Theme: "Ch-ch-ch-changes" - CH is added to each familiar phrase.
23. Headline announcing Thomas Kingsford's 1842 process?: A STARCH IS BORN. A Start is Born. Thomas Kingsford was a former chemist who invented a process for manufacturing corn starch. Learning moment for me.
37. Breakfast product made from trees?: ALL BRANCH CEREAL. All-bran cereal.
49. Place for the good guys?: MENSCH ROOM. Men's room.
66. Mad Hatter's cup?: CHALICE IN WONDERLAND. Alice in Wonderland.
79. Apex predator at the feeder?: SHARK FINCH. Shark fin. Shark fin soup is special treat during Chinese New Year.
90. Literary slugger making cookies?: CASEY AT THE BATCH. Casey at the Bat. "... but there is no joy in Mudville — mighty Casey has struck out."
109. What keeps the church singers healthy?: CHORAL HYGIENE. Oral hygiene.
Looks like it's a debut for Joe Grzybowski. Most constructors start making weekday puzzles first, as Sunday puzzles are just tough to fill. Amazing achievement!
And Joe gave us a 138-worder. Our norm is 144 words.
Across:
1. Respectfully tip: DOFF. Boomer always tips his hat at others in our walks.
5. Shopper's delight: SALE. 17. 5-Across alert: AS IS.
9. Four-time NFL Pro Bowl safety __ Chancellor: KAM. Dr. Ed just mentioned limiting proper names in his grids. We get quite a few today: 15. Newscaster Lindström: PIA. 18. Garfield's foil: ODIE. 77. Field and Ride: SALLYS. One more plural: 52. Cook Paula et al.: DEENS. 97. Soong __-ling: Madame Chiang: MEI. 102. Composer Saint-Saëns: CAMILLE. 119. 2000 Peace Prize recipient Kim __-jung: DAE. 5. Vanzetti's partner: SACCO. 25. __ Bigelow, echoically nicknamed 20th-century wrestler: BAMBAM. 32. Somali-born supermodel: IMAN. 42. Former NPR host Hansen: LIANE. 45. "SNL" alumna Oteri: CHERI. 59. Astronaut Wally: SCHIRRA 56. Half-elf married to Aragorn: ARWEN.61. Turner on a screen: LANA. 68. Pulitzer-winning Chicago journalist Mike: ROYKO. 73. Exiled religious leader: DALAI LAMA. 79. "The Blacklist" star: SPADER. 84. Actress Lamarr: HEDY.100. ESPN journalist Kenny: MAYNE. Most are common, some are tough.
12. Computer addresses: Abbr.: IPS. Just google "What's my IP address" (Internet Protocol), you'll find yours.
19. Elemental bit: ATOM.
20. Street in Montréal: RUE.
21. Farm equipment: SEEDERS.
26. Peak in Exod.: MT SINAI.
27. Speeds: RACES.
28. Poet's "in a trice": ANON. Or some nice commenters on our blog. I can recognize Vidvan's voice in a few. The amount of stuff he know!
29. Secret supplies: STASHES.
30. English cheese town: STILTON. So, Chairman Moe, is my bottle of wine dead also? It's a special gift from Jimmy B. I thought we could just age it.
33. Ovid work: AMORES. "To be loved, be lovable".
35. The Beatles' "__ Loser": I'M A.
36. Gimlet garnish: LIME.
43. "Hold your horses!": IN A SEC.
46. Approx. landing time: ETA.
47. Carnival city: RIO.
48. Mid-12th-century date: MCLI. 1,151.
51. Tissue swellings: EDEMAS. And 54. Medical suffix: OMA.
55. Little laughs: HEES. And 95. Conniving laugh: HEH HEH.
56. From the top: ANEW.
57. Ancient German: TEUTON.
59. Eye layer: SCLERA.
62. Fast-food franchise started in Rocky Mount, NC: HARDEE'S. Never been to one.
65. Do penance: ATONE.
69. Pants fabric: CHINO.
70. Tops that bare arms and midriffs: HALTERS.
71. Bites: NOSHES.
72. __ vinegar: OIL AND. Rare 6-letter partial.
