LA Times Crossword 17 Aug 25, Sunday

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Constructed by: Kaye Brown

Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Theme: Parting Company

Themed answers are rhyming phrases featuring animals that can be used when PARTING COMPANY:

• 22A Response to “See ya later, alligator” : AFTER A WHILE, CROCODILE

• 38A 22-Across variation in a flower garden? : BYE-BYE, BUTTERFLY
• 57A 22-Across variation in a desert? : IN A SHAKE, RATTLESNAKE
• 82A 22-Across variation in a forest? : TAKE CARE, GRIZZLY BEAR
• 102A 22-Across variation in a birdcage? : BE SWEET, PARAKEET
• 118A 22-Across variation in Ontario? : HANG LOOSE, CANADA GOOSE

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

Bill’s time: 19m 02s

Bill’s errors: 2

• PATSIES (pansies)
• GET ON IT! (get on in)

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

12A Challenging bio course : AP CLASS

The Advanced Placement (AP) program offers college-level courses to kids who are still in high school (HS). After being tested at the end of an AP course, successful students receive credits that count towards a college degree.

19A Like a network used in machine learning : NEURAL

It used to be that “neural network” was just the name given to a network of nerve cells in an organism. In the modern world, the term “neural net” (short for “neural network”) also applies to virtual or electronic devices designed to mimic the function of the human brain, and in particular learning from past experiences.

20A Finish, as a crossword, e.g. : SOLVE

Arthur Wynne is generally credited with the invention of what we now know as a crossword puzzle. Wynne was born in Liverpool, England and emigrated to the US when he was 19-years-old. He worked as a journalist and was living in Cedar Grove, New Jersey in 1913 when he introduced a “Word-Cross Puzzle” in his page of puzzles written for the “New York World”. The first book of crossword puzzles was published by Shuster & Shuster, in 1924. The collection of puzzles was a huge hit, and crosswords were elevated to the level of “a craze” in 1924 and 1925.

21A Evergreen seed : PINE NUT

Despite their common name, pine nuts are not true nuts in a botanical sense. They are the edible seeds of various species of pine trees. The term “gymnosperm”, which describes pines, literally means “naked seed” in Ancient Greek, referring to the seed not being enclosed within an ovary that develops into a fruit.

25A Anxiety from social media scrolling, for short : FOMO

Fear of missing out (FOMO)

29A Part of the hook in a 2007 Rihanna hit : ELLA

“Umbrella” is a 2007 song released by Rihanna as the lead single from the album “Good Girl Gone Bad”. It features rap artist Jay-Z, who also co-wrote the song. The song was a huge hit, and topped charts all over the world. While “Umbrella” was at number-one in the UK, the nation was plagued with unseasonal rain storms and flooding. One British newspaper dubbed the event the “Rihanna Curse”. The “Curse” moved around the planet, with the number-one spot coinciding with storms in New Zealand and Romania.

32A “The Pitt” figs. : MDS

“The Pitt” is a medical drama TV show that premiered in 2025. The title refers to the fictional Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Hospital. In each episode, we follow the staff through an hour in the emergency department, navigating challenges like staff shortages and underfunding. The show has been praised by the medical community for its realistic portrayal of healthcare workers and the psychological challenges faced in a post-pandemic world.

38A 22-Across variation in a flower garden? : BYE-BYE, BUTTERFLY

Several butterfly species, such as the monarch and painted lady, migrate each year over long distances, often thousands of miles. However, no individual butterfly survives the whole journey. Instead, the migrations take place over a number of generations.

42A Studio Ghibli film about a magical goldfish : PONYO

“Ponyo” is a 2008 Japanese animated fantasy film. The title character is a goldfish with a human face who escapes from the ocean and befriends a five-year-old human boy named Sōsuke. Ponyo wants to become a human girl, and inadvertently uses magic acquired from Sōsuke’s blood to make the transformation, causing a dangerous imbalance in nature leading to a massive tsunami. An English-language version of “Ponyo” was released in 2009, marking the widest opening for a Studio Ghibli film in the US at that time.

44A Sketch comedy series starring Odenkirk and Cross : MR SHOW

“Mr. Show with Bob and David” is a sketch comedy series, hosted by and starring actor/comedians Bob Odenkirk and David Cross, that originally aired from 1995 to 1998. I haven’t seen this one yet, and just added it to “my list”. I hear good things …

45A City in western Germany : ESSEN

Essen is a large industrial city located on the River Ruhr in western Germany. The city experienced major population growth in the mid-1800s that was driven by the iron works established by the Krupp family.

