Sunday May 5, 2024 Katy Steinmetz & Rich Katz

Theme:  "Name That Tune" - Each song is rephrased fitting the "what line" in the clue.

23. Power line?: WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS.

33. Life line?: I WILL SURVIVE.

49. Party line?: LET'S GET IT STARTED.

68. Opening line?: I'VE GOT A BLANK SPACE BABY.

91. Time line?: YOU CAN'T HURRY LOVE.

107. Dividing line?: GO YOUR OWN WAY.

119. Shore line?: UNDER THE BOARDWALK.

Not sure about 68A. Is it a song title? I only know it's a line from Taylor Swift's "Blank Space". 

Otherwise, I really like this theme set. We've seen "... line" rephrase theme before, but not with the extra song layer. Congrats on your Sunday debut, Katy and Rich!

Across:

1. "Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet" novelist Jamie: FORD. His debut novel. He's half Chinese.

 

5. Low-end speaker: BASS. And 18. One throwing out the first pitch?: OBOE.

9. Emulate successfully: PASS AS.

15. Cooling units, for short: ACS.

19. __ research: some dirt-digging: OPPO. Opposition research.

20. Baseball level just below the Majors: TRIPLE A. And 22. Hall of Fame slugger Mel: OTT. 86. One of Nolan Ryan's record seven: NO-HIT GAME.

26. Parched: DRY.

27. Two-time Best Female Golfer ESPY winner Ko: LYDIA. Kiwi. She was born in Korea.

28. Leaf wrangler: RAKE.

29. Bewitch: ENTHRALL.

31. Fright: TERROR.

37. Like some candles: SCENTED.

39. Home of many Goyas and El Grecos: PRADO.

40. "Fire" gemstone: OPAL.

41. Unlikely duo?: ELS. The two L's in "Unlikely"

42. "The Boy and the Heron" genre: ANIME.

44. Gifts at some Honolulu hotels: LEIS.

46. The blue in blue cheese, e.g.: MOLD.

54. Follower of up, down, and mid: TOWN.

56. Shake: LOSE.

57. Ireland, to the Irish: EIRE.

58. Like some adoption records: SEALED.

60. "The Matrix" hero: NEO.

61. Train cos.: RRS.

64. Prehistoric: OLD.

66. Data on dashboards: MILEAGES.

75. Yoga asana that requires balance: TREE POSE.

76. MSNBC journalist Cabrera: ANA.

77. Like this clue's number: ODD.

78. "Am __ time?": I ON.

79. Require: ENTAIL.

82. High point of the "Odyssey"?: OSSA. Mount Ossa.

85. Meter or liter: UNIT.

89. Dirty: SOIL.

95. Swap __: MEET.

97. Room in una casa: SALA.

98. HS course covering the facts of life: AP BIO.

99. Curse: HEX.

100. Guides with keys: MAPS.

103. __-panky: HANKY.

105. Writer of pastoral poems: IDYLIST. Spell check does not like this word.

111. Didn't cook, but didn't order in: ATE OUT.

112. Totalitarianism, metaphorically: IRON RULE.

113. Villain's hangout: LAIR.

115. Rims: EDGES.

118. Relieved (of): RID.

124. Female deer: DOE.

125. Spring agricultural machines: SEEDERS.

126. Beauty spot?: ULTA. Mecca of beauty products.

127. "That could work for me": I MAY.

128. "Weekend Update" show, casually: SNL.

129. Restoration poet dubbed "Glorious John": DRYDEN.

130. Headed to overtime: TIED.

131. __ pool: GENE.

Down:

1. Duck or goose: FOWL.

2. Comply: OBEY.

3. Consumer Reports tasks: ROAD TESTS.

4. "Merci" response: DE RIEN.

5. Social media annoyance: BOT.

6. Goddess of love who had five children with the god of war: APHRODITE. One of the kids is Eros.

7. Fishing tool: SPEAR.

8. "__ it to me!": SOCK.

