LA Times Crossword 23 Jul 23, Sunday

Advertisement

Constructed by: Enrique Henestroza Anguiano
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Theme: Moving Parts

Themed answers each include the appearance of the letter string “CAMEO”, but with the order MOVED:

  • 110A Small film role, and a feature of the answer to each starred clue? : CAMEO APPEARANCE
  • 27A *Contact the Better Business Bureau, say : LODGE A COMPLAINT
  • 36A *”We’re glad you joined the team!” : WELCOME ABOARD!
  • 49A *Summer treat : ICE CREAM CONE
  • 65A *Request at some stage shows : NO CAMERAS, PLEASE
  • 86A *Some home entertainment systems : GAME CONSOLES
  • 95A *Indoor roller coaster at Disney Parks : SPACE MOUNTAIN

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

Bill’s time: 15m 45s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

15 Guerrero greeting : HOLA

The Mexican city of Acapulco is on the southwest coast of the country, in the state of Guerrero. The name “Acapulco” translates from the local language into “at the big reeds”.

20 Ukrainian, e.g. : SLAV

The Slavic peoples are in the majority in communities covering over half of Europe. This large ethnic group is traditionally broken down into three smaller groups:

  • the West Slavic (including Czechs and Poles)
  • the East Slavic (including Russians and Ukrainians)
  • the South Slavic (including Bulgarians, Croats and Serbs)

21 __ Rangoon: seafood-filled appetizer : CRAB

Crab Rangoon is a deep-fried dumpling dish served in Chinese and Thai restaurants in North America. The dumplings are made by stuffing wonton wrappers with cream cheese, crab meat, scallions and garlic. The dish was invented in the US, although it is often claimed to be an authentic Burmese recipe, hence the “Rangoon” name.

23 Straying : ERRANT

Someone described as errant is roving around, especially in search of adventure, as in “knight-errant”.The term “errant” has come to mean “behaving wrongly” and “straying outside the bounds”.

24 Sleeveless top, briefly : CAMI

A camisole (also “cami”) is a sleeveless undergarment worn by women that extends down to the waist. “Camisole” is a French word that we imported into English that ultimately derives from the Latin “camisia” meaning “shirt, nightgown”.

25 Angry goose noise : HISS

A male goose is called a gander, with the female simply being referred to as a goose. Young geese are called goslings.

27 *Contact the Better Business Bureau, say : LODGE A COMPLAINT

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is a private concern (nope, it is not a government agency) that was founded in 1912. It operates like a franchise, with local BBB’s managed independently while operating to a “corporate” set of guidelines.

30 Boyfriends : BEAUS

A beau (plural “beaux”) is the boyfriend of a belle, a young lady. “Beau” and “belle” are the masculine and feminine forms of the French word for “handsome, beautiful”.

31 Too cute : TWEE

In the UK, something “twee” is cutesy or overly nice. “Twee” came from “tweet”, which is the cutesy, baby-talk way of saying “sweet”.

32 Tater bite : TOT

Ore-Ida’s founders came up with the idea for Tater Tots when they were deciding what to do with residual cuts of potato. They chopped up the leftovers, added flour and seasoning, and extruded the mix through a large hole making a sausage that they cut into small cylinders. We eat 70 million pounds of this extruded potato every year!

35 In medias __ : RES

“In medias res” is a Latin phrase that translates as “into the middle of things”. We use “in medias res” to describe a literary technique in which a story starts at some point other than the beginning of the plot.

45 Subarctic forest : TAIGA

The word “taiga” is used for an ecosystem largely covered in coniferous forests that exists in northern regions around the world. “Taiga” is Mongolian in origin, and is sometimes used interchangeably with “boreal forest”.

47 “The Celts” singer from Ireland : ENYA

1987’s “Enya” is the debut studio album released by Irish singer Enya. The tracks were all composed by Enya for the soundtrack of the 1987 BBC documentary series “The Celts”. The album was released in 1992, this time under the title “The Celts”. Sales of the rerelease outperformed the original.

