27A. Museum piece depicting a songbird battle?: WREN WAR PAINTING. Renoir painting.
40A. Turkey concerned with the details?: TECHNICAL FOWL. Technical foul.
65A. Supply for a bird-of-prey flu epidemic?: ILL EAGLE DRUGS. Illegal drugs.
84A. Target audience for squawkdates.com?: SINGLE PARROTS. Single parent.
103A. Troupe of pink entertainers?: FLAMINGO DANCERS. Flamenco dancer.
16D Where seabirds grab buses?: PETREL STATIONS. Petrol station.
47D. Bird skilled at long hoops shots?: THREE-POINT TERN. Three-point turn.
Hey, I got all the original phrases without asking D-Otto. Success!
This type if theme is the hardest for me as sometimes the replacement is a full homophone, sometimes it's just sound-alike. But they're all so imaginative.
Across:
1. Col. Potter on "M*A*S*H," to pals: SHERM. Sherman T. Potter.
6. Where Biles balances: BEAM. The amazing Simone Biles.
10. GQ stat: CIRC. Circulation.
14. Jokes around: JAPES.
19. Anne of "Psycho" (1998): HECHE.
20. Something up your sleeve: ULNA. Fresh clue angle.
21. Sign of hollowness: ECHO.
22. Idaho's Coeur d'__ River: ALENE.
23. 1944 Italian beachhead: ANZIO. No idea. It's south of Rome.
24. Standing lead-in: LONG. Long-standing.
25. Broadway lighter: NEON.
26. Terra __: COTTA.
30. Tabloid-worthy: LURID.
31. Key fruit: LIME.
32. Grafton of mystery: SUE. And 80. "__ for Innocent": Grafton: I IS.
33. Mexican menu meat: CARNE.
34. Bayou sound: ZYDECO. What does this word mean?
35. Pageant accessories: SASHES.
37. "Hulk" star Eric: BANA.
38. Games go-with: FUN.
39. KFC choice: LEG. KFC entered Xi'an market around 1992. McDonald's a decade later. But Xi'an now has Uniqlo and Muji. I bet most of you still don't have those two in your area.
44. Ed.'s inbox fillers: MSS.
45. Oregon city namesake: ASTOR.
48. Bank acct. item: INT.
49. Reach, finally: END UP AT.
51. "High Hopes" lyricist: CAHN (Sammy)
52. Quietly keeps in the loop: BCCS.
54. Dugout sight: MITT.
56. Khan of Rufus: CHAKA.
59. Item in a Blackpool boot: TYRE. Not familiar with this British city.
60. Massage response: AAH.
61. Spot for an icicle: EAVE.
62. Rockies roamers: WAPITIS.
64. Find a purpose for: USE.
68. Cards with pics: IDS. Star Tribune said only that 10% of the Minnesotans have applied for Real IDs.
69. Like Purell-treated hands: ASEPTIC.
71. "Archie's Pals 'n' __": old comic book series: GALS.
72. El Al's home: Abbr.: ISR.
73. Tip-top: A ONE.
74. World Golf Hall of Famer Nancy: LOPEZ. She used to appear regularly at the 3M Champions Tour event. Annika was there also.
75. Frees (of): RIDS.
76. __ jure: by the law itself: IPSO.
77. Genetic chains: RNAS. Spell check does not like the plural form.
78. Soapbox address: ORATION.
81. Blood pressure raiser: IRE. Not mine. Nothing raises mine. Absurd. I eat pickled stuff almost every day.
82. Talks like Daffy: LISPS.
83. Knight supporter?: PIP. Gladys Knight.
89. __ star: TIN.
90. Is afflicted with: HAS.
91. Those, south of the border: ESOS.
92. Vital lines: AORTAS.
95. Bluff and bluster: HOT AIR.
97. "Now you've done it!": I'M MAD.
