Sunday December 8, 2019 Paul Coulter

Theme:  "Pet Sitting" - CAT is placed on top of its usual spots.

 

19. Beats it: SCATS.

23. On easy street: IN THE LAP OF LUXURY.

32. Curtail: TRUNCATE.

40. Sedentary sort: COUCH POTATO.

51. Battery terminal: CATHODE.

55. Orchestra section leader: FIRST CHAIR.

77. Lively musical piece: TOCCATA.

84. Chart with branches: FAMILY TREE.

92. Pinpoint: LOCATE.

 97. Track foundation: RAILROAD BED.

113. Excoriate: SCATHE. Only familiar with "scathing".

115. Opposite of commends: CALLS ON THE CARPET.
 
Reveal:

114. One of six hidden in this puzzle, each sitting on an apt location: CAT.

Cute, right? All the CATs are fully embedded in another words. The place where each cat sits is a discrete word in a longer phrase.

Across:

1. Medical chart entry: AGE.

4. Author Janowitz: TAMA. One of the literary "brat pack".

8. Green eggs and ham promoter: SAM I AM.

14. USPS deliveries: LTRS.

18. Brown of jazz: LES.

21. Thorny shrub: ACACIA. Never saw one in person. Very pretty.

22. "That's not good": OH OH.

26. Beer buy: CASE.

27. Hall of Famers: GREATS. My all-time favorite. 

28. Put away: ATE.

29. Knife holder: SHEATH.

31. Demands: NEEDS.

37. "__ fair ... ": ALL'S.

38. My Chemical Romance 2-Down: EMO. 2. Category: GENRE.

44. They pick up things: SENSORS. Nice clue.

48. Mailed: SENT TO.

49. Get ready to eat?: RIPEN.

50. Muffin topping: OLEO.

53. Assure: PROMISE.

57. Response in court: PLEA.

59. Blues singer James: ETTA.

60. Tiny lab subjects: AMOEBAS.

61.  competitor: REO. Never heard of Maxwell automobile. Read more here. We also have 89. Former Fords: LTDS.

63. "If it's handcrafted, ... it's on __": ETSY. I've been eyeing a disc necklace there for a few months.

64. Designing initials: YSL.

65. Airline to Stockholm: SAS.

66. Most Dresden residents: GERMANS.

68. H.S. class: BIO.

71. Medical suffix: OMA. .And 74. Anatomical canal: ITER. We also had 93. Harem room: ODA.

76. Its "B" is sometimes turkey: BLT.

81. 1993 Literature Nobelist Morrison: TONI.

83. Brings home: NETS.

86. Chaotic but appealing person: HOT MESS. I learned this phrase from an article about Britney Spears ages ago.

88. Powerless motion?: GLIDING. Another great clue.

90. Boosts, e.g.: AIDS.

91. Sneak off to Vegas, maybe: ELOPE.

95. Part of a Shakespearean soothsayer's warning: THE IDES. Of March.

99. Parenthesis, essentially: ARC.

100. Film __: NOIR.

101. To begin with: AS A START.

105. Bridge positions: EASTS.

110. Repair, as sewn-together edges: RE-SEAM.

112. A in French: UNE.

114. Queens' __ Field: CITI.

121. Choir voice: ALTO.

122. Conservative foe, in the U.K.: LABOUR. Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, etc.

123. Suddenly paid attention: SAT UP.

124. "Yo te __": AMO.

125. Stereotypical angst sufferer: TEEN.

126. Wears slowly: ERODES.

127. High-tech workers: BOTS.

128. Gymnast's goal: TEN. Who's your favorite gymnast?

Down:

1. Adjust, as car wheels: ALIGN.

3. Cosmetician Lauder: ESTEE.

4. African menaces: TSETSES.

5. Orthopedic surgery targets, initially: ACLS.

6. Kid's cry: MAA. Farm kids.

7. For face value: AT PAR.

8. Longtime "The Avengers" comics artist Buscema: SAL. Learning moment for me.

9. Pressure lead-in: ACU.

10. Nth degree: MAX.

11. Post-OR area: ICU.

12. Affectations: AIRS.

13. Perchance, old-style: MAYHAP. Not familiar to me.

14. Hour in a pilot's announcement: LOCAL TIME.

15. Response to sad news: THAT'S A PITY. Very nice parallel long entries

16. Hebrew for "head": ROSH.

17. "__ Loves You": Beatles hit: SHE.

20. Annual Jan. speech, in Twitter hashtags: SOTU. State of the Union.

24. Ate: HAD.

25. Bog: FEN.

30. Ecuadoran gold region: EL ORO.

32. Holy scrolls: TORAHS.

33. Emailed a dupe to: CC'ED.

34. Bang-up: A-ONE.

35. "For shame!": TUT.

