Tuesday, August 22, 2023 Patti Varol

Let's Go Shopping!  The last word of each two word phrase is a place to go shopping.  The first word matches with the purchaser.

17-Across. Place where a contractor buys sheet rock?: WALL OUTLET.

27-Across. Place where Uncle Sam buys his red, white, and blue garb?: NATIONAL MALL.

45-Across. Place where the military buys silver stars?: GENERAL STORE.

59-Across. Place where Paddington buys marmalade sandwiches?: BEAR MARKET.  Origin of the terms Bear and Bull Market.

Across:

1. Garden soil: DIRT.

5. __ broke: risk it all: GO FOR.

10. Ranch measure: ACRE.

14. Far offshore: ASEA.

15. Moan and groan: WHINE.

16. Unoccupied: FREE.

19. Dejected mood: FUNK.

20. Civil rights org. with Image Awards: NAACP.  The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People was established in 1909 as an interracial organization to advance justice for African Americans.

21. Write off over time, as an initial cost: AMORTIZE.

23. Vapor trail locale: SKY.

24. Sought office: RAN.

26. __ and tear: WEAR.

32. Grow molars, e.g.: TEETHE.

35. Tennis great Sampras: PETE.  Pete Sampras (né Petros Sampras; b. Aug. 12, 1971) is regarded one of the greatest tennis players of all time,  He officially retired in 2003.  [Name # 1.]

36. Soccer great Hamm: MIA.  Mia Hamm (née Mariel Margaret Hamm; b. Mar. 17, 1972) is another sports figure.  [Name # 2]

37. Launder: WASH.

38. Pickle holder: JAR.

39. Many a sci-fi fan, stereotypically: NERD.

40. Way to the www: ISP.  ISP = Internet Service Provider.

41. Etc. kin: ET AL.

43. "I, Tonya" Oscar winner Allison: JANNEY.  Allison Janney (née Allison Brooks Janney; b. Nov. 19, 1959) also starred as C. J. Cregg, the White House Press Secretary, on West Wing. [Name # 3]

48. Obama-era immigration policy, familiarly: DACA.  DACA = Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.  Enough said.

49. Sense of self: EGO.

50. Fail to share: HOG.

53. "Please, this is too much": OH, STOP IT!

56. State known as Down East: MAINE.  You cahn't get theyah from heyah.  There is a very distinct Down East accent.

58. French cheese with a rind: BRIE.  Yummers!

61. House of Lords title: EARL.

62. "Rizzoli & Isles" actress Harmon: ANGIE.  I remember Angie Harmon (née Angela Michelle Harmon; b. Aug. 10, 1972) from her role as Abbie Carmichael on Law & Order.  [Name # 5.]

63. Beef, e.g.: MEAT.

64. Some craft beers: ALES.

65. Bird's perch: ROOST.

66. Every 12 mos.: YRLY.  Yearly.

Down:

1. Daybreaks: DAWNS.

2. "Wicked Game" singer Chris: ISAAK.  Time for a musical interlude with Chris Isaak (né Christopher Joseph Isaak; b. June 26, 1956).  [Name # 6.]

3. Baton-passing race: RELAY.

4. Very soft mineral: TALC.

5. D.C. school named for a president: GWU.  As in George Washington University.

6. MVP pitcher/hitter Shohei: OHTANI.  Shohei Ohtani (b. July 5, 1994) plays professional baseball with the Los Angeles Angels.  He was named Most Valuable Player in 2021.  [Name # 7.]

7. Movie: FILM.

8. Boast in an ad for a used car: ONE OWNER.

9. Relaxing destination: RETREAT.

10. Validate: AFFIRM.

11. Santa __, California: CRUZ.

12. Russo of "Thor": RENE.  Rene Marie Russo (b. Feb. 17, 1954) began her career as a fashion model.   [Name # 8.]

13. Shriek of fear: EEK.

18. Media mogul with a book club: OPRAH.  Who doesn't know of Oprah Gail Winfrey (b. Jan. 29, 1954)?  [Name # 9.]

22. Folk story: TALE.  I initially tried Lore.

25. Had a snack: ATE.

27. To the __ degree: NTH.

28. Australian gems: OPALS.  Everything you wanted to know about Opals but didn't know to ask.  Hi, Kazie!

29. Prayer ender: AMEN.

30. Old Italian coins: LIRE.

31. "Poker Face" singer __ Gaga: LADY.  Lady Gaga (née Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta; b. Mar. 28, 1986) selected her moniker from Radio Ga Ga, a Queen song.   [Name # 10.]

