Sunday December 30, 2018 Gary Larson

Theme: "Calling Forth" - S sound is changed into Th sound,  changing spelling as needed.

23A. Off-season at a nudist camp?: CLOTHING TIME. Closing time.

28A. Dollhouse Christmas decoration?: PEEWEE WREATH. Pee Wee Reese.

43A. Defrost in the microwave?: POWER THAW. Power saw.

51A. Two, for most folks?: THUMB TOTAL. Sum total.

68A. Aha moment sensation?: THINKING FEELING. Sinking feeling.

89A. Geek chic?: MATH APPEAL. Mass appeal.

98A. Underwear catalog?: THONG BOOK. Songbook.

111A. Cinderella's coach?: MYTH CARRIAGE. Miscarriage.

122A. Suffering from stress-related weight gain?: WORRIED THICK. Worried sick.

Remember Gary's "Sounds Like a Snooze" back in August? In that puzzle, he changed S to Z sound. 

This is a great followup. Similar style with 9 theme entries. The designing for that grid was harder due to those knotty Z's.

 

 Across:

1. Close to closed: AJAR. "When is a door not a door?" - Hahtooolah!

5. Salad veggie: RADISH.

11. Its "M" stands for "Motoren": BMW.

14. Batty: DAFT.

18. Ashton's spouse: MILA (Kunis).  Ashton Kutcher.

19. 2002 "Friends" Emmy winner: ANISTON. I like her a lot. So sweet and kind.

21. French monarch: ROI.

22. Barbarian: OGRE.

25. Stock female roles: INGENUES.

27. Caribbean getaway: ST. THOMAS. Probably not the getaway spot for our two saints.

30. Reveal, poetically: OPE. Open.

31. Sale limitation word: PER.

32. Early Indo-European: ARYAN.

33. Hot: STOLEN.

36. Abandon: DESERT.

38. Silver and gold: METALS. Or MEDALS.

45. Cubes for cooking: DICES.

48. Longtime Dolphins coach: SHULA (Don)

49. Reggae's __ Kamoze: INI. Unknown to me. Wiki says "His name means "mountain of the true God".

50. Ham, to Noah: SON.

53. English critic Kenneth: TYNAN. Another learning moment. That's a great quote.

56. Folks: PEOPLE.

60. Worker in a garden: BEE.

61. Apple variety: ROME.

62. Capital south of Vienna: ZAGREB. Tinbeni's old haunt.

64. Links prop: TEE.

65. Broom-__: comics witch: HILDA.

67. "As Time Goes By" pianist: SAM. "Casablanca". 

73. Pops: DAD.

76. Frozen summer coolers: ICEES.

77. Propel, in a way: OAR.

78. Words to live by: MOTTOS.

82. Biblical prophet: AMOS.

84. Grab a bite: EAT.

85. Type of plane: ASTRAL.

88. One at a family reunion: NIECE.

92. Minor player: COG.

94. With 130-Across, weekly U.S. magazine with a cryptic crossword: THE. 130. See 94-Across: NATION.

95. Beat out: ONE-UP.

96. More cunning: SLIER.

101. Aslan's land: NARNIA.

103. "Juno and the Paycock" playwright: O'CASEY.

105. Combat zones: ARENAS.

106. Most letters, nowadays: EMAIL.

109. Tiny insect egg: NIT.

110. Cyst of no concern: WEN.

116. Con artists: FLEECERS.

121. Atmosphere: AMBIENCE. Lovely fill.

124. __ tissue: SCAR.

125. Scout group: DEN.

126. Kia SUV: SORENTO.

127. Author Bombeck: ERMA.

128. Victim of a fabled upset: HARE.

129. Drink suffix: ADE. My favorite lemonade stand.

131. Back-to-school time for many: Abbr.: SEPT.

Down:

