Sunday May 18, 2014 John Lampkin

Theme:  "Addressing the Crowd" - Each theme answer ends with a street address, all clued appropriate for the profession mentioned in each clue.

23A. Apt address for hit men? : VICIOUS CIRCLE

28A. Apt address for prizefighters? : BELT LOOP

41A. Apt address for petrologists? : ROCKY ROAD. Misty's husband is a petrologist, I think.

50A. Apt address for surgeons? : INSIDE LANE

68A. Apt address for an Orlando team? : MAGIC SQUARE

 

86A. Apt address for photographers? : FLASH DRIVE. We all know John is a nature photographer.

94A. Apt address for gossip columnists? : DIRT TRAIL. Miss the old MSNBC Entertainment coverage.

109A. Apt address for dairymen? : MILKY WAY

118A. Apt address for Australian zookeepers? : KANGAROO COURT

What a great title!

Not a pangram as John's typical Sunday puzzles. 9 theme entries are not easy to deal with, esp if the first one starts with a 13, as you're forced with deep stacks of 7's on the upper right immediately. John could put another black square in square 22, but then he would have exceeded the word limit. 

Same with square 19. This is a potentially 3-letter heavy puzzle (I could easily see 20 in the top and bottom three rows alone), but John is a grid master.

Across:

 

1. Braying beast : ASS. Alliteration.

4. PC display : LCD

7. Places for prayer leaders : APSES

12. Bourbon barrel wood : OAK

15. "Silly me!" : D'OH!. And 18. Silly talk : TWADDLE. I like this word.

20. Collar attachment : LEASH. And 26. Helmet attachments : STRAPS

21. Certify : SWEAR TO

25. "Get busy!" : HOP TO IT!

   

27. Porcine cry : OINK

29. Overjoys : ELATES

31. "C'est magnifique!" : OO LA LA. Hi there Linda!

34. "Besides that ..." : ALSO

35. i follower : POD. iPod.

37. Capable, kiddingly : EPT

38. Chiapas chaperon : DUENA. New word to me. Also not familiar with the Mexican state Chiapas. Another Mexican state in the clue of AMIGA (122. Jalisco gal pal).

39. Mollycoddle : COSSET. No idea. Never been cosseted. 

45. Basic dance : TWO-STEP

47. It's a gas : OZONE

48. Native Canadian : CREE

55. Put under a spell : BEWITCH

57. Liberal group? : ARTS. Good old clue.

59. Scientific map subjects : GENOMES

60. "Three Days of the Condor" org. : CIA. I liked the movie. I like Robert Redford.

61. Scena segment : ARIA

62. Miler Sebastian : COE

64. Bug user : SNOOP. Wiretap bug.

65. Jerk : DORK.  Nope. Dorks are not jerks.

72. Football Hall of Famer Marchetti : GINO. Look, he even attached HOF in his signature.

73. Projecting window : ORIEL

75. Finder's reward : FEE

76. It may be artificial : TURF

77. Grate stuff : ASH

79. Pull back, as talons : RETRACT. Vivid clue.

81. Two in seventy-five? : VEES. Two letter V's.

82. Aaron Burr was once tried for it : TREASON. He was? This guy was so problematic.

89. Africa's Mobutu __ Seko : SESE

91. Kiddie lit redhead : PIPPI

92. Car deal component : TRADE-IN

96. Synagogue leaders : RABBIS

100. Two-time US Open winner : SELES (Monica). 

102. Burn at the beach : FRY. Shout-out to a blog regular, who loves his Pirates.

103. Bee follower : CEE

104. Jai __ : ALAI

105. Ankle-related : TARSAL

106. What burglars may walk on : TIPTOE

112. Hummable bit : TUNE. So simple, so beautiful. Make me think of the young Spitzboov, Argyle & PK.

114. Fairy tale brother : HANSEL. And Gretel.

117. Searches for anew : RE-SEEKS

121. For kicks : ON A LARK

123. Missing more marbles : LOONIER. Fun clue.

124. Mil. award : DSM (Distinguished Service Medal)

125. Turning meas. : RPS

126. River to the Bering Sea : YUKON

 

127. USCG officer : ENS (Ensigns)

128. Carol contraction : 'TIS

Down:

1. Some three-wheelers, briefly : ATVs

2. "M*A*S*H" actress : SWIT. "Hot Lips".

