LA Times Crossword 27 Mar 22, Sunday

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Constructed by: Gary Larson & Amy Ensz
Edited by: Rich Norris

Today’s Theme: The Final Frontier

Themed answers are common phrases, but reinterpreted with reference to “Star Trek”:

  • 21A Satisfied with one’s work in the transporter room? : BEAMING WITH PRIDE
  • 42A Detain Dr. McCoy? : COLLAR BONES
  • 69A Phaser, slangily? : SPACE HEATER
  • 93A DNA sample from Kirk’s chief engineering officer? : SCOTT TISSUE
  • 119A Masseuse trained in massage techniques from Spock’s home planet? : VULCANIZED RUBBER
  • 15D Allure of boldly going where no man has gone before? : STAR ATTRACTION
  • 50D Happy Meal toy replica of Captain Kirk’s ship? : FREE ENTERPRISE

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

Bill’s time: 12m 58s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Country that’s about 24 times longer than its average width : CHILE

The nation of Chile has a very distinctive shape. It is a narrow strip that runs up the west coast of South America. The average width of the country is only a little over 100 miles, and yet its length is about 2,700 miles. Chile is touted as the longest country in the world, although I am not so sure what that means exactly. I mean, Russia extends about 4,800 miles from east-to west, so maybe “longest” implies long in the north-south direction?

14 Online access cos. : ISPS

Internet service provider (ISP)

18 Nixon’s older daughter : TRICIA

President Richard Nixon and First Lady Pat Nixon had two daughters. The eldest daughter is Tricia. Tricia married Harvard law student Edward Cox in a ceremony in the White House Rose Garden in 1971.

19 It established Congress : ARTICLE I

Article I of the US Constitution establishes the US Congress. The second section of Article I establishes the House of Representatives, and the third section establishes the US Senate. Section 8 of Article I lists the powers delegated to the legislature.

20 PDQ, in the ER : STAT

Pretty darn quick (PDQ)

21 Satisfied with one’s work in the transporter room? : BEAMING WITH PRIDE

The catchphrase “Beam me up, Scotty” has its origins in the TV show “Star Trek”. Supposedly, it is a line that was often spoken by Captain Kirk to the Starship Enterprise’s Chief Engineer Mr. Scott. All that said, the line was never ever spoken on the show, nor in any of the spinoff movies.

23 Miles’ “Sideways” love interest : MAYA

“Sideways” is a marvelous 2004 film that is an adaptation of a 2004 novel of the same name. In fact, “Sideways” is the first in a trilogy of comedic wine-themed novels by Rex Pickett, and was followed by “Vertical” (2010) and “Sideways 3 Chile” (2015). The “Sideways” movie stars Paul Giamatti as a depressed teacher and writer accompanying his friend on a trip through wine country prior to that friend’s upcoming wedding. Great stuff …

24 NFL official : REF

A football referee is sometimes called a “zebra”, a reference to the striped shirt that is part of the official uniform.

25 Conger catchers : EELERS

Conger eels can grow to be very, very large, perhaps up to 10 feet in length.

26 Daring deed : GEST

Our word “gest”, describing a great deed or exploit, has been around since about 1300. The term comes from the Old French word “geste” meaning the same thing. These days “geste” can also mean “gesture”.

29 Setting for searches : INTERNET

The Internet (uppercase letter I) is a system of interconnected networks that use the Transmission Control Protocol and Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) to link devices around the world. In common usage, the word “internet” (lowercase letter I) is often used interchangeably with “World Wide Web”, although “the Web” is just one of many services and applications that uses the Internet.

31 Black : EBONY

Ebony is another word for the color black (and is often shortened to “ebon” in poetry). The color is named for the dark black wood called ebony that is very dense, one of the few types of wood that sinks in water. Ebony has been in high demand so the species of trees yielding the wood are now considered threatened. It is in such short supply that unscrupulous vendors have been known to darken lighter woods with shoe polish to look like ebony, so be warned …

34 Big mess : SNAFU

“SNAFU” is an acronym standing for “situation normal: all fouled up” (well, that’s the polite version!). As one might perhaps imagine, the term developed in the US Army, during WWII.

