type of escrow account is held by a trusted third party for two parties who have some contractual arrangement, an arrangement that is often in dispute. The third party only releases the funds when both parties have fulfilled their contractual obligations.
88. Dubai’s federation: Abbr. : UAE
Dubai is one of the seven Emirates that make up the federation known as the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The two largest members of the UAE (geographically) are Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the only two of the seven members that have veto power over UAE policy.
99. Magazine founder Eric : UTNE
The “Utne Reader” is known for aggregation and republishing of articles on politics, culture and the environment from other sources in the media. The “Utne Reader” was founded in 1984, with “Utne” being the family name of the couple that started the publication.
108. The soda jerk … : RAN LICKETY-SPLIT
“Lickety-split” is the latest in a line of terms that derived from the word “lick”, which was used in the sense of a “fast sprint in a race” back in the early 1800s. From “lick” there evolved “licketie”, “lickety-click”, “lickety-cut” and finally “lickety-split”, all just colorful ways to say “fast”.
The banana split was created in Latrobe, Pennsylvania in 1904. This particular sundae was the idea of David Stickler, a young apprentice pharmacist at the Tassel Pharmacy’s soda fountain.
In the halcyon days of yore, a “soda jerk” was usually a young person whose main job was to serve ice cream sodas in a drugstore. The server would “jerk” the handle on the soda fountain to dispense the soda water, giving the job its distinctive name.
113. Comic’s sidekick : FOIL
A “foil” is a person who enhances another by providing contrast, as in a “straight man” to a comic. This usage of “foil” comes from the practice of placing a metal foil at the back of a gem to make it shine more brightly.
114. Free-for-all : MELEE
Our word “melee” comes from the French “mêlée”, and in both languages the word means a “confused fight”.
115. Trial figure : STENO
Stenography is the process of writing in shorthand. The term comes from the Greek “steno” (narrow) and “graphe” (writing).
116. Houston pro, informally : ‘STRO
The Houston baseball team changed its name to the Astros from the Colt .45s in 1965 when they started playing in the Astrodome. The Astrodome was so called in recognition of the city’s long association with the US space program.
Down
2. Roman “of wrath” : IRAE
“Dies Irae” is Latin for “Day of Wrath”. It is the name of a famous melody in Gregorian Chant, one that is often used as part of the Roman Catholic Requiem Mass.
3. “Lohengrin” lady : ELSA
“Lohengrin” is a very popular opera by Richard Wagner, first performed in 1850. Many arias from “Lohengrin” are staples on “Opera’s Greatest Hits” collections.
5. Winter vehicle : SNO-CAT
The brand name Sno-Cat is owned by the Tucker company. All “snowcats” are tracked vehicles built to work in snow, famously used in expeditions to the polar regions. The modern Sno-Cat from Tucker differs from its competitors in that it has four, independently-mounted tracks.
7. Xeric : ARID
A location described as “xeric” is extremely dry, arid. The Greek prefix “xero-” means “dry, withered”.
8. Commercial tiger’s name : TONY
Tony the Tiger has been the mascot of Frosted Flakes cereal since the product’s introduction in 1951. As Tony would say, “They’re Gr-r-reat!” Well, I thought they were when I was a lot younger …
9. Oil spill-monitoring org. : EPA
Environmental Protection Agency(EPA)
10. Cornmeal dish : POLENTA
Polenta is a porridge made from finely ground corn. The term “polenta” is Italian.
14. Origin of a stream: Abbr. : SPR
A stream often originates as a spring (spr.), I guess …
15. The ecdysiast … : TOOK OFF
An “ecdysiast” is a striptease artist. The term was coined by the writer H. L. Mencken in 1940 at the request of burlesque performer Gypsy Rose Lee. She wanted a word for her profession that had more dignity. The term comes from the Greek “ecdysis” meaning “to molt”.
16. Birthplace of the Franciscan order : ASSISI
The Italian town of Assisi is in Umbria. Assisi is famous as the birthplace of St. Francis and as the home to the Franciscan religious order. It was also the home to Saint Clare and her order of the Poor Sisters (later known as the Poor Clares).
