LA Times Crossword Answers 13 May 2018, Sunday

Advertisement

[ad_above_grid]

Constructed by: Amy Johnson
Edited by: Rich Norris

Advertisement

Advertisement

Today’s Theme: Mother’s Day

Happy Mother’s Day, to all the mothers out there! Themed answers are common phrases with the letters MA inserted:

  • 23A. Foppish fed? : MANICURED LAWMAN (from “manicured lawn”)
  • 37A. Hotel housekeeper’s concern? : BLANKET FORMAT (from “blanket fort”)
  • 67A. Woman’s surprise party for her kids’ kids? : GRANDMA SCHEME (from “grand scheme”)
  • 96A. “One man’s trash … “? : JUNKYARD DOGMA (from “junkyard dog”)
  • 115A. Sniffle over some Austen? : READ “EMMA” AND WEEP (from “read ‘em and weep”)
  • 16D. Ask for a doggie bag? : TAKE THE REMAINS (from “take the reins”)
  • 49D. Frequent February craft project? : MAKING OF HEARTS (from “king of hearts”)

Bill’s time: 17m 48s

Bill’s errors: 0

Advertisement

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

5. Some shells : AMMO

The word “munitions” describes materials and equipment used in war. The term derives from the Latin “munitionem” meaning “fortification, defensive wall”. Back in the 17th century, French soldiers referred to such materials as “la munition”, a Middle French term. This was misheard as “l’ammunition”, and as a result we ended up importing the word “ammunition” (often shortened to “ammo”), a term that we now use mainly to describe the material fired from a weapon.

21. Yoga term meaning “force” : HATHA

Hatha yoga is a yoga system developed in 15th century India. Traditional Hatha yoga is a more “complete” practice than often encountered in the west, involving not just exercise but also meditation and relaxation. “Hatha” is a Sanskrit word meaning “force”.

26. National capital on Cape Verde : DAKAR

The Republic of Senegal is a country on the far western coast of Africa. For many years Senegal was a French colony, gaining independence in 1960. The capital of Senegal is Dakar. Dakar is located on the Cap-Vert Peninsula that juts out into the Atlantic Ocean, thus making it the westernmost capital on the African mainland.

27. Dr. __ Hahn on “Grey’s Anatomy” : ERICA

Erica Hahn is a character in the TV medical drama “Grey’s Anatomy” who is played by actress Brooke Smith. Smith also appeared in the movie “The Silence of the Lambs”, playing Catherine Martin, the young woman who was abducted and trapped in a dry well.

“Gray’s Anatomy” is a very successful human anatomy textbook that was first published back in 1858 and is still in print today. The original text was written by English anatomist Henry Gray, who gave his name to the work. The TV medical drama “Grey’s Anatomy” (note “Grey” vs. Gray”) is centered on the character Dr. Meredith Grey, but the show’s title is a nod to the title of the famous textbook.

31. Word from the French for “little wing” : AILERON

In traditional aircraft designs, pitch is controlled by the elevator and roll is controlled by the aileron. On some newer aircraft these two functions are combined into single control surfaces called “elevons”.

33. Tech tutorials site : CNET

c|net is an excellent technology website. c|net started out in 1994 as a television network specializing in technology news. The host of “American Idol”, Ryan Seacrest, started off his career as host of a c|net show.

35. Dadaism pioneer : ERNST

Max Ernst was a painter and sculptor, and a pioneer in the Dada movement and Surrealism. Ernst was born near Cologne in Germany in 1891 and he was called up to fight in WWI, as were most young German men at that time. In his autobiography he writes “Max Ernst died the 1st of August, 1914” a statement about his experiences in the war. In reality, Ernst died in 1976 having lived to the ripe old age of 85.

36. Federal hush-hush org. : NSA

National Security Agency (NSA)

41. Easter entrée : HAM

“Entrée” means “entry” in French. An entrée can be something that helps one get “a way in”, an interview for example perhaps helped along by a recommendation letter. In Europe, even in English-speaking countries, the entrée is the name for the “entry” to the meal, the first course. I found it very confusing to order meals when I first came to America!

44. Rockies roamer : MOOSE

The moose is the largest species in the deer family, and can stand almost at 7 feet at the shoulder. Moose are a little unusual in that they are solitary animals, unlike other deers who tend to move in herds. We use the term “moose” here in North America, but confusingly, the same animal is referred to as “elk” in British English.

