LA Times Crossword 21 Aug 22, Sunday

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Constructed by: Samuel A. Donaldson & Doug Peterson
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Theme: We’ve Moved!

Themed answers at the top of the grid sound like common phrases with an “US” sound missing. That “US” sound has MOVED, has been added to phrases in the bottom of the grid:

  • 23A Command to Alexa? : YOU CANNOT BE SIRI (you cannot be serious – “us”)
  • 32A Like one who nailed the Kylie costume? : JENNER TO A FAULT (generous to a fault – “us”)
  • 48A Stocking stuffer for Fido? : CHRISTMAS BONE (Christmas bonus – “us”)
  • 64A Roman who tried to stop Brutus? : CAESAR’S PAL (Caesars Palace – “us”)
  • 73A Pumice stones, emery boards, etc.? : CALLUS TECH (Caltech + “us”)
  • 89A Headline about Condoleezza’s gaffe? : RICE ERRONEOUS (Rice-A-Roni + “us”)
  • 107A Rucker’s song catalog? : DARIUS PRODUCTS (dairy products + “us”)
  • 119A Painting depicting angels? : PIECE OF THE PIOUS (piece of the pie + “us”)

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

Bill’s time: 12m 52s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 WWE officials : REFS

World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is a company promoting professional wrestling as a form of entertainment.

5 More deadpan : DRIER

The term “deadpan”, slang for “impassive expression”, comes from “dead” (expressionless) and “pan” (slang for “face”).

10 “Coffee Cantata” composer : BACH

Johann Sebastian Bach died when he was 65-years-old, in 1750. He was buried in Old St. John’s Cemetery in Leipzig, and his grave went unmarked until 1894. At that time his coffin was located, removed and buried in a vault within the church. The church was destroyed in an Allied bombing raid during WWII, and so after the war the remains had to be recovered and taken to the Church of St. Thomas in Leipzig.

“Coffee Cantata” is a more familiar name for Johann Sebastian Bach’s secular cantata “Schweigt stille, plaudert nicht” (“Be Still, Stop Chattering”). The “Coffee Cantata” isn’t really a cantata at all, and is better described as a mini-comic opera. It explores addiction to coffee.

14 Girl Scout cookie also called Caramel deLite : SAMOA

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

19 Indian tourist city : AGRA

Agra is a medieval city on the banks of the river Yamuna in India that was the capital of the Mughal Empire from 1556 to 1658. The city is home to three UNESCO World Heritage Sites:

  • The Taj Mahal: the famous mausoleum built in memory of Mumtaz Mahal.
  • Agra Fort: the site where the famous Koh-i-Noor diamond was seized.
  • Fatehpur Sikri: a historic city that’s home to well-preserved Mughal architecture.

21 __ vera : ALOE

Aloe vera is a succulent plant that grows in relatively dry climates. The plant’s leaves are full of biologically-active compounds that have been studied extensively. Aloe vera has been used for centuries in herbal medicine, mainly for topical treatment of wounds.

23 Command to Alexa? : YOU CANNOT BE SIRI (you cannot be serious – “us”)

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.

Alexa is a personal assistant application that is most associated with Amazon Echo smart speakers. Apparently, one reason the name “Alexa” was chosen is because it might remind one of the Library of Alexandria, the “keeper of all knowledge”.

26 “The Bachelorette” props : ROSES

“The Bachelorette” is a reality television show about dating with the intent of marriage, and is a spin-off of “The Bachelor”. The marriage that resulted from the first season (2003) is still going strong, with the couple now parents.

27 Like many martinis : STIRRED

Why have a vodka martini shaken and not stirred (like James Bond, 007)? For one thing, the shaken drink tends to be colder. And with more melted ice in the drink, it isn’t as strong. These are my personal observations. No need to write in …

32 Like one who nailed the Kylie costume? : JENNER TO A FAULT (generous to a fault – “us”)

Kylie Jenner is a reality TV star who achieved some level of fame on the show “Keeping Up with the Kardashians”.

37 Tree-loving Seuss character : LORAX

“The Lorax” is a 1971 children’s book written by Dr. Seuss. It is an allegorical work questioning the problems created by industrialization, and in particular its impact on the environment. At one point in the story, the Lorax “speaks for the trees, for the trees have no tongues”. “The Lorax” was adapted into an animated film that was released in 2012, with Danny DeVito voicing the title character.

He was shortish, and oldish, and brownish and mossy. And he spoke with a voice that was sharpish and bossy.