47A Iroquois nation : SENECA

The Seneca Native American nation was a member of the Six Nations or Iroquois League, along with the Iroquois, Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga and Tuscarora peoples. Historically, the Seneca lived south of Lake Ontario. The name “Seneca” translates as “Great Hill People”.

49A Clarinetist’s supply : REEDS

The clarinet is a lovely-sounding instrument, isn’t it? The name “clarinet” comes from the Italian word “clarino” meaning “trumpet”, with the “-et” suffix indicating “small”.

54A Orb weaver’s creation : WEB

The spiral, wheel-shaped webs that we find in our gardens have likely been spun by an orb-weaver spider. The term “orb” is perhaps a little misleading, as in this case it means “circle”, an archaic meaning.

57A 22-Across variation in a desert? : IN A SHAKE, RATTLESNAKE

The scales covering the tip of a rattlesnake’s tail are made of keratin, the same structural protein that makes up the outer layer of human skin, as well as our hair and nails. The rattlesnake shakes its tail vigorously to warn off potential predators, causing the hollow scales to vibrate against one another and resulting in that scary “rattle” sound. The rattler’s tail muscles “fire” an incredible fifty times a second to achieve that effect, demonstrating one of the fastest muscular movements in the whole animal kingdom.

68A Peter’s adversary in a Prokofiev composition : WOLF

As is the case for many I am sure, Prokofiev’s “Peter and the Wolf” was my introduction to the world of classical music, as it was played for us at school many, many moons ago. Prokofiev wrote the piece as a commissioned work for the Central Children’s Theater in Moscow, in 1936. He loved the idea of the project, and wrote the story and music in just four days!

71A “Clueless” source novel : EMMA

The 1995 movie “Clueless” is based on Jane Austen’s “Emma”, which is a favorite novel of mine. The film? Not a favorite …

74A Like characters that lean one way? : ITALIC

Italic type leans to the right, and is often used to provide emphasis in text. The style is known as “italic” because the stylized calligraphic form of writing originated in Italy, probably in the Vatican.

82A 22-Across variation in a forest? : TAKE CARE, GRIZZLY BEAR

The North American brown bear is usually referred to as the grizzly bear. The name “grizzly” was given to the bear by Lewis and Clark. The term “grizzly” might mean “with gray-tipped hair”, or “fear-inspiring”. Both definitions seem to be apt …

88A “Origin” director DuVernay : AVA

Ava DuVernay is a filmmaker who became the first African-American woman to win the Best Director Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, a feat she achieved in 2012 for her feature film “Middle of Nowhere”. “Middle of Nowhere” tells the story of a woman who drops out of medical school to focus on her husband when he is sentenced to 8 years in prison. DuVernay also directed the 2014 film “Selma” about the 1965 voting rights marches from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama.

“Origin” is a 2023 film written and directed by Ava Duvernay. It follows the life of Pulitzer-winning journalist Isabel Wilkerson as she travels through the US, Germany and India, researching for her 2020 book “Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents”. In the movie, Wilkerson is portrayed by Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor.

89A SpongeBob’s pet, for one : SNAIL

Gary the Snail is a pet sea snail who lives with SpongeBob in his “pineapple under the sea”. Gary may be a sea snail, but he meows like a cat.

90A Party balloon filler : HELIUM

Helium is the chemical element with atomic number 2 and the element symbol “He”. It is a gas, lighter than air, and is the second-most abundant element in the universe (after hydrogen). Helium was first detected in 1868 as an unknown yellow spectral line during a solar eclipse. As such, the gas was named for “Helios”, the Greek god of the Sun.

93A Rough it in comfort : GLAMP

“Glamping” is “glamorous camping”, camping with comforts and amenities.

95A “The Phantom Tollbooth” author Juster : NORTON

“The Phantom Tollbooth” is described as a modern fairy tale, and is a children’s adventure novel by Norton Juster, first published in 1961. The novel tells of a young boy called Milo who drives through a magic tollbooth in his toy car, after which he experiences many adventures.

