LA Times Crossword 26 Apr 20, Sunday

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Constructed by:Hoang-Kim Vu & Jessica Zetzman
Edited by: Rich Norris

Today’s Theme: Undercover Work

The circled letters in themed answers spell out types of SERVICE:

  • 33D President’s protector … and a hint to the circled letters : SECRET SERVICE
  • 22A *Rejects, in a way : SWIPES LEFT (giving “self-service”)
  • 113A *Journeys that aren’t fun : GUILT TRIPS (giving “lip service”)
  • 7D *”Landslide” group : FLEETWOOD MAC (giving “food service”)
  • 13D *Revere : PUT ON A PEDESTAL (hiding “postal service”)
  • 15D *Nissan Leaf, e.g. : ELECTRIC VEHICLE (hiding “civil service”)
  • 42D *Inverts : TURNS UPSIDE DOWN (giving “turndown service”)
  • 50D *Farmers’ market find : HEIRLOOM TOMATO (giving “room service”)
  • 61D *Dish commonly made with cod : FISH AND CHIPS (giving “fan service”)

Bill’s time: 15m 55s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

6 Curly coif : AFRO

A coif is a hairdo. The term “coif” comes from an old French term “coife” describing a skull-cap that was worn under a helmet back in the late 13th century.

10 Evite request : RSVP

“RSVP” stands for “répondez s’il vous plaît”, which is French for “answer, please”.

18 Cliff dwelling : AERIE

An aerie is an eagle’s nest, and is also known as an “eyrie”. The term “aerie” more generally describes any bird’s nest that is located on a cliff or a mountaintop.

20 World’s smallest island nation : NAURU

Nauru is the world’s smallest island nation, and is located in the South Pacific 300 km to the east of Kiribati. The island was taken as a colony by Germany in the late 1800s, and came under the administration of Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom after WWI. The Japanese invaded during WWII, but Nauru was one of the islands that was bypassed in the US advance across the Pacific towards Japan. Nauru achieved independence in 1968.

21 Lamb pen name : ELIA

The “Essays of Elia” began appearing in “London Magazine” in 1820, and were immediate hits with the public. The author was Charles Lamb, and “Elia” was actually a clerk with whom Lamb worked. The most famous of the essays in the collection are probably “Dream-Children” and “Old China”.

22 *Rejects, in a way : SWIPES LEFT (giving “self-service”)

Many apps on phones are now using “swipe right” and “swipe left” actions to indicate “like” and dislike”. I suppose Tinder is the most famous “swipe right/swipe left” app in use today.

26 Rest, in Rioja : SIESTA

We use the word “siesta” to describe a short nap in the early afternoon, and imported the word into English from Spanish. In turn, the Spanish word is derived from the Latin “hora sexta” meaning “the sixth hour”. The idea is that the nap is taken at the sixth hour after dawn.

Rioja wines come from the province of La Rioja in Northern Spain. In my days living back in Europe, Rioja wines were noted for their heavy oaky flavors and it wasn’t uncommon to order a “rough Rioja” when out for dinner of an evening.

27 Nutmeg State Ivy Leaguer : ELI

Elihu Yale was a wealthy merchant born in Boston in 1649. Yale worked for the British East India Company, and for many years served as governor of a settlement at Madras (now Chennai) in India. After India, Yale took over his father’s estate near Wrexham in Wales. It was while resident in Wrexham that Yale responded to a request for financial support for the Collegiate School of Connecticut in 1701. He sent the school a donation, which was used to erect a new building in New Haven that was named “Yale” in his honor. In 1718, the whole school was renamed to “Yale College”. To this day, students of Yale are nicknamed “Elis”, again honoring Elihu.

The official nickname of Connecticut (CT) is the “Constitution State”, but can also be referred to as the Nutmeg State, the Provisions State, and the Land of Steady Habits.

28 Social media movement since 2017 : ME TOO

The use of the #MeToo hashtag initially was encouraged by actress Alyssa Milano in 2017 to draw attention to sexual assault and sexual harassment. Milano was acting in response to the growing number of allegations against film producer Harvey Weinstein. The use of the phrase “Me Too” in the context of sexual misconduct dates back to 2006. Social activist Tarana Burke started to use the phrase on the Myspace social network after a 13-year-old girl told her that she had been sexually assaulted. Apparently, Burke had no response at the time the girl confided in her, but later wished she had responded, “Me too”.

