LA Times Crossword 21 Nov 21, Sunday

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Constructed by: David Alfred Bywaters
Edited by: Rich Norris

Today’s Theme: See To It

Themed answers are common phrases to which a letter C has been added at the front of the first and last words:

  • 23A Part of a successful baker’s rep? : CRUST CRED (from “rust red”)
  • 25A Ice-cream shop cry? : CALL FOR CONE (from “all for one”)
  • 44A Report on a sucker? : COVER THE CHUMP (from “over the hump”)
  • 67A Ice skater’s small talk? : COLD CHAT (from “old hat”)
  • 74A Shell game item? : CHEAT CUP (from “heat up”)
  • 93A Salon receptionist’s job? : CLOCKING CLIPS (from “locking lips”)
  • 118A Cowardly committee head? : CRAVEN CHAIR (from “raven hair”)
  • 120A Farmers market IOU? : CHARD CHIT (from “hard hit”)

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

Bill’s time: 17m 24s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

15 Half of a theoretical duality : YANG

The yin and yang can be illustrated using many different metaphors. In one, as the sun shines on a mountain, the side in the shade is the yin and the side in the light is the yang. The yin is also regarded as the feminine side, and the yang the masculine. The yin can also be associated with the moon, while the yang is associated with the sun.

19 Frankfurt article : EINE

Frankfurt is the fifth largest city in Germany. It is more properly called Frankfurt am Main, to distinguish it from Frankfurt an der Oder, a town near the Polish border. The larger Frankfurt is located on the Main River, hence the name.

21 Serving from a buffet station : OMELET

Our word “buffet” comes from the French “bufet” meaning “bench, sideboard”. So, a buffet is a meal served from a “bufet”.

23 Part of a successful baker’s rep? : CRUST CRED (from “rust red”)

Rust is iron oxide. Rust forms when iron oxidizes, reacts with oxygen.

27 Irritable : TESTY

Somebody described as testy is touchy, irritably impatient. The term “testy” comes into English from Old French, ultimately deriving from “testu” meaning “stubborn, headstrong”, literally “heady”. So, our word “testy” comes from the same root as the French word “tête” meaning “head”.

28 Where to find Bend and Bandon: Abbr. : ORE

The Oregon city of Bend is situated on the Deschutes River. It is named for a ranch called “Farewell Bend” that existed in the area when the town was founded. It was US Post Office bureaucrats that dropped the “Farewell” to give the shorter name “Bend”.

Bandon is a city on the Oregon coast. It was first settled by Europeans in 1853, but it wasn’t until 1873 that the permanent settlement was founded by an Irish peer named George Bennett. Bennett chose the name in honor of hometown of Bandon in County Cork, Ireland.

29 Mosaic part : TILE

In the Middle Ages, mosaics were often dedicated to the Muses. The term “mosaic” translates as “of the Muses”.

31 Joie de vivre : ELAN

“Joie de vivre” means “joy of living” in French. We use the phrase to mean the happy, carefree enjoyment of life, like when we finish our crossword puzzles …

33 New Age physician : HOLIST

Holism is an approach taken to the study of systems (physical, biological, economic, etc.) that views those systems as part of a whole, and not in isolation. The term “holism” was coined in a 1926 book titled “Holism and Evolution” by Field Marshal Jan Christiaan Smuts, a philosopher and former South African prime minister.

43 Has too much, briefly : ODS

Overdose (OD)

51 Early Iranian : MEDE

The Medes were an ancient people that lived in what is now northwestern Iran. The Medes held sway in the region only for about 60 years, until Cyrus the Great came along and defeated Astyages, the king of Media (not to be confused with Howard Stern, the self-proclaimed “King of All Media”!).

52 Simple Simon’s request : PIE

The first verse of the English nursery rhyme is:

Simple Simon met a pieman,
Going to the fair;
Says Simple Simon to the pieman,
Let me taste your ware.

