Wednesday, April 4 2018, David Poole

Theme: BOXED IN- Four different scrambles of AMEN is placed in each corner.

1. Whirlpool brand : AMANA

10. Italian smoker : ETNA

63. __ Domini : ANNO

65. 2014 film set in Alabama : SELMA

52. Exciting section of 37-Across, familiarly ... and a configuration found in four apt places in this puzzle : AMEN CORNER

Melissa here. The theme was subtle (each corner square contains the letter A), and I had to solve the whole puzzle before it clicked. Kept looking for something more obvious, like the word AMEN hidden in each answer, or something about golf because of  two golf-themed long answers. I'm guessing David Poole is a sports fan, and possibly French Canadian. Note: I was right!

(Thanks for the correction, Brian!)

Across              

6. "M*A*S*H" actor Jamie : FARR. He played Sergeant Maxwell Q. Klinger. More here.

14. Saint Kitts neighbor : NEVIS. Complete unknown to me.

  

15. Drink with a polar bear mascot : ICEE

16. Overflow (with) : TEEM

17. Civil rights org. : NAACP

18. Alum : GRAD

19. End of a Basque ball game? : ALAI

20. She walked into Rick's gin joint : ILSA

21. Tournament that awards a green jacket : THE MASTERS. Ten facts about the green jacket. And one more.


23. Springsteen's __ Band : E STREET

25. Speech therapy subject : LISP

26. Museum collection : ART

27. Show of strength? : FLEX

29. Montreal Canadien, to hockey fans : HAB. I had questions! Never noted that spelling of Canadien before - it is the French spelling. According to Wikipedia: "The "H" stands for "hockey", not "Habitants," a popular misconception. According to NHL.com, the first man to refer to the team as "the Habs" was American Tex Rickard, owner of the Madison Square Garden, in 1924. Rickard apparently told a reporter that the "H" on the Canadiens' sweaters was for "Habitants."

32. Wolfgang Puck restaurant chain : SPAGO

35. Litigant : SUER

36. Golfer's target : HOLE

37. Home of 21-Across : AUGUSTA NATIONAL. Anyone's guess this year.

40. Real estate measure : AREA

41. Quizzes : ASKS. Verb, not noun.


42. Colgate rival : CREST

43. "Full Frontal" host Samantha : BEE

44. Website with a "Craft Supplies & Tools" section : ETSY

45. Fenway team: Abbr. : BOS. Boston Red Sox.


46. Totally at sea : LOST

48. Actress Redgrave : VANESSA

56. Rating unit : STAR

57. Tennis score : LOVE. This sounds right, from Quora: "The word Love (for zero score) comes from French word l'oeuf - which means egg which is the shape of zero. The word Tennis itself originated from the French word tenez - which means to receive."

58. Granola grain : OATS

59. Skinny South American country : CHILE

60. Swimming event : MEET

61. Formerly, formerly : ERST

62. Songwriter Leonard : COHEN. Trivia - You Want It Darker came out days before Cohen died when he was in ill health. His son Adam brought recording equipment into his house and recorded his voice right into a laptop.

64. Ball belles : DEBS

Down

1. Miss Hannigan's charge : ANNIE

2. Board, in "room and board" : MEALS

3. Sailor's "Halt!" : AVAST

4. Central American nation : NICARAGUA

5. Egyptian viper : ASP

6. Argue : FIGHT

7. Farm field unit : ACRE

8. Paper order : REAM

9. Emergency status : RED ALERT

10. Les __-Unis : ETATS. More French, "The United States."


11. Whispering party game : TELEPHONE

12. Warm, in a game : NEAR

13. French friends : AMIS. Encore une fois avec français!

21. Asian New Year : TET

22. Joe Torre's retired Yankee uniform number : SIX

24. God with a bow : EROS

27. Musty-smelling : FUNKY

28. Grazing grounds : LEAS

30. "What a shame!" : ALAS

31. Karate skill award : BELT

32. Swedish auto : SAAB

33. Unadulterated : PURE

34. Anna Paquin won her Oscar for "The Piano" at it : AGE ELEVEN. So tricky.


35. Insolence : SASS

36. Good luck symbol : HORSESHOE

38. Drew on? : TATTOOED

39. Tapped symbol : ICON

44. PC bailout key : ESC

45. "Cheers" setting : BAR

47. "You're __ talk!" : ONE TO. Meaning, 'You're not one to talk!'

