Theme: New B-ginnings - B is added to the beginning of each two-word common phrase. Spelling change is made in each transformation, sound remaining the same.
24A. Result of a cock's crow? : BROOD AWAKENING. Rude awakening.
38A. "Bungling for Dummies," e.g.? : BONER'S MANUAL. Owner's Manual.
59A. Shindig for Swahili VIPs? : BWANA DANCE. Wanna dance?
83A. Bedbugs on the Orient Express? : BERTH WORMS. Earthworms. OK, this base phrase has only one word.
97A. Bird with a tan? : BROWNED ROBIN. Round robin.
119A. Hibernation luxuries? : BEAR MATTRESSES. Air mattresses.
3D. "$#%^*& geckos!"? : BLEEPING LIZARDS. Leapin' lizards. This clue made me laugh.
47D. Prize for an inn's best guest? : BOARDER OF THE DAY. Order of the day.
Man, can you get a more consistent & entertaining theme set than this?
I just knew I was going to have a fun solving when I downloaded the puzzle and saw Ed Sessa's byline. He always delivers. Very clean grid, no cheater square, only 66 black squares.
Quite a few head-scratching clues, but they gave me "D'oh!" rather than Saturday's "Huh?".
Across:
1. Fly trap : COBWEB. Thought of HONEY first.
7. Like CD-RW discs : ERASABLE. RW=ReWritable. I wanted READ ONLY (ROM). Dumb!
15. Challenge opener : I DARE. I dare you!
20. Dahl of "Here Come the Girls" : ARLENE
21. Viking weapon : BATTLE AX. What's the name of Thor's ax?
22. Salsa queen Cruz : CELIA
23. Knights' chargers : STEEDS. And 72D. Knight wear : ARMOR. Knight clecho.
26. 1958 creature feature originally entitled "The Molten Meteor" : THE BLOB. No idea. Looks scary.
28. WWII GI, e.g. : AMVET (American Veteran)
29. "La Danse" painter : MATISSE (Henri). Here it is. Matisse wouldn't be where he was without Gertrude Stein.
30. Bread, for gravy : SOP
31. Idiom ending? : ATIC. Ending to the word idiomatic.
33. At one time, once : ERST
35. Fastball, in slang : HEATER
36. NYC commuter svc. that includes the Flushing Line : IRT (Interborough Rapid Transit).
42. Whammies : JINXES
45. Colleague of Boris : LON. Lon Chaney & Boris Karloff? Colleague of horror movies? I don't get this clue.
46. "Voice of Israel" author : EBAN (Abba)
47. Shot from an air gun : BBs
50. Humpty Dumpty et al. : EGGS
51. Very spicy fare : EROTICA. Of course I was thinking of spicy food.
55. Compulsive speeder : LEADFOOT
58. G, in the key of C : SOL
61. Sporty Toyota Camry : SOLARA
62. Sch. whose mascot is Rhody the Ram : URI (University of Rhode Island)
63. Name on a cognac bottle : REMY. Not familiar with the Rémy Martin cognac.
64. Hydroplaning results : SKIDS
66. Pulitzer poet Mark Van __ : DOREN. Who?
67. '70s-'90s Angola neighbor : ZAIRE
69. Syrian leader : ASSAD. Been there forever.
71. Beeped : PAGED
73. Toothbrush option : ORAL-B
75. Olympics balance beam gold medalist after Olga : NADIA (Comaneci)
77. Sponge opening : PORE
78. Child expert LeShan : EDA
81. "Post __": Noël Coward play : MORTEM. Easy guess.