32. Small stick: TWIG.

33. Peace of mind: EASE.

34. "College GameDay" channel: ESPN.  As in Entertainment Sports and Programming Network.

38. Pungent pepper: JALAPEÑO.  Everything you wanted to know about these hot peppers but didn't know to ask.

39. SSW's opposite: NNE.

41. The "E" of Q.E.D.: ERAT.  Today's Latin lesson.  Q.E.D. is an abbreviation for Quod Erat Demonstrandum.  According to Dictionary.com, it is just a fancy way to show off that you logically proved something.

42. Buffet featuring tortillas and fillings: TACO BAR.  Yummers!

43. "__ my memory": "Give me a hint": JOG.

44. Fragrance: AROMA.

46. Unpopular Fords of the late 1950s: EDSELS.  The Ford Edsel first went on sale in September 1957.  The car was named after Henry Ford's only son, Edsel (né Edsel Bryant Ford; b. Nov. 6, 1893 ~ May 26, 1943), who had died over a decade earlier.  [Name adjacent.]

47. 2023 biopic about the creation of a video game: TETRIS.  I used to play the game, but wasn't aware that it was now movie.

50. Trail follower: HIKER.  Hi, Inanehiker!

51. Actress Tatum: O'NEAL.  Tatum O'Neal (née Tatum Beatrice O'Neal; b. Nov. 5, 1963) received an Oscar for her role as Addie Loggins in the 1973 film Paper Moon.  [Name # 11.]

52. Los Angeles museum, with "The": GETTY.  A brief history of The Getty. [Name adjacent.]

53. __-B: dental brand: ORAL.

54. Add to the staff: HIRE.

55. Othello's false friend: IAGO.  Iago makes frequent appearances in the crossword puzzles.  He is a character in the play Othello by Willie the Shakes.  Iago is the play's main antagonist, and Othello's standard-bearer. [Name # 12.]

57. Military force: ARMY.

58. Actress Arthur: BEA.  Bea Arthur (née Bernice Frankel; May 13, 1922 ~ Apr. 25, 2009) also makes frequent appearances in the puzzles.  By now you must know that she served in the Marines during World War II.   [Name # 13.]

60. Bumped into: MET.

Here's the Grid:

 

חתולה

Monday August 21, 2023 Bill Thompson

  

Hello Cornerites! 

Today's theme is:  

Well, not necessarily the soap opera....

And, not necessarily the puzzle....

It is our Cornerite Solvers who are Bold and/or Beautiful! (I will let you self-categorize. 😀)

Builder Bill Thompson earns extra points for fitting 5 horizontal themed answers into his grid. Each is a 2-word answer where both of the words begin with the letter B. We have:

18 Across. Some barbecue ribs: BABY BACKS.  These pork ribs come from the back loin section so they are smaller and more tender than regular spare ribs.

23 Across. Safest courses of action: BEST BETS.  I'm not a gambler but I can pass on to you that the casino game with the best odds of winning is blackjack, at a 49% chance of coming out ahead.

36 Across. Star of classic TV's "The Incredible Hulk": BILL BIXBY.  

Bixby played Dr. David Banner and Lou Ferrigno played Hulk. (1978-1982)
Sadly, Bill passed away in 1993 at the age of 59 due to complications from prostrate cancer.

50. Nickname of boxer Ray Mancini: BOOM BOOM.  Mancini was an American southpaw boxer who held the WBA Lightweight title from 1982-84. Today he works in the entertainment industry. His 1982 bout vs Duk Koo Kim is said to have changed boxing forever.

55. Cartoon rabbit with a Brooklyn accent: BUGS BUNNY.  

Bugs Bunny at the Symphony "Rabbit of Seville" Excerpt (2:14 min.)

Plus the unifier:

50 Down. Cozy lodging hinted at by 18-, 23-, 36-, 50-, and 55-Across: B AND B.  Bed and Breakfast  (not the same as Airbnb)

I BeeBopped along through today's puzzle. The theme was easy to spot and could have been helpful should one need an 'it starts with a B' hint. The television actor and the boxer's nickname might have caused some solvers difficulty; however, this time, both were in my punchbowl (#GenXer).

Before moving on to the rest of the clues, it seems fitting to enjoy a musical break featuring the one, the only B.B. King!  

