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Edited by: Patti Varol
Today’s Theme: Rank and File
Themed clues progress from “First …” down to “Ninth …” as we descend the grid:
- 22A First place : TOP OF THE LINE
- 30A Second banana : ASSISTANT MANAGER
- 45A Third base : HOT CORNER
- 52A Fourth Estate : PUBLIC PRESS
- 68A Fifth wheel : SPARE TIRE
- 80A Sixth sense : GUT INSTINCT
- 91A Seventh heaven : SHANGRI LA
- 106A “Eighth Grade” : COMING-OF-AGE STORY
- 117A Ninth circle : CENTER OF HELL
Read on, or jump to …
… a complete list of answers
Want to discuss the puzzle? Then …
… leave a comment
Bill’s time: 13m 51s
Bill’s errors: 0
Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies
Across
1 Headbanging genre : METAL
Headbanging is a practice engaged in by many players and followers of hard rock and heavy metal music. It involves shaking and nodding of the head energetically in time to the music. It’s a dangerous practice. Terry Balsamo is a guitarist with the band Evanescence and in 2005 he suffered a stroke, apparently from a blood clot that formed in his neck due to headbanging during performances.
6 Colts and fillies : FOALS
There are lots of terms to describe horses of different ages and sexes, it seems:
- Foal: horse of either sex that is less than one year old
- Yearling: horse of either sex that is one to two years old
- Filly: female horse under the age of four
- Colt: male horse under the age of four
- Gelding: castrated male horse of any age
- Stallion: non-castrated male horse four years or older
- Mare: female horse four years or older
15 Broncos org. : AFC
American Football Conference (AFC)
The Denver Broncos were a charter member of the AFL and so were formed in 1959 and first played in 1960.
19 Fictional teen sleuth Belden : TRIXIE
Trixie Belden is the teenage sleuth at the center of a series of mystery books originally written by Julie Campbell Tatham. After the first six books were published, in-house writers from Western Publishing continued the series using the pseudonym Kathryn Kenny.
21 LeBron’s team, on scoreboards : LAL
Basketball player LeBron James (nicknamed “King James”) seems to be in demand for the covers of magazines. James became the first African-American man to adorn the front cover of “Vogue” in March 2008. That made him only the third male to make the “Vogue” cover, following Richard Gere and George Clooney.
24 River crossed by Washington’s troops : DELAWARE
The Delaware River rises in the Catskill Mountains in New York and empties into Delaware Bay on the Atlantic Ocean. Along the way, it passes through the cities of Trenton and Camden in New York, Philadelphia in Pennsylvania, and Wimington and Dover in Delaware. The river was named for Englishman Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr. He was appointed the first governor of the Virginia colony. In turn, the river gave its name to the Lenape people, and eventually the US state.
“Washington Crossing the Delaware” refers to the pivotal historical event during the American Revolutionary War when General George Washington led the Continental Army across the icy Delaware River on Christmas night in 1776. This was the precursor to a decisive surprise attack on Hessian troops stationed in Trenton, New Jersey that took place the following day.
27 Frigg’s husband : ODIN
In Norse mythology, Odin was the chief of the gods. Odin’s wife Frigg was the queen of Asgard whose name gave us our English term “Friday” (via Anglo-Saxon). Odin’s son was Thor, whose name gave us the term “Thursday”. Odin himself gave us our word “Wednesday” from “Wodin”, the English form of his name.
29 Oscar nominee McCarthy : MELISSA
Melissa McCarthy is an actress and comedian who is perhaps best known on the small screen for playing Molly on the sitcom “Mike & Molly”, and on the big screen for playing the wild and wacky Megan Price in the 2011 comedy “Bridesmaids”. According to “Forbes”, McCarthy was the third-highest paid actress in 2014/2015, after Jennifer Lawrence and Scarlett Johansson. She married fellow actor, and comedian, Ben Falcone in 2005.
30 Second banana : ASSISTANT MANAGER
The expression “top banana” is used to mean “the main man” or “the main woman”. The first person to use “top banana” was supposedly Vaudeville performer Harry Steppe in 1927, who applied the term to the top comic on the bill. The phrase comes from a comedy routine in which three comics struggle to share two bananas.