St. Francis founded the Franciscan religious order in Assisi in 1208. He died in 1226, and was declared a saint just two years later in 1228. Construction of the Basilica of San Francesco d’Assisi started immediately after the canonization, and finished 25 years later. The Basilica is now a United Nations World Heritage Site.
24. Poet who wrote “So Thomas Edison / Never drank his medicine” : NASH
The poet Ogden Nash is well known for his light and humorous verse. Try this one for size:
So Thomas Edison
Never drank his medicine;
So Blackstone and Hoyle
Refused cod-liver oil;
So Sir Thomas Malory
Never heard of a calory;
So the Earl of Lennox
Murdered Rizzio without the aid of vitamins or calisthenox;
So Socrates and Plato
Ate dessert without finishing their potato;
So spinach was too spinachy
For Leonardo da Vinaci;
Well, it’s all immaterial,
So eat your nice cereal,
And if you want to name your ration,
First go get a reputation.
35. “St. John Passion” composer : BACH
During the Baroque Period, many composers composed musical settings for the story of the Passion of Christ. Bach himself wrote four or five, although only two survive today. One is the “St. John Passion”, but the most famous and most often performed is the “St. Matthew Passion”.
36. Actress Taylor of “Mystic Pizza” : LILI
The actress Lili Taylor had supporting roles in films like “Mystic Pizza”, “The Haunting” and “Rudy”, and she had a recurring role in the HBO series “Six Feet Under”.
“Mystic Pizza” is a coming-of-age film released in 1988. Included in the cast are Annabeth Gish and Julia Roberts. If you watch closely, you’ll also see Matt Damon speaking his first line in a movie. The title refers to the name of a pizza restaurant located in Mystic, Connecticut.
37. Quod ___ faciendum : ERAT
“Quod erat faciendum” (QEF) is similar to the phrase “quod erat demonstrandum” (QED), both of which were used by Euclid in his theorems. “Quod erat faciendum” means “what was to have been done”, and is used at the end of a proposition that was not intended as a proof, but rather as a construction.
40. Monk’s grooves : BEBOP
Thelonious Monk was a jazz pianist and composer, the second-most recorded jazz composer after the great Duke Ellington. That’s a pretty impressive statistic given that Ellington wrote more than 1,000 songs, whereas Monk only wrote about 70. Monk was a pioneer in the development of the jazz style called “bebop”, which gained popularity in the 1940s.
43. “America by Heart” author, 2010 : PALIN
“America by Heart: Reflections on Family, Faith and Flag” is the second book by Sarah Palin, released in 2010 following the success of “Going Rogue: An American Life” that was published the prior year.
47. Polo, e.g. : SHIRT
René Lacoste was a French tennis player who went into the clothing business, and came up with a more comfortable shirt that players could use. This became known as a “tennis shirt”. When it was adopted for use in the sport of polo, the shirts also became known as “polo shirts”. And then the “golf shirt” is basically the same thing.
51. Current amount : AMPERE
The unit of electric current is the ampere, abbreviated correctly to “A” rather than “amp”. It is named after French physicist André-Marie Ampère, one of the main scientists responsible for the discovery of electromagnetism.
54. William who played Hopalong Cassidy : BOYD
In the original stories written by Clarence E. Mulford in the early 1900s, Hopalong Cassidy was a bit of a brute, not at all like the heroic character who appeared on the silver screen and television. The role of Hopalong Cassidy was famously played by William Boyd, a role that he made his own by playing it in an incredible series of 66 (!) movies.
57. Mop’s commercial partner : GLO
Mop & Glo!
58. Place for a touchdown : TARMAC
An airplane taxis on the tarmac at an airport.
“Tarmac” and “macadam” is of course short for “tarmacadam”. In the 1800s, Scotsman John Loudon McAdam developed a style of road known as “macadam”. Macadam had a top-layer of crushed stone and gravel laid over larger stones. The macadam also had a convex cross-section so that water tended to drain to the sides. In 1901, a significant improvement was made by English engineer Edgar Purnell Hooley who introduced tar into the macadam, improving the resistance to water damage and practically eliminating dust. The “tar-penetration macadam” is the basis of what we now call Tarmac.
