23A. One of three presidents who served in 1881 : JAMES GARFIELD. ESGAR.
35A. It's just outside the Oval Office : ROSE GARDEN. SEGAR.
44A. Kitchen gadget : CHEESE GRATER. SEGRA.
74A. Private company paperwork : STOCKHOLDERS' AGREEMENT. SAGRE,
103. Certain sci-fi superfan : STAR WARS GEEK. ARSGE.
111. "Awesome!" : THAT'S GREAT! SGREA.
130A. Unexpectedly changing one's attitude ... and what's literally hidden in six long puzzle answers : SHIFTING GEARS
We often see four-letter anagrams. Five-letter is a little trickier, fortunately the letters here are all relatively common.
Chunky upper right/lower left corners. Those 7*7 are not easy to fill cleanly. Love the lower left corner.
Across:
1. Distinguished : ENNOBLED
9. One in on the deal? : CARD. Nice clue.
13. 1984 Martin/Tomlin film : ALL OF ME. Never saw it.
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20. Wetsuit substance : NEOPRENE
21. Feng __ : SHUI. Literally "water". Feng = "wind".
22. Causes of tots' tears : BOO BOOs
25. Dignitaries working abroad : CONSULS. You can find US Consulates in five major cities in China.
26. Wife of Wang Lung in "The Good Earth" : O-LAN. Great book about the old village life in China.
27. Joke closing? : STER. Jokester.
28. A fancy one may not include prices : MENU. Tiny dupe with 63. Asian menu assurance : NO MSG. I finally figured out why the Vietnamese carrot and daikon pickles in our local Asian grocery store is so much better than my own, Anon T. They put MSG in theirs.
30. Surprise from a lamp : GENIE
31. 1983 Streisand film : YENTL
33. Scratches (out) : EKES
38. Caveman Alley : OOP
40. Mich. NBA team : DET. Detroit Pistons. Can't be clued as short for detective due to 41. Sam Spade type : TEC
42. Word on a fast food sign : THRU
43. "Billy Budd" captain : VERE. Unknown to me.
50. Subj. for some newcomers : ESL
51. "__ to you, matey!" : 'ERE'S. Gluey.
