LA Times Crossword Answers 3 Sep 2017, Sunday

Constructed by: Don Gagliardo & C.C. Burnikel

Edited by: Rich Norris

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Theme: First Things First

The FIRST word in each of today’s themed answers is associated with coming FIRST:

• 21A. Willie Mays won 12 in 12 consecutive years : GOLD GLOVE AWARDS (first place in a race)
• 39A. “Mad Men” actress : JANUARY JONES (first month of the year)
• 68A. Certain group leader : ALPHA MALE (first letter in the Greek alphabet)
• 94A. Early ’60s group that included John Glenn : MERCURY SEVEN (first planet from the Sun)
• 116A. 1990 movie with a muscular teacher : KINDERGARTEN COP (first year of schooling)
• 14D. “Rip Van Winkle” author : WASHINGTON IRVING (first president of the US)
• 36D. Component of hair bleach : HYDROGEN PEROXIDE (first element in the periodic table)

Bill’s time: 12m 28s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies

Across

1. Pocket for falafel : PITA

Pita is a lovely bread in Middle-Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines. Pita is usually round, and has a “pocket” in the center. The pocket is created by steam that puffs up the dough during cooking leaving a void when the bread cools.

Falafel is a ball of ground chickpeas or fava beans that has been deep fried and served in pita bread. I love chickpeas, but falafel is often too dry to me …

9. Some old notebooks : IBMS

IBM introduced the ThinkPad notebook in 1992 and the brand is still sold today, although no longer manufactured by IBM. IBM sold off its personal computer division in 2005 to Lenovo. A ThinkPad was used aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavor in 1993 on a mission focused on repairing the Hubble Telescope. The ThinkPad was being tested to see how it performed in space, given the high levels of radiation found in that environment. Now, there are about 100 (!) ThinkPads on board the International Space Station.

17. USNA part: Abbr. : ACAD

The United States Naval Academy (USNA) is located in Annapolis, Maryland. The USNA was founded in 1845 and educates officers for both the US Navy and the US Marine Corps. The motto of the USNA is “Ex Scientia Tridens”, which translates as “From Knowledge, Sea Power”.

19. Eponymous store founder : MACY

The original Macy’s store was opened by Rowland Hussey Macy in Haverhill, Massachusetts in 1851. This store, and several others that Macy opened, all failed. Macy picked himself up though, and started over again in New York City. Those early New York stores all focused on the sale of dry goods, but added departments quickly as the clientele grew. The Macy’s “star” logo has been around since the company was first established. Macy chose the star because it mimicked the star tattoo that he got as a teenager when he was working on a whaling ship out of Nantucket.

20. Gulf State native : OMANI

The original Macy’s store was opened by Rowland Hussey Macy in Haverhill, Massachusetts in 1851. This store, and several others that Macy opened, all failed. Macy picked himself up though, and started over again in New York City. Those early New York stores all focused on the sale of dry goods, but added departments quickly as the clientele grew. The Macy’s “star” logo has been around since the company was first established. Macy chose the star because it mimicked the star tattoo that he got as a teenager when he was working on a whaling ship out of Nantucket.

21. Willie Mays won 12 in 12 consecutive years : GOLD GLOVE AWARDS (first place)

The Gold Glove is an annual award given by Major League Baseball to the player judged to be the best in each fielding position in a season. The award was instituted in 1957 by the baseball glove manufacturer Rawlings.

Willie Mays’ nickname was the “Say Hey Kid”, although his friends and teammates were more likely to refer to him as “Buck”. When Mays was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, he was asked who was the best player he’d ever seen in the game. He replied, “I don’t mean to be bashful, but I was.”

24. Brake components : DISCS

The drum brake was invented in 1902 by Louis Renault (founder of Renault, the automobile company). In a drum brake, there is a set of brake shoes that usually presses on the inner surface of the drum to slow down rotation. Nowadays, the disc brake system is more popular, a design which uses brake pads instead of brake shoes.

