Sunday September 14, 2025 Michael Torch & Andrea Carla Michaels

Theme: "POSITIVELY CHARGED" - ION is added to each common phrase.

23. Literary takeaway?: READERS DIGESTION. Reader's Digest.

31. Riches of the Vatican?: PAPAL BULLION. Papal bull.

48. Blessing over breakfast?: EGGS BENEDICTION. Eggs Benedict.

64. Strong affection for school auditoriums?: HALL PASSION. Hall pass. 

81. Drink to forgive and forget?: ABSOLUTION VODKA. Absolut Vodka. 

91. Army of Istanbul?: TURKEY LEGION. Turkey leg.

107. Lamaze class lectures?: CONTRACTION TALKS. Contract talks.

Two IONs are added to the end of the first words, five are added to the last words. 

It's hard to believe, but our label shows that this is Andrea's first LAT Sunday. Michael had his last Sunday puzzle in March, a collaboration with Kevin Christian, who's a frequent collaborator of Andrea. 

Across:

1. Give for free: COMP.

5. Carpenter's compressor: C CLAMP. Quite a few letter entries: 41. Letter-shaped construction piece: I BAR. 36. City NNW of H-Town: BIG D. 61. Letter-shaped construction piece: H BEAM.

11. Chow: EATS.

15. Fall blooms, for short: MUMS.

19. Olympic fencing event: EPEE.

20. Card carrier?: DEALER. Playing cards. 

21. Yankee preceder in the NATO alphabet: X-RAY.

22. "Gotcha": ON IT.

26. Sorry! or Scrabble: GAME.

27. Poison remedies: ANTIDOTES. I often confuse this word with ANECDOTES.

28. Cut (down): PARE.

29. Carpenter's drill: AUGER.

30. Vellani of "The Marvels": IMAN.

34. Spheres of influence: ORBITS.

38. Courses: WAYS.

39. New Year's __: EVE.

40. Soviet first lady Gorbacheva: RAISA. She was born in Siberia. 

43. Combed: SEARCHED.

53. Feudal baron: THANE.

54. Bronze finishers: MEDALISTS.

55. JFK postings: ARRS.

56. Cutting edges: BLADES.

57. Kin of -kin: ETTE.

58. Zone: AREA.

59. Postpone the inevitable: BUY TIME.  Also love these few entries: 75. Past the point of no return: IN TOO DEEP. 101. "We're doomed!": ALL IS LOST.

60. Salsa support: CHIP.

67. River Achilles was dipped into: STYX.

68. Rubs the wrong way: ABRADES.

70. Buck passers?: ATMS. Fun clue. See also: 88. Oxford heads?: LOOS. 117. Rolls out the green carpet?: SODS.

71. Lena of "Chocolat": OLIN.

73. Farm machine: REAPER.

74. Put up, in poker: ANTE.

80. "Hasta la vista": LATER.

83. Retired professor's designation: EMERITUS. Emerita for our Misty. 

85. Gorilla expert Fossey: DIAN.

86. Sitcom actress Georgia: ENGEL.

87. __-eyed: DOE.

90. Isn't colorfast: BLEEDS.

97. Avianca airlines destination: CALI. Avianca is the largest airline in Colombia. Learning moment for me.

99. Swings around: SLUES.

100. Not fake: REAL.

106. Last Stuart queen: ANNE.

110. Amtrak track: RAIL.

111. The Jonas Brothers, e.g.: TRIO.

112. Appeared ominously: LOOMED. Always large.

113. Cry for worms: PEEP.

114. D.C. group: SENS.

115. "That remains to be __": SEEN.

116. Convent superior: ABBESS. Here are my classes for the next few months. I already had a video lesson with Bill & Margret yesterday. Four more next week.  

Down: 

1. "Arrested Development" star Michael: CERA.

2. Tournament type: OPEN.

3. Spam, lamb, or ham: MEAT.

4. Cab prefix: PEDI.

5. Old PC drive inserts: CD ROMS.

6. Jai alai basket: CESTA. Very athletic. 

7. Weighed down: LADEN.

8. Boxers Muhammad and Laila: ALIS.

9. Storage unit, for short: MEG.

10. Settle in advance: PRE-PAY.

11. Overdramatic: EXTRA.

12. Mermaid who sings "I wanna be where the people are": ARIEL.

13. Philosophy often translated as "way": TAO. Dao in Mandarin.

14. Thesaurus entry: Abbr.: SYN.

15. Business bigwig: MOGUL.

16. Eel in nigiri: UNAGI.

17. Old-fashioned copier, briefly: MIMEO.

18. Back in the navy?: STERN. Navy ship.

24. Ready for making emends?: EDITABLE.

25. Drains, as strength: SAPS.

29. With ears pricked up: ALERTLY.

31. __-mutuel: PARI.

