LA Times Crossword 31 Jan 21, Sunday

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Constructed by: Paul Coulter
Edited by: Rich Norris

Today’s Theme: Sportscast

Themed answers are common phrases reinterpreted with reference to a participant propelling (CASTING) an object in a SPORT:

  • 22A The troublesome soccer player __ : KICKED UP A RUCKUS
  • 34A The bombastic archer __ : SHOT HIS BIG MOUTH OFF
  • 44A The frugal lacrosse goalie __ : SAVED IT FOR LATER
  • 63A The daredevil baseball pitcher __ : THREW CAUTION TO THE WIND
  • 81A The politically ambitious sprinter __ : RAN FOR PRESIDENT
  • 90A The lucky football receiver __ : CAUGHT A FALLING STAR
  • 111A The foolhardy hockey player __ : SKATED ON THIN ICE

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

Bill’s time: 14m 47s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Apollo’s home : HARLEM

The Apollo Theater in the Harlem district of Manhattan, New York opened in 1914 as Hurtig and Seamon’s New Burlesque Theater. The original facility was a whites-only venue. When it was opened to African Americans in 1934, the name was changed to “The Apollo”.

7 Cartesian concept : IDEE

In French, a “penseur” (thinker) might use his or her “tête” (head) to produce an “idée” (idea).

The great French philosopher Rene Descartes made the famous statement in Latin, “Cogito ergo sum”. This translates into French as “Je pense, donc je suis” and into English as “I think, therefore I am”. Anything pertaining to the philosophy of Descartes can be described by the adjective “Cartesian”.

11 Edwards, in Calif. : AFB

Edwards Air Force Base is in a desert area in Southern California. Edwards is a flight test center for the Air Force, and it was here that Chuck Yeager famously broke the sound barrier for the first time. And of course, Edwards was used for many landings of the Space Shuttle.

19 His given name was spelled with horseshoes in the show’s intro : MR ED

The sitcom “Mister Ed” first aired in 1961 and ran for almost five years. It was a very successful show (and even made it to Ireland!). Mister Ed, the talking horse, was a palomino that had the real name of Bamboo Harvester. Mister Ed’s “voice” was that of actor Allan “Rocky” Lane, a star of a lot of B-movie westerns from the forties and fifties. In the show, Mister Ed would only talk to the lead (human) character Wilbur, played by Alan Young, leading to some hilarious situations. Mister Ed had a stunt double and stand-in for the show, another horse called Pumpkin. Pumpkin later made frequent appearances on the show “Green Acres”.

20 Former French coin : SOU

A sou is an old French coin. We use the term “sou” to mean “an almost worthless amount”.

22 The troublesome soccer player __ : KICKED UP A RUCKUS

The word “ruckus” is used to mean “commotion”, and has been around since the late 1800s. “Ruckus” is possibly a melding of the words “ruction” and “rumpus”.

25 Fragrant root used in perfumes : ORRIS

Orris root is a basic ingredient in many perfumes, providing a so-called “base note”. It is also an ingredient in some brands of gin.

26 Actor Morales : ESAI

Actor Esai Morales is best known in the world of film for the 1987 movie “La Bamba”, which depicted the life of Ritchie Valens and his half-brother Bob Morales (played by Esai). On the small screen, Morales plays Lt. Tony Rodriguez on “NYPD Blue” and Joseph Adama on “Caprica”.

27 Covent Garden architect Jones : INIGO

Inigo Jones was a British architect, and a native of London. The most famous of Jones’ designs is probably London’s Covent Garden Square.

Covent Garden in London’s West End is associated with the Royal Opera House that is located in the area, and with the former fruit and vegetable market that used to sit right at the center of the district. The name “Covent Garden” comes from the fact that there once was a walled garden in the area owned by the Benedictine Monks of the Abbey of St. Peter in Westminster. The abbey rented out the walled garden calling it “Convent Garden”, and this morphed into the area’s current name.

31 Biol. and chem. : SCIS

Chemisty (chem.) and biology (biol.) are sciences (scis.).

