LA Times Crossword 7 Aug 22, Sunday

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Constructed by: Scott Hogan & Christina Iverson
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Theme: Al-addin’

Themed answers are common phrases after ADDIN’ in the letter string “AL”:

  • 23A Extremely harsh bubbly? : BRUTAL CHAMPAGNE (AL + “brut champagne”)
  • 35A Enjoy a long career as a telegraph operator? : SIGNAL ONE’S LIFE AWAY (AL + “sign one’s life away”)
  • 56A To catch some rays or to sleep every day until noon, e.g.? : GOAL ON VACATION (AL + “go on vacation”)
  • 65A Income from Birkenstock investments? : SANDAL DOLLARS (AL + “sand dollars”)
  • 79A Chef’s job? : MEAL GENERATION (AL + “‘Me’ generation”)
  • 92A Trying a new brand of ointment? : CHANGING THE TOPICAL (AL + “changing the topic”)
  • 113A Annual gala held on April 15? : INCOME TAX FORMAL (AL + “income tax form”)

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

Bill’s time: 14m 49s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Blast that may invert an umbrella : GUST

Our term “umbrella” ultimately derives from the Latin “umbra” meaning “shade, shadow”.

20 Actress Fisher who writes the “Marge in Charge” kids’ books : ISLA

Isla Fisher is an Oman-born, Australian actress who really launched her career with a recurring role on the Australian soap “Home and Away”. She started a career in Hollywood portraying Mary Jane in the 2002 film “Scooby-Doo”. Fisher married English actor and comedian Sacha Baron Cohen in 2010.

22 Mythical hunter : ORION

According to Greek mythology, Orion was a giant hunter who was placed in the night sky by Zeus, the king of the gods. Orion is very recognizable as a constellation, especially with the three bright stars known as “Orion’s Belt”. The brightest star in the sky, Sirius, is said to be Orion’s hunting dog, and this star sits at Orion’s “foot”.

23 Extremely harsh bubbly? : BRUTAL CHAMPAGNE (AL + “brut champagne”)

Sparkling wines can be classified according to sweetness. These classifications are, from driest to sweetest:

  • Brut Nature
  • Extra Brut
  • Brut
  • Extra Dry
  • Dry
  • Semi-Dry
  • Sweet

26 Gossipy sort : YENTA

“Yenta” (also “Yente”) is actually a female Yiddish name. In Yiddish theater “yenta” came to mean a busybody, a gossip.

27 Terse : LACONIC

Ancient Laconia was a region in southern Greece that was dominated by the city of Sparta. The people from Laconia were proud of their brevity of speech, which gives rise to our modern term “laconic” meaning someone who uses few words.

28 Sandra’s “Speed” co-star : KEANU

Keanu Reeves is a Canadian actor whose most celebrated roles were a metalhead in “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure” (1989), a cop in “Speed” (1994) and the protagonist Neo in “The Matrix” series of films. Although Reeves is a Canadian national, he was born in Beirut, Lebanon. Reeves has some Hawaiian descent, and the name “Keanu” is Hawaiian for “the coolness” or “cool breeze”.

“Speed” is an entertaining 1994 action film starring Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock, as well as the late Dennis Hopper as the bad guy.

29 Toy on display, say : SHOW DOG

The toy group of dogs is made up of the smallest breeds. The smallest of the small breeds are sometimes called teacup breeds.

32 “SNL” alum Gasteyer : ANA

Ana Gasteyer is an actress best known for being a cast member of “Saturday Night Live” (SNL) from 1996 to 2002. Gasteyer was famous on SNL for playing Martha Stewart … topless!

34 __ noire : BETE

“Bête noire” translates from French as “black beast”, and is used in English to describe something or someone that is disliked.

49 Italian fashion giant : ARMANI

Giorgio Armani is an Italian fashion designer and founder of the company that has borne his name since 1975. Although Armani is famous for his menswear, the company makes everything from jewelry to perfume.

52 Minute Maid brand : HI-C

Hi-C orange drink was created in 1946 and introduced to the market in 1948, initially in the south of the country. The name “Hi-C” was chosen to emphasize the high vitamin C content in the drink, as it contained added ascorbic acid (vitamin C).

