LA Times Crossword 1 Nov 20, Sunday

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Constructed by: C.C. Burnikel
Edited by: Rich Norris

Today’s Theme: It’s Time

Collectively, themed answers include eight abbreviated names of months. Those months included in SPRING are written in the FORWARD direction. Those included in FALL are written BACKWARDS:

  • 68A Timely mnemonic, or what the circled letters depict : SPRING FORWARD, FALL BACK
  • 22A Swindler : SCAM ARTIST (March)
  • 24A “It’s hopeless” : NOT A PRAYER (April)
  • 43A Meat brand spelled out by a four-year-old in ads : OSCAR MAYER (May)
  • 48A C-SPAN addict, say : NEWS JUNKIE (June)
  • 93A Some Nehi drinks : GRAPE SODAS (September)
  • 96A It may be cracked with a key : SECRET CODE (October)
  • 119A Cable company offering : TV ON DEMAND (November)
  • 121A Fugitive trackers, at times : POLICE DOGS (December)

Read on, or jump to …
… a complete list of answers

Bill’s time: 13m 05s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

5 Kvetch : GRIPE

The word “kvetch” comes to us from Yiddish, with “kvetshn” meaning “to complain” or “squeeze”.

10 Mushroom sought by mushroom hunters : MOREL

The morel is that mushroom with the honeycomb-like structure on the cap. Morels are highly prized, especially in French cuisine. They should never be eaten raw as they are toxic, with the toxins being removed by thorough cooking.

15 Econ. barometer : GDP

A country’s Gross National Product (GNP) is the value of all services and products produced by its residents in a particular year. GNP includes all production wherever it is in the world, as long as the business is owned by residents of the country concerned. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is different, although related, and is the value of all services and goods produced within the borders of the country for that year.

19 Swiss luxury brand : ROLEX

My most-prized possession is a beautiful stainless steel Rolex watch that my uncle bought while serving with the RAF in Canada during WWII. Rolex watches were made available to the Canadian servicemen at that time as they were shipping overseas. My uncle brought his Rolex home to Ireland after the war. He needed money one weekend and so sold the watch to my Dad, for five pounds. My Dad gave it to me just before he died, as he knew I loved the watch, and my brothers weren’t interested in it all. Not so long ago I had the watch appraised ($3,000), and my brothers suddenly took a liking to it! Still, it’s not something that will ever be sold, that’s for sure …

20 Butler’s love : O’HARA

In Margaret Mitchell’s novel “Gone with the Wind”, when Rhett Butler finally walks out on Scarlett O’Hara he utters the words “My dear, I don’t give a damn”. Most of us are more familiar with the slightly different words spoken by Clark Gable in the film adaption of the story: “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.”

21 Provider of expert advice : GURU

“Guru” is a Hindi word meaning “teacher” or “priest”.

27 __ fly: run-scoring out : SAC

That would be baseball.

28 World’s largest tennis stadium : ASHE

Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens, New York opened in 1997, and is the largest outdoor, tennis-only venue in the world. The stadium was often criticized for not having a retractable dome to protect the playing surface from inclement weather. Well, that changed in 2016 when the stadium debuted its new retractable roof, a $150 million investment in the facility.

29 Social media profile picture, often : SELFIE

A selfie is a self-portrait, one usually taken with a digital camera or cell phone. A “group selfie” is sometimes referred to as a “groufie” or “wefie”. A “couple selfie” is known as an “usie” or “ussie”, although those terms are sometimes also used for a group picture.

30 Clue follower : SLEUTH

The word “sleuth” came into English from Old Norse as far back as 1200 when it meant the “track or trail of a person”. In the mid-1800s, a sleuthhound described a keen investigator, a hound close on the trail of the suspect. Sleuthhound was shortened to “sleuth” and was used for a detective in general.

32 Muralist Rivera : DIEGO

Diego Rivera was a Mexican painter who was famous for his murals. His wife was the equally famous Mexican artist Frida Kahlo.

