LA Times Crossword 13 Nov 22, Sunday

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Constructed by: Drew Schmenner
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Theme: It’s Working!

Themed answers are common phrases reinterpreted as jobs:

  • 23A Hitching post? : WEDDING OFFICIANT
  • 33A Fair trade? : CARNIVAL BARKER
  • 60A Cold calling? : POLAR EXPLORER
  • 70A Inside job? : INTERIOR DECORATOR
  • 82A Power station? : PRIME MINISTER
  • 107A Instrumental role? : CONCERT PIANIST
  • 121A Scoring position? : BROADWAY COMPOSER

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

Bill’s time: 12m 57s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Soccer great Mia : HAMM

Mia Hamm is a retired American soccer player. She played as a forward on the US national team that won the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 1991. Hamm scored 158 international goals, which was more than any other player in the world, male or female, until the record was broken in 2013. Amazingly, Hamm was born with a clubfoot, and so had to wear corrective shoes when she was growing up.

5 Practical jokers : WAGS

A very amusing person might be referred to as a card, stitch, wag or riot.

9 Ankle-related : TARSAL

The tarsals (also “tarsi”) are the ankle bones, and are equivalent to the carpals in the wrist.

15 Kindergarten recitation : ABCS

“Kindergarten” is a German term, one translating as “children’s garden”. The term was coined by the German education authority Friedrich Fröbel in 1837, when he used it as the name for his play and activity institute that he created for young children to use before they headed off to school. His thought was that children should be nourished educationally, like plants in a garden.

19 McFlurry cookie : OREO

A McFlurry is an ice cream dessert served in McDonald’s restaurants. A McFlurry is made from soft-serve ice cream, to which are added crushed candy bars or cookies. Cleverly, a McFlurry is mixed on a machine with the mixing blade then doubling as a spoon with which one eats it.

21 “The Heart of the Matter” novelist : GREENE

“The Heart of the Matter” is a 1948 novel by English author Graham Greene that is based on the writer’s own experiences as a British intelligence officer stationed in Freetown, Sierra Leone. The novel was adapted as a 1953 film of the same name starring Trevor Howard, and as a TV film in 1963 starring Jack Hedley.

26 Pennant __ : RACE

The last few weeks of the baseball season are known as the pennant race. Before 1969, the term “pennant race” was perhaps more apt, as the pennant winner (league champion) would be the team with the best win-loss record at the end of the season. Starting in 1969, when both the National and American Leagues formally split into East and West divisions, the pennant has been awarded to the winner of a best-of-five series of games played by the division winners each October. The pennant winners then go on to the best-of-seven World Series, also played in October.

27 Vision correction tools : LASERS

LASIK surgery uses a laser to reshape the cornea of the eye to improve vision. The LASIK acronym stands for “laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis”.

28 __ Grande : RIO

The Rio Grande (Spanish for “big river”) is a waterway that forms part of the border between Mexico and the United States. Although we call the river the Rio Grande on this side of the border, in Mexico it is called the Río Bravo or Río Bravo del Norte (Spanish for “furious river of the north”).

29 Like rainforests : LUSH

Strictly speaking, the terms “rainforest” and “jungle” are related, but different. A healthy rainforest has a thick canopy of leaves so that the ground below is relatively clear of vegetation due to a lack of sunlight. When the canopy thins, the increase in sunlight promotes growth of tangled vegetation at ground level producing the habitat that we refer to as “jungle”.

31 Revolutionary Guevara : CHE

Ernesto “Che” Guevara was born in Argentina, and in 1948 he started to study medicine at the University of Buenos Aires. While at school he satisfied his need to “see the world” by taking two long journeys around South America, the story of which are told in Guevara’s memoir later published as “The Motorcycle Diaries”. While traveling, Guevara was moved by the plight of the people he saw and their working conditions and what he viewed as capitalistic exploitation. In Mexico City he met brothers Raul and Fidel Castro and was persuaded to join their cause, the overthrow of the US-backed government in Cuba. He rose to second-in-command among the Cuban insurgents, and when Castro came to power Guevara was influential in repelling the Bay of Pigs Invasion and bringing Soviet nuclear missiles to the island. Guevara left Cuba in 1965 to continue his work as a revolutionary. He was captured by Bolivian forces in 1967, and was executed. Fidel Castro led the public mourning of Guevara’s death, and soon the revolutionary was an icon for many left-wing movements around the world.

