LA Times Crossword Answers 15 May 16, Sunday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: Melissa Brown & C.C. Burnikel
THEME: Secret Retreat … each of today’s themed answers includes SPA as a hidden word, a SECRET RETREAT:

125D. Retreat hidden in nine puzzle answers SPA

23A. “Time for a shindig!” LET’S PARTY!
25A. “Common Sense” pamphleteer THOMAS PAINE
37A. Remarkable thing, in old slang CAT’S PAJAMAS
54A. Where to get the score SPORTS PAGE
71A. Resort with a Forum Tower CAESARS PALACE
89A. Very slow motion SNAIL’S PACE
105A. Brewery product since 1777 BASS PALE ALE
120A. Acid test substance LITMUS PAPER
123A. Reporter’s entrée PRESS PASS

BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 14m 00s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across

5. Campus org. founded in 1906 NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) dates back to the Presidency of Theodore Roosevelt. When his son broke his nose playing football at Harvard, President Roosevelt turned his attention to the number of serious injuries and even deaths occurring in college sports. He instigated meetings between the major educational institutions leading to the formation of the Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States (IAAUS) in 1906, which was given the remit of regulating college sports. The IAAUS became the NCAA in 1910.

19. Religion of most Iranians SHIA
The Islamic sects of Sunni and Shia Muslims differ in the belief of who should have taken over leadership of the Muslim faithful after the death of the Prophet Muhammad. Followers of the Sunni tradition agree with the decision that the Prophet Muhammad’s confidant Abu Bakr was the right choice to become the first Caliph of the Islamic nation. Followers of the Shia tradition believe that leadership should have stayed within the Prophet Muhammad’s own family, and favoured the Prophet’s son-in-law Ali.

22. Greenland native INUIT
The Inuit peoples live in the Arctic, in parts of the US, Russia, Greenland and Canada.

Greenland is the largest island on the planet. Geographically, Greenland is part of the continent of North America, but culturally and politically is considered part of Europe. The island became a Danish colony in 1815, and joined the European Economic Community (EEC) with Denmark. Greenland withdrew from the EEC after a referendum in 1983. Since 2009, Greenland has been relatively autonomous, with the Danish government retaining control of foreign affairs, defence and the judicial system.

23. “Time for a shindig!” LET’S PARTY!
“Shindig” is such a lovely word, I think, describing a party that usually includes some dancing. Although its origin isn’t really clear, the term perhaps comes from “shinty”, a Scottish game that is similar to field hockey.

25. “Common Sense” pamphleteer THOMAS PAINE
Thomas Paine was an English author who achieved incredible success with his pamphlet “Common Sense” published in 1776 which advocated independence of colonial America from Britain. Paine had immigrated to the American colonies just two years before his pamphlet was published, and so was just in time to make a major contribution to the American Revolution.

27. Chichén Itzá builder MAYA
Chichén Itzá is a Mayan ruin located in the Mexican state of Yucatán. It is the second most visited archaeological site in the country (after the ancient city of Teotihuacan). Chichén Itzá has seen a surge in the number of visitors since the development of nearby Cancún as a tourist destination.

28. Basque city with a Guggenheim Museum BILBAO
Bilbao is a city in the Basque region of northern Spain. One of the most famous buildings in the city is the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, a spectacular structure standing on the banks of the Nervión river in the downtown area.

31. “Bus Stop” playwright INGE
Playwright William Inge had a run of success on Broadway in the early fifties. Inge’s most celebrated work of that time was the play “Picnic”, for which he was awarded a Pulitzer Prize. The original 1953 cast of “Picnic” included a young male actor making his debut on Broadway. His name was Paul Newman.

“Bus Stop” is a marvelous play written by William Inge in 1955. The famous 1956 movie of the same name starring Marilyn Monroe is only very loosely based on the play.

32. Juice unit AMP
The unit of electric current is the ampere, abbreviated correctly to “A” rather than “amp”. It is named after French physicist André-Marie Ampère, one of the main scientists responsible for the discovery of electromagnetism.