34 Cybertruck maker : TESLA

Tesla’s Cybertruck is an electric-powered pickup truck that the company unveiled in 2019. It’s a pretty futuristic design, one inspired by the flying cars in “Blade Runner” and the automobile/submarine Lotus Esprit in “The Spy Who Loved Me”.

40 Hoods at a monastery : COWLS

A cowl is a long garment with a hood that is primarily worn by monks in the Christian tradition. The term “cowl” can also describe the hood itself.

43 Meat brand spelled out by a four-year-old in ads : OSCAR MAYER

The Oscar Mayer brand of meats was named for a German immigrant named Oscar F. Mayer who sold German sausages in the Chicago area in the late 1800s. The Oscar Mayer company has a famous vehicle called the Wienermobile that it has used in promotions for over 70 years.

48 C-SPAN addict, say : NEWS JUNKIE

A buff, fiend, junkie or nut is one who is extremely enthusiastic and knowledgeable about a subject, someone who is a devotee.

C-SPAN is a privately-funded, nonprofit cable channel that broadcasts continuous coverage of government proceedings.

50 Miley Cyrus label : RCA

Miley Cyrus became famous playing the Disney Channel character “Hannah Montana”. Miley is the daughter of country singer Billy Ray Cyrus. When she was born, Billy Ray and his wife named their daughter “Destiny Hope”, but soon they themselves calling her “Smiley” as she was always smiling as a baby, and this got shortened to Miley over time. Cute …

55 Conspiring faction : CABAL

A cabal is a small group of plotters acting in secret, perhaps scheming against a government or an individual.

58 Italy’s cont. : EUR

The continent of Europe was named for Europa, a Phoenician princess of Greek mythology.

59 “Look before you leap,” e.g. : OLD SAW

A saw is an old saying, one that is often repeated and is very familiar. The term “old saw” is actually a tautology, as by definition a “saw” is “old”.

61 Advanced teaching deg. : MSED

Master of Science in Education (M.S.Ed.)

62 2009 aviation biopic : AMELIA

The 2009 movie “Amelia” tells the life story of Amelia Earhart, with Hilary Swank in the title role. “Amelia” didn’t do well with the critics, although I must say that I enjoyed it. Maybe that’s because I am fascinated by the whole Earhart story …

64 Authoritative code : DOGMA

A dogma is a set of beliefs. The plural of “dogma” is “dogmata” (or “dogmas”, if you’re not a pedant like me!)

66 Art __ : DECO

Art Deco is a style of design and architecture of the 1920s that actually had its roots in Belgium and then spread throughout Europe before arriving in North America. Celebrated examples of Art Deco architecture are the magnificent Chrysler Building in New York City completed in 1930, and the GE Building that sits in the middle of New York City’s Rockefeller Center with the address of “30 Rock”.

68 Timely mnemonic, or what the circled letters depict : SPRING FORWARD, FALL BACK

On the other side of the Atlantic, daylight saving time (DST) is known as “summer time”. The idea behind summer/daylight-savings is to move clocks forward an hour in spring (“spring forward”), and backwards in the fall (“fall back”) so that afternoons have more daylight. Here in the US, DST starts on the second Sunday of March, and ends on the first Sunday of November.

75 Arcade giant : SEGA

Sega is a Japanese video game company headquartered in Tokyo. Sega actually started out 1940 in the US as Standard Games and was located in Honolulu, Hawaii. The owners moved the operation to Tokyo in 1951 and renamed the company to Service Games. The name “Sega” is a combination of the first two letters of the words “Se-rvice” and “Ga-mes”.

86 Texas site of Pizza Hut headquarters : PLANO

Plano, Texas is located in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area. Settlers chose the name “Plano” in the 1840s. “Plano” is Spanish for “flat”, a reference to the terrain in the area.

Pizza Hut started out as a single location in Wichita, Kansas in 1958 and is now the world’s largest pizza franchise. Pizza Hut claims to be the world’s largest user of cheese, consuming 300 million pounds every year. The chain buys 3% of the cheese produced in the US, which means that 170,000 American cows are producing milk for Pizza Hut alone.

