Constructed by: Gary Larson & Doug Peterson
Edited by: Joel Fagliano
Not your puzzle? Try today’s …
… syndicated NY Times crossword
Today’s Theme: Manual Dexterity
Themed answers are common phrases reinterpreted as titles of MANUALS:
- 23A Title for a tutorial on musical composition? : KNOWING THE SCORE
- 41A … a primer on playing dreidel? : GOING OVER THE TOP
- 57A … a volume on vapor dynamics? : PICKING UP STEAM
- 83A … a step-by-step guide for throwing breaking balls? : LEARNING CURVES
- 97A … a handbook on raising kids? : GETTING YOUR GOAT
- 120A … a D.I.Y. manual on other D.I.Y. manuals? : TACKLING DUMMIES
Read on, or jump to …
… a complete list of answers
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Bill’s time: 16m 36s
Bill’s errors: 0
Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies
Across
6 Associate of the gods Pothos and Himeros (Longing and Desire) : EROS
The name of Eros, the Greek god of love, gives rise to our word “erotic” meaning “arousing sexual desire”. Eros was referred to in Latin as both “Amor” (meaning “love”) and “Cupid” (meaning “desire”).
10 Train in the Washington-Baltimore area : MARC
MARC is a commuter rail system comprising three lines that originate at Union Station in Washington, DC. The acronym “MARC” stands for “Maryland Area Rail Commuter”. It has the highest top speed of any commuter rail system in the country, with trains on the Penn Line reaching a speed of 125 mph.
14 Distortions in the space-time continuum : WARPS
According to the theory of relativity, space and time are not separate entities, but are instead woven together into a single fabric called space-time. This means that the position and motion of an object is not described simply by its position in space, but also by its position in time.
21 Surname of three baseball brothers : ALOU
Matty Alou played major league baseball, as did his brothers Jesus and Felipe, and as did Felipe’s son Moises.
27 Susan who wrote “The Orchid Thief” : ORLEAN
“The Orchid Thief” is a 1998 book by journalist Susan Orlean about the poaching of the rare Ghost Orchid from a Florida State Park. The book was adapted into the 2002 film “Adaptation” starring Meryl Streep as the author Orlean.
28 Actress Gardner : AVA
Ava Gardner is noted for her association with some big movies, but also for her association with some big names when it came to the men in her life. In the world of film, she appeared in the likes of “Mogambo” (1953), “On the Beach” (1959), “The Night of the Iguana” (1964) and “Earthquake” (1974). The men in her life included husbands Mickey Rooney, Artie Shaw and Frank Sinatra.
29 Tickle Me Elmo maker : TYCO
The Tickle Me Elmo toy was a sensational fad in the late nineties, with stores raising prices dramatically above the recommended retail price to take advantage of demand. Reportedly, prices as high as $1500 were paid at the height of the craze. The toy’s manufacturer, Tyco, originally planned to market the “tickle” toy as Tickle Me Tasmanian Devil (after the “Looney Tunes” character), but then went with “Elmo” after they bought the rights to use “Sesame Street” names.
31 How many elements on the periodic table have the letter “J” in their names : NONE
Dmitri Mendeleev was a Russian chemist. When Mendeleev classified elements according to their chemical properties, he noticed patterns and was able to group elements into his famous 1869 Periodic Table. So powerful was his table that he actually predicted the properties of some elements that had not even been discovered in 1869. Element number 101 is mendelevium, and was named after Mendeleev.
32 Impromptu : AD HOC
The Latin phrase “ad hoc” means “for this purpose”. An ad hoc committee, for example, is formed for a specific purpose and disbanded after making its final report.
38 Underworld thug : GOON
The term “goon” was coined by American humorist Frederick J. Allen in a 1921 “Harper’s” piece titled “The Goon and His Style”. The article defines a good as “a person with a heavy touch” someone lacking “a playful mind”. The term was popularized in the “Thimble Theater” comic strips featuring Popeye. The first use of “goon” to describe a hired thug was in 1938, with reference to strikebreakers.