34. Knitting choices PURLS
As all of us knitters know (!) the purl stitch and knit stitch are very similar, one being sort of the inverse of the other. Yes, I can knit …

35. People’s Choice Award winner for Favorite TV Drama, 2008-2011 HOUSE MD
I think that “House” is one of the better shows made by Fox television. It is fun for me to see English actor Hugh Laurie in the title role as coming from the other side of the Atlantic I have been watching him in various comedic roles for decades. Famously he played Bertie Wooster opposite Stephen Fry in P.G. Wodehouse’s “Jeeves & Wooster”, as well as one of the bumbling “bad guys” in “101 Dalmatians” (the version starring Glenn Close).

37. Remarkable thing, in old slang CAT’S PAJAMAS
There was a whole series of phrases involving animals that developed in the 1920s, all designed to indicate a superlative. Some are still around today, such as “the cat’s pajamas” and “the bee’s knees”. Others didn’t last too long e.g. “the eel’s ankle” and “the snake’s hip”.

43. __ Plaines River DES
The Des Plaines River that flows in Wisconsin and Illinois was named by early French woodsmen for the trees that lined its banks. These trees resembled European plane trees, hence the name “Des Plaines”.

44. Off-road ride, for short ATV
All-terrain vehicle (ATV)

45. Muchos meses ANOS
In Spanish, “muchos meses” (many months) make up “años” (years).

48. SEC concern IPO
An Initial Public Offering (IPO) is the very first offer of stock for sale by a company on the open market. In other words, an IPO marks the first time that a company is traded on a public exchange. Companies have an IPO to raise capital to expand (usually).

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) was established by the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and has primary responsibility for enforcing federal securities law. The first chairman of the SEC was Joe Kennedy, father of future president John F. Kennedy.

50. Yemeni capital RIAL
“Rial” is name of the currency of Yemen (as well as Iran, Oman, Cambodia and Tunisia).

52. Palm products DATES
Date palms can be either male or female. Only the female tree bears fruit.

59. Sicilian skiing attraction ETNA
Mt. Etna is the largest of three active volcanoes in Italy. Mt Etna is about 2 1/2 times the height of its equally famous sister, Mt. Vesuvius. Etna is home to a 110-km long narrow-guage railway, and two ski resorts.

60. They may be about nothing ADOS
“Much Ado About Nothing” is a favorite of mine, a play by William Shakespeare. It is a comedic tale of two pairs of lovers with lots of mistaken identities and double meanings. I once saw it performed in the fabulous Globe Theatre in London … by an all-female cast! Such a performance was somewhat ironic, given that in Shakespeare’s day the practice was to use an all-male cast.

61. Jacket material SUEDE
Suede is leather made from the underside of the skin, mainly from a lamb. As such it is very soft, although not as durable as leather made from the exterior skin. The soft leather was, and is still used for making gloves. Back in 1859 these gloves were called “gants de Suede” in France, or “gloves of Sweden”. So, the name “suede” comes from the French word for Sweden.

71. Resort with a Forum Tower CAESARS PALACE
Caesars Palace is one of my favorite hotels on the Las Vegas strip, even though it is beginning to show its age. Caesars opened in 1966.

75. CBS forensic series CSI
The “CSI” franchise of TV shows has been remarkably successful. That said, only one of the four “CSI” shows is now in production (“CSI: Cyber”)

– CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (set in Las Vegas)
– CSI: Miami
– CSI: NY
– CSI: Cyber (set in Washington, DC)

76. Sammy Davis Jr.’s only #1 hit, with “The” CANDY MAN
“The Candy Man” is a song that was written for the 1971 film “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory”. The song is best known as the signature song for Sammy Davis, Jr.

81. Weymouth of Talking Heads TINA
Tina Weymouth is one of the founding members of the New Wave group called Talking Heads. Talking Heads was a New Wave band from New York City, formed in 1974 and active until 1991. I couldn’t name one of their songs, to be honest …

82. Like clarinet music REEDY
The clarinet is a lovely-sounding instrument, isn’t it? The name comes from the Italian word “clarino” meaning “trumpet” with the “-et” suffix indicating “small”.

