Theme: "Male Bonding" - MAN is added into each theme answer.
27A. One whose citations are always on target? : QUOTATION MARKSMAN. Quotation marks.
47A. Where go-betweens learn their craft? : MIDDLEMAN SCHOOL. Middle school.
63A. Civil civil servant? : FRIENDLY FIREMAN. Friendly fire.
74A. Show segment that included shots of New York City? : LETTERMAN OPENER. Letter opener.
94A. Work force breakdown? : MANPOWER FAILURE. Power failure.
114A. Ambiguous packing instructions? : MANHANDLE WITH CARE. Ambiguous indeed. Handle with Care.
So
we have four 15's and two 17's. Total 94 theme squares. Manageable
themeage. Anytime you go over 100 theme squares, fill will suffer.
Such a clean grid. No splashy long fill. It's difficult to
arrange long slots when your theme answers are all quite long. 9s, 10s
and 11's are more pliable.
Across:
1. Insignificant disruption : BLIP. All four corners of this grid are sectioned off. Unusual.
5. Part of a familiar Latin sequence : AMAS
9. Make very thirsty : PARCH
14. Those girls, in Guadalajara : ELLAS
19. Start to correct? : AUTO. Auto-correct.
20. Riga native, e.g. : BALT
21. 2003 NBA Rookie of the Year Stoudemire : AMAR'E. We had him before. I just could not remember his name. How cool to have this jersey number!
22. "There!" : VOILA
23. Demolish, in Dover : RASE
24. 1968 self-titled folk album : ARLO
25. Introvert : LONER. Our LaLaLinda is one. You're missed, pal.
26. __ wrench : ALLEN
31. "Fore!" site : TEE
32. Phishing catch: Abbr. : SSN
33. Share with followers, in a way : RE-TWEET. Rare lovely RE* entry.
34. Chaucer works : TALES
36. Salon service : PEDI
37. D.C. team : NATS
40. Pathfinders and such : NISSANS
44. Toledo homes : CASAS. Same as Italian. There's a nice Italian restaurant in Guangzhou. It's called La Casa. I had my very first Caesar salad there.
51. California city with an annual classical music festival : OJAI
52. Give up : CEDE
53. __ Palmas: Canary Islands port : LAS
54. Shredder : TEARER. Glue entry.
55. Aslan's land : NARNIA
57. Past curfew : LATE
60. "Children of the Poor" author : RIIS (Jacob). I got via crosses.
62. Fund-raising orgs. : PTAS
66. Tree in a carol : PEAR
67. "__: Cyber": 2015 spin-off : CSI
68. Hammered : LIT
69. Dedicated lines : ODE
71. Foolhardy : RASH
83. Block brand : LEGO
84. Med. research org. : NIMH (National Institute of Mental Health). I can never remember this one either.
85. Come across as : SEEM
86. Subject of passing concern? : ESTATE. Great clue.
87. Not on edge : AT EASE
89. Some Caltech grads : EES
91. Bar freebie : NUTS
93. What bar patrons may run : A TAB. And 100. Up-good connection : TO NO. Partials.
98. Flora and fauna : BIOTA
99. Scout shirt feature : EPAULET
101. Hebrew for "skyward" : EL AL
103. Candidate who opposed NAFTA : PEROT
105. Researcher's reference : ALMANAC
108. Dallas NBAer : MAV (Mavericks)
111. Director's bane : HAM
118. Great quantity : OCEAN
120. Ancient Aegean region : IONIA
121. Florida's __ City : DADE
122. Drummer Van Halen : ALEX. I only know Eddie Van Halen.
123. Part of a beach house collection : SHELL. Been a long time since I last saw a beach.
124. Desilu co-founder : ARNAZ
125. Resolve, with "out" : IRON
126. Artist Magritte : RENE
127. "Our Gang" pooch : PETEY. Got via crosses.