Murderers and robbers given to harassing travelers in India were known locally as “thuggees”, from the Hindi word for “thief”. This gave us our contemporary word “thug”, meaning “brute”.
41 … a primer on playing dreidel? : GOING OVER THE TOP
A dreidel is a spinning top with four sides that is often associated with the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. Each of the four sides on a dreidel bears a letter from the Hebrew alphabet (nun, gimel, hei and shin). The four letters are the initials of the Hebrew phrase “Nes Gadol Hayah Sham” meaning “a great miracle happened there”. According to tradition, children would be taught Torah while hiding in caves away from the Greeks. When Greek soldiers approached, the children would hide their torah scrolls and play with their dreidels instead.
A primer is a textbook used to teach the alphabet and basic reading. When “primer” is used in this sense in the US, it is pronounced with a short letter I (giving “primmer”). I’ve never understood why such a pronunciation would be used …
49 Alternative to Hinge or Bumble : TINDER
Tinder is a matchmaking app that uses Facebook profiles. Users “swipe” photos of potential matches, either to the right (“like”) or to the left (“not interested”). Users who “match” each other can then chat within the app.
Bumble is a dating app that was founded by Whitney Wolfe Herd, the co-founder of Tinder. Bumble has been described as a “feminist dating app”. Indeed, first contact in a potential heterosexual relationship can only be made by a female user.
Hinge is a dating app that was launched in 2012. Apparently, a key feature of the app is the use of Facebook friends to facilitate introductions to potential matches.
50 On which Maya Rudolph has played Kamala Harris, in brief : SNL
Comic actress Maya Rudolph got her break as a regular cast member on “Saturday Night Live”. Rudolph’s mother was singer Minnie Ripperton, who had a big hit in 1975 with the single “Lovin’ You”.
53 2020 nonfiction best seller subtitled “The Origins of Our Discontents” : CASTE
Journalist and author Isabel Wilkerson was the first African-American woman to win the Pulitzer Prize in journalism, doing so in 1994. Wilkerson’s father was one of the renowned Tuskegee Airmen who fought during World War II. Her 2020 book “Castes: The Origins of Our Discontents” discusses racism in the US and posits that racial stratification in America is best understood as a caste system, similar to that existing in India and Nazi Germany.
54 Over or under : BET
An over-under bet is a wager that a number will be over or under a particular value. A common over-under bet is made on the combined points scored by two teams in a game.
65 Bodies of work : OEUVRES
The sum of an artist’s work in his or her lifetime is known as his or her “oeuvre”.
68 Farewell performance : SWAN SONG
The phrase “swan song” is used for a final gesture, a last performance. The expression derives from an ancient belief that swans are silent for most of their lives, but sing a beautiful song just before they die.
72 Stereotypical prom experience : LIMO RIDE
The word “limousine” derives from the name of the French city of Limoges. The area around Limoges is called the Limousin, and it gave its name to a cloak hood worn by local shepherds. In early motor cars, a driver would sit outside in the weather while the passengers would sit in the covered compartment. The driver would often wear a limousin-style protective hood, giving rise to that type of transportation being called a “limousine”. Well, that’s how the story goes …
94 Joule division : ERG
An erg is a unit of mechanical work or energy. It is a small unit, with one joule comprising 10 million ergs. It has been suggested that an erg is about the amount of energy required for a mosquito to take off. The term comes from “ergon”, the Greek word for work.
97 … a handbook on raising kids? : GETTING YOUR GOAT
Male goats are bucks or billies, although castrated males are known as wethers. Female goats are does or nannies, and young goats are referred to as kids.
105 “Here a ___, there a ___, everywhere a ___-___ …” : MOO!
There was an old American version of the English children’s song “Old MacDonald Had a Farm” (E-I-E-I-O) that was around in the days of WWI. The first line of the older US version goes “Old MacDougal had a farm, in Ohio-i-o”.
