LA Times Crossword 1 Mar 20, Sunday

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Constructed by: Mike Torch
Edited by: Rich Norris

Today’s Theme: Lo and Behold

Themed answers are common phrases with LO inserted:

  • 24A Film VIP’s influence? : DIRECTOR’S CLOUT (from “director’s cut”)
  • 35A Derision of a parade entry? : FLOAT-SHAMING (from “fat-shaming”)
  • 57A Calligrapher specializing in punctuation? : COLON ARTIST (from “con artist”)
  • 77A Hardwood seller’s markup? : FLOOR PROFIT (from “for profit”)
  • 92A Period when Lindsay ruled? : LOHAN DYNASTY (from “Han dynasty”)
  • 112A “Two Women” actress teaming up with a cartoon cat? : LOREN AND STIMPY (from “Ren and Stimpy”)
  • 43D Prosthetic eagle claw? : FAKE TALON (from “fake ton”)
  • 52D Imitation semolina? : FAUX FLOUR (from “faux fur”)

Bill’s time: 18m 46s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

13 Aetna competitor : HUMANA

Humana is a health insurance company based in Louisville, and is the largest company in the state of Kentucky.

19 Store, as fodder : ENSILE

“Silo” is a Spanish word that we absorbed into English. The term ultimately derives from the Greek “siros”, which described a pit in which one kept corn.

23 Battery terminal-related : ANODAL

A battery is a device that converts chemical energy into electric energy. A simple battery is made up of three parts: a cathode, an anode and a liquid electrolyte. Ions from the electrolyte react chemically with the material in the anode producing a compound and releasing electrons. At the same time, the electrolyte reacts with the material in the cathode, absorbing electrons and producing a different chemical compound. In this way, there is a buildup of electrons at the anode and a deficit of electrons at the cathode. When a connection (wire, say) is made between the cathode and anode, electrons flow through the resulting circuit from the anode to cathode in an attempt to rectify the electron imbalance.

24 Film VIP’s influence? : DIRECTOR’S CLOUT (from “director’s cut”)

In the movie business, final cut privilege usually goes to the producers of a film. Producers are very cognizant of the need for a movie to do well at the box office, and so may disagree with the cut desired by the film’s director. When we view the director’s cut of a particular film, we are often seeing extra scenes and maybe even extra characters. As a result, a director’s cut is usually longer than the final cut.

26 Passport extension, say : RENEWAL

As a result of a League of Nations conference in 1920, passports are usually written in French and one other language. French was specified back then as it was deemed the language of diplomacy. US passports use French and English, given that English is the nation’s de facto national language. Spanish was added as a language for US passports in the late nineties, in recognition of Spanish-speaking Puerto Rico.

28 Lacking face value : NO PAR

In days gone by, when companies first issued a stock, each share would be given a face value (called “par value”). In effect, the company was making a commitment not to issue any more stock under that par value, giving investors confidence that there was no better deal to be had. Nowadays, most stock is issued without such a “guarantee” and is called “no-par stock”.

30 Granola tidbit : OAT

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

41 “Dancing With the Stars” judge Goodman : LEN

Len Goodman is a professional ballroom dancer. Goodman is the head judge on the US’s “Dancing with the Stars”, and was head judge until 2017 on the original UK version of the show called “Strictly Come Dancing”.

46 Transvaal settlers : BOERS

“Boer” is the Dutch and Afrikaans word for “farmer”, a word that was used to describe the Dutch-speaking people who settled parts of South Africa during the 1700s.

In geographic terms, the Transvaal is an area in modern-day South Africa that lies north of the Vaal River. “Transvaal” translates as “across the Vaal”.

49 “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” rhyme scheme : AABA

When I was a schoolkid back in Ireland, Robert Frost’s “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” was our first introduction to American poetry, and what a lovely introduction it was:

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound’s the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

53 Orbital point : APOGEE

In the celestial world, an apsis is a point in an orbit when the orbiting body is at its greatest, or least, distance from it’s center of orbit. The farthest and closest points of orbit are known as the apogee and perigee, when talking about bodies orbiting the Earth. The farthest and closest points for bodies orbiting the sun are known as the aphelion and perihelion.