39 “Bosch” star Welliver : TITUS

“Bosch” is a well-written police drama series produced by Amazon Studios. The title character, detective Harry Bosch, is portrayed by Titus Welliver. Harry Bosch features in a series of novels by Michael Connelly, who is also the TV show’s creator.

40 Midsummer arrivals : LEOS

Leo is the fifth astrological sign of the Zodiac. People born from July 23 to August 22 are Leos.

43 Academia’s “Ancient Eight” : IVIES

The term “Ivy League” originally defined an athletic conference, but now it is used to describe a group of schools of higher education that are associated with both a long tradition and academic excellence. The eight Ivy League Schools are: Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Princeton, the University of Pennsylvania, and Yale.

46 Ming things : VASES

The Ming dynasty lasted in China from 1368 to 1644. It was a time of tremendous innovation in so many areas, including the manufacture of ceramics. In the late Ming period, a shift towards a market economy in China led to the export of porcelain on an unprecedented scale, perhaps explaining why we tend to hear more about Ming vases than we do about porcelain from any other Chinese dynasty.

48 Stocking stuffer for Fido? : CHRISTMAS BONE (Christmas bonus + “us”)

“Fido”, the name for many a dog, is Latin for “I trust”.

57 Couch kin : SETTEE

“Settee” is another word for “couch”. The term comes from the Old English “setl”, which was a long bench with a high back and arms.

58 Rhino kin with long snouts : TAPIRS

All four species of tapir are endangered. Even though the tapir looks much like a pig, it is more closely related to the horse and the rhinoceros.

60 Teegarden of “Friday Night Lights” : AIMEE

Aimee Teegarden is an actress best known for appearing in the TV series “Friday Night Lights”, playing coach Eric Taylor’s teenage daughter Julie.

“Friday Night Lights” is a 2004 film based on a 1990 book “Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream” by H. G. Bissinger. The film stars Billy Bob Thornton as a high school football coach. I haven’t seen the movie, but thoroughly enjoyed “Friday Night Lights”, the subsequent TV series.

61 “A Wrinkle in Time” genre : FANTASY

“A Wrinkle in Time” is a book by Madeleine L’Engle. Published in 1962, it is described as a science fantasy. Included in the book’s cast of characters are Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who and Mrs. Which, all of whom turn out to be supernatural beings who transport the antagonists through the universe. “A Wrinkle in Time” was adapted into a 2018 movie of the same name starring Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon and Mindy Kaling as the three “Mrs” characters.

64 Roman who tried to stop Brutus? : CAESAR’S PAL (Caesars Palace – “us”)

The most famous man with the name “Brutus” in ancient Rome was Marcus Junius Brutus the Younger. It was this Brutus that Julius Caesar turned to when he was assassinated on the steps of the Senate. William Shakespeare immortalized Brutus by featuring him in his play, “Julius Caesar”, and giving his victim the line “Et tu, Brute?”

Caesars Palace is one of my favorite hotels on the Las Vegas strip, even though it is beginning to show its age. Caesars opened in 1966.

67 __ butter : SHEA

Shea butter is a common moisturizer and lotion used as a cosmetic. It is a fat that is extracted from the nut of the African shea tree. There is evidence that shea butter was used back in Cleopatra’s Egypt.

70 Head-slapping cry : D’OH!

“The Simpsons” is one of the most successful programs produced by the Fox Broadcasting Company. Homer Simpson’s catchphrase is “D’oh!”, which became such a famous exclamation that it has been included in the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) since 2001. “D’oh!” can be translated as “I should have thought of that!”

71 National Back to School Mo. : AUG

As the first Emperor of Rome, Octavian was given the name Caesar Augustus. The month of August, originally called “Sextilis” in Latin, was renamed in honor of Augustus.

72 Bubbly Italian : ASTI

Asti is a sparkling white wine from the Piedmont region of Italy that is named for the town of Asti around which the wine is produced. The wine used to be called Asti Spumante, and it had a very bad reputation as a “poor man’s champagne”. The “Spumante” was dropped in a marketing attempt at rebranding associated with a reduction in the amount of residual sugar in the wine.

73 Pumice stones, emery boards, etc.? : CALLUS TECH (Caltech + “us”)

Our adjective “callous”, meaning “hardhearted”, comes from the Latin “callus” meaning “hard skin”. We still use the term “callus” in English for a hardened or thickened part of the skin.

