Wednesday July 1, 2026, Emily Biegas

 Anagram Mountains...

19 Across. "Well, not quite ... ": THAT'S A STRETCH (an anagram of Shasta)

Mount Shasta.

28 Across. "The gall!": WHAT NERVE! (An anagram of Etna)

Mount Etna.

43 Across. Move to the country?: LINE DANCE. (Anagram of Denali)

Mount Denali.

This clue/answer is very clever, but may cause a double controversy. It seems this mountain keeps changing its name between Mt. Denali and Mt McKinley. Line dancing is associated with country and western culture, but it is not strictly country. I am sure Yellowrocks could enlighten us to the difference between square dancing and this recent upstart...

And our Theme Reveal:

52 Across. Go to great lengths, or what this puzzle's circled letters do?: MOVE MOUNTAINS. Mountain names can be found in the circles, "if you move the letters around..."

Onward:

Across:
1. "A Christmas Carol" scoff: BAH.

4. Insta posts: PICS.

8. Discomfit: ABASH. I got discombobulated by these words... I am familiar with discomfort: The absence of ease or the presence of mild physical or mental uneasiness. However, Discomfit is a verb that means to make someone feel confused, embarrassed, or uneasy.  It can also mean to thwart or frustrate someone's plans. (Like my solving of this puzzle...) And Abash is a verb that means to cause someone to feel embarrassed, ashamed, or self-conscious. It typically involves breaking someone's poise or self-confidence, often as a result of an unexpected comment, mistake, or realization of inadequacy.

13. County seat of Hawaii County: HILO. 

14. Home of the Mighty Five national parks: UTAH. Everything you ever wanted to know about a 465 mile scenic loop, that will take 7 to 10 days to complete...

15. Bundled software collection: SUITE. A highfalutin word (yes, highfalutin is a word...) for a bunch of old junk software that nobody wants, tied up with a ribbon, in the hopes they can still make money...

16. Disapproving sounds: TSKS. (Sound I make when I see someone trying to sell me the above...)

17. Plumbing part: PIPE. (Oy, so many parts to choose from...)

18. Play a banjo: STRUM. Hmm, maybe a guitar, but...

Banjos require pickin' and a grinnin'...

19. [Theme]

22. Well-mannered: POLITE.

23. IRS form expert: CPA. Certified Public Accountant.

24. Catchy part of a song: HOOK. I asked my Daughters, and Google, to identify an Earworm I could insert here, and they all referenced songs I never heard before... so, if you can name your own personal  earworm, mention it in the comments...

27. Book part: SPINE.

28. [Theme]

30. Persona non __: GRATA. "Persona non grata" is a Latin phrase that translates to "an unwelcome person".

32. Worked for: EARNED.

33. Compass rose dir.: SSW.

36. Portuguese greeting: OLA. 

                              Ola (Spanish & Hawaiian Words)

• Spanish: Ola means a wave in the sea or ocean. It is pronounced just like "Hola" (hello), but the "h" is silent and the meaning is completely different.
• Hawaiian: Ola means life, health, to live, or to thrive.

37. Sch. in the smallest U.S. state: URI. University of Rhode Island. Interesting that the clue uses Sch.=School. Which may make this clue/answer somewhat contentious, because according to Google A.I. The Block island School, located on Block Island in New Shoreham, Rhode Island, is the only K-12 public school serving the state's smallest municipality. It educates roughly 125 to 160 students, making it one of the smallest unified public schools in the state. So, could this answer have two valid answers if you include B.I.S?

38. Some SAT takers: SRS. Seniors. And according to Google AI, In U.S. college admissions, SAT is a standardized test created by the College Board. While it originally stood for Scholastic Aptitude Test and later Scholastic Assessment Test, the College Board officially states that the letters no longer stand for anything.

39. Excuses: ALIBIS.

41. Fashion: STYLE.

43. [Theme]

45. Scope: AMBIT. An ambit is the scope, boundary, or extent of something. It most commonly refers to a sphere of influence, action, or authority.

