Theme: "Building Vocabulary" - The first word is a building tool.
21A. Low-tech iCloud precursor: FILE CABINET.
23A. Supreme effort: LEVEL BEST.
43A. Boot camp bigwig: DRILL SERGEANT.
65A. Billowy attire named for an early rapper: HAMMER PANTS.
88A. '60s-'70s NBC News White House correspondent: SANDER VANOCUR. Unfamiliar to me.
112A. Flier's concern: PLANE FARE.
32D. Place to spin your wheels: ROLLER RINK. (Thanks for catching my misses, Bob)
49D. One of two for a positive number: SQUARE ROOT.
Another great title!
Splynter,
our master carpenter, once proposed this theme to me. I said there was
no hope as Rich had done this puzzle before. He was so disappointed.
Shows you how much I know.
Across:
1. Embarrassment: SHAME.
6. Multi-purpose cotton wad: SWAB.
10. Knack: APTITUDE.
18. Metric weights: KILOS.
19. Baba ghanoush bread: PITA. Never had baba ghanoush. Not fond of eggplants.
10. Knack: APTITUDE.
18. Metric weights: KILOS.
19. Baba ghanoush bread: PITA. Never had baba ghanoush. Not fond of eggplants.
20. Pals: PAISANOS. Probably same root.
24. Like some wells: ARTESIAN.
25. Kind of case or law: FEDERAL.
26. Batman and Robin, e.g.: DUO.
27. Loses it: GETS MAD.
31. Savvy: SMARTS.
35. Dignify: ENNOBLE.
39. Because of: OWING TO.
42. Historic trail terminus: Abbr.: ORE. Oregon.
46. Game whose "Discover the Secrets" version includes a baseball bat and a dumbbell: CLUE.
47. Half of ASAP: AS SOON. Rare 6-letter partial.
50. Voyaging: ASEA.
51. Obstructed the progress of: DERAILED.
53. Literally, Latin for "it follows": SEQUITUR. Non-.
55. Org. concerned with alleys: PBA. This is going to be a long winter for Boomer. He really misses bowling and his friends.
57. Late bloomers: ASTERS.
58. Shell for a crew: SCULL.
59. Mount once called Tacoma: RAINIER.
63. Stimulant: UPPER. I did not know "upper" has this meaning.
64. Org. with a lot of baggage?: TSA.
67. Friend of TV's Sheldon: RAJ. "The Big Bang Theory".
25. Kind of case or law: FEDERAL.
26. Batman and Robin, e.g.: DUO.
27. Loses it: GETS MAD.
31. Savvy: SMARTS.
35. Dignify: ENNOBLE.
39. Because of: OWING TO.
42. Historic trail terminus: Abbr.: ORE. Oregon.
46. Game whose "Discover the Secrets" version includes a baseball bat and a dumbbell: CLUE.
47. Half of ASAP: AS SOON. Rare 6-letter partial.
50. Voyaging: ASEA.
51. Obstructed the progress of: DERAILED.
53. Literally, Latin for "it follows": SEQUITUR. Non-.
55. Org. concerned with alleys: PBA. This is going to be a long winter for Boomer. He really misses bowling and his friends.
57. Late bloomers: ASTERS.
58. Shell for a crew: SCULL.
59. Mount once called Tacoma: RAINIER.
63. Stimulant: UPPER. I did not know "upper" has this meaning.
64. Org. with a lot of baggage?: TSA.
67. Friend of TV's Sheldon: RAJ. "The Big Bang Theory".
70. Entangle ... or disentangle, oddly: RAVEL. Indeed.
73. Welcomed at the door: ASKED IN.
74. VP before Gerald: SPIRO.
76. "Blue" or "Red" cattle dog: HEELER.
78. Uncertain sounds: UMS.
79. Bygone data entry method: KEYPUNCH. Not familiar to me either.
81. Seat sometimes spun: BAR STOOL.
83. Crunchy salad bit: BACO.
86. Try to influence: WORK ON.
87. Novel of the South Seas: OMOO.
92. Icky stuff: GOO.
93. Dawdles: TARRIES.
94. Dabs with a towel: PATS DRY. I love this microfiber cloth.
74. VP before Gerald: SPIRO.
76. "Blue" or "Red" cattle dog: HEELER.
