0327-22 NY Times Crossword 27 Mar 22, Sunday

Constructed by: August Lee-Kovach
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Theme: I’m Still Standing

Themed answers refer to THE GREAT PYRAMID OF GIZA, the only one of the SEVEN WONDERS OF THE ANCIENT WORLD that is STILL STANDING:

  • 41A Approximately 5.5 million tons of it was used to build [see circled letters] : LIMESTONE
  • 5D With 51-Across and 15-Down, group in which [see circled letters] is the only one still largely intact : SEVEN WONDERS …
  • 51A See 5-Down : … OF THE …
  • 15D See 5-Down : … ANCIENT WORLD
  • 74D With 101-Across, where this puzzle’s enclosed answer is located : KING’S …
  • 101A Burial ___ : … CHAMBER
  • 79D Number of 101-Acrosses in [see circled letters] : THREE
  • 10D Greek name for this puzzle’s enclosed answer : CHEOPS
  • 121A Fill in this answer with letters from five clue numbers: 74, 92, 21, 52, 118 : KHUFU
  • 74A It’s often played for : KEEPS
  • 92D Like a book with a bookmark in the middle, say : HALF-READ
  • 21A Square : UNHIP
  • 52D “Ooh-la-la!” : FANCY!
  • 118D Weapon in “The Terminator” : UZI

Bill’s time: 21m 20s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

8 L.A. region : SOCAL

Southern California (SoCal)

13 Motto meaning “to the stars” : AD ASTRA

“Ad Astra” translates from Latin as “To the Stars”, as in the title of the magazine published by the National Space Society, and as in the motto of my alma mater, University College Dublin …

23 1990s-2000s Volkswagen seven-seater : EUROVAN

The Volkswagen Transporter T4 was produced from 1990 to 2003, and was marketed in North America as the Volkswagen Eurovan.

25 Overseas land measure : HECTARE

The hectare is a non-SI unit of area that is mainly used to measure land. One hectare is equal to 10,000 square meters (100 meters x 100 meters), and equivalent to 2.47 acres. And, coincidentally, “hectare” is an anagram of “the acre”.

27 “___ homo” : ECCE

According to the Gospel of John, when Pilate presented a scourged and beaten Jesus to the crowd he used the words “Ecce homo”, Latin for “Behold the man”.

29 Siri uses it : IOS

iOS is what Apple now calls its mobile operating system. Previously, it was known as iPhone OS.

30 Halliwell a.k.a. Ginger Spice : GERI

Geri Halliwell was nicknamed Ginger Spice when she was with the Spice Girls, because of her red hair. Halliwell was quite a bit older than the rest of the group and so sometimes she was less charitably referred to as “Old Spice”. After launching her solo career, Halliwell released a fabulous 2001 version of the song “It’s Raining Men”, which was originally recorded by the Weather Girls in 1982. Great song …

31 Dino friend of Buzz Lightyear : REX

In the excellent Pixar film “Toy Story”, Rex is a tyrannosaurus, and a pretty clumsy one at that. He is voiced by actor Wallace Shawn, whose name is perhaps less familiar than his face. Shawn played the neighbor on “The Cosby Show” as well as many, many other supporting characters on TV and the big screen.

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

41 Approximately 5.5 million tons of it was used to build [see circled letters] : LIMESTONE
THE GREAT PYRAMID OF GIZA

The Great Pyramid of Giza is the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and yet it is the only one of the Wonders that is basically intact today. Egyptologists believe that the structure took ten to twenty years to complete, and that it dates back to around 2560 BC. The Great Pyramid of Giza was the tallest man-made structure in the world for nearly 3,900 years, until it was surpassed by Lincoln Cathedral in England in 1311 AD.

43 Bellini opera that takes place in Gaul : NORMA

“Norma” is an opera written by Vincenzo Bellini that was first performed in 1831. One aria from the work is “Casta diva”, which is one of the most popular arias of the 1800s.

56 Western Hemisphere grp. : OAS

The Organization of American States (OAS) was founded in 1948, and has its headquarters in Washington, D.C. Not all of the independent states in the Americas are members. Cuba was barred from participation in the organization after a vote in 1962. Honduras had her membership suspended after the country’s 2009 coup.