33 Fair trade? : CARNIVAL BARKER

A barker is someone who works to attract attention for an entertainment event, trying to get patrons to buy a ticket. Barkers are often seen at circuses and funfairs. Apparently the term “barker” isn’t appreciated by those in the trade, and they prefer to be called “talkers”.

40 Tiny parasites : LICE

Lice (singular “louse”) are small wingless insects, of which there are thousands of species. There are three species of lice affecting humans, i.e. head lice, body lice and pubic lice. Most lice feed on dead skin found on the body of the host animal, although some feed on blood. Ick …

42 Erin of “Happy Days” : MORAN

Erin Moran was an actress most famous for playing Joanie Cunningham on “Happy Days” and on the resulting (short-lived) spin-off sitcom called “Joanie Loves Chachi”. Long before she got her big break in “Happy Days”, Moran played Jenny Jones on the children’s drama “Daktari” from the late sixties.

The fabulous sitcom “Happy Days” originally ran for 11 seasons, from 1974 to 1984. That makes it the second longest-running sitcom in the history of ABC (behind “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet”). “Happy Days’ spawned several spin-off shows, two of which became very successful. Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams played two characters who later featured in “Laverne and Shirley”, and Robin Williams first played Mork from Ork on a “Happy Days” episode, which led to “Mork & Mindy”.

43 Wax-wrapped cheese : EDAM

Edam cheese takes its name from the Dutch town of Edam in North Holland. The cheese is famous for its coating of red paraffin wax, a layer of protection that helps Edam travel well and prevents spoiling. You might occasionally come across an Edam cheese that is coated in black wax. The black color indicates that the underlying cheese has been aged for a minimum of 17 weeks.

45 Freud’s “The __ and the Id” : EGO

“The Ego and the Id” is a 1923 publication by Sigmund Freud. The paper was the culmination of the years of research focused on Freud’s model of the psyche, which incorporates the id, ego and superego.

Sigmund Freud created a structural model of the human psyche, breaking it into three parts: the id, the ego, and the superego. The id is that part of the psyche containing the basic instinctual drives. The ego seeks to please the id by causing realistic behavior that benefits the individual. The superego almost has a parental role, contradicting the id by introducing critical thinking and morals to behavioral choices.

46 Shoulder muscles, briefly : DELTS

The deltoid “muscle” is actually a group of muscles, the ones that cover the shoulder and create the roundness under the skin. The deltoids (delts) are triangular in shape resembling the Greek letter delta, hence the name.

48 Two-syllable foot : IAMB

An iamb is a metrical foot containing an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. The lines in Robert Frost’s “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” use four sequential iambs, e.g. “Whose woods / these are / I think / I know”. With that sequence of four iambs, the poem’s structure is described as iambic tetrameter.

51 Cry to a cap’n : AHOY!

“Ahoy!” is a nautical term used to signal a vessel. When the telephone was invented by Alexander Graham Bell, he suggested that “ahoy” be used as a standard greeting when answering a call. However, Thomas Edison came up with “hello”, and we’ve been using that ever since.

59 Hankook product : TIRE

Hankook is a tire manufacturer based in Seoul, South Korea that is the seventh largest producer of tires in the world. Apparently, the name “Hankook” can be translated simply as “Korea”.

64 Some Himalayan residents : NEPALIS

Nepal lies to the northeast of India. Today, the state is known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal. In 2008, the Communist Party of Nepal won the country’s general election. Soon after, the Assembly voted to change the form of government, moving away from a monarchy and creating a secular republic.

68 Pigeon coop : COTE

The Old English word “cote” was used for a small house. Our modern word “cottage” comes from “cote”. We now use “cote” to describe a small shelter on a farm for sheep or birds.

75 World Series mo. : OCT

The first World Series of baseball in the so-called “modern” era was played in 1903, between the Pittsburgh Pirates of the National League and the Boston Americans (now the Red Sox) of the American League. Boston emerged victorious by five games to three.