36 Title book in a classic computer game : MYST

In the days when I played the occasional video game, the best of the bunch was undoubtedly Myst. It is a game full of puzzles with the player wandering through a beautifully-designed (for its day) interactive world.

37 Brezhnev of the USSR : LEONID

Leonid Brezhnev was Soviet leader from 1964 until his death in 1982. Under Brezhnev, Soviet spending on the military grew to about 12.5% of the nation’s Gross National Product. This level of spending, without effective economic reform, led to the USSR’s “Era of Stagnation” that started in the mid-seventies. His large major political decision was to invade Afghanistan, a move that placed further strain on the fragile Soviet economy.

42 Detain Dr. McCoy? : COLLAR BONES

Actor DeForest Kelley is best known for playing Bones McCoy in the original “Star Trek” cast. The show’s creator, Gene Roddenberry, originally offered Kelley the role of Spock, but Kelly refused it and so was given the part of the ship’s medical officer.

48 Cover letters? : SPF

In theory, the sun protection factor (SPF) is a calibrated measure of the effectiveness of a sunscreen in protecting the skin from harmful UV rays. The idea is that if you wear a lotion with say SPF 20, then it takes 20 times as much UV radiation to cause the skin to burn than it would take without protection. I say just stay out of the sun …

52 Fancy topping : CAVIAR

Caviar is the roe of a large fish that has been salted and seasoned, and especially the roe of a sturgeon. Beluga caviar comes from the beluga sturgeon, which is found primarily in the Caspian Sea. It is the most expensive type of caviar in the world. 8 ounces of US-farmed beluga caviar can be purchased through Amazon.com for just over $850, in case you’re feeling peckish …

54 Mangy mutt : CUR

Mange is a skin disorder in animals caused by parasitic mites that embed themselves in the skin, perhaps living in hair follicles. The same disorder in humans is called scabies. We use the adjective “mangy” to describe an animal suffering from mange, but also anything that is seedy or shabby.

55 Apple product : IPAD

The iPad wasn’t Apple’s first foray into the world of tablet computing. Apple created great buzz by introducing the Newton MessagePad way back in 1993. This innovative machine was fraught with problems and really died a very slow death, finally being withdrawn from the market in 1998.

56 Opening tempo of Dvorák’s “New World Symphony” : ADAGIO

An adagio is a piece of music with a slow tempo. The “adagio” marking on the score is an instruction to play the piece slowly and in a stately manner. The word “adagio” is Latin for “at ease”.

Antonín Dvořák was a composer from Czechoslovakia who spent three years working and composing in the United States. He was the director of the National Conservatory of Music of America in New York from 1892 to 1895. Certainly here in the US, Dvořák’s best known work is his Symphony No. 9, “From the New World”, which is often referred to as “The New World Symphony”. His career was very much helped along by fellow composer Johannes Brahms, who very much appreciated Dvořák’s work.

58 __ gratia artis: MGM motto : ARS

It seems that the phrase “art for art’s sake” has its origins in France in the nineteenth century, where the slogan is expressed as “l’art pour l’art”. The Latin version “Ars gratia artis” came much later, in 1924. That’s when MGM’s publicist chose it for the studio’s logo, sitting under Leo the lion. Who’d a thunk it?

68 Arch type : OGEE

An ogee is a type of S-curve. Specifically, it is a figure consisting of two arcs that curve in opposite directions (like an S) but both ends of the curve end up parallel to each other (which is not necessarily true for an S). An ogee arch is composed of two ogees, with one being the mirror of the other and meeting at the arch’s apex.

69 Phaser, slangily? : SPACE HEATER

“Packing” and “packing heat” are underworld slang for “carrying a gun”.