45. Some HDTVs : SANYOS

Sanyo is a Japanese electronics manufacturer based near Osaka and founded in 1947. The company name means “three oceans” reflecting the company’s original aim to sell its products all around the world (across three oceans: the Atlantic, the Pacific and the Indian).

46. Like San Francisco’s Coit Tower : DECO

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

50. 1910s conflict : WWI

Prior to the outbreak of World War II, what we now know as World War I was referred to as “the World War” or “the Great War”.

53. Spike with films : LEE

Film director Spike Lee was born in Atlanta, Georgia but has very much made New York City his home and place of work. Most of Lee’s films are set in New York City, including his first feature film, 1986’s “She’s Gotta Have It”. That film was shot over two weeks with a budget of $175,000. “She’s Gotta Have It” grossed over $7 million at the US box office.

54. “Two mints in one” sloganeer : CERTS

Certs were the first breath mints to be marketed nationally in the US, hitting the shelves in 1956. A Cert is called a mint, but it isn’t really as it contains no mint oil and instead has its famous ingredient named “Retsyn”. Retsyn is a mixture of copper gluconate (giving the green flecks), partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil (not healthy!) and flavoring (maybe mint?).

58. Muppets’ address, briefly : SESAME ST

Back in 1966, the Carnegie Institute allocated money to study the use of television to help young children prepare for school. The institute gave an $8million grant to set up the Children’s Television Workshop with the task of creating an educational TV program for young people. The program began to come together, especially after Jim Henson (of Muppet fame) got involved. The name “Sesame Street” was chosen simply because it was the “least disliked” of all names proposed just before the program went on the air.

61. Upscale retailer : SAKS

Saks Fifth Avenue is a high-end specialty store that competes with the likes of Bloomingdale’s and Neiman Marcus. The original Saks & Company business was founded by Andrew Saks in 1867. The first Saks Fifth Avenue store was opened on Fifth Avenue in New York City in 1924. There are now Saks Fifth Avenue stores in many major cities in the US, as well in several locations worldwide.

65. Rattler’s weapon : VENOM

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

66. Air pump letters : PSI

Pounds per square inch (PSI) is a measure of pressure.

70. Edwards, e.g.: Abbr. : AFB

Edwards Air Force Base is in a desert area in Southern California. Edwards is a flight test center for the Air Force, and it was here that Chuck Yeager famously broke the sound barrier for the first time. And of course, Edwards was used for many landings of the Space Shuttle.

73. Net, but not Jet or Met : NBA’ER

The NBA’s Brooklyn Nets were the New Jersey Nets until 2012, and were based in Newark. Prior to 1977, the team was known as the New York Nets and played in various locations on Long Island. Ten years earlier, the Nets were called the New Jersey Americans and were headquartered in Teaneck, New Jersey.

77. Certain dietary abstinence : VEGANISM

A vegan is someone who stays away from animal products. A dietary vegan eats no animal foods, not even eggs and dairy which are usually eaten by vegetarians. Ethical vegans take things one step further by following a vegan diet and also avoiding animal products in other areas of their lives e.g. items made from leather or silk.

80. Civil War topper : KEPI

A kepi is that circular cap with a visor that’s worn in particular by the French military.

84. BOLO equivalent : APB

A BOLO is a police alert, with the acronym standing for “be on the look-out”. A BOLO can also be called an APB, an “all-points bulletin”.

87. Old atlas letters : SSR

When the former Soviet Union (USSR) dissolved in 1991, it was largely replaced by the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). The formation of the CIS underscored the new reality, that the former Soviet Republics (SSRs) were now independent states. Most of the 15 former SSRs joined the CIS. Notably, the three Baltic SSRs (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) opted not to join the new commonwealth, and in 2004 joined NATO and the EU.

90. Potato often used for fries : RUSSET

The full name of the potato that we commonly refer to as a “russet” is a “russet Burbank”. The russet is probably a mutation of the Burbank potato. One Luther Burbank developed the Burbank potato as a disease-resistant Irish potato, and gave the strain its name. The russet Burbank is a relatively large potato. As such, it is the favored potato for restaurant chains like McDonald’s as it can produce long French fries.

113. Openings for Tolkien and Rowling?: Abbr. : INITS

J. R. R. (John Ronald Reuel) Tolkien was an English author best known by far for his fantasy novels “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings”. Although Tolkien lived in England and was a professor at Oxford, he served for many years as an external examiner at my old school, University College Dublin in Ireland.

