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CROSSWORD SETTER: Timothy Polin
THEME: It’s Elementary
Each of today’s themed clues reference “circled letter(s)” within that clue’s answer in the grid. Those circled letter(s) are the symbol for a chemical element, which element is needed to solve the clue. Clever!
22A. [Circled letters]-filled contraption : WEATHER BALLOON [He = helium]
30A. World landmark built with [circled letters] : EIFFEL TOWER [Fe = iron]
45A. [Circled letters]-based drugs : MOOD STABILIZERS [Li = lithium]
60A. [Circled letters]-advertised establishment : ROADSIDE DINER [Ne = neon]
73A. Picture displayed on a [circled letters] surface : DAGUERREOTYPE [Ag = silver]
88A. [Circled letter]-consuming activity : AEROBIC EXERCISE [O = oxygen]
99A. Sports implement often made from [circled letters] : BASEBALL BAT [Al = aluminum]
113A. [Circled letter]-fueled device : NUCLEAR REACTOR (U = uranium]
15D. Condition contributed to by a lack of [circled letters] : TOOTH DECAY [Ca = calcium]
71D. Fabled [circled letters]-hiding trickster : LEPRECHAUN [Au = gold]
BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 18m 00s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0
Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
13. Flat bread : MATZO
Matzo is an unleavened bread that is very brittle. The bread is crushed, creating Matzo meal that is then formed into balls using eggs and oil as a binder. The balls are usually served in a chicken stock.
18. Zeitgeist : ETHOS
“Zeit” is the German word for “time”, as in “zeitgeist”, the word imported into English meaning “the spirit of the times”.
20. Recurring theme in Philip K. Dick novels : PARANOIA
Philip K. Dick (the “K” is for “Kindred” … what a great name!) was a science-fiction author. There is a whole raft of successful movies that have been produced based on Dick’s works, including “Blade Runner”, “Total Recall”, “Minority Report”, “Paycheck” and “The Adjustment Bureau”. He won a Hugo Award for Best Novel for his 1962 novel “The Man in the High Castle”, which has been adapted into a hit Amazon TV series.
21. Cousin of a mandrill : BABOON
Baboons are ground-dwelling primates native to Africa that are found in open woodland and hills. A group of baboons is usually referred to as a “troop”.
Mandrills and drills are Old World monkeys that mainly inhabit tropical rainforests. Male mandrills have reportedly grown to about 130 pounds, making the mandrill the planet’s largest monkey. Female mandrills are usually just half the size of males, and female drills are even smaller, just one quarter of the size of male drills.
24. Cry for more : ENCORE!
“Encore” is French for “again, one more time”, and is a shout that an audience member will make here in North America to request another song, say. But, the term is not used this way in France. Rather, the audience will shout “Bis!”, which is the Italian for “twice!”
25. Affirm one’s humanity? : ERR
Alexander Pope’s 1709 poem “An Essay on Criticism” is the source of at least three well-known quotations:
- A little learning is a dangerous thing; Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring.
- To err is human, to forgive divine.
- For fools rush in where angels fear to tread.
29. Capote, informally : TRU
The larger-than-life Truman “Tru” Capote was a celebrated author and comedian. Capote is perhaps most associated with his novella “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” and his true crime novel “In Cold Blood”. Truman Capote grew up in Monroeville, Alabama. There he met, and became lifelong friends with, fellow novelist Harper Lee. Capote was the inspiration for the character “Dill” in Lee’s celebrated work “To Kill a Mockingbird”. In turn, Harper Lee was the inspiration for the character “Idabel” in Capote’s “Other Voices, Other Rooms”.
30. World landmark built with [circled letters] : EIFFEL TOWER [Fe = iron]
The Exposition Universelle (World’s Fair) of 1900 was held in Paris, France. The 1900 fair is remembered for the magnificent entrance arch that was constructed for visitors. That entrance arch was to remain standing for only nine years, but the city decided to keep it and you can visit it today. Today we call that entrance arch the Eiffel Tower.
