Thursday, September 9, 2021, Chris Sablich

 

Good morning, cruciverbalists.  Malodorous Manatee here with today's recap.

History seems to be repeating itself or, as Yogi Berra once said, "It's like deja vu all over again."  The puzzle that I recapped two weeks ago was constructed by Chris Sablich and so is today's puzzle.  He, like the Labrador Retriever above, seems to be on a roll.

ONE TWO BUCKLE MY SHOE, THREE FOUR KNOCK AT THE DOOR, FIVE SIX . . .

With that lead-in what can we do except to start with the unifier (drum roll, please):

54 Across.  Game requiring fine motor skills ... and what people do before playing 19-, 26- and a 49-Across?: PICK UP STICKS.  At three places in the grid Chris has inserted activities that require humans to pick up and use sticks of one kind or another

Here are the identified theme answers:

19 Across.  Game in which Willie Mosconi holds the competitive record run of 526 points: STRAIGHT POOL.  A POOL cue.  It would have been nice if this was called a "pool stick".

26 Across.  National summer sport of Canada: LACROSSE.  A LACROSSE stick, or CROSSE.

49 Across.  Rock concert highlight: DRUM SOLO.  A DRUM stick (but not a piece of fried chicken).

. . . and here is how this all looks in the grid:

Across:

1. Horse known for its endurance: ARAB.

5. Fitzgerald specialty: SCAT.

                                                        Ella and The Duke

9. Block: CLOG.  Also a wooden shoe.  My nose was CLOGged the other day.  A Dutch woman kicked me in the face.

13. Lingerie brand: BALI.

14. Sport with mallets: POLO.  This also could have been clued as a garment brand.

15. Now, in Nogales: AHORA.  Today's Spanish lesson (also 9 Down and 28 Down).

16. Big drink of water: SWIG.  Water?

17. Mathematician Turing: ALAN.  Sometimes referred to as "the father of modern computer science".

18. Actionable words: LIBEL.

22. Guarantee: ASSURE.  Looks a lot like 43 Down.

25. London district: SOHO.

29. Gambler: BETTOR.  A local casino is offering marijuana-infused beef to their best BETTORs.  Them's pretty high steaks.

33. "So that's it!": OHO.  Hands up for filling in the H and then checking the perps to see if it was going to be OHO or AHA.

34. Spills: TELLS.  As is "to spill the beans."

36. Coeur d'__: ALENE.  A city in Idaho

37. Blemish: MARK.  "You're a blemish, Mark."  "I'm a wart?"

39. Fastening hardware: TACKS.  Not usually referred to as "hardware".

41. __ Timor: EAST.

42. Concert site: ARENA.  ARENA Rock has almost, but not quite, run its course.  Hey, it's preferable to Yacht Rock.

44. Local life: BIOTA.

46. Something to shoot for: PAR.  PAR for the course.

47. Salad veggie: RADISH.  Why couldn't the RADISH finish the race?  He was just a little beet.

51. Forensic detectives, for short: CSIS.  Crime Scene Investigation S

53. Easier to swallow, as pills: COATED.

59. "The King and I" group: HAREM.  I used a "King and I" clip in the last recap to illustrate ETC.  Chris, or Rich, might have watched it.

60. __ Tuesday: TACO.  Alliterative.  The first use of the phrase is attributed to the August 20, 1973 edition of the Rapid City (South Dakota) Journal.

61. Sound partner: SAFE.  As in SAFE and sound.

65. Love abroad: AMORE.  That's what Dino told us.  Today's Italian lesson.

66. Sailor's direction: ALEE.

67. Blue-pencil: EDIT.  A blue pencil is traditionally used by a copy editor because the color will not show in some lithographic and photographic reproduction processes.

68. Recipe amts.: TSPS.  TeaSPoonS  Abbreviations, both in clue and answer.

69. Foxx whose real last name was Sanford: REDD.  It was fairly obvious that REDD Foxx was a stage name but I did not know that his real last name was Sanford.

70. Lavish affection (on): DOTE.  When I get sad, my dad's sister really knows how to cheer me up.  She's the perfect auntie-dote.

