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.
