Thursday, April 18th 2019 Roland Huget

Theme: Heaps of Shapes - the four theme entries contain scrambles of the word "shape":

18A. Penny pincher: CHEAPSKATE

23A. Knot used to take up slack: SHEEPSHANK. I can tie one of these with my eyes closed, it's a common sailing knot. It shakes out when there's no tension on the rope, super-useful for shortening a mooring line. Wikipedia terms it "unstable", I didn't realize knots had personality issues.

50A. Prankster's weapon: PEASHOOTER. I shot my dad in the eye with a peashooter when I was six. I still remember the feeling of absolute dread of the consequences. He was pretty good about it, he only beat me to within two inches of my life. Actually, after he got over the surprise, he just sat me down for a little chat about safe play.

57A Project wrap-up: FINAL PHASE. The first 90% of a project takes 90% of the time. The final 10% takes the other 90%.

... and the reveal giving us a hint of what to look for:

38A. Amorphous sci-fi beings, and a hint to what's hidden in the four other longest answers: SHAPESHIFTERS

For the therianthropiist-followers among us, I recall we had LOUP GAROU a couple of weeks ago, one of the more common shapeshifting tropes.

A straightforward theme, scramble SHAPE and find four theme entries which work. The odd man out is FINAL PHASE, which has two words, the others just one.

A solid effort from Roland, the theme works nicely. The puzzle as a whole felt more like a Tuesday or Wednesday to me, but it sailed along nicely. Let's see what we've got to talk about:

Across:

1. Onetime capital of the Mughal Empire: AGRA. Slightly different slant on the cluing for this staple. Nice.

5. Pop star: IDOL

9. Idea, at times: IMAGE. Mental image.

14. Apparently are: SEEM. Not "is", that would be "seems".

15. Bering Sea port: NOME. I'm intimately acquainted with Dutch Harbor, another Alaska port, despite never having been there. I've watched all the "Deadliest Catch" episodes.

16. Center for Auto Safety co-founder: NADER. "Unsafe at any speed".

17. Part of the supreme Hindu trinity: SIVA. The Destroyer. The Creator and Preserver are Brahma and Vishnu respectively.

20. Trooper's outfit?: ISUZU. Nice clue. Car manufacturer.

22. Moan and groan: GRIPE

26. Garden nuisance: WEED. Jeopardy answer "What is a Boston fan?"

30. Prof.'s helpers: T.A.S

31. Overly: TOO

32. Fill with affection: ENAMOR

34. Relax completely: GO LIMP

37. Like lambs and rams: OVINE. I've got by bovines and ovines down now.

41. Pizzeria allure: AROMA. I can smell the aroma of Blue Mountain coffee brewing. I'm in Jamaica.

42. Refreshers: TONICS. Gin in mine, please. Tonic water was developed to mask the taste of the anti-malarial drug quinine in colonial-era India.

43. Snapper?: CAMERA. 

45. Chinese restaurant general: TSO

46. The Mighty Mighty Bosstones music genre: SKA. This will get you up in the morning. I love Ska - the British band "Madness" was another fine purveyor of the genre.

49. One logging on: USER

54. Miniseries based on a Haley novel: ROOTS

56. Sucked (in): LURED

62. Voice quality: TONE

63. Old saw: ADAGE

64. Throw off: EMIT

65. Poetic black: EBON

66. Ins and outs, with "the": ROPES

67. Like yellow bananas: RIPE

68. Slight damage: DENT

Down:

1. Give a hand: ASSIST

2. "Memoirs of a __": Arthur Golden novel: GEISHA

3. Musical shows: REVUES

4. Floor: AMAZE

5. Business mag: INC

6. Self-critical cry: DOH! Homer Simpson's favorite expression.

7. Seamaster watchmaker: OMEGA. Wait for at least one letter to decide between OMEGA and ROLEX.

8. Come to know: LEARN

9. Clouseau's rank, briefly: INSP. The bumbling inspector, wonderfully played by Peter Sellers.

10. Rock the boat: MAKE WAVES

11. Periodontist's org.: A.D.A. I saw mine last week. I love getting my teeth cleaned.

12. Come down with: GET

13. Long starter, once: ERE. Ere long, this will be back in common parlance. At least among us crossword folk.

19. Toll road: PIKE. A shortened version of "turnpike". The tallest mountain in England is Scafell Pike, which towers an astonishing - wait for it - 3,209 feet. You can walk up and down it in a couple of hours. The scenery is beautiful, it's in England's Lake District.