54 Performed in the street for tips in London : BUSKED

A busker is a street performer, a person entertaining passersby for tips. Some very successful people have spend periods of their lives busking. George Michael used to busk near the London Underground. Rod Stewart performed in the streets of Paris and Barcelona, and was eventually deported from Spain for vagrancy.

57 Calligrapher specializing in punctuation? : COLON ARTIST (from “con artist”)

Calligraphy is the art of fine handwriting. The term “calligraphy” comes from the Greek “kallos” meaning “beauty” and “graphein” meaning “to write”.

60 Frozen Wasser : EIS

In German, “Eis” (ice) is frozen “Wasser” (water).

61 Unilever men’s brand : BRUT

Brut is a brand of men’s grooming products made by Fabergé since 1964. The folks marketing Brut use the slogan “the Essence of Man”.

63 Surgical inserts : STENTS

In the world of surgical medicine, a stent is an artificial tube inserted inside a vessel in the body, say an artery, in order to reduce the effects of a local restriction in the body’s conduit.

65 Biological groups : TAXA

Taxonomy is the classification of organisms or into groups or categories known as taxons (plural “taxa”). We are most familiar with the classification of organisms in the major taxonomic ranks (taxa):

  • Life
  • Domain
  • Kingdom
  • Phylum
  • Class
  • Order
  • Family
  • Genus (plural “genera”)
  • Species

67 “__ español?” : HABLA

“Habla español?” is Spanish for “Do you speak Spanish?” “Aquí se habla español” translates as “Spanish is spoken here”.

72 Pats or Jags : NFLERS

The New England Patriots football team was founded in 1959 as the Boston Patriots. The “Patriots” name was selected from suggestions made by football fans in Boston. The team played at several different stadiums in the Boston area for just over ten years, before moving to their current home base in Foxborough, Massachusetts. At the time of the move, the “Boston” name was dropped and changed to “New England”.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have been in the NFL since 1995, and play in the American Football Conference (AFC).

74 Roof window : DORMER

A dormer window is a window in a dormer! A dormer is a roofed structure that protrudes from the slope of the main roof.

75 It parallels the radius : ULNA

The radius and ulna are bones in the forearm. If you hold the palm of your hand up in front of you, the radius is the bone on the “thumb-side” of the arm, and the ulna is the bone on the “pinky-side”.

76 Blood test letters : HDL

HDL (high-density lipoprotein) is a compound that is used to transport fats around the body. When HDL is combined with (i.e. is transporting) cholesterol, it is often called “good cholesterol”. This is because HDL seems to remove cholesterol from where it should not be, say on the walls of arteries, and transports it to the liver for reuse or disposal. Important stuff …

82 WWII threats : U-BOATS

The term “U-boat” comes from the German word “Unterseeboot” (undersea boat). U-boats were primarily used in WWII to enforce a blockade against enemy commercial shipping, with a main objective being to cut off the supplies being transported to Britain from the British colonies and the US. The epic fight for control of the supply routes became known as the Battle of the Atlantic.

84 Starts the pool game : BREAKS

The more correct name for the game of pool is “pocket billiards”. The designation “pool” arose after pocket billiards became a common feature in “pool halls”, places where gamblers “pooled” their money to bet on horse races.

85 Cactus features : SPINES

The cactus (plural “cacti”) is a member of a family plants that are particularly well-adapted to extremely dry environments. Almost all cacti are native to the Americas, although some succulent plants from the old world are similar in appearance and are often mislabeled as “cacti”.

87 Rhythm instrument usually played in pairs : MARACA

Maracas are percussion instruments that are native to Latin America. They are constructed from a dried shell, like that of a coconut, to which a handle is attached. The shell is filled with dried seeds or beans, and shaken.

88 Israelite patriarch : ISAAC

According to the Bible, Abraham’s son Isaac was born to Abraham’s wife Sarah when she was beyond her childbearing years and when Abraham was 100 years old. Isaac himself lived until he was 180 years old. When Isaac was just a youth, Abraham was tested by Yahweh (God) and told to build an altar on which he was to sacrifice his only son. At the last minute, an angel appeared and stopped Abraham, telling him to sacrifice a ram instead.