32. "How've ya __?": BEEN.

33. The Cavaliers of the NCAA: UVA.

34. City near Utah Lake: OREM. Next to Provo. 

35. Indignation: RAGE.

37. Actress Rae: ISSA.

38. Fistfuls of dollars: WADS.

41. Accounts on the 'gram: INSTAS. 

42. Palm with chewable nuts: BETEL.

43. "I need a rescue" letters: SOS.

44. Gabs: CHATS.

45. "I've __ with you!": HAD IT.

46. Archrival: ENEMY.

47. Neuter: DESEX.

49. "Take your pick": EITHER.

50. Sweet popcorn coating: CARAMEL.

51. Ringlet, maybe: TRESS. Margaret took me to her favorite stylist Angie on Tuesday. My new do. 

52. Nest egg funds, for short: IRAS.

56. Toe woe: BUNION.

58. Likely will, with "is": APT TO.

59. "Said I Loved You ... But I Lied" singer Michael: BOLTON. He was super popular when I lived in Shanghai. 

60. "The Very Busy Spider" writer/illustrator: CARLE.

62. Seeing red: IRATE.

63. Origami medium: PAPER.

65. PC connections: LANS.

66. Ancient Greek region: IONIA. AI Overview: In ancient Greece, Ionia was the central region of the west coast of Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey).

69. Lampoons: DERIDES.

72. Storyteller: NOVELIST.

74. V-up muscles: ABS.

75. "No kidding?": IT IS.

76. Kaput: DONE.

77. Jigsaw puzzle starting point, often: EDGE.

78. Squeezed (out): EKED.

79. Chums: PALS.

81. "Clan of the Cave Bear" author: AUEL.

82. Japanese noodle: UDON.

84. Cracker Jack bonus: TOY.

88. "That's not true!": LIAR.

89. "C'est magnifique!": OO LA LA. Andrea speaks fluent French. 

90. Hunters' hideaways: BLINDS.

91. Winter Palace rulers: TSARS.

92. Arm bones: ULNAE.

93. Quarrel: RUN IN.

94. Collapses, with "over": KEELS.

95. Muppet who is fond of bubble baths: ERNIE.

96. Climb aboard: GET ON.

97. Atmosphere: CLIME.

98. Burn-soothing plants: ALOES.

101. From __: one step: A TO B.

102. Places for napkins: LAPS.

103. Plant-based spread: OLEO.

104. Quick itinerary?: SKED. Schedule.

105. Baking soda amts.: TSPS.

107. Short change?: CTS. Short indicates an Abbr.

108. Resource in Minecraft or Catan: ORE.

109. Male swan: COB.

C.C.

Sunday September 7, 2025 Chandi Deitmer

Theme: "SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERIES" - A chemical element is added to each common phrase. This element pairs nicely with the following word to form a valid phrase also. 

22. *Cowardly Lion or Scarecrow, probably?: TIN MAN'S BEST FRIEND. Tin Man. Man's best friend. 

33. *Question on a history test about westward migration in the 1840s?: WHY THE BIG GOLD RUSH. Why the big rush. Gold rush. 

49. *Surviving Victorian society, for a Dickens character?: COPPERFIELD GOAL. Copperfield. Field goal. 

65. *Useful download for archaeologists?: CARBON DATING APP.  Carbon dating. Dating app. 

87. *Plea for a way to advertise a business that is open all night?: GIVE ME A NEON SIGN. Give me a sign. Neon sign. 

100. *Primate habitat banner when the zoo acquires a new gorilla?: WELCOME SILVERBACK. Welcome back. Silverback. 

Reveal:

112. Unexpected twist, or what's found in the answers to the starred clues: ELEMENT OF SURPRISE.

Husker Gary mentioned a while ago that Chandi is a full-time puzzler out of Cambridge, MA. Her puzzles are always fun and witty. 

Have any of you solved the Slate crosswords? Chandi is one of the regular constructors there. 

Across:

1. Climb: ASCENT.

7. Fancy car upgrades: RIMS.

11. One who's crossed a line?: SCAB. Picket line.

15. Old AOL missives: IMS.

18. How crêpe suzette is served: FLAMBE.

19. Stew-thickening pod: OKRA.

20. __ platter: PU PU. Never heard of this until I started solving crosswords.