32 Genetic “messenger” initials : RNA

Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is an essential catalyst in the manufacture of proteins in the body. The genetic code in DNA determines the sequence of amino acids that make up each protein. That sequence is read in DNA by messenger RNA, and amino acids are delivered for protein manufacture in the correct sequence by transfer RNA. The amino acids are then formed into proteins by ribosomal RNA.

33 Many a Degas : PASTEL

Edgar Degas was a French artist who was famous for both his paintings and his sculptures. Some of Degas’ most beautiful works feature female ballet dancers, and others depict women bathing.

34 The bombastic archer __ : SHOT HIS BIG MOUTH OFF

An archer is someone who shoots with a bow and arrow. The term “archer” comes from the Latin “arcus” meaning “bow, arc”.

39 The Destroyer, in Hinduism : SHIVA

Shiva (also “Siva”) is one of the major deities of the Hindu tradition, and is known as the destroyer of evil and the transformer. Shiva is also part of the Hindu trinity known as the Trimurti, along with Brahma and Vishnu.

42 Appearance : MIEN

One’s mien is one’s bearing or manner. “Mien” shares the same etymological root as our word “demeanor”.

43 2020, por ejemplo : ANO

In Spanish, 2020 “por ejemplo” (for example) is an “año” (year).

44 The frugal lacrosse goalie __ : SAVED IT FOR LATER

Even though lacrosse was dropped from the Olympics after the 1908 games, the sport is currently enjoying a resurgence of popularity outside of North America.

50 Printer function : SCAN

An all-in-one printer is a multifunctional computer peripheral that typically incorporates a photocopier, printer and scanner.

54 Mideast gulf port : ADEN

Aden is a seaport in Yemen that is located on the Gulf of Aden by the eastern approach to the Red Sea. Aden has a long history of British rule, from 1838 until a very messy withdrawal in 1967. A native of Aden is known as an Adeni. Some believe that Cain and Abel are buried in the city.

56 Dash lengths : EMS

In typography, there are em dashes and en dashes. The em dash is about the width of an “m” character, and an en dash about half that, the width of an “n’ character. An en dash is used, for example, to separate numbers designating a range, as in 5-10 years. The em dash seems to be going out of style, and indeed the application I am using to write this paragraph won’t let me show you one!

58 “Downton Abbey” title : EARL

In the incredibly successful period drama “Downton Abbey”, the patriarch of the family living at Downton is Robert Crawley, the Earl of Grantham or Lord Grantham. The character is played by Hugh Bonneville. Lord Grantham married American Cora Levinson (played by Elizabeth McGovern). Lord and Lady Grantham had three daughters, and no sons. The lack of a male heir implied that the Grantham estate would pass to a male cousin, and out of the immediate family. The Grantham daughters are Lady Mary (played by Michelle Dockery), Lady Edith (played by Laura Carmichael) and Lady Sybil (played by Jessica Brown Findlay). Lady Sybil had the audacity to marry the family chauffeur, who was an Irish nationalist. The shame of it all …

72 Live wire’s opposite : WIMP

Our term “wimp”, describing a “timid person”, is probably an alteration of “whimper”, the sound that such an individual might make.

73 First name in mystery : EDGAR

Edgar Allan Poe (EAP) lived a life of many firsts. Poe is considered to be the inventor of the detective-fiction genre. He was also the first notable American author to make his living through his writing, something that didn’t really go too well for him as he was always financially strapped. In 1849 he was found on the streets of Baltimore, delirious and in dire need of medical help. Poe died a few days later in hospital at 39 years of age.Edgar Allan Poe (EAP) lived a life of many firsts. Poe is considered to be the inventor of the detective-fiction genre. He was also the first notable American author to make his living through his writing, something that didn’t really go too well for him as he was always financially strapped. In 1849 he was found on the streets of Baltimore, delirious and in dire need of medical help. Poe died a few days later in hospital at 39 years of age.