48. Three-piece pieces : VESTS

49. Chain saw brand : STIHL

50. Western state capital : SALEM. Oregon.

51. Toronto's Rogers Centre, for one : ARENA

52. __ mater : ALMA

53. Faucet brand : MOEN

54. Few and far between : RARE

55. Accident investigation agcy. : NTSB

59. Dosage amts. : CCS

Notes from C.C.:

The Saratoga Hospital turned out to be a cold place. They returned Agnes' card to Argyle due to lack of room number. We also cannot locate a package D-Otto sent. If any of you lives in that area, can you email me crosswordc@gmail.com? (Edited later: No need. Package was found. Thank you,  Spitzboov, for giving me the crucial contact person!)

I suspect some of you might have received bounced mail also. Argyle is now in a new place. The address is below. He'll be here for quite some time. He's doing OK. He has a phone and a tablet. Let's hope he can be on line soon.

D. Scott Nichols

Room #219
Wesley Health Care Center
131 Lawrence St.
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866

Tuesday, April 3, 2018 Evan Mahnken

Enclosed ORBs !

Fooled me with the first two starred clues.  Thought the theme would be Sci-fi related.

18A. *Sci-fi energy ray that grabs ships : TRACTOR BEAM

3D. *Sci-fi classic featuring Robby the Robot : FORBIDDEN PLANET

8D. *Vessels pulling water-skiers : MOTOR BOATS

11D. *Sign outside a new store : OPEN FOR BUSINESS

28D. *Unable to tell red from green, say : COLOR BLIND

Tying the starred clues together, we get a great hint...      

59A. Small, influential group ... and a hint to the word hidden in each answer to a starred clue : INNER CIRCLE

We welcome Evan Mahken on his Los Angeles Times Crossword debut !   Read more about Evan in this article.    Well done young man !

ACROSS:
       
1. Sound from Rover : ARF

4. Quite anxious : ALARMED

11. Canada's most populous prov. : ONTario.  Help me out here Canadian Eh.  According to what I've read on the internet, Ontario has a 2018 population estimate of over 14 million, and half of them are on the 401 at any point in time. 

14. Corporate VIP : CEO. Chief Executive Officer.

15. Pudding choice : TAPIOCA.  "Thanks, but none for me. Thank you for asking."

16. Canada's least populous prov. : PEI.  Prince Edward Island.  Approx. 150,000 people in an area of about 2900 sq. miles, which is slightly larger in land area than Delaware.  Nearby Naperville, IL has a similar population in about 39 sq. miles.  Anonymous T's brother lives in Naperville. Chances are that there are more Crossword Corner followers in Naperville than in P.E.I.

17. Mess up : ERR. ''To err is human, to moo is bovine.''  I'm no Bluehen.   I accidentally doused the chicken breasts with balsamic vinegar last week while playing sous chef and prepping for fajitas.  The bottle is similar is shape, size, and label colors to our extra virgin olive oil.  Blotted the breasts off a bit, put on some olive oil, added the chipotle seasoning and then grilled.  That balsamic vinegar definitely added another layer of flavor.

20. Set of guidelines, as for grading papers : RUBRIC.   I'll humbly defer, and ask the distinguished educators on this blog to submit an explanation of rubric in the comments section. 

22. Big stretch of time : EON

23. Pay to play : ANTE

24. Tattle : SNITCH.  "I'm going to tell on you !" 

25. Cheer on : ROOT FOR.  As Yellowrocks would remind us, our language and usage is fluid. "Who do you root for ?" rolls off the tongue.   It is not nearly as formal and stiff sounding as "For whom do you root ?"

27. __ Moines : DES.  Iowa's largest city.  Went there on business.  Nice clean downtown and the people were all friendly.  I left with a positive impression. 

28. Hailed car : CAB

30. Sign before Virgo : LEO.  The Lion.  July 22nd to August 22nd.  That makes DW a Leo, and I just read that Leo's are compatible with Gemini's (me).  Aha ! The pieces of the puzzle are finally coming together. We fit.

31. "Then what happened?" : AND. 

33. Sang 29-Down : SOLOED. 

35. Tattle : RAT.  Clecho with 24A. 

38. "Joltin'" DiMaggio : JOE. According to author Richard Ben Cramer, "The most propitious of Joe Dimaggio's nicknames was "Joltin Joe."  Another was "DiMag",  as Mark McClain taught some of us in February. 

