LA Times Crossword Answers 21 Feb 16, Sunday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: Nora Pearlstone
THEME: Wait, What? … each of today’s themed answers is a common phrase, but with an “a” sound changed to an “uh” sound:

23A. Good-natured complaint? SMILEY FUSS from (“smiley face”)
29A. Everything you eat? GUT RECEIPTS (from “gate receipts”)
36A. Skilled diver’s advantage? JUMPING-OFF PLUS (from “jumping-off place”)
65A. Fashion show photographer? STRUT SHOOTER (from “straight shooter”)
71A. Inept painter? MUCK-UP ARTIST (from “makeup artist”)
99A. Shore breezes caused by flapping wings? GULL FORCE WINDS (from “gale force winds”)
106A. Potato expert? KING OF SPUDS (from “king of spades”)
119A. Prop for the gravedigger scene in “Hamlet”? SKULL MODEL (from “scale model”)

BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 29m 39s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across

10. PC debut of 1981 MS-DOS
MS-DOS (short for Microsoft Disk Operating System) was the main operating system used by IBM-compatible PCs in the eighties and for much of the nineties.

15. Cabbage dispensers? ATMS
Lettuce, cabbage, kale, dinero, dough and moola/moolah are all slang terms for money.

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

21. Ring-shaped ocean formation ATOLL
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.

22. Fellow CHAP
“Chap” is an informal term for “lad, fellow”, especially in England. The term derives from “chapman”, an obsolete word meaning “purchaser” or “trader”.

25. Wynonna’s mother NAOMI
The Judds were a country music singing duo made up of Naomi Judd and her daughter Wynonna.

26. Olympian queen HERA
In Greek mythology, Hera was the wife of Zeus and was noted for her jealousy and vengeful nature, particularly against those who vied for the affections of her husband. The equivalent character in Roman mythology was Juno. Hera was the daughter of Cronus and Rhea.

Mount Olympus is the highest peak in Greece. In Greek mythology, Mount Olympus was home to the gods, and in particular home to the principal gods known as the Twelve Olympians.

27. “Key & __”: Comedy Central series PEELE
The Comedy Central sketch show “Key & Peele” starred comics Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele.

28. Meditation class chorus OMS
“Om” is a sacred mystic word from the Hindu tradition. “Om” is sometimes used as a mantra, a focus for the mind in meditation.

31. Cousin of com ORG
The .org domain was one of the six original generic top-level domains specified. The complete original list is:

– .com (commercial enterprise)
– .net (entity involved in network infrastructure e.g. an ISP)
– .mil (US military)
– .org (not-for-profit organization)
– .gov (US federal government entity)
– .edu (college-level educational institution)

35. Big strings CELLI
The word “cello” (plural “celli” or “cellos”) is an abbreviation for “violoncello”, an Italian word for “little violone”, referring to a group of stringed instruments that were popular up to the end of the 17th century. The name violoncello persisted for the instrument that we know today, although the abbreviation ‘cello was often used. Nowadays we just drop the apostrophe.

48. Sgt., e.g. NCO
An NCO is a non-commissioned officer in the armed forces. Usually such an officer is one who has earned his or her rank by promotion through the enlisted ranks. A good example would be a sergeant.

50. Tampico tots NENES
“Nene” is the Spanish word for a male baby or young child.

Tampico is a port city in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas.

51. Slap (on), as cologne DAUB
Back in 1709, an Italian perfume-maker moved to Cologne in Germany. There he invented a new fragrance that he named Eau de Cologne after his newly adopted town. The fragrance is still produced in Cologne, using a secret formulation. However, the terms “Eau de Cologne” and “cologne”, are now used generically.

54. Flora and fauna BIOTA
The biota of a region is the total collection of flora and fauna found there.

59. Quincy of ’70s-’80s TV et al. MES
Medical examiner (ME)

“Quincy, M.E.” is a medical mystery series that originally aired in the seventies and eighties starring Jack Klugman in the title role. The show was loosely based on a book by former FBI agent Marshall Houts called “Where Death Delights”.

