Sunday September 27, 2020 Paul Coulter

Theme: "Pet Flicks" - One word in each film is replaced by a cat/dog or sound of a cat/dog.

22. Film with a feline baseball ace?: PITCH PURR-FECT. Pitch Perfect.

32. Biopic about Frank from "Men in Black"?: A PUG'S LIFE. A Bug's Life.

48. Comedy about a lost mutt?: DUDE, WHERE'S MY CUR? Dude, Where's My Car?

67. Film about a composing pooch?: THE HOUND OF MUSIC. The Sound of Music.

87. Drama about organized disobedience at obedience school?: THE CANINE MUTINY. The Caine Mutiny.

102. Film romance starring Puss?: KISS ME CAT. Kiss Me Kate.

119. Film in which Fido wins a place at the Round Table?: THE BARK KNIGHT. The Dark Knight.

 

Sound change theme is my weakest link. Sometimes it involves significant sound change. Sometimes it's just consonant change. Sometimes it's homophone.

Paul elevated this type by limiting all his choices to movies. The narrower your theme entries are, the tighter the theme.

Across:

 
1. Like some stressed text: ITALIC.

7. Perfect pass: SPIRAL.

13. Imp: RASCAL.

19. Rattler commonly used in pairs: MARACA.

20. University staying power?: TENURE.

21. Mild, in Milan: GENTILE. Is this your clue, Paul?

24. Not on TV yet: UNAIRED.

25. Roy Rogers' birth name: SLYE. Gimme for me. I used it myself once.

26. Ninja Turtles' ally April __: O'NEIL. We had her before.

27. One end of the Chicago L's Blue Line: O'HARE.

29. Shattering grenade, to a GI: FRAG.

30. Shunned the paper clip: STAPLED.

34. Scraps: TUSSLES.

38. Cookout glowers: COALS.

40. Artist's asset: EYE.

41. Clicked ballot: E-VOTE.

42. __ Martin: Bond's car: ASTON. Thank for Santa Fe feedback, everyone.

44. AOL alternative: MSN.

45. Flier to Oslo: SAS.

53. Sports channel that shows college games: ESPNU.

55. High-five, e.g.: SLAP.

56. "Insecure" star Rae: ISSA.

57. Not supporting: ANTI.

59. Mets' slugger Alonso: PETE. According to Wik: "He made his MLB debut during the 2019 season and broke the Major League record for the most home runs by a rookie with 53. He was also the first Mets player to hit 50 or more home runs in a season, setting the Mets' single-season home run record in the process." Rich's assistant Patti Varol is an avid Mets fan.

60. Catalog: ASSORT.

62. Greek vacation isle: CORFU.

65. Essential: NEEDED.

71. Not alfresco: INDOOR.

74. Year, to Yves: ANNEE. And 89. Yours, to Yvette: A TOI. We also have a few Spanish & German. Equal opportunity.

75. Sampled: TESTED.

78. Deli order: HERO.

79. Org. monitoring possible alien signals: SETI.

81. Gillian's Emmy-winning role on "The X-Files": DANA. We had this in Guangzhou. But I was more fond of "La Femme Nikita" then.

83. Settled: ALIT.

85. Small egg: OVULE.

92. Frying pan spray: PAM.

93. Mix masters, briefly?: DJS. DJ mix.

95. Vols' school: U TENN.

96. Golf caddie, e.g.: TOTER.

97. Help-wanted ad abbr.: EOE.

98. "Me too": SO DO I.

100. Maria __, the last House of Habsburg ruler: THERESA. Learning moment for me.

106. Like volcanic rock: IGNEOUS.

109. "By yesterday!": ASAP.

110. Clock __: RADIO.

112. Long-legged wader: HERON.

113. Chops: HEWS.

117. Reeled off: RECITED.

122. Unpaid debt: ARREARS.

123. Pump part: INSOLE. Shoes.

124. Imitated: ECHOED.

125. Flirts with: TEASES.

126. Rose to great heights: SOARED. I think Dave once linked a picture of Mount Hua, about 70 miles east of Xi'an. So scary coming down. But I was young and fearless then.

