LA Times Crossword Answers 17 Dec 2017, Sunday

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Constructed by: Jim Holland
Edited by: Rich Norris

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Today’s Theme: Two for One

Today’s themed answers sound like a well-known phrase. In each case, ONE word in that phrase becomes TWO in the actual answer:

  • 23A. Athlete Jackson discusses immunization options? : BO TALKS INJECTIONS (sounds like “Botox injections”)
  • 36A. Spring spelling event could face cancellation? : MAY BEE, MAYBE NOT (sounds like “maybe, maybe not”)
  • 71A. Seaman’s complete canvas expense? : WHOLE SAIL COST (sounds like “wholesale cost”)
  • 103A. “2 + 2 = 5” problem? : SUM THINGS WRONG (sounds like “something’s wrong”)
  • 122A. Writer anticipates a vacation? : AUTHOR EYES TIME OFF (sounds like “authorize time off”)
  • 16D. Situation when a frat room is empty? : NO BUDDY HOME (sounds like “nobody home”)
  • 70D. Average salary on a Detroit team? : PAY PER TIGER (sounds like “paper tiger”)

Bill’s time: 22m 18s

Bill’s errors: 0

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Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

7. Lincoln who was the first screen adult Tarzan : ELMO

Actor Elmo Lincoln is most remembered as the first person to portray Tarzan on the big screen. Lincoln starred in the 1918 silent movie “Tarzan of the Apes”. Technically speaking, Lincoln was the second to portray the character, as Gordon Griffith played Tarzan as a child in the same film.

11. Adlai’s 1956 running mate : ESTES

Estes Kefauver was a Democratic politician from Tennessee. In 1956 Kefauver was the running mate of Adlai Stevenson when Stevenson made a bid for the presidency. The pair lost to the Eisenhower-Nixon ticket.

16. Japanese theater form : NOH

Noh is a form of musical drama in Japan that has been around since the 14th century. Many of the Noh performers are masked, allowing all the roles to be played by men, including the female parts.

19. Astronomy Muse : URANIA

In Greek mythology, the muses are the goddesses who inspire the creation of literature and the arts. The number of muses is a subject of debate at times, but the most popular view is that there are nine:

  • Calliope (epic poetry)
  • Clio (history)
  • Erato (lyric poetry)
  • Euterpe (music)
  • Melpomene (tragedy)
  • Polyhymnia (choral poetry)
  • Terpsichore (dance)
  • Thalia (comedy)
  • Urania (astronomy)

Before the adoption of the nine muses of Greek mythology, there were originally three muses, the three Boeotian Muses. These were:

  • Mneme (memory)
  • Melete (meditation)
  • Aoede (song)

20. “King __” : LEAR

Shakespeare was inspired to write his famous drama “King Lear” by the legend of “Leir of Britain”, the story of a mythological Celtic king.

23. Athlete Jackson discusses immunization options? : BO TALKS INJECTIONS (sounds like “Botox injections”)

Bo Jackson is a former professional baseball and football player. Jackson was named All-Star in both sports, becoming the first athlete to be so honored.

Botulinum toxin is produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. The toxin is a protein that can cause botulism, an extremely dangerous illness in humans and animals. Botulinum toxin is sold under the trade name Botox. Botox is used therapeutically and in cosmetic applications to weaken muscles, perhaps muscles that are in uncontrollable spasm. The cosmetic application involves the paralyzing of facial muscles in order to eliminate or reduce wrinkles, at least for a few months.

27. Bit of porch furniture, perhaps : SETTEE

“Settee” is another word for a couch. The term come from the Old English “setl”, which was a long bench with a high back and arms.

31. Seville : Sra. :: Seattle : __ : MRS

The equivalent of “Mrs.” in French is “Mme.” (Madame), in Spanish is “Sra.” (Señora) and in Portuguese is also “Sra.” (Senhora).

36. Spring spelling event could face cancellation? : MAY BEE, MAYBE NOT (sounds like “maybe, maybe not”)

Back in 18th-century America, when neighbors would gather to work for the benefit of one of their group, such a meeting was called a bee. The name “bee” was an allusion to the social nature of the insect. In modern parlance, a further element of entertainment and pleasure has been introduced, for example in a quilting bee, or even a spelling bee.

44. __ Sea : DEAD

The Dead Sea is a salt lake that lies over 1,000 feet below sea level in the Middle East. It is one of the saltiest bodies of water in the world, with a salt content that is almost ten times that of most oceans.

