Sunday December 2, 2018 Mark McClain & George Telfer

Theme: "Hangers-On" - ERS is added to each theme entry.

23A. What the acrobatic landlady liked to do?: JUMP OVER BOARDERS. Jump over board.

32A. TruTV show for board game enthusiasts?: REALITY CHECKERS. Reality check.

52A. When a pro might practice at Augusta National?: BEFORE THE MASTERS. Before the mast.

69A. Gym employees for those getting in shape fast?: EXPRESS TRAINERS. Express train.

90A. Gold medal winners at the Renaissance fair?: TRIUMPHAL ARCHERS. Triumphal arch.

104A. Wedding chapel's main form of advertising?: HITCHING POSTERS. Hitching post.

120A. Where bills should be put after an audit?: BACK IN THE FOLDERS. Back in the fold.

Heavy theme with long theme entries. Total 109 theme squares. Lots to deal with.

I think this is George Telfer's debut. Congratulations, George! Mark McClain is a veteran and has been our regular LAT constructor for a few years.

Across:

1. Avian mimic: MYNA.

5. Selling point?: STORE. Great clue.

10. Weasel cousin: STOAT. Not SABLE.

15. Passed quickly, as time: FLEW.

19. Pigeon calls: COOS.

20. Kind of column: IONIC. Appears in our grid more often than DORIC.

21. Stands at lectures: PODIA.

22. Lead in a movie, say: ROLE.

26. Wile E. Coyote supplier: ACME.

27. Run-of-the-mill: ORDINARY.

28. Former LeBron team, on sports tickers: MIA. Miami Heat. 39. Former LeBron team, on sport tickers: CLE.

29. Lost on purpose: TANKED. Often a clue for DIETED.

31. Buds, possibly: BEERS.

37. Sorority letter: ETA.

40. Takes a breather: RESTS.

41. "The Simpsons" retailer: APU.

44. "Chain of Fools" name: ARETHA.

47. Out in the yacht: ASEA.

49. Bite playfully: NIP.

56. Departed: GONE.

57. "Once __ a time ... ": UPON.

58. Yon yacht: SHE.

59. Name in a Tolstoy title: ANNA. Anna Karenina. Russian novels are always so complicated. Same with classic Chinese novels.

60. Formal split: DIVORCE.

62. Electric wheels: TESLA.

64. Second-tallest living bird: EMU. What's the tallest?

66. Inform: TELL.

68. Skin-related: DERMAL. 88. Often painful crack: CHAP. Try Aquaphor.

73. Don't hold your breath: EXHALE.

76. Antelope playmates: DEER.

77. Musical muscle car: GTO.

78. Agave plant: YUCCA.

82. "The wisdom of many and the wit of one": Russell: PROVERB.

84. Dread: FEAR.

86. Bigelow product: TEA. They have jasmine tea. We also have 107. 86-Across variety: PEKOE.

89. Cut with a small knife: PARE.

94. Thesaurus wd.: SYN. Synonym.

95. Doing nothing: IDLE.

96. Cabinet department: ENERGY.

97. Minute: WEE.

98. China's Zhou __: ENLAI. Here he is with his wife Deng Yingchao. They did not have children. Both well-loved in China.

101. QB's stat: ATT.

102. Shocked text letters: OMG.

111. Vacation destination: BEACH. Last time I was at a beach.

Boomer & C.C., Myrtle Beach, May 2002

115. Caroline Islands components: ATOLLS.

116. Rescue squad initials: EMS.

117. Rant: HARANGUE. Sparkly fill.

119. Fictional plantation: TARA.

125. "Slippery" trees: ELMS.

126. "... but I could be wrong": OR NOT.

127. Celestial ovine: ARIES.

128. Shuts down: ENDS.

129. Colorist's supply: DYES.

130. Price enders, often: NINES. Oh, like $9.99.

131. Category: GENRE.

132. Obliterate, in Oxford: RASE.

Down:

1. Menial work: MCJOB.

2. "__ it!": YOU'RE.

