Sunday April 12, 2026 Darryl Gonzalez

 Theme: "MAJOR CHANGE" - Each academic degree is reinterpreted as a different kind in a fitting field. 

22. Degree in promoting mani-pedis?: DIGITAL MARKETING.

37. Degree in restoring historic factories?: PLANT CONSERVATION.

55. Degree in flytrap innovations?: WEB DEVELOPMENT.

81. Degree in pudding skin consistency?: FILM PRODUCTION.

94. Degree in preaching?: MASS COMMUNICATION.

116. Degree in building polite society?: CIVIL ENGINEERING.

Perfect title. All the key words shift meanings, key to this type of theme. Six long entries totally 94 theme squares, right in my sweet spot for a 21x21 grid. 

This grid also has chunky stacks along the left/right edges, with plenty of solid 6's and 7's.

Across:

1. Combine: MERGE.

6. Gym amenity: SAUNA.

11. Primate that can be lesser or great: APE. We're great, of course. 

14. Tags on social media: ATS.

17. Salchow cousins: AXELS. Salchow jump is named after its inventor, Ulrich Salchow,

18. Like this answer: ACROSS.

20. Young boy: LAD.

21. Blueberrylike fruit: SLOE.

25. Luau interlude: HULA.

26. Vivacity: ELAN.

27. Northern Scotland native: GAEL. Gaelic is their language. 

28. Beverage suffix: ADE.

29. Biology blueprints: GENOMES.

31. Muscle at the end of the clavicle: DELTOID. Strengthened by dumbbell lateral raises.

33. Blueprints: PLANS.

35. Building unit: CONDO.

36. Poetic tribute: ODE.

42. Accessory coordinated with a pocket hankie: TIE.

43. Remove from office: OUST.

44. Neighborhood: AREA.

45. Pick up with a fork: STAB.

48. "That girl?": HER.

49. Dish that helps expand cultural horizons?: PETRI. Lab dish. 

51. Paths on a flight tracker: ARCS.

60. Cloud of cosmic dust: NEBULA.

62. Goof: ERR.

63. ATM code: PIN.

64. In a strange way: WEIRDLY.

66. Bhutan neighbor: TIBET.

67. Sicilian snack whose name means "little oranges": ARANCINI. Deep fried rice balls.

70. "How could you?" sound: TSK.

71. Without fail: EACH TIME.

73. Mutton busting venue: RODEO. Mutton busting is a learning moment for me. Kids ride sheep in this event.

74. Fashion designer with the fragrance Dolly Girl: ANNA SUI.

77. N.Y. tech sch.: RPI. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Hi there Agnes!

78. "Four Quartets" monogram: TSE.

79. Starbucks size: TRENTA.

84. "Odyssey" peak: OSSA. And 114. Sicilian peak: ETNA.

85. Breezy songs: LILTS.

87. __ in igloo: I AS.

88. Trip stops: INNS.

89. "Insecure" star Rae: ISSA.

90. Deceptive "Frozen" prince: HANS.

92. Coffee maker unit: CUP.

101. Letters before a stage name: AKA.

104. Aristocratic: ELITE.

105. Award quartets, for short: EGOTS.

106. Perched: ROOSTED.

108. Some small suits: SPEEDOS. Most guys wear jammers. Want to see me flying?

111. UPS wt. units: LBS.

112. Cute "Star Wars" character: EWOK.

115. Grotto: CAVE.

120. Hit a hole-in-one on: ACED.

121. "Gotcha!": HAH.

122. Cry for more: ENCORE.

123. Be in sync: AGREE.

124. __ Vegas: LAS.

125. Meditation sounds: OMS.

126. Gave a prescription: DOSED.

127. Parts of fish sticks?: REELS. Not the fried ones.

Down:

1. Muddled through: MADE DO.

2. Like Romeo at the start of Act V: EXILED.  From Verona. "The Butterfly Lovers" is often called China's Romeo and Juliet. 

