LA Times Crossword 10 Apr 22, Sunday

Advertisement

Constructed by: Paul Coulter
Edited by: Rich Norris

Today’s Theme: The Sum of the Parts

Themed answers are two overlapping phrases that create a third phrase, with all three being referenced in the clue:

  • 22A “Might I suggest … ” + “Since you mentioned it … ” = “I’ll be darned!” : HOW ABOUT THAT! (“how about …” + “about that”)
  • 30A Honest about + “L’chaim!” = Realistic : TRUE TO LIFE (“true to” + “To life!”)
  • 43A Approached old age + Ready to sail = Joined the cause : GOT ON BOARD (“got on” + “on board”)
  • 61A Yell + Bent on getting = Need urgently : CRY OUT FOR (“cry out” + “out for”)
  • 79A Sergeant’s order + Type of skate = Get with the program : FALL IN LINE (“fall in” + “in-line”)
  • 91A Patronize + Comfortable = Kind of parent : STAY-AT-HOME (“stay at” + “at home”)
  • 104A Cede + Pitching style = Climbing method : HAND OVER HAND (“hand over” + “overhand”)

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

Bill’s time: 16m 37s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Fruit stand buys : MELONS

Melons are plants with edible, fleshy fruits that are usually sweet. The fruit of a melon is actually a berry.

12 Behavioral Analysis Unit’s org. : FBI

The FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) was established in 1985 to provide behavioral analysis assistance in criminal investigations, especially investigations into violent crime.

15 Govt. loan agency : SBA

The Small Business Administration (SBA) is a government agency with the mission of assisting small businesses. The SBA doesn’t give loans itself, but it does act as a guarantor under the right circumstances. The SBA was set up in 1953, and isn’t a favorite with fiscal conservatives.

18 Mountains of __: Genesis locale : ARARAT

Mount Ararat is in Turkey. It is a snow-capped, dormant volcano with two peaks. The higher of the two, Greater Ararat, is the tallest peak in the country. Ararat takes its name from a legendary Armenian hero called Ara the Beautiful (or “Ara the Handsome”). According to the Book of Genesis, Noah’s ark landed on Mount Ararat as the Great Flood subsided.

19 Bar offering : SUSHI

Sushi is a Japanese dish that has as its primary ingredient cooked, vinegared rice. The rice is usually topped with something, most often fish, and can be served in seaweed rolls. If we want raw fish by itself, then we have to order sashimi.

20 Heros, to some : GRINDERS

The etymology of “grinder”, as a name for a sandwich, is unknown. That said, it is known that the term dates back to 1954. It is speculated that eating the large sandwich requires a lot of chewing, and hence the name “grinder”.

27 Car jackers? : MECHANICS

“Jack” is a nickname for “John”. Back in the 1500s, the term “jack” came to be used colloquially to describe any man of low status (as in “jack of all trades, master of none”). The usage was extended to describe any tool that saved work, perhaps replaced menial labor. By the end of the 1600s, the term “jack” became particularly associated with a portable device used to lift heavy weights using leverage.

28 Irish moonshine : POTEEN

Poitín (also “poteen”) is a traditional distilled drink in Ireland. Even though poitín has become available in liquor stores in recent years, to most Irish people poitín is a spirit that has to be obtained “illegally”, as it was for centuries. The drink was mainly produced in rural areas, away from the eyes of the law, and so is sometimes referred to as “Irish moonshine”. It is distilled in a small pot still, which gives poitín its name. “Pota” is the Irish word for “pot”, and the related term “póit” can mean “hangover” …

30 Honest about + “L’chaim!” = Realistic : TRUE TO LIFE (“true to” + “To life!”)

“L’Chaim!” is a Hebrew toast meaning “To life!”, with “chai” being the Hebrew word for “life”.

37 Cliffside dwelling : AERIE

An aerie (sometimes “eyrie”) is an eagle’s nest. The term “aerie” can also more generally describe any bird’s nest that is located on a cliff or a mountaintop.

38 Defense secretary under Nixon : LAIRD

Melvin Laird was a US congressman from Wisconsin who was appointed as Secretary of Defense in the Nixon administration, a post that he held from 1969 until 1973. One of Laird’s stated goals in moving to the Department of Defense was to end conscription. He achieved that goal in early 1973 after the signing of the Paris Peace Accords that ended US military involvement in Vietnam.

