Constructed by: Matt Ginsberg
Edited by: Will Shortz
Not your puzzle? Try today’s …
… syndicated NY Times crossword
Today’s Theme: How’s Tricks?
Themed answers in the across-direction are common phrases with a C inserted (now you “c” me), and in the down-direction are phrases with a C missing (now you don’t):
- 113A Illusionist’s phrase illustrated by seven Across answers in this puzzle? : NOW YOU SEE ME
- 23A When you can ice skate outside? : ANY COLD TIME (“any old time” + C)
- 25A Poker player in the Old West after being caught with a card up his sleeve? : DEAD CHEAT (“dead heat” + C)
- 50A Bad pun? : WINCE MAKER (“winemaker” + C)
- 58A Manual part of an early printing press? : PAGE CRANK (“PageRank” + C)
- 77A Need for parents who weren’t expecting twins? : SPARE CRIB (“spare-rib” + C)
- 85A Rookeries? : CROW HOUSES (“row houses” + C)
- 111A Toothpaste aisle? : CREST AREA (from “rest area”)
- 73D Illusionist’s phrase illustrated by three Down answers in this puzzle? : NOW YOU DON’T
- 5D Queen Margrethe II, e.g.? : MODERN DANE (“modern dance” – C)
- 15D Arrangement in which you buy three tires but get a whole set? : FREE RADIAL (“free radical” – C)
- 70D Visit to baby Jesus? : MAGI MOMENT (“magic moment” – C)
Read on, or jump to …
… a complete list of answers
Want to discuss the puzzle? Then …
… leave a comment
Bill’s time: 25m 53s
Bill’s errors: 0
Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies
Across
1 Literally, “commander” : AMIR
An emir is a prince or chieftain, one most notably from the Middle East. In English, “emir” can also be written variously as “emeer, amir, ameer” (watch out for those spellings in crosswords!).
5 Sights at Zion National Park : MESAS
To me, the most spectacular feature of southwestern Utah’s Zion National Park is the magnificent Zion Canyon. The canyon cuts through red Navajo sandstone and truly is a beautiful sight.
18 Where to find big bucks? : RODEO
“Rodeo” is a Spanish word that is usually translated into English as “round up”.
20 Jack who co-starred with Charlie Chaplin in “The Great Dictator” : OAKIE
Jack Oakie was the stage name of actor Lewis Offield, who was originally from Missouri. Offield was raised in Oklahoma, and for this reason picked up the nickname “Oakie”. The “Jack” in his stage name came from the first character that he portrayed in a play. Oakie played Benzino Napaloni in Charlie Chaplin’s “The Great Dictator”, a character who was very much based on Italian dictator Benito Mussolini.
22 Title film villain whose first name is Julius : DR NO
“Dr. No” may have been the first film in the wildly successful James Bond franchise, but it was the sixth novel in the series of books penned by Ian Fleming. Fleming was inspired to write the story after reading the Fu Manchu tales by Sax Rohmer. If you’ve read the Rohmer books or seen the films, you’ll recognize the similarities between the characters Dr. Julius No and Fu Manchu. By the way, the author Ian Fleming tells us that Julius No attended medical school in Milwaukee.
25 Poker player in the Old West after being caught with a card up his sleeve? : DEAD CHEAT (“dead heat” + C)
A race ending in a dead heat ends in a tie. A heat is one of a series of races, and it might be described as “dead” is there is no decisive outcome, if there is a tie.
28 Lamb offering : ESSAY
Charles Lamb was an essayist and poet from England. Lamb’s best-known works are “Essays of Elia” (1823) and “Tales from Shakespeare”, an 1807 children’s book that he co-authored with his sister Mary Lamb.
31 “The Wizard of Oz” co-star : LAHR
Bert Lahr’s most famous role was the cowardly lion in “The Wizard of Oz”. Lahr had a long career in burlesque, vaudeville and on Broadway. Lahr also starred in the first US production of Samuel Beckett’s play “Waiting for Godot”, alongside Tom Ewell.
