Sunday, November 3, 2024, Emma Oxford

Theme:  "Cold Shoulders"

The circled "shoulders" (or edges) of each theme answer spell out something icy cold.

My search of the L.A.Times Crossword Corner archives suggests that Emma Oxford has published six crossword puzzles in the L.A. Times during the last two years, the last of which also had circles in the grid.  Today's puzzle is her first Sunday offering.

The theme clues and answers (all Across) are:

23. *Summertime activity that may precede piemaking: BERRY PICKING.  The circles spell out BERG.

36. *Fictional space force satirized in John Scalzi's "Redshirts": STARFLEET.  Redshirts is a 2012 novel by John Scalzi that satirizes Star Trek.  The circles spell out SLEET.

43. *Casper, for one: FRIENDLY GHOST.  The circles spell out FROST.

62. *Span needed for a system to return to equilibrium: RELAXATION TIME.  The circles spell out RIME.  Rime is a type of ice that forms when the moisture in fog freezes suddenly on an object.

69. *Nickname for a hotel in the middle of Lake Pichola: FLOATING PALACE.  Lake Palace (AKA Floating Palace) is a former royal residence, now turned into a hotel, on an island in Lake Pichola, Udaipur, India.  Popularly described as the Venice of the East, Lake Palace is made out of white marble.  The circles spell out FLOE, a sheet of floating ice.

90. *Charming rogue: HANDSOME DEVIL.  The circles spell out HAIL.

98. *"Take it slow": STEADY NOW.  The circles spell out SNOW.

111. Starts a conversation, or what the answer to each starred clue does to its circled letters: BREAKS THE ICE.

Having broken the ice, let's skate through the rest of the clues and answers.

Across:

1. Reveal: UNVEIL.

7. Antagonist of Rocky and Bullwinkle: BORIS.

Boris Badenov, from the cartoon TV series, "The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show"

12. Check in point?: ATM.  You can deposit checks at an Automated Teller Machine.

15. 43,560 square feet: ACRE.

19. "Angel" singer Jon: SECADA.  Jon Secada is a Cuban-born American singer, songwriter and record producer. He has won two Grammy Awards and sold 15 million records, and recorded "Angel" in both English and Spanish.  Beautiful song!

20. See 56-Down: A-RONI.  Rice-A-Roni is a boxed mix that includes rice, pasta, and seasonings.  Those of us who watched television in the 1960s have "The San Franciso Treat" jingle burned into our brains.

21. Cons: SWINDLES.

23. [Theme clue]

25. Emerges: COMES OUT.

26. Expressionless: BLANK.

27. Reigning: IN POWER.

29. Federal loan agcy.: SBA.  The Small Business Administration is an agency of the United States government that provides support to entrepreneurs and small businesses.

30. Coily hairstyle: AFRO.

33. Letters with a green check mark at the airport: TSA PRE.  The TSA PreCheck program expedites traveler screening through airport security checkpoints. 

36. [Theme clue]

38. Tilts: LEANS.

40. Missouri River Native: OTOE.

41. "Piece of cake!": EASY.

42. Eclectic online digest: UTNE.

43. [Theme clue]

46. "Spider-Man: __ the Spider-Verse": ACROSS.  A 2023 animated film.

48. __ Arbor, Michigan: ANN.

49. Vicinity: AREA.

50. Fermi paradox subjs.: ETs.  The Fermi paradox is the discrepancy between the lack of conclusive evidence of advanced ExtraTerrestrial life and the high likelihood of its existence.

51. "No probs!": ALL OK.

53. Corp. money managers: CFOs.  Chief Financial Officers.

54. Word said when pointing to a map: HERE.

55. Impetuous: RASH.

56. Grenadine: RED.  Grenadine syrup was originally prepared from pomegranate juice, sugar, and water, but today it's made from all kinds of drek.  It's also become a color name:  "Grenadine is a deep, muted, candy apple red with a ruby undertone."

59. Revolt: RISE UP.

62. [Theme clue]

65. Scent: ODOR.

66. Battery size: AAA.

67. Free (of): RID.

68. High point: ACME.  We always need perpendicular entries to know if it will be ACME or APEX.

69. [Theme clue]

75. Wail: SCREAM.

77. Permit: LET.

78. Kitchen extension?: ETTE.  As in kitchenette, a very small cooking area.

79. Woven silk projects: WEBS.  Spiders produce silk and use it to make webs to trap prey, and to build cocoons for their offspring, among other uses.