60. Bribe : SOP
Cerberus is a dog with three heads that appears in both Greek and Roman mythology. Cerberus had the job of guarding the gates of Hades and preventing those who had crossed the River Styx from ever escaping. A sop is a piece of food that has been dipped in some liquid, as one might sop a piece of bread in soup. There is an idiomatic expression, “to give a sop to Cerberus”, which means to give someone a bribe, or pay someone off. The idea is that if one could bribe Cerberus, give him a sop to eat, then he would let you pass and escape from Hades.
61. Hardly be deadpan : EMOTE
The term “deadpan”, slang for an impassive expression, comes from dead (expressionless) and pan (slang for “face”).
63. Pratt Institute degs. : MFAS
The Pratt Institute is an art college in Brooklyn, New York. The school started out as an engineering college in 1887, founded by oil industry pioneer Charles Pratt. However, the engineering program was dropped in 1993 due to small enrolment numbers.
64. Bunch of stuff : OLIO
Olio is a term meaning a hodgepodge or a mixture, coming from the mixed stew of the same name. The stew in turn takes its name from the Spanish “olla”, the clay pot used for cooking.
65. Dickens orphan : NELL
“The Old Curiosity Shop” by Charles Dickens tells the story of little 14-year-old Nell Trent and her grandfather who live in the Old Curiosity Shop in London. If you visit London, there actually is an “Old Curiosity Shop”, in Westminster. It is an establishment selling odds and ends, old curiosities, and is believed to have been the inspiration for the shop in the Dickens story. The building has been around since the 1500s, but the name “The Old Curiosity Shop” was added after the book was published.
67. Baseball great Campanella : ROY
Roy Campanella was a Major League Baseball player considered by many to have been one of the greatest catchers the game has ever seen. Campanella played for the Brooklyn Dodgers in the forties and fifties and was a pioneer in breaking the color barrier as he started out playing in the Negro Leagues. Sadly, he was paralyzed in a car accident when in his late thirties and so his career was tragically cut short.
71. PIN part: Abbr. : IDENT
Personal identification number (PIN)
76. Mötley ___ : CRUE
Mötley Crüe is an American rock band, from Los Angeles. They’ve been around since 1981, co-founded by the famous drummer Tommy Lee. Tommy Lee is also known for his two celebrated marriages, the first with Heather Locklear and the second with Pamela Anderson. The name “Mötley Crüe” was chosen as someone once described the band members as a “motley looking crew”. The spelling was made to look a little more exotic, with the umlauts added over the “o” and “u” one day, as the band were drinking bottles of “Löwenbräu” beer!
77. Paradox to be meditated on : KOAN
The concept of the “koan” appears in the Zen Buddhist tradition. A koan is a story, question or perhaps a statement that is used as an aid to meditation. It often takes the form of a problem or riddle that has no logical solution and is intended to help the meditator break free of reason and develop intuition.
78. “Little ___’ Pea” : SWEE
Originally Popeye used the nickname “Swee’pea” to address his girlfriend Olive Oyl. Then along comes a baby, found on Popeye’s doorstep. Popeye adopts the little guy and raises him, calling him “Swee’Pea”.
80. Hindu part of Indonesia : BALI
Bali is the most important tourist destination in Indonesia and is an island lying east of Java. The island is home to the majority of Indonesia’s Hindu population.
82. Tutti-___ : FRUTTI
The adjective “tutti-frutti” describes a prepared confection that has a combination of fruit flavors. “Tutti frutti” is Italian for “all fruits”.
90. Baroque : ORNATE
The ornate artistic style known as the Baroque began around 1590 in Italy. The era is sometimes divided into:
– Early Baroque (1590-1625)
– High Baroque (1625-1660)
– Late Baroque (1660-1725)
The Late Baroque is sometimes also called Rococo, and merged with the Rococo era that succeeded the Baroque.
91. Some canapé picks : SWORDS
I guess the reference is to the tiny plastic “swords” that are used to skewer pieces of food together, an alternative to toothpicks.
A canapé is a finger food, usually small enough to eat in just one bite. In French, “canapé” is actually the word for a couch or a sofa. The name was given to the snack as the original “canapés” were savories served on toasted or stale bread that supposedly resembled a tiny “couch”.
