PREMIER CROSSWORD

GIFTS OF THE YEAR

ACROSS

1 First scale syllables 7 Gripping tool 11 Arid expanse in Mongolia 15 Move like a grasshopper 19 “Not Afraid” rapper 20 Affirmation of self-ability 21 De-wrinkle 22 Giant fair 23 Stocks and shares [1st] 25 Stand-up comedian Richard 26 Super serves 27 Low digit 28 Play starter 29 American robin’s close relative [5th] 31 Figure on a kid’s toy battleground [10th] 35 Revolutionary War mercenaries

36 Wed. follows it 37 Yellow-disked

flower

39 ’Zine

40 Canon camera line 43 Rapping noise 47 She sang “Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue” [15th] 51 Online selling 52 Driver’s license, SSN, etc. 55 Determined to accomplish 56 Living space 57 1988-91 war drama series [20th] 60 Earth’s heater

61 Bluegrass fiddler Alison 62 Longtime ISP option 63 Laundry receptacle 65 &&&& 66 “Hey, over here ...”

68 Tree of eastern North America [25th]

72 Lid fastener 76 Infamous Idi 78 Very small minority 80 Mineral spring 81 Taxi driver 84 Angry 87 Small, pungent pickling vegetable [30th] 89 Player’s top effort, informally 90 Literary leaf 92 Part of IPA 93 Slow a car down 94 Dorothy’s magical shoes [40th] 97 Filleted 99 Cough up 100 Low digit 101 Rapscallion 104 PC key abbr. 105 Daughter of JFK 109 Half-millionselling album [50th]

114 Mae West play [60th] 116 “Dies —” (hymn)

117 Dog coater 118 “Eso Beso” singer Paul 119 Revered sort 120 Occasion associated with the starts of 10 answers in this puzzle

124 Salt Lake City NCAA team 125 Soothe 126 Profit 127 Actor Steven 128 Work honcho 129 Deli breads 130 Possesses 131 Attractive

DOWN

1 Bus station 2 Neighbor of a Yemeni

3 Get mature 4 Ending for propyl

5 Sea, to Henri 6 “— big boy now” 7 Glutinous 8 Cold drink, informally 9 Like biting writing

10 U.S. Navy off. 11 Toy for a boy, traditionally 12 Longtime cookies

13 Bail provider 14 Part of IPO 15 Find out 16 “How rude!” 17 Gorillas, e.g. 18 Opulent 24 Tearful

29 “As a matter of fact, I do!” 30 Hollow-eyed 32 Sully

33 Ban 34 Grazing area 38 Near-grads: Abbr.

41 Part of 122Down 42 Beholds 43 Quick review 44 Eldest Musketeer

45 Kite features

46 Has a link (with) 48 Actor Erwin 49 Whole lot 50 Disconcert 53 Author Roald 54 1976-81 skit series

58 Sink bowl 59 Color shade 61 Get down to propose

64 “It’s freezing!” 65 Filmmaker Hitchcock

67 Singer Wynette 69 See 70-Down

70 With 69-Down, tourist’s printed guide 71 Ring, as bells 73 Nepali, e.g. 74 Said words 75 Sectioned, as a window 77 Conductor 79 Teeter

81 Be a kvetch 82 Juan’s water 83 Sweetums 84 Swabby’s tool 85 High mount 86 Semi fuel

88 College org. for sailors-to-be 90 Occasion for unrestricted amusement 91 Tolkien terror 95 More silly 96 Eastern Michigan city

98 Corn serving 102 “Top o’ the — to ya!” 103 Prairies, e.g. 106 Accrue 107 “Victory is yours” 108 Brother on “Frasier”

110 Actor Patel of “Lion”

111 No longer a minor 112 Countryish

113 In a deadpan manner

114 Smear on, as paint 115 Crazy about 120 Past

121 PC key abbr. 122 Speed Wagon maker 123 Golfer Snead