34 Largest organ in the human body : SKIN
The skin is the largest organ in the human body by surface area. The largest organ by mass is the liver.
36 Yankees great Gehrig : LOU
Baseball legend Lou Gehrig was known as a powerhouse. He was a big hitter and just kept on playing. Gehrig broke the record for the most consecutive number of games played, and he still holds the record for the most career grand slams. His durability earned him the nickname “The Iron Horse”. Sadly, he died in 1941 at 37-years-old suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), an illness we now call “Lou Gehrig’s Disease”. The New York Yankees retired the number four on 4th of July 1939 in his honor, making Lou Gehrig the first baseball player to have his number retired.
38 Duane __: pharmacy chain : READE
The chain of drug and convenience stores in New York City known as Duane Reade was founded in 1960 by three brothers. The first three stores were serviced by a warehouse in lower Manhattan located on Broadway between Duane and Reade streets, streets that gave the chain its name.
40 Skit show featuring Kenan Thompson since 2003, briefly : SNL
Kenan Thompson is an actor and comedian who is perhaps best known as a “Saturday Night Live” (SNL) cast member, joining the show in 2003. Thompson holds the record for the most celebrity impressions on SNL, at over one hundred. He also is the longest-tenured member of the cast in the history of the show.
42 Pinterest pin : PIC
Pinterest is a free website which can be used to save and manage images (called “pins”) and other media. For some reason, the vast majority of Pinterest users are women.
45 Third base : HOT CORNER
In baseball, third base is referred to as the “hot corner”. Right-handed hitters tend to hit the ball hard in that direction, keeping the third baseman on his toes.
52 Fourth Estate : PUBLIC PRESS
Starting in the Middle Ages, several societies operated with a hierarchical social order known as “the estates of the realm”. For example, the French used a scheme known as the “Ancien Régime” in which the clergy made up the First Estate, the nobility the Second Estate, and the commoners the Third Estate. The English used a two-estate system in which the bishops and nobility made up the First Estate (“the Lords”) and the commoners the Second Estate (“the Commons”). In modern parlance, the press and media are considered forces outside of the established power structure, and can be referred to as the Fourth Estate. The even more contemporary “Fifth Estate” refers to publishers using blogs and social media.
55 Flamboyantly showy : GARISH
Our word “flamboyant”, meaning “showy and elaborate”, is a French term meaning “flaming”. The term was first used in English to describe wavy, flame-like curves used in architecture.
60 Teri of “Young Frankenstein” : GARR
Actress Teri Garr had a whole host of minor roles in her youth, including appearances in nine Elvis movies. Garr’s big break came with the role of Inga in “Young Frankenstein”, and her supporting role in “Tootsie” earned Garr an Academy Award nomination. Sadly, Teri Garr suffered from multiple sclerosis, and was a National Ambassador for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
I am not really a big fan of movies by Mel Brooks, but “Young Frankenstein” is the exception. I think the cast has a lot to do with me liking the film, as it includes Gene Wilder (Dr. Frankenstein), Teri Garr (Inga), Marty Feldman (Igor) and Gene Hackman (Harold, the blind man).
64 Target in mini golf : PAR
Apparently, the first minigolf course in the world was built in St. Andrews in Scotland, and you can still play that course today. Back in 1867, about 100 years after the Royal and Ancient Golf Club was founded, the Ladies’ Putting Club was constructed by some of the golf clubs members so that the ladies could “have a go” at the sport. Back then it was believed that the energetic swing required to hit a ball on a full-size course was far from ladylike, so a small, 18-hole course of putting greens was deemed to be more acceptable. Different times …
65 Cooling-off period : DETENTE
“Détente” is a French word meaning “loosening, reduction in tension” and in general it is used to describe the easing of strained relations in a political situation. In particular, the policy of détente came to be associated with the improved relations between the US and the Soviet Union in the seventies.
73 Pipián verde seeds : PEPITAS
Pumpkin seeds are also known as “pepitas”, from the Mexican Spanish term “pepita de calabaza” meaning “little seed of squash”.
Pipián verde is a sauce in Mexican cuisine, a close relative of mole, and often called “green mole.” Its signature green hue comes from a blend of toasted pumpkin seeds, tomatillos, cilantro, and green chiles.
