Constructed by: C.C. Burnikel
Edited by: Rich Norris
Quicklink to a complete list of today’s clues and answers
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Theme: Melee
Today’s themed answers are ALL things that are sometimes described as FREE:
- 111A. Fracas, and a hint to both words in the answers to starred clues : FREE FOR ALL
- 23A. *Retail enticement : TRIAL OFFER (“free trial” & “free offer”)
- 29A. *Western nickname : SILVER STATE (“free silver” & “free state”)
- 47A. *Reporter’s credential : PRESS PASS (“free press” & “free pass”)
- 54A. *Mall rarity at Christmas : PARKING SPACE (“free parking” & “free space”)
- 76A. *Like much farm decor : COUNTRY STYLE (“free country” & “freestyle”)
- 83A. *Many sandwiches are made for it : LUNCH TIME (“free lunch” & “free time”)
- 100A. *Airport employee : TICKET AGENT (“free ticket” & “free agent”)
Bill’s time: 19m 07s
Bill’s errors: 0
Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
10. “Some girls with a snuffle / Their tempers are uffle” poet : NASH
Ogden Nash was a poet from Rye, New York who is remembered for his light and quirky verse. Nash had over 500 such works published between 1931 and 1972.
14. Pest control brand : ORKIN
Orkin is a pest-control company. If you want to learn more about insects, you might want to visit the O. Orkin Zoo, a permanent exhibit at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. The exhibit has over 300 live insects, all displayed in their natural habitats.
19. Digs in the snow : IGLOO
The Inuit word for “house” is “iglu”, which we usually write as “igloo”. The Greenlandic (yes, that’s a language) word for “house” is very similar, namely “igdlo”. The walls of igloos are tremendous insulators, due to the air pockets in the blocks of snow.
“Digs” is short for “diggings” meaning “lodgings”, but where “diggings” came from, no one seems to know.
21. “Homeland” actress Miranda : OTTO
Miranda Otto is an actress from Brisbane, Australia. Otto played Éowyn in “The Lord of the Rings” series of films.
22. Revolutionary diplomat Silas : DEANE
Silas Deane was a member of the Continental Congress. When Deane was dispatched to Paris by the Congress, he became America’s first foreign diplomat. His amazing story is told in Joel Richard Paul’s book called “Unlikely Allies”.
“Homeland” is a psychological drama shown on Showtime about a CIA officer who is convinced that a certain US Marine is a threat to the security of the United States. The show is based on a series from Israeli television called “Hatufim” (Prisoners of War”). I saw the first series of this show and highly recommend it …
25. Cassandra’s prophecy : DOOM
I think Cassandra is such a great name, translating from Greek as “she who entangles men”. The Cassandra of Greek mythology was so beautiful that Apollo gave her the gift of prophecy. There is another story though, that she gained her gift as a seer by spending the night in Apollo’s temple where snakes licked her ears clean so that she could hear the future. Ugh …
26. Ill-fated energy company : ENRON
After all the trials following the exposure of fraud at Enron, several of the key players ended up in jail. Andrew Fastow was the Chief Financial Officer. He plea-bargained and received ten years without parole, and became the key witness in the trials of others. Even Fastow’s wife was involved and she was sentenced to one year for helping her husband hide money. Jeffrey Skilling (ex-CEO) was sentenced to 24 years and 4 months. Kenneth Lay (CEO) died in 2006 after he had been found guilty but before he could be sentenced. The accounting firm Arthur Andersen was found guilty of obstruction of justice for shredding thousands of pertinent documents and deleting emails and files (a decision that the Supreme Court later overturned on a technicality). But still, Arthur Andersen collapsed under the weight of the scandal and 85,000 people lost their jobs (despite only a handful being directly involved with Enron).
27. Peaceful and relaxed : ZEN
Zen is a Buddhist school that developed its own tradition in China back in the 7th century AD. Zen is a Japanese spelling of the Chinese word “chan”, which in turn derives from the Sanskrit word “dhyana” meaning “meditation”.
