"Back to the Future" antagonist / Tahitian "good" / SUN 11-27-16 / "The Highwayman" poet / Poetic Muse / Lisa, to Bart / Radial alternative / Mrs. Gorbachev / F = ma / Actress Hatcher / Saharan / Cheri of "S.N.L." / Carter Brezhnev agreement / Radial alternative

Constructor:Matt Ginsberg

Relative difficulty:A few clicks over average for an experienced but not professional solver.


THEME:"Mixology"— Words -- some in circles alternating with some not in circles -- are mixed together to form new words. A "mixologist" is a fancy word for "bartender"; I was hoping for a theme along the alcoholic line, but perhaps that's wishful thinking as we wind down the holiday weekend.

Word of the Day:SANTORINI(83D: Island whose volcanic eruption is rumored to have destroyed Atlantis) —

Santorini (Greek: Σαντορίνη, pronounced [sandoˈrini]), classically Thera (English pronunciation /ˈθɪərə/), and officially Thira (Greek: Θήρα [ˈθira]), is an island in the southern Aegean Sea, about 200 km (120 mi) southeast of Greece's mainland. It is the largest island of a small, circular archipelago which bears the same name and is the remnant of a volcaniccaldera. It forms the southernmost member of the Cyclades group of islands, with an area of approximately 73 km² (28 sq mi) and a 2011 census population of 15,550. It is the most active volcanic centre in the South Aegean Volcanic Arc, though what remains today is chiefly a water-filled caldera. The volcanic arc is approximately 500 km (310 mi) long and 20 to 40 km (12 to 25 mi) wide. The region first became volcanically active around 3–4 million years ago, though volcanism on Thera began around 2 million years ago with the extrusion of dacitic lavas from vents around the Akrotiri. The island is the site of one of the largest volcanic eruptions in recorded history: the Minoan eruption (sometimes called the Thera eruption), which occurred some 3,600 years ago at the height of the Minoan civilization. The eruption left a large caldera surrounded by volcanic ash deposits hundreds of metres deep and may have led indirectly to the collapse of the Minoan civilization on the island of Crete, 110 km (68 mi) to the south, through a gigantic tsunami. Another popular theory holds that the Thera eruption is the source of the legend of Atlantis. (Wikipedia)

Laura here, guest-posting as a birthday gift for Rex. You know what would be cool, faithful blog readers? How about donating to the blog as your birthday gift to Rex? (Either by PayPal via the link above or via SNAILED [64A: Moved at a crawl] mail.) He has written this thing every single day of every year for the past decade, save for a few days here and there from us guest-posters. That's maybe 340-ish days per year, brought to you ad-free (unlike puzzle host publication The New York Times), all out of the goodness of his heart (and he is a real person, with thoughts and feelings and a heart), and all because he's interested in and dedicated to solving puzzles. You know what I'm thankful for, this holiday season? This blog. Its MIXOLOGY has brought us together.  Maybe I'm not fully clear on why or how, but it has, after all (as with the theme answers [see what I did there]).

Theme answers:

• 23A: Infant (BABY) + Straying (ERRANT) = Noted coach (BEAR BRYANT)
• 25A: Less polite (RUDER) + Wildly unconventional (GONZO) = Epicenter (GROUND ZERO)
• 34A: Urban woe (SMOG) + Squirms (WIGGLES) = Pool accessory (SWIM GOGGLES)
• 43A: Delay (LAG) + Dodos (PEA BRAINS) = Some compromises (PLEA BARGAINS)
  
• 60A: Remain (BIDE) + "Hmmm ..." (ODDLY) = R&B Great (BO DIDDLEY)
• 70A: Bill producers (ATMS) + Western wear (STRING TIES) = Info for events (STARTING TIMES)
• 80A: Show, informally (DEMO) + African capital (RABAT) = Adonis (DREAMBOAT)
• 97A: Pasty (PALE) + Vacation expense, maybe (RENTAL CAR) = Hospital specialty (PRENATAL CARE)
• 103A: See (DATE) + Umbrella alternative  (RAIN HAT) = Warming option (RADIANT HEAT)
• 119A: Regarding (AS TO) + Undercoat (PRIMER) = Network with 303 stations (PARIS METRO)
• 122A: Day of the month (IDES) + Succeed (PAN OUT) = Some recital pieces (PIANO DUETS)

"Hmmm ..." That's a lot of themers. I need the services of a mixologist after typing out all of those. Felt like a very classic theme; nothing too sparkly or hip, but very familiar and homey (kind of like my Thanksgiving dinner). I wanted 119A: Network with 303 stations to be PUBLIC RADIO but no fit. Fill came together smoothly, if not too excitingly, some fresh (48D: Chain that sells chains [ZALES]) and some stale (118D: Bygone boomers, for short [SSTS]). The WNW gave me some trouble; could not get the obvious 62A: ___ season (DEER) even thought that's what it is right now here in northern New England. Also, there was quite a spate of geography trivia in the southern hemisphere of the grid, including the aforementioned Word of the Day (SANTORINI): 81D: After Rainier, highest peak in the Pacific Northwest (MT ADAMS); 91D: Capital where Robert Louis Stevenson died (APIA) (capital of Samoa); 110A: Remote land in the Pacific (NAURU). Send a postcard via 99A: Correo ____ (foreign mail stamp) (AEREO).

Bullets:

• 32A: In Tahitian it means "good" (MAITAI)— Here's our mixology! Usually we see this clued as "Mai ___" or "___ Tai" so it was refreshing (much like a MAITAI) to guess at the whole word. For the last word on MAITAIs in crosswords, listen to this refreshing new podcast.  
• 14A: "Back to the Future" antagonist (BIFF Tannen). I've had enough with bullies. Do we need to go back in time to fix things?

Signed, Laura Braunstein, Sorceress of CrossWorld

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