Don't Answer the Door by B.B. King (1966)

Across:
1. Elbow gently: NUDGE.  I find interesting U.S. economist Richard Thaler's ideas on NUDGE Theory. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics in 2017 for his work in Behavioral Economics. An example of NUDGE Theory is when a company makes participation in a retirement plan the default option because it is a good thing to do. In order to opt out, one would need to take extra steps. It seems like a small push (a "nudge", if you will) but the opposite (having to fill out a ton of paperwork to opt in) can be enough of a hurdle to discourage participation. If this is your cup of tea, I recommend Thaler's 2021 book, Nudge: The Final Edition. 

6. Questions: ASKS.  Both are verbs. However, we are hearing "ask" as a noun more and more these days.

10. "Jeopardy!" contestant lineup, e.g.: TRIO.  

It's pretty easy to overthink this one.

14. Hybrid garment: SKORT.  skirt + short. I usually wear these while doing errands on my bicycle.

15. Made off with: TOOK.  

16. Hockey venue: RINK.  and  39 Down. NHL great Bobby: ORR.

17. Cars: AUTOS.

20. Kareem's former name: LEW.  Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr. on April 16, 1947. He went by LEW Alcindor until he changed his name when he converted to Islam in 1971 while studying at UCLA.

21. Low-tech leaf blower alternative: RAKE.  Haha! Yes, this is my kind of gardening.

22. Lacto-__ vegetarian: OVO.  vegetarians who also eat dairy products and eggs

25. Food pkg. info: NET WT.  "Package" and "information" are abbreviated, so is "net weight".

28. Hawaiian hellos: ALOHAS.  ALOHAS are also "Hawaiian good-byes."

The Beatles perform Hello, Goodbye (1967) from their Magical Mystery Tour album.

(George does not look happy in that hat.)

29. Abruptly broke off communications: GHOSTED.  "Ghosting" is when someone cuts off all online communication with someone else without an explanation. Instead of saying why, they just vanish --  like a ghost. 👻 Ouch!

31. Japanese currency: YEN.  Last week the rate was 1 USD = 146 YEN.

32. Site: LOCALE.

35. Folder projections: TABS.  Oh, those types of projections!  

38. Song sung alone: SOLO.

41. Spoken: VERBAL.

42. Perform on stage: ACT.

45. Math exercise: PROBLEM.  

47. __ pub: GASTRO.  The term "gastropub" was coined in 1991 and is a combination of the words  "gastronomy" and "pub" to emphasize the food aspect of this kind of establishment. Basically, it is an edgy restaurant in a pub. source

49. Island near Venezuela: ARUBA.  and 24 Down. Island near Java: BALI

A perp or two helped to pinpoint these familiar XWD destination islands.

52. Citi Field team, on scoreboards: NYM.  New York Mets

As of this writing, they are 23 games back in the NL East.

53. Madeline of "Blazing Saddles": KAHN.  For the BS fans....

Madeline Kahn sings I'm Tired in Mel Brooks' 1974 movie, Blazing Saddles. (4:34 min.)

54. Actress de Armas: ANA.

58. Corn-based breakfast side: GRITS. Back when I was in college, I lived with a couple from Georgia who occasionally made GRITS. I'm afraid that is the extent of my GRITS experience.

60. Apt name for a tuxedo cat: OREO.  

Click to enlarge.

61. Bar mixer: SODA.  not a person

62. Bert's "Sesame Street" pal: ERNIE.  a person-like Muppet

63. "Ideas worth spreading" spinoff: TEDx.  TED Conferences are organized and run directly by TED. TEDx events are fully planned and coordinated independently, on a community-by-community basis. more info.

64. "Dear" advice giver: ABBY.  

65. Boston airport: LOGAN.  

an aerial image of BOS

Down:
1. Intelligence org. with a Cryptologic Museum: NSA.  "Organization" is abbreviated, so is National Security Agency. The museum is "NSA's gateway to the public and educates visitors about the role of cryptology in shaping history." It is located in Annapolis Junction, MD. website

2. Luau instrument: UKULELE.  Ukes were probably introduced to Hawaii in 1879 by Portuguese settlers from Madeira.  source

Hawaiian sweet bread is another example of a Portuguese influence in Hawaii.

3. Spoils, as a grandchild: DOTES ON.

4. __ chart: kid's height tracker: GROWTH.  

