Constructed by: C.C. Burnikel
Edited by: Rich Norris
Quicklink to a complete list of today’s clues and answers
Quicklink to comments
Theme: Scuse Me
Today’s themed answers are SQs (“scuse”), two-word answers starting with the letters S and Q:
- 23A. It begins in April : SECOND QUARTER
- 33A. Yahoo! Finance offering : STOCK QUOTE
- 49A. Jamie Lee Curtis or Fay Wray : SCREAM QUEEN
- 86A. Test for trivia fans : SPORCLE QUIZ
- 100A. California prison town : SAN QUENTIN
- 117A. Pielike veggie dish : SPINACH QUICHE
- 15D. What screen icons exude : STAR QUALITY
- 67D. Granite excavation site : STONE QUARRY
Bill’s time: 17m 55s
Bill’s errors: 2
- SPORCLE QUIZ (Sporale quiz)
- PART C (Part A)
Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
1. Mark Cuban’s NBA team : DALLAS
Mark Cuban is a successful businessman, and the owner of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks. If you’ve seen the reality TV show “Shark Tank”, you’ll known Cuban as one of the investors putting up their money i.e. one of the “sharks”. If you’re a “Dancing with the Stars” fan, you might recall Cuban as a contestant on the 5th series of that show, partnered with Kym Johnson.
20. Lizard with a “third eye” : IGUANA
Iguanas have what is known as a “third eye” on their heads. Known as the parietal eye, it can sense levels of light, although it cannot make out details.
21. Like grandfather clocks : ANALOG
There are several sizes of longcase clocks, tall and freestanding clocks driven by a pendulum swinging inside a tower below the clock face. A longcase clock over 6 feet tall is called a grandfather, and one below five feet is a granddaughter, One that falls between five and six feet is known as a grandmother. The name of the clock derives from an 1876 song called “My Grandfather’s Clock”.
22. Tin mints : ALTOIDS
Altoids breath mints have been around since 1780, when they were introduced in Britain. The famous tin in which Altoids are sold is often reused for other purposes. The most famous use is as a container to hold a mini-survival kit.
28. ”__ Death”: Grieg work : ASE’S
“Ase’s Death” is a movement in Edvard Grieg’s beautiful “Peer Gynt” suite. The suite is a collection of incidental music that Grieg composed for Ibsen’s play of the same name. Ase is the widow of a peasant, and the mother of Peer Gynt.
30. Dot follower : ORG
The .org domain was one of the six original generic top-level domains specified. The complete original list is:
- .com (commercial enterprise)
- .net (entity involved in network infrastructure e.g. an ISP)
- .mil (US military)
- .org (not-for-profit organization)
- .gov (US federal government entity)
- .edu (college-level educational institution)
33. Yahoo! Finance offering : STOCK QUOTE
Jerry Yang and David Filo called their company “Yahoo!” for two reasons. Firstly, a Yahoo is a rude unsophisticated brute from Jonathan Swift’s “Gulliver’s Travels”. Secondly, Yahoo stands for “Yet another Hierarchical Officious Oracle”.
43. In __ of : LIEU
As one might perhaps imagine, “in lieu” comes into English from the Old French word “lieu” meaning “place”, which in turn is derived from the Latin “locum”, also meaning “place”. So, “in lieu” means “in place of”.
45. Punk rock icon Smith : PATTI
Patti Smith is a singer-songwriter who was a big player in the seventies punk rock movement in New York City. Smith’s most successful song is “Because the Night”, a song co-written with Bruce Springsteen and recorded by Smith in 1978. Her influence in the punk rock scene earned Smith the nickname “Godmother of Punk”.
47. Trac II cousin : ATRA
Fortunately for crossword constructors, the Atra was introduced by Gillette in 1977, as the first razor with a pivoting head. The Atra was sold as the Contour in some markets and its derivative products are still around today.
48. Like Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 : IN G
Ludwig van Beethoven premiered his “Piano Concerto No. 4” in a private concert in 1807, along with his “Symphony No. 4”. Beethoven himself played the piano in the first performance, as he did for the public premiere the following year in Vienna.
