Constructed by: Alex Bajcz
Edited by: Rich Norris
Quicklink to a complete list of today’s clues and answers
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Theme: Volumizing
Today’s themed answers are common phrases that have been VOLUMIZED (to use a hairstyling term). The constructor has ADDED “BODY” to each common phrase:
- 23A…Obstruct one’s buddies during a hockey game?..BODYCHECK MATES (body + “checkmates”)
- 32A…Crimson Tide wrestler?..ALABAMA BODY-SLAMMER (body + “Alabama Slammer”)
- 52A…Snoop’s job?..BUSYBODY WORK (body + “busywork”)
- 69A…Royal with a broadcasting award?..PRINCESS AND THE PEABODY (body + “Princess and the Pea”)
- 88A…Central garage item?..BODY SHOP LIFT (body + “shoplift”)
- 104A…Benchmark for a movie daredevil?..BODY DOUBLE STANDARD (body + “double standard”)
- 119A…Immunology-themed gala?..ANTIBODY SOCIAL (body + “antisocial”)
Bill’s time: 21m 42s
Bill’s errors: 0
Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
5…Chin-up muscle, briefly..LAT
The muscles known as the “lats” are the latissimi dorsi, the broadest muscles in the back. “Latissimus” is the Latin for “broadest” and “dorsum” is Latin for “back”.
13…Capital of Eritrea..ASMARA
Asmara is the capital and largest city in Eritrea.
20…Peyton’s brother..ELI
Eli Manning plays as quarterback for the New York Giants. Eli’s brother Peyton Manning is quarterback for the Denver Broncos. Eli and Peyton’s father is Archie Manning, who was also a successful NFL quarterback.
21…NSX automaker..ACURA
Honda’s 2-seater sports car called the Honda NSX is marketed as the Acura NSX here in North America. It’s the same car, but we like to pay more for Acuras than Hondas ….
22…Cavatappi and such..PASTAS
Cavatappi is like elbow macaroni, except that the elbow has been twisted into a helical shape. “Cavatappi” is Italian for “corkscrew”.
26…Strapless accessory..CLUTCH
A clutch purse is a handbag with a detachable strap at all. It is designed to be carried in the hand, to be “clutched”.
27…Norwegian for “sloping track”..SLALOM
“Slalom” is an anglicized version of the Norwegian word “slalam” that translates as “skiing race”, or more literally as “sloping track”. There is a longer version of the traditional slalom that is called giant slalom.
29…”Heat of the Moment” band..ASIA
Asia is a British supergroup, a group comprising four members from four other rock bands. The original lineup was:
- John Wetton (formerly of Roxy Music)
- Stephen Howe (from Yes)
- Geoff Downes (from the Buggles, and from Yes)
- Carl Palmer (from Emerson, Lake and Palmer)
32…Crimson Tide wrestler?..ALABAMA BODY-SLAMMER (body + “Alabama Slammer”)
An Alabama Slammer is cocktail that is served over ice in a Collins glass. A common recipe is:
- ¾ oz. Amaretto
- ¾ oz. Southern Comfort
- ¾ oz. Sloe Gin
- top up with orange juice
The athletic teams of the University of Alabama (“Bama”) are nicknamed the Crimson Tide, a reference to the team colors of crimson and white.
41…Brooding rock genre..EMO
The musical genre of “emo” originated in Washington D.C. in the 80s, and takes its name from “emotional hardcore”. Not my cup of tea …
45…Paneer cheese go-with..NAAN
Naan (also “nan”) bread is very popular in Indian restaurants, as well as in other West, Central and South Asian cuisines. Indian Naan is traditionally baked in a clay oven known as a tandoor.
Paneer is a South Asian cheese, most commonly encountered in Indian dishes here in North America. Paneer is a “fresh cheese”, one that is made just before it is consumed.
48…Los Angeles rarity..SNOW
There hasn’t been any snow recorded in Los Angeles since 1962.
56…Nick time?..NITE
“Nick at Nite” is the name given to the late-night programming aired on the Nickelodeon channel space. Nick at Nite started broadcasting in 1985 and was conceived as television’s first “oldies” television network.
58…Payless box letters..EEE
Payless ShoeSource is discount shoe store that was founded in 1956 in Topeka, Kansas.
60…Dublin-to-Blackpool dir…ENE
This is a remarkable (and somewhat esoteric) pairing of locations. “Dublin” translates into English as “black pool”.
