0823-20 NY Times Crossword 23 Aug 20, Sunday

Constructed by: Barbara Lin
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Theme: Musical Interlude

Themed answers are each common phrases into which a note in the solfa scale has been inserted. Those notes appear in order as we progress down the grid:

  • 23A Iditarod, for one? : AMAZING DOG RACE (“do” in “Amazing Grace”)
  • 31A One driving kids around in a Subaru? : FORESTER PARENT (“re” in “foster parent”)
  • 47A Letting out all the stops to drown out the other instruments? : ORGAN DOMINATION (“mi” in “organ donation”)
  • 62A Cocaine and guns, in a Pacino movie? : “SCARFACE” RESOURCES (“fa” in “scarce resources”)
  • 81A Troops who are worried about sun protection? : PARASOL MILITARY (“sol” in “paramilitary”)
  • 93A Give mom’s mom the stink eye? : GLARE AT GRANDMA (“la” in “great-grandma”)
  • 109A “Twelve Days of Christmas” musician who invites sympathy? : THE PITIED PIPER (“ti” in “The Pied Piper”)

Bill’s time: 20m 20s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Enjoy the sun : BASK

Our verb “to bask”, meaning “to expose one to pleasant warmth”, is derived from the gruesome, 14th-century term “basken”, meaning “to wallow in blood”. The contemporary usage apparently originated with Shakespeare, who employed “bask” with reference to sunshine in “As You Like It”.

10 One to whom you tell *everything* : BFF

In the world of IMs (instant messages), a BFF (best friend forever) is a VIP (very important person).

13 Hit show with the series finale “One for the Road” : CHEERS

The wonderful sitcom “Cheers” ran for eleven seasons on NBC, from 1982 to 1993. “Cheers” spawned an equally successful spin-off show called “Frasier”, which also ran for eleven seasons and often featured guest appearances of characters from the original “Cheers”. The Cheers bar was styled on the Bull & Finch Pub in Boston (in which I’ve had a pint of Guinness two!). The owner of the Bill & Finch cleverly agreed to the initial interior and exterior shots, charging only one dollar. Since then he has made millions from selling “Cheers” memorabilia, and also from increased trade.

19 Predator of the Pacific Northwest : ORCA

The taxonomic name for the killer whale is “Orcinus orca”. The use of the name “orca”, rather than “killer whale”, is becoming more and more common. The Latin word “Orcinus” means “belonging to Orcus”, with Orcus being the name for the Kingdom of the Dead.

20 ___-Grain (breakfast bar brand) : NUTRI

The Nutri-Grain brand of breakfast foods is made by Kellogg. The brand was actually introduced first in Australia in 1981.

21 Singer Carly ___ Jepsen : RAE

Carly Rae Jepsen is a singer/songwriter from Mission, British Columbia. Jepsen got her start on TV’s “Canadian Idol” when she placed third in the show’s fifth season.

23 Iditarod, for one? : AMAZING DOG RACE (“do” in “Amazing Grace”)

The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race covers an incredible 1,161 miles, from Anchorage to Nome in Alaska. The race starts every year on the first Saturday in March, with the first race having been held in 1973. Finishing times range from over 8 days to 15 days or more. The first few races only used a northern route, but then a southern route was added to the roster every second year. It’s kind of a good thing, because when the racers take the northern route they don’t even pass through the town of Iditarod!

“Amazing Grace” is a very, very famous hymn, with words written by John Newton in 1779. The words have been set to a number of different melodies, and what we are used to hearing today is music from a tune called “New Britain”.

Amazing Grace, How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now am found
T’was blind but now I see

27 Show stoppers? : REMOTES

The first television remote control was introduced by Zenith Radio Corporation, in 1950. That remote was hard-wired to the TV, and was marketed as “Lazy Bones”. Personally, my first “remote” was a broomstick that I used by pushing in large mechanical buttons that selected each of the three channels that were available back then on the east coast of Ireland …

29 Bronze that’s not winning any awards? : FAKE TAN

The most effective fake tans available today are not dyes or stains. Instead, they are sprays with the active ingredient dihydroxyacetone (DHA). DHA reacts chemically with amino acids in the dead layer of skin on the surface of the body. Sounds a little risky to me …

30 Station : DEPOT

Our term “depot”, meaning “station, warehouse”, comes from the French word “dépôt”. The French term translates into English as “deposit” or “place of deposit”.

