Theme: "Sh!" - TCH is changed into SH.
23A. Score for Hawkeye's team? : MASH POINT. Match point.
25A. With 70-Across, clothing magnate David posing with a bass? : ABERCROMBIE. 70. See 25-Across : AND FISH. Abercrombie & Fitch. Pricey brand. H&M and Zara are more popular.
39A. Convenient snack? : NOSH IN ONE'S BELT. Notch in one's belt.
99A. Money for fast-food fries? : SHOESTRING CASH. Shoestring catch. Never had Shoestring potatoes.
115A. Outback outlaw? : BUSH CASSIDY. Butch Cassidy.
118A. Self-cleaning laundry? : SMART WASH. Smart watch.
33D. Avoid diner dishes? : ESCAPE HASH. Escape hatch.
53D. Spell? : WICKED WISH. Wicked witch.
Sunday debut for Joseph Groat. Congratulations! It's an incredible milestone to pull off a 21*21.
I
thought it's very clever to break down 25A and 70A, esp since the
latter is in the very central row so theme symmetry remains intact.
I was surprised to see these three entries in one grid. A bit overdone.
19A. Apple variety : IMAC. What a nightmare for D-Otto's. His Mac was only 2-year old.
68A. Samsung Galaxy competitor : IPHONE
122A. Old Apple laptop : IBOOK
Across:
1. Wine holders : JUGS. Not VATS.
5. Taxco title: Abbr. : SRTA
9. Beat but bad : WHOMP. Sparkly 5-letter entry.
14. Crib cries : DADAS. I had MAMAS of course.
20. Sleuth with numbered offspring : CHAN. No idea. How many kids did he have?
21. Olympic champion on a 1939 Time cover : HENIE. I needed the extra "Sonja" bit in the clue.
22. Dancer Castle : IRENE
27. Space program event : MOONSHOT
29. Open the door for : LET IN
30. Bowling initials : AMF (American Machine and Foundry). Rival of Brunswick.
31. Address : SPEAK TO
34. Longfellow's bell town : ATRI. "The Bell of Atri".
36. One climbing the walls : IVY
37. Mai __ : TAI
38. Row dividers : AISLES
43. Sales rep's goals: Abbr. : ACCTs. Tricky area for me. I also forgot PICOT (32D. Crochet loop) and did not know BOAZ (47A. Great-grandfather of David, in the Bible). I could only think of ENOS.
44. __ diem : PER
45. '50s British prime minister : EDEN (Anthony)
46. Regret : RUE
48. Want very much : COVET. Not CRAVE.
50. Funny Bombeck : ERMA
52. Cut : SAWED
56. Octane Booster brand : STP
57. They're often attached : GARAGES. The answer filled itself.
59. Works with a Singer : SEWS. Nailed it.
61. Sushi bar soup : MISO. Have you tried the Korean Doenjang, Steve/Jayce? It's similar to Miso paste. Often comes in a brown jar like this.
62. Dept. with a sun on its seal : ENER. Nailed it.
64. Bygone birds : DODOS
66. Right-minded : ETHICAL. Oh, not leaning right.
73. Take the chance : RISK IT
74. Many beatniks wore them : GOATEES
76. Mississippi's __ City : YAZOO. The Down gave me the Z.
77. Amateur who won the 1968 US Open : ASHE. Unknown trivia to me. I presume he turned pro immediately.
78. Net __ : LOSS
79. Goes bad : ROTS
82. Puts more film in : RELOADS
84. Like some balances : DUE. Did you fill this immediately?
87. "Yeah, sure" : UH HUH
89. "Not so fast!" : WHOA!
91. Turbaned Punjabis : SIKHS
92. Healthy drink : SWIG
93. Italian counterpart of the BBC : RAI. No idea. Wiki says it stands for Radiotelevisione Italiana. Italy's national public broadcasting company, owned by the Ministry of Economy and Finance.
95. Mystique : AURA
97. "The Good Wife" figs. : DAs
98. Making fun of : APING
104. Fast movement : PRESTO
105. Kenan's comedy partner : KEL
106. Prussian pronoun : SIE. You.
107. Tragic fate : DOOM
108. Two-time U.S. Women's Open winner Patty : SHEEHAN. The lady holding the Solheim Cup. Interlachen at the ritzy Edina. I was there that day.
