Sunday, February 17, 2019, Ed Sessa

Getting Ahead.  The word Beat can be placed "ahead" of the first word of each starred theme answer to give a common phrase.

22-A. *   Online business-building method: CROWD FUNDING.  If you go shopping on August, you can Beat the Crowd for Christmas shopping.

27-A. *   Las Vegas pros: ODDS MAKERS.  You can Beat the Odds of getting that "must have" Christmas item if you shop in August.

48-A. *   Guinness entries: RECORD SETTERS.  Can you Beat the Record for running the mile? 

81-A. *   User's nightmare: SYSTEM FAILURE.  If you try to Beat the System, you might find yourself in jail.

102-A. *   Zapping direction: HEAT ON HIGH.  If you travel to Antarctica, you can Beat the Heat in Summer.

107-A. *   Nine-to-fiver: CLOCK WATCHER.  Did you Beat the Clock in finishing this puzzle?

31-D. *   Overextended: SPREAD THIN.  Did you Beat the Spread in the Super Bowl?

51-D. *   Where one might idle away the time?: TRAFFIC JAM.  If you leave for work at 4:00 a.m., you may Beat the Traffic in the morning.

And the Unifier:

94-Down. Michael Jackson hit ... or what you can do to the start of each answer to a starred clue: BEAT IT.

Across:

1. Unstressed, as a syllable: ATONIC.  Not the easiest starts for a puzzle.

7. Painter of melting watches: DALÍ.  As in Salvador Dalí (May 11, 1904 ~ Jan. 23, 1989).

The Meadows Museum at SMU has a fabulous Dalí Collection of work that he did to commemorate the 20th Anniversary of the State of Israel.

11. iPhone purchase: APP.

14. A deadly sin: LUST.  My first thought was Envy.  It was the right number of letters!  The other deadly sins are: Pride, Greed, Gluttony, Anger, and Sloth.

18. It's split in a boat: BANANA.

Oh, you wanted this kind of a Banana Split:

19. Command to a junkyard dog: SIC 'EM!

20. Early internet pioneer: AOL.

21. Not fooled by: ON TO.

24. Common Woody Allen character disorders: NEUROSES.

26. Send back, as into custody: REMAND.  Please don't say "remand back."  That is redundant, since the word already means to send back.  One of my pet peeves.

29. Iraq's main port: BASRA.

33. In the past: AGO.  A long, long time Ago ...

34. Comic actor Amsterdam of old TV: MOREY.  Morey Amsterdam (né Moritz Amsterdam; Dec. 14, 1908 ~ Oct. 28, 1996), is best known for his role as Buddy Sorrell on The Dick Van Dyke Show, which ran on TV in the 1960s.

35. "Be thine own palace, or the world's thy jail" writer: DONNE.  Words from the English poet, John Donne (Jan. 22, 1572 ~ Mar. 31, 1631).  //  And the cross-reference of 12-Down. 35-Across output: POESY.  An archaic word for Poetry.

36. Call into question: OPPUGN.  Yes, this is a real word.  According to Merriam-Webster, the word has been around in the English language since at least the 15th century.  It comes from the Latin verb Oppugnare.  Op- meaning "against", and Pugnare meaning "to fight."  It originally referred to fighting against something or someone, either physically or verbally.  Okay, now, everyone, use this word in a sentence.  Just kidding!  Please do not!!!

38. Features of academic gowns: HOODS.

More than you ever wanted to known about the origin of academic HOODS.

40. Less lax: TAUTER.

41. St. Patrick's land: EIRE.  Also known as Ireland.

42. F equivalent: E-SHARP.  A musical reference.

45. Like radon, say: INERT.  The gas may be inert, but it is formed by the natural breakdown of uranium in the soil.  According to the American Cancer Society, there is a link between Radon and Lung Cancer.

47. "Norma __": RAE.  The name of a 1979 movie starring Sally Field (b. Nov. 6, 1946).

The movie was based on the real-life union organizer named Crystal Lee Sutton (Dec. 21, 1940 ~ Sept. 11, 2009).

51. Pre-flight frisking gp.: TSA.  As in the Transportation Security Administration.

54. One may be played with sticks or brushes: SNARE DRUM.

56. Misplay with matches?: ARSON.  Fun clue.

57. Hawkish god: ARES.  It's Greek to me!

58. Composer Milhaud: DARIUS.  Darius Milhaud (Sept. 4, 1892 ~ June 22, 1974), was a French composer.  I am not familiar with his work, but here is his piece entitled A Frenchman in New York.

