SUNDAY, July 18, 2010 (syndicated)Corey Rubin

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Theme: "Not I!" — Familiar phrases have a U sound added to them, creating new wacky phrases clued "?"-style.

[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: Organize guards? (UNITE WATCHMEN).
• 31A: How the Knicks of 1985-2000 may have rested their hopes? (ON A EWING AND A PRAYER).
• 43A: Where the Oregon swim team practices? (EUGENE POOLS).
• 59A: Backlash from a Canadian territory? (THE WRATH OF YUKON).
• 68A: Reverse course against one's better judgment? (TAKE A U-TURN FOR THE WORSE).
• 78A: Answer to "Man, where can I find good music videos online?" ("TEST YOUTUBE, BABY").
• 95A: Grateful words for a delivery company? (UPS I LOVE YOU).
• 103A: Headline about declining sales of Nesquik? (YOOHOO'S LAUGHING NOW).
• 121A: Card in the game Car Flop Monopoly? (DO NOT PASS YUGO).

Crosswordese 101 Round-up:

• 41A: Caspian feeder (URAL).
• 63A: Agt. under Ness (T-MAN).
• 111A: Summer quaffs (ADES).
• 126A: Papal garment (ORALE).
• 39D: Lab assistant in a 1939 film (YGOR).
• 56D: Anatomical passage (ITER).
• 84D: "The Council of Elrond" singer (ENYA).
• 104D: Cinema name (ODEON).
• 119D: 1921 Capek play (RUR).

Everything Else — 1A: To blame (AT FAULT); 8A: Porch tune, maybe (CAROL); 13A: Spa treatment (MASSAGE); 20A: Washington's coin (QUARTER); 21A: Yoga posture (ASANA); 22A: Fancy furs (ERMINES); 25A: Friday show? (DRAGNET); 26A: Prefix with plane (AERO-); 27A: Lavish affection (DOTE); 28A: Roman's 103 (CIII); 30A: Oenophile's concern (NOSE); 37A: Take a shot (TRY); 40A: Post-OR area (ICU); 42A: Major ISP (AOL); 48A: Auto designer Ferrari (ENZO); 50A: Chat room "Incidentally ..." (BTW); 53A: Was too sweet (CLOYED); 54A: Meter opening (ODO-); 55A: Lab animals (MICE); 57A: Not stuffy (AIRY); 58A: Roll call response (HERE); 66A: Retailer with blue-and-yellow megastores (IKEA); 67A: Lure sneakily (ROPE IN); 75A: Set straight (ORIENT); 76A: Execute perfectly (NAIL); 77A: Hun king of myth (ATLI); 83A: Ernest's unseen friend, in films (VERN); 87A: Chop finely (HASH); 88A: Mineo and a mule (SALS); 89A: Resistance unit (OHM); 90A: Andy's deputy (BARNEY); 92A: Mock ending? (-ERY); 93A: McGregor of "Star Wars" films (EWAN); 97A: Maker of Good Grips kitchen tools (OXO); 98A: College srs.' tests (GRE'S); 101A: A, in Avignon (UNE); 102A: Set, as a price (ASK); 112A: Navigate (WEND); 113A: Jumble wordplay: Abbr. (ANAG.); 114A: In __: stuck (A JAM); 118A: Rise again (RESURGE); 125A: Bridge call (NO TRUMP); 127A: Fail (GO UNDER); 128A: Show contempt for (SNEER AT); 129A: Normand of silents (MABEL); 130A: Reagan A.G. (ED MEESE); 1D: Turquoise hue (AQUA); 2D: Use a fork, in a way (TUNE); 3D: Off the foul pole, e.g. (FAIR); 4D: Threepio's pal (ARTOO); 5D: Salt Lake City athlete (UTE); 6D: "Ben-Hur" author Wallace (LEW); 7D: Switch to a better model (TRADE UP); 8D: Saguaros (CACTI); 9D: Visibly terrified (ASHEN); 10D: Try to sink, maybe (RAM); 11D: Like a family sharing a vehicle (ONE-CAR); 12D: Pacific weather phenomenon (LA NIÑA); 13D: TV and radio (MEDIA); 14D: Sheet music abbr. (ARR.); 15D: "'S a __ request": Burns (SMA'); 16D: Cell user's need (SIGNAL); 17D: Tee off (ANNOY); 18D: Canada __ (GEESE); 19D: Perfumer's compound (ESTER); 24D: Drag (TOW); 29D: "Nice weather we're having" and the like (IDLE CHAT); 32D: Number of Dvorák symphonies (NINE); 33D: Breezed through (ACED); 34D: Astronaut Grissom (GUS); 35D: Guerra's opposite (PAZ); 36D: Milne tyke (ROO); 37D: PC troubleshooter (TECH); 38D: Have power over (RULE); 44D: Some canines (EYE TEETH); 45D: "Impressive!" ("OOH!"); 46D: Work of Sappho (ODE); 47D: In a funk (LOW); 49D: "The Matrix" hero (NEO); 50D: Helmet wearer (BIKER); 51D: Mousquetaires count (TROIS); 52D: Crossword inventor Arthur (WYNNE); 55D: Hammerhead cousin (MAKO); 57D: Way to make steak (AU POIVRE); 59D: Demolition supply (TNT); 60D: Biathlete's gear (RIFLE); 61D: Agonize (FRET); 62D: Cry of distress (YOWL); 64D: Umpteen (MANY); 65D: Self starter? (AUTO-); 68D: "__ moon, Alice!": Gleason catchphrase (TO THE); 69D: Toward the back (AREAR); 70D: Inviting, as lips (KISSY); 71D: Straighten out (UNTANGLE); 72D: Brother of Fidel (RAUL); 73D: Birds' bills (NIBS); 74D: Stable staple (HAY); 79D: Dream Team's team (USA); 80D: Gillespie's genre (BOP); 81D: Doctors hear a lot of them (AHS); 82D: ASCAP competitor (BMI); 85D: Flying Clouds, e.g. (REO'S); 86D: Syllable from Curly (NYUK); 90D: Beethoven's birthplace (BONN); 91D: Chevy subcompact (AVEO); 93D: Prefix with skeleton (EXO-); 94D: Court (WOO); 95D: Pres. before RBH (USG); 96D: Carousel sight (LUGGAGE); 97D: "Yeah, right!" ("OH, SURE!"); 99D: Like coin flips (RANDOM); 100D: Author Welty (EUDORA); 103D: Fish stories (YARNS); 105D: Compass dirección (OESTE); 106D: Took four of four, say (SWEPT); 107D: Oahu outsider (HAOLE); 108D: Drone's gathering, briefly (INTEL); 109D: Be off one's guard (NAP); 110D: __ Manor: "Batman" mansion (WAYNE); 115D: Hardy's "obscure" stonemason (JUDE); 116D: Seemingly forever (AGES); 117D: Greedy cry (MORE); 120D: ABC talk show, for short (GMA); 122D: Put the cuffs on (NAB); 123D: Grass in strips (SOD); 124D: Bottom line (SUM).