Thursday, February 26, 2015 Mike Buckley

Theme: "The Great Imposter" *

17. It's fraudulent : FORGED CHECK.

27. It's fabricated : TRUMPED UP CHARGE.

46. It's fake : COUNTERFEIT NOTE.

56. Race errors, and what 17-, 27- and 46-Across have : FALSE STARTS.

*Remember the 1961 movie starring Tony Curtis? I thought of it immediately when I saw the theme.

Only 72 words and 29 blocks, with a whopping sixteen 7-letter words. Woo-hoo, Saturday level stuff!  And lots of challenging fill, too. Let's see what I mean...


Across

1. Wrap giant : ALCOA. Ummm..."Saran" also fits.

6. Reliever Orosco with the MLB record for career pitching appearances : JESSE. I nailed it! (...after getting J-E-S-S-* from the perps.)

11. Center of excellence? : ELS. The two "Ls" in the word, not a think tank.

14. Quaking causes : FEARS.

15. Plant pest : APHID. I long for the days of pinching APHIDs off my roses!

16. Rest one's dogs, so to speak : SIT. "Dogs" is a slang word for feet.

19. "Double Fantasy" artist : ONO. How do I clue thee? Let me count the ways...

20. Extras in an env. : ENCS. Enclosures.

21. Squeezed (out) : EKED.

22. Web-footed critter : OTTER. I was looking for some kind of duck.

24. Mustard, for one: Abbr. : COL.onel.

25. Encouraging shouts : OLEs.

26. Shout : SCREAM. Ole!

30. ''Saint Joan'' star Jean : SEBERG. A tragic figure in filmdom.

31. __ Locks: St. Marys River rapids bypass : SOO.

32. Hid the gray in : DYED.

33. Brewers' outfielder Braun : RYAN. Nailed it! (...after getting the R-Y-A-N from perps.)

35. Creator of Della : ERLE. Stanley Gardner - "Perry Mason."

37. Morales of film : ESAI.

40. Part of a foot : TOE.

42. Pompous authority : POOBAH. Great word!

49. Beer with "Since 1775" on its label : STROHS.

50. Big dos :'FROS. Afros.

51. Grazing area : LEA.

52. More of that : THOSE. I think this was my favorite clue.

53. Detective Peter of old TV : GUNN. Played by?

54. Estate attorney's concern : HEIR.

55. __ Lingus : AER.

59. Mrs., in much of the Americas : SRA. Señora.

60. Classic six-couplet poem : TREES. Joyce Kilmer.

61. Has __: can save face : AN OUT.

62. Triumphant cry : YES. [insert fist pump]

63. Dost espy : SEEST.

64. Has a sudden inspiration? : GASPS. My second favorite clue.


Down

1. Gets to : AFFECTS. I don't let most things get to me. Life's too short.

2. Heroine of Beethoven's "Fidelio" : LEONORE. Beethoven's only opera!

3. AAA, for one : CAR CLUB.
and semi-clecho:
4. AAA et al. : ORGS.

5. Enzyme suffix : ASE.

6. Hiked, with "up" : JACKED.

7. "The Comedy of Errors" setting : EPHESUS.

8. Word with wood or water : SHED.

9. Quote qualifier : SIC.

10. Ex-mayor with a cameo in "The Muppets Take Manhattan" : ED KOCH.

11. Abstruse stuff : ESOTERY. OK, but I usually use the word "esoterica." You?

12. Pedigree : LINEAGE.

13. Came (in) dramatically : STORMED.

18. Convention attendees : DELEGATES.

23. Exploit : TRADE ON. "He traded on his good looks to..."

25. "Live at the __": Patsy Cline album : OPRY. Can you tell which line she flubbed on this early recording?

26. Venomous arachnids : SCORPIONS.

28. Sources of fine wool : MERINOS.

29. "... rapping at my chamber door" poet : POE. From "The Raven."

34. Fish-fowl link : NOR. What is neither fish NOR flesh, feathers nor bone, but still has fingers and thumbs of its own? (Answer, below.)

36. Filming sites : LOTS.

37. Heaven on earth : ECSTASY.

38. "Told ya!" : SO THERE.

