LA Times Crossword Answers 23 Nov 14, Sunday

Frequently Asked Question: Why isn’t the puzzle in my paper the same as the one shown on your blog?
If the puzzle in your paper doesn’t match the one that I solved, it is probably a Sunday crossword. On Sundays, the “LA Times” chooses to publish Merl Reagle’s excellent crossword, and not their own “LA Times” Crossword. The “LA Times” puzzle is still sent out in syndication, and is also published in the “LA Times” online. I’ve been asked to blog about Merl Reagle’s crossword, but frankly I don’t have the time. Sunday puzzles have lots of clues!

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CROSSWORD SETTER: Patti Varol
THEME: ‘Tis the Season … each of today’s themed answers starts with a word that often follows the word GIVING:

119A. Festive time THE HOLIDAYS
23A. Event that kicks off shopping for 119-Across BLACK FRIDAY
101D. Important theme for 119-Across, and a word that can be used with the starts of the answers to the starred clues GIVING

39A. *Space mission team GROUND CONTROL (giving “giving ground”)
51A. *2004 romantic comedy with multiple story lines LOVE ACTUALLY (giving “giving love”)
67A. *Amy Dickinson, for one ADVICE COLUMNIST (giving “giving advice”)
86A. *Botticelli on display in the Uffizi BIRTH OF VENUS (giving “giving birth”)
96A. *Friends for life BLOOD BROTHERS (giving “giving blood”)

BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 17m 04s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across

1. Unnerving sound on a hiking trail RATTLE
The scales covering the tip of a rattlesnake’s tail are made of keratin, the same structural protein that makes up the outer layer of human skin, as well as our hair and nails. The rattlesnake shakes its tail vigorously to warn off potential predators, causing the hollow scales to vibrate against one another and resulting in that scary “rattle” sound. The rattler’s tail muscles “fire” an incredible fifty times a second to achieve that effect, demonstrating one of the fastest muscular movements in the whole animal kingdom.

7. GI on the run AWOL
The Military Police (MPs) are concerned with personnel who go AWOL (Absent Without Leave).

The initials “G.I.” stand for “Government Issue” and not “General Infantry” as is often believed. GI was first used in the military to denote equipment made from Galvanized Iron and during WWI, incoming German shells were nicknamed “GI cans”. Soon after, the term GI came to be associated with “Government Issue” and eventually became an adjective to describe anything associated with the Army.

15. Passé players, briefly VCRS
Video Cassette Recorder (VCR)

20. “Flashdance… What a Feeling” lyricist CARA
Irene Cara (as well as acting in “Fame”) sang the theme songs to the hit movies “Fame” and “Flashdance”.

23. Event that kicks off shopping for 119-Across BLACK FRIDAY
In the world of retail, “Black Friday” is the day after Thanksgiving in the US. Black Friday is when many stores start the holiday shopping season, and so offer deep discounts to get ahead of the competition.

25. Bygone Fords LTDS
There has been a lot of speculation about what the abbreviation LTD stands for in the car model known as “Ford LTD”. Many say it is an initialism standing for Luxury Trim Decor, and others say that it is short for “limited”. Although the car was produced in Australia with the initialism meaning Lincoln Type Design, it seems LTD was originally chosen as just three meaningless letters that sound well together.

26. Island east of Java BALI
Bali is the most important tourist destination in Indonesia and is an island lying east of Java. In recent years, Bali’s tourist industry has been badly hit in the aftermath of two terrorist bombings. The first one, in 2002, killed 202 people, mainly foreign tourists in a nightclub.

29. Verbal shrug MEH
“Meh!” is one of those terms unfamiliar to me outside of crosswords. It is a modern colloquialism meaning “I’m not great, but not bad”. A friendly reader of this blog tells me that the usage of the term increased dramatically after it started to appear regularly in “The Simpsons” starting in the early nineties.

30. “Desire Under the Elms” playwright O’NEILL
“Desire Under the Elms” is a classic American play written by Eugene O’Neill and published in 1924. It is basically a retelling of a Greek tragedy, but set in contemporary New England. Sophia Loren stars in a movie version released in 1958.

