Wednesday, July 31, 2019, Zachary David Levy

Theme: On The Table. Unscramble the circled letters to reveal various tables.

17. Manga series also known as "Mach GoGoGo": SPEED RACER. Card table.

28. Toucan Sam's cereal: FROOT LOOPS. Pool table.

34. Today's painting, sculpture, etc.: CONTEMPORARY ART. Tray table.

43. "Golly!": MY GOODNESS. End table.

57. DJs' devices ... and a hint to this puzzle's circles: TURNTABLES. Vinyl is popular again.

Melissa here. This makes three or four Wednesdays in a row with circles, wonder if it will continue. It also appears to be a corner debut for Zachary David Levy.

Across:

1. Gulf of California peninsula: BAJA.

5. SLR setting: F-STOP. SLR = Single-lens reflex camera. Here's all you want to know about F-STOPs.

10. Exchange words?: EDIT.

14. Voting unit: BLOC.

15. Make amends: ATONE.

16. Headey of "Game of Thrones": LENA. Finally, another Lena.

19. History: PAST.

20. Operates properly: WORKS.

21. U.K. equivalent of an Oscar: BAFTA. British Academy of Film and Television Arts.

22. Crisis point?: MIDLIFE.

26. Day to put all your eggs in one basket: EASTER.

27. Perfectly, with "to": A TEE.

31. Sunday entrée: ROAST.

33. Novelist Grey: ZANE.

41. __ Beat: old fan mag: TEEN.

42. Alternative energy choice: SOLAR.

49. You can skip it: ROPE. Nice.

50. Grieves: MOURNS.

51. Chemist's tube: PIPETTE.

53. Some govt. bonds: MUNIS.

54. Hilarious folks: RIOTS. Perped it.

56. Curse: BANE.

62. Algerian setting of Camus' "The Plague": ORAN. Have heard of this book but never read it. Wikipedia: "The Plague is a novel by Albert Camus, published in 1947, that tells the story of a plague sweeping the French Algerian city of Oran. It asks a number of questions relating to the nature of destiny and the human condition."

63. Maxim: ADAGE.

64. Hawkeye State: IOWA.

65. Saucy: PERT.

66. Bay Area NFLer: NINER.

67. Do as directed: OBEY.

Down:

1. Air rifle ammo: BBS.

2. Swiss peak: ALP.

3. Charlie Brown hero __ Shlabotnik: JOE.

4. Maven: ACE.

5. In the distance: FAR OFF.

6. Rude observer: STARER.

7. Sound heard around the clock: TOCK. Great clue.

8. Tips for a street performer: ONES. Also great.

9. Each: PER.

10. Texas border city: EL PASO.

11. Unwilling to hear, as criticism: DEAF TO.

12. Arched foot part: INSTEP.

13. Volga region natives: TATARS. I did not know Russia's second-largest ethnicity.

18. MADD focus: DWI. Mothers Against Drunk Drivers.

21. Hay bundlers: BALERS.

22. Artist Chagall: MARC.

23. "__ lived - Brooklyn, of ample hills, was mine": Whitman: I, TOO. Crossing Brooklyn Ferry.

24. Campus official: DEAN.

25. For fear that: LEST.

26. Sicilian hot spot: ETNA.

29. Depleted atmospheric layer: OZONE.

30. One may be displayed on a boathouse wall: OAR.

32. View from Yellowstone: TETONS.

35. Scrip orders: MEDS.

36. Signature piece?: PEN.

37. Bygone period: YORE.

38. Tons: A LOT. The alot is better than you at everything.

39. Eagerly attentive: RAPT.

40. Image in the Timberland logo: TREE.

43. 1997 Hanson #1 song: MMMBOP. Ear worm.

44. 1983 Lionel Richie title words before "the sun" and "the rain": YOU ARE.

45. One of the Nelson brothers of '90s rock: GUNNAR. Matthew and Gunnar Nelson are the twin sons of Ricky Nelson. In their heyday, below.

46. "Murder on the __ Express": ORIENT.

47. Dishwashing aid: SPONGE.

48. Parents' date-night expense: SITTER.

52. "The More You Know" TV spot: PSA. Public Service Announcement.

