Constructed by: Craig Stowe
Edited by: Rich Norris
Quicklink to a complete list of today’s clues and answers
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Theme: Labor Disputes
Today’s themed answers are common phrases that have been clued “punnily” with reference to specific LABOR DISPUTES:
- 23A. During contract talks, a marching band __ : STEPPED OUT OF LINE
- 33A. During contract talks, a cruise ship’s crew __ : MISSED THE BOAT
- 47A. During contract talks, a postal union __ : PUSHED THE ENVELOPE
- 64A. During contract talks, a veterinarians’ association __ : FOUGHT LIKE CATS AND DOGS
- 78A. During contract talks, a divers’ group __ : WENT OFF THE DEEP END
- 94A. During contract talks, an opera company __ : FACED THE MUSIC
- 107A. During contract talks, a fighters’ club __ : TOOK THE GLOVES OFF
Bill’s time: 15m 24s
Bill’s errors: 0
Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
11. Numéro avant six : CINQ
In French, the “Numéro avant six” (number before six) is “cinq” (five).
19. “Amarantine” Grammy winner : ENYA
Enya’s real name is Eithne Ní Bhraonáin, which can translate from Irish into Enya Brennan. Her Donegal family (in the northwest of Ireland) formed a band called Clannad, which included Enya. In 1980 Enya launched her very successful solo career, eventually becoming Ireland’s best-selling solo musician. And, she sure does turn up a lot in crosswords!
21. Diamond family name : ALOU
Felipe Alou is a former professional baseball player and manager. Alou managed the Montreal Expos from 1992 to 2001, and the San Francisco Giants from 2003 to 2006. Alou was born and raised in the Dominican Republic and came to the US to play for the Giants in 1955. Felipe’s brothers Matty and Jesús followed him to the US, and into Major League baseball.
22. Nile menace : CROC
Crocodiles and alligators do indeed bear a resemblance to each other, although they belong to distinct biological families. One of the main ways used to distinguish them is by their teeth and jaws. Both the upper and lower sets of teeth of a crocodile are visible when its mouth is closed, whereas only the upper teeth of an alligator are visible with the mouth shut.
29. Peter Fonda title role : ULEE
“Ulee’s Gold” is a highly respected film from 1997 in which Peter Fonda plays the title role of Ulee. Ulee’s “gold” is the honey that Ulee produces. It is a favorite role for Peter Fonda and he has shared that playing Ulee brought to mind his father Henry Fonda, who himself kept a couple of hives. So if you see Peter Fonda in “Ulee’s Gold” you’re witnessing some characteristics that Peter saw in his father.
31. Thomas associate : ALITO
Associate Justice Samuel Alito was nominated to the US Supreme Court by President George W. Bush. Alito is the second Italian-American to serve on the Supreme Court (Antonin Scalia was the first). Alito studied law at Yale and while in his final year he left the country for the first time in his life, heading to Italy to work on his thesis about the Italian legal system.
37. Woody and others : ALLENS
Allan Stewart Konigsberg changed his legal name to Heywood Allen when he was 17 years old, and soon after started to call himself Woody Allen, the name with which he achieved celebrity. Allen has been nominated for an Academy Award an incredible 21 times in many different categories, and has won on four occasions. He has more Oscar nominations as a screenwriter than any other writer, but he spurns the Awards ceremony and only attended it once in all his years in the movie business. He broke tradition by turning up at the 2002 ceremony, unannounced, to beg producers to continue filming in his beloved New York City despite the fears created by the 9/11 attacks.
39. Caribou, e.g. : DEER
“Caribou” is the North American name for reindeer.
41. Fragrant shrub : LILAC
The ornamental flowering plant known as lilac is native to the Balkans, and is a member of the olive family.
42. Panache : STYLE
Someone exhibiting panache is showing dash and verve, and perhaps has a swagger. “Panache” is a French word used for a plume of feathers, especially in a hat.