33. They’re often grad students TAS
Teaching assistant (TA)

47. End-of-letter letters ENC
Enclosure (enc.)

49. Sicily, to Sicilians ISOLA
In Italian, Sicily (Sicilia) for example (per esempio) is an island (isola).

50. Colleague of Ruth and Sonia ELENA
Elena Kagan was the Solicitor General of the United States who replaced Justice John Paul Stevens on the US Supreme Court. That made Justice Kagan the fourth female US Supreme Court justice (there have been 108 men!). I hear she is a fan of Jane Austen, and used to reread “Pride and Prejudice” once a year. Not a bad thing to do, I’d say …

Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg serves on the US Supreme Court. Justice Ginsburg was the second woman to join the Court, nominated by President Bill Clinton. She was diagnosed with colon cancer in 1999 and underwent surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. During that time she did not miss one day on the bench. In 2009 Justice Ginsburg had surgery for pancreatic cancer, and was back to work 12 days later.

Sonia Sotomayor is the first Hispanic justice on the US Supreme Court, and the third female justice. Sotomayor was nominated by President Barack Obama to replace the retiring Justice David Souter.

51. *2003 romantic comedy with multiple story lines LOVE ACTUALLY (giving “giving love”)
“Love Actually” is a wonderful 2003 British romantic comedy, a film we watch every Christmas. The movie has a great ensemble cast and was written and directed by Richard Curtis. Curtis was also the man behind “Four Weddings and a Funeral”, Bridget Jones’s Diary” and “Notting Hill”. “Love Actually” is very much in the same style as these earlier films.

61. Art in a parlor TAT
The word “tattoo” (often shortened to “tat”) was first used in English in the writings of the famous English explorer Captain Cook. In his descriptions of the indelible marks adorning the skin of Polynesian natives, Cook anglicized the Tahitian word “tatau” into our “tattoo”.

62. Giraffe kin OKAPI
The okapi is closely related to the giraffe, although it does have markings on its legs and haunches that resemble those of a zebra. The okapi’s tongue is long enough to reach back and wash its eyeballs, and can go back even further to clean its ears inside and out.

63. Unlikely lawyer in a 1992 film title VINNY
“My Cousin Vinny” is a really fun film from 1992 starring Joe Pesci and Marisa Tomei. In 2008, the American Bar Association rated “My Cousin Vinny” as the #3 Greatest Legal Movie of all time, after “To Kill a Mockingbird” and “12 Angry Man”!

66. Nile cobras ASPS
The venomous snake called an asp was a symbol of royalty in Ancient Egypt.

67. *Amy Dickinson, for one ADVICE COLUMNIST (giving “giving advice”)
Amy Dickinson is the author and journalist behind the syndicated advice column “Ask Amy”. I listen to Dickinson quite often on the great PBS radio game show called “Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!”

71. Calendar list, briefly SKED
Something not yet on the schedule (sked) is to be advised (TBA).

74. Blowups: Abbr. ENLS
Enlargement (enl.)

75. Pink hue MELON
The color “melon” is sometimes described as crimson or deep pink.

76. Potala Palace city LHASA
The Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet was the residence of the Dalai Lama until he fled the former country in 1959 during the Tibetan Uprising. The building is divided in the White Palace and the Red Palace. The White Palace made up the Dalai Lama’s private living quarters. The larger Red Palace comprised halls, chapels and libraries devoted to religious study.

80. Christiane Amanpour’s network CNN
Christiane Amanpour is a marvelous television journalist who is Chief International Correspondent for CNN. Amanpur was born in London, but raised in Tehran.

81. Super Bowl XLIV MVP BREES
Drew Brees is a quarterback for the New Orleans Saints. On top of his success in the NFL, when he was a youth Brees was an excellent tennis player. In one competition he actually beat a young Andy Roddick who later became the world’s number one.

86. *Botticelli on display in the Uffizi BIRTH OF VENUS (giving “giving birth”)
Sandro Botticelli was a painter of the Early Renaissance belonging to the Florentine school. Perhaps his best known work is “The Birth of Venus”, painted about 1486, which can be seen in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.

90. Michelob beer ULTRA
Michelob Ultra is a diet beer that was introduced in 2002. Ultra is labeled “diet” as it is relatively low in carbohydrates.

94. Fashion monogram YSL
Yves Saint-Laurent was a French fashion designer, actually born in Algeria. Saint-Laurent started off working as an assistant to Christian Dior at the age of 17. Dior died just four years later, and as a very young man Saint-Laurent was named head of the House of Dior. However, in 1950 Saint-Laurent was conscripted into the French Army and ended up in a military hospital after suffering a mental breakdown from the hazing inflicted on him by his fellow soldiers. His treatment included electroshock therapy and administration of sedatives and psychoactive drugs. He was released from prison, managed to pull his life back together and started his own fashion house. A remarkable story …

102. Large body of eau MER
“Eau” is the French word for “water”; “Mer” is the French word for “sea”.

103. Keep mum CLAM UP
The phrase “mum’s the word” has been around since the early 1700s. “Mum” has been used to mean “silent” for centuries, the idea being that “mum” is the sound made when the lips are tightly sealed.

