Sunday December 24, 2023 Robin Stears

Theme: "Reindeer Games" - Part of each common phrase is a reindeer.

23. Men's clothing retailer: HABERDASHER.

28. Elton John hit with the misheard lyric "Hold me closer, Tony Danza": TINY DANCER.

49. Fitness method with "a springy, rhythmic way of moving forward": PRANCERCISE. Unfamiliar to me.  

 58. Mythological fox destined never to be caught: CADMEAN VIXEN. Also new to me.

82. Celestial object next visible from Earth in 2061: HALLEY'S COMET.

92. Connie Francis hit with a rhyming title: STUPID CUPID.

115. Thor's son in the role-playing game Scion: ERIC DONNER.

122. German roadster that once held the world speed record: BLITZEN BENZ.

Timely theme from Robin. A bit name-heavy, but it's the nature of this theme. I'm amazed that she found a full set. 

 Across:

1. Monastery head: ABBOT.

6. Unrefined: CRUDE.

11. Devilish creatures: IMPS. Spitzboov was one.

August 23, 2014, Washington County Fair

15. Like some reports: ORAL.

19. Swap: TRADE.

20. More vast: HUGER.

21. Awkwafina's real first name: NORA. Nora Lum. Lum is the same character as Lin, meaning "forest".

22. Fried cornbread: PONE.

25. Action in Uno: DRAW.

26. Sicilian volcano: ETNA.

27. 2-Down accompaniers: OVATIONS. 2. "Great show!": BRAVO.

30. Not the worst: SO SO.

31. "__ I say more?": NEED.

33. Give comfort to: REASSURE.

34. Lunch hours, e.g.: MEALTIMES.

37. Messy handwriting: SCRAWL. Mine is so messy.

41. Teakettle output: STEAM. I invited the nice church couple Bill and Margret to our home for a Christmas lunch last week. They loved my matcha. Bill said my almond-crusted walleye was "perfection". They also enjoyed my wild rice salad. I put in black olives, sun-dried tomatoes, roasted bell peppers, sliced green onions and the amazing mixed nuts Agnes gifted to me. So good. Sure wish Agnes lived closer by.

44. Hanover Ivy: DARTMOUTH.

48. __ alai: JAI.

53. UPC bar code developer: IBM. Great trivia.

54. Public persona: IMAGE.

56. Cereal grain: OAT.

57. "Orinoco Flow" singer: ENYA.

61. Circle widths: DIAMETERS.

64. Agnus __: DEI.

65. Org. created by the 1957 Treaty of Rome: EEC.

66. Suffix akin to -ule: ETTE.

67. Physicist Newton: ISAAC.

69. Permanent marks: SCARS.

72. Longtime PBS "Mystery!" host Diana: RIGG.

76. Digital asset: Abbr.: NFT. Non-Fungible Token.

78. Dent or scratch: MAR.

80. Office supplier: STATIONER.

88. Sign: OMEN.

89. Singer DiFranco: ANI.

90. "Middlemarch" novelist: ELIOT.

91. Polish tennis champ Swiatek: IGA. Currently the No. 1 player. She was born in 2001.

95. Wall St. takeover: LBO.

96. Some errand runners on a yacht: CABIN BOYS.

99. Starts a fresh pot: ANTES.

100. Tungusic people of northeast China: MANCHU. I did not know the word "Tungusic". Wikipedia says they are "native to Siberia, China, and Mongolia". They're called "man zu" in China. Chinese map is shaped like a rooster.

102. Cat hair, pollen, dust mites, etc.: ALLERGENS.

106. One held for questioning: DETAINEE.

110. Plastic shoe wearer: DOLL.

111. __ Bora: Afghan region: TORA.

118. Greeted with a ceremonial bow: SALAAMED.

120. Dublin Murder Squad series novelist French: TANA.

121. "Shining Vale" actress Sorvino: MIRA.

125. Trains for a marathon, say: RUNS.

126. U.S. passport holder: AMER.

127. Flood defense: LEVEE.

128. Tank nuisance: ALGAE.

129. "What __ can I say?": ELSE.