52 Ornamental molding : CORNICE

A cornice is a decorative molding crowning a building or item of furniture. A simple cornice may be formed just with a crown, as in crown molding atop an interior wall, kitchen cabinets or bookcases.

54 Painter Magritte : RENE

Belgian artist René Magritte was a surrealist. His most recognized work may be “The Son of Man”, a painting he created as a self-portrait. It is the work that shows a man in a bowler hat with his face covered by an apple. The image features prominently in a great movie, the 1999 remake of “The Thomas Crown Affair”.

55 Actor Estrada : ERIK

Actor Erik Estrada’s big break came with the movie “Airport 1975”, in which he played the doomed flight engineer of a Boeing 747. A couple of years later, Estrada began a six-year gig, co-starring on the television show “CHiPs” as motorcycle police officer Poncherello.

56 Plane tracker : RADAR

Scientists have been using radio waves to detect the presence of objects since the late 1800s, but it was the demands of WWII that accelerated the practical application of the technology. The British called their system RDF standing for Range and Direction Finding. The system used by the US Navy was called “Radio Detection And Ranging”, which was shortened to the acronym “RADAR”.

62 Krill consumers : WHALES

Krill are small, shrimp-like crustaceans that live in the oceans. Krill feed on plankton, and in turn, krill are the main part of the diet of larger animals such as whales, seals and penguins. There’s an awful lot of krill in the world, an estimated 500,000,000 tonnes of it. That’s about twice the biomass of humans on the planet!

70 “Washington Journal” channel : C-SPAN

“Washington Journal” is a C-SPAN call-in and interview program that has been airing since 1995. It is broadcast every morning of the week, unless C-SPAN preempts with a special event or coverage of Congress.

73 Remote button with “+” and “-” : VOLUME

The first television remote control was introduced by Zenith Radio Corporation, in 1950. That remote was hard-wired to the TV, and was marketed as “Lazy Bones”. Personally, my first “remote” was a broomstick that I used by pushing in large mechanical buttons that selected each of the three channels that were available back then on the east coast of Ireland …

78 Baseball family name : ALOU

Felipe Alou is a former professional baseball player and manager. Alou managed the Montreal Expos from 1992 to 2001, and the San Francisco Giants from 2003 to 2006. Alou was born and raised in the Dominican Republic and came to the US to play for the Giants in 1955. Felipe’s brothers Matty and Jesús followed him to the US, and into Major League baseball.

84 Bureaucratic holdup : 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”.

86 *Some home entertainment systems : GAME CONSOLES

The kids today probably don’t realize that we had a video game console back in the seventies, and it wasn’t a Nintendo nor was it a PlayStation. The Atari 2600 game system introduced the idea of separating out computing hardware (the console) from the game code (a cartridge). The same concept persists to this day, although cartridges have been displaced by discs and downloads.

90 NYE month : DEC

December is the twelfth month in our calendar but was the tenth month in the old Roman calendar, hence the name (“decem” is Latin for “ten”). Back then there were only ten months in the year. “Ianuarius” (January) and “Februarius” (February) were then added as the eleventh and twelfth months of the year. Soon after, the year was reset and January and February became the first and second months.

New Year’s Eve (NYE)

95 *Indoor roller coaster at Disney Parks : SPACE MOUNTAIN

Space Mountain is a roller coaster that’s a little unusual in that it is located indoors. Riders get to experience the thrills in the dark.

99 Upcycling initials : DIY

To upcycle is to recycle in such a way that the new usage of a material is actually better than the original usage.

101 Phoenix NBA team : SUNS

The Phoenix Suns NBA team are in the Pacific Division, and are the only team in that division not based in California.

102 First-time Fortnite player, e.g. : NOOB

“Noob” (sometimes “newb”) is a not-so-nice, slang term for a “newbie”, and often refers to someone who is new to an online community.

Fortnite is a very, very popular online game that was released in 2017. There are several versions of the game, including the original Fortnite: Save the World.

