Theme: "ET Trading" - E is changed into T in each theme entry.
23A. Pair of pooches' synchronized dash? : DOUBLE DOG DART. Double dog dare is a new expression to me.
34A. Boss' personal brewing ingredient? : ALPHA MALT. Alpha male.
50A. Blast off? : START INTO SPACE. Stare into space.
66A. "We're boarding the elevator now, chaps!" : GOT TO GET YOU INTO MY LIFT.
Got to Get You into My Life
87A. Natural source of a Massachusetts dairy product? : BOSTON CREAM PIT. Boston cream pie.
99A. Result of washing political dirty laundry? : PARTY LINT. Party line.
118A. Course that covers crop circles? : PLANT GEOMETRY. Plane geometry.
Did you grok the gimmick immediately? The puzzle title is quite literal.
I think this is Frank Virzi's first Sunday. Congratulations! The grid has 93 theme squares, but only 138 words & 66 black squares. More often our Sunday grids have 142 or 144 words. Every extra word/black squar is a luxury on Sundays.
I think this is Frank Virzi's first Sunday. Congratulations! The grid has 93 theme squares, but only 138 words & 66 black squares. More often our Sunday grids have 142 or 144 words. Every extra word/black squar is a luxury on Sundays.
Across:
1. Final approvals : SAY-SOS
7. Had to repay for : OWED ON
13. Come into : INHERIT. This is similar to my mom's wedding chest. Hers had pretty bed sheets and quilts she and her mom made.
20. Total : AMOUNT
21. Bread for burritos? : DINERO. Clever clue.
22. Break, as laws : VIOLATE
25. Lee of poetry : ANNABEL. Poe's Annabel Lee.
26. Altar boy : ACOLYTE
27. Broke the tape : WON
28. Language of southern China : CANTONESE. Spoken in Guangdong province & Hong Kong & Macau area.
30. Vegas tip : TOKE
31. Angle iron : L-BAR
33. Cold response : SHIVER. What's your room temperature in the summer? Ours is 74.
38. Malachite and magnetite : MINERALS
43. Shoves off : SETS SAIL
46. "Swans Reflecting Elephants" artist : DALI
48. Dredge, say : DEEPEN
49. Guiding principles : CREEDS
54. Super Bowl XXXIV champs : RAMS. Wish they would stop using Roman numerals.
55. "With a Little Help From My Friends" singer : STARR (Ringo)
57. Utah lily : SEGO
58. Rock follower? : ETTE. Rockette.
59. Molecule that carries energy: Abbr. : ATP (Adenosine triphosphate). Total stranger to me.
60. "Go, team!" : RAH
61. Not to mention : AND
63. Cub Scout leader : AKELA
74. One-celled critter : AMEBA. Amoeba is more common.
75. Rock producer Brian : ENO
76. Temperamental TV pooch : REN Ren and Stimpy.
77. Water, chemically : HOH
78. Old orchard spray : ALAR
81. Gp. led by a Grand Exalted Ruler : BPOE. Gimme for Abejo.
84. Part of a flight : STAIR
86. Scared, maybe : PALE
91. Cry of triumph : I DID IT!
93. Yogurt flavor : BANANA
94. Dutch astronomer who lent his name to a cloud : OORT. Gimme!
95. South American border lake : TITICACA. Peru/Bolivia border lake.
97. Valentine figure : AMORETTO. The plural is Amoretti.
102. They're stuck in corners : STAMPS. I like this clue also.
104. Flying A rival : ESSO. Never saw a Flying A sign.
105. "Breaking __ Hard to Do" : UP IS
109. "0 calories. 0 carbs" drink : DIET PEPSI. They have big presence in China.
113. Prompt : CUE
114. Tramp : VAGRANT
117. Trap : ENSNARE
121. More puffed up : PROUDER
122. Way out : EGRESS
123. Harvey of "The Piano" : KEITEL. With Holly Hunter. I liked the movie.
124. Joan Fontaine and Olivia de Havilland, e.g. : SISTERS
125. Exodus challenge : RED SEA
126. Eventually : IN TIME
Down:
1. 1978 Peace co-Nobelist : SADAT. Still waiting for el-Sisi.