36. Outer: Pref.: ECT.

39. Deerskin attire: MOCCASINS.

41. Aspirations: HOPES.

42. Proficiency determiners: TESTS.

43. 1992-'93 NBA Rookie of the Year: O'NEAL. Shaq.

44. Slight, as a chance: SLIM.

45. Architect Saarinen: EERO.

46. Attendance count: NOSES.

47. Penn, e.g.: Abbr.: STA.

48. Aching to a larger degree: SORER.

50. Birds-feather link: OF A.

52. Staff builders: HIRERS.

54. Dancer who played a scarecrow: RAY BOLGER. "The Wizard of Oz".

56. Not yet on the sched.: TBA.

57. Quintet: PENTAD. 70. Group of eight: OCTAD.

58. Capt.'s inferiors: LTS.

62. Fed. fiscal agency: OMB. Office of Management and Budget.

66. Acquire: GET.

67. 1966 Michael Caine title role: ALFIE.

69. Aloof: ICY.

71. Wise start?: OTHER. Otherwise.

72. Loot: MOOLA.

73. 2006 Dunst title role: ANTOINETTE.

75. Big name in electric cars: TESLA.

77. Soldier's helmet: TIN HAT.

78. R&B vocalist India.__: ARIE.

79. "Bill & __ Excellent Adventure": TED'S.

80. '50s political initials: AES. Adlai Ewing Stevenson.

82. Self-destruction: IMPLOSION.

85. Charles River sch.: MIT.

87. Like TV's "Supernatural," e.g.: EERIE.

88. Mother of the Titans: GAEA.

94. "60 Minutes" network: CBS.

96. Antarctic features: ICECAPS.

98. Expert in futures?: ORACLE.

102. 252 wine gallons: TUN.

103. Unwanted workers: ANTS.

104. Detox program: REHAB.

106. Berne's river: AAR.

107. Fifth-century bishop in Ireland, familiarly: ST PAT.

108. Most crosswords have one: THEME. Except those low-word count Saturdays.

109. Determined about: SETON.

110. Upset and then some: RILE.

111. Photographer Dora who had a relationship with Picasso: MAAR.

113. Cottontail's tail: SCUT.

116. Certain corp. takeover: LBO.

117. Airport near Tel Aviv: LOD.

118. Go after, in a way: SUE.

119. Surg. sites: ORS.

120. Ike's WWII arena: ETO.

Happy birthday to our cool Jazzbumpa (Ron), who's having a very busy month. He'll be back to guide us next month.

C.C.

Sunday December 1, 2019 Gary Larson

Theme:  "Name Tags" - Each familiar phrase is re-interpreted as if the word is a person's name.

21. Inspiring Gates?: ELECTRIC BILL. Bill Gates is truly inspiring.

24. Upright Fosse?: PLUMB BOB. Bob Fosse, the choreographer with nine Tony wins.

 

49. Refined Bailey?: CULTURED PEARL. Pearl Bailey.

51. Careless Montana?: SLOPPY JOE. Joe Montana.

 

64. Vividly expressive Carney?: GRAPHIC ART. Art Carney.

67. Outgoing Macdonald?: SOCIAL NORM. Norm Macdonald of "Saturday Night Live".

 86. Slothful Sontag?: LAZY SUSAN. Susan Sontag.

89. Seafaring Davis?: NAUTICAL MILES. Miles Davis.

113. Forthcoming Tyson?: OPEN MIKE. Mike Tyson.

115. Forceful Kelly?: DOMINANT GENE. Gene Kelly.

We got a good mix of people. 2 ladies. 8 men. From various walks of life.

Theme heavy. Total 10 entries in a 140-word grid.

   

Across:

1. Milky white kind of glass: OPAL.

5. "Dumb and Dumber" co-star: CARREY. Jim Carrey seems to be a recluse now.

11. Confident: ASSURED.

18. Stellar phenomenon: NOVA.

19. Aspirations: DREAMS.

20. Self-officiated game with a disc: ULTIMATE. Why don't they call it "Ultimate frisbee" any more?

25. More tender: SORER.

26. Driver's lic. info: DOB.

27. Red dye: EOSIN.

29. Use for a fee: RENT.

30. Family nickname: SIS.

32. Something read to the rowdy?: RIOT ACT. Nice clue/answer.

35. English breakfast __: TEA.

37. Outrage: IRE.

40. Very funny sort: CARD.

42. Hostess output: CUPCAKES.

44. It has an eye on TV: CBS.

47. 1980s Panamanian dictator: NORIEGA. Manuel Noriega. The Chilean dictator is Augusto Pinochet.

53. Type, in Calais: SORTE. Similar to our English.

54. Westminster landmark: ABBEY.

55. Jumbles: OLIOS.

56. House shower: C-SPAN.

58. Causes of frequent break-ins?: SPONSORS. Commercial breaks.

60. IBM competitor: NEC.

61. 1942 Philippine battle site: BATAAN. We had this before also.

