Tuesday October 28, 2025 ~ Samuel A. Donaldson

Ordinary Ordinals

It doesn't take a SIXTH SENSE to figure out this puzzle's theme.

Today, Samuel presents an ordered list of ordinal numbers.

If you're not familiar with number nomenclature, cardinal numbers, such as One, Two, Three, indicate quantity. Ordinals, used in this puzzle, indicate position or rank but not quantity. Numbers such as single, double, and triple are called multipliers. Nominal numbers are used as a name - e.g. Number 42 [Jackie Robinson].

Enough of that. Let's get on with it.

15. Spendy flying option: FIRST CLASS.

23. Dating option not recommended by Madonna in "Express Yourself": SECOND BEST.

In case you forgot the song.

33. Topic to avoid, metaphorically: THIRD RAIL. The third rail is the electrified middle track used in mass transit systems and, like a topic to avoid, you don't touch it.

49. Imaginary barrier that might be broken by a stage actor: FOURTH WALL. The fourth wall is an imaginary barrier between the performers and the audience. The audience sees through this wall to observe the play/movie/show but the performers presumably can't. Breaking the fourth wall is when a performer acknowledges the existence of the audience.

59. Double date tagalong: FIFTH WHEEL. When not speaking of RVs (or trailers in general) pulled by a hitch in the bed of a pickup, fifth wheel means useless or superfluous -- such as a fifth wheel on a wagon [Moby Dick, 1851 (cite)].

Having beat the theme into submission, let's explore how Samuel filled the rest of the grid.

Across:

1. "Later, gang!": SEE YA. Caio.

6. Winter ailment: FLU. I got my vaccine. You?

9. Chats online, briefly: IMS. Instant MessageS.

12. At a distance: APART.

13. Pull a pre-final all-nighter: CRAM.

14. Cabbage-based side: SLAW.

15. [See: Theme]

17. __ to self: NOTE.

18. Ga. airport code: ATL.

19. Arts and crafts, to a grammarian: NOUNS. Cute.

20. "Oppenheimer" or "Anora": MOVIE.

21. Corner chess piece: ROOK.

Chess Humor

23. [See: Theme]

25. "Sheesh, what a day!": I'M BEAT.

27. St. Francis of __: ASSISI. Patron saint of animals and founder of the Franciscan order.

Statue at Xavier University

28. Drips through slowly: SEEPS.

29. Picked up the tab: PAID.

32. Concert souvenir that may list tour stops: TEE.

33. [See: Theme]

37. LLC alternative: INC. Limited Liability Company / INCorporated.

40. Scrap: TOSS.

41. Peony part: PETAL.

45. Danish or Swedish: NORDIC.

48. Vietnamese sandwich: BANH MI.

There's no shortage of good Bahn Mi in Houston!

49. [See: Theme]

53. The "D" of NYPD, for short: DEPT.

54. Start: ONSET.

55. Celebrity's hotel check-in name, perhaps: ALIAS. Checking into hotels, Sir Paul famously used the alias Paul Ramone. The alias was used by the punk band The Ramones as an homage.

57. Sandwich with three key components: BLT. Bacon, Lettuce, & Tomato.

58. Moreno with an EGOT: RITA.

Rita's Wikipedia page.

59. [See: Theme]

61. Like many dorms: CO-ED.

62. Raison d'__: ETRE. French for "Reason to be."

63. Disparage: ABASE.

64. Finish: END.

65. Lingo suffix: ESE.

66. Some dessert wines: PORTS. Why is it called port? Here's what Quora says.

Down:

1. African expeditions: SAFARIS. On your Mac, take a virtual one with your Safari browser.

2. Textbook example: EPITOME.

3. Piercing place: EARLOBE.

4. Soph and jr.: YRS. SECOND and THIRD years of high school or college.

5. Memo header abbr.: ATTN.

6. Swiss currency: FRANC. Sweden has not adopted the euro.

7. Rodeo ring?: LASSO.

8. Gap-filling sounds: UMS.

9. "What a wonderful gift!": I LOVE IT.