45. [Circled letters]-based drugs : MOOD STABILIZERS [Li = lithium]
Lithium compounds are often used as medication for psychiatric disorders, including bipolar disorder. Charles Leiper Grigg introduced a drink containing the mood stabilizer lithium citrate in 1929 using the name “Bib-Label Lithiated Lemon-Lime Soda”. We call that drink 7Up today, although the lithium citrate was removed as an ingredient in 1948.
53. Great confusion : HAVOC
Havoc is a great damage or destruction. The term comes from the Anglo-French phrase “crier havok”, which was an order given in the late 1500s to soldiers, instructing them to seize plunder.
54. Sea serpent of old cartoons : CECIL
“Beany and Cecil” is a cartoon television series originally broadcast in 1962. Beany is a young boy with a propeller beanie with which he can fly. Cecil is sea serpent with a lisp.
55. Citrus hybrid : UGLI
The ugli fruit is a hybrid of an orange and a tangerine, first discovered growing wild in Jamaica where most ugli fruit comes from today. “UGLI” is a trademark name that is a variant of “ugly”, a nod to the fruits unsightly wrinkled rind.
56. Bomb developed in the 1950s : EDSEL
The Edsel brand of automobile was named for Edsel, son of Henry Ford. Sadly, the name “Edsel” has become synonymous with “failure”, which was no fault of Edsel himself who had died several years before the Edsel line was introduced. When the Ford Motor Company introduced the Edsel on 4 September 1957, Ford proclaimed the day to be “E Day”.
59. Homeland of Spartacus : THRACE
Thrace is a historical and geographic region of southeast Europe, largely lying in southeastern Bulgaria. The region took its name from the Thracian people, an ancient race that used to inhabit the area. Included in the region is the European side of the city of Istanbul.
60. [Circled letters]-advertised establishment : ROADSIDE DINER [Ne = neon]
The basic design of neon lighting was first demonstrated at the Paris Motor Show in 1910. Such lighting is made up of glass tubes containing a vacuum into which has been introduced a small amount of neon gas. When a voltage is applied between two electrodes inside the tube, the neon gas “glows” and gives off the familiar light.
64. Berried conifer : YEW
The family of trees known as yews propagate by producing a seed surrounded by soft, sweet and brightly colored aril. Birds eat the fruit and then disperse the seed in their droppings. The birds leave the seed undamaged, and so are unharmed by the potent poisons taxine and taxol that are found within the seed. The seeds are highly toxic to humans.
65. Existentialist Kierkegaard : SOREN
Soren Kierkegaard was a Danish philosopher and theologian, and I’ve never really understood anything that he wrote!
66. Language heard along the Mekong : LAO
Lao is the official language of Laos. Lao is also spoken in the northeast of Thailand, but there the language is known as Isan.
The Mekong is the twelfth longest river in the world, at over 2,700 miles in length. It rises in the Tibetan Plateau and empties into the South China Sea at the famed Mekong delta system in Vietnam.
67. Chocolate-and-banana liqueur cocktail : CAPRI
Here’s a recipe for a Capri cocktail:
- 1 part white crème de cacao
- 1 part crème de banane
- 1 part light cream
72. Letter on a dreidel : NUN
A dreidel is a spinning top with four sides, often associated with the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. Each of the four sides on a dreidel bears a letter from the Hebrew alphabet (nun, gimel, hei and shin). The four letters are the initials of the Hebrew phrase “Nes Gadol Hayah Sham” meaning “a great miracle happened there”. According to tradition, children would be taught Torah while hiding in caves away from the Greeks. When Greek soldiers approached, the children would hide their torah scrolls and play with their dreidels instead.
73. Picture displayed on a [circled letters] surface : DAGUERREOTYPE [Ag = silver]
The first commercially successful photographic process was invented by French artist Louis Daguerre. The resulting “daguerreotype” was the most common photograph available from its introduction in 1839 through the 1850s. Daguerreotypes were usually images captured on silver-covered copper plates.