76 Blonde brew : ALE
Blonde ales are a loosely-related group of beers that share a very pale color. I’d guess that the most famous of the genre in North America are Belgian blondes.
84 Pixar title fish : NEMO
“Finding Nemo” is a 2003 animated blockbuster from Pixar. The film was the winner of the Oscar that year for Best Animated Feature. Believe it or not, “Finding Nemo” is the best-selling DVD of all time and, until 2010’s “Toy Story 3”, it was the highest-grossing, G-rated movie at the box office.
87 Street musician : BUSKER
A busker is a street performer, a person entertaining passersby for tips. Some very successful people have spent periods of their lives busking. George Michael used to busk near the London Underground. Rod Stewart performed in the streets of Paris and Barcelona, and was eventually deported from Spain for vagrancy.
91 Seventh heaven : SHANGRI-LA
Shangri-La is the earthly paradise in the mountains of Tibet described by James Hilton in his novel “Lost Horizon”. Shangri-La is “edenic” (perfect, like the Garden of Eden from the Book of Genesis). Frank Capra directed a wonderful screen adaptation of “Lost Horizon” in 1937 starring Ronald Colman.
In cosmology associated with some religious traditions, the universe is said to be made up of Seven Heavens. The highest of these is the “seventh heaven”.
97 Manhattan spirit : RYE
The cocktail called a manhattan is made from whiskey, sweet vermouth and Angostura bitters. I favor my own version of a brandy manhattan, using brandy, sweet vermouth and orange bitters.
98 Bird that lays green eggs : EMU
Emu eggs are very large, with a thick shell that is dark-green in color. One emu egg weighs about the same as a dozen chicken eggs. It is the male emu that incubates the eggs. The incubation period lasts about 8 weeks, during which time the male neither eats nor drinks, just lapping up any morning dew that is nearby. While incubating a clutch of eggs, male emus lose about a third of their weight.
99 Some pajama tops, casually : CAMIS
A camisole (also “cami”) is a sleeveless undershirt worn by women that extends down to the waist. “Camisole” is a French word that we imported into English that ultimately derives from the Latin “camisia” meaning “shirt, nightgown”.
Our word “pajamas” (sometimes “PJs” or “jammies”) comes to us from the Indian subcontinent, where “pai jamahs” were loose fitting pants tied at the waist and worn at night by locals and ultimately by the Europeans living there. And “pajamas” is another of those words that I had to learn to spell differently when I came to America. On the other side of the Atlantic, the spelling is “pyjamas”.
102 Nest egg inits. : IRA
A nest egg is an amount of money laid down as a reserve. This is the figurative use of “nest egg” that originally described an artificial egg left in a nest to encourage a hen to lay real eggs in that spot. So our financial nest egg is set aside in anticipation of continued growth, more eggs being laid.
105 Singer India.__ : ARIE
India Arie (sometimes “india.arie”) is an American soul and R&B singer who was born India Arie Simpson in Denver, Colorado.
106 “Eighth Grade” : COMING-OF-AGE STORY
“Eighth Grade” is a 2018 comedy drama movie starring Elsie Fisher as a middle-schooler struggling with anxiety. Comedian Bo Burnham wrote and directed the film, and the storyline reflects his own anxiety as a performer, and his frequent panic attacks. I haven’t seen this one, but I hear really good things …
111 Apple AirTag, for one : TRACKER
Apple AirTags are small, button-shaped tracking devices that can be attached to valuables like keys, wallets, or bags. When an AirTag is within Bluetooth range, you can make it play a sound to help you pinpoint its location. If it’s further away, Apple’s crowdsourced Find My network can leverage the vast number of Apple devices in use to help track it down.
113 Garment worn with a choli : SARI
A choli is a blouse worn by women in the Indian subcontinent. It is a relatively short garment, and is usually worn along with a sari.
115 Ireland, in Latin : HIBERNIA
“Hibernia” is the Latin name for the island of Ireland. The ancient Romans’ choice of name for Ireland was influenced by the Latin “hibernus” meaning “wintry”. I can understand that choice …
117 Ninth circle : CENTER OF HELL
In Dante’s “Inferno”, Hell is represented as nine circles of suffering. The nine circles of Hell are:
- Limbo
- Lust
- Gluttony
- Greed
- Anger
- Heresy
- Violence
- Fraud
- Treachery
122 Roti flour : ATTA
In an Indian restaurant, naan bread is very popular. Roti is an unleavened cousin of naan.
