0126-25 NY Times Crossword 26 Jan 25, Sunday

Constructed by: Rich Proulx
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Theme: Letter Openers

There is a note with today’s puzzle:

This puzzle is intended to have picture clues. If you are solving on an app that hasn’t been updated, you might see a description of the missing image file instead of the intended clue. If you aren’t able to update your app, you can solve online or in print to get the full solving experience.

Clue illustrations by Daniel Savage

Themed answers come in pairs that intersect at circled LETTERS in the grid. The down-answer sounds like that circled letter and the image in the corresponding clue. The across-answer is clued by the down-answer. Tricky to explain, but a very clever theme …

  • 19D R + CANE : ARCANE
  • 22A See 19-Down : CLEAR AS MUD
  • 29D E + road : ERODE
  • 29A See 29-Down : EAT AWAY
  • 46D B + tray : BETRAY
  • 42A See 46-Down : BACKSTAB
  • 67D U + knit : UNIT
  • 64A See 67-Down : WORK GROUP
  • 82D S + cape : ESCAPE
  • 87A See 82-Down : SIDESTEP
  • 101D E + mitt : EMIT
  • 98A See 101-Down : GIVE OFF
  • 107D E + spy : ESPY (surely this should be S + spy?)
  • 111A See 107-Down : HAVE EYES ON

Bill’s time: 24m 26s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 ‘The weekend is almost here!” : TGIF!

“Thank God It’s Friday” (TGIF)

18 Lifted one’s spirits? : MADE A TOAST

The tradition of toasting someone probably dates back to the reign of Charles II, when the practice was to drink a glass of wine to the health of a beautiful or favored woman. In those days, spiced toast was added to beverages to add flavor, so the use of the word “toast” was an indicator that the lady’s beauty would enhance the wine. Very charming, I must say …

20 Riveting persona of W.W. II : ROSIE

Rosie the Riveter is a cultural icon who represented women working in factories across the country during WWII as part of the war effort. The term “Rosie the Riveter” first appeared as the title of a 1942 song that was a national hit. The image that we bring to mind today that supposedly depicts “Rosie” is a wartime poster with the words “We Can Do It!”, which shows a woman in blue overalls and a red and white polka-dot headscarf. However, this image was used by Westinghouse as an internal motivation tool only for a two-week period in 1943, and was never associated with the Rosie the Riveter persona. The “Rosie” association to that image came decades later, in the 1980s. The best-known WWII representation of Rosie the Riveter was a “Saturday Evening Post” cover drawn by Norman Rockwell in 1943. This image shows a female worker with a rivet gun, and a lunch box bearing the name “Rosie”.

23 Place for a white picket fence and a mom-and-pop shop : ANYTOWN, USA

Back in the late 17th century, a picket was a pointed stake used militarily to defend against attacking forces, and charging cavalry in particular. Ultimately, the term “picket” comes from the French verb “piquer” meaning “to pierce”. The term “pickets” then became the name for troops posted in the front lines, watching for the enemy. A picket line is a unit of soldiers lined up as a team of lookouts. The first use of “picket line” in the sense of labor disputes appeared just after the end of WWII. Our use of “picket fence” evolved from the original lines of pointed stakes used to defend positions held by early colonists.

25 Aid for using Bluetooth : EAR CLIP

Well, only if we’re talking about Bluetooth earbuds, surely?

Bluetooth is a standard for wireless technology that was introduced by Swedish telecom vendor Ericsson in 1994. The name was chosen in honor of Harald Bluetooth, a medieval King of Denmark and Norway. Harald is said to have earned his name because of his love of blueberries, which stained his teeth. Harald was said to have a gift for convincing diverse factions to talk to one another, so Ericsson’s communication protocol was given Harald’s name.

37 Water feature created by rising sea levels : RIA

A drowned valley might be called a ria or a fjord, and both are formed as sea levels rise. A ria is a drowned valley created by river erosion, and a fjord is a drowned valley created by glaciation.

38 STEM part: Abbr. : SCI

The acronym “STEM” stands for the disciplines of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. An alternative acronym with a similar meaning is MINT, standing for mathematics, information sciences, natural sciences and technology.