3. Untouchable : SACRED COW. Lovely entry.

4. Parkinson's treatment : L-DOPA

5. Tight gathering : CLUSTER

6. __ Plaines, Illinois : DES

7. Et __ : ALII

8. Anise-flavored liqueur : PERNOD. Gimme for Argyle, not me.

9. Grab some z's : SACK OUT

10. Subj. for aliens : ESL

11. Boater's pronoun : SHE. Not "Boater" hat.

12. Irish actor Milo : O'SHEA

13. Like a GI who missed the boat? : AWOL. On purpose then.

14. Didn't trash : KEPT

15. Responds to kitchen aromas : DROOLS. Do you miss your grandma's kitchen? I do.

16. Futile : OTIOSE. This word looks fat to me.

17. British stew : HOT POT. Chinese too.

19. Where to see hands on a wrist : DIAL. Another fun clue.

22. Traveler's aid : ATLAS

24. Credit sharer : CO-STAR

28. Coty Award winner Bill : BLASS. See here. He won in 1983. The Award was discontinued in 1985.

30. Big period : EPOCH

32. 2013 Women's British Open winner Stacy : LEWIS. Old course at St. Andrews. JD was there once.

33. Auth. unknown : ANON

35. SAT item : PROB. And 70. SAT item : QUES. Problem and Questions.

36. Exude : OOZE

39. Hand over : CEDE

40. Pops the top off : OPENS

42. Old-style golf wear : KNICKERS

43. Sasquatch kin : YETI

44. Honey substitute? : DEARIE. Sweet!

46. Member of the Panthera genus : TIGER

49. Spy novelist Ambler : ERIC

51. Classical music lover, facetiously : LONG HAIR. Both John & Rich are long hair(s) then!

52. Mine, in Monaco : A MOI

53. Vegas light : NEON

54. Beantown hockey hero : ESPO. Phil Esposito.

56. Nanny follower : CAM. Nanny cam.

58. Aesthetic attitude : TASTE

61. Negotiate a figurative hill? : AGE. I don't get this clue.

62. Put under a spell : CURSED

63. Klutz : OAF

65. German village : DORF. Learning moment for me.

66. Sportscaster Hershiser : OREL

67. Poet Dove : RITA

69. Performers' union acronym : AFTRA (American Federation of Television and Radio Artists)

71. Wing for Dumbo : EAR

74. "Chicago Hope" Emmy winner : LAHTI (Christine)

78. Equinox mo. : SEPT

80. Burned media, for short : CD-Rs. CD-R = Compact Disc-Recordable.

81. Salome septet : VEILS

82. Country singer Clark : TERRI

83. Apollo protection : SPACE SUIT. I was thinking of Greek god Apollo, Gary!

84. Mayberry moppet : OPIE

85. River to the Mediterranean : NILE

87. "In my opinion ..." : I'D SAY

88. Deviate : VEER

90. Bakery tool : SIFTER

93. One who's bound to order? : NEATNIK. Loved the clue and answer.

95. Tropical blow : TYPHOON

96. Muzzleloading aid : RAMROD

97. Far-out bunch? : ALIENS

98. Holiday tree : BALSAM

99. Theodore of "The Defiant Ones" : BIKEL. He looks familiar. I must have googled him before.

101. Nancy's buddy : SLUGGO

105. Things to do : TASKS

107. Mexican restaurant staples : TACOS

108. "__, you noblest English": "Henry V" : ON, ON

110. Coin datum : YEAR

111. Sitcom radio station : WKRP

113. Tandoori bread : NAAN

115. "... __ saw Elba" : ERE I

116. P.O. deliveries : LTRS

118. Kick starter? : KAY. Letter K. Or our Kazie's real name.

119. __ Darya River : AMU

120. Corrida kudos : OLE

C.C.

Sunday May 11, 2014 Robin Stears

Theme: "Body Language"-  Both word can precede "Body" in each theme entry.

23A. Bit of roomy footwear? : FAT STOCKING. Body fat. Bodystocking.

28A. Iron Man's coat? : ARMOR PAINT. Body armor. Body paint. Reminds me of the "This is not a parrot" picture Hahoola linked last time.

42A. Shrill morning awakener? : PIERCING CLOCK. Body piercing. Body clock.

