36 FEBRUARY 14, 2021
ACROSS
1 Romantic-era pianist
Schumann
6 English or Spanish, e.g.
11 Divided fairly
14 In a pessimistic way
17 Presley who played
Jane Spencer in the
“Naked Gun” films
18 Th ree-time AL MVP
Alex
20 1,000-page book, e.g.
21 Admiral’s group
22 Mimicked
23 Nick at
(programming block
on Nickelodeon)
24 Professes to be true
26 Familial nickname
27 Beatty of “Prelude to
a Kiss”
28 Clearly
comprehensible
29 Soothed
31 Swimmer Mark
33 Superheroes’ wraps
34 Biz leader
36 “You So
Beautiful” (Joe
Cocker song)
37 Bon ___ (quip)
38 Description for
Romeo and Juliet,
and a description of
the intersections of
this puzzle’s power
couples
46 Tended to, as flowers
47 Not level
48 Having great power
49 *Manchester United
great Beckham
53 Steamy spaces
55 Living the dream?
56 Emulate a defensive
bee
57 Sitting on the side of
the road while the
engine is on, say
58 What a mask may
cover
59 Pliers place
62 Tidy
63 Kidney-related
65 Like a president who
wasn’t reelected
66 Davis of “The Long
Kiss Goodnight”
67 Romantic poem, maybe
68 Fortuneteller’s initials
70 “... ___ any drop to
drink”
71 “¡Excelente!”
73 Alpo or Whiskas eater
74 Goes from 1 to 2, say
75 Univ. applicant’s test
76 Hired enforcer
78 *Model Chrissy who
co-hosts “Lip Sync
Battle”
81 Tenth anniversary
material, traditionally
82 *Burns’s comedy
partner Allen
86 Enlarge, as a home
88 “Woman With
Flowered ___” (Roy
Lichtenstein painting)
89 8-foot-2 friend of Elmo
90 Sweetie ___
91 “Fantastic Mr. Fox”
author Roald
93 116 Across’s
inspiration
94 Sketch comedy bit
95 Touchdown hrs.
97 Reasons for feeling
blue
99 Certain wedding guest
100 Aid for John Bates on
“Downton Abbey”
101 “___ Land”
(romantic 2016 film)
103 French culinary
specification
105 Composer Stravinsky
107 Flying Post
108 From Riyadh, say
109 Uncouth
111 Groups taking bows
112 *Biel of “Valentine’s
Day”
114 One sharing a stage
kiss
116 Public entertainer
118 Margaret’s husband
in “Addams Family
Values”
119 Squalid abode
121 Driver’s mishap
122 Compete (for)
123 Clap for, say
124 Trips up?
125 Conclusion
126 Maximally
challengingDOWN
1 Sevastopol’s region
2 “Finders keepers,
___ weepers”
3 Path of a soccer ball
during a goal kick
4 Weather for some
passionate kisses,
in film tropes
5 Refere nce with
rivers
6 Like computer
language
7 Word heard during
a sermon
8 Bon ___ (cleanser
brand)
9 Join the club, say
10 Gated passage in a
dam
11 Authenticate
12 *“(Let Me Be Your)
Teddy Bear” singer
Presley
13 Aromatherapy sites
14 Scholarship
recipient, e.g.
15 *Jennifer who sang
“Amor, Amor, Amor”
16 Sought-aft er
creatures in
“Abominable”
17 Org. supporting
Reading Is
Fundamental
programs
19 Sean Connery’s
role in “Zardoz”
25 Emit, as hormones
28 Like the poets
Rainis and Aspazija
30 Crack, so to speak
32 Taxing org.
33 Settles down
35 Material from which
reactive metals are
extracted during
electrolysis
37 42 Down’s org.
38 Hit nothing but net,
in basketball
39 “She walked off the
street, into his life
and stole his heart,”
for “Pretty Woman”
40 One of Aphrodite’s
rivals during the
Judgment of Paris41 Like some favorites
42 Member of the 2020
World Series champions
43 Like a mustang
44 Be strongly and
wholeheartedly felt
45 Shipping channel
48 Keyboard shortcut
50 Extensively
51 *Sin ger Beckham
nicknamed Posh Spice
52 Essential
54 Programmed to, as
volume
60 Exclamation that means
the same thing when
you include “wh” at the
beginning
61 Air quality index concern
64 *“All of Me” singer John
66 *Allen’s comedy partner
Burns69 Exiled
72 ___ regression (form of
statistical analysis)
74 “It wasn’t that long ___”
77 Catch
78 Masking ___
79 Review articles, e.g.
80 Having romantic notions
83 Smo ke-filled room?
84 Gate of All Nations nation
85 Appropriate location for
this answer
87 “Take a look at this!”
89 Hairstyle that may be
held up with a pencil
92 Contract with a security
deposit section, often
93 Rest area?
96 One of six crackers that
people attempt to eat in
60 seconds in a popular
challenge98 Having the power to
convince (usually with
“per” at the beginning)
99 Checked, as financial
figures
100 Designed plays, say
102 Teacher’s task
104 *“Rock Your Body” singer
Timberlake
106 Cheese-shredding item
107 Becomes twisted out of
shape, as lumber
110 Opportunities to shine at
rock concerts
111 “Mi ___ es su ___”
112 Craft in hangars
113 Principal
115 Monthly expense for a
tenant
117 With 117 Down,
reproachful sound
120 “There it is!”Crossword“POWER COUPLES” BY EVAN BIRNHOLZ
FOR THE SOLUTION TO LAST WEEK’S PUZZLE, SEE PAGE 34. ONLINE: CLASSIC MERL REAGLE PUZZLES AT WAPO.ST/CLASSIC-MERL.