29 Movie SFX : CGI

Computer-generated imagery (CGI)

The abbreviation “FX” stands for “effects”, as in “special effects”. “Special effects” can also be shortened to “SFX”.

30 Fashion monogram : YSL

Yves Saint Laurent (YSL)

34 Carolina quarterback with a Heisman Trophy : CAM NEWTON

Cam Newton plays quarterback for the NFL’s Carolina Panthers. One interesting thing about Newton is that he is a pescetarian, eating seafood but not the flesh of other animals. Sounds fishy to me …

The Heisman Trophy is awarded to the most outstanding college football player each season. The trophy was first awarded in 1935, and the following year was given the name Heisman after the death of John Heisman, a noted college football player and football director.

37 Kneeling quarterback Tim with a Heisman Trophy : TEBOW

Tim Tebow is a former quarterback who played mainly for the Denver Broncos and New York Jets. His relatively short professional career followed a very successful college career during which he became the first sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy. Tebow often gets down on one knee on the field to make a short prayer, a practice that has been dubbed “tebowing”.

41 Part of CDC: Abbr. : CTRS

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 …

45 NFL sportscaster Collinsworth : CRIS

Cris Collinsworth is a sportscaster for several broadcasting organizations. Collinsworth played as a wide receiver in the NFL for eight seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals.

46 Green film on bronze : PATINA

Patina is the oxide film that develops on brass and similar metals over time. For example, it’s patina that makes Lady Liberty the lovely green color that she is.

51 Kylo in “The Rise of Skywalker” : REN

Kylo Ren is the son of Han Solo and Princess Leia Organa in the “Star Wars” universe. The character’s birth name was Ben Solo. He was trained as a Jedi knight by his uncle, Luke Skywalker. However, Ben came to embrace the Dark Side, and changed his name to Kylo Ren. Ren is played by actor Adam Driver.

“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” is a 2019 film. It comes third in the “Star Wars” sequel trilogy, and so is also known as “Star Wars: Episode IX”. Even though “The Rise of Skywalker” cost about $275 million to make, it still made a tidy profit.

53 Run, as a museum : CURATE

The term “curator” is Latin and applies to a manager, guardian or overseer. In English, the original curators were the guardians and overseers of minors and those with mental disease.

59 Dojo instructor : SENSEI

“Sensei” is a Japanese form of address used for figures of authority, from lawyers to martial arts instructors.

The Japanese word “dojo” translates literally as “place of the way”. Originally the term applied to training halls that were found in or beside temples. The teaching in a dojo was not limited to the martial arts, but in the Western world we use the dojo as the name for a training facility for judo, karate and the like.

64 Early Southwestern natives around the Virgin River : ANASAZI

The Ancient Pueblo Peoples were Native Americans who lived in what is now called the Four Corners area of the US. Archaeologists sometimes refer to these ancestral Pueblo peoples as the Anasazi, a Navajo word meaning “Ancient Ones”. The Pueblo name was given by early Spanish explorers in reference to the villages that they found. “Pueblo” is Spanish for “village”.

The Virgin River is a tributary of the Colorado River that runs through Zion Canyon in Zion National Park. The first non-natives to see the river named it Adams River, in honor of then-president John Quincy Adams. It was later named for Thomas Virgin, a member of that first team of explorers.

67 Persian for “king” : SHAH

“Shah” was a title used by Persian emperors that translates into English as “king”. The full title in Persian is “Sahahsah”, which means “King of Kings”.

69 Rode teacups, say : SPUN

Teacups is a carnival ride in which patrons spin around cup-shaped vehicles on a rotating floor. The most famous example of a teacups ride is the Mad Tea Party at Disneyland.

71 Inc. relative : LLC

A limited liability company (LLC) has a structure that limits the liability of the owner or owners. It is a hybrid structure in the sense that it can be taxed as would an individual or partnership, while also maintaining the liability protection afforded to a corporation.

74 “Fiddler” toasting song : TO LIFE

The enduring musical “Fiddler on the Roof” is based on a collection of stories by Sholem Aleichem about Tevye, a milkman living in Tsarist Russia. The musical version of the tales first opened on Broadway in 1964. “Fiddler on the Roof” had such a long run that it became the first musical to reach 3,000 performances.

