Theme: "Double Shift" - The highlighted red letter in its theme answers is shifted two places to the right.
23A. eHarmony, e.g.? : MEAT MATE MARKET. Meat market.
28A. Pride of a pride protector? : MEAN MANE STREAKS. Mean streaks.
34A. Made a healthier menu selection? : WENT WITH THE FLOW FOWL. Went with the flow.
59A. Organized effort to get a different judge? : RESCUE RECUSE MISSION. Recuse mission.
66A. Ashes? : GREAT GRATE EXPECTATIONS. Great Expectations.
78A. Contest in which tires are hurled? : SPEAR SPARE THROWING. Spear throwing.
96A. Makes meticulous roster moves? : TREADS TRADES CAREFULLY. Treads carefully.
104A. Precious river stone? : NEIL NILE DIAMOND. Neil Diamond.
117A. How to eat lots of soup? : BLOW BOWL BY BLOW BOWL. Blow by blow. Double action in this answer.
Amazing theme. I can't imagine the amount of work Alan Olschwang did to make this happen.
Heavy themage too. Total 115 theme squares, including a tricky 17-letter middle entry. I'd definitely need 144 words & 78 black squares (this one has only 140 words and 70 black squares).
Across:
1. Shock : DAZE
5. Some barks : SHIPS. I had no idea that "barks" are ships.
10. Model material : BALSA
15. Sticks figure : RUBE
19. Former Wall Street acronym : AMEX (American Stock Exchange)
20. Philosopher __-Louis Bergson : HENRI. Not into philosophy. Never heard of the guy.
21. First of 12 : ARIES. I thought of ENERO first. Nuts.
22. Up to no good : EVIL
25. Member of a trendsetting family? : JONES. Nice clue.
26. Valley : DELL
27. Brazen : SHAMELESS
30. Party planner, briefly? : POL. Outwit me.
31. Pueblo pronoun : ESO
33. Stuns, in a way : TASES
41. Sticks : MIRES
45. Second part of a Latin conjugation : AMAS
46. Bone, to Benito : OSSO
47. Curved fastening bar : U-BOLT
49. Designer sportswear label : GANT. Known for its shirts.
50. Volcano feature : RIM
51. High-ranking NCO : M-SGT (Master Sergeant)
53. Vent with vehemence : RAGE. And 64. Vent with vehemence : RANT
55. Stopped producing : RAN DRY
57. Draws out : ELICITS
62. Andalusian address : SENORA
63. Unaligned: Abbr. : NEUT (Neutral)
65. Common odds ending : ONE. Oh like 10 to 1.
71. L.A.'s __ Center : AON
73. __ test : BETA
74. Slips into : DONS
75. Throughout : DURING
82. Colorful bird : TANAGER
83. Bobby's "Dallas" wife : PAMELA. Certain old TV just does not appeal to me. "Dallas" is one of them.
84. Mtg. : CONF
85. William the pirate : KIDD
86. Singer Peeples : NIA
87. Score symbol : CLEF
88. Cutting-edge company? : X-ACTO
91. __ Lackawanna Railway : ERIE. The clues feel extra tough today.
93. Like some tires : BALD
94. Brayer group? : ASSES
100. Old-style street show : RAREE
102. Traveler's insurance?: Abbr. : TSA. Because they insure that you travel safely?
103. Really got into : DUG
109. Nearly wipes out : DECIMATES
115. Arabian Peninsula nation : OMAN
116. One way to stand : ALONE. Or APART.
118. Aforementioned : SAID
119. Spanish castle city : LORCA. Must be a gimme for Splynter. He knows all about castles.
120. Smartphone function : EMAIL
121. __ balls: chocolaty snacks : OREO
122. 1979 disco classic : YMCA
123. Teutonic town : STADT
124. Aladdin's helper : GENIE
125. Seine tributary : OISE
Down:
1. Some power producers : DAMS
2. Asian nurse : AMAH.
Lots of Amahs in Hong Kong are from the Philippines. They speak English
and their salary requirement is reasonable. Perfect for expats working
there.
