LA Times Crossword Answers 4 Dec 16, Sunday

Constructed by: Garry Morse

Edited by: Rich Norris

Quicklink to a complete list of today’s clues and answers

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Theme: Hold the Tomato

Today’s themed answers are common phrases with a “T-” replaced by “BL-”. We have a BLT, without the T (i.e. hold the tomato).

• 116D. Sandwich that hints at this puzzle’s theme : BLT

• 23A. Warning technologically unavailable in Titanic times? : BLIP OF THE ICEBERG (from “tip of the iceberg”)
• 31A. Passionate maintenance of one’s Cuisinart? : BLENDER LOVING CARE (from “tender loving care”)
• 56A. Forgetting how to stay up? : FLOTATION BLANK (from “flotation tank”)
• 67A. Feline snitch? : BLABBY CAT (from “tabby cat”)
• 77A. Junkyard guards? : BLIGHT SECURITY (from “tight security”)
• 101A. Haul in à la the Big Bad Wolf, as a wrecked vehicle? : BLOW BACK TO THE SHOP (from “tow back to the shop”)
• 113A. Where a chant of “Well done, blokes!” might start? : ENGLISH BLEACHERS (from “English teachers”)

Bill’s time: 26m 25s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies

Across

1. Like some felonies : CLASS B

In the US, felony crimes are categorized according to the maximum prison term that can be imposed at sentencing (class A, B, C, etc.). For example, a class A felony can result in life imprisonment or even a death sentence. A class B felony can result in a jail term of 25 years or more.

11. “The Nutcracker” garb : TUTU

The word “tutu”, used for a ballet dancer’s skirt, is actually a somewhat “naughty” term. It came into English from French in the early 20th century. The French “tutu” is an alteration of the word “cucu”, a childish word meaning “bottom,” or “backside”.

Today, Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker” is one of the most popular ballets in the repertoire, although that popularity really only took off in the late sixties. It’s “must-see ballet” during the Christmas holidays.

20. Vegas bigwig : ODDSMAKER

A “bigwig” is someone important. The use of the term harks back to the days when men of authority and rank wore big wigs.

22. Asian nurse : AMAH

“Amah” is an interesting word in that we associate it so much with Asian culture and yet it actually comes from the Portuguese “ama” meaning “nurse”. Ama was imported into English in the days of the British Raj in India when a wet-nurse became known as an amah.

23. Warning technologically unavailable in Titanic times? : BLIP OF THE ICEBERG (from “tip of the iceberg”)

The RMS Titanic set off on her tragic maiden voyage in 1912, sailing from Southampton, England bound for New York City. Regulations only required that the ship have lifeboat capacity for 1,178 people, even though a full complement of passengers and crew was 3,547. When the order was given to abandon ship, the captain adhered to the traditional protocol of “women and children first”. As a result, only 20% of male passengers survived the disaster, compared to 75% of the female passengers. Perhaps more telling is that 61% of those in first class survived, and only 25% of those in third class. The crew fared even worse though, with only 24% making it.

27. Island band The __ Men : BAHA

The Baha Men are so called because they hail from the Bahamas. Their big hit was “Who Let the Dogs Out?”, which has been ranked as third in a list of the world’s most annoying songs!

28. Plastic __ Band : ONO

The Plastic Ono Band was a so-called “super-group”, brought together by John Lennon and Yoko Ono in 1969. Members of the group included John and Yoko, Ringo Starr, George Harrison, Eric Clapton and Keith Moon.

31. Passionate maintenance of one’s Cuisinart? : BLENDER LOVING CARE (from “tender loving care”)

The Cuisinart line of home appliances was introduced by Carl and Shirley Sontheimer in 1973. The debut product in the line was America’s first food processor. Sales of the machine were very slow for a couple of years, until celebrity chefs like Julia Child and Jacques Pepin started to endorse the product.

35. “This fortress built by Nature for __”: Shakespeare : HERSELF

Here are some famous lines from William Shakespeare’s “Richard II”.

