LA Times Crossword 20 Jan 19, Sunday

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Constructed by: Paul Coulter
Edited by: Rich Norris

Today’s Theme: Pass

Themed answers are common phrases in which a letter P replaces a letter S:

  • 110A. No longer be comprehensible … and, with its first word divided in three parts, a hint to how to read this puzzle’s title : STOP MAKING SENSE … and S TO P MAKING SENSE
  • 23A. Imminent wordplay warning? : HERE COMES THE PUN (from “Here Comes the Sun”)
  • 33A. “Is my account settled?”? : NEED I PAY MORE? (from “need I say more?”)
  • 47A. Nervous draft choice? : WORRIED PICK (from “worried sick”)
  • 63A. Agency that regulates test cheating? : PEEKING OFFICE (from “seeking office”)
  • 83A. Very first ATM password? : ORIGINAL PIN (from “original sin”)
  • 96A. Popular disco era pastimes? : PONG AND DANCE (from “song and dance”)

Bill’s time: 15m 16s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1. Brewer’s need : HOPS

The foodstuff that we call “hops” are actually the female flower of the hop plant. The main use of hops is to add flavor to beer. The town in which I live here in California used to be home to the largest hop farm in the whole world. Most of the harvested hops were exported all the way to the breweries of London, where they could fetch the best price.

5. “In the Land of Israel” author Oz : AMOS

Amos Oz is an Israeli writer. Oz has written 18 books in Hebrew and his works have been translated into 30 languages, including Arabic.

9. Barbershop tool : STROP

A strop is a strip of leather used to sharpen a razor.

14. Cremona artisan : AMATI

The first of the Amati family to make violins was Andrea Amati, who lived in the 14th century. He was succeeded by his sons, Antonio and Girolamo. In turn, they were succeeded by Girolamo’s son, Nicolo. Nicolo had a few students who achieved fame making musical instruments as well. One was his own son, Girolamo, and another was the famed Antonio Stradivari.

Cremona is a city in Lombardy in northern Italy that lies on the Po river. Cremona has a rich musical history and was the home to famous craftsmen who made stringed instruments, including Stradivari and several members of the Amati family.

19. Skunk River city : AMES

The Iowa city of Ames was founded as a stop on the Cedar Rapids and Missouri Railroad in 1864. It was named for US Congressman Oakes Ames from the state of Massachusetts in honor of the role that Ames played in the building of the transcontinental railroad.

The Skunk River in Iowa is a tributary of the Mississippi. The etymology of the river’s name is a little unclear, and is probably a mistranslation of the Sauk and Meskwaki name “Shecaqua”, which means “strong and obnoxious smell”. The headwaters of the Skunk River was known for its wild onions along the banks, hence the “odoriferous” reference. A better translation might have been “Onion River”.

22. Domed-top structures, perhaps : SILOS

“Silo” is a Spanish word that we absorbed into English. The term ultimately derives from the Greek “siros”, which described a pit in which one kept corn.

23. Imminent wordplay warning? : HERE COMES THE PUN (from “Here Comes the Sun”)

“Here Comes the Sun” is a song on the Beatles album “Abbey Road”. It is one of the few Beatles recordings that was written by George Harrison.

27. “Aladdin” prince : ALI

In Disney’s version of the “Aladdin” story, released in 1992, the street urchin Aladdin uses one of three wishes to become a prince, so that he can get near to the Princess Jasmine, with whom he has become besotted. With the genie’s help, Aladdin takes on the persona of “Prince Ali of Ababwa”.

