LA Times Crossword Answers 12 Jul 15, Sunday

Frequently Asked Question: Why isn’t the puzzle in my paper the same as the one shown on your blog?
If the puzzle in your paper doesn’t match the one that I solved, it is probably a Sunday crossword. On Sundays, the “LA Times” chooses to publish Merl Reagle’s excellent crossword, and not their own “LA Times” Crossword. The “LA Times” puzzle is still sent out in syndication, and is also published in the “LA Times” online. I’ve been asked to blog about Merl Reagle’s crossword, but frankly I don’t have the time. Sunday puzzles have lots of clues!

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
1. Cap treated by an orthopedist PATELLA
The patella is the kneecap. “Patella” is the Latin term for the bone, and is a diminutive form of “patina”, the word for “pan”. The idea is that the kneecap is pan-shaped.

8. Hajji’s destination MECCA
A Haji (also “Hajji”) is the term used for someone who has made a pilgrimage to Mecca, and it is sometimes also used as a form of address for such a person. The journey itself goes by the name “haj” or “hajj”.

20. Like amoeba reproduction ASEXUAL
An ameba (or “amoeba” as we spell it back in Ireland) is a single-celled microorganism. The name comes from the Greek “amoibe”, meaning change. The name is quite apt, as the cell changes shape readily as the ameba moves, eats and reproduces.

21. Show that had an annual “Favorite Things” segment OPRAH
There was a segment on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” that appeared once a year called “Oprah’s Favorite Things”. When Oprah named something as a favorite, such was her influence that sometimes manufacturers of the product were immediately overwhelmed with orders, and often product websites crashed due to the number of visitors.

22. Part of a colloquial lament SHOULDA
The idiomatic phrase “shoulda coulda woulda” means “it’s too late for regrets”.

23. Unflattering nickname for a boastful corporate bigwig? CHAIRMAN MOUTH (from “Chairman Mao”)
Mao Zedong (also “Mao Tse-tung”) was born on December 16, 1893 in the Hunan Province of China. As Mao was the son of a peasant farmer, his prospects for education were limited. Indeed he left school at age 13 to work on the family farm but did eventually get to secondary school in Changsha, the provincial capital. In the years following, Mao continued his education in Beijing and turned down an opportunity to study in France.

25. Counterattacks SALLIES
A “sally” is a sudden and violent attack, especially a counterattack by forces under siege. The term comes into English via Middle French from the Latin “salire” meaning “to leap”. By extension, a passage in a fortification that is used to make that counterattack is known as a “sally-port”.

26. Coquette TEASE
A “coquet” is a male flirt, with “coquette” being a female flirt. The word comes from French, and is the diminutive of “coq”, the word for a cock. A cock might well be accused of “strutting his stuff” around the chicken run.

27. Ruby in films DEE
Ruby Dee was an actress and civil rights activist. On the big screen she is perhaps best remembered for co-starring in “A Raisin in the Sun” alongside Sidney Poitier, “Do the Right Thing” alongside her husband Ossie Davis, and “American Gangster” in which she played Denzel Washington’s mother.

28. Mr. Mistoffelees’ creator TS ELIOT
Mr. Mistoffelees is one of the main characters in T. S. Eliot’s book of poetry “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats”. The character’s name comes from a demon featured in German folklore called Mephistopheles.

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s source material for his hit musical “Cats” was T. S. Eliot’s “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats”. Eliot’s collection of whimsical poems was published in 1939, and was a personal favorite of Webber as he was growing up. “Cats” is the second longest running show in Broadway history (“Phantom of the Opera” is the longest and is still running; deservedly so in my humble opinion). my wife and I have seen “Cats” a couple of times and really enjoyed it …

29. Packing ARMED
“Packing” and “packing heat” is underworld slang for “carrying a gun”.

32. Clark Kent, on Krypton KAL-EL
Jor-El was a scientist on the planet Krypton who was married to Lara. Jor-El and Lara had an infant son named Kal-El who they were able to launch into space towards Earth just before Krypton was destroyed. Kal-El became Superman. In the 1978 movie “Superman”, Jor-El was played by Marlon Brando, Lara was played by Susannah York, and Kal-El/Superman was of course played by Christopher Reeve.

