PREMIER CROSSWORD PUZZLE

ACROSS 1 Trapped 8 Moderately slow tempo

15 Hot coal

20 Left over 21 Velvet Underground singer 22 Myanmar, previously 23 * “Chicago” poet who worked for a rival of Revlon? 25 Vital liquid 26 Pitcher — Nomo 27 Big joint 28 Antique auto 30 Furry Oz visitor 31 More like baking bread’s smell

34 * 2003 “American Idol” runner-up from Alberta?

39 Like Hindi or Urdu 41 Many a youth 42 Soup sample

43 * Reply when the crooner of “Honey” asked how he should criticize people?

48 The Fate who cut the thread of destiny 52 Pitti Palace’s river 53 Gladys Knight & the Pips’ “I’ve Got to — Imagination” 54 Like an obsessed mind

55 A whole lot

57 * “Go take a nap, you Bolshevik leader”? 61 Dig up

63 Range ropes 64 Emmy winner Michaels 65 What each guy who’s an answer to a starred clue is? [hint: skip over the even letters in his first name] 69 “— diem!”

74 Ate into

75 “180 illegal” road sign

77 * Gets hold of the singer of “(Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay”?

85 Got closer to 86 Pungent red roots 87 Din 89 Spanish body of water

90 Many private planes

91 * Novelist of “Humboldt’s Gift” imitating a beach bird? 95 Chaney of “The Trap” 96 Certain peer 97 “McSorley’s Bar” painter John 98 * Co-star of “Neighbors” with a Seussian Star-Belly? 103 Conjecturer’s words

108 Is unwell 109 Anvil setting 110 401(k) kin 112 Many a youth 113 Flood control 115 * 20-season Houston Astros player who was a hot rodder? 121 Big blue expanse 122 Worked, as dough 123 Garage door gadgets 124 Aeries, e.g. 125 Veterans 126 Co-star of HBO’s “Insecure”

DOWN

1 Restless

2 “I’m serious!” 3 Carne — (burrito fill)

4 Is like a mole 5 Like salivary glands near ears 6 Gold, to Luis

7 — Aviv

8 Jai —

9 Like Macs

10 Film bomb 11 Wall St. operator 12 Not old, in Ulm 13 Earthling, in sci-fi 14 Lawn tidier 15 Dwindle

16 Like PCs with several peripheral hookup points 17 Small stream 18 Overact 19 Cellar gas 24 Dwindle 29 Pearl holders 32 Smitten erotically 33 Big name in ice cream 35 121-Across off Va. 36 Spike in film

37 “Is that so!” 38 — -surface missile 40 Short negligee, for short

43 Dufy of art 44 University city in Maine 45 Fewer than 46 Actor Lloyd 47 Soap stuff 48 Basketballer Jamison 49 Faux —

50 Doc — (foe of Spidey)

51 Big blue expanse 54 Savvy about 56 Prior to 58 “Judge —” (1995 film)

59 Crude fluid 60 Retail store starter? 62 Stable group 66 Diana of “West 11” 67 Ike’s initials 68 Grazed (on) 69 Acting nudge 70 The tiniest bit 71 Pastoral 72 Rival of Ragú 73 Bequeath 74 Embellish 76 Barely there phone signal

77 Frodo foe 78 Sweetie, in modern lingo 79 Eagles’ stats 80 Non-window flight request

81 Ain’t correct? 82 Gerund suffix 83 We, to Henri 84 Anderson of “The X-Files” 88 Trough food 91 — Paulo

92 Unit of work 93 London beer 94 Foes 96 Wayward 98 Beauty shop 99 Family girl 100 Santas’ aides 101 Taxi drivers

102 Not as nasty 104 — petition 105 Felix played by Randall

106 Kelly of “One Tree Hill” 107 Irregularly notched 111 Clears (of) 114 USN off. 116 “Citizen X” co-star 117 Sleazy paper 118 Lemon drink

119 “... grace of God —” 120 Med. stats. taken with arm cuffs