LA Times Crossword Answers 28 Jul 13, Sunday

CROSSWORD SETTER: Ed Sessa
THEME: Networking … the initial letters each of today’s themed answers is the acronym for a television channel, an acronym that might show up in a “TV GUIDE” listing:

27A. *”Perhaps” THERE’S NO TELLING (TNT: Turner Network Television)
41A. *Snacks not needing an oven NO-BAKE COOKIES (NBC: National Broadcasting Company)
53A. *”When I say so,” militarily speaking AT MY COMMAND (AMC: American Movie Classics)
78A. Signature song for Sammy Davis Jr. THE CANDY MAN (TCM: Turner Classic Movies)
88A. *Practically guaranteed ALL BUT CERTAIN (ABC: American Broadcasting Company)
107. *Ambushed TAKEN BY SURPRISE (TBS: Turner Broadcasting System)
16D. *Fair forecast CLEAR BLUE SKIES (CBS: Columbia Broadcasting System)
48D. *Settling request PLEASE BE SEATED (PBS: Public Broadcasting Service)

91D. Weekly magazine where the initials of the answers to starred clues can be found TV GUIDE

BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 19m 47s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
6. One of a typical schooner’s pair MAST
By definition, a schooner is sailing vessel with two or more masts, but one on which the foremast is shorter than the rear mast(s).

19. Patty Hearst’s SLA alias TANIA
The Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA) was founded in 1973 by an escapee of the prison system, Donald DeFreeze. The group’s manifesto promoted the rights of African Americans although, in the 2-3 year life of the group, DeFreeze was the only black member. Famously, the SLA kidnapped heiress Patty Hearst in 1974. Hearst apparently fell victim to what is called the Stockholm syndrome and became sympathetic to her captors’ cause. She joined the SLA and assumed the name “Tania”.

20. Alice’s immortalizer ARLO
Arlo Guthrie is the son of Woody Guthrie. Both father and son are renowned for their singing of protest songs about social injustice. Arlo is most famous for his epic “Alice’s Restaurant Massacree”, a song that lasts a full 18m 34s. In the song Guthrie tells how, after being drafted, he was rejected for service in the Vietnam War based on his criminal record. He had only one incident on his public record, a Thanksgiving Day arrest for littering and being a public nuisance when he was 18-years-old.

22. Kate’s TV mate ALLIE
“Kate & Allie” ran from 1984 to 1989, starring Susan Saint James as Kate, and Jane Curtin as Allie. Jane Curtin won two Emmy awards for her work on the series, while Susan Saint James … did not.

24. Lab gel medium AGAR
Agar is a jelly extracted from seaweed that has many uses. Agar is found in Japanese desserts, and can also be used as a food thickener or even as a laxative. In the world of science it is the most common medium used for growing bacteria in Petri dishes.

26. “CSI” part? SCENE
I’m told that the TV show “CSI” (which stands for “Crime Scene Investigation”) gets a lot of razzing by law enforcement professionals for its unrealistic portrayal of the procedures and science of criminal investigation. I don’t care though, as I just think it’s fun television. The original “CSI” set in Las Vegas seems to have “gone off the boil”, but the addition of Sela Ward to the cast of “CSI: NY” really, really raised the level of the sister show centered around New York City.

27. *”Perhaps” THERE’S NO TELLING (TNT: Turner Network Television)
TNT stands for Turner Network Television. The TNT cable channel made a big splash in the eighties when it started to broadcast old MGM movies that had been “colorized”, not something that was a big hit with the public. In recent years, the TNT programming lineup is touted with the tagline “We Know Drama”, and includes shows like “Judging Amy”, “ER” and “Cold Case”.