90 Banks on a runway : TYRA

Tyra Banks is a tremendously successful model and businesswoman. Banks created and hosted the hit show “America’s Next Top Model “, and also had her own talk show. She was also the first African-American woman to make the cover of the “Sports Illustrated” swimsuit issue.

91 Nocturnal acronym : REM

“REM” is an acronym standing for rapid eye movement sleep. REM sleep takes up 20-25% of the sleeping hours and is the period associated with one’s most vivid dreams.

92 Period when Lindsay ruled? : LOHAN DYNASTY (from “Han dynasty”)

I think that actress Lindsay Lohan’s big break came with the Disney remake of “The Parent Trap” in 1998. I’ve really only enjoyed one of Lohan’s films though, “Freaky Friday” from 2003 in which she stars alongside the fabulous Jamie Lee Curtis.

The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China and lasted from 206 BC to 220 AD. It came after the Qin Dynasty, and before the Three Kingdoms.

97 Clothing giant that’s lost an article over the years : THE GAP

The Gap is a San Francisco-based clothing retailer that was founded in 1969. The name “the Gap” was a homage to the popular sixties term “the generation gap”.

100 Daughter-in-law of 88-Across : LEAH
(88A Israelite patriarch : ISAAC )

According to the Bible, Leah was one of the two wives of Jacob, the other being Leah’s sister Rachel. Jacob’s intention had been to marry Rachel, but Leah and Rachel’s father “switched” his daughters and provided Leah as the veiled bride. Jacob married Rachel a week later, and lived with the two wives concurrently.

101 Fair-hiring letters : EOE

Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE)

102 Two-handled Greek vase : AMPHORA

An amphora is a ceramic vase with two handles on either side of a long neck. The name “amphora” is Latin, coming from the Greek meaning “on both sides of the carrier”, referring to the two carrying handles.

105 Davis of “Dr. Dolittle” : OSSIE

Ossie Davis was a very successful actor, but also a director, poet, playwright and social activist. One of Davis’s better known performances was in the 1993 movie “Grumpy Old Men”, in which he played the owner of the bait shop by the lake.

“Dr. Dolittle” is a 1998 film that was inspired by the “Doctor Dolittle” series of children’s stories by English author Hugh Lofting. The title character is a physician who can “talk to the animals”, and is played by comedian and actor Eddie Murphy.

109 Former tykes’ clothing chain : KIDS ‘R’ US

The retailer Toys “R” Us set up a children’s clothing outlet named Kids “R” Us in 1983. The Kids “R” Us chain folded in 2003.

112 “Two Women” actress teaming up with a cartoon cat? : LOREN AND STIMPY (from “Ren & Stimpy”)

“Two Women” (“La Ciociara”, in Italian, meaning “The Woman from Ciociara”) is a 1960 film that won Sophia Loren that season’s Best Actress Oscar. The title characters are a widowed shopkeeper (played by Loren) and her 12-year-old daughter. The movie is set in WWII, and there is a very disturbing scene in which the two “women” are gang-raped by a group of soldiers. Actress Eleonora Brown played the daughter, and was actually only 12 years of age at the time of shooting. A tough scene to watch, and surely a tough scene to film …

“The Ren & Stimpy Show” is an animated television show created by Canadian animator John Kricfalusi, and which ran on Nickelodeon from 1991 to 1996. The title characters are Marland “Ren” Höek, a scrawny Chihuahua, and Stimpson J. Cat, a rotund Manx cat. Not my cup of tea …

116 Lincoln Center landmark, familiarly : THE MET

The Metropolitan Opera (often simply “the Met”) of New York City is the largest classical music organization in the country, presenting about 220 performances each and every year. Founded in 1880, the Met is renowned for using technology to expand its audiences. Performances have been broadcast live on radio since 1931, and on television since 1977. And since 2006 you can go see a live performance from New York in high definition on the big screen, at a movie theater near you …

The Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts takes its name from the neighborhood in which it is situated, i.e. Lincoln Square in the Upper West Side of the New York City borough of Manhattan.