81. Conservative portfolio asset, for short : T-NOTE
A Treasury note (T-Note) is a government debt that matures in 1-10 years. A T-Note has a coupon (interest) payment made every six months. The T-note is purchased at a discount to face value, and at the date of maturity can be redeemed at that face value. A T-Bill is a similar financial vehicle, but it matures in one year or less, and a T-Bond matures in 20-30 years.
86. Obsolescent players : VCRS
Video Cassette Recorder (VCR)
88. [Circled letter]-consuming activity : AEROBIC EXERCISE [O = oxygen]
Aerobic exercise is moderate activity designed to be at a low enough intensity that very little anaerobic activity takes place. In other words, the exercise is at a level where oxygen is taken in to burn fat and carbohydrate and to create energy. Anaerobic exercise is more intense and uses carbohydrate (glycogen) in the muscle to provide energy, without the need for oxygen. Aerobics are also called “cardio” as the exercises strengthen the cardiovascular system.
92. Strain to avoid? : E COLI
Escherichia coli (E. coli) are usually harmless bacteria found in the human gut, working away quite happily. However, there are some strains that can produce lethal toxins. These strains can make their way into the food chain from animal fecal matter that comes into contact with food designated for human consumption.
94. Underlying cosmic principle : TAO
The Chinese character “tao” translates as “path”, but the concept of Tao signifies the true nature of the world.
110. Evergreen State airport : SEA-TAC
Sea-Tac Airport is more fully known as Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Sea-Tac is the main hub for Alaska Airlines.
Washington has been nicknamed “the Evergreen State” since 1890, when the moniker was proposed by journalist turned real estate tycoon Charles Tallmadge Conover. The nickname has never been adopted officially, although it does appear on Washington state license plates. The name is a reference to the abundance of evergreen trees in the state’s forests.
113. [Circled letter]-fueled device : NUCLEAR REACTOR (U = uranium]
A common nuclear fuel is uranium dioxide (UO2). The UO2 comes in powder form and is compacted into pellets that are fired at high temperature producing ceramic pellets. The pellets are ground into a near-perfect cylindrical shape and are then stacked inside tubes made of zirconium alloy. These tubes are what we usually refer to as nuclear fuel rods.
122. Au courant : UP-TO-DATE
“Au courant” means “up-to-date” and comes into English directly from French, in which language it has the same meaning.
Down
1. North American flycatcher : PEWEE
A pewee is a small bird, so called because of the “pee wee” sound that it makes.
2. “S.N.L.” alum Cheri : OTERI
Cheri Oteri was the SNL (“Saturday Night Live”) cast member who regularly appeared with Will Ferrell in the skit featuring a pair of Spartan cheerleaders.
4. Happy hour habitué : SOT
A “habitué” is someone who frequents a particular spot. “Habituer” is the French word for “to accustom”.
I always think that happy hour is best enjoyed with a good crossword, and shaken, not stirred …
5. Jack ___ : SPRAT
Jack Sprat was a nickname given in the 16th century to people of small stature. Jack featured in a proverb of the day:
Jack will eat not fat, and Jull doth love no leane. Yet betwixt them both they lick the dishes cleane.
Over time, this mutated into a nursery rhyme that is still recited in England:
Jack Sprat could eat no fat. His wife could eat no lean. And so between them both, you see, they licked the platter clean.
6. Guerrilla leader in “For Whom the Bell Tolls” : PABLO
“For Whom the Bell Tolls” is a 1940 novel by author Ernest Hemingway that tells the story of an American fighting for a republican guerilla unit during the Spanish Civil War. The novel is based on Hemingway’s own experiences during the conflict. The title is taken from a work by metaphysical poet John Donne called “Devotions upon Emergent Occasions”.
7. Constellation near Scorpius : ARA
The constellation of Ara takes its name from the Latin word for “altar”. It’s also the only constellation with a 3-letter name.
