LA Times Crossword Answers 29 Jul 2018, Sunday

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Constructed by: Victor Barocas
Edited by: Rich Norris

Today’s Theme: Make Circles

Themed answers are cars, with the MAKE shown in circled letters in the grid, and the model referenced by the clue:

  • 21A. Coleoptera insect : VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE
  • 31A. Much of western Queensland : SUBARU OUTBACK
  • 43A. Gazelle cousin : CHEVROLET IMPALA
  • 65A. Type of center : HONDA CIVIC
  • 68A. Spring sign : FORD TAURUS
  • 84A. Long-distance exploration program : PLYMOUTH VOYAGER
  • 101A. Musical work : HYUNDAI SONATA
  • 112A. Scotland native : TOYOTA HIGHLANDER

Bill’s time: 24m 45s

Bill’s errors: 0

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Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

6. Compressed video format : MPEG

The Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) was established in 1988 to set standards for audio and video compression. The standards they’ve come up with use the acronym “MPEG”.

10. Altar constellation : ARA

The constellation of Ara takes its name from the Latin word for “altar”.

13. Reach 22, in a game : BUST

The card game known as “twenty-one” was first referred to in a book by Cervantes, the author famous for writing “Don Quixote”. He called the game “ventiuna” (Spanish for “twenty-one”). Cervantes wrote his story just after the year 1600, so the game has been around at least since then. Twenty-one came to the US but it wasn’t all that popular so bonus payments were introduced to create more interest. One of the more attractive bonuses was a ten-to-one payout to a player who was dealt an ace of spades and a black jack. This bonus led to the game adopting the moniker “Blackjack”.

17. Features of Byzantine domes : OCULI

Oculus (plural “oculi”) is the Latin word for “eye”, and is used in architecture for a circular window.

Byzantium was a Greek colony that was centered on what was to become Constantinople, and is now Istanbul. Legend suggests that there was a king Byzas, who gave his name to the city and later the Byzantine Empire. The Eastern Roman Empire later became known as the Byzantine Empire, right up until the Middle Ages.

18. Retro diet, to put it mildly : PALEO

The paleolithic (or “paleo, caveman”) diet is a fad diet that became popular in the 2000s. The idea is to eat wild plants and animals that would have been available to humans during the Paleolithic era (roughly the Stone Age). This period precedes the introduction of agriculture and domestication of animals. As a result, someone on the diet avoids consuming grains, legumes, dairy and processed foods. The diet consists mainly of lean meat (about 45-65% of the total calorie intake), non-starchy vegetables, fruits, berries and nuts.

19. Keaton role in “The Founder” : KROC

The original McDonald’s restaurant was opened in 1940 by Richard and Maurice McDonald as a barbecue restaurant. The brothers then moved into fast food hamburgers, eventually selling out to one of their franchise agents, Ray Kroc. It was Ray Kroc who really led the company to its worldwide success. He was played by Michael Keaton in the movie about Ray Kroc’s business life called “The Founder”.

21. Coleoptera insect : VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE

VW stands for Volkswagen, which translates from German into “people’s car”. The original Volkswagen design was the Beetle and was built under a directive from Adolf Hitler, who wanted a cheap car built that ordinary people could afford to purchase. He awarded the contract to engineer Ferdinand Porsche, whose name (paradoxically) would forever be associated with high performance, expensive cars. The Beetle was the official name of the VW model released in North America, but it was usually referred to as a “Bug” here in the US, and a “Beetle” elsewhere in the world.

Coleoptera is the taxonomic order containing the beetles. It is the largest of all the orders, and contains about a quarter of all known animal forms. The name “Coleoptera” was coined in Greek by Aristotle, from “koleos” meaning “sheath” and “pteron” meaning “wing”.

25. Copier copy: Abbr. : ENL

Enlargement (enl.)

26. “Queen of Salsa” Cruz : CELIA

Celia Cruz was born and bred in Cuba, but spent most of her working life in the United States, playing out her salsa singing career in New Jersey. Around the world she was known as the “Queen of Salsa”.

27. Quaker cereal : LIFE

The breakfast cereal called Life was introduced by Quaker Oats in 1961. Back then, Life contained just whole grain oats. Today’s recipe includes added sugar and flour.

28. Instrument in George Harrison’s “Within You Without You” : SITAR

The sitar has been around since the Middle Ages. It is a stringed instrument that is played by plucking, and is used most often in Hindustani classical music. In the West we have been exposed to the instrument largely through the performances of Ravi Shankar and some music by George Harrison of the Beatles, a onetime student of Shankar.