59. Hard-to-meet condition: BIG IF.  You want me to do what!!!???

61. Apple browser: SAFARI.  I liked how Safari crossed with 62-Down:  Acrobat maker = ADOBE.

63. Former Bears coach: DITKA.  As in Mike Ditka (b. Oct. 18, 1939).  He also coached the New Orleans Saints in the late 1990s.

65. Satan: BEELZEBUB.  Beelzebub is mentioned in this Queen song:

68. Tips, as a hat: DOFFS.

Do you recognize this former United States President?

69. Minerva's Greek counterpart: ATHENA.  You don't even have to leave this country to see Athena.  There is a large statue of Athena in the Parthenon in Nashville.

71. Smith, at times: SHOER.  As in one who shoes horses.

72. End in grand style: TOP OFF.  Meh!

74. Baseball's Speaker: TRIS.  Tris Speaker (né Tristan Edgar Speaker; Apr. 4, 1888 ~ Dec. 8, 1958) was born and died in Texas, but began his major league baseball career with the Boston Red Sox.

75. 1970 Neil Diamond hit: SHILO.  Not a fan of Neil Diamond, so you'll have to find this song yourself.

77. Deactivating: DISABLING.

80. Author Rand: AYN.  Any Rand (née Alisa Zinovyevna Rosenbaum; Feb. 2, 1905 ~ Mar. 6, 1982), is probably best known for her books, Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead.

84. Company VIP: CEO.  As in the Chief Executive Officer.

85. Prom attendees: TEENS.

86. Out of class: ABSENT.

87. Open a bit: AJAR.  When is a door not a door?

88. Muted to the max: SILENT.

91. Bill's attorney general: JANET.  Janet Reno (July 21, 19938 ~ Nov. 7, 2016), served as the 78th United States Attorney General.  She served during the Clinton Administration, from January 1993 until January 2001.

93. Remove by melting, say: ABLATE.  Another word in today's puzzle that I will probably never have need of using.

95. Pungent green: CRESS.  Cress is a green vegetable  in the cabbage family.

96. Indelicate: CRASS.  Nice to have Crass next to Cress, with only a vowel change.

98. Friend of TV's Sheldon: RAJ.  A reference to The Big Bang Theory.  Not a fan of the show.

101. "__ World": "Sesame Street" segment: ELMO'S.  Having no young children, I am not up on all the segments of Sesame Street.  I guess he likes to play a SNARE DRUM, though.

104. Seasonal song words after "gay apparel": FA LA LA.  Deck the Hall with Boughs of Holly ...

106. Superhero-themed kids' wear: UNDEROOS.  It would be 97-Down to show kids in underwear!

113. Future viewer: SEER.

114. See 103-Down: ARK.  //  And 103-Down:  114-Across Builder = NOAH.  A Biblical reference to Noah's Ark and the 40 days of rain.

115. Main blood vessel: AORTA.

116. Manly: VIRILE.

117. Nine-digit IDs: SSNs.  As in Social Security Numbers.

118. "Psst!": HEY!

119. Visual okays: NODS.

120. Tinier than tiny: ATOMIC.  Also a song by Blondie.

Down:

1. Easy comparative: ABC.  This puzzle was almost as easy as ABC.

2. Paving material: TAR.

3. Strawberry Fields benefactor: ONO.  O, NO!  It's Yoko ONO!

4. Rural turndown: NAW.

5. Like some "La Cage Aux Folles" dancers: IN DRAG.  The original French version was even better than the American re-make.

6. Rick's, in film: CAFÉ.  A reference to Casa Blanca.

7. Followed a Hippocratic dictum: DID NO HARM.  The Hippocratic Oath is historically taken by new physicians and they are directed to Do No Harm in the treatment of their patients.

8. Corrosive stuff: ACID.

9. Novelist Deighton: LEN.  Len Deighton (né Leonard Cyril Deighton; b. Feb. 18, 1929), is best known for his spy novels.  Tomorrow is his 90th Birthday, so be sure to wish him a great day!

10. "No more for me": I'M GOOD!

