24A. Company covering the ninth of Salinger's "Nine Stories"?: LAST TALE INSURANCE. Allstate Insurance.
32A. Company providing stimulation before a round?: GOLFER'S COFFEE. Folgers Coffee.
51A. Company for ones who love taking sides?: I ADORE POTATOES. Idaho Potatoes. Surprised to see BOISE IDAHO (74D. Capital south of a panhandle) in the same grid. (Correction: Ore-Ida Potatoes, Thanks, everyone!)
66A. Company that bugs people?: NOSY ELECTRONICS. Sony Electronics
82A. Company that moves a lot of cash?: LARGE FLOWS BANK. Wells Fargo bank. In big trouble.
101A. Company named for its product container?: IN A CARTON MILK. Carnation Milk.
110A. Company dealing "frankly" with campaign issues?: MAYOR'S RACE WIENERS. Oscar Mayer Wieners.
Veteran solvers know that Bruce loves anagram gimmick. Today's puzzle is a great example of his style, sense of humor and high standard in fill.
The puzzle only has 140 words and 66 black squares, but the fill is so sparkly and clean.
No cheater!!
Across:
1. Muppet chimp __ Minella: SAL.
4. "Patience you must have" speaker: YODA.
8. Text for a promo: AD COPY.
14. Unit of weight: CARAT.
19. Biblical priest: ELI.
20. Steady: EVEN.
21. First name in the 2016 campaign: BERNIE. Feel the Bern!
22. Informed: AWARE.
23. Track circuit: LAP.
27. Spur on: IMPEL.
29. White wine apéritif: KIR. Flavored with cassis.
30. TRS-80s, e.g.: PCS.
31. __ of interest: PERSON.
36. Belief system: CREDO.
37. Robot arms don't have them: ULNAE. New clue angle.
38. Camera lens feature: IRIS.
39. Like a D, gradewise: POOR.
40. Subway posting: MAP.
43. Madame Bovary: EMMA. Read it at college. Touched me deeply.
45. Bankrolled: STAKED.
47. Acronymic distress about being excluded from the fun: FOMO. Fear of Missing Out.
48. Leery of: ONTO.
49. Opening feature: POP TOP.
54. "__ got it!": I'VE.
55. Fax button: SEND.
57. Toss in: ADD.
58. Look down on, figuratively: SPIT AT.
59. Brain areas: CEREBRA. Plural of cerebrum.
61. Green, in a way: ENVIOUS.
65. Rilke works: POEMS.
69. "Real Time" host: MAHER (Bill). Way too left-leaning.
72. Canadian site of the 1988 Winter Olympics: ALBERTA. Where were you in 1988?
73. Tiny and shapeless: AMOEBIC.
77. Timeless, in verse: ETERNE.
79. '60s chic: MOD.
80. __ page: OPED.
81. Acapulco gold: ORO.
87. Like some surveys: AERIAL.
89. Card sounding like a platter: TREY.
90. Christmas lot selection: FIRS.
91. "Little House" family name: OLESON. Unknown to me.
93. Spent: USED.
94. Shirley MacLaine, to Warren Beatty: SIS.
95. Ump's cry: SAFE.
96. Big heap: SLEW.
97. Cartoon genre: ANIME.
99. Trace of color: TINCT. Odd, spell check does not like this word.
105. Old marketplaces: AGORAE.
107. United: ONE.
108. Moll's limb: GAM.
109. Grammy winner Gorme: EYDIE.
115. Even a little: ANY.
116. Overhead concern?: OZONE. Nice clue.
117. Emotionally out of control: CRAZED. Reminds me of a favorite movie test D-Otto sent me.
118. Runs on: GABS.
119. Laugh starter: HEE.
120. Author Theodor __ Geisel: SEUSS.
121. Helpful holdings: ASSETS.
122. Nobelist Wiesel: ELIE.
123. Not even: ODD.
Down:
1. Former MLB exec Bud: SELIG. Not liked here. He tried to contract Twins long ago.
2. Dollar rival: ALAMO.
3. Beauty product for kissers: LIP PLUMPER. Kylie Jenner has built an empire over lip-plumping products.
4. First female Fed head Janet: YELLEN.
5. Eggs in a lab: OVA.
6. An in-box might be part of one: DESK SET.
7. Shenanigan: ANTIC.
8. Legal gp.: ABA.
9. Penn. neighbor: DEL.
10. Brunch fare: CREPES. These are Chinese crepes. They're called Jian Bing.
11. In the cooler: ON ICE.
12. Money-dispensing needs: PINS.
13. "Suh-weet!": YES. Here is my Husker T-shirt.
14. More than a job: CAREER.
15. Tony, for one: AWARD. We have an AWARD on our blog!
16. Pasted message, stereotypically: RANSOM NOTE. Great fill.
17. Oil acronym: ARCO.
18. Many a gamer: TEEN.
25. Three-horse carriage: TROIKA.
26. Dislodges: UPROOTS.
28. Key of Beethoven's "Eroica": E FLAT.
33. Silky-voiced crooners they are not: RASPERS.
34. One of the Weasley twins: FRED. Santa would have nailed it.
35. Dog tag?: FIDO. Cute.
36. Italy's Lake __: COMO.
39. Wham! or Roxette: POP DUO.
41. Elite crew: A TEAM.
42. Blog series: POSTS. Like our daily blog write-up.
43. Awesome: EPIC.
44. Formally propose: MOVE.
46. Support: AID.
47. Film noir hat: FEDORA.
48. Serving no purpose: OTIOSE. Not a word I use.
50. "Look Back in Anger" playwright John: OSBORNE. New to me also.
52. "Nick of Time" singer: RAITT.
53. Software details: APP CODE. Not a familiar term to me.
56. "Glee" actress Rivera: NAYA.
60. Get-up-and-go: ENERGY.
61. They're rubbed when mingling: ELBOWS. Great clue.
62. Calls for: NEEDS.
63. DVD forerunner: VCR.
64. Piece of cake: SNAP.
67. "Get Shorty" novelist __ Leonard: ELMORE. Not sure why " ___ " is used in the clue. He's quite famous.
68. Unequivocal refusal: I MEAN NO.
69. Softens: MELTS.
70. '70s breakout gaming company: ATARI.
71. Toast for Mrs. Robinson: HERE'S TO YOU.
75. "Dies __": IRAE.
76. How vichyssoise is usually served: COLD. Yellowrocks' specialty.
78. Wipes out: EFFACES.
80. Stamps of approval: OKS.
83. Pilfer: LIFT.
84. Whirled weapon: BOLA.
85. First portrayer of Obi-Wan: ALEC. Guinness.
86. Meditative genre: NEW AGE.
88. Gin __: RUMMY.
92. Kind of cookie: OATMEAL.
95. Catches: SNARES.
96. Cold outburst: SNEEZE.
98. Actually existing: IN ESSE.
100. Most clubs in a pro's bag: IRONS. You can carry 14 clubs in your bag. I only used a 7 iron and a putter in my first few rounds of golf.
101. Andean people: INCAS.
102. Scope: RANGE.
103. Like much loose-leaf paper: LINED.
104. Focused (on): KEYED.
105. Cookie monster?: AMOS. I get the direction, but not sure "monster" is apt.
106. Look steadily: GAZE.
107. Tools in locks: OARS.
111. Early TV maker: RCA.
112. Caught in the rain without an umbrella, say: WET. It rained a lot yesterday at 3M Championship.
113. Bouncer's requests: IDS.
114. Ballpark fig.: RBI.
JD is enjoying her annual family vacation in Kauai. Here are two sweet pictures of her grandsons.
