Theme: "All Fired Up" - Fire can precede both words in each two-word theme entry.
23A. Extra-strength panic button? : POWER ALARM. Fire power. Fire alarm.
29A. "No hitting below the belt" et al.? : FIGHTER CODE. Fire fighter. Fire code.
49A. Saltine special? : CRACKER SALE. Firecracker. Fire sale.
71A. Subdivision at the mannequin factory? : ARM DEPARTMENT. Fire arm. Fire department.
95A. First critters on a farm? : STARTER ANTS. Fire starter. Fire ants.
113A. Legion of ventriloquist dummies? : WOOD BRIGADE. Firewood. Fire brigade.
124A. Sharon's home? : STONE PLACE. Firestone. Fireplace. Sharon Stone.
43D. Hard-to-read preliminary print? : LIGHT PROOF. Firelight. Fireproof.
48D. Head judge on "Top Chef"? : CHIEF EATER. Fire chief. Fire-eater.
Robin is back! Remember her "Front money" puzzle a while ago? With a dollar sign in the grid. Simply amazing.
Today's theme is also intricate. You need the new phrases to have surface sense and pair up symmetrically.
Across:
1. Weathered the storm : COPED. Timely clue. Sorry about your lost cottage, Linda. Will you build another one?
6. Crocodile's greeting? : G-DAY. "Crocodile" Dundee then.
10. Turquoise relative : AQUA
14. Comment to the audience : ASIDE. Dodo told me Bill G also called her about her computer problem. Thanks for caring, Bill!
19. Fade away : ABATE
20. Dramatic solo, often : ARIA
21. Abridges : CUTS
22. Host at a communion : WAFER. I don't get this clue.
25. Lukas of "Witness" : HAAS
26. Photographer Adams : ANSEL
27. Kevin's "Footloose" role : REN. Kevin Bacon. I don't know any REN other than "Stimpy's pal".
28. Spin doctor's concern : IMAGE
31. St. Clare's town : ASSISI
33. Kingdom : REALM
35. "Silent Spring" subj. : DDT
36. "I __ mean it" : DIDN'T
39. Orbital shape : ELLIPSE
42. Detrained, say : ALIT
46. Acronymic candy company : NECCO (New England Confectionery Company)
52. Grammar best-seller "Woe __" : IS I. Guessed.
53. Filmmaker who alternates top billing with his brother : ETHAN COEN. And Joel Coen. The pride of Minnesota.
55. SeaWorld barker : SEAL
56. Babydoll : SUGAR
58. Hidden retreat : LAIR. CrossEyedDave must be going crazy without internet. Pas de chat, remember the "Puff, the Magic Dragon" verses you & AriadneArts wrote a few weeks ago? Dave was so impressed that he sent the blog discussion to the Peter, Paul & Mary fan club.
59. Savory gelatin : ASPIC. Sure miss my grandma's aspic and dumplings.
61. Tap type : SOFT SHOE
63. Schumann songs : LIEDER. Plural of lied.
65. "Magic Hour" author Susan : ISAACs. Never heard of the book.
69. Destined : MEANT
70. Mischievous sort : ELF
74. La Jolla winter hrs. : PST
77. Willies-inducing : EERIE
79. World's largest desert : SAHARA
80. More beloved : DEARER.
82. Pots-and-pans noises : CLATTERS
85. "Fiddler" meddler : YENTE
87. Oak trunk : BOLE
88. Gate fastener : LATCH
89. Yom Kippur War prime minister : MEIR (Golda)
92. Ho-hum : WEARISOME
94. "You __ My Sunshine" : ARE
99. Upholstery jobs : SOFAS
100. Curiosity destination : MARS
102. Notable 1968 groom : ONASSIS (Ari). He actully loved Maria Callas.
103. Hombre's title : SENOR
105. Time's 2006 Person of the Year : YOU. Cop-out choice.
107. Joint at the corner : MITER
109. Turns to swing : AT BATS
118. Texas attraction : ALAMO
121. __ kwon do : TAE
122. Product suffix suggesting noodles : A-RONI
123. Theater level : LOGE
126. Zellweger of "Chicago" : RENEE
127. The Auld Sod : ERIN
128. "Shucks" : HECK
129. Flop or lop follower : EARED
130. Gets in the game : PLAYS
131. Faction : SECT
132. Silk Road locale : ASIA
133. "NYPD Blue" actor : SMITS (Jimmy). He played the cool Bobby Simone.