A MASER is a device that was around long before LASERs came into the public consciousness. A MASER (Microwave Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation) is similar to a LASER, but microwaves are emitted rather than light waves. When the storyline for “Star Trek” was being developed, the writers introduced a weapon called a “phaser”, with the name “phaser” derived from PHoton mASER.

74 Katniss’ ally in “The Hunger Games” : PEETA

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

77 Forward pass : AERIAL

That would be American football.

79 No. with two dashes : SSN

A Social Security number (SSN) is divided into three parts, i.e AAA-GG-SSSS. Originally, the Area Number (AAA) was the code for the office that issued the card. Since 1973, the Area Number reflects the ZIP code from which the application was made. The GG in the SSN is the Group Number, and the SSSS in the number is the Serial Number. However, this is all moot. Since 2011, SSNs have been assigned randomly. However, some random numbers have been excluded from use, i.e. Area Numbers 000, 666 (!) and 900-999.

80 Ski weekend destination : CHALET

“Chalet” is a Swiss-French name for an alpine cottage.

84 Flamenco shout : OLE!

Flamenco is a style of Spanish music and dance. The origin of the word “flamenco” isn’t clearly understood, but the explanation that seems most credible to me is that it comes from Flanders in Northern Europe. Given that “flamenco” is the Spanish word for “Flemish” and Flanders is home to the Flemish people it makes perfect sense, doesn’t it?

85 Heineken brand named for a Mexican city : TECATE

Tecate is a Mexican beer that takes its name from the city of Tecate in Baja California. It is produced by Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma Brewery, along with beers such as Dos Equis, Bohemia and Carta Blanca.

90 Actor Beatty : NED

Actor Ned Beatty is possibly best remembered for the rather disturbing “squeal like a pig” scene in the movie “Deliverance”. Beatty also earned an Academy Award nomination as Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the 1976 movie “Network”.

93 DNA sample from Kirk’s chief engineering officer? : SCOTT TISSUE

In the “Star Trek” series on television and in the movies, the colorful character named Scotty was played by Canadian actor James Doohan. Doohan joined the Royal Canadian Artillery at the start of WWII, and participated in the D-Day Invasion of Normandy. After surviving the landing, that same day Doohan was shot by one of his own men in a tragic mishap. Doohan was hit six times, with a bullet to his chest stopped by a silver cigarette case he was carrying. One of Doohan’s fingers was shot off in the incident. He managed to conceal that injury during his acting career.

97 Beverly Cleary title dog : STRIDER

Beverly Cleary was a remarkably successful author of children’s books. Her first book, “Henry Huggins”, was published in 1950. Cleary passed away in 2021, just before her 105th birthday.

100 18-wheeler : SEMI

An 18-wheeler semi-trailer truck has eight wheels under the trailer, i.e. four on each of the two rear axles. There are 10 wheels under the tractor unit. Two of the ten wheels are on the front axle, and eight are on the rear two axles that sit under the front of the trailer.

104 Frontier home : TEPEE

A tepee (also written as “tipi” and “teepee”) is a cone-shaped tent traditionally made from animal hides that is used by the Great Plains Native Americans. A wigwam is a completely different structure and is often a misnomer for a tepee. A wigwam is a domed structure built by Native Americans in the West and Southwest, intended to be a more permanent dwelling. The wigwam can also be covered with hides but more often was covered with grass, reeds, brush or cloth.

105 Either Zimbalist : EFREM

Efrem Zimbalist was a prominent concert violinist from Russia. Zimbalist was married to the famous American soprano Alma Gluck. The couple had a son called Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. who became a well-known actor (co-star on “77 Sunset Strip”). Zimbalist, Sr. was therefore also the grandfather of actress Stephanie Zimbalist (co-star on “Remington Steele”).

107 Creme-filled Drake’s cake : DEVIL DOG

Drake’s bakery was founded in Brooklyn, New York in 1888 when it specialized in selling pound cake by the slice.