54. Fashion's Gernreich: RUDI. Austrian-born American fashion designer, died in 1985. The brand was relaunched in 2018.

55. OPEC member: IRAN. One of fourteen.

57. Light brown: TAN.

58. LinkedIn profile, e.g.: BIO.

59. Soft toss: LOB.

60. Lamb's mom: EWE.

61. "By the way ... ": SAY.

Tuesday July 30, 2019 Susan Smolinsky & C.C. Burnikel

Theme: TO ERR IS HUMAN  (65. Start of a Pope line about fallibility ... as shown by 19-, 25-, 42- and 55-Across?) - Each person has ERR hidden in their name.

19. Frequent Fred Astaire partner: GINGER ROGERS.

25. Army doctor for whom a D.C. medical center is named: WALTER REED.

42. Movies Superman portrayer: CHRISTOPHER REEVE.

55. "Glee" star who won "Dancing With the Stars" in 2017: AMBER RILEY.

Boomer here. Susan Smolinsky is Hahtoolah on our blog and this is her first puzzle for the L. A. Times.  No Runs, No hits, 4 Errors.

Hahtoolah (Susan)

Across:

1. Daytime snooze: NAP.  It can only be a nap if you do not snore.

4. Sprinkler liquid: WATER.  Have not had too much to use this year.  Mother Nature is watering our garden.

9. Nursery rocker: CRADLE. Rockabye baby

15. Mine find: ORE.  Lots of iron ore in the Northern Minnesota range near Hibbing, childhood home of Robert Zimmerman.  You may know him as Bob Dylan.

16. Classic Dior style: A-LINE.  Indeed a classic dress, Do you remember these ??

17. Eagerly unwrapped: TORE AT.  This is how we opened packs of baseball cards. 

18. Pronoun for a filly: HER.  Or SHE.

21. Salad veggie: ONION.  In potato salad maybe, I usually don't mix onions with lettuce.

23. River delta deposit: SILT.

24. Salary: PAY.  And it's work all day for the sugar in your tay, down beyond the railway

29. Close bud, in texts: BFF.

31. More loyal: TRUER.

32. Wool clippers: SHEARS.

35. '60s "acid": LSD. "Picture yourself in a boat on a river, with tangerine trees and marmalade skies. Lucy in the sky with diamonds".

38. Lewd material: SMUT.

40. Photographed from a plane: AERIAL.  I can never identify any land marks on these aerial photos.

46. Big rig fuel: DIESEL.  There are some pickup trucks manufactured to run on diesel also.  Many stations sell it, but it's a bit more expensive than gasoline, but maybe diesel produces economy mileage.

47. Excursion: TRIP.  See 35A.

48. Lion's lair: DEN.  Also a pack of Cub Scouts.

49. Attached with glue: PASTED.

51. Layered cookies: OREOS.

54. Kid's bleat: MAA.

60. Grounded fast flier: SST.  There once was a plane called a Concorde that could get you to Europe in less than three hours.  Grounded now, but I'll bet some of those millionaire golfers would have been happy to take it to the British Open.

62. "I did it!": TA DA. And 59-Down: "I did it!": YAY ME.

64. What the nose knows: AROMA.

70. Coquettish: COY.

71. Palindrome ending: I'M ADAM.  Once in Las Vegas, I traveled to the Arizona border near lake Mead and there was a big wall in the river.  I asked what it was and it said "____". 

72. Surrounded by: AMONG.

73. Quarterback's asset: ARM.  A good tight end and a couple of wide receivers will help also.

74. Zones for different usage, say: RE-MAPS.

75. Foamy coffee: LATTE.  I never had one, but I heard you can get one at Starbucks for the same price as 2 gallons of diesel.  Probably tastes better but could mess up your carburetor.

76. Caustic solution: LYE.

Down:

1. "Ain't gonna happen": NO HOW.  Slang, but what the heck?  It's a crossword puzzle.

2. Gladiator's milieu: ARENA.  Lots of NBA games will be starting soon.

3. Problem for Pauline: PERIL.

4. Ring Cycle composer: WAGNER. I have heard of Wagner Spray Tech and also Honus.

5. Boxer who proclaimed, "I am the greatest!": ALI.  He was quite a showman.  He left us in 2016.
  
6. Sardine container: TIN.  With a skate key attached to the lid, that you had to turn to open.  "Do you remember these ??"

