Wednesday, December 5, 2018, Mark McClain

There’ll be a hot time in the old town tonight!

One word in each of the theme answers is Hot! Hot! Hot!

17-Across. Get increasingly steamed: DO A SLOW BURN.

26-Across. Provocative social media tactic: FLAME TROLLING.  I am not familiar with this expression, but it makes sense.  Fortunately, we don't get much this on this blog.

44-Across. Battlefield order: FIRE WHEN READY!

59-Across. Striking white stripe between a horse's eyes: FACIAL BLAZE.

Across:

1. Insurance submission: CLAIM.  I had to file a claim when my 150+ year-old live oak tree decided it didn't want to be a live oak tree anymore.  The tree fell on my carport, which, fortunately, was strong enough so that my cars weren't crushed.

6. Spars on the briny: MASTS.

11. Spanish I verb: AMO.  Today's Spanish grammar lesson.

14. Vital body vessel: AORTA.

15. Choristers who are usually women: ALTOS.

16. Young bloke: LAD.

19. "Diary of a Wimpy __": Jeff Kinney book series: KID.  The book was first published in 2007, so it was too late for my childhood reading.

20. Home of the NHL's Blues: ST. L.  St. Louis is the home of the Blues hockey team.

21. Scrape off: ABRADE.

22. Radio hobbyists: HAMS.

23. Rickie Fowler's org.: PGA.  Apparently Rick Fowler (b. Dec. 13, 1988) is a golfer.

24. One way to travel: RAIL.  Because Train wouldn't fit in the spaces provided.

32. Old Italian bread?: LIRE.  Currency of Italy before the Euro.

34. Jai __: ALAI.  A crossword staple.

35. Forearm-related: ULNAR.

36. Wee hr.: ONE A.M.  Also the name of a 1916 Charlie Chaplin film.

38. Approves: OKs.

39. Disciple's query: IS IT I?  One of the disciple's asked Jesus this question.

40. "Am not!" retort: ARE SO!  Am too! also fits, but the word "am" is already used in the clue.

41. Spa treatment: PEEL.  I wanted a Pedi(cure).

43. Bullet __: list highlight: ITEM.

47. __ Mode, designer voiced by Brad Bird in "Incredibles 2": EDNA.  I never saw this movie.  I had seem this image, however.

48. Strive: VIE.  Could also be clued as Fights (for), which we saw in yesterday's puzzle.

49. Skinny: INFO.  I initially tried Thin.

51. Sleeping bag closer: ZIPPER.  Camping is not my thing.  We did a lot of camping in my childhood, however.

55. Getting stuff done, initially: TCB.  As in the phrase: Taking Care of Business.

58. "Who, me?": MOI?  Today's French lesson.

61. From A to Z: ALL.

62. Venue with skyboxes: ARENA.

63. Expected: USUAL.

64. Animation frame: CEL.

65. Venomous snake: ADDER.  Also known as a viper.

66. Hindu spiritual writing: SUTRA.

Down:

1. Despicable dudes: CADS.

2. Ransack: LOOT.

3. Depleted sea: ARAL.  The ARAL Sea is becoming a crossword staple.  It is considered an endorheic lake, meaning that it has no outlet to the oceans.  It also used to be the 4th largest lake in the world.

4. "__ Quiet Uptown": "Hamilton" song: IT'S.  I have tickets to see Hamilton in March 2019.

5. Spanish dessert wine: MALAGA.

6. Bryn __ College: MAWR. This college is still an all-female institution of higher education.

7. Goya's "Duchess of __": ALBA.

The last Duchess of Alba was quite a character.  She held over 40 hereditary titles and was very wealthy.  She was widowed twice.  Her third husband t'was 24 years her junior.  She died in 2014 at age 88. Goya's Duchess of Alba was probably a character, too.