9. Old school crowdfunding org.?: PTA.

10. Branch: ARM.

11. Wee drink: SIP.

12. Pitch: SPIEL.

13. Mets slugger Pete nicknamed "Polar Bear": ALONSO. New York Mets. Patti's team.

14. Mocked: SENT UP.

15. Vietnamese tunic: AODAI. Pretty. China's qipao is pretty too.

16. PC paste shortcut: CTRL V.

17. Flair: STYLE.

21. Place for a spiritual retreat: ASHRAM.

24. Livestock marker: EAR TAG.

25. Successor: HEIR.

30. KOA option: RV LOT.

32. Actress Russo: RENE.

34. Mickey's co-creator: WALT.

35. Brainstorming output: IDEAS.

36. French wine valley: LOIRE.

37. Go like hotcakes: SELL.

38. Egyptian queen, familiarly: CLEO. Cleopatra.

39. Gas, across the pond: PETROL.

43. Nintendo avatar: MII.

45. Snail mail need: STAMP.

47. Piece of cake?: LONG A. The A in "cake".

48. Square peg in a social circle?: DWEEB. Ha.

50. Durable twill fabric: SERGE.

51. Ward with two Emmy Awards: SELA.

52. Director Kazan: ELIA.

53. Big name in car batteries: DELCO.

55. Snoopy: NOSY.

59. Heroic act, say: DEED.

62. Tug of war need: ROPE.

63. Full of rocks: STONY.

65. Genetic letters: DNA.

67. Pop star Paula who was once a Lakers cheerleader: ABDUL. I did not know this.

68. "Can confirm": IT IS.

69. Noise made while playing with a Matchbox car: VROOM.

70. "__ Meenie": 2010 pop single: EENIE.

71. Regarding: AS TO.

72. Quaint baes: BEAUS.

73. Two half hitches, maybe: KNOT.

74. Verb that comes from a corruption of the ballet term "chassé": SASHAY. Another fun trivia.

80. Mogul Carl: ICAHN.

81. Former TV drama about SoCal attorneys: LA LAW.

83. "How's it hangin'?": SUP.

84. Get in the middle of, in a way: ARBITRATE.

87. Currier and __: IVES.

88. Words on a page: TEXT.

90. __ juice: LEMON.

92. Gran: NANA.

93. Log flume, e.g.: RIDE.

94. Went up and down, say: YOYOED.

96. Many a spring birth: TAURUS.

101. Cut back: PRUNED.

102. Machine shop alloy: SOLDER.

104. Six-time NBA All-Star Lowry: KYLE.

106. __ van Beethoven: LUDWIG.

107. Supports: GIRDS.

108. Constellation with a belt: ORION.

109. Sound that comes from on high: YODEL.

110. Like some unkempt gardens: WEEDY.

111. Garlicky sauce: AIOLI. This one seems to have egg yolks.

114. Border: ABUT.

116. Flair: ELAN.

117. Ione of "La Brea": SKYE.

120. __ velvet: RED.

121. Green Day drummer __ Cool: TRE.

122. Channel for bargain hunters: HSN.

123. "Gnarly": RAD.

Sunday April 28, 2024 Chandi Deitmer

Theme:  "Obviously!" - Each common phrase is clued as if IT does not exist.

23A Poorly put together trays?: CRUDITE PLATTERS.

39A. Donkeys who got caught in the rain?: WET BURRITOS.

51A. Pews?: PRIORITY SEATING.

83A. Khaki work uniform?: TITAN OF INDUSTRY.

92A. Request from one who prefers dry mashed potatoes?: ZERO GRAVITY.

115A. Energy supplies that are just OK?: FINITE RESOURCES.

Reveal:

65. "We all see the obvious here, right?," and how to make six long answers in this puzzle match their clues?: IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING.

Sometimes we have themes where letter or letter string appear in the theme entries but ignored in the clues. We could just have wacky theme answers instead. But today is a good example of why the letter should be included. Perfect reveal and rationale.

Got this picture of when I googled Chandi. She's lower left. Looks who's on upper right? Patti!

Across: 

1. Luminescent gems: OPALS.

6. Fish head?: CRAW. OK, Crawfish.

10. "Who Let the Dogs Out" group __ Men: BAHA. The only Baha Men song I know.