62. “… against a __ of troubles”: Hamlet SEA

To be, or not to be, that is the question:
Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The Slings and Arrows of outrageous fortune;
Or to take Armes against a Sea of troubles …

There has been centuries of debate about how one interprets Hamlet’s soliloquy that begins “To be or not to be …”. My favorite opinion is that Hamlet is weighing up the pros and cons of suicide (“to not be”).

63. Saharan dust swirlers SIROCCOS
A sirocco is a warm, dry and often dusty wind that originates in the Arabian or Sahara desert, and blows across the Mediterranean onto the Southern European coast.

68. Cote call COO
The Old English word “cote” was used for a small house. Our modern word “cottage” comes from “cote”. We now use “cote” to mean a small shelter on a farm for sheep or birds.

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

70. Like some marked-down mdse. IRR
Irregular (irr.)

81. Angle preceder, in texts IMO
In my opinion (IMO)

What’s your angle, your opinion?

83. 2016 Cactus Bowl sch. ASU
The 2016 Cactus Bowl was played at Chase Field in Phoenix between West Virginia and Arizona State. The Cactus Bowl was inaugurated in 1989 as the Copper Bowl, and is always played in Arizona.

85. Bread sometimes prepared with chutney NAAN
Naan (also “nan”) bread is very popular in Indian restaurants, as well as in other West, Central and South Asian cuisines. Indian Naan is traditionally baked in a clay oven known as a tandoor.

Chutney is typically southern Asian condiment, made from spices with vegetables or fruit. The term “chutney” comes from the Sanskrit “caṭnī” meaning “to lick”.

87. 11-Down, say DATUM
(11D. Sports figure STAT)
Our word “data” (singular “datum”) comes from the Latin “datum” meaning “given”. The idea is that data are “things given”.

88. Kama __ SUTRA
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 …

91. First name in skin care ESTEE
Estée Lauder was a very successful businesswoman, with a reputation as a great salesperson. Lauder introduced her own line of fragrances in 1953, a bath oil called “Youth Dew”. “Youth Dew” was marketed as a perfume, but it was added to bathwater. All of a sudden women were pouring whole bottles of Ms. Lauder’s “perfume” into their baths while using only a drop or two of French perfumes behind their ears. That’s quite a difference in sales volume …

93. Indian lentil dish DAL
I love dal dishes, which are prepared from various peas or beans (often lentils) that have been stripped of their outer skins and split. I suppose in Indian terms, split pea soup (another of my favorites) would be called a dal.

104. Garden resident ADAM
In the Christian tradition, the “fall of man” took place in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve succumbed to the temptation of eating the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, against the bidding of God. As a result, Adam and Eve were banished from Eden to prevent them becoming immortal by eating from the tree of life. The first humans had transitioned from a state of innocent obedience to a state of guilty disobedience.

106. Potato expert? KING OF SPUDS (from “king of spades”)
The word “spud” is used as a slang term for a potato and was first recorded in the mid-1800s, in New Zealand would you believe?

113. __ Alavesa: Spanish wine RIOJA
Rioja wines come from the province of La Rioja in Northern Spain. In my days living back in Europe, Rioja wines were noted for their heavy oaky flavors and it wasn’t uncommon to order a “rough Rioja” when out for dinner of an evening.

117. Sitar music RAGA
Raga isn’t really a type of music, but has been described as the “tonal framework” in which Indian classical music is composed. Ravi Shankar was perhaps the most famous raga virtuoso (to us Westerners). Western rock music with a heavy Indian influence might be called raga rock.

The sitar has been around since the Middle Ages. The sitar is a stringed instrument that is played by plucking, and is used most often in Hindustani classical music. In the West we have been exposed to the instrument largely through the performances of Ravi Shankar and some music by George Harrison of the Beatles, a onetime student of Shankar.

118. Language that gave us “shawl” FARSI
“Farsi” is one of the local names for Persian, an Iranian language.

Our word “shawl” ultimately derives from the Persian “shal”, describing the same item of clothing. There is a suggestion that “shal” itself comes from the Indian town Shaliat where the shawl was manufactured.

119. Prop for the gravedigger scene in “Hamlet”? SKULL MODEL (from “scale model”)
At one point in William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”, two gravediggers unearth the skull of Yorick, a jester from Hamlet’s childhood. The prince then starts into a famous monologue, while holding the skull in his hands:

Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio; a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy; he hath borne me on his back a thousand times; and now, how abhorred in my imagination it is …

The opening line is often misquoted as “Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him well.”