Oh, you wanted these more famous Goya portraits of the Duchess:

8. It may be ear-piercing: STUD.  Think of an earring.

9. Bullfight figure: TORERO.  More of today's Spanish lesson.  The Torero is on the left.

10. ID gradually being omitted from Medicare cards: SSN.  As in the Social Security Number.

11. Water's capability to neutralize acid: ALKALINITY.

12. Injure badly: MAIM.

13. Track ratios: ODDS.

18. President who appointed two women to the Supreme Court: OBAMA.  President Obama (b. 1961) nominated Sonia Sotomayor (b. 1954) to replace Associate Justice David Souter (b. 1939); and and Elena Kagan (b. 1960) to replace retiring Associate Justice John Paul Stevens (b. 1920).

22. Sledding spot: HILLSIDE.

23. "Yes, fine by me": PLEASE DO!

25. Pierre's "his": A LUI.  More of today's French lesson

26. Second cup at a diner, e.g.: FREE REFILL.

27. Unite on the sly: ELOPE.  Fresh new clue for tying the knot without all the fanfare.

28. Spoken for: TAKEN.

29. Stairway element: RISER.

30. Statistician Silver: NATE.  Nathaniel Read Silver (b. 1978) is the founder of the FiveThirtyEight blog, which gives statistics on a number of subjects including politics and sports.

31. Dire: GRIM.

32. Bakery unit: LOAF.

33. Cross inscription: INRI.  Today's Latin lesson.  This is an abbreviation for the Latin phrase: Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum, which is translated as Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.

37. Like harvested hay: MOWN.  I wanted something that would evoke the smell of freshly harvested hay.

42. Video game stage: LEVEL.

45. Black ice, e.g.: HAZARD.  It can, indeed, be very dangerous.

46. Boeing rival: AIRBUS.  Apparently the two companies have a rivalry going on.

49. All-in-one Apple: iMAC.

50. Florida State player, familiarly: 'NOLE.  As in the Florida State Seminoles.

52. Secured, as a win: ICED.  Sorry, Tin!

53. Source of cones: PINE.

54. Early late-night TV host: PAAR.  As in Jack Harold Paar (May 1, 1918 ~ Jan. 27, 2004).

55. Lacking slack: TAUT.

56. Business magnate: CZAR.

57. Olympics coach Karolyi: BÉLA.  Béla Károlyi (b. 1942) is best known for being the coach to gymnast Nadia Comăneci (b. 1961) and Mary Lou Retton (b. 1968).

59. Tower authority: Abbr.: FAA.  As in the Federal Aviation Administration, which has jurisdiction over the airport towers.

60. The SEC's Tigers: LSU.  As in Louisiana State University.  Whenever LSU plays Auburn, another SEC team, the Tigers are guaranteed to win.*  LSU is the only collage university in the United States to have a live tiger living on campus.  You may be able observe Mike the Tiger on the University's TigerCam.  The cam isn't always functioning, though.

I hope none of you got "burned" on this puzzle!

 * Both LSU and Auburn have Tigers as their mascot.

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

Tuesday, November 13, 2018 Mark McClain

"pH Test"

18. *Safari head protector: PITH HELMET

26. *Traditional farm equine: PLOW HORSE.

47. *Baked pork cut that sounds perfect for a blanket in the park: PICNIC HAM.

60. *Lever for manual water extraction: PUMP HANDLE.

5D. *Kid's homemade topper: PAPER HAT.

39. Ordeal ... and a hint to the initials of the answers to starred clues: ACID TEST.  - A rigorous and comprehensive test that proves or disproves the value of something.   Here, we also get a hint to the theme answers with the acid test answer.   The pH scale tells us how acidic or alkaline a substance is.

