0109-22 NY Times Crossword 9 Jan 22, Sunday

Constructed by: Timothy Polin
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Theme: Food for Thought

Circled letters spell out types of APPLES, all falling under the influence of the LAW OF GRAVITY, ready to hit NEWTON on the head at the bottom-center of the grid:

  • 24A Carmen McRae or Anita O’Day, notably : JAZZ VOCALIST (“jazz” apple)
  • 32A Endpoint of a Shinto pilgrimage : MOUNT FUJI (“Fuji” apple)
  • 52A Fete : GALA AFFAIR (“gala” apple)
  • 69A Birthplace of five U.S. presidents, with “the” : EMPIRE STATE (“empire” apple)
  • 85A Start of some conventional wisdom : WHEN IN ROME … (“Rome” apple)
  • 116A Scientific contribution from 98-Down, discovered in a manner suggested by this puzzle’s theme : LAW OF GRAVITY
  • 3D It’s nothing to joke about : WEIGHTY MATTER
  • 39D Game show invitation : COME ON DOWN
  • 50D Tom Petty hit with the opening line “She’s a good girl, loves her mama” : FREE FALLIN’
  • 60D Unforgettable, unstoppable sort : FORCE OF NATURE
  • 98D Who was famously hit over the head with inspiration? : NEWTON

Bill’s time: 25m 42s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

5 JPEG alternative : GIF

A bitmap is an image file format used to store digital images. Basically, each pixel in a bitmap file is stored as a “bit” of information, hence the name “bitmap”. In 1987, CompuServe introduced a new type of image file called the Graphics Interchange Format (GIF). A GIF image takes the same information as a bitmap and then compresses it, resulting in a smaller file size. However, during compression the image may lose some resolution. The GIF format also handles short video clips, usually animations.

22 Mineral used as a flame retardant : BORAX

Borax is also known as sodium borate, and is a salt of boric acid. Borax is a white powder that dissolves easily in water. The compound has many uses, for example as an antifungal agent, water-softening agent and as an antiseptic. Actor and future US president Ronald Reagan used to tout 20 Mule Team Borax that was used as a laundry product.

24 Carmen McRae or Anita O’Day, notably : JAZZ VOCALIST (“jazz” apple)

Carmen McRae was a jazz singer from Harlem in New York City. McRae’s inspiration was singer Billie Holiday, whom McRae met when she was 17 years old.

“Anita O’Day” was the stage name of jazz singer Anita Colton. She chose the name as “O’Day” is Pig Latin for “dough”, a slang term for “money”. O’Day had problems with heroin and alcohol addiction leading to erratic behavior, earning her the nickname “The Jezebel of Jazz”.

26 Disorganized : RAGTAG

“Ragtag and bobtail” is a colorful phrase that’s used to describe the lowest classes, or the rabble. A “bobtail” is a horse that has had its tail cut short, a word that goes back as least as far as Shakespeare as he used it in “King Lear”. A “tag” is a piece of cloth that is torn and hanging, which was readily combined with “rag” in the original phrase “tag, rag and bobtail”. This idiom, perhaps originally quoted from Samuel Pepys in his diary in 1659, referred to the lower classes as “tag, rag and bobtail, dancing, singing and drinking”. The phrase evolved, giving us our contemporary word “ragtag” meaning ragged and unkempt.

27 Sound in the Serengeti : ROAR

The Serengeti is a region in Africa located in northern Tanzania and southwest Kenya. The name “Serengeti” comes from the Maasai language and means “Endless Plains”.

31 Neighbor of S. Sudan : ETH

Ethiopia is a country in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation on the continent (after Nigeria) and, with 90 million inhabitants, the most populous landlocked country in the world. Most anthropologists believe that our Homo sapiens species evolved in the region now called Ethiopia, and from there set out to populate the planet.

South Sudan is an African country that gained her independence in 2011, after a split with Sudan. Sadly, the new nation has been ravaged by a civil war since 2013.

32 Endpoint of a Shinto pilgrimage : MOUNT FUJI (“Fuji” apple)

Mount Fuji is Japan’s highest and most famous mountain. Located just west of Tokyo, Mount Fuji is an active volcano, although its last eruption took place in 1707/1708.

The Fuji apple is a cross between two American varieties of apple that was developed in Japan, i.e. a cross between Red Delicious and old Virginia Ralls Genet.