117 Elemental variant : ISOTOPE

An isotope is a variant of an element. All isotopes of an element have the same number of protons and electrons, but not the same number of neutrons. This means that isotopes of an element have different atomic weights. The term “isotope” was coined in 1913, and translates from Greek “having the same place”. The idea is that isotopes may have different atomic weights, but they occupy the same place in the periodic table.

119 Gamer’s venue : ARCADE

Our word “arcade” comes from the Latin “arcus” meaning “arc”. The first arcades were passages made from a series of arches. This could be an avenue of trees, and eventually any covered avenue. I remember arcades lined with shops and stores when I was growing up on the other side of the Atlantic. Arcades came to be lined with lots of amusements, resulting in amusement arcades and video game arcades.

Down

2 Temper : ANNEAL

One anneals glass or metal by exposing to a very specific temperature profile, resulting in a tougher or less brittle product.

4 Disney World attraction : RIDE

Walt Disney World, located near Orlando in Florida, is the most visited vacation resort in the world. The resort comprises four different theme parks as well as two water parks:

  • Magic Kingdom
  • Epcot
  • Disney’s Hollywood Studios
  • Disney’s Animal Kingdom
  • Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon
  • Disney’s Blizzard Beach

5 Side for a dog : SLAW

The term “coleslaw” is an Anglicized version of the Dutch name “koolsla”, which in itself is a shortened form of “Koolsalade” meaning “cabbage salad”.

7 “Lose Yourself” rapper : EMINEM

The movie “8 Mile” stars Eminem as a young rap artist in Detroit, and features the song “Lose Yourself” that was performed and written by Eminem. The song won Eminem the 2002 Oscar for Best Original Song, making him the first rap artist to be so honored.

8 Barcelona bull : TORO

Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain, after the capital Madrid. Barcelona is the largest European city that sits on the Mediterranean coast. It is also the capital city of the autonomous community of Catalonia.

10 Italian Neorealism film pioneer Vittorio De __ : SICA

Vittoria De Sica was an Italian director and actor. De Sica was director of the film “The Bicycle Thief”, released in 1948. Many deem “The Bicycle Thief” to be the greatest movie ever made.

11 Between, to Berlioz : ENTRE

Hector Berlioz was a French composer active in the Romantic period. Berlioz’s most famous work is probably his “Symphonie fantastique”.

13 Ben-Hur portrayer : HESTON

As well as having a fine career as an actor, Charlton Heston was a noted political activist. In the fifties he was very much a progressive and left-leaning in his political views. He was one of the few in Hollywood to speak out against racism and support the Civil Rights Movement. Later in his life, Heston became more associated with the conservative right, and was president of the National Rifle Association.

The celebrated 1959 Charlton Heston movie “Ben-Hur” is a dramatization of a book published in 1880 by Lew Wallace titled “Ben-Hur: A Tale of Christ”. The 1959 epic film won a record 11 Academy Awards, a feat that has been equaled since then but has never been beaten. The other winners of 11 Oscars are “Titanic” and “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the Rings”.

14 Stomach woe : ULCER

Until fairly recently, a peptic ulcer was believed to be caused by undue amounts of stress in one’s life. It is now known that 70-90% of all peptic ulcers are in fact associated with a particular bacterium.

17 Like Switz. in WWII : NEUT

Switzerland established herself as a neutral country in 1815 as part of the Treaty of Paris that followed the final defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte. That makes Switzerland the oldest neutral country in the world.

25 Indy competitor : RACER

The Indianapolis 500 race is held annually at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana. The race is run around a 2.5 mile oval, hence requiring 200 laps for completion. The first Indy 500 race was held on Memorial Day in 1911. The winner that day was one Ray Harroun. Harroun had seen someone using a rear view mirror on a horse-drawn vehicle, and decided to fit one on his Marmon “Wasp” motor car. Supposedly, that was the first ever use of a rear view mirror on a motor vehicle.