121. Law school newbie ONE L
“One L” is a name used in general for first year law students.

123. Hides PELTS
The “pelt” is the skin of a furry animal.

126. “The Dance Class” painter DEGAS
Edgar Degas was a French artist, famous for his paintings and sculptures. Some of Degas’ most beautiful works feature female ballet dancers, and others depict women bathing.

Down
2. “A propensity to hope and joy is real riches” philosopher HUME
David Hume was a philosopher and historian from Scotland.

3. Pennsylvania snowbelt city ERIE
Erie is a city in the very north of Pennsylvania, right on the southern shore of Lake Erie. The city takes its name from the Erie Native American tribe that resided in the area.

7. Like some triathlon segments SWUM
An Ironman Triathlon is a race involving a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike ride, and a marathon run of just over 26 miles. The idea for the race came out of a debate between some runners in the 1977 Oahu Perimeter Relay. They were questioning whether runners, swimmers or bikers were the most fit athletes. The debaters decided to combine three local events to determine the answer, inviting athletes from all three disciplines. The events that were mimicked to come up with the first triathlon were the Waikiki Roughwater swim (2.4 miles), the Around-Oahu Bike Race (115 miles) and the Honolulu Marathon (26.2 miles). The idea was that whoever finished first would be called “the Iron Man”. The first triathlon was run in 1978, with fifteen starters and only twelve finishers. The race format is used all over the world now, but the Hawaiian Ironman is the event that everyone wants to win.

8. Root beer source SASSAFRAS
Root beer is a beverage that is very “North American”, as it is rarely found elsewhere in the world. Root beer originated in the 1700s and was made from the root of the sassafras plant. The traditional root beer was a beverage with a very low alcohol content, and of course today there are many versions that contain no alcohol at all. The sassafras root was used as the primary flavor ingredient right up until 1960, when the FDA banned its use as tests determined that it was a carcinogen.

9. Cen. components YRS
There are 100 years (yrs.) in a century (cen.)

13. Early Mexican civilization OLMEC
The Olmec were an ancient civilization that lived in the lowlands of south-central Mexico from about 1500 BC to about 400 BC.

15. Greek warrior famous for his weak spot ACHILLES
Achilles is a Greek mythological figure, the main protagonist of Homer’s “Iliad”. Supposedly when Achilles was born his mother attempted to make him immortal by dipping him into the River Styx. As he was held by the heel as he was immersed, this became the only vulnerable point on his body. Years later he was killed when a poisoned arrow struck him in the heel. The arrow was shot by Paris.

16. Title role for which Adrien Brody won an Oscar THE PIANIST
“The Pianist” is a memoir of Wladyslaw Szpilman, a Polish musician of Jewish heritage and a survivor of the Holocaust. The memoir was not written by Szpilman himself, but by author Jerzy Waldorff who interviewed him and became his friend. The memoir was first published in 1946 in Poland under the title “Death of a City”, but lay unnoticed for decades. It was republished in English in 1998 under the title “The Pianist”, and became widely read. Roman Polanski then directed a 2002 screen version using “The Pianist” as a title. Sadly, Szpilman died during the making of the film and never saw the great success the movie achieved, including three Academy Awards.

Adrien Brody won an Oscar for Best Actor for his performance in the Roman Polanski masterpiece “The Piano”. He won the award in 2003 at the age of 29, making him the youngest person ever to receive the Best Actor Oscar.

30. Tesla Motors CEO Musk ELON
Elon Musk is successful businessman who has founded or led some very high-profile companies, namely PayPal, Tesla Motors and SpaceX.

32. HUD financing gp. GNMA
Ginnie Mae is the familiar nickname for the Government National Mortgage Association (GNMA), a government-owned corporation created in 1968 with the objective of promoting home ownership. The “Ginnie Mae” nickname is derived from the GNMA abbreviation.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has its roots in the “Great Society” program of President Lyndon Johnson. HUD’s mission is to address the housing needs of the citizenry at the national level. HUD can provide mortgage insurance to help people become homeowners and also provide rental subsidies to lower-income families. HUD also is responsible for enforcement of Federal Fair Housing laws.