84. Clarinet kin OBOE
The oboe is perhaps my favorite of the reed instruments. The name “oboe” comes from the French “hautbois” which means “high wood”. When you hear an orchestra tuning before a performance you’ll note (pun intended!) that the oboe starts off the process by playing an “A”. The rest of the musicians in turn tune to that oboe’s “A”.

92. Dishwasher handle? AMANA
The Amana Corporation takes its name from the location of its original headquarters, in Middle Amana, Iowa.

93. Simon of Broadway NEIL
Neil Simon is one of my favorite playwrights. Simon has written over thirty plays and about thirty screenplays. He has received more nominations for Oscars and Tony Awards than any other writer. My favorite play penned by Simon has to be “Brighton Beach Memoirs”, but the list of his great stage works seems endless and includes “Barefoot in the Park”, “The Odd Couple”, “Sweet Charity”, “Plaza Suite”, “California Suite”, “Biloxi Blues” and “The Goodbye Girl”.

94. Match part SET
A tennis match, for example, is divided into sets.

95. Big name in Russian ballet KIROV
The Mariinsky Ballet is a company based in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It was founded in the mid-1700s as the Imperial Russian Ballet, but was renamed to the Kirov Ballet during the Soviet era, in honor of the Bolshevik revolutionary Sergey Kirov. The Kirov was renamed again at the end of communist rule, taking the name of the Mariinsky Theatre where the company was headquartered. The theatre was named for Empress Maria Alexandrovna, who was the wife of Tsar Alexander II.

99. L.A. Galaxy’s group MLS
The LA Galaxy is one of the ten charter clubs of Major League Soccer (MLS). The team is known for signing some high-profile players from more established leagues. England star David Beckham played for the Galaxy from 2007 to 2012, and Ireland’s captain Robbie Keane is currently the Galaxy’s captain.

100. Gardner of film AVA
Ava Gardner is noted for her association with some big movies, but also for her association with some big names when it came to the men in her life. In the world of film, she appeared in the likes of “Mogambo” (1953), “On the Beach” (1959), “The Night of the Iguana” (1964) and “Earthquake” (1974). The men in her life included husbands Mickey Rooney, Artie Shaw and Frank Sinatra. After her marriages had failed (and perhaps before!) she had long-term relationships with Howard Hughes and bullfighter Luis Miguel Dominguin whom she met through her friend Ernest Hemingway.

103. Chinese menu assurance NO MSG
Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is the sodium salt of a naturally-occurring,non-essential amino acid called glutamic acid. It is used widely as a flavor enhancer, particularly in many Asian cuisines. Whether or not it is harmful seems to be still under debate. I say that something produced in a test tube shouldn’t be in our food …

105. Brewery product since 1777 BASS PALE ALE
The red triangle on the label of a bottle of Bass Ale was registered in 1875 and is UK Registered Trade Mark (TM) No: 00001, the first trademark issued in the world. The Bass Brewery was founded almost a century earlier, in 1777.

110. Whence Saint Teresa AVILA
Avila is famous for the walled defenses around the old city, which date back to 1090. They were constructed out of brown granite, and are still in excellent repair. There are nine gateways and eighty-towers in all. Even the cathedral built between the 12th and 14th centuries is part of the city’s defenses, so it looks like an imposing fortress.

St. Teresa of Avila (also known as St. Teresa of Jesus) was a Carmelite nun living in Spain in the 1500s. She is particularly noted for her writings on Christian meditation and mental prayer.

115. Spartan serfs HELOTS
The helots were a population of poorly-treated slaves who served the citizens of Sparta.

Sparta was a city-state in ancient Greece, famous for her military might. Spartan children had a tough upbringing, and newborn babies were bathed in wine to see if the child was strong enough to survive. Every child was presented to a council of elders that decided if the baby was suitable for rearing. Those children deemed too puny were executed by tossing them into a chasm. We’ve been using the term “spartan” to describe something self-disciplined or austere since the 1600s.