9. 8 x 10, e.g.: Abbr. : ENL
Enlargement (enl.)
11. Garlicky spread : AIOLI
To the purist, especially in Provence in the South of France, the “home” of aioli, aioli is prepared just by grinding garlic with olive oil. However, other ingredients are often added to the mix, particularly egg yolks.
14. Epitome of simplicity : ABC
The more common meaning of “epitome” is a perfect example of a group, quality, type, etc. An epitome is also an abstract or summary of a book or article.
16. Rider of the horse Tornado : ZORRO
The character Zorro was created by Johnston McCulley in 1919 for a series of stories and pulp fiction, the first title being “The Curse of Capistrano”. The name “Zorro” is the secret identity of a Spanish colonial nobleman called Don Diego de la Vega.
19. Turns into confetti : SHREDS
The word “confetti” is related to “confection”. The original confetti were small candies thrown during carnivals in Italy. This custom migrated to England, and eventually evolved into the practice of tossing small pieces of paper instead of confections.
21. Seaman’s chapel : BETHEL
“Bethel” is a Hebrew word meaning “house of God”. There is a famous Seamen’s Bethel in New Bedford, Massachusetts that was built in 1832, mainly for the use of the local whaling community. Herman Melville referred to the chapel in his novel “Moby-Dick”, although he called it the “Whaleman’s Chapel”.
23. Ingredients in some London pies : EELS
Eel pie is a traditional dish associated with the working classes in London, England especially during the Victorian era. Eel was chosen as an ingredient as it was one of the few fish that could live in the polluted River Thames.
28. Top story : ATTIC
An attic or loft is a room or space located below the roof of a building. The term “attic” is a shortened form of “attic story”, the uppermost story or level of a house. This term “attic story” originally applied to a low, decorative level built on top of the uppermost story behind a building’s decorative facade. This use of decoration at the top of buildings was common in ancient Greece, and was particularly important in the Attica style. That Attica style was so called because it originated in the historical region of Attica that encompassed the city of Athens. And that’s how our attics are linked to ancient Greece.
32. Sylvan : WOODED
A sylvan area is wooded, covered in trees. “Silva” is the Latin word for “forest”.
33. Denouement : END
The “denouement” is the final resolution of a dramatic plot. The term is French, and derives from the Old French for “untying”, an “unknotting” as it were.
34. “A.S.A.P.!” : RUSH!
As soon as possible (ASAP)
36. Beowulf or Gilgamesh : EPIC HERO
“Beowulf” is an old epic poem from England, although the story is set in Scandinavia. Beowulf fights a battle, defending the Danish King Hrothgar from the ferocious outcast Grendel. Hrothgar had built a great hall for his people in which they could celebrate; singing, dancing and drinking lots of mead. Grendel was angered by the carousing and attacked the hall, devouring many of the incumbent warriors as they slept. A bit of an extreme reaction to noisy neighbors I’d say …
The “Epic of Gilgamesh” is an epic poem from Mesopotamia. It is one of the earliest known works of literature that has survived. Fragments of the first version of the epic date back to the 18th century BC.
43. Waffle brand : EGGO
Eggo is the brand name of a line of frozen waffles made by Kellogg’s. When they were introduced in the 1930s, the name “Eggo” was chosen to promote the “egginess” of the batter. “Eggo” replaced the original name chosen, which was “Froffles”, created by melding “frozen” and “waffles”.
44. She, in Salerno : ELLA
Salerno is a port city on the southwest coast of Italy. In WWII, after the Italians negotiated a peace treaty with the Allies in 1943, the King of Italy relocated to Salerno from Rome. The new Italian government was set up in the city, and for a few months Salerno was “capital” of the country.
46. ___ twins of 1980s-’90s TV : OLSEN
I know very little about the Olsen twins, but I am told that folks believe Mary-Kate and Ashley to be identical twins. They look very much alike, but are in fact fraternal twins. The sisters were cast as Michelle Tanner on the eighties sitcom “Full House”, taking turns playing the role.
