Theme: "T for Two" — One T is removed from a word that contains two Ts in a familiar phrase.
[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: Outwitting a Plymouth parent? (MIND OVER MATER).
- 29A: Loony misanthrope? (MAD HATER).
- 44A: Japanese sleuth who always follows you around? (PERSONAL MOTO).
- 67A: Farm child of destiny? (FATED CALF).
- 88A: Reservation about smoking? (CIGARETTE BUT).
- 103A: Like an Idaho farmer? (IN TATERS).
- 113A: Recollections of an aggressive dog? (BITER MEMORIES).
- 37D: Bulletin board hardware blueprint? (PLAN OF A TACK).
- 42D: Muppet monster quote about a more adorable snack? (COOKIE CUTER).
Everything Else — 1A: Hides with evil intent (SKULKS); 7A: Take by force (HIJACK); 13A: "Grease" doo-wop group (SHA NA NA); 20A: Surfing at one's desk (ONLINE); 21A: Singer Ray with the Glenn Miller Orchestra (EBERLE); 22A: Eastern Mediterranean city (TEL AVIV); 25A: Go in for (REPLACE); 26A: Pilot's announcement, briefly (ETA); 27A: Fuse (WELD); 28A: Boundary: Abbr. (LIM.); 30A: Abbr. on a store door (HRS.); 31A: Rots (GOES BAD); 33A: Farm crawler (ANT); 34A: Pre-knotted tie (CLIP-ON); 38A: 19th Greek letter (TAU); 39A: "Do it, __ will!" (OR I); 40A: Abalone products (NACRES); 43A: AA co-founder (BILL W.); 47A: Lanchester of "Bride of Frankenstein" (ELSA); 48A: Source of "Once more unto the breach" (HENRY V); 49A: Relevant (ON TOPIC); 53A: Clancy hero (RYAN); 54A: Daisy lead-in (UPSY-); 55A: Man with a respected thumb (EBERT); 59A: Cub Scout leader (AKELA); 60A: Online "Jeepers!" (OMG); 62A: Borneo sultanate (BRUNEI); 63A: Drink from a press (CIDER); 64A: "Mazes and Monsters" novelist (JAFFE); 70A: "Steppenwolf" writer (HESSE); 71A: Perp's red herring (ALIAS); 72A: Perps need good ones (ALIBIS); 73A: Present mo. (DEC.); 74A: Fountain treats (MALTS); 75A: Made higher (UPPED); 76A: Pre-1917 Russian ruler (TSAR); 79A: Native Americans with a Sundance ceremony (UTES); 83A: Pick a lock, say (BREAK IN); 85A: "Does no one else think this way?" ("IS IT ME?"); 87A: Anklebones (TALI); 92A: H.S. health class (SEX ED.); 93A: Chat with (TALK TO); 96A: Hard lumber (ASH); 97A: Son of, in Arabic names (IBN); 98A: Flourish (THRIVE); 99A: Transfer __ (RNA); 100A: Menu listing (OPTIONS); 102A: Detective's cry (AHA); 107A: Bounced check letters (NSF); 108A: Gazed at (EYED); 109A: Electronic surveillance gp. (NSA); 112A: Lands (ALIGHTS); 116A: Having teeth (DENTATE); 117A: Spotted wildcat (OCELOT); 118A: "Dallas" dynasty (EWINGS); 119A: Mussel eater (SEASTAR); 120A: Crystal-lined stones (GEODES); 121A: Magnate (TYCOON); 1D: Indefinite amount (SOME); 2D: Sweater choice (KNIT); 3D: Forearm bone (ULNA); 4D: Flipped top? (LID); 5D: Expertise (KNOW-HOW); 6D: Shropshire's river (SEVERN); 7D: Roundup group (HERD); 8D: Apple alternative (IBM); 9D: "All the fun you think they had": Erica Jong (JEALOUSY); 10D: Clarinetist Shaw (ARTIE); 11D: South Carolina university (CLEMSON); 12D: Plunk opener (KER-); 13D: Pricey strings (STRAD); 14D: Listen to (HEED); 15D: Coleridge's "sacred river" (ALPH); 16D: Simba's mate (NALA); 17D: Rama, to Vishnu (AVATAR); 18D: __ Creed (NICENE); 19D: Wards off (AVERTS); 24D: Ernie of the PGA (ELS); 29D: Post office sackful (MAIL); 31D: Comic Shandling (GARRY); 32D: Victoria's Secret buy (BRA); 34D: Trucker with a handle (CB'ER); 35D: Flower with a pad (LILY); 36D: "You used to be a much better liar, Sam" speaker (ILSA); 38D: Addition column (TENS); 40D: Start to stop? (NON); 41D: Diplomatic specialist (ATTACHE); 44D: Energy (PEP); 45D: Went too far (OVERDID IT); 46D: Central theme (MOTIF); 48D: Show of affection (HUG); 50D: Brand of women's socks (PEDS); 51D: Guadeloupe has cinq (ILES); 52D: Give a hoot (CARE); 56D: Florida pros (BUCS); 57D: Bambi's aunt (ENA); 58D: Cath. or Luth. (REL.); 61D: Portable utensils set (MESS KIT); 62D: Loyal Nixon friend Rebozo (BEBE); 64D: Door