LA Times Crossword 5 Jun 22, Sunday

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Constructed by: Doug Peterson
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Theme: Mocktails

Themed clues are the names of cocktails, but reinterpreted to suit the answers:

  • 22A ROB ROY : WALTER SCOTT NOVEL
  • 32A MIMOSA : FLOWERING TREE
  • 51A STINGER : SCORPION’S WEAPON
  • 68A SIDECAR : MOTORCYCLE ACCESSORY
  • 85A COSMOPOLITAN : FASHION MAGAZINE
  • 101A MANHATTAN : NEW YORK ISLAND
  • 116A GRASSHOPPER : CROP-EATING INSECT

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

Bill’s time: 13m 26s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

9 Arctic jacket : ANORAK

Anoraks really aren’t very popular over here in America. Everyone has one in Ireland! An anorak is a heavy jacket with a hood, often lined with fur (or fake fur), and is an invention of the Inuit people.

15 Zilch : NIL

We use the term “zilch” to mean “nothing”. Our current usage evolved in the sixties, before which the term was used to describe “meaningless speech”. There was a comic character called Mr. Zilch in the 1930s in “Ballyhoo” magazine. Mr. Zilch’s name probably came from the American college slang “Joe Zilch” that was used in the early 1900s for “an insignificant person”.

20 “Starsky & Hutch” Ford model : TORINO

Ford produced the Torino from 1968 to 1976. The name “Torino” is Italian for “Turin”, a nod to the city that has been dubbed “the Italian Detroit”, as Turin is home to auto manufacturers FIAT, Lancia and Alfa Romeo. Ford extended the Torino line’s offering by adding the Gran Torino, and the Gran Torino Sport in 1972. Famously, the Ford Gran Torino was used by the title characters in the seventies cop show “Starsky & Hutch”. Starsky’s Torino was red in color, with a large white vector stripe running along both sides. Ford cashed in on the popularity of the show by producing a thousand replicas of the “Starsky and Hutch” car, although they weren’t much more than the standard vehicle with a specialty paint job.

“Starsky & Hutch” is a fun cop show that ran for four seasons on television in the seventies. The lead roles were played by David Soul (Ken “Hutch” Hutchinson) and Paul Michael Glaser (David Starsky). It was Glaser who really brought the show to a close. He tried to get out of his contract during filming of the third season (even suing to do so). He tried again during the fourth season, and then plans to film a fifth season were just dropped.

21 Miffed : SORE

To miff is to put out, to tee off. “To miff” is a verb that has been around since the early 1600s. In 1824, Sir Walter Scott described the word “miffed” as “a women’s phrase”. That should get him a slap, I’d say …

22 ROB ROY : WALTER SCOTT NOVEL

Sir Walter Scott was a Scottish novelist and playwright, the first English-language author to gain popularity around the world during his own lifetime. The most famous of his works are “Ivanhoe”, “Rob Roy” and “The Lady of the Lake”.

“Rob Roy” is an 1917 novel by Walter Scott. Although the title references a real Scottish folk hero, the story penned by Scott bears little resemblance to reality. English playwright George Soane adapted the novel into a 1918 play of the same name. Further, French composer Hector Berlioz wrote the “Rob Roy Overture” (“Intrata di Rob Roy Macgregor”) in 1831, also inspired by Walter Scott’s novel.

Rob Roy was a folk hero in Scotland from the 18th century. He was a sort of Scottish Robin Hood, an outlaw who had the support of the populace. Rob Roy’s full name was Robert Roy MacGregor, itself an anglicization of the Scottish Raibeart Ruadh. He gave his name to a famous cocktail called a Rob Roy, which is a relative of a Manhattan but made with Scotch instead of bourbon.

27 Zen garden carp : KOI

Koi are fish that are also known as Japanese carp. Koi have been bred for decorative purposes and there are now some very brightly colored examples found in Japanese water gardens.

Japanese Zen gardens are inspired by the meditation gardens of Zen Buddhist temples. Zen gardens have no water in them, but often there is gravel and sand that is raked in patterns designed to create the impression of water in waves and ripples.

