0108-23 NY Times Crossword 8 Jan 23, Sunday

Constructed by: Wyna Liu
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Theme: Do You Hear That?

There is a note with today’s puzzle:

Each italicized clue contains a blank, which should be filled with a letter of the alphabet. When completed, the letters in order will spell out a two-word phrase.

Each clue is in effect two mini-clues plus a letter. The mini-answers to the mini-clues plus the letter sound like the answer written into the grid. The missing letters, in order, spell out S-O-U-N-D-S G-O-O-D: Clever idea, but tough to explain:

  • 26A Presses CTRL+P + ___ + Easter egg coloring : PRINCESS DI (S gives PRINTS + S + DYE)
  • 28A ___ + Scroungy mutt + Parent’s sister, in some regions : AU COURANT (O gives O + CUR + AUNT)
  • 44A ___ + Golfer’s cry + “Ugh!” : EUPHORIC (U gives U + FORE + ICK)
  • 46A Column crossers + Sentry + ___ : ROSE GARDEN (N gives ROWS + GUARD + N)
  • 66A French festival, familiarly + ___ + Actor Michael : CANDY CANE (D gives CANNES + D + CAINE)
  • 70A Punching tool + Chopping tool + ___ : ALL-ACCESS (S gives AWL + AXE + S)
  • 90A Tandoor bread + Harlem music venue + ___ : NON-APOLOGY (G gives NAAN + APOLLO + G)
  • 93A Word of obligation + ___ + Punxsutawney name : AUTOFILL (O gives OUGHT + O + PHIL)
  • 107A Rug rat + Magic stick + ___ : TAE KWON DO (O gives TYKE + WAND + O)
  • 110A Soccer score + ___ + Scottish inlets : GOLDILOCKS (D gives GOAL + D + LOCHS)

Bill’s time: 25m 58s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Villains’ antagonists : HEROES

The protagonist is the principal character in a work of literature. The antagonist is the main character opposing the protagonist. The term “protagonist” comes from the Greek “protos” (first) and “agonistes” (actor, character).

19 2007 Lil Wayne song that opens “Young Money! You dig?” : A MILLI

“Lil Wayne” is the stage name used by rap artist Dwayne Carter, Jr. from New Orleans.

20 Subject of clip art? : BONSAI TREE

The term “bonsai” is used more correctly to describe the Japanese art of growing carefully shaped trees in containers, although it has come to be used as the name for all miniature trees in pots. “Bonsai” translates literally as “tray planting”.

28 ___ + Scroungy mutt + Parent’s sister, in some regions : AU COURANT (O gives O + CUR + AUNT)

“Au courant” means “up-to-date” and comes into English directly from French, in which language it has the same meaning.

30 Active Sicilian volcano : ETNA

Mount Etna on the island of Sicily is the largest of three active volcanoes in Italy, and indeed the largest of all active volcanoes in Europe. Etna is about 2 1/2 times the height of its equally famous sister, Mt. Vesuvius. Mt. Etna is home to a 110-km long narrow-gauge railway, and two ski resorts. It is sometimes referred to as “Mongibello” in Italian, and as “Mungibeddu” (sometimes “Muncibeddu”) in Sicilian. The English name “Etna” comes from the Greek “aitho” meaning “I eat”.

31 European river that’s an anagram of REED : EDER

The Eder is a river in Germany, and a tributary of the Fulda River. The Eder has a dam near the small town of Waldeck which holds water in the large Edersee reservoir. This was one of the dams that was attacked by the RAF during WWII with the famous Barnes Wallis bouncing bombs. It was destroyed in the Dam Busters raid in 1943, but rebuilt the same year.

36 Fragrant noodle soup made with beef : PHO

Pho (pronounced “fuh”) is a noodle soup from Vietnam that is a popular street food.

39 Like Captain James T. Kirk, by birth : IOWAN

According to the storyline in “Star Trek”, Captain James Tiberius Kirk was born in Riverside, Iowa on March 22, 2233. The town of Riverside displays a plaque, noting Riverside as the “future birthplace of James T. Kirk”, but the date given is March 22, 2228. I sense a disturbance in the space-time continuum …

41 Número de “Años de Soledad” in a Gabriel García Márquez novel : CIEN

Gabriel García Márquez was a novelist from Colombia who was also known by the nickname “Gabo”. Gabo won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1982.

