Thursday, June 12, 2014 Don Gagliardo & C.C. Burnikel

Theme: "That's A Lot Of Bunk!"

45-D. Summer camp sight, and a hint to what each contiguous pair of answers to starred clues graphically represents : BUNK BED. Pairs of types of bed are stacked on each other like bunk beds.

My cats would love this one!

Kitty Bunk Bed

1-A. *Place to cuddle : SOFA. I think a SOFA bed is punishment for being a mother-in-law.
13-A. *Minnesota player : TWIN. Of course, a reference to C.C.'s team!

21-A. *__ stop : TRUCK. A TRUCK bed is the business end of a pickup.
26-A. *Tend to the garden : WATER. WATER BEDs were big in the '70s.

54-A. *Actor Phoenix : RIVER. You can see a lot of dry RIVER beds in CA.
59-A. *Consolation for one who doesn't strike : SPARE. A SPARE bed is sometimes only a shade more comfortable than a SOFA bed.

69-A. *London rental : FLAT. FLAT bed trucks are designed to hold wrecked cars.
72-A. *Lawn party rental : TENT. I never heard of a TENT bed, but apparently they are appealing to children.

Our Dynamic Duo is back again with another visually interesting theme. Five of the stacked entries reference types of literal beds, two reference trucks and one a geologic phenomenon. Quite a mix! But no flowers or oysters? Let's see what else is on our plates today.

Across:

5. Gush : SPEW.

9. As well : ALSO.

14. Dominoes unit : TILE.

15. False god : BAAL. The term most often refers to a local spirit deity in the Hebrew Bible, which would be viewed as a false god.

16. Occult symbols : PENTAGRAMS. A wiccan pentacle contains a PENTAGRAM:

Wiccan Pentacle With PENTAGRAM

18. Like some audiobooks : ON CD.

19. Porter's "__ Girls" : LES. 1957 film with Gene Kelly and Mitzi Gaynor.

20. Scooby-Doo, e.g. : TOON.

23. Reunion attendee : ALUM. Why do we never see this word clued as "Styptic pencil ingredient"??

25. "Memoirs of a Geisha" sash : OBI.

27. Versatile blood donor : TYPE O. O neg is the "Universal Donor."

29. Impede legally : ESTOP…immediately followed by 31-A. Area with briefs and cases : LAW.

33. __ Arbor : ANN.

35. One may be rolled up : TARP. I love the new Fruit of the Loom commercial!

36. Tuber cultivated in the Andes : OCA.

37. Memorized, perhaps : DOWN PAT.

41. Police record : BLOTTER.

43. Egg: Pref. : OVI.

44. Simple step : A TO B.

46. Word on a deodorant label : DRI. It also might contain ALUM.

47. Surprised cry : EEK. A bat!!

48. Accommodate : PUT UP. On the sofa bed?

50. Contract details : TERMS.

56. Gist : NUB.

58. Philosophical : DEEP.

60. Barnacle site, perhaps : KEEL.

62. "Arabian Nights" name : ALI.

63. Just slightly : A TAD.

64. Full of nonsense talk : BABBLING ON.

67. Undertake : WAGE.

68. German wheels : OPEL. I had Audi at first.

70. Rubberneck : EYER. Noun form. "After the accident in the south-bound lane, traffic was tied up on the other side by RUBBERNECKs."

71. "Anger, fear, aggression; the dark side of the Force are they" speaker : YODA.

Down:

1. Like a cold stare : STEELY. Do these stares look Steely, Dan?

2. Comes clean : OWNS UP.

3. Clothier's concern : FIT.

4. Med sch. class : ANAT.omy.

5. Disco device : STROBE. Because "ball" was too short.

6. Benched player? : PIANIST. Cute clue!

7. Suburban tree : ELM.

8. 1973 thriller featuring Yul Brynner as an android gunman : WESTWORLD. Theme park gone bad movie.