49. Jamie Lee Curtis or Fay Wray : SCREAM QUEEN
The actress Jamie Lee Curtis got her big break when she played the lead in the original “Halloween” horror movie. She is the daughter actors Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh. Curtis married fellow actor and director Christopher Guest in 1984. Guest holds the hereditary title of 5th Baron Haden-Guest in the British peerage. That makes Curtis Lady Haden-Guest.
Fay Wray was a Canadian-American actress who was best known for her starring role in the classic 1933 film “King Kong”. When Wray passed away at the age of 96 in 2004, the lights of the Empire State Building were extinguished for 15 minutes. That fine gesture was a nod to the celebrated Empire State Building scene in “King Kong”.
53. “Blue Sky” Oscar winner : LANGE
The actress Jessica Lange is also an accomplished and published photographer. She was married for ten years to Spanish photographer Paco Grande. After separating from Grande, Lange was partnered with the great Russian dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov, with whom she had her first child.
“Blue Sky” is a film that was released in 1994, starring Jessica Lange and Tommy Lee Jones and a couple having marital difficulties. The film was actually completed three years earlier but sat on the shelf distribution company, Orion Pictures, went bankrupt. Despite the delay, Lange won a Best Actress Oscar for her performance.
59. Legend in one’s own mind : TIN GOD
A “tin god” is a person who claims authority and is full of self-importance. The use of “tin” is apt as it is a base metal with relatively little value.
60. Port of 79-Down : ADEN
(79D. Nation across the gulf from Somalia : YEMEN)
Aden is a seaport in Yemen that is located on the Gulf of Aden by the eastern approach to the Red Sea. Aden has a long history of British rule, from 1838 until a very messy withdrawal in 1967. A native of Aden is known as an Adeni. Some believe that Cain and Abel are buried in the city.
69. Dana of “Body of Proof” : DELANY
Dana Delaney is an actress from New York who had her big break playing Colleen McMurphy on the TV show “China Beach” in the late eighties. More recently, Delaney played Megan Hunt, the lead role on the drama series “Body of Proof”.
70. Smooching on the bus, for short : PDA
PDA is an abbreviation for “public display of affection”.
73. Some studios : ATELIERS
An atelier is an artist’s studio, with “atelier” being the French word for “studio” or “workshop”.
76. Bath buggy : PRAM
Another word used in the UK that’s rarely used over here is “pram”, which in my day was the most common term for what is called a baby carriage in the US. “Pram” is short for “perambulator”.
Bath is a beautiful city in South West England of which I have very fond memories. Bath is an old Roman spa town, and the city’s name comes from the Roman baths that have been excavated and restored.
77. Lidocaine brand : ICY HOT
Icy Hot is a topical heat rub that is used to relieve muscular discomfort and pain from arthritis and rheumatism. The active ingredient doesn’t provide any heat or cold, but it does stimulate nerve receptors in the skin causing the user to experience a cool sensation followed by warmth.
80. Sch. with a Harrisburg campus : PSU
Pennsylvania State University (PSU) was founded in 1855 as the Farmer’s High School of Pennsylvania. Penn State is listed as one of the “Public Ivies”, a public university that offers a quality of education comparable to that of the Ivy League.
The city of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania is the state’s capital. The city was named for John Harris, Sr. who operated a ferry across the Susquehanna River that runs through Harrisburg. Harrisburg is home to the Three Mile Island nuclear plant, which is located alongside the Susquehanna, and which had a partial meltdown in 1979.
81. Summer in Provence : ETE
Provence is a geographical region in France, in the south of the country. The region was once a Roman province called Provincia Romana, and was the first Roman province beyond the Alps. It is this Roman name “Provincia Romana” that gives Provence its name.
82. Burial isle of many Scottish kings : IONA
Although the small island of Iona lies just off the west coast of Scotland, it was the site of a monastery built in the Middle Ages by a monk from Ireland names Colm Cille (also known as Columba). Colm Cille and his followers were sent into exile from the Irish mainland and settled in Iona, as at that time the island was part of an Irish kingdom. This monastery in Iona expanded its influence over the decades and founded other institutions all over Ireland and Great Britain. It is believed that the famous Book of Kells may have been written, or at least started, at the monastery on Iona. Iona is also the burial site for Macbeth, King of Scotland who was immortalized in Shakespeare’s fictional account of the king’s life.