10. French painter Henri: MATISSE.

11. Honey bunny: SWEETIE.

13. Board game with weapons, suspects, and rooms: CLUE.

14. Supercilious types: SNOBS.

16. Price to pay: COST.

20. GPs, e.g.: MDS. General Practitioners / Medical Doctors.

22. Retained: KEPT.

24. Zip: NADA.

26. Volcanic residue: ASH.

29. Whiz: PRO.

30. Streaming annoyances: ADS.

31. Org. featured in the book "Many Unhappy Returns": IRS. Internal Revenue Service. The subtitle of the book is "One Man's Quest to Turn Around The Most Unpopular Organization in America." Apparently, it's non-fiction by IRS Commissioner Charles Rossotti.

34. Bug bite symptom: ITCH.

35. Craft beer letters: IPA.

36. Extend credit: LEND.

37. Legally effective: IN FORCE.

38. Request from a diner concerned about bad breath: NO ONION. Took a second for this not to parse as NOON ION.

39. Like many baked goods: CRUSTED.

42. Jeremy Allen White series featuring the oft-repeated line "Yes, chef!": THE BEAR.

I've not seen it but heard it was good.

43. Most bountiful: AMPLEST. Ooof. Any port in a storm, I guess.

44. Children, slangily: LITTLES. Ooof again? Anyone refer to kids that way, ever?

46. Feeling of foreboding: DREAD.

47. Cousin in "The Addams Family": ITT.

Cousin Itt

48. "Borrrring": BLAH.

50. Stays on hold: WAITS.

This American Life tracked down Cisco's hold music composer.

51. Emmy winner Woodard: ALFRE.

Alfre's Wikipedia page

52. Lo-cal label word: LITE.

56. Trade: SWAP.

59. Transaction charge: FEE.

60. "Euphoria" airer: HBO.

The Grid:

The Grid

WOs: Loan -> LEND; EPITOMy [sic]
ESPs: ALFRE
Fav: I'll go with SNOB for the clue - supercilious is just a fun word.

There you have it folks. Were you in SEVENTH HEAVEN after finishing the grid? Did you think Samuel's offering was the EIGHT WONDER?

Me? I thank Samuel for the enjoyable puzzle and I hope y'all enjoyed the NINTH INNING wrap-up.

It's now up to you to provide the TENTH AMENDMENT.

Cheers, -T

Monday, October 13th, 2025 Ginny Too

Theme: Bear Necessities?

Bare Necessities

G'Day Cornerites!

Today, Ginny front loads the theme answers with a type of BEAR on the LEFT.

18. "Dream a Little Dream" singer: MAMA CASS. Papa bear, MAMA BEAR, Baby bear.

24. Symbol on a difficult ski run: BLACK DIAMOND. Black Bear.

40. Daily paper in the Windy City: CHICAGO SUN TIMES. Tribune didn't quite fit. The Sun Times is a daily nonprofit newspaper and the former home of Roger Ebert. Last Thursday NaomiZ illustrated a SUN BEAR (and SUN isn't far enough left) so...
 

Da Bears

52. Fast-casual Chinese restaurant chain: PANDA EXPRESS.

Good for a lunch at the airport

63. One option at a fork in the road, and an apt description of 18-, 24-, 40-, and 52-Across: BEAR LEFT.

Yogi is another BEAR on the LEFT

Due to the government shutdown, we didn't have:
Stubb's BBQ sauce flavor: SMOKEY MESQUITE [14] nor
"Being With You" Artist: SMOKEY ROBINSON [14]

We at The Corner hope SMOKEY BEAR resumes his National Parks duties soon.

Across:

1. Get plenty of sleep before a big event: REST UP.

7. Quick and nimble: SPRY.

11. __ Lock: PC key: NUM.

14. Starting squads: A-TEAMS.

15. French peak: ALPE.

16. CBS forensic franchise: CSI.

17. Hip-hop dance move: NAE NAE.

In case you need a refresher before rehearsal ;-)

18. [See: Theme]

20. Home project initials: DIY. Do It Yourself instead of hiring a contractor.

21. Thumb drive ports: USBS. Universal Serial Bus(es).

Quantum States of USB Connectors

23. Asian grocery chain: H-MART. The H is for Han Ah Reum (한아름), which means "an armful" in Korea [cite: WikiP]. We have two in Houston.