40 DOD intel arm : NSA

The National Security Agency (NSA) was set up in 1952 by President Truman, a replacement for the Armed Forces Security Agency that had existed in the Department of Defense (DoD) since 1949. The NSA has always been clouded in secrecy and even the 1952 letter from President Truman that established the agency was kept under wraps from the public for over a generation. I really like the organization’s nickname … “No Such Agency”.

46 Archaeological site : RUIN

“Archaeology” is a word that looks like it’s British English, and one might be forgiven for using the spelling “archeology” in American English. Even though the latter spelling has been around for a couple of hundred years, the former is the standard spelling on both sides of the Atlantic.

53 Studied for a job? : CASED

The phrase “to case the joint” is American slang meaning “to examine a location with the intent of robbing it”. The origins of the phrase are apparently unknown, although it dates back at least to 1915.

54 Google find : SITE

The Google search engine was originally called “BackRub” would you believe? The name was eventually changed to “Google”, an intentional misspelling of the word “googol”. A googol is a pretty big number, 10 to the power of 100. That would be the digit 1 followed by 100 zeros.

65 Western __ : UNION

Western Union dominated the telegram business from the 1850s until the service was discontinued in 2006.

66 Super Bowl LVI champ : LA RAM

Super Bowl LVI was played at the end of the 2021 season between the Cincinnati Bengals and the LA Rams. The Rams had home team advantage as the game was played at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. The Rams emerged victorious, winning 23-20. Apparently, the Super Bowl LVI broadcast was the second-most watched in the history of the NFL.

70 Biting : ACERB

“Acerb” is a variant of “acerbic”, with both terms meaning “sour, bitter-tasting, acidic”.

71 One may become a cliché : ADAGE

“Cliché” is a word that comes from the world of printing. In the days when type was added as individual letters into a printing plate, for efficiency some oft-used phrases and words were created as one single slug of metal. The word “cliché” was used for such a grouping of letters. It’s easy to see how the same word would become a term to describe any overused phrase. Supposedly, “cliché” comes from French, from the verb “clicher” meaning “to click”. The idea is that when a matrix of letters was dropped in molten metal to make a cliché, it made a clicking sound.

82 AOL alternative : MSN

The Microsoft Network (MSN) used to be an Internet service provider (ISP). These days, MSN is mainly a Web portal.

83 __ Elton John : SIR

Elton John’s real name is Reginald Dwight. Sir Elton was knighted in 1998, not for his music per se, but for his charitable work. He founded his own Elton John AIDS Foundation back in 1992.

84 Morally instruct : EDIFY

To edify is to provide instruction in order to improve spiritually, morally or intellectually. The intent is to “build up” someone’s faith or morality, and so “edify” comes from the Latin “aedificare” meaning “to build, construct”. This Latin root also gives us our word “edifice”, meaning “massive building”.

86 The Mick succeeded him as Yankee center fielder : DIMAG

Joe DiMaggio was born not too far from here, in Martinez, California, the son of Italian immigrants. The family moved to San Francisco when Joltin’ Joe was just a baby. Joe’s Dad was a fisherman, and it was his hope that all his sons would follow him into his trade. But Joe always felt sick at the smell of fish, so fishing’s loss was baseball’s gain.

Mickey Mantle only played professional baseball for one team, spending 18 years with the New York Yankees. Mickey Mantle memorabilia is highly prized, especially since he retired from the game in 1969, and even more so since he died in 1995. The only other player memorabilia said to command a higher price is Babe Ruth’s. Mantle holds the record for the most career home runs by a switch hitter, as well as the most World Series home runs.

87 Letters after many a general’s name : RETD

Retired (“ret.” or “retd.”)

90 Experts : MAVENS

I’ve always loved the term “maven”, which is another word for “expert”. Maven comes into English from the Yiddish “meyvn” describing someone who appreciates and is a connoisseur.

96 Changeable type : CHAMELEON

Chameleons are a family of Old World lizards, many of which have the ability to change their skin coloration and pattern. The term “chameleon” is simplified Latin, and is ultimately derived from the Greek for “lion of the ground”.