51. Beach letters : SPF
In theory, the sun protection factor (SPF) is a calibrated measure of the effectiveness of a sunscreen in protecting the skin from harmful UV rays. The idea is that if you wear a lotion with say SPF 20, then it takes 20 times as much UV radiation to cause the skin to burn than it would take without protection. I say just stay out of the sun …
54. Bouncing babies? : JOEYS
In Australia, male kangaroos are known by several names including bucks, boomers, jacks or old men. Females are called does, flyers, or jills. There seems to be just the one name for young kangaroos: joeys. A group of kangaroos might be called a mob, troop or court.
56. Part of BC: Abbr. : COLL
Boston College is a private Jesuit school located in Chestnut Hill, just a few miles from Boston, Massachusetts. The list of notable Boston College alumni includes Secretary of State John Kerry and former Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill.
57. Yogurt topping : GRANOLA
The name “Granola” (and “Granula”) were trademarked back in the late 1800s for whole-grain foods that were crumbled and baked until crisp. Granola was created in Dansville, New York in 1894.
72. City north of Des Moines : AMES
The Iowa city of Ames was founded as a stop on the Cedar Rapids and Missouri Railroad in 1864. It was named for US Congressman Oakes Ames from the state of Massachusetts in honor of the role that Ames played in the building of the transcontinental railroad.
73. Mythical hunter : DIANA
Diana was the Roman goddess of the hunt, the moon and birthing. The Greek equivalent of Diana was the goddess Artemis. According to Roman mythology, Diana was the twin sister of Apollo, and the daughter of Jupiter and Latona.
75. “Canst thou not minister to __ diseased”: Macbeth : A MIND
There is a superstition in the theatrical world that uttering the name “Macbeth” in a theater will bring disaster of some sort. To avoid this, the euphemism “the Scottish Play” is used instead.
77. One-handed Norse god : TYR
Týr is the Norse god of single combat, victory and heroic glory. According to legend, Týr showed great courage when he and his fellow gods were attempting to shackle the wolf monster called Fenrir. The wolf was tricked into accepting bindings that were actually magical ribbons of great strength. Fenrir submitted to the bonds because Týr agreed to place his hand in the wolf’s mouth, as a gesture of assurance that the ribbon was harmless. When Fenrir recognized the deceit, he bit off Týr’s hand. As a result, the god Týr is almost always depicted with only one hand.
85. Paris divider : SEINE
The Seine is the river that flows through Paris. The Seine empties into the English Channel to the north, at the port city of Le Havre.
87. Spelunkers’ haunts : CAVES
Spelunking is an American term for caving, although the word has Latin roots (“spelunca” is the Latin for “cave”). The term originated in the 1940s in New England when it was adopted by a group of men who explored caves in the area.
91. Pierre’s st. : S DAK
Here’s an old chestnut of a trivia question for you … what’s the only state capital in the Union for which the name of the capital and the name of its state share no common letters? You guessed it: Pierre, South Dakota …
98. Winner of the first two Super Bowl MVPs : STARR
Bart Starr is a retired football player and coach who spent his whole career with the Green Bay Packers. Starr was quarterback for the Packers from 1956 to 1971. Starr was named Most Valuable Player (MVP) in the first two Super Bowls.
103. Avril follower : MAI
In French, the month of “avril” (April) is followed by “mai” (May).
111. Jazzman Saunders : MERL
Merl Saunders was a piano and keyboard musician. Saunders was good friends with Jerry Garcia and often played with the Grateful Dead.
112. Clog or pump : SHOE
Clogs are shoes made from wood, at least in part. The clog originated as a protective item of footwear for use by farm, factory and mine workers.
A pump is a woman’s shoe that doesn’t have a strap. Such shoes are probably called “pumps” because of the sound they make while walking in them.
116. Oenophile’s adjective : OAKY
In Greek mythology, Oeno was the goddess of wine, giving us “oen-” as a prefix meaning “wine”. For example, oenology is the study of wine and an oenophile is a wine-lover.
Down
1. Zooey’s role in “New Girl” : JESS
Zooey Deschanel is an actress and singer-songwriter from Los Angeles. Zooey is the younger sister of Emily Deschanel who plays the title role on the TV show “Bones”. Now Zooey is playing Jess Day, the lead character on the sitcom “New Girl”. In the world of music, Zooey teams up with “M” Ward in the duo that goes by the name “She & Him”.
