Theme: "Short Changes" - Short E sound is changed into a short A sound, changing spelling when needed. (Added later: Not as tight as I pictured. SHORT E sound is changed into three different sounds. Thanks, everyone!)
23A. Trio in a leather factory? : THE THREE TANNERS. Three Three Tenors.
37A. Riffraff lacking direction? : RABBLE WITHOUT A CAUSE. Rebel Without a Cause.
50A. Place to raise simians? : MONKEY RANCH. Monkey wrench.
70A. "Leave tiny bugs alone!"? : DON'T SWAT THE SMALL STUFF. Don't sweat the small stuff. SWEAT (64D. Word before pants, shirts or socks) should not have appeared in this puzzle.
92A. Encouragement for a sailing maneuver? : TACK SUPPORT. Tech support.
103A. Swap headgear with the priest? : PUT A FATHER IN YOUR CAP. Put a feather in your cap. The theme answer is a bit stretched for me. I also pronounce "Father" differently. Not short A.
125A. Moderate building expansion? : LIMITED ADDITION. Limited edition. My "Addition" has a schwa starts.
Sound
change theme is always hard for me to grasp. I mentioned on the blog
before that the short A and short E are my biggest problem as a
foreigner. I call tell the differences when others say BAD and BED, but
when I open my mouth, they're the same.
Sigh. But I solved this puzzle without a glitch. I just don't get the RACE clue "130. Election lead-in". Senate race, presidential race. How can it be "lead-in?"
Across:
1. Perennial '90s-'00s presidential candidate : NADER. Thought of PEROT first.
6. Artist van __ : GOGH. These two are mine.
10. Pear type : BOSC
14. Fairylike : ELFIN
19. How two hearts may beat : AS ONE
20. Fencing tool : EPEE
21. Choral part : ALTO
22. Transitional point : VERGE
26. Start of a historic B-29 name : ENOLA
27. Car user, perhaps : LESSEE
28. Techie on "24" : CHLOE. Got via crosses.
29. "You said it!" : AMEN
31. Witticism : MOT
32. Pub. VIPs : EDs. Publication/Editors. I thought of Public first.
34. Tout's territory, initially : OTB
35. Mixes : STIRS. Slight dupe with 126. Cookbook direction : MIX. Software can't catch this kind of dupe. Constructors & editors do try their best to avoid this.
36. Farm sound : MOO
44. Take advantage of, in a way : IMPOSE ON
45. Org. with an online Patriot Index : DAR. New trivia to me.
46. Deli pockets : PITAs. Have you tried Sabich, Steve/Lemonade?
49. Nitwit : BOOB
56. Aria, for one : SOLO
57. Religious faction : SECT
59. Coll. prep test : PSAT
60. Song of praise : PAEAN
62. " ... o'er the dew of __ high eastward hill": Shak. : YON
63. Common batteries : AAs. I finally have a new Timex. My old one has been slowly losing time the past few months, even with the new battery.
65. SEC overseer : NCAA. Not NYSE.
68. Bend at a barre : PLIE
69. Game-winning combination : OOO
77. "Gotcha!" : OHO
78. '90s Saturn maker : SEGA. Got via crosses also.
