July 10, 2011
Merl Reagle
[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 today's syndicated puzzle.]
Everything Else — 1A: Tiny bit (JOT); 4A: "But wait, there's more" ("PLUS"); 8A: 1950s Top 40 hit, "La ___" (BAMBA); 13A: Leggy swimmers (OCTOPI); 19A: Freeway feature (EXIT RAMP); 21A: Eve or Elizabeth (ARDEN); 22A: Distressed (PAINED); 26A: Skeleton preceder (EXO-); 27A: Water gate? (TAP); 28A: Translates as (MEANS); 34A: In a proper manner (DULY); 38A: Turner et al. (LANAS); 39A: Out of the bus. (RET.); 40A: Dined on (HAD); 41A: Trial setting (VENUE); 42A: Utah city (OREM); 43A: Draft pick? (ALE); 51A: Watchful one (EYER); 52A: Life, in Lille (VIE); 53A: 2001 film bio (ALI); 54A: Photoengraving of a simple drawing (LINE CUT); 56A: Actress Helgenberger, or a weight unit backward (MARG); 57A: Fleming et al. (IANS); 58A: Take temporarily (LEASE); 63A: Daffy Duck has one (LISP); 66A: Blender brand (OSTER); 67A: Retired fliers (SST'S); 72A: Long tales (EPICS); 76A: Recount piece in December 2000 (CHAD); 77A: Alamo rival (AVIS); 78A: Cruel ones (SADISTS); 81A: Lingerie buy (BRA); 82A: Bobby of hockey (ORR); 83A: Something to work on: abbr. (PROJ.); 91A: Kick stand? (TEE); 92A: Language that gave us "galore" (ERSE); 93A: Aviary sound (TWEET); 94A: Scrooge sentiment (BAH); 95A: Participant in a pantry raid (ANT); 96A: Roasting rods (SPITS); 97A: Garcia of "Ocean's Eleven" (ANDY); 103A: "Meet John Doe" director (CAPRA); 104A: Alley prowler (TOM); 105A: Island souvenir (LEI); 116A: Olympic swimmer Matt (BIONDI); 117A: Draw a bead on (AIM AT); 118A: "Buck Privates" co-star (COSTELLO); 119A: Type of spider creation (ORB WEB); 120A: Lens types (ZOOMS); 121A: Tiny bit (IOTA); 122A: Subj. of a James Randi challenge (ESP); 1D: Elly May's pa (JED); 2D: Petroleum giant's stock symbol (OXY); 3D: Place for a tack (TIE); 4D: Translation of an idea into action (PRAXIS); 5D: The ___ luxury (LAP OF); 6D: Officiate, briefly (UMP); 7D: Plant of a sort (SPY); 8D: Persian religion (BAHAI); 9D: Sun-dance Indian (ARAPAHO); 10D: Start of the 16th century (MDI); 11D: ___ shorts (BERMUDA); 12D: Goose genus (ANSER); 13D: Begins on Broadway (OPENS); 14D: Sights on Broadway (CABS); 15D: No later than (TIL); 16D: Palindromic artist (ONO); 17D: Church seat (PEW); 18D: Nametags, e.g. (ID'S); 20D: It was sure to go (THE LAMB); 25D: Jack Black title role (HAL); 27D: Amatol ingredient (TNT); 29D: King of pop (CAROLE); 30D: Lack of get-up-and-go (ANEMIA); 31D: Acrylic fabric (ORLON); 32D: TV Superman George (REEVES); 33D: Ailurophobe's fear (CAT); 34D: Three-county state: abbr. (DEL.); 35D: Early computer (UNIVAC); 36D: Wolflike (LUPINE); 37D: Encouraging responses (YESES); 38D: From here (LOCAL); 41D: TiVo precursor (VCR); 43D: "Wheel of Fortune" purchase, perhaps (AN I); 44D: Most faithful (TRUEST); 45D: Faithful, to a Scot (LEAL); 46D: Instruments for Sappho (LYRES); 47D: Slangy safecrackers (YEGGS); 49D: Obtained from oil (OLEIC); 50D: Reverberates (ECHOES); 55D: Poet Allen and actress Sharon (TATES); 56D: Yucatan's capital (MERIDA); 57D: Dirty Harry's rank: abbr. (INSP.); 59D: Snow runner (SLED); 61D: Butts again (RERAMS); 62D: "This is only ___" (A TEST); 64D: Flies high (SOARS); 65D: Rotating point (PIVOT); 68D: Bucked off (THROWN); 69D: Insisted (on) (HARPED); 70D: Suva is its capital (FIJI); 71D: "___ mountain high enough ..." (AIN'T NO); 73D: European peninsula (IBERIA); 74D: Family emblems (CRESTS); 75D: Overfills (SATES); 76D: ___ Rica (COSTA); 79D: "His eye ___ every precious thing" (Job 28:10) (SEETH); 80D: Half a fly (TSE); 83D: Poe chamber (PIT); 85D: Sinatra's 1960s record label (REPRISE); 87D: "You there!" ("HEY!"); 88D: Semi communicator (CB RADIO); 89D: "Friendly Skies" co. (UAL); 90D: What top athletes make? (THE TEAM); 95D: Source of quick cash (ATM); 96D: Rest of the day? (SIESTA); 98D: Sir, in old India (SAHIB); 99D: Books reviewer: abbr. (CPA); 100D: Ball partner (ARNAZ); 101D: Legal wrongs (TORTS); 102D: Select group (A-LIST); 103D: Aqua or motor ending (-CADE); 106D: Where to see "Game of Thrones" (HBO); 107D: Broadcast (AIR); 108D: San Francisco's ___ Hill (NOB); 109D: Certain direction, briefly (NNW); 110D: Grp. with co-pays (HMO); 111D: Astron., e.g. (SCI.); 112D: Dove sound (COO); 113D: Ensenada encouragement (OLÉ); 114D: Literary monogram (RLS); 115D: Soak (up) (SOP).