53 “Mice love it to death” brand : D-CON

d-CON is a line of rodent control products that has been around for over 50 years. The name is an abbreviation for “decontamination”. The d-CON Company was founded in 1950 by Chicago businessman Lee Ratner, yes, “Ratner” …

60 Yukon automaker : GMC

The GMC Yukon is basically the same vehicle as the Chevrolet Tahoe.

61 Target Field player : TWIN

Target Field is a baseball park in Minneapolis, Minnesota that has been home to the Minnesota Twins since the stadium opening in 2010. Target Corporation, which is headquartered in Minneapolis, paid an undisclosed sum to get the naming rights of the park.

62 “Barefoot Contessa” host Garten : INA

Ina Garten is an author as well as the host of a cooking show on the Food Network called “Barefoot Contessa”. She is a mentee of Martha Stewart, and indeed was touted as a potential “successor” to the TV celebrity when Stewart was incarcerated in 2004 after an insider trading scandal. Garten has no formal training as a chef, and indeed used to work as a nuclear policy analyst at the White House!

63 Cast a ballot : VOTE

Today, a ballot is a piece of paper or equivalent used to cast a vote. Back in the 1500s, a “ballot” was a small “ball” used in the process of voting.

65 Income from Birkenstock investments? : SANDAL DOLLARS (AL + “sand dollars”)

Birkenstock is a shoe manufacturer based in Germany.

A sand dollar is a burrowing sea urchin found just below the low water line of sandy or muddy beaches. They have hard skeletons, which are often found washed up on beaches.

69 __ deco : ART

Art Deco is a style of design and architecture of the 1920s that actually had its roots in Belgium and then spread throughout Europe before arriving in North America. Celebrated examples of Art Deco architecture are the magnificent Chrysler Building in New York City completed in 1930, and the GE Building that sits in the middle of New York City’s Rockefeller Center with the address of “30 Rock”.

79 Chef’s job? : MEAL GENERATION (AL + “‘Me’ generation”)

The baby boomer generation was dubbed the “Me” generation by writer Tom Wolfe in the seventies.

85 Fútbol cheer : OLE!

In Spanish, a “fútbol” (football, soccer) supporter might shout “olé!” (bravo!).

86 Angioplasty implants : STENTS

Angioplasty (“angio”, for short) is a mechanical widening of a narrowed artery. In the surgical procedure, a balloon catheter is inflated at the point of the obstruction to open up the artery. A stent may then be inserted to make sure the vessel remains open.

87 Italian wine region : ASTI

Asti is in the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy. It is perhaps most famous for its Asti Spumante sparkling white wine. Moscato d’Asti is produced from the same grape (Moscato Bianco). Moscato is a much sweeter wine with a lower alcohol content, and is usually served as a dessert wine.

89 Entire range : GAMUT

In medieval times, the musical scale was denoted by the notes “ut, re, mi, fa, sol, la”. The term “gamma ut”, shortened to “gamut”, was used to describe the whole scale. By the 1620s, “gamut” was being used to mean the entire range of anything, the whole gamut.

98 Bilingual cartoon explorer : DORA

“Dora the Explorer” is a cartoon series shown on Nickelodeon. Part of Dora’s remit is to introduce the show’s young viewers to some Spanish words and phrases. Dora’s constant companion is an anthropomorphic monkey named “Boots”, because he always wears red boots. She also hangs out with Isa, an iguana.

101 Umami source, briefly : MSG

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is the sodium salt of a naturally-occurring,non-essential amino acid called glutamic acid. It is used widely as a flavor enhancer, particularly in many Asian cuisines. Whether or not it is harmful seems to be still under debate. I say that something produced in a test tube shouldn’t be in our food …

Umami is one of the five basic tastes, along with sweet, sour, bitter and salty. “Umami” is a Japanese word used to describe “a pleasant savory taste”. Umami was proposed as a basic taste in 1908, but it wasn’t until the mid-1990s that the scientific community finally accepted it as such.

110 Graffiti tag seen in Springfield : EL BARTO

In the animated series “The Simpsons”, Bart Simpson is fond of spray-painting graffiti on walls. When he does so, he uses the tag “El Barto”.

