(Please click here (LA Times Crossword on-line) or here (Mensa site, no ads) for the Sunday puzzle we blog here. We don't know why LA Times newspaper does not carry this puzzle on Sundays. )
Theme: "Force Field" - CE is added to each theme entry.
Theme: "Force Field" - CE is added to each theme entry.
23A. Light for lovers? : ROMANCE CANDLE. Roman candle.
39A. Coat with a "V" on it? : PEACE JACKET. Pea jacket.
58A. Op-ed page apology? : HUMBLE PIECE. Humble pie.
84A. Flinch at the drop of a hat? : WINCE EASILY. Win easily.
102A. Astronaut's vacation spot? : SPACE RESORT. Spa resort.
121A. Cruise destination for impulsive sorts? : ISLE OF CAPRICE. Isle of Capri.
16D. Wipe out municipal coffers with a scam? : FLEECE THE CITY. Flee the city.
57D. Satiric video of a backyard gathering? : FARCE FROM HOME. Far from home.
So, two CE are added to the end of the second word, quite consistent.
I don't quite get the title. Argyle explained to me: "All I see is forcing CE into a phrase. For CE field." Just does not sound natural. Anyone else has a better explanation?
Across:
Across:
1. "Nope" : NAH
4. Symbol on Vietnam's flag : STAR. It has a single star. China's has 5.
8. Assertive comeback : AM SO
12. Fixed expense : FLAT FEE
19. Denver-to-Chicago dir. : ENE
20. Gutter locale : EAVE
21. In the neighborhood : NEAR
22. Added up : TOTALED
26. Reddish-brown horses : SORRELS
27. "Close enough" : IT'LL DO
28. Agitated : IN A STIR
30. Winslet of "Revolutionary Road" : KATE. Her husband's name is Rocknroll.
31. They're often not seen on the beach : SHOES
32. Alias user : SPY
33. Chef's creation : DISH. And 7D. Food Network offerings : RECIPES
35. Grifter's plan : SCAM
38. Philosophical subgroup : SECT
44. Ranch ending : ERO. Ranchero.
45. Hot Springs National Park locale : ARKANSAS
48. Exist : ARE
49. Add staff : HIRE
50. "OMG, skip the sordid details!" : TMI
51. D.C. regulars : POLs
52. Icky buildup : CRUD
53. It's good when it's fair : WEATHER
55. 2003 holiday film : ELF
62. Kid stuff? : SUEDE. Great clue.
63. MTV's owner : VIACOM. They own Comedy Central as well.
65. Enumerate : LIST
66. Pres. after JAG : CAA. This got me all the time: James Abram Garfield & Chester Alan Arthur.
67. Ltr.-bottom letters : ENC
68. Designer Saarinen : EERO
69. Docking places : SLIPS
71. Dried coconut meat : COPRA.
Learned from doing Xwords. Do you guys have Bob's Red Mill product in
your local grocery stores? Their Coconut flakes are so good.
73. Kerry's home : EIRE. Kerry Country Ireland.
76. IRA recommender : CPA
78. Memorable 1969 bride : ONO
79. Bit of deceit : WILE
80. Give : BESTOW
82. Musical shortcoming : NO EAR
87. "__-haw!" : YEE
88. 2013, election-wise : OFF-YEAR. Yay, no campaign stuff at our State Fair. But I developed a strange sun rash on my forearms a few weeks ago. Now I can't walk under the sun for too long. Face, neck & legs are all fine. Why my forearms?
90. Unkind comment : BARB
91. Roger of "Cheers" : REES
93. Patriotic org. since 1890 : DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution)
94. Tissue additive : ALOE
96. Soprano Marton : EVA. Another stranger to me.
97. Private quarters? : BARRACKS. Like "Private meal" for MESS. Can't fool me.
101. Earlier : AGO
105. Let off : VENT
106. Sub : TEMP
108. Score notation for two singers : A DUE
109. Actor Tommy __ Jones : LEE
110. Rush participant : MINER
111. Defunct govt. anti-subversive group : HUAC (House Un-American Activities Committee). I just read the Wiki article. I used to think it was the one once headed by
McCarthy.
