Sunday February 6, 2022 Peter Koetters

Theme: "Mondegreens" - Song titles are funnily misinterpreted.

 23. Song in which Pat Benatar challenges the owner of an aquarium? (1980): HIT ME WITH YOUR PET SHARK. "Hit Me with Your Best Shot".

 30. Song in which The Beatles say goodbye to a girl on a big bird? (1965): CHICKEN TO RIDE. "Ticket to Ride"

 43. Song in which Johnny Rivers unmasks a Far East spy? (1966): SECRET ASIAN MAN.
"Secret Agent Man".

 60. Song in which Peter Gabriel bakes a simian-shaped dessert? (1982): CHOCOLATE MONKEY. "Shock The Monkey".

 69. Song in which the Plastic Ono Band promotes legumes? (1969): GIVE PEAS A CHANCE. "Give Peace a Chance." Homophone.

 86. Song in which Culture Club dons lizard costumes to teach punctuation? (1983): COMMA CHAMELEON. "Karma Chameleon".

 99. Song in which The Clash knocks over a wedding reception? (1982): ROB THE CASH BAR. "Rock the Casbah".

 107. Song in which AC/DC plays nasty tricks on livestock? (1976): DIRTY DEEDS DONE TO SHEEP. "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap".

Here is the Wikipedia article on Mondegreen. I bet D-Otto enjoyed this puzzle.

I don't recall a theme with more theme material. Peter's grid has 126 squares dedicated to the gimmick, including two grid spanners.

Across:

6. Pickle piece: SPEAR. I was intrigued by the fried pickles at our state fair. But they wanted $9 for a pickle.

11. Eschew: SHUN.

15. On its way: SENT.

19. Scouting party?: TROOP.  Oh boy/girl scout troop.

20. 2018 CVS Health acquisition: AETNA.

21. Prepare to be shot?: POSE. By a photographer.

22. x, y and z, in math: AXES.

27. Trapped by a winter storm: ICED IN.

28. It's not an option: NEED.

29. Split in two: HALVE.

35. Zipped: DARTED.

36. IRS exam: AUD. Audit.

37. Tokyo, once: EDO. Before 1868.

38. Peruvian pronoun: ESO.

39. Gibbons on TV: LEEZA. She won "The Celebrity Apprentice".

41. Answered an invite: RSVP'D.

49. Puritan pronoun: THEE.

50. Judge's seat: BANC.

52. Release money: RANSOM. Have you seen Jennifer Aniston's "Derailed". Such a disturbing movie.

53. Big pitcher: ACE.

54. Like some office jobs: CLERICAL.

58. Checkout task: SCAN.

59. Bit of sediment: DREG.

64. Volkswagen model: JETTA.

65. Veracruz neighbor: OAXACA. South of Veracruz.

66. Ending with calc and sod: IUM. Gluey. Needed for a Sunday grid.

67. "Amen": SO BE IT.

68. Drag racer's fuel, briefly: NITRO.

75. Good card for lowball: TREY.

76. Explorer Hernando de __: SOTO.

77. Former renter: EX-TENANT. Well, if this is OK, then we can have ex-employee, ex-college, ex-boss, etc.

78. Oral health org.: ADA.

79. Tool in a wheeled bucket: WET MOP.

81. Polite address: MA'AM.

82. Biblical twin: ESAU.

90. Nickname for Chicago's Ernie Banks: MR CUB. "Let's Play Two!"

91. Pretentious: ARTSY.

92. Ewe wish?: RAM. Ha.

93. Apt name for a chef?: STU.

95. "We __ the World": ARE.

96. Mid-calf pants: CAPRIS.

103. Ninja Turtles' ally April __: O'NEIL. We had her before.

104. Pension __: PLAN.

106. Pablo's "precise": EXACTO.

114. Actress Watson: EMMA.

115. Nabisco cookie: OREO. These are sweet snacks in Guangzhou during Spring Festival. Yau gok, filled with sweetened ground peanuts and toasted sesame seeds.

116. Home on the range: RANCH.

117. Calculus pioneer: EULER. Swiss mathematician (April 15, 1707- Sept 18, 1783)

118. Negotiation ender: DEAL.

119. Ballroom basic: TURN.

120. Remove: ERASE.

121. Brontë sister: EMILY.

Down:

2. Singer Grande's debut fragrance: ARI. Quite popular among the YouTube crowd.

3. Hogwash: ROT.

4. Larry the Cable Guy, for one: COMIC.

5. Dotted (with): SPECKED.

6. Declined: SAID NO.

7. Small, at the Sorbonne: PETIT.

8. Culture: Pref.: ETHNO.

9. Even one: ANY.

10. '90s Indian prime minister: RAO. Learned from doing crosswords.