29. *Western nickname : SILVER STATE (“free silver” & “free state”)
The official nickname of Nevada is the “Silver State”, a reference to importance of silver ore in the state’s growth and economy. The unofficial nickname is the “Battle Born State”. “Battle Born” is a reference to Nevada being awarded statehood during the American Civil War.
Back in the late 1800s, the Free Silver Movement advocated for the replacement of the gold standard in the US with the “free coinage of silver”.
31. Chipotle option : TACO
Chipotle Mexican Grill is a chain of casual dining restaurants that was founded and is now headquartered in Denver, Colorado. For several years, the major investor in Chipotle was McDonald’s.
33. Expert in futures? : ORACLE
In Ancient Greece and Rome, an oracle was someone believed inspired by the gods to give wise counsel. The word “oracle” derives from the Latin “orare” meaning “to speak”, which is the same root for our word “orator”.
35. __ buco : OSSO
“Osso” is the Italian word for bone as in the name of the dish Osso Buco: braised veal shanks.
36. Foe of Rocky : BORIS
Fearless Leader, Boris Badenov and Natasha Fatale are all characters in the cartoon show “Rocky and Bullwinkle”. Fearless Leader is the dictatorial ruler of Pottsylvania, and Boris and Natasha are two of his minions, two inept government agents.
37. Desert or tundra : BIOME
I tend to think of “biome” is another word for ecosystem.
Tundra is an ecosystem that is treeless, or very nearly so. There are three types of tundra. Arctic and Antarctic tundra can’t support the growth of trees as the ground is pretty much frozen. Alpine tundra cannot support tree-growth due to high altitude.
38. Longoria of “Telenovela” : EVA
Eva Longoria is a fashion model and an actress who had a regular role on TV’s “Desperate Housewives”, playing Gabrielle Solis.
“Telenovela” is a sitcom set in Miami that follows the activities behind the cameras shooting a fictional telenovela called “Las Leyes de Pasión”. Eva Longoria plays the telenovela star, an actress who does not speak a word of Spanish.
39. Org. in some le Carré novels : KGB
The Komitet gosudarstvennoy bezopasnosti (KGB) was the national security agency of the Soviet Union until 1991. The KGB was dissolved after the agency’s chairman led a failed attempt at a coup d’état designed to depose President Mikhail Gorbachev.
John Le Carré is the pen name of David Cornwell, an English author famous for his spy novels. Cornwell worked for British Intelligence during the fifties and sixties, even as he was writing his spy thrillers. He left MI6 soon after his most famous 1963 novel “The Spy Who Came in from the Cold”, became such a great success.
42. Federal Reserve chair Yellen : JANET
The economist Janet Yellen has been the Chair of the Federal Reserve since 2014, and is the first woman to hold the position.
44. Sitarist Shankar : RAVI
Ravi Shankar was perhaps the most famous virtuoso (to us Westerners) from the world of Indian classical music, and was noted for his sitar playing. Also, Shankar was the father of the beautiful pop singer Norah Jones.
49. Pollen source : STAMEN
The stamen is the male reproductive organ of a flower. The part of the stamen known as the anther sits on a stalk called the filament, and carried carries the pollen. The pollen is picked up by insects, especially bees, who then transfer pollen from flower to flower. The pistil is the female reproductive organ, and it accepts the pollen.
51. Annual stage award : OBIE
The Obies are the “Off-Broadway Theater Awards”. The Obies are presented annually and the recipients are chosen by “The Village Voice” newspaper.
60. Friend of Claudius I : HEROD
I find Claudius to be the most fascinating of all the Roman Emperors. Claudius had a lot going against him as he walked with a limp and was slightly deaf. He was put in office by the Praetorian Guard (the emperor’s bodyguards) after Caligula was assassinated. Claudius had very little political experience and yet proved to be very forward-thinking and capable.