24. [See: Theme]

28. __ beer float: ROOT.

The Root Beer Bear

29. Pep talk target: MORALE.

33. House of Lords title: BARON.

36. Part of a superhero costume: CAPE.

Edna on why "No Capes"

39. Soccer great Hamm: MIA. Not only a soccer superstar but now a marrow & cord blood transplant awareness.

40. [See: Theme]

44. Nashville awards org.: CMA. Country Music Association.

45. Clock toggle: AM/PM.

46. Home: ABODE.

47. Dojo instructor: SENSEI.

50. Where to find "Campbell's Soup Cans" in NYC: MOMA. Museum of Modern Art.

52. [See: Theme]

58. ICU hookup: IV BAG.

61. Wet and squirmy: EELY.

62. Genetic messenger molecule: RNA. Ribonucleic acid.

63. [See: Theme]

65. French cake: GATEAU. In France it's just cake, in English there's a difference.

"Yummers, gateau," said no one I know.

68. Sports doc's scan: MRI. Magnetic resonance imaging -- difference from a CT scan.

69. __-steven: EVEN. Squared-up.

70. Draw out: ELICIT.

71. Plopped down: SAT.

72. Skating commentator Lipinski: TARA. Youngest (15yro) Gold Medalist.

73. Stinging weed: NETTLE.

Down:

1. Mary J. Blige's music genre: R AND B. Rhythm AND Blues (and SMOKEY's genre too!).

2. Etsy business: E-TAIL.

3. "Bye now": SEE YA.

4. Sun shade?: TAN.

5. Actress Thurman: UMA. I know her from Brooks' 2005 The Producers.
 

6. Bogus: PSEUDO.

7. Lively Afro-Brazilian dance: SAMBA.

8. Suffix with proto-: PLASM.

9. Turntable letters: RPM. Revolutions Per Minute.

10. "You'd think so, but ... ": YEAH, NO.

11. Org. covered by ESPNU: NCAA. ESPN (known as Entertainment and Sports Programming Network until 1985) Universities covers the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

12. Cold War initials: USSR. The CCCP (Союз Советских Социалистических Республик) is Union of Soviet Socialist Republics to English speakers.

13. Fine spray: MIST.

19. Nav. rank: CMDR. Commander.

22. "Friends" or "Girlfriends": SITCOM. A portmanteau of SITuation and COMedy.

25. Lightweight clog: CROC.
 

A croc with a CROC?  What a crock!

26. Hawaiian coffee district: KONA.

27. Harbinger: OMEN.

30. Snowball pile, say: AMMO.

31. Stretched the truth: LIED.

32. Soften: EASE.

33. Emails discreetly: BCCS. Blind Carbon Copy.

34. [Sigh]: AH ME.

35. "Glass Onion" director Johnson: RIAN.
 

37. Egyptian cobra: ASP.

38. Beat with one's fists: PUMMEL.

41. Make a profit: GAIN.

42. Pack (down): TAMP.

43. Vowel-shaped beam: I-BAR, U-bar, We-bar :-)

48. Practice in the boxing ring: SPAR.

49. Young bird of prey: EAGLET.

51. Gas with the symbol O: OXYGEN.

53. Put off: DEFER.

54. Health insurance giant: AETNA. Not to be confused with the Italian giant Etna.

55. Put up: ERECT.

56. Mollusk that's a symbol of slowness: SNAIL.

57. Pan fry: SAUTE.

58. Some early PCs: IBMS.

59. "Up in the Air" Oscar nominee Farmiga: VERA. Costars include George Clooney and Anna Kendrick.
 

Vera Farmiga

60. Fly, in fly-fishing: BAIT.

64. Actress Longoria: EVA. I only know her from Only Murders in the Building.
 

Eva Longoria

66. Blonde brew: ALE.

67. __ for tat: TIT. I'll leave this one to our Corner limerickists.