It is perhaps best not to describe Shinto as a religion, but more as a “spirituality of the Japanese people”, a spirituality that encompasses folklore, history and mythology. Having said that, “Shinto” translates literally as “Way of the gods”. Most people in Japan who are described as practicing Shinto, also practice Buddhism.

36 What’s going up in Chicago? : EL TRAIN

The Chicago “L” is the second largest rapid transit system in the US, with the New York City Subway being the largest. The “L” is also the second oldest, again with the New York City Subway system having the honor of being around the longest. Note that the official nickname for the system is the “L” (originally short for “elevated railroad”), although the term “El” is also in common use (especially in crosswords as “ELS”). The L is managed by the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA).

40 Munchkin : TOT

“Munchkin” is a word that we use quite commonly these days, usually to describe a young child. The first Munchkins were characters created by L. Frank Baum in his book “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz”, published in 1900.

41 Spade with a short handle? : SAM

Private detective Sam Spade is the main character in Dashiell Hammett’s novel “The Maltese Falcon”. Famously, Spade was played by Humphrey Bogart in the 1941 film adaptation directed by John Huston.

42 Morse morsel : DAH

A “dah” or “dash” is Morse code for the letter “T”.

43 You can have a blast with this : TNT

“TNT” is an abbreviation for “trinitrotoluene”. Trinitrotoluene was first produced in 1863 by the German chemist Joseph Wilbrand, who developed it for use as a yellow dye. TNT is relatively difficult to detonate so it was on the market as a dye for some years before its more explosive properties were discovered.

47 ___ volente : DEO

“Deo volente” is Latin for “God willing”. If you read letters or emails from Ireland, you might come across “D.V.” in the text, as it is an abbreviation that we Irish commonly use to mean “God willing” or “Please God”.

51 1997 pop hit with a nonsensical refrain : MMMBOP

Hanson is a pop rock boy band from Tulsa, Oklahoma. Hanson’s biggest hit is the 1997 song “MMMBop”.

52 Fete : GALA AFFAIR (“gala” apple)

Gala is the second-most popular apple cultivar in the US, after red delicious. The gala apple tree originated in New Zealand in 1930, and is a cross between a golden delicious and a Kidd’s orange red.

56 Anago, on a sushi menu : SEA EEL

“Unagi” is the Japanese term for” freshwater eel”, and “anago” is the term for “saltwater eel”.

57 In ___ fertilization : VIVO

An experiment that is conducted “in vivo” is done so on living organisms in a natural environment. Experiments conducted “in vitro” are performed in the laboratory. “In vivo” translates from Latin as “within the living”, and “in vitro” as “within the glass”.

58 With 59-Across, flag bearers, for short? : NFL

59 See 58-Across : REFS

Back in the early 17th century, a referee was someone who examined patent applications. We started using the same term for a person presiding over a sporting event in the 1820s. “Referee” is a derivative of the verb “to refer”, and literally describes someone who has the authority to make a decision by “referring to” a book, archive etc.

69 Birthplace of five U.S. presidents, with “the” : EMPIRE STATE (“empire” apple)

The Erie Canal runs from Albany to Buffalo in the state of New York. What the canal does is allow shipping to proceed from New York Harbor right up the Hudson River, through the canal and into the Great Lakes. When it was opened in 1825, the Erie Canal had an immediate impact on the economy of New York City and locations along its route. It was the first means of “cheap” transportation from a port on the Atlantic seaboard into the interior of the United States. Arguably it was the most important factor contributing to the growth of New York City over competing ports such as Baltimore and Philadelphia. It was largely because of the Erie Canal that New York became such an economic powerhouse, earning it the nickname of “the Empire State”. Paradoxically, one of the project’s main proponents was severely criticized. New York Governor DeWitt Clinton received so much ridicule that the canal was nicknamed “Clinton’s Folly” and “Clinton’s Ditch”.

Martin Van Buren was the eighth President of the US, and also served as Vice President and Secretary of State under President Andrew Jackson. Although Van Buren was the first president who was born a US citizen, he was the only president whose first language wasn’t English. Our eighth president grew up speaking Dutch.

Vice President Millard Fillmore took over the US Presidency when Zachary Taylor died after only 16 months in office. Fillmore was born in the Finger Lakes region of New York State, but grew up around Buffalo. He was one of the founders of the University of Buffalo and served as chancellor there after he left office in 1853. He was also the last Whig to occupy the White House, as the party broke up after Fillmore’s presidency.