21. Passing muster: UP TO PAR

24. Footprint maker: SOLE

25. Raise on a pole: HOIST

27. Many an oil-rich ruler: EMIR. I tried SHAH first, was wrong.

28. Many ages: EONS

29. Death Row Records co-founder, familiarly: DRE. The good Dr. with his business partners Suge Knight and The D.O.C. The label was a sensation in the 90's, but it didn't end well.

33. "You're way over the line": NOT COOL

34. Tantrum while playing Xbox: GAMER RAGE. I like this new fill. I'd never heard the phrase before, but it didn't take long to figure it out.

35. Old conductance unit: MHO. It's the reciprocal of the ohm, hence the spelling. I like inventive plays on words, especially in the sciences.

36. Ice cream buys: PINTS. I rarely buy a pint of ice cream, I'd just eat it all. I buy those little Haagen-Dazs mini-tubs.

38. Mmes., in Madrid: SRAS. Señoras.

39. House-shaped browser button: HOME

40. School group: FISH. Made me smile. The clue has been used before, but I like these plays on words.

41. Puncture prefix: ACU-

44. Each: A POP

46. Disco light: STROBE

47. Passionate about: KEEN ON. I might be more than keen if I was passionate. I read in an article this week that nowadays if you say "I love you" in Japan, it's viewed as something of a joke. You say "I like you ... a lot" instead.

48. Passionate: ARDENT

51. Upper regions of space: ETHER

52. "Likewise": AS AM I

53. Blabbed about, in a way: OUTED

55. World Cup cheers: OLÉS. There were a few of these at the Barcelona - Manchester United game this week. The Messi-led Barca knocked United out of the Champions League 4-0.

57. Go __: succeed: FAR

58. Rite answer?: I DO

59. Short snooze: NAP

60. Bit of a draft?: SIP, Draft beer. Thursday-clue for a simple word.

61. Côte d'Azur saison: ÉTÉ. I've been to the French Riviera a number of times, always in summer. I have an unpaid ticket for parking on the Cannes promenade. I had no idea what I'd done wrong, so I figured I was being targeted for having GB license plates. I couldn't pay it now even if I wanted to, it's in francs.

And with that confession of crimes past, I think I'm done. I'm off to get some salt fish and callalou for breakfast and some of that delicious coffee. Ya Mon, Respect.

Steve

Wednesday, April 17, 2019, Jeff Stillman

Theme: CAUGHT IN THE ACT

17. Develop hives: BREAK OUT IN A RASH.

26. Part with a gesture: WAVE FAREWELL.

48. Be a second-stringer: RIDE THE BENCH.

63. 2002 Spielberg film ... and a hint to the start of 17-, 26- and 48-Across: CATCH ME IF YOU CAN.

Melissa here. After seeing BREAK, WAVE, and RIDE, I thought the theme had something to do with waves. Had to get it all filled in before I caught on.

Across:

1. Another name for hopscotch: POTSY. Was not aware of this, from Wiki: "Hopscotch was/is called Potsy in New York City. (The name probably refers to the "potsherd" that was used as a marker.)"

6. Naysayer: ANTI.

10. West Coast salmon: COHO. One of several species of Pacific salmon.

14. Curly-tailed guard dog: AKITA. Favorite of a former regular on the blog. Handsome breed.

15. Brought into being: BORN.

16. Intl. oil group: OPEC.

20. Golden years group: AARP.

21. Wedding invite request: RSVP. It is so hard to get people to respond to invitations.

22. Wedding vow word: WORSE. For better or ...

23. Tablecloth material: LACE.

25. Snake, periodically: MOLTER.

31. Red __: ALERT.

32. Inexperienced, as a recruit: RAW.

33. "I should add ... ": ALSO.

37. Easter beginning?: NOR. Sneaky clue with Easter coming up. What is a nor'easter?

38. Glittery bit on a dress: SPANGLE.

42. Uber info: ETA. Estimated Time of Arrival.

43. Like Tommy, in the rock opera: DEAF.

45. "That hurt!" cries: OWS.

