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Constructed by: Paul Coulter
Edited by: Rich Norris
Today’s Theme: Done to a T
Themed answers are common phrases to which a letter T has been added at the end:
- 22A Naughty young athlete? : SPORTS BRAT (sports bra + t)
- 24A Materials on a king’s palette? : ROYAL PAINT (royal pain + t)
- 34A “Don’t worry about that, Mr. Gingrich”? : IT’S NOTHING, NEWT (it’s nothing new + t)
- 52A “The Alien Simpsons” character? : MARS BART (Mars Bar + t)
- 55A Watery world? : SEA PLANET (seaplane + t)
- 77A Defective phone download? : BAD APPLET (bad apple + t)
- 79A Large pub band? : BAR NONET (bar none + t)
- 94A Tiny golf course rental? : SUBCOMPACT CART (subcompact car + t)
- 111A Strategy using a heavily pine-tarred bat? : STICKY BUNT (sticky bun + t)
- 113A Tiff about a checkup? : HEALTH SPAT (health spa + t)
Read on, or jump to …
… a complete list of answers
Want to discuss the puzzle? Then …
… leave a comment
Bill’s time: 14m 59s
Bill’s errors: 0
Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies
Across
1 Name on toy vehicles since 1964 : HESS
Hess Corporation is an oil company based in New York City. In 1964, the company started selling toy trucks with the Hess logo on them, in Hess gas stations. The company has been selling them every since, bringing out new models just before Christmas. Hess toy trucks have become quite collectible and the old ones can fetch a pretty penny.
5 ’50s first lady : MAMIE
Mamie Eisenhower was surely one of the most charming of all the First Ladies of the United States. Ms. Eisenhower suffered from an inner ear complaint called Ménière’s disease which caused her to lose her balance quite often. Because she was unsteady on her feet there were unfounded rumors floating around Washington that Ms. Eisenhower had a drinking problem. People can be very unkind …
10 Architect Saarinen : EERO
Eero Saarinen was a Finnish-American architect who was renowned in this country for his unique designs for public buildings such as Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Dulles International Airport Terminal, and the TWA building at JFK. The list of his lesser-known, but still impressive, works includes several buildings erected on academic campuses. For example, the Chapel and Kresge Auditorium on the MIT campus, the Emma Hartman Noyes House at Vassar College, the Law School building at the University of Chicago, and Yale’s David S. Ingalls Rink.
19 Whirlpool brand : 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.
21 Arcade pioneer : ATARI
At one point, the electronics and video game manufacturer Atari was the fastest growing company in US history. However, Atari never really recovered from the video game industry crash of 1983.
27 AOL, e.g. : ISP
AOL was a leading Internet Service Provider (ISP) in the 1980s and 1990s. The company does still provide dial-up access to the Internet for some subscribers, but most users now access AOL using faster, non-AOL ISPs.
29 Military chaplain : SKY PILOT
“Sky pilot” is a somewhat tongue-in-cheek term meaning “chaplain, clergyman”. Wilbur Wright was the first to pilot an aircraft, in 1903. And yet, the use of sky pilot dates back to the late 1800s. Back then, the “pilot” reference conjured up images of a ship’s pilot.
30 Platform for Siri : IOS
iOS is what Apple now call their mobile operating system. Previously, it was known as iPhone OS.
34 “Don’t worry about that, Mr. Gingrich”? : IT’S NOTHING, NEWT (it’s nothing new + t)
“Newt” … what a name! Newt Gingrich was born Newton Leroy McPherson in 1943, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Newt’s mother remarried when he was very young and his new father, Robert Gingrich, adopted Newt and hence giving him the Gingrich name.
43 Pouts : MOUES
The term “moue” comes from French, and means “small grimace, pout”.
44 Oxlike antelope : GNU
The gnu is also known as the wildebeest, and is an antelope native to Africa. “Wildebeest” is a Dutch meaning “wild beast”.