 59A. AutoZone inventory? : PARTS COUNT. Body parts. Body count. A bit of a downer.

65A. Hawaii museum section? : SURFING ART. Bodysurfing. Body art. How many people can you see?

  

86A. Clothing store shoplifters? : SUIT SNATCHERS. Bodysuit. What are "body snatchers"?

97A. The old one-two? : DOUBLE BLOW. Body double. Body blow.

105A. Put down a high school subject? : SLAM ENGLISH. Body slam. Body English.

Did you get the theme easily? It stumped our own Steve.

Robin has a knack for this type of both words can follow/precede theme type. See her last LAT puzzle.  "Dance Partners", also a Sunday.

Across:

1. Cold mold : ASPIC. The ones in Xi'An often contain bits of fried tofu.

6. Remove pieces from? : UNARM. Use DISARM more often.

11. Stay-at-home ones, perhaps : DADS

15. Disappearing slope apparatus : T-BAR. I don't get the "Disappearing" part.

19. Isabella, por ejemplo : REINA. Spanish queen.

20. Largest of the Cyclades : NAXOS

21. Peace Nobelist Wiesel : ELIE

22. Poker chip collector : RAKE. If my brain works as fast as Ben Affleck's, I'll count cards too.

25. Fresh, in a way : RUDE

26. Tiger's ex : ELIN. So pretty.

27. Puts away, as a dagger : SHEATHES

30. Escalator feature : TREAD

31. Sour notes : CLINKERS. I only know clunkers.

32. "The Racer's Edge" : STP

35. Phoenix team, on scoreboards : ARI. D-backs.

36. Home to one billion : AFRICA. 4.3 billion people in Asia.

38. One vis-à-vis three, at times : SOONER. Simple in retrospect.

45. Ring of Fire danger : TSUNAMI. Love this picture Dave linked a few days ago.

46. Divvy up : ALLOT

47. Jack up : RAISE

48. Got ready to drive : TEED. Unlike Marti, Laura Davies never uses tees. She just kicks up a bit of sod and uses it as a tee.

49. 45, e.g. : RPM

50. Dole (out) : METE

51. Bits of holly : SPRIGS

53. Influence unfairly : BIAS

54. Opposite of ecto- : ENTO. Inner.

55. Boat-steering tool : OAR

56. Wood stove, for one : HEATER

58. Grade school quintet : A E I O U

67. Say "y'all," say : ELIDE

68. Acapulco beaches : PLAYAS. Had no idea that "Playa" means "Beach" in Spanish.

70. Charlottesville sch. : UVA (University of Virginia)

71. Gym series : REPs

72. Instrument played with a mallet : GONG. Also the surname of the most famous Chinese actress Gong Li.

73. Follow orders : COMPLY

76. Quipsters : WITS

80. Brown, in old ads : UPS. Sorry about my umlaut mess-up yesterday, Splynter. No Blue-Eyed Girl yesterday?

81. 1998 N.L. MVP : SOSA

82. Paroxysm : THROE

83. Pago Pago's nation : SAMOA

84. Airport arrival : SHUTTLE

89. Spotted : ESPIED

90. Least significant : MEREST

91. Fed. auditing agency : GAO (Government Accountability Office)

92. Talk trash to : DIS. Don't you ever talk about me like that! I'm the best Chinese crossword blogger in the game.

93. Deportment : DEMEANOR

95. Connection : NEXUS

100. It joined the Union in 1876 : COLORADO

103. Jamaican tangelo : UGLI. Most grocery stores carry UGLIs nowadays.

104. Sliding __ : DOOR

108. Bed board : SLAT

109. Oscar winner Hathaway : ANNE

110. Spanish bar servings : TAPAS

111. Chew the scenery : EMOTE

112. Now Look dolls, e.g. : KENs. Not familar with the "Now Look".

113. Drain cleaners : LYES

114. Oodles : SCADS

115. Less cracked? : SANER. Nice clue.

Down:

1. Chihuahua greeting : ARF

2. Seven __ : SEAS

3. Essence : PITH

4. Map of Hawaii, often : INSET. Indeed.

5. Falls : CATARACT. Plural-like singular, like Niagara Falls, I guess.

6. Release : UNCHAIN

7. Au naturel : NAKED

8. Line in math class : AXIS

9. Burgundy of film : RON. Hi there, Ron!

10. Controversial flavor enhancer : MSG

11. Lifting device : DERRICK

12. Smith graduate : ALUMNA

13. Got a C-plus, say : DID OK

14. Sibyls : SEERESSES

15. High-level disloyalty : TREASON

16. 2008 Asian Beach Games host : BALI. Have no memory of the games.

