LA Times Crossword 28 May 23, Sunday

Constructed by: Rose Sloan & Shannon Rapp
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Theme: Secret Ingredients

Themed answers each include the name of a SPICE as a hidden word, but the letters of the name have been BLENDED, had the order changed:

123A Mixes such as garam masala and ras el hanout, and what are found in this puzzle’s circles? : SPICE BLENDS

23A Pony car since 1964 : FORD MUSTANG (hiding blended “mustard”)
34A Flavor with Oreos : COOKIES AND CREAM (hiding blended “anise”)
52A Association for former classmates : ALUMNI CLUB (hiding blended “cumin”)
58A Genre satirized in “Only Murders in the Building” : TRUE CRIME (hiding blended “turmeric”)
72A “Back to the Future” vehicle : TIME MACHINE (hiding blended “mace”)
86A Rom-com mainstay : LOVE SCENE (hiding blended “cloves”)
89A Bank job necessity : GETAWAY CAR (hiding blended “caraway”)
110A Information often included in a bridal shower invitation : WEDDING REGISTRY (hiding blended “ginger”)

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

Want to discuss the puzzle? Then …
… leave a comment

Bill’s time: 17m 52s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 West African capital : ACCRA

Accra sits on Ghana’s coast and is a major seaport as well as the country’s capital city. The name “Accra” comes from a local word “Nkran” meaning “ants”, a name chosen because of the large number of anthills found in the area when the city was founded.

6 Page with many views? : OP-ED

“Op-ed” is an abbreviation for “opposite the editorial page”. Op-eds started in “The New York Evening World” in 1921 when the page opposite the editorials was used for articles written by a named guest writer, someone independent of the editorial board.

17 Root beer treats : FLOATS

Root beer is a beverage that is very North American, and is rarely found elsewhere in the world. Root beer originated in the 1700s and was made from the root of the sassafras plant. The traditional root beer was a beverage with a very low alcohol content, and today there are many versions that contain no alcohol at all. The sassafras root was used as the primary flavor ingredient right up until 1960, when the FDA banned its use as tests determined that it was a carcinogen.

19 Apple’s counterpart of 3-Down : SIRI
[3D Microsoft’s counterpart of 19-Across : CORTANA]

Siri was originally developed as a standalone app by a startup company of the same name. Apple acquired the company in 2010 and integrated the technology into their operating system.

20 Sportbacks, e.g. : AUDIS

The Audi name has an interesting history. The Horch company was founded by August Horch in 1909. Early in the life of the new company, Horch was forced out of his own business. He set up a new enterprise and continued to use his own name as a brand. The old company sued him for using the Horch name so a meeting was held to choose something new. Horch’s young son was studying Latin in the room where the meeting was taking place. He pointed out that “horch” was German for “hear” and he suggested “Audi” as a replacement, the Latin for “listen”.

22 Morita of “The Karate Kid” : PAT

Pat Morita was a Japanese-American actor who was born in Isleton, California. Morita’s most noted roles were playing “Arnold” on TV’s “Happy Days”, and Mr. Miyagi in “The Karate Kid” movies. Morita was just a child during WWII and spent most of it in the Gila River internment camp in Arizona with his family.

The 1984 film “The Karate Kid” starred Ralph Macchio in the title role, with Pat Morita playing the enigmatic karate teacher Mr. Miyagi. There is an excellent 2010 remake, starring Jaden Smith (Will Smith’s son) as the Karate Kid himself, with Jackie Chan playing the teacher. In the original 1984 movie, the Karate Kid was named Daniel LaRusso, and in the 2010 remake was named Dre Parker.

23 Pony car since 1964 : FORD MUSTANG (hiding blended “mustard”)

The Ford Mustang car was introduced in 1964. Back then the Mustang wasn’t a brand new design, but was based on the Ford Falcon. The Mustang was the first of the “pony cars”, American models that are compact and affordable, as well as sporty in image and performance.

There are several species of mustard plant. The condiment that we know as “mustard” is made from the plant’s seeds, mixed with water and vinegar. The leaves can be eaten as mustard greens.