This royal throne of kings, this sceptred isle,
This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars,
This other Eden, demi-paradise,
This fortress built by Nature for herself
Against infection and the hand of war,
This happy breed of men, this little world,
This precious stone set in the silver sea,
Which serves it in the office of a wall
Or as a moat defensive to a house,
Against the envy of less happier lands,
This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England.

40. It merged with SAG in 2012 : AFTRA

The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) was founded in 1937 as AFRA. AFTRA merged with the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) in 2012, forming SAG-AFTRA.

42. Pitney’s partner : BOWES

Pitney Bowes is an American company business services company specializing in mailing, packaging and shipping. Arthur Pitney founded a company in 1912 that produced postage stamping machines. Walter Bowes founded a company in 1908 that made machines that cancelled postage. In 1920 the two companies merged and formed the Pitney Bowes Meter Company. My Dad worked for Pitney Bowes in Ireland many moons ago …

44. Prince __ Khan : ALY

Aly Khan was a familiar name used by the media when referring to Prince Ali Solomone Aga Khan, the Pakistani ambassador to the UN from 1958 to 1960. Khan made it into the papers a lot as he was the third husband of actress Rita Hayworth.

45. Prince Buster music genre : SKA

Prince Buster was the stage name of Jamaican singer-songwriter Cecil Campbell.

Ska originated in Jamaica in the late fifties and was the precursor to reggae music. No one has a really definitive etymology of the term “ska”, but it is likely to be imitative of some sound.

50. At age 88, Betty White was its oldest host, briefly : SNL

The youngest person to host “Saturday Night Live” (SNL) was Drew Barrymore, at age 7 in 1982. The oldest host was Betty White, at 88 in 2010.

51. Jah worshipers : RASTAS

“Jah” is a shortened form of “Jehovah”, and is a name often associated with the Rastafari movement.

54. Fired by a waiter? : FLAMBE

Flambé is the French word for “flamed”, and was originally a term used to describe certain types of porcelain. The word “flambé” crept into cookery just after 1900.

56. Forgetting how to stay up? : FLOTATION BLANK (from “flotation tank”)

An isolation tank (also “flotation tank”) was originally devised to test the effect of sensory deprivation. The tank is completely dark, and soundproof. It is also filled with skin-temperature salt water at a concentration chosen so that individuals float easily.

59. University of San Marcos city : LIMA

The National University of San Marcos is the premier institution for higher education in Peru. Located in the capital city of Peru, it was founded in 1551. That makes San Marcos the oldest university in South America.

61. Form 1040 fig. : AGI

Adjusted gross income (AGI)

Here in the US we can choose one of three main forms to file our tax returns. Form 1040 is known as the “long form”. Form 1040A is called the “short form”, and can be used by taxpayers with taxable income below $100,000 who don’t itemize deduction. Form 1040EZ is an even simpler version of the 1040, and can be used by those with taxable income less than $100,000 who take the standard deduction and who also have no dependents. Form 1040 was originally created just for tax returns from 1913, 1914 and 1915, but it’s a form that just keeps on giving, or should I say “taking” …?

62. NASA, for one : ACRONYM

Strictly speaking, words formed from the first letters or other words are known as “initialisms”. Examples would be FBI and NBC, where the initials are spoken by sounding out each letter. Certain initialisms are pronounced as words in their own right, such as NATO and AWOL, and are called “acronyms”. So, acronyms are a subset of initialisms. As I say, that’s “strictly speaking”, so please don’t write in …

63. Out at the station : ALIBI

“Alibi” is the Latin word for “elsewhere” as in, “I claim that I was ‘elsewhere’ when the crime was committed … I have an ‘alibi’”.

67. Feline snitch? : BLABBY CAT (from “tabby cat”)

Tabbies aren’t a breed of cat, but rather are cats with particular markings regardless of breed. Tabbies have coats with stripes, dots and swirling patterns, and usually an “M” mark on the forehead.