80. Ventimiglia of "Gilmore Girls": MILO.  While Milo Ventimiglia has had a successful acting career for almost 30 years, many of us here in the Corner sat up and took notice when, beginning in 2016, he starred opposite Mandy Moore in the NBC drama series "This Is Us," playing Jack Pearson, the patriarch of a middle-class family in late 1980s/early 1990s America.

Milo Ventimiglia

81. Like $2 bills, compared to most bills: RARER.

82. [I'm a cow!]: MOO.

83. One on a quest: HERO.  The hero's quest is a common template of stories involving a hero who goes on an adventure, is victorious in a decisive crisis, and comes home changed or transformed.   A classic example is Odysseus in The Odyssey.  The same story structure is used in modern novels and films.

84. "Waterfalls" trio: TLC.  "Waterfalls" is a song by American hip-hop trio TLC, released in 1995.  The song was an international hit, and spent seven weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.  I'm more into "rock en español," but even I recognize this song!

87. Wages: SALARY.

90. [Theme clue]

93. Pub offerings: ALES.

94. Country where Farsi is spoken: IRAN.

96. Prefix with -plasm: ECTO.  Ectoplasm is the thin, watery outer layer of a cell.  Unless you're into ghosts, in which case, ectoplasm is a substance that comes from the body of someone communicating with the spirit of a dead person, allowing the spirit to have a form.  In the Ghostbusters movies, it's called slime.

97. Brazilian dance: SAMBA.

98. [Theme clue]

101. If nothing changes: AS IT IS.

103. Sign of shock: GASP.

104. Bros: HEs.  Bros are hes as in male persons?  Sisters are shes?

105. One who asks too much: IMPOSER.

107. Helvetica alternative: ARIAL.  Fonts.

109. Biometric security measure: IRIS SCAN.  We had TSA PreCheck at 33 Across.  Another expedited screening program at airports is the CLEAR program, which uses iris-scanning, fingerprint-checking, and facial recognition.

111. [Theme clue]

117. Government health program: MEDICARE.

118. Carried: BORNE.

119. Acela operator: AMTRAK.  Crossword favorite Acela is Amtrak's passenger train service between Washington, DC and Boston, via 13 intermediate stops, including Baltimore, New York City and Philadelphia. 

120. Inkling: IDEA.

121. Sow's spot: STY.

122. Brings around: SWAYS.

123. Used bookstore transaction: RESALE.

Down:

1. Computer connection letters: USB.  Universal Serial Bus (USB) is an industry standard which allows data exchange and delivery of power between many types of electronics.

How do I connect thee?  Let me count the ways.

2. Formerly known as: NÉE.  The French word née is a feminine adjective that means "born" and is used to indicate a woman's maiden name.

3. Old tape player: VCR.

4. Hammer or anvil: EAR BONE.

5. Pastoral poem: IDYL.

6. Drink like a cat: LAP AT.

7. Slangy term of agreement: BACK AT YA.

8. Mork's home: ORK.  "Mork & Mindy" was a television sitcom that aired on ABC from 1978 to 1982. It starred Robin Williams as Mork, an extraterrestrial from the planet Ork, and Pam Dawber as Mindy, his human friend.

9. King of France: ROI.

10. Belly button type: INNIE.

11. Catcher's gesture to a pitcher: SIGN.

12. Broad ties: ASCOTS.

13. Bidirectional: TWO WAY.

14. One acting out?: MIMER.

15. Vlogger's revenue source: ADS.  A vlog is a blog in video format.  Both formats can be supported by advertising.

16. Not far from: CLOSE TO.

17. Corned beef sandwiches: REUBENS.

18. Pemberley and Mansfield Park: ESTATES.  Pemberley is the fictional estate of Mr. Darcy in Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice."  Mansfield Park is an estate in Jane Austen's novel of the same name.

22. Brand for indoor sports: NERF.

24. Shoe pads: INSOLES.

28. Hurdle for college-bound sophs: PSAT. Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test -- a trial run for the SAT that high school seniors take.

30. The "A" of NATO?: ALFA.

31. "Charlotte's Web" girl: FERN.  Fern is a little girl in the novel "Charlotte's Web" by E. B. White.  She pleads for the life of the runt of a litter of piglets, whom she names Wilbur.  When Wilbur grows, he is destined for slaughter until a spider named Charlotte spells out praises of the pig in her web above his pen.

32. Beach bummer: RAIN.

34. 1990s fad item: POG.  My daughter played with pogs (flat cardboard milk bottle caps) in the '90s.  The game involved stacking the discs face-down, and dropping a heavier object onto the pile.  The player would keep face-up caps, and restack the face-down caps.  Taking turns, eventually one player had more caps and would win.

