5.16.2010

SUNDAY, May 16, 2010 — Bonnie L. Gentry

Theme: "Mark Time" — The letter string GPA is hidden in each theme answer

[Note: This is the syndicated L.A. Times puzzle. It does not appear in the actual newspaper, but is available for free at cruciverb.com.]


Theme answers:
  • 27A: It's a racket (PING PONG PADDLE).
  • 41A: S.O.S, for one (SCOURING PAD).
  • 64A: "Come again?" ("BEG PARDON?").
  • 89A: Group in power (RULING PARTY).
  • 101A: State of inaction (HOLDING PATTERN).
  • 15D: You might get it in your pajamas (MORNING PAPER).
  • 58D: More than a walk-on (SPEAKING PART).
  • 110D: Scholastic mean, briefly, hidden in this puzzle's seven longest answers (GPA).
Crosswordese 101 Round-Up:
  • 40A: Bobby Orr, for most of his career (BRUIN).
  • 44A: Gelling agents (AGARS).
  • 81A: "Gymnopédies" composer Satie (ERIK).
  • 114A: Duel-purpose equipment (ÉPÉES).
  • 39D: One making a good impression? (APER).
  • 70D: '20s-'30s Flying Cloud, e.g. (REO).
Everything Else — 1A: Group of notes (CHORD); 6A: Is, in Ixtapa (ESTÁ); 10A: Prefix with grain (MULTI-); 15A: National League East team (METS); 19A: Renée's "Chicago" role (ROXIE); 20A: Milky Way ingredient? (STAR); 21A: Guesstimate word (ABOUT); 22A: Speed-skating rink, e.g. (OVAL); 23A: Invites the public (OPENS); 24A: You can't go when you're in it (PARK); 25A: Districts (ZONES); 26A: Pantheon site (ROME); 30A: New Englander (YANKEE); 32A: Begin to use, as resources (TAP); 33A: Just so (NEAT); 34A: Most violent (GORIEST); 35A: __ de corps (ESPRIT); 38A: Caravan stopovers (OASES); 43A: Trevi Fountain coin count? (TRE); 48A: Having just seen a ghost, maybe (PALE); 49A: Mechanical connectors, half the time (MALES); 50A: Jumping contest entrants (FROGS); 52A: __ du jour: bistro special (PLAT); 53A: Hundreds of wks. (YRS.); 54A: Cavalry blade (SABER); 55A: "I've __ thinking ..." (BEEN); 56A: Venezia's land (ITALIA); 58A: Feed store? (SILO); 59A: Alpine mont (BLANC); 60A: Managing (COPING); 61A: Acts of faith? (LEAPS); 68A: Like urban populations (DENSE); 69A: In __ and out ... (ONE EAR); 71A: Pottery ovens (KILNS); 72A: Frankenstein aide (IGOR); 74A: Throw a feast for (REGALE); 75A: Data transfer unit (BAUD); 76A: Odessa's home (TEXAS); 78A: "Like that's gonna happen!" ("HAH!"); 82A: 1936 Olympics champ (OWENS); 84A: Simple fellow (SIMON); 85A: Seat of Hawaii County (HILO); 86A: Plebe's denial (NO SIR); 88A: Some hangings (ART); 91A: Asian menu assurance (NO MSG); 93A: Musical "don't play" (TACET); 94A: "Very well" ("SO BE IT"); 95A: Disconnects (HANGS UP); 98A: Knot, as of hair (HANK); 99A: Bi- plus one (TRI-); 100A: Justice of the peace customer (ELOPER); 108A: Big butte (MESA); 109A: "Enough already!" ("I GIVE!"); 111A: Dig find, perhaps (TOOL); 112A: Part of a TV signal (AUDIO); 113A: Constantly (EVER); 115A: Command after "Oops!" (UNDO); 116A: Touches the tarmac (LANDS); 117A: Brooding place (NEST); 118A: Soup scoop (LADLE); 119A: Thorn in one's side (PEST); 120A: Cut drastically (SLASH); 1D: Harvester's haul (CROP); 2D: Northern Arizona native (HOPI); 3D: Farmer's helpers (OXEN); 4D: Sound right (RING TRUE); 5D: Lose heart (DESPAIR); 6D: Armchair QB's channel (ESPN); 7D: Men-only affair (STAG); 8D: Field shield (TARP); 9D: Hot Springs National Park state (ARKANSAS); 10D: Tribute and Miata (MAZDAS); 11D: It might have a nut at each end (U-BOLT); 12D: Sans companions (LONE); 13D: Digital watch abbr. (TUE); 14D: Dress shop compliment (IT'S YOU); 16D: Draw forth (EVOKE); 17D: Emulates a horse whisperer (TAMES); 18D: Frozen drops (SLEET); 28D: Most favorable (OPTIMAL); 29D: Scout's good work (DEED); 31D: Mezzo's moment (ARIA); 34D: Sportscaster Gumbel (GREG); 35D: See from afar (ESPY); 36D: Wound remnant (SCAR); 37D: Campaign vets (POLS); 38D: Eye impolitely (OGLE); 40D: Mile High athlete (BRONCO); 42D: Mover and shaker (NABOB); 43D: Exit poll indication (TREND); 45D: Exhausted (ALL IN); 46D: Gully fillers (RAINS); 47D: Frontier transport (STAGE); 50D: What the dauntless lack (FEARS); 51D: [Quoted verbatim] ([SIC]); 54D: Rope fiber (SISAL); 55D: Needing spicing (BLAND); 57D: Ruckuses (TO-DOS); 59D: High 80s, roughly (B-PLUS); 61D: "Space Cowboys" actor __ Dean (LOREN); 62D: Start of a new año (ENERO); 63D: Tutelage (AEGIS); 65D: "La Dolce Vita" actress (EKBERG); 66D: Beanstalk menace (GIANT); 67D: President who appeared on "Laugh-In" (NIXON); 73D: Rap genre (GANGSTA); 76D: Scrabble piece (TILE); 77D: Throw off (EMIT); 78D: Expand the staff (HIRE); 79D: Cathedral voices (ALTI); 80D: Baseball Hall of Famer Wilhelm (HOYT); 83D: Slender-bodied stinger (WASP); 84D: Silently endure difficulty, in slang (SUCK IT UP); 85D: Chronic (HABITUAL); 87D: Greeted the judge (ROSE); 89D: "Atlas Shrugged" author (RAND); 90D: Internet gateways (PORTALS); 92D: Spark in a bookshop (MURIEL); 93D: "Thy Neighbor's Wife" author (TALESE); 95D: Studly sorts (HE-MEN); 96D: Naproxen brand (ALEVE); 97D: Small victory margins (NOSES); 98D: Crude abode (HOVEL); 101D: Zipped (HIED); 102D: Zip (NONE); 103D: Pantheon figures (GODS); 104D: Conspiracy theorist's subject (PLOT); 105D: "Show Boat" author Ferber (EDNA); 106D: Clears (of) (RIDS); 107D: Small snack (NOSH).

