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CROSSWORD SETTER: Jacob Stulberg
THEME: Repossessed … each of our themed answers today is a melding of two possessive phrases:
22A. Cheap metal lacking an owner? NOBODY’S FOOL’S GOLD (“nobody’s fool” & “fool’s gold”)
38A. Victims of a physicist’s scam? SCHRODINGER’S CAT’S PAWS (“Schrodinger’s Cat” & “cat’s paws”)
54A. Rich kind of cake baked by a newspaper employee? PRINTER’S DEVIL’S FOOD (“printer’s devil” & “devil’s food”)
79A. Easy jobs that are meant to be? DESTINY’S CHILD’S PLAY (“Destiny’s Child” & “child’s play”)
95A. Singer Clooney’s delicate flowers? ROSEMARY’S BABY’S BREATH (“Rosemary’s Baby” & “baby’s-breath”)
116A. Aristocrat’s sunrise-to-sundown trip? LORD’S DAY’S JOURNEY (“Lord’s Day” & “day’s journey”)
BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 20m 25s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0
Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
1. Highlander GAEL
The Scottish Highlands are that part of the country that is not classified as the Lowlands. The Highlands make up the north and west of Scotland.
5. Nile dangers ASPS
The asp is a venomous snake found in the Nile region of Africa. It is so venomous that the asp was used in ancient Egypt and Greece as a means of execution. Cleopatra observed such executions noting that the venom brought on sleepiness without any painful spasms. When the great queen opted to commit suicide, the asp was therefore her chosen method.
13. Muslim dignitary EMIR
In English, emir can also be written as emeer, amir and ameer (watch out for those spellings in crosswords!).
17. Peak west of the Ionian Sea ETNA
The Ionian Sea is that part of the Mediterranean that lies between Greece and the southern part of Italy (under the sole of the “boot”). The Ionian Sea is one of the most seismically active areas on the planet.
18. Hoops BBALL
Basketball is truly an American sport. It was created in 1891 by a James Naismith at the YMCA in Springfield, Massachusetts. His goal was to create something active and interesting for his students in the gym. The first “hoops” were actually peach baskets, with the bottoms of the baskets intact. When a player got the ball into the “net”, someone had to clamber up and get the ball back out again in order to continue the game!
19. Like kiwifruit OVOID
What we call kiwifruit today used to be called a Chinese gooseberry. Marketing folks in the fifties decided to call it a “melonette”, and then New Zealand producers adopted the name “kiwifruit”.
21. Tiny arachnid MITE
Mites are tiny arthropods in the arachnid (spider) class. Mites are (annoyingly!) very successful creatures that have adapted to all sorts of habitats, and being so small, they generally pass unnoticed. Ick …
22. Cheap metal lacking an owner? NOBODY’S FOOL’S GOLD (“nobody’s fool” & “fool’s gold”)
Pyrite is a mineral, also known as a iron pyrite. Famously, it has an appearance very similar to gold, so has the nickname “fool’s gold”. Pyrite does find its way into some baubles, which go by the name of marcasite jewelry.
28. “Twittering Machine” artist KLEE
“Twittering Machine” is a watercolor and ink drawing by Swiss-German artist Paul Klee. It depicts some birds on a wire, which is in turn connected to a hand-crank, making a “twittering machine”. You can see the work in New York’s Museum of Modern Art, where is regarded as one of the museum’s best-known and treasured pieces.
30. “I’ll throw your dagger __ the house”: “Twelfth Night” O’ER
William Shakespeare wrote his comedy “Twelfth Night” as a Christmas entertainment (Twelfth Night being the end of the Christmas season).
31. “Rock ‘n’ Roll Is King” gp. ELO
ELO of course stands for the Electric Light Orchestra, a symphonic rock group from Birmingham in England. The band’s name is a bit of a pun, melding the two phrases “electric light” and “light orchestra”. Founded in 1970, they’re still performing today.
32. Power dept. ENER
The US Department of Energy (DOE) came into being largely as a result of the 1973 oil crisis. The DOE was founded in 1977 by the Carter administration. The DOE is responsible for regulating the production of nuclear power, and it is also responsible for the nation’s nuclear weapons. The official DOE seal features symbols denoting five sources of energy: the sun, an atom, an oil derrick, a windmill and a dynamo.