49 “Encore!” : AGAIN!

“Encore” is French for “again, one more time”, and is a shout that an audience member will make here in North America to request perhaps another song. But, the term is not used this way in France. Rather, the audience will shout “Bis!”, which is the Italian for “twice!”

53 Gangster film prop : GAT

“Gat” is a slang term for a gun that is derived from “Gatling gun”, the precursor to the modern machine gun. The Gatling gun was invented by Dr. Richard J. Gatling in 1861. Apparently he was inspired to invent it so that one man could do as much damage as a hundred, thereby reducing the size of armies and diminishing the suffering caused by war. Go figure …

56 “Holy” city : TOLEDO

The origin of the term “Holy Toledo!” is much debated. My favorite story is that it comes from the days of Vaudeville. Back then, the week before Easter (Holy Week) was the worst week at the box office. Old Vaudeville entertainers used to quip that any week in Toledo was Holy Week, that ticket sales were always bad there. They referred to the city as “Holy Toledo”.

61 “The landlords of New York,” once : ASTORS

John Jacob Astor was the patriarch of the famous American Astor dynasty. He was the country’s first multi-millionaire, making his fortune in the trade of fur, real estate and opium. In today’s terms, it has been calculated that by the time of his death he has accumulated a fortune big enough to make him the fourth wealthiest man in American history (in the company of the likes of Andrew Carnegie, Cornelius Vanderbilt, Bill Gates, Henry Ford and John D. Rockefeller).

66 French festival, familiarly + ___ + Actor Michael : CANDY CANE (D gives CANNES + D + CAINE)

Apparently, candy canes were created at the behest of the choirmaster at Cologne Cathedral in Germany in 1672. The sweet sticks were basically used as bribes to keep children quiet during services. The choirmaster specified that the candy sticks should have a crook at the top so that they reminded the children of the three shepherds who visited the infant Jesus just after his birth.

72 Cherubic archer : AMOR

A cherub (plural “cherubim”) is an angel. The term “cherub” ultimately comes from the Hebrew “kerubh” (plural “kerubhim”) meaning “winged angel”. In the Jewish tradition, cherubim play a key role in protecting the Garden of Eden, and in particular the Tree of Life.

73 Foil lookalikes : EPEES

Before the foil was introduced as a sporting weapon, it was used as a blunted weapon for sword practice. It has been suggested that the sword was blunted by wrapping metal foil around the tip, hence the name.

75 Seoul-based carrier : ASIANA

Asiana is the second-largest airline in South Korea, behind Korean Air. Asiana was founded in 1988, and as a result ended the monopoly that had been enjoyed by Korean Air.

78 Rod with seven A.L. batting titles : CAREW

Rod Carew is a former Major League Baseball player from Panama. Actually. Carew is a “Zonian”, meaning that he was born in the Panama Canal Zone, a political entity that existed for decades from 1903.

87 Demonstrate extreme flexibility, as an acrobat : CONTORT

An acrobat is someone who performs gymnastic feats. The term “acrobat“ comes into English via French from the Greek “akrobatos” meaning “going on tip-toe, climbing up high”.

89 Opposite of neo- : PALEO-

The prefix “paleo-” means “prehistoric, primitive”. It comes from the Greek word “palaios” which means “old, ancient”. The prefix “neo-” would be the opposite, meaning “new, recent”.

98 H.S. science class for some college-bound students : AP BIO

The Advanced Placement (AP) program offers college-level courses to kids who are still in high school (HS). After being tested at the end of an AP course, successful students receive credits that count towards a college degree.

99 Rocky Mountain bugler : ELK

Male elks are called bulls, and females are known as cows. Bull elks are known for their very loud screaming, which is called bugling. Cow elks are attracted to bulls that bugle more often and most loudly.

103 Immediately : STAT

The exact etymology of “stat”, a term meaning “immediately” in the medical profession, seems to have been lost in the mists of time. It probably comes from the Latin “statim” meaning “to a standstill, immediately”.

105 Couple of llamas? : ELLS

There are a couple of letters L (ells) in the word “llamas”.

