Crossword

Tough Stuff ... A general-knowledge brain-burner

Note: This puzzle is part of Merl’s best-of series.

ACROSS

1 They know how to pitch 11 Part of TWIMC 15 See 32 Across 20 Of ESP 21 Belief in the future 22 Birdie beater 23 Desk 24 City down the coast from Algiers 25 Commercials 26 Twenties president 27 Spiral upward 30 Message in a bottle 31 Some skirts 32 With 15 Across, King’s famous 1963 speech 34 Contemn 36 Hot times in Gay Paree 37 A shot ___ 39 Vamp 43 Spicy stew 45 Harmonica virtuoso Larry 46 Movie in which Brando plays Napoleon 47 Metal boots or wooden shoes, e.g. 50 German donkey 52 Rushed 53 Bugs bugs him 54 The Bard’s feet 57 Dwindles 61 Dairy product in a red coat 64 Get ready 65 Take air 66 Selleck role 68 Big impressionist 70 Alcohol burner (not a genie’s home) 74 Astringent-tasting fruit 77 Coeur d’___ 78 Old Scandinavian 81 Old Scandinavian symbol 82 Old Scandinavian goddess 84 Portuguese noblemen 86 Unsure 90 Jetés 93 “___ everybody?” 94 More portly 95 Game of baggataway, today 98 Bar Mitzvah, for one 99 Coppola family member 101 Arab VIP 102 Anesthetized 103 Dyeing tub 106 Heckled 108 Triathletes in Hawaii 110 Actress Maureen 112 Cleveland’s waterfront 113 Turnout 116 Perot, for one 117 Chem. units 118 Paul Bunyan, e.g. 119 Gives off 120 Son of Seth 121 “Wait a minute!”

DOWN

1 Character in a Heston sci-fi film 2 “Blast!” 3 Missile Command was one 4 Stationed, as troops 5 Bagnold et al. 6 Response to the Little Red Hen 7 A.J. who wrote The Stars Look Down and The Citadel 8 “___ just do that” 9 Otologist’s chart 10 Protected, as an LP 11 “So what?” 12 Siesta length, perhaps? 13 October birthstones 14 Posed a threat to 15 Dry subjects 16 Grammy category 17 Self concepts 18 Choir voice 19 Farrago 28 Landlocked, in a way 29 Muscular fitness 31 Choreographer Cunningham 33 Triumphant cry 35 Kauai neighbor 37 Dweller’s finish 38 TV equine 40 Nippy 41 Shoe width 42 Beatty film 44 Kharkov’s country 48 “Hello” singer 49 Hot and arid 51 Gaiter 55 He was Ott all the time 56 Buzzers 58 Rockefeller ___ 59 Gomez (Addams) portrayer 60 Comic-opera composer Wolf-Ferrari 62 Pre-Q queue 63 Pianist Gilels 67 Exist 68 Mendelssohn’s “___ capriccioso” 69 Just barely make (a living) 71 Verve 72 The latest calculations? 73 Spanish title 74 Malay dagger 75 Ride to the hounds 76 Drum feat 79 Judge, often 80 Beer connoisseur’s concern 83 Evaluate again 85 Fruit cooler 87 Orem folks 88 Ed directed him one last time in Plan 9 from Outer Space 89 Roman galley 91 Before sunup 92 “___ lied” 96 Aspen T-bar 97 Tatters 100 A Spelling 102 Improper 103 Something to cast 104 “Do you mind?” 105 Limo cousin 107 Rural tower 109 Formerly 111 Hamelin invader 114 Also 115 Before, once