Friday, February 28, 2025, Wendy L. Brandes

 Theme:  Biased magazine movie reviews.

Today's theme clues from constructor Wendy L. Brandes involve real magazines and their supposed picks for the best movie of all time.  Each magazine chooses a movie whose title reflects the name of the magazine.

The theme clues and answers, all Across are:

18. Mad's pick for the best movie of all time?: RAGING BULL.

Mad is an American satire magazine, launched in 1952 and currently published by DC Comics.  Raging Bull is a 1980 film adaptation of middleweight boxing champion Jake LaMotta's 1970 memoir Raging Bull: My Story. "Mad" is a synonym for "raging," so of course Mad magazine would have an affinity for the film.

24. The Atlantic's pick for the best movie of all time?: OCEAN'S ELEVEN.

Founded in 1857, The Atlantic is an American magazine featuring articles on politics, business, the arts, technology, and science.  Ocean's Eleven is a 2001 comedy film which is a remake of a 1960 Rat Pack film, and stars George Clooney as professional thief Danny Ocean.  Since "Atlantic" is the name of an ocean, naturally the magazine would favor a movie with "ocean" in the title.

39. Shape's pick for the best movie of all time?: CIRCLE OF FRIENDS.

Shape is an American monthly fitness magazine for women started by Weider Publications in 1981.  Circle of Friends is a 1995 film based on the 1990 novel of the same name by Maeve Binchy.  A circle is a shape, so the magazine might favor that movie.

53. Rolling Stone's pick for the best movie of all time?: SCHOOL OF ROCK.

Rolling Stone is an American monthly magazine, founded in 1967, that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture.  School of Rock is a 2003 comedy film starring Jack Black.  Because Rolling Stone is concerned with popular music, especially rock 'n' roll, it would of course favor a movie about rock music.  And a "stone" is a "rock," so there's another connection.

63. The New Yorker's pick for the best movie of all time?: A BRONX TALE.

The New Yorker is an American magazine, founded in 1925, that features journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. A Bronx Tale is a 1993 film directed by and starring Robert De Niro, adapted from Chazz Palminteri's 1989 one-man show of the same name. The New Yorker might look favorably upon a movie whose title features a borough of New York City, like The Bronx.

Are you with me?  Time to move on?  OK, People!

Across:

1. Pic: SNAP.

5. Thread: FIBER.

10. Eye woe: STYE.

14. Ace in the __: HOLE.  In poker, this refers to an ace card which is dealt and kept face down until the deal is over.  Figuratively, it is any advantage held in reserve until needed.

15. "Rolling in the Deep" singer: ADELE.

16. Eurasian river: URAL.

17. "Leave that to me!": ON IT.  Blog the puzzle while Chairman Moe recovers from surgery?  I'm ON IT!

18. [Theme clue]

20. Lab's dish?: PETRI.  Laboratory's dish -- not Labrador Retriever's dish.

22. Meat-grading org.: USDA.  United States Department of Agriculture.

23. Get even with?: TIE.

24. [Theme clue]

28. "Bet you __ to doughnuts ... ": DOLLARS.  A favorite expression expressing certainty, but dollars were worth more than doughnuts when it originated.  At this point, it makes little sense, since doughnuts cost more than a dollar.  A "Krispy Kreme" original glazed doughnut goes for $2.69 at our nearest location.

Maybe a dollar will get you a doughnut hole.

31. Vicinity: AREA.

32. Smug cry: OHO!

33. Diet branding word: LITE.

35. Big name in sporting goods: VOIT.

39. [Theme clue]

44. Coke, e.g.: SODA.

45. Overflow (with): TEEM.

46. Animal featured on the Olympic National Park quarter: ELK.

47. Spring break?: THAW.  When ice breaks up in the spring -- and possibly road surfaces along with it.

51. Stockpiles: AMASSES.

53. [Theme clue]

57. Small digit?: TOE.  Digit can mean any of the numerals from 0 to 9, or a finger or toe.  Is that because we count on them?  