3. Tell amusing tales to: REGALE.

4. Twinkle: GLINT.

5. D.C. hrs.: EST.

6. Nestea shelfmate: SALADA.

7. Top: ACME.

8. Range that starts near the Kara Sea: URAL.

9. "That's neither here __ there": NOR.

10. Demand much (of): ASK A LOT.

11. "The Greatest" subject: ALI.

12. Hockey commentator Darren: PANG. Don't know him, the lead color commentator for the Chicago Blackhawks.

13. Advantage: EDGE.

14. Reunion invitees: ALUMNI.

15. Maumee River city: TOLEDO.

16. Use spices: SEASON. Look how much red pepper flakes in this Biang Biang noodles.

19. Rental category: SEDAN.

21. "Rats!": SHOOT.

23. Adaptable: AGILE.

24. Cards with the most pips: TENS.

30. Org. whose NIL rules changed in 2021: NCAA. NIL stands for Name, Image, Likeness.

32. Polish letters: OPI.

33. Windows boxes?: PCS. Plural Windows.

34. "Sleepless in __": Nora Ephron movie: SEATTLE.

38. Christmas tune: NOEL.

39. "Presumed Innocent" writer: TUROW.

40. Telugu-language movie originally named for the initials of its creators: RRR. Featuring the Oscar-winning song "Naatu Naatu."

41. Line in blue cheese: VEIN.

42. "Not sure yet" letters: TBD.

45. Avow: SWEAR TO.

46. Little brats: TERRORS.

47. Wears down: ABRADES.

48. Reddish-brown dye: HENNA.

49. Start paying attention: PERK UP.

50. Conclude: END.

51. Somewhat: A BIT.

52. "Sure, go ahead and gloat": RUB IT IN.

53. Tigers of South Carolina: CLEMSON. The Clemson Tigers. 

54. Glossy fabrics: SATEENS.

56. Magic Kingdom neighbor: EPCOT.

57. Seven, on a sundial: VII.

58. Poppy parts: PETALS.

59. Bette's "Divine" stage name: MISS M.

61. Guiding principle: ETHIC.

65. Gridiron gains: YARDS.

68. "99 Luftballons" group: NENA.

69. Stir up, as passions: INFLAME.

72. Apple core, for short: CPU.

75. Complaint hardly worth mentioning: NIT.

76. Russian fashion model Shayk: IRINA. She shares a daughter with Bradley Cooper.

80. "Plus ... ": ALSO.

82. Brewery oven: OAST.

83. Bit of advice: TIP.

86. Belief system: ISM.

89. Matcha option: ICED. I only drink it hot.  

90. Click a paper airplane icon, say: HIT SEND.

91. Aug. runners, often: ACS.

92. "Twistin' the Night Away" singer: COOKE (Sam)

93. "One card left!": UNO.

94. Tequila kin: MESCAL.

95. Andean camelid: ALPACA.

96. Strainers: SIEVES.

97. Majestic mount: STEED.

98. Wrinkly fruit: UGLI.

99. Aristocratic: NOBLE.

100. Flattened, in a way: IRONED.

101. Invite information: ATTIRE. I was baptized on Easter Vigil. Guess who showed up and sat through the full 3-hour service?

102. Pet hotel: KENNEL.

103. Well-known sayings: ADAGES.

107. Sturdy fabric: SERGE.

109. __ Rios, Jamaica: OCHO. Eight Rivers. Many scenes from "Dr. No" were filmed there.

110. Thailand, once: SIAM.

112. Boardroom battlers: EGOS.

113. Hidden mic: WIRE.

117. Blockbuster format: VHS.

118. Sgt., e.g.: NCO.

119. Piercing spot, perhaps: EAR.

C.C.

 

Thursday, December 12, 2024, Darryl Gonzalez

 Four clechos on the
fourth planet from the Sun

Darryl Gonzales presents us with a simple theme: 4 entries clued with MARS, each filled with a different meaning for the word.