25. “More!” : ENCORE!

“Encore” is French for “again, one more time”, and is a shout that an audience member will make here in North America to request another song, say. But, the term is not used this way in France. Rather, the audience will shout “Bis!”, which is the Italian for “twice!”

26. Left hanging : IN LIMBO

In the Roman Catholic tradition, “Limbo” is a place where souls can remain who cannot enter heaven. For example, infants who have not been baptized are said to reside in Limbo. Limbo is said to be located on the border of Hell. The name was chosen during the Middle Ages from the Latin “limbo” meaning “ornamental border to a fringe”. We use the phrase “in limbo” in contemporary English to mean “in a state of uncertainty”.

27. John Wayne types : MACHOS

John Wayne was called Marion Mitchell Morrison at birth, named after his grandfather who was a Civil War veteran. When young Marion was a little boy, a local fireman used to call him “Little Duke” because he was always seen walking with his large dog called “Duke”. Marion liked the name “Duke” and so he called himself Duke Morrison for the rest of his life. That said, Duke Morrison also used John Wayne as a stage name.

30. “99 Luftballons” singer : NENA

Nena is a German singer (“Nena” became the name of her band as well) who had a big hit with one of my favorite songs of the eighties “99 Luftballons”. The English translation of the German title (“99 Red Balloons”) isn’t literal, with the color “red” added just so that the title had the right number of syllables for the tune. “Luftballon” is the name given to a child’s toy balloon in German.

31. Org. created in a 1949 sports merger : NBA

The National Basketball Association (NBA) was founded in 1946 as the Basketball Association of America (BAA). The NBA name was adopted in 1949 following a merger with the rival National Basketball League (NBL). Of the four major sports leagues in North America, the NBA has the highest average annual salary per player.

33. Lyft offer : RIDE

Lyft is a ridesharing service that is based in San Francisco, as is Lyft’s biggest competitor: Uber.

37. Pitt of “The Big Short” : BRAD

“The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine” is a nonfiction book by Michael Lewis that examines the run-up to the 2007-2010 global financial crisis. In particular Lewis looks at the credit bubble of the 2000s. Lewis wrote another great book called “Moneyball” that told the story of Billy Beane and how he traded his way to success managing the Oakland Athletics baseball team. Brad Pitt appeared in the movie version of both of Lewis’ books.

39. “Mad Men” actress : JANUARY JONES (first month of the year)

January Jones is a model and actress from Brookings, South Dakota. Most famously, Jones plays Betty, the wife of Don Draper, on the TV show “Mad Men”. My favorite movie featuring Jones is 2011’s “Unknown” in which she starred opposite Liam Neeson.

42. Glasgow’s river : CLYDE

Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and sits on the River Clyde. Back in the Victorian Era, Glasgow earned a reputation for excellence in shipbuilding and was known as “Second City of the British Empire”. Glasgow shipyards were the birthplaces of such famous vessels as the Lusitania, the Queen Mary and the Queen Elizabeth.

44. Vineyard grape : PINOT

The Pinot family of grapes includes the varieties:

• Pinot blanc (Pinot bianco)
• Pinot gris (Pinot grigio)
• Pinot noir (Pinot nero)

50. Brewery named for a Dutch river : AMSTEL

Amstel is a Dutch beer and brewery, founded in 1870 in Amsterdam. The brewery takes its name from the Amstel river that runs through the city.

53. Stonehenge worshiper : DRUID

Druids were priests of Celtic Europe during the Iron Age.

The magnificent Stonehenge monument in the south of England was built from 3000 to 2000 BC. “Stonehenge” has given its name to “henges”, a whole class of earthwork monuments that are circular in form with an internal ditch surrounded by a bank. Paradoxically, Stonehenge doesn’t qualify as a henge by this contemporary definition, as its earthen bank is surrounded by an external ditch.

