Theme: "Done to a T" - T is added to to the end of each familiar phrase.
22A. Naughty young athlete?: SPORTS BRAT. Sports bra.
24A. Materials on a king's palette?: ROYAL PAINT. Royal pain.
34A "Don't worry about that, Mr. Gingrich"?: IT'S NOTHING NEWT. It's nothing new.
52A. "The Alien Simpsons" character?: MARS BART. Mars bar.
55A. Watery world?: SEA PLANET. Sea plane.
77A. Defective phone download?: BAD APPLET. Bad apple.
79A. Large pub band?: BAR NONET. Bar none.
94A. Tiny golf course rental?: SUBCOMPACT CART. Subcompact car.
111A. Strategy using a heavily pine-tarred bat?: STICKY BUNT. Sticky bun.
113A. Tiff about a checkup?: HEALTH SPAT. Health spa.
We've
seen adding T or T sound puzzles in LAT before. Paul's has T's
consistently added in the end. And he has 10 of them. Heavy themage in a
142-word grid.
Across:
1. Name on toy vehicles since 1964: HESS. Most of rusty toy trucks are Tonka.
5. '50s first lady: MAMIE.
10. Architect Saarinen: EERO.
14. Become unhinged: SNAP.
18. Bridge toll unit: AXLE.
19. Whirlpool brand: AMANA. Just don't buy GE, so glitchy.
20. "Ah, me!": ALAS.
21. Arcade pioneer: ATARI.
26. Energy-saving tactic: POWER CUT.
27. AOL, e.g.: ISP.
29. Military chaplain: SKY PILOT. New term to me.
30. Platform for Siri: IOS.
31. Cons: ANTIS.
33. Biting: ACERB.
40. Less taxing: EASIER.
43. Pouts: MOUES. Like this.
44. Oxlike antelope: GNU.
45. Syndicate: CARTEL.
47. Chinese culinary general: TSO.
48. Fine things?: ARTS.
49. Cartoon flapper: BOOP.
50. Cabinet dept. with an atom on its seal: ENER.
51. 1995 court VIP: ITO. Lance.
59. Doo-wop syllable: SHA.
60. Big size, in a small way: LGE. Large. "in a small way" just indicates an abbreviated answer.
61. Operatic chorus: BRAVOS.
65. Chip features: RIDGES.
66. Organic fuel: PEAT.
67. Deprive of courage: UNMAN.
68. Ex-baseballer Martinez: TINO. Here he is with a more famous Yankee.
69. Photos, say: IMAGES.
72. Not diluted much, if at all: STRONG.
73. __ v. Wade: ROE.
74. Dusk, to Donne: EEN.
81. Deg. for a writer: MFA.
82. Red analog: BEET. There are also golden beets these days.
84. Trounce, down south: WHUP.
86. Global extremity: POLE.
87. Lulu: PIP.
88. "Ageless Body, Timeless Mind" author: CHOPRA.
90. "__ the fields we go ... ": OER.
91. Graf rival: SELES.
92. They may be driven: CATTLE. Nice clue.
98. Bailiwicks: AREAS.
100. Slogs: PLODS.
101. Bygone New Zealand bird: MOA.
102. Last of seven, for many: SATURDAY. Sunday in Chinese calendars.
105. UFO crew, in theory: ETS.
106. Curbside pickup places: BUS STOPS.
115. Recesses: NOOKS.
116. Miscellany: OLIO.
117. Stand in a studio: EASEL.
118. Adjutant: AIDE.
119. Envy and others: SINS.
120. Fill-in: TEMP.
121. Singer Springfield: DUSTY.
122. Word of medical advice: REST.
Down:
1. Door fastener: HASP.
2. Big show: EXPO.
3. Tedious: SLOW.
4. Arid: SERE.
5. Phillie Phanatic, for one: MASCOT.
6. Waylay: AMBUSH.
7. K follower: MART.
8. Minute or moment lead-in: IN A.
9. Consuming, as time: EATING UP.
10. Secret Service agent's accessory: EARPIECE.
I remember watching Chinese version of "In the Line of Fire". John
Malkovich killed this nice girl simply because she's from Minneapolis,
which I had never heard of then.
11. "Do Ya" rock gp.: ELO.
12. Bottom-feeding fish: RAYS.
13. 1970 World's Fair site: OSAKA. Where Osaka was born.
14. Way up: STAIRS.
15. Nervous habit: NAIL-BITING.
16. Cartoonist Peter: ARNO. The New Yorker.
17. Big East team: PITT.
21. Court loser's option: APPEAL.
23. Chamber groups: TRIOS.
25. École cousin: LYCEE. "Nice school" would be a Saturday clue. The answer could be either.
28. RR stop: STN.
31. Part of A.D.: ANNO.
32. Bittersweet farewell: SWAN SONG.
34. Mosque officials: IMAMS.
35. Judaic spiritual text: TORAH. Followed by 36. Buddhist spiritual text: SUTRA.
37. 1987 Costner role: NESS.
38. Gershwin's "__ Rhythm": I GOT.
39. "Poems are made by fools like me" poem: TREES.
41. Cosmetician Lauder: ESTEE. Their best product. So expensive.
42. Origins: ROOTS.
46. Song syllable: TRA.
49. Author Harte: BRET.
53. Obscenity cover-up: BLEEP.
54. Showing shock: AGASP.
56. Former: PRIOR.
57. Bedding: LINEN.
58. Big deal: ADO.
61. Flatter: BUTTER UP.
62. GI's furlough: R N R.
63. Latin lover's word: AMO.
64. Vehicle with sliding doors: VAN. We have a van. We hope to click this Santa Fe back home next year.
66. Links letters: PGA.
68. Under-the-sink assembly: TRAP.
69. High-tech debut of 1981: IBM PC.
70. Underworld society: MAFIA.
71. Novel's screen version, e.g.: ADAPTATION.
72. Oozes: SEEPS.
74. WWII bomber __ Gay: ENOLA. And 76. Desert trial: N TEST.
75. Fisherman with pots: EELER. Always think of this old fisherman. His eels are the best.
78. Debt-heavy corp. takeover: LBO. Leveraged buyout.
79. Pat on the back, maybe: BURP.
80. Crude gp.?: OPEC. Crude oil.
83. Place setting setting: TABLETOP.
84. Fuel storage structure: WOODSHED.
85. Does some tailoring: HEMS.
88. Store employees: CLERKS.
89. Exciting: HEADY.
91. Put away for later: STASH.
93. Rollers on the road: TRUCKS.
95. Bunk: COT.
96. Charm: AMULET. My friend Roberto wears an Evil Eye.
97. Like serious mistakes: COSTLY.
99. Cousin of a clog: SABOT.
102. IRS IDs: SSNS.
103. Yours, to Yvette: A TOI. One more French: 114. Évian water: EAU.
104. "Throw the __ Log On, Uncle John": P.D.Q. Bach madrigal parody: YULE.
106. Low pitch: BASS.
107. Peter the Great, e.g.: TSAR.
108. '60s sitcom boy: OPIE.
109. Stationer's stock: PADS.
110. Editorial "let it stand": STET.
112. Matchstick-removing game: NIM.
Glad Picard's surgery went smoothly. Liquid diet for 2 weeks sounds so hard!
Irish
Miss (Agnes) told me her nausea is under control, but the pain is still
here. She can now sleep in her own bed, so that's a bit of progress.
Please continue to keep her in your thoughts and prayers. We need our corner sunshine back to the blog soon.
Light to Right : Anne, Agnes, Eileen, Mar, and Peggy (3/17/2019)
C.C.