33 Edwin with the 1970 #1 hit “War” : STARR
The most famous recording of the song “War” was by Edwin Starr in 1970. It went to number one at the height of the anti-Vietnam War sentiment in the country, and became the song most associated with Starr. The song has also been recorded by the Temptations and Bruce Springsteen.
39 Language in which “dd” and “ff” are treated as single letters of the alphabet : WELSH
The Welsh language is a Celtic tongue that is known as “Cymraeg” by its native speakers. The country of Wales is known as “Cymru” in Welsh.
46 Like the motion of the ocean : TIDAL
Tides are caused by the gravitational pull of the moon on the oceans. At neap tide, the smaller gravitational effect of the sun cancels out some of the moon’s effect. At spring tide, the sun and the moon’s gravitational forces act in concert causing more extreme movement of the oceans.
49 One going for big bucks? : DOE
A male deer is usually called a buck, and a female is a doe. However, the male red deer is usually referred to as a stag. The males of even larger species of deer are often called bulls, and females cows. In older English, male deer of over 5 years were called harts, and females of over 3 years were called hinds. The young of small species are known as fawns, and of larger species are called calves. All very confusing …
53 French greeting : SALUT
In French, “salut” means “hi”, and is less formal than “bonjour”. “Salut” can also be used as a friendly toast.
54 Pea picker-upper : TINE
Those would be the tines of a fork.
56 Site of one of the 12 labors of Hercules : NEMEA
“The Twelve Labors of Hercules” is actually a Greek myth, although Hercules is the Roman name for the hero that the Greeks called Heracles. The first of these labors was to slay the Nemean lion, a monster that lived in a cave near Nemea. Hercules had a tough job as the lion’s golden fur was impenetrable to normal weapons. One version of the story is that Hercules killed the lion by shooting an arrow into its mouth. Another version says that Hercules stunned the monster with a club and then strangled him with his bare hands.
58 Manual part of an early printing press? : PAGE CRANK (“PageRank” + C)
PageRank is a famous algorithm in Internet search circles. Google uses PageRank to determine in which order websites are ranked in the results page after a search is done by a user. The algorithm is named after Google co-founder Larry Page.
65 “Westworld” airer : HBO
“Westworld” is an HBO series that is based on a 1973 movie of the same name, which was written and directed by novelist Michael Crichton. Westworld is a high-tech theme park populated by androids that interact with the guests.
66 “The ___ of Christ” (classic work in Florence’s Uffizi Gallery) : BAPTISM
The Uffizi Gallery is one of the oldest art museums in the western world and is housed in the Palazzo degli Uffizi in Florence, Italy. The Palazzo was built in 1560, intended to house the offices of the Florentine magistrates. This original usage gave the gallery its name, as “uffizi” is Italian for “offices”.
68 Dull-witted sloth in “Ice Age” : SID
“Ice Age” is a 2002 animated film that has spawned a whole series of movies: “Ice Age: The Meltdown” (2006), “Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs” (2009) and “Ice Age: Continental Drift” (2012).
69 Profession since the Bronze Age : SMELTER
Metals are found in ore in the form of oxides. In order to get pure metal from the ore, the ore is heated and the metal oxides within are reduced (i.e. the oxygen is removed) in the chemical process known as smelting. The oxygen is extracted by adding a source of carbon or carbon monoxide which uses up the excess oxygen atoms to make carbon dioxide, a waste product of smelting (and, a greenhouse gas).
Ancient societies can be classified by the “three-age system”, which depends on the prevalence of materials used to make tools. The three ages are:
- The Stone Age
- The Bronze Age
- The Iron Age
The actual dates defined by each age depend on the society, as the timing of the transition from the use of one material to another varied around the globe.
72 Leo, for example : SIGN
Leo is the fifth astrological sign of the Zodiac. People born from July 23 to August 22 are Leos.