11. Docudramas airer: A AND E.  Usually seen as A&E.

13. Choice: PLUM.

14. Observation point: LOOKOUT.  Here's a lookout point at Mt. Katadin in Maine.

15. Not yet posted: UNSENT.

16. "Tristram Shandy" author: STERNE.  As in Laurence Sterne (Nov. 24, 1713 ~ Mar. 18, 1768).  I have never read any of his works.  The full title of this work is The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman, and is published in 9 volumes.  That would take some time to read through.

17. Salad preparer: TOSSER.  Awkward!  You might want to Toss a little CRESS into your salad.

19. Reel trouble: SNAG.

23. Actress Thurman: UMA.  Uma Thurman (née Uma Karina Thurman; b. Apr. 29, 1970) is probably best known for her Kill Bill movies, and the famous dance scene in Pulp Fiction.

25. Navigation aids: RADARS.  Radar is an acronym for Radio Detection And Ranging.  Also used by police to check on speeders.

28. "Frasier" bros., e.g.: DRs.  Both Frasier and his brother Niles, were doctors; psychiatrists, in fact.

29. Transvaal settlers: BOERS.  Transvaal is a province of South Africa.

30. Like lives in hives: APIAN.  Think of the Bees.

32. Have remorse for: RUE.  Also the French word for Street.

34. Cleaning tools: MOPS.

37. "__ say more?": NEED I.  This puzzle is quite clever.   Need I say more?

39. Chicago airport code: ORD.  The airport is O'Hare.  Originally, however, the airport was known as Orchard Field, hence, the airport code ORD.  In 1949, the name was changed to O'Hare to honor Edward Henry O'Hare (Mar. 13, 1914 ~ Nov. 26, 1943), a World War II flying ace, who was killed in the War.

40. Beach divers: TERNS.

43. Clean with S.O.S: SCRUB.

44. Provides home care services?: HOUSE SITS.

45. "There's no use": IT'S FUTILE!

46. New start?: NEO-.  As in Neoclassic.  The United States Capitol Building is an example of Neoclassic architecture.

48. Played again on TV: RERAN.  Or you can watch a Rerun.

49. Hankering: EAGER.

50. Windy City newspaper, for short: TRIB.  As in the Chicago Tribune.

52. Feudal worker: SERF.

53. Sale stipulation: AS IS.

55. Tools with tines: RAKES.  .

57. CIO partner, familiarly: AF OF L.  As in the American Federation Of Labor.  A bit awkward, I should think.  I am familiar with AFL-CIO, which stands for the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations.

59. Bud's promise: BLOOM.  Think of flowers.  My roses are already in their first bloom of the season.

60. Suffix often meaning "to make": -IZE.  Here is a CustomIZEd vehicle.  What is it, a car or a motorcycle?

63. Facts and figures: DATA.

64. Modest admission: I TRY.

66. Jennifer of "Zero Dark Thirty": EHLE.  As in Jennifer Ehle (b. Dec. 29, 1969).  She is currently 49.  I never saw Zero Dark Thirty and don't recognize this actress.

67. Deck crew boss: BOSUN.

70. Thus far: AS YET.

73. Medicare component: PART A.

76. QVC sister station: HSN.  QVS stands for Quality, Value, Convenience and HSN is the Home Shopping Network.

77. Draws attention (from): DISTRACTS.

78. "Terrif!": NEAT-O!

79. Injures, as a matador: GORES.  From Sonny Stitt's album, The Matadors Meet the Bull.

81. Motion detector, e.g.: SENSOR.

82. Cheerful group?: FANS.  Because the Fans full up the Cheering Section of the arena.

83. Debater of Stephen in 1858: ABE.  A reference to the famous (Abraham) Lincoln-(Stephen) Douglas Debates.

85. Marketing hirees: TESTERS.  I suppose.  Usually the testers are volunteers recruited by marketeers.

87. Tide competitor: ALL.  Both are brands of laundry detergent.

88. Speedy ski run: SCHUSS.

89. Dunne and Ryan of cinema: IRENEs.  Irene Dunne (née Irene Marie Dunn; Dec. 20, 1898 ~ Sept. 4, 1990) was before my time with respect to her acting career.

Irene Ryan (née Jessie Irene Noblett; Oct. 17, 1902 ~ Apr. 26, 1973) is best known for her role as Granny Moses on The Beverly Hillbillies.

90. Plodding: LEADEN.

91. Sporty wheels, briefly: JAG.

92. Art movement typified by Sloan's "McSorley's Bar": ASHCAN.  The Ashcan School was an American Art movement that focused on the daily life of the working-class.