The city of Dublin, the capital of Ireland, is known as Baile Átha Cliath in Irish (“town of the hurdled ford”). The English name “Dublin” is an anglicized form of the older Irish name for the city “Dubh Linn”, meaning “black pool”.
Blackpool is a town on the Lancashire coast in the northwest of England. It is a famous seaside resort, and is home to Blackpool Tower. The tower is a steel structure standing over 500 feet tall, and which resembles the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
61…Home of The Hague: Abbr…NETH
Den Haag is the Dutch name for the city in the Netherlands that we know in English as The Hague. Even though The Hague is the seat of the Dutch parliament and is where Queen Beatrix resides, it is not the country’s capital city. That honor goes to Amsterdam.
62…Pres. and veep..LDRS
Leader (ldr.)
63…Elroy Jetson’s best friend..ASTRO
“The Jetsons” is an animated show from Hanna-Barbera that had its first run in 1962-1963, and then was recreated in 1985-1987. When it was debuted in 1963 by ABC, “The Jetsons” was the network’s first ever color broadcast. “The Jetsons” are like a space-age version of “The Flintstones”. The four Jetson family members are George and Jane, the parents, and children Judy and Elroy. Residing with the family are Rosie the household robot, and Astro the pet dog.
65…It might be a mirage..OASIS
A mirage occurs when light rays are bent by passing say from cold air to warmer air. The most often cited mirage is a “lake” seen in a desert, which is actually the blue of the sky and not water at all. The word “mirage” comes to us via French from the Latin “mirare” meaning “to look at in wonder”. “Mirage” has the same root as our words “admire” and “mirror”.
69…Royal with a broadcasting award?..PRINCESS AND THE PEABODY (body + “Princess and the Pea”)
The Peabody Awards have been presented annually since 1941 to individuals and organizations for excellence in broadcasting. They are named for businessman and philanthropist George Foster Peabody, who provided the funds to establish the awards program.
74…Right-hand pages..RECTOS
The left and right pages of a book or magazine are known in publishing circles as verso and recto. Recto comes from the Latin for “right”, and verso comes from the Latin word for “turned”. The idea is that the left side of the page is “turned” and is the reverse of the recto/right side.
76…Car buyer’s choice..COUPE
The type of car known as a “coupe” or “coupé” is a closed automobile with two doors. The name comes from the French word “couper” meaning “to cut”. In most parts of the English-speaking world the pronunciation adheres to the original French, but here in most of North America we go with “coop”. The original coupé was a horse-drawn carriage that was cut (coupé) to eliminate the rear-facing passenger seats. That left just a driver and two front-facing passengers. If the driver was left without a roof and out in the open, then the carriage was known as a “coupé de-ville”.
77…Pocket rockets, in poker..ACES
A pair of aces are referred to as “pocket rockets”, particularly when holding them in the hand (the pocket) in the popular variant of poker known as Texas hold ‘em. The term “rockets” is used as the letters A written side-by-side look like two small rockets on the launchpad (AA).
80…JFK speechwriter Sorensen..TED
Ted Sorensen was John F. Kennedy’s speech-writer, and he wrote a biography about the President called “Kennedy”. President Kennedy once referred to Sorensen as his “intellectual blood bank”.
82…Churro relative..CRULLER
Crullers (also “twisters”) are fried pastries that have a twisted shape. The pastry’s name comes from the Dutch “kruller” meaning “to curl”. Crullers are a traditional dish served on Shrove Tuesday (the day before Lent) in some European countries, including Germany.
86…Often laceless shoe..MOC
“Moc” is short for “moccasin”, the type of shoe.
92…Watson outburst..I SAY!
In the marvelous Sherlock Holmes stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Holmes’ sidekick Dr. Watson is referred to only by his family name, except for two occasions when it is revealed that his first name is John. However, in a third and final mention, Dr. Watson is called “James” by his wife, apparently a lapse in memory on the part of the author.
94…”Go __ Watchman”: Harper Lee novel..SET A
Nelle Harper Lee was an author from Monroeville, Alabama. For many years, Lee had only one published novel to her name. That is a “To Kill a Mockingbird”, a contribution to the world of literature was enough to earn her the Presidential Medal of Freedom and a Pulitzer Prize. Harper Lee was a close friend of fellow author Truman Capote who was the inspiration for the character named “Dill” in her novel. Lee was all over the news in 2015 as she had published a second novel, titled “Go Set a Watchman”. The experts seem to be agreeing that “Go Set a Watchman” is actually a first draft of “To Kill a Mockingbird”. Lee passed away less than a year after “Go Set a Watchman” hit the stores.