107 Rug rat + Magic stick + ___ : TAE KWON DO (O gives TYKE + WAND + O)

Tae kwon do is the national sport of Korea. “Tae” means “to strike or break with foot”; “kwon” means “to strike or break with fist”; “do” means “way” or “art”. Along with judo, tae kwon do is one of only two martial arts included in the Olympic Games.

110 Soccer score + ___ + Scottish inlets : GOLDILOCKS (D gives GOAL + D + LOCHS)

The story of “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” was first recorded in 1837 in England, although the narrative was around before it was actually written down. The original fairy tale was rather gruesome, but successive versions became more family-oriented. The character that eventually became Goldilocks was originally an elderly woman, and the three “nameless” bears became Papa Bear, Mama Bear and Baby Bear.

115 Resistor unit : OHM

The unit of electrical resistance is the ohm (with the symbol omega) named after German physicist Georg Simon Ohm. Ohm was the guy who established experimentally that the amount of current flowing through a circuit is directly proportional to the voltage applied, (V=IR) a relationship that every school kid knows as Ohm’s Law.

116 Iconic 1984 movie vehicle that was a combination ambulance/hearse : ECTOMOBILE

The car used by the Ghostbusters in their movies is a converted ambulance that is dubbed the Ectomobile, or Ecto-1. And, ECTO-1 is the vehicle’s license plate number.

120 Actress de Armas : ANA

Ana de Armas is an actress from Cuba. Having attended the National Theater School of Cuba, she moved to Spain at the age of 18. Thre, she made a name for herself in a Spanish TV series called “El Internado”. De Armas moved to Los Angeles in 2014, after which her performance opposite Ryan Gosling in 2017’s “Blade Runner 2049” earned her critical acclaim.

123 Corleone, for one : DON

Mario Puzo created the Corleone Mafia family in his 1969 novel “The Godfather”. The head of the family is Vito Corleone (whose birth name was Vito Andolini), a native of Corleone in Sicily. He was given the name Corleone by immigration officers at Ellis Island. Don Corleone was played so very memorably, with a distinctive rasping voice, by Marlon Brando in the 1972 movie adaptation directed by Francis Ford Coppola.

Down

1 Fastener used with a padlock : HASP

The “hasp” of a lock might refer to more than one thing. The u-shape loop protruding from a padlock is often called a “lock hasp”, for example.

2 The “E” in FEMA: Abbr. : EMER

Federal emergency management has been structured for over 200 years, but what we know today as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was created in 1979 in an Executive Order issued by President Jimmy Carter.

3 “Diamonds” singer, to fans : RIRI

Singer Rihanna was born and grew up on the island of Barbados and moved to the US when she was 16-years-old to pursue a singing career. The name “Rihanna” is derived from the Welsh name “Rhiannon”. And, Rihanna sometimes goes by the nickname “RiRi”, which is also the name of her line of beauty products.

4 QB protectors, collectively : O-LINE

Offensive line (O-line)

5 Time to decide who’s in or out : ELECTION DAY

Election day was chosen by Congress back in 1845. The month of November was selected as it suited an agricultural society, following the fall harvest and yet not too far into winter, which could make travel difficult. Tuesday was chosen so that people had time to travel to polling stations. Monday elections might have meant that some would have to start out on Sunday, and that could interfere with Christian services.

7 ThinkPads, e.g., once : IBMS

IBM introduced the ThinkPad notebook in 1992 and the brand is still sold today, although no longer manufactured by IBM. IBM sold off its personal computer division in 2005 to Lenovo. A ThinkPad was used aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavor in 1993 on a mission focused on repairing the Hubble Telescope. The ThinkPad was being tested to see how it performed in space, given the high levels of radiation found in that environment. Now, there are about 100 (!) ThinkPads on board the International Space Station.

8 “Doc” in the Mets Hall of Fame : GOODEN

Dwight Gooden is a former professional baseball pitcher, with the nickname “Dr. K”. “Dr. K” is a reference to the standard abbreviation for “strikeout”, a “K”.

11 Spanish seasoning : SAL

In Spanish, one might find “sal” (salt) on the table in a “cantina” (canteen, café).

13 Serpentine constellation : DRACO

The constellation Draco is said to resemble a dragon or serpent. The name “Draco” is Latin for “dragon”. It is located in the northern sky right beside the constellation Ursa Minor.

