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Constructed by: Victor Barocas & Andy Kravis
Edited by: Will Shortz
Not your puzzle? Try today’s …
… syndicated NY Times crossword
Today’s Theme: Substitutes
Four of today’s themed answers are in the form “x FOR y”. Those answers are referenced by four other themed clues, i.e. “remember a-across”. We substitute word/phrase “y” for word/phrase “x” to reveal the right wording for the latter four sets of clues. Complicated, I know!
- 73A. Seasonal cry (remember 43-Across) : TEMPORARY EMPLOYEE (Seasonal “help”)
- 43A. Subtle sign from the distressed : CRY FOR HELP
- 87A. Recipe that entails a lot of shaking (remember 56-Across) : EARTHQUAKE (“Disaster” that entails a lot of shaking)
- 56A. Very bad plan : RECIPE FOR DISASTER
- 95A. Play of Shakespeare (remember 23-Across) : ELIZABETHAN ERA (“Time” of Shakespeare)
- 23A. Stall : PLAY FOR TIME
- 111A. Not safe at home (remember 33-Across) : TELECOMMUTE (“Work” at home)
- 33A. At risk of being offensive : NOT SAFE FOR WORK
Read on, or jump to …
… a complete list of answers
Want to discuss the puzzle? Then …
… leave a comment
Bill’s time: 19m 59s
Bill’s errors: 0
Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies
Across
1. Enjoy some rays? : SCUBA
The self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA) was co-invented by celebrated French marine explorer Jacques Cousteau.
11. Off-kilter : ALOP
I had to go to one of my two huge volumes of the OED to find the definition of “alop”. It means “lopsided”. A lovely word, I think, but it’s amazing that it seems to have avoided the Internet …!
To be “off-kilter” is to be off balance, not aligned. To be “out of kilter” is to be out of order, not in good condition.
15. Affectedly quaint : TWEE
In the UK, something “twee” is cutesy or overly nice. “Twee” came from “tweet”, which is the cutesy, baby-talk way of saying “sweet”.
19. Plácido Domingo, for one : TENOR
Plácido Domingo is a Spanish tenor who was born in Madrid. Famously, Domingo was one of the Three Tenors, the performing trio that brought classical arias to the masses. The other two “Tenors” were fellow-Spaniard José Carreras and Italian Luciano Pavarotti.
21. Colorful toys with symbols on their bellies : CARE BEARS
The Care Bears franchise includes a line of toys as well as TV shows and movies. The original Care Bears were characters created for greeting cards marketed by American Greetings starting in 1981.
25. They may sit next to sofas : END TABLES
“Sofa” is a Turkish word meaning “bench”.
28. Make out, at Hogwarts : SNOG
“Snogging” is British slang of unknown origin that dates back to the end of WWII. The term is used for “kissing and cuddling”, what we call “making out” over here in the US.
In J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter” universe, The Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was founded by the four most brilliant witches and wizards of their time: Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw and Salazar Slytherin. Each of the founders lent their name to a House in the school, i.e. Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin.
30. Understand : GROK
To grok is to understand, and is a slang term that’s really only used in “techie” circles. “Grok” is the creation of science fiction author Robert Heinlein, who coined it in his 1961 novel “Stranger in a Strange Land”.
41. Oil-rich nation, for short : UAE
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a federation of seven emirates (states) in the Middle East. Included in the seven are Abu Dhabi and Dubai, with the city of Abu Dhabi being the UAE capital and cultural center.
42. Prefix with -logism : NEO
A neologism is a new word or phrase, or a new meaning or usage for an existing word.
49. Holiday poem starter : ‘TWAS
The poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas” was published anonymously in 1823, and is better known today by its first line “‘Twas the night before Christmas”. Most scholars believe that the poem was written by Clement Clarke Moore, a theologian from New York City. Others say that it was written by Henry Livingston, Jr. a poet from Upstate New York.
‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her ’kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap,
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash …
50. Blade with no sharp edge : EPEE
The sword known as an épée has a three-sided blade. The épée is similar to a foil and sabre, both of which are also thrusting weapons. However, the foil and saber have rectangular cross-sections.