34. Home of Lihue Airport KAUAI
Because the Hawaiian island of Kauai is one of the wettest places on earth, all the rainfall has helped to carve out magnificent canyons and left superb waterfalls. The island is often used as a backdrop for movies. The facilities at the island’s Lihue Airport reflect the pleasant climate enjoyed by the Hawaiian Islands. Check-in takes place completely outdoors!
38. Victims of a physicist’s scam? SCHRODINGER’S CAT’S PAWS (“Schrodinger’s Cat” & “cat’s paws”)
Erwin Schrödinger was an Austrian theoretical physicist, one of the so-called “fathers of Quantum Mechanics”. He won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1933 for developing the Schrödinger Equation, the “Newton’s Law” of Quantum Mechanics. Famously, Schrödinger devised a thought experiment that illustrates the concept of a paradox. The scenario, known as “Schrödinger’s cat”, presents us with a cat that can be both alive and dead at the same time. I used to be able to Schrödinger’s Cat, and then I got old …
43. Topiary trees YEWS
Topiary is the practice of training and clipping perennial plants into clearly defined shapes.
45. 82-Down’s river ARNO
(82. European city whose university was officially established in 1343 PISA)
The Arno is the principal river in the Tuscany region of Italy, passing through the cities of Florence and Pisa. Famously the Arno flooded in 1966, the worst flood in the region for centuries. There were numerous deaths and extensive destruction of priceless art treasures, particularly in Florence.
50. Sushi option EEL
Anyone going to a sushi restaurant can order all types of raw fish (known collectively as “sashimi”). However, eel is always served cooked, and that’s because the blood of eels contains a protein that cramps muscles if eaten. If the heart muscle “cramps”, the result can be death. The protein is easily rendered harmless by applying heat, i.e. cooking.
51. “True Detective” network HBO
“True Detective” is a crime drama made by HBO that has an interesting format. Each series has its own narrative and cast. The show seems to be attracting some great actors. The first season was led by Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson, and the second by Colin Farrell and Rachel McAdams.
52. Classic Ford T-BIRD
Ford manufactured the Thunderbird (T-Bird) from 1955 to 2005, originally as a two-seater sporty convertible. The T-Bird was introduced as a competitor to Chevrolet’s new sports car, the Corvette.
54. Rich kind of cake baked by a newspaper employee? PRINTER’S DEVIL’S FOOD (“printer’s devil” & “devil’s food”)
For some reason, an apprentice to a printer is referred to as a “printer’s devil”. There seem to be lots of theories explaining how the name came to be applied, but they all seem tenuous to me. One suggestion is that the name is related to “hellbox”, the box used to collect work and broken lead type that is destined to be melted down and recast. Devil – hell, I dunno …
Angel food cake is an American creation, with the name being a reference to the sponge’s lightness, as if it is “food of angels”. The chocolate butter cake called Devil’s food cake came along later, and is considered to be a counterpart to the more angelic variety.
63. Big rigs 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.
67. Subject of Odysseus ITHACAN
Ithaca is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. The island features in Homer’s “Odyssey” as it was the home of the mythological hero Odysseus, who was Ithaca’s king.
69. Fangorn Forest denizen ENT
Ents are those tree-like creatures that live in J. R. R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth in his series of books “The Lord of the Rings”. “Ent” is an Old English word for “giant”.
Nowadays we use “denizen” to mean simply a resident, but historically a denizen was an immigrant to whom certain rights had been granted, something like today’s “resident alien”.
79. Easy jobs that are meant to be? DESTINY’S CHILD’S PLAY (“Destiny’s Child” & “child’s play”)
Destiny’s Child was an R&B group active from 1960 to 2006. The trio’s lineup changed over the years, and probably the most famous former member of the group is Beyoncé Knowles.
83. “Same here” DITTO
“Ditto” was originally used in Italian (from Tuscan dialect) to avoid repetition of the names of months in a series of dates. So, “ditto” is just another wonderful import from that lovely land …
85. Some smartphones LGS
LG is a very large, South Korean manufacturer of electronics, chemicals and telecom products. LG used to be known as Lucky-Goldstar.
