Wednesday, May 13, 2026, Ricky J. Sirois

 Theme? To finish this puzzle, you must climb the MESA, or BUTTE, or PLATEAU, to arrive at the TABLELAND.

4 Down. One who switches sides: TURNCOAT.

Turn table

11 Down. Basic flotation device: POOL NOODLE.

Pool Table

21 Down. Brewery vessel?: COFFEE POT. (Maybe in Starbucks, but the clue seems out of place in your kitchen...)

Coffee Table

29 Down. Purse at a boxing match: PRIZE MONEY.

Prize Table

40 Down. Soccer pitch boundary: SIDELINE.

Side Table

55 Across. Like some game night games, or a feature of 4-, 11-, 21-, 29-, and 40-Down: TABLE TOP 

Because all the themers were Downs, the reveal indicates that the tables can be found on top...

Across:
1. Sticky and stinky sealant: TAR.  ( for turncoats, add feathers...)

4. Yank (on): TUG.

Carol Burnett

7. Agrees to: ACCEPTS.

14. Purple yam from the Philippines: UBE.

The Ube.

15. Game with red, yellow, blue, and green cards: UNO. And purple Ube chips on side for snacks...

16. Steel mill material: IRON ORE.

17. Barbecue choice: BEEF RIB. I wanted Baby or Back, but that would be Pork.

19. Find and remove: ROOT OUT.

20. "Across the pond" pond: ATLANTIC. A British euphemism for The Atlantic Ocean, because they would not want to make a tempest out of a teapot...

22. __ in comparison: PALES.

23. Hotel amenity: ICE.

24. Chooses to participate: OPTS IN.

27. Help desk techs: I.T. PROS. Stands for information Technology Professional, This field covers the development, maintenance, and use of computer systems, software, and networks for processing and distributing data.

30. Bank charge: FEE. Do not cross go, Do not collect $200-

31. Got the highest score in golf, say: LOST. The average par for a standard 18-hole golf course is 72 strokes, which consists of a combination of par-3, par-4, and par-5 holes. For most newbies playing whack-a-mole, breaking 100 would be a good day...

34. Jazz pianist Chick: COREA.

Chick Corea

35. Execs focused on the bottom line: CFOS. Chief Financial Officers 

36. 10th grader, briefly: SOPH.  Sophomore. As opposed to Freshman, or Senior.

37. Singer-songwriter DiFranco: ANI. Name #2

38. Special skills: TALENTS.

41. Kaitlin's "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" role: DEE. Technically names #3 and #4, because to know this, you must know one is real, and the other fictional... The A.I. Overview

42. Totally dismantle: RAZE.

44. California-based candy company: SEES. This name #5 must have been filled in by kind perpage, because if I saw it, I am sure I would have complained it was too regional. Unless you tossed me a candy...

(I can be swayed easily...)  Another A.I. Overview

45. Five Pillars religion: ISLAM. The 5 core acts are Faith, Prayer, Alms, Fasting, and Pilgrimage.

47. Grade sch.: ELEM. Elementary, 

Apparently, that's as far as Watson got...

48. Alternative to sparkling: TAP. (As in water, as in restaurants.)

49. Stick: ADHERE.

50. Fine wool: MERINO.

No comment

52. Summer sign: LEO.

53. Love, in Firenze: AMORE.

55. Theme Reveal

60. Some park employees: RANGERS.

63. Common oatmeal cookie ingredient: RAISINS.

64. First Amendment word: FREEDOM.

65. Place to spend the night: INN. (This could also have been out, as opposed to in...)

66. One-on-one chats on soc. media: DMS. DM stands for Direct Message...

67. Agrees: SAYS YES.

68. Easter egg need: DYE. (And rabbits for some strange reason...)

69. Up to now: YET.

Down:
1. Bulky horn: TUBA. Bulkier horn: Sousaphone 

Yep, definitely bulkier...

2. Stand watch for, say: ABET. Yeah, but as a grandparent, watching a grandchild, would you say I was abetting?

3. Instagram feed feature: REEL. Not familiar with this...

4. Theme

5. Fuses together: UNITES. Strange clue for Unites. You would think unites would be a voluntary thing, where fuses, sounds kinda forceful...

6. Mongolian for "waterless place": GOBI.

7. Atmosphere: AIR.

8. __-Magnon: CRO.