111 Bobby of the Bruins : ORR

The Boston Bruins professional ice hockey team goes way back, and has been in existence since 1924. The National Hockey League back then was a Canadian-only league, but was expanded to include the US in 1923. The Bruins were the first US-team in the expanded league.

117 Newton, e.g. : UNIT

Newtons are units of force. The newton is named for Sir Isaac Newton, the English physicist and mathematician.

119 Masseuse trained in massage techniques from Spock’s home planet? : VULCANIZED RUBBER

Vulcans are an alien race in the “Star Trek” franchise. The most famous (half-) Vulcan is Spock, played by Leonard Nimoy. Spock’s father is a Vulcan, and his mother is human.

Vulcanization is a process for hardening rubber that was discovered by Charles Goodyear in 1839. The term “vulcanization” describes several hardening processes now, but Goodyear’s original technique was to mix the rubber with sulfur and apply heat. He coined the term “vulcanization”, a reference to the Roman god of fire and forge Vulcan, because of the application of heat.

124 Fabled loch : NESS

Scotland’s Loch Ness is famous for its fabled “monster”, referred to affectionately as “Nessie”. The loch is the second-largest lake in the country (Loch Lomond is the largest). Loch Ness takes its name from the River Ness that flows from the loch’s northern end.

125 Observing lions in the wild, maybe : ON SAFARI

“Safari” is a Swahili word meaning “journey” or “expedition”.

127 De Matteo of “The Sopranos” : DREA

Drea de Matteo is an actress who is most familiar to me for playing Adriana la Cerva on HBO’s wonderful series “The Sopranos”. De Matteo also played Joey’s sister on the short-lived “Friends” spin-off called “Joey”, and the character Angie Bolen on “Desperate Housewives”.

129 Candy mogul H.B. __ : REESE

Harry Burnett “HB” Reese founded Reese’s Candy Company in 1923. Prior to forming his own company, Reese had worked as a dairy farmer and shipping foreman for Milton S Hershey, the founder of the Hershey Company. In 1928, Reese invented Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, which were destined to become the top-selling candy brand in the US.

Down

3 Less cordial : ICIER

Back in the 14th century, we used the word “cordial” to mean “from the heart”. The most common meaning today is “courteous and gracious”. The original usage also evolved into the name for a drink that “stimulated the heart”. Today’s cordial beverages are strong, sweetened liqueurs.

4 Flax fabric : LINEN

The textile known as linen is made from flax fibers. The name “linen” probably comes from “linum”, which is Latin for both “flax” and “textile made from flax”.

5 High nester : EAGLE

An aerie (sometimes “eyrie”) is an eagle’s nest. The term “aerie” can also more generally describe any bird’s nest that is located on a cliff or a mountaintop.

6 “Easy to Be Hard” musical : HAIR

The full name of the famed show from the sixties is “Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical”, although the 1979 film adaptation was simply titled “Hair”. This controversial work outraged many when it was first performed in the sixties, as it attacked many aspects of life at the time. For example, the song “Air” is a satirical look at pollution, sung by a character who comes onto the stage wearing a gas mask. The opening lines are “Welcome, sulfur dioxide. Hello carbon monoxide. The air … is everywhere”. How things have changed over the past few decades said he … satirically …

10 “Bad Moon Rising” band, briefly : CCR

“Bad Moon Rising” is a song recorded by Creedence Clearwater Revival. Written by band member John Fogerty, the song was inspired by the composer watching the hurricane scene in the movie “The Devil and Daniel Webster”.

12 Flight by night : RED-EYE

A red-eye flight is one departing late at night and arriving early the next morning. The term “red-eye” is a reference to tired passengers disembarking with red eyes.

15 Allure of boldly going where no man has gone before? : STAR ATTRACTION

When I think of words spoken by Captain Jean-Luc Picard on the TV show “Star Trek: The Next Generation”, the first quote to come to mind is his catchphrase “Make it so”. The second quote that comes to mind is the introduction that is spoken during the opening credits:

Space, the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its continuing mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no one has gone before!