99. Lane target: PIN. Bowling.
100. Snack with a Green Tea version in China and Japan: OREO. Nailed it.
102. Fighters: ANTIS.
106. Runs rampant: TEEMS.
107. Panelist Love of "The Real": LONI. Learning moment for me also.
108. It's high in France: ALPE.
109. MGM motto ender: ARTIS.
110. Sleeper's option: SERTA. Hey, we fixed our box spring undercover fiasco with tacks rather than those hard-to-operate staple guns. D-Otto just knows everything.
111. "More than a beauty company" company: AVON.
112. Gritty film genre: NOIR.
113. Persian faith: BAHAI.
114. Uncertain ending words: OR NOT.
115. Titanic problem: BERG.
116. Virtually never loses to: OWNS. Oh, like owns the game.
117. Well past its prime: STALE.
Down:
1. Prayer garment: SHAWL.
2. Matisse and Rousseau: HENRIS.
3. Aloe target: ECZEMA.
4. Imitation gem: RHINESTONE. Great fill.
5. "Where's my cat treat?": MEOW.
6. Plant associated with the infant Moses: BULRUSH.
7. Tie the knot on the run: ELOPE.
8. "Frozen" princess: ANNA.
9. Performance with tricks: MAGIC ACT.
10. Primary: CENTRAL.
11. Trap during winter: ICE IN. Lots of snow here on Friday/Saturday.
12. River at Avignon: RHONE.
13. D.C. group: CONG. Just short for "congress".
14. She played Kelly on "Charlie's Angels": JACLYN (Smith)
15. One way to read: ALOUD.
17. Baits: ENTICES.
18. Salty sort: SEA DOG. Salt-y. Boomer is jealous of Spitzboov's white uniform.
28. "Just wait __!": A SEC.
29. Baby spoiler, often: NANA.
34. Last letter in radio lingo: ZULU. And 36. That ship: HER. All for Spitzboov, who uses "Brave Zulu" at times.
37. Hoppers: BINS.
38. Email abbr.: FWD.
41. __ market: NICHE.
42. Threw a party for: FETED.
43. N.Y. neighbor: ONT.
44. Half a luau serving?: MAHI. Huge.
45. Real: ACTUAL.
46. Tells it like it is: SAYS SO.
50. HMO doctor designations: PCPS. Primary care physicians.
52. Java neighbor: BALI.
53. H.S. math course: CALC.
54. Etail alternatives: MALLS. I just want Uniqlo to come to Minnesota. This is the best I've worn. So comfy. It's like you're wearing nothing.
55. Currier's partner: IVES.
57. Take badly?: KIDNAP.
58. Take stock of: ASSESS.
61. "Yikes!": EGAD.
62. Gutless one: WUSS.
63. Farming prefix: AGRO.
65. Chichén __: Mayan ruins: ITZA. Hahtoolah was there.
66. Kept in a cask, say: AGING.
67. Not as green: RIPER.
70. APB subject: PERP.
73. Upper crust type: ARISTOCRAT.
75. Hermione's guy: RON. "Harry Potter".
76. Nest egg plans: IRAS.
79. Royal until 1917: TSAR.
81. Music player with many generations: IPOD NANO.
82. Ptr. paper size: LTR.
83. Initiate: PIONEER.
85. Legendary migrator: LEMMING. Forgot. We had him before.
86. "Ozark" actor Morales: ESAI.
87. 2020 Vegas NFLers, if the new stadium is ready: RAIDERS.
88. Chaplin of "Game of Thrones": OONA.
89. "Oh, really?": THAT SO.
90. Warn, feline-style: HISS AT.
93. "Queen of Soul": ARETHA.
94. "To be continued" story: SERIAL.
96. "We __ please": AIM TO.
97. Valentine message words: I LOVE.
98. Estate centerpiece: MANOR.
99. Drop by: POP IN.
103. Trainer's concern: FLAB.
104. What embers do: GLOW.
105. Arrests: NABS.
C.C.
Dear Agnes lost her older sister Anne on January 11. May you rest in
peace, Anne!
Agnes also developed some eye issues. Constantly tearing. It'll probably take a few more days for the artificial tear to work its magic. Get well soon, Agnes! We need you on the blog.
L-R: Anne, Agnes, Eileen, Mary, and Peggy. March 2019 |