Sunday December 3, 2023 Steve Marron & Zhouqin Burnikel

Theme: "Do the Dishes" - The last word of each common phrase is replaced by its food homophone.

23A. Score a seafood morsel in a bite of paella?: PULL A MUSSEL. Pull a muscle.

25A. Carefully check some deli stock?: SCREEN LOX. Screen locks.

53A. Hamburgers and hot dogs sold at a NASCAR race?: TRACK MEAT. Track meet.

66A. Ingredient that tends to fly out of the stand mixer?: WILD FLOUR. Wild flour.

82A. Make an unusual choice while making borscht?: SKIP A BEET. Skip a beet.

112A. Sketch the Thanksgiving turkey before it's carved?: DRAW A FOWL. Draw a foul.

114A. Request to a fishmonger for smaller portions?: BREAK MY SOLE. Break My Soul.

41D. "This herb is amazing!"?: GREAT THYME. Great time.

45D. Avoid the downside in a corn investment?: HEDGE MAIZE. Hedge maze.

This theme was inspired by another food idea Steve had. I pervaded him to go with the "verb & food item" so "Do the Dishes" works nicely as a title. 

The theme clues went through substantial changes. Patti's are much more imaginative than our originals. 

Just FYI, all my future LAT puzzles will have the Zhouqin Burnikel byline.

Across:

1. Saoirse of "Lady Bird": RONAN. Her parents are Irish.

6. Casino request: HIT ME.

11. Go to the polls: VOTE.

15. Ship's staff: CREW.

19. IRS option: E FILE.

20. Lakers legend Shaquille: ONEAL.

21. Nutrient in dried beans: IRON. I eat tofu every day. Plenty of iron. No beans.

22. Letter before kappa: IOTA.

27. City viewed from Holmenkollbakken: OSLO. It's ski jumping hill in Oslo. Never heard of it until I read Steve's clue. He might have skied there.

28. Miles and meters: UNITS.

29. Decree: FIAT.

30. Intel microprocessor: XEON.

31. Kelp and sargassum: SEAWEEDS. Sargassum is brown seaweed.

33. Sour: TART.

35. Mosque leader: IMAM.

37. Certain, for sure: Abbr.: SYN. I love this clue. Patti's also. Certain is a synonym of sure.

38. __ firma: TERRA.

40. Patterns in an aviary: PLUMAGES.

44. Most bashful: SHIEST.

47. Low-pressure technique: SOFT SELL.

49. Numbered hwy.: RTE.

50. No Doubt lead singer Stefani: GWEN.

51. "__ a wrap": THAT'S.

56. Landscaping supply: SOD.

57. Travis or Haggard of country music: MERLE.

58. Polite interruption: AHEM.

60. Court proceeding: TRIAL. So pricey to have a lawyer to handle this probate issue. Gosh. Hope to have this thing wrapped up soon.

61. Restricted zone: NO-GO AREA.

63. Scottish lowland: GLEN.

64. Kind: SORT.

65. Magician Jillette: PENN.

70. Understands: GETS.

72. Repast: MEAL. I got papaya salad from our Asian grocery store for Thanksgiving. So spicy. I just can't handle hot pepper.

74. 50+ group: AARP.

75. Golfing compliment: NICE SHOT.

78. Steam room: SAUNA.

79. Lid woe: STYE.

80. Raga instrument: SITAR.

81. Ming who is the tallest player in the basketball Hall of Fame: YAO. He's 7'6".

84. Stocky dog: BOXER.

85. Little devils: IMPS.

86. "The Long Goodbye" Oscar winner Ahmed: RIZ. British actor.

87. Biometric recognition method: FACE SCAN.

90. Talks back: SASSES.

92. Artists' lofts: ATELIERS.

95. Mike Brady or Phil Dunphy: TV DAD. The latter from "Modern Family".

97. Mauna __: LOA.

98. Scraped (by): EKED.

99. Warthog feature: TUSK.

100. Far from calm: IN A PANIC.

105. Utter delight: GLEE.

107. Picnicker's worry: RAIN.

109. Battle of the brands: AD WAR.

111. Credit alternative: CASH.

116. Aria deliverer: DIVA.

117. Ignored the limit: SPED.

118. Abundant: AMPLE.

119. Noggins: DOMES.

120. "Please don't go!": STAY.

