Did one of these wonderful toys ever find its way into your home? When the string was pulled and released, it played the sound of the animal selected by the center arrow.
Don and C.C. took the premise of this toy and turned it into a very clever gimmick for today's puzzle. They took some common phrases that contain an animal and made a silly phrase using the SOUND associated with that animal in place of the animal's name. How cool is that? No reveal was necessary as you can see in these theme fills.
21. Sign of a lawn tractor problem? : HISS (SNAKE) IN THE GRASS - I don't care to be close enough to hear this sound
26. Inhospitable medical fraud? : COLD QUACK (DUCK) - Not a frigid fowl!
41. Landscaping mulch specialists? : BARK (DOG) HANDLERS - Uh, who's handling who?
67. "Ahooga!" producer? : SILLY HONK (GOOSE) and 119. Posting that periodically reposts itself? : MIGRATORY TWEET (BIRD) - If they went south this winter and I didn't, how come they're SILLY? A specific and general bird reference.
71. Hard golf club to swing? : GRUNT (PIG) IRON - An intermediate product of the smelting of iron ore usually shaped in ingots
96. Excitement about the producer of the original "Charlie's Angels"? : SPELLING BUZZ (BEE) - Dirt on Aaron Spelling or attempts on these words
111. Playful crib liner? : SQUEAK (MOUSE) PAD - Here's an adversarial one
Now let's see what else Don and C.C. have for us in this, uh, HOOT of a puzzle:
Across
1. Director's shout : ACTION - Clint Eastwood doesn't shout this because, "It even makes the horses nervous." He simply says "Begin".
7. Sulky-pulling horse : PACER
12. Woods on a tee : TIGER - Tiger's meteoritic career seems to be flaming out
17. With alarming suddenness : WHAMMO
18. Independent African nation since 1993 : ERITREA - Do you know where it is on this map? The answer is under the grid at the bottom of this write-up.
23. Frigid : ARCTIC
24. Iowa's state tree : OAK
25. Bucket list items, say : GOALS
28. __ Schwarz : FAO - I'll bet you know this movie, the star on the right and the song they are playing in this scene at the FAO Schwarz Toy Store.
30. Plant with edible leaf sheaths : LEEK
32. Clump on a lawn : TUFT
33. Org. that dropped "Lawn" from its name in 1975 : USTA - Grass/Lawn tennis surfaces used to be the most common but are rare now due to maintenance costs
34. Flexible pronoun substitute : HE OR SHE - Have you ever been to a Gender Reveal Shower?
37. Exit : LEAVE
39. Number for a pair : DUET
43. One way to learn : ASK
44. Like the viva voce part of some exams : ORAL - Latin for "with living voice"
48. 15-member sports org. : ACC - Clemson won the ACC and National Championship this year
49. Dorm room, perhaps : STY
50. Some float in place with the tide : PIERS
52. Irish brew : RED ALE
54. Pampas birds : RHEAS
57. Make more attractive : SWEETEN
59. "Sagwa, the Chinese Siamese Cat" author : AMY TAN
60. Restless desire : ITCH - Tom Ewell is the other person in this iconic scene from The Seven Year ITCH
63. MGM motto word : ARS
64. Bottled surprise : GENIE
66. Pet Shop Boys label : EMI
73. Sch. in Tempe : ASU
74. Island veranda : LANAI - Word I learned on The Golden Girls
75. Anti-bullying ad, e.g. : PSA
77. 2014 "Cosmos" presenter __ deGrasse Tyson : NEIL
78. Register, as a sale : RING UP - I'll bet C.C. knew the umpire just did RING UP this batter
80. Sounded displeased : SNORTED
83. Did pre-heist planning at : CASED
87. How some goods are quickly sold : AT COST
88. See eye to eye : AGREE
89. Director DuVernay : AVA
92. Conceptual artist Yoko : ONO
93. Ritz alternative : HI HO
94. Schubert's "The __ King" : ERL - Not on my playlist
100. '70s jazz band Spyro __ : GYRA
102. Model X maker : TESLA
103. Type of counter seen in kitchens? : CALORIE - High tech method using your 108. Part of iOS : SYST
104. Vogue rackmate : ELLE - My subscription has lapsed
106. Make a move : STIR
110. "Monsters, __" : INC
113. "The game didn't go well" : I LOST
115. "Top Hat" studio : RKO
118. Card game with tricks : EUCHRE - Contents of a standard EUCHRE deck
124. Common boot feature : LACING - One question in a recent survey asked whether I UNLACE my shoes when I remove them. I do. You?