32. Fight unit: Abbr. RND
Boxing matches are divided up into rounds (rnds.).

33. Connection facilitators, briefly ISPS
An Internet Service Provider (ISP) is just what the name indicates, a company that provides its customers with access to the Internet. One way that ISPs differentiate themselves from each other is in the way in which end users are connected to the ISP’s network. So, there are cable ISPs, DSL ISPs, dial-up ISPs and satellite ISPs. I’d go with cable if I were you, if it’s available in your area …

40. “__ Mir Bist Du Schoen” (Andrews Sisters hit) BEI
“Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen” was a hit in the 1930s for the Andrews Sisters. The title translates from German into English as “To Me, You Are Beautiful”. The song was originally titled in Yiddish as “Bei Mir Bistu Shein” as it was written for a 1932 Yiddish comedy musical called “Men Ken Lebn Nor Men Lost Nisht”.

41. *Snacks not needing an oven NO-BAKE COOKIES (NBC: National Broadcasting Company)
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) has had a number of different logos in its history, including the famous peacock with which we are familiar today. The first peacock logo was introduced in the early days of color television and was designed to illustrate how wonderful color television would be, so go buy one! (NBC was owned by RCA, and they had a vested interest in sales of color television sets).

45. Tiger’s ex ELIN
Elin Nordegren is the ex-wife of Tiger Woods. Nordegren is a native of Sweden, and it was back in Sweden that she was hired as a nanny by the wife of golfer Jasper Parnevik. The job brought her to the US where she became a popular attraction on the professional golfing circuit. Apparently there was a long line of single golfers who wanted to be introduced to her, with Tiger Woods asking for an introduction for a year before he finally got to go out with her. The pair were married in 2004.

46. Chem lab tube PIPET
A pipette (also “pipet”) is tool used in a lab to transport an accurately measured volume of liquid. Back in my day, we would suck up the liquid into the pipette by applying our mouths to the top of the instrument. This could be quite dangerous, as one ended up with a mouthful of something unsavory if one lifted the top of pipette out of the liquid too soon. Nowadays, things are much safer.

49. Well-coiffed Byrnes EDD
I used to watch “77 Sunset Strip” as a lad growing up in Ireland. It is an American show that ran from 1958 to 1964. Two of the central characters are former government secret agents, now working as private detectives. Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. plays Stu Bailey, and Roger Smith plays Jeff Spencer. And who can forget Kookie, played by Edd Byrnes?

50. Cupid’s wings ALAE
The god Cupid has wings (alae), in Latin.

51. __ bean: sprouts source MUNG
Mung beans are native to India and are used in both savory and sweet dishes in many Asian cuisines.

53. *”When I say so,” militarily speaking AT MY COMMAND (AMC: American Movie Classics)
AMC, formerly known as American Movie Classics, is one of my favorite television channels. Although the channel’s focus has shifted from airing classic movies to including other programming, there’s still a lot of quality output. AMC’s flagship show is “Mad Men”.

57. Military meal MESS
“Mess” first came into English about 1300 and described the list of food needed for a meal, from the Old French word “mes” meaning a portion of food or a course at a meal. This usage in English evolved into “mess” meaning a jumbled mass of anything from the concept of “mixed food”. At the same time, the original usage in the sense of a food for a meal surfaced again in the military in the 1500s when a “mess” was a communal eating place.

60. Carrie’s org. on “Homeland” CIA
“Homeland” is a psychological drama shown on Showtime about a CIA officer who is convinced that a certain US Marine is a threat to the security of the United States. The show is based on a series from Israeli television called “Hatufim” (Prisoners of War”). I’m going to have to check this one out …

63. Smokey Bear broadcast, briefly PSA
Public service announcement (PSA)

Smokey Bear is the mascot of the US Forest Service. Smokey first appeared in 1944, in an advertising campaign directed towards preventing forest fires.

65. Critic Reed REX
Rex Reed is a film critic who used to co-host “At the Movies” after Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert left the show.

66. Rachael Ray sautéing initialism EVOO
Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

Rachael Ray is a celebrity chef and host of several shows on the Food Network television channel. Ray comes from a family that owned and managed a number of restaurants in the northeast of the country. One of Ray’s TV shows is “$40 a Day”, in which she demonstrates how to visit various cities in North America and Europe and eat three meals and a snack on a daily budget of just $40.

