1117-19 NY Times Crossword 17 Nov 19, Sunday

Constructed by: Randolph Ross
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Theme: Report Card

Themed answers are common phrases, with the last word reinterpreted as a description of a grade on a REPORT CARD. That grade is cited in the clue. Very clever …

  • 23A Parenting: A+ : MOTHER: SUPERIOR (A+ = “superior”)
  • 35A Taming wild horses: D- : BREAKING: BAD (D- = “bad”)
  • 49A Valet skills: B+ : PARKING: FINE (B+ = “fine”)
  • 62A Hosting a morning news show: C+ : SCARBOROUGH: FAIR (C+ = “fair”)
  • 81A Stuffing tip jars: D : BUCK: PASSING (D = “passing”)
  • 91A Employee efficiency: D+ : WORKING: POOR (D+ = “poor”)
  • 109A Baseball skill: C : BATTING: AVERAGE (C = “average”)
  • 16D Stereo quality: B : SOUNDS: GOOD (B = “good”)
  • 69D Fashion sense: A : TASTE: GREAT (A = “great”)

Read on, or jump to …
… a complete list of answers

Bill’s time: 18m 42s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Lack of this results in baldness : TREAD

A retread tire is one that has been recycled, possibly more than once. The tread of the old tire is buffed away, and new rubber tread is applied to the “bare” tire using some special process that seems to work really well (except for truck tires, in my humble opinion!). Retreads are a lot cheaper, and obviously are relatively friendly to the environment.

19 Old foundation : CORSET

A corset is a close-fitting undergarment that is stiffened with a material such as whalebone. Corsets are more usually worn by women, to shape the body. The word “corset” is a diminutive of the Old French “cors” meaning “body”.

21 1994 Jean-Claude Van Damme sci-fi thriller : TIMECOP

“Timecop” is an entertaining sci-fi movie released in 1994, starring Jean-Claude Van Damme as a US federal agent who tracks down criminals with the aid of time travel.

Jean-Claude Van Damme is a Belgian actor and an expert in martial arts. Given his background, he is referred to by the nickname “The Muscles from Brussels”.

25 Night demons : INCUBI

In folklore, a succubus is a female demon that takes on the form of an attractive female in order to seduce unwitting men. The succubus draws energy from the seduced men in order to survive, using sexual intercourse in the same way that a vampire might suck blood for the same purpose. The word succubus derives from the Latin “succubare”, itself from “sub” “cubare” meaning “to lie under”. There is a male equivalent to a succubus, namely an incubus.

30 Bye word : ADIEU

“Adieu” is the French for “goodbye, farewell”, from “à Dieu” meaning “to God”. The plural of “adieu” is “adieux”.

33 Nervous stress : AGITA

“Agita” is another name for “acid indigestion”, and more generally for “agitation, anxiety”.

35 Taming wild horses: D- : BREAKING: BAD (D- = “bad”)

The AMC drama “Breaking Bad” is a well-written show about a high school teacher stricken by lung cancer who turns to a life of crime to make money. It turns out that the teacher has a talent for making high-quality crystal meth. The show was created by Vince Gilligan who had spent many years as a producer and writer of “The X-Files”. There is a “Breaking Bad” spin-off show running on AMC called “Better Call Saul” that focuses on the life of lawyer Saul Goodman. To be honest, I enjoyed “Better Call Saul” even more than the original show …

40 Reflex messengers : NEURONS

A nerve cell is more correctly called a neuron. The branched projections that receive electrochemical signals from other neurons are known as dendrites. The long nerve fiber that conducts signals away from the neuron is known as the axon. A neuron that has no definite axon is referred to as “apolar” or “nonpolar”. In apolar neurons the nerve impulses radiate in all directions.

42 Heavy metal : LEAD

Lead is a heavy metallic element with the symbol Pb (standing for “plumbum”, Latin for “lead”). Although lead proves to be a very useful metal, it is very toxic and is poisonous if absorbed into the body.