39. Puts in new film : RELOADS

40. "Dawg!" : BRO.  Randy Jackson explains why he always says "Dawg" as he talks with Oprah Winfrey on an episode of the OWN network's "Where Are They Now ?"

41. Columnist Landers : ANN

42. Sees right through : IS ON TO

43. Salt Lake City athlete : UTE

44. Family cat, e.g. : PET

46. In medias __ : RES. "From the Latin "into the middle of affairs," in medias res refers to a literary technique in which a story begins after the action has already begun and the explanation of plot, character roles, the importance of setting, and so on are left to be revealed via flashback, a character's thoughts or dialogue, or a "reverse chronology" in which the story is told backwards." Chegg.com

47. "Big Brother" channel : CBS

49. Soda can feature : PULL TAB.  After the "church key", and before the "Stay-Tab."  The Wikipedia article says that they were invented ca. 1950 in Thunder Bay, ONT,  but the discussion page calls that claim dubious as Thunder Bay did not exist until 1970. 

52. Yacht spot : MARINA

55. Word of lament for "poor Yorick" : ALAS

56. __-pitch softball : SLO

58. The "U" in "MVEMJSUN" : URANUS.  My very educated mother just served us nachos. A mnemonic for the acronym to remember the planets.  Alas, poor Pluto.  Like Yorick, he was a jester, and had us all fooled into thinking he was a planet.

62. Suffix with ranch : ERO.  As vaquero is to cowboy, ranchero is to ranch hand.  Also the name of the Ford utility vehicle, but then ranch would have been capitalized in the clue. 

63. "Norma __": Sally Field film : RAE.  Sally Field won her first Academy Award, for Best Actress in a Leading Role.   

64. Witty remarks : BON MOTs.  Usually one-liners.  Often humorous. So many witty people here.  Desper-otto makes them all the time.  PK commented that she hadn't previously heard the term off-piste and looked it up.  D-O replied,  "off piste" -- I've usually heard it in reverse -- piste off."

65. ID on a W-9 form : SSN.  Social Security Number for our readers in other countries.  The IRS Form W-9 is a "Request for Taxpayer Identification and Certification."  The most common form of taxpayer identification is the SSN.

66. Concorde, e.g., briefly : SST.  The Concorde Supersonic Transport.  Faster than the speed of sound. Why We Don’t Have an SST

67. Martyred bishop of Paris : ST. DENIS.

68. "Ha! Told ya!" : SEE.  "See, I told ya I was going to tattle on you !"


DOWN:

1. Taiwanese laptops : ACERs

2. Syndicated sitcom, say : RERUN. Friends, MASH, Everybody Loves Raymond, et alii.

4. Top stories : ATTICS. Hot off the press, there's nothing but insulation in my attic.

5. Durable wood : LARCH.  A coniferous tree with deciduous tree habits.  It sheds its needles in the autumn. "...valued for its tough, waterproof and durable qualities. Top quality knot-free timber is in great demand for building yachts and other small boats..."  paraphrased from Wikipedia and Encyclopaedia Britannica.

6. Mental health org. : APA.  American Psychiatric Association.  My wife's cousin's husband is a psychiatrist.  Asks me a lot of leading questions.  Makes me uneasy at times.

7. Beans go-with : RICE. Houston's Treebeards restaurant's red beans and rice recipe.

9. Budget, in product names : ECONO.  EconoLodge motels, with over 830 locations in the U.S. and Canada, was founded in 1969 in Norfolk, VA.  It is the second largest brand for Choice Hotels International, Inc. a hospitality holding corporation based in Rockville, Maryland.

10. Patriotic women's org. : DAR.  Daughters of the American Revolution

12. "That's awesome!" : NEATO

13. Sometimes egg-shaped kitchen gadget : TIMER.  I wonder ?

19. Diminish : BATE.  As many solvers might question, "Wha ?  What happened to the A ?   Shouldn't that be ABATE ?"    Merriam-Webster tells us,  "3 - archaic : to lower especially in amount or estimation."

21. Numbered rd. : RTE.  Road and route abbreviations.

26. Auto pioneer : OLDS. Ransom E. Olds.  Born at Geneva-on-the-Lake, Oh in Ashtabula_County,   just across the state line from Abejo's Erie.  Ashtabula means "always enough (fish) to go around, to be given away."  

