Sunday October 10, 2021 David Alfred Bywaters

Theme: "Moonlighting" - Each common phrase is rephrased as if the last word is a job held by the person in the clue.

22. Exec working as a lifeguard?: DIVING SUIT.

32. Sailors working as aromatherapists?: SMELLING SALTS.

49. Committee head working as a lead guitarist?: ROCKING CHAIR.

63. NBA players working as Instacart employees?: SHOPPING CENTERS.

84. Comics working as phone solicitors?: CALLING CARDS.

97. Author's rep working as a janitor?: CLEANING AGENT.

114. Football player working as a tailor?: FITTING END. Fitting end of the theme set. Nicely played.

The first words are all *ING form. Super consistent. Go to David's website if you want some extra every Saturday. He's a genius at letter addition/deletion/replacement themes.

 

We don't often see paralleled 10s in a Sunday puzzle. Today is an exception:

15. From every direction: ON ALL SIDES. And 16. In close opposition: NOSE TO NOSE.  69. Studier of signs: ASTROLOGER. 70. "I can't tell": IT'S A SECRET.

Across:

1. Milk consumer: CALF. Baby cow. Not BABY.

5. 2017 Dan Stevens fantasy title role: BEAST. "Beauty and the Beast".

10. Units of resistance: OHMS.

14. Stop running, with "out": CONK.

18. Like zeroes: OVAL.

19. Aerie occupant: EAGLE.

20. Heartless: CRUEL.

21. Shortly, once: ANON.

24. Speaks in Spanish: HABLA. "No habla espanol."

25. Stalwart political group: BASE.

26. "Accidents will happen," e.g.: ADAGE.

27. Accessory for Astaire: TAP. Fred Astaire.

28. .000001 meters: MICRON.

29. Head for the hills: FLEE.

30. Word of technique: HOW. How to say "I love you" in Chinese. Wo Ai Ni.

35. Narrow opening: SLIT.

38. Sole: ONE.

41. City near Nîmes: ARLES.

42. Rough words?: OR SO. Roughly speaking.

43. Truckload unit: TON.

44. Source of perfection, so they say: PRACTICE.

46. Crossword constructor's chore: CLUEING. Tough to come up with fresh, never-been-used clues.

51. Stimulate: FUEL.

52. Fawn's mom: DOE.

53. Bolt with great speed: USAIN.

54. Get a look at: SEE. Had a nice walk around the Lake Harriet with Andrea Carla Michaels & Tom Pepper last Tuesday. Beautiful weather. See more pictures here. Andrea grew up in Minneapolis. Tom grew up in Edina.

Andrea Carla Michaels, Tom Pepper and C.C.

55. Site of Napoleon's exile: ELBA.

56. "The __ is silence": Hamlet's last words: REST. Also 6. "It is the __, and Juliet is the sun": Romeo: EAST.

57. Good guy: MENSCH. Every Tom I know.

59. "To repeat ... ": AS I SAID.

62. Puts to work: USES.

68. Badly hurt: MAIM.

71. Not in time: TOO LATE.

72. "I'm not buying that!": NO SALE.

76. Bone: Pref.: OSTE. Like the painful osteoarthritis.

77. Inform: TELL.

78. St. with a panhandle: FLA.

81. "Uh-oh!": YIPES.

82. Rehab symptoms: DTS. Delirium tremens.

83. It might be on a stickie: MEMO.

88. Correction tools: ERASERS.

90. Traditional song with the line "Je te plumerai": ALOUETTE.

91. Call __ day: IT A.

92. Workplace standards org.: OSHA.

93. Sunlit lobbies: ATRIA.

95. "Gloria in Excelsis __": DEO.

96. Overdo the sweetness: CLOY.

101. Chic retreat: SPA. I saw a YouTube clip about Thermage. Wow, why would you want such pain?

103. Security device: LOCK.

104. Church official: DEACON.

105. "__ Dark Materials": HBO fantasy series: HIS. (Thanks, Big Easy!)