45 Syndicate : CARTEL
A cartel is a group of independent businesses who cooperate to regulate production, pricing and marketing of their common product(s).
47 Chinese culinary general : TSO
General Tso’s chicken is an American creation, and a dish often found on the menu of a Chinese restaurant. The name General Tso may be a reference to General Zuo Zongtang of the Qing Dynasty, but there is no clear link.
49 Cartoon flapper : BOOP
Betty Boop made her first appearance on the screen in 1930, in a cartoon called “Dizzy Dishes”. Her character was modeled on the the It-girl, the sexy Clara Bow of movie fame. Back then Betty Boop was a sexy poodle and it wasn’t until 1932 that she morphed into completely human form. Betty was quite the risqué figure, but her vampish ways only lasted a few years. When the Production Code of 1934 came into force, Betty started to dress more modestly and toned down her behavior.
Flappers were the so-called “new breed” of young women of the twenties. The flappers wore their hair short (with ringlets), dressed in short skirts and generally rebelled against the accepted norms of the time. The term “flapper” comes from the 1920 movie “The Flapper” starring Olive Thomas as a young woman who lived the more liberal lifestyle that was emerging at that time.
50 Cabinet dept. with an atom on its seal : ENER
The US Department of Energy (DOE) came into being largely as a result of the 1973 oil crisis. The DOE was founded in 1977 by the Carter administration. The DOE is responsible for regulating the production of nuclear power, and it is also responsible for the nation’s nuclear weapons. The official DOE seal features a lightning bolt and symbols denoting five sources of energy: the sun, an atom, an oil derrick, a windmill and a dynamo.
51 1995 court VIP : ITO
Judge Lance Ito came in for a lot of criticism for his handling of the 1995 O.J. Simpson murder trial. The lead prosecutor in that trial was Marcia Clark, you might recall. I read the book that’s Clark wrote about the trial called “Without a Doubt”, and she pointed out one trait of Judge Ito that I think is quite telling. Ito would almost always refer to the prosecutor as “Marcia”, while addressing the men on both sides of the case with the honorific “Mister”.
52 “The Alien Simpsons” character? : MARS BART (Mars Bar + t)
Bart Simpson is the main character in television’s “The Simpsons”. Bart’s name was chosen by the writers as it is an anagram of “brat”. Bart is voiced by actress and comedian Nancy Cartwright.
59 Doo-wop syllable : SHA
Doo-wop developed in the 1940s and can be described as a vocal-based R&B music. Even though the style has been around since the forties, the name doo-wop wasn’t introduced until the early sixties.
60 Big size, in a small way : LGE
Large (lge.)
61 Operatic chorus : BRAVOS
To express appreciation for a male performer at an operatic performance, traditionally one calls out “bravo!”. Appreciation for a female performer is shown by using “brava!”, and for more than one performer of either sex by using “bravi!”
66 Organic fuel : PEAT
When dead plant matter accumulates in marshy areas, it may not fully decay due to a lack of oxygen or acidic conditions. We are familiar with this in Ireland, because this decaying matter can form peat, and we have lots and lots of peat bogs around the country.
68 Ex-baseballer Martinez : TINO
First baseman Tino Martinez has retired from Major League Baseball. Martinez played with a number of teams including the Mariners, Yankees, Cardinals and Devil Rays. Martinez was born and raised in Tampa, Florida and as a boy he worked in his father’s cigar factory.
73 __ v. Wade : ROE
Roe v. Wade was decided in a US District Court in Texas in 1970, and reached the Supreme Court on appeal. The basic decision by the Supreme Court was that a woman’s constitutional right to privacy applied to an abortion, but that this right had to be balanced with a state’s interest in protecting an unborn child and a mother’s health. The Court further defined that the state’s interest became stronger with each trimester of a pregnancy. So, in the first trimester the woman’s right to privacy outweighed any state interest. In the second trimester the state’s interest in maternal health was deemed to be strong enough to allow state regulation of abortion for the sake of the mother. In the third trimester the viability of the fetus dictated that the state’s interest in the unborn child came into play, so states could regulate or prohibit abortions, except in cases where the mother’s life was in danger. I’m no lawyer, but that’s my understanding of the initial Supreme Court decision …
74 Dusk, to Donne : E’EN
John Donne was one of England’s most celebrated poets, and was active at the start of the 17th century. He spent much of his life in poverty and even spent a short time in prison for having married his wife without procuring the appropriate permissions. After his release, his wife bore him 12 children in 16 years, passing away a few days after the twelfth child was born.
