My time: 19:44, about five minutes faster than average.
Theme: "Wait, What?" This title clued me in faster than it would have if I hadn't read it that in the seven well-known phrases, the long /ā/ sound is be replaced with a short /ŭ/ sound. Then these new phrases are clued as written.
So you get "compliment to a runway model?" is YOU GOT THAT STRUT (rather than you got that straight). "Easily offended by foul language?" is CUSS SENSITIVE (instead of case sensitive).
My favorites, and the ones I filled out with no trouble as soon as I got the theme, were WHY THE LONG FUSS ("question to a tantrum thrower?) and RUDDERS OF THE LOST ARK ("relics proving how Noah steered his boat?"). The theme is pretty random, but the clues are well-worded and the answers gave me a chuckle. THE NUMB OF THE GUM! Ha!
Okay, let's get started. There was some confusing and clever cluing, but not all that much new-to-me stuff for a Sunday.
"Org. that awards the Safer Choice label" is EPA. Supposedly it awards this label to products that contain ingredients that are safer for human health and the environment.
I thought the "world capital established in 1535" might be *ROMA (knowing it's much older, but thinking it was made the capital of a unified Italy then, perhaps?) but it's LIMA. It was founded by Francisco Pizarro on January 18, 1535. The city was established on the valley of the Rímac River in an area populated by the Ichma polity.
"Jackanapes" for IMP slowed me down quite a bit, because I forgot it's singular despite the final -s.
IDRIS Elba played Macavity in the film version of Cats. Man, that was a star-studded crapshow! Macavity is an infamous criminal in the cat world and is very dangerous. He possesses magical powers and wants to be chosen by Old Deuteronomy to be reborn, at any cost. He is willing to threaten the lives of others to get what he wants.
"Cover for 'little piggies'" is a fun way to get to BOOTEES, but that spelling? Really? I prefer BOOTIES.
"Josephine the Singer, or the Mouse Folk" ("Josephine Die Sanngerin") is the last story KAFKA ever wrote. Josephine is a singer whom the people ("mouse folk") adore. When she sings, they forget how to sing (the old ways). More than any other story of Kafka's, this one reflects his growing interest in, and defense of, traditional Jewish ways above all, his positive view of the orthodox and Zionist sense of community.
Never heard of LORI Lightfoot, the current mayor of Chicago. Taking office in May 2019, she is the first openly lesbian African-American woman to be elected mayor of a major city in the United States.
Actor Dev PATEL has appeared in the blog so many times, I once claimed I knew him right off the bat, but I forgot again.
Tennis feat SERENA Slam appeared on August 5, 2018, but I forgot that too.
Teri Garr's character INGA last came up on June 28, 2018.
Clever clues: "Something to do for recovery?" is SUE. "Drivers' org., no matter how you slice it?" is PGA. "Drink after drink?" is CHASER. "Sign of summer" is LEO. "4th order?" is FIREWORKS. "Willing subject" is ESTATE. "Showy basket" is DUNK.
Not-clever clue: "Rap producers' favorite vegetables?" for BEETS.
That does it for this Celebratory Sunday. There may be a tiny glimmer of hope. For now.
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