Day: September 14, 2014

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
8. Trendy A LA MODE
In French, “à la mode” simply means “fashionable”. In America, the term has come to describe a way of serving pie, usually with ice cream, or as I recall from when I lived in Upstate New York, with cheese.

20. Like some reasoning A PRIORI
In the world of philosophy, one can have “a priori” knowledge or “a posteriori” knowledge. A priori (“from the earlier) knowledge is independent of experience, it is just known or assumed. For example, one might say that “all boys are males” is a priori knowledge. A posteriori knowledge relies on experience or some empirical evidence. For example, one might say that “boys are more likely to diagnosed with ADD” is a posteriori knowledge.

21. In vino __ VERITAS
The Latin phrase “in vino veritas” translates as “in wine there is truth”. Sometimes the phrase is extended to “in vino veritas, in aqua sanitas”, meaning “in wine there is truth, in water there is health”.

22. Threshold VERGE
Years ago I was taking a tour of a beautiful Elizabethan manor house in England, and was told a little “threshing” story by the guide as we stood in one of the rooms. She reminded us that threshing was the removal of seeds from chaff, and told us that back in the day the “chaff” was sometimes called the “thresh”. Thresh would be used on the floors, particularly in the kitchen areas where it would soak up spills and provide some thermal insulation, much as sawdust was used in my favorite pubs many moons ago. She pointed to two slots at the bottom of the door jambs where she said a low board was placed upright on the floor, to hold the thresh in the room. The board was called a “thresh hold”, giving us our contemporary word “threshold”. I am not sure if all of that is really true, but it makes a nice story.

23. Heroic medal whose recipient didn’t feel worthy of it? THE RUED BADGE OF COURAGE (from “The Red Badge of Courage”)
“The Red Badge of Courage” is a 1951 war movie adapted from a novel of the same name by Stephen Crane. Set in the American Civil War, WWII hero Audie Murphy plays the lead role.

27. “Mangia!” EAT!
Mangia! is Italian for “eat!” and is often used in the names of Italian restaurants or in brand names of Italian foods.

28. Heavy weight ONE TON
Back in the late 1300s, the unit of weight known as a “ton” was the quantity of wine that filled a cask, or “tun”.

29. Cognac bottle letters VSOP
Cognac is a famous variety of brandy named after the town of Cognac in the very west of France. To be called cognac, the brandy must be distilled twice in copper pot stills and aged at least two years in very specific French oak barrels. It is the length of this aging that defines the various grades of cognac (and other brandies):

– VS: Very Special … at least 2 years storage
– VSOP: Very Special (or Superior) Old Pale … at least 4 years storage
– XO: Extra Old … at least 6 years
– VSO: Very Superior Old … 12-17 years

36. “And Winter Came…” album maker ENYA
Enya’s real name is Eithne Patricia Ní Bhraonáin, which can translate from Irish into Enya Brennan. Her Donegal family (in the northwest of Ireland) formed a band called Clannad, which included Enya. In 1980 Enya launched her very successful solo career. She sure does turn up a lot in crosswords!

37. Formal acknowledgment of the end of the calla season? A FAREWELL TO ARUMS (from “A Farewell to Arms”)
Arum lily and calla lily are common names for the flowering plant genus Zantedeschia. Zantedeschia species contain calcium oxalate, making them very poisonous.

“A Farewell to Arms” is a somewhat autobiographical novel written by Ernest Hemingway, telling the story of an American ambulance driver serving with the Italian army during WWI. The most famous screen adaptation is probably the 1957 version starring Rock Hudson and Jennifer Jones.

46. Game with marriage and kids LIFE
The board game we call “The Game of Life” was created quite a few years ago, in 1869 by Milton Bradley. Back then it was called “The Checkered Game of Life” and was the first parlor game to become a popular hit. The modern version of the game was first released in 1960.

48. Count in music BASIE
“Count” Basie’s real given name was “William”. Count Basie perhaps picked up his love for the piano from his mother, who played and gave him his first lessons. Basie’s first paying job as a musician was in a movie theater, where he learned to improvise a suitable accompaniment for the silent movies that were being shown.