68. Royal Botanic Gardens locale KEW
Kew Gardens is a beautiful location in southwest London, formally known as the Royal Botanic Gardens. Kew Gardens has the world’s largest collection of living plants.

78. Signature song for Sammy Davis Jr. THE CANDY MAN (TCM: Turner Classic Movies)
Even though there is no asterisk at the front of this clue in the version I am doing, I am pretty sure it is meant to be a themed answer …

“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.

Sammy Davis, Jr. began his career in entertainment with his father, as they were two members of the vaudeville act, the Will Mastin Trio. The trio, Mastin and the two Davis men, took a break in 1943 while Davis, Jr. served in the US Army. After the war, the three got back together and continued performing. The men remained very close for their whole lives, and their bodies are even buried side-by-side in the Davis family tomb.

Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is one of my favorite television channels, delivering just what its name promises: classic movies.

83. Soldiers under Lee REBS
Robert E. Lee is of course renowned as a southern officer in the Civil War. Lee was a somewhat reluctant participant in the war in that he opposed the secession of his home state of Virginia from the Union. At the beginning of the war, President Lincoln invited Lee to take command of the whole Union Army but he declined, choosing instead to stay loyal to his home state.

84. Flor del amor ROSA
In Spanish, the rose (rosa) is the flower of love (flor del amor).

85. Great Basin native UTE
The Ute is a group of Native American tribes that now resides in Utah and Colorado. The Ute were not a unified people as such, but rather a loose association of nomadic groups.

86. Oktober endings -FESTS
Oktoberfest is a 16-day beer festival in Munich that actually starts in September. About six million people attend every year, making it the largest fair in the world. I’ve been there twice, and it really is a great party …

87. Fancy molding OGEE
An ogee is like an s-curve. Specifically it is a figure consisting of two arcs that curve in opposite directions (like an S) but both ends of the curve end up parallel to each other (which is not necessarily true for an S).

88. *Practically guaranteed ALL BUT CERTAIN (ABC: American Broadcasting Company)
The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) is the world’s largest broadcaster in terms of revenues. ABC was formed in 1943, created out of the former NBC Blue radio network.

93. __-relief BAS
In bas-relief an image projects just a little above the background, as in perhaps a head depicted on a coin.

94. School support gp. PTA
Parent-Teacher Association (PTA)

95. A fourth of doce TRES
In Spanish, a fourth of twelve (doce) is three (tres).

105. Homer’s neighbor NED
Ned Flanders lives next door to Homer on TV’s “The Simpsons”. Ned is voiced by actor Harry Shearer and has been around since the very first episode aired in 1989.

107. *Ambushed TAKEN BY SURPRISE (TBS: Turner Broadcasting System)
Turner Broadcasting System (TBS) adopted the slogan “Very Funny” in 2004. The slogan is meant to contrast TBS with its sister channel TNT, which focuses on drama shows. The TNT slogan is “Drama, Period”.

112. Trig function COTAN
The most familiar trigonometric functions are sine, cosine and tangent. Each of these is a ratio, a ratio of two sides of a right-angled triangle. The reciprocal of these three functions are secant, cosecant and cotangent. The reciprocal functions are simply the inverted ratios, the inverted sine, cosine and tangent.

115. Beetles, perhaps AUTOS
The Beetle was the official name of the VW model released in North America, but it was usually referred to as a “Bug” here in the US, and a “Beetle” elsewhere in the world.

118. Benediction opener O GOD
A benediction is a prayer usually spoken at the end of a religious service in which one invokes divine help and guidance.

120. Like marshes SEDGY
Sedges are a family of plants that resemble grasses and rushes. Sedges are more properly called Cyperaceae.

