0706-25 NY Times Crossword 6 Jul 25, Sunday

Constructed by: Zhou Zhang & Kevin Curry
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Theme: Escape Room

Themed answers are clues that point literally to specific letters in the grid. Those letters give us a four-letter key that we insert into the “padlock” at the center of the grid. Fun …

  • 42D Person everyone’s talking about … or what you’ll be after unlocking the lock and completing this puzzle? : BREAKOUT STAR
  • 39D Final stop … or a hint to finding the first key letter in this puzzle : END OF THE ROAD
  • 113A Famed street in Beverly Hills : RODEO DRIVE (“E” at the end of “DRIVE”)
  • 109A Kids’ ball game played on a court… or a hint to finding the second key letter in this puzzle : FOUR SQUARE
  • 4D Spot markers : XES (“X” is in the 4-square)
  • 93A “The Little Mermaid” hit … or a phonetic hint to finding the third key letter in this puzzle : UNDER THE SEA
  • 12D Onetime wealthiest family in Europe : MEDICI (“I” is under the only letter C in the grid)
  • 31A Is completely oblivious … or a hint to finding the fourth key letter in this puzzle : DOESN’T HAVE A CLUE
  • 76A – : TEE (“T” is the only answer without a clue)
  • 69D [Insert key here] : E-X-I-T

Bill’s time: 20m 39s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1A Philosopher who wrote “The bureaucracy is a circle from which no one can escape” : MARX

Karl Marx was a German philosopher and revolutionary who helped develop the principles of modern communism and socialism. Marx argued that feudal society created internal strife due to class inequalities which led to its destruction and replacement by capitalism. He further argued that the inequalities created in a capitalist society create tensions that will also lead to its self-destruction. His thesis was that the inevitable replacement of capitalism was a classless (and stateless) society, which he called pure communism.

13A Sphinx site : GIZA

The Great Sphinx of Giza is a huge limestone statue of a mythical creature with the body of a lion and the head of a human. It is the largest monolithic statue in the world. Famously, the Great Sphinx is missing its nose and beard.

18A Cranked up to 11, say : LOUD

The idioms “these go to eleven” (sometimes “up to eleven”) come from the 1984 movie “This is Spinal Tap”. In the film, the band’s guitarist is proud of his amplifier that can attain a volume of “eleven” as opposed to the standard “ten”. And so, we can say “turning it up to eleven” when we are taking something to the extreme.

20A Manga’s film counterpart : ANIME

Anime drawings are known for their distinct style, which often features large eyes, colorful hair, and exaggerated expressions.

The Japanese word “manga” means “whimsical pictures” and is an apt term to describe the Japanese style of comic book. Manga publications are more diverse than American comic books and have a larger audience. They cover many subjects including romance, sports, business, horror, and mystery.

22A Its freedom is granted in the First Amendment : PRESS

The Constitution of the United States was adopted on September 17, 1787. There have been 27 amendments to the constitution, the first ten of which are collectively called the Bill of Rights. In essence the Bill of Rights limits the power of the Federal Government and protects the rights of individuals. For example, the First Amendment states:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

25A Predator with a big mouth, informally : GATOR

There are two species of alligator in the world today: the Chinese alligator that is native to China, and the American alligator that is native to the southwest US. The term “alligator” likely comes from the Spanish “el lagarto” meaning “the lizard”. The Spanish used the name “el lagarto” for the American alligator when they were settling what is now Florida.

28A Princess portrayed by Carrie Fisher : LEIA

The full name of the character played by Carrie Fisher in the “Star Wars” series of films is Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan, and later Leia Organa Solo. Leia is the twin sister of Luke Skywalker, and the daughter of Anakin Skywalker (aka “Darth Vader”) and Padmé Amidala. Leia is raised by her adoptive parents Bail and Breha Organa. She eventually marries Han Solo.

45A Moolah : DINERO

“Dinero” is a Spanish word meaning “money”, as well as a slang term for money here in the US.

