Sunday, April 11, 2021 Paul Coulter

Theme: "Four of a Kind" - The first and last four letters of each theme entries are anagrams of each other.

23. Law firm standout: LEGAL EAGLE.

25. Stay afloat, in a way: TREAD WATER.

42. Near-perfect bridge feat: SMALL SLAM.

46. South American shocker: ELECTRIC EEL.

68. Future educator's goal: TEACHING CERTIFICATE.

90. Vietnam War defoliant: AGENT ORANGE.

113. Did a flower garden task: DEAD-HEADED.

Reveal:

116. Tennis umpire's order after odd-numbered games ... and a hint to the two sets of circled letters in each of eight answers: CHANGE ENDS.

This themes looks simple, but it's not. Try it yourself. Let's see how many entries you can come up with.

Did you write an app for this, Paul? How did you manage to settle down on these seven entries? What were the others you discarded?

Across:

1. Light songs: LILTS.

6. "East of Eden" director Kazan: ELIA. Ages ago I piked up this book at the flea market for a dime. Elia Kazan was good friends with Hepburn.

10. Commercials: ADS.

13. Surrounded by: AMIDST.

19. Ancient Greek theater: ODEON. We also have 72. Ancient colonnade: STOA.

20. Like marathons: LONG.

21. Japanese drama: NOH. All performers are men, I think.

22. It's against the motion: NO-VOTE.

27. "Dream on!": AS IF.

28. Rabbit predators: STOATS.

30. Clerical vestments: ALBS. Boomer is now back to the church.

31. Warm, in a game: NEAR.

32. Acts disrespectfully toward: SASSES.

34. Obtain by trickery: WANGLE.

36. Like Joel Goodson's business, in a 1983 film: RISKY. The film is "Risky Business".

37. Respectful greeting: SALUTE.

39. Egg cells: OVA.

40. Fits to __: A TEE.

52. Affect: GET TO.

53. Live for evil, say?: ANAGRAM. Live & evil are anagrams.

55. Back: ENDORSE.

56. Half a fly: TSE.

57. Daisylike bloom: ASTER. Also 89. Flower named for its color and shape: BLUEBELL.

58. __ school: MED.

60. Dialogue-stopping button?: MUTE.

61. "All That Jazz" director: FOSSE (Bob)

63. Fire remnant: EMBER.

66. Piano's soft pedal, for one: DAMPER.

72. Wrap in a bandage: SWATHE.

73. Tennis star Osaka: NAOMI. She was born in Osaka, Japan.

74. Brings (out): TROTS.

75. Bakery buy: TART.

76. Hang (around), as with a friend: PAL.

77. City on the Po: TURIN.

79. Likely: APT.

82. Out with permission, maybe: ON LEAVE.

85. Put on a jury: EMPANEL. As Lizza mentioned, our local TV stations have been covering the George Floyd trial non-stop. Boomer was looking forward to Aaron Rodgers' turn at "Jeopardy!"

88. Actress Cornish of "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri": ABBIE.

92. Bonneville racing venue: SALT FLATS. See more here. Bonneville Salt Flats. Utah.

94. Einstein's "m": MASS.

95. B&O and Reading: RRS.

97. Places to hang: HAUNTS.

98. Office alerts: MEMOS.

102. Beginning: OUTSET.

104. Got the point?: SCORED. Great clue.

106. "Your turn": OVER.

107. Part of A.D.: ANNO.

108. Liquid transfer device: SIPHON.

110. More than simmer: BOIL.

118. Ingratiate: ENDEAR.

119. Holiday that marks the end of Ramadan: EID. May 13 this year. I saw medjool dates.

120. Highland wear: KILT.

121. Cold shower?: SLEET. Another great clue.

122. Catering supply: STERNO.

123. Some "ER" roles: RNS.

124. Toy with runners: SLED.

125. Father-and-son actors: ALDAS.

Down:

1. "Copacabana" showgirl: LOLA. Her name was Lola, she was a showgirl.

2. Bad day for Caesar: IDES.

3. Lay down the law: LEGISLATE.

4. Excessively: TO A FAULT.

5. NBC weekend fixture, briefly: SNL. I like Collin Jost.

6. Carry away: ELATE.

7. Corporate symbols: LOGOS.

8. Attending USC, e.g.: IN LA.

9. Terrible time?: AGE TWO.

10. Probably not a good sign at a picnic: ANT.

11. Tight headgear: DORAG. Or durag.

12. Trounce: SHELLAC.

13. Words in some pop group names: ANDS. And 48. Symbols in some pop group names: COMMAS.

14. Do a yard job: MOW.

15. 14th-century Russian ruler: IVAN I. Google says he was known as "The Moneybag"

16. Heaps affection (on): DOTES.

17. Swordfish __: STEAK. I remember Aldi used to sell swordfish.

18. Absorbent fabric: TERRY.

24. Word containing three of itself: ESSES.

26. Helped plan a job, maybe: ABETTED.

29. Penny attachment: SAVER.

33. D-Day French city: ST LO.

35. "The Lion King" lion: NALA.

36. "Criminal Minds" agent played by Matthew Gray Gubler: REID. Spencer Reid.

37. Marines NCO: SSGT.

38. Double agent Aldrich: AMES.

41. Coastal flier: ERN.

43. Delhi dairy drink: LASSI. Yogurt drink.

 44. Feeler: ANTENNA.

45. Author Rita __ Brown: MAE.

47. Irish nationalist Robert: EMMET. Unfamiliar to me.

49. Blow: ERUPT.

50. Perfume name: ESTEE.

51. Bad look: LEER.

54. Artist El __: GRECO.

57. "A Hard Road to Glory" author: ASHE.

59. Asmara is its capital: ERITREA.

61. Make stout: FATTEN.

62. Perth protest: OCH. I only know Perth Australasia. Here it refers to a city in Scotland.

64. Dues payer: Abbr.: MEM.

65. Big name in water filters: BRITA. Do you all use water filters?

66. "My Heart Will Go On" singer: DION.

67. Appear: ACT.

68. Country music sound: TWANG. And  69. Country rocker Steve: EARLE.

70. Ancient Greek medical researcher: GALEN. Also unknown to me.

71. Luxury: FRILL.

76. Author's assumed character: PERSONA.

78. Young __: UNS.

79. Left, as a sinking ship: ABANDONED.

80. Big East team: PITT.

81. Nickname for Esther: TESS.

83. 24-hr. conveniences: ATMS.

84. U.S. govt. broadcaster: VOA. You can hear Voice of America in China. In Chinese.

86. Ballpark figs.: MGRS.

87. 1994 Peace co-Nobelist: PERES. Shimon Peres. Co-Nobelist with Rabin and Arafat.

88. Way off: AFAR.

91. In pieces: ASUNDER.

93. Flip-flop: THONG.

96. Proverbial bone breakers: STICKS.

98. Manners: MODES.

99. Olympics segment: EVENT.

100. Maryland's Fort __: MEADE.

101. Court command: ORDER.

103. Wheel alignment: TOE IN.

104. __ oil: SHALE.

105. Page-bottom abbr.: CONT'D.

107. Sleek, for short: AERO. Aerodynamic.

109. PGA rival of Tiger: PHIL. They're good friends now.

111. Brainstorm: IDEA.

112. D-Day craft: LSTS.

114. Chewie's pal: HAN.

115. Drill wielder: Abbr.: DDS.

117. Spanish "that": ESA.

C.C.