31 One driving kids around in a Subaru? : FORESTER PARENT (“re” in “foster parent”)

Subaru is the automobile division of Fuji Heavy Industries, Japanese conglomerate. “Subaru” is the Japanese name for the Pleiades star cluster. As a result, the Subaru logo is also a cluster of stars.

33 B-side to the Beatles’ “Ticket to Ride” : YES IT IS

“Ticket to Ride” is a 1965 Beatles song credited, as usual, to the Lennon-McCartney partnership. Paul McCartney claimed publicly that he played a major role in its composition, and John Lennon disagreed. Lennon asserted that McCartney’s role was limited to “the way Ringo played the drums”. Harsh …

40 Longtime home for Terry Gross : NPR

National Public Radio (now just “NPR”) was launched in 1970 after President Johnson signed into law the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967. The intent of the act was to provide funding for radio and television broadcasting that wasn’t simply driven by profit. As a longtime fan of the state-funded BBC in the UK, I’d have to agree with the act’s intent …

“Fresh Air” is a marvelous radio talk show broadcast on NPR, and hosted by Terry Gross. The first broadcast of the program was made in 1975, with Judy Blank hosting. Terry Gross took over a few months later, and Gross has been presenting and producing the show ever since. I had the privilege of hearing Terry Gross give a talk here in my hometown some years ago. What a fascinating woman she is, full of great stories about her experiences interviewing so many interesting personalities.

41 Boasts : CROWS

The verb “to crow” meaning “to exult in triumph” is imitative of the sound made by a crow, perhaps as it settles over some dead animal that it has found …

47 Letting out all the stops to drown out the other instruments? : ORGAN DOMINATION (“mi” in “organ donation”)

“To pull out all the stops” is to make every possible effort. The phrase is a figurative reference to pipe organ stops, which are pulled out in order to increase musical volume.

55 It’s sometimes covered in velvet : ANTLER

The antlers on a deer come to points. The higher the number of points, the more prized the head of the deer as a trophy, so I am told …

56 William who wrote “Shrek!” : STEIG

Before “Shrek” was a successful movie franchise and Broadway musical, it was a children’s picture book called “Shrek!” that was authored and illustrated by William Steig. The title “Shrek!” came from the German/Yiddish word Schreck, meaning “fear” or “terror”.

61 Angsty genre : EMO

The emo musical genre originated in Washington, D.C. in the 80s, and takes its name from “emotional hardcore”. “Emo” is also the name given to the associated subculture. Not my cup of tea …

62 Cocaine and guns, in a Pacino movie? : “SCARFACE” RESOURCES (“fa” in “scarce resources”)

“Scarface” is a 1983 gangster movie starring Al Pacino as Tony Montana, a Cuban expatriate drug lord in Miami. The film was directed by Brian De Palma and written by Oliver Stone, and is a remake of the 1932 film of the same name.

67 What Consumer Reports lacks, unlike most other magazines : ADS

“Consumer Reports” is a monthly magazine that has been published by Consumers Union since 1936. Consumers Union was established as a non-profit organization with the mission to “test products, inform the public, and protect customers.”

69 Buzz Lightyear and Woody, e.g. : TOYS

1995’s “Toy Story” was the world’s first feature-length computer-animated movie. “Toy Story” was also the studio Pixar’s first production. The main roles in the film are Woody and Buzz Lightyear, who are voiced by Tom Hanks and Tim Allen respectively. Hanks was the first choice to voice Woody, but Allen was asked to voice Buzz after Billy Crystal turned down the role.