35. Do a cobbler's job: RE-HEEL.

37. Read but never post: LURK.  Welcome, lurkers!  We are here for you.

39. Major mess-up: SNAFU.  "Situation Normal: All Fouled Up," or stronger language to that effect.

41. Thames Estuary county: ESSEX.

44. Release, as new music: DROP.

45. Spanish "other": OTRA.  Otra modifies feminine nouns.  And another thing ... !  ¡Y otra cosa...!  The masculine form is Otro.

46. "Another thing ... ": ALSO.  Hey, I just said that.

47. ESPN anchor Linda: COHN.  Linda Cohn is an American sportscaster who has anchored ESPN's SportsCenter since 1992.  That's a long run!

Linda Cohn

51. Saul Rubinek's "Warehouse 13" role: ARTIE.  "Warehouse 13" was a science fiction TV series that ran from 2009 to 2014 on the Syfy network.  Saul Rubinek as Artie Nielsen was the Special Agent in Charge at Warehouse 13, a storehouse for artifacts that have become charged with energy that can give them dangerous powers if misused.  Seems quite obscure!  Any fans here?

52. Set, as a table: LAID.  Brits are more likely to say "lay the table."  Americans usually say "set the table."

53. Michael of "Sacramento": CERA.  "Sacramento" is a 2024 comedy film starring Michael Angarano, Michael Cera, Kristen Stewart and Maya Erskine.  It's about a couple of guys who take an impromtu road trip from Los Angeles to Sacramento.  Has it even hit the theaters yet?

54. Pile: HEAP.

56. With 20-Across, "The San Francisco Treat": RICE.  See 20 Across.

57. Actress Thompson: EMMA.

58. Believe: DEEM.

59. "Ur 2 funny!": ROFL.  Texting abbreviation for Rolling On Floor Laughing.

Emoticon for ROFL

60. Not doing much: IDLE.

61. Flue dust: SOOT.

62. Killer party: RAGER.

63. Rainbows, e.g.: ARCS.

64. Staple in the Pacific Islands: TARO.  Taro is a root vegetable, and is a food staple in African, Oceanic, East Asian, Southeast Asian and South Asian cultures.

66. Penny-__: ANTE.

70. Little rip: TEAR.

71. "All in a day's work": I TRY.

72. "That's disappointing!": AW MAN.

73. R&B singer Bridges: LEON.  Todd Michael "Leon" Bridges is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer.  His work has been nominated for four Grammy awards, and he won the most recent in 2019 for Best Traditional R&B Performance for the song "Bet Ain't Worth the Hand."

Leon Bridges

74. Domiciles: ABODES.

75. King's address: SIRE.

76. Lumps of earth: CLODS.

80. Personal accounts: MEMOIRS.

81. Tabula __: RASA.  Latin phrase that means "blank slate" or "smooth or erased tablet."

83. Thrown-together bits of commentary: HOT TAKES.

84. "Better Call Saul" rating: TV-MA.  Mature Audience; may be unsuitable for children under 17.

85. Ad __: improvises: LIBS.

86. Thunder sound: CLAP.

87. Sushi kin: SASHIMI.  Sashimi is raw fish or meat sliced into thin pieces.  By contrast, sushi is made with seasoned rice, either shaped into mounds and topped with items such as raw or cooked seafood, or rolled in sheets of seaweed called nori around fillings of seafood, vegetables and other items. The essential difference is that sushi always includes rice, whereas sashimi is simply animal flesh.

Sashimi vs Sushi

88. Changed: ALTERED.

89. Sheltered place: LEE SIDE.

90. Hems and __: HAWS.

91. Physics dept.: SCI.

92. Aerie hatchlings: EAGLETS.  Aerie (a variant of eyrie) is the nest of an eagle, falcon, hawk, or other bird of prey.

I photographed this osprey on its huge nest atop a post in the middle of a Minnesota highway in 2023.

94. Sort of: IN PART.

95. "Normal People" author Sally: ROONEY.  Sally Rooney is an Irish author who has published four novels: Conversations with Friends (2017), Normal People (2018), Beautiful World, Where Are You (2021), and Intermezzo (2024). The first two were adapted into television miniseries.

99. 34-Down, for one: DISC.  Ah, yes, pogs.

100. Some workout spots: YMCAs.

101. Turn-only lane symbol: ARROW.

102. Indian lute: SITAR.

106. Falls back: EBBS.

108. Wistful sigh: AH ME.

110. "Breathe Me" singer: SIA.  "Breathe Me" is a 2004 song by Australian singer Sia featured on the album "Colour the Small One."  All I can say is, thank goodness for perpendicular entries.