President Theodore Roosevelt and his wife Edith lived much of their lives in a 22-room mansion near Oyster Bay on the north shore of Long Island, New York. Named Sagamore Hill, the home was also known as the “Summer White House” in the years that President Roosevelt was in office.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) was the only child of Sara Delano and James Roosevelt Sr. The Delano family history in America goes back to the pilgrim Philippe de Lannoy, an immigrant of Flemish descent who arrived at Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1621. The family name “de Lannoy” was anglicized here in the US, to “Delano”. Franklin was to marry Eleanor Roosevelt, and apparently the relationship between Sara and her daughter-in-law was very “strained”.

Future president Donald John Trump was born in 1946 in Queens, New York, the fourth of five children. Donald’s father was Fred Trump, who built a real estate fortune, mainly in New York City. Donald’s mother was Mary Anne MacLeod, an immigrant from the Outer Hebrides in Scotland.

73 German title : FRAU
(78D German title : HERR)

In German, a “Herr” (Mr.) is married to a “Frau” (Mrs.), and they live together in a “Haus” (house).

75 Just roll with it! : DIE

The numbers on dice are arranged so that the opposite faces add up to seven. Given this arrangement, the numbers 1, 2 and 3 all meet at a common vertex. There are two ways of arranging the 1, 2 and 3 around the common vertex, a so-called right-handed die (clockwise 1-2-3) or a left-handed die (counterclockwise 1-2-3). Traditionally, dice used in Western cultures are right-handed, whereas Chinese dice are left-handed. Quite interesting …

83 Pack (in) : TAMP

To tamp is to pack down tightly by tapping. “Tamp” was originally used specifically to describe the action of packing down sand or dirt around an explosive prior to detonation.

84 Fracases : MELEES

Our term “melee” comes from the French “mêlée”, and in both languages the word means “confused fight”.

“Fracas”, meaning “noisy quarrel”, is a French word that we absorbed into English. In turn, the French usage evolved from the Italian “fracasso” meaning “uproar, crash”.

85 Start of some conventional wisdom : WHEN IN ROME … (“Rome” apple)

The proverb “when in Rome, do as the Romans do” probably dates back to the days of St. Augustine. St. Augustine wrote a letter around 390 AD in which he states:

When I go to Rome, I fast on Saturday, but here [Milan] I do not. Do you also follow the custom of whatever church you attend, if you do not want to give or receive scandal?

88 With 76-Across, Mexican business magnate who was once the world’s richest person : CARLOS …
(76A See 88-Across : … SLIM

Carlos Slim is a businessman from Mexico who was the richest person in the world from 2010 to 2013. Slim’s net worth is almost equivalent to 6% of Mexico’s gross domestic product.

97 Comprehension : KEN

“Ken” is a noun meaning “understanding, perception”. One might say, for example, “half the clues in Saturday’s crossword are beyond my ken, beyond my understanding”.

99 Domain of Mars : WAR

Mars was the god of war in ancient Rome. Mars was also viewed as the father of the Roman people and the father of Romulus and Remus, the twin brothers who founded Rome according to Roman mythology.

100 Boise-to-Spokane dir. : NNW

Boise, Idaho is the capital and the largest metropolitan area in the state by far. There are a number of stories pertaining to the etymology of the name “Boise”. One is that French trappers called the tree-lined river that ran through the area “la rivière boisée”, meaning “the wooded river”.

Spokane, Washington is named for the Spokan people who lived in the eastern portion of Washington and northern Idaho. Back in 1974, Spokane was the smallest city ever to host a World’s Fair. The theme of the fare was “the environment”, which I suppose was ahead of its time. Notably, Expo ’74 was the first American-hosted World’s Fair attended by the Soviet Union after WWII.

104 “Eureka!” : I GET IT NOW!

“Eureka” translates from Greek as “I have found it”. The word is usually associated with Archimedes, uttered as he stepped into his bath one day. His discovery was that the volume of water that was displaced was equal to that of the object (presumably his foot) that had been submerged. He used this fact to determine the volume of a crown, something he needed in order to determine if it was made of pure gold or was a forgery.

113 Court order : WRIT

A writ is an order issued by some formal body (these days, usually a court) with the order being in “written” form. Warrants and subpoenas are examples of writs.