71 Whine connoisseurs? : CRABS

A connoisseur is an expert, or someone who appreciates something with discrimination. The term “connoisseur” is French in origin, and stems from the Latin “com” (with) and “gnoscere” (to recognize).

74 Party symbol since 1870 : DONKEY

Thomas Nast was an American caricaturist and cartoonist. Nast 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.

78 Jackson known as the “Queen of Gospel” : MAHALIA

Mahalia Jackson was an African-American gospel singer who was known as the first Queen of Gospel Music. She recorded many records, including 12 that went gold, i.e. sold more than a million copies each.

81 Troops who are worried about sun protection? : PARASOL MILITARY (“sol” in “paramilitary”)

A parasol is a light umbrella that is used as a sunshade. The term “parasol” ultimately comes from Latin “para-” meaning “defense against”, and “sol” meaning “sun”.

84 Like this clue : META

In recent decades the prefix “meta-” has been used as a standalone adjective. In this sense “meta” means “self-referential”, describing something that refers to itself. For example, “This sentence starts with the word ‘this’ and ends with the word ‘this’” might be called a meta sentence. A movie that is about the making of the very same movie could also be described as meta.

85 Basketball player, in old slang : CAGER

In the early days of basketball, when a ball went out of bounds possession was awarded to the player who first retrieved the ball. This led to mad scuffles off the court, often involving spectators. As the game became more organized, courts were routinely “caged”, largely because of this out of bounds rule, to limit interaction with the crowd. It’s because of these cages that basketball players are sometimes referred to today as “cagers”.

86 Brain wave chart, for short : EEG

An electroencephalogram (EEG) is a record of electrical activity caused by the firing of neurons within the brain. The EEG might be used to diagnose epilepsy, or perhaps to determine if a patient is “brain dead”.

87 Like most prime numbers : ODD

A prime number is a number greater than 1 that can only be divided evenly by 1 and itself. There are still some unanswered questions involving prime numbers, perhaps most notably Goldbach’s Conjecture. This conjecture dates back to the 1740s and is assumed to be true, but has never been proven. It states that every even integer greater than 2 can be expressed as the sum of two prime numbers.

89 New York’s iconic ___ Building : SEAGRAM

The Seagram Building in New York City was designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, and completed in 1958. The architect wanted the building to have a very uniform appearance, and even specified that window blinds couldn’t be left drawn in different positions. The original building blinds only operated in the open, closed or half-open positions.

93 Give mom’s mom the stink eye? : GLARE AT GRANDMA (“la” in “great-grandma”)

The phrase “stink eye”, meaning “dirty look”, dates back to the early 1970s. A suggestion is that the term comes from Hawaiian slang.

99 Decorative pillowcases : SHAMS

A sham is something that is imitation, fake. In the world of bed linens, a sham is also an imitation or fake, in the sense that it is a decorative cover designed to cover up a regular pillow used for sleeping.

105 Juuls and such : E-CIGS

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 …

109 “Twelve Days of Christmas” musician who invites sympathy? : THE PITIED PIPER (“ti” in “The Pied Piper”)

The fabulous Christmas carol called “The Twelve Days of Christmas” dates back at least to 1780 when it was first published in England, though it may be French in origin. The concept of twelve days of Christmas comes from the tradition that the three kings came to visit the Christ Child twelve days after he was born. This same tradition is the origin of the title to Shakespeare’s play “Twelfth Night”.

The legend of the Pied Piper of Hamelin dates back to medieval times. Recently there have been suggestions that the story is rooted in some truth, that the town of Hamelin did in fact lose many of its children, perhaps to plague. The suggestion is that the tale is an allegory. The use of the word “pied” implies that the piper dressed in multi-colored clothing. Our contemporary idiom “to pay the piper” means “to bear the cost of a poor decision”. It is a reference to townsfolk of Hamelin who refused to pay the Pied Piper for ridding the town of rats. They ultimately paid the cost when the piper lured their children away.