28. Astronomy Muse : URANIA

In Greek mythology, the muses are the goddesses who inspire the creation of literature and the arts. The number of muses is a subject of debate at times, but the most popular view is that there are nine:

  • Calliope (epic poetry)
  • Clio (history)
  • Erato (lyric poetry)
  • Euterpe (music)
  • Melpomene (tragedy)
  • Polyhymnia (choral poetry)
  • Terpsichore (dance)
  • Thalia (comedy)
  • Urania (astronomy)

Before the adoption of the nine muses of Greek mythology, there were originally three muses, the three Boeotian Muses. These were:

  • Mneme (memory)
  • Melete (meditation)
  • Aoede (song)

29. Disney’s Cruella De __ : VIL

Cruella de Vil is the villain in the 1956 novel “The Hundred and One Dalmatians” written by Dodie Smith. Most famously perhaps, Cruella was played so ably by Glenn Close in the Disney movie adaption “101 Dalmatians”, released in 1996.

30. Many a Degas : PASTEL

Edgar Degas was a French artist who was famous for both his paintings and his sculptures. Some of Degas’ most beautiful works feature female ballet dancers, and others depict women bathing.

39. Parmenides’ home : ELEA

Parmenides was a philosopher in Ancient Greece. Parmenides was born in the Greek city of Elea located on the Italian coast, and so the school of philosophy that he founded is called the Eleatic School.

51. 1982 sci-fi film : TRON

Released in 1982, Disney’s “Tron” was one of the first mainstream films to make extensive use of computer graphics. The main role in the movie is played by Jeff Bridges. The original spawned a 2010 sequel called “Tron: Legacy”, as well as a 2012 TV show called “Tron: Uprising”.

52. “Mon __!” : DIEU

“Mon Dieu!” is French for “My God!”

61. Half a luau serving? : MAHI

“Mahi-mahi” is the Hawaiian name for the dolphinfish, which is also called the dorado. The mahi-mahi is an ugly looking creature if ever I saw one …

62. French season : ETE

In French, “été” (summer) is “la saison chaude” (the warm season).

68. Sched. uncertainty : TBA

Something not yet on the schedule (“sked” or “sched.”) is to be advised/announced (TBA).

72. Oldest Musketeer : ATHOS

Alexandre Dumas’ “Three Musketeers” are Athos, Porthos and Aramis, although the hero of the novel is the trio’s young protégé D’Artagnan. A musketeer was an infantry soldier who was equipped with a musket. Funnily enough, the three “musketeers” really don’t use their muskets, and are better known for prowess with their swords.

78. “I, Claudius” role : NERO

Nero was Emperor of Rome from 54 to 68 CE, and towards the end of his reign participated in the Olympic Games in the year 67. The Roman leader raced in a ten-horse chariot, of which he lost control and nearly perished after being thrown from the vehicle. Acting and singing were Olympic events back then, and Nero also took part in those competitions. By all accounts, Nero performed badly in every event in which he vied, and yet somehow still managed to win Olympic crowns that he paraded around Rome on his return from Greece.

“I, Claudius” is a 1934 novel penned by Robert Graves, written in the form of an autobiography of Emperor Claudius of Rome. Graves wrote a sequel in 1935 called “Claudius the God”. Both books were adapted by the BBC into a fabulous television series that went by the name of the first book “I, Claudius”.

81. Cabinet dept. : ENER

The US Department of Energy (DOE) came into being largely as a result of the 1973 oil crisis. The DOE was founded in 1977 by the Carter administration. The DOE is responsible for regulating the production of nuclear power, and it is also responsible for the nation’s nuclear weapons. The official DOE seal features a lightning bolt and symbols denoting five sources of energy: the sun, an atom, an oil derrick, a windmill and a dynamo.

83. Very first ATM password? : ORIGINAL PIN (from “original sin”)

One enters a Personal Identification Number (PIN) when using an Automated Teller Machine (ATM). Given that the N in PIN stands for “number”, then “PIN number” is a redundant phrase. And, given that the M in ATM stands for “machine”, then “ATM machine” is a redundant phrase as well. Grr …!

In the Christian tradition, “original sin” is the state of sin that exists in all humanity as a result of Adam’s first disobedience in the Garden of Eden. According to the Roman Catholic faith, three people were born without original sin: the Virgin Mary, Jesus Christ and John the Baptist.