81 Deg. for a writer : MFA
Master of Fine Arts (MFA)
87 Lulu : PIP
A humdinger or a pip is someone or something outstanding.
We call a remarkable thing or a person a “lulu”. The term was coined in honor of Lulu Hurst, the Georgia Wonder, who was a stage magician active in the 1880s.
88 “Ageless Body, Timeless Mind” author : CHOPRA
Deepak Chopra is a medical doctor who is now an advocate for alternative medicine. Chopra was born in New Delhi, India and immigrated to the US in 1968. He is an advocate for mind/body spiritual healing. I have heard Chopra speak, and he really knows how to get his message across …
90 “__ the fields we go … ” : O’ER
The traditional Christmas song “Jingle Bells” was first published in 1857, penned by James Lord Pierpont. We associate the song with Christmas, although in fact Pierpont wrote it as a celebration of Thanksgiving.
Dashing through the snow
In a one horse open sleigh
O’er the fields we go
Laughing all the way
91 Graf rival : SELES
Monica Seles has a Hungarian name as she was born to Hungarian parents in former Yugoslavia. Seles was the World No. 1 professional tennis player in 1991 and 1992 before being forced from the sport when she was stabbed by a spectator at a match in 1993. She did return to the game two years later, but never achieved the same level of success.
Steffi Graf is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player from Germany. Graf won 22 Grand Slam singles titles, which is more than any other man or woman other than Margaret Court. She is married to another former World No. 1, namely Andre Agassi.
98 Bailiwicks : AREAS
“Bailiwick” is a word dating back to the mid-1600s. The term originally meant “district of a bailiff”.
101 Bygone New Zealand bird : MOA
Moa were flightless birds native to New Zealand that are now extinct. The fate of the Moa is a great example of the detrimental effect that humans can have on animal populations. The Maoris arrived in New Zealand about 1300 AD, upsetting the balance of the ecosystem. The Moa were hunted to extinction within 200 years, which had the knock-on effect of killing off the Haast’s Eagle, the Moa’s only predator prior to the arrival of man. Moa were huge creatures, measuring up to 12 feet tall with their necks stretched upwards.
102 Last of seven, for many : SATURDAY
The days of the week are named for celestial bodies and gods
- Sunday — Sun’s Day
- Monday — Moon’s Day
- Tuesday — Tiu’s day
- Wednesday — Woden’s day
- Thursday — Thor’s day
- Friday — Freya’s day
- Saturday — Saturn’s day
105 UFO crew, in theory : ETS
One might speculate that an unidentified flying object (UFO) is flown by an extraterrestrial (ET).
106 Curbside pickup places : BUS STOPS
“Curb” is another of those words that I had to learn when I came to the US. We park by the “kerb” on the other side of the Atlantic. Oh, and the “pavement”, that’s what we call the “footpath” (because the footpath is “paved”!). It’s very confusing when you arrive in this country from Ireland, and a little dangerous when one has been taught to “walk on the pavement” …
111 Strategy using a heavily pine-tarred bat? : STICKY BUNT (sticky bun + t)
Pine tar is applied to the handles of baseball bats as it is a sticky substance and improves the batter’s grip. In a 1983 game, the Yankees manager Billy Martin protested a home run hit by George Brett of the Royals because the pine tar on his bat extended beyond the regulation 18 inches. The home run was later allowed as it was determined that the 18-inch rule was in place for economic reasons, and had nothing to do with competitive advantage. If pine tar gets on a baseball it renders it unusable for play, and baseballs cost money!