117. Its initials became its name in 1999 AARP
“AARP” is now the official name for the interest group that used to be called the American Association of Retired Persons. The name change reflects the current focus of the group on all Americans aged 50 or over, as opposed to just people who have retired.

120. Acid test substance LITMUS PAPER
Litmus is a mixture of naturally-occurring dyes that responds to acidity by changing color. Litmus was probably first used around 1300 by the Spanish alchemist Arnaldus de Villa Nova, who extracted the blue dye from lichens. One suggestion is that the term “litmus” comes from the Old Norse “litmose” meaning “lichen for dyeing”.

126. Great Lakes natives ERIES
The Erie people lived on lands south of Lake Erie. The Erie were sometimes referred to as the Cat Nation, a reference to the mountain lions that were ever-present in the area that they lived. The name “Erie” is a shortened form of “Erielhonan” meaning “long tail”, possibly a further reference to the mountain lion or cat, which was possibly used as a totem. The Erie people gave their name to the Great Lake.

128. 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.

133. Grammy winner James ETTA
Etta James was best known for her beautiful rendition of the song “At Last”. Sadly, as she disclosed in her autobiography, James lived a life that was ravaged by drug addiction leading to numerous legal and health problems. Ms. James passed away in January 2012 having suffered from leukemia.

Down
1. Surfing letters DSL
The abbreviation “DSL” originally stood for Digital Subscriber Loop, but is now accepted to mean (Asymmetric) Digital Subscriber Line. DSL is the technology that allows Internet service be delivered down the same telephone line as voice service, by separating the two into different frequency signals.

3. Beatles girl RITA
“Lovely Rita” is a Beatles song on the “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” album. When the album was released in 1967, the term “meter maid” wasn’t used in the UK, although it was a slang term used in the US. The song helped spread the usage of “meter maid” all around the English-speaking world. Apparently the inspiration for the song was McCartney getting a parking ticket one day outside the Abbey Road Studios. He accepted the ticket with good grace, from a warden named Meta Davis. McCartney felt that Meta “looked like a Rita”, so that was the name she was given in the song.

5. Magic org. NBA
The Orlando Magic were formed in 1989 as an NBA expansion team. A local paper was asked to run a competition to suggest names for the new team and the community came up with its four top picks of “Heat”, “Tropics”, “Juice” and “Magic”. A committee then opted for “Orlando Magic”. A good choice I think …

6. Concern for some losers CARB
Only relatively small amounts of carbohydrate can be stored by the human body, but those stores are important. The actual storage molecule is a starch-like polysaccharide called glycogen, which is found mainly in the liver and muscles. Glycogen is a quick source of energy when required by the body. Most of the body’s energy is stored in the form of fat, a more compact substance that is mobilized less rapidly. Endurance athletes often eat meals high in carbohydrate (carbo-loading) a few hours before an event, so that their body’s glycogen is at optimum levels.

7. Ristorante course ANTIPASTO
Antipasto is the first course of a meal in Italy. “Antipasto” translates as “before the meal”.

8. Safe haven ASYLUM
“Asylum” is a Latin word, meaning “sanctuary”.

11. Judge in 1995 news ITO
Judge Lance Ito came in for a lot of criticism for his handling of the O.J. Simpson murder trial. The lead prosecutor in that trial was Marcia Clark, you might recall. I read the book that’s Clark wrote about the trial called “Without a Doubt”, and she pointed out one trait of Judge Ito that I think is quite telling. Ito would almost always refer to the prosecutor as “Marcia”, while addressing the men on both sides of the case as “Mister”.

12. Pixar protagonist NEMO
“Finding Nemo” is a 2003 animated blockbuster from Pixar. The film was the winner of the Oscar that year for Best Animated Feature. Believe it or not, “Finding Nemo” is the best-selling DVD of all time and, until 2010’s “Toy Story 3”, it was the highest-grossing, G-rated movie at the box office.

15. “Delta of Venus” author Nin ANAIS
Anaïs Nin was a French author, famous for her journals that she wrote for over sixty years from the age of 11 right up to her death. Nin also wrote highly regarded erotica and cited D. H. Lawrence as someone from whom she drew inspiration. Nin was married to banker and artist Hugh Parker Guiler in 1923. Decades later in 1955, Nin married former actor Rupert Pole, even though she was still married to Guiler. Nin and Pole had their marriage annulled in 1966, but just for legal reasons, and they continued to live together as husband and wife until Nin passed away in 1977.