46A Lover of Shakespeare : ROMEO

William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” is all about the love between the two title characters, which is forbidden as the pair come from two families who are sworn enemies. Early in the play, Romeo (a Montague) sneaks into a masquerade ball being held by the Capulets in the hope of meeting a Capulet girl named Rosaline. Instead, he meets and falls for Juliet, also a Capulet. Tragedy ensues …

47A Bruce Wayne’s butler : ALFRED

Alfred J. Pennyworth is the loyal butler to Bruce Wayne, aka Batman. Alfred is sometimes referred to as “Batman’s batman”. Sir Michael Caine played Alfred in three movies: “Batman Begins”, “The Dark Knight” and “The Dark Knight Rises”.

48A Subj. of arms talks : WMD

The first recorded use of the term “Weapon of Mass Destruction” (WMD) was in 1937. The words were used by Cosmo Gordon Lang, the Archbishop of Canterbury at the time, in reference to the bombardment of Guernica in Spain during the Spanish Civil War by the German Luftwaffe. He said, “Who can think without horror of what another widespread war would mean, waged as it would be with all the new weapons of mass destruction?”

49A Mario’s dinosaur sidekick : YOSHI

Yoshi is a dinosaur-like character in some Nintendo video games. Yoshi first appeared as a sidekick to Mario and Luigi in the 1991 game called “Super Mario World”.

55A Fruit picker of old : EVE

In the Christian tradition, the “fall of man” took place in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve succumbed to the temptation of eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. This went against the bidding of God, and was at the urging of the serpent. As a result, Adam and Eve were banished from Eden to prevent them from becoming immortal by eating from the tree of life. The first humans had transitioned from a state of innocent obedience to a state of guilty disobedience.

59A ___ particle : TAU

Neutrinos are small subatomic particles that do not carry an electric charge. The term “neutrino” is Italian for “small neutral one”, and was coined by physicist Enrico Fermi in 1932. There are three types of neutrino: electron neutrinos, muon neutrinos and tau neutrinos.

60A Word with bullet or toilet : … TRAIN

The Shinkansen is the network of high-speed train lines in Japan. The term “shinkansen” translates as “new main line”. In English, we started to refer to the whole project as “bullet train” back in 1939, when it was only in its planning stages. The first Shinkansen went into service in 1964, just a few weeks before the first Tokyo Olympics.

62A Tennis’s Nadal, to fans : RAFA

Rafael “Rafa” Nadal is a Spanish tennis player. He is noted for his expertise on clay courts, which earned him the nickname “The King of Clay”.

63A Japanese honorific : SAN

The Japanese honorific “-san” is added to the end of names as a title of respect, and can be translated as “Mr.” or “Ms.” The usage is wider than it is in English, though. Sometimes “-san” is added to the name of a company, for example.

64A Deg. with courses on accounting and management : MBA

The world’s first Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree was offered by Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration, in 1908.

70A Liberty Mutual’s bird mascot : EMU

Liberty Mutual is an insurance company based in Boston. The business was founded in 1912 as the Massachusetts Employees Insurance Association (MEIA). Liberty Mutual has a famous advertising icon named LiMu Emu.

72A Trickster of Greek myth : HERMES

Hermes was the Greek god of transitions and boundaries, one who intercedes between mortals and the divine. The Roman equivalent to Hermes was the god Mercury.

74A Closest world capital to Miami : NASSAU

Nassau is the capital of the Bahamas, and used to be called Charles Town. Located on the island of New Providence, the original settlement was burnt to the ground by the Spanish in 1684. It was rebuilt and named Nassau in honor of King William III of England (“William of Orange”), a Dutchman from the House of Orange-Nassau. Nassau is a favored location for the James Bond series of movies. The city and surroundings feature in “Thunderball”, “Never Say Never Again”, “Casino Royale” and “For Your Eyes Only”. Bond portrayer Sean Connery lived for many years at Lyford Cay, which is just a 30-min drive from the center of Nassau.

79A Museo display : ARTE

In Spanish, one sees works of “arte” (art) in “un museo” (a museum).

80A ___ Mahal : TAJ

The Taj Mahal in Agra, India is a magnificent marble mausoleum. It was built in the mid-17th century by the fifth Mughal emperor Shah Jahan to house the tomb of his favorite wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died while giving birth to her 14th child in 1631. When Shah Jahan himself died in 1666, he was buried in the Taj Mahal, alongside his wife.

