Tuesday, June 9th, 2026 ~ Amanda Rafkin & Amie Walker

Made of STEEL

Hot Stuff

Hi All!

Today, Amanda & Amie collaborate on a rugged theme. From what I've found, these two have joined forces at the LAT twice as Amie & Amanda [12 JUN & 08 OCT 2025]. They've had a Wednesday & a Thursday, so this will be their first Tuesday together.

Let's ROCK & Roll:

17. Cocktail poured with a heavy hand: STIFF DRINK.

Looks like a strong pour to me.

29. Honest amount of reliable work: SOLID EFFORT.

45. Resilient person: TOUGH COOKIE.

60. Social media debut of a romantic relationship, or what 17-, 29-, and 45-Across have: HARD LAUNCH.

STIFF is 18th on the list...

DW & I met when #SocialMedia consisted of messages on BBS (Bulletin Board System). So, to me,  HARD LAUNCH means "no turning back now." As for Social Media, we had to tell our friends to be at the Judge's house Sunday, IRL (In Real Life).

Across:

1. Wig makeup: HAIR. I soooo wanted talc in the barrister's wig he waggled.

I Waggled Me Wig

5. Food that might be served alla vodka: PASTA. Penne alla Vodka is a simple dish that will put you into a happy coma.

10. Diamond experts?: UMPS. Baseball! And an Easter Egg as diamonds are rock HARD.

14. "KPop Demon Hunters" bandmate of Mira and Zoey: RUMI. KPop Demon Hunters blew up so big last year, they dropped in on SLN:

Feat. Bad Bunny

15. Fuel-carrying ship: OILER. So many stuck in the Strait of Hormuz - did no one really NOT see that coming?

16. Go past a simmer: BOIL. Warm, heat, simmer, rapid simmer, BOIL.

17. [See: Theme]

19. Teeny bit: IOTA.

20. Norway's capital: OSLO.

21. Texting format, briefly: SMS. Short Message Service. It's a crime carriers charged us $0.10 for piggybacking a message on mobile to tower control-channel pings. Jinx, care to comment?

22. School composition: ESSAY. Not a crappy-production play put on by 3rd graders ;-)

23. "As __ on TV": SEEN. This c/a screams Weird Al...

Mr. Popeil

25. Dessert that quivers: JELLO. Oasis came to mind until I saw the clue's second S.

An Oasis

27. Chopping tool: AXE.

29. [See: Theme]

34. Young chap: LAD.

35. Male cat: TOM.

36. Some church donations: TITHES. I attended Catholic school on and off [depending on parental custody], and, what Pop appreciated, one only paid according to means. Pop tithed ~10% and we got a SOLID education at St. Joe's.

37. Frosty: ICY.

38. Grasped: GOT.

39. __ and yang: YIN.

40. Hoppy beer letters: IPA. Indian Pale Ale.

41. Like plagiarized text: STOLEN.

43. Delt neighbor: LAT.

44. La Brea __ Pits: TAR.

45. [See: Theme]

48. Method: Abbr.: SYS.

49. Sportscaster Musburger: BRENT. The answerer would have filled faster if clued "Light, sweet crude."

50. "Another thing ... ": ALSO.

52. Like steaks with a lot of marbling: FATTY. Don't fat-shame your dinner ;-)

55. Mermaid's realm: SEA.

57. Singular: LONE.

59. Baghdad locale: IRAQ.

60. [See: Theme]

63. iPhone virtual assistant: SIRI.

64. Skip, as a syllable: ELIDE.

65. Passed-down tales: LORE.

66. "Ciao!": TATA. I waited for the perp b/f not filling Tigger's TTFN.

67. Breadmaking need: YEAST. If it's unleavened, you don't kneed naan :-)

68. Like some Olympic races: SWUM. Time out! Is this really a word? Yes, swim, swam, and the past participle, SWUM. It's one of a few non-Germanic words I know that's got a Triple-U.* Swung, wuss, Kuwait, and wurst [admit it, that German word is so borrowed it's English :-)] are the others.