46. Swell up: BLOAT.

52. Eucharist plates: PATENS. A small plate, used for communion during Mass. There are many designs.

55. Hops-drying oven: OAST.

56. Protestant denom.: EPISC. Another tricky one - did not know there was an abbreviated form.

57. Close buds: BROS.

59. Spanish hors d'oeuvre: TAPA.

66. Cuatro times dos: OCHO. Spanish.

67. Red Sox star Big __: PAPI. David Ortiz. Also played for Minnesota Twins.

68. Phased-out Apple messaging tool: ICHAT.

69. Takes in: SEES.

70. Vane spinner: GUST.

71. Lecherous looks: LEERS.

Down:

1. Bygone sunscreen ingredient: PABA. Para-aminobenzoic acid was introduced into sunscreens in the 1970s because of its natural ability to absorb UV rays—the ones that cause sunburn. Most sunscreens today, however, don't use PABA. Like oxybenzone, it was found to increase sensitivity to allergic reactions. You can buy it as a supplement though, it is said to stimulate hair growth and reduce greying of hair.

2. Fried side with a po'boy: OKRA.

3. Organization chart level: TIER.

4. Fastening gadget: STAPLER.

5. Chatter: YAK.

6. One taking advantage of privilege: ABUSER. Some of that in the news lately.

7. Rule during homework time, perhaps: NO TV.

8. Word with road or side: TRIP.

9. Traveler's rest: INN.

10. Toyota compact: COROLLA.

11. Dizzying pictures: OP ART. Short for optical art.

12. State bordering Bavaria: HESSE. Germany.

13. Orangy-yellow: OCHER. Most of us learned this color from a box of crayons. The Definitive History of the Colors of Crayola.

18. Seal predator: ORCA.

19. Object of a mil. search: AWOL. Absent Without Leave.

24. Siesta hrs.: AFTS.

25. Cry weakly: MEWL.

26. Beauxbatons Academy coat of arms symbol, in Harry Potter: WAND. According to Harry Potter Wiki, "the school's coat of arms consists of two golden wands crossed over one another, each shooting three stars."

27. With 28-Down, hand lotion ingredient: ALOE.

28. See 27-Down: VERA.

29. Dadaist Max: ERNST. Dadaism is an artistic movement in modern art that started around World War I. Its purpose was to ridicule the meaninglessness of the modern world. Its peak was 1916 to 1922, and it influenced surrealism, pop art, and punk rock. It favored going against the standards of society. See some of his art here.

30. Bit of a tail flip: WAG. Wag more, bark less.

34. Boxer Spinks: LEON.

35. Legato's opposite, in mus.: STAC.

36. Hand-on-the-Bible promise: OATH.

39. Vanilla containers: PODS.

40. Leave dumbstruck: AWE.

41. Drops off: EBBS.

44. Paintings on wet plaster: FRESCOS. I wonder if any were destroyed in the Notre Dame Cathedral.

 47. Salad green: LETTUCE.

49. Go very slowly: INCH. 

50. Go on foot: HOOF IT.

51. "Slow down!": EASY.

52. Rio Grande tributary: PECOS.

53. On the double: APACE.

54. 10% donation: TITHE.

57. Steady guy: BEAU.

58. Places for patches: RIPS.

60. Yoga aftereffect, perhaps: ACHE.

61. Carson predecessor: PAAR. The Tonight Show.

62. Little scurriers: ANTS.

64. Rd. efficiency stat: MPG.

65. Engine need: OIL.

Tuesday, April 16, 2019 Lee Taylor

"Bird Idioms"

Each of these idioms feature members of our avian friends.  The meaning of each idiom is well-defined by its clue.  Simple and elegant.  

20. Farewell performance: SWAN SONG.

26. Squinter's wrinkles: CROWS FEET.

44. Hidden danger: BOOBY TRAP.

56. Easy-peasy task: DUCK SOUP.

10. Keen-sighted sort: EAGLE EYE.

36. Big fat zero: GOOSE EGG.



Bonus birds in the fill:

12. Seagull kin: TERN.

56. Jackknifed into the pool, say: DOVE.   Well, when pronounced differently, it is a bird.  Dove is a heteronym:  Dove DUV- a bird; DOEV- jumped off.  

