LA Times Crossword: Sun 5/20/18

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Constructed by: C.C. Burnikel
Edited by: Rich Norris

Today’s Theme: Shifting

Themed answers are common phrases. However, they have been reinterpreted by the clues as if the G at the end of the first word has been SHIFTED to the start of the second word:

  • 21A. Steepin’ oats in water? : SOAKIN’ GRAIN (from “soaking rain”)
  • 27A. Marathoner’s lookin’-happy flush? : RUNNIN’ GLOW (from “running low”)
  • 53A. Result of tossin’ an old mitt on the fire? : BURNIN’ GLOVE (from “burning love”)
  • 82A. Layin’ off football legend Red? : FIRIN’ GRANGE (from “firing range”)
  • 111A. Takin’ first place at the Olympics? : GETTIN’ GOLD (from “getting old”)
  • 119A. Muttered complaint about a toe woe that’s really hurtin’? : BLEEPIN’ GOUT (from “bleeping out”)
  • 3D. Lettin’ the family elder onto the plane? : BOARDIN’ GRAMPS (from “boarding ramps”)
  • 58D. Preparin’ husbands-to-be? : TRAININ’ GROOMS (from “training rooms”)

Bill’s time: 16m 44s

Bill’s errors: 0

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Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1. Fatah party chairman : ABBAS

Mahmoud Abbas took over as Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in 2004 after the death of Yasser Arafat. Abbas is also the President of the Palestinian National Authority, a position equivalent to “head of state”.

“Fatah” is actually an acronym, formed from the initials (in reverse) of “Palestinian National Liberation Movement”. Al Fatah is the largest political party in the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).

11. Vanilla extract meas. : TSP

Teaspoon (tsp.)

14. Super Bowl stats : TDS

Touchdown (TD)

19. “Desperate Housewives” character : BREE

The “Desperate Housewives” character named Bree Van de Kamp is played by Marcia Cross.

The TV drama “Desperate Housewives” ran for eight seasons. During pre-production, the show was called “Wisteria Lane” and then “The Secret Lives of Housewives”. The “desperate housewives” lived on the fictional Wisteria Lane in the fictional town of Fairview in the fictional Eagle State. That’s a lot of fiction …

20. __ & Chandon Champagne : MOET

Moët & Chandon is a French winery, 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.

25. Provider of a big lift : CRANE

The lifting device known as a crane is so called because of its resemblance to the wading bird with the same name.

26. Bush and Nixon: Abbr. : VPS

President George H. W. Bush served in the US Navy during WWII. Future President Bush postponed his entry into college after the attack on Pearl Harbor and enlisted in the navy instead. When he earned his wings, he was the youngest aviator in the US Navy at that time.

President Richard Milhous Nixon (RMN) used “Milhous” in his name in honor of his mother Hannah Milhous. Richard was born in a house in Yorba Linda, California. You can visit that house today as it is on the grounds of the Richard Nixon Presidential Library. It’s a really interesting way to spend a few hours if you ever get to Yorba Linda …

27. Marathoner’s lookin’-happy flush? : RUNNIN’ GLOW (from “running low”)

The marathon commemorates the legendary messenger-run by Pheidippides from the site of the Battle of Marathon back to Athens, and is run over 26 miles and 385 yards. The first modern Olympic marathon races were run over a distance that approximated the length of the modern-day Marathon-Athens highway, although the actual length of the race varied from games to games. For the 1908 Olympics in London, a course starting at Windsor Castle and ending in front of the Royal Box at White City Stadium was defined. That course was 26 miles and 385 yards, the standard length now used at all Olympic Games. Organizers of subsequent games continued to vary the length of the race, until a decision was made in 1921 to adopt the distance used in London in 1908.

