LA Times Crossword 3 Oct 21, Sunday

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Constructed by: Mark McClain
Edited by: Rich Norris

Today’s Theme: Preparing for Takeoff

Themed answers each end with something related to an airport:

  • 23A *Attraction with exotic animals : SAFARI PARK
  • 33A *Former NASA project : SPACE SHUTTLE
  • 47A *Jump-start connection point : BATTERY TERMINAL
  • 63A *IT executive’s concern : NETWORK SECURITY
  • 84A *Berlin monument that’s a symbol of Germany’s reunification : BRANDENBURG GATE
  • 97A *Something to go back to when things aren’t working out : DRAWING BOARD
  • 113A *Brew pub sampler : BEER FLIGHT

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

Bill’s time: 13m 03s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Brownie group? : BATCH

Apparently, the first brownies were created for the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893. The recipe was developed by a pastry chef at the city’s Palmer House Hotel. The idea was to produce a cake-like dessert that was small enough and dainty enough to be eaten by ladies as part of a boxed lunch.

6 Francis, most recently : POPE

Pope Francis was elected on 13 March 2013 as the 266th Bishop of Rome and leader of the Roman Catholic church. The new pope is famously taking a much simpler and more modest approach to the office, as he did with his life back in Argentina. Francis is the first pope since 1903 not to reside in the papal residence, choosing to live instead in the less lavish Vatican guesthouse.

20 Caspian Sea feeder : URAL

The Ural River rises in the Ural Mountains in Russia and flows for half its length through Russian territory until it crosses the border into Kazakhstan, finally emptying into the Caspian Sea. It is the third-longest river in Europe, after the Volga and Danube. The Ural is often cited as defining a long stretch of the border between Europe and Asia, although the exact position of that border is open to debate.

The Caspian Sea is a landlocked body of water lying between Asia and Europe. By some definitions, the Caspian is the largest lake on the planet. The name “Caspian” comes from the Caspi people who lived to the southwest of the sea in the South Caucasus.

23 *Attraction with exotic animals : SAFARI PARK

“Safari” is a Swahili word meaning “journey” or “expedition”.

26 SLR setting : AUTO

The initialism “SLR” stands for “single lens reflex”. Usually, cameras with changeable lenses are the SLR type. The main feature of an SLR is that a mirror reflects the image seen through the lens out through the viewfinder, so that the photographer sees exactly what the lens sees. The mirror moves out of the way as the picture is taken, and the image that comes through the lens falls onto unexposed film, or nowadays onto a digital sensor.

28 Works in a museum : OILS

The term “museum” comes from the ancient Greek word “mouseion” that denoted a temple dedicated to the “Muses”. The Muses were the patrons of the arts in Greek mythology.

33 *Former NASA project : SPACE SHUTTLE

NASA’s Space Shuttle program was the agency’s fourth human spaceflight program, following Projects Mercury, Gemini and Apollo. Five fully functional shuttles were built and deployed into space:

  1. Columbia made its first flight in 1981, but was destroyed during a tragic reentry disaster in 2003.
  2. Challenger made its first flight in 1983, but was destroyed in an accident just after launch in 1986.
  3. Discovery made its first flight in 1984, and was retired to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum annex at Washington Dulles Airport
  4. Atlantis made its first flight in 1985, and was retired to the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
  5. Endeavour made its first flight in 1992, and was retired to the California Science Center in Los Angeles

35 Range option : AMANA

The Amana Corporation takes its name from the location of its original headquarters, in Middle Amana, Iowa. Today, the Amana name is very much associated with household appliances. The company was founded in 1934 to manufacture commercial walk-in coolers.

41 Release predecessors : BETAS

In the world of software development, the first tested issue of a new program is usually called the alpha version. Expected to have a lot of bugs that need to be fixed, the alpha release is usually distributed to a small number of testers. After reported bugs have been eliminated, the refined version is called a beta and is released to a wider audience, but with the program clearly labeled as “beta”. The users generally check functionality and report further bugs that are encountered. The beta version feeds into a release candidate, the version that is tested just prior to the software being sold into the market, hopefully bug-free.