8. __ und Drang : STURM
“Sturm und Drang” translates from the German into “Storm and Stress” or perhaps “Storm and Impulse”. “Sturm und Drang” was the name given to a movement in German literature and music in the latter half of the 18th century. The writer Johann Goethe was a major proponent of the movement, which took its name from a play by Maximilian Klinger. The term “Sturm und Drang” has come to mean “turmoil, upheaval”.
9. Annual Vietnamese celebration : TET
The full name for the New Year holiday in Vietnam is “Tet Nguyen Dan” meaning “Feast of the First Morning”, with the reference being to the arrival of the season of spring. Tet usually falls on the same day as Chinese New Year.
10. Pre-1868 Tokyo : EDO
Edo is the former name of the Japanese city of Tokyo. Edo was the seat of the Tokugawa shogunate, a feudal regime that ruled from 1603 until 1868. The shogun lived in the magnificent Edo Castle. Some parts of the original castle remain and today’s Tokyo Imperial Palace, the residence of the Emperor of Japan, was built on its grounds.
13. Large chamber group : NONET
A nonet is a piece of music requiring nine musicians for a performance. The term is also used for the group itself.
14. N.Y. neighbor : QUE
Québec is the largest province in Canada, and the only one with French as its sole official language. The name “Québec” comes from an Algonquin word “kebec” meaning “where the river narrows”. This refers to the area around Quebec City where the St. Lawrence River narrows as it flows through a gap lined by steep cliffs. The province has voted twice in referenda asking whether or not Quebec should become an independent country, once in 1980, and again in 1995. The 1995 result was 49% in favor of sovereignty, up from 40% in 1980.
16. Webster, notably : ORATOR
Daniel Webster was a US senator for Massachusetts in the runup to the Civil War, as well as US Secretary of State in the administrations of Presidents Millard Fillmore, William Henry Harrison and John Tyler. Famously, Webster debated Senator Robert Hayne of South Carolina in an unscripted exchange on the Senate floor in 1830. Webster’s “second reply to Hayne” is regarded by many as the most eloquent speech ever delivered in the US Congress. Included in the speech was his assertion that the US government is “made for the people, made by the people, and answerable to the people”. These words were echoed by President Abraham Lincoln in the Gettysburg Address as “government of the people, by the people, for the people”.
17. One of the original Monopoly tokens still in use : TOP HAT
There are eight tokens included in the game of Monopoly as of 2013. These are the wheelbarrow, battleship, race car, thimble, boot, Scottie dog, top hat and cat. The latest to be introduced was the cat in 2013, replacing the iron. The battleship and the cannon (aka howitzer, now retired) had been added to the Monopoly game as part of a recycling exercise. The pieces were intended for the game “Conflict” released in 1940, but when Parker Bros. pulled “Conflict” off the market due to poor sales, they added their excess battleships and cannons to Monopoly.
24. Robin Hood foe : PRINCE JOHN
John, King of England was the youngest son of King Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine. John is perhaps best remembered as the king who agreed to the Magna Carta after a baronial revolt, which paved the way to the UK becoming a constitutional entity. In the world of folklore, John is best remembered as the villainous Prince John in the Robin Hood Legends.John did in fact rule England for several years as Prince John while his brother King Richard I, Richard the Lionheart, was fighting in the Third Crusade.
Robin Hood is a figure from English folklore, celebrated in story and song. Some stories suggest that Robin Hood the outlaw was actually a real nobleman, the Earl of Huntington. Robin Hood’s famous companion was Maid Marian. Interestingly, the legend of Maid Marian (full name Lady Marian of Leaford) had been around for centuries before she became associated with Robin Hood starting in the 1700s.
30. Bank insurance? : LEVEE
A levee is an artificial bank usually made of earth, running along the length of a river. A levee is designed to hold back river water at a time of potential flooding. “Levée” is the French word for “raised” and is an American term that originated in French-speaking New Orleans around 1720.
32. Jacob’s first wife : LEAH
According to the Bible, Leah was one of the two wives of Jacob, the other being Leah’s sister Rachel. Jacob’s intention had been to marry Rachel, but the Leah and Rachel’s father “switched” his daughters and provided Leah as the veiled bride. Jacob married Rachel a week later, and lived with the two wives concurrently.