75 Vintner’s prefix : OENO-

In Greek mythology, Oeno was the goddess of wine, giving us “oeno-” as a prefix meaning “wine”. For example, oenology is the study of wine and an oenophile is a wine-lover.

76 European auto : OPEL

Adam Opel founded his company in 1863, first making sewing machines in a cowshed. Commercial success brought new premises and a new product line in 1886, namely penny-farthing bicycles. Adam Opel died in 1895, leaving his two sons with a company that made more penny-farthings and sewing machines than any other company in the world. In 1899 the two sons partnered with a locksmith and started to make cars, but not very successfully. Two years later, the locksmith was dropped in favor of a licensing arrangement with a French car company. By 1914, Opel was the largest manufacturer of automobiles in Germany. My Dad had an Opel in the seventies, a station wagon (we’d say “estate car” in Ireland) called an Opel Kadett.

86 Nintendo debut of 2006 : WII

Introduced in 2006, Nintendo’s Wii quickly became the biggest-selling game console in the world.

88 “Dies __”: hymn : IRAE

“Dies Irae” is Latin for “Day of Wrath”. It is the name of a famous melody in Gregorian Chant, one that is often used as part of the Roman Catholic Requiem Mass.

99 Masterful : ADROIT

The French for “to the right” is “à droit”, from which we get our word “adroit”. The original meaning of “adroit” was “rightly, properly”, but it has come to mean dexterous and skillful. Someone described as “maladroit” is unskilled and awkward.

102 Marienbad, for one : SPA

Mariánské Lázně is a relatively young spa town in the west of the Czech Republic that is located close to the border with Germany. Known in German as “Marienbad”, the town was a very popular getaway for the European elite and was visited by the likes of Frédéric Chopin, Thomas Edison, and Richard Wagner, as well as the UK’s King Edward VII, Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, and Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria. Most of the ethnic Germans in Marienbad, which was part of Sudetenland, were expelled after WWII, and it came under communist control along with the rest of Czechoslovakia as a result of the 1948 coup d’état. The town was largely closed to foreigners for decades, but has been flourishing again as a tourist destination since the return of democracy in 1989.

109 Big name in cosmetics : OLAY

Oil of Olay was developed in South Africa in 1949. When Oil of Olay was introduced internationally, it was given slightly different brand names designed to appeal in the different geographies. In Ireland we know it as Oil of Ulay, for example, and in France it is Oil of Olaz.

114 Astrological ram : ARIES

Aries the Ram is the first astrological sign in the Zodiac, and is named after the constellation. Your birth sign is Aries if you were born between March 21 and April 20, but if you are an Aries you would know that! “Aries” is the Latin word for “ram”.

115 Part of HMS : HER

The ship prefix “HMS” is used by the warships of the Royal Navy, and stands for “Her/His Majesty’s Ship/Submarine”. The prefix “RMS” is used by ships of the merchant navy, and stands for “Royal Mail Ship/Steamer”.

117 Kvetch : YAMMER

Our verb “to yammer”, meaning “to complain”, probably comes from the Middle Duth “jammeren”, which has the same meaning.

The word “kvetch” comes to us from Yiddish, with “kvetshn” meaning “to complain” or “squeeze”.

120 “Dilbert” intern : ASOK

In the “Dilbert” comic strip, the character named Asok is one of Dilbert’s coworkers, and a graduate from the Indian Institute of Technology. “Dilbert” creator Scott Adams named Asok for a friend and former coworker of his own at Pacific Bell.

Down

1 Contrived : HOKEY

“To hoke” is a slang term meaning “to create a false impression”. The term derives from the noun “hokum”. “Hokum” was originally theater slang, meaning “melodramatic, exaggerated acting”. Now the term just means “empty talk”. It is also the root for our word “hokey” meaning “silly, old-fashioned”.

2 Biscotti flavoring : ANISE

What we know in this country as “biscotti” are more properly called “biscotti di Prato”. A biscotto is a twice-baked, almond-flavored confection that originated in the Italian city of Prato. Modern versions of biscotti often contain anise or cinnamon in addition to the almond flavoring.