130. Turner and Knight: TEDS.

131. Stadium levels: TIERS.

132. Marsh ducks: TEALS.

Down:

1. Aramis companion: ATHOS.

3. Rum-soaked cakes: BABAS.

4. Tribute in "Antigone": ODE TO MAN.  Sophocles tribute. Learning moment for me.

5. Hatcher of "Lois & Clark": TERI.

6. Fashion house whose logo is two interlocking C's: CHANEL. Their most iconic bag.

7. Oft-baked potato: RUSSET.

8. "That's gross!": UGH.

9. Low grade: DEE.

10. Make the team's blooper reel, perhaps: ERR.

11. Home to more than 1.4 billion people: INDIA.

12. Eves' counterparts: MORNS.

13. Appeals to a higher power: PRAYS.

14. Carpentry debris: SAWDUST.

15. Game 1: OPENER.

16. Campus mil. group: ROTC.

17. Celebrity chef Burrell: ANNE. Known for her spiky hair.

18. King who says to Cordelia, "Nothing can come of nothing": LEAR.

24. Portuguese title: DONA.

28. End-of-unit classroom event: TEST.

29. Gmail option: ARCHIVE.

32. "Rugrats" mom: DIDI. Pickles.

33. Go back to Chapter 1: RE-READ.

35. Ceremony host: EMCEE.

36. Counterpart of fem., in grammar: MASC.

38. "Stronger than dirt" brand: AJAX.

39. Payment for labor: WAGE.

40. Property claim: LIEN.

41. Name in fine china: SPODE.

42. Eye color, e.g.: TRAIT.

43. Trouble: EAT AT.

45. Does impressions: MIMICS.

46. Honor given by HM King Charles III: OBE. Order of the British Empire.  HM (His Majesty) suggests an Abbr.

47. Actress Thurman: UMA.

50. Thing: ENTITY.

51. Some deli loaves: RYES.

52. Irene of "Fame": CARA.

55. Extremely small: MICRO.

59. __ Moines, Iowa: DES.

60. Fit snugly inside: NESTED.

62. __ Park: Edison lab site: MENLO. New Jersey. The Facebook HQ is Menlo Park, CA.

63. Polynesian language: SAMOAN.

68. Word with sky or spy: CAM.

70. Upon: ATOP.

71. Malek of "Oppenheimer": RAMI.

73. Hardly appropriate: INAPT.

74. "Your wish is my command" speaker: GENIE.

75. Formula 1 starting positions: GRIDS.

77. Went to collect: FETCHED.

79. Fix a worn-out shoe: RESOLE.

81. Quechua speaker: INCAN.

82. Command post: HELM.

83. "Dark Angel" star Jessica: ALBA.

84. King of the jungle: LION.

85. Member of the fam: SIB.

86. Like the dinos in "Jurassic Park": CGI. Computer-Generated Imagery.

87. Texter's "I'm out!": TTYL.

93. Thrift shop condition: USED.

94. Not firmly fixed: UNSTABLE.

97. Bygone coin-op eatery: AUTOMAT.

98. Boxer Max: BAER. Have not seen this name for a long while.

101. Jewel box: CD CASE.

103. List: ROSTER.

104. Sugarcoats: GLAZES.

105. Vogue rival: ELLE.

107. "Demon Slayer" genre: ANIME.

108. How Santa dresses, mostly: IN RED. Our Santa.

109. Approaches: NEARS.

112. Luxury timepiece: OMEGA.

113. Kidney-related: RENAL.

114. Carving tools: ADZES.

115. Raison d'__: ETRE.

116. "The Addams Family" actor Julia: RAUL.

117. Road-trip stops: INNS.

119. Future dr.'s class: ANAT.

122. Diner fave: BLT.

123. Luau neckwear: LEI. Probably the most delicate gift I've ever received. JimmyB had it delivered from Hawaii directly the day our puzzle was published. So beautifully wrapped. Jim still solves the LAT every day.

124. "__ seen worse": I'VE.

Merry Christmas, everyone. I hope you're with your loved ones and your house is full of love.

C.C.