MAMMOTH CROSSWORD
In 2018, we said goodbye to icons such as Burt Reynolds and Aretha Franklin. We saw a TV star marry a real prince. We celebrated dozens of birthdays: Google turned 20, Celine Dion hit 50, Playboy turned 65, and Keith Richards and Silly Putty both reached 75. These are just a few of the pop culture events that inspired more than 100 clues found in this annual year-in-review crossword from Postmedia’s Monica Zurowski. Check your answers on Dec. 27.
ACROSS
1. Queen of Soul passed at age 76 (6,8)
9. Dramatic cave rescue occurred in this country (8)
14. Drinking devices that started being banned (6)
17. She married a prince (6,6) 24. Large brass instrument (4)
26. Trendy antioxidant-rich berry (4)
28. Common text acronym when something is funny (3)
29. She dumped SNL’s Pete Davidson (6,6)
31. This Jerry, Elaine & George sitcom ended 20 yrs ago (8)
33. 87 million profiles were compromised on this social site (8)
36. Popular line of stuffies turned 25 (6,6) 37. Chandelier singer (3)
39. Initials of 4th largest credit card co. (2)
42. Enameled fabrics (9)
43. Stones guitarist turns 75 this year (5,8)
46. Stones lead singer hits 75, too (4,6)
50. An outdoor stand of seats (8)
51. Third person pronoun (2)
53. King Henry ____ (4)
54. Lithuania’s Internet code (2)
55. Black gold (3)
56. Someone anxious to do well or please (6)
60. Bring together (5)
62. These small screens number at least 1.4 billion globally (3) 63. Cruised around on a masted ship (6)
68. Group to help drinkers (2)
73. Running speed, for a horse (9)
74. Barley brew (3)
76. Stage of sleep discovered 65 years ago (3)
77. Adversaries (7)
81. Rock band ___ Zeppelin turned 50 (3) 82. Odd Couple playwright passed at 91 (4,5) 83. Life is full of ___ and downs (3)
85. To look at something (3)
88. Electric fish (3)
89. Often-pierced body part (3)
92. NBA champs (8)
93. NHL Stanley Cup winners (8) 95. 50th anniversary of Beatles’ greatest LP (5,5) 96. Started, created (10) 99. Preposition expressing place (2)
101. Intense anger (3) 103. Support staff (5) 105. Sadder, more depressed (5) 107. __ and behold (2) 108. Spy vs. Spy magazine (3) 110. Vegas NHL club that made the finals (6,7) 111. Rocker ___ Benatar turned 65 (3) 113. He got his 1st PGA win in five years (5,5) 115. Went bad (6) 116. Middle of a cherry or plum (3) 117. New biography released of ____ Clapton (4) 119. Nut-filled pie (5) 121. Hi-___ photo (3) 122. Auction unit (3) 123. Vista (4) 125. Additionally (3) 127. This crime drama ran 15 seasons (3) 130. 200 million of these food items recalled (4) 132. A sport with 18 holes (4) 134. Feel sorry for (4) 136. Actor ____ Pullman became a senior citizen (4) 139. Its 747 had first flight 50 years ago (6) 141. Fancy party (4)
26 Across
1 Across
143. Tarzan of the ____ first released 100 years ago (4)
146. Mystery-drama
The __ shot second season (2)
149. Albany’s the capital of this state, abbr. (2)
150. Dorm for men and women (2-2)
151. NASA launched new mission to this planet (4)
152. The modern fortune ______ turned 100 (6)
153. Golf ball support (3)
155. 1st lady Barbara ____ died at 92 (4)
157. Wheat or cotton bundle (4) 159. German car co. said no more diesel (7)
163. 1st lady Betty ____ born 100 years ago (4)
164. 50 years ago it launched Apollo 7 (4)