Pumice is volcanic rock that is formed by lava cooling. There are bubbles in pumice due to water and carbon dioxide frothing out of the lava as it cools. Because of the frothy structure, pumice is relatively light and is a great thermal insulator. As such, it is used in construction to make insulating breeze blocks.

Emery is a very hard type of rock that is crushed for use as an abrasive. Emery paper is made by gluing small particles of emery to paper. Emery boards are just emery paper with a cardboard backing. And emery boards are primarily used for filing nails.

Caltech is more properly known as the California Institute of Technology, and is a private research-oriented school in Pasadena. One of Caltech’s responsibilities is the management and operation of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. If you watch “The Big Bang Theory” on television like me, you might know that the four lead characters all work at Caltech.

77 Kerosene : LAMP OIL

Kerosene is a mixture of hydrocarbons that is used mainly as a fuel. Kerosene is volatile, but is less flammable than gasoline. Over in the UK and Ireland, we call the same fuel “paraffin”.

81 Unable to see the big picture : MYOPIC

A myope is someone suffering from myopia, short-sightedness. Far-sightedness or long-sightedness is known as hypermetropia or hyperopia .

87 Short trailer : TEASER

The term “trailer” was originally used in the film industry to describe advertisements for upcoming features. These trailers were originally shown at the end of a movie being screened, hence the name. This practice quickly fell out of favor as theater patrons usually left at the end of the movie without paying much attention to the trailers. So, the trailers were moved to the beginning of the show, but the term “trailer” persisted.

89 Headline about Condoleezza’s gaffe? : RICE ERRONEOUS (Rice-A-Roni + “us”)

Condoleezza “Condi” Rice was the second African American to serve as US Secretary of State (after Colin Powell) and the second woman to hold the office (after Madeleine Albright). Prior to becoming Secretary of State in President George W. Bush’s administration, Rice was the first woman to hold the office of National Security Advisor. In private life, Rice is a remarkably capable pianist. Given her stature in Washington, Rice has had the opportunity to play piano in public with the likes of cellist Yo-Yo Ma, and soul singer Aretha Franklin.

Rice-A-Roni was introduced in 1958 by the Golden Grain Macaroni Company of San Francisco. The company was run by an Italian immigrant and his four sons. The wife of one of the sons created a pilaf dish for the family diner they owned. It was a big hit, so her brother-in-law created a commercial version by blending dry chicken soup mix with rice and macaroni. Sounds like “a San Francisco treat” to me …

92 Princess Charlotte’s aunt : PIPPA

Pippa Middleton is the younger sister of Kate Middleton, aka Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. Pippa has been chased by the media ever since she appeared as the maid of honor in her sister’s wedding to Prince William.

Princess Charlotte of Cambridge (b. 2015) is the second child of Prince William and Catherine, Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Charlotte has a relatively high ranking in succession to the British throne compared to her female ancestors. Before the rules were changed in 2011, Charlotte would have been bumped down the line of succession when her younger brother Louis was born in 2018, just because he was a male and she was not.

96 Disney hero with a “superbark” : BOLT

“Bolt” is a 2008 animated Disney movie about a dog (Bolt) who believes he has superpowers. That’s because Bolt is a working dog, one who played a role on a TV series for his whole life. The title character is voiced by actor John Travolta.

97 Islamic leader : IMAM

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

106 “Physical” singer __ Lipa : DUA

Dua Lipa is a singer-songwriter and fashion model from England. She was born in London to Albanian parents, and considers her native language to be Albanian. She also speaks English with a British accent.

107 Rucker’s song catalog? : DARIUS PRODUCTS (dairy products + “us”)

Hootie & the Blowfish is an American rock band, first formed in 1986 at the University of South Carolina. The leading figure in the band was Darius Rucker, and it was he who came up with the band’s very original name. “Hootie” and “Blowfish” were the nicknames of two friends of Rucker from the college choir. Hootie had a round face and glasses, and was so-named due to his owl-like appearance. Blowfish had chubby cheeks, which earned him his moniker.

114 Skater Midori : ITO

Midori Ito is a Japanese figure skater. Ito was the first woman to land a triple/triple jump and a triple axel in competition. In fact, she landed her first triple jump in training when she was only 8 years old. Ito won Olympic silver in 1992, and was chosen as the person to light the Olympic cauldron at the commencement of the 1998 Winter Games in Nagano, Japan.

