October 9, 2011
Merl Reagle
[Note: This is the puzzle that appears in the Sunday L.A. Times newspaper. If you don't get the paper, you can find the puzzle here. Scroll down to see today's syndicated puzzle.]
Theme: "Surprise Endings" — Each theme answer is a movie title with it's last letter changed to a different letter.
Theme answers:
- 17A: Song about Astaire's arrival? (BORN FRED). [free]
- 22A: Steve Martin in his early days? (THE SINGING NUT). [nun]
- 28A: What forensic shows take a close look at? (THE INSIDES). [insider]
- 40A: New reality show about celebs on a pig farm? (THE STINK). [sting]
- 45A: How you know that it's St. Patrick's Day in kindergarten? (THE GREEN MILK). [mile]
- 60A: Bite-size fast food? (LITTLE BIG MAC). [man]
- 63A: Knight with bad table manners? (IVANHOG). [hoe]
- 69A: Mechanical bull for the kids? (ROBO-COW). [cop]
- 76A: The Big Bang Theory, in German? (DAS BOOM). [boot]
- 80A: The Easy-Bake, for one? (STARTING OVEN). [over]
- 92A: Elvis's least favorite nickname? (MEMPHIS BELLY). [belle]
- 96A: Item in a maternity ward gift shop? (TOY STORK). [story]
- 109A: Mad magazine version of a De Niro movie? (TAXI DRIVEL). [driver]
- 120A: What Beano is? (FOR ME AND MY GAS). [gal]
- 126A: What stockings are called in Indiana? (HOOSIERY). [hoosiers]
Everything — 1A: Detroit's contribution to mag. revenues (CAR ADS); 7A: Like The Who's Tommy (DEAF); 11A: Herpetology subject (ASP); 14A: Epiphany moment (AHA); 17A: Song about Astaire's arrival? (BORN FRED); 19A: Big marine mammal (ORCA); 20A: Nav. rank (CPO); 21A: Oomph (VIM); 22A: Steve Martin in his early days? (THE SINGING NUT); 24A: "Rashomon" star's first name (TOSHIRO); 26A: With 27 Across, excelled in (WAS); 27A: See 26 Across (GOOD AT); 28A: What forensic shows take a close look at? (THE INSIDES); 30A: "Hang ___ your hats" (ONTO); 32A: Put down (DEMEAN); 34A: Foam alternative (GEL); 35A: John Elroy Sanford, casually (REDD); 39A: "Of this ___ certain" (I AM); 40A: New reality show about celebs on a pig farm? (THE STINK); 45A: How you know that it's St. Patrick's Day in kindergarten? (THE GREEN MILK); 50A: Dict. abbr. (OBS.); 51A: Finish (a parking lot) (TAR); 52A: "___ you ready?" (ARE); 53A: "Teacher's Pet" star (GABLE); 54A: Michael Moore documentary (SICKO); 56A: "This ___ sudden!" (IS SO); 57A: Unrevealing skirt (MAXI); 59A: Wrigley's field? (GUM); 60A: Bite-size fast food? (LITTLE BIG MAC); 63A: Knight with bad table manners? (IVANHOG); 65A: Store-hours word (TIL); 66A: Actress Wray (FAY); 67A: Film unit (REEL); 68A: Painter Vermeer (JAN); 69A: Mechanical bull for the kids? (ROBO-COW); 71A: Hood's lead-spitter (GAT); 72A: Pony provoker (SPUR); 74A: Bonehead (OAF); 75A: Horn with keys (SAX); 76A: The Big Bang Theory, in German? (DAS BOOM); 80A: The Easy-Bake, for one? (STARTING OVEN); 83A: Nobelist Octavio (PAZ); 84A: With 70 Down, a Rat Packer's story (YES I); 85A: Delilah opposite Victor's Samson (HEDY); 86A: Tiny Pacific nation (NAURU); 87A: "Stop!" follower (THIEF); 89A: Auric and M's creator (IAN); 90A: Cologne conjunction (UND); 91A: Faraday's forte: abbr. (SCI.); 92A: Elvis's least favorite nickname? (MEMPHIS BELLY); 96A: Item in a maternity ward gift