Joanne Rowling changed her name to J. K. Rowling at the request of her publisher, who believed that young boys might have shied away from reading the first “Harry Potter” book if they believed the story was written by a woman (this was 1997!). “Jo” Rowling chose J for Joanne, and K for Kathleen after her grandmother (Jo has no middle name to use).

114. Nursery rhyme dieter : SPRAT

Jack Sprat was a nickname given in the 16th century to people of small stature. Jack featured in a proverb of the day:

Jack will eat not fat, and Jull doth love no leane. Yet betwixt them both they lick the dishes cleane.

Over time, this mutated into a nursery rhyme that is still recited in England:

Jack Sprat could eat no fat. His wife could eat no lean. And so between them both, you see, they licked the platter clean.

115. Sniffle over some Austen? : READ “EMMA” AND WEEP (from “read ‘em and weep”)

Jane Austen’s novel “Emma” is the tale of Emma Woodhouse and the wonderful George Knightley. At the end of the story, Emma marries Knightley and her young friend Harriet marries Robert Martin, who had been trying to get Harriet’s attention practically from page one of the novel.

118. Hanukkah fare : LATKE

A latke is a delicious potato pancake (I’m Irish … so anything made with potato is delicious!).

119. Sporty old Ford : T-BIRD

Ford manufactured the Thunderbird (T-Bird) from 1955 to 2005. Originally a two-seater sporty convertible, the T-Bird was introduced as a competitor to Chevrolet’s new sports car, the Corvette.

120. So : ERGO

“Ergo” is the Latin word for “hence, therefore”.

121. Beginning to bat? : ACRO-

An acrobat is someone who performs gymnastic feats. The term comes into English via French from the Greek “akrobatos” meaning “going on tip-toe, climbing up high”.

123. Jack of “The Wizard of Oz” : HALEY

Actor Jack Haley played the Tin Man in “The Wizard of Oz”. Haley was the second choice for the role, as it was originally given to Buddy Ebsen (who later played Jed Clampett in “The Beverly Hillbillies”). Ebsen was being “painted up” as the Tin Man when he had an extreme, near-fatal reaction from inhaling the aluminum dust makeup that was being used. When Haley took over, the makeup was changed to a paste, but it was still uncomfortable and caused him to miss the first four days of shooting due to a reaction in his eyes. During filming, Haley must have made good friends with the movie’s star, Judy Garland, as years later Jack’s son married Judy’s daughter, Liza Minnelli.

124. Celine of pop : DION

French-Canadian singer Céline Dion first came to international attention when she won the 1988 Eurovision Song Contest, in which she represented Switzerland in the competition that was hosted in Dublin, Ireland. She is now the the best-selling Canadian artist of all time.

Down

2. Pioneering game consoles : ATARIS

The kids today probably don’t realize that we had a video game console back in the seventies, and it wasn’t a Nintendo nor was it a PlayStation. The Atari 2600 game system introduced the idea of separating out computing hardware (the console) from the game code (a cartridge). The same concept persists to this day, although cartridges have been displaced by discs and downloads.

3. Heavy envelope makeup : MANILA

Manila folders and envelopes were originally made from manila hemp, hence the name.

5. Monkey in “Aladdin” : ABU

Abu is a monkey in the Disney production of “Aladdin”. The character is based on Abu, a thief in the 1940 film “The Thief of Baghdad”.

7. “A horse, of course, of course” : MR ED

The opening lines of the theme song to the sitcom “Mister Ed” are:

A horse is a horse, of course, of course,
And no one can talk to a horse of course
That is, of course, unless the horse is the famous Mister Ed.

8. In a circle near a diamond : ON DECK

That would be baseball.

9. Skiers’ retreats : CHALETS

“Chalet” is a Swiss-French name for an Alpine cottage.

12. Old-style “Wicked!” : PHAT

In hip-hop circles, the term “phat” means “excellent, first-rate”.

13. Riviera resort : SAN REMO

The Italian city of San Remo sits on the Mediterranean, right on the border with France. In Italian the city is named Sanremo, just one word, although the spelling of “San Remo” dates back to ancient times.

14. Know-it-all : PEDANT

A pedant, someone who is pedantic, is a person “who trumpets minor points of learning”, a person who tends to nit-pick. “Pedant” comes via Middle French from the Italian word “pedante” meaning “teacher”.