63. Cold sheet: FLOE.

73. Actor Neeson: LIAM.

74. Fortune-telling aids: TAROTS.

75. One of the fire signs: LEO.

76. Period of the first dinosaurs: TRIASSIC. Is this word related to "triceratops"?

80. State with a panhandle: TEXAS.

81. Plane angle symbol: THETA.

83. Very long time: AEONS.

84. Some corporate jets: LEARS.

92. Where to find an idiomatic pig: IN A POKE. This idiom and "don't look a gift horse in the mouth" are just odd.

93. Family docs: GPS.

94. Widespread: NON-LOCAL.

95. One doing stars, say: APER.

96. Outlaw Kelly: NED.

97. "Ben-Hur" studio: MGM.

98. Starts to negotiate, as a price: ASKS FOR.

100. Clearasil target: ZIT.

102. Formally transfer: CEDE.

105. Opposite of piano: FORTE.

107. Young socialite: DEB.

109. Dependable: SOLID. All our blogging team. So lucky.

119. Fan of Jerry Garcia's band: DEADHEAD.

120. Flea market deal: RESALE. We had lots of fun at the flea market. Did it for many years.

121. Part of a pot: ANTE.

122. __ overload: SENSORY.

123. Absorbs the financial hit: EATS IT.

124. "Enough!": STOP.

Down:

1. Till stack: ONES.

2. Game played in an anagram of itself: POLO. Water polo. Pool.

3. Swear: AVER.

4. What loafers lack: LACES.

5. Burnable medium, briefly: CDR.

6. Dry as a bone: ARID.

7. "Made to be broken" thing: RECORD.

8. Browning's Ben Ezra, e.g.: RABBI. See here. New to me.

9. Former U.K. recording giant: EMI.

10. Fashion initials: YSL.

11. "__ want for Christmas ... ": ALL I.

12. Hindered, as growth: STUNTED.

13. __City: computer game: SIM.

14. Eclipse shadow: UMBRA.

15. "Streamers" playwright: RABE. Also new to me.

16. School since 1440: ETON.

17. Balance on a card, say: DEBT.

20. Parvenus: UPSTARTS.

22. Bench press muscles: TRICEPS.

23. Seized, as an opportunity: LEAPT ON.

28. Go down, so to speak: OCCUR.

31. Like some turkey stuffing: SAGY. Our 12-pound turkey this year. Tons of sage in the stuffing.

33. Eye care product prefix: OCU.

34. Certain Sooner: TULSAN.

36. ESPN Deportes language: ESPANOL. ESPN "Sports".

37. Joyous way to break out: IN SONG.

38. Surfing wave: ROLLER.

39. Symphony originally dedicated to Napoleon: EROICA.

41. Friend of TV's Sheldon: RAJ.

43. Stay in shape: KEEP FIT.

44. Popular spring break locale, informally: CABO. Cabo San Lucas.

45. Uncle Remus title: BR'ER.

46. Stone and Stallone: SLYS.

48. Wall St. news: IPO.

49. French Oscar: CESAR. Wiki says "The name of the award comes from the sculptor César Baldaccini (1921–1998) who created it."

50. "Barnaby Jones" star: EBSEN.

52. Numerical prefix: OCTA. Prefix for "eight".

57. Frisk, with "down": PAT.

59. Rio greetings: OLAS.

61. Partial view?: BIAS.  Not "Not total" partial.

62. Lombardy-based football club: AC MILAN. Sponsored by the Emirates Airline. There are things that money can buy.

65. Nursery item: PLANT.

66. Sound of disapproval: HISSING.

67. Early rock horn: SAX.

68. Face-to-face exams: ORALS.

69. Toledo thing: COSA.

70. "Little House" family name: OLESON. Nellie Oleson.

71. Second shot: RETAKE.

72. Sounded ghostly: MOANED.

74. Green cars: TESLAS.

76. Sharp flavor: TANG.

77. Harvest: REAP.

78. Markers: IOUS.

79. Like many fine wines: CELLARED. Not a word I use.

80. Deked, say: TRICKED.

81. Bolshevik's foe: TSARIST.

82. March opening: HUP.

85. "He's __ notable coward ... ": Shak.: A MOST.

87. Speed: ZIP.

88. Santa __ Valley: California wine region: YNEZ.

90. More cozy: COMFIER.

91. Polar helper: ELF. I absolutely love this time of the year. Everywhere is so festive.

95. Sites for fights: ARENAS.

97. Patches up: MENDS.

99. Horace, for one: ODIST.

101. "Animal House" party attire: TOGAS.

102. Some UPS deliveries: CODS. Cash on Delivery.

103. Duel tool: EPEE.

104. University VIP: DEAN.

106. "Just __ is not __": AT&T slogan: OKAY.

108. Island near Java: BALI.

110. Mardi Gras follower: LENT.

111. Liking: INTO.

112. Insightful: DEEP.

114. Old reciprocal electrical unit: MHO. Now called a siemens.

116. Mt. Hood's home: ORE.

117. __ culpa: MEA.