1. Gremlins and Pacers: AMCS.

2. Abandon at the altar: JILT.

3. Heaps: A LOT.

4. Filthy quarters: RAT HOLE.

5. Duds, old-style: RAIMENTS. No wonder I'm not familiar with. Old-style. 

6. Kournikova of tennis: ANNA.

7. Quarters: DIGS.

8. Novel ending?: IST. Novelist.

9. Mushroom stems: STIPES. I just call them stems.

10. Went deep at the park: HOMERED.

11. Pipe material: BRIER.

12. Bank contents: MONEY.

13. Early American home: WIGWAM. This one looks warm and cozy.

14. Ready to serve: DONE. Tiny clue/answer dupe: 16. Done, in Verdun: FINI.

15. Contents of el mar: AGUA.

16. Be a bundle of nerves: FRET.

17. Radio host John: TESH.

20. Society page word: NEE.

24. Optimist: HOPER. I've only used "No hoper".

26. The "E" in E. & J. Gallo: ERNEST.

29. Strapped-on accessory: WATCH.

31. Nave seat: PEW.

33. Phelps broke his gold-medal record: SPITZ (Mark)

34. Skater Harding: TONYA.

35. Because of, with "to": OWING.

36. Copenhagen native: DANE.

37. Confirmation, e.g.: RITE.

39. Norse god associated with storms: THOR. Thunder!

40. Jam ingredients: AUTOS. Traffic jam.

41. Andean wool source: LLAMA.

42. "The Crucible" setting: SALEM.

44. Letters after I?: HOP. ? should prevent you thinking of JKL.

46. Jazz pianist Blake: EUBIE.

47. Common sense: SMELL. Got this body wash for Christmas. Lovely smell.

52. Obscure: BEDIM.

54. __ show: ART.

55. Soft drink brand since 1924: NEHI.

57. Elevator innovator: OTIS.

58. Cartridge holder: PEN.

59. Colorful blocks: LEGOS.

63. Flexor muscle, informally: BICEP.

65. German title: HERR. I'll just copy and paste what TTP said last time: "Damen and Herren are on some doors in Germany. Good thing for the images to teach foreigners that Da Men use the one marked Herren."

66. Before long, quaintly: ANON.

69. Some tides: NEAPS.

70. __ One: vodka brand: KETEL.

71. Lucrative, contractually: FAT.

72. VW hatchback: GTI.

73. Friend of Pythias: DAMON. Read the myth here. Quite moving. I want to be Damon. Pythias is hard to say.

74. Appliance maker since 1934: AMANA.

75. Grandparent, often: DOTER.

79. Wyoming's __ Range: TETON.

80. Former #1 LPGA golfer Lorena: OCHOA.  She was here for the US Open many years ago.

81. Goes after: SEEKS.

83. Evade: SHUN.

85. One of the Baldwins: ALEC.

86. Hurting: ACHY. Boomer woke up Saturday morning with back pain. Made me nervous. He did feel better later on. This bone cancer is sure tough!

87. John in London: LOO.

90. Separately: APIECE.

91. Garlicky sauce: AIOLI.

93. Chewed persistently: GNAWED ON.

97. Former name of Myanmar's most populous city: RANGOON.

98. Asian celebration: TET. Same day as our Spring Festival. Feb 5, 2019.

99. Welcome: GREET.

100. They may empty in a brawl: BENCHES.

102. Actress Plummer: AMANDA.

104. NATO alphabet letter after Romeo: SIERRA.

107. Rainbowlike: ARCED.

108. Cara of "Fame": IRENE.

111. Bangers partner: MASH.

112. Gym site: YMCA.

113. Skier's aid: T-BAR.

114. Put in a position: HIRE. And 123. No longer working: Abbr.: RET.
 
115. Sympathetic sounds: AWS.

117. Jared of "Suicide Squad": LETO.

118. Where Cork is: EIRE.

119. Dudley Do-Right's org.: RCMP.

120. 32-card game: SKAT.

Boomer Updates:

He had one more blood draw last Thursday, the result is still not posted on his "My HealtheVet" account.

He will have another blood draw on January 9th and every month in 2019. VA Pharmacy Care will follow up every time he has the blood draw. If Boomer's numbers (kidney and liver) are normal, The Pharmacy Care will send us one more month of Zytiga & prednisone.

Thanks again for your love and support this year. It would be a much tougher journey without you guys here constantly cheering up Boomer and giving me advice.


Have a healthy and happy 2019!

C.C. 