27 Cowardly Lion portrayer : LAHR

Bert Lahr’s most famous role was the cowardly lion in “The Wizard of Oz”. Lahr had a long career in burlesque, vaudeville and on Broadway. Remember the catchphrase made famous by the cartoon character Snagglepuss, “Heavens to Murgatroyd!”? Snagglepuss stole that line from a 1944 movie called “Meet the People” in which it was first uttered by none other than Bert Lahr.

34 Wintry pellets : SLEET

Apparently, “sleet” is a term used to describe two different weather conditions. One is a shower of ice pellets that are smaller than hail, and the second is a mixture of rain and snow, with the snow melting as it falls.

39 Bright signs : NEONS

The basic design of neon lighting was first demonstrated at the Paris Motor Show in 1910. Such lighting is made up of glass tubes containing a vacuum into which has been introduced a small amount of neon gas. When a voltage is applied between two electrodes inside the tube, the neon gas “glows” and gives off the familiar light.

40 Lady of song : GAGA

“Lady Gaga” is the stage name of Stefani Germanotta. Germanotta is a big fan of the band Queen, and she took her stage name from the marvelous Queen song titled “Radio Ga Ga”.

43 Prosthetic eagle claw? : FAKE TALON (from “fake ton”)

A talon is a claw of a bird of prey. The term “talon” ultimately derives from “talus”, the Latin word for “ankle”.

44 Bow or curtsy : OBEISANCE

“Obeisance” is an attitude of deference usually marked by gestures of respect such as a bow or curtsey.

45 X-ray doses : RADS

A rad is a unit used to measure radiation levels that is largely obsolete now. The “rad” has been superseded by the “rem”.

X-rays were first studied comprehensively by the German physicist Wilhelm Röntgen (also “Roentgen”), and it was he who gave the name “X-rays” to this particular type of radiation. Paradoxically, in Röntgen’s native language of German, X-rays are routinely referred to as “Röntgen rays”. In 1901, Röntgen’s work on X-rays won him the first Nobel Prize in Physics that was ever awarded.

48 Thrice, in Rx’s : TER

Abbreviations on a medical prescription (Rx) are shortened forms of Latin phrases. “Ter in die” is Latin for “three times a day”, abbreviated to “TID”. “Bis in die” (BID) would be twice a day, and “quater in die” (QID) would be four times a day.

50 Part of RFK, briefly : ROBT

Robert “Bobby” Francis Kennedy (RFK) was the US Attorney General (AG) in the administration of his brother President John F. Kennedy and President Lyndon B. Johnson from 1961 to 1964. He then served as a US Senator for the State of New York from 1965 until 1968, when he was assassinated. Bobby was killed during his own run for the Democratic nomination for the presidency.

53 Sheltered, at sea : ALEE

Alee is the direction away from the wind. If a sailor points into the wind, he or she is pointing aweather.

54 Bright, blue-white heavenly body : B STAR

Stars are commonly classified by the color of the light that they emit. These classifications are, from hottest to coolest, O, B, A, F, G, K and M. One way to remember the order of these letters is to use the mnemonic “Oh, be a fine girl, kiss me”. The colors of these stars range from blue (class O) to red (class M). Our sun is class G, a yellow star. I think we all know that …

55 Multi-purpose vehicle, briefly : UTE

A utility vehicle is often called a “ute” for short. Nowadays one mainly hears about sport-utes and crossover-utes.

58 Toondom’s Olive : OYL

E. C. Segar’s cartoon character Olive Oyl had quite a large family. Her mother is Nana Oyl, and her father Cole Oyl. Olive’s brother is Castor Oyl, and she has uncles named Otto Oyl and Lubry Kent Oyl (my favorite!).

59 Key : ISLET

A key (also “cay”) is a low offshore island, as in the Florida “Keys”. Our term in English comes from the Spanish “cayo” meaning “shoal, reef”.

62 Knitting loops : PURLS

As all of us knitters know, the purl stitch and knit stitch are very similar, one being sort of the inverse of the other. Yes, I’ve knitted a few sweaters in my day …

64 Izod competitor : NAUTICA

Nautica is a brand of apparel that was co-founded in 1983 by designer David Chu.

