23. Dressed like the winning coach after the traditional ice bath?: IN A COLD SWEATER. In a cold sweat.
32. Pantry nook for chewy candies?: CARAMEL CORNER. Caramel corn.
52. Fudd, when being elusive?: SLIPPERY ELMER. Slippery elm.
69. Shoe that's really not better-than-none?: HALF A LOAFER. Half a loaf.
92. Regret losing one's straw hat?: MISS THE BOATER. Miss the boat.
103. Got a Mini airborne?: FLEW THE COOPER. Flew the coop.
121. Life-size cutout to promote "Rocky"?: CARDBOARD BOXER. Cardboard box.
Very consistent theme set. All ER end in the end and all the new ER words share no root with the original ER-less word.
A few strays ERs in the grid (58. One giving you a hand: DEALER. - 63. Diamond smash: LINER. StrayStray ER 95. Word with cut or crust: UPPER. 18D. Gradually become narrower: TAPER. 68D. Meal involving charoseth, a symbolic fruit paste: SEDER.) It's doable without them, but the fill would have been quite strained at times.
Across:
1. Human embodiment: AVATAR.
7. Prefix with -mance: BRO. Bromance.
10. Hat often with a pompon: TAM.
13. 45-Across landing site: ARARAT. 45. 13-Across lander: ARK.
19. Chef's asset: PALATE. Followed by 20. Musician's asset: EAR. And 31. Artist's asset: EYE.
21. Command for DDE: ETO. European Theater of Operations.
22. Caviar choice: BELUGA.
26. Short revitalizer: CATNAP.
27. Balloon operator: AERONAUT.
28. Boorish: CRASS.
30. Take forcefully: SEIZE.
35. Remarkable deed: FEAT. And 39. Really stood out: SHONE.
 |
| 90-year old |
41. Forsaken: LORN.
42. Quenya and Sindarin are forms of it: ELVISH. "The Lord of the Rings".
46. Hurry-scurry: HASTE.
48. Foolish: DAFT.
55. Café haunter, say: HABITUE.
57. In reserve: TO SPARE.
60. Watchword: MANTRA.
61. Popular video-sharing app, familiarly: INSTA. Instagram.
65. Salty drops: TEARS.
66. "That __ fun!": WAS.
73. Cover-crop grass: RYE.
74. Wide-mouthed pitchers: EWERS.
77. Heath growth also called furze: GORSE.
78. Treats with scorn: SNUBS.
81. Part of LPGA: LADIES.
83. Rowland Macy's inspiration for the red star logo: TATTOO. Interesting trivia.
86. Eliciting feeling: EMOTIVE.
90. Bridge framework: TRESTLE.
94. Dried-up: SERE. Classic crosswordese.
97. Triumphant cry: AHA.
98. Matters of degrees: ANGLES.
99. On the main: ASEA.
100. Important figure in pro sports: AGENT. One of the most famous: Mark Steinberg.
102. Otherwise: ELSE.
109. Eng. majors' degrees: BAs.
112. Emmy-winning legal drama: LA LAW.
113. Military uniform material: SERGE.
114. Wide view: PANORAMA.
119. Fashion photographer Richard: AVEDON. Google shows that he took this picture.
124. Establishment with tastings: WINERY.
125. Had a bite: ATE.
126. Personal: OWN.
127. Live: RESIDE.
128. Impertinent in tone: SNARKY.
129. High-__ monitor: RES.
130. First word of Burns' "To a Mouse": WEE. No idea. I only understand two words from the first line.
131. Removes permanently: ERASES.
Down:
1. Samoan capital: APIA.
2. Spinner in the wind: VANE.
3. Banned apple spray: ALAR. Now I can stop eating apples for a few months. Peaches, nectarines are here.
4. Tuesday special, in many eateries: TACO.
5. Make amends: ATONE.
6. __ race: RELAY.
7. Correspondence sign-off: BEST.
8. Untrained or undressed: RAW.
9. Source of metal: ORE.
10. Brightly colored fish: TETRA.
11. Starters: A TEAM.
12. Juicy tidbits: MORSELS. My friend Carmen just got a big crate of seedless lychees. Freshly picked from a farm an hour away from her home. Amazing. Hopefully our Asian market will import them someday. I just love lychees.
13. Epitome of simplicity: ABC.
14. Logician's asset: REASON.
15. Change: ALTER.
16. Altercation: RUN IN.
17. Unblinking: AGAZE. And 71. Moving about: ASTIR.
24. Union __: DUES.
25. 160 square rods: ACRE.
29. One just hanging in the forest: SLOTH.
32. Removed the center from: CORED. Lychees normally have big seeds.
33. It's not uncommon to twist it: ANKLE.
34. Skincare aid: CREAM.
35. Slug follower?: FEST. Slugfest.
36. Cockney greeting: ELLO.
37. "It's Your Space" sloganeer: AVIS.
38. Hedren of "The Birds": TIPPI. Never saw "The Birds".
40. Something to make on a sunny day?: HAY.
43. Nine-inch measure: SPAN.
44. Investigative journalist Seymour: HERSH. Quite controversial. He uses lots of anonymous sources.
46. Sun: Pref.: HELIO.
47. Area of conflict: ARENA.
48. Enjoy a meal: DINE.
49. Rose petal perfume: ATTAR.
50. Like some friends: FURRY.
51. Play an April Fool's joke on, say: TEASE.
53. Attach a new label to: RE-TAG.
54. Polo clubs: MALLETS. And 56. Baseball club: BAT.
59. Whistle blowers: REFS.
62. Tons: A LOT.
64. Two-time Oscar winner Zellweger: RENEE.
66. Shoemaker's strips: WELTS.
67. Up on the latest info: AWARE.
70. Set up for the fall: FRAME.
72. Cuban dance: RUMBA.
75. Become visible on the horizon: RISE.
76. Chess __: SET.
79. Timely benefit: BOON.
80. Soliloquy site: STAGE.
82. Partly melted snow: SLUSH.
84. "Middle Waters" tribe: OSAGE. Does "Middle Waters" refer to this book?
85. Different: OTHER.
87. "__ just take a minute": IT'LL.
88. Two-finger signs: VEES.
89. Scots Gaelic: ERSE.
91. Fencing gear: EPEES.
93. Flying Solo?: HAN. Nice clue.
96. Leader of the track: PACE CAR.
99. Where time cards are punched: AT WORK.
100. Copied: APED.
101. Way up the slope: T BAR.
103. Defects: FLAWS.
104. Linda of "Alice": LAVIN.
105. 2010 Barack appointee: ELENA.
106. Shorebird: WADER.
107. Speak loftily: ORATE.
108. Fairy tale beasts: OGRES.
110. Travel guide co-founder Michelin: ANDRE. I did not know his given name.
111. Not high: SOBER.
114. Sheet in a window: PANE.
115. Activist Parks: ROSA.
116. Graph line: AXIS.
117. Ancient Persian: MEDE. You can read more here. They lived in Media.
118. "Iliad" war god: ARES.
120. Bronx Bombers, on scoreboards: NYY.
122. Knot on a gift: BOW.
123. "I __ you one!": OWE.
C.C.