47 *Jump-start connection point : BATTERY TERMINAL

When jump starting a car with jumper cables, we are advised to make connections in the following order:

  1. Red cable to the positive terminal of the discharged battery
  2. Red cable to the positive terminal of the charged battery
  3. Black cable to the negative terminal of the charged battery
  4. Black cable to bare metal (ground), away from the battery, on the car with the discharged battery

52 Word on an Irish euro : EIRE

“Éire” is the Irish name for Ireland, coming from “Ériu”. Ériu was the matron goddess of Ireland in Irish mythology.

Euro coins are issued by all the participating European states. The reverse side is a common design used by all countries, whereas the obverse is a design specific to each nation. For example, the one euro coin issued by Malta features the Maltese Cross. That Maltese euro is legal tender right across the eurozone. The Irish euro features a harp.

55 Silent __: White House nickname : CAL

President Calvin Coolidge, the only US President to have been born on July 4th, was known as a man of few words. It was while he was serving as US Vice President, in the administration of Warren G. Harding, that Coolidge earned the nickname “Silent Cal”. There are a couple of anecdotes about Coolidge that illustrate his renowned reticence. The first involves a lady sitting beside the president at dinner one evening who remarked to him, “Mr. Coolidge, I’ve made a bet against a fellow who said it was impossible to get more than two words out of you.” His famous reply was, “You lose.” A second tale recalls the comment made by poet Dorothy Parker in 1933 when she heard that Coolidge had just died. She inquired archly, and perhaps a little coldly, “How could they tell?”

56 Pet store rodent : GERBIL

Most species of gerbil are native to arid regions, and in fact used to be called “desert rats”. They make popular household pets because they are very social and friendly by nature. As desert natives, they also have specially adapted kidneys that produce a very small amount of waste so that bodily fluids are preserved.

58 “Grey’s Anatomy” showrunner Rhimes : SHONDA

Shonda Rhimes is the creator and head writer of the TV shows “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Scandal”. She also serves as executive producer for the crime shows “How to Get Away with Murder” and “The Catch”. Rhimes also runs her own production company called Shondaland.

60 Flier in a show : AEROBAT

Spectacular flying feats, usually involving rolls and dives, are described as aerobatics. “Aerobatics” is a portmanteau of “aerial” and “acrobatics”.

62 Bishop’s purview : SEE

In the Roman Catholic Church, an episcopal see is the official seat of a bishop, and is usually described by the town or city where the bishop presides and has his cathedral. The most famous see in the church is called the Holy See, the episcopal see of the Bishop of Rome, the Pope.

71 Obsolescent wrong number cause : MISDIAL

Something described as obsolescent is going out of use, becoming obsolete.

78 Brown shade : BEIGE

Our word “beige” comes from the Old French “bege”, a term that applied to the natural color of wool and cotton that was not dyed.

81 “Sunday Night Baseball” nickname : A-ROD

Baseball player Alex Rodriguez, nicknamed “A-Rod”, hit his 600th home run on August 4th, 2010. He had hit his 500th home run exactly three years earlier, on August 4th, 2007, when he became the youngest player in Major League history to join the 500-home run club.

83 Jazz home : UTAH

The Utah Jazz professional basketball team moved to Salt Lake City in 1979. As one might guess from the name, the team originated in New Orleans, but only played there for five seasons. New Orleans was a tough place to be based because venues were hard to come by, and Mardi Gras forced the team to play on the road for a whole month.

84 *Berlin monument that’s a symbol of Germany’s reunification : BRANDENBURG GATE

Berlin’s magnificent Brandenburg Gate is a neoclassical monument erected in the late 18th century. The original Brandenburg Gate was one of eighteen gates erected in the 1730s as part of the Berlin Customs Wall.