20. MARS: ROMAN GOD OF WAR.  Here's Gustav Holst's Mars, the Bringer of War from his tone poem The Planets.  IMHO the sound tracks of a lot of contemporary SciFi flicks borrow heavily from this piece ...

 

34. MARS: CANDY COMPANY.  Mars Inc. is an American multinational manufacturer most famous for the confectionery items that it manufactures, such as Mars bars, 3 Musketeers, Milky Way bars, M&Ms, Skittles, Snickers, Twix, and Bounty ...
 

41. MARS: DOES DAMAGE TO.  

56. MARS: MUSICIAN BRUNO.  Peter Gene Hernandez (born October 8, 1985), known professionally as Bruno Mars, is an American singer-songwriter. He is known for his stage performances, retro showmanship, and for singing in a wide range of musical styles, including pop, R&B, funk, soul, reggae, disco, and rock. Here's his Today My Life Begins ...

Here's the grid ...
 

Here's the rest ...

Across:

 1. Places to retire: BEDS.

5. Passage on a floor plan: HALL.

9. "Yellowstone" actor Hauser: COLE.  Thank you perps.  Cole Kenneth Hauser (born March 22, 1975) is an American actor.  He currently stars as Rip Wheeler on the Paramount Network western drama series Yellowstone.

Cole Hauser

13. Egress: EXIT.  One of the attractions of P.T. Barnum's American Museum was called "The Egress", a practical joke on his visitors in order to overcome crowding in the museum.  There were signs all over the museum pointing to a door that led to it.  When visitors entered it they found that they had EXITED the museum and had to pay the admission fee again to get back in!

14. Medicinal succulents: ALOES.

16. Grape shape: OVAL.

17. Pietà spot: APSE.  I filled ROME for this at first, as ST. PETER'S is too long.  The statue is in an APSE, the Chapel of the Pietà, one of the first things you see when you enter the Cathedral thru the right doors.

Pietà
Michelangelo Buonarroti
6 March 1475 – 18 February 1564

18. Gloria's "Sunset Boulevard" role: NORMA.  Sunset Boulevard is a 1950 American black comedy starring William Holden as Joe Gillis, a struggling screenwriter, and Gloria Swanson as Norma Desmond, a former silent-film star who draws him into her deranged fantasy world, where she dreams of making a triumphant return to the screen ...

19. Card collection: DECK.

20. [Theme clue].

23. Many prime time offerings: DRAMAS.

24. Recent beginning: NEO.

25. Banana Boat letters: SPF. Sun Protection Factor.  The clue is also a hit song by Harry Belafonte ...

28. Stall kin: STY.

29. Mary Oliver work: POEM.  Mary Jane Oliver (September 10, 1935 – January 17, 2019) was an American poet who won the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize. She found inspiration for her work in nature and had a lifelong habit of solitary walks in the wild. Her poetry is characterized by wonderment at the natural environment, vivid imagery, and unadorned language. Here she reads her poem Wild Geese ...

32. Fail suddenly and spectacularly: CRATER.  This was a toughie.

34. [Theme clue].

36. Poker buy-in: ANTE.

39. In the style of: ALA.

40. "Auld Lang __": SYNE.

41. [Theme clue].

46. Gamer's virtual persona: AVATAR.  This word originated in Sanskrit and has several other meanings beside the one in gaming -- but this one is a god who likes to play games ...

Krishna
The Divine Playful Boy

47. Credit report blot: REPO.  A REPO would indicate failure to pay a debt.

48. Merit badge org.: BSA.  Boy Scouts of America.

51. Thanksgiving side: YAM.

52. Part of FWIW: IT'S.  For What IT'S Worth.

54. __ bar: OMELET.  Here's a recipe.

Omelet

56. [Theme clue].

60. Timeline units: ERAS.

62. Corleone brother: SONNY.  Santino "Sonny" Corleone is a fictional character in Mario Puzo's 1969 novel The Godfather and its 1972 film adaptation.