17. Similar (to) : AKIN

18. "Seasons of Love" musical : RENT

24. Cheri of "SNL" : OTERI

28. "... a grin without a cat!" thinker : ALICE

29. Self-important : PROUD

31. Stick with a net : CROSSE. In Lacrosse, right?

32. Annoying messages : SPAM

33. Domino, for one : TILE

34. Pound repeatedly : PELT

36. Berry rich in antioxidants : ACAI. See lots of Acai bowls on Pinterest.

37. Capricious : FLIGHTY

39. Country by the River Shribble : NARNIA. Got via crosses.

40. Caveat __ : EMPTOR

41. Curl around the hole's edge without going in, in golf lingo : RIM OUT. The clue describes the entry accurately.

43. School of the future? : ROE. Another great clue.

44. "Stay off my turf!" : GRR

45. Sad : TEARFUL

48. Bit of ticket info : TIER

51. Pouch : SAC

52. Ask for a hand? : PROPOSE

53. A/C unit : BTU. So pricey to ask those guys for a check up. Often they don't have the correct parts in their car, and they have to come again. I often wonder if they're telling the truth.

54. Neurofeedback readout : EEG

55. Sugar suffix : OSE

57. Pigeonholes : ASSORTS

58. Gasteyer of "Suburgatory" : ANA

59. Wade through : PERUSE

60. Hebrew leaders? : ALEPHS. Just first letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

61. Turns to confetti : RIPS UP

62. Some ESPN highlights : TDs

63. It parallels the radius : ULNA

64. Unlikely derby winner : NAG

66. Wrigley Field feature : IVY

69. Increasingly sore : ACHIER

72. Cherished prize : GOLD MEDAL. I'll always remember the 15 gold medals China won in 1984. That's the first Olympics to many Chinese (China had been boycotting Olympics prior to that).

74. More than half : MOST

75. Memento from a bill-signing ceremony : PEN

76. ''Do __ Diddy Diddy'': 1964 hit : WAH

77. Pinged, in a way : IM'ED. "Pinged" made me think of the Malaysia Airlines Flight 370.

78. Famous Amos : TORI

79. Get smart with : SASS

81. Shade of gray : STEEL

82. "Presumed Innocent" author : TUROW (Scott)

83. Calamity causes : SCOURGES

85. Choice morsels : TIDBITS. So I made Granola with Argyle's maple syrup a la this recipe. Skipped coconut flakes & used slivered almonds. I must have done something wrong, the taste was a bit bitter.

86. Men of La Mancha : SENORES

87. Eternal : AGELESS

88. Phylum or genus, e.g. : TAXON. New word to me. The plural is TAXA.

90. Sam who worked with Coach and Woody : MALONE. In "Cheers!" Never watched it.

94. Key material : EBONY. Piano key.

95. Itinerant : NOMAD

96. Hayek of "Frida" : SALMA. Saw a Frida Kahlo exhibit a few years ago. She sure knew pain &  passion.

97. Evenfall : DUSK

98. Look like a wolf? : OGLE. Lovely clue.

99. __ Bator : ULAN

100. Corrida cloak : CAPA

101. "Runaround Sue" singer : DION

102. Prefix meaning "bone" : OSTE

105. Bernard and Bonaventure: Abbr. : STs

106. Varnish ingredient : LAC

107. "__ Town Too": 1981 hit : HER. James Taylor.

The third Minnesota Crossword Tournament will be held on June 22 at The Landmark Center in Saint Paul. Please click here for more information. The puzzles are all made by our local constructors or constructors with MN ties (Andrea Carla Michaels, e.g.).  The local constructors include Tom Pepper, George Barany, David Hanson, David Liben-Nowell, Dan Kantor, Jay Kaskel & Victor Barocas (also our editor). Don G and Andy Kravis also took part in the effort. A few are our LA Times constructors. All have been published by the NY Times.

C.C.