29. Without company : ALONE

31. "How to Get Away With Murder" actress __ Naomi King : AJA.  I've never seen the program.

32. "Smoking or __?" : NON

33. French "his" : SES

34. Tokyo, once : EDO

36. Word after op or pop : ART.  Op(tical) art and Pop art.  A brief history of Pop Art  from MoMA

37. Foot part : TOE

39. "Hud" director Martin : RITT.  Melvyn Douglass and Patricia Neal won an Academy Award for their performances in Hud.  Paul Newman and Martin Ritt were nominated.  Ritt also directed Norma Rae.  "...his surest touch was for movies about little people who went up against the system.  "Norma Rae" was probably his most representative film..."  Encyclopaedia Britannica, Roger Ebert, IMDb

45. Ultimatum word : ELSE

47. Tender touch : CARESS

48. Sports __ : BRA.  Note to self:  Do not call it a training bra.

49. Socks from the dryer, hopefully : PAIRS

50. Radii neighbors : ULNAs. Please hover over the figure to get a brief info about the body parts.

51. Fancy neckwear : ASCOT

52. Vitamin prefix : MULTI

53. Rehab center staffer : NURSE.  Argyle, we hope you have attentive nurses to help you progress.  We all miss you !

54. Synchronously : AS ONE

57. "It's her __": relationship ultimatum : OR ME

60. NFL playmakers : RBs. Running Backs.  Penn State's Saquon Barkley is projected to be the first running back picked in the upcoming 2018 NFL draft.  Penn State has had a few first-round RB  busts, but this guy looks like the real deal.  Time will tell.   

61. Cheat : CON.   Tried to cheat on 20A, and con one of the teachers into explaining rubric.  They've seen it all, and assuredly saw through my ruse, but hopefully one or more will offer their thoughts in the comments section.

See all y'all later n'at !

Monday April 2, 2018 Brock Wilson

Theme: LEADING QUESTION (62A. It's designed to elicit a certain answer ... or where the end of 17-, 25- and 47-Across may be found) -The end of each theme entry can precede "Question".

17A. Made it possible (for) : LEFT THE DOOR OPEN. Open question.

 

25A. Reason for "Fahrenheit 451" fires : BOOK BURNING. Burning question.

47A. Achieved desired results : DID THE TRICK. Trick question.

Boomer here.  Pleasant thoughts for Argyle and best wishes to all for a pleasant Easter season.  Here in nasty old Minneapolis, we had about three inches of the white stuff on Saturday with a harsh cold wind.  Still waiting for Spring.

Across:

        

1. Smallest chess piece : PAWN - I have to admit that I have watched "Pawn Stars" on the history channel a few times.  Chumlee is pretty disgusting as well as the old man.  I drove by the place a few years ago when in Las Vegas, and there was a line to get in.  Curiosity seekers I suppose.  Back to chess - if you can get that pawn to the other side of the board, it becomes a queen !  A much biffer piece.

5. Intl. alliance with a phonetic alphabet : NATO - A treaty formed by 29 nations.  I think Russia is ticked off because they won't let them in.

9. Test for fit : TRY ON

14. Where to find Columbus : OHIO -  I am not so smart so I googled this and found that there are nine states in the US with a city named after Christopher.  One is in Minnesota!  Don't ask me where, I was surprised to learn this.

15. Surrounded by : AMID

16. Like a wolfman : HAIRY - Not Wolfman Jack of American Graffiti fame, and definitely not Harry Truman.

 

20. Bit of campaign ugliness : SMEAR - It was pretty ugly in 2016, could get worse in the future.

21. In a jittery way : NERVOUSLY

22. Food storage cover : LID - I use mine to cover my eyes at night.

24. Big pic from a small neg. : ENL - sigh, abbreviations

31. Yr.'s dozen : MOS - This is also an acronym for your job in the military service.  Stand for Military Occupation Specialty, I think

34. Smoothie berry : ACAI

35. Pet store cry : MEOW - There is a pet store in a mall near our home, but all I ever see in there is dogs.  Maybe the cats are in a cradle ??

36. Resell exorbitantly, as tickets : SCALP - I guess this is now legal and can be done on line.  For the recent Super Bowl in Minnesota, I think some tickets were going for over $3000.

38. Iowa crop : CORN - Since Iowa is just South of me, I have been there many times.  The corn fields stretch for miles.

39. Extreme fear : PANIC

41. First website page : HOME

42. Last Greek letter : OMEGA - There is that word again.  The acronym for older, more energetic Graybar Associates.  (Gathers every year around February at the Orleans in Las Vegas.)