83. Ersatz fat brand : OLEAN
Olean is a brand name for the fat substitute, Olestra. Naturally occuring fats are made of a glycerol molecule holding together three fatty acids. Olestra is instead made of several fatty acid chains held together by a sucrose molecule. Olestra has a similar taste and consistency as natural fat, but has zero caloric impact as it is too large a molecule to pass through the intestinal wall and passes right out of the body. Personally, I would steer clear of it. Olestra is banned in Britain and Canada due to concerns about side effects, but I guess someone knows the right palms to grease (pun intended!) here in the US, and so it’s in our food.
Something described as ersatz is a copy, and usually not a good one. “Ersatz” comes from the German verb “ersetzen” meaning “to replace”.
84. Activity-tracking letters : GPS
Global positioning system (GPS)
86. Test for trivia fans : SPORCLE QUIZ
Sporcle.com is a trivia quiz website. The name is derived from the word “oracle” apparently. I like the web site’s mission statement: “We actively and methodically search out new and innovative ways to prevent our users from getting any work done whatsoever.”
90. Clyde cap : TAM
The Clyde is the second-longest river in Scotland, after the River Tay. The River Clyde passes through Glasgow, the country’s largest city.
91. Jacob’s twin : ESAU
Esau was the twin brother of Jacob, the founder of the Israelites. When their mother Rebekah gave birth to the twins “the first emerged red and hairy all over (Esau), with his heel grasped by the hand of the second to come out (Jacob)”. As Esau was the first born, he was entitled to inherit his father’s wealth (it was his “birthright”). Instead, Esau sold his birthright to Jacob for the price of a “mess of pottage” (a meal of lentils).
94. Charlotte __ : RUSSE
Charlotte Russe is a cold dessert consisting of Bavarian cream set in a mold layered with ladyfingers. The dessert was named by its creator in honor of Princess Charlotte, daughter of British King George IV, and in honor of Czar Alexander I of Russia (“russe” is French for “Russian”).
97. Lyon lover’s word : AIME
The city of Lyon in France, is also known as “Lyons” in English. Lyon is the second-largest metropolitan area in the country, after Paris.
98. Golf phenom Jordan : SPIETH
Jordan Spieth is a young golfer from Dallas who made a name for himself in 2015 by becoming the second-youngest person to win the Masters, with only Tiger Woods being younger.
100. California prison town : SAN QUENTIN
The small town of San Quentin, California has a population of only a hundred people or so. It is located by the San Quentin State Prison, and was originally housing for the staff working in the prison and for their families.
103. Pennysaver revenue source : AD SALE
Today, “pennysaver” is a generic term for a free periodical issued in a community, offering items and services for sale. The original “Pennysaver” was published in 1948 in Ohio by Horace Greeley and Ralph St. Denny.
105. American rival: Abbr. : UAL
United Airlines (UAL) has a complicated history, but can trace its roots back to Aviation Enterprises, founded in 1944 and later called Texas International. The first use of the “United” name in the company’s history was when airplane pioneer William Boeing merged his Boeing Air Transport with Pratt & Whitney to form the United Aircraft and Transport Corporation (UATC) in 1929. The Air Mail Act of 1934 required that UATC be broken up into United Aircraft (which became United Technologies), the Boeing Aircraft Company and United Air Lines.
106. Topps figure : STAT
Topps was a relaunch of an older company called American Leaf Tobacco, with the Topps name used from 1938. The earlier company was in trouble because it could not get supplies of its Turkish tobacco, so it moved into another chewy industry, making bubblegum. Nowadays, Topps is known for including (mainly) sports-themed trading cards in the packs of gum.
