Sunday December 1, 2024 Gary Larson & Amy Ensz

Theme: "Rhyme Scheme" - Each common phrase is humorously rephrased fitting the nursery rhyme in the clue.

21A. Cleanup duty after Humpty Dumpty's accident?: FALL CLEARANCE.

37A. Rental stipulations for a large family's befuddled matriarch?: SHOESTRINGS.

58A. Vessel designed for row-row-rowing gently down the stream?: DREAM BOAT.

72A. Serving dish for Old Mother Hubbard's dog?: BONE CHINA.

90A. Telegram heralding Jack's candlestick feat?: JUMPER CABLE.

110A. Weasel's mindset after being chased by a monkey?: POP PSYCHOLOGY.

14D. Identifying marks for a horn-blowing little boy?: BLUEPRINTS.

70D. Strong flavor from that little Horner kid's Christmas pie?: CORNER KICK.

In case you're not aware of, Gary Larson and Amy Ensz are a couple. Here's an interesting article about Gary, the Bubble Man.

 Across:

 

1. Barrio grocery: BODEGA. Barrio is Spanish for "neighborhood".

7. Breakfast strip: BACON.

12. "I guess that's fine": SO BE IT.

18. Suggestive: EROTIC.

19. Love, in Roma: AMORE.

20. Actress Dahl who founded the Dahlia fragrance company: ARLENE.  Unfamiliar with the fragrance.

23. Crept around: SKULKED.

25. Intercontinental mountain range: URALS.

26. Pad: DIGS.

27. Mixes in: ADDS.

29. Nail polish brand in square bottles: ESSIE.

30. German 39-Down: EINS. 69. Spanish 39-Down: UNA. 39. Countdown end: ONE.

31. Color wheel display: TONES.

32. Bring in, as crops: REAP.

34. Place to stay: INN.

35. Mind-altering synthetic drug: LSD.

36. Puts a lid on: SHUTS.

41. Field event: SHOT PUT.

43. Singer Lewis who won "The X Factor": LEONA. British singer.

44. Boost: AID.

45. Crumple (up): WAD.

46. Ranted and raged: STORMED.

48. Poet's below: NEATH.

52. Big bullies: OGRES. And 55. Big bully: MEANIE.

56. Electron stream: BETA RAY.

60. Bogie toppers?: FEDORAS. Humphrey Bogart.

63. Word typically ignored when alphabetizing: THE.

64. Hog's grunt: OINK.

65. City with a van Gogh walking tour: ARLES. Starry, Starry Night.

67. Musical endings: CODAS.

68. Makeshift screwdriver, maybe: COIN.

70. Phylum units: CLASSES.

74. Kerosene: LAMP OIL.

76. Broadcasts again: RE-AIRS.

78. Retreat: OASIS.

79. Use a tiller: STEER.

80. Counsels: ADVISES.

82. ICU caregiver: LPN.

83. Tennis pair?: ENS. Letter N's in Tennis. We see this cluing misguide often.

85. Vegetarian chili bits: BEANS. Boomer loved beans in his chili. 

86. Make like new: RESTORE.

94. 100 smackers: C NOTE.

96. British granny: NAN.

97. Go gray, maybe: AGE.

98. Origin: ROOT.

99. Old cars from Sweden: SAABS. 101. Local language in Copenhagen: DANSK.

100. Take different routes: PART.

103. Happy __: MEAL.

106. Currency symbolized by € : EURO.

107. Apple gadget: CORER. Have you tried Cosmic Crisp apples?

108. Arranged like train cars: ENDWISE.

113. Cleared for takeoff, in a way: DE-ICED.

114. Batter's box neighbor: PLATE.

115. "Très chic!": OO LA LA.

