Theme: "Following Up"- Up is added to the start of each familiar phrase.
23A. Profession for the principled? : UPRIGHT FIELD. Right field.
29A. Dr. Seuss, e.g.? : UPBEAT POET. Beat poet.
40A. Promising market indicators? : UPTURN SIGNALS. Turn signals. Bad streak last week.
65A. Toy trains for tycoons? : UPSCALE MODEL RAILROADS. Scale model railroads.
91A. What pillows may do, in a kids' room? : UPHOLD THE FORT. Hold the fort.
107A. Periods of distress? : UPSET TIMES. Set times.
113A. Outperform crew members in the ship play? : UPSTAGE HANDS. Stagehands.
I'm a bit surprised by the "Following Up" title. Normally the key word does not appear in the puzzle title.
Rich and Kevin might have considered putting FOLLOWING UP as a reveal in the last Across entry. But then decided "Following Up" is better as a title.
Chunky corners in this grid. The upper left & lower right are easier to fill, as they're relatively sectioned off. The upper right/lower left are amazing work. Those 7x4 are just hard, esp when crossing two more long entries.
Across:
1. Manchester United rival : ARSENAL. Gimme for our Steve.
8. __ En-lai : CHOU
12. Tool used in a box : BAT. Batter's box!
15. Film add-on : FEST
19. Perform again : REPRISE. Not RE-STAGE.
20. Next in line : HEIR
21. U.N. workers' agcy. : ILO
22. The snakes in Indiana Jones' "Why do they have to be snakes?" : ASPS
25. Exit quietly, in a Dylan Thomas poem : GO GENTLE. Helpful clue. You don't need to know the poem to obtain the answer.
27. Run ashore : BEACH
28. Bill collector : TILL. Not a person. Same with 9. Pair for date night : HEELS and 45. Grand Canal traveler : GONDOLA
31. Sask. neighbor : ALTA (Alberta)
32. Can't abide : DETEST
34. Small cells : AAs
35. Jockey competitor : HANES
36. __ code : BAR. Not BRO (56. Dude) code.
37. Get together on a ranch : HERD. Tiny "together" clue echo with Also 52. Come together : GEL
39. Catlike : FELINE
47. Weather map depiction : AIR MASS
48. It's not always easy to get into : SHAPE. Thanksgiving is coming.
49. Not a soul : NO ONE. Should not have "Not" in the clue.
50. Tries earnestly (for) : GUNS
51. Piling on, say : ADDING
53. "The Librarians" channel : TNT. Never watched it. Good?
54. More than just cooks : CHEFS. With "More than" in the clue, I can never figure out what part of speech the answer should be.
56. Challenge for Homer : BART. Homer Simpson.
60. Put down : DERIDED
63. ORD posting : ETA
64. Equipped : ARMED
71. Phobias : FEARS
72. __ de mer : MAL
73. Resonator for a jug band bass : WASHTUB. Googled afterwards. Not familiar with Washtub bass.
74. No more than : ONLY
75. Nissan Stadium player : TITAN
77. "... 'tis not to me __ speaks": Romeo : SHE
78. Big name in Bible distribution : GIDEON. Learning moment for me.
83. Delicate : FINE
84. Totally lost : AT SEA
86. Aquarium fish : TETRA
87. Only NATO member with no standing army : ICELAND. Hey, I knew this trivia.
94. Newcomer : NOVICE
95. Nursery resident : TREE
96. Sun Tzu subject : WAR. The Art of War. You wanted TAO?
97. Where to see stars : SPACE
98. Pursue relentlessly : DOG
99. "The Piano" extras : MAORIS. Great movie.
103. Buck : CLAM
110. Blew the whistle : SANG. Ratted out.
111. What oaks may provide : SHADE
112. Put back in : RE-INSERT
116. Love god : EROS
117. In the past : AGO. This "Bad Request" glitch is not specific to our new template. It happens to other blogs with Full Page comments format, including Rex Parker's. George Barany got the same "Bad Request" when he hits the Preview & Post Your Comments button there.