87 Helen Reddy’s “__ Woman” : I AM

The successful singer Helen Reddy was born in Melbourne, Australia. In 1966, Reddy won a talent contest and earned herself a trip to New York City for an audition. The 25-year-old single mother decided to stay in the US, and a few years later was able to launch a successful singing career. Her hit song “I Am Woman”, released in 1972, was the first recording by an Australian artist to reach #1 in the US charts.

88 Flood control : LEVEE

A levee is an artificial bank, usually made of earth, that runs along the length of a river. It is designed to hold back river water at a time of potential flooding. “Levée” is the French word for “raised” and is an American term that originated in French-speaking New Orleans around 1720.

89 Big name in bowling shoes : ETONIC

Etonic is a manufacturer of sporting shoes that is particularly known for its golf shoes. The company was founded in 1876 in Brockton, Massachusetts and was named for its founder, Charles A. Eaton.

92 Dudes : MEN

Our term “dude” arose as slang in New York City in the 1880s, when it was used to describe a fastidious man. In the early 1900s, the term was extended to mean “city slickers”, easterners who vacationed in the West. The first use of the term “dude ranch” was recorded in 1921.

93 Some Nehi drinks : GRAPE SODAS

Claude A. Hatcher ran a grocery store in Columbus, Georgia. He decided to develop his own soft drink formula when he balked at the price his store was being charged for Coca-Cola syrup. Hatcher launched the Union Bottling Works in his own grocery store, and introduced Royal Crown Ginger Ale in 1905. The Union Bottling Works was renamed to Chero-Cola in 1910, the Nehi Corporation in 1925, and Royal Crown Company in the mid-fifties. The first RC Cola hit the market in 1934.

100 Mount Rainier’s Native American name … and a Microsoft typeface : TAHOMA

Mount Rainier is an active volcano in the state of Washington in the Cascade Mountain Range. Native Americans first called the peak “Tacoma” and “Tahoma” meaning “mother of waters”. When Captain George Vancouver discovered Puget Sound in 1792, he named the peak in honor of his friend Rear Admiral Peter Rainier. There have been movements to change the name back to Tacoma, but these seem to have “petered” out (pun!).

102 Soothing succulent : ALOE

Succulent plants are those with thickened stems and/or leaves that have evolved to retain water. As such, succulents are often found where the climate is particularly dry. The term “succulent” comes from the Latin “sucus” meaning “juice, sap”.

105 Ethereal glows : AURAS

An aura (plural “aurae”) is an intangible quality that surrounds a person or thing, a “je ne sais quoi”. “Je ne sais quoi” is French for “I don’t know what”.

108 Whitman’s dooryard bloomers : LILACS

Walt Whitman wrote his famous poem “When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d” as an elegy following the violent death of President Lincoln.

112 Pelican State campus : TULANE

Tulane University is a private research university in New Orleans, Louisiana. Tulane was founded in 1834 as the Medical College of Louisiana. The university was privatized with the aid of an endowment from philanthropist Paul Tulane in 1884, and as a result the school’s name was changed to Tulane University. The school’s sports teams use the name Tulane Green Wave, and the team mascot is Riptide the Pelican.

The official nickname of Louisiana is the Pelican State, but it is also known as the Bayou State, the Child of Mississippi, the Creole State, the Sportsman’s Paradise and the Sugar State.

116 Co-star with Chevy and Gilda : DAN

Dan Aykroyd is a Canadian comedian and actor who was born in Ottawa, Ontario, although he is now a naturalized US citizen. Aykroyd was an original cast member on “Saturday Night Live” and fronted the Blues Brothers along with John Belushi.

Chevy Chase is a comedian and actor from Lower Manhattan who was born into a wealthy New York City family who can trace its heritage back to the Mayflower. Chase’s real name is Cornelius and he was given his nickname “Chevy” by his grandmother who took it from the old English song The Ballad of Chevy Chase”.

Gilda Radner was a comedian and actress, and one of the original cast members of the hit television show “Saturday Night Live”. Radner left her first husband to marry comedic actor Gene Wilder, whom she met while they were both filming the Sidney Poitier movie “Hanky Panky”.