32 MIMOSA : FLOWERING TREE

Some members of the Mimosa genus of plant are capable of rapid movement. For example, if you touch the leaves of the Mimosa pudica, they curl up in less than a second.

Where I come from, the cocktail known in North America as a mimosa is called a buck’s fizz, with the latter named for Buck’s Club in London where it was introduced in 1921. The mimosa came along a few years later, apparently first being served in the Paris Ritz. If you want to make a mimosa, it’s a 50-50 mix of champagne and orange juice, and it is very tasty …

36 “Here’s a Quarter (Call Someone Who Cares)” singer Travis : TRITT

“Here’s a Quarter (Call Someone Who Cares)” is a 1991 song written and recorded by country singer Travis Tritt. When Tritt performs the song live, audience members are inclined to throw quarters onto the stage.

39 Lenovo products : PCS

Lenovo is a Chinese manufacturer of computers that was founded as “Legend” in 1984. The name was changed to “Lenovo” in 2002. “Lenovo” is a portmanteau of “Le” (from “Legend”) and “novo” (Latin for “new”). IBM sold off its personal computer division to Lenovo in 2005.

41 Org. with Red Wings and Blue Jackets : NHL

The Detroit Red Wings play in the National Hockey League (NHL). The Red Wings have won the Stanley Cup more times than any other US-based NHL team.

The Blue Jackets are the professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Ohio. The name “Blue Jacket” is a reference to the uniforms worn by Ohio and Columbus soldiers during the Civil War.

43 Word on Irish stamps : EIRE

“Éire” is the Irish name for Ireland, coming from “Ériu”. Ériu was the matron goddess of Ireland in Irish mythology.

44 Longtime label for Elton John : MCA

MCA Records was a record label that was founded in 1934 as Decca Records.

47 Secret meetings : TRYSTS

In the most general sense, a tryst is a meeting at an agreed time and place. More usually we consider a tryst to be a pre-arranged meeting between lovers. The term comes from the Old French “triste”, a waiting place designated when hunting. Further, a tryst taking place at lunchtime is sometimes referred to as a nooner.

51 STINGER : SCORPION’S WEAPON

There are about 1750 different species of scorpion in the world, but only 25 or so have venom sufficiently toxic to kill a human.

Stingers are a class of cocktails made from a spirit mixed with crème de menthe. The classic stinger recipe calls for brandy and white crème de menthe, and dates back at least to 1917. The variation that calls for brandy mixed with green crème de menthe is known as a green hornet.

56 Decimal base : TEN

Our base-10 numeral system is also known as the decimal (sometimes “denary”) numeral system. Another common numeral system is base-2, which is also known as the binary system.

57 Squid kin : OCTOPI

The name “octopus” comes from the Greek for “eight-footed”. The most common plural used is “octopuses”, although the Greek plural form “octopodes” is also quite correct. The plural “octopi” isn’t really correct as the inference is that “octopus” is like a second-declension Latin noun, which it isn’t. That said, dictionaries are now citing “octopi” as an acceptable plural. Language does evolve, even though it drives me crazy …

58 Venerable British school : ETON

Eton College near Windsor in the south of England was founded way back in 1440 by King Henry VI. Originally known as “The King’s College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor”, the school was intended to provide free education to poor boys. Free education today at Eton? Not so much …

63 Gossip blogger Hilton : PEREZ

Perez Hilton is a blogger who is noted for posting gossip items about celebrities. If you want to check it out, Hilton’s site is PerezHilton.com. It used to be called PageSixSixSix.com. I have no idea why …

66 Pelican, for one : SEABIRD

The pelican is an example of a piscivore. A piscivorous animal is actually a carnivore, but one that lives on fish.

68 SIDECAR : MOTORCYCLE ACCESSORY

The sidecar is one of my very favorite cocktails. It was invented around the end of WWI, possibly in the Ritz Hotel in Paris. It’s a simple drink to make, and contains brandy, cointreau or triple sec, and lemon or lime juice. It’s really the brandy version of a margarita (or vice versa).