14 Ambidextrous features? : A-E-I-O-U

A supervocalic word is one that contains just one occurrence of each of the five vowels. Examples are lovely words like sequoia, ambidextrous and milquetoast, as well as … supervocalic.

15 It may have just desserts : MENU

The phrase “just deserts” describes something which is deserved, and in today’s usage that can be something good or bad. The expression has been around a long time, and back in the 14th century it only applied to something bad. I guess the idea is that someone doing something unacceptable got his “just deserts”, the dry and barren expanses fitting to the deed. Over time, the pronunciation of “deserts” changed, with the emphasis on the second syllable, like our word “desserts”. The correct phrase is still spelled “just deserts”, but it is pronounced “just desserts”. As a result, many believe that the phrase is in fact spelled “just desserts”, meaning one is getting what one deserves, sweet endings to one’s meals, as it were. But no, one is getting a dry and arid expanse that sounds like something sweet to eat!

18 Tweens, e.g. : YOUTHS

The term “tween” is used to describe preadolescence, the years “between” 8 and 12 years of age.

29 Broccoli follower : … RABE

Broccoli rabe is perhaps better known as “rapini”, and is a vegetable often used in Mediterranean cuisines. It is quite delicious sauteed with garlic …

32 Intestinal bacterium : E COLI

Escherichia coli (E. coli) are usually harmless bacteria found in the human gut, working away quite happily. However, there are some strains that can produce lethal toxins. These strains can make their way into the food chain from animal fecal matter that comes into contact with food designated for human consumption.

33 Choir platforms : RISERS

A riser is a platform that elevates a group of people above a crowd, and so is ideal for the performance of a choir.

36 Boggy stuff : PEAT

When dead plant matter accumulates in marshy areas, it may not fully decay due to a lack of oxygen or acidic conditions. We are familiar with this in Ireland, because what can form then is peat.

37 Literary award shaped like a rocket : HUGO

The Hugo Awards are presented annually for excellence in science fiction and fantasy writing. The awards are named for Hugo Gernsback, founder of the sci-fi magazine “Amazing Stories”.

38 Milky gemstone : OPAL

An opal is often described as having a milky iridescence known as opalescence.

40 Common solvents : ACETONES

Acetone is the active ingredient in nail polish remover, and in paint thinner.

42 Some R.P.I. grads : EES

Electrical engineer (EE)

The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) is a private school in Troy, New York. The university is named after its founder Stephen Van Rensselaer who set up the school in 1824. The goal of RPI has always been the “application of science to the common purposes of life”, an objective set by the founder. Given that, the name for the school’s sports teams is quite apt: the Engineers.

46 Waze suggestions: Abbr. : RTES

Waze is a navigation app that is similar to Google Maps and Apple Maps. Waze was developed in Israel, and was acquired by Google in 2013.

47 Armpit, anatomically : AXILLA

“Axilla” is the anatomical name for armpit; not to be confused with “maxilla”, the upper jawbone.

55 Boxing stats : TKOS

In boxing, a knockout (KO) is when one of the fighters can’t get up from the canvas within a specified time, usually 10 seconds. This can be due to fatigue, injury, or the participant may be truly “knocked out”. A referee, fighter or doctor may also decide to stop a fight without a physical knockout, especially if there is concern about a fighter’s safety. In this case the bout is said to end with a technical knockout (TKO).

57 Influential leader of the Seminole people : OSCEOLA

Chief Osceola was a leader of the Seminole Native Americans in Florida who actively resisted the removal of his people from their lands during the Second Seminole War. Osceola was captured when he was tricked into entering a US fort for peace talks. He died in prison a few months later. The Florida State University Seminoles football team uses a student dressed as Chief Osceola on his horse Renegade as a mascot at their games. This practice, approved by the Seminole Tribe of Florida, involves Chief Osceola riding onto the field and planting a flaming spear at the 50-yard line.

59 Burrito-shaped lunch counter item : DELI WRAP

A burrito is a common dish served in Mexican cuisine. It is a flour tortilla filled with all sorts of good stuff. The term “burrito” is Spanish for “little donkey”, the diminutive of “burro” meaning “donkey”. It’s thought that the name was applied as a burrito looks like a bedroll or pack that might be carried by a donkey.

