Theme: "Change of Address" - Each theme entry is an anagram of an US city and its state.
23A. Message about nearly a dozen U.S. sailors being flown overseas? (Pa.): ALL TEN NOW IN NAVY PLANES. Allentown, Pennsylvania.
35A. Annoyed Mayberry aunt gets an old Toyota at a raffle? (Wis.): ANGRY BEE WINS SCION. Green Bay, Wisconsin.
57A. Boast about Japanese animation? (Me.): BRAG ON ANIME. Bangor, Maine.
64A. Emanation from an aging rural miner? (Co.): OLD RUBE COAL ODOR. Boulder, Colorado.
75A. Lunch treats from Clinton's veep? (Or.): MEALS ON GORE. Salem, Oregon.
93A. Black Friday headline? (Md.): RETAIL MOB RAN MADLY. Baltimore, Maryland
110A. Muslim ascetics drain Sahara pipeline contents? (Ca.): FAKIRS BLEED AFRICAN OIL. Bakersfield, California.
We've seen a few city anagram themes. Never with its state. This necessitates very long theme entries, including two spanners.
I'm just in awe of Greg's creativity. All theme entries make fun surface sense. And the fill is solid with a few fresh entries.
Across:
1. Run-down area: SLUM. Slums are not allowed in China.
5. Fire starter: SPARK.
10. Defunct Ford div.: MERC.
14. Like some bulls: PAPAL.
19. Bigger than big: HUGE.
20. Enjoy slowly, as a drink: SIP ON. I like sipping on a cup of hot ginger/date tea in cold days.
21. "I __ busted!": AM SO. And 36. Untrue: NOT SO.
22. Come to light: ARISE.
27. Not talkative: QUIET.
28. Receive inside info: GET A TIP.
29. Tired comment: I'M BEAT.
30. One terminus of Chicago's Blue Line: O'HARE.
33. Soccer goose egg: NIL. Tiny clue/answer dupe 78. Holiday song sextet: GEESE.
34. Cunning plan: PLOY.
41. Delaware's capital?: DEE. Delaware.
44. Disheveled: TOUSLED.
45. At least one: ANY. And 71. All: EVERY BIT.
46. Landlord's reminder: LATE RENT. Debut fill.
48. Tanning time on the Riviera: ETE.
49. Babe's counterpart: HUNK.
51. "Follow me!": C'MON.
53. State definitively: AVER.
54. Constitution letters: USS. USS Constitution.
55. White selection, briefly: CHARD. Chardonnay.
60. Not requiring stamps: POSTPAID. Do you have Informed Delivery in your area? We do.
62. Hopefully, what's left for dessert?: ROOM. Sweet.
63. "Funny thing is ... ": ODDLY.
68. Pitcher part: SPOUT.
70. Absence: LACK.
79. Brooding genre: EMO.
80. Ornate molding: OGEE.
81. Sources of bow wood: YEWS.
82. Author Caleb: CARR. He wrote "The Alienist".
83. Five-O alert: APB.
84. Tied: DEAD EVEN. Another debut.
87. Goof: ERR.
88. Myrtle whose oil is a folk remedy for skin conditions: TEA TREE. I'm allergic to this oil somehow.
92. South end?: ERN. Southern.
97. Overnight retreats: INNS.
98. Simba, at the start of "The Lion King": CUB.
99. Primrose family plant: OXLIP.
100. Ready to breed: AT STUD.
103. Moonlighter's work: SIDE JOB.
106. Tokyo shopping district: GINZA. Never been there. Shanghai is my favorite shopping place.
114. Flawed: AMISS.
115. Cap'n's underling: BOSN.
116. "Free your pores!" skincare brand: BIORE. Known for their pore strips.
117. Ignore, with "out": TUNE.
118. Tighten, as laces: RE-TIE.
119. Jazz club sessions: SETS.
120. Prefix for a Dow foam: STYRO.
121. Not quite never: ONCE.
Down:
1. 1990s-2000s Laker star, familiarly: SHAQ.
2. Humdinger: LULU.
3. Not-cute fruit: UGLI.
4. Geminids sights: METEORS.
5. 3-2-4 ID: SSN. When you make an appointment in VA hospital or clinic, you need to tell them your "last four".