2. Big name in gas : AMOCO
3. Concerned query : YOU OK?
4. Some rental agreements : SUB-LEASES
5. Just : ONLY
6. "Let it be" : STET
7. Prefix with meter : ODO
8. Nipmuc home : WIGWAM. Never heard of Nipmuc. Looks so crude.
9. "Bewitched" witch : ENDORA
10. Faculty boss : DEAN
11. There's a statue of him outside TD Garden : ORR.
12. V-shaped slit : NOTCH
13. Russian infant emperor, 1740-'41 : IVAN VI.
Here is what Wiki says: "... although he never actually reigned. Within
less than a year, he was overthrown by the Empress Elizabeth of Russia,
Peter I's daughter. Ivan spent the rest of his life as a prisoner and
was killed by his guards during an attempt made to free him."
14. Video game giant : NINTENDO
15. They may be roasted : HONOREES
16. Panache : ELAN
17. Broccoli __ : RABE. Not sure our local Cub carries this veggie. Very soon I'm going to enjoy the local water spinach the Hmong farmers here grow.
18. Ending for residents : ITEs. Like Brooklynites.
19. TV segment? : TELE
24. Yamuna River city : DELHI
29. Drawing a bead on : AIMING AT
32. Light wood : BALSA
33. ESPN figures : STATS
35. Dr. Leary's turn-on : LSD
36. Bible reading : PASSAGE
37. CEO, e.g. : LDR (Leader)
39. Formally end : REPEAL
40. Give __ on the back : A PAT
41. Univ. staff title : LECT. Oh, lecturer.
42. Bygone blade : SNEE
43. One who's all skin and bones : SCRAG
44. Pindar's Muse : ERATO
45. Tantalize : TEMPT
47. One in a pack? : LIE. Excellent clue also.
51. Cafeteria carrier : TRAY
52. River of Florence : ARNO
53. Michener's "The Bridges at __" : TOKO-RI. Also unknown to me. I probably should see it just for Grace Kelly. I love her in To Catch a Thief.
56. English channel : THE BBC
60. CD-__ : ROM
62. Bill word : DUE
64. Some retired faculty : EMERITI
65. Reagan adviser Nofziger : LYN. Another unknown. I'm pretty hopeless when it comes to pre-2001 US politics.
67. Sauce with sole : TARTAR
68. Brew servers : TAP ROOMS
69. Dirty Harry's rank: Abbr. : INSP
70. "Don't look at me!" : NOT I
71. "If __ Hammer" : I HAD A
72. Type of acid found in Brussels sprouts : FOLIC. Hard to make Brussels sprouts tasty.
73. Letter after eta : THETA
78. "SOS" singers : ABBA
79. Good earth : LOAM
80. "It will come __ surprise ..." : AS NO
82. War on Poverty org. : OEO. OK, Office of Economic Opportunity. LBJ.
83. O.K. Corral brothers : EARPS
85. Justice Dept. staffers : ATTYS
86. "Just think" : PICTURE IT
88. Bridge opening : ONE SPADE. Same letter count as ONE HEART.
89. One going on and on : NATTERER
90. L.A. bus-and-rail org. : MTA
92. Cacophony : DIN
96. "__ a Rainy Night": 1981 chart-topper : I LOVE
98. Slim candles : TAPERS
100. Catches up with old classmates : REUNES. Only in crosswords.
101. African insect attracted to the color blue : TSETSE
103. Pepper picker : PIPER
106. Page of music : PATTI
107. Against a thing, to a judge : IN REM
108. Panache : STYLE
109. ATM transactions : DEPS (Deposits)
110. Cross inscription : INRI
111. Those caballeros : ESOS. Caballeros sound like hot peppers.
112. Hardware item : T-NUT
113. Pick in a trick : CARD
115. Golfer Isao : AOKI. Don't google. Guess how tall he is.
116. FBI agents : G-MEN
119. Soft drink ord. : LGE
120. Govt. property org. : GSA (General Services Administration)
C.C.
