Theme: "Things That Go Bump in the Night" - Four monsters are hidden under four beds.
24. Thought experiment illustrating special relativity: TWIN PARADOX.
27. Dish garnish: MICROGREEN. Ogre under Twin.
44. Ryan Gosling's role in "The Fall Guy": BODY DOUBLE.
52. Italian blue cheese: GORGONZOLA. Gorgon under Double.
86. Wonderland resident who starts out as a chess piece: WHITE QUEEN.
94. Arrived nonchalantly: STROLLED IN. Troll under Queen.
115. Big name in baking products: KING ARTHUR.
119. Conway Twitty ballad covered by Blake Shelton: GOODBYE TIME. Yeti under King.
Reveal:
66. Common childhood fear, examples of which may jump out at you four times in this puzzle?: THE MONSTER UNDER THE BED.
See the answer grid below.
Each monster has the same letter count as the bed it's hidden. This makes Chandi's theme entry choices super tight.
Across:
4. Taiwanese laptop brand: ACER. Their monitor is pretty good.
8. Repeats a mantra, perhaps: CHANTS.
14. Out of bed: ASTIR.
19. Big day for a startup, briefly: IPO.
20. "__ might say ... ": SOME.
21. Zimbabwe's capital: HARARE.
22. Maestro Zubin: MEHTA. Born in Bombay. We also have 50. Conductor's reference: SCORE.
23. Printer tray abbr.: LTR.
26. Opponent: ENEMY.
29. Plant also known as a strangler fig: BANYAN TREE.
31. Dijon darling: CHERI.
32. Crew team's workout machines: ERGS. Rowing ergometers.
34. Italian hard cheese, briefly: PARM.
35. Humble poker hand: PAIR.
36. Candy with unique dispensers: PEZ.
39. Caesar lettuce: ROMAINE.
42. Like the Vatican's Bramante Staircase: SPIRAL.
48. Add new audio: DUB.
49. Skin opening: PORE.
54. Gobs: LOADS.
56. Shape sometimes made by a comfy cat: LOAF.
57. Couture monogram: YSL.
58. Paris runway spot: ORLY.
59. Routine: ACT.
60. Like sesame seeds in furikake, typically: TOASTED. My favorite is the nori furikake.
63. Not-so-powerful chess piece: PAWN.
74. Floors: AWES.
75. "Well, isn't that fancy!": OOH LA LA.
76. Blonde, brown, or red drink: ALE.
77. Symbol on many a flag: STAR. Chinese flag has five stars.
80. Comic Margaret: CHO.
83. Penicillin origin: MOLD.
84. Singer Zayn: MALIK.
90. JV player's goal: A TEAM.
92. Gin flavorer: SLOE.
93. Buccaneer's cry: ARR.
96. Worth-y things: ASSETS. And 2. Vision-ary?: OPTIC. Nice clues.
98. Evidence board need: PUSHPIN.
100. "Case of the Ex" R&B singer: MYA.
101. Big name in brut: MOET.
102. Diamond overlay?: TARP. Another great clue. Baseball field.
103. Farm-centric org.: USDA.
107. Capital on the Svislach: MINSK.
109. Sound judgment: HORSE SENSE.
118. Newspaper sect.: OBITS.
121. Poem of tribute: ODE.
122. Runs like a gazelle: LOPES.
123. Dig into an issue: GO DEEP.
124. Songwriter Sands: EVIE.
125. Geologic span: EON.
126. Basic question type: YES-NO.
127. Kumquat color: ORANGE.
128. Neptune's domain: SEAS.
129. Retired jet: SST.
Down:
3. One looking for on-deck loot: PORCH PIRATE. Hope it's not a problem in your area.
4. Queens neighborhood on the East River: ASTORIA.
5. Women who "don't cry," per a Brooks & Dunn song: COWGIRLS.
6. Leader in Kuwait: EMIR. 10. Like a 6-Down: ARAB.
7. Rapp of "Mean Girls": RENEE.
8. Momofuku founder David: CHANG. Try his chili crunch.
9. Chuckle syllable: HAR.
11. __ colada: tropical mocktail: NADA.
12. Disney movie set inside a computer: TRON.
13. Hot: SEXY.
14. Fervent agreement: AMEN AMEN.
15. Nissan sedan: SENTRA.
16. Lobster __: THERMIDOR. A la Wikipedia, it's a "French dish of lobster meat cooked in a rich wine sauce, stuffed back into a lobster shell, and browned". Never had this.
17. [Puts finger to nose]: IT ME.
18. "My 21st Century Blues" singer: RAYE. British singer.
25. Word in a ratio: PER.
28. Raised: REARED.
30. Speed skater Ohno: APOLO.
33. Mole: SPY.
37. Daring, in a way: EDGY.
38. Hectic spots: ZOOS.
39. "On the Basis of Sex" monogram: RBG. Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
40. Invalid: NULL.
41. Online marketplace: EBAY.
42. Sound of slime hitting the ground: SPLAT. And 65. Collision sound: WHAM.
43. Pupper: POOCH.
44. Extra helping hand: BOOST.
45. Pontificate: ORATE.
46. Leave for later: DEFER.
47. Bus. card address: URL.
51. Refinement: CLASS.
53. Comfort __: ZONE.
55. Put away: STOW.
61. Protozoan cell count: ONE.
62. Spokesowl who celebrates app streaks: DUO. Duolingo's owl mascot Duo.
63. Red carpet designer: PRADA.
64. Trap music city, briefly: ATL.
67. Gas station shop: MART.
68. Vagabond: NOMAD.
69. Wrapped South Asian garment: DHOTI.
70. Former Liberian president __ Johnson Sirleaf: ELLEN.
71. Help for getting to the pointe: BALLET SHOES.
72. Poet Thomas Stearns __: ELIOT.
73. Hockey ruses: DEKES.
77. Trade: SWAP.
78. Drive-__ window: THRU.
79. Taxi spots?: AIRSTRIPS. Aviation "taxi".
80. Corp. leader: CEO. And
81. Leader's spot: HELM.
82. "__ Murders in the Building": ONLY.
85. Go-ahead: ASSENT.
87. Strong coffee: ESPRESSO.
88. Some swabs: Q-TIPS.
89. Caterer's teapot: URN.
91. ABBA jukebox musical: MAMM MIA.
95. Contents of un lac: EAU.
97. Fancy fetes: SOIREES.
99. Rush: HASTEN.
104. Videoconferencing app: SKYPE.
105. Sputter out: DIE.
106. Puts money in: ANTES.
108. Accolades: KUDOS.
109. "__ mackerel!": HOLY.
110. Instrument similar to a suona: OBOE. Chinese instrument. I just call it laba.
111. Breakfast brand: EGGO.
112. American-born Jordanian royal: NOOR.
113. Fizzy drink: SODA.
114. Pristine place: EDEN.
116. Be generous: GIVE.
117. Monopoly payment: RENT.
120. Ask for more puppy chow: BEG.
Happy 78th birthday to Husker Gary's wife Joann and her twin sister Joyce. Here they're with their mom Martha, who passed away in August last year at the age of 100.
C.C.