3. Sweater letter : ZETA
4. Lets off the hook : EXEMPTS
5. "Okay to proceed?" : SHALL I?
6. Point on a mall map? : HERE. You Are Here.
7. Writing supplies : INKS
8. Car radio features : PRESETS
9. Spot order? : SIT. And 117D. Spot order? : BEG
10. Cabo locale : BAJA
11. "East of Eden" son : ARON. The other son is Cal. Both love the same girl.
12. Office phone button : LINE TWO
13. Is omniscient : SEES ALL
14. Staff members: Abbr. : ASSTS
15. Makes new plans for : RE-DESIGNS
16. Visual layer : UVEA
17. Take in : BILK
18. Swell pair? : ELLS.
24. Calico call : MEOW
28. Animated TV barkeep : MOE. "The Simpsons" .
29. "Man on the Moon" group : REM
32. Reinforce : SHORE UP
34. Peddled stuff : WARES
35. Hockey Hall of Famer Francis : EMILE. Another fill for Splynter. Never heard of the guy.
36. Singing? : NAMING NAMES. Great entry/clue.
37. Clothes : TOGS
38. Only pres. born in Missouri : HST
39. Japanese pufferfish for risk-taking eaters : FUGU. Alien to me as well.
40. U.K. decorations : OBEs
42. Antenna pickup : RADIO SIGNAL
43. Company infamous for shredding : ENRON
44. "Funny Girl" composer : STYNE (Jule)
48. Port-of-Spain's island : TRINIDAD
51. Airport city near Montreal : MIRABEL. Wiki told me it's home to the Montréal–Mirabel International Airport.
52. Paycheck reduction for most : STATE TAX
54. Joined the cast of : ACTED IN
56. Shock : ASTOUND
58. One of two N.T. books : COR. Corinthians.
59. Harrison of the stage : REX
60. History course topics : ERAS
61. Pin cushion? : MAT And 71. Watchdog org.? : ASPCA. Nailed both.
63. Just around the corner : NEAR
67. Old verb ending : ETH
68. Talk about sin, in a way : CONFESS
69. "Star Trek" spinoff, briefly : TNG
70. Gun lobby gp. : NRA
72. Whitish gems : OPALS
76. Sam of "The Piano" : NEILL. Holly Hunter was amazing in that movie.
77. "Six Days of the Condor" author James : GRADY. Saw the movie "Three Days of Condor". Not familiar with the author.
79. Some ballot items : REFERENDA
80. Twice tetra- : OCTA
81. Oak or elm : WOOD. Not TREE.
82. Top-__: best : TIER
85. Optima, e.g. : KIA
89. Got really full : ATE A LOT. Still not my old self, but my appetite has returned. Gosh, this flu is stubborn. A special "Thank you" to reader Sandy in LA for her cold/flu remedy tea.
90. Aptly named coffee lightener : CREMORA. Never used it. Google showed Borden Cremora and Nestle Cremora. So "Cremora" is a common word, not a brand?
92. Colts' former home : RCA DOME. Demolished in 2008.
93. Bete noire : BUGABOO
95. Unfortunate : SAD
97. Itinerary entry: Abbr. : ETD
98. Fit for consumption : EDIBLE
99. Vaporous : FUMY. Have you seen this word before, Yellowrocks? I'm so glad your son helped you set up the trees & curtains.
101. Muscat money : RIALS
104. More than curious : NOSY. I'm thankful Terry Gross is nosy at times.
105. Sunni leader : IMAM
106. Of the flock : LAIC
107. Backed up, in a way : ON CD. Passé.
108. Bar order : NEAT
110. Actor McGregor : EWAN
111. Second-century date : CLII. 152.
112. Spelling on TV : TORI
113. Woolly moms : EWES
114. Wild plum : SLOE
Happy Birthday to Windhover, who was once an active member of our blog. Hope you and Irish are doing well and enjoying the hard but bucolic life.
C.C.