113 Land in the so-called “Roof of the World” : NEPAL

Nepal lies to the northeast of India. Today, the state is known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal. In 2008, the Communist Party of Nepal won the country’s general election. Soon after, the Assembly voted to change the form of government, moving away from a monarchy and creating a secular republic.

117 Morning ___ : GLORY

“Morning glory” is the familiar name for many species of flowering plants.

118 Where a sloth spends most of its life : TREE

All four of the extant species of three-toed sloths are native to South and Central America. Cousins of the three-toed sloths are the two-toed sloths, of which there are two species still living.

Down

1 Meals : BOARD

A board is a piece of sawn lumber that is significantly longer than it is wide. Centuries ago, the term “board” was extended to mean “table”, and later “meals served on a table”. That’s where we get our phrase “bed and board” meaning “food and a place to sleep”.

2 French Foreign Legion, par exemple : ARMEE

In French, a military unit might be a “légion” (legion) or an “armée” (army).

The French Foreign Legion is a military wing of the French Army that is noted for accepting foreign nationals into its ranks. The Legion is open to French recruits, but they only make up about a quarter of the fighting force. Having said that, the majority of the officers are French.

3 Scallywag : SCAMP

Back in the 16th or 17th centuries, the word “scamp” was used to describe a highway robber. The usage evolved to mean “rascal” in the early 1800s.

“Scallywag” is a term we use in Ireland to describe a rogue, usually one who is harmless, and it comes from the Irish word “sgaileog” meaning “farm servant”. The American use of “scalawag” as a rogue was originally borrowed as a nickname for southern white people who supported reconstruction after the Civil War.

4 Hummer’s instrument : KAZOO

The modern instrument we know today as the kazoo was invented by one Alabama Vest of Macon, Georgia in the 1800s. The kazoo first came to the public’s attention at the Georgia State Fair of 1852, when it was known as the “Down-South Submarine” (because of its shape, I would imagine).

5 Poet Carson : ANNE

Anne Carson is a poet and essayist from Toronto. Carson’s most famous work is her 1986 nonfiction book “Eros the Bittersweet”, which traces the concept of “eros” in poetry from ancient Greece to the present day.

7 Inc., in London : LTD

In Britain and Ireland, the most common type of business (my perception anyway) is one that has private shareholders whose liability is limited to the value of their investment. Such a company is known as a private limited company, and has the abbreviation “Ltd.” after the name. If the shares are publicly traded, then the company is a public limited company, and has the letters “plc” after the name.

8 Classic Isaac Asimov collection of short stories : I, ROBOT

Science fiction author Isaac Asimov wrote a marvelous collection of short stories called “I, Robot” that were first published together in 1950. In the stories, he makes repeated reference to the Three Laws of Robotics, which he introduced in the story “Runaround”, first published in 1942. The three laws are:

  1. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
  2. A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
  3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

Isaac Asimov was a wonderful science fiction writer, and a professor of biochemistry. He was a favorite author as I was growing up and I must admit that some hero worship on my part led me to study and work as a biochemist for a short while early in my career. My favorite of his works is the collection of short stories called “I, Robot”, although Asimov’s most famous work is probably his “Foundation” trilogy of novels. Asimov wrote three autobiographies, the last of which was called “I, Asimov”, which was published in 1994, two years after his death.

15 “Oklahoma!” aunt : ELLER

“Oklahoma!” was the first musical written by the great duo Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. The storyline comes from a 1931 stage play called “Green Grow the Lilacs”.

16 Excel function that uses a calendar : EDATE

Microsoft Excel is a spreadsheet program included in the Microsoft Office suite of applications. Microsoft’s first spreadsheet program was introduced back in 1982 and called Multiplan. Multiplan’s popularity waned due to the success of the competing product Lotus 1-2-3. Microsoft then introduced Excel, initially just for the Macintosh. When Excel was extended to Windows, Lotus was slow to respond and Microsoft took over the market.

17 Puerto ___ : RICAN

Puerto Rico (PR) is located in the northeastern Caribbean (in the Atlantic Ocean), east of the Dominican Republic. The name “Puerto Rico” is Spanish for “rich port”. The locals often call their island Borinquen, the Spanish form of “Boriken”, the original name used by the natives.