7. Required H.S. class: ENG.  Odd, I went to high school with a whole bunch of guys and we all spoke English pretty well.  But we still had to take the class.

8. Witherspoon of "Big Little Lies": REESE.  A fantastic baseball shortstop for the Brooklyn Dodgers, (and a little before my time.)  Pee Wee Reese was elected to Cooperstown in 1984. 

9. PC corner key: CTRL.

10. Classic A&W soda: ROOT BEER.  My father used to make root beer in a basement crock. It was pretty good, maybe not as good as A&W or Hires, but we really liked it. 

11. Neighbor of Uru.: ARG.

12. Like fish and chips: DEEP-FRIED.  I generally bake the fish, and do not prepare greasy French Fries.

13. "Doctor Zhivago" heroine: LARA.  "Although the snow, covers the hope of Spring."

14. Online craft shop: ETSY.  I'll bet Etsy does not have my homemade boondoggle zipper pulls.

20. Clears (of): RIDS.

22. Baseball great Mel: OTT.  Another great player for the New York Giants. A little before my time, his 21 year career ended in 1947.  He was inducted to Cooperstown in 1951.

26. Steal steers: RUSTLE.

27. San __: Riviera resort: REMO. I've never been to Italy, but my sister Connie goes there now and then.  Not sure if she visits San Remo. 

28. Blow, as a volcano: ERUPT. Or explode at umpires like Aaron Boone (Yankees).  A great Billy Martin imitation a couple of weeks ago.

30. Taxi charge: FARE.

33. Creator of Atticus, Scout and Jem: HARPER.  Phillies Right fielder Bryce who left Washington for greener pastures,

34. All but: SAVE.

35. TV screen type: LCD.

36. Be sent via FedEx or UPS: SHIP.  I think Fed Ex and UPS both use trucks and airplanes.

37. Group of star athletes: DREAM TEAM.  Maybe the 1965 All-Star Game, with Mantle and Killebrew.  I am not a big basketball fan.

39. Beat strongly: THROB.

41. Spy novelist Deighton: LEN.

43. "Insecure" Emmy nominee __ Rae: ISSA.

44. Attempt to ensnare, with "for": SET A TRAP.  We had to set traps for mice, mostly in the garage, but once or twice in our basement.  I am not sure how they get in, but since we bought new doors for our home, we don't see the little critters anymore.

45. Land of the banshee: EIRE.

50. June honorees: DADS.  That was a brand of root beer.  Not the stuff Dad brewed in the basement.

52. Breakfast juice flavor: ORANGE.

53. Title for Paul McCartney: SIR.  "To Sir, With love" sung by Lulu in a great movie with Sidney Poitier.

56. Taj __: MAHAL.

57. Bus that makes all the stops: LOCAL.  When I play golf I stop at all 18 greens on the local course.

58. Atlanta university: EMORY.

60. Recipe instruction: STIR.

61. Not all: SOME.

63. Goals: AIMS.  Sign in the men's rest room - "We aim to please, you aim too please."

66. Old food label abbr.: RDA. I think it was an acronym for Required Daily something or other.

67. Thurman of "Pulp Fiction": UMA.

68. Witty remark: MOT.

69. Pantry pest: ANT.  We do not see them in the house, but we have plenty in the driveway.

 
Confidential to TTP.  Several weeks ago we suggested that Twins Jake Odorizzi and Lucas Giolito could be competing for a Cy Young award.  Well, Jake gave up nine runs to the Yankees in four innings, and Lucas coughed up seven runs to the Twins in half a game last week, so I am withdrawing my vote.

Boomer

Notes from C.C.:

Congratulations on your debut, Susan! You're such a joy to work with. So fast and efficient.

Monday, July 29, 2019, Mark McClain

Just Stringing Along.  The word String can precede the first word of each theme answer.

17-Across. *  Music course for budding composers: THEORY CLASS.  String Theory.