83A Bobby of the Boston Bruins : ORR

In the 1970 Stanley Cup final, Bobby Orr scored the winning goal, giving the Boston Bruins a victory over the St. Louis Blues. Orr was so excited that he leapt into the air towards his teammates, sliding into their embrace as he landed on the ice. A photographer caught Orr in full horizontal flight, resulting in one of the most famous sports photographs of all time.

84A ___ mater : ALMA

The literal translation for the Latin term “alma mater” is “nourishing mother”. The phrase was used in ancient Rome to refer to mother goddesses, and in Medieval Christianity the term was used to refer to the Virgin Mary. Nowadays, one’s alma mater is the school one attended, either high school or college, usually one’s last place of education.

87A Philosopher’s “way” : TAO

The name of the Chinese character “tao” translates as “path”, but the concept of Taoism signifies the true nature of the world.

88A Personal appearance : MIEN

One’s mien is one’s bearing or manner. “Mien” shares the same etymological root as our word “demeanor”.

89A Children’s author Blyton : ENID

Enid Blyton wrote stories for children that were very popular when I was growing up in Britain and Ireland. Some time back, I purchased and reread my favorite of her stories growing up, a children’s novel called “The Secret Island”. Now as an adult, it’s very obvious to me that Blyton’s writings were out of step with attitudes in post-WWII Britain, when she was most prolific as an author. Accusations ring true with me, that her writings exhibited sexism, xenophobia and racism …

90A M&M color replaced by blue in 1995 : TAN

Forrest Mars, Sr. was the founder of the Mars Company. Forrest invented the Mars Bar while living over in England and then developed M&M’s when he returned to the US. Mars came up with the idea for M&M’s when he saw soldiers in the Spanish Civil War eating chocolate pellets. Those pellets had a hard shell of tempered chocolate on the outside to prevent them from melting. Mars got some of the funding to develop the M&M from William Murrie, the son of the president of Hershey’s Chocolate. It is the “M” and “M” from “Mars” and “Murrie” that give the name to the candy.

93A “The Little Mermaid” hit … or a phonetic hint to finding the third key letter in this puzzle : UNDER THE SEA

“Under the Sea” is an Oscar-winning song from the 1989 Disney animated film “The Little Mermaid”. It is performed by the crab character named Sebastian.

99A Fir coat? : BARK

Firs are evergreen coniferous trees, with several species being popular as Christmas trees. The most commonly used species during the holidays are the Nordmann fir, noble fir, Fraser fir and balsam fir. We also see a lot of Douglas fir trees at Christmas, but they’re not actually true firs.

102A Element in strobe lights : XENON

The element xenon was the first of the noble gases to be made into a compound, which was somewhat remarkable in that the noble gases were thought by many to be completely inert, unreactive.

A strobe light is a device that produces regular flashes, like the light on top of a police car. The term derives from the Greek “strobos” meaning “twisting, whirling”.

104A Cone’s partner : ROD

The retina is the tissue that lines the inside of the eye, and is the tissue that is light-sensitive. There are (mainly) two types of cells in the retina that are sensitive to light, namely rods and cones. Rods are cells that best function in very dim light and only provide black-and-white vision. Cones on the other hand function in brighter light and can perceive color.

113A Famed street in Beverly Hills : RODEO DRIVE

There’s a three-block stretch of Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, California that is known for expensive shopping, mainly in designer clothes stores. The surrounding business district is known as the Beverly Hills “Golden Triangle”, which extends from Wilshire to Santa Monica Boulevards. The triangle is a mecca for shoppers and tourists.

121A Odd pair? : DEES

There is a pair of letters D (dees) in the word “odd”.

Down

3D “Midnight’s Children” author, 1981 : RUSHDIE

“Midnight’s Children” is a 1981 novel by Salman Rushdie that explores India’s transition from colonial rule by the British to independence. It won the “Booker of Bookers” prize in 1993, and the “Best of the Booker” in 2008.