9. Roughly : ABOUT.

10. Knight of note : LANCELOT.

11. Picnic competition : SACK RACE. Nailed it.

12. Tiresome : OLD.

16. Land map : PLAT. A plat is a plan of a plot.

17. Gunk : GOO.

22. Sympathetic connection : RAPPORT.

24. Malicious : MEAN. Like some of our least favorite anons.

28. Theoretically : ON PAPER…it always looks good.

30. Picked-up item : TAB.

32. Mars' realm : WAR.

34. Title wanderer in a 1948 Nat King Cole hit : NATURE BOY.

37. Bunny's mom : DOE.

38. Abuse, as one's welcome : OVERSTAY. On the SOFA bed?

39. User-edited reference entry : WIKI PAGE.

40. Tyke : TOT.

42. Leaderless? : TIED.

49. Mexican state or its capital : PUEBLA. Map.

51. "Man is not free unless government is limited" speaker : REAGAN. No politics on this blog, President Reagan!

52. First National Leaguer to hit 500 homers : MEL OTT. More baseball. I know him from crosswords.

53. Game show turn : SPIN.

55. "Star Wars" villain : VADER. Darth, to friends.

57. __-esprit: wit : BEL. English borrowed word from French.

61. Stop, as an embargo : LIFT.

63. Bedazzle : AWE.

65. Mil. address : APO.

66. Phillies' div. : NLE. National League East, Philadelphia. They are playing the last of a three-game series against the San Diego Padres this afternoon in Philly.

'Til next week!

Marti

Notes from C.C.: 

1) This is my 50th LA Times puzzle with Don G. As I dabbled into collaborating with a few blog friends who are new to crossword construction, I found out that it's not an easy job to explain why a theme would not work, why some certain entries had to be discarded and why some clues had to be changed. Now I'm fully aware of the tremendous amount of time and efforts Don put on me. Thank you so much, Don!

Don & his wife Barbie, Summer 2009

2) Don and I also made a puzzle for the the third Minnesota Crossword Tournament which will be held on June 22, 2014  at The Landmark Center in Saint Paul. Please click here for more information.

Wednesday, June 11, 2014 Gail Gabowski

Theme:  Verkehrs-marmelade.   Decades ago, when I was in German class, we invented this Teutonic psuedo-portmanteau for today's hidden word theme.  To dispel whatever mystery there might be, let's start with the unifier.

64A. Rush-hour headache, components of which are hidden in the answers to starred clues : TRAFFIC JAM.   Of course, here JAM means a condition of being stuck and unable to move, not a confection made of smashed fruit cooked with sugar.  Let's check out the components.

17 A. *Big name in veggie patties : BOCA BURGER.   The original vegan version is mostly soy protein and wheat gluten, but there are variations.  The hidden word is a CAB, aka Taxi, a ride for hire.

40 A. *Certain surfer : WEB USER.  We're all WEB USERS on this BUS.   WI FI?  WI not?

11 D. *Passé reception aid : TV ANTENNA.   Gone the way of the rotary phone.  Now it's cable, U-verse or satellite.  You might even get reception in your VAN. 

35. *Steamy gallery display : EROTIC ART.  Putting a CAR into EROTIC ART is a somewhat different take on auto-eroticism.  I wasted a few good moments trying to find something worth posting, and finally had to settle for this.

Source

Hi gang,  JzB here.  Let's get it in gear and see if we can motor through this puzzle without mashing up too much fruit.

Across:

1. Finch or falcon : BIRD.  One would probably eat the other.

5. Heart-to-hearts : TALKS.  Serious business

10. City southwest of Bayeux : ST LO.  Timely with the 70th anniversary of D-Day this past week.  The town was reduced to rubble by the fighting.

14. Actor Ladd : ALAN.  Appeared mainly in westerns and film noir, where he was often paired with Veronica Lake.

 Source

15. Intermediary : AGENT.  Cut taker.

16. It bakes the cake : OVEN.   Hot spot.

19. Great __ : DANE.   Going to the dogs.

20. Invite for : ASK TO.   Our two oldest grandchildren got ASKed TO Prom for the first time this spring.  [Back in the day, it was THE Prom but not so now.]  They are both Juniors, and Danny's date had to ASK him, because she's a Senior.

21. Land in the ocean : ISLE.   Speck of land, not a splash.

22. "Fire" bugs : ANTS.  Ants work so hard.  Why would anybody fire them?   The stinging omnivorous variety also popped up in C.C.'s puzzle the last time I blogged.