39. Natural light shows : AURORAS.

41. Pours out : EFFUSES.

43. Short, tailored jackets : BOLEROS. Like this.

44. Really dug something : ATE IT UP.

45. San Simeon family : HEARSTS.

47. Guards may prevent them : THEFTS.

48. Antarctic explorer Shackleton : ERNEST. I have read every book I could find about his ill-fated trip. My favorite was "The Endurance: Shackleton's legendary Antarctic expedition," by Caroline Alexander. This picture almost looks like Boston harbor this week.

53. Pure delight : GLEE.

54. 1985 U.S. Open champ Mandlikova : HANA.

57. Modern art? : ARE. Cute misdirection.

58. Recess game : TAG. Or phone game.

"Your're IT !!"
Marti

Answer to 34-Down: A glove.

Note from C.C.:

Please send positive thoughts (or say a prayer) to Husker Gary, who's having an important operation tomorrow. Please also keep Yellowrocks in your thoughts. She fell on ice last week and broke some of the stitches from her knee surgery. She needs repair surgery soon.

Joann, Granddaughter Elise & Gary
 

Yellowrocks (Kathy)

Wednesday, February 25, 2015 Jeffrey Wechsler

Theme: ROLE PLAYING IN A WELL STAGED PUZZLE.  Common movie or theater roles are humorously recast [so to speak] as belonging to people in appropriately considered occupations.
 
18. Shepherdess' movie role? : LEADING LADY.  The star of the show; and a shepherdess is leading in a different sense.  Ironically, Little Bo Peep didn't have that role.

23. Jeweler's movie role? : CAMEO APPEARANCE.    A CAMEO is an image carved in positive relief [contrast intaglio] against a contrastingly colored background, often in an item of jewelry.  A CAMEO APPEARANCE is a brief and often trivial appearance in a production by someone who is well known for another reason.  The role might echo in some way what that individual is famous for.  See Etch in the vid above.

Appearing here

39. Horse trainer's movie role? : BIT PART.   A BIT is a piece of apparatus used by the trainer. It sits behind the teeth and is used to control the animal.   Since BIT also refers to some small thing, a BIT PART is one filled by an actor who interacts with the main roles,  but has five or fewer lines of dialog.

This BIT of knowledge found here

52. Weightlifter's movie role? : SUPPORTING ACTOR.  This actor fills a role less important that that of the lead, but more filling than the BIT PART.  The importance of this SUPPORT [see image below] is recognized by the separate awards [not pictured] granted in this category.

He does not shrug!

And the unifier ---  58. What 18-, 23-, 39- and 52-Across exemplify? : TYPE CASTING.  This occurs when an actor repeatedly gets relegated to similar roles, and may have difficulty getting other types of roles.   Incredibly, this list omits Sean Bean, always a failed near-hero who meets a violent end.

  

Alas, poor Sean - not for the faint-hearted - and they missed Boromir

Hi gang, it's JazzBumpa cast in the role of usher, to lead you through this theatrical blockbuster.  Just have a seat here and we'll get the roles rolling.

Across

1. Mutinous Kubrick computer : HAL.  A SUPPORTING ROLE in  2001, A Space Odyssey.

4. High-end violin : STRAD.  Short for STRADivarius, any string instrument made by various members of the STRADivarius family, particularly Antonio, during the 17th and 18th centuries.  AMATI also fits.

9. Sextet for Henry VIII : WIVES.  Henry had six wives.  A sextet - oh, my.

14. British verb suffix : ISE.  We Americanize,   They Anglicise [though spell check disagrees.]

15. "Some glory in __ birth ...": Shak. : THEIR.  From Shakespeare's Sonnet 91.

16. Ginsburg associate : ALITO.  Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court.

17. Sprightly dance : JIG.

20. Sharp-wittedness : ACUMEN.   The ability to make quick judgments and good decisions.

22. Gore, once : VEEP.  Al was the Vice President at the end of the previous century.  He was not related to Leslie, who passed away on 2/16/15.  RIP songstress.

29. Met previously : KNEW.   I knew I knew you.

30. "I'm listening ..." : GO ON.   Keep talking

31. Delta deposit : SILT.   Fine granular high silica material suspended in river water then deposited at the river mouth.