121. Operation Overlord time D-DAY
The most famous D-Day in history was June 6, 1944, the date of the Normandy landings in WWII. The term “D-Day” is used by the military to designate the day on which a combat operations are to be launched, especially when the actual date has yet to be determined. What D stands for seems to have been lost in the mists of time although the tradition is that D just stands for “Day”. In fact, the French have a similar term, “Jour J” (Day J), with a similar meaning. We also use H-Hour to denote the hour the attack is to commence.

The Allied Invasion of Normandy during WWII was given the codename “Operation Overlord”. The Normandy landings which kicked off the invasion, and which took place on D-Day (6 June 1944), were given the codename “Operation Neptune”.

123. “The Gondoliers” girl TESSA
“The Gondoliers” is a delightful operetta by Gilbert & Sullivan, first performed in 1889 at the Savoy Theatre in London. Tessa is a maiden selected as a bride in a “line up” by one of the gondoliers. I last saw “The Gondoliers” decades ago, an amateur production in the small town where I was living at the time in Ireland. Great fun!

Down
1. Like some retired racehorses AT STUD
The word “stud”, meaning “a male horse kept for breeding”, is derived from the Old English word “stod” which described a whole herd of horses.

2. Apollo’s nymph DAPHNE
Daphne was one of the Naiads of Greek mythology, a female nymph living near freshwater fountains and springs. Daphne was a particularly beautiful Naiad and so was pursued by the god Apollo. Fearing Apollo’s advances, Daphne turned to her mother Haia for help. Gaia transformed her into a laurel tree, and as a result the laurel became sacred to Apollo.

5. Ore-Ida morsel TATER TOT
Ore-Ida founders came up with the idea for Tater Tots when they were deciding what to do with residual cuts of potato. They chopped up the leftovers, added flour and seasoning, and extruded the mix through a large hole making a sausage that they cut into small cylinders. We eat 70 million pounds of this extruded potato every year!

6. Kettles from Cape Flattery MA AND PA
The author Betty McDonald wrote a memoir called “The Egg and I” that was published in 1945, telling the story of her life as a young wife on a chicken farm in Washington state. The book was adapted into a film of the same name in 1947, with the lovely Claudette Colbert playing Betty McDonald, and the great Fred MacMurray as her husband. Two other characters feature in the storyline: Ma and Pa Kettle. The latter characters were so well received by theater audiences that a whole series of films about them and their fifteen children was made between the years 1949 and 1957.

7. Jason’s vessel ARGO
Jason is a hero from Greek mythology, most noted for leading the quest for the Golden Fleece. The Golden Fleece is the fleece of the gold-haired winged ram. For his quest, Jason assembles a group of heroes who were given the name Argonauts, as they journeyed on the ship called the “Argo”. The vessel was called the “Argo” in honor of the ship’s builder, a man named Argus.

11. Anchor position ATRIP
When an anchor is “aweigh” or “atrip”, it is just clear of the bottom, having just been lifted.

13. Metallic by-product SLAG
The better lead ores are processed in a blast furnace, to extract the metal. The “waste” from this process is called “slag”. Slag does contain some lead and it can be processed further in a “slag furnace” to extract the residual metal. Slag furnaces also accept poorer lead ores as a raw material.

14. Followed a Lenten routine FASTED
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”.

15. Big name in siding ALCOA
The Aluminum Corporation of America (ALCOA) is the largest producer of aluminum in the United States. The company was founded in 1888 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where its headquarters are to this day.

16. *Fair forecast CLEAR BLUE SKIES (CBS: Columbia Broadcasting System)
CBS used to be called the Columbia Broadcasting System. CBS is the second largest broadcaster in the world, second only to the BBC in the UK.

28. Hoity-toity sort SNOB
Back in the 1780s, a “snob” was a shoemaker or a shoemaker’s apprentice. By the end of the 18th century the word was being used by students at Cambridge University in England to refer to all local merchants and people of the town. The term evolved to mean one who copies those who are his or her social superior (and not in a good way). From there it wasn’t a big leap for “snob” to include anyone who emphasized their superior social standing and not just those who aspired to rank. Nowadays a snob is anyone who looks down on those considered to be of inferior standing.

