NYT Crossword 08/27/17 (Sun.)

Cruciverbalist: Jeff Chen
Editor: Will Shortz

Solving time: 30:13

Puzzle uniqueness: "Location, Location, Location"

Phrases in which words are created within the phrase and the word within the phrase has its first letter on a numbered square. There are cross reference answers which are literal locations of the words within the phrases. Example: Across answer CINDERELLASTORY has the word LAST with the "L" on square numbered 23. The cross reference clue "23-Across, literally?" has the answer LASTPLACE. Whew!

Words I hadn't known until now: 

PTRAP - "Backflow preventer in a drain" (I'm not a plumber)
TSTRAP - "Ladies' shoe fastener" (I'm not a lady)
SCANDIUM - "Metallic element that's #21 on the periodic table"
UTZ - "Snack food brand" (Huh?)
UNI - "Sea urchin, at a sushi bar" (Not a big fan of sushi...it's OK)
RATINE - "Loosely woven fabric with a rough texture"

Trivia I didn't know:

FER - : "Iron,: Fr."
POSITRON - "Antiparticle first observed in 1929"
MIDI - "Noon, in Nantes"
ETIENNE - "_______ Lenoir, inventor of the internal-combustion engine"
OAHU - "Location of Waimea Valley"
LIBERIA - "Africa's oldest republic"
IVANI - "Old Russian ruler known as 'Moneybag'"
SAMSA - "Gregor _____, protagonist in Kafka's 'The Metamorphosis'"
HAN - "___ characters (Chinese writing)"
LILI - "1953 Leslie Caron film" (Thought it was Gigi, at first)
KARACHI - "Former world capital called 'City of Lights"
CSU - "Sch. in Fort Collins"
SUN - "Symbol on the flag of Argentina or Uruguay"

Junk Answers:

MDS - "E.R. V.I.P.s"
FER - (See above)
UTZ - (See above)
UNI - (See above)
IDI - "Uganda's Amin"
AFBS - "Where fighter jets are found: Abbr."
STL - "1904 world's fair city: Abbr."
ORA - "___ pro nobis (pray for us)"
ELS - "Winner of four 1990s-2000s golf majors"
DST - "Setting eschewed by Hawaii: Abbr."
CSU - (See above)
INS - "Networking assets"

Clever clues:

EROTICA - "Spicy fare?"
DENTED - "Made an impression?"
STRADDLE - "Take both sides?"
TIPS - "Word on a jar"
EDSELS - "Bombs developed in the 1950s"
OILSLICK - "Disaster film?"
CLEFS - "Staff openings?"
PAR - "What one will never be, in golf"
GRAPH - "Results of some plotting"
LIDS - "Lens caps?"
MORAL - "Takeaway, of a sort"
ANAGRAM - "Asked for a desk, say" ("Asked" is an anagram of "a desk")
SANTA - "International package deliverer"
EGOSURF - "Try to find oneself?"
KEYS - "What a designated driver takes"
EDITOR - "Line judge?"
YIN - "The dark side"

Obscure (i.e., really reaching) words: 

HORST - "Actor _____ Buchholz of 'The Magnificent Seven'"
SAMSA - (See above)
UTZ - (See above)
RATINE - (See above)