LA Times Crossword 7 May 23, Sunday

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Constructed by: Trent H. Evans
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Theme: Meditation Break

Themed answers are common phrases with the letter pairing “OM” inserted:

  • 23A Illumination in the Sugarhill Gang’s car? : RAPPERS’ DOME LIGHT (from “Rapper’s Delight”)
  • 34A Critique of an overstuffed pillow? : TOO MUCH DOWN (from “touchdown”)
  • 47A Scriptures published in a garage? : HOME-BREW BIBLE (from “Hebrew Bible”)
  • 66A Headline announcing a generous Butterball donation by an Oscar winner? : TOM HANKS GIVING TURKEYS (from “Thanksgiving turkeys”)
  • 85A All-clear announcement near the Colosseum? : ROMAN RIOT OVER (from “ran riot over”)
  • 99A Trite remark of the future? : BROMIDE TO BE (from “bride-to-be”)
  • 110A Employee’s explanation for intentional incompetence? : JUST DOOMING MY JOB (from “just doing my job”)

Read on, or jump to …
… a complete list of answers

Bill’s time: 17m 15s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Wafer brand : NECCO

Necco Wafers were the best-known product line of the candy manufacturer called the New England Confectionery Company. The firm’s name was abbreviated to “NECCO”, an acronym that became synonymous with the wafers.

10 Count in jazz : BASIE

“Count” Basie’s real given name was “William”. Count Basie perhaps picked up his love for the piano from his mother, who played and gave him his first lessons. Basie’s first paying job as a musician was in a movie theater, where he learned to improvise a suitable accompaniment for the silent movies that were being shown. Basie was given the nickname “Count” as he became lauded as one of the so-called “Jazz royalty”. Others so honored are Nat “King” Cole and Duke Ellington.

15 Artisan’s online marketplace : ETSY

Etsy.com was founded in 2005 as a way for artists and craftspeople to sell their handmade goods online, and has since grown to include vintage items and crafting supplies as well. The company’s name is derived from the Italian word “etsi,” which means “oh, yes”? This was a nod to founder Rob Kalin’s love of Italy and his appreciation for the country’s history and artistry.

20 “Otello” baritone : IAGO

Giuseppe Verdi’s opera “Otello” was first performed in 1887 at La Scala Theater in Milan. The opera is based on Shakespeare’s play “Othello” and is considered by many to be Verdi’s greatest work.

23 Illumination in the Sugarhill Gang’s car? : RAPPERS’ DOME LIGHT (from “Rapper’s Delight”)

The Sugarhill Gang are a rap music group from Englewood, New Jersey. The group’s biggest hit by far was “Rapper’s Delight”, released in 1979.

26 Michael of “The Lego Batman Movie” : CERA

Michael Cera is a Canadian actor who played great characters on the TV show “Arrested Development”, and in the 2007 comedy-drama “Juno”. Cera is also quite the musician. He released an indie folk album titled “True That” in 2014.

“The Lego Movie” is a 2014 computer animated film in which all the characters are Lego figures. The hero of the piece is Emmet Brickowski (great name!), who goes up against tyrannical Lord Business. Chris Pratt voices Emmet, and Will Ferrell Lord Business. Apparently, “The Lego Movie” was well received, and resulted in the spin-off film “The Lego Batman Movie”.

27 __ pan : SAUTE

“Sauté” is a French word. The literal translation from the French is “jumped” or “bounced”, a reference to the tossing of food while cooking it in a frying pan.

28 Source of many quotes, for short : ANON

Anonymous (anon.)

39 Vientiane language : LAO

Vientiane is the capital city of Laos, and is situated on the Mekong River. The city was originally called the “city of sandalwood” by Buddhist monks, naming it after the valued trees that grew in the area. The French took the Pali words for “city of sandalwood” and rewrote it as the French-sounding “Vientiane”.

41 Tirades : SCREEDS

A screed is a long speech or piece of writing, often one that is full of anger and emotion.

