Theme: "Make It Count" - IT is added to each theme answer.
23A. Diminutive flower? : PETITE ROSE. Pete Rose, who still thinks he'll make the Hall someday.
25A. Cultural pursuits with limits? : FINITE ARTS. Fine arts.
47A. Musician to feel sorry for? : PITIED PIPER. Pied Piper.
70A. Novel set in a church? : PULPIT FICTION. Do you like "Pulp Fiction"? Too much for my taste.
92A. Indispensable poet? : VITAL KILMER. Val Kilmer, who was in "Top Gun". The clue has to shift away from base phrase and here it refers to Joyce Kilmer.
115A. Departure from the bookstore? : EXIT LIBRIS. Ex Libris.
117A. Giant gods waiting for tickets? : TITAN LINES. Tan lines.
33D. Acerbic fruit? : BITING CHERRY. Bing cherry. Sweet! Tart cherries bite.
43D. Serious transport? : GRAVITY TRAIN. Gravy train.
A rare 146-worder. This does not happen often, as Rich wants constructors to cap the word count at 144 and black squares at 78.
Nine
theme entries with total 99 squares are not easy to deal with, and
you'll see a few strained fill here and there. Gridding is so much
easier when theme answers occupy about 90 theme squares.
Across:
1. Tatters : RAGS
5. Cousin of a Tony : OBIE. The clue works without "a" also.
9. Staples Center player : LAKER
14. Certain candidate's goal : SEAT. And 21. Romney foe : OBAMA. 2012. I crossed the party line and voted Erik Paulsen (from the ritzy EDINA) last Tuesday. He has a super smart aide who helped me deal with the VA bureaucracy last time.
18. On : ATOP
19. Legally binding, as a contract : VALID
22. See 98-Down : TALE. And 98. With 22-Across, extravagant account : TALL
27. Ladder parts : RUNGS
28. Datebook notation : ENTRY
30. Kindle Fire, for one : TABLET. The only iStuff I have is my aging iPod Classic.
31. Overzealous : RABID
34. Scriabin piece : ETUDE. Not familiar with Scriabin, Russian pianist.
36. They may be cut by perps : DEALS
38. Choice group : ELITE
39. Mexican bread : DINERO
41. '50s/'60s character actor Lyle : BETTGER. Totally unknown to me.
46. After all adjustments : NET
50. "Rule, Britannia" composer : ARNE
51. Discoverer of Vinland : ERICSON (Leif). I never heard of Vinland. I thought it's Norse for Finland.
54. French governing body : SENAT
55. Sewer cover : GRATE
56. Prevailed : WON OUT. So, any news on that blue-eyed girl, Splynter? Or the nice AA lady?
57. Brylcreem amount : DAB
60. 401, to Marcus : CDI
61. Randy of country : TRAVIS
62. Czech. neighbor : GER
63. Near East inn : SERAI. Alien to me as well.
65. Shocked : IN AWE
67. Hot condition : IRE
68. "Just a __" : SEC
73. QB's targets : TES (Tight Ends)
74. Sneaky chuckle : HEH
75. Granada grain : ARROZ. Spanish for Rice. Lemonade, has your girlfriend treated you with sticky rice & mango?
76. One needing a lift : SKIER
77. Beatles' "A __ in the Life" : DAY
79. Ominous words : OR ELSE
81. __ milk : SOY. I drink it every day, yet I tried RAW first.
83. Audio receiver? : EAR. Nice clue.
84. Middle of England? : CENTRE. D'Oh! All I could think of was the middle ELL in England.
87. Michelin products : TIRES
88. Pea pokers : TINES
90. "__ Pierce": Kate Winslet miniseries : MILDRED
91. Prefix with space : AERO
96. Brief reply? : ANS (Answer)
97. Met on the sly : TRYSTED. This "Derailed" is terrifying. Tryst is not fun.
99. Party rides : PONIES
100. Ralph of "The Waltons" : WAITE. I can never remember this guy.
102. TD Garden, e.g. : ARENA
105. Everything, in Essen : ALLES. Also 16D. Old, in Oberhausen : ALTE. Alliterative clues.
106. Historical record : ANNAL
107. Miami daily : HERALD
111. Vatican vestment : ORALE. Haven't seen this word in a grid for a long time.
113. Commandment word : SHALT
122. Lhasa __ : APSO
123. Awakens, with "to" : COMES
124. Small silvery fish : SMELT
125. Coastal irregularity : COVE
126. Browning work : POEM
127. Diner "raft" : TOAST. I got sick eating toast at the highly touted Peppermill (Las Vegas). It's buttered without my knowledge. Their fruit plate is huge, enough for four Da Fan Tong, Jayce!