34. Number of good men? A FEW
The US Marine Corps has used several slogans over the years, including:

– First to Fight
– Once a Marine, Always a Marine
– A Few Good Men

36. Traitor JUDAS
A “judas” is a treacherous person, and a term derived from the disciple named Judas Iscariot. Judas was paid thirty pieces of silver to identify Jesus so that he could be arrested. He did so with a kiss, at which point he was taken by the soldiers of the High Priest Caiaphas and handed over to Pontius Pilate, the prefect of the Roman province of Judea.

37. Eel, at sushi bars UNAGI
Unagi is the Japanese word for freshwater eel, and unadon is the Japanese word for “eel bowl”. Unadon is actually a contraction of “unagi no kabayaki” (grilled eel) and “donburi” (rice bowl dish).

38. Joe __, only MLB catcher with three batting titles MAUER
Joe Mauer is a professional baseball player from St. Paul, Minnesota, and who also started playing for the Minnesota Twins in 2004. Mauer is famous for wearing long sideburns, it says here …

39. Cuban base, familiarly GITMO
The Guantánamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba is often referred to by using abbreviation “GTMO” or simply “Gitmo”. Gitmo is the oldest overseas base operated by the navy and dates back to the Cuban-American Treaty of 1903, at which time the US leased the facility as a fueling station. A perpetual lease was offered by Tomas Estrada Palma, the first President of Cuba, after the US took over control of Cuba from Spain following the Spanish-American War of 1898.

44. Martinique volcano PELEE
Mount Pelee on the Caribbean island of Martinique is still active and is considered one of the most dangerous volcanoes on the planet. When it erupted in 1902, it killed over 30,000 people. Most of those fatalities occurred when a cloud of hot gases settled over the town of St. Pierre, instantly igniting everything that was flammable.

45. Astronomical red giant S STAR
Red giants are very large stars with a relatively low mass. The atmosphere of a red giant is also very inflated and extends a long way into space so the surface of that atmosphere that we see is relatively cool, which gives it a red color. Stars are classified by their spectral characteristics, basically the color of the light they emit. As such, red giants are classified as M stars. Cool red giants are of a color beyond the usual range, and are classified as S stars.

49. Singer Redding OTIS
Otis Redding is often referred to as the “King of Soul”, and what a voice he had. Like so many of the greats in the world of popular music it seems, Redding was killed in a plane crash, in 1967 when he was just 26 years old. Just three days earlier he had recorded what was to be his biggest hit, “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay”.

52. Record-breaking base stealer Lou BROCK
Lou Brock is a retired professional baseball player who played most of his career with the St. Louis Cardinals. Brock broke Ty Cobb’s all-time stolen base record in 1977, holding the record until 1982.

55. Rose pest APHID
Aphids are called “greenfly” back in the British Isles where I come from. The most effective way to control aphids in my experience is to make sure there are plenty of ladybugs in the garden (called ladybirds in Ireland!).

69. “Star Trek” regular ultimately promoted to Cmdr. LT SULU
Hikaru Sulu was played by George Takei in the original “Star Trek” series. For most of that original series, Sulu was the senior helmsman on the Starship Enterprise. Takei has played lots of roles over the years, and is still very active in television. Did you know that he appeared in the 1963 film, “Pt-109”? He played the helmsman steering the Japanese destroyer that ran down John F. Kennedy’s motor torpedo boat.

72. Member of the NCAA’s A-10 Conf. UMASS
The University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass) is the largest public university in New England. UMass was founded back in 1863, although it took a while to get the school into service. Construction work was delayed and the college went through two presidents before William S. Clark took charge. He cracked the whip, completed the construction and enrolled the first students in the same year that he took over the reins, in 1867. As a result, although Clark was the third President of UMass, he is regarded by most as the school’s founding father.

74. West Point, e.g.: Abbr. ACAD
West Point is a military reservation in New York State, located north of New York City. West Point was first occupied by the Continental Army way back in 1778, making it the longest, continually-occupied military post in the country. Cadet training has taken place at the garrison since 1794, although Congress funding for a US Military Academy (USMA) didn’t start until 1802. The first female cadets were admitted to West Point in 1976, and today about 15% of all new cadets are women.