103 Confession confession : SIN

A member of the Roman Catholic church can participate in the sacrament of confession. A penitent confesses to a priest, starting with the words, “Bless me Father, for I have sinned. It has been [time period] since my last confession …”

108 “¿Cómo está __?” : USTED

“¿Cómo está usted?” is the more formal way of asking “How are you?” in Spanish.

110 Small film role, and a feature of the answer to each starred clue? : CAMEO APPEARANCE

Even in my day, a cameo role was more than just a short appearance in a movie (or other artistic piece). For the appearance to be a cameo, the actor had to play himself or herself, and was instantly recognizable. With this meaning it’s easy to see the etymology of the term, as a cameo brooch is one with the recognizable carving of the silhouette of a person. Nowadays, a cameo is any minor role played by a celebrity or famous actor, regardless of the character played.

115 Ceremonial Maori dance : HAKA

The haka is a war dance used by the Maori people of New Zealand. Famously, the New Zealand rugby team performs a haka before each of their matches.

116 ESPNU topic : NCAA

National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)

ESPNU (short for “ESPN Universities”) is a sports channel focused on college athletics.

117 Business-speak : JARGON

The noun “jargon” can describe nonsensical and meaningless talk, or the specialized language of a particular group, trade or profession. The term “jargon” is Old French, with the more usual meaning of “chattering”. How apt …

118 Earthy hue : ECRU

The color ecru is a grayish, yellowish brown. The word “ecru” comes from French and means “raw, unbleached”. “Ecru” has the same roots as our word “crude”.

Down

1 Dinkel wheat : SPELT

Spelt (also “dinkel wheat”) is a wheat species that has been around for thousands of years. Once a staple in the human diet, it was largely replaced by bread wheat. Spelt is seeing a revival in recent years, as its growth is less dependent on artificial fertilizers.

3 “Your Silence Will Not Protect You” poet/activist Audre : LORDE

“Your Silence Will Not Protect You” is a collection of essays, speeches, and poems by Audre Lorde, published posthumously in 2017. The title is a quote from Lorde’s essay “The Transformation of Silence into Language and Action”:

My silences had not protected me. Your silences will not protect you.

Audre Lorde was an American feminist author and civil rights activist who spent many years in Germany. She held a visiting professorship at the Free University of Berlin, and while holding that position became a leading light in the Afro-German movement.

6 Gosford Park, e.g. : ESTATE

“Gosford Park” is a very entertaining 2001 comedy mystery movie written by Julian Fellowes, the “fellow” who created “Downton Abbey”. It’s all about a murder that takes place in a rather grand English country house in the 1930s. The listing of actors is incredibly impressive, and includes Alan Bates, Stephen Fry, Derek Jacobi, Kelly Macdonald, Helen Mirren, Clive Owen, Maggie Smith, Kirstin Scott Thomas and Michael Gambon. It was directed by Robert Altman, and ended up being his second-most successful film at the box office, after “M*A*S*H”.

7 Broad tie : ASCOT

An ascot is a wide tie that narrows at the neck, which these days is only really worn at weddings or part of a dress uniform. The tie takes its name from the Royal Ascot horse race at which punters still turn up in formal wear at Ascot Racecourse in England.

9 Genie’s confines : LAMP

The “genie” in the bottle (or lamp) takes his or her name from “djinn”. “Djinns” were various spirits considered lesser than angels, with people exhibiting unsavory characteristics said to be possessed by djinn. When the book “The Thousand and One Nights” was translated into French, the word “djinn” was transformed into the existing word “génie”, because of the similarity in sound and the related spiritual meaning. This “génie” from the Arabian tale became confused with the Latin-derived “genius”, a guardian spirit thought to be assigned to each person at birth. Purely as a result of that mistranslation the word genie has come to mean the “djinn” that pops out of the bottle. A little hard to follow, I know, but still quite interesting …