Salman Rushdie is a famous British novelist, born in India. His most celebrated novel is “The Satanic Verses”, published in 1988, a Booker Prize finalist. However, the book attracted unfavorable attention from many in the Muslim faith who labelled it as blasphemy. Such was the outrage that a fatwā was issued in 1989 by Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini calling for the faithful to kill Rushdie. He remains under police protection provided by the UK government and has not been harmed, although others associated with the book have been injured and even killed.

5D Only major Texas city not in the Central time zone : EL PASO

El Paso is the most westerly county in Texas. It is one of only two Texas counties in the Mountain Time Zone (along with neighboring Hudspeth County).

6D Substance that’s used by cellists and gymnasts : ROSIN

Rosin is a solid form of resin derived from plant sources. Rosin is formed into cakes that players of stringed instruments use to rub along the hairs of their bows to help improve sound quality. The rosin increases the degree of friction between the strings and the bow. That same friction-increasing property comes into play when baseball pitchers use rosin to get a better grip on the ball, or when dancers apply rosin to the soles of their shoes.

9D Beach bottle inits. : SPF

Sun protection factor (SPF)

11D Breathing problem at night : APNEA

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

12D Onetime wealthiest family in Europe : MEDICI

The House of Medici was a dynasty from the Italian Republic of Florence. The Medici family went into the world of finance and built the largest bank in Europe in the 15th century. Significantly, the Medicis produced four Popes around this time, and then the family moved from the status of common citizens to become hereditary Dukes of Florence. By the middle of the 18th century the family ruled the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, but ended up fiscally bankrupt.

15D Rigatoni relative : ZITI

Cylindrical pasta is known in general as “penne”, and there are many variants. For example, ziti is a particularly large and long tube with square-cut ends. “Penne” is the plural of “penna”, the Italian for “feather, quill”.

Rigatoni is a tubular pasta that is relatively short, and with ridges along its length. The name “rigatoni” comes from the Italian “rigato” meaning “ridged, lined”.

16D Cupid’s domain : AMOR

Cupid was the god of love in Roman mythology. Cupid’s name comes from the Latin verb “cupere” meaning “to desire”. Cupid’s Latin name was “Amor”, and his Greek counterpart was Eros.

27D Famous movement (and hashtag) of the late 2010s : METOO

The use of the #MeToo hashtag was encouraged initially by actress Alyssa Milano in 2017 to draw attention to sexual assault and sexual harassment. Milano was acting in response to the growing number of allegations against film producer Harvey Weinstein. The use of the phrase “Me Too” in the context of sexual misconduct dates back to 2006. Social activist Tarana Burke started to use the phrase on the Myspace social network after a 13-year-old girl told her that she had been sexually assaulted. Apparently, Burke had no response at the time the girl confided in her, but later wished she had responded, “Me too”.

29D Unwanted growth in fish tanks : ALGAE

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.

34D Put a PIN in it : ATM

One enters a Personal Identification Number (PIN) when using an Automated Teller Machine (ATM). Given that the N in PIN stands for “number”, then “PIN number” is a redundant phrase. And, given that the M in ATM stands for “machine”, then “ATM machine” is a redundant phrase as well. Grr …!

35D Flock formation : VEE

Apparently, birds that fly in a V-formation do so for a couple of reasons. One is that it makes for efficient flight and conserves energy. The leading bird gets no advantage, but every following bird gets to “slipstream” a little. It has been noted that the lead bird drops to the back of the formation when he/she gets fatigued. It’s also thought that the flock can stick together more easily when in formation, so it is more difficult to lose someone along the way.

37D Battle between Verizon and AT&T, e.g. : AD WAR

The telecommunications company that we know today as Verizon was founded in 1983 as Bell Atlantic, and was one of the “Baby Bells” that were formed after the breakup of AT&T. Bell Atlantic merged with fellow Baby Bell NYNEX in 1997, and then merged with GTE in 2000 to form Verizon. The new company name is a portmanteau of “veritas” (“truth” in Latin) and “horizon”.