Down:

1. Six-pack makeup: ABS.   An ABdominal muscleS reference.

2. Not even rare: RAW.  A cooking reference.

3. Frazier foe: ALI.

4. California coastal destination: BIG SUR.

                                           A Lesser-known Beach Boys Tune

5. Extra keys, say: SPARE SET.  Now, where did I put those?

6. Soda order: COLA.  Coke also starts with C O.

7. Kyrgyzstan range: ALAI.  Not the best-known range.  Often clued with Jai.

8. Drinks table accessory: TONGS.  Swizzle stick would not fit but it would have been fun given the theme.

9. Qdoba competitor: CHIPOTLE.  Both are Mexican-style eateries.

10. Gray wolf: LOBO.

11. Nabisco brand: OREO.  Needs no comment - but I will anyway.  I have sometimes wondered if it would be possible to construct a puzzle using only the word OREO clued seventy different ways,

12. Chutzpah: GALL.   Chutzpah is Yiddish.  From the Aramaic ḥu ṣpā via the Hebrew hutspah.

15. Tennis Hall of Famer Gibson: ALTHEA.

July 6, 1957

20. Variable pace: TROT.  Pace was helpful but I'm not at all certain about the use of "variable" to clue this answer.

21. Fireplace food-warming shelf: HOB.  A flat metal shelf at the back of a fireplace.  Manatees are unfamiliar with this.

22. 12-time MLB All-Star Roberto: ALOMAR.

23. About 30% of Africa: SAHARA.

24. Made a point: SCORED.  In sports and in debate.  There are other uses for the word, too.  Stick that in your pipe.

27. Big piece: SLAB.  Or, in motorcycle jargon an Interstate Highway.

28. Castilian hero: EL CID.  You no doubt remember LE CID from Chris's last puzzle.

30. Tempest site?: TEAPOT.

31. Reduced: ON SALE.

32. Went over again: RETROD.  Never have I ever used this word.  Retread?  Yes.

35. HEATH Bar rival: SKOR.

38. Fashion trademark of old-time golfer Gene Sarazen: KNICKERS.

40. Covered with plaster: STUCCOED.   I just watched a movie about a woman having her broken leg set.  What a great cast.

43. Presuppose: ASSUME.  Looks a lot like 22 Across.  My girlfriend constantly complains that I don't listen to her.  Or, at least I ASSUME she does.

45. One way to run: AMOK.  Although I am pretty certain that we have seen it before it is still clever cluing.

48. With it: HIP.  Not the body part.

50. Talked back to: SASSED.  This type of behavior is often exhibited in x-word puzzles.  That must be because of all the vowels and esses.

52. Cool red giant: S-STAR.  An astronomy reference.  An S-type STAR is a cool giant (they said that) with approximately equal amounts of oxygen and carbon in its atmosphere.

54. Cool, in dated slang: PHAT.

55. Dog food brand: IAMS.

56. Corn, e.g.: CROP.  Very ambiguous cluing.  Corn could be a type of humor . . or liquor.  It could be something on your foot and there must be hundreds of types of CROPs that are grown.

57. "Cautionary" account: TALE.  A Cautionary TALE is a story told in folklore to warn its listeners of a danger.

58. __ tea: ICED.  CHAI?  PUER?  DARK?

62. Big fuss: ADO.  Misspelled?

63. Tailor's concern: FIT.

64. Summer in France: ETE.  A French lesson.  It is often ETE time in our puzzles.  Et la vie est easy . . .

As you read this, Valerie and I will likely be on a road trip to Oregon for a gathering with my motorcycle riding friends of many years.  On the slab but not on a motorcycle.  The excuse for this gathering?  A Reuben Sandwich.

________________________________________________________________

Wednesday, September 8, 2021 Mark McClain

Theme: Plant Kernels.  Things you can plant to get a new plant.

17. *Devoted ESPN viewer: SPORTS NUT.  ESPN is a TV network devoted to various athletic events.  A NUT is a perhaps overly-avid fan. A NUT is also a dried fruit or SEED having a hard shell.

23. *Spec for sandpaper or salt: COARSE GRAIN.  This refers to particle size, which you can read about here and here.  A GRAIN is also the SEED of a plant that is harvested for human of animal food.

36. *Quarry that supplies aggregate: GRAVEL PIT.  This is an  an open-pit mine for the extraction of loose rock fragments.  A PIT is also the single shell of hardened endocarp with a SEED inside, found in drupaceous fruits, such as the cherry, peach or olive.  

Just Peachy.

54. *Garden walkway component: PAVING STONE.  A flat stone or brick used to make a hard surface to walk on outdoors.  A Stone is another name for the hard central portion of a drupaceous fruit, as above.

We have a pattern similar to this in our patio.

62. Last player selected for a Wimbledon ranking ... or part of each answer to a starred clue: FINAL SEED.  This would be the statistically weakest player in the competition.  Read about it HERE.  

In each of the theme entries, a SEED is identified that can be planted to bring forth the next generation of plant.  It is the last word of the entry, hence final.

Hi Gang.  JazzBumpa here.  I've proven myself to be not much of a gardener, so let's just move right along.

Across:

1. Chess result: DRAW.  The technical difference between a DRAW and a stalemate is that in a DRAW, both players agree that further play would not result in a victory for either player, while a stale mate is a situation where one side's king is not captured, but has no legal move.

5. "NASCAR on NBC" analyst Earnhardt Jr.: DALE.