“Within You Without You” is a track from the Beatles “Sgt. Pepper” album that was written by George Harrison. It is a song written in the Indian classical style, and features Indian instrumentation. Harrison is the only Beatle heard performing, and he is accompanied by a group Indian musicians from the London-based Asian Music Circle.

29. Beats soundly : DRUBS

A drubbing is a beating, given either literally or figuratively. The term “drub” dates back in English to the 17th century when it was imported from the Arabic word for a beating: “darb”.

31. Much of western Queensland : SUBARU OUTBACK

In Australia, the land outside of urban area is referred to as the outback or the bush. That said, I think that the term “outback” is sometimes reserved for the more remote parts of the bush.

Subaru is the automobile division of the Japanese company, Fuji Heavy Industries. The name “Subaru” is the Japanese name of the Pleiades star cluster. As a result, the Subaru logo is also a cluster of stars.

38. Gaggle members : GEESE

A collection of geese is referred to as a “gaggle” when on the ground. When geese are in V-formation in flight, they are referred to collectively as a “skein”.

40. Basic shelter : LEAN-TO

By definition, a lean-to is a building in which the rafters lean against the wall of another building. A lean-to shelter has a similar appearance, although it is free-standing. The shelter has a single-pitched roof and only three walls.

43. Gazelle cousin : CHEVROLET IMPALA

“Impala” is the Zulu word for “gazelle”. When running at a sustained speed, gazelles can move along at 30 miles per hour. If needed, they can accelerate for bursts up to 60 miles per hour.

Louis-Joseph Chevrolet was a Swiss race car driver who co-founded the Cevrolet Motor Car Company in 1911. The company logo to this day is a stylized Swiss cross, in honor of Chevrolet’s Swiss roots.

48. Moscow Olympics mascot : MISHA

The use of a bear as a symbol for Russia originated in the West. The symbolism was not necessarily flattering, implying that Russia was big and clumsy. However, the Russians themselves embraced the image, and indeed used the bear cub “Misha” as the mascot for the 1980 Olympic Games held in Moscow.

53. One spotted at the zoo : LEOPARD

The four “big cats” are the tiger, lion, jaguar and leopard. The largest of the big cats is the tiger, and the smallest is the leopard.

55. Highlands headgear : TAM

A tam o’shanter is a man’s cap traditionally worn by Scotsmen. “Tams” were originally all blue (and called “blue bonnets”) but as more dyes became readily available they became more colorful. The name of the cap comes from the title character of the Robert Burns poem “Tam O’Shanter”.

56. Theodore Cleaver, casually : BEAV

Wally Cleaver and his younger brother Theodore (“the Beaver”) were the children of Ward and June Cleaver on the fifties sitcom “Leave It to Beaver”.

58. Like Ophelia, ultimately : MAD

In William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”, Ophelia is courted by Hamlet, the man himself. Ophelia is the daughter of nobleman Polonius. She dies …

61. Two-time Conn Smythe Trophy winner : ORR

Bobby Orr is regarded as one of the greatest hockey players of all time. By the time he retired in 1978 he had undergone over a dozen knee surgeries. At 31 years of age, he concluded that he just couldn’t skate anymore. Reportedly, he was even having trouble walking.

The Conn Smythe Trophy has been awarded annually since 1965 to the MVP during the NHL’s Stanley Cup playoffs. The recipient is decided based on votes submitted by members of the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association. The award is named for Conn Smythe, former owner, general manager and coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

65. Type of center : HONDA CIVIC

Introduced in 1972, the Honda Civic is the second-oldest brand of Japanese car made for the US today (only the Toyota Corolla has been around longer). Today’s Civic is a compact car, but the original was smaller, and classed as a sub-compact. The first design had a transverse-mounted engine and front-wheel drive to save on space, copying the configuration introduced with the British Mini.

68. Spring sign : FORD TAURUS

The Taurus is an incredibly successful car that was introduced by Ford in 1985. The Taurus was the successor to the Ford LTD, and is still in production today. The Taurus was the best-selling automobile in the US between 1992 and 1996, before being knocked off its pedestal by Japanese imports.

70. Activist Davis : ANGELA

Angela Davis is a political activist and former leader of the Communist Party USA. Davis also ran twice in the eighties as candidate for Vice President on the Communist Party USA ticket, alongside Presidential candidate Gus Hall.

72. Scientist with 19 Emmys : NYE

That would be “Bill Nye the Science Guy”. Bill’s show ran on PBS for four years, from 1993-97.

75. “Jabberwocky” word meaning “evening” : BRILLIG

Here are the first two verses of “Jabberwocky” by Lewis Carroll, probably the one poem that we all just loved learning to recite at school

’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!

