SUNDAY, February 21, 2010 — Mike Peluso

Theme: Initials — Each theme answer contains a hidden presedential monogram.

[Note: This is the syndicated L.A. Times puzzle. It does not appear in the actual newspaper, but is available for free at cruciverb.com.]


Theme answers:

• 23A: *Obligation payable within a year (37) (SHORT-TERM NOTE). Richard M. Nixon
• 38A: *Ceremonial, as Anglican ritual (31) (HIGH CHURCH). Herbert Clark Hoover (who knew?)
• 54A: *Line dancer? (18) (CHORUS GIRL). Ulysses S. Grant
• 75A: *Double martini, e.g. (32) (STIFF DRINK). Franklin Delano Roosevelt
• 92A: *AOL service (44) (WEB HOSTING). Barack H. Obama
• 110A: *Arizona attraction (34) (PAINTED DESERT). Dwight D. Eisenhower
• 16D: *Hurting for money (33) (CASH STRAPPED). Harry S Truman
• 60D: *Aviation pioneer (40) (WILBUR WRIGHT). Ronald W. Reagan
• 84D: Clothing embroidery, maybe, and a hint to finding the "insiders" in the answers to starred clues (MONOGRAM).

Hi, everyone. I'm in Brooklyn hanging with my nerdy friends, so I'm going to leave the discussion of this puzzle to you. Just too much going on here. I'll tell you all about it later in the week!

Everything Else — 1A: Chatterbox (MAGPIE); 7A: Seven Sisters school (VASSAR); 13A: PSAT takers (JRS.); 16A: Tram unit (CAR); 19A: Some L-shaped wrenches (ALLENS); 20A: Substandard (CRUMMY); 21A: Moray, say (EEL); 22A: Palindromic Altar (ARA); 25A: Visits (STOPS BY); 27A: PC key (TAB); 28A: Dutchman who painted "Gypsy Girl" (HALS); 29A: Blonde bombshell Diana (DORS); 30A: Beauty, to Keats (TRUTH); 31A: Illness (MALADY); 33A: "__ match?" (GOT A); 34A: Two-time U.S. Open champ (AGASSI); 37A: Can, after "is" (ABLE TO); 42A: Turkey, maybe (TOM); 43A: Web addresses, briefly (URLS); 44A: In a few minutes (SOON); 46A: Californie, e.g. (ÉTAT); 47A: Span. title (SRTA.); 48A: Authority to decide (SAY-SO); 50A: Kiss, to Luis (BESO); 52A: "__, there's more!" (WAIT); 53A: Tic or twinge (SPASM); 57A: Use FedEx (SHIP); 58A: Audi rival (BMW); 61A: Average grades (CEES); 62A: 3M products (TAPES); 63A: Filled French fare (CREPES); 66A: Eave droppers (ICICLES); 68A: Mountain man, maybe (LONER); 69A: Santiago native (CHILEAN); 70A: Synagogue text (TALMUD); 71A: Leisurely stroll (PASEO); 72A: Mob enforcer (GOON); 73A: Simon and Garfunkel, e.g. (DUO); 74A: Auction activities (BIDS); 77A: When repeated, 1963 hit with alleged obscene lyrics determined by the FBI to be "unintelligible at any speed" (LOUIE); 79A: Salon supply (DYES); 80A: Come up short (FAIL); 81A: Self-reproach (SHAME); 86A: He orbited Earth 314 days before John (YURI); 87A: Agreement (PACT); 88A: Polite rural reply (YES'M); 90A: Hymn starter (O GOD); 91A: State so. of Queensland (NSW); 96A: Nearby (AROUND); 98A: Ancient invader of Greece (XERXES); 100A: Remedy (CURE); 101A: Punic Wars general (SCIPIO); 102A: "Able was __ ..." (I ERE I); 104A: Woody's son (ARLO); 105A: Theodore, to Wally (BEAV); 106A: L on a tag: Abbr. (LGE.); 108A: RSVP option (REGRETS); 113A: Ultimate degree (NTH); 114A: Old "King" Cole (NAT); 115A: Way of the Romans? (APPIAN); 116A: Genesis peak (ARARAT); 117A: Relaxed, in a way (SAT); 118A: Chicken general? (TSO); 119A: Save (RESCUE); 120A: Frau, in France (MADAME); 1D: Caravel feature (MAST); 2D: Granada palace (ALHAMBRA); 3D: How multi-nationals trade (GLOBALLY); 4D: Part of mph (PER); 5D: Because (IN THAT); 6D: Tejas y Nuevo México, por ejemplo (ESTADOS); 7D: TV add-ons (VCRS); 8D: A slot machine has one (ARM); 9D: Partial rainbow (SUN DOG); 10D: Glib (SMOOTH); 11D: Amphibious vehicle (AMTRAC); 12D: Bar array (RYES); 13D: Fun (JEST); 14D: Take back (RETRACT); 15D: Shed, with "off" (SLOUGH); 17D: Wall St. hedger (ARB); 18D: St. Pete athlete (RAY); 24D: Nevada Northern Railway Museum city (ELY); 26D: School gp. (PTA); 32D: Not as much (LESS); 33D: Knife hyped on TV (GINSU); 35D: DTs sufferers (SOTS); 36D: Islamic leader (IMAM); 37D: Country N. of Slovenia (AUS.); 38D: Makers of beds? (HOERS); 39D: Judge, e.g. (HEARER); 40D: Water and elec. (UTILS.); 41D: Snitch (RAT); 45D: Sarrusophone cousins (OBOES); 47D: Pitch (SPIEL); 49D: Form a certain front, in meteorology (OCCLUDE); 51D: Bone formation (OSTOSIS); 52D: Remove, as a silly grin (WIPE OFF); 53D: Reduces (SHRINKS); 55D: Listens to (HEEDS); 56D: Thief, in slang (GANEF); 57D: "Danke __" (SCHON); 58D: Drill insert (BIT); 59D: 1988 Motown acquirer (MCA); 64D: __-de-vie: brandy (EAU); 65D: __-cone (SNO); 67D: Early 10th century year (CMIII); 68D: Not prompt for (LATE TO); 69D: Stored ropes, e.g. (COILS); 71D: Intimidate mentally, with "out" (PSYCH); 72D: "Peer Gynt Suite" composer (GRIEG); 76D: Pop singer Taylor __ (DAYNE); 77D: Wildcat with tufted ears (LYNX); 78D: River of Yorkshire (OUSE); 79D: Apply sparingly (DAB); 82D: Lobe dangler (HOOP); 83D: 2000 Best New Artist Grammy winner (AGUILERA); 85D: Actor Byrnes (EDD); 87D: Euro preceders (PESETAS); 89D: Paving material (MACADAM); 92D: Failed to be (WEREN'T); 93D: Abrasion (SCRAPE); 94D: Blooms from bulbs (TULIPS); 95D: Having a twist (IRONIC); 97D: Yankee who is the A.L. career leader in saves (RIVERA); 99D: Signer, at times (X'ER); 101D: But, to Cassius (SED); 103D: What a colon means, in analogies (IS TO); 104D: On __ with (A PAR); 105D: Nota __ (BENE); 107D: Kitchen trailer? (-ETTE); 108D: Some OR personnel (RNS); 109D: SFO info (ETA); 111D: Cross shape (TAU); 112D: Down (SAD).