9. Metalworker: SMITH. 

14. Cancun coin: PESO.

15. A party to: IN ON. Knows about.

16. Island near Maui: LANAI.  Hawaiian Islands

19. Uneasy feeling: ANGST.  An unfocussed feeling of dread or anxiety, typically about external conditions.

20. Word after box or law: OFFICE.

21. Bullish sound?: SNORT.  

22. Wail: CRY.

27. Coll. near the Rio Grande: UTEP.  University of Texas at El Paso.

29. Hard rain: SLEET.  Precipitation falling in hard particles - almost like SEEDS.

30. Dance class topic: STEP. 

31. First name in skin care: ESTEE. Lauder,  née Josephine Esther Mentzer [1906 – 2004] was an American businesswoman. She co-founded her eponymous cosmetics company with her husband, Joseph Lauter (later Lauder). [Wikipedia]

33. Caddie's offering: CLUB.  An iron or wood.

35. Make a wrong turn, say: ERR.  Go off course

40. Guys: HES.  Does anyone encounter this plural form outside of a crossword puzzle?

43. Jai __: ALAI.  A sport involving bouncing a ball off a walled space by accelerating it to high speeds with a hand-held wicker cesta. 

44. Quebec's __ Peninsula: GASPE.  The Gaspé Peninsula, also known as Gaspesia is a peninsula along the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River to the east of the Matapedia Valley in Quebec, Canada, that extends into the Gulf of Saint Lawrence.

Oh, Canada

48. Racecourse shape: OVAL.

50. Ready for bed, briefly: IN PJS.  Wearing pajamas.

53. Long-running CBS series: NCIS.   The Naval Criminal Investigative Service.

57. Malarkey: ROT.  Nonsense.

58. Pachelbel work: CANON.

 

 59. Treasury secretary Janet: YELLEN.  Janet Louise Yellen (b. 1946) is an American economist, public servant, and educator who has served as the 78th United States secretary of the treasury since January 26, 2021. She previously served as the 15th chair of the Federal Reserve from 2014 to 2018. She is the first woman to hold either role. 

61. Sahara features: DUNES.   Big piles of sand, with random GRAIN size, I suppose.

65. Locale: VENUE.  The place where something happens, especially an organized event such as a concert, conference, or sports event.

66. Heck of a hike: TREK. A long arduous journey, especially one made on foot.

67. Dell rival: ACER. ACER Inc. is a Taiwanese multinational hardware and electronics corporation specializing in advanced electronics technology.

68. Brings in: REAPS.

69. Actor Grant: CARY.  (b. Archibald Alec Leach [1904 – 1986] was an English-American actor. Known for his transatlantic accent, debonair demeanor, light-hearted approach to acting, and sense of comic timing, he was one of classic Hollywood's definitive leading men during the 1940s and 1950s.  He was well trained.

 

 70. Drive-__: THRU.  As, frex, fast food restaurants. 

Down:

1. MLB rally killers: DPS.  Double Plays.

2. Researchers' publications: REPORTS.

3. To date: AS OF YET.  Up until now.

4. Klingon officer in the "Star Trek" franchise: WORF.  

5. '70s hot spots: DISCOS.

6. Strengthen, as glass: ANNEAL.  Controlled cooling to prevent residual localized stresses. Not so much strengthening as preventing weaknesses.

7. Seuss' Cindy __ Who: LOU.  Who was no more than two.

 

 8. Suffix with exist: -ENT.  Having reality.

9. Language student's challenge: SLANG.  A type of language that consists of words and phrases that are regarded as very informal, and are more common in speech than writing.  All rules are off.

10. Medieval estates: MANORS.  A large country house with lands; the principal house of a landed estate.

11. Thankless sort: INGRATE.

12. Preferable, gastronomically: TASTIER.  Yum!

13. Major success: HIT.  As a movie, stage play or popular song.

18. Half a mint?: TIC.  The front half of a Tic-tac.  It is far past time to banish "Half a-" clues for the next half a eternity.

21. Contrived plot: SET UP.  Otherwise known as foreshadowing?

22. Alert for an actor: CUE.  A thing said or done that serves as a signal to an actor or other performer to enter or to begin their speech or performance.

24. Checkout printout: RECEIPT.  Paper strip with items, prices and the total.

25. Unload, say: SELL.

26. "Morning Edition" airer: NPR.  National Public Radio.