 

Sunday May 4, 2014 Wren Schultz

Theme: "Never Mind" - IT is removed from each theme entry.

23A. Mashed potatoes feature? : CENTER OF GRAVY. Center of gravity.

34A. Signature clothes-washing move? : CREATIVE WRING. Creative writing.

51A. Bear with backup musicians? : SMOKEY AND THE BAND. Smokey and the Bandit.

69A. Heads-up from your co-star about a former mate in the wings? : EX STAGE LEFT. Exit stage left.

87A. Home of robot jugglers and digital clowns? : ELECTRONIC CIRCUS. Electronic circuits.

104A. Stylist's jobs? : BUILDING PERMS. Building permits. 

Reveal entry:

118A. "Never mind," and a hint to this puzzle's theme : FORGET ABOUT IT

69A is an odd man out in that it's the only them entry where the first word has IT dropped. Rich must like the answer a lot to allow for the inconsistency. Argyle sent me this clip to share with you.

I think this is Wren Schultz's debut puzzle. Congratulations! Sunday's grid is at least twice as hard to make as the weekday grids. Not sure if this is our Wren.

Across:

1. "100 Years...100 Movies" org. : AFI (American Film Institute)

4. Bill and Hillary, e.g. : ELIs. They met at Yale.

8. Gives a boost, say : AIDs

12. Direction from Columbus, Ohio, to Columbia, S.C. : SSE

15. Mister Rogers' network : PBS

18. Fall back on : RESORT TO

20. "True __": 2010 Best Picture nominee : GRIT. By the Cohen Brothers. Native Minnesotans.

21. Sound qualities : TIMBRES

25. Board at a station : ENTRAIN

26. Prefix with meter : ALTI

27. Nebraska native : OTOE

28. Martini garnish : OLIVE

30. Wheat whiskers : AWNS. Does Quinoa have AWNs also? Our local Star Tribune has a fantastic Quinoa Salad the other day.

31. Jefferson and others, religiously : DEISTS

37. Marine eagle : ERN

38. Rap sheet letters : AKA

40. BTWs, in letters : PSS

41. Casually considered, with "with" : TOYED

42. Walk unsteadily : LIMP

44. Takei role : SULU

47. "__ I know ..." : AS FAR

58. Simpson judge : ITO (Lance)

59. Cookie sellers : SCOUTS. Wish they would find some other creative outlets.

60. Night sky feline : LEO

61. Stoked : FUELED

62. 86-Across, overseas : LTD. And 86. 62-Across, in the States : INC

63. Shot : PHOTO

64. Poker variety : OMAHA. Ben Affleck was just caught counting cards at the Hard Rock Casino last Thursday.

66. Dismissal : OUSTER

68. Picturesque Japanese peak : FUJI

69.  "A Jug of Wine ..." poet: OMAR

75. Granola cousin : MUESLI. Sweet Argyle sent me a bottle of New York maple syrup. I used a bit to marinate my salmon the other day. Delicious! Will make some granola next week.

77. Take in : ADOPT

78. Put up : ERECT

79. China's Chou En-__ : LAI. Loved him.

80. Tried it : HAD A GO (at)

84. Innovative musician Brian : ENO

85. Crime scene clues : PRINTS

90. Sweater type : V NECK

92. In : COOL

93. Decimal opening : HEXA. Six.

94. "Peg Woffington" author : READE (Charles). Never heard of the book or the author.

97. Flips, e.g. : DOS. Flip is hairstyle?

100. Have some grub : EAT

101. Moon and Starr: Abbr. : QBs. Bart Starr. Warren Moon. Great clue.

109. Tennis rival of Roger : RAFAEL (Nadal)

111. Sticky situation : MESS

112. Helicopter part : ROTOR

113. Wide sizes : EEES

115. O'Neill's "__ Christie" : ANNA

116. Briefs : CLUES IN. Not underwear.

122. Nomeite, for one : ALASKAN

123. Salad dressing initialism, à la Rachael Ray : EVOO. Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

124. Cut off : ALIENATE

125. Business card abbr. : TEL

126. Game show purchase : AN "E"

127. Bring under control, with "in" : REIN

128. Watch over : TEND

129. Lawn roll : SOD

Down:

1. Skee-Ball locale : ARCADE

2. Antenna : FEELER

3. Left for the day, maybe : ISN'T IN

4. Poetic preposition : ERE

5. Copier size: Abbr. : LTR

6. Accord starter : I, TOO. I'd prefer this clued as a partial.

7. Start to celebrate? : SOFT C. The first letter in celebrate.

8. Goes along : AGREES

9. George's lyrical brother : IRA (Gershwin)

10. Torn-up turf piece : DIVOT

11. PDA pokers : STYLI. Parse it as "Poke-rs".

12. "Wildboyz" co-host : STEVE-O. No idea. They look ridiculous.