Sonny Corleone
played by James Caan

63. Caspian Sea country: IRAN.  Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Turkey to the northwest and Iraq to the west, Azerbaijan, Armenia, the Caspian Sea, and Turkmenistan to the north, Afghanistan to the east, Pakistan to the southeast, the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf to the south.

64. Suffix for a scandal: GATE.  Originated from the 1972 Watergate scandal, but has long since gone pandemic.

65. Incan carving: TOTEM.  On Peru’s central coast, an ornately carved totem was venerated across centuries of upheaval and conquest.

The Idol of the
Painted Temple

66. Actress Blanchett: CATE.  Catherine Élise Blanchett AC (born 14 May 1969) is an Australian actor and film producer. Regarded as one of the best performers of her generation, she is recognized for her versatile work across independent films, blockbusters, and the stage. Blanchett has received numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards, four British Academy Film Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards, in addition to nominations for two Primetime Emmy Awards and a Tony Award.  She is perhaps most widely known for her role as Galadriel, the Queen of the Elves in the Peter Jackson film trilogy The Lord of the Rings.  In this extended scene she lets Frodo look into her mirror to see what might happen in the future ...

67. Is in debt: OWES.  In danger of a REPO?

68. Brings along for the ride: TOWS.  Or the result of REPOS.

69. Those in favor: AYES.

Down:

 1. Consequences of lengthening shadows: BEARDS.  Clever!

2. Ship out: EXPORT.

3. Appall: DISMAY.

4. Iron output: STEAM.

5. Doesn't let go: HANGS ON.

6. __ gobi: vegetarian dish: ALOO.  Potatoes, cauliflower, and spices.  Here's a recipe.

Aloo Gobi

7. "Oh __, won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz?": LORD.  This hit by Janice Joplin is one of the more creative clues for this fill ...

8. Piccata need: LEMON.  Piccata sauce is made using pan drippings; lemon juice and white wine or chicken stock are added and reduced. Chopped parsley and often capers are added; sometimes also shallots or garlic. After reduction, butter is stirred in to finish the sauce. It is often garnished with slices of lemon. Here's a recipe for white fish piccata.

White fish piccata

9. 2021 Marlee Matlin film that won Best Picture: CODA.  Children of Deaf Adults.  Here's the trailer ... 

10. Wear out one's welcome: OVERSTAY.

11. Fond du __, Wisconsin: LAC.  Today's French Lesson: "At the bottom of the lake", so named because of its location at the bottom (south end) of Lake Winnebago.

12. Yellowstone buglers: ELK.  Here's 50 seconds of an Elk brass section (IMHO they sound more like woodwinds😀) ...

   15. Seattle-based insurance giant: SAFECO.  Safeco Insurance is an American insurance company based in Seattle. A subsidiary of Liberty Mutual, Safeco provides auto insurance, homeowners insurance, and liability insurance. The company name is an acronym for Selective Auto and Fire Ensurance Company of America, or SAFECO (i.e., S.A.F.E. Co.)

21. Auto parts chain that's also a NASCAR sponsor: NAPA.  The National Automotive Parts Association (NAPA), also known as NAPA Auto Parts, founded in 1925, is an American retailers' cooperative distributing automotive replacement parts, accessories, and service items throughout North America.

22. Fish dinner?: WORM.  Eat or be eaten? 😀
 
26. The Quakers of the Ivies: PENN. The University of Pennsylvania (commonly known as PENN) is a private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States.  The association with the Quakers derives from the founder of the original colony, the influential Quaker William Penn.

Read Without Vain Manners

27. Leather boot brand: FRYE.  Thank you perps.

30. Answer to the riddle "What cheese is made backward?": EDAM.  A cute meta clue. 😀

31. Shiny balloon material: MYLAR.  MYLAR is one of several trade names for BoPET (biaxially oriented polyethylene terephthalate) is a polyester film made from stretched polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and is used for its high tensile strength, chemical stability, dimensional stability, transparency, reflectivity, and electrical insulation.  These balloons go for about a buck a pop on Amazon ...