39 Sierra ___ : LEONE

The Republic of Sierra Leone is a country in West Africa that lies on the Atlantic Coast. The capital city of Freetown was originally set up as a colony to house the “Black Poor” of London, England. These people were mainly freed British slaves of Caribbean descent who were living a miserable life in the run-down parts of London. Perhaps to help the impoverished souls, perhaps to rid the streets of “a problem”, three ships were chartered in 1787 to transport a group of Blacks, with some Whites, to a piece of land purchased in Sierra Leone. Those who made the voyage were granted British citizenship and protection. The descendants of these immigrants, and others who made the journey over the next 60 years, make up the ethnic group that’s today called the Sierra Leone Creole.

47 Awkward people to butt-dial, perhaps : EXES

“Butt-dialing” is an alternative name for “pocket-dialing”, the accidental placing of a call while a phone is in one’s pocket or purse.

48 Circuit board device : DIODE

A diode is a component in a circuit, the most notable characteristic of which is that it will conduct electric current in only one direction. Some of those vacuum tubes we used to see in old radios and television were diodes, but nowadays almost all diodes are semiconductor devices.

53 ___ Collins, author of “The Hunger Games” : SUZANNE

“The Hunger Games” is a 2008 novel by Suzanne Collins, and the first in a series of titles that also includes “Catching Fire” (2009) and “Mockingjay” (2010). “The Hunger Games” was adapted into a very successful movie released in 2012, with the sequels following soon after. Amazon.com reports more sales of “The Hunger Games” series books than even the “Harry Potter” series.

55 Helen of “The Queen” : MIRREN

Helen Mirren, one of my favorite English actresses, has played three different queens on film and television. She played Queen Elizabeth II on the 2006 film “The Queen”, the title role in the TV drama “Elizabeth I”, and Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the wife of the title character in the 1994 film “The Madness of King George”. Mirren won the “Triple Crown of Acting” for playing:

  • Queen Elizabeth II in “The Queen” (winning Best Actress Oscar)
  • Queen Elizabeth II in “The Audience” (winning Best Actress in a Play Tony)
  • Detective Jane Tennison in “Prime Suspect” (winning Outstanding Lead Actress Emmy)

The 2006 movie “The Queen” is a great film, and what a superb performance from Helen Mirren in the title role of Queen Elizabeth II. It must have been a difficult film for Queen Elizabeth to watch, as it rehashes the PR disaster that surrounded her following the death of Princess Diana. But, she was gracious enough to invite Helen Mirren around to the Palace for dinner after the film was released. Mirren declined however, citing filming commitments in the US. Mirren was invested as a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire back in 2003, an honor presented to her by Prince Charles.

56 Futon component : SLAT

Anyone lucky enough to have visited Japan might be familiar with the traditional Japanese futon. Unlike what we tend to call futon in this country, the Japanese original is a padded mattress and quilt. Japanese futons are usually rolled up in the morning so that the space used for sleeping can be repurposed during the day.

62 French aperitif : KIR

Kir is a French cocktail made by adding a teaspoon or so of crème de cassis (blackcurrant liqueur) to a glass, and then topping it off with white wine. The drink is named after Felix Kir, the Mayor of Dijon in Burgundy, who used to offer the drink to his guests. My wife is particularly fond of a variant called a kir royale, in which the white wine is replaced with champagne.

An apéritif is an alcoholic drink served before a meal, to stimulate the palate. A digestif is an alcoholic drink served after a meal, to aid digestion.

63 Weapon with wires : TASER

Victor Appleton wrote a novel for young adults called “Tom Swift and His Electric Rifle”. The company that developed the TASER electroshock weapon partly named its product as a homage to the novel. The acronym “TASER” stands for “Thomas A. Swift’s Electric Rifle”.

68 Justice Kagan : ELENA

Elena Kagan was the Solicitor General of the United States from 2009 until 2010, when she replaced Justice John Paul Stevens on the US Supreme Court. That made Justice Kagan the first female US Solicitor General and the fourth female US Supreme Court justice. Kagan also served as the first female dean of Harvard Law School from 2003 to 2009.

70 Natural feature between México y Texas : RIO

The Rio Grande (Spanish for “big river”) is a waterway that forms part of the border between Mexico and the United States. Although we call the river the Rio Grande on this side of the border, in Mexico it is called the Río Bravo or Río Bravo del Norte (Spanish for “furious river of the north”).

71 ___Kosh B’gosh : OSH

OshKosh B’gosh is a company that produces and sells children’s clothes. The trademark OshKosh bib-overalls remind us of the company’s roots, as it was originally a manufacturer of adult work clothes based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

73 TV journalist Navarro : ANA

Ana Navarro is a Nicaraguan-born, American political strategist and commentator. Navarro is a lifelong Republican who worked for Governor Jeb Bush and for Senator John McCain. However, she was very critical of presidential candidate Donald Trump during his 2016 campaign. She was so vehement in her anti-Trump views that she ended up voting for Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in the election.

