Theme: "Let's Party"- LET is inserted into each theme answer.
22A. Tale about the making of a quilt? : COVERLET STORY. Cover story.
38A. Low-priced entrée item? : BUDGET CUTLET. Budget cut.
56A. Sign of embarrassment? : SCARLET FACE. Scarface.
82A. Sale on ornamental bands? : ARMLETS DEAL. Arms deal. Same insertion approach as 15D. So no odd man out in Gail's set.
97A. Shopper comparing iPad prices? : TABLET HUNTER. Tab Hunter.
119A. Oldest in a delivery line? : SENIOR TRIPLET. Senior trip.
15D. Wine bar tip containers? : GOBLETS OF MONEY. Gobs of money.
51D. Bargain mall in the Sahara? : OUTLET OF AFRICA. Out of Africa.
I
like when added LETs are not the diminutive suffixes, i.e, the new
*LET words are not rooted in the old words, so Gail's theme choices
work very well.
Across:
1. Indian in "The Big Bang Theory" : RAJ. The Simpsons Indian guy is APU.
4. Durable do : PERM
8. "That's the spot!" : AHH
11. Shape seen at some crossings : OCTAGON
18. Mil. mailroom : APO
19. First aid plant : ALOE
20. Nice friend : AMIE. I have no AMIE in Nice.
21. 1953 Biblical epic : THE ROBE. Never saw it.
25. Fuel storage unit : COAL BIN
26. Group mailing aid : E-LIST. Not a term I use.
27. User shortcuts : HOT KEYS. Keyboard shortcut. Like Ctrl + P for Print.
29. Russian city on the Oka : OREL. Never heard of the city, or the Oka River.
30. Ennui, with "the" : BLAHS
31. Political satirist Stewart : JON. Do you like John Oliver also? That's the funniest clip I've seen in a long time. You'll forgive I'm Too Sexy.
32. "Didn't mean to do that!" : OOPS
34. Faith group : SECT
37. Hollandaise ingredient : YOLK
43. __:CON: Weather Channel twister probability index : TOR. I had to google. It stands for Tornado Condition.