96. After-school job: CHORE.  Or, in my house, what we do on the weekends.

97. Not without danger: RISKY.  See 106-Across.

99. __-Seltzer: ALKA.

100. Hinged mouth part: JAW.  Moose Jaw is the 4th largest city in Saskatchewan.  The city used to boast the Largest Moose Statue  in the world, but is currently battling with Norway for that title.

104. Shallow crossing: FORD.  Not Gerald, the former United States President.

105. Kilauea flow: LAVA.  This Hawaiian volcano has been erupting almost continuously for over 35 years.

108. Canterbury can: LOO.  British bathrooms.

109. Vel follower: -CRO.   More than you ever wanted to know about VELCRO.

1
10. "Tell __": Streisand/Dion duet: HIM.  I'll spare your ears on this song, too.

111. Yalie: ELI.  A crossword staple.

112. Remote button: REC.  As in the Record button.

Hope you all had as much fun with this puzzle as I did. Here's the Grid:

Sunday February 10, 2019 David Poole

Theme: "Not Again"- RE is removed from each theme entry.

23A. Chef's directives involving sieves?: STRAINING ORDERS. Restraining orders.

34A. One splitting firewood?: CORD BREAKER. Record breaker.

43A. Chance for Obi-Wan to play?: TURN OF THE JEDI. Return of the Jedi.

69A. Therapist's technique using poetry?: VERSE PSYCHOLOGY. Reverse psychology.

101A. Social event for British tavern keepers?: PUBLICAN PARTY. Republican party.

111A. Dusting goal?: MOTE CONTROL. Remote control.

125A. License to search for the Holy Grail?: QUEST PERMISSION. Request permission.

Such an apt title from David. It summarizes up the gimmick nicely and does not give away the theme.

Very consistent approach too. Super tight entries.

Across:

1. Pen pals?: CONS. Fun clue.

5. Complexion enhancement: ROUGE. I just call it BLUSH.

10. Email subject abbr.: FWD.

13. Get to smile: AMUSE.

18. From square one: ANEW.

19. Steam up: ENRAGE.

21. John, to Paul, George and Ringo: LOO. And 22. John, Paul, George and Ringo: NAMES. Fantastic clues.

26. Travis of country: TRITT.

27. Tennis' Goolagong: EVONNE.

28. Kia HQ city: SEOUL. But HQ is asking for an abbreviated answer.

29. Widen: DILATE.

30. Old pool people: STENOS.

36. Violin stroke: UP BOW.

39. Big chamber group: OCTET.

41. Candidate's aim: SEAT. Our senator Amy Klobuchar is running.

42. Yearbook sect.: SRS.

47. Quaint oath: EGAD.

49. Bar quaff, briefly: IPA.

50. YOLO, in ancient Rome: CARPE DIEM. YOLO = You Only Living Once. This clue made me smile.

52. Actress Staunton of Harry Potter movies: IMELDA. Learning moment for me.

56. Lemony, say: CITRIC. Charlotte disagrees.

59. PC bailout key: ESC.

60. 113-Down's last words: A DAMN. And 113. "I never give anything without expecting something in return" speaker: RHETT.

62. Placed: LAID.

63. Take in or let out: ALTER.

64. Broadway's Hagen: UTA.

66. Hirsute Himalayan humanoid of myth: YETI. Triple alliteration. Agnes' forte.

68. Crossed (out): XED.

76. Compress, as a file: ZIP.

79. Resist: DEFY.

80. Pop duo __ & Him: SHE. Wiki says the duo consisting of Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward.

81. Signs of shock: GASPS.

85. Currier's partner: IVES.

87. Andrea __: ill-fated ship: DORIA.

90. City, informally: URB.

92. Magoo's malady: MYOPIA.

93. Cooperstown charter member: TY COBB. And Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Christy Mathewson and Walter Johnson.

95. Abash: EMBARRASS.

98. Prov. at one end of the Ambassador Bridge: ONT. Here is the bridge. Our constructor is a Canadian.

99. Dental image: X RAY.

104. Latin art: ARS.

107. Triangle product: AREA.

109. Tot's rebuttal: IS NOT.

110. Role for Liam: OSKAR. Oskar Schindler. He's in trouble.

115. Banded metamorphic rock: GNEISS.

117. Big Sur institute: ESALEN. Read here for details. I learned it from doing crosswords.

118. Cambodians' neighbors: THAIS. Oo!

120. Film frames: STILLS.

124. Knighted British actor Hawthorne: NIGEL. Learning moment as well.

129. "The Canterbury Tales" pilgrim: REEVE.

