23. "Match Game" host: ALEC BALDWIN.
29. The mariachi's guitarrón is one: ACOUSTIC BASS.
45. Whole Foods fruit: ORGANIC BANANAS.
66. Pollution concerns: PLASTIC BAGS.
72. Stretchable loop: ELASTIC BAND.
92. Widespread adverse reaction, as to a new policy: PUBLIC BACKLASH.
108. Item in Manet's "Luncheon on the Grass": PICNIC BASKET. Rich's clue. Vivid visual. Wish I had thought of it.
118. Pungent deli choice: GARLIC BAGEL.
Reveal:
114. Basics appearing in reverse in eight puzzle answers: ABCS.
Hope this one achieved the Gail Grabowski effect. Simple theme that's never been done. She made many of my favorite LAT puzzles.
Been a long time since I made a LAT Sunday. Good to be back to basics.
Across:
1. "True Detective," e.g.: DRAMA.
6. Worshippers of the sun god Inti: INCAS. Do you use "worshiper" or "worshippers"?
11. Chinese smartphone brand: OPPO. Ah, Rich's clue also. I'm surprised that he knows the brand. Not as big as Huawei or Xiaomi, but very well-known in China.
15. Organization with an ElderWatch program: AARP.
19. Dollar, to Enterprise: RIVAL.
20. Snookums: DEARY.
21. Rice, for one: CROP.
22. "That explains it": I SEE.
25. Arenal Volcano home: COSTA RICA.
27. Crash site?: BED.
28. Blonde __: ALE.
31. Settled on a papasan, say: SAT. Here is a nice papasan chair.
33. Senegalese-American actress __ Rae: ISSA. Her father is from Senegal.
.jpg)
36. Idealistic sort: DREAMER.
37. Stick up: ROB.
39. Taste in kombu kelp: UMAMI. Japanese and Koreans all use kelp or bonito or sardine for their stock. Umami-rich.
42. Team to play in SoFi Stadium: LA RAMS. SoFi Stadium is supposed to open in July 2020.
51. Do figure eights: SKATE.
53. Sarge's boss: LOOIE.
54. Unthinking: HASTY.
55. Preliminary race: HEAT.
58. Hungarian town known for its baroque buildings: EGER.
59. Bank transaction: LOAN.
60. Code creator: MORSE.
61. Comes to an end: CEASES.
63. Actress Vardalos: NIA.
64. Polite words while entering: AFTER YOU.
68. Cause of goosebumps, maybe: FEAR.
69. Called from the flock: BAAED.
71. Chip dip, casually: GUAC. Looks tasty.
76. Parents not related by blood: STEPDADS.
80. Bygone space station: MIR.
81. Last bit: TAG END.
82. Wealthy heir: SCION.
84. Mötley __: CRUE.
85. Press (down): TAMP.
87. Paleo __: DIET. Sounds better than keto diet. Still, I can't imagine a diet without lots of carbs.
88. Classic Ford, familiarly: STANG.
89. Stuffs to the gills: SATES.
90. Move furtively: SNEAK.
95. Off the mark: ERRANT.
98. Major artery: AORTA.
99. Well resource: OIL.
100. Iris rings: AREOLAS. Wish I had a better fill this area.
103. Beyoncé, to the Beyhive: IDOL.
105. "That's a shame": SAD.
113. Hamm from Alabama: MIA.
115. Black widow's creation: WEB.
117. Savory pastry: ONION TART. Well-caramelized.
122. Indian flatbread: ROTI.
123. Thickener in Asian desserts: AGAR. Our Asian grocery store is already selling the Florida lychees.
124. Rub it in: GLOAT.
125. Beckoning elision: C'MERE.
126. "Watermark" musician: ENYA.
127. Parks in American history: ROSA.
128. Snow vehicles: SLEDS.
129. Moving measurement: SPEED.
Down:
1. Uninteresting: DRAB.
2. Ticks off: RILES.
3. Minnesota-based cosmetics company: AVEDA. Shortened from "Ayurveda". Now owned by Estee Lauder. It's based in Blaine, MN. Not far from our home. The clue is Rich's also.