118. Biblical captain : NOAH
119. Crown coatings : ENAMELS
120. Holiday song closer : SYNE "... for auld lang syne".
121. "Man on the Moon" group : REM
122. Ring jinglers : KEYS
123. Boxing's "Manassa Mauler" : DEMPSEY. I need "Jack" in the clue.
Down:
1. First word in the Beach Boys' "Kokomo" : ARUBA. Gimme for all you Beach Boys fans.
2. Drive off : REPEL
3. Lean-eater Jack : SPRAT
4. "Fear of Flying" author Jong : ERICA
5. Close at hand : NIGH. Not NEAR.
6. Smoke remains : ASH
7. Mail : LETTERS
8. Easter Island's country : CHILE.
Boomer's bowling/golf buddy Jorge just went back to Chili. Their Monday
morning traveling league has lots of guys in their late 80s/early 90s.
Very inspiring.
10. It may be checked at the station : OIL. Great clue also.
11. Pakistani language : URDU
12. Like a storied wolf : BIG BAD
13. Medicinal plants : ALOES
14. Senate garment : TOGA
15. Tree that typically has paddle-shaped leaves : FAN PALM. Also a new term to me.
16. Baltic republic : ESTONIA
17. Organs sometimes vented? : SPLEENS
18. African menaces : TSETSES. Our old buddy is back.
24. Tailor's concern : FIT
26. Old anesthetics : ETHERS. I don't know what my periodontist used on me. Powerful stuff. She told me "Let me know when you feel nice and numb". I chuckled.
30. Numbers to shoot for : PARS
32. "Forrest Gump" lieutenant : DAN
33. Compared to : THAN
36. Pop/country singer Lee and others : BRENDAS. I presume Kevin added a cheater to where S is, but the symmetrical part did not yield better fill.
38. Juice for PCs : ELEC
39. Features of many '50s-'60s cars : FINS
40. Ryder Cup team : USA. Winner this year.
41. Advanced deg. : PHD
42. Bit : TAD
43. Reuters competitor : UPI
44. Personal : INTIMATE
46. Celebrated : NOTED
47. Knowledgeable, in Nantes : AU FAIT
50. Move up the corporate ladder : GET AHEAD. My life in the corporate world was pretty fun.
55. "The Walking Dead" veterinarian : HERSHEL. Stranger to me.
57. Org. for physicians : AMA
58. Wine choice : RED
59. QB stats : TDs
61. Leave a note for, maybe : REMIND
62. Morning phenomenon : DEW
64. Settler? : ARBITER. Nice clue.
65. Project Blue Book subj. : UFO. Never heard of the Project Blue Book.
66. Presidential souvenir : PEN
67. Mineo of "Exodus" : SAL
68. Shout : CRY
69. It may be coiled on a saddle horn : LASSO. Oh, OK.
70. Car nut : LUG. Wheel. I thought of Argyle, who's nuts about old cars.
75. Pitchfork part : TINE
76. What a ponytail partly covers : NAPE
79. OED info : DEF (Definition)
80. Ike's WWII command : ETO
81. Friend of Yossarian in "Catch-22" : ORR. Know the answer. Never read "Catch-22".
82. __ Geo: nature channel : NAT
83. Diamond surfaces : FACETS
85. The bad guys : THEM
87. Gets coverage for : INSURES. Huge increase for my insurance next year. Sigh!
88. Penny-colored : COPPERY
89. Vague answer, say : EVASION
90. Driving need : LICENSE. Also 91. Drive : URGE. Also 104. Guides for drivers : LANES. Love these clue echoes.
92. Suddenly caught on : TWIGGED
93. Possesses : HAS
95. Hand-played drum : TOM-TOM. Oh Hi, D-Otto and TTP! You're my favorite drums.
98. Sorrowful song : DIRGE
100. Test for purity, as gold : ASSAY
101. They're often taken orally : OATHS. Not PILLS.
102. Cellular messenger : RNA
103. Titleholder : CHAMP
105. Confuse : ADDLE
106. Not at all in order : MESSY.
Our baseball cards look messy but they're all in some kind of order.
Hall of Famers. Stars (Lots of worthless Bonds/Sosa). Twins. Ex-Twins.
Etc.
108. Fabric flaw : TEAR
109. Finished : SUNK. Not DONE.
111. Piece of fiction : SHAM
114. "The Tell-Tale Heart" author : POE
115. Peoria-to-Gary dir. : ENE
C.C.