35. Hopkins’ role in “Thor” : ODIN

Thor is a superhero who was introduced to us by Marvel Comics in 1962. The character is based on the Norse god Thor, and comes complete with a magical hammer. Like so many comic book heroes it seems, Thor has made it to the big screen. Actor Chris Hemsworth played the role in the 2011 film “Thor” directed by the great Kenneth Branagh. Branagh must have needed the cash. Thor’s father Odin is played by Anthony Hopkins. He must have needed the cash too …

The marvelous actor Anthony Hopkins got his big break in movies playing Richard the Lionheart in the 1968 historical drama “The Lion in Winter”. Hopkins hails from the south coast of Wales, and was encouraged in his early career by fellow Welshman Richard Burton, whom he met when he was a teenager. I’d say that Hopkins’ best-known film role was Hannibal Lecter in “The Silence of the Lambs”.

37. Johnson Space Center humanoid project : ROBONAUT

NASA’s Robonaut project has the goal of creating a humanoid machine that has the dexterity necessary to work alongside astronauts. The version known as Robonaut 2 (R2) was delivered to the International Space Station in 2011.

The Johnson Space Center in Houston is NASA’s facility for spaceflight training and research, as well as flight control. Formed in 1961 as the Manned Spacecraft Center, the facility is home to NASA’s “Mission Control”.

41. Dunham and Horne : LENAS

Lena Dunham is a co-star in the HBO series “Girls”, and is also the show’s creator. Dunham garnered a lot of attention for herself during the 2012 US Presidential election cycle as she starred in an ad focused on getting out the youth vote. In the spot, she compared voting for the first time with having sex for the first time.

Lena Horne was an American jazz singer, actress, dancer and civil rights activist. Horne started out her career as a nightclub singer and then began to get some meaty acting roles in Hollywood. However, she ended up on the blacklist during the McCarthy Era for expressing left wing political views. One of Horne’s starring roles was in the 1943 movie “Stormy Weather” for which she also performed the title song.

46. Great Lakes natives : ERIES

The Erie people lived on lands south of Lake Erie, in parts of the modern-day US states of New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio. The Erie were sometimes referred to as the Cat Nation, a reference to the mountain lions that were ever-present in the area that they lived. The name “Erie” is a shortened form of “Erielhonan” meaning “long tail”, possibly a further reference to the mountain lion or cat, which was possibly used as a totem. The Erie people gave their name to the Great Lake.

47. Beaufort scale word : GALE

The Beaufort wind scale is named after Irishman Sir Francis Beaufort, a Rear-Admiral in the Royal Navy. Beaufort was a hydrographer as well as a career navy man.

49. Pol. neighbor : LITH

The nation of Lithuania is a former Soviet Socialist Republic (SSR) sitting on the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. The capital of Lithuania is Vilnius, and 16 miles north of Vilnius is a point that is officially recognized as the Geographic Center of Europe.

56. Chinese ethnic group that’s the world’s largest : HAN

The Han Chinese people are the largest ethnic group in the world, and comprise 18% of the planet’s population. The 1.3 billion Han also make up 92% of China’s population. The group takes its name from the Han dynasty that ruled much of modern day China from roughly 200 BCE to 220 CE.

57. Org. seeking far-out life : 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.

60. Physicians’ org. : AMA

American Medical Association (AMA)

61. 50% of MIV : DII

In Roman numerals, 50% of MIV (1004) is DII (502).

62. Fledgling : NASCENT

A young bird is said to have fledged when its wing muscles and feathers have developed enough for it to fly. The term “fledgling” is used for a bird that has fledged, but is still reliant on a parent for food and protection. The verb “to fledge” means “to acquire feathers”. We use the term “fledgling” more generally to describe any person who is inexperienced.

64. Goat sound? : HARD G

The word “goat” stats with a hard letter G (gee).

66. 2007 National Soccer Hall of Fame inductee : HAMM

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

68. 1995 Stallone title role : DREDD

The 1995 movie “Judge Dredd”, starring Sylvester Stallone in the title role, was loosely based on the comic book character of the same name. Judge Dredd may be an American hero from the future in an American city, but the comic is written and published in the UK.