14. Act extempore: AD LIB.

19. Lear daughter: REGAN. Have to mention our local girl Regan Smith.

20. Breakfast scramble: HASH.

21. Some deleted contacts: EXES.

22. Enlightenment philosopher Thomas: PAINE.

26. Mary-in-mourning piece: PIETA.

27. Marshmallow Man in "Ghostbusters": STAY-PUFT. Learning moment for me.

28. Capital of Tibet: LHASA.

29. Literary whaler: PEQUOD. "Moby-Dick".

30. Start and end of a faceoff?: EFS. Letter F.

31. __ of strength: FEAT.

32. Boyfriend: BEAU.

33. Rap's Snoop __: DOGG.

37. God destined to slay the sea serpent Jörmungandr: THOR.

45. "Snowy" bird: EGRET.

47. Ice rink leap: AXEL.

49. Self-satisfied: SMUG.

50. Bankrupt: RUIN. Verb "bankrupt".

54. Sacred text: BIBLE.

55. Bob in the Basketball Hall of Fame: PETTIT. No idea. Wikipedia says he's NBA's first MVP.

56. Dutch painter Frans: HALS.

57. Pat Benatar's "Love __ Battlefield": IS A.

59. Historic space station: MIR.

60. Stern direction?: AFT. Stern of a boat.

61. Stinging insect: WASP.

62. Dorky one: DWEEB.

64. Picnic pest: ANT.

70. Citrusy suffix: ADE.

71. Piccata bud: CAPER. Lots of buds.

72. Marine mammal in a matrilineal group: ORCA.

73. Anti-fraud org.: BBB.

74. Bear's lair: DEN.

75. Reddit forum for inquiries: AMA. Ask Me Anything.

76. Early educ.: PRE-K.

77. Potent potion: ELIXIR.

81. Purple or green herb: BASIL. Never had purple basil. Cilantro is the only herb used in Chinese cooking.

88. Checkout unit: ITEM.

89. Waffle __: IRON.

90. Identical: SAME.

91. Spine-chilling: EERIE.

96. 95-Down beds, maybe: COTS. 95. Steppes tent: YURT.

98. Talk back to: SASS.

99. Yule tune: NOEL.

100. "No problem!": SURE.

102. Spy org.: CIA.

104. Surreptitious one: SLY FOX.

107. French composer Gabriel: FAURE. Another learning moment.

109. Former police procedural starring Kathryn Morris: COLD CASE.

114. Jazz great Armstrong: LOUIS.

117. "You mean a lot to me": I CARE.

118. "This __ fair": ISN'T.

119. Pool table fabric: FELT.

120. Tempts: BAITS.

121. Yearned (for): PINED.

122. Flight nos.: ETAS.

123. Takes a load off: SITS.

124. "Thus ... ": AND SO.

Down:

1. Fantasy baddies: ORCS.

2. Impudent: PERT.

3. Tlaxcala water: AGUA.

4. Pop's __ Gaga: LADY.

5. Dig (at): SNIPE.

6. Toque: CHEF'S HAT. Dim sum chef wears this type of tall hat.

7. Paying strict attention: RAPT.

8. Comm. system with visual cues: ASL.

9. Beluga, e.g.: WHALE.

10. Gets feedback from an early audience: BETA TESTS.

11. Weapons thrown at targets, in some social settings: AXES.

12. Greek goddess of childbirth: HERA.

13. Beast of burden: ASS.

14. Seem (to be): APPEAR.

15. Rum cocktail: DAIQUIRI. Named after a Cuban iron mine, according to Wikipedia.

16. In __ of: LIEU.

17. Engrossed by: INTO.

18. Drop of sweat: BEAD.

24. Clump of hair: TUFT.

25. Defrost: THAW.

29. Word that may be replaced by a slash: PER.

31. NPR show hosted by Terry Gross: FRESH AIR. Used to listen to her faithfully at 8:00pm our time.

32. Open carriages: BUGGIES.

33. Lily-Rose __ of "The Idol": DEPP. Just had her last Sunday. 

34. Fantasy baddie: OGRE.

35. Determination: GRIT.

36. Location metadata: GEOTAG.

38. Skin care brand: OXY.

40. "Ew, stop sharing": TMI.