113 Simpson’s judge : ITO
Judge Lance Ito came in for a lot of criticism for his handling of the 1995 O.J. Simpson murder trial. The lead prosecutor in that trial was Marcia Clark, you might recall. I read the book that Clark wrote about the trial called “Without a Doubt”, and she pointed out one trait of Judge Ito that I think is quite telling. Ito would almost always refer to the prosecutor as “Marcia”, while addressing the men on both sides of the case with the honorific “Mister”.
118 Light ditties : LILTS
A lilt is a light, happy tune.
124 Panache : ECLAT
“Éclat” can describe a brilliant show of success, as well as the applause or accolade that one receives for that success. The word “éclat” derives from the French “éclater” meaning “to splinter, burst out”.
Someone exhibiting panache is showing dash and verve, and perhaps has a swagger. “Panache” is a French word used for a plume of feathers, especially one in a hat.
129 “___ the Limit” (Notorious B.I.G. song) : SKY’S
“The Notorious B.I.G.” was the stage name of rap star Christopher Wallace, who also went by the names Big Poppa, Biggie Smalls and Biggie. While at the height of his fame, Wallace was killed in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles, a murder case that has never been solved. The 2009 movie “Notorious” is about Wallace’s life and stars fellow rap artist Jamal Woolard (aka Gravy) in the title role.
130 Edict issuer in “Fiddler on the Roof” : TSAR
The enduring musical “Fiddler on the Roof” is based on a collection of stories by Sholem Aleichem about Tevye, a milkman living in Tsarist Russia. The musical version of the tales first opened on Broadway in 1964. “Fiddler on the Roof” had such a long run that it became the first musical to reach 3,000 performances.
131 Shangri-las : EDENS
Shangri-La is the earthly paradise in the mountains of Tibet described by James Hilton in his novel “Lost Horizon”. Shangri-La is “edenic” (perfect, like the Garden of Eden from the Book of Genesis). Frank Capra directed a wonderful screen adaptation of “Lost Horizon” in 1937 starring Ronald Colman.
Down
1 Texter’s shrug : IDK
I don’t know (IDK)
2 Pet for Pebbles, in cartoons : DINO
In the Hanna-Barbera cartoon “The Flintstones”, Dino the pet dinosaur was voiced by the famous Mel Blanc, until Blanc passed away in 1989.
In the classic cartoon show “The Flintstones”, Pebbles is the red-haired daughter of Fred and Wilma Flintstone. Pebbles’ best friend Bamm-Bamm lives next door, the adopted son of Barney and Betty Rubble. As the franchise developed, so did the two youngsters, and they eventually married.
5 Competed in a biathlon : SKIED
A biathlon is an event requiring expertise in two sporting disciplines. The most common biathlon is a winter sport that combines cross-country skiing with rifle shooting. This traditional biathlon was born out of an exercise for Norwegian soldiers.
6 What has some holiday spirit? : EGGNOG
It’s not really clear where the term “nog” (as in “eggnog”) comes from although it might derive from the word “noggin”, which was originally a small wooden cup that was long associated with alcoholic drinks.
8 Workplace regulator, for short : OSHA
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
9 Ford’s only Supreme Court appointee : STEVENS
John Paul Stevens retired as an associate justice on the US Supreme Court in 2010 after having served for over 34 years. That made him the third longest serving justice in the history of the court. Stevens had been nominated by President Gerald Ford to replace Justice William O. Douglas, who had been the longest serving justice in the court (at over 36 years).
10 Easy ___ (longtime Kraft product) : MAC
Thomas Jefferson’s name is associated with the dish we know today as “mac ‘n’ cheese”. The future president discovered baked macaroni with Parmesan cheese while in Paris and in northern Italy. He started serving the dish to guests in the US, and even had a machine imported to make the macaroni locally. Whether or not Jefferson was the first to bring mac ‘n’ cheese to America isn’t entirely clear, but it has been popular ever since.
12 Golfer McIlroy : RORY
Rory McIlroy is a very successful golfer from Northern Ireland. McIlroy is a relatively young man and a former world number one on the circuit, so folks can’t help but compare him to Tiger Woods. He was the first European to win three different majors. Along with Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods, McIlroy is one of only three people to win three majors before the age of 25.