5. "Take me to your leader" speakers, briefly: ETS.  

6. Chance to get a hit, in baseball: AT BAT.

7. Relaxes in the tub: SOAKS.  

8. Japanese beef city: KOBE.  神戸

Perhaps you are more familiar with Wagyu beef. "Wagyu" refers to any cattle that are bred in Japan. KOBE beef is a subset of Wagyu called Tajima-Gyu, which are raised to strict standards in the prefecture of Hyogo. KOBE is the capital city of Hyogo, thus the name.

9. Rainbow's place: SKY.

10. __ of justice: case that makes a mockery of the court: TRAVESTY.

11. Italian cheese in stuffed shells: RICOTTA.  pasta shells  

12. Pen filler: INK.

13. Greenlights: OKs.  Did anyone else read Matthew McConaughey's book?  

19. U2 lead singer: BONO.  Paul David Hewson (b. May 10, 1960) is known by his nickname BONO. He is an Irish singer/songwriter, activist, and philanthropist.  

U2 performs Sunday Bloody Sunday (released March 1983)

at the Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado.

The song is about a deadly clash in Northern Ireland on Sunday, Jan. 30, 1972.

21. Clear up, as a dispute: RESOLVE.

23. Chesapeake __ Bridge-Tunnel: BAY.  You can travel its 17.6 miles (28.3 km.) via this 3 min. video.  

26. Spider's trap: WEB.  You can watch a garden spider spinning its WEB in this 1:51 min. video.  

27. NFL scores: TDS.  "National Football League" is abbreviated, so is "Touch DownS".

29. Smooth-talking: GLIB.  

30. Six-sided shape: HEXAGON.

"Regular" means that all sides and angles are congruent (equal).

33. Skelton's Kadiddlehopper: CLEM.  

CLEM Kadiddlehopper was a comedic character portrayed by American entertainer Red Skelton
(b. July 18, 1913; d. Sept. 17, 1997).
My grandfather used "CLEM" to describe a person making not-bright choices. Perhaps this is why???

34. Like some dicts.: ABR.  "Dictionaries" is abbreviated, so is "ABRidged".

36. Anklets worn with poodle skirts, informally: BOBBY SOX.

I used to play BOBBY SOX softball when I was a teenager. Our uniform socks were knee-highs. 

37. "Bang!": BLAM.  It has been a while since I bestowed the Giant Leap award.  

38. Health resort: SPA.

40. Took it easy: LOUNGED.

42. Making up (for): ATONING.

43. Zagreb's country: CROATIA.  This capital city's population in 2019 was 806,341 people.

44. Actor Hanks: TOM.  You cannot get more 'Monday' than this clue!  

TOM Hanks' first appearance on The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson (1982)

46. Young sheep: LAMB.

48. Mall pizza chain: SBARRO.  We had this one last Monday.

51. "What a great surprise!": OH YAY.

53. Door handle: KNOB.

55. Plant sci.: BOT.  "Science" is abbreviated, so it "BOTany".

Capt. James Cook named Botany Bay (near Sydney, Australia) because of the "great quantity of new plants collected there."

56. Suffix with script: URE.

57. Mex. neighbor: USA.

58. Salon goo: GEL.  

59. Capitol Hill VIP: SEN.

Here's the grid. Notice how the reveal lies in the center column. Well done!

That's all for today. Wishing everyone a good week. Bye Bye!

Sunday, Aug 20, 2023, Amie Walker

"I'm out"

This is my first time blogging a Sunday, and thank you to C.C. for the opportunity.  A clever puzzle idea, not that we haven't seen this "bending" part of the answer before, though I don't recall circles.  Circles on a Sunday, no less.  I got the theme quick because I do the DOWN fill first, and noticed TONS (97D.) of MIC fill.  The MIC part "drops" down from the Across fill.  I like the fact that the theme answers spread the M, I, and C in various ways.  The only one I see missing is "M [space] IC".  Overall I enjoyed the challenge, but there were just too many names ( I stopped counting at 20 ), and some clue/answers that I *questioned*....