46. General Bradley : OMAR

Omar Bradley graduated from West Point in the class of 1915, along with Dwight Eisenhower who also attained the rank of General of the Army. Bradley was the last person to hold the rank of a five-star commissioned officer, and he was the first general to serve as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. I was struck by a quotation from Bradley from later in his life:

Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants. We know more about war than about peace, more about killing than we know about living.

47. Writer Bagnold : ENID

Enid Bagnold was a British author and is best known for her 1935 novel “National Velvet”, which was of course adapted into a very successful film starring Elizabeth Taylor.

49. Places with courts : GYMS

Our word “gymnasium” comes from the Greek “gymnasion” meaning “public place where exercise is taken”. The Greek term comes from “gymnos” meaning “naked”, as that physical training was usually done unclothed in ancient Greece.

52. NBA nickname since the ’70s : MAGIC

Magic Johnson’s real name is Earvin Johnson. Johnson was born and grew up in Lansing, Michigan. Earvin earned the nickname “Magic” when playing basketball in high school, after one particularly great performance on the court.

53. Actress Gaye of “Ali” : NONA

The actress Nona Gaye is best known for playing the character Zee in the last two of “The Matrix” series of films. Nona is the only daughter of singer Marvin Gaye.

“Ali” is a 2001 biographical movie about Muhammad Ali, with Will Smith in the title role. Among other things, the film is noted for its realistic fight scenes. The scenes were realistic because Smith was really being hit, as hard as his opponents could manage.

54. Former Renault : LE CAR

French automaker Renault made the “mini-like” Renault 5 and sold it as the Renault Le Car in North America. My Dad had a Renault 5 in Ireland, back in the day …

57. Forgers of a sort : SMITHS

A blacksmith is someone who forges and shapes iron, perhaps to make horseshoes. A farrier is someone who fits horseshoes onto the hooves of horses. The term “blacksmith” is sometimes used for one who shoes horses, especially as many blacksmiths make horseshoes and fit them as well.

61. Basic French infinitive : ETRE

The verb “to be” translates into German as “sein”, and into French as “être”.

62. Greiner of “Shark Tank” : LORI

On the TV show “Shark Tank”, Lori Greiner is one of the “sharks”, one of the investors who choose whether or not to back entrepreneurs making a pitch of their businesses. Greiner has been described as a “serial inventor” and made her millions selling those inventions over QVC. Her success on the shopping channel earned her the nickname “the Queen of QVC”.

75. Tarzan player Ron : ELY

Ron Ely is most famous for playing the title role in the “Tarzan” TV series in the sixties. Years later, Ely hosted the 1980 and 1981 “Miss America” pageants right after longtime host Bert Parks retired, before the job was taken over by Gary Collins. And Ely is a successful mystery novelist. He wrote “Night Shadows” and “East Beach” in the mid-nineties, both of which featured his private eye Jake Sands.

78. “More than I wanted to know” : TMI

TMI (too much information!)

81. Actor Diggs : TAYE

Taye Diggs is an actor most associated with the Broadway show “Rent”, in which he played the nasty landlord Benny. He then co-starred on the television show “Private Practice”. Diggs given name is “Scott”, and the nickname “Taye” comes from saying the given name as “Scottay”.

82. Rover’s turf : MARS

There have been several rovers sent to Mars from Earth. The Soviet Union’s Mars 2 landed in 1971, and failed. Mars 3 landed the same year, and ceased operation just 20 seconds after landing. NASA’s Sojourner landed in 1997 (what a great day that was!) and operated from July through September. The British rover Beagle 2 was lost six days before its scheduled entry into the Martian atmosphere. NASA’s Spirit landed in 2004, and operated successful for over six years before getting trapped in sand and eventually ceasing to communicate. NASA’s Opportunity also landed in 2004, and it is still going. And then NASA’s Curiosity made a spectacular, hi-tech landing in 2012 and is continuing to explore the planet today.