72. Second Amendment word : MILITIA

The Second Amendment of the US Constitution was adopted in 1791 as part of the Bill of Rights. The actual text of the amendment is:

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

The wording and punctuation in the original text has led to some controversy over the years, some debate over the original intent. That might be an understatement …

74. __ Tomé : SAO

The Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe is an island nation off the west coast of Africa comprising mainly two islands: São Tomé and Príncipe. São Tomé and Príncipe is located in the Gulf of Guinea, off the coast of Gabon. It was colonized by Portugal after POrtuguese explorers discovered the islands in the 15th century. After gaining independence in 1975, São Tomé and Príncipe is now the smallest Portuguese-speaking country in the world.

75. Migratory herring : SHAD

The shad is also known as the river herring. The eggs (roe) of the female shad are prized as a delicacy in the Eastern US.

81. Rhinos and hippos : BEASTS

There are five types of rhinoceros that survive today, and the smaller Javan Rhino is the most rare. The rhinoceros is probably the rarest large mammal on the planet, thanks to poaching. Hunters mainly prize the horn of the rhino as it is used in powdered form in traditional Chinese medicine.

The name “hippopotamus” comes from the Greek for “river horse”. Hippos are the third largest land mammals, after elephants and rhinos. The closest living relatives to hippos don’t even live on land. They are the whales and porpoises of the oceans.

90. Four-time Hugo winner Frederik : POHL

Frederik Pohl is an American science-fiction writer, a winner of three Hugo awards. Pohl started off his career as a literary agent, and was the only agent ever hired by Isaac Asimov.

91. __ sleep : REM

REM is an acronym standing for Rapid Eye Movement sleep. REM sleep takes up 20-25% of the sleeping hours and is the period associated with one’s most vivid dreams.

94. Hooded snake : COBRA

“Cobra” is the name given to a group of snakes, some of which are in different animal families. The term “cobra” is reserved for those snakes that can expand their neck ribs to create a hood. The name “cobra” is an abbreviated form of “cobra de capello” which translates from Portuguese as “snake with hood”.

95. Butter-yielding bean : CACAO

Cocoa butter is extracted from the cacao bean and is used to make chocolate, among other things.

101. Haul in à la the Big Bad Wolf, as a wrecked vehicle? : BLOW BACK TO THE SHOP (from “tow back to the shop”)

The Big Bad Wolf is a character in many folklore stories, including “Little Red Riding” and “Three Little Pigs”. Walt Disney’s version of Big Bad Wolf is called Zeke Wolf, and has a son called Li’l Bad Wolf, or just “Li’l Wolf” to his friends.

106. Leeds lot : CAR PARK

I went to school for a while not far from Leeds in West Yorkshire in the north of England. Prior to the Industrial Revolution, Leeds was a major center for the production and trading of wool, and then with the onset of mechanization it became a natural hub for manufacture of textiles. These days Leeds is noted as a shopping destination and so has been dubbed “the Knightsbridge of the North”.

107. Letters in an arrest records database : AKA

Also known as (aka)

108. En __: in the lead, in French : TETE

The French phrase “en tête” translates as “on your mind”, as well as “in the lead”. “Tête” is French for “head”.

109. Early Beatle Sutcliffe : STU

Stu Sutcliffe was one of the original four members of The Silver Beatles (as The Beatles were known in their early days), along with John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison. Sutcliffe apparently came up with name “Beatles” along with John Lennon, as a homage to their hero Buddy Holly who was backed by the “Crickets”. By all reports, Sutcliffe wasn’t a very talented musician and was more interested in painting. He went with the group to Hamburg, more than once, but he eventually left the Beatles and went back to art school, actually studying for a while at the Hamburg College of Art. In 1962 in Hamburg, Sutcliffe collapsed with blinding headaches. He died in the ambulance on the way to hospital, his death attributed to cerebral paralysis.

113. Where a chant of “Well done, blokes!” might start? : ENGLISH BLEACHERS (from “English teachers”)

At a sports event one might sit in the “bleachers”. “Bleachers” is a particularly American term used to describe the tiered stands that provide seating for spectators. These seats were originally wooden planks, and as they were uncovered they would be “bleached” by the sun, giving them the name we use today. Sometimes the fans using the bleachers might be referred to as “bleacherites”.

118. 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”.