118 Open veranda : LANAI

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

124 Caffeine-rich nuts : KOLAS

The nut of the kola tree has a bitter taste, and is loaded with caffeine. Despite the taste, the nut is habitually chewed in some cultures, especially in West Africa where the tree is commonly found in the rainforest. Here in the US we best know the kola nut as a flavoring used in cola drinks.

127 Rapper Lil __ X : NAS

“Lil Nas X” is the stage name of rapper Montero Lamar Hill. He was born and raised just outside of Atlanta. His first hit was “Old Town Road”, which is classified as country rap.

129 Exorcist’s target : DEMON

An exorcist is a religious figure who is believed to be able to cast out demons that have possessed a person or perhaps a building.

Down

4 Deep-fried Japanese dish : TEMPURA

Tempura is a style of Japanese cuisine that features seafood, meat and vegetables that have been deep-fried in batter. The use of batter in fried foods was introduced into Japan by the Portuguese in the late 1500s.

5 Boxer’s warning : GRR!

The boxer breed of dog (one of my favorites) originated in Germany. My first dog was a boxer/Labrador mix, a beautiful combination. Our current family dog is a boxer/pug mix, and is another gorgeous animal.

7 Trojan War saga : ILIAD

“Iliad” is an epic poem by the Greek poet Homer that tells the story of the ten-year siege of “Ilium” (i.e. “Troy”) during the Trojan war. “The Odyssey”, also attributed to Homer, is sometimes described as a sequel to “Iliad”.

The ancient city of Troy was located on the west coast of modern-day Turkey. The Trojan War of Greek mythology was precipitated by the elopement of Helen, the wife of the king of Sparta, with Paris of Troy. The war itself largely consisted of a nine-year siege of Troy by the Greeks. We know most about the final year of that siege, as it is described extensively in Homer’s “Iliad”. The city eventually fell when the Greeks hid soldiers inside the Trojan Horse, which the Trojans brought inside the city’s walls. Beware of Greeks bearing gifts …

8 Joe who played the thief Harry in “Home Alone” : PESCI

Joe Pesci got his big break in movies with a supporting role in “Raging Bull” starring Robert De Niro, earning Pesci an Oscar nomination early in his career. There followed a string of gangster roles played alongside De Niro, namely “Once Upon a Time in America”, “Goodfellas” and “Casino”. But I like Pesci’s comedic acting best of all. He was marvelous in the “Home Alone” films, the “Lethal Weapon” series, and my personal favorite, “My Cousin Vinny”. Pesci gets a mention in the stage musical “Jersey Boys”, which isn’t too surprising as he is one of the show’s producers.

“Home Alone” is a 1990 film starring Macaulay Culkin that has become a Christmas classic. Culkin was nominated for a Best Actor Golden Globe for his performance, becoming the youngest actor ever to be so honored.

10 Rainy season : MONSOON

The term “monsoon” was first used in India in the days of the British Raj, when it described the seasonal winds that brought rain from the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea from June to September. “Monsoon” is derived from the Portuguese “monção”, which in turn comes from the Arabic “mawsim” meaning “season”.

15 Gunpowder Plot participant of 1605 : GUY FAWKES

Even when I was a kid living in England in the 1960s, we would make up an effigy of Guy Fawkes to parade around the streets in the runup to Guy Fawkes Day, November 5th. Guy Fawkes was the man who led the Gunpowder Plot to blow up the British king and Parliament on November 5, 1605. We kids would use the effigy to raise money from strangers by approaching them with the phrase “penny for the guy”. The money collected was used to buy fireworks that we’d shoot off on Bonfire Night, the name given to the evening of Guy Fawkes Day. The effigy known as “the guy” gave rise in the UK to the use of “guy” to describe a poorly-dressed man. By the mid-1800s, the term “guy” was adopted into American-English to mean simply “fellow”.

16 Hamburger’s three : DREI

“Eins, zwei, drei, vier” is German for “one, two, three, four”.