Down:

1. Time sheet figs.: HRS. When my team was on the clock for multiple clients, I created the "Bing sheet." Every 6 minutes, a clock would go "Bing," and you'd quickly scribble down the client you're currently working with / billing. //My buddy's dad was a lawyer - that's where the 6 min. came from :-)

2. Car: AUTO.

3. "So happy to be back together!": I MISSED YOU. I say nothing, just hugs & kisses.

4. Rummage (through): RIFLE.

5. "Love Is Blind" personal space: POD. No clue.

6. Broadcasts: AIRS. Something you can also put on for puffery.

7. Car-unlocking tool: SLIM JIM. This is in my lane - Eldest & I enjoy picking locks.

Eldest with her first picks
and beginner's lock.

8. Grew anxious: TENSED.

9. Torah holder: ARK.

10. Assassin's Creed game company: UBISOFT. I never played the game but I know of the company. Their origin story is interesting.

11. Sounds from cows: MOOS. Where is Gary Larson when the world needs him?

[See also: 39-down]

12. Pocket bread: PITA.

13. Defeat, as a dragon: SLAY. Roll a 17 or better on a d20 and you're heralded the hero.

A d20 for the uninitiated ;-)

18. Enemies: FOES.

22. Pixieish: ELFIN. Are we still playing D&D?

24. Never: NOT ONCE.

26. Wright of "Black Panther": LETITIA.

Letitia Wright

27. Red carpet celebs: A-LIST.

28. Precision knife brand: X-ACTO.

30. "Thanks a __!": LOT.

31. "You asked for a fight, you'll get one!": OH, IT'S ON NOW. "TOUGH words," said The Dragon.

32. Square up with: REPAY.

33. Former Russian rulers: TSARS.

38. Walt Disney Concert Hall designer Frank: GEHRY.

Frank Gehry's WikiP

39. Shaggy ox: YAK.

42. Letters on some Pride merch: LGBTQIA+. Click here for an explanation.

43. Traditional Mexican game of chance: LOTERIA. Lottery in Spanish.

46. At a reduced price: ON SALE.

47. Jazz icon Fitzgerald: ELLA.

51. All __ Day: November 2: SOULS.

52. Black Power symbol: FIST.

53. Song that might end on a high note: ARIA. Cute.

54. Like a cranberry, or a dessert that might contain cranberries: TART.

56. Does some math: ADDS.

58. Very light brown: ECRU.

60. "Wait just a minute!": HEY. Did you just say, "Heads I win; tails you lose?"

61. Permit: LET.

62. Dress edge: HEM. If mumbling while sewing, are you hawing your hem?

The Grid:

The Grid

WOs: N/A
ESPs: BRENT, LETITIA, GEHRY
Fav: OH, IT'S ON NOW

Cheers, -T
*W is Double-U, ergo SWUM can be written as sUUUm -- with a Triple-U :-)

Tuesday, May 26, 2026 ~ Stella Zawistowski

It's Taco Tuesday!

Hi All!
First, the elephant in the room: circles vs. no circles. Personally, I don't care.
Or, as DW told the Girls when they were little, "You get what you get and you don't throw a fit."

If you've ever attempted Stella's Saturday puzzles, you know she doesn't go easy on the solver. There's one or two "This is a Tuesday?"s in today's, but overall she constructed a smooth, light on the A&E, and cruft-free grid with a bit of crunch.

So, let's grab a tortilla, toss in some carne, onion, & cilantro and take a stroll.

Fajita beef, onion, & cilantro breakfast taco.

17. Toyota pickup since 1995: TACOMA TRUCK.

Rear view of the 2025 model

26. Sarcastic "Great idea!": WHAT A CONCEPT. Not!

45. Requires sacrifice to achieve: COMES AT A COST.

61. Portable Tex-Mex snack, or a progression depicted in this puzzle: WALKING TACO.

Get it? The [circled] TACO "walks" from left to right in the grid. Cute.