17. Banned orchard spray : ALAR

The chemical name for Alar, a plant growth regulator and color enhancer, is daminozide. Alar was primarily used on apples but was withdrawn from the market when it was linked to cancer.

24. Copies made on onionskin, probably : CARBONS

Onionskin, although not made from onions, is a translucent, light-weight paper. It was used in days gone by when the weight and bulk of the paper was important. And so, onionskin was a good choice for use with carbon paper when making copies using a typewriter. It also was a good choice for airmail.

34. Big name in nonstick cookware : T-FAL

Tefal (also “T-Fal”) is a French manufacturer of cookware, famous for its nonstick line. The name “Tefal” is a portmanteau, of TEFlon and ALuminum, the key materials used in producing their pots and pans.

38. Unit of force : NEWTON

Newtons are units of force. The newton is named for Sir Isaac Newton, the English physicist and mathematician.

39. Scrabble vowel value : ONE

The game of Scrabble has been produced in many international versions, and each of these editions has its own tile distribution to suit the local language. For example, in English we have two tiles worth ten points: one “Q” and one “Z”. If you play the game in French then there are five tiles worth ten points: one “K”, one “W”, one “X”, one “Y” and one “Z”.

42. Fifth book of the New Testament : ACTS

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

47. Recipe meas. : TBSP

Tablespoon (tbsp.)

48. Some S&L plans : IRAS

Individual retirement account (IRA)

Savings and Loan (S&L)

49. Frequent February craft project? : MAKING OF HEARTS (from “king of hearts”)

Saint Valentine’s Day was introduced by Pope Gelasius I in 496 AD to honor various martyrs with the name Valentine. However, the saint’s’ day was dropped by the Roman Catholic church in 1969, by Pope Paul VI. Try telling that to Hallmark though …

51. “The __ are lovely, dark and deep”: Frost : WOODS

When I was a school-kid back in Ireland, Robert Frost’s “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” was our first introduction to American poetry, and what a lovely introduction it was:

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound’s the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

54. House prop : CANE

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).

59. First name in ramp-to-ramp jumping : EVEL

Daredevil Evel Knievel contracted hepatitis C from the many blood transfusions that he needed after injuries incurred during stunts. He had to have a liver transplant as a result, but his health declined after that. Knievel eventually passed away in 2007.

60. Univ. term : SEM

“Semester” is a German word from the Latin “semestris”, an adjective meaning “of six months”. We use the term in a system that divides an academic year into two roughly equal parts. A trimester-system has three parts, and a quarter-system has four.

63. Trio of asses? : ESSES

There is a trio of letters S (esses) in the word “asses”.

64. Bikini specs : D-CUPS

The origin of the word “bikini”, describing a type of bathing suit, seems very uncertain. My favorite story is that it is named after the Bikini Atoll, site of American A-bomb tests in the forties and fifties. The name “bikini” was chosen for the swim-wear because of the “explosive” effect it had on men who saw a woman wearing the garment!

67. Funk band Kool & the __ : GANG

The band called Kool & the Gang have been around since the mid-sixties, and is most famous for the hit “Celebration”.

68. Outdoorsy sort’s retailer : REI

REI is a sporting goods store, with the initialism standing for Recreational Equipment Inc. REI was founded in Seattle by Lloyd and Mary Anderson in 1938 as a cooperative that supplies quality climbing gear to outdoor enthusiasts. The first full-time employee hired by the Andersons was Jim Whittaker, who was the first American to climb Mount Everest.

71. Harmful gas outlet : FLUE

The flue in a chimney is a duct that conveys exhaust gases from a fire to the outdoors. An important feature of a flue is that its opening is adjustable. When starting a fire, the flue should be wide open, maximizing airflow to get help ignition.

72. Crunchy lunches : BLTS

The BLT (bacon, lettuce and tomato) is the second most popular sandwich in the US, after the plain old ham sandwich.

74. Nemesis : BANE

Today we tend to use the word “bane” to mean anathema, a source of persistent annoyance. A few centuries ago, a bane was a cause of harm or death, perhaps a deadly poison.

Nemesis was a Greek goddess, the goddess of retribution. Her role was to make pay those individuals who were either haughty or arrogant. In modern parlance, one’s nemesis (plural “nemeses”) is one’s sworn enemy, often someone who is the exact opposite in character but someone who still shares some important characteristics. A nemesis is often someone one cannot seem to beat in competition.