36. __ hour : HAPPY
I always think that happy hour is best enjoyed with a good crossword, and shaken, not stirred …
37. Peak seen from Grindelwald : ALP
Grindelwald is a Swiss mountain village in the Bernese Alps. The villages local economy is very much dependent on tourism, both in the summer and winter. It is a major skiing resort, and is also the primary starting-point for mountain climbers wanting to summit the famed Eiger. James Bond was chased through a snowy Grindelwald in the movie “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service”.
38. Greater N.Y. school : LIU
Long Island University (LIU) in Brooklyn, New York is a private school that was chartered in 1926. LIU’s focus has always been on providing moderately-priced, effective education to people from all walks in life. To that end, LIU opened a second campus in 1951 in Brookville in the suburbs of New York City, recognizing the need to serve families that were living outside of the metropolis. The athletic teams of LIU’s Brooklyn campus are known as the Brooklyn Blackbirds, and the teams of the Brookville campus are called the Post Pioneers.
44. Last word of Joyce’s “Ulysses” : YES
Regular readers will know that I am unashamedly supportive of my native Irish culture, but I have to tell you that I can’t many of the works of James Joyce. I have spent many a fine day traipsing around Ireland learning about his him, as I find his life more absorbing than his writing. Having said that, “Ulysses” is an interesting novel in that it chronicles just one ordinary day in the life of a Dubliner named Leopold Bloom. There’s a huge celebration of “Ulysses” in Dublin every year on June 16th, called Bloomsday. The festivities vary from readings and performances of the storyline, to good old pub crawls. “Ulysses” was made into a film of the same name in 1967 starring Milo O’Shea.
49. Anglican priest : VICAR
The Anglican Church is the Church of England, or any church closely associated with that tradition.
50. Latin 101 word : ERAT
“Esse” is the Latin for “to be”. “Sum” means “I am” and “erat” means “he, she was”.
56. Starfleet VIP : CMDR
In the “Star Trek” universe, Starfleet is the military service maintained by the United Federation of Planets. Famously, Starfleet is also tasked with deep-space exploration, to boldly go where no man has gone before …
59. Boring bit : AUGER
An auger is a drill, a boring tool [yawn].
60. Private nonprofits: Abbr. : NGOS
Non-governmental organization (NGO)
61. After-dinner drink : DECAF
The first successful process for removing caffeine from coffee involved steaming the beans in salt water, and then extracting the caffeine using benzene (a potent carcinogen) as a solvent. Coffee processed this way was sold as Sanka here in the US. There are other processes used these days, and let’s hope they are safer …
62. Old French coin : ECU
The ecu is an Old French coin. When introduced in 1640, the ecu was worth three livres (an older coin, called a “pound” in English). The word “ecu” comes from the Latin “scutum” meaning “shield”. The original ecu had a coat of arms on it, a shield.
66. Number-picker’s game : KENO
The name “Keno” has French or Latin roots, with the French “quine” being a term for five winning numbers, and the Latin “quini” meaning “five each”. The game originated in China and was introduced into the West by Chinese immigrants who were working on the first Transcontinental Railroad in the 1800s.
68. Squat : NONE
“Squat” is a slang word meaning “nothing”, and is a term that probably has a distasteful derivation related to a bodily function.
73. Jefferson, theologically : DEIST
Deism (from the Latin “deus” meaning god) is the belief that a supreme being created the universe, a belief based on observation and reason and without the need for faith. Further, a deist does not accept divine intervention and rather believes that the supreme being, having created the universe, leaves the world to it own devices.
President Thomas Jefferson’s views on religion evolved over time, but he was inclined towards deism for much of his adult life while following moral principles espoused in Christianity. He attended the Episcopal Church and raised his daughters in that tradition. Famously, Jefferson espoused the concept of “Separation of Church and State”.
75. Philip of “Kung Fu” : AHN
The actor Philip Ahn is perhaps best known for playing Master Kahn, one of Caine’s teachers on the television show “Kung Fu”. Ahn was the first Asian-American actor to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
76. Enero, por ejemplo : MES
In Spanish, “enero” (January) is a “mes” (month) at the start of the “año” (year).