121. Specks on a screen : LINT

Lint”, meaning “fluff”, is one of those terms that I had to learn when I moved to the US. We call the same thing “fuzz” on the other side of the pond …

122. Schumann quartet: Abbr. : SYMS

The composer Robert Schumann completed four symphonies in all, and left one incomplete:

• Symphony in G Minor “Zwickau” (1832-33, incomplete)
• Symphony No. 1 “Spring” (1841)
• Symphony No. 2 (1846-46)
• Symphony No. 3. “Rhenish” (1850)
• Symphony No. 4 (1841, revised in 1851)

123. This, in Toledo : ESTO

Toledo is a city in central Spain, located just over 40 miles south of the capital Madrid. Toledo is sometimes called the “City of Three Cultures”, due to the historical co-existence of Christian, Muslim and Jewish traditions.

Down

1. “Power Lunch” airer : CNBC

“Power Lunch” is a business news program that has aired at lunchtime on weekdays since 1996.

2. Kinks title woman with “a dark brown voice” : LOLA

“Lola” is a fabulous song, written by Ray Davies and released by the Kinks back in 1970. Inspired by a real life incident, the lyrics tell of young man who met a young “lady” in a club, danced with her, and then discovered “she” was actually a transvestite. The storyline isn’t very traditional, but the music is superb.

The Kinks were an English band that participated in the British Invasion of America in the sixties, although only briefly. After touring the US in the middle of 1965, the American Federation of Musicians refused permits for the Kinks to book concerts for four years, apparently in response to some rowdy on-stage behavior by band.

4. Patsy : SAP

“Sap” is slang for a fool, someone easily scammed. The term arose in the early 1800s in Britain when it was used in “saphead” and “sapskull”. All these words derive from “sapwood”, which is the soft wood found in tree trunks between the bark and the heartwood at the center.

7. Actress Lindsay : LOHAN

I think that actress Lindsay Lohan’s big break was in the Disney remake of “The Parent Trap” in 1998. I’ve really only enjoyed one of Lohan’s films though, “Freaky Friday” from 2003 in which she stars alongside the fabulous Jamie Lee Curtis.

8. Neruda’s “__ to Wine” : ODE

Pablo Neruda was the pen name, and eventually the legal name, used by Chilean writer Neftali Ricardo Reyes Basoalto. Basoalto chose the name as a homage to Czech poet Jan Neruda.

9. ’80s missile prog. : SDI

One of the positive outcomes of President Reagan’s Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI, aka “Star Wars”) was a change in US defense strategy. The new approach was to use missiles to destroy incoming hostile weapons, rather than using missiles to destroy the nation attacking the country. The former doctrine of Mutually Assured Destruction went by the apt acronym of MAD …

11. Simply not done : TABOO

The word “taboo” was introduced into English by Captain Cook in his book “A Voyage to the Pacific Ocean”. Cook described “tabu” (likely imitative of a Tongan word that he had heard) as something that was both consecrated and forbidden.

12. Lute family member : UKE

The ukulele (uke) originated in the 1800s and mimicked a small guitar brought to the Hawaiian Islands by Portuguese immigrants.

The lute is a stringed instrument with a long neck and usually a pear-shaped body. It is held and played like a guitar, and was popular from the Middle Ages right through to the late Baroque era. A person who plays the lute can be referred to as a “lutenist”.

15. Patrick on a track : DANICA

Danica Patrick is a very successful auto racing driver. She won the 2008 Indy Japan 300. making her the only woman to win an IndyCar Series race. Patrick also finished third in the 2009 Indy 500, the highest finish for a woman in that race.

16. Introducer of the first side-by-side refrigerator : AMANA

The Amana Corporation takes its name from the location of its original headquarters, in Middle Amana, Iowa. Today, the Amana name is very much associated with household appliances. The company was founded in 1934 to manufacture commercial walk-in coolers.

17. Dr.’s orders : R AND R

Rest and relaxation/recuperation (R&R)

18. “God helps __ … ” : THOSE

… who help themselves.