49. Minute ___ : RICE
Minute Rice is a brand of “instant rice”, rice that has been pre-cooked and dehydrated. Using instant rice saves about ten minutes and cooking time, but many of the rice’s natural nutrients have been lost in the factory dehydration process.
52. Foreign capital whose name sounds like a water passage to San Francisco : BEIRUT
Beirut is the capital city of Lebanon. After WWI, Lebanon was placed under administrative control of the French and Beirut flourished as a financial center in the Middle East and as a major world tourist destination. The city was devastated in the Lebanese Civil War that raged from 1975 to 1990, but reconstruction has restored the city to much of its former glory, making it a major cultural center once again.
“Beirut” sounds like “Bay route”.
57. He married Daisy Mae in 1952 : LI’L ABNER
Daisy Mae Scragg was the vampish woman who chased Li’l Abner trying to goad him into marriage. This went on for 15 years in the cartoon strip until creator Al Capp succumbed to public pressure and married the couple at the end of March 1952. The marriage was such a big event that it made the cover of “Life” magazine.
59. Homes on the range : TEPEES
A tepee (also written as “tipi” and “teepee”) is a cone-shaped tent traditionally made from animal hides that is used by the Great Plains Native Americans. A wigwam is a completely different structure and is often a misnomer for a tepee. A wigwam is a domed structure built by Native Americans in the West and Southwest, intended to be a more permanent dwelling. The wigwam can also be covered with hides but more often was covered with grass, reeds, brush or cloth.
63. Who wrote “I exist, that is all, and I find it nauseating” : SARTRE
Jean-Paul Sartre was a leading French philosopher, as well as a writer and political activist. Sartre also served with the French army during WWII and spent nine months as a prisoner of war having been captured by German troops. He was one of the few people to have been awarded a Nobel Prize and to have then refused to accept it. Sartre was named winner of the prize for Literature in 1964, for his first novel “Nausea”. Before his win, Sartre knew that his name was on the list of nominees so he wrote to the Nobel Institute and asked to be withdrawn from consideration. The letter somehow went unread, so he found himself having to refuse the award after he had been selected.
67. Branded footwear with open backs : CROCS
Crocs are foam clogs that were originally designed as shoes to be worn at health spas.
70. Capital of Togo : LOME
Lomé is the capital city of Togo in West Africa.
Togo is a country on the West African coast, one of the smallest nations on the continent. It is located between Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the north.
71. Fabled [circled letters]-hiding trickster : LEPRECHAUN [Au = gold]
A leprechaun is a mischievous fairy in Irish folklore. Traditionally, leprechauns spend their days making shoes and hide all their money in a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. Our word “leprechaun” comes from the Irish name for such a sprite, “leipreachán”.
73. Quatre halved : DEUX
In French, half of “quatre” (four) is “deux” (two).
74. Exhibits one of the seven deadly sins : ENVIES
The cardinal sins of Christian ethics are also known as the seven deadly sins. The seven deadly sins are:
- Wrath
- Greed
- Sloth
- Pride
- Lust
- Envy
- Gluttony
75. Modern acronym for “Seize the day!” : YOLO
You only live once (YOLO)
“Carpe diem” is a quotation from Horace, one of Ancient Rome’s leading lyric poets. “Carpe diem” translates from Latin as “seize the day” or “enjoy the day”. The satirical motto of a procrastinator is “carpe mañana”, “translating” as “seize tomorrow”.
84. Issue for a noble family? : SCION
“Scion” comes from the old French word “sion” or “cion”, meaning “a shoot or a twig”. In botanical terms today, a scion is used in grafting two compatible plants together. In grafting, one plant is selected for its root system (the “rootstock”), and the other plant is selected for its stems, leaves and fruit (the “scion”). The term scion migrated naturally into the world of family history. A scion is simply a descendant, a son or a daughter and therefore a branching point in the family tree.