Er, more like a stumbling TACO
after leaving the pub :-)

Across:

1. Treadmill settings: PACES. ??? All my treadmill says is "speed" and "incline."

6. Learn to fit in: ADAPT. Adjust, ADAPT, Overcome.

11. Fuel for some stoves: GAS. I've got a glass cooktop.  You?

14. Enticing scent: AROMA.

15. Brings to the ground: RAZES.

16. "How We Do (Party)" singer Rita: ORA.

Not my cuppa, but you might like it.

17. [See: Theme]

19. Decimal base: TEN. As a child of the '70's, I got the experimental "new math" and the metric system (this was in '77 through '80 (?)). However, both came in quite handy whilst pursing degrees in EE & CS [#6d_STEAM - I married for the Arts :-) ] .

20. "Rooster" network: HBO. Home Box Office. I'd not known of this show but, from the trailer, it looks good.

21. Coin slot directive: INSERT.

Donkey Kong's Directive

22. Bullfrog relative: TOAD.

23. Ironman race, for short: TRI. TRIathlon.

24. "Well, sort of": ISH.

26. [See: Theme]

32. Pre-1917 Russian ruler: TSAR.

34. Molecule part: ATOM.

35. Land parcels: ACRES.

37. Pancake topper: SYRUP. Here's my go-to from grocer H-E-B.

I'm a sucker for cute packaging :-)

39. Take legal action against: SUE.

40. Large herbivore in India's Kaziranga National Park: RHINO.

This Rhino's in Oregon's Zoo.

41. "Cowboy Bebop" genre: ANIME. With a perp & an educated guess...

42. "Logically, this means ... ": ERGO. #Latin

44. "Toy Story" boy: ANDY.

Fun Fact: On Buzz Lightyear's boot,
Andy's N is not written backwards [cite].

45. [See: Theme]

48. Brian of Roxy Music: ENO.

Brian Eno was commissioned by Microsoft for Win95's 3.25 second
startup sound that he composed it on his Mac.

49. Before, in classic ballads: ERE.

50. Confident and courageous: BOLD.

53. Rum cocktail: MAI TAI. A recipe.

57. Embrace: HUG.

60. Cry of realization: AHA.

61. [See: Theme]

63. Grab a chair: SIT.

64. Common feature of flannel shirts: PLAID.

For the fans like me: Python's Lumberjack Song

65. Volunteer's offer: I WILL.

66. Earth-turning tool: HOE.

67. Actress/writer Kaling: MINDY. I would have known "Mork's friend" who, according to WikiP, Kaling was named after.

Mindy Kaling

68. Vanlifer, for one: NOMAD. Not sure that Matt Foley was considered a nomad :-)

Down:

1. Hiker's trail: PATH.

2. Many a Yemeni: ARAB.

3. Pixar film set in Mexico: COCO.

Coco's Trailer

4. Punk subgenre: EMO.

5. Wiley of "The Handmaid's Tale": SAMIRA. You say so...

6. The "A" of STEAM: ARTS. Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Maths.

7. Truth or __: DARE.

8. C te d'__, France: AZUR.

9. Substance that makes jelly gel: PECTIN.

10. "You should know better!": TSK.

11. Favorite choice: GO-TO.

12. District: AREA.

13. Temporary castle material: SAND.

Here's some more really cool ephemeral sculptures..

18. Maria's friend in "West Side Story": ANITA.

22. TV quiz show with Cash Builder rounds: THE CHASE. No clue. A few Googles later I learned that this is another US import of a UK game show. Here's the US trailer...

23. Played monotonously: THRUMMED.

25. Surgical memento: SCAR.

26. Nintendo character in purple overalls: WARIO. On autopilot, I first ink'd mARIO.

27. Completely lost: AT SEA.

28. Tennis venue: COURT.

29. Last Greek letter: OMEGA.

30. "Read the fine __": PRINT.

31. Care for: TEND.

32. Airport org. with wands: TSA.

33. Match, as a laptop and the cloud: SYNC. 

36. Tofu base: SOY.

38. Part of a hammer: PEEN.

43. Bounding main: OCEAN.

46. Mogadishu native: SOMALI.

47. Starting point: ORIGIN.

50. Wild party: BASH.

51. Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's state: OHIO. DJ Donna Halper introduced RUSH to the US when she played Working Man on Cleveland, OHIO's WMMS.