17. Checkers speech? KING ME
In the game of checkers, when a “man” reaches the other side of the board, it is promoted to “king”.

24. Argentine plain PAMPA
The Pampas are fertile lowlands covering a large part of Argentina, Uruguay and some of Brazil. “Pampa” is a Quechua word meaning “plain”.

33. How to watch Mei Xiang and Bei Bei PANDACAM
Panda’s have a particularly short mating season, lasting only a few days per year. The zookeepers at San Diego Zoo like to give the pandas some well-deserved privacy during this time, so the popular Internet “PandaCam” is shut down for about a week.

36. Delivery letters USPS
The US Postal Service (USPS) is a remarkable agency in many ways. For starters, the government’s right and responsibility to establish the Post Office is specifically called out in Article One of the US constitution. Also, the first postmaster general was none other than Benjamin Franklin. And, the USPS operates over 200,000 vehicles, which is the largest vehicle fleet in the world.

40. Steinbeck hero Tom JOAD
John Steinbeck’s “The Grapes of Wrath” is set during the Great Depression. The novel tells the story of the Joad family from Oklahoma, farmers who had to leave their home and head for California due to economic hardship.

42. Battery terminal-related ANODAL
A battery is a device that converts chemical energy into electric energy. A simple battery is made up of three parts: a cathode, an anode and a liquid electrolyte. Ions from the electrolyte react chemically with the material in the anode producing a compound and releasing electrons. At the same time, the electrolyte reacts with the material in the cathode, absorbing electrons and producing a different chemical compound. In this way, there is a buildup of electrons at the anode and a deficit of electrons at the cathode. When a connection (wire, say) is made between the cathode and anode, electrons flow through the resulting circuit from the anode to cathode in an attempt to rectify the electron imbalance.

51. GPS figure LAT
Lines of latitude (lat.) are the imaginary horizontal lines surrounding the planet. The most “important” lines of latitude are, from north to south:

– Arctic Circle
– Tropic of Cancer
– Equator
– Tropic of Capricorn
– Antarctic Circle

A global positioning system (GPS) is known as a satellite navigation (Sat Nav) system in the UK and Ireland.

53. She, in Sicily ESSA
In the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, the “boot” is the mainland of Italy, and the the ball being kicked by the boot is the island of Sicily.

55. First name in country REBA
Reba McEntire is a country music singer and television actress. McEntire starred in her own sitcom called “Reba” that aired on the WB and the CW cable channels from 2001 to 2007.

57. Grain processor GRISTMILL
When grain has been separated from its chaff, to prepare it for grinding, it is called “grist”. Indeed, the word “grist” is derived from the word “grind”. Grist can be ground into a relatively coarse meal, or into a fine flour. The names can be confusing though. For example, the grist from maize when ground to a coarse consistency is called “grits”, and when ground to a fine consistency is called “corn meal”. There is an idiomatic phrase “grist for one’s mill”, meaning something used to one’s advantage. The grinding mechanism, or the building that holds the mechanism, is known as a “gristmill”.

58. Morales of “The Brink” ESAI
The actor Esai Morales is best known for his role in the 1987 movie “La Bamba”, which depicted the life of Ritchie Valens and his half-brother Bob Morales (played by Esai).

“The Brink” is an HBO comedy series that centers on a geopolitical crisis in Pakistan. Stars of the show are Tim Robbins and Jack Black.

61. Actress Spacek SISSY
The actress Sissy Spacek probably got her big break in movies when she played the title role in the 1976 horror movie “Carrie”, which is based on the Stephen King novel. Her most acclaimed role is the lead in the 1980 biopic about Loretta Lynn called “Coal Miner’s Daughter”, for which she won an Oscar. Spacek’s first cousin is the actor Rip Torn.