60 Part of X-X-X : TIC

When I was growing up in Ireland we played “noughts and crosses” … our name for the game tic-tac-toe.

64 Scenic stroll, from the Spanish : PASEO

A paseo is a slow stroll or walk taken outdoors, particularly one taken in the evening. The term “paseo” comes from the Spanish “pasear” meaning “to take a stroll”.

66 Baja resort, for short : CABO

Cabo San Lucas is a major tourist destination at the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula in Mexico. “Cabo” is sometimes referred to as the “Fort Lauderdale of Mexico”.

69 Hippocratic oath takers: Abbr. : DRS

The Hippocratic Corpus is a collection of about 70 medical works that were at one time believed to have been written by the Ancient Greek physician Hippocrates, although authorship has been called into question. Within the collection is a document known as the Hippocratic Oath (but again, the authorship has been questioned). The oath is still used today as the basis for oaths taken by medical graduates before they enter into medical practice.

71 Path covered with diamonds : CARPOOL LANE

In some parts of the country, one sees high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes. Out here in California we refer to them as carpool lanes.

74 Vamooses : SCOOTS

To vamoose is to to leave, coming from the Spanish “vamos” meaning “let’s go”.

77 “Frozen” villain : HANS

“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.

82 Dance squat : PLIE

The French word for “bent” is “plié”. In the ballet move known as a plié, the knees are bent. A “demi-plié” is a similar move, but with less bending of the knees. A fondu is similar to a plié, except that only one leg remains on the ground.

83 Where 95-Down’s Wild Ride ends, at Disneyland : HELL
[95D “The Wind in the Willows” squire : MR TOAD]

Mr. Toad is one of the main characters in the children’s novel “The Wind in the Willows” by Kenneth Grahame. A. A. Milne (of “Winnie-the-Pooh” fame) wrote several plays based on “The Wind in the Willows”, the first of which is “Toad of Toad Hall”. And, Mr Toad’s Wild Ride was (it’s closed now!) one of the original rides at Disneyland when the park opened in 1955.

84 Key ingredient in key lime pie : YOLK

The species of citrus fruit called a key lime is so named due to its association with the Florida Keys.

87 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame city: Abbr. : CLE

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame can be visited on the shores of Lake Erie in Cleveland, Ohio. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation was created in 1983 and started inducting artists in 1986. The Foundation didn’t get a home until the museum was dedicated in Cleveland in 1995. I had the great privilege of visiting the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame some years ago and really enjoyed myself. The magnificent building was designed by famed architect I. M. Pei.

94 Tessellations : TILINGS

In the world of tiling, a tessellation is a collection of shaped tiles (usually all the same shape) that fill a space with no gaps. Some of the shapes can be quite complex, but clever use of geometry allows them to fit together seamlessly. A simple example of a tessellated design is a collection of hexagons, in a honeycomb pattern.

98 Islands that form atop underwater volcanoes : ATOLLS

An atoll is a coral island that is shaped in a ring that encloses a lagoon. There is still some debate as to how an atoll forms, but a theory proposed by Charles Darwin while on his famous voyage aboard HMS Beagle still holds sway. Basically, an atoll was once a volcanic island that had subsided and fallen into the sea. The coastline of the island is home to coral growth which persists even as the island continues to subside inside the circling coral reef.

102 Portion of a log : ENTRY

The word “logbook” dates back to the days when the captain of a ship kept a daily record of the vessel’s speed, progress etc. using a “log”. A log was a wooden float on a knotted line that was dropped overboard to measure speed through the water.

108 “Eh, what can you do?!” : WELP!

“Welp” is a slang term used at the beginning of a sentence to indicate disappointment. “Welp” is used in the same way that we use the interjection “well”.

  • Well, that worked out.
  • Welp, that didn’t work out.
  • 112 Michael of 2007’s “Superbad” : CERA

    Michael Cera is a Canadian actor who played great characters on the TV show “Arrested Development”, and in the 2007 comedy-drama “Juno”. Cera is also quite the musician. He released an indie folk album titled “True That” in 2014.