73 Jerry, to Tom, in cartoons : NEMESIS
Nemesis was a Greek goddess, the goddess of retribution. Her role was to make pay those individuals who were either haughty or arrogant. In modern parlance, one’s nemesis (plural “nemeses”) is one’s sworn enemy, often someone who is the exact opposite in character but someone who still shares some important characteristics. A nemesis is often someone one cannot seem to beat in competition.
“Tom and Jerry” is a series of cartoons produced by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera starting in 1940. These short films feature Tom Cat and Jerry Mouse who are always going at it, with Jerry usually emerging victorious.
77 Need for parents who weren’t expecting twins? : SPARE CRIB (“spare rib” + C)
Spare ribs are so called because “spare” can indicate the absence of fat.
79 One-named singer with the catchphrase “cuchi-cuchi” : CHARO
Charo is an actress, comedian and flamenco guitarist from Spain. She is quite famous for her comedic catchphrase “cuchi cuchi”. Charo’s real name is … wait for it … María del Rosario Pilar Martínez Molina Gutiérrez de los Perales Santa Ana Romaguera y de la Hinojosa Rasten.
81 Like some riyals : SAUDI
The Saudi riyal is the currency of Saudi Arabia, and the Qatari riyal is the currency of Qatar.
82 Barristers’ wear : WIGS
In a common law jurisdiction with a split legal profession, such as England, lawyers can be either solicitors or barristers. Someone needing legal help will retain a solicitor for that purpose. If a court trial is required, then a barrister is retained to make representation before a judge and perhaps a jury. The barrister is the lawyer who wears a wig.
83 Surfer wannabe : HODAD
“Hodad” is a slang term that dates from the fifties, It is used to describe someone who hangs out at the beach, but someone who isn’t a surfer. Hodads were mainly into cars and music.
87 Singer Grande, to fans : ARI
Ariana Grande is a singer and actress from Boca Raton, Florida. Grande plays the role of Cat Valentine on the sitcom “Victorious” that aired for four season on Nickelodeon. Grande’s singing career took off with the release of the 2011 album “Victorious: Music from the Hit TV Show”.
88 Portuguese wine : MADEIRA
Madeira is a Portuguese-owned archipelago that lies to the southwest of mainland Portugal. Madeira is famous for its fortified wine, which is known as Madeira wine.
90 “___, Macduff” (phrase from Shakespeare) : LAY ON
Thanes were Scottish aristocrats. The most famous thanes have to be the Shakespearean characters Macbeth (Thane of Glamis, later “Thane of Cawdor”, and still later “King of Scotland”) and MacDuff (Thane of Fife). Other thanes in “Macbeth” are Ross, Lennox and Angus, as well as Menteith and Caithness.
92 City that becomes another city if you change both its vowels to A’s : TEMPE
Tempe is a city in the metropolitan area of Phoenix. The city is named for the Vale of Tempe in Greece.
The Florida city of Tampa has been known as “the Big Guava” since the seventies. The term is imitative of New York’s “Big Apple”, and refers to the unsuccessful search for the reported wild guava trees that were once hoped to be the basis of a new industry for the area. Tampa has also been called “Cigar City”, a reference to the cigar industry that fueled the area’s growth starting in the 1880s.
94 Perfume part : 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.
95 Japanese noodle : UDON
Udon noodles are made from wheat-flour and are very popular in Japanese cuisines such as tempura.
97 Emulated an Argonaut : OARED
In Greek mythology, Jason and the Argonauts sailed on the Argo in search of the Golden Fleece. The vessel was called “Argo” in honor of the ship’s builder, a man named Argus.
101 Red letters? : USSR
The former Soviet Union (USSR) was created in 1922, not long after the Russian Revolution of 1917 that overthrew the Tsar. Geographically, the new Soviet Union was roughly equivalent to the old Russian Empire, and comprised fifteen Soviet Socialist Republics (SSRs).
The association of the color red with communism dates back to the French Revolution. A red flag was chosen as a symbol by the revolutionaries, with the color representing the blood of workers who had died in the fight against capitalism.