32. False flattery : SMARM.   Insincere ingratiating behavior.

34. Robbins' ice cream partner : BASKIN.

Cold and creamy

36. ER personnel : M.D.s.  Medical Doctors in the emergency room.

41. Org. concerned with the AQI : EPA.  Environmental Protection Agency and the Air Quality Index

42. Crankcase component : OIL PAN.   The bottom section of the crankcase acting as a reservoir for the engine oil.

44. Sends out : EMITS.

46. Boyfriend : BEAU.

47. Bearing : MIEN.   A person's physical demeanor, especially as it relates to attitude and personality.

48. Meat pkg. letters : USDA.  U. S. Dept. of Agriculture stamp on meat packaging.

56. Chamber group often including a piano : TRIO.   An ensemble of three instruments.

6 min: 20 sec

57. Under control : IN HAND.   Like a violin.

63. Loafer front : TOE.  Shoe part

64. Madison Square Garden, e.g. : ARENA.  Sports venue.

65. Cookbook verb : SAUTE.   I'm not sure how this differs from frying.

66. Decorative vase : URN.

It's all Greek to me

67. H.S. hurdles : PSATs.  Pre-SATs.  S.A.T. originally stood for Scholastic Aptitude Test, but in 1990, when it became obvious that it was no such thing, the name was changed to SAT, which evidently stands for nothing.   Just one more educational scam?  You decide.

68. Heavy metal cover : ARMOR.   Medieval personal protection gear, not a rerecording of Led Zeppelin Hits. 

Another 6 minutes well spent

Down

1. Take by force : HIJACK.   Usually the thing taken is a vehicle of some sort.

2. "... based on my abilities" : AS I CAN.  Is this an in the language phrase?

3. Peanut, for one : LEGUME.    A dry dehiscent one-celled fruit developed from a simple superior ovary and usually dehiscing into two valves with the seeds attached to the ventral suture.  If that seems a bit obscure, just think about peas and beans.

4. Fifth cen. pope called "The Great" : ST. LEO.   He negotiated with Attila the Hun at the gates of Rome and persuaded the Vandals not to pillage the city, which actually is pretty great.

5. "Come to think of it ..." : THEN AGAIN.

6. Stephen of "Breakfast on Pluto" : REA. 

Never mind he was in The Crying Game

7. Succor : AID.  And comfort.

8. Hungry for success, say : DRIVEN.   Type A personality.

9. Track transaction : WAGER.  You want to bet?  Or are you just horsing around?

10. "No thanks" : I'LL PASS.  Me too.  I'm not a gambler.

11. Google Maps directions word : VIA.   By means of a particular route.

12. Sea-Tac approx. : E.T.D.   Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and Estimated Time of Departure.   Yes, this sent me agoogling.

13. Protein-rich bean : SOY.   Another LEGUME.

19. Org. that funds cultural exhibitions : N. E. A.  National Endowment for the Arts.

21. Litter peeps : MEWS.   Kitty litter - no, wait  .  .  .

24. Cruise stop : PORT.  

25. Italian archaeological attraction : POMPEII.  City annihilated by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 AD.

26. Puma competitor : NIKE.  Athletic shoes.

27. Paper holder : CLIP.

28. Italian tourist attraction : ETNA.  Another Italian volcano.

33. CFO's degree : M.B.A.  Masters in Business Administration.

34. Invite as a member of : BRING INTO.

35. Verizon competitor : A.T.T.  Once upon a time, American Telephone and Telegraph. 

36. Unruly groups : MOBS.

37. The Lord, in Lourdes : DIEU.   French for God.

38. Response to freshness? : SLAP.

Was it worth it?

40. "You got that right!" : AMEN.

43. Campsite sight : PUP TENT.

Is this right?

45. Very : SUCH.  As in "of such importance  .  .  ."   Still, a clumsy fit.

47. Peak near Olympus : MT. OSSA.   Not to be confused with the one in Tasmania.

 Yep - all Greek

49. Lincoln Memorial feature : STATUE.

Also looks Greek

50. Bloodmobile visitors : DONORS.    Not vampires.

51. Zealous : ARDENT.

53. Black-and-white sea predators : ORCAS.  Killer whales

54. Narrow inlet : RIA. A coastal inlet formed by the partial submergence of an unglaciated river valley. It is a drowned river valley that remains open to the sea.