Mylar Balloons

33. Lhasa __: APSO.  I always used to think that these creatures were just furry lizards with a ganglion.  But it turns out that Lhasa Apsos are a lavishly coated, thousand-year-old breed who served as sentinels at palaces and monasteries isolated high in the Himalayas.  Smart, confident, and complex, Lhasas are family comedians but regally aloof with strangers.  

Lhasa Apso

34. "__ magnifique!": CEST.  Today's French lesson: "It's beautiful!"

35. Pet store enclosure: CAGE.  Also the name of a musician: John Cage.  Here's a performance of his most famous composition 4'33".  Here it's played on the piano, but it can be played on any instrument or combination of instruments.  It is a unique work in a unique genre -- what might be called "non-performance art".  You could call it soundless, but if you listen really carefully you can hear the blood coursing through your brain 😀... 

36. Robert Newton Peck's "__ No Pigs Would Die": A DAY.  A Day No Pigs Would Die is a semi-autobiographical novel by Robert Newton Peck about Rob Peck, a boy coming of age in rural Vermont on an impoverished farm. Originally published in 1972, it is one of the first books to be categorized as young adult fiction, in addition to being Peck's first novel. 

37. __ Scotia: NOVA.

38. Dugout sharer: TEAM MATE.

42. Speaker's platform: DAIS.

43. Top drawer?: ARTIST.  We've been watching the Ken Burns' PBS documentary on Leonardo da Vinci and he is quite simply the TDOAT ("Top Drawer Of All Time).  Don't miss it! ...

44. Watt and Ohm, e.g.: EPONYMS.  An EPONYM is a person, place, or thing that something else is named after.  Watts (symbol: W) are a measure of power -- how fast work is done or energy is given from one thing to another, e.g. the conversion of electricity to light in a light bulb.  Watts are named in honor of James Watt, who developed another unit of energy transfer called horsepower -- 1 HP = 745.7 WATTS. 

James Watt
30 January 1736 – 25 August 1819
 Carl Frederik von Breda

An Ohm is a unit of electrical resistance to current flow, as defined by Ohm's Law.  The unit is named for German physicist Georg Simon Ohm who first defined it.

Georg Simon Ohm
16 March 1789 – 6 July 1854

45. Valley of the Kings find: TOMB. The Valley of the Kings is an area in Egypt where, for a period of nearly 500 years from the Eighteenth Dynasty to the Twentieth Dynasty, rock-cut tombs were excavated for pharaohs and powerful nobles under the New Kingdom of ancient Egypt.

Panorama of the valley, looking north

48. Video format: BLU-RAY.  Blu-ray is a digital optical disc data storage format designed to supersede the DVD format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released worldwide on June 20, 2006, capable of storing several hours of high-definition video (HDTV 720p and 1080p).

49. 100-member group: SENATE.  The current membership of the US Senate is defined by the 17th Amendment to the US Constitution, which apportions 2 senators from each state selected by popular vote. 

50. More than apologizes (for): ATONES.  What can you do when ATONEMENT is impossible ...?
 

53. "Get!": SCOOT.

55. Writer Jong: ERICA.  The author of the controversial 1973 novel Fear of Flying.

50th Anniversary Edition

57. Employs: USES.

58. Passionate about: INTO.  A lot of Cornerites are really INTO crosswords.

59. Fresh: ANEW.

60. Sense of self: EGO.  Today's Latin lesson: "I".

61. Like carpaccio: RAW.  The carnivore's sushi.

Cheers, 

Bill

And as always, thanks to Teri for proof reading and for her constructive criticism.

waseeley

Sunday January 14, 2024 Darryl Gonzalez

Theme: "Posted" - Each sign is phrased as if it's in a place in the clue.

