Theme: "Success Stories" - Winning phrases are punnily clued, fitting the location in each clue.
23A. Triumph in the schoolroom?: CHALK UP A VICTORY.
38A. Triumph at a hockey arena?: SAVE THE DAY.
60A. Triumph in a bakery?: TAKE THE CAKE.
84A. Triumph on drums?: BEAT THE ODDS
102A. Triumph at the mountain summit?: END UP ON TOP.
122A. Triumph at a comedy club?: GET THE LAST LAUGH.
16D Triumph at a salon?: MAKE THE CUT.
76D. Triumph at the winery?: WIN BY A NOSE.
I wonder why 84A was not clued with a place name. The clues would have been very consistent then.
Only 73 black squares in this grid. If you've been solving Paul's puzzles, you know that this is a big step for him.
Across:
1. Nutty green sauce: PESTO. Pine nuts.
6. Balance scale pair: PANS. My mom's older brother was a doctor in traditional Chinese medicines. His scale was like this.
10. Blockheads: OAFS.
14. Brazilian music genre: SAMBA.
19. Church part: ALTAR.
20. Create a diversion for, maybe: ABET. And
21. Connive: PLOT.
22. Egg producer: OVARY.
26. Black tea variety: PEKOE. Favorite of Abejo. We also have 28. Herbal tea: TISANE.
27. Flier in the wind: KITE.
29. Spill the beans: TELL.
31. British stables: MEWS. New to me. Wiki says "Mews is a
British name for a row or courtyard of stables and carriage houses with
living quarters above them, built behind large city houses before motor
vehicles replaced horses in the early twentieth century. Mews are
usually located in desirable residential areas having been built to
cater for the horses, coachmen and stable-servants of prosperous
residents."
32. She, in Siena: ESSA.
34. Noses out: EDGES.
36. Crusty ocean growth: SEA MAT. Also new to me.
41. Dr.'s order?: AMA. I always associate "order" with monks or nuns.
43. Hit a few pubs: BARHOP.
46. "Aladdin" prince: ALI.
47. Commercial suffix with wheat: ENA. Does this refer to "Wheatena"?
48. Figureheads may be seen on them: PROWS. Ship "figurehead".
50. Legal encumbrances: LIENS.
51. Edison rival: TESLA.
53. Like some relations: SPATIAL.
57. Order including whales and dolphins: CETACEA. The adjective is CETACEAN.
59. Words to live by: AXIOM.
62. Final: Abbr.: ULT.
63. Alliance acronym: NATO.
64. Catalog: LIST.
65. GPS suggestions: RTES.
66. "American Dad!" channel: TBS.
67. Digression: TANGENT.
71. Got it right, luckily: GUESSED.
74. Rural turndown: NAW.
77. Drummer Ulrich: LARS. Metallica drummer.
78. Take a chance: DARE.
79. Some from France: UNES.
83. Prefix for the birds: AVI.
88. Corrupt: TAINT.
89. Words that can be generous yet uncompromising: I INSIST. If you insist.
91. One making a big withdrawal?: RECLUSE. Nice clue.
92. "Ragged Dick" author: ALGER (Horatio)
93. Truman veep Barkley: ALBEN. Did not know him either.
94. Budget, in brand names: ECONO.
96. Youngest woman to serve in the U.S. Congress, familiarly: AOC.
98. Eur. realm until 1806: HRE.
99. Orville Wright's birth city: DAYTON.
101. Author Beattie: ANN.
106. Catalog: ASSORT.
108. Black cattle breed: ANGUS.
110. "Hang on __ ... ": A SEC.
111. It follows copper on the periodic table: ZINC.
113. Astronaut's insignia: NASA.
115. Sagittarius, e.g.: ARCHER.
117. Romances: WOOS. And
120. Love, in Rome: AMORE.
125. Asked: POSED.
126. Brontë heroine: EYRE.
127. Rockefeller Center muralist: SERT. Jose Maria Sert.
128. Be on the same page: AGREE.
129. Unfairly presents: SKEWS.
130. Campus bigwig: DEAN.
131. Doesn't guzzle: SIPS. I love young coconuts. They're too hard to open.
132. Parcels (out): METES.
Down:
2. K-12, in education: EL HI. Elementary and High school.
3. Occasion for pomp at a national capital: STATE VISIT.
4. "Honor Thy Father" author: TALESE.
5. Mork's planet: ORK.
6. Red Sox star Big __: PAPI. Used to be with the Twins.
7. Degraded: ABASED.
8. Locally, its first "a" is pronounced as in "trap": NEVADA. How do you pronounce "Nevada" then?
9. Scroogean: STINGY.
10. Decide to leave, with "out": OPT.
11. Almost all the time: A LOT.
12. Anticipated: FORESAW.
13. Class: STYLE.
14. Absorb, with "up": SOP.
15. Prayer set to music by Schubert and Gounod: AVE MARIA.
17. Sweat spot: BROW.
18. Roll call calls: AYES.
24. Many a Mormon: UTAHN. What the local prefers. Not Utahan.
25. Average mark: CEE.
30. Chocolate __: LAB.
33. Cook, as clams: STEAM. Chinese use steamers for everything. Our daily mantou (Chinese bread) are steamed. Not baked.
35. Connor of "Terminator" films: SARAH.
37. White lap dog: MALTESE.
38. "Paradise Lost" figure: SATAN.
39. Singer/songwriter __ Ray Joel: ALEXA.
40. How Phileas Fogg traveled: EAST.
42. Infiltrator: MOLE.
44. Deli counter qty.: ONE LB.
45. HS exams: PSATS.
48. "Moneyball" co-star: PITT (Brad)
49. Beats it: SCATS.
52. Haul from a job: LOOT.
54. Least healthy-looking: PALEST.
55. Analogous: AKIN.
56. Road __: TEST.
58. Barely gets, with "out": EKES.
61. Doctrines to live by: CREEDS.
68. Some rats: ALBINOS.
69. Scot's nots: NAES.
70. Fireplace piece: GRATE.
71. London lockup: GAOL. Jail.
72. Language of Lahore: URDU.
73. Word with control or purpose: DUAL.
74. River nymph: NAIAD.
75. Hometown of St. Teresa: AVILA.
78. Like New York's Chrysler Building: DECO.
80. '80s-'90s Harry Anderson sitcom: NIGHT COURT.
81. Año starter: ENERO.
82. Throat condition: STREP.
85. 2010 sci-fi sequel subtitled "Legacy": TRON.
86. Salon coloring: HENNA.
87. 12-time NFL Pro Bowler Junior: SEAU.
88. Tuesday dish?: TACOS. Taco Tuesday.
90. Tightening device: SET SCREW.
95. Colorful marble: CAT'S EYE.
97. Eyeball-bending display: OP-ART.
100. Nice turndown?: NON. The city Nice, France.
102. Barnum "attraction": EGRESS.
103. Cores: NUCLEI.
104. E-flat equivalent: D SHARP.
105. Meditative music genre: NEW AGE.
107. Continued violently, as a storm: RAGED.
109. "Bad idea": NAH.
111. Nukes: ZAPS.
112. "Don't worry about me": I'M OK.
114. Trac II cousin: ATRA.
116. Ballpark figs.: ESTS.
118. S-shaped molding: OGEE.
119. "__ Gotta Have It": Spike Lee film: SHE'S.
121. Masthead contents, briefly: EDS (Editors)
123. Gymnast's goal: TEN.
124. Speedy escape: LAM.
C.C.