Theme: "Ra-puns-el" — Each theme answer is a possible puntastic name for a hair salon.
Theme answers:
- 23A: Name for a salon (DYE HAPPY).
- 24A: Name for a salon (HAIR SHE BLOWS).
- 29A: Name for a salon (CALIFORNIA CURLS).
- 44A: Name for a salon (TOTALLY CLIPS).
- 48A: Name for a salon (COMB ON OVER).
- 60A: Name for a salon (SHEAR ELEGANCE).
- 68A: Name for a salon (THE COIFETERIA).
- 84A: Name for a salon (MANE STREET).
- 86A: Name for a salon (SOPHISTICUTS).
- 98A: Name for a salon (SCARLETT O'HAIRAS).
- 106A/111A: Name for a salon (HANNAH AND HER / SCISSORS).
Everything Else — 1A: Tiny bit (JOT); 4A: "But wait, there's more" ("PLUS"); 8A: 1950s Top 40 hit, "La ___" (BAMBA); 13A: Leggy swimmers (OCTOPI); 19A: Freeway feature (EXIT RAMP); 21A: Eve or Elizabeth (ARDEN); 22A: Distressed (PAINED); 26A: Skeleton preceder (EXO-); 27A: Water gate? (TAP); 28A: Translates as (MEANS); 34A: In a proper manner (DULY); 38A: Turner et al. (LANAS); 39A: Out of the bus. (RET.); 40A: Dined on (HAD); 41A: Trial setting (VENUE); 42A: Utah city (OREM); 43A: Draft pick? (ALE); 51A: Watchful one (EYER); 52A: Life, in Lille (VIE); 53A: 2001 film bio (ALI); 54A: Photoengraving of a simple drawing (LINE CUT); 56A: Actress Helgenberger, or a weight unit backward (MARG); 57A: Fleming et al. (IANS); 58A: Take temporarily (LEASE); 63A: Daffy Duck has one (LISP); 66A: Blender brand (OSTER); 67A: Retired fliers (SST'S); 72A: Long tales (EPICS); 76A: Recount piece in December 2000 (CHAD); 77A: Alamo rival (AVIS); 78A: Cruel ones (SADISTS); 81A: Lingerie buy (BRA); 82A: Bobby of hockey (ORR); 83A: Something to work on: abbr. (PROJ.); 91A: Kick stand? (TEE); 92A: Language that gave us "galore" (ERSE); 93A: Aviary sound (TWEET); 94A: Scrooge sentiment (BAH); 95A: Participant in a pantry raid (ANT); 96A: Roasting rods (SPITS); 97A: Garcia of "Ocean's Eleven" (ANDY); 103A: "Meet John Doe" director (CAPRA); 104A: Alley prowler (TOM); 105A: Island souvenir (LEI); 116A: Olympic swimmer Matt (BIONDI); 117A: Draw a bead on (AIM AT); 118A: "Buck Privates" co-star (COSTELLO); 119A: Type of spider creation (ORB WEB); 120A: Lens types (ZOOMS); 121A: Tiny bit (IOTA); 122A: Subj. of a James Randi challenge (ESP); 1D: Elly May's pa (JED); 2D: Petroleum giant's stock symbol (OXY); 3D: Place for a tack (TIE); 4D: Translation of an idea into action (PRAXIS); 5D: The ___ luxury (LAP OF); 6D: Officiate, briefly (UMP); 7D: Plant of a sort (SPY); 8D: Persian religion (BAHAI); 9D: Sun-dance Indian (ARAPAHO); 10D: Start of the 16th century (MDI); 11D: ___ shorts (BERMUDA); 12D: Goose genus (ANSER); 13D: Begins on Broadway (OPENS); 14D: Sights on Broadway (CABS); 15D: No later than (TIL); 16D: Palindromic artist (ONO); 17D: Church seat (PEW); 18D: Nametags, e.g. (ID'S); 20D: It was sure to go (THE LAMB); 25D: Jack Black title role (HAL); 27D: Amatol ingredient (TNT); 29D: King of pop (CAROLE); 30D: Lack of get-up-and-go (ANEMIA); 31D: Acrylic fabric (ORLON); 32D: TV Superman George (REEVES); 33D: Ailurophobe's fear (CAT); 34D: Three-county state: abbr. (DEL.); 35D: Early computer (UNIVAC); 36D: Wolflike (LUPINE); 37D: Encouraging responses (YESES); 38D: From here (LOCAL); 41D: TiVo precursor (VCR); 43D: "Wheel of Fortune" purchase, perhaps (AN I); 44D: Most faithful (TRUEST); 45D: Faithful, to a Scot (LEAL); 46D: Instruments for Sappho (LYRES); 47D: Slangy safecrackers (YEGGS); 49D: Obtained from oil (OLEIC); 50D: Reverberates (ECHOES); 55D: Poet Allen and actress Sharon (TATES); 56D: Yucatan's capital (MERIDA); 57D: Dirty Harry's rank: abbr. (INSP.); 59D: Snow runner (SLED); 61D: Butts again (RERAMS); 62D: "This is only ___" (A TEST); 64D: Flies high (SOARS); 65D: Rotating point (PIVOT); 68D: Bucked off (THROWN); 69D: Insisted (on) (HARPED); 70D: Suva is its capital (FIJI); 71D: "___ mountain high enough ..." (AIN'T NO); 73D: European peninsula (IBERIA); 74D: Family emblems (CRESTS); 75D: Overfills (SATES); 76D: ___ Rica (COSTA); 79D: "His eye ___ every precious thing" (Job 28:10) (SEETH); 80D: Half a fly (TSE); 83D: Poe chamber (PIT); 85D: Sinatra's 1960s record label (REPRISE); 87D: "You there!" ("HEY!"); 88D: Semi communicator (CB RADIO); 89D: "Friendly Skies" co. (UAL); 90D: What top athletes make? (THE TEAM); 95D: Source of quick cash (ATM); 96D: Rest of the day? (SIESTA); 98D: Sir, in old India (SAHIB); 99D: Books reviewer: abbr. (CPA); 100D: Ball partner (ARNAZ); 101D: Legal wrongs (TORTS); 102D: Select group (A-LIST); 103D: Aqua or motor ending (-CADE); 106D: Where to see "Game of Thrones" (HBO); 107D: Broadcast (AIR); 108D: San Francisco's ___ Hill (NOB); 109D: Certain direction, briefly (NNW); 110D: Grp. with co-pays (HMO); 111D: Astron., e.g. (SCI.); 112D: Dove sound (COO); 113D: Ensenada encouragement (OLÉ); 114D: Literary monogram (RLS); 115D: Soak (up) (SOP).
7 comments:
Another punny Reagle to mark the weekend. Not much else to say.
Funny, I picked up the print edition today for the first time in a while because Merl commented on here a couple of weeks ago that not all his puzzles are pun-based (I was getting kinda bored with the same stuff all the time).
So .. it's another pun puzzle. Guess my timing is off.
Just one comment otherwise - seems that the "S" on the end of the SCARLETT O HAIRA answer is a only there to make it fit the grid.
Actually, I now see that the "S" is the possessive, not the plural. My bad.
Aw, no write-up? I thought this was fun, and I get a kick out of Merle's puns, generally.
These punny names, though, are closer to real life than usual. Here in the 'hood of L.A., where there are more hair salons than fast food joints (which is saying something), there's a SHEAR ELEGANCE on Manchester. We've got a SOPHISTICUTS in Long Beach (and there are others in at least four states), and a MANE STREET in nearby Glendora. CALIFORNIA CURLS are an actual style of loose, tousled tresses.
There is a real COIFfETERIA (with two Fs) in Michigan. Ohio, Oklahoma, Utah, Vermont and Alabama all have TOTALLY CLIPS hair salons, and pet owners with a penchant for puns can get Fifi trimmed at TOTALLY CLIPS in Kentucky and Australia. Wilton, NH has a shop called DYE HAPPY, though I could not tell whether they do hair, rugs, or make metal forms.
Perhaps Merle should go into the naming business with Andrea Carla Michaels?
The puzzle had lots of fun fill, but I'm outta time, so gotta leave it there.
A little too punny fo rme and I didn't get some of them which made the solve longer then is should have been. LEAL and PRAXIS, OK if syou say so.
The instant I saw "Merl Reagle" and "Puns" I put the puzzle in the trash.
Took 2 days - couldn't solve it - too punny for me (no pun intended??). Couldn't find PRAXIS anywhere. HANNAH pun really stretches it!
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