79. Pride event abbr. : LGBT

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT)

81. Faith with pillars : ISLAM

Followers of the Muslim tradition believe in the Five Pillars of Islam, five obligatory acts that underpin Muslim life. The Five Pillars are:

  1. The Islamic creed
  2. Daily prayer
  3. Almsgiving
  4. Fasting during the month of Ramadan
  5. The pilgrimage to Mecca (haj, hajj, hadj) once during a lifetime

84. Long-distance exploration program : PLYMOUTH VOYAGER

The Voyager minivan was marketed as the Plymouth version of the Dodge Caravan for much of the eighties and nineties.

90. Math points : LOCI

In mathematics, a locus (plural “loci”) is the set of all points that satisfy a given requirement. For example, the locus called a circle is the set of all points equidistant from a single point.

92. Virtual human companion : NEOPET

Neopets.com is a website where one can own a virtual pet. I wouldn’t bother …

93. Joker’s prey : BUTT

To be the butt of the joke is to be the jokester’s target. Indeed, back in the 1600’s, a butt was a target used in archery practice.

94. Ducks with a distinctive blue-green coloring : TEALS

The beautiful color of teal takes it name from the duck called a teal, which has dark greenish-blue (teal) markings on its head and wings.

101. Musical work : HYUNDAI SONATA

The Sonata is one of Hyundai’s most successful models, having been introduced in 1985 and still being sold today. The original model didn’t make it to the North American market as it had problems meeting emission standards. The first Sonatas hit this side of the Pacific in 1988, and were assembled in Bromont, Quebec.

103. Like businesses on Yelp : RATED

yelp.com is a website that provides a local business directory and reviews of services. The site is sort of like Yellow Pages on steroids, and the term “yelp” is derived from “yel-low p-ages”.

104. Massive hunters : ORCAS

The orca that starred in the 1993 movie “Free Willy” was actually called Keiko, with Willy being his “stage name”. Keiko had a sad life. He was captured near Iceland in 1979 and sold to a local aquarium. Subsequently he was sold on to Marineland in Ontario, and then Six Flags Mexico in 1985. After starring in the movie, his fans raised money with the intent of returning Keiko to the wild. Keiko had become very ill, partly from being confined in a small tank in Mexico, so a lot of money had to be spent returning him to good health. He was purchased by the Oregon Coast Aquarium who undertook the task of treating him and preparing him for the wild. You might recall the dramatic journey he took from Mexico to Oregon in US Air Force transport plane in 1996. Having regained his health, he was flown to Iceland and there was gradually reintroduced into the wild. Sadly, Keiko did not fare too well back in the ocean. He was never adopted by a pod, so lived a solitary life. He lost weight, would sometimes follow fishing boats and play with any humans who would give him attention. In 2003 he beached himself in Taken Bay in Norway, where he died.

105. Pilgrim to Mecca : HAJI

“Haji” (also “Hajji”) is the term used for someone who has made a pilgrimage to Mecca, and it is sometimes also used as a form of address for such a person. The journey itself goes by the name “haj”, “hajj” or “hadj”.

106. When repeated, #5 on Rolling Stone’s 2007 list of “40 Songs That Changed the World” : LOUIE

“Louie Louie” is an R&B song that was most famously a hit for the Kingsmen in 1963. The Kingsmen were accused of deliberately slurring words in the song that were describing the sexual act. There was even a 31-month investigation by the FBI, after which it was concluded that the accusation was unfounded.

111. E-ZPass payment : TOLL

E-ZPass was a technology development driven (pun!) by the tolling agencies of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The first E-ZPass toll booth was built on the New York Thruway, and opened at the Spring Valley toll plaza in 1993.

112. Scotland native : TOYOTA HIGHLANDER

The Highlander is an SUV made by Toyota that is built on the Toyota Camry platform.

116. Sooner State city : ENID

Enid, Oklahoma takes its name from the old railroad station around which the city developed. Back in 1889, that train stop was called Skeleton Station. An official who didn’t like the name changed it to Enid Station, using a character from Alfred Lord Tennyson’s “Idylls of the King”. Maybe if he hadn’t changed the name, the city of Enid would now be called Skeleton, Oklahoma! Enid has the nickname “Queen Wheat City” because is has a huge capacity for storing grain, the third largest grain storage capacity in the world.

The 1889 Indian Appropriations Act officially opened up the so called Unassigned Lands, land in Oklahoma on which no Native American tribes had settled. Once the Act was signed, those lands became available for settlement. Those people that settled the same lands illegally, prior the date specified, they were termed “Sooners” as their situation was defined in the “sooner clause” of the Act. “Sooner State” is now a nickname for Oklahoma.

