Thursday, January 12th 2017 C.C. Burnikel

Theme: C.C. and E's Letter addition to the four theme entries to create a new phrase.

17A. Miss America runner-up? : SILVER BELLE. The Silver Bell is a pretty tree from the south-east USA. "Silver Bells" is the movie, and doesn't work with the letter addition.

36A. Passage for the birds? : AVIAN FLUE.  Avian flu usually is not transmitted to humans, the virus needs to go through a number of mutations before it becomes a threat.

42A. Little Jack Horner's dream? : LIFE OF PIE. "Life of Pi" was a wonderful book, I didn't see the movie, I couldn't imagine how it could match up to the text.

62A. Emulating the writing style of "The Quiet American"? : GOING GREENE. Kermit's favorite environmental initiative; Graham Greene wrote some of my favorite books.

Here comes C.C. with a letter-addition theme. Simple idea, but the theme entries are fun and it's not easy to find a set of these which don't make you groan. There's a couple of her "trademark" long downs and some solid blocks throughout which make the fill flow. Let's see what else jumps out:

Across:

1. Buccaneers' home : TAMPA. The Bucs haven't exactly lit up the NFL since they won the Superbowl in 2002. They last topped their division in 2007.

6. Silly bird : GOOSE

11. Revolting word? : ICK!

14. Plane read : E-BOOK. I take real books along, but I do have some e-books on my iPad as a backup.

15. Large grouping : ARRAY

16. Pen user : CON. Convict. Penitentiary. I had to stare this one down before the lightbulb clicked on. Very nice.

19. Part of a royal flush : ACE. TEN at the other end of the flush, so wait for a cross.

20. Anastasia __, "Fifty Shades of Grey" character : STEELE. When this book first went viral, it was amazing to see how many people (women!) were reading a book with the front cover removed on the plane.

21. Emergency signal : SOS

22. Frosted flakes : SNOW

23. Called up : RANG

25. "Unsafe at Any Speed" author : NADER

27. Put in order : SORT

30. Fab alternative : ERA. Detergents. Would the FAB ERA be the 1960's?

32. Special Forces trademarks : BERETS. There are Green Berets in both the US and British armies. The British wearers are commandos. The Red Beret is usually worn by airborne forces.

35. Legendary horse tale setting : TROY. The Y was my last fill in the puzzle. I couldn't see past TRON for absolutely no good reason. Sanity prevailed. Those dastardly Greeks, hiding in plain horse.

38. Gold, in Granada : ORO

39. "My bad" : SO SORRY

41. Wartime prez : ABE. The civil war. Sneaky, I was expecting FDR or HST.

44. Proofreading mark : STET. The dots indicate what needs to stay after first being DELE'd

45. Overwhelm : ENGULF

46. Biological building block : DNA

48. Flight-related prefix : AERO-. Cue -Run DMC featuring -smith.

49. Emerged : AROSE

51. Carrier that doesn't fly on the Sabbath : EL AL

53. Order with tzatziki sauce : GYRO. Food! I was getting hungry. I love gyros. The Mad Greek truck stop in Baker on the I-15 between Las Vegas and Barstow has one of the best I've eaten.

55. Some Samsung TVs : HDS

57. "Yay, me!" : I DID IT! Crossword-solvers' cry everywhere.

61. Fishing __ : ROD

64. Weaken, perhaps : AGE

65. Jack's links rival : ARNIE. Nicklaus and Palmer. Along with Gary Player and agent Mark McCormack, they were instrumental in developing the commercial success of the sport.

66. Start a correction process : ERASE.

67. Secret competitor : BAN. Deodorants this time.

68. Bounded : LEAPT

69. Ice cream purchases : PINTS. Way down my list of what I'd be buying in pints.

Down:

1. Hardy heroine : TESS. Cracking read. Here's the Vale of Blackmore where the novel is set.

2. Minimally : A BIT

3. Lawn disruption : MOLE. I went with MOSS first as I had MO__ . That didn't work out so well.

4. "The parent of revolution and crime": Aristotle : POVERTY. I wasn't familiar with this assertion, but it makes perfect sense.