121. Letters on egg cartons: USDA.

122. Speedy: RAPID.

123. Piques: SNITS.

Down:

1. Some tow tasks, for short: REPOS.

2. Functional: OF USE.

3. Wafer named for its flavor: NILLA.

4. Admits: ALLOWS IN.

5. Read Across America org.: NEA.

6. Beagle, for one: HOUND.

7. Refuse to bend: INSIST.

8. Reason to hit the books: TEST.

9. Super conductors?: MAESTROS. Steve's clue. I love it.

10. Annex shape, perhaps: ELL.

11. Take a trip to: VISIT.

12. Killer whale: ORCA.

13. Chimichanga wrap: TORTILLA. Never had this.

14. Chemical suffix: ENE.

15. Picture house: CINEMA.

16. Caramel-filled treat: ROLO.

17. Town across the Thames from Windsor: ETON.

18. Spa treatment: WAX.

24. Jack kin: MUENSTER. No cheese for me.

26. Reason to hit the books: EXAM.

29. Campus brothers: FRAT.

32. __ contact: EYE.

34. Bark: ARF.

36. Punishes with a fine: MULCTS. Did this word give any of you trouble?

39. Oldest Haim sister: ESTE. Danielle, Este and Alana Haim. 

40. Pricey salon job: PERM.

42. Citation shortener: ET AL.

43. Movie location: SET.

44. In one fell __: SWOOP.

46. Pitched: THREW.

48. Court fig.: STENO.

50. "Who Wants To Be a Millionaire" channel: GSN.

52. Jai __: ALAI.

54. Retail giant that owns Food 4 Less and Ralphs: KROGER. I don't think we have a Kroger here in Minnesota.

55. Swamps: MIRES.

57. "See ya!": MANANA.

58. Actress Woodard: ALFRE.

59. Pitch in: HELP.

62. Outdo: ONE UP.

63. Aussie greeting: G DAY.

67. Drink with foam art: LATTE.

68. Operating system developed by Bell Labs: UNIX.

69. Ceremonies: RITES.

71. Melodramatic fare: SOAPS.

73. Chem class cost: LAB FEE.

76. Garage cacophony: CAR ALARM.

77. How-__: manuals: TOS.

78. Comedy bit: SKIT.

79. Min. parts: SECS.

80. Movsesian who co-hosts "Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend": SONA. Does your paper have the "Movesian" spelling? Patti corrected the error, but your local paper might still have the typo.

82. Sp. woman: SRA.

83. Dangling jewelry: EAR DROPS.

84. Unhappy returns?: BAD KARMA.

85. "Elon Musk" biographer Walter: ISAACSON. I told Steve not to use Elon Musk, way too divisive. So he went with Steve Jobs. Then Patti used Elon Musk. Shows you how much I know Patti's preferences. 

88. Bowl over: STUN. And 108. Blown away: AWED.

89. Walgreens rival: CVS.

91. Soak (up): SOP.

93. Elbow room: LEEWAY.

94. Furniture chain founded in Sweden: IKEA.

96. Hindu festival of lights: DIWALI. One of Patti's test solvers grew up in India.

99. Actress Swinton: TILDA.

101. Blunt, as truth: NAKED.

102. Supermodel Campbell: NAOMI.

103. Spot of land: ISLET.

104. Game with rooks: CHESS.

105. Sandpaper surface: GRIT.

106. Etna emission: LAVA.

110. "The Idol" actress Lily-Rose: DEPP. Johnny Depp's daughter.

112. Driller's deg.: DDS.

113. Tallahassee sch.: FSU.

114. Watering hole: BAR.

115. Fantasy football stat: YDS.

OK, guys, I finally got a "bent elbow" now. I need to work on rotating my shoulders more so the recovery arm is "over the top" rather than "on the side". I'm going to try Renee's "reach out in front of your nose" idea.

The biggest problem is now my kicks. With a kickboard, I kick like a pro, left/right, left/right, very rhythmic. Without my kickboard, my legs seem to kick randomly. Sometimes I have the mini dolphin kicks mixed in. Sometimes I stop kicking for a second, esp when I breathe. I don't know why. I'm going to wean myself off the kickboard. 

C.C.

 

Sunday November 26, 2023 Ricky Sirois

Theme:  "Lend Me Your Ears!" - The first word of each theme entry ends with an EAR sound, and EAR is dropped from the start of the last word.