21. __ Park: Edison lab site : MENLO

Menlo Park, New Jersey is noted as the home to Thomas Edison’s laboratory where he made so many of his inventions. We also have a pretty well-known Menlo Park out here in California, home to many of the venture capital companies that tend to make a lot of money out of Silicon Valley businesses.

24. ’60s-’70s crime drama : THE FBI

“The F.B.I.” is a crime TV series that originally ran from 1965 to 1974. Star of the show is Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. who played Inspector Lewis Erskine. The Ford Motor Company sponsored the show, so the main characters were sure to always drive Ford automobiles. Former Director of the FBI J. Edgar Hoover served as a consultant for the series.

30. Dugout VIP : MGR

A “dugout” is an underground shelter. The term was carried over to baseball because the dugout is slightly depressed below the level of the field. This allows spectators behind the dugout to get a good view of home plate, where a lot of the action takes place.

33. Warm Argentina month : ENERO

In Spanish, “el año” (the year) starts in “enero” (January) and ends in “diciembre” (December).

Argentina is the second largest country in South America (after Brazil), and geographically is the world’s largest Spanish-speaking nation. The name “Argentina” of course comes from the Latin “argentum”, the word for “silver”. It is thought that the name was given by the early Spanish and Portuguese conquerors who also named the Rio de la Plata (the “Silver River”). Those early explorers got hold of lots of silver objects that they found among the native population.

34. “My Eyes Adored You” singer : VALLI

Frankie Valli is a great singer, best known for fronting the Four Seasons in the sixties. Valli had an incredible number of hits, with and without the Four Seasons. The extensive list includes, “Sherry”, “Big Girls Don’t Cry”, “Walk Like a Man”, “Rag Doll”, “My Eyes Adored You” and “Grease”.

36. Like many cks. : ENCL

An enclosure (encl.) might be a check (ck.).

37. Pro __ : RATA

“Pro rata” is a Latin phrase meaning “in proportion”.

38. Site of the “Shall We Dance?” dance : SIAM

“Shall We Dance?” is a song from the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical “The King and I”.

“The King and I” is a Rodgers and Hammerstein musical based on a book by Margaret Landon called “Anna and the King of Siam” first published in 1944. Landon’s book is based on a true story, told in the memoirs of Anna Leonowens. Leonowens was the governess of the children of King Mongkut of Siam in the 1860s, and she also taught the king’s wives.

43. Butcher’s waste : OFFAL

The internal organs and entrails of a butchered animal is referred to as “offal”. Examples of dishes that make use of offal would be sausages, foie gras, sweetbreads and haggis. The term is a melding of the words “off” and “fall”, and dates back to the 14th century. The idea is that offal is what “falls off” a butcher’s block.

44. Marx Brothers staple : ANTIC

The five Marx Brothers were born to “Minnie” and “Frenchy” Marx in New York City. The more famous older boys were Chico, Harpo and Groucho. Zeppo was the youngest brother, and he appeared in the early Marx Brothers movies. The fifth son was called Gummo, and he decided to pursue a different career off the stage.

45. Ford muscle car, to devotees : ‘STANG

The Ford Mustang car was introduced in 1964. Back then the Mustang wasn’t a brand new design, but was based on the Ford Falcon. The Mustang was the first of the “pony cars”, American models that are compact and affordable, as well as sporty in image and performance.

46. West of Atlanta : KANYE

Kanye West is a rap singer who was born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago. He also spent some time in Nanjing, China as a child, where his mother was teaching as part of an exchange program. West is married to reality star Kim Kardashian.

49. Floral neckwear : LEI

“Lei” is the Hawaiian word for “garland, wreath”, although in more general terms a “lei” is any series of objects strung together as an adornment for the body.

50. Like saltimbocca, flavorwise : SAGY

Saltimbocca is a dish from southern Europe made of veal topped with prosciutto and sage, and then marinated in perhaps wine. The name “saltimbocca” is Italian for “jump in the mouth”.

51. GOP org. : RNC

National leadership of the Republican Party is provided by the Republican National Committee (RNC). Only one chairperson of the RNC has been elected to the office of US president, and that was George H. W. Bush.