5. Cub Scout leader : AKELA. I was a Cub Scout way back when. "Akela, we will do our best". The significance of the all the "dybbing" and "dobbing" went straight over my head until I went to look it up two minutes ago. Now I find that we were text-speaking in 1965. DYB - Do Your Best. DOB - Do Our Best. Who knew?

6. Yak : GAB

7. Miner matters : ORES

8. DuPont acrylic : ORLON

9. Mexican buffet feature : SALSA BAR. I went to a very different salsa bar when I was in Hong Kong - a great bar in Lan Kwai Fong where the music was all Latin ballroom. There were some great dancers among the customers. I was not one of them, but that did not deter me. It was July 4th, and there was drink taken, in my defense.

10. Contact's spot : EYE

11. "Tell me about it" : I CAN RELATE

12. Nickname for late-night host O'Brien : COCO. New to me. Giving Ms. Chanel the day off cluing duty.

13. Didn't just think : KNEW

18. Russo of "The Intern" : RENE

22. Feudal grunt : SERF. Low man on the totem pole in Medieval England.

24. Comprehend : GRASP

26. Shoot down : DENY. As rumors.

27. Ripped off : STOLE

28. Longtime Utah senator Hatch : ORRIN

29. Area for urban growth : ROOF GARDEN. Nice.

31. Get around : AVOID

33. Potato, e.g. : TUBER. If you go green, you'll be growing these in your roof garden.

34. Look after : SEE TO

37. Goddess of peace : IRENE. I need to file this away for future recall. I must have seen this before but it was crosses all the way for me today.

39. Red cup brand : SOLO. Those ubiquitous party cups.

40. Like some oil rigs : OFFSHORE

43. Mark's successor : EURO. German (and Austrian) currency.

44. "Amadeus" narrator : SALIERI

47. Eccentric Sacha Baron Cohen persona : ALI G. This was his original alter ego, and his best as he was completely unknown at the time.

50. Twin Cities suburb that hosted the 2008 U.S. Women's Open : EDINA. In C.C's neighborhood.

52. Madison Ave. agent : AD REP

53. Snatch : GRAB

54. Discipline with poses : YOGA

56. Cut : SNIP

58. Big man on campus : DEAN

59. Caltech, e.g.: Abbr. : INST.

60. Golf tournament souvenirs : TEES. Tees like this?

or like these?

62. Country miss : GAL. She may belong to FarmersOnly.com, a website which I was convinced was a hoax when it first started airing ads.

63. Comprehend : GET. Got it!

And I think I've run out of runway, so that's it from me. Here's the grid!

Steve

Wednesday, January 11, 2017, Robert E. Lee Morris

Theme: METAPHORICAL MOOLAH

Robert has taken some euphemisms for money (many of which we see in our puzzles) and suggested them as payment for services rendered in units associated with the trade mentioned in the cluing. 

Robert's pinwheel construction and theme fill is shown below:

Husker Gary here, let's review the theme answers Robert chose for this fun Humpday offering:

16. Newspaper reporter's compensation? : DAILY BREAD - Also redeemable at Pannera's?

38. Chiropractor's compensation? : BACK PAY - Does she get her money UPFRONT for working on a BACK?

61. Comedian's compensation? : FUNNY MONEY - One way to detect it

10. Landscaper's compensation? : HEDGE FUNDS - Clearly the coin of their realm

27. Domino's delivery driver's compensation? : PIZZA DOUGH - My idea for Christmas cash for the grandkids  this year!

Across

1. Bowling alley button : RESET - Before they were needed

                         

6. European cheese town : EDAM

10. Puddle jumper trip : HOP

13. Wedding figure : USHER

14. ChapStick container : TUBE

15. Fix up : REDO

18. Big star : IDOL

19. "I'm with ya" : YUP

20. Threatening words : OR ELSE

21. Farming prefix : AGRO

22. "Wheel of Fortune" buy : AN E - He had all his E's but look at what he guessed

23. Smooth, as transitions : SEAMLESS

25. Wise : SAPIENT - S A _ I E N T - "How 'bout an L Pat!"  "Sorry, Gary. There is no L."

29. DOJ bureau : ATF

30. Dry as dust : ARID

31. Speaker's spot : DAIS

34. Get out of bed : ROUSE - I had to ROUST a lot of teenagers out of bed on field trips to Orlando when they couldn't ROUSE themselves.