98A The NCAA’s Tigers : LSU

The Tigers are the sports teams of Louisiana State University (LSU). They are officially known as the Fightin’ Tigers, and the school mascot is “Mike the Tiger”. The name comes from the days of the Civil War, when two Louisiana brigades earned the nickname the “Louisiana Tigers”. Given the French/Cajun history of Louisiana, the LSU fans use the cheer “Geaux Tigers” instead of “Go Tigers”.

99A Broken wagon part in Oregon Trail : WHEEL

The Oregon Trail was established by fur trappers and traders as early as 1811. The first migrant wagon train traveled the route in 1836, starting off in Independence, Missouri and going as far as Fort Hall, Idaho. In the coming years, the trail was extended for wagons as far as the Willamette Valley in Oregon.

102A 22-Across variation in a birdcage? : BE SWEET, PARAKEET

Parakeets are a group of bird species that are small parrots. The most common type of parakeet that we see in pet stores is the budgerigar.

109A Bichon frise bark : YIP

The bichon frisé breed of dog is characteristically small and fluffy. The name of the breed comes from the French phrase “bichon à poil frisé” meaning “small dog with curly hair”.

110A Brontë’s Jane : 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 …

115A 106-Down portrayer McGregor : EWAN
[106D Skywalker mentor : KENOBI]

Ewan McGregor is a very talented Scottish actor, one who got his break in the 1996 film “Trainspotting”. McGregor’s first big Hollywood role was playing the young Obi-Wan-Kenobi in the “Star Wars” prequels. Less known is his televised marathon motorcycle journey from London to New York via central Europe, Ukraine, Siberia, Mongolia and Canada. The 2004 trip was shown as “Long Way Round” on TV. McGregor did a similar trip in 2007 called “Long Way Down”, which took him and the same traveling companion from the north of Scotland to Cape Town in South Africa.

118A 22-Across variation in Ontario? : HANG LOOSE, CANADA GOOSE

The Canada goose has quite a distinctive coloring, with a black head and neck broken up by a white “chinstrap”. They thrive in parks that are frequented by humans, and are so successful that they are considered pests by some.

125A Acrobat’s attire : UNITARD

A unitard is like a leotard, except that it has long legs and perhaps long sleeves. It wouldn’t be a good look for me …

126A “The Dark Knight __” : RISES

“The Dark Knight Rises” is a 2012 movie in the “Batman” franchise that stars Christian Bale as the superhero. The bad guys that Batman battles are cat burglar Selina Kyle played by Anne Hathaway, and mercenary Bane played by Tom Hardy.

127A Set of grading criteria : RUBRIC

The word “rubric” comes from the Latin word “rubrica”, which literally means “red earth, red chalk”. Red ink was traditionally used in ancient and medieval manuscripts to mark headings, titles, initial letters, or important instructions, distinguishing them from the main text. Over time, the term evolved from referring to the red ink itself to the instructions or rules written in it, eventually leading to its current sense of a guiding principle or a set of criteria.

128A Scapegoats : PATSIES

The etymology of the word “patsy” meaning “fall guy” isn’t really understood. One colorful theory suggests that the term comes from an 1890s vaudeville character named Patsy Bolivar. Patsy always got the blame when something went wrong.

A scapegoat is a person chosen to take the blame in place of others. The term comes from the Bible’s Book of Leviticus, which describes a goat that was cast into the desert along with the sins of the community.

129A Porterhouse, e.g. : STEAK

The T-bone and porterhouse are related cuts of meat, with the latter being a larger version of the former, and both being cut from the short loin.

Down

1D Santa __ winds : ANA

The Santa Ana winds are the very dry air currents that sweep offshore late in the year in Southern California. Because these air currents are so dry, they are noted for their influence over forest fires in the area, especially in the heat of the fall. The winds arise from a buildup of air pressure in the Great Basin that lies between the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada. Under the right conditions, that air spills over the peaks of the Sierra Nevada and basically “falls” down the side of the Sierra range, heading for the ocean. As the air falls it becomes drier and heats up so that relative humidity can fall to below 10% by the time it hits the coast.

2D Pt. of HDTV : -DEF

High-definition television (HDTV)

3D Not in the closet : OUT

Back in the 1950s, to come “out of the closet” was to admit to being an alcoholic. By the seventies, the phrase mainly referred to gay people shrugging off secrecy about their sexual orientation.