86. “Dropped” ’60s drug : LSD

LSD (known colloquially as “acid”) is short for lysergic acid diethylamide. A Swiss chemist called Albert Hofmann first synthesized LSD in 1938 in a research project looking for medically efficacious ergot alkaloids. It wasn’t until some five years later when Hofmann ingested some of the drug accidentally that its psychedelic properties were discovered. Trippy, man …

87. European capital : BERN

Bern (sometimes “Berne”, especially in French) is the capital city of Switzerland. The official language of the city is German, but the language most spoken in Bern is a dialect known as Bernese German.

88. Fruity cocktail word : PINA

“Piña colada” is a Spanish term which translates into “strained pineapple”. The piña colada cocktail was introduced in the Caribe Hilton San Juan in 1954, and since 1978 it has been the official beverage of Puerto Rico. Yum …

91. International economic coalition : G-SEVEN

The G6 was a group of six industrialized nations that formed in 1975 and whose governments met on a periodic basis. The founding members were France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US. The membership expanded in 1976 with the addition of Canada, forming the G7. Russia was given representation in the group in 1997, forming the G8. Russia’s membership was suspended in 2014 after she annexed Crimea.

93. Link warning letters : NSFW

The abbreviation “NSFW” stands for “not safe/suitable for work”. It’s Internet slang used to describe online content that is best not viewed at work.

96. Popular disco era pastimes? : PONG AND DANCE (from “song and dance”)

Do you remember the arcade video game that was like a game of tennis, with paddles moving up and down to hit what looked like a ball, over what looked like a net? Well, that was Pong. The arcade version of Pong was introduced in 1972, with Atari selling a home version through Sears for the Christmas market in 1975.

105. Shark hanger-on : REMORA

Remoras are also called “suckerfish”, which name is descriptive of one of the fish’s basic behaviors. One of the remoras dorsal fins is in the shape of a “sucker”, allowing it to take a firm hold on a larger marine animal, hitching a ride.

109. Make a mash of : PUREE

A purée is a food that has been made smooth by straining or blending. “Purée” is a French term, which I believe is now used to mean “pea soup” (more completely written as “purée de pois”). The French verb “purer” means “to strain, clean”, from the Latin “purare” meaning “to purify, clean”.

113. Young conger : ELVER

An elver is a young eel.

Conger eels can grow to be very, very large, perhaps up to 10 feet in length.

115. Logician’s link : ERGO

“Ergo” is a Latin word meaning “hence, therefore”, and one that we’ve absorbed directly into English.

116. Former gen.’s status : RETD

Retired (“ret.” or “retd.”)

117. Orchestra section : REEDS

Woodwind instruments are a subcategory of wind instruments that were traditionally made of wood, although some are now made from metal. There are two main classes of woodwind: flutes and reed instruments. Flutes produce sound by blowing air across the edge of a hole in a cylindrical tube. Reed instruments produce sounds by blowing into a mouthpiece, which then directs the air over a reed or reeds, causing them to vibrate.

Down

3. “… shall not __ from the earth”: Lincoln : PERISH

I admit to having profound respect and admiration for great speeches delivered by great men and great women. Forgive me as I reproduce here the full text of President Abraham Lincoln’s memorable Gettysburg Address:

Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, upon this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that “all men are created equal.”

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of it, as a final resting place for those who died here, that the nation might live. This we may, in all propriety do. But in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow, this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have hallowed it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here; while it can never forget what they did here.

It is rather for us the living, we here be dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they here gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth.

6. Half a ’60s quartet : MAMAS

The folk group called the Magic Circle renamed itself to the Mamas and the Papas in the early sixties. Sadly, the Mamas and the Papas weren’t a happy bunch, always fighting over who was getting credit for songs and whose voice was getting mixed out of recordings, so they split up, twice. While they were together though, they wrote and recorded some great songs, songs which really do epitomize the sound of the sixties. “Monday, Monday” was written by John Phillips, one of “the Papas”, and it was to become the only number one hit for the group. Here’s a shocker … when it hit number one in 1966, it was the first time that a group made up of both sexes topped the American charts!