118. Bottom line: NET.

C.C.

Sunday November 24, 2019 Gail Grabowski

Theme: "Accentuating the Negative" - UN is attached to front of each common phrase.

23A Like frayed laces on hockey skates?: UNFIT TO BE TIED. Fit to be tied.

 

39A. Dig up buried Burma-Shave relics?: UNEARTH SIGNS. Earth signs.

57A. Brief period of apathy?: UNMOVING DAY. Moving day.

82A. Committee leader who's a bit on edge?: UNEASY CHAIR. Easy chair.

97A. Orthodontist's concerns: UNSOUND BITES. Sounds bites.

119A. Pets that help with luggage after a trip?: UNPACK ANIMALS. Pack animals.

16D. Rattle football linemen?: UNNERVE CENTERS. Nerve center.

52D. Do a "Wheel of Fortune" job?: UNCOVER LETTERS. Cover letters.

There's no any extra layer to further tie the theme together, in case you wonder.

Lots of words can have an UN prefix, so this set may seem to be loose to some. But I think Gail was just trying a full new set of UN* gimmick.

The grid is classical Gail. Both the design and the fill. There's an art behind her simplicity. Hard work too, of course.

Across:

1. "Proud Mary" pop gp.: CCR. Creedence Clearwater Revival.

4. "Glad that's over!": WHEW.

8. Vineyard measure: ACRE. JimmyB brought me this special bottle of wine from his vineyard years ago. I've been saving it.

12. Contaminate: POLLUTE.

19. Grammy winner Corinne Bailey __: RAE.

20. Lille lover's word: AIME.

21. Coward in drama: NOEL. Noel Coward.

22. More eco-conscious: GREENER.

26. Forward motion: ADVANCE.

27. Stretches on the job: STINTS. Nice clue.

28. Waferlike: SLENDER.

30. Brontë governess: EYRE.

31. Road trip expenses: TOLLS.

32. Area 51 creatures, it's said: ETS.

33. Tail end: REAR.

35. Málaga mlle.: SRTA. Alliteration.

38. Flight school hurdle: SOLO.

44. Roomba, briefly: VAC. Our vacuum is pretty heavy, but it gives me a regular workout. 

45. Contrail makeup: VAPOR.

47. Defense org.?: ABA. Court defense.

48. Wet suit material: NEOPRENE. I think our mouse pad is made of this stuff also.

50. Elm Street surname: KRUEGER.

53. Advice to a sinner: ATONE.

55. Junkyard fillers: WRECKS.

56. Seemingly forever: EON.

61. Iowa Straw Poll city, once: AMES. Wiki says the polls is now called "Iowa State Fair Straw Poll".

62. Do as Vassar did in 1969: GO CO-ED.

64. NOYB part: NONE.

65. Text addition?: ILE. Textile.

66. Feminine side: YIN. Cucumber is Yin. Ginger is Yang.

67. "Say no more": STOP.

68. Deceptive operation: STING. Police sting.

70. It has all five black keys in its scale: D FLAT.

72. Grab with a toothpick: STAB.

75. Vital opening?: VEE. Vital.

77. Verizon subsidiary: AOL.

78. Song often sung in Italian: ARIA.

79. Flip, in a way: RESELL. I told you about our old neighbor. He won $100,000 lottery prize. Gambled them all away. Lost his home also. Some real estate guy fixed his house and flipped for a quick profit.

81. German gent: HERR.

85. Biodegrade: ROT.

86. Frustrate: DERAIL.

88. Really go for: ADORE.

89. "The Ten Commandments" role: RAMESES.

91. Team culled from other teams: ALL-STARS. Rod Carew was a 18-time All-Star. Most for a Twin. Boomer bowled with Carew once.

94. URL ending: EDU.

95. Marner of fiction: SILAS.

96. Jeans go-with: TEE.

100. Contest on horseback: TILT.

104. Queen's offspring: ANTS.

106. Some square dancers: GALS. Hi there Kathy!

107. Title after vows, perhaps: MRS.

108. Passover feast: SEDER.

109. Ten Benjamins: THOU.

111. Erode: EAT AWAY.

115. Rinky-dink: CHEESY.

116. Morgan of "The Bucket List": FREEMAN. Tarnished reputation now. 

121. Challenge for a flight attendant: AIR RAGE. Still remember the first time you took a plane?

122. Work (out): SUSS.

123. Sistine Chapel mural setting: EDEN.

124. Release, with "out": LET.

125. "Ain't gonna happen!": NO SIREE.

126. Straddling: ATOP.

127. Learning method: ROTE.

128. Part of GPS: Abbr.: SYS.

Down:

1. Some prefer them thin: CRUSTS. The first pizza I had is Hawaiian Pizza at Pizza Hut in Guangzhou. So I always associate pizza with thick crust and pineapples.