41. Steamed bite: BUN.

42. Abolitionist Harriet: TUBMAN.

43. Conditioning, as a bamboo cutting board: OILING.

44. Hägar's dog: SNERT.

46. Like some glasses: TRIFOCAL.

48. Path of __ resistance: LEAST.

52. Gp. concerned with crashes: IT TEAM. Hey, we have IT here. A few other short words also.

53. Swiss instrument traditionally made from red pine: ALPHORN. Ricola.

54. Pastel shade: BABY BLUE.

58. Ocean floor: SEABED.

61. "Raw" org.: WWE.

62. Puckered expression in a selfie: DUCK FACE.

63. Iga Swiatek's org.: WTA.

65. Conceptualize: IDEATE.

66. More on edge: TENSER.

67. __ awareness: SPATIAL.

68. Twistable cookies: OREOS.

69. Birds mummified in ancient Egypt: IBISES.

70. Madison Ave. industry: AD BIZ. 78. Bonus, in 70-Down lingo: XTRA.

76. Ensembles associated with Hillary Clinton: PANTSUITS.

79. "Bearded" flower: IRIS.

80. Marbled breads: RYES.

82. "Try to stop me now!": I'M ON FIRE.

84. Nickname that drops -ing: IRV.

85. French pronoun: TOI.

86. "TBH" kin: IMO. To be honest.

87. Actual expenditures: NET COSTS.

93. Gave a boost: GOOSED.

94. Film critic Reed: REX.

97. Rural tower: SILO.

101. Underwater ecosystems: REEFS.

103. "Mrs. America" Emmy winner Uzo: ADUBA.

104. Marina space: SLIP.

105. Centers: LOCI.

106. Currency also known as the renminbi: YUAN. Renmin = People. Bi = Currency.

107. Rock, in Rock, Paper, Scissors: FIST.

108. __ Mae Bullock: Tina Turner's birth name: ANNA. Did not know this.

109. Gaul or Breton: CELT.

110. Ocean Spray prefix: CRAN.

111. Base's chemical opposite: ACID.

112. Complete groups: SETS.

113. Provincial petrol provider: ESSO.

115. Old-timey "ugh": FIE.

116. Camping gear co-op: REI. Stands for Recreational Equipment, Inc.

C.C.

Sunday April 21, 2024 Julian Kwan

Theme: "Getting in the Way" - two letters are added to each common phrase. Those letters orderly spell out photobombing.

23. Ode to a much-loved Galaxy?: SOME PHONE LIKE YOU. Someone Like You.

40. Magical ottoman?: ENCHANTED FOOTREST. Enchanted forest.

58. Constantly thinking about escaping?: BREAKOUT OBSESSION. Breakout session.

80. Intention of one without morals?: DOOM THE RIGHT THING. Do the right thing.

98. Must-haves for a fashion doll?: BARBIE NECESSITIES. Bare necessities.

116. Converse with one more party guest?: GO THE EXTRA MINGLE. Go the extra mile.

Another Sunday debut. Congrats, Julian! Kwan is the Cantonese spelling of Mandarin Guan. Same character as the Quan (Vietnamese) in Ke Huy Quan, the director of "Everything Everywhere All at Once".

Hope the circles show up in your local paper. Otherwise, you might have missed the message in this puzzle.

Across:

1. Aural danger for Odysseus: SIREN.

6. Snit: HUFF.

10. Slow Churned ice cream brand: EDY'S. 27. Slush Puppie maker: ICEE.

14. High-and-mighty: SMUG.

18. Edge or Firefox alternative: OPERA. Never used Opera browser.

19. Camembert kin: BRIE.

20. Penn State's Nittany __: LIONS.

22. Fabled second-place finisher: HARE.

26. Actress Kurylenko: OLGA. She's a Bond Girl.

28. Camera type, for short: SLR.

29. Bygone news source: TOWN CRIER.

31. Pessimist's word: CAN'T.

33. Political cartoonist Thomas: NAST. The guy who designed the Republican elephant and Democratic donkey. I wonder why he did not pick up tiger or lion.