37. "__ who?" : SEZ

40. N.L. player whose home games include a President's Race : NAT - Between innings entertainment at Washington NATional's games

41. Brownish-green : HAZEL - Many here will realize the irony of the fact that Shirley Booth had HAZEL colored eyes

43. Greenish-blue : TEAL

44. Some prosecutors: Abbr. : ADAS - Law and Order had some attractive ones!

45. "Selma" director DuVernay : AVA - Ms. Gardner's day off

46. Drops in : STOPS BY

48. Medical emergency alert : CODE BLUE - A Japanese TV show

53. Baby fox : KIT

54. Soon, to a bard : ANON

55. Kibbutz setting : ISRAEL

57. Actress Thurman : UMA - My favorite memory of UMA. The guy's she's dancing with did pretty well too.

60. Cooling meas. : BTU'S

63. Bass' red triangle, e.g. : LOGO

64. Moran of "Happy Days" : ERIN

65. Flared dress : A-LINE

66. New Testament bk. : EPH - Ephesians

67. German battleship Graf __ : SPEE - Named for WWI hero Admiral Maximilian Reichsgraf von SPEE

68. Connection point : NEXUS


Down

1. Former NYC mayor Giuliani : RUDY - "America's mayor" after 9/11

2. Seesaw sitter of tongue twisters : ESAU - I saw ESAU sittin' on a see saw...

3. Send in a box : SHIP

4. Sushi selection : EEL - Ungai (Japanese for EEL) sushi

5. "Taste this" : TRY ONE

6. French I verb : ETRE

7. Stereotypical dawn challenges : DUELS - Burr and Hamilton DUELED at 7:00 am on July, 11 1804. Uh, Hamilton was the runner-up.

8. Take down a peg : ABASE

9. Scorned lover of Jason : MEDEA

11. Aromas : ODORS - Certain ODORS on a farm would never be called Aromas

12. Shirts named for a sport : POLOS

15. Theater district : RIALTO - Venice's fabulous RIALTO Bridge leads to the city's RIALTO  District 

17. Lee who was the top-charting female soloist of the '60s : BRENDA - I love BRENDA'S music so much I'll forgive her for Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree

22. Helping hand : AID

24. Painter Cassatt : MARY

25. Over-the-shoulder band : SASH

26. Square statistic : AREA

28. Diplomatic skill : TACT

32. '50s prez : IKE

33. Health resorts : SPAS

35. Swedish automaker : SAAB

36. Internet crafts marketplace : ETSY

38. Spill the beans : BLAB

39. PC feature only used in combinations : ALT KEY - Used to get ¡ ™ £ ¢ ∞ § ¶ • å ∫ ç ∂ ´ ƒ ©...

42. "All the same ... " : EVEN SO

44. Fitting : APT

47. TV's J.R. Ewing, e.g. : OIL MAN - The man America loved to hate!

48. Part of CNN : CABLE

49. Winning : ON TOP

50. "__ Been Good": Joe Walsh hit : LIFE'S

51. Take over : USURP - "What do I put on top of my grits?"

52. Bath-loving Muppet : ERNIE

56. Novelist Rice : ANNE

57. Windows alternative : UNIX

58. Drop-down list : MENU - A Drop-down MENU and HTML codes on the template I look at every morning to write my posts

59. Yes votes : AYES

62. Chihuahua cheer : OLE

And now I look forward to your "on the money" comments:

Tuesday, January 10, 2017 Janice Luttrell

Theme: Three letter scramble - Janice OPTed to Stir the POT, not Spin the TOP.

17A. Dice roller's exhortation: COME TO PAPA

40A. Actor with near-synonymous first and last names: RIP TORN

11D. Pretty darn simple: IDIOT PROOF

25D. Toaster snack: POP TART

29D. Verses by Allen Ginsberg, e.g.: BEAT POETRY

61A. Cause trouble ... and a hint to this puzzle's circled letters: STIR THE POT

Argyle here. Puzzle has both 90- and 180-degree crossword symmetry. I'm not sure what that means; I just cut and paste what they tell me. Not having circles shouldn't have been much of a detriment to the solve.