118 Not obtuse : ACUTE

In geometry, there are several classes of angles:

  • Acute (< 90 degrees) 
  • Right (= 90 degrees) 
  • Obtuse (> 90 degrees and < 180 degrees) 
  • Straight (180 degrees) 
  • Reflex (> 180 degrees)

123 Choir stand : RISER

A riser is a platform that elevates a group of people above a crowd, and so is ideal for the performance of a choir.

124 Holding insured by the FDIC : ACCT

During the Great Depression, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed into law the Banking Act of 1933. The legislation established the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), intended to be a temporary government corporation that provided insurance on deposits made by customers of qualified financial institutions. The first accounts to be covered, in 1934, had an insurance limit of $2,500. Since the financial crisis of 2008, that limit is $250,000.

125 Daiquiri garnishes, often : LIMES

Daiquirí is a small village on the coast near Santiago, Cuba and a key location in the American invasion of Cuba during the Spanish-American War. Supposedly, the cocktail called a “daiquiri” was invented by American mining engineers in a bar in nearby Santiago.

126 Bunker : TRAP

Sand traps on a golf course are referred to as bunkers on the other side of the Atlantic.

127 Monopoly stack : DEEDS

In the game of Monopoly there are 28 title deeds:

  • 22 streets
  • 4 railroads
  • 2 utilities

128 Some boxers : DOGS

The boxer breed of dog (one of my favorites) originated in Germany. My first dog was a boxer/Labrador mix, a beautiful combination. Our current family dog is a boxer/pug mix, and is another gorgeous animal.

The boxer breed of dog (one of my favorites) originated in Germany. My first dog was a boxer/Labrador mix, a beautiful combination. Our current family dog is a boxer/pug mix, and is another gorgeous animal.

Down

1 Tampa Bay team : RAYS

The Tampa Bay Rays MLB team is a relatively young franchise, having been formed in 1998. The initial name of the franchise was the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. While known as the Devil Rays, the team finished last in the league almost every year. The name was changed to the Tampa Bay Rays in 2008, and I am told the Rays started into a streak of winning seasons soon after.

2 Four-award acronym : EGOT

The acronym “EGOT” stands for “Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony”, and is a reference to performers who have won all four awards. Also known as the “Showbiz Award Grand Slam”, there are relatively few individuals who have been so honored. The first five to do so were:

  1. Richard Rodgers in 1962
  2. Helen Hayes in 1977
  3. Rita Moreno in 1977
  4. John Gielgud in 1991
  5. Audrey Hepburn in 1994 (posthumously)

4 “__ bleu!” : SACRE

French speakers don’t really use the profanity “sacré bleu”, at least not anymore, but we see it a lot in English literature featuring native French speakers. Most famously it is uttered by Agatha Christie’s delightful Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. There is some dispute about the origins of “sacré bleu” (sacred blue), but French dictionaries explain that it is a “softening” of the alternative “sacré Dieu” (Holy God).

5 Mexican bread : DINERO

“Dinero” is a Spanish word meaning “money”, as well as a slang term for money here in the US.

6 South African bread : RAND

The rand is the currency of South Africa. Much of South Africa’s famed gold comes from mines around Johannesburg in the Witwatersrand (Afrikaans for “the ridge of white waters”). The rand currency takes its name from this ridge.

7 Texter’s qualification : IMO

In my opinion (IMO)

8 Ballpark fig. : EST

A ballpark figure is an estimated quantity. The original “ballpark figure” was an estimate of the number of people attending a baseball game, the size of the crowd in the “ballpark”.

9 Wright of “House of Cards” : ROBIN

Actress Robin Wright is perhaps best known from playing the conniving Claire Underwood in the American version of “House of Cards”. For many years, Wright was married to fellow actor Sean Penn.

The hit TV show “House of Cards” is a political drama that highlights ruthless manipulation within the corridors of power in Washington, D.C. The show is an adaptation of a BBC miniseries of the same name, which in turn is based on a novel by Michael Dobbs.

10 Hoops score : BASKET

Basketball is truly a North American sport. It was created in 1891 by Canadian James Naismith at the YMCA in Springfield, Massachusetts. His goal was to create something active and interesting for his students in the gym. The first “hoops” were actually peach baskets, with the bottoms of the baskets intact. When a player got the ball into the “net”, someone had to clamber up and get the ball back out again in order to continue the game!

