Thursday December 6th 2018 Ed Sessa

Theme: The In and Out Club - the four theme entries club together as follows:

17A. Heist that really puts a burglar on the map?: BREAKOUT BREAK IN

25A. Retro renege?: BACK IN BACK OUT

42A Unexpected visit from a hippie?: DROPOUT DROP IN

56A. Scene-stealing understudy?: STAND-IN STANDOUT

Very nice theme from Mr. Sessa. I like the variations in the one-word, two-word or hyphenated entries; it's not something you'll notice if you just fill in the grid, but when you write the solution out it adds another element.

I think my favorite was the stand-in standout, but they're all pretty cool. Nice job!

My theme title comes from the home of the Naval and Military Club on London's Piccadilly which acquired the nickname "The In and Out Club" for reasons which are obvious when you see the gateposts:

Let's see what else we've got to tickle one's fancy:

Across:

1. Free-speech inhibitor: GAG LAW

7. Rep.'s opponent: DEM. Dem democrats vs. dem Republicans.

10. Southwest art colony: TAOS. A pretty little town in New Mexico.

14. From the beginning: AFRESH

15. Blood type letters: ABO. Not a blood type itself, but the classification system.

16. Palindromic French pronoun: ELLE

20. Seeded: SOWN

21. Corrida cheer: OLÉ!

22. Cable network that airs vintage sitcoms: TV LAND

23. Place for rest and exercise: SPA

24. AFL partner: CIO. AFL-CIO, the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Nations.

32. "Me too": SO DO I. Tried "AS AM I" first, and was punished for my impatience.

33. Word with goal or detail: ORIENTED

35. Remote power sources: AAA'S. Clever. Batteries for remote controls.

36. Bucks: MOOLA

38. Top of le corps: TÊTE. Some more French for a diversion. The top of your body is your head. Is "haut" too unknown for the entire clue to be in French?

39. Purplish reds: CRIMSONS

41. Oil __: BARON. I had to wait a little while for some crosses before this one became apparent.

45. Two for dinner?: ENS. Two letter "n"s in DINNER.

46. Made a getaway: RAN

47. Performer with a record 21 Oscar nominations: STREEP. She won Best Actress for Sophie's Choice and Iron Lady, and Best Supporting Actress for Kramer vs. Kramer. I find the last one a little odd, wasn't she the lead in the movie with Dustin Hoffman? I guess not.

51. ESPN broadcaster Shriver: PAM. Tennis great and a good broadcaster to boot.

52. Energy units: ERGS

59. Sushi seaweed: NORI. I know it well. I buy in packs of 200 sheets, I use quite a lot of it!

60. Trauma ctrs.: ER'S

61. Delicate: DAINTY

62. Did 90, say: SPED

63. Took a load off: SAT

64. Relaxed: AT EASE

Down:

1. Speaks freely: GABS

2. Spherical hairdo: AFRO. I guess it is spherical, never really thought of it like that.

3. Went up a size: GREW

4. Low-fat: LEAN

5. Say "pretty please," say: ASK

6. Actress Goldberg: WHOOPI

7. Oasis fruit: DATE

8. Weaken: EBB

9. Wednesday's mom: MORTICIA. Characters from The Addams Family

10. Blue-green hue: TEAL

11. __-Seltzer: ALKA

12. Lena of "Alias": OLIN. She was a successful theater actress in her native Sweden before launching her film career.

13. Really excite: SEND

18. __ Bator: ULAN. A friend of mine from school joined the British intelligence service; she quit when she found out that her first posting was going to be to Ulan Bator. Mongolia didn't match her aspirations.

19. Call to mind: EVOKE

23. Master moguls: SKI. I never mastered the bumps, but I did ski. I lost count of the number of times I smacked myself in the chin with my knee skiing moguls.

24. Fenway great Yastrzemski: CARL

25. Corporate body: BOARD

26. Red who put out fires: ADAIR. Along with his partner "Boots" Hansen, he became known to me in 1977 when his team were brought in to deal with an oil rig blowout in the North Sea oilfields which had been spewing oil for seven straight days.