Hamburg is the second-largest city in Germany (after Berlin), and the third largest port in Europe (after Rotterdam and Antwerp).

21 Pump measure : GALLON

The gas pump was actually around before there were cars on the road. The first gas pump was the invention of one Sylvanus Bowser from Fort Wayne, Indiana. His first pump was designed to pump kerosene for lamps and stoves, and was introduced in 1885. As automobiles became popular, he modified the design to pump gasoline. He introduced the Self-Measuring Gasoline Storage Pump in 1905. He marketed his devices all around the world, and in some parts the name “bowser” is still used sometimes to refer to fuel pumps, and indeed some fuel tankers.

23 Autumn blossom : ASTER

Apparently, most aster species and cultivars bloom relatively late in the year, usually in the fall. The name “aster” comes into English via Latin from the Greek word “astéri” meaning “star”, a reference to the arrangement of the petals of the flower.

25 Coast Guard mission : RESCUE

The US Coast Guard (USCG) has the distinction of being the country’s oldest continuous seagoing service. The USCG was founded as the Revenue Cutter Service by Alexander Hamilton in 1790.

33 “Reader, I married him” governess : EYRE

“Jane Eyre” is a celebrated novel written by Charlotte Brontë, under the pen name Currer Bell. The love story is perhaps represented by the oft-quoted opening lines of the last chapter, “Reader, I married him”. There is a wonderful 4-hour television adaptation made by the BBC that I highly recommend to fans of the novel …

34 Taco truck fare : TOSTADA

In Mexican cuisine, a tostada is a flat or bowl-shaped tortilla

36 The Beatles’ Penny, e.g. : LANE

When in their teens, Paul McCartney and John Lennon would often head into the center of Liverpool together on the bus. The convenient place for them to meet was at the end of Penny Lane. Years later, Paul McCartney wrote the song “Penny Lane”, which was a big hit in 1967. “Penny Lane” was released as a double A-side record with “Strawberry Fields Forever” penned by John Lennon. Coincidentally, Strawberry Field was also a real location, not far from Penny Lane in Liverpool. Strawberry Field was a Salvation Army Children’s Home in the garden of which Lennon would play as a child. I don’t think Lennon and McCartney ever really forgot their roots …

42 Piece inside a pumpkin : SEED

Pumpkin seeds are also known as pepitas, from the Mexican Spanish term “pepita de calabaza” meaning “little seed of squash”.

45 Pole thrown by Scots : CABER

The caber toss must be the most recognizable event in the Scottish Highland Games. The tall pole is 19’ 6” long and weighs a whopping 175 pounds. The event may have originated with the practice of tossing large logs across chasms in order to cross them.

60 Pie crust ingredient : LARD

Fat, when extracted from the carcass of an animal, is called suet. Untreated suet decomposes at room temperature quite easily so it has to be rendered, purified to make it stable. Rendered fat from pigs is what we call lard. Rendered beef or mutton fat is known as tallow.

61 Gas brand with a red “o” in its logo : MOBIL

Mobil was founded as part of the breakup of Standard Oil in 1911. The company was originally called Socony (Standard Oil Company of New York). Socony merged with Magnolia Petroleum Company in the thirties and adopted Magnolia’s Pegasus emblem, and it has been used ever since. Mobil merged with Exxon in 1999 but the Mobil brand and Pegasus are alive and well.

63 Team from College Station, Texas : AGGIES

Texas A&M is the seventh largest university in the country, and was the first public higher education institute in the state when it accepted its first students in 1876. The full name of the school was the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas (hence “A&M”) and its primary mission used to be the education of males in the techniques of farming and military warfare. That’s quite a combination! Because of the agricultural connection, the college’s sports teams use the moniker “Aggies”. Texas A&M is also home to the George Bush Presidential Library.

65 Stefani of No Doubt : GWEN

Gwen Stefani is lead singer with the rock band No Doubt. She joined the band in 1986, focused on a solo career from 2004-2008, but is now back singing and working with No Doubt. She joined the reality show “The Voice” as a coach in 2014, replacing Christina Aguilera. A year later, Stefani announced a relationship with Blake Shelton, a fellow coach on “The Voice”.