55. __ management : ANGER.  For those with hostility issues.

58. Bug on the line : TAP.   Eavesdropping equipment, not insects.

59. Timeline parts: Abbr. : YRs.  Years.

60. Shooter lead-in : PEA.  A PEA shooter is a blow gun for propelling small objects, such as peas.   By extension, any small bore weapon or trombone.

61. Sealing goo : TAR.  For roads or roofs.

62. Periodic table suffix : IUM. As in helIUM.

69. Del. clock setting : E.S.T. Eastern Standard Time in Delaware.

OK, folks.  That draws the curtain on the final scene.  Among other things, we visited outer space, had mountainous terrain and a number of musical interludes.  I'll give this production two thumbs up.  How about you?

Cool Regards!
JzB

Tuesday, February 24, 2015 C.C. Burnikel

Theme: Food Inside Food - Foodstuff that has been stuffed with more foodstuff.

18A. Single proprietor : SOLE OWNER. Stuffed sole - Crab meat is one popular stuffing.

20A. The Old Spaghetti Factory alternative : OLIVE GARDEN. Stuffed olive - commonly pimento.

38A. Self-defense option : PEPPER SPRAY. Stuffed pepper - Ground beef

57A. Fragrant bloomer with typically pink flowers : CABBAGE ROSE. Stuffed cabbage - Ground beef again but wrapped in a cabbage leaf roll.

61A. Comment after a feast ... or what the first word of 18-, 20-, 38- and 57-Across would sometimes say--if it could talk : I'M STUFFED

Argyle here but it should have been Steve. More food! (Note the vertical stacks on the sides.)

Across:

1. Rosie of "The Jetsons," for one : ROBOT

6. Recede : EBB

9. Downloadable programs : APPs

13. Golden Gloves venue : ARENA

14. Chimney substance : SOOT

16. Toondom's __ E. Coyote : WILE

17. Camp shelters : TENTS

22. Big D hoopster : MAV. (Dallas Mavericks)

23. West Coast sch. with more than 100 NCAA championships : USC. (University of Southern California)

24. Martini order : DRY

25. Gloomy : MOROSE

27. Golf hole starting points : TEEs

29. On the topic of : AS TO

32. Fed. power dept. : ENER.

33. "__ Legend": Will Smith movie : I AM

35. Nook and Kindle : eREADERS

40. Emphatic military reply : "SIR, NO SIR!"

42. Actor McKellen : IAN

43. Japanese soup noodle : UDON

44. Formula for salt : NACL

46. Brewpub lineup : TAPS

50. Mr. Fixit's forte : REPAIR

53. Singer Orbison : ROY

55. Aflame : LIT

56. Chinese chairman : MAO

63. Christmas celebrity : SANTA

64. Future plant : SEED

65. Nonstick cookware brand : T-FAL

66. __ salts : EPSOM

67. Grinds to a halt : ENDS

68. Seek damages from : SUE

69. Poker-faced : STONY

Down:

1. Squeal on : RAT OUT

2. Parental warning words : "OR ELSE!"

3. "No fighting, kids!" : "BE NICE!". These two should be reversed. "BE NICE OR ELSE!"

4. "As seen __": ad phrase : ON TV

5. Used a stun gun on : TASED. This is the "OR ELSE!"

6. College application pieces : ESSAYS

7. Mannerless fellow : BOOR

8. Like headline typefaces : BOLD

9. "So-o adorable!" : "AWW!"

10. Cash for fun : PIN MONEY. This used to be the lady of the house laying by the egg money for herself but for a bowler like Boomer, it may have a different meaning.