27. Jerry's neighbor: COSMO

28. Help for a child at a parade: BOOST

29. Like some bar offerings: ON TAP

30. Development sites: UTERI

31. Grand __ National Park: TETON

32. __ bunt: productive MLB out: SAC

34. Mink lair: DEN

36. Marshmallow-filled treats: MOON PIES

37. Burden: ONUS

40. Clip: SPEED

41. "__ appétit!": BON

43. "Shoot!": DRAT

44. Wyndham-owned chain: RAMADA. It's amazing the consolidation of hotel chains now. Hilton and Starwood seem to have most of the hotel world covered.

47. Taxpayer IDs: SSN'S

48. Firebird roof option: T-TOP. They don't make 'em anymore. The feathered paint job amused me when I first moved here.

49. More than pink: RARE. Food! I went to a restaurant in Manhattan recently which serves only one entrée - Steak Frites. There's only one cut of steak, and you can have it rare, medium, medium-well or well. You can't get medium rare. I went for medium, it was excellent.

50. City near Vance Air Force Base: ENID

51. Hissed attention-getter: PSST!

52. Pop singer Brickell: EDIE

53. "Mazes and Monsters" novelist Jaffe: RONA. Crosses filled this in for me. I didn't even notice the entry until now.

54. Inner workings: GUTS

55. Lid problem: STYE

57. FDR agency: NRA. The National Recovery Administration.

58. __ King Cole: NAT. A little late for a music link, so I'll save it for next time.

With that, here's the grid!

Steve

Note from C.C.:

Happy 81st birthday to dear Lucina, who's been with our blog since Feb 2010.  Lucina travels to CA once a year. Not sure if she met with our Californian Coven there this year.

Left to Right: Chickie, JD, Garlic Gal and Lucina.

June 3, 2015 

Wednesday, December 5, 2018, Mark McClain

There’ll be a hot time in the old town tonight!

One word in each of the theme answers is Hot! Hot! Hot!

17-Across. Get increasingly steamed: DO A SLOW BURN.

26-Across. Provocative social media tactic: FLAME TROLLING.  I am not familiar with this expression, but it makes sense.  Fortunately, we don't get much this on this blog.

44-Across. Battlefield order: FIRE WHEN READY!

59-Across. Striking white stripe between a horse's eyes: FACIAL BLAZE.

Across:

1. Insurance submission: CLAIM.  I had to file a claim when my 150+ year-old live oak tree decided it didn't want to be a live oak tree anymore.  The tree fell on my carport, which, fortunately, was strong enough so that my cars weren't crushed.

6. Spars on the briny: MASTS.

11. Spanish I verb: AMO.  Today's Spanish grammar lesson.

14. Vital body vessel: AORTA.

15. Choristers who are usually women: ALTOS.

16. Young bloke: LAD.

19. "Diary of a Wimpy __": Jeff Kinney book series: KID.  The book was first published in 2007, so it was too late for my childhood reading.

20. Home of the NHL's Blues: ST. L.  St. Louis is the home of the Blues hockey team.

21. Scrape off: ABRADE.

22. Radio hobbyists: HAMS.

23. Rickie Fowler's org.: PGA.  Apparently Rick Fowler (b. Dec. 13, 1988) is a golfer.

24. One way to travel: RAIL.  Because Train wouldn't fit in the spaces provided.

32. Old Italian bread?: LIRE.  Currency of Italy before the Euro.

34. Jai __: ALAI.  A crossword staple.

35. Forearm-related: ULNAR.

36. Wee hr.: ONE A.M.  Also the name of a 1916 Charlie Chaplin film.

38. Approves: OKs.

39. Disciple's query: IS IT I?  One of the disciple's asked Jesus this question.

40. "Am not!" retort: ARE SO!  Am too! also fits, but the word "am" is already used in the clue.

41. Spa treatment: PEEL.  I wanted a Pedi(cure).

43. Bullet __: list highlight: ITEM.

47. __ Mode, designer voiced by Brad Bird in "Incredibles 2": EDNA.  I never saw this movie.  I had seem this image, however.

48. Strive: VIE.  Could also be clued as Fights (for), which we saw in yesterday's puzzle.

49. Skinny: INFO.  I initially tried Thin.

51. Sleeping bag closer: ZIPPER.  Camping is not my thing.  We did a lot of camping in my childhood, however.

55. Getting stuff done, initially: TCB.  As in the phrase: Taking Care of Business.

58. "Who, me?": MOI?  Today's French lesson.