feature (JAMB); 65D: Banned fruit spray (ALAR); 66D: Manicurist's need (FILE); 67D: Flora's partner (FAUNA); 68D: Mont Blanc, e.g. (ALP); 69D: Helpful hint (TIP); 73D: Rap's Dr. __ (DRE); 76D: 1970 Poitier title role (TIBBS); 77D: Wow (STUN); 78D: Qty. (AMT.); 80D: Shout to a driver (TAXI); 81D: Contour map no. (ELEV.); 82D: Potato salad, say (SIDE); 84D: "__ Crazy": Paul Davis hit (I GO); 86D: Self-named sitcom (SEINFELD); 89D: Chats (RAPS); 90D: Body shop fig. (EST.); 91D: Precarious place, metaphorically (THIN ICE); 92D: Like late-afternoon castings (SHADOWY); 93D: Basic chords (TRIADS); 94D: Mother of the Shakers (ANN LEE); 95D: Selena, for one (LATINA); 98D: Lincoln Center landmark (THE MET); 100D: Skater Brian (ORSER); 101D: Bony prefix (OSTEO-); 102D: Sailor's okay (AYE); 104D: FBI personnel (AGTS.); 105D: "How about __!" (THAT); 106D: James of jazz (ETTA); 108D: CPR pros (EMTS); 109D: Bolivian boy (NIÑO); 110D: Type of 35-Down (SEGO); 111D: Part of AMA: Abbr. (ASSN.); 113D: Cranberry source (BOG); 114D: Shad delicacy (ROE); 115D: Rocker Ocasek (RIC).
8 comments:
Learned a few new things today from this puzzle. AKELA = Cub Scout leader and that SEASTARS (starfish) eat mussels. Oh, and NICENE Creed I've seen/heard it but didn't know that name.
Took me too long to realize BILLW was BILL W. I thought I had an error but couldn't see it. (d'oh)
I had ALIBI in 71A before I realized it needed to go in 72A as ALIBIS. Then ALIAS fit nicely in its place. LOL at "man with respected thumb" EBERT.
Enjoyed the puzzle which took me quite awhile to finish...lots of interruptions. Going to settle in now for a glorious day of NBA playoff games. ;-)
@shrub5, hi! Me too re SEA STAR, which I now know to be a starfish. Was puzzled as I watched "AA co-founder" fill in from the crosses till the anonymity thing clicked ("I'm lit.doc, and I'm a puzzleholic").
Thought the theme answers were all cute, and overall enjoyed the puzle much more than today's NYT. Best laugh was my malapop with that clever 71A/72A pairing. Started with ALIBI for 71.
And now, I will continue avoiding my mountain of grading by taking bro' from Colorado down to Ye Olde Sports Pub to see if anything's on TV today...
Nice and steady and filled in all the boxes with a few careless errors. I'm most proud that the dozen or so "wild guesses" at the end resulted in correct answers! AKELA, PEDS, TRIADS, ANNLEE, DENTATE... Not so fortunate with NACRES/NON(had SACRES/SON). So, just luck, or am I getting smarter?
Really enjoyed most of this puzzle. Definitely one for the geezers with EBERLE crossing ARTIE, SHANANA, EWINGS, JAFFE, etc. The only pop culture item I didn't know was Selena and LATINA was guessable.
I thought INTATERS was a bit of a stretch, particularly because I didn't know ANNLEE, which was my only Google, just to finish and get going with the rest of the day. Also, who ever heard of SEASTAR? They're Starfish!
THe theme was obious from the title and only slightly helped with the solution.
Did everyone get worn out with the NYT puzzle? Are you waiting to do this puzz in the evening? If so, it's about a usual Wednesday NYT puzzle, fun, but long.
@Rube: Don't forget to add Bebe to that list.
This seemed easy to me for a Sunday, but quite enjoyable. I really liked the NYT. Maybe 'cause I actually finished it.
I don't get the "Plymouth" reference in 23A...
Plymouth is the (in this case, slightly cryptic) cue to say the answer will be British English, so mater = "mother".
(Plymouth, England, not Plymouth, Mass. in this case.) Usually that cue will be something a bit easier to read, like London or Shropshire or something more distinctly British.
Seems they wanted an alliterative clue there. ("...Manchester mom" might have worked too, for example, though would give too much away).
Can anyone explain 99A?
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