79. Put-ons : ACTS
80. Biblical verb ending : ETH
81. Slight amount : DAB. Like your eye cream. A little bit will do.
82. Counts' equals : EARLS
84. Former "formerly" : ERST
87. Appear to be : SEEM
90. Silver sources : ORES. With O??S, then "Silver", I wanted OATS. Read the full clue, dummy!
96. Fires : AXES
98. Gobs : SALTS
100. Expressions of pleasure : AHS
101. Most sylvan : WOODIEST
109. Loan letters : APR. Annual Percentage Rate. I wanted SBA, which came shortly at 113. Entrepreneur-helping gp.
111. Colorful marble : AGATE
112. Controversial war zone, briefly : NAM. China fought against Vietnam in late 1970s also.
114. DI doubled : MII
115. Succumb to flattery : MELT
116. Word in many music genres : METAL
118. More than concerns : ALARMS
123. Open, in a way : UNZIP. I wanted UNRIP.
128. Engraved pillar : STELE. Have not seen this word or STELA for a long time.
129. Joyce's home : ERIN
131. Coal __ : STOVE. Not MINER.
132. Made less harsh : EASED
133. Deli call : NEXT
134. Barrie's bosun : SMEE. Also 122. Bygone blade : SNEE
135. Homebound student, perhaps : TUTEE
Down:
1. N.L. part: Abbr. : NATL
2. Court icon Arthur : ASHE
3. Bucks' partners : DOES
4. "The Lord of the Rings" race : ENTS
5. Cobbles, in a way : RE-HEELS
6. Whiz start : GEE
7. Cartel acronym : OPEC
8. Really start selling : GET HOT
9. __ insurance : HEALTH. Wish everyone is entitled to the same type of quality medical care, regardless of their income or past history.
10. Undoing : BANE
11. Corrida cheer : OLE
12. Layers : STRATA
13. Kind of ray or dust : COSMIC
14. Ties, as a score : EVENS UP
15. Author Deighton : LEN
16. Beatles' title lyric that follows "With love" : FROM ME TO YOU. Again, the answer filled itself.
17. Northern abode : IGLOO
18. "Cool!" : NEATO
24. Exchange for cash : REDEEM
25. Nary a soul : NOBODY
30. Big band, for one : ERA
33. Descend suddenly : SWOOP
35. One may be over your shoulder : STRAP. Nice clue.
37. Kid : RIB
38. Wally of cookie fame : AMOS
39. Org. with antlers on its logo : BPOE
40. Maneuverable tractor brand : BOBCAT
41. Lodging locales : INNS
42. Syr. and Eg., once : UAR. United Arab Republic.
43. Family nickname : SIS
47. Above it all : ALOOF
48. Ibn, in Arabic names : SON OF
51. "Critique of Pure Reason" author : KANT
52. Sketch opening : ETCH-A
53. California tourist area near Santa Rosa : NAPA. Do you like Napa cabbage?
54. Block component : CELL
55. Ethiopia's Selassie : HAILE
58. Calais cup : TASSE
61. Fits one inside the other : NESTS
66. Former nuclear agcy. : AEC. Nailed it.
67. __ in the right direction : A STEP
70. Extinct birds : DODOS
71. Catherine of "Best in Show" : O'HARA
72. Awards since 1901 : NOBEL PRIZES. Wish Angela Merkel won this year's Nobel Peace.
73. Indian shrine site : AGRA
74. Powder source : TALC
75. New car letters : MSRP
76. Up in __: uncertain : THE AIR
83. Glide along : SKATE
85. Planted : SOWN
86. NFL analyst Aikman et al. : TROYS. I have his rookie card. OK condition. Probably worth two dollars.
88. Corp. VIP : EXEC
89. Colorado's __Verde National Park : MESA
91. Actor Erwin : STU
93. Sound of silence? : SHH
94. Web discussion venue : USENET
95. "Sorry that didn't work out" : TOO BAD
97. Auto performance brand : STP
99. Ended for good, with "out" : STAMPED
102. Believer in a pair of opposed eternal principles : DUALIST. Learning moment to me. Yin and Yang stuff?
104. Mature : AGE
105. Cast out of heaven : FALLEN
106. Getup : ATTIRE
107. Some critics : RATERS
108. Introduction to a madam? : I'M ADAM. Nailed it also.
109. Entertain : AMUSE. Was confused by Splynter's On/Wa/Rd link yesterday until I finished reading his write-up.
110. 1492 vessel : PINTA
116. Hotel pillow topper : MINT. I rarely travel now. Do they still have mints in hotel pillows?
117. Make more potent, in a way : LACE
119. Westernmost Aleutian island : ATTU. No ATKA today.
120. Million laughs : RIOT. Got via crosses.
121. Game play : MOVE
124. __-de-France : ILE
127. Sandra who played Gidget : DEE
C.C.