77 Genesis locale : EDEN

According to the Book of Genesis, Adam and Eve lived in a garden “in” Eden, with Eden being geographically located by reference to four rivers, including the Tigris and the Euphrates. Some scholars hypothesize that Eden was located in Mesopotamia, which encompasses much of modern-day Iraq.

79 Agcy. with a taxing job : IRS

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) was set up during the Civil War to raise money to cover war expenses. Prior to the introduction of income tax in 1862, the government was funded by levies on trade and property.

80 Peanut butter Girl Scout cookies : DO-SI-DOS

Depending on which bakery makes the particular variety of Girl Scout cookies, the name can vary. For example, Little Brownie Bakers makes Samoa cookies, while ABC Bakers uses the same recipe and calls the cookies Caramel deLites. The assumption is that these cookies have the exotic name “Samoa” because they contain the tropical ingredients of coconut and cocoa. The most popular variety of Girl Scout cookies sold are Thin Mints.

89 Cuban singer Cruz : CELIA

Celia Cruz was born and grew up 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, Cruz was known as the “Queen of Salsa”.

93 Actress Ward : SELA

Actress Sela Ward turns up in crosswords a lot. She played Teddy Reed in the TV show “Sisters” in the nineties, and was in “Once and Again” from 1999-2002. I don’t know either show, but I do know Ward from the medical drama “House” in which she played the hospital’s lawyer and Greg House’s ex-partner. That was a fun role, I thought. More recently, Ward played a lead role on “CSI: NY” and was a very welcome and much-needed addition to the cast. And, Ward played Dr. Richard Kimble’s murdered wife in the 1993 film version of “The Fugitive”.

96 “60 Minutes” network : CBS

The marvelous news magazine program “60 Minutes” has been on the air since 1968. The show is unique among all other regularly-scheduled shows in that it has never used theme music. There is just the ticking of that Aristo stopwatch.

100 Lava __ : LAMP

The lava lamp was invented in 1960 by a British man, Edward Craven-Walker. The “lava” is a mixture of wax and carbon tetrachloride, floating in a water/glycerol mix. The wax reduces in density as it picks up heat from the incandescent bulb in the lamp’s base. The wax rises, cools, and then sinks to the bottom of the liquid only to be heated again.

111 Maui’s scenic __ Highway : HANA

Maui’s Hana Highway (commonly “Road to Hana”) is a spectacular stretch of roadway connecting Kahului on the northern coast with Hana in the east, and continuing to Kipahulu in the southeast. Even without stops, the 64-mile drive usually takes 2½ hours. I’ve driven the route a couple of times, and cannot imagine making the trip without several stops to enjoy the amazing ocean and rainforest vistas.

113 WC : LOO

When I was growing up in Ireland, a bathroom was a room that had a bath and no toilet. The separate room with the commode was called the toilet or sometimes the W.C. (the water closet). Apparently the term “closet” was used because in the 1800s when homeowners started installing toilets indoors they often displaced clothes and linens in a closet, as a closet was the right size to take the commode.

114 “Falling Skies” actor Wyle : NOAH

Noah Wyle is an actor noted for playing Dr. John Truman Carter III on television’s “ER”. He was highly valued by the show’s producers, earning about $400,000 per episode in 2005, a world record for an actor in a TV drama at that time.

“Falling Skies” is a sci-fi television series about life in Boston after an alien invasion.

115 “Life Is Good” rapper : NAS

Rapper Nas used to go by an earlier stage name “Nasty Nas”, and before that by his real name “Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones”. Nas released his first album “Illmatic” in 1994, and inventively titled his fifth studio album “Stillmatic”, released in 2001.

116 Poet Gorman who read at President Biden’s inauguration : AMANDA

Amanda Gorman is a poet and activist who, in 2017, was the first person named as the National Youth Poet Laureate. Famously, Gorman recited her poem “The Hill We Climb” at the inauguration of President Biden in 2021.

When day comes, we step out of the shade aflame and unafraid. The new dawn blooms as we free it. For there is always light. If only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it.

126 Lhasa __ : APSO

The Lhasa apso breed of dog originated in Tibet and is named after “Lhasa” (the capital city) and “apso” (a Tibetan word meaning “bearded”). The Lhasa apso has been around since 800 BC and is one of the oldest breeds in the world, one very closely related to the ancestral wolf.

