Theme: "Work in Progress" - The last word of each common phrase has extra syllables added and becomes a profession.
26A. One minding everyone's p's and q's?: ALPHABET SUPERVISOR. Alphabet soup.
42A. Cruise ship physician?: FLOATING DOCTOR. Floating dock.
53A. Luncheonette worker?: COUNTER WAITER. Counterweight.
78A. Banker offering a penny for your thoughts?: MEMORY CASHIER. Memory cache.
89A. Artisan who specializes in life-size replicas of bison?: BUFFALO BUILDER. Buffalo Bill.
108A. Character in "Driving Miss Piggy"?: THE MUPPET CHAUFFEUR. The Muppet Show.
32D. One working with flower and dough?: BOTANY BAKER. Botany Bay.
42D. Couturier for Tinker Bell?: FAIRY TAILOR. Fairy tale.
This
is not a simple *DRIVE then DRIVER transformation. All of them have
spelling changes. Very creative. Hallmark of Ed's puzzles.
Loved the grid design also. I could picture the smile on Ed's face when he made four of the theme entries intersect.
Across:
6. LED screen alternative: LCD TV. 6. Unlike a 6-Across, say: LO-RES. Low resolution.
11. Fourth-yr. students: SRS.
14. Slice and dice, perhaps: PREP.
18. Stylish Geoffrey: BEENE.
19. Chicago hub: O'HARE.
20. Aim: GOAL.
21. Holiday lights spot: EAVE.
22. Trumpet sounds: BLATS.
23. Decor updates: RE-DOS.
24. Old school: ALMA MATER. We often just get ALMA.
29. Most articles in The Onion: SATIRES.
30. Shaft on a unicycle: AXLE.
31. Place of rapid development: HOTBED.
35. Short, made shorter: LIL.
36. One of 30 in septiembre: DIA.
39. Pub order: PINT.
41. Aerial footage provider: DRONE.
46. British school since 1440: ETON. Rich Hong Kongese send their kids to Eton.
47. Bikini tops: BRAS.
49. Biblical prophet: HOSEA.
50. Hit the deck again?: RE-DEALT.
52. Palais figure: ROI.
58. "Magic 3" rapper: NAS.
59. Utterly destroyed: IN RUINS.
61. __-Dame de Paris: NOTRE.
62. Happy cry: YAY.
64. Ancient pyramid builders: MAYANS.
65. Hair product that creates a wet look: GEL. I had this hairstyle for a short period. Preferred mousse.
68. Formerly named: NEE.
69. Tiny listening device: EARBUD.
72. Beginning of time?: TEE. Time.
73. Tri-tip, e.g.: STEAK.
75. Balaclava: SKI MASK.
76. Barnyard bleat: MAA.
83. Doll once sold with mustache and sideburn decals: KEN.
84. Jack Ma's company: ALI BABA. The middle guy is Jack Ma, who speaks fluent English. Ma disappeared from the public spotlight for a few years after criticizing China's financial system. Back now.
86. Name on a rap sheet: ALIAS. 114. Letters before an 86-Across: AKA.
87. Inventor/actress Lamarr: HEDY.
88. Most populous city in southwest Colombia: CALI.
95. Asteroids named for a Roman god: AMORS.
97. Covered in gold: GILT.
98. Subj. for some immigrants: ESL.
99. Browser address: URL. 13. Punctuation in a 99-Across: SLASH.
100. Passed in tedious fashion: WORE ON.
102. Upswing: BOOM.
104. Finger painting?: NAIL ART. 4. Digs for bugs?: ANTHILLS. Great clues.
113. Idylls: PASTORALS.
116. Accounts: TALES.
117. Info on a museum placard: TITLE.
118. Seller of Storå loft beds: IKEA.
119. High-chair feature: TRAY.
120. Put on a pedestal: EXALT.
121. Sea eagles: ERNES.
122. NL East team with a "curly W" logo: NATS.
123. Rte. displays: STS.
124. Charmingly silly: DIPPY.
125. Beloved ones: DEARS.
Down:
2. Guy: FELLA.
3. Navigated furniture in a game of the floor is lava, say: LEAPT.
5. Viola's false identity in "Twelfth Night": CESARIO. Learning moment for me.
7. Guitarist Atkins known as the "Country Gentleman": CHET.
8. Root beer brand: DAD'S.
9. Pants, in slang: TROU.
10. Scooter whose name means "wasp" in Italian: VESPA. Fresh clue!
11. Out of debt: SOLVENT.
12. Oscar winner Malek: RAMI.
14. Orchard figure: PEAR TREE.
15. Rodent in some zodiacs: RAT. Chinese and Vietnamese.
16. Sistine Chapel figure: EVE.
17. "As __ my last email ... ": PER.
20. Pasta sauce staple: GARLIC.
25. Subjunctive, e.g.: MOOD.
27. Banjoist Fleck: BELA.
28. "Star Wars" Celebration, e.g.: EXPO.
33. Sherlock's sister: ENOLA.
34. Big dings: DENTS.
36. Singer Celine: DION. "Because You Loved Me" is so beautiful.
37. Pt. of RIT: INST.
38. Outfielder Tommie who was AL Rookie of the Year in 1966: AGEE.
40. Rich layer cake: TORTE.
43. Therefore: THUS.
44. Mend with yarn: DARN.
45. Food writer Drummond: REE. "The Pioneer Woman".
47. Cup edge: BRIM.
48. Novelist Jaffe: RONA.
51. Desert feature: DRY AIR.
53. Washington venue?: CINEMA. Oh, Denzel Washington.
54. Add-__: extras: ONS.
55. Finished first: WON. And
56. Finished off: ATE.
57. Outrage: IRE.
60. Dubai's country, briefly: UAE.
63. Sleeve: ARM.
65. 1960s muscle car: GTO.
66. Eternally, in verse: EER.
67. "__ it on me": LAY.
69. Squeeze (out): EKE.
70. Took advantage of: USED.
71. Big Apple fashion label: DKNY.
73. Tolkien dragon: SMAUG.
74. Heat meas.: KCAL. Kilocalorie.
75. Spanish "Yes, yes!": SI SI.
76. Bright parrot: MACAW.
77. Site of an 1836 siege: ALAMO.
79. Tidal movement: EBB.
80. Sunscreen additive: ALOE.
81. Bart, Lisa, and Maggie, e.g.: SIBS.
82. Transport by semi: HAUL.
85. Caps worn during conclave: BIRETTAS.
87. Inferno of the damned: HELLFIRE.
90. Leg bones: FIBULAS.
91. Mopsy's sister: FLOPSY.
92. Perched upon: ATOP.
93. Affair with ti leaves: LUAU.
94. Stared off into space: DRIFTED.
96. London district near Oxford Circus: SOHO.
101. "Dagnabbit": NERTS.
103. Portioned (out): METED.
104. "So gross!": NASTY.
105. MetLife competitor: AETNA.
106. Tool that's made to measure: RULER.
107. Hair piece?: TRESS.
109. K or Wal finale: MART.
110. Cab: TAXI.
111. Give a hand: CLAP. And 112. Lend a hand: HELP.
113. Brooch: PIN.
115. Good to go: SET.
Going to have my first infusion on Tuesday. Keep me in your thoughts and prayers. Been feeling a bit anxious after having the phone call with the RA nurse last week. They'll keep me for extra 30 minutes for observation. Hopefully I don't have any of the side effects.
C.C.