90. Dadaist collection : ARPS

Jean Arp was a French artist renowned for his work with torn and pasted paper, although that wasn’t the only medium he used. Arp was the son of a French mother and German father and spoke both languages fluently. When he was speaking German he gave his name as Hans Arp, but when speaking French he called himself Jean Arp. Both “Hans” and “Jean” translate into English as “John”. In WWI Arp moved to Switzerland to avoid being called up to fight, taking advantage of Swiss neutrality. Eventually he was told to report to the German Consulate and fill out paperwork for the draft. In order to get out of fighting, Arp messed up the paperwork by writing the date in every blank space on the forms. Then he took off all of his clothes and walked with his papers over to the officials in charge. Arp was sent home …

91. Clapton et al. : ERICS

Can you believe that the great Eric Clapton only had one chart-topper in the US? In 1974, Clapton released a cover version of the Bob Marley classic “I Shot the Sheriff” and ended up selling more copies of that song than Bob Marley did himself. Clapton is the only person to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame three times: once as a member of the Yardbirds, once as a member of the supergroup Cream, and once as a solo artist.

95. Rodeo accessory : REATA

A riata is a lariat or a lasso. “Riata” comes from “reata”, the Spanish word for lasso.

96. Borscht veggie : BEET

Borscht is a beetroot soup that originated in Ukraine. Borscht can be served both hot and cold.

97. Phobia beginning : ACRO-

Our prefix “acro-” comes from the Greek “akros” meaning “at the top”. Examples are “acrophobia” (fear of heights) and “Acropolis” (“city at the top”).

98. Islamic branch : SHIA

The Islamic sects of Sunni and Shia Muslims differ in the belief of who should have taken over leadership of the Muslim faithful after the death of the Prophet Muhammad. Followers of the Sunni tradition agree with the decision that the Prophet Muhammad’s confidante Abu Bakr was the right choice to become the first Caliph of the Islamic nation. Followers of the Shia tradition believe that leadership should have stayed within the Prophet Muhammad’s own family, and favoured the Prophet’s son-in-law Ali.

99. Bean in Hollywood : ORSON

Orson Bean is an actor who is perhaps best known for his appearances on television game shows in the sixties, seventies and eighties. His most famous game show role was that of a panelist on “To Tell the Truth”. Interestingly, Bean (real name Dallas Burrows) is a first cousin, twice removed, of President Calvin Coolidge.

100. “Friends” friend : ROSS

Ross Geller is the character on “Friends” played by David Schwimmer. The role was actually written with Schwimmer in mind, and so Ross was the first of the “Friends” to be cast.

109. CEO’s credential : MBA

The world’s first Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree was offered by Harvard’s Graduate School of Business Administration, in 1908.

Chief executive officer (CEO)

110. LAX inspection org. : TSA

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) was created in 2001, soon after the 9/11 attacks. TSA personnel carry out the baggage and body searches at US airports. The TSA has a Trusted Traveler program that allows certain passengers to move more quickly through security screening. These passengers pay the TSA a one-time fee that covers a background check after which successful applicants are issued a Known Traveler Number (KTN).

Los Angeles International Airport is the sixth busiest airport in the world in terms of passenger traffic, and the busiest here on the West Coast of the US. The airport was opened in 1930 as Mines Field and was renamed to Los Angeles Airport in 1941. On the airport property is the iconic white structure that resembles a flying saucer. This is called the Theme Building and I believe it is mainly used as a restaurant and observation deck for the public. The airport used to be identified by the letters “LA”, but when the aviation industry went to a three-letter standard for airport identification, this was changed to “LAX”. Apparently, the “X” has no significant meaning.

113. Pizazz : ELAN

Our word “élan” was imported from French, in which language the word has a similar meaning to ours, i.e “style” or “flair”.

Pizazz (also “pizzazz”) is energy, vitality. There’s a kind of cool thing about the “pizzazz” version. It is the only 7-letter word in English that cannot be played in Scrabble. You can get close by using the Z-tile with the two blank tiles to get to three of the required four Zs, but there’s no way to get to the fourth Z.

116. Slowly : ADAGIO

An adagio is a piece of music with a slow tempo. The “adagio” marking on the score is an instruction to play the piece slowly and in a stately manner. The word “adagio” is Latin for “at ease”.

126. Key for Debussy? : ILE

In French, one might go to an “île” (island) in the middle of “l’océan” (the ocean).

Claude Debussy is one of my favorite composers, one who epitomises the Romantic Era and Impressionist Movement in music. One of my favorite CDs is a collection of some “lighter” Debussy pieces called “Debussy for Daydreaming”, and what an evocative collection it is. Included are “Syrinx”, “Maid with the Flaxen Hair”, “Rêverie” and everyone’s favorite, “Clair de Lune”.