90 Wonderland cake instruction : EAT ME

In Lewis Carroll’s “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”, Alice follows the white rabbit down a rabbit hole and finds a bottle labelled “DRINK ME”. When she drinks the contents, it causes her to shrink. She also sees a cake adorned with the words “EAT ME” written using currants, and when she eats the cake she grows so big she finds it hard to stand up. After eating the cake, she utters the words, “Curiouser and curiouser”.

91 Café lightener : LECHE

In Spanish, one might have “café con leche” (coffee with milk).

92 Contemptible : ODIOUS

Odium is a strong dislike or aversion. The term “odium” is Latin in origin and relates to the Latin word “odi” meaning “I hate”.

103 Potato color : RUSSET

The full name of the potato that we commonly refer to as a “russet” is a “russet Burbank”. The russet is probably a mutation of the Burbank potato. One Luther Burbank developed the Burbank potato as a disease-resistant Irish potato, and gave the strain its name. The russet Burbank is a relatively large potato. As such, it is the favored potato for restaurant chains like McDonald’s as it can produce long French fries.

105 Fireplace duct : FLUE

The flue in a chimney is a duct that conveys exhaust gases from a fire to the outdoors. An important feature of a flue is that its opening is adjustable. When starting a fire, the flue should be wide open, maximizing airflow to get help ignition.

110 Golden rule word : UNTO

The Golden Rule is also known as the ethic of reciprocity, and is a basis for the concept of human rights. A version of the rule used in the Christian tradition is attributed to Jesus:

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

111 Bert’s chum : ERNIE

Ernie is one of the Muppets on the children’s TV show “Sesame Street”. Ernie is usually seen with his roommate Bert, whom he frequently annoys and frustrates. Ernie is known for taking long baths with his rubber duckie. That “Rubber Duckie” is the title character in a hit song that Ernie (voiced by Jim Henson) released in 1970.

115 Wise adviser : GURU

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

116 Its code is BOS : LOGAN

Boston’s Logan Airport (BOS) is named for General Edward Lawrence Logan, a military officer from South Boston who fought in the Spanish-American War.

117 Murray with a star on both the Canada and Hollywood Walk of Fame : ANNE

Anne Murray is a singer from Springhill, Nova Scotia. Murray’s 1978 hit “You Needed Me” went to number one in the US charts, marking the first time that a Canadian female artist achieved such a feat.

118 Judge who excelled in the Field of Dreams game : AARON

Aaron Judge is a baseball outfielder who was selected as 2017’s American League Rookie of the Year. Judge is a big guy. He weighs 282 pounds, and is 6 foot 7 inches tall.

MLB at Field of Dreams was a regular season game played between the Chicago White Sox and the New York Yankees in August of 2021. The game was played at neither team’s home ballpark, and rather at Field of Dreams baseball field near Dyersville, Iowa that was built for the 1989 movie “Field of Dreams”. The White Sox emerged victorious.

120 Avocet cousin : STILT

The avocet is found in warm climates, usually in saline wetlands where it uses its upcurved bill to sweep from side-to-side in water searching for aquatic insects on which it feeds. Avocets, and other similar species, may go by the common name of “stilts”, a moniker applied to them because of their long legs.

122 Climate activist Thunberg : GRETA

Greta Thunberg is an environmental activist from Sweden who came to national attention in her homeland when she was just 15 years old. In 2018, she went on strike from school and paraded with placards in front of the Swedish parliament to pressure the government to take stronger action to address climate change. She then took part in demonstrations across Europe, and became a regular speaker at such events. She addressed the 2019 UN Climate Action Summit at the UN headquarters, opting to sail to New York from Sweden, rather than fly. When she was named “Time” Person of the Year in 2019 at 16 years old, Thunberg was the youngest person ever to be so honored.

Down

1 String section instrument : BASS

The double bass (often just “bass”) is usually referred to as the bass fiddle or bass violin in the world of folk and bluegrass music.