Across:

1. "The Big Bang Theory" network: CBS.    The Corner has a number of fans of this sitcom.  Sometimes seen as TBBT in clues and comments. 

4. Uncertain: IFFY.   I was a little iffy about the theme until I recognized that the theme answers were all idioms, and that tern and dove were just bonus birds.

8. Peek at someone else's test answers, say: CHEAT.   

13. River to the Caspian: URAL.

15. Where to find a hero: DELI.  I liked this clue / answer, despite it being so evident.

16. Rental document: LEASE.

Guidance offered to University of Montana students

17. Opera songs for one: SOLI.

18. Part of: IN ON.

19. Ready for action: EAGER.   Eager beaver is another animal kingdom idiom.

22. Award-winning sci-fi author __ Ellison: HARLAN.  The name is vaguely familiar.  This NY Times article provided a little insight.

23. Chess match finale: END GAME.  The point where I usually lost or conceded.

24. Summer camp craft: CANOE.

25. Neuter: DESEX.

30. Done with employment: Abbr.: RET.

32. Cathedral recess: APSE.

33. Go off course: YAW.   Aviators, sailors and seamen probably use this word more often than the rest of us.  Where's Dudley ? 

34. Lively Irish dances: JIGS.  Irish Miss won't be doing jigs anytime soon given her current foot ailment.

37. "Steppenwolf" writer Hermann: HESSE.

39. Lyre-playing emperor: NERO. 

40. "Much __ About Nothing": ADO.

41. Broadway partner of Rodgers: HART.  He later partnered with Hammerstein.

42. Reuben bread: RYE.

47. Honey-colored: AMBER.

51. Big rigs: SEMIs. 

Reader's Digest - The Most-Used Noun in English

52. Track's inside track: LANE ONE.

54. Songs of praise: PAEANS.

57. Sports stadium: ARENA.

58. Jellystone Park bear: YOGI. 


59. Actor Miller of "Justice League": EZRA.   He played "The Flash"


60. Watchful period: VIGIL.

61. Keen: AVID.

62. Sets eyes on: SEES.

63. Lawn-trimming targets: EDGES.

64. Ballpoints: PENS.

65. Banned insecticide: DDT.   The CDC's National Biomonitoring Program:  Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) Factsheet

Down:

1. Used "colorful" language: CUSSED.  Perhaps it is not a sign of a limited vocabulary.

2. "Doctor My Eyes" singer Jackson __: BROWNE.


3. Light lunches: SALADS.

4. Strong suit or weak sauce: IDIOM.  This had me going until the perps helped.  We have a bevy of idioms today. 

5. African desert fox: FENNEC.  New to me.

The smallest of all canids

6. Criticize harshly: FLOG.

7. Yang complement: YIN.

8. Purify: CLEANSE.

9. Find out about: HEAR OF.  Marvin Gaye used another idiom to tell us how he found out she loved some else.


11. Between ports: ASEA.

14. Won't go away, as an odor: LINGERS.

21. __-Coburg: former Bavarian duchy: SAXE.  The dukedom ended in 1918.   It began in 1826.

22. Mooring rope: HAWSER.   New term for me.  Spitzboov and Jinx would know.

24. Foes of robbers: COPS. 

27. Many a reggae artist: RASTA. - a member of the Rastafarian religious movement. Rastafarians have distinctive codes of behavior and dress, including the wearing of dreadlocks, the smoking of cannabis, the rejection of Western medicine, and adherence to a diet that excludes pork, shellfish, and milk.

28. Corn serving: EAR.

29. Romantic dinner complement: TWO.    Cute clue.

31. "To clarify ... ": THAT IS.    "I meant ..."

34. Quick punch: JAB.

35. Swearing-in words: I DO.

38. Drops the ball: ERRS.

39. Formidable opponents: NEMESES.

41. Church books with many notes: HYMNALS.

43. Sudden pull: YANK.

45. Small skullcap: BEANIE.

 I think he doesn't care for the one in the middle.

46. Connect to an outlet: PLUG IN.

48. Drank to excess: BOOZED.

49. Hardened (to): ENURED.

50. Dinner, say: REPAST.  late Middle English: from Old French, based on late Latin repascere, from re- (expressing intensive force) + pascere ‘to feed’.   The word was more commonly used in the 1800s.