58. Surrealist Magritte: RENE.

59. Scott of NPR: SIMON.

63. [Theme clue]

67. Cordon (off): ROPE.

68. Blossomed: GREW.

69. Unsuccessful Ford: EDSEL.

70. Orange or pear: TREE.

71. Move very slowly: EASE.

72. Minuscule amounts: IOTAS.

73. Delight: SEND.

Down:

1. Browse: SHOP.

2. Fewer than few: NONE.

3. Landed: ALIT.

4. Gas, to an Aussie: PETROL.

5. A ways away: FAR.

6. Mont. neighbor: IDA.  Montana and Idaho.

7. Kicked off: BEGUN.

8. Senator Slotkin of Michigan: ELISSA.

Elissa Slotkin

9. Give, as a verdict: RENDER.

10. Temp: SUB.  Shout out to Husker Gary, our Saturday blogger and substitute teacher extraordinaire.

11. Cable channel with reruns of sitcoms and reality shows: TRUTV.  TruTV is an American cable channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. It broadcasts reruns of comedy and reality shows, with a recent primetime focus on live sports.

12. Connecticut Ivy Leaguer: YALIE.  Another nickname for a Yale student that we frequently encounter here is "Eli."

13. Sigourney's "Alien" role: ELLEN.

Good on you if you remembered the character's name!

19. Beaufort scale rating: GALE.  The Beaufort scale is an empirical measure that relates wind speed to observed conditions at sea or on land.  Ratings include conditions from Calm to Hurricane.

21. "Let's see your hand": I CALL.  Is this where your ACE IN THE HOLE comes in handy?

25. Lake that surrounds Kelleys Island: ERIE.

Kelleys Island is flagged, due east of Toledo, Ohio.

26. Regarding: AS TO.

27. Roof trim: EAVE.

28. Ob-gyns, e.g.: DOCS.  An OB/GYN, meaning obstetrician gynecologist, is a medical DOCtor.

29. Home of Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks: OHIO.  Ohio again!  Holy Toledo!  Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks is a World Heritage Site preserving eight monumental earthworks constructed by the Hopewell Culture between approximately 0 and 400 AD along tributaries of the Ohio River.

30. "Bridgerton" title: LORD.  Bridgerton is an fantasized historical television drama set in the early 1800s in England.  It is based on a book series by Julia Quinn and appears on Netflix.

A scene from Bridgerton

34. Baby newt: EFT.

36. Tip jar wad: ONES.

37. Collecting dust: IDLE.

38. Judgy clucks: TSKS.

40. "The Censor" of ancient Rome: CATO.  Marcus Porcius Cato (234–149 BC) was a Roman soldier, senator, and historian known for his conservatism.  Among other government positions, Cato served as censor, responsible for the census, for public morality, and for government finances.

Cato the Censor, AKA Cato the Wise, and Cato the Elder.

41. Phobia: FEAR.

42. San __, Italy: REMO.

43. Safari runners: IMACs.  Safari is a web browser used on Apple devices.

48. ESPN's "Around the __": HORN.  Around the Horn is an ESPN sports roundtable discussion show, conducted in the style of a panel game.

49. Russian political dissident Navalny: ALEXEI.

50. Is inadequate: WON'T DO.

52. Parts of some suits: SKIRTS.

53. Ride out of town, in a Western: STAGE.  In this case, "ride" is a noun -- a "vehicle" to get out of town.  

Stagecoach -- or "stage." 

54. Hooded snake: COBRA.

55. "__ to you": HERE'S.  Congratulations!  You've almost finished the puzzle.

56. Repast: FEAST.

60. Greedy cry: MORE!

61. Unbox: OPEN.  Unboxing is the act of taking a product out of its packaging, especially when it's recorded on video and shared online. Strangely, it's a popular trend that allows people to watch others unpack new products. 