104. Prefix with gram EPI-
An epigram is a short and clever statement, poem or discourse.

105. Big initials in nutritional supplements GNC
General Nutrition Centers (GNC) is a retailer of health and nutrition supplements based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

111. “__-Tiki” KON
The Kon-Tiki was a raft used by Thor Heyerdahl in 1947 to cross the Pacific Ocean from South America to the Polynesian islands. The original raft used in the voyage is on display in the Kon-Tiki Museum in Oslo, Norway (Heyerdahl was a native of Norway).

112. Layered cut SHAG
A shag cut is a layered hairstyle. Actress Meg Ryan is famous for wearing a shag cut for many years.

114. Vice __ VERSA
“Vice versa” is a Latin phrase meaning “with position turned”. We always pronounce this term “incorrectly”. In Latin, a “c” is always a hard sound, and a “v” is pronounced like a “w”. The pronunciation should be something like “wee-kay wehr-sa”.

116. Fertilizer ingredient PEAT
When dead plant matter accumulates in marshy areas, it may not fully decay due to a lack of oxygen or acidic conditions. We are familiar with this in Ireland, because this decaying matter can form peat, and we have lots and lots of peat bogs.

117. Interstate H-1 locale O’AHU
The westernmost and southernmost “interstate” highway in the US is the H-1 on the island of O’ahu.

121. Emilia’s husband IAGO
Emilia and Iago are characters in William Shakespeare’s play “Othello”. Emilia and Iago are a married couple, although Iago kills Emilia late in the play.

122. 2012 U.S. Women’s Open winner Na Yeon __ CHOI
Na Yeon Choi is a golfer from South Korea who plays on the LPGA Tour. Choi was the US Women’s Open champion in 2012.

125. Stylish eatery word CHEZ
“Chez” is a French term meaning “at the house of”, which comes from the Latin word “casa” meaning “cottage” or “hut”.

127. Footnote word IDEM
Idem is usually abbreviated as “id.” and is the Latin word for “the same”. In research papers idem is used in a list of references, in place of citations “already mentioned above”.

Down
2. Map collection ATLAS
The famous Flemish geographer Gerardus Mercator published his first collection of maps in 1578. Mercator’s collection contained a frontispiece with an image of Atlas the Titan from Greek mythology holding up the world on his shoulders. That image gave us our term “atlas”, describing a collection of maps.

5. Sioux language featured in “Dances With Wolves” LAKOTA
“Dances with Wolves” is a Western movie released in 1999 that was produced by, directed by and starred Kevin Costner. The film is based on a novel of the same name by Michael Blake. Costner had been involved in the “Dances with Wolves” project when Blake only had the bare bones of a script, and it was Costner who suggested the script be turned into a novel. Costner then bought the rights to the book, and ended up investing three million dollars of his own money to finish shooting the film.

11. City near the Amalfi Coast SALERNO
Salerno is a port city on the southwest coast of Italy. In WWII, after the Italians negotiated a peace treaty with the Allies in 1943, the King of Italy relocated to Salerno from Rome. The new Italian government was set up in the city, and for a few months Salerno was “capital” of the country.

12. Temporarily out, in baseball lingo ON THE DL
Disabled list (DL)

14. State that declared its independence in 2008 KOSOVO
The country name “Kosovo” is an adjectival form of the Serbian word “kos” meaning “blackbird”. The name commemorates the “field of the blackbirds” the site of a 1389 battle between Serbia and the Ottoman Empire. The dispute over Kosovo technically dates back to the implosion of Yugoslavia in the 1990s. The capital of Kosovo is Pristina.

15. “Punch buggy” in a car trip game VW BEETLE
“Punch buggy” is a game by kids riding in a car. The idea is that players punch each in the arm when they spot a Volkswagen Beetle on the road.

16. Indian tea CHAI
Chai is a drink made from spiced black tea, honey and milk, with “chai” being the Hindi word for “tea”. We often called tea “a cup of char” growing up in Ireland, with “char” being our slang word for tea, derived from “chai”.

31. Frisco squad NINERS
The very successful National Football League team in San Francisco takes its name from the gold prospectors who flooded into Northern California around 1849 during the California Gold Rush. These 1849-prospectors became known as the “49ers”.