15 Any of the light blue properties in Monopoly : AVENUE
The commercial game of Monopoly is supposedly a remake of “The Landlord’s Game” created in 1903 by a Quaker woman named Lizzie Phillips. Phillips used her game as a tool to explain the single tax theory of American economist Henry George. The Landlord’s Game was first produced commercially in 1924. The incredibly successful derivative game called Monopoly was introduced in 1933 by Charles Darrow, who became a very rich man when Parker Brothers bought the rights to the game just two years later in 1935.
17 “Right this second!” : PRONTO!
The Spanish and Italian (and now English) word “pronto” is derived from the Latin “promptus” meaning “ready, quick”.
18 Recipient of 21 Academy Award acting nominations : STREEP
Meryl Streep has had more Academy Award nominations and more Golden Globe nominations than any other actor, which is both a tribute to her talent and the respect she has earned in the industry. I am not a huge fan of her earlier works but some of her recent movies are now on my list of all-time favorites. I recommend “Mamma Mia!” (you’ll either love it or hate it!), “Julie & Julia”, “It’s Complicated” and ”Hope Springs”.
25 ___ paneer (Indian dish) : SAAG
Palak paneer is a dish from Indian cuisine. It consists mainly of paneer (a freshly-made cheese) in a puréed spinach paste. Saag paneer is a more generic form of the dish, one in which other leafy vegetables can be used to make the paste, e.g. mustard greens, collard greens or broccoli.
30 Some chamber groups : OCTETS
Chamber music is a style of classical musical that is written for a small group of instruments, as opposed to a full orchestra. That number of players should be able to stage a performance in a “chamber”, traditionally a large room in a palace or other grand residence.
33 Island off Greece’s northwest coast : CORFU
Corfu is an island in the very northwest of Greece, and is located in the Ionian Sea. Corfu is a very, very popular vacation destination for European tourists, particularly those from the UK, Scandinavia and Germany.
35 Balderdash : ROT
“Balderdash” means “senseless jumble of words”. The original balderdash (back before the late 1600s) was a jumbled mix of liquids like maybe beer and wine, or even beer and milk!
42 Creative spark, informally : INSPO
The informal term “inspo” is used to describe something inspirational or motivational.
43 Parish priest : VICAR
A vicar is a member of the clergy in several Christian traditions. In more general terms, we can use the word “vicar” for a person who acts in the place of another, i.e. a deputy. It was the latter usage of the term that gave rise to the religious usage, as a vicar in a church was considered a person acting for God.
44 Cloisonné material : ENAMEL
“Cloisonné” is an ancient technique that uses vitreous enamel to decorate metalwork. The technique involves the addition of metal compartments to the surface of the piece, made by soldering silver or gold wires that form the edges of each compartment. Vitreous enamels of various colors are then added to each compartment and the whole piece fired. “Cloison” is a French word meaning “compartment, partition”.
46 Docking spots : SLIPS
A “slipway” or “slip” is a ramp on the shore in which boats can “slip” into the water. This “slipping” into the water is literally the case in a shipyard, where a vessel’s hull “slips” off the ramp after it is coated with grease.
55 Sooner State city : ENID
Enid, Oklahoma takes its name from the old railroad station around which the city developed. Back in 1889, that train stop was called Skeleton Station. An official who didn’t like the name changed it to Enid Station, using a character from Alfred Lord Tennyson’s “Idylls of the King”. Maybe if he hadn’t changed the name, the city of Enid would now be called Skeleton, Oklahoma! Enid has the nickname “Queen Wheat City” because it has a huge capacity for storing grain, the third largest grain storage capacity in the world.
The 1889 Indian Appropriations Act officially opened up the so-called Unassigned Lands, land in Oklahoma on which no Native American tribes had settled. Once the Act was signed, those lands became available for settlement. Those people who settled the same lands illegally, prior to the date specified, were termed “Sooners” as their situation was defined in the “sooner clause” of the Act. “Sooner State” is now a nickname for Oklahoma.