13. Muscular : SINEWY

14. CPR pro : EMT

15. Shrimp kin : PRAWN

16. "__ John Malkovich" : BEING

17. Govt. nos. : SSNs

19. Spunkmeyer of cookie fame : OTIS

22. Pippi's do : BRAIDS

24. Trail food : GORP.  Read here. "Good Old Raisins and Peanuts" makes sense to me.

29. ICU sight : IV TUBE

32. Chat up : TALK TO

33. What's up? : SKIES. The clue is calling for singular SKY, isn't it?

35. Right hand: Abbr. : ASST

36. Checks in the accounting office : RE-ADDS

39. Actress Poehler : AMY

43. Where to get dates : PALMS. Date palms.

45. Old TV dial letters : UHF

46. Romanian coin : LEU. Learned from doing crosswords.

48. List on the left : FILE MENU

49. Acts like an opposite? : ATTRACTS. Nice clue.

50. Piece for a hood : ROD

51. "Kinderszenen" composer : SCHUMANN. Got via crosses. I know nothing about classical music. Anything western was forbidden when I grew up.

52. Milk for kids? : MOO JUICE

53. Unlikely lint-gatherer : OUTIE

54. "No ice, please" : NEAT

55. Qatar's capital : DOHA

56. Calling for a lookup? : ALOFT. Oh, like this. Are you going to get a new cat, Dave?

57. Not masc. or fem. : NEUT

59. Sunscreen letters : SPF

64. Rust, e.g. : OXIDE

65. Turkish bigwig : AGA. Or BEY.

67. Like an inner tube : TORIC

69. Mideast flier : EL AL

70. Legendary tree site : EDEN. Tree of Knowledge & Tree of Life.

71. Anderson of "WKRP in Cincinnati" : LONI

72. Distinctive time : EPOCH

74. Some NFL linemen : RTd (Right Tackles)

76. Mideast currency : SHEKEL. Israeli currency.

78. List in a subsequent printing, perhaps : ERRATA

79. Actress Tyler : LIV

81. Sound common to Boston and New York : ACCENT. I can't tell the distinctions between those two. 

82. Pontiac muscle car : GTO

83. Goal for explorer Coronado : ORO. Gold is "Kim" in Korean, as in Kim Jong-Il or Kim Jong-un.

85. "Up" studio : PIXAR

88. Ye follower, often : OLDE

89. Average mark : CEE

91. War precipitators : CRISES

95. Name of six popes : ADRIAN

96. Singer Warwick : DIONNE

98. Old trail terminus : OREGON

99. Barrie baddie : SMEE

101. City of Botany Bay flier : QANTAS. Acronym for "Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services".

102. 1800s Mexican leader Juárez : BENITO. I forgot this guy. We had him before.

103. Scheduled : SLATED

104. Ball focus : BELLE

105. Standard : USUAL

106. Errand runner : GOFER

107. Erase all doubt about : PROVE. Have any of you seen "Doubt"?  Is Father Flynn bad or innocent?

108. Attack : SET AT

110. Man-goat deity : FAUN. Satyr in Greek.

111. Doc-to-be's exam : MCAT

114. Clearance event : SALE

117. Reggae relative : SKA

119. "Vive le __!" : ROI

120. Rubbish receptacle : BIN

121. Heavy ref. : OED (Oxford English Dictionary)

C.C.

Sunday April 27, 2014 Gail Grabowski

 Theme:  "Featured Article"- Article THE spans across each two-word theme entry.

23A. Organic farming staple : COMPOST HEAP. My sister-in-law has a compose pile in her backyard. (Added later: I meant compost pile.)

