The Worldwide Web
...No theme, but plenty of interesting worditude
This puzzle is part of Merl's best-of series
ACROSS
1 Catchy comment on the 6 o’clock news 10 Hard-to-see-through conditions 15 Razor sharpener 20 Numskull 21 Michael J. on Family Ties 22 “Voila” 23 Like a free-soil state 24 Impulsive 25 Steinbeck family 26 Slangy gumshoe 27 Watered down 28 Last words of “Over the Rainbow” 29 Clever comeback 30 Design on metal 32 1983 Indy 500 winner Tom 34 Dressed like a queen? 36 Big birds 38 Comment by the work-weary 39 Turkey-Greece separator, with “the” 40 Free TV spot 43 Japan’s largest island 45 Famous last words 47 Majors and Marvin 48 Scientific name for crickets and grasshoppers 50 April sheets 52 Unlock, in verse 53 Gaza grp. 54 Heated 56 Noted spokescow 57 Film editor Allen (The Hustler, Bonnie and Clyde, and many others) 59 Cosmetic box worn by Japanese (anagram of NOIR) 61 Hard-lead rating, in pencils 62 Least moist 63 Pitcher’s area 66 “___ none o’ my affair” 68 Fired on 71 Royal address 73 Paper name, for short 74 ___ D.A. 78 Pale 79 Lily Munster portrayer 81 Class action grp.? 83 Anti-tobacco org. 84 Taxing job? 86 Beethoven pieces 89 Ruckus 90 Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, e.g. 92 Media mogul Murdoch 93 Break new ground? 94 White sale items 95 French filmmaker Jacques 97 Jefferson in Paris star 98 Kentucky Derby drinks 99 Hiking-the-ball cue, perhaps 101 Surveyor’s map 102 Walked assertively 105 Swab again 108 Fishhook part 110 Infant’s addition? 111 Tremble 112 Bogged down 113 Pulls apart 115 Ghosts writer 116 Behaved 117 Choose early 118 Approaches 119 Pulls one’s leg 120 Indications to look down
DOWN
1 Club, female-style 2 Georgia’s founder 3 Like some syllables 4 Election time: abbr. 5 Came (to a close) 6 Field bundles 7 “My intention was” 8 School founded by Booker T. Washington 9 Host add-on 10 Derisive comeback 11 Freed of radio lore 12 More piquant 13 Fire stopper 14 Bug someone, e.g. 15 ___ of Arc 16 Bare-minimum bathing suit 17 Stationery unit 18 Latin word on a dollar bill 19 Pain in the neck 28 Lounging robe 29 Scottish hillsides 31 Beanery fare 33 Sharp and bitter 35 Raison ___ 37 Industrial arts class 39 Missing 40 Technically speaking 41 Freeway rumblers 42 Desirable quality 44 Elevation 46 “Do ___ others ...” 47 Humbert’s obsession 49 Novelist Morrison 51 Lobby plant 55 Of an English math genius 58 Choice word? 60 eBay minimum 62 Dickens era prisoner 64 Some votes 65 Room darkeners 67 Tears 68 The book that the ghostly captain writes for Mrs. Muir, “Blood and ___” 69 Must 70 Davis of Do the Right Thing 72 Commodore Perry battle site 75 Orbiters 76 Wiseacre 77 Commercial comparisons 79 Lorna ___ 80 Computer type 82 Faulkner’s Requiem for ___ 85 Photo taker’s word 87 Some magazine issues 88 Each 91 Loose ads in Sunday papers 94 Cough drop maker 96 Peeved 98 Wild one? 100 Wipe out 102 Area meas. 103 Art store paint container 104 Tabula ___ 106 Shake hands with 107 Chances 109 Uncle Remus term 112 Capt.’s superior 113 Tub-sharing place 114 Ring great