Across:

1. Source of spumante wine: ASTI.   Asti (also known as Asti Spumante) is a sparkling white Italian wine that is produced throughout southeastern Piedmont but is particularly focused around the towns of Asti and Alba.- Wikipedia

5. Mr. __: Former name of a Dr Pepper rival: PIBB.  Until this puzzle, I did not know Mr. Pibb is now the former name.  In 2001, a new formula was created and the soft drink was rebranded as Pibb Xtra.  This video is coded to start at the 2:26 mark with a 1996 commercial.  You can start from the beginning if you want to see the early '70's commercials.


9. Light model wood: BALSA.

14. Bore false witness: LIED.

15. Et __: and others: ALIA.

16. Provo native: UTAHN.  If you look closely, you'll also see other Utah related crossword favorites like Salt Lake City,  Uinta,  Wasatch, and Orem. 

17. Beige look-alike: ECRU..

20. Superficial, as beauty: SKIN DEEP.

22. Make possible: ENABLE.

23. Negative connector: NOR.

24. Packers quarterback Rodgers: AARON.  The 34 year old star quarterback of the National Football League's (NFL) Green Bay Packers signed a 4 year $134 million contract extension in August of this year.  I'd be smiling too !

29. Nervous twitches: TICS.

33. Vein discovery: ORE.

34. ... Venus, __, Mars ...: EARTH.   “we are unique individuals with unique experiences” - John Gray,  Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus

35. Like sea battles: NAVAL.

36. Column slant: Abbr.: POV.   Point of view.  Often revealed in (33 Down) -  Pundit's piece: OP ED.    I skip most of them and head to the important stuff. *

37. Overseas business abbr.: LTD.

38. Sheep's call: BAA.

40. Sister Sledge's "We __ Family": ARE.  The four Sledge sisters from Philadelphia hit in big at the height of the disco era in 1979 with this song.  The 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball (MLB) adopted this song as a theme song on their way to winning the 1979 World Series over the Baltimore Orioles.


41. Corp. bigwigs: EXECS.  Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, ET ALIA.

43. Nike alternative: ASICs.   Application Specific Integrated Circuits.   No, wait.  Never mind.  Here it is the name of the the brand of running shoes and sports clothing.

45. __ showing: theater info: NOW.

46. Textile mill worker: DYER. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs for dyers and finishers will decline by 24 percent between 2012 and 2022.   I tried to find the job outlook for bakery icers for a comparison, but could only find de-icers.  Ramp agents at the airports.

49. Whirlpool brand: AMANA.

51. Wee bit: DAB.   Brylcreem.  A little dab will do ya.    Well then, Dippity-do !

52. Ship's chart: SEA MAP.

55. Air, mostly: NITROGEN.

62. Intricate garden feature: MAZE.

63. Medieval suit: ARMOR.

64. Backtalk: SASS.

65. Prickly husks: BURS.  We had a chestnut in the treeline of the woods along the back of our property when I was growing up.   When the bur (husk) opens, they're ripe.   Remove the husk, then boil or roast for 20 minutes to soften the skin.  Cool, peel and enjoy. 

66. Nary a soul: NO ONE.

67. London rental: FLAT.

68. Blind part: SLAT.

Down:

1. Brewpub pints: ALES.

2. Under the weather: SICK.  A possible side-effect of drinking too many brewpub pints.

3. Hatcher with a recurring role in TV's "Supergirl": TERI.   Melissa Benoist stars as the series' titular character, Supergirl.    Teri Hatcher played villain Queen Rhea.  Supergirl and Queen Rhea duke it out:


4. [Shrug]: I DUNNO.  I dunno why I linked that previous video.  Is anyone here a fan ?   Has anyone here ever been able to sit through an episode ?  Maybe when the grandchildren are around ?

6. Nastase of tennis: ILIE.   Physically gifted and deftly skilled Romanian-born professional tennis player during the 1970s and early 1908s.   An International Tennis Hall of Fame member, he ranked as high as World # 1 in late 1973 and most of 1974.   Enfant terrible.  Nicknamed "Nasty" and the "Bucharest Buffoon" because of his on court antics and histrionics.  John McEnroe was a choirboy compared to Nastase.   In July 2017, the 72 year old Nastase received a 4 year ban by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) for his actions and racist comments.  The World Tennis Association (WTA) probably has him on thin ice as well. 