2 Fall figure : ADAM

In the Christian tradition, the “fall of man” took place in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve succumbed to the temptation of eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. This went against the bidding of God, and was at the urging of the serpent. As a result, Adam and Eve were banished from Eden to prevent them from becoming immortal by eating from the tree of life. The first humans had transitioned from a state of innocent obedience to a state of guilty disobedience.

3 Vegan protein source : TOFU

“Tofu” is a name for bean curd, and is a Japanese word meaning just that … bean that has curdled. Tofu is produced by coagulating soy milk, using either salt or something acidic. Once the protein has coagulated, the curds are pressed into the familiar blocks. Personally I love tofu, but my wife, she absolutely hates it …

5 HRH part : HER …

His/Her Royal Highness (HRH)

6 Eye opening : PUPIL

The pupil of the eye is the hole located in the center of the iris through which light enters the retina. The term “pupil” came into English via French from the latin “pupilla”, which is the diminutive form of “pupa” meaning “girl, doll”. The term came about due to the tiny doll-like image that one can see of oneself when looking into the center of another’s eyes.

9 Moose cousin : ELK

The elk (also “wapiti”) is one of the largest species of deer in the world, with only the moose being bigger. Early European settlers were familiar with the smaller red deer back in their homelands, so when they saw the “huge” wapiti they assumed it was a moose, and incorrectly gave it the European name for a moose, namely “elk”. The more correct name for the beast is “wapiti”, which means “white rump” in Shawnee. It’s all very confusing …

The moose is the largest species in the deer family, and can stand almost at 7 feet at the shoulder. Moose are a little unusual in that they are solitary animals, unlike other deers who tend to move in herds. We use the term “moose” here in North America, but confusingly, the same animal is referred to as “elk” in British English.

10 Model 3 maker : TESLA

Tesla’s Model 3 was introduced in 2017. Within three years, Tesla sold more than half a million Model 3 units, making it the best-selling electric car of all time.

11 Marxian activities : ANTICS

The five Marx Brothers were born to Minnie and Frenchy Marx in New York City. The more famous older boys were Chico, Harpo and Groucho. Zeppo was the youngest brother, and he appeared in the early Marx Brothers movies. The fifth son was called Gummo, and he decided to pursue a different career off the stage.

12 Arthur Ashe Stadium is its main court : US OPEN

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.

17 Mole’s collection : INTEL

A mole is a spy who works from within the ranks of an enemy’s government of intelligence service. The use of “mole” took off after the publication of John Le Carré’s 1974 novel “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy”. The author was himself a former intelligence officer and asserts that “mole” was a term used by the KGB, whereas Western agencies used the term “sleeper agent”.

18 Crystal-bearing rock : GEODE

A geode is a rock in which there is a cavity that is lined or filled with crystal formations.

24 Hoover was the only president born there : IOWA

President Herbert Hoover was born in West Branch, Iowa, and is the only president to have been born in that state. His birthplace is now a National Landmark, and he and his wife were buried in the grounds of the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum in West Branch. President Hoover died at the age of 90 years old in 1964, outliving his nemesis Franklin Delano Roosevelt by almost 20 years.

31 Taverna aperitif : OUZO

Ouzo is an apéritif from Greece that is colorless and flavored with anise. Ouzo is similar to French pastis and Italian sambuca.

32 Meridian opening : ANTE-

Something described as “antemeridian” takes place before noon. The related term “ante meridiem” means the same thing, and is abbreviated to “a.m.”

33 Trunk item : SPARE

In North America we use the word “trunk” for the storage space in the back of a vehicle as that space is reminiscent of the large travelling chest called a “trunk”. Such trunks used to be lashed onto the back of automobiles before storage was integrated. On the other side of the Atlantic, a trunk is known as a “boot”. The original boot was a built-in storage compartment on a horse-drawn carriage on which a coachman would sit.

34 Aquatic carnivore : SEAL

Male seals are called bulls, females are cows, and babies are pups. A group of seals comprising one or two males, with several females and their offspring, is known as a harem.