56 Béret bearer : TETE
In French, one wears a “chapeau” (hat), a “béret” (beret) perhaps, on one’s “tête” (head).
58 “Come Dancing” band, with “the” : … KINKS
The Kinks were an English band who participated in the British Invasion of America in the sixties, although only briefly. After touring the US in the middle of 1965, the American Federation of Musicians refused permits for the Kinks to book concerts for four years, apparently in response to some rowdy on-stage behavior by the band.
59 King maker? : SERTA
Serta was founded in 1931 when a group of 13 mattress manufacturers came together, essentially forming a cooperative. Today, the Serta company is owned by eight independent licensees in a similar arrangement. Serta advertisements feature the Serta Counting Sheep. Each numbered sheep has a different personality, such as:
- #1 The Leader of the Flock
- #½ The Tweener
- #13 Mr. Bad Luck
- #53 The Pessimist
- #86 Benedict Arnold
60 Potato, yam or cassava : TUBER
The cassava plant is a woody shrub native to South America grown largely for its carbohydrate-rich tubers. In fact, cassava is the third largest food source of carbohydrates (for humans) in the world. Ordinarily, that carbohydrate is extracted from the plant and dried as flour, and is known as tapioca.
61 Water brand whose name is an adjective in reverse : EVIAN
Évian-les-Bains (or simply “Évian”) is in the very east of France, on the shores of Lake Geneva directly across the lake from Lausanne, Switzerland. As one might imagine, Évian is the home of Évian mineral water, the most successful business in town. Personally, I can’t stand the distinctive taste of Évian water …
69 Kristen formerly of 50-Across : WIIG
Kristen Wiig is a comic actress who appears on “Saturday Night Live”. She also made an appearance on the first season of Spike TV’s quirky “The Joe Schmo Show”, playing “Dr. Pat”. More recently, she co-wrote and starred in the 2011 hit film “Bridesmaids”, and co-starred in the 2016 reboot of “Ghostbusters”.
78 Lead-in to brewery : MICRO-
Originally, the term “microbrewery” applied to smaller breweries. In contemporary usage, a microbrewery really describes a brewery that competes in the market on the basis of quality and diversity, rather than on the basis of price and advertising. The really small brewing operations are now referred to as “nanobreweries”.
81 Like the leftmost candle until the final night of Hanukkah : UNLIT
There is a seven-branched menorah used symbolically in ancient temples. However, the Hanukkah menorah is a nine-branched lampstand that is lit during the eight-day holiday called Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights. “Menorah” is the Hebrew word for “lamp”.
82 Looking discomfitted : PAINED
A spelling mistake, I think. “Discomfitted” should be “discomfited”, with one letter T.
86 Navajo painting medium : SAND
The Navajo Nation of the Southwestern US is the largest Native-American tribe in the country. The Navajo reservation is located in the Four Corners region and is the largest reservation in the US, covering over 27,000 square miles.
97 The Holy Grail, e.g. : GOBLET
The Holy Grail is a theme found throughout Arthurian legend. The grail itself is some vessel, with the term “grail” coming from the Old French “graal” meaning “cup or bowl made of earth, wood or metal”. Over time, the legend of the Holy Grail became mingled with stories of the Holy Chalice of the Christian tradition, the cup used to serve wine at the Last Supper. Over time, the term “grail” came to be used for any desired or sought-after object.
98 Beethoven’s third symphony : EROICA
Beethoven originally dedicated his “Symphony No. 3” to Napoleon Bonaparte. Beethoven admired the principles of the French Revolution and as such respected Bonaparte who was “born” out of the uprising. When Napoleon declared himself Emperor, Beethoven (and much of Europe) saw this as a betrayal to the ideals of the revolution so he changed the name of his new symphony from “Bonaparte” to “Eroica”, meaning “heroic, valiant”.
99 Govt.-backed investments : T-BILLS
A Treasury note (T-note) is a government debt that matures in 1-10 years. A T-note has a coupon (interest) payment made every six months. The T-note is purchased at a discount to face value, and at the date of maturity can be redeemed at that face value. A Treasury bill (T-bill) is a similar financial vehicle, but it matures in one year or less, and a T-bond matures in 20-30 years.