The Grid:

The Grid

WOs: cap -> NUM Lock, lure -> BAIT
ESPs: NAE NAE, RIAN, VERA, RARA
Fav: SNAIL next to SAUTE - escargot anyone?

Cheers, -T

Tuesday September 16, 2025 ~ Tennessee Grimes

Creature Comforts

Hi All!
Our normal relief pitcher, RustyBrain, is getting some well earned R&R so I'm stepping in [read: you're stuck with me] for Hahtoolah today.

Today's gimmick: Phrases that critters may call housing.

17. Fraternal organization venue: ELKS LODGE.

The Possum LODGE

24. Desk accessory that might coordinate with a wrist rest: MOUSE PAD.

Jerry Mouse's Pad

34. Place to adopt a new pet, or what is found in 17-, 24-, 49-, and 59-Across?: ANIMAL SHELTER.

49. Emphasizes passionately: RAMS HOME.

Ramming it Home?

59. "Land ho!" caller's spot: CROWS NEST.

Keepin' the crows out of the Crow's Nest
(so there's not a murder up there).

Across:
1. ABC show for early risers, briefly: GMA. American Broadcasting Company airs Good Morning America at 7am.

4. Cut, as logs: SAWED. Cut is past-tense here.

9. Button on a job listing website: APPLY. Oy! These are the bane of hirning managers (that actually read all submitted resumes) 'cuz folks / bots submit resumes w/o even reading the requirements.

14. Grammy winners __ Tigres del Norte: LOS. No clue. Their WikiP. I would link a video but I don't know enough Spanish to figure out if #Politics.

15. Muscat resident: OMANI.

16. Celtic priest of old: DRUID.

Stonehenge had Druids

[Spinal Tap (ft. Sir Elton) -- The End Continues]

17. [See: Theme]

19. Musical instrument similar to the xylophone, familiarly: VIBES. I'm assuming vibraphone.

20. On the line: AT STAKE.

21. Gloomy: GRIM.

23. Device at a parking spot: METER.

Sir Paul going on about Lovely Rita

24. [See: Theme]

28. Oscar hopeful: NOMINEE.

31. Turn into: BECOME.

32. Functions: USES.

33. Knowledgeable about: UP ON.

34. [See: Theme]

40. Latch (onto): GLOM.

41. Mystical glow: AURA.

42. Kenya's continent: AFRICA.

Toto's Africa

45. Knotty: GNARLED. I love this word - it's onomatopoetically visual.

49. [See: Theme]

51. Salami choice: GENOA. A very yummy Italian salami.

53. Shoe bottom: SOLE.

54. Ugly garment at many a holiday party: SWEATER. There's a whole store dedicated to this.

56. Pinkberry dessert, familiarly: FRO-YO.

[site cite]

59. [See: Theme]

61. Starts of some renovation projects, informally: DEMOS. Demolition: out w/ the old. Renovation: in w/ the new.

62. __ Major: constellation with Sirius, the Dog Star: CANIS.

63. Many ICU pros: RNS. Intensive Care Units are staffed by Registered Nurses.

64. Rascal: ROGUE.

65. Actress Harmon: ANGIE.

Angie's WikiP

66. Pigpen: STY. Not Charlie Brown's friend.

Down:
1. Twinkle: GLEAM. Think eyes.

2. Liquefied by heat, as lava or metal: MOLTEN.

3. Invites out for: ASKS TO.

4. Room with a lot of natural light: SOLARIUM. I kept trying to stretch out atRIUM.

5. Frenzied: AMOK.

6. Get ready to start fly-fishing, say: WADE.

7. U.K. part: ENG.

8. Soccer great Maradona: DIEGO. I didn't know of Maradona until last week when I heard The Engineer [25m] on This American Life.