77 Dadaist Jean : ARP

Jean Arp was a French artist renowned for his work with torn and pasted paper, although that wasn’t the only medium he used. Arp was the son of a French mother and German father and spoke both languages fluently. When he was speaking German he gave his name as Hans Arp, but when speaking French he called himself Jean Arp. Both “Hans” and “Jean” translate into English as “John”. In WWI Arp moved to Switzerland to avoid being called up to fight, taking advantage of Swiss neutrality. Eventually he was told to report to the German Consulate and fill out paperwork for the draft. In order to get out of fighting, Arp messed up the paperwork by writing the date in every blank space on the forms. Then he took off all of his clothes and walked with his papers over to the officials in charge. Arp was sent home …

Dadaism thrived during and just after WWI, and was an anti-war, anti-bourgeois and anti-art culture. The movement was launched in Zurich, Switzerland by a group of artists and writers who met to discuss art and put on performances in the Cabaret Voltaire. The same group frequently expressed disgust at the war that was raging across Europe.

78 __ the line : TOE

The idiomatic expression “to toe the line” means “to obey”. The etymology of the phrase is disputed, although it is likely to come from the Royal Navy. Barefooted sailors were required to stand to attention for inspection lined up along the seams for the wooden deck, hence “toeing the line”.

80 Largest U.S. federation of unions : AFL-CIO

The American Federation of Labor (AFL) was founded in 1886, making it one of the first federations of unions in the country. Over time the AFL became dominated by craft unions, unions representing skilled workers of particular disciplines. In the early thirties, John L. Lewis led a movement within the AFL to organize workers by industry, believing this would be more effective for the members. But the craft unions refused to budge, so Lewis set up a rival federation of unions in 1932, the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO). The two federations became bitter rivals for over two decades until finally merging in 1955 to form the AFL-CIO.

83 Head, for short : LAV

Our word “lavatory” (sometimes “lav”) originally referred to a washbasin, and comes from the Latin “lavatorium”, a place for washing. In the 1600s, “lavatory” came to mean a washroom, and in the 1920s a toilet.

In old sailing ships, the toilet area for the regular sailors was located in the forward part (the head) of the ship. As a result, the term “head” has been used since then for any toilet on board a boat.

84 Cloud of gloom : PALL

A pall is a cloth used to cover a casket at a funeral. Pallbearers actually carry the coffin, covered by the pall. The phrase “casting a pall over”, meaning to create a dark mood, is metaphorical use of the pall over the casket.

86 Musk in the news : ELON

Elon Musk is a successful businessman who has founded or led some very high-profile companies, namely PayPal, Tesla Motors and SpaceX. Musk received a lot of publicity in early 2018 during a test launch by SpaceX of the Falcon Heavy launch vehicle. A Tesla Roadster belonging to Musk was carried into space as a dummy payload.

87 Dre protégé : EMINEM

Rap star Eminem’s real name is Marshall Mathers. Mathers grew up poor in Saint Joseph, Missouri. He was raised by a single-mom as the family was abandoned by his father when he was 18 months old. Marshall and his mother moved around the country before settling in a suburb of Detroit. He didn’t do well at school, and dropped out at the age of 17. But in the end he made it pretty big …

We use the term “protégé” (female form “protégée”) for someone whose career is helped along and guided by a more experienced person, a mentor. “Protégé” is French for “protected”.

88 Gp. that looks to the stars? : SETI

“SETI” is the name given to a number of projects that are searching for extraterrestrial life. The acronym stands for “search for extraterrestrial intelligence”. One of the main SETI activities is the monitoring of electromagnetic radiation (such as radio waves) reaching the Earth in the hope of finding a transmission from a civilization in another world.

91 Pub flier : DART

Darts is a wonderful game that’s often played in English and Irish pubs, even over here in America. The scoring in a traditional game of darts is difficult to describe in a sentence or two, but the game of darts called “Round the Clock” is simply hitting the numbers 1 through 20 on the dartboard in sequence.

96 Peels out : STEPS ON IT

One might peel out at the start of a drag race, for example. It’s possible that the reference here is to a “peel” of rubber left on the road surface due to the tires skidding from the rapid acceleration.

99 Have humble pie : EAT CROW

The phrase “eat crow”, an alternative to “eat humble pie”, perhaps refers to the fact that cooked crow may be edible, but is not a great food choice.

The phrase “humble pie” derives from a medieval meat dish called “umble pie”. The filling in umble pie usually contained the offal (heart, liver, lungs and kidneys) of deer. The name “umble” came from the French “nomble” meaning “deer’s innards”.