112. Regency, for "Bridgerton": ERA.  Any Bridgerton fans here?  I prefer my historical dramas to be a little more historical.  

113. "__ luck?": ANY.

114. 401(k) kin: IRA.

115. Ripken of baseball: CAL.

116. __ out a victory: EKE.

Here's the grid:

Did you love it?  Or did you give it the Cold Shoulder?

NaomiZ

Friday, November 1, 2024, Renee Thomason, Katie Hale

 Theme:  There must be a way!

Each of the theme answers is a recognizable person or thing, but does not match the clue until you SHOW THE word WAY at the beginning of the answer.

Here are the theme clues and answers, all of which are Across:

18. *Pop-up shop on the edge of the road?: SIDE HUSTLE. A side hustle is a job or occupation that brings in extra money beyond one's regular job.  But a WAYSIDE HUSTLE might be a business at the edge of a road.

23. *Underground market for home goods?: FAIR TRADE.  Fair trade is a trading partnership based on dialogue, transparency and respect.  But WAYFAIR TRADE might be taking furnishings from the online retailer Wayfair and trading them off market.

35. *Butcher's knife that's very hard to handle?: WARD CLEAVER.  Ward Cleaver is a fictional character in the television sitcom Leave It to Beaver.  But a WAYWARD CLEAVER might be a big knife that is difficult to control.

50. *Snuck up on a chicken coop to collect breakfast?: LAID AN EGG.  Saying someone laid an egg means they failed at something.  But WAYLAID AN EGG means they hid themselves and attacked an egg by surprise.

58. Give clear directions, or how to make the starred clues match their answers?: SHOW THE WAY.

Today's puzzle comes to us from Renee Thomason (our Monday blogger, known in the Corner as sumdaze) and frequent constructor Katie Hale.  Allow me to SHOW THE WAY through the rest of the clues and answers.

Across:

1. State that's easy to draw: UTAH.

Because Wyoming and Colorado wouldn't fit!

5. South American bean: CACAO.  Best bean ever.  Thank you, South America!

10. Loyalty program level: TIER.

14. Post-WWII alliance: NATO.

15. Celebrity gossip source since 1991: E! NEWS.  A late-night entertainment news program on the E! cable network.

16. Princess athlete in the 1976 Summer Olympics: ANNE.  The Games of the XXI Olympiad took place in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.  Princess Anne, daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip of Great Britain, competed as part of the British equestrian team. 

Princess Anne in the 1976 Olympics

17. Air quality factor: SMOG.

18. [Theme clue]

20. Device called a "cashpoint" in the U.K.: ATM.

21. Matching: SAME.

22. Stellar: ASTRAL.

23. [Theme clue]

26. Court tie: DEUCE.  Apparently, tennis score keeping was originally done using a clock face, marking points as 15, 30, and 45 minutes, with 45 eventually being abbreviated as 40:

     0 points = Love  (Zero was "The egg" or "L'oeuf" in French, which in English became "Love.")

     1 point = 15

     2 points = 30

     3 points = 40

     Tied score = All

     40-40 = Deuce

     Server wins deuce point = Ad-In

     Receiver wins deuce point = Ad-Out

27. Host: EMCEE.  We used to say "Master of Ceremonies," which became MC or "emcee."

28. Forensic profiling material: DNA.

30. Solstice mo.: DEC.  Also JUN, but it wouldn't work with the perpendicular entries.

31. Corp. head: CEO.

33. Ripe old __: AGE.

34. "__ we forget": LEST.  This phrase was first used in an 1897 poem by Rudyard Kipling called "Recessional," written to commemorate Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee.

     God of our fathers, known of old,

        Lord of our far-flung battle-line,

     Beneath whose awful Hand we hold

        Dominion over palm and pine—

     Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,

     Lest we forget—lest we forget!

35. [Theme clue]

38. Chop garlic, say: PREP.  DH and I do the prep for each other, taking turns as head chef and sous chef.  Assembling a recipe is easier if you prep first and get all the ingredients mise en place.

40. Address bar character: DOT.  A web address includes a "dot" before the domain name, as in LATimes.com.

41. Car wheel part: RIM.

42. Coxswain's lack: OAR.  A coxswain sits in the stern of a boat, facing the bow, and steering with the rudder while coordinating the efforts of the rowing team.

A coxswain at work.

43. Pressure meas.: PSI.  Pounds per Square Inch.

44. Justice Sotomayor: SONIA.

48. Feudal lord: LIEGE.

50. [Theme clue]

54. Bringing up the rear: IN LAST.

56. Hindu honorifics: SRIS.  In South and Southeast Asia, Sri is used as a polite form of address, similar to the English "Mr.".