2. Braggart's comeback: CAN TOO.

3. Pharmacy order: REFILL. Tiny clue/answer dupe with the great 13. Limited offer come-on: ORDER NOW.

4. Guitar amp units: WATTS.

5. Singles, say: HITS.

6. Moody music genre: EMO.

7. "Blue-Backed Spelling Book" author: WEBSTER.

8. Join the game, in a way: ANTE.

9. Small decision-maker: COIN.

10. 2018 Masters champ Patrick: REED. Also 12. Vardon Trophy org.: PGA. And 37. Links rarities: ACES. Gail is a golfer.

11. Trees with berries: ELDERS.

14. Assess: LEVY.

15. King and a Norman: LEARS.

17. TV's Jim Rockford, for one: TEC. Detective.

18. Cockney adverb: ERE.

24. Under Cupid's spell: IN LOVE.

25. "Frozen" snow queen: ELSA.

29. Pull back, with "in": REIN.

32. Huge, to a poet: ENORM.

34. Eligibility factor: AGE. Right now, the retirement age in China is 60 for men. 55 for female civil servants and 50 for female workers.

36. Suffers a sudden decline: TANKS.

39. Overturns: UPENDS.

40. What stars may represent: RATING.

41. Doggie bag treat: T BONE.

42. Chill (with): HANG.

43. __ paint: SPRAY.

46. Flu symptom: AGUE.

49. Negligent: REMISS.

50. They're often tapped: KEGS.

51. Underlying cause: ROOT.

53. "Anne of Green Gables" setting: AVONLEA. Forgot. We had this before.

54. Imposing building: EDIFICE.

58. Often-minced veggie: ONION. Isn't this pretty?

59. Quran deity: ALLAH.

60. Word of support: YEA.

63. Met works: OPERAS.

69. Frat letter: TAU.

70. Pre-BBQ treatment: DRY RUB.

71. Difficult times: TRIALS. So grateful to your support all these years, esp last year.

73. Alternative medicine plant: ALOE.

74. Initial orders?: BLTS. Initially.

76. "Un Ballo in Maschera" aria: ERI TU.

78. Equally eccentric: AS ODD.

80. Funny Bombeck: ERMA.

81. Paris abductee: HELEN. Of Troy.

83. Arabian Peninsula port: ADEN.

84. Energetic risk-taking type, so it's said: ARIES. We have two on our blog: Abejo and Irish Miss.

86. Spreadsheet filler: DATA.

87. Sign __: LANGUAGE.

90. Regard: ESTEEM.

92. 2010 World Cup host: Abbr.: RSA. Republic of South Africa.

93. One and only: SOLE.

95. Sgt. played by John Wayne in "Sands of Iwo Jima": STRYKER. Learning moment for me.

98. Patriotic chant: USA USA.

99. Apple since 1998: IMAC.

101. Lofty standards: IDEALS.

102. Stahl of "60 Minutes": LESLEY.

103. Hush-hush meetings: TRYSTS.

105. "The Rapture of Canaan" novelist Reynolds: SHERI. Haltoolah might have read this book.

108. Excel: SHINE.

110. Sharif of "Che!": OMAR.

112. Flanged fastener: T NUT.

113. Lhasa __: APSO. Meaning "bearded" in Tibetan.

114. Bee-eater's prey: WASP.

115. Tech news site: CNET.

116. __ base: FAN.

117. Brazil map word: RIO.

118. Name change indicator: NEE.

120. Flap: ADO.

C.C.

Congratulations on your wife's first art show, Picard!

Sunday November 17, 2019 Pam Amick Klawitter

Theme: "Dined In" - ATE sound is added to each theme entry, changing spelling as needed.

22A. Note to self before appearing on "America's Got Talent"?: CAPTIVATE AUDIENCE. Captive audience.
 
59A. Ancient Greek warrior's pet monkey?: AMAZON PRIMATE. Amazon Prime.

79A. Try to cure the effects of a skunk invasion on a semi?: AERATE FREIGHT. Air freight.

118A. Best Reader Award winner?: PICK OF THE LITERATE. Pick of the litter.

15D. "That's not a baby bump?"?: SURELY YOU GESTATE. Surely you jest.

37D. Liven up the science fair?: ACTIVATE VOLCANOS. Active volcanos. I use "volcanoes".

There's an extra "Dined in" sound in 79A, though different spelling. 

Only 6 themers, but they're mostly very long. We have a total 105 theme squares. About our average.

Across:

1. Arctic "snowshoe" critters: HARES. Snowshoe hare.

6. Musical Mama: CASS.

10. Meter users: BARDS. Poetic meter.

15. Bit of beer, say: SIP.

18. Cluster of stars?: A-LIST. Well, this is a great cluster, except that he has Kevin Spacey.

19. Myanmar, at one time: BURMA.

20. Look forward to: AWAIT.

21. Colorful card game: UNO.

25. MGM rival: RKO.

26. Tile setter, often: KNEELER.

27. Firing offense?: ARSON. Oldie but goodie.

28. Well-mannered: GENTEEL. C'est tres gentil!

30. Bits of energy: ERGS.

32. Stable dwellers: MARES.

34. Dresses down: SCOLDS.

35. "What do you __?": MEAN.