The American Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T, Ma Bell) was a subsidiary of the original Bell Telephone Company that was founded by Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone. AT&T was forced to divest several subsidiaries in 1982 when the company lost an antitrust lawsuit. Those subsidiaries were known as Regional Bell Operating Systems, or “Baby Bells”.

51D Breaking maneuver : HANDSTAND

Breakdancing was introduced as a competitive sport in the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires. It was introduced into the Olympic Games in Paris in 2024.

53D Tattle : NAME NAMES

Something described as tattletale is revealing, it gives away a secret. The term is a combination of “tattle” and “tale”, and is probably patterned on the similar word “telltale”. “To tattle” means “to tell secrets”, and the noun “tattletale” applies to someone who tells secrets and informs.

57D Place for a pew : NAVE

A pew is a church bench, usually one with a high back. The original pews were raised and sometimes enclosed seats in the church used by women and important men or families. “Pew” comes from the Old French “puie” meaning “balcony, elevation”.

61D Country music star with 24 #1 singles and an eponymous sitcom : REBA

Reba McEntire is a country music singer and television actress. McEntire starred in her own sitcom “Reba” that aired on the WB and the CW cable channels from 2001 to 2007. She is sometimes referred to as “The Queen of Country”.

63D Star of Marvel’s first film with an Asian-led cast : SIMU LIU

Simu Liu is a Chinese-born Canadian actor. One of his more famous roles was the title character in the Marvel Comics 2021 superhero movie “Shang-Chi and the legend of the Ten Rings”.

65D Where “the hills are alive” in song : AUSTRIA

Baron Georg Johannes von Trapp was an officer in the Austro-Hungarian Navy who achieved worldwide fame when his family became the inspiration for the musical “The Sound of Musical”.

75D Bit of chia or hemp : SEED

Chia is a flowering plant in the mint family. Chia seeds are an excellent food source and are often added to breakfast cereals and energy bars. There is also the famous Chia Pet, an invention of a San Francisco company. Chia Pets are terra-cotta figurines to which moistened chia seeds are applied. The seeds sprout and the seedlings become the “fur” of the Chia Pet.

Hemp, also known as “cannabis”, is a hardy, fast-growing plant that has many uses mainly due to the strength of the fibers in the plant’s stalks. Hemp is used to make rope, paper and textiles. The term “hemp” is sometimes reserved for varieties of the plant grown for non-drug use.

95D Painter Magritte : RENE

Belgian artist René Magritte was a surrealist. His most recognized work may be “The Son of Man”, a painting he created as a self-portrait. It is the work that shows a man in a bowler hat with his face covered by an apple. The image features prominently in a great movie, the 1999 remake of “The Thomas Crown Affair”.

96D Big boomer, for short : TNT

“TNT” is an abbreviation for “trinitrotoluene”. It 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.

101D Ritzy : POSH

No one really knows the etymology of the word “posh”. The popular myth that “posh” is actually an acronym standing for “port out, starboard home” is completely untrue, and is a story that can actually be traced back to the 1968 movie “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang”. The myth is that wealthy British passengers traveling to and from India would book cabins on the port side for the outward journey and the starboard side for the home journey. This trick was supposedly designed to keep their cabins out of the direct sunlight.

105D Gave a red card, informally : DQ’ED

“DQ” is short for “disqualify”.

A series of colored penalty cards is used by referees and umpires in several sports, most notably in soccer. The cards were first used in the 1970 FIFA World Cup in Mexico, after language difficulties created confusion during the prior competition in 1966. The main cards used are a yellow card indicating a caution, and a red card indicating expulsion from the game.

107D Actress Falco of “The Sopranos” : EDIE

Actress Edie Falco won three Emmy Awards for playing Carmela Soprano on HBO’s outstanding drama series called “The Sopranos”. Falco also won an Emmy in 2010 for playing the title role in “Nurse Jackie”, an excellent black comedy.

108D Sousaphone, e.g. : HORN

The sousaphone is a kind of tuba that was specifically designed to send the sound upward and over the rest of the orchestra, with a warm tone, achieved with a large bell that pointed upwards. The instrument was developed at the request of the composer John Philip Sousa, hence the name. The design proved to be more suitable than its predecessors for use in marching bands, and that is how it is used most frequently today.

