Theme: "On the Job" - Each theme entry is humorously reinterpreted as if it's a job fitting the person in the clue.
23A. M.D. on "Wheel of Fortune"?: SPIN DOCTOR.
25A. Fast-working "Downton Abbey" woman?: MINUTE MAID.
43A. Painter in prison?: CON ARTIST.
63A. CIA operative in the Arctic?: NORTHERN SPY.
88A. One rating singles bar come-ons?: LINE JUDGE.
109A. Gofer at a ballpark?: SPORTS PAGE.
111A. Displayer of truck-stop equipment?: SCALE MODEL.
37D. Bank worker with lots of stories?: TALE-TELLER.
42D. Farmland tour giver?: FIELD GUIDE.
Here's the article about Fred Piscop in case you missed it last time I linked.
For
Sunday grids, Fred often uses a pinwheel design, 5 or 7 theme entries
in Across, two in Down. Don't be misled by easy fill. It takes longer
time and effort to create such a clean grid.
Across:
5. Feline weapons: CLAWS.
10. Vineyard measure: ACRE.
14. Valuable find: TROVE.
19. James who co-wrote and sang "I'd Rather Go Blind": ETTA.
20. Monsieur __: classic Jacques Tati role: HULOT. Learning moment for me.
22. Had one's fingers crossed: HOPED.
27. Indian menu word: TANDOORI. Amazing tandoori chicken.
28. "... a grin without a cat!" thinker: ALICE.
30. How aspirin is taken: ORALLY.
31. Restful state: REPOSE.
32. Promising moment, as of wit: SPARK.
33. Till stack: ONES.
34. Madness: IRE.
35. Coward's lack, figuratively: SPINE.
36. Aparicio in Cooperstown: LUIS. First Venezuelan in Cooperstown.
37. Dress (up): TOG.
40. Float like smoke rings: WAFT.
45. Crime novelist Paretsky: SARA. From Ames, Iowa.
46. Crop up: ARISE.
48. "Nixon in China" role: MAO. Here's the second wife Yang Kaihui and her two kids, one of them died in the Korean War.
49. Mutual influence: INTERPLAY.
51. Speak like a rug?: LIE. Ha.
52. Ideal for farming: ARABLE.
55. Quilting events: BEES.
56. Hurricane of 2011: IRENE.
57. The Who co-founder: DALTREY (Roger)
59. Prepare for a race: TRAIN.
61. Hot rod?: SPIT. Another nice clue.
62. Shoppe preceder: OLDE.
67. Dry run: TEST.
70. Happy cap tosser: GRAD.
72. Delete: ERASE.
73. "And Still I Rise" poet: ANGELOU. Maya.
75. Unacceptable, as punishment: CRUEL.
77. Caramel-topped dessert: FLAN.
78. Exodus obstacle: RED SEA.
81. Chem class part: LAB.
82. Partied hearty: ROISTERED. Not a word I use.
84. Site for used cars: LOT.
85. Short-vowel mark: BREVE.
87. "The West Wing" Emmy winner, 2006: ALDA (Alan)
92. Smelter metals: ORES.
93. __ hours: WEE. The hospital stay messed up Boomer's sleep routines. Now he gets up at 3:30 every morning, sometimes earlier.
94. "Don't play" music notation: REST.
95. Gazetteer stats: AREAS. I only know "gazette".
96. Drink from a snifter: SIP.
98. Wall map marker: TACK.
99. Princeton mascot: TIGER. 2022 is the Year of the Tiger!
100. Cell feature: CAMERA.
103. Trip up: ASCENT. Noun "trip".
106. Derby drink: JULEP.
107. Hill hundred: SENATORS. The Capital Hill.
113. Flirt with, say: TEASE.
114. Sign of spoilage: ODOR.
115. Marquesses' inferiors: EARLS.
116. 100-year-old chip brand: WISE. Never tried this brand.
