Sunday September 11, 2022 Alan Olschwang

 

Theme:  "Triple Play" - Second word is the first word with an extra letter, third word is the second word with an extra letter.

23A. Cherries jubilee?: BIG BING BINGE.

35A. "I mean a different cereal box mascot!"?: NO NOT TONY.

52A. Headline after the IT department fixes a bug on Hulu?: TEAM TAMES STREAM.

90A. Beer brewed by the Royal Family?: REAL REGAL LAGERS.

110A. Where NHLers serve penalty time?: IN SIN BINS.

124. Wading bird that a girl can really look up to?: HER HERO HERON

16D. Dolly the sheep, sitting all by herself?: ONE LONE CLONE.

64D. Cheap perfume?: TEN CENT SCENT.

Some of you are aware that I started blogging the Tribune Media Daily back in 2008. Alan had a quote/quip every Thursday. It's always comforting to see his byline.

Both 124A and 16D have an orderly letter addition to the end or the start. I think Alan tried to come a full set like this but could not make it work.

 
Across:

1. Wii or Xbox aficionado: GAMER.

6. Tantalizes: TEASES.

12. Mop & __: GLO.

15. Persian Gulf capital: DOHA. Legal to have a beer there.

19. Moby Dick, e.g.: WHALE.

20. Hint at, with "to": ALLUDE.

21. Long time: EON.

22. Unknown author, for short: ANON. We have our Anon-T.

25. Area that separates a nave from a sanctuary: TRANSEPT. See this.

27. Nixed, at NASA: NO GO.

28. Make less strict: EASE.

29. Areas of human development: UTERI.

30. "Macarena" band __ del Río: LOS. Quite a craze then.

31. Topped, in a way: CROWNED.

34. French possessive pronoun: SES. His/Her.

37. Actor Holbrook: HAL.

38. Swill: SLOP.

40. Warn with a horn: TOOT.

42. Brown in the kitchen: ALTON. Host of "Iron Chef America".

43. Spring flower: IRIS.

45. India's smallest state: GOA.

47. "Trinity" novelist Leon: URIS.

49. Ships with staterooms: LINERS.

57. "Law & Order: SVU" actor: ICE T.

58. All over the place: ERRATIC.

59. Headliner: STAR.

61. Merrie __ England: OLDE.

62. Hold on to: RETAIN.

65. Comedian Silverman: SARAH. So witty.

68. Scrutinized: EYED.

70. All __ sudden: OF A.

71. Tipped off: ALERTED.

73. Neck parts: NAPES.

75. Sea nymph of Greek mythology: OCEANID. Learning moment for me.

77. Junior: SON.

78. Roof with removable panels: T TOP.

80. Defensive trenches: MOATS.

82. Birch family trees: ALDERS.

83. Check mark: TICK.

85. Reggae great Peter: TOSH. Part of the Wailers. We also have 62. Many dreadlocks wearers: RASTAS.

87. Plain: VANILLA.

89. Sailing: ASEA.

96. Security system component: SENSOR.

99. Manitoba First Nations people: CREE.

100. __ trip: EGO.

101. North Carolina college town: ELON. Was it named after someone named Elon?

102. Crook: THIEF.

104. "Yeah, right!": AS IF.

106. Tight-fitting: SNUG.

109. Former owner of Virgin Records: EMI.

113. Game with matchsticks: NIM.

115. Fruit jam in Sacher tortes: APRICOT.

117. Japanese IT services giant: NEC.

118. Mila of "Bad Moms": KUNIS.

119. Useless, batterywise: DEAD. Also 131. Battery terminal: ANODE.

121. Small fruit pie: TART.

122. Knight spot?: CHESS SET. Works without ? in the clue also.

128. River in Tuscany: ARNO.

129. Before, in ballads: ERE.

130. Changed into: BECAME.

132. "Oh, shoot": NUTS.