25A. Co-beneficiary : JOINT HEIR

38A. Batsman's protection : CRICKET HELMET

49A. Slim down and shape up, say : GET HEALTHY. Oh, Jayce & Lucina, I never head of yesterday's Crab Rangoon either.  Cheese does not exist in real Chinese cuisine.

68A. "The Snows of Kilimanjaro" author : ERNEST HEMINGWAY

89A. Stand up to : MEET HEAD-ON

97A. Government appropriations session : BUDGET HEARING

117A. Became discouraged : LOST HEART

119A. Floor-warming technique : RADIANT HEAT

121D. Featured article hidden in this puzzle's nine longest answers : THE

Simple theme. Very consistent T & HE split.

Notice Gail placed THE at the last Down slot.  Not the last Across. Had she done latter, there would be triple-stacked 7's (not easy to fill cleanly) besides the 3's, or she would have to put two cheaters besides the final THE.

Across:

1. Spanish desserts : FLANS. Sweet start.

6. Loads of fun : A HOOT. And 21A. Words after make or devise : A PLAN.  Also 91A. "That's __!": director's cry : A WRAP.  Now you see why the first two are not clued as straight partials.

11. Loaded, in Limoges : RICHE. Alliteration is often used in foreign word entry. See also  79D. Tijuana title : SENOR

16. Local geog. division : TWP (Township)

19. Bar mitzvah reading source : TORAH

20. Help with the kids : NANNY

22. Member of the flock : EWE

27. Honshu city : KYOTO. Literally "Capital city". Tokyo means "Eastern capital", east of Kyoto, of course.

28. Regarding : AS PER

30. Pleads not guilty : DENIES IT. Not easy to parse.

31. Flimsy : LAME

33. Minimal effort : EASE

34. Salt in chem class : NaCL

35. Like some access : LIMITED

44. Hydrocarbon suffix : ENE

45. Second-smallest st. : DEL

47. Keema __: meat-stuffed bread : NAAN. Never had it. Did you really had Mexican food & beer after doctor's visit the other day, D-Otto? Or were you just kidding?

48. Compact coloring : ROUGE

54. Devices that can correct diplopia : PRISMS. Did not know "double vision" is called "diplopia".

57. Single, for one: Abbr. : SYN (Synonym). Single & One are synonyms. Lovely clue.

58. '60s "Super!" : GROOVY

59. Shows of support : YEAS

61. Garfield's "purebred clown" : ODIE

62. Energizes, with "up" : PEPS

63. Emulated a pirate : STOLE

64. Puts up : ERECTS

66. Food critic's criticism : NO TASTE. I like Cantonese food the most, the authentic one. It's a bit mild. Fresh seafood/fruits/veggie all year round there. No need to spice things up.

72. Water, often : DILUTER

75. Needles : TEASES

76. Drifters : HOBOS

80. Respond to "Let's hear it ..." : CLAP

81. Response to a capitán : SI, SI

84. Picked at random : DREW

85. Comfort : SOLACE

86. "Antz" effects, for short : CGI (Computer-Generated Imagery)

87. Opera set on Cyprus : OTELLO

93. Separate mil. service since 1947 : USAF

95. Thai language : LAO. Lots of Lao people in China too. We have 56 ethnic groups. Over 90% are Han.

96. Latin I verb : AMO

102. More significant : GREATER

105. Switch back? : EROO. Switcheroo. .

106. Hungarian castle city : EGER

107. Ranking symbol : STAR

108. Actor born Alphonso D'Abruzzo : ALAN ALDA. Vowel rich, like ED ASNER, hence their frequent appearances.

112. Jacksonville's county : DUVAL. Need crossing help.

114. Will of "Blue Bloods" : ESTES. Stranger to me.

122. Make a scene? : ACT. Nice clue.

123. Dangerous snake : ADDER

124. Idyllic regions : EDENS

125. Stagger : LURCH

126. Cross-country need, perhaps : SKI. I was amazed at the dry wall stuff Marti did, and the various DIY projects TTP accomplished. My rose water spray and body scrub are DIYed though :-)

127. "Needless __ ..." : TO SAY

128. Tailor's tucks : DARTS

129. Cropped up : AROSE

 Down:

 

 1. Consumer protection org. : FTC

2. "Get a load of that!" : LOOK

3. Multitude : ARMY

4. City mentioned in the song "That's Amore" : NAPOLI. Naples.

5. Aimed for : SHOT AT

6. Tiny Amazon : ANT. Amazon ant. Never heard of it.

7. "Good one!" : HA HA

8. "Be right with ya" : ONE SEC

9. Even (with) : ON A PAR 

10. Enters : TYPES IN

11. Indian friend of TV's Sheldon and Leonard : RAJ. Do you still love "The Big Bang Theory",  Irish Miss?

12. It can help you carry a tune : iPOD

13. Customer : CLIENT

14. "Steel Magnolias" actress Daryl : HANNAH. I watched the "Steel Magnolias" long time ago. Can't remember any detail.