51. The “A” in TV’s ALF : ALIEN
“ALF” is a sitcom that aired in the late eighties. The title character is a hand-puppet, and supposedly an alien named Gordon Shumway from the planet Melmac. The alien crash-landed into the house of amateur radio enthusiast Willie Tanner. Tanner renamed the intruder “ALF”, standing for “alien life form”.
53. Director Lee : ANG
Taiwanese director Ang Lee sure has directed a mixed bag of films, mixed in terms of genre but not in terms of quality. He was at the helm for such classics as “Sense & Sensibility” (my personal favorite), “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”, “Hulk”, “Brokeback Mountain” and “Life of Pi”.
54. In the vicinity of : NEAR
A vicinity is an area surrounding a place. The term “vicinity” ultimately comes from the Latin “vicus” meaning “group of houses, village”.
55. Tupperware feature : LID
Back in the 1930s, Earl Tupper was working at the DuPont Chemical Company, and from DuPont obtained inflexible pieces of polyethylene slag. Tupper purified the slag and shaped it into unbreakable containers. He added airtight lids with a “burping seal”, which were provided tight seals similar to that provided by the lids on paint cans. He called his new product Tupperware.
63. Seat of Lewis and Clark County : HELENA
Helena is the capital of the state of Montana, and is known as the Queen City of the Rockies. Helena’s main street has a very colorful name, namely Last Chance Gulch.
67. “Vacation” band : GO-GOS
The Go-Gos are an all-female rock band that was formed in Los Angeles back in 1978. The band’s biggest hit was “We Got the Beat”, which was released in 1982.
69. Fake news items : CANARDS
“Canard” is the French word for “duck”. We use the term to mean a hoax or a misleading rumor. This usage comes from a phrase used in French that translates as “to half-sell a duck”, which means “to cheat”.
70. It’s said to cause a smile : CHEESE
Photographers often instruct us to say “cheese”, to elicit a smile-like expression. Even Japanese photographers use the word “cheese” for the same effect. Bulgarians use the word “zele” meaning “cabbage”. The Chinese say “eggplant”, the Danish “orange”, the Iranians “apple” and the most Latin Americans say “whiskey”.
72. Cosmic bursts : NOVAS
A nova (plural “novae”) is basically a star that suddenly gets much brighter, gradually returning to its original state weeks or even years later. The increased brightness of a nova is due to increased nuclear activity causing the star to pick up extra hydrogen from a neighboring celestial body. A supernova is very different from a nova. A supernova is a very bright burst of light and energy created when most of the material in a star explodes. The bright burst of a supernova is very short-lived compared to the sustained brightness of a nova.
77. TV show with the most Primetime Emmy noms : SNL
“Saturday Night Live” (SNL)
80. Per ___ : DIEM
“Per diem” is the Latin for “by the day”. We tend to use the term for a daily allowance for expenses when traveling for work.
81. Lyft alternative : CAB
A hansom cab is a very specific design of horse and buggy that was patented by Joseph Hansom in 1834 in England. The “cab” in the name is short for “cabriolet”, an earlier design of carriage on which the hansom was based. It’s from “hansom cab” that we get our modern term “cab”.
82. Farm refrain : E-I-E-I-O
There was an American version of the English children’s song “Old MacDonald Had a Farm” (E-I-E-I-O), that was around in the days of WWI. The first line of the US version goes “Old MacDougal had a farm, in Ohio-i-o”.
83. Prince Philip’s spouse, for short : QEII
Princess Elizabeth became queen Elizabeth II in 1952 when her father, King George VI died. The Princess was on an official visit to Kenya when her husband broke the news to her, that she had become queen. When she was crowned in 1953 in Westminster Abbey, it was the first coronation to be televised. Queen Elizabeth’s reign is longest in the history of the UK.
84. West Coast law force, for short : SFPD
The San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) is the 11th largest police department in the country. The SFPD dates back to the days of the Gold Rush, being founded in 1849 as a force of 35 officers. SFPD has featured a lot in movies and on television. The most famous films are probably “Bullitt”, the “Dirty Harry” series and “48 Hrs.” On television there was “Ironside”, “The Streets of San Francisco” and “Monk”.