Crossword's fav architect, I.M. Pei (and Co.), designed the RRHOF.

52. Not on time: LATE.

54. Astronaut Shepard: ALAN. Husker Gary, can you hit the ball "Miles and miles and miles"?

Alan Shepard slices it ;-)

55. "Just joking!": I KID.

56. In apple-pie order: TIDY.

57. Pop band with sisters Este, Danielle, and Alana: HAIM.

58. Home of the NCAA's Bruins: UCLA.

59. Top Olympic prize: GOLD.

61. Typist's stat: WPM. Words Per Minute. With copious use of the backspace key, I get about 42 wpm.

62. "It takes __ to tango": TWO.

The Grid:

The Grid

My solve:
WO: mARIO -> WARIO
ESPs: ORA, ANIME (as clued), MINDY, SAMIRA, HAIM
Fav: SUE x-ing COURT made me chortle.

Cheers, -T

Most every workday am, I get breakfast tacos
from Moderno's across from the office *chef's kiss*.

Tuesday, May 12, 2026 ~ Zhouqin Burnikel

Side Salad Up!

Today's theme, provided by our blog's host, C.C., is a tossed diner salad. It's so simple we don't even need (those pesky) circles to see it. Let's take a look:

17. Practical baby shower gift: DIAPER GENIE.
When the Girls were infants, we had one. Insert a soiled diaper and twist twice. It keeps the smell down and creates a twisted "poop sausage." //Apologies if you're still finishing breakfast.

Diaper Genie

26. Sheer brilliance: PURE GENIUS.

36. Hidden nerdy side: INNER GEEK. I wear my GEEK on the outside.

52. Pumping device in a pub: BEER ENGINE. A hand pump developed by John Lofting, a hydraulic engineer. You can build your own.

61. Simple salad, or what 17-, 26-, 36-, and 52-Across all have: MIXED GREENS.

I love a salad with my meal. It starts with mixed greens, but then I go a little crazy.

One of my dinner side salads.

Across:

1. Supports for crow's nests: MASTS.

6. In the company of: WITH.

10. Half-__ latte: CAF.

13. How ballerinas may stand: ON TOE.

Degas' Pink & Green

14. In the lead: AHEAD.

16. R&B singer Lennox: ARI.

She's new to me.

17. [See: Theme]

19. Last leg of a triathlon: RUN. Swim, cycle, RUN.

20. First responder certified in AED use: EMT. An Automated External Defibrillator is used by an Emergency Medical Technician.

21. "Stranger Things" actress Hawke: MAYA. She's the daughter of Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman.

Maya Hawke

22. Blacksmith's workshop: FORGE.

24. Praise: LAUD.

26. [See: Theme]

29. Put emphasis on: STRESS.

31. Monopoly players?: CARTELS.

32. Fish enjoyed on Unagi Day: EELS. There's a Unagi Day?

I do love me some unagi.

33. Back out (on): BAIL.

35. "Barbie" actress Issa: RAE. She was in Thursday's puzzle.

Issa RAE

36. [See: Theme]

40. TruTV sister station: TBS. Turner Broadcasting System. Ted Turner died last week.

NPR with Ted's Obit

43. Objectives: AIMS.

44. Shawarma bread: PITA.

47. Craftsperson: ARTISAN.

50. Sides of a gem: FACETS.

52. [See: Theme]

55. Leafy vegetable rich in vitamin K: KALE. A GREEN leafy.

56. Boutonniere spot: LAPEL. A boutonniere is French for a cute pin. Madeleine Albright was a master of using them.

57. Ladder crosspiece: RUNG.

59. PC hookup: LAN.

60. Flight takeoff abbr.: ETD. Estimated Time of Delay ;-)

61. [See: Theme]

65. "It just clicked!": AHA.

66. Skirt with flare?: A-LINE.

67. Colorful striped stone: AGATE.

68. Currency in MN and NM: USD. Minnesota & New Mexico use United States Dollars.

69. "None of that is true!": LIES.