39. Where to find Reubens and Cubans: DELI. Never had a Cuban sandwich before.

41. They're in the air: GASES.

43. Today, to Tomás: HOY. And  4. 90° from norte: ESTE. 36. Mes con 31 días: ENERO. 81. Spanish 101 word: ERES.

44. Coop up in a coop: ENCAGE. I use CAGE.

46. Take a load off: EASE.

48. Cry out loud: SOB.

50. Soapmaking compounds: LYES.

53. Put a damper on: DETER.

54. Gospel travelers: MAGI. 94D. One of the 54-Across: CASPAR.

55. Fire sign: FLAME.

57. Not just primary, as an heir: SOLE.

58. Uzi's brother in "The Royal Tenenbaums": ARI. No idea. You can read more here.

63. Take advantage of: USE.

64. Place to see X's and O's: LOVE NOTE.

66. Witch: CRONE.

67. Like the soles of walking boots: RIDGED.

69. Put on a pedestal: ADORE.

70. Cinematic Sergio: LEONE. Spaghetti Western. "Once Upon a Time in the West", etc.

71. Actor's nickname that sounds like a golf term: BOGIE. Humphrey Bogart.

72. Posy pieces: PETALS.

74. '90s candidate who opposed NAFTA: PEROT.

75. Walter Reed hospital city: BETHESDA.

78. Night before the big day: EVE.

82. Carol opener: TIS.

83. Jeans name: LEVI. D-Otto's brand.

85. Like some probes: LUNAR.

86. "LOTR" menaces: ORCS. The Lord of the Rings.

87. Leaders: HEADS.

89. Jumbo tail?: TRON. Jumbotron.

90. Vicious with a bass: SID. Sid Vicious was a bassist.

91. Pea opener in toons?: SWEE. Swee'Pea. Popeye's kid.

92. Fly over Africa: TSETSE. Thank God they do not fly over our head.

93. Express opp.: LOC. Local.

95. __ academy: NAVAL.

98. Go a round or two: SPAR.

100. Many August births: LEOS.

101. Spa offering: FACIAL.

104. Rope maker's supply: SISAL.

106. Tried to make up for lost time: SPED.

108. Part of it is now a desert: ARAL SEA.

110. Whale tracker: SONAR.

112. Short end of the stick: RAW DEAL.

117. Cru output: VIN.

121. Classic auto: REO.

122. Adjust: ALTER.

123. Cybersales: E-TAIL. Have any of you tried Uniqclo or Everlane?

124. Noted 2001 bankruptcy: ENRON.

125. Solid start?: ESS. Solid.

126. Word in a Morton Salt motto: RAINS.

127. Thin change: DIME.

128. 1951 Reagan co-star: BONZO.

Down:

1. Modern-day break-in: HACK.

2. Snape portrayer Rickman: ALAN.

3. Ready in the field: RIPE. The Asian store had a few cut-up pieces of jackfruit on sale the other day. Carmen (my pal in Guangzhou) told me that it tasted more like durian rather than pineapple. So I was expecting the melt-in-your-mouth taste of durian. So disappointed.

Jackfruit

Durian

5. Way through a fence: STILE.

6. "Scene's over!": CUT.

7. 51, for one: AREA.

8. Insincere flattery: SMARM.

9. Pepperoni alternative: SAUSAGE. These are  Guangzhou-style sausages. Best in the world.

10. ... Fitzgerald, __, Milhous ...: BAINES. JFK, LBJ, Nixon.

11. Stunned state: AWE.

12. Summoned to the door: RANG.

13. Does some meal prep: DICES.

14. Foul quality: STENCH.

16. Signed: INKED.

17. Backyard amenities: POOLS. Not in our yard.

19. Canal craft: BARGE.

23. Mesa __ National Park: VERDE.

24. Toon adventurer: DORA.

29. They get the job done: TOOLS.

31. Scandalous stuff: SLEAZE.

33. With 52-Down, bagel flavoring: SESAME. 52. See 33-Down: SEED.

35. Competition carrot: MEDAL. Reward "carrot".

38. Dundee denial: NAE.

40. "I hate the Moor" speaker: IAGO. 70. "Why, then, __ soldier drink!": 40-Down: LET A.