85. House whose symbol is a red-and-white rose : TUDOR
The Wars of the Roses was a series of civil wars fought for the throne of England between the rival Houses of Lancaster (with a symbol of a red rose) and York (with a symbol of a white rose). Ultimately the Lancastrians emerged victorious after Henry Tudor defeated King Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field. Henry was crowned King Henry VII, and so began the Tudor dynasty. Henry Tudor united the rival houses by marrying his cousin Elizabeth of York. Henry VII had a relatively long reign of 23 years that lasted until his death, after which his son succeeded to the throne as Henry VIII, continuing the relatively short-lived Tudor dynasty. Henry VIII ruled from 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry VIII was the last male to lead the the House of Tudor, as his daughter Queen Elizabeth I died without issue. When Elizabeth died, the Scottish King James VI succeeded to the throne as James I of England and Ireland. James I was the first English monarch of the House of Stuart.
90. Ben-___ : HUR
Lew Wallace was a general for the Union Army during the Civil War, and was also an author. He wrote a very successful and celebrated book called “Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ”, first published in 1880, which was made into a 1959 movie starring Charlton Heston.
92. Campus grp. that organizes marches : ROTC
The Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) is a training program for officers based in colleges all around the US. The ROTC program was established in 1862 when as a condition of receiving a land-grant to create colleges, the federal government required that military tactics be part of a new school’s curriculum.
95. Play of Shakespeare (remember 23-Across) : ELIZABETHAN ERA (“Time” of Shakespeare)
The Elizabethan Era, the period associated with the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, is considered by many to be the golden age of English history. It was the age of William Shakespeare and the age of the English Renaissance. Elizabeth I was the last sovereign of the House of Tudor, the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn.
100. Edy’s onetime ice cream partner : DREYER
Dreyers’ ice cream sells its products under the name Dreyers in the Western United States, and Edy’s in the Eastern states. The company’s founders were William Dreyer and Joseph Edy.
104. Pro ___ : BONO
The Latin term “pro bono publico” means “for the public good”, and is usually shortened to “pro bono”. The term applies to professional work that is done for free or at a reduced fee as a service to the public.
108. Beethoven’s “Archduke,” e.g. : PIANO TRIO
Beethoven’s most famous piano trio is commonly referred to as the “Archduke Trio”, as it was dedicated to friend and student Archduke Rudolf of Austria.
111. Not safe at home (remember 33-Across) : TELECOMMUTE (“Work” at home)
Our verb “to commute”, meaning “to go back and forth to work”, ultimately derives from the Latin “commutare”, meaning “to often change”. Back in the late 1800s, a “commutation ticket” was a season pass, so named because it allowed one to “change” one kind of payment into another. Quite interesting …
114. Racetrack display : TOTE BOARD
Parimutuel betting is a system in which the bookmaker is guaranteed a predetermined profit. All bets are pooled, taxes and house profit are removed, and the payoff is made with the resulting pool. In some parts of the world, the parimutuel system is referred to as “the Tote” (as indeed it is in Ireland).
115. Author Zola : EMILE
The most famous work by French writer Émile Zola is his 1898 open letter “J’Accuse!” written to French president Félix Faure. The letter was published on the front page of a leading Paris newspaper, and accused the government of anti-Semitism in its handling of the trial of Captain Alfred Dreyfus. Dreyfus was a Jewish military officer in the French army, falsely accused and convicted of spying for Germany. Even after the error was discovered, the government refused to back down and let Dreyfus rot away on Devil’s Island rather than admit to the mistake. It wasn’t until 1906, 12 years after the wrongful conviction, that Dreyfus was freed and reinstated, largely due to the advocacy of Emile Zola.
118. Achievements of Henry Kissinger and Martin Luther King Jr., in brief : PHDS
“Ph.D.” is an abbreviation for “philosophiae doctor”, Latin for “teacher of philosophy”. Often, candidates for an earned PhD already hold a bachelor’s and a master’s degree, so a PhD might be considered a “third degree”.
Down
2. It’s bowed between the legs : CELLO
The word “cello” (plural “celli” or “cellos”) is an abbreviation for “violoncello”, an Italian word for “little violone”, referring to a group of stringed instruments that were popular up to the end of the 17th century. The name violoncello persisted for the instrument that we know today, although the abbreviation ‘cello was often used. Nowadays we just drop the apostrophe.