27 Jazz legend James : ETTA

“Etta James” was the stage name of celebrated R&B and jazz singer Jamesetta Hawkins. James was an acquaintance of civil rights activist Malcom X. For ten years, she was a member of the Nation of Islam, and used the name “Jamesetta X”.

28 Kelly Clarkson’s “Since U __ Gone” : BEEN

“Since U Been Gone” is a song written by Max Martin and Dr. Luke that they hoped would be recorded by Pink. Pink passed on the opportunity to record it, and so they offered it to Hilary Duff. Duff passed as well, and so the song went to Kelly Clarkson. Clarkson’s 2004 recording did well in the charts.

31 Cellphone giant : NOKIA

I do enjoy classical guitar music, but there isn’t a huge choice on CD. There is one very special piece called “Gran Vals” by Francisco Tárrega, written in 1902. This piece has a unique reputation as it contains a phrase that was once the most listened-to piece of music in the whole world. Just a few bars into the work one can hear the celebrated Nokia ringtone!

32 Green sold in rainbow bunches : CHARD

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.

34 Flavor with Oreos : COOKIES AND CREAM (hiding blended “anise”)

The essential oil in the anise plant is anethole. Anethole has a licorice-like flavor, and is used extensively in cooking and to flavor several distilled alcoholic drinks.

40 PreCheck org. : TSA

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) operates its precheck program known as “TSA Pre✓” (or “TSA PreCheck”). Members of the program receive expedited screening at most airports. In order to become a member, a traveler must apply online, appear in person at a designated office for a background check and fingerprinting, and pay a fee for a 5-year membership.

42 Govt. ID issuer : SSA

Social Security Administration (SSA)

43 Comice, e.g. : PEAR

The Comice (also “Doyenné du Comice”) is a variety of pear from France that was developed in the 1840s. It was introduced in the US in 1850. The Comice is a delicious pear …

48 D&D monster with a beak attack : ROC

The mythical roc is a huge bird of prey, one reputedly able to carry off and eat elephants. The roc was said to come from the Indian subcontinent. The supposed existence of the roc was promulgated by Marco Polo in the accounts that he published about his travels through Asia.

Dungeons & Dragons (D&D, DND) is a complex role-playing game (RPG) introduced in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules Incorporated (TSR). Dungeons & Dragons was probably the first of the modern role-playing games to be developed, and the most successful. It is still played by lots of people today, including my youngest son …

50 Some alfresco dates : PICNICS

Our term “picnic” comes from the French word that now has the same meaning, namely “pique-nique”. The original “pique-nique” was a fashionable potluck affair, and not necessarily held outdoors.

Our word “alfresco” means outdoors, in the fresh air. The term came into English from Italian.

52 Association for former classmates : ALUMNI CLUB (hiding blended “cumin”)

An alumnus (plural “alumni”) is a graduate or former student of a school or college. The female form is “alumna” (plural “alumnae”). The term comes into English from Latin, in which an alumnus is a foster-son or pupil. “Alum” is an informal term used for either an alumna or alumnus.

Cumin is a flowering plant native to the region stretching from the eastern Mediterranean to East India. Cumin spice is made from the dried seeds and is the second most common spice used in the world (only black pepper is more popular). Cumin is particularly associated with Indian cuisine and is a key ingredient in curry powder. Lovely stuff …

58 Genre satirized in “Only Murders in the Building” : TRUE CRIME (hiding blended “turmeric”)

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

Turmeric is a plant in the ginger family that is native to southeast India. The rhizomes, modified underground stems, of turmeric are often boiled, dried and ground into the orange-yellow spice called turmeric. Turmeric is a common ingredient in curries, and also in mustard to which it imparts a yellow color.

71 Thanksgiving side dish : YAMS

Although in the US we sometimes refer to sweet potatoes as “yams”, the yam is actually a completely different family of plants. True yams are more common in other parts of the world than they are in this country, and are especially common in Africa.

72 “Back to the Future” vehicle : TIME MACHINE (hiding blended “mace”)

In the fun 1985 movie “Back to the Future”, Marty McFly finds himself back in 1955, and is trying to get back to HIS future, 1985. But on the other hand, 1985 is really Marty’s present, before he went back in time. Why does time travel have to be so complicated …?

The fruit of the nutmeg tree yields two very different spices. What we call “nutmeg” comes from the seed of the tree. “Mace” is the dried covering of the seed.