72 Shade provider : PARASOL

A parasol is a light umbrella that is used as a sunshade. The term “parasol” ultimately comes from Latin “para-” meaning “defense against”, and “sol” meaning “sun”.

73 Calyx part : SEPAL

In a flower, the sepals are the green, leaf-like structures that are “interleaved” with the petals, providing support. Prior to acting as support for the petals, the sepals protect the flower in bud.

The calyx is the collective name for the sepals of a flower, which form the outermost whorl that forms the flower (the pretty part!).

75 NASA go-aheads : A-OKS

Our term “A-OK” is supposedly an abbreviation for “A(ll systems are) OK”, and arose at NASA in the sixties during the space program.

76 Gyro bread : PITA

A gyro is a traditional Greek dish of meat roasted on a tall vertical spit that is sliced from the spit as required. Gyros are usually served inside a lightly grilled piece of pita bread, along with tomato, onion and tzatziki (a yogurt and cucumber sauce).

81 Zilch : ZIP

We use the term “zilch” to mean “nothing”. Our current usage evolved in the sixties, before which the term was used to describe “meaningless speech”. There was a comic character called Mr. Zilch in the 1930s in “Ballyhoo” magazine. Mr. Zilch’s name probably came from the American college slang “Joe Zilch” that was used in the early 1900s for “an insignificant person”.

85 COSMOPOLITAN : FASHION MAGAZINE

“Cosmopolitan” magazine was first published way back in 1886! It started out life as a family magazine, then as a literary publication. “Cosmo” took its present form as a women’s magazine in the 1960s.

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.

89 Respiratory cavity : AIR SAC

The alveoli are the air sacs in the lungs, and as such are the basic units of respiration. They are hollow cavities around which the alveolar membranes perform the gas-exchange of carbon dioxide and oxygen. That gas exchange surface is about 800 sq. ft. (!) in the average human.

94 Pt. of ERA : AVG

Earned run average (ERA)

95 Sinusitis-treating MDs : ENTS

The branch of medicine known as “ear, nose and throat” (ENT) is more correctly called “otolaryngology”.

The suffix “-itis” is used to denote inflammation, as in laryngitis (inflammation of the larynx), otitis (inflammation of the ear), tendinitis (inflammation of a tendon), tonsillitis (inflammation of the tonsils) and sinusitis (inflammation of the sinuses).

99 Tool in the Portland Timbers logo : AXE

Portland’s professional soccer team is known as the Timbers. The current Major League Soccer (MLS) club was founded in 2009, and took the name of the original Portland Timbers team that played in the North American Soccer League from 1975 to 1982.

100 Specialized jargon : ARGOT

“Argot” is a French term. It is the name given in the 17th century to “the jargon of the Paris underworld”. Nowadays argot is a set of idioms used by any particular group, the “lingo” of that group.

101 MANHATTAN : NEW YORK ISLAND

The island we know as Manhattan was inhabited by the Lenape when the first Europeans explorers arrived in the area. According to the logbook of one of the officers on explorer Henry Hudson’s yacht, the island was called “Manna-hata” in the local language, from which the modern name derives.

The cocktail called a manhattan is made from whiskey, sweet vermouth and Angostura bitters. I favor my own version of a brandy manhattan, using brandy, sweet vermouth and orange bitters.

106 Extinct flightless bird : DODO

The dodo was a direct relative of the pigeon and the dove, although the fully-grown dodo was usually three feet tall. One of the reasons the dodo comes to mind when we think of extinction of a species, is that it disappeared not too long ago (last recorded alive in 1662) and humans were the reason for its demise. The dodo lived exclusively on the island of Mauritius and when humans arrived, we cut back the forests that were its home. We also introduced domestic animals, such as dogs and pigs, that ransacked the dodo’s nests. The dodo was deemed to be an awkward flightless bird and so the term “dodo” has come to mean a dull-witted person.