127. Hen holders: ROOSTS.

Down:

 
1. Little devils: IMPS.

2. Detective, at times: TAIL.

3. Affectedly creative: ARTY.

4. Shoestring: LACE.

5. "__ bin ein Berliner": JFK: ICH. And 66. Autobahn hazard: EIS.

6. Holly Golightly's creator: CAPOTE. "Breakfast at Tiffany's".

7. __ throat: STREP. And 35. Throat dangler: UVULA.

8. Danger: PERIL.

9. Changes one's tone of voice: INFLECTS.

10. Québec street: RUE.

11. With a bow, to Anne-Sophie Mutter: ARCO. Anne-Sophie Mutter is German violinist.

12. Beyond harmful: LETHAL.

13. Goes back on one's word: RENEGES.

14. Gasteyer of "Mean Girls": ANA.

15. Put the kibosh on: STIFLE.

16. Wispy clouds: CIRRI. Plural of "cirrus".

17. Shaking like __: A LEAF.

18. Pigeon's perch: LEDGE.

21. Trusted adviser: GURU.

23. Some, in San Salvador: UNAS. And 120. Spanish "that": ESA.

28. Courses for coll. credit: APS.

30. Load: SLEW.

31. Assure the failure of: DOOM.

33. Since, in a seasonal song: SYNE.

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

36. Beverage aisle options: SODAS.

37. It helps you get up: STEP STOOL. This looks like ours.

39. "__ objections?": ANY.

42. Horace's "__ Poetica": ARS.

43. Last word of the most recent version of "America the Beautiful": SEA.

44. "The A-Team" actor: MR T.

45. Didn't dillydally: SPED.

46. One chip, maybe: ANTE.

47. Sought damages: SUED.

49. Personnel staff: HIRERS.

50. O.T. book after Neh.: ESTH.

51. Brit's informal eatery: CAFF.

52. One, on a one: UNUM. Also 69. Together, in Toulon: UNIE.

54. Fan at the game: SPECTATOR. 94. Angry 54-Downs: JEERERS.

58. Clothes line: INSEAM.

61. "Lookee here!": OHO.

62. "Anderson Cooper 360°" channel: CNN. With his cute son Wyatt.

63. Poetic tribute: ODE.

64. Landmark '70s case anonym: ROE.

68. Censor's target: OATH.

70. Eclectic magazine: UTNE.

71. Chain with links: IHOP.

72. St. Petersburg's river: NEVA. Wiki says "it is the fourth largest river in Europe in terms of average discharge (after the Volga, the Danube and the Rhine)". We also have 103. Rhone tributary: ISERE.

73. Originate, with "up": DRUM.

76. A-listers: ELITE.

77. Eats well: DINES. Here's Boomer enjoying his French fries and chocolate milk shake at the VA hospital last Tuesday. We went there for the bone scan. CAT scan is scheduled next Thursday. Then Dr. Downs on Oct 14th to see our next steps. In the meantime, Boomer is not going to let cancer get in his way. Golf tomorrow morning.

 

80. Theoretical visitors: ETS.

81. Cacophony: DIN.

82. Landers of letters: ANN.

84. Banks of "America's Got Talent": TYRA.

86. Ancient Dead Sea kingdom: EDOM.

88. Something to chew: CUD.

90. Kramer, to Jerry: NEIGHBOR.

91. Sun Devils' rival: UTES.

97. Catches sight of: ESPIES.

98. Down: SAD. I'm amazed how an increase of 10 or 15 points in blood pressure can make me feel.

99. Ear malady: OTITIS.

100. Captured: TOOK.

101. Take shelter, with "down": HUNKER.

102. Fort Knox unit: KARAT.

104. Pelvic bones: SACRA.

105. Bounders: CADS.

107. Author Zora __ Hurston: NEALE.

108. Went astray: ERRED. 

 

111. "Horrors!": OH NO.

113. Greeting from Kermit: HI HO.

114. Star features: EGOS.

115. Put an edge on: WHET.

116. Benchmarks: Abbr.: STDS.

118. __ kwon do: TAE.

121. Cpl., e.g.: NCO.

 

C.C.