5. Terrier’s warning : ARF!
Most terrier breeds of dog originated in the British Isles. Terriers were developed as working dogs, with the job of controlling populations of rats, rabbits and foxes by rooting them out above and below the ground. The name “terrier” comes via Middle French from the the Latin “terra” meaning “earth”, a reflection of the breeds habit of burrowing into the earth looking for its prey.
9. ___ sleep (a chance to dream) : REM
“REM” is an acronym standing for rapid eye movement sleep. REM sleep takes up 20-25% of the sleeping hours and is the period associated with one’s most vivid dreams.
10. 1941 siege target : ODESSA
The city of Odessa (also “Odesa”) in Ukraine was founded relatively recently, in 1794 by Catherine the Great. The city was originally meant to be called Odessos after an ancient Greek city believed to have been located nearby. Catherine liked the way the locals pronounced the name as “Odessa” and so went with the less Greek-sounding name.
12. Actress Jessica : LANGE
The actress Jessica Lange is also an accomplished and published photographer. She was married for ten years to Spanish photographer Paco Grande. After separating from Grande, Lange was partnered with the great Russian dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov, with whom she had her first child.
13. Chicago airport code : ORD
O’Hare International is the fourth busiest airport in the world. The original airport was constructed on the site between 1942 and 1943, and was used by the Douglas Aircraft Company for the manufacture of planes during WWII. Before the factory and airport were built, there was a community in the area called Orchard Place, so the airport was called Orchard Place Airport/Douglas Field. This name is the derivation of the airport’s current location identifier: ORD (OR-chard D-ouglas). Orchard Place Airport was renamed to O’Hare International in 1949 in honor of Lieutenant Commander Butch O’Hare who grew up in Chicago. O’Hare was the US Navy’s first flying ace and a Medal of Honor recipient in WWII.
14. Nanny around the house? : PET GOAT
Male goats are called “bucks” or “billies”, although castrated males are known as “wethers”. Female goats are called “does” or “nannies”, and young goats are referred to as “kids”.
15. Ex-N.F.L. QB Tim : TEBOW
Tim Tebow is a former quarterback who played mainly for the Denver Broncos and New York Jets. Tebow’s relatively short professional career followed a very successful college career during which he became the first sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy.
18. End of days? : ESS
The last letter in the word “days” is a letter S (ess).
22. Ballet support : BARRE
A “barre” is a handrail used by ballet dancers for warm-up exercises and to provide support when practicing certain moves.
29. It dissolves in H2O : NACL
Sodium chloride (NaCl, common salt) is an ionic compound, a crystal lattice made up of large chloride (Cl) ions in a cubic structure, with smaller sodium (Na) ions in between the chlorides.
34. Home that sounds like two letters of the alphabet : TEPEE
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.
36. Derrière : REAR END
“Derrière” is a French term meaning “back part, rear”.
37. Flattens, for short : KOS
Knockout (KO)
39. Sights in a Hooverville : SHACKS
Shanty towns that were built by homeless people during Great Depression were often called “Hoovervilles”. The name was a reference to President Herbert Hoover who was blamed by many for the onset of the Depression. The term itself was coined by Charles Michelson, the Democratic National Committee’s publicity chief.
43. Goofy drawing? : CEL
In the world of animation, a cel is a transparent sheet on which objects and characters are drawn. In the first half of the 20th century the sheet was actually made of celluloid, giving the “cel” its name.
44. Sch. on the upper Hudson : RPI
The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) is a private school in Troy, New York. The university is named after its founder Stephen Van Rensselaer who set up the school in 1824. The goal of RPI has always been the “application of science to the common purposes of life”, an objective set by the founder. Given that, the name for the school’s sports teams is quite apt: the Engineers.
The Hudson River flows through eastern New York State from Henderson Lake in the Adirondacks to the Port of New York and New Jersey. The river is named for the English explorer Henry Hudson who navigated it in 1609.
45. Ancient land where the Olympics began : ELIS
Elis is a region of Ancient Greece in the south of the country. It was home to the first Olympic Games, which were supposedly held in 776 BCE at Olympia.