74 Annual observance for breast cancer awareness : NO BRA DAY

No Bra Day has been observed annually since 2011. Originally observed on July 9th, the day was moved to October 13th in 2014, so that it falls in the middle of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

76 Knee parts, in brief : ACLS

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of four major ligaments that support the knee. It is located in the center of the knee and connects the femur (thigh bone) to the tibia (shin bone).

81 Gold Medal offering : WHITE FLOUR

The Washburn-Crosby Company entered several brands of flour at the Millers’ International Exhibition in Cincinnati in 1880. The company’s brands won bronze, silver and gold medals at the show, prompting Washburn-Crosby to launch the Gold Medal brand of flour. That Gold Medal brand is now produced by General Mills.

83 “Au contraire!” : NOT SO!

“Au contraire” is French for “on the contrary”.

91 Record label for the Backstreet Boys : RCA

The Backstreet Boys (BSB) are a male vocal group that formed in 1993 in Orlando, Florida. In fact, the group’s first performance was in SeaWorld Orlando in May of that year. They’ve come a long way since SeaWorld, and have sold more records than any other boy band in history.

92 Tech company exec, for short : CIO

Chief information officer (CIO)

95 Cause of some sleep issues : APNEA

Sleep apnea (“apnoea” in British English) can be caused by an obstruction in the airways, possibly due to obesity or enlarged tonsils.

102 “Ten-___!” : HUT

“Ten-hut!” is a term used in the US military that means “Come to attention!”.

103 Show listlessness : DROOP

“Languor”, “lassitude”, “lethargy” and “listlessness” are such lovely words, all l-words meaning “lack of physical energy, torpor”.

104 “See above,” in footnotes : IDEM

“Idem” is usually abbreviated as “id.” and is the Latin word for “the same”. In research papers, “idem” is used in a list of references, in place of citations “already mentioned above”.

109 “Conclave” actress Isabella : ROSSELLINI

Roberto Rossellini was an Italian film director. Rossellini’s second wife was Ingrid Bergman. He and Bergman were parents of actress Isabella Rossellini.

114 Saber alternative : EPEE

The sword known as an épée has a three-sided blade. It is similar to a foil and saber, although the foil and saber have rectangular cross-sections.

115 Worst time for a double fault : AD OUT

In tennis, if the score reaches deuce (i.e. when both players have scored three points), then the first player to win two points in a row wins the game. The player who wins the point immediately after deuce is said to have the advantage. If the player with the advantage wins the next point then that’s two in a row and that player wins the game. If the person with the advantage loses the next point, then advantage is lost and the players return to deuce and try again. The player calling out the score announces “ad in”, or more formally “advantage in”, if he/she has the advantage. If the score announcer’s opponent has the advantage, then the announcement is “ad out” or “advantage out”. Follow all of that …?

118 Hydroelectric projects : DAMS

Hydroelectric power is the most common source of renewable energy on the planet, with hydropower accounting for about one sixth of the world’s generated electricity.

119 “White & ___” (2006 Weird Al Yankovic parody) : NERDY

“Weird Al” Yankovic is a singer-songwriter who is noted for writing and performing parodies of popular songs. Of the 150 or so such songs, the best known are probably “Eat It” (parodying “Beat It” by Michael Jackson) and “Like a Surgeon” (parodying “Like a Virgin” by Madonna).

Down

2 Mighty wind : GALE

A gale is a very strong wind, one defined by the Beaufort scale as having wind speeds from 50 to just over 100 kilometers per hour.

4 “Have no ___ of perfection — you’ll never reach it”: Salvador Dalí : FEAR

The famous surrealist Salvador Dalí was born in Figueres, Spain. I had the privilege of visiting the Dalí Museum in Figueres some years ago, just north of Barcelona. If you ever get the chance, it’s a “must-see” as it really is a quite magnificent building with a fascinating collection of art.

5 Just like that! : ITALIC

Italic type leans to the right, and is often used to provide emphasis in text. The style is known as “italic” because the stylized calligraphic form of writing originated in Italy, probably in the Vatican.

8 Largest public sch. in the U.S., by enrollment : ASU

Arizona State University (ASU) has a long history, and was founded as the Tempe Normal School for the Arizona Territory in 1885. The athletic teams of ASU used to be known as the Normals, then the Bulldogs, and since 1946 they’ve been called the Sun Devils.