55. Brahms’ “Variations on a __ of Paganini” : THEME

Niccolò Paganini was a famed Italian violinist and composer. Paganini was perhaps the most celebrated violinist of the 19th century. His most famous composition has to be his Caprice No. 24 in A minor, Op. 1. This work is the basis for many derivative masterpieces by other composers, including the wonderful “Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini” by Rachmaninoff. And the “Variations on a __ of Paganini” by Brahms.

57. Putin’s former org. : 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.

Vladimir Putin became acting President of Russia at the very end of 1999 when Boris Yeltsin resigned. Putin was elected in his own right in 2000, re-elected in 2004, and then ran up against a term limit in 2008. In 2008 Putin was appointed by his successor, President Dmitry Medvedev, to the position of Prime Minister. Putin is a controversial figure, inside and outside Russia. On the one hand he led the country out of an economic crisis into a period of stability and relative prosperity. On the other hand he has been associated with government corruption and accused of allowing private concerns to have undue influence on government actions. And then, along came the 2016 US presidential election …

58. Wish Tree artist : ONO

“Wish Tree” is a series of living art installations by Yoko Ono. The series consists of native trees planted under her direction, Ono invites viewers to tie written wishes to the trees. Ono has been installing “Wish Tree” exhibits in locations around the world since the 1990s. She does not read the wishes, but collects them for burial under the Imagine Peace Tower, a memorial to John Lennon located on an island near Reykjavik, Iceland. There are over a million such wishes under the memorial today.

59. Canada’s most populous province : ONTARIO

The Canadian province of Ontario takes its name from the Great Lake. In turn, Lake Ontario’s name is thought to be derived from “Ontari:io”, a Huron word meaning “great lake”. Ontario is home to the nation’s capital of Ottawa as well as Toronto, Canada’s most populous city (and the capital of the province).

64. Sonata finale, perhaps : RONDO

A rondo was often chosen by composers in the classical period for the last movement of a sonata (or symphony or concerto, for that matter). In rondo form there is a principal theme that alternates with a contrasting theme(s). So, the original theme anchors the whole piece in between secondary digressions.

70. Hunter with a belt : ORION

The very recognizable constellation of Orion is named for the Greek God Orion, the Hunter. If you take a look at the star in Orion’s “right shoulder”, the second brightest star in the constellation, you might notice that it is quite red in color. This is the famous star called Betelgeuse, a red supergiant, a huge star that is on its way out. Betelgeuse is expected to explode into a supernova within the next thousand years or so. You don’t want to miss that …

71. Von Trapp girl who sings “Sixteen Going on Seventeen” with Rolf : LIESL

A subset of three particularly bright stars in the constellation of Orion is named “Orion’s Belt”. The three bright stars sit almost in a straight line and are about equidistant. They’re usually the easiest way to spot the constellation of Orion in the night sky.

75. Subject for Keats : URN

Here’s the first verse of the poem “Ode on a Grecian Urn” by John Keats:

THOU still unravish’d bride of quietness,
Thou foster-child of Silence and slow Time,
Sylvan historian, who canst thus express
A flowery tale more sweetly than our rhyme:
What leaf-fringed legend haunts about thy shape
Of deities or mortals, or of both,
In Tempe or the dales of Arcady?
What men or gods are these? What maidens loth?
What mad pursuit? What struggle to escape?
What pipes and timbrels? What wild ecstasy?

76. “__ Kapital” : DAS

“Das Kapital” (entitled “Capital” in English versions) is a book about political economy written by Karl Marx, first published in 1867. The book is in effect an analysis of capitalism, and proffers the opinion that capitalism relies on the exploitation of workers. Marx concludes that the profits from capitalist concerns come from the underpaying of labor.

78. Capri or Elba, locally : ISOLA

In Italian, an “isola” is an “island”.

The island of Capri off the coast of Southern Italy has been a tourist resort since the days of ancient Rome. Capri is home to the famous Blue Grotto, a sea cave that is illuminated with sunlight that’s colored blue as it passes through the seawater into the cave.