88. Dance in a pit MOSH
Moshing (also “slam dancing”) is the pushing and shoving that takes place in the audience at a concert (usually a punk or heavy metal concert). The area directly in front of the stage is known as the mosh pit. When a performer does a “stage dive” it is into (or I suppose “onto”) the mosh pit. It doesn’t sound like fun to me. Injuries are commonplace in the mosh pit, and deaths are not unknown.
92. Major Pa. and N.J. routes TPKS
Back in the 15th century a “turnpike” was a defensive barrier across a road. By the 17th century the term was used for a barrier that stopped travellers until a toll was paid. By the 18th century a turnpike was the name given to a road with a toll.
95. Singer Clooney’s delicate flowers? ROSEMARY’S BABY’S BREATH (“Rosemary’s Baby” & “baby’s-breath”)
“Rosemary’s Baby” is a novel by Ira Levin. It is a horror story, and was made into a very creepy 1968 film of the same name starring Mia Farrow. Levin published a sequel in 1997 titled “Son of Rosemary”. He dedicated the sequel to Mia Farrow.
Baby’s-breath is the name used in the US and Canada for Gypsophila, a genus of flowering plants. Gypsophila can often be found on calcium-rich soils including gypsum, which gives the plant its name. Baby’s-breath is often used as a filler in floral bouquets, and an adornment worn in the hair by young women at weddings.
101. Conductor Walter BRUNO
Bruno Walter was a conductor from Germany who escaped the Third Reich and settled in the US. While in Germany, Walter (then still using his birth name of “Schlesinger”) worked closely with the composer Gustav Mahler. Such was their relationship, that Walter’s name remained associated with Mahler for decades after the composer died.
102. Blender brand OSTER
The Oster brand of small appliances was introduced in 1924 by John Oster. He started out by making manually-powered hair clippers designed for cutting women’s hair, and followed up with a motorized version in 1928. The clippers kept the company in business until 1946 when Oster diversified, buying a manufacturer of liquefying blenders in 1946. The blender was renamed an Osterizer, and was a big hit. Oster was bought up by Sunbeam, which has owned the brand since 1960.
103. Land east of the Urals ASIA
The eastern side of the Ural Mountains in Russia is generally regarded as the natural divide between the continents of Europe and Asia.
106. Apennines article UNA
The Apennines are the chain of mountains running the length of the Italian peninsula. The highest peak of the range is in the central Apennines and is the Corno Grande, which rises to over 9,500 feet.
112. Loser’s fatal mistake? SNOOZE
You snooze, you lose.
125. Nincompoop BOOB
The word “nincompoop”, meaning a fool, seems to have been around for quite a while. It has been used since the 1670s, but no one appears to know its origins.
126. One may start with the striking of a gavel: Abbr. SESS
Session (sess.)
Down
1. Spirit in a bottle GENIE
The “genie” in the bottle takes his or her name from “djinn”. “Djinns” were various spirits considered lesser than angels, with people exhibiting unsavory characteristics said to be possessed by djinn. When the book “The Thousand and One Nights” was translated into French, the word “djinn” was transformed into the existing word “génie”, because of the similarity in sound and the related spiritual meaning. This “génie” from the Arabian tale became confused with the Latin-derived “genius”, a guardian spirit thought to be assigned to each person at birth. Purely as a result of that mistranslation the word genie has come to mean the “djinn” that pops out of the bottle. A little hard to follow, I know, but still quite interesting …
2. Chain components, perhaps ATOLLS
An atoll is a coral island that is shaped in a ring and enclosing a lagoon. There is still some debate as to how an atoll forms, but a theory proposed by Charles Darwin while on his famous voyage aboard HMS Beagle still holds sway. Basically an atoll was once a volcanic island that had subsided and fallen into the sea. The coastline of the island is home to coral growth which persists even as the island continues to subside internal to the circling coral reef.
3. As a whole EN BLOC
To do something “en bloc” is to do it all together. “En bloc” is French for “in a block, lump”.
4. China neighbor LAOS
The official name for the country of Laos is the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. In the Lao language, the country’s name is “Meuang Lao”. The French ruled Laos as part of French Indochina, having united three separate Lao kingdoms. As there was a plural of “Lao” entities united into one, the French added the “S” and so today we tend to use “Laos” instead of “Lao”.
