Sunday, April 4, 2021 Ed Sessa

Theme: "Key Characters" - Various keyboard characters are hidden inside theme entry.

23A. Was in the running for: HAD A SHOT AT.

42A. City planner's concern: URBAN GROWTH.

50A. Like much jewelry, in ads: FINE QUALITY.

68A. Ball of fire: HUMAN DYNAMO.

77A. Prom invitation: CARE TO DANCE?

100A. Colorful top: ALOHA SHIRT.

17D. Monets, Manets, etc.: IMPRESSIONIST ART.

36D. Marriage phrase from the Book of Common Prayer: TIL DEATH DO US PART

All these hidden words are characters above the numbers on my keyboard. Super consistent. I did not know that exclamation point is also called a BANG. 

Lots of sparkly fill in this puzzle. Ed is also a very accomplished themeless constructor, hence our treat today.

Across:

1. Happening now and then: OCCASIONAL. When do we see a 10-letter start in a 21x21 grid?  More often it's 3, 4 or 5.

11. Support for an injured limb: SLING.

16. Oz traveler: LION. The Cowardly Lion.

20. Hybrid citrus fruit: CLEMENTINE. Not as good as sumo oranges.

21. Edmonton NHLer: OILER.

22. Terse rejection: UM NO.

24. Like some prophets: FALSE.

25. Compressed video format: MPEG.

26. They show off pedicures: OPEN TOES. Pretty. Subtle.

27. Part of 32-Down: TRANS. And 32. Pride initialism: LGBTQ.

29. Oddball: WEIRDO.

31. Reps' rivals: DEMS.

32. Girl in Byron's "Don Juan": LEILA. Google shows that "Leila is a ten-year-old Turkish orphan whose parents have been killed during the assault on the Turkish fortress of Ismail."

33. Steak __: DIANE.

34. Small size: PETITE.

37. Have a meeting of the minds: AGREE.

38. Boxes for drawers?: PEN CASES. Draw-ers. Nice clue.

41. Drops from the sky: RAIN.

44. Muppet chimp __ Minella: SAL.

45. Gawk at: OGLE.

46. Move lightly: FLIT.

47. Snack often eaten inside-out: OREO.

48. City with a notable tower: PISA. Thought I had a Picard Pisa pic. Tends out it's the Eiffel Tower.

49. Bring together: WED.

54. Anchored floats: BUOYS.

55. Like some FBI security scans: RETINAL.

57. Country house: VILLA.

58. Miley's Montana: HANNAH. How things have changed.

59. Falcon's nest: AERIE.

60. "Congrats!": KUDOS.

61. Prefix with grade: CENTI.

62. Bowl-making tools: LATHES.

64. Pass on: RELAY.

65. Kind of offer that avoids financing: ALL-CASH. Our farmers market guys only accept cash. I love going there in the summer.

67. Old-time anesthetic: ETHER.

70. Longtime Cracker Jack prize: TOY.

72. Second: AIDE.

73. Critical juncture: CUSP.

74. Broadcasts: AIRS.

75. Bar codes?: LAWS.

76. Gaza Strip gp.: PLO. Palestine Liberation Organization.

81. Canal that roughly parallels I-90 in New York: ERIE.

82. Ones who have class: STUDENTS. Another nice clue.

84. "Merci," in Mainz: DANKE.

85. Palace prankster: JESTER.

87. Delta deposits: SILTS.

88. __ Ababa: ADDIS.

89. Spam holders: TINS. Canned pork. Not the junk. Spam was invented in Minnesota of course.

90. Incendiary fuel: NAPALM.

92. Fix, as a printer: UNJAM.

93. One of Nolan Ryan's seven: NO HITTER.

97. Rights activist Clooney: AMAL. Here with her husband George Clooney.

98. "__ you!": fashion compliment: IT'S SO.

102. Paltry: MERE.

103. "I Am the Walrus" was one: SIDE B.

104. Emulated the wealthy: LIVED LARGE. Another great 10.

105. Abbr. on a cornerstone: ESTD.

106. Crofts' partner: SEALS.

107. Meager characteristic: SPARSENESS.

Down:

1. Seis y dos: OCHO. Ba in Chinese.

2. Small part of a big hand: CLAP.

3. Turn over: CEDE.

4. Trout __: nutty fish dish: AMANDINE. Sliced almonds.

5. Group of geese a-laying: SESTET. Liu in Chinese.

6. Like some medical care: IN HOME.

7. Great Plains natives: OTOES.

8. Small grievances: NITS.

9. Santa __ winds: ANA.

10. Prynne's scarlet stigma: LETTER A. And 18. Having only length, for short: ONE D & 39. Gut course: EASY A.

11. Parlor furniture support: SOFA LEG.

12. Climbing vine: LIANA. This entry has become a regular visitor.

13. Ailments: ILLS.

14. Mario Bros. console: NES.

15. Got big enough for, as oversized clothes: GREW INTO.

16. Former midsize Chevy: LUMINA.

19. Aborted, at NASA: NO GO.

28. It means nothing to the French: RIEN.

30. "To __ his own": EACH.

33. 1948 also-ran: DEWEY. "Dewey Defeats Truman".

34. Figurehead spot: PROW.

35. Champing at the bit: EAGER.

37. Animated film mermaid: ARIEL.

38. Potty opening?: PORTA. Porta potty.

40. Date component: SLASH. Hey, this is a character too.

42. Radii neighbors: ULNAE.

43. Churns up: ROILS.

46. End of the Tour de France: FINIS.

48. Uruguay's __ del Este: PUNTA.

50. One wielding an ax?: FIRER.

51. Soft palate extension: UVULA.

52. Quinn of "Elementary": AIDAN.

53. Architecture middle name: LLOYD.  Frank Lloyd Wright.

54. Baccarat call: BANCO.

56. Quiet laugh: TE HEE. Often TEE HEE.

58. Whalers' wheels: HELMS.

60. Rarely used antonym of disheveled: KEMPT. Right. We use UNKEMPT more often. Always reminds me of Bill G.

61. Limerick neighbor: CLARE.

62. Quantum events?: LEAPS. Quantum leap.

63. Not quite true?: ATILT.  Alignment "true".

64. Artful dodges: RUSES.

65. "Have __ day!": A NICE.

66. Mandel of "America's Got Talent": HOWIE.

68. Causes pain: HURTS.

69. Bosox rivals: YANKS. Rich's team.

71. 1914 Belgian battle river: YSER.

73. Surefire: CAN'T MISS. 78. Honey-do list components: ODD JOBS. Amazing fill.

75. Not as much as: LESS THAN.

77. Spreadsheet unit: CELL.

79. Word new fathers love to hear: DADA. It's BA BA in Chinese.

80. Ark passengers, mostly: ANIMALS.

83. Like most 20th-century phone calls: DIALED.

85. Sacred struggles: JIHADS.

86. Maroon, in a way: ENISLE.

88. Adams of photography: ANSEL.

89. "I've Grown Accustomed __ Face": "My Fair Lady" song: TO HER.

90. First blank on many forms: NAME. VA is now offering to vaccinate spouses. Hope I get called soon.

91. Iowa college town: AMES.

92. Fed. food overseer: USDA.

93. Bright star: NOVA.

94. One that's worn on road trips: TIRE.

95. Bits of work: ERGS.

96. Lines on Google Maps: Abbr.: RTES.

99. Secure, with "down": TIE.

101. Sass: LIP.

C.C.