78. Wiesel with a Nobel : 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.

79. Halloween staple : MASK

All Saints’ Day is November 1st each year. The day before All Saints’ Day is All Hallows’ Eve, better known by the Scottish term “Halloween”.

96. Unexpectedly and unhappily single : JILTED

To jilt someone with whom you have a relationship is to drop them suddenly or callously. “Jilt” is an obsolete noun that used to mean “harlot” or “loose woman”.

97. Starr-struck one? : DRUM

Ringo Starr’s real name is Richard Starkey. Before he joined the Beatles, replacing drummer Pete Best, Starkey played with the Raving Texans. It was with the Raving Texans that he adopted the name “Ringo Starr”, because he wore a lot of rings and he thought it sounded “cowboyish”. Back then his drum solos were billed as “Starr Time”.

101. Pharaoh, for one : DESPOT

A despot is a ruler with absolute power, often one who wields that power oppressively. “Despot” is an old French term from the 14th century, ultimately derived from the Greek “despotes” meaning “master of a household, absolute ruler”.

103. Space cadet : FLAKE

The expression “space cadet” is used to describe someone who is eccentric and disconnected with reality. It may even imply that the person is a user of hallucinogens. The phrase has been around since the sixties, and may be derived from the science fiction TV show “Tom Corbett, Space Cadet” which aired in the fifties.

106. Egypt’s Sadat : ANWAR

Anwar Sadat was the third President of Egypt right up to the time of his assassination in 1981. Sadat won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1978 along with Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin for the role played in crafting the Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty of 1978 at Camp David. It was this agreement that largely led to Sadat’s assassination three years later.

108. Hollywood rating gp. : MPAA

The Motion Picture Association of America’s (MPAA) film-rating system (PG-13, R, etc.) is purely voluntary and is not backed by any law. Movie theaters agree to abide by the rules that come with the MPAA ratings in exchange for access to new movies.

109. Sitcom that starred a singer : 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.

112. Wrapped wear : SARI

The item of clothing called a “sari” (also “saree”) is a strip of cloth, as one might imagine, unusual perhaps in that is unstitched along the whole of its length. The strip of cloth can range from four to nine meters long (that’s a lot of material!). The sari is usually wrapped around the waist, then draped over the shoulder leaving the midriff bare. I must say, it can be a beautiful item of clothing.

116. “Compton” album maker : DRE

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

117. Rouen rejection : NON

Rouen is the major city in Normandy in northern France. During the days of Norman Britain, Rouen was one of the capitals of the Anglo-Norman dynasties. Rouen was also where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in 1431.

Advertisement

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1. Stops up : DAMS
5. Some shells : AMMO
9. Blokes : CHAPS
14. Bee’s landing place : PETAL
19. Abbr. covering unlisted items : ET AL
20. Part of the rural scenery : BARN
21. Yoga term meaning “force” : HATHA
22. Elevate : EXALT
23. Foppish fed? : MANICURED LAWMAN (from “manicured lawn”)
26. National capital on Cape Verde : DAKAR
27. Dr. __ Hahn on “Grey’s Anatomy” : ERICA
28. Best possible : IDEAL
29. They hang at parties : STREAMERS
31. Word from the French for “little wing” : AILERON
33. Tech tutorials site : CNET
35. Dadaism pioneer : ERNST
36. Federal hush-hush org. : NSA
37. Hotel housekeeper’s concern? : BLANKET FORMAT (from “blanket fort”)
41. Easter entrée : HAM
44. Rockies roamer : MOOSE
45. Some HDTVs : SANYOS
46. Like San Francisco’s Coit Tower : DECO
47. It’s everything, they say : TIMING
50. 1910s conflict : WWI
53. Spike with films : LEE
54. “Two mints in one” sloganeer : CERTS
55. Brazen : BRASSY
56. Muppets watchers : TOTS
58. Muppets’ address, briefly : SESAME ST
61. Upscale retailer : SAKS
62. Gave a leg up : BOOSTED
65. Rattler’s weapon : VENOM
66. Air pump letters : PSI
67. Woman’s surprise party for her kids’ kids? : GRANDMA SCHEME (from “grand scheme”)
70. Edwards, e.g.: Abbr. : AFB
73. Net, but not Jet or Met : NBA’ER
75. Like some massages : SENSUAL
76. Bitter __ : PILL
77. Certain dietary abstinence : VEGANISM
80. Civil War topper : KEPI
81. Part of a squirrel’s stash : WALNUT
83. __ for the ride : ALONG
84. BOLO equivalent : APB
87. Old atlas letters : SSR
88. Burdens : ONUSES
89. Plentiful : RIFE
90. Potato often used for fries : RUSSET
93. Pub stickers : DARTS
95. Slangy assent : YEH
96. “One man’s trash … “? : JUNKYARD DOGMA (from “junkyard dog”)
99. Toss in : ADD
102. IRS convenience : E-FILE
104. Like four-leaf clovers : RARE
105. The one that got away : ESCAPEE
107. “Do tell!” : I’M ALL EARS!
111. Shot in the dark : GUESS
113. Openings for Tolkien and Rowling?: Abbr. : INITS
114. Nursery rhyme dieter : SPRAT
115. Sniffle over some Austen? : READ “EMMA” AND WEEP (from “read ‘em and weep”)
118. Hanukkah fare : LATKE
119. Sporty old Ford : T-BIRD
120. So : ERGO
121. Beginning to bat? : ACRO-
122. Lessened : EASED
123. Jack of “The Wizard of Oz” : HALEY
124. Celine of pop : DION
125. Staff notation : REST