Herod Agrippa was the grandson of Herod the Great, and like his grandfather was a Roman client king of Judea. It is thought that Herod Agrippa is the “Herod” mentioned in the Bible’s “Acts of the Apostles”, the king who imprisoned Peter and who had killed James son of Zebedee. Agrippa’s grandfather was the King Herod who ordered the Massacre of the Innocents described in the Gospel of Matthew. This was Herod’s attempt to kill the young Jesus by ordering the murder of all boys aged two or younger in Bethlehem and vicinity.
61. Seedy digs : RATTRAP
We use the word “seedy” to mean “shabby”. The usage probably arose from the appearance of a flowering plant that has gone to seed.
64. Quite a journey : ODYSSEY
“The Odyssey” is one of two epic poems from ancient Greece that is attributed to Homer. “The Odyssey” is largely a sequel to Homer’s other epic, “The Iliad”. “The Odyssey” centers on the heroic figure Odysseus, and his adventures on his journey home to Greece following the fall of Troy. We now use the term “odyssey” to describe any long series of adventures.
70. Bolt on the track : USAIN
Usain Bolt is a Jamaican sprinter who won the 100m and 200m race gold medals in both the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games. Back in Jamaica, Bolt was really into cricket and probably would have been a very successful fast bowler had he not hit the track instead.
79. Goliath, to David : FOE
In the story of David and Goliath, the Israelites and the Philistines faced each other in battle at the Valley of Elah. Goliath was the warrior champion of the Philistines and each day he challenged the Israelites to send out their champion to decide the battle in a one-on-one fight. No one was courageous enough to accept the challenge until young David agreed to face the mighty Goliath. David felled the giant soldier with a stone from his sling.
81. Coastal raptor : ERNE
The ern (sometimes “erne”) is also called the white-tailed eagle, or the sea-eagle.
86. Raggedy dolls : ANNS
Raggedy Ann is a rag doll, created by Johnny Gruelle in 1915 for his daughter, Marcella. He decided to name the doll by combining the titles of two poems by James Whitcomb Riley, “The Raggedy Man” and “Little Orphan Annie”. Gruelle introduced Raggedy Ann in a series of books three years later. Sadly, Marcella died at 13 years of age with her father blaming a smallpox vaccination she was given at school. Gruelle became very active in the movement against mass vaccination, for which Raggedy Ann became a symbol.
88. Mower handle? : 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”. The Deere company that John founded uses the slogan “Nothing Runs Like a Deere”, and has a leaping deer as its logo.
91. Born, in Bordeaux : NEE
“Née” is the French word for “born” when referring to a female. The male equivalent is “né”.
Bordeaux is perhaps the wine-production capital of the world. Wine has been produced in the area since the eighth century. Bordeaux has an administrative history too. During WWII, the French government relocated from Paris to the port city of Bordeaux when it became clear that Paris was soon to fall to the Germans. After the German’s took France, the capital was famously moved to Vichy.
92. Brick-shaped candy : PEZ
PEZ is an Austrian brand name for a particular candy sold in a mechanical dispenser. Famously, PEZ dispensers have molded “heads”, and have become very collectible over the years. The list of heads includes historical figures like Betsy Ross and Paul Revere, characters from “Star Wars” and “Star Trek”, and even British royalty like the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (“William and Kate”). The name PEZ comes from the first, middle and last letters of “Pfefferminz”, the German word for “peppermint”.
94. Brown in the kitchen : ALTON
Alton Brown is a celebrity chef who is behind the Food Network show “Good Eats”, and the host of “Iron Chef America”.
95. NYC line with a Babylon branch : LIRR
The Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) is the commuter rail service that runs all over Long Island, New York with 124 stations and 700 miles of track. More people use the LIRR than any other commuter railroad in the US. It is also the only commuter railroad in the country that operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
103. Forearm bones : RADII
The radius and ulna are bones in the forearm. If you hold the palm of your hand up in front of you, the radius is the bone on the “thumb-side” of the arm, and the ulna is the bone on the “pinkie-side”.
106. Mauna __ : LOA
Mauna Loa on the “big island” of Hawaii is the largest volcano on the planet (in terms of volume). The name “Mauna Loa” is Hawaiian for “Long Mountain”.
110. Chipotle option : MILD
A chipotle is a smoke-dried jalapeño.