85. Tiny amount : DRIB
A “drib” is a negligible amount, as in “dribs and drabs”.
89. W.W. II moniker : IL DUCE
Benito Mussolini (aka “Il Duce”, the “Duke”) was deposed in 1943 just a few weeks after the Allies invaded Sicily and started to bomb Rome. Fascist politicians voted to oust him, and Italian King Victor Emmanuel had him arrested. Hitler selected Lieutenant Colonel Otto Skorzeny to lead a group of German commandos in a daring rescue of his longtime ally. The rescuers were towed into Italian airspace in gliders, which the commandos flew into a mountainside close to where Mussolini was being held captive. The element of surprise was so significant, that the rescue was effected without a shot being fired. A small plane was flown in to transport Mussolini and Skorzeny out of Italy, and to safety in Vienna. Some months later, Mussolini returned to his homeland and fought on in parts of the country not yet taken by the Allies. As the end drew near, he made a run for Switzerland but was captured by Italian partisans. They executed him and took his body to Milan where it was put on display hanging upside down for all to see.
90. KPMG hiree : CPA
Certified public accountant (CPA)
KPMG is an accounting and professional services company based in Amsterdam in the Netherlands. The company’s initialism stands for “Klynveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler”.
91. Certain platonic friend : GAL PAL
The Greek philosopher Plato wrote a philosophical treatise on the nature of love called “Symposium”. “Symposium” is the source of the contemporary phrase “Platonic love”.
97. Brand with classic “But wait, there’s more …!” infomercials : GINSU
Ginsu knives are more famous for their hard-sell television ads than they are for their efficacy in the kitchen. The Ginsu phenomenon took off in the seventies when two brothers found a set of knives called “Eversharp” that were being manufactured in Ohio. The brothers changed the brand name to something more exotic, and Japanese in particular (Ginsu), and then produced ads that made references to Japanese martial arts. I think they made a fortune …
100. Everglades wader : EGRET
Egrets are a group of several species of white herons. Many egret species were faced with extinction in the 1800s and early 1900s due to plume hunting, a practice driven by the demand for egret plumes that could be incorporated into hats.
The Everglades are a tropical wetlands that cover much of southern Florida. The area was named “River Glades” by a British surveyor in 1773, and is suggested that poor transcription of the word “river” led to the use of “ever”. The southern 20% of the Everglades is a protected region that we know as Everglades National Park. The park is the third-largest National Park in the lower 48 states, after Death Valley NP (the largest) and Yellowstone NP.
101. Ballet school supporter : BARRE
A “barre” is a handrail used by ballet dancers for warm-up exercises and to provide support when practicing certain moves.
107. Tartan wearer : SCOT
Tartan is sometimes called “plaid” over here in the US, a word not used in the same sense outside of this country. In Scotland a “plaid” is a blanket or a tartan cloth slung over the shoulder.
114. British can : LOO
It has been suggested that the British term “loo” comes from Waterloo (water-closet … water-loo), but no one seems to know for sure. Another suggestion is that the term comes from the card game of “lanterloo”, in which the pot was called the loo!
115. Itinerary abbr. : ETD
Estimated time of departure (ETD)
117. Image on a Wisconsin state quarter : COW
The American quarter is a little unusual in the world of decimal currency if you think about it. Most currencies have a “20-cent” coin, easier to work with mathematically. The US went for the quarter in deference to the practice of dividing Spanish Milled Dollars into eight wedge-shaped “bits”. That’s also why the quarter is sometimes referred to as “two bits”. State quarters were introduced in 1999, but prior to that the quarter had an eagle on its reverse.