127 Many a profile picture : SELFIE

A selfie is a self-portrait, one usually taken with a digital camera or cell phone. A “group selfie” is sometimes referred to as a “groufie” or “wefie”. A “couple selfie” is known as an “usie” or “ussie”, although those terms are sometimes also used for a group picture.

128 Mystery novelist Paretsky : SARA

Sara Paretsky is an American author of detective fiction. Paretsky’s most famous character is a female private investigator called V.I. Warshawski. Warshawski was played by Kathleen Turner in a big screen adaptation of one of her stories in 1991.

129 One of the Three Bears : MAMA

The story of “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” was first recorded in 1837 in England, although the narrative was around before it was actually written down. The original fairy tale was rather gruesome, but successive versions became more family-oriented. The character that eventually became Goldilocks was originally an elderly woman, and the three “nameless” bears became Papa Bear, Mama Bear and Baby Bear.

131 Dangerous African fly : TSETSE

The tsetse fly is responsible for the transmission of sleeping sickness, a disease that is more correctly called African trypanosomiasis. The disease is only observed in humans who have been bitten by a tsetse fly that is infected with the trypanosome parasitic protozoan.

Down

5 Hits the jackpot : WINS BIG

The term “jackpot” dates back to the 1800s and comes from the game of poker. In some variants there are progressive antes. This means that players have to ante up, add to the “pot”, when no player has a pair of “jacks” or better. They build a “jackpot”.

6 “Life of Pi” director Lee : ANG

The 2012 movie “Life of Pi” is based on a 2001 novel of the same name by Yann Martel. The “Pi” in the title is an Indian boy named Pi Patel who finds himself adrift for 227 days in a small boat with a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker.

Taiwanese director Ang Lee sure has directed a mixed bag of films, mixed in terms of genre but not in terms of quality. He was at the helm for such classics as “Sense & Sensibility” (my personal favorite), “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”, “Hulk”, “Brokeback Mountain” and “Life of Pi”.

7 Fighter pilot’s sensation : G-FORCE

The force of gravity (g-force) that we all feel is referred to as “one G”. As gravity is an accelerating force, acceleration is measured relative to that force of gravity. So, if we are sitting in a vehicle that accelerates at 3G, then we are experiencing a force that is three times that which we feel from the gravitational pull of the earth. Zero G is weightlessness that is experienced when in space, and outside the influence of the earth’s gravity.

8 “Lost in Translation” director Coppola : SOFIA

Sofia Coppola is a filmmaker, following in the footsteps of her father Francis Ford Coppola. She has made some very interesting films, with “Lost in Translation” (2003) and “Marie Antoinette” (2006) being my personal favorites. Before turning to filmmaking, Coppola appeared in front of the camera in several films. She was an infant at a baptism in “The Godfather”, an immigrant child in “The Godfather Part II”, and Michael Corleone’s daughter Mary in “The Godfather Part III”.

“Lost in Translation” is a very entertaining 2003 film starring Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson. Directed by Sofia Coppola. It is about a somewhat over-the-hill movie star (Murray) who befriends a young woman (Johansson) as they are both staying at an upscale Tokyo hotel. If you’ve ever suffered from jet lag while visiting a city that’s foreign to you, this is the movie for you …

9 __ Fridays : TGI

T.G.I. Fridays is an American restaurant chain that was founded in 1965 in New York City. Today there are over a thousand T.G.I. Fridays restaurants in over 50 countries. I think that Fridays has always been particularly successful overseas. I used to visit one a lot with my family when we lived in the Philippines, and I believe the most successful Fridays restaurant anywhere in the world is the one in Haymarket Leicester Square in London in the UK.

10 Continuing storyline : ARC

A story arc is a continuing storyline in say a television show that runs through a number of episodes. Story arcs are also found in comics, books, video games, and other forms of media.

11 Big name in outdoor gear : REI

REI is a sporting goods store, with the initialism standing for Recreational Equipment Inc. REI was founded in Seattle by Lloyd and Mary Anderson in 1938 as a cooperative that supplies quality climbing gear to outdoor enthusiasts. The first full-time employee hired by the Andersons was Jim Whittaker, who was the first American to climb Mount Everest.

12 Putty, caulk, etc. : SEALANTS

The term “caulk” comes from old Norman French “cauquer”, and described the action of filling gaps with lime. “Caulk” has the same root as our word “chalk”.