128. Shield border, in heraldry : ORLE
129. Belt : SWAT
Down:
1. Eminem genre : RAP
2. Put away the groceries? : ATE
3. Understood : GOT
4. Enthusiasm : SPIRIT
5. Hot spot : OVEN. Nice clue as well.
6. Entered rudely : BARGED IN
7. Lame answer to "Where's your homework?" : I LOST IT. Too lame.
8. Grafton's "__ for Evidence" : E IS
9. Artist's digs : LOFT
10. Free as __ : A BIRD
11. West of Georgia : KANYE. Got via crosses. I did not know he was born in Atlanta.
12. Former "big four" record company : EMI
13. Coiled menace : RATTLER
14. Attempt : STAB
15. Peerage member : EARL
17. Screen __ : TEST
20. Political pundit Myers : DEE DEE. She was the spokesperson for Paula Broadwell. Remember Broadwell & General Petraeus? Ari Fleischer worked for Tiger Woods for a short period as well. Told you tryst is not fun.
24. Insolence, in modern slang : TUDE
26. Bridge position : EAST
29. Uncool types : NERDS
31. Agree to more issues : RENEW
32. Olds compact : ALERO
35. Flinders in Adelaide, e.g., briefly : UNI. Aussie for "university". I never heard of Flinders though.
37. Help in a burglary : ABET
40. Cartel acronym : OPEC
42. Twelve Oaks neighbor : TARA
44. Having all the pieces : ENTIRE. And45. Pieces of peanut butter? : REESE'S
47. Kitty with no fur : POT. Ha ha.
48. Messages on packages : INDICIA. Learning moment for me. Dictionary says it's "postal markings often imprinted on mail or on labels to be affixed to mail".
49. Atelier figure : PAINTER
52. Iowa campus : COE
53. Do better than : SURPASS
55. Beowulf's foe : GRENDEL. Got via crosses.
57. Passbook entry : DEPOSIT
58. Home of the Pac-12's Wildcats : ARIZONA
59. Hitter's "lumber" : BAT
61. Seesaw complement : TWO. Did you nail the answer immediately or get via crosses? I was confused by "Complement".
63. 35mm camera option : SLR
64. Uncertainties : IFs
66. Studio sign word : AIR
68. Fired on : SHOT AT
69. More spooky : EERIER
71. Press closing : URE. Pressure. I wish it has a ? to indicate wordplay.
72. Clanton gang leader : IKE
78. "Not to mention ..." : AND
80. Some summer births : LEOS. And 104. Spring births, perhaps : ARIES
82. Dog's "Ouch!" : YELP
84. Round fig. : CIR (Circle). I thought of EST first.
85. __-Wreck : RENT-A
86. Ford fiasco : EDSEL
88. Destroyer of some castles : TIDE
89. Scandinavian toast : SKOAL
90. Part of the "M*A*S*H" set : MESS HALL
92. It may be reached : VERDICT. Great clue/answer.
93. Coastal irregularities : INLETS
94. Short, shortened : LIL. Got me again. Saw similar clue before.
95. Leighton of "Gossip Girl" : MEESTER. She had an usual childhood. Read here.
100. Outlet site : WALL
101. Escapades : ANTICS
103. Bellini opera : NORMA
107. Bucket of bolts : HEAP
108. Athlete who's now a National : EXPO. Hey, I got this one!
109. Provoked reaction : RISE. Kind of like "Handled bags" for TOTES clue.
110. Basic building block : ATOM. Not LEGO.
112. Little helper? : ASST."Little" indicates an abbr. answer.
114. Pay for a hand : ANTE
116. Word Casper seldom uses : BOO. The Friendly Ghost.
118. "That's what I think," in chatspeak : IMO
119. This minute : NOW
120. Model/actress Mendes : EVA
121. Collector's goal : SET
C.C.