6D __ poetry : SLAM

A poetry slam is a competition in which poets read their own work (usually), with winners being chosen by members of the audience. Apparently the first poetry slam took place in Chicago in 1984. Now there is a National Poetry Slam that takes place each year, with representatives from the US, Canada and France.

7D Volcanic fallout : ASH

Our word “volcano” comes from “Vulcano”, the name of a volcanic island off the coast of Italy. The island’s name comes from Vulcan, the Roman god of fire. The Romans believed that the island of Vulcano was the chimney of the forge belonging to the god Vulcan. The Romans also believed that the eruptions on Mount Etna in Sicily were caused by Vulcan getting angry and working his forge so hard that sparks and smoke flew out of the top of the volcano.

9D Pesto __ Genovese : ALLA

Pesto sauce is more completely called “pesto alla genovese”, i.e. pesto from Genoa. A traditional recipe calls for crushed garlic, pine nuts, salt, basil leaves, parmesan cheese and olive oil. Yum …

10D Lithe : SVELTE

“Svelte” comes into English from Latin, via the Italian “svelto” meaning “stretched out”. Something or someone described as svelte would be slender and graceful.

14D Benjamin : C-NOTE

Benjamin Franklin’s portrait is featured on one side of the hundred-dollar bill (also called a “C-spot, C-note, benjamin”), and Philadelphia’s Independence Hall on the other side. There is a famous error in the image of Independence Hall. If you look closely at the clock face at the top of the building you can see that the “four” is written in Roman numerals as “IV”. However, on the actual clock on Independence Hall, the “four” is denoted by “IIII”, which has been the convention for clock faces for centuries.

15D Graf below a headline : LEDE

The opening paragraph in any work of literature is often just called “the lead”. In the world of journalism, this is usually referred to as “the lede”. The derivative phrase “bury the lede” means to fail to stress the most important aspect of a story.

In the world of journalism, a graf (from “paragraph”) is a block of sentences designed to convey a single cohesive thought or idea clearly and concisely. Grafs are helpful in organizing content, ensuring readers become engaged, and maintain understanding throughout an article.

16D Jennifer of “Murder Mystery” : ANISTON

Jennifer Aniston won a 2002 Emmy for playing Rachel Green on the great sitcom “Friends”. Her parents are both actors, and her godfather was the actor Telly Savalas.

2019’s “Murder Mystery” is a comedy mystery film starring Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler. Aniston plays a hairdresser who, along with her NYPD officer husband Nick (Sandler), gets caught up in a murder investigation on a billionaire’s yacht. I am no fan of movies starring Sandler, but I really enjoyed this film, along with the sequel “Murder Mystery 2” released in 2023.

17D “Aladdin” title : SULTAN

The land ruled by a sultan is known as a sultanate. In the West, the feminine forms of “sultan” are “sultana” and “sultanah”. The adjectival form is “sultanic”.

“Aladdin” is a famous tale in “Arabian Nights”, also called “The Book of One Thousand and One Nights”. However, there is no evidence at all that the story was in the original collection. It is generally believed that one Antoine Galland introduced the tale when he translated “Arabian Nights” into French in the early 1700s.

28D “Gloria in Excelsis __” : DEO

“Gloria in excelsis Deo” is a Latin hymn, the title of which translates as “Glory to God in the Highest”.

30D Ancient harp : LYRE

The lyre is a stringed instrument that is most closely associated with ancient Greece, and with the gods Hermes and Apollo in particular. According to myth, Hermes slaughtered a cow from a sacred herd belonging to Apollo and offered it to the gods but kept the entrails. Hermes used the entrails to make strings that he stretched across the shell of a tortoise, creating the first lyre. Apollo liked the sound from the lyre and agreed to accept it as a trade for his herd of cattle.

31D Téa of “Death of a Unicorn” : LEONI

Téa Leoni is an American actress. One of Leoni’s early parts was in the great film “A League of Their Own” (a minor role: Racine at first base). She also played the fiancée of Sam Malone from “Cheers” on the spin-off sitcom “Frasier”. A leading role on the big screen was opposite Adam Sandler in “Spanglish”. My favorite of her more prominent movie roles was as Jane in “Fun with Dick and Jane”. Leoni started playing the title role in the drama series “Madam Secretary” in 2014, and that’s a show I quite enjoy …

“Death of a Unicorn” is a 2025 fantasy comedy horror film. Comedy: yes, fantasy: sometimes, horror: never. So, I haven’t seen this one …

34D Certain delivery worker? : STORK

In German and Dutch society, storks resting on the roof of a house were considered a sign of good luck. This tradition led to nursery stories that babies were brought to families by storks.