23. Get one's back up about : RESENT.  Odd, phrase that.  Any INPUT from out linguists?

25. Went for a rebound, say : LEAPT.   Pretty much the antithesis of this.

27. Letter flourish : SERIF.   With Serif.   Sans Serif.  Check under the R and the F.

30. Like some omelets : TWO EGG.  Breakfast!

33. Borscht base : BEET.   As they once said on The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show, when it come to Borscht, you can't beat soup!

36. Sch. with 110 NCAA titles : UCLA.  University of California, Los Angeles

38. Snorer's problem, perhaps : APNEA.  A momentary lull in breathing, while asleep.  The most effect preventive is insomnia.

39. "__ Town" : OUR.  Play about early 20th century Americana by Thornton Wilder.  Oscar was Wilde, but Thornton was Wilder.

42. Time out? : NAP.  Out, as in asleep.  Potenital apnea venue.

43. Pledge of fidelity : TROTH.  Solemn pledge, and that's the truth.

45. Chef's protection : MITT.  Hand in glove, as we say here  in MI.

Hot stuff

46. Take the risk : DARE.  Dare to be [fill in the blank.]

47. Blowhard's output : HOT AIR. Nope.  No politics.

49. Playground comeback : DID SO.   Did not!

51. Feedback : INPUT.  Do you input my output, or is there too much FEEDBACK?

53. Unattached : SINGLE.  Unmarried.

57. Clock sound : TICK.  We have ways of making you tock!

59. Spot for a 42-Across : SOFA.  Not for me.  Phooey on SOFA NAPS.  I do it right, and take me to bed!

62. "Even so ..." : STILL.  But, anyway .  .  .

63. Berry promoted as a superfood : ACAI.  There are no known health benefits that are specific to this fruit.

66. In a dilemma : TORN.  Could be a clash of ideas.

67. Actress Lenya : LOTTE.  Wife of Kurt Weill

68. "La Dolce Vita" setting : ROME.   Doesn't really seem that sweet.

69. One opposed : ANTI.  The anti-bellum are opposed to war.

70. College paper : ESSAY.   Write on.

71. Timeline component : YEAR.

Down:

1. Elephant in picture books : BABAR.

 TV, too

2. "Guess you beat me" : I LOSE.  Something the Tigers are saying far too often these days.

3. Clothing store fixtures : RACKS. 

Everything on sale

4. Paternity suit procedure : DNA TEST.  The most reliable method to prove or disprove if there's a parent-child relationship.

5. Sigma follower : TAU.  It's all Greek [letters] to me

6. Business opening? : AGRI-   Bah! Agribusiness.

7. Chair parts : LEGS.  I see.

Quite a feet

8. Solemn ring : KNELL.  Ask not for whom the bell KNELLS.

9. Main drag, e.g. : STREET. You know its a small town if Main Street is the main street.

10. Picnic drink : SODA POP.  Carbonated.

12. Advanced : LENT.  An advance of money is a loan.

13. Tip jar fillers : ONES.  Dollar bills.  Different sense of the word SINGLE.

18. Dog biscuit shape : BONE. As if the dog cares.

24. "I can't deny that" : TRUE.  It's a fact

26. Wage __ of words : A WAR.   A long argument.

28. Long-range weapon, for short : ICBM.  Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile for long.

29. Gin or tonic : FLUID.  Any liquid. These two work together rather well.

31. Paraphernalia : GEAR.  Stuff.

32. Hang open : GAPE.  As a mouth

Bearded Dragon

33. The pair : BOTH.  The one and the other one.

34. Continental cash : EURO.

37. Piedmont wine area : ASTI.

40. Prepare quickly, with "up" : WHIP.

41. LAX data : ETDS.  ETD or ETA always takes perp help.

44. Beachwear portmanteau : TANKINI.  A portmanteau of TANK top and biKINI, refering to an article of swim wear consisting of a TANK top [imagine that] and biKINI bottom.

I guess a complete tank is optional

46. Comforting words : DON'T CRY.  I don't see a lot of comfort here.

48. Prepare quickly, with "up" : RUSTLE.  As in dinner.

50. Emphatic Spanish assent : SI SI!  We all say "SI SI!" to C.C.

52. Pamplona runners : TOROS.  That's a lot of bull.

54. WWII enlistee : GI JOE.  Before he became an action figure and then a cartoon character.

55. Andean hauler : LLAMA.  South American humpless camelid.

No extra charge for the GAPE

56. Wabbit hunter : ELMER. Fudd.

Image found here

57. "Toodle-oo!" : TATA.   Bye, now.  No - wait.  Four more to go.

