Theme: "GAME CHANGERS" - Each common phrase is reinterpreted as a customized edition of a board or card game.
23A. Genius edition of a popular word game?: HARD SCRABBLE.
29A. Extended-family edition of a popular conquest game?: RELATIVE RISK.
70A. Solitaire edition of a popular board game?: SORRY FOR ONESELF.
113A. Trivia edition of a popular strategy game?: FACT CHECKERS.
124A. Bodybuilding edition of a popular card game?: MUSCLE MEMORY.
33D. Personalized edition of a popular strategy game?: GO YOUR OWN WAY.
43D. Easy edition of a popular board game?: TROUBLE LIGHT.
Two of the Down theme entries intersect SORRY FOR ONESELF. I love when this happens. I can picture the glee on Gary's face.
Intersection
often makes the filling easier, but it also creates its constraints.
Like today's placement of 23/29 and 113/124. Thankfully there are only 3
letters overlap and the fill doesn't suffer at all.
Across:
1. Everypooch: BOWSER.
7. Sudden burst: SALVO.
12. David of "Starsky & Hutch": SOUL. Wikipedia says he had a daughter named China Soul.
16. __ race: RAT.
19. Colorful songbird: ORIOLE.
20. Former: PRIOR.
21. __ Domini: ANNO.
22. Egg cells: OVA.
25. Rheinland refusal: NEIN. German for Rhineland.
26. Karate level: DAN.
27. Nondairy spread: OLEO.
28. __ Lingus: AER.
32. Baseball player Jose with the hit song "OMG": IGLESIAS. Chart-topping Latin pop hit. I think this is Patti's clue. She's a diehard Mets fan.
35. Bummed: SAD.
36. Picnic pests: ANTS.
37. Jon Favreau holiday film: ELF.
40. Bygone: OLDEN.
41. Some volcanic rocks: BASALTS.
44. Like some jokes: CORNY.
46. Spanish home: CASA.
49. Place to work on Wikipedia drafts: USER PAGE. Read more here.
53. Chocolaty cereal brand: OREO OS.
55. "South Pacific" song: BALI HAI. Sung by Bloody Mary.
57. "Are you sure you're right about that?": DOES IT?
58. Batting in the bottom of the ninth: LAST UP.
59. Complex dwelling: UNIT.
60. Channel launched in 1981: MTV. 1981 is also the first time we had light bulbs.
62. Intercontinental mountain range: URALS.
63. Gets: INHERITS.
65. Spot for valuables: SAFE.
67. BOLO alternative: APB.
69. Foot the bill: PAY.
74. Street of nightmares: ELM.
77. Very small: WEE.
78. Les États-__: UNIS.
79. Like the 18th Amendment: REPEALED. The 18th Amendment
prohibited the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcoholic
beverages for beverage purposes, launching the Prohibition Era. Learning
moment for me.
83. Take in: LEARN.
85. Bro's counterpart: SIS.
87. Luminous ball of plasma: STAR.
89. In the previous month: ULTIMO.
90. Tropical birds: MACAWS.
92. Tidies: NEATENS.
94. Keyed instruments: PIANOS.
95. Met topper: OPERA HAT.
97. Cold War satellites, briefly: SSRS. Soviet Socialist Republics
98. Squat target, for short: GLUTE.
99. Artificial tear: EYE DROP.
101. O Magazine mogul: OPRAH.
105. Struck (out): X'ED.
106. Brief December celebration: XMAS. And 12. December costume: SANTA SUIT. Missing our own Santa.
109. By way of: VIA.
110. Agrees (to): CONSENTS.
117. Vader, as a boy: ANI.
118. Turn over __ leaf: A NEW.
122. Shiba __: INU.
123. Daughter of Cronus: HERA.
127. "That is a __ to take in": LOT.
128. Right on the map: EAST.
129. Manner of speaking: IDIOM.
130. Indifferent to right and wrong: AMORAL.
131. Before, in old odes: ERE.
132. Unleash: FREE.
133. Swarms (with): TEEMS.
134. Act as a go-between: LIAISE. I always associate this word with Kissinger.
Down:
1. __ chic: BOHO.
2. Not written down: ORAL.
3. Electrician's supply: WIRE.
4. "Me too": SO DO I.
5. Raised trains: ELS.
6. Take back: RECALL.
7. Scant: SPARSE.
8. Wall St. figure: ARB. Arbitrator.
9. First sign of fall: LIBRA.
10. Field mice: VOLES.
11. Former pitcher Hershiser: OREL.
13. Five Nations members: ONEIDAS.
14. Pt. of NYU: UNIV.
15. Set apart: LONE.
16. The Thinker's sculptor: RODIN.
17. Nautical "Halt!": AVAST.
18. Loses on purpose: TANKS.
24. Saxophone insert: REED.
30. Butterfield of "Sex Education": ASA.
31. One with a gravelly voice: RASPER.
34. Ancient Andean: INCAN.
37. Gut bacteria: E COLI.
38. Navigation acronym: LORAN. Long Range Navigation.
39. Field-to-table, say: FRESH.
41. "Poppycock!": BAH.
42. Had an edge: LED.
45. Staff members: NOTES.
47. Brie of "GLOW": ALISON.
48. Musicians who may be accompanied by tabla and tambura players: SITARISTS. Left to right: sitar, tabla and tambura.
50. Pronto: ASAP.
51. __ monster: GILA.
52. Site for artisans: ETSY.
54. Steeple: SPIRE.
55. In use: BUSY.
56. Sound from a flock: AMEN. Now I just cross my arms for a
blessing (rather than receiving the Eucharist) and say "Amen". In my
innocent days while accompanying Boomer, I'd eat the host and said
"Thank you" to Father Charlie.
61. Flower holder: VASE.
64. "__ chic!": TRES.
66. Encourage: FOSTER.
68. Make perky: PEP UP.
71. Melt together: FUSE.
72. Transgresses: ERRS. Father Charlie never corrected me though.
73. Like some flaws: FATAL.
74. Toy that's more than tickled pink: ELMO.
75. Spring: LEAP.
76. Nutmeg spice: MACE.
80. PC OS choice: LINUX.
81. Chew the scenery: EMOTE.
82. Given medicine: DOSED. Need to see the RA doctor again soon. And my regular infusion.
84. Least cooked: RAREST.
86. Rather complicated: INTRICATE.
88. "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" actor Mount: ANSON.
91. "That's all __ wrote": SHE.
93. Cleopatra biter: ASP.
96. Unfavorable: ADVERSE.
100. Wine cask wood: OAK.
102. Old Testament book: PSALMS.
103. Actress Russo: RENE.
104. Bear or hare: ANIMAL.
106. Case for Scully and Mulder: X FILE.
107. Grand estate: MANOR.
108. Not quite right?: ACUTE. Angle-wise.
110. Unrefined: CRUDE.
111. Actor/activist Davis: OSSIE.
112. Pago Pago's land: SAMOA.
114. Many a cookbook author: CHEF.
115. When repeated, cry of approval: HEAR.
116. Radiate: EMIT.
119. Onigiri seaweed: NORI. This is Chinese nori. We call zi cai.
120. Noted times: ERAS.
121. "The Pitt" actor Noah: WYLE.
125. URL ending: COM.
126. Classic record label: EMI.
C.C.