77. Red pig DUROC
Duroc is a breed of domestic pig, red in color and with a large frame, and a tendency to be quite aggressive. The breed originated in New England and supposedly takes its name from a thoroughbred stallion that was famous around 1800.

78. Elder statesman DOYEN
A “doyen” (feminine form “doyenne”) is the senior member of a group or class. The term is Middle French in origin, in which language it meant “commander of ten”.

80. “SNL” alum Mike MYERS
Mike Myers does do a great British accent, witness his performance in the madcap “Austin Powers” movies. He has an advantage though, as both his parents are British, and live in Ontario, Canada.

83. Ford, for one AUTOMAKER
The industrialist Henry Ford was born in Michigan, and was the son of an Irish immigrant from County Cork. Ford’s most famous vehicle was the one that revolutionized the industry: the Model T. Ford’s goal with the Model T was to build a car that was simple to drive and and easy and cheap to purchase and repair. The Model T cost $825 in 1908, which isn’t much over $20,000 in today’s money.

86. 7 on the Beaufort scale NEAR GALE
The Beaufort wind scale is named after Irishman, Sir Francis Beaufort, a Rear-Admiral in the Royal Navy. Beaufort was a hydrographer as well as a career navy man.

88. Dozing place, perhaps SOFA
“Sofa” is a Turkish word meaning “bench”.

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

94. Honorary legal degs. LLDS
The honorary degree of Legum Doctor (LL.D.) translates from the Latin as Doctor of Laws, a plural. This practice of using the plural originated in Cambridge University in England, as one was awarded an LL.D. after having been taught both Canon Law and Civil Law.

100. LPGA member? LADIES
The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) was founded in 1950 by a group of 13 lady golfers, and today it is the oldest ongoing women’s sports professional organization in the US.

106. Ray of fast food KROC
The McDonald’s chain of restaurants was founded in 1940 by the McDonald brothers, Richard and Maurice. The brothers introduced the famous McDonald’s production line system for making their hamburgers in 1948. There were 8 McDonald’s restaurants by 1955, when Ray Kroc opened the ninth restaurant, as a franchise. This first franchise led to the founding of the McDonald’s corporation (by the McDonald’s brothers) that we know today. Kroc worked as a franchise operator for a few years and then bought out the McDonald’s brothers in 1961 as they were not interested in further expansion. It was Kroc who led the company to its worldwide success.

107. Collector’s suffix -IANA
The suffix “-iana” is a variant of “-ana”.

An ana (plural “anas”) is a collection, perhaps of literature, that represents the character of a particular place or a person. Ana can be used as a noun or as a suffix (e.g. Americana).

109. Court org. USTA
The United States Tennis Association (USTA) is the national organization governing the sport of tennis in the US. The USTA was founded way back in 1881 as the United States National Lawn Tennis Association.

111. Netflix competitor HULU
Hulu.com is a website providing streaming video of full television shows. It is a joint venture of NBC and Disney, and so features a lot of their content. The service is free and is supported by advertising, but you can sign up for a premium subscription and get access to more shows. A lot of younger folks seem to use it a lot …

Netflix was founded in Los Gatos, California in 1997. Although now focused on video streaming, the company delivered its billionth DVD in 2007. I presume the renter wasn’t charged for that movie …

112. Voices below soprani ALTI
The plural of “alto” is “altos” in English, but “alti” in Italian. Similarly, the plural of “soprano” is “sopranos” in English, but “soprani” in Italian.

114. Chief Norse god ODIN
In Norse mythology, Odin was the chief of the gods. Odin’s wife Frigg was the queen of Asgard whose name gave us our English term “Friday” (via Anglo-Saxon). Odin’s son was Thor, and his name gave us the term “Thursday”. Odin himself gave us our word “Wednesday” from “Wodin”, the English form of his name.

115. Yoda trainee JEDI
The Jedi are the “good guys” in the “Star Wars” series of movies. The most famous Jedi knights from the films are Obi-Wan Kenobi (played by Alec Guinness, and later Ewan McGregor) and Yoda (voiced by Frank Oz).