70. Stand for a canvas : EASEL

The word “easel” comes from an old Dutch word meaning “donkey” would you believe? The idea is that an easel carries its load (an oil painting, say) just as a donkey would be made to carry a load.

72. Base information? : DATA

Our word “data” (singular “datum”) comes from the Latin “datum” meaning “given”. The idea is that data are “things given”.

79. “__ the Senate!”: Darth Sidious : I AM

Palpatine is the Dark Lord of the Sith in the “Star Wars” universe. He is also known as “Darth Sidious” and “the Emperor”. In most of the films in the series, Palpatine is played by Scottish actor Ian McDiarmid. In “The Empire Strikes Back”, he was actually played by a woman, the wife of special makeup effects artist Rick Baker, and voiced by New Zealand actor Clive Revill.

81. Occurrence : HAP

Our word “hap” means chance or fortune. It turns up combined in words like “haphazard” and even “happen”. “Happen” originally meant to “occur by hap, by chance”.

82. Layin’ off football legend Red? : FIRIN’ GRANGE (from “firing range”)

Red Grange played professional football from 1925 until 1934, and spent most of his career with the Chicago Bears. He played College football for the University of Illinois, and in 2008 was named the best college footballer of all time by ESPN. When the Football Writers Association of America chose an all-time all-America team, Grange was the only unanimous choice.

88. Voice-activated iPad app : SIRI

Siri is a software application that works with Apple’s iOS operating system. “Siri” is an acronym standing for Speech Interpretation and Recognition Interface. Voice-over artist Susan Bennett revealed herself as the female American voice of Siri a few years ago. The British version of Siri is called Daniel, and the Australian version is called Karen. Also, “Siri” is a Norwegian name meaning “beautiful woman who leads you to victory”, and was the name the developer had chosen for his first child.

91. Sign word beckoning a Canadian driver : ESSO

The brand name Esso has its roots in the old Standard Oil company as it uses the initial letters of “Standard” and “Oil” (ESS-O). The Esso brand was replaced by Exxon in the US, but ESSO is still used in many other countries.

94. Waze lines: Abbr. : STS

Waze is a navigation app that is similar to Google Maps and Apple Maps. Waze was developed in Israel, and was acquired by Google in 2013.

96. Surprise in a bottle : GENIE

The “genie” in the bottle takes his or her name from “djinn”. “Djinns” were various spirits considered lesser than angels, with people exhibiting unsavory characteristics said to be possessed by djinn. When the book “The Thousand and One Nights” was translated into French, the word “djinn” was transformed into the existing word “génie”, because of the similarity in sound and the related spiritual meaning. This “génie” from the Arabian tale became confused with the Latin-derived “genius”, a guardian spirit thought to be assigned to each person at birth. Purely as a result of that mistranslation the word genie has come to mean the “djinn” that pops out of the bottle. A little hard to follow, I know, but still quite interesting …

101. Pigs with four tusks : WARTHOGS

The warthog is a wild animal from the pig family found in Sub-Saharan Africa. The animal takes its name from four wart-like protrusions on its head that serve as a means of defense, but are also reserves of fat.

104. Petri dish gelatin : AGAR

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 a nutrient source for the specimen being grown and studied, in which case the dish plus agar is referred to as an “agar plate”.

105. Blur in a tabloid pic : UFO

“Tabloid” is the trademarked name (owned by Burroughs, Wellcome and Co,) for a “small tablet of medicine”, a name that goes back to 1884. The word “tabloid” had entered into general use to mean a compressed form of anything, and by the early 1900s was used in “tabloid journalism”, applied to newspapers that had short, condensed articles and stories printed on smaller sheets of paper.

106. “Cheers” actress Bebe : NEUWIRTH

Bebe Neuwirth is a wonderful actress and dancer who famously played Dr. Lilith Sternin, the wife of Dr. Frasier Crane on “Cheers” and “Frasier”. Neuwirth is a fabulous dancer, having studied ballet at Juilliard. In more recent years she has had starring roles on Broadway, and in 2010 played opposite Nathan Lane in “The Addams Family”. Neuwirth also plays a leading role on the show “Madam Secretary”.