111. Fracas, and a hint to both words in the answers to starred clues : FREE FOR ALL
“Fracas” is a French word that we absorbed into English. In turn, the French usage evolved from the Italian “fracasso” meaning “uproar, crash”.
113. GoPro competitor : NIKON
Nikon was founded in 1917 with the merger of three companies making various optical devices. After the merger, the company’s main output was lenses (including the first lenses for Canon cameras, before Canon made its own). During the war, Nikon sales grew rapidly as the company focused on (pun!) equipment for the military including periscopes and bomb sights.
GoPro is a company that makes high-definition video cameras that have a rugged design. Famously, GoPro cameras are used in extreme conditions. For example, they are often mounted on moving vehicles or used by people playing sports. Recently, two astronauts on the International Space Station inserted a GoPro camera inside a floating ball of water, and then showed the view from inside the ball of water. Amazing footage …
114. Sneaker brand : AVIA
The Avia brand name for athletic shoes was chosen as “avia” is the Latin word for “to fly”, and suggests the concept of aviation. Avia was founded in Oregon in 1979.
117. Crockpot dishes : STEWS
We often use the term “crockpot” as an alternative for “slow cooker”. The generic term comes from the trademark “Crock-Pot”, now owned by Sunbeam products.
119. Assist in a gym : SPOT
People at the gym who are doing weight training will often “spot” for each other. This means that the person who is spotting assists in the lift, allowing the “lifter” to work with more weight than usual.
120. “Ciao!” : SEEYA!
Ciao is the Italian for “‘bye”. “Arrivederci” is more formal, and translates as “goodbye”.
Down
1. High-end hotel : RITZ
César Ritz was a Swiss hotelier, who had a reputation for developing the most luxurious of accommodations and attracting the wealthiest clientèle. He opened the Hotel Ritz in Paris in 1898 and the second of his most famous hotels, the Ritz Hotel in London, in 1906. Ritz was lucky in his career, as before starting his own hotel chain he had been dismissed from the Savoy Hotel in London, implicated in the disappearance of a substantial amount of wine and spirits. Today’s Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company was founded in 1983, although the chain has its roots in the properties developed by César Ritz.
2. Grimm meanie : OGRE
The Brothers Grimm (Jacob and Wilhelm) were two German academics noted for collecting and publishing folk tales. Among the tales in their marvelous collection are “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”, “Sleeping Beauty” and “Cinderella”.
4. Org. for the great outdoors : KOA
Kampgrounds of America (KOA) was founded in 1962 by Montana businessman Dave Drum, who opened up his first property along the Yellowstone River. His strategy was to offer a rich package of services including hot showers, restrooms and a store, which he hoped would attract people used to camping in the rough. The original campground was an immediate hit and Drum took on two partners and sold franchises all over the country. There are about 500 KOA sites today.
7. __ Romeo : ALFA
The “Alfa” in Alfa Romeo is actually an acronym, standing for Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili (“Lombard Automobile Factory, Public Company”). ALFA was an enterprise founded in 1909 and which was taken over by Nicola Romeo in 1915. In 1920 the company name was changed to Alfa Romeo.
8. Sports testing subjects : STEROIDS
Steroids are found commonly in nature, with familiar examples being cholesterol and testosterone. The controversial class of drugs called anabolic steroids (known informally as “roids” or simply “steroids”) are artificially produced chemicals designed to mimic the effect of the male sex hormone, testosterone. They are termed “anabolic” as they build up cellular tissue (particularly muscle) in a process called anabolism. Taking anabolic steroids can be termed “juicing”, and the aggressive behavior that can be a side-effect is known as “roid rage”.
9. A.L. East team : TOR
The Toronto Blue Jays baseball franchise was founded in 1977. The Blue Jays are the only team based outside the US to have won a World Series, doing so in 1992 and 1993. And since the Montreal Expos relocated to Washington, the Blue Jays are the only Major League Baseball team now headquartered outside of the US.