116 Miscellany : OLIO
“Olio” is a term meaning “hodgepodge, mixture” that comes from the mixed stew of the same name. The stew in turn takes its name from the Spanish “olla”, the clay pot used for cooking.
117 Stand in a studio : EASEL
The word “easel” comes from an old Dutch word meaning “donkey” would you believe? The idea is that an easel carries its load (an oil painting, say) just as a donkey would be made to carry a load.
118 Adjutant : AIDE
An adjutant in the armed forces is a staff officer assigned to assist a commanding officer with administrative matters. The term “adjutant” comes from the Latin verb “adiutare” meaning “to help”.
119 Envy and others : SINS
The cardinal sins of Christian ethics are also known as the seven deadly sins. The seven sins are:
- Wrath
- Greed
- Sloth
- Pride
- Lust
- Envy
- Gluttony
121 Singer Springfield : DUSTY
English pop singer Dusty Springfiled had a very distinctive mezzo-soprano voice. She launched her solo career in 1963 with the chart-topping song “I Only Want to Be with You”. Other hits include “Wishin’ and Hopin’”, “I Just Don’t Know What to Do with Myself”, “You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me”, “The Look of Love” and “Son of a Preacher Man”.
Down
5 Phillie Phanatic, for one : MASCOT
The Phillie Phanatic is the mascot for the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team. The Phanatic replaced the older mascots Philadelphia Phil and Philadelphia Phillis in 1978.
7 K follower : -MART
Kmart is the third largest discount store chain in the world, behind Wal-Mart and Target. The company was founded by S. S. Kresge in 1899, with the first outlets known as S. S. Kresge stores. The first “Kmart” stores opened in 1962, with the “K” standing for “Kresge”. Kmart is famous for its promotions known as “blue light specials”, a program first introduced in 1965 and discontinued in 1991. I remember being in a Kmart store soon after coming to live in the US. That evening an employee installed a light stand an aisle away from me, switched on a flashing blue light and there was some unintelligible announcement over the loudspeaker system. I had no idea what was going on …
10 Secret Service agent’s accessory : EARPIECE
The Secret Service was created by President Abraham Lincoln in 1865, with the mission of fighting currency counterfeiters. The additional task of protecting the US President was added by Congress in 1902 following the assassination of President William McKinley in the prior year. Only one Secret Service agent has given his life in the course of an assassination attempt. That was Private Leslie Coffelt, who was killed when two Puerto Rican nationalists tried to assassinate President Harry S. Truman in 1950 while he was residing in Blair House.
11 “Do Ya” rock gp. : ELO
“Do Ya” is a song written by Jeff Lynne. Lynne first recorded “Do Ya” in 1972 with his band the Move. The Move gradually “moved” in a new artistic direction and rebranded themselves as the Electric Light Orchestra (ELO). ELO recorded a hit version of “Do Ya” in 1976.
12 Bottom-feeding fish : RAYS
Rays are fish with flattened bodies that have gill slits on their underside. There are many, many species of ray, including stingrays and skates. Rays are close relatives of sharks, with both being cartilaginous fish, as opposed to bony fish.
13 1970 World’s Fair site : OSAKA
Expo ‘70 was held in Suita, Osaka and was the first World’s Fair to be held in Japan. One of the highlights of the fair was a moon rock on display in the US Pavilion that was brought back from the moon by Apollo 12 astronauts in the preceding year. The world’s first IMAX film was debuted as well, a Canadian production called “Tiger Child”.
16 Cartoonist Peter : ARNO
Peter Arno was a cartoonist from New York who had his work published mainly in “The New Yorker” magazine from 1925 until he passed away in 1968. Arno’s real name was Curtis Arnoux Peters.
17 Big East team : PITT
The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) chose the nickname for its sporting teams in 1909, and claims that it was the first team in the country to adopt the name “Panthers”.