95…90 degrees from norte..ESTE
The cardinal directions in Spanish are “norte” (north), “este” (east), “sur” (south) and “oeste” (west).
96…Gp. including the Rockies..NL WEST
The Colorado Rockies are the Major League Baseball team in Denver, Colorado. The Rockies joined the league in 1993 as an expansion team, and have played at Coors Field since 1995.
98…Bk. fair organizer..PTA
Parent-Teacher Association (PTA)
110…Org. led by a Grand Exalted Ruler..BPOE
The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (BPOE) was founded in 1868, and is a social club that has about a million members today. It started out as a group of men getting together in a “club” in order to get around the legal opening hours of taverns in New York City. The club took on a new role as it started to look out for poor families of members who passed away. The CEO of the BPOE is known as the Grand Exalted Ruler. He’s helped out by the Grand Secretary, Grand Esteemed Leading Knight, Grand Esteemed Loyal Knight, Grand Esteemed Lecturing Knight, Grand Treasurer, Grand Tiler,,Grand Inner Guard and Grand Trustees.
112…Muss..TOUSLE
A “muss” is state of disorder, and a term that probably evolved from “mess”. The phrase “no muss, no fuss” means “no bother, no mess made, no excessive hustle and bustle”.
119…Immunology-themed gala?..ANTIBODY SOCIAL (body + “antisocial”)
Antibodies are y-shaped proteins that recognize antigens on foreign bodies in the body such as bacteria and viruses. The antibodies combine with those foreign bodies and neutralize them.
122…Eccentric sort..GEEZER
“Geezer” and “coot” are two not-so-nice terms for an old man.
124…White House accounting gp…OMB
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is the successor to the Bureau of the Budget, formed in 1970 during the Nixon administration. The main task of the OMB is to prepare the budget for the federal government, and the Director of the OMB is a member of the Cabinet.
128…The G in LGBT..GAY
Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT)
129…Round Table honorifics..SIRS
King Arthur (and his Round Table) probably never really existed, but his legend is very persistent. Arthur was supposedly a leader of the Romano-British as they tried to resist the invasion of the Anglo-Saxons in the late 5th and early 6th centuries.
Down
2…Carrie Underwood, for one..IDOL
Carrie Underwood is a country singer, and the winner of the fourth season of “American Idol”. Underwood is the most successful “Idol” winner to date, in terms of music sales.
3…Helen of Troy’s mother..LEDA
In Greek mythology, Leda was the beautiful Queen of Sparta who was seduced by Zeus when he took the form of a swan. Leda produced two eggs from the union. One egg hatched into the beautiful Helen, later to be known as Helen of Troy and over whom was fought the Trojan War. The other egg hatched into the twins Castor and Pollux. Castor and Pollux had different fathers according to the myth. Pollux was the son of Zeus and was immortal, while Castor was the son of Leda’s earthly husband, and so he was a mortal. William Butler Yeats wrote a famous sonnet called “Leda and the Swan” in 1924. Peter Paul Rubens made a copy of a painting called “Leda and the Swan” by Michelangelo, which is now lost.
4…1992 Best Rock Song Grammy winner..LAYLA
“Layla” is one of the great rock anthems of the seventies, released as a single by Derek and the Dominos in December of 1970. It is a masterpiece of composition, with the first half of the song a great vehicle for the guitar-playing talents of Eric Clapton. The second half is a beautifully melodic piano coda (a coda … taking up half the length of the track!). To top things off, we have the “unplugged” version recorded by Clapton in 1992, a fabulous and inventive variation on the original.
Layla, you’ve got me on my knees.
Layla, I’m begging, darling please.
Layla, darling won’t you ease my worried mind.
5…Big name in 2008 financial news..LEHMAN
Lehman Brothers was one of the global financial services companies at the center of the recent financial crisis. Lehman Brothers filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2008, the largest bankruptcy filing in American history.
