Theme: "Illegal Tender" - Phrases are humorously rephrased as "what money".
22. Mad money?: STEAMED CLAMS. Fit for Jim Cramer.
28. Grant money?: WISHBONES.
40. Hot money?: BUFFALO BILLS. Hot money "is capital
that investors regularly move between economies and financial markets to
profit from highest short-term interest rates", according to Investopedia.
52. Ransom money?: SPRING ROLL.
76. Old money?: STALE BREAD.
87. Paper money?: EDITOR'S NOTES.
100. Bad money?: SOURDOUGH. What is bad money?
109. Smart money?: SHARP CHEDDAR.
Looks like this Adam's debut Sunday. Congratulations! A sparkly 140-worder to boot.
We've seen various money theme over the years, like this CASH UPFRONT puzzle. Adam added an extra complexity and difficulty to clues, which are all in- the-language "what money".
Across:
1. "Please stay": DON'T GO. And 19. "I swear!": NO LIE. 60. "What else could it be?!": DUH. 83. "What are you gonna do about it?!": SUE ME. Quite a few spoken phrases.
7. Fallopian tube neighbor: OVARY.
12. __ Beta Kappa: PHI.
15. Just peachy, in old slang: OKE. Never heard of Boomer uses this slang.
18. Tool for winter fishing: ICE SAW.
20. Royal problem?: PAIN. Royal pain.
21. Superhero sound effect: POW.
24. Lingerie brand: OLGA. The malls here will be reopened next Monday.
25. Chapter in history: ERA.
26. Close-knit team: CADRE.
27. Navel type: OUTIE.
30. Takes too much, briefly: ODS. Overdoses.
31. The OED's 21,728, e.g.: PAGES.
33. Australian rockers __ at Work: MEN.
34. Shoot for: AIM AT.
35. Voice below soprano: ALTO.
36. French toppers: BERETS.
39. NFL pass rushers, as a unit: D LINE. Defensive line.
45. They're used for emphasis: ITALICS.
47. Olympian Bolt: USAIN.
48. Bit of info: DATUM.
49. Nasty type: MEANIE.
50. Social media pic that may go viral: MEME.
51. Intrinsically: PER SE. Also the pricey restaurant.
56. Amtrak track: RAIL.
57. Talk Like a Pirate Day word: ARR.
58. Undoing: BANE.
61. Go head to head: VIE.
62. From sunup to sundown: ALL-DAY.
64. Afterwords: EPILOGS.
67. Greek goddess of wisdom: ATHENA.
69. Hawaiian staple: POI. I miss taro. Will venture out to that big Asian store once things get better here.
70. Gamer's complaint: LAG.
72. Arrived at, as a conclusion: DREW.
73. BuzzFeed reaction button: LOL.
75. Wears on: IRKS.
79. Dishes out incautiously: SLOPS. These umeboshi will be in my mouth next Saturday, hopefully.
81. Sister of Rachel: LEAH.
82. Mercedes-Benz sedan line: E CLASS. Dennis' car. Not sure what class his is. We also have 17. Discarded old PCs, say: E WASTE.
84. Put on: STAGE.
85. Should really: HAD BEST.
89. Type of drum or dance: CONGA.
90. Cassock wearer: PRIEST.
92. Long, long time: AEON.
93. Heavenly body?: ANGEL. Great clue.
94. Bear in Baja: OSO.
95. Seder staple: MATZO.
97. Pres. when Sputnik was launched: DDE.
103. Hindu teacher: SWAMI.
105. Rumble in the Jungle setting: ZAIRE.
107. Celtic Sea land, to the IOC: IRL. Ireland.
108. Hard end?: WARE. Hardware. TTP's domain.
111. Wonderland drink: TEA.
112. "I would consider __ honor": IT AN.
113. Backwoods type: YOKEL.
114. Self-referential "Don't you think?": AREN'T I.
115. Fizzy prefix: AER.
116. Flyers' org.: NHL.
117. Witherspoon of "Wild": REESE.
118. African pest: TSETSE. Hey, full name.
Down:
1. '70s music genre: DISCO.
2. Pie slices, often: OCTAD.
3. Water and air, e.g.: NEEDS.
Really dislike the hard water here in Minnesota. But the air is so
clean. I often take pretty cloud pictures and make my friend Lesley
jealous.
4. Peter the Great, e.g.: TSAR.
5. Strategy: GAME PLAN.
6. Be indebted to: OWE.
7. As expected: ON CUE.
8. Battery count: VOLTS.
9. Jai __: ALAI.
10. Ancient mariner's story, e.g.: RIME.
11. Positive answer: YES.
12. Besties: PALS.
13. Runner's __: HIGH.
14. Unfavorably: IN A BAD LIGHT. Partner with 63. Tina Fey's boss on "30 Rock": ALEC BALDWIN.
15. Feature of club nights for comic wannabes: OPEN MIC.
16. Main cast of "Parasite," e.g.: KOREANS. Just won Best Picture this year.
20. Finer-tipped: POINTIER.
23. Well-intentioned humanitarian: DO-GOODER.
28. Like a bairn: WEE.
29. Fried foods, vis-à-vis baked ones: OILIER. Popular breakfast fast when I grew up. Jayce loved You Tiao also.
32. Georgia airport code: ATL.
33. Dash in a spice rack?: MRS. Mrs. Dash.
35. Word rarely used without "far": AFIELD.
36. Living symbol of happiness: BLUEBIRD. "Blue birds singing a song. Nothing but blue skies from now on."
37. State tree of Massachusetts: ELM.
38. No-nonsense: STAID.
40. Undeserved punishments: BUM RAPS.
41. Rely heavily on: USE A LOT.
42. Hermanos, primas, etcétera: FAMILIA. Family. We also have 89. Bolivian bungalow: CASITA.
43. Ballet-inspired workout method: BARRE.
44. Oft-mispunctuated word: IT'S.
46. Time Person of the Year et al.: ANNUALS.
49. Compressed file format: MPEG.
51. Accounts __: PAYABLE.
52. Ski slope apparel: SNOWSUIT. Thought of Marti.
53. Stuff oneself silly: OVEREAT.
54. Connection: LINKAGE.
55. Pet control aids: LEASHES.
59. Tavern mugful: ALE.
65. Devices made largely obsolete by smartphones: PDAS.
66. NFL ref's review aid: SLO-MO.
68. Multinational hotel chain: HILTON. Hilton Xi'an.
71. Understand: GRASP.
74. Like many La Scala productions: OPERATIC.
77. Bookkeeper's book: LEDGER.
78. Ovarian hormone: ESTROGEN.
80. Rent: LET.
83. '60s protest gp.: SDS. Students for a Democratic Society.
84. Big bores: SNOOZERS.
85. Special guest, perhaps: HONOREE.
86. Like many Cubist paintings: ANGULAR.
87. Fair-hiring inits.: EEO.
88. "__ me!": SEZ.
91. Sorta cousin: ISH.
95. Former fillies: MARES.
96. More than enough: AMPLE.
97. "__ We Almost Have It All": DIDN'T.
98. Mildly annoyed cries: DRATS.
99. Unnerving: EERIE.
101. Swear words?: OATH.
102. River through Orsk: URAL.
103. Pump, e.g.: SHOE.
104. Aftermath: WAKE.
106. "Zip-__-Doo-Dah": A-DEE.
109. Home of many 2010s refugees: Abbr.: SYR.
110. Magician's source of surprises: HAT.
C.C.