53. Corrosive compounds: ACIDS.

54. Cover with asphalt: PAVE.

55. Like the Mojave: ARID.

58. Chatter: YAP.

Monday April 15, 2019 Paul Coulter

Theme: INNER PEACE (60. Meditation goal hinted at by this puzzle's circles) - Three peace words span across each theme entry.

 17. Ancient mariner's fear: SEA SERPENT.

 25. Chain reaction requirement: CRITICAL MASS.

 46. Nation that promotes its people's economic and social prosperity: WELFARE STATE.

Boomer here.

Tough to be calm here in Minnesota where we were blessed with about 10 inches of snow last week.  It is melting and does not affect the bowling season however golf is on hold for two or three weeks.  The Twins cleared Target Field and after one postponement they played in 40 degree weather.


Across:

1. Cuts off: LOPS.

5. Member of a strict Jewish sect: HASID.

10. Artistic Chinese dynasty: MING.  The Chinese are very good at that game - Ming Pong.

14. Ohio's Great Lake: ERIE.  Of the five great lakes, (Not counting Utah Salt) This one appears in crosswords more than any other.

15. Justice Kagan: ELENA.  Appears more often than other justices. Three vowels.

16. Egg-shaped: OVAL.

19. Flexible mineral sheet: MICA.

20. Persuade with flattery: SOFT SOAP.

21. Fossil resins: AMBERS.

23. "Beowulf," poem-wise: EPIC.

24. Rubs the wrong way?: ABRADES.  There once was a girl whose mom tied her braids so tight that when she cried, the tears ran down her back.  Her name was Bacteria.

29. Stagecoach puller: HORSE.  A horse is a horse, of course, of course, and no one can talk to a horse of course, unless of course the name of the horse is the famous Mr. Ed.

30. Allied gp. since 1948: OAS. Organization of American States.

31. Dangerous snakes: ASPS. So for all of her glamour and her whoop-tee-doo
And her house in the best neighborhood
Would you take that lousy life if it was offered to you
You can bet Cleopatra's asp, you would! (What kind of life is that - Chad Mitchell Trio)

35. Antipollution org.: EPA.

36. Hit, as a fly: SWATTED.  There were a few flies swatted at Target Field this past weekend.

40. Alphabetically first of two Hawaiian maunas: KEA. The other is LOA. Reminds me of a Korean SUV  Kia Sorento.

41. Like some coll. courses: REQ'D

43. Gp. getting many returns in April: IRS.  Supposed to be postmarked by midnight tonight, however some nice post offices will backdate it for you on Tuesday.

44. Regular's bar order, with "the": USUAL.  Mine used to be a VO Manhattan with cherry juice.  Now it is diet Pepsi.  Don't get me wrong, I was never a heavy drinker, but now the doctors told me no more alcohol with the pills I am taking.  So I donated two full bottles of gin and vodka from my booze closet to my Monday bowling banquet for door prizes, and was rewarded with a door prize of two rounds of golf on a cart at a local course, which of course I will share with my teammate and league secretary.

50. Malicious rumors: CANARDS.

53. "Do __ others ... ": UNTO. "As you would have others do unto you."

54. Judge, e.g.: HEARER. What ??

55. Like faces at a fireworks display: UPTURNED.  I never liked fireworks too much.  I was always afraid something would go wrong and I would get burned.  I am sure C.C. has stories. Although cities and groups spend a lot of money to the Chinese economy with the purchase of fireworks, many accidents happen in the factories that create them.

59. "Dream on!": AS IF.  AS IF you thought Tiger would win the Masters.  Yup, Surprised me too !

62. Wander: ROVE.  Mr. Karl Rove worked in the Whitehouse on George W 's staff.

63. Close-knit group: CADRE. This is what they called the G.I.'s who had permanent training positions at Fort Campbell. KY.

64. Fairway club: IRON.  I guess so.  I will normally take a five wood to hit a shot from 150 to 170 yards.  I notice the pros use a 7 Iron from 190.  All these years I have been using the wrong club!!