100 Attack, medieval-style : TILT AT
The verb phrase “tilt at” meaning “fight with” derives from the sport of jousting, also known as “tilting”, in which contestants fought each other on horseback with lances.
108 River to the English Channel : SOMME
The Somme is a river in the north of France. The name “Somme” comes from a Celtic word meaning “tranquility”. Paradoxically, the Somme is remembered as the site of a devastating WWI battle. The river separated British and French forces from the German army from July to November 1916. By the end of the battle, over one million soldiers had been wounded or killed.
The English Channel is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean, the narrow part that separates the south of England from northern France. The French call the same body of water “La Manche”, which translates literally as “the sleeve”. At its narrowest point the Channel is just over 20 miles wide, and it is indeed possible to see France from England and vice versa. Nowadays of course there is a tunnel under the channel making travel extremely convenient. When I was living and working in Europe, with the help of the Channel Tunnel, one day I had a breakfast meeting in Brussels, a lunch meeting in London, and a dinner meeting in Paris. That said, it’s a lot more fun sitting here blogging about the crossword …
111 Bulletin board piece : TACK
What we know as a thumb tack here in North America is called a drawing pin in British English. Thumb tacks made from brass might be referred to as “brass tacks”, giving us the expression “getting down to brass tacks” meaning “getting down to the finer details”.
117 Fork-tailed bird : TERN
Terns are a family of seabirds. They are similar to gulls, but are more slender and more lightly built. Many species of tern are known for their long-distance migrations, with the Arctic tern migrating so far that it is believed to see more daylight in a year than any other animal.
122 Fig. of interest to an admissions department : GPA
Grade point average (GPA)
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Complete List of Clues/Answers
Across
1 Massive stars : IDOLS
6 Associate of the gods Pothos and Himeros (Longing and Desire) : EROS
10 Train in the Washington-Baltimore area : MARC
14 Distortions in the space-time continuum : WARPS
19 Got by : DID OK
20 Blow : GUST
21 Surname of three baseball brothers : ALOU
22 Turn away : AVERT
23 Title for a tutorial on musical composition? : KNOWING THE SCORE
26 Interior design : DECOR
27 Susan who wrote “The Orchid Thief” : ORLEAN
28 Actress Gardner : AVA
29 Tickle Me Elmo maker : TYCO
31 How many elements on the periodic table have the letter “J” in their names : NONE
32 Impromptu : AD HOC
34 Spot for a stud : EAR
36 Put into motion : ACTUATE
38 Underworld thug : GOON
41 … a primer on playing dreidel? : GOING OVER THE TOP
45 In the center of : AMIDST
48 Some I.C.U. workers : RNS
49 Alternative to Hinge or Bumble : TINDER
50 On which Maya Rudolph has played Kamala Harris, in brief : SNL
51 Enjoys a lazy Sunday, say : LOAFS
53 2020 nonfiction best seller subtitled “The Origins of Our Discontents” : CASTE
54 Over or under : BET
57 … a volume on vapor dynamics? : PICKING UP STEAM
62 Calm : SERENE
64 Aware of : HIP TO
65 Bodies of work : OEUVRES
67 Touched down : ALIT
68 Farewell performance : SWAN SONG
71 Slugger’s stat : RBI
72 Stereotypical prom experience : LIMO RIDE
75 Trough call : OINK!
76 “Go us!” : YAY, TEAM!
79 Free of extra charges : NO-FEE
80 Uncovers : DIGS UP
83 … a step-by-step guide for throwing breaking balls? : LEARNING CURVES
87 Keep in the cellar, perhaps : AGE
88 Symbols of toughness, in a simile : NAILS
90 Barrel-shaped containers : CASKS
91 ___ Le Gallienne, star of 1920s Broadway : EVA
92 Sheets and pillowcases : LINENS
94 Joule division : ERG
95 Salts : SEAMEN
97 … a handbook on raising kids? : GETTING YOUR GOAT
103 Email button : SEND
104 It’s going around : ORBITER
105 “Here a ___, there a ___, everywhere a ___-___ …” : MOO!