36D Disinfectant brand : LYSOL

Lysol disinfectant takes its name from the words “lysosome” and “solvent”. Lysosomes are structures found within cells that have the job of breaking up waste material and cellular debris.

39D Some fitness orgs. : YMCAS

The YMCA (the Y) is a worldwide movement that has its roots in London, England. There, in 1844, the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) was founded with the intent of promoting Christian principles through the development of “a healthy spirit, mind and body”. The founder, George Williams, saw the need to create YMCA facilities for young men who were flocking to the cities as the Industrial Revolution flourished. He saw that these men were frequenting taverns and brothels, and wanted to offer a more wholesome alternative.

42D In and of itself : PER SE

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

50D Segment of a Taylor Swift show : ERA

Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour is a journey through her musical career, with each stage of the show representing a different “era” or album. Here’s the breakdown:

1. Lover
2. Fearless
3. Evermore
4. Reputation
5. Speak Now
6. Red
7. Folklore
8. 1989
9. Midnights

52D Perform repetitive movements to self-soothe, say : STIM

“Stimming”, short for self-stimulatory behavior, refers to repetitive physical movements or sounds. Individuals with autism spectrum disorder may stim to cope with overwhelming sensory input, manage strong emotions, aid concentration, or simply to express themselves.

54D East Coast mini-mart : WAWA

Wawa is an East Coast chain of gas stations and convenience stores. Back in the late 1800s, Wawa was the name of a dairy farm operation that delivered milk to homes. When consumers started buying milk in grocery stores in the 1960s, the owners of Wawa shifted their focus and opened up the Wawa Food Market as an outlet for the milk from the dairy operation. Those early food markets developed into the chain of Wawa convenience stores.

56D Items of varying comfort for Goldilocks : BEDS

The story of “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” was first recorded in 1837 in England, although the narrative was around before it was actually written down. The original fairy tale was rather gruesome, but successive versions became more family-oriented. The character that eventually became Goldilocks was originally an elderly woman, and the three “nameless” bears became Papa Bear, Mama Bear and Baby Bear.

60D Language from which “curry” is derived : TAMIL

Curry powder is a mixture of spices used in South Asian dishes. The actual composition of curry powder varies depending on the cuisine. The term “curry” is an anglicization of the Tamil “kari” meaning “sauce”.

61D “I’ll keep opening briefcases, Howie!” : NO DEAL!

The TV game show that is called “Deal or No Deal” in the US is shown all around the world in local versions. The original version of the show was developed in the Netherlands as “Miljoenenjacht” (Hunt for Millions).

65D Twitch currency : BITS

Twitch is a live-streaming platform used primarily by gamers. Folks playing games can broadcast their game play live to an audience.

66D Four Corners state : UTAH

The Four Corners region of the US surrounds the meeting point of the four states of Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Utah. It is the only point in the US that is shared by four states.

67D Tahoe or Huron : LAKE

Lake Tahoe (often referred to simply as “Tahoe”) is up in the Sierra Nevada mountains, and is located right on the border between California and Nevada. It is the largest alpine lake in the country. Tahoe is also the second deepest lake, with only the beautiful Crater Lake in Oregon being deeper. Given its location, there are tall casinos that sit right on the shore on the Nevada side of the state line where gambling is legal.

Lake Huron takes its name from the Huron Native-American people that lived by its shores. Early French explorers often called the lake “La Mer Douce”, which translates as “the freshwater sea”.

69D Millipede’s multitude : LEGS

Centipedes and millipedes are multi-legged arthropods. Centipedes can have varying numbers of legs, from about 30 to about 350 depending on species. Millipedes have segmented bodies with two pairs of legs in each segment. Millipedes have about 80 to 750 legs, again depending on species.

70D Common houseplant : FERN

Ferns are unlike mosses in that they have xylem and phloem, making them vascular plants. They also have stems, leaves and roots, but they do not have seeds and flowers, and reproduce using spores. Spores differ from seeds in that they have very little stored food.

72D Actress Poehler : AMY

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.

76D Catalan sparkling wine : CAVA

Cava is a Spanish sparkling wine mainly from the Penedès area of Catalonia. “Cava” translates as “cave” or “cellar”, and was adopted in 1970 to distinguish it from French Champagne. The wine must be produced using the traditional method, similar to Champagne.