11 Suzuki who racked up an MLB record 262 hits in a single season : ICHIRO

Ichiro Suzuki holds quite a few batting records, including the single-season record for base hits (262) and a record-breaking streak of 10 consecutive 200-hit seasons. Ichiro Suzuki is a huge celebrity in his native-Japan. His agent says that if you address fan mail to “Ichiro Suzuki, Japan”, he’ll get your letter …

12 Wonderland message : DRINK ME

In Lewis Carroll’s “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”, Alice follows the white rabbit down a rabbit hole and finds a bottle labeled “DRINK ME”. When she drinks the contents, it causes her to shrink. She also sees a cake adorned with the words “EAT ME” written using currants, and when she eats the cake she grows so big she finds it hard to stand up. After eating the cake, she utters the words, “Curiouser and curiouser”.

13 Down __: Maine nickname : EAST

The coast of Maine is often referred to as “Down East” by the people of New England. There is even a monthly magazine aimed at the people of Maine called “Down East”, that is published in Camden, Maine.

17 Party named for taro leaves : LUAU

The anglicized name of the Hawaiian feast “luau” comes from the Hawaiian word “lu’au”, which translates literally as “young taro tops”. Taro leaves and corms are often served at luaus.

29 Rep. from the Bronx : AOC

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is a politician who is often referred to by her initials “AOC”. A Democrat, she was first elected to the US House of Representatives in 2018, representing part of the Bronx, Queens and Rikers Island in New York City. When she took office in 2019 at the age of 29, AOC became the youngest woman ever to serve in Congress.

30 Crown-wearing literary elephant : BABAR

“Babar the Elephant” originated in France, a creation of Jean de Brunhoff in 1931. The first book was “Histoire de Babar”, a book so successful it was translated into English two years later for publication in Britain and the US. Jean de Brunhoff wrote six more Babar stories before he died in 1937, and then his son Laurent continued his father’s work.

35 2022 film with the Oscar-winning song “Naatu Naatu” : RRR

“Naatu Naatu” is a Telugu-language song from the 2022 Indian film “RRR”. It won that season’s Oscar for Best Original Song, and was the first song from an Indian film to be so recognized. The song’s music video, a direct clip from the film, became a viral sensation, largely due to the dancing of the lead male actors. Interestingly, the scene for the dance was filmed at the Mariinsky Palace in Kyiv, Ukraine just a few months before the Russian invasion.

“RRR” is a 2022 Indian Telugu-language period action film. It is set in the 1920s and is based on the lives of two real-life freedom fighters, Alluri Sitarama Raju and Komaram Bheem. The film is a fictional retelling of their fight against the British Raj and the Nizam of Hyderabad. “RRR” had a massive budget of over $60 million USD, making it one of the most expensive films ever made in Indian cinema.

37 Psyche element : EGO

“Ego” is another word for “the self”, and is used to distinguish oneself from others and the world around one. In psychoanalysis, the ego is that division of the psyche that is most in touch with external reality, the part that is conscious. “Ego” is a Latin word meaning “I”.

39 Toxin found in castor beans : RICIN

Ricin is a highly toxic chemical found in the seeds of the castor oil plant. It is so poisonous because it inhibits one of the most basic metabolic processes, the synthesis of protein. One famous use of ricin as a weapon was the assassination of Bulgarian dissident Georgi Markov in London in 1978. An agent of the Bulgarian secret police injected a tiny pellet of ricin into his victim’s leg using a modified umbrella.

42 Air Force heroes : ACES

A flying ace (also “air ace”) is an aviator who has shot down a number of enemy planes during combat. The qualifying number of kills seems to vary, but five is common. The first use of “ace” was during WWI, when the French newspapers dubbed pilot Adolphe Pegoud “l’as” (French for “the ace”) when he shot down his fifth German plane.

44 Undersea explorer : OCEANAUT

An aquanaut (also “oceanaut”) is a diver who occupies an underwater habitat, only returning to the surface after an unusually long period of time.