29. Type starter LINO-
Linotype printing was the main technology used in the publication of newspapers and magazines for most of the 20th century, up until the 1970s when it was gradually replaced by offset printing and computer typesetting. Linotype printing was so called as a complete “line of type” was produced at one time.

38. “High Voltage” rockers AC/DC
The Heavy Metal band known as AC/DC was formed by two brothers in Australia. The group is usually called “Acca Dacca” down under.

39. Bean who played Boromir in “The Lord of the Rings” films SEAN
Sean Bean is an English actor, perhaps best known in North America for playing Boromir in the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. All you James Bond fans will remember him as the bad guy in “GoldenEye”, the character called Alec Trevelyan.

42. Neat KEMPT
The word “unkempt” means “disheveled, not well-combed”. It derives from the Old English word “cemban” meaning “to comb”. The opposite to the more common “unkempt” is … “kempt”.

43. __ Sutra KAMA
Kama is the Hindu god of love. He is portrayed as a youth bearing a bow and arrows, much like Eros and Cupid.

The word “sutra” is used in Hinduism for a learned text, one usually meant to be studied by students.

The Kama Sutra is renowned for its descriptions of positions that can be used for sexual intercourse, but the sutra includes many other texts that deal with various matters of a sexual nature including how to woo a woman, the conduct of a “chief wife”, the conduct of “other” wives, how to make money as a courtesan and much, much more, as if that isn’t enough …

44. Waterfront gp. ILA
The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA)

45. Supermodel born Melissa Miller EMME
Emme is the highest paid plus-size model in the world. Emme’s real name is Melissa Aronson, and she was born in New York City and raised in Saudi Arabia.

48. *Settling request PLEASE BE SEATED (PBS: Public Broadcasting Service)
The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) was founded in 1970, and is my favorite of the broadcast networks. I love PBS’s drama and science shows in particular, and always watch the election results coming in with the NewsHour team.

54. Familia member TIA
“Tia” is the Spanish word for “aunt” (and “tio” means “uncle”).

56. Potpourri MIX
The French term “pot pourri” literally translates to “rotten pot”, but in France it used to mean “stew”. Over time the term evolved in English usage to mean a “medley”, and eventually a mixture of dried flowers and spices.

59. Skye cap TAM
A tam o’shanter is a man’s cap traditionally worn by Scotsmen. “Tams” were originally all blue (and called “blue bonnets”), but as more dyes became readily available they became more colorful. The name of the cap comes from the title character of Robert Burns’ poem “Tam O’Shanter”.

The Isle of Skye is off the northwest coast of Scotland in the Inner Hebrides. It is the second largest island in the country, and has been linked to the mainland by a road bridge since 1995. I’ve never been there, but I hear the views are spectacular.

65. “The Crying Game” actor REA
Stephen Rea is an Irish actor, whose most famous role was that of the “retired” IRA man in the brilliant 1992 film “The Crying Game”. He also starred in the chilling movie “Stuck”, a 2007 film that is based on a true story about a woman who commits a hit and run on a homeless man. The woman leaves the scene of the crime with the victim still “stuck” in her windshield. The woman leaves the man to die in her garage. Chilling, eh? But as I said, a true story …

“The Crying Game” is a fascinating film that made quite a splash when it was released in 1992. Although it was set in Ireland and the UK, it didn’t do well in cinemas in either country yet made a lot of money over here in the US. I think the politics of the movie were a bit raw for Irish and UK audiences back then. It’s an unusual plot, blending Irish political issues with some raw sexuality questions. I won’t tell you about the “surprise scene”, just in case you haven’t seen it and want to do so.

66. Wabbit hunter 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 …

67. U.S. govt. broadcaster VOA
The US began shortwave propaganda broadcasts in early 1942, just after America entered WWII. The first broadcast to Germany was introduced by the “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” and opened with the words:

Today, and every day from now on, we will be with you from America to talk about the war. The news may be good or bad for us — We will always tell you the truth.