44. Lucy's sitcom partner : DESI - It's interesting how sitcoms of yesteryear differ from today.  I think Archie Bunker changed things.

45. Neighborhood : AREA

46. Stark in "Game of Thrones" : NED

50. Math basics: Abbr. : NOS -- Another Abbreviation !

51. Tweeter's titter : LOL - I think "Laughing out loud" preceded twitter by 15 years or more.

52. White ursine critter : POLAR BEAR - You crossword experts must have known what Ursine is.  I thought it was something you asked a prospective date regarding the month that they were born.

58. Hand prettifiers : MANIS - Another strange animal not found in Minnesota.

64. Dickens' Drood : EDWIN

65. Garage goop : GUNK

66. Opponent : ANTI

67. Hit __: ran into trouble : A SNAG - I thought this was something that occurred in nylon stockings.  Do women wear them anymore ??

68. Wise, as advice : SAGE - I call this a spice that I load up into turkey stuffing.

69. Twice-monthly 7-Down : NEAP - It's amazing how the moon affects the ocean.  What's even more amazing is how they came up with a word like neap to describe it.

Down:

1. Seasoned senators, say : POLS

2. "If I may say something ... " : AHEM

3. Edith, to Archie : WIFE - Boy the way Glen Miller played, Songs that made the hit parade, guys like us we had it made, Those were the days.

4. Teacher's "Shh!" : NO TALKING - In high school when the room got a little noisy, I had a teacher that would say, (" I don't think I said talk, I might have, I'm not sure.")

5. "Uh-uh" : NAH

6. Confirmation from the congregation : AMEN

7. Ocean phenomenon : TIDE - Named for the Tide brothers, Spring and Neap.

8. Reason for a diaper change : ODOR - A second baseman for the Texas Rangers.  If you think that surname stinks, his given name is Rougned. 

9. Big crowds : THRONGS

10. Phantom's rival, in "The Phantom of the Opera" : RAOUL

11. Pet store cries : YIPS - I knew they had puppies in those places.

12. Baseball's Hershiser : OREL - Probably more amazing than even Sandy Koufax.  I still remember 1988 when Hershiser went 59 INNINGS without allowing a run !  He passed former Dodger Don Drysdale who had 58 2/3.  Orel went to the playoffs that year and threw 8 more zero innings but they are not a part of the official record.  There was a debate about whether the streak could be extended into 1989, but Hershiser ended the issue when he gave up a run in the first inning of 1989.

13. Big Apple address letters : NY NY.  Start spreading the news.

18. Chicago paper, for short : TRIB

19. Toaster __ : OVEN

23. Dilapidated joint : DUMP - I thought the clue was about my knees.  I have never heard a dump called a joint.  (Although there are several beer joints which could be called dumps).

25. Breakfast partner of 55-Down : BACON. 55. See 25-Down : EGGS - Forgot the hash browns and pancakes.

 26. "__, all ye faithful ... " : O COME - More of a Christmas clue than an Easter Monday clue.

27. Rowed : OARED - I am sorry but I never heard anyone say they oared a boat.  P.J. Fleck, new football coach of the Minnesota Gophers is using "Row the boat" as a team spirit slogan.  I'm sure if decided on "Oar the boat" he would be looking for a job.

28. Verify, as totals : RE-ADD - In restaurants, to verify the bill.  Many people do it on their phone.  I remember when phones had dials and were used to talk to others, from your home or office.  NOT WHILE YOU ARE DRIVING YOUR CAR !!!!

29. Octet plus one : NONET

30. "If only" : I WISH - When you wish upon a star, makes no difference who you are... Jiminy Cricket.

31. New Zealand native : MAORI

32. Early Mesoamerican : OLMEC

33. "Bark, Bowser!" : SPEAK - Jon Bauman is a baby boomer, only six weeks older than I.  You may know him as "Bowser" the lead singer of the group Sha Na Na.