 

24-Across. *  Meatless taqueria item: BEAN BURRITO.  String Bean.  David Akeman (June 17, 1915 ~ Nov. 10, 1973), known as String Bean, was a musician and comedian on Hee Haw.  He and his wife were murdered by burglars in 1973.

Oh, a String Bean is also a vegetable.

39-Across. *  Closet accessory for neckwear: TIE RACK.  String Tie.

51-Across. *  Marshall Islands site of nuclear testing: BIKINI ATOLL.  String Bikini.

It looks complicated to get all those strings just right.

And the unifier:
62-Across. Like the starting team, and a hint to the answers to starred clues: FIRST STRING.

Hahtoolah, here.  Boomer and I are switching days for reasons that will become apparent tomorrow.  Fear not, however, Boomer will be back in his Monday position next week.  And a big Thank You to Boomer for filling in for me last week while I was attending a conference in NYC.

Across:

1. Polio vaccine pioneer: SABIN.  Albert Sabin (né Abram Saperstein; Aug. 26, 1906 ~ Mar. 3, 1993) was born in Baiłstok, Poland (then part of the Russian Empire).  His family left the old country and ultimately found their way to the United States.  In 1930, he became a US citizen.  He is best known for the development of the oral polio vaccine.  He also developed vaccines against other viral diseases, including vaccines for encephalitis and dengue fever.

6. Bacteria in undercooked meat: E. COLI.  The scientific name for this bacteria is Escherichia coli.   It is a group of bacteria that lives in the intestines of healthy people and animals.  Although often associated with illness, most varieties of E. coli are harmless.  It is a common bacteria used in high school and college biology labs.

11. Blot gently: DAB.  A little DAB'll do ya!

 

14. Budget prefix: ECONO.  Think of an Econo Lodge.

15. Gas in flashtubes: XENON.  Xenon in an inert gas.  It's chemical symbol is Xe and its atomic number is 54.

16. Pitcher's stat: ERA.  As in an Earned Run Average.

19. Animation frame: CEL.  This has become a crossword staple.

20. Mannheim mister: HERR.  Today's German lesson.

21. Non-discrimination want-ad letters: EOE.  As in Equal Opportunity Employer.

22. Rub out a pencil mark: ERASE.

28. Castilian hero: EL CID.  El Cid (né Rodrigo Díaz; born about 1043 ~ died 1099) was a Castilian military leader in medieval Spain.  His name, El Cid, is Spanish Arabic meaning "lord".  Over the centuries, he has become a mythical figure.

31. Gate securer: LATCH.

32. "Get lost!": BEAT IT!



 34. AT&T news channel: CNN.  As in the Cable News Network.

35. Entrepreneur Musk: ELON.  Elon Musk (né Elon Reeve Musk; b. June 28, 1971) is a technology entrepreneur who was born in South Africa.  He now holds South African, Canadian and US citizenship.  He is the co-founder and CEO of Tesla.

38. Tire inflator: AIR.

42. Señora Perón: EVA.  Eva Perón (née María Eva Duarte; May 7, 1919 ~ July 26, 1952) was the wife of Juan Perón.  Everything I know about her I learned from the musical Evita, so I take that with a grain of salt.

43. Washington MLB team: NATS. As in the Washington Nationals, the baseball team of Washington, D.C.

45. Bath tissue layer: PLY.

46. Like contentious discussions: HEATED.

48. Car music source: RADIO.  Car radios have so many options today.

50. Kagan of the Supreme Court: ELENA.  Elena Kagan (b. Apr. 28, 1960) is an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court.  When she assumed the office in August 2010, she was only the 4th woman to serve as a Supreme Court Justice.  Prior to joining the Supreme Court, she was the first female dean of the Harvard Law School.

55. The "HD" in HDTV, briefly: HI-DEF.  As in High Definition.

56. "Wayne's World" catchword: NOT.  When you go to the dentist, you are having a good time ... NOT! 57. Director Kazan: ELIA.  Elia Kazan (né Elias Kazantzoglou; Sept. 7, 1909 ~ Sept. 28, 2003), was born in Istanbul, Turkey to Greek parent.  The family immigrated to the United States in 1913.  His first feature film was A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.  He is probably best known for directing On the Waterfront and A Streetcar Named Desire.