130. Blast cause: TNT.

131. Washington city: YAKIMA. Not TACOMA.

132. Enterprise counselor: TROI.

133. Portfolio part: ASSET.

134. Collecting Soc. Sec.: RET.

135. Enlighten: TEACH. I just send opaque things to Roman Forest. They often come back clear.

136. Virgo/Libra mo.: SEPT.

Down:

1. Project for Poirot: CASE.

2. Airing: ON TV.

3. Student of Seneca: NERO.

4. TV dinner brand: SWANSON.

5. "Xena" actress O'Connor: RENEE. Also new to me.

6. Hush-hush maritime org.: ONI. Office of Naval Intelligence.

7. Java holder: URN.

8. Witty bit: GAG.

9. Sensitive issues for directors: EGOS.

10. __-de-lis: FLEUR.

11. Wells title foes: WORLDS.  "The War of the Worlds". H. G. Wells.

12. Bobs and buns: DOS.

13. Bloody Civil War battle site: ANTIETAM. Wiki says "it was the bloodiest day in United States history, with a combined tally of 22,717 dead, wounded, or missing."

14. Actress Maples: MARLA.

15. Inuit boats: UMIAKS. This looks cold.

16. Volleyball position: SETTER.

17. Fragrant compounds: ESTERS.

20. Put up: ERECTED.

24. Bisected: IN TWO.

25. Rooster's last word?: DOO. Oh, cock-a-doodle-doo.

29. Involve with reluctantly, as a tough situation: DRAG INTO.

31. __ bene: NOTA.

32. Yellowish tone: OCHRE.

33. Answers the call: STEPS UP.

35. Pollen carrier: BEE.

36. Erie Canal city: UTICA.

37. One who has class?: PUPIL. And 112. Parisian 37-Down: ELEVE.

38. Benjamin of "Law & Order": BRATT. Here with Lannie!

40. Kicks out: EJECTS.

44. Govt. org. with a Media Bureau: FCC.

45. Calendario square: DIA.

46. Mil. roadside danger: IED.

48. 2017 Best Director Oscar winner Guillermo __ Toro: DEL. "The Shape of Water".

51. It may be held in a deli: MAYO.

53. Southern Calif. airport: LAX.  And 71. Northern Calif. airport: SFO.

54. Roller in Vegas: DIE.

55. Put in: ADD.

57. MLK's title: REV.

58. Miffed: IRED. Spell check does not like this form.

61. Voice artist Blanc: MEL.

65. Shakespearean cries: AYS.

67. Pop of punk: IGGY.

70. Snoopy's nemesis: RED BARON. Great fill.

72. Jane Rochester, née __: EYRE.

73. Uncouth types: CHURLS.

74. It's misleading when it's red: HERRING.

75. Ming most look up to: YAO. Very tall. He now owns Shanghai Sharks.

76. Spot at the prom?: ZIT. Bad pot.

77. Climbing greenery: IVY.

78. Iron pumper's pride: PEC.

82. Versatile utensil: SPORK.

83. Historic nautical trio member: PINTA.

84. Dionysus devotee: SATYR.

86. Red or White: SOX.

88. Little trickster: IMP. That's our Spitzboov!

89. "Aladdin" monkey: ABU.

91. Club component: BACON. Sandwich.

92. AOL alternative: MSN.

94. Patient's ID: BRACELET.

96. Knack: ABILITY.

97. Fill to the max: SATE.

100. Nikkei index currency: YEN.

102. Blog updates: POSTS. From our blogging team.

103. Gretzky's NHL record 1,963: ASSISTS.

104. Supreme Egyptian deity: AMEN RA.

105. Bar in TV's "M*A*S*H": ROSIE'S. Unknown to me. Never watched "M*A*S*H".

106. Play grounds?: STAGES. Nice clue.

108. Bring into harmony: ATTUNE.

114. Western treaty gp.: OAS. Organization of American States. And a blog regular.

116. NBA legend Thomas: ISIAH.

119. Little fight: SPAT.

121. Euro forerunners: LIRE.

122. Programmer's "endless" problem: LOOP.

123. Peevish state: SNIT.

125. Game div.: QTR.

126. Barely make, with "out": EKE.

127. Fjord kin: RIA.

128. CXL x XV: MMC. I dread this kind of clue.

I spoke with Dave 2 last Monday. He coughed constantly. Both he and his roommate had flu. They could not leave their room for fear that they might spread the flu to to other patients in the rehab place. He felt quite isolated.