49. Small whirlpool: EDDY.

50. Murmur: COO.

51. Smooth and suave: URBANE.

52. [Theme Reveal]

55. Share one's thoughts: OPINE.

57. Financing figs.: APRS. Annual Percentage Rates.

58. Skirt feature: SLIT.

59. Sweet, in Italian: DOLCE.

60. "Bro!": DUDE.

61. Goes out with: SEES. (Dates wouldn't fit...)

62. Stella who founded an acting school in New York City: ADLER. Name #1

63. Short railroad branch: SPUR.

64. Fabric store meas.: YDS.

Down:
1. Diagonal mover in chess: BISHOP.

2. High-pH substance: ALKALI.

3. In charge of Thanksgiving dinner, say: HOSTING.

4. Butterflies-to-be: PUPAE.

5. "Yep": IT IS. 

6. Bot blocker: CAPTCHA.

7. Tibetan people: SHERPA.

8. Exec's helper: ASST. Assistant. 

9. Mispronounce horrendously, as a name: BUTCHER.

10. Shock jock's sound effects: AIR HORNS. Technically Air Horn is two words, but is fast becoming simply "Airhorn" in the vernacular...

11. "The Simpsons" disco guy: STU. Fictional Name #2

12. Tailored edge: HEM.

13. Part of an encrypted URL: HTTPS. HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure.

20. Anti-inflammatory choice: STEROID.

21. Restaurant: EATERY.

25. Finito: OVER.

26. "Comfortable. Confident." shoe brand: KEDS.

28. Elena Rybakina's org.: WTA. World Tennis Association. Name #3 - either you know it or you don't...

29. Finger painting?: NAIL ART.

31. Cultural territory in France's Grand Est region: ALSACE. Looks like a nice place to visit...

33. Realtor's success: SALE.

34. Made it home quickly?: SLID. (Baseball reference)

35. Image on Dutch Bros coffee cups: WINDMILL.

37. Sporty truck, briefly: UTE. Short for utility vehicle.

40. "Cowboy Carter" icon: BEYONCE. All you need to know:

41. Grab before anyone else can: SCOOP UP.

42. Diplomatic mission: EMBASSY.

44. Migratory people: NOMADS.

46. Helped (out): BAILED.

47. Concave belly buttons: INNIES.

48. Tries, as patience: TESTS.

51. Auto racing family name: UNSER. Name #4

53. Swerve: VEER.

54. Rawalpindi language: URDU. Rawalpindi is a city in Pakistan, where the national language is Urdu.

55. "Ghost" psychic __ Mae Brown: ODA. 

Whoopi Goldberg portraying fictional name #5

56. Okra or orca unit: POD.

The Grid

Emily Biegas has become quite prolific, publishing quite a few LAT puzzles, in addition to NYT...

Emily is on the left.

Well, did you have to move mountains to finish this puzzle? Or did you just ski around the moguls...

Let us know in the comments how your solving experience went. 

CE:D out

₍^. .^₎⟆

Tuesday, June 30, 2026 ~ Scott Earl & Katherine Baicker

Pocket Money

Good day Cornerites! Today, Scott & Katherine give us some things you can scratch. Let's take a look...

17. Old 45, perhaps: VINYL RECORD. Run DMC talked about doing Walk this Way w/ Aerosmith. They had no idea who Aerosmith was except it was the scratch on Track 4 of that Toys in the Attic album which all street rappers used. Here's a 45 where the B-side is the bigger hit -- it better not be scratched...

A-Side

B-Side

24. Hiker's annoyance: INSECT BITE. Those make ya' scratch.

35. Lucky purchase, one hopes: LOTTERY TICKET. The Big Money!

We had LOTERIA in my last Tuesday expo

48. Yen for adventure: TRAVEL ITCH. If you've got the time & scratch, scratch that itch.

57. "Never mind!," or what could be said about 17-, 24-, 35-, or 48-Across: SCRATCH THAT.