125. August birthstone : PERIDOT - New word for me
126. Sherpas' language : NEPALI - Mt. Everest is Sagarmāthā in NEPALI
127. Moves like a monarch : FLITS
128. Rent-a-car choice : SEDAN
129. Swimmer's bane : CRAMPS
Down
1. Dr. Seuss title ender : A WHO
2. Seed used in smoothies : CHIA - Also a funky gift
3. Group on a mission : TASK FORCE
4. Uses Facebook Chat, briefly : IMS
5. "Jeepers!" : OMIGOSH
6. Ill-advised move : NO NO - Trying to dunk over LeBron James
7. Market before building : PRESELL
8. 2008 bailout beneficiary : AIG
9. Shaq's pos. : CTR
10. Obama __ : ERA
11. Get out of a pickle : RESCUE - This guy did not get out of one
12. __ wrench : TORQUE
13. Held at the station : IN CUSTODY
14. Suggested subtly : GOT AT
15. Former "Weekend Today" co-host Hill : ERICA
16. Pool triangle : RACK
18. Jennifer of "Zero Dark Thirty" : EHLE
19. Starting with : AS OF - AS OF today there are 44 days until Spring!
20. Down : SAD
22. Scout's find, ideally : TALENT
27. Old Fords : LTDS - 1984 Ford LTD Crown Victoria
29. Genesis vessel : ARK
31. One with lasting merit : KEEPER
32. Den focal point : TV SET
34. I-beam relative : H BAR - An I-beam on its side?
35. Every partner : EACH - EACH and every one of you
36. Takes in : HAS
38. Ovine sign : ARIES
40. Poland neighbor : UKRAINE - Probably easier to spot than ERITREA
42. Prefix with -lexic : DYS
43. Voice of the difficult homeowner in "Up" : ASNER
45. Yelp contributor : RATER
46. Enterprise rival : ALAMO
47. October Revolution figure : LENIN
51. The Skatalites music genre : REGGAE - Pioneers of Ska music
53. Ipecac, for one : EMETIC
55. Be on the disabled list, say : AIL
56. Galaxy Note accessory : STYLUS
58. Transitional state : WAKING
61. Local branch : CHAPTER
62. Doll : HON
65. Blue __: German wine brand : NUN
67. She played Buffy : SARAH - After seven seasons, she had become "annoyed" with the role
68. Question in Matthew : IS IT I - Engendered by Jesus' statement "The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with Me will betray Me"
69. Day break? : LUNCH
70. __ cavity : NASAL
72. Stevedore's org. : ILA - Brando won an academy award playing Terry Malloy who took on the ILA
75. Gets ready to operate : PREPS
76. Braces (oneself) : STEELS
79. Return from searching? : GOOGLE HIT
81. Brian who has coached two Olympic skating gold medalists : ORSER and 85. Longtime Wyoming senator Mike : ENZI - Two names I didn't know and will forget
82. Indian lentil stew : DAL
84. Chip flavoring : SOUR CREAM
86. Nap : DOZE
90. Spoils recipient : VICTOR
91. Ducks, on ESPN crawls : ANA - The Anaheim Ducks NHL team
95. Farrier's tool : RASP
97. Overdo the flattery : LAY IT ON - The master
98. Shiny craft store supply : GLITTER
99. It's good in Quebec : BON
101. Itches : YEARNS - ITCHes is both fill and clue today
102. Cleans : TIDIES
104. The same : EQUAL
105. "All My Children" Emmy winner on her 19th try : LUCCI
107. Pipe smoker's gadget : TAMP
109. Tab target : SLOT
112. Brewery unit : KEG
114. Media player command : SYNC
116. Large seaweed : KELP
117. Spunkmeyer of cookie fame : OTIS
120. Hurdle for srs. : GRE
121. Disencumber : RID
122. Govt. lawyer : ADA
123. Employment org. created in 1935 : WPA
Here's the grid and if you wish to comment, we will not say, uh, NEIGH:
Eritrea from 18 Across