123 Pelvic exercises : KEGELS
Kegel exercises can help strengthen the pelvic floor muscles: the ones that support the bladder, bowel, and uterus. They’re named after Dr. Arnold Kegel, the American gynecologist who first described these exercises in the 1940s.
124 Country singer Tucker : TANYA
Country singer Tanya Tucker’s first hit was “Delta Dawn”, which she recorded in 1972 at only 13 years of age.
126 “The __ of Summer”: Don Henley song : BOYS
Don Henley is a singer-songwriter and drummer who is best known as a founding member of the Eagles. It’s Henley who is singing lead vocals on the Eagles songs “Desperado”, “One of These Nights” and “Hotel California”.
128 Like San Francisco’s Lombard Street : STEEP
Lombard Street in San Francisco is noted worldwide for a one-block section on Russian Hill that has eight incredibly tight, hairpin turns. That one-block section has a whopping 27% grade. The San Francisco Street is named for Lombard Street in Philadelphia.
Down
2 Annual gaming tournament, for short : EVO
The Evolution Championship Series (Evo) is an esports event held annually since 1996, when it was known as “Battle by the Bay”. That first competition was held in Sunnyvale, California, hence the name. The name changed to “Evo” in 2002, and the venue changed to various locations in the Las Vegas Valley starting in 2005. The focus of the tournament is the fighting game genre of video games.
3 Carole King album with the song used as the “Gilmore Girls” theme : TAPESTRY
Carole King’s marvelous 1951 album “Tapestry” was the best-selling album ever for much of the seventies. “Tapestry” was finally knocked off its perch by the “Saturday Night Fever” movie soundtrack, which was released in 1977.
“Gilmore Girls” is a comedy show that originally aired from 2000 to 2007 on the WB. The title characters are mother and daughter Lorelai and Rory Gilmore, played by Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel. All the action takes place in the fictional Connecticut town of Stars Hollow. The theme song was written by Carole King, and is a version of her 1971 recording “Where You Lead”. King sing’s the show’s theme with her own daughter, Louise Goffin.
4 Dreamboat of Greek mythology : ADONIS
In Greek mythology, Adonis is a beautiful young god loved by Aphrodite. Adonis dies in a hunting accident (gored by a boar), but not before he gives Aphrodite a child. Adonis was originally a Phoenician god “absorbed” into Greek lore (Phoenicia is modern day Lebanon). The child born of Adonis to Aphrodite was called Beroe, after which is named Beirut, the capital city of Lebanon. We also use the term “adonis” to mean “beautiful male”.
6 San Joaquin Valley city : FRESNO
Fresno is the largest inland city in the state of California. It was named for the many ash trees that lined the San Joaquin River, as “fresno” is the Spanish for “ash tree”.
9 Blair of “The Exorcist” : LINDA
Linda Blair is an actress most recognized for her iconic role as Regan MacNeil in the 1973 horror film “The Exorcist”. Just 14 at the time, Blair’s portrayal of a young girl possessed by a demon earned her a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award nomination.
11 Chem. in some calming pet treats : CBD
Cannabidiol (CBD) is a chemical extracted from cannabis plants that is used as a herbal drug. It does not contain the chemical tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is responsible for the marijuana “high”.
12 Baseball Hall of Famer Roberto : CLEMENTE
Roberto Clemente was a Major League Baseball player from Puerto Rico who played for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1955 to 1972. Clemente devoted much of his spare time to charity work in Caribbean countries, and in 1972 flew to Nicaragua to deliver aid to earthquake victims. While en route, Clemente was killed in a plane crash. The Roberto Clemente Award has been presented annually since 1971 to an outstanding baseball player who is known for his personal involvement in community work.
13 Graph theory pioneer : EULER
Leonhard Euler was a brilliant Swiss mathematician and physicist, and a pioneer in the fields of logarithms and graph theory. Euler’s eyesight deteriorated during his working life, and he eventually became almost totally blind.
15 Juneau native : ALASKAN
Given that it’s the capital of the vast state of Alaska, it is perhaps not surprising to learn that the municipality of Juneau is almost as big as the area of the states of Rhode Island and Delaware combined. And yet, Juneau only has a population of about 31,000 people!