49. River rat NUTRIA
The river rat, also known as the coypu or nutria, is a native of South America, although is now found all over the word as an invasive species. The river rat was introduced into locations outside of South America by ranchers who farmed them for their fur.

50. Warnings for Rio sailors? BUOYS FROM BRAZIL (from “Boys from Brazil”)
“The Boys from Brazil” is an excellent 1978 thriller film that was adapted from an equally excellent novel of the same name by Ira Levin. The strong cast is led by Gregory Peck, Laurence Olivier and James Mason. The compelling plot involves a Nazi hunter chasing the infamous Josef Mengele, and the cloning of Adolf Hitler.

56. Hurdles for future attys. LSATS
The Law School Admission Test (LSAT) has been around since 1948.

57. Justice Dept. arm ATF
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is today part of the Department of Justice. The ATF has its roots in the Department of Treasury dating back to 1886 when it was known as the Bureau of Prohibition. “Explosives” was added to the ATF’s name when the bureau was moved under the Department of Justice (DOJ) as part of the reorganization called for in the Homeland Security Act of 2002.

58. Wonder Woman portrayer Carter LYNDA
Lynda Carter is perhaps best known for playing the title role in the TV show “Wonder Woman” that originally aired in the 1970s. Prior to landing the part, Carter had won the Miss World USA beauty pageant in 1972, representing her home state of Arizona.

59. __ historique: opera genre FAIT
The genre of opera known as “fait historique” was popular during the French Revolution and is based on French history. The term “fait historique” translates from French as “historical fact”.

61. USN officers LTS
There are lieutenants (lts.) in the US Navy (USN).

62. Jackie’s predecessor MAMIE
Mamie Eisenhower has to have been one of the most charming of all the First Ladies of the United States. Ms. Eisenhower suffered from an inner ear complaint called Ménière’s disease which caused her to lose her balance quite often. Because she was unsteady on her feet there were unfounded rumors floating around Washington that Ms. Eisenhower had a drinking problem. People can be very unkind …

Jackie Kennedy Onassis was born into a privileged family, the daughter of Wall Street stock broker John Vernou Bouvier III. Ms. Bouvier moved in the same social circles as the Kennedy clan, and first met the then-US Representative John Kennedy at a dinner party hosted by mutual friends. Years later, after she saw her husband assassinated and then her brother-in-law (Bobby Kennedy) suffer the same fate, Jackie declared that she feared for the life of her children as they bore the Kennedy name. She left the country, eventually meeting and marrying Aristotle Onassis. Reportedly she was very satisfied that the Greek shipping magnate was able to provide privacy and security for her children.

68. Role for Ingrid ILSA
Ilsa Lund was of course played by Ingrid Bergman in the 1942 movie “Casablanca”. I love the words of one critic describing the chemistry between Bogart and Bergman in this film: “she paints his face with her eyes”. Wow …

71. Not a colorful restaurant list? MENU IN BLACK (from “Men in Black”)
“Men in black” are said to have appeared in the past whenever there have been reports of UFO sightings. Supposedly, these men are government agents whose job it is to suppress reports of alien landings. The conspiracy theorists got their day in the movies with the release of a pretty good sci-fi comedy in 1997 called “Men in Black”, starring Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones.

75. Stat for getting people home RBIS
Runs batted in (RBI)

86. Capital overlooking the Pacific LIMA
Lima is the capital city of Peru. Lima was founded in 1535 by the Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro, who named it “la Ciudad de los Reyes” (the City of Kings). He chose this name because the decision to found the city was made on January 6th, the feast of the Epiphany that commemorates the visit of the three kings to Jesus in Bethlehem.

94. Midnight distress call? A SHOUT IN THE DARK (from “A Shot in the Dark”)
“A Shot in the Dark” is the second of “The Pink Panther”series, released in 1964. The main character is Inspector Jacques Clouseau, played brilliantly by Peter Sellers. This one is a lot of fun …

100. Many a ski house A-FRAME
A A-frame house is one that has a steeply-angled roof, one forming the shape of the letter “A”. The A-frame design is popular in snowy regions, as the roof is so steeply pitched that it does not collect snow.

102. Tasteless TACKY
Something “tacky” is “in bad taste”. The term derives from the noun “tackey” that was used in the early 1800s to describe a neglected horse.