61. From A to Z: ALL.

62. Venue with skyboxes: ARENA.

63. Expected: USUAL.

64. Animation frame: CEL.

65. Venomous snake: ADDER.  Also known as a viper.

66. Hindu spiritual writing: SUTRA.

Down:

1. Despicable dudes: CADS.

2. Ransack: LOOT.

3. Depleted sea: ARAL.  The ARAL Sea is becoming a crossword staple.  It is considered an endorheic lake, meaning that it has no outlet to the oceans.  It also used to be the 4th largest lake in the world.

4. "__ Quiet Uptown": "Hamilton" song: IT'S.  I have tickets to see Hamilton in March 2019.

5. Spanish dessert wine: MALAGA.

6. Bryn __ College: MAWR. This college is still an all-female institution of higher education.

7. Goya's "Duchess of __": ALBA.

The last Duchess of Alba was quite a character.  She held over 40 hereditary titles and was very wealthy.  She was widowed twice.  Her third husband t'was 24 years her junior.  She died in 2014 at age 88. Goya's Duchess of Alba was probably a character, too.

Oh, you wanted these more famous Goya portraits of the Duchess:

8. It may be ear-piercing: STUD.  Think of an earring.

9. Bullfight figure: TORERO.  More of today's Spanish lesson.  The Torero is on the left.

10. ID gradually being omitted from Medicare cards: SSN.  As in the Social Security Number.

11. Water's capability to neutralize acid: ALKALINITY.

12. Injure badly: MAIM.

13. Track ratios: ODDS.

18. President who appointed two women to the Supreme Court: OBAMA.  President Obama (b. 1961) nominated Sonia Sotomayor (b. 1954) to replace Associate Justice David Souter (b. 1939); and and Elena Kagan (b. 1960) to replace retiring Associate Justice John Paul Stevens (b. 1920).

22. Sledding spot: HILLSIDE.

23. "Yes, fine by me": PLEASE DO!

25. Pierre's "his": A LUI.  More of today's French lesson

26. Second cup at a diner, e.g.: FREE REFILL.

27. Unite on the sly: ELOPE.  Fresh new clue for tying the knot without all the fanfare.

28. Spoken for: TAKEN.

29. Stairway element: RISER.

30. Statistician Silver: NATE.  Nathaniel Read Silver (b. 1978) is the founder of the FiveThirtyEight blog, which gives statistics on a number of subjects including politics and sports.

31. Dire: GRIM.

32. Bakery unit: LOAF.

33. Cross inscription: INRI.  Today's Latin lesson.  This is an abbreviation for the Latin phrase: Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum, which is translated as Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.

37. Like harvested hay: MOWN.  I wanted something that would evoke the smell of freshly harvested hay.

42. Video game stage: LEVEL.

45. Black ice, e.g.: HAZARD.  It can, indeed, be very dangerous.

46. Boeing rival: AIRBUS.  Apparently the two companies have a rivalry going on.

49. All-in-one Apple: iMAC.

50. Florida State player, familiarly: 'NOLE.  As in the Florida State Seminoles.

52. Secured, as a win: ICED.  Sorry, Tin!

53. Source of cones: PINE.

54. Early late-night TV host: PAAR.  As in Jack Harold Paar (May 1, 1918 ~ Jan. 27, 2004).

55. Lacking slack: TAUT.

56. Business magnate: CZAR.

57. Olympics coach Karolyi: BÉLA.  Béla Károlyi (b. 1942) is best known for being the coach to gymnast Nadia Comăneci (b. 1961) and Mary Lou Retton (b. 1968).

59. Tower authority: Abbr.: FAA.  As in the Federal Aviation Administration, which has jurisdiction over the airport towers.

60. The SEC's Tigers: LSU.  As in Louisiana State University.  Whenever LSU plays Auburn, another SEC team, the Tigers are guaranteed to win.*  LSU is the only collage university in the United States to have a live tiger living on campus.  You may be able observe Mike the Tiger on the University's TigerCam.  The cam isn't always functioning, though.

I hope none of you got "burned" on this puzzle!

 * Both LSU and Auburn have Tigers as their mascot.