I had a lovely two-week vacation in Tuscany once, including what was supposed to be a two-night stay on the island of Elba. I had envisioned Elba as a place full of history, and maybe it is, but it is also overrun with tourists who use it as a beach getaway. We left after one day and we won’t be going back again …

84. GI bill? : DOL

The “$” sign was first used for the Spanish American peso, in the late 18th century. The peso was also called the “Spanish dollar” (and “piece of eight”). The Spanish dollar was to become the model for the US dollar that was adopted in 1785, along with the “$” sign.

The initials “G.I.” stand for “Government Issue”, and not “General Infantry” as is often believed. GI was first used in the military to denote equipment made from Galvanized Iron and during WWI, incoming German shells were nicknamed “GI cans”. Soon after, the term GI came to be associated with “Government Issue” and eventually became an adjective to describe anything associated with the Army.

86. Stout quantities : PINTS

The term “stout” was first used for a type of beer in the 1600s when was used to describe a “strong, stout” brew, and not necessarily a dark beer as it is today.

92. Praline nut : PECAN

A praline is a candy made made out of nuts and sugar syrup. The first pralines were made in France in the 17th century for an industrialist named Marshal du Plessis-Praslin, who gave his name to the confection.

93. Ed with Emmys : ASNER

Ed Asner is most famous for playing the irascible but lovable Lou Grant on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and on the spin-off drama “Lou Grant”. Off-screen Asner is noted for his political activism. He served two terms as president of the Screen Actors Guild, and was very involved in the 1980 SAG strike. When “Lou Grant” was cancelled in in 1982, despite decent ratings, there was a lot of talk that the cancellation was a move by the network against Asner personally. In fact, one of Asner’s activist colleagues, Howard Hesseman (who played Johnny Fever) found that his show “WKRP in Cincinnati” was also cancelled … on the very same day.

94. Early ’60s group that included John Glenn : MERCURY SEVEN (first planet from the Sun)

The Mercury Seven were the original NASA astronauts. Several members of the 7-man team actually flew on all the major NASA programs: Mercury, Gemini, Apollo and the Space Shuttle. The seven astronauts were:

• Alan Shepherd
• Gus Grissom
• John Glenn
• Scott Carpenter
• Wally Schirra
• Gordon Cooper
• Deke Slayton

101. East, to Goethe : OST

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was a German writer (among other things!). Goethe’s most famous work is probably his play “Faust”. This epic work was published in parts, starting in 1808. The work was only published in toto after his death in 1832.

106. Philly cagers : SIXERS

The Philadelphia 76ers basketball team is one of the oldest franchises in the NBA. “The Sixers” were formed in 1946 as the Syracuse Nationals. The team moved to Philadelphia in 1963, and the name 76er was chosen in a fan contest, a name that honors the men who fought for the country’s independence in 1776.

111. Heir and heiress : SCIONS

“Scion” comes from the old French word “sion” or “cion”, meaning “a shoot or a twig”. In botanical terms today, a scion is used in grafting two compatible plants together. In grafting, one plant is selected for its root system (the “rootstock”), and the other plant is selected for its stems, leaves and fruit (the “scion”). The term scion migrated naturally into the world of family history. A scion is simply a descendant, a son or a daughter and therefore a branching point in the family tree.

116. 1990 movie with a muscular teacher : KINDERGARTEN COP (first year of schooling)

“Kindergarten Cop” is a fun 1990 comedy starring Arnold Schwarzenegger in a different role for him. Arnie is a cop, but working undercover as a kindergarten teacher.

118. Like acid in some disinfectants : IODIC

Iodic acid is the simplest acid containing the element iodine, hence its name.

120. Citrus hybrids : UGLIS

The ugli fruit is a hybrid of an orange and a tangerine, first discovered growing wild in Jamaica where most ugli fruit comes from today. “UGLI” is a trademark name that is a variant of “ugly”, a nod to the fruits unsightly wrinkled rind.