34. Relatives of medians MODES
In a set of numbers, the mean is the average value of those numbers. The median is the numeric value at which half the numbers have a lower value, and half the numbers a higher value.

In the world of statistics, the mode of a set of numbers is the value that appears most often.

38. Two-mile-high city LHASA
Lhasa is the capital city of Tibet, and the name “Lhasa” translates as “place of the gods”. However, Lhasa used to be called Rasa, a name that translates into the less auspicious “goat’s place”. Lhasa was also once called the “Forbidden City” due to its inaccessible location high in the Himalayas and a traditional hostility exhibited by residents to outsiders. The “forbidden” nature of the city has been reinforced since the Chinese took over Tibet in the early 1950s as it has been difficult for foreigners to get permission to visit Lhasa.

45. Allied gp. since 1948 OAS
The Organization of American States (OAS) has its headquarters in Washington, D.C. All the independent states in the Americas are members of the group except Honduras, which had its membership suspended after the country’s 2009 coup.

46. Belief at the heart of “Miracle on 34th Street”? SANTA FAITH (from “Santa Fe”)
“Miracle on 34th Street” is a classic Christmas film from 1947 starring Maureen O’Hara, John Payne and a very young Natalie Wood. At the risk of ruining the end of the story for you, Santa Claus does exist, ‘cause the US Post Office says so …

Santa Fe is New Mexico’s capital, and the fourth most-populous city in the state (after Albuquerque, Las Cruces and Rio Rancho). Sitting at 7,199 feet above sea level, Santa Fe is the highest state capital in the US. The city’s name translates from Spanish as “Holy Faith”. The full name of the city when it was founded in 1607 was “La Villa Real de la Santa Fe de San Francisco de Asís”, meaning “the Royal Town of the Holy Faith of Saint Francis of Assisi”.

52. Little legume PEA
Plants called legumes are notable in that they work symbiotically with nitrogen-fixing bacteria, microorganisms found in the root nodules that convert atmospheric nitrogen into ammonium ions. As nitrogen is an essential component of proteins, legumes are exceptionally rich sources of plant protein.

53. Fended (off) STAVED
The word “stave” was originally the plural of “staff”, a wooden rod. To “stave off” originated with the concept of holding off with a staff. In the world of barrel-making, a stave is a narrow strip of wood that forms part of a barrel’s sides.

56. Benevolent order ELKS
The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (BPOE) was founded in 1868, and is a social club that has about a million members today. It started out as a group of men getting together in a “club” in order to get around the legal opening hours of taverns in New York City. The club took on a new role as it started to look out for poor families of members who passed away. The club now accepts African Americans as members (since the seventies) and women (since the nineties), but atheists still aren’t welcome.

58. “Symphony of a Thousand” composer MAHLER
Gustav Mahler’s “Symphony No. 8” is often referred to as the “Symphony of a Thousand”, and for good reason. A 2012 performance hosted by the LA Philharmonic at the Shrine Auditorium featured over 1,000 performers. The roll call involved 91 musicians from the LA Philharmonic itself, 99 from the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela and 813 singers from several local choruses.

61. “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” setting INDIA
“The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” is a fabulous comedy-drama film released in 2012. The movie’s screenplay was adapted from a 2004 novel called “These Foolish Things” by Deborah Moggach. It’s all about a group of British pensioners moving into a retirement hotel in India. The cast is outstanding, and includes Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, Maggie Smith, Tom Wilkinson and Penelope Wilton. Highly recommended …

65. LAX posting ETD
Estimated time of departure (ETD)

67. Brilliance ECLAT
“Éclat” can mean a brilliant show of success, or the applause or accolade that one receives. The word derives from the French “éclater” meaning “to splinter, burst out”.