100 “Goddess of Pop” : CHER

“Cher” is the stage name used by singer and actress Cherilyn Sarkisian. Formerly one half of husband-wife duo Sonny & Cher, she is often referred to as the Goddess of Pop. In her acting career, Cher was nominated for the Best Supporting Actress Oscar of 1984 for her performance in “Silkwood”. She went further in 1988 and won the season’s Best Actress Oscar for playing Loretta Castorini in “Moonstruck”.

106 Writers like O. Henry : IRONISTS

“O. Henry” was the pen name of writer William Sydney Porter from Greensboro, North Carolina. O. Henry is famous for his witty short stories that have a clever twist in the tail.

107 Aquatic mammal : OTTER

Male and female otters are known as dogs and bitches, with the offspring called pups. Males and females are sometimes referred to as boars and sows. A collection of otters is a bevy, family, lodge or perhaps a romp. When in water, a collection of otters can be called a raft.

108 Beltway environs : DC AREA

The phrase “inside the Beltway” is used to refer to the infrastructure and politics of Washington, D.C. The Beltway in this case is Interstate 495, also known as the Capital Beltway.

110 Rehab hurdle : DTS

The episodes of delirium that can accompany withdrawal from alcohol are called delirium tremens (the DTs). The literal translation of this Latin phrase is “trembling madness”.

111 Crystal-lined rock : GEODE

A geode is a rock in which there is a cavity that is lined or filled with crystal formations.

112 “Stagecoach” and “High Noon” : OATERS

The term “oater” that is used for a Western movie comes from the number of horses seen, as horses love oats!

“Stagecoach” is a classic 1939 Western movie directed by John Ford. The film tells the story of a stagecoach full of passengers that wends its way through dangerous Apache territory, and is based on a 1937 short story by Ernest Haycox called “The Stage to Lordsburg”. Famously, actor John Wayne plays the fugitive Ringo Kid, in what turns out to be his breakthrough movie role.

I am not a huge fan of western movies, but “High Noon” works for me. The film has a great cast, with Gary Cooper and Grace Kelly in the lead roles. I suppose I like the film because it doesn’t fit the mold as a typical western with lots of predictable action sequences. That said, when “High Noon” first hit theaters it was not popular with audiences, largely because moviegoers were expecting the formulaic western film. One interesting feature of the storyline is that the sequence of events takes place in approximate real time.

Down

1 When repeated, a fish : MAHI

“Mahi-mahi” (meaning “very strong”) is the Hawaiian name for the dolphinfish, which is also known as the dorado. The mahi-mahi is an ugly looking creature if ever I saw one …

2 Winged figure of myth : EROS

The name of Eros, the Greek god of love, gives rise to our word “erotic” meaning “arousing sexual desire”. Eros was referred to in Latin as both “Amor” (meaning “love”) and “Cupid” (meaning “desire”).

4 Handel bars : ORATORIO

An oratorio is a large musical work for orchestra, choir and solo singers. Oratorios usually have a religious theme and are similar to operas, but without the action, costume and scenery.

George Frideric Handel was the King of the Oratorio. Handel’s most famous oratorio is “Messiah”, which had its debut performance in Dublin, Ireland back in 1742.

7 __ Clinton, historic English village that lent its name to a sports car : ASTON

Aston Clinton is a village in Buckinghamshire in the southeast of England. The celebrated Aston Martin auto manufacturer took the first part of its name from nearby Aston Hill, which in turn was named for the village. The second part of the name was the family name of the company’s cofounder Lionel Martin. Martin and his partner used to race their custom built cars at the Aston Hill Climb in the early 1900s.

8 Joke victim : BUTT

To be the butt of the joke is to be the jokester’s target. Indeed, back in the 1600’s, a butt was a target used in archery practice.

9 “A Hard Road to Glory” author : ASHE

“A Hard Road to Glory: A History of the African-American Athlete” is a 1988 book by tennis star Arthur Ashe. Published in three volumes, Ashe researched for almost six years with a team to put the book together. Ashe stated publicly that he valued “A Hard Road to Glory” more than any of his tennis titles.

13 Mountain West river named for sheep : BIGHORN

The Bighorn River rises in Wyoming and flows into the Yellowstone River in Montana. It is not to be confused with the Little Bighorn River, which is a tributary that joins the Bighorn about 50 miles before the junction with the Yellowstone. It was on the banks of the Little Bighorn that the Battle of the Little Bighorn was fought.