43 Some kitchen appliances : GES

The General Electric Company is usually referred to simply as “GE”. One of the precursor companies to GE was Edison General Electric, founded in 1890 by the inventor Thomas Edison. What we know today as GE was formed two years later when Edison merged his company with Charles Coffin’s Thomson-Houston Electric Company. In 1896, GE was selected as one of the 12 companies listed on the newly formed Dow Jones Industrial Average. GE was the last the original 12 to survive on that list, being replaced by Walgreens in 2018. I spent over ten years with GE at the beginning of my working career, and in fact it was GE that asked me to transfer to the US from Ireland back in the 1980s …

58 Watch chains : FOBS

A fob is attached to an object to make it easier to access. And so a key fob is a chain attached to a key so that it can be retrieved easily. There are also watch fobs, and the pocket in a vest in which a watch can be placed is called a fob. In fact, the original use of the term “fob” was for a small pocket in which one could carry valuables.

60 Skills, in Sevilla : ARTES

The city of Seville (“Sevilla” in Spanish) is the capital of Andalusia in southern Spain. Seville is a favored setting for many operas including “The Barber of Seville” by Rossini, “Fidelio” by Beethoven and Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” and “The Marriage of Figaro”.

62 Hosting a morning news show: C+ : SCARBOROUGH: FAIR (C+ = “fair”)

“Morning Joe” is a show broadcast by MSNBC each weekday morning. It is hosted by Joe Scarborough, and first went on the air in 2007. Given the name of the show, Starbucks was very happy to be the show’s sponsor from 2009 through 2013, and got lots of product placement.

“Scarborough Fair” is a delightful ballad that originated in Yorkshire in the North of England. Simon & Garfunkel recorded a famous version of the song in 1966, setting it in counterpoint with one of Simon’s own creations called “Canticle”.

Are you going to Scarborough Fair?
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme;
Remember me to one who lives there,
She was once a true love of mine.

70 First draft picks : ONE-AS

The US government maintains information on all males who are potentially subject to military conscription, using what is called the Selective Service System (SSS). In the event that a draft was held, men registered would be classified into groups to determine eligibility for service. Class 1-A registrants are those available for unrestricted military service. Other classes are 1-A-O (conscientious objector available for noncombatant service), 4-A (registrant who has completed military service) and 4-D (Minister of religion).

71 It makes stealing pay off : LATE TAG

That would be baseball.

75 “See you later!” : CIAO!

“Ciao” is Italian for “‘bye”. “Arrivederci” is more formal, and translates as “goodbye”.

78 Norman Lear series star : BEA ARTHUR

Actress Bea Arthur’s most famous roles were on television, as the lead in the “All in the Family” spin-off “Maude” and as Dorothy Zbornak in “The Golden Girls”. Arthur also won a Tony for playing Vera Charles on stage in the original cast of “Mame” in 1966, two years after she played Yente the matchmaker in the original cast of “Fiddler on the Roof”.

Norman Lear wrote and produced some great television shows, including “All in the Family”, “Sanford and Son” and “The Jeffersons”. He also did some film work, including writing and producing the great 1967 movie “Divorce American Style”.

86 Alternative to a Maxwell : REO

The REO Motor Company was founded by Ransom Eli Olds (hence the name REO). The company made cars, trucks and buses, and was in business from 1905 to 1975 in Lansing, Michigan. Among the company’s most famous models were the REO Royale and the REO Flying Cloud.

Maxwell was a line cars made in the US in the early 1900s. The manufacturer was named for co-founder Jonathan Dixon Maxwell, an ex-employee of Oldsmobile. At one point, Maxwell operated the largest automobile plant in the world, in New Castle, Indiana. The company overextended itself financially in the 1920s and was eventually absorbed into the Chrysler Corporation that was founded in 1925.

87 Indy winner Luyendyk : ARIE

Arie Luyendyk is a racing driver from the Netherlands, winner of the Indianapolis 500 on two occasions. Luyendyk’s son, also called Arie, is following in his father’s footsteps and is also an auto racer.

95 Sorcerer : MAGUS

“Magi” is the plural of the Latin word “magus”, a term applied to someone who was able to read the stars. Hence, “magi” is commonly used with reference to the “wise men from the East” who followed the star and visited Jesus soon after he was born. In Western Christianity, the three Biblical Magi are:

  • Melchior: a scholar from Persia
  • Caspar: a scholar from India
  • Balthazar: a scholar from Arabia

99 Supply-___ (economic theorist) : SIDER

The theory of supply-side economics holds that economic growth is best-promoted by investing in capital, and by making it easy for goods and services to be delivered to potential customers. The idea is that consumers will respond to the ready availability of products and services at lower prices and will spend. In turn, suppliers reinvest in businesses, creating more jobs and more spending power.