This introduction comes from the lines spoken by Captain James T. Kirk in the original “Star Trek” series, but those lines have been updated. Kirk’s “five year mission” became “continuing mission”, and Kirk’s “no man” became “no one”. However, the famous split infinitive “to boldly go” was left in place, in all its glory.

22 Bayou, e.g. : WETLAND

A bayou is a marshy inlet or outlet of a lake or river, usually with stagnant or slow-moving water. The exact origins of the term “bayou” is uncertain, but it is thought perhaps to come from the Choctaw (a Native American people from the southeast) word “bayuk”, meaning “small stream”.

27 Poet who used the name Old Possum : TS ELIOT

“Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats” is a 1939 collection of poems by T. S. Eliot (TSE). The collection of whimsical poetry was a favorite of composer Andrew Lloyd Webber when he was a child. Webber used Eliot’s poems as inspiration for his megahit musical “Cats”.

31 Carbon compound : ENOL

An enol is an alkene with a hydroxyl group, and so is part-alkene and part-alcohol. The term “enol”, therefore, is a portmanteau of “alkene” and “alcohol”.

33 Horatian work : ODE

A Horatian ode is an ode with a specific structure, one designed to resemble the odes of the Roman poet Horace.

35 Sports org. name since 1910 : NCAA

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) dates back to the Presidency of Theodore Roosevelt. When his son broke his nose playing football at Harvard, President Roosevelt turned his attention to the number of serious injuries and even deaths occurring in college sports. He instigated meetings between the major educational institutions, leading to the formation of the Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States (IAAUS) in 1906, which was given the remit of regulating college sports. The IAAUS became the NCAA in 1910. The NCAA has been headquartered in Indianapolis since 1999.

39 It’s a wrap : OBI

The sash worn as part of traditional Japanese dress is known as an obi. The obi can be tied at the back in what is called a butterfly knot. The term “obi” is also used for the thick cotton belts that are an essential part of the outfits worn by practitioners of many martial arts. The color of the martial arts obi signifies the wearer’s skill level.

41 Big name in jeans : LEVI

Levi Strauss was the founder of the first company in the world to manufacture blue jeans. Levi Strauss & Co. opened in 1853 in San Francisco. Strauss and his business partner were awarded a patent in 1873 for the use of copper rivets to strengthen points of strain on working pants.

43 Elevator name : OTIS

Otis is a manufacturer of elevators, escalators and moving walkways. By some accounts, Otis is the world’s most popular transportation company, with the equivalent of the whole world’s population traveling on Otis devices every few days.

50 Happy Meal toy replica of Captain Kirk’s ship? : FREE ENTERPRISE

The USS Enterprise is a starship in the “Star Trek” universe (pun!). There have been several generations of starships with the name Enterprise, starting with the vessel numbered NCC-1701, which appeared in the original TV series. My favorite “Star Trek” series is “Next Generation”, which features USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D.

The McDonald’s Happy Meal was introduced in 1977. The Happy Meal was inspired by a selection of food designed in a Guatemalan McDonald’s to suit children that was called “Menu Ronald”. The toys in Happy Meals often tie-in with some movie and so are part of an advertising campaign.

53 “A Death in the Family” author James : AGEE

James Agee was a noted American film critic and screenwriter. Agee wrote an autobiographical novel “A Death in the Family” that won him his Pulitzer in 1958, albeit posthumously. He was also one of the screenwriters for the 1951 classic movie “The African Queen”.

57 “Buenos __” : DIAS

“Buenos dias” translates from Spanish as “good day”, but can also be used to say “good morning”.

59 Flea market deal : RESALE

Flea markets are known by various names around the world. In Australia, the term “trash and treasure market” is used. Such outdoor events are called car boot sales in Britain and Ireland, whereas indoor versions might be jumble sales or bring-and-buy sales.

