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Eeyore-ish sentiment / SUN 7-5-20 / Czech reformer Jan / First of metalloids...
Constructor: Laura Taylor KinnelRelative difficulty: Easy? Medium? (I was slow 'cause I had a drink)THEME:"To-Do List"— you have to TICK ALL THE BOXES (43D: Be fully qualified ... or a hint to this...
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Elizabeth of the "Avengers" series / MON 7-6-2020 / Illinois city on the...
Constructor: Lynn LempelRelative difficulty: MediumTHEME: The Name Game — Theme answers are composed of a celeb's first name combined with a verb.Theme answers:VANGUARDS (18A: Pianist Cliburn plays...
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1956 Mideast imbroglio / TUE 7-7-20 / 1980s-90s heavyweight champ Mike /...
Constructor: Kevin PattersonRelative difficulty: Easy (2:48! Zing!)THEME: WRAPPING PAPER (38A: Holiday purchase ... or a hint to the circled letters)— circled letters spell out different kinds of paper...
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Devil may care attitude in modern parlance / WED 7-8-20 / Shoe company with...
Constructor: Chase DittrichRelative difficulty: Easyish (3:20)THEME: typography commands— familiar phrases with typography commands in theme have clues that make punny visual use of that...
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Edwardian era transport / THU 7-9-20 / It comes on little feet per Carl...
Constructor: Joe KiddRelative difficulty: Easy-Medium (?) (somewhere in the 5-minute range, didn't put anything in the theme squares because I think the shapes speak for themselves)THEME: O boy — "O"...
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Sam Shepard play about warring brothers / FRI 7-10-20 / Subject of a 23-foot...
Constructor: John LiebRelative difficulty: Easy-Medium (5:18)THEME: noneWord of the Day:"TRUE WEST" (27A: Sam Shepard play about warring brothers) — True West, drama in two acts by Sam Shepard,...
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Physical realm in cyberpunk / SAT 7-11-20 / Thruway advisory / Eponymous town...
Constructor: Kameron Austin CollinsRelative difficulty: Easy (5 to almost finish, 6 to finish finish)THEME: noneWord of the Day: EPUB (38A: Digital book file extension)— EPUB is an e-book file format...
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Woods who voiced Cinderella / SUN 7-12-20 / Onscreen twins often / Children's...
Constructor: Samuel A. DonaldsonRelative difficulty: Easy (9:01) (usually gotta be under 9 for "Easy" but since I've had a DRINK and it's HOT I'm gonna adjust the scale a little)THEME:"Chores Galore" —...
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Flower of tree Prunus mume / MON 7-13-20 / Dee director of Bessie Mudbound /...
Constructor: Erik AgardRelative difficulty: Easy-Medium (2:51)THEME: MAH-JONG TILE (50A: Game piece on which 20-, 33- or 39-Across might be pictured) — I guess this is true ... I take the puzzle's word...
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Norse goddess of fate / TUE 7-14-20 / Dark yellowish green / Muckraking...
Constructor: Stella ZawistowskiRelative difficulty: Challenging (no idea how long it took me ... stopped several times out of boredom / annoyance ... felt harder than normal for a Tuesday)THEME: PLONK—...
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Commercial district in Tokyo known as fashion center / WED 7-15-20 / Video...
Constructor: Lee Hibgie and Jeff ChenRelative difficulty: Mediumish, maybe slightly harder (4:31)THEME: a volcano — I think the black squares toward the bottom/middle of the grid are supposed to evoke...
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Cause of death in Sherlock Holmes novel Sign of Four / THU 7-16-20 / Classic...
Constructor: Evan KalishRelative difficulty: Easy (untimed, but there was almost no resistance)THEME: DARK ART (68A: Witchcraft ... or what each block of three black squares in this puzzle represents?)...
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Joey Dee's backup group in 1960s pop / FRI 7-17-20 / Game played on 90-foot...
Constructor: Rich ProulxRelative difficulty: Medium (6-something)THEME: face— actually, none ... but the grid is a creepy face, for some reasonWord of the Day: GESSO (5D: Painter's mixture) — Gesso...
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Mammalian hematophage / SAT 7-18-20 / Do-or-die hockey situation / Actor Lane...
Constructor: John Guzzetta and Michael HawkinsRelative difficulty: Medium (8-ish?)THEME: noneWord of the Day: PICARDY (42D: Historic region of northern France) — A historical region of northern France...
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First man in Maori mythology / SUN 7-19-20 / Ancestor of modern lemon lime /...
Constructor: Wyna LiuRelative difficulty: Medium (Medium-Challenging if, like me, you've a had a drink) (10:50)THEME: "DOUBLES PLAY"— familiar phrases where double letters have replaced parts of...
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Where Samson slew Philistines / MON 7-20-20 / Like ideal poker straight
Constructor: Alex Eaton-SalnersRelative difficulty: Medium-Challenging (?) (3:14) (20 seconds over my average ... 20 seconds on a Monday is a lot)THEME: ???— RIGHT and LEFT, and then FRONT and BACK, I...
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Popular hair-coloring technique / TUE 7-2-20 / Taj Express destination city
Constructor: Zhouqin BurnikelRelative difficulty: Easy (3:09)THEME: twenty twenty— Differently punctuated variations provide all the theme clues:Theme answers:TIE SCORE (16A: 20-20, e.g.)NEWS MAGAZINE...
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Kingdom of horsemen in Lord of the Rings / WED 7-22-20 / Compound containing...
Constructor: Peter A. CollinsRelative difficulty: Easy (3:42)THEME: periodic table stuff — themers are phrases where the first word contains a chemical symbol for an element and the last word contains...
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Swaying just before disaster / THU 7-23-20 / Original airer of Monkees /...
Constructor: Robyn WeintraubRelative difficulty: Easy-Medium (5:23)THEME: NOW (30D: Present ... or a concise explanation of this puzzle's theme) — every time you see a "W" in the clues, you have to...
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Greek personification of darkness / FRI 7-24-20 / Final challenge of video...
Constructor: Grant ThackrayRelative difficulty: Easyish (5:18)THEME: noneWord of the Day: EREBUS (5D: Greek personification of darkness) — In Greek mythology, Erebus /ˈɛrɪbəs/, also Erebos (Ancient...
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