109D State for snowbirds: Abbr. : FLA

Snowbirds are people from Canada and the northern US who head south for the winter, to places like Florida and California.

110D Alley ___ : OOP

“Alley Oop” is a comic strip that ran for four decades starting in 1932. “Alley Oop” was drawn by V. T. Hamlin. The title character lived in the prehistoric kingdom of Moo, although for much of the strip’s life, Alley Oop had access to a time machine. Alley Oop also had a girlfriend called Ooola. I had assumed that Ooola’s name was a play on “hula hoop”, but that little toy wasn’t invented until the 1950s (a kind blog reader informs me) …

112D Home of the world’s tallest bldg. : UAE

Burj Khalifa is a spectacular skyscraper in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). It is the tallest man-made structure in the world, and has been so since the completion of its exterior in 2009. The space in the building came onto the market at a really bad time, during the global financial crisis. The building was part of a US$20 billion development of downtown Dubai that was backed by the city government which had to go looking for a bailout from the neighboring city of Abu Dhabi. The tower was given the name Burj Khalifa at the last minute, apparently as a nod to UAE President Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan who helped to broker the bailout.

114D Org. concerned with ozone depletion : EPA

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was set up during the Nixon administration and began operation at the end of 1970.

Ozone gets its name from the Greek word “ozein” meaning “to smell”. It was given this name as ozone’s formation during lightning storms was detected by the gas’s distinctive smell. Famously, there is a relatively high concentration of the gas in the “ozone layer” in the Earth’s stratosphere. This ozone layer provides a vital function for animal life on the planet as it absorbs most of the sun’s UV radiation. A molecule of ozone is made up of three oxygen atoms (O3), whereas a “normal” oxygen (O2) has just two atoms.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1A Philosopher who wrote “The bureaucracy is a circle from which no one can escape” : MARX
5A So : ERGO
9A ___ folder : SPAM
13A Sphinx site : GIZA
17A Prevailing fashion : VOGUE
18A Cranked up to 11, say : LOUD
19A Italian seasoning : PEPE
20A Manga’s film counterpart : ANIME
22A Its freedom is granted in the First Amendment : PRESS
23A Pitchfork-shaped letters : PSIS
24A Ward (off) : FEND
25A Predator with a big mouth, informally : GATOR
26A Meeting, for short : SESH
27A Post : MAIL
28A Princess portrayed by Carrie Fisher : LEIA
30A Send from bank to bank : WIRE
31A Is completely oblivious … or a hint to finding the fourth key letter in this puzzle : DOESN’T HAVE A CLUE
37A Depleted, as savings : ATE INTO
40A Hauled : TOTED
41A Dishonorable : IGNOBLE
45A Moolah : DINERO
46A Lover of Shakespeare : ROMEO
47A Bruce Wayne’s butler : ALFRED
48A Subj. of arms talks : WMD
49A Mario’s dinosaur sidekick : YOSHI
52A “I wish I could ___ that!” : UNSEE
55A Fruit picker of old : EVE
56A Make amends (for) : ATONE
58A Credit card checkout option : TAP
59A ___ particle : TAU
60A Word with bullet or toilet : … TRAIN
62A Tennis’s Nadal, to fans : RAFA
63A Japanese honorific : SAN
64A Deg. with courses on accounting and management : MBA
66A Squeaks (by) : EKES
67A Channel with the onetime motto “On Cable. In Stereo” : MTV
68A “___ be a shame …” : IT’D
70A Liberty Mutual’s bird mascot : EMU
71A Physique, informally : BOD
72A Trickster of Greek myth : HERMES
74A Closest world capital to Miami : NASSAU
76A – : TEE
78A Remove from power : OUST
79A Museo display : ARTE
80A ___ Mahal : TAJ
83A Bobby of the Boston Bruins : ORR
84A ___ mater : ALMA
85A Muck : MIRE
86A Place appropriately found in “gets pampered” : SPA
87A Philosopher’s “way” : TAO
88A Personal appearance : MIEN
89A Children’s author Blyton : ENID
90A M&M color replaced by blue in 1995 : TAN
91A “Stat!” : ASAP!
93A “The Little Mermaid” hit … or a phonetic hint to finding the third key letter in this puzzle : UNDER THE SEA
99A Fir coat? : BARK
100A Preceded, with “to” : LED UP …
102A Element in strobe lights : XENON
103A Like witches and gourds : WARTY
104A Cone’s partner : ROD
106A It often comes out at night : DENTURE
108A Was out of sight : HID
109A Kids’ ball game played on a court… or a hint to finding the second key letter in this puzzle : FOUR SQUARE
113A Famed street in Beverly Hills : RODEO DRIVE
118A Become discouraged : LOSE HEART
119A One taking the words right out of your mouth? : LIP-READER
120A Mimicked : APED
121A Odd pair? : DEES
122A Low-fat : LEAN
123A Purchases from florists : POTS