117. “__-daisy!” : UPSY

“Upsy-daisy” is an interjection sometimes used when lifting up a child. It’s “baby talk”, words of reassurance.

118. Lloyd or Paul of Cooperstown : WANER

Paul and Lloyd Waner were two brothers who played Major League Baseball. The brothers played together in the 1920s and 1930s for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Paul earned himself the nickname “Big Poison”, while Lloyd had the moniker “Little Poison”.

119. River to Lyon : SAONE

The Saône is a river in eastern France that joins up with the Rhône in Lyon.

120. Mother of Pollux : LEDA

In Greek mythology, Leda was the beautiful Queen of Sparta who was seduced by Zeus when he took the form of a swan. Leda produced two eggs from the union. One egg hatched into Clytemnestra and the beautiful Helen of Troy, over whom was fought the Trojan War. The other egg hatched into the twins Castor and Pollux. Castor and Pollux had different fathers according to the myth. Pollux was the son of Zeus and was immortal, while Castor was the son of Leda’s earthly husband, and so he was a mortal. In the world of the arts, William Butler Yeats wrote a famous sonnet called “Leda and the Swan” in 1924, and Peter Paul Rubens made a copy of a now-lost painting called “Leda and the Swan” by Michelangelo.

121. General on menus : TSO

General Tso’s chicken is an American creation, and a dish often found on the menu of a Chinese restaurant. The name General Tso may be a reference to General Zuo Zongtang of the Qing Dynasty, but there is no clear link.

123. Vandalized, in a way : EGGED

A vandal is someone who destroys something beautiful or valuable. The term comes from the Germanic tribe called the Vandals who sacked Rome in the year 455. Our contemporary term “vandalism” was coined by Henri Grégoire in 1794, when he was describing the destruction of artwork during the French Revolution.

Down

1. Roman god of the sky : JOVE

Jupiter, also known as Jove, was the king of the gods in the Roman tradition, as well as the god of sky and thunder. Jupiter was the Roman equivalent to the Greek god Zeus.

3. Level for building, as land : BULLDOZE

The term “bulldoze” comes from the noun “bulldose”, which meant “a severe beating” back in the late 1800s. A bulldose was “a dose fit for a bull”, a beating designed to intimidate mainly black Republican voters in the 1876 US presidential election.

4. Moose kin : ELK

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.

5. Decathlon event : DISCUS

The decathlon event is a track and field competition, with the name “decathlon” coming from the Greek “deka” (ten) and “athlos” (contest). The ten events in the men’s decathlon are:

  • 100 meters
  • Long jump
  • Shot put
  • High jump
  • 400 meters
  • 110 meters hurdles
  • Discus throw
  • Pole vault
  • Javelin throw
  • 1500 meters

6. Christmas trio : MAGI

“Magi” is the plural of the Latin word “magus”, a term applied to someone who was able to read the stars. Hence, “magi” is commonly used with reference to the “wise men from the East” who followed the star and visited Jesus soon after he was born. In Western Christianity, the three Biblical Magi are:

  • Melchior: a scholar from Persia
  • Caspar: a scholar from India
  • Balthazar: a scholar from Arabia

8. Gloaming, in verse : E’EN

“Gloaming” is an alternative word for twilight or dusk, and is often used poetically. The word is particularly associated with Scottish poetry, and notably the work of Robert Burns.

10. Like Dickens’ Dodger : ARTFUL

The Artful Dodger is a marvelous character in “Oliver Twist” by Charles Dickens. The Dodger’s real name is Jack Dawkins, and he is a talented pickpocket and a favorite of the devious Fagin.

11. Battle on a log : ROLEO

The log-rolling competition traditionally engaged in by lumberjacks is referred to as “roleo”.

12. Low card in a wheel straight : ACE

In the game of poker, an ace-high straight (A, K, Q, J, 10) is sometimes referred to as a broadway straight. A five-high straight (5, 4, 3, 2, A) might be called a baby straight, a bicycle or a wheel.

13. B-deficiency illness : BERIBERI

Thiamine is also known as vitamin B1. A deficiency of thiamine causes the disease known as beriberi, which is a disorder of the nervous system.

14. Baltimore NFL great : UNITAS

Footballer Johnny Unitas was nicknamed “the Golden Arm” as well as “Johnny U”. Unitas played in the fifties through the seventies, mainly for the Baltimore Colts. He held the record for throwing touchdown passes in consecutive games (47 games) for 52 years, until it was surpassed in 2012 by Drew Brees.

