1111-18 NY Times Crossword 11 Nov 18, Sunday

Constructed by: Eric Berlin
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Theme: Escape Room

There’s a note with today’s puzzle:

CROSSWORD CONTEST
This crossword represents an escape room, with four articles you’ll need hidden inside. After you complete the grid, follow the directions at 41-, 70- and 99-Across to find what to do next. Working correctly will lead you to a four-word phrase with a total of 12 letters. That is your answer.
When you have it, send it by email to: crosswordcontest@nytimes.com. Twenty-five correct solvers, chosen at random, whose entries are received by 6 p.m. Eastern time on Tuesday, Nov. 13, will receive copies of The New York Times Crossword Puzzles 2019 Day-to-Day Calendar, from Andrews McMeel. Only one entry per person. The answer and contest solution will appear next week. The winners’ names will appear in the issue of Dec. 2.

Four answers need the word KEY in one square for completion:

  • 20A. Sycophant : LACKEY
  • 107A. “Fine with me” : OKEY DOKE
  • 127A. Symbol of fire prevention : SMOKEY
  • 15D. Native Iowan : HAWKEYE

That same square holds a letter from a crossing answer. Those four crossing letters, T-A-W-Y, THE LETTERS ON THE KEYS, are needed to “escape” the “room:

  • 31A. Turkish inn : IMARET
  • 8D. Attribute of many political ads : NASTINESS
  • 104D. “Awesome!” : SWEET!
  • 96D. Happy wintertime news for schoolkids : SNOW DAY

We selectively PLACE THEM IN THE CORNERS and then READ NEW DOWN-WORDS.

  • 41A. What’s needed in order to escape this crossword : LETTERS ON THE KEYS
  • 70A. What to do with the items referenced in 41-Across : PLACE THEM IN THE CORNERS
  • 99A. After following the instructions at 70-Across, how to escape this puzzle : READ NEW DOWN-WORDS

So, LOU becomes YOU, ORE becomes ARE, OUR become OUT, and NOD become NOW. YOU ARE OUT NOW, you have ESCAPED the ROOM:

  • 1D. Name one can “skip to” : LOU becomes YOU
  • 18D. It’s mined, all mined! : ORE becomes ARE
  • 111D. Your and my : OUR becomes OUT
  • 120D. Silent approval : NOD becomes NOW

Bill’s time: 18m 58s (just to solve the grid)

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1. Shakespearean father of three : LEAR

“King Lear” is one of William Shakespeare’s tragedies. Lear’s three daughters figure prominently in the story line. The three are, in order of age:

  • Goneril
  • Regan
  • Cordelia

9. Enjoys the sun : BASKS

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”.

14. Pants material : CHINO

Chino is a twill cloth most often used to make hard-wearing pants. The pants have come to be referred to as chinos. Chino cloth was originally developed for use by the military, but quickly became popular with civilians.

20. Sycophant : LACKEY

A lackey is someone quite servile, or a male servant. The term probably comes from the Middle French “laquais”, a word used for a footman or servant.

21. Earth tone : OCHRE

Ocher is a light, yellowy-brown color, although variations of the pigment are possible such as red ocher and purple ocher. “Ocher” is usually spelled “ochre” on the other side of the pond.

22. Movie with a shootout at high noon, maybe : OATER

The term “oater” that is used for a Western movie comes from the number of horses seen, as horses love oats!

23. ___ Major : URSA

The constellation Ursa Major (Latin for “Larger Bear”) is often just called “the Big Dipper” because of its resemblance to a ladle or dipper. Ursa Major also resembles a plow, and that’s what we usually call the same constellation back in Ireland, “the Plough”.

24. Band bookings : GIGS

Musicians use “gig” to describe a job, a performance. The term originated in the early 1900s in the world of jazz. The derivative phrase “gig economy” applies to a relatively recent phenomenon where workers find themselves jumping from temporary job to temporary job, from gig to gig.