108. Historic Tuscan city : PISA
The city of Pisa is right on the Italian coast, sitting at the mouth of the River Arno, and is famous for its Leaning Tower. The tower is actually the campanile (bell tower) of the city’s cathedral, and it has been leaning since it was completed in 1173. Just shows you how important good foundations are …
117. Pielike veggie dish : SPINACH QUICHE
The classic dish called quiche is made with eggs (“oeufs” in French). Even though the quiche is inextricably linked to French cuisine, the name “quiche” comes from “Kuchen”, the German word for cake,. The variant called “quiche lorraine” includes bits of smoked bacon as an ingredient.
121. __ à trois : MENAGE
“Ménage” is the French word for “household”. The familiar term “ménage à trois” translates as “household of three” and is used to describe a domestic arrangement in which three people having sexual relations occupy the same household.
122. Sophisticated : URBANE
We use “urbane” today to mean something courteous or refined. Back in the 1500s the term was used in the same way that we now use “urban”. Those townsfolk thought they were more sophisticated than the countryfolk, and so the usage evolved.
123. Pain reliever : ANODYNE
Something described as “anodyne” is analgesic, capable of removing pain. “Anodyne” comes from the Greek “an-” meaning “without” and “odyne” meaning “pain”.
125. Eldest Dashwood daughter in “Sense and Sensibility” : ELINOR
Elinor Dashwood is the delightful main character in Jane Austen’s novel “Sense and Sensibility”. Dashwood is played by Emma Thompson in my favorite adaptation of the story, the 1995 movie of the same name directed by Ang Lee.
Down
2. Pulitzer novelist James : AGEE
James Agee was a noted American film critic and screenwriter. Agee wrote an autobiographical novel “A Death in the Family” that won him his Pulitzer in 1958, albeit posthumously. He was also one of the screenwriters for the 1951 classic movie “The African Queen”.
3. “Peanuts” fussbudget : LUCY
In Charles Schulz’s fabulous comic strip “Peanuts”, Charlie Brown is friends with at least three members of the van Pelt family. Most famously there is Lucy van Pelt, who bosses everyone around, particularly Charlie. Then there is Linus, Lucy’s younger brother, the character who always has his security blanket at hand. Lastly there is an even younger brother, Rerun van Pelt. Rerun is constantly hiding under his bed, trying to avoid going to school.
4. Golden Triangle country : LAOS
The “Golden Triangle” is the name given to one of the main opium-producing areas in Asia. The triangular area includes part of Myanmar, Laos and Thailand.
5. Taylor of fashion : ANN
There was no actual person called Ann Taylor associated with the Ann Taylor line of clothes. The name was chosen by the marketing professionals because “Ann” was considered to be “very New England” back in 1954 when the stores first opened, and “Taylor” suggested that clothes were carefully “tailored”.
6. Seat at Churchill Downs : SADDLE
Churchill Downs is a thoroughbred racetrack located in Louisville, Kentucky that is famous for hosting the Kentucky Derby each year. The track is named for John and Henry Churchill who once owned the land on which the course was built.
7. Heaps kudos on : LAUDS
Our word “kudos” means acclaim given for an exceptional achievement. “Kudos” is both a singular and plural noun, derived from the Greek “kyddos” meaning “glory, fame”.
9. Budget choice : CAR
The Budget Rent a Car company started out in 1958 with the intent of undercutting the existing price of renting a car at airports. Budget was founded by Morris Mirkin. Mirkin enlisted Julius Lederer as a co-founder the following year. Lederer was the husband of newspaper columnist “Ann Landers”.
10. Ski resort near Snowbird : ALTA
Alta ski resort actually lies within the Salt Lake City Metropolitan Area. The first ski lift in the resort was opened way back in 1939. Today, Alta is one of only three ski resorts in the country that prohibits snowboarding (along with Deer Valley, Utah and Mad River Glen, Vermont. The ski resort of Snowbird located next to Alta has been in operation since 1971.
11. “How to Succeed … ” composer Frank : LOESSER
Frank Loesser was a songwriter who was famous for penning both lyrics and music for the Broadway show “Guys and Dolls” and “How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying”. Loesser also wrote the marvelous song “Baby, It’s Cold Outside”.