Tuesday, December 4, 2018 Agnes Davidson & C.C. Burnikel

Humerus Homophones

16. Hesitation from Sylvester?: CAT'S PAUSE. Sylvester the cat.  "Sufferin' succotash!"  Cats Paws.

20. Accomplishment by Porky?: PIG'S FEAT. Porky Pig.  Pigs Feet.

37. Affirmative from Tony?: TIGER'S AYE.  Tony the Tiger. “They're grrrrrreat!”   Tiger's Eye.

59. Story from Remy?: RAT'S TALE.  Remy the rat.  Rats Tail.   Remy was the star of the Disney Pixar animated film Ratatouille.

63. Water source for Simba?: LION'S MAIN. Simba the lion.  Lion's Mane.


    If my count is correct, this is the  18th  LA Times crossword puzzle by this duo !     “They're grrrrrreat!”



Across:

1. Fights (for): VIES.

5. "Whip It" rock band: DEVO.  "When a problem comes along, you must whip it."

9. __-slapper: funny joke: KNEE.    A guy saves a frog from a forest fire. The frog turns out to be a magical frog, and is very grateful to the man for having saved its life. So the frog offers to grant him three wishes. The man says, “Great. So I want: 1. Lifelong access to any cinema, 2. I want to be 10 years younger and 3. I want a highway that goes straight from here to Hawaii. “I’m happy to help you but the third wish is really difficult. You'll have to wish for something else instead of that third wish,” says the frog. “OK,” agrees the man reluctantly, “in that case I’d like to finally understand women.” - The frog looks at him for a while: “And should the highway be a three-lane or a four-lane one?”!

13. On the road: AWAY.

14. Biblical paradise: EDEN.

15. Dr. Hahn on "Grey's Anatomy": ERICA. Dr. Erica Hahn at FANDOM

18. Center of activity: LOCUS.
   Merriam-Webster Definition # 1
       a : the place where something is situated or occurs
       b : a center of activity, attention, or concentration

19. Fireplace receptacle: ASH CAN.

22. Former Fox TV series set in Newport Beach: THE O.C.    Originally aired 2003-2006.    "A slick hit about a troubled L.A. teen taken in by an idealistic lawyer and his family in affluent Orange County. The series filled the youth-soap hole left by the departed '90210,' but quickly proved itself far more gritty---and witty. In addition, early plots set up an appealing balance between the kids and grown-ups, who were portrayed as real people with real problems, instead of sounding boards for the unblemished Romeos and Juliets." - Rotten Tomatoes. 

23. Curly cabbage: KALE.

24. Minor flap: TO DO.   I started w/ Tiff

25. Ringing organ, at times: EAR.  Tinnitus - Understanding the Facts

26. Detergent brand: ERA. 

28. '60s hallucinogen: LSD.

 16 Interesting Facts About LSD

30. Pierre's negative: NON.

31. Near-failing mark: DEE.

33. Reach its destination, as a trip: END.

35. Slim candle: TAPER.

40. Royal crown: TIARA.

42. Slim fish: EEL.

43. Tech sch. near Albany, N.Y.: RPI.  Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.   The first civil engineering degrees in the United States were granted by the school in 1835.  CSO to Spitzboov and Irish Miss !

46. Win, place or show: BET.

47. Seasonal shelf sitter: ELF.   The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition

49. __ moment's notice: AT A.

51. Curved shape: ARC.

53. "Frozen" sister: ELSA.  And 68A. "Frozen" reindeer: SVEN.

55. Charged particles: IONS.

57. One of Crayola's hundreds: COLOR.  120 current colors.  50 have been retired through the years.

61. Greek goddess of wisdom: ATHENA. "She's just a girl, she's a bomb"



62. "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" musical: EVITA.

65. Fainthearted: TIMID.

66. Fairy tale heavy: OGRE.

67. Out of the wind: ALEE.

69. "That was close!": WHEW.

70. Scottish monster's loch: NESS.

Down:

1. Obey an eviction notice: VACATE.

2. "He scammed me!": I WAS HAD.

3. Neon diner sign: EAT HERE.  OK, this is a billboard rather than a neon sign...

Buc-ee's Advertising

4. Food service giant: SYSCO.  Headquartered in Houston, Sysco is the global leader in distributing food products to restaurants, healthcare, and educational, and hospitality locations.