70 Crusoe creator : DEFOE

Daniel Defoe is most famous today as the author of the novels “Robinson Crusoe” and “Moll Flanders”. He was also a trader … and a spy for King William III!

When Daniel Defoe wrote his marvelous 1719 novel called “Robinson Crusoe”, he was likely thinking of real-life Scottish castaway Alexander Selkirk. Selkirk was marooned and lived alone on the Pacific Island called “Mas a Tierra” off the coast of Chile, for four years. The island was officially renamed in 1966, and is now called Robinson Crusoe Island.

71 Swiss coin : FRANC

Not only is the Swiss Franc legal tender in Switzerland, it is also the money used in Liechtenstein and the Italian exclave of Campione d’Italia.

72 National rival : ALAMO

The third-largest car rental company in recent years is Alamo, which was founded in 1974. Alamo made inroads (pun!) into the market by popularizing the idea of “unlimited mileage”.

73 Shaped like a megaphone : CONED

A megaphone is also known as a loudhailer or bullhorn. It was probably Thomas Edison who coined, or at least popularized, the term “megaphone” in 1878. He created a megaphone that was intended to benefit those who were hard of hearing. Edison’s device was relatively clumsy, and far from portable. However, it allowed a person speaking in a normal voice to be heard about two miles away!

74 Danish coin : KRONE

“Krone” translates into English as “crown”, and was the name given to coins that bore the image of the monarch in several countries. Today, the krone is the name given to the currency of Norway, and of Denmark. Some of the Norwegian and Danish kroner have holes in the middle, giving them a “doughnut” or “torus” shape.

79 Syrup used in pecan pies : KARO

Karo is a brand of corn syrup, an industrially manufactured sweetener derived from corn. The brand was introduced in 1902 by the Corn Products Refining Company.

82 Jon of “Chicago P.D.” : SEDA

Jon Seda plays Detective Paul Falsone on the cop show “Homicide: Life on the Street”. I remember Seda for playing Marine John Basilone on “The Pacific”, the followup to “Band of Brothers”.

88 Stanford who co-founded Stanford University : LELAND

Leland Stanford became a very successful businessman in California after moving there from New York during the Gold Rush. Stanford then served as governor of the state for two years, and later US Senator for California. He founded the Leland Stanford Junior University in memory of his teenage son who died of typhoid fever while the family was travelling in Italy in 1884. The university opened its doors for business in 1891, and the first student admitted was none other than Herbert Hoover, the man destined to become the 31st President of the US.

90 Winter Palace monarch : TSAR

The Winter Palace is a magnificent building in St. Petersburg in Russia that was home to the Russian tsars (and tsarinas). Today, the Winter Palace houses the famous Hermitage Museum. I was lucky enough to visit the Palace and museum some years ago, and I have to say that I have rarely been more impressed by a historical building.

94 Intellectual nitpicker : PEDANT

A pedant is a person “who trumpets minor points of learning”, a person who tends to nit-pick. “Pedant” comes via Middle French from the Italian word “pedante” meaning “teacher”.

97 Sheer linen fabric : TOILE

Toile fabric can be used as upholstery, as wallpaper, or even as a fabric for clothing. The name “toile” comes from the French word for “canvas, linen cloth”.

98 Grayish-yellow green : CELADON

Celadon is a shade of green that has a pale grey hue. It has been suggested that the name “celadon” comes from the character Céladon who features in the 17th-century novel “L’Astrée” by Honoré d’Urfé. Céladon routinely wears a grey-green color of clothing.

101 Clown for the camera : MUG

The verb “to mug” means “to make an exaggerated facial expression”. The term comes from mugs used to drink beer (called Toby mugs) that are made in the shape of heads with grotesque expressions. “Mug” can also be a noun meaning “face”.

107 Capital SSW of Portland : SALEM

Salem is the state capital of Oregon. It is thought that the city takes its name from the older city of Salem, Massachusetts.