70. Living room seats: SOFAS.

Down:

1. Workers who strike poses: MODELS.

2. Bring to life: ANIMATE.

RUSH!

3. Level of importance: STATURE.

4. Blouse or turtleneck: TOP.

5. Come across as: SEEM.

6. Pricey Japanese beef: WAGYU.

7. "Rumor is ... ": I HEAR.

8. Number of legs on a lobster: TEN.

9. "Yes," in Osaka: HAI.

10. Verizon or T-Mobile: CARRIER.

11. Leafy vegetable also known as rocket: ARUGULA. Another leafy GREEN. Arugula is a bit peppery and adds depth to a salad.

12. Delicate handling: FINESSE.

15. Postpone: DEFER.

18. Sings like G-Dragon: RAPS. Sings? Four letters? An educated WAG.

That's G-Dragon

23. Toronto's prov.: ONT.  The greatest band ever, RUSH, is from Ontario's Toronto.
//I've got one more expo before seeing RUSH's R50 (something) w/ Bro, Sis, & Eldest 30 JUN in Dallas. What I'm saying is, anything I can connect to RUSH will be posted 'cuz I'm totes pump'd.
You've been warned.

25. Place to order a Reuben: DELI. This is one of my favorite sandwiches. Only a summer-time BLT is better.

Now That's a Sandwich.
Kenny & Ziggy's does it up. Yummers!

27. Vaping devices: E-CIGS. I finally quit all nicotine nine months ago - I still miss it.

28. Battering wind: GALE.

30. Nine-digit ID that never begins with a nine: SSN. Social Security Number. And, I didn't know 9xx-xx-xxxx doesn't exist.

33. For the time __: BEING.

34. Blazer sleeve: ARM.

37. Flatbread often enriched with yogurt: NAAN.

King Arthur's Recipe

38. Org. that banned DDT: EPA. The Environmental Protection Agency regulates dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane.

39. Punt or field goal: KICK. Did you get a KICK out of this clue/answer? //Sry - #DadJoke

40. Picturesque scene: TABLEAU.

41. Gulps of air: BREATHS.

42. Father in a blended family: STEP DAD. I've had three. Mom didn't grow moss.

45. Bit read by a fortune teller: TEA LEAF.

46. City with the world's busiest airport: ATLANTA. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International is Delta's main hub and very busy.

If you must go through, plan for a 2hr layover
or you won't make your connection.
//Youngest & classmates were stuck overnight on their way to IREland.

48. Furious state: IRE.

49. Alabama city in civil rights history: SELMA.

50. __ shui: FENG.

51. Gets the feeling: SENSES.

53. Adler who outwits Sherlock Holmes in "A Scandal in Bohemia": IRENE. With all the interpretations of Holmes, I can't recall if she's Sherlock's sister or just "The Woman" who can outsmart him a bit. Anyone know better?

54. Some lipstick shades: NUDES.

58. Mardi __: GRAS. Years ago, I was with Krewe of Bacchus - it's not for the faint of liver.

62. Down with a bug: ILL.

63. Noon, on sundials: XII. If you visited the XIV Stations of the Cross in Catholic school, the Roman Numeral for 12 is a gimme.

64. Self-image: EGO.

C.C. delivered another gem. I had fun. You?

Here's the Grid:

The Grid

WO: FuNG shui.
ESPs: ARI, MAYA
Fav: I'm going to BAIL on this one ;-).

Cheers, -T

Sunday, March 29, 2026 ~ Doug Peterson

Theme: "DON'T STOP NOW"

Go Go Gadget Helicopter

Hi All!

I always enjoy solving a Doug Peterson puzzle and I was not disappointed with this effort. However, as I was solving, Inspector Gadget kept playing in my head so, I wasn't quite expecting the reveal:

117. Make it big, or a hint to the pairs found in the answers to the starred clues: GO PLACES.

22. *American Samoa's capital: PAGO PAGO. Capital of American Samoa.

29. *Dramatic ending for a tied hockey game: GOLDEN GOAL.

35. *Mohair source: ANGORA GOAT.