166. Substance that provides nourishment (8) 168. Airplane chair (4) 170. Defence alliance for N.A. and Europe (4) 172. Deadly (5) 173. Religious leader who denounced death penalty (4) 174. Apple leftover (4) 175. Relating to an entire country (8)
177. Billy ___ Williams said he’d return to Star Wars (3) 179. Doggone it! (4) 181. Emmy’s best drama: ____ of Thrones (4)
183. Jewel (3) 184. Unsubstantial and light (4) 185. Flying mammals (4) 186. Coffee and cocoa flavor (5) 189. Sacred hymn (5) 191. High school grad dance (4)
193. ___ _ good example (3,1) 195. Decorated, as a cake (4) 196. Detective’s assignment (4) 197. Chemist’s workplace (3)
198. A heart test (3) 201. Reality star Kylie ______ turned 21 (6) 202. The largest organ of the body (4) 204. Darjeeling and oolong (4)
206. Turner, King Cole and others (4) 208. Sen. ____ McCain died at age 81 (4) 209. Skateboarder Tony ____ turned 50 (4)
210. Super Bowl champs (6) 212. A former grad (4)
214. A paid notice in a newspaper (2)
215. Rink surface (3)
217. A solar day on Mars (3) 219. Window ledge (4) 221. An unspecified person (7) 223. Mobile phone (4) 224. Large decorative fish (3) 225. Early anesthetic (5) 227. Prefix meaning two (2) 228. Divided country that entered Olympics together (5) 230. Crooner ____ Damone died in Feb. (3)
231. Not far (4) 233. Butterfly-like insects (5) 234. Shopping plaza (4) 235. Prohibit (3) 237. Scoundrel (3) 239. Footnote note (4)
240. Not dry (3)
242. Passed away (4) 244. Global Network Navigator, abbr. (3) 245. Walk unevenly (4) 246. Emergency ___ (3)
247. The Spanish ___ became pandemic 100 years ago (3)
248. As a result (4) 249. Consumed (3) 250. A desert sanctuary (5)
252. WW II turning point (1-3)
254. Of sound mind (4) 255. Chomps (5)
74 Across
256. Morning moisture (3) 257. Feud continued for
50 Cent and __ Rule (2) 260. Japanese city known for its Phoenix Hall (3)
261. Fifth month of the year (3) 262. Small songbird (4) 263. Ballet skirt (4)
264. ___ Brady made his 8th Super Bowl appearance (3) 265. A type of whiskey (3) 266. Flower stalk (4) 267. Made available (7)
269. Taxi (3)
271. Female deer, pl. (4) 273. Gambles (4) 275. Borderline personality disorder, abbr. (3) 276. Roswell sighting (3) 277. Strait-laced (4) 278. Eccentric (3)
279. Aries’ animal (3)
280. Car part covering engine (4) 281. Dog, cat or gerbil (3) 283. Nevada city (4) 285. By way of (3) 286. A cow’s sound (3) 287. Grizzly or polar (4) 290. Balloon filler (3) 291. Compensated (4) 292. Eagle’s claw (5) 294. Cries (4) 296. Poetic tribute (3) 298. Walmart founder ___ Walton born 100 years ago (3) 300. Called someone names, disparaged (8)
303. Apple or banana cream (3) 304. To lease (4)
305. Social media site’s shares went public 5 years ago (7) 307. Actor/rapper ____ Smith hit 50 (4)
309. Conclude (3) 311. Opener (5)
313. An electrical current (2) 314. Prefix meaning three (3)
370 Down
315. Iron, silver or nickel (5) 317. Wrestler ____ Hogan turned 65 (4) 318. Aluminum wrap (4) 319. Caribbean and Baltic (4) 321. Plug away (4) 323. Search engine giant turned 20 (6)
325. Greenish blue (4) 326. Internet code for Palau (2) 327. Interlocking fastener on clothes (6) 328. Fair-skinned (4) 329. Laundry fuzz (4) 331. Singer Celine ____ turned 50 (4)
333. Arab ruler (4)
335. The rank below sergeant, abbr. (3)
336. Remote field testing, abbr. (3)
338. Regional flora and fauna (5) 340. Unit of delivery, abbr. (3) 341. Hard to find (4)