Theme: "Getting Old" - AGE is added to each familiar phrase.
23A. "Reduce, reuse, recycle"? : MESSAGE OF GREENS. Mess of greens. New term to me. Looks like just collard greens. Notice GREENS changes meaning also.
32A. Harm caused by some lodge builders? : BEAVER DAMAGE. Beaver Dam. Beaver remains the same.
47A. Black Friday scene? : ENTRY RAMPAGE. Vivid picture. Entry ramp.. Entry remains the same, in a way.
64A. Shredder fodder? : CLERICAL GARBAGE. Clerical garb. Clerical changes also.
82A. Inventory alert at the highway sign supplier? : STOP SHORTAGE. Stop short. Not much change.
98A. Aromatic oils? : MASSAGE MEDIA. Mass media. Media changes also.
111A. Saw you can't discuss publicly? : CLASSIFIED ADAGE. Classified ad. Classified changes meaning.
Two AGEs are attached to ends of the first words, five the second words. Consistent. No odd man out. I like when the non-key word change meanings also.
So nice to have James Sajdak back again. He is one of those very few constructors who're good at both themed and themeless grids.
Across:
23A. "Reduce, reuse, recycle"? : MESSAGE OF GREENS. Mess of greens. New term to me. Looks like just collard greens. Notice GREENS changes meaning also.
32A. Harm caused by some lodge builders? : BEAVER DAMAGE. Beaver Dam. Beaver remains the same.
47A. Black Friday scene? : ENTRY RAMPAGE. Vivid picture. Entry ramp.. Entry remains the same, in a way.
64A. Shredder fodder? : CLERICAL GARBAGE. Clerical garb. Clerical changes also.
82A. Inventory alert at the highway sign supplier? : STOP SHORTAGE. Stop short. Not much change.
98A. Aromatic oils? : MASSAGE MEDIA. Mass media. Media changes also.
111A. Saw you can't discuss publicly? : CLASSIFIED ADAGE. Classified ad. Classified changes meaning.
Two AGEs are attached to ends of the first words, five the second words. Consistent. No odd man out. I like when the non-key word change meanings also.
So nice to have James Sajdak back again. He is one of those very few constructors who're good at both themed and themeless grids.
Across:
1. Actually existing : IN ESSE
7. Bottle in a playpen? : BABA Just baby talk.
11. [Not my mistake] : SIC
14. Six-time NBA All-Star Stoudemire : AMAR'E. Can never remember his name.
19. Beethoven's "Appassionata," e.g. : SONATA
20. Designer Cassini : OLEG
21. Anguish : WOE
22. Meet competitor : MILER
26. "__ Mio" : O SOLE, "My sunshine."
27. Involving a lot of tossing, perhaps : SLEEPLESS. Motrin PM helps Boomer.
28. Go wrong : ERR
29. Stunt setting : AIR SHOW
31. About six weeks on the liturgical calendar : LENT
34. Cod and others : CAPES
37. Ups : RAISES
38. Tap output : ALES
39. Mantilla material : LACE. Mantilla is a new word to me.
40. Teach improperly? : LEARN. I don't get this clue.
42. Pejorative : SLUR
44. Half a score, or a perfect one : TEN. Nice clue.
51. On topic : GERMANE
54. Gets going : INITIATES
55. First name in Solidarity : LECH (Walesa)
58. It may be set in stages : OATER
59. Certain dancer's accessory : FAN. Fan dance. We also have 65. Half a dance : CAN
60. In any way : EVER
61. Michelangelo work : PIETA. In St. Peter's Basilica
63. Unborn, after "in" : UTERO
68. "Heavens!" : OH GOD!
71. Tasteless : TACKY
72. Swear words : OATH
73. Got an __: aced : A ON. Filled in AN A. Not reading the clue.
76. Gold standard : KARAT. Also 80. Good as gold, e.g. : ANALOGY
77. Went under : SANK
78. Means more than : OUTWEIGHS
85. NFL advances : YDs
86. Actor Morales : ESAI
89. They come from têtes : IDEES. Followed by 90. Sans opposite : AVEC
91. Season, in a way : SALT
94. Got into the market : TRADED
96. Gay song locale : PAREE. Gay Paree. Cheerful Paris.
101. Pelts : FURS
103. Problem when using a well? : INK SPOT. Inkwell! Not the well problem of TTP's neighbor.
104. Sheltered side : LEE
105. 1898 Dewey victory site : MANILA BAY. Learning moment for me. George Dewey. I only know Dewey in Dewey Defeats Truman guy.