22. Promo for a production at the Globe Theatre?: SHAKESPEARE PLUG.

33. Sign of impending bad weather?: ATMOSPHERE DROP.

49. Essay by the author of "The Martian"?: ANDY WEIR PIECE.

67. Jewelry displayed next to keychains and fridge magnets?: SOUVENIR RINGS.

87. Polish for posh light fixtures?: CHANDELIER WAX.

102. School friends in Troy, New York?: RENSSELAER BUDS.

116. Soreness after a long day working at Sotheby's?: AUCTIONEER ACHES.

I don't think there's any extra layer to further cohere the set, right? 49A is an exception with 3 words. All those EAR sounds have different spellings.

Sunday debut for Ricky Sirois. Congrats, Ricky!

Across:

1. Kid around: JEST.

5. Agcys.: ORGS.

9. "The Goonies" role for Ke Huy Quan: DATA. Unknown to me. He was born in Saigon, South Vietnam. Quan is a Chinese surname. He's of Chinese descent.

13. Wind instrument?: CHIME. 45. Crash site?: SPARE BED. 35. Euro pop?: PERE. All fun clues.

18. Chapati flour: ATTA.

19. Former Ford div.: MERC.

20. Discover, as a solution: HIT ON.

21. Organ __: DONOR.

25. Cygnets' parents: SWANS.

26. Comics unit: PANEL.

27. Proprietor: OWNER.

28. Image file type: GIF.

30. Bobby honored at Boston's TD Garden: ORR. His statue.

31. Pitch tents: ENCAMP.

38. Scuba spot: REEF.

39. Pup's bark: YAP.

41. Canadian prov.: PEI.

42. Escarole kin: ENDIVE. Curly endive.

43. Doone of fiction: LORNA.

48. Madre's sister: TIA.

53. Country with the southernmost capital city in the Americas: URUGUAY.

55. "Yes __, Bob!": SIREE.

56. Rich dessert: TORTE. Graybar used to have this on their Christmas luncheon menu.

57. Fall loosely: DRAPE.

58. Memorizes: LEARNS.

60. Tennis do-over: LET.

61. "We've all __ there": BEEN.

62. Milky birthstone: OPAL.

66. "Crikey!": ACK.

72. "No seats" sign: SRO.

73. Bygone depilatory brand: NEET.

75. GPS lines: RTES.

76. Chinese tea: CHA. Yum cha is a Cantonese tradition. Cha & dim sum. Retired folks do this almost every day. Very affordable.

77. "Whichever": EITHER.

79. Bit the dust: ATE IT.

81. Invents, as a word: COINS.

83. Taurasi who was the first WNBA player to score more than 9,000 points: DIANA. I knew this!

84. Regular expense for an employer: PAYROLL.

90. Taking after: ALA.

91. Shoe reinforcement: TOE PLATE. Never had this.

93. Parsonage: MANSE.

94. Jibes: AGREES.

96. French masculine pronoun: LUI. Opposite Elle.

97. Winter Games gp.: IOC.

98. Quaint contraction: TWAS.

107. Angular abode: A-FRAME.

109. __ World Service: international news org. based in London: BBC.

110. Oil field apparatus: RIG.

111. "Bridesmaids" actor Chris: O'DOWD. Irish actor.

113. Wears: HASON.

114. Expansive: BROAD.

120. Room brighteners: LAMPS.

121. Home of the southeast route to Everest: NEPAL. And 124. Home of the northeast route to Everest: TIBET.

122. Pixar clownfish: NEMO.

123. NBA legend Bryant: KOBE.

125. Dutch cheese: EDAM.

126. Tiny particle: ATOM.

127. Wet septet: SEAS.

Down:

1. Fforde who writes the "Thursday Next" mystery novels: JASPER. Learning moment for me. Never saw a word with ff start.

2. Hydrocarbon gas: ETHANE.

3. Position: STANCE.

4. Gamble (on): TAKE A FLYER.  Not famliar with this expression.

5. Sounds of meditation: OMS.

6. Bank's takeback: REPO.

7. Lost intimacy, say: GREW APART.

8. Negligible: SCANT.

9. Quick swim: DIP. I took a dip the other day and bumped into Boomer's old colleague Steve. He said he saw me there a few times but "is she, isn't she?". Guess how tall he is? I was wrong about Tom Pepper's height.