79. Monastic titles : FRAS
The title “Fra” (brother) is used by Italian monks.
80. “Kon-__” : TIKI
The Kon-Tiki is a raft used by Thor Heyerdahl in 1947 to cross the Pacific Ocean from South America to the Polynesian islands. The original raft used in the voyage is on display in the Kon-Tiki Museum in Oslo, Norway (Heyerdahl was a native of Norway).
81. Good “pocket” holding in Hold ’em : PAIR
The official birthplace of the incredibly popular poker game of Texas hold ’em is Robstown, Texas where the game dates back to the early 1900s. The game was introduced into Las Vegas in 1967 by a group of Texan enthusiasts including Doyle Brunson, a champion often seen playing on TV today. Doyle Brunson published a poker strategy guide in 1978, and this really helped increase the popularity of the game. But it was the inclusion of Texas hold ‘em in the television lineup that really gave the game its explosive surge in popularity, with the size of the prize money just skyrocketing.
83. Video game letters : NES
The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) was sold in North America from 1985 to to 1995. The NES was the biggest selling gaming console of the era. Nintendo replaced the NES with Wii, which is also the biggest-selling game console in the world.
84. Summer hrs. : DST
On the other side of the Atlantic, Daylight Saving Time (DST) is known as “summer time”. The idea behind summer/daylight-savings is to move clocks forward an hour in spring (i.e. “spring forward”) and backwards in the fall (i.e. “fall back”) so that afternoons have more daylight.
91. Bandit chaser of film : SMOKEY
“Smokey and the Bandit” is a 1977 comedy action film starring Burt Reynolds as “the Bandit” and Jackie Gleason as “Smokey Bear”.
92. 1983-’84 #1 hit “Say Say Say,” say : DUET
“Say Say Say” is a 1983 hit song co-written and performed by Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson. The song has a famous music video featuring the singers as two con artists named “Mac and Jack”. While filming the video, Michael visited Paul and Linda McCartney, who were staying on a property called Sycamore Ranch. Jackson liked the Sycamore spread, and a few years later purchased it and renamed it to Neverland Ranch.
98. __ Age : STONE
Ancient societies can be classified by the “three-age system”, which depends on the prevalence of materials used to make tools. The three ages are:
- The Stone Age
- The Bronze Age
- The Iron Age
The actual dates defined by each age depend on the society, as the timing of the transition from the use of one material to another varied around the globe.
107. General of culinary fame : TSO
General Tso’s chicken is an American creation, often found on the menu of a Chinese restaurant. The name General Tso may be a reference to General Zuo Zongtang of the Qing Dynasty, but there is no clear link.
108. Reporter’s query : HOW?
The Five Ws (or “Five Ws and one H”) is a journalistic concept used for gathering information. For a story to be complete, six questions need to be answered:
- Who is it about?
- What happened?
- Where did it take place?
- When did it take place?
- Why did it happen?
- How did it happen?
109. Disney doe : ENA
Ena is Bambi’s aunt in the 1942 Disney film “Bambi”. The movie is based on the novel “Bambi, A Life in the Woods” written by Austrian author Felix Salten and first published in 1923. There is a documented phenomenon known as the Bambi Effect, whereby people become more interested in animal rights after having watched the scene where Bambi’s mother is shot by hunters.
Complete List of Clues and Answers
Across
1. “Yowza!” : JEEZ!