For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Big hits : POWS
5. Something repeatedly hit with a thumb : SPACE BAR
13. Flat bread : MATZO
18. Zeitgeist : ETHOS
20. Recurring theme in Philip K. Dick novels : PARANOIA
21. Cousin of a mandrill : BABOON
22. [Circled letters]-filled contraption : WEATHER BALLOON [He = helium]
24. Cry for more : ENCORE!
25. Affirm one’s humanity? : ERR
26. Tangible : REAL
27. Swell : BLOAT
29. Capote, informally : TRU
30. World landmark built with [circled letters] : EIFFEL TOWER [Fe = iron]
35. Being repaired, as a car : IN THE SHOP
38. Spots : ADS
39. It’s hard to bear : ONUS
41. Halfhearted, as support : TEPID
42. Can’t wait to find out, in a way : PEEKS
45. [Circled letters]-based drugs : MOOD STABILIZERS [Li = lithium]
51. Check out : OGLE
52. Unvarnished : BALD
53. Great confusion : HAVOC
54. Sea serpent of old cartoons : CECIL
55. Citrus hybrid : UGLI
56. Bomb developed in the 1950s : EDSEL
58. College party epicenter, often : KEG
59. Homeland of Spartacus : THRACE
60. [Circled letters]-advertised establishment : ROADSIDE DINER [Ne = neon]
63. “What’d I tell ya?” : SEE?
64. Berried conifer : YEW
65. Existentialist Kierkegaard : SOREN
66. Language heard along the Mekong : LAO
67. Chocolate-and-banana liqueur cocktail : CAPRI
69. Poorly : ILL
72. Letter on a dreidel : NUN
73. Picture displayed on a [circled letters] surface : DAGUERREOTYPE [Ag = silver]
78. Fails to : DOESN’T
80. Kind of developer : WEB
81. Conservative portfolio asset, for short : T-NOTE
82. Convinced : SOLD
83. Worthless : EMPTY
84. Now hear this! : SOUND
86. Obsolescent players : VCRS
87. Put a stop to? : CLOG
88. [Circled letter]-consuming activity : AEROBIC EXERCISE [O = oxygen]
91. “That’s great!” : GOODY!
92. Strain to avoid? : E COLI
93. Stinky : RIPE
94. Underlying cosmic principle : TAO
95. Ones getting all the breaks : LUCKY DOGS
99. Sports implement often made from [circled letters] : BASEBALL BAT [Al = aluminum]
105. Smokers should knock it off : ASH
106. Soldiers’ assignments : UNITS
108. Betray surprise : GASP
109. Be behind : OWE
110. Evergreen State airport : SEA-TAC
113. [Circled letter]-fueled device : NUCLEAR REACTOR (U = uranium]
118. One given a citation : SOURCE
119. Not so awkward : SMOOTHER
120. Hair : LOCKS
121. Certain navel : INNIE
122. Au courant : UP-TO-DATE
123. “What fun!” : WHEE!
Down
1. North American flycatcher : PEWEE
2. “S.N.L.” alum Cheri : OTERI
3. Unloading zone : WHARF
4. Happy hour habitué : SOT
5. Jack ___ : SPRAT
6. Guerrilla leader in “For Whom the Bell Tolls” : PABLO
7. Constellation near Scorpius : ARA
8. Low-___ : CAL
9. 8 x 10, e.g.: Abbr. : ENL
10. Fool : BOOB
11. Garlicky spread : AIOLI
12. Wouldn’t shut up : RAN ON
13. “Geez!” : MAN!
14. Epitome of simplicity : ABC
15. Condition contributed to by a lack of [circled letters] : TOOTH DECAY [Ca = calcium]
16. Rider of the horse Tornado : ZORRO
17. Outdo : ONE-UP
19. Turns into confetti : SHREDS
21. Seaman’s chapel : BETHEL
23. Ingredients in some London pies : EELS
28. Top story : ATTIC
31. Things bouncers are supposed to catch : FAKE IDS
32. Sylvan : WOODED
33. Denouement : END
34. “A.S.A.P.!” : RUSH!
