Sunday July 17, 2011 John R. Conrad

Theme: Wi-Fi Interference - Wi is replaced by Fi in each familiar phrase.

24A. Angler's daydream? : (W)FISHFUL THINKING

33A. Participate in a food fight? : FLIP ONE'S (W)FIG. The first letter F shouldn't be bothersome, as the theme is Wi to Fi conversion. Same with the extra Fs in 83A and 82D.

51A. Ophthalmologist's diagnosis? : EYE(W)FITNESS NEWS

83A. Auto design now, vis-�-vis the 1950s? : NO - (W)FIN SITUATION

101A. Offshore WBA venue? : ISLE OF (W)FIGHT

111A. Round up a passel of stoolies? : CATCH FORTY (W)FINKS. I like "a passel of" description.

4D. Bulldozer specification? : (W)FILL POWER

82D. Unrestrained Kentucky Derby entrant? : FREE (W)FILLY

Not familiar with John R Conrad. Cruciverb shows he had 2 puzzles with LA Times in 2006. Welcome back!

I like the theme. Grokked the gimmick earlier on. When I read the title, I thought some Fi's will be changed to Wi's, some Wi's will be changed to Fi's. That would be a little chaotic, but more fun. Yes?

Across:

1. Cram : STUFF. First thought: JAM IN

6. "Forget it, I'm just ranting" : IGNORE ME. Didn't come to me readily.

14. Rub : ABRADE

20. Nobelist Curie : MARIE

21. Finely worked fabrics : BROCADES. Like this. Bill G's wife should know something about that fabric.

22. Daytime TV fare : SOAPER

23. Slant : ANGLE

26. Adler of the stage : STELLA. Not familiar with this name. Would be great if it's clued as "A Streetcar Named Desire" related, since we also have 75A. Kowalski portrayer : BRANDO (Marlon) in the grid. Stanley Kowalski.

28. __ Tom� : SAO

29. Rial spender : OMANI

30. Door fastener : HASP

31. N, in many org. names : NATL

39. Ending with switch : EROO. Switcheroo. And 88A. Ranch ending : ERO. Ranchero.

40. Second: Abbr. : ASST

41. Amount to make do with : LESS. Tricky clue.

42. Have a party, say : HOST

43. Implemented, as an idea : RAN WITH

45. Subatomic particle : MUON. This word just looks so wrong.

46. Hot thing on a horse? : TIP. Oh, horse racing.

49. '90s Indian prime minister : RAO. No idea. I do know Rai though, as in the stunning Aishwarya Rai. It seems that Rai, Rao and Raja are all variants of some royal surname.

50. Jawbreaker rock genre : EMO

55. Guru's residence : ASHRAM

58. Dotted line, at times: Abbr. : PERF

59. Delights : ELATES

60. Pacific Coast, e.g.: Abbr. : HWY

61. Whirl : GYRATE

63. How author Charles Reade is named? : APTLY. We've seen this clue before.

65. Cardinal : MAIN. What did you have in mind when reading the clue?

68. Sneak : SIDLE

70. Yeses, to Yves : OUIs.

71. Corporate identifier : LOGO

72. B�te __ : NOIRE

73. Shrek, e.g. : OGRE

74. Vaughan Williams contemporary : HOLST (Gustave). "The Planets" composer. Nailed it, Jayce?

77. Enforcers, with "the" : LAW

78. Amplified : ON MIKE

80. "The X-Files" org. : SETI (Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence)

81. Compensate for : OFFSET

87. "__ the fields ..." : O'ER

89. Verb addition? : OSE. Verbose.

90. Salacious stuff : SMUT

91. It's tapped to make syrup : TREE SAP

95. Natural successor : HEIR

97. Go over hastily : SCAN

98. Kick (out) : DRUM

100. Jennifer of "Pride and Prejudice" (1995) : EHLE. Total stranger. How do you pronounce Ehle?

105. Bit : IOTA

106. Minnesota __ : FATS

107. Way through a fence : STILE

108. Apple for the teacher? : MAC. Why? Teachers mostly use Mac?

109. __ training : TOILET

118. Loud noise : BLARE

119. Dance in 3/4 time : MINUET

120. Aromatic : REDOLENT

121. "__ Nothin'": "Oklahoma!" song : ALL ER

122. Main road : ARTERY

123. Evaluated : ASSESSED

124. Twosomes : DYADs

Down:

1. Lollapalooza : SMASHER. Lollapalooza is a strange word.

2. Clarion blast : TANTARA

3. Pushes : URGES ON

5. React emotionally to : FEEL

6. Pugilists' org. : IBF (International Boxing Federation)

7. Mill inputs : GRISTs

8. Dietary restriction : NO SALT

9. Figura de __: Spanish ice-skater's move : OCHO. Figure eight.

10. Churchill's "so few": Abbr. : RAF

11. End of a dean's address : EDU

12. Brooks of "The Producers" : MEL

13. Bars at the bar : ESTOPS. Do you actually use this in your work, Lemonade/Hahtool?

14. Mongolian, e.g. : ASIAN

15. "__ chance, Monsieur!" : BONNE

16. Debonair : RAKISH

17. Bee: Pref. : API

18. Animal house : DEN. I've never seen "Animal House".

19. 0.0000001 joules : ERG. I bet constructor/Rich and his test-solvers had to check twice to make sure they got the right numbers of 0.