57. Truly regret: RUE.

58. [Theme clue]

60. __ Williams bourbon: EVAN.   Evan Williams is a brand of straight bourbon whiskey distilled at the Heaven Hill distillery in Louisville, Kentucky.  The product is aged for a minimum of four years (which is more than the two year minimum to be called 'straight' bourbon, but is the minimum requirement for a straight whiskey that does not have an age statement on the label).  It has been ranked as one of the world's best selling whiskey brands.

A Kentucky bourbon distillery I visited with DH in 2016.

61. Ale holder: CASK.

62. Thrill to bits: ELATE.

63. Stitch up: MEND.

64. Supersmall: ITTY.  Not "itsy" this time!  Often itty-bitty or itsy-bitsy.

65. Many a forty-niner: MINER.  Participant in the California gold rush.

66. Bank for mil. families: USAA.  USAA (United Services Automobile Association) is a bank that is only available to military members, veterans, and their families.

Down:

1. In need of a Mr. Yuk sticker: UNSAFE.  Mr. Yuk is a trademarked graphic image, created by UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, and widely employed in the United States in labeling of substances that are poisonous if ingested.

2. Instrument also known as a chau gong: TAM-TAM.  The Tam-Tam is a huge metal percussion instrument which makes a booming sound. When you strike the tam-tam, the sound gets louder and louder, building up to a climax before fading away.

3. Infinitesimal: ATOMIC.

4. Selfish type: HOG.

5. Labor leader Chavez: CESAR.

6. Inner self, to Jung: ANIMA.

7. Surrendered: CEDED.

8. Veneration: AWE.

9. Mae's sister on "Star Wars: The Acolyte": OSHA.  "Star Wars: The Acolyte" is a television series created for the streaming service Disney+.  An obscure clue!  What ever happened to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration?

10. Decorator's asset: TASTE.

11. Unwelcome visitor: INTRUDER.

12. Intertwines: ENLACES.

13. Word on some campaign posters: RE-ELECT.

19. MyPlate org.: USDA.  The United States Department of Agriculture produced this guideline for nutritious eating -- while supporting various types of food production that are anything but healthy.

21. Heifer's brother: STEER.

24. Summary: RECAP.  A summary of what has been said; a recapitulation.

25. Polygon part: EDGE.

29. Not far: NEAR.

32. Probability calculations: ODDS.

33. Key not found on a Mac: ALT.

34. Finger bowl slice: LEMON.  A finger bowl is a small bowl with water (and perhaps a slice of lemon) for rinsing fingers during a meal.

35. "Let's check the map": WE'RE LOST.

36. Spiral: COIL.

37. Exchange program papers: VISAS.

38. Future Hill worker's maj., maybe: POLI SCI.  Someone who hopes to work on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC might study Political Science.

39. Slicker accompaniment: RAIN HAT.  In this case, a slicker is a rain coat.

43. Wasp, for one: PEST.  Wasps eat spiders, flies, roaches, and caterpillars.  They pollinate at least 960 different plants, including 164 species that are completely dependent on them.  They disperse seeds.  They are responsible for the growth of figs!  But sure, they're pests.

45. Jitters: NERVES.

46. Tropical lizard: IGUANA.

47. Meeting list: AGENDA.

49. Nervously clumsy: GAWKY.

51. Egyptian market city: ASWAN.

52. Furious: IRATE.

53. Person eager to tackle home improvement projects, briefly: DIYer.  Do-It-Yourselfer.

55. Those folks: THEM.

59. New Haven student: ELI.  Elihu Yale was the primary benefactor of Yale University, and students at Yale are called Elis in his memory.

60. Petting zoo bird: EMU.  This seems to be a thing, but is it really safe to have a small child pet an emu?

Here's the grid:

So, did you find THE WAY?  Or WERE you LOST?

NaomiZ

Sunday, October 13, 2024, Zhouqin Burnikel

 Theme:  "EV Charging"

EV (electric vehicle) charging is much in the news these days, with most of us considering how we can support solutions to climate change.  In today's puzzle, constructor Zhouqin "C.C." Burnikel brings us a different kind of "EV" plug-in, inserting the letters EV into English phrases to create new phrases that match the clues.  

23 Across. Televangelist's weekly staff meeting?: BUSINESS REVIVAL.  Business rival.

30 Across. Gadget with all the bells and whistles?: LOADED DEVICE.  Loaded dice.

loaded dice vs loaded device

51 Across. Series of self-help books for really ambitious copy editors?: REVISE TO FAME.  Rise to fame.

89 Across. Rum drink served exclusively in Vegas casinos?: NEVADA COLADA.  Nada colada.  A nada colada is a non-alcoholic piña polada:  think coconut cream, pineapple, and lime juice.