15 Bank loan abbr. : APR

Annual percentage rate (APR)

17 Secret stash : CACHE

A cache is a secret supply. We imported the term “cache” into English from French-Canadian trappers in the 17th century. Back then, “cache” was slang for “hiding place for stores”, derived from the French verb “cacher” meaning “to hide”.

35 “Lost in Yonkers” Tony winner Worth : IRENE

Irene Worth was an American actress from Nebraska who made a big name for herself not only in this country but also on the stage in London.

“Lost in Yonkers” is a Neil Simon play that premiered in 1990, and won the 1991 Pulitzer for Drama. The play was adapted into a 1993 film starring Irene Worth, Mercedes Ruehl and Richard Dreyfuss.

37 Yogurt-based condiment served with hot curry dishes : RAITA

Raita is a condiment served in Indian restaurants that is made from yogurt flavored with coriander, cumin, mint and cayenne pepper.

39 Hostess cream-filled cake : HO HO

Ho Hos snack cakes were first produced in San Francisco in 1967. The “Happy Ho Ho” mascot was created for the brand in the 1970s, and was a cartoon character in a Robin Hood outfit. Ho Hos weren’t the best thing to come out of the sixties I’d say …

49 3D diagnostic tools, briefly : MRIS

An MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) machine uses powerful magnetic fields to generate images that can be used by medical professionals to diagnose injury and disease.

52 Story : YARN

The phrase “to spin a yarn”, meaning “to tell a tall tale”, originated in the early 1800s with seamen. The idea was that sailors would tell stories to each other while engaged in mindless work such as twisting yarn.

54 Singer featured on Flo Rida’s “Low” : T-PAIN

“T-Pain” is the stage name of rap artist Faheem Rasheed Najm from Tallahassee, Florida. He is known for his contributions to the popular use of Auto-Tune in his recordings, which gives his voice a robotic sound. He collaborated with an iPhone app developer to produce the app “I Am T-Pain” that allows users to mimic his particular style of Auto-Tune in karaoke.

62 Ophthalmologist, informally : EYE DOC

Ophthalmology is that branch of medicine dealing with the physiology and health of the eye. “Ophthalmos” is the Greek word for “eye”.

63 Diameter halves : RADII

“Radius” (plural “radii”) is a Latin word, as one might expect, a word meaning “spoke of a wheel”. Makes sense, huh?

65 __ dish : PETRI

Julius Richard Petri was a German bacteriologist and was the man after whom the Petri dish is named. The petri dish can have an agar gel on the bottom which acts as a nutrient source for the specimen being grown and studied, in which case the dish plus agar is referred to as an “agar plate”.

68 Pink cocktail, familiarly : COSMO

Like so many famous cocktails, the actual origins of the cosmopolitan are disputed. It is a very nice drink, in my humble opinion. One of the standard recipes is 4 parts citrus vodka, 1.5 parts Cointreau, 1.5 parts lime juice and 3 parts cranberry juice.

72 Majestic trees : ELMS

Elms are a genus of tree comprising 30-40 different species. Sadly, most elm trees in the world have died in recent decades due to the spread of Dutch elm disease.

73 Geppetto’s goldfish : CLEO

In the 1940 Disney animated feature “Pinocchio”, the woodcarver Geppetto has two pets. He has a tuxedo cat named Figaro and a goldfish named Cleo.

“The Adventures of Pinocchio” is an 1883 children’s novel by Carlo Collodi, which is all about an animated puppet named Pinocchio, and Geppetto, his poor woodcarver father. 1940’s movie adaptation “Pinocchio” was the second animated feature produced by Walt Disney, following the success of 1937’s “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”. “Pinocchio” was the first animated feature to win a competitive Oscar, winning for Best Original Score and for Best Original Song “When You Wish upon a Star”.

74 __ buco : OSSO

“Osso” is the Italian word for bone, as in the name of the dish “osso buco” (bone with a hole), which features braised veal shanks.