106 Lock : TRESS
109 Be extremely angry : BOIL
110 Modeler’s need : DATA
113 Simpson’s judge : ITO
115 Come (to) : AMOUNT
118 Light ditties : LILTS
120 … a D.I.Y. manual on other D.I.Y. manuals? : TACKLING DUMMIES
124 Panache : ECLAT
125 Repetitive sound : ECHO
126 Apartment building V.I.P. : SUPE
127 Newspaper section : METRO
128 Delectable : TASTY
129 “___ the Limit” (Notorious B.I.G. song) : SKY’S
130 Edict issuer in “Fiddler on the Roof” : TSAR
131 Shangri-las : EDENS
Down
1 Texter’s shrug : IDK
2 Pet for Pebbles, in cartoons : DINO
3 It will all come out in the wash : ODOR
4 Flood-prone area : LOWLAND
5 Competed in a biathlon : SKIED
6 What has some holiday spirit? : EGGNOG
7 Tired routine : RUT
8 Workplace regulator, for short : OSHA
9 Ford’s only Supreme Court appointee : STEVENS
10 Easy ___ (longtime Kraft product) : MAC
11 Loads : A LOT
12 Golfer McIlroy : RORY
13 Signs with lines : CUE CARDS
14 Bunch of bills : WAD
15 Any of the light blue properties in Monopoly : AVENUE
16 Apply more varnish to : RECOAT
17 “Right this second!” : PRONTO!
18 Recipient of 21 Academy Award acting nominations : STREEP
24 “Uh-uh” : NAH
25 ___ paneer (Indian dish) : SAAG
30 Some chamber groups : OCTETS
33 Island off Greece’s northwest coast : CORFU
35 Balderdash : ROT
37 Substitute for “E” on a license plate, maybe : THREE
38 [Did he really just say that!?] : [GASP!]
39 High-end hotel chain : OMNI
40 Garage job : OIL CHANGE
42 Creative spark, informally : INSPO
43 Parish priest : VICAR
44 Cloisonné material : ENAMEL
46 Docking spots : SLIPS
47 Spanish for “foolish” : TONTO
52 Serious suffering : AGONY
54 “Seriously …” : BELIEVE ME …
55 Sooner State city : ENID
56 Béret bearer : TETE
58 “Come Dancing” band, with “the” : … KINKS
59 King maker? : SERTA
60 Potato, yam or cassava : TUBER
61 Water brand whose name is an adjective in reverse : EVIAN
63 Harder to come by : RARER
66 Turns state’s evidence : SINGS
68 Beverage one shouldn’t shake well before serving : SODA
69 Kristen formerly of 50-Across : WIIG
70 Ship’s kitchen : GALLEY
73 Pokes fun at : MOCKS
74 Worth having : OF USE
77 Kind of question : YES/NO
78 Lead-in to brewery : MICRO-
81 Like the leftmost candle until the final night of Hanukkah : UNLIT
82 Looking discomfitted : PAINED
84 Incessantly bother : NAG AT
85 Level : EVEN
86 Navajo painting medium : SAND
89 Thankless types : INGRATES
93 Bottom of some columns : SUM
94 Self-centered sort : EGOTIST
96 Taken for granted : ASSUMED
97 The Holy Grail, e.g. : GOBLET
98 Beethoven’s third symphony : EROICA
99 Govt.-backed investments : T-BILLS
100 Attack, medieval-style : TILT AT
101 Churn up : ROIL
102 Stock exchange worker : TRADER
107 Earthbound bird : EMU
108 River to the English Channel : SOMME
111 Bulletin board piece : TACK
112 Hurting : ACHY
114 ___ probandi (burden of proof) : ONUS
116 ___ Owl, one of the superheroes in “Watchmen” : NITE
117 Fork-tailed bird : TERN
119 Dump : STY
121 Decks, in brief : KOS
122 Fig. of interest to an admissions department : GPA
123 Castaway’s call : SOS
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