16 Gary Larson comic strip, with “The” : … FAR SIDE
“The Far Side” is a cartoon series drawn by Gary Larson. It ran from 1980 to 1995, and continues today in reruns in many papers. A lot of “The Far Side” cartoons feature animals, often in outrageous, human-like situations. Larson was so popular with people working with animals that in 1989 a newly discovered insect species was named Strigiphilus garylarsoni. How cool is that?
19 In __ to: deeply engrossed in : THRALL
To enthrall is to enchant. An obsolete meaning of the term is “to enslave, to hold as a thrall”. “Thrall” is an old word meaning “serf, slave”. So, to enthrall someone is to make them a slave to one’s charm. Quaint …
28 119-Down formula : NAOH
[119D Caustic chemical : LYE]
Sodium hydroxide is a highly caustic salt, with the chemical formula NaOH. Often referred to as “lye”, sodium hydroxide is also known as “caustic soda” because of its caustic properties.
30 Chimpanzees, e.g. : APES
The common chimpanzee is a species of great ape, i.e. a member of the Hominidae family (along with gorillas, humans and orangutans). The human and chimpanzee branches of the Hominidae family tree diverged 4-6 million years ago, making the chimp our closest living relatives in the animal kingdom.
31 Gilbert of “The Conners” : SARA
Actress Sara Gilbert grew up playing Darlene on the sitcom “Roseanne” from 1988 to 1997. Today Gilbert appears fairly often on another hit sitcom, namely “The Big Bang Theory”. You can also see her on the daytime talk show called “The Talk”, a show that she herself created. And, she made a comeback as Darlene in 2018 in the “Roseanne” reboot(s).
“The Conners” is a spin-off sitcom of the hit TV show “Roseanne”. The spin-off came about after the cancellation of the “Roseanne” reboot in 2018, following a tweet by Roseanne Barr that was viewed as racist. The spin-off show features the main cast from “Roseanne”, but drops the title character Roseanne Conner.
32 Rapper Shakur : TUPAC
Rapper Tupac Amaru Shakur adopted the inventive stage name “2Pac”. He was a hard man, spending eleven months in prison for sexual assault. He was killed in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas at only 25 years of age.
40 Moo __ pork : SHU
Moo shu pork (also “mu shu pork”) is a traditional dish from northern China, with the main ingredients being shredded pork and scrambled egg. In North America, the dish is served with tortilla-like wrappers that are sometimes referred to as “moo shu pancakes”.
41 Ballpoint tips : NIBS
The ballpoint pen was invented by László Bíró in the late thirties, a Hungarian newspaper editor. Over in Ireland we use the term “biro” as a generic word for “ballpoint pen”.
43 Little hellion : IMP
A hellion is a mischievous and wild person. “Hellion” is a North American term, one probably derived from the word that we use for the same thing on the other side of the Atlantic, namely “hallion”.
44 Latin “Seize the day” : CARPE DIEM
“Carpe diem” is a quotation from Horace, one of ancient Rome’s leading lyric poets. “Carpe diem” translates from Latin as “seize the day” or “enjoy the day”. The satirical motto of a procrastinator is “carpe mañana”, “translating” as “seize tomorrow”.
46 Parakeet enclosure : CAGE
Parakeets are a group of bird species that are small parrots. The most common type of parakeet that we see in pet stores is the budgerigar.
48 Graded injury : SPRAIN
Sprained ligaments are graded on severity:
- Grade 1 (Mild): Slight stretching, some pain and swelling, but you can still walk.
- Grade 2 (Moderate): Partial tear, more pain, swelling, and bruising, making walking difficult.
- Grade 3 (Severe): Complete tear, significant swelling and bruising, unable to bear weight.
54 __ Lanka : SRI
The island nation of Sri Lanka lies off the southeast coast of India. The name “Sri Lanka” translates from Sanskrit into English as “venerable island”. Before 1970, Sri Lanka was known as Ceylon, a name given to the country during British rule.
60 Unaccounted-for times on a résumé : GAPS
A résumé is a summary of a person’s job experience and education and is used as a tool by a job seeker. In many countries, a résumé is equivalent to a curriculum vitae. “Résumé” is the French word for “summary”.
