Sunday December 12 2021 Gary Larson

Theme: "Prep Course" - Phrases with prepositions in front are punnily rephrased.

23A. Like members of Gamblers Anonymous?: AGAINST ALL ODDS.

48A. Like a church deacon?: ABOVE THE FOLD.

69a. Like a balloon company with a depleted helium supply?: OUT OF THEIR ELEMENT.

94A. Like one shopping for disposable phones?: AFTER BURNERS.

119A. Like supporters of a Seattle daily?: BEHIND THE TIMES.

18D. Like sausage's main ingredients?: FROM THE GROUND UP.

44D. Like one caught in a storm?: UNDER THE WEATHER

So the first words are all prepositions. Nothing more that coheres the set, right? I'm afraid I'm missing something.

I think Gary Larson has more Sundays than any other regular constructors for LA Times or other papers. Washing Post Sunday is an exception. Amazing!

 Across:

1. Guitarist Paul: LES.  Electric guitar pioneer.

4. Flamboyant Dame: EDNA.

8. Play with a receiver: PASS.

12. Chance to roll the dice, say: TURN.

16. In the archives: ON FILE. Including Peng Shui's original post.

19. Wishes undone: RUES.

20. Specialty: AREA.

21. Customizable cookie: OREO. Also 66. Wafer brand: NECCO.

22. Ship's accountant: PURSER. Come back to us soon, Spitzboov!

26. Tiny racer: SLOT CAR.

28. Resort town NNE of Santa Fe: TAOS.

29. Chopin wrote a "Revolutionary" one: ETUDE.

30. Assembled: MET.

31. Put-__: masquerades: ONS.

34. Former British automaker: RELIANT. No knowledge of this maker. It ceased production in 2002, according to Wikipedia.

38. Autumn flower: ASTER.

40. Like a popular crusader: CAPED.

43. King Cole and others: OLD SOULS. I'm one too. I'm stuck in the 1990s.

47. Federal biomedical agcy.: NIH. National Institutes of Health.

52. Draft status: ONE A.

53. What a shortage suggests: NEED.

55. "This is the truth": I CAN'T LIE.

56. Hang out in the sun: LET DRY.

58. "Splendor in the Grass" screenwriter: INGE (Williams)

59. First name in Israeli statehood: GOLDA (Meir). Raised in Milwaukee.

60. Plagued: GNAWED.

63. Sister of the moon goddess Selene: EOS.

64. Listening aid: EARBUD.

67. "The Far Side" cartoonist Larson: GARY. Same name as today's constructor.

75. Subdue, as a color: MUTE.

76. Sailor's "Stop!": AVAST.

77. Utah national park: ARCHES.

80. Beach tone: TAN.

81. Cheap hooch: ROTGUT. Sounds horrible. 

83. Muff: BOTCH.

87. Rope material: HEMP.

88. Cello-supporting rod: END PIN.

90. Support for a big top: TENT POLE.

92. Boo-boo: OWIE.

93. Aspersion: SLUR.

98. List-ending abbr.: ETC.

99. Saturn moon named for a Titan: HYPERION. Wikipedia info: "The moon is named after Hyperion, the Titan god of watchfulness and observation – the elder brother of Cronus, the Greek equivalent of Saturn – in Greek mythology. "

101. Yoga posture: ASANA.

102. Get a load of: AMASS.

104. American League East city: TORONTO. Blue Jays.

107. Farm clucker: HEN.

108. Back muscle, briefly: LAT.

109. Three-time Tony winner Rivera: CHITA.

112. Sitar music: RAGA.

115. Classic jazz nickname: SATCHMO.  Louis Armstrong.

125. One-dimensional: LINEAR.

126. Seven-time Wimbledon winner: GRAF. We just had AGASSI last week.

127. "Relax, I'll take care of it!": OK OK.

128. European luxury wheels: BMWS.

129. Eye: PEER AT.

130. Soul mate?: BODY. Body and soul. We had to leave the church earlier last night, Boomer was in pain. Don't worry about Monday blog. It's already written and scheduled. He always starts his post as soon as we receive the puzzles.

131. Gear teeth: COGS.

132. Dutch word meaning "farmer": BOER.

133. Bank deposit, perhaps: ORE. Dictionary says bank is "the surface around the mouth of a shaft".  Is this what this clue refers to?