116. Button in some shortcuts: ALT KEY.

117. Mélange: SALAD.

118. Elegant strand: PEARLS. Very pretty.

Down:

1. Like a pessimistic broker: BEARISH.

2. Bloom in Hollywood: ORLANDO.

3. Some "Coppélia" characters: DOLLS.  Not famliar with "Coppélia", a comic ballet. Coppélia is a mechanical doll.

4. List-ending abbrs.: ETCS.

5. Apt name for a pet fish: GIL.

6. Got the better of, in a contest: ACED OUT.

7. Canal craft: BARGES.

8. Gather: AMASS.

9. Hoodwink: CON.

10. Marine predator: ORCA.

11. __ for Speed: video game series: NEED.

12. Talks back: SASSES.

13. Mork's planet: ORK.

15. Pot-caught fish: EELS. You can find this in the Asian aisle in your grocery store.

16. Finishes, as a cartoon: INKS IN.

17. Driver's setting?: TEEING. Golfer's starting drive.

21. Energy sources: FUELS.

22. "It __ over till it's over": AIN'T.

24. Family rooms: DENS.

28. Emotion before starting an unpleasant task: DREAD.

31. Heavy clonk: THUD.

33. __ disadvantage: AT A.

36. Charley horse, e.g.: SPASM.

37. Typeface flourish: SERIF.

38. Practical HS course, once: HOME EC.

40. Lightbulb, in the comics: IDEA.

42. Fine-tune: TWEAK.

43. Silent film star Chaney: LON. He died in 1930 at age 47.

46. Puts a lid on: SEALS.

47. Cookie brand owned by Mondelez: TATE'S.

49. Stella __: Belgian beer: ARTOIS.

50. Sesame sauce: TAHINI. We have sesame paste in Chinese cooking. We use unhulled sesame seeds.

51. Serengeti scavengers: HYENAS.

52. Near beer brand: O'DOULS.

53. Direct a smile toward: GRIN AT.

54. Make a file more identifiable: RE-NAME.

55. Fable finale: MORAL.

56. Cereal grains: BRANS.

57. Simplify: EASE.

59. Indonesia's "Island of the Gods": BALI.

61. Gillis of old TV: DOBIE.

62. Nose wrinklers: ODORS.

66. African wildcat: SERVAL. Learning moment for me. Cute.

68. Gregorian __: CHANT.

71. Paris Olympics opening ceremony site: SEINE.

73. Thicket: COPSE.

75. Easter basket treat: PEEP.

77. Palm Sunday transport: ASS.

80. Lose power: ABATE.

81. Food blogger Perelman: DEB. Smitten Kitchen blog.

82. Permits: LETS.

84. Last-minute ticket caveat: SRO.

86. Cyberpunk franchise featuring a crime-fighting cyborg: ROBOCOP.

87. Hot: ON A ROLL.

88. Xenon, for one: RARE GAS.

89. Blog post: ENTRY.

90. Emerald alternative: JADE. Cantonese girls love jade bracelets. The real jade is quite pricey, like this one Carmen is wearing. Over $1,000.

 

91. Country with a border in Lake Victoria: UGANDA.

92. Genetics pioneer Gregor: MENDEL.

93. Spoof genre: COMEDY.

94. Brought about: CAUSED.

95. __ a soul: NARY.

99. Philly transit org.: SEPTA. The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority.

100. Chris Van Allsburg's "The __ Express": POLAR.

102. Loretta of "M*A*S*H": SWIT.

104. Intro courses?: APPS. Appetizers. Nice clue.

105. Dancer Falana: LOLA.

107. Cuba libre mixer: COLA.

109. Picture: SEE. The land I showed last week belongs to the Chinese government. My mom and dad were buried there also. It's very remote, hilly, dense with bushes and tall plants. I'd walk for miles to visit my mom's tomb. The stubbornness in that little girl.

111. Mate: PAL.

112. Soil-turning tool: HOE.

Just got this sweet picture from JD, who joined our blog in 2009 when her oldest grandson Truman was not yet one, now Truman is a senior. The tallest boy is Grady, younger brother of Truman (most right). The youngest boy in the picture is Dylan, who plays the saxophone and is about to get his Black Belt in Taekwondo. The boy in white sweater is Cameron, Dylon's old brother.