The California gold rush actually started in 1848. The first to exploit the find were those people already in California. By 1849 the word had spread and gold-seekers started to arrive from all over the world. The “out-of-towners” who arrived in 1849 became known as forty-niners.

“Frisco” is not a term you’d hear used in the San Francisco Bay Area for our main city. Acceptable nicknames are “the City by the Bay” and “Fog City”. We usually just refer to it as “the City”.

34. Novelist Waugh ALEC
Alec Waugh was the older brother of the more famous Evelyn Waugh. Both were successful novelists (Evelyn of “Brideshead Revisited” fame), but what I like about Alec is that he supposedly invented the cocktail party. He invited his friends around “for tea” in the twenties, and served them all rum swizzles instead!

40. Massachusetts resort CAPE ANN
Cape Ann is 30 miles north of Boston and is on the northernmost edge of Massachusetts Bay. The Cape was first mapped by the explorer John Smith. Early in his adventurous life Smith had been captured and enslaved by the Ottoman Empire. His “owner” in his days of slavery was a woman called Tragabigzanda, and apparently the slave and owner fell in love. What we know today as Cape Ann, Smith originally called Cape Tragabigzanda in her memory.

44. Ad writer’s award CLIO
The Clio Awards are the Oscars of the advertising world and are named after Clio, the Greek Muse of History. Clio was also the recorder of great deeds, the proclaimer and celebrator of great accomplishments and a source of inspiration and genius. The Clio Awards were first presented in 1959.

46. Sports shoe with a Cantilever heel AVIA
The Avia brand name for athletic shoes was chosen as “avia” is the Latin word for “to fly”, and suggests the concept of aviation. Avia was founded in Oregon in 1979.

53. “Gunsmoke” star ARNESS
James Arness played the role of Matt Dillon, Marshal of Dodge City, on “Gunsmoke” for twenty years. If you count the occasions when he reprised the role for specials, he actually performed as Matt Dillon over five decades. And, did you know that Peter Graves, the actor who played Jim Phelps on “Mission: Impossible”, his real name was Peter Arness? He and James were brothers.

54. “The Mod Squad” role LINC
The 1999 movie “The Mod Squad” was an adaptation of the seventies television show of the same name. The part of Lincoln “Linc” Hayes was played by Omar Epps, Claire Danes played Julie Barnes and Giovanni Ribisi played Peter Cochran.

56. Not yours, in Tours A MOI
“À moi” (literally “to me”) is the French for “mine”.

Tours is the largest city in the Centre region of France. It is said that the people of Tours speak the “purest” form of French in the whole country, and when spoken by a local it is also said to be free of any accent.

60. Addressee of two New Testament epistles TIMOTHY
The New Testament’s First and Second Epistles to Timothy are letters that were written by Saint Paul to Timothy, a young colleague of his.

64. __ Kippur YOM
Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the year for the Jewish people and is also known as the Day of Atonement.

68. Designer Wang VERA
Vera Wang’s first choice for a career was figure skating, but she failed to make the 1968 US Olympics team. She switched to the world of fashion, and is now famous for her designs of wedding dresses … but also costumes for figure skaters.

69. “O, that way madness lies” speaker LEAR
The lines quoted are from William Shakespeare’s play “King Lear”. Shakespeare was inspired to write “King Lear” by the legend of “Leir of Britain”, the story of a mythological Celtic king.

70. Many a Balkan SLAV
The Slavic peoples are in the majority in communities covering over half of Europe. This large ethnic group is traditionally broken down into three smaller groups:

– the West Slavic (including Czechs and Poles)
– the East Slavic (including Russians and Ukrainians)
– the South Slavic (including Bulgarians, Croats and Serbs)

72. Funereal ring KNELL
The word “knell” is used for a solemn ring from a bell, often associated with death or a funeral. “Knell” comes the Old English “cnell” and is probably imitative in origin, sounding like a peal from a large bell.

79. Basilica area APSE
The apse of a church or cathedral is a semicircular recess in an outer wall, usually with a half-dome as a roof and often where there resides an altar. Originally apses were used as burial places for the clergy and also for storage of important relics.

In its modern usage, the term “basilica” applies to a Roman Catholic church that has been given special ceremonial rights by the Pope.