Down:
1. "Lost Horizon" director : CAPRA (Frank)
2. Bright-toned winds : OBOES
3. Little men : PAWNS
4. When Nancy bakes? : ETE. Nancy the French city.
5. Mockery : DERISION
6. Jamboree : GALA
7. Big snooze : DRAG
8. ABC or BET, e.g. : AIRER
9. Versatile veggie : YAM. Not versatile to me.
10. Paris was too much for him : ACHILLES. Paris killed Achilles, who had killed his brother Hector. But, "We'll always have Paris".
11. Serious predicament : QUAGMIRE
12. Its motto is "Industry" : UTAH
13. Busy ed.'s request : ASST. Has to be Rich's clue. He's one busy "editor".
14. Cy Young, e.g. : AWARD. No one will top his 511 career wins.
15. Safe places : SANCTA
16. In that case : IF SO
17. Transfer document : DEED
18. Della's creator : ERLE. Della Street.
24. In the center of : AMID
29. Columbo portrayer : FALK (Peter)
30. Biographer Leon : EDEL. Henry James biographer. I learned from doing Xwords.
32. Wallet item : ID CARD. 104. 32-Down datum : NAME
34. Common Market inits. : EEC
37. Some PX patrons : NCOs
38. Apprehensive : TREPID. I've only used Intrepid.
40. Antidrug commercials, e.g., briefly : PSAs
41. Seven-veil dancer : SALOME
44. Golfer Aoki : ISAO. Literally "achievement". Aoki = "Green tree".
45. Freeway roller : TIRE
46. Harper Lee's first name : NELLE. Did not know this. She's as reclusive as J.D. Salinger.
47. Online commerce : E-TAIL
50. Ouzo flavorings : ANISES
51. Big spread : ESTATE
54. "Sex and the City" role : CARRIE
57. Adm.'s milieu : USN
60. Bit of bullring gear : CAPA. "Cape" in Spanish.
62. Dent site : FENDER
64. "At the __ Core": Burroughs novel : EARTH'S. Never developed an interest for science fiction.
66. Reclining chair user's sigh : AAH
67. Supercomputer name : CRAY
68. Scattered : STREWN
72. Broadway's first Oakley : MERMAN (Ethel). New trivia to me.
73. "The Luncheon on the Grass" and "Olympia," e.g. : MANETs. Both are at Musée d'Orsay. Very daring eyes.
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| "The Luncheon on the Grass" |
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| "Olympia" |
75. Alabama march city : SELMA
76. Maple and pine : TREES
78. Inclusive abbr. : ETC
81. Soak up : ABSORB
82. Chowder tidbit : CLAM
83. Zhivago's love : LARA. Also love Julie Christie in "Away from Her".
84. Antitoxin sources : SERA
86. Put a charge into? : TASE
90. "I can't explain how I did that" : IT'S MAGIC. No one with a K in their first name has lost a presidential re-election! It's magic.
91. Junk mail addressee : RESIDENT
93. Chemical variants : ISOTOPES
96. __ de force : TOUR
97. Baptism, for one : RITE
98. Polymer ending : ASE
101. Bondi Beach city : SYDNEY. I associate Bondi Beach with Kazie & Jessica Hart.
106. Stage prizes : OBIEs
108. Motel posting : RATES
110. Asteroids creator : ATARI
111. "Don't play," on a score : TACET. Must have the same root as Tacit.
112. Origins : SEEDS
113. Bend : WARP
114. Hershiser of ESPN : OREL
115. Chaplin's fourth wife : OONA. Long time no see.
116. French cruise stops : ILES
117. Bush fighter : GORE. I'm excited about next Tuesday. First time to cast a vote for a US president.
119. Centers of activity : LOCI
120. "My Way" lyricist : ANKA (Paul)
124. '50s song syllable : SHA
125. Hasty escape : LAM
C.C.