That first broadcast was called “Stimmen aus Amerika” (“Voices from America”), and gave the fledgling broadcasting operation its name. VOA is still going strong today, and was a station I used to listen to as a teenager back in Ireland in the early seventies …

69. Latin 101 word ERAT
“Esse” is the Latin for “to be”. “Sum” means “I am” and “erat” means “he, she was”.

74. 102-Across units BYTES
In the world of computers, a “bit” is the basic unit of information. It has a value of 0 or 1. A “byte” is a small collection of bits (usually 8), the number of bits needed to uniquely identify a character of text.

75. Nottingham’s river TRENT
The River Trent in England is one of the few rivers that flows north for much of its route. The Trent rises in Staffordshire and empties into the River Ouse in Yorkshire.

Nottingham is a city in the East Midlands of England. To outsiders, perhaps Nottingham is most famous for its links to the legend of Robin Hood.

76. Schnoz like Durante’s PROBOSCIS
Jimmy Durante was a very talented entertainer, with that wonderful, gravelly voice, as well as that large nose that he used in so much of his humor. Durante appeared in the Broadway stage musical “Jumbo” in 1935. In one scene, he leads a live elephant across the stage, and gets stopped by a police officer who asks, “What are you doing with that elephant?” Durante replies “What elephant?” and brings the house down every night.

79. Havana hi HOLA
Havana is the capital city of Cuba. The city was founded by the Spanish in the early 1500s after which it became a strategic location for Spain’s exploration and conquest of the Americas. In particular, Havana was used as a stopping-off point for treasure-laden ships on the return journey to Spain.

80. Course for would-be U.S. citizens ESL
English as a Second Language (ESL) is sometimes referred to as English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and English as a Foreign Language (EFL).

81. Il __: Mussolini DUCE
Benito Mussolini (aka “Il Duce”, the “Duke”) was deposed in 1943 just a few weeks after the Allies invaded Sicily and started to bomb Rome. Fascist politicians voted to oust him, and Italian King Victor Emmanuel had him arrested. Hitler selected Lieutenant Colonel Otto Skorzeny to lead a group of German commandos in a daring rescue of his longtime ally. The rescuers were towed into Italian airspace in gliders, which the commandos flew into a mountainside close to where Mussolini was being held captive. The element of surprise was so significant, that the rescue was effected without a shot being fired. A small plane was flown in to transport Mussolini and Skorzeny out of Italy, and to safety in Vienna. Some months later, Mussolini returned to his homeland and fought on in parts of the country not yet taken by the Allies. As the end drew near, he made a run for Switzerland but was captured by Italian partisans. They executed him and took his body to Milan where it was put on display hanging upside down for all to see.

90. Air__: low-cost carrier TRAN
AirTran is a budget airline that has its principal hub in Atlanta. AirTran’s secondary hubs are in Baltimore-Washington, Milwaukee and Orlando. AirTran has been owned by Southwest Airlines since 2010.

91. Weekly magazine where the initials of the answers to starred clues can be found TV GUIDE
The first national “TV Guide” was issued in 1953. The cover of that first issue featured a photo of newborn Desi Arnaz, Jr., son of Lucille Ball.

92. Heifetz’s teacher AUER
Leopold Auer was a Hungarian violinist, as well as a conductor and composer. Auer wrote a small number of works for the violin, the most famous of which is the “Rhapsodie Hongroise” written for violin and piano.

Jascha Heifetz was a violinist from Vilnius in Lithuania who emigrated with his family to the US when he was a child. Heifetz toured Israel in 1953 and included in his recitals the Violin Sonata by Richard Strauss. Strauss was known for his anti-Semitic views, so this piece was always received in silence at his recitals in Israel. Heifetz was attacked with a crowbar outside his hotel in Jerusalem, severely injuring his right arm. He struggled with the injured arm for several years, and eventually had surgery in 1972. Heifetz’s injured arm never really recovered, and he was forced to cease giving concerts.