113 Annual gala held on April 15? : INCOME TAX FORMAL (AL + “income tax form”)

Form 1040, issued by the IRS, is the “US Individual Income Tax Return”. It was originally created just for tax returns from 1913, 1914 and 1915, but it’s a form that just keeps on giving, or should I say “taking” …?

119 Christopher of “Superman” : REEVE

Actor Christopher Reeve was most associated with his portrayal of Superman in the late seventies and early eighties. Reeve became paralyzed from the neck down when he fell from a horse in a jumping event in 1995. He published a best-selling autobiography 1999 called “Still Me”, and sadly passed away in 2004.

Down

1 Iowa wrestling legend Dan : GABLE

Dan Gable is a retired wrestler and wrestling coach who won gold medals at the World Wrestling Championships in 1971 and at the Olympic Games in 1972. Considered one of the greatest wrestlers of all time, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2020 by President Trump.

2 Sunlamp danger, briefly : UV RAY

At either end of the visible light spectrum are the invisible forms of radiation known as infrared (IR) light and ultraviolet (UV) light. IR light lies just beyond the red end of the visible spectrum, and UV light lies just below the violet end.

3 Hollandaise, e.g. : SAUCE

Hollandaise sauce is a mixture of egg yolk and melted butter that is then seasoned, usually with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Hollandaise has an exalted position in French cuisine. Although the origin is debated, some say that the recipe was invented in the Netherlands and taken to France by the Huguenots, hence the name “Hollandaise”, meaning “of Holland”.

4 Bandleader Puente : TITO

After serving in the Navy in WWII for three years, musician Tito Puente studied at Juilliard, where he got a great grounding in conducting, orchestration and theory. Puente parlayed this education into a career in Latin Jazz and Mambo. He was known as “El Rey” as well as “The King of Latin Music”.

5 Book of Shadows readers : WICCANS

A “Book of Shadows” is a book used in the neopagan religion known as Wicca. The book contains religious texts as well as instructions for carrying out magic rituals. The first Book of Shadows was written in the late 1940s by English Wiccan Gerald Gardner.

6 Louisville Slugger wood : ASH

Louisville Slugger is a brand of baseball bat manufactured by the Hillerich & Bradsby Company in Louisville, Kentucky. The famous bat is made of Northern White Ash grown on the New York/Pennsylvania border. These ash forests used by the company are threatened by the emerald ash borer which is moving closer and closer every year. There are already plans in place to replace the traditional wood used in the bat as the assumption is that the source of ash will succumb to infestation.

7 Criticism : FLAK

“Flak” was originally an acronym standing for the German term for an aircraft defense cannon (FLiegerAbwehrKanone). “Flak” then became used in English as a general term for antiaircraft fire and ultimately a term for verbal criticism, as in “to take flak”.

10 Fluid transitions : SEGUES

A segue is a transition from one topic to the next. “Segue” is an Italian word that literally means “now follows”. It was first used in musical scores directing the performer to play into the next movement without a break. The oft-used term “segway” is given the same meaning, although the word “segway” doesn’t really exist. It is a misspelling of “segue” that has been popularized by its use as the name of the personal transporter known as a Segway.

11 __ Antonio : SAN

The city of San Antonio, Texas was named by Spanish explorers. They came upon a Native American settlement in the area on 13 June 1631, the feast day of St. Anthony of Padua.

12 “Fantastique!” : TRES BIEN

“Very good” is written as “sehr gut” in German, and as “très bien” in French.

13 South Dakota’s state animal : COYOTE

The coyote is a canine found in most of Central and North America. The name “coyote” is Mexican Spanish, in which language it means “trickster”. Coyotes can sometimes mate with domestic dogs, creating hybrid animals known as “coydogs”. Coyotes can also mate with wolves, creating a “coywolf”. South Dakota named the coyote its state animal in 1949.

15 Marmalade chunk : RIND

Marmalade is my favorite fruit preserve. The essential ingredients in a marmalade are fruit juice and peel, and sugar and water. “Marmalade” comes from the Portuguese “marmelada” meaning “quince jam”.