36. Had tea, to a Brit: ATE.

38. "Cat __ your tongue?": GOT.

39. Solo homer result: RBI.

47. Unsure sounds: UHS.

48. Restrain, as one's enthusiasm: BATE.

49. Poetic preposition: O'ER.

50. Experienced veteran: OLD TIMER.

51. Traditional fare of Japanese New Year: MOCHI. Sticky rice. Same thing in Chinese Tang Yuan.

Mochi Soup

Tang Yuan

53. Rockefeller Center's "American Progress" muralist: SERT.

55. Breeze (by): SAIL.

57. Division symbols: OBELI. Plural of obelus.

62. HIIT unit: REP. HIIT =  High-Intensity Interval Training .

63. "The Idol" star Lily-Rose: DEPP. Daughter of Johnny Depp.  She looks more like her mom.

64. Scrooge outburst: BAH.

65. Word after door or lock: STEP.

66. Computer clickers: MICE. I'm experiencing big Blogger glitch at this moment. Suddenly I can't save or access the blog Drafts folder. (One hour later: TTP came to the rescue. I can access the Drafts now,  but picture embed remains a problem. Sigh. Blogger!)

67. Treasure __: CHEST.

69. Give guidance: EDIFY.

71. Slanted: ATILT.

73. Co. founders, often: CEOS.

74. Level in a loyalty program: TIER.

77. Easter preceder?: NOR. Nor'easter.

78. Upper arm muscles, briefly: TRIS.

79. Football stat: ATT.

86. "The Cloister and the Hearth" author: READE. Charles Reade.

88. Learned: WISE.

89. Handle with __: CARE.

90. "Ciao!": LATER.

91. Avenue next to Reading Railroad: ORIENTAL.

93. __ date: DUE.

95. Tennis great with a namesake stadium: ASHE.

97. Kid's cry: MAA.

101. Raiding org.: ATF. And 102. Screening org.: TSA.

103. Equals: ARE.

104. Robe securer: SASH.

105. Unit of speed that's approximately 1.15 mph: KNOT.

106. Latte server: COFFEE BAR.

111. Gingerbread __: MAN.

113. Thought: IDEA.

115. One side of a sports bet: OVER.

122. Rose bowl?: VASE. Sweet clue.

123. SEC athlete in orange and blue: GATOR. Florida Gators. 

124. Garish: LOUD.

125. How to play without knowing the score?: BY EAR.

126. "Above all __ ... ": ELSE.

127. Uses a touchscreen: TAPS.

128. Squeezed (by): EKED.

129. Barracks VIP: SARGE.

Down:

1. "Mamma Mia!" duet for Pierce Brosnan and Meryl Streep: SOS.

2. Stock market debut letters: IPO.

3. Talk about the good old days: REMINISCE. Carmen came here a few weeks ago and bought some delicious snacks. I used to live here. Very old part of Guangzhou.

4. Assemble, as a Lego tower: ERECT.

5. Necklace clasp spot: NAPE.

6. "The Last of Us" network: HBO.

7. Catering dispenser: URN.

8. Cinco de Mayo celebration: FIESTA.

9. Chop down: FELL.

10. State animal of Utah: ELK.

11. Tried a nutrition program: DIETED.

12. Spinning toy on a string: YO-YO.

13. Frosty's makeup: SNOW. Snow on our yard when I woke up this morning, but all gone now.

14. Slow-cooked beef piece: SHORT RIB.

15. Bamako's country: MALI.

16. Push (to): URGE.

17. Climber's backpack filler: GEAR.

21. Apollo or Ra: SUN GOD. RA is the Egyptian sun god.

24. Temporary tattoo medium: HENNA.

25. Raging: IRATE.

30. Second wedding anniversary material: COTTON.

31. Cookie leftover: CRUMB. Carmen bought these. Almond cookies on the upper left.

32. Loathe: ABHOR. Sad to get a text from my sweet neighbor Valerie that she's planning to move to Fridley. This scared both of us. This is where we live.

34. Seeks attention, maybe: ACTS UP.

35. Linen closet item: SHEET.

37. Straight to the point: TERSE.

40. Urban transport options: E-BIKES.

41. "Could be better": NOT BAD.