61. Incubation target: EGG.  On the farm, the mother hen is the incubator.

66. "The Simpsons" bartender: MOE.  Did you know that Moe actually has a surname?  His full name is Moammar Morris Szyslak, but he generally goes by just Moe.

67. Host onstage: EMCEE. 68. Banded marble: AGATE.  Agate is a crossword staple.  It is a translucent variety of quarts and is sometimes used as a semiprecious stone.

69. "__ now or never": IT'S.

 

 70. Author Dahl: ROALD.  In addition to being a novelist, Roald Dahl (Sept. 16, 1916 ~ Nov. 23, 1990) was a flying ace and intelligence officer during World War II.  He is best known to me for writing Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.  There was a fascinating article appeared in the Smithsonian about Roald Dahl a few years ago.  He had a very unique work space.

71. Sandwiches on pita: GYROS.  Yummers!

Down:
1. Eve's third son: SETH.  After Cain slew Abel, Adam and Eve had another child.  See Genesis 4:8.

2. Tooth pain: ACHE.  See 56-Across.

3. Dutch South African: BOER.  The word Boer is the Dutch and Afrikaans noun for farmer, and refers to the Dutch and Huguenot population that settled in South Africa in the late 17th century.

4. Circling the sun, as a planet: IN ORBIT.

5. Oslo's land: Abbr.: NOR.  Oslo is the capital of Norway.

6. Former inmate: EX-CON.

7. Tabloid figure, for short: CELEB.  As in a Celebrity.

8. Words before whim or hunch: ON A.  As in the phrase On a Whim, or On a Hunch.

9. __ Angeles: LOS.

10. Newspaper ad, often: INSERT.  These generally take up the bulk of the Sunday paper.

11. Track-and-field competitor in 10 events: DECATHLETE.  Can you name the 10 events in a Decathlon?  I'll give you a hint:  it consists 4 track events and 6 field events.  The Decathlon became an Olympic event in the 1912 Stockholm Summer Games.

12. Childish rebuttal: ARE SO!

13. Cotton unit: BALE.

18. Vote for passage: YEA.

23. Uncle Ben's boxful: RICE.

25. Fix, as text: EDIT.

26. Wrist-to-elbow bone: ULNA.

27. Big spread with cattle, say: RANCH.  One of the largest cattle ranches in the United States is the Parker Ranch on the Big Island of Hawaii.

28. Abba of Israel: EBAN.  Abba Eban (né Aubrey Solomon Meir Eban; Feb. 2, 1915 ~ Nov. 17, 2002) makes frequent guest appearances in the crosswords.  He was born in South Africa, but was not a Boer.

29. "Star Wars" heroine: LEIA.  She was portrayed by Carrie Fisher (née Carrie Frances Fisher; Oct. 21, 1956 ~ Dec. 27, 2016).

30. Printer toner containers: CARTRIDGES.

33. Second-chance basket: TIP IN.

34. Shed tears: CRY.

36. Pizza parlor appliance: OVEN.

37. Spanish "nothing": NADA.  Today's Spanish lesson.

40. H.G. Wells race: ELOI.  These fictional post-humans from the 1985 novel The Time Machine, have become a crossword staple.

41. Fall (over): KEEL.

 

44. "For Pete's __!": SAKE.

47. Reaction to pollen, e.g.: ALLERGY.

49. "I beg to __": "I don't agree": DIFFER.

51. Archie Bunker type: BIGOT.

52. Adams with a camera: ANSEL.  Ansel Adams (né Ansel Easton Adams; Feb. 20, 1902 ~ Apr. 22, 1984) was known for his black-and-white landscape photography, much of which was of the American West and the National Parks.

53. Hauled: TOTED.

54. Extra NBA periods: OTs.  As in Over Times.

55. Prefix with sphere meaning "half": HEMI-.  Think of a Hemisphere.

58. Tall story teller: LIAR.

59. Whip __ shape: INTO.

60. "For __ 3-5": toy box spec: AGES.  My grand-niece just turned 6 months, so I'll have to wait a bit to find toys in the 3-5 age range.

