Theme: "EN MASSE" - ON is added to the end of each common phrase.
23. "Don't be afraid to embrace fan fiction!"?: KICK THE CANON. Kick the can.
30. Encouraging message to a sad nobleman?: CHINUP BARON. Chinup bar. Partial dupe with 77. Rec room amenity: WET BAR.
51. Garment that's entirely unsuitable for cooking?: ZERO PERCENT APRON. Zero percent APR.
68. Title for Elroy during his boot camp days?: PRIVATE JETSON. Private jet.
90. Game that involves old-fashioned wine vessels?: CAPTURE THE FLAGON. Capture the flag.
108. Offering from an African republic?: GIFT OF GABON. Gift of gab.
122. Feature of a "Twilight" relay race?: VAMPIRE BATON. Vampire bat.
Reveal:
133. Appended, or an alternate title for this puzzle: ADDED ON.
Classic LAT Sunday with a super consistent set. Each base phrase has the ON appended at the end.
This type of letter addition/deletion/insertion theme looks simple on the surface, they do take skills to clue well. You want each new phrase to land whimsically and read naturally in its new context. I really like the images 30A & 122A conjure up.
This is Kareem's first Sunday LAT. Congrats, Kareem! Brian has been a regular LAT constructor for a few years.
Across:
1. "Look, I'm on TV!": THAT'S ME.
8. Promising spot?: ALTAR. I do.
13. Skewed views: BIASES.
19. Substance in an Erlenmeyer flask, maybe: CHEMICAL. A la
Wikipedia: Erlenmeyer flask is a type of laboratory flask with a flat
bottom, a conical body, and a cylindrical neck. It is named after the
German chemist Emil Erlenmeyer (1825–1909), who invented it in 1860.
20. Pont Neuf river: SEINE.
21. Withstand: ENDURE.
22. Boxing judge locale: RINGSIDE.
25. Folklore beasts: OGRES.
26. Snacking syllable: NOM.
28. More reserved: SHYER.
29. Waterfall spray: MIST. I was once as tall as the Minnehaha Falls.
34. Falafel holders: PITAS.
36. Was, in Spanish: ERA. Shi, in Chinese.
37. Bird in much Australian art: EMU.
38. "Let me give you some advice ... ": HERE'S A TIP.
42. Some BrickLink.com buys: LEGO SETS. BrickLink is owned by Lego.
47. Give a name to: DUB.
49. Kathmandu citizen: NEPALI.
50. __ smasher: ATOM.
56. __ mail: SNAIL.
58. Father: SIRE.
59. Extravagant: LUXE.
60. For fear that: LEST.
61. Body art: TATTOO.
63. Tear up: CRY.
65. "We made the right choice": IT'S BEST.
73. Tart citrus drink: LIMEADE.
76. Bud: PAL.
82. Trig ratio: SINE.
83. Goddess whose tears flood the Nile: ISIS. Such a powerful figure. She even resurrected her husband.
86. Some classic PCs: IBMS.
89. Tropical sorbet flavor: GUAVA.
95. Inconsequential moment: BLIP.
96. Discomfort: UNEASE.
97. Not 'neath: OER.
98. Some cards checked by the TSA: STATE IDS.
100. Part of a swing set?: DANCE STEP. Ah swing dance.
103. Gives the nod: OKS.
106. Arequipa auntie: TIA. Arequipa is second most populated city in Peru.
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107. Sean of "Stranger Things": ASTIN.
114. At all: EVER.
117. "Rome wasn't built in a day," e.g.: ADAGE.
120. Fawn's mom: DOE.
121. Deli device: SCALE.
125. Venues such as Shakespeare's Globe: THEATRES.
128. Consumption: INTAKE.
129. Agile: LITHE.
130. Berated: RAILED AT.
131. Newman of kid-lit: LESLEA. She wrote "Heather Has Two Mommies".
132. Foe: ENEMY.
Down:
1. Chicken piece: THIGH.
2. "Bathers by a River" painter Matisse: HENRI.
3. Biotech giant: AMGEN. And 5. Bio, for one: SCI.
4. Allergy season needs: TISSUES.
6. Furious: MAD.
7. Kagan of the Supreme Court: ELENA.
8. Unsure parent's response: ASK MOM.
9. Flower ring: LEI.
10. Peculiar habits: TICS.
11. Egyptian symbol also called the "key of life": ANKH.
12. Input again: RETYPE.
13. Oktoberfest structure: BEER TENT. 41. 13-Down purchase, perhaps: PINT.
14. Fortune rival: INC.
15. Lump in one's throat?: ADAM'S APPLE. Great fill/clue combo.
16. Olympic gymnast Lee: SUNI. She grew up in St. Paul, MN.
17. Aphrodite's son: EROS.
18. Email status: SENT.
19. Footwear with Jibbitz charms: CROC.
24. __ apparent: HEIR.
27. Unrefined rock: ORE.
31. Abe, for one: PREZ.
32. Kathy of "Matlock": BATES.
33. On a streak?: NUDE. Ha.
35. On the briny: ASEA.
38. Alabama St., e.g.: HBCU. Historically Black College or University.
39. Container weight allowances: TARES.
40. "They beat me": I LOST.
42. Word with chance or dance: LAST.
43. Volcano featured in the second season of "The White Lotus": ETNA. Never watched the show.
44. Superlative acronym: GOAT.
45. Leave out: OMIT.
46. Title of respect: SRI.
48. Clickable link: URL.
52. Seal hunter: ORCA.
53. Sassy: PERT.
54. Cloverleaf component: EXIT.
55. Brooklyn NBA team: NETS.
57. Easy gait: LOPE.
62. "For You" singer Rita: ORA.
64. "Uh-huh": YEP.
66. Female hedgehog: SOW.
67. Uncommon blood type, for short: B NEG.
69. Romeo's final words: I DIE. Then he did.
70. Sleeveless garment: VEST.
71. Game square with bars: JAIL.
72. Actor Idris: ELBA.
73. Rainforest vine: LIANA.
74. How checks are written: IN PEN.
75. Like five bones in the hand: METACARPAL. New word for me.
78. Lip balm container: TUBE.
79. Island east of Java: BALI.
80. Eager: AVID.
81. Cardi B songs: RAPS.
82. Move fast, as clouds: SCUD.
84. Waffle House rival: IHOP.
85. Date: SEE.
87. Booker T.'s band: MGS.
88. __ voce: SOTTO.
91. Takes advantage of: USES.
92. Interstate feature: REST AREA.
93. Critter with webbed feet: FROG. Did you know that scuba divers all use frog kicks?
94. Greenhorn: NAIF.
99. Event after spring cleaning, maybe: TAG SALE.
101. Laundry brand: TIDE. 118. Laundry brand: GAIN.
102. Authorize: ENABLE.
104. Filtration organ: KIDNEY.
105. Hub served by BART: SFO.
109. Quad- kin: TETRA.
110. Made a scene?: ACTED.
111. Transitional state, in Buddhism: BARDO. Also a learning moment for me. Transitional state between death and rebirth.
112. Western New York city: OLEAN. Wikipedia says the name is derived from the Latin word "oleum" due to the discovery of crude oil in nearby Ischua.
113. Hawk's home: NEST.
114. Malicious: EVIL.
115. Wind indicator: VANE.
116. Some FD members: EMTS.
119. Kin of -ule: ETTE.
123. Half of a candy duo: IKE.
124. Resistance unit: OHM.
126. Gave birth to: HAD.
127. Holiday that begins with the first sighting of the crescent moon: EID. Ramadan itself also starts with the first crescent moon, while Eid marks its end.
C.C.
