Sunday January 5, 2025 Gary Larson & Amy Ensz

Theme: "Out of Order" - The first word in each theme entry is an anagram indicator, the second word is an anagram of the last word in the corresponding clue.

 24A. Produced charts?: MODIFIED STARCH. Charts & starch.

 36A. Stirred up rages?: SHIFTED GEARS. Rages & gears.

 66A. Developed genres?: MIXED GREENS. Genres & greens.

 94A. Acquired taste?: ALTERED STATE. Taste & state.

109A. Discovered vin rosé?: REVISED VERSION. Vin rosé & version.

16D. Found Crusoe?: CHANGED COURSE. Crusoe & course.

56D. Begat Eric?: CONVERTED RICE. Eric & Rice. 

This theme reminds me of the "Scrambled Signals" we had a while ago. Different approach.

I wonder how Gary and Amy collaborate. I'm thinking they brainstorm theme and theme entries together, then Gary makes the grid and Amy writes the clues.

Across:

1. Big name in shortening: CRISCO. My grandma always used lard.

7. Roman __: NUMERALS. I'm worth 200.

15. In base eight: OCTAL.

20. Give a terrible review: HATE ON.

21. Neapolitan standard that provided the melody for Elvis's "It's Now or Never": O SOLE MIO. My Sunshine.

22. Birch of "Hocus Pocus": THORA. Also in "American Beauty".

23. HS podcast recording sites: AV LABS.

26. Disclose: TELL.

27. Oscar winner Guinness: ALEC.

29. Quaint lodging: INN.

30. Basketball position: CENTER.

31. __ of Skye: ISLE.

33. Heap affection (on): DOTE.

35. Stormed (in): BARGED.

41. Hardly windy?: TERSE. Long-winded "windy".

42. More refined: PURER.

43. "Deal me in" payment: ANTE.

44. Twist a peg on a guitar, say: TUNE. Young Splynter.

45. __ tape: DUCT.

49. Earlier: AGO.

50. Latin "and others": ET ALIA.

53. Announce, on a stream: POST.

54. Cause for a blessing: ACHOO.

55. Father on the sidelines: SOCCER DAD. Soccer is huge in China.

57. Brain activity tests, briefly: EEGS.

58. "If these walls __ talk": COULD.

59. Gem with fire and matrix varieties: OPAL.

60. Perfect 10s: IDEALS.

62. Animated film about a racing 61-Down: TURBO. 61. Garden creeper: SNAIL.

63. "Agatha All Along" star Kathryn: HAHN.

70. Tampa Bay team: RAYS.

71. Pain relief brand: ALEVE.

73. Ball honorees: BELLES.

74. Lummoxes: APES.

76. Direct (to): REFER.

77. KOA client: RV'ER.

78. Many crime drama characters: FBI AGENTS. Who's your favorite fictional FBI agent?

83. Uncredited actor: EXTRA.

84. Graph lines: AXES.

85. Classic theater name: RIALTO.

86. "Got it!": AHA.

87. Yard holder: MAST. Sailing "yard".

88. Pulls even with: TIES.

89. Swing music: JIVE.

90. Faith founded by Muhammad: ISLAM. Most of the Chinese Muslims live in Xinjiang. They're called Uyghurs. Xi'an has a large Uyghur population. I love the food in the Muslim Quarters.  

92. Water pitchers: EWERS.

97. Some family cars: SEDANS.

99. Sharp plumlike fruit: SLOE.

100. Gospel-singing sister of Aretha Franklin: ERMA.

101. 1980s game consoles: ATARIS. 119. Some smartphones: SAMSUNGS.

102. Colorado Native: UTE.

103. Kunis of "Bad Moms": MILA.

105. Viral social media bit: MEME.

113. Less biased: FAIRER.

115. Raise: ERECT.

116. Fistfighter's fist: MEAT HOOK. Not famliar with this term.

117. Harder to see: TINIER.

118. Range where tomatoes originated: ANDES. I made the Brazilian salmon stew last week. With two tomatoes. A bit too coconut-y for me.

120. Biases: SLANTS.

Down:

1. Kibitz: CHAT.

2. Give a great review: RAVE.

3. "__ make your head spin!": IT'LL.

4. Aquarium collection: SEA LIFE. We have this in Mall of America. Also 15. Furry swimmers: OTTERS. 95. Slippery swimmer: EEL.

5. Corn discard: COB.

6. Up for auction: ON SALE.

7. Norton Sound port city: NOME.

8. Sports org. that added a "P" to its initials in 2019: USOC. OK, United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee.

9. Stylish, in the 1960s: MOD.

10. First name in pharmaceuticals: ELI. Lilly.

11. Brings in fresh equipment: REFITS.

12. Nitrogen compound: AMINE.

13. Security for a debt: LIEN.

14. Outfield layer: SOD.

17. Flourless cake: TORTE.

18. Like a rainbow: ARCED.

19. "If I Only Had the Nerve" singer Bert: LAHR. Boomer loved this movie and could recite many of the dialogues. 

25. Cause alarm: SCARE.

28. Commanded: LED.

32. Actress Meryl: STREEP.

33. Statistician's focus: DATA.

34. Buried treasure: ORE.

35. Not straight: BENT.

36. Daycation locations: SPAS.

37. Victor of French literature: HUGO.

38. Sporty Camaro: IROC.

39. Glamorous event: GALA.

40. Seat of Garfield County, Oklahoma: ENID.

41. Little dustup: TUSSLE. 69. Little dustup: SPAT. Also 48. Flaps: TO-DOS.

44. Forum frocks: TOGAE. Roman Forum.

46. "Star Trek" lieutenant: UHURA.

47. Cheese similar to cheddar: COLBY.

51. Hong Kong transport: TRAM. Bus, tram and ferry.

52. Unprepared remark: AD LIB.

53. Looks: PEERS.

54. Magician's set: ACT.

57. Lawn care tool: EDGER.

60. Runs in neutral: IDLES.

63. __ pants: baggy trousers: HAREM.  93. Pants measurements: WAISTS.

64. "__ & Katie": Netflix sitcom: ALEXA.

65. Tests by lifting: HEFTS.

67. Ancient Persian king: XERXES.

68. Fabled toymakers: ELVES.

72. Timeline division: ERA.

75. Teamwork hurdle: EGOISM.

78. High follower: FIVE.

79. Braddock's opponent in "Cinderella Man": BAER. Max.

80. "The Lion King" lion: NALA.

81. Not this: THAT.

82. "The feeling is mutual": SAME.

84. Puts on the tube: AIRS.

85. Initiation, e.g.: RITE.

88. Like a tightrope: TENSE.

89. "Atlas" actress, familiarly: JLO.

91. Triathlete's asset: STAMINA.

94. Weather advisories: ALERTS.

96. Pub offerings: DRAFTS.

97. Firm: STERN.

98. Like an icicle-covered house, perhaps: EAVED.

99. Cause of a kettle's whistle: STEAM. I don't own kettle. I use this pot for everything. I also don't have a wok. 

101. Field: AREA.

102. Iris layer: UVEA.

103. Synthesizer pioneer: MOOG.

104. Printer refills: INKS.

106. Environmentalist Brockovich: ERIN.

107. Track event: MEET.

108. Makes a wrong move: ERRS.

110. Private exchanges, briefly: DMS.

111. Moo __ pork: SHU.

112. Electron transfer result, maybe: ION.

114. Feel sick: AIL.

C.C.