109 “Shea Butter Baby” R&B singer Lennox : ARI

“Ari Lennox” is the stage name of R&B singer Courtney Salter. In choosing her stage name, Salter was influenced by a character named Mary Lennox in the 1993 movie version of “The Secret Garden”.

115 Pop diva who recorded the ABBA cover album “Dancing Queen” : CHER

“Dancing Queen” is an excellent 2018 studio album released by Cher. She had just appeared in the 2018 musical film “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again”, which is based on ABBA music. The album features cover versions of ABBA songs, including “Fernando” and “Super Trouper”, which Cher sang in the movie. My wife and I had tickets to see Cher in her subsequent “Here We Go Again”, but the fixture was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic 🙁

116 GRASSHOPPER : CROP-EATING INSECT

Some species of grasshoppers are known as locusts. The main characteristic defining a locust species is the tendency to swarm under certain circumstances. Those circumstances are usually drought conditions followed by rapid growth of vegetation.

A grasshopper cocktail is usually served martini-style, and is a mix of equal parts (green) crème de menthe, crème de cacao and cream. I just found a corny joke about the drink that I think is worth repeating:

A grasshopper walks into a bar and hops up onto the counter. The bartender says “we have a drink named after you”. The grasshopper replies “You have a drink named Carl?”

122 “Pride and Prejudice” novelist : AUSTEN

English novelist Jane Austen is best known today for her six major novels, only four of which were published before she died in 1817, at the age of 41:

  1. “Sense and Sensibility” (1811)
  2. “Pride and Prejudice” (1813)
  3. “Mansfield Park” (1814)
  4. “Emma” (1816)
  5. “Northanger Abbey” (1818)
  6. “Persuasion” (1818)

Perhaps Jane Austen’s most famous ironic statement comes at the start of her 1813 masterpiece “Pride and Prejudice”:

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.

125 Surgery ctrs. : ORS

An operating room (OR) is used for performing surgery (surg.).

126 Duplicitous : SNEAKY

To be duplicitous is to be deceitful. “Duplicitous” comes from the Greek “duplex” meaning “twofold”. The idea is that someone who is deceitful is twofold in his or her conduct.

128 “The Great British Bake Off” co-presenter Fielding : NOEL

Noel Fielding is an comedian, actor, musician and artist from London, England who is perhaps best known to North American audiences these days as a host of “The Great British Baking Show”.

Down

5 Actress Hannah : DARYL

Daryl Hannah is an actress from Chicago who got her big break in movies playing a violent replicant called Pris in the 1982 sci-fi classic “Blade Runner”. A couple of years later she played the female lead opposite Tom Hanks in the hit film “Splash”.

9 QB stat : ATT

In football, one statistic (stat) used to track the performance of a quarterback (QB) is attempts (ATT).

10 Persona __ grata : NON

A persona non grata (plural “personae non gratae”) is someone who is not welcome. The phrase is Latin for “an unacceptable person”. The opposite phrase is “persona grata”, meaning “acceptable person”.

11 __ y plata: Montana motto : ORO

“Oro y Plata” means “gold and silver”, and is the state motto of Montana. The motto was written in Spanish, solely because “it had a nice ring to it”.

12 Missouri or Ohio : RIVER

At 2,341 miles, the Missouri is the longest river in North America. Rising in Montana in the Rocky Mountains, it flows into the Mississippi at St. Louis. The Mississippi-Missouri river system is the fourth largest on the planet.

The Ohio River forms in Pittsburgh where the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers meet. It empties into the Mississippi near the city of Cairo, Illinois.

13 Lacking energy : ANEMIC

The term “anemia” (or “anaemia”, as we write it back in Ireland) comes from a Greek word meaning “lack of blood”. Anemia is a lack of iron in the blood, or a low red blood cell count. Tiredness is a symptom of the condition, and so we use the term “anemic” figuratively to mean “lacking in vitality or substance”.