10. “Ixnay” : NO DICE
One suggestion for the origin of the phrase “no dice”, meaning “nothing doing, no way”, refers back to illegal gambling in the early 1900s. When approached by police, illegal gamblers would hide their dice (some even swallowed them). It was well known that city attorneys wouldn’t prosecute unless the police could produce the dice. Apparently there was an idiom at the time, “no dice, no conviction”.
Pig Latin is in effect a game. One takes the first consonant or consonant cluster of an English word and moves it to the end of the word, and then adds the letters “ay”. So the Pig Latin for the word “nix” is “ix-n-ay” … ixnay, and for “scram” is “am-scr-ay”
11. Island ring : 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.
13. Sweet spot? : HOME
“Home! Sweet Home!” is a song that has been around at least since 1827. The melody was composed by Englishman Sir Henry Bishop, using lyrics written by American John Howard Payne.
Mid pleasures and palaces though we may roam,
Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home;
A charm from the skies seems to hallow us there,
Which seek thro’ the world, is ne’er met elsewhere.
Home! Home!
Sweet, sweet home!
There’s no place like home
There’s no place like home!
14. Black Sea resort : ODESSA
The city of Odessa (also “Odesa”) in Ukraine was founded relatively recently, in 1794 by Catherine the Great. The city was originally meant to be called Odessos after an ancient Greek city believed to have been located nearby. Catherine liked the way the locals pronounced the name as “Odessa” and so went with the less Greek-sounding name.
16. Where to find flat beer drinkers? : KARAOKE BAR
Karate, means “open hand”, and the related word “karaoke” means “open orchestra”.
17. Tied, briefly : IN OT
In overtime (OT)
18. Endangered state bird : NENE
The bird called a nene is a native of Hawaii, and is also known as the Hawaiian goose. The name “nene” is imitative of its call. When Captain Cook landed on the islands in 1778, there were 25,000 nene living there. By 1950, the number was reduced by hunting to just 30 birds. Conservation efforts in recent years have been somewhat successful.
29. Indian pastries : SAMOSAS
A samosa is quite a tasty appetizer, usually a triangular-shaped savory that often has a vegetarian filling. The word “samosa” is primarily used on Indian menus, and the name comes from “sanbosag”, the name for the dish in Persia.
32. Lover of Aphrodite : ARES
The Greek god Ares is often referred to as the Olympian god of warfare, but originally he was regarded as the god of bloodlust and slaughter. Ares united with Aphrodite to create several gods, including Phobos, Deimos and Eros. The Roman equivalent to Ares was Mars.
34. Poppycock : ROT
It is thought that the relatively gentle term “poppycock”, meaning “nonsense”, comes from a Dutch word for “dung” combined with a Latin word for “excrete”. Not so gentle after all …
36. More Spartan : BARER
Sparta was a city-state in ancient Greece, famous for her military might. Spartan children had a tough upbringing, and newborn babies were bathed in wine to see if the child was strong enough to survive. Every child was presented to a council of elders that decided if the baby was suitable for rearing. Those children deemed too puny were executed by tossing them into a chasm. We’ve been using the term “spartan” to describe something self-disciplined or austere since the 1600s.
40. “It’s what you do” insurance company : GEICO
GEICO was founded in 1936 with a very specific mission, to provide auto insurance for employees of the federal government and their families, hence the name Government Employees Insurance Company (GEICO). GEICO is a private company, despite the word “government” in its name. The founders’ idea was to focus on government employees as they believed such a group represented a lower risk profile than the rest of the population. Nowadays any qualifying person can take out a policy with GEICO.
42. Picture file acronym : JPEG
The JPEG file format was created by the Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG), hence the name.
46. Robin Williams title role : POPEYE
“Popeye” is a 1980 film adaptation of the famous cartoon strip. Popeye was played by Robin Williams, and Olive Oyl by Shelley Duvall. “Popeye” was the first film in which Robin Williams made an appearance.
48. Trapper’s prize : PELT
A “pelt” is the skin of a furry animal.