78D One-seventh of una semana : DIA

In Spanish, the “número de días en una semana” (number of days in a week) is “siete” (siete).

81D Davis of “The Fly” : GEENA

Hollywood actress Geena Davis established the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media in 2004 after noticing the lack of female characters on television shows while watching with her young daughter. According to Davis:

The fact is women are seriously underrepresented in nearly all sectors of society across the globe, not just on screen, but, for the most part, we are simply not aware to this reality, and media images exert a powerful influence in perpetuating our unconscious bias.

The 1986 sci-fi horror film “The Fly” stars Jeff Goldblum as a scientist who gradually turns into a fly-like creature as the result of a teleportation experiment that goes awry. The 1986 film is loosely based on a 1957 short story by George Langelaan. I saw the original 1958 movie adaptation of that story when I was just a lad, and it really scared me. I’ve managed to avoid the two sequels and the 1986 remake …

83D Stallone franchise : RAMBO

“First Blood” was the original of the four “Rambo” films starring Sylvester Stallone as John Rambo, a troubled Vietnam War veteran. I thought “First Blood” was a pretty good film actually, but the sequels were terrible, and way too violent for me. But, action all the way …

85D Polish currency : ZLOTY

The zloty is the currency of Poland, with the word “zloty” translating into English as “golden”. The zloty has been around since the Middle Ages. The contemporary zloty is divided into 100 groszy.

86D “Inside Out” kid : RILEY

“Inside Out” is a 2015 Pixar animated feature film. It’s all about a young girl who relocates with her family from Minnesota to San Francisco. The movie’s action is actually set inside the girl’s head, as five personified emotions deal with the changes she has to face. Those emotions are voiced by:

• Amy Poehler (Joy)
• Phyllis Smith (Sadness)
• Lewis Black (Anger)
• Bill Hader (Fear)
• Mindy Kaling (Disgust)

91D The “U” in EULA : USER

End-User License Agreement (EULA)

96D Troy tech univ. : RPI

The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) is a private school in Troy, New York. The university is named after its founder Stephen Van Rensselaer who set up the school in 1824. The goal of RPI has always been the “application of science to the common purposes of life”, an objective set by the founder. Given that, the name for the school’s sports teams is quite apt: the Engineers.

97D Playable on a VCR : TAPED

Video cassette recorder (VCR)

101D Francia’s neighbor : ESPANA

In Spanish, “Francia” (France) is a neighbor of “España” (Spain) in Europe.

103D Tax doc 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 starting in 1986, the IRS made it a requirement to get an SSN for any dependents over the age of 5. Sure enough, seven million dependents “disappeared” in 1987. Today, a SSN is required for a child of any age in order to receive a tax exemption.

106D Skywalker mentor : KENOBI

Obi-Wan Kenobi is one of the more beloved of the “Star Wars” characters. He was portrayed by two fabulous actors in the series of films. As a young man Kenobi was played by Scottish actor Ewan McGregor, and as an older man by Alec Guinness.

108D __ Lama : DALAI

The Dalai Lama is a religious leader in the Gelug branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The current Dalai Lama is the 14th to hold the office. He has indicated that the next Dalai Lama might be found outside of Tibet for the first time, and may even be female.

116D Edit __: battles on Wikipedia : WARS

Wikipedia edit wars are conflicts that arise when multiple editors disagree on the content of an article and repeatedly try to change it to reflect their own viewpoint. Disputes can sometimes be resolved through discussion and compromise, they can escalate into full-blown “edit wars” where editors engage in a back-and-forth battle to control the article. Wikipedia imposes the “three-revert rule” (3RR), which is a policy that limits the number of times an editor can revert a page to three times within a 24-hour period. The purpose of this rule is to prevent edit wars from getting out of hand and to encourage editors to engage in civil discussion.

117D Piscina filler : AGUA

In Spanish, “agua” (water) is used to fill a “piscina” (swimming pool).

120D Principals’ org. : NEA

Founded in 1857, the National Education Association (NEA) is the largest labor union in the country, and mainly represents public school teachers.

122D Chicago airport code : ORD

The IATA airport code for O’Hare International in Chicago is ORD, which comes from Orchard Place Airport/Douglas Field (OR-D).