78 Convoy rig : SEMI

A “semi” is a “semi-trailer truck”. The vehicle is so called because it consists of a tractor and a half-trailer. The half-trailer is so called because it only has wheels on the back end, with the front supported by the tractor.

79 Squirrel’s home : TREE

The nest of a tree squirrel or flying squirrel is known as a “drey” (sometimes “dray”). Squirrels usually build dreys where branches fork in large trees. Dreys can be hard to spot, until the leaves fall late in the year. They are roughly circular structures made from twigs, dry leaves and grass.

82 Some second-generation Americans : 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.

84 Egyptian viper : ASP

The Egyptian cobra (Naja haje) is also known as the asp. That said, the term “asp” can apply to several species of snake, including the Egyptian cobra. Legend has it that Cleopatra committed suicide by enticing an asp to bite her. If that’s true, then that asp was probably an Egyptian cobra.

86 Rom-com mainstay : LOVE SCENE (hiding blended “cloves”)

Cloves are the flower buds of the tree Syzygium aromaticum. Until a couple of centuries ago, clove trees were only found in the Maluku Islands in Indonesia. Because they were a rich source of cloves, mace and nutmeg, the Moluccas were referred to historically as the Spice Islands.

89 Bank job necessity : GETAWAY CAR (hiding blended “caraway”)

Caraway is a plant in the carrot family that is prized for its fruits. The caraway “seeds” that we use in cooking are actually caraway “fruits” that each contain a single “seed”.

93 __ Minella: vest-wearing Muppet chimpanzee : SAL

Sal Minella is a Muppet character. He is the bodyguard for fellow muppet Johnny Fiama who is modeled after Frank Sinatra.

94 Crochet need : YARN

Crochet is a process of making a fabric using a hooked needle. “Crochet” is a French word meaning “hook”.

97 Gp. for those who putter around a lot? : PGA

Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA)

100 Maumee River endpoint : ERIE

The Maumee River forms at Fort Wayne, Indiana and flows for 137 miles through Indiana and Ohio, emptying into Lake Erie in Toledo, Ohio.

108 Gets to the point? : TAPERS

I used to think that the word “taper” was used for a slender candle because said candle was “tapered” in shape, but it’s exactly the opposite. It turns out that our word “tapered” comes from the candle. “Taper” and “tapur” are Old English words meaning “candle”. From these nouns arose the verb “to taper” meaning “shoot up like flame”. This meaning evolved into “become slender” from the idea that a candle’s flame has such a shape.

110 Information often included in a bridal shower invitation : WEDDING REGISTRY (hiding blended “ginger”)

It is the root of the ginger flowering plant that is most prized, as it is used as a spice and a folk medicine. Almost half of the ginger consumed across the world comes from India.

115 Bowling sites : LANES

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.

116 Kodiak Island resident : ALEUT

The Aleuts live on the Aleutian Islands of the North Pacific, and on the Commander Islands at the western end of the same island chain. The Aleutian Islands are part of the United States, and the Commander Islands are in Russia.

The Kodiak Archipelago is a group of islands in Alaska. The archipelago is named for Kodiak Island, the largest in the group, and the second largest island in the US (after the Big Island of Hawaii).

118 Soph, probably : TEEN

The term “sophomore” has been used for a student in the second year of university since the 1680’s. The original meaning of the word was “arguer”. The term has Greek roots, from two Greek words that have been artificially combined in English. The Greek “sophos” means “wise”, and “moros” means “foolish”.

120 __-pedi : MANI

Manicure & pedicure (mani-pedi)

121 Long series of romances? : SOAP OPERA

The original soap operas were radio dramas back in the fifties. Given the structure of society back then, the daytime broadcasts were aimed at women working in the home as housewives. For some reason the sponsors of those radio shows, and the television shows that followed, were soap manufacturers like Procter & Gamble, Colgate-Palmolive and Lever Brothers. And that’s how the “soap” opera got its name …

123 Mixes such as garam masala and ras el hanout, and what are found in this puzzle’s circles? : SPICE BLENDS

Garam masala is a mixture of ground spices that is particularly associated with Indian cuisine. A typical composition of garam masala includes:

black and white peppercorns
cloves
cinnamon
black and white cumin seeds
black, brown, and green cardamom pods

All of the ingredients are toasted, and then ground together.