The Western Hemisphere is that half of the Earth’s surface lying to the west of the prime meridian (which runs through Greenwich). The opposing half of the planet is the Eastern Hemisphere.

59 Former Japanese P.M. Shinzo ___ : ABE

Shinzo Abe first became Prime Minister of Japan in 2006, at which time he was the youngest person to hold the post since WWII and was the first PM born after the war. Abe was in office for less than a year, but was voted in again in 2012. At the end of 2019, Abe became the longest-serving Prime Minister in the history of Japan. He resigned from office in 2020, citing medical issues.

60 Country between Ghana and Benin : TOGO

Togo is a country on the West African coast, and one of the smallest nations on the continent. It is located between Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the north.

61 Word repeatedly said while plucking petals : SHE

She loves me, she loves me not …

64 Blue ribbon or gold star : AWARD

A common award for winning first place in a competition, especially at a fair, is a blue ribbon. In Canada and the UK, first place is usually recognized with a red ribbon, and blue ribbon is given for second place.

66 Yarn : STORY

The phrase “to spin a yarn”, meaning “to tell a tall tale”, originated in the early 1800s with seamen. The idea was that sailors would tell stories to each other while engaged in mindless work such as twisting yarn.

75 Website with an “Everything Else” category : EBAY

There have been some notable things sold on eBay over the years. For example:

  • Ad space on a guy’s forehead, in the form of a temporary tattoo – $37,375
  • William Shatner’s kidney stone – $25,000
  • A cornflake shaped like Illinois – $1,350
  • A single corn flake – $1.63
  • A box of 10 Twinkies – $59.99
  • The original Hollywood sign – $450,400
  • The meaning of life – $3.26

80 Mexican poet Juana ___ de la Cruz : INES

Juana Inés de la Cruz was a poet in the Baroque period, She was also a nun, and lived in Mexico City.

82 U.F.C. fighting style : MMA

Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact combat sport in which competitors use a variety of techniques from a variety of traditional combat sports and martial arts.

83 Radio host John : TESH

John Tesh is a pianist and composer, as well as a radio and television presenter. For many years Tesh presented the show “Entertainment Tonight”. For “ET” he once covered the filming of an episode of “Star Trek: The Next Generation”. As part of the piece, he volunteered to act as a Klingon warrior. If you see the “Star Trek: TNG” episode called “The Icarus Factor” in reruns, watch out for John Tesh engaging in ritual torture with Mr. Worf as his victim.

87 Frequent victim of an April fool : SAP

“Sap” is slang for “fool, someone easily scammed”. The term arose in the early 1800s in Britain when it was used in “saphead” and “sapskull”. All these words are derived from “sapwood”, which is the softwood found in tree trunks between the bark and the heartwood at the center.

April Fools’ Day is celebrated on April 1st in the Western world. In the US (and Ireland) one can make practical jokes all day long if one wants, but in the UK there is a noon deadline. Anyone pranking after midday is called an “April Fool”.

93 Municipal facility: Abbr. : CTR

Center (ctr.)

94 Kind of bar : GRANOLA

The names “Granola” and “Granula” were trademarked back in the late 1800s for whole-grain foods that were crumbled and baked until crisp. Granola was created in Dansville, New York in 1894.

100 One-act Oscar Wilde play : SALOME

“Salomé” is an 1891 play by Irishman Oscar Wilde that the playwright originally wrote in French. It tells the biblical story of Salome who requested the head of John the Baptist in return for performing the dance of the seven veils. Wilde’s work was adapted by Richard Strauss into an opera of the same name that premiered in Dresden in 1905.

103 Fútbol cry : OLE! OLE!

In Spanish, a “fútbol” (football) supporter might shout “olé!” (bravo!).

105 Spoils : LOOT

“Loot” is the name given to anything taken by dishonesty or force, particularly during war. The term came into English from the Hindi “lut” meaning “goods taken from an enemy”.

106 ___ bean : SOYA

What are known as soybeans here in the US are called “soya beans” in most other English-speaking countries. So, I drink soy milk here in America, but when I am over in Ireland I drink “soya milk”.

108 Some December purchases : FIRS

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.