35 Iraqis, mostly : ARABS

Iraq is often called the “Cradle of Civilization” as it was home to Sumer, which was the earliest known civilization on the planet. By 5000 BC the Sumerian people were practicing year-round agriculture and had a specialized labor force. For the first time, a whole race was able to settle in one place by storing food, instead of having to migrate in a pattern dictated by crops and grazing land.

38 Editor’s “keep it” : STET

“Stet” is a Latin word meaning “let it stand”. In editorial work, the typesetter is instructed to disregard any change previously marked by writing the word “stet” and then underscoring that change with a line of dots or dashes.

40 Sched. uncertainty : TBA

Something not yet on the schedule (“sked” or “sched.”) is to be advised/announced (TBA).

42 GPS projection : ETA

The modern Global Positioning System (GPS) system that we use today was built by the US military who received the massive funding needed because of fears during the Cold War of the use of Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles. We civilians, all round the world, owe a lot to President Ronald Reagan because he directed the military to make GPS technology available to the public for the common good. President Reagan was moved to do so after the Soviet Union shot down KAL flight 007 carrying 269 people, just because the plane strayed accidentally into Soviet airspace.

44 Avian bills : NIBS

“Nib” is a Scottish variant of the Old English word “neb”, with both meaning the beak of a bird. This usage of “nib” as a beak dates back to the 14th century, with “nib” meaning the tip of a pen or quill coming a little later, in the early 1600s.

45 Pennsylvania county or its seat : ERIE

Erie is a port city in the very north of Pennsylvania, sitting on the southern shore of Lake Erie. The city takes its name from the Erie Native American tribe that resided in the area. Erie is nicknamed the Gem City, a reference to the “sparkling” water of Lake Erie.

49 Cold treat brand : ICEE

Icee and Slurpee are brand names of slushy drinks. Ugh …

50 Dealer’s pursuer : NARC

“Narc” and “narco” are slang terms describing a law enforcement officer who tracks down criminals associated with illegal drugs. Both words are short for “narcotics officer”. Narcs might work for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

51 First Dominican MLB manager Felipe : ALOU

Felipe Alou is a former professional baseball player and manager. Alou managed the Montreal Expos from 1992 to 2001, and the San Francisco Giants from 2003 to 2006. Alou was born and raised in the Dominican Republic and came to the US to play for the Giants in 1955. Felipe’s brothers Matty and Jesús followed him to the US, and into Major League baseball.

56 Somersaulting dive : GAINER

A gainer is a dive in which the diver leaves the board while facing forward, but makes a backward somersault, entering the water feet first.

59 Dory’s friend : NEMO

“Finding Nemo” is a 2003 animated blockbuster from Pixar. The film was the winner of the Oscar that year for Best Animated Feature. Believe it or not, “Finding Nemo” is the best-selling DVD of all time and, until 2010’s “Toy Story 3”, it was the highest-grossing, G-rated movie at the box office.

Pixar’s 2016 animated feature “Finding Dory” is a sequel to the megahit film “Finding Nemo”. “Finding Dory” seems to have built on the success of its predecessor and had the highest-grossing opening weekend ever in North America for an animated movie.

60 Gestural comm. syst. : ASL

It’s really quite unfortunate that American Sign Language (ASL) and British Sign Language (BSL) are very different, and someone who has learned to sign in one cannot understand someone signing in the other.

61 Sturdy shoe : BROGUE

A brogue is more commonly called a wing tip here in the US, I think. The shoe design originated in Ireland and Scotland, and “brog” the Irish word (and similar Scottish word) for shoe gives rise to the name. The brogue/wingtip design includes decorative perforations in the leather uppers. The toe cap of a brogue curves back in a shape that suggests the tip of a bird’s wing, hence the alternative name.

64 River through Frankfurt : ODER

Frankfurt an der Oder is a town in Brandenburg, Germany that is right on the border with Poland. The suffix “an der Oder” shows that it lies on the Oder River and also serves to differentiate the town from the larger, and more famous, city of Frankfurt am Main.