46 Toi et moi : NOUS

In French, “nous” (we) might be “toi et moi” (you and me).

58 Nobelist Pavlov : IVAN

Ivan Pavlov was studying gastric function in dogs in the 1890s when he observed that his subject dogs started to salivate before he even presented food to them. This “psychic secretion”, as he called it, interested him so much that he changed the direction of his research and studied the reactions of dogs to various stimuli that were associated with the presentation of food. Famously, he discovered that a dog could be conditioned to respond as though he was about to be fed, just by sensing some stimulus that he had come to associate with food. This might be a bell ringing, an electric shock (poor dog!) or perhaps the waving of a hand. Nowadays we might describe someone as “Pavlov’s Dog” if that person responds just the way he/she has been conditioned to respond, rather than applying critical thinking.

60 Some Indian music : RAGA

Raga isn’t really a genre of music, but has been described as the “tonal framework” in which Indian classical music is composed. Ravi Shankar was perhaps the most famous raga virtuoso (to us Westerners). Western rock music with a heavy Indian influence might be called raga rock.

61 Heredity unit : GENE

A gene is a section of a chromosome that is responsible for a particular characteristic in an organism. For example, one gene may determine eye color and another balding pattern. We have two copies of each gene, one from each of our parents, with each copy known as an allele.

62 Anglican minister : VICAR

A vicar is a member of the clergy in several Christian traditions. In more general terms, we can use the word “vicar” for a person who acts in the place of another, i.e. a deputy. It was the latter usage of the term that gave rise to the religious usage, as a vicar in a church was considered a person acting for God.

The Anglican Church is the Church of England, or any church closely associated with that tradition.

66 Headline announcing a generous Butterball donation by an Oscar winner? : TOM HANKS GIVING TURKEYS (from “Thanksgiving turkeys”)

The tradition of the US President “pardoning” a Thanksgiving turkey was only formalized in 1989, during the administration of President George H.W. Bush. The pardoned turkey is taken to a farm where it gets to live out its life. Prior to 1989, the tradition was more focused on the presentation of a turkey to the White House, and less on the fate of the bird. President Eisenhower was presented with a turkey in each year of his two terms, and he ate them both …

Butterball is a brand of poultry products. One of Butterball’s unfortunate claims to fame is that an employee was convicted of felony cruelty to animals in 2012, marking the first felony conviction in the US for cruelty to factory-farmed birds. More convictions followed …

74 Tahiti sweetie : AMIE

Tahiti is the most populous island in French Polynesia, which is located in the central Southern Pacific. Although Captain Cook landed in Tahiti in 1769, he wasn’t the first European to do so. However, Cook’s visit was the most significant in that it heralded a whole spate of European visitors, who brought with them prostitution, venereal disease and alcohol. Included among the subsequent visitors was the famous HMS Bounty under the charge of Captain Bligh.

75 Athletic tear spots, for short : ACLS

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of four major ligaments that support the knee. It is located in the center of the knee and connects the femur (thigh bone) to the tibia (shin bone).

76 Carnival ride destination : PORT

The Carnival Cruise Line was founded in 1972, and had over 20 vessels in operation at the height of its success. Three of those Carnival ships were chartered by the US government in the wake of Hurricane Katrina so that they could provide temporary housing for families displaced by the storm.

77 Schism results : SECTS

A schism is a split or division, especially in a religion.

82 Cause of some delays : RED TAPE

Back in the days of yore in England, official documents were bound in bundles with red ribbon. So, getting through all the paperwork required “cutting through the red tape”.

85 All-clear announcement near the Colosseum? : ROMAN RIOT OVER (from “ran riot over”)

The Colosseum of Rome was the largest amphitheater in the whole of the Roman Empire in its day, and could seat about 50,000 people. The structure was originally called the “Amphitheatrum Flavium” but the name changed to “Colosseum” after a colossal statue of Emperor Nero was located nearby.