100 Across. Blossom on a pair of 501 jeans femme?: FLEUR DE LEVIS.  Fleur-de-lis.  Also spelled fleur-de-lys.  501 is a classic Levis style with a button fly.  501 jeans femme would be women's 501 jeans, in French.  If French 501 jeans for women were to be decorated with a flower, it might be a "fleur-de-lis," the stylized lily shape that represents France.

116 Across. Formally promised that a tax rate was accurate?: LEVIED UNDER OATH.  Lied under oath.  They made a promise about taxes under oath, but they lied!  

37 Down. What winning lottery scratch tickets do?: REVEAL MONEY.  Real money.

43 Down. Complete overhaul of a diary passage?: ENTRY REVAMP.  Entry ramp.

As you know, an electric grid is a complex network of power plants, transmission lines, and distribution centers that delivers electricity to consumers.  Zhouqin "C.C." Burnikel's grid is another modern marvel.  How does she come up with these things, and then arrange them symmetrically in the grid?

Since I can't solve that mystery, we'll move on to the rest of the clues and answers ...

Across:

1. April, May, and June: NAMES.  These days, I meet young women named September and October ... all the months are up for grabs!

6. Some briefs: BVDS.  BVD is a brand of men's underwear, which are commonly referred to as "BVDs."  The brand was founded in 1876 and named after the three founders of the firm: Bradley, Voorhees, and Day. The brand is currently produced by Fruit of the Loom.

BVD magazine advertising insert, 1910's

10. Street __: CRED.  Street credibility.  Respect earned in one's area.

14. Rack up, as expenses: INCUR.

19. Tea party guest: ALICE.

The Mad Hatter's tea party from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

20. Senate staffer: AIDE.

21. Expand the staff: HIRE.

22. Bang or whimper: NOISE.

23. [Theme clue]

26. Lavished love (on): DOTED.

27. Car emissions check: SMOG TEST.

28. "Borderlands" director Roth: ELI.  Borderlands is a 2024 American science fiction film directed by Eli Roth, based on the video game series developed by Gearbox Software. It stars Cate Blanchett.

29. Martial art created by Morihei Ueshiba: AIKIDO.  Aikido was developed by Morihei Ueshiba as a blend of martial studies, philosophy and religion. His goal was to create an art which could be used to defend oneself while also protecting attackers from injury.

30. [Theme clue]

35. Comes together: MERGES.

40. "When will u b here?": ETA. "Estimated Time of Arrival" in textspeak.

41. Flat fee?: RENT.  The monthly fee for a flat (apartment).

42. Chaotic state: MESS.

46. Skating jumps with 1 1/2 air turns: AXELS.

47. Only known warm-blooded fish: OPAH.  Opah (AKA moonfish) is often on the menu in Hawaii.  In 2015, opah was discovered to have endothermy in which the entire core of the body is maintained at around 5 °C above the surrounding water. This is unique among fish, since most are entirely cold blooded, or are capable of warming only some parts of their bodies.

Opah or moonfish.  They are large.

49. Service station shops: MARTS.

50. From scratch: ANEW.

51. [Theme clue]

54. "But maybe I'm alone in thinking this?": OR IS IT ME?

56. Vessels on a frozen lake: ICE BOATS.

57. Beltway Series MLB team: NATS.  The Beltway Series is the Major League Baseball (MLB) rivalry series between the Washington Nationals (Nats) and the Baltimore Orioles. The series is named after the Capital Beltway (I-495) in Washington, D.C. and the Baltimore Beltway (I-695) in Baltimore, Maryland. The teams also refer to the series as "The Battle of the Beltways".

59. Vacationing: ON A TRIP.  Sometimes I get a chance to write the Crossword Corner blog post when one of the regular bloggers is on a trip.  I have almost as much fun as they do.

60. Cryptology org.: NSA.  Cryptology is the art and science of making and breaking codes and ciphers. NSA (National Security Agency) is responsible for creating the systems that protect U.S. communications and for analyzing communications used by foreign powers. 

61. Breaks down: ROTS.

63. Some pop: COLAS.

There are so many flavors of Coca Cola, who has time for Pepsi or RC?

65. Secret rendezvous: TRYST.

66. "I'm game!": LET'S.

69. "Go ahead, I'm listening": OK SHOOT.