63 Latin “behold” : ECCE

“Ecce!” is Latin for “look!” or “behold!”

64 Bygone depilatory brand : NEET

The hair removal product “Neet” was launched in Canada in 1901, and was also sold as “Immac”. Today, it is sold under the name “Veet”.

A depilatory agent is something capable of removing hair. The root of the term is “pilus”, the Latin for “hair”, and the same word that gives us “pile” (as in a carpet).

65 First word in all but one “Seinfeld” episode title : THE …

Every episode of the sitcom “Seinfeld” begins with the definite article “The …”, except for one. That is the fourth episode aired, titled “Male Unbonding”. Even though it was the fourth episode broadcast, it was actually the second episode recorded.

70 Everglades deposit : PEAT

When dead plant matter accumulates in marshy areas, it may not fully decay due to a lack of oxygen or acidic conditions. We are familiar with this in Ireland, because this decaying matter can form peat, and we have lots and lots of peat bogs around the country.

The Everglades are tropical wetlands that cover much of southern Florida. The area was named “River Glades” by a British surveyor in 1773, and it is suggested that poor transcription of the word “river” led to the use of “ever”. The southern 20% of the Everglades is a protected region that we know as Everglades National Park. The park is the third-largest National Park in the lower 48 states, after Death Valley NP (the largest) and Yellowstone NP.

78 Start of a classic accusation : ET TU …

It was Shakespeare who popularized the words “Et tu, Brute?” (meaning “And you, Brutus?”). They appear in his play “Julius Caesar”, although the phrase had been around long before he penned his drama. It’s not known what Julius Caesar actually said in real life (if anything at all) as he was assassinated on the steps of the Senate in Rome.

81 Fabled racer : HARE

“The Tortoise and the Hare” is perhaps the most famous fable attributed to Aesop. The cocky hare takes a nap during a race against the tortoise, and the tortoise sneaks past the finish line for the win while his speedier friend is sleeping.

83 Dorm overseers, for short : RAS

Resident assistant/adviser (RA)

86 Wilcox daughter in “Howards End” : EVIE

“Howards End” is a 1920 novel written by E. M. Forster. Emma Thompson won an Oscar for playing Margaret Schlegel in the excellent 1992 film adaptation.

87 Tabloid couple : ITEM

“Tabloid” is the trademarked name (owned by Burroughs Wellcome) 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”, which described newspapers that had short, condensed articles and stories printed on smaller sheets of paper.

88 Sign-off letters before L : TTY-

Talk to you later (ttyl)

89 Nice season : ETE

The French city of Nice is on the Mediterranean coast in the southeast of the country. Although Nice is only the fifth most populous city in France, it is home to the busiest airport outside of Paris. That’s because of all the tourists flocking to the French Riviera. Something described as “à la niçoise” is “of Nice”.

92 “Ambition should be made of __ stuff”: “Julius Caesar” : STERNER

A person made of sterner stuff has a stronger character, is more capable of overcoming adversity. The term “sterner stuff” was coined by Shakespeare in his play “Julius Caesar”. Marc Anthony says:

When that the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept;
Ambition should be made of sterner stuff:
Yet Brutus says he was ambitious,
And Brutus is an honorable man.

94 EMT skill : CPR

An emergency medical technician (EMT) might administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

96 Immigrant’s subj. : ESL

English as a Second Language (ESL) is sometimes referred to as English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and English as a Foreign Language (EFL).

103 Composer Stravinsky : IGOR

Composer Igor Stravinsky’s most famous works were completed relatively early in his career, when he was quite young. His three ballets “The Firebird”, “Petrushka” and “The Rite of Spring” were published in 1910-1913, when Stravinsky was in his early thirties.

106 Bogus : FALSE

Our word “bogus”, meaning “not genuine” was coined (pun!) in the 1830s, when it applied to counterfeit money.