11. Jag: SPREE.

12. Crossed-fingers sentiment: HOPE. We hope Bloomer's radiation works.

13. Yard sale adjective: USED.

14. Hoops hanger: NET.

15. Very hot and dry: SAHARAN.

16. Glorify: EXALT.

17. Chutzpah: NERVE.

18. Expressed disdain for: TSKED.

24. Neaten the garden, perhaps: WEED.

25. Scandal, to a politician, perhaps: UNDOER. Or to a news media CEO.

26. Captain Marvel's magic word: SHAZAM. Also the app that can help you identify the song. Amazing.

30. E-commerce icon: CART.

31. "Quiet!": HUSH.

32. "If only __ known ... ": I'D'VE.

33. Tape deck button: REC.

34. Leb. neighbor: ISR.

35. __ Sanders, only athlete to play in both the Super Bowl and World Series: DEION. Gimme for our regulars.

39. Jousting weapon: LANCE.

40. Homework assignment: ESSAY.

42. South American pig relative: PECCARY. Learning moment for me. Look at their stiff hair.

43. Vexed state: SNIT.

44. "__ homo": ECCE.

45. Job: TASK.

46. Mink cousin: MARTEN.

47. Acid type found in vinegar: ACETIC. What vinegar do you normally use? I like Mizkan rice vinegar. Very mild.

48. Cancel out: NEGATE.

50. Composer Bartók: BELA.

51. Altar in the sky: ARA.

55. In __ parentis: LOCO.

56. French friend: AMIE.

57. Jeweler's tool: LOUPE. Boomer has a big magnifier for his baseball cards.

59. Con, half the time: DEBATER.

60. Cold relief brand: CONTAC.

61. High style, maybe: HAIRDO.

62. It can take a yoke: OX TEAM.

63. Truth or Consequences st.: N MEX.

64. Father of Julian Lennon: JOHN. And 73. Half-brother of Julian Lennon: SEAN. From left to right: Sean Lennon, Yoko Ono, Cynthia Lennon & Julian Lennon.

67. Con job: SCAM.

69. Some black-clad teens: GOTHS.

70. "Possibly": IT MAY.

71. "Va-va-__!": VOOM.

72. Prefix with sphere: ATMO.

74. Santa __ winds: ANA.

76. Splinter groups: SECTS.

79. With suspicion: WARILY.

80. Argentine icons: PERONS. Eva and Juan.

83. Worker during a walkout: SCAB.

84. Ambiance: AURA.

85. Ride provider: UBER.

87. Kind of vows: MARITAL.

88. Chocolate __: LAB.

89. First responder: Abbr.: EMT.

90. Rave review word: MUST SEE.

93. Rake over the coals: SCATHE. I only know "scathing".

94. Sinaloa street snack: TACO. We need more taco mixes. Otherwise, I don't know how to make tacos for Boomer.

96. Like apps: CODED.

97. Cartoon genre: ANIME.

98. Prefix with frost: PERMA.

99. Odorless basement hazard: RADON.

100. Temporary tattoo dye: HENNA.

101. C-suite VIPs: EXECS. CEOs, CFOs, CIOs, etc.

102. "Meh": HO HUM.

104. Major quinoa producer: PERU. Tasty quinoa salad.

105. Creepy look: LEER.

108. Web address component: DOT.

109. Hip-hop Dr.: DRE.

110. Propeller with just one blade: OAR.

111. Philanthropist Broad: ELI. Just passed away last year.

112. Fish that may be jellied: EEL.

113. Meddle: PRY.

We enjoyed our VA-free week. Boomer visited his bowling buddies last Monday and we had our 42-year-old furnace replaced last Thursday. Now the basement is warm for Boomer to lounge around.

We're going to VA Spinal Cord Injury center tomorrow morning for a PT session, then a blood draw, then a meeting at the oncology about the new chemo. Boomer was told to stop taking the oral chemo when he was hospitalized. We'll have an OT session on Tuesday. Wish the VA could arrange the  PT and OT in the same day, as it's a long drive for us, but they can't. We'll go to VA hospital every Monday and Tuesday for the next few weeks. So happy that it's not below zero any more.

C.C.