108. Escalator handle? : OTIS

Escalators have an advantage over elevators in that they can move larger numbers of people in the same time frame. They can also be placed in just about the same physical space that would be needed for a regular staircase. Patents for escalator-type devices were first filed in 1859, but the first working model wasn’t built until 1892 by one Jesse Reno. It was erected alongside a pier in Coney Island, New York, with the second escalator being placed at an entrance to the Brooklyn Bridge. Soon after, the Otis elevator company purchased the necessary patents and went into the business.

110. Cape Town locale: Abbr. : RSA

Cape Town is the legislative capital of South Africa (RSA), and one of three capital cities in the country. Pretoria is the executive capital, and Bloemfontein is the judicial capital.

111. Takin’ first place at the Olympics? : GETTIN’ GOLD (from “getting old”)

In the Ancient Olympic Games, the winner of an event was awarded an olive wreath. When the games were revived in 1896, the winners were originally given a silver medal and an olive branch, with runners-up receiving a bronze medal and a laurel branch. The tradition of giving gold, silver and bronze medals began at the 1904 Summer Olympic Games held in St. Louis, Missouri.

115. First king of Crete : MINOS

Minos was the King of Crete in Greek mythology, and the son of Zeus and Europa. Minos had an elaborate labyrinth built under the island, designed by the architect Daedalus and his son Icarus (who famously died trying to escape from the island by “flying” away). In the labyrinth, King Minos kept the Minotaur, a dreadful creature with the head of a bull on the body of a man.

118. Brownie, maybe : GIRL

Brownies are a members of the Girl Guiding organization who are seven to ten years old. When the group was founded in 1914 by Lord Baden-Powell, they were known as Rosebuds. That name wasn’t popular with the membership and so was changed, taking inspiration from an 1870 story by Juliana Horatia Ewing called “The Brownies”.

119. Muttered complaint about a toe woe that’s really hurtin’? : BLEEPIN’ GOUT (from “bleeping out”)

Gout is caused by an elevation of the levels of uric acid in the blood. As a result of the high concentrations, the uric acid can crystallize out in tissue causing extreme discomfort. What we tend to call gout occurs when the crystals are deposited in the big toe.

122. Yale’s Ingalls Rink 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 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.

123. Males who meow : TOMS

A group of cats can be referred to as a “clowder” or a “glaring”. A male cat is a “tom” or “tomcat”, and a neutered male is a “gib”. An unaltered female cat is a “queen”, and a spayed female might be referred to informally as a “molly”. A young cat is of course a “kitten”.

125. Cause for a pause : COMMA

Our word “comma” comes into English via Latin from the Greek “komma” meaning “clause in a sentence”.

126. “L.A. Law” actress : DEY

The actress Susan Dey first appeared on “The Partridge Family” when she was 17-years-old when she had no acting experience. Years later, Dey won a Golden Globe for playing the leading role of Grace Van Owen in “L. A. Law”.

127. CDC overseer : HHS

The Department of Health, Education and Welfare (HEW) was split in 1979, into the Department of Education (ED) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

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 …

129. Big Bertha’s birthplace : ESSEN

Essen is a large industrial city located on the River Ruhr in western Germany. The city experienced major population growth in the mid-1800s that was driven by the iron works established by the Krupp family.

Big Bertha was a very large-bore howitzer developed for the German military just prior to WWI. The shell that the gun fired weighed over 1800 lbs. The English name “Big Bertha” is a loose translation of “dicke Bertha”, which literally means “fat Bertha”. The gun was named for Bertha Krupp, the owner of the Krupp business that manufactured the weapon.

Down

1. Apt. coolers : ACS

Room coolers are air conditioning units (ACs).