11 “Paper Girls” actress Wong : ALI

Ali Wong is a stand-up comedian from San Francisco who is a protégé of Chris Rock. She made two very successful Netflix stand-up specials “Baby Cobra” and “Hard Knock Wife”. She also worked as a writer for the hit sitcom “Fresh Off the Boat”.

“Paper Girls” is a sci-fi TV series based on a comic book series of the same name. The title characters are four girls who deliver newspapers in the early morning, and who get caught up in a conflict between time-travelers.

12 First name in civil rights : CORETTA

Coretta Scott King was the wife of Martin Luther King, Jr. Coretta was a civil rights leader herself, and maintained a prominent role in the movement following her husband’s 1968 assassination. She is sometimes referred to as the First Lady of the Civil Rights Movement.

14 Font line : SERIF

Serifs are details on the ends of characters in some typefaces. Typefaces without serifs are known as sans-serif, using the French word “sans” meaning “without” and “serif” from the Dutch “schreef” meaning “line”. Some people say that serif fonts are easier to read on paper, whereas sans-serif fonts work better on a computer screen. I’m not so sure though …

16 Errant pool shot : MISCUE

Someone described as errant is roving around, especially in search of adventure, as in “knight-errant”.The term “errant” has come to mean “behaving wrongly” and “straying outside the bounds”.

17 Verdi work based on a Shakespeare work : OTELLO

Giuseppe Verdi’s opera “Otello” was first performed in 1887 at La Scala Theater in Milan. The opera is based on Shakespeare’s play “Othello” and is considered by many to be Verdi’s greatest work.

18 Balance sheet listing : ASSETS

The balance sheet of a company is a snapshot (single-point-in-time) view of a company’s financial position. The balance sheet lists all the company’s liabilities, all of its assets, and all of its ownership equity. The assets of a company, less its liabilities equals the ownership equity. The term “balance” is used because assets always balance out with the sum of liabilities and shareholder equity.

24 With 49-Down, body that was once the world’s fourth-largest lake : ARAL … 49 See 24-Down : … SEA

The Aral Sea is a great example of how humankind can have a devastating effect on the environment. In the early sixties the Aral Sea covered 68,000 square miles of Central Asia. Soviet irrigation projects drained the lake to such an extent that today the total area is less than 7,000 square miles, with 90% of the lake now completely dry. Sad …

30 Checked out for a job? : CASED

The phrase “to case the joint” is American slang meaning “to examine a location with the intent of robbing it”. The origins of the phrase are apparently unknown, although it dates back at least to 1915.

32 Jakarta’s island : JAVA

Java is a large island in Indonesia that is home to the country’s capital, Jakarta. With a population of over 130 million, Java is the most populous island in the world, with even more people than Honshu, the main island of Japan.

34 Mariano who leads the MLB in career saves : RIVERA

Mariano Rivera is a professional baseball pitcher from Panama City. Rivera played for the New York Yankees from 1995 until his retirement at the end of the 2013 season. Rivera holds the league record for the most career saves (at 652). He is known by the nicknames “Mo” and “Sandman”. In 2019, Rivera became the first player elected unanimously to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

35 Apple Store offerings : MACS

The technical support desk found in Apple Retail Stores is rather inventively called the Genius Bar. The certified support technicians are known as “Geniuses”. The trainees are called GYOs: Grow-Your-Own-Geniuses.

36 Tennis icon Arthur : ASHE

Arthur Ashe was a professional tennis player from Richmond, Virginia. In his youth, Ashe found himself having to travel great distances to play against Caucasian opponents due to the segregation that still existed in his home state. He was rewarded for his dedication by being selected for the 1963 US Davis Cup team, the first African-American player to be so honored. Ashe continued to run into trouble because of his ethnicity though, and in 1968 was denied entry into South Africa to play in the South African Open. In 1979, Ashe suffered a heart attack and had bypass surgery, with follow-up surgery four years later during which he contracted HIV from blood transfusions. Ashe passed away in 1993 due to complications from AIDS. Shortly afterwards, Ashe was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Bill Clinton.

44 AuctionWeb, since 1997 : EBAY

eBay was founded in 1995 as AuctionWeb. One of the first items purchased was a broken laser pointer, for $14.83. The buyer was a collector of broken laser pointers …

51 Zoe’s partner in fashion : NIC

“NIC+ZOE is a fashion knitwear brand led by a mother+daughter partnership Dorian Lightbown and Zoë Chatfield-Taylor.