54. Tropical fruit used in salsas : PAPAYA
The papaya is the fruit of the Carica papaya, a large tree-like plant that is native to southern Mexico and Central America. One traditional use of papaya is as a meat tenderizer. The fruit and sap contain the enzyme papain that breaks down meat fibers. Papain is used today as a component of powdered meat tenderizers.
55. Smith of Fox News : SHEP
Shep Smith is a television journalist and host with Fox News. Smith has been hosting “Shepard Smith Reporting” on Fox since 2013.
62. Charlotte __ : RUSSE
Charlotte Russe is a cold dessert consisting of Bavarian cream set in a mold layered with ladyfingers. The dessert was named by its creator in honor of Princess Charlotte, daughter of British King George IV, and in honor of Czar Alexander I of Russia (“russe” is French for “Russian”).
63. Daisylike bloom : ASTER
Apparently, most aster species and cultivars bloom relatively late in the year, usually in the fall. The name “aster” comes into English via Latin from the Greek word “astéri” meaning “star”, a reference to the arrangement of the petals of the flower.
65. Rhone tributary : SAONE
The Saône is a river in eastern France that joins up with the Rhône in Lyon.
68. Mezzo Marilyn : HORNE
Marilyn Horne is a mezzo-soprano opera singer from Bradford, Pennsylvania. Her first major engagement was to dub the female lead voice in the 1954 film “Carmen Jones”.
69. Carnival treat : FUNNEL CAKE
Funnel cake is a traditional serving at American carnivals and seaside resorts. The cake is made by pouring cake batter from a funnel into hot cooking oil in a circular pattern, and then deep frying until it is golden-brown.
74. Cheap collegiate cupful : RAMEN
Ramen is a noodle dish composed of Chinese-style wheat noodles in a meat or fish broth flavored with soy or miso sauce. Ramen is usually topped with sliced pork and dried seaweed.
75. WWII submachine gun : STEN
The STEN gun is an iconic armament that was used by the British military. The name STEN is an acronym. The S and the T comes from the name of the gun’s designers, Shepherd and Turpin. The EN comes from the Enfield brand name, which in turn comes from the Enfield location where the guns were manufactured for the Royal Small Arms Factory, an enterprise owned by the British government.
77. Media mogul Murdoch : RUPERT
Rupert Murdoch is a media mogul from Melbourne, Australia. Murdoch started buying up American newspapers in the 1970s, and now owns the “New York Post” and “Wall Street Journal”. He purchased 20th Century Fox in 1985, and launched the Fox News Channel in 1996.
78. Santa __ Valley: California wine region : YNEZ
The Santa Ynez Valley is a winegrowing region in Santa Barbara County in California. The Santa Ynez Valley was the setting and location for the wonderful 2004 film “Sideways”.
84. Rowdy sorts : HELLIONS
A “hellion” is a mischievous and wild person. “Hellion” is a North American term, probably derived for the word that we use for the same thing on the other side of the Atlantic, which is “hallion”.
89. Some “Doctor Who” creatures : ETS
Extraterrestrial (ET)
The iconic science-fiction television show “Doctor Who” first aired in 1963, and relaunched in 2005 by the BBC. The relaunched series is produced in-house by the BBC in Cardiff in Wales, the location that is the setting of the successful “Doctor Who” spin-off called “Torchwood”. The new show is about the Cardiff branch of the Torchwood Institute which investigates incidents involving extraterrestrials.
93. Zoo animals with Chinese names : PANDAS
Taxonomic classification of the giant panda has been a subject of great debate for years, the main question being whether it belongs to the bear or raccoon family. The accepted opinion these days, based on molecular studies, seems to be that the panda is in fact a true bear.
100. Anchovy containers : TINS
Anchovies are saltwater fish that are quite small, although their adult size can vary from under an inch to over 15 inches depending on the species. Vegans should beware, as they are a ingredient in several common foods including Worcestershire sauce and Caesar salad dressing.
101. Part of A.A. Milne? : INIT
Initial (init.)