23. Sign in a stadium locker room?: DON'T TURN OFF THE FAN. Sports fan.

32. Sign in a writer's room?: AUTHORIZED STAFF ONLY. Author.

58. Sign in a therapist's reception room?: VISITORS MUST SHOW ID. The id in psyche. 

84. Sign at a law firm specializing in the Fifth Amendment?: NOTICE NO ADMITTANCE. Admit.

107. Sign at a cafeteria?: CAUTION FORKLIFT AREA. Fork.

120. Sign at a used bike shop?: PLEASE RECYCLE HERE. Cycle.

Where do you see "Don't Turn Off the Fan" sign?

I like this type of literal rephrasing type. Always makes me think of the great John Lampkin. Have not seen his byline for a long time. Also, where's our Jeffrey?

Across:

1. Old Route 66 city: TULSA.

6. Hindu "sir": BABU. Remember this Babu on "Seinfeld"?

10. Subway fare: HEROS.

15. Audit asst.: CPA.

18. By the seat of one's pants, e.g.: IDIOM.

19. Mil. pilot's branch: USAF.

20. Players between midfield and defense in lacrosse: ATTACK. Never watched lacrosse.

22. Not 'neath: O'ER.

26. Industrial tank: VAT.

27. Cabinet dept. with a windmill on its seal: ENER.

28. Eur. realm until 1806: HRE. Holy Roman Empire.

29. Outrage: IRE.

30. Food mill substitutes: RICERS.

38. Bedroom piece: BUREAU.

40. Trick for a treat, perhaps: SIT. I also like these clues: 41. Bank buildings?: LEVEES 15. Cast party?: COVEN. 49. Full bore?: YAWNER. 47. Cutting edge of fashion?: HEM.

42. Every bit: ALL.

43. "Black" or "white" mammal that is actually gray: RHINO.

46. Propped (up): SHORED.

48. Autocorrect target: TYPO.

52. California's Point __ National Seashore: REYES. Bring me here.

54. N.K. Jemisin's Broken Earth trilogy, e.g.: SAGA.

56. The America's Cup, for one: EWER.

57. Bring to a near boil: SCALD.

62. Oven setting: BAKE.

65. Early virtual forum: USENET.

66. Leisurely walk: PASEO. I only use AMBLE.

67. Class reunion roster word: NEE.

68. Part of a vague threat: OR ELSE.

70. __ shanty: SEA.

72. Some backyard grills: WEBERS.

74. Home watcher: UMP. Home plate.

75. Not quite right: AMISS.

79. Brand for sensitive skin: AVEENO. They use oats in their products.

83. Long ago, in the past: ERST.

88. Beverage: DRINK.

89. Otis Redding's "__ Little Tenderness": TRY A.

90. Univ. applicant exams: SATS.

91. Shark hunters: ORCAS.

95. Harmonized, with "in": SYNC.

96. Starts working on: SETS TO.

98. Not this second: LATER.

100. Keep a stiff upper __: LIP.

101. Sysadmins, e.g.: IT PROS.

103. __-fi: SCI.

105. Just: MERELY.

113. Learn to live with: ACCEPT.

114. French word common in fragrance names: EAU. Eau de chlorine for me. And yes, Wendy, my flutter kicks are getting stronger, but my left shoulder acted up early this month. I can somehow do breaststrokes, but no freestyle or butterfly. Bummer!

115. 52, in Roman numerals: LII.

116. "Frozen" reindeer: SVEN.

119. Vietnamese soup: PHO. 2. Hokkaido noodle: UDON. 8. Stuffed bun: BAO. Tasty Asian food. 

126. Geological period: EON.

127. Barked sharply: YIPPED.

128. Cold and clammy: DANK. Winter is finally here. Our high is -2 today.

129. Child of Uranus: TITAN.

130. Put on: DON.

131. Secures, as a package: TAPES.

132. Takes responsibility for: OWNS.

133. Informal "Let's say ...": S'POSE.

Down:

1. Laundry brand: TIDE.

3. In a straightforward way: LINEARLY.

4. "Amen to that": SO TRUE.