4. Big __: MAC.
5. The Honest Company co-founder Jessica: ALBA.
6. Lollygags: IDLES.
7. "Game of Thrones" patriarch Stark: NED.
8. Cornfield cry: CAW.
9. Diva's time to shine: ARIA.
10. Good thing for teammates to be in: SYNC.
11. Take place: OCCUR.
12. Everyday language: PROSE.
13. __ Service: POSTAL.
14. Kia sedan: OPTIMA.
15. Bus stopper: AIR BRAKE.
16. Iraq is about 1% of it: ASIA. Interesting trivia. Rich's clue also.
17. Suggestions, for short: RECS. Recommendations.
18. Samosa veggies: PEAS.
24. Excuse in court: ALIBI.
26. Taiwanese laptops: ACERS. Also our monitor. Great quality.
30. Father of Thor: ODIN.
32. Office newbies: TRAINEES.
34. Legacy creator: SUBARU.
35. Stockpile: AMASS.
38. Number of Scrabble X-tiles: ONE.
40. Initial fee: ANTE.
41. Star Wars Day month: MAY.
43. 805-year-old document: MAGNA CARTA.
44. "Shrek!" author William: STEIG.
45. Paella pot: OLLA.
46. Place for solar panels: ROOF.
47. Billy's caretaker: GOAT FARMER.
48. High-fashion shoemaker Jimmy: CHOO. His original name is Chow, but misspelled on his birth certificate as Choo. Jimmy Choo is Malaysian Chinese. Chow, Chou, Zhou are all the same Chinese character. So Zhou qin = Chou Chin (C.C.).
49. Winning: AHEAD.
50. They're often choppy: SEAS.
52. Periods of note: ERAS.
56. Winter hrs. in Halifax: AST.
57. "Lip Sync Battle" commentator Chrissy: TEIGEN. Married to John Legend.
60. Numerous: MYRIAD.
61. A.L. Central team: CLE.
62. Fish commonly known as a porgy: SCUP.
65. Band named for a rodent: RATT. Rich added the "rodent" hint.
66. Launch site: PAD.
67. They might be game changers: BAD CALLS.
69. Language group including Zulu: BANTU.
70. Furthermore: AND.
72. Defib experts: EMTS.
73. "Big Little Lies" novelist Moriarty: LIANE. Here she is with Reese Witherspoon plays a main character in the TV series.
74. Sci-fi film FX: CGI.
75. Clown car noise: BEEP.
76. Mythical mariner: SINBAD.
77. Forum wrap: TOGA.
78. Cost of belonging: DUES.
79. Meeting, casually: SESH. Session.
82. Tend to the sauce: STIR.
83. Mojave natives: CACTI.
86. "Knowing all the facts": Woody Allen: PARANOIA. Also Rich's clue.
88. __-pitch: SLO.
89. Stick in the snow: SKI.
91. "Grant County" crime novelist Slaughter: KARIN. She also wrote "Pieces of Her".
93. Lie in the sun: BASK.
94. Baby's ailment: COLIC.
96. Hummingbird food: NECTAR.
97. Island near Trinidad: TOBAGO.
101. "__ Theme": "Doctor Zhivago" tune: LARA'S. "Doctor Zhivago" is such a classic.
102. Stars, to Cicero: ASTRA.
104. Skips: OMITS.
106. "Shucks!": AW GEE.
107. Tractor giant: DEERE.
108. Study, with "over": PORE.
109. Privy to: IN ON.
110. __ limits: CITY.
111. Breakfast staple: EGGS. Not in our home. Boomer's breakfast is always cold cereal. I've been on a red bean congee kick.
112. 12 ounces, at Starbucks: TALL.
116. Ran: BLED.
119. Blini topping: ROE.
120. Young chap: LAD.
121. Increase, with "up": AMP.
Best wishes for Abejo in your cancer treatments in the next few weeks. Boomer had some bad side effects, but his pain subsided considerably after the radiation.
Take good care of yourself, Agnes (the other April 5 baby on our blog), you were brave to get yourself into the house.
C.C.