57 Blue-striped ball : TEN

The more correct name for the game of pool is “pocket billiards”. The designation “pool” arose after pocket billiards became a common feature in “pool halls”, places where gamblers “pooled” their money to bet on horse races.

60 Proofer’s “Leave it alone” : STET

“Stet” is a Latin word meaning “let it stand”. In editorial work, the typesetter is instructed to disregard any change previously marked by writing the word “stet” and then underscoring that change with a line of dots or dashes.

62 Chihuahua kisses : BESOS

Chihuahua is a state in northern Mexico that shares a border with Texas and New Mexico. Chihuahua is the largest state in the country, earning it the nickname “El Estado Grande”. The state takes its name from the Chihuahuan Desert which lies largely within its borders. The Chihuahua breed of dog takes its name from the state.

63 W. alliance since 1948 : OAS

The Organization of American States (OAS) was founded in 1948, and has its headquarters in Washington, D.C. Not all of the independent states in the Americas are members. Cuba was barred from participation in the organization after a vote in 1962. Honduras had her membership suspended after the country’s 2009 coup.

65 “Hadestown” creator Mitchell : ANAIS

Anaïs Mitchell is a Vermonet-based singer-songwriter. One of Mitchell’s more famous works is a 2010 concept album titled “Hadestown” that is based on the ancient Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. She adapted the album into a stage musical that opened Off-Broadway in 2016 as “Hadestown: The Myth. The Musical”.

67 Ice skater’s small talk? : COLD CHAT (from “old hat”)

The use of “old hat” to mean something “out of date, stale” started about 1911. Before that, the term “old hat” meant something very different, and very vulgar. “Old hat” was the name given to a very private part of the female anatomy, the idea being that it was “often felt” (as in a “felt hat”). I just don’t know what to say …

74 Shell game item? : CHEAT CUP (from “heat up”)

A shell game (also “thimblerig”) is a gambling game, at least at first sight. It is usually a confidence trick. Typically, a small ball is placed under three face-down containers on a flat surface. The containers are shuffled around, and a player wins if he or she can “follow the ball” and correctly guess which container has that ball. In an illegal street game, the operator will often use sleight of hand to fool the players. The alternative name “thimblerig” comes from the fact that the con was originally played out using sewing thimbles.

75 Brown ermine : STOAT

The stoat has dark brown fur in the summer, and white fur in the winter. Sometimes the term “ermine” is used for the animal during the winter when the fur is white. Ermine skins have long been prized by royalty and are often used for white trim on ceremonial robes.

77 Dumbbell abbr. : LBS

The unit of mass that we know today as a pound is descended from the old Roman unit of weight known as a “libra”. That “libra” connection is why we abbreviate “pound” to “lb”. The name “pound” comes from the Latin “pondo” meaning “weight”. Our term “ounce” (abbreviated to “oz.”) comes from the Latin “uncia”, which was 1/12 of a Roman “libra”.

A dumbbell is a short bar with weights on either end that is used for strength-training. There is a theory that such an apparatus was used to train church bell ringers. As there isn’t any bell, it was referred to as a dumbbell. Um, I’m not sure …

78 “Abandon all hope, ye who enter here” poet : DANTE

Dante Alighieri’s “Divine Comedy” is an epic poem dating back to the 14th century. The first part of that epic is “Inferno”, which is the Italian word for “Hell”. In the poem, Dante is led on a journey by the poet Virgil, starting at the gates of Hell on which are written the famous words “Abandon all hope, ye who enter here”.

81 Company with orange-and-white trucks : U-HAUL

The U-Haul company was started by married couple Leonard Shoen and Anna Mary Carty in Ridgefield, Washington in 1945. The Shoens used $5,000 of seed money to build trailers in their garage, and then cleverly recruited gas station owners as franchisees with whom they would split the rental revenue. There are now about 15,000 U-Haul dealers across the country.

91 South Africa’s __ Town : CAPE

Cape Town is the legislative capital of South Africa (RSA), and one of three capital cities in the country. Pretoria is the executive capital, and Bloemfontein is the judicial capital.