5. Virtuous : CHASTE
11. Numéro avant six : CINQ
15. __ speak : SO TO
19. “Amarantine” Grammy winner : ENYA
20. Stopped : HALTED
21. Diamond family name : ALOU
22. Nile menace : CROC
23. During contract talks, a marching band __ : STEPPED OUT OF LINE
26. All ears : RAPT
27. __ story : SOB
28. One awarding stars, perhaps : RATER
29. Peter Fonda title role : ULEE
30. Nimble : LITHE
31. Thomas associate : ALITO
33. During contract talks, a cruise ship’s crew __ : MISSED THE BOAT
37. Woody and others : ALLENS
39. Caribou, e.g. : DEER
40. Ducks : AVERTS
41. Fragrant shrub : LILAC
42. Panache : STYLE
45. Shuts up, with “down” : PIPES
47. During contract talks, a postal union __ : PUSHED THE ENVELOPE
51. Beach letters : SPF
54. Bouncing babies? : JOEYS
55. Plot twist : IRONY
56. Part of BC: Abbr. : COLL
57. Yogurt topping : GRANOLA
61. Dental problem : DECAY
63. Unlucky gambler’s wishful words : I’M DUE
64. During contract talks, a veterinarians’ association __ : FOUGHT LIKE CATS AND DOGS
69. Get ready to surf : LOG ON
70. Not just happen once : RECUR
71. Crude : BOORISH
72. City north of Des Moines : AMES
73. Mythical hunter : DIANA
75. “Canst thou not minister to __ diseased”: Macbeth : A MIND
77. One-handed Norse god : TYR
78. During contract talks, a divers’ group __ : WENT OFF THE DEEP END
85. Paris divider : SEINE
86. Wash off : RINSE
87. Spelunkers’ haunts : CAVES
88. Drops off : ABATES
91. Pierre’s st. : S DAK
93. Most artful : SLIEST
94. During contract talks, an opera company __ : FACED THE MUSIC
98. Winner of the first two Super Bowl MVPs : STARR
99. Runs through a sieve : RICES
100. Instrument with a flared bell : OBOE
101. Part of a cast : ACTOR
103. Avril follower : MAI
106. On : ATOP
107. During contract talks, a fighters’ club __ : TOOK THE GLOVES OFF
111. Jazzman Saunders : MERL
112. Clog or pump : SHOE
113. Common soccer score : ONE-ONE
114. Memorable times : ERAS
115. Vortex : EDDY
116. Oenophile’s adjective : OAKY
117. Fritters away : WASTES
118. Squat : ZERO
Down
1. Zooey’s role in “New Girl” : JESS
2. Prefix with dermal : ENTO-
3. Gives the once-over : EYEBALLS
4. Nuke : ZAP
5. Breaks the rules : CHEATS
6. Didn’t get a say : HAD TO
7. Lotion additive : ALOE
8. __ und Drang : STURM
9. Annual Vietnamese celebration : TET
10. Pre-1868 Tokyo : EDO
11. Square dance figure : CALLER
12. Admission of deceit : I LIED
13. Large chamber group : NONET
14. N.Y. neighbor : QUE
15. Copyists of yore : SCRIBES
16. Webster, notably : ORATOR
17. One of the original Monopoly tokens still in use : TOP HAT
18. Large chamber groups : OCTETS
24. Robin Hood foe : PRINCE JOHN
25. __ box : FUSE
30. Bank insurance? : LEVEE
32. Jacob’s first wife : LEAH
34. Inactive : IDLE
35. Spotted : SEEN
36. __ hour : HAPPY
37. Peak seen from Grindelwald : ALP
38. Greater N.Y. school : LIU
42. Lift : STEAL
43. Your of yore : THY
44. Last word of Joyce’s “Ulysses” : YES
45. Ruses : PLOYS
46. Physics particle : ION
48. Numbskull : DOLT
49. Anglican priest : VICAR
50. Latin 101 word : ERAT
51. “Me too!” : SO DO I!
52. Power connections : PLUGS
53. Blood relative? : FLESH
56. Starfleet VIP : CMDR
57. Key above F : G-FLAT
58. Spacious : ROOMY
59. Boring bit : AUGER
60. Private nonprofits: Abbr. : NGOS
61. After-dinner drink : DECAF
62. Old French coin : ECU
63. “Isn’t that something!” : I DO DECLARE!