89 Tikka masala bread : NAAN

Chicken tikka masala is a dish consisting of chicken tikka (chunks of marinated chicken) served in a masala sauce. Masala is the Hindi word for “mixture”, and describes a mixture of spices. A dish named “masala” uses the spices incorporated into a sauce that includes garlic, ginger, onions and chili paste. Although served as part of Indian cuisine, there seems to be a lot of evidence that chicken tikka masala was actually invented in an Indian restaurant in Britain.

92 Kotb of “Today” : HODA

Hoda Kotb is an Egyptian-American television journalist who is perhaps best known as a co-host of the NBC morning show “Today”. She is also the author of the bestselling autobiography “Hoda: How I Survived War Zones, Bad Hair, Cancer, and Kathie Lee”.

97 Pickleball smashes : SPIKES

Pickleball is a sport invented in the 1960s that combines elements of tennis, table tennis and badminton. Originally marketed as a game for children to play in backyards, pickleball is now played on purpose-built courts by many, many adults, but mainly in North and South America.

99 Trite remark of the future? : BROMIDE TO BE (from “bride-to-be”)

A bromide is a compound containing a bromide ion i.e. a bromine atom with a singular negative charge. Potassium bromide was commonly used as a sedative in the 19th century, and this led to our use of the term “bromide” to mean “boring cliché” or “verbal sedative”.

106 Squat : NADA

“Squat” is a slang term for “nothing”. “Squat” and the variant “Jack squat”, probably have a distasteful derivation that is related to a bodily function.

108 Filing jobs, briefly : MANIS

Manicure (mani)

109 Lhasa __ : APSO

The Lhasa apso breed of dog originated in Tibet and is named after “Lhasa” (the capital city) and “apso” (a Tibetan word meaning “bearded”). The Lhasa apso has been around since 800 BC and is one of the oldest breeds in the world, one very closely related to the ancestral wolf.

119 Bagpiper’s garb : KILT

The Scottish skirt called a “kilt” takes its name from the Middle English word “kilten” meaning “to tuck up”. The idea is that the kilt can be tucked up around the body to give freedom to the legs.

120 French wine valley : LOIRE

The Loire is the longest river in France. It is so long that it drains one-fifth of the nation’s land mass. The Loire rises in the southeast, in the Cevennes mountain range, then heads north then due west, emptying into the Bay of Biscay at the city of Nantes. The Loire Valley is home to some of France’s most famous wine production, and includes the wine regions of Sancerre, Pouilly-Fumé and Muscadet. It is also home to some of the nation’s most spectacular châteaux. There are over 300 castles along the river, built by French kings and their courtiers.

121 Wall St. index, familiarly : NYSE

The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is nicknamed the “Big Board”.

124 Maxwell House alternative : YUBAN

Yuban is a brand of light-tasting coffee owned by Kraft Foods.

Maxwell House is a brand of coffee owned by Kraft Foods. The brand took its name from an old and prominent hotel in Nashville, Tennessee called the Maxwell House Hotel. President Theodore Roosevelt stayed in the Maxwell House Hotel and commented once that coffee he drank there was “good to the last drop”. “Good to the last drop” was used as an advertising slogan for Maxwell House coffee for many years.

Down

1 “Sunday Puzzle” airer : NPR

The Sunday Puzzle is a regular feature on the NPR radio show “Weekend Edition”. Will Shortz, puzzle editor of “The New York Times”, sets an on-air puzzle each week in his role as NPR’s “puzzle editor”. Fun radio …

2 The Carter __ : ERA

President Jimmy Carter was the 39th President, and the only US president to receive the Nobel Peace Prize after leaving office (Presidents Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson and Barack Obama have also been so honored, but while in office).

5 Mark in the World Golf Hall of Fame : O’MEARA

Mark O’Meara is a golfer from Goldsboro, North Carolina. He is known as one of the American players who competes in international tournaments more than most, and has a reputation as a real gentleman all around the world.

6 Blues great __ Monica Parker : SISTA

Sista Monica Parker is a singer from Gary, Indiana who is known as “the lioness of the blues”.