9. Planet shape: Abbr. : SPH

Sphere (sph.)

10. Best Buy buy : TEEVEE

Television (TV, teevee, the tube, the boob tube)

Best Buy is a retailer specializing in the supply of consumer electronics. Best Buy services include the famous “Geek Squad”, a band of technical experts that will help solve your computer and other consumer electronic problems.

12. Eyelike openings : OCULI

“Oculus” (plural “oculi”) is the Latin word for “eye”, and is a term used in architecture for a circular window.

13. Ballpoint, e.g. : PEN

The ballpoint pen was invented by László Bíró in the late thirties, a Hungarian newspaper editor. Over in Ireland we use the term “biro” as a generic word for “ballpoint pen”.

15. Really bad atmosphere : MIASMA

The word “miasma” was first used for the poisonous atmosphere thought to arise from swamps and rotting matter, and which could cause disease. Nowadays, a miasma is just a thick cloud of gas or smoke.

16. Justice confirmed under Bush 43 : ALITO

Associate Justice Samuel Alito was nominated to the US Supreme Court by President George W. Bush. Alito is the second Italian-American to serve on the Supreme Court (Antonin Scalia was the first). Alito studied law at Yale and while in his final year he left the country for the first time in his life, heading to Italy to work on his thesis about the Italian legal system.

17. Workplace cartridge contents : TONER

The key features of a laser printer (or copier) are that it uses plain paper and produces quality text at high speed. Laser printers work by projecting a laser image of the printed page onto a rotating drum that is coated with photoconductors (material that becomes conductive when exposed to light). The areas of the drum exposed to the laser carry a different charge than the unexposed areas. Dry ink (toner) sticks to the exposed areas due to electrostatic charge. The toner is then transferred to paper by contact and is fused into the paper by the application of heat. So, that explains why paper coming out of a laser printer is warm, and sometimes powdery.

18. Basketry fiber : ISTLE

Istle is a fiber that is obtained from various tropical plants, including the agave and yucca tree.

24. Puffy clouds : CUMULI

Cumulus (plural “cumuli”) clouds are low-level clouds that look very “puffy”, with clearly defined edges and flat bases. “Cumulus” is Latin for “heap, pile”.

25. Kind of acid in red wine : TANNIC

The terms “tannic acid” and “tannin” are often used interchangeably, but strictly speaking this usage is incorrect. Tannic acid is a specific type of tannin, a tannin that doesn’t occur naturally in wines to any significant amount. Tannic acid can be added to wines as a clarifying agent, color stabilizer or even taste enhancer.

32. Biblical debarkation point : ARARAT

Mount Ararat is in Turkey. Ararat is a snow-capped, dormant volcano with two peaks. The higher of the two, Greater Ararat, is the tallest peak in the country. Ararat takes its name from a legendary Armenian hero called Ara the Beautiful (or Ara the Handsome). According to the Book of Genesis, Noah’s ark landed on Mount Ararat as the Great Flood subsided.

In getting on and off a seagoing vessel, one embarks and debarks. The terms come from the name of the small ship known as a barque.

34. Estrada of “CHiPs” : ERIK

Actor Erik Estrada’s big break came with the movie “Airport 1975”, in which he played the doomed flight engineer of a Boeing 747. A couple of years later, Estrada began a six-year gig, co-starring on the television show “CHiPs” as motorcycle police officer Poncherello.

The TV cop show “CHiPs” ran from 1977 until 1983. Stars of the show were Larry Wilcox and Erik Estrada, who played two California HIghway Patrol (CHP) motorcycle officers. I find it interesting that the storylines never once called for the officers to draw their firearms over the six seasons (how shows have changed!). Erik Estrada had to learn how to ride a motorcycle for the show, but wasn’t licensed to drive one during the whole of production. He eventually qualified, but only after three attempts to pass the test.