103 Like a sonnet, in a way : IAMBIC
An iamb is a metrical foot containing an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. The lines in William Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 18” use five sequential iambs, e.g. “Shall I / compare / thee to / a sum- / -mer’s day?” With that sequence of five iambs, the poem’s structure is described as iambic pentameter.
105 Chronicler of Troy : HOMER
Homer was a famous poet of ancient Greece who is believed to be the author of the two classic epic poems “Iliad” and “Odyssey”. However, some scholars believe that Homer did not actually exist, but rather he is the personification of oral tradition that was passed down through the ages.
107 Emmy-nominated actor for “Westworld” : ED HARRIS
Ed Harris is a very talented actor, noted for two great performances in movies about the Space Program. Harris played John Glenn in “The Right Stuff” in 1983, his “breakthrough” role. Twelve years later he had a “stellar” performance as flight director Gene Kranz in “Apollo 13”.
111 Toothpaste aisle? : CREST AREA (from “rest area”)
Crest is a Procter & Gamble brand of toothpaste that was introduced in 1953.
118 Famed orange troublemaker : ERNIE
For many years, I believed that the “Sesame Street” characters Bert and Ernie were named after two roles played in the Christmas classic “It’s a Wonderful Life”. In the movie, the policeman’s name is Bert and his taxi-driving buddy is named Ernie. However, the “Sesame Street” folks have stated that the use of the same names is just a coincidence. Aww, I don’t wanna believe that’s a coincidence …
119 D.C. nine : NATS
The Washington Nationals (“Nats”) started out life as the Montreal Expos in 1969, and were the first Major League Baseball team in Canada. The Expos moved to Washington in 2005 becoming the Nats. There are only two Major Leagues teams that have never played in a World Series, one being the Mariners and the other the Nats.
122 Location of Cassius, who “has a lean and hungry look” : YOND
Here are some lines spoken by the title character in the play “Julius Caesar” by William Shakespeare:
Yond Cassius has a lean and hungry look.
He thinks too much. Such men are dangerous.
Caesar is referring to Cassius, one of the leading figures in the plot to assassinate him.
Down
1 Steed for a sheik : ARAB
The Arab (also “Arabian”) breed of horse takes its name from its original home, the Arabian Peninsula. Like any animal that humans have over-bred, the horse falls prey to genetic diseases, some of which are fatal and some of which require the horse to be euthanized.
2 “___ Lisa” : MONA
Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece that we know in English as the “Mona Lisa” is called “La Gioconda” in Italian, the language of the artist. It’s also known as “La Joconde” by the Government of France which owns the painting and displays it in the Louvre Museum in Paris. The title comes from the name of the subject, almost certainly Lisa Gherardini, wife of Francesco del Giocondo. Giocondo was a wealthy silk merchant in Florence who commissioned the painting for the couple’s new home to celebrate the birth of their second son.
3 Rustic poem : IDYL
An idyll (also “idyl”) is a short poem with a pastoral theme, usually depicting the scene in romantic and idealized terms. The word “idyl” comes from the Greek “eidyllion”, which literally translates to “little picture” but was a word describing a short poem with a rustic theme.
4 Bad news from Detroit : RECALL
The city of Detroit was founded in 1701 by Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, a French explorer. The original settlement was named for the Detroit River, which in turn takes its name from the French word “détroit” meaning “strait”. Detroit became inextricably linked with the automotive business from the very early 20th century when Henry Ford and others set up manufacturing in the area. This link to transportation led to Detroit’s nicknames “Motor City” and “Motown”. The city’s economic strength declined at the beginning of the 21st century, resulting in a 25% drop in population between 2000 and 2010. Detroit filed for the country’s largest municipal bankruptcy in history in 2013, facing a debt of $18.8 billion. The city exited bankruptcy at the end of 2014.