Yoda is one of the most beloved characters of the “Star Wars” series of films. Yoda’s voice was provided by the great modern-day puppeteer Frank Oz of “Muppets” fame.

119. Sunblock letters SPF
In theory, the sun protection factor (SPF) is a calibrated measure of the effectiveness of a sunscreen in protecting the skin from harmful UV rays. The idea is that if you wear a lotion with say SPF 20, then it takes 20 times as much UV radiation to cause the skin to burn than it would take without protection. I say just stay out of the sun …

120. Versatile ETO carrier LST
LST stands for Landing Ship, Tank. LSTs were the large vessels used mainly in WWII that had doors at either ends through which tanks and other vehicles could roll off and onto beaches. The design concept persists to this day in the huge fleet of commercial roll-on/roll-off car ferries, all inspired by the LST.

European Theater of Operations (ETO)

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Relieved reaction WHEW!
5. __ fit HISSY
10. PC debut of 1981 MS-DOS
15. Cabbage dispensers? ATMS
19. Emanating quality AURA
20. Sadat of Egypt ANWAR
21. Ring-shaped ocean formation ATOLL
22. Fellow CHAP
23. Good-natured complaint? SMILEY FUSS (from “smiley face”)
25. Wynonna’s mother NAOMI
26. Olympian queen HERA
27. “Key & __”: Comedy Central series PEELE
28. Meditation class chorus OMS
29. Everything you eat? GUT RECEIPTS (from “gate receipts”)
31. Cousin of com ORG
33. Computer stylus battery AAAA
35. Big strings CELLI
36. Skilled diver’s advantage? JUMPING-OFF PLUS (from “jumping-off place”)
43. Exercise in a pool DO LAPS
46. One, to Juanita UNA
47. Political fugitives EMIGRES
48. Sgt., e.g. NCO
50. Tampico tots NENES
51. Slap (on), as cologne DAUB
53. Attorney-__ AT-LAW
54. Flora and fauna BIOTA
56. Bank material SILT
57. Teen attachment? -AGERS
59. Quincy of ’70s-’80s TV et al. MES
60. Outfits EQUIPS
62. “… against a __ of troubles”: Hamlet SEA
63. Saharan dust swirlers SIROCCOS
65. Fashion show photographer? STRUT SHOOTER (from “straight shooter”)
68. Cote call COO
69. Bank construction LEVEE
70. Like some marked-down mdse. IRR
71. Inept painter? MUCK-UP ARTIST (from “makeup artist”)
76. Book supplement ADDENDUM
81. Angle preceder, in texts IMO
82. Playtime RECESS
83. 2016 Cactus Bowl sch. ASU
84. Not cramped ROOMY
85. Bread sometimes prepared with chutney NAAN
87. 11-Down, say DATUM
88. Kama __ SUTRA
90. Key in TYPE
91. First name in skin care ESTEE
93. Indian lentil dish DAL
94. Limited carry-on items LOTIONS
96. Always, in verse E’ER
97. Key below E D-SHARP
99. Shore breezes caused by flapping wings? GULL FORCE WINDS (from “gale force winds”)
102. Present in court ARGUE
104. Garden resident ADAM
105. Gum ball WAD
106. Potato expert? KING OF SPUDS (from “king of spades”)
110. “There you are!” AHA!
113. __ Alavesa: Spanish wine RIOJA
117. Sitar music RAGA
118. Language that gave us “shawl” FARSI
119. Prop for the gravedigger scene in “Hamlet”? SKULL MODEL (from “scale model”)
121. Law school newbie ONE L
122. Esteemed group ELITE
123. Hides PELTS
124. Modest dress MIDI
125. Close attention CARE
126. “The Dance Class” painter DEGAS
127. Product, as of labor FRUIT
128. Huff relative SNIT