6…Lagunitas product..ALE
The Lagunitas Brewing Company was founded in 1993 and takes its name from Lagunitas, California where the brewery was originally located. Famously, the brewery has been associated with the use of marijuana. There used to be a tradition of a weekly party at which marijuana was openly smoked. The State of California went so far as to shut down operations in 2005 for twenty days while they investigated alleged cannabis dealing. No charges were filed, and the Lagunitas later brought out a beer called “Undercover Investigation Shut-Down Ale”.
8…The Miracles’ label..TAMLA
Tamla Records was started in 1959 by Berry Gordy, Jr. Gordy started a second record label the following year, called Motown …
The musical group known as the Miracles got together in 1955. The group was first called the Matadors, and was later known as Smokey Robinson & the Miracles. Their biggest hit was the great song from 1970 called “The Tears of a Clown”.
10…Baklava morsel..NUT
Baklava is a very sweet and rich (and delicious) dessert pastry made from layers of filo dough filled with nuts and sweetened with honey or syrup. The name “baklava” comes from the Ottoman Turkish name for the pastry.
13…Math course for coll. credit..AP CALC
The Advanced Placement (AP) program, as many of us parents know, offers college level courses to kids that are still in high school. After being tested at the end of the courses, successful students receive credits that count towards a college degree. My bank manager is all for anything that gets college students through in 4 years!
The Latin word “calculus” was originally used for a reckoning or an account, and originally applied to a pebble that was used to maintain a count. The Latin word came from the Greek for a pebble, “khalix”.
14…__ Khan, online academy founder..SAL
“Khan Academy” is a not-for-profit organization that aims to provide a “free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere”. Founded by educator Sal Khan in 2006, the academy mainly teaches mathematics and science through the medium of YouTube videos. Check out some of the videos. They are really excellent …
15…The NCAA’s Spartans..MSU
Michigan State University (MSU) is located in East Lansing, Michigan. MSU has the largest study-abroad program of any single-campus university in the US. Programs are offered on all continents of the world, including Antarctica. MSU’s athletic teams are called the Spartans.
18…One of Israel’s 12 tribes..ASHER
In the Book of Genesis, Asher was the second son of Jacob and Zilpah, the handmaid to Jacob’s wife Leah. He founded the tribe of Asr, one of the twelve tribes of Israel.
25…Sister of Khloé..KIM
Kim Kardashian is a socialite and television personality. She was introduced into society by her friend, Paris Hilton. Kardashian’s name first hit the headlines when a private, homemade sex tape made by her and singer Ray J was leaked.
Khloé Kardashian managed to parlay her exposure on the reality show “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” into spin-offs called “Kourtney and Khloé Take Miami” and “Khloé & Lamar”. Guess how many episodes of those three shows that I’ve seen …
33…Sprees..BENDERS
Both “jag” and “bender” describe periods of unrestrained activity, particularly involving alcohol. Both words have been in use since the 1800s.
34…Trans-Siberian Railway city..OMSK
Omsk is a city in southwest Siberia. It is located over 1400 miles from Moscow and was chosen as the destination for many internal exiles in the mid-1900s. Perhaps the most famous of these exiles was the author Fyodor Dostoyevsky.
Siberia is a vast area in Northern Asia. The region’s industrial development started with the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway from 1891 to 1916, which linked Siberia to Russia in the west.
36…Soong __-ling: Madame Chiang..MEI
Soong Mei-ling was the Republic of China’s First Lady from 1948 to 1975, the wife of President Chiang Kai-shek. Mei-Ling was also the sister-in-law of Sun Yat-sen, who founded the Republic.
37…Disarmament subj…ICBM
An Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) is a ballistic missile with the range necessary to cross between continents. Being ballistic (as opposed to a cruise missile) an ICBM is guided during the initial launch phase, but later in flight just relies on thrust and gravity to arrive at its target. It is defined as intercontinental as it has a range greater than 3,500 miles. ICBMs are really only used for delivering nuclear warheads. Scary stuff …
38…Feng __..SHUI
Feng shui is the ancient Chinese tradition of arranging objects, buildings and other structures in a manner that is said to improve the lives of the individuals living in or using the space. “Feng shui” translates as “wind-water”, a reference to the belief that positive and negative life forces ride the wind and scatter, but are retained when they encounter water.
53…”Psycho” shower scene blood, actually..BOSCO
Bosco Chocolate Syrup is produced in New Jersey, and first hit store shelves in 1928.
Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 movie “Psycho” was based on a 1959 novel of the same name by Robert Bloch. In turn, the novel was loosely based on real-life events that took place in Wisconsin. The famous shower scene runs for a full 3 minutes, and is one of the most iconic scenes in cinematic history. The blood shown in the shower is actually chocolate syrup, and the sounds of the knife going into flesh are the sounds of a knife being plunged into a melon.
54…Beseeches..OBTESTS
“To obtest” is to earnestly beseech, or to invoke as a witness. New to me …
57…Capital since 2002..THE EURO
The European Union (EU) today stands at a membership of 28 states. The Euro is the official currency of only 19 of the 28. The list of states in the EU that don’t use the Euro includes the UK, Denmark and Sweden.
61…Bethesda medical agcy…NIH
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is made up of 27 different institutes that coordinate their research and services, primarily in Bethesda, Maryland. Examples of member institutes are the National Cancer Institute, the National Institute of Mental Health and the National Institute on Aging.
62…”Lady Marmalade” singer..LABELLE
Patti LaBelle is the stage name of singer Patricia Holt-Edwards from Philadelphia. She started her career in the sixties as the lead singer of the vocal group Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles, later changing its name to simply “LaBelle”. When the group disbanded in 1976, Patti launched a remarkably successful solo career.
“Lady Marmalade” is a song that was most famously recorded by Labelle in 1975. A 2001 cover version by Christina Aguilera, Lil’ Kim, Mya and Pink was also very successful, released from the soundtrack of the film “Moulin Rouge!”. The song is noted for its suggestive chorus “Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir?”, which translates from French as “Do you want to sleep with me tonight?”
64…Coveted statuettes..OSCARS
Legend has it that actor Emilio Fernández was the model for the Oscar statuette. Cedric Gibbons, art director at MGM, created the design and supposedly convinced a reluctant Fernández to pose nude for “Oscar”.
66…Fury and Silver of classic TV..STEEDS
“Fury” is a Western TV show that originally ran in the later fifties. Stars of the show were Peter Graves (later Jim Phelps in TV’s “Mission Impossible”) and Bobby Diamond (now an attorney in Los Angeles), playing a California rancher and his son. The title character is the son’s horse.
69…London strollers..PRAMS
Another word used in the UK that’s rarely used over here is “pram”, which in my day was the most common term for what is called a baby carriage in the US. “Pram” is short for “perambulator”.
73…Diving duck..POCHARD
The common pochard is a migratory diving duck that is breeds in northern Europe and winters in southern part of the continent.
83…Former L.A. Sparks All-Star __ Leslie..LISA
Lisa Leslie is a former professional basketball player who played in the WNBA with the Los Angeles Sparks. Leslie is rather tall, and was the first player to dunk the ball in a WNBA game.
87…Drove, with “off”..TEED
That would be in golf.
88…Modern storage unit..BYTE
In the world of computers, a “bit” is the basic unit of information. It has a value of 0 or 1. A “byte” is a small collection of bits (usually 8), the number of bits needed to uniquely identify a character of text. The prefix mega- stands for 10 to the power of 6, so a megabyte (meg) is 1,000,000 bytes. And the prefix giga- means 10 to the power of 9, so a gigabyte (gig) is 1,000,000,000 bytes. Well, those are the SI definitions of megabyte and kilobyte. The purists still use 2 to the power of 20 for a megabyte (i.e. 1,048,576), and 2 to the power of 30 for a gigabyte.
91…Letters after either Cowboy St. senator’s name..R-WY
Republican, from Wyoming (R-WY)
Wyoming is nicknamed the “Equality State”, and the state’s motto is “equal rights”. Wyoming was the first state to give women the vote, and the first to allow women serve on juries. It was also the first state to have a female governor, Nellie Tayloe Ross, who took office in 1925. Unofficially, Wyoming is also referred to as the “Cowboy State”.
Mike Enzi is the senior US Senator from Wyoming, and has been in office since 1997. Enzi succeeded Senator Ted Kennedy as the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.
John Barrasso is the junior US Senator from Wyoming, and has been office since 2007. Barrasso is a physician, receiving his MD degree in 1978 from Georgetown. In that capacity, he also worked as a rodeo physician for the Professional Rodeo Cowboy’s Association. Senator Barrasso still authors a regular newspaper column called “Keeping Wyoming Healthy”.
93…In spades..APLENTY
The phrase “in spades” meaning “in abundance” dates back to the late twenties and probably comes from the game of bridge, in which spades are the highest-ranking suit.