101 Do a P.R. makeover on : REBRAND

Public relations (PR)

103 16501-16511 : ERIE, PA

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.

107 Put on hold : SHELVE

These “tabling” and “shelving” idioms drive me crazy, because they are often misused. If a topic is shelved, it is set aside. If a topic is tabled, it is brought “off the shelf” and put “on the table” for discussion. I know that language evolves, but I think that it should at least make sense …

116 Nueva York, e.g. : ESTADO

In Spanish, examples of an “estado” are “Nueva York” (New York) and “Dakota del Norte” (North Dakota).

117 Afterword : END NOTE

A “preface” is a book’s introduction that is written by the author himself or herself. A “foreword” is an introduction written by a different person, and precedes the author’s preface. Note the spelling of “foreword”, as opposed to the spelling of the relative direction “forward”. A book may also have an “afterword”, a commentary that may or may not be written by the author.

118 Bibliographical abbr. : ET SEQ

The Latin phrase “et sequens” or “et sequentia” is used in English to mean “and following”, and is abbreviated to “et seq.”

Down

1 Channel on which to see some b&w films : TCM

Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is one of my favorite television channels as it delivers just what its name promises, i.e. classic movies.

2 Fleece : ROOK

To rook is to cheat. The earlier use of “rook” as a noun was as a disparaging term for a swindler or cheat. Somehow, it was insulting to refer to a person as a rook, as in the type of bird.

3 Noted Deco designer : ERTE

“Erté” was the pseudonym of French (Russian-born) artist and designer Romain de Tirtoff. “Erté” is the French pronunciation of his initials “R.T.” Erté’s diverse portfolio of work included costumes and sets for the “Ziegfeld Follies” of 1923, productions of the Parisian cabaret show “Folies Bergère”, as well as the 1925 epic movie “Ben-Hur”. Erté’s most famous work by far is an image titled “Symphony in Black”. It depicts a tall and slender woman dressed in black, holding a black dog on a leash.

4 1975 Wimbledon champ : ASHE

Arthur Ashe was a professional tennis player from Richmond, Virginia. In his youth, Ashe found himself having to travel great distances to play against Caucasian opponents due to the segregation that still existed in his home state. He was rewarded for his dedication by being selected for the 1963 US Davis Cup team, the first African American player to be so honored. Ashe continued to run into trouble because of his ethnicity though, and in 1968 was denied entry into South Africa to play in the South African Open. In 1979, Ashe suffered a heart attack and had bypass surgery, with follow-up surgery four years later during which he contracted HIV from blood transfusions. Ashe passed away in 1993 due to complications from AIDS. Shortly afterwards, Ashe was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Bill Clinton.

5 New Age author Chopra : DEEPAK

Deepak Chopra is a medical doctor who is now an advocate for alternative medicine. Chopra was born in New Delhi, India and immigrated to the US in 1968. He is an advocate for mind/body spiritual healing. I have heard Chopra speak, and he really knows how to get his message across …

7 Lulu : PIP

A humdinger or a pip is someone or something outstanding. “Humdinger” is American slang dating back to the early 1900s, and was originally used to describe a particularly attractive woman.

We call a remarkable thing or a person a lulu. The term “lulu” was coined in honor of Lulu Hurst, the Georgia Wonder, who was a stage magician active in the 1880s.

8 Used Gchat, e.g. : IM’ED

“Gchat” was a name commonly used for the Google Talk instant messaging (IM) service. Google Talk offered both text and voice communication as well as a plugin that allowed video chat. All of this functionality was replaced with the Google Hangouts service, and more recently with Google Duo.

12 Clear soda : SPRITE

Sprite is Coca-Cola’s answer to the very successful soft drink 7UP. Sprite was introduced in 1961, and Coca-Cola used its muscle to topple 7UP from its dominant position in the market. Sprite has been the number-one selling lemon soda since 1978.

13 Lit ___ : CRIT

Literary studies, also called literary criticism (lit crit), is the evaluation and interpretation of literature.