111 Spacek of “The River” : SISSY

Actress Sissy Spacek got her big break in the movies when she played the title role in the 1976 horror movie “Carrie”, which is based on a Stephen King novel. Her most acclaimed role is the lead in the 1980 biopic about Loretta Lynn called “Coal MIner’s Daughter”, for which she won an Oscar. Spacek’s first cousin is the actor Rip Torn.

“The River” is a 1984 film starring Sissy Spacek and Mel Gibson as a couple struggling to keep their east Tennessee farm from going under. The title is a reference to a river adjacent to their land that floods their land from time to time. To make matters worse, a local developer is attempting to build a dam that would permanently flood properties along the river.

112 Texter’s parting : TTFN

Ta-ta for now (TTFN)

113 Where the iris is : UVEA

The uvea is the middle of the three layers that make up the eyeball. The outer layer is called the fibrous tunic, and the inner layer is the retina.

The iris is the colored part of the eye. It has an aperture in the center that can open or close depending on the level of light hitting the eye.

117 Barcelona boy : NINO

Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain, after the capital Madrid. Barcelona is the largest European city that sits on the Mediterranean coast. It is also the capital city of the autonomous community of Catalonia.

120 “The Simpsons” bartender : MOE

Moe Szyslak is the surly bartender and owner of Moe’s Tavern in “The Simpsons” animated TV show. I don’t really care for “The Simpsons”, but Hank Azaria who supplies the voice for the Moe character … him I like …

122 Spam holder : CAN

Spam is a precooked meat product that is sold in cans. It was introduced by Hormel Foods in 1937. The main meat ingredients are pork shoulder meat and ham. The name “Spam” was chosen as the result of a competition at Hormel, with the winner earning himself a hundred dollars. According to the company, the derivation of the name “Spam” is a secret known by only a few former executives, but the speculation is that it stands for “spiced ham” or “shoulders of pork and ham”. Spam is particularly popular in Hawaii, so popular that it is sometimes referred to as “the Hawaiian steak”.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Not yet bought : LEFT
5 Kvetch : GRIPE
10 Mushroom sought by mushroom hunters : MOREL
15 Econ. barometer : GDP
18 Bar on a truck : AXLE
19 Swiss luxury brand : ROLEX
20 Butler’s love : O’HARA
21 Provider of expert advice : GURU
22 Swindler : SCAM ARTIST
24 “It’s hopeless” : NOT A PRAYER
26 Subs : TEMPS
27 __ fly: run-scoring out : SAC
28 World’s largest tennis stadium : ASHE
29 Social media profile picture, often : SELFIE
30 Clue follower : SLEUTH
32 Muralist Rivera : DIEGO
34 Cybertruck maker : TESLA
35 Rod’s partner : REEL
37 “Over here!” : YOO-HOO!
40 Hoods at a monastery : COWLS
43 Meat brand spelled out by a four-year-old in ads : OSCAR MAYER
48 C-SPAN addict, say : NEWS JUNKIE
50 Miley Cyrus label : RCA
51 Noisy bunkmate : SNORER
53 Prepare for another drive : RE-TEE
54 Holiday lead-in : EVE
55 Conspiring faction : CABAL
58 Italy’s cont. : EUR
59 “Look before you leap,” e.g. : OLD SAW
61 Advanced teaching deg. : MSED
62 2009 aviation biopic : AMELIA
64 Authoritative code : DOGMA
66 Art __ : DECO
68 Timely mnemonic, or what the circled letters depict : SPRING FORWARD, FALL BACK
75 Arcade giant : SEGA
76 Rear-__ : ENDER
77 Hand at sea : SAILOR
78 Improv bit : SKIT
81 Coordinated : IN SYNC
84 Closest peeps : FAM
86 Texas site of Pizza Hut headquarters : PLANO
87 Helen Reddy’s “__ Woman” : I AM
88 Flood control : LEVEE
89 Big name in bowling shoes : ETONIC
92 Dudes : MEN
93 Some Nehi drinks : GRAPE SODAS
96 It may be cracked with a key : SECRET CODE
99 Suite spot : HOTEL
100 Mount Rainier’s Native American name … and a Microsoft typeface : TAHOMA
102 Soothing succulent : ALOE
103 “Look before you leap,” e.g. : ADAGE
105 Ethereal glows : AURAS
108 Whitman’s dooryard bloomers : LILACS
112 Pelican State campus : TULANE
114 Backfire sound : BANG!
116 Co-star with Chevy and Gilda : DAN
118 Open veranda : LANAI
119 Cable company offering : TV ON DEMAND
121 Fugitive trackers, at times : POLICE DOGS
123 Big party : FEST
124 Caffeine-rich nuts : KOLAS
125 Curling venue : ARENA
126 Vending machine inserts : ONES
127 Rapper Lil __ X : NAS
128 Look after : SEE TO
129 Exorcist’s target : DEMON
130 Overly curious : NOSY

