Theme: "Novel Endings" — Each theme answer is the title of a classic literary work with its last word anagrammed into another word creating a new wacky title clued "?"-style.
[Note: This is the puzzle that appears in the Sunday L.A. Times newspaper. If you don't get the paper, you can find the puzzle here. Scroll down to see the write-up of today's syndicated puzzle.]
Theme answers:
- 22A: Swift's story of Lemuel's rascally pals? (GULLIVER'S VARLETS [travels]).
- 34A: Faulkner's grime story? (AS I LAY DINGY [dying]).
- 51A: Dreiser's story of Elvis? (AN AMERICAN GYRATED [tragedy]).
- 70A: Tolkien's story of a cheerful aristocrat? (THE LORD OF THE GRINS [rings]).
- 85A: O'Hara's story of Middle East extremism? (A RAGE TO VEIL [live]).
- 101A: Fitzgerald's story of a sore spot? (TENDER IS THE THING [night]).
- 15D: Doctorow's story of renunciation? (THE BOOK OF DENIAL [Daniel]).
- 40D: Hemingway's space junket story? (A FAREWELL TO MARS [arms]).
Everything Else — 1A: Starbuck's boss (AHAB); 5A: Top (SUPREME); 12A: Space-based navig. tool (GPS); 15A: Number Noah knew (TWO); 18A: Milk, for Penn (ROLE); 19A: Franklin's First Lady (ELEANOR); 20A: Boulle's "aye" (OUI); 21A: "Moonstruck" star (CHER); 25A: Maintained (HELD); 26A: End of an ultimatum (OR ELSE); 27A: Place for a guard (SHIN); 28A: Worthy (ESTIMABLE); 30A: Martial arts movie figure (NINJA); 31A: Ill temper (BILE); 32A: The Baldwins, e.g. (SIBS); 33A: Romance, in France (AMOUR); 37A: John B and others (SLOOPS); 38A: Danube tributary (ISAR); 41A: Car title info (VIN); 42A: --- - jongg (MAH); 43A: Sarong fabric (BATIK); 44A: Brit. fighting branch (RAF); 45A: Triumphed (WON); 46A: Relax in the tub (SOAK); 48A: Many a top-ten tune (LOVE SONG); 55A: Go-broke bridge (FOR); 56A: Covent Garden lane (DRURY); 57A: Lestat's creator (RICE); 58A: John of "Good Times" (AMOS); 59A: Letters from the family? (DNA); 60A: The Trojan Horse ended one (SIEGE); 61A: Eliot's Adam (BEDE); 62A: Wall St. abbr. (AMEX); 63A: Game with knight moves (CHESS); 65A: Cut down (HEW); 66A: Prompts (CUES); 67A: Not fer (AGIN'); 68A: Richard of "Have Gun - Will Travel" (BOONE); 69A: Bio datum (AGE); 74A: SeaWorld stars (DOLPHINS); 76A: Liberal party? (ORGY); 77A: High lines (ELS); 78A: Cleopatra's dispatcher (ASP); 79A: Hotelier Helmsley (LEONA); 80A: ABC a.m. show (GMA); 81A: Nimes scream (CRI); 82A: Pet peeve (FLEA); 83A: Cops' props (BATONS); 89A: Word with play or tag (ALONG); 90A: Ollie's sidekick (STAN); 91A: Large margin (MILE); 92A: Flings (CASTS); 96A: Entry fee (ADMISSION); 98A: Make a bundle (BALE); 99A: She played Gigi (LESLIE); 100A: Paisley hillside (BRAE); 104A: Hauteur (AIRS); 105A: Melrose, e.g. (AVE.); 106A: Civilian army (MILITIA); 107A: Brink (EDGE); 108A: Ques. counterpart (ANS.); 109A: Rest area (BED); 110A: Arch sites (INSTEPS); 111A: A couple of bucks (DEER); 1D: Helium group gas (ARGON); 2D: Beauty in Muslim paradise (HOURI); 3D: Debbie of "Fame" (ALLEN); 4D: Plath title item (BELL JAR); 5D: Golf's Ballesteros (SEVE); 6D: Gran or glob ender (-ULE); 7D: Kind of cat or carpet (PERSIAN); 8D: In a foolhardy manner (RASHLY); 9D: Coveted (ENVIED); 10D: Gripe (MOAN); 11D: Flub (ERR); 12D: Elapses (GOES BY); 13D: Green strokes (PUTTS); 14D: Spanish "ayes" (SÍ SÍ); 16D: Get teary (WELL UP); 17D: They may be standing or tall (ORDERS); 21D: Car-wash cloth (CHAMOIS); 23D: "Handsome --- handsome does" (IS AS); 24D: "Psycho" star (LEIGH); 29D: Shake alternative (MALTED); 31D: Pancakes for Pushkin (BLINI); 32D: Serpentine (SNAKY); 35D: Merchant's partner (IVORY); 36D: Publicist's concern (IMAGE); 37D: Socks away (SAVES); 38D: S&L offering (IRA); 39D: Balboa Park's home (SAN DIEGO); 43D: Hardly a cheap shot (BOTOX); 45D: Used to be (WERE); 46D: "Because I ---!" (SAID SO); 47D: Back in the day (ONCE); 48D: Dirge (LAMENT); 49D: Hogwash (NONSENSE); 50D: Foie follower (GRAS); 52D: Kisser (MUG); 53D: Anglers' accessories (CREELS); 54D: Become complex (RAMIFY); 60D: Atlantic Coast catch (SHAD); 61D: --- Vista (BUENA); 62D: Wide-eyed (AGOG); 63D: Sprockets (COGS); 64D: Vert. opposite (HOR.); 66D: Stubble sites (CHINS); 67D: 1967 hit "Kind of ---" (A DRAG); 68D: Prove false (BELIE); 70D: Brief beachwear (THONGS); 71D: Claudius or Caligula (ROMAN); 72D: Ricardo's TV costar (HERVÉ); 73D: Spring retreat? (SPA); 75D: Showy bloomers (PEONIES); 80D: Thou (GRAND); 81D: Gigi's creator (COLETTE); 82D: Glinted (FLASHED); 83D: Sheepish remarks? (BAA BAA); 84D: Buzz the astronaut (ALDRIN); 85D: Squared things (ATONED); 86D: Hits "send" (EMAILS); 87D: Havarti kin (TILSIT); 88D: "Law & Order: SVU" costar (ICE-T); 90D: Strainer (SIEVE); 93D: Trombone feature (SLIDE); 94D: Hint of a tint (TINGE); 95D: "Night Moves" rocker Bob (SEGER); 97D: Run through (STAB); 98D: Google cofounder Sergey (BRIN); 99D: Meadowlands (LEAS); 102D: U.K. recording giant (EMI); 103D: In the groove (HIP).
5 comments:
I had trouble with BEDE, RICE, BATIK, and loved BOTOX.
But I remembered Richard BOONE of "Have Gun."
Thanks again PG.
Great, absorbing puzzle. Took me back to English Lit I class in college. Oh how quickly we forget!!!
This one was fun!! I actually liked it better than the other LAT puzzle.
Much easier than the LAT today both were clever themes, but I've seen ones similar to this one (probably from Sylvia or Merl in fact).
Just did this puzzle tonight and totally enjoyed it! LOL'd at 'AS I LAY DINGY". Had difficulties at the bottom middle area caused by not knowing Google's Sergey's last name BRIN, TILSIT cheese, COLETTE or O'Hara's A RAGE TO LIVE/VEIL. Eventually I was able to grind it out to completion, but it (my grid) got ugly.
For Ollie's sidekick, I thought of Kukla, Fran and Ollie so entered FRAN. This worked off the A and N for a while but I couldn't get anything to work with the F or R. Finally the light bulb came on and I realized Ollie was Oliver Hardy, thus sidekick STAN. Now that I think about it, one could hardly have called Fran Ollie's "sidekick."
Another clue that threw me was "go-broke bridge" -- just could not figure out what that meant for the longest time. Ditto "Milk, for Penn." I think my brain was rolling along in the slow lane.
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