68. Actor Colin’s body double? FAUX FIRTH (from “faux fur”)
Colin Firth is an English actor who came to prominence playing Mr Darcy in the fabulous television adaptation of Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” that came out in 1995 (I cannot recommend that six-episode drama enough). More recently, Firth won the Best Actor Oscar for playing King George VI in “The King’s Speech”.

“Faux fur” is also called “fun fur” or “fake fur”. Folks concerned with animal rights should be aware that up until 2012, clothing items with less than $150 worth of real fur need not mention fur on the label.

70. Rigs on long hauls SEMIS
A “semi” is a “semi-trailer truck”. The vehicle is so called because it consists of a tractor and a half-trailer. The half-trailer is so called because it only has wheels on the back end, with the front supported by the tractor.

72. Guffaw YUK!
“Guffaw” is an imitative word for a boisterous laugh, and is a term that comes to us from Scotland.

74. California berry farm founder KNOTT
In the twenties, Walter Knott sold berries, preserves and pies from the side of the road. In 1932, Knott picked up a new berry from Rudolph Boysen’s farm in Anaheim, California, a hybrid of blackberry, raspberry and loganberry. Knott sold the new berries at his stand, giving them the name “Boysenberries”. Boysenberry Pie became a signature dish at a small tea room that Walter Knott’s wife opened up near the location where the family sold fruit. The tea room became so popular, with lines waiting to be served that Knott expanded, adding shops and displays to entertain diners. Over time he built a volcano, a little gold mine, and a ghost town and lots of themed stores. The location just grew and grew, evolving into the huge theme park that it is today called Knott’s Berry Farm.

75. Taj __ MAHAL
The most famous mausoleum in the world has to be the Taj Mahal in Agra, India. The Taj Mahal was built after the death of the third wife of Shah Jahan, Mumtaz Mahal (hence the name of the mausoleum). The poor woman died in childbirth delivering the couple’s 14th child.

79. “Birdman” actor Galifianakis ZACH
Zach Galifianakis is a stand-up comedian who is making a name for himself on the big screen. Galifianakis garnered a lot of attention for his role in 2009’s “The Hangover”, and also starred opposite Robert Downey Jr. in the 2010 release “Due Date”.

“Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)” is a 2014 film that was an incredible critical success. The title character was played by Michael Keaton. I know I am in the minority, but I hated “Birdman” …

82. Big Pharma name PFIZER
Pfizer is a pharmaceutical company based in New York City that was founded in 1849 by cousins Charles Pfizer and Charles Erhart. Pfizer has an impressive list of successful products that includes Lipitor (to lower cholesterol), Viagra (to help with erectile disfunction) and Celebrex (an anti-inflammatory).

83. Faline in “Bambi,” e.g. DOE
In the novel and film “Bambi”, Faline is a fawn, the daughter of Ena. Faline is a friend to Bambi and later becomes Bambi’s mate.

87. Dan Aykroyd’s birthplace OTTAWA
Dan Aykroyd is a Canadian comedian and actor, born in Ottawa, Ontario, although he is now a naturalized US citizen. He was of course an original cast member on “Saturday Night Live” and, along with John Belushi, fronted the Blues Brothers.

91. Momentous event in baseball history, as it turned out? AARON BIRTH (from “Aaron Burr”)
The great Hank Aaron (Hammerin’ Hank) has many claims to fame. One notable fact is that he is the last major league baseball player to have also played in the Negro League.

Aaron Burr was the third vice-president of the US, serving under Thomas Jefferson. In the final year of his term in office, Burr fought an illegal duel and killed his political rival Alexander Hamilton. Burr wasn’t brought to justice, but he did pay the price politically. Thomas Jefferson dropped him from his ticket in the election held the following year.

95. Former “The View” co-host BEHAR
Joy Behar is a comedian, and former co-host of the hit talk show “The View”. Behar was one of the original co-hosts of “The View”, and stayed with the show from 1997 until 2013.