58. Screen image : ICON.  Kinda-sorta.

60. They may be saturated : FATS.  The ones from animals and avocados.

61. Colgate-Palmolive shaving lotion : AFTA.

65. Baldwin's "30 Rock" co-star : FEY.  Tina.

I never watched it

There We made it to the finish line.  Hope you all enjoyed the trip.

Cool regards!
JzB

Tuesday, June 10, 2014 Jerry Edelstein

Theme: Send in the Cons - Take a word starting with C O N and parse it as two words with 'con' meaning to scam.

18A. Fool check writers? : CON SIGNERS. Consigners - Those that hand over, such as goods, to another's care as in a consignment shop.

23A. Hoodwink companies? : CON FIRMS. Confirms - Verifies.

36A. Swindle court appointees? : CON JURORS. Conjurors - Ones who practice magic.

52A. Mislead groups of vacationers? : CON TOURS. Contours - The outlines of an object.

57A. Pull a fast one on proctors? : CON TESTERS. Contesters - Ones who dispute an issue.

Argyle here, no lie. I like the five synonyms Jerry came up with for "con". Very similar to last fall's puzzle gimmick except for that. (Sept.)

Across:

1. Corp.-partnership hybrids : LLCs. (Limited Liability Company )

5. Turkish title : AGA

8. Prepare for a trip : PACK

12. Icy-road application : SALT. related; 68A. Word before fall or ball : SNOW

13. Intravenous substance : FLUID

16. Final or midterm : EXAM

17. Reader of product instructions : USER

20. Verbalized : SAID

22. "Do unto __ ..." : OTHERS

25. High spirits : GAIETY

29. Take out, as text : DELETE

30. Award recipient : HONOREE

31. "Give it a shot" : "TRY"

32. Papal crown : TIARA

35. Bank teller's call : "NEXT!"

39. Pail-of-water fetcher of rhyme : JILL

42. Japanese cartoon art : ANIME

43. Kenny G's horn : SAX

46. Como or Crosby, notably : CROONER. Perry or Bing.

49. Infuriate : ENRAGE

51. Prom attendee : SENIOR

54. Visit briefly : STOP IN

56. Certain : SURE

61. Evens up : TIES

63. Away from the wind : ALEE

64. Dog-__: folded at the corner : EARED

65. Grabs a bite : EATS

66. Change direction : VEER

67. Classified messages : ADS

Down:

1. Pelican State sch. : LSU. (Louisiana State University)

2. Cowboy using a rope : LASSOER

3. In a tidy way : CLEANLY

4. Bitter discord : STRIFE

5. Org. with Titans and Chiefs : AFC. (American Football Conference)

6. Doom partner : GLOOM

7. Em and Bee : AUNTS

8. Income sources for retirees : PENSIONS

9. Cut with a pink slip : AXE. Whoa! Don't like seeing cuts and pensions so close together.

10. 52-Down, for one : CAR. 52D. 1980s-'90s Olds : CIERA

11. Metric measures: Abbr. : KMs

14. "Kinda" suffix : ISH

15. California's San __ Padres : DIEGO. Baseball team in the National League Western Division. (fourth place)

19. Nana : GRAN

21. "Me, too" : "DITTO"

23. Ill. summer hrs. : CDT. (Central Daylight Time)

24. Jockey's strap : REIN

26. Before, to Byron : ERE

27. Nickname on the range : TEX

28. Nevertheless : YET

30. Big name in spydom : HARI

33. Partly open : AJAR

34. Hosiery mishap : RUN

36. Religious place of seclusion : CLOISTER

37. Black cat crossing one's path, to some : OMEN

38. Rates on Monopoly deeds : RENTS

39. Store founder Penney and golfer Snead : JCs. Snead is the nephew of the legendary Sam Snead.

40. Wrath : IRE

41. Actor Chaney : LON

43. Lizardlike : SAURIAN. from Greek (and still Greek to me.)

44. Go along with : AGREE TO

45. Ballot box fillers? : Xes

47. Quick message : NOTE

48. Unevenly notched, as leaves : EROSE

50. Paths to take : ROUTES

53. When right turns may be allowed : ON RED

55. Educ. fundraiser : PTA

57. Ohio NBAer : CAV. (Cleveland Cavaliers)

58. Cheer for a matador : ¡OLÉ!

59. Born, in wedding announcements : NÉE

60. '60s activist gp. : SDS. (Students for a Democratic Society)