65. Didn't dillydally: SPED.

66. Act with excessive passion: EMOTE.

67. The Big Apple, in addresses: NY NY.  I usually spell it New York, NY.  It looks better.

Down:

1. Make-do amount?: LESS.  WKRP -- More music and Less Nessman

2. Two-tone cookie: OREO.  Congratulations to Nabisco!  This is the 12,365th time the cookie has appeared in a crossword.  A new world record!! ( It passed lake ERIE).

3. Chanteuse Edith: PIAF.

4. Six-line stanzas: SESTETS.

5. Brave: HEROIC.

6. Llama relative: ALPACA.  I wonder if they use these photos when they join eharmony.

7. Ooze: SEEP.

8. Quaint stopover: INN.  Just say Bodda Book, Bodda Boom!  ( I cannot stand that commercial).

9. Sortable information source: DATABASE. I wonder where people kept their notes before computers.

10. Kenya's major port: MOMBASA.

11. Like Wrigley Field's walls: IVIED.  Yup, I have been there.  Saw the Cubs take the Dodgers.  It was before the lights, about 28 years ago.  I remember there was "already been chewed" wads of Wrigley's gum stuck under my seat.  I paid a local $10.00 to park on his lawn.  I wonder what they get now.  Maybe TTP knows.  

12. Mother-of-pearl: NACRE.

13. Water or wine vessel: GLASS.  It can also hold a VO Manhattan on the rocks with cherry juice.

18. Catches sight of: ESPIES.

22. Dash in a spice rack?: MRS.  A name brand seasoning.  Maybe they should change the name to Heinz now.  There must be about 57 different kinds.

24. Amo, amas, __: AMAT.  I love, You love, she loves this clue.

25. "Moonstruck" star: CHER.  "I got you babe"

26. Weapon in Clue: ROPE.  I think it was done by Professor Plum in the Ballroom.

27. Baghdad's land: IRAQ.

28. Gobs of: LOTSA.  There's an expensive frozen pizza called Lotzza Mozza.  I save by buying Jack's and adding more mozzarella before I slide it in the oven.

32. Arctic seabird: SKUA.

33. __ moss: PEAT.  Randy had too many letters

34. Markdown event: SALE.  Pitcher Chris of the Red Sox.

37. Whole-grain food: WILD RICE.  This is a notable Minnesota crop, mostly harvested by Native Americans.  (Where did you think they got the money to build those casinos ?) It generally takes an hour or more to prepare it, but it is delicious with walleye!

38. Pound sounds: ARFS.

39. Quarrel: DUST UP.

42. Towered over: DWARFED.

45. Preserve using barrels, as wine: STORE IN.

47. Bard's "before": ERE.  "And I heard him exclaim ere he rode out of sight, 'Next year wash your socks before you hang them up !'" 

48. Buffy the Vampire Slayer's "Watcher" __ Giles: RUPERT.  Notable Quotable.

49. Main course: ENTREE. That would be the walleye.

50. Burns a bit: CHARS.

51. Legendary fabulist: AESOP.  I have never met anyone named Aesop.  I think most people think his last name was Fables.

52. Easily deceived: NAIVE.

55. "Go back" PC command: UNDO.  I checked the entire keyboard and I do not have an "undo" or a "go back" key.  (I do have a funny looking left arrow on F2).

56. __ a one: none: NARY.  Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

57. Supply-and-demand subj.: ECON.

58. Reject as false: DENY.

61. "The Deer Hunter" war zone, for short: NAM.

No more Monday bowling until September.  Several more weeks on Thursday - Then defend my title in the 700 club tournament in May.  Yeah, I was healthier a year ago but you never know.  I am in the Geezer division.  (Over 70).

Boomer

Sunday April 14, 2019 Jeffrey Wechsler

Theme: "I Candy"- A is replaced by AI in each theme entry, and short A sound becomes long A sound.

23A. Ryder Cup two-man team?: PAIR FOR THE COURSE. Par for the course.

34A. Locally organized event with rides and games?: FAIR FROM HOME. Far from home.

 

66A. Signpost signaling farmland?: PLAINS AHEAD. Plans ahead.

93A. Source of Capitol Hill water?: CONGRESS MAIN. Congressman.

112A. Overworked employee at a desert diner?: HOT RUNNING WAITER. Hot running water.