9. Henhouses: COOPS.

10. Necessitates: ENTAILS.

11. Theme

12. "Good point": TRUE.

13. Hardens, as concrete: SETS.

18. Word with laissez or savoir: FAIRE. (Frawnch...) Should not be in an English puzzle, maybe a better clue would be Olde English Festivities.

21. Theme

25. Low-level workers: PEONS. A.I. Overview (of course, A.I. is not one of those...)

26. Trial: TEST.

27. "You matter to me": I CARE. (If A.I. ever says this to you,,, RUN!)

28. Like many Chinese dialects: TONAL.

29. Theme

32. Piece of fishing gear: SPEAR. Hmm, singular, 5 letter, could have been creel. But I find this unfair, because who ever heard of a singular piece of fishing gear...

33. Motif: THEME.

35. G-rated: CLEAN. (In the eyes of "who.")

39. Prosecco kin: ASTI. Sparkling wine that cannot be called Champagne...

40. Theme

43. Pops up: EMERGES.

46. Vans or Crocs: SHOES. Crocs I knew, Vans? Not so much, 

Apparently, these things I used to call "boat shoes."

49. Empire State capital: ALBANY.

51. Like a clarinet's sound: REEDY. (Really?)

53. Pet sounds: ARFS. (Or a great Beach Boys Album...)

54. Rooney of "Women Talking": MARA. (Name #,,, I dunno, I lost track...)

56. Like the 6-Down: ARID.  (6 down was Gobi Desert, if you lost track...)

57. Spruce (up): TIDY.

58. "I'm buying!": ON ME.

59. Hushed summons: PSST.

61. Blini topping: ROE. Apparently, a Blini is some sort of crepe, or thin pancake, that you could top with practically anything. So, why not Roe?  Hmm, what would you top your thin pancake with? I'm thinking cream cheese, bacon, scallions, and jalapeño, but I have an iron stomach...

62. Texting format initials: SMS. Short Message Service (limited to 160 characters) useful in customer service responses where they don't want you to complain too much...

And here's the Grid.

CE:D out...

≽(•⩊ •マ≼

Tuesday, May 12, 2026 ~ Zhouqin Burnikel

Side Salad Up!

Today's theme, provided by our blog's host, C.C., is a tossed diner salad. It's so simple we don't even need (those pesky) circles to see it. Let's take a look:

17. Practical baby shower gift: DIAPER GENIE.
When the Girls were infants, we had one. Insert a soiled diaper and twist twice. It keeps the smell down and creates a twisted "poop sausage." //Apologies if you're still finishing breakfast.

Diaper Genie

26. Sheer brilliance: PURE GENIUS.

36. Hidden nerdy side: INNER GEEK. I wear my GEEK on the outside.

52. Pumping device in a pub: BEER ENGINE. A hand pump developed by John Lofting, a hydraulic engineer. You can build your own.

61. Simple salad, or what 17-, 26-, 36-, and 52-Across all have: MIXED GREENS.

I love a salad with my meal. It starts with mixed greens, but then I go a little crazy.

One of my dinner side salads.

Across:

1. Supports for crow's nests: MASTS.

6. In the company of: WITH.

10. Half-__ latte: CAF.

13. How ballerinas may stand: ON TOE.

Degas' Pink & Green

14. In the lead: AHEAD.

16. R&B singer Lennox: ARI.

She's new to me.

17. [See: Theme]

19. Last leg of a triathlon: RUN. Swim, cycle, RUN.

20. First responder certified in AED use: EMT. An Automated External Defibrillator is used by an Emergency Medical Technician.

21. "Stranger Things" actress Hawke: MAYA. She's the daughter of Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman.

Maya Hawke

22. Blacksmith's workshop: FORGE.

24. Praise: LAUD.

26. [See: Theme]

29. Put emphasis on: STRESS.

31. Monopoly players?: CARTELS.

32. Fish enjoyed on Unagi Day: EELS. There's a Unagi Day?

I do love me some unagi.

33. Back out (on): BAIL.

35. "Barbie" actress Issa: RAE. She was in Thursday's puzzle.