5 Queen Margrethe II, e.g.? : MODERN DANE (“modern dance” – C)
Margrethe II has been the Queen of Denmark since 1972. When she was born, the oldest of three girls, it was assumed she would never take up the throne, as Danish law dictated that only makes could be monarch. As women gained more rights in the country, there was a movement to change the constitution, culminating in a referendum in 1953 allowing Margrethe to fulfill her destiny.
7 It’s après “après” : -SKI
“Après-ski” is a French term meaning “after skiing”. It refers to the good times to be had after coming off the slopes.
8 Grammy-winning songwriter Mann : AIMEE
Aimee Mann is a rock singer and guitarist from Virginia. Mann is married to Michael Penn, the brother of actor Sean Penn.
11 Fare for Little Miss Muffet : WHEY
“Little Miss Muffet sat on a tuffet eating her curds and whey”, in the popular nursery rhyme. A tuffet is a low seat or a footstool, another word for a pouffe or a hassock. When milk curdles it separates into two parts, solid curds and liquid whey. Then “along came a spider and sat down beside her”.
15 Arrangement in which you buy three tires but get a whole set? : FREE RADIAL (“free radical” – C)
Radial (actually “radial-ply”) tires are so called because the cord plies embedded in the rubber are arranged radially from the centre of the tire. This means that the plies are at right angles to the direction of travel. In older tires the plies were criss-crossed over each other, at angles of 60 and -60 degrees from the direction of travel. Such tires are cross-ply or bias tires.
16 Anecdotal collections : ANAS
An ana (plural “anas”) is a collection, perhaps of literature, that represents the character of a particular place or a person. “Ana” can be used as a noun or as a suffix (e.g. “Americana”).
17 Retirement account option, informally : ROTH
Roth Individual Retirement Accounts (Roth IRAs) were introduced in 1997 under a bill sponsored by Senator William Roth of Delaware, hence the name.
19 “Game of Thrones” actress Chaplin : OONA
Oona Chaplin is an actress from Madrid in Spain. Chaplin is getting a lot of airtime these days as she plays Talisa Maegyr on HBO’s hit fantasy series “Game of Thrones”. Oona is the granddaughter of Charlie Chaplin, and is named for her maternal grandmother Oona O’Neill, the daughter of playwright Eugene O’Neill.
24 Foreign-language toast : L’CHAIM
“L’Chaim!” is a Hebrew toast meaning “To life!”, with “chai” being the Hebrew word for “life”.
29 Tons : SLEWS
Our usage of “slew” to mean “large number” has nothing to do with the verb “to slew” meaning “to turn, skid”. The noun “slew” came into English in the early 1800s from the Irish word “sluagh” meaning “host, crowd, multitude”.
34 Warmongers : HAWKS
The dove is a symbol of peace, and the hawk is a symbol of war.
36 Mumbai royal : RANEE
A ranee (also “rani”) is an Indian queen or princess, and the female equivalent of a raja.
Mumbai is the most populous city in India, and the second most populous city in the world (after Shanghai). The name of the city was changed from Bombay to Mumbai in 1995.
41 Peace, in the Mideast : SALAAM
The word “salaam” is an Anglicized spelling of the Arabic word for “peace”. The term can describe an act of deference, and in particular a very low bow.
43 Poet who wrote “To His Mistress Going to Bed” : DONNE
John Donne was one of England’s most celebrated poets, and was active at the start of the 17th century. He spent much of his life in poverty and even spent a short time in prison for having married his wife without procuring the appropriate permissions. After his release, his wife bore him 12 children in 16 years, passing away a few days after the twelfth child was born.
51 0 0 0 : CIPHERS
The word “cipher” can be used for a person with no influence, a nonentity. The term comes from the Arabic “sifr” meaning “zero”. So, a cipher is a big nothing.
54 P.M. who took office in 2015 : TRUDEAU
Justin Trudeau ascended to the leadership of Canada’s Liberal Party in 2013, He led the Liberals to a decisive victory in the federal election of 2015, after which he assumed the office of Prime Minister of Canada. Justin is the eldest son of former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, who led Canada for 15 years starting in 1968.
