| "...... finds his pride" [it's always sunny in philadelphia episode that ends with a dance number] | 98 |
| ... Crunch, breakfast cereal brand whose mascot is the aged ship commander, Horatio Magellan Crunch | 99 |
| "Finger-lickin' good" brand that has an aged mascot known as Colonel Sanders: Abbr. | 83 |
| Mysterious Scottish village that's the title of a Broadway musical and Hollywood film | 85 |
| Chekhov, for instance, starts to rewrite unpublished short stories including Ariadne and Neighbours | 99 |
| Henry Mancini theme music covered by 45-Across that won a best Rock Instrumental Grammy Award [2 wds] | 101 |
| Top 10 hit by 45-Across featured on the soundtracks for "The Sandlot" and "Forrest Gump" [2 wds] | 96 |
| Song by 45-Across and Ravi Shankar featured on the soundtrack for "Natural Born Killers" [2 wds] | 96 |
| Rock & Roll Hall of Fame guitarist also called the "Titan of Twang" who passed away in 2024 [2 wds] | 99 |
| X the ...... [puppet who lives in an oak tree in Mister Rogers' Neighborhood of Make-Believe] | 93 |
| BIG sandwich made with three slices of bread that are held together by cocktail sticks | 86 |
| "When I find myself in times of trouble, Mother ... comes to me ..." [Beatles' lyrics] | 86 |
| william ..., best actor in a leading role oscar winner for kiss of the spider woman | 83 |
| the ..., 2nd-century work on astronomy compiled by ptolemy that contains a star catalogue | 89 |
| elisabeth ..., actress who played serena southerlyn in us television series law & order | 87 |
| Rolling On The Floor Laughing initially - Hob's going to head up admiral's first fleet! | 87 |
| Shigetaka Kurita's invention originally, bound to provide springboard for long-running event? | 93 |
| ref. that william minor contributed heavily to in its early days despite being in an asylum at the time | 103 |
| struggling for particulars after lorry goes missing? it's found in derbyshire caves | 83 |
| i'm into music appreciated from the armchair? there's a lot of it deposited around | 82 |
| "The ... Nine" [teens who were involved in the desegregation of an Arkansas high school] | 88 |
| Designer Anna who said "You have to focus on your dreams, even if they go beyond common sense" | 94 |
| Olympic gold-medal skier who won the Best Female Athlete ESPY Award in 2010 and 2011: 2 wds. | 92 |
| Olympic gold-medal swimmer who won the Best Female Athlete ESPY Award in 2022: 2 wds. | 85 |
| Olympic gold-medal gymnast who won the Best Female Athlete ESPY Award in 2017: 2 wds. | 85 |
| Initials of the Supreme Court Justice played by Felicity Jones in "On the Basis of Sex" | 87 |
| Singer-songwriter Mitchell who performed "Both Sides Now" at the Grammy Awards ceremony in 2024 | 95 |
| .... brothers, u.s. filmmakers joel and ethan noted for films such as no country for old men | 92 |
| winner of three medals for ireland at the european athletics championships in june. | 83 |
| played by donal o'kelly, who is the business partner of colm meaney's larry in the van? | 87 |
| "i showed my appreciation of my native land in the usual irish way by getting out of .... .... soon as i possibly could", gb shaw. | 130 |
| groups of friends or workmates who joined the british army in wwi were sometimes kept together in "........ battalions". | 120 |
| the inscription on the victoria cross, britain's highest military honour, reads "for ...". | 90 |
| ........ corner: a particularly challenging stretch of the augusta national golf course. | 88 |
| "Feet in the ...," song by Paul McCartney ... or what may be the "overcast" sign of rain | 88 |
| "... It Like It's Hot," song by Snoop Dogg ... or what marks the beginning of the rain | 86 |
| N.Y.C. neighborhood in which the first pizzeria in the United States was opened [1905] | 86 |
| "The probability that we may fail in the struggle ought not to .... us from the support of a cause" [Abraham Lincoln] | 117 |
| Nikola .... made major contributions to the design of AC electricity supply systems | 83 |
| Term for a hybrid film or TV genre, based on real events but making use of artistic licence | 91 |
| One of the National Theatre's three theatres, named after its first artistic director | 85 |