25. Med. care provider : HMO

27. Gray area? : ANATOMY

32. __ Wednesday : ASH

33. Lightweight news story, say : FLUFF

34. First of 13 popes : LEO I

35. "__ It Romantic?" : ISN'T

36. Roman war galley features : FORESAILS

37. Witness's words : I SAW. And 47. Words to an old chap : I SAY

38. Classic Pontiacs : GTOs

44. Candidate's concern : IMAGE

45. Least palpable, as a touch : MEREST

46. Expose : TELL ON

48. L.A. hours : PST

51. Shoulder ornament : EPAULET. I can never spell this word correctly.

52. Nepalese legends : YETIs

53. Bottom line : NET GAIN

54. Fictional captain who is the son of a raja : NEMO. Inferable.

55. "Gotcha!" : AH SO

56. Draft : SWIG

57. Swift watercraft : HYDROFOIL New word to me.

62. Novice : ROOKIE

63. Even though : ALBEIT

64. Brazil's __ Alegre : PORTO

66. "Dies __": hymn : IRAE

67. Small salamander : NEWT

69. Director Riefenstahl : LENI. Always associate her with Hitler.

72. Like some credit cards : NO FEE

74. Blow off steam : HISS

76. Unassertive sort : DOORMAT

79. 6 on a handset : MNO

80. Fall on the set, perhaps : STUNT

83. Dr Pepper Snapple Group brand : NEHI

84. Blast furnace input : OREs

85. Its academy is in New London, Conn. : USCG. Good to know.

86. Asian nursemaid : AMAH

91. "Tsk!" : TUT

92. Clinton cabinet member Donna : SHALALA

93. Didn't leave alone : ALTERED

94. Troubles : PESTERS

96. Get out of trouble : RESCUE

97. Communications word after Romeo : SIERRA. NATO alphabet.

98. Sawyer and Keaton : DIANEs

99. Coach of Notre Dame's "Four Horsemen" : ROCKNE (Knute). Knute is a popular Norwegian name.

102. Additional : OTHER

103. Grant's bill : FIFTY. I don't think I've used a fifty-dollar bill.

104. "Alice" waitress : FLO

108. Wire measures : MILs

110. O.T. book after Amos : OBAD. Stumped me. Obadiah.

111. Nashville-based awards org. : CMA

112. Go public with : AIR

113. Big bang cause : TNT

114. French possessive : TES. Your.

115. Cloth meas. : YDs

116. Them, often : FOE

117. Criterion: Abbr. : STD

Answer grid.

Alright, look at these adorable "Hard to Believe" photos. Tell me who that boy is. He looks so pensive on the first picture. (Added later: It's Splynter.)

C.C.

Sunday July 10, 2011 Julian Lim

Theme: 4 x 4 - Each theme entry consists of 4 words, each word consisting of 4 letters.

23A. "We'll find out in due course" : ONLY TIME WILL TELL. This and its symmetrical partner are my favorite pair.

39A. Hotel ad phrase : HOME AWAY FROM HOME

53A. "Stay alert!" : KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN

72A. Act rashly : LEAD WITH ONE'S CHIN

88A. Cry to players in hiding : OLLY OLLY OXEN FREE

106A. Often skeptical words of encouragement : GOOD LUCK WITH THAT. Just excellent.

Again, very long answers, hence only 6 theme entries. It'd be awesome if every word in the theme entries has one syllable. Might be an impossible task. Already tough job for the constructor to ferret out the ones we have today.

Several great long non-theme Down entries:

4D. Swimming and diving, e.g. : OLYMPIC SPORTS. Very seldom do we see a 13-letter non-theme fill.

16D. Petrify : TURN TO STONE. 11s are rare too.

57D. Like hobnobbers : WELL-CONNECTED

63D. It was once described as an "odious column of bolted metal" : EIFFEL TOWER. Lovely.

Also several fill for Dennis:

60A. Brilliant bunch : MENSA. He's the cleverest Dummy I know of.

68A. Japanese canine : AKITA. He owned one.

41D. Watch for the wealthy : ROLEX. He's wearing one.

All in all, a solid grid. Quite a few names, but none obscure.

Across:

1. '50s pin curls style, e.g. : UPDO

5. Sean Combs, on stage : P. DIDDY. So flashy.

11. Things of beauty : GEMs

15. Ratatouille, e.g. : STEW

19. Stick-up stash : HAUL

20. Mumbai garments : SAREES. Or SARIS.

21. Stratford's river : AVON

22. "Reason is ... the slave of the passions" writer : HUME (David). Not familiar with this line.

26. Idle in show biz : ERIC. Eric Idle.

27. 2002 hit for Cam'ron : HEY MA. Well, Avg Joe might know this song. I've got no idea.

28. "Junebug" Oscar nominee Adams : AMY. She is very talented. Pretty too.

29. "That __ fair!" : ISN'T

30. Divine food : MANNA. I wonder what it tastes that.

31. Ramble on : PRATE

33. Thumper's pal : BAMBI. Thumper is a rabbit.

35. Near the end : LATTER.

36. One who harnesses the power of midi-chlorians : JEDI. "Star Wars".

42. Throws out : EVICTS

44. Senate passings : BILLs

45. Fancy moldings : OGEEs.

46. Sunshine __: old detergent : RINSO

47. Bug : GERM

48. Letter-shaped track : T-SLOT. No idea. Carpenter term, Splynter/Jerome?

50. Big initials in comedy syndication : TBS

57. It may be spun : WOOL. Not TALE/YARN.

58. "What a klutz I am!" : OOPS

59. Ricoh competitor : XEROX

61. Applies, as effort : EXERTS

64. Dummkopf : HALF-WIT. Dummkopf is a new word to me. Dumm = Dumb. Koph = Head.

67. Grade of beef : SELECT

69. Cruise, for one : CELEB. Tom Cruise. And SEA (87D. Cruise milieu).

70. "The Baroque Cycle" sci-fi author Stephenson : NEAL. Stranger to me. Has anyone read the clued book?

71. Linesmen's co-workers : REFs

79. Disturbing bank letters : NSF. Disturbing indeed.

80. Far from mega- : MICRO

81. Crafted, as a tale : WOVE

82. French wine valley : LOIRE

83. Town in a Carlo Levi title : EBOLI. "Christ Stopped at Eboli" .

85. "Had __ and couldn't ..." : A WIFE

87. Subject involving subjects : SYNTAX. Oh, sentence.

93. Starling's home : NEST

94. Ragtag : MOTLEY

95. Author Blyton et al. : ENIDs

96. Airbus product : PLANE

98. Treat as taboo : AVOID

99. City near Anaheim : BREA. Spanish for "tar".

100. You might give him the business : SON. Clever clue.

101. Ghana's capital : ACCRA

105. Cut down : HEWN

110. Downwind : ALEE

111. Not loose : SNUG

112. "The Ministry of Fear" author : GREENE (Graham). Here is the book cover. I bet it's a gimme for Lemonade.