108. Sound: AUDIO.

112. Farm prefix: AGRI.

113. Hanukkah potato pancake: LATKE.

116. React to a shock: REEL.

117. Cultural values: ETHOS.

118. City map, sometimes: INSET. China's map looks like a rooster. See Shaanxi, the very middle? That's where Xi'an is.

119. Not just dislike: HATE.

120. Pretentious: ARTY.

121. Equine hue: ROAN.

122. Cleopatra's kingdom: EGYPT. Egypt-born Greek.

123. Walked: TROD.

Down:

1. Composition conclusion: CODA.

2. Ardent: AVID.

3. Volcanic output: LAVA.

4. Small sampling, as of various beers: FLIGHT. Never took one.

5. Implore: BEG.

7. Liquido claro: AGUA. Clear liquid.

8. Loses traction: SLIPS.

9. Asian festival: TET. I bought a Vietnamese mung bean cake from our local grocery store. So good. It's wrapped in banana leaves.

10. Expert in futures?: ORACLE. Great clue.

11. Overreaching self-confidence: HUBRIS.

12. Dieter's breakfast: MELON. I've got to have some real carb.

13. Much street talk: SLANG.

14. A subway rider might save it: CAB FARE.

17. Joints with caps: KNEES.

20. Scary story: CHILLER. New word to me.

23. Modernist: NEO.

28. Word of Gallic gratitude: MERCI. Xie xie!

31. Frayed: WORN.

33. Greek goddess for whom a spring month is named: MAIA. May.

34. "Divine Comedy" focus: SOUL.

35. Neither bow nor pick: STRUM.

36. Unsecured: LOOSE.

37. Like ancient Peru: INCAN.

39. Bugs: NAGS.

40. Pilate's "Behold!": ECCE. "Ecce homo".  Jesus had abs.

44. Small recipe quantity: PINCH.

45. With 100-Down, 1951 horror film whose title role was played by James Arness: THE. 100. See 45-Down: THING.  No idea. Horror movie.

46. Ark unit: CUBIT.

47. Heavy: LEADEN.

48. Comes into: GETS.

50. Affectionate invitation: KISS ME. And 58. More torrid: HOTTER.

51. Custard dessert: FLAN.

55. Salem-to-Boise dir.: ESE.

56. Nation in a Fleming title: RUSSIA. "From Russia With Love".

59. Santa __ winds: ANA.

60. Army NCO: SGT.

61. Cooling cubes: ICE.

64. Poe output, aptly: POEMS. Baltimore Ravens' mascot is named after Poe. We also have 73. National Poetry Month: APRIL.

65. Game played on horseback: POLO.

66. Badly: ILL.

67. Auto pioneering partner: ROYCE. Henry Royce. Charles Rolls

68. Fashion: MODE.

74. Brought about: LED TO.

75. Long exam answer: ESSAY. I took the challenging Gaokao (College Entrance exam) in 1990. Look at the acceptance rate that year. 21.55%. I lucked out.

78. Seasonal affliction: FLU. And 96. Came down with: CAUGHT.

79. Wasn't true: LIED.

80. Poker hand staple: ANTE.

83. Intend: MEAN.

84. Freighters' loads: CARGOES.

85. From far away (perhaps very far): ALIEN.

86. Bank offering: LOAN.

87. Pontiac muscle cars: GTOS.

89. With uncertainty: SHAKILY.

93. Mystery award namesake: AGATHA. The Agatha Awards.

94. Add at the end: TACK ON.

97. Philanthropist Barton: CLARA. She founded the American Red Cross.

98. Do-nothing: IDLER.

99. Cool kin: NEATO.

102. Critical critique: PAN.

106. Wee: ITSY.

107. Dance part: STEP.

109. Letter opening: DEAR.

110. Fond of: INTO.

111. Binged (on), as junk food: OD'ED.

114. "Shame on thee!": FIE.

115. Hairy Addams family member: ITT.

Extra notes:

1) I know it's hard to avoid politics or other sensitive issues on the blog. Please try your best. If I mention a potential Nobel Peace on a GRETA entry and you disagree, just ignore. No need to seize on my comment and prolong the discussions.

2) Good news on Agnes! Her oncologist said no bone marrow biopsy is necessary. The anomalies in her blood work were attributed to other health issues. She did have to visit ER last Thursday due to her  debilitating cough. She said the chest x-ray was inconclusive but viral pneumonia was a possibility. She's dehydrated because she can't eat or drink. But she's feeling better! Please continue to keep her in your thoughts and prayers.

C.C.