Issa RAE

36. [See: Theme]

40. TruTV sister station: TBS. Turner Broadcasting System. Ted Turner died last week.

NPR with Ted's Obit

43. Objectives: AIMS.

44. Shawarma bread: PITA.

47. Craftsperson: ARTISAN.

50. Sides of a gem: FACETS.

52. [See: Theme]

55. Leafy vegetable rich in vitamin K: KALE. A GREEN leafy.

56. Boutonniere spot: LAPEL. A boutonniere is French for a cute pin. Madeleine Albright was a master of using them.

57. Ladder crosspiece: RUNG.

59. PC hookup: LAN.

60. Flight takeoff abbr.: ETD. Estimated Time of Delay ;-)

61. [See: Theme]

65. "It just clicked!": AHA.

66. Skirt with flare?: A-LINE.

67. Colorful striped stone: AGATE.

68. Currency in MN and NM: USD. Minnesota & New Mexico use United States Dollars.

69. "None of that is true!": LIES.

70. Living room seats: SOFAS.

Down:

1. Workers who strike poses: MODELS.

2. Bring to life: ANIMATE.

RUSH!

3. Level of importance: STATURE.

4. Blouse or turtleneck: TOP.

5. Come across as: SEEM.

6. Pricey Japanese beef: WAGYU.

7. "Rumor is ... ": I HEAR.

8. Number of legs on a lobster: TEN.

9. "Yes," in Osaka: HAI.

10. Verizon or T-Mobile: CARRIER.

11. Leafy vegetable also known as rocket: ARUGULA. Another leafy GREEN. Arugula is a bit peppery and adds depth to a salad.

12. Delicate handling: FINESSE.

15. Postpone: DEFER.

18. Sings like G-Dragon: RAPS. Sings? Four letters? An educated WAG.

That's G-Dragon

23. Toronto's prov.: ONT.  The greatest band ever, RUSH, is from Ontario's Toronto.
//I've got one more expo before seeing RUSH's R50 (something) w/ Bro, Sis, & Eldest 30 JUN in Dallas. What I'm saying is, anything I can connect to RUSH will be posted 'cuz I'm totes pump'd.
You've been warned.

25. Place to order a Reuben: DELI. This is one of my favorite sandwiches. Only a summer-time BLT is better.

Now That's a Sandwich.
Kenny & Ziggy's does it up. Yummers!

27. Vaping devices: E-CIGS. I finally quit all nicotine nine months ago - I still miss it.

28. Battering wind: GALE.

30. Nine-digit ID that never begins with a nine: SSN. Social Security Number. And, I didn't know 9xx-xx-xxxx doesn't exist.

33. For the time __: BEING.

34. Blazer sleeve: ARM.

37. Flatbread often enriched with yogurt: NAAN.

King Arthur's Recipe

38. Org. that banned DDT: EPA. The Environmental Protection Agency regulates dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane.

39. Punt or field goal: KICK. Did you get a KICK out of this clue/answer? //Sry - #DadJoke

40. Picturesque scene: TABLEAU.

41. Gulps of air: BREATHS.

42. Father in a blended family: STEP DAD. I've had three. Mom didn't grow moss.

45. Bit read by a fortune teller: TEA LEAF.

46. City with the world's busiest airport: ATLANTA. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International is Delta's main hub and very busy.

If you must go through, plan for a 2hr layover
or you won't make your connection.
//Youngest & classmates were stuck overnight on their way to IREland.

48. Furious state: IRE.

49. Alabama city in civil rights history: SELMA.

50. __ shui: FENG.

51. Gets the feeling: SENSES.

53. Adler who outwits Sherlock Holmes in "A Scandal in Bohemia": IRENE. With all the interpretations of Holmes, I can't recall if she's Sherlock's sister or just "The Woman" who can outsmart him a bit. Anyone know better?

54. Some lipstick shades: NUDES.

58. Mardi __: GRAS. Years ago, I was with Krewe of Bacchus - it's not for the faint of liver.

62. Down with a bug: ILL.

63. Noon, on sundials: XII. If you visited the XIV Stations of the Cross in Catholic school, the Roman Numeral for 12 is a gimme.

64. Self-image: EGO.

C.C. delivered another gem. I had fun. You?

Here's the Grid:

The Grid

WO: FuNG shui.
ESPs: ARI, MAYA
Fav: I'm going to BAIL on this one ;-).

Cheers, -T

Monday, May 11, 2026, Chloe Revery

Theme:  GOSSIP GIRL.

Today's constructor, Chloe Revery, has been published in a number of newspapers, including the New York Times and Boston Globe.  Today's puzzle is her debut in the Los Angeles Times.  Congratulations!  RUMOR has it that Chloe is a software engineer from Los Angeles.  Of course, that's just HEARSAY.  I don't pretend to have INSIDE INFORMATION, but this is the SCUTTLEBUTT.