99. Historic Mesopotamian city EDESSA
Edessa is the old name for Mesopotamian city that is now called Şanlıurfa (aka Urfa, Turkey).

101. Long-armed ape ORANG
Orangutans are arboreal creatures, in fact the largest arboreal animals known to man. They are native to Indonesia and Malaysia, living in the rain forests. Like most species in rain forests these days, orangutans are endangered, with only two species surviving. The word “orangutan” is Malay, meaning “man of the forest”.

102. Judean king DAVID
In the story of David and Goliath, the Israelites and the Philistines faced each other in battle at the Valley of Elah. Goliath was the warrior champion of the Philistines and each day he challenged the Israelites to send out their champion to decide the battle in a one-on-one fight. No one was courageous enough to accept the challenge until young David agreed to face the mighty Goliath. And of course David felled the giant soldier with a stone from his sling. David went on to become the second king of the united Kingdom of Israel (after Saul).

103. Cub Scout leader AKELA
Akela is the wolf in the “Jungle Book”. He gave his name to the cubmaster in the scouting movement, now known as Akela.

107. Sweeney with scissors TODD
“Sweeney Todd” was originally a 1936 film, and later in 1973 a play, then a 1979 musical and a movie adaptation of the musical in 2007. After Sweeney Todd has killed his victims, his partner in crime Mrs. Lovett helped him dispose of the bodies by taking the flesh and baking it into meat pies that she sold in her pie shop. Ugh!

108. Opine online BLOG
“Blog” is a melding of the words “Web” and “log”. My two blogs are “logs” of all the New York Times and Los Angeles Times crosswords published, and I post them on the “Web” at NYTCrossword.com and LAXCrossword.com.

109. Meditative practice YOGA
In the West we tend to think of yoga as a physical discipline, a means of exercise that uses specific poses to stretch and strengthen muscles. While it is true that the ancient Indian practice of yoga does involve such physical discipline, the corporeal aspect of the practice plays a relatively small part in the whole philosophy. Other major components are meditation, ethical behavior, breathing and contemplation.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Mature ADULT
6. One of a typical schooner’s pair MAST
10. Water holders DAMS
14. Sees eye to eye? FACES
19. Patty Hearst’s SLA alias TANIA
20. Alice’s immortalizer ARLO
21. Inclusive ending ET AL
22. Kate’s TV mate ALLIE
23. Bug-hits-windshield sound SPLAT
24. Lab gel medium AGAR
25. Stage highlight ARIA
26. “CSI” part? SCENE
27. *”Perhaps” THERE’S NO TELLING (TNT: Turner Network Television)
30. Wedding proposal? TOAST
31. You-__: rural addresses UNS
32. Fight unit: Abbr. RND
33. Connection facilitators, briefly ISPS
34. Fireplace place HEARTH
35. Computer in a cubicle DESKTOP
37. Wild talk RANT
39. Roll on the ball field SOD
40. “__ Mir Bist Du Schoen” (Andrews Sisters hit) BEI
41. *Snacks not needing an oven NO-BAKE COOKIES (NBC: National Broadcasting Company)
45. Tiger’s ex ELIN
46. Chem lab tube PIPET
49. Well-coiffed Byrnes EDD
50. Cupid’s wings ALAE
51. __ bean: sprouts source MUNG
52. Cast member’s part ROLE
53. *”When I say so,” militarily speaking AT MY COMMAND (AMC: American Movie Classics)
57. Military meal MESS
58. Private insignia ONE STRIPE
60. Carrie’s org. on “Homeland” CIA
61. Poor grades DEES
63. Smokey Bear broadcast, briefly PSA
64. Like __ out of hell A BAT
65. Critic Reed REX
66. Rachael Ray sautéing initialism EVOO
68. Royal Botanic Gardens locale KEW
71. Big hauler SEMI
73. Wet expanse SEA
74. Auto trip problem BLOWN TIRE
76. Court answer PLEA
78. Signature song for Sammy Davis Jr. THE CANDY MAN (TCM: Turner Classic Movies)
82. Psychic’s verb READ
83. Soldiers under Lee REBS
84. Flor del amor ROSA
85. Great Basin native UTE
86. Oktober endings -FESTS
87. Fancy molding OGEE
88. *Practically guaranteed ALL BUT CERTAIN (ABC: American Broadcasting Company)
93. __-relief BAS
94. School support gp. PTA
95. A fourth of doce TRES
96. Carrion consumer VULTURE
100. Fútbol cheer OLE OLE!
102. Computer info DATA
104. “Wow” GEE
105. Homer’s neighbor NED
106. Close call SCARE
107. *Ambushed TAKEN BY SURPRISE (TBS: Turner Broadcasting System)
112. Trig function COTAN
113. No longer happening OVER
114. Places LOCI
115. Beetles, perhaps AUTOS
116. Driver’s lic., e.g. IDENT
117. Herb used with potatoes DILL
118. Benediction opener O GOD
119. Oodles SLEWS
120. Like marshes SEDGY
121. Operation Overlord time D-DAY
122. Hinged entrance GATE
123. “The Gondoliers” girl TESSA

