Theme: "Oh, That Changes Things!" - O sound is added to the end of each common phrase, changing spelling as needed.
25A. Sketching an infamous emperor?: DRAWING NERO. Drawing near.
27A. Outdoor barbecue area for wings?: CHICKEN PATIO. Chicken patty.
48A. iPad, iPod and iPhone?: APPLE TRIO. Apple tree.
71A. Theme park beast, perhaps?: ARTIFICIAL HIPPO. Artificial hip.
97A. Intoxicated to the point at which getting a tattoo sounds like a good idea?: INK BLOTTO. Ink blot.
121A. 100 centavos?: CHANGE OF PESO. Change of pace.
123A. Twin peaks?: MOUNTAIN DUO. Mountain Dew.
3D. On one's own?: LIVING SOLO. Living soul.
80D. Spur-of-the-moment Tinder profile?: IMPULSE BIO. Impulse buy.
We've had a few O addition themes, but I don't remember one with spelling changes in the end. You need creativity and imagination for this type of theme.
Quite theme-heavy, with 9 entries. Two of Down entries
intersect two Across ones. I like when this happens. It eases the
gridding, thought at times it creates fill constraints.
Across:
4. Takes steps: ACTS.
8. Takes time drinking: NURSES. And 22. Whiskey cocktail: SOUR. And 103. Martini go-with?: ROSSI. Vermouth.
14. Tiff: SPAT.
20. Dory, e.g.: BOAT.
21. Pricing word: A PIECE. Moe just explained this two days ago.
23. "Must-see" review: RAVE.
24. Cheese with an edible rind: BRIE.
30. Loses it: GOES MAD.
31. Yemen's capital: SANAA. Vowel-rich.
32. Conger catchers: EELERS. Vowel-rich.
33. Georgia et al., once: SSRS. We also have 99. Blog feed letters: RSS. 135. WWII spy org.: OSS. And 4. IRS ID's: SSNS.
34. More coarse, as sandpaper: GRITTIER.
36. Named time span: ERA.
38. Big brand in card collections: TOPPS. I think this is the most expensive Topps card.
43. Stubborn equine: ASS.
45. Albany is its cap.: NYS.
46. Brave opponent: RED. Atalanta Braves. Cincinnati Reds.
51. More relaxed: LOOSER.
53. "Word on the street is ... ": SOME SAY.
56. Shirt named for a game: POLO.
57. Land: ACREAGE. Santa still owned his childhood land when he passed away.
61. Grassy plain: LEA.
63. Admit, with "to": COP.
64. Never again: NO LONGER.
66. Ragout, e.g.: STEW. Never made this.
69. Leaves alone: STETS.
78. Spot in the Senate: SEAT.
79. Tattoo target: BARE SKIN. This is pretty.
82. Road sign caution: SLO.
83. Great Lakes' __ Canals: SOO.
86. More inclined: STEEPER.
88. Gym site: YMCA.
90. Scarlett's plantation: TARA.
92. Windpipe: TRACHEA.
95. Woodlouse, e.g.: ISOPOD.
101. Simple sack: COT.
102. Play for a sap: USE.
104. Cries of pain: OWS.
109. Chowder morsel: CLAM. And 112. Iced pastry: ECLAIR.
114. Dukes seen in fights: FISTS. Not the noble Dukes. The slang for "fists".
117. Paradise: ELYSIUM.
126. Genetic lab samples: DNAS. Iffy in plural.
127. Support beam: I BAR.
128. Stallion's mate: MARE.
130. Notes after fa: SO LA.
131. Tabloid fodder: DIRT.
132. Start to build a pot: ANTE.
133. Navy builder: SEABEE.
134. __ child: ONLY. China ended its one-child policy in 2015. It started in 1979. Now it's two-child policy.
Down:
2. City on the Missouri: OMAHA. The Steaks!
4. French cleric: ABBE.
5. Trumpet kin: CORNETS.
6. Where Chiang ruled from 1950 on: TAIPEI. Chiang Kai-shek. Here with his wife Soong Mei-ling.
7. Thief: STEALER.
8. Rock bottom: NADIR.
9. Revolted: UPROSE.
10. Coastal inlet: RIA.
11. Work on a seam, say: SEW.
12. Vaping products, briefly: E-CIGS.
13. Man of La Mancha: SENOR.
15. Hardy work: POEM.
16. Certain something: AURA.
17. Walked over: TROD.
19. Aptly named Renault: LE CAR.
26. Chansons de __: medieval French poems: GESTE. Learning moment for me.
33. Weakens: SAPS.
35. Coup target, perhaps: TYRANT.
40. Number on a tag: PRICE.
41. __ noir: PINOT.
42. Bars not for drinking: SOAPS. Cute clue.
43. Swiss peak: ALP.
44. In a bit: SOON.
47. One watching a shepherd, say: DOG SITTER.
49. Amigo: PAL.
50. Cleaning chemical: LYE.
52. Renewable energy choice: SOLAR.
54. Physical opening: META. Metaphysical.
58. Some Hollywood FX: CGI.
59. Court arbiters: REFS. Basketball court.
60. Toledo's lake: ERIE.
62. Snakes in hieroglyphics: ASPS.
65. Valuable rocks: ORES.
67. River to the North Sea: ELBE.
68. Hard-hitting sound: WHAP.
70. Ginza locale: TOKYO. Good old pre-COVID days.
72. Wallet contents: CASH.
73. Wrath: IRE.
74. J.R.R. Tolkien feature: PERIOD.
75. Up: ASTIR.
76. Peruvian plain: LLANO.
77. Travelers' decision points: FORKS.
81. Sgts. and such: NCOS.
84. Plains tribe: OTO.
85. Leftover morsel: ORT.
87. California locale where "Maria Maria" fell in love, in a Santana hit: EAST LA. "Oh Maria Maria/ She fell in love in East L.A./To the sounds of the guitar, yeah, yeah/Played by Carlos Santana..."
89. Vitamin C source: ADE.
91. Six-pack contents?: ABS.
93. Speck: ATOM.
94. Legendary fire starter: COW. Mrs. O'Leary's cow.
96. Office group: STAFF.
98. Permissible: LICIT.
100. Son-of-a-gun: SO AND SO.
101. It makes everything better, purportedly: CURE-ALL.
105. Safe and sound: SECURE.
107. Filet __: MIGNON.
108. Fat, say: LIPID.
110. Hawaiian feasts: LUAUS. That's poi in front, right? I eat taro often. Never tried poi.
111. Nitrogen compound: AMINE.
113. Selected: CHOSE.
115. Rulers before the Bolsheviks: TSARS.
116. Gets ready to file: SORTS.
117. Jane Austen novel: EMMA.
118. Student __: LOAN. Thankfully Chinese government paid for my college education.
119. Mongolian tent: YURT.
120. "The Mikado" weapon, briefly: SNEE.
122. Anthem opener: O SAY.
124. Eavesdropping org.: NSA.
125. Young socialite: DEB.
C.C.