The Republican Party has had the nickname Grand Old Party (GOP) since 1875. That said, the phrase was coined in the “Congressional Record” as “this gallant old party”. The moniker was changed to “grand old party” in 1876 in an article in the “Cincinnati Commercial”. The Republican Party’s elephant mascot dates back to an 1874 cartoon drawn by Thomas Nast for “Harper’s Weekly”. The Democrat’s donkey was already an established symbol. Nast drew a donkey clothed in a lion’s skin scaring away the other animals. One of the scared animals was an elephant, which Nast labeled “The Republican Vote”.

57. Drum played with a fife : TABOR

A tabor is a portable snare drum that is played with one hand. The tabor is usually suspended by a strap from one arm, with the other hand free to beat the drum. It is often played as an accompaniment for a fife or other small flutes. The word “tabor” comes from “tabwrdd”, the Welsh word for “drum”.

64. City in northern France : LILLE

Lille is a large city in the very north of France sitting right on the border with Belgium. The name “Lille” is a derivation of the term “l’isle” meaning “the island”.

65. Pelvic bone : ILIUM

The ilium is the upper portion of the hipbone.

66. Cowboys’ home, familiarly : BIG D

“Big D” is a nickname for the city of Dallas, Texas.

The Dallas Cowboys play in the National Football Conference of the NFL. The Cowboys are famous for a lengthy streak of 20 consecutive winning seasons, from 1966 to 1985. They are the highest-valued sports franchise in the country. The only team in the world that’s worth more money is the UK’s Manchester United soccer team.

68. Foppish accessory : ASCOT

An Ascot tie is a horrible-looking (I think!) wide tie that narrows at the neck, which these days is only really worn at weddings. The tie takes its name from the Royal Ascot horse race at which punters still turn up in formal wear at Ascot Racecourse in England.

69. Data transfer unit : BAUD

In telecommunications, the “baud” unit represents pulses per second. The higher the baud rate of a modem, the faster information can be transferred. The baud unit is named for Émile Baudot, a pioneer in the world of telecommunications.

76. Six-pack you can’t drink : ABS

The abdominal muscles (“abs”) are more correctly referred to as the rectus abdominis muscles. They are all called a “six-pack” in a person who has developed the muscles and who has low body fat. In my case, more like a keg …

89. Bunting relative : TOWHEE

“Towhee” is the common name for several species of bird, including the extinct Bermuda towhee, the California towhee and white-throated towhee.

Buntings are birds found all over Eurasia and Africa, and are related to American sparrows. One of the more famous buntings is the yellowhammer.

92. London taxi : HACKNEY

Hackney is a location in London, and it probably gave it’s name to a “hackney”, an ordinary type of horse around 1300. By 1700 a “hackney” was a person hired to do routine work, and “hackneyed” meant “kept for hire”. This morphed into a hackney carriage, a carriage or car for hire, and into “hack”, a slang term for a taxi driver or cab.

94. New England tourist mecca : CAPE COD

Cape Cod is indeed named after the fish. It was first called Cape Cod by English navigator Bartholomew Gosnold in 1602 as his men caught so many fish there.

95. Grape-Nuts creator : CW POST

C. W. Post decided to get into the cereal business after visiting the Battle Creek Sanitarium operated by John Harvey Kellogg. Post was interested in the chemistry of digestion and was inspired by the dietary products offered by Kellogg at his sanitarium. The first breakfast cereal Post introduced was Grape-Nuts, way back in 1897.

96. Lawyer’s org. : ABA

The American Bar Association (ABA) was founded back in 1878 and is a voluntary association for lawyers and law students. The ABA focuses on setting academic standards for law schools and setting ethical codes for the profession.

97. Marks for a 124-Across : CARETS
(124A. Text __ : EDITOR)

The character known as a caret was originally a proofreading mark, used to indicate where a punctuation mark was to be inserted. “Caret” is Latin for “it lacks”.

98. Journalist Roberts : COKIE

Cokie Roberts is a great journalist and author, best known for her work with National Public Radio.