4 Mythical trickster : LOKI

Loki is a god appearing in Norse mythology. In one story about Loki, he was punished by other gods for having caused the death of Baldr, the god of light and beauty. Loki is bound to a sharp rock using the entrails of one of his sons. A serpent drips venom which is collected in a bowl, and then his wife must empty the venom onto Loki when the bowl is full. The venom causes Loki great pain, and his writhing results in what we poor mortals experience as earthquakes.

5 Biloxi-to-Mobile dir. : ENE

Biloxi is a port city on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi. Prior to 2005’s Hurricane Katrina, it was the third-largest city in the state. Post-Katrina, it became the fifth-largest city, due to the number of people leaving the area permanently in response to the flooding and destruction.

Mobile, Alabama was founded in 1702, and was the first capital of French Colonial Louisiana. The city takes its name from the Mobilian tribe of Native Americans who lived in that area.

9 MIT Chapel designer Saarinen : EERO

Eero Saarinen was a Finnish-American architect who was renowned in this country for his unique designs for public buildings such as the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Dulles International Airport Terminal, and the TWA building at JFK. The list of his lesser-known, but still impressive, works includes several buildings erected on academic campuses. For example, the Chapel and Kresge Auditorium on the MIT campus, the Emma Hartman Noyes House at Vassar College, the Law School building at the University of Chicago, and Yale’s David S. Ingalls Rink.

10 Dean’s email address ending : EDU

The .edu domain was one of the six original generic top-level domains specified. The complete original list is:

  • .com (commercial enterprise)
  • .net (entity involved in network infrastructure e.g. an ISP)
  • .mil (US military)
  • .org (not-for-profit organization)
  • .gov (US federal government entity)
  • .edu (college-level educational institution)

14 Louisiana’s county counterpart : PARISH

In 48 of the 50 US states, the word “county” is used for the principal administrative division. The equivalent term in Alaska is “borough”, and in Louisiana is “parish”.

16 Halloween charity : UNICEF

The United Nations Children’s Fund is known by the acronym UNICEF because the organization’s original name when it was founded in 1946 was the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund. The original focus of the fund was to provide relief to children in countries that had been devastated by WWII. UNICEF is supported by contributions from governments, but also by individual donors. One of the more successful programs for collecting private donations is the Trick-or-Treat UNICEF box that has been a tradition here in North America since 1950.

21 Whopper topper : TOMATO

If you were in Japan at the end of 2009 and went to Burger King, you might have ordered a Windows 7 Whopper, a promotion for the Windows 7 Operating System. The sandwich was 5 inches in height, and contained seven beef patties!

23 Condo, e.g. : UNIT

The terms “condominium” and “apartment” tend to describe the same type of residential property, namely a private living space with facilities shared with others residing in the same building or complex. The difference is that a condominium is usually owned, and an apartment is rented. At least that’s how it is in the US. The word “condominium” comes from the Latin “com-” (together) and “dominum” (right of ownership).

24 Ship’s-keel constellation : CARINA

The constellation of Carina used to be part of the larger constellation Argo Navis. Argo Navis (“Argo the Ship” in Latin) was divided into three parts: Puppis (“The Poop Deck”), Vela (“The Sails”) and Carina (“The Keel”). Carina is home to Canopus, the second brightest star in the night sky (after Sirius).

31 Herring prized for its roe : SHAD

The shad is also known as the river herring. The eggs (roe) of the shad are prized as a delicacy in the Eastern US.

33 “Piano is not my forte,” e.g. : PUN

Here are some of my favorite puns:

  • A man died today when a pile of books fell on him. He only had his shelf to blame.
  • I hate negative numbers and will stop at nothing to avoid them.
  • I wasn’t going to get a brain transplant, but then I changed my mind.
  • I should have been sad when my flashlight batteries died, but I was delighted.

34 Reindeer in “Frozen” : SVEN

“Sven” is a Scandinavian name. “Sven” is derived from the Old Norse word for “young man” or “young warrior”.