46. Important body part for a tuba player : LIP
The tuba is the lowest-pitched of all the brass instruments, and one of the most recent additions to the modern symphony orchestra (usually there is just one tuba included in an orchestral line-up). “Tuba” is the Latin word for “trumpet, horn”. Oom-pah-pah …
49. They’re charged for rides : TESLAS
Tesla Motors is a manufacturer of electric vehicles based in Palo Alto, California. Tesla is noted for producing the first electric sports car, called the Tesla Roadster. The company followed the sports car with a luxury sedan, the Model S. The Model S was the world’s best selling plug-in electric vehicle of 2015.
52. Certain Monday night entertainment : NFL GAME
“Monday Night Football” aired on ABC from 1970 until 2005, before moving to ESPN in 2006.
54. Hip-hop dance move : NAE NAE
The Nae Nae is a hip hop dance that is named for the 2013 song “Drop that NaeNae” recorded by We Are Toon. The main move in the dance involves swaying with one hand in the air and one hand down, with both feet firmly planted on the dancefloor. Go on, do it. You know you want to …
57. Chemical source of fruit flavor : ESTER
Esters are very common chemicals. The smaller, low-molecular weight esters are usually pleasant smelling and are often found in perfumes. At the other end of the scale, the higher-molecular weight nitroglycerin is a nitrate ester and is very explosive, and polyester is a huge molecule and is a type of plastic. Fats and oils found in nature are fatty acid esters of glycerol known as glycerides.
58. “Hollywood Squares” win : O-O-O
The popular game show “Hollywood Squares” was first aired in 1965, in glorious black and white. The list of celebrities who regularly appeared on the show over the years includes Rich Little, Roddy McDowell, Florence Henderson, Buddy Hackett, Barbara Eden, Vincent Price, Jonathan Winters and Joan Rivers.
60. Dorm V.I.P.s : RAS
RAs are resident assistants or resident advisers, the peer leaders found in residence halls, particularly on a college campus.
61. Sounded like R2-D2 : BEEPED
Artoo’s proper name is R2-D2. R2-D2 is the smaller of the two famous droids from the “Star Wars” movies. British actor Kenny Baker, who stood just 3 ft 8 ins tall, was the man inside the R2-D2 droid for the first six of the “Star Wars” movies.
67. The Castro in San Francisco and Chelsea in Manhattan : GAYBORHOODS
A gay village (also “gayborhood”) is a part of a city that is home to and frequented by a large number of LGBT people. Famous gay villages around the world are Soho in London, Chelsea in New York City, the Castro in San Francisco and Boystown in Chicago.
71. Alum : GRAD
An alumnus (plural “alumni”) is a graduate or former student of a school or college. The female form is “alumna” (plural “alumnae”). The term comes into English from Latin, in which an alumnus is a foster-son or pupil. “Alum” is an informal term used for either an alumna or an alumnus.
72. Couleur du café : NOIR
In French, the “couleur du café” (color of coffee) is “noir” (black).
74. Below 90° : ACUTE
In geometry, there are several classes of angles:
- Acute (< 90 degrees)
- Right (= 90 degrees)
- Obtuse (> 90 degrees and < 180 degrees)
- Straight (180 degrees)
- Reflex (> 180 degrees)
77. Co-star of Harrison Ford in “Blade Runner” : SEAN YOUNG
“Blade Runner” is a cult classic, a sci-fi film made in 1982 loosely based on the novel “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” by Philip K. Dick. It was directed by Ridley Scott who regards “Blade Runner” as his most “complete” film. There is a phenomenon known as the “‘Blade Runner’ Curse”. An inordinate number of companies behind products that were displayed prominently in the movie found themselves in financial trouble soon after the movie’s release. Included in the list of troubled concerns are Atari, Cuisinart, Pan Am and the Bell System.
83. John Wayne movie set in Ireland, with “The” : … QUIET MAN
“The Quiet Man” is a marvelous 1952 romantic comedy set in Ireland that was directed by John Ford and stars John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara as the romantic leads. There’s a great fight-scene in this movie that is only rivaled, in my mind, by the fight scene in “Bridget Jones’s Diary”. Both brawls go on a while, and both are hilarious …
86. Horse color : ROAN
A roan horse has an even mixture of white and colored hairs on the body with the head, lower legs, mane and tail having a more solid color.