28. Alternative to Margie: PEG.  Nicknames for Margaret.

32. Noted period: ERA. As, frex. Jazz.

34. Important: BIG.  As a business deal or sports event.

37. Square up: ALIGN.  

38. Hotel shuttles: VANS.  

39. Light earth tone: TAN.  Ocher doesn't fit.

40. Short flight: HOP.  Skips and jumps not included.

41. Hurricane mandate responder: EVACUEE.   Of whom there are now many.

42. Tropical grassland: SAVANNA. A mixed woodland-grassland ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to support an unbroken herbaceous layer consisting primarily of grasses. {Wikipedia]

45. Sudden stop sound: SCREECH.  As of a vehicles brakes.

46. Trailblazer: PIONEER. A person who is among the first to explore or settle a new country or area of knowledge.

47. "C'__ la vie!": EST.  In French, c'est la vie means "that's life," borrowed into English as idiom to express acceptance or resignation, much like "Oh well."

49. Umpire's pregame request: LINE UP.  List of starting players. 

51. Olympic star Jackie __-Kersee: JOYNER. [b 1963] She won three gold, one silver, and two bronze Olympic medals in heptathlon and long jump at four different Olympic Games from 1984 to 1996.  She now is an active philanthropist in children's education, racial equality and women's rights

52. Deceptive: SNEAKY.

55. Wine qualities: NOSES.  A wine tasting term used to describe how wine smells in the glass. Different wine varietals produce different aromas. The nose is also affected by how the wine is made and stored.

56. Building wing: ELL.  An extension at right angles to the length of a building

60. Challenge for an atty. wannabe: LSAT.   Law School Admission Test.  It is presumed to test the skills necessary for success in the first year of law school. 

61. TiVo, for one: DVR.  Digital Video Recorder.

62. Agcy. concerned with fraud: FTC.  The Federal Trade Commission.

63. Gershwin brother: IRA.  The Lyricist for brother George's compositions.  After working with other partners, they wrote almost exclusively with each other from 1924 until George's death in 1937, composing over two dozen scores for Broadway and Hollywood. 

 

  64. R&B's __ Hill: DRU.  Not a person, rather an American R&B group mostly popular during the 1990s, whose repertoire included soul, hip hop soul and gospel music. The group was founded in Baltimore in 1992 and is still active. 

And so we end on a note of high musical drama.  Hope you enjoyed the tour.

Cool regards! 

JzB

Tuesday September 7, 2021 Rich Proulx

Theme: SHELTER IN PLACE (51. Way to stay safe ... or what each set of circles represents vis-à-vis its answer) - Three shelters are hidden inside each theme answer.

20. Street in London's Brixton Market: ELECTRIC AVENUE.

25. Usual way in: FRONT ENTRANCE.

46. Where it's hard to make a wrong turn: DEAD END STREET.

Boomer here again. Hopefully Hahtoolah will be back next week.

I never slept in a cave, however years ago we had land at North Star Lake and I slept in the back of a station wagon.  Currently we have turned bedroom #2 into a den where our computer keeps us company.

Across:

1. All-inclusive: A TO Z.  Like Amazon. We have several A to Z stores near us.  Construction, Merchandise, and Tobacco.  I am not sure about A to Z tobacco.

 

5. Inked indication of approval: STAMP.  I bought a couple of pages of the Yogi Berra STAMPs to go with the Arnold Palmers. 

10. Son of Seth who lived to 905, per the Bible: ENOS.  ENOS "Country" Slaughter was a great right Fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals.

14. "Moi? Never!": NOT I.  Me Neither.

15. Hang in midair: HOVER.  I have seen prototypes of one or two person helicopters,  If you think traffic is bad now... just wait.

16. __ San Lucas: Baja resort: CABO.

17. Queen dowager of Jordan: NOOR.

18. Sports stadium: ARENA.  Some stadiums do not have roofs but all ARENAs do. 

19. Singer Redding with two posthumous Grammys: OTIS.  Or makers of elevators.

23. Caveman Alley: OOP.

24. Ways in or out: DOORS.  Jim Morrison, Mr. Mojo Risin' - "Light my Fire".

 

31. Fair-hiring abbr.: EEO.

32. "Old MacDonald" refrain: E I E I O.  With a MOO MOO here and a CLUCK CLUCK There.

33. Indian title: SAHIB.

36. Do little: LAZE.

38. Take an oath: SWEAR.  Sometimes I "Take an oath" at a ten pin, or a 7-10 split.

40. Travel by Greyhound, say: RIDE.  Leave the driving to them.

41. Three-pointers, in hoops lingo: TREYS.  The Long Long shots.

43. "Amadeus" director Forman: MILOS.

