Sunday March 24, 2024 Kyle Dolan & Dylan Schiff

Theme: "In Tune" - Each theme clue is a song. The synonym of the first word in each song is hidden inside each theme entry, which defines the remaining part of each theme clue. 

23. Friends in Low Places?: DEEP SEA TRENCHES. Dears.

38. Dust in the Wind?: SOPRANO CLARINET. Soot.

54. Party in the U.S.A.?: THE LAND OF OPPORTUNITY. Do.

77. Dancing in the Street?: SANTA MONICA BOULEVARD. Samba.

91. Crazy in Love?: ABSOLUTELY ADORE. Outre.

110. Down in the Boondocks?: MIDDLE OF NOWHERE. Low.

Just in awe of this theme. So many layers. So much work involved finding workable theme entries. 77A is amazing. 

Our blog tags show that this is the Kyle and Dylan's second collaboration. The first one is this themeless Gary blogged last year. Kyle is known for his clean and sparkly themeless grids.

Across:

1. Capital known as "The City of Trees": BOISE. And 19. Capital known as "The City of Stairs": AMMAN.

6. HS course for a future poli-sci major: AP GOV. Also 61. Capitol Hill fig.: POL.

11. "How silly of me!": DOH.

14. Cook brisket, perhaps: SMOKE.

20. Quinceañera accessory: TIARA. So pretty, everything.

21. Singer profiled in the 2022 Netflix documentary "Halftime," familiarly: J. LO. And 85. "__ Kai": Netflix series: COBRA.

22. Ancient manuscript: CODEX.

26. Outkast rapper __ 3000: ANDRE.

27. Org. whose logo features crossed clubs: PGA.

28. Oct. 24 observance: UN DAY.

29. Chemical in bagel-making: LYE.

30. Cream-filled pastries: ECLAIRS.

32. Way off: RANCID.

34. Some truffle hunters: BOARS.

36. Colorado State's sports team: RAMS.

37. Jellicle Ball attendee: CAT. The musical "Cats".

44. Love, in Verona: AMORE.

46. Walking tall: PROUD.

47. Half-inning trio: OUTS.

48. Can opener: TAB.

49. Pixar swimmer: NEMO.

50. Lacking proper punctuation, perhaps: RUN-ON.

51. Delight: AMUSE.

53. School member: FISH.

58. "Am __ blame?": I TO.

59. Presto, musically: FAST.

60. 20s dispensers: ATMS.

62. Amsterdam waterway: CANAL.

64. "Just watch me!": CAN SO.

66. [Crying emoji]: I'M SAD. When I pushed off the wall, I just could not submerge low enough to do the underwater dolphin kicks. Life is hard when you can't sink low.

70. Video art pioneer __ June Paik: NAM. Unknown to me. Wikipedia says he's "considered to be the founder of video art".

72. Licensed transport: TAXI.

73. Train, as a boxer: SPAR.

76. Hilton-owned hotel chain: TRU.

83. Basic ballet move: PLIE.

84. Antibiotic units: DOSES.

86. Central Plains tribe: OTOE.

87. Organ with a hammer: EAR.

88. Foie __: GRAS.

89. Ticket prices?: FINES. Parking ticket.

90. Tons and tons: SLEWS.

95. DOJ agency: ATF.

96. Bench press targets, for short: TRIS.

97. College administrators: DEANS.

98. High-end hair dryers: DYSONS. Very pricey.

101. Flatbread served with dal: PARATHA. And 118. Less spicy, in a way: TAMER. Indian food are a bit spicy for me.

104. Projectile's path: ARC.

105. Beach balls?: LUAUS. 114. Play place?: STAGE. 121. Oyster cracker?: OTTER. 82. Power base?: VOLTS. Fun clues.

108. Noisy fight: ROW.

109. Vessel implant: STENT.

115. To's opposite: FRO.

116. Model/actress Kate: UPTON. She's married to Justin Verlander.

117. "__ mañana": HASTA.

119. Bros: MEN.

120. __ profundo: low voice: BASSO.

Down:

1. Unflattering media coverage, briefly: BAD PR.

2. Rolex competitor: OMEGA.

3. "Seriously!?": I MEAN COME ON. 16. "Weird, right?": ODD ISN'T IT. I love these two long fill.

4. Maple syrup base: SAP.

5. Like a hotel bathroom, often: EN SUITE.

6. Teeny bit: A TAD.

7. Gyro wrapper: PITA.

8. "Slow Horses" actor Oldman: GARY. My favorite Gary. Gosh, 10 years already. 

