Sunday, December 4, 2016 Garry Morse

(Sunday puzzle is now in the Comics section in L.A. Times.)

Theme:  "Hold the Tomato" -  T is changed into BL in each theme entry.

23A. Warning technologically unavailable in Titanic times? : BLIP OF THE ICEBERG. Tip of the iceberg.

31A. Passionate maintenance of one's Cuisinart? : BLENDER LOVING CARE. Tender loving care.

56A. Forgetting how to stay up? : FLOTATION BLANK. Flotation tank is a new word to me. Looks like a spa device.

67A. Feline snitch? : BLABBY CAT. Tabby cat.

77A. Junkyard guards? : BLIGHT SECURITY. Tight security.

101A. Haul in à la the Big Bad Wolf, as a wrecked vehicle? : BLOW BACK TO THE SHOP. Tow back to the shop.

113A. Where a chant of "Well done, blokes!" might start? : ENGLISH BLEACHERS. English teachers.

Reveal entry:

116. Sandwich that hints at this puzzle's theme : BLT

I forgot to look at the title when I downloaded the puzzle. Big "Aha!" when I came to the reveal. So unexpected. 

   

Out of the seven theme entries, five have the first word changed, two have the last word changed. Three multi-word entries, four two-word answer. Nice mix. No odd man out.

Six of the seven entries are quite long, so Garry had a total of 103 theme squares to deal with. 94/95 remains my magic number.

Across:

1. Like some felonies : CLASS B. Google says "A Class B felony is a category of felony that applies to crimes that are severe yet not the most serious of crimes." I got via crosses.

7. Get whipped : LOSE

11. "The Nutcracker" garb : TUTU

15. Missile with a flight : DART. 9. '80s missile prog. : SDI (Strategic Defense Initiative). Missile clue echo.

19. Rep's bad news : NO SALE

20. Vegas bigwig : ODDS MAKER

22. Asian nurse : AMAH. Most of Amahs in Hong Kong are from Philippines.

25. Second start : NANO. Nanosecond.

26. Half-__: coffee order : CAF

27. Island band The __ Men : BAHA . The annoying "Who Let the Dogs Out".

28. Plastic __ Band : ONO

29. Helps keep track : REMINDS

35. "This fortress built by Nature for __": Shakespeare : HERSELF. Got via crosses.

39. Suspicious of : ONTO

40. It merged with SAG in 2012 : AFTRA. OK, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.

41. Kind of TV personality : ON AIR

42. Pitney's partner : BOWES. This stumped me last time.

44. Prince __ Khan : ALY

45. Prince Buster music genre : SKA. I thought it might be EMO.

48. Tetra- doubled : OCTA

49. One who doesn't get out : LIFER

50. At age 88, Betty White was its oldest host, briefly : SNL

51. Jah worshipers : RASTAs. Jah is Rasta's God. Hallelujah.

54. Fired by a waiter? : FLAMBE. Lovely clue.

59. University of San Marcos city : LIMA. Drew a blank. Wiki said it was established on May 12, 1551. Pretty old.

61. Form 1040 fig. : AGI

62. NASA, for one : ACRONYM

63. Out at the station : ALIBI

71. "Shucks" : AW GEE

72. Second Amendment word : MILITIA. Got via crosses.

74. __ Tomé : SAO

75. Migratory herring : SHAD. Hmm, pickled herrings.

81. Rhinos and hippos : BEASTS

86. Ducks : ELUDES

87. Hunk's pride : BOD . We also have 76. Six-pack you can't drink : ABs. And  92. Recently stolen : HOT. This model is 79 years old. Hottest grandpa in China.

88. Sharpens : WHETS

90. Six-time Hugo winner Frederik : POHL. What a creative brain.

91. __ sleep : REM

93. Link up with : TIE TO

94. Hooded snake : COBRA

95. Butter-yielding bean : CACAO. So many beans in one kernel.

98. Micro- ending : COSM

99. Finishes : WRAPS UP

106. Leeds lot : CAR PARK

107. Letters in an arrest records database : AKA

108. En __: in the lead, in French : TETE. Makes sense.

109. Early Beatle Sutcliffe : STU

112. Within: Pref. : ENTO

118. China neighbor : LAOS. Like Chinese, Lao does not have S plural form. No article "the". No tense conjugation. Life is much simpler there.

