The answer literally made me GAPE ( 50A: Be wide-open).Ħ0A: _ California (Baja) - For whatever reason, neither of these answers came to me very quickly. NOT something I'd expect to see on a Monday. XHOSA are Bantu people, and XHOSA is also the second-most commonly spoken 'home language' after Zulu. I reconsidered every one of its crosses, especially 40A: 'My mama done _ me' ('tol'), which might be the Worst Answer In The Grid. It just sounds stupid.ģ2D: South African native (Xhosa) - this one lost me precious seconds, because I was sure it had to be wrong. Then comes the Byzantine Empire site.ĨD: Cry at a motor vehicle bureau ('Next!') - nice clueġ8A: Grand _ (annual French auto 17-Across) (Prix) - gangly clue. But the first hit you get for is some 'hobby resource' site, and the next one is a Chinese restaurant in Sacramento. It does appear to be an acceptable name for the Eastern Roman Empire. 55A: Domain ruled from Constantinople (Eastern Empire) - is this a real place? Sounds like a very made up, general name.41A: It may come as a shock to a diver (electric eel) - does this really happen? The shocking, I mean? I stay the hell out of open water, so I wouldn't know.It might take EXTRA EFFORT just to do whatever is 'required' of you -EXTRA, as in 'more than you are currently giving.' 31A: More work than required (extra effort) - don't like how this is clued.I do love this movie - crucial to my particular teenage moment - but sadly the theme ended up not being about my adolescence, or teen stars, or Paula Abdul's ex-husbands. 20A: 'The Breakfast Club' actor (Emilio Estevez) - a very promising way to start your theme answers off.This contrasts severely with some of the non-theme fill, much of which is Scrabbly in the extreme and even a bit esoteric (again, for a Monday). Is May 7 National 'E' Day? Well, it's a pretty weak theme, and the answers themselves are decidedly non-sparkly. This puzzle took me forever (on Monday, that means over 5 minutes). theme answers are two-word phrases wherein each word begins with 'E'

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