114 Red accessory for cartoondom’s Huckleberry Hound : BOW TIE

I so remember “The Huckleberry Hound Show” from the late fifties and early sixties. As a young tot I had curtains on my window that featured characters from the show. Three regulars were Pixie and Dixie and Mr. Jinks. Pixie and Dixie were two mice, and Mr. Jinks was a cat. Mr. Jinks has a famous line “I hate those meeces to pieces!” Great stuff …

116 Scientific contribution from 98-Down, discovered in a manner suggested by this puzzle’s theme : LAW OF GRAVITY

Sir Isaac Newton’s 1687 publication “Principia” lays out his laws of motion and his law of universal gravitation. The full title of the work is “Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica” (“Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy” in Latin).

120 Crow’s-nests, e.g. : LOOKOUTS

A crow’s nest is a structure atop the mainmast of a ship that is used as a lookout point. The first crow’s nest was erected in 1807, and was simply a barrel that was lashed to the tallest mast. Supposedly, the structure is named for the crows or ravens that Vikings carried with them on their voyages. The birds were released and used as navigation aids as invariably, the crow or raven headed straight for the nearest land.

122 One living in the rial world? : OMANI

The rial is the currency of Oman (as well as Yemen, Iran and Tunisia). Generally, there are 1,000 baisa in one rial.

123 Lingerie fabric : TRICOT

Tricot is a knitting method, a type of warp knitting, as well as the name for the resulting knitted fabric. Tricot is very resistant to runs and is commonly used to make lingerie and swimwear.

“Lingerie” is a French term. As used in France, it describes any underwear, worn by either males or females. In English we use “lingerie” to describe alluring underclothing worn by women. The term “lingerie” comes into English via the French word “linge” meaning “washables”, and ultimately from the Latin “linum”, meaning “linen”. We tend not to pronounce the word correctly in English, either here in the US or across the other side of the Atlantic. The French pronunciation is more like “lan-zher-ee”, as opposed to “lon-zher-ay” (American) and “lon-zher-ee” (British).

127 ___ Plaines, Ill. : DES

Des Plaines is a suburb of Chicago that is located next to O’Hare International Airport. The city is named for the Des Plaines river that runs through the area.

128 Start of a story, in journalese : LEDE

The opening paragraph in any work of literature is often just called “the lead”. In the world of journalism, this is usually referred to as “the lede”. The derivative phrase “bury the lede” means to fail to stress the most important aspect of a story.

Down

4 Artist known for his lampooning cartooning : NAST

Thomas Nast was an American caricaturist and cartoonist. He was the creator of the Republican Party elephant, the Democratic Party donkey, Uncle Sam and the image of the plump and jocular Santa Claus that we use today.

A lampoon is a parody, a spoof or send-up.

8 Holy city near Baghdad : NAJAF

Najaf is an Iraqi city that lies about 100 miles south of Baghdad. It is home to the Imam Ali Mosque, which is an important holy site for Shia Muslims. According to the Shia tradition, the mosque is the burial site of Ali, the first Imam and cousin of Muhammad. Also according to Shia tradition, the remains of Adam and Noah are buried alongside Ali.

9 Hardly a lover of hot wings? : ICARUS

Daedalus was a master craftsman of Greek mythology who was tasked with creating the Labyrinth on the island of Crete that was to house the Minotaur. After the Labyrinth was completed, King Minos imprisoned Daedalus and his son Icarus in a tower, so that he could not spread word of his work. Daedalus fabricated wings so that he and Icarus could escape by flying off the island. Despite being warned by his father, Icarus flew too close to the sun so that the wax holding the wings’ feathers in place melted. Icarus drowned in the sea, and Daedalus escaped.

10 Radio frequency meas. : MHZ

The unit of frequency measure is the hertz (Hz). It is the number of cycles per second of a periodic phenomenon. The unit is named for Heinrich Hertz, the German physicist who proved the existence of electromagnetic waves.

14 Attorney’s org. : ABA

American Bar Association (ABA)

16 Thank you, in Tokyo : ARIGATO

“Domo arigato” is Japanese for “thank you very much”.