C.C.

Sunday February 3, 2019 Pam Amick Klawitter

Theme:"Retirement" - Five different beds make a downturn in the grid.

 

26A. Royal title: HIS MAJESTY THE KING. Turns down to 28D. ---: KING.

40A. First hit, perhaps: DEBUT SINGLE. Turns down 43D. ---: SINGLE.

59A. Fred or George Weasley: IDENTICAL TWIN. Turns down to  62D. ---: TWIN.

83A. Kids' summer fun spot: SLEEPAWAY CAMP. Turns down to 87D. ---: CAMP.

104. War hero/actor who played himself in "To Hell and Back": AUDIE MURPHY. Turns down to  106D. ---: MURPHY.

 

Reveal:

118. Item on the housekeeping checklist, or a hint to completing five puzzle answers: TURN DOWN THE BED.

As I mentioned before, Across Lite can't handle blank clues. If you leave the down theme entry blank, Across Lite will show NO CLUE in the puzzle. So Rich normally just uses " ---". They should be blank in the newspaper format.

On the surface, not a ton of themage. But in reality, this type of turning theme is tricky to executive. Often you can't start with Row 3 due to turning action.

Across:

1. Baroque music family name: BACH.

5. Busy months for CPAs: APRILS. Taxing months For D-Otto too.

11. Lays into: ASSAILS.

18. AAA part: Abbr.: ASSOC.

20. Head huggers: BEANIES.

22. Obeyed a triangular sign: YIELDED.

23. Mountain dew source: STILL. Is this short for distillery?

24. Reaches via plane: LANDS AT.

25. Salad greens: ENDIVES. Which one do you like better: Curly endive or Belgian endive?

29. Toyland notables: BABES.

30. Poet's palindrome: ERE.

31. Common Market letters: EEC. European Economic Community.

32. "__ shall live your epitaph to make": Shak.: OR I

33. One-time filler: AT A.

34. First-ranked competitor: TOP SEED.

38. Polyester fabric: DACRON

44. Org. concerned with brownfields: EPA.

45. Class with angles: TRIG.

47. Step down: RESIGN.

49. Longfellow's bell town: ATRI. "The Bell of Atri".

50. Eye care brand: RENU.

52. Pampering spot: SPA.

54. Was in front: LED.

55. Painful sequence: OWS.

58. Suffix with ball: OON.

63. Brush fire op: EVAC.

64. NBA scoring stat: PPG. Points Per Game.

65. Corn holders: COBS.

66. Minimally adjusts: TWEAKS.

70. Aden Young's "Rectify" role: DANIEL. Not familiar with the TV drama.

72. It's fixed by a bank: CD RATE.

75. Milk sources: DAIRIES.

76. Tabloid material: SLEAZE.

77. Lord in a Christmas song, e.g.: LEAPER. I had to ask Boomer. "... ten lords a leaping" from "The 12 Days of Christmas".

78. Busy, as decor: ORNATE.

79. Casual Friday surprise: SUIT.

80. Pack animal: ASS.

81. Parasite in the dust: MITE.

88. Bit of broth: SIP. Classic Cantonese soup: pork ribs with corn, dates and carrots. Cantonese have a small bowl of soup with their dinner every day.

89. Do some carpentry: SAW.

90. Symbolic uncle: SAM.

93. Maple-syrup-to-be: SAP.

94. Words with bow or scarf: TIE A. Tiny partial.

95. Winter glider: SLED.

97. Amphibious assault troop carrier: AMTRAC. Dictionary says is stands for Am(phibious) + Trac(tor). Learning moment for me.

100. __ bar: TIKI.