44. They're sometimes written by guests : OP-EDs
46. Río de la Plata country: Abbr. : URU. Uruguay.
47. Identical : SAME
48. Respond to a tort, perhaps : SUE
49. Not in time : TOO LATE
52. Class-conscious one, briefly? : PROF. Great clue.
53. Bleeping overseers : CENSORS
55. __ Dhabi : ABU
60. Searches carefully : SIFTS
61. Glassmaking ingredient : POTASH
63. Alarmed cries : EEKS
64. Court tactic : LOB. Tennis court.
65. Disease-stricken tree : ELM
66. Fly off the shelves : SELL
67. Yoga posture : ASANA
69. Dummies : DODOS. Not our sweet Dodo.
71. Caracas crackers? : LOCO. Just "crazy" in Spanish.
74. Org. concerned with CFCs : EPA
76. Sky god after whom a weekday is named : TIU. Tyr in Norse myth.
77. Radius, e.g. : BONE
78. Webpage button under a bill : PAY NOW
80. Gets in the game : ANTES
85. "The Book of __": 2010 film : ELI
86. "Star Trek" diagnostic tool : BIO-SCAN
88. Three-part snack : OREO. And 81D. Nabisco snack brand : NILLA
89. Altar attendant : ACOLYTE
91. E.T. from Melmac : ALF
92. Retro sign word : OLDE
94. Co. involved in arrangements : FTD. Flower arrangements.
95. Rugged ridge : ARETE
96. Infamous 1974 bank-robbing gp. : SLA
100. Pieces of 8? : ARCS. Oh, in number 8, there are a few ARCS.
104. Sword handle : HAFT
106. Distance swimmer Diana : NYAD
107. Brit. lexicon : OED
108. Flat substitute : SPARE. Tire.
109. Pool accessory : RACK
111. Fake it, in a way : LIP SYNC
115. __ Sound : PUGET
116. "Let me repeat ..." : AS I SAID
122. Swiss tourist city : LUCERNE. Have you been here, Marti/Steve?
123. "Chocolat" actress : OLIN (Lena)
124. Parting words? : OBIT
125. Galoot : APE
126. Fit to be tied : IN A RAGE
127. Target in some sports : NET
128. Carry on : WAGE. As war.
129. TV's "Science Guy" : NYE (Bill)
Down:
1. Zoom past : RACE BY
2. Theater near Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard : APOLLO
3. Merry : JOVIAL
4. What a junker might be good for : PARTS
5. Angular shape : ELL
6. Shad output : ROE. With
grits, as we learned last week.
7. Means : METHODS
8. One way to run : AMOK
9. Addition to the staff : HIRE
10. "Psst!" : HEY YOU
11. Available without a scrip : OTC
12. Hand-waving kid's cry : CHOOSE ME
13. Rip : TEAR
14. Van Gogh inspiration : ARLES. I see his bedroom every day.
16. It's a cinch in Sapporo : OBI
17. Former Giants pitcher Robb : NEN. This often stump non-sports fans. He's in the 300 save club. Total 314 career saves.
20. Case worker: Abbr. : ATT. ADA too. We also have 35D. Place for a case : COURT
23. '60s Israeli prime minister : ESHKOL (Levi). Never heard of the guy.
24. Hit, say : SONG
28. They're often blitzed : SOTS
31. Herod's kingdom : JUDEA
33. Control group handout : PLACEBO
36. Hair piece : TRESS
38. "You __!" : BETCHA. So Minnesotan.
39. California's motto : EUREKA
40. Easy gaits : TROTS
41. Place for a link : CUFF
42. Jittery : TENSE
45. "I'd rather not" : PASS
49. Pub array : TAPS
50. English horn kin : OBOE
52. Full legislative assembly : PLENUM. New word to me. Dictionary says it's rooted in Latin "Plenus", meaning "full". Opposite of "Vacuum".
54. Nonsensical : SILLY
57. Put on again : RE-AIR
58. "The Tempest" king : ALONSO
59. Hard to crack : CODED.
Not for Snowden. I'm worried about what Russian intelligence agency
does to him. The 31-Across Right Said Fred song applies to Putin as
well.
62. French high spots : ALPES
68. One way to fly : STAND BY
69. College URL ending : DOT EDU
70. Orthodontic device : SPACER
72. Maker of the Commando rifle : COLT
73. Toddler's boo-boo : OWIE
75. Race site for more than 300 years : ASCOT
77. Sea bed? : BERTH. Another great clue.
79. Bunches : A LOT
80. Shame : ABASH
83. Artist's rental : LOFT
84. Like sea lions : EARED
87. "Matzo Balls for Breakfast" author : ALAN KING. Never had Matzo balls. You?
90. Jump to one's feet : LEAP UP
93. Israir alternative : EL AL
95. Suffered humiliation : ATE CROW. What many of you wanted on Thursday.
98. National Inventors' Day is observed on his birthday : EDISON. Neat trivia.
99. It's prohibited : NO NO
101. Sleeve type seen in sportswear : RAGLAN. OK, can you show me a picture?
102. Spine-tingling : CREEPY
103. Parlor piece : SETTEE
105. It's a stunner : TASER
108. Ill will : SPITE
110. "Flashdance... What a Feeling" singer : CARA
112. Athlete dubbed "O Rei do Futebol" : PELE. "The King of Football".
113. Pique : SNIT
114. Taoist force : YIN
116. Poetic pugilist : ALI
117. It may be blocked by a screen : SUN
118. Bad ending? : DEE
120. Sched. uncertainty : TBA
121. Drilling equipment : RIG
Happy Birthday to Barry G, the Cal Ripken, Jr. of our blog. Barry test-solved my very first solo puzzle and has been patiently giving me solid feedback over the years. Thank you so much, Barry! Longevity noodles from your in-laws today or going out to celebrate?
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| Barry, his wife & son (Joshua) |
C.C.