15. Decoys : ENTICERS

16. Golf bag items : TEES

17. Big conflict, briefly : WWII

18. Flippant : PERT

24. Eventually : SOMEDAY. Any luck yesterday, Splynter?

26. "You there?" : HELLO

29. Sports news staple : RECAP

32. Pulitzer-winning biographer Leon : EDEL. I'm surprised to see this guy.  We got him a lot in the old Tribune Daily puzzles.

35. Hose in a shell : L'EGGS

36. Motionless : INERT

37. "Ditto" : ME TOO

39. Big name in syrups : KARO

40. Oklahoma city named for a Tennyson character : ENID. "Idylls of the King".

41. Inspiration sources : MUSES

42. Karnak's country : EGYPT. Has any of you visited Karnak?

43. Wound up : TENSE

46. Parsec's 3.26, roughly: Abbr. : LT-YRS (Light-years)

50. Hide : HOLE UP

51. Chris known for her ground strokes : EVERT

52. Auto antifreeze brand : HEET

53. Regatta entry : YACHT

55. Joins the chorus : SINGS

56. Catty remark? : MEOW. Can picture the smile from LaLaLinda.

60. Mount : STEED

62. Radio bribe : PAYOLA

64. Like many King novels : EERIE.  Stephen King had a great interview with "Fresh Air" last year. I loved what he said below about God and his view change over the years. 

"I choose to believe it. ... I mean, there's no downside to that. If you say, 'Well, OK, I don't believe in God. There's no evidence of God,' then you're missing the stars in the sky and you're missing the sunrises and sunsets and you're missing the fact that bees pollinate all these crops and keep us alive and the way that everything seems to work together. Everything is sort of built in a way that to me suggests intelligent design. But, at the same time, there's a lot of things in life where you say to yourself, 'Well, if this is God's plan, it's very peculiar,' and you have to wonder about that guy's personality — the big guy's personality. And the thing is — I may have told you last time that I believe in God — what I'm saying now is I choose to believe in God, but I have serious doubts and I refuse to be pinned down to something that I said 10 or 12 years ago. I'm totally inconsistent."

Click here for more.

  

65. Excessive flattery : SMARM

67. Lake near Squaw Valley : TAHOE

69. Tweet source : NEST

70. "Uh-huh" : I SEE

71. Handrail post : NEWEL

72. 1983 Mr. T comedy : DC CAB

73. 20th-cen. largely female labor org. : ILGWU. I had to google: International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union. 

74. Scottish landowner : LAIRD

77. Lacking a knack for : BAD AT

78. Carol opening : O COME

82. Swing around : SLUE

83. To whom Rick said "We'll always have Paris" : ILSA. I can watch "Casablanca" again and again.

85. Cut : SHORTEN

87. Collapsible headgear : OPERA HAT

88. Propelled in a regatta, maybe : OARED

90. Follows (along) : TAGS

92. Deal sealer : AGENT

94. "Exactly what I thought" : FIGURED

98. City on Lake Erie : TOLEDO

99. Surfing wannabes : HODADS

100. More than 70% of its population lives in Clark County : NEVADA. What's your favorite spot in Las Vegas, Steve?

101. Landscaping machine : GRADER. Wow, I never knew  this is called grader.

103. "Stand and Deliver" Calif. setting : EAST LA

104. Garfield's successor : ARTHUR

108. Quaint plaint : ALAS

109. It may be picked : LOCK. Oh, hair.

110. Piedmont product : ASTI

111. Forte : AREA

113. Fluffy stuff : LINT

115. First name in Finnish American architects : EERO (Saarinen)

116. Egg holders : SACS

118. Not give up : TRY

120. Balaam's mount : ASS

C.C.