101 Side dish piece : FRY

French fries are called “chips” back in Ireland where I grew up. And what we call “chips” in the US are known as “crisps” in Britain and Ireland. In France, French fries are known as “pommes frites” (fried potatoes).

105 Chinese gambling mecca : MACAO

Macau (also “Macao”) is an autonomous territory of China located on the Pearl River estuary about 40 miles west of Hong Kong. Macau was a Portuguese colony from the mid-1500s until 1999. It was in fact the first European colony in China, and the last, having been handed back to the Chinese in 1999, two years after Hong Kong was returned by the British. Macau’s economy is driven by tourism and gambling. The territory’s gaming revenue is the highest for any gambling center in the world.

108 Dish : ENTREE

“Entrée” means “entry” in French. An entrée can be something that helps one get “a way in”, an interview for example perhaps helped along by a recommendation letter. In Europe, even in English-speaking countries, the entrée is the name for the “entry” to the meal, the first course. I found the ordering of meals to be very confusing when I first came to America!

110 Scores : A LOT

Our verb “to score” meaning “to tally”, comes from the Old Norse “skor”, which is a “mark, notch”. It is likely that items such as livestock were counted by placing a notch in a stick for each set of twenty, hence our use of the noun “score” to mean “twenty”.

112 Bitter : ACERB

“Acerb” is a variant of “acerbic”, with both terms meaning “sour, bitter-tasting, acidic”.

115 Christchurch native : KIWI

Unlike many nicknames for people of a particular country, the name “Kiwi” for a New Zealander isn’t offensive at all. The term comes from the flightless bird called the kiwi, which is endemic to New Zealand and is the country’s national symbol. “Kiwi” is a Maori word, and the plural (when referring to the bird) is simply “kiwi”. However, when you have two or more New Zealanders with you, they are Kiwis (note the “s”, and indeed the capital “K”!).

Christchurch is the third most-populous city in New Zealand (after Auckland and Wellington, the capital). Christchurch is also the largest city on New Zealand’s South Island. The city is named for Christ Church, the Oxford college attended by Irishman John Robert Godley who founded the Canterbury region of New Zealand.

117 Like some inappropriate comments : UN-PC

To be un-PC is to be politically incorrect, not be politically correct (PC).

118 Navel variety : OUTIE

The navel is basically the scar left behind when the umbilical cord is removed from a newborn baby. One interesting use of the umbilicus (navel, belly button) is to differentiate between identical twins, especially when they are very young.

121 Combat vet’s affliction : PTSD

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Down

2 Narnia creator C.S. : LEWIS

Irishman C. S. Lewis moved to Britain after serving in the British Army in WWI. A man of many achievements, Lewis is perhaps best remembered for his series of novels for children called “The Chronicles of Narnia” (which includes “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe”). He also wrote the “The Four Loves”, a nonfiction work exploring the nature of love from a Christian perspective. Famously, Lewis died on November 22nd, 1963, the same day that President John F. Kennedy was assassinated.

Apparently, it’s not certain how C. S. Lewis came to choose Narnia as the name of the fantasy world featured in his series of children’s books, including “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe”. There was an ancient city in Umbria that the Romans called Narnia, but there is no evidence of a link.

3 Disney mermaid : ARIEL

In the 1989 Disney animated film “The Little Mermaid”, the title character is given the name “Ariel”. In the original fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen that dates back to 1836, the Little Mermaid is given no name at all. There is a famous statue of the unnamed Little Mermaid sitting in Copenhagen Harbor, in Andersen’s homeland of Denmark.

6 Syst. with hand signals : ASL

American Sign Language (ASL)

7 *”Landslide” group : FLEETWOOD MAC (giving “food service”)

The band Fleetwood Mac was founded in 1967 in London by Peter Green. He chose “Fleetwood Mac” from the names of two friends in former groups, i.e. “Fleetwood” and “McVie”). Green did this despite the fact that Fleetwood Mac’s drummer’s name happens to be Mick Fleetwood.

10 Numismatist’s prize : RARE COIN

A numismatist is a coin collector. The term “numismatics” comes into English via French from the Latin word “nomisma” meaning ”coin”.

