22. Coastal casino center: ATLANTIC CITY.
33. Current route: ELECTRIC CIRCUIT.
47. Chinese and Vietnamese: TONAL LANGUAGES. Mandarin has 4 tones. Cantonese has 9 tones.
67. Hotel evaluation system: STAR RATINGS.
90. Three-dimensional arrangement of atoms inside a diamond, say: CRYSTAL LATTICE. New term to me.
106. Article seen daily: NEWSPAPER REPORT.
120. Website evaluation tool: USER RESEARCH.
This theme reminded me a bit of Paul's "Magnetism" puzzles. The key words are consecutively hidden in the middle.
I especially liked 67A and 106A as all TAR/RAT, PER/REP are solid words.
Across:
1. High-fives, e.g.: SLAPS.
6. Big name in Champagne: MUMM. Not MOET. Also 26. Champagne word: BRUT.
10. Langston Hughes poem: I TOO.
14. Cinematic FX: CGI.
17. "The War of the Worlds" narrator of 1938: WELLES.
19. Hum-dinger of an instrument?: KAZOO. Nice clue.
20. It's composed of balances: DEBT.
21. Crew member: OAR.
24. Block-stocking building: ICE HOUSE. We call the sheds above frozen lakes "ice houses".
27. Indian nurse: AMAH. Might sound gluey to some, but this terms is widely used in Hong Kong.
28. First name in architecture: EERO.
30. Out of concern that: LEST.
31. Noodle concoction?: IDEA. 71. Terrible time?: TWOS. Gimmes for our regulars.
38. Charlie Brown correspondent: PEN PAL. These days we all use computer/tablet, etc. I guess we're all keyboard pals.
40. Lights into: ASSAILS.
41. It floods Florence periodically: ARNO.
42. Straightens up: TIDIES.
45. "We need a cat!": EEK. No mouse bothered us this winter. Yay!
46. Costa __: RICA.
54. Pretentious sort: PSEUD. Also 117. Pretends: PLAY-ACTS.
55. Poppycock: HOOEY.
56. Some decision makers: TOSSES.
57. Smartphone ancestor, briefly: PDA. Most dumb phones are pretty smart these days.
59. Cos. with Xings: RRS.
60. Source of stress, probably: ONUS.
61. Like this ans.: ACR. Across.
63. St. Pete's place: FLA.
64. Goals: AIMS.
66. Hombre's hand: MANO.
75. Builder's need: PLAN.
77. "__ the fields we go ... ": OER.
78. Common Market letters: EEC. European Economic Community.
79. Advanced, as old age: RIPE.
80. Tell: RAT.
83. Courses for coll. credit: APS.
84. Third-least populous state: ALASKA. Wyoming. Vermont.
87. Staples Center player: LAKER. And 19. Longtime TV broadcaster of 87-Across games: KCAL
88. Ladybug's lunch: APHID.
93. Acidity-correcting fertilizer: MARL.New word to me.
94. Asian honorific: SRI. Also 129. Ladies of Sp.: SRAS.
96. Watching closely: EYEING.
97. Biol. branch: ECOL.
98. Like a well-grounded argument: TENABLE.
102. Play the flute: TOOTLE. Have any of you heard of Chinese Er Hu? The music is always hauntingly sad.
110. Lab vessel: VIAL.
111. Mystery writer Nevada __: BARR. Also new to me.
112. Middle of a Latin trio: AMAS.
113. Wind worth a warning: GALE.
115. Regrets: RUES.
123. Champagne word: SEC.
124. Iota: WHIT.
125. Long time follower?: NO SEE. Rooted in Chinese.
126. One getting smashed at a bash?: PINATA. Great fill/clue.
127. Tats: INK.
128. Nasdaq rival: NYSE.
130. Flippant: SASSY.
Down:
1. Q-tip: SWAB.
2. Speak without restraint: LET RIP.
3. Refer (to): ALLUDE.
4. Typewriter roller: PLATEN. Another word I never used.
5. D.C. VIP: SEN.
6. Papier-__: MACHE.
7. Action film weapon: UZI.
8. Sacred songs: MOTETS.
9. Journalist Bill inducted into the TV Hall of Fame in 1995: MOYERS. Wiki says he was the "White House Press Secretary in the Johnson administration from 1965 to 1967."