121. James of jazz : ETTA

Etta James was best known for her beautiful rendition of the song “At Last”. Sadly, as she disclosed in her autobiography, James lived a life that was ravaged by drug addiction leading to numerous legal and health problems. Ms. James passed away in January 2012 having suffered from leukemia.

122. Tech gadget review site : CNET

c|net is an excellent technology website. c|net started out in 1994 as a television network specializing in technology news. The host of “American Idol”, Ryan Seacrest, started off his career as host of a c|net show.

124. Island in a computer game : MYST

In the days when I played the occasional video game, the best of the bunch was undoubtedly Myst. It is a game full of puzzles with the player wandering through a beautifully-designed (for its day) interactive world.

125. Roulette bet : NOIR

In the game of roulette, players can bet on “rouge” (red) and “noir” (black).

Down

3. It’s 1 on the Mohs scale : TALC

The Mohs scale of mineral hardness was developed in 1812 by Friedrich Mohs. Basically Mohs took minerals and scratched them with other minerals. In this way he was able to determine which minerals were hardest (most scratch resistant) and which softest.

6. Big name in denim : LEVI

Levi Strauss was the founder of the first company in the world to manufacture blue jeans. Levi Strauss & Co. opened in 1853 in San Francisco. Strauss and his business partner were awarded a patent in 1873 for the use of copper rivets to strengthen points of strain on working pants.

Denim fabric originated in Nimes in France. The French phrase “de Nimes” (meaning “from Nimes”) gives us the word “denim”. Also, the French phrase “bleu de Genes” (meaning “blue of Genoa”) gives us our word “jeans”.

7. Home to the first collegiate business sch. : UPENN

Wharton is the business school of the University of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia. The school was established in 1881 largely due to a donation from industrialist Joseph Wharton, co-founder of Bethlehem Steel.

9. 1967 Spencer Davis Group hit : I’M A MAN

The Spencer Davis Group is a band from the Midlands of England that was formed in the mid-sixties by Spencer Davis and Steve Winwood. The band’s biggest hit was their version of Jackie Edwards’ “Keep on Running”, recorded in 1965. Another big hit was their own song “Gimme Some Lovin’”, from 1966.

11. Pioneering fast food name : MCDONALD

The original McDonald’s restaurant was opened in 1940 by Richard and Maurice McDonald as a barbecue restaurant. The brothers then moved into fast food hamburgers, eventually selling out to one of their franchise agents, Ray Kroc. It was Ray Kroc who really led the company to its worldwide success. He was played by Michael Keaton in the movie about Ray Kroc’s business life called “The Founder”.

12. Part of TBS: Abbr. : SYS

The tbs cable television station started out in 1967 as local broadcast TV station in Atlanta. The station’s first call letters were WJRJ-TV, and this was changed to WTCG in 1970 when it was acquired by Ted Turner (the TCG stood for Turner Communications Group). In 1976, Turner started distributing WTCG via satellite making its programming available in other parts of the country. WTCG was only the second channel to transmit via satellite, following HBO. The difference was that WTCG was broadcast without requiring a premium subscription. The station’s call sign was changed again in 1979 to WTBS, with TBS standing for Turner Broadcasting System. In 1981, the channel adopted the moniker “Superstation WTBS”.

13. Fraternity O’s : OMICRONS

Omega is the last letter of the Greek alphabet and is the one that looks like a horseshoe when in uppercase. The lowercase omega looks like a Latin W. The word “omega” literally means “great O” (O-mega). Compare this with the Greek letter Omicron, meaning “little O” (O-micron).

14. “Rip Van Winkle” author : WASHINGTON IRVING (first US president)

Washington Irving was an author from New York City. Irving’s most famous works are the short stories “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” and “Rip Van Winkle”.

“Rip Van Winkle” is a short story written by Washington Irving. The story was an instant hit, and was adapted for the stage just a few years after its first publication in 1819. Since then “Rip” has featured on the small screen, big screen and even in an operetta.