“How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” is a Frank Loesser musical based on a 1952 book of the same name by Shepherd Mead. The story centers on an ambitious young window washer who rockets through the management ranks of a private company with the help of a how-to manual.
12. Everglades bird : EGRET
Egrets are a group of several species of white herons. Many egret species were faced with extinction in the 1800s and early 1900s due to plume hunting, a practice driven by the demand for egret plumes that could be incorporated into hats.
The Everglades are a tropical wetlands that cover much of southern Florida. The area was named “River Glades” by a British surveyor in 1773, and is suggested that poor transcription of the word “river” led to the use of “ever”. The southern 20% of the Everglades is a protected region that we know as Everglades National Park. The park is the third-largest National Park in the lower 48 states, after Death Valley NP (the largest) and Yellowstone NP.
14. ”Today” weather anchor : AL ROKER
Al Roker is best known as the meteorologist on the “Today” show on NBC. He has successfully branched out from that platform though, and even co-wrote a novel called “The Morning Show Murders”, about a celebrity chef and TV host who get entangled in mystery. Topical stuff …
16. Future sound? : LONG U
The letters U in the word “future” are long Us.
18. 16th-century date : MDL
The date 1550 is written as MDL in Roman numerals.
24. Squat beneficiary : QUAD
The quadriceps femoris is the muscle group at the front of the thigh. It is the strongest muscle in the human body, and is also the leanest. The “quads” are actually a group of four muscles in the upper leg, hence the use of the prefix “quad-”.
31. __ seeds: omega-3 source : CHIA
Chia is a flowering plant in the mint family. Chia seeds are an excellent food source and are often added to breakfast cereals and energy bars. There is also the famous Chia Pet, an invention of a San Francisco company. Chia Pets are terracotta figurines to which are applied moistened chia seeds. The seeds sprout and the seedlings become the “fur” of the Chia Pet.
36. Latin ballroom dance : TANGO
The dramatic dance called the tango originated in the late 1800s in the area along the border between Argentina and Uruguay. Dancers and orchestras from Buenos Aires in particular traveled to Europe and beyond in the early twentieth century and brought the tango with them. The tango craze first struck Europe in Paris in the 1910s, and from there spread to London and Berlin, crossing the Atlantic to New York in 1913.
46. Granola cousin : MUESLI
“Muesli” is a Swiss-German term describing a breakfast serving of oats, nuts, fruit and milk. “Muesli” is a diminutive of the German word “Mues” meaning “puree”. Delicious …
The name “Granola” (and “Granula”) were trademarked back in the late 1800s for whole-grain foods that were crumbled and baked until crisp. Granola was created in Dansville, New York in 1894.
50. Baseball mascot partner reintroduced in 2013 : MRS MET
Mr. Met is the mascot of the New York Mets. He is a guy with a large baseball as a head, and has been elected to the Mascot Hall of Fame. There’s also a Mrs. Met, a mascot that was previously known as Lady Met.
51. California’s state bird : QUAIL
“Quail” is a name used for several chicken-like wild birds. Quail are common prey for hunters. The California quail is California’s state bird.
58. Mil. roadside danger : IED
Having spent much of my life in the border areas between southern and Northern Ireland, I am sadly all too familiar with the devastating effects of improvised explosive devices (IEDs). One has to admire the bravery of soldiers who spend their careers defusing (or attempting to defuse) such devices in order to save the lives and property of others.
59. Christmas strands : TINSEL
The custom of decorating trees at Christmas seems to have originated in Renaissance Germany. Those first trees were placed in guildhalls and were decorated with sweets and candy for the apprentices and children. After the Protestant Reformation, the Christmas tree became an alternative in Protestant homes for the Roman Catholic Christmas cribs. The Christmas tree tradition was imported into Britain by the royal family because of its German heritage. That tradition spread from Britain into North America.