53 “Feel What U Feel” Grammy winner : LISA LOEB

“Feel What U Feel” is an album released by musician Lisa Loeb. It is a collection of children’s songs, and won the Grammy for the Best Children’s Album in 2018.

65 “How’s it goin’?” : SUP?

“Sup?” is slang for “what’s up?”

66 Disco era term : A GOGO

Go-go dancing started in the early sixties. Apparently, the first go-go dancers were women at the Peppermint Lounge in New York City who would spontaneously jump up onto tables and dance the twist. It wasn’t long before clubs everywhere started hiring women to dance on tables for the entertainment of their patrons. Out in Los Angeles, the “Whisky a Go Go” club on Sunset Strip added a twist (pun intended!), as they had their dancers perform in cages suspended from the ceiling, creating the profession of “cage dancing”. The name “go-go” actually comes from two expressions. The expression in English “go-go-go” describes someone who is high energy, and the French expression “à gogo” describes something in abundance.

67 “Shoo!” : SCAT!

Our word “scat!” means “get lost!” It comes from a 19th-century expression “quicker than s’cat”, which meant “in a great hurry”. The original phrase probably came from the words “hiss” and “cat”.

69 Director Kazan : ELIA

Elia Kazan won Oscars for best director in 1948 for “Gentleman’s Agreement” and in 1955 for “On The Waterfront”. He was recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences when he was given the 1998 Academy Honorary Award citing his lifetime achievement in the industry. Kazan also directed “East of Eden”, which introduced James Dean to movie audiences, and “Splendor in the Grass” that included Warren Beatty in his debut role.

74 The Miners of the NCAA : UTEP

The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) was founded in 1914 as the Texas State School of Mines and Metallurgy. To this day, there is a mine shaft on the campus. The mascot of the school’s sports teams is Paydirt Pete, a prospector from the mining industry. The teams are also known as the UTEP Miners and Lady Miners.

75 “For a great nose indicates a great man” speaker : CYRANO

Cyrano de Bergerac was a French dramatist who lived in the 17th century. Paintings and drawings show that Bergerac had a large nose, although the size was exaggerated by those who wrote about his life. Reputedly, Cyrano fought in over 1000 duels, mostly instigated by someone insulting his nose. In the play written about his life, Cyrano had a famous lover named Roxane. It is thought that the Roxane character was modeled on Cyrano’s cousin who lived with his sister in a convent.

76 __ polloi : HOI

“Hoi polloi” is a Greek term that translates literally as “the majority, the many”. In English, “hoi polloi” has come to mean “the masses” and is often used in a derogatory sense. Oddly, the term has also come to describe “the elite”.

77 Actor Schreiber : LIEV

Liev Schreiber is highly regarded as a stage actor, and has many classical roles under his belt. He won a Tony in 2005 for his Broadway performance in “Glengarry Glen Ross”, and earned excellent reviews for his performance in Shakespeare’s “Cymbeline”.

79 H+, e.g. : ION

Hydrogen is a relatively simple element, composed of basically a proton, an electron and no neutrons. It is the most abundant element in the universe.

82 Pie chart no. : PCT

A pie chart can also be referred to as a circle graph. It is often stated that Florence Nightingale invented the pie chart. While this is not in fact true, she is due credit for popularizing it, and for developing the pie chart variation known as the polar area diagram. The earliest known pie chart appears in a book published in 1801 by Scottish engineer William Playfair.

85 Real doozy : LULU

We call a remarkable thing or a person a lulu. The term “lulu” was coined in honor of Lulu Hurst, the Georgia Wonder, who was a stage magician active in the 1880s.

A doozy is something extraordinary or bizarre. The exact origins of the word “doozy” aren’t clear, but it might be a derivative of the name Eleanora Duse, an Italian actress popular early in the 20th century. Some say that the term comes from the Duesenberg brand of automobile, which was indeed referred to as a “duesy”. However, the use of “doozy” in print occurs before the Duesenberg hit the market.

86 “¿Cómo __ usted?” : ESTA

“¿Cómo está usted?” is the more formal way of asking “How are you?” in Spanish.

88 Bygone detergent brand : RINSO

Rinso was a laundry detergent that was first manufactured in England in 1908 by a company called Hudson’s Soap. It was introduced into the US in 1918. In America, Rinso took to radio advertising and sponsorship in the days of “soap operas”. Their most famous program association was with “The Amos ‘n’ Andy Show” in the 1940s. One of the brand’s slogans was “Solium, the sunlight ingredient”. I have no idea what Solium is, but it certainly did sell a lot of soap!