The male bighorn sheep of North America has horns that can weigh up to 30 pounds, which is about 10% of the animal’s body weight.

14 Clinton said he didn’t do it : INHALE

Back in 1992, during his successful campaign to win the US presidency, Bill Clinton stated famously, “… when I was in England I experimented with marijuana a time or two, and I didn’t like it. I didn’t inhale it, and never tried again.” While those words get quoted a lot, even to this day, I think that Johnny Carson’s joke at the time deserves an airing. He said, “That’s the trouble with Democrats. Even when they do something wrong, they don’t do it right.” 🙂

15 Printing flourish : SERIF

Serifs are details on the ends of characters in some typefaces. Typefaces without serifs are known as sans-serif, using the French word “sans” meaning “without” and “serif” from the Dutch “schreef” meaning “line”. Some people say that serif fonts are easier to read on paper, whereas sans-serif fonts work better on a computer screen. I’m not so sure though …

16 Actor Dern : BRUCE

Bruce Dern is a Hollywood actor with quite a pedigree. Dern is the grandchild of former Utah governor and Secretary of War, George Henry Dern. Bruce’s godparents were Adlai Stevenson and Eleanor Roosevelt!

17 Nile serpents : ASPS

The venomous snake called an asp was a symbol of royalty in ancient Egypt.

20 Indian butter : GHEE

Ghee is clarified butter used in South Asian cuisines. “Ghee” comes from Sanskrit, and translates as “sprinkled”.

21 Patron saint of France : DENIS

Not only is Saint Denis (also “Denys”) the patron saint of France, but he is also the patron saint of Paris. Denis was the first Bishop of Paris, in the 3rd century AD, and was martyred by having his head chopped off. The legend surrounding this event is that the executed Denis picked up his head and walked for six miles, delivering a sermon the whole way.

23 Risky turn, maybe : UIE

Hang a “uey” or “uie”, make a u-turn, make a 180.

29 Frosh, probably : TEEN

“Frosh” is a slang term for a college freshperson (formerly “freshman”). We call such a person a “fresher” back in Ireland …

32 It’s a long story : SAGA

“Saga” is an Old Norse word describing a long and elaborate story, and a word that we’ve been using in English only since the early 1700s.

34 Hopping targets? : BARS

A pub crawl (also “bar-hopping”) is a tour of a selection of local public houses. One usually takes one drink at each stop, which might perhaps explain the use of the word “crawl” …

39 Well aware of : HIP TO

The word “hip” meaning “informed” is just a variant of the word “hep”, which has the same meaning. Both terms probably originated as slang first used in the African-American community.

40 Japanese-American : NISEI

There are some very specific terms used to describe the children born to Japanese immigrants in their new country. The immigrants themselves are known as “Issei”. “Nisei” are second generation Japanese, “Sansei” the third generation (grandchildren of the immigrant), and “Yonsei” are fourth generation.

44 Dugout rack item : BAT

A dugout is an underground shelter. The term was carried over to baseball because the dugout is slightly depressed below the level of the field. This allows spectators behind the dugout to get a good view of home plate, where a lot of the action takes place.

45 Crude gp.? : OPEC

Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)

Fossil fuels are refined forms of the complex mixture of hydrocarbons found in pockets under the surface of the Earth. Strictly speaking, the term “petroleum” describes the mixture in all its forms: liquid, gaseous and solid. The liquid form is “crude oil”, the gaseous form is “natural gas” and the solid form is “bitumen”. In common usage, however, crude oil is often referred to as “petroleum”.

47 “Aim High” Federal org. : USAF

The US Air Force (USAF) is the youngest of the seven uniformed services in this country, having been formed in 1947. Today’s USAF was preceded by:

  • Aeronautical Division, Signal Corps (1907-1914)
  • Aviation Section, Signal Corps (1914-1918)
  • Division of Military Aeronautics (1918)
  • US Army Air Service (1918-1926)
  • US Army Air Corps (1926-1941)
  • US Army Air Forces (1941-1947)

49 Little men in the front row : PAWNS

In the game of chess, the pawns are the weakest pieces on the board. A pawn that can make it to the opposite side of the board can be promoted to a piece of choice, usually a queen. Using promotion of pawns, it is possible for a player to have two or more queens on the board at one time. However, standard chess sets come with only one queen per side, so a captured rook is often used as the second queen by placing it on the board upside down.