26. Any member of Abba : SWEDE

Only three members of the quartet that made up the pop group ABBA were born in Sweden. Anni-Frid Lyngstad was born in Norway just after the end of WWII, the daughter of a Norwegian mother and a father who was German soldier and a member of the German occupying force during the war. The father returned to Germany with the army, and in 1947, Anni-Frid was taken with her family to Sweden. They left fearing reprisals against those who dealt with the German army during the occupation.

27. Automotive debut of 1957 : EDSEL

The Edsel brand of automobile was named for Edsel Ford, son of Henry. Sadly, the name “Edsel” has become synonymous with “failure”, which was no fault of Edsel himself who had died several years before the Edsel line was introduced. When the Ford Motor Company introduced the Edsel on 4 September 1957, Ford proclaimed the day to be “E Day”.

29. Some univ. hirees : TAS

Teaching assistant (TA)

31. Turkish inn : IMARET

Imarets were inns or hostels used by pilgrims throughout the Ottoman Empire. The network of imarets was set up to provide food to anyone in need, so they also served as soup kitchens, as it were.

37. Cold treat : ICE POP

The term “ice pop” has largely been supplanted in the US by “popsicle”, as the Popsicle brand of ice pop became so popular. We still use “ice pop” in Ireland, and in the UK the same thing is called an “ice lolly”, and in Australia it’s an “ice block”.

45. Pitcher Hershiser : OREL

Orel Hershiser is big into poker now that he has retired from Major League Baseball. Hershiser lives in Las Vegas and when he isn’t working for ESPN, apparently he is at the poker tables, playing professionally. When Hershiser is eliminated in a poker tournament, he is in the habit of presenting the person who ousts him with an autographed baseball.

47. Indie rocker with the 2009 #3 album “Middle Cyclone” : NEKO CASE

Neko Case is an American singer-songwriter who is best known as a solo artist as well as a member of the indie rock group from Canada called the New Pornographers.

53. ___ jure (law phrase) : IPSO

“Ipso jure” is Latin for “by operation of law”. I am informed by a kind reader that the term refers to a legal consequence that takes place without the need for a beneficiary to take action. In other words, the law simply applies. The example given is what happens to a property held in joint tenancy when one person dies. The title passes to the living person, without that person having to do anything . It simply passes “by operation of law”, “ipso jure”.

58. N.Y.C. subway org. : MTA

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has public transportation responsibility in the state of New York (as well as part of Connecticut). “MTA” might also refer to the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which is known as “the Metro” and sometimes “the MTA”.

63. Round fig. : SPH

Sphere (sph.)

67. Charcuterie stock : MEATS

In French, a “charcutier” is a pork butcher, although the term “charcuterie” has come to describe a genre of cooking focused on prepared meats such as bacon, ham, sausage and pâté. Although these meats often feature pork, it is not exclusively so. The word “charcuterie” comes from the French “chair” meaning “flesh” and “cuit” meaning “cooked”.

69. Lycées, e.g. : ECOLES

In French, one might learn “une leçon” (a lesson) in an “école” (school).

The “lycée” is the last stage of secondary education in France.

74. Natural light display : AURORA

The spectacular aurora phenomenon is seen lighting up the night sky at both poles of the earth (the Aurora Borealis in the north, and the Aurora Australis in the south). The eerie effect is caused by charged particles colliding with atoms at high latitudes.

75. Move smoothly to the next thing : SEGUE

A segue is a transition from one topic to the next. “Segue” is an Italian word that literally means “now follows”. It was first used in musical scores directing the performer to play into the next movement without a break.

76. Great ___ : DANE

The Great Dane breed of dog isn’t actually from Denmark, and rather is from Germany.

77. Billy ___ Williams : DEE

Actor Billy Dee Williams is most famous for playing the character Lando Calrissian in two of the “Stars Wars” movies.

78. Like Russia prior to 1917 : TSARIST

The last ruler of Imperial Russia was Tsar Nicholas II (of the House of Romanov). Famously, the Tsar and his family were murdered in 1918 in the basement of a house in Yekaterinburg, Russia by members of the Bolshevik secret police. The Tsar’s youngest daughter was 16-year-old Anastasia and rumors of her escape have persisted for years. The rumors grew with the help of numerous women who claimed to be Anastasia. In 2009, DNA testing finally proved that the remains of all of the Tsar’s immediate family, including Anastasia, have been found and identified.

