Theme:"PH Balance" - P & H bookend each theme entry.
23A. 11-part documentary with the episodes "Caves" and "Deserts" : PLANET EARTH
68A. Yamaha seat, perhaps : PIANO BENCH
71A. It can help you put on a coat : PAINT BRUSH
100A. Soapbox delivery : PUBLIC SPEECH. And 107A. 1942 Cooper role : GEHRIG (Lou). The Pride of the Yankees. "... today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth" is one of the best public speeches.
121D. Fruity pastry : PPRUNE DANISH
33D. Hybrid language : PIDGIN ENGLISH
35D. A former ace might be one : PITCHING COACH
Simple theme today. Liz Gorski's NYT puzzles often have an extra layer of visual involved. She's a true artist.
She's also a brilliant clue writer. Rich probably changed only a few words of her clues.
Across:
1. Sixth-day creation : ADAM
5. Iraqi port : BASRA. Sinbad's hometown.
10. Exchange : SWAP
14. Supermodel with a Global Chic collection : IMAN. Never tried her products, but I'm aware of the line.
18. Jared of "Lonely Hearts" : LETO
19. Places of worship : ALTARS
21. Kent State state : OHIO
22. Upscale : TONY
25. Lopsided win : ROMP
26. Trumpeter, e.g. : SWAN. Trumpeter swan. Wiki said it's "the heaviest bird native to North America and is, on average, the largest extant waterfowl species on earth."
27. Motorcade wheels : SEDANS
28. Flea market transactions : RE-SALES
30. Meager : SCANTY
32. Happy outdoorsman? : CAMPER
34. Grafton's "__ for Malice" : M IS
35. "The Little Sparrow" : PIAF (Edith)
36. "My Cousin Vinny" Oscar winner : TOMEI (Marisa)
42. E. African land : ETH (Ethiopia). Has any of you dined at the Red Rooster?
44. Year-span separator : EN DASH
47. After-dinner drink : PORT
48. Noodlehead : SCHMO. The SCHMO in our association has a garage sale almost every week. 8 bikes on his lawn yesterday! He called those who complained about him "Racist". And 94D. Downsizing event? : DIET. Not yard sale, you SCHMO!
49. Quaint writer : QUILL
51. Despondency : GLOOM
53. Personal quirk : TIC
54. Resort NE of Los Alamos : TAOS
55. __ Reader: eclectic magazine : UTNE
56. "Beats me!" : I DUNNO
58. Fancy pillowcase : SHAM
61. Blast cause : TNT
62. "Let __!": "Move on!" : IT GO
63. Power dept. : ENER
64. __-pah band : OOM
66. Personal ltrs. : INITS. How many letters in your name? Mine has 15 and quite scrabbly.
75. Italian fashion center : MILAN
76. Get takeout, say : EAT
78. "Bus Stop" playwright : INGE (William)
79. Visiting the Getty Center, briefly : IN LA
80. Turkish honorific : AGA
82. NASA hire : ENGR
84. Landing strip : TARMAC
86. Britney's ex, in tabloids : K-FED. He was her backup dancer at the beginning. J-Lo's current boyfriend is her backup dancer as well.
87. Long lunches : SUBS
89. Schlep : LUG
91. "... farm, __" : E I E I O
92. Aptly named novelist : READE (Charles)
93. "Dust Tracks on __": Zora Neale Hurston autobiography : A ROAD
95. Apple product : iPOD
97. Bank ad number : CD RATE. Ultra low.
99. El Al home: Abbr. : ISR
103. Humidor item : CIGAR
105. Radio host John : TESH
106. __ Balls: Hostess snack food : SNO
109. Hospitality : WARMTH
112. From now on : ANYMORE
114. Iron target : ANEMIA
118. Berry touted as a superfood : ACAI. This always stumps some on our blog. Super friendly letter combo, so you'd better commit it to your memory.
119. Org. with part of a prominent statue in its logo : ACLU
123. It may be ear-to-ear : GRIN
124. Wild way to run : RIOT
125. Doddering : SENILE. I often wonder if Deep Throat revealed his identity willingly.
126. Sussex streetcar : TRAM
127. Dover delicacy : SOLE
128. Breadbasket bunch : PATS
129. Parts of goblets : STEMS
130. It often takes place in a bar : JOKE
Down:
1. Skier's mecca : ALPS
2. Editing mark : DELE
3. Hardly at all : A TAD
4. Rainier's locale : MONACO. Oh, I was thinking of Mt. Rainier. Not the prince.
5. Cricket players : BATSMEN
6. Bass in a glass : ALE. Bass ale.
7. It may be glassy : STARE
8. Less common : RARER
9. Dance and such : ARTS
10. Touchy subject : SORE SPOT
11. Villagers below Mount Crumpit : WHOS. Dr. Seuss.
12. Goal : AIM
13. Visits on a whim : POPS IN
14. "Believe you me!" : IT'S A FACT. Never said "Believe you me".
15. Cut : MOWN
16. Constitutional subj.? : ANAT. Great clue.
17. Abbr. on Manhattan mail : NY, NY
20. SeaWorld headliner : SHAMU
24. Tooth coating : ENAMEL
29. Tired : LIMP
31. They may be used for emphasis : CAPS
36. Doohickey : THINGAMABOB. Nice entry.
37. Sound unit : PHON. So is SONE.
38. Reality TV matriarch Jenner : KRIS. Grandma to North West.
39. Ethical complaint : THAT'S UNFAIR
40. "Hurry!" : C'MON
41. Olympics city, e.g. : HOST
42. Furnish : EQUIP
43. Everyone, in orchestral scores : TUTTI
45. Noted Mayflower passenger : ALDEN (John)
46. Origin : SOURCE
50. "Spanglish" actress Téa : LEONI
52. Phone button sequence : MNO
57. Alley in comics : OOP
59. Pay (up) : ANTE
60. Will Smith film series, briefly : MIB (Men in Black). And 104D. Will Smith's role in 60-Down : AGENT J. Tommy Lee Jones is Agent K.
63. "Personal Witness: Israel Through My Eyes" author : EBAN (Abba)
65. Injured badly : MAIMED
67. Playground ride : TRIKE
69. Grand __ Opry : OLE
70. Bowler, for one : HAT. Nailed it.
72. Lead __: EPA concern : IN AIR
73. Flexible Flyers, e.g. : SLEDS
74. Recent "SNL" regular Bill : HADER
77. Inventor's monogram : TAE. Thomas Alva Edison.
80. Urgent acronym : ASAP. Hurry up to Home Depot, while you're still young.
81. Trusted adviser : GURU
83. College hoops coach with 876 victories : RUPP ( Adolph). Gimme for PK. I drew a blank. Rupp Arena is named after him.
85. Really funny : RICH
88. Grueling workplace : SALT MINE. Yet salt is so cheap.
90. Freaks out : GOES NUTS
92. Capital west of Winnipeg : REGINA
96. Turn down : DENY
98. Cross words : TIRADES. Another great clue.
101. Note in a D major scale : C SHARP
102. Free stuff : COMPS
107. Weight room sound : GRUNT
108. "__ Meenie": Kingston/Bieber song : EENIE
109. Wits : WAGS
110. High opening : ACRO
111. Track boundary : RAIL
112. Tremendously : A LOT
113. Holders of buried treasures : ORES. Love it. Hard to come up fresh clues for ORES.
115. Joan of art : MIRO
116. "Winter's Tales" author Dinesen : ISAK. Only know her "Out of Africa".
117. Words of lament : AH ME
120. Org. in Clancy novels : CIA
122. Spreading tree : ELM
C.C.