59 Ivy League newspaper name : CRIMSON
Not only is crimson the school color, “Harvard Crimson” is the name given to the athletic teams, and to the school newspaper. The school color was chosen by a vote of the student body in 1875.
66 Big-circulation magazine originally titled So You’re Going to Be Married : BRIDES
“Brides” is a monthly magazine that was first published way back in 1934. The mission of the magazine is to provide resources for brides planning a wedding.
69 Feature destroyed in the 2019 Notre Dame fire : SPIRE
Notre-Dame de Paris is the spectacular Gothic cathedral that sits on the Île de la Cité, one of the islands in the middle on the River Seine in Paris. Notre Dame is home to many beautiful and significant artifacts, the most famous of which is the Crown of Thorns supposedly worn by Jesus Christ at his execution, placed in the cathedral in 1239. It’s also home to some magnificent gargoyles on the roof, and you can climb up to the roof and take a very close look at them. Well, you used to be able to, until the tragic fire of 2019.
70 Visit to baby Jesus? : MAGI MOMENT (“magic moment” – C)
“Magi” is the plural of the Latin word “magus”, a term applied to someone who was able to read the stars. Hence, “magi” is commonly used with reference to the “wise men from the East” who followed the star and visited Jesus soon after he was born. In Western Christianity, the three Biblical Magi are:
- Melchior: a scholar from Persia
- Caspar: a scholar from India
- Balthazar: a scholar from Arabia
76 Actress Spacek : SISSY
Actress Sissy Spacek got her big break in the movies when she played the title role in the 1976 horror movie “Carrie”, which is based on a Stephen King novel. Her most acclaimed role is the lead in the 1980 biopic about Loretta Lynn called “Coal MIner’s Daughter”, for which she won an Oscar. Spacek’s first cousin is the actor Rip Torn.
80 Pike : ROAD
Back in the 15th century, a turnpike (tpk.) was a defensive barrier across a road. By the 17th century the term was used for a barrier that stopped travelers until a toll was paid. By the 18th century a turnpike was the name given to a road with a toll.
86 Where Tokyo is : HONSHU
Honshu is the largest island in Japan, and the seventh largest island in the world. The name “Honshu” translates as “Main Island”.
89 Perennial London football powerhouse : ARSENAL
Arsenal Football Club (nicknamed “the Gunners”) is an English soccer team based in the Holloway district of London. The club was founded in 1886 as Dial Square by workers at the Royal Arsenal munitions factory. Dial Square was the name given to the workshops at the center of the Royal Arsenal complex. After just a few weeks in existence, the club changed its name to Royal Arsenal, which was eventually shortened to just Arsenal.
93 Some inexpensive brews : PABSTS
Pabst Blue Ribbon (PBR) is the most recognizable brand of beer from the Pabst Brewing Company. There appears to be some dispute over whether or not Pabst beer ever won a “blue ribbon” prize, but the company claims that it did so at the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893. The beer was originally called Pabst Best Select, and then just Pabst Select. With the renaming to Blue Ribbon, the beer was sold with an actual blue ribbon tied around the neck of the bottle until it was dropped in 1916 and incorporated into the label.
96 Model of the solar system : ORRERY
An orrery is an ingenious mechanical device that shows the relative motion and relative positions of the planets in our solar system. The first “modern” orrery was produced in 1704 and was presented to the Irish peer known as the Earl of Orrery, from whence the name “orrery” comes.
98 PayPal money and the like : E-CASH
PayPal is an e-commerce business that has been around since the year 2000, born out of a merger of two older companies: Confinity and X.com. PayPal performs payment processing for online vendors. The company was so successful that it was the first of the beleaguered dot.com companies to successfully complete an IPO after the attacks of 9/11. Then in 2002, PayPal was bought by eBay for a whopping $1.5 billion.