9 P.S.T. part: Abbr. : STD

Pacific Standard Time (PST)

11 Safe harbors : ASYLA

Asylum (plural “asyla”) is a Latin word meaning “sanctuary”.

12 Poker pot : KITTY

The pot in a card game has been referred to as “the kitty” since the 1880s. It’s not certain how the name “kitty” evolved but possibly it comes from “kit”, the necessary equipment for the game.

13 Fair-hiring letters : EEO

“Equal Employment Opportunity” (EEO) is a term that has been around since 1964 when the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) was set up by the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title VII of the Act prohibits employers from discriminating against employees on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin or religion.

14 Storage devices made obsolete by MP3 players : MINIDISCS

Sony introduced the MiniDisc data storage device in 1992, ostensibly as a successor to the cassette tape. Although the MiniDisc was successful in Japan, it failed to take over the audio market in the rest of the world. The compact disc won that battle.

MP3 is an audio coding format, the most common format used for music stored on digital audio players. MP3 files are compressed and “lossy”, meaning that some audio information is lost when the file is generated. For this reason, MP3 files are about 1/11 of the size of the equivalent music files found on CD.

16 “The Boy Who Cried Wolf” author : AESOP

“The Boy Who Cried Wolf” is one of Aesop’s fables, and the tale that gives rise to our phrase “to cry wolf” meaning “to give a false alarm”. In the fable, a shepherd boy is in the habit of tricking nearby villagers into thinking a wolf is attacking his flock by crying “Wolf!”. When an actual attack is made, the villages assume it’s another false alarm and the sheep are eaten by the wolf.

19 R + CANE : ARCANE

Something that is arcane is understood by only a few, is something that might be described as mysterious.

20 Kashmiri king : RAJA

Kashmir is a vast region in the northwest of the Indian subcontinent. It has a long and rich history, but the year that is most significant today is perhaps 1947. In that year, Britain pulled out of the Indian subcontinent. The British divided the Indian Empire into the independent countries of India and Pakistan, leaving the Maharajah ruling Kashmir and free to join either India or Pakistan. When the Kashmiri Maharajah wavered in his decision, Pakistani forces advanced into Kashmir, prompting the Maharajah to turn to India for assistance. India did indeed help, but only on condition that Kashmir accede to India. India then called in the United Nations to intercede, but no definitive solution was found that brought peace to the region. There has been conflict there ever since.

34 White House dog of the 1980s : REX

Rex was a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel owned by the Reagans while they lived in the White House. Rex was given as a Christmas gift by conservative commentator William F. Buckley, Jr. to First Lady Nancy Reagan. The dog was named for Rex Scouten, who was the White House Chief Usher at the time.

43 Visible signs of maturity : AGE SPOTS

Liver spots (also “age spots”) are skin blemishes associated with aging. They are found in the areas of the skin exposed to the sun’s UV radiation, and are red, brown or black in color. The name “age spots” is more accurate, as the name “liver spots” comes from a debunked theory that they are associated with liver problems.

48 Many a school chaperone : DAD

Traditionally, a chaperone (often “chaperon” in Britain and Ireland) was a woman accompanying a younger unmarried lady in public, with the term “chaperone” originating in France. The French word was used to mean “hood, cowl” going back to the 12th century, a diminutive of “chape” meaning “cape”. So, our word “chaperone” has the same roots as our word “cape” and indeed “cap”. The idea is that a chaperone is “covering” someone who is vulnerable socially.

52 Folk singer Guthrie : ARLO

Singer Arlo Guthrie is known for his protest songs, just like his father Woody Guthrie. The younger Guthrie only ever had one song in the top 40: a cover version of “City of New Orleans”. He has lived for years in the town of Washington, just outside Pittsfield, Massachusetts. His 1976 song “Massachusetts” has been the official folk song of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts since 1981.

54 Diddly-squat : ZERO

“Squat” is a slang term for “nothing”. “Squat” and the variant “Jack squat”, probably have a distasteful derivation that is related to a bodily function.

55 Hip-hop’s ___ Thee Stallion : MEGAN

“Megan Thee Stallion” is the stage name of rapper Megan Pete. Pete’s mother Holly Thomas was also a rap performer, one using the stage name “Holly-Wood”. Thomas would bring Megan to recording sessions rather than put her in daycare, and so exposed her young daughter to the recording business at an early age.