Down

1 Has staying power : LASTS
2 Stand out : EXCEL
3 Heartthrob : FLAME
4 Deep-fried Japanese dish : TEMPURA
5 Boxer’s warning : GRR!
6 Turns : ROTS
7 Trojan War saga : ILIAD
8 Joe who played the thief Harry in “Home Alone” : PESCI
9 Phone routing no. : EXT
10 Rainy season : MONSOON
11 “I know! Pick me!” : OH! OH!
12 Utility bill figure : RATE
13 Jazz or swing : ERA
14 Time-__ : LAPSE
15 Gunpowder Plot participant of 1605 : GUY FAWKES
16 Hamburger’s three : DREI
17 Free of contaminants : PURE
21 Pump measure : GALLON
23 Autumn blossom : ASTER
25 Coast Guard mission : RESCUE
28 Before now : AGO
31 Sewer’s bottoms : HEMS
33 “Reader, I married him” governess : EYRE
34 Taco truck fare : TOSTADA
36 The Beatles’ Penny, e.g. : LANE
38 It’s driven on a trail : HERD
39 Has a balance due : OWES
41 In real time : LIVE
42 Piece inside a pumpkin : SEED
43 Seal-hunting swimmers : ORCAS
44 Whippersnapper : SCAMP
45 Pole thrown by Scots : CABER
46 “Seriously?” : YOU DO?
47 Wild throw, usually : ERROR
49 Crown collection : JEWELS
52 Wine and dine : ROMANCE
56 Elite guests : A-LIST
57 Airport screening likelihood : LINE
60 Pie crust ingredient : LARD
61 Gas brand with a red “o” in its logo : MOBIL
63 Team from College Station, Texas : AGGIES
65 Stefani of No Doubt : GWEN
67 Show appreciation : CLAP
69 Selection process for MLB All-Stars : FAN VOTE
70 Crusoe creator : DEFOE
71 Swiss coin : FRANC
72 National rival : ALAMO
73 Shaped like a megaphone : CONED
74 Danish coin : KRONE
78 Sound of resignation : SIGH
79 Syrup used in pecan pies : KARO
80 “It puzzles me” : I’M AT A LOSS
82 Jon of “Chicago P.D.” : SEDA
83 “You betcha!” : YEAH!
85 “Look, señorita!” : MIRA!
88 Stanford who co-founded Stanford University : LELAND
90 Winter Palace monarch : TSAR
91 Prison division : CELL
94 Intellectual nitpicker : PEDANT
95 Scoundrel : SO-AND-SO
97 Sheer linen fabric : TOILE
98 Grayish-yellow green : CELADON
101 Clown for the camera : MUG
104 Tech whizzes : GEEKS
106 Put on a pedestal : ADORE
107 Capital SSW of Portland : SALEM
109 Not allowed : A NO-NO
110 Batting practice sites : CAGES
111 Spacek of “The River” : SISSY
112 Texter’s parting : TTFN
113 Where the iris is : UVEA
114 Farm bundle : BALE
115 Med school subj. : ANAT
117 Barcelona boy : NINO
120 “The Simpsons” bartender : MOE
121 Launch site : PAD
122 Spam holder : CAN