PITA (44A: Pocketed bread for souvlaki) Souvlaki is a fast food dish in Greek cuisine. It consists of meat (often pork) grilled on a skewer that is served with or rolled inside a PITA. The phrase "pocketed bread" is a nice hint for solvers who might not be familiar with souvlaki.

SAM'S (45A: ___ Club (Costco rival)) SAM'S Club and Costco are membership-only warehouse club retail stores. Both corporations were founded in 1983, SAM'S Club in Midwest City, Oklahoma, and Costco in Seattle, Washington.

EPEES (70A: Heaviest fencing blades) Of the three sword types used in the Olympic sport of fencing - ÉPÉES, sabers, and foils - ÉPÉES are the largest and heaviest. The maximum legal weight for the foil and the saber is 500 grams, while an ÉPÉE may weigh as much as 750 grams.

FLAG POLE (6D: One of 195 outside the U.N.) The United Nations (U.N.) was established in 1945, after World War II. In its own words, the U.N. works for "peace, dignity and equality on a healthy planet." The U.N. is headquartered in New York City. The 195 FLAG POLEs outside of the U.N. display the FLAGs of the 193 member states and two observer states. The FLAGs are arranged in English alphabetical order. The FLAGs are raised at 8:00 a.m. and lowered at 4:00 p.m. each weekday (with some exceptions). Fun fact: The 195 FLAG POLEs cover a distance of six New York City blocks.