Sunday March 12, 2023 Robin Stears

Theme: "Excuses, Excuses!" - One word in each common phrase is replaced by its homophone or soundalike, befitting the excuse by the profession in each clue.

23. "I always wanted to be a ballerina, but I ... ": JUST DIDN'T GET THE POINTE. Point.

34. "I always wanted to be a baker, but I ... ": HAVEN'T GOT WHAT I KNEAD. Need.

53. "I always wanted to be a Gregorian monk, but I ... ": NEVER GOT THE CHANTS. Chance.

73. "I always wanted to be a perfumer, but I ... ": HAD NO COMMON SCENTS. Sense.

91. "I always wanted to be a gardener, but I ... ": COULDN'T FIND THE THYME. Time.

109. "I always wanted to be a wedding officiant, but I ... ": DON'T KNOW THE RITE PEOPLE. Right.

RITE is not the last word, but 109A is such a fun excuse.

Great to see Robin Stears ventured into a Sunday grid. 140-word no less. Click here to read her interview.

Across:

 

1. Jorts fabric: DENIM. Jorts = Jean shorts.

 

6. North Africa's __ Mountains: ATLAS.

11. Cranberry sites: BOGS.

15. TV ads for good causes: PSAS.

19. One who may live by the Strait of Hormuz: OMANI.

20. Go: LEAVE.

21. Old Testament twin: ESAU.

22. Actress Wilson of "His Dark Materials": RUTH. She's British.

27. Specimen for a volcanologist: ASH.

28. Gown: DRESS.

29. Long Beach's location, informally: SOCAL.

30. "I __": Election Day sticker: VOTED. Voted for the first time in 2010 after I became a US citizen.

31. North Carolina university: ELON.

32. Uniform accessory: SASH.

33. Ambulance wailers: SIRENS.

40. __ bar: DIVE.

41. German article: EINE.

42. Northeastern octet: IVIES.

43. Show clearly: EVINCE.

46. Small tastes: SIPS.  And 16. Beverage brewed with solar energy: SUN TEA.

48. Vega, e.g.: STAR.

49. Phony: SHAM.

57. Undefeated boxer Laila: ALI.

58. Means of access: DOORS.

59. Goatee spot: CHIN.

60. Key of Beethoven's "Eroica": E FLAT.

62. Soy-based frozen dessert brand: TOFUTTI. I never had this or soy yogurt.

65. Think of, as a solution: HIT ON.

67. "__ Place": 1990s TV drama: MELROSE.

69. Classic Windows catchphrase: I'M A PC. Feels like ages ago.

70. Bygone Dodge subcompact: OMNI.

71. Messy scuffle: MELEE.

72. Customizable Wii Sports avatar: MII.

81. French infinitive: ETRE.

83. Give more than a darn?: CUSS. Fun clue.

84. Midday: NOON.

85. On the clock: AT WORK.

86. Setting for many Stephen King novels: MAINE. King was born in Portland, Maine.

88. After the whistle: LATE.

90. Wallpaper hanger's calculation: AREA.

98. Sugar shack surrounders: MAPLES.

99. Actress Mireille: ENOS. "The Killing". She's also in "Hanna".

100. MLB stat: RBIS. Also 9. Batting stat: AVG.

101. Massive old computer: ENIAC.

102. Amazon crime series based on Michael Connelly novels: BOSCH. Detective Bosch. Played by Titus Welliver.

104. Fanny pack's spot: WAIST.

106. Needle a bit: SEW.

113. Not aweather: ALEE.

114. Canine pal of Nermal and Garfield: ODIE.

115. British elevators: LIFTS.

116. Pie feature: CRUST.

117. Young 67-Down: LADS. 67. Guys: MEN.

118. Batik artist: DYER.

119. Sherwin-Williams product: PAINT.

120. Toast opener: HERE'S.

Down:

1. "Say So" singer __ Cat: DOJA.

 

 

2. Some Down Under sprinters: EMUS.

3. Graham in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: NASH. Crosby, Stills & Nash.

4. QB misfire: INT.

5. __-of-the-road: MIDDLE.

6. Pasta specification: AL DENTE.

7. Till stack: TENS.

8. Muscles near delts: LATS.

10. Vacillate: SEESAW.

11. "You __!": "Yep!": BETCHA.

12. Dept. of Labor arm: OSHA.

13. Fine __: Irish political party: GAEL. From Wikipedia: It's "a liberal-conservative and Christian-democratic political party in Ireland." Learning moment for me. 

14. Dine by candlelight, maybe: SUP.

15. "The Canterbury Tales" character: PRIORESS.

17. Go to: ATTEND.

18. Gets rid of: SHEDS.

24. Appliance in some hotel room closets: IRON.

25. Reggae pioneer Peter: TOSH. The Wailers.

26. Like a ram or a lamb: OVINE.

31. Balanced: EVENED UP.

32. Curry of the NBA's "Splash Brothers": STEPH.

33. Bypass: SKIRT.

34. Home with cells: HIVE.

35. Tel __, Israel: AVIV.

36. Main points: GISTS.

37. Taking action: ON IT.

38. Captain of industry: TITAN.

39. Novelist Turgenev: IVAN. He wrote "Fathers and Sons".

40. Family room: DEN.

44. Pants part: CROTCH.

45. Award quartet for John Legend, for short: EGOT.

47. Grapefruit wedge: SECTION.

48. __ guard: SHIN.

50. Lighting effect: HALO.

51. "Poor, pitiful me!": ALAS. Just had another scary allergy episode with tuna.

52. Puny parasite: MITE.

54. "... __ quit!": OR I.

55. Sulu player John: CHO. Korean name. It's spelled as Zhao in Chinese. Chao in Cantonese.

56. Choose: SELECT.

61. Routes without tolls: FREEWAYS.

62. Person of the Year designator: TIME.

63. Skip over: OMIT.

64. So-so: FAIR.

65. Some med. plans: HMOS.

66. Company abbr.: INC.

68. "Frozen" sister: ELSA.

70. Advent: ONSET.

71. Ramadan, e.g.: MONTH. 9th month of the Islamic calendar.

74. Essential fatty __: ACIDS.

75. Brooks's country music partner: DUNN.

76. Gets into shape?: MOLDS. Great clue. These are similar to the one my grandma used.

77. Castle trench: MOAT.

78. Standard: NORM.

79. Koala hangout: TREE.

80. Genre of the Mighty Mighty Bosstones: SKA. Ska punk band.

82. Tries to live up to: EMULATES.

87. Smart __: ALECK.

89. Most uncanny: EERIEST.

91. Cooking oil option: CANOLA.

92. Weighed in: OPINED.

93. "The Addams Family" uncle: FESTER.

94. Foot part: INCH. I told my friend Adam about the 70+inches of snow we got this season in Minnesota. He sent me this picture of his son clearing the roof. He lives in Lapland now.

95. Totally worthless: NO HELP.

96. Recipe amt.: TBSP.

97. Built for NASA, say: HI-TECH.

98. Athlete's award: MEDAL.

102. Soul mate?: BODY.

103. Scrape covered with a Paw Patrol bandage, e.g.: OWIE.

104. Library convenience: WIFI.

105. Memo abbr.: ATTN.

106. Cowpoke's poker: SPUR.

107. "Will there be anything __?": ELSE.

108. Dampens: WETS.

110. Drift off: NOD.

111. Fjord kin: RIA.

112. One of five principal resources in the game Catan: ORE.

C.C.