81 Sci-fi writer Asimov : ISAAC

Isaac Asimov was a wonderful science fiction writer, and a professor of biochemistry. He was a favorite author as I was growing up and I must admit that some hero worship on my part led me to study and work as a biochemist for a short while early in my career. My favorite of his works is the collection of short stories called “I, Robot”, although Asimov’s most famous work is probably his “Foundation” trilogy of novels. Asimov wrote three autobiographies, the last of which was called “I, Asimov”, which was published in 1994, two years after his death.

82 Longstocking of kid-lit : PIPPI

Pippi Longstocking appears as the heroine in a series of books written by Swedish author Astrid Lindgren. Lindgren was quite the activist, very well known in the circles working for children’s and animal rights, In particular, Lindgren campaigned heavily against corporal punishment.

83 Worshipper of Jah : RASTA

“Jah” is a shortened form of “Jehovah”, and is a name often associated with the Rastafari movement.

85 Froot Loops mascot : TOUCAN SAM

Toucan Sam is the mascot of Kellogg’s Froot Loops breakfast cereal, and he can be seen on the front of every box. Froot Loops have been manufactured by Kellogg’s since 1963. The little loops come in different colors, originally red, orange and yellow, but now there are green, purple and blue loops as well. Notice I said “different colors” not “different flavors”. Each loop tastes the same, so I wonder where the color comes from …?

Froot Loops (ugh!) is a breakfast cereal from Kellogg’s that has been around since 1963. The little loops come in different colors, originally red, orange and yellow, but now there are green, purple and blue loops as well. Notice I said “different colors” not “different flavors”. Each loop tastes the same, so I wonder where the color comes from …?

86 Political commentator Klein : EZRA

Ezra Klein is a journalist and blogger who writes for “The Washington Post”, “Bloomberg” and “MSNBC”. Klein’s contribution at “The Washington Post” is the most-read blog that the paper publishes.

87 Tenant’s expense : RENT

A tenant is a person or entity “holding” property by virtue of title or lease. The term “tenant” comes from the Latin “tenere” meaning “to hold”.

90 Contract ambiguity that may be exploited : LOOPHOLE

A loophole is a means of evading perhaps a rule or a law. The contemporary usage of “loophole” comes from the older meaning of the word. In days past, a loophole was an arrow slit in a fortification, a vertical window through which defenders could shoot arrows from a sheltered position.

95 Half a cosmic whole : YIN

The yin and yang can be illustrated using many different metaphors. In one, as the sun shines on a mountain, the side in the shade is the yin and the side in the light is the yang. The yin is also regarded as the feminine side, and the yang the masculine. The yin can also be associated with the moon, while the yang is associated with the sun.

97 Commonwealth off Florida : BAHAMAS

The Bahamas is a group of islands in the Atlantic Ocean lying in the same island chain as Cuba and Hispaniola. The Bahamas was a British colony for many years but became independent in 1973, although it retains membership in the British Commonwealth.

A commonwealth is a nation or state that is founded on laws laid down for the common good of all the commonwealth’s citizens. Examples would be the Commonwealth of Australia and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

98 Notary public’s device : STAMP

A notary public is a public officer licensed to perform specific legal actions in non-contentious legal matters. The main duties are to administer oaths, take affidavits and witness the execution of documents.

102 “Survivor” host Jeff : PROBST

Jeff Probst is the host of the very successful US version of the reality show “Survivor”. Before snapping up that gig, he hosted the VH1 game show “Rock & Roll Jeopardy!”

104 “I Put a Spell on You” singer Simone : NINA

“Nina Simone” was the stage name of Eunice Waymon. Simone was very much associated with jazz music, although she really wanted to be a classical musician early in her career. She was inspired by a love for the music of Bach.

“I Put a Spell on You” is a song written and recorded by Screamin’ Jay Hawkins that was released in 1956. Nina Simone recorded a popular cover version that was released in 1965, and re-released in 1969. Another cover version of the song was released in 2010 by Shane MacGowan and Friends, a record that was sold to help Concern Worldwide’s work in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake that killed so many. Included in the list of “friends” was Johnny Depp, playing the guitar.

105 Diagnostic tool, briefly : CT SCAN

A CT (or “CAT”) scan produces (via computer manipulation) a three-dimensional image of the inside of an object, usually the human body. It does so by taking a series of two dimensional x-ray images while rotating the camera around the patient. The issue with CT scans is that they use x-rays. High doses of radiation can be harmful, causing damage that is cumulative over time. The initialism “CT” stands for “computed tomography”. The older initialism “CAT” stands for “computed axial tomography”.