133. Leb. neighbor: SYR.

134. "... if you know what's good for you!": OR ELSE.

135. Repairs: MENDS.

Down:

1. Hudson Riv. crossing: GWB. George Washington Bridge.

2. Sushi-grade tuna: AHI.

3. Official flower of two Southern states: MAGNOLIA. Louisiana and Mississippi.

4. __ grease: ELBOW.

5. Rules: REIGNS.

6. Schoolyard game: TAG.

7. Dresden's river: ELBE.

8. Margaret Atwood's "__ Grace": ALIAS. Unfamiliar to me.

9. Nightly show with free admission: SUNSET.

10. Beats by a whisker: EDGES OUT.

11. "Catch my drift?": SEE.

12. Really bug: GET TO.

13. Golfer Ochoa: LORENA.

14. Winning steadily: ON A ROLL. 17. Climb aboard: HOP ON.

15. Some govt. lawyers: DAS.

18. Nasty anagram: ANTSY.

24. Yule tune: NOEL.

26. Tucci's "Road to Perdition" role: NITTI. Frank Nitti.

29. Lets loose: UNTIES.

31. Gambler's marker: CHIT.

32. Almost unique: RARE.

33. Religious doctrine: DOGMA.

36. "Pagliacci" clown: TONIO.

39. Audre Lorde and Lord Byron, e.g.: POETS.

41. NHL great Bobby: ORR. Boston Bruins.

44. Ink mishap: SMEAR.

46. Like most of the world's people: ASIAN.

48. Make full: SATE.

50. Colorful timber tree: RED FIR.

51. Places: STEADS.

53. Travis of country: TRITT.

54. "BoJack Horseman" voice actor Will: ARNETT.

55. "Get lost!": SCRAM.

56. BLT spread: MAYO. Bánh mì as well.

60. Car manufacturer's woe: RECALL.

63. Plaza Hotel girl: ELOISE.

66. Mil. mail drop: APO.

67. Fling with force: HEAVE.

69. Street of mystery: DELLA. Perry Mason.

72. Way in: DOOR.

74. __ whisper: STAGE.

76. Wise words: ADAGE.

79. Tiny fraction of a min.: PSEC.

81. Catches: SNAGS.

84. Golean cereal maker: KASHI. Never had this.

86. Hound: HARASS.

88. Massey of old films: ILONA.

91. French article: LES.

92. Sven of "Frozen," for one: REINDEER.

93. Kind of microscope: ELECTRON.

94. Dallas quarterback after Bledsoe: ROMO. Tony. Right.

95. Cross mood: SNIT.

97. Farmyard noises: OINKS.

98. Picture puzzles: REBUSES.

103. Fancy duds: FINERY.

105. Intense: FIERCE.

107. Until: UP TO.

108. "Gilmore Girls" actress Lauren: GRAHAM.

110. Early Peruvian: INCAN.

111. India's first prime minister: NEHRU.

112. Compound in fireworks: NITER.

114. Taj __: MAHAL.

116. Joliot-Curie who won a Nobel Prize in chemistry: IRENE. Daughter of Marie Curie.

120. Pols from blue states, usually: DEMS.

123. Brillo rival: SOS.

124. "Succession" network: HBO.

125. Food Network host Drummond: REE.

126. Out of the ordinary: ODD.

127. Early video game letters: NES.

 

A few extra notes:

1) Happy birthday to dear Husker Gary, our faithful Saturday sherpa, whose posts are always so informative and cheerful. Off the blog, he's a close friend who has bailed me out so many times. Here he is with his incredible wife Joann. They've been married for over 57 years!

2) Boomer's PSA was 861 last Tuesday (742 last month), at least the increase was not that sharp. The doctor decided to cut the oral chemo from 200 mg to 150 mg due to the severe side effects. Boomer's hemoglobin and WBC count were too low. We'll have one more blood draw next week. If his numbers do not improve, he'll get a blood transfusion. 

C.C.