104. Clever maneuver by a grade school class? KINDERGARTEN COUP (from “Kindergarten Cop”.
“Kindergarten Cop” is a fun 1990 comedy starring Arnold Schwarzenegger in a different role for him. Arnie is a cop, but working undercover as a kindergarten teacher.

108. Cat in a casa GATO
In Spanish, one might have a pet cat (gato) in one’s house (casa).

112. About, legally IN RE
The term “in re” is Latin, derived from “in” (in) and “res” (thing, matter). “In re” literally means “in the matter”, and is used to mean “in regard to”, or “in the matter of”.

114. Pitcher known as “Tom Terrific” SEAVER
Tom Seaver is a former baseball pitcher, noted for his ten-year stint with the New York Mets from 1967 to 1977. Seaver earned the nickname “Tom Terrific”, and is the only Met player to have his jersey number retired. When he quit baseball he moved out here to California and opened up a small winery in Calistoga. Keep an eye out for the vineyard’s name, “Seaver Family Vineyards”, and their cabernets “Nancy’s Fancy” and “GTS”.

119. 1998 Masters champion O’MEARA
Mark O’Meara is an American golfer from Goldsboro, North Carolina. He is known as one of the American players who competes in international tournaments more than most, and has a reputation as a real gentleman all around the world.

124. NRC forerunner AEC
The Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) was set up right after WWII in 1946, with the aim of promoting the peaceful use of atomic energy. Establishing the AEC was a significant move made by President Truman, as it passed control of atomic energy from the military to the civilian sector. The AEC continued to operate until 1974 when its functions were divided up into two new agencies: the Energy Research and Development Administration and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).

126. One of the Allmans DUANE
The Allman Brothers Band has to be one of the most unlucky bands in the business. Soon after the group had its big break with the 1971 album “At Fillmore East”, one of the two Allman brothers, Duane, was killed in a motorcycle accident. One year later, bassist Berry Oakley was killed, also in a motorcycle accident.

127. Classy vehicle for actor Elliott? THE SOLID GOULD CADILLAC (from “The Solid Gold Cadillac”)
Elliott Gould is a veteran actor from Brooklyn, New York. Gould’s big break came with a leading role in the excellent 1969 comedy “Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice”, which he soon followed up with a famous portrayal of surgeon Trapper John in the 1970 classic movie “M*A*S*H”. On TV, Gould had a recurring role on the sitcom “Friends”, playing the father of Monica and Ross Geller. More recently, he has had a recurring role in the “Ocean’s Eleven” series of movies, playing Reuben Tishkoff. Off the screen, Gould is known for his marriage to Barbra Streisand (from 1963 to 1971) and his two marriages (and two divorces) to Jennifer Bogart, daughter of director Paul Bogart.

131. Cravat cousin ASCOT
An Ascot tie is that horrible-looking (I think!) wide tie that narrows at the neck, which these days is only really worn at weddings. The tie takes its name from the Royal Ascot horse race at which punters still turn up in formal wear at Ascot Racecourse in England.

The cravat originated in Croatia and was an accessory used with a military uniform. Cravats were introduced to the fashion-conscious French by Croatian mercenaries enlisted into a regiment of the French army. The English placed a lot of emphasis on the knot used for the cravat, and in the period after the Battle of Waterloo the cravat came to be known as a “tie”. What we now call a tie in English is still called a “cravate” in French.

133. Folksy TV attorney MATLOCK
“Matlock” is a legal drama series which originally aired from 1986 to 1995. Andy Griffith played the title role, a criminal-defense attorney named Ben Matlock.

135. Where some ticket selling is done IN A CAGE
I guess some ticket sellers might be located in an enclosure referred to as a cage.

136. Ancient ascetics ESSENES
The Essenes were a Jewish religious group, most noted these days perhaps as the writers of the Dead Sea Scrolls.

The Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered over a period of years, between 1947 and 1956, in eleven caves on the shores of the Dead Sea. The scrolls are believed to have been written by an ancient Jewish sect called the Essenes, although this has been called into question recently. Many of the texts are copies of writings from the Hebrew Bible.

