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AEIOU (17D Fivesome seen in order in the answer to each starred clue) is a great entry/clue for nine entries in this wonderful Sunday crossword puzzle: GAMEMISCONDUCT (23A *Ice hockey penalty); FACETIOUS (34A "Tongue-in-cheek); HALFSERIOUSLY (40A *Somewhat in jest); GATHERINGCLOUDS (68A "Sign of coming danger); WANDERINGSOUL (94A *Drifter); TAKEITOUT (102A *What "dele" means); WATERINGTROUGH (119A *Barnyard fixture); TRADEDISCOUNT (13D *Professional courtesy in pricing); and LATENIGHTHOUR (58D *Time during a graveyard shift). I was reminded of my school days when we learned the vowels by reciting "A, E, I, O, U, and sometimes Y"!
This is a nice easy-going Sunday solve -- a very friendly and near-perfect crossword puzzle that left me with a very satisfied feeling accompanied by amazement at how brilliantly word upon word fell into place. This crossword is without a single clumsy entry or far-fetched clue, making it akin to the perfect fits of a jig-saw puzzle. So many crosswords are being Googlized these days with ridiculous lazy entries, that to encounter one without a single odd-ball abbreviation, variation, permutation, et cetera, is a genuine relief and pleasure!
YOU (99D Crossword solver, presumably); however, becomes someone else after its entered! No matter -- from EDEN (1A Starting point) to ESSO (129A Bygone U.S. gas brand), this puzzle is so tight and together with so many great entries that it’s a little classic! ...and SNOOK (8D Derisive gesture)?! -- never knew it had a name!
Other acrosses: 5. Wraps on stage; 9. Org. that inspects factories; 13. Frog’s place; 19. DEMI-pointe (ballet position); 20. Footballer-turned politician Swann; 21. Inn’s offering; 22. Hungry lion, e.g.; 26. Mame, e.g.; 27. Motrin rival; 28. They may be high before a competition; 29. Purges; 31. Companion of a spade; 32. Surgically excise; 33. Pod that’s sometimes pickled; 36. Cote d’ AZUR; 38. Observed; 46. Unbroken; 50. Dinner spread; 51. Food label abbr.; 52. Rocky Mtn. highs?; 55. Patron saint of metalworkers; 58. Not skip a beat?; 59. Go-go-go; 61. Not go by one’s own locomotion; 61. Connections; 63. Family V.I.P.’s; 65. “Myself was stirring ERE the break of day”: Shak.; 66. Oiled, in a manner; 72. To be handled by; 75. DOE-eyed; 76. “TV Funhouse” show, for short; 77. Key holder? Abbr.; 80. “Fantastic Mr. Fox” author, 1970; 81. Upshot; 85. Lack of variety; 87. Special case?; 88. Dan ISSEL, former N.B.A. star and coach; 89. Roman historian; 91. Jazzy Anita; 92. Sharp bend; 98. Colorless, flammable gas; 101. Imitator; 105. PEAT moss; 108. Does just all right; 113. Top-notch; 114. Israeli statesman Barak; 115. Actress/spokeswoman Belafonte; 116. Ancient Greek region; 117. Tin: Prefix; 122. New Hampshire senator John; 123. 1965 movie “ISAW What You Did”; 124. Give a come-hither look; 125. Toy company whose name is an anagram of 124-Across; 126. Corkscrew, e.g.; 127. One-liners; and 128. General TSOS chicken.