63. Texter's "I think": IMO.  Textspeak for In My Opinion.

64. Color TV pioneer: RCA.  RCA was originally founded in 1919 as the Radio Corporation of America.

65. "You're it!" game: TAG.

Here's the Grid:

The 10 events making up the decathlon include: 100-meter sprint, 110-meter hurdles, 400-meter dash, 1500-meter run, long jump, high jump, shot put, discus throw, javelin throw and the pole vault.

I'll leave you with a QOD:  Take the high road.  No matter how much strife, and consternation, frustration and anger you might be confronted with ~ don’t go to that level.  ~  Tim Gunn (né Timothy MacKenzie Gunn; b. July 29, 1953)

Sunday July 28, 2019 Gary Larson

Theme: "End Game" - The end of each theme entry is a type of game. Each theme entry is punnily clued.

 

22. Card game for students?: CLASS WAR.

24. Card game for the lovelorn?: LONELY HEARTS.

43. Board game for spies?: COVERT OPERATION. Unaware of the game. Wiki says "is a battery-operated game of physical skill that tests players' hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills."

66. Card game for plumbers?: BATHTUB GIN.

68. Playground game for bellhops?: LUGGAGE TAG.

86. Card game for office temps?: SHORT-TERM MEMORY. No memory of this game at all.

110. Card game for auto mechanics?: GREASY SPOONS.

113. Board game for tightrope walkers?: HIGH RISK.
  
It would be super tight if Gary limited all theme entries to all games. I bet he tried but could not find enough theme entries. Reminds me a bit of James Sajdak "card game" a few years ago.

Across:

1. "Welcome" site: MAT.

4. Word clarified by the minute hand: PAST. Oh, like "ten past six".

8. Rainbows, e.g.: ARCS.

12. __-Trinity National Forest, California's largest: SHASTA. Any of you been there?

18. Bullring bravo: OLE.

19. In __: as found: SITU.

20. Haul contents: LOOT.

21. Seafood sauce: TARTAR. Boomer likes it with his Aldi fish sticks

27. Waffling: HESITANT.

28. Donnybrook: MELEE.

29. Easy __: AS PIE.

30. Roll call calls: AYES.

31. Hungers (for): LUSTS.

34. __ Gherardini, memorable portrait subject: LISA. D'oh! Mona Lisa. I never knew her surname.

36. Cub with dingers: SOSA.

37. Abbr. on old maps: SSR.

38. Quad minus two?: STEREO. OK, four speakers minus two.

40. Hang (around) as friends: PAL.

41. Medical implants: STENTS.

46. Paid military group, briefly: MERCS.  Mercenaries.

48. Herr Schindler: OSKAR.

49. Stable serving: HAY. Horse's stable.

50. Cpl.'s superior: SGT.

53. Spock's father: SAREK. No idea.

54. ... with __ organized crime: TIES TO.

57. Catch: SNARE.

59. "For every child" rights group: UNICEF. Lots of celebrity goodwill ambassadors.

61. Lyft rival: UBER.

63. Place for a dip: POND.

65. Morlock victims: ELOI.

70. Hideous folklore figure: OGRE.

71. Bull, say: MALE.

72. Youngsters: KIDS.

73. Literature Nobelist Gordimer: NADINE. South African.

74. Big name at The Hershey Company: REESE.

76. Shade tree: LINDEN. Has any you seen these flowers? It's called 洋槐花 in Chinese and we eat the flowers. This article says it's popular in North America. But I've never seen one in person.

78. Flax fabric: LINEN.

79. Supporter of arms, for short: NRA. Nice clue.

80. Hispanic leader in a beret: CHE.

82. Sandwiches for dessert: OREOS.

85. Meted (out): DOLED.

90. Taylor's on-again, off-again romance: BURTON (Richard)

93. Unseld of the NBA: WES.

94. Make bubbly: AERATE.

95. Fairy queen: MAB.

98. Manual reader: USER.

99. Excited about, with "on": KEEN.

101. Year's record: ANNAL.

102. Taiwanese tea drink: BOBA. More commonly "Bubble tea". The chewy balls at the bottom are made of tapioca flour. 

103. Skin flick: NUDIE.

105. Caribbean cruise stop: ARUBA.

107. Man of letters?: PAT SAJAK. Another great clue.

114. Boyd who was married to Clapton: PATTIE. George Harrison too.

115. Nullify: UNDO.

116. "Of course": I SEE.

