Sunday June 5, 2011 John Lampkin

Theme: Low and Behold - Part of each common phrase is replaced by a sound-alike cow related term.

27A. Farm vet's reference? : GRAZE ANATOMY. Grey's Anatomy,

51A. Milkmaid? : THE UDDER WOMAN. The other woman.

89A. Calf's folks? : MA AND PA CATTLE. Ma and Pa Kettle.

112A. Where orphans go while their adoptive moms give milk? : DOGIE DAYCARE. Doggy daycare, right?

14D. Santa's backup bovines? : SLEIGH BULLS. Sleigh bells. Hope Argyle returns to his seat tomorrow. I love when he's around.

16D. Expensive cuts? : HIGH STEAKS. High stakes.

67D. Bovine hitmen? : COWS OF DEATH. Cause of death.

73D. Easy listening in the pasture? : MOOED MUSIC. Mood music.

John sure loves nature & all its creatures. This is his third animal related theme we've encountered. Remember this delightful "Pet Food"?  

Again, no cheater square, elegant looking grid. The clues are fantastic, as we always expect from John. Clechos & word associations abound. Just look at this consecutive clue pair:

84A. "The Way We __" : WERE. Loved the movie.

86A. The way we word : SYNTAX.

Across:

1. Bovine milieu : RANCH. Bonus entry.

6. Pasture units : ACRES

11. Terrible twos types : TOTS

15. Crack in a lip : CHAP

19. Fine Japanese porcelain : IMARI. No idea. See here. Noisy colors.

20. The Pemaquid Point Light is on its state quarter : MAINE. See this picture John took last Labor Day weekend. He said "Remarkably, tourists in the reflection have to walk upside down to get to the lookout".

21. Throw : HURL

22. 1953 Original Music Score Oscar-winning film : LILI. Got via crosses.

23. Alluded to : GOT AT

24. Skirt : EVADE

25. Tribe affiliated with the Missouria : OTOE. One of the most popular tribes in Xword.

26. Long look at a looker : OGLE. Fun clue.

30. Wings choice : SPICY HOT. Don't eat chicken.

32. Elite : SELECT

33. Perp chaser, with "the" : LAW

34. New York city or county : OSWEGO. Was it also named after a tribe?

36. Where the bucket slops? : STY. Tried PEN first.

37. Pueblo people : HOPIs

39. __ Brasi, "The Godfather" hatchet man : LUCA. The guy who "sleeps with the fishes".