62. Sine qua non: NEED.  Sine qua non can be translated literally from Latin as "Without which, not."  It indicates that "without (something), (something else) won't be possible."  Or a need.  I learned this in high school, when my friend's father dedicted his magnum opus to his wife:  "For Gloria, sine qua non."

64. Buy on credit, say: OWE.

65. Perrins's partner in steak sauce: LEA.  Lea & Perrins is a United Kingdom-based subsidiary of Kraft Heinz, originating in Worcester, England, where it manufactures Worcestershire sauce.

66. Couple of locals?: ELS.  There are a couple of ELS ("L"s) in the word LOCALS.

Here's the grid:

Did today's puzzle earn a BRONX cheer?  Or a call for MORE?

NaomiZ

Friday, February 14, 2025, Daniel Hrynick

  Theme:  Darling, food is love!

Constructor Daniel Hrynick treats us to a Valentine's Day feast, introduced by terms of endearment.

The theme clues and answers, all Across, are:

17. "My love, borscht for the first course of our Valentine's dinner!": SUGAR, BEETS!  Hey, Sugar, I prepared SUGAR BEETS in a delicious Russian soup!

23. "My love, ruby spuds as a side": BABY, RED POTATOES!  Hey, Baby, I boiled BABY RED POTATOES to go with our main dish!

49. "My love, sweet-and-sour chops for our entree": HONEY, GLAZED PORK!  Hey, Honey, I made HONEY GLAZED PORK for dinner!

56. "My love, I didn't forget dessert!": PUMPKIN, PIE!  Hey, Pumpkin, I baked PUMPKIN PIE!

I like how the terms of endearment are part of the names of the food.  Food is love.

Across:

1. Clipped: TERSE.

6. Per: EACH.

10. Binary pronoun: SHE.

13. __ trail: VAPOR.  Contrails (short for "condensation trails") or VAPOR TRAILs are line-shaped clouds produced by aircraft engine exhaust or changes in air pressure. They are composed primarily of water in the form of ice crystals. Unfortunately, these high altitude clouds absorb thermal radiation from the Earth and then warm the atmosphere.

14. March Madness org.: NCAA.  The National Collegiate Athletic Association organizes this annual basketball tournament in -- you guessed it -- March.

15. Aviation prefix: AERO.

17. [Theme clue]

19. Avian mimic: MYNA.  MYNA (or mynah) birds are prized as pets because of their ability to mimic human speech.  They are perching birds in the starling family, native to Iran and Southern Asia.  The common MYNA (AKA Indian Myna) has been declared one of the world's most invasive species and is one of only three birds listed among "100 of the World's Worst Invasive Species" that pose a threat to biodiversity, agriculture and human interests.

Common Myna

20. D.C. figure: POL.  Short for politician.  Some of these also pose a threat to biodiversity, agriculture and human interests!  In this neutral space, we shall not opine as to which ones.

21. Site traffic stat: PAGE HIT.  Website owners like to see PAGE HITs.  It means someone is looking.

23. [Theme clue]

28. __ loss: AT A.  Puzzled or uncertain what to think, say, or do.

29. Balkan natives: SERBS.

30. Cybergiggle: LOL.  Texting shorthand for Laugh Out Loud.

31. "Whipped Cream" musician Alpert: HERB.

33. Ceremonial pile: PYRE.  A ceremonial pyre is a structure of combustible material that is set on fire for a variety of purposes, including funerals, celebrations, and executions.

34. Strong cleaners: LYES.  LYE is a strongly alkaline solution, especially of potassium hydroxide, used for washing or cleansing.

36. Princeton team: TIGERS.  The Princeton Tigers are the athletic teams of Princeton University. The school sponsors 35 varsity teams in 20 sports.  

38. Ease: SOOTHE.  

40. Actor Corddry: NATE.  Nathan Corddry is an American actor best known for his roles as Adam Branch in the NBC drama series Harry's Law and for his role as Gabriel in the first two seasons of the CBS sitcom Mom.  Sorry, NATE, all perps for me.  Glad I didn't have to spell your surname.