109 They’re stored in pollen grains : GAMETES

A gamete is a reproductive cell that has half the full complement of genes needed to make a normal cell. In sexual reproduction, it takes two gametes, one from each parent, to fuse into one cell which then develops into a new organism. The female gamete is the ovum, and the male the sperm.

The fine powder known as pollen is basically a flower’s sperm. Pollen carries a seed plant’s male reproductive cells.

111 Villainous “Star Trek” collective : THE BORG

The cyborgs known as the Borg first showed up in the “Star Trek” universe as the villains in the movie “Star Trek: First Contact”, and then spread to other “Star Trek” productions. “Cyborg” is an abbreviation for “cybernetic organism”, a being that is made up of both organic and synthetic parts.

116 Element named after a German river : RHENIUM

Rhenium is one of the rarest metals found in the earth’s crust. It was the last naturally occurring, stable element to be discovered, in 1925. It is named for the river Rhine.

121 Fill in this answer with letters from five clue numbers: 74, 92, 21, 52, 118 : KHUFU
10 Greek name for this puzzle’s enclosed answer : CHEOPS

Cheops is the name used by the Greeks for the Egyptian pharaoh Khufu. It was Cheops who had the Great Pyramid of Giza constructed.

122 Prehistoric Southwest culture : ANASAZI

The Ancient Pueblo Peoples were Native Americans who lived in what is now called the Four Corners area of the US. Archeologists sometimes refer to these ancestral Pueblo peoples as the Anasazi, a Navajo word meaning “Ancient Ones”. The Pueblo name was given by early Spanish explorers in reference to the villages that they found. “Pueblo” is Spanish for “village”.

124 Sign of success : SRO

Standing room only (SRO)

126 Vardalos of “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” : NIA

Nia Vardalos is an actress and screenwriter whose biggest break came with the 2002 film “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”, which she wrote and in which she starred. The film tells the story of a Greek-American woman marrying a non-Greek Caucasian American who converts to the Greek Orthodox Church to facilitate the marriage. The storyline reflects the actual experiences of Vardalos and her husband, actor Ian Gomez. Vardalos and Gomez appeared together as hosts for two seasons of the reality competition “The Great American Baking Show”.

Down

1 Periods in history : AGES

Ancient societies can be classified by the “three-age system”, which depends on the prevalence of materials used to make tools. The three ages are:

  • The Stone Age
  • The Bronze Age
  • The Iron Age

The actual dates defined by each age depend on the society, as the timing of the transition from the use of one material to another varied around the globe.

3 They wrap things up : TORTILLAS

“Tortilla” translates literally from Spanish as “little cake”.

5 With 51-Across and 15-Down, group in which [see circled letters] is the only one still largely intact : SEVEN WONDERS …
51A See 5-Down : … OF THE …
15D See 5-Down : … ANCIENT WORLD

The full list of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World is:

  • the Great Pyramid at Giza, Egypt
  • the Hanging Gardens of Babylon
  • the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, Greece
  • the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus
  • the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus
  • the Colossus of Rhodes
  • the Lighthouse at Alexandria, Egypt

8 ___ generis (unique) : SUI

“Sui generis” is a Latin expression meaning “of its own kind”. The term can be used in a number of fields, and in philosophy it refers to an idea which cannot be included in a wider concept, and idea of its own kind.

12 Sleeve fillers : LPS

The first vinyl records designed to play at 33⅓ rpm were introduced by RCA Victor in 1931, but were discontinued due to quality problems. The first long play (LP) 33⅓ rpm disc was introduced by Columbia Records many years later in 1948, with RCA Victor following up with a 45 rpm “single” the following year, in 1949.

16 Pepper’s rank: Abbr. : SGT

“Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” was the alter-ego of the Beatles, and the title of a famous studio album released in 1967, as well as the name of the album’s title track.

18 Like a T206 Honus Wagner baseball card : RARE

T206 is a series of tobacco cards that was issued by the American Tobacco Company from 1909 to 1911. The series is famous among collectors of baseball cards due to its extreme rarity. The T206 Honus Wagner card is the most valuable baseball card in existence, with examples routinely fetching hundreds of thousands of dollars in auctions.

Honus Wagner was a professional shortstop who played mainly for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Wagner was one of the first five players to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. He actually received the second-highest number of votes, tying with Babe Ruth and just behind Ty Cobb.