35. Big name in Argentine politics : PERON

Nowadays, President Juan Perón of Argentina is perhaps less well-known than his second wife, Eva Perón of “Evita” fame. Juan and Eva Perón were overthrown in a military coup in 1955, although Juan Perón was returned to power in 1973 after which he served for only nine months before he passed away. Juan was succeeded in office by his third wife, Isabel Perón.

38. “Night” author Wiesel : ELIE

Elie Wiesel was a holocaust survivor, and is best known for his book “Night” that tells of his experiences in Auschwitz and Buchenwald. Wiesel was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986. He was also the first recipient of the US Holocaust Memorial Museum Award, which was later renamed the Elie Wiesel Award in his honor.

41. Flood deterrent : LEVEE

A levee is an artificial bank, usually made of earth that runs along the length of a river. It is designed to hold back river water at a time of potential flooding. “Levée” is the French word for “raised” and is an American term that originated in French-speaking New Orleans around 1720.

45. Thiamine deficiency disease : BERIBERI

Thiamine is also known as vitamin B1. A deficiency of thiamine causes the disease known as beriberi, which is a disorder of the nervous system.

48. Talks from Cicero : ORATIONS

Cicero was a very influential senator in Ancient Rome in part due to his renowned ability to deliver a persuasive speech. His full name was Marcus Tullius Cicero.

51. “What a long week!” : TGIF!

“Thank God It’s Friday” (TGIF) is a relatively new expression that apparently originated in Akron, Ohio. It was a catchphrase used first by disk jockey Jerry Healy of WAKR in the early seventies. That said, one blog reader wrote me to say that he had been using the phrase in the fifties.

52. Classic O’Brien noir film : DOA

Both the original 1950 film “D.O.A.” starring Edmond O’Brien and Pamela Britton, and its 1988 remake starring Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan, are excellent movies in my opinion. The basic storyline is that the lead character discovers he has been poisoned, and uses the limited time he has to live in order to discover who “murdered” him.

58. Nasdaq debut : 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).

59. How many TV shows air : IN HD

High-definition (HD)

60. Private nonprofit: Abbr. : NGO

Non-governmental organization (NGO)

64. The Carpenters’ soloist : KAREN

Karen Carpenter was an accomplished drummer, although she only started playing drums in high school, as a member of the school band. After she graduated she started playing jazz with her brother, Richard, and a college friend. Later, she and Richard played with a group called Spectrum, and submitted many demo tapes to recording companies, but all were unsuccessful. Finally, Karen and Richard got a recording contract with A&M Records, and when they had Karen take the lead on their songs, they hit the big time and toured as the Carpenters. Sadly, Karen passed away at only 32-years-old, dying from heart failure brought on by anorexia.

66. Calvary inscription : INRI

The letters written on the cross on which Jesus died were INRI. “INRI” is an initialism standing for the Latin “Iesus Nazarenus, Rex Iudaeorum”, which translates into English as “Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews”.

According to the Gospels of the Christian New Testament, Jesus was crucified just outside the walls of Jerusalem at the location called Golgotha. The Bible translates “Golgotha” as the “place of the skull”. This phrase translates into Latin as “Calvariæ Locus”, from which we get the English name “Calvary”.

69. Arabian Peninsula port or its gulf : ADEN

Aden is a seaport in Yemen that is located on the Gulf of Aden by the eastern approach to the Red Sea. Aden has a long history of British rule, from 1838 until a very messy withdrawal in 1967. A native of Aden is known as an Adeni. Some believe that Cain and Abel are buried in the city.

71. Crag : TOR

A tor is a high, rocky hill. “Tor” comes from the Old English “torr”, the word for a tower or rock, which in turn comes from the Old Welsh “twrr” meaning a heap or a pile.