97. Big boo-boo : BONER
“Boner” is one of those words that I just don’t like because it can be used offensively. The term can be used to mean a faux pas, an error.
102. Religious figure: Var. : IKON
“Ikon” is a variant spelling of “icon”.
103. Simon of Broadway : NEIL
Neil Simon is one of my favorite playwrights. Simon has written over thirty plays and about thirty screenplays. He has received more nominations for Oscars and Tony Awards than any other writer. My favorite play penned by Simon has to be “Brighton Beach Memoirs”, but the list of his great stage works seems endless and includes “Barefoot in the Park”, “The Odd Couple”, “Sweet Charity”, “Plaza Suite”, “California Suite”, “Biloxi Blues” and “The Goodbye Girl”.
105. Victory, to Wagner : SIEG
The Nazi salute was usually accompanied by the words, “Heil Hitler!” (“Hail Hitler!”), “Heil, mein Führer!” (“Hail, my leader!”) or often “Sieg Heil!” (“Hail victory!”).
Richard Wagner was born in the Jewish quarter of Leipzig in 1813. Decades later, Wagner became known not only for writing magnificent music, but for his anti-semitic views and writings.
107. Hit show sign : SRO
Standing room only (SRO)
109. Fiscal exec : CFO
Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Docks : PIERS
6. Fill : SATE
10. Where auto racers retire? : PITS
14. Bayonets, say : STABS
19. “That Old Black Magic” composer : ARLEN
20. Bit of riding gear : CROP
21. Big acronym in energy : OPEC
22. Actress Parker : POSEY
23. The paparazzo … : WAS GONE IN A FLASH
26. Día de San Valentín flowers : ROSAS
27. Catchy pop ditties : EAR CANDY
28. Back from vacation, say : RESTED
30. “Santa Baby” singer : KITT
31. New York City’s ___ River : EAST
32. Bad points : CONS
33. Division in biology : MITOSIS
35. The demolitionist … : BLEW THE JOINT
40. Fund-raising event : BENEFIT
41. Simple tune : AIR
42. Roll in a disaster supply kit : DUCT TAPE
44. Christmas wrapper? : ELF
45. High-toned : CLASSY
49. U.P.S. driver assignments: Abbr. : RTES
50. Knock down a peg : ABASE
52. Knock over : ROB
55. The civil engineer … : HIT THE ROAD
57. Grab (onto) : GLOM
58. One heading to the cape? : TORO
59. Kitchen tool : RICER
60. The lingerie manufacturer … : SLIPPED AWAY
63. Queen, e.g. : MONARCH
66. Emulate Harry Connick Jr. : CROON
68. ___ City, 1939 film locale : EMERALD
69. The chicken farmer … : FLEW THE COOP
71. “___ around around around around” (repeated line in Dion and the Belmonts’ “The Wanderer”) : I ROAM
72. Suffers : AILS
73. Supporting force : ALLY
74. The sound technician … : MADE TRACKS
79. Scale part : SOL
80. “The Jungle Book” bear : BALOO
82. Gala : FETE
83. Fund for a third party : ESCROW
84. “Whew!” : MAN!