65. Medicare program offered by private insurers : PART C
Medicare is divided into four parts:
- A: Hospital Insurance
- B: Medical Insurance
- C: Medicare Advantage Plans
- D: Prescription Drug Plans
70. “In Search of Lost Time” novelist : PROUST
Marcel Proust was a French writer, noted for his enormous and much respected novel “In Search of Lost Time”. Graham Greene called Proust “the greatest novelist of the twentieth century”, and W. Somerset Maugham dubbed “In Search of Lost Time” as the “greatest fiction to date”. “In Search of Lost Time” is a very, very long novel. It is divided into seven volumes and was first published in 1913-1927. The first of the volumes is called “Swann’s Way”.
71. Breakfast pastry : DANISH
The Danish pastry that we know so well over here in the US is indeed a Danish specialty, although the recipe was brought to Denmark by Austrian bakers. A “Danish” is called “Viennese bread” in Denmark.
74. It may be served with pickled ginger : SUSHI
Gari is thinly sliced ginger that has been marinated in sugar and vinegar. Also known as sushi ginger, gari is usually served with sushi. Lovely stuff …
76. Spark : PIQUE
The words “whet” and “pique” can both be used in the sense of sharpening or awaking one’s interest or desire.
78. Santa __ : CLARA
The Santa Clara Valley, located just a few miles from me at the south of San Francisco Bay, is better known as “Silicon Valley”. The term “Silicon Valley” dates back to 1971 when it was apparently first used in a weekly trade newspaper called “Electronic News” in articles written by journalist Don Hoefler.
79. Nation across the gulf from Somalia : YEMEN
Yemen is located on the Arabian Peninsula, lying just south of Saudi Arabia and west of Oman. Yemen is the only state on the peninsula that is a republic (its official name is the Republic of Yemen). Everyone over the age of 18 gets to vote, but only Muslims can hold elected office. Yemen has seen many rebellions over the centuries, and has been suffering through a Shia uprising since February 2015.
Somalia is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Sadly, the nation is noted today for a devastating civil war and for its use as a base for pirates who prey on ships passing through the Indian Ocean along the Somali coast.
85. Masters strokes : PUTTS
Golf’s Masters Tournament is the first of the four major championships in the annual calendar, taking place in the first week of April each year. It is played at Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia, and has a number of traditions. One is that the winner is awarded the famous “green jacket”, but he only gets to keep it for a year and must return it to the club after twelve months.
87. Strong cotton : PIMA
Pima is a soft cotton that is very durable and absorbent. Pima cotton is named after the Pima Native Americans who first cultivated it in this part of the world.
88. Where to see slanted columns : OP-ED PAGE
“Op-ed” is an abbreviation for “opposite the editorial page”. Op-eds started in “The New York Evening World” in 1921 when the page opposite the editorials was used for articles written by a named guest writer, someone independent of the editorial board.
89. Lake bordering Ontario : ERIE
Lake Erie is the fourth largest of the five Great Lakes by area (Lake Ontario is the smallest). The lake takes its name from the Erie tribe of Native Americans that used to live along its southern shore. Erie is the smallest of the Great Lakes by volume and the shallowest, something for which nearby residents must be quite grateful. Being relatively shallow, much of Erie freezes over part way through most winters putting an end to most of the lake-effect snow that falls in the snow belt extending from the lake’s edge.
92. “Lolita” (1962) actress : SUE LYON
Stanley Kubrick’s “Lolita” is 1962 film adaptation of the novel of the same name by Vladimir Nabokov. English actor James Mason stars as a middle-aged man obsessed with a teenage girl, played by 14-year-old Sue Lyon. The cast also included Shelley Winters and Peter Sellers.
93. Happy hour offerings : CANAPES
A canapé is a finger food, usually small enough to eat in just one bite. In French, “canapé” is actually the word for a couch or a sofa. The name was given to the snack as the original “canapés” were savories served on toasted or stale bread that supposedly resembled a tiny “couch”.
101. “Far from Heaven” actor : QUAID
Actor Dennis Quaid is the younger brother of fellow actor Randy Quaid. Dennis dropped out of college when he saw how successful his brother was and moved to LA to pursue his own career in acting. He has had some noted performances, including a portrayal of Jerry Lee Lewis in 1989’s “Great Balls of Fire”. Dennis is one of Hollywood’s best golfers, playing off scratch.