Close enough.

Across:

1. "Heated Rivalry" co-star Williams: HUDSON. A TV show of two hockey players on rival teams hiding their romance. Heard of it but never seen it.

7. Mountain goat with long horns: IBEX.

Alpine ibex

11. Pigpen: STY.

No.  This is Pig-Pen

14. Boxer's punch combo: ONE-TWO.

15. The whole __ yards: NINE. Here's Words Unravelled on idioms. //Listen long enough and you'll hear our sports BAGEL explanation.

16. Red letters?: IOU. An "I Owe You" means you're in the red.

17. [See: Theme]

19. Male turkey: TOM.

20. Dark deeds: EVILS.

21. Oscar winner Malek: RAMI. I liked him best in the first season of Mr. Robot.

22. Population fig., often: EST. An ESTimate.

23. Hard to track down: RARE.

24. [See: Theme]

27. Put points on the board: SCORED.

29. African American folk magic: HOODOO.

I had to check to see if Harvey Korman said Hoodoo or Voodoo.

30. More than wants: NEEDS. OK, I NEEDed to check Korman's words ;-)

34. Preppy tops: POLOS.

35. [See: Theme]

39. Sherri's twin on "The Simpsons": TERRI.

The Twins

40. "Stuart Little" actress Davis: GEENA.

41. Writer/editor Dave who founded McSweeney's Publishing: EGGERS.

43. X-ray follow-up, perhaps: CT SCAN. A Computed Tomography SCAN.

48. [See: Theme]

52. "__ from New York ... !": LIVE. Chevy Chase first said it back in '75.

Reminiscent of Python's

  Hungarian Phrase Book Sketch.

53. Singer DiFranco: ANI.

54. "__ not see that coming": I DID.

55. Desert refuge: OASIS.

56. Game system with Nunchuk controllers: WII.

We have a Wii; haven't used it in years.

57. [See: Theme]

59. Braying animal: ASS.

60. Person named in a will: HEIR.

61. Orange snack puff: CHEETO.

62. Emerald or ruby: GEM.

63. Greek peak: OSSA. Oh, not a look [peek] under the toga but...

this kinda peak.

64. Female sibling: SISTER. As you're reading this, I'm with one of mine in Dallas.

Down:

1. Watches overprotectively: HOVERS.

2. Pioneering mainframe: UNIVAC. What?!? A singular VACuum tube? Counts to one, does it? ;-)

3. Robert of "Killers of the Flower Moon": DENIRO. I know who DeNiro is but not in this context.  After reading the WikiP, I should probably see the movie.

4. Salon tool: STYLER.

5. Hooting birds: OWLS.

6. Neither partner: NOR.

7. Native Peruvians: INCAS.

8. Ecosystem: BIOME.

Caution, Here Be [36d] ORGANISMS.

9. Make more nutritious, say: ENRICH.

10. Crossed through, with "out": X-ED.

11. Stands by: SITS IDLE.

12. Sound from a choo choo train: TOOT TOOT.

13. "Delish!": YUM. Where's the -mers? Oh, that's right, Hahtoolah will be back soon w/ her yummers :-)

18. Directional ending: ERN. NortherERN, SouthERN, et.al.

22. Kindle unit: E-BOOK.

24. Notion, in French: IDEE. French idea.

25. Hanna-Barbera feline who hatched schemes in an alley: TOP CAT.

He's the one with the tennis banjo

26. Greek goddess of the dawn: EOS.

28. Whole: ENTIRE.

31. Rowing machine, colloquially: ERG.

32. Henna, for one: DYE.

33. Fr. holy woman: STE. French Saint.

35. Core-engaging exercise: LEG RAISE.

36. Living creature: ORGANISM.

RUSH's Natural Science w/ Anika.
(Song addresses organisms in a tide pool so that counts, right?)

37. Rome's __ Fountain: TREVI.

If you're a bit peckish, there's a gelato joint on your left.

