Author: by Rafael Musa
Across
| Range through northern Italy | ALPS |
| Roughly 2.54 centimeters | INCH |
| Fasten, as buttons | DOUP |
| Mufasa’s son | SIMBA |
| Baklava dough, as some spell it | FILO |
| ___ Empire (Mansa Musa’s African domain) | MALI |
| Oak nut | ACORN |
| Academic hurdle | EXAM |
| “This is a clear-cut choice” | ITSNOTEVENCLOSE |
| Grp. Croatia joined in 2013 | THEEU |
| Piece of furniture with a frame | BED |
| Wee | EENSY |
| “I’m on the edge of my ___!” | SEAT |
| Dungeons & Dragons baddie | ORC |
| “This is too good to be true, right?” | WHATSTHECATCH |
| Repayment promise | IOU |
| The ones over here | THESE |
| Prefix for “center” | EPI |
| “That seems illogical” | ITDOESNTADDUP |
| ’50s prez | IKE |
| Name that anagrams to “Reno” | ERNO |
| East ___ (neighbor of Indonesia) | TIMOR |
| Zodiac lion | LEO |
| Hiatus | PAUSE |
| Not just shots in the dark | EDUCATEDGUESSES |
| Vend | SELL |
| Cardiff’s country | WALES |
| Dad jokes, often | PUNS |
| Nickname that drops “ana” | TATI |
| Goes first, in chess | OPENS |
| Try it! | CASE |
| Step on a banana peel, maybe | SLIP |
| Soccer champion Morgan | ALEX |
Down
| Allow inside | ADMIT |
| Reluctant | LOATH |
| Vital sign | PULSE |
| It’s composed of 33 vertebrae | SPINE |
| Start of a politician’s promise | IFELECTED |
| President who established OSHA in the ’70s | NIXON |
| ___ action lawsuit | CLASS |
| Cozy and inviting | HOMEY |
| Settled into a booth, say | SAT |
| Post-workout cooldown options? | ICEBATHS |
| Cause a noticeable change | MOVETHENEEDLE |
| Born and ___ | BRED |
| ___ Arbor, Michigan | ANN |
| Force out of office | OUST |
| “Superbad” actor Michael | CERA |
| Businesswoman Lauder | ESTEE |
| Approximately 71% of the Earth’s surface | OCEAN |
| Lead-in to “Fit” or “Sports,” in video game titles | WII |
| Spicy | HOT |
| Listen to this! | AUDIOCLIP |
| Menopausal hormone therapy component | ESTROGEN |
| PC core | CPU |
| Body’s largest ball-and-socket joint | HIP |
| Gooey vegetable | OKRA |
| Excellent, informally | DOPE |
| Academic hurdles | TESTS |
| Just perfect | IDEAL |
| Prefix meaning “many” | MULTI |
| “… one giant ___ for mankind” | LEAP |
| Pet shelter org. | ASPCA |
| Customary | USUAL |
| Word after “common” or “sixth” | SENSE |
| County in England and New Jersey | ESSEX |
| Cube root of eight | TWO |
| Navy vessel letters | USS |