7. Minor role: BIT PART.   Erased "BIT role" as quickly as I entered it because role was in the clue. 

8. Scrooge's "Dang!": BAH.  Humbug.

9. Good, in Guatemala: BUENO.

10. Hawks' home: ATLANTA.  The Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

11. Ewe kid: LAMB. 

12. "A Light in the Attic" poet Silverstein: SHEL.   I know this name only from crosswords.  I had Shul until I changed Helmut to Helmet.   Don't know where that U came from.  Maybe Canada ?

13. Penny-__: unimportant: ANTE.   I like Wikipedia.   It's not unusual to find a few penny-ante errors in articles every now and then.  But then sometimes I run into obviously vandalized articles, like this one, which has since been corrected:

I also first thought this was a Wikipedia error, but it's a Google knowledge panel error:

19. Roll call answer: HERE.   An appropriate answer for a roll call to, "How many of you were wondering where TTP was going with those comments about penny-ante ?"

21. Woodworking rods: DOWELS.

25. Rubbish container: ASH BIN.   I used a galvanized metal pail as an ash bin.  I used it when  I emptied the ash tray at the bottom of the pot bellied stove.

26. Stockholder's agent: PROXY. 

27. Protective embankment: LEVEE.  A musical interlude is needed.


28. Install, as a cleric: ORDAIN.

30. Eric Trump's mom: IVANA.

31. Off-the-cushion pool shot: CAROM.

32. Large quantity: SLEW.

35. Daytona 500 org.: NASCAR.  The National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing.  The Daytona 500 is the top event in NASCAR.   Racing began at Dayton Beach in 1903 with a race between Ransom E Olds  and  Alexander Winton.   Richard Petty has the all-time record of 7 Daytona 500 wins.   AJ Foyt won it once.   Mario Andretti won it in 1967, and remains the only foreign-born racer to ever have won it.

42. Ice-climber's boot attachment: CRAMPON.

Choosing the Right Crampons

44. Tabloid fodder: SCANDAL.

47. One of the Three Bears: PAPA.  Can't help but thinking of George "Papa Bear" Halas of the NFL Chicago Bears when I hear or see Papa Bear, but in this clue it's about Goldilocks and the Three Bears.   As an aside, blogging the puzzle can broaden one's knowledge base.  e.g. I had no previous knowledge of  the origins of the Goldilocks tale until reading the Wikipedia article. 

48. Cold War threats: H-BOMBS.

50. Skiing champ Phil or Steve: MAHRE.  In the Olympics: 1976 Innsbruck, 1980 Lake Placid, and 1984 Sarajevo.    The Mahre brothers: Twin skiers who won gold and silver in slalom.

52. Cross over: SPAN.   The UFO Bridge spans the Danube in Bratislava, Slovakia.

53. Tipperary tip jar coin: EURO. The town and county in Ireland, and their current currency.  Learned of this song watching some old movie.


54. Hunter's need: AMMO.

56. Victor's wife in "Casablanca": ILSA. Victor Lazlo and Ilsa Lund, played by Paul Henreid and Ingrid Berman, respectively.   Here's a memorable scene from that movie.  Sam is played by Dooley Wilson.   


57. Ancient France: GAUL.  And present day Belgium, Luxembourg, most of Switzerland, northern Italy,  parts of the Netherlands and of Germany west of the Rhine.  About a third way through its existency, Julius Caesar had the unmitigated gall to invade and conquer almost all of Gaul.

58. Poet Pound: EZRA.  Annenberg Learner - Voices and Visions - Ezra Pound

59. Branch home: NEST. 

61. Bad check letters: NSF.  Non-Sufficient Funds.  Why ?  Why did they come up with this term ?  Why not insufficient funds ?