38. Creep (along): INCH.

39. Vietnamese New Year: TET.

42. Pie servings: SLICES.

44. Lists of candidates: SLATES.

45. Non-LGBTQ+ portmanteau: CIS/HET. A cisgender and heterosexual individual.

46. Fly a plane: AVIATE.

47. "The Morning Show" actor Carbonell: NESTOR.

49. Actor Elba: IDRIS.

There you go, ladies ;-)

50. Small crown: TIARA.

51. Chi. summer hrs.: CDT. Central Daylight Time. Aka, UTC-5.

55. "Fancy meeting you here!": OH HI.

56. Move like a happy pooch's tail: WAG.

57. "Dexter: Resurrection" airer, for short: SHO. HBO's rival SHOtime

58. Includes on an email: CCS. Carbon CopieS - An anachronistic way of saying "also informed."

The Grid:

The Grid

WO: TOP kAT (thought it was spelt like Krazy Kat)
ESP: HUDSON
Fav: I liked UNIVAC, the successor to ENIAC. Anyone remember Asimov's SciFi Multivac?

I'm in Dallas w/ Eldest and the oldest of my littles Bro & Sis. #RUSH goes down tonight!

Cheers, -T

Monday, June 29, 2026, Zachary Edward-Brown

 Theme: So many greens!

I sit beside the fire and think of how the world will be

When winter comes without a spring that I shall ever see.

For still there are so many things that I have never seen:

In every wood, in every spring, there is a different green.

-- Bilbo Baggins in Book II, Chapter 3 of The Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien.

Glacier National Park -- photo by NaomiZ

Zachary Edward-Brown is back and this time he's contemplating the many shades of green in the theme clues and answers, which are:

16-Across. *University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina: WAKE FOREST.

24-Across. *Hall of Fame wide receiver who was drafted by the Vikings in 1998: RANDY MOSS.

49-Across. *Person looking for employment: JOB HUNTER.

60-Across. *Major coin producer in Colorado: DENVER MINT.

And the big reveal, smack in the middle of the grid:

37-Across. Strive to reduce one's carbon footprint, or what the answers to the starred clues do?: GO GREEN.

Forest green, moss green, hunter green, mint green ... here are samples:

Hopefully these green hues put you in a relaxed mood to explore the rest of the clues and answers.

Across:

1. Tapioca pearls in some tea: BOBA.  Boba tea is a choking hazard!  Remove the tapioca pearls for young children and serve them in a bowl with a spoon.  You can remove mine, too!  Blech!

Boba tea

5. Trades jabs in the ring: SPARS.

10. WNBA stat: Abbr.: PTS.  NBA players also earn PTS.

13. Forget to mention: OMIT.

14. Cut equally: HALVE.

15. Spoiled kid: BRAT.  

16. [Theme clue]

18. Norse god of mischief: LOKI.  All I know about Loki, I learned from watching Vikings on the History Channel.

Travis Fimmel as Ragnar Lothbrok in Vikings

19. "That's all __ wrote": SHE.  "That's All She Wrote" is a song written by Jerry Fuller, and recorded by various artists including Ernest Tubb, Johnny Mathis, and Ray Price.

Dearest baby may I thank you for being a friend of mine

And while you're reading these words I'll be gone like a bird in the winter time

And I'm taking with me the few sweet memories we made as my souvenirs

And it's a shame that the laughter couldn't outweigh all the tears

That's all she wrote

Everything that I own in a small envelope

Leaving me so alone that I wanted to die

The momеnt that I read her note

That's all shе wrote

20. Mountaintop: APEX.

21. Forty-__: NINER.  A prospector in the California gold rush of 1849, or a member of the San Francisco Forty-Niners, a professional football team.