18 Medical tube : STENT

In the world of surgical medicine, a stent is an artificial tube inserted inside a vessel in the body, say an artery, in order to reduce the effects of a local restriction in the body’s conduit.

25 GPS suggestions: Abbr. : RTES

A global positioning system (GPS) might point out a route (rte.).

35 Big name in music streaming : SPOTIFY

Spotify is a popular music-streaming service that was launched in Sweden in 2008.

37 “Fiddlesticks!” : DRAT!

We’ve been using “fiddlesticks” to mean “nonsense” since the early 17th century. Prior to that time, “fiddlestick” referred to the bow of a fiddle.

41 Middle: Abbr. : CTR

Center (ctr.)

42 Where Simone Biles won four golds : RIO

Simone Biles holds the record for the most gold medals won by an American gymnast in a single Olympic Games. She achieved the feat at the 2016 games held in Rio.

45 Part of an agenda : ITEM

“Agenda” is a Latin word that translates as “things to be done”, coming from the verb “agere” meaning “to do”.

46 Infamous emperor : NERO

The Great Fire of Rome raged for five and a half days in 64 AD. Of the fourteen districts of Rome, three were completely destroyed and seven more suffered serious damage. The emperor at the time was Nero, although reports that he fiddled, played his lyre or sang while the city burned; those accounts are probably not true. In fact, Nero was staying outside of Rome when the fire started and rushed home upon hearing the news. He organized a massive relief effort, throwing open his own home to give shelter to many of the citizens who were left living on the street.

47 Tiebreakers, briefly : OTS

Overtime (OT)

49 Apple variety : IMAC

The iMac is a desktop computer platform that Apple introduced in 1998. One of the main features of the iMac is an “all-in-one” design, with the computer console and monitor integrated. The iMac also came in a range of colors that Apple marketed as “flavors”, such as strawberry, blueberry and lime.

51 Winters or Somers : ACTRESS

Shelley Winters was an actress from St. Louis, Missouri who won two Oscars: for “The Diary of Anne Frank” (1959) and “A Patch of Blue” (1965). Winters’ first Academy Award has been on display in the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam since the actress donated it to the museum.

Suzanne Somers is an actress whose big break came playing the ditzy Chrissy Snow on the sitcom “Three’s Company”. When contracts came up for renewal for the cast in the fifth season, the relationship between Somers and the producers soured rapidly. Somers went on a strike of sorts and for most of the fifth season made only token appearances in the show in scenes that were filmed without other members of the regular cast. The Chrissy Snow character was replaced in the sixth season.

52 Italian dumplings : GNOCCHI

Gnocchi are small dumplings in Italian cuisine that can be made from various ingredients including potato, my personal favorite. The name “gnocchi” might be derived from the Italian “nocchio” meaning “knot in wood”.

55 Busy time at the I.R.S.: Abbr. : APR

April 15th wasn’t always Tax Day in the US. The deadline for returns was March 1st from 1913-18, when it was moved to March 15th. Tax Day has been April 15th since 1955.

58 “One Mic” rapper : NAS

“One Mic” is a 2002 song recorded by rap singer Nas. Nas is a big fan of singer Phil Collins, and sampled the Collins song “In the Air Tonight” for “One Mic”.

59 Non-U.S. M.L.B. team, on sports tickers : TOR

The Toronto Blue Jays baseball franchise was founded in 1977. The Blue Jays are the only team based outside the US to have won a World Series, doing so in 1992 and 1993. And since the Montreal Expos relocated to Washington, the Blue Jays are the only Major League Baseball team now headquartered outside of the US.

60 More scrumptious : YUMMIER

Seba Smith was a humorist and writer from Maine whose most popular works featured his character Major Jack Downing, a man who used American vernacular in his humor. Smith is credited with coining the adjective “scrumptious” meaning very delectable, pleasing to the senses. “Scrumptious” is probably an alteration of “sumptuous”. Smith perhaps also coined the phrase “there is more than one way to skin a cat”, or was at least the first author to use the phrase in a publication.