129. Aerial mission : SORTIE

A sortie is an attack by an armed unit, usually a breakout by forces that are besieged, The term “sortie” comes directly from French and means “a going out”. “Sortie” is also used for a mission by a combat aircraft.

130. Two above an eagle : PAR

The following terms are routinely used in golf for scores relative to par:

  • Bogey: one over par
  • Par
  • Birdie: one under par
  • Eagle: two under par
  • Albatross (also “double eagle”): three under par
  • Condor: four under par

No one has ever recorded a condor during a professional tournament.

131. Lamb piece : ESSAY

Charles Lamb was an essayist and poet from England. Lamb’s best-known works are “Essays of Elia” (1823) and “Tales from Shakespeare”, an 1807 children’s book that he co-authored with his sister Mary Lamb.

Down

2. Cupid, to Plato : EROS

Eros, the Greek god of love, gives rise to our word “erotic”, meaning “arousing sexual desire”. Also known as Amor, the Roman counterpart to Eros was Cupid.

Plato was a Greek philosopher and mathematician. He was a student of the equally famous and respected Socrates, and Plato in turn was the teacher and mentor of the celebrated Aristotle.

3. Actress Blanchett : CATE

Cate Blanchett is a great actress from Australia, and a winner of an Academy Award for playing Katherine Hepburn in “The Aviator”. Winning for that role made Blanchett the first person to win an Academy Award for playing an actor (Hepburn) who had also won an Oscar. Now that, that is trivial information …

7. Brother of Peyton : ELI

Eli Manning plays as quarterback for the New York Giants. Eli’s brother Peyton Manning retired from football as the quarterback for the Denver Broncos in 2015. Eli and Peyton’s father is Archie Manning, who was also a successful NFL quarterback. Eli, Peyton and Archie co-authored a book for children titles “Family Huddle” in 2009. It describes the Mannings playing football together as young boys.

9. Subject of clothed and nude Goya portraits : MAJA

Francisco Goya was a Spanish painter, who was often called the last of the Old Masters and the first of the moderns. Two of Goya’s most famous works are “The Nude Maja” and “The Clothed Maja”.

10. Handel opera written in Italian : ORESTE

Handel’s Italian opera “Oreste” was written and composed in England, and first performed in 1734 at Covent Garden Theatre in London. “Oreste” wasn’t well received by the public. Handel pulled together the opera mainly using pieces of music that he had already composed and published, so in one sense “Oreste” wasn’t an “original” work.

14. Set of nine : ENNEAD

The Ennead is a group of nine gods in Egyptian mythology. The Ennead were all in the same family, all descendents of the god Atum. The word “ennead” is also used more generically for any group of nine things. The term comes from “ennea”, the Greek word for “nine”.

17. Tara surname : O’HARA

Scarlett O’Hara’s home is the Tara plantation in Margaret Mitchell’s “Gone with the Wind”. Tara was founded not far from the Georgia city of Jonesboro by Scarlett’s father, Irish immigrant Gerald O’Hara. Gerald won the square mile of land on which Tara was built in an all-night poker game. He named his new abode after the Hill of Tara back in his home country, the ancient seat of the High King of Ireland. Rhett’s rival for the affections of Scarlet is Ashley Wilkes who lives at the nearby Twelve Oaks plantation.

24. Weekly inspiration for many : SERMON

Our word “sermon” comes from the Latin “sermonem” meaning “discourse, talk”. The literal translation of “sermonem” is “a stringing together of words”, from the Latin “serere” meaning “to join”, as in the related word “series”.

25. No. 5 maker : CHANEL

Chanel No. 5 is a perfume that was released by Coco Chanel back in 1921. Chanel had an affinity for the number “5”, and always presented her dress collection on May 5th (the fifth day of the fifth month). When she was presented a selection of experimental scents as potential choices for the first perfume to bear the Chanel name, she chose the sample in the fifth vial. Chanel instructed that the “sample number 5” should keep its name, asserting that it would bring the scent good luck.

32. Island birthplace of Pythagoras : SAMOS

Samos is an island in the eastern Aegean Sea off the coast of Greece. Samos is the birthplace of the famed mathematician Pythagoras, the philosopher Epicurus, and the astronomer Aristarchus of Samos. The latter was the first person known to have proposed that the Earth revolves around the sun.