Across:

1. Doofus: DOLT

5. Dodge Aries and Plymouth Reliant: K-CARS. Trivia - First Chrysler car to be produced in the metric system with metric screw threads and components.

10. Smack on the mouth: KISS

14. Letter-shaped support piece: I-BAR. The real deal, 46D. Steel girders: I-BEAMS

15. "For real!": "NO LIE!"

16. Pop singer Brickell: EDIE. Easy listening.

19. Scrabble piece: TILE

20. TV preview: TEASER

21. Taken as a whole: ALL TOLD

23. Satchel feature: STRAP

26. Margarita glass rim coating: SALT. Where is my lost shaker of salt?

27. Curved sword: SABER and CW sword of choice, 57D. Weapon with a tip guard: EPEE

30. Application info: Abbr.: DOB. (date of birth)

32. Pool measure: DEPTH

35. What soccer shootouts resolve: TIES

36. Peaceful state: REPOSE

38. P-like Greek letter: RHO

39. Actress Thurman: UMA

41. Museum hanging: OIL

42. Amount after costs: NET

43. Suitcase attachments: ID TAGS

44. Yuletide: NOEL

45. Not so hot?: TEPID

47. __ Lanka: SRI. Was there a bridge to Sri Lanka? Link

48. Swollen: PUFFY

49. Upper, in Ulm: OBER. Ulm is a German city on the River Danube.

51. Male voice range: TENOR

53. "Toodle-oo!": "CHEERIO!"

56. Evaluate for tax purposes: ASSESS

60. Wee bit: IOTA

64. Time in office: TERM

65. Emulate Vesuvius: ERUPT

66. Scarlet letter of fiction: RED 'A'

67. Slow Churned ice cream brand: EDY'S

68. Hagar of Van Halen: SAMMY. Funny video.

69. Wine bottle number: YEAR

Down:

1. Random House vol.: DICTionary

2. Woodwind instrument: OBOE

3. Dalai __: LAMA

4. Locks on heads: TRESSES

5. Soup mix brand: KNORR

6. "Blue Bloods" extra: COP. Tom Selleck as Frank Reagan, New York City Police Commissioner.

7. Pie-mode connection: À LA

8. TV host Kelly: RIPA. With hubby.

9. Applies weatherstripping to: SEALS

10. Stovetop whistler: KETTLE

12. Housecat's perch: SILL

13. Watermelon eater's discard: SEED

18. Four: Pref.: TETR. From the Greek word for four.

22. Saddled (with): LADEN

24. People with skill: ADEPTS

27. Publicity ploy: STUNT

28. Evangelist __ Semple McPherson: AIMEE. Maybe this clip will help me remember her but I doubt it.

31. Shake it on the dance floor: BOOGIE

33. Burglar: THIEF

34. "Deck the Halls" greenery: HOLLY

36. Free (of): RID

37. Yearbook gp.: SRs. (seniors)

40. One on horseback: RIDER

44. Room with a crib: NURSERY

48. Luxurious: POSH

50. Greets the judge: RISES

52. Well-dressed: NATTY

53. Mention in a footnote: CITE

54. Broke up some clods: HOED

55. Senorita's "other": OTRA

58. Scotch go-with: SODA. Ironic; a manhattan singing about a scotch

59. Walk of Fame figure: STAR

62. Periodic table suffix: IUM. lol, where'd that come from? I didn't see it when solving.

63. Turntable no.: RPM. (revolutions per minute)

Argyle

Monday, January 9, 2017 Gail Grabowski and Bruce Venzke

Theme: Limited-time retail offer - Save some moola maybe.

38A. Big sale, where you can find the starts of 18-, 23-, 49- and 60-Across: SHOPPER'S DELIGHT

18A. "Just handle the problem!": DEAL WITH IT

23A. Upstage one's co-stars: STEAL A SCENE

49A. Employ stalling tactics: BUY SOME TIME

60A. Take into account: BARGAIN FOR

Argyle here with GG&BV. Not much to say (except brrr). A nice grid-spanning reveal.