9 NYC cultural center : MOMA

The founding of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City was very much driven by Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, wife of John D. Rockefeller. Working with two friends, Abby managed to get the museum opened in 1929, just nine days after the Wall Street Crash. The MoMA’s sculpture garden bears the name of Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, and has done so since 1949.

10 “The Jungle Book” bear : BALOO

“The Jungle Book” by Rudyard Kipling was originally published in 1894, and is a collection of adventure stories or fables featuring the animals of the jungle and a young boy named Mowgli. Baloo is a sloth bear that teaches the cubs of a wolf pack the Law of the Jungle. Baloo’s most challenging pupil however is no lupine, but rather the man-cub Mowgli.

11 __ acid : AMINO

There are 20 different types of amino acids that make up proteins. However, only 11 of them can be synthesized by the human body, while the remaining nine essential amino acids must be obtained from food sources.

16 Steering system part : TIE-ROD

The modern car uses a rack and pinion steering system. The turning motion of the steering wheel turns the pinion gear. This pinion gear meshes with a linear gear called a rack, so the torque is converted to linear motion, side-to-side. This side-to-side motion turns the wheels at either end of the axle via tie-rods and the steering arm.

29 Lungs locale : CHEST

The lungs are the two main organs in the human respiratory system. It is in the lungs that oxygen is extracted from the air and transferred into the bloodstream. At the same time, carbon dioxide is removed from the bloodstream and released into the atmosphere.

30 Full of gossip : DISHY

To dish the dirt is to talk about someone or something without regard to veracity. The phrase comes from “dish” (in the sense of dishing out food) and “dirt” (in the sense of negative information). To be dishy is to be given to gossip.

31 Doing a pirouette, say : ON TOE

We took our word “pirouette” directly from French, in which language it has the same meaning, i.e. a rotation in dancing. “Pirouette” is also the French word for “spinning top”.

32 Oscar the Grouch, e.g. : GRUMP

Oscar the Grouch is the Muppet who lives in a garbage can. Oscar’s persona comes from various sources. He is named after Oscar Brand who was one of the board members of the Children’s Television Workshop, the backers for “Sesame Street” as the Muppets were being developed in the sixties. Oscar’s personality was inspired by an angry waiter that once served Jim Henson (father of the Muppets). The voice was modeled on a grumpy New York cab driver encountered one day by Caroll Spinney, the puppeteer who brings Oscar to life.

35 AOL rival : MSN

MSN was originally launched in 1995 as a dial-up service called “The Microsoft Network”. At the time, Microsoft was competing with America Online (AOL) for dominance in the emerging consumer Internet market, and losing the battle. In response, Microsoft revamped the service and relaunched it as a free web portal in 1998.

36 The NCAA’s Huskies : UCONN

The UConn Huskies are the sports teams of the University of Connecticut. I wasn’t able to uncover the derivation of the “Huskies” moniker. Although it is true that “UConn” sounds like “Yukon”, that isn’t the derivation of the “Huskies” nickname. The school didn’t become the University of Connecticut (UConn) until 1939, and the Huskies name has been used since 1933.

37 One of two words with an umlaut in a metal band’s name : CRUE

Mötley Crüe is an American rock band from Los Angeles. They’ve been around since 1981, co-founded by the famous drummer Tommy Lee. Tommy Lee is also known for his two celebrated marriages, the first with Heather Locklear and the second with Pamela Anderson. The name “Mötley Crüe” was chosen as someone once described the band members as a “motley looking crew”. The spelling was made to look a little more exotic, with the umlauts added over the “o” and “u” one day, as the band were drinking bottles of “Löwenbräu” beer!

40 Shapiro of 1-Down : ARI
[1D “Sunday Puzzle” airer : NPR]

Ari Shapiro served very ably as White House correspondent for National Public Radio (NPR) for several years. He then became a co-host of the network’s drive-time program “All Things Considered” in 2015. When he’s not working, Shapiro likes to sing. He appears regularly as a guest singer with the group Pink Martini, and has appeared on several of the band’s albums.

