Reindeer Games
...8 plus 1 equals wintertime fun
This puzzle is part of Merl's best-of series
ACROSS
1 Sofia’s land:
abbr. 5 Popeye creator Elzie 10 Butler’s bride 15 Mason, e.g. 18 Nichelle, on Star Trek
20 NASA booster rocket of
the 1960s
21 Philosopher
Kierkegaard 22 Corrida cry 23 Refusal from Santa? 26 St. Nick sidekick 27 Nerve-wracking event
of Christmas 1962? 29 Hasn’t a lick of ___ 30 Space scribe Willy 31 Feedbag morsel 32 Orbit extremes 36 You do it after
Christmas 38 Stat. calculation 41 Soft touch 42 Sot’s yuletide remark about having a designated driver? 50 Experience is one 51 Exhilarating 52 One more time 53 Losing tic-tac-toe line 54 A slitherer for Ramses 56 Mouth opening? 57 Net-surfing, e.g. 58 Make a mistake 59 Acting Jillian 61 Acting Elliott 63 Dr. Menninger 66 Gerund finale 67 Private aid gp. 68 Temporary sensation 69 Yule remark to avoid
self-incrimination? 73 Vile abode 74 “How was ___ know?” 75 Ending for “colour” 76 “Yeah, sure” 77 Treasure medium,
maybe 78 Gretzky’s ground, once 79 “Also” affixation 80 Muttered mots in
movies 82 Money-saving idea:
abbr. 84 Be in control of 86 Memorized no. 87 Prompt again 88 Entire range 90 Deputy Strate of
Hazzard 93 Yule detective
comedy? 96 Said uncle 98 “... of Orient ___” 99 Word after chess or chest 100 Biafra, today 101 Co-writer with Buddy and Rob 104 Sault ___ Marie 106 Supermodel Campbell 108 Christmas Day football option? 118 An article, amigo 119 Love of money, at Christmastime? 120 Metrical tribute 121 Like the Otariidae seals 122 Skirt fold 123 The larval, e.g. 124 Adieu 125 Exults 126 Waste maker 127 Besides that
DOWN
1 Non-swing tactic
2 Word of worry
3 Life founder
4 Mkt.
5 Fine fabrics
6 Curmudgeonly
exclamations
7 “___ to the Church
on Time”
8 Against
9 Cheers
10 Acting Davis
11 ___ contested
12 Indy 500 champ
Luyendyk
13 Big name in 1960s
toys
14 The end of ___
15 Blow and Doakes
16 “___ want for
Christmas is ...”
17 Boxer separators
19 Pleases
24 Fencing swords
25 Cruise stopovers
28 Slanted, as a news
story?: abbr.
32 Hard-to-beat one
33 Notes need
34 Yule transplant
participant?
35 Right turns
36 Puzzling
37 Manner
39 Preparin’ a Christmas
feast? 40 Patton’s Scott
42 “___ the fields
we go ...”
43 Japanese poem
44 Sci-fi Solo
45 Air force base in
Western Florida
46 Anagram of
CROATIAN
47 Dead ___ (lookalike) 48 Benz follower
49 E.g.
51 Nostalgic
55 Greek letter
57 Ye ___ Pie Shoppe 59 Never been done
before
60 Natalie Wood’s
given name
62 Come up
64 No-refunds condition 65 Wartime Johnny
70 Exasperated
71 One at ___
72 Old car co.
80 Shapiro of NPR 81 Poet’s word
83 Capek classic
85 “___ Only Just
Begun”
88 Bearded beast
89 Follow Olivier
91 It’s okay, in Orleans 92 Stationary-bike
mecca
94 Bothersome one
95 “See ___ and fill it” 96 Third Hebrew letter 97 “Diamonds Are ___
Best Friend”
100 Write down, as chess
moves
102 Huitzilopochti
worshiper
103 The Merry Widow
composer
104 Scatter
105 Sounds of the falls? 106 Neck backs
107 Monk who has
reached nirvana
108 Major dollop
109 110 Kenny Grasping Rogers comment? hit 111 Overfed Wolfe 112 19th Hebrew letter
113 Sexy secretary in The
Producers 114 ___ noire (pariah) 115 Of grandparents 116 Slangy smokes 117 Painter Paul