96. Rock trio with long-bearded vocalists ZZ TOP
In the blues rock band ZZ Top, the hairy guitar players are Billy F. Gibbons and Dusty Hill. The relatively clean-shaven drummer is … wait for it … Frank Beard …

98. First razor with a pivoting head ATRA
Fortunately for crossword constructors, the Atra razor was introduced by Gillette in 1977. The Atra was sold as the Contour in some markets and its derivative products are still around today. The Atra was the first razor to feature a pivoting head, which was developed to make it easier to for a man to shave his neck.

104. “Idylls of the King” setting CAMELOT
“Idylls of the King” is a cycle of twelve poems by Alfred, Lord Tennyson that retells the tale of King Arthur.

Camelot is featured in Arthurian legend, as King Arthur’s castle and his court.

108. Party org. DNC
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) was set up way back in 1848, and governs the day-to-day affairs of the Democratic Party. Past chairpersons of the DNC include Howard Dean from Vermont and Chris Dodd from Connecticut.

112. Hoping for a winning lottery ticket? WISHING WEALTH (from “wishing well”)
A wishing well is a phenomenon that comes from European folklore. The concept arose from the belief that water housed friendly gods.

117. Western neckwear BOLO TIE
I’ve never worn a bolo tie, and was surprised to discover that it is a relatively recent invention. The first bolo tie was apparently produced in Wickenburg, Arizona in the late 1940s by a silversmith. The bolo takes its name from the boleadora, an Argentine lariat.

121. Fermented honey quaffs MEADS
Mead is a lovely drink, made from fermented honey and water.

Down
1. Lobbying gp. PAC
A Political Action Committee (PAC) is a private group that works to influence the outcome of a particular election or group of elections. Any group becomes a PAC by law when it receives or spends more than $1,000 for the purpose of influencing the outcome of an election. In 2010 the Supreme Court ruled that PACS that did not make direct contributions to candidates or parties could accept unlimited contributions. These “independent-expenditure only committees” are commonly referred to as “super PACs”.

3. Major Sri Lankan export TEA
The name Sri Lanka translates from Sanskrit into English as “venerable island”. Before 1970, Sri Lanka was known as Ceylon, a name given to the country during British rule.

6. Tibetan priest LAMA
“Lama” is a Tibetan word, meaning “chief” or “high priest”.

7. __ king crab ALASKAN
Fishing for Alaskan king crab is a dangerous occupation, about 80 times more dangerous that the average job. Apparently, about one crab fisherman dies every week during the fishing season, mostly from drowning or hypothermia.

8. May honoree MOM
Note the official punctuation in “Mother’s Day”, even though one might think it should be “Mothers’ Day”. President Wilson, and Anna Jarvis who created the tradition, specifically wanted Mother’s Day to honor the mothers within each family and not just “mothers” in general, so they went with the “Mother’s Day” punctuation.

9. Lyric poem EPODE
An epode is a lyric poem made up of couplets in which the first line is long, and the second line much shorter. The form was invented by the Greek poet Archilochus, and was most famously used by the Roman poet Horace.

10. First name in dognapping CRUELLA
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.

11. Actress Blanchett CATE
Cate Blanchett is a great Australian actress, and winner of an Academy Award for playing Katherine Hepburn in “The Aviator”. Winning for that role made Blanchett the first person to win an Academy Award for playing an actor (Hepburn) who had also won an Oscar. Now that, that is trivial information …

15. Old king’s slow-moving pet? COLE SLOTH (from “coleslaw”)

Old King Cole was a merry old soul
And a merry old soul was he;
He called for his pipe, and he called for his bowl
And he called for his fiddlers three.
Every fiddler he had a fiddle,
And a very fine fiddle had he;
Oh there’s none so rare, as can compare
With King Cole and his fiddlers three.