19 Lion in the “Madagascar” movies : ALEX

“Madagascar” is an animated film released in 2005. It’s a story about zoo animals, used to “the easy life” in captivity, getting shipwrecked on the island of Madagascar off the African coast.

28 Most massive dwarf planet in the solar system : ERIS

Eris is the largest known dwarf planet in our solar system. It is also the ninth largest body orbiting the sun, a fact that helped relegate Pluto (the tenth largest body) from its status of planet in 2006. Eris was discovered in 2005, and named for the goddess of discord.

30 Pass it on : GENE

A gene is a section of a chromosome that is responsible for a particular characteristic in an organism. For example, one gene may determine eye color and another balding pattern. We have two copies of each gene, one from each of our parents, with each copy known as an allele.

33 Singers’ star turns : SOLI

“Soli” (the plural of “solo”) are pieces of music performed by one artist, whereas “tutti” are pieces performed by all of the artists.

35 Contents of some belts, informally : AMMO

The word “munitions” describes materials and equipment used in war. The term derives from the Latin “munitionem” meaning “fortification, defensive wall”. Back in the 17th century, French soldiers referred to such materials as “la munition”, a Middle French term. This was misheard as “l’ammunition”, and as a result we ended up importing the word “ammunition” (often shortened to “ammo”), a term that we now use mainly to describe the material fired from a weapon.

38 It comes before one : NOON

Our word “noon”, meaning “midday”, comes from the Latin “nona hora” that translates as “ninth hour”. Back in ancient Rome, the “ninth hour” was three in the afternoon. Over the centuries, traditions such as church prayers and “midday” meals shifted from 3 p.m. to 12 p.m., and so “noon” became understood as 12 noon.

40 Harp-shaped constellation : LYRA

Lyra (Latin for “lyre, harp, lute”) is a constellation that includes the star Vega, one of the brightest stars in the night sky. The constellation Lyra is surrounded by the neighboring constellations of Draco, Hercules, Vulpecula and Cygnus.

41 Turkish money : LIRAS

The currency of Turkey is the Turkish lira, which is divided into 100 kuruş. In 1927, the Turkish lira replaced the Ottoman lira, which had been in use since 1844.

49 They reflected rank in old Rome : TOGAS

In ancient Rome, the classical attire known as a toga (plural “togae” or “togas”) was usually worn over a tunic. The tunic was made from linen, and the toga itself was a piece of cloth about twenty feet long made from wool. The toga could only be worn by men, and only if those men were Roman citizens. The female equivalent of the toga was called a “stola”.

53 It gives you a lift : T-BAR

A T-bar is a ski lift on which the skiers are pulled up the hill in pairs, with each pair standing (not sitting!) either side of a T-shaped metal bar. The bar is placed behind the thighs, pulling along the skiers as they remain standing on their skis (hopefully!). There’s also a J-bar, which is a similar device but with each J-shaped bar used by one skier at a time.

54 2003 #1 Outkast hit : HEY YA!

“Hey Ya!” is a 2003 song by hip hop duo Outkast. I took a look at the song’s official music video, as I read that it was inspired by the 1964 appearance of the Beatles on “The Ed Sullivan Show”. Fun …

60 Mat made of soft rush : TATAMI

A tatami is a traditional mat used on floors in Japan. The term “tatami” comes from the Japanese word “tatamu” meaning “to fold”, reflecting the fact that the mat is designed to be folded up for storage.

66 Mujeres con esposos : SENORAS

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

67 Outdoor game for kindergartners : TEE-BALL

“Kindergarten” is a German term, one translating as “children’s garden”. The term was coined by the German education authority Friedrich Fröbel in 1837, when he used it as the name for his play and activity institute that he created for young children to use before they headed off to school. His thought was that children should be nourished educationally, like plants in a garden.

70 “The Office” role played by Jenna Fischer : PAM

In the excellent sitcom “The Office”, the character Pam Halpert (née Beesly) is played very ably by Jenna Fischer. If you’ve seen the original version of “The Office” from the UK, then you’d have met Pam’s equivalent character, whose name is Dawn Tinsley.

