Sunday October 22, 2023 Brian Callahan

Theme: "Finish Lines" - Each theme entry has five R's.

27A. *Coral Sea structure: GREAT BARRIER REEF.

46A. *Place to chill on the train?: REFRIGERATOR CAR.

65A. *Long-running comic strip about the Patterson family: FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE.

85A. *Naval vessel known as a "flattop": AIRCRAFT CARRIER.

107A. *Dog breed that weighs no more than seven pounds: YORKSHIRE TERRIER.

14D. *Cause of some memory problems: READ/WRITE ERROR.

47D. *Need for a comprehensive background check?: REARVIEW MIRROR.

Reveal:

122. Fins, or when parsed differently, a feature of the answers to the starred clues: FIVERS.

I don't get the title "Finish Lines". How does it relate to the five R's?

I like that 14D/47D & 65A intersections. I always try myself and love when it happens. Interesting that Brian started the first theme entry at Row 4 rather than 3. 

Across:

1. "That's sorta funny": HEH.

4. Oscar-nominated biopic about a Supreme Court justice: RBG. Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

7. Pampered pet's destination: CAT SPA.

13. "If I Were __ Man": A RICH.

18. Good Grips brand: OXO. Their ginger grater.

19. In the way of: A LA.

20. Eyepieces: OCULARS.

22. Soprano Fleming: RENEE.

23. Choking hazard warning label: NOT A TOY.

25. Like some car engines: REBUILT.

26. Disciple of Haile Selassie, informally: RASTA. Their god is Jah.

30. Fawning parents?: DEER. 33. Shows of soft power?: NERF WARS. Great clues.

31. Roland Garros playing surface: CLAY. French Open. The King.

32. "Far out!": NEAT.

35. Battleship response: MISS.

36. Webpage standard: HTML. 92. Wrote 36-Across, say: CODED.

37. Delight: JOY.

40. Pushover: DOORMAT.

41. Quick __ wink: AS A.

42. Tribeca neighbor: SOHO.

43. Names on a fundraiser's call list: ALUMS.

45. Customizable Wii Sports avatar: MII.

50. Wander off: STRAY. I had a few 6-mile hikes at Elm Creek this year. Mostly because I wandered off and got lost.

54. Property transfer need: DEED.

55. Word on a whiskey bottle: MALT.

56. Stadium visitors: AWAY TEAMS.

58. DDE rival: AES.

60. __ Xtra: soda brand: PIBB.

63. Pan Am rival: TWA.

64. Track legend Zátopek: EMIL. Czech runner. Wikipedia says he popularized the interval training.

71. First name in game shows: MERV.

72. Old Prizm maker: GEO.

73. Actor Morales: ESAI.

74. South, south of the Rio Grande: SUR.

75. Liz of fashion: CLAIBORNE.

78. Vegetables in fried rice: PEAS. No peas in Xi'an style fried rice. Just green onions, eggs and rice. 

81. Peal: TOLL.

84. Fifth cen. pope: ST LEO.

90. Org. with lots of "Raw" footage: WWE.

93. Threesome: TRIO.

94. Fannie or Sallie follower: MAE.

95. Salt spray: SEAMIST.

99. Gas additive brand: STP.

100. Luge, e.g.: SLED.

101. Ctrl+C action: COPY.

102. Belle & Sebastian genre: INDIE POP. Scottish indie pop.

104. Hearty bowlful: STEW.

105. Blue Pixar fish: DORY.

106. Red or Card: NL'ER. Gluey.

113. Iraq port city: BASRA.

115. "You had your chance!": TOO LATE.

116. Centrum alternative: ONE A DAY. I finally finished Boomer's remaining multivitamin last Friday.

117. One who plays a part: ACTOR.

118. To the extent that: SO FAR AS.

119. Adobe file format: PDF.

120. New __: cap brand: ERA.

121. Caterpillar rival: DEERE. Caterpillar has a big factory in Shanghai.

123. Retired boomer: SST.

124. 1040 fig.: SSN.

Down:

1. __ Kong: HONG. An hour away from Guangzhou via the speed train.

2. Lifted one's spirits?: EXORCISED. Nice clue also.

3. Traveler's storage spot: HOTEL SAFE.

4. Well-worn: RATTY.

5. Amorphous mass: BLOB.

6. Lady Gaga's "Born This Way," for one: GAY ANTHEM.

7. Round up: CORRAL.

8. Nail the midterm: ACE IT.

9. Mascara container: TUBE.

10. Curved line, in musical notation: SLUR.

11. Twosome: PAIR.

12. "King of the Hill" town: ARLEN. Arlen, Texas.

 

13. Pt. of ETA: ARR.

15. Jeans measure: INSEAM. I like American Eagles jeans. They have the perfect inseam, rise and leg opening for me. 

16. Part of etc.: CETERA.

17. San Simeon castle builder: HEARST.

21. Mount: STEED.

24. Duracell options: AAAS.

28. Suckerfish: REMORA.

29. Gift tag field: FROM.

34. Pass off (on): FOIST.

35. Tarnish: MAR.

36. Biker's wheels: HOG.

37. "The Back-up Plan" actress, familiarly: JLO.

38. Sharing word: OUR.

39. Org. with a community pool: YMCA. Brooklyn Park does not have a YMCA.

42. Record half: SIDE B.

43. Wear: ATTIRE.

44. Handled: SAW TO.

48. Suisse peak: ALPE.

49. Playful growl: RAWR.

51. Hits hard: RAMS.

52. French friend: AMIE.

53. Couture initials: YSL.

57. Veers port or starboard: YAWS.

59. Bell-shaped lily: SEGO.

61. Sox from Mass.: BOS.

62. Cup insert: BRA PAD.

65. Experienced: FELT. Verb.

66. __ hygiene: ORAL.

67. Portable drive capacity prefix: TERA.

68. Restorative: TONIC.

69. Medieval land: FIEF.

70. Closing music: OUTRO.

71. Roast hosts, briefly: MCS.

76. "Young Americans" singer David: BOWIE.

77. Son of Ares and Aphrodite: EROS.

79. Prime minister before and after Churchill: ATTLEE. Clement Attlee.

80. Some bottle caps: SCREW TOPS.

82. Stretches out?: LIMO RIDES.

83. 2024 and 2028: LEAP YEARS.

86. ORD summer hrs.: CDT.

87. Weight room unit: REP.

88. Help: AID.

89. Del __ Books: sci-fi publisher: REY.

91. 2023 award for Lionel Messi: ESPY. Inter Miami.

95. Mythical mariner: SINBAD.

96. Twist together: ENLACE.

97. "__ Fideles": ADESTE.

98. Horn sounds: TOOTS.

100. Emotional strain: STRESS.

101. Former "Iron Chef America" chef Cat __: CORA.

103. Word on a whiskey bottle: PROOF.

104. Instrument in the tanbur family: SITAR.

105. P&G detergent brand: DREFT.

108. Former U.N. chief Annan: KOFI. He graduated from Macalester, a private college here in Minnesota.

109. Macedonian or Montenegrin: SLAV.

110. Aesop character: HARE.

111. Winds down: ENDS.

112. Meg of "You've Got Mail": RYAN.

114. "__ you sure?": ARE.

C.C.