14 Caffeine-rich seed : KOLA NUT

The nut of the kola tree has a bitter taste, and is loaded with caffeine. Despite the taste, the nut is habitually chewed in some cultures, especially in West Africa where the tree is commonly found in the rainforest. Here in the US we best know the kola nut as a flavoring used in cola drinks.

16 “Fame” star Cara : IRENE

Irene Cara co-wrote and sang the Oscar-winning song “Flashdance…What a Feeling” from the 1983 movie “Flashdance”. Cara also sang the title song for the 1980 movie “Fame”, and indeed played the lead role of student Coco Hernandez.

21 Hot and muggy : SULTRY

Our term “muggy” means “warm and humid”, and comes from the Old Norse word “mugga” that describes “drizzling mist”.

29 Longtime Disney CEO Bob : IGER

Robert Iger took over from Michael Eisner as CEO in 2005. Iger worked for ABC when it was taken over by Disney in 1996, and in 1999 he was named president of Walt Disney International. Iger is doing okay for himself; he earned more than $29 million in 2009.

31 Home of Disney’s World Showcase : EPCOT

World Showcase is a neighborhood in EPCOT that is designed to emulate a world’s fair. It comprises eleven pavilions that showcase the culture of eleven nations:

  • Canada
  • United Kingdom
  • France
  • Morocco
  • Japan
  • United States
  • Italy
  • Germany
  • China
  • Norway
  • Mexico

37 Basmati __ : RICE

Basmati is a long grain rice that is commonly used in Indian and Pakistani cuisine. The name “basmati” comes from the Sanskrit word “vasmati” meaning “fragrant”. I am a big fan …

44 Confident gesture after a performance : MIC DROP

A mic drop takes place when a performer has done particularly well and decides to celebrate by throwing or dropping the microphone to the floor. That doesn’t seem to happen at the performances I tend to frequent …

50 Roe source : SHAD

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

52 Some shirts : POLOS

René Lacoste was a French tennis player who went into the clothing business, and came up with a more comfortable shirt that players could use. This became known as a “tennis shirt”. When it was adopted for use in the sport of polo, the shirts also became known as “polo shirts”. The “golf shirt” is basically the same thing. The Lacoste line of clothing features a crocodile logo, because René was nicknamed “The Crocodile”.

53 Freelance detail, briefly : SPEC

The term “free lance” was coined by Sir Walter Scott in his 1820 novel “Ivanhoe”, when he used it to describe a medieval mercenary warrior. Forty years later, a “freelancer” was a journalist who did work for more than one publication without a long-term commitment.

54 Bouquet : NOSE

“Bouquet” comes from the French word for “bunch” in the sense of “bunch of flowers”. In French, the term is derived from an older word describing a little wood or small grove of trees. We started using “bouquet” to mean “perfume from a wine” in the early 1800s.

59 Financial planning result, hopefully : NEST EGG

A nest egg is an amount of money laid down as a reserve. This is the figurative use of “nest egg” that originally described an artificial egg left in a nest to encourage a hen to lay real eggs in that spot. So our financial nest egg is set aside in anticipation of continued growth, more eggs being laid.

60 Microsoft console : XBOX

The Xbox line of video game consoles is made by Microsoft. The original Xbox platform was followed by Xbox 360 and more recently by Xbox One. Microsoft’s Xbox competes directly with Sony’s PlayStation and Nintendo’s Wii.

64 Letters on some pumps : EEE

A pump is a woman’s shoe that doesn’t have a strap. Such shoes are probably called “pumps” because of the sound they make while walking in them.

65 Shoe retailer owned by Amazon : ZAPPOS

Zappos.com is a online retailer of mainly shoes that was founded in 1999. Zappos has been a subsidiary of Amazon.com since 1999, and now is the largest online shoe store in the world. The name “Zappos” is derived from “zapatos”, the Spanish word for “shoes”.

67 Carne __: burrito filling : ASADA

The name of the dish called “carne asada” translates from Spanish as “roasted meat”.