11 Basking goals : SUNTANS

Our verb “to bask”, meaning “to expose one to pleasant warmth”, is derived from the gruesome, 14th-century term “basken”, meaning “to wallow in blood”. The contemporary usage apparently originated with Shakespeare, who employed “bask” with reference to sunshine in “As You Like It”.

15 *Nissan Leaf, e.g. : ELECTRIC VEHICLE (hiding “civil service”)

The Leaf is an electric car made by Nissan that was introduced in 2010. The model name is an acronym standing for “leading environmentally-friendly affordable car”.

16 Jewelry-inspired pop nickname : RINGO

Sir Ringo Starr’s real name is Richard Starkey. Before he joined the Beatles, replacing drummer Pete Best, Starkey played with the Raving Texans. It was with the Raving Texans that he adopted the name “Ringo Starr”, because he wore a lot of rings and he thought it sounded “cowboyish”. Back then his drum solos were billed as “Starr Time”.

17 Lustrous fabric : SATIN

The material known as “satin” takes its name from “Zayton”, the medieval Arabic name for the Chinese port city of Quanzhou. Quanzhou was used for the export of large amounts of silk to Europe.

20 Happy eating word : NOM

Cookie Monster is a beloved Muppet on the TV show “Sesame Street”. He is a big eater and is especially fond of cookies, which he eats while grunting out “Om nom nom nom”.

23 Swedish auto : SAAB

“SAAB” stands for Svenska Aeroplan AB, which translates into English as Swedish Aeroplane Limited. Although we usually think of SAAB as an auto manufacturer, it is mainly an aircraft manufacturer. If you take small hops in Europe you might find yourself on a SAAB passenger plane. The SAAB automotive division was acquired by General Motors in the year 2000, who then sold it to a Dutch concern in 2010. However, SAAB (automotive) finally went bankrupt in 2011. A Chinese consortium purchased the assets of SAAB Automotive in 2012, and so SAAB vehicles are in production again. The new vehicles are using the SAAB name, but cannot use the SAAB griffin logo, the rights to which have been retained by the mother company.

32 NYC or London area : SOHO

The Manhattan neighborhood known today as SoHo was very fashionable in the early 1900s, but as the well-heeled started to move uptown the area became very run down and poorly maintained. Noted for the number of fires that erupted in derelict buildings, SoHo earned the nickname “Hell’s Hundred Acres”. The area was then zoned for manufacturing and became home to many sweatshops. In the mid-1900s artists started to move into open loft spaces and renovating old buildings as the lofts were ideal locations in which an artist could both live and work. In 1968, artists and others organized themselves so that they could legalize their residential use of an area zoned for manufacturing. The group they formed took its name from the name given to the area by the city’s Planning Commission i.e “South of Houston”. This was shortened from So-uth of Ho-uston to SoHo as in “SoHo Artists Association”, and the name stuck.

The area of London called Soho had a very poor reputation for most of the 20th century as it was home to the city’s red light district. Soho went through a transformation in recent decades, and has been a very fashionable neighborhood since the 1980s.

33 President’s protector … and a hint to the circled letters : SECRET SERVICE

The Secret Service was created by President Abraham Lincoln in 1865, with the mission of fighting currency counterfeiters. The additional task of protecting the US President was added by Congress in 1902 following the assassination of President William McKinley in the prior year. Only one Secret Service agent has given his life in the course of an assassination attempt. That was Private Leslie Coffelt, who was killed when two Puerto Rican nationalists tried to assassinate President Harry S. Truman in 1950 while he was residing in Blair House.

35 Captain America portrayer Chris : EVANS

Chris Evans’ Hollywood career really took off when he was cast as the Human Torch in the “Fantastic Four” movies starting in 2005. He portrayed another superhero in 2011, playing the title role in “Captain America: The First Avenger”.

37 Quisling’s crime : TREASON

We use the word “quisling” for a person who is a collaborator with enemy forces during wartime. The term comes from Norwegian Vidkun Quisling, who led a regime during WWII that collaborated with the occupying Nazi forces.

39 “__ bien!” : TRES

“Very good” is written as “sehr gut” in German, and as “très bien” in French.

44 “Rappa Ternt Sanga” artist : T-PAIN

“Rappa Ternt Sanga” is a 2005 album released by R&B and rap singer T-Pain. It was T-Pain’s debut studio album. The title can be translated from dialect as “Rapper Turned Singer”.

