Theme: "Ease Off" - Long E sound is replaced by a long A sound.
22A. Cleaner who doesn't bother with corners?: STRAIGHT SWEEPER. Street sweeper.
45A. Soft sounds from the barnyard?: GENTLE BRAYS. Gentle breeze.
68A. Gardeners who can tend a plot really, really fast?: SPADE DEMONS. Speed demons.
93A. Words on a sale poster?: PRICE PHRASE. Price freeze.
120A. Squabble over whose turn it is to get the car fixed?: MAINTENANCE FRAY. Maintenance-free.
15D. Interruption during the America's Cup?: SUSPENDED SAILING. Suspended ceiling.
37D. Race official?: JUSTICE OF THE PACE. Justice of the peace.
I really admire the creatively into this type of sound change theme. I can only do the letter replacement.
I think newbies can reference this grid when they design a seven-theme for the LAT. It's very well done. Pam is a total pro.
Across:
6. Came down: ALIT.
10. Sweets: HON.
13. Playwright Henrik: IBSEN. We have not seen GYNT for sometime.
18. Jetson canine: ASTRO.
19. Actor MacFarlane: SETH.
20. 92-Down base: RICE. 92. Ristorante dish: RISOTTO. Here's Blue Hen's cheater risotto recipe.
21. Timid: MOUSY.
25. Celeb's entourage: POSSE.
26. Epic journey: ODYSSEY. We made two VA trips on Wednesday due to an extra CT scan. Boomer was totally exhausted afterwards.
27. Long skirt: MAXI.
28. Director DuVernay: AVA. Just had her last Sunday.
30. Ad: SPOT.
31. Signature piece?: PEN. Great clue.
32. Encore presentation: RERUN.
33. Nullify: NEGATE.
35. Army bigwigs: Abbr.: MAJS. Majors. I think 90% of the VA patients I've seen are guys.
38. __ Jima: IWO.
40. Nursery purchase: TREE.
42. Occasion: EVENT.
44. Terre Haute sch.: ISU. Indiana State University.
49. Urgent-care pro: ER DOC. Always takes a long long time to get discharged from the ER. Those doctors tend to disappear.
51. Cotton thread: LISLE.
53. Rosary unit: BEAD.
54. Sporty Chevy: VETTE.
56. Self-image: EGO.
57. Some D.C. pros: NATIONALS. I remember the craze over Bryce Harper's rookie card.
59. Many a middle schooler: PRETEEN.
61. Family man: DAD.
62. Head-scratcher: ENIGMA.
63. Fencing sword: EPEE.
65. Mortise inserts: TENONS.
67. Expert: ACE.
72. __ de cologne: EAU.
74. Deletes: ERASES.
76. Farm tower: SILO.
77. Accommodate: OBLIGE.
80. Loving murmur: COO.
82. Trio-quartet combos: SEPTETS.
84. Rainy day gear: UMBRELLAS.
87. "Walk me!": ARF.
88. More faithful: TRUER.
89. "The Checklist Manifesto" surgeon/author Gawande: ATUL. Google shows that Atul has the Sanskrit origin, means "matchless or an incomparable person".
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90. Besmirch: TAINT.
91. D.C. subway: METRO.
97. Confidentiality contract: Abbr.: NDA. Non-Disclosure Agreement.
98. "Keep your __ on!": SHIRT.
100. Applaud: CLAP.
101. __ Dhabi: ABU.
102. Thickener used in molecular gastronomy: AGAR. Not familiar with "molecular gastronomy", but "thickener" is enough a clue. Agar is widely used in Asian desserts.
103. Prose pieces: ESSAYS.
106. Cybersales: E-TAIL.
108. Helena hrs.: MST.
110. Tit for tat, say?: TYPO. Another great clue.
112. Furry friend: PET.
113. Broadcasts: AIRS.
114. Lactose-free coffee additive: OAT MILK. I use this extra creamy oat milk for my matcha latte.
118. Literature Nobelist who served in the Irish Senate: YEATS. I knew this!
123. Hard-to-handle plants: CACTI.
124. Goes astray: ERRS.
125. Alaskan seaport: NOME.
126. Earring in a Vermeer painting: PEARL. We also have 48. Dutch painter Jan: STEEN.
127. Creme-filled cookies: OREOS.
128. Surname separator: NEE.
129. Short "So long!": TTYL.
130. Common __: SENSE.
Down:
2. Cornerstone abbr.: ESTD.
3. "It was nothing": I TRY.