Down
2. Either “You’ve Got Mail” co-screenwriter EPHRON
Nora Ephron had many talents, including writing film scripts and novels. Many of the movies that she wrote, she also directed. These would include some of my favorite movies of all time like “Sleepless in Seattle”, “You’ve Got Mail” and most recently, the wonderful “Julie & Julia”. And, did you know that Nora Ephron’s second marriage was to journalist Carl Bernstein of Watergate fame? She wrote an autobiographical novel based on her life with Bernstein, dealing in particular with Bernstein’s affair with the daughter of British Prime Minister James Callaghan.

Delia Ephron is the sister of the more famous Nora Ephron, and is a screenwriter and producer in her own right. Among Delia’s writing credits is the 2005 movie “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants”.

“You’ve Got Mail” is a 1998 romantic comedy film starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, directed by Nora Ephron. The film is an adaptation by Nora and Delia Ephron of the Miklos Laszlo play “Parfumerie”. The storyline of “Parfumerie” was also used for the movies “The Shop Around the Corner” (from 1940 starring James Stewart and Margaret Sullivan) and “In the Good Old Summertime” (from 1949 starring Van Johnson and Judy Garland).

4. Carrier that merged with Meridiana in 2013 AIR ITALY
Air Italy was an airline that was formed in 2005. Air Italy merged with Meridiana, another Italian airline, in 2013.

6. Rap Dr. DRE
Dr. Dre is the stage name of rapper Andre Romelle Young. Dr. Dre is known for his own singing career as well as for producing records and starting the careers of others such Snoop Dogg, Eminem and 50 Cent.

8. Online self-image AVATAR
The Sanskrit word “avatar” describes the concept of a deity descending into earthly life and taking on a persona. It’s easy to see how in the world of “online presences” one might use the word avatar to describe one’s online physical identity.

10. Vessel for Jason ARGO
Jason is a hero from Greek mythology, most noted for leading the quest for the Golden Fleece. The Golden Fleece is the fleece of the gold-haired winged ram. For his quest, Jason assembles a group of heroes who were given the name Argonauts, as they journeyed on the ship called the “Argo”. The vessel was called the “Argo” in honor of the ship’s builder, a man named Argus.

11. Countenance MIEN
One’s “mien” is one’s bearing or manner. “Mien” shares the same etymological root as our word “demeanor”.

12. Native Nebraskan OTOE
The Otoe (also Oto) Native American tribe originated in the Great Lakes region as part of the Winnebago or Siouan tribes. The group that would become the Otoe broke away from the Winnebago and migrated southwestwards ending up in the Great Plains. In the plains the Otoe adopted a semi-nomadic lifestyle dependent on the horse, with the American bison becoming central to their diet.

15. “Law & Order: __” SVU
“Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” is a spin off the TV crime drama “Law & Order”. “SVU” has been on the air since 1999, and is set in New York City. Interestingly, since 2007 there has been a very successful Russian adaptation of the show that is set in Moscow.

18. “WARMING! Keep within reach of children” brand EGGO
The Eggo brand used a “Warming Label” campaign for a while. The “warming” label would say things like “Keep within reach of children” and “Contents may make you a morning person”.

Eggo is the brand name of a line of frozen waffles made by Kellogg’s. When they were introduced in the 1930s, the name “Eggo” was chosen to promote the “egginess” of the batter. “Eggo” replaced the original name chosen, which was “Froffles”, created by melding “frozen” and “waffles”.

24. Cabo’s peninsula BAJA
Cabo San Lucas is a major tourist destination at the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula in Mexico. “Cabo” is sometimes referred to as the “Fort Lauderdale of Mexico”.

31. 77-year-old duck DAFFY
Daffy Duck first appeared on the screen in “Porky’s Duck Hunt” in 1937. In the original cartoon, Daffy was just meant to have a small role, but he was a big hit as he had so much sass. Even back then, Daffy was voiced by the ubiquitous Mel Blanc.

33. Friday player WEBB
Jack Webb played Sergeant Joe Friday on “Dragnet” on both TV and radio … and what a voice he had! Off the screen Webb was a lover of jazz, and he played the cornet. It was within the world of jazz that he met and fell in love with Julie London, the famous singer with “the smoky voice”. The couple married and had two kids together.

