23A. "Fire!," say?: ALARM BELLOW. Alarm bell.
44A. "That bloke is hurt!": FELLOW DOWN. Fell down.
67A. Disappointing digs for pigs?: DRY WALLOW. Drywall.
92A. Sign attracting wickerwork craftspeople?: FREE WILLOW. Free will.
115A. High-tech all-night study aid?: SMART PILLOW. Smart pill.
33D. Consumer who admires store displays?: WINDOW SURFER. Windsurfer.
40D. Pale yellow, light brown, etc.?: FALLOW COLORS. Fall colors. Different Fall from 44A.
This looks like Michael's LAT debut. Xword Info shows that he has 11 puzzles published by the New York Times, 7 of them are Sundays.
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| Xword Info |
Cluing this type of letter addition theme takes skills and imagination. Some of the clues are so vivid and fun. That's the images Rich wants.
Only 7 theme entries, so Michael took full advantage of it and gave us lots of sparkly long fill.
Across:
1. Primary aspirant's challenge: SMEAR. Primary election.
6. Tough test metaphor: A BEAR. Tiny partial.
11. Skunk River city: AMES.
15. "Let's move it!": C'MON.
19. Historic Jordanian city: PETRA.
20. Tree native to southern Brazil: BALSA.
21. Bar purchase: SOAP.
22. 1985 U.S. Open champ Mandlikova: HANA.
25. Pittsburgh Steelers' founder: ART ROONEY. Wiki says he had about 75 great grandchildren, including actress sisters Kate Mara and Rooney Mara.
27. "Peer Gynt" widow: ASE. Regular in our old Tribune days.
28. Web portal since 1994: LYCOS. Don't think I've used Lycos.
30. Egg-shaped wind instruments: OCARINAS.
31. Time to party: NEW YEARS.
35. Stopover spot: INN.
36. "Two and a Half Men" co-star: CRYER (Jon). A few other names here, but all familiar figures: 38. "Happy Days" actor: BAIO (Scott) 47. Racer Yarborough: CALE.
37. Subject to discussion: AT ISSUE.
39. Unflappable: COOL. Half a drum!
40. Sprat no-no: FAT.
43. Fact or fiction starter: NON.
48. Weaken by eroding: UNDERMINE.
52. Prefix with natal: NEO.
53. Muse of comedy: THALIA. Here is a picture from Wiki.
55. Scent: ODOR.
56. Age __: GAP.
58. Crime lab holdings: DNA SAMPLES. Great fill.
61. Searches with a divining rod: DOWSES.
63. Stately steed: ARAB.
65. Chant, often: MONOTONE. Who mentioned "Sleep with Me" podcast for insomnia a while ago?
66. Planning considerations: IFS.
70. Serving liquor, as a town: WET.
71. Dropped an egg?: OVULATED. Ha ha.
75. Back: REAR.
76. Puts into words: VOICES.
79. Mountaineer's rope fasteners: CARABINERS. New term for me.
82. __-pitch: SLO.
83. Red Muppet: ELMO.
84. Jenna of "Dharma & Greg": ELFMAN.
85. Big tower, briefly: Abbr.: AAA. Tow-er.
87. Demanded maximum effort: ASKED A LOT. Debut entry.
91. Takes to court: SUES.
96. Corrida chant: OLE.
97. Sonnet ending?: EER. Sonneteer.
98. Baby marsupial: JOEY.
99. Cold, in Cartagena: FRIA. Allitration.
100. Held in high regard: ADMIRED. And clue echo: 123. Hold in high regard: ADORE.
104. Capital on I-84: BOISE.
105. Arabic "son of": IBN. Arabic Mac.
106. Some Guggenheim works: PICASSOS.
107. Designated, perhaps incorrectly: SO-CALLED.
110. Workout regimen: TAE BO.
112. Crazy Eights cousin: UNO.
113. "Hold on now, pal": WHOA THERE! Another great fill.