65 Capital of Latvia : RIGA

Riga is the capital city of Latvia. The historical center of Riga is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, declared as such because of the city’s magnificent examples of Art Nouveau architecture.

66 Particle also called a K meson : KAON

“Pion” is short for “pi meson”, and “kaon” is short for “K meson”.

A meson is an unstable subatomic particle, one made up of a quark and an antiquark.

67 Sound barrier breaker Chuck : YEAGER

Chuck Yeager enlisted as a private in the US Army Air Forces in 1941, starting out as an aircraft mechanic. With the onset of the war at the end of the year, Yeager was able to enroll in flight school. In 1943 he was posted overseas, and flew P-51 Mustangs out of the south of England. He was shot down over France in 1944 and escaped to Spain with the aid of the French Resistance. His 11.5 accredited victories includes five downed aircraft in one mission (making him an “ace in a day”), and one of the first air-to-air kills of a jet fighter. Yeager didn’t live too far from here, and a friend of mine had the honor to have breakfast with him a couple of times …

69 __-Eating Tree: “Peanuts” phenomenon : KITE

Charlie Brown is the main character in the long-running comic strip called “Peanuts”, created by Charles Schulz. Charlie’s catchphrase is “good grief”. He has several persistent frustrations in his life, including an inability to fly a kite. The focus of his kite-flying frustration is the dreaded Kite-Eating Tree.

70 2010 Apple debut : IPAD

The groundbreaking iPad was introduced by Apple in 2010. The iOS-based iPads dominated the market for tablet computers until 2013, when Android-based tablets (manufactured by several companies) took over the number-one spot.

73 Common prayer : GRACE

A grace is a short prayer recited before or after a meal.

74 Invaders of ancient Rome : GOTHS

The East Germanic tribe called the Goths had two main branches, called the Ostrogoths and the Visigoths. The Visigothic capital was the city of Toulouse in France, whereas the Ostrogoth capital was the Italian city of Ravenna just inland of the Adriatic coast. It was the Visigoths who sacked Rome in 410 CE, heralding the fall of the Western Roman Empire.

76 Discards : THROWS OUT

To discard is to remove an unwanted card from one’s hand when playing a card game. This usage of “discard” predates the more general meaning of “cast off, dismiss” that we also use today.

79 Thyroid MDs : ENTS

Ear, nose and throat specialist (ENT)

The thyroid gland is found in the neck, just below the Adam’s apple. The gland produces several thyroid hormones, some of which control the rate at which the body uses energy i.e. the body’s rate of metabolism.

80 “Big Blue” : IBM

The origin of the IBM nickname “Big Blue” seems to have been lost in the mists of time. That said, maybe it has something to do with the fact that the IBM logo is blue, and almost every mainframe they produced was painted blue. I remember visiting IBM on business a few times in my career, and back then we were encouraged to wear white shirts and blue suits “to fit in” with our client’s culture.

82 Actor Billy __ Williams : DEE

Actor Billy Dee Williams is most famous for playing the character Lando Calrissian in two of the “Stars Wars” movies.

84 Poster’s medium : BLOG

Many folks who visit this website regard it as just that, a website. That is true, but more specifically it is referred to as a blog, as I make regular posts (actually daily posts) that then occupy the “front page” of the site. The blog entries are in reverse chronological order, and one can just look back day-by-day, reading older and older posts. “Blog” is a contraction of the term “web log”.

85 Company with an antlered animal logo : DEERE

John Deere invented the first commercially successful steel plow in 1837. Prior to Deere’s invention, farmers used an iron or wooden plow that constantly had to be cleaned as rich soil stuck to its surfaces. The cast-steel plow was revolutionary as its smooth sides solved the problem of “stickiness”. The Deere company that John founded uses the slogan “Nothing Runs Like a Deere”, and has a leaping deer as its logo.

88 Pooch with a large tongue : ODIE

Jon Arbuckle is a fictional character, and the owner of Odie from Jim Davis’s comic strip “Garfield”. Garfield is Arbuckle’s orange tabby cat. Odie is his less-than-smart beagle.