5. College faculty head: DEAN.

6. End of a professor's URL: EDU.

7. Italian scooter: VESPA.  Mike Wolfe of American Pickers tends to go gaga and to extremes when he finds one.


8. Playwright Eugene: O'NEILL.

9. Emmy winner Steve of "60 Minutes": KROFT.
      9-time Emmy Award winner including a Lifetime Achievement Emmy in 2003
      3-time Peabody Award winner

10. "Good shot!": NICE ONE.

11. Quito's country: ECUADOR.  Quick !  What's their currency ?

12. Crayola Factory's Pennsylvania home: EASTON.  Now known as The Crayola Experience

Crayola.com

15. Trains over the street: ELS.   NYC's EL lines are alphabet coded.  Chicago's EL lines are color coded, and reflecting the difference, you might hear Chicago commuters riders singing NO L in December.

17. Running rate: PACE.

21. Unified whole, in psychology: GESTALT.  "...the whole of anything is greater than its parts."

23. Film title "Citizen": KANE.

27. Trappings of royalty: REGALIA.

29. One of a calendar septet: DAY.

32. Incoming flight info: ETA.

34. "The Chronic" rapper, familiarly: DRE.   Dr. Dre, formally.  DRE is short for Digital Rectal Examination.

36. Each: PER.

38. Rage: IRE.

39. Red and Yellow: SEAS.

40. Israeli port on the Mediterranean: TEL AVIV.

lonely planet - Tel Aviv

41. "The hour has arrived": IT'S TIME.

44. Brewpub draft: PALE ALE.

45. Unexpected turns of events: IRONIES.

46. Special Forces headgear: BERETS.

48. Abide by: FOLLOW.

50. Plays a part: ACTS.

52. Construction site sights: CRANES.


54. "The Lord of the Rings" actor Sean: ASTIN.

56. Horse's mouthful?: NEIGH.

58. "Not again!": OH MAN.

60. Smidgen: TAD.

61. From the top: ANEW.

64. Portland's st.: ORE.

Monday December 3, 2018 Kurt Krauss

Theme: Vowel Movement - A, E, I, O, U between B and GG.

17. Passenger train's suitcase carrier: BAGGAGE CAR.

 

25. Turned down an invitation: BEGGED OFF.

36. Guy acting more maturely: BIGGER MAN.

50. Cross between a Boston terrier or boxer and a beagle: BOGGLE DOG.

60. Carriage outings: BUGGY RIDES.

Boomer here.  

A sad weekend as we say goodbye to our 41st president George H.W. Bush. Although my politics has been directed by John Kennedy and later by Hubert Humphrey, I can honestly say I respected President Bush. At a young age he entered military service and flew 58 combat missions in WWII.  I respected and approved of Operation Desert Storm and I felt the U.S. used the right amount of military muscle to eliminate the aggression caused by the invasion of Kuwait. Thank you for your service, Mr. Bush, and may you rest in peace with your wife, Barbara.

Across:

1. "Agreed!": DEAL. Or No Deal, What happened to Howie Mandel's hair ?

5. Rose from a chair: STOOD.

10. Free ticket: PASS.

14. Sicilian resort city: ENNA.

15. Houston baseballer: ASTRO.  If a Houston trade is made, does the player become an Astro Not.

16. Salon coloring: TINT. Whatever happened to tinted windows on air conditioned cars?

19. "Otello" solo: ARIA.  Of Course! A four letter word with three vowels

20. Single-celled creature: AMOEBA.

21. "Platoon" setting, briefly: NAM.  I was not called to serve there. A nasty war! My VA oncologist asked if I served there. Luckily I was in Germany. I am told that Agent Orange can affect cancer drugs.

23. Texter's soul mate: BFF. Best Friend Forever.

24. Former Yankee manager Joe: TORRE.  Great story!  He managed the Yankees for Mr. (You're Fired) Steinbrenner for 12 years!! In  his major league career as a catcher and infielder he produced over 2300 hits, and is now in Cooperstown.  Gives me hope for Joe Mauer.

28. Victorian, for one: ERA.

29. Puerto Rico, to the U.S.: TERR.  Still suffering from Hurricane Maria.  My former employer, Graybar Electric, has advanced efforts to the recovery there.