42. Inflict (upon): FOIST.

43. Skateboard stunt: OLLIE.

44. Chef Lagasse: EMERIL. "Kick it up a notch!"

45. Highlight, as text: SELECT.

46. Absolute rubbish: TRIPE.

52. Underworld king: HADES.

54. Julia of "Leave the World Behind": ROBERTS.

56. Mesopotamian civilization: ASSYRIA.

59. Go for: OPT TO.

60. Stand out: SHINE.

61. Moving image?: OP-ART.

66. Baryshnikov nickname: MISHA.

67. Latin for "the rest": CETERA. Et.

68. Balloon filler: HOT AIR.

70. Push and pull, in physics: FORCES.

72. Mr. and Mrs.: TITLES.

73. Ingredient in some vegan brownies: CAROB. I've never had brownies.

75. Hawkeye: IOWAN.

76. Novelist Zola: EMILE.

78. Ph.D. requirement: THESIS.

80. Fitness instructor Austin: DENISE.

81. Jon of "Napoleon Dynamite": HEDER.

82. Persona non __: GRATA.

83. Head of servers?: IT MANAGER. IT service. 

84. "Crackerjack!": NEATO.

85. Obtain illegally: GRAFT.

87. Ideal way to graduate: DEBT-FREE.

92. Asian snack steeped in spices: TEA EGG. Five-spice powder. Lesley loved these. 

94. "I'm here to help": USE ME.

96. Pronoun duo: HE/HIM.

99. Sonic waiter: CARHOP.

100. Could be better: ISN'T OK. Do dislike this new Blogger format. 

105. Tanzania neighbor: KENYA.

106. Sheltered inlet: COVE.

107. Shape of a powerful office: OVAL.

108. Admit, with "up": FESS.

109. Full house, in poker slang: BOAT.

110. Flour for some flatbread: ATTA.

112. Toll unit: AXLE.

114. "That one's mine!": DIBS.

117. Triage ctrs.: ERS.

118. Québec street: RUE.

119. Contribute (to): ADD.

120. Streaming annoyance: LAG.

121. Before, once: ERE.

C.C.

Sunday, April 14, 2024 ~ Tom Pepper & Zhouqin Burnikel

"Rock 'n' Roll"

Good morning! Today we are treated to a puzzle by two veteran constructors - one of which started our little haven on the internet.  Let's crank-up the tunes and see what Tom & C.C. really mean by the puzzle's title.

22. Place for a rock: SOLITAIRE RING. ROCKs and ice are slang for diamonds.

Solitaire Diamond

27. Place for a roll: CRAPS TABLE. ROLL the dice on craps.

Craps Table

34. Place for a rock: CURLING MATCH. Curling is a Winter Olympics sport where you push a stone, aka the ROCK (don't confuse that with Dwayne Johnson), to the goal.

Maybe someone can explain what he's doing

58. Place for a roll: SUSHI PLATTER.

Yummers!

84. Place for a rock: ROSHAMBO GAME. Aka ROCK, paper, scissors.

105. Place for a roll: BOWLING ALLEY. I doubt there's anything coincidental about this Shout-Out to Boomer. In bowling you ROLL a ball towards the pins.

112. Place for a Rock: COMEDY CLUB. Chris ROCK is a standup comedian. He's also had starring ROLes in Movies.

Chris Rock

123. Place for a roll: TAPE DISPENSER. A ROLL of Tape.

Across:
1. Bugs: NAGS AT.

Let's keep with the Theme

7. Flat-topped hills: MESAS.

12. Faux wood in a fireplace: GAS LOG.

18. Pass by: ELAPSE.

19. Harding biopic: I TONYA.

21. Chihuahua coin: CENTAVO. 1/100th of a currency.

One Centavo

22. [See: Theme]

24. 1984 Jeff Bridges film that begins with a UFO crash: STARMAN.

   
                                          David Bowie's 1972 Starman

25. Shorthand system: STENO.

26. Just: MERE.

27. [See: Theme]

29. Geometry calculation: AREA.

31. U.S. intel org.: NSA. National Security Agency.

33. "Trainwreck" director Judd: APATOW.