“Far from Heaven” is a 2002 film set in 1950s suburban Connecticut. Starring Julianne Moore, Dennis Quaid and Dennis Haysbert, “Far from Heaven” takes on the issues of race, sexual orientation and class, which are lurking below the surface of the apparently edenic life led by a successful executive and his homemaker wife. I haven’t seen this one yet, but it’s on the list …
104. Order to attack : SIC ‘EM
“Sic ’em” is an attack order given to a dog, instructing the animal to growl, bark or even bite. The term dates back to the 1830s, with “sic” being a variation of “seek”.
109. Netanyahu of Israel, familiarly : BIBI
Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu has been the Prime Minister of Israel since 2009. Netanyahu is the only leader of the country to date who was born in the state of Israel. After graduating high school, he served in the Israeli special forces and participated in several combat missions, and was wounded on multiple occasions. After leaving the army in 1972, Netanyahu studied at MIT in the US, earning bachelors degree in architecture and a masters degree in business.
113. Wharf workers’ org. : ILA
International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA)
115. Narcissist’s problem : EGO
Narcissus was a proud and vain hunter in Greek mythology. He earned himself a fatal punishment, being made fall in love with his own reflection in a pool. So, take was he by his own image, that he could not leave it and wasted away and died by the pool. Narcissus gives us our term “narcissism” meaning “excessive love of oneself”.
116. Hydrocarbon suffix : -ANE
The “smaller” alkanes are gases and are quite combustible. Methane (CH4) is the main component of natural gas with ethane (C2H6) being the second largest component. Propane (C3H8) is also found in natural gas and is heavy enough to be readily turned into a liquid by compression, for ease of transportation and storage. Butane (C4H10) is also easily liquefied under pressure and can be used as the fuel in cigarette lighters or as the propellant in aerosol sprays. The heavier alkanes are liquids and solids at room temperature.
119. Bing result : URL
Internet addresses (like NYTCrossword.com and LAXCrossword.com) are more correctly called Uniform Resource Locators (URLs).
Bing is the search engine from Microsoft. Bing is the latest name for an engine that Microsoft used to call Live Search, Windows Live Search and MSN Search.
Complete List of Clues and Answers
Across
1. Mark Cuban’s NBA team : DALLAS
7. Scene : LOCALE
13. Quaint light : GAS LAMP
20. Lizard with a “third eye” : IGUANA
21. Like grandfather clocks : ANALOG
22. Tin mints : ALTOIDS
23. It begins in April : SECOND QUARTER
25. In an imposing manner : GRANDLY
26. Things on rings : KEYS
27. Lemons : DUDS
28. ”__ Death”: Grieg work : ASE’S
30. Dot follower : ORG
31. Grips : CLASPS
33. Yahoo! Finance offering : STOCK QUOTE
38. Went for a bite? : FISHED
41. Review using stars : RATE
43. In __ of : LIEU
44. Glob : WAD
45. Punk rock icon Smith : PATTI
46. Poetic measure : METER
47. Trac II cousin : ATRA
48. Like Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 : IN G
49. Jamie Lee Curtis or Fay Wray : SCREAM QUEEN
52. Steamed state : IRE
53. “Blue Sky” Oscar winner : LANGE
55. Bun contents : HAIR
56. Wish undone : RUE
57. Executed : DID
59. Legend in one’s own mind : TIN GOD
60. Port of 79-Down : ADEN
61. Brat’s output : SASS
63. What some wallow in : SELF-PITY
66. Give up the single life : WED
67. Prepared for a selfie : SMILED
69. Dana of “Body of Proof” : DELANY
70. Smooching on the bus, for short : PDA
73. Some studios : ATELIERS
75. Titles of respect : SIRS
76. Bath buggy : PRAM
77. Lidocaine brand : ICY HOT
80. Sch. with a Harrisburg campus : PSU
81. Summer in Provence : ETE
82. Burial isle of many Scottish kings : IONA
83. Ersatz fat brand : OLEAN
84. Activity-tracking letters : GPS
86. Test for trivia fans : SPORCLE QUIZ
90. Clyde cap : TAM
91. Jacob’s twin : ESAU
93. Poker pile : CHIPS
94. Charlotte __ : RUSSE
95. Is for two? : ARE
96. Stop : QUIT
97. Lyon lover’s word : AIME
98. Golf phenom Jordan : SPIETH
100. California prison town : SAN QUENTIN
103. Pennysaver revenue source : AD SALE
105. American rival: Abbr. : UAL
106. Topps figure : STAT
108. Historic Tuscan city : PISA
109. Wikipedia entries : BIOS
113. “Right on!” : I HEAR YA!