9. Deposit for processing: ORE.

10. Unit for soccer practice carpool, say: VAN LOAD.

11. Video game with a turntable-shaped controller: DJ HERO.

12. Copa América cry: OLE.

13. Slip 'N Slide need: HOSE.

14. Quantities such as mass and time: SCALARS. Opposite vectors.

15. Address for Hercule Poirot: MON AMI.

17. Steve with nine NBA titles as a player and coach: KERR.

18. Old flames: EXES.

24. Finish: END.

25. The "C" of the CMYK color model: CYAN.

31. Prepare to move, as artwork: CRATE UP.

33. Christmas tune: CAROL.

34. Pop star Mars: BRUNO. Loved his "Just the Way You Are".

35. Scrubs: SCOURS.

38. Root veggies: SPUDS.

39. " ... then again, we could try something else": OR NOT.

40. [It's gone!]: POOF.

41. Ardent desire: LUST.

42. "No sweat!": EASY.

43. "Truthfully," in a text: TBH. To be honest.

44. Shenanigan: ANTIC.

45. Conductor Zubin: MEHTA.

50. Genetic letters: RNA.

51. Many NYC addresses: APTS.

52. Tibetan dumpling: MOMO. Similiar to xiaolongbao.

53. Festival entry: FILM.

55. Major key of Chopin's "Heroic" Polonaise: A FLAT.

56. Spreading fear: PANIC.

57. Bête __: NOIRE.

63. "The Favourite" queen: ANNE.

64. Candy __: CANE.

65. Graph line: AXIS.

67. Minnesota's Paul Bunyan, for one: STATE FOREST. Maybe I should explore the trails there someday. 

68. Item in a quiver: ARROW.

69. Bros: DUDES.

71. Wild hurry: MAD RUSH.

72. Threw out: TOSSED.

73. Serious: SOBER.

74. Coach purchase, perhaps: PURSE. Coach bags.

75. __ plancha: Spanish cooking method: A LA.

77. Concrete piece: SLAB.

78. Classic travel trailer: AIR STREAM.

79. Castle defense: MOAT.

80. Sour compounds: ACIDS.

81. One-named Irish singer: BONO. Not ENYA.

83. Test subject for Gregor Mendel: PEA.

88. Nail polish enhancer: GLITTER.

89. Devotees: FAN CLUB.

90. "Oh, really?": SAYS WHO.

92. Mandarin, e.g.: ORANGE. Mandarin oranges were a must for Boomer's fruit salad.

93. "I'll follow you": LEAD ON.

94. Patio spot: YARD.

98. Green owl in a popular language app: DUO.

99. El __: America, in Mexico: NORTE.

100. Necessitate a bleep: SWEAR.

101. Soft "Over here!": PSST.

102. "__ boy!": ATTA.

103. Radio toggle: AM FM.

105. Oodles: LOTS.

106. Sci-fi craft: UFOS.

107. Latin dating word: ANNO.

111. Anger: IRE.

112. AirNow.gov partner: EPA.

113. Prominent part of a beefeater's uniform: HAT.

 C.C.

Saturday, January 13, 2024, Kyle Dolan

 Saturday Themeless by Kyle Dolan

Kyle returns with another challenging Saturday exercise for us. This is his 14th Saturday puzzle for this reviewer. His stacks of ten took some time and generated a self-inflicted head slaps when they came to me. I will point out my adventures with all of them. Struggling with EXOPLANETS left a big dent in this NASA guy's tete. Mon dieu! 

Across:

1. Part of GTO: GRAN What GTO means

5. Finds players for: CASTS 😀 - Some say  John Wayne as Genghis Kahn was the worst CASTING ever.

10. Defeats handily: OWNS - Husker coach Tom Osborne OWNED K-State as he was 24 - 0 against them.

14. Drink made with a spice mixture called karha: MASALA CHAI.

16. First name in country music: REBA - She also is a hoot in Young Sheldon 

 

17. Whole alternative: ONE PERCENT 😀

18. Blood group?: CLAN.

19. Bet (on): STAKED - NFL teams STAKE their futures on players they draft each year

20. Aerospace company based in Sweden: SAAB - The automotive part of this firm has been phased out

22. Sonny: LAD.

23. "Heh, not really": I KID - Michael Seth Starr, Don Rickels' biographer, wrote his kind of insult comedy will never return.