23 Chamber groups : TRIOS
In the world of chamber music, a trio often includes a piano. Common forms are:
- Clarinet-cello-piano
- Clarinet-viola-piano
- Clarinet-violin-piano
25 École cousin : LYCEE
The “lycée” is the last stage of secondary education in France.
In French, one might learn from a “maître” (master) in an “école” (school).
28 RR stop : STN
A station (“stn.” or “sta.”) is a railroad (RR) or bus stop.
31 Part of A.D. : ANNO
The Latin word for year is “annus”. We often see it used in Latin phrases, but usually with a different spelling. In “anno Domini”, the “anno” is the ablative case of “annus” as the phrase means “in the year of the Lord”. Another example is “per annum”, in which “annum” is the accusative case as the literal translation of the phrase is “during the year”.
32 Bittersweet farewell : SWAN SONG
The phrase “swan song” is used for a final gesture, a last performance. The expression derives from an ancient belief that swans are silent for most of their lives, but sing a beautiful song just before they die.
34 Mosque officials : IMAMS
An imam is a Muslim leader, and often the person in charge of a mosque or perhaps a Muslim community.
35 Judaic spiritual text : TORAH
The Torah, the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, are traditionally believed to have been written by Moses. As such, they are sometimes referred to as the Law of Moses, or Mosaic Law.
36 Buddhist spiritual text : SUTRA
The word “sutra” is used in Hinduism for a learned text, one usually meant to be studied by students.
37 1987 Costner role : NESS
“The Untouchables” is a 1957 memoir by famed Prohibition agent Eliot Ness. The book was adapted into a TV show of the same name that in the late fifties and early sixties, starring Robert Stack as Ness. The same memoir was the basis of the 1987 film, again of the same name, with Kevin Costner in the lead role.
38 Gershwin’s “__ Rhythm” : I GOT
“I Got Rhythm” is a song composed by George and Ira Gershwin in 1930 for the musical “Girl Crazy”. The song was performed by Ethel Merman in the original production on Broadway. “I Got Rhythm” makes another appearance in a George Gershwin work, in the 1951 musical film “An American in Paris”. Gene Kelly sang the song in the movie, while tap-dancing.
39 “Poems are made by fools like me” poem : TREES
The American journalist and poet Joyce Kilmer is primarily known for his 1913 poem titled “Trees”. The original text of the poem is:
I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.
A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast;
A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;
A tree that may in summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;
Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.
Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.
Kilmer died a few years after writing “Trees”. He was a casualty of the Second Battle of the Marne in 1918 at the age of 31.
41 Cosmetician Lauder : ESTEE
Estée Lauder was a very successful businesswoman, and someone with a great reputation as a salesperson. Lauder introduced her own line of fragrances in 1953, a bath oil called “Youth Dew”. “Youth Dew” was marketed as a perfume, but it was added to bathwater. All of a sudden women were pouring whole bottles of Ms. Lauder’s “perfume” into their baths while using only a drop or two of French perfumes behind their ears. That’s quite a difference in sales volume …
49 Author Harte : BRET
Bret Harte was a storyteller noted for his tales of the American West, even though he himself was from back East, born in Albany, New York. One work attributed to him is “Ah Sin”, a disastrously unsuccessful play written by Bret Harte and Mark Twain. The two writers didn’t get on at all well during the writing process, and when the play was produced for the stage it was very poorly received. Nevertheless, Twain suggested a further collaboration with Harte, and Harte downright refused!
62 GI’s furlough : R’N’R
Rest and relaxation/recuperation/recreation (R&R, “R‘n’R”)
A furlough is a vacation or leave, especially in the military. The term “furlough” comes from the Dutch “verlof” meaning “permission”, as in “I have permission to go on leave”.
63 Latin lover’s word : AMO
“Amo, amas, amat” translates from Latin as “I love, you love, he/she/it loves”.