“Sloth”, meaning “indolence, sluggishness”, comes from the Middle English word “slowe”, the same root for our contemporary word “slow”. The animal, the sloth, is named for its slow-moving behavior.

The term “coleslaw” is an Anglicized version of the Dutch name “koolsla”, which in itself is a shortened form of “Koolsalade” meaning “cabbage salad”.

17. Ovid’s others ALII
The Roman poet Publius Ovidius Naso is today known simply as Ovid. Ovid is usually listed alongside the two other great Roman poets: Horace and Virgil. Ovid was very popular in his day, but somehow he fell foul of Emperor Augustus. For a reason unknown today, Augustus banished Ovid to Tomis, an island in the Black Sea. He lived there for about ten years, until he died.

29. Scads A LOT
The origin of the word “scads”, meaning “lots and lots”, is unclear, although back in the mid-1800s “scads” was used to mean “dollars”.

30. Savanna warning ROAR
That would the roar of a lion …

A savanna (also savannah) is a grassland. If there are any trees in a savanna, by definition they are small and widely spaced so that light can get to the grasses allowing them to grow unhindered.

31. Olbermann at a karaoke bar? MUSICAL KEITH (from “musical key”)
Keith Olbermann is a sports and political commentator. Olbermann was exclusively a sports journalist for the first twenty years of his career, and spent several years presenting shows on ESPN. He left ESPN in 1997 to host his own prime-time, news-driven show on MSNBC.

34. Friend of Sydney MATE
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia. People from Sydney are known as “Sydneysiders”.

35. Worker welfare org. OSHA
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was created in 1970 during the Nixon administration. OSHA regulates workplaces in the private sector and regulates just one government agency, namely the US Postal Service.

37. Acapulco abode CASA
The Mexican city of Acapulco is on the southwest coast of the country, in the state of Guerrero. The name “Acapulco” translates from the local language into “at the big reeds”.

39. Rose __ HIPS
The fruit of the rose plant is known as the rose hip or rose haw. I remember drinking rose hip syrup when I was a kid.

42. AMA motto? GIVE ‘EM HEALTH (from “give ‘em hell!”)
American Medical Association (AMA)

43. Subject of Newton’s first law INERTIA
Newton’s first law of motion states that a body that is moving maintains the same velocity unless it is acted upon by an external force. That resistance to changing velocity is known as “inertia”.

44. Author Buntline NED
Ned Buntline was the pen name of E. Z. C. Judson, a writer of dime novels in nineteenth century. Judson had run away to sea as a boy, so he was familiar with a “buntline”, the rope that sits at the bottom of a square sail. After he had established himself as a writer, he met up with Buffalo Bill Cody on a lecture tour. Reluctantly at first, Cody agreed to be the subject of a series of dime novels called “Buffalo Bill Cody – King of the Border Men”.

57. “The Metamorphosis” writer KAFKA
“The Metamorphosis” is a famous novella by Franz Kafka, regarded by many as one of the greatest pieces of short fiction written in the 20th century. The story tells of the metamorphosis of Gregor Samsa into a gigantic insect. His sister, Grete Samsa, becomes his caregiver.

58. Maestro Zubin MEHTA
Zubin Mehta is an Indian conductor of western classical music, from Mumbai. Mehta studied music in Vienna, where he made his conducting debut in 1958. In 1961 he was named assistant director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, creating a fuss with the music director designate of the orchestra, Georg Solti. Solti resigned as a protest, and Mehta took his job. In 1978 Mehta took over as Music Director and Principal Conductor of the New York Philharmonic, eventually becoming the longest holder of that position.

“Maestro” is often used to address a musical conductor. “Maestro” (plural “maestri”) is the Italian word for “master, teacher”. The plural in English is usually “maestros”.

62. Captain Kidd’s refusal NAE
William Kidd was a Scottish privateer who went by the name “Captain Kidd”. Although Kidd was a privateer, someone authorized by the government to attack foreign shipping, he was eventually arrested and executed for piracy. There is common opinion held today that the charges against Kidd were actually trumped up.