Nate Corddry

41. First name in animation: WALT.  WALT Disney.

44. Touchpad toucher: USER.

45. "__ be an honor!": IT'D.

46. Filmmaker Kurosawa: AKIRA.

48. Moo goo __ pan: GAI.  Moo goo gai pan is a Chinese-American dish that translates to chicken with mushrooms.

49. [Theme clue]

53. Taking five: ON BREAK.

54. __ mode: A LA.  "À la mode" is a French phrase that means "according to the fashion".  It is used to describe something that is stylish or fashionable, or something served with ice cream.

55. Free __: REIN.  Free REIN is the freedom to do or say what you want.  The expression comes from horseback riding:  when you give a horse free rein, you hold the reins loosely so that the animal may wander where it wants. In contrast, if you keep a tight rein on something, you control its every move.

56. [Theme clue]

62. Prefix between micro- and pico-: NANO.

63. Colossal: EPIC.

64. Digestive aid brand: BEANO.

65. Winter hrs. in Utah: MST.  Mountain Standard Time.

66. "Last four digits" IDs: SSNs.

67. Change channels?: SLOTS.  I think the clue refers to coin slots -- where you insert your "change."

Down:

1. Hotel room sets: TVs.

2. __ Claire, Wisconsin: EAU.  The name of this city in Wisconsin is French for "clear water."

3. WoW or D&D: RPG.  World of Warcraft and Dungeons and Dragons are Role Playing Games.

4. Like the taste of cilantro, to some: SOAPY.  I love cilantro.  DH hates it.  My love language involves keeping cilantro out of the house.

5. Blunders: ERRORS.

6. Chemistry suffix: ENE.  A suffix used to form the names of hydrocarbons having one or more double bonds, such as benzene.  

7. Expert: ACE.

8. Spine-stretching asana: CAT POSE.  An āsana is a body posture, originally a general term for a sitting meditation pose, and later extended to any type of yoga exercise position.

Above:  CAT POSE.  Below:  Cow pose.  Good stretches to alternate.

9. Attacks: HAS AT.

10. "Likewise!": SAME TO YOU.

11. Repeated line in "Blitzkrieg Bop": HEY! HO! LET'S GO!  Blitzkrieg Bop was the opening track on the Ramones' self-titled debut album, 1976.  The line "Hey! Ho! Let's go!" became a rallying cry at sporting events.

The song came out first as a single with this cover art.

12. Orange Muppet who tries to learn the saxophone: ERNIE.

16. Stout grains: OATS.

18. Censors: BLEEPS.

22. Pico de __: taco topper: GALLO.  Pico de GALLO (Spanish for "rooster's beak") is a roughly chopped Mexican salsa made from tomato, onion, peppers, salt, lime juice, and cilantro.  Sorry, DH!  Cilantro is a key element.

23. Thai coin: BAHT.

24. Ordered room service, say: ATE IN.

25. Spots for priced-to-sell items: BARGAIN BINS.

26. Not at all humid: DRY.

27. Beer letters since the 1800s: PBR.  Pabst Blue Ribbon.

32. "Actually, bad idea": BETTER NOT.

35. Cut close: SHEAR.

37. Touch up, as a fading salon job: RE-DYE.

38. Barely run?: STREAK.  To STREAK is to run bare naked through a public place for publicity, for fun, as a form of protest, or to participate in a fad.  It was a big fad in the 1970s.

39. Actor Estrada: ERIK.  Henry Enrique "Erik" Estrada is an American actor and police officer.  He is known for his co-starring lead role as California Highway Patrol officer "Ponch" Poncherello in the police drama television series CHiPs, which ran from 1977 to 1983.

41. Buildings without elevators: WALK-UPs.

42. Alias letters: AKA.  AKA is an abbreviation for Also Known As, which might precede an alias.

43. Fashion's Claiborne: LIZ.  Liz Claiborne's success was built on stylish but affordable apparel for career women featuring tailored separates that could be mixed and matched.  I loved wearing her clothes during the decades I spent as a college librarian.  She left this mortal coil in 2007.