16 “Rosanna” band : TOTO

The 1972 hit “Rosanna” by Toto was written by the band’s co-founder David Paich. Paich’s title character was based not on one person but rather a number of girls that Paich had known over the years. Regardless, the word on the street was that the song was about actress Rosanna Arquette, who at the time was dating Steve Porcaro, the band’s keyboard player.

19 Maui neighbor : LANAI

Lanai is the sixth largest of the Hawaiian Islands. Lanai was first spotted by Europeans just a few days after Captain Cook was killed on the Big Island of Hawaii in 1779. In 1922, the Hawaiian Pineapple Company bought the whole island of Lanai and turned most of it into the world’s largest pineapple plantation. Since then, Lanai has been known as “The Pineapple Island”. Today, 98% of the island is owned by Larry Ellison, the CEO of Oracle, and 2% is owned by the State of Hawaii.

24 CNN’s “This Is Life With Lisa __” : LING

Lisa Ling is a journalist who is best known as a former co-host of the television show “The View”. Lisa’s younger sister is Laura Ling. Laura is one of the pair of journalists who were sentenced to 12 years hard labor in prison for illegal entry to North Korea, but who were released in 2009 after a visit from former President Bill Clinton.

30 Weight : HEFT

The heft of something is its weight, its heaviness. The term “heft” is derivative of the verb “to heave” meaning “to lift, raise”.

35 Special ops acronym : SEAL

“SEAL” is an acronym used by the US Navy’s SEa, Air and Land teams. The SEALs were born out of the Navy’s special warfare groups from WWII, like the Underwater Demolition Teams and the Motor Torpedo Boat Squadrons. The Navy SEAL unit was established soon after President Kennedy’s famous speech in which he announced the plan to put a man on the moon, as in the same speech the president allocated $100m of funding to strengthen special operations forces. The Navy used some of this money to set up guerrilla and counter-guerrilla units, which soon became the SEALs.

37 Non-clerical : LAIC

Anything described as laic (or “laical, lay”) is related to the laity, those members of the church who are not clergy. The term “laic” ultimately comes from the Greek “laikos” meaning “of the people”.

38 Porpoise kin : ORCA

Porpoises are aquatic mammals. Studies of porpoises in captivity have shown that they have an unusual sleep pattern. Basically, while one hemisphere of the brain rests, is asleep, the other hemisphere remains alert.

39 Rhône city : LYON

The city of Lyon in France is sometimes known as “Lyons” in English. Lyon is the second-largest metropolitan area in the country, after Paris. It is located just to the north of the confluence of the Rhône and Saône Rivers.

53 Bedrock pet : DINO

In the Hanna-Barbera cartoon “The Flintstones”, Dino the pet dinosaur was voiced by the famous Mel Blanc, until Blanc passed away in 1989.

The famous animated children’s show “The Flintstones” is set in the fictional prehistoric town of Bedrock, which is the county seat of Cobblestone County. One of the local TV stations is ABC (Abbadabba Broadcasting Company), on which you can see the “The Ed Sulleystone Show”. Graduates from Bedrock High School might move on to attend Princestone University or Shale University, both of which are schools in the Poison Ivy League.

54 Beehive oven input : COAL

A beehive oven is so called because of its domed shape, which resembles an old-fashioned beehive.

57 Hollywood crosser : VINE

Vine Street is a famous thoroughfare in Hollywood. Hollywood’s movie industry grew up around the intersection of “Hollywood and Vine”, where Hollywood Boulevard crossed Vine Street. That same intersection is now home to the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the collection of brass stars embedded in the sidewalks that are monuments to achievement in the entertainment industry.

58 __ pool : TIDAL

A tidal pool (also “rock pool”) is a pool of seawater that is left along a rocky coastline after an ebb tide.

66 Genesis brother : ABEL

According to the Bible, Adam and Eve had several children, although only the first three are mentioned by name: Cain, Abel and Seth.