A burrito is a common dish served in Mexican cuisine. It is a flour tortilla filled with all sorts of good stuff. The term “burrito” is Spanish for “little donkey”, the diminutive of “burro” meaning “donkey”. It’s thought that the name was applied as a burrito looks like a bedroll or pack that might be carried by a donkey.

68 New Zealand native : MAORI

The Māori are the indigenous people of New Zealand. They are eastern Polynesian in origin and began arriving in New Zealand relatively recently, starting some time in the late 13th century. The word “māori” simply means “normal”, distinguishing mortal humans from spiritual entities. The Māori refer to New Zealand as “Aotearoa”.

69 Energy bar brand with a rock climber in its logo : CLIF

A CLIF Bar is an energy bar, and is the flagship product of Clif Bar and Company based in Emeryville, California. The CLIF Bar was developed by baker and former mountain guide Gary Erickson in 1990. He named it for his father Clifford.

70 James of “Elf” : CAAN

James Caan is an actor from the Bronx, New York City. He is noted for his appearances in some very big movies such as “The Godfather”, “Misery”, “A Bridge Too Far”, “Rollerball” and more recently “Elf”. Caan is quite the sportsman. He plays golf with an 8 handicap, and is a 6-Dan Black Belt Master of Gosoku Karate.

“Elf” is a comedy movie that was released for the 2003 Christmas season. It was directed by Jon Favreau and stars Will Ferrell in the title role, with James Caan supporting and Ed Asner playing Santa Claus. It’s all about one of Santa’s elves who finds out he is human and goes to meet his father in New York City. The film was adapted into a stage musical that premiered on Broadway during the Christmas season of 2010.

72 Storybook bear : PAPA

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.

77 Pic that’s costly to remove : TAT

The word “tattoo” (often shortened to “tat”) was first used in English in the writings of the famous English explorer Captain Cook. In his descriptions of the indelible marks adorning the skin of Polynesian natives, Cook anglicized the Tahitian word “tatau” into our “tattoo”. Tattoos are sometimes referred to as “ink”.

83 Nudnik : PEST

“Nudnik” is a slang term describing a boring and bothersome person. The word comes from Yiddish, with “nuda” being the Polish for “boredom”.

90 Novelist Dorothy who created Lord Peter Wimsey : SAYERS

Dorothy L Sayers is a mystery writer best known for her “Lord Peter Wimsey” series of novels. She is often listed as one of the four original “Queens of Crime”, namely Dorothy L. Sayers, Margery Allingham, Agatha Christie, and Dame Ngaio Marsh.

Lord Peter Wimsey is a delightful character created by Dorothy L. Sayers in a series of detective novels. Wimsey is a gentleman sleuth living in Britain in the twenties and thirties, and a man who loves the good life. The “Lord Peter Wimsey” stories are favorites for adaptation by the BBC into radio and television series. An excellent TV version was aired by the BBC in the seventies, starring Ian Carmichael as the lead (available on DVD, and often shown in PBS). I also listen to Ian Carmichael portraying Wimsey in BBC radio episodes that air quite regularly …

92 Northernmost South American capital : CARACAS

Caracas is the capital of Venezuela, and is located in the north of the country. The original settlement of Caracas was named by the Spanish using the name of a local indigenous tribe.

97 Winter resort course : SKI RUN

“Piste” is a French word meaning “trail, track”. We use it in English to describe a ski run or a path used when skiing down a mountain. The related term “off piste” describes skiing outside of approved areas at a resort.

99 Oscar winner Brody : ADRIEN

Adrien Brody won a Best Actor Oscar for his performance in the Roman Polanski masterpiece “The Pianist”. Brody won the award in 2003 at the age of 29, making him the youngest person ever to receive the Best Actor Oscar.

100 Yemeni 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.

101 Chip to dip : NACHO

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

102 Bygone anesthetic : ETHER

Ethers are a whole class of organic compounds, but in the vernacular “ether” is specifically diethyl ether. Diethyl ether was once very popular as a general anesthetic.

103 Small songbirds : WRENS

The wren is a small songbird belonging to the family troglodytidae and the genus troglodytes. Wrens are known for making dome-shaped nests.

