Sunday March 15, 2020 Pam Amick Klawitter

Theme: "No Rhyme, No Reason" - The two words in each theme entry have similar spellings but different pronunciations.
  
23. Costuming choice for a "Cats" performance?: LEOPARD LEOTARD.

37. Proctor's nightmare?: GREAT CHEAT.

41. Tree surgeon's challenge?: TOUGH BOUGH.

51. One skilled at squandering?: MASTER WASTER.

70. Sweeping thoroughfare?: BROAD ROAD.

84. Expert on current energy options?: SOLAR SCHOLAR.

95. Dud of a car that Stephen King might write about?: DEMON LEMON.

100. Chophouse bandit?: STEAK SNEAK.

118. Lazy son, vis-à-vis his lazy dad?: YOUNGER LOUNGER.

Are these called eye rhymes?

I feel English pronunciations are mostly rational, but the above are great examples of the exceptions. And of course, the classic set of Bough, Cough, Through & Dough.
 
Across:

1. Just one of the fam: SIS.

4. Quayle successor: GORE. Not much climate talk lately.

8. Part of PBR: PABST.

13. Brazilian dances: SAMBAS. Rio Carnival goes on.

19. 1881 face-off spot: OK CORRAL.

21. "... only God can make __": Kilmer: A TREE.

22. How some bills are paid: IN CASH.

25. Move to protect a king: CASTLE. Oh, chess move.

26. Put away: EATEN. Look at the empty shelves at the toilet paper section at our local grocery store. Just can't find sushi rice in any of the stores.

27. Mag. edition: ISS.

28. "Hulk" director Lee: ANG.

29. Retired flier, briefly: SST.

30. Fair-hiring abbr.: EOE.

31. Narrow inlets: RIAS.

33. Crowded subway metaphor: SARDINE.

36. Prince in "Frozen": HANS.

44. Just right: TO A TEE.

45. Yucatán's yesterday: AYER. Opposite "Manana"'.

47. Reeves of "Point Break": KEANU.

48. Self-descriptive adjective: OLDE.

49. Prof's assistants: TAS.

57. "Mamma Mia!" song: SOS.

58. See 87-Down: BELT. 87. With 58-Across, area with severely declining industry: RUST.

59. Midori in a rink: ITO.

60. Brother of Macaulay and Rory: KIERAN. I only know Macaulay.

61. Like each succeeding eye chart line: TINIER.

63. Butterflies: NERVES.

66. Broad bean: FAVA.

67. Fathered, biblically: BEGAT.

72. Mont Blanc's range, to its west: ALPES.

73. News source, perhaps: LEAK.

74. Pool slip-up: MISCUE.

75. Author of kids' Busytown books: SCARRY (Richard). Not a familiar name to me.

77. Showing faith in: TRUE TO.

79. Bit of animation: CEL.

80. "We're gonna be late!": C'MON.

81. Utter: SAY.

88. Classic ending?: IST. Classicist. 109. Piece of TNT?: TRI. Trinitrotoluene. 127. Self starter?: ESS.

89. "Mi __ es tu __": CASA.

90. Wide receiver Don who played in five Super Bowls: BEEBE.

91. Shanghai money: YUAN. All have Mao's face.

93. Part of a Norwegian-sounding ice cream name: HAAGEN. I visited Haagen-Dazs Shanghai ages ago.

102. All over: ANEW.

103. Lasagna layer: RICOTTA.

105. More than half: MOST.

106. H.S. dropout's goal: GED.

107. Small shot: BBS.

110. First lady Hoover: LOU.

112. Garlicky spread: AIOLI.

116. "Aladdin" backdrop: ARABIA.

121. They bite: MOLARS.

122. Sleep disorder: APNEA.

123. Fib: TELL A LIE.

124. Prominent Syrian family: ASSADS.

125. Bette's "Divine" nickname: MISS M.

126. Editor's backpedaling: STET.

Down:

1. What's underfoot?: SOLE.

2. DIY furniture brand: IKEA. Has any of you tried their cod roe?

3. Robbie Coltrane, e.g.: SCOT.

4. Curling stone: GRANITE.

5. Hockey great: ORR.

6. Salad slice: RADISH. I love daikon.

7. Some annexes: ELLS.

8. Kung __ chicken: PAO.

9. Rose oil: ATTAR.

10. 1971 Peace Prize awardee: BRANDT (Willy). Unknown to me. He looks friendly.

11. Golfer Garcia: SERGIO. His daughter is named Azalea.

12. Talks acronym: TED. Ted talks.

13. Unleashes (on): SICS.

14. Med school subj.: ANAT.

15. Mic wielders: MCS.

16. Flat-bottomed boat: BATEAU. Here is the pic from Wiki.

17. Comparable in distance: AS LONG.

18. "Blimey!" cousin: SHEESH.

20. Run or work: OPERATE.

24. English homework: ESSAY.

29. Rocker Bob: SEGER.

32. Blackjack holding: ACE TEN.

34. "Up and __!": AT 'EM.

35. Zap in the kitchen: NUKE.

36. Indoor buzzer?: HOUSEFLY.

37. Sporty muscle cars: GTOS.

38. Milk Dud rival: ROLO.

39. "CSI" actor George: EADS.

40. Egg-hunt holidays: EASTERS.

42. Sells aggressively: HAWKS. So glad Amazon deleted many accounts of of those price gougers.

43. __ B'rith: BNAI.

46. Deluge result, perhaps: RAIN DELAY.

50. The best one is airtight: ALIBI.

52. Ending for hip: STER.

53. Bilbao bulls: TOROS.

54. Con game, say: TRAP.

55. Roof edge: EAVE.

56. Genetic strands: RNAS. Odd pluralized.

58. Trace: BIT.

61. "Brava!": TAKE A BOW.

62. Cookbook author DiSpirito: ROCCO. What's his signature dish?

64. Protective shot: VACCINE.

65. Dutch wheels: EDAMS.

67. Diner menu staples: BLTS.

68. MIT Chapel designer Saarinen: EERO.

69. Caesar's France: GAUL.

71. Writer of really old stories?: AUEL. Read more here.

72. Valiant's son: ARN.

74. German wine region: MOSEL. Must be gimme for Marti.

76. Abstract expressionist Mark: ROTHKO.

78. Chihuahua choo-choo: TREN. And 96. Juarez winter months: ENEROS. 89. Bar in Baja: CANTINA.

81. Stuffing stuff: SAGE.

82. Well offshore: ASEA.

83. Reb's rival: YANK.

85. Transmitting truckers: CBERS. Thought or Argyle.

86. Sphere opener: HEMI.

92. Dickens title starter: A TALE.

94. Verbal attack: ASSAULT.

95. First European to sail to India: DA GAMA.

97. Gold and silver: MEDALS.

98. Well-armed swimmers?: OCTOPI. Cute clue.

99. Shutout feature: NO RUNS.

101. Good luck charm: AMULET. My friend Roberto used to wear an evil eye.

104. Fork "fingers": TINES.

107. Frequent flier: BIRD.

108. Singer Lance, or the part he sang with *NSYNC: BASS.

111. Leftover scraps: ORTS.

113. Check out creepily: OGLE.

114. Island chains: LEIS.

115. Ticks off: IRES.

117. Barnyard bleat: BAA.

118. Thanksgiving tuber: YAM.

119. Whale group: GAM.

120. World Cup cry: OLE.

C.C.