 

16D. Periodical for some Downton Abbey employees?: MAID MAGAZINE. Mad magazine.

59D. Only bucket you'll ever need?: LIFELONG PAIL. Lifelong pal.

D-Otto caught the extra short A to long A sound change. He said "Pair" sounds like "Payer". But to me and Agnes, "Pair" just sounds like "Pare".

The great Jeffrey confirmed D-Otto's observations. It is common practice for clues and titles of puzzles to be edited. Because Jeffrey thought the given title might not have touched on the full extent of his theme (suggesting only the addition of an "I"), he offered the comment placed at the end of the review.


Jeffrey is an expert in letter addition/removal/substitution themes. There's always something extra in his theme, extra layer. Or long strings of letter gimmick others would not even imagine.

The grid design is also very Jeffrey. Stacks of 8's and 7's on tops rather than our standard 4's and 5's.

Across:

1. Stationery item with printed margin lines: LEGAL PAD.

9. Arrive with a flourish: SWEEP IN.

16. Artistic dynasty: MING. Vases! Tang Dynasty is more artistic. Golden age in Chinese civilization. Greatest period of poetry, painting, woodblock printing, etc.  Its capital was in Xi'an.

20. Haydn's "The Creation," for one: ORATORIO.

21. Casual beer order: TALL ONE.

22. Suzette's gal pal: AMIE.

25. Othello deceiver: IAGO.

26. MLB info: STATS.

27. Virus' protein shell: CAPSID. Learning moment for me. Looks like teeth.

28. Moved with effort: TRUDGED.

30. Bunk array: COTS.

31. Cinque e uno: SEI.

33. Gooey treat: S'MORE.

41. Photogenic expanse: VISTA.

44. Copied, old-style: DITTOED.

45. Wilder's "__ Town": OUR.

46. Occultist symbol: PENTAGRAM. Five-pointed star.

50. Lazy ones: IDLERS. And 51. Little ones: TOTS.

52. Look too closely?: OGLE.

53. Rhyme scheme in Frost's "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening": AABA.

54. Boop frame: CEL.

55. Blunt, as reality: STARK. Not HARSH.

57. Zagreb native: CROAT.

58. Biblical mount: ZION.

59. Cad: LOUSE.

60. Pass: ENACT.

62. Don of talk radio: IMUS.

63. Choir group: ALTI.

70. Evening, in ads: NITE.

71. Kale unit: LEAF.

72. Memorial __ Kettering: NYC hospital: SLOAN.

73. Less than right?: ACUTE. Nailed it.

75. Unthreatening: TAME.

76. Sewing cases: ETUIS.

78. Brush brand: ORAL-B.

79. Rock bass supplier?: AMP.

82. "The __ that men do lives after them": Antony: EVIL.

83. Wang of fashion: VERA. Wang means "king" in Chinese. #1 surname in China. Simple to write. See?

84. Some beer orders, initially: PBRS.

86. Immature insects: LARVAE.

88. Moved: RELOCATED.

90. Okinawa okay: HAI. Same in Cantonese.

91. "Just watch me!": HERE I GO. Sparkly fill.

92. More clement: NICER.

95. Europe's longest river: VOLGA.

98. Vulcano of "Impractical Jokers": SAL. No idea. But I like the new clue angle.

100. Stare open-mouthed: GAWP.

101. Frozen treats: ICE POPS.

104. City near Mount Rainier: YAKIMA.

106. Exemplar of corporate malfeasance: ENRON.

111. Medical lab liquids: SERA.

116. Wells people: ELOI. "The Time Machine".

117. Words of desperation, perhaps: I NEED IT.

118. Metaphorical scrutiny, in modern lingo: DEEP DIVE. Thorough analysis.

119. Nursery staple: SOIL. Still lots of snow in our yard.

120. Charge for using: LEASE TO.

121. Took stock of: ASSESSED.

Down:

1. Cut: LOP.

2. Times to remember: ERAS.

3. Track pace: GAIT.

4. Big name in razors: ATRA.

5. Hit in the 7-Down: LOFT. 7. See 5-Down: AIR.

6. They know the ropes: PROS.

8. Many a late '90s startup: DOTCOM.

9. Leaves the office for a bit: STEPS OUT. VA Radiation Department has a "No Smoking in This Area" sign outside the entrance. Alas, you could still find someone smoking there before or after their session.