62. U-turn from NNE : SSW

Argyle

Monday, June 9, 2014 Jerome Gunderson

Theme: Ultimate Business/Leisure Suit - Two word entries starting with the same two letters but not just any two letters. The two letters stand for pajamas but not just any pajamas. They represent the attire that publisher Hugh Hefner wore while conducting his business from the Playboy mansion.

18A. *Wealthy executive's plane : PRIVATE JET

39A. *Preparation using crushed Bartletts, say : PEAR JAM

63A. *Cheese with a bite : PEPPER JACK

3D. *Pizza Hut rival : PAPA JOHN'S

35D. *Ordinary-looking gal : PLAIN JANE

65D. Magazine mogul, familiarly, known for dressing in the sleepwear hinted at by the answers to starred clues : HEF

Argyle here. I felt the theme was a little flat with the feeling I'd seen it before. Still, it's tough getting all those jays in there. No complaints. The lack of long non-theme entries kicks up the word count.(80)

Across:

1. Have the blues : MOPE

5. Blackens : CHARS

10. Time gone by : PAST

14. Historical times : ERAs

15. Cooperstown's "Hammerin' Hank" : AARON. Cooperstown is the Baseball Hall of Fame location.

16. Mystical old letter : RUNE

17. Ductwork sealer : TAPE

20. Commercial suffix with Motor : OLA. (Motorola)

21. Barfly : SOT

22. Gourmand : EPICURE. Tuesday words.

23. Took issue : OBJECTED

26. Sheets with shopping reminders : LISTS

27. Midwest tribe : OTOE

28. Sea eagles : ERNEs

31. Search engine giant : YAHOO

33. Meadow bleats : BAAs

34. Omar of "House" : EPPS

38. Writer Rand : AYN

42. Lav, in Bath : LOO

43. Slob's creation : MESS

45. Zone : AREA

46. Online business : E-TAIL

48. Breath mint with Retsyn : CERTS

50. Indian garment : SARI

51. Episcopal chapel leader : VICAR. I watch "The Vicar of Dibley" ocasionally.

54. Emulate Gregory Hines : TAP DANCE

58. Kazakh-Uzbek border lake : ARAL SEA

61. Help-wanted notice? : SOS

62. __ in Juliet : J AS

65. Heavenly instrument : HARP

66. As to : IN RE

67. California/Nevada border lake : TAHOE

68. Covetousness : ENVY

69. Like a useless battery : DEAD

70. Leaves : EXITS

71. Lawyer's charges : FEES

Down:

1. "Ditto" : "ME TOO"

2. Pulsonic toothbrush brand : ORAL B

4. Opposite of WNW : ESE

5. "In Cold Blood" writer Truman : CAPOTE

6. Western writer Bret : HARTE

7. Shipping magnate Onassis : ARI

8. Wander : ROVE

9. Go ballistic : SNAP

10. Accurate : PRECISE

11. Served in its natural gravy, as roast beef : AU JUS

12. Viking family dog of comics : SNERT. He is Hägar's pet; Helga's pet is Kvack, the duck.

13. French heads : TÊTÊs

19. Roofing material : TILE

21. Exclusive story : SCOOP

24. DDE's command : ETO. Dwight D. Eisenhower / European Theater of Operations

25. Most loved : DEAREST

29. Hindu prince : RAJA

30. Govt. intel org. : NSA. (National Security Agency)

31. Thanksgiving veggie : YAM

32. Yeoman's "yes" : "AYE"

33. Bratty Simpson kid : BART

36. Hawaiian food staple : POI

37. Note before la : SOL and 47D. Syllable before la : TRA

40. Organ with a canal : EAR

41. Fermented honey beverages : MEADS

44. Sold for a big profit, as tickets : SCALPED

49. Celtic language : ERSE

50. Bike wheel radii : SPOKES

51. Lacking zip : VAPID

52. "Fame" singer Cara : IRENE

53. "It's a Wonderful Life" director Frank : CAPRA

55. Broad tie : ASCOT

56. Work on a totem pole : CARVE

57. Sports awards : ESPYs. (short for Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Award)

59. One-named Deco master : ERTÉ. Romain de Tirtoff, initials R.T. (Erté)

60. "Iliad" warrior : AJAX. He came to a tragic end.

