SUNDAY, June 27, 2010 — Ed Sessa (syndicated)

Theme: "The Ends Justify the Meanings" — Not sure how to describe this succinctly. Theme answers begin with an adjective patterned X-and-X, then the next word is commonly used as the second half of a compound word with the second X. Clear as mud?

[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: Angler's go-to lure? (BREAD-AND-BUTTER FLY).
• 37A: Intermittent photo session? (ON-AND-OFF SHOOT).
• 67A: "Father Knows Best," to some (MOM-AND-POP CORN).
• 97A: Zigzags? (IN-AND-OUT LINES).
• 114A: Wavering conservative faction? (BACK-AND-FORTH RIGHT).
• 16D: Thrill from using a mouse? (DRAG-AND-DROP KICK).
• 43D: Fancy dance marathon? (HUFF-AND-PUFF BALL).

Crosswordese 101 Round-up:

• 32A: Sign that makes an angel happy (SRO).
• 66A: Palindromic Altar (ARA).
• 87A: Formerly, formerly (ERST).
• 13D: Franklin's 1936 foe (ALF).
• 54D: Retd. boomers (SST'S).
• 62D: "Time's Arrow" author (AMIS).
• 84D: DDE adversary (AES).

Everything Else — 1A: Long cold spell (ICE AGE); 7A: "The Whiffenpoof Song" words (BAAS); 11A: Big bang (BLAST); 16A: Mil. decoration (DSM); 19A: Grand Canyon nester (CONDOR); 20A: Quartet named for its singers (ABBA); 21A: Alice's husband in '50s TV (RALPH); 22A: Reine's spouse (ROI); 26A: Hole puncher (AWL); 27A: Dustin's "Kramer vs. Kramer" co-star (MERYL); 28A: "Jingle Bells" contraction (O'ER); 29A: Some nest eggs, briefly (IRAS); 30A: Mirrored (IMAGED); 33A: Religious symbol (ICON); 35A: "Hold on __!" (A SEC); 36A: Say over (ITERATE); 40A: __ White (SNOW); 41A: '90s Olds (ACHIEVA); 44A: Work at assiduously (PLY); 45A: Took potshots (SNIPED); 47A: Lugs (HAULS); 48A: "A Doll's House" heroine (NORA); 50A: Passé platters (LP'S); 52A: Candy named for its creators (M AND M'S); 55A: Overrun en masse, as ants (INFEST); 57A: Pedal pusher (CYCLER); 59A: Minsk's home (BELARUS); 60A: Where wildebeest roam: Abbr. (AFR.); 61A: Possess, to Burns (HAE); 63A: Two bells, at sea (ONE A.M.); 65A: Admission of defeat (I LOST); 71A: Ale servings: Abbr. (PTS.); 72A: Yorba __, Calif. (LINDA); 74A: Cockamamie (INANE); 75A: Here, to Pierre (ICI); 76A: Letters before a 76-Down (AKA); 77A: Blues Brothers toppers (FEDORAS); 79A: Like some outfield walls (PADDED); 82A: Quartz compound (SILICA); 85A: Quakers in the woods (ASPENS); 86A: These, to Thérèse (CES); 89A: Suitable spot for a statue (NICHE); 90A: Has the last of (USES UP); 92A: TV Guide abbr. (TBA); 93A: Director's do-overs (RETAKES); 95A: Sword handle (HAFT); 101A: 1980s-'90s N.Y. senator D'Amato (ALFONSE); 103A: "Denial __ just a river in Egypt": Twain (AIN'T); 104A: State with conviction (AVER); 105A: Sleep lab acronym (REM); 108A: Bump off (RUB OUT); 109A: Anthem starter (O SAY); 110A: Expected (DUE); 111A: Typical start? (PROTO-); 113A: GP's gp. (AMA); 118A: Where the Blues Brothers began, briefly (SNL); 119A: Taken as a whole (IN ALL); 120A: __ worlde: quaintly fashionable (OLDE); 121A: Echo (REPEAT); 122A: "Rebel Without a Cause" actor Mineo (SAL); 123A: World carrier (ATLAS); 124A: Lanolin source (WOOL); 125A: Fuel in a can (STERNO); 1D: Some WMDs (ICBM'S); 2D: Semicircular utensil (CORER); 3D: Hot time in Chile (ENERO); 4D: Beatles' "__ in the Life" (A DAY); 5D: Sanctity (GODLINESS); 6D: '70s NOW cause (ERA); 7D: Villains often come to one (BAD END); 8D: Mass. or Miss. (ABBR.); 9D: "Aladdin" monkey (ABU); 10D: Make happy (SATISFY); 11D: Dam damage (BREACH); 12D: "__ and the Real Girl": 2007 film (LARS); 14D: Mid-race statistic (SPLIT TIME); 15D: Part of a Simon & Garfunkel quartet (THYME); 17D: Johannesburg area (SOWETO); 18D: Shower problem (MILDEW); 24D: Reagan speechwriter (NOONAN); 25D: Spanish crowd? (TRES); 31D: Military depot (ARSENAL); 34D: Cleveland hoopster, for short (CAV); 35D: Company with a spokesduck (AFLAC); 36D: Charge carrier (ION); 37D: Crude carrier (OILER); 38D: Venue for Minnie Pearl (OPRY); 39D: CIA predecessor (OSS); 41D: Sashimi fish (AHI); 42D: Birds named for an island group (CANARIES); 46D: Monty Python member (PALIN); 49D: Neptune's domain (OCEAN); 50D: O'Brien's successor (LENO); 51D: Type of school (PREP); 53D: Pencil or toothbrush, e.g. (MUSTACHE); 56D: Howe'er (THO'); 58D: Ran easily (LOPED); 59D: College QB, often (BMOC); 64D: Bases' antitheses (ACIDS); 66D: Bravo preceder (ALFA); 67D: Seine tributary (MARNE); 68D: Kitty pickup spot (NAPE); 69D: Spiral molecules (DNA'S); 70D: Grafton's "__ for Ricochet" (R IS); 73D: Argumentative cry (DOES TOO); 76D: See 76-Across (ALIAS); 78D: Second (ASSISTANT); 80D: Coming-out (DEBUT); 81D: Part of Q.E.D. (ERAT); 83D: Make sense of (INTERPRET); 86D: Audit rep (CPA); 88D: Hot-pot support (TRIVET); 91D: Somme one (UNE); 92D: Wally Cleaver portrayer (TONY DOW); 94D: Reno-to-Elko dir. (ENE); 95D: Bust chops (HARASS); 96D: Wellesley grad (ALUMNA); 98D: Some sonorant sounds (NASALS); 99D: "Gorillas in the Mist" subject Fossey (DIAN); 100D: Victory emblem (LAUREL); 102D: Ancient Nile Valley kingdom (NUBIA); 105D: Ham's "Gotcha" (ROGER); 106D: Frome of fiction (ETHAN); 107D: Words often etched in stone (MOTTO); 109D: Sooner St. (OKLA.); 110D: Birdbrain (DODO); 112D: Ready to pluck (RIPE); 115D: Baseball "Iron Man" Ripken (CAL); 116D: Waitress at Mel's (FLO); 117D: 86-Down billing units (HRS.).