61 Knighted actor Guinness : ALEC
Sir Alec Guinness played many great roles over a long and distinguished career, but nowadays is best remembered (sadly, I think) for playing the original Obi-Wan Kenobi in “Star Wars”. He won his only Best Actor Oscar for playing Colonel Nicholson in the marvelous 1957 WWII movie “The Bridge on the River Kwai”. Guinness did himself serve during the Second World War, in the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve. He commanded a landing craft during the Allied invasion of Sicily in 1943.
67 Result of stirring up a hornet’s nest : STINGS
A hornet is a large type of wasp, with some species reaching over two inches in length.
69 Sun Devils sch. : ASU
Arizona State University (ASU) has a long history, and was founded as the Tempe Normal School for the Arizona Territory in 1885. The athletic teams of ASU used to be known as the Normals, then the Bulldogs, and since 1946 they’ve been called the Sun Devils.
70 Source of some coll. scholarships : ROTC
The Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) is a training program for officers based in colleges all around the US. The program was established in 1862 when as a condition of receiving a land-grant to create colleges, the federal government required that military tactics be part of a new school’s curriculum.
77 Genderqueer identity : ENBY
The non-binary (NB, enbie, enby) spectrum of gender identities covers those that do not qualify as exclusively masculine or feminine.
80 Humanoid creature of Jewish folklore : GOLEM
“Golem” is Yiddish slang for “dimwit”. In Jewish folklore, a golem is an anthropomorphic being made out of inanimate matter, and is somewhat like an unintelligent robot.
81 Secrecy doc : NDA
Non-disclosure agreement (NDA)
88 Portable stove fuel : KEROSENE
Kerosene is a mixture of hydrocarbons that is used mainly as a fuel. It is a very volatile substance, but is less flammable than gasoline. Over in the UK and Ireland, we call the same fuel “paraffin”.
89 Gulf States title : EMIR
The Persian Gulf is in effect an inland sea, although it is technically an offshoot of the Indian Ocean. The outlet from the Persian Gulf to the Indian Ocean is one of the most famous maritime “choke points” in the world, and is known as the Strait of Hormuz. About 20% of the world’s supply of petroleum passes through the Strait of Hormuz.
90 Football film with the tagline “Sometimes a winner is a dreamer who just won’t quit” : RUDY
“Rudy” is a 1993 American biographical sports film starring Sean Astin in the title role. The movie is an account of the life of Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger, who harbored dreams of playing football at the University of Notre Dame despite significant obstacles. It was the first film that the Notre Dame administration allowed to be shot on campus since “Knute Rockne, All American” in 1940.
92 Abolitionist Tubman : HARRIET
Harriet Tubman was not only a former slave who became a legendary abolitionist, but she was also a spy for the Union army during the Civil War. She gathered intelligence behind enemy lines, led raids that freed enslaved people, and even served as a nurse and cook for Union troops.
95 Garage sale caveat : AS IS
“Caveat emptor” is a Latin expression meaning “Let the buyer beware”. It is used when someone buys something, emphasizing that after the deal is closed, there’s no going back.
108 “Weird Science” band __ Boingo : OINGO
Oingo Boingo was a band active from the seventies through the nineties. The group had a reputation for giving pretty wild concerts on Halloween each year.
“Weird Science” is a song by Oingo Boingo, released in 1985. It was commissioned by director John Hughes as the theme song for his 1985 movie of the same name, and was also used for the sitcom spinoff of the movie that aired in the 1990s.
112 The Krusty __: SpongeBob’s employer : KRAB
The Krusty Krab is a fast food restaurant in the SpongeBob Squarepants animated TV show. The title character works there, as the fry cook.
118 Rx notation : TER
Abbreviations on a medical prescription (Rx) are shortened forms of Latin phrases. “Ter in die” is Latin for “three times a day”, abbreviated to “TID”. “Bis in die” (BID) would be twice a day, and “quater in die” (QID) would be four times a day.
