10.11.2009

SUNDAY, October 11, 2009
Sylvia Bursztyn

Theme: "After Midnight" — The first word of each theme answer can follow the word midnight in a familiar phrase.

[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:
  • 21A: Dixie Chicks hit (COWBOY TAKE ME AWAY).
  • 32A: Newspapers and the like (MASS MEDIA).
  • 57A: Reliable investment (BLUE CHIP STOCK).
  • 83A: Founder of modern China (SUN YAT-SEN).
  • 96A: Weigh in, in a way (EXPRESS AN OPINION).
  • 15D: Treat harshly (RIDE ROUGHSHOD).
  • 35D: Whistler's Mother, for one (OIL PAINTING).
  • 47D: SEALs' kin (SPECIAL FORCES).
Everything Else — 1A: Watchmaker's magnifier (LOUPE); 6A: Nebraska region (BADLANDS); 14A: "No ---!" (PROB); 18A: Auto data resource (CARFAX); 19A: Natural soother (ALOE VERA); 20A: Philbin's foil (RIPA); 23A: Fall setting (EDEN); 24A: Heraldic bearings (ORLES); 25A: Meets with the old crowd (REUNES); 26A: Cliff Huxtable duds (SWEATERS); 28A: Lille Mrs. (MME.); 29A: Base horn (BUGLE); 30A: Civil rights activist Medgar (EVERS); 31A: Word of encouragement (RAH); 35A: Streep's Sophie trophy (OSCAR); 37A: Music's Burnett or Walker (T-BONE); 39A: Catches (ENSNARES); 40A: Climber's spike (PITON); 41A: Play for a fool (DELUDE); 42A: Takes credit (OWES); 43A: Clytemnestra's sister (HELEN); 44A: Hip-hop headwear (DO-RAG); 45A: Catalogue (ASSORT); 48A: Pats baby on the back (BURPS); 49A: Louisiana counties (PARISHES); 52A: Scandinavian tongue (LAPP); 53A: --- hasty retreat (BEAT A); 54A: Pascal's pals (AMIS); 55A: Gp. in 1974 news (SLA); 56A: Reflex ending (-IVE); 61A: Falstaff's prince (HAL); 62A: Comfy footwear (MOC); 63A: 2005 role for Charlize (AEON); 64A: Olympus rival (NIKON); 65A: Haul (TOTE); 66A: Queensland's capital (BRISBANE); 68A: Tankard kin (STEIN); 69A: Filmdom's Javier (BARDEM); 71A: "Billy, Don't Be ---" (A HERO); 72A: It can be stuffed or puffy (SHIRT); 73A: --- wide swath (CUT A); 74A: "Le Morte d'Arthur" author (MALORY); 76A: Hides (SKINS); 77A: Tomes' home (BOOKCASE); 81A: See 98D (AU-FEU); 82A: Bombing on stage (DYING); 84A: A doz. doz. (GRO.); 85A: Doughnuts, for instance (TURNS); 87A: Petite pies (TARTS); 88A: La Brea gunk (TAR); 89A: Kiel Canal locale (NORTH SEA); 91A: One who thinks "Well? Done!" (HEALER); 93A: Bette's "All About Eve" role (MARGO); 95A: Chevron rival (ARCO); 99A: Claimed, per Burns (TAEN); 100A: Came about (RESULTED); 101A: It's a loch (LOMOND); 102A: Exxon, abroad (ESSO); 103A: Surprise hits (SLEEPERS); 104A: Con job (STING); 1D: Anarchic (LAWLESS); 2D: Kill --- killed (OR BE); 3D: Sci-fi sky sights (UFOS); 4D: Settle up (PAY); 5D: Squeezes out (EXTRUDES); 6D: Scott of "Quantum Leap" (BAKULA); 7D: Coeur d'--- (ALENE); 8D: Rotunda topper (DOME); 9D: Notable Virginians (LEES); 10D: "Mogambo"'s Gardner (AVA); 11D: Reporter's transport (NEWS VAN); 12D: Till (DRAWER); 13D: "When I Need You" singer (SAYER); 14D: Ready, to Rimbaud (PRET); 16D: Part of an equation (OPERAND); 17D: Warning wailer of lore (BANSHEE); 18D: "King of the Bs" Roger (CORMAN); 21D: "... "ci, --- ca"" (COMME); 22D: Sponsorship (AEGIS); 27D: Star of *NSYNC? (ASTERISK); 29D: Flat hat (BERET); 30D: Bus. course (ECON.); 33D: Quidnunc (SNOOP); 34D: Bryn ---, Pa. (MAWR); 36D: Fr. holy women (STES.); 38D: Panama's San --- Islands (BLAS); 40D: Western Australia's capital (PERTH); 41D: Column style (DORIC); 43D: Gp. the Hollywood Ten defied (HUAC); 44D: He was Bourne in Hollywood (DAMON); 45D: Out on --- (A LIMB); 46D: Relish (SAVOR); 48D: Designer Geoffrey (BEENE); 49D: "Cry, the Beloved Country" author (PATON); 50D: Cheer up (ELATE); 51D: Capital on the Willamette (SALEM); 53D: Good, to Goldoni (BUONO); 57D: Diamond legend (BABE RUTH); 58D: Denis of "Rescue Me" (LEARY); 59D: Platforms on piles (PIERS); 60D: Sketch (SKIT); 65D: Parcel (TRACT); 67D: Slipper or slip-on (SHOE); 68D: Tibia (SHIN); 69D: Marine markers (BUOYS); 70D: It's an Aleutian (ATKA); 72D: Aspen equipment (SKIS); 73D: Reigns over the reins (CONTROLS); 74D: Captain of industry (MAGNATE); 75D: Night lights (AURORAS); 76D: Impulse junction (SYNAPSE); 77D: Martin Van --- (BUREN); 78D: "I've Got the World on ---" (A STRING); 79D: Neptune, for one (SEA GOD); 80D: 2002 headline company (ENRON); 82D: Philadelphia university (DREXEL); 83D: Three-bean and green (SALADS); 86D: Netizens (USERS); 87D: Shocking weapon (TASER); 90D: Up --- good (TO NO); 91D: "Mayday!" (HELP); 92D: Famed Ferrara family (ESTE); 93D: Puccini heroine (MIMI); 94D: Shortly (ANON); 97D: Wish undone (RUE); 98D: With 81A, French stew (POT-).
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7 comments:

  1. GLoweOctober 11, 2009 at 9:52 AM

    You missed 2 - I only noticed because coincidentally it happened to me last night: midnight STEIN and midnight BURPS.

    ReplyDelete
  2. JIMMIEOctober 11, 2009 at 1:55 PM

    It took longer, and I don't get what a DORAG, TAEN, or LOMOND is. It may be the Midnight BLAs.

    Thanks, PG, for everything

    ReplyDelete
  3. DjinnOctober 11, 2009 at 1:56 PM

    Liberal use of the letter B today! Maybe because it's Bursztyn built? I found much to enjoy in the fill. After the classical references, 43A Helen, and 79D Neptune, the inclusion of 64A Olympus rival threw me for a sec. All in all, an entertaining solve. Hey! Where's everybody today? Did the commentators jump ship?

    ReplyDelete
  4. GLoweOctober 11, 2009 at 4:06 PM

    @Jimmie - That's "Do-rag", once the offical headgear of NFL, and while similar in form and function, it's the opposite of, say, a "babushka".

    And wha'er ta'en might be, I ne'er hae to fen' with it 'ere. Or o'er yon.

    And loch LOMOND is a body of water ASTRING and a STING away from NATICK, Mass.

    ReplyDelete
  5. shrub5October 11, 2009 at 5:53 PM

    Learned a new word today "Quidnunc" -- from the clue for 33D rather than an answer in the grid. According to my desktop dictionary, it means an inquisitive and gossipy person, from the Latin quid nunc 'what now?'. I'm just waiting to say to someone "Don't be such a quidnunc!"

    I solved this puzzle fairly smoothly although I put EXTRACTS before EXTRUDES, quickly corrected with crosses. Couldn't remember OPERAND from math...too long ago...but it came into focus slowly. Also could not recall who wrote "Cry, the Beloved Country" (PATON) which is on my "to read someday" list.

    ReplyDelete
  6. JIMMIEOctober 12, 2009 at 11:45 AM

    @GLOWE

    Thanks for the input. Gosh, three new words. Does Lomond have a monster?

    ReplyDelete
  7. ddbmcOctober 13, 2009 at 6:00 PM

    Really, really liked this puzzle. I admit to one Google for Panama's San___Islands. Can't say I've ever been through the "lochs" there. Didn't see the theme until I came here. Can't believe I remembered Sun Yat-Sen. Loved the "Kiel Canal locale" clue, along with the "Donuts, for instance," and like Shrubb, liked Quidnunc! Took me a good long time on this puzzle. Enjoyed this greatly! Thanks, Ms. B.

    ReplyDelete