21. Wray of "King Kong": FAY.

26. Feminine concept in Taoism: YIN. I eat a ton of Yin food in the summer: cucumbers, tomatoes, etc. Time for Yang food now: sweet potatoes, kabocha squash, etc.  

27. Whirling water: EDDY.

28. MMA decision: TKO.

29. Hit the jackpot: WIN.

30. Kevlar creator: DUPONT.

32. Marina del __, California: REY.

38. Surface: ARISE.

40. Solemnly swear: AVOW.

41. Cease and __: DESIST.

42. Used a "Safe!" word?: UMPED. Also loved this clue: 59. Square figure?: AREA. 

44. Kapoor of Hindi cinema: ANIL. Wikipedia says he has appeared in more than 100 films. 

45. Membership fees: DUES.

47. Actress Kate or Rooney: MARA.

53. Tinkered (with): TOYED.

54. Laze about: LOLL.

55. Stately 110-Downs: ELMS. 110. Shade provider: TREE.

56. Words of warning: OR ELSE.

58. __ trombone: SAD.

60. __ check: GUT.

61. Some critical care pros: EMTS.

63. Witch costume props: BROOMS. I saw a few guys digging stuff near our post office. The company is called "Ditch Witch".

70. Eager student's cry: ME ME ME.

73. Preternatural glow: AURA.

74. Poetic preposition: O'ER. This is the only word where V's is contracted, right?

75. Parliament members?: OWLS.

79. Language suffix: ESE.

80. Font option: ITALIC.

83. Cat's "Thanks for petting me": PURR.

84. Mule, e.g.: SHOE.

85. Group of eight: OCTAD.

91. "Storage __": reality TV show: WARS.

92. Document option: SAVE.

93. Omar of "House": EPPS.

94. Exposed: OUTED.

95. Many a soda can: POP TOP.

97. Without charge: FREE.

98. Tundra or taiga: BIOME.

104. Scot's denial: NAE.

107. Glinda portrayer: ARIANA. Ariana Grande. Ethereal. 

108. Savings option, for short: IRA.

109. Computing pioneer Lovelace: ADA.

110. Word in sloth names: TOED. Three-toed sloth. 

111. Peyton or Eli, to Archie: SON. Time for Arch to shine.

118. "Lenore" poet: POE.

119. Shortcut image: ICON.

120. One who's really trying?: BRAT. Stressful "trying".

121. Applies to: USES ON.

122. Texting tech: SMS.

123. High-grade: A ONE.

124. Organization that chases Carmen Sandiego: ACME.

125. Makes tea: STEEPS.

Down:

1. Renovation photo caption: AFTER.

2. Waterpark feature: SLIDE.

3. Sticky carnival treat: CANDY APPLE. We eat candied hawthorns during Chinese New Year. 

4. Primetime award: EMMY.

5. Org. for James and Durant: NBA.

6. Dimes, to dollars: TENTHS.

7. Alicia Vikander's "Ex Machina" role: ROBOT. Learning moment for me. 

8. 1950s prez: IKE.

9. "And here's to you, __ Robinson": MRS.

10. Parked it: SAT.

11. Bit of thyme: SPRIG.

12. Prompting an actor: CUING.

13. Chimp, e.g.: APE.

14. Heaps: BUNDLES.

15. "Suuuuure": IF YOU SAY SO. And 16. Opposite of indie: MAINSTREAM.  71. Activity where people are really locked in?: ESCAPE ROOM. 72. Subway network: METRO LINES. Two pairs of paralleled 10's. Amazing grid work. 

17. EDM instrument: SYNTH.

23. Inner Hebrides isle: SKYE.

24. Texter's "This might be useful": FWIW. For What It's Worth. 

25. Getup: DUDS.

31. Top-ranked: PRIMO.

33. Like a panoramic view: WIDE.

34. Fruit of the Loom rival: HANES.

35. Very bad: EVIL.

36. Font option: BOLD.

37. NFL star __ Beckham Jr.: ODELL.

39. Swap out: REPLACE.

42. Jackie Robinson Stadium sch.: UCLA.

43. Tie up, as a boat: MOOR.

44. Have the objective of: AIM TO.

45. Latissimus __: back muscle: DORSI.

46. Fed. with artificial archipelagos known as the Palm Islands: UAE. This looks surreal.

48. Contributes: ADDS.

50. Feel sorry for: REGRET.

51. Drop the ball: FLUB.

52. "You __ try this!": GOTTA.