110. Airheads : TWITS
114. Late, in Los Cabos : TARDE. Probably same root as our TARDY.
115. Farm layer : HEN
116. River to the Caspian : URAL
117. Evasive tactic : END RUN
118. Guatemala girls: Abbr. : SRTAs
119. "Go on ... " : AND
120. Hand off : PASS
121. Boundary marks : STAKES
Down:
1. Beliefs : ISMS
2. Coward often quoted : NOEL. Noel Coward.
3. Massachusetts motto opener : ENSE. "Ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem". Mouthful. OK, it means "By the sword we seek peace, but peace only under liberty."
4. Freelancer's enc. : SASE
5. Gun insert : STAPLE. Staple gun.
6. "Tequila Sunrise" group : EAGLES
7. Lift : BOOST
8. UFO pilots : ALFs. ALF stands for Alien Life Form. Got via crosses.
9. Request a pardon? : BEG
10. Seeing eye to eye : AGREEING
11. Changes course suddenly : SWERVES
12. It's charged : ION
13. Activist Chavez : CESAR
14. Seeing no evil? : AMORAL. Nice clue also.
15. Long-distance lover's question : MISS ME?
16. Nickname based on a salutation : ALOHA STATE. Also 70. Island entertainment symbol : GRASS SKIRT. These ladies seem to have fun.
17. Enter again : RE-LOG
18. "Maid of Athens, __ part": Byron : ERE WE
24. Bard's nightfall : EEN
25. Significant times : ERAS
30. "__ you to try it!" : I DARE
32. Vamp Theda : BARA. Our old friend is back.
33. Community coll. class : ESL
34. Tropical plant with large foliage : CANNA. Another learning moment for me.
35. Join the cast of : ACT IN
36. Sassy : PERT
37. Gavel sounds : RAPs
39. Adventurer Ericson : LEIF. Second son of Erik the Red.
40. More recent : LATER
41. Professor __ : EMERITA
43. "Gross!" : UGH
45. Cabinet dept. formed under Carter : ENER. Slight clue dupe with 64. Energy source : COAL
46. Lyre-playing emperor : NERO
48. Retreat in the face of : YIELD TO. Look, this big tree yielded to my kick.
49. Wild party : RAVE
50. Formal lament : ELEGY
52. Less polished : ROUGHER
53. Game-ending call : MATE. Oh, checkmate.
56. Pilot's announcement: Abbr. : ETA
57. Do some serious bar-hopping : CAROUSE. Good old days.
61. Scout carriers : PACKS
62. Type : ILK
66. Realty ad count : BATHS
67. Lawrence Welk's upbeat : A TWO
68. Approve : OKAY
69. Set of cards : HAND
73. Mescal source : AGAVE
74. "Wow!" : OH GEE. I shouted "oh, wow" a few times after D-Otto showed me some mad programming skill. Boomer asked me "So, what's Tom's bowling average?"
75. Infinitesimal span, for short : NSEC
77. PBS part: Abbr. : SYS. Error, right? PBS has no System. Public Broadcasting Service.
78. Piece of one's mind? : OP-ED
79. __-Tass : ITAR
81. Start : GET GO
83. Prepares for guests : TIDIES UP. Our house is quite messy.
84. Classical theaters : ODEA. Also learned from doing crosswords.
87. Bill passer? : ATM. Great clue.
88. Swift's birthplace : IRELAND. Jonathan Swift. Not Taylor.
92. Legal drama fig. : ASST DA
93. Lost moments : LAPSES
95. Citrus drinks : ADEs
96. Serengeti families : PRIDES. Lions.
97. Not upright : ASLANT
98. Diamond equipment : MITTS. By the way, TTP was right last week. This catcher is A. J.
99. Co-Nobelist with Menachem : ANWAR
100. __ Sketch : ETCH A
101. Some are epic : FAILS
102. Article in Le Monde? : UNE. DES/LES too.
105. Curators' credentials, on a C.V. : MFAs
106. "__ dash of ... ": recipe words : ADD A
107. Request for Alpo? : BARK
108. Feverish feeling : AGUE
109. Itches : YENS
112. Quarterback Dawson : LEN. Hall of Famer.
113. Novelist Levin : IRA
Looking forward to seeing some of you at the Sixth Minnesota Crossword Tournament this afternoon.
C.C.