117. Pielike veggie dish : SPINACH QUICHE
120. Prisoner’s restraint : LEG IRON
121. __ à trois : MENAGE
122. Sophisticated : URBANE
123. Pain reliever : ANODYNE
124. Think highly of : ESTEEM
125. Eldest Dashwood daughter in “Sense and Sensibility” : ELINOR
Down
1. Pancake shape : DISK
2. Pulitzer novelist James : AGEE
3. “Peanuts” fussbudget : LUCY
4. Golden Triangle country : LAOS
5. Taylor of fashion : ANN
6. Seat at Churchill Downs : SADDLE
7. Heaps kudos on : LAUDS
8. Living it up : ON A SPREE
9. Budget choice : CAR
10. Ski resort near Snowbird : ALTA
11. “How to Succeed … ” composer Frank : LOESSER
12. Everglades bird : EGRET
13. Practical joke : GAG
14. ”Today” weather anchor : AL ROKER
15. What screen icons exude : STAR QUALITY
16. Future sound? : LONG U
17. Help out : AID
18. 16th-century date : MDL
19. Aspiring therapist’s maj. : PSY
24. Squat beneficiary : QUAD
29. Pool-heating option : SOLAR
31. __ seeds: omega-3 source : CHIA
32. Fill to the brim : SATE
34. Ticket for speeding, say : CITE
35. Being in debt : OWING
36. Latin ballroom dance : TANGO
37. Barely beat : EDGED
38. False impression : FACADE
39. Words of resignation : I TRIED
40. Strict : STERN
42. Looks after : TENDS
45. “Baloney!” : PSHAW!
46. Granola cousin : MUESLI
50. Baseball mascot partner reintroduced in 2013 : MRS MET
51. California’s state bird : QUAIL
52. Remains in neutral : IDLES
54. “__ takers?” : ANY
58. Mil. roadside danger : IED
59. Christmas strands : TINSEL
62. Escapes slowly : SEEPS
64. Mall handouts : FLIERS
65. Medicare program offered by private insurers : PART C
67. Granite excavation site : STONE QUARRY
68. Hosp. employees : DRS
70. “In Search of Lost Time” novelist : PROUST
71. Breakfast pastry : DANISH
72. Blow away : AMAZE
73. “I knew it!” : AHA!
74. It may be served with pickled ginger : SUSHI
76. Spark : PIQUE
77. Tiny bits : IOTAS
78. Santa __ : CLARA
79. Nation across the gulf from Somalia : YEMEN
84. Dieter’s setback : GAIN
85. Masters strokes : PUTTS
87. Strong cotton : PIMA
88. Where to see slanted columns : OP-ED PAGE
89. Lake bordering Ontario : ERIE
92. “Lolita” (1962) actress : SUE LYON
93. Happy hour offerings : CANAPES
98. Scout’s accessory : SASH
99. Inscribed tablet : PLAQUE
101. “Far from Heaven” actor : QUAID
102. Response at the door : IT’S ME
104. Order to attack : SIC ‘EM
107. Windshield option : TINT
109. Netanyahu of Israel, familiarly : BIBI
110. Volunteer’s offer : I CAN
111. “This is horrible!” : OH NO!
112. Interpreter of signs : SEER
113. Wharf workers’ org. : ILA
114. Egg source : HEN
115. Narcissist’s problem : EGO
116. Hydrocarbon suffix : -ANE
118. “Not gonna happen, lassie” : NAE
119. Bing result : URL