77. Friend of Claudius I : HEROD

Herod Agrippa was the grandson of Herod the Great, and like his grandfather was a Roman client king of Judea. It is thought that Herod Agrippa is the “Herod” mentioned in the Bible’s “Acts of the Apostles”, the king who imprisoned Peter and who had killed James son of Zebedee. Agrippa’s grandfather was the King Herod who ordered the Massacre of the Innocents described in the Gospel of Matthew. This was Herod’s attempt to kill the young Jesus by ordering the murder of all boys aged two or younger in Bethlehem and vicinity.

79. “A Visit From the Goon Squad” Pulitzer winner Jennifer : EGAN

Jennifer Egan is an author who grew up in San Francisco. Egan’s 2010 work “A Visit from the Goon Squad” won the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Usually termed a novel, “A Visit from the Goon Squad” is structured in such a way that it is sometimes described as a collection of linked short stories.

83. Crude gp.? : OPEC

Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)

84. MLB leader in career saves : RIVERA

Mariano Rivera is a professional baseball pitcher from Panama City. Rivera played for the New York Yankees from 1995 until his retirement at the end of the 2013 season. Rivera holds the league record for the most career saves (at 652).

85. Virgil subject : AENEAS

Aeneas was a Trojan hero of myth who traveled to Italy and became the ancestor of all Romans. Aeneas’s story is told in Virgil’s epic poem “The Aeneid”.

Publius Vergilius Maro (better known as “Virgil”) was a poet from Ancient Rome. His best known works are:

  • The “Eclogues” (or Bucolics)
  • The “Georgics”
  • The “Aeneid”

87. Clunky old cars : BEATERS

“Beater” is slang for an old car that is in poor condition, and is a term that dates back only to the 1980s.

91. Aplenty : GALORE

Our word “galore”, meaning “in great numbers”, comes from the Irish phrase “go leór” that translates as “sufficiently, enough”.

94. Herb commonly in five-spice powder : FENNEL

Fennel is a hardy perennial plant species in the celery family that is used as a herb. It also goes by the name “sweet anise”. Personally, I can’t stand the stuff …

Five-spice powder is a mixture of five spices that is used in some Asian and Arabic cuisines. The five ingredients can vary, but a common formulation is:

  • Star anise
  • Cloves
  • Chinese cinnamon
  • Sichuan pepper
  • Fennel seeds

95. Removes forcibly : WRESTS

The verb “to wrest” can mean to obtain by violent twisting and pulling. The term comes from the Middle English “wresten” meaning “to twist”. Our word “wrestling” has the same etymology.

97. Elementary seed : OVULE

As we all remember from botany class (don’t we?), an ovule is a small structure in many plants that develops into the seed after fertilization.

99. Fact : DATUM

Our word “data” (singular “datum”) comes from the Latin “datum” meaning “given”. The idea is that data are “things given”.

100. Fiji’s eastern neighbor : TONGA

The Kingdom of Tonga is made up of 176 islands in the South Pacific, 52 of which are inhabited and scattered over an area of 270,000 square miles. Tonga was given the name Friendly Islands in 1773 when Captain James Cook first landed there, a reference to the warm reception given to the visitors.

The island nation of Fiji is an archipelago in the South Pacific made up of over 330 islands, 110 of which are inhabited. Fiji was occupied by the British for over a century and finally gained its independence in 1970.

101. Cereal grass disease : ERGOT

Ergots are fungi that cause disease in rye and related plants. If human eat ergot-contaminated grain, a condition called ergotism can result. Ergotism is the result of consumption of alkaloids produced by the fungi, alkaloids that can cause seizures and manic behavior. It has even been suggested that the hysteria exhibited by the Salem “witches” was perhaps caused by the ingestion of ergot-contaminated rye.