89 Horizontal door beams : LINTELS

A lintel is a structural beam that spans an opening in a wall, usually a door or a window.

93 Congo tributary : UBANGI

The Ubangi River defines the border between the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Further downstream, it defines the border between the DRC and the Republic of Congo.

The Congo River in Africa is the second-largest in the world in terms of volume of water discharged (after the Amazon), and the second longest river in Africa (after the Nile). It is also the deepest river in the world, with depths exceeding 700 feet. The name “Congo” comes from the ancient Kingdom of Kongo that was once located at the mouth of the river.

99 Houston MLBer : ASTRO

The Houston baseball team changed its name to the Astros (sometimes “’Stros”) from the Colt .45s in 1965 when they started playing in the Astrodome. The Astrodome was so called in recognition of the city’s long association with the US space program. The Astros moved from the National League to the American League starting in the 2013 season.

101 Barista’s creation : BLEND

A barista is a person who serves coffee in a coffee shop. “Barista” is Italian for “bartender”.

106 Wearer of hot pants? : LIAR

The full rhyme used by children to deride someone not telling the truth is:

Liar, liar, pants on fire,
Hang them up on the telephone wire.

109 Sicilian mount : ETNA

Mount Etna on the island of Sicily is the largest of three active volcanoes in Italy, and indeed the largest of all active volcanoes in Europe. Etna is about 2 1/2 times the height of its equally famous sister, Mt. Vesuvius. Mt. Etna is home to a 110-km long narrow-gauge railway, and two ski resorts. It is sometimes referred to as “Mongibello” in Italian, and as “Mungibeddu” (sometimes “Muncibeddu”) in Sicilian. The English name “Etna” comes from the Greek “aitho” meaning “I eat”.

112 Hogwash : ROT

“Hogwash” means “rubbish, of little value”. “Hogwash” was originally the name of swill fed to pigs.

114 Jet __ : LAG

For many years, I had to deal with jet lag almost every couple of months. I swear by the diet supplement melatonin, which you can buy over the counter here in the US. But, I am no doctor so don’t listen to anything I say …

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Brownie group? : BATCH
6 Francis, most recently : POPE
10 Scornful comment : TAUNT
15 Self-righteously proper sort : PRIG
19 Fancy to extremes : ADORE
20 Caspian Sea feeder : URAL
21 Come after : ENSUE
22 Single : LONE
23 *Attraction with exotic animals : SAFARI PARK
25 It may be skipped : STONE
26 SLR setting : AUTO
27 Self-absorbed : SMUG
28 Works in a museum : OILS
29 Oops provoker : SLIP
30 Got rid of : TOSSED
32 Knob-handled tools : AWLS
33 *Former NASA project : SPACE SHUTTLE
35 Range option : AMANA
38 Massage therapist’s employer : SPA
39 Dismiss casually, with “at” : SNEEZE …
40 Piece of land : TRACT
41 Release predecessors : BETAS
43 Embellished : ADORNED
47 *Jump-start connection point : BATTERY TERMINAL
52 Word on an Irish euro : EIRE
53 Basics : ABCS
54 Tickle pink : ELATE
55 Silent __: White House nickname : CAL
56 Pet store rodent : GERBIL
58 “Grey’s Anatomy” showrunner Rhimes : SHONDA
60 Flier in a show : AEROBAT
62 Bishop’s purview : SEE
63 *IT executive’s concern : NETWORK SECURITY
68 Go downhill fast : SKI
71 Obsolescent wrong number cause : MISDIAL
72 Omelet request : ONE EGG
75 Move stealthily : TIPTOE
77 It may need massaging : EGO
78 Brown shade : BEIGE
81 “Sunday Night Baseball” nickname : A-ROD
83 Jazz home : UTAH
84 *Berlin monument that’s a symbol of Germany’s reunification : BRANDENBURG GATE
87 Sleeping bag alternative : BEDROLL
90 Wonderland cake instruction : EAT ME
91 Café lightener : LECHE
92 Contemptible : ODIOUS
95 Trauma ctrs. : ERS
96 Causes of much yawning : BORES
97 *Something to go back to when things aren’t working out : DRAWING BOARD
101 Moved like the wind : BLEW
103 Potato color : RUSSET
104 Crop unit : ACRE
105 Fireplace duct : FLUE
106 Forget where one put : LOSE
110 Golden rule word : UNTO
111 Bert’s chum : ERNIE
113 *Brew pub sampler : BEER FLIGHT
115 Wise adviser : GURU
116 Its code is BOS : LOGAN
117 Murray with a star on both the Canada and Hollywood Walk of Fame : ANNE
118 Judge who excelled in the Field of Dreams game : AARON
119 Notice : SPOT
120 Avocet cousin : STILT
121 Puts in : ADDS
122 Climate activist Thunberg : GRETA