17 Blake who wrote “Memories of You” : EUBIE

James Hubert “Eubie” Blake was a composer and pianist from Baltimore, Maryland. Blake was a noted composer and performer of ragtime music. The 1978 musical revue “Eubie!” features his music. Apparently Blake claimed to have started smoking cigarettes at the age of 10 years, and died 85 years later in 1983. Blake’s celebrity status and long life as a smoker was often cited by politicians who opposed anti-tobacco legislation.

28 Producers of the most Mideast oil : SAUDIS

The largest country in the Middle East is Saudi Arabia, which covers over 750,000 square miles. The smallest country is Bahrain, which covers less than 700 square miles.

31 Actress Samantha : EGGAR

Actress Samantha Eggar is from London. Eggar starred in the 1966 film “Walk, Don’t Run” beside Cary Grant, which was his last movie.

32 Rides since 2011 : UBERS

Transportation network company Uber was founded in 2009 as “UberCab”. The company name was changed to “Uber” in 2011. The name change was largely driven by complaints from taxi operators in San Francisco.

35 Designer Bill : BLASS

Bill Blass was a fashion designer from Fort Wayne, Indiana. Blass volunteered for the US Army during WWII. He had a very creative role in the military, working for the 603rd Camouflage Battalion. The unit’s job was to fool the Germans into thinking Allied troops were in fake locations. Blass worked with the battalion in support of the Battle of the Bulge, the crossing of the Rhine river and the North African campaign.

36 U. S. Grant adversary : RE LEE

Robert E. Lee was perhaps the most famous southern officer in the Civil War. Lee was a somewhat reluctant participant in the war in that he opposed the secession of his home state of Virginia from the Union. At the beginning of the war, President Lincoln invited Lee to take command of the whole Union Army but he declined, choosing instead to stay loyal to his home state. During the Civil War, Lee’s men referred to him affectionately as “Marse Robert”, with “marse” being slang for “master”.

Ulysses S. Grant (USG) had risen to commander of all Union armies by the end of the Civil War. He was elected as the 18th president of the US in 1869. Grant served two terms as president, and also made a failed bid for a third term. Grant’s reputation was tarnished by his apparent tolerance of corruption in his administration. On the other hand, Grant worked hard to protect African Americans during Reconstruction after the Civil War, and pursued peaceful relations with Native Americans.

48 Luxury car pioneer Henry : ROYCE

Henry Royce founded the Rolls-Royce company in 1904 with his partner, Charles Rolls. Royce died at 70 years of age in 1933. His last words were, reportedly, “I wish I had spent more time in the office …”

52 Diver Louganis : GREG

Greg Louganis is an American Olympic diver. Louganis won gold medals at the 1984 and the 1988 Summer Games. He wrote an autobiography in 1996 called “Breaking the Surface”.

56 F.D.R. program : WPA

The Work Progress Administration (WPA) was the largest of the New Deal agencies. The WPA employed millions of people during the Depression, putting them to work on various public works projects. The total spending through the WPA from 1936 to 1939 was nearly $7 billion. We have to give the federal government credit for taking an enlightened view of what types of projects qualified for financial support, so artists who could not get commissions privately were hired by the government itself. The result is a collection of “New Deal Art”, including a series of murals that can be found in post offices around the country to this day.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) was the only child of Sara Delano and James Roosevelt Sr. The Delano family history in America goes back to the pilgrim Philippe de Lannoy, an immigrant of Flemish descent who arrived at Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1621. The family name “de Lannoy” was anglicized here in the US, to “Delano”. Franklin was to marry Eleanor Roosevelt, and apparently the relationship between Sara and her daughter-in-law was very “strained”.

61 Anglican headwear : MITRE

A miter (also “mitre”) is a traditional headdress worn by bishops in some Christian traditions. The term “miter” comes from a Greek word for “headband, turban”.

The Anglican Church is the Church of England, or any church closely associated with that tradition.

63 Strong brew : BOCK

A bock is a strong lager from Germany that was first brewed in the town of Einbeck. The famous brewers of Munich adopted the style of beer, calling it Einbeck after the town of its origin. However, with the Bavarian accent “Einbeck” came out as “ein Bock”, the German for “a billy goat”. The name “bock” stuck, and so you’ll often see a billy goat on the labels of bock beers.

64 “Movin’ ___” : ON UP

“Movin’ On Up” is the theme song for “The Jeffersons”, a sitcom that was first broadcast in the seventies and eighties.