70. Book following the Gospels ACTS
The Acts of the Apostles is the fifth book of the New Testament. It is believed that the author of the Gospel of Luke was the same person who wrote “Acts”.

72. Holliday friend EARP
Wyatt Earp is famous as one of the participants in the gunfight at the O.K. Corral. Earp was a city policeman in Wichita, Kansas and also in Dodge City, Kansas. Earp was also deputy sheriff in Tombstone, Arizona where the O.K. Corral gunfight took place. Years later, Earp joined the Alaska Gold Rush and with a partner built and operated the Dexter Saloon in Nome.

The famous gunslinger Doc Holliday was from Georgia, and received the degree of Doctor of Dental Surgery in Philadelphia. Holliday moved to the Southwest after he contracted tuberculosis, in the hope that the climate might be good for his health. He first settled in Dallas, where he soon discovered that he could make a better living gambling than by running a dental practice. It was while gambling in saloons that Holliday got involved in gunfights and built a reputation as a gunslinger. The most famous shootout in which he was involved was the Gunfight at the OK Corral in Tombstone, Arizona when he fought alongside the Earp brothers. Holliday survived his many gunfights, but eventually succumbed to the disease in his lungs. He died in Glenwood Springs, Colorado at the age of 36.

74. Splittable bit ATOM
By some definitions, New Zealand-born physicist and chemist Ernest Rutherford was the first person to “split the atom”. Rutherford bombarded nitrogen with alpha particles and thereby forced neutrons out of the nucleus of the nitrogen atom. The first intentional nuclear “fission” came decades later in the 1930s, with experiments in which larger nuclei were split into smaller nuclei.

77. Place for a speaker DAIS
Ultimately our word “dais”, meaning “raised platform for a speaker”, comes from the Latin “discus” meaning a “disk-shaped object”. I guess that many a dais was disc-shaped …

80. Cal. column MON
Our word “Monday” evolved from an Old English word meaning “moon’s day”.

83. Smokeless smoke, briefly E-CIG
An electronic cigarette (also called an “e-cigarette”) is a battery-powered device that resembles a real cigarette. The e-cigarette vaporizes a solution that contains nicotine, forming a vapor that resembles smoke. The vapor is inhaled, delivering the nicotine into the body. The assumption is that an e-cigarette is healthier than a regular cigarette as the inhaled vapor is less harmful than inhaled smoke. But, that may not be so …

85. Fast-growing sapling BALSA TREE
Balsa is a very fast growing tree that is native to parts of South America. Even though balsa wood is very soft, it is actually classified as a hardwood, the softest of all the hardwoods (go figure!). Balsa is light and strong, so is commonly used in making model airplanes. Amazingly, in WWII a full-size British plane, the de Havilland Mosquito, was built largely from balsa and plywood. No wonder they called it “The Wooden Wonder” and “The Timber Terror”.

86. “Movin’ __”: “The Jeffersons” theme ON UP
The very popular sitcom called “The Jeffersons” ran from 1975 until it came to an abrupt end in 1985. CBS cancelled the show without even allowing a series finale that “wrapped things up”. In fact the lead actor, Sherman Hemsley, first learned of the show’s cancellation in the newspaper.

90. Fast time? LENT
In Latin, the Christian season that is now called Lent was termed “quadragesima” (meaning “fortieth”), a reference to the forty days that Jesus spent in the desert before beginning his public ministry. When the church began its move in the Middle Ages towards using the vernacular, the term “Lent” was introduced. “Lent” comes from “lenz”, the German word for “spring”.

96. FDR’s side, on a dime OBVERSE
One meaning of the word “obverse” is “the side turned towards the observer”. This led to the use of obverse to describe the side of a coin bearing the principal image or design.

President Roosevelt was a major driver in the founding of the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis. The Foundation’s most successful fund raising campaign was to encourage the public to just send a dime to support the charity, so that even before the Foundation officially changed its name, the public were already calling it March of Dimes. After President Roosevelt passed away in office, Congress passed legislation calling for a new design for the dime, one featuring the image of FDR. The Roosevelt dime was introduced in 1946, on the day that would have been the President’s 64th birthday.