“Frozen” is a 2013 animated feature from Walt Disney Studios that is based on the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale “The Snow Queen”. The film is all about the exploits of Princess Anna, the younger sister of Elsa, Snow Queen of Arendelle. Spoiler alert: Prince Hans of the Southern Isles seems to be a good guy for most of the film, but turns out to be a baddie in the end. And, a snowman named Olaf provides some comic relief.

37 __ canto : BEL

“Bel canto” is a term used in Italian opera, the literal translation of which is “beautiful singing”. The term specifically describes a style of singing that emphasises beauty of tone over dramatic power.

38 Dinghy drivers : OARS

Our term “dinghy” comes from the Hindi “dingi”, a word meaning “small boat”.

39 Org. funded by FICA : SSA

The Social Security Administration (SSA) was set up as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal. The first person to receive a monthly retirement benefit was Ida May Fuller of Vermont who received her first check for the sum of $22.54 after having contributed for three years through payroll taxes. The New Deal turned out to be a good deal for Ms. Fuller, as she lived to be 100 years of age and received a total benefit of almost $23,000, whereas her three years of contributions added up to just $24.75.

The Federal Insurance Contributions Act tax (FICA) was introduced in the 1930s as part of President Roosevelt’s New Deal. FICA payments are made by both employees and employers in order to fund Social Security and Medicare.

45 Apple variety : IMAC

The iMac is a desktop computer platform that Apple introduced in 1998. One of the main features of the iMac is an “all-in-one” design, with the computer console and monitor integrated. The iMac also came in a range of colors that Apple marketed as “flavors”, such as strawberry, blueberry and lime.

46 Prefix with byte : TERA-

The prefix “tera-” signifies a trillion, and comes from the Greek word “teras” meaning “monster”.

47 Mediterranean sailing vessel : FELUCCA

A felucca is a traditional sailing boat found in the eastern Meditarranean, along the Nile and in the Red Sea. Back in the 1800s, there was a substantial fleet of feluccas in San Francisco used for fishing in the San Francisco Bay.

50 Passel : SLEW

Our usage of “slew” to mean “large number” has nothing to do with the verb “to slew” meaning “to turn, skid”. The noun “slew” came into English in the early 1800s from the Irish word “sluagh” meaning “host, crowd, multitude”.

A passel is a large group or quantity. “Passel” is a variant of the word “parcel”.

51 City WSW of Bogotá : CALI

In terms of population, Cali is the third largest city in Colombia (after Bogotá and Medellin). Santiago de Cali (the full name for the city) lies in western Colombia. Apparently, Cali is a destination for “medical tourists”. The city’s surgeons have a reputation for being expert in cosmetic surgery and so folks head there looking for a “cheap” nose job. Cali has also been historically associated with the illegal drug trade and money laundering.

Bogotá is the capital city of Colombia. Noted for having many libraries and universities, Bogotá is sometimes referred to as “The Athens of South America”.

58 The America’s Cup trophy, e.g. : EWER

The America’s Cup is a trophy that has been awarded for yacht racing since 1851. It was first presented to the winner of a race around the Isle of Wight in England that was won by a schooner called “America”. The trophy was eventually renamed to “The America’s Cup” in honor of that first race winner.

61 Brain and spinal cord: Abbr. : CNS

Central nervous system (CNS)

63 “__ bien!” : TRES

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

64 “Today” co-host Kotb : HODA

Hoda Kotb is an Egyptian-American television journalist who is perhaps best known as a co-host of the NBC morning show “Today”. She is also the author of the bestselling autobiography “Hoda: How I Survived War Zones, Bad Hair, Cancer, and Kathie Lee”.

NBC’s “Today” show first aired way back in 1952 when it was the first “morning show” in the world. The first host of “Today” was Dave Garroway.