68 Roster submitted to an umpire : LINEUP

Our word “roster”, meaning “list, register”, actually comes from the same root as our word “roast”, would you believe. “Roster” came into English from the Dutch “rooster”, meaning “table, list”. An alternative use of the Dutch “rooster” was “gridiron”, from the “roosten” meaning “to roast”. The connection is that a roster of names is often listed on a sheet of paper that has grid lines resembling the marks left by a gridiron on roasted meat. Quite interesting …

69 __ acid : AMINO

Amino acids are essential to life in many ways, not least of which is their use as the building blocks of proteins. Nine amino acids are considered “essential” for humans. These nine must be included in the diet as they cannot be synthesized in the body.

70 Turnips and parsnips : ROOTS

The names of veggies cause me grief sometimes. What’s called a turnip here in the US, we call a swede back in Ireland. An Irishman’s turnip is a rutabaga over here. Thank goodness a potato is a potato, or I’d just give up altogether …

The parsnip is a root vegetable that is usually left in the ground through winter frosts in order to increase the root’s sugar content. Parsnips can be so sweet that they were commonly used as sweeteners before sugar beets and sugar cane became readily available. Parsnip juices were collected and evaporated to produce a brown residue that resembled honey.

72 Salsa, for one : LATIN DANCE

The genre of music called salsa is a modern interpretation of various Cuban traditional music styles.

76 Apple that comes in seven colors : IMAC

The iMac is a desktop computer platform that Apple introduced in 1998. One of the main features of the iMac is an “all-in-one” design, with the computer console and monitor integrated. The iMac also came in a range of colors that Apple marketed as “flavors”, such as strawberry, blueberry and lime.

77 Leftovers dish : HASH

Hash, beef and vegetables mashed together, is a very American dish and one that really surprised me when I first came across it. “Hash” just seems like such an unappetizing item, but I soon found out how delicious it was. The name “hash” in this context comes from the French “hacher” meaning “to chop”. Back in the early 1900s the dish called “hashed browned potatoes” was developed, which quickly morphed into “hash browns”. From there the likes of corned beef hash was introduced.

78 “At Last” singer James : ETTA

The 1942 song “At Last” was written for the 1941 musical film “Sun Valley Serenade” in which it is performed by Glenn Miller and his orchestra. Etta James recorded a version of “At Last” in 1960, after which it became her signature song.

79 With 63-Down, priceless porcelain piece : MING …
[63D See 79-Down : … VASE]

The Ming dynasty lasted in China from 1368 to 1644. It was a time of tremendous innovation in so many areas, including the manufacture of ceramics. In the late Ming period, a shift towards a market economy in China led to the export of porcelain on an unprecedented scale, perhaps explaining why we tend to hear more about Ming vases than we do about porcelain from any other Chinese dynasty.

80 Nanny __ : GOAT

Male goats are bucks or billies, although castrated males are known as wethers. Female goats are does or nannies, and young goats are referred to as kids.

81 Muppet host of “The Not-Too-Late Show” : ELMO

“The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo” is a “Sesame Street” spinoff that debuted in 2020. Elmo had some high-profile guests the first season of his show, including Jimmy Fallon, the Jonas Brothers, John Oliver, Hoda Kotb, Andy Cohen and Olivia Wilde.

84 Painting that reportedly has its own Louvre mailbox : MONA LISA

Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece that we know in English as the “Mona Lisa” is called “La Gioconda” in Italian, the language of the artist. It’s also known as “La Joconde” by the Government of France which owns the painting and displays it in the Louvre Museum in Paris. The title comes from the name of the subject, almost certainly Lisa Gherardini, wife of Francesco del Giocondo. Giocondo was a wealthy silk merchant in Florence who commissioned the painting for the couple’s new home to celebrate the birth of their second son.

90 Durable watches : TIMEXES

The Timex Group, a manufacturer of watches, evolved from the Waterbury Clock Company that was founded in 1854 in Waterbury, Connecticut. The company achieved tremendous success in the early sixties largely due to an innovative marketing campaign. Advertisements featured the memorable tagline “Timex – Takes a licking and keeps on ticking”. In 1962, one out of every three watches sold in the US was a Timex.

94 “Lucifer” actress Helfer : TRICIA

Canadian actress Tricia Helfer is a former model. She is known for playing the Goddess of All Creation on the TV show “Lucifer”, and portraying actress Farrah Fawcett on the TV movie “Behind the Camera: The Unauthorized Story of Charlie’s Angels”.