53. U. of Maryland athlete: TERP.

57. Food court pizza chain: SBARRO.

61. Evoke: EDUCE.

62. Make a dent in: MAR.

64. American marsupial: OPOSSUM.

66. Among: AMID.

67. Not world-weary: NAIVE.

68. People, places, things, etc.: NOUNS.

69. "Sommersby" star: GERE. Not familiar with the movie.

70. Cat's "Please pet me": MEOW.

76. Neutral sound that may be a sleep aid: WHITE NOISE. Been a blissful few months. No weed. No noise. The company that owns 5501 decided to sell the house. Pending right now.

77. Theater section: LOGE.

78. Chat box button: SEND.

81. Visibly shocked: AGAPE.

82. Actress Tyler: LIV.

83. Rock, __, Scissors: PAPER.

86. Rescue rehoming org.: ASPCA.

88. Game show creator Griffin: MERV.

89. Fencing option: EPEE. The pride of Hong Kong: Vivian Kong. She won gold in women's epee in Paris.

90. Cozy reading spot: NOOK.

92. Kenya neighbor: SOMALIA.

96. "Don't you take that __ with me!": TONE.

97. Custard dessert: FLAN.

98. Singer Erykah: BADU.

99. High-flying guy of myth: ICARUS. His wings melted. 

100. Winged stingers: WASPS.

101. Pegg of "The Boys": SIMON.

102. Sherlock adversary Adler: IRENE.

103. Roast turkey instruction: BASTE.

105. Greek fabulist: AESOP.

106. Unblemished spots: EDENS.

113. Green prefix: ECO.

114. Abbr. on an unfinished schedule: TBA.

115. Hobbit enemy: ORC.

116. Nearest and dearest, colloquially: FAM.

117. Oregon hrs.: PST.

C.C.

Sunday August 31 , 2025 Amie Walker & Wendy L. Brandes

Theme:  "GET THE BALL ROLLING" - From left to the right, the letters spell out BINGO.

4. *Request for greater detail: BE A LITTLE MORE SPECIFIC.

9. *"Really, Captain Obvious?": GEE YA THINK.

12. *"C'mon, quit pretending to be confused!": OH YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING.

50. *"Free Your Mind" group: EN VOGUE.

74. *Visionary physicians?: EYE DOCTORS.

Reveal: 

3. With 70-Down, "Never would've predicted this scenario," and what can be said about the first word of the answer to each starred clue?: THAT WASN'T ON.

70. See 3-Down: MY BINGO CARD.

Did I miss anything extra? I had to google "How to play Bingo". So a Bingo card has the letters BINGO on top. This 14, 27, Free, 56, 66 doesn't make any winning sense to me. 

 

Amie and Wendy have collaborated on a few puzzles for the LAT. This is their first Sunday together. 

Across:

1. Rollaway bed: COT. 

4. Sweetie: BABE.

8. "Totally ready for the weekend!": TGIF.

12. Muppet who lives in a recycling zone: OSCAR.

17. Letters for a monarch: HRH. His/Her Royal Highness.

18. Nook's format, e.g.: E TEXT.

20. Incessantly: NO END.

21. "Hungry hungry" animal in a kids game: HIPPO.

22. Porto greeting: OLA. Porto is the Portuguese wine capital. 

23. Religious platform: ALTAR.

24. Where Penguins play on ice?: ARENA. Pittsburgh Penguins.

25. Raising agent: YEAST.

26. Lotus part: PETAL.

28. Hotel gym, e.g.: AMENITY.

30. Groups of friends: POSSES.

31. Deemed suitable: SAW FIT.

33. Rice dish cooked in a wide pan: PAELLA. Looks delicious.

34. [I didn't get my way!]: POUT.

35. 1990s treaty acronym: NAFTA.

36. Inc., in Britain: LTD.

37. Spots that might smear: ATTACK ADS. Amazing clue.

41. Some send-ups: SATIRES.

43. Question after a photo finish: WHO WON?

44. "The penny drops!": AHA.

46. Dull, figuratively: VANILLA.

48. __ kwon do: TAE.

51. Wash. neighbor: IDA.

52. Exudes: OOZES.

54. __ nous: ENTRE.

55. Disdain: SCORN.

57. Small complaint: NIT.

58. Bring about, as mayhem: WREAK. Only Havoc.

59. Classic muscle car: GTO.

60. Partner: MATE.

62. Conjure up: EVOKE.

64. Fin. neighbor: SWE.

65. Taken together: IN TOTAL.

67. KenKen figs.: NOS.

68. Return from vacation: FLY HOME. Someday I will. 

72. Before, in poems: ERE.

73. "Stop hogging it!": LET GO.