Across:

1. Rides for hire: CABs

5. Rapids transports: RAFTs

10. Toothed tonsorial tool: COMB. Fun alliteration.

14. Treaty partner: ALLY

15. Open courtyards: ATRIA

16. "So that's what you mean": "I SEE"

17. Shakespearean king: LEAR

20. Jam session jammer: MUSICIAN

22. Signs of sadness: TEARS

26. Tavern brew: ALE

27. Some motorcycles and pianos: YAMAHAs. Logo History.

32. Lawn-wrecking pests: MOLEs

36. Sewn edge: HEM

37. __ president: VICE

42. Mongolian desert: GOBI

43. No-frills sleeper: COT

44. Fire pit particles: ASHES

45. '70s-'80s band with a steering wheel on their debut album cover: THE CARS

47. Google success: HIT

55. Pro on camera: ACTOR

59. Like some rays outside the visible spectrum: INFRARED

63. Fill fully: SATE

64. Qatari ruler: EMIR

65. British unit of length: METRE

66. Hall of Famer Musial: STAN.(baseball)

67. Relaxed gait: LOPE

68. Old West search party: POSSE. "Head 'em off at the pass!"

69. Narrow-bodied swimmers: EELs

Down:

1. Brings peace to: CALMS

2. Native Alaskan: ALEUT

3. Having a been-there-done-that attitude: BLASÉ

4. War-torn country since 2011: SYRIA

5. Goodyear offering: RADIAL

6. "Relax, soldier": "AT EASE"

7. Pre-euro Metz money: FRANC

8. Up to, in ads: TIL. Limited-time offer. But if you call in the nexzt five ....

9. Got a look at: SAW

10. Use as a reference: CITE

11. Workplace standards org.: OSHA. (Occupational Safety and Health Administration)

12. Israel's Golda: MEIR

13. Puts money (on): BETS

19. To-do list entry: ITEM

21. Envelope fastener: CLASP

24. Looked at closely: EYED

25. Birth certificate datum: NAME

28. "We Try Harder" car rental chain: AVIS

29. Air conditioner setting: HIGH. My air conditioner setting is in the closet.

30. Suffer from overexertion: ACHE

31. Goes below the horizon: SETS. The latest sunrise is for the next few days.

32. Senior NCO: MSGT. (master sergeant)

33. "Oops!": "OH-OH!"

34. Place for an earring: LOBE

35. Grand-scale poem: EPIC

36. Pres. between FDR and DDE: HST. Franklin Delano Roosevelt / Harry S. Truman / Dwight David Eisenhower

39. Sandy shade: ECRU. Slight misdirection.

40. Flushed, as cheeks: ROSY

41. Down the road: LATER

46. Magician's syllables: ABRA. "Abracadabra!"

47. Pays tribute to: HONORS

48. "My schedule is wide open": "I'M FREE"

50. Works with flour: SIFTS

51. Cup for café or thé: TASSE. Le thé is French for tea. Tasse à café - coffee cup / Tasse à thé - teacup

52. Blowing one's top: IRATE

53. Lead or zinc: METAL

54. Blissful regions: EDENS

55. Cain's victim: ABEL

56. Commando garb: CAMO. (Camouflage)

57. Stumble: TRIP

58. Kiddie lit monster: OGRE

61. Mischief-maker: IMP

62. Modernist's prefix: NEO

Argyle

Sunday, January 8, 2017 Paul Coulter

Theme:  "Dine Out" - Parse the title as as "D in E out".  E is replaced by D in each theme entry.  The changes all happen with the last letter of a key word,

23A. Basis for evaluating an archaeology dig? : EARNINGS PER SHARD. Earnings per share.

35A. Warning to Bo Peep that her sheep are really hiding nearby? : HERD'S LOOKING AT YOU, KID. Here's looking at your, kid. But it's grammatically correct to say "Herd are looking at you", right?

58A. "When leaving the beach, hose off your feet before putting on your shoes"? : SAND ADVICE. Sane advice is not a familiar phrase to me.

68A. Must choose among less volatile investment options? : HAVE A BOND TO PICK. Have a bone to pick.