64. Hubbell teammate OTT
At 5′ 9″, Mel Ott weighed just 170 lb (I don’t think he took steroids!) and yet he was the first National League player to hit over 500 home runs. Sadly, Ott died in a car accident in New Orleans in 1958 when he was only 49 years old.

Carl Hubbell was a pitcher who played for the New York Giants from 1928 to 1943. Hubbell was a teammate of Mel Ott, who died in a car crash on November 21, 1958. Hubble also died in a car crash, exactly thirty years later on November 21, 1988.

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

69. Like most Quechua speakers INCAN
Quechua was the existing Native American language that was adopted by the Incan Empire and favored over other dialects.

70. Partner of Wesson SMITH
Smith & Wesson is the largest manufacturer of handguns in the US. The company was founded in 1852 by Horace Smith and Daniel B. Wesson.

71. From Liverpool to Manchester EAST
Liverpool is a large port city in the northwest of England, located on the estuary of the River Mersey. With a sense of humor that is typical of the area, people from Liverpool are often called “Liverpudlians”. The term comes from the jocular “Liver-puddle”, a diminutive of “Liver-pool”.

Manchester is the second most populous city in the UK, and is located in the northwest of England. Manchester grew in size dramatically during the Industrial Revolution. Home to a thriving textile industry, Manchester is often referred to as the the world’s first industrialized city.

73. Camera letters SLR
SLR stands for Single Lens Reflex. Usually cameras with changeable lenses are the SLR type. The main feature of an SLR is that a mirror reflects the image seen through the lens out through the viewfinder, so that the photographer sees exactly what the lens sees. The mirror moves out of the way as the picture is taken, and the image that comes through the lens falls onto unexposed film, or nowadays onto a digital sensor.

77. Biblical reformer EZRA
Ezra the Scribe, also called Ezra the Priest, is the central character in the Book of Ezra in the Hebrew Bible.

78. Smokey’s trouser material? BEAR CLOTH (from “bear claw”)
Smokey Bear is the mascot of the US Forest Service. Smokey first appeared in 1944, in an advertising campaign directed towards preventing forest fires.

82. Black and tan seller PUB
The alcoholic drink known as a “half-and-half” is 50-50 mix of two different types of beer. Back in Ireland a half-and-half is made from an Irish ale on the bottom with Guinness floated on top. Over here you might see that combination referred to as a “Black and Tan”, but we tend to avoid that reference in my homeland. The Black and Tans were British paramilitary units deployed in Ireland in the early 1920s to suppress the movement for independence. They weren’t very good guys …

84. Granola grain OATS
The name “Granola” (and “Granula”) were trademarked back in the late 1800s for whole-grain foods that were crumbled and baked until crisp. Granola was created in Dansville, New York in 1894.

92. Bounding main OPEN SEA

Sailing, sailing over the bounding main
Where many a stormy wind shall blow
’Ere Jack comes home again.

When one thinks of the word “main” in the context of the sea, the Spanish Main usually comes to mind. Indeed, the use of the more general term “main”, meaning the sea, originates from the more specific “Spanish Main”. “Spanish Main” originally referred to land and not water, as it was the name given to the mainland coast around the Caribbean Sea in the days of Spanish domination of the region.

96. Instrument sometimes played in one’s lap ZITHER
The zither is a stringed instrument, one in which the strings do not extend beyond the bounds of the sounding box. That means that the instrument has no neck, unlike a guitar say.

100. Riveting icon ROSIE
Rosie the Riveter is a cultural icon that represented women working in factories across the country during WWII as part of the war effort. The term “Rosie the Riveter” first appeared as the title of a 1942 song that was a national hit.

102. RR station posting SCHED
Railroad (RR)

103. Actress Witherspoon REESE
Reese is not actually actress Witherspoon’s given name. She started out life as Laura Jeanne Witherspoon. Reese is her mother’s maiden name.