6. “The Snows of Kilimanjaro” setting SAFARI
“The Snows of Kilimanjaro” is a 1926 short story written by Ernest Hemingway. It is an account of the reminiscences of a writer on safari in Africa who is dying from an infected wound. “The Snows of Kilimanjaro” was made into a successful film of the same name starring Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner and Susan Hayward that was released in 1952.
8. Housekeeper’s bete noire SLOB
“Bête noire” translates from French as “black beast” and is used in English to describe something or someone that is disliked.
10. Part of ERA: Abbr. AVG
Earned run average (ERA)
12. Dramatist Hellman LILLIAN
Lillian Hellman was a dramatist and screenwriter who was famously blacklisted by the House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC) in the late forties and early fifties. Although Hellman was ostensibly married to playwright Arthur Kober, her name was linked romantically with author Dashiell Hammett. Hammett was also blacklisted by HUAC for decades.
13. Longtime Brit. music label EMI
EMI was a British music company, with the acronym originally standing for Electric and Musical Industries.
14. Mythical creature in Dante’s “Inferno” MINOTAUR
In Dante’s “Inferno”, the seventh circle is guarded by the Minotaur.
Minos was the King of Crete in Greek mythology, and the son of Zeus and Europa. Minos had an elaborate labyrinth built in Crete, designed by the architect Daedalus and his son Icarus (who famously died trying to escape from the island by “flying” away). In the labyrinth, King Minos kept the Minotaur, a dreadful creature with the head of a bull on the body of a man.
In Dante’s “Inferno”, Hell is represented as nine circles of suffering. The nine circles of Hell are:
– Limbo
– Lust
– Gluttony
– Greed
– Anger
– Heresy
– Violence
– Fraud
– Treachery
16. Right REDRESS
To redress is to set right what is wrong.
20. NASA was formed during his admin. DDE
The Soviet Union launched the Sputnik satellite towards the end of 1957, a development that shocked the establishment in the US. Within months, President Eisenhower created the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA, now DARPA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The Space Race had begun …
23. Company excelling in many fields? DEERE
John Deere invented the first commercially successful steel plow in 1837. Prior to Deere’s invention, farmers used an iron or wooden plow that constantly had to be cleaned as rich soil stuck to its surfaces. The cast-steel plow was revolutionary as its smooth sides solved the problem of “stickiness”.
24. L.A. athlete LAKER
The Los Angeles Lakers basketball team started out in 1947 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The team chose the Lakers name in honor of the nickname of Minnesota, “Land of 10,000 Lakes”. The Lakers moved to Los Angeles in 1960.
29. Reputed UFO fliers ETS
An extraterrestrial (ET) might pilot an unidentified flying object (UFO).
33. Magazine VIPs EDS
Editor (ed.)
39. Choir selection HYMN
A “hymn” is a song of praise or thanksgiving to a deity. The term comes into English via Old French and is ultimately derived from the Greek “hymnos”, the word for an ode or song in praise of the gods. The Greek term is possibly a variant of “hymenaios” meaning “wedding song”, derived from Hymen, the Greek god of marriage.
42. “Africa” band TOTO
Toto is an American rock band dating back to 1977. As well as their famous “Rosanna”, they also sang another good tune called “Africa”.
49. Tyler who voices Lana on “Archer” AISHA
Aisha Tyler is an actor and comedian who is currently a co-host on “The Talk” and is the new host of “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” She is doing a really good job on “Whose Line …”
50. Bilingual subj. 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).
51. “Java” jazzman HIRT
Al Hirt was a trumpeter and bandleader. Hirt’s most famous recordings were the song “Java” and the album “Honey in the Horn”, as well the theme song used for “The Green Hornet” TV series in the sixties.
65. Imam’s faith ISLAM
An imam is a Muslim leader, often the person in charge of a mosque or perhaps a Muslim community.
69. Nestlé dessert brand EDY’S
Dreyers’ ice cream sells its products under the name Dreyers in the Western United States, and Edy’s in the Eastern states. The company’s founders were William Dreyer and Joseph Edy.
71. Tupperware topper LID
Back in the 1930s, Earl Tupper was working at the DuPont Chemical Company, and from DuPont obtained inflexible pieces of polyethylene slag. Tupper purified the slag and shaped it into unbreakable containers. He added airtight lids with a “burping seal”, which were provided tight seals similar to that provided by the lids on paint cans. He called his new product Tupperware.