47. Improvises: AD-LIBs.

49. Instrument in a toot suite?: HORN.  Silly!  Horns "toot."  "Tout de suite" (which sounds like "toot sweet") is French for "right away."  And of course, a suite in music is a collection of short musical pieces that are played in sequence. Maybe it's a French HORN for a toot suite!

50. Wee hour: ONE AM.

51. Stares slack-jawed: GAPES.

52. Advisory group: PANEL.

57. Max. opposite: MIN.  Maximum vs MINimum.

58. Dells, e.g.: PCs.  Dells are Personal Computers ... Dell being a brand name.

59. Kung __ tofu: PAO.  More good eats!  

60. QB misfire: INT.  Interception.  The quarterback gets the blame if his throw is intercepted by a member of the opposing team.  Amirite?

61. Goddess of the dawn: EOS.  In Greek mythology, Eos is the goddess and personification of the rosy-fingered dawn, who drives a chariot each morning from her home at the edge of the river Oceanus to deliver light and dispel the darkness.

Eos AKA Aurora (in Roman mythology)

Here's the grid:

If you were old enough to listen to popular music in 1969, you might remember a song by The Archies that became the most successful "bubblegum pop" single of all time.  Today's puzzle brings that old ear worm to mind:

Sugar

Oh, honey, honey

You are my candy girl

And you got me wanting you

Honey

Oh, sugar, sugar

You are my candy girl

And you got me wanting you

With love to all you lovers,

NaomiZ

Sunday, January 19, 2025, Ricky J. Sirois

 Title:  "Rank and File."

The Count on the 9th hole.

Constructor Ricky J. Sirois returns to our favorite page of the L.A. Times for the fourth time, asking us to count in ordinal numbers from first to ninth.  The theme clues and answers, symmetrically placed throughout the Across lines of the puzzle, are:

22. First place: TOP OF THE LINE.

30. Second banana: ASSISTANT MANAGER.

45. Third base: HOT CORNER.  Malodorous Manatee explained this baseball reference in his blog post for Amanda Cook's puzzle on Friday, January 10, 2025.

52. Fourth Estate: PUBLIC PRESS.  In the time of the French revolution, the first estate was the clergy, the second estate was the nobility, and the third estate was the commoners and bourgeois.  A few years later, folks began to refer to the press as the fourth estate.

68. Fifth wheel: SPARE TIRE.

80. Sixth sense: GUT INSTINCT.

91. Seventh heaven: SHANGRI-LA.  Shangri-La is a fictional place in the mountains of Tibet, described in the 1933 novel Lost Horizon by English author James Hilton. Hilton portrays Shangri-La as a mystical, harmonious valley. Shangri-La has come to mean any earthly paradise.

106. "Eighth Grade": COMING OF AGE STORY.  Eighth Grade is a 2018 American coming-of-age comedy drama film.

117. Ninth circle: CENTER OF HELL.  The Inferno is the first part of Italian writer Dante Alighieri's 14th-century narrative poem The Divine Comedy, followed by Purgatorio and Paradiso. The Inferno describes the journey of a fictionalised version of Dante himself through Hell, guided by the Roman poet Virgil. In the poem, Hell is depicted as nine concentric circles of torment located within the Earth.

No circles of hell here, though!  Just a few unknowns that are solvable by perpendicular entries.

Let's wander through the rest of the clues and answers.

Across:

1. Headbanging genre: METAL.  An intense sort of rock and roll music.

6. Colts and fillies: FOALS.  Baby horses!  Colts are male, fillies are female.

11. Kept involved via email: CC'ed.  "Carbon copied" (in the days of typewriters), or copied on an email.

15. Broncos org.: AFC.  American Football Conference.

18. Circumvent: EVADE.

19. Fictional teen sleuth Belden: TRIXIE.  Trixie Belden is the title character in a series of mysteries written between 1948 and 1986. The first six books were written by Julie Campbell Tatham; the stories were then continued by various in-house writers from Western Publishing under the pseudonym Kathryn Kenny.