71. Draft choice?: BEER.

72. Fallon of late-night: JIMMY.  Host of "The Tonight Show" on NBC.

Jimmy Fallon

74. Malice: SPITE.

75. Not mucho: POCO. A little Spanish.

77. Defib expert: EMT.  An Emergency Medical Technician can perform defibrillation, using electrical current to restore a normal heart rhythm when a person is experiencing a potentially fatal arrhythmia.

80. Fried pastry filled with mashed potatoes: ALOO PIE.  Crossword enthusiasts are familiar with aloo, the Indian word for potatoes.  Put potatoes in fried dough, and you have aloo pie, which originated in Trinidad and Tobago.

82. Baba ghanoush bread: PITA.  Baba ghanoush is a middle eastern dip made of eggplant, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and tahini (sesame seed paste).  You'll want to scoop it up with pita.  Yum!

84. Lack of approval: DISFAVOR.

87. Stuff inside: CONTENTS.  Stuff is a noun in this instance.  The "stuff inside" an envelope is the contents of the envelope.  When it comes to another crossword favorite, Oreos, "double stuf" is an option.

89. [Theme clue]

91. Place for a pad: KNEE. 

92. At an impasse: STUCK.

94. "One more thing ... ": ALSO.

95. Directed (at): AIMED.

96. Puts into words: SAYS.

97. Ceramic stewpot: OLLA.  A little more Spanish!  But "olla" has been adopted into English to mean a wide-mouthed earthenware pot.  In Spanish, it's pronouned OY-yah.  In English, the pronunciation is all over the map.

98. " Dios __!": MIO.  More Spanish!  "My God!"

99. Pass by: ELAPSE.

100. [Theme clue]

104. Ninja in a shell: TURTLE.  Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were created by comic book artists Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. The stories follow Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael and Michelangelo, four anthropomorphic turtles trained in ninjutsu who fight evil in New York City.  My son liked the animated series on TV.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

108. Kirigami or origami: ART.  Origami is the Japanese art of folding paper.  Kirigami is a variation that involves cutting the paper so that it stands away from a page.

Basic Kirigami 

109. Loan repayment figure: INTEREST.

115. Pong Quest developer: ATARI.  Video game.

116. [Theme clue]

120. Cookie cutter?: BAKER.

121. Give and take: SWAP.

122. Not again: ONCE.

123. Perez of "Birds of Prey": ROSIE.  Rosie Perez is an American actress whose breakthrough came at age 24 in the film "Do the Right Thing" (1989), followed by "White Men Can't Jump" (1992). Perez's performance in "Fearless" (1993) earned her a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Her starring film roles since include "It Could Happen to You" (1994), "The Road to El Dorado" (2000), "Pineapple Express" (2008), and "Birds of Prey" (2020).

Rosie Perez

124. One in a notepad: SHEET.

125. Homes for foxes: DENS.

126. Cereal in party mix: CHEX.

127. Like a disciplinarian: STERN.

Down:

1. Catches red-handed: NABS.

2. Many a school donor: ALUM.  A graduate of a particular school is an alum.  An alumnus is a male graduate, an alumna is a female graduate, alumni is plural for males or mixed genders, and alumnae is plural for females.  Alum saves you from all that gender specificity; the plural is alums.

3. Soybean paste similar to doenjang: MISO.  Japanese miso paste is made by fermenting steamed soy beans with salt, grains (usually rice or barley) and koji, a type of fungus.  Korean doenjang is made by fermenting steamed soy beans with salt alone.  "Soybean paste" was enough to give me "miso."

4. Vaper's choice: E-CIG.  Electronic cigarette AKA e-cigarette AKA e-cig AKA vape.

5. No longer in the drafts folder: SENT.  An email reference.

6. Deep opera voice: BASSO.

7. Panoramic view: VISTA.

8. Arcade game featuring colorful floor arrows: Abbr.: DDR.  Dance Dance Revolution is a music video game series produced by Japanese brand Konami.  I did not know (DNK) DDR.

DDR arcade game

9. "What did I say!?": SEE!?

10. Minor character: CHILD.  A minor is a person under a legal age limit, which varies.  In California, anyone under the age of 18 is a minor.

11. Nice beach area: RIVIERA.  Nice (pronounced NEESS) is a city on the French Riviera, quite close to the border with Italy.  I'm sure it's very nice.

12. Important stretch: ERA.

13. Tierra __ Fuego: archipelago in South America: DEL.

14. Not mainstream: INDIE.  Independent -- describing a musical group, record label, or film company not associated with a major corporation.

15. Cozy corner: NOOK.

16. New York's __ Field: CITI.  A baseball stadium in Queens, New York City.  The naming rights were purchased by Citigroup, a New York financial services company, for $20 million annually.