3. __ plume: NOM DE. And 6. Start of an adage about humanity: TO ERR. Partials.

4. Have high hopes: ASPIRE.

5. Hindu "Destroyer": SIVA.

7. Sandwich shop order: ON RYE.

8. Often tickled bone?: RIB.

9. "Foucault's Pendulum" author: ECO.

10. Diagonal sail extender: SPRIT. See this.

11. Now: TODAY.

12. Pindar piece: ODE.

13. Make widely known: AIR.

14. Samples: TASTES.

15. Stadium staples: FRANKS.

16. Eastwood's "Bronco Billy" co-star Sondra: LOCKE. So pretty!

17. Fictional hunter in a floppy hat: ELMER.

18. Signs of garden neglect: WEEDS.

24. GM subsidiary: ONSTAR.

25. Guy's girlfriend: AMIE. French "gee".

30. Comedy __: ACT.

33. One may be dull: ACHE.

34. Trek pack animal: LLAMA.

35. Algonquian language: CREE.

36. Picked up: HEARD.

38. Trojan War god: ARES.

41. Touch: ABUT.

42. Nickname for José: PEPE. I did not know. The two sound so different.

43. Eerie fliers: UFOS.

45. Old anesthetic: ETHER.

46. Like many crosswords: THEMED. Our LAT Saturday grids are themeless.

47. "Up" star: ASNER (Ed)

48. WWII prison camp: STALAG.

49. Standard: NORM.

50. Subject of Huáscar: INCA. Read here. Never heard of the guy.

51. Orange discard: PEEL. Chinese desserts often feature dried tangerine peels.

53. Legally off base: ON LEAVE.

54. Baited insect collector: ANT TRAP.

55. Beans or greens: SIDE.

56. Scalia's successor: GORSUCH (Neil). Fresh fill.

61. Enhancing word: VERY. So very touched reading Jerome's post. He went through what I'm going through now.

63. Shaft between wheels: AXLE.

65. Handy: USEFUL.

67. Trivial: LITTLE.

70. Vivacious: PERT.

71. Words near an "F," maybe: SEE ME.

72. Musical handicap: NO EAR.

73. Omar of "In Too Deep": EPPS.

74. Doctor's order: X-RAY. Piece of cake. The MRI was tough for Boomer last time. He did not use the toilet before the procedure, thinking it would be over in a few minutes. It took almost an hour.

75. French __: HORN.

79. Consider carefully, with "over": CHEW.

80. Attention: CARE.

81. Basilica recess: APSE.

83. Astros catcher McCann: BRIAN. Ex-Astro. Back with the Atlanta Braves. 

85. Bonnie Blue's dad: RHETT.

87. 2012 Ben Affleck film: ARGO.

91. "Gotcha!": I DIG.

92. Casino game requirement, often: ANTE.

93. Symphonic disc: CYMBAL.

98. Mercedes line: E-CLASS. No idea. Not into cars.

99. Kings' org.: NHL. LA Kings.

100. City from which Vasco da Gama sailed: LISBON.

101. NBA part: ASSN.

103. Driver's license info: GENDER.

104. Hardly favored: HATED.

105. Volta's birthplace: ITALY.

106. Musical Mel: TORME.  "The Velvet Fog".

108. Drops: OMITS.

109. German river, to locals: RHEIN. And 114. German state: HESSE.

110. Less risky: SAFER.

112. Gemini docking target: AGENA. What does this word mean? 

113. Lumps for Miss Muffet: CURDS.

118. Climbed: ROSE.

121. "Exodus" protagonist: ARI.

122. "The Situation Room" airer: CNN.

123. It's game: TAG.

124. Longtime Eur. realm: HRE. Holy Roman Empire.

Boomer Updates:

Boomer completed his radiation last Wednesday. He still has problem swallowing food and continues to feel run-down, but Dr. Esther told us that these side effects will be gone in one to two weeks. 

Boomer also started the chemo drug Abiraterone (Zytiga) last Thursday. He's been a good and cheerful patient. The staff at the radiation oncology all liked him.

Boomer, Nov 28, 2018