102 Onetime MS. accompanier : SASE
An SAE is a “stamped, addressed envelope”. An SASE is a “self-addressed, stamped envelope”.
Editors (eds.) might read or edit a manuscript (MS)
104 Donizetti’s “Pour mon âme,” e.g. : ARIA
Gaetano Donizetti was a composer from the Lombardy region of Italy. He is best known for his operas, of which he wrote almost seventy. The most famous of these is probably “Lucia di Lammermoor” (1835).
105 Lead : HELM
In its broadest sense, the term “helm” describes the whole of a ship’s steering mechanism, including the rudder and tiller. In a more specific sense, the helm is the handle, tiller or wheel that is used to control the steering gear.
108 Major city bisected by I-80 : RENO
Reno, Nevada was named in honor of Major General Jesse Lee Reno, a Union officer killed in the Civil War. The city has a famous “Reno Arch”, a structure that stands over the main street. The arch was erected in 1926 to promote an exposition planned for the following year. After the expo, the city council decided to keep the arch and held a competition to decide what wording should be displayed, and the winner was “The Biggest Little City in the World”.
112 French way : RUE
In France, one might drive along a “rue” (road) through “une ville” (a town).
Read on, or …
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Complete List of Clues/Answers
Across
1 Literally, “commander” : AMIR
5 Sights at Zion National Park : MESAS
10 Didn’t sink, say : SWAM
14 Miles away : AFAR
18 Where to find big bucks? : RODEO
20 Jack who co-starred with Charlie Chaplin in “The Great Dictator” : OAKIE
21 Tepid greeting : OH, HI
22 Title film villain whose first name is Julius : DR NO
23 When you can ice skate outside? : ANY COLD TIME (“any old time” + C)
25 Poker player in the Old West after being caught with a card up his sleeve? : DEAD CHEAT (“dead heat” + C)
27 Checks’ counterparts : BALANCES
28 Lamb offering : ESSAY
30 “Whew baby!” : SHEESH!
31 “The Wizard of Oz” co-star : LAHR
32 “Let’s shake on it” : DEAL
33 Edwin with the 1970 #1 hit “War” : STARR
34 Fling : HURL
37 Not for : ANTI
39 Language in which “dd” and “ff” are treated as single letters of the alphabet : WELSH
42 Interprets : READS
45 ___ glance : AT A
46 Like the motion of the ocean : TIDAL
47 Curse : SWEAR AT
49 One going for big bucks? : DOE
50 Bad pun? : WINCE MAKER (“winemaker” + C)
53 French greeting : SALUT
54 Pea picker-upper : TINE
55 ___ bottle (topological curiosity) : KLEIN
56 Site of one of the 12 labors of Hercules : NEMEA
58 Manual part of an early printing press? : PAGE CRANK (“PageRank” + C)
60 Cellar problem : SEEPAGE
62 Work with planes, maybe : MATH
64 Typically : AS A RULE
65 “Westworld” airer : HBO
66 “The ___ of Christ” (classic work in Florence’s Uffizi Gallery) : BAPTISM
68 Dull-witted sloth in “Ice Age” : SID
69 Profession since the Bronze Age : SMELTER
72 Leo, for example : SIGN
73 Jerry, to Tom, in cartoons : NEMESIS
77 Need for parents who weren’t expecting twins? : SPARE CRIB (“spare rib” + C)
79 One-named singer with the catchphrase “cuchi-cuchi” : CHARO
81 Like some riyals : SAUDI
82 Barristers’ wear : WIGS
83 Surfer wannabe : HODAD
85 Rookeries? : CROW HOUSES (“row houses” + C)
87 Singer Grande, to fans : ARI
88 Portuguese wine : MADEIRA