81. Neon and others : GASSES

Neon was discovered in 1898 by two British chemists Sir William Ramsay and Morris Travers. They chilled a sample of air, turning it into a liquid, and then warmed the liquid and separated out the gases that boiled off. Along with nitrogen, oxygen and argon (already known), the pair of scientists discovered two new gases. The first they called “krypton” and the second “neon”. “Krypton” is Greek for “the hidden one” and “neon” is Greek for “new”.

83. Apollo, to Zeus : SON

In Greek and Roman mythology, Apollo was the son of Zeus and Leto, and the twin brother of the goddess Artemis. Among other things, Apollo was worshiped as a god of light and the sun, truth and prophecy, as well as healing and plague.

86. Possesses, to the Bard : HATH

The original bards were storytellers, poets and composers of music in medieval Britain and Ireland, with the term coming from the Old Celtic word “bardos” that described a poet or singer. I guess the most famous bard was William Shakespeare, the Bard of Avon.

87. Kind of battery : NICAD

A NiCad rechargeable battery is so called because the electrodes are made of nickel oxide hydroxide and metallic cadmium.

94. Tickle the ___ : IVORIES

The traditional materials used for the manufacture of piano keys were ebony (black) and ivory (white). Ebony is still used, but now for both white and black keys. The white keys are made by covering ebony with white plastic.

105. Ratings pioneer : NIELSEN

Arthur Nielsen founded his Nielsen Media Research company to track brand advertising. He quickly moved into market analysis of radio audiences in the thirties, and today the company is famous for tracking television audiences. I remember watching the last episode of the TV series “Becker”, in which Ted Danson played a doctor. Given that the show had been ordered off the air due to declining viewership, there’s a great line in the last episode when Becker asks for the chart of a patient called “Nielsen”. He looks at the lab results and announces “I don’t know what everyone is talking about … these numbers aren’t so bad!” Great stuff …

106. Edmonton athletes : OILERS

The National Hockey League’s Edmonton Oilers are so called because they are located in Alberta, Canada … oil country.

110. Uncool one : DWEEB

“Dweeb” is relatively recent American slang that came out of college life in the late sixties. Dweeb, squarepants, nerd; they’re all not-nice terms that mean the same thing, i.e. someone excessively studious and socially inept.

111. Unconventional : OUTRE

The word “outré” meaning “unconventional, bizarre” comes to us from French, as one might imagine. It is derived from the verb “outrer” meaning “to overdo, exaggerate”. “Outrer” is also the ultimate root of our word “outrage”.

114. James of the West : JESSE

Jesse James was an outlaw from Missouri who became a legendary figure of the Wild West. James somehow earned the reputation that he was a Robin Hood figure, robbing the rich and giving to the poor, but in fact this is far from the truth. After being chased persistently by law enforcement officers, he was eventually killed by one of his own gang members who hoped to collect a reward. As soon as newspaper reported his death in 1882, rumors started that Jesse James had in fact survived. Eventually, the body buried in the grave marked with Jesse James’ name was exhumed in 1995, and DNA testing showed that almost certainly it was the resting place of the infamous outlaw.

118. Algerian port : ORAN

Oran lies on the Algerian coast, and is famous for being the port where the French Navy was largely destroyed by the British during WWII in order to avoid the French vessels falling into the hands of Nazi Germany after France surrendered. This decisive and unexpected unilateral action by the British sent a very strong message around the world that Britain was willing to fight alone against the axis powers if necessary.

123. Verdi soprano : AIDA

“Aida” is a famous opera by Giuseppe Verdi that is based on a scenario written by French Egyptologist Auguste Mariette. Mariette also designed the costumes and stages for the opening performance. The opera was first staged in 1871 in an opera house in Cairo. In the storyline, Aida is an Ethiopian princess brought into Egypt as a slave. Radames is an Egyptian commander who falls in love with her, and then complications arise!