76. Like Bit-O-Honey candy bars CHEWY
Bit-O-Honey is a candy bar consisting of pieces of almond in a honey-flavored taffy. Bit-O-Honey has been around since 1924.
80. Talk show furniture SOFA
“Sofa” is a Turkish word meaning “bench”.
81. Dungeness delicacy CRAB
Dungeness crabs are found of the west coast of North America. The species takes its name from the port of Dungeness in Washington state, although the port is named for a headland in the southwest of England called Dungeness.
82. European city whose university was officially established in 1343 PISA
Even though the University of Pisa was founded way back in 1343, it is only the 19th continuously operating university in the world, and only the 10th in Italy. The oldest existing university in the world is the University of Bologna (1088). The University of Oxford (1096) is the oldest in the English-speaking world.
83. Epitome of deadness DOORNAIL
“As dead as a doornail” is one of older expressions, and dates back at least to the 14th century. You might have seen very old doors in castles or old houses that have large studs all over the front in a regular pattern. The studs are the heads of nails driven through the door, originally for strength, but later for decoration. They are “doornails”.
88. Homer Simpson’s boss MR BURNS
In the TV show “The Simpsons”, Mr. Burns is one of the real “baddies” in the cast of characters. He owns the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant where Homer Simpson works.
90. Some decals IRON-ONS
A decal is a decorative sticker, short for “decalcomania”. The term is derived from the French “décalquer”, the practice of tracing a pattern from paper onto glass or perhaps porcelain.
91. Two-time NFL sacks leader __ Allen JARED
Jared Allen is a pro footballer who has played outside linebacker and defensive end. Allen twice led the NFL in quarterback sacks: in 2007 and 2011.
92. “Conan” channel TBS
Before Conan O’Brien came to fame as a late night talk show host, he was a writer. O’Brien wrote for both “Saturday Night Live” and “The Simpsons”.
94. He played Klaatu in “The Day The Earth Stood Still” (2008) KEANU
Keanu Reeves is a Canadian actor whose most celebrated roles were a metalhead in “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure” (1989), a cop in “Speed” (1994) and the main antagonist Neo in “The Matrix” series of films. Although Reeves is a Canadian national, he was born in Beirut, Lebanon. Reeves has some Hawaiian descent, and the name “Keanu” is Hawaiian for “the coldness”.
The Day the Earth Stood Still” is a famous 1951 sci-fi film based on a short story called “Farewell to the Master” by Harry Bates. It’s all about a humanoid alien and a robot who come to Earth with a message of peace, only to met with violence. The film was remade in 2008 with Keanu Reeves playing the alien Klaatu.
97. Designer Johnson BETSEY
Betsey Johnson is an American fashion designer. She sounds like quite a character, and apparently is known for doing a cartwheel on the catwalk at the end of her fashion shows. She even made it onto the reality show “Dancing with the Stars” in 2014.
99. Multimetallic Canadian coin TOONIE
“Toonie” is the familiar name for a two-dollar coin in Canada. A kind blog reader pointed out that the one-dollar bill was replaced with the “loonie” coin, a nickname that comes from the “loon” bird that is on one side of the coin. The “toonie” nickname for the two-dollar coin is imitative of the term “loonie”, and I suppose might be spelled “two-nie”. The toonie replaced the two-dollar bill in 1996. The paper bill cost 6 cents to print and lasted about a year in circulation, whereas the toonie costs 16 cents to mint and should last 20 years. Good move …
105. “Flowers for Algernon” author Daniel KEYES
“Flowers for Algernon” was first a short story and then a novel, written by Daniel Keyes. It is a science fiction work about a mentally disabled man who undergoes surgery that briefly gives him the powers of a genius. Also featured in the tale is a laboratory mouse called Algernon, the first test subject to benefit from the experimental surgery.
108. Nutmeg State collegian ELI
Eli is the nickname for a graduate of Yale University, a term used in honor of the Yale benefactor Elihu Yale.
Connecticut’s official nickname is the Constitution State, but can also be referred to as the Nutmeg State, the Provisions State, and the Land of Steady Habits.