63 Arundhati ___, winner of the 1997 Booker Prize : ROY

Arundhati Roy is an Indian author best-known for her novel “The God of Small Things” published in 1997.

66 Lyre player of myth : ERATO

In Greek mythology, Erato was the Muse of lyric poetry. She is often depicted with a wreath of myrtle and roses, and playing a lyre.

67 Michelangelo’s “The Creation of ___” : ADAM

“The Creation of Adam” is a fresco by Michelangelo that is part of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Rome. Famously, “The Creation of Adam” features Adam and God reaching towards each other, with hands very nearly touching.

68 Peacenik : DOVE

The dove is a symbol of peace, and the hawk is a symbol of war.

75 Sorento or Sedona : KIA

The Sorento is an SUV made by Kia since 2002. I’ve always assumed that the car is named for the Italian city, although the spelling is different (“Sorrento”).

The Kia Sedona is a minivan that is also sold as the Kia Carnival.

76 G.I. fare : MRE

The Meal, Ready-to-Eat (MRE) comes in a lightweight package that’s easy to tote around. The MRE replaced the more cumbersome Meal, Combat, Individual (MCI) in 1981, a meal-in-a-can. In turn, the MCI had replaced the C-ration in 1958, a less sophisticated meal-in-a-can with a more limited choice.

77 Former Mideast grp. : UAR

The United Arab Republic (UAR) was a union between Egypt and Syria established in 1958. The UAR dissolved in 1961 when Syria pulled out of the arrangement.

79 It helps turn a pond green : ALGA

Algae are similar to terrestrial plants in that they use photosynthesis to create sugars from light and carbon dioxide, but they differ in that they have simpler anatomies, and for example lack roots.

82 On tenterhooks, maybe : AGOG

The literal meaning of “tenterhooks” is “hooks that hold cloth in place on a tenter”. A tenter is a frame over which cloth is stretched in the process of manufacture so that it may dry evenly.

83 The “M” of MHz : MEGA-

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.

85 Bar freebie : COASTER

A coaster is a small mat or plate that goes under a glass or cup. Back in the late 1800s, the original coaster was a small drink-stand that sat on a table. As the drink-stand “coasted” around from guest-to-guest, it earned the name “coaster”.

88 The A.P.’s Female Athlete of the Decade for the 2010s, familiarly : SERENA

Serena Williams is the younger of the two Williams sisters playing professional tennis. Serena has won more prize money in her career than any other female athlete.

91 Dutch brewery : AMSTEL

Amstel is a Dutch beer and brewery that was founded in 1870 in Amsterdam. The brewery takes its name from the Amstel river that runs through the city.

92 Car sticker fig. : MSRP

Manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP)

94 Slowly, in music : LENTO

A lento passage is a piece of music that has a slow tempo. “Lento” is Italian for “slow”.

95 Correct : AMEND

The verb “to amend” means “to change for the better, put right, alter by adding”. The related verb “to emend” is used more rarely, and mainly in reference to the editing of professional writing. Both terms are derived from the Latin “emendare” meaning “to remove fault”.

96 Perez of “Do the Right Thing” : ROSIE

Rosie Perez is an American actress born in New York City of Puerto Rican descent. As well as pursuing her acting career, Perez is an activist promoting Puerto Rican rights, and was arrested in 2000 at a rally to protest US Navy weapons-training off the coast of Puerto Rico.

“Do the Right Thing” is a Spike Lee movie that was released in 1989. Much of the action in the film is centered on a local pizzeria called “Sal’s” owned by Italian-American Salvatore Frangione (played by Danny Aiello).

98 Mouth-puckering : ACERB

“Acerb” is a variant of “acerbic”, with both terms meaning “sour, bitter-tasting, acidic”.