    “Superbad” is a comedy movie released in 2007. The script for the film was written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. Rogen and Goldberg started work on the script when they were just thirteen years old, with the first draft being completed by the time they were fifteen.

    113 Wraparound garment : KILT

    The lovely Scottish garment called a kilt is pleated, but only at the rear.

    114 Eye affliction : STYE

    A stye is a bacterial infection of the sebaceous glands at the base of the eyelashes, and is also known as a hordeolum.

    117 Belt worn with a yukata : OBI

    The sash worn as part of traditional Japanese dress is known as an obi. The obi can be tied at the back in what is called a butterfly knot. The term “obi” is also used for the thick cotton belts that are an essential part of the outfits worn by practitioners of many martial arts. The color of the martial arts obi signifies the wearer’s skill level.

    118 Company that owns Wite-Out : BIC

    Société Bic is a company based in Clichy in France. The first product the company produced, more than fifty years ago, was the Bic Cristal ballpoint pen that is still produced today. Bic also makes other disposable products such as lighters and razors.

    Wite-Out is a brand of correction fluid made by Bic.

    Complete List of Clues/Answers

    Across

    1 Villains’ antagonists : HEROES
    7 “Uh, sure” : I GUESS
    13 Power project : DAM
    16 Real mess : STY
    19 2007 Lil Wayne song that opens “Young Money! You dig?” : A MILLI
    20 Subject of clip art? : BONSAI TREE
    22 “What do we have here?!” : OHO!
    23 Word before the year on U.S. paper currency : SERIES …
    24 Small thing to keep on track : MODEL TRAIN
    25 Human rights activist Xiaobo, the first Chinese citizen to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize (2010) : LIU
    26 Presses CTRL+P + ___ + Easter egg coloring : PRINCESS DI (S gives PRINTS + S + DYE)
    28 ___ + Scroungy mutt + Parent’s sister, in some regions : AU COURANT (O gives O + CUR + AUNT)
    30 Active Sicilian volcano : ETNA
    31 European river that’s an anagram of REED : EDER
    34 Promise to pay : IOU
    35 [I’m frustrated!] : [ARGH]
    36 Fragrant noodle soup made with beef : PHO
    39 Like Captain James T. Kirk, by birth : IOWAN
    41 Número de “Años de Soledad” in a Gabriel García Márquez novel : CIEN
    43 Follows : OBEYS
    44 ___ + Golfer’s cry + “Ugh!” : EUPHORIC (U gives U + FORE + ICK)
    46 Column crossers + Sentry + ___ : ROSE GARDEN (N gives ROWS + GUARD + N)
    49 “Encore!” : AGAIN!
    50 Irks : NETTLES
    52 Crossed off : XED
    53 Gangster film prop : GAT
    56 “Holy” city : TOLEDO
    58 Nongendered possessive : THEIR
    59 Insult that’s also a measurement device : DIPSTICK
    61 “The landlords of New York,” once : ASTORS
    63 One cast in a fantasy movie : SPELL
    65 Digging : INTO
    66 French festival, familiarly + ___ + Actor Michael : CANDY CANE (D gives CANNES + D + CAINE)
    70 Punching tool + Chopping tool + ___ : ALL-ACCESS (S gives AWL + AXE + S)
    72 Cherubic archer : AMOR
    73 Foil lookalikes : EPEES
    75 Seoul-based carrier : ASIANA
    76 Influential sorts : BIG SHOTS
    78 Rod with seven A.L. batting titles : CAREW
    80 Athlete’s cup : TROPHY
    85 Flattering verse : ODE
    86 In the manner of : A LA
    87 Demonstrate extreme flexibility, as an acrobat : CONTORT
    89 Opposite of neo- : PALEO-
    90 Tandoor bread + Harlem music venue + ___ : NON-APOLOGY (G gives NAAN + APOLLO + G)
    93 Word of obligation + ___ + Punxsutawney name : AUTOFILL (O gives OUGHT + O + PHIL)
    95 Some origin stories : MYTHS
    97 Response to “Shall we?” : LET’S
    98 H.S. science class for some college-bound students : AP BIO
    99 Rocky Mountain bugler : ELK
    100 Move, in real estate lingo : RELO
    101 Pioneered : LED
    103 Immediately : STAT
    105 Couple of llamas? : ELLS
    107 Rug rat + Magic stick + ___ : TAE KWON DO (O gives TYKE + WAND + O)
    110 Soccer score + ___ + Scottish inlets : GOLDILOCKS (D gives GOAL + D + LOCHS)
    115 Resistor unit : OHM
    116 Iconic 1984 movie vehicle that was a combination ambulance/hearse : ECTOMOBILE
    119 “Anything for you!” : NAME IT!
    120 Actress de Armas : ANA
    121 Annoyances when trying to make change : LARGE BILLS
    122 Challenging, informally : GNARLY
    123 Corleone, for one : DON
    124 Toilet paper spec : PLY
    125 Most likely to offer solace, say : NICEST
    126 Calm : SEDATE