10. WWII females: WACS.

11. Plaza Hotel imp: ELOISE.

12. Get away from: ELUDE.

13. __ favor: POR.

14. Part of MIT: Abbr.: INST.

15. At no time, poetically: NEER.

17. Mature insect: IMAGO.

18. Neighbor of Chad: NIGER.

19. Crystal-bearing rock: GEODE.

24. One holding a derby?: HAT HOOK. Great clue/fill.

29. Open org.: USTA.

30. Fish-and-chips fish: COD. Boomer now eats fish every Friday and goes to church every Sunday. He's a good Catholic now, after lapsing for many many years.

32. "No need to shout": I'VE GOT EARS. Not a phrase I use. I'll answer this to Boomer next time.

34. Banking org. since 1933: FDIC.

35. One might run an errand: AIDE.

36. "__ take a while": IT'LL.

37. GPS datum: RTE.

38. "Too little payment __ great a debt": Shak.: FOR SO.

39. Relax between games: REST UP.

40. Union title?: MRS.

42. Visiting the Griffith Observatory, say: IN LA.

43. Editor's mark: STET.

46. Place for a rocker: PORCH.

47. Spider-Man films director: RAIMI (Sam). I thought he was married to Kate Winslet before. Nope. It's Sam Mendes, who directed the "Skyfall" and "Spectre".

48. In the area of: ABOUT.

49. Cleric's residence: MANSE.

51. They work on books: TREASURERS.

56. How to talk to the hand?: Abbr.: ASL.

57. "The Godfather" actor: CAAN (James). Hotheaded Sonny Corleone

60. Genesis grandson: ENOS.

61. Clandestine org.: NSA.

63. Transmogrify, e.g.: ALTER.

64. Get going: LEAVE.

65. Sri Lankan people: TAMIL.

67. Homeric epic: ILIAD.

68. 2010 health law: Abbr.: ACA.

69. Airport serving Washington: DULLES.

74. Ski resort helpers: T BARS.

76. Pre-hurricane emergency op: EVAC.

77. Footballer's tool, in France: TETE.

78. Literally, "folding paper": ORIGAMI.

79. Sports shoe brand: AVIA.

80. Star trek figures?: MAGI. Lovely clue.

81. Low-level laborer: PEON.

84. Saigon soup: PHO. They were inspired by Cantonese rice noodles. No basil latter though. We tend to sprinkle sliced green onion or cilantro on top of noodles.

Vietnamese Pho

Cantonese Beef Noodle

85. Ram: BANG INTO.

87. Sleep stage: REM.

89. "See you later!": CIAO.

91. Old-school "cool": HEP.

93. Artist Monet: CLAUDE.

94. Its capital is Kigali: RWANDA. Thankfully KIGALI is not the answer.

95. Carpentry shop gadgets: VISES.

96. Kitchen sponge brand: OCELO.

97. The king of France?: LE ROI.

99. Old-time actor Lew: AYRES.

102. February forecaster from Punxsutawney: PHIL.

103. Sound measure: SONE.

105. Make woolens, say: KNIT. And 106. They're woolly: EWES.

107. Travel pillow spot: NAPE.

108. Clears (of): RIDS.

109. Redding of blues: OTIS.

110. "Party of Five" actress Campbell: NEVE.

113. In-flight drink option: TEA.

114. Some appliances: GES.

115. Like most of Denmark's flag: RED.

C.C.

Note from Jeffrey:

"I’ve become particularly alert to this type of situation ever since Jeff Chen reviewed a NYT puzzle by me and thought the theme gimmick was rather weak. Upon learning that the theme was a bit more complex than he originally thought (it also involved the consistent pairing of one letter with another added letter), he edited his comments to be much more positive about the theme. My Sunday puzzle’s gimmick is comparable to that of the NYT puzzle, so it is susceptible to precisely the same partial interpretation. Of course, this may seem like (and probably is, to most people) a rather small matter. But we crossword constructors are an unusual bunch, and such niceties are part and parcel of our attempts at creativity" 

Jeffrey and Mike Alpern, ACPT, 3/23/2019