LA Times Crossword Answers 19 Jan 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: John Lampkin
THEME: Oh, No! … each of today’s themed answer is a common phrase, but with a letter O removed from the vowel sequence OU:

23A. “$%*#& computer!”? CRASH CURSE (from “crash course”)
25A. Spillane’s inspiration? MICKEY MUSE (from “MIckey Mouse”)
54A. Like PETA members? DOWN ON ALL FURS (from “down on all fours”)
83A. Sugar daddy? FUNDING FATHER (from “founding father”)
112A. Keyboard technique suggested by the instruction “attacca”? PIANO LUNGE (from “piano lounge”)
116A. Well-mannered sisters? PROPER NUNS (from “proper nouns”)
37D. “Thanks, Pierre, nice mug!”? MERCI, BEAU CUP (from “merci beaucoup”)
42D. Short anchor? CURT REPORTER (from “court reporter”)

BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 17m 50s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across

6. Egret kin seen in hieroglyphs IBIS
The ibis is a wading bird that was revered in ancient Egypt. “Ibis” is an interesting word grammatically speaking. You can have one “ibis” or two “ibises”, and then again one has a flock of “ibis”. And if you want to go with the classical plural, instead of two “ibises” you would have two “ibides”!

10. “Paw” on “The Beverly Hillbillies” JED
The actor Buddy Ebsen is best known for playing Jed Clampett in television’s “The Beverly Hillbillies”. Ebsen had been cast in the role of the Tin Man in the 1939 movie “The Wizard of Oz”, but he developed an allergy to the aluminium dust that was used in the makeup. He ended up in hospital and had to walk away from the part. Ebsen blamed “The Wizard of Oz” on persistent problems that he had with his lungs in subsequent years. But Ebsen lived 16 years longer that any of the other major cast members of the film, so maybe he got the last laugh!

13. Courage METTLE
“Mettle” is such a lovely word. It means courage and fortitude, or spirit. “Mettle” is simply a variant spelling of the word “metal”.

25. Spillane’s inspiration? MICKEY MUSE (from “MIckey Mouse”)
Mickey Spillane was the pen name of Frank Morrison Spillane, a writer of crime fiction born in Brooklyn, New York. Spillane was best known for his series of detective novels featuring the character Mike Hammer. Spillane was a very good friend of fellow author Ayn Rand, who was a big supporter of his literary style.

28. Predictions affected by storms, briefly ETAS
Expected time of arrival (ETA)

31. Fancy wheels ROLLS
Henry Royce founded the Rolls-Royce company in 1904 with his partner, Charles Rolls. Royce died at 70 years of age in 1933. His last words were, reportedly, “I wish I had spent more time in the office …”

33. Apt name for a truck driver? MAC
Mack Trucks was founded by John Mack in the early 1900s, after he had spent some years working in companies that made carriages and electric motor cars. Along with his two brothers, Mack started their company to focus on building heavy-duty trucks and engines.

35. Wagner’s “__ Rheingold” DAS
Richard Wagner’s “Ring Cycle” is more properly called “Der Ring des Nibelungen”, and is composed of four very, very long operas. The individual operas are:

– “Das Rheingold”
– “Die Walkure”
– “Siegfried”
– “Gotterdammerung”

36. ER part: Abbr. EMER
Emergency room (ER)

40. Armor-breaking weapon MACE
A mace is a relatively simple weapon in essence, a heavy weight on the end of a handle that is used to deliver powerful blows on an opponent’s body.

46. Sherlock’s adversary Adler IRENE
The character Irene Adler only appeared in one of the Sherlock Holmes stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. In that story, “A Scandal in Bohemia”, Holmes expresses remarkable admiration for Adler as a woman and as a foe. As a result, derivative works in the Holmes genre often feature Adler as something of a romantic interest for Sherlock.

