Theme: "Tee for Two" — A T is added to the second word of a familiar two-word phrase, creating a new wacky phrase clued "?"-style.
[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: Monster affected by a moon phase? (CRESCENT TROLL).
- 37A: Levy on butchers? (MEAT TAX).
- 69A: Warren weeping? (RABBIT TEARS).
- 76A: Japanese chicken snacks? (EAST TENDERS).
- 106A: Can for old smokes? (BUTT TIN).
- 124A: Attacker's fruity treat? (ASSAULT TRIFLE).
- 17D: Small pie à la Pollock? (ABSTRACT TART).
- 41D: Stuff that sticks for years? (GREAT TAPE).
- 49D: Taunting from the Miami bench? (HEAT TRASH).
- 65D: Bakery supply for wrapping cake boxes? (DESSERT TWINE).
Crosswordese 101 Round-up:- 35A: Yeats's homeland (ERIN).
- 71A: U.K. award (OBE).
- 80A: Asian holiday (TET).
- 4D: While opening (ERST-).
- 8D: Caesar's closer (ET TU).
- 32D: To be, in Quebec (ÊTRE).
- 61D: Historic canal (ERIE).
Everything Else — 1A: Get at (ACCESS); 7A: Like lambs (GENTLE); 13A: 1983 invasion site (GRENADA); 20A: President Ahmadinejad's capital (TEHRAN); 21A: Pioneer Day celebrant (UTAHAN); 22A: Dressed (ENROBED); 25A: Chips Ahoy! maker (NABISCO); 26A: Filet mignon, e.g. (ENTRÉE); 27A: Black Sea country (UKRAINE); 29A: Diglyceride, for one (ESTER); 30A: Performance rights org. (BMI); 31A: Craving (URGE); 33A: Give a hand (ASSIST); 36A: Response to an e-mail wisecrack (LOL); 40A: "Here's the __ ..." (THING); 42A: Many a Monopoly sq. (AVE.); 43A: Sole (ONLY); 45A: Abbot's address: Abbr. (RT. REV.); 46A: Spiffed (up) (SPRUCED); 48A: Illustrator N.C. (WYETH); 50A: The younger Saarinen (EERO); 51A: Boo follower (HOO); 54A: Toon flapper Etta (KETT); 55A: __ Plaines, Illinois (DES); 57A: 1980s South African pres. (PW BOTHA); 60A: Starts the kitty (ANTES); 63A: Mouse site (PAD); 66A: College fund-raising targets (ALUMS); 72A: Newbie (TYRO); 73A: Everycowboy (TEX); 74A: Skip (OMIT); 75A: Hook (up) (RIG); 79A: Carrion eater (HYENA); 81A: '90s N.Y. Philharmonic conductor Kurt (MASUR); 82A: Westernmost of the Sunda Islands (SUMATRA); 84A: Mean at a univ. (GPA); 86A: South Dakota, to Pierre (ETAT); 88A: Word before and after "vs." in a Mad feature (SPY); 89A: Italian vineyard region (ASTI); 92A: Culture: Pref. (ETHNO-); 96A: Read (PERUSED); 99A: Scrawny (GAUNT); 101A: Good earth (LOAM); 102A: Co. that spun off the Baby Bells (ATT); 103A: Wasteland (HEATH); 108A: Luau instrument (UKE); 109A: 19th Amendment proponent (CATT); 111A: Tough spot (SCRAPE); 113A: Saltimbocca herb (SAGE); 114A: Seat holder: Abbr. (SEN.); 115A: Flightless New Zealanders (KIWIS); 117A: Ruthless leaders (TYRANTS); 120A: Rubbed the wrong way (CHAFED); 122A: Split payment? (ALIMONY); 127A: Time keeping action? (RENEWAL); 128A: Treads heavily (STOMPS); 129A: List shortener (ET ALIA); 130A: Women's department array (DRESSES); 131A: Most balanced (SANEST); 132A: "Have patience" ("NOT YET"); 1D: LAX tower service (ATC); 2D: What a stickler may stand on? (CEREMONY); 3D: Bedspread fabric (CHENILLE); 5D: Pelvic bone (SACRUM); 6D: Scornful type (SNEERER); 7D: Like some instinctive reactions (GUT); 9D: Sussex stoolie (NARK); 10D: Chest (THORAX); 11D: Singers' refrains (LA LAS); 12D: Join up (ENLIST); 13D: Beginning (GENESIS); 14D: Protein-building polymer (RNA); 15D: Kathryn of "Law & Order: C.I." (ERBE); 16D: Uproar (NOISE); 18D: Trick (DECEIVE); 19D: Decorated (ADORNED); 24D: Deny the truth of (NEGATE); 28D: Med. research org. (NIH); 30D: Lose, as a big lead (BLOW); 34D: I-90 in Mass., e.g. (TNPK.); 38D: U. of Maryland team (TERPS); 39D: Declare (AVOW); 44D: Financial report hdg. (YTD); 47D: __ Reader: alternative media anthology (UTNE); 51D: Sting, for instance (HOAX); 52D: Tout's hangout, for short (OTB); 53D: "Yahoo!" ("OH BOY!"); 56D: Roy Rogers's birth name (SLYE); 58D: Brittany seaport (BREST); 59D: Je t'__: French "I love you" (AIME); 62D: U.S. Army E-6 (SSGT); 63D: Pope creation (POEM); 64D: Four-line rhyme scheme (ABAA); 67D: Coffee holders (URNS); 68D: __ vivendi: lifestyle (MODUS); 70D: Small bell sound (TING); 73D: Room service convenience (TRAY); 77D: Layered skirt (TUTU); 78D: Old Roman ldr. (EMP.); 79D: Goes after (HAS AT); 83D: Product with "Robusto!" flavors (RAGU); 85D: View from Martha's Vineyard, Mass. (ATL.); 87D: Golf shop bagful (TEES); 90D: "Tsk" relatives (TUTS); 91D: Whole (INTACT); 93D: Indoor buzzer? (HOUSEFLY); 94D: Blunt fiction (NAKED LIE); 95D: Rainbow, to some (OMEN); 96D: Early luxury auto (PACKARD); 97D: 24/7 business (ETAILER); 98D: Three-syllable feet (DACTYLS); 100D: Secure, in a way (TIGHTEN); 104D: Give it a go (TRY); 105D: Bother no end (HARASS); 106D: Former Mormon leader Ezra Taft __ (BENSON); 107D: Almost touching (NEAR TO); 110D: Airport postings (TIMES); 112D: Fusilli, e.g. (PASTA); 116D: Females with pig tails (SOWS); 118D: Easy to manage (TAME); 119D: Has dinner (SUPS); 121D: Royal decree (FIAT); 123D: Tam wearer's turndown (NAE); 125D: D-Day craft (LST); 126D: Dinner exhortation (EAT).