4. “My Way” lyricist : ANKA

The song “My Way” has lyrics that were written by Paul Anka in 1969, but the tune itself was composed two years earlier by Claude François and Jacques Revaux. The song had been released with completely different lyrics in France as “Comme d’habitude” (“As Usual”). When Anka heard the song on television in Paris he sought out and obtained the rights to use it himself, for free. Supposedly, “Comme d’habitude” has been recorded in more languages, by more artists, than any other song in the contemporary repertoire.

And now, the end is near
And so I face the final curtain
My friend, I’ll say it clear
I’ll state my case, of which I’m certain
I’ve lived a life that’s full
I traveled each and every highway
And more, much more than this, I did it my way

5. It flows below the Pont Neuf : SEINE

Paradoxically, Pont Neuf is the oldest bridge standing today that crosses the River Seine in Paris. The paradox is that the name translates to “new bridge”. The bridge is in two parts, as it crosses from the Left Bank to the Île de la Cité (on which stands Notre Dame) and then from the Île de la Cité to the Right Bank.

9. Granola morsel : RAISIN

The names “Granola” and “Granula” were trademarked back in the late 1800s for whole-grain foods that were crumbled and baked until crisp. Granola was created in Dansville, New York in 1894.

10. Job application no. : SSN

Social Security number (SSN)

11. Former Senator Lott : TRENT

Trent Lott is a political figure who first went to Washington to work as an administrative assistant to Representative William M. Colmer, from Mississippi. After four years working for Colmer, Lott ran for the House seat that Colmer was to leave vacant on his retirement. Colmer endorsed Lott in that election, even though Colmer was a Democrat and Lott ran as a Republican. Lott won the race very handily, launching a 35-year career representing his home state of Mississippi in both the House and the Senate. Lott eventually ran into trouble for remarks he made that were interpreted as being racially motivated, and ended up resigning in 2007.

16. __ prunes : STEWED

A prune is a dried plum. The name “prune” comes from the Latin “prunum”, the word for “plum”.

19. Former Pakistani prime minister Benazir : BHUTTO

When Benazir Bhutto took office as Prime Minister of Pakistan in 1988, she became the first woman elected to lead a Muslim state. She came from good political stock, as she was the eldest child of former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. Benazir Bhutto was assassinated in 2007 just a few weeks before a scheduled general election. Her husband, Asif Ali Zardari, is the current Prime Minister of the country.

20. Chinese sauce additive : MSG

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is the sodium salt of a naturally-occurring,non-essential amino acid called glutamic acid. It is used widely as a flavor enhancer, particularly in many Asian cuisines. Whether or not it is harmful seems to be still under debate. I say that something produced in a test tube shouldn’t be in our food …

29. D.C. dealmaker : POL

Politician (pol)

36. Chapati alternative : NAAN

Naan (also “nan”) bread is very popular in Indian restaurants, as well as in other West, Central and South Asian cuisines. Indian Naan is traditionally baked in a clay oven known as a tandoor.

Chapati is an unleavened flatbread that is associated with India. The name of the bread comes from the Hindi word “chapat” meaning “flat”.

40. “Nothing Compares 2 U” singer O’Connor : SINEAD

Sinéad O’Connor is a singer-songwriter from Dublin, a somewhat outspoken and controversial character. My sister-in-law was in the same class as her in high school, and she tells me that Sinéad stood out among her peers even back then.

48. Geraint’s beloved : ENID

Enid is a Welsh name, from “einit” an old Welsh word meaning “purity”. Enid was the wife of Geraint, one of King Arthur’s knights. Enid is described as “the personification of spotless purity”.

53. Island band The __ Men : BAHA

The Baha Men are so called because they hail from the Bahamas. Their big hit was “Who Let the Dogs Out?” That song ranked as third in a list of the world’s most annoying songs!

54. Fish sauce taste : UMAMI

Umami is one of the five basic tastes, along with sweet, sour, bitter and salty. “Umami” is a Japanese word used to describe “a pleasant savory taste”. Umami was proposed as a basic taste in 1908, but it wasn’t until 1985 that the scientific community finally accepted it as such.U

55. Saddle bands : GIRTHS

A girth or cinch is a piece of horse tack that is used to keep a saddle in place. The girth passes under the barrel of the horse, around the rib cage.