45. Cuz and sis: KIN.

49. When "light through yonder window breaks" in "Romeo and Juliet": ACT II.

50. Poker pot paper: IOU.  Not in any poker game I ever played.  Cash only!!

58. Mall smooching, etc., initially: PDAS.

59. Lacking originality: TRITE.

60. Qualities that make deals difficult: EGOS. In the U.S. House and Senate?

61. Legal wrong: TORT.

62. Desert respites: OASES.  Please, not as much as the North Eastern seaboard got last week

63. Use a scythe on: REAP.

64. Targets: AIMS.  We are AIMING to go to Target this week to purchase a few items.

65. Flower holders: STEMS.  Keep them long so they will fill into a vase.

66. Hot: SEXY.

Down:

1. Frank with a diary: ANNE.

2. Hammer or sickle: TOOL.  Screwdriver or Golf Club?

3. Midwest native: OTOE.  These guys lived in the plains along the Missouri River in Nebraska and Iowa.

4. Alphabetically last birthstone: ZIRCON.  These stones have a variety of colors.  Sort of like a box of Crayola.  

5. Wrinkly dogs: SHAR-PEIS.

6. "Cornflake Girl" singer __ Amos: TORI.  The Twins had an outfielder named TORI Hunter.

7. With, on le menu: AVEC.  

8. Suvari of "American Pie": MENA.

9. Soviet newspaper: PRAVDA.  Do they not call it the News, Times, Daily, Tribune, or Star ?

10. Affordable ride: ECONO-CAR. That would be a Corvair or Chevelle.

11. Enjoying-the-great-outdoors walk: NATURE HIKE.  C.C. and I do that from time to time.  recently with Tom Pepper and Andrea Carla Michaels.

Boomer, C.C., Tom Pepper, Andrea Carla Michaels

12. Stage awards: OBIES.

13. Shipwreck signal: SOS.  Save Our Ship!!

21. Trade show giveaway: TOTE.  Graybar sponsors many trade shows.  I think I still have a few TOTE bags hanging around our home.

22. Very long periods: EONS.

25. Pool table surface: FELT.  "Friend, you are closing your eyes to a situation you do not wish to acknowledge..."  Professor Harold Hill.

26. Raise, as kids: REAR.  I think that's why we had to sit in the REAR seat when we were young.

27. Was a bit too enchanting: OOZED CHARM.

28. Self-transformation result, to the self: NEW ME.

29. Advertising link: TIE IN.  There certainly is a bunch of this in ads today.  I think Shaq advertises Skunk for a meal??

30. Wonka creator Dahl: ROALD.

34. Romeo's last words: I DIE. "Good Night, Parting is such sweet sorrow."  I believe that's what he said.  I was not there.

35. Like a paper clip: BENT.

37. Optometrists' exams: EYE TESTS.  I quit going.  My eyes never seem to change and I hate those drops that open your pupils and you have to wear sunglasses.  Once a doctor did not warn me and I almost drove into a tree.

39. Optimistic quality: ROSINESS.

42. Travel with the wind: SAIL.  We travel like the wind and go to a SALE .

44. Cease: STOP.  Anyone remember what color the octagon signs were before they were red?  They ask this on trivia shows all the time and young people get it wrong.

47. Same-as-above marks: DITTOS.

48. Classroom tools: RULERS.  In football six RULERS are the VI KINGS.

49. "Me too!": AS DO I.  I'll stick with "Me Too".

52. The "E" in Q.E.D.: ERAT.

53. Get up: RISE.  "Up in the morning, Up with the sun, Work like the devil for your pay. While that lucky old sun, has nothing to do, but roam around heaven all day"  

54. Part of a shopping list: ITEM.  Don't forget the cole slaw!

55. "A Death in the Family" author James: AGEE.

56. Gently persuade: COAX.

57. Athlete's award: ESPY.

58. School fundraising gp.: PTA.  "The day my Momma socked it to, the Harper Valley PTA.  Jeannie Riley.

Boomer

Monday September 6, 2021 Craig Stowe

Theme: Wishy-Washy

16. "Let me consider this for a bit": I'LL THINK ABOUT IT.

22. "Who can predict the future?": YOU NEVER KNOW.

39. "Maybe": PERHAPS.  (Thanks, Owen!)

50. "We'll just have to wait to find out": TIME WILL TELL.

61. "Can't rule anything out": IT'S A POSSIBILITY.

Boomer here.  

This theme is a perfect example of "wishy-washy".  I know that most of you have heard this response to a question of two in your lifetime.  But when I saw this I could not help but stop and think about the weather forecasts that I see on the news nearly every night.  Minnesota is finally receiving a bit of rain and the grass is "thinking about" turning green.  I do have a great deal of sympathy for both the gulf coast and the northeastern seaboard of the USA last week.  So much suffering due to weather. 

Across:

1. Quick snooze: NAP.  This happens to us older folks.  I caught 40 winks while watching the Golf tournament last week.

4. Dangerous snakes: ASPS.  Cleopatra had one of these.

8. Grammar lesson subject: USAGE.

13. Commercial suffix with Cray- or Motor-: OLA.  I had many crayons in my youth.  But our TV's were always RCA

14. Nose (around): SNOOP.  Nickname for Charlie Brown's dog.

15. Catcher's position: SQUAT.  I played a bit of catcher in my youth.  It is extremely difficult.  Later as a teenager I graduated to center field. " Put me in Coach, I'm ready to play, today". John Fogarty.