128. Rope loop : NOOSE. Thought of RIATA, then LASSO.
129. Breton or Gael : CELT
130. Awareness-raising TV ads : PSAs
Down:
1. Root beer that "has bite!" : BARQ'S. Never had root beer before.
2. Waikiki wingdings : LUAUS
3. Fighting words : IT'S ON
4. One concerned with rhythm : POET. Hi there, Owen!
5. Tapered off : ABATED
6. Nautical : MARITIME
7. Let : ALLOW
8. Paving unit : STONE
9. Like some consonants : PALATAL. This upper section was the last to fall for me. As the following two clues stumped me.
10. "El __ brujo": de Falla work : AMOR. Wiki says it means "literally, Spell-bound Love or The Bewitched Love".
11. Relative position : RANK. Easy in retrospect.
12. High spot : CREST
13. Novelist Hesse : HERMANN
14. Fade from sight : EVANESCE. I've only used Evanescent.
15. "OMG ur 2 funny" : LOL
16. Bouncy tune : LILT
17. Captain's direction : ALEE
18. Sensible : SANE
28. Son of Zeus : ARES
29. Darn : MEND
30. Highly regarded groups : A-LISTS
35. Double curve : S-SHAPE
36. "The Age of Reason" writer : PAINE (Thomas)
38. No. preceded by a code : TEL
39. Excessive flattery : SMARM
41. Cardiologist's concern : AORTA
42. Musical deficiency : NO EAR
43. Some shooters, for short : SLRs. I like this clue also.
44. NCAA division : CONF (Conference)
45. Slightly cracked : AJAR
46. Asian wrap : SARI. Have you heard of "Ao dai"? Vietnamese national dress. Very pretty.
48. In a slothful way : IDLY
49. Unheeding : DEAF
50. Home to billions : ASIA. Thank God China only started One-Child Policy in 1978. I can't imagine life without my little brother, who was born in 1975.
52. Rakes : CADS
56. Move very carefully : INCH
58. Arcade concern : TILT
59. Cat Nation people : ERIES
61. Part of, plotwise : IN ON. Not land "plot".
64. Actress Taylor : LILI
65. French 101 word : ETRE
66. Spices (up) : PEPS. Try some wasabi in your avocado. Yum!
70. Completes : DOES. I just changed all the old Pamela Amick Klawitter or Pam
Klawitter labels in our blog to Pam Amick Klawitter. Now all her puzzles will be under one label.
Klawitter labels in our blog to Pam Amick Klawitter. Now all her puzzles will be under one label.
71. Put another hole in, as a keg : RE-TAP
72. Gemini docking target : AGENA. Got via crosses also.
73. Get in a lather : SOAP UP
75. 911 situation: Abbr. : EMER
76. It may be grand : THEFT
77. Where to see available courses : MENU
78. River to the Strait of Tartary : AMUR. Russia/China border river. It's called "Black Dragon River" in Chinese.
79. Cybersales : E-TAIL
80. Partnership for Peace gp. : NATO. Easily guessed.
81. __ de Louisiane : ETAT
82. 2000s sitcom set in Houston : REBA
83. Not even a little cool : LAME
84. Big name in sports caps : NEW ERA. Read here, Majestic has the MLB jersey monopoly.
88. Common way to swear : SOLEMNLY
90. __ Tomé : SAO
92. One Direction band member, e.g. : TEEN IDOL. They're breaking up.
95. Ian Fleming or James Bond : ETONIAN
96. Stupefied : IN A DAZE
97. Veg out : LOLL
98. Composer of six unaccompanied cello suites : BACH
102. Not yet visible : LATENT
104. Detailed, briefly : THORO
106. Front VIP : MEDIC. Battlefront.
107. Mindful : AWARE
108. NFL players, e.g. : MALES. And 109. Game site : ARENA
110. Bugs : VEXES
111. "H" on a blue road sign: Abbr. : HOSP
112. Pang : ACHE
113. Comply with : MEET. Lots of 4-letter answers in this puzzle.
115. Year in Sicily : ANNO
116. Actress Vardalos et al. : NIAs
117. Moan and groan : CARP
119. Pub buy : ALE
C.C.