11. Crowd __: popular performer : PLEASER

12. Order takers : SERVERS

15. Overflow (with) : TEEM

19. Artist with the website imaginepeace.com : ONO. New clue for Yoko?

21. Pa's pa : GRAMPS

26. Hill-building biter : RED ANT

28. "Burnt" crayon color : SIENNA

30. __ firma : TERRA

burnt sienna terra cotta

31. Surg. sites : ORs. (operating room) 51A. Post-surg. area : ICU. (intensive care unit)

34. Mil. mail address : APO. (Army Post Office)

36. Literary wrap-up : EPILOG

37. Football's Parseghian : ARA. Part of the "Holy Trinity" of Notre Dame head coaches with Knute Rockne and Frank Leahy.

38. Popped the question : PROPOSED

39. Bavarian article : EIN

40. Conjecture : SURMISE

41. Think tank guys : IDEA MEN

45. Baby rocker : CRADLE

47. King in Shakespeare's "The Tempest" : ALONSO

48. Moving engine part : PISTON. Up and down part.

49. Hot and humid : STEAMY

52. Rapids transport : RAFT

54. Go-aheads : YESes

58. Inseparable pals, to texters : BFFs. (Best friends forever)

59. Brummell or Bridges : BEAU

60. Captivated : RAPT

62. NFL scores : TDs. (touchdown)

Argyle

Monday, February 23, 2015 Kurt Krauss

Theme: National Groceries - Foodstuffs and the states that are famous for them.

20A. They're juiced in Jacksonville : FLORIDA ORANGES

33A. They're baked in Boise : IDAHO POTATOES

42A. They're boiled in Bangor : MAINE LOBSTERS

57A. They're shelled in Savannah : GEORGIA PEANUTS

Argyle here. A near pangram. No reveal necessary. Cute alliteration with the cities and preparation methods. A tad tough for any visiting tyros. Fine fun for a Monday.

Across:

1. Thom __: shoe brand : McAN

5. Greek Zs : ZETAs

10. This, in Spain : ESTO. (este (masculine), esta (feminine), esto (neuter))

14. Poi source : TARO

15. Motionless : INERT

16. Like spider webs : SPUN

17. __ the Impaler: model for "Dracula" : VLAD

18. One of a 1492 trio : PINTA

19. Ritual flammable stack : PYRE

23. Anteater's sound in the comic "B.C." : [ZOT!]

24. Mobster's gal : MOLL

25. Hawaiian wreath : LEI

26. Flood-control project : DAM

29. Garbage barge puller : TUG

31. Odorless gas : ETHANE

37. Disaster relief org. : FEMA. (Federal Emergency Management Agency)O(for when the dam fails)

38. Put the kibosh on : NIX

39. Exec's "By yesterday!" : ASAP. (As Soon As Possible)

47. Sets aside for future use : LAYS BY. Are you familiar with this phrase?

49. __ and improved : NEW

50. Barnyard home : STY

51. Suffix with transit : ORY. Transitory - not permanent.

52. "Green __ and Ham" : EGGS

55. Knock sharply : RAP

62. One-liner, e.g. : JOKE

63. Make __: get rich : A MINT

64. Dining table expansion piece : LEAF

66. Degree recipient : ALUM

67. Guts : NERVE

68. Year-end clearance event : SALE

69. Office note : MEMO

70. Deuce toppers : TREYS

71. One-named Art Deco artist : ERTÉ. Two initials. The French pronunciation of the initials of Romain de Tirtoff.

Down:

1. Network that once employed VJs : MTV

2. Muscle prone to cramps : CALF

3. Devastated Asian sea : ARAL

4. Caffeinated pill : NO-DOZ

5. "Be quiet!" : "ZIP IT UP!". [snicker}

6. Oklahoma city : ENID

7. Early brunch hr. : TEN AM

8. "Star Wars" droid, familiarly : AR-TOO

9. Hollywood hopeful : STARLET

10. "College Football Playoff" network : ESPN

11. Crow's-nest telescopes : SPYGLASSES

12. Deep serving bowl : TUREEN

13. Infant's bodysuit : ONESIE

1. __-Rooter : ROTO

22. Voice above tenor : ALTO

26. "What's the __?": "So what?" : DIF

27. Fruity cooler : ADE

28. "Li'l Abner" matriarch : MAMMY YOKUM. You didn't mess with Mammy!