100 Focus of “Ocean’s Eleven” : HEIST

“Ocean’s 11” is a great film from 1960, starring Frank Sinatra as Danny Ocean. The original storyline is updated for the excellent 2001 remake, with George Clooney playing the lead. In the 1960 movie, the love interest is a character called Beatrice Ocean, played by Angie Dickinson. In the 2001 version, the love interest gets a new name, Tess Ocean, and is played by Julia Roberts. The 2001 remake (titled “Ocean’s Eleven”, note the spelling) spawned two sequels: “Ocean’s Twelve” in 2004 and “Ocean’s Thirteen” in 2007.

101 How some bonds are sold : AT PAR

Stocks and other financial vehicles may be sold “at par”, meaning at the original price, neither discounted nor at a premium.

102 Irish novelist ___ Binchy : MAEVE

Maeve Binchy was a fabulous Irish novelist, and in my day a famous newspaper columnist whose column I would read daily. A few of her novels have made it to the big screen, including two I would recommend: “Circle of Friends” starring Chris O’Donnell and Minnie Driver, and “Tara Road” starring Andie MacDowell.

103 Bender : SPREE

The terms “jag” and “bender” describe periods of unrestrained activity, particularly those involving alcohol. Both words have been in use since the 1800s.

110 Big step for a start-up, in brief : IPO

An initial public offering (IPO) is the very first offer of stock for sale by a company on the open market. In other words, an IPO marks the first time that a company is traded on a public exchange. Companies have an IPO to raise capital to expand (usually).

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Enjoy the sun : BASK
5 Completely committed : ALL IN
10 One to whom you tell *everything* : BFF
13 Hit show with the series finale “One for the Road” : CHEERS
19 Predator of the Pacific Northwest : ORCA
20 ___-Grain (breakfast bar brand) : NUTRI
21 Singer Carly ___ Jepsen : RAE
22 “Give me a minute” : HOLD IT
23 Iditarod, for one? : AMAZING DOG RACE (“do” in “Amazing Grace”)
26 Intertwine : ENLACE
27 Show stoppers? : REMOTES
28 German “please” : BITTE
29 Bronze that’s not winning any awards? : FAKE TAN
30 Station : DEPOT
31 One driving kids around in a Subaru? : FORESTER PARENT (“re” in “foster parent”)
33 B-side to the Beatles’ “Ticket to Ride” : YES IT IS
36 Ginger, e.g. : ROOT
37 Turn down : DIM
40 Longtime home for Terry Gross : NPR
41 Boasts : CROWS
43 In the same family : AKIN
47 Letting out all the stops to drown out the other instruments? : ORGAN DOMINATION (“mi” in “organ donation”)
52 Set on edge : GRATE
53 Having the least give : TAUTEST
54 Large in scope : MACRO
55 It’s sometimes covered in velvet : ANTLER
56 William who wrote “Shrek!” : STEIG
57 Not on point : INAPT
59 Slip of the fingers : TYPO
61 Angsty genre : EMO
62 Cocaine and guns, in a Pacino movie? : “SCARFACE” RESOURCES (“fa” in “scarce resources”)
67 What Consumer Reports lacks, unlike most other magazines : ADS
69 Buzz Lightyear and Woody, e.g. : TOYS
70 Massive, in poetry : ENORM
71 Whine connoisseurs? : CRABS
74 Party symbol since 1870 : DONKEY
76 “Is that really necessary?” : MUST I?
78 Jackson known as the “Queen of Gospel” : MAHALIA
80 Sidestep : AVOID
81 Troops who are worried about sun protection? : PARASOL MILITARY (“sol” in “paramilitary”)
84 Like this clue : META
85 Basketball player, in old slang : CAGER
86 Brain wave chart, for short : EEG
87 Like most prime numbers : ODD
88 All right : SO-SO
89 New York’s iconic ___ Building : SEAGRAM
93 Give mom’s mom the stink eye? : GLARE AT GRANDMA (“la” in “great-grandma”)
99 Decorative pillowcases : SHAMS
104 Sorry state : REMORSE
105 Juuls and such : E-CIGS
106 Bug : WIRETAP
108 Quick tennis match : ONE SET
109 “Twelve Days of Christmas” musician who invites sympathy? : THE PITIED PIPER (“ti” in “The Pied Piper”)
111 When 13-Across aired for most of its run : AT NINE
112 Stick in a boat : OAR
113 Land in the so-called “Roof of the World” : NEPAL
114 Take into account? : SAVE
115 Affectionate refusal : NO, DEAR
116 Fade away : EBB
117 Morning ___ : GLORY
118 Where a sloth spends most of its life : TREE