86. “Borstal Boy” author Brendan BEHAN
Brendan Behan was an Irish writer and playwright. His most famous work is probably “Borstal Boy”, an autobiographical novel. Borstal is a term used in the British Isles for juvenile detention. Behan was quite a character, famous for being a heavy drinker (“a drinker with a writing problem”, as he described himself). The drink eventually put him in an early grave, at 41 years old. I used to walk to school in Dublin right past the pub where he spent many hours every day.

88. SUNY city on Lake Ontario OSWEGO
Oswego is a port city in New York State that lies on Lake Ontario. Oswego bills its as “The Port City of Central New York”.

The State University of New York (SUNY) is the largest system of third level colleges and universities in the world, with almost 500,00 students attending over 60 campuses across the state.

92. Rock ‘n’ roll era dance SOCK HOP
Sock hops were high school dances typically held in the school gym or cafeteria. The term “sock hop” originated because the dancers were often required to remove their shoes to protect the varnished floor in the gym.

93. Rams’ home ST LOUIS
The St. Louis Rams have only won the Super Bowl once, in 1999, against the Tennessee Titans. The Rams were based in Cleveland from 1936-45, Los Angeles from 1946-94 and St. Louis from 1995 to the present day.

106. Timberlake’s old band ‘N SYNC
Justin Timberlake got his break by appearing on TV’s “Star Search” from which he was given a starring role in “The New Mickey Mouse Club”. It was on “The New Mickey Mouse Club” that he met his future girlfriend Britney Spears, as well JC Chasez who would join Timberlake in the lineup of the boy band ‘N Sync.

107. Jones of song CASEY
Casey Jones was a famous railroad engineer who is remembered in the traditional song “The Ballad of Casey Jones”. The song tells us the story of Jones trying to stop his speeding train as it races towards another locomotive on the same line.

109. Genesis wife LEAH
According to the Bible, Leah was one of the two wives of Jacob, the other being Leah’s sister Rachel. Jacob’s intention had been to marry Rachel, but the Leah and Rachel’s father “switched” his daughters and provided Leah as the veiled bride. Jacob married Rachel a week later, and lived with the two wives concurrently.

118. Sushi-grade tuna AHI
Yellowfin tuna is usually marketed as “ahi”, its Hawaiian name. Yellowfin tuna is one big fish, often weighing over 300 pounds.

119. 35-Across, briefly TMI
(35A. “Stop” NO MORE)
Too much information (TMI)

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Unnerving sound on a hiking trail RATTLE
7. GI on the run AWOL
11. Saturate SOAK
15. Passé players, briefly VCRS
19. On __ basis A TRIAL
20. “Flashdance… What a Feeling” lyricist CARA
21. Year in Italy ANNO
22. “Not so fast!” WHOA!
23. Event that kicks off shopping for 119-Across BLACK FRIDAY
25. Bygone Fords LTDS
26. Island east of Java BALI
27. Low voice BASSO
28. Polish writing EDIT
29. Verbal shrug MEH
30. “Desire Under the Elms” playwright O’NEILL
32. Qualifying suffix -ISH
33. They’re often grad students TAS
35. “Stop” NO MORE
37. Fight (for) VIE
38. Iron-rich cabbage KALE
39. *Space mission team GROUND CONTROL (giving “giving ground”)
44. Tight-knit group CLAN
47. End-of-letter letters ENC
49. Sicily, to Sicilians ISOLA
50. Colleague of Ruth and Sonia ELENA
51. *2003 romantic comedy with multiple story lines LOVE ACTUALLY (giving “giving love”)
55. Folks PARENTS
57. Less cordial ICIER
58. Cycle beginning TRI-
59. Goblet parts STEMS
61. Art in a parlor TAT
62. Giraffe kin OKAPI
63. Unlikely lawyer in a 1992 film title VINNY
65. “Ta ta!” CIAO!
66. Nile cobras ASPS
67. *Amy Dickinson, for one ADVICE COLUMNIST (giving “giving advice”)
71. Calendar list, briefly SKED
74. Blowups: Abbr. ENLS
75. Pink hue MELON
76. Potala Palace city LHASA
80. Christiane Amanpour’s network CNN
81. Super Bowl XLIV MVP BREES
82. Well-chosen APT
83. Knock for __ A LOOP
84. Danger sign RED FLAG
86. *Botticelli on display in the Uffizi BIRTH OF VENUS (giving “giving birth”)
90. Michelob beer ULTRA
91. Strength ASSET
94. Fashion monogram YSL
95. Start to commute? TELE-
96. *Friends for life BLOOD BROTHERS (giving “giving blood”)
100. Carry on WAGE
102. Large body of eau MER
103. Keep mum CLAM UP
104. Prefix with gram EPI-
105. Big initials in nutritional supplements GNC
108. Westernmost Texas county EL PASO
111. “__-Tiki” KON
112. Layered cut SHAG
114. Vice __ VERSA
116. Fertilizer ingredient PEAT
117. Interstate H-1 locale O’AHU
119. Festive time THE HOLIDAYS
121. Emilia’s husband IAGO
122. 2012 U.S. Women’s Open winner Na Yeon __ CHOI
123. Nothing but MERE
124. Driving force? ENGINE
125. Stylish eatery word CHEZ
126. Spots for holsters HIPS
127. Footnote word IDEM
128. Insurance __ AGENCY