40. That, in Taxco ESA
Taxco de Alarcón is a small city in southern Mexico. Taxco is a center for silver mining, and is also well known for the production of silverware and fine items made using silver.

41. Tina’s “30 Rock” role LIZ
“30 Rock” is a sitcom on NBC that was created by the show’s star Tina Fey. Fey is an ex-performer and writer from “Saturday Night Live” and uses her experiences on that show as a basis for the “30 Rock” storyline. Fey plays Liz Lemon, the head writer for the fictional sketch comedy series “TGS with Tracy Jordan”.

42. First name in exploring LEIF
Leif Eiriksson was a Norse explorer and was the first European to land in North America, some 500 years before Christopher Columbus’s landing in 1492. Eiriksson built a small settlement called Leifsbudir, which archaeologists believe they have found in modern day Newfoundland, at L’Anse aux Meadows. The settlement discovered in Newfoundland is definitely Norse, but there is some dispute over whether it is actually Eriksson’s Leifsbudir.

43. Kazakhstan river URAL
The Ural River rises in the Ural Mountains in Russia and flows for half its length through Russian territory until it crosses the border into Kazakhstan, finally emptying into the Caspian Sea.

The Republic of Kazakhstan in Central Asia is the world’s largest landlocked country. Kazakhstan was the last of the former Soviet Republics to declare itself independent from Russia.

50. Ole Miss rival BAMA
The athletic teams of the University of Alabama (“Bama”) are nicknamed the Crimson Tide, a reference to the team colors of crimson and white.

Ole Miss is the nickname for the University of Mississippi. The name “Ole Miss” dates back to 1897, the first year a student yearbook was published. The graduating class held a competition to name the yearbook and “Ole Miss” emerged as the winner. The name stuck to the yearbook, and also as a nickname for the school itself.

51. Where I-15 and I-80 intersect UTAH
Interstate 15 runs north-south from the US -Canada border at Sweet Grass, Montana to San Diego, California.

Interstate 80 is the second-longest highway in the US (after I-90). It runs east-west from San Francisco, California to Teaneck, New Jersey. I-80 largely follows the route of the first road across America, the historic Lincoln Highway.

The Lincoln Highway was dedicated in 1913, and stretched from Times Square in New York City to Lincoln Park in San Francisco. The highway stretched 3,389 miles through 13 states. In the days when the automobile was coming into its own, the Lincoln Highway brought prosperity to the hundreds of cities through which it passed, earning it the nickname “the Main Street Across America”.

53. Asgard head ODIN
Asgard is one of the Nine Worlds of Norse religions. It is where the Norse gods live, and is also home to Valhalla, the enormous hall ruled over by the god Odin.

54. Premier League soccer team, briefly MAN U
Manchester United is one of the most successful football (soccer) clubs in England, having won more League titles than any other in the history of the game. The club is also famous for a airplane crash known as the 1958 Munich air disaster. The British European flight crashed during take-off resulting the death of 23 passengers, including eight members of the Manchester United team.

65. Lending inst. LIB
Library (lib.)

66. Bowie’s “Berlin Trilogy” collaborator ENO
English musician David Bowie collaborated with record producer Brian Eno on three albums over a two-year period: “Low” (1977), “Heroes” (1977) and “Lodger” (1979). All three albums were recorded and/or mixed in West Berlin, and so came to be called the “Berlin Trilogy”.

67. “Very funny” TV station TBS
Turner Broadcasting System (TBS) adopted the slogan “Very Funny” in 2004. The slogan is meant to contrast TBS with its sister channel TNT, which focuses on drama shows. The TNT slogan is “Drama, Period”.

69. Slot machine’s one ARM
Slot machines earned the nickname “one-armed bandits” simply because they had “one arm”, the handle pulled to operate the machine, and they robbed you of all your money!

71. Word spoken in mock indignation MOI
“Moi” is the French word for “me”.

72. Funny Bombeck ERMA
Erma Bombeck wrote for newspapers for about 35 years, producing more than 4,000 witty and humorous columns describing her home life in suburbia.

73. Places LOCI
“Locus” (plural “loci”) is Latin for “place”.

74. Main Theban deity AMON
Amun (also Amon, Amen and “Amun-Ra”) was a god in Egyptian mythology. Amun lends his name to our word “ammonia”. This is because the Romans called the ammonium chloride that they collected near the Temple of Jupiter Amun, “sal ammoniacus” (salt of Amun).

