SUNDAY, March 7, 2010 — Sabrina Walden (syndicated)

Theme: "Diner Sandwiches" — Theme answers are phrases "sandwiched" by the letters BLT.

[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: *Site of illegal jobs? (BANK VAULT).
• 25A: *Hit the roof (BLOW A GASKET).
• 41A: *Not sportsmanlike (BELOW THE BELT).
• 64A: *Unfamiliar subject (BLIND SPOT).
• 87A: *Childbirth (BLESSED EVENT).
• 109A: *Arena for illegal trading (BLACK MARKET).
• 112A: *Easy way to win a game (BY DEFAULT).
• 37D: *Checkup component (BLOOD COUNT).
• 47D: *19-Across brand (BLUE BONNET).
• 112D: Diner order found "sandwiched" around the answers to starred clues (BLT).

Crosswordese 101 Round-Up:

• 19A: Spread selection (OLEO).
• 84A: Family tree word (NÉE).
• 92A: Yours, in Ypres (À TOI).
• 102A: Rhein feeder (AARE).
• 117A: "Golden Boy" dramatist (ODETS).
• 8D: Giant slugger (OTT).
• 35D: Bird sacred to Tut (IBIS).
• 48D: Maui neighbor (LANAI).
• 104D: Tammany Hall caricaturist (NAST).

Everything Else — 1A: CBer's acknowledgment (COPY); 5A: Plus (ALSO); 9A: Severe, as criticism (ACERB); 14A: Tests not for srs. (PSATS); 19A: Spread selection (OLEO); 20A: Tug, say (BOAT); 21A: Public commotion (FUROR); 22A: "Peter and the Wolf" bird (SASHA); 27A: Compact summary (SYNOPSIS); 28A: Netflix delivery (VIDEO); 29A: Plate with five sides (HOME); 30A: Irish-themed Vegas casino (O'SHEAS); 32A: Board meeting VIP (SECY.); 33A: Dived neatly (into) (KNIFED); 35A: Copyright pg. item (ISBN); 38A: Stars of old Rome? (ASTRA); 40A: Oz creator (BAUM); 46A: Awful (HORRIBLE); 50A: Newsworthy '90s jurist (ITO); 51A: Alabama rival (AUBURN); 52A: Cruise stops (PORTS); 53A: Murphy's __ (LAW); 54A: Place to find loafers (SHOE STORE); 56A: __ Alps: Eiger locale (BERNESE); 58A: Arles article (UNE); 59A: Spreadsheet entry (DATUM); 60A: Troubled (AILED); 61A: Osso buco meat (VEAL); 62A: Holy, to René (SACRE); 68A: Exxon merger partner (MOBIL); 69A: Cyclo- ending (TRON); 70A: Where to see "The Sopranos" nowadays (A AND E); 71A: Boxer Marciano's birth name (ROCCO); 73A: Country on the Rio de la Plata: Abbr. (URU.); 74A: Castle with a stone (BLARNEY); 77A: Wildly excited (IN A FRENZY); 81A: "Gee!" ("MAN!"); 82A: Spanish poet García __ (LORCA); 83A: Arenas (STADIA); 84A: Family tree word (NÉE); 85A: Present (PUT FORTH); 90A: 500-mile race, briefly (INDY); 91A: Modesto winery name (GALLO); 92A: Yours, in Ypres (À TOI); 93A: Lunchroom staple, for short (PB AND J); 96A: Unbending (FIRM); 97A: Bubbly brand that rhymes with an entrance chime (KORBEL); 102A: Rhein feeder (AARE); 103A: How the confident do crosswords (IN INK); 105A: Ruffian (HOOLIGAN); 113A: Advantage (LEG UP); 114A: "Hollywood Nights" rocker Bob (SEGER); 115A: Wanton look (LEER); 116A: Expos, since 2005 (NATS); 117A: "Golden Boy" dramatist (ODETS); 118A: Irony, e.g. (TROPE); 119A: General __ chicken (TSO'S); 120A: Chicago daily, familiarly (TRIB); 1D: Corn holders (COBS); 2D: Big name in skin care (OLAY); 3D: Philly school (PENN); 4D: "Starpeace" musician (YOKO ONO); 5D: Embarrass (ABASH); 6D: One of Donald Duck's nephews (LOUIE); 7D: Ballroom dance (SALSA); 8D: Giant slugger (OTT); 9D: Mil. jet locale (AFB); 10D: Drain (CULVERT); 11D: Beethoven's Third (EROICA); 12D: Boisterous (ROWDY); 13D: Loch Lomond hill (BRAE); 14D: Free TV spot (PSA); 15D: Sushi bar order (SASHIMI); 16D: Want from (ASK OF); 17D: Central idea (THEME); 18D: Glutted (SATED); 24D: CEO's underlings (VPS); 26D: Amusement park attraction (GO-KARTS); 31D: Sussex sword (SABRE); 32D: Mo. town (STL); 34D: Care for (NURSE); 35D: Bird sacred to Tut (IBIS); 36D: Genesis brother (SETH); 39D: Rep.'s counterpart (SEN.); 40D: Bring to tears? (BORE); 42D: Refuse (WASTE); 43D: "The Nutcracker" garb (TUTU); 44D: Oppenheimer opposed it (H-BOMB); 45D: Alps site: Abbr. (EUR.); 46D: 1953 John Wayne film (HONDO); 48D: Maui neighbor (LANAI); 49D: ''The Girl Can't Help It'' actor Tom (EWELL); 52D: Scrub up, e.g. (PREP); 55D: Net (EARN); 56D: Fussbudget (BIDDY); 57D: Additional (ELSE); 60D: Ill-fated Boleyn (ANNE); 61D: Sotto __: softly (VOCE); 62D: Confound (STUMP); 63D: Pianist Claudio (ARRAU); 65D: Durable wood (LARCH); 66D: Collector's suffix (-IANA); 67D: Sports headline item (TRADE); 68D: Jazz singer Carmen (MCRAE); 72D: "The Wizard __" (OF ID); 74D: Like Dennis the Menace (BLOND); 75D: Conrad novel (LORD JIM); 76D: Chichi (ARTY); 77D: "Everything is fine" (IT'S OK); 78D: __ in November (N AS); 79D: Greek philosopher known for a paradox (ZENO); 80D: Himalayan legend (YETI); 83D: Sprinkling on French fries? (SEL); 86D: Sliced in thin strips (FINE-CUT); 87D: Beer server (BARKEEP); 88D: Advanced legal deg. (LLM); 89D: Foster's prince (VALIANT); 91D: __ biloba: claimed memory-enhancing extract (GINKGO); 93D: Artist Picasso (PABLO); 94D: In bundles (BALED); 95D: Very angry, after "in" (A RAGE); 96D: One with an ax? (FIRER); 98D: "For sure!" ("OH YES!"); 99D: Where the big bucks are? (RODEO); 100D: Afrikaans speakers (BOERS); 101D: One of Santa's team (ELF); 104D: Tammany Hall caricaturist (NAST); 106D: Gum-producing plant (GUAR); 107D: Height: Pref. (ALTI-); 108D: U.S. accident investigator (NTSB); 110D: G.I. mess crews (KPS); 111D: Amount past due? (TRE).