117. Driver's helper: TEE. Golf club.

118. Gets some shuteye: SLEEPS.

119. Lentil, e.g.: SEED.

120. Pinochle combo: MELD.

121. Eight-time Norris Trophy winner: ORR. Here is the full list. He won it 8 consecutive times (1968–75).

Down:

1. McDonald's drink orders: MOCHAS.

2. They may be blind: ALLEYS.

3. Movie preview: TEASER.

4. Subtle "Check this out!": PSST.

5. Former Sony brand: AIWA.

6. Comic book legend: STAN LEE.

7. John of "Quiz Show": TURTURRO. Regular in Coen brothers' movies.

8. Apiece, in scores: ALL.

9. Shares a place (with): ROOMS.

10. Holiday garland item: CONE.

11. First-rate: STELLAR.

12. Eye sores: STYES.

13. "I told you so!": HAH.

14. Specialty: AREA.

15. Nine-time presidential contender Harold: STASSEN. He died shortly before I came to Minnesota.

16. Atlantic game fish: TARPON.

17. Con __: ARTIST.

23. Bro's counterpart: SIS.

25. Bizet opera priestess: LEILA.

26. High or heavy bodies: SEAS.

32. Jazz club units: SETS. And 33. Had a break between 32-Down: TOOK TEN.

35. Most populous continent: ASIA.

38. Certain wrench component: SOCKET.

39. Boob tubes: TVS.

40. German : Vater :: French : __: PERE. Vater, Father. We also have 43. French for "mangers": CRECHES. 62. "Très __": BIEN.

42. Santa's sackful: TOYS. Sure miss our Santa! So grateful dear Spitzboov was able to see Argyle and gave up an update before he passed away.

44. Strong "pocket" holding in Hold 'em: PAIR.

45. Flip-flop: THONG.

46. Le Carré's "The Night __": MANAGER.

47. Land on the Red Sea: ERITREA.

50. Soup cracker: SALTINE.

51. Reacted to corn, maybe: GROANED. Corny, but Agnes loves her sweet corn.

52. Model Chrissy: TEIGEN. Wife of John Legend. Very outspoken.

53. Induce, as perjury: SUBORN. New word to me.

55. Tater: SPUD.

56. Clothing: TOGS.

58. In an impoverished way: NEEDILY.

60. Big fairy tale character word: FUM.

61. Wrinkly fruit: UGLI. They are in every grocery store now.

64. Patrick with a simulcast sports show: DAN.

67. Farm machine: BALER.

68. Center, for one: LINEMAN.

69. In copious amounts: GALORE.

72. Golden State Warriors coach Steve: KERR.

75. Amazon speaker brand: ECHO. CrossEyedDave has this gadget.

77. Female antelopes: DOES.

81. Word before "if you like" on some stickers: HONK.

83. Eclipse, maybe: OMEN.

84. Sistine Chapel ceiling figures: SERAPHIM. Plural of "Seraph".

85. Period, e.g.: DOT.

86. Groove: STRIATE. This showed up when I googled.

87. Pipsqueak: TWERP.

88. Lacking a sound basis: TENUOUS.

89. Pre-head cold feeling: MALAISE.

90. Keg stopper: BUNG. Also a new term to me.

91. Takes by force: USURPS.

92. Start the hand over: RE-DEAL.

95. Cuban rum drink: MOJITO.

96. Bully, often: ABASER.

97. Either original "PTL Club" co-host: BAKKER. Jim or Tammy Faye Bakker.

 

100. Relieves: EASES.

101. "Storage Wars" network: A AND E.

102. Setting for many a joke: BAR.

104. One of four direcciones: ESTE. Directions.

106. Paleontologist's discovery: BONE.

108. Neutrogena shampoo brand: T GEL. Never used this shampoo.

109. Shake off: SHED.

111. Pup's cry: YIP.

112. Early Great Plains building material: SOD.

C.C.