117. Ran standing still: IDLED.
118. Digs for pigs: PENS.
119. Surprise ending: TWIST.
120. Put one over on: SNOW. More snow is coming on Monday and Tuesday.
Down:
2. For face value: AT PAR.
3. "Fear Street" series author: STINE. R. L. Stine, the "Stephen King of children's literature", according to Wikipedia.
4. Kids' play places, across the pond: SANDPITS.
5. Settle on: CHOOSE.
6. Ill-gotten loot: LUCRE. Always with "filthy".
7. Some choir members: ALTI. Altos.
8. Try to win over: WOO.
9. Secure for the trip: STRAP IN.
10. Fan: ADMIRER. You're amazing, Jinx!
11. Pain in the neck: CRICK.
12. Mystical character: RUNE. Alphabetic character.
13. Liberty's LiMu, for one: EMU.
14. Beatles' "__ a Place": THERE'S.
15. Oblong tomatoes: ROMAS. Have you heard of "Reisetomate"?
16. Birthstone after sapphire: OPAL.
17. Bridal shop buy: VEIL.
18. Hot tub feature: EDDY.
24. One of a coupe's pair: DOOR.
26. Time on a marquee: TONITE.
29. Clark's teenage crush: LANA. Kent Clark. Lana Lang.
32. Fishing line holder: SPOOL.
33. Gives the heave-ho: OUSTS. You guys probably don't remember Zhao Ziyang. Such a confusing time when he was ousted.
35. Nature's bandage: SCAB.
36. White sale purchases: LINENS.
38. City across the Mediterranean from Cartagena: ORAN. As shown in this map.
39. Marvin of Motown: GAYE.
40. Guy hiding in a red-and-white striped shirt: WALDO.
41. Sans-serif font: ARIAL.
44. Advertising gimmick: TIE IN.
45. Elf: SPRITE.
47. Melodic sense: EAR.
48. Eponymous surgical family name: MAYO. The Mayo Clinic.
50. Tear: RIP. And 53. Tear: REND.
54. Hawke of "Sinister": ETHAN.
55. Less carpeted: BARER.
58. One of Barbie's best friends: TERESA. Here are more.
60. Hi-__ graphics: RES.
61. Seasonal song word: SYNE.
64. Back off: RELENT.
65. Give this for that: TRADE.
66. Historian's subject: PAST. When I was a kid, this bag was hugely popular. So surprised to see Cameron Diaz wore it.
68. Dry Italian wine: SOAVE.
69. Straws, e.g.: TUBES.
71. Cockpit gauge fig.: ALT. Altitude.
74. Be a chatterbox: GAB.
75. Metaphorical sticking place: CRAW.
76. Auditioner's goal: ROLE.
77. Pat down: FRISK.
79. English composer of the symphonic study "Falstaff": ELGAR (Edward)
80. "That __ it!": DOES.
83. Awards a seat to: ELECTS.
86. Skiers' aids: ROPE TOWS.
89. Corrections staffers: JAILERS.
90. Push for: URGE.
91. Like Jennifer Aniston's eyes: DEEPSET. Not as these two.
94. Typed in ALL CAPS, maybe: RANTED.
96. Least wacky: SANEST.
97. Mosque leader: IMAM. Fred could have used "Muslim leader" to trick you with EMIR.
98. Not given to speeches: TERSE.
99. Yank at: TUG ON.
100. Amoebae, e.g.: CELLS.
101. "The Kiss" sculptor: RODIN.
102. Recess rebuttal: ARE SO.
103. Piedmont wine region: ASTI.
104. Hustled: SPED.
105. Longtime Kentucky resource: COAL.
106. Green hue: JADE. I've mentioned before, girls in Guangzhou like to wear jade on a red string for good luck.
107. Bollywood attire: SARI.
108. Whole lot: SLEW.
110. Uncorking sound: POP.
112. Rook's call: CAW.
Last
week was a bit stressful. The side effects from the new
chemo seem to have made Boomer weaker. He was not really
up to do any extra activities suggested by the PT & OT ladies.
Hopefully things get better next week. We have four more appointments to deal with.
C.C.