52. Thumbs-up cry : A-OK. And 84. Thumbs-up cry : YES
53. Biblical name meaning "hairy" : ESAU
54. Cone filler : ICE CREAM. Boomer (diabetic) is happy with the sugar-free ice cream at Walmart.
57. Discipline with poses : YOGA
59. Sagan's sci. : ASTR. Also 114. Suffix from the Greek for "world" : COSM
61. 21st of 24 : PHI
62. Fired up : GUNG-HO. From Chinese "Gong He", literally "working together".
67. It measures rpm : TACH
69. Pennsylvania railroad town : ALTOONA
73. More achy : SORER
79. Some bar food : SUSHI. And 110. 79-Across fish : EEL. Love eel rolls.
80. USA Today owner : GANNETT. I think they once owned our Star Tribune also.
81. Somme spouses: Abbr. : MMEs
82. Move, as artwork : RE-HANG
85. "Ozark" actor Morales : ESAI
87. Cartagena cat : GATO
91. Stop one's horse, in England : DRAW REIN. New expression to me.
95. Envelope-pushing : EDGY
97. Half a dance : CHA
98. Passion-ate composer? : BACH. See here. I drew a blank.
102. __ trip : EGO
106. Dos cubed : OCHO. 2/8. Also 71. Uno e due : TRE
107. Pinup's asset : GAMs. We also have 6. Staying power : LEGS
109. Sold-out letters : SRO. Standing Room Only.
117. Role for Dustin : RATSO. "Hey, I'm walking here!"
121. King or queen : TITLE. 11. King or queen : RULER
122. Taunting word usually repeated : NYAH
124. Persian for "king" : SHAH
126. Ostrich cousin : RHEA
127. The Beatles' last studio album : LET IT BE
133. 50-50 shot : EVEN BET
134. Hendryx who was part of the "Lady Marmalade" trio Labelle : NONA
135. Alienate : ESTRANGE
136. Allergy symptom : RED EYES
137. Big refs. : OEDs. Oxford English Dictionary.
138. Aficionados : DEVOTEES
Down:
1. Fancy : ENJOY. Been enjoying this Shea body butter Jim (JimmyB) sent to me. So rich and healing.
2. Author Zora __ Hurston : NEALE
3. "__ is an island": Donne : NO MAN
4. Sandal feature : OPEN TOE
5. Abbr. in home sale ads : BRs
7. Related on mom's side : ENATE. Have not seen this fill for a long time.
8. Literature Nobelist Walcott : DEREK. Wiki says he's an "Saint Lucian poet and playwright".
9. "__: Cyber": 2015 spin-off : CSI
10. "May I speak?" : AHEM
12. Quick denial : DID NOT
13. Pie equivalent, in a simile : ABC
14. Canterbury commode : LOO
15. Half a strait-laced pair? : LONG A. Oh, two long A sounds in strait-laced.
16. Witness : OBSERVE
17. Stumble, as a horse : FOUNDER. Learning moment for me.
18. "L'ecole des femmes" playwright : MOLIERE
19. Reputed Dead Sea Scrolls transcribers : ESSENES. This has become a gimme.
24. "Band of Gold" singer Payne : FREDA. Never heard of her.
29. Theater work : USHERING
32. Be outscored : LOSE
34. Alien-seeking gp. : SETI
36. Highland tongue : ERSE
37. Solzhenitsyn subject : GULAG
39. Passover : PESACH. Also a new word to me.
44. Great Barrier Reef feature : CAY
45. Boo mate? : HOO. Boo hoo.
46. Heart doc's readout : EKG
47. Guzzler on the road : GAS HOG. Great 6-letter fill.
48. Hard thing to get out of : RUT
49. Share on Facebook, as a picture : RE-POST
55. Complete, in law : CHOATE. Lemonade/Hahtoola might know it. Not me.
56. Paris's __ Rodin : MUSEE
58. "Right back __" : AT CHA
60. Curtin castmate : RADNER
64. Masters prog. entrance criterion : GRE
65. Female lobster : HEN
66. Uneaten bit : ORT
68. "There's __ of Hush": Herman's Hermits hit : A KIND
70. They can make things clearer : LENSES
72. Philip II's fleet : ARMADA
74. Bygone cartography initials : SSR
75. Third col., usually : TUE. Column.
76. __Kosh B'gosh : OSH
77. Female nonclericals : LAYWOMEN
78. Asylum seeker : EMIGRE
83. Shorthand pioneer : GREGG
86. Stitch : SEW
88. One may be high or low : ACE
89. With 104-Down, what bosses rule : THE. And 104. See 89-Down : ROOST
90. Wood used to age spirits : OAK
92. Preserves thickener : AGAR. Widely used in Asian desserts. Vegetarian gelatin.
93. "__ a date!" : IT'S
94. Buster? : NARC. Bust-er.
96. 1914 battle river : YSER
98. Soft drink manufacturer, e.g. : BOTTLER. We sent to a Pepsi bottler once. Very complicated procedure.
99. Get by effort : ACHIEVE
100. Exchanged texts, say : CHATTED. Such a luxury not to own a smart phone. Or on social media.
101. Emergency phone link : HOTLINE
105. Quietly show anger toward : GLARE AT
108. Disagrees : SAYS NO
112. Put on ice : SET BY
113. Sierra Nevada resort : TAHOE
115. Backed (away) : SHIED
116. Parson's place : MANSE
118. __ of Glamis: Macbeth : THANE
119. Worsted variety : SERGE
120. Resting places : OASES
123. Rear : HIND
125. Cable channel for remodelers : HGTV
128. Queen's subject : BEE
129. French connections? : ETs. Just French for "and". Toi et moi.
131. Fourth notes : FAs
132. Miracle-__ : GRO
If you're struggling with cough from the flu, try Robitussin. It finally brought me peace last Wednesday. The Formula 44 did not work at all. Thank God I don't need codeine, Picard/Big Easy!
C.C.