50. Prior to A.D. BCE
The designations Anno Domini (AD, “year of Our Lord”) and Before Christ (BC) are found in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. The dividing point between AD and BC is the year of the conception of Jesus, with AD 1 following 1 BC without a year “0” in between. The AD/BC scheme dates back to AD 525, and gained wide acceptance soon after AD 800. Nowadays a modified version has become popular, with CE (Common/Christian Era) used to replace AD, and BCE (Before the Common/Christian Era) used to replace BC.

51. Some OPEC ministers QATARIS
Qatar is a sovereign state in the Middle East occupying the Qatar Peninsula, itself located in the Arabian Peninsula. Qatar lies on the Persian Gulf and shares one land border, with Saudi Arabia to the south. Qatar has more oil and gas reserves per capita of population than any other country in the world. In 2010, Qatar had the fastest growing economy in the world, driven by the petrochemical industry.

54. Like PETA members? DOWN ON ALL FURS (from “down on all fours”)
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is a very large animal rights organization, with 300 employees and two million members and supporters worldwide. Although the group campaigns for animal rights across a broad spectrum of issues, it has a stated focus in opposition of four practices:

– factory farming
– fur farming
– animal testing
– use of animals in entertainment

57. Fresno campus inits. CSU
California State University (CSU) is the largest university system in the country, with 23 campuses. About half of the bachelor’s degrees in the US awarded annually are from CSU.

Fresno is the largest inland city in the whole state of California. The city was named for the many ash trees that lined the San Joaquin River, as “fresno” is the Spanish for “ash tree”.

58. Birch flower clusters CATKINS
A catkin is a type of flower cluster that has no petals, and that is usually wind-pollinated. The long list of catkin bearing plants includes trees and shrubs such as the birch, willow, hickory and sweet chestnut. “Catkin” comes from the Dutch “katteken” meaning “kitten”. The term is used because a catkin resembles a kitten’s tail.

61. __ of fare BILL
A “bill of fare” is the menu in a restaurant.

67. Takedown expert? STENO
Stenography is the process of writing in shorthand. The term comes from the Greek “steno” (narrow) and “graphe” (writing).

69. Sculls OARS
A scull is a boat used for competitive rowing. The main hull of the boat is often referred to as a shell. Crew members who row the boat can be referred to as “oars”.

71. Mr. Rogers and others FREDS
The “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” TV show starred Fred Rogers. It was the second longest running series on PBS television after that other iconic children’s show “Sesame Street”.

72. Flash mob? PAPARAZZI
Paparazzi are photojournalists who specialize in taking candid shots of celebrities. The name comes from the famous Fellini movie, “La Dolce Vita”. One of the characters in the film is a news photographer called Paparazzo.

75. Goya’s “The Duchess of __” ALBA
María Cayetana de Silva was the 13th duchess of Alba. She was a favorite subject of the Spanish painter Francisco Goya. The duchess is the subject in the famous portrait known as “The Naked Maja”.

76. Bygone theaters RKOS
The RKO Pictures studio was formed when RCA (RADIO Corporation of America) bought the KEITH-Albee-ORPHEUM theaters (and Joe Kennedy’s Film Booking Offices of America). The RKO acronym then comes from the words “Radio”, “Keith” and “Orpheum”.

77. Antlered Eurasians ROE DEER
Roe deer are found mainly in Europe. They would be the deer shown on television and in movies when Robin Hood was out hunting in Sherwood Forest.

79. The 2006 novel “Hannibal Rising,” for one PREQUEL
Hannibal Lecter is a character created by author Thomas Harris, first appearing in his novel “Red Dragon”. Lecter also features prominently in “Red Dragon’s” famous sequel “The Silence of the Lambs”, and even more so in the third book, “Hannibal Rising”. The latter title is a “prequel” exploring Lecter’s childhood and development into a serial killer. Famously, Lecter was portrayed in the 1991 film version of “The Silence of the Lambs” by Welsh actor Anthony Hopkins.

