Theme: "The Ends Justify the Meanings" — Not sure how to describe this succinctly. Theme answers begin with an adjective patterned X-and-X, then the next word is commonly used as the second half of a compound word with the second X. Clear as mud?
[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:
- 23A: Angler's go-to lure? (BREAD-AND-BUTTER FLY).
- 37A: Intermittent photo session? (ON-AND-OFF SHOOT).
- 67A: "Father Knows Best," to some (MOM-AND-POP CORN).
- 97A: Zigzags? (IN-AND-OUT LINES).
- 114A: Wavering conservative faction? (BACK-AND-FORTH RIGHT).
- 16D: Thrill from using a mouse? (DRAG-AND-DROP KICK).
- 43D: Fancy dance marathon? (HUFF-AND-PUFF BALL).
Crosswordese 101 Round-up:- 32A: Sign that makes an angel happy (SRO).
- 66A: Palindromic Altar (ARA).
- 87A: Formerly, formerly (ERST).
- 13D: Franklin's 1936 foe (ALF).
- 54D: Retd. boomers (SST'S).
- 62D: "Time's Arrow" author (AMIS).
- 84D: DDE adversary (AES).
Everything Else — 1A: Long cold spell (ICE AGE); 7A: "The Whiffenpoof Song" words (BAAS); 11A: Big bang (BLAST); 16A: Mil. decoration (DSM); 19A: Grand Canyon nester (CONDOR); 20A: Quartet named for its singers (ABBA); 21A: Alice's husband in '50s TV (RALPH); 22A: Reine's spouse (ROI); 26A: Hole puncher (AWL); 27A: Dustin's "Kramer vs. Kramer" co-star (MERYL); 28A: "Jingle Bells" contraction (O'ER); 29A: Some nest eggs, briefly (IRAS); 30A: Mirrored (IMAGED); 33A: Religious symbol (ICON); 35A: "Hold on __!" (A SEC); 36A: Say over (ITERATE); 40A: __ White (SNOW); 41A: '90s Olds (ACHIEVA); 44A: Work at assiduously (PLY); 45A: Took potshots (SNIPED); 47A: Lugs (HAULS); 48A: "A Doll's House" heroine (NORA); 50A: Passé platters (LP'S); 52A: Candy named for its creators (M AND M'S); 55A: Overrun en masse, as ants (INFEST); 57A: Pedal pusher (CYCLER); 59A: Minsk's home (BELARUS); 60A: Where wildebeest roam: Abbr. (AFR.); 61A: Possess, to Burns (HAE); 63A: Two bells, at sea (ONE A.M.); 65A: Admission of defeat (I LOST); 71A: Ale servings: Abbr. (PTS.); 72A: Yorba __, Calif. (LINDA); 74A: Cockamamie (INANE); 75A: Here, to Pierre (ICI); 76A: Letters before a 76-Down (AKA); 77A: Blues Brothers toppers (FEDORAS); 79A: Like some outfield walls (PADDED); 82A: Quartz compound (SILICA); 85A: Quakers in the woods (ASPENS); 86A: These, to Thérèse (CES); 89A: Suitable spot for a statue (NICHE); 90A: Has the last of (USES UP); 92A: TV Guide abbr. (TBA); 93A: Director's do-overs (RETAKES); 95A: Sword handle (HAFT); 101A: 1980s-'90s N.Y. senator D'Amato (ALFONSE); 103A: "Denial __ just a river in Egypt": Twain (AIN'T); 104A: State with conviction (AVER); 105A: Sleep lab acronym (REM); 108A: Bump off (RUB OUT); 109A: Anthem starter (O SAY); 110A: Expected (DUE); 111A: Typical start? (PROTO-); 113A: GP's gp. (AMA); 118A: Where the Blues Brothers began, briefly (SNL); 119A: Taken as a whole (IN ALL); 120A: __ worlde: quaintly fashionable (OLDE); 121A: Echo (REPEAT); 122A: "Rebel Without a Cause" actor Mineo (SAL); 123A: World carrier (ATLAS); 124A: Lanolin source (WOOL); 125A: Fuel in a can (STERNO); 1D: Some WMDs (ICBM'S); 2D: Semicircular utensil (CORER); 3D: Hot time in Chile (ENERO); 4D: Beatles' "__ in the Life" (A DAY); 5D: Sanctity (GODLINESS); 6D: '70s NOW cause (ERA); 7D: Villains often come to one (BAD END); 8D: Mass. or Miss. (ABBR.); 9D: "Aladdin" monkey (ABU); 10D: Make happy (SATISFY); 11D: Dam damage (BREACH); 12D: "__ and the Real Girl": 2007 film (LARS); 14D: Mid-race statistic (SPLIT TIME); 15D: Part of a Simon & Garfunkel quartet (THYME); 17D: Johannesburg