31. Harlem Renaissance author Zora __ Hurston: NEALE.

32. Hissing sound: SSS.

33. Jets or Sharks, in "West Side Story": GANG.  Tonight, Tonight, Won't be just any night ...

35. Filled completely: SATED.

39. Some corporate jets: LEARS.

42. Japan is in it: ASIA.

43. Actress Ryan: MEG. Or one of the Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.  What was her last name?

46. Prenatal test, for short: AMNIO.

47. U. of Maryland athlete: TERP.  This is short for Terrapin now in the Big Ten Conference, (Also known as the Bigger 14 by me).  Actually a terrapin is a turtle, an odd nickname for a ferocious team.  Sort of fits in with Gophers, Badgers, and Cornhuskers.

49. Affirmative vote: AYE.  Double that if you're on a ship !

53. In one's stomach: EATEN.

55. French summer: ETE.

56. Pub pint filler: ALE.  Is this just a funny name for beer?

57. America's has 100 seats: SENATE.  53-45-2  Let's hope they can get together on some of the midterm election promises.

58. Euros replaced them in Italy: LIRE.  I once bought a bunch of Euros on eBay.  Not sure why though.

63. Tied, as a game: EVEN.

64. Continental divide?: OCEAN.  I suppose it divides continents, but I always thought a continental divide was like a mountain range that split livable areas.

65. Jazzman Allison: MOSE.

66. Cincinnati team: REDS. Originally named the Redlegs, but they shortened to Reds when they had a Rose.

67. Golfer's "pitching" iron: WEDGE.  I never can get mine to work like those guys on TV.

68. Art Deco icon: ERTE.

Down:

1. Arguments with teams: DEBATES.  In high school and colleges.  But over the previous midterms they were one on one.

2. Captivates: ENAMORS.

3. Some woolen sweaters: ANGORAS.  Not to be confused with Agnes Moorehead who played Endora on "Bewitched",

4. Bar beer: LAGER.  I thought it was Ale .

5. Story spanning generations: SAGA.

6. Mao __-tung: TSE.  That's from the 60s.  I am sure C.C. will tell you that Chairman Mao is known as  Mao Zedong in China.

7. Like stocks not sold on an exch.: OTC.  Over the counter.  Like drugs you don't need to "Ask your doctor if XXXX is right for you."

8. Sumatran ape: ORANG.  This could be short for an Orangutan. It made me think of Maynard G. Krebs (Bob Denver) on Dobie Gillis when he would say "You Rang".

9. Hip-hop headgear: DORAG.

10. "Everychild.onevoice" org.: PTA.  The Harper Valley PTA met one afternoon, and Mrs. Johnson wore a mini skirt and spilled the beans and socked to the sneaky members.

11. Everglades transport: AIRBOAT.

12. Nasal cold symptom: SNIFFLE.  Now that the temp in Minnesota is reaching the 20s, we are hearing a lot of sniffles here.

13. Supplied with personnel: STAFFED.

18. Assist with a heist: ABET.  We are heading to Las Vegas for the Graybar reunion soon.  When I place a bet, I am assisting the Orleans with a heist most of the time.

22. Brainy bunch: MENSA.  I would think people should be smart enough NOT to brag about their IQ.

25. Sonia of "Moon Over Parador": BRAGA.

26. Che Guevara's first name: ERNESTO.

27. Campus bigwig: DEAN.  Mindful of Dean Wormer in "Animal House"

30. It's often broken at breakfast: EGG.  "Which came first, The chicken or the egg?"

34. "Peer Gynt Suite" composer: GRIEG.

36. Naval hoosegow: BRIG.  Do not pass GO, Do not collect $200.

37. Sicily, to Sicilians: ISOLA.

38. Scratch or dent: MAR.

39. Shipping department gizmo: LABELER.  I think normally the Labeler is a person, not a Gizmo.

40. Like tearjerkers: EMOTIVE.

41. Made irate: ANGERED.  If you tried "BUGGED" and it Angered you, too bad.

43. Fighter with a cape: MATADOR.  Superman too long, Batman too short.

44. Exam that involves reading letters: EYE TEST.  I remove my glasses and cannot read the fourth line from the top.  The eye doctor says I need glasses, but I already have them.

