Sunday January 1, 2023 Laura Effinger-Dean & Christina Iverson

Theme: "Before Tea" ( "B for T") - T is changed into B in each familiar phrase.

22A. Give orders, even while dreaming?: BOSS IN ONE'S SLEEP. Toss is one's sleep.

42A. Request from one robot to another in "Futurama"?: LOVE ME BENDER. Love Me Tender

70A. One who starts a fight over the last crustacean at a seafood buffet?: SHRIMP BRAWLER. Shrimp trawler.

99A. Decorations for a "Bob the Builder" birthday cake?: BRICK CANDLES. Trick candles.

120A. "Oh, you're not acting so brave now, are you!"?: LOOK WHO'S BALKING. Look Who's Talking?

15D. Maintain forest health with a planned fire?: DO A GOOD BURN. Do a good turn.

69D. Illustrative tools in a neuroscience lab?: MODEL BRAINS. Model trains.

Looks like Laura's LAT debut. Congratulations! You all know Christiana, who used to be Patti's assistant. 

Such a great title! I'd be at loss. Slight tweak on a classical pinwheel Sunday design. This one has eight 9-letter fill!

 
Across:

1. Humidifier output: VAPOR.

6. Ratio phrase: IS TO. :

10. Dweeb: DORK.

14. Hubbubs: ADOS. And 78. Bobs and weaves: DOS.

18. Angry: IRATE. And 20. Fencing implement: EPEE. We see IRE, IRA, IRATE & EPEE frequently due to their friendly letter combo.

19. Twosome: PAIR.

21. Dark beer: STOUT. And 29. Light beer: LAGER. And 104. Brewpub handle: ALE TAP.

25. Muse of poetry: ERATO.

26. Tolkien creature: ENT. Tree being.

27. Contributes: ADDS.

28. Swiss chocolatier: LINDT.

30. Tanning bed fixtures: LAMPS.

33. Stripped (of): DIVESTED.

35. Bauxite, e.g.: ORE.

36. "Don't lose hope!": CHIN UP.

38. Mining engineer who became president in 1929: HOOVER. I did not know this.

40. Maine college town: ORONO.

44. In the center of: AMIDST.

47. List unit: ITEM.

48. Flit: DART.

49. Update, as charts: RE-MAP.

53. Vintage ski lift: T BAR.

54. Davis of "Grumpy Old Men": OSSIE.

56. 2022 World Cup city: DOHA. Argentina won the Cup.

58. "Dune" director Villeneuve: DENIS.

60. Ancient character: RUNE.

61. Small battery: AAA.

63. Target of some bark beetles: ELM.

65. Gets there in no time?: TELEPORTS. Nice clue/fill.

67. Rapper will.__: I AM.

74. "Hip Hop Is Dead" rapper: NAS.

75. Episodic option in some games: STORY MODE. Like this.

77. Feel crummy: AIL.

80. Put on board: LADE.

81. Colleague of Sonia and Ketanji: ELENA.

83. Latch (onto): GLOM.

86. Like Wiccans and Druids: PAGAN.

90. Domain: AREA.

91. Diploma word: LAUDE. Here's a typical Chinese diploma.

93. Monogram pt.: INIT.

95. Humorist Barry: DAVE.

96. Not as harsh: MILDER.

102. Via ship, e.g.: BY SEA.

105. Large grinders: MOLARS.

106. Polite title: SIR.

108. Face up to: CONFRONT.

110. Found loathsome: HATED.

111. Poet who wrote, "The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt": PLATH. Sylvia.

113. __-Roman: GRECO.

114. Darling: DEAR.

116. Narrow inlet: RIA.

119. Chateau-dotted valley: LOIRE.

124. Word with circle and tube: INNER. And 16. Word with space and planet: OUTER.

125. Capri, for one: ISLE. My sister-in-law Connie might have visited the place. She spent a few years in Italy and she still goes back there every year.

126. Voting no: ANTI.

127. Pizza slice, say: PIECE.

128. Charge (with): TASK.

129. Really, really overcook: CHAR.

130. Deli array: MEAT. Followed by 131. Introductory course: SALAD.

Down:

1. Hard-to-describe feeling: VIBE.

2. "East of Eden" brother: ARON. Cal's brother.