 

                                                     Boomer, Steve, Jerry & J.C. 12/8/2009

10. The Hawks, on scoreboards: ATL.

11. Head-scratcher: TOUGHIE. 14. [Scratches head]: HOW ODD.

12. Harmon of "Rizzoli & Isles": ANGIE.

13. LP successors: CDS.

15. Two-time Best Director Oscar winner Alejandro González __: INARRITU. For "Birdman" and "The Revenant".

16. Liberia's capital: MONROVIA.

17. Triage ctrs.: ERS.

20. Protagonist: HERO.

23. Furniture wood: ELM.

24. Sleep cycle letters: REM.

29. Allowed to graze: FREE RANGE.

32. Funeral rite pile: PYRE.

34. __ bar: SPACE.

36. Land: END UP.

37. Austin __: Tennessee university: PEAY. Learned from doing xwords.

40. Singer DiFranco: ANI.

44. Berlin Olympics star Jesse: OWENS.

45. Part of an emergency warning system: SIREN.

46. Frilly underskirt: PETTICOAT.

47. Martin Van __: BUREN.

49. Narnia lion: ASLAN.

50. Female kin: NIECE. And 51. Male mallard: DRAKE.

52. Flag bearers: POLES.

54. Cable TV's Nat __ Wild: GEO.

57. Agnus __: DEI.

59. Player who pouts after a rout: SORE LOSER. 78. Mustang's prints?: TIRE TRACKS.  Two great fill. 

61. __ new: BRAND.

63. "As if!": PSHAW.

64. Place for matches: ARENA.

65. "I speak for the trees" Seuss character: LORAX.

68. Practical: UTILE. I just use "useful".

69. Zoo doc: VET.

70. Cologne's river: RHINE.

71. Heads and tails: SIDES.

74. La Brea abundance: TAR.

80. "Completely," casually: TOTES.

81. Committee leader: CHAIR.

82. Like some chocolate: SEMI-SWEET.

84. Jack of early talk TV: PAAR.

85. Ninth grade math course, often: ALGEBRA I.

86. Crafty street art: YARN BOMB.

87. "Professor Plum, in the library, with the candlestick" board game: CLUE.

88. Southeast Asian language: LAO. Laos celebrate the New Year in April.

89. Peru native: INCA.

92. Troubled greatly: PLAGUED.

95. Get away from it all: ESCAPE.

99. Nevada's second-most populous county: WASHOE.

100. Pond protozoan: AMOEBA.

101. Has a feeling: SENSES.

103. "Big Little Lies" novelist Moriarty: LIANE. Knew it before I used this clue once.

104. More than simmer: BOIL.

105. Asparagus-like vegetable in some miso soup recipes: UDO. Our local Asian store does not carry this veggie.

106. Disco legend Summer: DONNA.

108. Govt. mortgage insurer: FHA.

112. Many a helpful video, for short: DEMO.

114. Letters on a lunch menu: BLT.

115. "Spring forward" letters: DST.

117. Bk. reviewer?: CPA.

118. Flat cap: TAM.

119. __-com: ROM.

C.C.

Sunday November 19, 2023 Susan Gelfand & Katie Hale

Theme: "Change the Subject" - Each common phrase is rephrased as if it's a tip from a school teacher.

23. Tip from a history teacher about how to study WWII?: CHOOSE ONE'S BATTLES.

38. Tip from an English teacher about the editing process?: MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT.

60. Tip from a gym teacher about how to win at tug-of-war?: PULL IT TOGETHER.

81. Tip from an astronomy teacher about how to set up telescopes?: AIM FOR THE STARS.

102. Tip from an accounting teacher about calculating profits and losses?: FIND THE RIGHT BALANCE.

121. Tip from a math teacher about working with squares and cubes?: REMEMBER YOUR ROOTS

I feel CHOOSE YOUR BATTLES work better for 23A, but then it would result two YOUR in the theme set. Only 6 entries, but they're all very long. A perfect 100 theme squares with an extra "Tip from .... teacher" clue layer.

 

I just realized that this is Susan's first Sunday LAT. Surprising. She's a veteran constructor who's been published in many places. Congrats, Susan!

Across:

1. Word with corn or matzo: MEAL.

5. Fill-in at an office: TEMP.

9. Truly hopeless: ABJECT.

15. Org. with badges: BSA.

18. Director Preminger: OTTO. Our Otto. This is from his retirement luncheon in 2010.

19. Thrown in: EXTRA.

21. "Clever you": TOUCHE.

22. Each and every: ALL.

26. __ card: smartphone need: SIM.