Today's theme is revealed at 63-Across:

63-Across. Trendy jargon, or what can be found at the starts of 17-, 25-, 38-, and 53-Across: BUZZ WORDS.  The starts, or beginnings, of the answers listed are WORDS for BUZZ in the sense of a story that is circulating.

The rest of the theme clues are:

17-Across. Very inexpensive: DIRT CHEAP.  DIRT can mean damaging gossip.

25-Across. Pants one may have to wriggle into: SKINNY JEANS.  "The SKINNY" suggests "the naked truth," and refers to inside information or the lowdown.

 38-Across. Kitchen cloth: DISH TOWEL.  DISH can be a verb ("dish the dirt") or a noun ("the latest dish").  It refers to scandalous gossip.

53-Across. Traditional Chinese wedding ritual: TEA CEREMONY.  "Spill the TEA" means to share juicy news.  It comes from "T" for "truth" and is more recent slang than the others.  

Well, that's enough idle chitchat from me.  Time to get serious about the rest of the puzzle! 

Across:

1. Body art, slangily: TATS.

5. Turn into baby food: MASH.  I do this for the grandbaby, but his mother insists the new best practice is to give the baby huge hunks of whatever food and let him go at it until he chokes, which he is supposed to learn to manage.

9. "I am half __, half hope": "Persuasion": AGONY.  The iconic line, "You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope," comes from Captain Frederick Wentworth’s letter to Anne Elliot in Chapter 23 of Jane Austen’s Persuasion.  DNK but I like it. 

14. La __ Tar Pits: BREA.  Ice Age animals approached the Tar Pits hoping for a drink of water and became trapped in the sticky goo, leaving behind a trove of fossils of saber-toothed cats, dire wolves, mammoths, and giant ground sloths.

La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles

15. Comic-Con, e.g.: EXPO.  An expo, or exposition, is a large event where organizations showcase their products and services.  Comic-Con is one such event, focusing on comics, gaming, cosplay, anime, and pop culture.  Don't believe me?  Check it out Oct. 30 - Nov. 1, 2026 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.  I won't be there, though.  Not my thing.

Someone else at Comic-Con

16. Engaged for a job: HIRED.

17. [Theme clue]

19. South American mountain range: ANDES.

20. Neck of the woods: AREA.

21. Drag show accessory: WIG.  RuPaul's Drag Race is sometimes credited with popularizing "tea" as a word for "gossip."

23. HS diploma equivalent: GED.  Didn't finish High School?  You can earn a GED (General Educational Development) equivalency credential instead.

24. Subway smooch, e.g.: Abbr.: PDA.  Public displays of affection (PDA) are acts of physical intimacy in the view of others.

25. [Theme clue]

30. Stirred up: INCITED.  Perhaps with rumors, hearsay, and innuendo?

32. Red wine grape: MERLOT.  Everyone's favorite scene from the movie Sideways, 2004:

33. Many a TikToker: TEEN.

34. Orange tubers: YAMS.

37. Delicious: TASTY.

38. [Theme clue]

41. Great Lakes mnemonic: HOMES.

YooperPhil, how do you remember the lakes?

44. Hippocratic __: OATH.

45. Jittery: EDGY.

49. Very tops: APEXES.  The formal plural of APEX is APICES (AY-puh-seez), but for the hoi polloi, it's OK to say APEXES (AY-pek-siz).  It's Latin, doncha know.

51. Like elastic material: TENSILE.  Tensile refers to a material's capacity to be stretched, drawn out, or subjected to tension.

53. [Theme clue]

56. Industrial tub: VAT.

57. Secrecy contract, for short: NDA.  Non-Disclosure Agreement.

58. Pie __ mode: À LA.  Pie à la mode is a classic American dessert featuring a slice of pie (typically apple) served with a scoop of ice cream on top. "À la mode" is French for "in fashion."

59. Skedaddled: FLED.

61. Selling point?: STORE.

63. [Theme clue]

67. Cowpoke's hello: HOWDY.

68. __ Day vitamins: ONE A.  Popular brand of multivitamins.