43 Actor Jacobi : DEREK

Derek Jacobi is an English actor, and a holder of a knighthood. Although Jacobi is mainly a stage actor, the role I most associate him with is the title character in the marvelous television adaptation of Robert Graves’ “I, Claudius”.

49 Far from hard-boiled : RUNNY

Like an egg …

50 __ Rachel Wood of “Westworld” : EVAN

Actress Evan Rachel Wood’s most famous role to date is playing one of the leads in the 2003 movie “Thirteen”. Wood’s private life draws a lot of attention, especially as she was romantically linked for some time with the “outrageous” musician Marilyn Manson.

“Westworld” is an HBO series that is based on a 1973 movie of the same name, which was written and directed by novelist Michael Crichton. Westworld is a high-tech theme park populated by androids that interact with the guests.

54 Like soufflés : EGGY

A soufflé is a French dish that is usually served as a dessert. The verb “souffler” means “to blow, blow up”.

59 Evita’s land: Abbr. : ARG

Eva Perón was the second wife of President Juan Perón who was in office from 1946 to 1955. The Argentine First Lady was known affectionately by the people as “Evita”, the Spanish language diminutive of “Eva”. “Evita” is also the title of a tremendously successful musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice that is based on the life of Eva Perón.

61 Drop without warning, in a way : GHOST

A rather insensitive person might break off a relationship simply by cutting off all communication with his or her partner, without any warning. Such a move is referred to as “ghosting” in modern parlance, particularly when the relationship relies heavily on online interaction.

66 Nicholas II title : TSAR

The last ruler of Imperial Russia was Tsar Nicholas II (of the House of Romanov). Famously, the Tsar and his family were murdered in 1918 in the basement of a house in Yekaterinburg, Russia by members of the Bolshevik secret police. The Tsar’s youngest daughter was 16-year-old Anastasia and rumors of her escape have persisted for years. The rumors grew with the help of numerous women who claimed to be Anastasia. In 2009, DNA testing finally proved that the remains of all of the Tsar’s immediate family, including Anastasia, have been found and identified.

68 Orthodontist’s creation : MOLD

Orthodontics is a branch of dentistry dealing with the straightening of teeth. The name comes from the Greek “orthos” meaning “straight” and “dontia” meaning “teeth”.

69 Airport with a BART station : SFO

Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) is a commuter rail system serving the San Francisco Bay Area.

70 Teri of “Oh, God!” : GARR

Actress Teri Garr had a whole host of minor roles in her youth, including appearances in nine Elvis movies. Garr’s big break came with the role of Inga in “Young Frankenstein”, and her supporting role in “Tootsie” earned Garr an Academy Award nomination. Sadly, Teri Garr suffers from multiple sclerosis. She is a National Ambassador for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

“Oh, God!” is a comedy movie that was released in 1977. The great George Burns plays the title role (God!) with John Denver co-starring. George Burns was the big success in the cast, and he alone reprised his role in two sequels in the 1980s.

80 Meal with vegetables dipped in salt water : SEDER

The Passover Seder is a ritual feast that marks the beginning of the Jewish Passover holiday celebrating the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt.

83 “Little Girls” musical : ANNIE

“Little Girls” is a song written for the Broadway musical “Annie”. The musical was based on the Harold Gray comic strip “Little Orphan Annie”. There were two subsequent film adaptations, both really quite successful, including one released in 1982 directed by John Huston of all people. “Annie” was Huston’s only ever musical.

90 Pickleball barrier : NET

Pickleball is a sport invented in the 1960s that combines elements of tennis, table tennis and badminton. Originally marketed as a game for children to play in backyards, pickleball is now played on purpose-built courts by many, many adults, but mainly in North and South America.

94 Green Monopoly pieces : HOUSES

In the game of Monopoly, one can purchase a hotel by “demolishing” four houses and by paying an extra amount equal to the price of one house.