113. __ Indies : EAST

114. Some paparazzi gear, briefly : SLRs

115. Carry : TOTE

116. Sunshine cookie : HYDROX. Is it still on the market?

117. Time of reckoning : D-DAY

Down:

1. "Trouble's a-comin'!" : UH OH

2. Stained-glass piece : PANE

3. How some things are noted : DULY. Duly noted.

5. Penultimate Greek letter : PSI

6. 1980s-'90s New York senator : DAMATO (Alfonse)

7. Coming-back words : I REMEMBER. Oh, this coming-back.

8. Like a field at sunrise : DEWY

9. Opus __: "The Da Vinci Code" sect : DEI

10. Pricey handbag inits. : YSL

11. Carraway's Long Island neighbor, in classic fiction : GATSBY. The Great Gatsby.

12. Supposing : EVEN IF

13. Jump out of one's skin? : MOLT. Fun clue.

14. Show with '70s samurai sketches, briefly : SNL

15. Put away, as a dagger : SHEATHE

17. "Love the Way You Lie" rapper : EMINEM. Weird song name.

18. Words of support : WE CARE

24. Driveway option : TAR

25. Beans that are a good source of manganese : LIMAs. Boomer loves lima beans.

30. "Wag the Dog" co-screenwriter : MAMET (David). Drew a blank.

32. Wistful sounds : AHs

33. Mild : BALMY

34. Belt maker's tool : AWL

35. Start using Facebook, say : LOG ON

36. Weightlifting move : JERK

37. Songwriter Sands : EVIE. Stumped me last time.

38. Eat in style : DINE

40. Seamus Heaney's homeland : EIRE. Seamus Heaney won Nobel literature in 1995, a la Wiki.

43. Matrix automaker : TOYOTA

47. Grissom of NASA : GUS. And 89D. Apollo 13 astronaut : LOVELL (Jim)

48. Semicircular moldings : TORI. Plural of torus like this. Think donuts.

49. Concern for Lady Macbeth : SPOT

51. Pear from Europe : BOSC

52. Bedframe part : SLAT

54. Psy-__: military propaganda, etc. : OPs

55. Like Deep Throat : EX-FBI. I'm glad Deep Throat revealed himself in the end.

56. Work on seams : SEW

60. Pitifully small : MEASLY

61. Take home : EARN

62. Vintage Jags : XKEs

64. Get wind of : HEAR

65. Gucci of fashion : ALDO. Did names give you trouble today?

66. "Ben-Hur" author Wallace : LEW

67. Date : SEE

69. Director DeMille : CECIL

70. Richmond-to-D.C. dir. : NNE

72. Evangeline __, who played Kate on "Lost" : LILLY. Looks familiar.

73. Target Field team : TWINS. My poor Twins!

74. "The Tao of Pooh" author : HOFF (Benjamin). I forgot.

75. Prove too strong for : OVERPOWER

76. "Women and Love" author Shere : HITE

77. Income sources for some srs. : IRAs

78. Subsequent : NEXT

80. Acted bullish? : MOOED. You comment, Windhover!

84. Writing credits : BYLINEs

85. Like a saucer's symmetry : AXIAL

86. Tie the knot : WED

88. Nebraska tribe members : OMAHAS

90. Bad news from home? : YER OUT! My favorite clue today.

91. Skittish : ON EDGE

92. Monsoon-affecting phenomenon : EL NINO

97. "I'll pass" : NAH

99. U2's lead vocalist : BONO

100. RR station posting : SKED (Schedule)

102. Niger neighbor : CHAD

103. Tabula __ : RASA

104. Trial fig. : ATTY

106. Clock std. : GST. What does this mean? I wanted GMT.

107. "How icky!" : UGH

108. Break down : CRY

109. Where Odessa is: Abbr. : TEX. Not UKR.

Answer grid.

Happy Birthday to my Lao Shi Don "Hard G"!

C.C.

Sunday July 3, 2011 Samuel A. Donaldson

Theme: Say Again - Common phrases are humorously re-interpreted with their heteronym meanings. Heteronyms are words with identical spellings but different meanings and pronunciations.

23A. Understudy's crime? : LEAD POISONING

33A. Short ovation? : MINUTE HAND

49A. Instrument with colored bands? : STRIPED BASS

68A. Compliment on a skillful asphalt job? : GOOD EVENING

84A. Anesthetist's error? : WRONG NUMBER. Numb-er, stuff that numbs you.

101A. Fight among forest females? : DOES' BATTLE

117A. Clean kielbasa? : POLISH SAUSAGE

16D. Telescope? : METEOR SHOWER. Show-er. We've seen C-SPAN clued as "House shower" before.

64D. Jeans feature after a barbed wire encounter? : TRAIL OF TEARS

I bet Clear Ayes had fun with this puzzle. She's talked about & linked heteronym, homophone & homonym a few times on the blog.

This theme has been done before. Still fun to solve. Outstanding grid layout and fill.  Lots of sparkly phrases.

Across:

1. Woodcutter who knew the magic words : ALI BABA. "Open sesame!"

8. Wide divide : CHASM

13. Tribal magicians : SHAMANs.

20. European triumvirate : BENELUX. Belgium is so stuffy, including their Etam lingerie shops. Their "words of support" (a la Grumpy & Splynter yesterday) just don't feel sexy.