20. Off-color: BLUE.

21. LeBron's team, on scoreboards: LAL.  Los Angeles Lakers.

22. [Theme clue]

24. River crossed by Washington's troops: DELAWARE.

Washington crossing the Delaware by Emanuel Leutze, 1851

26. Steps in: ENTERS.

27. Frigg's husband: ODIN.  In Norse mythology, Frigg is the wife of Odin, the king of the gods, and the goddess of marriage and motherhood. 

29. Oscar nominee McCarthy: MELISSA.

30. [Theme clue]

34. Largest organ in the human body: SKIN.

35. Butter servings: PATS.  I worry about the ones we leave uneaten on the cafe table.

36. Yankees great Gehrig: LOU.

37. "Then what happened!?": GO ON.

38. Duane __: pharmacy chain: READE.  Discovered this pharmacy chain in NYC.

39. Make an oopsie: ERR.

40. Skit show featuring Kenan Thompson since 2003, briefly: SNL.  Saturday Night Live.

42. Pinterest pin: PIC.  On Pinterest, users "pin" images they've found online -- like a virtual bulletin board.

45. [Theme clue]

47. Welcomes: SAYS HI.

49. Tibetan priests: LAMAS.

51. Exploit: FEAT.  Exploit used as a noun:  a striking or notable deed; feat; spirited or heroic act:

the exploits of Alexander the Great.

52. [Theme clue]

55. Flamboyantly showy: GARISH.

60. Teri of "Young Frankenstein": GARR.  Sadly, Teri Garr died from complications of multiple sclerosis in October 2024 at the age of 79.

Teri Garr

63. Sign of distress: SOS.  SOS is a Morse code distress signal ( ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ), originally established for maritime use. SOS was not an abbreviation when it was first used. Later, a backronym was created for it in popular usage, and SOS became associated with mnemonic phrases such as "Save Our Souls" and "Save Our Ship."  The phrase "SOS" has entered general usage to informally indicate a crisis or the need for action.

64. Target in mini golf: PAR.  This threw me off.  Isn't PAR also the target in regular golf?

65. Cooling-off period: DETENTE.

66. Something to go by?: ALIAS.

68. [Theme clue]

72. Consumer: EATER.

73. Pipián verde seeds: PEPITAS.  Pipián verde is a traditional Mexican green mole (sauce) that gets its color and flavor from pumpkin seeds.

Pipián verde

75. Rolls on the dirt?: SOD.  Very clever.

76. Blonde brew: ALE.

78. Search meticulously: COMB.

79. Like a drive through the mountains: SCENIC.

80. [Theme clue]

84. Pixar title fish: NEMO.

86. Abdicates: CEDES.

87. Street musician: BUSKER.

91. [Theme clue]

96. Spoil: MAR.

97. Manhattan spirit: RYE.

98. Bird that lays green eggs: EMU.  Yup!

Emu egg

99. Some pajama tops, casually: CAMIS.  Short for camisoles.

100. Suffix that turns adjectives into nouns: NESS.  If I am tardy, please excuse my tardiNESS.

102. Nest egg inits.: IRA.  In a world where many workers don't have company sponsored pensions, it's important to have an Individual Retirement Account or similar plan in place.  

104. Desertlike: ARID.

105. Singer India.__: ARIE.  We've met Ms Arie on this page many times.

106. [Theme clue]

111. Apple AirTag, for one: TRACKER.  Bad guys are dropping these in people's pockets!  If you find one among your things, remove the battery and call the police.