86. Toon Chihuahua : REN. Stimpy's pal.
87. Elusive golden city : EL DORADO. Nice entry.
89. Use ignobly : STOOP TO
90. Skedaddle : BOLT
91. Discouraging words : NOs
92. Roman god : DEUS
94. Bounty initials : HMS. HMS Bounty. Mutiny on the Bounty.
95. Drawing room event? : RAFFLE. I wanted PAINT.
102. Map abbreviation : LAT (Latitude)
103. What doers take : ACTION
106. Early seventh-century date : DCII. 602.
107. Emeril's aptly named French Quarter restaurant : NOLA (New Orleans, LA)
109. Gives birth to : HAS. And 48D. Produced, as fruit : BORE.
112. Ancient three-sided harps : TRIGONS. Needed crossing help.
114. Let out, as hogs : UNPEN
117. Hire an assistant, say : GET HELP
122. It's in the groove : NEEDLE. Lovely clue.
123. Trapped, after "up" : A TREE
124. Strains, as a muscle : OVERUSES
125. Knock off the track : DERAIL
126. Double-check : RE-ADD
127. Travel document : PASSPORT
128. "But still ..." : AND YET
Down:
1. Credits lines? : CASTS. Closing credits in movies.
2. Garden products brand : ORTHO
4. Ewbank who coached Namath in Super Bowl III : WEEB. Hall-of-Famer. Unfortunately I have zero interest in football.
5. Run over : END LATE
6. Confuse with booze : BESOT
7. Tidal movement : EBB
8. Avis adjective : RARA. Rara avis.
9. Concern for Edward Teller : ATOM. Man, what would he be thinking today?
10. Candy maker Russell : STOVER. Russell Stover.
11. Catkin bearers : ALDERS
12. "Not a clue!" : BEATS ME. My typical LAT Saturday response.
13. Barrister's bailiwick : LAW. And 14. Bar, in 13-Down : EXAM.
15. It's mixed with lemonade in an Arnold Palmer : ICE TEA. Arnold Palmer the drink, half lemonade + half iced tea. No d here, I know.
16. Negative state : DENIAL
17. Elite company : A-LIST
18. Wash sans soap : RINSE
19. Like some beavers : EAGER. Eager beavers.
25. Maui medicine men : KAHUNAS. Big shots.
27. Red Lobster freebie : BIB
32. Georgia, once : COLONY
34. Shelved : TABLED
37. Dr.'s orders : RXs.
39. "This is __ toy" : NOT A
40. Oklahoma's "Wheat Capital" : ENID. Educated guess.
41. Lassie's refusal : NAE
42. Savior in a Bach work : JESU. German for Jesus?
43. "Young Frankenstein" role : IGOR
44. Culvert : SEWER.
49. Jazzman Getz : STAN
52. Japanese noodles : RAMEN
53. Artist known for her mother-and-child works : CASSATT (Mary). Impressionist. One of Clear Ayes' favorites.
54. "My Way" lyricist : ANKA (Paul)
56. Evasive maneuvers : DODGES
57. Icy mass : FLOE
59. Payola payer : BRIBER
60. Spanish hero El __ : CID. Argyle's nickname also.
65. Good-time Charlie : SPORT. Why?
68. Like some saxes : ALTO
69. Gator follower? : ADE. Gatorade.
70. Dubbing creations : SIRS. He was dubbed a sir. I was thinking of movie dub.
73. Sign of things to come : OMEN
74. Caramel candy brand : ROLO
76. Teem (with) : ABOUND
77. Drops by : POPS IN
79. Farmer's place? : DELL. "The Farmer in the Dell".
80. Pot part : ANTE
82. Self-titled top ten 1983 album : MADONNA. Guessed.
84. Hostess snack : HO HO. Santa's favorite snack?
85. Baby carrier? : WOMB. Cute.
88. Morning moisture : DEW
90. Curator's deg. : BFA
93. Makes fast : SECURES
96. Youth support group : ALATEEN. Stumped me. Al-Anon for teens.
97. Cinnamon gum brand : BIG RED
98. Shared a place (with) : ROOMED
99. Some railroad cars : DINERS
100. Rejects dramatically, as a contract : RIPS UP
101. Frothy seasonal beverage : NOG
103. Like a case being tried : AT BAR
104. Minos' realm : CRETE
105. Bridal accessory : TIARA
108. __ hand: assist : LEND A
110. Jane Curtin title role : ALLIE. "Kate & Allie"
111. Read letters? : SPELT. Oh, read out letter by letter.
113. Bus route component : STOP
115. Canadian gas : ESSO
116. At no time, in verse : NE'ER
118. Head of the ranch? : HERD
120. New Deal dam org. : TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority)
121. Past fast flier : SST