109 Nemo’s creator : VERNE

The Jules Verne sci-fi novel “Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea” was first published in 1869-1870 as a serial in a French magazine. Star of the novel (to me) is Captain Nemo’s magnificent submarine called the Nautilus. The “20,000 leagues” in the title is the distance traveled by the Nautilus underwater, and not a depth. 20,000 leagues is about three times the circumference of the Earth.

113 Makeup line : AVON

In 1886, a young man called David McConnell was selling books door-to-door. To enhance his sales numbers he was giving out free perfume to the ladies of the houses that he visited. Seeing as his perfume was more popular than his books, he founded the California Perfume Company in New York City and started manufacturing and selling across the country. The company name was changed to Avon in 1939, and the famous “Avon Calling” marketing campaign was launched in 1954.

114 Galahad et al. : SIRS

Sir Galahad is one of the Knights of the Round Table of Arthurian legend. Galahad is the illegitimate son of Sir Lancelot, so appears a little later in the tales. He is very gallant and noble, and some see him as the embodiment of Jesus in the Arthurian tradition. Indeed, legend has it that his soul was brought to heaven by Joseph of Arimathea, the man who donated his own tomb for the burial of Jesus according to the Gospels.

115 Action movie weapons : UZIS

The first Uzi submachine gun was designed in the late 1940s by Major Uziel “Uzi” Gal of the Israel Defense Forces, who gave his name to the gun.

118 Screening org. : TSA

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

121 CIO partner : AFL

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

122 Dundee denial : NAE

The city of Dundee lies on the north bank of the Firth of Tay in Scotland. The origins of the name “Dundee” are a little obscure, although the omnipresent “dùn” in place names all over Scotland and Ireland is the Celtic word for “fort”.

123 NYY rival : BOS

The Boston Red Sox are one of the most successful Major League Baseball teams and so command a large attendance, but only when on the road. The relatively small capacity of Boston’s Fenway Park, the team’s home since 1912, has dictated that every game the Red Sox have played there has been a sell-out from May of 2003 to April 2013. I recently had the pleasure of touring Fenway Park. It’s quite a place …

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Country that’s about 24 times longer than its average width : CHILE
6 Vendor’s wagon : HANDCART
14 Online access cos. : ISPS
18 Nixon’s older daughter : TRICIA
19 It established Congress : ARTICLE I
20 PDQ, in the ER : STAT
21 Satisfied with one’s work in the transporter room? : BEAMING WITH PRIDE
23 Miles’ “Sideways” love interest : MAYA
24 NFL official : REF
25 Conger catchers : EELERS
26 Daring deed : GEST
28 Informer : RAT
29 Setting for searches : INTERNET
31 Black : EBONY
34 Big mess : SNAFU
36 Title book in a classic computer game : MYST
37 Brezhnev of the USSR : LEONID
40 One who gets in : ELECTEE
42 Detain Dr. McCoy? : COLLAR BONES
47 Sends, in a way : ELATES
48 Cover letters? : SPF
51 One may be painted : TOENAIL
52 Fancy topping : CAVIAR
54 Mangy mutt : CUR
55 Apple product : IPAD
56 Opening tempo of Dvorák’s “New World Symphony” : ADAGIO
58 __ gratia artis: MGM motto : ARS
61 End of a warning : … OR ELSE
63 Weave : ENTWINE
66 “Be silent,” in music : TACET
68 Arch type : OGEE
69 Phaser, slangily? : SPACE HEATER
73 Tiny : ITSY
74 Katniss’ ally in “The Hunger Games” : PEETA
76 Surpasses : EXCEEDS
77 Forward pass : AERIAL
79 No. with two dashes : SSN
80 Ski weekend destination : CHALET
82 Pluck : GRIT
84 Flamenco shout : OLE!
85 Heineken brand named for a Mexican city : TECATE
87 Recurring : ITERANT
90 Actor Beatty : NED
91 Warm sign-off : AS EVER
93 DNA sample from Kirk’s chief engineering officer? : SCOTT TISSUE
97 Beverly Cleary title dog : STRIDER
99 Defrauded, say, with “on” : PREYED …
100 18-wheeler : SEMI
104 Frontier home : TEPEE
105 Either Zimbalist : EFREM
107 Creme-filled Drake’s cake : DEVIL DOG
111 Bobby of the Bruins : ORR
112 Contents of some banks : DATA
114 Gloomy : SULLEN
116 Wedding promise : I DO
117 Newton, e.g. : UNIT
119 Masseuse trained in massage techniques from Spock’s home planet? : VULCANIZED RUBBER
124 Fabled loch : NESS
125 Observing lions in the wild, maybe : ON SAFARI
126 Sign up : ENROLL
127 De Matteo of “The Sopranos” : DREA
128 Uncalled-for : NEEDLESS
129 Candy mogul H.B. __ : REESE