37. Phony : CHARLATAN

40. Sky over Paris : CIEL

43. Loving and devoted, as fans : ADORING

48. Library vol. ID : ISBN - an acronym for book identification that is news to me.

49. Gobbling guys? : TOMS - Wasn't Turkey Lurkey a pal of Henny Penny ?

50. Gymnast Comaneci : NADIA - Everyone remembers Nadia.  I am surprised we don't see Olga in puzzles much.

52. Ardent request : PLEA

53. Voluminous syn. and etym. sources : OEDS. Oxford English Dictionary.

54. Mowed expanse : LAWN - Golf course has too many letters.  I would not call my lawn an expanse.

56. Water color : AQUA

57. Ladder step : RUNG - May you build a ladder to the stars and climb on every rung, and may you stay... forever young.  (Minnesota's own Robert Zimmerman.  You may know him better as Bob Dylan)

59. 29-Down count : NINE

60. Kappa preceder : IOTA - Finally, a four letter word with three vowels

61. Barbershop sound : SNIP

63. Barely make, with "out" : EKE

Boomer

Sunday April 1, 2018 Pam Amick Klawitter

Theme: "Now That's a Workout!"- Each theme entry is punnily re-phrased as if it's a workout term fitting the person in the clue.

27A. Mediators burn calories by __ : RUNNING INTERFERENCE

45A. Employees burn calories by __ : PUNCHING THE CLOCK. Four of the theme clues have a specific profession. This one and 108A are a bit general.

64A. Researchers burn calories by __ : SURFING THE WEB. Look at this cool art.

72A. Forensic investigators burn calories by __ : LIFTING PRINTS

93A. Campaigners burn calories by __ : PRESSING THE FLESH

108A. Toadies burn calories by __ : JUMPING THROUGH HOOPS. I don't quite get this clue. Why "Toadies"?

Anon-T just asked me the other day whether he can use two "THEs" in the theme entries. This puzzle should alleviate his worries.

Yes, you can use two THEs and ANDs in theme entries. Rich also will not object if you use two UPs, TOs and INs as fill. But don't over-do it.

I'm always excited to see Pam back. She's an very creative constructor. Read this article.

Across:
     
1. Shopper, at times : TOTER. I've never used those big in-store tote bags. You?

6. Driving hazard : SKID

10. The last game there was played 9/28/2008 : SHEA. Mets vs. Marlins.

14. Olive Garden staple : PASTA. Here is pasta Xi'an style. Look at the hot peppers.

19. __ cuisine : HAUTE

20. Newcastle's river : TYNE

21. Changes lanes on? : TARS. Nice clue.

22. One way to think : ALOUD

23. Laura's classic "Dick Van Dyke Show" wail : OH ROB

24. Baseball family name : ALOU. More baseball references: 26. Hit-by-pitch reminders : WELTS. And 51. 2018 "Sunday Night Baseball" addition : A-ROD

25. Got off the horse : ALIT

31. Increased : ROSE

32. Short relative? : SIB. "Short" hints at a shortened answer.

33. __ spot : SORE

34. March family creator : ALCOTT

38. Cancel at NASA : SCRUB

40. Brainstorm : IDEATE. Imagine my surprise when I heard this word used in a podcast.

50. Those, in Tijuana : ESOS
  
52. Org. with specialists : AMA

53. Bust unit : KILO. Drug bust.

54. Carve up : ALLOT

55. Like many an AARP mem. : RET (Retired)

56. Got glasses on credit? : RAN A TAB. Liked the clue/entry.

60. Trent Reznor's band, initially : NIN. Nine Inch Nails.

61. College near Albany : SIENA. Gimme for Agnes/Santa/Spitzboov.
 
62. Earthshaking event : TREMOR. Hi there Jayce!

67. High winds : OBOES

70. Monterrey day : DIA

71. Blackens, as a flue : SOOTS

77. Clan symbols : TOTEMS

81. Bountiful native : UTAHN. Bountiful, Utah.

82. Carides of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" : GIA. No idea. Did like the movie though.

83. "Inside the NFL" analyst : ESIASON. Boomer.