21. Variety show : REVUE

22. Catches the show : TUNES IN

25. Steamy stuff : EROTICA

26. Israeli weapons : UZIs

27. With 116-Down, "Bed-In for Peace" co-organizer : YOKO. And ONO (116D. See 27-Across).

28. Make amends : ATONE

30. Be a disincentive to : DETER

31. Eager, in dialect : RARIN

36. Sound on Old MacDonald's farm : OINK

37. Responses to the obvious : DUHs. D'ohs too.

39. Office orders : REAMS

40. __ Shore : JERSEY

42. The Joker portrayer : ROMERO (Cesar). I can only remember Heath Ledger.

45. Spot for "Spot" : TAG. Got me.

47. Concordes: Abbr. : SSTs. Crossing SSN (47D. No. under the year on many tax forms). Constructors' crutch fill.

48. Triumphant shout : AHA

55. Seafaring salutations : AHOYs

59. Some tablets : PCs

60. Official declaration : EDICT

61. "The Gates of Hell" sculptor : RODIN. See here.

62. Goes __: deteriorates : TO POT

63. Like some advanced research, briefly : POSTDOC (Postdoctoral)

65. Cues from a stage coach : LINEs. Theater stage. Not the wagon.

66. "Trust me!" : I SWEAR

67. Epps of "House" : OMAR

72. Mother of the Valkyries : ERDA. Drew a blank.

73. Short summaries : RECAPs

75. Garfield's creator : DAVIS (Jim). Gimme for JD/eddyB.

76. Clue room : LIBRARY

78. Shinto temple gateway : TORII. Wouldn't it be nice to clue it as Torii Hunter and cross-reference LAA (86A. A.L. West team, on scoreboards)? Hunter is the right fielder for the Angels.

79. Enter, as data : KEY IN

80. Start a rally : SERVE. Tennis.

82. Ballpoint brand : BIC

83. Fishhook-to-line connection : SNELL. Learned from doing Xword.

87. Vow : OATH

89. "Owner of a Lonely Heart" band : YES

90. Still in the outbox : UNSENT. Mine is in the Draft.

92. Andre's love : STEFFI (Graf)

95. 10% donation : TITHE

99. One might go around on the patio : SPIT. Lovely clue. Skewer.

100. __ Neuf: Paris bridge : PONT

105. Mitigates : EASES

109. Rubber tree yield : LATEX

111. Astound : FLOOR

112. Tug : YANK

114. Kennel sound : YELP

115. Got one's money's worth at the buffet : ATE A LOT. Only if they have pickled herrings. Then I might pig out.

120. Pottery casserole dish : TERRINE

121. "You're __ talk!" : ONE TO

122. Unpredictable : ERRATIC

123. Therapy time : SESSION

124. Exorcist's foe : DEMON

125. Old West gang : DALTONS. The Dalton Gang.

Down:

1. "It was over so fast" words : A BLUR. It's all a blur.

2. TV host Gibbons : LEEZA

3. "... bombs bursting __" : IN AIR

4. Like some comforting manners : BEDSIDE

5. Mont Blanc, e.g. : ALP

6. Lift : BUOY

7. Geometry class list : AXIOMS. All a blur to me, my geometry class years.

8. Serenade, perhaps : CROON

9. Fox's prey : HEN

10. Pilot : AVIATE

11. Naturally brewed beverage : SUN TEA. Lovely.

12. A lot of resistance : MEG OHM. OHM is resistance measure.

13. "The Feast of Saint Nicholas" painter : STEEN (Jan)

14. Judah Ben-__ : HUR

15. Give __ to: okay : A NOD

17. Currently : AS IT IS

18. Like a noted creed : NICENE. Nicene Creed.

19. Crotchety : SNARKY. Like some blog comments.

24. Go downhill fast? : SKI. I'm picturing Marti in action.

29. "If I Ruled the World" rapper : NAS

32. Helped get healthy : NURSED

34. Impulse : URGE

35. Short spinners? : DJs. "Short" implied an abbr. in answer.

38. Ballpark staples : HOT DOGS

41. Virginie-Occidentale et al. : ETATS. Virginie-Occidentale is French for West Virginia.

42. Close connections : RAPPORTs

43. "You can't be serious" : OH COME ON. Good entry.

44. Blowout on the court : MASSACRE. Crushing defeat!

45. First O, say : TIC. Tic-tac-toe.

46. Fitting : APT

50. Diamond wearer in "Copacabana" : RICO. Spanish for "rich".

51. With accuracy or distance, a golf stat : DRIVING. Nice clue.

52. Fox forensic drama : BONES

53. City SSE of Sana'a : ADEN. See this map.

54. Spanish ayes : SI SI

56. In working order : OPERABLE

57. "Rocky" catchphrase : YO ADRIAN. Great one.

58. Future adoptee, perhaps : STRAY CAT. Meow!

65. "Deathtrap" playwright : LEVIN (Ira)

66. "You win" : I GIVE UP

69. Baltic Sea feeder : ODER

70. "The Banana Boat Song" opening : DAY-O

71. Workers' rights agcy. : NLRB (National Labor Relations Board). No idea.

74. Rice preparation : PILAF. Like pilaf, Bill?

77. Longtime collaborator with Elton : BERNIE (Taupin). He wrote most of Elton John's songs.

79. Util. unit : KWH

80. You might do it after hiring a lawyer : SUE. Interesting turn of event in the ex-IMF chief case. Still a bad guy.

81. Marxism extremes? : EMs. The both ends of the word.

85. "Wrong, comrade" : NYET. Russian for "No".

88. Three times daily, on an Rx : TID. Ter in die.

91. Spends the night in : STAYS AT

92. Evidence of egg toss errors : SPLATS

93. Just right : TO A TEE. Always tricky to parse.

94. Goes on stage : ENTERS

95. Business card no. : TEL

96. 14-legged crustacean : ISOPOD

97. "The First Billion is the Hardest" author Pickens : T BOONE.

98. Cotton Club site : HARLEM. Not familiar with the Cotton Club, a nightclub in NY in Prohibition era, a la Wiki.

99. Had a hunch : SENSED

102. Regularly : OFTEN

103. "Sounder" Oscar nominee : TYSON (Cicely). No idea. She was married to Miles Davis.

104. __-di-dah : LAH

106. Defense gp. formed in Manila : SEATO. Gone in 1977.

107. Classic watch : ELGIN

108. See-thru wear? : SPECS. Great clue.

110. Super Bowl at which Tom Petty performed : XLII. 2008 Super Bowl. I was clueless.

113. Two-season "American Idol" judge DioGuardi : KARA

118. 1989 World Champion figure skater : ITO (Midori)

119. Web ID : URL

Answer grid.