109. Therapeutic pack filler : ICE
110. Cold cuts qty. : ONE LB
112. Space cadet's world : LA-LA LAND. Hello Linda!
123. Patronize, in a way : EAT AT. Really eat at.
124. DVR pioneer : TIVO
125. Stage number : ARIA
126. Beatles trademark : BANGS
127. Firewood measure : STERE
128. Meeting of Cong. : SESS
129. Golfer's putting woes, with "the" : YIPS. I finally saw Loren Roberts last year. He used to be the top putter in PGA.
Down:
1. Dandy guy? : JIM
2. Actress Thurman : UMA
3. __-guzzler : GAS
4. Mushy quality : SCHMALTZ. What a great word.
5. Slides (over), as on a bench : SCOOTS
6. Safari park critter : RHINO
7. Summer colors : TANS
8. Lit. compilation : ANTH (Anthology)
9. "Are you kidding me?!" : WHAT THE. Another great entry.
10. Synagogue lang. : HEB
11. Routine components : ONE LINERS
12. Wet tract : MIRE
13. Carbohydrate used in jellies : PECTIN. I've only used gelatin.
14. Bacchus, to the Greeks : DIONYSUS. God of wine.
15. Sea extension : ARM
16. Argue : DEBATE
17. Kingdom member : ANIMAL
18. Deem appropriate : SEE FIT
24. Facebook attention-getters : POKES. Do you still get poked?
26. Mississippi, e.g. : RIVER
28. Western treaty gp. : OAS (Organization of American States)
31. Autos from Trollhättan : SAABS
35. Tease : RIDE
39. 40-Down neighbor : NEVADA. And 40. 39-Down neighbor : OREGON. Nice pair.
41. "That's __": "My bad" : ON ME
42. "'Come to my arms, my __ boy!'": "Jabberwocky" : BEAMISH. Blank spot for me.
44. Spanish preposition : POR
48. Lifetime dedication : CAREER. If you could start your life again, what career would you choose?
49. Lingerie item : TEDDY
51. Stun : AWE
54. Morales of "Caprica" : ESAI. He's never a bad fill for me. I have fond memories of him in "NYPD Blues".
55. Simpleton : DOLT
57. Wilder in films : GENE
58. To this point : SO FAR
60. Treasured strings : STRADS
63. Uncertain : NOT SURE
65. Evaluates, with "up" : SIZES
67. Not a good reception : HISS
68. "House," in Inuit : IGLU. I suppose "in Inuit" excuses it from having a "Var." mark. Still, gluey fill.
69. Bear in a red shirt : POOH
71. Cones and spheres : SOLIDS
72. What the Wonderland caterpillar smokes : HOOKAH. Lots of nice Downs in this puzzle.
75. Farm female : SOW
80. Like Singha beer : THAI. I just learned that "Singha" means "Lion". Same root as Singapore. Singapore means "Lion City".
81. Nightly news snippet : SOUNDBITE
83. Sighs of relief : AHS
85. Range that includes Kings Peak : UINTA. Drew a blank as well.
86. Push : EGG ON. No more hard boiled eggs. Now, how do you prepare wild rice? Ours is a 3-hour process. Put two cups of rice in a big pot of salted water. Turn off the heat once it reaches a boil. Cover. Let it rest an hour. Rinse. Start the process again. Repeat. Salt & Pepper.
88. Places to put your feet up : HASSOCKS
90. Ship of Greek myth : ARGO
92. Indy 500 town, aptly : SPEEDWAY
94. Autobiography featuring Ike : I, TINA. This often stumps some.
96. Altar attendant : ACOLYTE
98. "__ you clever!" : AREN'T
99. Overalls on the slopes : SKI BIB
100. Trojan War queen : HECUBA. Mother of Paris and Hector.
101. "Little House" antagonist Nellie __ : OLESON. Forgot. We had this before.
102. Popular pieces : REESE'S
103. Physicians' org. : AMA
104. Alexandria lighthouse that's one of the Seven Wonders : PHAROS. Alexandria is also that blue-eyed girl Splynter has been smitten with.
108. Serbs and Croats : SLAVS
111. Future J.D.'s exam : LSAT
113. D-Day fleet : LSTS. Tough to get Sunday grids filled cleanly.
114. Parisian honey : AMIE
116. Biker's wheels : HOG
117. __ es Salaam : DAR
119. Jackie's second : ARI. I read somewhere that his true love was Maria Callas.
120. Taste : SIP
121. Exhibits, as nerve : HAS
C.C.