22. *Wide-angle lens output: PANORAM - - VIEW - panoraMIC view

24. *Deep-fried burrito: CHIM - - HANGA - chiMIChanga

46. *Woman who was the first Black model to appear on the cover of Time: NAOM - - AMPBELL - naoMI Campbell

59. *"Why won't anyone notice me!?": "WHAT AM - - HOPPED LIVER~?" what aM I Choppped liver

79. *Paper birds in the Japanese tradition of senbazuru: ORIGAM - - RANES - origaMI Cranes

102. *Pedicure tool: PUM - - ESTONE - puMICe stone ( I used pumice to clean the soot off my fireplace stone - worked like magic )

104. Dramatically ends a performance, and what the answer to each starred clue does?: DROPS THE MIC


               

Physics is fun~!

And DOWN We Go~!

ACROSS:

1. 2026 Winter Olympics range: ALPS - The next Olympics is in Milano-Cortina of Italy

5. "Love your work!": I'M A FAN

11. Currency featuring activist Viola Desmond on one of its notes: Abbr.: CAD - CAnadian Dollar.  The puzzle doesn't really have any "weak" fill, but it felt like too many clues-to-answers were a bit much of a stretch, like this one - I will refer to them as *cringe*

14. Peddle: SELL - One CAD = .74 US$

18. Average: MEAN

19. Widen, as a pupil: DILATE

20. "Total lies!": "SO NOT TRUE~!"

25. Tower topper: SPIRE

26. Prudent ending?: IAL - PrudentIAL

27. With 81-Across, fruity liqueur: SLOE - and; 81. See 27-Across: GIN

29. Van Gogh vaseful: IRISES

30. Comedian Wyatt: CENAC - name.  Never heard of him - more here

32. Snuggle, in a way: SPOON

33. Onetime Altoids rival: CERTS - with retsyn~! 

34. Javier of "The Little Mermaid": BARDEM - name.  also the "bad guy" in  "Skyfall", which I believe may be the best Bond film; tied with "88 Across" Royale

36. Kelly Ripa, e.g.: TV HOST

38. Partisanship: BIAS

39. Fuel efficiency mode: ECO - My Prius C has three modes; normal, ECO, and "EV" - which shuts down at 25MPH

40. Treatment that may include a mask: FACIAL

42. Embrace: HOLD

43. Fuel efficiency stat: MPG - and even when I drive like a pig, I still get 40+ MPG in my Prius

49. Double Dutch implement: ROPE - Shouldn't it be ropeS~? 

50. Get closer: NEAR

51. Hesitant: TIMID

52. Big Board initials: NYSE - New York Stock Exchange

53. Soup aisle stacks: CANS

54. Adorable one: CUTIE

55. Saskatchewan people: CREE

57. "For all I __ ... ": CARE

58. Nowadays: LATELY - now this one is the opposite of *cringe*

64. Doesn't sink: FLOATS

66. Smidgen: IOTA

67. Villainous: EVIL

68. New Orleans structure: LEVEE - A musical interlude

Led Zeppelin - When The Levee Breaks

69. Pre-TiVo devices: VCRs - I still have one, and it still works

70. Actor Kinnear: GREG - name.

73. Classic skirt silhouette: A-LINE

77. Figure skating feat: AXEL

78. Actress Sorvino: MIRA - name.

82. Paul of "The Fabelmans": DANO - Ugh.  name.  Crossing a 'foreign' word, too

83. Coastal city in Italia: NAPOLI - the opposite of the ALPS

84. Message in a bottle, maybe: S.O.S.

85. Scary St. Bernard of fiction: CUJO - Read the book, did not see the movie; see below

86. Sound effects: NOISES - *cringe*

88. Monaco attraction: CASINO - Gratuitous Daniel Craig for C.C.

91. Give a fright: SCARE

93. Golf shirts: POLOS

94. Like an angry dog's teeth: BARED

Might be a little too gratuitous for a St. Bernard

95. Common allergens: SPORES

96. Genesis locale: EDEN 

97. Air marshal's org.: TSA

99. "Barbie" director Gerwig: GRETA - name.

107. Gaps: OMISSIONS - Saturday clue/answer

108. Inherent: INNATE - *cringe* - I don't like to see an IN- clue for an IN- answer

109. Kid-lit boy detective __ the Great: NATE - name.  The Wiki

110. Noir sleuths: TECS - I am just plowing my way through Rex Stout's "Nero Wolfe" detective books, they're so good - I love the Archie character

111. "Evita" narrator: CHE - narrator~? *cringe*  and name.