66 LAX listings : ETAS

Los Angeles International Airport is the sixth busiest airport in the world in terms of passenger traffic, and the busiest here on the West Coast of the US. The airport was opened in 1930 as Mines Field and was renamed to Los Angeles Airport in 1941. On the airport property is the iconic white structure that resembles a flying saucer. This is called the Theme Building and I believe it is mainly used as a restaurant and observation deck for the public. The airport used to be identified by the letters “LA”, but when the aviation industry went to a three-letter standard for airport identification, this was changed to “LAX”. Apparently, the “X” has no significant meaning.

68 One of three seen in Wood’s “American Gothic” : TINE

The iconic Grant Wood work called “American Gothic” was painted in 1930. It depicts a farmer holding a pitchfork standing beside his spinster daughter. Grant used his sister as a model for the daughter, and his dentist as a model for the farmer. You can see “American Gothic” on display at the Art Institute of Chicago. You can also visit the house depicted in the painting, in the city of Eldon, Iowa. Perhaps predictably, the house is located on what is now called American Gothic Street.

69 Managed care gps. : HMOS

Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) or Health Maintenance Organization (HMO). Make your choice, if you can …

74 “Tosca” tune : ARIA

Unlike so many operas, Giacomo Puccini’s “Tosca” was a big hit right from day one, when it was first performed in 1900 at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome. Currently, “Tosca” is the eighth-most performed opera in America.

78 Brian of ambient music : ENO

Brian Eno was one of the pioneers of the genre of ambient music. Eno composed an album in 1978 called “Ambient 1: Music for Airports”, which was the first in a series of four albums with an ambient theme. Eno named the tracks, somewhat inventively, 1/1, 1/2, 2/1 and 2/2.

79 Env. contents : LTR

An envelope (env.) might hold a letter (ltr.).

82 Salmon serving : FILLET

A fillet is a boneless cut of meat or fish. The term “fillet” comes from the Old French “filet” meaning “small thread, filament”. Apparently, we applied the term to food because the piece of fish or meat was tied up with string after it was boned. Here in the US, we tend to use the French spelling “filet”.

83 Fla. NBA team : ORL

The Orlando Magic were formed in 1989 as an NBA expansion team. A local paper was asked to run a competition to suggest names for the new team and the community came up with its four top picks of “Heat”, “Tropics”, “Juice” and “Magic”. A committee then opted for “Orlando Magic”. A good choice I think …

84 Italy’s equivalent of the BBC : RAI

Rai 1, 2 & 3 are three television channels owned and operated by the Italian government. Rai stands for “Radiotelevisione Italiana”, meaning “Italian public broadcasting”.

The marvelous British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is mainly funded by the UK government through a television licence fee that is levied annually on all households watching TV transmissions.

85 Muslim leader : IMAM

An imam is a Muslim leader, and often the person in charge of a mosque and/or perhaps a Muslim community.

87 “The Addams Family” cousin : ITT

In the television sitcom “The Addams Family”, the family had a frequent visitor called Cousin Itt. Itt is a short man with long hair that runs from his head to the floor. Cousin Itt was played by Italian actor Felix Silla.

They’re creepy and they’re kooky,
Mysterious and spooky,
They’re altogether ooky,
The Addams Family.

90 Algerian quarter : CASBAH

“Casbah” is the Arabic word for a “citadel”. “Casbah” usually refers to the citadel in the city of Algiers and the area surrounding it.

Algeria is a huge country, the second largest in Africa (only Sudan is larger), and the largest country on the Mediterranean. The capital of Algeria is Algiers, and the country takes its name from the city.

92 Astronomy Muse : URANIA

In Greek mythology, the muses are the goddesses who inspire the creation of literature and the arts. The number of muses is a subject of debate at times, but the most popular view is that there are nine:

  • Calliope (epic poetry)
  • Clio (history)
  • Erato (lyric poetry)
  • Euterpe (music)
  • Melpomene (tragedy)
  • Polyhymnia (choral poetry)
  • Terpsichore (dance)
  • Thalia (comedy)
  • Urania (astronomy)

Before the adoption of the nine muses of Greek mythology, there were originally three muses, the three Boeotian Muses. These were:

  • Mneme (memory)
  • Melete (meditation)
  • Aoede (song)

94 Squealed : FINKED

A fink is an informer, someone who rats out his or her cohorts.