| Sultry singer who supplied the voice of the villain Yzma in Disney's "The Emperor's New Groove" [2 wds.] | 104 |
| Actor who founded The Players across from Gramercy Park, in the center of which is a statue of him [2 wds.] | 107 |
| Catcher who won 10 World Series championships, more than any other player [2 wds.] | 82 |
| TV character who says "Weaseling out of things is important to learn. It's what separates us from the animals … except the weasel" | 132 |
| TV character who says "I forgot to clean the lint basket in the dryer. If someone broke into the house and did laundry, it could start a fire" | 142 |
| "...... thou think, because thou art virtuous / there shall be no more cakes and ale?" [twelfth night] | 102 |
| alvin who was the first prosecutor in american history to win a conviction against a former president | 101 |
| strike an ........, expression meaning 'to assume a position indicating an emotion not really felt' | 99 |
| carnivorous marsupial native to australia and new guinea such as the tiger — or bronze — | 92 |
| "the lady of ......" [tennyson poem in which "the mirror crack'd from side to side"] | 84 |
| Singer who refused the Grammy she won for I Do Not Want What I haven't Got: 2 wds. | 82 |
| Mystery writer who, under the pen name JD Robb, created Lieutenant Eve Dallas and Detective Delia Peabody [2 wds] | 113 |
| "...... and Lucinda" [Peter Carey novel adapted into a film starring Ralph Fiennes and Cate Blanchett] | 102 |
| Mystery writer who created Detective Jane Rizzoli and Chief Medical Examiner Maura Isles [2 wds] | 96 |
| Film critic Roger who said, "No good movie is too long and no bad movie is short enough" | 88 |
| ...... toilet [gen alpha web series in which heads come out of toilets? not sure, i think i'm too old to really get this.] | 122 |
| part of "little miss sunshine" or "the adventures of priscilla, queen of the desert" | 84 |
| a post office vault briefly held endless rarely encountered, hidden or secret things | 84 |
| 1967 film drama starring carol white and terence stamp based on a novel by nell dunn | 84 |
| Terrestrial bodies closest to the sun … or what you'll find in the starred clues' answers | 91 |
| The Blues Brothers actor who played Bluto in National Lampoon's Animal House: 2 wds. | 84 |
| *Sniff sniff* The smell of these scented waxy concoctions is always nostalgic and reminds one of a toasty fall evening | 118 |
| *Sniff sniff* The smell of these kind of books is always nostalgic and leaves one feeling warm | 94 |
| *Sniff sniff* The smell of this freshly cut lawn stuff is always nostalgic and reminds one of playgrounds | 105 |
| *Sniff sniff* The smell of these coloring sticks is always nostalgic and reminds one of kindergarten art class | 110 |
| *Sniff sniff* The smell of freshly ... loaves of bread is always nostalgic and reminds one of Christmastime | 107 |
| *Sniff sniff* The smell of this Play-Doh modeling compound is always nostalgic and reminds one of playtime | 106 |
| *Sniff sniff* The smell of ... mixed with mud is always nostalgic and reminds one of a lazy monsoon day | 103 |
| ...... effect [tendency of people to place higher value on things they helped make] | 83 |
| Foreign Office probes favourite chum of Pooh — the ultimate in silly, fussy quibbling | 87 |
| "... to the Jungle," 1987 song whose riff by Slash was composed in his mom's basement | 85 |
| ... Kennedy, Alter Bridge lead vocalist who recorded four studio albums with Slash | 82 |
| "Sweet Child o' ...," song with an iconic riff by Slash that was featured in "Thor: Love and Thunder" | 101 |
| All crossword fans love this puzzle; anyone who doesn't love this puzzle can't be a *real* crossword fan! | 105 |
| Why was this chosen as today's puzzle? Because it's great! What makes it great? I mean, it was chosen for publication! | 118 |
| What's more, one of those friends won the lottery right after solving it — coincidence? I think not! | 102 |
| If you criticize this puzzle, where will it end? Before long, you'll be criticizing your mother's cooking! | 106 |
| london establishment adjacent to where bob dylan filmed his "subterranean homesick blues" video | 95 |
| irrational fear of nine-headed serpents? [although i'm not sure about the "irrational" part) | 92 |