20. __ Mae: Whoopi’s “Ghost” role : ODA

Oda Mae Brown is the psychic medium in the movie “Ghost”, played by Whoopi Goldberg.

The magnificent Whoopi Goldberg’s real name is Caryn Elaine Johnson. Goldberg is multi-talented, and is one of a very short list of entertainers to have won all four major showbiz awards:

• an Oscar (for “Ghost”)
• an Emmy (two, for “The View”)
• a Grammy (for “Thoroughly Modern Millie”, as a producer)
• a Tony (also for producing “Thoroughly Modern Millie”)

22. Diving bird : GREBE

A grebe is a small to medium-sized freshwater diving bird. Although they appear to be very different, recent molecular studies have shown that grebes and flamingos are closely related.

27. Whirlpool brand : MAYTAG

The Maytag Washing Machine Company was founded in 1893 by Frederick Maytag, in Newton, Iowa. Over time, the company developed a reputation for reliability, and did a great job marketing the concept. One move they made was to change the address of the corporate headquarters in Newton to “One Dependability Square”. The Maytag repairman in the famous advertising campaign was known as “Ol’ Lonely”, the guy who was never called out because Maytag washers and dryers never broke down. Whirlpool bought Maytag in 2006 and basically shut down all Maytag operations, and now just put the Maytag label on Whirlpool appliances.

40. Reuters rival : UPI

Founded in 1958, United Press International (UPI) used to be one of the biggest news agencies in the world, sending out news by wire to the major newspapers. UPI ran into trouble with the change in media formats at the end of the twentieth century and lost many of its clients as the afternoon newspapers shut down due to the advent of television news. UPI, which once employed thousands, still exists today but with just a handful of employees.

The Reuters news agency was formed way back in 1851 by German-born, British entrepreneur Paul Julius Reuter. Reuter had checked the feasibility of a news service for a couple of years prior to launching the agency, and the technologies he used for his study were the telegraph and carrier pigeons!

41. Fullback on the NFL’s 1960s All-Decade Team : JIM BROWN

Jim Brown is a retired fullback (FB) who played for the NFL’s Cleveland Browns. Around the time that Brown retired from the sport, he took up acting. He has appeared in many movies, although I only recall seeing him in “The Dirty Dozen” (1967) and “Ice Station Zebra” (1968) …

52. Minnesota’s state bird : LOON

The great northern loon is the provincial bird of Ontario, and the state bird of Minnesota. The loon once appeared on Canadian $20 bills and also appears on the Canadian one-dollar coin, giving the coin the nickname “the loonie”.

62. Language that gave us “galore” : GAELIC

Our word “galore”, meaning “in great numbers”, comes from the Irish phrase “go leór” that translates as “sufficiently, enough”.

65. Daphnis and Echo, e.g. : OREADS

The Oreads were the mountain nymphs that accompanied the goddess Artemis on her hunting expeditions. Each Oread dwelled on a different mountain, for example:

• Daphnis (on Mount Parnassos)
• Echo (on Mount Cithaeron)
• Ida (on Mount Ida)

67. Its legislature is the Oireachtas : EIRE

The legislature of Ireland is known as the “Oireachtas”, and consists of:

• Uachtarán na hÉireann (President of Ireland)
• Dáil Éireann (Assembly of Ireland, the lower house)
• Seanad Éireann (Senate of Ireland, the upper house)

77. Colt .45s, since 1965 : ASTROS

The Houston baseball team changed its name to the Astros (sometimes “’Stros”) from the Colt .45s in 1965 when they started playing in the Astrodome. The Astrodome was so called in recognition of the city’s long association with the US space program. The Astros moved from the National League to the American League starting in the 2013 season.

92. As such : PER SE

“Per se” is a Latin phrase that translates as “by itself”. We use “per se” pretty literally, meaning “in itself, intrinsically”.