Down

1 String section instrument : BASS
2 Fall figure : ADAM
3 Vegan protein source : TOFU
4 Rocky projection : CRAG
5 HRH part : HER …
6 Eye opening : PUPIL
7 Rigorous exams : ORALS
8 Scorecard standards : PARS
9 Moose cousin : ELK
10 Model 3 maker : TESLA
11 Marxian activities : ANTICS
12 Arthur Ashe Stadium is its main court : US OPEN
13 Sister : NUN
14 Achieved a baby milestone : TEETHED
15 Classic wall worker : PLASTERER
16 Awaken harshly : ROUST
17 Mole’s collection : INTEL
18 Crystal-bearing rock : GEODE
24 Hoover was the only president born there : IOWA
29 Twitch, say : SPASM
31 Taverna aperitif : OUZO
32 Meridian opening : ANTE-
33 Trunk item : SPARE
34 Aquatic carnivore : SEAL
35 Iraqis, mostly : ARABS
36 12-Down contest : MATCH
37 Doesn’t ignore : ACTS ON
38 Editor’s “keep it” : STET
40 Sched. uncertainty : TBA
41 Club rules : BYLAWS
42 GPS projection : ETA
44 Avian bills : NIBS
45 Pennsylvania county or its seat : ERIE
46 Editor’s “cut it” : DELE
48 “Power” accessory, perhaps : RED TIE
49 Cold treat brand : ICEE
50 Dealer’s pursuer : NARC
51 First Dominican MLB manager Felipe : ALOU
56 Somersaulting dive : GAINER
57 Kitchen suffix : -ETTE
59 Dory’s friend : NEMO
60 Gestural comm. syst. : ASL
61 Sturdy shoe : BROGUE
64 River through Frankfurt : ODER
65 Capital of Latvia : RIGA
66 Particle also called a K meson : KAON
67 Sound barrier breaker Chuck : YEAGER
68 E-ticket’s lack : STUB
69 __-Eating Tree: “Peanuts” phenomenon : KITE
70 2010 Apple debut : IPAD
73 Common prayer : GRACE
74 Invaders of ancient Rome : GOTHS
76 Discards : THROWS OUT
78 Trimming target : BEARD
79 Thyroid MDs : ENTS
80 “Big Blue” : IBM
82 Actor Billy __ Williams : DEE
84 Poster’s medium : BLOG
85 Company with an antlered animal logo : DEERE
86 Pleasant feeling : GLOW
88 Pooch with a large tongue : ODIE
89 Horizontal door beams : LINTELS
93 Congo tributary : UBANGI
94 __ media : SOCIAL
96 Major Nebraska product : BEEF
97 Puts under : DRUGS
98 Accumulate : RUN UP
99 Houston MLBer : ASTRO
100 Ain’t perfect? : AREN’T
101 Barista’s creation : BLEND
102 Entices : LURES
105 Ward (off) : FEND
106 Wearer of hot pants? : LIAR
107 Fairy tale monster : OGRE
108 Useless, now : SHOT
109 Sicilian mount : ETNA
112 Hogwash : ROT
113 Shearing day sound : BAA
114 Jet __ : LAG