Alan Alexander (A.A.) Milne was an English author, best known for his delightful “Winnie-the-Pooh” series of books. He had only one son, Christopher Robin Milne, born in 1920. The young Milne was the inspiration for the Christopher Robin character in the Winnie-the-Pooh stories. Winnie-the-Pooh was named after Christopher Robin’s real teddy bear, one he called Winnie, who in turn was named after a Canadian black bear called Winnie that the Milnes would visit in London Zoo. The original Winnie teddy bear is on display at the main branch of the New York Public Library in New York.
102. Latin trio part : AMAS
Amo, amas, amat” … I love, you love, he/she/it loves”, in Latin.
105. OFF! ingredient : DEET
DEET is short for N,N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide, an active ingredient in insect repellents. DEET is most often used to repel mosquitoes by applying it to the skin and/or clothing. It is also used to protect against tick bites.
107. Aveeno rival : OLAY
Oil of Olay was developed in South Africa in 1949. When Oil of Olay was introduced internationally, it was given slightly different brand names designed to appeal in the different geographies. In Ireland we know it as Oil of Ulay, for example, and in France it is Oil of Olaz.
Aveeno is a manufacturer of skincare and haircare products that was founded in 1945. The name Aveeno comes from the Latin name for the common oat: “Avena sativa”.
108. “The Aviator” Oscar nominee : ALDA
“The Aviator” is a great film from 2004, a biographical piece about much of the life of aviation pioneer Howard Hughes. Leonardo DiCaprio plays the title role, with Cate Blanchett playing a very credible Katharine Hepburn, Hughes’ lover with whom he lived for quite some time. Blanchett won a very much deserved Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her performance. Alan Alda received an Oscar nomination as a supporting actor, playing Senator Owen Brewster, a thorn in the side for Howard Hughes.
112. Sushi roll topping : ROE
Sushi is a Japanese dish that has as its primary ingredient cooked, vinegared rice. The rice is usually topped with something, most often fish, and can be served in seaweed rolls. If you want raw fish by itself, then you have to order “sashimi”.
Complete List of Clues and Answers
Across
1. Relaxes on the porch, say : ROCKS
6. Character set : CAST
10. “Some girls with a snuffle / Their tempers are uffle” poet : NASH
14. Pest control brand : ORKIN
19. Digs in the snow : IGLOO
20. Many a woman, vocally : ALTO
21. “Homeland” actress Miranda : OTTO
22. Revolutionary diplomat Silas : DEANE
23. *Retail enticement : TRIAL OFFER (“free trial” & “free offer”)
25. Cassandra’s prophecy : DOOM
26. Ill-fated energy company : ENRON
27. Peaceful and relaxed : ZEN
28. “Word is … ” : I HEAR …
29. *Western nickname : SILVER STATE (“free silver” & “free state”)
31. Chipotle option : TACO
33. Expert in futures? : ORACLE
35. __ buco : OSSO
36. Foe of Rocky : BORIS
37. Desert or tundra : BIOME
38. Longoria of “Telenovela” : EVA
39. Org. in some le Carré novels : KGB
42. Federal Reserve chair Yellen : JANET
43. Supplied, as a forgotten line : FED TO
44. Sitarist Shankar : RAVI
46. Skin : PEEL
47. *Reporter’s credential : PRESS PASS (“free press” & “free pass”)
49. Pollen source : STAMEN
51. Annual stage award : OBIE
52. Auction ender? : -EER
53. Outer: Pref. : ECT-
54. *Mall rarity at Christmas : PARKING SPACE (“free parking” & “free space”)
56. Contend (with) : GRAPPLE
59. Thus far : AS YET
60. Friend of Claudius I : HEROD
61. Seedy digs : RATTRAP
64. Quite a journey : ODYSSEY
67. “Whoop-de-doo” : OH FUN
70. Bolt on the track : USAIN
72. Comes into view : APPEARS
76. *Like much farm decor : COUNTRY STYLE (“free country” & “freestyle”)
79. Goliath, to David : FOE
80. It might have the family name on it : MAT
81. Coastal raptor : ERNE
82. Make public, in a way : UNSEAL
83. *Many sandwiches are made for it : LUNCH TIME (“free lunch” & “free time”)
86. Raggedy dolls : ANNS
87. __ review : PEER
88. Mower handle? : DEERE
90. Devoured : EATEN
91. Born, in Bordeaux : NEE
92. Brick-shaped candy : PEZ
93. __-mouthed: inclined to curse : POTTY
94. Brown in the kitchen : ALTON
95. NYC line with a Babylon branch : LIRR
97. Bluffing words, perhaps : I RAISE
99. Thick slice : SLAB
100. *Airport employee : TICKET AGENT (“free ticket” & “free agent”)
103. Forearm bones : RADII
106. Mauna __ : LOA
109. Moronic : INANE
110. Chipotle option : MILD
111. Fracas, and a hint to both words in the answers to starred clues : FREE FOR ALL
113. GoPro competitor : NIKON
114. Sneaker brand : AVIA
115. Muddy ground : MIRE
116. One lacking roots : NOMAD
117. Crockpot dishes : STEWS
118. Min. divisions : SECS
119. Assist in a gym : SPOT
120. “Ciao!” : SEEYA!