36. Beowulf or Gilgamesh : EPIC HERO
37. Jewelry store gadget : SIZER
40. Watch, as a criminals’ hiding spot : STAKE OUT
42. Do a wine steward’s job : POUR
43. Waffle brand : EGGO
44. She, in Salerno : ELLA
45. Incense : MADDEN
46. ___ twins of 1980s-’90s TV : OLSEN
47. State confidently : AVER
48. Mire : BOG
49. Minute ___ : RICE
50. Dispatched, as a dragon : SLEW
52. Foreign capital whose name sounds like a water passage to San Francisco : BEIRUT
57. He married Daisy Mae in 1952 : LI’L ABNER
59. Homes on the range : TEPEES
61. Lad : SONNY BOY
62. Ride hard : NAG
63. Who wrote “I exist, that is all, and I find it nauseating” : SARTRE
67. Branded footwear with open backs : CROCS
68. “Everything’s fine” : IT’S COOL
69. Think piece? : IDEA
70. Capital of Togo : LOME
71. Fabled [circled letters]-hiding trickster : LEPRECHAUN [Au = gold]
73. Quatre halved : DEUX
74. Exhibits one of the seven deadly sins : ENVIES
75. Modern acronym for “Seize the day!” : YOLO
76. Trudge : PLOD
77. Eliciting nervous laughter, say : EDGY
79. Market share? : STOCK
80. Poverty, e.g. : WOE
84. Issue for a noble family? : SCION
85. Tiny amount : DRIB
89. W.W. II moniker : IL DUCE
90. KPMG hiree : CPA
91. Certain platonic friend : GAL PAL
94. Shock, in a way : TASE
95. Yogurt-based Indian drink : LASSI
96. Employ against : USE ON
97. Brand with classic “But wait, there’s more …!” infomercials : GINSU
98. Leave at a loss : STUMP
100. Everglades wader : EGRET
101. Ballet school supporter : BARRE
102. Muff : BOTCH
103. Came to : AWOKE
104. To the point : TERSE
107. Tartan wearer : SCOT
111. Numerical prefix : TRI-
112. Big heart? : ACE
114. British can : LOO
115. Itinerary abbr. : ETD
116. “Now I’ve got it!” : AHA!
117. Image on a Wisconsin state quarter : COW
30:10, no errors
Pretty hard, but we finished without any help. Clever theme, which took us a long time to figure out. One of the toughest Sunday puzzles in a long time.
You didn't say who the founding brothers were, so I asked wiki. Ed Valenti, Barry Becher and Arthur Schiff get the credit.
I really like the quote from Becher translating "Ginsu" to mean "I never have to work again".
Ginsu knives are good quality, long lasting products.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ginsu
My comment relates to 97 down clue.
33:50, no errors. Interesting theme, played through without "reaching".
Had all the correct letters in, but high school chemistry wasn't enough for me to see and link all the elements to the theme answers. Thought I was dealing with an even more complicated anagram. Very clever, but also something of a disappointing slog.
Spoke Italian fairly well while at University there. Never heard "ella" used for "she". Usually "lei" and sometimes "essa" but apparently after a search "ella" is another version. Also the Italian word for "duke" is "duca" Il Duce translates usually as "leader" and was used mainly to refer to Mussolini.
Enjoyed the word play and use of element symbols
Zero errors on this, untimed. Concur with the others that said it was hard…while I finished error-free, I'd be ashamed if I actually knew how long I took on this one (started off and on at about 4:00pm, finished just now).
Definite hard messed-up word on this one: Daguerreotype. Knew what the answer was, just didn't know how to spell it and had to get crosses on it.
I've finished the puzzle but can't figure out what the circled letters are supposed to mean.
@Unknown … As Bill explains above, the circled letters are symbols for chemical elements, each of which is referenced by the clue for the entry of which it is a part.
oh…of course! Now I feel really dumb. I was too busy thinking I had to rearrange the letters to form words to notice that they were elements. Hence the name of the puzzle. I should've asked my 6-yr old grand-daughter. She probably would have known. Thanks!