Theme: "Undercover Work" - Seven different type of service are hidden in each theme answer.
22A. *Rejects, in a way: SWIPES LEFT. Self service.
113A. *Journeys that aren't fun: GUILT TRIPS. Lip service.
7D. *"Landslide" group: FLEETWOOD MAC. Food service.
13D. *Revere: PUT ON A PEDESTAL. Postal service.
15D. *Nissan Leaf, e.g.: ELECTRIC VEHICLE. Civic service.
42D. *Inverts: TURNS UP SIDE DOWN. Turndown service.
50D. *Farmers' market find: HEIRLOOM TOMATO. Room service.
61D. *Dish commonly made with cod: FISH AND CHIPS. Fan service is new to me.
Reveal:
33. President's protector ... and a hint to the circled letters: SECRET SERVICE.
Great to see Hoang-Kim Vu back. He gave us this puzzle last year. Congrats, Jessica, on your LA Times debut.
For this type of "Secret" or "Hidden" theme, we normally we get the key words fully embedded in each theme entry. This is a variation.
Heavy themage. I like how two of the Across themers intersect two Downs. This grid can be flipped and then we'd have a normal Sunday grid with theme entries mostly in Across.
Across:
1. Features of many beds: SLATS.
6. Curly coif: AFRO.
10. Evite request: RSVP.
14. Like half a towel set: HERS.
18. Cliff dwelling: AERIE. It's also the name of American Eagle's underwear line.
19. Place at the pier: SLIP.
20. World's smallest island nation: NAURU.
21. Lamb pen name: ELIA. Charles Lamb.
24. "... but maybe I'm wrong": OR NOT.
25. Took off: WENT.
26. Rest, in Rioja: SIESTA. Alliteration.
27. Nutmeg State Ivy Leaguer: ELI.
28. Social media movement since 2017: ME TOO.
29. Movie SFX: CGI.
30. Fashion monogram: YSL.
31. Speeds up: HASTENS.
34. Carolina quarterback with a Heisman Trophy: CAM NEWTON. And 37. Kneeling quarterback Tim with a Heisman Trophy: TEBOW.
38. Mount: GET ON.
40. State to be true: AVER.
41. Part of CDC: Abbr.: CTRS. Never paid attention to who the CDC director was until the virus hit us. Dr. Robert Redfield at the helm now.
43. How some like it?: HOT.
45. NFL sportscaster Collinsworth: CRIS.
46. Green film on bronze: PATINA.
49. Down in the dumps: BLUE.
50. Style of earrings: HOOP.
51. Kylo in "The Rise of Skywalker": REN.
52. Commonly misplaced camera part: LENS CAP.
53. Run, as a museum: CURATE.
55. Sees: DATES.
57. Features of many 48-Down: ADS. 48. Phone downloads: APPS.
58. Celeb, say: VIP.
59. Dojo instructor: SENSEI. Literally "born before". Japanese and Chinese have the same characters. The second character here means "born".
60. Visibility reducer: MIST.
61. Enemy: FOE.
62. Comes together: GELS.
63. Rise to an exalted level, as spirits: SOAR.
64. Early Southwestern natives around the Virgin River: ANASAZI. New word to me. The Smithsonian says "Their descendants are today's Pueblo Indians".
67. Persian for "king": SHAH.
69. Rode teacups, say: SPUN.
71. Inc. relative: LLC.
73. Squeezes (out): EKES.
74. "Fiddler" toasting song: TO LIFE.
77. Dadaist Jean: ARP.
78. __ the line: TOE.