27. Intimate: HINT AT.

28. Went fast: SPED.

29. Radio City Music Hall style: ART DECO. We often just have DECO.

31. Unreturned tennis serve: ACE.

32. Grover's predecessor: CHESTER. Arthur.

35. __ the pot: STIR.

37. "On a ... " poems: ODES.

42. "__ there, done that": BEEN.

44. Rapper Dr. __: DRE.

45. Dines: SUPS.

46. 3-Down novelist McEwan: IAN. 3. Booker Prize-shortlisted novel made into a film starring Keira Knightley: ATONEMENT.

47. Desilu co-founder: ARNAZ.

49. Actress Ward: SELA.

52. Observed Ramadan, say: FASTED.

55. Question of identity: WHO.

58. Make a difference: MATTER.

63. Get more out of: RECYCLE.

65. Nonprofit URL ender: ORG.

66. Make money: EARN.

67. Tiny organism: MICROBE.

71. Atlanta pitcher Kirby: YATES. Free agent now. Also 94. Baseball deal: TRADE.

74. Sandal feature: OPEN TOE.

76. Botanical balm: ALOE.

77. Hosp. areas: ORS.

79. Charlie Parker's instrument: ALTO SAX.

85. Some flower girl candidates: NIECES.

90. "Stay With Me" singer Smith: SAM.

91. Invisible: UNSEEN.

92. Great flood protagonist: NOAH.

95. Western treaty gp.: OAS. Organization of American States.

97. Stuck in __: A RUT.

99. MMA calls: KOS.

101. Big-screen format: IMAX.

109. Pie crust ingredient: LARD. Boomer loved pumpkin pies. I don't think we ever had apple pies for Thanksgiving. We also always had boiled rutabaga.

110. "Anything __?": ELSE.

111. Prepare for a comeback tour: RE-UNITE.

112. Reproductive cells: OVA.

115. Google oneself, perhaps: EGO-SURF.

117. Downright nasty: MEAN.

118. Caged copycat: PARROT.

120. Successful show letters: SRO.

126. Shorten, as a skirt: HEM.

127. Venezia's land: ITALIA.

128. Skin soother: SALVE. I love this brand.

129. Sheltered from the wind: ALEE.

130. Thumbs-up: YES.

131. Former Seattle team, familiarly: SONICS.

132. Tide type: NEAP.

133. Colorado's __ Verde National Park: MESA.

Down:

1. Chocolaty coffee: MOCHA.

2. Moral code: ETHIC.

4. Booty: LOOT.

5. Grew molars, say: TEETHED.

6. Prefix with thermic: EXO.

7. Any of the Rockies: Abbr.: MTN.

8. Magic word: PRESTO.

9. Little bit: A TAD.

10. Droid: BOT.

11. Stick (out): JUT.

12. Log-shaped pastry: ECLAIR.

13. Shirley Temple garnish: CHERRY.

14. Acid __: TEST.

15. Question of evidence: BASED ON WHAT.  Debut fill. Two more long multi-word entries: 69. Dorm areas for hanging out: COMMON ROOMS.  87. Small part for a big name, often: CAMEO ROLE.

16. Deli device: SLICER.

17. Just about: ALMOST.

20. Colorado ski spot: ASPEN.

24. Burlap bag: SACK.

25. Arctic hazards: BERGS.

30. Qatar's capital: DOHA.

33. Hearing things: EARS.

34. Struggling to stay awake: SLEEPY.

35. Apostle of Ireland, for short: ST PAT.

36. Throw at: TOSS TO.

39. Med school subj.: ANAT.

40. Islamic mystic: SUFI. Rumi was one.

41. Fries or slaw: SIDE.

42. "Kapow!": BAM.