119. Kitchen whistler : TEA KETTLE

120. Just as planned : TO A TEE

121. Specks on a screen : LINT. Not computer screen.

122. Schumann quartet: Abbr. : SYMS. Alright, symphonies. Gluey fill.

123. This, in Toledo : ESTO

124. Text __ : EDITOR. NotePad is one. And 97. Marks for a 124-Across : CARETS. ^

 Down:

1. "Power Lunch" airer : CNBC

2. Kinks title woman with "a dark brown voice" : LOLA

3. Like : AS IF

4. Patsy : SAP

5. Kiss like a dog, perhaps : SLOBBER. Fun word.

6. Happen to : BEFALL

7. Actress Lindsay : LOHAN

8. Neruda's "__ to Wine" : ODE

10. Lines of squad cars, maybe : ESCORTS

11. Simply not done : TABOO

12. Lute family member : UKE

13. Evoke screams from : TERRIFY. What's the most terrifying movie you've watched? To me, it's "Deliverance".

14. Pressing : URGENT

15. Patrick on a track : DANICA

16. Introducer of the first side-by-side refrigerator : AMANA

17. Dr.'s orders : R AND R

18. "God helps __ ... " : THOSE

21. __ Park: Edison lab site : MENLO 

24. '60s-'70s crime drama : THE FBI. Was it good?

30. Dugout VIP : MGR (Manager)

32. Carpentry pin : DOWEL

33. Warm Argentina month : ENERO 

34. "My Eyes Adored You" singer : VALLI

35. Place for a shoe : HOOF. Horse shoe.

36. Like many cks. : ENCL. I did not know "cks" stands for "checks".

37. Pro __ : RATA

38. Site of the "Shall We Dance?" dance : SIAM

43. Butcher's waste : OFFAL

44. Marx Brothers staple : ANTIC

45. Ford muscle car, to devotees : STANG

46. West of Atlanta : KANYE. He was born in Atlanta. 

47. "If you __ ... " : ASK ME

49. Floral neckwear : LEI

50. Like saltimbocca, flavorwise : SAGY.  Wiki says saltimbocca is "a dish (popular in southern Switzerland, Italy, Spain and Greece) made of veal lined or topped with prosciutto and sage or basil; marinated in wine, oil or saltwater depending on the region or one's own taste. This dish is also occasionally topped with capers depending on individual taste."

51. GOP org. : RNC

52. Rub the wrong way? : ABRADE

53. Deliberate : SLOW

55. Carefree : BLITHE

57. Drum played with a fife : TABOR

58. Promise : OATH

60. Yale School of Management degs. : MBAs

63. Brew hue : AMBER

64. City in northern France : LILLE. De Gaulle's birthplace.

65. Pelvic bone : ILIUM. I sure don't know my bones.

66. Cowboys' home, familiarly : BIG D

68. Foppish accessory : ASCOT

69. Data transfer unit : BAUD

70. To this point : AS YET

73. "__ so you!" : IT'S

78. Tablet download : E-BOOK

79. "If only" : I WISH

80. Central idea : THEME. All Sunday LAT puzzles have a theme. 

82. Informal pricing words : A POP

83. They may be choked back : SOBS

84. Word on a fast food sign : THRU

85. Waves-against-dock sound : SLAP

89. Bunting relative : TOWHEE. Hello!

92. London taxi : HACKNEY

93. As you like it : TO TASTE

94. New England tourist mecca : CAPE COD

95. Grape-Nuts creator : C. W. POST. Learning moment for me. 

96. Lawyer's org. : ABA

98. Journalist Roberts : COKIE

100. What some spits do : ROTATE

101. Bone marrow lymphocyte : B CELL. Not  T CELL.

102. Polynesian porch : LANAI. Beautiful.

103. "Entertaining Mr. Sloane" playwright : ORTON (Joe)

104. Negotiations : TALKS

105. Fifth cen. pope called "The Great" : ST LEO

109. Paving stone : SETT. Our old pal is back. 

110. Palm Pre predecessor : TREO

111. Password creator : USER

114. Pinup's leg : GAM. You guys get plenty on Saturdays.

115. Stats in NBA bios : HTS (Heights)

117. Yokohama yes : HAI. Cantonese "Yes" also.

C.C.