SUNDAY, April 25, 2010 — Mark Bickham (syndicated)

Theme: "Missing" — Theme answers are familiar two-word phrases with the letter string ING removed from the end of the first word. Resulting wacky phrases are clued wackily.

[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: Admiral's tryst? (FLEET[ing] ROMANCE).
• 37A: Water cooler gossip? (BREAK[ing] NEWS).
• 40A: Knockoff of an Intel product? (BARGAIN[ing] CHIP).
• 68A: Site of a surprise? (START[ing] POSITION).
• 99A: Issue for the media? (PRESS[ing] MATTER).
• 101A: Where insects learn to use their wings? (FLY[ing] SCHOOL).
• 121A: Museum featuring bamboo art? (SHOOT[ing] GALLERY).
• 3D: Golf tournament commentary? (OPEN[ing] REMARKS).
• 14D: Voice teacher? (PITCH[ing] COACH).
• 28D: Creek footage? (STREAM[ing] VIDEO).
• 52D: Units for timing a track event? (MEET[ing] MINUTES).
• 72D: First-quarter shipments? (MARCH[ing] ORDERS).
• 75D: Angry lineman? (CROSS[ing] GUARD).

Crosswordese 101 Round-Up:

• 49A: Morales of "NYPD Blue" (ESAI).
• 56A: Raptor's roost (AERIE).
• 97A: Mauna __ (LOA).
• 108A: Isaac's eldest (ESAU).
• 15D: Hodgepodge (OLIO).
• 89D: Editor's mark (STET).
• 108D: Scratched (out), as a living (EKED).
• 116D: Buffalo's county (ERIE).

Everything Else — 1A: Confucian principle (TAO); 4A: You don't get credit for one (EFF); 7A: Do-say connection (AS I); 10A: Entrance boundary, perhaps (GATE POST); 18A: Mont Blanc site (ALPS); 20A: Graduate (ALUMNUS); 22A: Seat of Potter County, Texas (AMARILLO); 25A: Drink (POTATION); 26A: __ Alley (TIN PAN); 27A: Biz bigwig (EXEC); 28A: Atlanta-to-Miami dir. (SSE); 29A: Lea group (COWS); 30A: "Mr. Mojo __": Doors lyric that anagrams into the lead singer's name (RISIN'); 32A: Jump for joy (EXULT); 34A: Borrrring (BLAH); 45A: Sleep acronym (REM); 46A: Show co-anchored by Robin Roberts, for short (GMA); 47A: "Yes __!" (SIREE); 48A: Sussex scents (ODOURS); 49A: Morales of "NYPD Blue" (ESAI); 51A: Squalid (SEAMY); 53A: "Paradise Lost" figure (SATAN); 55A: Woeful cry (ALAS); 56A: Raptor's roost (AERIE); 58A: Sharp-tongued (ACERB); 60A: Flavor enhancer (MSG); 61A: Defeatist's words (I CAN'T); 62A: Word with match or money (MAKING); 64A: Asian lead-in (EUR-); 65A: Slip away (VANISH); 67A: Some map lines: Abbr. (STS.); 72A: Colo. is on it (MST); 75A: Usual practice (CUSTOM); 76A: "Spy vs. Spy" magazine (MAD); 77A: Put on the staff? (NOTATE); 79A: Impolite look (STARE); 82A: __-Wan Kenobi (OBI); 83A: Year in Augustus' reign (ONE B.C.); 86A: "She __ Yellow Ribbon": 1949 John Wayne film (WORE A); 87A: Bananas (LOCO); 88A: Prayer endings (AMENS); 90A: Factotum (DO-ALL); 92A: Tapers? (VCRS); 93A: Beginning (OUTSET); 95A: Like many a dirt road (RUTTY); 97A: Mauna __ (LOA); 98A: Half a laugh (HEE); 104A: "Holy cow!" ("GEEZ!"); 105A: Military camp (ETAPE); 107A: Roundup critter (STEER); 108A: Isaac's eldest (ESAU); 111A: Nods, perhaps (OKS); 113A: Valued frames (CELS); 115A: Showy, in a way (GILDED); 118A: Botswana desert (KALAHARI); 123A: More than accepts (EMBRACES); 124A: Sneaks on the court? (TENNIES); 125A: Wholly __ part (OR IN); 126A: Way behind everyone (DEAD LAST); 127A: "I'm so glad!" ("YAY!"); 128A: Good name, for short (REP); 129A: Take in (SEE); 1D: 1920s chief justice (TAFT); 2D: Weight loss brand (ALLI); 4D: Profit (EARNINGS); 5D: Andy Capp's wife (FLO); 6D: Become enraged (FUME); 7D: Building wing (ANNEX); 8D: She-demons (SUCCUBI); 9D: Expert finish? (-ISE); 10D: Memory problems (GAPS); 11D: One-celled protozoan (AMOEBA); 12D: Body art, briefly (TAT); 13D: Baseball stat (ERA); 15D: Hodgepodge (OLIO); 16D: School zone sign (SLOW); 17D: Scads (TONS); 19D: Retro photo (SEPIA); 21D: __ out: uses up, as credit (MAXES); 24D: Job (TASK); 31D: Site of Hercules' first labor (NEMEA); 33D: Metallica drummer Ulrich (LARS); 35D: Victim of Hercules' first labor (LION); 36D: Additionally (AND); 37D: Deep-bodied fish (BREAMS); 38D: Do an usher's job (RESEAT); 39D: WWII noncombat unit (WAAC); 41D: Suggests (GETS AT); 42D: Sinuous dance (HULA); 43D: Pakistan neighbor (IRAN); 44D: Attention-getting sound (PSST); 47D: Ice cream soda ingredient (SYRUP); 50D: "Richard __" (III); 54D: Latin lambs (AGNI); 57D: Happen next (ENSUE); 59D: Antacid, briefly (BROMO); 61D: "__ a bad time?" (IS NOW); 63D: Alfa Romeo sports cars (GTS); 66D: Carbonium, e.g. (ION); 69D: Bit of physics (ATOM); 70D: Author __ Louis Stevenson (ROBERT); 71D: Like dunes (SANDY); 73D: Dorm room setup (STEREO); 74D: Prickly plant (TEASEL); 78D: "Mazel __!" (TOV); 79D: Unappetizing serving (SLOP); 80D: Hit the road (TOUR); 81D: Entr'__ (ACTE); 84D: It may be carried or dropped (BALL); 85D: Becomes sickeningly sweet (CLOYS); 88D: "Don't look __!" (AT ME); 89D: Editor's mark (STET); 91D: Desperate (LAST GASP); 94D: Jargon ending (-ESE); 96D: Internal airway (TRACHEA); 100D: Island group that includes São Miguel (AZORES); 101D: Joint tenant? (FELON); 102D: Plaster, as a room cover (CEIL); 103D: "Duh!" relative ("HELLO!"); 106D: Indiana state flower (PEONY); 108D: Scratched (out), as a living (EKED); 109D: Identical (SAME); 110D: "Valentine's Day" actress Jessica (ALBA); 112D: Commercial suffix with Star (-KIST); 114D: Cookbook direction (STIR); 116D: Buffalo's county (ERIE); 117D: Fraction of a newton (DYNE); 119D: Golfer Sutton (HAL); 120D: Here, in Juárez (ACA); 121D: Chester White's home (STY); 122D: Turn to the right (GEE).