101. Former moderator of “The View” VIEIRA
Meredith Vieira is journalist and television personality. Vieira had a regular gig on “The View” and NBC’s “Morning” show. She also took over from Regis Philbin as host of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire”.

102. Vinegary ACETIC
Acetic acid has the formula CH3COOH, and is the main component of vinegar.

104. Reason for spectacles MYOPIA
A myope is someone suffering from myopia, short-sightedness. Far-sightedness or long-sightedness is known as hypermetropia or hyperopia .

106. __ Joe SLOPPY
Sloppy joe is a dish usually made of ground beef, onions, ketchup and seasonings, all served on a bun. There are two stories that supposedly explain the origin of the name “sloppy joe”. One is that it comes from Sloppy Joe’s Bar in Key West, Florida; the other is that it was invented by a cook named Joe in Sioux City, Iowa.

109. Wascally wabbit wival ELMER
Elmer Fudd is one of the most famous of all the Looney Tunes cartoon characters, the hapless nemesis of Bugs Bunny. If you have never seen it, check out Elmer and Bugs in the marvelous “Rabbit of Seville”, a short cartoon that parodies Rossini’s “Barber of Seville”. Wonderful stuff …

114. Mice move on them PADS
The first computer mouse was invented at the Stanford Research Institute in 1963, by one Douglas Engelbart. Sadly for him, his patent ran out before mice became standard equipment on computers, so he never made any money from his amazing invention.

119. Natl. Merit Scholarship qualifying exam PSAT
Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT)

The National Merit Scholarship Program is a privately funded, not-for-profit organization that was founded in 1955. The program governs two annual competitions for scholarships, one open to all students and one open to only African Americans.

122. Canada’s smallest prov. PEI
Prince Edward Island (PEI) is a maritime Canadian province. The island at the center of the province was named for Prince Edward, the fourth son of King George III and the father of Queen Victoria.

124. Airport NW of the Gateway Arch STL
Lambert-St. Louis International Airport has the IATA airport code STL. Commonly referred to as Lambert Field, the airport is named for Albert Bond Lambert, an olympic golfer and aviator from St. Louis. Back in the 1920s, Lambert Field was the first airport to have an air traffic control system, albeit a pretty rudimentary one in which pilots received flag signals.

125. Retreat hidden in nine puzzle answers SPA
The word “spa” migrated into English from Belgium, as Spa is the name of a municipality in the east of the country that is famous for its healing hot springs. The name “Spa” comes from the Walloon word “espa” meaning “spring, fountain”.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Playground provocation DARE
5. Campus org. founded in 1906 NCAA
9. Existing BEING
14. Capers LARKS
19. Religion of most Iranians SHIA
20. Stops allowing BANS
21. Complete UTTER
22. Greenland native INUIT
23. “Time for a shindig!” LET’S PARTY!
25. “Common Sense” pamphleteer THOMAS PAINE
27. Chichén Itzá builder MAYA
28. Basque city with a Guggenheim Museum BILBAO
30. Make up your mind OPT
31. “Bus Stop” playwright INGE
32. Juice unit AMP
34. Knitting choices PURLS
35. People’s Choice Award winner for Favorite TV Drama, 2008-2011 HOUSE MD
37. Remarkable thing, in old slang CAT’S PAJAMAS
41. Winged stingers WASPS
43. __ Plaines River DES
44. Off-road ride, for short ATV
45. Muchos meses ANOS
46. Dealer’s query YOU IN?
48. SEC concern IPO
50. Yemeni capital RIAL
52. Palm products DATES
54. Where to get the score SPORTS PAGE
59. Sicilian skiing attraction ETNA
60. They may be about nothing ADOS
61. Jacket material SUEDE
62. Drops the ball ERRS
63. Top story ATTIC
65. Move a muscle STIR
67. Some might vote in it ABSENTIA
70. Time of life AGE
71. Resort with a Forum Tower CAESARS PALACE
75. CBS forensic series CSI
76. Sammy Davis Jr.’s only #1 hit, with “The” CANDY MAN
78. Short staffer? ASST
79. Send payment REMIT
81. Weymouth of Talking Heads TINA
82. Like clarinet music REEDY
84. Clarinet kin OBOE
87. “Drinks are __!” ON ME
89. Very slow motion SNAIL’S PACE
92. Dishwasher handle? AMANA
93. Simon of Broadway NEIL
94. Match part SET
95. Big name in Russian ballet KIROV
97. Coal unit LUMP
99. L.A. Galaxy’s group MLS
100. Gardner of film AVA
103. Chinese menu assurance NO MSG
105. Brewery product since 1777 BASS PALE ALE
108. “I don’t think so” NICE TRY
110. Whence Saint Teresa AVILA
111. Phone book no. TEL
112. Ship stabilizer KEEL
113. Unruly do MOP
115. Spartan serfs HELOTS
117. Its initials became its name in 1999 AARP
120. Acid test substance LITMUS PAPER
123. Reporter’s entrée PRESS PASS
126. Great Lakes natives ERIES
127. Novelist’s list, perhaps IDEAS
128. Fertilizer ingredient PEAT
129. Lose it SNAP
130. Holy, to Henri SACRE
131. Theatrical device ASIDE
132. Use one’s outside voice YELL
133. Grammy winner James ETTA