40. Offend : HURT

42. Type : SORT

46. Casino roller : DIE

47. Berlin's "Call Me __" : MADAM

48. Procreates : BREEDS

54. Fish alternative? : CUT BAIT. So "Fish" is a verb here, right?

55. Fine fiddles : AMATIs. Always reminds me of "The Red Violin".

56. Sheet purchase : REAM

57. Email letters : AOL

58. Arcade game starter : SKEE

59. Guitar string choice : NYLON. Could also be?

60. Uni- + uni- + uni- : TRI. And 113D. Tetra- + tetra- : OCTA. Prefix for "eight".

62. Log processor : SAWMILL

65. Logical conclusion? : SUM. Cogito, ergo sum.

66. Loser's demand : RECOUNT. Election loser.

69. Ratings name : NIELSEN

71. Father of the bride's offering : ARM

74. Exactly correct : SO RIGHT

76. Pharm. receipts : RXs

77. Crier of Greek myth : NIOBE. This used to stump me.

81. B&B offering : ROOM

83. Colorless : WAN

87. Imprudent : FOOLISH

92. Nautical patron : ST ELMO. And 93A. Nautical maneuvers : TACKS. And 95A. Nautical storage : HOLD. Three in a row.

94. Avis output : OVA

96. Like heedless ears : DEAF

97. Stately trees : OAKS

98. Pang of conscience : QUALM

100. Improvise with the band : JAM. Jazzbumap might jam occasionally.

102. Jewel box : CD CASE

104. "__ House": 1970 CSNY hit : OUR

105. Like feet of no concern to a podiatrist? : IAMBIC. I don't get this clue, Clear Ayes!

110. Squad cars : CRUISERS

115. Revolutionary sewer : ROSS. And 43D. "Heavens to Betsy!" : OH MY.

116. River islets : AITs. Classical crosswordese.

118. Assertion of faith : CREDO

119. Filmmaker Welles : ORSON

120. Exude : EMIT

121. Tax evasion investigators : T-MEN

122. Jackson Hole's county : TETON. Grand Teton the big boobs.

123. Wet season events : RAINS

124. City on the Brazos : WACO. What does "Brazos" mean? Nothing bra-related I presume.

125. Rescuer, e.g. : HERO

126. AARP and NAACP : ASSNs

127. Meaning : SENSE

Down:

1. "Lethal Weapon" cop : RIGGS. Gibson's role. Got me.

2. Sardinian passion : AMORE. Love. "That's Amore".

3. Birth-related : NATAL

4. Fad : CRAZE

5. Like "CSI" procedures : HI-TECH

6. Call from the flock : AMEN

7. Supercilious : CAVALIER

8. Vaqueros' ropes : RIATAs. Or REATAs.

9. Provide with funding : ENDOW

10. Appear : SEEM

11. Small but : THO

12. Beat in an individual medley : OUTSWAM

13. Figure of speech : TROPE. Remember this stranger, Splynter?

15. Overdo the sweetness : CLOY

17. Distribute : ALLOT

18. Religious devotion : PIETY

28. Disagreeing like bookies? : AT ODDS. Does this clue amuse you?

29. "Way to go, bro!" : YOU DA MAN. Great answer.

31. Place to press a suit? : COURT. Law suit.

35. Scrutinize : SCAN

38. Graphic symbol : PIE

39. Asian teachers : LAMAs. I don't associate them with "teachers". Just monks.

41. CSA soldiers : REBs

42. Baseball's Musial : STAN. Stan the Man.

44. Down-to-earth : REAL

45. Aid for a struggling student : TUTOR. Hi Bill!

47. Curly poker : MOE. The Stooges. We've seen this clue before.

49. Godot's god : DIEU. French for God. Mon dieu!

50. Watch projection : STEM

52. Sups : DINES

53. Twist and squeeze : WRING

54. Helices : COILs

57. Green-card maker : AMEX.  Not the green card for immigrants.

60. Numbers is part of it : TORAH. Not what I had in mind.

61. Trash : RUIN

63. Sent a message to, old-style : WIRED

64. "The Threepenny Opera" star : LENYA (Lotte)

68. Rapped with something flat : THWACKED. Always a crowd pleaser.

70. Climactic inning, often : NINTH

71. Barking sounds : ARFs

72. Tree anchor : ROOT

75. Hardwood trees : TEAKS

78. German aviation pioneer Lilienthal : OTTO. Well, maybe Dudley knows him. Not me.

79. Black eight, e.g. : BALL. Magic 8-Ball?

80. Struck (out) : EX'ed

82. Fr. miss : MLLE (Mademoiselle)

85. Some OR staffers : RNs (Registered Nurses)

86. Longest-serving current Supreme Court justice : SCALIA (Antonin)

88. Desktop models : iMACs

89. Serpico's biographer : MAAS (Peter). Another unknown. John might have clued it as farm calls related.

90. Covered with liberally, as a liquid : POURED ON

91. "The Barefoot Contessa" star Gardner : AVA

93. Browning gadget : TOASTER

98. Calms : QUIETS

99. City chiefs : MAYORS

100. Polo competitor : J. CREW

101. Scent : AROMA

103. Job that doesn't pay? : CRIME. But some are paid.

104. Shrek and Fiona : OGRES

106. Bluesy Carmen : McRAE. Any trouble this time, Barry G?

107. "__ Street Blues": Dixieland classic : BASIN

108. Fairway choices : IRONS. Golf clubs.

109. Burn sandalwood, say : CENSE

111. :, in analogies : IS TO

114. Family heads : DONs. Mafia.

117. Cone head? : SNO. Sno-cone.

Answer grid.

C.C.