96 38-Down offspring : CALF

[38D Porpoise kin : ORCA]

Male whales are referred to as “bulls”, females are “cows”, and the young are “calves”.

101 Mascot Hall of Fame inductee from Queens : MR MET

Mr. Met is the mascot of the New York Mets. He is a guy with a large baseball as a head. There’s also a Mrs. Met, a mascot who was previously known as Lady Met.

102 Fend (off) : STAVE

The word “stave” was originally the plural of “staff”, a word describing a wooden rod. To “stave off” originated with the concept of holding off with a staff. In the world of barrel-making, a stave is a narrow strip of wood that forms part of a barrel’s side.

103 Clay creature of Jewish folklore : GOLEM

“Golem” is Yiddish slang for “dimwit”. In Jewish folklore, a golem is an anthropomorphic being made out of inanimate matter, and is somewhat like an unintelligent robot.

104 Tennis legend Arthur : ASHE

The great American tennis player Arthur Ashe spent the last years of his life writing his memoir called “Days of Grace”. He finished the manuscript just a few days before he passed away, dying from AIDS caused by a tainted blood transfusion.

106 ATM codes : PINS

One enters a Personal Identification Number (PIN) when using an Automated Teller Machine (ATM). Given that the N in PIN stands for “number”, then “PIN number” is a redundant phrase. And, given that the M in ATM stands for “machine”, then “ATM machine” is a redundant phrase as well. Grr …!

108 Church supporters? : PEWS

A pew is a church bench, usually one with a high back. The original pews were raised and sometimes enclosed seats in the church used by women and important men or families. “Pew” comes from the Old French “puie” meaning “balcony, elevation”.

109 Mostly removable roof : T-TOP

A T-top is a car roof that has removable panels on either side of a rigid bar that runs down the center of the vehicle above the driver.

111 Mars counterpart : ARES

The Greek god Ares is often referred to as the Olympian god of warfare, but originally he was regarded as the god of bloodlust and slaughter. Ares united with Aphrodite to create several gods, including Phobos (Fear), Deimos (Terror) and Eros (Desire). Ares was the son of Zeus and Hera, and the Roman equivalent to Ares was Mars.

115 Handle letters? : AKA

Also known as (aka)

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Blast that may invert an umbrella : GUST
5 Float on the breeze : WAFT
9 Soft “Hey, you!” : PSST!
13 Golf course rentals : CARTS
18 To no __: fruitlessly : AVAIL
20 Actress Fisher who writes the “Marge in Charge” kids’ books : ISLA
21 Raise : REAR
22 Mythical hunter : ORION
23 Extremely harsh bubbly? : BRUTAL CHAMPAGNE (AL + “brut champagne”)
26 Gossipy sort : YENTA
27 Terse : LACONIC
28 Sandra’s “Speed” co-star : KEANU
29 Toy on display, say : SHOW DOG
31 __ contact : EYE
32 “SNL” alum Gasteyer : ANA
33 Sprain soother : ICE
34 __ noire : BETE
35 Enjoy a long career as a telegraph operator? : SIGNAL ONE’S LIFE AWAY (AL + “sign one’s life away”)
43 First, second, or third place : BASE
46 Kick off : START
47 Nonetheless : YET
48 Place for a stud : LOBE
49 Italian fashion giant : ARMANI
52 Minute Maid brand : HI-C
53 “Mice love it to death” brand : D-CON
55 “Hey-o!” : HOLLA!
56 To catch some rays or to sleep every day until noon, e.g.? : GOAL ON VACATION (AL + “go on vacation”)
59 Deliberate : CONFER
60 Yukon automaker : GMC
61 Target Field player : TWIN
62 “Barefoot Contessa” host Garten : INA
63 Cast a ballot : VOTE
64 Chatter : YAK
65 Income from Birkenstock investments? : SANDAL DOLLARS (AL + “sand dollars”)
69 __ deco : ART
72 Item often adorned with feathers : LURE
73 Item often adorned with feathers : BOA
74 “It makes sense now” : I SEE
75 Apt name for a lawn care expert : MOE
76 “Word on the street is … ” : I HEARD …
79 Chef’s job? : MEAL GENERATION (AL + “‘Me’ generation”)
83 Dull, in a way : MATTE
84 Salsa option : MILD
85 Fútbol cheer : OLE!
86 Angioplasty implants : STENTS
87 Italian wine region : ASTI
88 Triumphed : WON
89 Entire range : GAMUT
91 Misplace : LOSE
92 Trying a new brand of ointment? : CHANGING THE TOPICAL (AL + “changing the topic”)
98 Bilingual cartoon explorer : DORA
99 Become unsafe to eat : ROT
100 Tarnish : MAR
101 Umami source, briefly : MSG
104 Intimate __ : APPAREL
107 Utterly unskilled : INEPT
110 Graffiti tag seen in Springfield : EL BARTO
112 __ shot : SLING
113 Annual gala held on April 15? : INCOME TAX FORMAL (AL + “income tax form”)
116 For this reason : HENCE
117 Commotion : STIR
118 Left dreamland : WOKE
119 Christopher of “Superman” : REEVE
120 Makes less strict : EASES
121 Enlightened sounds : AHAS
122 Places to feel kneaded? : SPAS
123 Flower holder : STEM