103. Flow blocker: DAM.

107. Menu listing: OPTION.

109. Belgian diamond center: ANTWERP.

111. The Mustangs of Dallas coll. football: SMU. Bush 43 library is there.

112. When doubled, a hip-hop dance: NAE. Wiki shows me this GIF. Alright, we all can nae nae. 

113. Friend of Pooh: ROO.

115. Kinda-sorta cousin: ISH.

116. Dark side Darth: VADER.

124. Steep slopes: ESCARPS. Not a word I use. 

126. Gather dust: LIE IDLE.

127. Give one's address, maybe: ORATE. Nice clue.

128. Spot-on: SO RIGHT.

129. Took the deal: SETTLED.

130. Western Wyoming county: TETON.

131. Sign of alertness: OPEN EYE.

132. Hard rain metaphor: SHEETS.

133. Email folder: SENT.

Down:

1. Big do: BASH.

2. Spumante source: ASTI.

3. Forensic detectives, briefly: CSIs. OK, Crime Scene Investigators.

4. "A Study in Scarlet" detective: HOLMES.

5. Competent: ABLE.

6. Porridge veggies, old-style: PEASE.

7. Went off on Twitter: RANTED.

8. Racing series including the "500": INDYCAR.

9. Agenda, e.g.: LIST.

10. Upright swimmer: SEAHORSE. Oh, hello!

11. Floor support?: AYE. House/Senate floor.

12. Mythical voyager: SINBAD.

13. Composed: SEDATE.

14. "Arabian Nights" character: ALI BABA.

15. Contraction with two apostrophes: I'D'VE.

16. Denim purchase: LEES. Here are the trends of 2019. I like decorated jeans. But wide jeans, no!

17. '60s antiwar gp.: SDS. Students for a Democratic Society.

19. Red wine choice: CLARET.

21. With 67-Down, controversial MLB period: STEROID. And 67. See 21-Down: ERA. Boomer has to take steroid every day, otherwise, he might have adrenal crisis. His body just does not produce enough adrenaline due to Zytiga.

27. Heckler's input: JEER.

34. Garr on screen: TERI.

35. Slanted column: OPED.

36. It's usually easy to see through: PANE.

37. DJ's collection: DISCS.

39. Cartoon frame: CEL.

41. Perfect spot: UTOPIA.

42. Saint-__: Riviera resort: TROPEZ.

46. Transcript no.: GPA.

48. Besides Jan., only month with two federal holidays: NOV. Here is a list of Chinese national holidays. Nothing in Nov. and Dec.

51. Open, in a way: UNCAP.

53. Union setting: ALTAR.

56. Rolls into a ball: WADS UP.

57. Gorsuch predecessor: SCALIA.

60. Pole emblems: TOTEMS.

61. Two-nation peninsula: IBERIA.

63. Shapely leader?: ESS. Just the letter S in Shapely.

68. Specks in a river: AITS.

69. Topples (over): KEELS.

71. Packaging abbr.: NET WT.

72. Minor league baseball level: CLASS A.

73. "The Untouchables" studio (1959-'63): DESILU. Desi & Lu(cille). I've only seen Kevin Costner's "The Untouchables".

74. Croaked: RASPED.

75. John in court: DOE.

79. Photo tint: SEPIA.

82. Defunct carrier: TWA.

84. Opposite of fast: EAT. Nice clue also.

85. Hill staffer: AIDE.

86. Senior __: YEAR.

90. Seat of the Bishop of London: ST PAUL'S.

91. Vital vessels: ARTERIES.

92. Juin preceder: MAI. French June/May. We also have 98. Peak in France: MONT.

96. Contempt: DISDAIN.

99. Propellant developed to replace gunpowder: CORDITE. Another learning moment.

101. Do some craftwork: KNIT.

102. Sweater's comment: IT'S HOT. Sweat-er.

105. Come out: EMERGE.

108. Pool toy: NOODLE. Wish I knew how to swim.

110. Start of the fire?: WHERE'S.

114. Big-eyed baby: OWLET.

116. Brandy bottle letters: VSOP.

117. Crop unit: ACRE.

119. The Hague's home: Abbr.: NETH.

120. Beatty and Kelly: NEDS.

121. Restrain: BATE.

122. Thames campus: ETON.

123. Wreck reminder: DENT.

124. That, in Tijuana: ESO.

125. Abbr. on some business cards: STE.

Agnes emailed me this gorgeous dining table centerpiece. She said she had it custom-designed by her local florist. So pretty! Dear Santa used to visit Agnes when he went to the big VA hospital. He would then tell me how neat Agnes' house was.

Belated Happy Birthday to Dear Bill G, who's been with this blog for over 10 years. So sorry I forgot your important milestone last Thursday, Bill! Did Barbara take you to a special restaurant to celebrate? What did you have?

Bill and his wife Barbara

C.C.