Sunday, August 12, 2018 Gary Larson

Theme: "Sounds Like a Snooze" - S sound is changed into Z sound.

23A. Liquor store?: BUZZ DEPOT. Bus depot.

25A. Feeding time for the herd?: GRAZE PERIOD. Grace period.

46A. Caribbean island chain?: CAYS BY CAYS. Case by case.

67A. Make change for a five?: GIVE THE ONES OVER. Give the once over.

93A. Funding for cops?: FUZZ BUDGET. Fussbudget.

115A. "No legumes for me, please"?: KEEP THE PEAS. Keep the peace.

117A. Slept through the alarm?: OVER-DOZED. Overdosed.

16D. Much-admired cooktop?: PRIZE RANGE. Price range.

73D. Withhold enthusiasm?: HARBOR ZEAL. Harbor seal.

No label in our blog for Gary Larson. Must be his LA Times debut. Congrats, Gary!

I learned last year that S after vowels are pronounced like z sound. S after consonants are S, thanks to D-Otto and dear Santa. I always pronounced PEAS the same as PIECE.

Total 9 Z's. This alone makes gridding a bit tougher.

Across:

1. Door feature: KNOB.

5. Butcher shop section: SLAB.  Here is a Chinese butcher shop.

9. Minor: LESSER.

15. Bridge: SPAN.

19. "American Gigolo" star: GERE (Richard). Did not fully under the movie when I watched it years ago.

20. Pocket often filled: PITA. Great clue.

21. Get there: ARRIVE.

22. First name at Woodstock: ARLO.

27. Post-Thanksgiving dinner feeling, for many: FOOD COMA. Boomer made tasty fried chicken with this breading the other day.

28. City near Düsseldorf: ESSEN.

29. Bring down: RAZE.

30. Dante's half-dozen: SEI. Triple due.

31. L.A. Clippers' org.: NBA.

33. Disqualify (oneself), as a judge: RECUSE.

35. One of many on most phones: APP.

38. Second Amendment concern: FIREARMS.

43. Kicks out, in a way: DEPORTS. Sensitive word.

49. Hydroelectric project: DAM.

51. Capital NNW of Albany: OTTAWA.

52. Home subcontractor: TILER. Do you have Plumb Right in your area? Our bathroom tiles leak, but they want us to replace the bathtub as well. We declined. Been using some makeshift measure.

53. Literary tribute: ODE.

54. Gets promoted: RISES.

56. Like neat freaks: ANAL. Glad Rich allows it in grids these days.

57. Ravaged by time: AGE-WORN.

59. Updates, as a reference book: RE-ISSUES.

62. Actress Scala: GIA. Hi, nice to meet you!

63. __ oil: SESAME. We never stir-fry with sesame oil. Always a few drops in salad or soup.

64. Sound file extension: WAV.

65. 2007 Will Smith sci-fi flick: I AM LEGEND.

71. Itemized deductions form: SCHEDULE A.

74. Yellow Sea peninsula: Abbr.: KOR. Korea.

75. Phrase often abbreviated: ET ALIA.

79. Spat suffix: ULA.

80. Paul's letters: EPISTLES.

82. Trash collectors: ASHCANS.

83. Good sound at the garage: PURR.

85. Hodgepodges: OLIOS. I use Olio as part of my Subject Line at times.

86. Flower starter: BUD. I love Katie's True Lilies. So sorry about the fall, TTP! Did you beat last year's champ at the outing?

88. Property owner's income: RENTS.

89. Insurgency troops: REBELS.

92. Back at sea?: AFT.

95. Reclusive: ASOCIAL. I've become one.

97. Rats: STOOLIES.

99. Trains over roads: ELS.

100. Use as support: REST ON.

102. Cartoon collectible: CEL.

103. Some laptops: HPS.

106. "Master of None" star Ansari: AZIZ. He made me laugh. Hope he bounces back soon.