75. Mount also known as Kissavos: OSSA.

76. Peruvian singer Sumac: YMA. Have not seen her in our grid for a long while.

78. Accept terms: AGREE.

81. "I don't __ it": BUY.

82. Très très: ULTRA.

84. Soccer star __ Heath: TOBIN.

86. Pure joy: BLISS.

87. Pub brew: ALE.

88. Fair-hiring inits.: EEO.

89. College in Dublin: TRINITY. Ireland's oldest university.

91. "Stop filming!": CUT.

92. Pride event: PARADE.

95. Epiphany figures: WISE MEN.

97. Listen clandestinely: EAVESDROP.

99. Autograph seeker's tool: PEN.

100. Utility bill data: USAGE. Did you know that they charge you a higher rate for your power usage between 5:00pm to 7:00pm?

102. Coats with ganache, e.g.: ICES.

103. Baseless rumor: CANARD.

105. Conditional release: PAROLE.

107. "Good 4 U" singer Rodrigo: OLIVIA.

110. Culinary school dough?: TUITION. Another fun clue.

112. Orgs. that may serve as alternatives to hostels: YMCAS.

113. Recurring theme: MOTIF.

114. Ring around a lagoon: ATOLL.
 
116. Rapace of "Prometheus": NOOMI. She was also in "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo".

118. First words of many an alphabet book: A IS.

119. Central Asian mountain range: ALTAI. Extends to China where Xinjiang is.

120. "No __!": SIREE.

121. React to a bad joke: GROAN.

122. Vaccine molecule: RNA.

123. "It's Gonna Be Me" band: NSYNC.

124. Ramona, per Beezus: PEST.

125. Unexpected problem: SNAG.

126. Susan of "The Partridge Family": DEY.

Down:

1. Slices and dices: CHOPS.

2. "The Library Book" writer Susan: ORLEAN.

5. Georgia airport code: ATL.

6. Early app edition: BETA.

7. Lead by __: EXAMPLE.

8. Field where accidents are common?: TORT LAW.

10. Cozy lodging: INN.

11. Rx regulator: FDA.

13. Afternoon snooze: SIESTA.

14. Pros who try to stay balanced?: CPAS. Nothing athletic. Pros indicates an abbreviated answer.
 
15. Abbey space: APSE.

16. Goes bad: ROTS.

19. Buys for, as a birthday dinner: TREATS TO. The nice church couple treated me for a papaya salad. Mild. Still hot for me. 

20. Ace: NAIL.

27. Romance: AFFAIR.

29. Nancy Drew's boyfriend: NED.

30. "Un __ Loco": "Coco" song: POCO.

32. Shadow: TAIL.

34. Try to hit, as a cat might a laser beam: PAW AT.

38. Exquisite: TO DIE FOR. Cantonese soup. That red thing is goji berry. Not anything hot. 

39. Groggy state: DAZE.

40. Citi Field predecessor: SHEA.

42. Follower of Jah: RASTA.

45. "Fire away": ASK.

46. Relax on the sofa: VEG.

47. Not backing: ANTI.

49. "__ we all?": AREN'T.

53. Brand with a Selena Gomez limited edition version: OREO.

56. __ phone: CELLULAR.

61. Swallowed: ATE.

63. "__ mio": O SOLE.

64. Lead-in to "op": SYS.

66. Some concert merch: TEES.

69. Aspiring J.D.s' exams: LSATS.

71. Give off: EMIT.

77. In __ event: ANY.

78. "Shark Tank" network: ABC.

79. Cause of a sticky situation: GLUE. I've learned to wear a glove every time I use Super Glue.

80. "Poison" singer Ora: RITA.

81. Poetic performers: BARDS.

83. Reaching great heights: TOWERING.

85. Like show-offy pushups: ONE-ARM.

90. Enlist again: RE-UP.

93. Cruising the Caribbean, maybe: ASEA.

94. Uniform adornment: EPAULET.

96. Not alfresco: INDOORS.

98. Vance of "I Love Lucy": VIVIAN.

99. Butter portion: PAT.

101. Stritch of Broadway: ELAINE.

104. Egyptian river: NILE.

106. Input for some plagiarism detectors: ESSAY.

107. Saudi Arabia neighbor: OMAN.

108. Haha alternatives: LOLS.

109. Wee: ITTY.

111. End of a.m.: NOON.

114. Egyptian viper: ASP.

115. Connection: TIE.

117. Goat's bleat: MAA.

C.C.

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