Theme: "Inbox Zero" - IN is replaced by O in each common phrase.
24A. Mayhem that ensues when one tries to order a Big Mac at an Arby's?: FAST FOOD CHAOS. Fast food chains.
37A. Troubles in central France?: BURGUNDY WOES. Burgundy wines.
47A. Moment of brain freeze for a programmer?: CODER BLOCK. Cinder block.
70A. What a wizard panda might cast on its hungry enemies?: THE CURSE OF THE BAMBOO. The Curse of the Bambino.
93A. How a baby born in mid-September might behave?: LIKE A VIRGO. Like a Virgin.
100A. Entry on a canner's to-do list?: PROCESS PEACH. Princess Peach.
118A. Anticipation on a horse farm?: FOAL COUNTDOWN. Final countdown.
Not quite sure I get the title. Makes sense if this is a rebus puzzle where IN in the box is replaced by O. As it is, the box is lost on me.
Congratulations to Stacey on her LAT debut!
Across:
7. Hayek Pinault of "Magic Mike's Last Dance": SALMA. Here with Channing Tatum. She's married to ... OK, François-Henri Pinault.
12. Mink cousin: MARTEN.
18. Rummylike game: CANASTA.
20. Begs: PLEADS.
22. Arise: EMERGE.
23. Made aware: ALERTED.
26. Staple used in some sensory play activities: RICE.
27. Workday alternative: ADP. Automatic Data Processing,
29. Cuts it close?: SHEARS. Nice clue.
30. Otolaryngologists, for short: ENTS. Such a long name.
31. Lawyer's org.: ABA.
32. "Just relax!": BREATHE.
35. Significant period: ERA.
36. Some online convos: IMS.
40. __ mess: traditional English dessert: ETON. Learning moment
for me. No-bake dessert. Wikipedia says "it's commonly believed to
originate from Eton College and is served at the annual cricket match
against the pupils of Harrow School ..."
42. __ de deux: PAS.
45. Jack or jenny: ASS.
46. Drink gingerly: SIP.
50. Squeeze: SMUSH.
53. Gently object: DEMUR.
55. Port near Naples: SALERNO. My sister-in-law Connie has probably gone to all the cities in Italy.
56. Furry or feathered friend: PET.
57. Garden structure: SHED.
60. LaLiga chants: OLES.
62. Animal that often sleeps holding hands with its mate: OTTER. So they won't drift apart. So sweet!
63. Four seasons: YEAR.
65. Recovers: HEALS UP.
67. Saintly glows: HALOS.
75. Hard to sleep through, say: NOISY.
76. Go against: DISOBEY.
77. Some Outback sprinters: EMUS.
79. __ of undying: Minecraft item: TOTEM. No idea.
82. Trifling amount: A TAD.
84. Stack in a gym: MATS.
85. Kinda sorta: ISH.
86. Beef rib, to be brief: ANAGRAM. "Beef rib" is an anagram of "to be brief". Amazing clue.
89. Quickly: APACE.
91. Peppermint __: PATTY.
95. "__ Mubarak": holiday greeting: EID.
97. Summer Games org.: IOC.
98. Cell service initials: LTE.
99. Place to get blintzes: DELI. Have some!
106. Old-school weed whacker: HOE.
108. NYSE launch: IPO.
110. Advice when juggling knives: USE CARE.
111. __ Paulo: SAO.
112. Over again: ANEW.
114. Intensify: DEEPEN.
116. Soul maker: KIA.
117. Rabbitlike mammal with short hind legs: PIKA. Can't see clearly.
122. Target of some shaving: LEG HAIR.
124. Concurs: AGREES.
125. Like many valuable baseballs: SIGNED. Look at this one!
126. Heavy hammers: SLEDGES.
127. Lightning container, idiomatically: BOTTLE.
128. Jai alai basket: CESTA.
129. "Oof, everything hurts": I'M SORE.