110. “Born From Jets” sloganeer SAAB
SAAB stands for Svenska Aeroplan AB, which translates into English as Swedish Aeroplane Limited. SAAB was, and still is, mainly an aircraft manufacturer. If you take small hops in Europe you might find yourself on a SAAB passenger plane. The SAAB automobile division was acquired by General Motors in the year 2000, who then sold it to a Dutch concern in 2010. However, SAAB (automotive) finally went bankrupt in 2011.
111. Newbie TYRO
A tyro (also “tiro”) is a beginner or a novice. “Tyro” comes into English from Latin, in which “tiro” means “a recruit”.
115. Garden district on the Thames KEW
Kew Gardens is a beautiful location in southwest London that was formerly known as the Royal Botanic Gardens. Kew Gardens has the world’s largest collection of living plants.
117. Forensic ID DNA
I’ve always been fascinated by the fact that the DNA of living things is so very similar across different species. Human DNA is almost exactly the same for every individual (to the degree of 99.9%). However, those small differences are sufficient to distinguish one individual from another, and to determine whether or not individuals are close family relations.
For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Highlander GAEL
5. Nile dangers ASPS
9. Cold __ CALL
13. Muslim dignitary EMIR
17. Peak west of the Ionian Sea ETNA
18. Hoops BBALL
19. Like kiwifruit OVOID
21. Tiny arachnid MITE
22. Cheap metal lacking an owner? NOBODY’S FOOL’S GOLD (“nobody’s fool” & “fool’s gold”)
25. How many modern TV shows may be seen IN HD
26. “Maybe” I’LL SEE
27. Swinging time? AT BAT
28. “Twittering Machine” artist KLEE
30. “I’ll throw your dagger __ the house”: “Twelfth Night” O’ER
31. “Rock ‘n’ Roll Is King” gp. ELO
32. Power dept. ENER
34. Home of Lihue Airport KAUAI
36. Private student TUTEE
38. Victims of a physicist’s scam? SCHRODINGER’S CAT’S PAWS (“Schrodinger’s Cat” & “cat’s paws”)
43. Topiary trees YEWS
44. Organ to lend or bend EAR
45. 82-Down’s river ARNO
46. Drags to court SUES
47. Enjoyed the lake SWAM
50. Sushi option EEL
51. “True Detective” network HBO
52. Classic Ford T-BIRD
54. Rich kind of cake baked by a newspaper employee? PRINTER’S DEVIL’S FOOD (“printer’s devil” & “devil’s food”)
60. Spanish article LAS
61. 2006 World Cup champion ITALY
62. Playground retort ARE SO!
63. Big rigs SEMIS
67. Subject of Odysseus ITHACAN
69. Fangorn Forest denizen ENT
70. Most intimate CLOSEST
72. Show gratitude to THANK
73. “Step __!” ASIDE
76. State as fact CLAIM
78. Like A LA
79. Easy jobs that are meant to be? DESTINY’S CHILD’S PLAY (“Destiny’s Child” & “child’s play”)
83. “Same here” DITTO
85. Some smartphones LGS
86. Lift or squat REP
87. Belief systems ISMS
88. Dance in a pit MOSH
89. Arrange in a cabinet FILE
91. Chat JAW
92. Major Pa. and N.J. routes TPKS
95. Singer Clooney’s delicate flowers? ROSEMARY’S BABY’S BREATH (“Rosemary’s Baby” & “baby’s-breath”)
101. Conductor Walter BRUNO
102. Blender brand OSTER
103. Land east of the Urals ASIA
104. Symbol of strength OAK
106. Apennines article UNA
107. Hit the road WENT
109. On edge TESTY
112. Loser’s fatal mistake? SNOOZE
114. Airman or seaman RANK
116. Aristocrat’s sunrise-to-sundown trip? LORD’S DAY’S JOURNEY (“Lord’s Day” & “day’s journey”)
119. “Good one!” NICE!
120. Daft INANE
121. Bad lighting? ARSON
122. Ire BILE
123. Heap SLEW
124. What leaders hold SWAY
125. Nincompoop BOOB
126. One may start with the striking of a gavel: Abbr. SESS
Down
1. Spirit in a bottle GENIE
2. Chain components, perhaps ATOLLS
3. As a whole EN BLOC
4. China neighbor LAOS
5. Crunched muscles ABS
6. “The Snows of Kilimanjaro” setting SAFARI
7. Garden area PLOT
8. Housekeeper’s bete noire SLOB
9. Bill sharer COSTAR
10. Part of ERA: Abbr. AVG
11. Gaze over, as a lake LOOK ACROSS
12. Dramatist Hellman LILLIAN
13. Longtime Brit. music label EMI
14. Mythical creature in Dante’s “Inferno” MINOTAUR
15. Words that have a ring to them? I THEE WED
16. Right REDRESS
18. “Toodle-oo!” BYE NOW!