124. Grp. founded by 12 countries : NATO

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was founded not long after WWII in 1949 and is headquartered in Brussels, Belgium. The first NATO Secretary General was Lord Ismay, Winston Churchill’s chief military assistant during WWII. Famously, Lord Ismay said the goal of NATO was “to keep the Russians out, the Americans in, and the Germans down.”

125. Luau, basically : ROAST

Nowadays the word “luau” denotes almost any kind of party on the Hawaiian Islands, but to the purist a luau is a feast that always includes a serving of poi, the bulbous underground stems of taro.

126. Brothers’ name in R&B : ISLEY

The Isley Brothers are an R&B group from Cincinnati, Ohio. The original lineup was a vocal trio consisting of three brothers: O’Kelly, Jr., Rudolph and Ronald Isley. The three brothers wrote the fabulous 1959 hit “Shout”, the song which brought the group its first success.

127. Symbol of fire prevention : SMOKEY

Smokey Bear is the mascot of the US Forest Service. Smokey first appeared in 1944, in an advertising campaign directed towards preventing forest fires.

Down

1. Name one can “skip to” : LOU

“Skip to My Lou” is a children’s dance that can also be used at a barn dance as an icebreaker. Couples dance to the tune, with an extra male in the middle of the group. The odd man “steals” a lady with whom to dance, leaving her partner to find another. The word “lou” is the Scottish for “love”.

5. Subject with variables : ALGEBRA

Algebra (alg.) is a branch of mathematics in which arithmetical operations are performed on variables rather than specific numbers (x,y etc). The term “algebra” comes from the Arabic “al jebr” meaning “reunion of broken parts”.

6. Daily ___ (British paper) : MAIL

“The Daily Mail” is a tabloid newspaper published in the UK. It wouldn’t be my persona way to get the news mind you, but it is the second highest-selling paper in the country.

7. Part of some physicals: Abbr. : ECG

An EKG measures electrical activity in the heart. Back in my homeland of Ireland, an EKG is known as an ECG (for electrocardiogram). We use the German name in the US, Elektrokardiogramm, giving us EKG. Apparently the abbreviation EKG is preferred as ECG might be confused (if poorly handwritten, I guess) with EEG, the abbreviation for an electroencephalogram.

9. Soup with a red color : BORSCHT

Borscht is a beetroot soup that originated in Ukraine. Borscht can be served both hot and cold.

10. Prefix with pressure : ACU-

Acupressure and acupuncture are related alternative medical techniques. Both aim to clear blockages in the flow of life energy through the body’s meridians. The treatment is given by stimulating “acupoints’ in the body, by applying pressure in the case of acupressure, and by applying needles in the case of acupuncture.

12. Ralph and Alice, on old TV : KRAMDENS

Ralph Kramden is the character played by Jackie Gleason on “The Honeymooners”. The classic sitcom only aired for 39 episodes, with the last being broadcast in September of 1956. However, the sitcom itself was based on a recurring sketch that appeared on “Cavalcade of Stars” and then “The Jackie Gleason Show” from 1951-1955.

13. Actress Ward : SELA

The actress Sela Ward turns up in crosswords a lot. Ward played Teddy Reed in the TV show “Sisters” in the nineties, and was in “Once and Again” from 1999-2002. I don’t know either show, but I do know Ward from the medical drama “House” in which she played the hospital’s lawyer and Greg House’s ex-partner. That was a fun role, I thought. More recently, Ward played a lead role on “CSI: NY” and was a very welcome and much-needed addition to the cast. And, Ward played Dr. Richard Kimble’s murdered wife in the 1993 film version of “The Fugitive”.

14. Trig function : COSEC

The most familiar trigonometric functions are sine, cosine and tangent (abbreviated to “sin, cos and tan”). Each of these is a ratio: a ratio of two sides of a right-angled triangle. The “reciprocal” of these three functions are secant, cosecant and cotangent. The reciprocal functions are simply the inverted ratios, the inverted sine, cosine and tangent. These inverted ratios should not be confused with the “inverse” trigonometric functions e.g. arcsine, arccosine and arctangent. These inverse functions are the reverse of the sine, cosine and tangent.