Ras el hanout is a spice mix used in several North African cuisines. The Arabic “ras el hanout” translates as “head of the shop”, inferring that only the best spices available are used in the mix. As such, ras el hanout includes a varying mixture of spices, depending on the source.

127 Mountain nymph : OREAD

The Oreads were the mountain nymphs that accompanied the ancient Greek goddess Artemis on her hunting expeditions. Each Oread dwelled on a different mountain, for example:

Daphnis (on Mount Parnassos)
Echo (on Mount Cithaeron)
Ida (on Mount Ida)

128 Norsk Folkemuseum city : OSLO

The Norsk Folkemuseum (Norwegian Museum of Cultural History) is located on the Bygdøy peninsula on the western side of Oslo. The Bygdøy peninsula is also home to the Viking Ship Museum and the Kon-Tiki Museum.

129 Melodious : DULCET

“Dulcet” means “pleasing to the ear” and is such a lovely word, I think. It comes from the Old French word “doucet”, a diminutive of “doux”, which is the French for “sweet”.

131 Sunrise dirección : ESTE

“Este” (east) is a “dirección” (direction), in Spanish.

132 Butter chicken bread : NAAN

Several dishes in Indian cuisine bear the name “makhani”. “Makhani” is a Punjabi word meaning “butter”. A popular example is murgh makhani, which also goes by the English name “butter chicken”.

133 Some Scots : GAELS

A Gael is anyone of a race that speaks or spoke one of the Erse tongues. There are actually three Erse languages. Irish, Manx (spoken on the Isle of Man) and Scots Gaelic. In their own tongues, these would be “Gaeilge” (in Ireland), “Gaelg” (on the Isle of Man) and “Gaidhlig” (in Scotland).

Down

3 Microsoft’s counterpart of 19-Across : CORTANA

Microsoft’s Cortana is a virtual assistant that can engage in two-way conversation. Cortana competes with Google Assistant, Amazon’s Alexa and Apple’s Siri.

4 Location tools : RADARS

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

7 Steinways, e.g. : PIANOS

Steinway & Sons is a supplier of handmade pianos based in New York City and in Hamburg, Germany. The company was founded in Manhattan in 1853 by German immigrant Henry E. Steinway. One element of Steinway’s business model is to offer a “piano bank” service. Performing artists can “borrow” a particular piano from the bank for a particular concert or tour. About 400 pianos are in the bank, and are located all over the world. The value of the bank’s collection of pianos is estimated at over $25 million.

9 Paleontologist’s workplace : DIG SITE

Paleontology is the study of prehistoric life. My favorite “paleontologist” is Dr. David Huxley played by Cary Grant opposite Katharine Hepburn in the wonderful 1938 comedy “Bringing Up Baby”.

13 Christmas purchase kids know about before Santa comes : FIR

The custom of decorating trees at Christmas seems to have originated in Renaissance Germany. Those first trees were placed in guildhalls and were decorated with sweets and candy for the apprentices and children. After the Protestant Reformation, the Christmas tree became an alternative in Protestant homes for the Roman Catholic Christmas cribs. The Christmas tree tradition was imported into Britain by the royal family because of its German heritage. That tradition spread from Britain into North America.

15 Tire type : RADIAL

Radial (actually “radial-ply”) tires are so called because the cord plies embedded in the rubber are arranged radially from the center of the tire. This means that the plies are at right angles to the direction of travel. In older tires the plies were criss-crossed over each other, at angles of 60 and -60 degrees from the direction of travel. Such tires are cross-ply or bias tires.

18 Hero : SUB

A hero is a submarine sandwich. It originated in New York City in the 1800s among Italian immigrants who wanted an Italian sandwich that reminded them of home. The name “hero” was coined in the 1930s, supposedly by a food critic in the “New York Herald Tribune” when he wrote that “one had to be a hero” to finish the gigantic sandwich. Hero is a prevalent term to this day in New York City, reserved for a submarine sandwich with an Italian flavor.

24 Dry designation : SEC

“Sec” is a French term meaning “dry”, and is most familiar on this side of the Atlantic when used to describe wine.