72 College voter, perhaps : ELECTOR

The Twelfth Amendment to the Constitution was ratified in 1804, and redefines procedures used by the Electoral College during a presidential election. Prior to the amendment, each member of the Electoral College cast two electoral votes, after which the candidate with the most votes was elected president, and the candidate with the second-most votes was elected vice president. As a result of the amendment, each member of the Electoral College casts one vote for president, and one vote for vice president. So, the Twelfth Amendment makes it unlikely that we end up with a vice president who is not supportive of the president, as the victorious pair probably campaigned together on the same ticket, and had not been rivals in the election.

73 Light shades : PASTELS

A “pastel” is a crayon made from a “paste” containing a powdered pigment in a binder. The term “pastel” can also be used to describe a work created using pastels.

75 Disney’s ___ of Arendelle : ELSA

“Frozen” is a 2013 animated feature from Walt Disney Studios that is based on the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale “The Snow Queen”. The film is all about the exploits of Princess Anna, the younger sister of Elsa, Snow Queen of Arendelle. Spoiler alert: Prince Hans of the Southern Isles seems to be a good guy for most of the film, but turns out to be a baddie in the end. And, a snowman named Olaf provides some comic relief.

86 Pale ___ : ALE

Pale ale is a beer made using mainly pale malt, which results in a relatively light color for a malted beer.

89 Brewer Frederick : PABST

Frederick Pabst was a brewer from the Milwaukee, Wisconsin area who had immigrated to the US from Prussia with his parents. Pabst bought himself into his father-in-law’s small brewery and over the years grew the enterprise into a public company. The most famous beer from Pabst is Pabst Blue Ribbon.

91 ___-Magnon : CRO

Remains of early man, dating back to 35,000 years ago, were found in Abri de Cro-Magnon in southwest France, giving the name to those early humans. Cro-Magnon remains are the oldest human relics that have been discovered in Europe.

95 Chewy confection : NOUGAT

“Nougat” is an Occitan word (Occitania being a region of Southern Europe) that translates as “nut bread”.

96 Oxford, e.g. : SHOE

An oxford is a type of lace-up shoe that originated not in Oxford, but actually in Scotland and/or Ireland.

97 Michelle of “Crazy Rich Asians” : YEOH

Michelle Yeoh is an actress from Malaysia who appeared in several Hong Kong action films in which she did her own stunts and martial arts scenes. Her most famous action performance was in the 2000 movie “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”, although I best know her for playing opposite Pierce Brosnan in the Bond film “Tomorrow Never Dies”.

“Crazy Rich Asians” is a 2018 romcom based on a 2013 novel of the same name by Kevin Kwan. The film garnered a lot of attention and accolades, not only for the quality of the script and performances. It was the first major Hollywood movie to feature a principal cast of Asian descent since 1993’s “The Joy Luck Club”.

102 New York town that’s home to Playland amusement park : RYE

The New York city of Rye is the youngest in the state, having received its charter in 1942. Rye is home to the historic amusement park called Playland, which in 1987 was designated a National Historic Landmark. Opened in 1928, today’s Playland is actually owned and operated by Westchester County, making it one of the only government-operated amusement parks in the whole country.

107 The “A” of James A. Garfield : ABRAM

James Abram Garfield, the 20th President of the US, was assassinated in office. He was shot twice, and one bullet could not be found (it was lodged in his spine). Inventor Alexander Graham Bell developed a metal detector in an attempt to locate the bullet, but apparently he was unsuccessful because of interference from the metal bed frame on which the president lay. Garfield died two months after being shot.

110 So-called “Iron Lady” of Israeli politics : MEIR

Golda Meir was known as the “Iron Lady” when she was Prime Minister of Israel, long before that sobriquet came to be associated with British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Golda Meir was born Golda Mabovitch in Kiev (in modern-day Ukraine), and when she was a young girl she moved with her family to the United States and settled in Milwaukee. As a teenager she relocated to Denver where she met and married Morris Meyerson, at the age of 19. She and her husband joined a kibbutz in Palestine in 1921, when she was in her twenties. Meir had been active in politics in the US, and continued her political work in Palestine. She was very influential during WWII, and played a leading role in negotiations after the war leading to the setting up of the state of Israel. By the time she was called on to lead the country, Meir had already retired, citing exhaustion and ill health. But serve she did, and led Israel during turbulent times (e.g. the massacre at the Munich Olympics, and the Yom Kippur War). She eventually resigned in 1974, saying that was what the people wanted.