101. Bone marrow lymphocyte : B CELL

One of the main roles of bone marrow is the production of red blood cells, although this process is limited to the heads of the long bones in the body. Marrow also produces the lymphocytes that support the body’s immune system.

102. Polynesian porch : LANAI

A lanai is a type of veranda, a design that originated in Hawaii. A kind blog reader tells me that the etymology of “lanai” seems unclear, but that the island name of “Lana’i” is not related.

103. “Entertaining Mr. Sloane” playwright : ORTON

Joe Orton was an English playwright who was active in the 1960s and who was noted for penning outrageous black comedies. Orton’s career was cut short as he was bludgeoned to death by his lover, when Orton was only 24 years old.

105. Fifth cen. pope called “The Great” : ST LEO

The first pope named Leo is now known as Pope Saint Leo the Great. Leo I is famous for meeting with the feared Attila the Hun and persuading him to turn back his invading force that was threatening to overrun Western Europe.

109. Paving stone : SETT

A sett is a small rectangular paving stone with a rounded top used to make a road surface. It’s like a cobblestone, I think …

110. Palm Pre predecessor : TREO

The Treo is a smartphone that was originally developed by a company called Handspring. Handspring was bought by Palm Inc. Subsequently, the Treo was phased out and replaced by the Palm Pre.

114. Pinup’s leg : GAM

The American slang term “gams” is used for a woman’s legs. The term goes back to the 18th century “gamb” meaning the leg of an animal on a coat of arms.

115. Stats in NBA bios : HTS

Heights (hts.)

116. Sandwich that hints at this puzzle’s theme : BLT

The BLT (bacon, lettuce and tomato) is the second most popular sandwich in the US, after the plain old ham sandwich.

117. Yokohama yes : HAI

Yokohama is the second-most populous city in Japan. Yokohama lies on Tokyo Bay and is just a 40-minute drive from the nation’s capital.

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Complete List of Clues and Answers