64 Vehicle with sliding doors : VAN
The vehicle we call a “van” takes its name from “caravan”, and is a shortened version of the older term. Back in the 1600s, a caravan was a covered cart. We still use the word “caravan” in Ireland to describe what we call a “mobile home” or “recreational vehicle” here in the US.
66 Links letters : PGA
The Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) was founded in 1916 and today has its headquarters (unsurprisingly) in Florida, where so many golfers live. Back in 1916, the PGA was based in New York City.
The oldest type of golf course is a links course. The name “links” comes from the Old English word “hlinc” meaning “rising ground”. “Hlinc” was used to describe areas with coastal sand dunes or open parkland. As a result, we use the term “links course” to mean a golf course that is located at or on the coast, often amid sand dunes. The British Open is always played on a links course.
68 Under-the-sink assembly : TRAP
Most sinks in a home have a P-trap in the outlet pipe that empties into the sewer line. This P-trap has at its heart a U-bend that retains a small amount of water after the sink is emptied. This plug of water serves as a seal to prevent sewer gases entering into the home. By virtue of its design, the U-bend can also capture any heavy objects (like an item of jewelry) that might fall through the plughole. But the “trapping” of fallen objects is secondary to the P-trap’s main function of “trapping” sewer gases.
69 High-tech debut of 1981 : IBM PC
The IBM PC entered the personal computer market in 1981 and was by all accounts a surprising success, even to many IBM executives. The PC was directed at the business world, and in 1983 IBM made its first foray into the home computing world with the introduction of the PCjr. Codenamed “Peanut” during development, the PCjr has been described as one of the biggest commercial flops in computing history. Various reasons have been cited for the failure, including the poorly-designed keyboard, relatively high price and lack of compatibility with existing IBM products.
70 Underworld society : MAFIA
Apparently, “Cosa Nostra” is the real name for the Italian Mafia. “Cosa Nostra” translates as “our thing” or “this thing of ours”. The term first became public in the US when the FBI managed to turn some members of the American Mafia. The Italian authorities established that “Cosa Nostra” was also used in Sicily when they penetrated the Sicilian Mafia in the 1980s. The term “mafia” seems to be just a literary invention that has become popular with the public.
74 WWII bomber __ Gay : ENOLA
The Enola Gay was the B-29 that dropped the first atomic bomb, the bomb that destroyed Hiroshima in August 1945. Enola Gay was the name of the mother of pilot Col. Paul W. Tibbets, Jr.
76 Desert trial : N-TEST
Nuclear test (N-test)
78 Debt-heavy corp. takeover : LBO
A leveraged buyout (LBO) is a transaction in which an investor acquires a controlling volume of stock in a company, but buys that stock with borrowed funds (hence “leveraged”). Often the assets of the acquired company are used as collateral for the borrowed money. There is a special form of LBO known as a management buyout (MBO) in which the company’s own management team purchase the controlling interest.
80 Crude gp.? : OPEC
Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)
96 Charm : AMULET
Amulets are items worn to ward off disease or to protect against harmful magical spells.
99 Cousin of a clog : SABOT
There is a story that disgruntled textile workers would kick their wooden shoes, called “sabots”, into the looms in order to disable them so that they didn’t have to work. This act of vandalism was named for the shoe, an act of … “sabotage”.
102 IRS IDs : SSNS
The main purpose of a Social Security Number (SSN) is to track individuals for the purposes of taxation, although given its ubiquitous use, it is looking more and more like an identity number to me. The social security number system was introduced in 1936. Prior to 1986, an SSN was required only for persons with substantial income so many children under 14 had no number assigned. For some years the IRS had a concern that a lot of people were claiming children on their tax returns who did not actually exist. So, from 1986 onward, it is a requirement to get an SSN for any dependents over the age of 5. Sure enough, seven million dependents “disappeared” in 1987.
104 “Throw the __ Log On, Uncle John”: P.D.Q. Bach madrigal parody : YULE
P. D. Q. Bach is an alter ego used by musical satirist Peter Schickele. Schickele creates works that he bills as compositions written by P. D. Q. Bach, the “only forgotten son” of Johann Sebastian Bach.