Thebes was a city in Ancient Egypt located on the river Nile, the ruins of which are now found with the bounds of the modern city of Luxor. The ruins of Ancient Thebes include the famous Luxor Temple and and Karnak Temple, as well as the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens.

76. Island band The __ Men BAHA
The Baha Men are so called because they hail from … the Bahamas. Their big hit was “Who Let the Dogs Out?” which has been ranked as third in a list of the world’s most annoying songs!

77. Composer Stravinsky IGOR
The composer Igor Stravinsky’s most famous works were completed relatively early in his career, when he was quite young. His three ballets “The Firebird”, “Petrushka” and “The Rite of Spring” were published in 1910-1913, when Stravinsky was in his early thirties.

80. “Grumpy” film title characters OLD MEN
“Grumpy Old Men” is a wonderful romantic comedy film from 1993 starring the great actors Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau and Ann-Margret along with an excellent supporting cast. “Grumpy Old Man” was the sixth on-screen collaboration between Lemmon and Matthau, but the first in over a decade.

82. Old Roman road ITER
“Iter” is the Latin for “road”.

83. Often-seen abbr. in English drama SHAK
Although William Shakespeare is known as a playwright and poet, he perhaps began his career as an actor in London. Shakespeare definitely acted in some of his own plays early in his career, as well as some plays by other playwrights of the period, and in particular those of Ben Johnson.

84. Ex-UN chief Annan KOFI
Kofi Annan is the diplomat from Ghana who served as General Secretary of the UN for ten years until the beginning of 2007. Annan attended the MIT Sloan School of Management from 1971-72, and graduated with a Master of Science degree.

87. Film dog ASTA
Asta is the wonderful little dog in the superb “The Thin Man” series of films starring William Powell and Myrna Loy (as Nick and Nora Charles). In the original story by Dashiell Hammett, Asta was a female Schnauzer, but on screen Asta was played by a wire-haired fox terrier called “Skippy”. Skippy was also the dog in “Bringing up Baby” with Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn, the one who kept stealing the dinosaur bone. Skippy retired in 1939, so Asta was played by other dogs in the remainder of “The Thin Man” films.

89. Alaskan site of the only WWII battle on U.S. soil ATTU
Attu is the westernmost island in the Aleutian chain, and so is the westernmost part of Alaska. Japanese forces took the island in October 1942, eventually landing as many as 2,900 soldiers there. In May 1943, the US Army retook the island in twenty days of fighting that is now called the Battle of Attu, the only land battle to take place on US soil during WWII. I am very proud of my father-in-law, who served in the Aleutians in WWII …

93. Minnesota-based hotel chain RADISSON
The first Radisson hotel opened in 1909 in Minneapolis. The hotel name was chosen in honor of the 17th-century French explorer Pierre-Esprit Radisson.

97. Island strings UKE
The ukulele (“uke”) originated in the 1800s and mimicked a small guitar brought to the Hawaiian Islands by Portuguese immigrants.

98. Actress Daly TYNE
The actress Tyne Daly really came into the public eye playing Detective Lacey in “Cagney and Lacey”. More recently, Daly played the mother of the title character in “Judging Amy”.

99. President with an airport named for him DE GAULLE
Charles de Gaulle was a Brigadier General early in WWII and led one of the few successful counter-attacks against invading German forces during the Battle of France in 1940. He escaped to Britain, and from there encouraged the French populace to resist the occupation. By the end of the war he was leading the French government in exile, and when France was retaken he was named Prime Minister in the French Provisional Government. He resigned his position in 1946. Over a decade later he was elected as Prime Minister in 1958, and then President in 1959, an office he held until 1969. The main airport of Paris is named in his honor, as is the French navy’s only nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.

101. Flynn of film ERROL
Errol Flynn was born 1909 in Tasmania, Australia where he was raised. In his twenties, Flynn lived in the UK where he pursued his acting career. Around the same time he starred in an Australian film “In the Wake of the Bounty” and then appeared in a British film “Murder at Monte Carlo”. It was in the latter film that he was noticed by Warner Brothers who brought him to America. Flynn’s non-American heritage shone through even while he was living the American dream in California. He regularly played cricket, along with his friend David Niven, in the Hollywood Cricket Club.