86. 1880s pres. monogram CAA
Chester Arthur was the 21st President of the US, and came to power after the assassination of James Garfield in 1881. President Arthur was known to be socially adept, and was very conscious of his role in society. He was always immaculately attired, apparently even changing his pants several times in a day. He was called “Chet” by family and friends, and sometimes answered to his middle name, Alan. However, he insisted that Alan be pronounced with the stress on the second syllable, Al-an.

89. Actress Hagen UTA
Uta Hagen was a German-born American actress. Hagen married Jose Ferrer in 1938, but they were divorced ten years later after it was revealed that she was having a long-running affair with Paul Robeson. Her association with Robeson, a prominent civil rights activist, earned her a spot on the Hollywood Blacklist during the McCarthy Era. This forced her away from film, but towards a successful stage career in New York City.

92. Mug at a bar STEIN
A stein is a type of beer glass. The term is German in origin, and is short for “Steinkrug” meaning “stone jug”. “Stein” is the German for “stone”.

99. Old touring car REO
The REO Motor Company was founded by Ransom E. Olds (hence the name REO). The company made cars, trucks and buses, and was in business from 1905 to 1975 in Lansing, Michigan. Among the company’s most famous models were the REO Royale and the REO Flying Cloud.

100. Sniggler EELER
A sniggler is a person who angles for eels (as is an “eeler”). The terms comes from “snig”, a young eel, which in turn is probably related to Old English “snegge” meaning “snail”.

103. Kitschy garden figures GNOMES
In English folklore, the lovable fairy’s anti-hero is the diminutive gnome, an evil ugly character. Over the centuries, the gnome has become more lovable so we now have garden gnomes and even the Travelocity Gnome …

108. Where to find baked blackbirds IN A PIE
“Sing a Song of Sixpence” is an English nursery rhyme that dates back to the 1700s. In the rhyme there are a couple of lines that go :

Four and twenty blackbirds
Baked in a pie

This seems to be a reference to the practice in the 16th century of “baking” live birds into a pie for special occasions. When the crust was cut open the birds would fly away, much to the amusement of the diners.

112. Keyboard technique suggested by the instruction “attacca”? PIANO LUNGE (from “piano lounge”)
“Attacca” is Italian for “attacks”. When shown at the end of a movement on a musical score, it instructs the performer to play the next movement without pause, to “attack” it immediately.

119. When Le Havre gets hot ETE
One might spend the summer (été) under the sun (le soleil) in French-speaking countries.

Le Havre is a city on the mouth of the river Seine on the northwest coast of France. The city’s name translates as “the haven”.

121. Grimm baddies OGRES
The Brothers Grimm (Jacob and Wilhelm) were two German academics noted for collecting and publishing folk tales. Among the tales in their marvelous collection are “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”, “Sleeping Beauty” and “Cinderella”.

123. Leb. neighbor ISR
Israel (Isr.) is a neighbor of Lebanon (Leb.).

124. One in a flight STEP
A “landing” is the area at the top and bottom of a staircase. Apparently, we called the steps between the landings a “flight” of stairs, because one flies between landings! Can that be true?

125. 2013 Daytime Emmy winner Gibbons LEEZA
Leeza Gibbons has her own radio show called “Hollywood Confidential”, and used to have her own talk show on NBC television that aired from 1994 to 2000. Gibbons is the founder of a nonprofit group called Leeza’s Place which supports people giving care to patients with memory disorders. Since 2007 she has been a board member of California’s stem cell research agency, appointed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Down
1. Violist’s direction ARCO
“Arco” is a musical direction instructing a string player to return to normal bowing technique after a passage played using some other technique (perhaps pizzicato).

2. “One good __ deserves another”: birder’s quip TERN
Terns are seabirds that are found all over the world. The Arctic Tern makes a very long-distance migration. One Arctic Tern that was tagged as a chick in Great Britain in the summer of 1982, was spotted in Melbourne, Australia just three months later. The bird had traveled over 14,000 miles in over those three months, an average of about 150 miles a day. Remarkable …

3. Aussie gem OPAL
97% of the world’s opals come from Australia, so it’s no surprise perhaps that the opal is the national gemstone of the country. The state of South Australia provides the bulk of the world’s production, about 80%.