59. Luggage tie-on : ID TAG

The word “luggage” arose in the late 16th century, when it described something that was “lugged” about. More recently, the term is used mainly by English speakers on the other side of the Atlantic instead of “baggage”.

63. Director DeMille : CECIL

Cecil B. Demille was a movie director and producer who started his professional career in the silent era. DeMille’s movies were often epic works, such “Cleopatra” (1936), “Samson and Delilah” (1949), “The Greatest Show on Earth” (1952) and “The Ten Commandments” (1956). The Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award is named in his honor, and indeed he was its first recipient.

67. Mideast capital : MUSCAT

Muscat is the capital of Oman, and lies on the northeast coast of the state on the Gulf of Oman, a branch of the Persian Gulf.

71. Centipede’s many : LEGS

Centipedes and millipedes are multi-legged arthropods. Centipedes can have varying numbers of legs, from about 30 to about 350 depending on species. Millipedes have segmented bodies with two pairs of legs in each segment. Millipedes have about 80 to 750 legs, again depending on species.

74. Popular soup mushroom : PORCINI

The porcini is an edible mushroom that is highly prized in many cuisines. “Porcini” is Italian for “little pigs”.

84. 58.4 square miles, for Minneapolis : AREA

Minneapolis is the largest city in Minnesota, and shares the name “Twin Cities” with the neighboring state capital of Saint Paul. One of the early settlers in the area was New England scholar Charles Hoag, who became the first schoolmaster in Minneapolis, and later the county treasurer. Hoag proposed the name “Minnehapolis” for the new city, combing part of “Minnehaha” with the Greek suffix “-polis”. Minnehaha Falls is a local waterfall, the name of which gained celebrity after Henry Wadsworth Longfellow used the name for his fictional character in his poem “The Song of Hiawatha”.

89. Foul caller : REFEREE

Back in the early 17th century, a referee was someone who examined patent applications. We started using the same term for a person presiding over a sporting event in the 1820s. “Referee” is derivative of the verb “to refer”, and literally describes someone who has the authority to make a decision by “referring to” a book, archive etc.

90. Arcane stuff : ESOTERY

Something described as “esoteric” is meant only for a select few with special knowledge. The term comes from the Greek “esoterikos” meaning “belonging to an inner circle”.

93. Reddish-brown chalcedony : SARD

Sard is a reddish-brown gem that is often referred to as Carnelian, although generally sard is harder and darker. Sard probably takes its name from the Persian word “sered” meaning yellowish-red.

Chalcedony is a mineral, a form of silica.

95. SFPD rank : SGT

The San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) is the 11th largest police department in the country. The SFPD dates back to the days of the Gold Rush, being founded in 1849 as a force of 35 officers. SFPD has featured a lot in movies and on television. The most famous films are probably “Bullitt”, the “Dirty Harry” series and “48 Hrs.” On television there was “Ironside”, “The Streets of San Francisco” and “Monk”.

98. Nolan Ryan’s 1.69 in 1981: Abbr. : ERA

Earned run average (ERA)

Nolan Ryan is famous for having more career strikeouts that any other baseball pitcher. However, he also holds the record for the most career walks and wild pitches. Another record that Ryan holds is the most no-hitters, a total of seven over his career.

100. Manga series about gaming : YU-GI-OH!

“Yu-Gi-Oh!” is a Japanese series of manga comics about a young gamer name Yugi Mutou. Yugi solves an ancient puzzle, which results in his body being occupied by a spirit gambler.

The Japanese word “manga” means “whimsical pictures” and is an apt term to describe the Japanese style of comic book. Manga publications are more diverse than American comic books and have a larger audience. Manga cover many subjects including romance, sports, business, horror, and mystery.