Jack Izod was a tailor of some repute over in England, producing shirts for King George V as well as other members of the Royal Family. As Izod was about to retire, he was approached for the use of his name by an American clothing manufacturer based in New York. The brand Izod of London was introduced to America in 1938.

67 What the Wonderland caterpillar smokes : HOOKAH

A hookah is a water pipe, a device for smoking tobacco in which the smoke is passed through a water basin before it is inhaled.

The Caterpillar is a character in Lewis Carroll’s novel “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”. When Alice meets the Caterpillar, he is smoking tobacco in a hookah. Alice doesn’t have a good first impression of the Caterpillar as he appears to be quite rude, talking in terse sentences in between puffs on his pipe.

69 Dietitian’s calc. : BMI

The body mass index (BMI) is the ratio of a person’s height to his or her mass.

71 Fifth Avenue retailer : SAKS

Saks Fifth Avenue is a high-end specialty store that competes with the likes of Bloomingdale’s and Neiman Marcus. The original Saks & Company business was founded by Andrew Saks in 1867. The first Saks Fifth Avenue store was opened on Fifth Avenue in New York City in 1924. There are now Saks Fifth Avenue stores in many major cities in the US, as well in several locations worldwide.

73 Pond dweller : EFT

Newts wouldn’t be my favorite animals. They are found all over the world living on land or in water depending on the species, but always associated with water even if it is only for breeding. Newts metamorphose through three distinct developmental stages during their lives. They start off as larvae in water, fertilized eggs that often cling to aquatic plants. The eggs hatch into tadpoles, the first developmental form of the newt. After living some months as tadpoles swimming around in the water, they undergo another metamorphosis, sprouting legs and replacing their external gills with lungs. At this juvenile stage they are known as efts, and leave the water to live on land. A more gradual transition takes place then, as the eft takes on the lizard-like appearance of the adult newt.

74 Harsh Athenian lawmaker : DRACO

Constitutional law was brought to Athens and ancient Greece by a legislator called Draco. The legal code that Draco developed was relatively harsh, which is why we use the term “draconian” to describe unforgiving rules.

78 President who appointed Justice Kagan : OBAMA

Elena Kagan was the Solicitor General of the United States who replaced Justice John Paul Stevens on the US Supreme Court. That made Justice Kagan the first female US Solicitor General and the fourth female US Supreme Court justice. I hear she is a fan of Jane Austen, and used to reread “Pride and Prejudice” once a year. Not a bad thing to do, I’d say …

79 Educ. basics : RRR

The “three Rs” (RRR) are reading, ‘riting and ‘rithmetic.

83 Cursed thing : ANATHEMA

Anathema is a source of persistent annoyance. “Anathema” is the Latin word for an excommunicated person. Note that “anathema” does not take an article, so we say “he is anathema” rather than “he is an anathema”.

87 Fox of “Transformers” : MEGAN

Megan Fox is an actress and model from Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Fox’s big break as an actress came when she played the love interest of one of the male leads in the 2007 sci-fi movie “Transformers”. Frankly, I have no idea who she is …

88 Like Vivaldi’s “Spring” : IN E

“The Four Seasons” is the most famous work by Italian Baroque composer Antonio Vivaldi. It is a collection of four violin concerti that evoke the seasons of the year. Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” is a favorite choice for background music in elevators and elevators. Personally, my favorite use of the piece is as a backdrop to the 1981 romantic comedy film “The Four Seasons”, starring Alan Alda and Carol Burnett.

89 The Missouri R. runs through it : SDAK

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.

91 Upgrade, as on Yelp : RERATE

yelp.com is a website that provides a local business directory and reviews of services. The site is sort of like Yellow Pages on steroids, and the term “yelp” is derived from “yel-low p-ages”.

