Each italicized clue contains a blank, which should be filled with a letter of the alphabet. When completed, the letters in order will spell out a two-word phrase.
Each clue is in effect two mini-clues plus a letter. The mini-answers to the mini-clues plus the letter sound like the answer written into the grid. The missing letters, in order, spell out S-O-U-N-D-S G-O-O-D: Clever idea, but tough to explain:
26A Presses CTRL+P + ___ + Easter egg coloring : PRINCESS DI (S gives PRINTS + S + DYE)
28A ___ + Scroungy mutt + Parent’s sister, in some regions : AU COURANT (O gives O + CUR + AUNT)
44A ___ + Golfer’s cry + “Ugh!” : EUPHORIC (U gives U + FORE + ICK)
My wife and I are in Ireland right now, for Christmas and to start off the New Year with family. I just managed to slip away to solve the puzzle, and write up this abbreviated post. I will get to the full post just as soon as I can.
1 Villains’ antagonists : HEROES
7 “Uh, sure” : I GUESS
13 Power project : DAM
16 Real mess : STY
19 2007 Lil Wayne song that opens “Young Money! You dig?” : A MILLI
20 Subject of clip art? : BONSAI TREE
22 “What do we have here?!” : OHO!
23 Word before the year on U.S. paper currency : SERIES …
24 Small thing to keep on track : MODEL TRAIN
25 Human rights activist Xiaobo, the first Chinese citizen to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize (2010) : LIU
26 Presses CTRL+P + ___ + Easter egg coloring : PRINCESS DI (S gives PRINTS + S + DYE)
28 ___ + Scroungy mutt + Parent’s sister, in some regions : AU COURANT (O gives O + CUR + AUNT)
30 Active Sicilian volcano : ETNA
31 European river that’s an anagram of REED : EDER
34 Promise to pay : IOU
35 [I’m frustrated!] : [ARGH]
36 Fragrant noodle soup made with beef : PHO
39 Like Captain James T. Kirk, by birth : IOWAN
41 Número de “Años de Soledad” in a Gabriel García Márquez novel : CIEN
43 Follows : OBEYS
44 ___ + Golfer’s cry + “Ugh!” : EUPHORIC (U gives U + FORE + ICK)
46 Column crossers + Sentry + ___ : ROSE GARDEN (N gives ROWS + GUARD + N)
49 “Encore!” : AGAIN!
50 Irks : NETTLES
52 Crossed off : XED
53 Gangster film prop : GAT
56 “Holy” city : TOLEDO
58 Nongendered possessive : THEIR
59 Insult that’s also a measurement device : DIPSTICK
61 “The landlords of New York,” once : ASTORS
63 One cast in a fantasy movie : SPELL
65 Digging : INTO
66 French festival, familiarly + ___ + Actor Michael : CANDY CANE (D gives CANNES + D + CAINE)
70 Punching tool + Chopping tool + ___ : ALL-ACCESS (S gives AWL + AXE + S)
72 Cherubic archer : AMOR
73 Foil lookalikes : EPEES
75 Seoul-based carrier : ASIANA
76 Influential sorts : BIG SHOTS
78 Rod with seven A.L. batting titles : CAREW
80 Athlete’s cup : TROPHY
85 Flattering verse : ODE
86 In the manner of : A LA
87 Demonstrate extreme flexibility, as an acrobat : CONTORT
89 Opposite of neo- : PALEO-
90 Tandoor bread + Harlem music venue + ___ : NON-APOLOGY (G gives NAAN + APOLLO + G)
93 Word of obligation + ___ + Punxsutawney name : AUTOFILL (O gives OUGHT + O + PHIL)
95 Some origin stories : MYTHS
97 Response to “Shall we?” : LET’S
98 H.S. science class for some college-bound students : AP BIO
99 Rocky Mountain bugler : ELK
100 Move, in real estate lingo : RELO
101 Pioneered : LED
103 Immediately : STAT
105 Couple of llamas? : ELLS
107 Rug rat + Magic stick + ___ : TAE KWON DO (O gives TYKE + WAND + O)
110 Soccer score + ___ + Scottish inlets : GOLDILOCKS (D gives GOAL + D + LOCHS)
115 Resistor unit : OHM
116 Iconic 1984 movie vehicle that was a combination ambulance/hearse : ECTOMOBILE
119 “Anything for you!” : NAME IT!