Read on, or …
… return to top of page
Complete List of Clues/Answers
Across
1 Headbanging genre : METAL
6 Colts and fillies : FOALS
11 Kept involved via email : CC’ED
15 Broncos org. : AFC
18 Circumvent : EVADE
19 Fictional teen sleuth Belden : TRIXIE
20 Off-color : BLUE
21 LeBron’s team, on scoreboards : LAL
22 First place : TOP OF THE LINE
24 River crossed by Washington’s troops : DELAWARE
26 Steps in : ENTERS
27 Frigg’s husband : ODIN
29 Oscar nominee McCarthy : MELISSA
30 Second banana : ASSISTANT MANAGER
34 Largest organ in the human body : SKIN
35 Butter servings : PATS
36 Yankees great Gehrig : LOU
37 “Then what happened!?” : GO ON!
38 Duane __: pharmacy chain : READE
39 Make an oopsie : ERR
40 Skit show featuring Kenan Thompson since 2003, briefly : SNL
42 Pinterest pin : PIC
45 Third base : HOT CORNER
47 Welcomes : SAYS HI
49 Tibetan priests : LAMAS
51 Exploit : FEAT
52 Fourth Estate : PUBLIC PRESS
55 Flamboyantly showy : GARISH
60 Teri of “Young Frankenstein” : GARR
63 Sign of distress : SOS
64 Target in mini golf : PAR
65 Cooling-off period : DETENTE
66 Something to go by? : ALIAS
68 Fifth wheel : SPARE TIRE
72 Consumer : EATER
73 Pipián verde seeds : PEPITAS
75 Rolls on the dirt? : SOD
76 Blonde brew : ALE
78 Search meticulously : COMB
79 Like a drive through the mountains : SCENIC
80 Sixth sense : GUT INSTINCT
84 Pixar title fish : NEMO
86 Abdicates : CEDES
87 Street musician : BUSKER
91 Seventh heaven : SHANGRI-LA
96 Spoil : MAR
97 Manhattan spirit : RYE
98 Bird that lays green eggs : EMU
99 Some pajama tops, casually : CAMIS
100 Suffix that turns adjectives into nouns : -NESS
102 Nest egg inits. : IRA
104 Desertlike : ARID
105 Singer India.__ : ARIE
106 “Eighth Grade” : COMING-OF-AGE STORY
111 Apple AirTag, for one : TRACKER
113 Garment worn with a choli : SARI
114 Pays : REMITS
115 Ireland, in Latin : HIBERNIA
117 Ninth circle : CENTER OF HELL
121 Slithery swimmer : EEL
122 Roti flour : ATTA
123 Pelvic exercises : KEGELS
124 Country singer Tucker : TANYA
125 Pig’s pad : STY
126 “The __ of Summer”: Don Henley song : BOYS
127 Shared account? : STORY
128 Like San Francisco’s Lombard Street : STEEP
Down
1 Joined : MET
2 Annual gaming tournament, for short : EVO
3 Carole King album with the song used as the “Gilmore Girls” theme : TAPESTRY
4 Dreamboat of Greek mythology : ADONIS
5 Some turns : LEFTS
6 San Joaquin Valley city : FRESNO
7 Word with can or pan : OIL …
8 Saying that goes without saying : AXIOM
9 Blair of “The Exorcist” : LINDA
10 Dating : SEEING
11 Chem. in some calming pet treats : CBD
12 Baseball Hall of Famer Roberto : CLEMENTE
13 Graph theory pioneer : EULER
14 “I agree to those terms!” : DEAL!
15 Juneau native : ALASKAN
16 Gary Larson comic strip, with “The” : … FAR SIDE
17 After-hours employee, perhaps : CLEANER
19 In __ to: deeply engrossed in : THRALL
23 Vietnamese New Year : TET
25 Better informed : WISER
28 119-Down formula : NAOH
30 Chimpanzees, e.g. : APES
31 Gilbert of “The Conners” : SARA
32 Rapper Shakur : TUPAC
33 Makes an oopsie : GOOFS
38 Take turns : ROTATE
40 Moo __ pork : SHU
41 Ballpoint tips : NIBS
43 Little hellion : IMP
44 Latin “Seize the day” : CARPE DIEM
46 Parakeet enclosure : CAGE
48 Graded injury : SPRAIN
49 Challenge for a speech therapist : LISP
50 Usher to a table : SEAT
53 End of a hot streak : LOSS
54 __ Lanka : SRI
56 Doesn’t keep a poker face : REACTS
57 Call __ question : INTO
58 Fruit holder : STEM
59 Mint, e.g. : HERB
60 Unaccounted-for times on a résumé : GAPS
61 Knighted actor Guinness : ALEC
62 Fragrant, in a bad way : RIPE
65 Shop with a meat slicer : DELI
67 Result of stirring up a hornet’s nest : STINGS
69 Sun Devils sch. : ASU
70 Source of some coll. scholarships : ROTC
71 “Shucks!” : RATS!