Down

1. Hardly dignify : DEMEAN
2. Pioneering game consoles : ATARIS
3. Heavy envelope makeup : MANILA
4. Pizza purchase : SLICE
5. Monkey in “Aladdin” : ABU
6. Places to tie up : MARINAS
7. “A horse, of course, of course” : MR ED
8. In a circle near a diamond : ON DECK
9. Skiers’ retreats : CHALETS
10. Hesitate while speaking : HAW
11. 24-hr. banking spots : ATMS
12. Old-style “Wicked!” : PHAT
13. Riviera resort : SAN REMO
14. Know-it-all : PEDANT
15. High school hurdles : EXAMS
16. Ask for a doggie bag? : TAKE THE REMAINS (from “take the reins”)
17. Banned orchard spray : ALAR
18. P.O. box fillers : LTRS
24. Copies made on onionskin, probably : CARBONS
25. Word with fast or passing : .. LANE
30. Baseball stats : ERAS
32. Informal science : OLOGY
34. Big name in nonstick cookware : T-FAL
38. Unit of force : NEWTON
39. Scrabble vowel value : ONE
40. Bartender’s array : RYES
42. Fifth book of the New Testament : ACTS
43. More than half : MOST
44. Unsuccessful swing : MISS
46. Test-drive car, e.g. : DEMO
47. Recipe meas. : TBSP
48. Some S&L plans : IRAS
49. Frequent February craft project? : MAKING OF HEARTS (from “king of hearts”)
51. “The __ are lovely, dark and deep”: Frost : WOODS
52. “Who’s there?” reply : IT’S ME
54. House prop : CANE
57. Really bombed : STANK
59. First name in ramp-to-ramp jumping : EVEL
60. Univ. term : SEM
62. You may hum a few : BARS
63. Trio of asses? : ESSES
64. Bikini specs : D-CUPS
67. Funk band Kool & the __ : GANG
68. Outdoorsy sort’s retailer : REI
69. Dresser’s concern? : HAIRDO
71. Harmful gas outlet : FLUE
72. Crunchy lunches : BLTS
74. Nemesis : BANE
76. Favorable aspect : PLUS
77. What prices may do : VARY
78. Wiesel with a Nobel : ELIE
79. Halloween staple : MASK
81. Bait, often : WORMS
82. Hot wings chaser, perhaps : ANTACID
85. Aspiring therapist’s maj. : PSY
86. Black or brown critter : BEAR
90. “No cellphone at dinner,” say : RULE
91. Dig up : UNEARTH
92. Shakespearean genre : TRAGEDY
94. Back in the day : AGES AGO
96. Unexpectedly and unhappily single : JILTED
97. Starr-struck one? : DRUM
98. Held : DEEMED
99. For each one : APIECE
100. Tries to prevent : DETERS
101. Pharaoh, for one : DESPOT
103. Space cadet : FLAKE
106. Egypt’s Sadat : ANWAR
107. Cartographer’s speck : ISLE
108. Hollywood rating gp. : MPAA
109. Sitcom that starred a singer : REBA
110. Windsurfing need : SAIL
112. Wrapped wear : SARI
116. “Compton” album maker : DRE
117. Rouen rejection : NON

Advertisement