79. Chart with lines: GRAPH.
80. Largest U.S. federation of unions: AFL- CIO.
81. Aerospace task: MISSION. And the Mars-obsessed 86. Musk in the news: ELON.
83. Head, for short: LAV.
84. Cloud of gloom: PALL.
87. Dre protégé: EMINEM.
88. Gp. that looks to the stars?: SETI. OK, the real stars.
89. Soul mate, with "the": ONE.
90. Salon colors: DYES. What's the first thing you'll do when this virus is over? Haircut for me.
91. Pub flier: DART.
92. Dog: POOCH.
94. Reps' pitches: DEMOS.
96. Peels out: STEPS ON IT.
99. Have humble pie: EAT CROW.
101. Side dish piece: FRY.
104. Taken in: HAD.
105. Chinese gambling mecca: MACAO. Macau is more common. Love their egg tarts and pork chop buns.
107. Informal rejection: NAH.
108. Dish: ENTREE.
110. Scores: A LOT.
112. Bitter: ACERB.
115. Christchurch native: KIWI. Wiki says Christchurch is the "largest city in the South Island of New Zealand."
116. Lands like a rock: THUDS.
117. Like some inappropriate comments: UN-PC.
118. Navel variety: OUTIE.
119. Pull hard: YANK.
120. "My bad!": OOPS.
121. Combat vet's affliction: PTSD.
122. Highlighter hues: NEONS.
Down:
1. Fresh: SASSY.
2. Narnia creator C.S.: LEWIS.
3. Disney mermaid: ARIEL.
4. Check additions: TIPS.
5. Boils: SEETHES.
6. Syst. with hand signals: ASL.
8. Search through hastily: RIFLE.
9. Selecting: OPTING.
10. Numismatist's prize: RARE COIN.
11. Basking goals: SUNTANS.
12. Big engine sound: VROOM.
14. Take down: HEW.
16. Jewelry-inspired pop nickname: RINGO. Wow, it has a ring connection?
17. Lustrous fabric: SATIN.
20. Happy eating word: NOM. Looking forward to making this, as soon as I receive my Amazon salted kelp. Amazon is soooo slow these days.
23. Swedish auto: SAAB.
32. NYC or London area: SOHO.
35. Captain America portrayer Chris: EVANS.
36. Waters: WETS.
37. Quisling's crime: TREASON.
39. "__ bien!": TRES.
41. Idea: CLUE.
44. "Rappa Ternt Sanga" artist: T PAIN.
47. Stick, as a landing: NAIL.
49. Former NCAA football ranking sys.: BCS. Bowl Championship Series. Replaced by College Football Playoff.
52. Vientiane people: LAO.
54. Important Kenya export: TEA. Mostly black teas.
56. Flight safety org.: TSA.
62. Proofreaders' proofs: GALLEYS.
65. Pseudonym letters: AKA.
66. One of the Marx Brothers: ZEPPO.
68. Where stars are honored: Abbr.: HOF. Boomer is in this Hall of Fame. Ha ha. Our hallway is full of his plaques and patches.
69. "Ditto": SAME.
70. Kat's sister in "The Hunger Games": PRIM.
72. Novelist Deighton: LEN.
75. Verizon bundle: FIOS. Acronym for Fiber Optic Service.
76. Long time span: EON.
78. Fancy cake feature: TIERS.
79. Felino doméstico: GATO. Domestic feline.
82. Digital sound?: SNAP. Hand!
83. Ballet garb: LEOTARDS.
85. Discomfiting look: LEER.
88. Add zest to: SPICE UP.
90. Dear Abbey for many?: DOWNTON.
93. Emotional problem: HANGUP.
95. Bubbly brand: MOET.
96. Unreliable: SHAKY.
97. __ al Ghul: daughter of a Batman enemy: TALIA. Learning moment for me.
98. Salsa holder: NACHO.
100. Bleachers' dig: TAUNT.
101. Crunchy snack: FRITO.
102. Adjust on a lapel, perhaps: RE-PIN.
103. Ayes: YESES.
106. Birthing room docs: OBS.
109. Loyal: TRUE.
111. __Tok: video sharing service: TIK.
114. HDTV choice: LCD.
Kazie (Kay) kindly sent me this lovely picture with below note:
"I'm attaching a recent photo if you'd like it--Lea's school beginning last August, which the whole family attended. The large school bag, an item of pride to her that day, distinguishes schoolkids from the Kindergartners, and the huge cone called a Zuckertüte in Saxony, is filled with candy and gifts. In most German states, they have a huge ceremony to introduce the 1st graders to real school, after they're done with kindergarten. In Lea's case, she had been going to kindergarten since she was about a year old. She just turned 7 this January, but of course has been home with her sister and mom since the virus closed everything down."
Here's Lea with Grandpa Barry in 2013.
C.C. #JessicaZetzman #Sunday #Hoang-KimVu