6. “ER” setting ICU
Intensive Care Unit (ICU)

You know, I’ve never seen an episode of the hospital drama “ER”. The most famous doctor in the show was Dr. Doug Ross played by George Clooney, the role that really gave Clooney his big break.

10. Atticus Finch’s son JEM
Jem and Scout are two of the children of Atticus Finch, the protagonist in the novel “To Kill A Mockingbird”.

Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel “To Kill A Mockingbird” was first published in 1960. The book is a mainstay in English classes all around the world and is a great ambassador for American literature, I’d say.

14. Grammy-winning Celtic musician 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!

15. Andrew Wyeth medium TEMPERA
Tempera is a painting medium made from a colored pigment mixed with a binder such as egg yolk. Tempera painting dates back at least to Ancient Egypt, and is a medium that is very long-lasting. Tempera was the primary medium for painted works of art for centuries, until the introduction of oil paints between the 5th and 9th centuries.

American artist Andrew Wyeth was known as a realist painter and “the painter of the people” in recognition of his popularity with the man in the street. His neighbor, Helga Testorf, posed for a total of 247 paintings over a 14 year period, a series known as “The Helga Pictures”. The remarkable thing is that neither Wyeth’s wife nor Testorf’s husband knew anything about the portrait sessions or the paintings.

16. “__ Calling”: 2000s Eliza Dushku TV series TRU
“Tru Calling” is a TV drama that was originally aired on Fox from 2003 to 2005. The show centers on a woman called Tru Davies who works in a city morgue, and then the dead bodies start talking to her. Not for me …

Eliza Dushku is an actress noted for playing Faith on TV’s “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and the spinoff “Angel”. Dushku also starred in two sci-fi series “Tru Calling” and “Dollhouse”.

17. Optimus F3 cellphones LGS
LG is a very large, South Korean manufacturer of electronics, chemicals and telecom products. LG used to be known as Lucky-Goldstar.

24. Frame of Bugs, e.g. CEL
In the world of animation, a cel is a transparent sheet on which objects and characters are drawn. In the first half of the 20th century the sheet was actually made of celluloid, giving the “cel” its name.

26. Mauna __ KEA
Mauna Kea is a dormant volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii, the peak of which is the highest point in the whole state. Mauna Kea is in effect the tip of a gigantic volcano rising up from the seabed. So, the “real” height of the volcano (ignoring the ocean) is over 33,000 feet, which is significantly “taller” than even Mount Everest, which has an elevation of 29,029 feet above sea level.

32. Chain with popcorn LOEWS
Loews Theatres was a chain of movie theaters founded in 1904 by Marcus Loew and Brantford Schwartz. The chain merged with AMC Theaters in 2006.

37. “Thanks, Pierre, nice mug!”? MERCI, BEAU CUP (from “merci beaucoup”)
“Merci beaucoup” is French for “thank you very much”.

38. Like Crusoe ENISLED
When Daniel Defoe wrote his marvelous 1719 novel called “Robinson Crusoe”, he was likely thinking of real-life Scottish castaway, Alexander Selkirk. Selkirk was marooned and lived alone on the Pacific Island called “Mas a Tierra” off the coast of Chile, for four years. The island was officially renamed in 1966, and is now called Robinson Crusoe Island.

44. “Wheel” purchase AN O
Contestants have been spinning the “Wheel of Fortune” since it first aired in 1975.

45. Biological pigment MELANIN
Melanin is a natural pigment found in most organisms. In humans, melanin is the pigment in the skin, the production of which accelerates in response to UV radiation causing a “tan”. Melanin is also what is released as cephalopod ink, a defensive cloud squirted into the water by squids and octopuses.

46. Commonly mistyped word ITS
“It’s” is short for “it is”, and “its” means “of it”.

52. New Yorker cartoonist Peter ARNO
Peter Arno was a cartoonist from New York who had his work published mainly in “The New Yorker” magazine from 1925 until he passed away in 1968. Arno’s real name was Curtis Arnoux Peters.