105. Sign of spring GEMINI
“Gemini” is the Latin word for “twins”.

107. A hundred bucks ONE C
“Buck” is a slang term for “dollar”. The term “buck” has been around at least since 1856, and is thought to derive from the tradition of using buckskin as a unit of trade with Native Americans during the frontier days.

109. Toyota model AVALON
The Avalon is a large sedan that has been produced by Toyota in Georgetown, Kentucky since 1994. “Avalon” was the name of an island featured in Arthurian legend, the place where the sword Excalibur was forged.

110. Bridge holding TENACE
In the wonderful card game of bridge, a tenace is a broken sequence of honor cards, like AQ or KJ.

111. Hoover rivals ORECKS
The Oreck Corporation is named after founder David Oreck and is a manufacturer of vacuum cleaners and air purifiers. The company started out selling vacuum cleaners by mail, a new concept in 1963. David Oreck himself appears regularly as a spokesman in the company’s ads and infomercials.

The first practical portable vacuum cleaner was invented by James Spangler in 1907. Spangler sold the patent for the design to his cousin’s husband, William Henry Hoover. Hoover then made his fortune from manufacturing and selling vacuum cleaners. Hoover was so successful in my part of the world that back in Ireland we don’t use the verb “to vacuum” and instead say “to hoover”, and a hoover is what we call a vacuum cleaner, regardless of who makes it.

118. Like San Francisco’s Coit Tower DECO
Coit Tower is a renowned memorial in San Francisco that sits atop Telegraph Hill. The full name of the structure is the Lillian Coit Memorial Tower, recognizing a generous bequest to the city by wealthy socialite Lillie Hitchcock Coit. There is an urban myth in these parts that the tower was designed to resemble the nozzle of a fire hose, as Lillie used to like chasing fires and hanging out with firefighters.

122. Univ. military program ROTC
The Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) is a training program for officers based in colleges all around the US. The ROTC program was established in 1862 when as a condition of receiving a land-grant to create colleges, the federal government required that military tactics be part of a new school’s curriculum.

128. 5-min. NHL periods OTS
Ties are broken in National Hockey League (NHL) games by playing overtimes (OTs).

130. “Law & Order” figs. DAS
District Attorney (DA)

“Law & Order” ran for many, many years on NBC, from 1990 to 2010. “Law & Order” is a police drama that spawned a huge franchise of shows both here in the US and overseas. I am probably a bit biased, but my favorite is the version shown in BBC America called “Law & Order: UK”.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Impedes RETARDS
8. Trendy A LA MODE
15. Break the law, in a way SPEED
20. Like some reasoning A PRIORI
21. In vino __ VERITAS
22. Threshold VERGE
23. Heroic medal whose recipient didn’t feel worthy of it? THE RUED BADGE OF COURAGE (from “The Red Badge of Courage”)
26. Distinguishing quality TRAIT
27. “Mangia!” EAT!
28. Heavy weight ONE TON
29. Cognac bottle letters VSOP
30. Divided into groups for auction LOTTED
32. Argue JAW
34. Rampant RIFE
36. “And Winter Came…” album maker ENYA
37. Formal acknowledgment of the end of the calla season? A FAREWELL TO ARUMS (from “A Farewell to Arms”)
46. Game with marriage and kids LIFE
48. Count in music BASIE
49. River rat NUTRIA
50. Warnings for Rio sailors? BUOYS FROM BRAZIL (from “Boys from Brazil”)
56. Hurdles for future attys. LSATS
57. Justice Dept. arm ATF
58. Wonder Woman portrayer Carter LYNDA
59. __ historique: opera genre FAIT
61. USN officers LTS
62. Jackie’s predecessor MAMIE
64. Bay, say INLET
68. Role for Ingrid ILSA
70. Throat-clearing sound AHEM!
71. Not a colorful restaurant list? MENU IN BLACK (from “Men in Black”)
75. Stat for getting people home RBIS
79. Like D’s, gradewise POOR
81. __ buddy BOSOM
82. Body __ IMAGE
83. Shade of blue SKY
86. Capital overlooking the Pacific LIMA
88. Breeze (through) COAST
91. Garden tool HOE
92. Save like mad HOARD
94. Midnight distress call? A SHOUT IN THE DARK (from “A Shot in the Dark”)
100. Many a ski house A-FRAME
102. Tasteless TACKY
103. Weary TIRE
104. Clever maneuver by a grade school class? KINDERGARTEN COUP (from “Kindergarten Cop”.
108. Cat in a casa GATO
112. About, legally IN RE
113. South end? -ERN
114. Pitcher known as “Tom Terrific” SEAVER
116. Doesn’t seed, perhaps SODS
119. 1998 Masters champion O’MEARA
124. NRC forerunner AEC
126. One of the Allmans DUANE
127. Classy vehicle for actor Elliott? THE SOLID GOULD CADILLAC (from “The Solid Gold Cadillac”)
131. Cravat cousin ASCOT
132. Not on any side NEUTRAL
133. Folksy TV attorney MATLOCK
134. Benefits BOONS
135. Where some ticket selling is done IN A CAGE
136. Ancient ascetics ESSENES