69. Out on the water: ASEA.

70. "Siddhartha" novelist Hermann: HESSE.  Siddhartha: An Indian novel is a 1922 novel by Hermann Hesse about the spiritual journey of a man named Siddhartha during the time of the Gautama Buddha. The book was written in German, and later published in the United States in 1951. In the book, Siddhartha attained enlightenment, which Hesse was also seeking.  The book sparked a lot of interest in Buddhism in the 1960s and 70s.

71. Designer Vera known for bridal gowns: WANG.  Vera Wang also has a line of casual clothing for sale at Kohl's, which is very much the other end of the spectrum.  This wedding gown is not my favorite of the many designs on her website, but it is called Noemi, so I had to choose it for today's illustration.

Noemi gown by Vera Wang

72. Refuse to allow: DENY.  I deny all those rumors and gossip!  Or at least some of them.

Down:

1. Brief "More info soon": TBD.  To Be Determined.

2. Daughter of King Minos who helped Theseus escape the labyrinth: ARIADNE.  Ariadne, daughter of King Minos of Crete, fell in love with the Athenian hero Theseus and helped him kill the Minotaur by providing a sword and a ball of thread to navigate the Labyrinth.  After fleeing with Theseus, Ariadne was abandoned on the island of Naxos.  My father always said Theseus was a jerk.  No, wait -- that was Jason of the Argonauts.  Maybe all the Greek heroes were jerks.

Theseus and the Minotaur

3. Feature of many a rice paddy: TERRACE.  A paddy is a flooded field used for growing semiaquatic crops like rice and taro.  Paddies are often built into steep hillsides as terraces.

Rice paddy terraces

4. Fill up: SATE.

5. Verbal shrug: MEH.

6. Log chopper: AXE.

7. Offspring: SPAWN.

8. Pickup line?: HOP IN.

9. "I've got it!": AHA.

10. Sodas in Shirley Temples: GINGER ALES.  A Shirley Temple is a mixed drink made with ginger ale, a splash of grenadine, and a maraschino cherry.  It was invented by a restaurant in Hollywood so that the child actress, Shirley Temple, could have a fancy beverage that looked like the old-fashioneds her parents were enjoying.

Shirley Temple drink

11. Major trials: ORDEALS.

12. "I __ remind you ... ": NEED NOT.  And yet you do ...

13. Ribbon purchase qty.: YDS.  Ribbons are purchased by the yard.

18. Playbill list: CAST.

22. Place to raise the bar?: GYM.

Raise that bar!

24. Cherry discard: PIT.  Maraschino cherries, like the ones in Shirley Temples, begin as light colored cherries which sit in a chemical soup for 4-6 weeks, erasing their color and flavor, and are then soaked in a solution of sugar syrup, red dye, and almond flavoring for another month.  Finally, they are pitted -- but do watch out for the occasional pit or portion thereof that is missed by the fast moving machines.

26. Cipher breakers: KEYS.  A cipher is a system of encrypting information, perhaps substituting one letter for another consistently, or rearranging the letters of a text.  A key unlocks the encrytped information.

27. State with a potato museum: IDAHO.

28. Ballet leap: JETÉ.  A jeté is a ballet leap where a dancer throws one leg into the air and lands on it, transferring weight from one foot to the other.

A grand jeté

29. Farm pen: STY.

31. Items in recipe boxes: INDEX CARDS.  DH's mother kept such a file.

35. NYC subway org.: MTA.  The Metropolitan Transportation Authority provides bus, subway, and commuter rail service in Greater New York, and operates multiple toll bridges and tunnels.

36. __ voce: SOTTO.  Sotto voce is an Italian phrase meaning "under the voice" or "soft voice," used to describe speaking or singing quietly.

39. "Understood": I SEE.

40. "At what time?": WHEN.

41. Fedora, for one: HAT.

42. Like shoes that show off a pedicure: OPEN TOE.

43. Spots for sheep to sleep: MEADOWS.

46. Not all the same: DIVERSE.

47. Cheer up: GLADDEN.

48. "Are we there __?": YET.

50. Mrs., in Madrid: SRA.  Short for señora.

52. Manhattan event with many designers and runway models, for short: NYFW.  New York Fashion Week.

54. Arm joint: ELBOW.  My mother intended to sit on a bench in my grandchildren's school yard, missed it, landed rather well (all things considered), but fractured her ELBOW.  She's staying at my house while adjusting to this situation.  When the splint from the ER is upgraded to a longer term solution this afternoon, we'll get a sense of how long this will go on.  We've got a rather full house at the moment.