Downs: 1. Annual literary award; 2. Silas of the Continental Congress; 3. Thompson and Lazarus; 4. Relative of 26-Across; 5. Jewish crepe; 6. Exclamations of exasperation; 7. Religious recluse; 8. Derisive gesture; 9. Periods in prison, e.g.; 10. Old French coins; 11. Ad follower; 12. City of New Orleans operator; 14. First word spoken to earth from the lunar surface; 15. Dashed; 16. Maker of Bug-B-Gon; 18. Shady sorts?; 24. Biotite and phlogopite; 25. Home of “The Diane Rehm Show”; 30. Put away for good; 34. Christopher Morley novel “Kitty FOYLE”; 35. Future residents; 37. Banquet holder; 39. Designer Cassini 40. Some cliff dwellers; 41. English playwright Ayckbourn; 42. “I’m game!”; 43. Backing; 44. Landlord, e.g.; 45. Development sites; 47. Came down; 48. Word with bar or color; 49. One-to-one, e.g.; 53. Card catalog abbr.; 54. Chiantis, e.g.; 57. Poet who wrote “The moving finger writes; and, having writ, moves on”; 60. Tears to pieces; 64. Arch sites; 67. Nothing doing?; 68. Sea of GALILEE; 69. Newts; 70. Stephen Jay GOULD, author of “The Panda’s Thumb; 71. Role in “The Color Purple”; 72. Carded, say; 73. Grp. Conducting Operation Deny Flight; 74. Repeated cry at a beer blast; 77. Cousin of Spot; 78. Beach bash; 79. AMYL nitrate; 82. Lick again; 
83. Flair; 84. Nielsens; 86. To-DOS; 90. Small bark; 93. Saint-ETIENNE, capital of France’s Loire department; 95. 4-Down’s brothers; 96. Brings to naught; 97. Feminist Germaine; 100. Philosopher Wittgenstein; 102. Italian poet Torquato TASSO; 103. Misbehave; 104. “The Family Circus” cartoonist; 106. Side flap; 107. Rampaging; 109. “A Confederacy of Dunces” author; 110. Pivots; 111. “American Pie” actor Jason; 112. Uneducated boor; 115. Unaccompanied; 118. Novice, maybe; 120. Simile’s center; and 121. Day-GLO.
FIVE-STRING
Puzzle by Kelsey Blakley, edited by Will Shortz
AEIOU (17D Fivesome seen in order in the answer to each starred clue) is a great entry/clue for nine entries in this wonderful Sunday crossword puzzle: GAMEMISCONDUCT (23A *Ice hockey penalty); FACETIOUS (34A "Tongue-in-cheek); HALFSERIOUSLY (40A *Somewhat in jest); GATHERINGCLOUDS (68A "Sign of coming danger); WANDERINGSOUL (94A *Drifter); TAKEITOUT (102A *What "dele" means); WATERINGTROUGH (119A *Barnyard fixture); TRADEDISCOUNT (13D *Professional courtesy in pricing); and LATENIGHTHOUR (58D *Time during a graveyard shift). I was reminded of my school days when we learned the vowels by reciting "A, E, I, O, U, and sometimes Y"!
Note: The electronic puzzle differs from the newsprint. AEIOU is clued as "Fivesome seen in order in the answer to each italicized clue"; and the clues are subsequently italicized without a "star".
This is a nice easy-going Sunday solve -- a very friendly and near-perfect crossword puzzle that left me with a very satisfied feeling accompanied by amazement at how brilliantly word upon word fell into place. This crossword is without a single clumsy entry or far-fetched clue, making it akin to the perfect fits of a jig-saw puzzle. So many crosswords are being Googlized these days with ridiculous lazy entries, that to encounter one without a single odd-ball abbreviation, variation, permutation, et cetera, is a genuine relief and pleasure!
YOU (99D Crossword solver, presumably); however, becomes someone else after its entered! No matter -- from EDEN (1A Starting point) to ESSO (129A Bygone U.S. gas brand), this puzzle is so tight and together with so many great entries that it’s a little classic! ...and SNOOK (8D Derisive gesture)?! -- never knew it had a name!
Other acrosses: 5. Wraps on stage; 9. Org. that inspects factories; 13. Frog’s place; 19. DEMI-pointe (ballet position); 20. Footballer-turned politician Swann; 21. Inn’s offering; 22. Hungry lion, e.g.; 26. Mame, e.g.; 27. Motrin rival; 28. They may be high before a competition; 29. Purges; 31. Companion of a spade; 32. Surgically excise; 33. Pod that’s sometimes pickled; 36. Cote d’ AZUR; 38. Observed; 46. Unbroken; 50. Dinner spread; 51. Food label abbr.; 52. Rocky Mtn. highs?; 55. Patron saint of metalworkers; 58. Not skip a beat?; 59. Go-go-go; 61. Not go by one’s own locomotion; 61. Connections; 63. Family V.I.P.’s; 65. “Myself was stirring ERE the break of day”: Shak.; 66. Oiled, in a manner; 72. To be handled by; 75. DOE-eyed; 76. “TV Funhouse” show, for short; 77. Key holder? Abbr.; 80. “Fantastic Mr. Fox” author, 1970; 81. Upshot; 85. Lack of variety; 87. Special case?; 88. Dan ISSEL, former N.B.A. star and coach; 89. Roman historian; 91. Jazzy Anita; 92. Sharp bend; 98. Colorless, flammable gas; 101. Imitator; 105. PEAT moss; 108. Does just all right; 113. Top-notch; 114. Israeli statesman Barak; 115. Actress/spokeswoman Belafonte; 116. Ancient Greek region; 117. Tin: Prefix; 122. New Hampshire senator John; 123. 1965 movie “ISAW What You Did”; 124. Give a come-hither look; 125. Toy company whose name is an anagram of 124-Across; 126. Corkscrew, e.g.; 127. One-liners; and 128. General TSOS chicken.