19. Step on a flight: STAIR.

20. Presidential period: ERA.  I don't think Presidents last an ERA.  However a pitcher won't last if his gets too high.

21. First-rate: A ONE.

26. Mild Dutch cheese: EDAM.

27. Territory that lent its name to two states: DAKOTA.  C.C. and I have been to both.  Teddy Roosevelt state park in NODAK is unbelievable!  We visited Sioux Falls on our honeymoon and got as far as a golf game in Chamberlain and a visit to Pierre.  We did not get to Mount Rushmore (My bad) or Sturgis (My good).

July 2002, on our way to Billings, Montana

31. Partiality: BIAS.

34. Congregational seats: PEWS.  We have them in the church I attend, but they do not smell.

37. Former Russian royals: TSARS.

38. Toronto's prov.: ONT.  There is a big lake named after this.

41. "Hooray team!": RAH.  RAH RAH RAH for Sky U Mah.  It's a Minnesota Gophers cheer.  I have no idea where it comes from.

42. Get one past the goalie: SCORE.  If the same player does this three times in one game, everyone is supposed to toss their hat on the ice.

44. Walk-the-dog toy: YO YO. Yup, I had a Duncan when I was a kid.

45. Catch sight of: ESPY.

46. "Great White North" country: CANADA.  Fits very well with 42 across.  Our neighbor to the north has a plethora of NHL  teams.  I have relatives in Saskatoon.

48. Elaborate ruse: HOAX.

56. Sign of sorrow: TEAR.

59. __ tai: MAI.

60. Folded manuscript sheet: FOLIO.  Reminds me of POLIO virus.  I got it a long time ago with no side effects.  My sister was not so lucky.

65. Singer's asset: VOICE.  Mine was Bass.  Not the fish but the low guy in the glee club.

66. Like things that make your skin crawl: EERIE.

67. Article in some hip-hop titles: THA.

68. Beginning: ONSET.

69. Haul with effort: DRAG.  Quarter mile trip in a hotrod.

70. Sushi fish that must be cooked: EEL.  I still do not think this is a fish.

Down:

1. Hard on the ears: NOISY.  Mostly true of CNN and MSNBC.  Wolf and Reverend Al.

2. For __ see: in plain sight: ALL TO.  We had a State Fair (ending today) in Minnesota.  C.C. and I did not attend this year but they do have exhibits for all to see there.

3. Caroline Islands nation: PALAU.

4. Singer-songwriter DiFranco: ANI.

5. #43, to #41: SON.  It took me awhile to figure H.W. and plain old W.

6. Texas Hold 'em, e.g.: POKER.  A difficult game I never played.  I never had enough money.

7. Engine plug discharge: SPARK.  You should change them about every 60,000 miles.

8. "For the Boys" org.: USO.

9. Parrots a parrot: SQUAWKS.  Parrots are beautiful birds when they keep their beak shut.

10. Car: AUTO.  Our Santa Fe is an SUV.  Sometimes I trip and call it a car.

11. Profit: GAIN.

12. Suffix with novel: ETTE.  CORV - an expensive sports car.  CHEV a cheap compact.

14. Rip to pieces: SHRED.  My bowling score sheet from last Monday.

17. Trident tips: TINES.

18. Radiohead or Motörhead: BAND.

23. Puff on an e-cig: VAPE.  I quit cigs about 20 years ago.  I never got into VAPING at all.

24. 39-Down board: EMERY. 39. Treat for the feet: PEDI. I just use a clipper.

25. "Wild" things to sow: OATS.  Mares eat OATS, and does eat OATS, but little lambs eat IVY.

28. Rowboat pair: OARS.  Years ago, until my dad bought a 5 horse Johnson.  It worked pretty well on our boat.  I think real horses would have drowned.

29. Lobster pot, e.g.: TRAP.  We use them when a mouse invades our house.

30. Like a well-used fireplace: ASHY.  I used to use our fireplace in the basement but it is too much of a hassle.

31. Brown-skinned pear: BOSC.

32. Peruvian empire of old: INCA. "Inka Dinka Do"  (Jimmy Durante.)

33. Lots: A TON.

35. "Which person?": WHO.  Done it?  In the game of Clue?  Professor PLUM?

36. Greet, with "to": SAY HI.

40. Where Marco Polo is played: POOL.  Yes, In an insurance commercial.

43. Daily grind: RAT RACE.

45. Praise to the hilt: EXTOL.

47. Arsenal stockpile: AMMO.

49. 2004 remake starring Jude Law: ALFIE. "What's it all about?"  Dionne Warwick.