16. Shake it on the dance floor : TWERK

Twerking is a dancing move in which a woman (usually) shakes her hips up and down causing a lot of “wobbling”. It’s possible that “twerk” is a portmanteau of “twist” and “jerk”. The term may have been coined back in the early 2000s with the song “Whistle While You Twurk” released by the Ying Yang Twins. Twerking became a real phenomenon in 2013 when Miley Cyrus posted a video of herself twerking in a unicorn suit to the 2011 song “Wop” by J. Dash. That video went viral on YouTube, amassing over 4 million views in no time at all.

19. Knightley of “Bend It Like Beckham” : KEIRA

The English actress Keira Knightley had her big break in movies when she co-starred in 2002’s “Bend It Like Beckham”. Knightley played one of my favorite movie roles, Elizabeth Bennett in 2005’s “Pride and Prejudice”. Knightley won a Golden Globe for that performance, although that 2005 film isn’t the best adaptation of Austen’s novel in my humble opinion …

“Bend It Like Beckham” is a 2002 British-Indian movie that centers on a young Punjabi Sikh living in London who loves soccer, but it is forbidden to play by her parents. The two leads in the film are Parminder Nagra and Keira Knightley. Nagra went on to play Dr. Neela Rasgotra in TC medical drama “ER”, and Knightley went on to a remarkably successful Hollywood career.

22. Cub Scout badge : WEBELOS

The US Scouting movement incorporated elements of Native-American culture in its program. All scouts were made members of the Webelos “tribe”, with the name “Webelos” being an acronym standing for “Wolf, Bear, Lion, Scout”. The name was later used as an acronym standing for “We’ll be loyal scouts”.

23. Ancient pre-Iranian civilization : ELAM

The ancient civilization of Elam was located east of Mesopotamia, in what is modern-day southwest Iran.

30. Major 1973 decision : ROE V WADE

Roe v. Wade was decided in a US District Court in Texas in 1970, and reached the Supreme Court on appeal. The basic decision by the Supreme Court was that a woman’s constitutional right to privacy applied to an abortion, but that this right had to be balanced with a state’s interest in protecting an unborn child and a mother’s health. The Court further defined that the state’s interest became stronger with each trimester of a pregnancy. So, in the first trimester the woman’s right to privacy outweighed any state interest. In the second trimester the state’s interest in maternal health was deemed to be strong enough to allow state regulation of abortion for the sake of the mother. In the third trimester the viability of the fetus dictated that the state’s interest in the unborn child came into play, so states could regulate or prohibit abortions, except in cases where the mother’s life was in danger. I’m no lawyer, but that’s my understanding of the initial Supreme Court decision …

33. Ecological community : BIOME

I tend to think of “biome” as another word for “ecosystem”.

35. Govt. health org. : CDC

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is based in Atlanta, Georgia. The CDC started out life during WWII as the Office of National Defense Malaria Control Activities. The CDC worries about much more than malaria these days …

37. West in old movies : MAE

Mae West was always pushing the envelope when it came to the “sexy” side of show business, even in her early days in Vaudeville. One of the first plays in which West starred on Broadway was called “Sex”, a work that she penned herself. The show was a sell-out, but city officials had it raided and West found herself spending ten days in jail after being convicted of “corrupting the morals of youth”. She started in movies in 1932, already 38 years old. West used her experience writing plays to rewrite much of the material she was given, and so really she was totally responsible for her own success and on-screen appeal.

41. Varnish ingredient : ELEMI

Elemi is a tree native to the Philippines. The tree gives its name to the fragrant resin that is harvested from it. Elemi resin is used in varnishes and printing inks.

47. Emmy winner David : LARRY

Larry David was one of the creators of the sitcom “Seinfeld”, and was a co-writer of many of the episodes. David also stars in the HBO comedy “Curb Your Enthusiasm”, which has a very “Seinfeld” feel to it.

50. Site of many Dutch embassies, with “The” : HAGUE

Den Haag is the Dutch name for the city in the Netherlands that we know in English as The Hague. Even though the Hague is the seat of the Dutch parliament and is where Queen Beatrix resides, it is not the country’s capital city. That honor goes to Amsterdam.

51. “Famous” snack guy : AMOS

Wally Amos was a talent agent, one who was in the habit of taking home-baked cookies with him as an enticement to get celebrities to see him. He was urged by friends to open a cookie store (the cookies were that delicious, I guess) and this he did in Los Angeles in 1975 using the name “Famous Amos”. The store was a smash hit and he was able build on the success by introducing his cookies into supermarkets. The brand was eventually purchased, making Wally a rich man, and Famous Amos cookies are still flying off the shelf. Wally Amos also became an energetic literacy advocate. He hosted 30 TV programs in 1987 entitled “Learn to Read” that provided reading instruction targeted at adults.