81A. Infant dressed for rain? : BABY BOOTED. I would not know how to clue it. Baby bootee.

100A. Have a good day birding? : FIND FEATHERED FRIENDS. Fine- feathered friends.

 

119A. Paragraph in a lemon law? : DUD PROCESS CLAUSE. Due process clause.

What a great title!

There are some stray E's in the theme answers. It's impossible to replace all of them, given that E is the most frequently used letter in English.

Paul's approach is quite consistent. No first letter or middle letter E to D change. 

 

Across:

1. Get hot online : GO VIRAL. Surprised that Paul crossed it with GOER (1. Attendee).

 

8. Slithery squeezer : BOA

11. San Francisco/Oakland separator : BAY

14. Signature Southern vegetable : OKRA. Constructors love Vowel??Vowel combo.

18. Treeless tract : OPEN AREA

20. High esteem : RESPECT

22. Motley : PIED. Never used this word other than Pied Piper

25. "Goodness gracious!" : EGAD

26. "Wide Sargasso Sea" author Jean : RHYS. Wiki says "The novel is written as a prequel and response to Charlotte Brontë's noted novel Jane Eyre".

27. Chain founded by Ingvar Kamprad : IKEA

28. 2016 A.L. Manager of the Year Francona, familiarly : TITO. Known for ending Red Sox's 86-year drought. We also have ARM (105. Pitcher's pride).

29. Heartthrob : FLAME

30. Medicare segment : PART A

32. As to : IN RE

34. Called the shots : LED

44. "The Sage of Concord" : EMERSON

45. Romeo or Juliet : TEEN. Thought of  ROLE first.

46. South of France : MIDI. Why is South of France called "Le Midi"?

47. Holds firmly : RIVETS

48. Dilates : WIDENS

50. Times for vespers : EVES. I forgot the meaning of "vespers". Could only picture the Bond Girl Vesper.

54. Knock for a loop : STUN. Tiny dupe with 113. Stunned accusation : ET TU

55. Schleps : TOTES

62. Jiffs : SECs

64. Slip cover : DRESS

66. Yorkshire river : OUSE. We also have 126. River to the Fulda : EDER

67. Bygone bird : MOA. Locally known as Mall of America. I went to Zara the second day it opened.

73. Bossy remark? : MOO. Great clue.

76. Wine center NNE of Monaco : ASTI

77. Flaw-spotting aid : LOUPE

78. Canterbury's county : KENT

85. Bas-relief medium : GESSO. Learned from doing crosswords.

87. Dashed : TORE

89. Cavaradossi's "Recondita armonia," for one : ARIA. Of the five words in the clue, I know two.

90. Cooper's creations : STAVES

92. Green need : PUTTER. Golf green.

94. Bring in : REAP

98. Where Java may be found : ASIA

99. Before : EARLIER

106. Meh : DRAB

107. Breaks : RIFTS

108. Nursing a sprain, perhaps : GIMPY. Not a word I use.

110. "Good going!" : NICE

 

114. Come together : KNIT

118. Fever with chills : AGUE

123. Needle holder : PINE. You wanted ETUI, didn't you?

124. Espionage asset : STEALTH. Great word. Consonant-rich.

125. More frothy : YEASTIER

127. It's used for some trips : LSD

128. WWII venue : ETO (European Theater of Operations)

129. __ step: deceptive hoops tactic : STUTTER. Learning moment for me.

 

Down:

2. Moonfish : OPAH

3. Darned : VERY

4. Quaint stopovers : INNs

5. Italian counterpart of the BBC : RAI. Stands for Radiotelevisione Italiana. We had this last year. 

6. Prince Valiant's son : ARN

7. Shackle : LEG IRON

8. Onetime California oil town : BREA

9. "__ the fields we go" : O'ER

10. Kind of prof. : ASST

11. Marching orders? : BEAT IT. Great fill/clue.

12. Radar or laser : ACRONYM. Did not know laser is an acronym.

13. Accountant's initialism : YTD

14. European automaker that was originally a sewing machine company : OPEL. Interesting trivia.

15. Rwanda's capital : KIGALI. Got via crosses.

16. Didn't just criticize : REAMED

17. Put on : ADDED

19. Invite for : ASK TO

21. Honor society leader? : PHI. Oh,  Phi Beta Kappa.

24. Reach a high : PEAK

29. Clan clash : FEUD

30. "Hey ... over here!" : PSST

31. "__ good name is ne'er retriev'd": John Gay : A LOST. Also got via crosses.