55. __ Loa: world's largest active volcano: MAUNA.  On the Big Island of Hawaii.  Or rather, half of the Big Island of Hawaii!  The islands are formed by volcanoes rising from the ocean floor.

Mauna Loa eruption

60. Laundry batch: LOAD.

61. Finger-on-lips sound: SHH.  I was a librarian for many years.  SHH is part of the professional lexicon.

Shh!

62. Hurricane center: EYE.

64. Super chill: ZEN.

65. Zig and __: ZAG.

66. "You can __ that again!": SAY.

Here's the grid:

HOWDY, Solvers! 

Did this gossipy puzzle cause you AGONY through a series of solving ORDEALS?

Or did it GLADDEN your spirit with DIVERSE delights?

You NEED NOT tell us, but we still wish you would, in the comments below.

-- NaomiZ

Sunday May 10, 2026 Katie Hale

 Theme: "GARDEN VARIETY" - Part of a familiar phrase is replaced by the name of a flower.

24. Show off very pale linseed plants?: WAVE THE WHITE FLAX. Wave the white flag. 

32. Monarch who wears an oxeye crown?: DAISY QUEEN. Dairy Queen.

53. Finds the best way to get thorns in one's hand?: STRIKES A ROSE. Strike a pose. 

70. "If you buy another showy pink bloom, so help me ... "?: NOT A PEONY MORE. Not a penny more. 

90. Throw a tantrum in a springtime meadow?: POUND POPPIES. Pound puppies. 

111. Fall wedding with a purple theme, perhaps?: ASTER PARTY. After party. 

Reveal: 

119. FTD Mother's Day slogan, or an alternate title for this puzzle?: SAY IT WITH FLOWERS.

Such a great reveal. Super consistent. Each theme entry has a one-letter change. That's a very tight constraint. The workable set is quite small.

I imagine this puzzle went through few clue changes. Katie is a pro at making smooth 21x21s. 

Katie Hale

Across:

1. Backpack, e.g.: BAG. 

4. "__ in Cincinnati": WKRP.

8. Go down: SINK.

12. Most eccentric: ODDEST.

18. Small matter: ATOM.

20. Grateful Dead co-founder Bob: WEIR. Another Grateful Dead guy who shows up from time to time is the bassist Phil LESH.

21. McFlurry cookie: OREO.

22. Nothing, in Italian: NIENTE.

23. "Tick that off my bucket list" hashtag: YOLO. You Only Live Once.

27. Eventually become: END UP.

29. Mandarin "hello": NI HAO. Ni = You. Hao = Good. 

30. Plunder: LOOT.

31. State of the __: ART.

34. Overwhelming desire: LUST.

36. Dramas set in Vegas and Miami: CSIS.

38. "Minaret" novelist Aboulela: LEILA. Sudanese writer. Born in Cairo and raised in Khartoum.

39. Collect copious amounts of: RAKE IN.

41. Swear: AVOW.

43. Like light yogurt: NON-FAT.

45. "That's so nice": AAH.

46. Advantage to get in competition: A LEG UP.

50. Sweetener in some 13-Down: SPLENDA. 13. Sugar-free soda: DIET COLA.

56. God of love: EROS.

57. Prized violin: AMATI. Paganini reportedly lost a valuable Amati violin because of gambling debts.

60. Chest muscles, briefly: PECS.

61. No. 2: VEEP.

62. Creamy drink: LASSI. Yogurt drink.

64. Major artery: AORTA.

67. "The Wild Robot" voice actor Ving: RHAMES. He also plays Luther Stickell in the "Mission: Impossible" films.

69. Caustic solution: LYE.

74. PD call: APB.

77. "Shabbat __": SHALOM.

79. "Same for me!": SO DO I.

80. Poolside need: TOWEL.

82. Baseball dynasty name: ALOU.

84. Farm cart: DRAY.

86. __ nous: ENTRE.

89. Cast a ballot: VOTE.

94. Future attorney's study material: CASE LAW.

96. Clay shaper: POTTER.

97. Old Hollywood studio: RKO.

98. "Fourth Wing" creature: DRAGON. Not famliar with the book, fantasy romance by Rebecca Yarros.

