Sunday December 29, 2019 Gary Larson

Theme:  "Electronic Games" - E is added to the start of each familiar phrase.

22. Unlikely getaway car alternative?: ESCAPE GOAT. Scapegoat.

24. Time left in an online auction?: EBAY WINDOW. Bay window. ORIEL.
 
36. Civil rights legislation?: EQUALITY CONTROL. Quality control.

52. Serengeti stampede?: ELAND RUSH. Land Rush.

67. Three-hanky films?: EMOTION PICTURES. Motion pictures.

83. Bong for special occasions?: EVENT PIPE. Vent pipe.

97. Big place to fool around in?: ESTATE OF AFFAIRS. State of affairs.

112. Eve?: EDEN MOTHER. Den mother.

115. Midnight sail?: EBON VOYAGE. Bon voyage.

It'd be cool if every theme entry is indeed a game. We've seen an E adding to the end with "E-tail" as a title.

Bold upper left/lower right design from Gary. Hard to pull off cleanly.

Across:

1. Immense: WHOPPING.

9. Spurred (on): EGGED.

14. Starts of many names: CAPS. Capital letters, right?

18. Procedure enforced locally: HOUSE RULE. Great fill.

20. Magician's cry: VOILA.

21. Certain something: AURA.

26. Utmost degree: NTH.

27. River-to-sea connection: ESTUARY.

29. Policy that includes higher menu prices: NO TIPS. Tipping is not a common practice in China and Japan.

30. Stitches: DARNS.

33. Meadow mom: DOE. EWE too.

34. Zest: GUSTO.

41. Many a Middle East native: ARAB.

44. Craved: LUSTED.

45. Bowling ball material: URETHANE. TTP and Boomer can tell you more.

47. Hood's weapon: GAT.

49. Where to get down: EIDER.

50. World view, perhaps: MAP.

55. Multidisciplinary strength-training program: CROSSFIT.

57. Guitarist Paul: LES.

60. Tell a thing or two: EDUCATE.

61. B'way need: TKT.

62. Under pressure: ON THE SPOT.

66. "The Plough and the Stars" playwright: O'CASEY.

70. Red choice: CLARET.

73. Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb, e.g.: CO-ANCHORS. Hoda's name is very grid-friendly.

74. Single circuit: LAP.

77. Supremely spooky: EERIEST.

79. Bit of legal advice: SUE.

80. Promise that one will: PLEDGE TO.

86. Beast of burden: ASS.

87. Shower: AIRER.

88. Certain house mem.: SEN.

89. Emmy-winning creator of "Six Feet Under": ALAN BALL. Wiki says he also created "True Blood".

93. Solvent: AFLOAT.

94. Thames academy: ETON.

100. "Take Me Home, Country __": John Denver hit: ROADS.

102. Simple sack: COT.

103. Court figs.: ATTYS.

104. Take the heat off?: DISARM.

107. Early Yankee nickname: BAMBINO. Boomer told me he was enjoying "Babe". I said "The pig?". "What pig?". Turns out he was watching "The Babe".

109. "Rhoda" production co.: MTM.

119. Auto race signal: FLAG.

120. Pried (into): NOSED.

121. Glues: MUCILAGES. New word to me.

122. Daly of "Judging Amy": TYNE.

123. "The Teflon Don": GOTTI.

124. Climbing plant features: TENDRILS.

Down:

1. Word spoken during pouring: WHEN.

2. Throng: HOST.

3. Bad pun response: OUCH.

4. Ad about being green, briefly: PSA.

5. Zip: PEP.

6. Wrath: IRE.

7. "Cat Scratch Fever" musician: NUGENT (Ted). Not familiar with the song.

8. Shiny print: GLOSSY.

9. Boston suburb: EVERETT. What's it famous for?

10. Elapse: GO BY.

11. Supermodel Carangi: GIA.

12. Nevada copper town: ELY. Also new to me.

13. "The light __!": DAWNS.

14. Synagogue singer: CANTOR.

15. Quattro maker: AUDI.

16. Support, with "up": PROP.

17. Words of wisdom: SAWS.

19. Down: EAT.

23. 16th-century English architectural style: TUDOR.

25. Whit: IOTA.

28. Top of the line: A ONE.

30. Takes out: DATES.

31. A and O, but not E, I or U: ALERS. American Leaguers. A's and O's. We also have 40. MLB scoreboard letters: RHE. Runs, Hits, Errors.

32. Relieve (of): RID.

34. Soccer game highlight: GOAL.

35. Long bones: ULNAE.

36. Campaign sign word: ELECT.

37. Idiosyncrasy: QUIRK.

38. FAA overseer: USDOT. US Department of Transportation.

39. Stanley of the NHL?: CUP.

42. Mexican waters: AGUAS.

43. Sew with temporary stitches: BASTE.

46. Sign on the back: ENDORSE.

48. Nonbinary gender pronoun: THEY.

50. Perfect, as a collectible coin: MINT.

51. Web site: ATTIC.

53. Il __: Mussolini: DUCE.

54. Some appliances: RCAS.

56. Place to soothe the sole?: FOOT SPA. Very popular in China.

57. Horne and Dunham: LENAS.

58. "College Football Live" channel: ESPNU.

59. Item on a rack: SPICE.

63. Sob syllable: HOO.

64. Scot's "Crikey!": OCH.

65. Features of some 'Vettes: T-TOPS.

67. 2000 title role for Julia: ERIN.

68. Happen upon: MEET.

69. Results of Googling: URLS.

70. Cuckoo clock quartet: CEES.Cuckoo clock.

71. Bank construction: LEVEE.

72. Ain't like it oughta be?: AREN'T.

74. "Vive __!": LE ROI.

75. "I did not think to shed __": "Henry VIII": A TEAR.

76. Freighters' destinations: PORTS.

78. Like some floors: TILED.

81. "Portrayer" of Duck Dodgers: DAFFY. Read more here. First time I heard of  Duck Dodgers.

82. Southwestern lizards: GILAS.

84. Screen or bomb: PASS.

85. Rhinitis-treating MD: ENT.

86. South American greeting: ALO. Have yet to see NI HAO in a LAT puzzle.

90. Owner of Grey Goose and Dewar's: BACARDI.

91. Speck: ATOM.

92. Leave alone: LET BE.

93. Time in a personal ad: AFT. Afternoon.

95. Anaheim's county: ORANGE.

96. Result that's expected: NORM.

98. Spread apart, as police during a search: FAN OUT.

99. Hospital stat?: AT ONCE.

101. Surrounded by: AMONG.

104. Slick: DEFT.

105. Without serious thought: IDLY.

106. Penn name: SEAN. Sean Penn.

107. Root often pickled: BEET. So good. I have a weakness for pickled food. 

108. Tech giant based in Armonk, N.Y.: IBM.

109. Star followers: MAGI.

110. Neutrogena shampoo brand: T GEL. Many YouTubers have raved about this shampoo.

111. Jumble: MESS.

113. Excessively: TOO.

114. V-J Day president: HST.

116. Beaujolais, par exemple: VIN.

117. From the past, as a story: OLD.

118. Pirate's cry: YAR.

C.C.