5. Tsp. or tbsp.: AMT.

6. Small donkey: BURRO.

7. "Carl's Date" voice actor Ed: ASNER.

9. Gallery on the Arno: UFFIZI. "The Birth of Venus" is here.

10. Despised: HATED.

11. Biblical suffix: ETH. And 39. Diminutive suffix: ULE.

12. ETA determiner: RTE.

13. Clod: OAF.

14. Gobbled (down): SCARFED.

16. Oyster bead: PEARL.

17. Like some Pinterest boards: ARTSY.

21. Hibachi chef's need: KNIFE.

24. "Yup": UH HUH.

25. Worries: FRETS.

31. Sam's Club competitor: COSTCO. Everything there is so big. 

33. Anklebones: TARSI.

34. Shape with equal angles: ISOGON.

35. Ease off the gas: SLOW UP.

36. Saint of Ávila: TERESA.

37. Avoids: AVERTS.

38. Trivia night setting: BAR.

44. Goddess whose tears cause the Nile to rise: ISIS. Myth.

45. Corddry of "For All Mankind": NATE.

50. Wire-bending hand tool: PLIERS.

51. Most bizarre: ODDEST.

53. Stunt legend Knievel: EVEL.

55. Aphrodite's consort: ARES.

57. Clog or wedge: SHOE.

59. "What're you gonna do about it?": SUE ME.

60. Pressure cooker release: STEAM.

61. Stitch to: SEW ON.

62. Moves like a kangaroo: BOUNDS.

63. Weapons center: ARMORY.

64. Didn't edit out: KEPT IN.

69. Bag for a field day race: SACK.

71. Thrifty rival: AVIS.

73. Lagerita ingredient: BEER. I did not know the meaning of "Lagerita" : a Margarita cocktail for tough guys, according to Urban Dictionary. Made of lager beer and tequila.

 

76. Summer worker, perhaps: INTERN.

77. More or less: SORT OF.

78. Believes, vocally: SAYS SO.

80. Inclusive Latin term: ET ALII.

81. "Tell Mama" singer James: ETTA.

82. Condé __: NAST.

85. Stir up: INCITE.

86. Not "dis": DAT.

87. Apple tool: CORER.

92. Embrace: CLEAVE TO.

93. Have a bug: AIL. And 94. Have a bug?: SPY.

96. Under a Super Trouper, e.g.: SPOTLIT.  Super Trouper is a brand of spotlight.

97. Humanitarian Schindler: OSKAR.

99. Yahoo! service: EMAIL.

102. __-toe: TIPPY.

104. British name for a game with suspects: CLUEDO.

106. Send again: RE-SHIP.

107. Like many superheroes: CAPED.

108. Tickled nose noise: ACHOO.

109. 2023 NCAA men's basketball champs: UCONN. Their men's team is good too?

110. Stock for oboists: REEDS.

111. "Gone Girl" author Gillian: FLYNN.

112. Woodland pests: TICKS.

117. Periods of time: ERAS.

118. State bird of Hawaii: NENE.

121. Clean air org.: EPA.

122. iPad download: APP.

123. "Told you!": SEE.

124. Crow sound: CAW.

125. "Arrival" arrivals: ETS.

Happy Birthday to dear JD, who sent me this picture around Christmas. JD said "we go to A LOT of baseball, football, volleyball, and basketball games. Dylan, the youngest, prefers Tae Kwan Do, also fun to watch" Dylan was not born yet when JD joined our blog ages ago.

Have a go at this Atlas Obscura "Dry Run" puzzle (12/18/2023) if you have some extra time. One of my favorite puzzles from last year. It's edited by Samir Patel, the editor-in-chief of Atlas Obscura. They have a new puzzle every Monday.

I also have today's Modern Crossword. Click here to solve. Themeless. It's edited by by Kelsey Dixon.

C.C.