shop? (TOY STORK); 99A: Iowa college (COE); 100A: "There is no try" utterer (YODA); 101A: "Gang" preceder (OUR); 102A: Go by, as time (ELAPSE); 105A: Auto or info follower (BAHN); 109A: Mad magazine version of a De Niro movie? (TAXI DRIVEL); 113A: The second kind of, formally (TYPE II); 118A: Try to win over (WOO); 119A: Admission of a sort (SO I LIED); 120A: What Beano is? (FOR ME AND MY GAS); 123A: 66 Across in "King Kong" (ANN); 124A: Friendly intro? (ECO-); 125A: Hefty instrument (TUBA); 126A: What stockings are called in Indiana? (HOOSIERY); 127A: Rule, for short (REG.); 128A: B'way crossers (STS.); 129A: Tennis term, briefly (AD IN); 130A: Not on the level (SLOPED); 1D: Winning Cagney role (COHAN); 2D: "Give it ___!" (A REST); 3D: Hospital VIPs (RN'S); 4D: Doesn't care ___ (A FIG); 5D: Bond foe (DR. NO); 6D: Utah's lily (SEGO); 7D: Iditarod crew (DOG TEAM); 8D: East extension? (-ERN); 9D: Sharp (ACUTE); 10D: Jazzman Earl "___" Hines (FATHA); 11D: When Romeo meets Juliet (ACT I); 12D: Cartoon sea dweller (SPONGE BOB); 13D: Take hold of (POSSESS); 14D: Enthusiastic (AVID); 15D: Choose for a chore (HIRE); 16D: Singer Tori (AMOS); 17D: Stealth bomber (B-TWO); 18D: Sufficed (DID); 23D: Chuck Berry tune (NADINE); 25D: Sword part (HILT); 29D: Respond add-on (-ENT); 31D: Pyromorphite, e.g. (ORE); 33D: New century's start (MMI); 36D: Dinosaur-to-be (EGG); 37D: Last interminably (DRAGON); 38D: Clean (computers) (DEBUG); 41D: Cornball (HOKEY); 42D: Phone ID of a sort (IT'S ME); 43D: Stuffy-sounding (NASAL); 44D: Burger king? (KROC); 45D: Tritt, for short (TRAV); 46D: Gon or gram lead-in (HEXA-); 47D: Popular street tree (ELM); 48D: D-Day landing vessel, commonly (LST); 49D: Small vulpine varmint (KIT FOX); 52D: "What ___, Fort Knox?" (AM I); 55D: Talon (CLAW); 56D: "___ with a little help from my friends" (I GET BY); 58D: Player's sideliner (INJURY); 60D: Bk. depository (LIB.); 61D: "How can ___?" (gambler's query) (I LOSE); 62D: Gershwin and others (IRAS); 64D: Lyricist Lorenz (HART); 65D: True ___ (as expected) (TO FORM); 69D: Prego rival (RAGU); 70D: See 84 Across (CAN); 71D: Town-square structure (GAZEBO); 72D: Pad user (STENO); 73D: Marty's creator (PADDY); 74D: Broadcasting (ON AIR); 76D: Dagwood's dog (DAISY); 77D: Trompe l'___ (OEIL); 78D: Anthem start (O SAY); 79D: Sec's partner? (MIN); 80D: Word in a Kubrick title (SHUT); 81D: Wrong (INCORRECT); 82D: French sight, or a Saturn model (VUE); 83D: Upsilon follower (PHI); 87D: "Look me in ___ ..." (THE EYE); 88D: Bernanke's purview, with "the" (FED); 91D: Hits the books (STUDIES); 93D: Feminist's target: abbr. (MCP); 94D: U.S. male? (POSTMAN); 95D: Testing setting (LAB); 97D: Potting need (SOIL); 98D: Former "Tonight Show" guitarist Eubanks, familiarly (KEV); 103D: ___ message (LEFT A); 104D: For all to hear (ALOUD); 106D: "___, do I have to?" (AW GEE); 107D: Store selfishly (HOARD); 108D: Meddlesome (NOSY); 109D: Pre-1917 bigwig (TSAR); 110D: Tip-top (A-ONE); 111D: Ped ___ (X'ING); 112D: Some promises (I DO'S); 114D: Oom-___ band (PAH); 115D: Slugger Slaughter (ENOS); 116D: Fan club focus (IDOL); 117D: "___ out of it today" (I'M SO); 121D: Diamond stat (RBI); 122D: Yorkie's bark (YIP).