| ellsbury who was the first native american of navajo descent to play in major league baseball | 93 |
| 2006 film comedy subtitled cultural learnings of america for make benefit glorious nation of kazakhstan | 103 |
| 16th-century english poet whose works include prose work the countess of pembroke's arcadia | 91 |
| eric —, winner of the wimbledon mixed doubles tennis championship in 1949 and 1950 | 84 |
| dome-shaped buddhist shrine such as the phra pathommachedi in nakhon pathom, thailand | 85 |
| friedrich —, german scientist after whom a scale for expressing the hardness of minerals is named | 99 |
| Each of the starred clues' answers, or what these answers' starts collectively sound like | 89 |
| Sticky yellow squares ... or a description of the circled letters and what they follow? | 87 |
| US Navy engineers [or a hint to the theme which is based on the first words of three long answers] | 98 |
| plant of the pea family whose dried root yields an extract used in confectionery and medicines | 94 |
| d j —, england test cricketer who hit 110 not out against south africa at durban in 1957 | 90 |
| robert —, actor who played siegfried farnon in bbc tv series all creatures great and small | 92 |
| karl —, german designer who built the first car to be driven by an internal-combustion engine | 95 |
| dean —, actor who played the title role in 1990s us television series the new adventures of superman | 102 |
| ...... smithee [pseudonym for directors who want to disassociate themselves with a film] | 88 |
| ...... sea [body of water that was the 4th-largest lake in the world until the 1980s when it dried up due to pollution] | 119 |
| ... Belle Thoms [co-founder of the National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses] | 83 |
| "Dune" actor who plays Wyoming rancher Royal Abbott on 27-Across/30-Across [2 wds] | 82 |
| "Six Feet Under" actress who plays Wyoming rancher Cecilia Abbott on 27-Across/30-Across [2 wds] | 96 |
| "Romancing the ...," 1984 film starring Michael Douglas that won a Golden Globe award | 85 |
| "... Attraction," 1987 romantic thriller starring Michael Douglas that was nominated for six Oscars | 99 |
| "The Jewel of the ...," 1985 action-adventure film starring Michael Douglas in the lead role | 92 |
| "One ... Over the Cuckoo's Nest," 1975 film produced by Michael Douglas that won the Academy Award for Best Picture | 115 |
| "The ... of the Roses," 1989 satirical film starring Michael Douglas that earned him a Golden Globe nomination | 110 |
| "... Street," 1987 drama film starring Michael Douglas that earned him an Academy Award for Best Actor | 102 |
| succeeded getting apron repaired around the end of october when it's worn with a kilt | 85 |
| christopher ..., author of the stage plays total eclipse and when did you last see my mother? | 93 |
| jay ..., us comedian who succeeded johnny carson as host of the tonight show in 1992 | 84 |
| ross ..., 1977 wimbledon men's doubles tennis championship winner with geoff masters | 84 |
| jan dismas ..., bohemia-born baroque composer whose works include 1730 cantata il serpente di bronzo | 100 |
| d w ..., south africa test cricketer who took 7-51 against india at nagpur in 2010 | 82 |
| Democratic congresswoman who served as Speaker of the House from 2007-2011 and 2019-2023: 2 wds. | 96 |
| Republican congressman who served as Speaker of the House from January to October 2023: 2 wds. | 94 |
| Republican congressman who has served as Speaker of the House since October 2023: 2 wds. | 88 |
| Mexican auto racer who finished second at the 2024 Indianapolis 500, trailing 33-Across by 034 seconds [2 wds] | 110 |
| king of judea who tried to kill jesus by ordering the death of all children under age two in bethlehem | 102 |
| tuv leader who defeated ian paisley jr to win a seat at westminster earlier this month. | 87 |
| which kind of object was the source of a famous market bubble in the netherlands of the 1630s? | 94 |
| "if music be the food of love, ........ ....", first line of shakespeare's twelfth night. | 89 |
| fleetwood mac's the .......... soundtracked the bbc's formula one coverage for many years. | 90 |