55 Sonnet line quintet : IAMBS

An iamb is a metrical foot containing an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. The lines in William Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 18” use five sequential iambs, e.g. “Shall I / compare / thee to / a sum- / -mer’s day?” With that sequence of five iambs, the poem’s structure is described as iambic pentameter.

59 Velcro alternative : LACES

The hook-and-loop fastener that we now call “Velcro” was invented in 1941 by Georges de Mestral, a Swiss engineer. Mestral noticed that the seeds of the burdock plant (burrs or burs) stuck to his clothes. Under the microscope he found hooks on the burrs that grabbed hold of loops in his clothing. After years of development, he came up with a way of simulating the natural hook using man-made materials, and Velcro was born.

62 “M*A*S*H” corporal : RADAR

Corporal Radar O’Reilly is a character in the “M*A*S*H” television series and film. The role was played by Gary Burghoff in both the film and on television.

63 Chinese currency : YUAN

Even though we generally refer to the currency of China as the “yuan”, the yuan is actually the basic unit of the “renminbi”. This is analogous to “sterling” being the official currency of the UK, with the “pound” being the basic unit of sterling.

69 “Exodus” hero : ARI

“Exodus” is a wonderful novel written by American writer Leon Uris that was first published in 1947. The hero of the piece is Ari Ben Canaan, a character played by Paul Newman in the 1960 film adaptation directed by Otto Preminger.

71 Crucial trials : ACID TESTS

Gold is a metallic chemical element with the symbol “Au”. It is extremely unreactive. Silver and other base metals dissolve in nitric acid, and so testing an unknown sample with nitric acid can confirm the presence of gold. This assaying practice gave rise to the figurative use of the term “acid test” to describe any definitive test.

72 “Cast Away” escape vehicle : RAFT

“Cast Away” is a very entertaining adventure film released in 2000 starring Tom Hanks as a castaway on a South Pacific island. The Hanks character ends up on the island after a FedEx plane crashes, leaving him marooned there for four years before he manages to escape on a raft. The film had to be filmed in two sessions. For the first session, Hanks gained 50 pounds to make himself look pudgy for the early scenes. The crew had to wait a whole year for Hanks to lose the weight so that they could film the “cast away” scenes.

73 Nevada copper town : ELY

Ely is a city in eastern Nevada. The city was founded as a Pony Express stagecoach station, and then experienced a mining boom after copper was discovered locally in 1906. One of Ely’s former residents was First Lady Pat Nixon, who was born there in 1912.

75 “… roasting __ open fire” : ON AN

The Christmas classic known as “The Christmas Song”, which starts out with the line “Chestnuts roasting on an open fire”, was written in 1944 by Bob Wells and singer Mel Tormé. According to Tormé, the song was actually written on a very hot summer day, with Wells providing the lyrics. Apparently without the intention of writing a song, Wells jotted down four “Christmassy” phrases in an effort to “stay cool by thinking cool”. Those phrases were:

  • Chestnuts roasting
  • Jack Frost nipping
  • Yuletide carols
  • Folks dressed up like Eskimos

“The Christmas Song” is now the most-performed Christmas song in the world.

76 Cello parts : PEGS

A cello has four tuning pegs in a pegbox, one for each string.

80 Sask. neighbor : NDAK

The Dakota Territory was formed in 1861 and ceased to exist with the admission to the Union of the states of North Dakota and South Dakota. The territory was split into two states in 1889 largely due to lobbying by the Republican Party, which enjoyed a lot of support in the Dakota Territory. The admission of two states added to the political power of the party in the US Senate, by adding four safe Republican seats.

The Canadian province of Saskatchewan (Sask.) takes its name from the Saskatchewan River. The river in turn takes its name from the Cree name, which translates as “swift flowing river”. The capital of Saskatchewan is Regina, although the biggest city in the province is Saskatoon.