Judd Apatow IMDb

34. [See: Theme]

39. Carbon compound: ENOL.

40. Short evening wear?: PJS.  Pajamas.

43. Driver's assignment: Abbr.: RTE. Route.

44. Microsoft Office default typeface until 2007: ARIAL.
 

Arial Font

45. Ore-Ida side, familiarly: TOTS.

Napoleon Dynamite

47. Tech company with an exclamation point: YAHOO.

Yep, it's got an exclamation mark.

49. Envelope abbr.: ATTN. Attention.

51. Burden: ONUS.

52. Take a break: PAUSE.

55. Hulu alternative: ROKU.

56. Left high and dry: MAROONED.

58. [See: Theme]

61. __ as punch: PROUD. I'm aware of pleased as punch but not proud as punch.  I've heard of PROUD as a peacock and love PROUD Mary (I know this is CCR's song but...

Tina's version really ROCKS!)

62. Bring home: EARN.

64. Shopping cart count: ITEMS.

65. Choice words?: ORS.

66. Fit together, as some dolls: NEST.

Matryoshka HUMOR

69. Brobdingnagian: GIANT.

71. Barbecue fuel: COAL.

73. Kung __ chicken: PAO.

Recipe

76. Booze: SAUCE. Slang for alcohol.

78. Bit attachment: REIN.

80. Dave Barry genre: HUMOR.

From 2010

84. [See: Theme]

87. Natural ability: APTITUDE.

90. Mammal with more gray matter than a human: ORCA. I'm assuming brain cells and not gray hair.

91. Caesar __: SALAD.

92. Nabe in lower Manhattan: SOHO. South of HOuston [St.] is a neighborhood. There's also a Soho [South of Horton] in London which I learned from The Who.
 

Lyrics
I woke up in a SOHO doorway / A policeman knew my name
He said, "You can go sleep at home tonight / If you can get up and walk away"

93. Miami Heat coach Spoelstra: ERIK.

Eric Spoelstra

94. Buy time: STALL.

Panic! At the Disco - STALL Me.

96. Australia's national gemstone: OPAL.

98. In the midst of: AMONG.

100. Pub pintful: ALE.

101. Orecchiette shape: EAR.

102. Asgard god: ODIN.

105. [See: Theme]

108. Actress Jennifer in Capital One commercials: GARNER.

Jennifer Garner

110. Letters after nus: XIS. Greek to me.

111. "Othello" villain: IAGO.

112. [See: Theme]

116. Matching: SAME.

118. Put in more chips, say: RAISE.

122. Stretch with no landmarks: OPEN SEA.

123. [See: Theme]

126. Firsthand accounts: MEMOIRS. Here's one I recently read.

Number One is Walking

127. Fast and furious: HECTIC.

128. Sharp kitchen tool: PEELER.

129. Tons: OCEANS.

130. Knobs on a pipe organ: STOPS.

131. Respected ones: ELDERS. Pop taught us to respect our elders. Now I am (usually) one.

Down:
1. Loch in hoax photos: NESS.

2. Tons: ALOT.

3. Strong wind: GALE.

4. Word with column or cord: SPINAL.
 

Given the theme, this fill just screams for the Trailer.

5. Oregon's oldest city: ASTORIA.

6. Cha, chai, or matcha: TEA.

7. Bog down: MIRE.

8. 2021 Marvel movie directed by Chlo Zhao: ETERNALS.

9. Most tender: SOREST.

10. "32 Flavors" singer DiFranco: ANI.

From NPR's Tiny Desk Concert

11. Bring into alignment: SYNC.

12. Arrives at: GETSTO.

13. Chess legend Karpov: ANATOLY.

World Chess HoF Inductee

14. Milkshake insert: STRAW.

15. Meat common in Greek cuisine: LAMB.

16. Shape of sesame seeds: OVAL.

17. No longer there: GONE.

20. Indian city with a mausoleum: AGRA.

21. House channel: CSPAN.

23. "Just think ... ": IMAGINE.