26 African country nearest Spain : MOROCCO

The country of Morocco is located in North Africa, but lies just 9 miles south of Spain. Spain and Morocco, and hence Europe and Africa, are separated by those 9 miles across the Mediterranean Sea known as the Straits of Gibraltar.

30 Inventor Nikola : TESLA

Nikola Tesla was born in Serbia, but later moved to the US. Tesla’s work on mechanical and electrical engineering was crucial to the development of alternating current technology, the same technology that is used by equipment at the backbone of modern power generation and distribution systems.

38 Work like a gland : SECRETE

An endocrine gland is one that secretes hormones directly into the bloodstream. Examples of endocrine glands are the hypothalamus, the thyroid and the adrenal glands. An exocrine gland is one that secretes its essential product by way of a duct. Examples of exocrine glands are sweat glands, salivary glands and mammary glands.

44 Singer DiFranco : ANI

Ani DiFranco is a folk-rock singer and songwriter. DiFranco has also been labeled a feminist icon, and in 2006 won the Woman of Courage Award from the National Organization for Women.

47 Miami’s st. : FLA

The city of Miami in Florida takes its name from the nearby Miami River, which is itself named for the Mayaimi Native American people who lived around nearby Lake Okeechobee.

49 Many Monets : OILS

French artist Claude Monet was one of the founders of the Impressionist movement, and indeed the term “Impressionism” comes from the title of his 1872 painting “Impression, Sunrise”. That work depicts the port of Le Havre, which was Monet’s hometown. Later in his life, Monet purchased a house in Giverny, and famously installed lily ponds and a Japanese bridge in the property’s extensive gardens. He spent two decades painting the water lily ponds, producing his most famous works. I was fortunate enough to visit Monet’s house and gardens in Giverny a few years ago. A beautiful place …

50 Aloo mutter ingredients : PEAS

Aloo mutter (also “all matar”) is a very delicious dish from Indian cuisine comprising potatoes and peas in a spicy, creamy, tomato-based sauce. The dish’s name translates as “potatoes and peas”.

53 Jamaican tangelo brand name : UGLI

The ugli fruit is a hybrid of an orange and a tangerine that was first discovered growing wild in Jamaica where most ugli fruit comes from today. “UGLI” is a trademark name that is a variant of “ugly”, a nod to the fruit’s unsightly wrinkled rind.

The fruit called a tangelo is a hybrid between a tangerine and either a grapefruit or a pomelo (which gives it the name). A pomelo is a very large, pear-shaped citrus fruit native to Southeast Asia. The Jamaican form of tangelo is known as the ugli fruit.

56 Annual Queens sporting event : US OPEN

The US Open is one of the oldest tennis championships in the world, having started out as the US National Championship in 1881. Today, the US Open is the last major tournament in the Grand Slam annual series, following the Australian Open, the French Open and Wimbledon.

65 Tsp., e.g. : AMT

Teaspoon (tsp.)

67 Star starter : ACE

That might be a baseball pitching ace.

74 Catchall file abbr. : MISC

Out terms “miscellany” and “miscellaneous” ultimately come from the Latin verb “miscere” meaning “to mix”.

75 Nautical wheel : HELM

In its broadest sense, the term “helm” describes the whole of a ship’s steering mechanism, including the rudder and tiller. In a more specific sense, the helm is the handle, tiller or wheel that is used to control the steering gear.

78 “Dance Moms” dancer JoJo : SIWA

Joelle Joanie “JoJo” Siwa is a dancer and YouTube star. I move in the wrong circles, and so haven’t heard of her. I guess that’s my bad, because she made it into “Time” magazine’s 2020 list of the 100 most influential people in the world …

90 Actor Tudyk : ALAN

American actor Alan Tudyk is from El Paso, Texas. He is perhaps best known to audiences for playing Hoban “Wash” Washburne in the TV show “Firefly”. Tudyk also plays Eric Morden (aks “Mr. Nobody”) on the superhero TV series “Doom Patrol”.