3. Old incarnations: PAST LIVES. Buddhists believe in reincarnation.

4. Extra NFL periods: OTS.

5. Outdoor gear giant: REI.

6. Old Apple devices: IPODS. Do you guys listen to Sam Harris?

7. Beachfront property?: SAND. Good clue also.

8. Links: TIES.

9. RN workplaces: ORS.

10. Came through: DELIVERED. Like this guy in black. Always came through. Always comes through. Do you like his bag?

 

11. First act: OPENER.

12. Swamp grasses: REEDS.

13. Didn't stray from: KEPT TO.

14. Razor brand: ATRA.

17. Put away for later: STORE.  D-Otto got me this onsen powder.  I have more coming. I'll never run out of this again.

21. Rarely: SELDOM.

23. Was out briefly: NAPPED.

24. Thin shard: SLIVER.

31. Iron deficiency: ANEMIA.

32. Fall flower, for short: MUM.

33. Pentagon org.: DOD.

34. "Mrs. America" political cause, briefly: ERA. The Equal Rights Amendment.

36. Advertising award: CLIO.

37. Red __: spicy candies: HOTS.

38. Protagonist: HERO.

39. Available, in a way: ON THE MENU. The Eucharistic Minister Bill and his wife invited me to their house for lunch on Friday. I had Cane's Chicken Fingers for the first time. Boomer would have loved them.

41. Drag racer's fuel, briefly: NITRO.

43. Awful: BAD.

45. Sleigh driver: SANTA.

46. Lock of hair: TRESS.

50. "Enter Sandman" band: METALLICA. I think Splynter likes this band. How are you doing, Splynter?

51. Fresh: ANEW.

52. Caplet: PILL.

55. "Gentle, gentle": EASY.

57. Jungfrau, e.g.: ALP.

59. Germ: SEED.

62. Sighed line: AH ME. Do you actually say this phrase?

64. Many an exec: MBA.

66. Hold (up): PROP.

67. Quran faith: ISLAM.

68. Breakout gaming company: ATARI.

71. Wallpaper unit: ROLL.

72. Inkling: IDEA.

73. Fix unlawfully: RIG.

76. Hide-and-seek word: READY.

79. Prepare to ride, in a way: SADDLE.

82. Ghostery, for one: AD BLOCKER.

84. Cleaning up the mess, say: ON KP.

85. Audio jack abbr.: MIC.

87. Cate Blanchett's "The Lord of the Rings" role: GALADRIEL. Ethereal.

 

88. Declare: AVER.

89. "Queer Eye" expert Jonathan Van __: NESS.

92. Prior to today, poetically: ERENOW.

94. "The Savages" filmmaker Jenkins: TAMARA. Learning moment for me.

97. Artist known for optical illusions: ESCHER. That M.C. guy.

98. __ Speedwagon: REO.

100. Hairy Addams cousin: ITT.

101. "__ so fast!": NOT.

103. Old English: ANGLIC.

104. Ring of color: AREOLA. I can't link this again. Will cause our blog trouble.

106. Go 50-50 on: SPLIT.

107. Massey of old films: ILONA.

109. College newbie: FROSH.

110. Sister's attire: HABIT.

112. Long haul: TREK.

114. Thoroughly cooked: DONE.

115. "¿Cómo __ usted?": ESTA. Ni hao ma?

117. Ancient Cuzco dweller: INCA.

118. Like much cheddar: AGED.

121. Hawaiian-style pizza topping: HAM. And pineapple.

122. Record collector's collection: LPS.

123. Carnival maker: KIA. Why did they stop using Sedona?

A few extra notes:

I gained access to our account for a few days with a temp code. But the code lost its magic yesterday. I really need the post office to hurry up their piled-up mail and get me my ATM card. The credit card was also a mess also due to our address "84 1/2 Ave. No." Wells Fargo site does not allow dash marks and the local banker was simply too incompetent to solve my glitches. Very frustrating.

I do have some good news. My best friend Carmen has improved greatly. She still has throat problems and body aches from COVID, but she feels good enough to WeChat me again.

I also found this clip of the musical fountain in the north square of the Great Wild Goose Pagoda, 30 minutes away from where I grew up. The guy who took the clip (and showed up in the end) happened to be my friend David, whom I last saw at the Gare Du Nord back in 2000. Thanks to our own Steve Marron, who's been in London for the holidays, David and I got reconnected. He now works in IT for the UK Cabinet Office.

Here are a couple pictures from David's archive. Both taken millions of years ago. I think the first one is in front of the Centre Pompidou. Pas certain. Does that bold red scene look familiar to any of you? I actually didn't recall having my picture taken with that sword guy, much to David's surprise.

Happy New Year! Wishing you lots of love and laughter in 2023!

C.C.