81 Online customer service option : LIVE CHAT

Live Chat (instant messaging) is very popular in the world of online customer service. I think companies like to use Live Chat as they can have a representative carrying on several typed conversations at one time, dealing with more than one customer. On balance, I like to use Live Chat despite the “multitasking” involved. I tend to multitask at my end as well, and so it beats using the phone …

87 Asian noodle dish : RAMEN

Ramen is a noodle dish composed of Chinese-style wheat noodles in a meat or fish broth flavored with soy or miso sauce. Ramen is usually topped with sliced pork and dried seaweed. The term “ramen” is also used for precooked, instant noodles that come in single-serving, solid blocks.

89 French word of approval : BON

In French, something might be “mal” (bad), or hopeful “bon” (good).

91 Jersey __ : SHORE

“Jersey Shore” is the name given to the coastal region of the state of New Jersey. The most northerly stretch of “the Shore” is in Perth Amboy, a New Jersey city that falls within the New York metropolitan area. The most southerly part of the Shore is Cape May Point, which is also the southernmost point in New Jersey.

93 “Bonanza” brother : HOSS

Dan Blocker was the actor who played Eric “Hoss” Cartwright in the Western TV series “Bonanza”. Hoss was the “slow” character on the show. Paradoxically, Dan Blocker was the most-educated member of the cast, having earned a master’s degree in the dramatic arts. Blocker passed away while “Bonanza” was still running. He was undergoing relatively routine gallbladder surgery and developed a pulmonary embolism which killed him. “Bonanza” ran for just one more season after Blocker passed away.

95 Sound file suffix : WAV

WAV files are in the Waveform Audio File Format. WAV is the principal format used on the Windows platform for the storage of uncompressed audio files.

96 China problem : CHIP

The ceramic known as “porcelain” can be referred to as “china” or “fine china”, as porcelain was developed in China.

99 Had too much, briefly : ODED

Overdose (OD)

101 Fed. power dept. : ENER

The US Department of Energy (DOE) came into being largely as a result of the 1973 oil crisis. The DOE was founded in 1977 by the Carter administration. The DOE is responsible for regulating the production of nuclear power, and it is also responsible for the nation’s nuclear weapons. The official DOE seal features a lightning bolt and symbols denoting five sources of energy: the sun, an atom, an oil derrick, a windmill and a dynamo.

102 Old food label figs. : RDAS

Recommended Daily Allowances (RDAs) were introduced during WWII, and were replaced by Recommended Daily Intakes (RDIs) in 1997.

105 TV pioneer : RCA

RCA was founded in 1919 as the Radio Corporation of America, and as a wholly-owned subsidiary of General Electric (GE). GE divested RCA in 1932, and then reacquired the company in 1986. Today, RCA is just a brand name owned by Sony Music.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Fruit stand buys : MELONS
7 One way to be taken : ABACK
12 Behavioral Analysis Unit’s org. : FBI
15 Govt. loan agency : SBA
18 Mountains of __: Genesis locale : ARARAT
19 Bar offering : SUSHI
20 Heros, to some : GRINDERS
22 “Might I suggest … ” + “Since you mentioned it … ” = “I’ll be darned!” : HOW ABOUT THAT! (“how about …” + “about that”)
24 Superior : HIGHER-UP
25 Wasn’t present? : ISN’T
26 Violent protester : RIOTER
27 Car jackers? : MECHANICS
28 Irish moonshine : POTEEN
30 Honest about + “L’chaim!” = Realistic : TRUE TO LIFE (“true to” + “To life!”)
32 Netted, say : SNARED
34 Kennel club designation : BREED
36 Angers : IRES
37 Cliffside dwelling : AERIE
38 Defense secretary under Nixon : LAIRD
39 Dear : HON
40 DOD intel arm : NSA
43 Approached old age + Ready to sail = Joined the cause : GOT ON BOARD (“got on” + “on board”)
46 Archaeological site : RUIN
48 Noticed : SPIED
50 “__ ideas?” : ANY
51 Phone downloads : APPS
52 Irritates : RASPS
53 Studied for a job? : CASED
54 Google find : SITE
56 Lite : LO-FAT
57 Have credit from : OWE TO
58 __ male : ALPHA
61 Yell + Bent on getting = Need urgently : CRY OUT FOR (“cry out” + “out for”)
65 Western __ : UNION
66 Super Bowl LVI champ : LA RAM
67 Some wedding guests : AUNTS
68 Snacks, say : EATS
70 Biting : ACERB
71 One may become a cliché : ADAGE
72 Raise : REAR
74 High point : TOP
77 Marsh growths : REEDS
78 Brief “Out of the question” : CAN’T
79 Sergeant’s order + Type of skate = Get with the program : FALL IN LINE (“fall in” + “in-line”)
82 AOL alternative : MSN
83 __ Elton John : SIR
84 Morally instruct : EDIFY
86 The Mick succeeded him as Yankee center fielder : DIMAG
87 Letters after many a general’s name : RETD
89 Full force : BRUNT
90 Experts : MAVENS
91 Patronize + Comfortable = Kind of parent : STAY-AT-HOME (“stay at” + “at home”)
94 Rouses : AWAKES
96 Changeable type : CHAMELEON
97 Thingamabob : DOODAD
100 “Goddess of Pop” : CHER
103 Hardly promising : HOPELESS
104 Cede + Pitching style = Climbing method : HAND OVER HAND (“hand over” + “overhand”)
106 Writers like O. Henry : IRONISTS
107 Aquatic mammal : OTTER
108 Beltway environs : DC AREA
109 Writer : PEN
110 Rehab hurdle : DTS
111 Crystal-lined rock : GEODE
112 “Stagecoach” and “High Noon” : OATERS