105 __ Geo Wild : NAT

The National Geographic Channel (Nat Geo) is jointly owned by Fox and the National Geographic Society, and was launched in 2001. Nat Geo has a sister channel known as National Geographic Wild (Nat Geo Wild) that focuses on programming about wildlife.

110 Ancient Peruvian : INCA

The Inca people emerged as a tribe around the 12th century, in what today is southern Peru. The Incas developed a vast empire over the next 300 years, extending along most of the western side of South America. The Empire fell to the Spanish, finally dissolving in 1572 with the execution of Túpac Amaru, the last Incan Emperor.

112 Ultra-low-carb diet, for short : KETO

A ketogenic (also “keto”) diet is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet. When a body consumes insufficient carbohydrates to meet the need for energy, then the liver converts fat into fatty acids and ketone bodies in order to make up the energy deficit. An elevated level of ketone bodies in the bloodstream is known as “ketosis”, a term that gives rise to the name “ketogenic diet”. Medical professionals sometimes prescribe a ketogenic diet in order to control epilepsy in children. A condition of ketosis can reduce the frequency of epileptic seizures.

114 “bye 4 now” : TTYL

Talk to you later (TTYL)

117 Fundraising org. : PTA

Parent-Teacher Association (PTA)

120 RNC group : GOP

The Republican Party has had the nickname Grand Old Party (GOP) since 1875. That said, the phrase was coined in the “Congressional Record” as “this gallant old party”. The moniker was changed to “grand old party” in 1876 in an article in the “Cincinnati Commercial”. The Republican Party’s elephant mascot dates back to an 1874 cartoon drawn by Thomas Nast for “Harper’s Weekly”. The Democrat’s donkey was already an established symbol. Nast drew a donkey clothed in a lion’s skin scaring away the other animals. One of the scared animals was an elephant, which Nast labeled “The Republican Vote”.

National leadership of the Republican Party is provided by the Republican National Committee (RNC). Only one former chairperson of the RNC has been elected to the office of US president, and that was George H. W. Bush.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Stick in a nest : TWIG
5 Box set elements : DVDS
9 Arctic jacket : ANORAK
15 Zilch : NIL
18 Very, very : OH SO
19 Informal pricing words : A POP
20 “Starsky & Hutch” Ford model : TORINO
21 Miffed : SORE
22 ROB ROY : WALTER SCOTT NOVEL
25 Like items at a garage sale : USED
26 Dependable : STEADY
27 Zen garden carp : KOI
28 Writing to : EMAILING
30 Submit, as a tax return : FILE
32 MIMOSA : FLOWERING TREE
36 “Here’s a Quarter (Call Someone Who Cares)” singer Travis : TRITT
39 Lenovo products : PCS
41 Org. with Red Wings and Blue Jackets : NHL
42 Prompt giver : CUER
43 Word on Irish stamps : EIRE
44 Longtime label for Elton John : MCA
45 Ice cream measure : SCOOP
47 Secret meetings : TRYSTS
51 STINGER : SCORPION’S WEAPON
55 Contented sigh : AAH
56 Decimal base : TEN
57 Squid kin : OCTOPI
58 Venerable British school : ETON
60 More, in adspeak : XTRA
61 Marry, as metals : WELD
63 Gossip blogger Hilton : PEREZ
66 Pelican, for one : SEABIRD
68 SIDECAR : MOTORCYCLE ACCESSORY
72 Shade provider : PARASOL
73 Calyx part : SEPAL
74 Head for the terminal : TAXI
75 NASA go-aheads : A-OKS
76 Gyro bread : PITA
79 Linked (up) : PAIRED
81 Zilch : ZIP
84 Not post- : PRE-
85 COSMOPOLITAN : FASHION MAGAZINE
89 Respiratory cavity : AIR SAC
93 Dull sounds : THUDS
94 Pt. of ERA : AVG
95 Sinusitis-treating MDs : ENTS
96 “Sad to say … ” : ALAS …
98 Quaint “before” : ERE
99 Tool in the Portland Timbers logo : AXE
100 Specialized jargon : ARGOT
101 MANHATTAN : NEW YORK ISLAND
106 Extinct flightless bird : DODO
108 Priced to sell in a store : AT RETAIL
109 “Shea Butter Baby” R&B singer Lennox : ARI
111 Check out quickly : PEEK AT
115 Pop diva who recorded the ABBA cover album “Dancing Queen” : CHER
116 GRASSHOPPER : CROP-EATING INSECT
121 Coop layers : HENS
122 “Pride and Prejudice” novelist : AUSTEN
123 Social sci. major : ECON
124 Modest acknowledgment : I TRY
125 Surgery ctrs. : ORS
126 Duplicitous : SNEAKY
127 Back of the neck : NAPE
128 “The Great British Bake Off” co-presenter Fielding : NOEL