104. __ salad COBB
Ty Cobb’s first cousin, Robert H. Cobb, owned the Brown Derby chain of restaurants. One of his regular customers was the famous Sid Grauman, who ran Grauman’s Chinese Theater. Late one night, Grauman asked for a snack, and Cobb came up with a chopped salad simply made from ingredients he happened to have in the refrigerator. Grauman liked it so much that continued to request it, and the Cobb salad was born.

106. Ashton’s partner MILA
Mila Kunis is a Ukrainian-born, American actress, who plays Jackie Burkhart on “That ’70s Show”. Fans of the cartoon series “Family Guy” might recognize her voicing the Meg Griffin character. In ”Black Swan”, Kunis plays a rival ballet dancer to the character played by Natalie Portman. In her personal life, Kunis dated Macaulay Culkin for 8 years, and is now seeing Ashton Kutcher.

The actor Ashton Kutcher was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He has a fraternal twin named Michael who needed a heart transplant when the brothers were quite young. Ashton played the character Michael Kelso on Fox’s “That ‘70s Show”. Kelso was Kutcher’s breakthrough acting role. Kutcher then appeared on the sitcom “Two and a Half Men”, having replaced the “disgraced” Charlie Sheen. In 2009, Kutcher became the first user on Twitter to get over 1 million followers. I wasn’t one of them …

112. Typing stat. WPM
Words per minute (WPM)

113. Former green-card-issuing agcy. INS
The Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) was dismantled in 2003 and broken into three new agencies that became part of the Department of Homeland Security. The new entities are:

– US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
– US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
– US Customs and Border Protection (CBP)

A “green card” is more correctly called a US Permanent Resident Card. The informal term harks back to the period between 1946 and 1964 when the document was in fact green in color. In fact, the Permanent Resident Card was changed back to a green color in 2010.

114. Claiborne of fashion LIZ
Liz Claiborne was a Belgian American fashion designer and founder of the Liz Claiborne fashion company. Claiborne was the first woman to become CEO of a Fortune 500 company.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Cap treated by an orthopedist PATELLA
8. Hajji’s destination MECCA
13. Enthusiastic approval ACCLAIM
20. Like amoeba reproduction ASEXUAL
21. Show that had an annual “Favorite Things” segment OPRAH
22. Part of a colloquial lament SHOULDA
23. Unflattering nickname for a boastful corporate bigwig? CHAIRMAN MOUTH (from “Chairman Mao”)
25. Counterattacks SALLIES
26. Coquette TEASE
27. Ruby in films DEE
28. Mr. Mistoffelees’ creator TS ELIOT
29. Packing ARMED
32. Clark Kent, on Krypton KAL-EL
34. Relatives of medians MODES
36. Garish LOUD
37. Give a hoot CARE
38. Two-mile-high city LHASA
40. Sign on LOG IN
45. Allied gp. since 1948 OAS
46. Belief at the heart of “Miracle on 34th Street”? SANTA FAITH (from “Santa Fe”)
48. Sheepish? OVINE
49. Tests TRIALS
51. Unlock, to a bard OPE
52. Little legume PEA
53. Fended (off) STAVED
54. G-rated CLEAN
56. Benevolent order ELKS
58. “Symphony of a Thousand” composer MAHLER
59. Grammarian’s topic USAGE
61. “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” setting INDIA
63. 28-Across, e.g. POET
65. LAX posting ETD
67. Brilliance ECLAT
68. Actor Colin’s body double? FAUX FIRTH (from “faux fur”)
70. Rigs on long hauls SEMIS
72. Guffaw YUK!
73. Flight segment STEP
74. California berry farm founder KNOTT
75. Taj __ MAHAL
76. Without vigor FEEBLY
79. “Birdman” actor Galifianakis ZACH
80. Licorice-flavored seed ANISE
82. Big Pharma name PFIZER
83. Faline in “Bambi,” e.g. DOE
85. Leg up AID
87. Dan Aykroyd’s birthplace OTTAWA
90. Very very ULTRA
91. Momentous event in baseball history, as it turned out? AARON BIRTH (from “Aaron Burr”)
94. Pot cover LID
95. Former “The View” co-host BEHAR
96. Rock trio with long-bearded vocalists ZZ TOP
97. “Got it” I SEE
98. First razor with a pivoting head ATRA
99. Sheds a tear CRIES
101. Spanish “these” ESTOS
103. Change from maxi to midi, say REHEM
104. “Idylls of the King” setting CAMELOT
108. Party org. DNC
109. More experienced WISER
111. Quaint “Jeepers!” OMIGOSH!
112. Hoping for a winning lottery ticket? WISHING WEALTH (from “wishing well”)
117. Western neckwear BOLO TIE
118. Smooth one’s feathers PREEN
119. More icky NASTIER
120. Less introverted BRASHER
121. Fermented honey quaffs MEADS
122. They usually inspire blessings SNEEZES

