Sunday October 9, 2022 Katie Hale

Theme: "Say It Again"- An homophone is added to each common phrase.

23. Love letters between Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf?: TENNIS PROS' PROSE.
 

32. Hot food served extra cold?: CHILLY CHILI PEPPERS.
 

50. Cast members who may sing "Under the Sea" at sea?: DISNEY CRUISE CREWS.
 

67. Musical composition to meditate to?: INNER PEACE PIECE.

86. Ransack the Grand Ole Opry?: STEAL STEEL GUITARS.

102. Money made by one with a Messiah complex?: FALSE PROPHET PROFIT.

117. Excited cry when Alabama pulled even in the big game?: CRIMSON TIDE TIED.

Katie Hale's first LAT Sunday! She is Patti's new assistant. 

 

Fun theme entries and clues. Sometimes the theme entries feel a bit forced for this type of homophone or sound deletion/addition theme. This one just flows so naturally.

Across: 

1. Milk option: SKIM. Whole milk for Boomer now.

5. Organs with the smallest bones in the body: EARS.

9. Escapade: ANTIC.

14. Good point: ASSET.

19. __ Domini: ANNO.

20. Grad: ALUM.

21. Old-timey truth: SOOTH. Now we only use "soothe".

22. "You win!": UNCLE.

26. Word repeated in a Culture Club song: KARMA. Karma, karma, karma, karma, karma chameleon.

27. Halvah flavor: SESAME. Never had halvah.

28. Letters before a handle: AKA.

29. Type of lift: T BAR.

31. Glance: PEEK.

37. City east of Pittsburgh: ALTOONA.

40. Force on Earth: ONE G.

41. Spotted: SEEN.

42. Vientiane language: LAO. Meaning "old" in Chinese.

43. Chemical relative: ISOMER.

47. Lawmaking bodies: SENATES.

56. "__ been thinking ... ": I'VE.

57. "Wreck-It Ralph" setting: ARCADE.

58. Museum hanging: OIL.

59. Not 'neath: O'ER.

60. Supermodel with a Global Chic collection on HSN: IMAN.

61. "We need help!": SAVE US.

63. Like Roy Haylock as Bianca Del Rio: IN DRAG.

66. Change: AMEND.

71. Walks in the shallows: WADES.

74. Miley Cyrus's "Party in __": THE USA.

75. Fuel rating: OCTANE.

78. Flaps: ADOS.

79. See 95-Across: TEA. 95. With 79-Across, drink with tapioca pearls: BOBA. Those are the tapioca pearls at the bottom. Very chewy.

80. Nutrition fig.: RDA. Recommended Dietary Allowances.

83. Check out, in a way: RING UP.

85. Convent resident: NUN.

91. Grow resentful: GET SORE.

93. Saudi __: ARABIA.

94. Apple platform: IOS.

96. Running wear?: HOSE. It runs.

98. Highest: TOPMOST.

108. MLB family name: ALOU.

109. Wine from Douro: PORT.  The Douro Valley, birthplace of Port wine. Learning moment for me.

110. Rio maker: KIA.

111. Reached by plane: FLEW TO.

115. Moved to a better fishing spot, maybe: ROWED.

121. Sound from a steeple: CHIME.

122. __ butter: COCOA.

123. Weymouth of Talking Heads: TINA.

124. Nick at __: NITE.

125. All gone: EATEN.

126. Director Welles: ORSON.

127. "The Addams Family" adjective: OOKY.

128. Grows old: AGES.

Down:

1. H.S. exams: SATS.

2. Meniscus location: KNEE.

3. Country lodgings: INNS.

4. European microstate led by Prince Albert II: MONACO. Son of Grace Kelly.

5. Enter with caution: EASE IN.

6. Chamonix backdrop: ALP.

7. Sub-suburban: RURAL.

8. Great __ Mountains: SMOKY.

9. Snake also known as Naja haje: ASP. New clue.

10. Neither's partner: NOR.

11. Play the recorder, perhaps: TOOTLE.

12. "Brace yourself for heavy news": IT'S BIG.

13. Inexpensive: CHEAP.

14. Puffin kin: AUK.

15. Podded plant: SNAP PEA.

16. Hours reduced by unplugging: SCREEN TIME. And its symmetrical partner:  73. "This is your only chance": DON'T BLOW IT. Brilliant fill.

17. Composer Bernstein: ELMER. Wikipedia says he's not related to Leonard Bernstein.

18. Tropical hardwoods: TEAKS.

24. "If u ask me": IMHO.

25. __ fly: SAC.

30. Hem over, say: RESEW.

33. Secular: LAIC.

34. Breaks up a plot, say: HOES.

35. Memo header: IN RE.

36. Hutches: PENS.

37. "M*A*S*H" star: ALDA.

38. Hideouts: LAIRS.

39. "Vissi d'arte" opera: TOSCA. 66. When "Vissi d'arte" is sung in 39-Down: ACT II.

44. Sign for a packed house: SRO. Standing Room Only.

45. French affirmative: OUI.

46. Surroundings: MILIEU.

47. "Groo the Wanderer" cartoonist Aragonés: SERGIO. Another learning moment.

48. __ Rachel Wood of "Westworld": EVAN.

49. Text command: SEND.

51. Forces that act on water?: NAVIES.

52. Perfect places: EDENS.

53. "The Walking Dead" actor Steven: YEUN. South Korean-born.

54. Pineapple center: CORE.

55. "You __ what you sow": REAP.

60. "Let me clarify ... ": I MEANT.

62. Small sofa: SETTEE.

64. "Illmatic" rapper: NAS.

65. Takoma Park, Md., region: DC AREA.

68. Seehorn of "Better Call Saul": RHEA.

69. Sound from a steeple: PEAL.

70. Beige hue: ECRU.

71. Fashion designer Vera: WANG. Can you believe she's 73 years old?

72. Together, musically: ADUE.

76. Mystery writer Marsh: NGAIO. Quite a few names in Down slots.

77. Irish capital: EUROS.

81. Interior Secretary Haaland: DEB.

82. Mahershala of "Green Book": ALI.

84. "Wanna know a secret?": PSST.

86. Drink brand with a lizard logo: SOBE.

87. Maria von __: TRAPP.

88. Window part: SASH.

89. Shady one?: TREE.

90. Persian in Mexico, e.g.: GATO. Fun clue. Cat.

92. "Get over it": SO SUE ME.

96. "Get Out" genre: HORROR.

97. Fiber __: OPTICS.

99. Ineffective period: OFF DAY.

100. Stack: PILE.

101. Ital. peak: MT ETNA.

102. Screwball comedy: FARCE.

103. Hilo hello: ALOHA.

104. Celebrity chef DiSpirito: ROCCO. No idea.

105. MMA call: TKO.

106. Piebald horse: PINTO.

107. 1:1, for one: RATIO.

112. "Wonder Woman 1984" actress Kristen: WIIG.

113. French noodle: TETE.

114. Words of appreciation: ODES.

116. Sofa bed site: DEN.

118. Stock quote?: MOO.

119. __ Francisco: SAN.

120. Tats: INK.

 Two extra notes:

 1) Belated "Happy Birthday" to dear Jayce (John), who turned 81 years old yesterday. Did you do anything special, Jayce?

Jayce and his wife on their wedding day

2) Boomer's PSA soared to 1,000+, so the latest oral chemo just did not work for him. The doctor has stopped the cancer treatment and said Boomer only had a few months to live. I've been consumed by this profound sadness and hopelessness. 

C.C.