50 Workers’ rights org. : EEOC

“Equal Employment Opportunity” (EEO) is a term that has been around since 1964 when the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) was set up by the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title VII of the Act prohibits employers from discriminating against employees on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin or religion.

57 Zugspitze, e.g. : ALP

The Zugspitze is an Alpine peak, and the highest mountain in Germany.

58 “Traffic” actor Benicio __ Toro : DEL

Benicio Del Toro is an actor from Puerto Rico. He is an Academy Award winner, for the role he played in “Traffic”, released in 2000. He also played the title role in the 2008 movie “Che”.

The 2000 film “Traffic” explores the illegal drug trade. The movie is adapted from a 1989 British TV miniseries called “Traffik”. There was also 2004 American TV miniseries produced called “Traffic”, which was based on both the prior TV show and the movie.

61 Actor Cheadle : DON

Don Cheadle is a Hollywood actor who is perhaps best known for his lead role in the 2004 drama “Hotel Rwanda” that deals with the harrowing subject of genocide. Since then, Cheadle has been very active in campaigns to end genocide in Darfur, Sudan.

63 Cordon bleu meat : HAM

A “cordon bleu” dish is a meat dish, one prepared by wrapping the meat around cheese, covering it with breading and then pan-frying. Specifically, veal cordon bleu is made using veal that is pounded thin and wrapped around slices of ham and cheese. The term “cordon bleu” translated from French as “blue ribbon”.

64 Stillwater sch. : OSU

The city of Stillwater, Oklahoma is located in the north-central part of the state, and in the area that is sometimes known as “Tornado Alley”. One of the city’s claims to fame is that it is home to Oklahoma State University.

66 Eczema treatment brand : AVEENO

Aveeno is a manufacturer of skincare and haircare products that was founded in 1945. The name Aveeno comes from the Latin name for the common oat, i.e. Avena sativa.

Eczema is a form of dermatitis. The term “eczema” comes from the Greek for “to boil over”.

68 Chess rating system : ELO

The Elo rating system is used to compare the skill levels of competing players in games like chess and Scrabble. The system is named for a Hungarian-born professor of physics called Arpad Elo, who was also a master-level chess player active in the US Chess Federation.

72 The “Only Murders in the Building” protagonists, e.g. : PODCASTERS

“Only Murders in the Building” is a comedy-mystery TV show starring Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez as a trio of true-crime podcasters who band together to solve a murder in their apartment building. Steve Martin co-created the series. Highly recommended …

75 Surrealist painter with a book about his mustache : DALI

The famous surrealist Salvador Dalí was born in Figueres, Spain. I had the privilege of visiting the Dalí Museum in Figueres some years ago, just north of Barcelona. If you ever get the chance, it’s a “must see” as it really is a quite magnificent building with a fascinating collection of art.

80 Bracken, for one : FERN

The fern known as bracken is one of the oldest ferns in the world. Fossil records have been found of bracken that lived over 55 million years ago.

82 Tour technician : ROADIE

A “roadie” is someone who loads, unloads and sets up equipment for musicians on tour, on the “road”.

85 Adjust, as a law : AMEND

The verb “to amend” means “to change for the better, put right, alter by adding”. The related verb “to emend” is used more rarely, and mainly in reference to the editing of professional writing. Both terms are derived from the Latin “emendare” meaning “to remove fault”.

89 __ sauce : SOY

Soy sauce is made by fermenting soybeans with a mold in the presence of water and salt. Charming …

92 South Korean figure skater who won a gold medal at the Vancouver Olympics : YUNA KIM

Yuna Kim is a retired South Korean figure skater who is considered one of the greatest figure skaters of all time. She is the 2010 Olympic champion, and a two-time World champion (2009, 2013). She also won every major senior and junior competition, making her the first figure skater ever to complete a so-called Super Slam.

97 Peripatetic folks : NOMADS

The adjective “peripatetic” means “traveling on foot, walking from place to place”. The term comes from a Latin word that was applied to the disciples of Aristotle. Aristotle had the habit of teaching while strolling through the public meeting place in Athens. The Latin word comes from the Greek “peripatetikos” meaning “given to walking about”.