49 Former NCAA football ranking sys. : BCS

The Bowl Championship Series (BCS) was the ranking system used to match up the top ten ranked NCAA football teams for five bowl games. The BCS was abandoned in 2014 with the introduction of the College Football Playoff tournament.

52 Vientiane people : LAO

Vientiane is the capital city of Laos, and is situated on the famous Mekong River. The city was originally called the “city of sandalwood” by Buddhist monks, naming it after the valued trees that grew in the area. The French took the Pali words for “city of sandalwood” and rewrote it as the French-sounding “Vientiane”.

54 Important Kenya export : TEA

Kenya lies on the east coast of Africa, right on the equator. The country takes her name from Mount Kenya, the second-highest peak on the continent (after Kilimanjaro). The official languages of Kenya are English and Swahili.

56 Flight safety org. : TSA

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is the agency that employs the good folks who check passengers and baggage at airports.

61 *Dish commonly made with cod : FISH AND CHIPS (giving “fan service”)

In Britain and Ireland, the most common fish that is used in traditional “fish and chips” is Atlantic cod. Cod has been overfished all over the world, and is now considered to be an endangered species by many international bodies. Confrontations over fishing rights in the North Atlantic led to conflicts called “the Cod Wars” between Iceland and the UK in the 1950s and the 1970s, with fishing fleets being protected by naval vessels and even shots being fired.

Fan service is material added to some work of fiction with the intent of pleasing the audience, i.e. “servicing” the “fans”. A notorious example of fan service that is often cited is the dressing of Princess Leia in that gold bikini in the movie “Return of Jedi”. One might assume the intent was to titillate a large segment of the “Star Wars” fan base.

62 Proofreaders’ proofs : GALLEYS

Galleys are the metal trays into which a printer would arrange type to make up a page. The galleys had clamps that could be used to hold the loose type in place. Even in today’s world of electronic publishing, apparently the term “galley proof” is still used for some version of a layout that is not yet final.

65 Pseudonym letters : AKA

Also known as (aka)

66 One of the Marx Brothers : ZEPPO

“Zeppo” was the stage name of Herbert, the youngest of the five Marx Brothers. Zeppo appeared in the first five Marx Brothers movies, always playing the straight man and the romantic lead. After he quit acting, Zeppo owned a company called Marman Products, and developed what’s known today as the Marman Clamp. Marman clamps were used to secure the first atomic bombs used by the US military. They are still used today in spaceflight systems.

68 Where stars are honored: Abbr. : HOF

The first Hall of Fame (HOF) established in the US was the Hall of Fame for Great Americans, an outdoor sculpture gallery located in the grounds of Bronx Community College in New York City. Completed in 1900, it is an open-air colonnade featuring the bronze busts of renowned Americans such as President George Washington, author Henry David Thoreau, musician John Philip Sousa and baseball legend Jackie Robinson. The Hall of Fame of Great Americans was inspired by the Ruhmeshalle (“Hall of Fame” in German) located in Munich, Germany that exhibits busts of important people from Bavaria.

70 Kat’s sister in “The Hunger Games” : PRIM

“The Hunger Games” is a 2008 novel by Suzanne Collins, and the first in a trilogy of titles that also includes “Catching Fire” (2009) and “Mockingjay” (2010). “The Hunger Games” was adapted into a very successful movie released in 2012, with the sequels following soon after. Amazon.com reports more sales of “The Hunger Games” series books than even the “Harry Potter” series.

72 Novelist Deighton : LEN

I used to walk my dog right past author Len Deighton’s house years ago, as we lived in the same seaside village in Ireland (probably my only claim to “fame”). Deighton wrote the excellent espionage thriller “The IPCRESS File”, which was made into a 1965 movie starring Michael Caine.

75 Verizon bundle : FIOS

FiOS is a service from Verizon that bundles Internet, telephone and television service. All three services are provided over fiber-optic lines, right to the door. I presume that the name FiOS comes from something like “Fiber-Optic Service” …

79 Felino doméstico : GATO

In Spanish, a “gato” (cat) is a “felino doméstico” (domestic feline).

82 Digital sound? : SNAP

Snap those fingers, those digits.

83 Ballet garb : LEOTARDS

The garment known as a leotard was named for French trapeze artist Jules Léotard. Léotard wore such a garment when he was performing.

85 Discomfiting look : LEER

Originally, the verb “to discomfit” was used to mean “to undo in battle, overthrow”. We now use the term to mean “to disconcert, faze”. The latter usage arose in the 1500s, probably due to confusion with the similar-sounding verb “to discomfort”.