30. Departed : GONE

32. Furnace output : HEAT. Working overtime this winter.

34. Lukas of "Witness" : HAAS. He was the Amish boy. Google pics

35. "Shop __ you drop" : TIL

36. Neural impulse conductor : AXON

40. Museum collection : ART

41. Would-be social worker's maj. : PSY. (Psychology)

43. "__ your pardon" : I BEG

44. NFLer who plays at the Meadowlands--in NJ, ironically : N.Y. GIANT

45. Scolds but good : BERATES

46. Ugly duckling, as it turned out : SWAN

47. Lumber mill blockage : LOGJAM. Out in the river.

                                    A big one.

48. Bump from which cactus spines grow : AREOLE. Oh?

53. Xbox enthusiast : GAMER

54. Cathedral topper : SPIRE

56. Throb : PULSE

58. San __, Italy : REMO

59. Jealous feeling : ENVY

60. Rip : TEAR

61. Word after sea or before Lake : SALT

65. Doctor's charge : FEE

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

Happy 76th Birthday to Keith Fowler!  I'll just copy & paste & make slight changes to what he said last year: 

"My branch of the family is not known for longevity, so it will be an enormous leap for me to reach 76 this coming Sunday--Feb 23 at 7:19 pm PST!  At that day/time I will be three years older than any recorded Fowler (of the Shryvenham to London to NY to CT to TN to CA tribe of Fowlers) ever got to be.

My mom (actually a Hocking) reached 73, and my dad's grandfather hit that number too.  while a great many folk live much longer, it just feels mighty strange to me, like teetering on a very high pole, or maybe soloing for the first time, and very slowly."

 

Keith Fowler!

Interview with Alex Vratsanos

This is our first encounter with constructor Alex Vratsanos, who has had 10 puzzles published by the New York Times alone. Alex hit for the cycle (his puzzles appeared in every day of the week) with his 8th puzzle last June. That's a record!

Alex was also published by the Chronicle of Higher Education (a collaboration with George Barany),  and in Twenty Under Thirty, and he has several additional puzzles that have been accepted by the LAT.

XWord Info Picture

How did this theme come to you and what were the other theme answers you also considered but discarded?

 
This concept of using a decade to indicate a letter count came to me in early summer 2014, though in the form of the '80s. Finding nothing usable with eight E's, I ran through the remaining possibilities and found that '60s was the only one that had a chance of working. I guess I got very lucky to find six theme entries that were the right lengths and could intersect.

  

I don't think I could make a 6-themer work for a 21*21. I would not be so imaginative & daring to start the first theme entry at Row 6 and stack two pairs the way you did. Can you tell us a bit about your grid designing process? What were the trouble spots during the filling?

With the six theme entries in place, I started the fill at those words that crossed three of them. After finding ones that worked, I turned to the areas between TAKIN' IT TO THE STREETS and the other Across theme entries, leaving the areas at the top and bottom of the grid for last. I am very pleased with the changes Rich made, the biggest one being shortening the title (from "Puzzle of the '60s") and in adding the asterisk to it and the theme clues. I also must thank my friend Ned White for the support he gave to this puzzle during its development.

What's your background? And how did you get into crossword construction?

I constructed my first crossword in August 2006, while still in middle school. Over the next few years, I learned the language and rules of crosswords and submitted my first one in February 2009, but it wasn't until June 2011 that I received my first acceptance and publication. I have since had about 20 puzzles accepted by the major outlets, but this is my LA Times debut. Outside of Crossworld, I am currently completing an A.A. in Business Administration at Lehigh Carbon Community College, and plan to begin pursuing a B.S. in Accounting at Kutztown University this fall.

What kind of theme & fill fascinate you and what kind do you try to avoid in your grids?

Being a Scrabble fan, I try to include entries with the less common letters where I can. On the other hand, I try very hard to avoid partials and dupes of short words like IN and ON.

Which part do you enjoy the most in the construction process: theme development, filling or cluing?

Of those three, filling is my favorite and cluing is my least favorite.

What kind of reference tools do you use for crossword construction & cluing?

I use Crossword Compiler for constructing, and I take advantage of all the online and print resources that most constructors use. Once I have a puzzle pretty far along, I run it by George Barany and his team, and they in turn make incisive suggestions on how to improve it.