100. Nobel subj.: ECON.

102. Tiny, cutesily: EENSIE.

104. Wild West brothers: EARPS.

107. Farr co-star: ALDA.

109. Thessaly peak: OSSA.

114. Skater Midori: ITO.

115. Ephron who directed "You've Got Mail": NORA.

117. Ancient market: AGORA.

118. Give a start: SCARE.

124. "China Rich Girlfriend" novelist Kevin: KWAN. He also wrote "Crazy Rich Asians"

125. Go places: TRAVEL.

126. Promising letters: IOUS.

127. Shuffle cousin in the Apple family: NANO.

128. Fit of pique: SNIT.

129. Pre-Titans team: OILERS. The Houston Oilers later became the Tennessee Titans.

130. Wolfe created by Rex Stout: NERO.

131. Snapdragon Stadium sch.: SDSU. San Diego State University. 

132. Inspo for the Curtis Sittenfeld novel "Romantic Comedy": SNL.

Down:

1. Howled like a wolf: BAYED.

2. Like a composition without a key: ATONAL.

3. Oscar winner Hawn: GOLDIE.

4. Address bar letters: WWW.

5. Reeves of "Speed": KEANU.

6. Saint-Tropez region: RIVIERA.

7. Warm up: PREHEAT.

8. Old Compton Street's district: SOHO. Katie lives in London. 

9. Rage: IRE.

10. Fresh: NEW.

11. Department store chain with TV ads starring Ellie Kemper: KOHL'S.

12. Latch __: ONTO.

14. Rock's __ Leppard: DEF.

15. Zhou of China: ENLAI.  Zhou Enlai remains one of the most respected political figures in modern Chinese history.

16. Sky lights: STARS.

17. Send a message: TEXT.

19. Meek quality: MOUSINESS.

25. Go down: TANK.

26. Wee bit: IOTA.

28. Traffic cone: PYLON.

33. Post-presentation sesh: Q AND A.

34. "I don't buy it": LIAR.

35. Not hot and not cool: UNHIP. Fun clue.

37. Veer: SWERVE.

40. Snack: EAT.

42. Poughkeepsie college: VASSAR. Notable alumni include Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway, who later co-starred in "The Devil Wears Prada."

44. Some group chat members, for short: FAM.

47. Takes unofficial R&R: GOES AWOL. Rare in the Chinese military because penalties are historically very severe.

48. Find purpose for: USE.

49. __ rally: PEP.

50. Trading floor call: SELL.

51. Say grace, say: PRAY.

52. Misses the cut: LOSES OUT.

53. Fathers: SIRES.

54. "Rainbow Connection" singer: KERMIT.

55. Warehouse sound: ECHO.

58. Road trip aid: AAA MAP.

59. Spinning toy: TOP.

63. "Be My Guest With __ Garten": INA. Her voice is so calming.

65. Plus: TOO.

66. Llama habitat: ANDES.

68. Chanced upon: MET.

71. Experienced expert: OLD PRO.

72. Sushi bar tuna order: TORO. The cut from the belly. Melt-in-your-mouth.

73. Hither's partner: YON.

75. Animal rights org.: PETA.

76. Huffed and puffed: BLEW.

78. Looked (for): HUNTED.

81. Cookie sheet holders: OVEN RACKS.

82. iPhone download: APP.

83. Bath facilities: LOO.

85. WWI Belgian battle site: YPRES. Google AI says this city witnessed four years of near-continuous, intense fighting and over 1 million total casualties across five major battles.

87. Classic TV brand: RCA.

88. More than ready: EAGER.

91. Sommelier's prop: DECANTER.

92. Flatpack furniture chain: IKEA.

93. Long, long time: EON.

95. Dial, Dove, and Irish Spring: SOAPS.

98. Denies any association with: DISOWNS.

99. Go back over: RETREAD.

101. Tuna roll wrap: NORI. We call it "zicai" in Chinese, literally "purple veggie". Nori turns dark green when it's roasted. 

103. Palm stem product: SAGO.

105. Shrimp kin: PRAWNS.

106. Drain in a sieve: STRAIN.

107. Pitfall! platform: ATARI.

108. Unwaveringly true: LOYAL.

110. Ballet slipper material: SATIN.

112. Brings home: EARNS.

113. Streisand title role: YENTL.

114. Analogy words: IS TO.

116. Barn birds: OWLS.

117. Plus: ALSO.

120. "__ never been better": I'VE.

121. Plot device?: HOE. Garden plot.

122. Calico coat: FUR.

123. Small amount: SOU.

C.C.