96 One side of many rulers: Abbr. : CMS

Centimeter (cm.)

99 Composer of the opera “Alfred” : ARNE

“Alfred” is a sung work for the stage with music by Thomas Arne. “Alfred” was first performed as a masque in 1740. Arne further developed the piece into an oratorio that debuted in 1745, and then an opera that opened in 1753. The finale of all three versions is the stirring song “Rule, Britannia!”.

101 Oil cartel letters : OPEC

The OPEC cartel was formally established in 1960 and has been headquartered in Vienna since 1965. The US is actually the third largest oil producer in the world (after Russia and Saudi Arabia). One reason America isn’t in OPEC, even though we are a big producer, is that we import a lot more than we export. But we all probably knew that already …

105 Bowler’s aversion : GUTTER

Bowling has been around for an awfully long time. The oldest known reference to the game is in Egypt, where pins and balls were found in an ancient tomb that is over 5,000 years old. The first form of the game to come to America was nine-pin bowling, which had been very popular in Europe for centuries. In 1841 in Connecticut, nine-pin bowling was banned due to its association with gambling. Supposedly, an additional pin was added to get around the ban, and ten-pin bowling was born.

108 Desierto’s lack : AGUA

In Spanish, “agua” (water) is “lo que un desierto no tiene” (what a desert does not have).

109 Listing in a revision, perhaps : ERRATA

“Errata” is the past participle of the Latin word “errare” meaning “to err”. We use “errata” (singular “erratum”) to describe a list of errors that have been noted in some publication.

111 “Juno” actor Michael : CERA

“Juno” is a great comedy-drama released in 2007 that tells the story of a spunky teenager who is faced with an unplanned pregnancy. The title character is played by Ellen Page, with Michael Cera playing the father of her child. The film won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. The relatively low-budget movie earned back its initial budget on the first day of its full release to the public. Low-budget blockbuster; my kind of movie …

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.

120 Farmers market IOU? : CHARD CHIT (from “hard hit”)

Chard is a lovely leafy vegetable, in my humble opinion. It is the same species as the garden beet, but chard is grown for the leaves and beet is grown for the roots. Chard also goes by the names Swiss chard, silverbeet, mangold. In some parts of Australia, it’s even known as spinach.

A chit is a note or a short letter. The term tends to be used these days in the sense of an amount owed (as in a poker game). The word used to be “chitty”, which is now obsolete but was closer to the original Hindi term. I feel a tad obsolete myself, because when we are at school we would be excused from class if we had a “chitty”.

122 Bob with jokes : HOPE

I remember my first non-business visit to Los Angeles. I was a typical tourist and bought a map showing the homes of the stars and drove around Beverly Hills absorbing all the glitz. At one point I drove past a Rolls Royce that was stopped in oncoming traffic, waiting to make a left turn. The window was down, and the driver was puffing away on a big cigar. It was none other than Bob Hope. Seeing him there right beside me; that was a big thrill …

Down

5 Rainbow, e.g. : ARC

Sunlight reflected by airborne water droplets can produce rainbows. The water droplets act as little prisms, dispersing the white light into its constituent colors. Sometimes we see double rainbows. If we look carefully, we can see that the order of the colors in the first and second arcs is reversed.

6 Egret, for one : HERON

Herons are birds with long legs that inhabit freshwater and coastal locales. Some herons are routinely referred to as egrets, and others as bitterns. Herons look a lot like storks and cranes, but differ in their appearance in flight. Herons fly with their necks retracted in an S-shape, whereas storks and cranes have their necks extended.

Egrets are a group of several species of white herons. Many egret species were faced with extinction in the 1800s and early 1900s due to plume hunting, a practice driven by the demand for egret plumes that could be incorporated into hats.