C.C.

Sunday June 26, 2011 Mike Torch

Theme: High Comedy - GH is omitted in each familiar phrase.

23A. Unforgettable louse? : A NIGHT TO REMEMBER. "A Night to Remember". Fun clue & answer.

33A. Waterway for sinners? : STRAIGHT TO HELL. Straight to hell. Nice one too.

44A. Uncovers a serious flaw in municipal building plans? : CAN'T FIGHT CITY HALL. Can't fight city hall.

62A. Barely visible English pubs? : BRIGHT SPOTS ON THE HORIZON. Bright spots on the horizon.

74A. Ohio sweaters? : KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS. Knights of Columbus.

92A. Low cost pay-per-view match? : BOUGHT FOR A SONG. Bought for a song.

103A. Where to get a copy of "The Communist Manifesto"? : RED-LIGHT DISTRICT. Red light district.

Slow in grokking the theme today. First thought long I in IGH was replaced by short I, but STRAIT TO HELL quickly said no. Then BOUT FOR A SONG further proved I was wrong. Odd entry. I'd love the theme better if GH is dropped from all the *IGHT phrases. You?

The grid design is rather ambitious, with week-day like three finger blocks. Hence a rather low 132 word count.

Across:

1. Bit of schoolyard disagreement : AM SO. And 14. States as fact : SAYS SO.

5. Stuff in a box on the street : SNAIL MAIL. Was thinking of those free newspaper.

20. 1978 medical thriller : COMA

21. Like some items in downloads : NON-SECURE. Often feel helpless against computer errors.

22. __ Island, N.Y. : STATEN

25. "Broadway Joe" : NAMATH

26. Indian lentil stew : DAL. Bill G, what's for lunch today?

27. Loses everything : BUSTS

28. Juan's ones : UNOs

30. Milk: Pref. : LACTO. Lactose.

31. Promote at work : ELEVATE

36. Tightwads : MISERs

37. Turn down in an ugly way : SPURN. Like love.

39. Tested : ASSAYED

40. Has the stage : IS ON

41. Expensive outing, probably : SPREE. Shopping spree?

42. Goes on strike, in slang : WALKS. I like this clue.

48. Seemingly forever : AGES

52. Top of the morning? : ONE AM

53. Clerical vestments : ALBs. Classic crosswordese.

54. Rodeo ride : BRONC

55. Like the larger-eared elephant : AFRICAN. I thought it's just "large-eared".

59. Sham : FALSE

61. Look for help from : TURN TO

66. Volcanic rock : BASALT

67. Incursions : RAIDs

68. "Rad!" : AWESOME

69. Talus joint : ANKLE

70. Brew : SUDs

71. Words with bike or wave : RIDE A

73. Grey Goose competitor : SKYY. Vodka.

81. Volleyball coup : SPIKE. And 102D. It precedes 81-Across : SET

83. Tennyson's Enoch : ARDEN. "Enoch Arden". Not familiar with the poem.

84. Westchester, N.Y., college : IONA

85. "Most likely ..." : ODDS ARE. Nice entry.

89. Reuben essential : SWISS

90. Aviation force : THRUST

95. Ristorante red : CHIANTI

96. Befuddled : AT SEA

97. Comic who wrote jokes for JFK : SAHL (Mort)

98. Shoe parts : SOLES

100. Covert fed. group : CIA

101. Maid concerns : METERS. Meter maid.

107. Antarctic penguin : ADELIE. Happy couple. Happy feet.

108. Pennsylvania's state dog : GREAT DANE. State dog? Unknown to me.

109. Sommer of cinema : ELKE

110. Most convinced : SUREST

111. Controls : HARNESSES

112. "The Swiss Family Robinson" writer : WYSS (Johann). Was ignorant of the book and the author.

Down:

1. Hypothetical : ACADEMIC

2. Immortal wife of Francesco del Giocondo : MONA LISA. Thanks to da Vinci.

3. Is favorable to : SMILES ON

4. Muffin choice : OAT

5. Tapir features : SNOUTS

6. Longship crewmen : NORSE. Longships were used by the Vikings.

7. Works without __ : A NET

8. Philosophies : ISMs

9. Poe's "Annabel __" : LEE

10. Turn-of-the-century year : MCM. 1900.

11. 2010 Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton's alma mater : AUBURN. Gimme for Husker Gary, I bet. He seems to know a lot about college football.

12. "The Faerie Queene" woman : IRENA. Guessed.

13. "Vive __!" : LE ROI

14. IRS info : SSN

15. Baffled : AT A LOSS

16. Steinway competitor : YAMAHA

17. Actress Dash of "Clueless" : STACEY. First encounter with this actress. She's pretty.

18. Come to terms : SETTLE

19. Waiting for tech support, often : ON HOLD. Those overseas tech support can drive you nuts.

24. Way to the top : T-BAR

29. Delays : STALLs

32. Let off steam : VENT

33. Mutton fat : SUET. Lard is pork fat.

34. Small spade : TREY. Poker.

35. "For shame!" : TSK

37. Humane Soc. ally : SPCA

38. Victorian : PRIM

41. Worker with a pad : STENO

42. Former 49ers coach Bill : WALSH. Surprised I know him.

43. "Seascape" Pulitzer-winning playwright : ALBEE

45. Bo's'n's quarters : FO'C'SLE. Can never remember how to spell it, Spitzboov/eddyB!

46. Unfitting : INAPT

47. Desists : HALTS

48. "Mrs. __ Goes to Paris": 1992 TV film : ARRIS. Stumped me again.

49. Bananas : GONZO. Nuts!

50. Branch of zool. : ENTOM. OK, entomology.

51. Tea biscuit : SCONE

54. Chest : BUREAU. Furniture was not in my mind.

55. Arafat's successor : ABBAS

56. Direct : FRANK. Adjective "direct".

57. Full of pitfalls : RISKY

58. 2006 World Cup winner : ITALY. Soccer is huge in China.