| "There is / One great society alone ...., / The noble Living, and the noble Dead" [Wordsworth] | 94 |
| ... two, play this card to make the next player take two cards and lose their turn | 82 |
| ... shuffle hands, play this card when you want to collect ALL the cards from EACH player's hand | 96 |
| Play this card to change the direction from clockwise to counterclockwise and vice versa | 88 |
| Tom ......, American golfer who won the Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St Annes in 1996 | 92 |
| An inspection, correction and verification of business accounts, conducted by an independent accountant | 103 |
| English rock band whose hits included Down in the Tube Station at Midnight and That's Entertainment | 99 |
| Severe infection and inflammation of the intestines caused by bacteria, protozoa or parasitic worms | 99 |
| Ballet with music by Maurice Ravel, who described it as a "symphonie choréographique" | 86 |
| English punk rock band whose hits included London Calling and Should I Stay Or Should I Go | 90 |
| Peter ......, Australian tennis player best known for his doubles partnership with Paul McNamee | 95 |
| English punk rock band whose members have included Captain Sensible and Rat Scabies | 83 |
| A loose wide-sleeved liturgical vestment worn over the cassock by clergymen, choristers and acolytes | 100 |
| A tropical American click beetle of the genus Pyrophorus with luminescent thoracic organs | 89 |
| English-born Australian singer and actress who co-starred with John Travolta in the film version of Grease | 106 |
| Caroline ......, English literary critic who was the first female professor of English Literature | 97 |
| J J ......, Finnish former Formula One driver who won the 24 Hours of Le Mans twice, in 1995 and 2005 | 101 |
| Courtier sent by Claudius to invite Hamlet to participate in the duel with Laertes in Shakespeare's play | 104 |
| Famous aria from the opera Carmen by Georges Bizet sometimes referred to as "L'amour est un oiseau rebelle" | 107 |
| Robert ......, Irish writer best known for his novel The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists | 89 |
| George ......, Romanian composer, violinist, pianist, conductor and teacher whose works include the opera Oedipe | 112 |
| musical set on an ocean liner, explaining what's lost in answers to asterisked clues | 84 |
| actress whose roles include catherine van oost in 1970 film drama five easy pieces | 82 |
| joseph ..., american theatre producer-director who founded the new york shakespeare festival in 1954 | 100 |
| peder severin ..., norway-born painter whose works include 1888's hip, hip, hurrah! | 83 |
| marquis of ... , boxing code written by john graham chambers and published in 1867 | 82 |
| insurance giant with an ad that features arnold schwarzenegger strugging with the word neighbor | 95 |
| switching positions, and a phrase spelled by the first letters of 12 words that have switched positions | 103 |
| what julian barnes called "an art which seeks, more obviously than any other form, to break your heart" | 103 |
| city in southern france that was the birthplace of the artist, henri de toulouse-lautrec | 88 |
| chief ........ to the cabinet office, title of the official resident cat at 10 downing street | 93 |
| jared, actor who won a best supporting actor oscar in the 2013 film dallas buyers club | 86 |
| Better Call Saul actor who auctioned a dinner with himself and David Cross to benefit the WGA strike: 2 wds. | 108 |
| Poker Face actress who auctioned co-solving a crossword puzzle to benefit the WGA strike: 2 wds. | 96 |
| The Crown actor who auctioned painting a pet's portrait to benefit the WGA strike: 2 wds. | 89 |
| Emily Giffin novel about a television producer reunited with the daughter she gave up for adoption [3 wds] | 106 |
| Emily Giffin novel about a high-profile couple who come from very different backgrounds [3 wds] | 95 |
| Greek goddess played by Erica Cerra in "Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief" | 91 |
| Jenny ---, actress whose screen credits include Call the Midwife and The Railway Children | 89 |
| 2000 prix de l'arc de triomphe, epsom derby and irish derby winner ridden by johnny murtagh | 91 |