101…”Great” literary hero..GATSBY
“The Great Gatsby” is a 1925 novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald that tells of the prosperous life of Jay Gatsby during the Roaring 20s. Gatsby develops an obsessive love for Daisy Fay Buchanan, a girl he met while serving during WWI, and meets again some years later after he has improved his social standing.
104…NW Portuguese city..BRAGA
The Portuguese city of Braga has been around for quite a while. It was founded by the Romans in 20 BCE, as Bracara Augusta. “Bracara” is a reference to the Bracari, a Celtic people that inhabited the area. “Augustus” is a reference to Augustus, the first Emperor of Rome, and who was in office at the time.
113…Popular assistant..SIRI
Siri is software application that works with Apple’s iOS operating system. “Siri” is an acronym standing for Speech Interpretation and Recognition Interface. You’ve probably seen the ads on television, with folks talking to their iPhones asking for information and responding with a voice. I hear that Google is a little scared by Siri, as Siri is non-visual. There’s no need to touch a screen or a keyboard to work with Siri, no opportunity to click on one of Google’s ads! By the way, voice-over artist Susan Bennett revealed herself as the female American voice of Siri not that long ago. The British version of Siri is called Daniel, and the Australian version is called Karen. Also, “Siri” is a Norwegian name meaning “beautiful woman who leads you to victory”, and was the name the developer had chosen for his first child.
117…Nitrogenous 81-Down..AZO
(81D…Vat filler..DYE)
Azo compounds have very vivid colors and so are used to make dyes, especially dyes with the colors red, orange and yellow. The term “azo” comes from the French word “azote” meaning “nitrogen”. French chemist Lavoisier coined the term “azote” from the Greek word “azotos” meaning “lifeless”. He used this name as in pure nitrogen/azote animals die and flames are snuffed out (due to a lack of oxygen).
118…Be in a bee..SEW
Back in 18th-century America, when neighbors would gather to work for the benefit of one of their group, such a meeting was called a bee. The name “bee” was an allusion to the social nature of the insect. In modern parlance, a further element of entertainment and pleasure has been introduced, for example in a “quilting bee”, or even a “spelling bee”.
121…”The Peruvian Songbird” Sumac..YMA
Yma Sumac was a Peruvian soprano. Sumac had a notable vocal range of five octaves, and was known as “The Peruvian Songbird”.
Complete List of Clues and Answers
Across
1…Eliminate, as a vacancy..FILL
5…Chin-up muscle, briefly..LAT
8…Car window options..TINTS
13…Capital of Eritrea..ASMARA
19…”I’ve got it!” elicitor..IDEA
20…Peyton’s brother..ELI
21…NSX automaker..ACURA
22…Cavatappi and such..PASTAS
23…Obstruct one’s buddies during a hockey game?..BODYCHECK MATES (body + “checkmates”)
26…Strapless accessory..CLUTCH
27…Norwegian for “sloping track”..SLALOM
28…Baking site..KILN
29…”Heat of the Moment” band..ASIA
31…Scrape (by)..EKE
32…Crimson Tide wrestler?..ALABAMA BODY-SLAMMER (body + “Alabama Slammer”)
37…Movement suffix..-ISM
40…One more time..ANEW
41…Brooding rock genre..EMO
42…Agree to a friending request..ACCEPT
43…Talk..CHAT
45…Paneer cheese go-with..NAAN
48…Los Angeles rarity..SNOW
50…”__ where it hurts!”..HIT ‘EM
52…Snoop’s job?..BUSYBODY WORK (body + “busywork”)
56…Nick time?..NITE
58…Payless box letters..EEE
59…Bio lab organism..MICROBE
60…Dublin-to-Blackpool dir…ENE
61…Home of The Hague: Abbr…NETH
62…Pres. and veep..LDRS
63…Elroy Jetson’s best friend..ASTRO
65…It might be a mirage..OASIS
67…Pumps up..ELATES
69…Royal with a broadcasting award?..PRINCESS AND THE PEABODY (body + “Princess and the Pea”)
74…Right-hand pages..RECTOS
75…Tapped..CHOSE
76…Car buyer’s choice..COUPE
77…Pocket rockets, in poker..ACES
78…Quaint contraction..’TWAS
80…JFK speechwriter Sorensen..TED
82…Churro relative..CRULLER
86…Often laceless shoe..MOC
87…Bygone autocrat..TSAR
88…Central garage item?..BODY SHOP LIFT (body + “shoplift”)
90…[What a snoozefest!]..SNORE!