67 Classic shoe name : MCAN

Thom McAn footwear was introduced in 1922 by the Melville Corporation (now CVS Caremark). The brand was named after a Scottish golfer called Thomas McCann. The Thom McAn line is epitomized by the comfortable leather casual and dress shoe, so sales have really been hurt in recent decades by the growing popularity of sneakers.

74 ___ Garson, Oscar winner for “Mrs. Miniver” : GREER

Greer Garson was a British actress who made a name for herself in Hollywood films in the forties. One of Garson’s most famous roles was playing the title character in the 1942 film “Mrs. Miniver”, starring alongside Walter Pidgeon. Garson married a much younger man in 1943, the actor Richard Ney who played her son in “Mrs. Miniver”.

“Mrs. Miniver” is a 1942 movie starring Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon that is based on a 1940 book of the same name by Jan Struther. The book itself is actually a compilation of newspaper columns that Struther wrote for “The Times” of London. The columns were reflections of daily life in the run up to WWII as seen through the eyes of the fictional “Mrs. Miniver”. When the film was completed, President Roosevelt stepped in and had it rushed to theaters as he believed it would help convince the American people that the US needed to intervene in the war raging in Europe.

76 Solomonlike : JUST

According to the Bible, Solomon was the son of David and a king of Israel. Notably, Solomon is described as being very wise. In the story known as “the Judgment of Solomon”, Solomon was asked to decide which of two quarreling women was the mother of a baby. He suggested that they cut the baby in two with a sword, forcing one of the women to surrender the child rather than see it die. Solomon gave the child to the woman who showed compassion.

78 Funeral stands : BIERS

Biers are the stands on which one rests a coffin for a service, or perhaps if the corpse is to lie in state. A bier may have wheels on it so that it can be used to transport the coffin to the graveside. The original biers were just flat pieces of wood on which the body was placed, covered with a shroud. Nowadays, we place the body in a casket, and then onto the bier.

79 Mushroom that might be served in ramen : ENOKI

Enokitake (also known as “enoki”) are long and thin white mushrooms often added to soups or salads.

Ramen is a noodle dish composed of Chinese-style wheat noodles in a meat or fish broth flavored with soy or miso sauce. Ramen is usually topped with sliced pork and dried seaweed. The term “ramen” is also used for precooked, instant noodles that come in single-serving, solid blocks.

82 Sign of a smash hit : SRO

Standing room only (SRO)

85 ___ de Vil, Disney villain : CRUELLA

Cruella de Vil is the villain in the 1956 novel “The Hundred and One Dalmatians” written by Dodie Smith. Most famously perhaps, Cruella was played so ably by Glenn Close in the Disney movie adaption “101 Dalmatians”, released in 1996.

90 Way to get to Harlem, per Duke Ellington : A TRAIN

The A Train in the New York City Subway system runs from 207th Street, through Manhattan and over to Far Rockaway in Queens. The service lends its name to a jazz standard “Take the ‘A’ Train”, the signature tune of Duke Ellington and a song much sung by Ella Fitzgerald. One version of the lyrics are:

You must take the A Train
To go to Sugar Hill way up in Harlem
If you miss the A Train
You’ll find you’ve missed the quickest way to Harlem
Hurry, get on, now, it’s coming
Listen to those rails a-thrumming (All Aboard!)
Get on the A Train
Soon you will be on Sugar Hill in Harlem.

93 Chutzpah : NERVE

Our word “chutzpah” meaning “nerve, gall, impudence” is derived from the Yiddish “khutspe”, which has the same meaning.

95 Snooker shot : MASSE

In billiards, a massé shot is one in which the cue ball makes an extreme curve due to the player imparting heavy spin on the ball with his or her cue held relatively vertically.

Snooker is a fabulous game. It is played on what looks like a large pool table, 12 x 6 feet in dimensions if full size. Snooker is a derivative of the older game of billiards, and is believed to have been developed by British Army officers who were stationed in India in the latter half of the 1800s. “Snooker” was a word used in the British military for a first-year cadet and for an inexperienced soldier. Somehow, that usage morphed into the name of the game.