25 Word in some cocktail names : COLADA

“Piña colada” is a Spanish term that translates into “strained pineapple”. The piña colada cocktail was introduced in the Caribe Hilton San Juan in 1954, and since 1978 it has been the official beverage of Puerto Rico. Yum …

28 Baseball’s “Master Melvin” : OTT

At 5′ 9″, baseball legend Mel Ott weighed just 170 lb (I don’t think he took steroids!) and yet he was the first National League player to hit over 500 home runs. Sadly, Ott died in a car accident in New Orleans in 1958 when he was only 49 years old. And, according to Wikipedia, “Ott’s name frequently appears in crossword puzzles, on account of its letter combination and brevity.” True that …

33 Westernmost sch. in Conference USA : UTEP

The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) was founded in 1914 as the Texas State School of Mines and Metallurgy. To this day, there is a mine shaft on the campus. The mascot of the school’s sports teams is Paydirt Pete, a prospector from the mining industry. The teams are also known as the UTEP Miners and Lady Miners.

34 Actress ___ Pinkett Smith : JADA

Jada Pinkett Smith is an actress from Baltimore, Maryland. Pinkett Smith’s most famous role is the human rebel Niobe in “The Matrix” series of movies. Back in 1990, she auditioned for the TV show “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”, to play the girlfriend of the character played by Will Smith. She didn’t get the role but did get Will Smith, as the couple were married in 1997.

39 Game show invitation : COME ON DOWN

Johnny Olson was the announcer on “The Price is Right” from day one in 1972, until he passed away in 1985. Come on down!

45 Modern lead-in to “X” : UBER-

The basic service offered by ride-hailing company Uber is known as UberX. The service provides a private ride for up to four passengers in a standard car. UberXL provides a minivan or SUV with room for up to 6 passengers.

50 Tom Petty hit with the opening line “She’s a good girl, loves her mama” : FREE FALLIN’

Singer-songwriter Tom Petty first became interested in rock and roll music when he met Elvis Presley at ten-years-old. Later Petty was inspired to get into a band when he saw the Beatles on “The Ed Sullivan Show”. He became the lead singer of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and later co-founded the supergroup called the Traveling Wilburys.

51 Rendezvous : MEETUP

A rendezvous is a meeting. The noun used in English comes from the French phrase “rendez vous” meaning “present yourselves”.

55 You might take a lift to one : FLAT

“Flat”, in the sense of an apartment or condominium, is a word more commonly used in Britain and Ireland than on this side of the pond. The term “flat” is Scottish in origin, in which language it used to mean “floor in a house”.

56 Married mujeres: Abbr. : SRAS

“Mujeres” is a Spanish word meaning “women”.

57 All-in-one purchase from a smoke shop : VAPE KIT

An electronic cigarette (also called an “e-cigarette”) is a battery-powered device that resembles a real cigarette. The e-cigarette vaporizes a solution that contains nicotine, forming a vapor that resembles smoke. The vapor is inhaled in a process called “vaping”, delivering nicotine into the body. The assumption is that an e-cigarette is healthier than a regular cigarette as the inhaled vapor is less harmful than inhaled smoke. But, that may not be so …

65 Julie who played Catwoman on old TV : NEWMAR

Catwoman, the alter ego of Selina Kyle, is a supervillain who is usually depicted as an adversary of Batman in comics. In the sixties television show “Batman”, Catwoman was first portrayed by actress Julie Newmar, but then the more memorable Eartha Kitt took over, with the marvelously “feline voice”. On the big screen, Catwoman has been played by Lee Meriwether in “Batman” (1966), Michelle Pfeiffer in “Batman Returns” (1992), Halle Berry in “Catwoman” (2004) and Anne Hathaway in “The Dark Knight Rises” (2012).

71 Strong pan : SLAM

To pan something is to criticize it harshly.

80 Capital of Bangladesh : DHAKA

Dhaka (once “Dacca”) is the capital city of Bangladesh. Dhaka is known for many things, including production of the finest muslin in the world. It’s also the rickshaw capital of the world, with about 400,000 rickshaws running each day.

82 Mushroom in miso soup : ENOKI

Enokitake (also known as “enoki”) are long and thin white mushrooms often added to soups or salads.

86 Afterword : EPILOG

Our word “epilog” (also “epilogue”) applies to an addition at the end of a play or other literary work. The term ultimately comes from the Greek “epi-” signifying “in addition”, and “logos” meaning “speech”.

87 Nicolas who directed “The Man Who Fell to Earth” : ROEG

Nicolas Roeg is a film director from England with quite the pedigree when it comes to association with great movies. He contributed to 1962’s “Lawrence of Arabia”, and he himself directed noted films like “Walkabout” (1972), “Don’t Look Now” (1973) and “The Man Who Fell to Earth” (1976).