Down

1 Iowa wrestling legend Dan : GABLE
2 Sunlamp danger, briefly : UV RAY
3 Hollandaise, e.g. : SAUCE
4 Bandleader Puente : TITO
5 Book of Shadows readers : WICCANS
6 Louisville Slugger wood : ASH
7 Criticism : FLAK
8 Far from daring : TAME
9 Ride proudly : PRANCE
10 Fluid transitions : SEGUES
11 __ Antonio : SAN
12 “Fantastique!” : TRES BIEN
13 South Dakota’s state animal : COYOTE
14 “Anyone else around?” : ARE WE ALONE?
15 Marmalade chunk : RIND
16 “Rosanna” band : TOTO
17 Catch : SNAG
19 Maui neighbor : LANAI
24 CNN’s “This Is Life With Lisa __” : LING
25 Put on a coat : PAINT
30 Weight : HEFT
35 Special ops acronym : SEAL
36 Within reach : AT HAND
37 Non-clerical : LAIC
38 Porpoise kin : ORCA
39 Rhône city : LYON
40 Scarf (down) : WOLF
41 Willing partner : ABLE
42 Banner __ : YEAR
43 Like some pants : BAGGY
44 Enticing smell : AROMA
45 Loud slap : SMACK
50 On the fence : NOT SURE
51 Toward the center : INWARD
53 Bedrock pet : DINO
54 Beehive oven input : COAL
55 Stressful spot : HOT SEAT
57 Hollywood crosser : VINE
58 __ pool : TIDAL
59 Apple gadgets : CORERS
63 See 79-Down : … VASE
66 Genesis brother : ABEL
67 Laundry basket measure : LOAD
68 Roster submitted to an umpire : LINEUP
69 __ acid : AMINO
70 Turnips and parsnips : ROOTS
71 On edge : TENSE
72 Salsa, for one : LATIN DANCE
76 Apple that comes in seven colors : IMAC
77 Leftovers dish : HASH
78 “At Last” singer James : ETTA
79 With 63-Down, priceless porcelain piece : MING …
80 Nanny __ : GOAT
81 Muppet host of “The Not-Too-Late Show” : ELMO
82 Giveaway at the poker table : TELL
84 Painting that reportedly has its own Louvre mailbox : MONA LISA
88 Hidden mic : WIRE
89 “Don’t let those people escape!” : GET ‘EM!
90 Durable watches : TIMEXES
93 Ravines : GORGES
94 “Lucifer” actress Helfer : TRICIA
95 Accolades : HONORS
96 38-Down offspring : CALF
97 Shady place : ARBOR
101 Mascot Hall of Fame inductee from Queens : MR MET
102 Fend (off) : STAVE
103 Clay creature of Jewish folklore : GOLEM
104 Tennis legend Arthur : ASHE
105 Courtroom entry : PLEA
106 ATM codes : PINS
108 Church supporters? : PEWS
109 Mostly removable roof : T-TOP
111 Mars counterpart : ARES
114 To the __ degree : NTH
115 Handle letters? : AKA