90 Cabs and zins, e.g. : REDS

The cabernet sauvignon (often just “cab”) grape has been around since the 17th century, and is the result of a chance crossing in southwestern France of the cabernet franc and sauvignon blanc grapes.

91 GPS offering : RTE

A global positioning system (GPS) might point out a route (rte.).

94 Colonnaded entryway : PORTICO

A colonnade is a long sequence of columns that are equally spaced, and often support some type of roof. A colonnade surrounding a porch at an entranceway is known as a portico. A colonnade surrounding a courtyard or the perimeter of a building is known as a peristyle.

97 TSA request : ID CARD

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

98 Peppermint Patty’s pal : MARCIE

Peppermint Patty is a character in the long-running comic strip “Peanuts”, by Charles M. Schulz. Peppermint Patty has a friend named Marcie who famously refers to Peppermint Patty as “Sir”, which is perhaps a reference to her reputation as a tomboy. Tomboy or not, it is revealed in the strip that Peppermint Patty has quite a crush on Charlie Brown.

99 Pique : AROUSE

The words “whet” and “pique” can both be used in the sense of sharpening, or awakening one’s interest or desire.

109 Pac-12 player : UTE

The Utah Utes are the athletic teams of the University of Utah.

110 Sits on a windowsill, say : COOLS

“Sill plate”, or simply “sill”, is an architectural term describing a bottom horizontal member to which vertical members are attached. Window sills and door sills are specific sill plates found at the bottoms of windows and door openings.

116 Where lei people party? : LUAU

The Hawaiian party or feast known as a “luau” really dates back to 1819, when King Kamehameha II removed religious laws that governed the eating of meals. These laws called for women and men to eat separately. At the same time as he changed the laws, the king initiated the luau tradition by symbolically eating with the women who moved in his circle.

117 “30 for 30” network : ESPN

“30 for 30” is a series of ESPN documentary films that has aired since 2009. The series originated as a celebration of ESPN’s 30th birthday. To recognize that anniversary, the network commissioned 30 filmmakers to make 30 one-hour films covering the big stories in ESPN’s 30-year history. The series was so well received that ESPN continues to make similar documentaries using the “30 for 30” umbrella title.

120 Heart test, for short : ECG

An EKG measures the electrical activity in the heart. Back in my homeland of Ireland, an EKG is known as an ECG (for electrocardiogram). We use the German name in the US, Elektrokardiogramm, giving us EKG. Apparently the abbreviation EKG is preferred, as ECG might be confused (if poorly handwritten, I guess) with EEG, the abbreviation for an electroencephalogram.

122 “OMG, enough!” : TMI!

Too much information (TMI)

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 WWE officials : REFS
5 More deadpan : DRIER
10 “Coffee Cantata” composer : BACH
14 Girl Scout cookie also called Caramel deLite : SAMOA
19 Indian tourist city : AGRA
20 Playground rejoinder : I AM SO!
21 __ vera : ALOE
22 Gives off : EMITS
23 Command to Alexa? : YOU CANNOT BE SIRI (you cannot be serious – “us”)
26 “The Bachelorette” props : ROSES
27 Like many martinis : STIRRED
28 Bug : IRK
29 Gather around : ENCIRCLE
31 Blue drop in emoji : TEAR
32 Like one who nailed the Kylie costume? : JENNER TO A FAULT (generous to a fault – “us”)
35 Bathroom rug : MAT
37 Tree-loving Seuss character : LORAX
39 “Bosch” star Welliver : TITUS
40 Midsummer arrivals : LEOS
41 “Pronto!” : ASAP!
43 Academia’s “Ancient Eight” : IVIES
46 Ming things : VASES
48 Stocking stuffer for Fido? : CHRISTMAS BONE (Christmas bonus + “us”)
52 “Yummers!” : DELISH!
57 Couch kin : SETTEE
58 Rhino kin with long snouts : TAPIRS
60 Teegarden of “Friday Night Lights” : AIMEE
61 “A Wrinkle in Time” genre : FANTASY
64 Roman who tried to stop Brutus? : CAESAR’S PAL (Caesars Palace – “us”)
67 __ butter : SHEA
70 Head-slapping cry : D’OH!
71 National Back to School Mo. : AUG
72 Bubbly Italian : ASTI
73 Pumice stones, emery boards, etc.? : CALLUS TECH (Caltech + “us”)
77 Kerosene : LAMP OIL
80 Leaning one way : ATILT
81 Unable to see the big picture : MYOPIC
83 __ Translate : GOOGLE
87 Short trailer : TEASER
89 Headline about Condoleezza’s gaffe? : RICE ERRONEOUS (Rice-A-Roni + “us”)
92 Princess Charlotte’s aunt : PIPPA
95 Sports bar fixture : TV SET
96 Disney hero with a “superbark” : BOLT
97 Islamic leader : IMAM
101 Not a soul : NO ONE
103 Brainstorms : IDEAS
106 “Physical” singer __ Lipa : DUA
107 Rucker’s song catalog? : DARIUS PRODUCTS (dairy products + “us”)
111 “__ company … ” : TWO’S
113 Strike : CROSS OUT
114 Skater Midori : ITO
115 Ruin, as a garden : TRAMPLE
118 Not obtuse : ACUTE
119 Painting depicting angels? : PIECE OF THE PIOUS (piece of the pie + “us”)
123 Choir stand : RISER
124 Holding insured by the FDIC : ACCT
125 Daiquiri garnishes, often : LIMES
126 Bunker : TRAP
127 Monopoly stack : DEEDS
128 Some boxers : DOGS
129 Tour of duty : STINT
130 Floor : STUN