74. Secluded valley: GLEN.
75. Lad in Limerick: BOYO. A boy or a lad. Learning moment for me as well.
76. MD's request: MRI.
85. Gets steamed: IRES. Gluey.
87. Golfer's concern: LIE. Uphill lie. Downhill lie.
88. Part of a split: PIN.
89. Worth remembering: OF NOTE.
96. Email button: SEND.
98. All but one of the balls in 9-Ball: SOLIDS.
99. D.C.'s __ Row: EMBASSY.
106. Lift one's spirits?: TOPE. Liquor "spirits". Here's the popular Chinese cooking "spirits".
107. Bike part: CHAIN.
108. Low-tech traveler's reference: US ATLAS.
114. Puts on a pedestal: ESTEEMS.
115. Give a leg up: AID.
116. Legal claim: LIEN.
117. Promo on the tube: TV AD.
118. Sault __ Marie: STE.
120. Apt. listing abbr.: RMS.
121. Pain in the neck, e.g.: ACHE. Ouch, ATLGranny. Wish you a quick recovery.
122. Evergreen shrubs: YEWS. Oh, my friend Carmen just sent me
this picture of her visiting the chrysanthemum flower show in Guangzhou
yesterday. Life there has been back to normal for a few months. Malls,
parks, restaurants are all crowded. Same in Xi'an.
Down:
1. __ double take: DO A.
2. Consumes to excess, briefly: ODS.
3. It's thrown in anger: FIT.
4. Courageous: FEARLESS.
6. Greek goddess of wisdom: ATHENA.
7. Daily Planet name: LOIS. Lane.
8. Ambulance initials: EMS.
9. Swedish monetary units: KRONOR. But Sweden is an EU remember. Odd that they don't use euros.
10. Second-largest Illinois city: AURORA.
11. Skin Bracer maker: MENNEN. Aftershave.
12. Beliefs: ISMS.
13. Ruffled-edge underskirt: PETTICOAT.
14. Kind of oil used in hummus: SESAME. I saw a bottle of chickpea miso at our local grocery store the other day. I was surprised.
15. Phnom __: PENH.
16. Wrath, in a hymn: IRAE.
22. Win over: DISARM.
24. Informer: RAT.
30. Remote: SLIM. As chance.
31. Spork prong: TINE.
33. Voice above tenor: ALTO.
34. Attached with spiral hardware: SCREWED.
38. Many August births: LEOS.
39. That guy: HIM.
40. Transition area between plant communities: ECOTONE. See this.
41. Nuts that put the joy in candy bars?: ALMONDS. Almond Joy.
44. Levels of authority: ECHELONS.
50. Get to: REACH. Rich allows stray letters in fill. Two extra CHs in this grid.
51. Home of the Ewoks: ENDOR.
53. Closes securely: SEALS OFF.
58. Home of Canyonlands National Park: UTAH.
60. Habaneros and jalapeños: CHILIES. I can handle a few slices of jalapeños.
62. Like sledding terrain: HILLY.
63. Feeds the pot: ANTES.
64. Tijuana mister: SENOR.
67. Aerie newcomers: EAGLETS.
69. Demetri Martin, e.g.: COMIC.
75. Judge's seat: BANC.
78. Ignited: LIT.
80. Top numbers: HITS. Nice clue.
81. Extreme foolishness: INSANITY.
82. Negatives: NOES.
83. UPS boxes: CTNS.
86. Arab or Hebrew: SEMITE. Also 93. Hebrew God: ELOHIM.
91. Showed anger, perhaps: YELLED.
92. Wheels involved in a crime, maybe: HOT CAR.
94. Two-legged supports: BIPODS.
101. Trending: BIG.
102. Lines before yours, say: CUES.
103. Admin. aide: ASST.
104. Pal: MATE.
105. Latin 101 verb: ESSE.
107. __ Stic: retractable Bic pen: CLIC.
110. In the manner of: ALA.
111. Night before the big day: EVE.
112. Rural regrets: NAW.
113. Magazine VIPs: EDS.
C.C.