4. Understands: GRASPS.
5. __-canceling headphones: NOISE. Our new neighbor has a kid who likes to play basketball in their garage for hours.
6. Like a used firepit: ASHY.
7. Allowed: LET.
8. Personal identification?: IT'S ME.
9. Scuppered: THWARTED. Consonants-heavy.
10. With it: HIP.
11. "On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous" novelist Vuong: OCEAN. Also famous for his "Night Sky with Exit Wounds". Here is why he's named Ocean. I have the same problem. My "bitch" and "beach" are the same.
12. Audacity: NERVE.
13. Troublemaking kid: IMP.
14. Second shot: BOOSTER.
16. Petro-Canada rival: ESSO.
17. Russian "no": NYET.
20. "The Princess Bride" director: REINER (Rob). "As you wish!".
23. Fabled wish-granter: GENIE.
24. Outlying community: EXURB.
29. Info requested by winery websites: AGE. Also 111. Wine label number: YEAR.
32. Canned tomatoes brand: ROTEL. I just threw away an almost full jar of Ragu. I had no idea that the sauce only lasts a week in the fridge.
34. Active Naturals skin care brand: AVEENO. Oaty!
35. Writer who created Pooh and Roo: MILNE.
36. Seoul airline: ASIANA.
39. Org. whose 2021 MVP was Jonquel Jones: WNBA. Playing for the Connecticut Sun
41. Roof overhang: EAVE.
43. Easily improvised costume: TOGA.
45. Math subj.: GEOM.
46. Shined a light on?: LASED.
47. "The best is __ come": YET TO.
50. __ liver oil: COD.
52. Hybrid big cat: LIGER.
55. Stretching muscle: TENSOR.
58. Lake on the Nile: NASSER.
59. Mani-__: spa treatments: PEDIS.
60. Fishing line holder: REEL.
64. Irksome one: PEST.
66. Harlem Renaissance novelist Larsen: NELLA. Learning moment for me.
69. Caffeinate, perhaps: PEP UP.
70. Flower that sounds like a furrier: ASTER. And 75. Furriers who sound like flowers: ASTORS
71. River delta area: MOUTH.
73. Kenya neighbor: UGANDA.
78. __ noire: BETE.
79. Basic Spanish infinitive: ESTAR. To be.
80. GoPro product, briefly: CAM.
81. Mined finds: ORES.
83. Stonestreet of "Modern Family": ERIC.
85. Big picture?: MURAL. This works without the ? also.
86. Spill the beans: BLAB.
89. Plain to see: APPARENT.
94. Spruces up: CLEANS.
95. Totally face-plant: EAT IT. I overhead Boomer shouted "Take that, Janice" when he was watching a Twins & Guardians (Indians) game.
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| Janice and her daughter at an Indians Game Pre-COVID |
96. Poison __: SUMAC. The one on the left is not poisonous.
99. Faucet: TAP.
102. Money paid to get money: ATM FEE.
104. Oman neighbor: YEMEN.
105. Fixed gaze: STARE.
107. Immature comeback: IS NOT.
109. Dance moves: STEPS.
110. Bygone name in toys: TYCO.
114. Turow book: ONE L.
115. Setting of the memoir "Reading Lolita in Tehran": IRAN.
116. Metallica drummer Ulrich: LARS.
117. "Friday Night Lights" actor Chandler: KYLE.
119. "__-boom-bah!": SIS.
121. Anger: IRE.
122. Minnesota senator Klobuchar: AMY. We're a super blue state.
Thanks for the sweet birthday wishes. We were super busy that day with various appointments, but we enjoyed a chocolate cake, some red apricots (new to me) on a beautiful Minnesota summer day.
Boomer completed his radiation on Friday. Unfortunately his oncologist tested positive for COVID, so he was not able to get bone strengthener infusion, which is postponed to July 11th.
Next week we'll meet with the spinal cord doctor. And his normal PT/OT.
C.C.