90 Dear Abbey for many? : DOWNTON

Fans of the wonderful TV drama “Downton Abbey” will be very familiar with the exterior appearance of Highclere Castle in Hampshire. Highclere is used as the location for exterior and many interior shots of the fictitious Grantham residence called Downton Abbey. The exterior of Highclere is very reminiscent of the Houses of Parliament building in London. That similarity exists because the house was largely rebuilt from 1839 to 1842 by architect Sir Charles Barry soon after he finished work on the refurbished Houses of Parliament.

95 Bubbly brand : MOET

Moët & Chandon is a French winery, and one of the world’s largest producers of champagne. The company was founded by wine trader Claude Moët in 1743. The name was changed to Moët & Chandon in the 1830s when Pierre-Gabriel Chandon, an in-law to the Moët family, was given co-ownership. Moët & Chandon owns the famous Dom Pérignon brand name, honoring the Benedictine monk who did so much to improve the quality of champagne.

97 __ al Ghul: daughter of a Batman enemy : TALIA

Talia al Ghul is a character in the Batman universe created by DC Comics. She is the daughter of Ra’s al Ghul, a supervillain who is often pitted against Batman. Talia al Ghul appears in the 2012 film “The Dark Knight Rises”, and is portrayed by French actress Marion Cotillard.

98 Salsa holder : NACHO

The dish known as “nachos” was supposedly created by the maître d’ at a restaurant called the Victory Club in the city of Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico. The name of the maître d’ was Ignacio “Nacho” Anaya.

100 Bleachers’ dig : TAUNT

At a sports event one might sit in the bleachers. “Bleachers” is a particularly American term used to describe the tiered stands that provide seating for spectators. These seats were originally wooden planks, and as they were uncovered they would be bleached by the sun, giving them the name we use today. Sometimes the fans using the bleachers might be referred to as “bleacherites”.

101 Crunchy snack : FRITO

The Frito Corporation was started in 1932 by Elmer Doolin, basically in his mother’s kitchen. Doolin paid $100 for a corn chip recipe from a local restaurant and started producing Fritos at the rate of 10 pounds per day.

106 Birthing room docs : OBS

Obstetrics and Gynecology (Ob-Gyn)

111 __Tok: video sharing service : TIK

TikTok is a video-sharing service that is based in China, and is very popular with the younger set. The TikTok mobile app provides tools that facilitate production of sophisticated selfie videos that use special effects.

114 HDTV choice : LCD

Liquid Crystal Displays (LCDs) are the screens that are found in most laptops today, and in flat panel computer screens and some televisions. LCD monitors basically replaced Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) screens, the old television technology.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Features of many beds : SLATS
6 Curly coif : AFRO
10 Evite request : RSVP
14 Like half a towel set : HERS
18 Cliff dwelling : AERIE
19 Place at the pier : SLIP
20 World’s smallest island nation : NAURU
21 Lamb pen name : ELIA
22 *Rejects, in a way : SWIPES LEFT (giving “self-service”)
24 “… but maybe I’m wrong” : … OR NOT
25 Took off : WENT
26 Rest, in Rioja : SIESTA
27 Nutmeg State Ivy Leaguer : ELI
28 Social media movement since 2017 : ME TOO
29 Movie SFX : CGI
30 Fashion monogram : YSL
31 Speeds up : HASTENS
34 Carolina quarterback with a Heisman Trophy : CAM NEWTON
37 Kneeling quarterback Tim with a Heisman Trophy : TEBOW
38 Mount : GET ON
40 State to be true : AVER
41 Part of CDC: Abbr. : CTRS
43 How some like it? : HOT
45 NFL sportscaster Collinsworth : CRIS
46 Green film on bronze : PATINA
49 Down in the dumps : BLUE
50 Style of earrings : HOOP
51 Kylo in “The Rise of Skywalker” : REN
52 Commonly misplaced camera part : LENS CAP
53 Run, as a museum : CURATE
55 Sees : DATES
57 Features of many 48-Down : ADS
58 Celeb, say : VIP
59 Dojo instructor : SENSEI
60 Visibility reducer : MIST
61 Enemy : FOE
62 Comes together : GELS
63 Rise to an exalted level, as spirits : SOAR
64 Early Southwestern natives around the Virgin River : ANASAZI
67 Persian for “king” : SHAH
69 Rode teacups, say : SPUN
71 Inc. relative : LLC
73 Squeezes (out) : EKES
74 “Fiddler” toasting song : TO LIFE
77 Dadaist Jean : ARP
78 __ the line : TOE
79 Chart with lines : GRAPH
80 Largest U.S. federation of unions : AFL-CIO
81 Aerospace task : MISSION
83 Head, for short : LAV
84 Cloud of gloom : PALL
86 Musk in the news : ELON
87 Dre protégé : EMINEM
88 Gp. that looks to the stars? : SETI
89 Soul mate, with “the” : … ONE
90 Salon colors : DYES
91 Pub flier : DART
92 Dog : POOCH
94 Reps’ pitches : DEMOS
96 Peels out : STEPS ON IT
99 Have humble pie : EAT CROW
101 Side dish piece : FRY
104 Taken in : HAD
105 Chinese gambling mecca : MACAO
107 Informal rejection : NAH
108 Dish : ENTREE
110 Scores : A LOT
112 Bitter : ACERB
113 *Journeys that aren’t fun : GUILT TRIPS (giving “lip service”)
115 Christchurch native : KIWI
116 Lands like a rock : THUDS
117 Like some inappropriate comments : UN-PC
118 Navel variety : OUTIE
119 Pull hard : YANK
120 “My bad!” : OOPS!
121 Combat vet’s affliction : PTSD
122 Highlighter hues : NEONS

