This is my first time blogging a Sunday, and thank you to C.C. for the opportunity. A clever puzzle idea, not that we haven't seen this "bending" part of the answer before, though I don't recall circles. Circles on a Sunday, no less. I got the theme quick because I do the DOWN fill first, and noticed TONS (97D.) of MIC fill. The MIC part "drops" down from the Across fill. I like the fact that the theme answers spread the M, I, and C in various ways. The only one I see missing is "M [space] IC". Overall I enjoyed the challenge, but there were just too many names ( I stopped counting at 20 ), and some clue/answers that I *questioned*....
22. *Wide-angle lens output: PANORAM - - VIEW - panoraMIC view
24. *Deep-fried burrito: CHIM - - HANGA - chiMIChanga
46. *Woman who was the first Black model to appear on the cover of Time: NAOM - - AMPBELL - naoMI Campbell
59. *"Why won't anyone notice me!?": "WHAT AM - - HOPPED LIVER~?" what aM I Choppped liver
79. *Paper birds in the Japanese tradition of senbazuru: ORIGAM - - RANES - origaMI Cranes
102. *Pedicure tool: PUM - - ESTONE - puMICe stone ( I used pumice to clean the soot off my fireplace stone - worked like magic )
104. Dramatically ends a performance, and what the answer to each starred clue does?: DROPS THE MIC
Physics is fun~!
And DOWN We Go~!
ACROSS:
1. 2026 Winter Olympics range: ALPS - The next Olympics is in Milano-Cortina of Italy
5. "Love your work!": I'M A FAN
11. Currency featuring activist Viola Desmond on one of its notes: Abbr.: CAD - CAnadian Dollar. The puzzle doesn't really have any "weak" fill, but it felt like too many clues-to-answers were a bit much of a stretch, like this one - I will refer to them as *cringe*
14. Peddle: SELL - One CAD = .74 US$
18. Average: MEAN
19. Widen, as a pupil: DILATE
20. "Total lies!": "SO NOT TRUE~!"
25. Tower topper: SPIRE
26. Prudent ending?: IAL - PrudentIAL
27. With 81-Across, fruity liqueur: SLOE - and; 81. See 27-Across: GIN
29. Van Gogh vaseful: IRISES
30. Comedian Wyatt: CENAC - name. Never heard of him - more here
32. Snuggle, in a way: SPOON
33. Onetime Altoids rival: CERTS - with retsyn~!
34. Javier of "The Little Mermaid": BARDEM - name. also the "bad guy" in "Skyfall", which I believe may be the best Bond film; tied with "88 Across" Royale
36. Kelly Ripa, e.g.: TV HOST
38. Partisanship: BIAS
39. Fuel efficiency mode: ECO - My Prius C has three modes; normal, ECO, and "EV" - which shuts down at 25MPH
40. Treatment that may include a mask: FACIAL
42. Embrace: HOLD
43. Fuel efficiency stat: MPG - and even when I drive like a pig, I still get 40+ MPG in my Prius
49. Double Dutch implement: ROPE - Shouldn't it be ropeS~?
51. Hesitant: TIMID
52. Big Board initials: NYSE - New York Stock Exchange
53. Soup aisle stacks: CANS
54. Adorable one: CUTIE
55. Saskatchewan people: CREE
57. "For all I __ ... ": CARE
58. Nowadays: LATELY - now this one is the opposite of *cringe*
64. Doesn't sink: FLOATS
66. Smidgen: IOTA
67. Villainous: EVIL
68. New Orleans structure: LEVEE - A musical interlude
Led Zeppelin - When The Levee Breaks
69. Pre-TiVo devices: VCRs - I still have one, and it still works
70. Actor Kinnear: GREG - name.
73. Classic skirt silhouette: A-LINE
77. Figure skating feat: AXEL
78. Actress Sorvino: MIRA - name.
82. Paul of "The Fabelmans": DANO - Ugh. name. Crossing a 'foreign' word, too
83. Coastal city in Italia: NAPOLI - the opposite of the ALPS
84. Message in a bottle, maybe: S.O.S.
85. Scary St. Bernard of fiction: CUJO - Read the book, did not see the movie; see below
86. Sound effects: NOISES - *cringe*
88. Monaco attraction: CASINO - Gratuitous Daniel Craig for C.C.
91. Give a fright: SCARE
93. Golf shirts: POLOS
94. Like an angry dog's teeth: BARED
Might be a little too gratuitous for a St. Bernard
95. Common allergens: SPORES
96. Genesis locale: EDEN
97. Air marshal's org.: TSA
99. "Barbie" director Gerwig: GRETA - name.
