SUNDAY, June 13, 2010 — John Lampkin (syndicated)

Theme: "Final Advice" — Familiar phrases are clued as if they're advice for students of certain academic subjects.

[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: To ace Music Theory, don't wander off __ (IN LA LA LAND).
• 28A: To ace Oceanography, don't let the prof know you've __ (GONE FISHING).
• 69A: To ace Electrical Engineering, don't fall __ (ASLEEP AT THE SWITCH).
• 95A: To ace Math, avoid being __ (AT SIXES AND SEVENS).
• 114A: To ace Cosmology, don't get __ (LOST IN SPACE).
• 120A: To ace Culinary Arts, avoid being __ (OUT TO LUNCH).

Crosswordese 101 Round-up:

• 21A: Role in the 1992 film "Chaplin" (OONA).
• 39A: Arab League member (OMAN).
• 54A: Waterfront org. (ILA).
• 55A: Sudanese president __ al-Bashir (OMAR).
• 81A: Cheri of "SNL" (OTERI).
• 93A: Jump for Sonja (AXEL).
• 3D: Inspiration for Van Gogh (ARLES).
• 58D: Mennen lotion (AFTA).
• 96D: "Night" writer Wiesel (ELIE).
• 108D: Big name in compacts (ESTÉE).

Everything Else — 1A: 1996 Dream Team nickname (SHAQ); 5A: Hit hard (SMASH); 10A: Bit of dough (CLAM); 14A: Puritans (PRIGS); 19A: Machu Picchu's country (PERU); 20A: It goes from one joint to another (TIBIA); 22A: "Filthy" dough (LUCRE); 25A: Word with clerk or hall (CITY); 26A: "Save me __" (A SEAT); 27A: Closet hangers (TIE RACKS); 30A: Piquant (ZESTY); 31A: Sycophant (YES MAN); 34A: Rear-end (SLAM INTO); 35A: Held by us (OUR); 37A: Done for (KAPUT); 40A: To ace Agricultural Science, avoid __ (GRASPING AT STRAWS); 46A: Clarified butter (GHEE); 50A: Clerical VIP (REV.); 51A: Mink kin (STOAT); 52A: Certain about (SURE OF); 57A: Vacuum, e.g. (CLEAN); 60A: Film studio VIP (DIR.); 61A: Olympic racers (LUGES); 63A: Brobdingnagian (GOLIATH); 66A: Shape using heat (FORGE); 68A: Beach protection (SUNHAT); 73A: Scrapped, as a car (JUNKED); 75A: Car dealer's deal (LEASE); 76A: Poetic "soon" (ERE LONG); 79A: Ref. set (ENCYC.); 80A: Harmless cyst (WEN); 84A: Smack back? (-EROO); 85A: Fed. medical org. (NIH); 86A: "We build, we fight" military member (SEA BEE); 89A: Tennessee father-son politicos (GORES); 92A: Turn on the waterworks, so to speak (SOB); 99A: Uruguay's Punta del __ (ESTE); 101A: Rationed (out) (DOLED); 102A: Clavell's "__-Pan" (TAI); 103A: Kids' transports (SCOOTERS); 107A: Removed soap from (RINSED); 110A: Holy quest object (GRAIL); 116A: Clementi work (SONATINA); 118A: Mideast capital once called Philadelphia (AMMAN); 119A: Mata __ (HARI); 122A: With 64-Down, wiseguys (SMART); 123A: Love god (EROS); 124A: Creeping joints (KNEES); 125A: French state (ETAT); 126A: Piano players? (HANDS); 127A: Rear end blemish? (DENT); 128A: Shabby (SEEDY); 129A: Sonoran assent (SI SI); 1D: Thick-furred dog (SPITZ); 2D: 1932 Lake Placid gold medalist Sonja (HENIE); 4D: Publishing formats for Shakespeare (QUARTOS); 5D: Played crisply and detached, in mus. (STAC.); 6D: Like liquid in 10-Down (MILKY); 7D: Denigrate (ABASE); 8D: Sloth, for one (SIN); 9D: Possessed (HAD); 10D: Palm produce (COCONUTS); 11D: Cut of meat (LOIN); 12D: Chips in a chip (ANTES); 13D: Puritans' transport (MAYFLOWER); 14D: TV type (PLASMA); 15D: Super Bowl stat category (RUSHING); 16D: Trap up north, maybe (ICE IN); 17D: Research money (GRANT); 18D: Ready followers? (SET GO); 24D: Dream Team shots (LAYUPS); 28D: Voids (GAPS); 29D: Retort to a skeptic (I AM SO); 32D: Emulate 2-Down (SKATE); 33D: Pin cushion? (MAT); 36D: Slowing, in mus. (RIT.); 38D: Plod (TRUDGE); 40D: Blackbeard's quaff (GROG); 41D: San __: Riviera resort (REMO); 42D: Big snow fall? (AVALANCHE); 43D: Night, in Nogales (NOCHE); 44D: Liq. measure (GAL.); 45D: Taurus preceder (ARIES); 47D: Haughty attitude (HIGH HORSE); 48D: Zeno's town (ELEA); 49D: Right way to go? (EAST); 53D: Toaster's glass (FLUTE); 56D: Dicey (RISKY); 59D: Skeptical retort (NOT SO); 62D: Org. in a '60s spy series (UNCLE); 64D: See 122-Across (ALECS); 65D: Knight on TV (TED); 67D: Part of the anc. art of discourse (RHET.); 68D: Common honorific (SIR); 70D: Common folk (PLEBS); 71D: Virgil epic (AENEID); 72D: More than strange (WEIRD); 73D: German university city (JENA); 74D: Windows alternative (UNIX); 77D: Certain halfway point (NOON); 78D: Oodles (GOBS); 80D: Transition point (WATERSHED); 82D: "Tarnation!" ("EGADS!"); 83D: '70s-'80s pitcher Guidry (RON); 87D: Corroded (EATEN); 88D: Dispossessor? (EXORCIST); 90D: Part of ETA: Abbr. (EST.); 91D: "Fire Down Below" star (SEAGAL); 94D: It's named for a trapeze artist (LEOTARD); 97D: H. Clinton, once (SEN.); 98D: Good points (VIRTUES); 100D: Tours of duty (STINTS); 103D: / (SLASH); 104D: , (COMMA); 105D: Turkish empire founder (OSMAN); 106D: Doughnut for the road (SPARE); 109D: Fussed over, with "on" (DOTED); 111D: "__ a stinker?": Bugs Bunny line (AIN'T I); 112D: Machu Picchu natives (INCAS); 113D: Emmy winner Christine (LAHTI); 115D: Schoenberg's "Moses und __" (ARON); 117D: Curious to a fault (NOSY); 120D: Green lights (OKS); 121D: A, in France (UNE).