14 comments:
I guess I mostly enjoyed solving this early this morning, but when I came in here to read the blog I wondered if I had done the same puzzle described. Couldn't remember having written CRESCENTTROLL or MEATTAX, for example. If a puzzle is no more memorable than that over a period of a couple of hours, it must not be all that good. There's nothing to hate but nothing to love, either.
"TT"... what our kids called toilet tissue. Maybe this is what I thought of this not-so-smooth puzzle. I thought the themes were a bit struggled to get the puns right. Mr. Norris, I'm getting a little tired of corny puzzles especially on Sundays when I expect a challenge in a more literary sense.
I have to say though, that there were some good entries:
Kurt MASUR (which I mistakenly spelled MAZUR).
N. C. WYETH, who did marvelous illustrations for children's storybooks. He was Andrew WYETH's brother.
PACKARD, one of the most beautiful of the old classic cars.
UTAHAN view of Arches National Park, where I just returned from... what a lovely state to visit.
So it wasn't a total bust for me.
Now what-the-heck does CATT have to do with the 19th Amendment? Anyone? Anyone?
ITA @Van, it's not a very memorable puzzle!
Carrie Chapman Catt's dynamic leadership helped to bring about the 19th Amendment in 1920 that secured the vote for women.
@JNH NC WYETH was Andrew's father. He was killed by a train in Chadd's Ford PA when Andrew was a young boy.
Mom always said "If you don't have anything nice to say ..."
A least 87D, Golf shop bagful, was TEES.
Thanks @CCL... I knew they were related somehow, but wasn't sure how. I should have known better because I have two of Andrew Wyeth's paintings on my wall (well, not originals). I have "Christina's World" and his tempera painting "Groundhog Day".
JNHome, thanks for linking to the cool '47 Packard; a car-maker I'd known in Detroit from its peak to its now perishing plant ruins.
Regarding 36A, my "Response to an e-mail wisecrack (a flippant gibe or sardonic remark)" would NOT be LOL.
EMP (78D) in another sense is timely for me in that last week I read (and recommend) the 2009 novel One Second After about Electro Magnetic Pulse set here in wNC - as via http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Second_After
Ps: How are links embedded herein?
@JNH Groundhog Day is one of my favorites. Both the Wyeth and the movie! If you're ever back east you should make a visit to the Brandywine River Museum in Chadds Ford, PA. N.C, Andy and Jamie are well represented plus many other wonderful examples of the Brandywine River school-also Howard Pyle, another famous American illustrator. The museum is in a reclaimed 19th century grist mill on the Brandywine River. It's a very special place. Check it out! At least on line...
@Tinbeni - my sentiments also. Sorry Rich/Nora
JaJaJoe;
Copy and paste this string of characters:
<a href=""></a>
And then put the URL in between the two double quotes. The text you want to be blue goes in between the >< signs
<a href="paste link here">type visible text here</a>
You all knew that Nora Perlstone is an anagram for "Not a real person", i.e. one of Rich Norris' alias names, right?
Blech, it feels like I have a cat hair in my mouth, that I can't spit out, or find with my finger... Surely Joon has another Sunday in him!
Al, appreciating your reply to my above link query, this is my test to "use it before I lose it" with my link therein:
One Second After
Based on my previewing this,
I got it by golly, so
it's a 'keeper'.-)
Thank you, Joe
(Son of an Al)
Just FYI. How to post a link in a comment is probably the second most frequently asked question on this blog, which is why I've covered it in the FAQ.
Thanks also to PG (for her PGuidance -:), I learned that such also embeds links in comments to NPR.
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