15. Native Iowan : HAWKEYE

Iowa is nicknamed the Hawkeye State in honor of Chief Black Hawk, a leader of the Sauk people during the War of 1812 and the Black Hawk War.

17. Actor Beatty : NED

Actor Ned Beatty is possible best remembered for the rather disturbing “squeal like a pig” scene in the movie “Deliverance”. Beatty also earned an Academy Award nomination as Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the 1976 movie “Network”.

30. Constantly fidgeting, say : ANTSY

The word “antsy” embodies the concept of “having ants in one’s pants”, meaning being nervous and fidgety. However, “antsy” has been used in English since the 1830s, whereas “ants in the pants” originated a century later.

32. Game with 42 territory cards : RISK

Risk is a fabulous board game, and one introduced in France in 1957. Risk was invented by a very successful French director of short films called Albert Lamorisse. Lamorisse called his new game “La Conquête du Monde”, which translates into English as “The Conquest of the World”. A game of Risk is a must during the holidays in our house …

35. “Famous ___” (slogan on Idaho license plates) : POTATOES

Idaho has the nickname “Gem State”, mainly because almost every known type of gemstone has been found there. Idaho is also sometimes called the Potato State as potatoes are such a popular crop in the state. I’d go for the potatoes over the gems, but that’s probably just me …

40. Second of April? : PEE

The second letter in the word “April” is a letter P (pee).

51. Getting to the point? : TAPERING

I used to think that the word “taper” was used for a slender candle because said candle was “tapered” in shape, but it’s exactly the opposite. It turns out that our word “tapered” comes from the candle. “Taper” and “tapur” are Old English words meaning “candle”. From these nouns arose the verb “to taper” meaning “shoot up like flame”. This meaning evolved into “become slender” from the idea that a candle’s flame has such a shape.

57. Specks : IOTAS

Iota is the ninth letter in the Greek alphabet, and one that gave rise to our letters I and J. We use the word “iota” to portray something very small, as it is the smallest of all Greek letters.

60. Almost forever : AEONS

Geological time is divided into a number of units of varying lengths. These are, starting from the largest:

  • supereon
  • eon (also “aeon”)
  • era
  • period
  • epoch
  • age

62. Latin 101 word : ESSE

The Latin term “in esse” is used to mean “actually existing”, and translates as “in being”.

67. Horrible headache : MIGRAINE

The name of the searing headache called a “migraine” comes from the Greek words “hemi” meaning “half”, and “kranion” meaning “skull”.

68. Anesthesiologist’s concern : SEDATION

“Aisthesis” is the Greek word for “feeling”, from which “anaisthesia” is Greek for “want of feeling, lack of sensation”. And that’s how we get our English term “anesthesia”.

71. “The Bridge at Narni” painter : COROT

Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot was a French painter mainly noted for his landscapes, working just before the birth of the Impressionist movement. His lovely painting “The Bridge at Narni” from 1826 can be seen at the Musée du Louvre in Paris.

72. Internet sensation : MEME

A meme (short for “mineme”) is a cultural practice or idea that is passed on verbally or by repetition from one person to another. The term lends itself very well to the online world where links, emails, files etc. are so easily propagated.

73. Nut whose name sounds like a sneeze : CASHEW

The cashew is the seed of the cashew tree. The pulp of the cashew tree fruit (the cashew apple) is also consumed, and is usually processed into a fruit drink or distilled as a liquor.

79. Shock, in a way : TASE

“To tase” is to use a taser, a stun gun.

81. Flowering evergreen shrubs : GARDENIAS

The genus of flowering plant called gardenia is actually in the coffee family.

82. Bucks : SIMOLEONS

Lettuce, cabbage, kale, dough, scratch, cheddar, simoleons, clams and moola(h) are all slang terms for money.

85. Administrants of corporal punishment : SPANKERS

Corporal punishment in schools is still legal in 20 US states, states that are mostly in the south of the country.

89. It might end in a ZIP code: Abbr. : ADDR

ZIP codes were introduced in 1963. The acronym “ZIP” stands for “Zone Improvement Plan”, a name indicating that mail travels more efficiently when the codes are included in the postal address.

