Theme: "Family Matters" - All theme entries are in the pattern of MA*MA or PA* PA*.
27. NCAA basketball tournament nickname: MARCH MADNESS.
40. Artistic form for Degas: PASTEL PAINTING.
47. Sherwood Forest resident: MAID MARIAN.
64. Works on a car's alignment?: PARALLEL PARKS.
72. Broad appeal to all possible consumers: MASS MARKETING.
84. Chess piece with a clear path to promotion: PASSED PAWN.
94. Sailors qualified to captain any ship: MASTER MARINERS.
107. Decoration for a tropical cocktail: PAPER PARASOL.
Reveal:
122. Half of a 1960s pop group, and what's found in half of this puzzle's long answers: MAMAS.
125. Half of a 1960s pop group, and what's found in half of this puzzle's long answers: PAPAS.
Love the title and execution. Every MA* MA* is followed by a PA* PA*. I did a similar theme for the Crossword Club ages ago. The top themers are MA* MA*. Bottoms are PA* PA*.
Read here about Jeff. He's mostly focused on weekday puzzles. I think this is his first Sunday for the LAT. Congrats, Jeff!
Across:
1. Pool equipment: RACKS.
6. __ Romeo: ALFA. Just had this last Sunday.
10. Gift card word: FROM.
14. Part of a flight: STAIR.
19. Prefix with linguistic: ETHNO.
20. Prom invitee: TEEN.
21. Oscar winner Malek: RAMI. He won an Oscar for his role in "Bohemian Rhapsody".
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22. Potion-making goddess of myth: CIRCE. The sorceress in "Odyssey".
23. Greatly enjoyed: ATE UP.
24. Baker's fat: LARD.
25. Muslim wedding officiant: IMAM.
26. Set, as a security system: ARMED.
30. Last qualifier?: NOT LEAST. Last but not least.
32. Baby goats: KIDS. Also 44. Youngster: TYKE.
33. Barbecue entree: RIBS.
35. Hindu honorific: SRI.
36. Vardalos of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding": NIA.
37. Theater walkways: AISLES.
45. "Couldn't agree more": SAME HERE.
46. Bio stat: AGE.
50. Clunker: DUD.
52. Ishmael's captain: AHAB.
56. Texting tech: SMS. Short Message Service.
57. Alma mater of Prince Harry and Prince William: ETON.
61. Very muscular, informally: SWOLE.
62. You are, in Spanish: ERES.
67. Anticipated: AWAITED.
70. IV part: INTRA.
71. Finds hilarious: ROARS AT.
74. Walnut or apple: TREE.
75. Call forth: EVOKE.
76. Like the legend of Ragnarok: NORSE.
77. Fill to excess: SATE.
79. Selfish sort: HOG.
82. C-SPAN figs.: SENS.
83. Campground letters: KOA. 109. 83-Across visitor, perhaps, briefly: RV'ER.
87. Wash. neighbor: IDA.
89. Workforce: LABORERS.
93. In __ of: LIEU.
98. Managerial groups: BOARDS.
100. Brest friend: AMI.
101. "The Simpsons" disco guy: STU.
102. Map app outputs: Abbr.: RTES.
103. Electronics giant: SONY.
104. Saw red: GOT UPSET.
113. Classic wafermaker: NECCO.
114. Red Cross supplies: SERA.
116. Hot stuff: LAVA.
117. Came up: AROSE.
118. Curved connector: U BOLT.
119. Shakespearean king: LEAR.
120. Currier's partner: IVES.
121. River to the North Sea: MEUSE. Unfamiliar to me. Wikipedia
says it's "rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the
Netherlands before draining into the North Sea."
123. Fails to be: ISN'T.
124. School session: TERM.
Down:
2. Chapati flour: ATTA.
3. One-named "Mermaids" star: CHER.
4. Got to work, with "down": KNUCKLED.
5. Title role for Meryl: SOPHIE. "Sophie's Choice". Such a heavy read.
6. Book of legends?: ATLAS.
7. Malleable metal: LEAD.
8. Houseplant with spores: FERN.
9. Thumbelina creator: ANDERSEN. Hans Christian Andersen.
10. Wham-O toy: FRISBEE.
11. Slam (into): RAM.
12. Arabian Sea nation: OMAN.
13. Brunch cocktail: MIMOSA.
14. Taking on a climbing wall: SCALING.
15. Lose steam: TIRE.
16. Italian fashion brand: ARMANI.
17. Traps at a chalet, perhaps: ICES IN. And 39. Good time to go on a run?: SKI SEASON. Skin run.
18. Markdown marker: RED TAG.
28. GPs, e.g.: MDS.
29. Jedi foe: SITH.
31. Three-tone chord: TRIAD.
34. Camera letters: SLR.
37. PIN takers: ATMS.
38. Start and end of Popeye's credo: I YAM.
40. Discomfort: PAIN.
41. "I'm an open book" session, briefly: AMA. Ask Me Anything.
42. Go by bike: PEDAL.
43. Pots, cups, saucers, etc.: TEAWARE. Just want to share with you a few dim sum dishes from Guangzhou. Green Har Gow.
45. "You can't sit here" sign: SRO.
48. Rendezvous request: MEET ME.
49. Bamboozled: AT SEA.
51. Company that operates London river boats: UBER. Uber Boat. New clue angle. Also 64. Boat boarding spot: PIER.
53. Composition of some violin bows: HORSEHAIR.
54. __-Seltzer: ALKA.
55. Vanquish: BEST.
58. "The Sopranos" restaurateur: ARTIE.
59. Farm storage place: BARN.
60. Color guard's charge: FLAG.
61. Showed leniency toward: SPARED.
63. Takes a chance: RISKS IT.
65. Kitchen pests: ANTS. I hate fruit flies. So hard to fully eliminate them.
66. Austrian actress Lenya: LOTTE.
67. Iowa town west of Cedar Rapids: AMES.
68. Surfer's curl: WAVE.
69. Bond villain in a Nehru jacket: DR NO.
73. Eucalyptus eater: KOALA. Eucalyptus leaves do not provide enough energy. Koala sleeps a ton. We also have 78. Burro: ASS. And 81. Serengeti grazers: GNUS.
77. Lat. and Lith., once: SSRS.
80. Outstanding: OWED.
83. Go-__: KARTS.
84. Like firewood sold at hardware stores: PRE-SPLIT.
85. __ Lingus: AER.
86. Amenity at some McDonald's restaurants: PLAY AREA.
88. Tyrants: DESPOTS.
90. Train board abbr.: ARR.
91. Very small role: BIT PART.
92. Draft status: ONE A.
94. PI played by Selleck: MAGNUM.
95. Microscopic creature: AMOEBA
96. "Abbott Elementary," e.g.: SITCOM.
97. Fiber-rich cereal: MUESLI. What do you have for breakfast these days?
98. Fluffy accessory: BOA.
99. Cloverleaf element: ON RAMP.
103. Involuntary twitch: SPASM.
105. Sch. near Beverly Hills: UCLA.
106. Golfer's stands: TEES.
108. Gutter spot: EAVE.
110. Ladled course: SOUP. This is a typical Cantonese daily soup. Pork ribs with lotus root, corn & dates.
111. Mount of Greek myth: OSSA.
112. Wine dregs: LEES.
115. Dashed: RAN.
C.C.