93. Tea party attendee : ALICE

In Lewis Carroll’s “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”, the Mad Hatter makes his first appearance in a chapter called “A Mad Tea-Party”. This event is usually described as “The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party”, even though the Mad Hatter was just a guest. The host was the March Hare. In fact, the phrase “mad Hatter” doesn’t appear anywhere in Lewis Carroll’s novel, although the character, the Hatter (and sometimes “Hatta”), is described as mad.

94. Inlaid design : MOSAIC

In the Middle Ages, mosaics were often dedicated to the Muses. The term “mosaic” translates as “of the Muses”.

95. Rival of Tesla : EDISON

George Westinghouse was an American engineer and businessman, a rival to Thomas Edison in developing the first robust electrical grid for the country. Edison’s approach was to distribute electrical power using DC current, but Westinghouse opted to partner with Nikola Tesla and worked with AC current. AC technology won the day!

96. __ Trophy: annual PGA honor for lowest scoring average : VARDON

The Vardon Trophy is awarded annually to the player who has the lowest scoring average on the PGA Tour. The trophy is named for professional golfer Harry Vardon, winner of six Open Championships (from 1896 to 1914), a record that stands to this day.

116. Korean carmaker : KIA

Kia Motors is the second largest manufacturer of cars in South Korea, behind Hyundai (and Hyundai is a part owner in Kia now). Kia was founded in 1944 as a manufacturer of bicycle parts, and did indeed produce Korea’s first domestic bicycle. The company’s original name was Kyungsung Precision Industry, with the Kia name introduced in 1952.

117. Slowing, to an orch. : RIT

Rit. (or sometimes ritard.) is the abbreviation for “ritardando”, a musical direction to slow down the tempo.

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Complete List of Clues and Answers

Across

1. Pocket for falafel : PITA

5. Crossing sign? : PLUS

9. Some old notebooks : IBMS

13. Came up short : OWED

17. USNA part: Abbr. : ACAD

18. Snuck : CREPT

19. Eponymous store founder : MACY

20. Gulf State native : OMANI

21. Willie Mays won 12 in 12 consecutive years : GOLD GLOVE AWARDS (first place)

24. Brake components : DISCS

25. “More!” : ENCORE!

26. Left hanging : IN LIMBO

27. John Wayne types : MACHOS

28. In the offing : NEAR

30. “99 Luftballons” singer : NENA

31. Org. created in a 1949 sports merger : NBA

33. Lyft offer : RIDE

34. German exclamation : ACH!

37. Pitt of “The Big Short” : BRAD

39. “Mad Men” actress : JANUARY JONES (first month)

42. Glasgow’s river : CLYDE

44. Vineyard grape : PINOT

46. Decorative metalwork : PLATING

47. “And there you have it!” : TA-DA!