101 Clinton’s attorney general for all eight years : RENO

Janet Reno was Attorney General (AG) of the US from 1993 to 2001, and part of the Clinton administration. Reno was second-longest holder of the office, and our first female Attorney General. In 2002, Reno ran for Governor of Florida but failed to win the Democratic nomination. Thereafter she retired from public life, and passed away at the end of 2016.

102 Rat Pack nickname : DINO

Dean Martin was the stage name of singer and actor Dino Crocetti. Martin was famous for his numerous hit songs such as “That’s Amore”, “Volare” and Everybody Loves Somebody”, as well as his film career with Jerry Lewis. Off screen, Martin was a member of the famous “Rat Pack” as he was a great friend of Frank Sinatra. Martin was always associated with Las Vegas and when he passed away in 1995 the lights on the strip were dimmed in his honor.

The original Rat Pack from the fifties was a group of actors that centered on Humphrey Bogart, and included a young Frank Sinatra. Supposedly, Bogart’s wife, Lauren Bacall, christened them the Rat Pack after seeing them all return from one of their nights on the town in Las Vegas. The sixties Rat Pack was a reincarnation of the fifties version, with the core group of actors being Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin (Dino), Sammy Davis Jr., Joey Bishop and Peter Lawford.

104 Quod ___ faciendum : ERAT

“Quod erat faciendum” (QEF) is similar to the phrase “quod erat demonstrandum” (QED), both of which were used by Euclid in his theorems. “Quod erat faciendum” means “what was to have been done”, and is used at the end of a proposition that was not intended as a proof, but rather as a construction.

105 Stationer’s stock : PADS

“Stationery” is a noun describing writing materials and office supplies, items that are sold by a stationer. Centuries ago, a stationer was someone who sold goods from a shop or a “station”, from a fixed, “stationary” stall.

106 “Let Us Now Praise Famous Men” writer : AGEE

James Agee was a noted American film critic and screenwriter. Agee wrote an autobiographical novel “A Death in the Family” that won him his Pulitzer in 1958, albeit posthumously. He was also one of the screenwriters for the 1951 classic movie “The African Queen”.

111 Pioneer cellphone co. : GTE

GTE was a rival to AT&T, the largest of the independent competitors to the Bell System. GTE merged with Bell Atlantic in 2000 to form the company that we know today as Verizon. Verizon made some high-profile acquisitions over the years, including MCI in 2005 and AOL in 2015.

112 Fancy-looking name appendage : ESQ

The title “esquire” is of British origin and is used differently today depending on whether one is in the US or the UK. Here in America the term is usually reserved for those practicing the law (both male and female). In the UK, “esquire” is a term of gentle respect reserved for a male who has no other title that one can use. So a mere commoner like me might receive a letter from the bank say, addressed to W. E. Butler Esq.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Lack of this results in baldness : TREAD
6 Alcohol : SPIRITS
13 Scenes from action movies : CHASES
19 Old foundation : CORSET
21 1994 Jean-Claude Van Damme sci-fi thriller : TIMECOP
22 Get back : RECOUP
23 Parenting: A+ : MOTHER: SUPERIOR (A+ = “superior”)
25 Night demons : INCUBI
26 Maintain : KEEP UP
27 Number of people in an office? : DENTIST
29 “Step ___!” : ON IT
30 Bye word : ADIEU
33 Nervous stress : AGITA
34 Chip-on-one’s-shoulder outlooks, in slang : ‘TUDES
35 Taming wild horses: D- : BREAKING: BAD (D- = “bad”)
40 Reflex messengers : NEURONS
42 Heavy metal : LEAD
43 Some kitchen appliances : GES
44 Wildlife conservationist’s device : DART GUN
47 Union station? : ALTAR
49 Valet skills: B+ : PARKING: FINE (B+ = “fine”)
54 You can dig it : ORE
55 Spain and England in the 16th century : SEA POWERS
57 Like a sure bet : NO-RISK
58 Watch chains : FOBS
59 Do an old printing house job : SET TYPE
60 Skills, in Sevilla : ARTES
61 Heart : MIDST
62 Hosting a morning news show: C+ : SCARBOROUGH: FAIR (C+ = “fair”)
67 Photo finish : MATTE
70 First draft picks : ONE-AS
71 It makes stealing pay off : LATE TAG
75 “See you later!” : CIAO!
76 Cheerful : JOCUND
78 Norman Lear series star : BEA ARTHUR
80 Spots : ADS
81 Stuffing tip jars: D : BUCK: PASSING (D = “passing”)
83 Chip away at : ERODE
84 Bottom line figure : NET COST
86 Alternative to a Maxwell : REO
87 Indy winner Luyendyk : ARIE
88 Hot stuff : EROTICA
91 Employee efficiency: D+ : WORKING: POOR (D+ = “poor”)
95 Sorcerer : MAGUS
97 Much, informally : LOTSA
99 Supply-___ (economic theorist) : SIDER
100 Growing room : ACRE
101 Do a P.R. makeover on : REBRAND
103 16501-16511 : ERIE, PA
107 Put on hold : SHELVE
109 Baseball skill: C : BATTING: AVERAGE (C = “average”)
113 Protect, as freshness : SEAL IN
114 What to do once you’ve made your bed, per a saying : LIE IN IT
115 Skirts : EVADES
116 Nueva York, e.g. : ESTADO
117 Afterword : END NOTE
118 Bibliographical abbr. : ET SEQ