Down
1. Lobbying gp. PAC
2. Cinders ASH
3. Major Sri Lankan export TEA
4. Left EXITED
5. Enticed LURED
6. Tibetan priest LAMA
7. __ king crab ALASKAN
8. May honoree MOM
9. Lyric poem EPODE
10. First name in dognapping CRUELLA
11. Actress Blanchett CATE
12. “That’s the spot!” AHH!
13. Courtroom fig. ASST DA
14. Pursue CHASE
15. Old king’s slow-moving pet? COLE SLOTH (from “coleslaw”)
16. Down time LULL
17. Ovid’s others ALII
18. Thought: Pref. IDEO-
19. Spar MAST
24. Not far from NEAR TO
29. Scads A LOT
30. Savanna warning ROAR
31. Olbermann at a karaoke bar? MUSICAL KEITH (from “musical key”)
33. Jumped out of one’s seat LEAPED UP
34. Friend of Sydney MATE
35. Worker welfare org. OSHA
37. Acapulco abode CASA
39. Rose __ HIPS
41. Like some mirrors OVAL
42. AMA motto? GIVE ‘EM HEALTH (from “give ‘em hell!”)
43. Subject of Newton’s first law INERTIA
44. Author Buntline NED
46. Winter woe SLEET
47. Given name meaning “happy” FELIX
50. Bit of pond scum ALGA
53. Was in session SAT
55. “Swell!” NIFTY!
57. “The Metamorphosis” writer KAFKA
58. Maestro Zubin MEHTA
59. One-eighty UEY
60. Scrap SCUFFLE
62. Captain Kidd’s refusal NAE
63. Ban PROHIBIT
64. Hubbell teammate OTT
66. High-speed letters DSL
69. Like most Quechua speakers INCAN
70. Partner of Wesson SMITH
71. From Liverpool to Manchester EAST
73. Camera letters SLR
77. Biblical reformer EZRA
78. Smokey’s trouser material? BEAR CLOTH (from “bear claw”)
79. Nothing at all ZERO
81. Observe closely NOTE
82. Black and tan seller PUB
83. Stupefaction DAZE
84. Granola grain OATS
86. Cut out of the will DISOWN
88. Send electronically, as funds WIRE
89. Sixth-day creation ADAM
92. Bounding main OPEN SEA
93. Gives up RESIGNS
96. Instrument sometimes played in one’s lap ZITHER
98. Make fizzy AERATE
100. Riveting icon ROSIE
102. RR station posting SCHED
103. Actress Witherspoon REESE
104. __ salad COBB
105. Cupid AMOR
106. Ashton’s partner MILA
107. They may be bruised EGOS
108. Urgent DIRE
110. Long-necked trumpeter SWAN
112. Typing stat. WPM
113. Former green-card-issuing agcy. INS
114. Claiborne of fashion LIZ
115. Casual wear TEE
116. Retail posting: Abbr. HRS

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