48. “No worries” : IT’S OK

49. Kept out of sight : HID

50. Brewery named for a Dutch river : AMSTEL

53. Stonehenge worshiper : DRUID

55. Brahms’ “Variations on a __ of Paganini” : THEME

57. Putin’s former org. : KGB

58. Wish Tree artist : ONO

59. Canada’s most populous province : ONTARIO

61. Pot growth from overwatering : ALGAE

64. Sonata finale, perhaps : RONDO

66. “I __ differ” : BEG TO

68. Certain group leader : ALPHA MALE (first Greek letter)

70. Hunter with a belt : ORION

71. Von Trapp girl who sings “Sixteen Going on Seventeen” with Rolf : LIESL

72. Eye twinkle : GLEAM

73. Enable : EMPOWER

75. Subject for Keats : URN

76. “__ Kapital” : DAS

78. Capri or Elba, locally : ISOLA

80. Jack in the deck : KNAVE

82. Settles, as a debt : REPAYS

84. GI bill? : DOL

86. Stout quantities : PINTS

88. Enter the pool, in a way : DIVE

90. Exotic vacation, maybe : ECOTOUR

92. Praline nut : PECAN

93. Ed with Emmys : ASNER

94. Early ’60s group that included John Glenn : MERCURY SEVEN (first planet from the Sun)

97. Cherry-pick : CULL

99. Sound near a “Beware of Dog” sign : GRR!

100. Dog attractor : ODOR

101. East, to Goethe : OST

102. Shelter chorus : ARFS

104. Kite trailer : TAIL

106. Philly cagers : SIXERS

108. Hotel convenience : BAR SOAP

111. Heir and heiress : SCIONS

115. Way to step : ASIDE

116. 1990 movie with a muscular teacher : KINDERGARTEN COP (first year of schooling)

118. Like acid in some disinfectants : IODIC

119. Fascinated by : INTO

120. Citrus hybrids : UGLIS

121. James of jazz : ETTA

122. Tech gadget review site : CNET

123. Trade org. : ASSN

124. Island in a computer game : MYST

125. Roulette bet : NOIR

Down

1. Printer output : PAGE

2. Tapped image : ICON

3. It’s 1 on the Mohs scale : TALC

4. Accessory : ADD-ON

5. Expert : PRO

6. Big name in denim : LEVI

7. Home to the first collegiate business sch. : UPENN

8. Groan elicitor : STALE JOKE

9. 1967 Spencer Davis Group hit : I’M A MAN

10. Stinging rebuke : BARB

11. Pioneering fast food name : MCDONALD

12. Part of TBS: Abbr. : SYS

13. Fraternity O’s : OMICRONS

14. “Rip Van Winkle” author : WASHINGTON IRVING (first US president)

15. Protect from hackers, hopefully : ENCODE

16. Insults : DISSES

18. Golf-friendly forecast : CLEAR

20. __ Mae: Whoopi’s “Ghost” role : ODA

22. Diving bird : GREBE

23. Succeed in : WIN AT

27. Whirlpool brand : MAYTAG

29. Totally absorbed : RAPT

32. Push-up top : BRA

34. Take the stage : ACT

35. Garbed : CLAD

36. Component of hair bleach : HYDROGEN PEROXIDE (first element in the periodic table)

38. Purify, as whiskey : DISTILL

40. Reuters rival : UPI

41. Fullback on the NFL’s 1960s All-Decade Team : JIM BROWN

43. Unnerves : DAUNTS

45. Pessimist’s words : NO HOPE

48. Wyo. neighbor : IDA

49. Captain’s post : HELM

51. Inner: Pref. : ENDO-

52. Minnesota’s state bird : LOON

54. “See?!” : I TOLD YOU!

56. Polite addresses : MA’AMS

57. Stay fresh : KEEP

60. Cleaning cloths : RAGS

62. Language that gave us “galore” : GAELIC

63. Annual fact book : ALMANAC

65. Daphnis and Echo, e.g. : OREADS

66. Fuzzy image : BLUR

67. Its legislature is the Oireachtas : EIRE

69. Hard rain? : HAIL

74. Signs off on : OKS

77. Colt .45s, since 1965 : ASTROS

79. Venue for free discussion : OPEN FORUM

81. Constantly : EVER

83. Sanction, as a college : ACCREDIT

84. London trash cans : DUSTBINS

85. Prospector’s target : ORE

87. Letter-shaped bolt holder : T-NUT

89. __ on the side of caution : ERR

91. Cries of dismay : OYS

92. As such : PER SE

93. Tea party attendee : ALICE

94. Inlaid design : MOSAIC

95. Rival of Tesla : EDISON

96. __ Trophy: annual PGA honor for lowest scoring average : VARDON

98. Doesn’t fade : LASTS

103. Yielding to gravity : SAGGY

105. Tablecloth material : LINEN

107. DVR button : REC

109. Farm swarm : ANTS

110. Besties : PALS

112. Numerical prefix : OCTO-

113. “Moi?” : NOT I

114. Go toe-to-toe : SPAR

116. Korean carmaker : KIA

117. Slowing, to an orch. : RIT

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