Theme: "They're Beside Themselves" — Theme answers are made-up two-word phrases where the last three letters of the first word are also the first three letters of the second word.
[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:
- 22A: Introductory assortment of wreckage? (FLOTSAM SAMPLER).
- 40A: One-of-a-kind book? (CUSTOM TOME).
- 65A: Place to leave the flock during vacation? (CHICKEN KENNEL).
- 92A: Try to get tallow? (PURSUE SUET).
- 114A: Music for painters? (ENAMEL MELODIES).
- 15D: Scallions for an anniversary party? (JUBILEE LEEKS).
- 59D: Short treatise on junk e-mail? (SPAM PAMPHLET).
Crosswordese 101 Round-Up:
- 6A: Tiptop (ACME).
- 13A: Big Indians (RAJAS).
- 30A: Boris Godunov, e.g. (TSAR).
- 45A: Barely earn, with "out" (EKE).
- 79D: Fido's dinnertime extra (ORT).
- 88D: Slender swimmer (EEL).
- 112D: Start of North Carolina's motto (ESSE).
Everything Else — 1A: Garfield's middle name (ABRAM); 6A: Tiptop (ACME); 10A: Timber shaper (ADZ); 13A: Big Indians (RAJAS); 18A: At large (LOOSE); 19A: Property claim (LIEN); 20A: Scripps competition (BEE); 21A: Disqualify (oneself), in court (RECUSE); 25A: Protozoan (AMEBIC); 26A: Swears to (ATTESTS); 27A: Home of Texas A&M International University (LAREDO); 28A: Pooh-pooh (DERIDE); 29A: Manhattan component (RYE); 30A: Boris Godunov, e.g. (TSAR); 31A: Lost the point (RAMBLED); 32A: Vardon Trophy org. (PGA); 35A: Be of service to (ASSIST); 38A: Pointed remark (BARB); 39A: Legal conclusion? (ESE); 43A: Exercised in a lane (SWAM); 45A: Barely earn, with "out" (EKE); 47A: Online bulletin board mgr. (SYSOP); 48A: Pub staple (ALE); 49A: It isn't really a bear (KOALA); 50A: Vestige (RELIC); 53A: Put in the warehouse (STORE); 55A: Cut down (FELLED); 56A: One who follows the news? (LENO); 57A: Cinnamon tree (CASSIA); 60A: IV to III? (SON); 61A: River duck (TEAL); 63A: Writers (PENS); 64A: Marching start? (HUP); 70A: Hobby shop buy (KIT); 71A: Significant times (ERAS); 73A: Hard on the eyes (UGLY); 74A: Thing to bend or lend (EAR); 75A: Speaks disrespectfully to (SASSES); 77A: "If it's all the __ to you ..." (SAME); 78A: Star's opposite (NOBODY); 80A: Bow ties and elbows (PASTA); 82A: Early mobile home (TEPEE); 84A: Soap whose first slogan was "It floats" (IVORY); 85A: Scroogean word (BAH); 86A: Uses a keyboard (TYPES); 90A: Rule of crime writing (ANN); 91A: BlackBerry message (TEXT); 94A: Fire or side attachment (ARM); 96A: Secluded lowland (GLEN); 98A: Continued (GONE ON); 99A: Practice, as a trade (PLY); 100A: Comebacks (REPLIES); 102A: Like some telegrams (SUNG); 103A: Dosage amt. (TSP.); 106A: Goddess of wisdom (ATHENA); 107A: Noisy summer bug (CICADA); 109A: Artful handling (FINESSE); 113A: Lost some locks (BALDED); 116A: Feudal lords (LIEGES); 117A: He played Quasimodo in 1923 (LON); 118A: Justice's garb (ROBE); 119A: Dylan Thomas's home (WALES); 120A: Put in (ENTER); 121A: Explosive letters (TNT); 122A: Whack (SWAT); 123A: Skiing locale (SLOPE); 1D: __ Romeo (ALFA); 2D: Cloth quantity (BOLT); 3D: Cheer (ROOT); 4D: Sunflower relative (ASTER); 5D: Like Oscar Madison's room (MESSY); 6D: Charity (ALMS); 7D: Grafton's "__ for Corpse" (C IS); 8D: When many a bell is rung (MEALTIME); 9D: As a group (EN MASSE); 10D: More competent (ABLER); 11D: Safe document (DEED); 12D: Nonentity (ZERO); 13D: Common word in rallying slogans (REMEMBER); 14D: Biting (ACERB); 16D: Parenthetical comments (ASIDES); 17D: Withdraw (SECEDE); 21D: Hawkeye associate (RADAR); 23D: Starting squad (A-TEAM); 24D: Duff (PRAT); 31D: Islamic holy month (RAMADAN); 32D: Modern office staples (PCS); 33D: Chap (GUY); 34D: Mule's papa (ASS); 36D: Antares, for one (STAR); 37D: Something to walk on (SOLE); 38D: Whalebone (BALEEN); 41D: Chuck (TOSS); 42D: __ nerve (OPTIC); 43D: Sun, in Spain (SOL); 44D: 21-Down's real first name, on TV (WALTER); 46D: Food for sea urchins (KELP); 49D: President under whom the Peace Corps was formed (KENNEDY); 51D: Navel phenomenon (INNIE); 52D: Expenditures (COSTS); 54D: Hawaii's "Gathering Place" (OAHU); 55D: Other side (FOE); 57D: Pirate booty holder (CHEST); 58D: Halos (AURAE); 60D: Luxury seating (SKYBOX); 62D: Discounted (LESS); 66D: Fires up (IGNITES); 67D: Split, as some hoofs (CLOVEN); 68D: Round Table knight (KAY); 69D: Starbucks buy (LATTE); 72D: As __ on TV (SEEN); 76D: Indicates (SAYS); 79D: Fido's dinnertime extra (ORT); 80D: Trim, as apples (PARE); 81D: Semi-serious "I understand" ("AH SO"); 83D: Casey Jones, e.g. (ENGINEER); 85D: Cottage (BUNGALOW); 87D: Lassie, once (PUP); 88D: Slender swimmer (EEL); 89D: 5-Down place (STY); 92D: Thinks over (PONDERS); 93D: Up to (UNTIL); 94D: Like productive land (ARABLE); 95D: Hang on to (RETAIN); 97D: Reporters chase them (LEADS); 98D: Largest of the Marianas (GUAM); 101D: Outcropping (LEDGE); 102D: Meager (SCANT); 104D: Hoodwinks (SNOWS); 105D: Step on it (PEDAL); 107D: Breton, e.g. (CELT); 108D: Privy to (IN ON); 109D: Pump inserts (FEET); 110D: Storage cylinder (SILO); 111D: Trickle (SEEP); 112D: Start of North Carolina's motto (ESSE); 115D: Many a Wharton grad (MBA).
7 comments:
could you check the authorship on today's l.a. times syndicate puzzle? you have sylvia's name up there but my local paper says it's by pamela amick klawitter.
also, it's my turn for the l.a. times calendar puzzle this week, but it doesn't seem to be available online yet, which is odd, since i'm writing this on sunday at 12:30 in the afternoon. if anyone wants it, it's always available at my own site, www.sundaycrosswords.com. --merl
Please note the fact that the words that repeat themselves are people's names: SAM, TOM, KEN, MEL, PAM, LEE, SUE.
Thoroughly enjoyed this one.
Didn't get the double name theme until the last one fell, JUBILEELEEKS.
Talk about West to East, the last to fall was the Coastal Atlantic Region.
Had Amoeba before AMOBIC, protozoan.
Faves were the TEPEE, Early Mobile Home, and RAJAS, Big Indians.
This was a FUN Sunday, with FINESSE!
Haven't done the sunday LA times in a while. Didn't get the theme at all til I came here...and then found out they are all names.Wow.
Good puzzle, but it took me a while too to get the theme. Wanted silver onions instead of jubilee leeks.
Enjoyable puzzle; about the right level of difficulty for a Sunday.
Clever clues (IMHO) include 80A: Bow ties and elbows (pasta); 94A: Fire or side attachment (arm) and 109D: Pump inserts (feet).
My thanks to PG for carrying on alone here after June 1st.
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