98 Beowulf foe : GRENDEL

“Beowulf” is an old epic poem from England, although the story is set in Scandinavia. Beowulf fights a battle, defending the Danish King Hrothgar from the ferocious outcast Grendel. Hrothgar had built a great hall for his people in which they could celebrate; singing, dancing and drinking lots of mead. Grendel was angered by the carousing and attacked the hall, devouring many of the incumbent warriors as they slept. A bit of an extreme reaction to noisy neighbors I’d say …

99 Stockton’s NBA record 15,806 : ASSISTS

John Stockton is a retired professional basketball player who spent his whole career with the Utah Jazz. He holds the NBA record for the most career assists (15,806) and steals 3,265).

105 Turkish mount consisting of two volcanic cones : 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.

107 __ the Hun : ATTILA

In his day, Attila the Hun was the most feared enemy of the Roman Empire, until he died in 453 AD. Attila was the leader of the Hunnic Empire of central Europe and was famous for invading much of the continent. However, he never directly attacked Rome.

109 Adlon of “Better Things” : PAMELA

Actress Pamela Adlon is perhaps best known for her voice work on the animated show “King of the Hill”, portraying Bobby Hill. She also appeared in front of the camera as the love interest of Louis C.K. in the comedy drama series “Louis” (for which Adlon was also a producer).

111 “__, sing America”: Hughes : I TOO

Langston Hughes was a poet active in the Harlem Renaissance, and someone who helped develop the literary form known as “jazz poetry”. His poem “I, Too, Sing America” was published in 1925.

I, too, sing America.

I am the darker brother.
They send me to eat in the kitchen
When company comes,
But I laugh,
And eat well,
And grow strong.

Tomorrow,
I’ll be at the table
When company comes.
Nobody’ll dare
Say to me,
“Eat in the kitchen,”
Then.

Besides,
They’ll see how beautiful I am
And be ashamed–

I, too, am America.

113 Intel job : RECON

A “recon” (reconnaissance) might provide “intel” (intelligence).

119 “Don’t worry abt it” : NBD

No big deal (NBD)

124 “The More You Know” spot, e.g. : PSA

“The More You Know” is a series of public service announcements (PSAs) that have been broadcast by NBC since 1989. The spots usually feature personalities from NBC shows who deliver some sort of educational message. Then President Barack Obama participated in 2010 and 2011, as did Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush after they left office.

Read on, or …
… return to top of page

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 West African capital : ACCRA
6 Page with many views? : OP-ED
10 Veg out : LOAF
14 Grads-to-be : SRS
17 Root beer treats : FLOATS
19 Apple’s counterpart of 3-Down : SIRI
20 Sportbacks, e.g. : AUDIS
22 Morita of “The Karate Kid” : PAT
23 Pony car since 1964 : FORD MUSTANG (hiding blended “mustard”)
25 Game option featuring cutscenes : STORY MODE
27 Jazz legend James : ETTA
28 Kelly Clarkson’s “Since U __ Gone” : BEEN
29 Pilot : STEER
31 Cellphone giant : NOKIA
32 Green sold in rainbow bunches : CHARD
34 Flavor with Oreos : COOKIES AND CREAM (hiding blended “anise”)
37 Language class subject : TENSES
39 Grabs a chair : SITS
40 PreCheck org. : TSA
41 Just : ONLY
42 Govt. ID issuer : SSA
43 Comice, e.g. : PEAR
46 Word with care or aware : SELF-
48 D&D monster with a beak attack : ROC
50 Some alfresco dates : PICNICS
52 Association for former classmates : ALUMNI CLUB (hiding blended “cumin”)
58 Genre satirized in “Only Murders in the Building” : TRUE CRIME (hiding blended “turmeric”)
61 Get older : AGE
62 Baggy : LOOSE
63 Take turns : ROTATE
64 __ science : DATA
68 Guys : LADS
70 Ranch grazer : COW
71 Thanksgiving side dish : YAMS
72 “Back to the Future” vehicle : TIME MACHINE (hiding blended “mace”)
76 Dad : PAPA
77 Altar-ed words? : I DO
78 Convoy rig : SEMI
79 Squirrel’s home : TREE
80 Many a campaign ad : MAILER
82 Some second-generation Americans : NISEI
84 Egyptian viper : ASP
86 Rom-com mainstay : LOVE SCENE (hiding blended “cloves”)
89 Bank job necessity : GETAWAY CAR (hiding blended “caraway”)
92 Passes on, as knowledge : IMPARTS
93 __ Minella: vest-wearing Muppet chimpanzee : SAL
94 Crochet need : YARN
96 Mix : STIR
97 Gp. for those who putter around a lot? : PGA
100 Maumee River endpoint : ERIE
103 Battery size : AAA
106 Mama’s mama : NANA
108 Gets to the point? : TAPERS
110 Information often included in a bridal shower invitation : WEDDING REGISTRY (hiding blended “ginger”)
115 Bowling sites : LANES
116 Kodiak Island resident : ALEUT
117 Rook kin : RAVEN
118 Soph, probably : TEEN
120 __-pedi : MANI
121 Long series of romances? : SOAP OPERA
123 Mixes such as garam masala and ras el hanout, and what are found in this puzzle’s circles? : SPICE BLENDS
126 “¿Qué __?”: Spanish “What’s up?” : TAL
127 Mountain nymph : OREAD
128 Norsk Folkemuseum city : OSLO
129 Melodious : DULCET
130 Ones making alterations, for short : EDS
131 Sunrise dirección : ESTE
132 Butter chicken bread : NAAN
133 Some Scots : GAELS