Besides crosswords, what are your other hobbies?

My other hobbies include chess, a variety of sports and other games, and staying up to date on the stock market. I guess that may not sound like much, but my academic studies and job at Walmart #2145 take up a lot of my time. I am very glad to have had time to answer these questions, though. :-)

Sunday, February 22, 2015 Alex Vratsanos

Theme: "The '60s*" - Each theme entry has 6 T's.

39A. *Congressional authorization of its creation was partly contingent on its forbidding

polygamy : UTAH STATE CONSTITUTION. Some sects there still practice polygamy.

45A. *Gossip : TITTLE-TATTLE

67A. *1976 Doobie Brothers hit : TAKIN' IT TO THE STREETS. Gimme, D-Otto?

93A. *Knocking sound, in Joyce's "Ulysses" (longest palindromic word in the OED) :

TATTARRATTAT. Neat trivia. Learning moment for me.

98A. *"No lie!" : THAT'S THE ABSOLUTE TRUTH!

28D. *Jolson classic : TOOT, TOOT, TOOTSIE

So did you get the theme before coming to the blog?

Very seldom do we get an asterisk mark in the theme title. Rich might be worried that the theme is tricky for solvers to grasp. Some might think those long 10's in the Across spots are theme answers. Normally when we have asterisk marks in theme entries, we have a reveal entry.

Construction-wise, this puzzle is technical feat.

Across:

1. Alice's cat : DINAH.  "Alice in Wonderland".

6. Dix follower : ONZE. 11 in French.

10. Site of the house that inspired "American Gothic" : IOWA

14. Bikini specs : C-CUPS

19. "Fear of Fifty" author Jong : ERICA

20. Vacuum : VOID

21. Diagnostic tool : MRI SCANNER. And 25. Criminals are often behind them : PRISON BARS. Lovely stack of 10's crossed by WIIMOTES (12D. Nintendo controllers).

23. Kid : JOKE AROUND. One more 10.

26. Blood-typing letters : ABO

27. Show mastery of : SHINE AT

29. Parrot : MIMIC

30. Tenn. athletes : VOLS. Tennessee Volunteers.

32. Money changers?: Abbr. : EDS (Editors). Money magazine.

33. Purposeless : OTIOSE. Not a word I use.

36. IRS hiree : CPA

46. Skipped town, maybe : MOVED

47. Newsman Roger : O'NEIL. Hey, AILES has the same letter count.

49. Ship staff : MAST. Tricky "staff".

50. From one tone to the next, in music : STEPWISE. New concept to me.

53. Vouchsafes : BESTOWS

56. Han River capital : SEOUL. Of course I was thinking of the Han River in China.

59. Henri's here : ICI

60. Fleur in heraldry : LYS. Or LIS.

61. Ward with Emmys : SELA

62. "So-o adorable!" : AWW

64. Mild, chili-wise : ONE ALARM. How high can you go?

73. Terminus : END POINT

74. With 123-Across, personal annoyance : PET. And 123. See 74-Across : PEEVE

75. Judge : DEEM

77. Pacific finger food : POI. Never had it. But I like baked taros & taro cakes.

80. "You Gotta Be" singer Des'__ : REE. We had this singer before.

81. Zenophile? : STOIC. Zeno the Stoic.

84. "Plum Island" author Nelson : DEMILLE. Marti & Hahtoola might have read this book.

86. Apple sites : ORCHARDS

89. Bone: Pref. : OSTE. Also OSSE.

91. Metroliner successor : ACELA

92. Shrek creator William : STEIG

103. Red team : SOX

104. Little work for a gardener? : BONSAI. Cute clue/answer.

105. Educational org. : PTA

106. The Aragón feeds it : EBRO

107. As a companion : ALONG. Oh, like in "Come along".

109. 1930s Rhine/Zener experiment : ESP TEST. Another learning moment for me.

113. L.D.S. school : BYU. Why did you go to BYU, Barry G? Were you a Mormon for sometime?

114. When vacations often don't start? : SOON ENOUGH. True.

119. Experiment subjects : GUINEA PIGS. Great entry also.

121. Alabaman, e.g. : SOUTHERNER

122. Walked : TROD

124. They're under heads : TORSI. Not NECKS.

125. "A Series of Unfortunate Events" villain Squalor : ESME. No idea. But inferable given Salinger's "For Esme – with Love and Squalor".