43. Notable period: ERA.

48. Zip: ZERO.

50. Girl who cannot be trusted to hold the football for Charlie Brown: LUCY.

51. Pasta __ Norma: ALLA. Never heard of it. Pasta with eggplant.

53. Pamplona bulls: TOROS.

54. Omelet skillet: EGG PAN.

56. Supersized sandwich: HERO.

57. Normandy river: ORNE.

59. Energized anew: REBORN.

61. Unleash upon: LET AT.

62. Number of Grammy Awards won by Dolly Parton: TEN. She has won almost every award. 

64. Classic mint brand: CERTS.

67. Bleating sounds: MAAS.

68. Pelvic bones: ILIA.

70. NBA official: REF.

72. Dynamism: ELAN.

73. H-Town pro: STRO.

75. Parkway sign: EXIT.

78. Wool clippers: SHEARS. And 106. Doesn't use scissors: TEARS.

80. Resident of Japan's third largest city: OSAKAN.

82. Unseat: OUST.

83. Spooky: EERIE.

84. Comfy and cozy: SNUG.

86. Prince in "The Little Mermaid": ERIC.

88. Writer LeShan: EDA.

89. Census datum: SEX.

93. Hindu spring festival: HOLI.

96. Goes on to say: ADDS.

98. Number of Powerpuff Girls: THREE. Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup.

100. Course for college-bound HS students: SAT PREP.

102. Plump: FLESHY.

103. "Amen to that!": I AGREE.

104. Contract adverb: HERETO.

105. "The Nightmare Before Christmas" composer Danny: ELFMAN.

107. Legendary Paul: BUNYAN.

108. Close by: NEAR.

113. Casts a ballot: VOTES.

114. On a cruise: AT SEA.

116. "Exodus" novelist Leon: URIS.

117. Many execs: MBAS.

119. Travel without a destination: ROAM.

122. Pharmaceutical giant __ Lilly: ELI.

123. MC's need: MIC.

124. World Cup cheer: OLE.

125. Cavaliers sch.: UVA.

C.C.

 

Sunday November 5, 2023 Pam Amick Klawitter

Theme: - "Make Mine a Double" - An extra letter is added to the start of the second word. This letter is the same as the last letter of the first word.

22A. Curmudgeonly professor?: ACADEMIC CRANK. Academic rank.

38A. Sign of sadness from Dumbo?: ELEPHANT TEAR. Elephant ear.

70A. Pilot's scheduling concern?: SPEED OF FLIGHT. Speed of light.

100A. Sign of wedding-day jitters?: SMOKING GROOM. Smoking room.

117A. Consequence of a Midwest cold snap?: FREEZING GRAIN. Freezing rain.

13D. Golf rental with a sponsorship deal?: GRAPHIC CART. Graphic art.

14D. Method of tracking down Ben-Hur?: CHARIOT TRACE. Chariot race.

62D. Collectible earthenware?: CLASSIC CROCK. Classic rock.

70D. Under a log or in a pile of wet leaves?: SNAIL'S SPACE. Snail's pace.

The doubled letters are all consonants of course. 70A is the only one with a 3-word pattern. I do like it though.

Heavy theme. 9 entries. So not many long fill. Only two 8's.

Across:

1. Like bad fried food: GREASY. My favorite fried food: sesame balls.

 

 

7. Recipe smidgen: DASH.

11. Wrinkly faced dog: PUG.

14. "60 Minutes" airer: CBS.

17. Pumpkin seed: PEPITA. Just "pumpkin seed" in Spanish, right?

18. Sentimental sort: SOFTIE.

20. Airport board datum: Abbr.: ARR.

21. "__ do you do it!?": HOW.

24. Snake River st.: IDA.

25. Period: AGE.

26. Fashion designer Kate: SPADE.

27. Asks for a meal to be delivered to the penthouse, say: ORDERS UP.

29. Wish one hadn't: RUE.

30. Knock hard: RAP.

33. Rose fruit: HIPS. Pretty. 

35. Sorceress jilted by Jason: MEDEA.

36. Lift: HOIST.

42. San Fernando Valley community: ENCINO.

44. Tomato __: PUREE.

45. Otto in "A Man Called Otto," for one: GRUMP.

46. A-mews-ing memes?: LOLCATS. Ha.

48. Blue man group?: SMURFS.

50. College domain: EDU.

51. Once cost: WAS.

53. Some accent marks: ACUTES.

55. Car roof option: T TOP.

57. Wood stove buildup: SOOT.

59. In real trouble: UP A TREE. Do you know what this tree is? I took it yesterday at the Shingle Creek trails.

60. Carve one's initials, say: ETCH. Just learned "arborglyph" last Sunday.

63. Verdi opera: AIDA.

66. Panache: FLAIR.

68. __ beef: ROAST.

69. Org. with Lightning and Flames: NHL. 86. Extra 69-Across periods, briefly: OTS.

73. Intel-gathering org.: CIA.

74. Bride follower: TRAIN.

76. Biological copy: CLONE.

77. In __ of: LIEU.

78. Tenant's payment: RENT.

79. Make clearer, hopefully: RESTATE.

81. Employee's incentive: PERK.

83. Sample: DEMO.

85. Private assent: YES SIR.

87. "Yada yada yada" abbr.: ETC.