42. Victoria's Secret competitor: SOMA. Have yet to try this brand.


45. Hiker's handful: GRANOLA.

47. More honest: SINCERER.

49. Promise to marry: BETROTH.

51. End of an ultimatum: ELSE.

54. Down Under bud: MATE.

55. Hot concert spot: FRONT ROW.

56. No surprise to a Disney World arrival: LINE.  Gary knows full well.

60. Delightful bites: MORSELS.

61. Prosecutor's burden: PROOF.

62. Pieces of pie, often: EIGHTHS.

65. Educator LeShan: EDA.

68. Common game piece: DIE.

71. More than just asks: BEGS.

72. Hide in the forest?: PELT. Noun "hide".

73. Happily-after link: EVER.

74. Critters with black eye patches: PANDAS.

75. Guns that don't shoot: BICEPS. Must have been photoshopped.

76. Playground comeback: DID SO.

77. Pack animals: ASSES.

80. Machu Picchu or Chichén Itzá: RUIN.

84. How tuna might be packed: IN OIL. And 88. Skinny swimmer: EEL. Not a fan of tuna. But love roasted eels.

91. Not straight up: SLANTED.

92. Pleasant surprise: TREAT.

96. Golfers' headgear: VISORS.

97. Beginning with: AS OF.

99. 102-Down month: APRIL. 102. Fire sign: ARIES.

101. Pro Football Hall of Fame QB Brett: FAVRE. Was a Viking for a short period of time.

103. "The Pearl Fishers" priestess: LEILA. Another unknown.

105. "The Good Fight" actress: LAHTI (Christine)

107. Social misfit: DWEEB.

109. When the story starts on stage: ACT I.

111. Copy paper purchase: REAM.

113. Early Bond foe: DR NO.

114. Pull down: EARN.

115. Familiar gamut: A TO Z.

116. Car-collecting comic: LENO.

119. "Country Music" chronicler Burns: KEN.

120. Bit of perjury: LIE.

C.C.

Sunday November 10, 2019 Ed Sessa

Theme: "Fowl Play" - Punning on various fowl-related words.

23. Action at a coop dance?: POULTRY IN MOTION. Poetry in motion.

39. Nestling tossed out of a bar?: BOUNCED CHICK. Bounced check. Vivid image.

47. Story subtitled "Murder Most Fowl"?: THE FRYER'S TALE. The Friar's Tale.

66. Rooster's wake-up call?: ALARM CLUCK. Alarm clock.

69. Tiny hatchling group?: MICRO BROOD. Microbrew.

88. What fussy hens do?: PECK AND CHOOSE. Pick and choose.

97. Fowl haulin' a semi?: CAPON TRUCKIN'. Keep on truckin'.

117. "Rooster Wars" sequel in which Hen Solo rescues Princess Layer?: THE BANTAM MENACE. The Phantom Menace (Star Wars)

I don't recall such a fowl play theme before. Ed always comes up with original & fun themes. Ed is also a very accomplished themeless constructor, so his Sunday grids are often filled with sparkly long-fill. The paralleled 2/3-Down & 83/84-Down are good examples.

I never quite get a handle of punning them. It's D-Otto's domain. Mine often lacks "surface sense".

Across:

1. Alerts that may lead to roadblocks, briefly: APBS.

5. Bela Lugosi was buried in one: CAPE. IMDb says "He was buried in a Dracula costume, including a cape, but not the ones used in the 1931 film...".

9. Orkney components: ISLES.

14. Egg boiler's aid: TIMER.

19. Ball game: POLO. Can you clue GOLF as [Ball game] also?

20. "You said it!": AMEN.

21. Steel plow pioneer: DEERE.

22. Ask for "fish 'n' chips," say: ELIDE.

26. Catkin producer: ALDER. There's a Green Alder in our neighbor's yard that has lots of catkins.

27. Make a bundle farming?: SHEAVE. Nice clue. Spitzboov made lots of bundle farming.

28. Fella: GUY.

29. The Tempter: SATAN.

31. __ fide: BONA.

32. D.C. fundraisers: PACS.

33. Confederacy foe: UNION.

35. See 16-Down: ITO. 16. With 35-Across, Japanese Olympian: MIDORI.

36. Guitarist Clapton: ERIC.

37. Primo: A ONE.

38. Car in a '60s hit: GTO.

43. Eggy quaff: NOG. Boomer likes Tom and Jerry. It has eggnog. Now he can't have alcohol due to the oral chemo.

44. Mad fad: MANIA.

46. Silver, to Long John: TREASURE.

50. Cotton Club site: HARLEM. Unfamiliar with the club.

54. Imam's faith: ISLAM.

55. Towels off gently: PATS DRY.

58. Neutral tone: BEIGE.

59. Part of a house profile: ROOFLINE. OK, this edge.

63. Puffin relative: AUK. Are these puffins or auks? So cute.

65. Gp. with many sub-par members: PGA. Another great clue.

73. Promgoer's concern: ZIT.

74. Television station?: DEN. Where TV is stationed.

75. One of two on a three-speed: BIKE TIRE.

76. Inuit transport: UMIAK.

79. Income for Inc., say: AD SPACE.

82. Tailor: ALTER.

86. Unleash a tirade: LET RIP.

92. Intermittent drip cause: SLOW LEAK. So glad our garage ceiling leak is fixed.

95. Ristorante potful: SAUCE.

96. Home-school link: Abbr.: PTA.

101. Some boxing wins: KOS.

102. Disappearing ski resort feature: T BAR.

103. Saudi Arabia neighbor: OMAN.

104. 42-Down's leg count: TEN. 42. Seabed sidler: CRAB.