91. Marley of “A Christmas Carol” : JACOB
Jacob Marley is a character appearing in the wonderful novella by Charles Dickens called “A Christmas Carol”. Marley is the deceased business partner of Ebenezer Scrooge who appears to him as a ghost.
93. They take 2-10 yrs. to mature : T-NOTES
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.
96. Fan publications, informally : ZINES
A “zine” is a magazine, with the term often reserved for noncommercial publications including those issued online.
97. Sporty car of old : T-BIRD
Ford manufactured the Thunderbird (T-Bird) from 1955 to 2005. Originally a two-seater sporty convertible, the T-Bird was introduced as a competitor to Chevrolet’s new sports car, the Corvette.
99. “Send My Love (To Your New Lover)” singer, 2015 : ADELE
“Adele” is the stage name of English singer Adele Adkins. Adele’s debut album is “19”, named after the age she was during the album’s production. Her second album was even more successful than the first. Called “21”, the second album was released three years after the first, when Adele was three years older. More recently, her third studio album “25”, released in 2015, broke the first-week sales records in both the UK and the US.
112. Old Parlophone parent : EMI
EMI was a British music company, with the initialism standing for Electric and Musical Industries.
Parlophon was founded in 1896 as a German company, with the British branch called Parlophone Records opening for business in 1923. The biggest act to record with Parlophone was undoubtedly the Beatles, before the band launched its own label called Apple.
113. U.F.C. sport : MMA
Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact combat sport in which competitors use a variety of techniques from a variety of traditional combat sports and martial arts.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is a largest promoter in the world of mixed martial arts competitions. I think the idea is that competitors fight each other in various disciplines to see who is the “best of the best” …
Read on, or …
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Complete List of Clues/Answers