59. Pass off (on) : FOIST

60. Plus : AND

61. Item on a rack : TOWEL

63. Place for a donut : TRUNK. Tire! Tricky clue.

64. "Sexy" Beatles woman : SADIE

65. Sported : HAD ON

70. Sun Valley visitors : SKIERS

71. Country mail rtes. : RFDs. RFD = Rural delivery service

72. Summer coolers : ICEs

75. Cut : SAWN. Spell check doesn't like it.

76. Not a dup. : ORIG

77. Oscar winner Sorvino : MIRA. She speaks Chinese.

78. In an animated way : BOUNCILY. I've only used adjective form bouncy.

79. Opens with effort, as a window : UNSTICKS

80. Stuffs : SATIATES

81. Wild vacations? : SAFARIs. Oh, wild animal, not the real wild vacation in Ibiza. JD has had a few wild ones.

82. For : PRO

85. "Dreams From My Father" family : OBAMAS

86. College address ending : DOT EDU. Felt stupid not to nail it.

87. Long riding coat : DUSTER

88. Addison's publishing partner : STEELE (Richard). Joseph Addison. Both strangers to me.

89. Plumber's alloy : SOLDER

90. Doctors' works : THESES

91. H.S. subject : HIST (History)

93. Cry of exasperation : AARGH

94. He-Man's twin sister : SHE-RA

95. "Crazy" singer : CLINE (Patsy). Thought of Jerome's mom.

98. Regs. : STDs (Standards)

99. Harem rooms : ODAs. Splynter wants one.

104. PC linkup : LAN

105. Mineral suffix : ITE

106. Remote button : REW

Answer grid.

C.C.

Sunday June 19, 2011 Pamela Amick Klawitter

Theme: Broadway Showstoppers - The last word in each theme entry is a well-known one-word Broadway show.

23A. Airport pickup spot : BAGGAGE CAROUSEL. The conveyor belt in baggage claim area. "Carousel".

39A. Norman landmark : UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA. "Oklahoma!". Hi, Lois!

56A. Troublemaker's credo? : NO REST FOR THE WICKED. "Wicked". My favorite entry.

82A. One might prompt a curtain call : BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE. "Applause". Unknown to me.

99A. Fleeting celebrity : FIFTEEN MINUTES OF FAME. "Fame".

120A. Relax : LET DOWN ONE'S HAIR. "Hair".

C.C. here. Happy Father's Day to all the fathers who read this blog.

When I first read the puzzle title, I was worried that each theme entry might be a truncated Broadway show, you know, the names just stop suddenly, like our absurd Thursday puzzle. Was hugely relieved when I nailed the third entry and grokked the gimmick.

We often see 7-9 theme entries on Sunday. This grid only has 6,  mainly because all the answers are very long. Hard to negotiate the maze and build a clean grid.

Across:

1. Cotton-picking handful : BOLL

5. Like pro football players : MALE

9. Libreville is its capital : GABON. I know capitals of all Asian countries. Not African.

14. Seasonal crew? : ELVES. For Darling Santa.

19. Moises of baseball : ALOU

20. One often thickens on stage : PLOT. Nice clue.

21. Word with soap : OPERA. Soap opera.

22. Corporate reward : RAISE. Salary.

26. Ballet __ : RUSSE. So the plural is Ballets Russes?

27. "__ and his money ..." : A FOOL

28. Toledo toast : SALUD. French is SALUT.

29. Certain Honshu resident : OSAKAN

31. __ Sauer: handgun : SIG. Not familiar to me.

33. Library ID : ISBN

35. Urges : ITCHES

46. Prop- suffix : ANE

47. Captain Hook's last words are its motto : ETON. What's their motto?

48. Gives an earful : YELLS AT

49. Frat characters? : PSIs. This clue often stumps me.

50. Some HDTVs : RCAs

52. Sunscreen additive : ALOE

54. Alas., once : TERR (Territory). Alas! I did not notice the . at first.

55. Iona College athletes : GAELS

61. British miler Steve : OVETT. Total stranger.

62. One in a pool : STENO.  Office pool.

63. Trendy tea : CHAI. Spiced tea.

64. Some NFL linemen : RTs

67. Class unit : LESSON

69. Assistants and such : STAFF

72. Like a wake : ASTERN. Wave wake.

74. 2000 Gere title role : DR T

75. It may be fenced : LOOT. Not yard fence.

78. Mrs. Gorbachev : RAISA

81. Relative of -ish : ESQUE. As in Rubenesque vs. zaftig.

86. Dressing target : SALAD

89. "Let __!" : IT GO

90. Inventor Sikorsky : IGOR

91. Cheese holder : RITZ

92. Nutmeg covering : ARIL. Classic crosswordese.

93. Like most sandals : TOELESS

96. Fictional futuristic race : ELOI. "The Time Machine" race.

98. Big foot letters : EEE

103. Some kitchens : EAT-INS

104. Gossip : DIRT

105. Moral slip : SIN. Forgive me, Father, for I slipped.

106. Cellist awarded a posthumous Lifetime Achievement Grammy in 1989 : CASALS (Pablo)

110. Second-deepest U.S. lake : TAHOE

113. Convertible alternatives : T-TOPS

117. Burst of activity : SPASM

123. Come to terms : AGREE

124. Many a chat room visitor : AOLer

125. __ Center: N.J. arena : IZOD. Learned from doing Xword.

126. Italian hot spot : ETNA

127. Like some bulls : PAPAL. Papal bull. Got me.

128. Hoity-toity types : SNOBS

129. British tax : CESS

130. Voicemail accumulation: Abbr. : MSGs

Down:

1. Radner's Wawa : BABA

2. Minnesota's St. __ College : OLAF. Gimme, gimme!

3. Company symbol : LOGO

4. 1931 count portrayer : LUGOSI (Bela). Count Dracula.