109 Shipping weight deductions : TARES

Tare is the weight of a container that is deducted from the gross weight to determine the net weight, the weight of the container’s contents.

112 Two-time Australian Open winner Osaka : NAOMI

Naomi Osaka is a Japanese-born tennis professional who became the first Asian player to be ranked number-one in singles. She was also the first ever tennis player to light the Olympic cauldron during an opening ceremony, doing so for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

117 __-glace: rich sauce : DEMI

Demi-glace is a sauce that’s rich and brown, and is used in French cuisine. The name translates as “half glaze” and comprises veal stock mixed with espagnole sauce. It’s a little more work to make demi-glace, as one has to also make an espagnole sauce as one of the main ingredients. As a result, some chefs just use a veal stock instead, which Julia Child used to call a “semi-demi-glace”.

118 Isles off the Irish coast : ARAN

The Aran Islands are a group of three islands located at the mouth of Galway Bay in the west of Ireland. They are beautiful and desolate places, and one of the few places in Ireland where the main language spoken is Irish, as opposed to English. If you’ve seen the television comedy “Father Ted”, you’ll be familiar with the landscape. Many of the external shots are from Inishmore, the largest of the Aran Islands.

120 Hall of Fame pitcher Seaver : TOM

Tom Seaver is a former baseball pitcher, noted for his ten-year stint with the New York Mets from 1967 to 1977. Seaver earned the nickname “Tom Terrific”, and in 1988 became the first Met player to have his jersey number retired. When he quit baseball he moved out here to California and opened up a small winery in Calistoga. Keep an eye out for the vineyard’s name, “Seaver Family Vineyards”, and their cabernets “Nancy’s Fancy” and “GTS”.

122 Toward the rudder : AFT

A rudder is usually a flat sheet of wood or metal located at the stern of a boat, and under the waterline. The rudder is attached to a rudder post, which rotates to change the orientation of the rudder hence steering the boat. That rotation of the rudder post can be achieved by pulling or pushing a lever called a tiller, which is located at the top of the post.

125 Smelter’s input : ORE

Metals are found in ore in the form of oxides. In order to get pure metal from the ore, the ore is heated and the metal oxides within are reduced (i.e. the oxygen is removed) in the chemical process known as smelting. The oxygen is extracted by adding a source of carbon or carbon monoxide which uses up the excess oxygen atoms to make carbon dioxide, a waste product of smelting (and, a greenhouse gas).

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Soccer great Mia : HAMM
5 Practical jokers : WAGS
9 Ankle-related : TARSAL
15 Kindergarten recitation : ABCS
19 McFlurry cookie : OREO
20 Inside scoop : INFO
21 “The Heart of the Matter” novelist : GREENE
22 “Sounds like a __!” : PLAN
23 Hitching post? : WEDDING OFFICIANT
26 Pennant __ : RACE
27 Vision correction tools : LASERS
28 __ Grande : RIO
29 Like rainforests : LUSH
31 Revolutionary Guevara : CHE
32 Social group : CLUB
33 Fair trade? : CARNIVAL BARKER
38 “Pipe down!” : SHH!
40 Tiny parasites : LICE
42 Erin of “Happy Days” : MORAN
43 Wax-wrapped cheese : EDAM
44 Try to win over : WOO
45 Freud’s “The __ and the Id” : EGO
46 Shoulder muscles, briefly : DELTS
48 Two-syllable foot : IAMB
51 Cry to a cap’n : AHOY!
53 Not much at all : A TAD
57 Snooped (around) : NOSED
59 Hankook product : TIRE
60 Cold calling? : POLAR EXPLORER
64 Some Himalayan residents : NEPALIS
66 Beam : RAY
67 Far from port : ASEA
68 Pigeon coop : COTE
69 Inexact fig. : EST
70 Inside job? : INTERIOR DECORATOR
75 World Series mo. : OCT
77 Genesis locale : EDEN
78 Hardships : ILLS
79 Agcy. with a taxing job : IRS
80 Peanut butter Girl Scout cookies : DO-SI-DOS
82 Power station? : PRIME MINISTER
88 Notable times : ERAS
89 Cuban singer Cruz : CELIA
91 Any second now : SOON
92 Exude, as charm : OOZE
93 Actress Ward : SELA
94 __-turvy : TOPSY
96 “60 Minutes” network : CBS
99 Ornate flower pot : URN
100 Lava __ : LAMP
103 Agree to join : OPT IN
105 Casual conversation : CHAT
106 Purr former : CAT
107 Instrumental role? : CONCERT PIANIST
111 Maui’s scenic __ Highway : HANA
113 WC : LOO
114 “Falling Skies” actor Wyle : NOAH
115 “Life Is Good” rapper : NAS
116 Poet Gorman who read at President Biden’s inauguration : AMANDA
119 Give off : EMIT
121 Scoring position? : BROADWAY COMPOSER
126 Lhasa __ : APSO
127 Many a profile picture : SELFIE
128 Mystery novelist Paretsky : SARA
129 One of the Three Bears : MAMA
130 “Those people?” : THEM?
131 Dangerous African fly : TSETSE
132 Cash drawer slot : ONES
133 “Sounds good to me!” : I’M IN!