120. Jersey, for one: ISLE. Not sportswear or the cow.
121. Bustles: ADOS.
122. Sushi bar supplier: EELER.
124. Impel: GOAD.
125. Child measures?: Abbr.: TSPS. Julia Child.
126. Snarky: SNIDE.
127. Red-carpet figure: CELEB.
Down:
1. Swimming pool adjunct: SPA. This looks like a dream. TTP might make it true someday.
2. Blanc behind Bugs: MEL.
3. LAX posting: ETA.
4. Orderly arrangements: ARRAYS.
5. Big name in Egyptian kings: RAMSES.
6. Fiver: ABE.
7. Quartet for walking?: BALLS. Baseball.
8. TV hillbilly __ May Clampett: ELLY.
9. Withdrawn: ASOCIAL.
10. Ring on a burger: RAW ONION. Chinese call spring onion as "Cong". We call onion as "Yang Cong", literally "foreign Cong". There are also "Yang" in front of tomatoes, bell peppers and potatoes, so you know for sure those are not native Chinese veggies. Foreigners are called "Yang Ren", literally "foreign human beings".
11. __ rule: AS A.
12. Where Fez is: MOROCCO.
13. Make a humble retraction: EAT CROW.
14. Bronzing method: SPRAY-ON TAN. Another sparkly fill.
15. Tabernacle singers: CHOIR.
16. "The Insider" director Michael: MANN. Sorry, I don't know you.
17. Fit for service: ONE A.
18. Floor opposition: NAYS. House/Senate floor.
24. Swain: BEAU.
26. Turgenev's birthplace: OREL. "Fathers and Sons" author.
29. Bamboozled: SNOWED.
31. Sitcom sign-off word: NANU. Nanu Nanu. "Mork and Mindy".
32. Berkshire school: ETON.
34. APR reducer: RE-FI.
38. Hard to make out: BLEARY.
41. Property recipient, in law: ALIENEE.
42. Afternoon services: TEA SETS.
45. Start of a duel: EN GARDE.
46. Marlins manager Mattingly: DON. Dodgers' manager for a few years also.
47. Adm.'s subordinate: CAPT.
49. Masthead VIPs: EDS. Our crossword VIPs.
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| Kim Taylor and Rich Norris |
50. Caviar: ROE.
51. Wedding consequence, perhaps: MRS.
54. Med. care group: HMO.
57. Foot in a pound: PAW. Great clue.
59. Spanish sherry: AMOROSO.
60. Farm female: SOW.
61. Bishop's jurisdiction: DIOCESE.
62. Useful: OF VALUE.
64. __ exam: BAR.
67. Room for a home theater: DEN.
68. CBS CEO Moonves: LES. Husband of Julie Chen.
69. "I'm not listening to you": LA LA LA.
72. Hightails it: LAMS.
73. Professional org. since 1878: ABA.
74. Presumed defense against mind-reading: TIN FOIL HAT.
76. Symbol of peace: VEE.
77. Ancient: OLD.
78. "__ Believer": '60s hit: I'M A.
80. Issa __, creator of HBO's "Insecure": RAE. Had to clue her in a recent puzzle, so gimme.
81. Deemed appropriate: SAW FIT.
86. Homes for F-16s: AIR BASES.
88. 1957 war movie title river: KWAI.
89. Pat on a pancake, perhaps: OLEO. Boomer likes this spread from Aldi.
90. Danson and Knight: TEDS.
93. Works on bare spots: RE-SEEDS.
94. Bit of ocular relief: EYE DROP. My doctor recommended this last time when I had the abrasions.
95. Tackles, e.g.: LINEMEN.
98. Shocker: JOLT. Our local Asian store finally starts to carry this mountain yam. Alas, they want $3.99 per pound. Crazy! I learned that these yams grow in North Carolina too, but locals regard them as invasive species. I'll stick with my dried ones.
101. Victoria's Secret spec: D CUP.
102. Hit song from "Flashdance": MANIAC.
103. Wagnerian soprano: ISOLDE. Lover of Tristan.
104. Acted sheepishly?: BAAED.
106. Went (over) thoroughly: PORED.
107. Big belt: SWIG.
108. Very: OH SO.
109. A jerk may serve one: COLA.
111. Indonesian resort island: BALI.
114. Slow start?: ESS. Slow.
116. One-third of nove: TRE.
117. Online guffaw: LOL.
118. Wash. neighbor: ORE.
119. Complex trap: WEB.
C.C.