90. "Cheers," for one: SITCOM.

94. Family member: SIBLING. Andy turned 48 yesterday. I showed him my butterfly. He said: "You're not a frog anymore. You're a dolphin."

96. "Invisible Cities" author Calvino: ITALO. Also 11. Italian chum: PAISANO.

98. Nick of "Blackout": NOLTE.

99. Wyoming city: CASPER.

102. Where to find much 1990s music: ON CDS.

104. Divided lunchbox: BENTO.

106. Kuwaiti leader: EMIR.

107. Soup with rice noodles: PHO.

108. Cheers, for one: BAR.

109. +: PLUS SIGN.

112. Direct jeers toward: BOO AT. 52. The slightest bit: AT ALL. And 54. Tuned to: SET AT.

115. Huge fuss: ADO.

116. Come down with something: AIL.

122. Open __ night: MIC.

123. Bookkeeping pro: CPA.

124. Like an ideal situation: WIN WIN.

125. Vinyl record feature: GROOVE.

126. Biblical construction: ARK.

127. Double curve: ESS.

128. Heron's home: NEST.

129. Pinstripes wearer: YANKEE. Yankee caps are very popular in Guangzhou. Probably because lots of Cantonese visit New York.

Down:

1. Report card no.: GPA.

2. "Parks and __": REC.

3. Green org. with a flower logo: EPA.

4. Lends a hand: AIDS.

5. Escalator unit: STEP.

6. Kawasaki rival: YAMAHA. Motorcycle.

7. "__ McStuffins": DOC.

8. Natural hairstyle: AFRO.

9. Planetarium display: STAR MAP.

10. Thwart: HINDER.

12. Pakistani language: URDU.

15. Fake: BOGUS.

16. "I like that!": SWEET.

18. British royal staff: SCEPTRE.

19. Just got (by): EKED.

23. Job for a bouncer: ID'ING.

28. Staggers: REELS.

30. Gym iterations: REPS.

31. Many a univ. donor: ALUM.

32. El Misti's land: PERU.

34. Hoop alternative: STUD.

37. Just going through the motions: ON AUTO.

39. Western Australian port: PERTH. And 41. Ostrich kin: EMUS.

40. Lift with effort: HEFT.

43. Applaud: CLAP.

47. Greets and seats: SEES IN. 89. "Hop aboard!": CLIMB IN. 100. Add with a spoon: STIR IN.

49. __ opera: SOAP.

51. "Law & Order" creator: WOLF. Dick. Boomer watched every episode of ""Law & Order".

56. Jigsaw unit: PIECE.

58. Buyer's proposal: OFFER.

59. Prodded: URGED.

60. Way in: ENTRY.

61. Good scores on par fours: THREES.

64. "The French Dispatch" actor Benicio __ Toro: DEL.

65. Bring home from an animal shelter: ADOPT.

67. Son of a son: III.

71. Dollar bills: ONES.

72. Color shades: HUES.

75. "You're not going to like this": IT'S BAD. I have a new neighbor. Quiet and no weedy smell. I'm so happy.  

78. Chopper part: ROTOR.

80. Journey: TRIP.

82. Low-carb diet: KETO. Can't imagine such a diet.

84. Basketball Hall of Famer Yao: MING. Chairman of Chinese Basketball Association.

86. Big brutes: OGRES.

88. Grab: TAKE.

91. Hoofbeat sound: CLOP.

92. Brief "However": OTOH.

93. Office dispatch: MEMO.

95. Awards for Charlie Jane Anders and N.K. Jemisin: NEBULAS. Here is Anders.

96. Coca of "Your Show of Shows": IMOGENE.

97. Bagel flavor: ONION.

101. Not quite awake: GROGGY.

102. President born in Hawaii: OBAMA.

103. Apex antonym: NADIR.

105. "Careful where you open this link" shorthand: NSFW. Not Safe for Work.

110. Kissers: LIPS.

111. "That's __ to me": NEWS.

113. Taj Mahal city: AGRA.

114. 1982 Disney sci-fi film: TRON.

118. Clearasil target: ZIT.

119. Jolly good: A-OK.

120. "Now __ seen everything!": I'VE.

121. Word between surnames: NEE.

C.C.