90. Ph.D. requirement: Abbr. : DISS

Dissertation (diss.)

93. Former Yankee nickname : A-ROD

Baseball player Alex Rodriguez, nicknamed “A-Rod”, broke a lot of records in his career, albeit under a shroud of controversy due to his use of illegal performance-enhancing drugs. When he signed a 10-year contract with the Texas Rangers for $252 million in 2000, it was the most lucrative contract in sports history. In 2007, Rodriguez signed an even more lucrative 10-year contract with the New York Yankees, worth $275 million. Rodriguez retired in 2016.

100. Semi fuel : DIESEL

Rudolf Diesel was a German engineer, the inventor of the diesel engine. Diesel died under mysterious circumstances, having disappeared from a passenger vessel sailing from Antwerp to London. Whether death was due to an accident, suicide or murder is the subject of much speculation.

101. Golfer Michelle : WIE

Michelle Wie is an American golfer on the LPGA Tour. Wie began playing golf at the age of four and was the youngest player ever to qualify for an LPGA tour event. She turned pro just before her 16th birthday.

108. California city north of Ventura : OJAI

The city of Ojai, California is located just northwest of Los Angeles. One of the city’s claims to fame is that according to the TV shows “The Bionic Woman” and “The Six Million Dollar Man”, Jaime Sommers and Steve Austin grew up in Ojai and were childhood sweethearts!

110. Mythical queen of Carthage : DIDO

Dido was the founder of Carthage, and the city’s first queen. Some sources use the name “Elissa” for the same person.

The Carthaginian Republic was centered on the city of Carthage, the ruins of which are located on the coast of modern-day Tunisia. The Latin name for the people of Carthage was “Afri”. When the Romans took over Carthage, they created a province they called “Africa”. That name extended over time to include the whole continent.

112. It has a big deck : UNO

UNO is a card game that was developed in the early seventies and that has been sold by Mattel since 1992. UNO falls into the “shedding” family of card games, in that the goal is to get rid of all your cards while preventing opponents from doing the same.

117. A Kardashian : KIM

Kim Kardashian is a socialite and television personality. She was introduced into society by her friend, Paris Hilton. Kardashian’s name first hit the headlines when a homemade sex tape made by her and singer Ray J was leaked.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1. Shakespearean father of three : LEAR
5. “I agree!” : AMEN!
9. Enjoys the sun : BASKS
14. Pants material : CHINO
19. Approximately : OR SO
20. Sycophant : LACKEY
21. Earth tone : OCHRE
22. Movie with a shootout at high noon, maybe : OATER
23. ___ Major : URSA
24. Band bookings : GIGS
25. Outside the city : RURAL
26. Any member of Abba : SWEDE
27. Automotive debut of 1957 : EDSEL
29. Some univ. hirees : TAS
31. Turkish inn : IMARET
33. Horror writer Peter : STRAUB
35. Stole, in slang : PINCHED
37. Cold treat : ICE POP
41. What’s needed in order to escape this crossword : LETTERS ON THE KEYS
44. Sandwich loaf : RYE
45. Pitcher Hershiser : OREL
46. Declares to be true : ATTESTS
47. Indie rocker with the 2009 #3 album “Middle Cyclone” : NEKO CASE
50. Not doing well : BAD AT
52. A snap : EASY
53. ___ jure (law phrase) : IPSO
55. Tobacconist ___ Sherman : NAT
56. Virtuous ones : SAINTS
58. N.Y.C. subway org. : MTA
59. Words of denial : WASN’T ME!
63. Round fig. : SPH
66. A little, musically : POCO
67. Charcuterie stock : MEATS
69. Lycées, e.g. : ECOLES
70. What to do with the items referenced in 41-Across : PLACE THEM IN THE CORNERS
74. Natural light display : AURORA
75. Move smoothly to the next thing : SEGUE
76. Great ___ : DANE
77. Billy ___ Williams : DEE
78. Like Russia prior to 1917 : TSARIST
80. One of a couple : MRS
81. Neon and others : GASSES
83. Apollo, to Zeus : SON
84. Offshore : ASEA
86. Possesses, to the Bard : HATH
87. Kind of battery : NICAD
91. Final desperate effort : LAST GASP
94. Tickle the ___ : IVORIES
97. Prefix on some first-aid products : MEDI-
98. “___ had it!” : I’VE
99. After following the instructions at 70-Across, how to escape this puzzle : READ NEW DOWN-WORDS
102. Not as much : LESS SO
105. Ratings pioneer : NIELSEN
106. Edmonton athletes : OILERS
107. “Fine with me” : OKEY DOKE
109. German name component, often : VON
110. Uncool one : DWEEB
111. Unconventional : OUTRE
114. James of the West : JESSE
116. “Just foolin'” : I KID
118. Algerian port : ORAN
121. Get together : UNITE
122. “Give it ___!” : A REST
123. Verdi soprano : AIDA
124. Grp. founded by 12 countries : NATO
125. Luau, basically : ROAST
126. Brothers’ name in R&B : ISLEY
127. Symbol of fire prevention : SMOKEY
128. Vehicle that requires no fuel : SLED