7 River to the Fulda : EDER

The Eder is a river in Germany, and a tributary of the Fulda River. The Eder has a dam near the small town of Waldeck which holds water in the large Edersee reservoir. This was one of the dams that was attacked by the RAF during WWII with the famous Barnes Wallis bouncing bombs. It was destroyed in the Dam Busters raid in 1943, but rebuilt the same year.

8 Sleep __ : MODE

Sleep mode is a low-power mode for electronic devices, and crossword bloggers …

11 Quartet in many a string orchestra : CELLI

The word “cello” (plural “celli” or “cellos”) is an abbreviation for “violoncello”, an Italian word for “little violone”, referring to a group of stringed instruments that were popular up to the end of the 17th century. The name violoncello persisted for the instrument that we know today, although the abbreviation “‘cello” was often used. Nowadays, we just drop the apostrophe.

13 Bit of OED info : DEF

Oxford English Dictionary (OED)

14 Thames campus : ETON

The world-famous Eton College is located just outside London. It lies between the River Thames, and the Jubilee River. The Jubilee is a 7-mile stretch of man-made waterway that was built in the late 1990s to take overflow from the Thames and reduce flooding around the nearby towns.

15 Desert plant in the asparagus family : YUCCA

Yuccas are a genus of shrubs and trees that live in hot and dry areas of North and South America. One of the more famous species of Yucca is the Joshua tree. Yuccas has a unique pollination system, with moths transferring pollen from plant to plant. New Mexico adopted the yucca as its state flower in 1927. By the way, the yucca is in the asparagus family.

16 Lunar program : APOLLO

The Apollo program is very much associated with President Kennedy, as he gave NASA the challenge to land men on the moon by the end of the sixties. However, the Apollo program was conceived during the Eisenhower administration as a follow-up to Project Mercury that put the first Americans in space.

18 Pleasant-sounding rock? : GNEISS

Gneiss is a metamorphic rock containing bands of different colors and compositions. The term “gneiss” comes from the Middle High German “gneist” meaning “to spark”, which is a reference to the rock’s tendency to glitter.

24 Polk predecessor : TYLER

John Tyler was the tenth President of the US, and the first to take the office on the death of the incumbent. Tyler’s predecessor was President William Henry Harrison, who was in office only 32 days before he died of natural causes. For a while there was a little confusion about the wording in the constitution that covered such an eventuality. There was an argument made that Tyler would continue as Vice-President but would assume the responsibilities of the office of President, in effect as “Acting President”. However, Tyler proceeded as though he was taking over as President and took the oath of office in his hotel room in Washington. Soon afterwards, Congress declared that Tyler was indeed President, although many continued to dispute the fact. Many of President Tyler’s opponents referred to him as “His Accidency”. His term in office ended in 1845. When the Civil War began in 1861, Tyler sided with the Confederacy and was even elected to the Confederate House of Representatives for the 3rd District of Virginia. President Tyler passed away only a few days after taking his seat in the House. His death was the only one in presidential history that was not recognized in the nation’s capital, as he sided with the Confederate States.

James Knox Polk was the 11th US President. Polk is known as a president who delivered on promises that he made during his election campaign. He left office after serving only one term, as he had promised the voters, and then contracted cholera on a goodwill tour of the South. Polk died at only 53 years of age, the youngest age for any president to die in retirement. He also enjoyed the shortest retirement of any president, at only 103 days.

26 Sound from a nursery rhyme trio : RUB-A-DUB-DUB

The nursery rhyme “Rub-a-Dub-Dub” dates back to at least 1798 when it was first published in London:

Rub-a-dub-dub,
Three men in a tub,
And how do you think they got there?
The butcher, the baker,
The candlestick-maker,
They all jumped out of a rotten potato,
‘Twas enough to make a man stare.

36 Vocal improv : SCAT

Scat singing is a vocal improvisation found in the world of jazz. There aren’t any words as such in scat singing, just random nonsense syllables made up on the spot.

40 Arctic, for one : OCEAN

The Arctic Ocean is in the north polar region, and is almost completely covered by sea ice in the winter. The amount of sea ice covering the Arctic Ocean during the summer has been dropping in recent times, as a consequence of climate change.