Down:

1. Directory name: LISTEE.

2. Sister of Orestes: ELECTRA. Here they are.

4. Horse-and-buggy, e.g.: ERA.

5. Enjoyed, in slang: DUG. You're just incredible, Husker Gary!

6. Bar order: NEAT.

7. Actor __ Kate Dillon of "Billions": ASIA. Wikipedia says "Dillon is non-binary and uses singular they pronouns". Sorry, I don't know them.

8. So last year: PASSE.

9. Museum focus: ART.

10. Raft, or where you might see one: SEA.

11. Actor Mineo: SAL.

12. Toddler's train sound: TOOT TOOT.

13. Pakistani tongue: URDU.

14. Comedian Foxx: REDD.

15. Wine quality: NOSE.

16. Special or black follower: OPS.

17. Nada, to Noël: NUL. French for "null".

24. Easter opening?: NOR. Nor'easter.

25. Camera option: LENS.

27. Ornate 18th-century style: ROCOCO.

32. Kind of architect: NAVAL. They design ships.

33. Opposite of save: SPEND.

35. WC: LOO.

36. Poorly: ILL.

37. Throw into confusion: ADDLE.

38. "It's the Hard-Knock Life" soloist: ANNIE.

39. Tuscany city: SIENA.

41. Blues singer James: ETTA.

42. FedEx rival: DHL. FedEx Smartpost is so slow.

45. Brown in a Croce song: LEROY.

46. Opines, for instance: SAYS.

49. Beehive, e.g.: BIG DO.

50. Peak in an Eastwood movie: EIGER. The Eiger Sanction.

51. Fight with foils: FENCE.

54. Coming-out: DEBUT.

57. Lawn tool: EDGER. We drove by Kirby Puckett's old house the other day. He lived in Brooklyn Park for a short period.

61. Commonly injured knee part, briefly: ACL.

62. Trouble: WOE.

65. Where embryos grow: UTERI.

66. Annual coll. hoops competition: NIT. National Invitation Tournament.

68. Dried chili pepper: ANCHO. It's called Poblano when fresh.

70. Budgetary excess: FAT.

71. Family-friendly rating: TV-G.

72. __ cuisine: HAUTE.

73. Dimethyl sulfate, e.g.: ESTER.

74. "Politically Incorrect" host: MAHER. Bill.

75. Virile: MANLY.

78. Throws off: EMITS.

79. Technical details: SPECS.

80. New Age pianist John: TESH, who once dated OPRAH (84. Talk show host in the National Women's Hall of Fame)

82. Walking __: ON AIR.

83. Heat meas.: BTUS.

85. Metric weight: TONNE.

86. Bankrupts, with "out": CLEANS.

89. Spruce up: PRETTIFY.

91. Magic org.: NBA. The Orlando Magic.

95. Rock's __ Fighters: FOO. Also 3. Flu fighters: SERA.

96. Old Opry network: TNN.

97. More crude, language-wise: SALTIER.

100. Stable color: ROAN.

103. Rigg co-star on "The Avengers": MACNEE. Patrick

105. Long hikes: TREKS.

106. Muesli morsel: OAT.

109. Longtime NYC punk rock club: CBGB. Stands for Country, BlueGrass, and Blues.

110. Sub: HERO.

111. "If __ a Hammer": I HAD. Peter, Paul and Mary. One of songs in D-Otto's stick.

113. The "Gee" in Bee Gees: GIBB.

114. Water, in some pistols: AMMO.

116. Purina rival: ALPO.

117. Goat quote: MAA. And 123. Fleecy one: EWE. We also have 122. Slop slurper: HOG.

118. Table scrap: ORT.

120. Sleepy cohort?: DOC. The Seven Dwarfs.

121. Ref's ruling: TKO.

124. Ukr., once: SSR. What does Russia wants in Ukraine?

C.C.

I'm happy to tell you that the cool Windhover and his wife Irish are safe and sound. They did have to go the storm cellar on Friday night. He said he still solves crossword every day and sometimes visits the blog for help. Happy belated 76th birthday, Windhover!

Windhover, 12/7/2006