56. Former Calif. base FT ORD
Fort Ord was an army post on Monterey Bay in California named after a General Ord, established in 1917 and closed in 1994. The fort was in a spectacular location with miles of beachfront, and it also had that lovely California weather.

59. Hawaiian storms KONAS
A Kona storm (or “Kona low”) is a seasonal cycle that the people of Hawai’i usually experience two or three times a year. Kona storms bring heavy rain and high winds from the west. “Kona” is a Hawaiian term for the western side of an island.

61. Backyard Jul. 4 event BAR-B-Q
It is believed that our word “barbecue” comes from the Taíno people of the Caribbean in whose language “barbacoa” means “sacred fire pit”.

On 11 June 1776, the Continental Congress appointed a committee of five people to draft a declaration of independence. Included in the five were John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. Adams persuaded the other committee members to give Jefferson the task of writing the first draft. A resolution of independence was passed by the Congress on 2 Jul 1776. The final draft of the declaration was approved by the Congress two days later, on July 4th. John Adams wrote a letter to his wife that included an assertion that July 2nd (the date of the resolution of independence) would become a great American holiday. Of course Adams was wrong, and it was actually the date the Declaration of Independence was finalized that came to be celebrated annually.

64. Metal named for the Greek goddess of the rainbow IRIDIUM
The element iridium is represented by the symbol Ir. It is a metal that’s very hard, and is in fact the second densest of all the elements (after osmium). It is also the metal that is most resistant to corrosion. Iridium was discovered and first isolated in 1803 by English chemist Smithson Tennant. He called his discovery “iridium” after Iris, the ancient Greek personification of the rainbow. He did so in recognition of the diverse colors of iridium salts.

66. Jags or Vikes NFLERS
The Jacksonville Jaguars have been in the NFL since 1995, and the Minnesota Vikings since 1960.

69. Protective layer OZONE
Ozone gets its name from the Greek word ozein, meaning “to smell”. It was given this name as ozone’s formation during lightning storms was detected by the gas’s distinctive smell. Famously, there is a relatively high concentration of the gas in the “ozone layer” in the Earth’s stratosphere. This ozone layer provides a vital function for animal life on the planet as it absorbs most of the sun’s UV radiation.

70. One whose efforts were feudal SERF
A serf was a member of the lowest feudal class, someone attached to land owned by a lord. “Serf” comes from the Latin “servus”, meaning “slave”.

79. Neo- or bryo- ender -PHYTE
A “neophyte” is a recent convert to a particular doctrine of practice.

Bryophytes are the collection of terrestrial plants that do not have vascular systems. Bryophytes are mainly the mosses, hornworts and liverworts.

83. Dart part FIN
I think the clue is referring to the fins on the rear end of a Dodge Dart.

The Dodge Dart was originally produced by Chrysler from 1960 to 1976 in North America. The Dodge Dart name was resurrected in 2013 when Chrysler introduced it as a new compact passenger automobile.

91. Make bananas? DERANGE
Bananas are a type of fruit, and “bananas” is a term meaning “nuts”.

94. Watchmakers’ aids LOUPES
A loupe is a little magnifying lens that is held in the hand. “Loupe” is the French name for such a device.

97. Pricey watch ROLEX
My most prized possession is a stainless steel Rolex watch that my uncle bought while serving with the RAF in Canada during WWII. Rolex watches were made available to the Canadian servicemen at that time as they were shipping overseas. My uncle brought his Rolex home to Ireland after the war. He needed money for booze one weekend and so sold the watch to my Dad, for five pounds. My Dad gave it to me just before he died, as he knew I loved the watch, and my brothers weren’t interested in it all. Not so long ago I had the watch appraised ($3,000), and my brothers suddenly took a liking to it! Still, it’s not something that will ever be sold, that’s for sure …