58 Meditative martial art : TAI CHI

More correctly called “t‘ai chi ch‘uan”, tai chi is a martial art that is mostly practiced to improve overall health and increase longevity.

65 Meaty pasta sauce : RAGU

Bolognese is a meat-based sauce originating from Bologna in Italy, hence the name. The recipe is usually referred to as “ragù alla bolognese” in Italian, or simply “ragù”. Note that the Ragú brand of sauces introduced in North America in 1937 takes its name from the same source (pun … sauce!). However, the brand name uses the wrong accent (“Ragú” instead of “Ragù”), which drives a pedant like me crazy ..

83 Innocent sort : NAIF

A naïf is someone who is naive, as “naïf” is the French word for “naive”.

90 Salt’s companions : MATEYS

“Sea dog” and “old salt” are familiar terms describing a sailor, especially one that has lots of experience.

93 Theseus’ need in the Labyrinth : THREAD

In the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur, Theseus sailed to the island of Crete in order to convince the Minotaur to stop devouring young boys and girls who were sent into the Minotaur’s lair, the Labyrinth. Soon after Theseus landed on Crete, he fell in love with Ariadne, the daughter of Minos, the King of Crete. Ariadne gave Theseus a ball of string that he unraveled as he ventured deep into the Labyrinth. He found the Minotaur and slew him, and then followed the unraveled string back to the entrance of the Labyrinth, and into the arms of Ariadne.

96 Credit, informally : PROPS

“Props” is North American slang for “proper respect”.

97 Prominent features of elephant seals : NOSES

There are three families of seals. The first is the walrus family, the second the eared seals (like sea lions), and thirdly the earless seals (like elephant seals).

98 Comedian Radner : GILDA

Gilda Radner was a comedian and actress, and one of the original cast members of the hit television show “Saturday Night Live”. Radner left her first husband to marry comedic actor Gene Wilder, whom she met while they were both filming the Sidney Poitier movie “Hanky Panky”.

100 Planet whose day is longer than its year : VENUS

A year is defined as the time it takes for the Earth to orbit the Sun. The other planets in our solar system take varying lengths of time to complete their orbits:

  1. Mercury: ~ 3 Earth months
  2. Venus: ~ 7 Earth months
  3. Earth: 1 Earth year
  4. Mars: ~ 2 Earth years
  5. Jupiter: ~ 12 Earth years
  6. Saturn: ~ 30 Earth years
  7. Uranus: ~ 84 Earth years
  8. Neptune: ~ 165 Earth years

111 Channel with the onetime spinoff America’s Store : HSN

The Home Shopping Network (HSN) was the first national shopping network, and was launched locally as the Home Shopping Club in Florida in 1982. Its first product was a can opener.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 ‘The weekend is almost here!” : TGIF!
5 Pioneers of freeze-drying food : INCAS
10 Share from an illicit endeavor : TAKE
14 Polite term of address : MA’AM
18 Lifted one’s spirits? : MADE A TOAST
20 Riveting persona of W.W. II : ROSIE
21 Frozen treat with a domed lid : ICEE
22 See 19-Down : CLEAR AS MUD
23 Place for a white picket fence and a mom-and-pop shop : ANYTOWN, USA
25 Aid for using Bluetooth : EAR CLIP
26 Startle : JOLT
27 Flirt with : HIT ON
28 Feel bad : AIL
29 See 29-Down : EAT AWAY
32 Highly capable : ADEPT
33 Passion : ARDENCY
37 Water feature created by rising sea levels : RIA
38 STEM part: Abbr. : SCI
39 Sierra ___ : LEONE
40 “What are the ___?” : ODDS
42 See 46-Down : BACKSTAB
47 Awkward people to butt-dial, perhaps : EXES
48 Circuit board device : DIODE
51 Vast, as an operation : LARGE-SCALE
53 ___ Collins, author of “The Hunger Games” : SUZANNE
55 Helen of “The Queen” : MIRREN
56 Futon component : SLAT
57 Was transfixed by, in a way : STARED AT
59 Glass ___, spaghettilike fish : EEL
60 Give a darn? : SEW
62 French aperitif : KIR
63 Weapon with wires : TASER
64 See 67-Down : WORK GROUP
68 Justice Kagan : ELENA
70 Natural feature between México y Texas : RIO
71 ___Kosh B’gosh : OSH
73 TV journalist Navarro : ANA
74 Annual observance for breast cancer awareness : NO BRA DAY
76 Knee parts, in brief : ACLS
78 Auto mechanic’s tool : OIL GUN
80 War room briefings, in military shorthand : SITREPS
81 Gold Medal offering : WHITE FLOUR
83 “Au contraire!” : NOT SO!
84 Cause of puddles in early spring, say : THAW
87 See 82-Down : SIDESTEP
88 Go a little one way or the other : LEAN
90 Gordon ___, engineer with a “law” predicting a doubling of transistors on microchips every two years : MOORE
91 Record label for the Backstreet Boys : RCA
92 Tech company exec, for short : CIO
93 In a corner : TRAPPED
95 Cause of some sleep issues : APNEA
98 See 101-Down : GIVE OFF
102 “Ten-___!” : HUT
103 Show listlessness : DROOP
104 “See above,” in footnotes : IDEM
105 Got online, say : ORDERED
109 “Conclave” actress Isabella : ROSSELLINI
111 See 107-Down : HAVE EYES ON
114 Saber alternative : EPEE
115 Worst time for a double fault : AD OUT
116 Approaches furtively : STEALS UP ON
117 “Over here!” : PSST!
118 Hydroelectric projects : DAMS
119 “White & ___” (2006 Weird Al Yankovic parody) : NERDY
120 Structure that’s set on fire : PYRE