Down

1. Name one can “skip to” : LOU
2. Goof : ERR
3. Confidently said : ASSERTED
4. Pre-GPS staple : ROAD ATLAS
5. Subject with variables : ALGEBRA
6. Daily ___ (British paper) : MAIL
7. Part of some physicals: Abbr. : ECG
8. Attribute of many political ads : NASTINESS
9. Soup with a red color : BORSCHT
10. Prefix with pressure : ACU-
11. React with fear or delight : SHRIEK
12. Ralph and Alice, on old TV : KRAMDENS
13. Actress Ward : SELA
14. Trig function : COSEC
15. Native Iowan : HAWKEYE
16. Citizen of: Suffix : -ITE
17. Actor Beatty : NED
18. It’s mined, all mined! : ORE
28. Common middle name for girls : SUE
30. Constantly fidgeting, say : ANTSY
32. Game with 42 territory cards : RISK
33. Slovenly type : SLOB
34. Prefix with byte : TERA-
35. “Famous ___” (slogan on Idaho license plates) : POTATOES
36. Pause : HESITATE
38. Went on and on : PRATTLED
39. Yiddish cries : OYS
40. Second of April? : PEE
42. Wretched smell : STENCH
43. “Hey! That hurts!” : YEOW!
48. Kind of Hollywood romance : ON-SCREEN
49. Literary scholars debate what’s in it : CANON
51. Getting to the point? : TAPERING
54. Solution to a maze : PATH
57. Specks : IOTAS
58. They might drop down : MENUS
60. Almost forever : AEONS
61. Nothing more than : MERE
62. Latin 101 word : ESSE
63. Petty disagreement : SPAT
64. Also : PLUS
65. Beleaguers : HARASSES
67. Horrible headache : MIGRAINE
68. Anesthesiologist’s concern : SEDATION
71. “The Bridge at Narni” painter : COROT
72. Internet sensation : MEME
73. Nut whose name sounds like a sneeze : CASHEW
79. Shock, in a way : TASE
81. Flowering evergreen shrubs : GARDENIAS
82. Bucks : SIMOLEONS
85. Administrants of corporal punishment : SPANKERS
86. “Can you explain that further?” : HOW SO?
88. Requiring intellect : CEREBRAL
89. It might end in a ZIP code: Abbr. : ADDR
90. Ph.D. requirement: Abbr. : DISS
91. Tiny “tiny” : LIL
92. Forum greeting : AVE
93. Former Yankee nickname : A-ROD
95. Soft and smooth : VELVETY
96. Happy wintertime news for schoolkids : SNOW DAY
100. Semi fuel : DIESEL
101. Golfer Michelle : WIE
103. Kinds : SORTS
104. “Awesome!” : SWEET!
108. California city north of Ventura : OJAI
110. Mythical queen of Carthage : DIDO
111. Your and my : OUR
112. It has a big deck : UNO
113. Aunt: Sp. : TIA
115. Toledo-to-Columbus dir. : SSE
117. A Kardashian : KIM
119. Dined : ATE
120. Silent approval : NOD