SUNDAY, November 29, 2009Merl Reagle (calendar)

Theme: "The Furry Thought of You" — Cat puns!

[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 the write-up of today's syndicated puzzle.]

Theme answers:

• 23A: Cat's new "I've chased my last rodent" attitude? (NO MORE MR. MICE GUY).
• 31A: Washed oneself thoroughly? (LICKED HIGH AND LOW).
• 53A: All-natural cat drink from Celestial Seasonings? (HAIRBALL TEA).
• 62A/72A: Where cats dream of living? (DOWN BY THE OLD MILK STREAM).
• 83A/92A: Cat's singalong instruction? (FOLLOW THE / POUNCING PAW).
• 110A: Cat's favorite Ingmar Bergman film? (CRIES AND WHISKERS).
• 125A: Cat's favorite play? (ROMEOW AND JULIET).

I'm running pretty late today, so I'll just point out a few things and get this post up for you.

• 20A: Texas Panhandle city (AMARILLO). Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. George Strait:

• 21A: Kahlo's husband (RIVERA). Artists Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera.
• 28A: Cert. accessways (RDS.). I'm not entirely sure what "cert." means here. Certified?
• 38A: CAT, for one (SCAN). Bonus non-theme theme answer. See also 116D: Part of CAT (AXIAL).
• 43A: Rotating the other way: abbr. (CCW). Counter-clockwise. Ouch!

• 51A: Victimized clay guy on "SNL" reruns (MR. BILL). Oh noooooooo!
• 56A: It made the Metro (GEO). The Geo Metro is a car.
• 60A: Singer about Alice (ARLO). With any luck, the final Thanksgiving reference of the weekend.
• 119A: D and C, in D.C., for ex. (STS.). In Washington, D.C., many of the streets are named with letters. So "D" and "C" are both STreets in D.C.
• 131A: Nabisco's ___ biscuits (1898) (UNEEDA). Huh?
• 24D: January's Jr. (MLK). Martin Luther King, Jr. is honored in January.
• 87D: Walk this way?: abbr. (NNE). Random.

Everything Else — 1A: Corrected (REMEDIED); 9A: Stuff (THINGS); 15A: Astonish (AMAZE); 22A: Typesetting machs. (LINOS); 25A: "Goldfinger" prop (INGOT); 26A: Play the market (TRADE); 27A: Stripe (ILK); 29A: Start to whiz (GEE); 30A: "Auld Lang ___" (SYNE); 40A: Revealing Julie Andrews film (S.O.B.); 41A: Where Waterford is (EIRE); 42A: Where Naples is: abbr. (FLA.); 46A: Plasty preceder (ANGIO-); 49A: He influenced Baudelaire (POE); 59A: "Who ___?" (IS IT); 61A: Mtn. info (ELEV.); 65A: Help PBS, e.g. (PLEDGE); 68A: Tiller intro (ROTO-); 70A: Brown shades (ECRUS); 71A: Vegan's staple (SOY); 76A: NBA great Unseld (WES); 79A: Gem engraving (CAMEO); 80A: To see, in Toulouse (VOIR); 81A: Gaudy (GARISH); 86A: Lady of Spain (DOÑA); 89A: Cream classic, "___ Glad" (I'M SO); 90A: Actor who played a TV surgeon (ALDA); 91A: "Of all people" preceder (YOU); 95A: Food (VIANDS); 98A: Actress Joanne (DRU); 100A: Aquarium fish (TETRA); 101A: Roget wd. (SYN.); 102A: Sea predator (EEL); 103A: Taft's birthplace (OHIO); 106A: Mode intro (À LA); 108A: Stable food (OATS); 115A: Confiscate (TAKE); 120A: Commotion (ADO); 121A: Cash extension? (-IER); 122A: Battle participants? (SEXES); 123A: Indian of Sonora, Mex. (YAQUI); 130A: Give the slip to (ELUDE); 132A: Water wings? (SEAPLANE); 133A: County fair critter (STEER); 134A: Video categories (GENRES); 135A: Post-Christmas events (TOY SALES); 1D: Tirades (RANTS); 2D: Atlanta university (EMORY); 3D: Paris parent (MAMAN); 4D: Wears away (ERODES); 5D: Urgent (DIRE); 6D: Project finish? (-ILE); 7D: Shade tree (ELM); 8D: Column type (DORIC); 9D: Kids' wheels (TRIKES); 10D: Juice-drink brand (HI-C); 11D: "___ got it!" (I'VE); 12D: Actress Pola (NEGRI); 13D: It can be nursed (GRUDGE); 14D: Greets (SAYS HI); 15D: Orthodontist, at times (ALIGNER); 16D: Went for the gold? (MINED); 17D: Heavenly swimmer? (ANGELFISH); 18D: Place with a keeper (ZOO); 19D: Rough fig. (EST.); 31D: Actress Turner (LANA); 32D: Brit's fireplace (INGLE); 33D: L-___ (DOPA); 34D: Home of "Real Sports" (HBO); 35D: Chair part (ARM); 36D: Stan's partner (OLLIE); 37D: Mickey's creator (WALT); 39D: Trucker's compartment (CAB); 43D: Blokes (CHAPS); 44D: Sophia married him (CARLO); 45D: Aviator Post (WILEY); 47D: In need of ipecac (ILL); 48D: Funny Cheri (OTERI); 50D: Trip requirement? (EGO); 52D: Smithereens (BITS); 54D: Piece of pier gear (ROD); 55D: Change with time (EVOLVE); 57D: Water pitcher (EWER); 58D: A single time (ONCE); 62D: Square dance maneuver (DO-SI-DO); 63D: Crow (BRAG); 64D: Arizona city (YUMA); 66D: Type of score (GOAL); 67D: Sailors' saint (ELMO); 69D: Ring decision, briefly (TKO); 73D: Wet (DEWY); 74D: Marquand sleuth (MOTO); 75D: Vonnegut's Kilgore (TROUT); 76D: Scaredy-cats (WIMPS); 77D: Opinion piece (ESSAY); 78D: Demonstrated (SHOWN); 79D: TV's Clampetts, e.g. (CLAN); 82D: Fix (RIG); 83D: Handbill (FLIER); 84D: Harem girl (ODALISQUE); 85D: Newman classic (HUD); 88D: Power, for one (ACTOR); 90D: With, in Vichy (AVEC); 92D: Hungarian sheepdog (PULI); 93D: Saver's options (IRAS); 94D: Jazzman Adderley (NAT); 96D: Spy-film file (DOSSIER); 97D: ___ Na Na (SHA); 99D: Cheery word? (RAH); 104D: Snug bug's place (IN A RUG); 105D: Queer bird (ODD ONE); 107D: "___ saying ..." (AS I WAS); 109D: Stanley's shout (STELLA); 111D: Piano piece (ETUDE); 112D: Word on a door (WOMEN); 113D: Inactive volcano, Mauna ___ (KEA); 114D: 007 foe's first name (ERNST); 117D: Peachy N.H. city? (KEENE); 118D: Sen. Kefauver (ESTES); 122D: Dines (SUPS); 123D: "You rang?" ("YES?"); 124D: Other rte. (ALT.); 126D: Profit add-on? (-EER); 127D: Celebrating work (ODE); 128D: "In excelsis ___" (DEO); 129D: First Chief Justice John (JAY).