54. Morse “E” : DIT

Samuel Morse came up with the forerunner to modern Morse code for use on the electric telegraph, of which he was the co-inventor. Morse code uses a series of dots and dashes to represent letters and numbers. The most common letters are assigned the simplest code elements e.g. E is represented by one dot, and T is represented by one dash. When words are spelled aloud in Morse code, a dot is pronounced as “dit”, and a dash is pronounced as “dah”.

57. Tannenbaum topper : ENGEL

In German, there might be an “Engel” (angel) on top of a “Tannenbaum” (fir tree) at Christmas.

60. Humdinger : DILLY

A “dilly” is something outstanding, one of a kind, as is a “lollapalooza”.

A humdinger or a pip is someone or something outstanding. “Humdinger” is American slang dating back to the early 1900s, and was originally used to describe a particularly attractive woman.

63. Striped cat : TABBY

Tabbies aren’t a breed of cat, but rather are cats with particular markings regardless of breed. Tabbies have coats with stripes, dots and swirling patterns, and usually an “M” mark on the forehead.

65. Big name in WWI espionage : HARI

“Mata Hari” was the stage name used by Margaretha Geertruida Zelle, born in the Netherlands in 1876. After an unsuccessful and somewhat tragic marriage, Zella moved to Paris in 1903 where she struggled to make a living. By 1905 she was working as an exotic dancer and using the name Mata Hari. She was a successful courtesan, notably moving in various circles of high-ranking military officers. She apparently worked as a double agent, both for the French and the Germans. When Mata Hari was accused by the French of passing information to the enemy, she was tried, found guilty and executed by firing squad at the height of WW1, in 1917.

66. Wine lover’s word : CAB

The cabernet sauvignon grape has been around since the 17th century, and is the result of a chance crossing in southwestern France of the cabernet franc and sauvignon blanc grapes.

67. Problem for a sloop : CALM

Sloops and cutters are sailboats, and each has just one mast. One major difference between the two types of vessel is that the mast on a cutter is set much further aft than the mast on a sloop.

76. Troy, N.Y., school : 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.

77. Ancient region of present-day Turkey : IONIA

The geographic region called Ionia is located in present day Turkey. Ionia was prominent in the days of Ancient Greece although it wasn’t a unified state, but rather a collection of tribes. The tribal confederacy was more based on religious and cultural similarities than a political or military alliance. Nowadays we often refer to this arrangement as the Ionian League.

80. Received an AOL message : GOT MAIL

The iconic phrase “You’ve got mail” was first used by AOL in 1989. The greeting was recorded by voice actor Elwood Edwards. Edwards has parlayed his gig with AOL into some other work. He appears in an episode of “The Simpsons” as a doctor who says the line “You’ve got leprosy”. Edwards also worked as a weatherman for a while and got to use the line “You’ve got hail” …

82. Longtime host of “Scientific American Frontiers” : ALAN ALDA

Alan Alda has had a great television career, especially of course as a lead actor in “M*A*S*H”. Alda won his first Emmy in 1972, for playing surgeon Hawkeye Pierce on “M*A*S*H”. He won his most recent Emmy in 2006 for his portrayal of Presidential candidate Senator Arnold Vinick in “The West Wing”. When it comes to the big screen, my favorite of Alda’s movies is the 1978 romantic comedy “Same Time, Next Year” in which he starred opposite Ellen Burstyn.

“Scientific American Frontiers” is a companion TV show to the “Scientific American” magazine that aired for fifteen seasons from 1990 to 2005. For most of the show’s run, it was hosted by actor Alan Alda.

86. Some calculators : HPS

The giant multinational called HP (originally Hewlett-Packard) was founded in 1939 with an investment of $538, in a one-car garage in Palo Alto, California by Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard. The company name would have been Packard-Hewlett if Dave Packard had won a coin toss!

89. I-5, e.g. : RTE

I-5 is the main interstate out here on the West Coast, running from the Canada to Mexico, inland and parallel to the Pacific coastline. I-5 is the only Interstate that runs uninterrupted from the Canadian to the Mexican border.

91. NC joined it in 1861 : CSA

Confederate States of America (CSA)

94. Power in old films : TYRONE

Tyrone Power was a Hollywood actor from Cincinnati, Ohio. Power tended to play the romantic lead, as well as the swashbuckler that was so popular in the thirties. His career was interrupted during WWII when he volunteered to serve with the Marine Corps as a pilot. Power served with distinction and resumed his career after the war. He died on set, suffering a massive heart attack while filming a sword duel with his friend George Sanders. Power was only 44 years of age.