42 ’60s conflict site : ‘NAM

By some definitions, the official involvement of Americans in the Vietnam War started in 1955. At that time, President Eisenhower deployed a Military Assistance Advisory Group to assist in the training of the South Vietnamese Army. American involvement in the conflict officially ended in 1973, with the signing of an agreement that came out of the Paris Peace Accords.

54 “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.

55 Hopper on a pad : TOAD

The “warts” on the skin of a toad have no relation to the viral infection that can occur on human skin. A toad’s warts are colored bumps that are believed to help the animal blend more effectively into its environment.

56 Fixer’s proposed amt. : EST

Estimate (est.)

59 Hot holiday drink : WASSAIL

Wassail is ale or mulled wine used for toasting at festivals, especially Christmas. The term “wassail” comes from Old Norse “ves heill” meaning “be healthy”.

66 Big comm. company, once : ITT

International Telephone & Telegraph (ITT) was formed in 1920 from the Puerto Rico Telephone Company, and divested its telecommunications business in 1986. Today, ITT is known for its products in the field of water and fluids management, as well as motion and flow control. Many of ITT’s products are sold into the aerospace market.

68 Dawdle : LOLLYGAG

To lollygag (also “lallygag”) is to dawdle, to dally.

70 Winery prefix : OENO-

In Greek mythology, Oeno was the goddess of wine, giving us “oeno-” as a prefix meaning “wine”. For example, oenology is the study of wine and an oenophile is a wine-lover.

74 Summer setting in K.C. : CDT

Central Daylight Time (CDT)

The Kansas City (KC) metropolitan area straddles the stateline between Kansas and Missouri. The metropolitan area includes several cities, with the largest being (in order):

  • Kansas City, Missouri
  • Overland Park, Kansas
  • Kansas City, Kansas
  • Independence, Missouri

80 Inc. cousin : LLC

A limited liability company (LLC) has a structure that limits the liability of the owner or owners. It is a hybrid structure in the sense that it can be taxed as would an individual or partnership, while also maintaining the liability protection afforded to a corporation.

82 Keats’ “foster-child of silence and slow time” is one : URN

Here’s the first verse of the poem “Ode on a Grecian Urn” by John Keats:

THOU still unravish’d bride of quietness,
Thou foster-child of Silence and slow Time,
Sylvan historian, who canst thus express
A flowery tale more sweetly than our rhyme:
What leaf-fringed legend haunts about thy shape
Of deities or mortals, or of both,
In Tempe or the dales of Arcady?
What men or gods are these? What maidens loth?
What mad pursuit? What struggle to escape?
What pipes and timbrels? What wild ecstasy?

87 “The Fault in __ Stars”: 2014 film : OUR

“The Fault in Our Stars” is a 2014 film based on a novel of the same by John Green. Both film and novel are about two teenage cancer patients who fall in love with each other. The leads are played by Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort. The title is a rewording of lines spoken by Cassius in the play “Julius Caesar” by William Shakespeare:

The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars,
But in ourselves, that we are underlings.

94 Life-saving proc. : CPR

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) has for decades involved the simultaneous compression of the chest to pump blood using the heart, and artificial respiration by blowing air into the lungs. I hear that nowadays, emergency services are placing more emphasis on heart compressions, and less on artificial respiration.

96 Christmas display : CRECHE

In the Christian tradition, a nativity scene (also “crèche”) is a display representing the scene of the birth of Jesus. Nativity scenes might be subjects for paintings, for example, although the term is usually used for seasonal displays associated with the Christmas season.

97 Bone __ : MARROW

One of the main roles of bone marrow is the production of red blood cells, although this process is limited to the heads of the long bones in the body. Marrow also produces the lymphocytes that support the body’s immune system.