103 Post of propriety : EMILY

Emily Post was a writer from Baltimore, Maryland who is best known for her writings on the subject of etiquette. Her work giving advice on etiquette is continued by the Emily Post Institute, which she founded in 1946.

107 Astronaut’s go-aheads : A-OKS

Our term “A-OK” is supposedly an abbreviation for “A(ll systems are) OK”, and arose at NASA in the sixties during the space program.

110 Prime rib au __ : JUS

The French term “au jus” is usually translated as “with its own juice”.

111 Forever Stamp letters : USA

The Forever stamp for first-class postage was introduced by the USPS in 2006 (and about time!). Now we have stamps that are good for first-class postage forever, no matter how often the rates change.

113 Actress Wasikowska : MIA

Mia Wasikowska is an Australian actress. Wasikowska’s breakthrough role was playing the title character in Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland” in 2010. The only movie I’ve seen her in though is 2011’s “Jane Eyre”, a pretty good adaptation of the Charlotte Brontë classic, I thought …

114 Triangular sail : JIB

A jib is a triangular sail that is set at the bow of a sailboat.

115 British singer Rita : ORA

Rita Ora is a British singer who was born Rita Sahatçiu in Pristina, Yugoslavia to Albanian parents. The family name “Sahatçiu” comes from a Turkish word meaning “watchmaker”. Rita’s parents changed their name to make it easier to pronounce. So, the family name morphed from “watchmaker” to “time”, which is “ora” in Albanian.

116 Big __: London landmark : BEN

“Big Ben” is the name commonly used for the large bell in the Clock Tower (“Elizabeth Tower” since 2012) of the Palace of Westminster (aka “Houses of Parliament”). Big Ben’s official name is the Great Bell, and there is some debate about the origins of the nickname. It may be named after Sir Benjamin Hall who supervised the bell’s installation, or perhaps the English heavyweight champion of the day Benjamin Caunt. Big Ben fell silent in 2017 to make way for four years of maintenance and repair work to the clock’s mechanism and the tower.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Wafer brand : NECCO
6 Con : SCAM
10 Count in jazz : BASIE
15 Artisan’s online marketplace : ETSY
19 Charity golf tourney : PRO-AM
20 “Otello” baritone : IAGO
21 Build up : AMASS
22 “I like it!” : NICE!
23 Illumination in the Sugarhill Gang’s car? : RAPPERS’ DOME LIGHT (from “Rapper’s Delight”)
26 Michael of “The Lego Batman Movie” : CERA
27 __ pan : SAUTE
28 Source of many quotes, for short : ANON
29 Apple device? : CORER
30 Bones, perhaps : DOG TREATS
34 Critique of an overstuffed pillow? : TOO MUCH DOWN (from “touchdown”)
38 Advance : INROAD
39 Vientiane language : LAO
41 Tirades : SCREEDS
42 Floor : STUN
43 “Gosh!” : DEAR ME!
46 Toi et moi : NOUS
47 Scriptures published in a garage? : HOME-BREW BIBLE (from “Hebrew Bible”)
51 Vexes : NETTLES
56 Casual agreement : YEP
57 Fish bait : LURES
58 Nobelist Pavlov : IVAN
60 Some Indian music : RAGA
61 Heredity unit : GENE
62 Anglican minister : VICAR
64 Porch seats : SWINGS
66 Headline announcing a generous Butterball donation by an Oscar winner? : TOM HANKS GIVING TURKEYS (from “Thanksgiving turkeys”)
72 Snobbish : SNOOTY
73 Aspect : FACET
74 Tahiti sweetie : AMIE
75 Athletic tear spots, for short : ACLS
76 Carnival ride destination : PORT
77 Schism results : SECTS
79 Corner PC key : ESC
82 Cause of some delays : RED TAPE
85 All-clear announcement near the Colosseum? : ROMAN RIOT OVER (from “ran riot over”)
89 Tikka masala bread : NAAN
91 Least likely to be found : RAREST
92 Kotb of “Today” : HODA
93 Literal and metaphorical danger spot : THIN ICE
96 Not quite the worst grade : DEE
97 Pickleball smashes : SPIKES
99 Trite remark of the future? : BROMIDE TO BE (from “bride-to-be”)
102 Press corps members : REPORTERS
105 Cheek colorer : ROUGE
106 Squat : NADA
108 Filing jobs, briefly : MANIS
109 Lhasa __ : APSO
110 Employee’s explanation for intentional incompetence? : JUST DOOMING MY JOB (from “just doing my job”)
117 Invite information : WHEN
118 Habitual : USUAL
119 Bagpiper’s garb : KILT
120 French wine valley : LOIRE
121 Wall St. index, familiarly : NYSE
122 Like some rom-coms : SAPPY
123 Goes : SAYS
124 Maxwell House alternative : YUBAN