6 comments:

imsdave said...

Nice easy puzzle that I seemed to like more than usual. I wasn't sure why, so I went back over it.

This is an amazingly clean grid. Very few 3 letter words, prefixs, abbreviations, partials, silly plurals - almost zero crap fill.

Excellent work Ms. Gentry.

Tinbeni said...

Liked seeing the METS and YANKEEs,
two of my favorite teams.

Even with the Rap genre, GANGSTA (not my fave form of music) this was a FUN Sunday NOSH.

GPA theme was cute.
Hope as cute as when I'm getting my MORNING PAPER in my pj's. At 5:00 am, its dark so I SUCK IT UP and get it. Though this can be an ESPY moment if I forget to wear them.

Didn't know LOREN or MURIEL, easy via crosses.

It even had its own rating, B-PLUS.

Van55 said...

Writeovers at 1A = SCORE became CHART became CHORD at last.

Didn't like TRE and TRI in the same grid.

Well above average LAT Sunday fare, though the theme wasn't all that inspired/clever.

shrub5 said...

LOL when I finally got 49A Mechanical connectors, half the time (MALES.) New word for my musical terms list: TACET.

Enjoyed this puzzle a lot more than most recent Sundays. Moved right along but encountered enough difficulty to keep it interesting and to want to keep going. There were many good clues to appreciate.

Tuttle said...

Not bad. BAUD isn't exactly a unit of data transfer, but it's such a common misconception as to make it actually easier to guess. Not even a nit otherwise.

PurpleGuy said...

This was infinitely more enjoyable than the NYT puzzle today.
Had a good, relaxing time with this one.
We have a pair of RAVENS on our green in the front.

Have a grat day, all.