96 Birthplace of Solidarity : GDANSK

Gdańsk is a port city on the Baltic coast of Poland and is the country’s biggest seaport. Gdańsk was where the European Solidarity movement was born, with Lech Wałęsa in the leadership position. Wałęsa was an electrician working in the Gdańsk shipyards.

97 Muralist José María __ : SERT

José Maria Sert was a painter of murals from Catalan. He was a good friend of fellow-artist Salvador Dali.

98 Moon of Saturn : TETHYS

Tethys is one of the moons of Saturn that was discovered by the astronomer Giovanni Cassini. Cassini discovered four moons that he called Sidera Lodoicea (the stars of Louis). It was the English astronomer John Herschel who renamed the moons of Saturn using the names of Titans of Greek mythology.

104 Australia’s __ Rock : AYERS

Ayers Rock was discovered by Europeans in 1873, who gave it its name in honor of Sir Henry Ayers who was the Chief Secretary of South Australia at the time. The Aborigines call the landmark “Uluru”, which is the more accepted name these days.

106 “Hard Road to Glory” author : ASHE

“A Hard Road to Glory: A History of the African-American Athlete” is a 1988 book by tennis star Arthur Ashe. Published in three volumes, Ashe researched for almost six years with a team to put the book together. Ashe stated publicly that he valued “A Hard Road to Glory” more than any of his tennis titles.

108 “We have met the enemy and he is us” toon : POGO

“Pogo” is a comic strip launched in 1948 that was the creation of cartoonist Walt Kelly. The story centers on animals that live in the Okefenokee Swamp on the Georgia-Florida border, with the title character “Pogo Possum” being an anthropomorphic opossum.

112 Antipollution org. : EPA

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

113 “At Seventeen” singer Janis __ : IAN

Janice Ian wrote her lovely song “At Seventeen“ when she herself was 22, looking back at that earlier age with a little maturity. The lyrics were inspired by a newspaper article she read about a teenage debutante who had learned the hard way that her popularity at school was not the answer to life’s problems.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Apollo’s home : HARLEM
7 Cartesian concept : IDEE
11 Edwards, in Calif. : AFB
14 Spitting sound : PTUI!
18 Early ball game score : ONE-ONE
19 His given name was spelled with horseshoes in the show’s intro : MR ED
20 Former French coin : SOU
21 Ride, but not in a nice way : TAUNT
22 The troublesome soccer player __ : KICKED UP A RUCKUS
25 Fragrant root used in perfumes : ORRIS
26 Actor Morales : ESAI
27 Covent Garden architect Jones : INIGO
28 Sprightly : AIRY
29 Chop finely : MINCE
30 “Sure” : YEP
31 Biol. and chem. : SCIS
32 Genetic “messenger” initials : RNA
33 Many a Degas : PASTEL
34 The bombastic archer __ : SHOT HIS BIG MOUTH OFF
39 The Destroyer, in Hinduism : SHIVA
42 Appearance : MIEN
43 2020, por ejemplo : ANO
44 The frugal lacrosse goalie __ : SAVED IT FOR LATER
50 Printer function : SCAN
54 Mideast gulf port : ADEN
55 Unassuming : MEEK
56 Dash lengths : EMS
57 Point a finger at : BLAME
58 “Downton Abbey” title : EARL
59 Open, as a bottle : UNCAP
62 Fisherman with pots : EELER
63 The daredevil baseball pitcher __ : THREW CAUTION TO THE WIND
70 Beat, e.g. : ROUTE
71 Scolds, with “out” : CHEWS
72 Live wire’s opposite : WIMP
73 First name in mystery : EDGAR
74 Pro : ACE
75 Vintner’s prefix : OENO-
76 European auto : OPEL
80 Back talk : SASS
81 The politically ambitious sprinter __ : RAN FOR PRESIDENT
86 Nintendo debut of 2006 : WII
88 “Dies __”: hymn : IRAE
89 Power source : MOTOR
90 The lucky football receiver __ : CAUGHT A FALLING STAR
99 Masterful : ADROIT
100 Feverish, maybe : ILL
101 Judge : DEEM
102 Marienbad, for one : SPA
105 Sting : SMART
106 Single chip, perhaps : ANTE
107 In pieces : APART
109 Big name in cosmetics : OLAY
110 Pig out : BINGE
111 The foolhardy hockey player __ : SKATED ON THIN ICE
114 Astrological ram : ARIES
115 Part of HMS : HER
116 Coatrack parts : PEGS
117 Kvetch : YAMMER
118 Principal, for one : HEAD
119 Magazine VIPs : EDS
120 “Dilbert” intern : ASOK
121 Scornful smiles : SNEERS