Pythagoras of Samos is remembered by most these days for his work in mathematics, and for his famous Pythagorean theorem that states that in any right triangle, the square of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides. Although there is very little of Pythagoras’s own work that survives, much has been written by his successors that shows how great his influence was above and beyond mathematics, in the fields of philosophy and religion in particular. In fact, it is believed that Pythagoras coined the word “philosophy”, coming from the Greek for “loving wisdom or knowledge”. On a “timeline” of famous Greek philosophers, Pythagoras was doing his work over a hundred years before Socrates, who was followed by Plato and then Aristotle.

37. Podcaster Carolla : ADAM

Comedian Adam Carolla is perhaps best known as co-creator and co-host (with Jimmy Kimmel) on Comedy Central’s “The Man Show”. That said, he has also been host of the podcast “The Adam Carolla Show” since 2009. Carolla’s show set the record in 2011 for the most-downloaded podcast in the world.

38. “Pic-a-nic” basket-seeking toon, familiarly : YOGI

Yogi Bear made his debut for Hanna-Barbera in 1958, on the Huckleberry Hound Show before he was given his own series. Do you remember that collar that Yogi wore around his neck? That was a little trick from the animators. By using the collar, for many frames all they had to do was redraw everything from the collar up, saving them lots and lots of time. Yogi and Boo Boo lived in Jellystone Park, and made Ranger Smith’s life a misery.

39. The Beatles, e.g. : BRITS

The Beatles went through quite an evolution of names and band members. The evolution of band names was the Blackjacks, the Quarrymen, Johnny & the Moondogs, Beatals, the Silver Beetles, the Silver Beatles and finally the Beatles.

40. Avoids like the plague : ESCHEWS

“To eschew”, meaning “to avoid, shun” comes from the Old French word “eschiver” that means the same thing.

41. Pinstripes wearer : YANKEE

The Chicago Cubs was the first professional baseball team to incorporate pinstripes into the design of the players’ uniforms.

43. Certs competitor : TIC TAC

Tic Tacs aren’t American candies (as I always mistakenly believed). Tic Tacs are made by the Italian company Ferrero, and were introduced in 1969.

Certs were the first breath mints to be marketed nationally in the US, hitting the shelves in 1956. A Cert is called a mint, but it isn’t really as it contains no mint oil and instead has its famous ingredient named “Retsyn”. Retsyn is a mixture of copper gluconate (giving the green flecks), partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil (not healthy!) and flavoring (maybe mint?).

48. 1925 Bryan foe : DARROW

In 1925, Tennessee passed the Butler Act which made it unlawful for a public school teacher to teach the theory of evolution over the Biblical account of the origin of man. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) sought to challenge this law and found a test case of a Tennessee high school teacher named John Scopes, who was charged with violating the law by presenting to his students ideas put forth by Charles Darwin. Celebrity lawyers descended on the small town of Dayton, Tennessee to argue the case. Three-time presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan prosecuted the case, and famed defense attorney Clarence Darrow spoke for John Scopes. At the end of a high-profile trial, Scopes was found guilty as charged and was ordered to pay a fine.

50. Aesopian ending : MORAL

Aesop is remembered today as a fabulist, a writer of fables. Aesop lived in Ancient Greece, probably around the sixth century BC. Supposedly he was born a slave, somehow became a free man, but then met with a sorry end. Aesop was sent to the city of Delphi on a diplomatic mission but instead insulted the Delphians. He was tried on a trumped-up charge of stealing from a temple, sentenced to death and was thrown off a cliff.

55. Big name in candy : REESE’S

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups were invented by Harry Burnett “H.B.” Reese. Peanut Butter Cups were originally called penny cups, reflecting the price at which they were sold. Then inflation took over, and maybe that’s why they were broken into smaller “Pieces” …

60. Defense gp. dissolved in 1977 : SEATO

The Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) was set up in 1954, a defense organization with the mission to block communist influence growing in Southeast Asia. The driving force behind the organization’s creation was President Eisenhower’s Secretary of State, John Dulles. The list of SEATO members included Australia, France, the Philippines, the UK and the US. The organization was never really considered effective and it fell apart in 1977 largely due to a lack of interest by the members.

64. Toyota Camry model : SOLARA

The Solara is a sporty version of the Toyota Camry.