102. Bjorn Borg, e.g. : SWEDE

Björn Borg is a retired tennis player from Sweden, and a former World No. 1. Borg won 41% of the 27 Grand Slam singles tournaments that he entered, which is a record that stands to the day. He was known for reacting very calmly under pressure on the tennis court and hence earned the nicknames “Ice Man” and “Ice Borg”, which is my personal favorite.

110. BART stop : SFO

Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) is a commuter rail system serving the San Francisco Bay Area (and indeed, my home town).

111. Simon & Garfunkel’s “__ Robinson” : MRS

When Mike Nichols was making the 1967 film “The Graduate” he apparently became obsessed with the music of Simon and Garfunkel, who were just coming into the limelight. Nichols made a deal with Paul Simon to write three songs that he could use on the soundtrack of his new movie. Simon and Garfunkel were touring constantly around that time, so Nichols had to badger Simon to hold up his end of the bargain. When Nichols was ready to lay down the film’s soundtrack there was only one commissioned song available, so Nichols had to basically beg Paul Simon for anything. Simon mentioned that he was finishing up one new song, but it wasn’t written for the film. It was more a celebration of former times, with lyrics about baseball great Joe DiMaggio and former First Lady, Mrs. Roosevelt. Nichols informed Simon that the song was no longer about Mrs. Roosevelt, and it was about Mrs. Robinson …

112. “… __ he drove out of sight”: Moore : ERE

The poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas” was published anonymously in 1823, and is better known today by its first line “‘Twas the night before Christmas”. Most scholars believe that the poem was written by Clement Clarke Moore, a theologian from New York City. Others say that it was written by Henry Livingston, Jr., a poet from Upstate New York.

‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her ’kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap,
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash …

Here are the closing lines to the Christmas poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas”.

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight—
“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”

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Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1. Brewer’s need : HOPS
5. “In the Land of Israel” author Oz : AMOS
9. Barbershop tool : STROP
14. Cremona artisan : AMATI
19. Skunk River city : AMES
20. Hardly a revealing style : MAXI
21. Quiet partner : PEACE
22. Domed-top structures, perhaps : SILOS
23. Imminent wordplay warning? : HERE COMES THE PUN (from “Here Comes the Sun”)
26. Peter, Paul or Mary : SAINT
27. “Aladdin” prince : ALI
28. Astronomy Muse : URANIA
29. Disney’s Cruella De __ : VIL
30. Many a Degas : PASTEL
31. Oil sources : SESAMES
33. “Is my account settled?”? : NEED I PAY MORE? (from “need I say more?”)
36. Drive-__ : THRU
37. Types : GENRES
39. Parmenides’ home : ELEA
40. Apiece, in scores : ALL
42. Others, in Latin : ALII
43. You’re looking at one : GRID
44. “Sunday Night Football” network : NBC
47. Nervous draft choice? : WORRIED PICK (from “worried sick”)
51. 1982 sci-fi film : TRON
52. “Mon __!” : DIEU
53. Field of study : AREA
54. Workbench attachment : VISE
55. Getting on : AGING
56. Scary fairy tale beast : OGRE
57. More mean : NASTIER
59. Film festival entry : INDIE
61. Half a luau serving? : MAHI
62. French season : ETE
63. Agency that regulates test cheating? : PEEKING OFFICE (from “seeking office”)
68. Sched. uncertainty : TBA
70. Really digging : INTO
72. Oldest Musketeer : ATHOS
73. Became aware of : NOTICED
75. Kind of guy you can count on : GO-TO
76. Bit : SHRED
78. “I, Claudius” role : NERO
80. A silly stunt may be done on one : DARE
81. Cabinet dept. : ENER
82. Swarm : TEEM
83. Very first ATM password? : ORIGINAL PIN (from “original sin”)
86. “Dropped” ’60s drug : LSD
87. European capital : BERN
88. Fruity cocktail word : PINA
89. “Comprende?” : SEE?
90. Space opening : AERO-
91. International economic coalition : G-SEVEN
93. Link warning letters : NSFW
96. Popular disco era pastimes? : PONG AND DANCE (from “song and dance”)
100. Moves unsteadily : TEETERS
103. Heads off : AVERTS
104. According to : A LA
105. Shark hanger-on : REMORA
108. “What’s __?” : NEW
109. Make a mash of : PUREE
110. No longer be comprehensible … and, with its first word divided in three parts, a hint to how to read this puzzle’s title : STOP MAKING SENSE … and S TO P MAKING SENSE
113. Young conger : ELVER
114. Public commotion : FUROR
115. Logician’s link : ERGO
116. Former gen.’s status : RETD
117. Orchestra section : REEDS
118. Signs of the future : OMENS
119. Running goal : SEAT
120. “Anything __?” : ELSE