112. Preserved in a scrapbook, say: PASTED

113. Mireille of "Hanna": ENOS - name.

DOWN:

1. Cranks (up): AMPS - "These go to eleven."

2. Big jump: LEAP

3. 2002 Jodie Foster film about a robbery: PANIC ROOM - Good movie - saw it when it came out

4. Suffered from 41-Down, perhaps: SNORED - 41. Sleep disorder: APNEA

5. Snake River Canyon st.: IDA - meh.  Don't like three-letter state abbrs

6. Copy: MIMIC - the MIC part of 22A

7. Thomas __ Edison: ALVA - name. Have not seen this fill in a while; if a Tesla is "stolen", is it then called an "Edison"~?

8. Be unsuccessful: FAIL

9. Snacked: ATE

10. Survey by a media outlet, e.g.: NEWS POLL

11. "Hallelujah" songwriter Leonard: COHEN - name.

12. Young Skywalker's nickname: ANI - Short for Anakin, pre-Darth Vader.  and name.

13. Home: DOMICILE - the MIC part of 24A

14. Flight segments: STAIRS

15. Dadaist Max: ERNST - name.  if the clue were Blofeld, we'd be at James Bond again.

16. Olympic sleds: LUGES - see you in Italy

17. Grassy meadows: LEAS

20. "Move over!": "SCOOT~!"

21. Series of related emails: THREAD - *cringe* - a series of texts, maybe

23. Actress Russo: RENE - name.

28. The "L" of UCLA: LOS - University (of) California - - - Angeles

31. Radio letters: AM/FM

32. Layered rock: SHALE

34. Warped: BENT - like my mind

35. Berry from the Amazon: ACAI

36. Froyo franchise: TCBY - The Country's Best Yogurt; uh, well, the closest one to me is in Yonkers, in a different state - I guess you have to travel the country....

37. Competes (for): VIES

38. Great songs, slangily: BOPS - *cringe*

42. Fine-tuned: HONED - like my blogging skills....mic drop

43. Water usage measurer: METER

44. Sand bucket: PAIL

45. __ Goose vodka: GREY

47. NBA great Jordan: MICHAEL - the MIC part of 46A.  and name.

48. Commercial figure?: AD RATE

49. Chophouse specification: RARE

50. Chocolate-hazelnut spread: NUTELLA - oh so good

53. Spending limit: CAP - a perpetual problem for the NY Rangers

54. Cowboy __: bean salad: CAVIAR - never heard this

56. Non-earthlings, for short: ETs

57. Licensed tax pro: CPA

58. "The Leftovers" actress Tyler: LIV - name.

59. Like fruit of the loom?: WOVEN

60. Prefix with climate or greens: MICRO - the MIC part of 59A

61. Dance set to klezmer music: HORA - Ah, Hebrew; looked German to me

62. Extra NHL periods: OTs - oh, we are so close to the start of the hockey season

63. Paper size: LEGAL

64. Mark for attention: FLAG

65. LPGA golfer Thompson: LEXI - name.

69. Trattoria menu heading: VINO - The "N" was my last fill, a Natick crossing; BTW, I now live closer to the place we get the term from....

70. Sod: GRASS - Meh.  almost *cringe*

71. Like yellow bananas: RIPE

72. Targets of some trash talk: EGOS
 
74. 2006 Jodie Foster film about a robbery: INSIDE MAN - now this movie, I did not see

75. Sign gas: NEON

76. "Put a tiger in your tank" brand: ESSO - gas sign

78. Regal: MAJESTIC

79. Party bowlful: ONION DIP

80. Layered rock: MICA - the MIC part of 79A

82. Undue pressure: DURESS - Bzzzt; I had STRESS

85. Tender touch: CARESS

86. Points of connection: NODES

87. Flamenco shout: OLE

89. "So frustrating!": "ARGH~!"

90. At peace: SERENE - I like the Serenity Prayer

91. Ocean foam: SPUME - I had SPRAY

92. "Nancy" or "Cathy": COMIC - Strip, actually - and the MIC part of 102A

93. Pasta choice: PENNE

94. Butter up, in a way: BASTE - now this is clever clue misdirection

95. Leopard's mark: SPOT

97. Loads (of): TONS -  I can never tell if it's going to be TONS or ALOT

98. Minor dispute: SPAT

100. Mambo legend Puente: TITO - name.

101. Solitaire foundation cards: ACES

103. "How lovely!": "OOH~!"

105. Genetic messenger: RNA

106. Keanu title role: TED - Dah~!   I had NEO - but once I read the clue, I see it says "title".

        and name.

 

Splynter