Down

1 Has an influence on : AFFECTS
2 Outfit : CLOTHES
3 Microsoft’s counterpart of 19-Across : CORTANA
4 Location tools : RADARS
5 Bread box? : ATM
6 Bone-related prefix : OSTEO-
7 Steinways, e.g. : PIANOS
8 Directional suffix : -ERN
9 Paleontologist’s workplace : DIG SITE
10 Permanently removes hair, perhaps : LASES
11 Devour more than : OUTEAT
12 Decks out : ADORNS
13 Christmas purchase kids know about before Santa comes : FIR
14 Already claimed, with “for” : SPOKEN …
15 Tire type : RADIAL
16 Like a good romance novel : STEAMY
18 Hero : SUB
21 Lip-__ : SYNC
24 Dry designation : SEC
26 African country nearest Spain : MOROCCO
30 Inventor Nikola : TESLA
33 Create an image of : DEPICT
35 Peck : KISS
36 “Aw, heck” : DARN
38 Work like a gland : SECRETE
44 Singer DiFranco : ANI
45 Canyon edge : RIM
47 Miami’s st. : FLA
49 Many Monets : OILS
50 Aloo mutter ingredients : PEAS
51 Give up : CEDE
53 Jamaican tangelo brand name : UGLI
54 Have in mind : MEAN
55 Setting : LOCALE
56 Annual Queens sporting event : US OPEN
57 “Watch out!” : BEWARE!
58 Having a go : TRYING
59 Band aide : ROADIE
60 Of the __ importance : UTMOST
65 Tsp., e.g. : AMT
66 Pothole filler : TAR
67 Star starter : ACE
69 Flaw : DEMERIT
73 “Perhaps” : I MAY
74 Catchall file abbr. : MISC
75 Nautical wheel : HELM
76 “__ or it didn’t happen” : PICS
78 “Dance Moms” dancer JoJo : SIWA
81 Starlike : ASTRAL
83 Softened : EASED UP
85 Fork over : PAY
87 Photo __ : OPS
88 Brewery container : VAT
90 Actor Tudyk : ALAN
91 Mountain chain : RANGE
92 Stops along the way : INNS
95 Sours, as a parade : RAINS ON
97 Act of contrition : PENANCE
98 Beowulf foe : GRENDEL
99 Stockton’s NBA record 15,806 : ASSISTS
100 Discarded tech products : E-WASTE
101 Click a circular arrow, say : RELOAD
102 Core values : IDEALS
104 Thinks the same : AGREES
105 Turkish mount consisting of two volcanic cones : ARARAT
107 __ the Hun : ATTILA
109 Adlon of “Better Things” : PAMELA
111 “__, sing America”: Hughes : I TOO
112 Sidestep : EVADE
113 Intel job : RECON
114 “__-haw!” : YEE
119 “Don’t worry abt it” : NBD
122 Ante- : PRE-
124 “The More You Know” spot, e.g. : PSA
125 Tote (around) : LUG

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