98. Avian Aussie EMU
The emu has had a tough time in Australia since man settled there. There was even an “Emu War” in Western Australia in 1932 when migrating emus competed with livestock for water and food. Soldiers were sent in and used machine guns in an unsuccessful attempt to drive off the “invading force”. The emus were clever, breaking their usual formations and adopting guerrilla tactics, operating as smaller units. After 50 days of “war”, the military withdrew. Subsequent requests for military help for the farmers were ignored. The emus had emerged victorious …

102. Join, in London ENROL
I’ll never get the hang of American spelling …

104. __ Barnacle, wife of James Joyce NORA
Nora Barnacle (what a name!) was the wife of Irish author James Joyce. Nora had her first romantic liaison with Joyce on 10 June 1904, a date that Joyce chose as the setting for his “one-day” novel “Ulysses”. June 10th is celebrated in Ireland, and indeed around the world, as Bloomsday.

105. Snorkel et al.: Abbr. SGTS
Sgt. Snorkel (“Sarge”) is Beetle Bailey’s nemesis in the cartoon strip that bears his name. Snorkel has a dog called Otto that he dresses up to look just like himself. Otto started off as a regular dog, but artist Mort Walker decide to draw him more like his owner, and soon Otto became a big hit.

107. Q.E.D. part ERAT
QED is used at the end of a mathematical proof or a philosophical argument. The QED acronym stands for the Latin “quod erat demonstrandum” meaning “that which was to be demonstrated”.

110. R&B singer Foxx INEZ
Inez and Charlie Foxx were a sister-and-brother R&B duo from Greensboro, North Carolina. The act broke up in the seventies, and Charlie passed away in 1998.

111. She, in Salerno ESSA
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.

112. Spray in the pantry PAM
PAM cooking oil was introduced in 1961 by Leon Rubin and Arthur Meyerhoff. The name “PAM” is an acronym … standing for “Product of Arthur Meyerhoff” …

113. Seine sight ILE
There are two famous islands in the middle of the River Seine in Paris, one being the Île de la Cité, and the other Île Saint-Louis. Île de la Cité is the most renowned of the two, as it is home to the cathedral of Notre Dame.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Fix things ATONE
6. Egret kin seen in hieroglyphs IBIS
10. “Paw” on “The Beverly Hillbillies” JED
13. Courage METTLE
19. Give room for growth, as seedlings REPOT
20. Slacker’s word CAN’T
21. Program file extension EXE
22. Slacker’s lack ENERGY
23. “$%*#& computer!”? CRASH CURSE (from “crash course”)
25. Spillane’s inspiration? MICKEY MUSE (from “MIckey Mouse”)
27. Networking, maybe ONLINE
28. Predictions affected by storms, briefly ETAS
30. Dance step TOE-TAP
31. Fancy wheels ROLLS
33. Apt name for a truck driver? MAC
35. Wagner’s “__ Rheingold” DAS
36. ER part: Abbr. EMER
40. Armor-breaking weapon MACE
43. “Sure” OKAY BY ME
46. Sherlock’s adversary Adler IRENE
47. Add to a busy schedule SQUEEZE IN
50. Prior to A.D. BCE
51. Some OPEC ministers QATARIS
53. It’s about 10% larger than Australia EUR
54. Like PETA members? DOWN ON ALL FURS (from “down on all fours”)
57. Fresno campus inits. CSU
58. Birch flower clusters CATKINS
60. Pigged out ATE A TON
61. __ of fare BILL
62. Mechanical learning ROTE
63. Way up HIGH
65. “No way!” NOT ON A BET!
67. Takedown expert? STENO
69. Sculls OARS
70. Father SIRE
71. Mr. Rogers and others FREDS
72. Flash mob? PAPARAZZI
74. Tear REND
75. Goya’s “The Duchess of __” ALBA
76. Bygone theaters RKOS
77. Antlered Eurasians ROE DEER
79. The 2006 novel “Hannibal Rising,” for one PREQUEL
82. “__ durn tootin’!” YER
83. Sugar daddy? FUNDING FATHER (from “founding father”)
86. 1880s pres. monogram CAA
87. Interweave ENTWINE
89. Actress Hagen UTA
90. More than dull DRY AS DUST
92. Mug at a bar STEIN
93. Detect intuitively SMELL OUT
95. Fencing tool EPEE
96. On the fence TORN
97. __ room REC
99. Old touring car REO
100. Sniggler EELER
103. Kitschy garden figures GNOMES
106. Scary contest DUEL
108. Where to find baked blackbirds IN A PIE
112. Keyboard technique suggested by the instruction “attacca”? PIANO LUNGE (from “piano lounge”)
116. Well-mannered sisters? PROPER NUNS (from “proper nouns”)
118. Drawing power ALLURE
119. When Le Havre gets hot ETE
120. Rain-deflecting aid EAVE
121. Grimm baddies OGRES
122. Cleaver MEAT AX
123. Leb. neighbor ISR
124. One in a flight STEP
125. 2013 Daytime Emmy winner Gibbons LEEZA