65. Steamed : IRATE
66. Number-picker’s game : KENO
67. Stomach : ABIDE
68. Squat : NONE
73. Jefferson, theologically : DEIST
74. B&B, e.g. : INN
75. Philip of “Kung Fu” : AHN
76. Enero, por ejemplo : MES
78. Lawn invaders : WEEDS
79. Monastic titles : FRAS
80. “Kon-__” : TIKI
81. Good “pocket” holding in Hold ’em : PAIR
82. Eternally : EVERMORE
83. Video game letters : NES
84. Summer hrs. : DST
85. In a precipitous fashion : STEEPLY
88. Many a chalet : A-FRAME
89. Set, as a trap : BAITED
90. Pact : ACCORD
91. Bandit chaser of film : SMOKEY
92. 1983-’84 #1 hit “Say Say Say,” say : DUET
93. Potbellies : STOVES
95. Ruckus : HOO-HA
96. Modern read : E-BOOK
97. Zoo sights : CAGES
98. __ Age : STONE
102. Coagulate : CLOT
104. Miles away : AFAR
105. “That being the case … ” : IF SO …
107. General of culinary fame : TSO
108. Reporter’s query : HOW?
109. Disney doe : ENA
110. “__ who?” : SEZ
2 (dumb) errors, 53 minutes. Pretty much getting back to routine now, including my usual way of doing these. About 10 minutes of that was on the lower left corner, and where the errors ended up being. Positive thought: at least all of these aren’t taking me an eternity anymore like not too long ago.
Took me 64 minutes to take this one down. I couldn’t break an hour, but I’ll blame that on starting before my coffee had kicked in. I leaned on the theme much more than I’d like to admit.
Kangaroo court? Really? Sounds like a punchline.
Sadly, the thimble is no longer part of the Monopoly board game. Just this past February they canceled it so I guess we need to update that list. Not a big deal to me. When I heard about it I just said “sew what?”….
Best –
Someone please explain 99A (“Runs through a sieve” = RICES) to me. Thanks.
PS — Dunno Craig Stowe’s political leanings, but only one of the groups in the themer posed much of a threat against management / unions. The fighters’ club at least “took the gloves off,” while the others “stepped out of line,” “missed the boat,” “pushed the envelope,” “fought like cats and dogs” (implicitly, among themselves), “went off the deep end,” and “faced the music.” What a bunch of ineffective losers. The forces of good still prevailing against evil, eh?
@Jeff
27 minutes, zero errors on the Newsday 21×21. Easier, but kind of a nice sign of what is possible. Gonna hit the NYT here in a bit, which is what I usually like to use to compare difficulty of these things. Thankfully they’re easier, as I’m aware of 21x21s that are basically big themelesses like Saturday. They’d probably be fun, but not sure how I would take to the time they’d likely take to complete.
@Joe Bleaux
Nothing to explain. Dictionary definition of “rice” verb form.
Joe – I think they’re referring to a ricer as in the kitchen utensil. Ricing something is running through a strainer like that or sieve. I think you can rice potatoes or other stuff to make puree or whatever. I only know it from crosswords.
Geez! I could have juessed that Zooey’s name wasn’t Gess. Two errors, #1 across & #1 down… (sigh)
23:25, no errors. Theme helped speed this one along.
Had fun with this one. Beats what I did toward the end of the week. Love Mon.,Tues., Wed., and then it’s a crap shoot the rest of the week.
MERL Saunders? Never heard of him and neither has my husband who is a jazz drummer. Does this sound like
JAZZ?
to you?
It’s Funk, not JAZZ!
I wish crossword constructors would stop repeating false information.
I ranted before about Etta James not being a JAZZ singer.
The clue could have at least been a nod to the greatest constructor, Merl Reagle.
Otherwise a fun puzzle and I finished.
That was fun. The theme definitely helped me.
Hi Carrie. 🙂
Hello everyone!!
I did about half this puzzle, so I guess I’ve got half a mind to comment on it…..?
Not a bad Sunday, but some clues seemed unnecessarily tricky. Maybe more suited to a Saturday than a Sunday.
Hey Joe Bleaux, I also think that the verb “rice” comes from the fact that the potatoes or whatever end up looking like grains of rice.
@Jeff, very punny! I’ll have you know that I for one was sad to see the thimble go. My board still has it.?
Hey Fred! You get a pass on that, IMO. GEEZ is the word!
Pookie–nice link, and yes, that’s funk. Had I known the artist, the clue woulda thrown me.
Sweet dreams~~™
Next-to-last puzzle I had to reconstruct from Bill’s blog using my old Fortran puzzle. I thought it was a nice puzzle and pretty easy, but I think I got a lot of inadvertent help from the reconstruction process.