Down:
2. Surfrider Beach city: MALIBU.
3. Like some garages: ONE CAR.
4. Like a blue lobster or a blue moon: RARE. Is it tasty?
5. Cutesy suffix with "most": EST.
6. Foster's partner: STEARNS. Stearns & Foster mattresses.
7. Coppertone stat: SPF.
8. In the manner of: ALA.
9. Mortgage-free resident, often: LESSEE.
10. Ruler's class: MATH.
11. Spot cost: AD FEE.
12. Prescribed stuff, for short: MEDS. The nurses helped me destroy Boomer's meds. Such a waste.
13. "Mayfair Witches" cable network: AMC.
14. Bring up again?: RE-HEM.
15. Convey: TRANSPORT.
16. Viola Davis accomplishment, briefly: EGOT. So talented.
17. Moray Firth river: NESS.
19. Extra: ADDED.
21. Flew without flapping: SOARED.
25. Speechifies: ORATES.
28. Doesn't dine and dash: PAYS.
32. "Running Up That Hill" singer Kate: BUSH.
33. __ one's thumbs: TWIDDLE.
34. Rhode Island's motto: HOPE.
36. Flowering: IN BLOOM. Rain/snow mix today, then a beautiful week ahead.
38. EV's lack: GAS.
39. Chisels: SCULPTS.
41. Singer Rita who is a judge on the U.K. edition of "The Masked Singer": ORA.
43. Clearasil target: ACNE.
44. Heath bar alternative: SKOR.
48. Valuable deposit: ORE.
49. Doesn't disturb: LETS BE.
50. Catch: SPY.
51. Converge: MEET.
52. State on the Colorado Plateau: UTAH.
54. Tunisian film director Tlatli: MOUFIDA. Unfamiliar to me.
57. Feng __: SHUI.
58. Towel set word: HERS.
59. Gut course: EASY A.
61. Biblical queen's land: SHEBA.
64. Go back (on): RENEGE.
66. Fountain beverage: SODA POP.
68. Lie for, say: ABET.
69. Big name in snacks: LAYS.
71. Cohort: COMRADE. Obit of Jiang Zimin, Comrade Jiang.
72. Hockey advantage: HOME ICE. One more great fill: 81. "Don't despair!": TAKE HEART.
73. Skip past: OMIT.
74. Bump from office: OUST.
78. Not likely to mingle: SHY.
79. __ tale: TALL.
80. "I've got that covered": ON IT.
83. Brand location: TAG.
87. Park in NYC: AVE.
88. Social atmosphere: MILIEU.
90. Corp. heads: CEOS.
91. Innocent, e.g.: POPE. Pope Innocent.
92. Air Force hotshot: ACE.
94. Gets ready to eat?: RIPENS. I like this clue also.
96. Trex construction: DECK.
97. Tel Aviv resident, e.g.: ISRAELI.
101. Flawed sentences: RUN-ONS.
102. Heads to sea: SAILS.
103. Italian cheese: ASIAGO.
104. Less powdery: CAKIER.
105. Raspy: HOARSE.
107. Little hooter: OWLET.
109. Eye-related: OPTIC.
112. Abbr. for some nonbinary people: AFAB. Assigned Female At Birth. Also remember AMAB.
113. Canceled, at NASA: NO GO.
114. Prescribed amount: DOSE.
115. Lip: EDGE.
117. Scholars' degs.: PHDS.
119. Animation studio souvenir: CEL.
120. Drenched: WET.
121. Promise not to tell, for short: NDA.
123. Ruby, for one: GEM.
Do any of you make your own yogurt? Do you know why they want you to have shelf-stable coconut? I started mine yesterday morning and set it for 12 hours. I put a bit of agar agar as thickener, the result was still watery. Not creamy. Not even sour. Tasted just like coconut milk.
(Added later: I just realized that I forgot to put the yogurt starter. D'oh!)
C.C.