33. King of France : ROI

35. "His," to Bierce : HERS. We had this clue a while ago.

36. Gives off : EMITS

37. Variety show : REVUE

38. Soak : DRENCH

39. "Yea, verily" : IT IS SO

 

40. Outlaw Kelly : NED

41. Thug's thousands : GEES

42. "The King and I" role : ANNA

43. City on the Dnieper : KIEV

48. Winning Super Bowl III coach Ewbank : WEEB. I tried to use him in a puzzle once.

49. Busybodies : SNOOPS

51. Get-up-and-go : VIM

52. "Foucault's Pendulum" author : ECO

53. Yellow __ : SEA. Between China and South Korea. We call it Huang Hai, literally "Yellow Sea". Hai = Sea. But in Cantonese, Hai means "Yes", same as Japanese.

56. Start of a tribute : ODE TO

57. Pride and prejudice : TRAITS. Got via crosses.

59. Fools : DUPES

60. Faulkner's "__ Lay Dying" : AS I

61. Card collection : DECK. Not baseball cards.

63. Car from Trollhättan : SAAB

65. NBC show since 1975 : SNL

69. After-dinner drink letters : VSO

70. Literary fold : DOG EAR. So simple in retrospect.

71. Third of seven: Abbr. : TUES

72. "Fine" holder of fish? : KETTLE. Fun clue.

73. Wharton deg. : MBA

74. Crew member : OAR

75. Kimono closer : OBI. Kimono is so pricey. Lots of girls just wear Yukata. It has OBI also. 

79. Away from the office : NOT IN

80. In a tough spot : TREED

82. It's a long story : YARN. No SAGA today.

83. South Dakota, to Pierre : ETAT. Good old clue.

84. Pizzazz : DASH

86. Eyeball-bending work : OP ART

88. Drops the ball : ERRS

91. Go (for) : VIE

93. 1999 "A God in Ruins" novelist : URIS. Not familiar with the book.

95. Go around in circles? : EDDY. Another great clue.

96. It's south of Eur. : AFR

97. Small change : PEANUTS

99. Gushes : EFFUSES

100. Standoffish : FRIGID. The "Standoffish" weather here in Minnesota makes me feel tough. Very Fargo-like.

101. Protected, as from prosecution : IMMUNE

102. Put up with : ABIDED. The Hotmail/Outlook rehaul last year is driving me nuts, TTP. They create double space every time I press Enter.  Read here. The glitch has been on for over three years, thought I only encountered this since the rehaul. I'm not sure this happens to every user. I did not notice this problem with Argyle's emails. It's also incredibly slow. I've been using Gmail more and more.

103. Art Deco artist : ERTE

104. Scatterbrained : DITSY

105. Slack-jawed : AGAPE

109. House of Lords member : PEER

111. Balancing pro : CPA. Are you a CPA, D-Otto?

112. Agatha contemporary : ERLE

113. Bounce back : ECHO

114. Nicky of "Boston Public" : KATT. Stranger to me.

115. Jour's opposite : NUIT. Day and night.

116. "Got it" : I SEE

117. Amer. Samoa, e.g. : TERR

119. ISP alternative : DSL. No. ISP offers DSL service.

120. Polo Grounds legend : OTT (Mel).

121. Be-bopper : CAT

122. The Tigers of the SEC : LSU

So what keyboard are you using? We're going to buy a new one soon and I'd like to know your suggestion. Thanks.

Happy Birthday to Patti Varol, Rich's assistant and editor for the Crossword Club. Patti taught me by example on how to make clean puzzles. I'm so grateful for her unfailing patience and attention to details.

C.C.

PS: To those who get the wrong grid today, please click here for the correct puzzle. On the top right, you should see Print or Download button. If you still have trouble, please email me crosswordc@gmail.com, I'll email me the grid. (I've removed the puzzle link. Email me if you need the grid.)