98 __ the line : TOE

The idiomatic expression “to toe the line” means “to obey”. The etymology of the phrase is disputed, although it is likely to come from the Royal Navy. Barefooted sailors were required to stand to attention for inspection lined up along the seams for the wooden deck, hence “toeing the line”.

107 Martial art with bamboo swords : KENDO

Kendo is a Japanese martial art based on sword fighting. Participants wear protective armor, and use bamboo swords.

109 Pet re-homing org. : SPCA

Unlike most developed countries, the US has no umbrella organization with the goal of preventing cruelty to animals. Instead there are independent organizations set up all over the nation using the name SPCA. Having said that, there is an organization called the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) that was originally intended to operate across the country, but really it now focuses its efforts in New York City.

110 Spelunking site : CAVE

“Spelunking” is an American term describing recreational caving, although the word has Latin roots (“spelunca” is the Latin for “cave”). The term originated in the 1940s in New England when it was adopted by a group of men who explored caves in the area.

112 “__ Loves Mambo” : PAPA

“Papa Loves Mambo” is a 1954 song that most famously was recorded by Perry Como.

113 Prego competitor : RAGU

The Ragú brand of pasta sauce was introduced in 1937. The name ”Ragù” is the Italian word for a sauce used to dress pasta, however the spelling is a little off in the name of the sauce. In Italian, the word is “Ragù” with a grave accent over the “u”, but if you look at a jar of the sauce on the supermarket shelf it is spelled “Ragú” on the label, with an acute accent. Sometimes I think we just don’t try …

The Prego brand of pasta sauce is owned by the Campbell Soup Company. It is actually based on the family recipe of one of the company’s chefs. “Prego” literally means “I pray” in Italian, but it translates best in English as “you’re welcome” when it is used after a “thank you” (“grazie”, in Italian).

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Dry-eyes solution : SALINE
7 Up to the task : ABLE
11 Brain wave : IDEA
15 Guerrero greeting : HOLA
19 TV spots : PROMOS
20 Ukrainian, e.g. : SLAV
21 __ Rangoon: seafood-filled appetizer : CRAB
22 Taxing load : ONUS
23 Straying : ERRANT
24 Sleeveless top, briefly : CAMI
25 Angry goose noise : HISS
26 __ performance : PEAK
27 *Contact the Better Business Bureau, say : LODGE A COMPLAINT
30 Boyfriends : BEAUS
31 Too cute : TWEE
32 Tater bite : TOT
33 Sausage ingredient : PORK
34 Staff at sea : MAST
35 In medias __ : RES
36 *”We’re glad you joined the team!” : WELCOME ABOARD!
41 Prefer : FAVOR
45 Subarctic forest : TAIGA
47 “The Celts” singer from Ireland : ENYA
48 __-dye : TIE
49 *Summer treat : ICE CREAM CONE
52 Ornamental molding : CORNICE
54 Painter Magritte : RENE
55 Actor Estrada : ERIK
56 Plane tracker : RADAR
59 During : AMID
60 Spanish state : ESTADO
62 Krill consumers : WHALES
64 Fateful signs : OMENS
65 *Request at some stage shows : NO CAMERAS, PLEASE
70 “Washington Journal” channel : C-SPAN
73 Remote button with “+” and “-” : VOLUME
74 Work clumsily (through) : MUDDLE
78 Baseball family name : ALOU
79 Attach, as a button : SEW ON
80 Subway price : FARE
83 Subway line : RAIL
84 Bureaucratic holdup : RED TAPE
86 *Some home entertainment systems : GAME CONSOLES
90 NYE month : DEC
91 “In so __ words” : MANY
93 “Not exactly” : SORTA
94 Weigh in : OPINE
95 *Indoor roller coaster at Disney Parks : SPACE MOUNTAIN
99 Upcycling initials : DIY
101 Phoenix NBA team : SUNS
102 First-time Fortnite player, e.g. : NOOB
103 Confession confession : SIN
104 Pancake shape : DISK
108 “¿Cómo está __?” : USTED
110 Small film role, and a feature of the answer to each starred clue? : CAMEO APPEARANCE
114 Zoomed : SPED
115 Ceremonial Maori dance : HAKA
116 ESPNU topic : NCAA
117 Business-speak : JARGON
118 Earthy hue : ECRU
119 Zealous : AVID
120 Diamond authorities : UMPS
121 From time immemorial : AGE OLD
122 Hoarse tone : RASP
123 Clothing lines : HEMS
124 Clothing line : SEAM
125 Unmissable tourist experience, say : MUST DO