55. *"Stranger Things" monster: DEMOGORGON. Click at your own risk.

79. *Symbol often adorned with a "Doodle": GOOGLE LOGO.

Apropos for next Sunday

100. *Smugly sanctimonious sort: GOODY GOODY.

107. *Wasting time: GOOFING OFF.

15. *Martial arts-themed toy line: LEGO NINJAGO.

66. *Band with the 1998 hit "Iris": GOO GOO DOLLS. I have this CD but, post-solve, I had to Google to know the title of the song I've heard >100 times.

Iris

A fun theme, I think. Now let's get on to the rest of the fill before we get on with our day.

Across:

1. Invitation letters: RSVP. Répondez s'il vous plait or, in English, "respond if you please."

5. Three-striper: Abbr.: SGT. The rank of sergeant.

8. WNBA star Reese: ANGEL. She played for LSU (Geaux Tigers!) and Chicago Sky (which I think was in Thursday's puzzle(?))

Her WikiP

13. Archipelago parts: ISLES.

18. Prefix with space: AERO.

19. "Ni __": Chinese greeting: HAO. Hello in English. Mr. Di, who was the night supervisor at the lab where I worked in college, taught me that. //How am I doin' C.C.? :-)

20. __ Doone cookies: LORNA. This cookie is slowly replacing OREO :-)

21. Will of "BoJack Horseman": ARNETT. This was a Netflix animated series for adults that "aired" from 2014 to 2018.

BoJack Horseman

22. [See: Theme]

24. Pipsqueak: TWERP.

25. Half-baked?: DOUGHY.

If you've seen this movie, you weren't thinking DOUGHY

26. Shoulder wraps: STOLES.

27. __ Tomé and Príncipe: SAO. A tiny country off the coast of Africa.

Those two islands

29. [See: Theme]

31. Really annoy: GRATE ON.

33. Farm buildings: BARNS.

34. 180º from SSW: NNE. Compass points.

35. [See: Theme]

38. Instagram's parent: META.

39. Rhubarb treats: PIES.

A Prairie Home Companion

40. Preppy brand: POLO. POLO & IZOD make me think of the '80's.

41. Doomscrolling, perhaps: ONLINE. This stackexchange has arguments for and against online being one word or hyphenated. Oh, and as for Doomscrolling, that's the act of watching headline after headline (of usually bad news) in short-form media such as TikTok, Meta's Reels, or YouTube Shorts.

43. "Oh, rats!": AW DARN.

46. Program for aspiring docs: PREMED. Does this get a hyphen? ;-)

49. Readily apparent: OVERT.

51. Basic garage service: LUBE JOB. This is not hyphenated.

54. Texting tech: SMS. Short Message Service.

55. [See: Theme]

59. Sub meat: SALAMI. Add some pepperoni, mortadella, provolone - I'm getting peckish.

60. Inconsequential: MINOR.

61. Hate with a passion: DETEST. Or what Tattoo exclaims to Roarke at exam time? //Sorry for stealing your job, RayO :-).

63. Dry-__ beef: AGED.

64. Striped 96-Down, in Spanish: TIGRE. These kinda cross-reference clues can be fun. However, this one made me fast-forward to a corner I wasn't playing in and I got distracted from what I was there for.

67. Doorway piece: JAMB.

70. Plastic Clue weapon: ROPE. I thought all of the weapons in Clue were made with plastic.

Then

Now

71. Preppy jackets: ETONS. Back to the preppies again.

72. __ appeal: SNOB. Now we're really getting preppy :-)

73. Arizona neighbor: SONORA. To the south of AZ.

75. Tequila plant: AGAVE. Drink in 73a (and pretty much everywhere else).

77. In the area: AROUND. Tequila all around!

79. [See: Theme]

82. Electric jolt: ZAP.

85. Backslide: REGRESS.

87. Slight adjustment: TWEAK.

88. Gazpacho need: TOMATO. Yummers! More Italian food. Ok, we kinda appropriated [Read: stole] it from Spain but... Gazpacho is a wonderful cold "soup" for summer.