John Lennon

28. Hairy Halloween costume: APE SUIT. I kept wanting to fill Itt.

Wednesday and Itt

30. Disgraced energy company: ENRON. I know many folks that lost their job in the tower next to One Allen. Chevron owns ENRON's old building now.

The "Crooked E" should have been a clue.

32. Make a scene?: ACT.

34. Swimmer's woe: CRAMP.

35. __ Pradesh: Indian state: UTTAR.

There it is!

36. Fashionably dated: RETRO.

Groovy, eh?

37. "All in the Family" spinoff: MAUDE. Spin-off in the '70's starring Bea Arthur.

10:32 of fun.

38. Short trips: HOPS.

40. Part of a magazine spread: PHOTO.
 

Def Leppard - PHOTOgraph

41. Class clown: JOKER.

42. Some whiskey drinks: SOURS.

46. Largest island in French Polynesia: TAHITI.

There it is!

48. Wall flowers, perhaps: ART.

50. Wall or flower: NOUN. Cute.

53. Architect's detail, briefly: SPEC. Specification on a blueprint.

54. Muppet who never says "I": ELMO. He always refers to himself by Elmo.

57. Port city south of Kyiv: ODESA. Two 'S' ODESSA is an oil-town in West Texas.

58. __ Lankan rupee: SRI.

59. Take heat from?: UNARM. Cute.
 

Smashing Pumpkins - Disarm

60. Japan's largest beermaker: ASAHI.

63. Factor in sibling rivalry, often: AGE GAP.

67. Costco rival, familiarly: SAMS.

68. Bulky brass instrument: TUBA.
 

Bohemian Rhapsody on Euphonium, TUBA, Piano & Drums

70. Bridal bio word: NEE.

72. Instrument for a troubadour: LUTE.

73. Counterpart of poetry: PROSE.

74. Place for a stent: AORTA.

75. Prized statuette: OSCAR.

77. Sanders, for one: COLONEL.

79. "No Logo" author Klein: NAOMI.  A Canadian author. I didn't know of this book but I know of her The Shock Doctrine.

Naomi Klein

81. Big picture?: MURAL.

82. Black swan of ballet: ODILE. Odile is the black swan maiden and the secondary antagonist in Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake.

83. Type in again: REKEY. Reenter the data.

85. Rogue computer of sci-fi: HAL. It did tell Dave it was sorry.

2001 A Space Odyssey's HAL.

86. Small amount: A DAB.

88. Hypocritical sorts: PHONIES.

89. Polynesian kingdom with more than 170 islands: TONGA.

There it is!

92. Tortilla chip topper: SALSA DIP.

95. Adds, as paper to a copier: LOADS IN. 500 sheets (a ream) at a time.

97. Fish in some omelets: LOX.

99. Series of bad takes: GAG REEL. The bloopers.

103. Appliances with drums: DRYERS.

Anatomy of a Dryer

104. Ancient Cuzco dwellers: INCAS.

106. Not tricked by: WISE TO.

107. Gave for a short time: LOANED.

108. Italian city known for salami: GENOA.

109. Oldest of the Pointer Sisters: RUTH.

The Pointer Sisters - I'm So Excited

112. Lombardy lake: COMO.

113. Cartel founded in Baghdad: OPEC. Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries.

114. Widely shared post: MEME.

A Maude Callback

115. Sweeties: BAES. #TeenSpeak

117. Karaoke gear: MICS. The first Karaoke machine was the Sparko Box invented by Shigeichi Negishi in 1967. Negishi passed last January at the age of 100. Here's CNN's report.

119. Castaway's home: ISLE. You could be MARRONed there.

120. One who's forward-looking: SEER.

121. Makes a misstep: ERRS.

124. Interest rate fig.: PCT. The percentage rate for your LOAN.

125. Safety gear for ER workers: PPE. Personal Protective Equipment.

Covid PPE

The Grid:

The Grid

WOs: Gust->GALE, here->GONE, apr->PCT
ESPs: COMO, ROSHAMBO, GARNER, ERIK
Fav: UNARM as clued.

I hope y'all found at least one song to ROCK out to.  And, if not, at least enjoyed the rest of the expo.

Cheers, -T