Down
1. High-end hotel : RITZ
2. Grimm meanie : OGRE
3. The dot-com boom coincided with much of it : CLINTON ERA
4. Org. for the great outdoors : KOA
5. Seeks earnestly : SOLICITS
6. Free Wi-Fi provider, often : CAFE
7. __ Romeo : ALFA
8. Sports testing subjects : STEROIDS
9. A.L. East team : TOR
10. “Ixnay” : NO DICE
11. Island ring : ATOLL
12. Kiln, e.g. : STOVE
13. Sweet spot? : HOME
14. Black Sea resort : ODESSA
15. Property owner’s income : RENTS
16. Where to find flat beer drinkers? : KARAOKE BAR
17. Tied, briefly : IN OT
18. Endangered state bird : NENE
24. Sounds of discovery : OHOS
29. Indian pastries : SAMOSAS
30. __ eyes : ROVING
32. Lover of Aphrodite : ARES
34. Poppycock : ROT
36. More Spartan : BARER
37. Cream : BEST
38. Tied : EVEN
40. “It’s what you do” insurance company : GEICO
41. Run : BLEED
42. Picture file acronym : JPEG
43. Aspect : FACET
44. Gathered (in) : RAKED
45. Peaceful relations : AMITY
46. Robin Williams title role : POPEYE
48. Trapper’s prize : PELT
50. “You’d like this” : TRY ONE
54. Tropical fruit used in salsas : PAPAYA
55. Smith of Fox News : SHEP
57. Trims in the garden : PRUNES
58. Huff and puff : PANT
62. Charlotte __ : RUSSE
63. Daisylike bloom : ASTER
65. Rhone tributary : SAONE
66. Building guideline : SPEC
67. Large amount : OCEAN
68. Mezzo Marilyn : HORNE
69. Carnival treat : FUNNEL CAKE
71. Volunteer’s phrase : I’LL DO IT
73. Question of responsibility : AM I TO BLAME?
74. Cheap collegiate cupful : RAMEN
75. WWII submachine gun : STEN
77. Media mogul Murdoch : RUPERT
78. Santa __ Valley: California wine region : YNEZ
79. Violent anger : FURY
83. “Go for it!” : LET ‘ER RIP!
84. Rowdy sorts : HELLIONS
85. “Ciao” : TATA
89. Some “Doctor Who” creatures : ETS
92. Hogs the mirror, say : PREENS
93. Zoo animals with Chinese names : PANDAS
94. “Yeah, right!” : AS IF!
96. “No duh!” : I KNOW!
97. Cry of surrender : I GIVE!
98. Museum piece : RELIC
100. Anchovy containers : TINS
101. Part of A.A. Milne? : INIT
102. Latin trio part : AMAS
104. Flying start? : AERO-
105. OFF! ingredient : DEET
107. Aveeno rival : OLAY
108. “The Aviator” Oscar nominee : ALDA
111. Radio settings : FMS
112. Sushi roll topping : ROE