90 “___, Macduff” (phrase from Shakespeare) : LAY ON
91 Consumes : HAS
92 City that becomes another city if you change both its vowels to A’s : TEMPE
94 Perfume part : ESTER
95 Japanese noodle : UDON
96 Suspiciously flattering, say : OILY
97 Emulated an Argonaut : OARED
99 “Stat” : ASAP
101 Red letters? : USSR
103 Like a sonnet, in a way : IAMBIC
105 Chronicler of Troy : HOMER
107 Emmy-nominated actor for “Westworld” : ED HARRIS
111 Toothpaste aisle? : CREST AREA (from “rest area”)
113 Illusionist’s phrase illustrated by seven Across answers in this puzzle? : NOW YOU SEE ME
115 Informal negation : AIN’T
116 Pout : SULK
117 Wan : ASHEN
118 Famed orange troublemaker : ERNIE
119 D.C. nine : NATS
120 Brings up, say : HEMS
121 ___ of all : LEAST
122 Location of Cassius, who “has a lean and hungry look” : YOND
Down
1 Steed for a sheik : ARAB
2 “___ Lisa” : MONA
3 Rustic poem : IDYL
4 Bad news from Detroit : RECALL
5 Queen Margrethe II, e.g.? : MODERN DANE (“modern dance” – C)
6 Din-din : EATS
7 It’s après “après” : -SKI
8 Grammy-winning songwriter Mann : AIMEE
9 School boards? : SEESAWS
10 Many a mixer : SODA
11 Fare for Little Miss Muffet : WHEY
12 Nice crossword experience : AHA!
13 Thick (of) : MIDST
14 Stick : ADHERE
15 Arrangement in which you buy three tires but get a whole set? : FREE RADIAL (“free radical” – C)
16 Anecdotal collections : ANAS
17 Retirement account option, informally : ROTH
19 “Game of Thrones” actress Chaplin : OONA
24 Foreign-language toast : L’CHAIM
26 Astrologist’s reference : CHART
29 Tons : SLEWS
32 Pickle : DILEMMA
33 “Dunno” gestures : SHRUGS
34 Warmongers : HAWKS
35 Of use : UTILE
36 Mumbai royal : RANEE
38 Opinion, informally : TAKE
40 Ballerina’s cabriole, e.g. : LEAP
41 Peace, in the Mideast : SALAAM
43 Poet who wrote “To His Mistress Going to Bed” : DONNE
44 Run for, as office : SEEK
46 Not ridiculous, as an argument : TENABLE
48 Order before “Fall out!” : AT EASE!
51 0 0 0 : CIPHERS
52 Gleans : REAPS
54 P.M. who took office in 2015 : TRUDEAU
57 Brain area, jocularly : ATTIC
59 Ivy League newspaper name : CRIMSON
61 Trick question : GOTCHA
63 It’s hard to hit : HIGH C
66 Big-circulation magazine originally titled So You’re Going to Be Married : BRIDES
67 Get all tangled : SNARL UP
69 Feature destroyed in the 2019 Notre Dame fire : SPIRE
70 Visit to baby Jesus? : MAGI MOMENT (“magic moment” – C)
71 Gradually diminished : ERODED
73 Illusionist’s phrase illustrated by three Down answers in this puzzle? : NOW YOU DON’T
74 ___ bar : SUSHI
75 Perfect : IDEAL
76 Actress Spacek : SISSY
77 Big smack : SWAT
78 Lure : BAIT
80 Pike : ROAD
84 An alarm may interrupt it : DREAM
86 Where Tokyo is : HONSHU
88 Scout’s honor : MERIT
89 Perennial London football powerhouse : ARSENAL
93 Some inexpensive brews : PABSTS
96 Model of the solar system : ORRERY
98 PayPal money and the like : E-CASH
100 Stood : AROSE
102 Onetime MS. accompanier : SASE
103 Volunteer’s words : I CAN
104 Donizetti’s “Pour mon âme,” e.g. : ARIA
105 Lead : HELM
106 Symbols of might : OAKS
107 Blinkers : EYES
108 Major city bisected by I-80 : RENO
109 Opposite of “Too rich for my blood” : I’M IN
110 Farmer’s purchase : SEED
112 French way : RUE
114 “Huh?” : WHA?
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