WikiP

9. Counsel: ADVISE.

10. Quality piece of meat: PRIME CUT. I had PRIME rib.

11. Irish tavern: PUB.

12. Falsehood: LIE.

13. NFL gains: YDS. Yards gained in football.

18. Originate (from): STEM.

22. Create friction: RUB.

24. Email, e.g.: MESSAGE.

25. Title for Robert Prevost since May 8, 2025: POPE. Leo is Frank's successor.

26. Common topic for a bachata crooner: AMOR. Bachata is music from the Dominican Republic. I sussed AMOR from "crooner" :-)

27. Lair: DEN.

29. Govt. intel org.: NSA. National Security Agency - "The only part of government that actually listens." :-)

30. Skinny swimmer: EEL.

34. Automaker __ Romeo: ALFA.

My '86 Spider Veloce

35. Par for the course: NORM.

36. Words of longing: I MISS YOU.

37. Roman Empire raider: HUN.

38. Stretch of history: ERA.

39. Philanthropist's quality: LARGESSE.

40. Skinny swimmer: GAR. Another 3-letter thin aquatic animal.

43. Cast a ballot, say: CHOOSE.

44. Pioneering ISP: AOL. America On Line was an early Internet Service Provider.

46. Like a small, efficient team: LEAN.

John Candy in Stripes

47. Goes through an open door: ENTERS.

48. "That __ seem right": DOESN'T.

50. Site where the Quran was first revealed to Muhammad: MECCA.

52. Overly intellectual, maybe: ARTSY.

54. Spotify selection: SONG.

55. 1940s conflict, for short: WWII. World War II

56. U.S. pres. for most of 55-Down: FDR. Franklin Delano Roosevelt

57. __ Speedwagon: REO. The band [Keep on Rollin'] named themselves after the car that Neal Doughty (keyboardist) saw written on the blackboard in his History of Transportation class at U of IL.

A soup'd up REO Speed Wagon

58. Texter's "No way!": OMG. Oh, My Gracious!

60. Published: RAN. The reporter RAN with the story: "The senator, while insisting he was not intoxicated, could not explain his nudity." [WKRP Intro @0:24]

The Grid:

The Grid

WOs: heWED -> SAWED, PRIME rib => inON => UP ON, GNARLEy [sic]
ESPs: LOS (as clued), DIEGO, ANGIE
Fav: GNARLED is just too fun to ignore.

Cheers, -T

Sunday, August 24, 2025 ~ Zhouqin Burnikel

Ship Building

This Sunday, C.C. meticulously builds a ship in a puzzle like the puzzle of a ship in a bottle.

23. "Don't wait to sign up!": REGISTER NOW. The STERN is the back of a ship.

25. Rolling aid at a sushi bar: BAMBOO MAT. The BOOM is perpendicular to the MAST.

Mmm... Sushi

36. Places to see turkeys: BOWLING ALLEYS. The GALLEY is the boat's kitchen. Note: Boomer said lanes; BOW is highlighted 'cuz, um... see 111a ;-)

58. Tree blight spread by bark beetles: DUTCH ELM DISEASE. The HELM is the ships wheel. Dutch elm disease is caused by sac fungi spread by bark beetles.

78. Christmas carol set to "Greensleeves": WHAT CHILD IS THIS. The HATCH is the door to the hold or cargo area. I'll admit I had to write this with out the circles in order to NOT parse it as WATCH ILDIST HIS.

95. "Mood Indigo" composer: DUKE ELLINGTON. The KEEL is ship's backbone.

Nice.

111. Boss at a hot spot: CLUB OWNER.

113. Like a blanket fresh from the dryer: WARM AS TOAST. The MAST is the center pole.

Not to be buttered.

And, just to keep us all on the same boat:

Ship's Bits

Across:
1. Father of Rosemary's baby: SATAN.

6. State tree of Texas: PECAN. My old neighborhood had pecan trees shading the streets. Every year, folks walk down the medians bagging them up.

11. Lhasa __: APSO.

Cousin Itt dogs.