113. Garment worn with a choli: SARI.  A choli is a fitted shirt worn with a wrapped sari.

114. Pays: REMITS.

115. Ireland, in Latin: HIBERNIA.  Hibernia is the Classical Latin name for Ireland. 

117. [Theme clue]

121. Slithery swimmer: EEL.

122. Roti flour: ATTA.  Roti is an Indian circular flatbread, made with ground whole wheat flour or “atta.”

123. Pelvic exercises: KEGELS.  The life-long assignment of all women who have borne children.

124. Country singer Tucker: TANYA.

125. Pig's pad: STY.

126. "The __ of Summer": Don Henley song: BOYS.

127. Shared account?: STORY.

128. Like San Francisco's Lombard Street: STEEP.  Steep and curvy.

Lombard Street

Down:

1. Joined: MET.  As in, met (or joined) for dinner ...

2. Annual gaming tournament, for short: EVO.  The Evolution Championship Series, commonly known as Evo, is an annual event that focuses exclusively on fighting-style electronic games. 

3. Carole King album with the song used as the "Gilmore Girls" theme: TAPESTRY.

4. Dreamboat of Greek mythology: ADONIS.  In Greek mythology, Adonis was the mortal lover of the goddesses Aphrodite and Persephone. He was considered to be the ideal of male beauty in classical antiquity.

5. Some turns: LEFTS.

6. San Joaquin Valley city: FRESNO.  Harder if you're not Californian.

7. Word with can or pan: OIL.

8. Saying that goes without saying: AXIOM.

9. Blair of "The Exorcist": LINDA.

10. Dating: SEEING.

11. Chem. in some calming pet treats: CBD.  Cannabidiol (CBD) is one of 113 identified cannabinoids in cannabis plants, and accounts for up to 40% of the plant's extract.  Medically, it is an anticonvulsant used to treat multiple forms of epilepsy.  Clinical research on CBD includes studies related to the treatment of anxiety, addiction, psychosis, movement disorders, and pain, but at this point there is insufficient evidence that CBD is effective for these conditions.

12. Baseball Hall of Famer Roberto: CLEMENTE.  Roberto Enrique Clemente Walker (1934 – 1972) was a Puerto Rican professional baseball player who played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball for the Pittsburgh Pirates. In December 1972, Clemente died in the crash of a plane he had chartered to take emergency relief goods for the survivors of a massive earthquake in Nicaragua.  He was posthumously inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Roberto Clemente

13. Graph theory pioneer: EULER.  Leonhard Euler (1707 – 1783) was a Swiss polymath who was active as a mathematician, physicist, astronomer, logician, geographer, and engineer.  He founded the studies of graph theory and topology and made influential discoveries in many other branches of mathematics such as analytic number theory, complex analysis, and infinitesimal calculus.

14. "I agree to those terms!": DEAL!

15. Juneau native: ALASKAN.

16. Gary Larson comic strip, with "The": FAR SIDE.

17. After-hours employee, perhaps: CLEANER.

19. In __ to: deeply engrossed in: THRALL.

23. Vietnamese New Year: TET.

25. Better informed: WISER.

28. 119-Down formula: NaOH.  Sodium hydroxide (NaOH) is a white, odorless, corrosive solid that is used in many industrial and household products. It is also known as lye or caustic soda.

30. Chimpanzees, e.g.: APES.

31. Gilbert of "The Conners": SARA.  Sara Gilbert is an American actress best known for her role as Darlene Conner on the ABC sitcom Roseanne.

32. Rapper Shakur: TUPAC.  Tupac Shakur (1971 – 1996) was an American rapper and actor.  He is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, having sold more than 75 million records worldwide. His lyrics are noted for addressing social injustice, political issues, and the marginalization of African-Americans, but he was also synonymous with gangsta rap.  He was murdered in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas.

Tupac Shakur

33. Makes an oopsie: GOOFS.

38. Take turns: ROTATE.

40. Moo __ pork: SHU.

41. Ballpoint tips: NIBS.

43. Little hellion: IMP.

44. Latin "Seize the day": CARPE DIEM.

46. Parakeet enclosure: CAGE.

48. Graded injury: SPRAIN.  A first-degree sprain is the mildest form of sprain, resulting in minimal tissue damage and quick recovery time.  A second-degree sprain happens when one or more ligaments has been damaged.  A third-degree sprain occurs when the ligament has torn.  These are ordinal numbers through which we would prefer not to progress.