Down

1 Makes with skill : CRAFTS
2 Gender-specific pronoun : HIM
3 Less cordial : ICIER
4 Flax fabric : LINEN
5 High nester : EAGLE
6 “Easy to Be Hard” musical : HAIR
7 Song and dance : ARTS
8 Unnamed degree : NTH
9 Cocktail party staple : DIP
10 “Bad Moon Rising” band, briefly : CCR
11 Adjust in a garage : ALIGN
12 Flight by night : RED-EYE
13 Connections : TIES
14 School of thought : ISM
15 Allure of boldly going where no man has gone before? : STAR ATTRACTION
16 Pony up the service charge, say : PAY A FEE
17 Museum pieces : STATUES
18 Wee : TEENY
21 Cup part : BRIM
22 Bayou, e.g. : WETLAND
27 Poet who used the name Old Possum : TS ELIOT
30 Abbr. often after a comma : ETC
31 Carbon compound : ENOL
32 Storage spot : BIN
33 Horatian work : ODE
35 Sports org. name since 1910 : NCAA
38 Historic time : ERA
39 It’s a wrap : OBI
41 Big name in jeans : LEVI
43 Elevator name : OTIS
44 Runs easily : LOPES
45 Grazing area : LEA
46 Barely enough : SCANT
48 News exclusives : SCOOPS
49 Clears of data, as a PC : PURGES
50 Happy Meal toy replica of Captain Kirk’s ship? : FREE ENTERPRISE
53 “A Death in the Family” author James : AGEE
56 Wonderstruck : AWED
57 “Buenos __” : DIAS
59 Flea market deal : RESALE
60 Did salon work : STYLED
62 Allow : LET
63 Latin “behold” : ECCE
64 Bygone depilatory brand : NEET
65 First word in all but one “Seinfeld” episode title : THE …
67 Cause of inflation : AIR
70 Everglades deposit : PEAT
71 Wheel connectors : AXLES
72 Play delayers : RAINS
75 Gave in (to) : ACCEDED
78 Start of a classic accusation : ET TU …
81 Fabled racer : HARE
82 Flapjack cooker : GRIDDLE
83 Dorm overseers, for short : RAS
86 Wilcox daughter in “Howards End” : EVIE
87 Tabloid couple : ITEM
88 Sign-off letters before L : TTY-
89 Nice season : ETE
91 Blow away : ASTOUND
92 “Ambition should be made of __ stuff”: “Julius Caesar” : STERNER
94 EMT skill : CPR
95 It’s found in banks : ORE
96 Immigrant’s subj. : ESL
98 Tighten the strings of, maybe : RETUNE
101 Safe to have : EDIBLE
102 Example : MODEL
103 Composer Stravinsky : IGOR
106 Bogus : FALSE
108 Church official : ELDER
109 Nemo’s creator : VERNE
110 Habituate : INURE
113 Makeup line : AVON
114 Galahad et al. : SIRS
115 Action movie weapons : UZIS
118 Screening org. : TSA
120 Heel : CAD
121 CIO partner : AFL
122 Dundee denial : NAE
123 NYY rival : BOS