114 Pi follower : RHO

Rho is the Greek letter that looks just like our Roman letter “p”, although it is equivalent to the Roman letter R. It is the 17th letter in the Greek alphabet.

115 “People who love to ___ are always the best people”: Julia Child : EAT

Julia Child was an American chef who is recognized for bringing French cuisine to the American public. During WWII, Julia Child joined the OSS (Office of Strategic Services), the predecessor to the CIA. She worked for the OSS in Washington, Ceylon and China. While in the OSS, she met her husband Paul Child who was also an OSS employee. Paul joined the Foreign Service after the war, and it was his posting to France that created the opportunity for Julie to learn about French cuisine. If you haven’t seen it, I highly, highly recommend the movie “Julie & Julia”, one of the best films of 2009. Meryl Streep does a fabulous job playing the larger-than-life Julia Child.

117 Writer Fleming : IAN

The character James Bond was the creation of writer Ian Fleming. Fleming “stole” the James Bond name from an American ornithologist. The number “007” was “stolen” from the real-life, 16th-century English spy named John Dee. Dee would sign his reports to Queen Elizabeth I with a stylized “007” to indicate that the reports were for “her eyes only”. There’s an entertaining miniseries that aired on BBC America called “Fleming: The Man Who Would Be Bond” that details Ian Fleming’s military career, and draws some nice parallels between Fleming’s experiences and aspirations and those of his hero James Bond. Recommended …

118 Weapon in “The Terminator” : UZI

The first Uzi submachine gun was designed in the late 1940s by Major Uziel “Uzi” Gal of the Israel Defense Forces, who gave his name to the gun.

119 Actress Farrow : MIA

The 1984 movie “The Terminator” was directed by James Cameron. It was a relatively low-budget production, costing $6.4 million, but has grossed at least $80 million to date. No wonder the Terminator said “I’ll be back” …

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Swears (to) : ATTESTS
8 L.A. region : SOCAL
13 Motto meaning “to the stars” : AD ASTRA
20 Place with carts : GROCERY
21 Square : UNHIP
22 What oil may do in frigid temperatures : CONGEAL
23 1990s-2000s Volkswagen seven-seater : EUROVAN
24 Things : ITEMS
25 Overseas land measure : HECTARE
26 Not needing a thing : SET
27 “___ homo” : ECCE
29 Siri uses it : IOS
30 Halliwell a.k.a. Ginger Spice : GERI
31 Dino friend of Buzz Lightyear : REX
32 “___ it ironic?” : ISN’T
34 Storm : RAMPAGE
37 What an up arrow might mean : SEND
39 Green-light : ALLOW
41 Approximately 5.5 million tons of it was used to build [see circled letters] : LIMESTONE
43 Bellini opera that takes place in Gaul : NORMA
46 A = B, B = C, ergo A = C, e.g. : SYLLOGISM
48 Purchase plan : RENT-TO-OWN
50 Sneaker, in British lingo : TRAINER
51 See 5-Down : … OF THE …
55 Committed to memory : DOWN PAT
56 Western Hemisphere grp. : OAS
57 Gunslinger’s cry : DRAW!
59 Former Japanese P.M. Shinzo ___ : ABE
60 Country between Ghana and Benin : TOGO
61 Word repeatedly said while plucking petals : SHE
62 Clipped : TERSE
63 Opposing vote from a horse? : NAY
64 Blue ribbon or gold star : AWARD
66 Yarn : STORY
68 Make secret, in a way : ENCRYPT
71 A chance to dream : SLEEP
74 It’s often played for : KEEPS
75 Website with an “Everything Else” category : EBAY
76 Some small batteries : AAAS
78 C sharp equivalent : D-FLAT
80 Mexican poet Juana ___ de la Cruz : INES
81 Sass : LIP
82 U.F.C. fighting style : MMA
83 Radio host John : TESH
84 Head, in slang : NOB
85 Play group : CAST
87 Frequent victim of an April fool : SAP
90 Creep : INCH
93 Municipal facility: Abbr. : CTR
94 Kind of bar : GRANOLA
96 Waterfall feature : SPRAY
98 One forced into a force : DRAFTEE
100 One-act Oscar Wilde play : SALOME
101 Burial ___ : CHAMBER
103 Fútbol cry : OLE! OLE!
104 “You no-good dog,” e.g. : SLUR
105 Spoils : LOOT
106 ___ bean : SOYA
108 Some December purchases : FIRS
109 They’re stored in pollen grains : GAMETES
111 Villainous “Star Trek” collective : THE BORG
113 Like some chicken cutlets : BREADED
116 Element named after a German river : RHENIUM
120 “Ugh!” : I HATE IT!
121 Fill in this answer with letters from five clue numbers: 74, 92, 21, 52, 118 : KHUFU
122 Prehistoric Southwest culture : ANASAZI
123 Little squirt : TOT
124 Sign of success : SRO
125 Trendy : MOD
126 Vardalos of “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” : NIA