51. Let up: EASED.  The rain has EASED up in the Northeast, but left a mess behind.

52. Older partner?: WISER.

53. High society: ELITE.  Not me.  I cannot mingle with that crowd. I am sure they wouldn't let me anyway.

54. Nimble: LITHE.

55. Faithful: LOYAL.

56. Watch-when-you-want gadget: TIVO.

57. Prince Harry's alma mater: ETON.  Is Harry still a Prince?  I thought he gave up his crown when he left England.

58. Like no-returns merchandise: AS IS.

62. Champ, to Biden: PET.

63. Rollover acronym: IRA.  This is a pretty good tool for investments.

64. Huge: BIG.  BIG deal, We made it !!

Boomer

Sunday September 5, 2021 Brad Wiegmann

Theme:  "Parting Company" -  Characters in "Peter Pan" are split up. Circled letters spell out the author J. M. Barrie.

23A. Longtime ABC News anchor [Hero, 1]: PETER JENNINGS.

122A. One-hit wonder [Hero 2]: FLASH IN THE PAN. Peter Pan.

41A. Marvel supersoldier [Villain, 1]: CAPTAIN AMERICA.

98A. Ineffective pitcher's fate, in baseball lingo [Villain 2]: GETTING THE HOOK. Captain Hook.

82A. Kids' building materials [Sidekick 1]: TINKER TOYS.

58A. Santa signal [Sidekick 2]: SLEIGH BELL. Tinker Bell.

85A. Groups of problem-solving specialists [Princess 1]: TIGER TEAMS.

60A. Biblical bloomer [Princess 2]: EASTER LILY. Tiger Lily. 

Looks like this is a Brad Wiegmann's LAT debut. Congrats!  

Peter Pan & Captain Cook are split up symmetrically.  Tinker Bell  & Tiger Lily are not, must be the  extra J. M. Barrie layer.

Brad Wiegmann, XWord Info image

 

Across:

1. Gadgets with teeth: COMBS. Not RAKES.

6. Most favorable: OPTIMAL.

13. Nuts seen in bars: CASHEWS. Often found in Kung Pao chicken. Super spicy.

20. Look forward to: AWAIT.

21. Direct approach: BEE LINE.

22. Theoretically: ON PAPER. Looks good.

25. "The Odd Couple" couple, e.g.: ROOMIES. Five girls in our tiny one-room college dorm the last year. 7 the first year. All bunk beds of course. No heating or air conditioner. Public restroom was at the other end of the floor. Public bathroom was at the other building. But no one was complaining then. We were too young to care.

 26. Menu selections: ENTREES.

27. Old Tokyo: EDO. I think sushi was developed during Edo period.

28. Per __: ANNUM.

29. One of eight Yankee World Series victories: SWEEP.  How many times were they swept in the World Series? Also 108. Yankee quipper?: BERRA.

32. P.O. box item: LTR.

34. Final Four game: SEMI.

37. "Ready Player One" hero Wade __: WATTS. Learning moment for me.

47. Asteroids producer: ATARI.

48. Byzantine architecture features: DOMES.

49. Mardi Gras city, informally: NOLA. So sorry for your ordeals, Susan, SwampCat and Big Easy!

50. Jaye's "The Crying Game" role: DIL. Jaye Davidson played the trans woman Dil. I saw the movie ages ago.

51. Novel category: ROMANCE.

53. Third of eight: EARTH. 56. 53-Across, to Merkel: ERDE.

55. Basic bruise treatment: ICE PACK. Poor Boomer had his right big toe caught in our carpet last Monday morning. The bandages we had just could not stop the bleeding. But you know Boomer. Nothing could stop him from bowling. He came back home with a bloody sock. Now he just has a swollen toe.

62. Physical exam letters: LDL. The bad cholesterol.

63. Mystiques: AURAS.

64. Org. for netmen: ATP.  Association of Tennis Professionals.

65. Had the nerve: DARED.

66. Regional flora and fauna: BIOTA.

68. Wanders about: ROVES.

71. Convenient, like some winter resorts: SKI IN. From Ski.com: "ski in ski out or slopeside access means the accommodations are situated just off the slopes. ... For example, you might have to walk to the chairlift to access the slopes, but then you can ski back to your hotel or condo."

74. Blowup aid: TNT.

77. Courage: SPINE.

79. Sch. with the mascot SuperFrog: TCU. Here he is.

88. Film noir plot device: AMNESIA.

89. Types: MODES.

91. Attribute: ASCRIBE.

92. Robin Roberts' show, initially: GMA. Also guest-hosted "Jeopardy!"

93. Take __: snooze: A NAP.

95. Up to: UNTIL.

97. Toast starter: HERE'S.

102. Nose wrinklers: ODORS.

103. Common stained glass element: LEAD.

104. Org. concerned with flight risks: TSA.

105. "... to say the __": LEAST.