107 Peter the Great, e.g. : TSAR
Peter the Great (aka “Peter I”) was perhaps the most successful of the Romanov tsars, and was famous for modernizing Russia and expanding the country’s sphere of influence, creating the Russian Empire. He ruled from 1682 until his death in 1725.
108 ’60s sitcom boy : OPIE
Opie Taylor is the character played by Ron Howard on “The Andy Griffith Show”. Opie lives with widowed father Andy Taylor (played by Andy Griffith) and his great-aunt Beatrice “Aunt Bee” Taylor (played by Frances Bavier). Ron Howard first played the role in 1960 in the pilot show, when he was just 5 years old. Howard sure has come a long way since playing Opie Taylor. He has directed some fabulous movies including favorites of mine like “Apollo 13”, “A Beautiful Mind” and “The Da Vinci Code”.
109 Stationer’s stock : PADS
“Stationery” is a noun describing writing materials and office supplies, items that are sold by a stationer. Centuries ago, a stationer was someone who sold goods from a shop or a “station”, from a fixed, “stationary” stall.
110 Editorial “let it stand” : STET
“Stet” is a Latin word meaning “let it stand”. In editorial work, the typesetter is instructed to disregard any change previously marked by writing the word “stet” and then underscoring that change with a line of dots or dashes.
112 Matchstick-removing game : NIM
Nim is a simple mathematical game of strategy, and an ancient entertainment. Nim involves removing items from distinct piles (say matchsticks). Each player must remove at least one item per turn, and the last person to remove an item is the loser.
114 Évian water : EAU
Évian-les-Bains (or simply “Évian”) is in the very east of France, on the shores of Lake Geneva directly across the lake from Lausanne, Switzerland. As one might imagine, Évian is the home of Évian mineral water, the most successful business in town. Personally, I can’t stand the distinctive taste of Évian water …
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Complete List of Clues/Answers
Across
1 Name on toy vehicles since 1964 : HESS
5 ’50s first lady : MAMIE
10 Architect Saarinen : EERO
14 Become unhinged : SNAP
18 Bridge toll unit : AXLE
19 Whirlpool brand : AMANA
20 “Ah, me!” : ALAS!
21 Arcade pioneer : ATARI
22 Naughty young athlete? : SPORTS BRAT (sports bra + t)
24 Materials on a king’s palette? : ROYAL PAINT (royal pain + t)
26 Energy-saving tactic : POWER CUT
27 AOL, e.g. : ISP
29 Military chaplain : SKY PILOT
30 Platform for Siri : IOS
31 Cons : ANTIS
33 Biting : ACERB
34 “Don’t worry about that, Mr. Gingrich”? : IT’S NOTHING, NEWT (it’s nothing new + t)
40 Less taxing : EASIER
43 Pouts : MOUES
44 Oxlike antelope : GNU
45 Syndicate : CARTEL
47 Chinese culinary general : TSO
48 Fine things? : ARTS
49 Cartoon flapper : BOOP
50 Cabinet dept. with an atom on its seal : ENER
51 1995 court VIP : ITO
52 “The Alien Simpsons” character? : MARS BART (Mars Bar + t)
55 Watery world? : SEA PLANET (seaplane + t)
59 Doo-wop syllable : SHA
60 Big size, in a small way : LGE
61 Operatic chorus : BRAVOS
65 Chip features : RIDGES
66 Organic fuel : PEAT
67 Deprive of courage : UNMAN
68 Ex-baseballer Martinez : TINO
69 Photos, say : IMAGES