22. Dry as a bone: ARID.

24. [Theme clue]

27. Name of 12 popes: PIUS.

29. Production amount: OUTPUT.

30. Nearly five billion people: ASIANS.

33. Rugged ride, briefly: ATV.  All-terrain vehicles have agricultural, military, and recreational uses.

ATVs

34. Stanley Cup org.: NHL.  The championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoff champion.

Evolution of the Stanley Cup

36. Yoga roll: MAT.

37. [Theme clue]

40. Corp. head: CEO.  Chief Executive Officer.

41. "Thx" counterpart: PLS.  "Thanks" and "please" in text-speak.

42. Cherry center: PIT.

43. Handouts at a spa: TOWELS.

45. Nonreflective finishes: MATTES.

48. "Hey, over here!": PSST.

49. [Theme clue]

51. "Othello" villain: IAGO.  In Shakespeare's play, Iago is a soldier under Othello's command, and is very much trusted by Othello.  Iago is jealous when he is passed over for promotion and manipulates Othello into killing Othello's wife and commiting suicide.  Nasty guy.

Othello and Iago

54. Like new candles: UNLIT.

55. Italy's capital: ROME.

57. Astonishment: AWE.

59. __ queen: DRAG.  A drag queen uses extravagant clothing, wigs, and makeup to celebrate and exaggerate female gender attributes.

A drag queen in and out of a green costume

60. [Theme clue]

63. Talk effusively: GUSH.

64. Fire sign of spring: ARIES.  As the first sign of the astrological year, Aries represents creative spark, passion and initiative.  Isn't fire more destructive than creative?  Anyway, astrology ...

Aries

65. Load to bear: ONUS.

66. Middle-earth's Treebeard, for one: ENT.  J. R. R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings again!  Ents are giants who resemble trees, and Treebeard is their leader.

Treebeard in the green woods

67. Put on clothes: DRESS.

68. Athletic award: ESPY.  Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Awards produced by ESPN.

Down:

1. Gift toppers: BOWS.

A green bow

2. Nebraska city: OMAHA.

3. Motorcyclist: BIKER.

4. Grabbed a bite: ATE.

5. Boutique: SHOP.

6. Small kitchen knives: PARERS.

The paring knife is the little one at bottom.

7. Apple : Siri :: Amazon : __: ALEXA.

8. Motor homes, for short: RVS.  Recreational vehicles.  Jinx, is your rig moving with you?

9. Tennis match part: SET.

10. Sound out, as a word: PRONOUNCE.

11. Admits defeat, informally: TAKES THE L.  "Take the L" means to accept a LOSS.  I'm glad I solved 34-Across. Stanley Cup org.: NHL, because I would have had to take the L on this answer otherwise.  "Cup" in the Across clue had me thinking about sailing competitions instead of hockey.  Nearly sunk me!

12. Keeps from sticking to the pot, perhaps: STIRS.

15. Goodyear airship: BLIMP.

I took this photo from my front garden!

17. Growing dim: FADING.

21. Empire St. paper: NYT.  New York Times.  Famous for challenging crossword puzzles.

23. Hoppy beer letters: IPA.  India Pale Ale.

25. Post-it __: NOTE.

26. Bed covers: DUVETS.  I grew up ignorant of duvets.  Now I spend a good part of my life underneath one.

This duvet is ready for its cover.

28. Last Grand Slam event of the year: US OPEN.  Tennis tournament.

30. Concert device: AMP.  Amplifier.  Rusty, show us yours!

31. Upstream migration that feeds grizzly bears: SALMON RUN.

Unlucky leap

32. "This party rocks!": IT'S A BLAST.

33. Museum display: ART.

35. __ Angeles: LOS.  I had the home team advantage on this one.

38. Main point: GIST.

39. More meddlesome: NOSIER.

44. Tour gp. for Coco Gauff: WTA.  Cori "Coco" Gauff is an American professional tennis player.  She made her Women's Tennis Association Tour debut in 2019.

Coco Gauff on a green court

46. Quadriceps locale: THIGH.

47. "Tsk!" kin: TUT. Clicking tongue sounds of reproof.