100 Trump game often with 24 cards : EUCHRE

Euchre is a card game that probably came to the US from Germany, introduced by German farmers who settled in Wisconsin. Euchre is a trick-taking game usually played by four people in two partnerships. Unlike bridge, Euchre is played with a stripped down deck of 24 or 32 cards. The verb “to euchre” is slang for “to cheat, swindle”, a term that presumably comes from the card game.

107 G-B-D, say : TRIAD

A triad is a group of three and, specifically in music, a chord made up of three notes.

112 Lipton of tea fame, for one : SCOT

Sir Thomas Lipton was a grocer in Glasgow, Scotland. He founded a tea packing company in North America in 1893, in Hoboken, New Jersey. He was very successful as his blends of tea became popular in the US. Despite the Lipton roots in the UK, Lipton black tea isn’t available there, so I’ve always thought of it as an American brand.

113 Cry of trepidation : UH-OH

Our word “trepidation”, meaning “fear”. comes from the Latin verb “tridare” meaning “to tremble”.

116 Nutrition regimen : DIET

Quite often, the terms “regime” and “regimen” seem to be used interchangeably. In contemporary usage, “regime” is applied more generally, and “regimen” more specifically. A “regimen” is a systematic approach that one might apply to something, to exercise or diet for example. The term “regime” can also be used in such contexts, but can have additional definitions, such as “government in power”. A form of government cannot be described as a “regimen”.

117 Basic French verb : ETRE

The verb “to be” translates into German as “sein”, and into French as “être”.

119 Filch : COP

“Filch” is a slang word meaning “steal”. One suggestion is that the term derives from the German “filzen” meaning “comb through”.

121 Sleep phenomenon, briefly : REM

“REM” is an acronym standing for “rapid eye movement”. REM sleep takes up 20-25% of the sleeping hours and is the period associated with one’s most vivid dreams.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Order not to pay : STOP
5 Attention-seeker’s word : AHEM
9 Make up one’s mind : DECIDE
15 Half of a theoretical duality : YANG
19 Frankfurt article : EINE
20 Make over : REDO
21 Serving from a buffet station : OMELET
22 Versed in : UP ON
23 Part of a successful baker’s rep? : CRUST CRED (from “rust red”)
25 Ice-cream shop cry? : CALL FOR CONE (from “all for one”)
27 Irritable : TESTY
28 Where to find Bend and Bandon: Abbr. : ORE
29 Mosaic part : TILE
30 Centers : NUCLEI
31 Joie de vivre : ELAN
33 New Age physician : HOLIST
35 Bundles that may be cylindrical : BALES
36 Nocturnal nuisance : SNORER
39 Critter that doesn’t sound interesting : BOAR
41 Fish in a spread : TUNA
43 Has too much, briefly : ODS
44 Report on a sucker? : COVER THE CHUMP (from “over the hump”)
48 Expressed, as a farewell : BADE
50 Imitated : APED
51 Early Iranian : MEDE
52 Simple Simon’s request : PIE
53 Try to live up to : EMULATE
57 Blue-striped ball : TEN
58 Amer. attorney’s study : US LAW
60 Proofer’s “Leave it alone” : STET
62 Chihuahua kisses : BESOS
63 W. alliance since 1948 : OAS
65 “Hadestown” creator Mitchell : ANAIS
67 Ice skater’s small talk? : COLD CHAT (from “old hat”)
69 Verify : CONFIRM
72 Metaphor for a mess : STY
73 Talked pompously : SPOUTED
74 Shell game item? : CHEAT CUP (from “heat up”)
75 Brown ermine : STOAT
77 Dumbbell abbr. : LBS
78 “Abandon all hope, ye who enter here” poet : DANTE
79 Puerto Rico, por ejemplo : ISLA
81 Company with orange-and-white trucks : U-HAUL
83 Friend : PAL
86 Golf club without much loft : TWO IRON
88 Smashed : LIT
90 Humble response to praise : I TRY
91 South Africa’s __ Town : CAPE
92 Sound of disgust, in comics : PTUI!
93 Salon receptionist’s job? : CLOCKING CLIPS (from “locking lips”)
96 One side of many rulers: Abbr. : CMS
99 Composer of the opera “Alfred” : ARNE
101 Oil cartel letters : OPEC
102 Smartphone sounds : ALERTS
103 Attempts to beat on foot : RACES
105 Bowler’s aversion : GUTTER
108 Desierto’s lack : AGUA
109 Listing in a revision, perhaps : ERRATA
111 “Juno” actor Michael : CERA
112 Many a bottom line : SUM
114 Wear away : ERODE
118 Cowardly committee head? : CRAVEN CHAIR (from “raven hair”)
120 Farmers market IOU? : CHARD CHIT (from “hard hit”)
122 Bob with jokes : HOPE
123 Back fin : DORSAL
124 Move like honey : OOZE
125 Manual reader : USER
126 Some farm moms : EWES
127 Swift : SPEEDY
128 Potential opponents of us : THEM
129 Carry : TOTE