area (SOWETO); 18D: Shower problem (MILDEW); 24D: Reagan speechwriter (NOONAN); 25D: Spanish crowd? (TRES); 31D: Military depot (ARSENAL); 34D: Cleveland hoopster, for short (CAV); 35D: Company with a spokesduck (AFLAC); 36D: Charge carrier (ION); 37D: Crude carrier (OILER); 38D: Venue for Minnie Pearl (OPRY); 39D: CIA predecessor (OSS); 41D: Sashimi fish (AHI); 42D: Birds named for an island group (CANARIES); 46D: Monty Python member (PALIN); 49D: Neptune's domain (OCEAN); 50D: O'Brien's successor (LENO); 51D: Type of school (PREP); 53D: Pencil or toothbrush, e.g. (MUSTACHE); 56D: Howe'er (THO'); 58D: Ran easily (LOPED); 59D: College QB, often (BMOC); 64D: Bases' antitheses (ACIDS); 66D: Bravo preceder (ALFA); 67D: Seine tributary (MARNE); 68D: Kitty pickup spot (NAPE); 69D: Spiral molecules (DNA'S); 70D: Grafton's "__ for Ricochet" (R IS); 73D: Argumentative cry (DOES TOO); 76D: See 76-Across (ALIAS); 78D: Second (ASSISTANT); 80D: Coming-out (DEBUT); 81D: Part of Q.E.D. (ERAT); 83D: Make sense of (INTERPRET); 86D: Audit rep (CPA); 88D: Hot-pot support (TRIVET); 91D: Somme one (UNE); 92D: Wally Cleaver portrayer (TONY DOW); 94D: Reno-to-Elko dir. (ENE); 95D: Bust chops (HARASS); 96D: Wellesley grad (ALUMNA); 98D: Some sonorant sounds (NASALS); 99D: "Gorillas in the Mist" subject Fossey (DIAN); 100D: Victory emblem (LAUREL); 102D: Ancient Nile Valley kingdom (NUBIA); 105D: Ham's "Gotcha" (ROGER); 106D: Frome of fiction (ETHAN); 107D: Words often etched in stone (MOTTO); 109D: Sooner St. (OKLA.); 110D: Birdbrain (DODO); 112D: Ready to pluck (RIPE); 115D: Baseball "Iron Man" Ripken (CAL); 116D: Waitress at Mel's (FLO); 117D: 86-Down billing units (HRS.).
4 comments:
Reno to Elko dir. ?
Gnded boomers?
Ick!
I loved this puzzle! Thank you, Ed Sessa! Had so much fun recalling all the great oldies.
Last Thursday we had “A DAY IN THE (LIFE)” and today we also had “A DAY (IN THE LIFE)” for entries, so why shouldn’t we now listen to the BEATLES actually singing this song?
And then we have “The Beaver’s” brother, Wally Cleaver (played by TONY Dow). Oh what fun!
Other fun stuff:
- RALPH Kramden (of Jackie Gleason’s Honeymooners)
- Blues Brothers’ hats (FEDORAS) and where they came from (SNL)
- ABBA (my fave 70’s singing group)
- The line “Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and THYME” from the song “Scarborough Fair”
- Minnie Pearl’s Grand Old OPRY
- Jay LENO
- PALIN of comedy… no, not Sarah! I loved those stupid Monty Python skits.
- DODO and “Cockamamie”
- AFLAC, the insurance “spokesduck”
- Flo, the waitress at Mel’s Diner… I was there yesterday.
Oops… there’s that old SSTS thing.
Now what would SATISFY me more on a Sunday morning?
A little sunshine with my Denver omelet on the terrace!
Have a funday Sunday, y’all!
MANDMS got me today! A real D'oh moment!
Puzzle title finally made sense, once I got all the fill: "Ends justifies the means", i.e. Butterfly, Dropkick, offshoot, popcorn, outlines, forthright, puffball.
Had never heard of the 90 Olds "ACHIEVA."
Always heard "Two bells and alls well." Never knew it meant 'ONE AM." A ring a ding ding!
I know we've talked about MUSTACHEs before, but certainly didn't remember TOOTHBRUSH mustache, which I guess was Hitler's style. Ick! Or Ich! On all fronts!
Going for a Sunday sundae! Yum.
Nice satisfying Sunday puzzle. It made a nice way to start my morning !
Nothing really gave me any trouble. Just went through it without too many stops.
Nice write up PG. Thanks !
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