5. SUV stat : MPG

6. Some draft picks : ALEs. Can't fool me again.

7. Like "la vida" in a Ricky Martin hit : LOCA. Crazy!

8. And others, to Cicero : ET ALII

9. Splitting word? : GOODBYE. Nice clue too.

10. Springfield storekeeper : APU. "The Simpsons".

11. Carlos's kiss : BESO. Remember your first kiss? How old were you?

12. Mined finds : ORES

13. "The Lion King" lioness : NALA

14. Slips : ERRATA

15. Takeoff place : LAUNCH PAD. See, only on Sundays can you have 9-letter non-theme fill.

16. Before and after "�," compared with : VIS. Vis-�-vis.

17. Safe opener? : ESS. The opening letter in Safe.

18. Have a look : SEE

24. Better way to be wanted? : ALIVE. Dead or alive. I drew a blank.

25. Needing practice : RUSTY

30. Clan attire : KILT

32. Gain access to : GET AT

34. "Peaceful Warrior" actor : NOLTE (Nick)

36. Flimflam : HOSE

37. Silents star Jannings : EMIL. First Oscar Best Actor.

38. Sign of freshness : SASS

39. Find out : UNCOVER

40. Most handy : NEAREST

41. Massages deeply : ROLFs. Stumped me last time. Again today, Melissa!

42. Hoity-toity type : SNOOT

43. Took off : FLEW

44. "Hamlet" courtier : OSRIC

45. Olympic volleyball medalist __ Kiraly : KARCH. No idea. Great shot.

46. Big name in traitors : ARNOLD (Benedict). Schwarzenegger too I suppose.

51. Match parts : SETS

53. Part of a Spanish 101 conjugation : ERES. You are.

55. Seuss, actually : GEISEL

57. Not easily excited : STOLID

58. "The Closer" channel : TNT

59. Stock and then some : HOARD

60. "The Jungle Book" python : KAA. Complete unknown to me.

64. Passing notes? : REQUIEM. Xchefwalt would have loved this clue.

65. Chairman of the board, for one : TRUSTEE

66. Blessed event? : SNEEZE

68. Fireside quaff : NOG

70. __ Schwarz: 5th Avenue toy store : FAO

71. '30s-'40s actress D'Orsay : FIFI. Man, that's old. Nope. Nope!

73. Former despot : TSAR

76. Hunter of the stars : ORION

77. Carved pole : TOTEM

79. Prudent advisers : SAGES

80. Skating gold medalist __ Anton Ohno : APOLO

82. Latvia-Sweden separator : BALTIC SEA. Another highlight of the grid.

83. Grapefruit relative : UGLI. I tried one last year. Quite sweet.

84. Eternally : NO END

85. Faculty mems. : PROFs

86. Heist target : SAFE. Dupe with earlier ESS clue.

87. La Scala highlight : ARIA

88. Garage apparatus : LIFT

93. Angel Clare's love, in an 1891 novel : TESS

94. Lochinvars : SUITORS

95. Turkey's place, in song : STRAW. What song?

97. "__ Lovin' That You Want": Rihanna hit : IF IT'S. Not a Rihanna fan.

100. Crown cover : ENAMEL

101. Like some restaurants : ETHNIC

102. Game opener : ANTHEM

107. It might precede bad news : ALAS

108. 2009-'11 CIA director Panetta : LEON. Next Secretary of Defense.

109. City of NW France : ST LO

111. Slow flow : OOZE

112. "The Dukes of Hazzard" deputy : ENOS. Slaughtered me. No idea.

114. Porridge base : OATS

115D. Ball game opener? : PING. Ping pang. (Correction: Ping Pong.)

116. Ladies of Sp. : SRAs

117. It's tapped for syrup : SAP

118. FedEx Cup org. : PGA. 8-shot lead for McIlory. The kid is good.

119. Ernst collaborator : ARP (Jean)

121. Belle of the ball : DEB. Lovely "ball" clechos.

122. People people, briefly : EDs (Editors). "People" magazine.

Answer grid.

C.C.

Sunday June 12, 2011 Paul Hunsberger

Theme: Wide-Eyed - W is attached to the start of one word in each common phrase, which also goes through a spelling change. The resulting vowel sounds remain the same. Neither I nor Argyle gets the title though. Marti?

23A. Sale at the helicopter dealer? : WHIRLYBIRD SPECIAL. Early bird special.

39A. Breakfast table expos�? : THE WAFFLE TRUTH. The awful truth.

60A. Bittersweet title for a waterskier's memoirs? : WAKES AND PAINS. Aches and pains.

84A. Lacking lingerie? : OUT OF THIN WEAR. Out of thin air.

104A. Sweater under the tree? : CHRISTMAS WEAVE. Christmas Eve.

123A. Charge against an illegal fly-fishing conspirator? : WADING AND ABETTING. Aiding and abetting.

16D. Comment to an out-of-shape runner who reaches the finish line? : WHEEZY DOES IT. Easy does it.

67D. Homo sapiens' cleverness? : THE WILE OF MAN. The Isle of Man.

Notice there's no extraneous W in any of the theme entries? An important factor to consider in this letter dropping/adding/substituting gimmick.

I think this might be Paul Hunsberger's LA Times debut. If so, congratulations! I like the theme entry arrangement & overall fill. Very well done. Smooth! Several V-8 clues. Could be from Rich. That's his lovely wife Kim on the left, sharp wordsmith as well.

Across:

1. Builder of paper houses : WASP. Did you nail it, JD?

5. [Yawn] : HO-HUM. First thought was ENNUI.

10. Avenue before the Income Tax square, in Monopoly : BALTIC. I've never played Monopoly.

16. Bath bathrooms : WCs. Bath the city in England.

19. Guitarist's effect : WAWA

20. Where the puck stops ... and starts : ARENA. Hockey, just for eddyB & Splynter.

21. Iberian wine city : OPORTO. North of Lisbon. Porto also.

22. Prosciutto, e.g. : HAM

26. Poet's "before" : ERE

27. Press-on cosmetic : NAIL. Wanted LASH.

28. It's nothing in Normandy : RIEN. De rien = You're welcome.

29. Down Under dog : DINGO

30. Greek "H" : ETA

31. Ticker tape, briefly? : ECG. Or EKG.

33. White team : SOX. White Sox.

35. "La Vie en Rose" singer : PIAF (Edith)

37. Air purifying gadget : IONIZER

44. Pastoral poems : IDYLs

45. Animated explorer : DORA

46. Cause for a shootout : TIE. Not gunfight.

47. Smoky places : FLUEs. Was picturing a smokey bar.

49. Some green rolls : SOD. Not money.

50. Buzz together : SWARM

52. Weak, as an excuse : LAME

55. Make swell : BLOAT

57. Green lights : OKs

64. "Twin Peaks" Emmy nominee Sherilyn : FENN. Total stranger to me.