Down

1 Fresh : SASSY
2 Narnia creator C.S. : LEWIS
3 Disney mermaid : ARIEL
4 Check additions : TIPS
5 Boils : SEETHES
6 Syst. with hand signals : ASL
7 *”Landslide” group : FLEETWOOD MAC (giving “food service”)
8 Search through hastily : RIFLE
9 Selecting : OPTING
10 Numismatist’s prize : RARE COIN
11 Basking goals : SUNTANS
12 Big engine sound : VROOM!
13 *Revere : PUT ON A PEDESTAL (hiding “postal service”)
14 Take down : HEW
15 *Nissan Leaf, e.g. : ELECTRIC VEHICLE (hiding “civil service”)
16 Jewelry-inspired pop nickname : RINGO
17 Lustrous fabric : SATIN
20 Happy eating word : NOM
23 Swedish auto : SAAB
32 NYC or London area : SOHO
33 President’s protector … and a hint to the circled letters : SECRET SERVICE
35 Captain America portrayer Chris : EVANS
36 Waters : WETS
37 Quisling’s crime : TREASON
39 “__ bien!” : TRES
41 Idea : CLUE
42 *Inverts : TURNS UPSIDE DOWN (giving “turndown service”)
44 “Rappa Ternt Sanga” artist : T-PAIN
47 Stick, as a landing : NAIL
48 Phone downloads : APPS
49 Former NCAA football ranking sys. : BCS
50 *Farmers’ market find : HEIRLOOM TOMATO (giving “room service”)
52 Vientiane people : LAO
54 Important Kenya export : TEA
56 Flight safety org. : TSA
61 *Dish commonly made with cod : FISH AND CHIPS (giving “fan service”)
62 Proofreaders’ proofs : GALLEYS
65 Pseudonym letters : AKA
66 One of the Marx Brothers : ZEPPO
68 Where stars are honored: Abbr. : HOF
69 “Ditto” : SAME
70 Kat’s sister in “The Hunger Games” : PRIM
72 Novelist Deighton : LEN
75 Verizon bundle : FIOS
76 Long time span : EON
78 Fancy cake feature : TIERS
79 Felino doméstico : GATO
82 Digital sound? : SNAP
83 Ballet garb : LEOTARDS
85 Discomfiting look : LEER
88 Add zest to : SPICE UP
90 Dear Abbey for many? : DOWNTON
93 Emotional problem : HANG-UP
95 Bubbly brand : MOET
96 Unreliable : SHAKY
97 __ al Ghul: daughter of a Batman enemy : TALIA
98 Salsa holder : NACHO
100 Bleachers’ dig : TAUNT
101 Crunchy snack : FRITO
102 Adjust on a lapel, perhaps : REPIN
103 Ayes : YESES
106 Birthing room docs : OBS
109 Loyal : TRUE
111 __Tok: video sharing service : TIK
114 HDTV choice : LCD