45. Rochester brewery or its river: GENESEE.

48. Jury member: PEER.  How did they ever find a peer for Paul Manafort ??

51. Curved macaroni shape: ELBOW.  I prefer Rotini.

52. A trey beats it: DEUCE.  Unless it's wild.

54. Cartoon genre: ANIME.

57. "Auld Lang __": SYNE.  Don't forget your old acquaintances.

59. "Star Trek" rank: Abbr.: ENS.  Remember Tin Conway (Ensign Parker) in McHale's Navy?  Kind of destroyed opinions of the rank.

61. H.S. equivalency exam: GED.

62. Prank: GAG.

Boomer

Sunday December 2, 2018 Mark McClain & George Telfer

Theme: "Hangers-On" - ERS is added to each theme entry.

23A. What the acrobatic landlady liked to do?: JUMP OVER BOARDERS. Jump over board.

32A. TruTV show for board game enthusiasts?: REALITY CHECKERS. Reality check.

52A. When a pro might practice at Augusta National?: BEFORE THE MASTERS. Before the mast.

69A. Gym employees for those getting in shape fast?: EXPRESS TRAINERS. Express train.

90A. Gold medal winners at the Renaissance fair?: TRIUMPHAL ARCHERS. Triumphal arch.

104A. Wedding chapel's main form of advertising?: HITCHING POSTERS. Hitching post.

120A. Where bills should be put after an audit?: BACK IN THE FOLDERS. Back in the fold.

Heavy theme with long theme entries. Total 109 theme squares. Lots to deal with.

I think this is George Telfer's debut. Congratulations, George! Mark McClain is a veteran and has been our regular LAT constructor for a few years.

Across:

1. Avian mimic: MYNA.

5. Selling point?: STORE. Great clue.

10. Weasel cousin: STOAT. Not SABLE.

15. Passed quickly, as time: FLEW.

19. Pigeon calls: COOS.

20. Kind of column: IONIC. Appears in our grid more often than DORIC.

21. Stands at lectures: PODIA.

22. Lead in a movie, say: ROLE.

26. Wile E. Coyote supplier: ACME.

27. Run-of-the-mill: ORDINARY.

28. Former LeBron team, on sports tickers: MIA. Miami Heat. 39. Former LeBron team, on sport tickers: CLE.

29. Lost on purpose: TANKED. Often a clue for DIETED.

31. Buds, possibly: BEERS.

37. Sorority letter: ETA.

40. Takes a breather: RESTS.

41. "The Simpsons" retailer: APU.

44. "Chain of Fools" name: ARETHA.

47. Out in the yacht: ASEA.

49. Bite playfully: NIP.

56. Departed: GONE.

57. "Once __ a time ... ": UPON.

58. Yon yacht: SHE.

59. Name in a Tolstoy title: ANNA. Anna Karenina. Russian novels are always so complicated. Same with classic Chinese novels.

60. Formal split: DIVORCE.

62. Electric wheels: TESLA.

64. Second-tallest living bird: EMU. What's the tallest?

66. Inform: TELL.

68. Skin-related: DERMAL. 88. Often painful crack: CHAP. Try Aquaphor.

73. Don't hold your breath: EXHALE.

76. Antelope playmates: DEER.

77. Musical muscle car: GTO.

78. Agave plant: YUCCA.

82. "The wisdom of many and the wit of one": Russell: PROVERB.

84. Dread: FEAR.

86. Bigelow product: TEA. They have jasmine tea. We also have 107. 86-Across variety: PEKOE.

89. Cut with a small knife: PARE.

94. Thesaurus wd.: SYN. Synonym.

95. Doing nothing: IDLE.

96. Cabinet department: ENERGY.

97. Minute: WEE.

98. China's Zhou __: ENLAI. Here he is with his wife Deng Yingchao. They did not have children. Both well-loved in China.

101. QB's stat: ATT.

102. Shocked text letters: OMG.

111. Vacation destination: BEACH. Last time I was at a beach.

Boomer & C.C., Myrtle Beach, May 2002

115. Caroline Islands components: ATOLLS.

116. Rescue squad initials: EMS.

117. Rant: HARANGUE. Sparkly fill.

119. Fictional plantation: TARA.

125. "Slippery" trees: ELMS.

126. "... but I could be wrong": OR NOT.