Down

1 Network owned by Showtime : TMC
2 Mighty wind : GALE
3 One might start as a seed : IDEA
4 “Have no ___ of perfection — you’ll never reach it”: Salvador Dalí : FEAR
5 Just like that! : ITALIC
6 Without regard to privacy : NOSILY
7 Temporary residence : CAMP
8 Largest public sch. in the U.S., by enrollment : ASU
9 P.S.T. part: Abbr. : STD
10 So far : TO NOW
11 Safe harbors : ASYLA
12 Poker pot : KITTY
13 Fair-hiring letters : EEO
14 Storage devices made obsolete by MP3 players : MINIDISCS
15 Sharp : ACUTE
16 “The Boy Who Cried Wolf” author : AESOP
17 Intended : MEANT
19 R + CANE : ARCANE
20 Kashmiri king : RAJA
24 Offs : WHACKS
29 E + road : ERODE
30 Number two : AIDE
31 Bit : TAD
33 Public house offering : ALE
34 White House dog of the 1980s : REX
35 Helps, informally : DOES A SOLID
36 Guarantee : ENSURE
38 Part of an act : SCENE
41 More crafty : SLIER
42 [Shivers] : [BRR]
43 Visible signs of maturity : AGE SPOTS
44 Got down to business, in a way : TALKED SHOP
45 ___ Urquhart, co-host of the podcast “Morbid” : ALAINA
46 B + tray : BETRAY
48 Many a school chaperone : DAD
49 Later : IN A WHILE
50 Cognizant of : ONTO
52 Folk singer Guthrie : ARLO
54 Diddly-squat : ZERO
55 Hip-hop’s ___ Thee Stallion : MEGAN
57 They’re for suckers : STRAWS
58 Meditative martial art : TAI CHI
61 Common word with or without an apostrophe : WE’RE or WERE
65 Meaty pasta sauce : RAGU
66 Ridge in metalworking : KNURL
67 U + knit : UNIT
69 Office folder? : LAPTOP
72 Vowel sound in “father” : SOFT A
75 Dude : BRO
77 Audiophile’s system : STEREO SET
79 Cut (off) : LOP
80 What “fitz-” or “-ovic” mean, in names : SON OF
82 S + cape : ESCAPE
83 Innocent sort : NAIF
85 “Chances ___ …” : ARE
86 Became one : WED
89 Modern prefix with anxiety : ECO-
90 Salt’s companions : MATEYS
93 Theseus’ need in the Labyrinth : THREAD
94 In an uncouth manner : RUDELY
95 Marketing worker, informally : AD REP
96 Credit, informally : PROPS
97 Prominent features of elephant seals : NOSES
98 Comedian Radner : GILDA
99 A perfect storm, e.g. : IDIOM
100 Planet whose day is longer than its year : VENUS
101 E + mitt : EMIT
105 Done : OVER
106 Extend one’s military service : RE-UP
107 E + spy : ESPY
108 Hard thing to find in a house of mirrors : DOOR
110 “Wee” fellow : LAD
111 Channel with the onetime spinoff America’s Store : HSN
112 Suffix with emir : -ATE
113 S.F.-to-Napa dir. : NNE