48. Shows beyond doubt: PROVES.

49. Courtroom decision-maker: JUDGE.

50. Orange Muppet who sings "When Bert's Not Here": ERNIE.

Bert and Ernie with a green background

52. Obtains: GAINS.

53. Admit (to): OWN UP.  Take the L, perhaps?

56. State of disarray: MESS.

58. Site with vintage items: ETSY.  Known for handmade items, you'll find some vintage things as well.

60. Stereotypical teller of terrible jokes: DAD.

61. Make a goof: ERR.

62. Barkeeper who is a frequent target of Bart's prank calls: MOE.

Bart Simpson loves to prank call Moe.

Here's the grid:

Solvers,

Did you ERR anywhere?  Did you find yourself FADING?  Did you throw in the TOWEL?

Or would you say of this puzzle that IT'S A BLAST and your flawless grid PROVES it?

GUSH all about it in the comments!

-- NaomiZ

Sunday June 28, 2026 Emet Ozar

 

Theme: "WRITE-UPS"- The first word of each theme entry is a newspaper.

3. Pride and joy of many an audiophile: RECORD COLLECTION.

8. One who takes the snap and the spotlight: STAR QUARTERBACK.

13. Insist on a debate, perhaps: PRESS THE ISSUE.

48. Memorization aid in math class: TIMES TABLE CHART.

56. Cultural movement of the 1960s and 1970s: POSTMODERNISM.

Reveal: 

41. Editorial essays, or what 3-, 8-, 13-, 48-, and 56-Down are: NEWSPAPER COLUMNS.

The theme answers are placed in Down slots, forming literal newspaper columns.

This puzzle only has 13 three-letter entries. Amazing. I often find myself with 24 or 25 before I know it.

Across:

1. Dragon roll wrap: NORI. Dragon rolls are typically inside-out rolls, with the nori hidden inside.

5. X-ray specs?: REMS. Radiation dosages. Great clue.

9. Sea anemone, e.g.: POLYP.

14. Spanakopita cheese: FETA.

18. Equally matched: EVEN.

19. Awards achievement completed by Steven Spielberg in 2026: EGOT. Only 22 people have achieved this status. 

20. Thin layer: VENEER.

21. Keen: AVID.

22. Suggestions, for short: RECS.

23. Fizzy beverage: SODA.

24. Chilling: AT EASE.

25. K, in the NATO alphabet: KILO.

26. Give up: DROP.

27. Layer: TIER.

28. Rogan josh bread: NAAN. Rogan Josh is a curried lamb or mutton dish.

29. Gets a whiff: SMELLS.

31. Caramel candies: ROLOS.

33. Feathery pen: QUILL.

35. Kaplan prep course subj.: PSAT. 53. Kaplan prep course subjs.: APS.

36. Up in the air, briefly: TBD. To Be Decided/Determined.

38. Biceps exercise: ARM CURL. 

40. Falcons city: ATLANTA. NFL.

44. Mysterious to many: ARCANE.

46. Marimba player: MALLET.

49. Black eyes: SHINERS.

50. Ecological community: BIOME.

51. FYI part: FOR.

52. Fly: AVIATE.

54. Whack, as a fly: SWAT.

55. Without a partner: SOLO.

56. 1492 ship: PINTA.

58. Damage: IMPAIR.

60. Pre-1991 atlas initials: SSR.

61. Teased: LED ON.

63. Escapes the notice of: ELUDES.

65. Lyric poet of Lesbos: SAPPHO. Lesbian comes from Lesbos.

67. Corrupt: DEBASE.

68. Landscaping tools: RAKES.

69. Off course: ASTRAY.

70. "That's impossible for us": WE CAN'T.

71. Missing class: ABSENT.

72. Prepare to play: CUE UP.

73. Canadian prov.: ONT.

74. Empire Builder operator: AMTRAK. The Empire Builder runs daily between Chicago and Seattle or Portland. 

76. Small sip: TASTE.

78. Target of a brood parasite such as the cowbird: NEST. Cowbirds lay their eggs in other birds' nests, leaving the host parents to raise the chicks.