127. Celestial ovine: ARIES.

128. Shuts down: ENDS.

129. Colorist's supply: DYES.

130. Price enders, often: NINES. Oh, like $9.99.

131. Category: GENRE.

132. Obliterate, in Oxford: RASE.

Down:

1. Menial work: MCJOB.

2. "__ it!": YOU'RE.

3. __ plume: NOM DE. And 6. Start of an adage about humanity: TO ERR. Partials.

4. Have high hopes: ASPIRE.

5. Hindu "Destroyer": SIVA.

7. Sandwich shop order: ON RYE.

8. Often tickled bone?: RIB.

9. "Foucault's Pendulum" author: ECO.

10. Diagonal sail extender: SPRIT. See this.

11. Now: TODAY.

12. Pindar piece: ODE.

13. Make widely known: AIR.

14. Samples: TASTES.

15. Stadium staples: FRANKS.

16. Eastwood's "Bronco Billy" co-star Sondra: LOCKE. So pretty!

17. Fictional hunter in a floppy hat: ELMER.

18. Signs of garden neglect: WEEDS.

24. GM subsidiary: ONSTAR.

25. Guy's girlfriend: AMIE. French "gee".

30. Comedy __: ACT.

33. One may be dull: ACHE.

34. Trek pack animal: LLAMA.

35. Algonquian language: CREE.

36. Picked up: HEARD.

38. Trojan War god: ARES.

41. Touch: ABUT.

42. Nickname for José: PEPE. I did not know. The two sound so different.

43. Eerie fliers: UFOS.

45. Old anesthetic: ETHER.

46. Like many crosswords: THEMED. Our LAT Saturday grids are themeless.

47. "Up" star: ASNER (Ed)

48. WWII prison camp: STALAG.

49. Standard: NORM.

50. Subject of Huáscar: INCA. Read here. Never heard of the guy.

51. Orange discard: PEEL. Chinese desserts often feature dried tangerine peels.

53. Legally off base: ON LEAVE.

54. Baited insect collector: ANT TRAP.

55. Beans or greens: SIDE.

56. Scalia's successor: GORSUCH (Neil). Fresh fill.

61. Enhancing word: VERY. So very touched reading Jerome's post. He went through what I'm going through now.

63. Shaft between wheels: AXLE.

65. Handy: USEFUL.

67. Trivial: LITTLE.

70. Vivacious: PERT.

71. Words near an "F," maybe: SEE ME.

72. Musical handicap: NO EAR.

73. Omar of "In Too Deep": EPPS.

74. Doctor's order: X-RAY. Piece of cake. The MRI was tough for Boomer last time. He did not use the toilet before the procedure, thinking it would be over in a few minutes. It took almost an hour.

75. French __: HORN.

79. Consider carefully, with "over": CHEW.

80. Attention: CARE.

81. Basilica recess: APSE.

83. Astros catcher McCann: BRIAN. Ex-Astro. Back with the Atlanta Braves. 

85. Bonnie Blue's dad: RHETT.

87. 2012 Ben Affleck film: ARGO.

91. "Gotcha!": I DIG.

92. Casino game requirement, often: ANTE.

93. Symphonic disc: CYMBAL.

98. Mercedes line: E-CLASS. No idea. Not into cars.

99. Kings' org.: NHL. LA Kings.

100. City from which Vasco da Gama sailed: LISBON.

101. NBA part: ASSN.

103. Driver's license info: GENDER.

104. Hardly favored: HATED.

105. Volta's birthplace: ITALY.

106. Musical Mel: TORME.  "The Velvet Fog".

108. Drops: OMITS.

109. German river, to locals: RHEIN. And 114. German state: HESSE.

110. Less risky: SAFER.

112. Gemini docking target: AGENA. What does this word mean? 

113. Lumps for Miss Muffet: CURDS.

118. Climbed: ROSE.

121. "Exodus" protagonist: ARI.

122. "The Situation Room" airer: CNN.

123. It's game: TAG.

124. Longtime Eur. realm: HRE. Holy Roman Empire.

Boomer Updates:

Boomer completed his radiation last Wednesday. He still has problem swallowing food and continues to feel run-down, but Dr. Esther told us that these side effects will be gone in one to two weeks. 

Boomer also started the chemo drug Abiraterone (Zytiga) last Thursday. He's been a good and cheerful patient. The staff at the radiation oncology all liked him.

Boomer, Nov 28, 2018