85. Faultless : UNERRING
88. Dubai’s federation: Abbr. : UAE
89. Maximally hip : COOLEST
92. The film director … : QUIT THE SCENE
96. Range of understanding : PURVIEW
97. Prankster’s patsy : BUTT
98. Between continents, say : ASEA
99. Magazine founder Eric : UTNE
100. Execute perfectly : DO TO A T
102. Motivates : INSPIRES
106. Some hibernators : TOADS
108. The soda jerk … : RAN LICKETY-SPLIT
111. Instruct : TUTOR
112. Twosome : DUET
113. Comic’s sidekick : FOIL
114. Free-for-all : MELEE
115. Trial figure : STENO
116. Houston pro, informally : ‘STRO
117. Just : ONLY
118. Showplace? : STAGE
Down
1. Pet door opener : PAW
2. Roman “of wrath” : IRAE
3. “Lohengrin” lady : ELSA
4. Greened up, perhaps : REGREW
5. Winter vehicle : SNO-CAT
6. Like many candles : SCENTED
7. Xeric : ARID
8. Commercial tiger’s name : TONY
9. Oil spill-monitoring org. : EPA
10. Cornmeal dish : POLENTA
11. “Not for me” : I PASS
12. Trial : TEST
13. Word with color or rhyme : SCHEME
14. Origin of a stream: Abbr. : SPR
15. The ecdysiast … : TOOK OFF
16. Birthplace of the Franciscan order : ASSISI
17. The percussionist … : BEAT IT
18. Operating procedures: Abbr. : SYSTS
24. Poet who wrote “So Thomas Edison / Never drank his medicine” : NASH
25. Leads, as a band : FRONTS
29. More than snacks : DINES
32. In a footnote, say : CITED
34. Prefix with -port : TELE-
35. “St. John Passion” composer : BACH
36. Actress Taylor of “Mystic Pizza” : LILI
37. Quod ___ faciendum : ERAT
38. Panel member : JUROR
39. Twice tetra- : OCTA-
40. Monk’s grooves : BEBOP
43. “America by Heart” author, 2010 : PALIN
46. Drawn things : STRAWS
47. Polo, e.g. : SHIRT
48. Exclamation said before sticking out the tongue : YECCH!
51. Current amount : AMPERE
52. Prime seating area : ROW A
53. Kind of tradition : ORAL
54. William who played Hopalong Cassidy : BOYD
56. Mend after further injury : REHEAL
57. Mop’s commercial partner : GLO
58. Place for a touchdown : TARMAC
60. Bribe : SOP
61. Hardly be deadpan : EMOTE
62. Little angels : DEARS
63. Pratt Institute degs. : MFAS
64. Bunch of stuff : OLIO
65. Dickens orphan : NELL
66. Two points : COLON
67. Baseball great Campanella : ROY
70. Political muscle : CLOUT
71. PIN part: Abbr. : IDENT
74. Basis for promotion : MERIT
75. Going ___ : AT IT
76. Mötley ___ : CRUE
77. Paradox to be meditated on : KOAN
78. “Little ___’ Pea” : SWEE
80. Hindu part of Indonesia : BALI
81. Have ___ for : A NEED
82. Tutti-___ : FRUTTI
84. The van driver … : MOVED ON
86. Capable of handling : EQUAL TO
87. Horrifying : GHASTLY
89. The paper doll maker … : CUT OUT
90. Baroque : ORNATE
91. Some canapé picks : SWORDS
93. Spot : ESPY
94. Tremors : SEISMS
95. Cover completely : CARPET
96. Short strokes : PUTTS
97. Big boo-boo : BONER
101. Not relaxed : TAUT
102. Religious figure: Var. : IKON
103. Simon of Broadway : NEIL
104. That señorita : ELLA
105. Victory, to Wagner : SIEG
107. Hit show sign : SRO
109. Fiscal exec : CFO
110. One may have a ball at the country club : TEE
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Hi Bill,
As I've done on rare occasions before, I tried to solve only the theme answers before filling in the rest of the puzzle.
It's a bit more time consuming and tedious, but a good exercise in thinking outside of the box.
Came up with 6 of the 12 theme answers without looking at crosses, then confirmed suspected answers by looking at (but not filling in) cross clues, augmenting my guesses as the crosses dictated, to correctly fill in all 12 theme answers.
This method requires memorizing and visualizing parts of the completed grid, as crosses may be mentally verified by *their* crosses. This exercise can help train the eye to visualize potential answers when solving normally.
Despite my success with the theme, I was "Naticked" on 2 squares of the finished grid. 🙁
And now I must "part", (predictably!)
-Kevin Quinn
Hi there, Kevin.
I've never tried the "theme answers first" strategy. I must give it a go sometime (when I have a few hours free!!). I'd say this would be a good puzzle to try that approach with though.
Definitely thinking outside the box!
Wow, my original comment didn't post. 🙁
Thanks for answering though! 🙂
Kevin,
For soem reason your comments keep getting put into my spam folder by Blogger (the company that hosts my blog). I have to dig them out manually. I don't know why Blogger is picking on you. I've tried to fix it, but to no avail so far.
nice post. black magic get love back is provide mantra for handle one the love back. Astrologer provide thing for mantra.
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