102. Louise’s pal : THELMA

“Thelma & Louise” is a thought-provoking movie, and one that is very entertaining. It was directed by Ridley Scott in 1991, and stars two fabulous leads in Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon. You’ll also spot Brad Pitt onscreen in his first significant movie role.

103. __ Valley : SIMI

Simi Valley, California is perhaps best known as home to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. The library is a great place to visit, and there you can tour one of the retired Air Force One planes.

112. Quantity in a brace : TWO

A brace is a pair, as in a brace of game birds that have been killed for sport.

114. Capone adversary : NESS

Eliot Ness was the Treasury agent charged with the task of bringing down the notorious Chicago gangster Al Capone. When Ness took on the job in 1930, Chicago law-enforcement agents were renowned for being corrupt, for being on the take. Ness handpicked 50 prohibition agents who he thought he could rely on, later reducing the group to a cadre of 15 and ultimately just 11 trusted men. That group of 11 earned the nickname “The Untouchables”, the agents who couldn’t be bought.

116. Oxfam and PETA, for two : NGOS

Non-governmental organization (NGO)

Oxfam was founded in 1942 in Oxford, England, and was originally called Oxford Committee for Famine Relief. The original mission of Oxfam was to persuade the British government to allow food into Greece during WWII in the days the country was occupied by the Axis Powers. The name OXFAM was adopted in 1965. Prior to that date, OXFAM was quite simply the organization’s telegraph address (remember telegraphs?).

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is a very large animal rights organization, with 300 employees and two million members and supporters worldwide. Although the group campaigns for animal rights across a broad spectrum of issues, it has a stated focus in opposition of four practices:

  • Factory farming
  • Fur farming
  • Animal testing
  • Use of animals in entertainment

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Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1. Fatah party chairman : ABBAS
6. Battle souvenirs : SCARS
11. Vanilla extract meas. : TSP
14. Super Bowl stats : TDS
17. Fairy tale villain : CRONE
18. Saintly glows : AURAS
19. “Desperate Housewives” character : BREE
20. __ & Chandon Champagne : MOET
21. Steepin’ oats in water? : SOAKIN’ GRAIN (from “soaking rain”)
23. Take, as advice : HEED
24. A few : SOME
25. Provider of a big lift : CRANE
26. Bush and Nixon: Abbr. : VPS
27. Marathoner’s lookin’-happy flush? : RUNNIN’ GLOW (from “running low”)
29. Whale group : POD
30. Lack of trouble : EASE
32. “See ya later” : I GOTTA GO
34. Processed food? : ATE
35. Hopkins’ role in “Thor” : ODIN
37. Johnson Space Center humanoid project : ROBONAUT
39. Put faith in : TRUSTED
41. Dunham and Horne : LENAS
43. Disallow : BAN
44. “Cool it!” : STOP!
46. Great Lakes natives : ERIES
47. Beaufort scale word : GALE
49. Pol. neighbor : LITH
51. __ wait: lurk : LIE IN
53. Result of tossin’ an old mitt on the fire? : BURNIN’ GLOVE (from “burning love”)
56. Chinese ethnic group that’s the world’s largest : HAN
57. Org. seeking far-out life : SETI
60. Physicians’ org. : AMA
61. 50% of MIV : DII
62. Fledgling : NASCENT
64. Goat sound? : HARD G
66. 2007 National Soccer Hall of Fame inductee : HAMM
68. 1995 Stallone title role : DREDD
70. Stand for a canvas : EASEL
72. Base information? : DATA
73. Energize : AMP UP
75. Split into thirds : TRISECT
77. Gym exercise unit : REP
79. “__ the Senate!”: Darth Sidious : I AM
80. Snippy retort : IS SO!
81. Occurrence : HAP
82. Layin’ off football legend Red? : FIRIN’ GRANGE (from “firing range”)
85. Unrefined : CRASS
87. Custardy pastry : FLAN
88. Voice-activated iPad app : SIRI
89. Blink, say : REACT
91. Sign word beckoning a Canadian driver : ESSO
94. Waze lines: Abbr. : STS
96. Surprise in a bottle : GENIE
99. In an edgy way : TESTILY
101. Pigs with four tusks : WARTHOGS
104. Petri dish gelatin : AGAR
105. Blur in a tabloid pic : UFO
106. “Cheers” actress Bebe : NEUWIRTH
108. Escalator handle? : OTIS
110. Cape Town locale: Abbr. : RSA
111. Takin’ first place at the Olympics? : GETTIN’ GOLD (from “getting old”)
113. Phase out : END
115. First king of Crete : MINOS
117. Mushroomed : GREW
118. Brownie, maybe : GIRL
119. Muttered complaint about a toe woe that’s really hurtin’? : BLEEPIN’ GOUT (from “bleeping out”)
122. Yale’s Ingalls Rink designer Saarinen : EERO
123. Males who meow : TOMS
124. “Nothing for me” : I’M SET
125. Cause for a pause : COMMA
126. “L.A. Law” actress : DEY
127. CDC overseer : HHS
128. Sounds shocked : GASPS
129. Big Bertha’s birthplace : ESSEN