67. Was humbled : ATE CROW

The phrase “eat crow”, an alternative to “eat humble pie”, perhaps refers to the fact that cooked crow may be edible, but is not a great food choice.

69. Success on the second roll : SPARE

In bowling, the downing of all ten pins in two balls in the same frame is a “spare”, scoring ten points. The player gets a bonus, equal to the number of pins downed with the next ball, which could be up to ten. Hence, a spare can be worth up to 20 points

70. Average salary on a Detroit team? : PAY PER TIGER (sounds like “paper tiger”)

The origins of the Detroit Tigers baseball team’s name seems a little unclear. One story is that it was taken from the Detroit Light Guard military unit who were known as “The Tigers”. The Light Guard fought with distinction during the Civil War and in the Spanish-American War. Sure enough, when the Detroit baseball team went into the Majors they were formally given permission to use “The Tigers” name by the Detroit Light Guard.

72. Ira Gershwin’s forte : LYRICS

Ira Gershwin was the lyricist who worked with his brother George to create such American classics as the songs “I Got Rhythm” and “Someone to Watch Over Me”, as well as the opera “Porgy and Bess”. After George Gershwin died, Ira continued to create great music, working with the likes of Jerome Kern and Kurt Weill.

74. Chinese evergreen : LITCHI

Litchis are better known in English as “lychees”. One can’t eat the skin of the lychee fruit, which is why you’ll notice that you are only served the sweet flesh. If you’ve never tried them, you should do so as they’re delicious. Even though there is a nut-like seed within the edible flesh of the lychee fruit, I wouldn’t eat it, as it is poisonous …

80. Anthony __, Pulitzer winner for “All the Light We Cannot See” : DOERR

American author Anthony Doerr won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for his 2014 novel “All the Light We Cannot See”. The book is all about a blind French girl and a German boy who meet in occupied France during WWII.

83. Rugby action : SCRUM

If you’ve ever seen a rugby match, you’ll recognize the “scrum”, where the players designated as “forwards” bind together and push against the forwards on the opposing team. It’s a way of restarting the game after various types of stoppages. Scrum is short for “scrummage”, which in itself is a variation of “scrimmage”. And “scrimmage” has its roots in the word “skirmish”. If you get the chance, take a look at the Matt Damon-Morgan Freeman movie called “Invictus”, directed by Clint Eastwood. It’s all about rugby in South Africa after Nelson Mandela came to power. A powerful film …

85. Leslie Charteris hero, with “The” : SAINT

Simon Templar is a very cool character in “The Saint” series of books written by British author Leslie Charteris. “The Saint” was adapted into a famous UK television series in the sixties, with Roger Moore in the title role. The same character appeared on the big screen in numerous films. Most recently, Val Kilmer appeared as Simon Templar in a 1997 espionage thriller titled “The Saint”.

87. El __, Texas : PASO

Although there have been human settlements in the El Paso area for thousands of years, the first European settlement was founded in 1659 by the Spanish. That first community was on the south bank of the Rio Grande, and was called El Paso del Norte (the North Pass). Most of the urban development under Spanish rule took place on the south side of the river, with El Paso del Norte acting as the center of governance for the Spanish for the territory of New Mexico. The Rio Grande was chosen as the border between Mexico and the US in 1848, so most of the city of El Paso del Norte became part of the Mexican state of Chihuahua (and is now called Ciudad Juárez ). The area north of the river developed as a US military post, eventually becoming the modern city of El Paso, Texas.

88. Harrow competitor : ETON

Harrow School in north-west London is a boys boarding school, one of only four boys-only, boarding-only independent schools in England. The other three schools in the category are the famous Eton College, Radley College and Winchester College. The list of Harrow alumni includes British Prime Ministers Robert Peel, Alec Baldwin and Winston Churchill, and Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

104. “Unto the Sons” memoirist : TALESE

Gay Talese is an American author, famous as a journalist in the sixties at “The New York Times”. His 1981 book “Thy Neighbor’s Wife” is a study of sexuality in America in the early fifties. Apparently, as research for the book, Talese had sexual relations with his own neighbor’s wife for several months at a sexuality resort in Southern California called Sandstone Retreat.

105. Word derived from a marquis : SADIST

A sadist is someone who derives pleasure from inflicting pain, with that pleasure often being sexual in nature. The term “sadist” comes from the Marquis de Sade, who was known to exhibit such tendencies.