113. Dispute decider : ARBITER
117. Tootsy cover : BOOTEE
118. Shout during an attempted escape : STOP HIM. Be aware of those iPhone snatchers.
123. Percussion set : TIMPANI. Kettledrums.
124. Give out : EMIT
125. Couple's pronoun : OURS.
126. Protective pad : MAT
127. Victimizes : PREYS ON
128. GPS suggestions : RTEs
129. Picture of health? : X-RAY. Another great clue.
130. Mini-albums, for short : EPs.
Down:
1. Steamer sunk by a U-boat in 1941 : NERISSA. Never heard of it. Spizboov?
2. One way alternative? : ANOTHER. One way or another.
3. Socrates' undoing : HEMLOCK. He drank the poison.
4. Ships : SENDS
5. Folded food : TACO
6. Greeting for Gaius : AVE
8. Kournikova of tennis : ANNA. She's been with Enrique Iglesias for many years. So pretty.
9. Doc's orders : MEDs
10. Curing substance : SALT
11. Potato giant : ORE-IDA
12. NBA stats : FTs (Free Throws)
13. Words of impatience : LOOK HERE. Can you give me a context? I don't associate LOOK HERE with "impatience".
14. Gillette product : ATRA
15. Bakery buys : TARTS
17. Wriggly swimmer : EEL
18. Text tweakers, for short : EDs (Editors)
24. Handle in a pub : ALE TAP
25. "The Cherry Orchard" daughter : ANYA. No idea. Wiki said it's the last play by Anton Chekhov.
29. Loaded : RICH
32. Jerk : SPASM
34. Goggles and boots, say : SKI WEAR. For Marti, who kayaks as well. And she loves opera.
36. Dangerous partner? : ARMED. Armed and dangerous.
37. Ripply fabric : MOIRE
40. Soft touch : CARESS
41. Blow one's top : ERUPT
42. Sci-fi warriors : JEDI. See, it's always singular.
43. Needle : TEASE
46. NYC neighborhood above Houston Street : NoHo. North of Houston Street.
47. Depressed areas : SLUMs
52. Tie already tied : CLIP ON
54. Airs : TUNEs
55. Night for celebration : EVE
56. Links concern : LIE. Golf course.
59. Pancakes served with sour cream : BLINI. Argyle calls them Blintzes.
60. Environmentalist's test site : ECO LAB
61. Jutting lands : CAPES
64. Patient's obligation : COPAY
70. Underhanded course of action : LOW ROAD. Hard to take high road at times.
71. '80s-'90s Olds models : CIERAs. I have no concept of car models. I thought of ALEROs.
72. More adept : ABLER
74. Shad output : ROE
75. Meadow matriarch : EWE
77. Bailiwicks : AREAs
79. Make, as a basket : WEAVE
81. Once-over giver : EYER
82. Signal silently : NOD AT
83. No longer a minor : OF AGE. I feel like I suddenly grew up yesterday due to Boomer's heath scare. He's been protecting me and taking care of me all these years. I've never written a check, paid a bill or even opened a letter from the mailbox. He does everything. Now it's time for me to be an adult. So grateful to have all my blogging team and Misty there giving me prompt information.
85. Radio-active type? : CBer. Saw this clue before. So no stumper today.
86. Enraged : IRATE
89. "Stand Up Guys" co-star : AL PACINO. Never saw the movie.
92. Messiah : SAVIOR
95. Andean country: Abbr. : ECUA (Ecuador)
97. "Song of the South" villain : BR'ER FOX. Is Br'er Bear good then?
98. Franc fraction : CENTIME. French "cent" or "hundred".
99. Football pad beneficiary : KNEE CAP
100. "__ of Philadelphia": Oscar-winning Springsteen song : STREETS. Loved the song. Can't remember much of Philadelphia.
103. More chilling : EERIER
104. Cooking spread : OLEO
107. Lightweight boxer? : PUPPY. Ha ha.
110. Peter Rabbit sibling : MOPSY. Flopsy & Cottontail.
112. Elated exclamations : AHAs
114. Realty ad abbr. : BSMT (Basement)
115. He beat Arthur in the 1972 US Open : ILIE (Nastase)
116. Vietnamese holidays : TETs
117. "Cleopatra" star, 1917 : BARA (Theda)
118. Lucas Oil competitor : STP. Gimme for eddyB. Not me.
119. French shooting match : TIR. No idea. I used Google Dictionary, it says "TIR" is French for "Shooting".
120. Part of an hr. : MIN
122. Contemptible sort : CUR
C.C.