Down
1. Jar RATTLE
2. Either “You’ve Got Mail” co-screenwriter EPHRON
3. Accord TREATY
4. Carrier that merged with Meridiana in 2013 AIR ITALY
5. Itinerary component ROUTE
6. Rap Dr. DRE
7. Team SIDE
8. Online self-image AVATAR
9. Conducted LED
10. Vessel for Jason ARGO
11. Countenance MIEN
12. Native Nebraskan OTOE
13. Foolish DAFT
14. Usher ESCORT
15. “Law & Order: __” SVU
16. Deliberately misconstrues PERVERTS
17. Big times ERAS
18. “WARMING! Keep within reach of children” brand EGGO
19. __ South DEEP
24. Cabo’s peninsula BAJA
25. Cause of kitchen tears ONION
31. 77-year-old duck DAFFY
33. Friday player WEBB
35. Groundbreaking discoveries? FAULTS
38. Fronded plant FERN
39. Major conflict WAR
40. That, in Taxco ESA
41. Tina’s “30 Rock” role LIZ
42. First name in exploring LEIF
43. Kazakhstan river URAL
44. Diamond tool MITT
45. Get wise with SASS
47. Vacation site ISLE
50. Ole Miss rival BAMA
51. Where I-15 and I-80 intersect UTAH
52. “For the life __ …” OF ME
53. Asgard head ODIN
54. Premier League soccer team, briefly MAN U
55. Nonclerical LAIC
60. Sort ILK
63. Devil IMP
65. Lending inst. LIB
66. Bowie’s “Berlin Trilogy” collaborator ENO
67. “Very funny” TV station TBS
69. Slot machine’s one ARM
71. Word spoken in mock indignation MOI
72. Funny Bombeck ERMA
73. Places LOCI
74. Main Theban deity AMON
76. Island band The __ Men BAHA
77. Composer Stravinsky IGOR
78. Go for SEEK
80. “Grumpy” film title characters OLD MEN
82. Old Roman road ITER
83. Often-seen abbr. in English drama SHAK
84. Ex-UN chief Annan KOFI
85. Tale YARN
87. Film dog ASTA
89. Alaskan site of the only WWII battle on U.S. soil ATTU
90. Sends, in a way SHIPS
93. Minnesota-based hotel chain RADISSON
95. Laughing sound HAR
96. Birth mo. for some Scorpios OCT
97. Island strings UKE
98. Actress Daly TYNE
99. President with an airport named for him DE GAULLE
101. Flynn of film ERROL
105. Sign of spring GEMINI
106. Rocking place CRADLE
107. A hundred bucks ONE C
109. Toyota model AVALON
110. Bridge holding TENACE
111. Hoover rivals ORECKS
115. Fixes a column, say EDITS
116. Try STAB
117. Very OH SO
118. Like San Francisco’s Coit Tower DECO
120. Paradise EDEN
121. South-of-the-border water AGUA
122. Univ. military program ROTC
123. Ghostly glow AURA
125. Occurred CAME
128. 5-min. NHL periods OTS
129. Fall behind LAG
130. “Law & Order” figs. DAS

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