Down
1. Hebrew for “my master” RABBI
2. Map collection ATLAS
3. Refuse TRASH
4. Personal quirks TICS
5. Sioux language featured in “Dances With Wolves” LAKOTA
6. Seasonal worker? ELF
7. Sharp ACID
8. Getting one’s feet wet WADING
9. Loud speaker ORATOR
10. Nonexpert LAY
11. City near the Amalfi Coast SALERNO
12. Temporarily out, in baseball lingo ON THE DL
13. Far-away connection? AND
14. State that declared its independence in 2008 KOSOVO
15. “Punch buggy” in a car trip game VW BEETLE
16. Indian tea CHAI
17. Bakery purchase ROLL
18. Put out to sea SAIL
24. Harbor a grudge against RESENT
29. Unlikely to speak up MOUSY
31. Frisco squad NINERS
34. Novelist Waugh ALEC
36. Work hard MOIL
38. Bit of inline skating gear KNEEPAD
40. Massachusetts resort CAPE ANN
41. Pays to stay RENTS
42. Coming up soon ON TAP
43. Stands the test of time LASTS
44. Ad writer’s award CLIO
45. Sure bet LOCK
46. Sports shoe with a Cantilever heel AVIA
48. Manicurist’s concern CUTICLE
52. Drought-prone ARID
53. “Gunsmoke” star ARNESS
54. “The Mod Squad” role LINC
56. Not yours, in Tours A MOI
59. Work on a bust SCULPT
60. Addressee of two New Testament epistles TIMOTHY
63. Salad dressing ingredient VINEGAR
64. __ Kippur YOM
66. Player ATHLETE
68. Designer Wang VERA
69. “O, that way madness lies” speaker LEAR
70. Many a Balkan SLAV
71. Hit the dirt? SCRUB
72. Funereal ring KNELL
73. Put an __: terminate END TO
77. Super A-ONE
78. Focus of some searching? SOUL
79. Basilica area APSE
81. Grass units BLADES
85. Skipping nothing FROM A TO Z
86. “Borstal Boy” author Brendan BEHAN
87. Particular ITEM
88. SUNY city on Lake Ontario OSWEGO
89. Book jacket part FLAP
92. Rock ‘n’ roll era dance SOCK HOP
93. Rams’ home ST LOUIS
97. Scarf securer BROOCH
98. Acted hastily RUSHED
99. __ of influence SPHERE
101. Important theme for 119-Across, and a word that can be used with the starts of the answers to the starred clues GIVING
105. Wood pattern GRAIN
106. Timberlake’s old band ‘N SYNC
107. Jones of song CASEY
108. Grand-scale tale EPIC
109. Genesis wife LEAH
110. Leaf PAGE
113. “Beg pardon …” AHEM …
115. Fringe EDGE
118. Sushi-grade tuna AHI
119. 35-Across, briefly TMI
120. Pasture LEA

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3 thoughts on “LA Times Crossword Answers 23 Nov 14, Sunday”

  1. Black Friday, it should be pointed out, got that name because it is the day retail stores in general go profitable for the year i.e. out of the red. Most of stores sales after the break even point are generated between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

    James Arness is mostly known for westerns, but I was amazed to see him once as the title character in an old SciFi movie from 1951 – The Thing from Another World. He played "the Thing" and got the role because of his height, 6'7". Unlike Boris Karloff they didn't have to use elevator shoes on him as he staggered around being scary.

  2. Not a bad grid for Sunday. Interesting mix of art, language, sports and literature. Good one for an everyman(woman).

    Hope all had a good weekend!

  3. Woot! I tied Bill this week. A perfect Sunday puzzle. Only my second perfect Sunday to date. Took me the better part of 2 hours though. 17 minutes, that's crazy fast. Kudos. – Brian

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