SUNDAY, March 14, 2010 — Merl Reagle (calendar)

Theme: "Beware" — Fifteen (!) theme answers end with IDE, alluding to the Ides of March (a bad day for Julius Caesar).

[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:

• 22A: City near San Diego (OCEANSIDE).
• 24A: BCS champs of 2010 (CRIMSON TIDE).
• 32A: Achieve normal speed (HIT ONE'S STRIDE).
• 39A: Come together? (COLLIDE).
• 60A: Good person to know on the way up (MOUNTAIN GUIDE).
• 69A: "Here comes ___" (THE BRIDE).
• 73A: Real (BONA FIDE).
• 83A: Bad news for the hunted (NOWHERE TO HIDE).
• 103A: Poison in apple seeds (CYANIDE).
• 111A: Photosynthesis need (CARBON DIOXIDE).
• 123A: From sea to shining sea (COUNTRYWIDE).
• 126A: Film fest town and ski resort (TELLURIDE).
• 3D: Rockies feature (GREAT DIVIDE).
• 46D: "Think about it" ("YOU DECIDE").
• 75D: Spray of a sort (INSECTICIDE).

Everything Else — 1A: Egg ___ (NOGS); 5A: Virginie, par exemple (ETAT); 9A: Teapot cover (COZY); 13A: Carpet meas. (SQ. YD.); 17A: Says "for her and I," e.g. (ERRS); 18A: Bear's bedroom (LAIR); 19A: Perfect report card (AAAAA); 21A: Flick featuring Flicka, perhaps (OATER); 26A: With 110 Across, an oldies band (SHA); 27A: Jed's find (OIL); 28A: The slim picture (AFTER); 30A: What a 3-0 game lacks (TDS); 31A: Sound of a slug (POW); 35A: Use a scythe (REAP); 37A: Track info (ODDS); 38A: El ___ (PASO); 42A: "Who ___?" (phone query) (IS THIS); 45A: Nora portrayer (MYRNA); 49A: University founder Stanford (LELAND); 51A: OH pro (CAV); 53A: Sneeze need (HANKY); 55A: Bradley et al. (OMARS); 57A: "That's ___!" (A LIE); 58A: Concerto key (A MINOR); 64A: Rien, in Rio (NADA); 65A: Lusty (RIBALD); 68A: Old Dodges (OMNIS); 71A: Drops on crops (DEW); 78A: Blows the whistle (on) (TELLS); 80A: Wine bottle (CARAFE); 82A: Strong as ___ (AN OX); 88A: Erects (PUTS UP); 90A: Andy's kid (OPIE); 91A: Unhyphenated (SOLID); 92A: Polite denial (NO SIR); 95A: With 101 Across, a vanity case? (EGO); 96A: Was the head of (HELMED); 99A: Site of ancient Greek games (NEMEA); 101A: See 95 Across (MANIAC); 105A: Wheat coat (BRAN); 107A: Power co. (UTIL.); 110A: See 26 Across (NA NA); 116A: Pt. of speech (ADJ.); 119A: ___ hop (CAR); 120A: Subjects (AREAS); 121A: Beast of burden (ASS); 122A: 104 (CIV); 129A: "The ___ near!" (END IS); 130A: Script contents (LINES); 131A: It's pointless (ÉPÉE); 132A: Nicollette on "Desperate Housewives" (EDIE); 133A: River of souls (STYX); 134A: Inherited item (GENE); 135A: Frees (oneself of) (RIDS); 136A: Chip movements? (BETS); 1D: Thomas Hart Benton's Missouri birthplace (NEOSHO); 2D: Flower for Nero Wolfe (ORCHID); 4D: Govt. check issuer (SSA); 5D: Commercial cow (ELSIE); 6D: Out-of-control drop (TAILSPIN); 7D: Medical attention, e.g. (AID); 8D: Rover rewards (TREATS); 9D: Tucson sights (CACTI); 10D: Like biremes (OARED); 11D: The Congo, before (ZAIRE); 12D: Popeye verb (YAM); 13D: Was a wallflower (SAT); 14D: Popular ear-cleaner (Q-TIP); 15D: Tokyo's old name (YEDO); 16D: Kid-lit sleuth (DREW); 20D: Turf intro (ASTRO); 21D: At stores everywhere (ON SALE); 23D: With 74 Down, a type of milk (NON); 25D: "Life of Riley" character, Digger ___ (O'DELL); 29D: Out of (FROM); 33D: Covert org., once (OSS); 34D: Regina's region: abbr. (SASK.); 36D: Rice dish, variantly (PILAU); 39D: "Ay ___!" (CARAMBA); 40D: He designed the dream sequence in Hitchcock's "Spellbound" (DALI); 41D: It's an OK place (ENID); 43D: However, for short (THO); 44D: Type of hawk or hunting dog (HARRIER); 47D: '70s pres. monogram (RMN); 48D: Security org. with bombers (NATO); 50D: Actress Sandra (DEE); 51D: Common excuse (CAN'T); 52D: Beijing nanny (AMAH); 54D: Singer Sumac (YMA); 56D: A ___ omission (SIN OF); 59D: Capture (NAB); 61D: Long-time (OLD); 62D: Alley target (NINE PIN); 63D: Fed. agcy. since 1949 (GSA); 66D: Engine levels (IDLES); 67D: Hearing-aid company (BELTONE); 70D: Hwy., e.g. (RTE.); 72D: Gum amount (WAD); 74D: See 23 Down (FAT); 76D: Ex-QB Flutie (DOUG); 77D: Fair (EXPO); 79D: Boot bottom (SOLE); 81D: John Kricfalusi's dog (REN); 83D: Yokohama drama (NOH); 84D: Crude outfit: abbr. (OPEC); 85D: Crafty (WILY); 86D: Samson type (HE-MAN); 87D: That guy (HIM); 89D: Swiss canton (URI); 93D: Yemen neighbor (OMAN); 94D: Wearing beach shoes (SANDALED); 97D: Passes, as a law (ENACTS); 98D: Bill of Baghdad (DINAR); 100D: "Waterloo" singers (ABBA); 102D: Supplemental, as an input: abbr. (AUX.); 104D: "Splash" star's first name (DARYL); 106D: Players' list (ROSTER); 108D: Common confession (I DID IT); 109D: Dam relatives (LEVEES); 111D: Wouk's minesweeper (with "the") (CAINE); 112D: "As You Like It" forest (ARDEN); 113D: "Touched by an Angel" star (REESE); 114D: Kahoolawe et al. (ISLES); 115D: Columbus sch. (OSU); 116D: Waldo Pepper et al. (ACES); 117D: Word of warning (DON'T); 118D: Jetson who attends Orbit High (JUDY); 124D: Reject (NIX); 125D: Halloween buy (WIG); 127D: Beginning to cure? (EPI-); 128D: Soldier with an Enfield rifle (REB).