86. Place to go in Gloucester : LOO

87. Collapses : GIVES

88. La Scala strain : ARIA. I like this Aria, where our Steve stays when he visits Vegas.

90. High degree : NTH

91. Buy and sell quickly : FLIP

92. Cabinet dept. with an atom on its seal : ENER

98. Fight in the boonies : RASSLE

100. Offshore : AT SEA

101. Picks on : TAUNTS. The big bully in our neighborhood was later bullied on in high school. 

102. First name in folk : ARLO

105. Broadway's Hagen : UTA

106. Pouches : SACS

116. Getting warm : CLOSE

118. Unadorned : BARE

119. Logical word from Descartes : ERGO. Jayce again!

120. Positive words from one in a slump : I'M DUE

121. Puts an edge on : HONES

122. Omani money : RIAL

123. Roger succeeded him in Bond films : SEAN (Connery). To me, Bond is always Daniel Craig. Very Bond-y.

124. Chilling : ON ICE

125. In-crowd : A-LIST

126. Word with ant or brat : ARMY

127. Churchill, for one : TORY

128. Chips : NICKS

Down:

1. God with a hammer : THOR

2. Iolani Palace island : OAHU

3. Chance to play : TURN. At Boomer's Friday morning pot games, there's a guy who wins money (quarters) from the other old guys, all the time. Last week Boomer beat the guy and was happy the whole day. Little joys of life.

4. Berkshire boarding school : ETON

5. Renaissance : REBIRTH

6. Big bucks : STAGS

7. One of the Jenners : KYLIE. She has built up a cosmetic empire.

8. Part of : IN ON

9. German, in Germany : DEUTSCH. TTP stationed there in his Army days. So many regulars on our blog served in the military: Argyle, Spitzboov, D-Otto, TTP, Boomer, Anon-T. Who else?

10. Pequod's chief mate : STARBUCK. Moby-Dick

11. __ Moon: Henry Hudson's ship : HALF. Guessed.

12. Cat Nation people : ERIES

13. Toon dog sharing a name with an MLB player : ASTRO

14. Used as security, in a way : PAWNED

15. One of the Baldwins : ALEC

16. Lonesome fish? : SOLE

17. Son of Akhenaten : TUT

18. "Mad Men" creations : ADs

28. Words of denial : NOT I

29. Blarney Stone home : EIRE

30. The Phantom of the Opera : ERIK. Here is Erik Agard, the new American Crossword Puzzle Tournament champion. He probably finished today's LAT in 6 minutes.

34. In pieces : APART

35. Attractive one? : LURER

36. Benjamin's bill : C NOTE

37. Anxious med. condition : OCD

38. ESPN figures : STATS

39. Russian crepes : BLINI. Never had Blini.

41. Hardest to hang on to : EELIEST

42. More than enough, usually : A SLEW

43. Odds end? : TO ONE. Like million TO ONE odds.

44. Cornerstone abbr. : ESTAB

46. Tandoori bread : NAN

47. "Today" rival, for short : GMA

48. Hollywood's Ken and Lena : OLINS

49. Where Kinshasa is : CONGO

54. Kutcher of "The Ranch" : ASHTON

56. Birds in Kilmer's "Trees" : ROBINS

57. Memphis middle name : ARON. Elvis' middle name.

58. Quattro maker : AUDI

59. Salty solution : BRINE

63. Goose and hen? : MOTHERS. Mother Goose. Mother hen.

65. __ Domino : FATS

66. Wizard revealer : TOTO

68. "Walk, Don't Run" actress Samantha : EGGAR

69. Skyline standout : SPIRE

72. German pistol : LUGER

73. Rock music memoir : I TINA

74. Strong preferences, casually : FAVES

75. Mikhail's wife : RAISA

76. __ different tune: change one's mind : SING A

78. Self-named sitcom : ELLEN

79. Word in Duncan Hines ads : MOIST

80. Former frosh : SOPHs

84. Co. that spawned Baby Bells : ATT

85. Theater warning : SHH

89. In an insightful manner : ASTUTELY. Thought of PK, who's very observant.

91. Shot target : FLU. Will definitely get flue shot this year. 

93. Witness' lineup choice, ideally : PERP

94. Map strip: Abbr. : ISTH. Isthmus.

95. Least distant : NEAREST

96. Inscribe : ETCH

97. Runway display : FASHION

99. Like the worst excuse : LAMEST

103. Sign of balance? : LIBRA
 
104. Ecstatic way to walk : ON AIR. Also 107. Ecstasy's opposite : AGONY

106. Domino product : SUGAR

 108. Multiple Grammy winner Mitchell : JONI

109. Purposes : USES

110. Weight unit : GRAM

111. Stale cookie in crosswords? : OREO. Quite popular in China now.

112. Ritz-Carlton rival : OMNI

113. Lyrical : ODIC

114. It's stopped during a save : PUCK. Hockey.

115. Gets : SEES

116. All the tea in China? : CHA. Just Chinese for "tea".

117. Facebook chuckle : LOL