90. Does better than: ONE UPS.

92. Haudenosaunee Confederacy people: SENECA. One of the Six Nations' tribes.

95. Birthstone for some Scorpios: OPAL.

96. __ and hisses: BOOS.

98. Home of tennis's Italian Open: ROME. Four letter Italian city? The pen works itself.

100. [See: Theme]

103. "__ be nice if ... ": IT'D.

104. Canonized one: SAINT.

Father Guido Sarducci on March Saints

106. Not intended: UNMEANT. This feels like it needs a hyphen.

107. [See: Theme]

110. NYC subway org.: MTA. New York City's Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

111. Poet Amy who won a Pulitzer Prize posthumously: LOWELL.

114. Piña __: COLADA. If you like 'em (and getting caught in the rain), Escape.

Who knows any other songs by Rupert Holmes?

115. Engine booster, for short: TURBO. Wife's Alfa is a turbo, mine is five on the floor.

117. [See: Theme]

119. Geopolitical partners: ALLIES.

120. Pioneers in Philly soul, with "The": O'JAYS. For the younger solvers who've joined The Corner and weren't around in the '70's...

The O'Jays

121. Feel bad about: RUE.

122. Mauna Loa flow: LAVA.

123. Electricity pioneer Nikola: TESLA.

124. High-flying toys: KITES.

125. Assist: AID.

126. Make a shawl, maybe: KNIT. Young'uns seem to be getting into this "grandma" skill. Eldest started the craft at 12 yrs old and still does it when procrastinating her dissertation :-)

Down:

1. Performs like Kendrick Lamar: RAPS.

2. Flight assignment: SEAT. Are you aisle or window?

3. Immersive gaming gear, briefly: VR GOGGLES. There's only one (1) GO in this fill.

4. Spot for table games: POOL ROOM. Feels a bit forced(?) I call 'em a POOL hall (or just a dive bar). You?

5. California peak: SHASTA. Also the brand name of a diet soda my maternal grandfather drank.

6. Silly prank: GAG.

7. "I didn't wait long enough?": TOO SOON. Can we make Millard Filmore jokes yet?

8. Voice above tenor: ALTO. Eldest is a soprano but can do a great alto falsetto. One time, when she was 12 (or 13?), she blew away our local TexMex joint singing karaoke to Bohemian Rhapsody. On the "from me" high bit, the whole place went quiet and looked where it was coming from. Just my little shy kid belting out her voice. #ProudDad

9. This very second: NOW. STAT didn't fit.

10. Hall of Fame pitcher Maddux: GREG. I know he was with the Braves longer (where he secured a WS ring), but he'll always be a Cub to me.

11. Dress for a graduation ceremony: ENROBE. Not the dress you wear but the verb dress. Cute, Doug, cute.

12. City near Buenos Aires: LA PLATA. ?!? Is Buenos Aires also in the Texas panhandle? I'm kidding, it's the capital city of Buenos Aires province of Argentina.

13. Clubs with metal heads: IRONS. Oh, again not dive bars (with crank'd up music).

14. Tight-fitting: SNUG.

15. [See: Theme]

16. Compound in natural gas: ETHANE. A hydrocarbon which just got more expensive.

17. Does salon work: STYLES.

21. Yemeni port: ADEN. For the life of me, I can never remember this crossword staple.

23. Fruit in fruit cocktail: PEAR.

28. Like some watches: ANALOG. I made sure my kids could read a proper clock (with Roman Numerals too! :-))

30. Southern sound: DRAWL. Over 40 years in the south, I've developed a bit of one.

32. Freudian concept: EGO.

35. Slack and Signal: APPS. APPlications for you pocket communicator. Signal is actually pretty nifty if you're into privacy & security.

36. "Cheers" regular: NORM.

Best of Norm Peterson

37. Early DVR brand: TIVO. Two college buddies of mine worked for TiVo.

38. Corporate combination: MERGER.

39. Senior clergyman: PRELATE.

42. Square one?: NERD.

44. Coating on knickknacks: DUST. That's why DW & I have few.

45. Litigators' org.: ABA. American Bar Association.

47. Falco of "Avatar: Fire and Ash": EDIE.

48. Lair: DEN.

50. "Rosanna" band: TOTO.