Down
1. Surfing letters DSL
2. Small clearing? AHEM
3. Beatles girl RITA
4. Piece-of-cake courses EASY A’S
5. Magic org. NBA
6. Concern for some losers CARB
7. Ristorante course ANTIPASTO
8. Safe haven ASYLUM
9. “Furthermore, however, … ” BUT ALSO …
10. Cultural spirit ETHOS
11. Judge in 1995 news ITO
12. Pixar protagonist NEMO
13. Boardroom props GRAPHS
14. Edge LIP
15. “Delta of Venus” author Nin ANAIS
16. Beyond repair RUINED
17. Checkers speech? KING ME
18. Renaissance fair rides STEEDS
24. Argentine plain PAMPA
26. Restraining order? STOP IT!
29. Donkeys’ cries BRAYS
33. How to watch Mei Xiang and Bei Bei PANDACAM
36. Delivery letters USPS
37. Close attention CARE
38. Like political foes, frequently AT IT AGAIN
39. Dish forerunner TV ANTENNA
40. Steinbeck hero Tom JOAD
41. Erase completely WIPE
42. Battery terminal-related ANODAL
47. Seizes illegally USURPS
49. Welcoming sign OPEN
51. GPS figure LAT
53. She, in Sicily ESSA
55. First name in country REBA
56. Aesthetic film genre ART CINEMA
57. Grain processor GRISTMILL
58. Morales of “The Brink” ESAI
61. Actress Spacek SISSY
64. Like a “daggers” look ICY
66. Wall Street regular TRADER
68. Dress down in a big way SCREAM AT
69. Broad shoe size EEE
70. Book following the Gospels ACTS
72. Holliday friend EARP
73. Devious ones SNEAKS
74. Splittable bit ATOM
77. Place for a speaker DAIS
80. Cal. column MON
83. Smokeless smoke, briefly E-CIG
85. Fast-growing sapling BALSA TREE
86. “Movin’ __”: “The Jeffersons” theme ON UP
88. Otherwise ELSE
90. Fast time? LENT
91. Rages STORMS
92. Be of use AVAIL
96. FDR’s side, on a dime OBVERSE
98. Ardent requests PLEAS
100. They’re just over two feet ANKLES
101. Former moderator of “The View” VIEIRA
102. Vinegary ACETIC
104. Reason for spectacles MYOPIA
106. __ Joe SLOPPY
107. Tick away ELAPSE
109. Wascally wabbit wival ELMER
110. Best way to leave Vegas AHEAD
114. Mice move on them PADS
116. Official emblem SEAL
118. Emotional blog entry RANT
119. Natl. Merit Scholarship qualifying exam PSAT
121. Find a job for USE
122. Canada’s smallest prov. PEI
124. Airport NW of the Gateway Arch STL
125. Retreat hidden in nine puzzle answers SPA

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