64. Sashimi tuna : AHI. Hawaiian name.

Argyle

Sunday June 8, 2014 Alan Olschwang

 Theme: "You Too" -U is added to each theme entry

23A. Being on hands and knees? : SCOURING POSITION. Scoring position.

45A. Follow the proverbial crowd? : VENTURE FOURTH. Venture forth. 

  

67A. Soda fountain? : SWEET SPOUT. Sweet spot.

71A. Town boor in a western capital? : SALEM'S LOUT. Salem's Lot.

92A. Auto equipment supplier? : RADIATOR HOUSE. Radiator hose.

117A. Prescription for extremely potent medicine? : OUNCE IN A BLUE MOON. Once in a blue moon.

14D. One hyping the spud industry? : TATER TOUT. Tater tot.

78D. Court case involving a British tennis player and a rake? : ROUE V. WADE. Roe V. Wade. Not familiar with Virginia Wade. Very accomplished career.

Alan Olschwang is the constructor who used to give us a quote/quip puzzle every Thursday in our old Tribune Media Daily days.

Read my interview with him here. He retired 4 years ago.

 Alan Olschwang, ACPT 2005

Across:

     

1. Bar stock : RYES. So many fun bars in Guangzhou/Hong Kong.

5. Work on copy : EDIT. And 46D. Work on copy : REVISE

9. Student of Socrates : PLATO

14. Lemony characteristic : TANG. Also the name of the big Chinese dynasty whose capital was in Xi'An.

18. Carefree walk : AMBLE

20. Cowboy quarterback Tony : ROMO

21. Red River capital : HANOI

22. Botanical cover : ARIL. Interested to see when Rich will clue it as "pomegranate seed".

26. Small monkey : TITI

27. Closet accessory : HANGER

28. Fill fully : SATE

29. Ain't the way it should be? : ISN'T.  Nice clue.

30. Bring home : EARN

 

31. Schooner drivers : SAILS

33. Many an outdoor eatery : CAFE

35. Red in a cellar : MERLOT

37. Story surprise : TWIST. Like the end of "Call Me Maybe". I think only Jayce watched the whole thing when I linked it two years ago.

41. Remains on the shelf : SITS

43. Beginning to exist : NASCENT

48. To such an extent : INSOFAR

52. '70s Israeli prime minister : MEIR. My "Call Me Maybe" guy Daniel Craig is in "Munich" too. Who is your "Call Me Maybe" guy or girl? 

53. Ahead of, in verse : ERE

54. Honey source : BEE

55. Seuss's "The 5000 Fingers of ___" : DR T

56. Indic language : URDU

57. Clear : ABSOLVE

59. Enduring work : CLASSIC

61. "The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas" author : STEIN. Who else could it be? I support some sex marriage!

62. High crime, briefly : DUI

63. Asserted one's innocence, perhaps : PLED

64. Frequent co-star of Sylvester : TALIA (Shire)

66. Bust gp. : DEA

73. __ de mer : MAL

74. Not natural : EERIE

75. Low wetlands : FENS

76. Little, in Lille : PEU. Un peu.

77. Activist Medgar : EVERS. I only learned today that he was assassinated.

79. Place to go when it rains : INDOORS

81. Stomach-related : GASTRIC

85. His show had a "Jaywalking" segment : LENO

86. "Haven't we __?" : MET. Our Splynter is too shy.

87. Family that's not kin : MOB. Great clue as well.

88. Hindu honorific : SRI

89. Lanford Wilson's "The __ Baltimore" : HOT L

90. Emotional wounds : TRAUMAS

95. Like clay pots : EARTHEN

97. "Right away!" : ASAP

98. Cohort of Threepio : ARTOO. 3PO &  R2-D2.

99. Support for the Lone Ranger? : SILVER. His horse.

 102. Finished a flight : ALIT

104. Leaves alone, in a way : STETS

106. Once more : ANEW

107. Pelvic bones : ILIA

109. Pouting grimace : MOUE

111. Butting heads : AT ODDS

116. Dial alternative : LAVA. Dove for me.

120. Toy on a hill : SLED

121. Stuck up? : TREED. Tricky clue.

122. Alike, to Alain : EGAL. Somehow Alain Delon was very popular in China in the late 1980s.

123. American of Japanese descent : NISEI. Ni=Two/Second. ISSEI is First-generation Japanese-American. Is = One/First. SANSEI is third-generation. San = Three/Third. SEI means "birth" literally.