108. Ballet outfits : TUTUS

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, backside”.

112. Where the Mets played : SHEA

Shea Stadium in Flushing Meadows, New York was named after William A. Shea, the man credited with bringing National League baseball back to the city in the form of the New York Mets. Shea Stadium was dismantled in 2008-2009, and the site now provides additional parking for the new stadium nearby called Citi Field.

115. Tide type : NEAP

Tides are caused by the gravitational pull of the moon on the oceans. At neap tide, the smaller gravitational effect of the sun cancels out some of the moon’s effect. At spring tide, the sun and the moon’s gravitational forces act in concert causing more extreme movement of the oceans.

117. 2-Down, to Cato : AMOR
(2D. Cupid, to Plato : EROS)

Cato the Elder was a Roman statesman, known historically as “the elder” in order to distinguish him from his great-grandson, Cato the Younger. Cato the Elder’s ultimate position within Roman society was that of Censor, making him responsible for maintaining the census, and for supervising public morality.

118. “Chicago” star : GERE

Richard Gere has played such great roles on the screen, and I find him to be a very interesting character off the screen. Gere has been studying Buddhism since 1978 and is a very visible supporter of the Dalai Lama and the people of Tibet.

The wonderful 1975 musical “Chicago” is based on a 1926 play of the same name written by a news reporter called Maurine Dallas Watkins. Watkins had been assigned to cover the murder trials of Beulah Annan and Belva Gaertner for the “Chicago Tribune”, and used the story that unfolded as the basis for her play. Annan became the character Roxie Hart, and Gaertner became Velma Kelly. I’ve only ever seen the movie version of “Chicago” and never a live performance …

123. Beer originally brewed near a Northwest capital, briefly : OLY

The Olympia Brewing Company was founded in the town of Tumwater, Washington in 1896, by a German immigrant. Olympia (familiarly “Oly”) was acquired by Pabst in 1983.

125. Poehler “Weekend Update” co-host on “SNL” : FEY

Comedian and actress Tina Fey was born Elizabeth Stamatina Fey in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania. Fey is perhaps best known to television viewers as a cast member on “Saturday Night Live” (1997-2006), and as the creator and star of the sitcom “30 Rock” (2006-2013).

Amy Poehler was a cast member on “Saturday Night Live” from 2001 to 2008, notable for appearing in many great sketches, including those where she played Hillary Clinton opposite Tina Fey’s Sarah Palin. Poehler also starred with Fey in the 2008 movie “Baby Mama”. And, Poehler led the cast of the sitcom “Parks and Recreation” for its seven-season run.

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Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1. “Don’t panic” : BE CALM
7. Lincoln who was the first screen adult Tarzan : ELMO
11. Adlai’s 1956 running mate : ESTES
16. Japanese theater form : NOH
19. Astronomy Muse : URANIA
20. “King __” : LEAR
21. Lacking company : ALONE
22. “What have we here?!” : OHO!
23. Athlete Jackson discusses immunization options? : BO TALKS INJECTIONS (sounds like “Botox injections”)
26. Put an end to : BAN
27. Bit of porch furniture, perhaps : SETTEE
28. Beauty pageant band : SASH
29. Cruise purpose : PLEASURE
31. Seville : Sra. :: Seattle : __ : MRS
33. Wee amount : TAD
35. Quick, as service : SAME-DAY
36. Spring spelling event could face cancellation? : MAY BEE, MAYBE NOT (sounds like “maybe, maybe not”)
44. __ Sea : DEAD
45. Rotting results : ODORS
46. General Bradley : OMAR
47. Writer Bagnold : ENID
49. Places with courts : GYMS
52. NBA nickname since the ’70s : MAGIC
53. Actress Gaye of “Ali” : NONA
54. Former Renault : LE CAR
56. “Could be trouble” : UH-OH
57. Forgers of a sort : SMITHS
59. Roof rack items : SKIS
61. Basic French infinitive : ETRE
62. Greiner of “Shark Tank” : LORI
63. Brief moments : SECS
65. Denver-to-Omaha dir. : ENE
66. What “it takes,” at the start of many macho mantras : A REAL MAN …
68. Nile biter : ASP
71. Seaman’s complete canvas expense? : WHOLE SAIL COST (sounds like “wholesale cost”)
75. Tarzan player Ron : ELY
76. How rural areas are populated : SPARSELY
78. “More than I wanted to know” : TMI
79. Garden invader : WEED
81. Actor Diggs : TAYE
82. Rover’s turf : MARS
84. Chooses : OPTS
86. Checked (out) : SCOPED
90. Dadaist collection : ARPS
91. Clapton et al. : ERICS
93. Offer of help : I CAN
95. Rodeo accessory : REATA
96. Borscht veggie : BEET
97. Phobia beginning : ACRO-
98. Islamic branch : SHIA
99. Bean in Hollywood : ORSON
100. “Friends” friend : ROSS
103. “2 + 2 = 5” problem? : SUM THINGS WRONG (sounds like “something’s wrong”)
106. Draw : ATTRACT
109. CEO’s credential : MBA
110. LAX inspection org. : TSA
111. Like serious errors : GRIEVOUS
113. Pizazz : ELAN
116. Slowly : ADAGIO
121. Tease : RAG
122. Writer anticipates a vacation? : AUTHOR EYES TIME OFF (sounds like “authorize time off”)
126. Key for Debussy? : ILE
127. Thin porridge : GRUEL
128. Approval indicator : SEAL
129. Aerial mission : SORTIE
130. Two above an eagle : PAR
131. Lamb piece : ESSAY
132. Spot : ESPY
133. Fighting ender : TREATY