Down

1 Channel on which to see some b&w films : TCM
2 Fleece : ROOK
3 Noted Deco designer : ERTE
4 1975 Wimbledon champ : ASHE
5 New Age author Chopra : DEEPAK
6 Apt name for a cook? : STU
7 Lulu : PIP
8 Used Gchat, e.g. : IM’ED
9 Went back through a passage : REREAD
10 Hockey infraction : ICING
11 “Yer darn ___!” : TOOTIN’
12 Clear soda : SPRITE
13 Lit ___ : CRIT
14 Farm setter : HEN
15 Story : ACCOUNT
16 Stereo quality: B : SOUNDS: GOOD (B = “good”)
17 Blake who wrote “Memories of You” : EUBIE
18 Roast rotators : SPITS
20 Fantasy author Canavan, author of the “Black Magician” trilogy : TRUDI
24 Whirl : SPIN
28 Producers of the most Mideast oil : SAUDIS
31 Actress Samantha : EGGAR
32 Rides since 2011 : UBERS
34 Burned rubber : TORE
35 Designer Bill : BLASS
36 U. S. Grant adversary : RE LEE
37 Trouble terribly : EAT AT
38 Learns to live with : ADAPTS TO
39 Set a price of : ASK
41 Malodorous : RANK
45 Metro areas, informally : URBS
46 Sticks together? : NEST
48 Luxury car pioneer Henry : ROYCE
49 One may exert pressure : PEER
50 Significant advances : INROADS
51 The other guys : NOT US
52 Diver Louganis : GREG
53 Porgy and bass : FISH
56 F.D.R. program : WPA
58 Dangerous structure : FIRETRAP
60 Combat zone : ARENA
61 Anglican headwear : MITRE
63 Strong brew : BOCK
64 “Movin’ ___” : ON UP
65 Call attention to, as a potential problem : FLAG
66 Small power source : AAA
67 Classic shoe name : MCAN
68 Starting job in Washington, say : AIDE
69 Fashion sense: A : TASTE: GREAT (A = “great”)
72 Lead-in to fare : THORO-
73 Part of a TV transmission : AUDIO
74 ___ Garson, Oscar winner for “Mrs. Miniver” : GREER
76 Solomonlike : JUST
77 One-eighth part : OCTILE
78 Funeral stands : BIERS
79 Mushroom that might be served in ramen : ENOKI
81 Uncivil greetings : BOOS
82 Sign of a smash hit : SRO
85 ___ de Vil, Disney villain : CRUELLA
89 Patch (together) : COBBLE
90 Way to get to Harlem, per Duke Ellington : A TRAIN
91 Desire a piece of the action : WANT IN
92 Conception : IDEA
93 Chutzpah : NERVE
94 Mourn : GRIEVE
95 Snooker shot : MASSE
96 Flu symptoms : ACHES
98 Full : SATED
101 Clinton’s attorney general for all eight years : RENO
102 Rat Pack nickname : DINO
104 Quod ___ faciendum : ERAT
105 Stationer’s stock : PADS
106 “Let Us Now Praise Famous Men” writer : AGEE
108 Kid-___ (TV for tots) : VID
110 Tiny criticism : NIT
111 Pioneer cellphone co. : GTE
112 Fancy-looking name appendage : ESQ