124. Sailor's direction : ALEE

125. "The Gondoliers" lass : TESSA. Total unknown.

126. Idea beginning : GERM

127. __ pilot : TEST

Down:

1. Headlong : RASH

2. 1979 disco hit : YMCA

3. Odist's deep black : EBON

4. Vending machine tricker : SLUG

5. Directional finish : ERN. Like western.

6. Less-than-happy lot : DOG'S LIFE. Oh, I've got to share with you a story of how Jose Armenta, an ex-Marine dog handler, eventually adopted his dog Zenit. Nat Geo has a great article.  Click here.

7. Thickly applied paint : IMPASTO. This is a new word to me.

8. Binge : TOOT

9. Key letter : PHI

10. Queen of rap : LATIFAH. Queen Latifah.

11. Cordial flavorings : ANISES

12. Homer, for one : TOON

13. Topical medication : OINTMENT

15. Sans serif typeface : ARIAL

16. Big bang material : NITRO

17. Flash : GLINT

19. 1974 Top 10 hit whose title means "You are" : ERES TU

24. "The Stepford Wives" novelist Levin : IRA

25. Flash : SEC

32. Rhone feeder : ISERE

34. Gets in on the deal : ANTES

36. Neon borders? : ENS. Neon.

37. "Game of Thrones" rating : TV-MA

38. Super Bowl III coach Ewbank : WEEB. He stumped me last time. Here he was with Joe Namath (1965).

39. "Last one __ a rotten egg!" : IN IS

40. Proceeded confidently : STRODE

42. Lease prohibition : SUBLET

44. Group of friends : CIRCLE

47. Interpret : READ

49. Corleone traitor : FREDO. Michael Corleone's traitor.

50. It may be bid : ADIEU

51. Charge : RUN AT

55. Calls on a retro phone : DIALS

58. Guitar ancestors : LUTES

59. Filled (in) : CLUED

60. Getz and Kenton : STANS

61. Freelancer's supply: Abbr. : SASEs (Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope)

63. Act rudely, maybe : POINT

65. Render less effective : IMPAIR

67. Extract metal from : SMELT

68. Be in doubt : WAVER

69. "Uncle Vanya" woman : ELENA. Has any of you read "Uncle Vanya"?

70. Clerical worker : PRIEST

71. Montenegro neighbor : SERBIA

72. Superman nemesis : LUTHOR (Lex)

75. Meat and potatoes : FOOD

80. Arabian peninsula native : OMANI

81. Feel (for) : GROPE

82. Game ended by the mercy rule : ROUT. I know the concept, not the term "Mercy rule".

83. "Wishing won't make __" : IT SO

84. Old African queen, familiarly : CLEO

86. Residence Inn company : MARRIOTT

88. Attorney regulator : STATE BAR

91. Author Rita __ Brown : MAE

92. Tightens, perhaps : RELACES

93. Take the edge off : ASSUAGE

94. Accelerate : HASTEN

96. Alaska Panhandle city : HAINES. Never heard of it. I don't even know that Alaska has a Panhandle as well.

99. Burrito dressing : SALSA. I love Pace Chunky salsa.

100. As a whole : IN ALL

101. Bad place for a breach : LEVEE

103. "I didn't need to hear that!" : TMI (Too Much Information)

105. Cross shape : TAU

108. End-of-the-line item : LURE. Oh, fishing.

110. Universal donor's type, briefly : O NEG

112. Don't mention : OMIT

113. Capsule contents : DOSE

114. Forest prancers : DOES

115. Agitated state : SNIT

118. Child expert LeShan : EDA

119. Advanced attorney's deg. : LLM. Master of Laws. LLD is Doctorate of Laws. LLB is Bachelor of Laws.

 

C.C.