20. NASA was formed during his admin. DDE
23. Company excelling in many fields? DEERE
24. L.A. athlete LAKER
29. Reputed UFO fliers ETS
33. Magazine VIPs EDS
35. In working order USABLE
37. Advantages UPSIDES
39. Choir selection HYMN
40. Far from flush NEEDY
41. It’s quite a blow GALE
42. “Africa” band TOTO
47. Divide into shares SPLIT
48. Ire WRATH
49. Tyler who voices Lana on “Archer” AISHA
50. Bilingual subj. ESL
51. “Java” jazzman HIRT
53. Upper garment parts BOSOMS
55. Traveler’s purchase TICKET
56. 55-Down datum: Abbr. ETA
57. Charged, infantry-style RAN AT
58. Wind farm features VANES
59. __ point FOCAL
64. They often have multiple courses MEALS
65. Imam’s faith ISLAM
66. Goes nowhere STAYS
68. “What happened next?” AND THEN?
69. Nestlé dessert brand EDY’S
71. Tupperware topper LID
74. Novelty item with an eyeglasses variety SILLY STRAW
75. Drink, e.g. INGEST
76. Like Bit-O-Honey candy bars CHEWY
77. Impudence LIP
80. Talk show furniture SOFA
81. Dungeness delicacy CRAB
82. European city whose university was officially established in 1343 PISA
83. Epitome of deadness DOORNAIL
84. Distribution ISSUANCE
88. Homer Simpson’s boss MR BURNS
90. Some decals IRON-ONS
91. Two-time NFL sacks leader __ Allen JARED
92. “Conan” channel TBS
93. Pen PRISON
94. He played Klaatu in “The Day The Earth Stood Still” (2008) KEANU
96. Shorten, in a way MOW
97. Designer Johnson BETSEY
98. States as fact SAYS SO
99. Multimetallic Canadian coin TOONIE
100. Nut trees HAZELS
105. “Flowers for Algernon” author Daniel KEYES
108. Nutmeg State collegian ELI
110. “Born From Jets” sloganeer SAAB
111. Newbie TYRO
113. Solar system components ORBS
115. Garden district on the Thames KEW
117. Forensic ID DNA
118. Snow or nose follower JOB
I hope everyone managed to avoid the endless time loop that always scares me when we set the clocks back. At 2 am we set the clocks back to 1 am, correct? Ok – then an hour later it's 2 am again and we have to go back to 1 am again..until 2, then we go back to 1 until 2 then……and I always fear we'll be between 1 and 2 am forever….. However, somehow when I wake up it's always the next morning so somehow it works.
Maybe they should tell us to set the clocks back one hour JUST ONCE, and all would be well. 🙂
Many/most physicists believe Schrodinger's equation actually unites Newtonian and quantum mechanics rather than gives a quantum alternative – ie his equation explains and predicts both. It's truly an amazing thing. He was also a hell of a piano player in the Peanuts cartoons….
Enough Sunday silliness, but it's rainy and dreary again here in Houston. I had to amuse myself somehow this morning.
Best –
This one didn't go well for me at all (DNF). Just a bunch of those "fill in what you know" kind of errors.
Time to see what the new week will bring tomorrow.
@ Jeff I read your post on the "Groundhog Day" scenario concerning the time change and laughed OUT LOUD!
Too funny.
Haven't done the puzzle, but started to, then got side-tracked by Merl Reagle's "Puzzle of the month"
I hope they never run out of his puzzles that I haven't solved.
Antsy (my first and totally incorrect entry) for 109 Across "On edge" hung me up for the longest time. Once I finally became convinced that what I had was not going to work I went back and fiddled around until the right answer came to me like a dead/undead cat in a box (my Schrodinger joke of the day).
This was one of those Sundays in which I slowly filled in the grid while I watched NFL games. Very relaxing!
See you all tomorrow.