Down
1. Winged stinger WASP
2. “A propensity to hope and joy is real riches” philosopher HUME
3. Pennsylvania snowbelt city ERIE
4. Smack WALLOP
5. __ fever HAY
6. Dope INFO
7. Like some triathlon segments SWUM
8. Root beer source SASSAFRAS
9. Cen. components YRS
10. How-to MANUAL
11. Sports figure STAT
12. Means of access DOOR
13. Early Mexican civilization OLMEC
14. Did a deli job SLICED
15. Greek warrior famous for his weak spot ACHILLES
16. Title role for which Adrien Brody won an Oscar THE PIANIST
17. Shopping spot MART
18. Body wrap offerers SPAS
24. Like “Halloween” music EERIE
29. Mountain passes GAPS
30. Tesla Motors CEO Musk ELON
32. HUD financing gp. GNMA
34. Number of good men? A FEW
36. Traitor JUDAS
37. Eel, at sushi bars UNAGI
38. Joe __, only MLB catcher with three batting titles MAUER
39. Cuban base, familiarly GITMO
40. Unwelcome looks OGLES
41. Sole UNIQUE
42. Enemy lines infiltrator SCOUT
44. Martinique volcano PELEE
45. Astronomical red giant S STAR
49. Singer Redding OTIS
52. Record-breaking base stealer Lou BROCK
54. Flat hat BERET
55. Rose pest APHID
58. Really clean SCOUR
61. Hurting more SORER
64. Dealt COPED
65. Quake SEISM
66. Sets in dens TVS
67. Contrary afterthought … OR NOT
69. “Star Trek” regular ultimately promoted to Cmdr. LT SULU
71. Worked in a shaft MINED
72. Member of the NCAA’s A-10 Conf. UMASS
73. Makeshift car door opener COAT HANGER
74. West Point, e.g.: Abbr. ACAD
75. Label again RETAG
76. Not still anymore ASTIR
77. Red pig DUROC
78. Elder statesman DOYEN
79. Called on the field UMPED
80. “SNL” alum Mike MYERS
83. Ford, for one AUTOMAKER
86. 7 on the Beaufort scale NEAR GALE
88. Dozing place, perhaps SOFA
89. Once more ANEW
92. Therefore ERGO
94. Honorary legal degs. LLDS
95. Bee team SWARM
98. Swollen, with “up” PUFFED
100. LPGA member? LADIES
101. They’re not literal IDIOMS
103. Virtual transaction E-SALE
106. Ray of fast food KROC
107. Collector’s suffix -IANA
108. Prude PRIG
109. Court org. USTA
111. Netflix competitor HULU
112. Voices below soprani ALTI
114. Chief Norse god ODIN
115. Yoda trainee JEDI
116. Landed ALIT
119. Sunblock letters SPF
120. Versatile ETO carrier LST

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6 thoughts on “LA Times Crossword Answers 21 Feb 16, Sunday”

  1. More than 29:39, couple of errors, No coincidence at all…Dave/Bill – I hate you both! 🙂

    Very good Sunday puzzle. Not a lot of gimmies. I had to really think in some spots (who wants to do THAT??). IMO for Angle preceder definitely caught me off guard and gave me a laugh. It wins today's prize.

    Loved the Lou Brock reference. The whole city of St. Louis was abuzz (Carrie, your welcome) when that season was going on. I remember it well.

    Pookie – are you still out there? We miss you. I need to vent vicariously by reading your posts….

    Best –

  2. "Nene" for a Spanish baby really threw me off! I was fluent in Spanish and never heard that word. I thought nene was a Hawaiian goose!

    Pretty straightforward grid, otherwise.

  3. @Dave, wow great job!
    Thanks @Jeff — it's 1:40 a.m. in Los Angeles, and of course I am ASTIR as always…I too was glad to see Lou BROCK here. Liked him. Tho I'm a Dodger fan, I always loved the Cardinals and I root for them when they play anyone besides the Dodgers or the Pirates.
    Re: Judas — did anyone see the show "Finding Jesus” on CNN? (I'm not especially religious; just fascinated by certain historical eras/issues.) The episode on Judas Escariot presented evidence that he might have been following Jesus' orders, and maybe Judàs has gotten a bad rap. Pretty well done show.
    @Joel, I also speak Spanish, and wasn't thrilled with NENES. It's so rarely used, in my experience.
    Sweet dreams~~™

  4. Like Justjoel above, nene threw me for a long loop until I figured it had to be right, no matter how much I wanted to fit in niño instead. This was a very challenging Sunday "big grid" and I didn't finish until Monday morning. Glad it came together successfully, but the amount of ink that was spilled in strike overs is probably near a gallon at least.

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