Down
1. Violist’s direction ARCO
2. “One good __ deserves another”: birder’s quip TERN
3. Aussie gem OPAL
4. “Fat chance!” NO, SIREE!
5. Centric opening ETHNO-
6. “ER” setting ICU
7. Nudist’s covering? BARE SKIN
8. Technical sch. INST
9. Hot and heavy STEAMY
10. Atticus Finch’s son JEM
11. Way out EXIT
12. Figure out DECODE
13. Boy-girl link MEETS
14. Grammy-winning Celtic musician ENYA
15. Andrew Wyeth medium TEMPERA
16. “__ Calling”: 2000s Eliza Dushku TV series TRU
17. Optimus F3 cellphones LGS
18. Batting organ EYE
24. Frame of Bugs, e.g. CEL
26. Mauna __ KEA
29. Holy day SABBATH
32. Chain with popcorn LOEWS
34. Bike CYCLE
37. “Thanks, Pierre, nice mug!”? MERCI, BEAU CUP (from “merci beaucoup”)
38. Like Crusoe ENISLED
39. Outcomes RESULTS
40. 1/60,000 of a min. MSEC
41. Cyan shade AQUA
42. Short anchor? CURT REPORTER (from “court reporter”)
44. “Wheel” purchase AN O
45. Biological pigment MELANIN
46. Commonly mistyped word ITS
48. Piece polisher EDITOR
49. Region ZONE
51. Repeat exactly QUOTE
52. New Yorker cartoonist Peter ARNO
55. Bugs NAGS
56. Former Calif. base FT ORD
59. Hawaiian storms KONAS
61. Backyard Jul. 4 event BAR-B-Q
63. Obscured HAZED
64. Metal named for the Greek goddess of the rainbow IRIDIUM
66. Jags or Vikes NFLERS
67. Most nimble SPRYEST
68. Fallen for TAKEN TO
69. Protective layer OZONE
70. One whose efforts were feudal SERF
73. Have __ of good luck A RUN
74. Entertained REGALED
75. Field AREA
78. Key with an arrow ENTER
79. Neo- or bryo- ender -PHYTE
80. Comfort EASE
81. Overdue LATE
83. Dart part FIN
84. Flap ADO
85. Soul mate TRUE LOVE
88. Hand-tightened fastener WINGNUT
91. Make bananas? DERANGE
93. Curtain-raising time SCENE I
94. Watchmakers’ aids LOUPES
97. Pricey watch ROLEX
98. Avian Aussie EMU
101. Concern in the rough LIE
102. Join, in London ENROL
104. __ Barnacle, wife of James Joyce NORA
105. Snorkel et al.: Abbr. SGTS
107. Q.E.D. part ERAT
109. Utter PURE
110. R&B singer Foxx INEZ
111. She, in Salerno ESSA
112. Spray in the pantry PAM
113. Seine sight ILE
114. Bit of culinary jargon A LA
115. Bard’s adverb E’ER
117. Spirit PEP

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