81. Best-__ plans: LAID.

83. Mine vehicle: ORE CAR.

85. Mass transit option: BUS.

86. American Eagle Outfitters loungewear brand: AERIE. 

87. Home of Jupiter: FLORIDA.

89. Uses a prayer mat, e.g.: KNEELS.

91. Much of the heart: MUSCLE.

92. Powerfully built: SINEWED.

93. Gorillagram costume: APE SUIT.

95. Blesses: OKS.

96. Bluetooth device's lack, often: WIRE.

97. Bare-bones: BASIC.

99. Sneak around: PROWL.

101. Composer Bach: JOHANN.

104. "Alice's Restaurant" singer Guthrie: ARLO.

105. "Very funny": HA HA.

107. Large lump: HUNK.

110. Declare: AVOW.

111. For nothing: IN VAIN.

113. Eager: AGOG.

114. Sign of things to come: OMEN.

115. Last name of sisters Rooney and Kate: MARA. Rooney Mara is married to Joaquin Phoenix.

116. Meshes in the kitchen: SIEVES.

117. Dominate: RULE.

118. In the know about: ONTO.

119. Crush it on the runway, say: SLAY.

120. "Circles Around This Town" singer Morris: MAREN.

121. Smidgens: TADS.

122. Hushed "hey!": PSST.

Down:

1. Deep member of a fandom: NERD.

2. Concluded: OVER.

4. Motivation, in hashtags: INSPO. Short for "inspiration".

5. Put back: RESTORE.

6. Extreme self-involvement: EGOISM.

7. Mean relative?: MODE. Another fun clue.

9. "She loves me, she loves me not" piece: PETAL. My little garden is thriving. I'm so happy to see Boomer's lilies flourishing again.

10. Lakers legend Shaquille: O'NEAL.

11. Like ground turkey: LEAN.

12. "100%!": YES.

14. Sunless glow-ups: FAKE TANS.

15. Wicked: EVIL.

16. Cultivate: TILL.

17. Ruckuses: ADOS.

20. Spice native to Mesoamerica: VANILLA. Pandan is often called "Asian vanilla".

30. Senegal neighbor: MALI.

32. "Stay in your __!": LANE.

34. Clickable link: URL.

35. Carbonara ingredient: PASTA.

36. Browser units: TABS.

37. Pizzazz: BRIO.

39. "Shake a leg!": C'MON.

42. Tawdry: TRASHY.

43. Houston pro: ASTRO.

45. Single-celled creature: AMOEBA.

47. Barefaced: EVIDENT.

51. "Whatever": FINE.

57. Fairbanks resident: ALASKAN.

59. Grade: RATE.

62. CNN anchor Bash: DANA.

64. Luau instrument, informally: UKE.

66. Dried plums: PRUNES.

67. Koyukon name of North America's tallest peak: DENALI.  Meaning "The Great One".

69. Play parts, or plays a part: ACTS.

70. Gobbles (down): WOLFS.

71. Exist: ARE.

75. Take stock?: TRADE. Stock here refers to "shares" rather than "inventory".

77. Work (out): SUSS.

79. Lingerie fabric: SILK.

80. Some gym tops: TEES.

82. Recoiled: DREW AWAY.

84. Works (out): REASONS.

86. Camera setting: AUTO.

88. "Victory is mine!": I WIN.

90. Prefix with Pen: EPI.

91. Desert deceptions: MIRAGES.

94. Sustain: UPHOLD.

97. Lionhearted: BRAVE.

98. Rocky of "Project Hail Mary," for one: ALIEN.

100. Joyful holler: WHOOP.

101. Preserves: JAMS.

102. Like some coffee tables: OVAL.

103. Jewish wedding dance: HORA.

104. Declare: AVER.

106. Oaxaca water: AGUA.

108. Team that shares an arena with the Liberty: NETS. Same owner. Joe Tsai.

109. Binding loop: KNOT.

112. Vardalos of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding": NIA.

C.C.