65. Play kickoff : ACT ONE. Made me think of football.

68. Beats by a nose : EDGES

69. Loc. __ : CIT

70. Cruising : ASEA

71. Hawaiian priests : KAHUNAS. Nice entry.

73. 2000s leadership nickname : DUBYA. I like Sr.

75. Requiring slower driving : CURVIER

77. Smooth : EVEN

78. Some like it hot : TEA. I do. I've never watched the movie though.

80. Money : LUCRE. Filthy.

82. Mosey : TOOTLE. New meaning to me.

83. Salacious : LEWD

87. "Take me __ am" : AS I

88. Kodak prefix : INSTA. Instant?

89. Get a whiff of this : ODOR

90. Actors without lines : MIMEs

94. Civil Rights Memorial architect : LIN (Maya). Lin is a quite popular surname in China, meaning "forest".

96. The Concert for Bangladesh instrument : SITAR. I know Ravi Shankar was involved.

99. Antique auto : REO

101. Color on a Florida Marlins uniform : TEAL. C'est vrai.

102. Spy : AGENT

108. Got free, in a way : MOOCHED

111. Nutmeg spice : MACE

112. Trans-Canada Hwy. rate : KPH. Kilometers/Kilometres per hour.

113. Conducted : LED

114. '80s sitcom puppet : ALF

115. Avoid a reception : ELOPE. Wedding reception.

118. Staked shelter : TENT

120. "Don't play" symbol : REST

122. Dandy guy? : JIM. Jim Dandy.

128. Reproductive cells : OVA

129. Tout de suite : AT ONCE. Would be nice to see TOUT DE SUITE as an answer someday.

130. Psychology __ : TODAY. Unaware of this magazine. Maybe Lois reads.

131. Le Havre lady friend : AMIE

132. Cartoon Chihuahua : REN

133. Emphatic acceptance : YES, YES

134. Hitches : SNAGs

135. Get loud : YELL

Down:

1. Dot-com start-up? : WWW

2. Hot tub reaction : AAH

3. Benny Goodman is credited with starting it : SWING ERA. My favorite fill today.

4. Trooper lead-in : PARA. Paratrooper.

5. Rural storage area : HAYLOFT

6. __ weaver: spider : ORB

7. Next in line : HEIR

8. Like green peppers : UNRIPE. Tricky clue.

9. Arrived : MADE IT

10. Jazz genre : BOP

11. Mimicked : APED

12. Hubs : LOCI

13. Singer Lopez : TRINI. Learned from doing Xword.

14. Give __: try : IT A GO. Two partials in this grid. Not bad.

15. Mayflower passenger : COLONIST

17. Price-fixing group : CARTEL

18. Slings mud at : SMEARS

24. Overachieving Simpson : LISA

25. Wolf (down) : SNARF

31. Deicing may delay them: Abbr. : ETDs

32. Grub : CHOW

34. Folder for Mulder : X-FILE. Fox Mulder. Nice rhyme.

36. Lust ending : FUL. Lustful.

38. Short agreement : I DO

40. Battle scar : WAR WOUND. Thought of the Marlboro marine.

41. Car dealer's offer : LEASE

42. Low wind : TUBA. Wind instrument.

43. Spiral: Pref. : HELIC

48. Former Seattle NBAer : SONIC

51. "Death in Venice" author : MANN (Thomas)

53. None-for-the-road gp.? : MADD. No alcohol!

54. Swamp : ENGULF

56. Sharp : ASTUTE

58. Be in the front row in a team photo, say : KNEEL. Vivid image.

59. Trap : SNARE

61. "Annie Hall" Oscar winner : KEATON (Diane). Hence sometimes we see "Hall of fame" for ANNIE.

62. Unveiling : DEBUT

63. Hitchcock classic : PSYCHO

64. One paying the least : FAVORITE

65. Cub Scout leader : AKELA

66. Troglodyte homes : CAVEs. Did not know the meaning of "troglodyte".

72. "The Sneetches" author : SEUSS

74. Not greenery-friendly : ARID

76. Drift : ROAM

79. Place with dusty keepsakes : ATTIC. Where's the shoebox with old baseball cards?

81. Vast, in odes : ENORM

85. Colorful words : OATH

86. Unleash, as havoc : WREAK

88. Like obstacles : IN THE WAY

91. Periodic table period? : MEALTIME. Not chemical.

92. A downspout may begin under one : EAVE

93. Husky's burden : SLED

95. Part of many bus. names : INC

97. One of a swinging pair? : ARM. Another devious clue!

98. Calf catcher : RIATA

100. Hawks once threatened by DDT : OSPREYs. Unaware of this trivia.

102. Key of Beethoven's "Kreutzer Sonata" : A MAJOR. Music is always my blind spot.

103. Cut to a roving reporter : GO LIVE. I like this entry too.

105. Bloodhound pickups : SCENTS

106. Muscle/bone connection : TENDON

107. Pique : WHET. Any tip on how to pick a good avocado at grocery store?

109. Thrill : ELATE

110. Bygone birds : DODOs. Hey, Dodo!

116. Like some air fresheners : PINY

117. Differ finish : ENCE. Difference.

119. "All finished!" : TADA

121. "Don't move a muzzle!" : STAY

124. Some light bulbs : GEs. GE's stock performance has been dismal.

125. Sack : BAG

126. Not a bit : NIL

127. Shaver's option : GEL

Answer grid.