Down

1. Pal : BUB
2. Cupid, to Plato : EROS
3. Actress Blanchett : CATE
4. Med school subj. : ANAT
5. Easy rhythm : LILT
6. Arms-folded response : MAKE ME!
7. Brother of Peyton : ELI
8. Camera component : LENS
9. Subject of clothed and nude Goya portraits : MAJA
10. Handel opera written in Italian : ORESTE
11. Absorb, as a loss : EAT
12. Unintended revelation : SLIP
13. Kit set : TOOLS
14. Set of nine : ENNEAD
15. Bun choice : SESAME
16. Situation when a frat room is empty? : NO BUDDY HOME (sounds like “nobody home”)
17. Tara surname : O’HARA
18. Darling : HONEY
24. Weekly inspiration for many : SERMON
25. No. 5 maker : CHANEL
30. Shore squawker : SEAGULL
32. Island birthplace of Pythagoras : SAMOS
34. Gift recipient : DONEE
36. Grandmas, earlier : MOMS
37. Podcaster Carolla : ADAM
38. “Pic-a-nic” basket-seeking toon, familiarly : YOGI
39. The Beatles, e.g. : BRITS
40. Avoids like the plague : ESCHEWS
41. Pinstripes wearer : YANKEE
42. Smarts : BRAINS
43. Certs competitor : TIC TAC
48. 1925 Bryan foe : DARROW
50. Aesopian ending : MORAL
51. Reflective : SHINY
55. Big name in candy : REESE’S
58. Plot : SCHEME
60. Defense gp. dissolved in 1977 : SEATO
64. Toyota Camry model : SOLARA
67. Was humbled : ATE CROW
68. Take __ at : A STAB
69. Success on the second roll : SPARE
70. Average salary on a Detroit team? : PAY PER TIGER (sounds like “paper tiger”)
72. Ira Gershwin’s forte : LYRICS
73. Mischievous : IMPISH
74. Chinese evergreen : LITCHI
77. Bring back to a former state : RESTORE
80. Anthony __, Pulitzer winner for “All the Light We Cannot See” : DOERR
83. Rugby action : SCRUM
85. Leslie Charteris hero, with “The” : SAINT
87. El __, Texas : PASO
88. Harrow competitor : ETON
89. Mild oath : DANG
92. Gloomy : SOMBER
94. Bugs : NAGS AT
101. Brutal : SAVAGE
102. Searches all over : SCOURS
104. “Unto the Sons” memoirist : TALESE
105. Word derived from a marquis : SADIST
106. “Get __!”: “Control yourself!” : A GRIP
107. Refrain syllables : TRA LA
108. Ballet outfits : TUTUS
112. Where the Mets played : SHEA
114. Motion passers : AYES
115. Tide type : NEAP
117. 2-Down, to Cato : AMOR
118. “Chicago” star : GERE
119. Meager amount : IOTA
120. “What __?” : OF IT
123. Beer originally brewed near a Northwest capital, briefly : OLY
124. Foxy : SLY
125. Poehler “Weekend Update” co-host on “SNL” : FEY

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