According to popular myth, at the first recording sessions, in order to distinguish their own demo tapes from other bands' in the studio, Jeff Porcaro wrote the word "Toto" on them. In the early 1980s, band members told the press that the band was named after Toto the dog from The Wizard of Oz. After the completion of the first album, the band and record were still unnamed. David Hungate, after viewing the name on the demo tapes, explained to the group that the Latin words "in toto" translated to "all-encompassing". Another explanation was that singer Bobby Kimball's "real" name was Robert Toteaux, pronounced "toto". Because the band members played on so many records and so many musical genres, they adopted the name "Toto" as their own. - WikiP

Toto's Africa

52. Warning sign: OMEN.

53. Says "two no trump," e.g.: BIDS. I'm guessing the card game of Bridge ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

56. Magic charm: MOJO.

57. Sumatran primate, informally: ORANG.

58. Himalayan nation: NEPAL.

60. Owner of the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant: MR. BURNS. The Simpsons.

62. Lily variety: SEGO. It's the State Flower of Utah.

64. Bygone Russian title: TSAR.

65. Memo heading: INRE. IN REgards to:

66. [See: Theme]

68. Not worth debating: MOOT.

69. Look through casually: BROWSE. Leaf, skim, etc.

71. Acronym for a dressing base: EVOO. Extra Virgin Olive Oil. It's all I use.

73. Aztecs' sch.: SDSU. San Diego State University - Home of the Fightin' Aztecs.

74. "Peacemaker" actor Steve: AGEE.

76. Reality show hosted by Terry Crews, for short: AGT. I'm guessing America's Got Talent ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

78. Once known as: NEE.

80. "Auld __ Syne": LANG.

81. Barely manage: EKE OUT.

82. Mesoamerican language family common in Oaxaca: ZAPOTECAN. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Read all about it here.

83. Just barely: A TAD.

84. Roly-__: POLY. AKA pillbugs or armadillidiidae.

86. Bit of rosemary: SPRIG.

89. Dance move also known as a backslide: MOONWALK. You can't not think of Michael Jackson here.

This looks AI he's that good

91. Majorly unacceptable: SO NOT OK. An HR violation, I'm thinkin'.

93. Packaged foods giant: CONAGRA. You may not know the company (I'm sure HG does), but you probably eat their food. I know I do.

Their Brands

94. USN VIP: ADM. Naval Admirals are Very Important People.

96. Jaguar or leopard: BIG CAT. Just like a TIGRE.

97. Peter of "The Lion in Winter": O'TOOLE.

99. "The Great Wave off Kanagawa" peak: Abbr.: MT FUJI.

101. Gave a sudden squeal: YELPED.

102. Hastings hoosegow: GAOL. Hastings is an English town (Battle Of in 1066) and GAOL is Old Norman French. The G in GAOL is soft like in gentle; so, aloud GAOL sounds like jail -- which is what the word means.

104. Better half?: SIDE A. Cute. But is Hey Jude really better than Revolution?

The Fab Four

105. Santa __: dry California winds: ANAs.

108. Blunder that might be epic: FAIL. #EpicFail

109. Greek house: FRAT.

Obligatory

110. Green trunk growth: MOSS.

112. Strauss of jeans: LEVI.

113. Future atty.'s exam: LSAT. Youngest passed and is nearly done with her OneL.

116. "So long!": BYE.

118. Arles agreement: OUI. We started with French and we end with French, YES?

Well, that was fun. Now, here's the Grid:

The Grid

WO: laura -> LORNA
ESPs: ANGEL, LAPLATA (making that whole area a mess o' ink), ADEN, SAO, SENECA, LOWELL, ZAPOTECAN
Fav: MOJO

Dr. Evil steals Austin Powers' Mojo

I've missed playing with y'all the last few weeks. I've been busy catching up from my short vacation in DC to visit my daughters at school. These next few weeks, my attendance will also be sporadic as I'm attending a couple of cybersecurity conferences.

Play later!
Cheers, -T

Fin