15. Mlle., in Mexico: SRTA. Short for señorita.

19. Affordable, in brand names: ECONO. Economic or easy on your wallet.

20. Red Velvet leader: IRENE. Red Velvet is a female K-pop group. You can read about them here or listen below:

YMMV

21. Bring up: REAR. Not bring up the rear but bring up as child to adult.

22. Many a babysitter: TEEN.

23. [See: Theme]

25. [See: Theme]

27. Beach on a film set: ADAM. Canadian actor.

Rotten Tomatoes Bio

28. Hardly an angel: BRAT.

Calvin could be a real stinker.

29. Love to pieces: ADORE.

31. Sussex strollers: PRAMS.

32. In progress: AFOOT.

34. Some breakdancers: BGIRLS. B-Girls are breakdancing females.

35. Slip of the fingers: TYPO.

36. [See: Theme]

40. "SNL" actor Wakim: EMIL.

Emil on Weekend Update

42. Miracle-__: garden brand: GRO.

YMMV

43. Store with hiking gear: REI. Recreational Equipment Inc.

44. Sculling tool: OAR.

45. Chopping tool: AXE.

46. Sacred bird of the Nile: IBIS.

50. Share a viewpoint: AGREE.

52. Swindler's scheme: CON.

53. Cosmopolitan place?: BAR.
 

A Cosmo

55. Most exquisite: FINEST.

57. Shopping centers: MALLS.

58. [See: Theme]

61. Winds down: ENDS.

62. Top gear?: HATS.
 

Similar to my topper.

63. Tapestry creature: UNICORN. So, this was a thing [WikiP].
 

The Unicorn Purifies Water

64. Time out?: NAP.

65. __ press: small appliance: PANINI.

67. Dated: OLD. Think fashion.

68. Shade-loving plants with broad leaves: HOSTAS.

70. Come up short, maybe: OWE.

72. Largest fog desert in the world: ATACAMA. Atacama is a desert in Chile.

74. Street food vendor's need: CART. I've seen tamale sellers outside of bars with just a 5-gallon bucket.

75. Links org.: LPGA. Ladies Professional Golf Association.

78. [See: Theme]

81. Sensitive spots: SORES.

82. Setting: LOCALE.

83. Take a course?: EAT. Cute.

84. "__ Missing Hearts": Celeste Ng novel: OUR.

85. Dog, cutesily: POOCH. Cf. 121a.

86. Built on __: SPEC.

87. Blog feed letters: RSS. Really Simple Syndication. It's a protocol to update you without needing to constantly visit all of your subscribed websites to know if they've updated.

89. QB misfire: INT. An interception is a quarterback's error.

90. Drink in a growler: ALE.

About 4 pints

92. Luau instrument, briefly: UKE.

93. Don't throw away: KEEP.

95. [See: Theme]

99. Best buds: PALS.

101. Continental divides?: OCEANS.

103. Speak in public: ORATE.

104. Labyrinthine puzzles: MAZES.

A maize maze at nearby Dewberry Farm

105. "Gosh!": OH GEE.

106. Movie ending?: GOER. A moviegoer sees films.

107. Tom yum cuisine: THAI. Tom yum is a hot (as in spicy) and sour soup. WikiP says, "Tom yam [alt.] is composed of two words in the Thai language. Tom refers to the boiling process, while yam means mixed."

Yummers!

111. [See: Theme]

113. [See: Theme]

116. Prefix with space: AERO.

117. Roll-call call: HERE.

118. Like some college walls: IVIED. Also like Wrigley's outfield walls.

Two early ground-rule doubles.

119. Monument Valley land formation: BUTTE.

120. "__ hates pushups": message on a silly tee: T-REX.  Me parsing: "What's a TREX? Oh, a T-Rex!"

LOL!

121. Garfield's frenemy: ODIE.

122. Baby bear?: TEDDY. #Roosevelt

123. Mist in a sauna: STEAM.

Down:
1. "Buona __!": SERA. "Good night" in Italian.

2. Totally crushed, as a test: ACED.

3. Classic dorm party costume: TOGA.

Animal House

4. Cat or mouse: ANIMAL.

5. Thumbs-downs: NOS.

6. Dumplings often served with sour cream: PIEROGI.

Yummers!