Down

1D Toddler’s demand : MORE
2D Board game recommendation : AGES
3D “Midnight’s Children” author, 1981 : RUSHDIE
4D Spot markers : XES
5D Only major Texas city not in the Central time zone : EL PASO
6D Substance that’s used by cellists and gymnasts : ROSIN
7D Journey in which you might carry quite a load? : GUILT TRIP
8D Has too much, for short : ODS
9D Beach bottle inits. : SPF
10D Burned rubber : PEELED OUT
11D Breathing problem at night : APNEA
12D Onetime wealthiest family in Europe : MEDICI
13D Kind of joke … or a response to a really bad one : GAG
14D Revering : IN AWE OF
15D Rigatoni relative : ZITI
16D Cupid’s domain : AMOR
17D Number twos, in brief : VPS
21D Before, poetically : ERE
27D Famous movement (and hashtag) of the late 2010s : METOO
29D Unwanted growth in fish tanks : ALGAE
32D Typical patty melt specification : ON RYE
33D With “boo,” it evokes sadness – with “woo,” it evokes happiness : -HOO
34D Put a PIN in it : ATM
35D Flock formation : VEE
36D Awaiting renters : UNLET
37D Battle between Verizon and AT&T, e.g. : AD WAR
38D Popular chocolate biscuit from Down Under : TIM TAM
39D Final stop … or a hint to finding the first key letter in this puzzle : END OF THE ROAD
42D Person everyone’s talking about … or what you’ll be after unlocking the lock and completing this puzzle? : BREAKOUT STAR
43D Imposed, as a fine : LEVIED
44D Wonderlands : EDENS
50D Washington and Franklin, e.g. : STATESMEN
51D Breaking maneuver : HANDSTAND
53D Tattle : NAME NAMES
54D Hero … or where to find many naval heroes : SUBMARINE
57D Place for a pew : NAVE
61D Country music star with 24 #1 singles and an eponymous sitcom : REBA
63D Star of Marvel’s first film with an Asian-led cast : SIMU LIU
65D Where “the hills are alive” in song : AUSTRIA
69D [Insert key here] : EXIT
73D Make calls on one’s cellphone abroad : ROAM
75D Bit of chia or hemp : SEED
76D Add up to : TOTAL
77D Wipe, as from memory : ERASE
81D Split up : APART
82D Of extremely unreliable quality, in slang : JANKY
92D Ran smoothly, as an engine : PURRED
94D Applies, as influence : EXERTS
95D Painter Magritte : RENE
96D Big boomer, for short : TNT
97D Word after “man of the” or “top of the” : … HOUR
98D Sign up : ENROLL
99D Negative reputation, informally : BAD RAP
101D Ritzy : POSH
103D ___-eyed : WIDE
105D Gave a red card, informally : DQ’ED
106D Alternative to truth : DARE
107D Actress Falco of “The Sopranos” : EDIE
108D Sousaphone, e.g. : HORN
109D State for snowbirds: Abbr. : FLA
110D Alley ___ : OOP
111D Function : USE
112D Home of the world’s tallest bldg. : UAE
114D Org. concerned with ozone depletion : EPA
115D Words in front of a minister or a judge : I DO
116D Cat scanner? : VET
117D CPR sites : ERS