Down

1 When repeated, a fish : MAHI
2 Winged figure of myth : EROS
3 Celebration with a tent, maybe : LAWN PARTY
4 Handel bars : ORATORIO
5 Apt grab rhyme : NAB
6 Put away for later : STORED
7 __ Clinton, historic English village that lent its name to a sports car : ASTON
8 Joke victim : BUTT
9 “A Hard Road to Glory” author : ASHE
10 Rent for fishing, say : CHARTER
11 Do-it-yourselfer’s purchase : KIT
12 Disagreements : FRICTIONS
13 Mountain West river named for sheep : BIGHORN
14 Clinton said he didn’t do it : INHALE
15 Printing flourish : SERIF
16 Actor Dern : BRUCE
17 Nile serpents : ASPS
20 Indian butter : GHEE
21 Patron saint of France : DENIS
23 Risky turn, maybe : UIE
27 __ pie : MUD
29 Frosh, probably : TEEN
31 Writes a new version of : REDRAFTS
32 It’s a long story : SAGA
33 Brightly colored : NEON
34 Hopping targets? : BARS
35 Clear (of) : RID
38 Common cat seat : LAP
39 Well aware of : HIP TO
40 Japanese-American : NISEI
41 Take care of : SEE TO
42 Extra feature : ADD-ON
44 Dugout rack item : BAT
45 Crude gp.? : OPEC
47 “Aim High” Federal org. : USAF
48 Merit badge earner : SCOUT
49 Little men in the front row : PAWNS
52 Delivery assignment : ROUTE
54 Dig find : SHARD
55 Sonnet line quintet : IAMBS
56 Like some bonds : LONG-TERM
58 Auto option : ALARM
59 Velcro alternative : LACES
60 Groom with a bill : PREEN
62 “M*A*S*H” corporal : RADAR
63 Chinese currency : YUAN
64 Authentic : REAL
69 “Exodus” hero : ARI
71 Crucial trials : ACID TESTS
72 “Cast Away” escape vehicle : RAFT
73 Nevada copper town : ELY
74 Vacation rental option : TIMESHARE
75 “… roasting __ open fire” : ON AN
76 Cello parts : PEGS
79 Flipper : FIN
80 Sask. neighbor : NDAK
81 Online customer service option : LIVE CHAT
83 Least fresh : STALEST
85 Deadline : DUE DATE
87 Asian noodle dish : RAMEN
88 Lens cover : EYELID
89 French word of approval : BON
90 Managed : MADE DO
91 Jersey __ : SHORE
92 Hit lightly : TAP ON
93 “Bonanza” brother : HOSS
94 Really dig : ADORE
95 Sound file suffix : WAV
96 China problem : CHIP
98 Able to see right through : ONTO
99 Had too much, briefly : ODED
101 Fed. power dept. : ENER
102 Old food label figs. : RDAS
104 Keep every one of : HOG
105 TV pioneer : RCA