| "i couldn't have robbed the bank; i was busy attending the anti-bank-robbing convention," e.g. | 94 |
| "Mad TV" actor who voices Hermes Conrad on Hulu's revival of the animated series "Futurama" [2 wds] | 99 |
| Faith Hill hit song with the lyrics "It's centrifugal motion / It's perpetual bliss" [2 wds] | 92 |
| I'm left with back page darts to indicate the difference in things bought and sold | 82 |
| Features, such as a logo or slogan, that a company uses to distinguish their products | 85 |
| f s ..., england test cricketer who took 5-35 against west indies at port-of-spain in 1960 | 90 |
| earnestly ask india's first prime minister about collective knowledge of a traditional nature | 93 |
| The Obamas, for one ... or what fits between the two parts of each starred clue's answer? | 89 |
| Brooklyn-born comedian who was an executive producer of 27-Across and 32/38-Across: 2 wds. | 90 |
| With 38-Across, 2000-2024 HBO sitcom that centers around a comedy writer and his friends: 2 wds. | 96 |
| Horse's pace, which can be found jumping across black squares in rows 3, 6, 10 and 14 of this grid | 98 |
| Mandarin ..., language you'd hear in Beijing, and one of the most commonly spoken languages in the world with around 1.1 billion speakers | 137 |
| Language you'd hear in London, and one of the most commonly spoken languages in the world with around 1.4 billion speakers | 122 |
| Language you'd hear in Madrid, and one of the most commonly spoken languages in the world with around 500 million speakers | 122 |
| Language you'd hear in Mumbai, and one of the most commonly spoken language in the world with around 600 million speakers | 121 |
| Language you'd hear in Lyon, and one of the most commonly spoken languages in the world with around 310 million speakers | 120 |
| ... Eastwood, "Unforgiven" director who also composed "Claudia's Theme" for the movie | 85 |
| ... F. Sandberg, "Lights Out!" director who also composed the music for the original short movie | 96 |
| Song from "The Little Mermaid" that's a phonetic hint to interpreting the answers to the starred clues | 102 |
| krispy ...... challenge [annual event with the tagline "12 doughnuts. 5 miles. 1 hour."] | 88 |
| hair implement that can be covered with a sheet of tissue paper to create a makeshift kazoo | 91 |
| word edited into the first sentence of a recently deceased celebrity's wikipedia page | 85 |
| stellan —, swedish actor who played the title role in 2015 bbc tv drama series river | 86 |
| "With a corncob pipe and a ..., and two eyes made out of coal" ["Frosty the Snowman" lyric] | 91 |
| Beatles song featuring chirping, on which Paul McCartney is the only credited Beatle | 84 |
| With 34-Across, Beatles song inspired by Paul’s dog, on which Paul McCartney is the only credited Beatle | 106 |
| Step 3: "Carefully place the ... [sharp implement that reads the music] on the record to start playing!" | 104 |
| Step 4: "Adjust the volume of your ... [sound-producing devices], and enjoy the music!" | 87 |
| Yogi who said "Always go to other people’s funerals, otherwise they won’t come to yours" | 92 |
| river rising in northern france that flows through belgium into the north sea at nieuwpoort | 91 |
| a w —, england test cricketer who took 8-86 against west indies at port of spain in 1974 | 90 |
| "What We Do in the Shadows" actor who plays Gary in "Harold and the Purple Crayon" [2 wds] | 90 |
| "500 Days of Summer" actress who plays Terry in "Harold and the Purple Crayon" [2 wds] | 86 |
| "Edge of ...," hit song by Stevie Nicks or the age referenced in "Dancing Queen" by Abba | 88 |
| 2011 Billy Ray Cyrus song about a high school football star or the age of college sophomores | 92 |
| fabiola —, winner in 1999 and from 2002-04 of the copa colsanitas singles tennis tournament | 93 |
| jeremiah —, english surveyor best known for his work with charles mason on resolving a boundary dispute between maryland and pennsylvania | 139 |
| Accountant discontented with announced percentage of income taken by government charges | 87 |
| American trunks are large to cover swimmer's rear – most vendors here are out of gear | 87 |
| Finally sub-postmaster is taking on Post Office and head of Fujitsu following exploitative situations | 101 |