Across
1. Enjoy some rays? : SCUBA
6. Skip one’s senior year, say : GO PRO
11. Off-kilter : ALOP
15. Affectedly quaint : TWEE
19. Plácido Domingo, for one : TENOR
20. Was part of a crew : OARED
21. Colorful toys with symbols on their bellies : CARE BEARS
23. Stall : PLAY FOR TIME
25. They may sit next to sofas : END TABLES
26. “God’s in his heaven – ___ right with the world” : ALL’S
27. Adjudge : DEEM
28. Make out, at Hogwarts : SNOG
30. Understand : GROK
31. Sounded : TOLLED
33. At risk of being offensive : NOT SAFE FOR WORK
38. Deputies : AIDES
40. A pop : EACH
41. Oil-rich nation, for short : UAE
42. Prefix with -logism : NEO
43. Subtle sign from the distressed : CRY FOR HELP
47. Wasn’t straight up : LEANT
49. Holiday poem starter : ‘TWAS
50. Blade with no sharp edge : EPEE
51. The “A” in TV’s ALF : ALIEN
53. Director Lee : ANG
54. In the vicinity of : NEAR
55. Tupperware feature : LID
56. Very bad plan : RECIPE FOR DISASTER
61. Enjoys some rays : BASKS
62. Auction units : LOTS
63. Seat of Lewis and Clark County : HELENA
64. Positive responses : ASSENTS
67. “Vacation” band : GO-GOS
69. Fake news items : CANARDS
70. It’s said to cause a smile : CHEESE
71. Bash : GALA
72. Cosmic bursts : NOVAS
73. Seasonal cry (remember 43-Across) : TEMPORARY EMPLOYEE (seasonal “help”)
77. TV show with the most Primetime Emmy noms : SNL
80. Per ___ : DIEM
81. Lyft alternative : CAB
82. Farm refrain : E-I-E-I-O
83. Prince Philip’s spouse, for short : QEII
84. West Coast law force, for short : SFPD
85. House whose symbol is a red-and-white rose : TUDOR
87. Recipe that entails a lot of shaking (remember 56-Across) : EARTHQUAKE (“Disaster” that entails a lot of shaking)
90. Ben-___ : HUR
91. Stick (out) : JUT
92. Campus grp. that organizes marches : ROTC
94. Stay home for dinner : EAT IN
95. Play of Shakespeare (remember 23-Across) : ELIZABETHAN ERA (“Time” of Shakespeare)
100. Edy’s onetime ice cream partner : DREYER
103. Number two : VICE
104. Pro ___ : BONO
105. Computer menu heading : EDIT
107. Color feature : TONE
108. Beethoven’s “Archduke,” e.g. : PIANO TRIO
111. Not safe at home (remember 33-Across) : TELECOMMUTE (“Work” at home)
114. Racetrack display : TOTE BOARD
115. Author Zola : EMILE
116. Like horses and lions : MANED
117. Takes to court : SUES
118. Achievements of Henry Kissinger and Martin Luther King Jr., in brief : PHDS
119. Links link them : SITES
120. Ticked off : ANGRY
Down
1. Patron of the Archdiocese of New York, briefly : ST PAT
2. It’s bowed between the legs : CELLO
3. Not calmed : UNALLAYED
4. Scout’s magazine : BOYS’ LIFE
5. Terrier’s warning : ARF!
6. Horror movie stuff : GORE
7. Grainy, in a way : OATEN
8. Choice : PRIMO
9. ___ sleep (a chance to dream) : REM
10. 1941 siege target : ODESSA
11. Leader in a red suit : ACE OF HEARTS
12. Actress Jessica : LANGE
13. Chicago airport code : ORD
14. Nanny around the house? : PET GOAT
15. Ex-N.F.L. QB Tim : TEBOW
16. Perform a miraculous feat : WALK ON WATER
17. Before, poetically : ERE
18. End of days? : ESS
22. Ballet support : BARRE
24. Less ordinary : ODDER
29. It dissolves in H2O : NACL
32. River east of Tokyo : EDO
34. Home that sounds like two letters of the alphabet : TEPEE
35. Mushrooms, e.g. : FUNGI
36. Derrière : REAR END
37. Flattens, for short : KOS
39. Sights in a Hooverville : SHACKS
43. Goofy drawing? : CEL
44. Sch. on the upper Hudson : RPI
45. Ancient land where the Olympics began : ELIS
46. Important body part for a tuba player : LIP
48. “No ifs, ___ or buts” : ANDS
49. They’re charged for rides : TESLAS
52. Certain Monday night entertainment : NFL GAME
54. Hip-hop dance move : NAE NAE
56. Holding charge : RANSOM
57. Chemical source of fruit flavor : ESTER
58. “Hollywood Squares” win : O-O-O
59. Lose one’s shadow, say : SHAVE
60. Dorm V.I.P.s : RAS
61. Sounded like R2-D2 : BEEPED
64. Pretense : ACT
65. Quantity of garden tools : SHEDFUL
66. Like two-bed hospital rooms : SEMIPRIVATE
67. The Castro in San Francisco and Chelsea in Manhattan : GAYBORHOODS
68. Stadium cheer : OLE!
69. Trickster of Navajo mythology : COYOTE
71. Alum : GRAD
72. Couleur du café : NOIR
74. Below 90° : ACUTE
75. Component : PIECE
76. Pasture : LEA
77. Co-star of Harrison Ford in “Blade Runner” : SEAN YOUNG
78. Ending with beat or word : -NIK
79. Be flat : LIE
83. John Wayne movie set in Ireland, with “The” : … QUIET MAN
84. That woman : SHE
85. Shoulderless, sleeveless garment : TUBE TOP
86. Horse color : ROAN
88. Saw no alternative : HAD TO
89. 12 mins., in the N.B.A. : QTR
91. Marley of “A Christmas Carol” : JACOB
93. They take 2-10 yrs. to mature : T-NOTES
96. Fan publications, informally : ZINES
97. Sporty car of old : T-BIRD
98. Like a candle that’s gone out, maybe : RELIT
99. “Send My Love (To Your New Lover)” singer, 2015 : ADELE
101. Come onstage : ENTER
102. Very thin : REEDY
106. Knocks off : ICES
108. Rewards card accumulation: Abbr. : PTS
109. Debtor’s letters : IOU
110. Stadium cheer : RAH!
112. Old Parlophone parent : EMI
113. U.F.C. sport : MMA
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