17. Secondhand: USED.

18. Make over: REDO.

24. Snaky fish with transparent babies: EELS.

25. Sanskrit scripture: VEDA.

29. Is a cast member of: ACTS IN.

31. Part of CODA: DEAF. CODA is an acronym for "Child of Deaf Adults."

32. Actor Hawke: ETHAN.  Ethan Hawke is an American actor with many film, television and stage credits for acting, directing, and writing. He was married for five years to actress Uma Thurman, with whom he has two children.  After the divorce, he married the nanny.

Ethan Hawke

33. __ Beach, Florida: VERO.  Palm Beach would also fit.

34. Opening remarks: INTROS.

35. County north of San Francisco: MARIN.  Marin County is north of San Francisco, just across the Golden Gate Bridge.  It includes the giant redwood trees of Muir Woods National Monument and the incredible coastline of Point Reyes National Seashore.

I took this photo of Caspian Terns and Brown Pelicans at Point Reyes in 2023.

36. Corporate VIPs: EXECS.

37. [Theme clue]

38. Supremely superficial: GLIB.

39. Fuel sponsor of Hockey Canada: ESSO.  Esso is how “SO,” for Standard Oil, sounds when pronounced. The Esso brand is still used outside the USA.

42. __ d'hôtel: MAÎTRE.  A maître d'hôtel (French for "master of the house") is a restaurant manager responsible for supervising the wait staff, welcoming guests, assigning tables, taking reservations, and ensuring that guests are satisfied.

43. [Theme clue]

44. Tourney rounds: SEMIS.

45. Won every game: SWEPT.

47. Quattro x due: OTTO.  Four times two in italiano makes eight.  

48. Like surgery rehab: POST OP.

49. "Samesies!": ME TOO.

52. Hearing things?: EARS.

53. Coconut vendor's tool: MACHETE.  

55. Completely gratify: SATE.

58. Pig's supper: SLOP.

62. Pass over: SKIP.

64. In disagreement: AT ODDS.

67. Chews the scenery: EMOTES.  Strange idiom for overacting.

68. Dating preference: TYPE.  The men in my life have been wildly different from one another; I don't have a "type."  But DH is the clear winner!

70. Smell awful: STINK.

71. Brown-skinned pear: BOSC.

72. Lowest face cards: JACKS.

73. Rugby star Maher: ILONA.  Ilona Maher is an American rugby player. She debuted for the United States women's national rugby union team against Japan in 2018, and represented the U.S. in rugby sevens at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. She won a bronze medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

Ilona Maher

74. Resolve out of court: SETTLE.

76. "See ya!": CIAO.  More italiano.

78. Video game settings: MODES.

79. Fantasy maneuver: TRADE.  OK, sports fans!  My understanding is that real live sports aren't enough to satisfy you, so you make up fantasy teams of famous players.  There are even online calculators that let you analyze the costs and benefits of trading one player for another.

81. Oxford part: INSOLE.  Oxford, the shoe style, not the university.

83. Be of use to: AVAIL.  We often use the negative:  an effort was of no avail.

85. Newborn horse: FOAL.

86. "RRR" actress Bhatt: ALIA.  This 2022 Indian film featuring two heroes is so over-the-top, it's spectacular.  

Actress Alia Bhatt

88. Shipmate of McCoy, Spock, and Kirk: SULU.  Surnames of crew members on the Starship Enterprise in the original "Star Trek" TV series.

90. __ vera gel: ALOE.

93. Group of travelers: CARAVAN.

98. Allocate, with "out": METE.

99. East, in Ecuador: ESTE.  Spanish!

100. Tease playfully: FLIRT.

101. Tap problems: DRIPS.

102. Vaughn of "Bad Monkey": VINCE.  Vince Vaughn is an American actor known for his roles in film and TV comedies.

Vince Vaughn

103. Textbook section: INDEX.

104. Bar pickups: TABS.

105. Snowbasin's state: UTAH.

106. Landscaping tool: RAKE.

107. China fir, e.g.: TREE.

110. Makes a misstep: ERRS.

111. Ginseng, e.g.: ROOT.

112. Lack of difficulty: EASE.

113. Mix with chopsticks: STIR.

114. Subsequently: THEN.

116. Psychedelic drug first synthesized in 1938: LSD.

117. Mama sheep: EWE.

118. Grumpy friend: DOC.  Grumpy is one of the Seven Dwarfs in the story of Snow White.  Doc is another of the dwarfs.

Grumpy and Doc

119. Granite State sch.: UNH.  University of New Hampshire.

Here's the grid:

So ... was this puzzle a tour de force?  Or torturous?

NaomiZ