105. Breathers?: NOSES.

107. Smack, as a mosquito: SWAT.

108. Start to meter or liter: DECI. Tenth.

109. Anarchist in 1921 news: SACCO. Forgot. We had this guy before.

112. Voluminous ref. work: OED.

113. Canine complaints: WHINES.

115. Wes Craven film locale: Abbr.: ELM ST.

120. Herder's rope: RIATA.

121. Sun: Pref.: HELIO.

122. Sentiment-al piece?: OPED.

123. What beavers do: GNAW.

124. Have a feeling: SENSE.

125. Auto bust: EDSEL. Collectible for some.

126. What's going on: NEWS.

127. Deserve: EARN.

Down:

1. Phone programs: APPS.

2. Plays down: POOH-POOHS. 3. Navy aerobatic team member: BLUE ANGEL. Gorgeous pairs. See also 83. Head honcho: TOP BANANA. And 84. London station wagon: ESTATE CAR.

4. Pain relief: SOLACE.

5. Give a hoot: CARE.

6. "Clueless" director Heckerling: AMY.

7. Loose dressing gown: PEIGNOIR.

8. Same old same old feeling: ENNUI.

9. Promise sealed with a kiss: I DO.

10. Board-and-pieces units: SETS.

11. Sister of Luke: LEIA.

12. X-rated works: EROTICA.

13. Legislative councils: SENATES.

14. Leaves in a cup: TEA.

15. "You know where to find me": I'LL BE HERE. So grateful for my blog friends, who are always an email away for me.

17. Like paradise: EDENIC.

18. Start another eight-ball game: RE-RACK.

24. Controversial "babysitters": TVS.

25. Brief warning to a busybody: MYOB.

30. "Like, obviously!": NO DUH.

33. Eclectic magazine: UTNE. Don't think I want to read it with this cover.

34. Write, as music: NOTATE.

37. Naysayer: ANTI.

38. Part of LGBTQ: GAY.

40. Online addresses: URLS.

41. Scholarship consideration: NEED.

44. 1983 Keaton film: MR MOM. Michael Keaton.

45. Jelly garnish: ASPIC.

48. "M*A*S*H" actor Jamie: FARR.

49. Go south: TANK.

51. Fat-reducing procedure, briefly: LIPO.

52. Thick & Fluffy waffle brand: EGGO.

53. Beverage that goes back millennia: MEAD.

56. Speed competition: RACE.

57. Mongolian tent: YURT. Modern yurt.

60. Monk's condition, in the TV show: OCD.

61. No friend of Fido: FLEA.

62. Swedish university city: LUND. Never heard of it.

64. Colorful pond fish: KOI.

66. Color of el mar: AZUL. Color of the sea.

67. Mojito component: LIME.

68. Having a spat: AT IT.

69. "The __": classic Yankee nickname: MICK. Mantle.

70. Furniture stores that sell meatballs: IKEAS.

71. Astronomer Tycho __: BRAHE.

72. Move, in real estate lingo: RELO.

75. Start to parallel park: BACK IN.

77. Torchbearers?: ARSONISTS. Nice clue also.

78. Firing site: KILN.

80. Blueprint detail: SPEC.

81. Crowning point: PEAK.

85. End of the line: REAR.

87. Annie who voiced Bo Peep in "Toy Story": POTTS.

89. Man, in a Desmond Morris best-seller: NAKED APE.

90. Tango groups: DUOS.

91. Emails a dupe to: CCS. For past tense, do you use CC'd or CC'ed?

93. Encircle, as with a lei: WREATHE.

94. Had a midday meal: LUNCHED.

97. Video game makers: CODERS.

98. 2001 Audrey Tautou title role: AMELIE. Cute film.

99. Game with ghosts: PAC MAN.

100. High time?: NOON.

102. Minor pain: TWINGE.

106. __ Hall: SETON.

107. Mae West's "__ Done Him Wrong": SHE. Learning moment for me also.

110. Disney collectibles: CELS.

111. Tony relative: OBIE.

113. Iraq War concerns, briefly: WMDS.

114. In stitches: SEWN.

116. __ kwon do: TAE.

118. 2015 Verizon acquisition: AOL.

119. Feline call: MEW.

Happy 73rd birthday to dear Husker Gary's wife Joann and her twin sister Joyce. Here they're with their mom Martha. Joann is truly special. She takes great care of all her loved ones. I'll never forget her strength and devotion last time when Gary was in trouble.