72 Not diluted much, if at all : STRONG
73 __ v. Wade : ROE
74 Dusk, to Donne : E’EN
77 Defective phone download? : BAD APPLET (bad apple + t)
79 Large pub band? : BAR NONET (bar none + t)
81 Deg. for a writer : MFA
82 Red analog : BEET
84 Trounce, down south : WHUP
86 Global extremity : POLE
87 Lulu : PIP
88 “Ageless Body, Timeless Mind” author : CHOPRA
90 “__ the fields we go … ” : O’ER
91 Graf rival : SELES
92 They may be driven : CATTLE
94 Tiny golf course rental? : SUBCOMPACT CART (subcompact car + t)
98 Bailiwicks : AREAS
100 Slogs : PLODS
101 Bygone New Zealand bird : MOA
102 Last of seven, for many : SATURDAY
105 UFO crew, in theory : ETS
106 Curbside pickup places : BUS STOPS
111 Strategy using a heavily pine-tarred bat? : STICKY BUNT (sticky bun + t)
113 Tiff about a checkup? : HEALTH SPAT (health spa + t)
115 Recesses : NOOKS
116 Miscellany : OLIO
117 Stand in a studio : EASEL
118 Adjutant : AIDE
119 Envy and others : SINS
120 Fill-in : TEMP
121 Singer Springfield : DUSTY
122 Word of medical advice : REST
Down
1 Door fastener : HASP
2 Big show : EXPO
3 Tedious : SLOW
4 Arid : SERE
5 Phillie Phanatic, for one : MASCOT
6 Waylay : AMBUSH
7 K follower : -MART
8 Minute or moment lead-in : IN A …
9 Consuming, as time : EATING UP
10 Secret Service agent’s accessory : EARPIECE
11 “Do Ya” rock gp. : ELO
12 Bottom-feeding fish : RAYS
13 1970 World’s Fair site : OSAKA
14 Way up : STAIRS
15 Nervous habit : NAIL BITING
16 Cartoonist Peter : ARNO
17 Big East team : PITT
21 Court loser’s option : APPEAL
23 Chamber groups : TRIOS
25 École cousin : LYCEE
28 RR stop : STN
31 Part of A.D. : ANNO
32 Bittersweet farewell : SWAN SONG
34 Mosque officials : IMAMS
35 Judaic spiritual text : TORAH
36 Buddhist spiritual text : SUTRA
37 1987 Costner role : NESS
38 Gershwin’s “__ Rhythm” : I GOT
39 “Poems are made by fools like me” poem : TREES
41 Cosmetician Lauder : ESTEE
42 Origins : ROOTS
46 Song syllable : TRA
49 Author Harte : BRET
53 Obscenity cover-up : BLEEP
54 Showing shock : AGASP
56 Former : PRIOR
57 Bedding : LINEN
58 Big deal : ADO
61 Flatter : BUTTER UP
62 GI’s furlough : R’N’R
63 Latin lover’s word : AMO
64 Vehicle with sliding doors : VAN
66 Links letters : PGA
68 Under-the-sink assembly : TRAP
69 High-tech debut of 1981 : IBM PC
70 Underworld society : MAFIA
71 Novel’s screen version, e.g. : ADAPTATION
72 Oozes : SEEPS
74 WWII bomber __ Gay : ENOLA
75 Fisherman with pots : EELER
76 Desert trial : N-TEST
78 Debt-heavy corp. takeover : LBO
79 Pat on the back, maybe : BURP
80 Crude gp.? : OPEC
83 Place setting setting : TABLETOP
84 Fuel storage structure : WOODSHED
85 Does some tailoring : HEMS
88 Store employees : CLERKS
89 Exciting : HEADY
91 Put away for later : STASH
93 Rollers on the road : TRUCKS
95 Bunk : COT
96 Charm : AMULET
97 Like serious mistakes : COSTLY
99 Cousin of a clog : SABOT
102 IRS IDs : SSNS
103 Yours, to Yvette : A TOI
104 “Throw the __ Log On, Uncle John”: P.D.Q. Bach madrigal parody : YULE
106 Low pitch : BASS
107 Peter the Great, e.g. : TSAR
108 ’60s sitcom boy : OPIE
109 Stationer’s stock : PADS
110 Editorial “let it stand” : STET
112 Matchstick-removing game : NIM
114 Évian water : EAU
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