107. Many a Bob Marley fan: RASTA.

110. Toy mentioned in "The Chipmunk Song": HULA HOOP.

119. Phi Delt, e.g.: FRAT.

120. Discomfort: UNEASE.

121. Gather: REAP.

122. Ness' feds: T MEN.

123. News pg. units: COLS. Column.

124. Co-star of TV's "Dr. Kildare": MASSEY. Unfamiliar to me. I just realized I confused Dr. Kildare with Dr. Kimble.

125. Drops off: NAPS.

126. First name in desserts: SARA.

Down:

1. Cold War gp.: KGB.

2. Nice nine?: NEUF. Just French for "nine".

3. Ricelike pasta: ORZO.

4. Amazon founder: BEZOS (Jeff). And 34. 4-Down, e.g.: CEO. His name is not as crossword-friendly as ELON. 

5. Spell out: SPECIFY.

6. Cosmetic surg. option: LIPO.

7. Bit of physics: ATOM.

8. React, barely: BAT AN EYE.

9. California-based shoe company: LA GEAR. Never worn their shoes. You?

10. Bungles it: ERRS.

11. Span. titles: SRAS.

12. Jeweler's fitting tool: SIZER. Learning moment for me.

13. Smoothed: EVENED.

14. Agent: REP.

15. City south of Tampa: SARASOTA.

17. Burn balm: ALOE. My plant died, but I was able to cut one leaf and tested the juice. Made me itch. Will stick with Trader Joe's aloe vera gel.

18. Silent signal: NOD.

24. '50s political monogram: DDE.

26. Blow: ERUPT.

32. __-relief: BAS.

35. Serve in the capacity of: ACT AS.

36. He pitched in the majors at age 59: PAIGE (Satchel). The power of hot shower!

37. Gomer and Goober of old TV: PYLES.

39. Computer symbol: ICON.

40. "Awesome!": RAD.

41. Year Columbus' fourth and last voyage began: MDII. 1502.

42. More impertinent: SASSIER.

44. Clemens, familiarly: TWAIN (Mark). Samuel, not Roger.

45. __ fork: SALAD

47. Waste: SEWAGE.

48. Trite comment: BROMIDE. New word to me also.

50. Small plateaus: MESAS.

54. Takes back: REVOKES.

55. Sport for heavyweights: SUMO. You can't succeed in that sport being a 200-pounder. Double up!

58. Gun, as an engine: REV UP.

59. "Norma __": RAE.

60. Fabled northern workers: ELVES.

61. Transparent, informally: SEE-THRU.

64. Alternative scenarios: WHAT IFS.

66. Favored: GRACED.

68. Former Belgian prime minister Di Rupo: ELIO. Forgot. We had him before. Wiki says he was "Belgium's first Prime Minister of non-Belgian descent, and the world's second openly gay head of government in modern times".

69. Edison contemporary: TESLA. Also 77. Silicon Valley giant: INTEL.

70. Rejections: NOS.

71. Old Toyota: SUPRA.

72. Hints: CLUES.

76. "Tootsie" Oscar winner: LANGE.

78. Staff members: Abbr.: ASSTS.

81. 1990s-2000s Senate majority leader: LOTT (Trent). He resigned due to an insensitive remark.

82. Axlike tool: ADZE.

84. Box office: RECEIPTS.

86. Megaphone kin: BULLHORN.

87. Special forces weapon: UZI.

90. "Mephisto Waltz" composer: LISZT.

91. Idled: SAT.

93. Other side: FOE.

94. C equivalents: B SHARPS.

96. Ochoa who was the top-ranked female golfer when she retired: LORENA. She was at the 2008 US Open held here in MN, but Natalie Gulbis drew the biggest crowd. Natalie always does.

98. Dublin-born playwright: O'CASEY (Sean)

101. Scruffs: NAPES.

104. High deg.: PHD.

105. Blackens, in a way: SOOTS.

106. Flight prefix: AERO.

108. Overwhelming quantities: SEAS. Yeah, I still pronounce the last S as S, not Z. Just can't change the habit.

109. Electrify, in a way: TASE.

111. Eye layer: UVEA.

112. Logical omission: LEAP.

113. Baum princess: OZMA. Princess Ozma. Of Oz.

114. Jury member: PEER.

115. Prominent poultry purveyor: KFC.

116. Run smoothly: HUM.

118. It's in our genes: DNA.

C.C.