Down

1 “Sunday Puzzle” airer : NPR
2 The Carter __ : ERA
3 “What a __-out!” : COP
4 Crowning achievement : CAPSTONE
5 Mark in the World Golf Hall of Fame : O’MEARA
6 Blues great __ Monica Parker : SISTA
7 Academy trainee : CADET
8 In the past : AGO
9 NYC cultural center : MOMA
10 “The Jungle Book” bear : BALOO
11 __ acid : AMINO
12 Droop : SAG
13 “Kinda” : ISH
14 Approximate fig. : EST
15 Make secret, in a way : ENCODE
16 Steering system part : TIE-ROD
17 Threaded fasteners : SCREWS
18 Thirst (for) : YEARN
24 Wished for a do-over : RUED
25 Lay to rest : ENTOMB
29 Lungs locale : CHEST
30 Full of gossip : DISHY
31 Doing a pirouette, say : ON TOE
32 Oscar the Grouch, e.g. : GRUMP
33 Hunks : SLABS
35 AOL rival : MSN
36 The NCAA’s Huskies : UCONN
37 One of two words with an umlaut in a metal band’s name : CRUE
40 Shapiro of 1-Down : ARI
43 Actor Jacobi : DEREK
44 Lea grazer : EWE
45 Call forth : ELICIT
48 44-Down’s sound : BLEAT
49 Far from hard-boiled : RUNNY
50 __ Rachel Wood of “Westworld” : EVAN
52 Tot’s transport : TRIKE
53 Alley assignment : LANE
54 Like soufflés : EGGY
55 Lip : SASS
59 Evita’s land: Abbr. : ARG
61 Drop without warning, in a way : GHOST
62 Triumphant one : VICTOR
63 “__ seen better” : I’VE
64 Total : SUM TO
65 Place for a bangle : WRIST
66 Nicholas II title : TSAR
67 Previously : ONCE
68 Orthodontist’s creation : MOLD
69 Airport with a BART station : SFO
70 Teri of “Oh, God!” : GARR
71 Unspoken : TACIT
76 Harmony : PEACE
77 Show scorn : SNEER
78 Hosp. areas : ERS
79 Call forth : EVOKE
80 Meal with vegetables dipped in salt water : SEDER
81 Boorish : CRASS
83 “Little Girls” musical : ANNIE
84 Took care of dinner, say : PAID
86 Got by : MADE DO
87 “__ we there yet?” : ARE
88 Cold open? : OH, IT’S YOU …
90 Pickleball barrier : NET
93 Prize for a 62-Down : TROPHY
94 Green Monopoly pieces : HOUSES
95 “That’s it for me!” : I’M GONE!
97 Playlist unit : SONG
98 In a rigidly formal way : PRIMLY
99 Muscle : BRAWN
100 Handy : ON TAP
101 “This’ll end __” : BADLY
103 Post of propriety : EMILY
104 Trousers : PANTS
107 Astronaut’s go-aheads : A-OKS
110 Prime rib au __ : JUS
111 Forever Stamp letters : USA
112 “Yo” : SUP?
113 Actress Wasikowska : MIA
114 Triangular sail : JIB
115 British singer Rita : ORA
116 Big __: London landmark : BEN