Down

1 Dinkel wheat : SPELT
2 Shape on some road signs : ARROW
3 “Your Silence Will Not Protect You” poet/activist Audre : LORDE
4 Visual : IMAGE
5 __ of the above : NONE
6 Gosford Park, e.g. : ESTATE
7 Broad tie : ASCOT
8 Sound of a prank cigar : BLAM!
9 Genie’s confines : LAMP
10 Scheme cooked up by a film villain : EVIL PLAN
11 Suzuki who racked up an MLB record 262 hits in a single season : ICHIRO
12 Wonderland message : DRINK ME
13 Down __: Maine nickname : EAST
14 Situp muscles : ABS
15 “Counting on it!” : HOPE SO!
16 “Wait your turn” : ONE AT A TIME
17 Party named for taro leaves : LUAU
18 Invites (out) : ASKS
28 Share top billing : COSTAR
29 Rep. from the Bronx : AOC
30 Crown-wearing literary elephant : BABAR
34 City boss : MAYOR
35 2022 film with the Oscar-winning song “Naatu Naatu” : RRR
36 Trimmable candle part : WICK
37 Psyche element : EGO
38 Box up : ENCASE
39 Toxin found in castor beans : RICIN
40 Accomplishments : DEEDS
41 Campsite warmer : FIRE
42 Air Force heroes : ACES
43 Dryer outlet : VENT
44 Undersea explorer : OCEANAUT
46 “__ glad to see you!” : AM I
50 Workers’ rights org. : EEOC
51 Dry-__ board : ERASE
53 Casually mention a famous friend, say : NAME-DROP
57 Zugspitze, e.g. : ALP
58 “Traffic” actor Benicio __ Toro : DEL
61 Actor Cheadle : DON
62 Twisted dry : WRUNG
63 Cordon bleu meat : HAM
64 Stillwater sch. : OSU
66 Eczema treatment brand : AVEENO
67 Do a yard chore : MOW
68 Chess rating system : ELO
69 “I can relate!” : AMEN!
70 Requests identification : CARDS
71 Shut-eye : SLEEP
72 The “Only Murders in the Building” protagonists, e.g. : PODCASTERS
75 Surrealist painter with a book about his mustache : DALI
76 Property claim : LIEN
77 “Above all __ … ” : ELSE
79 Sends email destined for the trash : SPAMS
80 Bracken, for one : FERN
81 Play part or play a part : ACT
82 Tour technician : ROADIE
85 Adjust, as a law : AMEND
87 “On top of that … ” : AS A BONUS …
88 “Little ol’ me?” : MOI?
89 __ sauce : SOY
92 South Korean figure skater who won a gold medal at the Vancouver Olympics : YUNA KIM
96 Ready to play : CUED UP
97 Peripatetic folks : NOMADS
98 __ the line : TOE
100 Really stuck : IN A JAM
103 Twitch : SPASM
104 Has the nerve : DARES
105 Metal bar : INGOT
106 Tell off : SCOLD
107 Martial art with bamboo swords : KENDO
108 Apple consumer? : USER
109 Pet re-homing org. : SPCA
110 Spelunking site : CAVE
111 Tiptop : ACME
112 “__ Loves Mambo” : PAPA
113 Prego competitor : RAGU
115 “Yeah, I bet!” : HAH!