95. “Elements” writer : EUCLID

Euclid of Alexandria was a Greek mathematician who lived in the first millennium, often referred to as the “Father of Geometry”. He wrote a famous book called “Elements” on the subject of mathematics, and the title was so enduring that it was used as the main textbook for the subject right up to the late 19th century.

97. “But there is __ in Mudville … ” : NO JOY

“Casey at the Bat” is a poem written in 1888 by Ernest Thayer, first published in the San Francisco Examiner. The poem became very popular due to repeated live performances in vaudeville by DeWolf Hopper. Casey played for the Mudville Nine, and the last line of the poem is “But there is no joy in Mudville – mighty Casey has struck out.”

101. Monopoly miniature : HOTEL

In the game of Monopoly, one can purchase a hotel by “demolishing” four houses and by paying an extra amount equal to the price of one house.

102. Makers of many links : IHOPS

The International House of Pancakes (IHOP) was founded back in 1958. IHOP was originally intended to be called IHOE, the International House of Eggs, but that name didn’t do too well in marketing tests!

Link sausages are so called as they can come in chains, with each sausage being a link in that chain.

103. Essen’s river : RUHR

The Ruhr is a river in Germany that flows into the lower Rhine. The river gives its name to the Ruhr River Valley and the Ruhr district, the largest urban agglomeration in the country.

107. S-shaped molding : OGEE

An ogee is a type of S-curve. Specifically it is a figure consisting of two arcs that curve in opposite directions (like an S) but both ends of the curve end up parallel to each other (which is not necessarily true for an S). An ogee arch is composed of two ogees, with one being the mirror of the other and meeting at the arch’s apex.

109. Hawaii’s state bird : NENE

The nene is a bird that native to Hawaii, and is also known as the Hawaiian goose. The name “nene” is imitative of its call. When Captain Cook landed on the islands in 1778, there were 25,000 nene living there. By 1950, the number was reduced by hunting to just 30 birds. Conservation efforts in recent years have been somewhat successful. The nene was named State Bird of Hawaii in 1957.

110. 1857 plaintiff Scott : DRED

The landmark case of Dred Scott vs. Sandford came before the US Supreme Court in 1857. Scott had been born a slave, but lived with his owner in a free state for several years before returning to the slave state of Missouri. Scott’s argument was that living in a free state entitled him to emancipation. A divided US Supreme Court sided with Scott’s owner John Sandford. The decision was that no African American, free or enslaved, was entitled to US citizenship and therefore Scott was unable to petition the court for his freedom. The decision heightened tensions between the North and South, and the American Civil War erupted just three years later.

112. His relics were the subject of a 1970s Met exhibit : TUT

“King Tut” is a name commonly used for the Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun. Tutankhamun may not have been the most significant of the pharaohs historically, but he is the most famous today largely because of the discovery of his nearly intact tomb in 1922 by Howard Carter. Prior to this find, any Egyptian tombs uncovered by archaeologists had been ravaged by grave robbers. Tutankhamun’s magnificent burial mask is one of the most recognizable of all Egyptian artifacts.

113. Niagara Falls reaction : AWE

The mighty Niagara River flows from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario, and forms part of the border between the US and Canada. The river is only about 35 miles long, so some describe it as a “strait”. It has a drop in elevation of 325 feet along its length, with 165 feet of that drop taking place at Niagara Falls.