Down

1 Laugh really hard : HOWL
2 Field of expertise : AREA
3 Inst. that features clinical rotations : MED SCHOOL
4 Prototype : MODEL
5 Hits the jackpot : WINS BIG
6 “Life of Pi” director Lee : ANG
7 Fighter pilot’s sensation : G-FORCE
8 “Lost in Translation” director Coppola : SOFIA
9 __ Fridays : TGI
10 Continuing storyline : ARC
11 Big name in outdoor gear : REI
12 Putty, caulk, etc. : SEALANTS
13 Invalidate : ANNUL
14 Doesn’t bother : LETS BE
15 Bank loan abbr. : APR
16 Extortionist : BLACKMAILER
17 Secret stash : CACHE
18 Scornful look : SNEER
24 “Go, me!” : I RULE!
25 79-Across document : FORM
30 Possessed : HAD
34 Agreement from a silent partner? : NOD
35 “Lost in Yonkers” Tony winner Worth : IRENE
36 Bravery : VALOR
37 Yogurt-based condiment served with hot curry dishes : RAITA
38 Exchange : SWAP
39 Hostess cream-filled cake : HO HO
41 Sweet-talk : COAX
47 Spanish title : SENOR
49 3D diagnostic tools, briefly : MRIS
50 Second to none : BEST
52 Story : YARN
54 Singer featured on Flo Rida’s “Low” : T-PAIN
55 Additionally : ALSO
56 Action figure? : DOER
58 Hold up : DETAIN
61 Evaluated : RATED
62 Ophthalmologist, informally : EYE DOC
63 Diameter halves : RADII
65 __ dish : PETRI
68 Pink cocktail, familiarly : COSMO
70 “They’re not saying anything worth listening to” : IT’S ALL NOISE
71 Start anew : RESET
72 Majestic trees : ELMS
73 Geppetto’s goldfish : CLEO
74 __ buco : OSSO
75 “To a … ” poems : ODES
76 Apple discard : CORE
81 Sci-fi writer Asimov : ISAAC
82 Longstocking of kid-lit : PIPPI
83 Worshipper of Jah : RASTA
84 Inseam unit : INCH
85 Froot Loops mascot : TOUCAN SAM
86 Political commentator Klein : EZRA
87 Tenant’s expense : RENT
90 Contract ambiguity that may be exploited : LOOPHOLE
95 Half a cosmic whole : YIN
97 Commonwealth off Florida : BAHAMAS
98 Notary public’s device : STAMP
101 Fellows : MEN
102 “Survivor” host Jeff : PROBST
104 “I Put a Spell on You” singer Simone : NINA
105 Diagnostic tool, briefly : CT SCAN
107 Sole mate? : CLEAT
108 Vim and vigor : OOMPH
109 Shipping weight deductions : TARES
110 Final word : SAY-SO
112 Two-time Australian Open winner Osaka : NAOMI
117 __-glace: rich sauce : DEMI
118 Isles off the Irish coast : ARAN
120 Hall of Fame pitcher Seaver : TOM
122 Toward the rudder : AFT
123 Prefix with content and belief : DIS-
124 Miniature : WEE
125 Smelter’s input : ORE