25. Disney villain played by Glenn: CRUELLA - A memorable role for Glenn Close

27. Mysterious sign: OMEN.

30. "How about that!": GOSH.

32. Tag word: SMALL 😀

33. Page by phone?: FAX 😀 70% of businesses say they still use FAX machines for important documents

34. Piece of rustic decor: CART - My first thought was of outside decor

35. In the __ of: MIDST.

36. Cold cocktail: FROZEN MARGARITA.

40. Close-range shot: TIP IN - My first thought was of a basketball layup but it was a basketball TIP IN. TAP IN would be a golf fill in as well.

A TIP IN dunk!

41. Hotel bar: SOAP 😀

42. Former "SportsCenter" anchor Patrick: DAN - A straight forward DAN for a Saturday 

His first day in 1989
   Chris Berman           Dan Patrick

43. "Pure goodness" mandarin oranges brand: HALOS - Favorites in our household

44. Just for appearances: SHAM.

45. Course standards: PARS - My standard is closer to bogeys

46. Ax in a concert hall: EMANUEL - New to me

48. Handout to the hungry: MENU 😀 Gotta love this scene from My Cousin Vinny.

50. Peaked: WAN.

51. Crunchy side: SLAW 😀 Fun once I got it!

53. Roar: BELLOW.

57. God who helps the Trojans in the "Iliad": ARES If you must...

59. Kerry Washington role: OLIVIA POPE.

61. Lo-cal: LITE.

62. Warhol, Johns, et al.: POP ARTISTS - Andy and Jasper

  

63. Finishing: LAST - I'll use this as a reason to post one of my favorite instrumentals

64. Correct: EMEND - A nice mnemonic  

65. Try: TEST.

Down:

1. Some biotech products: GMOS - Genetically Modified OrganismS

The answer is D

2. Bluster: RANT.

3. "... against __ of troubles": Hamlet: A SEA - These words are surely among the most famous in the English language and remind me of our friend Jeffery Wechsler

4. Table cloth?: NAPKIN.

5. Taylor Swift hit with the lyric "You put me on and said I was your favorite": CARDIGAN - Perhaps less well known than Hamlet's soliloquy. 

6. Duke's conf.: ACC.

7. Cows and sows: SHES.

8. Hebrew Bible: Var.: TANACH - An alternate spelling

9. Long-necked instrument: SITAR 

 Ravi Shankar and
George Harrison

10. "Dungeons & Dragons" creature: ORC - Familiar cwd creatures

11. "Ooh, I'm so-o-o impressed": WELL LA DI DA - One of the funniest SNL skits ever!

12. Curry, e.g.: NBA ALL STAR 😀 Kind of a curveball for some of our resident foodies

13. Souvenirs from beach walks: SANDAL TANS 😀  - I tried SUN... and SAND... but no!

15. Symbol of Wales: LEEK - Why?

21. Transit convenience: BUS MAP.

24. Namesake of a famous alum, perhaps: DORM - Morey Hall was my college DORM and it was named for a former president, Victor Morey. It was old in 1964 and is still being used in sixty years later.

26. Many an oil-rich ruler: EMIR.

27. Zany: OFF THE WALL 😜 Robin Williams comes to my mind

28. Grammy-winning Santana song co-written by Wyclef Jean: MARIA MARIA.

29. Subjects that may be studied for life: EXOPLANETS - These are planets in orbit around stars other than ours. Are we alone? Fermi's Paradox

31. Stow away: STASH.

34. Individual account?: CENSUS 😀

37. Angels Landing's national park: ZION 😲

38. Don't just stand there: ROAM.

39. Duck, perhaps: GAME BIRD 😀

44. Course with gates: SLALOM.

45. Stand in church: PULPIT. 😀

47. Choose a running mate?: ELOPE. 😀

49. In a glass by itself: NEAT -😀 No ice for our Tinbeni

52. Erase: WIPE and 54. Get rid of: LOSE.

55. Goes (for): OPTS.

56. "La fanciulla del __": Puccini opera: WEST - The Girl Of The Golden West he wrote in Italy. It was his first opera that premiered in America. The story of this work. BTW, he wrote Madam Butterfly having never been in Japan.

Its 1908 Premiere in NYC
with Enrico Caruso

108 years later presented by the

Santa Fe, NM Opera Company

58. Prepared: SET.

60. Vehicle that really moves?: VAN 😀