Down

1. Apt. coolers : ACS
2. Etiquette on frat row : BRO CODE
3. Lettin’ the family elder onto the plane? : BOARDIN’ GRAMPS (from “boarding ramps”)
4. “My Way” lyricist : ANKA
5. It flows below the Pont Neuf : SEINE
6. Droop : SAG
7. Slider option : CURVEBALL
8. “I don’t give __!” : A RAP
9. Granola morsel : RAISIN
10. Job application no. : SSN
11. Former Senator Lott : TRENT
12. Witnessed visiting : SEEN AT
13. Purebred family tree : PEDIGREE
14. “You missed it” : TOO LATE
15. Reduces in rank : DEMOTES
16. __ prunes : STEWED
19. Former Pakistani prime minister Benazir : BHUTTO
20. Chinese sauce additive : MSG
22. In the area : NEAR
27. Beat soundly : ROUT
28. Keep healthy : NOURISH
29. D.C. dealmaker : POL
31. One may be choked back : SOB
33. Deep cuts : GASHES
36. Chapati alternative : NAAN
38. Chip topper : ONION DIP
40. “Nothing Compares 2 U” singer O’Connor : SINEAD
42. Dove into home, say : SLID
45. Prepares (for) : PLANS
48. Geraint’s beloved : ENID
50. Show stoppers : TV ADS
52. Trainee : INTERN
53. Island band The __ Men : BAHA
54. Fish sauce taste : UMAMI
55. Saddle bands : GIRTHS
56. Summer itch cause : HEAT RASH
58. Preparin’ husbands-to-be? : TRAININ’ GROOMS (from “training rooms”)
59. Luggage tie-on : ID TAG
63. Director DeMille : CECIL
65. Up for it : GAME
67. Mideast capital : MUSCAT
69. Wipe clean : ERASE
71. Centipede’s many : LEGS
74. Popular soup mushroom : PORCINI
76. Diligence : EFFORT
78. Fuddy-duddy : PRIG
83. Unable to back out : IN TOO DEEP
84. 58.4 square miles, for Minneapolis : AREA
86. Verbosely : AT LENGTH
89. Foul caller : REFEREE
90. Arcane stuff : ESOTERY
92. Gulps down : SWILLS
93. Reddish-brown chalcedony : SARD
95. SFPD rank : SGT
97. Postulate starter : I ASSUME …
98. Nolan Ryan’s 1.69 in 1981: Abbr. : ERA
99. Pulled : TUGGED
100. Manga series about gaming : YU-GI-OH!
102. Louise’s pal : THELMA
103. __ Valley : SIMI
107. They often get hooked : WORMS
109. From that time : SINCE
112. Quantity in a brace : TWO
114. Capone adversary : NESS
116. Oxfam and PETA, for two : NGOS
119. Trending : BIG
120. Hoops stat: Abbr. : PTS
121. What a Hawaii vacationer may come home with : TAN

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