6. Wrestler's coup: PIN.
7. Orbital high point: APOGEE.
8. "Deadliest Catch" narrator Mike: ROWE.
9. Work with needles: KNIT.
10. Six-legged prayer?: MANTIS. Praying mantis.
11. Addresses with "@": EMAILS.
12. Brief invite answer?: RSVP.
13. Artfully shy: COY.
14. Treo maker, before it shortened its name: PALM ONE. Learning moment for me.
15. Sheikdom of song: ARABY.
16. Air freshener scent: PINE.
17. On the briny: ASEA.
18. For fear that: LEST.
24. Kind of alcohol: ETHYL.
25. Kid raiser, in two ways: NANNY. Why "in two ways"?
26. Cockpit worker: PILOT.
31. Prez on a five: ABE.
32. Prince Harry's locks, e.g.: RED HAIR.
34. Holder of keys: PIANO. Great clue.
35. Devoured: ATE UP.
37. "C'mon, take a __": GUESS.
38. Security checkpoint device: WAND.
39. Well filler: INK.
40. Shoe or its dance: CLOG.
41. Hot sauce bottle image: DEVIL. Not familiar with this sauce. Any of you familiar with Brazilian fish stew?
42. Good guy, to a bad guy: ENEMY.
43. French 101 verb: ETRE.
47. Stopped flowing: RAN DRY.
50. Pakistani tongue: URDU.
51. Swindler: CROOK.
52. What may be baby's first word: MAMA. Universal. Also 62. Parents: REARS.
55. Fair grade: C PLUS.
56. Couldn't avoid it: HAD TO.
57. Italian lawn game: BOCCE.
58. Lymph __: NODES.
59. Love to bits: ADORE.
61. Motored (along): TOOLED.
65. Leave, slangily: BLOW.
66. Inappropriate look: LEER. This and OGLE both have grid-friendly letters, unfortunately.
67. Demand too much of: OVERTAX.
68. Silver Bullet Band rocker: SEGER (Bob). Never heard of the band.
69. Joyous song: PAEAN.
72. A new one may itch: BEARD.
73. Push forward: IMPEL.
74. Actor Maguire: TOBEY.
75. Style: MODE.
76. Nikita's negatives: NYETS.
77. Rowlands of "The Notebook": GENA. Great movie.
78. Worn things: GARB.
82. __-Magnon: CRO.
85. Hosp. drama role: ER NURSE.
So grateful to the ER doc who correctly diagnosed Boomer's bone cancer.
The Twin Cities Orthopedics, and the two different doctors in our local
VA clinics all said Boomer's back pain was arthritis. I guess their
X-rays couldn't show the cancer cells or the T 11 fracture.
86. Sells: VENDS.
87. Add to a website, as a video: EMBED.
89. Bigger copy: Abbr.: ENL.
90. Guadalajara gal pal: AMIGA.
91. Draw upon: TAP INTO.
94. Most aloof: ICIEST.
95. Cough drops brand: LUDEN'S. Never had wild cherries. You?
96. Scotch cocktail: ROB ROY.
97. "Just me," formally: IT IS I.
100. Quite a distance: AFAR.
101. Hardly a threat: TAME. The wild turkeys at Springbrook Nature Center are very tame.
102. "SNL" staple: SKIT.
103. Wild plum: SLOE.
104. Sparring punches: JABS.
105. "Never heard __": OF IT.
107. Car, truck or bike: NOUN. Always fun to clue NOUN or VERB.
108. #30 on the periodic table: ZINC.
109. Toward shelter: ALEE.
111. Small ammo: BBS.
112. Like deeply discounted mdse.: IRR.
113. Leader with perks: CEO.
Thank you for the birthday wishes for Boomer. You guys are the best! The kids he coaches
every week and their teachers gave Boomer a super sweet card and healing
angel last Tuesday. I'm so proud that he only missed two practices with the kids this year, both because we had a long day at the VA for various tests.
Boomer also got his back brace. It's like this. Made of hard plastic. Bulky and restrictive. Boomer calls it his "cage".
Boomer also got his back brace. It's like this. Made of hard plastic. Bulky and restrictive. Boomer calls it his "cage".
C.C.