120 Actress de Armas : ANA
121 Annoyances when trying to make change : LARGE BILLS
122 Challenging, informally : GNARLY
123 Corleone, for one : DON
124 Toilet paper spec : PLY
125 Most likely to offer solace, say : NICEST
126 Calm : SEDATE
Down
1 Fastener used with a padlock : HASP
2 The “E” in FEMA: Abbr. : EMER
3 “Diamonds” singer, to fans : RIRI
4 QB protectors, collectively : O-LINE
5 Time to decide who’s in or out : ELECTION DAY
6 Polite Spanish assent : SI, SENOR
7 ThinkPads, e.g., once : IBMS
8 “Doc” in the Mets Hall of Fame : GOODEN
9 Removed, as a knot : UNDID
10 Language suffix : -ESE
11 Spanish seasoning : SAL
12 Hindu goddess in the “Ramayana” : SITA
13 Serpentine constellation : DRACO
14 Ambidextrous features? : A-E-I-O-U
15 It may have just desserts : MENU
16 Converter of natural heat energy : SOLAR ENGINE
17 Doohickey : THINGY
18 Tweens, e.g. : YOUTHS
21 Making level : TRUING
27 Welcomed at the door : SAW IN
29 Broccoli follower : … RABE
32 Intestinal bacterium : E COLI
33 Choir platforms : RISERS
36 Boggy stuff : PEAT
37 Literary award shaped like a rocket : HUGO
38 Milky gemstone : OPAL
40 Common solvents : ACETONES
42 Some R.P.I. grads : EES
43 Chances : ODDS
45 Hurry : HIE
46 Waze suggestions: Abbr. : RTES
47 Armpit, anatomically : AXILLA
48 Move to a larger pot, say : REPLANT
51 More than a couple : THREE
54 Doesn’t just sit there : ACTS
55 Boxing stats : TKOS
57 Influential leader of the Seminole people : OSCEOLA
59 Burrito-shaped lunch counter item : DELI WRAP
60 Part of X-X-X : TIC
62 [Is this thing on?] : [TAP TAP]
64 Scenic stroll, from the Spanish : PASEO
66 Baja resort, for short : CABO
67 In the thick of : AMID
68 Hardly Mr. Nice Guy : NO GENTLEMAN
69 Hippocratic oath takers: Abbr. : DRS
71 Path covered with diamonds : CARPOOL LANE
74 Vamooses : SCOOTS
75 Pretentiously affected : ARTY
77 “Frozen” villain : HANS
79 Existential emotion : ANGST
81 Goofus : OAF
82 Dance squat : PLIE
83 Where 95-Down’s Wild Ride ends, at Disneyland : HELL
84 Key ingredient in key lime pie : YOLK
87 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame city: Abbr. : CLE
88 Floated down a river, say : TUBED
91 “Hmm, gotcha” : OH, OK
92 Unteachable sort, in a saying : OLD DOG
94 Tessellations : TILINGS
95 “The Wind in the Willows” squire : MR TOAD
96 “Nice try, but I don’t think so” : YEAH, NO
98 Islands that form atop underwater volcanoes : ATOLLS
101 Making all the stops : LOCAL
102 Portion of a log : ENTRY
104 Quick to think or act : AGILE
106 [Grrr!] : [SO MAD!]
108 “Eh, what can you do?!” : WELP!
109 Black cat, classically : OMEN
111 For fear that : LEST
112 Michael of 2007’s “Superbad” : CERA
113 Wraparound garment : KILT
114 Eye affliction : STYE
117 Belt worn with a yukata : OBI
118 Company that owns Wite-Out : BIC