10. Follies: IDIOCIES.
11. Private eye: TEC. Detective. Not used these days.
12. Washington Monument, for one: OBELISK.
13. Additional: OTHER.
14. Dior or Klein: COUTURIER. In my TEC days, Dior was one of our biggest clients.
15. Beetle juice?: GAS. VW Beetle.
16. Boiling state: IRE.
18. Transit syst. component: STA.
23. Well-shod Marcos: IMELDA. Just crazy.
25. Annual winter telecast, with "The": OSCARS.
29. Coastline feature: RIA.
32. In a fitting way: APTLY.
34. __ belli: act of war: CASUS. Learning moment as well.
35. 2016 W.S. losers to the Cubs: CLE.
36. Bring upon oneself: INCUR.
37. Contemptible sorts: TOADS.
39. Afflict: AIL.
43. IV part: INTRA.
44. I strain?: EGO.
47. __ McAn shoes: THOM.
48. The last Mrs. Chaplin: OONA. And her grand-daughter.
49. It may be proper: NOUN.
50. Creator of many talking animals: AESOP.
51. To the extent that: AS FAR AS.
52. Cabbage: GELT.
53. Morales of "The Brink": ESAI.
54. Frying pan spray: PAM.
57. Scrolling unit: PAGE.
58. Frisbee, e.g.: DISC.
61. "Immediately!": ASAP.
62. Forklift load: Abbr.: CTNS.
65. Classic Fender guitar, familiarly: STRAT.
68. Crowd sound: ROAR.
69. Count (on): RELY.
70. Author Zora __ Hurston: NEALE.
72. Collaborative website: WIKI.
73. Crude gp.?: OPEC.
74. Bone-dry: SERE. Our old friend is back.
76. Chap: LAD.
80. Staple for a collegian on a tight budget: RAMEN. Instant Ramen hit Xi'an when I just entered college (1990). It was more expensive than a bowl of freshly made noodles sold in our school dining hall. But we all wanted Instant Ramen. So silly!
81. On the double: APACE.
82. Atavism: THROWBACK.
85. Exorbitant: STEEP.
86. Mary __ cosmetics: KAY.
87. No. 2 at the statehouse: LT GOV.
89. "You got that right!": I'LL SAY.
90. Film lover: CINEASTE. I've only heard of "Cinephile".
91. Small amount: LITTLE.
92. "Is that __?": A NO.
94. Carb-loaded: STARCHY. All my meals are starchy. That's how I was raised.
95. Gym unit: REP.
99. Inlet or cove: ARM.
100. Some rechargeable shavers: BRAUNS.
101. One offering quarters: LESSOR.
103. Albania's capital: TIRANA.
104. Actresses Linney and Dern: LAURAS.
105. Gives a seat to: ELECTS.
107. Seafood serving: PRAWN.
108. Tough bosses to work for: OGRES.
109. Hard to come by: RARE. Like his rookie card, thought I much prefer the 1956 Topps.
114. Seer's claim: ESP.
116. Open carriage: SHAY.
117. Meas. checked after tire rotation: PSI.
118. Cariou of "Sweeney Todd": LEN.
119. "__ the season ... ": TIS.
121. Pueblo pronoun: ESA.
122. Frozen Wasser: EIS.
Husker Gary has updated our Crossword Corner Map. Please click below to enlarge. Or you can just click here.
Please email Gary gschlapfer@gmail.com if you want to be included or excluded in the map. Thanks for the time and efforts you've put into the map, Gary!
C.C.