107. Gaps: OMISSIONS - Saturday clue/answer
108. Inherent: INNATE - *cringe* - I don't like to see an IN- clue for an IN- answer
109. Kid-lit boy detective __ the Great: NATE - name. The Wiki
110. Noir sleuths: TECS - I am just plowing my way through Rex Stout's "Nero Wolfe" detective books, they're so good - I love the Archie character
111. "Evita" narrator: CHE - narrator~? *cringe* and name.
112. Preserved in a scrapbook, say: PASTED
113. Mireille of "Hanna": ENOS - name.
DOWN:
1. Cranks (up): AMPS - "These go to eleven."
2. Big jump: LEAP
3. 2002 Jodie Foster film about a robbery: PANIC ROOM - Good movie - saw it when it came out
4. Suffered from 41-Down, perhaps: SNORED - 41. Sleep disorder: APNEA
5. Snake River Canyon st.: IDA - meh. Don't like three-letter state abbrs
6. Copy: MIMIC - the MIC part of 22A
7. Thomas __ Edison: ALVA - name. Have not seen this fill in a while; if a Tesla is "stolen", is it then called an "Edison"~?
8. Be unsuccessful: FAIL
9. Snacked: ATE
10. Survey by a media outlet, e.g.: NEWS POLL
11. "Hallelujah" songwriter Leonard: COHEN - name.
12. Young Skywalker's nickname: ANI - Short for Anakin, pre-Darth Vader. and name.
13. Home: DOMICILE - the MIC part of 24A
14. Flight segments: STAIRS
15. Dadaist Max: ERNST - name. if the clue were Blofeld, we'd be at James Bond again.
16. Olympic sleds: LUGES - see you in Italy
17. Grassy meadows: LEAS
20. "Move over!": "SCOOT~!"
21. Series of related emails: THREAD - *cringe* - a series of texts, maybe
23. Actress Russo: RENE - name.
28. The "L" of UCLA: LOS - University (of) California - - - Angeles
31. Radio letters: AM/FM
32. Layered rock: SHALE
34. Warped: BENT - like my mind
35. Berry from the Amazon: ACAI
36. Froyo franchise: TCBY - The Country's Best Yogurt; uh, well, the closest one to me is in Yonkers, in a different state - I guess you have to travel the country....
37. Competes (for): VIES
38. Great songs, slangily: BOPS - *cringe*
42. Fine-tuned: HONED - like my blogging skills....mic drop
43. Water usage measurer: METER
44. Sand bucket: PAIL
45. __ Goose vodka: GREY
47. NBA great Jordan: MICHAEL - the MIC part of 46A. and name.
48. Commercial figure?: AD RATE
49. Chophouse specification: RARE
50. Chocolate-hazelnut spread: NUTELLA - oh so good
53. Spending limit: CAP - a perpetual problem for the NY Rangers
54. Cowboy __: bean salad: CAVIAR - never heard this
56. Non-earthlings, for short: ETs
57. Licensed tax pro: CPA
58. "The Leftovers" actress Tyler: LIV - name.
59. Like fruit of the loom?: WOVEN
60. Prefix with climate or greens: MICRO - the MIC part of 59A
61. Dance set to klezmer music: HORA - Ah, Hebrew; looked German to me
62. Extra NHL periods: OTs - oh, we are so close to the start of the hockey season
63. Paper size: LEGAL
64. Mark for attention: FLAG
65. LPGA golfer Thompson: LEXI - name.
69. Trattoria menu heading: VINO - The "N" was my last fill, a Natick crossing; BTW, I now live closer to the place we get the term from....
70. Sod: GRASS - Meh. almost *cringe*
71. Like yellow bananas: RIPE
72. Targets of some trash talk: EGOS
74. 2006 Jodie Foster film about a robbery: INSIDE MAN - now this movie, I did not see
75. Sign gas: NEON
76. "Put a tiger in your tank" brand: ESSO - gas sign
78. Regal: MAJESTIC
79. Party bowlful: ONION DIP
80. Layered rock: MICA - the MIC part of 79A
82. Undue pressure: DURESS - Bzzzt; I had STRESS
85. Tender touch: CARESS
86. Points of connection: NODES
87. Flamenco shout: OLE
89. "So frustrating!": "ARGH~!"
90. At peace: SERENE - I like the Serenity Prayer
91. Ocean foam: SPUME - I had SPRAY
92. "Nancy" or "Cathy": COMIC - Strip, actually - and the MIC part of 102A
93. Pasta choice: PENNE
94. Butter up, in a way: BASTE - now this is clever clue misdirection
95. Leopard's mark: SPOT
97. Loads (of): TONS - I can never tell if it's going to be TONS or ALOT
98. Minor dispute: SPAT
100. Mambo legend Puente: TITO - name.
101. Solitaire foundation cards: ACES
103. "How lovely!": "OOH~!"
105. Genetic messenger: RNA
106. Keanu title role: TED - Dah~! I had NEO - but once I read the clue, I see it says "title".
and name.
Splynter