74 Laptop giant : ACER
77 Genderqueer identity : ENBY
80 Humanoid creature of Jewish folklore : GOLEM
81 Secrecy doc : NDA
82 Typographical flourish : SERIF
83 Stick at a table : CUE
85 Smaller side : MINORITY
88 Portable stove fuel : KEROSENE
89 Gulf States title : EMIR
90 Football film with the tagline “Sometimes a winner is a dreamer who just won’t quit” : RUDY
91 Lambastes : SCATHES
92 Abolitionist Tubman : HARRIET
93 In a friendly way : AMIABLY
94 Sister’s daughter : NIECE
95 Garage sale caveat : AS IS
97 Wild parties : RAGERS
101 After-school treats : SNACKS
103 Almost never : RARELY
104 In addition : AT THAT
106 Italian hundred : CENTO
107 Welcome : GREET
108 “Weird Science” band __ Boingo : OINGO
109 Punk kin : EMO
110 Aerates, as flour : SIFTS
112 The Krusty __: SpongeBob’s employer : KRAB
116 Inserts for some electric toothbrushes : AAS
118 Rx notation : TER
119 Caustic chemical : LYE
120 Swimmer’s unit : LAP
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16 thoughts on “LA Times Crossword 19 Jan 25, Sunday”
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44 min, 2 errors. Neither word o which I’m familiar with.
TUSKER vs BUSKER
ENTY vs ENBY
they put CBD in pet treats?
Sheesh, you suppose they put CBD in my Oreo cookies? Explains why I’m tired after eating 10 of them!
Ole Tanya Tucker seems to be popular in the crossword puzzle world lately. It’s a nice change from NEE or GEE or OREO or etc…
@jack – good luck to those Ravens today!
28:28, no errors. Not a fan of the stated theme – Rank & File are terms used in chess to indicate rows & columns, respectively, of the board. Themed fills go down in logical rank order but are all over the place when it comes to the columns.
Theme still doesn’t make sense if we ignore chess & go by the common meaning of the phrase “rank and file” as the ordinary members of a group as opposed to the leadership.
32 minutes. I didn’t know enby or busker or ter.
Also, Carole King’s Tapestry came out in 1971, not 1951. 🙂
28:53 Would’ve been quicker but for some reason Linda Blair’s name escaped me, and the crosses didn’t help (can’t keep my horses straight, didn’t know the teen sleuth, and was going with “top of the heap” for a while). Fun theme, although it didn’t really help much in solving.
Btw, Bill, Carole King’s Tapestry was released in 1971, not 1951.
27 mins. No errors today.
ENBY and TER are new to me but both fell into place with associated answers.
17 mins 58 seconds and needed Check Grid help on 6 fills. Not bad for a grid of this size.
“Genderqueer” identity? How about using REAL WORDS?
Theme didn’t, and doesn’t, make sense to me. Got most of the themed answers without it. (Dear Hubby is more familiar with Dante than I am.) “Rank and file” aren’t numbered in my brain, and I didn’t catch the numerical sequence in the clues.
A good kick in the cojones, will solve your gender confusion
No look ups, no errors. A little tougher than
usual Sunday Puzzle I thought. Never
saw a Rhyme nor Reason to the theme so
no help there. “make an oopsie” Really?
29:50 – no errors or lookups. False starts: ADAGE>AXIOM, RAVERS>RAGERS.
New or forgotten: TRIXIE Belden, Duane READE, “pipian verde,” “choli,” EVO Championships.
A self-evident theme that “counts down” the grid in the themed clues, but I agree with Bill J. re: use of “rank and file.”
Overall, a good Sunday puzzle.
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For the explanation of 3-down, you wrote “Carole King’s marvelous 1951 album…”. It should be 1971. (In 1951 she was only 9.)
this was a fun one