The 1976 British film “The Man Who Fell to Earth” is perhaps most famous for its star, David Bowie. The movie was directed by Nicolas Roeg, and is based on a 1963 novel of the same name written by Walter Tevis.

88 Lab where the Higgs boson particle was discovered : CERN

“CERN” is an acronym standing for “Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire” (European Council for Nuclear Research). CERN’s mission is to provide the largest particle physics lab in the world, and it does just that, having built several enormous particle accelerators. The CERN particle accelerator most in the news these days is the Large Hadron Collider located near Geneva.

90 “My Cousin Vinny” setting : ALABAMA

“My Cousin Vinny” is a really fun film from 1992 starring Joe Pesci and Marisa Tomei. In 2008, the American Bar Association rated “My Cousin Vinny” as the #3 greatest legal movie of all time, after “To Kill a Mockingbird” and “12 Angry Men”!

98 Who was famously hit over the head with inspiration? : NEWTON

Sir Isaac Newton was one of the most influential people in history, and the man who laid the groundwork for all of classical mechanics. The story about an apple falling on his head, inspiring him to formulate his theories about gravity, well that’s not quite true. Newton often told the story about observing an apple falling in his mother’s garden and how this made him acutely aware of the Earth’s gravitational pull. However, he made no mention of the apple hitting him on the head.

99 Tech release of 2006 : WII

Introduced in 2006, Nintendo’s Wii quickly became the biggest-selling game console in the world.

106 Small section of a pit : OBOES

That would be an orchestra pit.

107 Bowl-shaped cooking vessels : WOKS

“Wok” is a Cantonese word, and is the name for the frying pan now used in many Asian cuisines.

109 German state that includes Frankfurt : HESSE

Hesse is a German state. The capital of Hesse is Wiesbaden, although the largest city is Frankfurt.

117 Hemlock relative : FIR

For humans, eating just 6-8 fresh leaves from the poison hemlock plant can be fatal.

118 Old ___ (London theater) : VIC

The Old Vic is a very famous theater (or should I say “theatre”?) in London. It was previously known as the Royal Coburg Theatre and then the Royal Victorian Theatre (giving it the current name “The Old Vic”). The theater owes a lot of its fame and standing to the fact that it housed the National Theater of Great Britain after it was founded in 1963 by Sir Laurence Olivier. Today the National Theater has new, modern premises, but the Old Vic Theatre Company still garners a lot of attention.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Disseminated : SOWN
5 JPEG alternative : GIF
8 Quick-witted : NIMBLE
14 “Forbidden fruit is the sweetest,” e.g. : ADAGE
19 Kind of writing : CREATIVE
21 Hurting more : ACHIER
22 Mineral used as a flame retardant : BORAX
23 Aromatic herbal drink : ANISE TEA
24 Carmen McRae or Anita O’Day, notably : JAZZ VOCALIST (“jazz” apple)
26 Disorganized : RAGTAG
27 Sound in the Serengeti : ROAR
29 Tying words? : I DO
30 Horrible boss, say : OGRE
31 Neighbor of S. Sudan : ETH
32 Endpoint of a Shinto pilgrimage : MOUNT FUJI (“Fuji” apple)
36 What’s going up in Chicago? : EL TRAIN
38 And so forth : ETC
40 Munchkin : TOT
41 Spade with a short handle? : SAM
42 Morse morsel : DAH
43 You can have a blast with this : TNT
44 “Yes, indeedy!” : YOU BET!
47 ___ volente : DEO
49 Makes clearer, in a way : DEFOGS
51 1997 pop hit with a nonsensical refrain : MMMBOP
52 Fete : GALA AFFAIR (“gala” apple)
56 Anago, on a sushi menu : SEA EEL
57 In ___ fertilization : VIVO
58 With 59-Across, flag bearers, for short? : NFL
59 See 58-Across : REFS
62 Clap back : RETORT
63 Many moons : AGES
64 Chaired : RAN
66 Many, many, many moons : EONS
68 Subj. line heading : ATTN
69 Birthplace of five U.S. presidents, with “the” : EMPIRE STATE (“empire” apple)
73 German title : FRAU
74 Like discriminatory employers, often : SUED
75 Just roll with it! : DIE
76 See 88-Across : … SLIM
77 Eliminates, mob-style : WHACKS
79 Driving stick? : PROD
81 ___ out a victory : EKE
83 Pack (in) : TAMP
84 Fracases : MELEES
85 Start of some conventional wisdom : WHEN IN ROME … (“Rome” apple)
88 With 76-Across, Mexican business magnate who was once the world’s richest person : CARLOS …
89 Means of a quick recharge : CATNAP
92 “___ funny!” : TOO
93 Fab : TERRIF
94 Akin to : A LA
95 Rapper ___ Cudi or DJ ___ Loco : KID
97 Comprehension : KEN
99 Domain of Mars : WAR
100 Boise-to-Spokane dir. : NNW
102 Post-default event : TAX SALE
104 “Eureka!” : I GET IT NOW!
108 “That’s the spot” : AAH
110 Kinda : A BIT
111 Lunkhead : OAF
113 Court order : WRIT
114 Red accessory for cartoondom’s Huckleberry Hound : BOW TIE
116 Scientific contribution from 98-Down, discovered in a manner suggested by this puzzle’s theme : LAW OF GRAVITY
120 Crow’s-nests, e.g. : LOOKOUTS
122 One living in the rial world? : OMANI
123 Lingerie fabric : TRICOT
124 Blights : EYESORES
125 More mirthful : GAYER
126 Defiant refusal : HECK NO!
127 ___ Plaines, Ill. : DES
128 Start of a story, in journalese : LEDE