    Down

    1 Fastener used with a padlock : HASP
    2 The “E” in FEMA: Abbr. : EMER
    3 “Diamonds” singer, to fans : RIRI
    4 QB protectors, collectively : O-LINE
    5 Time to decide who’s in or out : ELECTION DAY
    6 Polite Spanish assent : SI, SENOR
    7 ThinkPads, e.g., once : IBMS
    8 “Doc” in the Mets Hall of Fame : GOODEN
    9 Removed, as a knot : UNDID
    10 Language suffix : -ESE
    11 Spanish seasoning : SAL
    12 Hindu goddess in the “Ramayana” : SITA
    13 Serpentine constellation : DRACO
    14 Ambidextrous features? : A-E-I-O-U
    15 It may have just desserts : MENU
    16 Converter of natural heat energy : SOLAR ENGINE
    17 Doohickey : THINGY
    18 Tweens, e.g. : YOUTHS
    21 Making level : TRUING
    27 Welcomed at the door : SAW IN
    29 Broccoli follower : … RABE
    32 Intestinal bacterium : E COLI
    33 Choir platforms : RISERS
    36 Boggy stuff : PEAT
    37 Literary award shaped like a rocket : HUGO
    38 Milky gemstone : OPAL
    40 Common solvents : ACETONES
    42 Some R.P.I. grads : EES
    43 Chances : ODDS
    45 Hurry : HIE
    46 Waze suggestions: Abbr. : RTES
    47 Armpit, anatomically : AXILLA
    48 Move to a larger pot, say : REPLANT
    51 More than a couple : THREE
    54 Doesn’t just sit there : ACTS
    55 Boxing stats : TKOS
    57 Influential leader of the Seminole people : OSCEOLA
    59 Burrito-shaped lunch counter item : DELI WRAP
    60 Part of X-X-X : TIC
    62 [Is this thing on?] : [TAP TAP]
    64 Scenic stroll, from the Spanish : PASEO
    66 Baja resort, for short : CABO
    67 In the thick of : AMID
    68 Hardly Mr. Nice Guy : NO GENTLEMAN
    69 Hippocratic oath takers: Abbr. : DRS
    71 Path covered with diamonds : CARPOOL LANE
    74 Vamooses : SCOOTS
    75 Pretentiously affected : ARTY
    77 “Frozen” villain : HANS
    79 Existential emotion : ANGST
    81 Goofus : OAF
    82 Dance squat : PLIE
    83 Where 95-Down’s Wild Ride ends, at Disneyland : HELL
    84 Key ingredient in key lime pie : YOLK
    87 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame city: Abbr. : CLE
    88 Floated down a river, say : TUBED
    91 “Hmm, gotcha” : OH, OK
    92 Unteachable sort, in a saying : OLD DOG
    94 Tessellations : TILINGS
    95 “The Wind in the Willows” squire : MR TOAD
    96 “Nice try, but I don’t think so” : YEAH, NO
    98 Islands that form atop underwater volcanoes : ATOLLS
    101 Making all the stops : LOCAL
    102 Portion of a log : ENTRY
    104 Quick to think or act : AGILE
    106 [Grrr!] : [SO MAD!]
    108 “Eh, what can you do?!” : WELP!
    109 Black cat, classically : OMEN
    111 For fear that : LEST
    112 Michael of 2007’s “Superbad” : CERA
    113 Wraparound garment : KILT
    114 Eye affliction : STYE
    117 Belt worn with a yukata : OBI
    118 Company that owns Wite-Out : BIC