Down

1 Tampa Bay team : RAYS
2 Four-award acronym : EGOT
3 Colorful dessert : FRUIT TART
4 “__ bleu!” : SACRE
5 Mexican bread : DINERO
6 South African bread : RAND
7 Texter’s qualification : IMO
8 Ballpark fig. : EST
9 Wright of “House of Cards” : ROBIN
10 Hoops score : BASKET
11 “Paper Girls” actress Wong : ALI
12 First name in civil rights : CORETTA
13 Shockingly evil : HEINOUS
14 Font line : SERIF
15 Unconcerned with right and wrong : AMORAL
16 Errant pool shot : MISCUE
17 Verdi work based on a Shakespeare work : OTELLO
18 Balance sheet listing : ASSETS
24 With 49-Down, body that was once the world’s fourth-largest lake : ARAL …
25 West end? : -ERN
30 Checked out for a job? : CASED
32 Jakarta’s island : JAVA
33 Has a life? : EXISTS
34 Mariano who leads the MLB in career saves : RIVERA
35 Apple Store offerings : MACS
36 Tennis icon Arthur : ASHE
38 Glass edge : RIM
42 Hidden dangers : PITFALLS
44 AuctionWeb, since 1997 : EBAY
45 Drench : SOP
47 Brown quickly : SEAR
49 See 24-Down : … SEA
50 Looks after : TENDS
51 Zoe’s partner in fashion : NIC
53 “Feel What U Feel” Grammy winner : LISA LOEB
54 Little rascals : IMPS
55 Usher’s offering : SEAT
56 Port opening? : HELI-
59 Coal formation : SEAM
62 Sandbox player : TOT
63 “Beg pardon” : AHEM
65 “How’s it goin’?” : SUP?
66 Disco era term : A GOGO
67 “Shoo!” : SCAT!
68 Detest : HATE
69 Director Kazan : ELIA
74 The Miners of the NCAA : UTEP
75 “For a great nose indicates a great man” speaker : CYRANO
76 __ polloi : HOI
77 Actor Schreiber : LIEV
78 Nails the exam : ACES IT
79 H+, e.g. : ION
82 Pie chart no. : PCT
84 One who plays well with others : GOOD SPORT
85 Real doozy : LULU
86 “¿Cómo __ usted?” : ESTA
88 Bygone detergent brand : RINSO
90 Cabs and zins, e.g. : REDS
91 GPS offering : RTE
93 Surfing annoyance : POP-UP AD
94 Colonnaded entryway : PORTICO
97 TSA request : ID CARD
98 Peppermint Patty’s pal : MARCIE
99 Pique : AROUSE
100 Sprayed gently : MISTED
102 Official orders : EDICTS
104 Not going anywhere : AT REST
105 Give and take : SWAP
108 App buyers : USERS
109 Pac-12 player : UTE
110 Sits on a windowsill, say : COOLS
112 Skips over : OMITS
115 If so : THEN
116 Where lei people party? : LUAU
117 “30 for 30” network : ESPN
120 Heart test, for short : ECG
121 In top form : FIT
122 “OMG, enough!” : TMI!