Across

1. Like some felonies : CLASS B

7. Get whipped : LOSE

11. “The Nutcracker” garb : TUTU

15. Missile with a flight : DART

19. Rep’s bad news : NO SALE

20. Vegas bigwig : ODDSMAKER

22. Asian nurse : AMAH

23. Warning technologically unavailable in Titanic times? : BLIP OF THE ICEBERG (from “tip of the iceberg”)

25. Second start : NANO-

26. Half-__: coffee order : CAF

27. Island band The __ Men : BAHA

28. Plastic __ Band : ONO

29. Helps keep track : REMINDS

31. Passionate maintenance of one’s Cuisinart? : BLENDER LOVING CARE (from “tender loving care”)

35. “This fortress built by Nature for __”: Shakespeare : HERSELF

39. Suspicious of : ONTO

40. It merged with SAG in 2012 : AFTRA

41. Kind of TV personality : ON-AIR

42. Pitney’s partner : BOWES

44. Prince __ Khan : ALY

45. Prince Buster music genre : SKA

48. Tetra- doubled : OCTA-

49. One who doesn’t get out : LIFER

50. At age 88, Betty White was its oldest host, briefly : SNL

51. Jah worshipers : RASTAS

54. Fired by a waiter? : FLAMBE

56. Forgetting how to stay up? : FLOTATION BLANK (from “flotation tank”)

59. University of San Marcos city : LIMA

61. Form 1040 fig. : AGI

62. NASA, for one : ACRONYM

63. Out at the station : ALIBI

67. Feline snitch? : BLABBY CAT (from “tabby cat”)

71. “Shucks” : AW GEE

72. Second Amendment word : MILITIA

74. __ Tomé : SAO

75. Migratory herring : SHAD

77. Junkyard guards? : BLIGHT SECURITY (from “tight security”)

81. Rhinos and hippos : BEASTS

86. Ducks : ELUDES

87. Hunk’s pride : BOD

88. Sharpens : WHETS

90. Four-time Hugo winner Frederik : POHL

91. __ sleep : REM

92. Recently stolen : HOT

93. Link up with : TIE TO

94. Hooded snake : COBRA

95. Butter-yielding bean : CACAO

98. Micro- ending : -COSM

99. Finishes : WRAPS UP

101. Haul in à la the Big Bad Wolf, as a wrecked vehicle? : BLOW BACK TO THE SHOP (from “tow back to the shop”)

106. Leeds lot : CAR PARK

107. Letters in an arrest records database : AKA

108. En __: in the lead, in French : TETE

109. Early Beatle Sutcliffe : STU

112. Within: Pref. : ENTO-

113. Where a chant of “Well done, blokes!” might start? : ENGLISH BLEACHERS (from “English teachers”)

118. China neighbor : LAOS

119. Kitchen whistler : TEAKETTLE

120. Just as planned : TO A TEE

121. Specks on a screen : LINT

122. Schumann quartet: Abbr. : SYMS

123. This, in Toledo : ESTO

124. Text __ : EDITOR

Down

1. “Power Lunch” airer : CNBC

2. Kinks title woman with “a dark brown voice” : LOLA

3. Like : AS IF

4. Patsy : SAP

5. Kiss like a dog, perhaps : SLOBBER

6. Happen to : BEFALL

7. Actress Lindsay : LOHAN

8. Neruda’s “__ to Wine” : ODE

9. ’80s missile prog. : SDI

10. Lines of squad cars, maybe : ESCORTS

11. Simply not done : TABOO

12. Lute family member : UKE

13. Evoke screams from : TERRIFY

14. Pressing : URGENT

15. Patrick on a track : DANICA

16. Introducer of the first side-by-side refrigerator : AMANA

17. Dr.’s orders : R AND R

18. “God helps __ … ” : THOSE

21. __ Park: Edison lab site : MENLO

24. ’60s-’70s crime drama : THE FBI

30. Dugout VIP : MGR

32. Carpentry pin : DOWEL

33. Warm Argentina month : ENERO

34. “My Eyes Adored You” singer : VALLI

35. Place for a shoe : HOOF

36. Like many cks. : ENCL

37. Pro __ : RATA

38. Site of the “Shall We Dance?” dance : SIAM

43. Butcher’s waste : OFFAL

44. Marx Brothers staple : ANTIC

45. Ford muscle car, to devotees : ‘STANG

46. West of Atlanta : KANYE

47. “If you __ … ” : ASK ME

49. Floral neckwear : LEI

50. Like saltimbocca, flavorwise : SAGY

51. GOP org. : RNC

52. Rub the wrong way? : ABRADE

53. Deliberate : SLOW

55. Carefree : BLITHE

57. Drum played with a fife : TABOR

58. Promise : OATH

60. Yale School of Management degs. : MBAS

63. Brew hue : AMBER

64. City in northern France : LILLE

65. Pelvic bone : ILIUM

66. Cowboys’ home, familiarly : BIG D

68. Foppish accessory : ASCOT

69. Data transfer unit : BAUD

70. To this point : AS YET

73. “__ so you!” : IT’S

76. Six-pack you can’t drink : ABS

78. Tablet download : E-BOOK

79. “If only” : I WISH

80. Central idea : THEME

82. Informal pricing words : A POP

83. They may be choked back : SOBS

84. Word on a fast food sign : THRU

85. Waves-against-dock sound : SLAP

89. Bunting relative : TOWHEE

92. London taxi : HACKNEY

93. As you like it : TO TASTE

94. New England tourist mecca : CAPE COD

95. Grape-Nuts creator : CW POST

96. Lawyer’s org. : ABA

97. Marks for a 124-Across : CARETS

98. Journalist Roberts : COKIE

100. What some spits do : ROTATE

101. Bone marrow lymphocyte : B CELL

102. Polynesian porch : LANAI

103. “Entertaining Mr. Sloane” playwright : ORTON

104. Negotiations : TALKS

105. Fifth cen. pope called “The Great” : ST LEO

109. Paving stone : SETT

110. Palm Pre predecessor : TREO

111. Password creator : USER

114. Pinup’s leg : GAM

115. Stats in NBA bios : HTS

116. Sandwich that hints at this puzzle’s theme : BLT

117. Yokohama yes : HAI

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