Down

1 Periods in history : AGES
2 Level : TRUE
3 They wrap things up : TORTILLAS
4 Prefix with system : ECO-
5 With 51-Across and 15-Down, group in which [see circled letters] is the only one still largely intact : SEVEN WONDERS …
6 Egyptian desert, e.g. : TRACT
7 Harmonize : SYNC
8 ___ generis (unique) : SUI
9 Prompt : ON TIME
10 Greek name for this puzzle’s enclosed answer : CHEOPS
11 Targets : AIMS AT
12 Sleeve fillers : LPS
13 Not just smart : ACHE
14 Active sorts : DOERS
15 See 5-Down : … ANCIENT WORLD
16 Pepper’s rank: Abbr. : SGT
17 High-arcing shots, in basketball lingo : TEARDROPS
18 Like a T206 Honus Wagner baseball card : RARE
19 Lion in the “Madagascar” movies : ALEX
28 Most massive dwarf planet in the solar system : ERIS
30 Pass it on : GENE
33 Singers’ star turns : SOLI
35 Contents of some belts, informally : AMMO
36 Reason for an R rating : GORE
38 It comes before one : NOON
39 Regarding : AS TO
40 Harp-shaped constellation : LYRA
41 Turkish money : LIRAS
42 Provide resources for : ENDOW
44 [Big kiss, dahling!] : [MWAH!]
45 Pay (up) : ANTE
47 ___ and the Pacemakers (1960s pop group) : GERRY
49 They reflected rank in old Rome : TOGAS
52 “Ooh-la-la!” : FANCY!
53 It gives you a lift : T-BAR
54 2003 #1 Outkast hit : HEY YA!
58 Tad : WEE BIT
60 Mat made of soft rush : TATAMI
62 You might take them out for a spin : TOPS
65 Artful : DEFT
66 Mujeres con esposos : SENORAS
67 Outdoor game for kindergartners : TEE-BALL
69 Time out? : NAP
70 “The Office” role played by Jenna Fischer : PAM
72 College voter, perhaps : ELECTOR
73 Light shades : PASTELS
74 With 101-Across, where this puzzle’s enclosed answer is located : KING’S …
75 Disney’s ___ of Arendelle : ELSA
77 Smooth, in a way : SAND
79 Number of 101-Acrosses in [see circled letters] : THREE
85 Workmates, e.g. : COMRADES
86 Pale ___ : ALE
87 Tiffs : SPATS
88 Sleeve filler : ARM
89 Brewer Frederick : PABST
91 ___-Magnon : CRO
92 Like a book with a bookmark in the middle, say : HALF-READ
95 Chewy confection : NOUGAT
96 Oxford, e.g. : SHOE
97 Michelle of “Crazy Rich Asians” : YEOH
99 Fakes : FEIGNS
101 Hotel offering : COT
102 New York town that’s home to Playland amusement park : RYE
105 Caused : LED TO
107 The “A” of James A. Garfield : ABRAM
110 So-called “Iron Lady” of Israeli politics : MEIR
112 “This does not look good!” : OH NO!
113 Fell for it : BIT
114 Pi follower : RHO
115 “People who love to ___ are always the best people”: Julia Child : EAT
117 Writer Fleming : IAN
118 Weapon in “The Terminator” : UZI
119 Actress Farrow : MIA