* Where's that crossword puzzle ?  😀

Note from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to Big Easy (George Simpson). Hope Diane is recovering quickly from her knee surgery, George!

Sunday November 4, 2018 Mark McClain

Theme:  "Alphabetical Order" - AB, CD, EF.... YZ starts each them entry.

22. First-aid kit brand: ACE BANDAGE.

24. Reprimanded: CALLED DOWN.

36. Liz Taylor's husband before Richard Burton: EDDIE FISHER.

39. One whose mouth shouldn't be examined?: GIFT HORSE.

56. Disloyal crimes: INSIDE JOBS.

62. One of three planetary motion principles: KEPLER'S LAW.

70. Raised a ruckus, say: MADE NOISE.

80. Source of zest: ORANGE PEEL.

84. What a texter usually expects: QUICK REPLY.

99. Donut ... or the consequence of eating too many of them?: SPARE TIRE.

104. Car on craigslist: USED VEHICLE.

118. Ways to detect fractured trapeziums: WRIST X-RAYS.

120. Restricted parking area, perhaps: YELLOW ZONE.

Quite often constructors can move theme entries around in the gridding process. Not today's grid though. AB/CD/... YZ dictated the strict order and put lots of pressure on Mark in his designing and filling process.

Except the middle M* N*, all the other entries are placed in the same row separated by one black square.  This makes the theme gimmick easy to spot visually.

Across:

1. "College Football Live" channel: ESPNU.

6. Apple-order link: PIE.

9. Turner's device: LATHE. Turn-er.

14. Start-the-day ABC talk show, familiarly: GMA.

17. Govt. red tape reduction: DEREG. Deregulation.

18. Parched: ARID.

20. Burger add-on: ONION. I only like green onions.

21. Smooth, in a way: IRON.

26. More achy: SORER.

27. Harassed impertinently: HECKLED.

29. "Bolero" composer: RAVEL.

30. Palais resident: ROI. Palace.

32. Piece of land: TRACT.

34. Antipoverty agcy.: OEO. Office of Economic Opportunity.

35. "__ was I?": WHERE.

43. "__ there, done that!": BEEN.

44. Blowhard: GAS BAG.

46. NYC area above Houston Street: NOHO. North of Houston Street.

47. Nickname usually related to hair color: RED.

50. Drew __, Patriots' quarterback before Brady: BLEDSOE. Unknown to me.

52. Upscale retailer: SAKS.

64. Menlo Park initials: TAE. Thomas Alva Edison.

65. Opera outburst: BRAVO.

66. Green-lights: OKS.

67. __ Sketch: ETCH-A.

68. Ward (off): STAVE.

74. Song of worship: PSALM.

75. Indulge: HUMOR.

76. U.N. workers' agcy.: ILO. International Labour Organization.

77. Slow, on scores: LENTO.

79. Humdinger: PIP.

86. N.C. neighbor: TENN.

87. "Sacré bleu!" kin: MON DIEU. My god.

89. Extra NHL periods: OTS.

90. To the __: maximally: HILT.

91. Himalayan native: SHERPA.

95. Small cells: AAAS.

107. Jazz pianist Chick: COREA.

108. Can cover: LID.

110. Shop: STORE.

111. La. neighbor: TEX. Texas Tom. Chicago Tom. That's how Boomer and I discuss our two Toms at home.

112. One on a trail: HIKER.

113. Song title words before "for Miles": I CAN SEE.

116. Connection points: NODES.

124. Top-drawer: A ONE.

125. Nemo's creator: VERNE.

126. Falco of "The Sopranos": EDIE.

127. Words of domination: I RULE.

128. Waze ways: Abbr.: STS. Waze is the GPS navigation app. So sorry you missed the annual lunch, Agnes!

129. Dot in the ocean: ISLET.

130. Pampering place: SPA.

131. Components of fences: GATES.

Down:

1. Author LeShan: EDA.

2. Bama's conf.: SEC.

3. Act the chair: PRESIDE.

4. Mount from which Moses saw the Promised Land: NEBO.

5. Lorre's "Casablanca" role: UGARTE.

6. Two-time British Open champ Harrington: PADRAIG. Gimme for me.

7. Keogh plan rel.: IRA.

8. Pizzas slices, commonly: EIGHTHS.

9. Age of Reason philosopher: LOCKE.

10. Not digital: ANALOG.

11. Shower wall item: TILE. We'll probably cave in to Plumb Right to fix the bathtub and the tiles sometime next year. 

12. Hang onto: HOLD.

13. OKC-to-Tulsa dir.: ENE.

14. Muppet prone to eschewing contractions: GROVER

15. Lawn machines: MOWERS.

16. Shakers founder: ANN LEE.

19. Not a good mark: DEE.

21. Sun Valley state: IDAHO.

23. Soft toy brand: NERF.

25. BBC time traveler: DR WHO.

28. Reef material: CORAL.

30. Hoops stat.: REB. OK, rebound.

31. Tribute in verse: ODE.

33. Breakaway nation: Abbr.: CSA.

37. Crucifix letters: INRI. Latin for "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews".

38. Pulls back: EBBS.

40. Brit. police rank: INSP.

41. Trick: FOOL.

42. "... I __ wed": THEE.

45. "Wall Street" antagonist: GEKKO (Gordon)  48. Stefan of tennis: EDBERG.  53. Li'l Abner drawer: AL CAPP. 54. Poet Gibran: KAHLIL. A bit name heavy in a few Down spots.

49. __ Spiegel: German magazine: DER.

51. Arnaz-Ball studio: DESILU.

52. Bygone boomers: SSTS.

55. Like England's "the Fens": SWAMPY.

56. "Turn on the AC!": IT'S HOT.

57. Mother __: NATURE.

58. Low naval rank: SEAMAN. Our Spitzboov retired as a Commander.

59. Fruity spread: JAM.

60. Egg cells: OVA.

61. Able or full follower: BODIED.

63. Think tank output: REPORT.

66. Tokyo-born Yoko: ONO.

69. World Cup skiing champ Lindsey: VONN. Born here in St. Paul.

71. Perry of fashion: ELLIS.

72. Due times tre: SEI. 2 times 3.

73. Bus. letter insert: ENC.

78. Ref's call: TKO.

81. Send forth: EMIT.

82. __ sci: POLI.

83. __'acte: ENTR.

84. Q&A part, briefly: QUES.

85. Morales of "Jericho": ESAI.

88. Israeli prime ministers Barak and Olmert: EHUDS. And 101. Acting father and son: ARKINS.

90. Ticker: HEART.

92. Works on a lawn: RESEEDS.

93. Calif. summer hrs.: PDT.

94. "Anne of Green Gables" setting: AVONLEA.

96. Pantomimes: ACTS OUT.

97. Pub pint, perhaps: ALE.

98. __ symbol: SEX.

99. Pair in "awaken": SCHWAS. The two vowel sounds.

100. "Little grey cells" detective: POIROT.

102. Piece maker?: REESE.

103. Funny Boosler: ELAYNE.

105. Buck back?: EROO. Buckeroo.

106. Harry Potter's owl: HEDWIG.

109. Map within a map: INSET.

113. More than annoys: IRES.

114. Poet Sandburg: CARL.

115. Hurricane feature: EYE.

117. Cornell founder Cornell: EZRA.

119. Driving age in old Rome?: XVI. Drive a chariot.

121. Gloss target: LIP.

122. Div. with Braves: NLE. NL East.

123. Some RPI grads: EES.

Boomer struggles with this back brace. We'll see if his doctor has other options early next week. We're also going to meet with the radiation oncologist next Friday for a consultation. Hopefully the radiation can start the week after.

C.C.