49. Challenge for a speech therapist: LISP.

50. Usher to a table: SEAT.

53. End of a hot streak: LOSS.

54. __ Lanka: SRI.

56. Doesn't keep a poker face: REACTS.

57. Call __ question: INTO.

58. Fruit holder: STEM.

59. Mint, e.g.: HERB.

60. Unaccounted-for times on a résumé: GAPS.

61. Knighted actor Guinness: ALEC.

62. Fragrant, in a bad way: RIPE.  "Ripe" can be used as an adjective to describe a smell that is strong and unpleasant, similar to being stinky.

65. Shop with a meat slicer: DELI.  Delicatessen:  a good place to purchase sliced pastrami or corned beef, if you're into that sort of thing.  DH craves the veggie Reuben sandwich at Canter's Deli in L.A.

67. Result of stirring up a hornet's nest: STINGS.

69. Sun Devils sch.: ASU.  Arizona State University.

70. Source of some coll. scholarships: ROTC.  Reserve Officers' Training Corps is a leadership training and development program that prepares full-time, college-enrolled students for service opportunities in the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and Space Force.

71. "Shucks!": RATS.

74. Laptop giant: ACER.

77. Genderqueer identity: ENBY.  "Enby" is a term used to describe someone who identifies as non-binary, or outside of the male and female gender binary.  It's pronounced "en-bee."  This is perfect crosswordese, as we are used to spelling out the sounds of letters in our answers.

80. Humanoid creature of Jewish folklore: GOLEM.  A golem is an animated anthropomorphic being in Jewish folklore, which is created entirely from inanimate matter, usually clay or mud. 

81. Secrecy doc: NDA.  Non-disclosure agreement.  Promise not to tell!

82. Typographical flourish: SERIF.

83. Stick at a table: CUE.  Pool table.  Billiards.

85. Smaller side: MINORITY.

88. Portable stove fuel: KEROSENE.  I was finally relieved of pumping kerosene stoves when I married DH.  He is not a camper.  DH says, if the Lord meant for us to go camping, why did he create all these fine hotels?

89. Gulf States title: EMIR.

90. Football film with the tagline "Sometimes a winner is a dreamer who just won't quit": RUDY.  Rudy is a 1993 film about the life of Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger, who dreamed of playing football at the University of Notre Dame, despite significant obstacles.

91. Lambastes: SCATHES.

92. Abolitionist Tubman: HARRIET.

93. In a friendly way: AMIABLY.

94. Sister's daughter: NIECE.

95. Garage sale caveat: AS IS.

97. Wild parties: RAGERS.

101. After-school treats: SNACKS.

103. Almost never: RARELY.

104. In addition: AT THAT.

106. Italian hundred: CENTO.

107. Welcome: GREET.

108. "Weird Science" band __ Boingo: OINGO.  "Weird Science" is a 1985 song by American new wave band Oingo Boingo.  The song reached No. 45 on the US Billboard Hot 100, No. 21 on the US Dance Club Charts, and No. 81 in Canada.  It is Oingo Boingo's most successful single.

109. Punk kin: EMO.  Emo is an offshoot of punk rock, according to many crossword constructors.

110. Aerates, as flour: SIFTS.

112. The Krusty __: SpongeBob's employer: KRAB.

116. Inserts for some electric toothbrushes: AAs.

118. Rx notation: TER.  Terbinafine is used to treat fungal infections.

119. Caustic chemical: LYE.

120. Swimmer's unit: LAP.

Here's the grid:

C.C. had computer problems, and asked me yesterday to substitute for her today.

Because this review was hasty, please excuse any GOOFS due to my hastiNESS!

-- NaomiZ