78. Uncertain sounds: UMS.
79. Bygone data entry method: KEYPUNCH. Not familiar to me either.
81. Seat sometimes spun: BAR STOOL.
83. Crunchy salad bit: BACO.
86. Try to influence: WORK ON.
87. Novel of the South Seas: OMOO.
92. Icky stuff: GOO.
93. Dawdles: TARRIES.
94. Dabs with a towel: PATS DRY. I love this microfiber cloth.
98. Recorded: ON TAPE.
102. Like original Matchbox cars: DIECAST.
104. Dorm VIPs: RAS.
105. Cause __: icon: CELEBRE. I always thought "cause célèbre" as an issue.
108. Material used to make cans: TINPLATE.
118. Air: TELEVISE.
119. Green Gables girl: ANNE.
120. Tee off: ANGER.
121. Blue: SADDENED.
122. Big name in little trains: TYCO.
123. Eye drops: TEARS.
Down:
1. Winter resort feature: SKI RUN.
2. Big name in hotels: HILTON. Ages ago I brought my grandma to Hilton Xi'an and ordered her some French fries at a bar inside. Her first taste of western food.
2. Big name in hotels: HILTON. Ages ago I brought my grandma to Hilton Xi'an and ordered her some French fries at a bar inside. Her first taste of western food.
3. Toward the sheltered side: ALEE.
4. Hang-around-the-house footwear: MOCS.
5. Morales of "NYPD Blue": ESAI.
6. Willpower: SPINE.
7. Prevail: WIN.
8. Scarfed down: ATE. My grandma often made me veggie dumplings when I came back home from college every Friday evening. She loved seeing me wolfing down those dumplings. They're very time-consuming.
9. Cave dweller: BAT.
10. Did a takeoff on: APED.
11. Upgrade, as a dirt driveway: PAVE.
12. Levels: TIERS.
13. Muhammad's religion: ISLAM. And 60. Mosque leader: IMAM.
14. Drum with a sitar: TABLA.
15. Parisian article: UNE. Chinese is much simpler. No Une/Un confusion.
16. They're allowed: DOS.
17. Rough no.: EST.
21. Wither away: FADE.
22. Deli bread: BAGEL. And 65. Subs: HEROS.
23. Projecting shelf: LEDGE.
25. Canine found in cats: FANG.
28. Turn partner: TOSS.
29. Popeye's __'Pea: SWEE.
30. Juan's "Look!": MIRA.
33. More accurate: TRUER.
34. Ranked tournament players: SEEDS.
36. Two-time N.L. batting champ Lefty: O'DOUL. Gosh I miss the old blog format. It was much easier to insert a picture at the correct spot.
37. Swelter: BROIL.
38. Buildup in a trap: LINT.
40. Triumphant cry: TA DA.
41. Indivisible: ONE.
44. QB Jared Goff, e.g.: LA RAM. Jared Goff is the only LA Rams player I know.
45. Snares: TRAPS.
46. Ticket: CITE.
47. Second in command: Abbr.: ASST.
48. "Just a few __": SECS.
52. Venomous snake: ASP.
54. River through Kazakhstan: URAL.
55. Le Pew of toons: PEPE.
56. Bit of finishing hardware: BRAD.
61. Urquhart Castle's loch: NESS. Here's the castle.
63. Eric who founded a reader: UTNE. The Utne Reader.
66. F-series camera maker: NIKON.
68. West Coast gas brand: ARCO.
69. Doe in many films: JOHN.
71. Plus: ALSO.
72. Review for accuracy: VET.
74. Word heard twice in "I'm a Little Teapot": SPOUT. Great clue angle.
75. Runs smoothly: PURRS.
76. WarnerMedia streaming service recently retired in the U.S.: HBO GO. Replace by HBO Max? We don't have HBO at home.
77. Former Irish leader de Valera: EAMON.
80. Org. with an annual Week Without Violence: YWCA.
82. Muesli morsel: OAT.
83. Cheese on crackers: BRIE.
84. With, on la carte: AVEC.
85. Hombre's home: CASA.
89. Death Row Records co-founder: DR DRE.
90. Southernmost Great Lake: ERIE.
91. Vision-related: OPTIC.
95. Don or Betty on "Mad Men": DRAPER.
96. Top-10 list makers: RATERS.
97. WWI battle river: YSER.
99. Afflicted with a breakout: ACNED.
100. Tick off: PEEVE.
101. Tiny: ELFIN.
103. Fifth cen. pope called "The Great": ST LEO.
106. Effortlessness: EASE. So what detergent or hack do you use to clean your shower liner?
107. Raised: BRED.
109. Cartographer's abbr.: N LAT. North Latitude.
110. Chris who plays Kirk in three "Star Trek" films: PINE.
111. Babe Zaharias is a charter member of its HOF: LPGA.
112. NFL stat: PTS.
113. Grassy plain: LEA.
114. City council rep.: ALD.
115. __ Geo: NAT.
116. "__ thoughts?": ANY.
117. Business mag: INC.
C.C.