Down

1 Meals : BOARD
2 French Foreign Legion, par exemple : ARMEE
3 Scallywag : SCAMP
4 Hummer’s instrument : KAZOO
5 Poet Carson : ANNE
6 Totes : LUGS
7 Inc., in London : LTD
8 Classic Isaac Asimov collection of short stories : I, ROBOT
9 Ball of vinegared rice topped with raw fish : NIGIRI
10 Angels’ opposites : BRATS
11 Side of a diamond : FACET
12 Charge : FEE
13 Penny pinchers : CHEAPOS
14 Express displeasure with on the road : HONK AT
15 “Oklahoma!” aunt : ELLER
16 Excel function that uses a calendar : EDATE
17 Puerto ___ : RICAN
18 Medical tube : STENT
24 Teeny : ITTY
25 GPS suggestions: Abbr. : RTES
29 What a left parenthesis suggests in an emoticon : FROWN
31 Resolute : FIRM
32 Suffix with switch : -EROO
34 Wraps up : ENDS
35 Big name in music streaming : SPOTIFY
37 “Fiddlesticks!” : DRAT!
38 “So much for that” : I GUESS NOT
39 Suffix with auto- : -MATIC
41 Middle: Abbr. : CTR
42 Where Simone Biles won four golds : RIO
43 Creative class : ART
44 Crunchy, green side dish : KALE SALAD
45 Part of an agenda : ITEM
46 Infamous emperor : NERO
47 Tiebreakers, briefly : OTS
48 Canceled out : NEGATED
49 Apple variety : IMAC
50 A collar might hide it : NAPE
51 Winters or Somers : ACTRESS
52 Italian dumplings : GNOCCHI
55 Busy time at the I.R.S.: Abbr. : APR
58 “One Mic” rapper : NAS
59 Non-U.S. M.L.B. team, on sports tickers : TOR
60 More scrumptious : YUMMIER
63 Arundhati ___, winner of the 1997 Booker Prize : ROY
64 Inner: Prefix : -ENTO
65 What orchids may grow without : SOIL
66 Lyre player of myth : ERATO
67 Michelangelo’s “The Creation of ___” : ADAM
68 Peacenik : DOVE
72 What might come down to the wire? : BIRD
73 Opinion : SAY
75 Sorento or Sedona : KIA
76 G.I. fare : MRE
77 Former Mideast grp. : UAR
79 It helps turn a pond green : ALGA
81 Word processing command : PASTE
82 On tenterhooks, maybe : AGOG
83 The “M” of MHz : MEGA-
85 Bar freebie : COASTER
88 The A.P.’s Female Athlete of the Decade for the 2010s, familiarly : SERENA
89 Trim : SNIP
90 Trim : EDGING
91 Dutch brewery : AMSTEL
92 Car sticker fig. : MSRP
93 [Not again!] : [GROAN!]
94 Slowly, in music : LENTO
95 Correct : AMEND
96 Perez of “Do the Right Thing” : ROSIE
97 Nurse back to health : REHAB
98 Mouth-puckering : ACERB
100 Focus of “Ocean’s Eleven” : HEIST
101 How some bonds are sold : AT PAR
102 Irish novelist ___ Binchy : MAEVE
103 Bender : SPREE
106 Gradual deterioration : WEAR
107 Without much thought : IDLY
109 ___ hook (rock climbing technique) : TOE
110 Big step for a start-up, in brief : IPO