7. Printed slips: ERRATA. Ha!

8. Bit of change: CENT.

9. "It's __-win situation": A NO.

10. Crystal collector, maybe: NEWAGER. A newager is into new age crystal healing.

11. Shady spots: ARBORS.

12. Tapioca unit: PEARL.

13. Like some couples: SAME SEX.

14. Space ball?: ORB.

15. Thread that unfolds in a courtroom drama: STORY LINE.

16. Craft a new plot: REMAP.

17. Phrase heard before un beso, at times: TE AMO. I love you followed (at times) by a kiss.

18. Six-legged social workers: ANTS.

24. Cut from the short loin: T-BONE.

26. __-Free: contact lens solution: OPTI.

30. Handy letters: DIY. Do It Yourself.

33. Camp cracklers: FIRES.

34. Sauvignon __: BLANC. A dry, herbal, white-grape wine.

36. Second-best effort: B-GAME. A-Game is a thing... B-Game, not so much(?).

37. Brain or heart: ORGAN.

38. Global harmony: WORLD PEACE.

John Lennon's Vision ;-)

39. Takes inventory?: LOOTS. Ha!

41. Selfish shout: ME FIRST.

45. __ quarterback: ARM CHAIR. During the game as opposed to Monday-Morning around the watercooler.

47. Shoot added to pho: BEAN SPROUT. They add a bit of crunch to your soup.

48. Rae of "Barbie": ISSA.
 

President Barbie

49. "Take a __ back": STEP. And look at the bigger picture.

51. Queen with a frosty touch: ELSA. Disney's Frozen movie.

52. Manicure targets: CUTICLES.

53. Be flexible: BEND.

54. "Aladdin" prince: ALI. Another Disney reference.

56. Ain't right?: ISN'T. Cute.

58. Gurira of "Black Panther": DANAI.
 

Danai Gurira

59. Luau dances: HULAS.

60. Access points: DOORS.

62. "Well, hello!": HI THERE.

66. Salt formula: NACL. Sodium [Na] Cloride [Cl].

67. Fail to include: OMIT.

69. __ gobi: vegetarian curry dish: ALOO. Even though I enjoy Indian cuisine often, it's crosswords that have taught me potato is aloo.

70. Hooting birds: OWLS.

71. Hit with force: WHOP.

73. Orthodontist's org.: ADA.

74. Skydiver's need: CHUTE. You only need a chute if you expect to skydive more than once.

76. Lizard with sticky toe pads: GECKO.

77. Visibly frightened: ASHEN.

79. Container with lures and worms: TACKLE BOX. I have a tackle box filled with IC [integrated circuit] components ;-)

80. Strengthens, as muscles: TONES.

81. Totally wiped: SPENT.

88. Cuddled in bed: SPOONED.

89. "Told ya so!": I KNEW IT.

90. "So soon?": ALREADY.

91. Make-up artists?: LIARS.

94. Petro-Canada rival: ESSO.

95. Academic goal: DEGREE.

96. Dubai's fed.: UAE.

97. Was imminent: LOOMED.

98. "Beat it!": GET OUT.

99. Lighter in color: PALER.

Procol Harum's 1967 A Whiter Shade of Pale

100. Shade of blue: AZURE.

102. Darling, in Dijon: CHERI.

Pepé Le Pew

104. Aspiring doc's exam: MCAT. The Medical College Admission Test.

106. Aid in solving a logic puzzle: GRID.

108. "Stop the __": HATE.

109. Hammett dog: ASTA.

110. Article: ITEM.

112. "__ told you?": WHO.

The WHO who told(?)

114. Blvd. kin: AVE.

115. Conan's former network: TBS. Originally, the Turner Broadcasting System.

The Grid:

The Grid (for the visually impaired)

WO: HaSTAS
ESPs: SATAN (as clued), IRENE, ADAM, ATACAMA | DANAI, T-REX (as clued)
Fav: LOOTS' clue.

Well, what do you think? (I know, I know, "circles")
I say this was a another fun Sunday puzzle by our hostess C.C..

Now it's time for me to SHIP out.
Cheers, -T