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Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1. Agreed : JIBED
6. Compressed video format : MPEG
10. Altar constellation : ARA
13. Reach 22, in a game : BUST
17. Features of Byzantine domes : OCULI
18. Retro diet, to put it mildly : PALEO
19. Keaton role in “The Founder” : KROC
20. Sufficient, to the Bard : ENOW
21. Coleoptera insect : VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE
24. Stir (up) : RILE
25. Copier copy: Abbr. : ENL
26. “Queen of Salsa” Cruz : CELIA
27. Quaker cereal : LIFE
28. Instrument in George Harrison’s “Within You Without You” : SITAR
29. Beats soundly : DRUBS
31. Much of western Queensland : SUBARU OUTBACK
35. Select : CHOOSE
37. Human-beast portmanteau : MANIMAL
38. Gaggle members : GEESE
39. Flabbergast : DAZE
40. Basic shelter : LEAN-TO
42. Blacken : CHAR
43. Gazelle cousin : CHEVROLET IMPALA
48. Moscow Olympics mascot : MISHA
52. Sage : WISE
53. One spotted at the zoo : LEOPARD
55. Highlands headgear : TAM
56. Theodore Cleaver, casually : BEAV
58. Like Ophelia, ultimately : MAD
61. Two-time Conn Smythe Trophy winner : ORR
62. “We’re approved!” : IT’S A GO!
65. Type of center : HONDA CIVIC
68. Spring sign : FORD TAURUS
70. Activist Davis : ANGELA
71. Styled after : A LA
72. Scientist with 19 Emmys : NYE
73. Sink one’s teeth into : BITE
74. Feel remorse over : RUE
75. “Jabberwocky” word meaning “evening” : BRILLIG
79. Pride event abbr. : LGBT
81. Faith with pillars : ISLAM
84. Long-distance exploration program : PLYMOUTH VOYAGER
90. Math points : LOCI
92. Virtual human companion : NEOPET
93. Joker’s prey : BUTT
94. Ducks with a distinctive blue-green coloring : TEALS
96. Won’t take no for an answer : INSISTS
99. Ill will : MALICE
101. Musical work : HYUNDAI SONATA
103. Like businesses on Yelp : RATED
104. Massive hunters : ORCAS
105. Pilgrim to Mecca : HAJI
106. When repeated, #5 on Rolling Stone’s 2007 list of “40 Songs That Changed the World” : LOUIE
108. Bitter __ : END
111. E-ZPass payment : TOLL
112. Scotland native : TOYOTA HIGHLANDER
116. Sooner State city : ENID
117. “__-daisy!” : UPSY
118. Lloyd or Paul of Cooperstown : WANER
119. River to Lyon : SAONE
120. Mother of Pollux : LEDA
121. General on menus : TSO
122. Border : EDGE
123. Vandalized, in a way : EGGED

Down

1. Roman god of the sky : JOVE
2. App symbol : ICON
3. Level for building, as land : BULLDOZE
4. Moose kin : ELK
5. Decathlon event : DISCUS
6. Christmas trio : MAGI
7. Mood-brightening : PLEASANT
8. Gloaming, in verse : E’EN
9. Hunk : GOB
10. Like Dickens’ Dodger : ARTFUL
11. Battle on a log : ROLEO
12. Low card in a wheel straight : ACE
13. B-deficiency illness : BERIBERI
14. Baltimore NFL great : UNITAS
15. Comfort : SOLACE
16. Shake it on the dance floor : TWERK
18. Buds : PALS
19. Knightley of “Bend It Like Beckham” : KEIRA
22. Cub Scout badge : WEBELOS
23. Ancient pre-Iranian civilization : ELAM
28. Engine power source : STEAM
30. Major 1973 decision : ROE V WADE
32. No later than : UNTIL
33. Ecological community : BIOME
34. “Yuck!” : UGH!
35. Govt. health org. : CDC
36. Triumphant laugh : HAH!
37. West in old movies : MAE
41. Varnish ingredient : ELEMI
42. Train unit : CAR
44. Be equivalent to : RIVAL
45. Magic act sound : POOF!
46. Shirt protector : APRON
47. Emmy winner David : LARRY
49. Opening : START
50. Site of many Dutch embassies, with “The” : HAGUE
51. “Famous” snack guy : AMOS
54. Morse “E” : DIT
56. Earnings booster : BONUS
57. Tannenbaum topper : ENGEL
59. Use : AVAIL
60. Humdinger : DILLY
63. Striped cat : TABBY
64. Apt : SUITABLE
65. Big name in WWI espionage : HARI
66. Wine lover’s word : CAB
67. Problem for a sloop : CALM
69. Dig (into) : DELVE
76. Troy, N.Y., school : RPI
77. Ancient region of present-day Turkey : IONIA
78. Unregistered user : GUEST
80. Received an AOL message : GOT MAIL
82. Longtime host of “Scientific American Frontiers” : ALAN ALDA
83. Shapes : MOLDS
85. Coming to : TOTALING
86. Some calculators : HPS
87. Helper with a harness : GUIDE DOG
88. And the rest: Abbr. : ETC
89. I-5, e.g. : RTE
91. NC joined it in 1861 : CSA
94. Power in old films : TYRONE
95. “Elements” writer : EUCLID
96. Parental argument ender : … I SAY SO
97. “But there is __ in Mudville … ” : NO JOY
98. Annoyed state : SNIT
100. Relaxed : AT EASE
101. Monopoly miniature : HOTEL
102. Makers of many links : IHOPS
103. Essen’s river : RUHR
107. S-shaped molding : OGEE
109. Hawaii’s state bird : NENE
110. 1857 plaintiff Scott : DRED
112. His relics were the subject of a 1970s Met exhibit : TUT
113. Niagara Falls reaction : AWE
114. Suffered from : HAD
115. Hound : NAG

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