Down

1 Group within a group : SECT
2 Lose energy : TIRE
3 Taxing task : ONUS
4 Wouldn’t leave be : PESTERED
5 Rainbow, e.g. : ARC
6 Egret, for one : HERON
7 River to the Fulda : EDER
8 Sleep __ : MODE
9 Tweak for better flavor, say : DOCTOR UP
10 Text alternative : EMAIL
11 Quartet in many a string orchestra : CELLI
12 Least healthy : ILLEST
13 Bit of OED info : DEF
14 Thames campus : ETON
15 Desert plant in the asparagus family : YUCCA
16 Lunar program : APOLLO
17 “You don’t have to” : NO NEED
18 Pleasant-sounding rock? : GNEISS
24 Polk predecessor : TYLER
26 Sound from a nursery rhyme trio : RUB-A-DUB-DUB
32 Aesthetic notes : ART MUSIC
33 “Caught you!” : HAH!
34 Sleeveless garment : TUBE TOP
36 Vocal improv : SCAT
37 “Uh-uh!” : NOPE!
38 Kitchen fixture : OVEN
39 Late-night reading aids : BED LAMPS
40 Arctic, for one : OCEAN
42 ’60s conflict site : ‘NAM
45 Guys : HES
46 Greeting card sentiment : MISS YOU
47 Carrier rider : PET
49 Chooses : ELECTS
54 “A Hard Road to Glory” author : ASHE
55 Hopper on a pad : TOAD
56 Fixer’s proposed amt. : EST
59 Hot holiday drink : WASSAIL
61 Overjoyed : ECSTATIC
63 How police might act : ON A TIP
64 Wine drinker’s bonus : AFTERTASTE
66 Big comm. company, once : ITT
68 Dawdle : LOLLYGAG
69 Tobacco plug : CHAW
70 Winery prefix : OENO-
71 Making a mess of : RUINING
74 Summer setting in K.C. : CDT
76 “Take __!” : A HIKE
80 Inc. cousin : LLC
82 Keats’ “foster-child of silence and slow time” is one : URN
83 Two together : PAIR
84 Cal. entry : APPT
85 Not so pricey : LESS
87 “The Fault in __ Stars”: 2014 film : OUR
89 Badly timed, sometimes : TOO EARLY
91 Easy to see : CLEAR-CUT
94 Life-saving proc. : CPR
95 Like crossword answers : CLUED
96 Christmas display : CRECHE
97 Bone __ : MARROW
98 Abrasion : SCRAPE
100 Trump game often with 24 cards : EUCHRE
104 Icicle sites : EAVES
106 Gibe : TEASE
107 G-B-D, say : TRIAD
108 Fill with wonder : AMAZE
110 Added stipulations : ANDS
112 Lipton of tea fame, for one : SCOT
113 Cry of trepidation : UH-OH
115 Very : OH SO
116 Nutrition regimen : DIET
117 Basic French verb : ETRE
119 Filch : COP
121 Sleep phenomenon, briefly : REM