111. Old AT&T rival: GTE.

114. Economic divisions: SECTORS.

119. Lost for now: MISLAID.

125. Pip's love interest in "Great Expectations": ESTELLA.

126. Put back: RESTORE.

127. Nancy Drew series author: KEENE.

128. Rice and wheat: GRASSES. Have you tried wheatgrass juice? Barley grass is popular in Japan.

129. Invite to one's home: ASK OVER.

130. Oscar winner Redmayne: EDDIE. Quite a few names in this grid. Let's see the rest:  2. John Irving's "A Prayer for __ Meany": OWEN. 3. "The Simpsons" creator Groening: MATT. 9. Nastase of tennis: ILIE. 12. Guitarist Paul: LES. 31. Violinist __ Frank: PAMELA. 52. Former Labor secretary Elaine: CHAO. 67. Model Sastre: INES. 69. NBAer-cum-rap star: ONEAL. 71. Immortal football coach Amos Alonzo __: STAGG. 72. Last Oscars host (2018): KIMMEL. 83. "Knives Out" filmmaker Johnson: RIAN. 106. Ed with Emmys: ASNER. 119. Eldest of the "Little Women": MEG. 122. Renaissance artist __ Angelico: FRA.

Down:

1. Darth Vader accessory: CAPE.

4. Oktoberfest quaff: BIER. What kind of beer do you drink, D-Otto? Canned or bottled?

 5. Freaking out: STRESSING.

6. Too big for one's own good: OBESE. You don't find this word in Don G's grids.

7. Script writer: PEN.

8. Messi's uniform number: TEN. Lionel Messi left Barcelona last month, after Rich edited this puzzle. I'm sure. Now his jersey number is 30.

10. It's often made up in advance: MIND.

11. Luanda's land: ANGOLA.

13. Food wrapped in silk: CORN.

14. Soon, to a bard: ANON.

15. Union member?: SPOUSE. Fun clue.

16. Rapper Stanley Burrell, familiarly: HAMMER. MC Hammer. U Can't Touch This.

17. Prefix with Pen: EPI.

18. Like a few hours after midnight: WEE.

19. H.S. bigwigs: SRS.

24. Yeshiva grad: JEW.

28. Florence's river: ARNO.

30. Friendly opening?: ECO. Eco-friendly.

33. Soldier's helmet: TIN HAT.

35. Place for a slam dunk: MID-AIR.

36. Result of a drip, at times: ICICLE.

37. Cola __: WARS.

38. Reef formation: ATOLL.

39. Got under control: TAMED.

40. Off-road vehicle: TRAIL BIKE.

42. Sounds of thunder: PEALS.

43. Original Dungeons & Dragons co.: TSR. Tactical Studies Rules.

44. Touched down: ALIT.

45. Nutmeg spice: MACE.

46. Synthetic resin used in paint: ALKYD. Jazzbumpa knows this.

48. Budding star's big moment: DEBUT.

54. Something for two, in song: TEA.

57. Wasted: PLASTERED.

59. Terpsichore : dance :: __ : love poetry: ERATO.

61. Julep garnish: SPRIG.

70. __ libre: poetry form: VERS.  Free verse.

73. Like talent, many say: INNATE.

75. Lorelei et al.: NYMPHS.

76. Chinese culinary general: TSO. Mentioned before, I never had this in China. Chinese American food.

77. Note taker: STENO.

78. Energetic type: PISTOL.

80. Capital on the Nile: CAIRO.

81. Brown shade: UMBER.

84. Blue __: Dory's species: TANG. Dory is the Pixar fish voiced by Ellen DeGeneres.

86. Knickknack: TCHOTCHKE. What a unique word.

87. Cong. meeting: SESS. Session.

90. "Boy, am I dumb!": DUH.

94. Encouraging word?: ATTA.

96. '50s prez: IKE.

99. They may be reserved: TABLES.

100. Core values: IDEALS.

101. "Peaceful Easy Feeling" group, with "The": EAGLES.

107. Matching pair: SET. I've been helping Boomer with his eBay stuff. He mostly has "lots". "Beautiful lot of Joe Mauer cards". Always cracks me up. 

109. Infuriate: RILE.

110. Old cereal box stats: RDAS. Recommended Dietary Allowances.

112. Piece of work: TASK.

113. __ perpetua: Idaho motto: ESTO. Boomer's cousin Tom Burnikel lives in Twin Falls.

115. Ready to drive: TEED.

116. Slanted page: OP-ED.

117. Hindu princess: RANI. Opposite of RAJA.

118. Old dagger: SNEE.

120. El Al's home: Abbr.: ISR.

121. Metro stop: Abbr.: STA.

123. __ lane: HOV.

124. Wrath: IRE.

C.C.