101-Down opera

As a detective and a lover of opera, I knew that 101-Down referred to a four-letter opera title that fit the given number of squares. It could have been any number of operas, but I relied on my knowledge of the genre to narrow down the options. I considered operas with popular four-letter titles like “Carmen” and “Turandot,” but these were too short. Then it came to me: “Aida.” This Verdi masterpiece tells the story of a love triangle set in ancient Egypt and has been a favorite among opera-goers for over a century. The title is perfectly suited for the crossword clue and, with a sense of smug satisfaction, I proudly filled in the letters for 101-Down.