92…Watson outburst..I SAY!
94…”Go __ Watchman”: Harper Lee novel..SET A
95…90 degrees from norte..ESTE
96…Gp. including the Rockies..NL WEST
98…Bk. fair organizer..PTA
100…Try to convince..URGE
103…Beast of burden..ASS
104…Benchmark for a movie daredevil?..BODY DOUBLE STANDARD (body + “double standard”)
109…One in a rack..RIB
110…Org. led by a Grand Exalted Ruler..BPOE
111…Three-and-out follower, in football..PUNT
112…Muss..TOUSLE
116…Relaxed..AT EASE
119…Immunology-themed gala?..ANTIBODY SOCIAL (body + “antisocial”)
122…Eccentric sort..GEEZER
123…Compete in an impromptu “contest”..STARE
124…White House accounting gp…OMB
125…Sleek..TRIM
126…Pointers..ARROWS
127…Varieties..TYPES
128…The G in LGBT..GAY
129…Round Table honorifics..SIRS
Down
1…Tells tales..FIBS
2…Carrie Underwood, for one..IDOL
3…Helen of Troy’s mother..LEDA
4…1992 Best Rock Song Grammy winner..LAYLA
5…Big name in 2008 financial news..LEHMAN
6…Lagunitas product..ALE
7…Pass by, as time..TICK AWAY
8…The Miracles’ label..TAMLA
9…Promising “Are you available?” response..I CAN BE
10…Baklava morsel..NUT
11…Walk all over..TREAD ON
12…Impertinent..SASSY
13…Math course for coll. credit..AP CALC
14…__ Khan, online academy founder..SAL
15…The NCAA’s Spartans..MSU
16…Tried proving that one could..ATTEMPTED TO
17…Engaged in organized crime..RACKETEERED
18…One of Israel’s 12 tribes..ASHER
24…Vending machine choice..COLA
25…Sister of Khloé..KIM
30…Witness’ statement..I SAW IT
33…Sprees..BENDERS
34…Trans-Siberian Railway city..OMSK
35…Need ice, maybe..ACHE
36…Soong __-ling: Madame Chiang..MEI
37…Disarmament subj…ICBM
38…Feng __..SHUI
39…Gram. gender..MASC
44…Absolute rulers..TYRANTS
46…Leave speechless..AWE
47…”Stop! You’re ruining everything!”..NO NO NO!
49…”Hold that thought”..ONE SEC
51…Like some breakups..MESSY
53…”Psycho” shower scene blood, actually..BOSCO
54…Beseeches..OBTESTS
55…Entertains with a bedtime story..READS TO
57…Capital since 2002..THE EURO
61…Bethesda medical agcy…NIH
62…”Lady Marmalade” singer..LABELLE
64…Coveted statuettes..OSCARS
66…Fury and Silver of classic TV..STEEDS
68…Eagerly consume..LAP UP
69…London strollers..PRAMS
70…Keep tabs on the enemy..RECONNOITER
71…Ballpark vendor’s cry..ICE-COLD BEER!
72…Contented sounds..AHS
73…Diving duck..POCHARD
79…Watch (for)..WAIT UP
81…Vat filler..DYE
83…Former L.A. Sparks All-Star __ Leslie..LISA
84…Young newts..EFTS
85…Numbered rds…RTES
87…Drove, with “off”..TEED
88…Modern storage unit..BYTE
89…Nonhuman film substitute..STUNT DOG
91…Letters after either Cowboy St. senator’s name..R-WY
93…In spades..APLENTY
97…Gets serious..SOBERS
99…Have grand plans..ASPIRE
101…”Great” literary hero..GATSBY
102…Switch end..-EROO
104…NW Portuguese city..BRAGA
105…Talk oneself up..BOAST
106…Straws, e.g…TUBES
107…”So that’s __?”..A NO
108…Sources of tears..DUCTS
113…Popular assistant..SIRI
114…Private retreat..LAIR
115…Shade trees..ELMS
117…Nitrogenous 81-Down..AZO
118…Be in a bee..SEW
120…Gentle attention-getter..TAP
121…”The Peruvian Songbird” Sumac..YMA