Down

1. Comedy club chorus : HA HAS
2. Breakfast choice : OMELET
3. “… shall not __ from the earth”: Lincoln : PERISH
4. Atlanta-to-Miami dir. : SSE
5. Love abroad : AMORE
6. Half a ’60s quartet : MAMAS
7. Beasts of burden : OXEN
8. Spanish ayes : SI SI
9. Planet shape: Abbr. : SPH
10. Best Buy buy : TEEVEE
11. They may be shot in rafts : RAPIDS
12. Eyelike openings : OCULI
13. Ballpoint, e.g. : PEN
14. Tested for gold, say : ASSAYED
15. Really bad atmosphere : MIASMA
16. Justice confirmed under Bush 43 : ALITO
17. Workplace cartridge contents : TONER
18. Basketry fiber : ISTLE
24. Puffy clouds : CUMULI
25. Kind of acid in red wine : TANNIC
30. Turning whiter : PALING
32. Biblical debarkation point : ARARAT
34. Estrada of “CHiPs” : ERIK
35. Big name in Argentine politics : PERON
37. Breaks : GAPS
38. “Night” author Wiesel : ELIE
41. Flood deterrent : LEVEE
43. Annoying criticism : GRIEF
44. Romantic evening extension : NIGHTCAP
45. Thiamine deficiency disease : BERIBERI
46. It could be a mere nod : CUE
47. Decline : WANE
48. Talks from Cicero : ORATIONS
49. Took offense at : RESENTED
50. Acute : DIRE
51. “What a long week!” : TGIF!
52. Classic O’Brien noir film : DOA
55. Bothers : ADOS
58. Nasdaq debut : IPO
59. How many TV shows air : IN HD
60. Private nonprofit: Abbr. : NGO
61. Ran into : MET
64. The Carpenters’ soloist : KAREN
65. Shopping list entry : ITEM
66. Calvary inscription : INRI
67. Relatives of b’ars? : COONS
69. Arabian Peninsula port or its gulf : ADEN
71. Crag : TOR
74. Least occupied : IDLEST
75. Come together : GEL
76. Rears : STERNS
77. Friend of Claudius I : HEROD
78. Common opening time : NINE
79. “A Visit From the Goon Squad” Pulitzer winner Jennifer : EGAN
83. Crude gp.? : OPEC
84. MLB leader in career saves : RIVERA
85. Virgil subject : AENEAS
87. Clunky old cars : BEATERS
90. Concurred : AGREED
91. Aplenty : GALORE
92. Designed to fit tightly : SNAP-ON
94. Herb commonly in five-spice powder : FENNEL
95. Removes forcibly : WRESTS
96. Mill output : PAPER
97. Elementary seed : OVULE
98. Audacity : NERVE
99. Fact : DATUM
100. Fiji’s eastern neighbor : TONGA
101. Cereal grass disease : ERGOT
102. Bjorn Borg, e.g. : SWEDE
106. Barely gets, with “out” : EKES
107. Bog : MIRE
110. BART stop : SFO
111. Simon & Garfunkel’s “__ Robinson” : MRS
112. “… __ he drove out of sight”: Moore : ERE

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