126. Six-yr. pols : SENS (Senators)

127. De-pressurized? : EASED

Down:

1. "I've seen this before" feeling : DEJA VU. Sparkling fill.

2. Asimov classic : I, ROBOT

3. Inventor on Serbia's 100-dinar note : NIKOLA TESLA. Full name!

4. Opening day starter : ACE. And 43. One making many calls : UMPIRE

5. 2011 FedEx Cup winner Bill : HAAS. Son of Jay Haas.

6. Egg-shaped : OVOIDAL. Same as Oval, right?

7. Morphological component, in linguistics : NOUN STEM. Another word I never used, but  inferable.

8. Fan mag : ZINE

9. Source of Norse mythology : EDDA

10. Mischief-maker : IMP. Hi there Spitzboov!

11. "Catch-22" pal of Yossarian : ORR

13. St. Francis' home : ASSISI

14. "Is it okay, mom?" : CAN I

15. "Mad Money" network : CNBC

16. Italian article : UNA

17. Rate word : PER

18. Many AARP members: Abbr. : SRs

22. Tailed orbiter : COMET

24. Butler created by Mitchell : RHETT. "Gone With the Wind".

31. Asian mushroom : SHIITAKE. When I worked in Guangzhou, my lunch was often rice noodles with shiitake.

 

34. Blowup cause : TNT

35. U.K. component : ISL (Island)

36. __ service : CIVIL

37. Art of verse : POESY

38. Long range : ANDES

40. 1944 invasion city : ST LO

41. DFW postings : ETAs. Dallas–Fort Worth.

42. Docket item : CASE

44. Trailer, say : TOW

47. Dictionary cousin of arch. : OBS. Obsolete.

48. Bygone depilatory : NEET

51. Out of vertical : TILTED

52. French game in which the king is the highest card : ECARTE. Do any of you play this game?

54. Roam : WANDER

55. Ran through a reader : SWIPED

57. Durham sch. : UNH

58. Jack Reacher creator Child : LEE

63. Yemen became its 160th mem. in June, 2014 : WTO. Unaware of the trivia. But it was a big deal when China joined WTO in 2001.

65. Ophidiophobe's fear, perhaps : ASP. OK, fear of snakes.

66. Great Society program : MEDICARE

68. Shabbily dressed : IN RAGS

69. "My country __ ... " : 'TIS

70. Prov. bordering four Great Lakes : ONT

71. Kids' TV quartet : TELETUBBIES. Four main characters from left to right: Tinky Winky, Laa-Laa, Po & Dipsy.

 

72. Get cash for : SELL

76. __ culpa : MEA

77. Goal pair : POSTS

78. Bug-B-Gon maker : ORTHO

79. Climber's implement : ICE AX

82. World Golf Hall of Famer Aoki : ISAO

83. Corner key : CTRL

85. Falcons quarterback Ryan : MATT

87. Good guess in Battleship : HIT. Another game I never played.

88. WWII weapons : STEN GUNS

90. 1991 Pinatubo event : ERUPTION

94. Common batteries : AAS

95. Sched. opening : TBA

96. Doesn't blow off : ATTENDS

97. Coquette : TEASE

99. Sirloin alternative : T-BONE

100. Writer __ de Balzac : HONORE

101. __ Lie, first U.N. secretary-general : TRYGVE. One more learning moment for me. He's Norwegian.

102. Contained : HOUSED

107. "A Bug's Life" colony : ANTS

108. City near Provo : LEHI. We see OREM more often.

110. Boot camp NCOs : SGTS

111. Immaculate : PURE

112. Gift-wrapping aid : TAPE

114. Retiree of 2003, briefly : SST

115. Winning combo : OOO

116. Possession indicator : OUR

117. Marvel : GEM

118. The Battle of Austerlitz precipitated its end: Abbr. : HRE. Stumper for me.

120. Royal pain? : PEA. "The Princess and the Pea".

C.C.