Downs: 1. Annual literary award; 2. Silas of the Continental Congress; 3. Thompson and Lazarus; 4. Relative of 26-Across; 5. Jewish crepe; 6. Exclamations of exasperation; 7. Religious recluse; 8. Derisive gesture; 9. Periods in prison, e.g.; 10. Old French coins; 11. Ad follower; 12. City of New Orleans operator; 14. First word spoken to earth from the lunar surface; 15. Dashed; 16. Maker of Bug-B-Gon; 18. Shady sorts?; 24. Biotite and phlogopite; 25. Home of “The Diane Rehm Show”; 30. Put away for good; 34. Christopher Morley novel “Kitty FOYLE”; 35. Future residents; 37. Banquet holder; 39. Designer Cassini 40. Some cliff dwellers; 41. English playwright Ayckbourn; 42. “I’m game!”; 43. Backing; 44. Landlord, e.g.; 45. Development sites; 47. Came down; 48. Word with bar or color; 49. One-to-one, e.g.; 53. Card catalog abbr.; 54. Chiantis, e.g.; 57. Poet who wrote “The moving finger writes; and, having writ, moves on”; 60. Tears to pieces; 64. Arch sites; 67. Nothing doing?; 68. Sea of GALILEE; 69. Newts; 70. Stephen Jay GOULD, author of “The Panda’s Thumb; 71. Role in “The Color Purple”; 72. Carded, say; 73. Grp. Conducting Operation Deny Flight; 74. Repeated cry at a beer blast; 77. Cousin of Spot; 78. Beach bash; 79. AMYL nitrate; 82. Lick again; 
83. Flair; 84. Nielsens; 86. To-DOS; 90. Small bark; 93. Saint-ETIENNE, capital of France’s Loire department; 95. 4-Down’s brothers; 96. Brings to naught; 97. Feminist Germaine; 100. Philosopher Wittgenstein; 102. Italian poet Torquato TASSO; 103. Misbehave; 104. “The Family Circus” cartoonist; 106. Side flap; 107. Rampaging; 109. “A Confederacy of Dunces” author; 110. Pivots; 111. “American Pie” actor Jason; 112. Uneducated boor; 115. Unaccompanied; 118. Novice, maybe; 120. Simile’s center; and 121. Day-GLO.I (excuse the expression) was glad to see ELOI clued differently, and OMAR shedding the extra R -- and the favorite of the AEIOU entries? WANDERING SOUL.
The New York Times Crossword Puzzle solution above is by the author of this blog and does not guarantee accuracy. If you find errors or omissions, you are more than welcome to make note of same in the Comments section of this post -- any corrections found necessary will be executed promptly upon verification.
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4 comments:
Why is the clue for 72 across in italics when the vowels aeiou do not all appear, let alone appear in order? Just curious...
Can't see that it is -- perhaps you mean the one prior -- 68 across?
Enjoyed your write up and references. Noticed that your 111D American Pie Jason----- link refers to him as Briggs not Biggs however. Just curious how long does it take you to write up a blog like this? Sure appreciate your doing it!
luigi
Actually the article spelled it both incorrectly and correctly; but, the link has now been changed to Wikipedia -- duller but more accurate!
Time that it takes to write up the blog -- exclude solving puzzle, depending upon interest, etc. can be anywhere from two to six hours -- that includes the "large print" subsidiary blog, etc. and maintaining files, research -- problem is there's very little lead time, the write-up begins even as the puzzle is being solved!
Now averaging a little over a thousand visits per day, more on weekends, so I feel it's worth continuing.
Thanks for your comment, hope to hear from you again!
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