Down
1. Like some retired racehorses AT STUD
2. Apollo’s nymph DAPHNE
3. Conditional word UNLESS
4. One may be exposed during cross-examination LIAR
5. Ore-Ida morsel TATER TOT
6. Kettles from Cape Flattery MA AND PA
7. Jason’s vessel ARGO
8. Shutter part SLAT
9. Sped TORE
10. Gives a hand DEALS TO
11. Anchor position ATRIP
12. Sewer lines MAINS
13. Metallic by-product SLAG
14. Followed a Lenten routine FASTED
15. Big name in siding ALCOA
16. *Fair forecast CLEAR BLUE SKIES (CBS: Columbia Broadcasting System)
17. Hardly dim bulbs EINSTEINS
18. Hallucinate SEE THINGS
28. Hoity-toity sort SNOB
29. Type starter LINO-
34. Cleaned, as a deck HOSED DOWN
36. Low benders KNEES
37. Try a new shade on REDYE
38. “High Voltage” rockers AC/DC
39. Bean who played Boromir in “The Lord of the Rings” films SEAN
42. Neat KEMPT
43. __ Sutra KAMA
44. Waterfront gp. ILA
45. Supermodel born Melissa Miller EMME
46. Stage aid PROP
47. Charged atoms IONS
48. *Settling request PLEASE BE SEATED (PBS: Public Broadcasting Service)
53. Settle things, in a way ARBITRATE
54. Familia member TIA
55. Wet expanse OCEAN
56. Potpourri MIX
59. Skye cap TAM
62. Geological stretch EON
65. “The Crying Game” actor REA
66. Wabbit hunter ELMER
67. U.S. govt. broadcaster VOA
69. Latin 101 word ERAT
70. Forms a union WEDS
72. Relax EASE
73. Wound covering SCAB
74. 102-Across units BYTES
75. Nottingham’s river TRENT
76. Schnoz like Durante’s PROBOSCIS
77. System of laws LEGAL CODE
79. Havana hi HOLA
80. Course for would-be U.S. citizens ESL
81. Il __: Mussolini DUCE
86. Walk by singly FILE PAST
89. To the nth degree UTTERLY
90. Air__: low-cost carrier TRAN
91. Weekly magazine where the initials of the answers to starred clues can be found TV GUIDE
92. Heifetz’s teacher AUER
94. More than enough PLENTY
97. Gets together UNITES
98. Seeds again RESOWS
99. Historic Mesopotamian city EDESSA
101. Long-armed ape ORANG
102. Judean king DAVID
103. Cub Scout leader AKELA
107. Sweeney with scissors TODD
108. Opine online BLOG
109. Meditative practice YOGA
110. Many a bagpiper SCOT
111. Reign RULE

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