Down

1 Cause of a jolt : SCARE
2 Really busy, perhaps : ORNATE
3 It’s nothing to joke about : WEIGHTY MATTER
4 Artist known for his lampooning cartooning : NAST
5 Startin’ place : GIT-GO
6 “___ moved on” : I’VE
7 Calming words : FEAR NOT
8 Holy city near Baghdad : NAJAF
9 Hardly a lover of hot wings? : ICARUS
10 Radio frequency meas. : MHZ
11 Ad or show follower : -BIZ
12 ___ P. Morton, Benjamin Harrison’s vice president : LEVI
13 Lost deposits, as a bank? : ERODED
14 Attorney’s org. : ABA
15 Sorrow : DOLOR
16 Thank you, in Tokyo : ARIGATO
17 Stovetop device : GAS RING
18 Breadths : EXTENTS
20 Sled dogs, e.g. : TEAM
25 Word in some cocktail names : COLADA
28 Baseball’s “Master Melvin” : OTT
33 Westernmost sch. in Conference USA : UTEP
34 Actress ___ Pinkett Smith : JADA
35 “Er … umm …” : I MEAN …
37 Nonbinary possessive : THEIR
39 Game show invitation : COME ON DOWN
45 Modern lead-in to “X” : UBER-
46 Got out fast : BOLTED
48 Exit : OFF-RAMP
50 Tom Petty hit with the opening line “She’s a good girl, loves her mama” : FREE FALLIN’
51 Rendezvous : MEETUP
52 Nickname for Virginia : GIGI
53 Declare : AVER
54 Is beaten by : LOSES TO
55 You might take a lift to one : FLAT
56 Married mujeres: Abbr. : SRAS
57 All-in-one purchase from a smoke shop : VAPE KIT
60 Unforgettable, unstoppable sort : FORCE OF NATURE
61 They’re not to be trusted : SNAKES
65 Julie who played Catwoman on old TV : NEWMAR
67 Puzzle (out) : SUSS
70 Personal bearing : MIEN
71 Strong pan : SLAM
72 Hard thing to do? : TIME
78 German title : HERR
80 Capital of Bangladesh : DHAKA
82 Mushroom in miso soup : ENOKI
86 Afterword : EPILOG
87 Nicolas who directed “The Man Who Fell to Earth” : ROEG
88 Lab where the Higgs boson particle was discovered : CERN
89 Inventory : CATALOG
90 “My Cousin Vinny” setting : ALABAMA
91 Airport route : TAXIWAY
93 Squealed : TATTLED
96 Opposite of a glut : DEARTH
98 Who was famously hit over the head with inspiration? : NEWTON
99 Tech release of 2006 : WII
101 Didn’t act rashly, say : WAITED
103 Pit : STONE
105 Words before relax or remember : TRY TO …
106 Small section of a pit : OBOES
107 Bowl-shaped cooking vessels : WOKS
109 German state that includes Frankfurt : HESSE
112 Manage : FARE
115 What’s got ewe covered? : WOOL
117 Hemlock relative : FIR
118 Old ___ (London theater) : VIC
119 Gag line? : ICK!
121 Spanish “hey!” : OYE!