Down

1 Pulls behind : TOWS
2 “Are you serious?” : WHAT?
3 Small landmass : ISLE
4 Started to nag persistently : GOT AFTER
5 Actress Hannah : DARYL
6 No. twos : VPS
7 Connect with the space station, e.g. : DOCK
8 Parodies : SPOOFS
9 QB stat : ATT
10 Persona __ grata : NON
11 __ y plata: Montana motto : ORO
12 Missouri or Ohio : RIVER
13 Lacking energy : ANEMIC
14 Caffeine-rich seed : KOLA NUT
15 Polite refusal : NO, SIR
16 “Fame” star Cara : IRENE
17 Shelf : LEDGE
21 Hot and muggy : SULTRY
23 Exchange words? : EDIT
24 Up to, casually : ‘TIL
29 Longtime Disney CEO Bob : IGER
31 Home of Disney’s World Showcase : EPCOT
33 Never again : ONCE
34 “Easy there!” : WHOA!
35 Rush into a relationship? : ELOPE
36 Trial run : TEST
37 Basmati __ : RICE
38 Supporting role in construction? : IRONWORKER
40 Shade provider : CANOPY
44 Confident gesture after a performance : MIC DROP
45 Pattern in a marble rye : SWIRLS
46 Poker prize : POT
48 Sending up : SATIRIZING
49 Dawdle : TARRY
50 Roe source : SHAD
52 Some shirts : POLOS
53 Freelance detail, briefly : SPEC
54 Bouquet : NOSE
59 Financial planning result, hopefully : NEST EGG
60 Microsoft console : XBOX
62 In-flight figs. : ETAS
64 Letters on some pumps : EEE
65 Shoe retailer owned by Amazon : ZAPPOS
67 Carne __: burrito filling : ASADA
68 New Zealand native : MAORI
69 Energy bar brand with a rock climber in its logo : CLIF
70 James of “Elf” : CAAN
71 Decisive point : CLIMAX
72 Storybook bear : PAPA
77 Pic that’s costly to remove : TAT
78 Sign of hearth burn : ASHES
80 Carried on : RAVED
82 Really digging : INTO
83 Nudnik : PEST
86 Fling : HURL
87 Mental flash : IDEA
88 Concentrates (on) : ZEROES IN
90 Novelist Dorothy who created Lord Peter Wimsey : SAYERS
91 Heaps : A LOT
92 Northernmost South American capital : CARACAS
97 Winter resort course : SKI RUN
99 Oscar winner Brody : ADRIEN
100 Yemeni port : ADEN
101 Chip to dip : NACHO
102 Bygone anesthetic : ETHER
103 Small songbirds : WRENS
104 Admission of defeat : I LOSE
105 __ Geo Wild : NAT
107 Express a view : OPINE
110 Ancient Peruvian : INCA
112 Ultra-low-carb diet, for short : KETO
113 Good-sized plot : ACRE
114 “bye 4 now” : TTYL
117 Fundraising org. : PTA
118 Shrill shriek : EEK!
119 “__ more bright ideas?” : ANY
120 RNC group : GOP