Down

1 Contrived : HOKEY
2 Biscotti flavoring : ANISE
3 Go back over : RECAP
4 Mythical trickster : LOKI
5 Biloxi-to-Mobile dir. : ENE
6 Sawbones : MEDICO
7 Mischievous : IMPISH
8 Slow party, say : DRAG
9 MIT Chapel designer Saarinen : EERO
10 Dean’s email address ending : EDU
11 For the __ : ASKING
12 Early hr. : FOUR AM
13 On a tight schedule : BUSY
14 Louisiana’s county counterpart : PARISH
15 Request help from : TURN TO
16 Halloween charity : UNICEF
17 What history repeats? : ITSELF
21 Whopper topper : TOMATO
23 Condo, e.g. : UNIT
24 Ship’s-keel constellation : CARINA
31 Herring prized for its roe : SHAD
33 “Piano is not my forte,” e.g. : PUN
34 Reindeer in “Frozen” : SVEN
35 “Don’t worry about me” : I’M OK
36 Polite address : SIR
37 __ canto : BEL
38 Dinghy drivers : OARS
39 Org. funded by FICA : SSA
40 “If I __ to do it again … ” : HAD
41 “__ seen worse” : I’VE
45 Apple variety : IMAC
46 Prefix with byte : TERA-
47 Mediterranean sailing vessel : FELUCCA
48 Milk source : TEAT
49 Authorize : EMPOWER
50 Passel : SLEW
51 City WSW of Bogotá : CALI
52 “Absolutely!” : AMEN!
53 Unhip type : NERD
57 Honk : BEEP
58 The America’s Cup trophy, e.g. : EWER
59 One-eighty : U-IE
60 With “and” and 67-Down, occasionally : NOW …
61 Brain and spinal cord: Abbr. : CNS
63 “__ bien!” : TRES
64 “Today” co-host Kotb : HODA
65 Floor coverings : RUGS
66 LAX listings : ETAS
67 See 60-Down : … THEN
68 One of three seen in Wood’s “American Gothic” : TINE
69 Managed care gps. : HMOS
74 “Tosca” tune : ARIA
75 Make the first bid : OPEN
76 Aroma : ODOR
77 One often talked down to? : PET
78 Brian of ambient music : ENO
79 Env. contents : LTR
82 Salmon serving : FILLET
83 Fla. NBA team : ORL
84 Italy’s equivalent of the BBC : RAI
85 Muslim leader : IMAM
86 Omelet ingredients for some diets : WHITES
87 “The Addams Family” cousin : ITT
90 Algerian quarter : CASBAH
91 Look up to : ADMIRE
92 Astronomy Muse : URANIA
93 Consumed greedily : GORGED
94 Squealed : FINKED
95 Sites for vows : ALTARS
96 Birthplace of Solidarity : GDANSK
97 Muralist José María __ : SERT
98 Moon of Saturn : TETHYS
102 Gunk : SLIME
103 Reggie Miller, for his entire NBA career : PACER
104 Australia’s __ Rock : AYERS
106 “Hard Road to Glory” author : ASHE
107 Cool drinks : ADES
108 “We have met the enemy and he is us” toon : POGO
109 “My treat” : ON ME
112 Antipollution org. : EPA
113 “At Seventeen” singer Janis __ : IAN