93 City of NW Syria : ALEPPO

Aleppo is the largest city in Syria and is located not far from Damascus, the nation’s capital. Aleppo owes it size and history of prosperity to its location at the end of the Silk Road, the trade route that linked Asia to Europe (and other locations). The Suez Canal was opened up in 1869 bringing a new route for transport of goods, and so Aleppo’s prosperity declined over the past one hundred years or so. The city’s population has suffered terribly since the start of the Syrian Civil War, with the Battle of Aleppo raging from 2012 to 2016.

94 Perfect Sleepers, e.g. : SERTAS

Serta was founded in 1931 when a group of 13 mattress manufacturers came together, essentially forming a cooperative. Today, the Serta company is owned by eight independent licensees in a similar arrangement. Serta advertisements feature the Serta Counting Sheep. Each numbered sheep has a different personality, such as:

  • #1 The Leader of the Flock
  • #½ The Tweener
  • #13 Mr. Bad Luck
  • #53 The Pessimist
  • #86 Benedict Arnold

99 Entourage : POSSE

Our word “posse” comes from an Anglo-Latin term from the early 15th century “posse comitatus” meaning “the force of the county”.

102 Utah ski resort : ALTA

Alta ski resort actually lies within the Salt Lake City Metropolitan Area. The first ski lift in the resort was opened way back in 1939. Today, Alta is one of only three ski resorts in the country that prohibits snowboarding (along with Deer Valley, Utah and Mad River Glen, Vermont. The ski resort of Snowbird, located next to Alta, has been in operation since 1971.

103 “Jerry Maguire” actor Jay : MOHR

Jay Mohr is an American actor, one I most remember playing a supporting role in the wonderful HBO series “From the Earth to the Moon” (must-see-TV!). Mohr also created and hosted a reality show called “Last Comic Standing”.

“Jerry Maguire” is a 1996 film starring Tom Cruise, Cuba Gooding, Jr. and Renée Zellweger. The title character is played by Cruise, and is a sports agent. There are several lines oft quoted from “Jerry Maguire” including:

  • “Show me the money!”
  • “You complete me”
  • “You had me at ‘hello’”

104 Occurring before: Abbr. : PREC

Preceding (prec.)

107 Watches tykes : SITS

“Tyke” has been used playfully to describe a young child since at least 1902, but for centuries before that a tyke was a cur or mongrel, or perhaps a lazy or lower-class man.

111 Slugger Sammy : SOSA

Sammy Sosa was firmly in the public eye in 1998 when he and Mark McGwire were vying to be the first to surpass the home run record held by Roger Maris. McGwire fell out of public favor due to stories of steroid abuse (stories which he later admitted were true) while Sosa fell out of favor when he was found to be using a corked bat in a 2003 game.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 They cross in sights : HAIRS
6 “Hmm … ” : LET’S SEE …
13 Aetna competitor : HUMANA
19 Store, as fodder : ENSILE
21 Giving it one’s all, theatrically : EMOTING
22 In-groups : ELITES
23 Battery terminal-related : ANODAL
24 Film VIP’s influence? : DIRECTOR’S CLOUT (from “director’s cut”)
26 Passport extension, say : RENEWAL
28 Lacking face value : NO PAR
29 Eroded : ATE INTO
30 Granola tidbit : OAT
31 Bookmarked item : PAGE
33 Official motorcade protection : ESCORT
35 Derision of a parade entry? : FLOAT-SHAMING (from “fat-shaming”)
41 “Dancing With the Stars” judge Goodman : LEN
42 “__ one, think … ” : I FOR
46 Transvaal settlers : BOERS
47 More in order : NEATER
49 “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” rhyme scheme : AABA
50 Tax return? : REFUND
53 Orbital point : APOGEE
54 Performed in the street for tips in London : BUSKED
56 Give an address : ORATE
57 Calligrapher specializing in punctuation? : COLON ARTIST (from “con artist”)
60 Frozen Wasser : EIS
61 Unilever men’s brand : BRUT
62 Check writers : PAYERS
63 Surgical inserts : STENTS
65 Biological groups : TAXA
66 Not rented : UNLET
67 “__ español?” : HABLA
70 Thin batteries : AAAS
72 Pats or Jags : NFLERS
74 Roof window : DORMER
75 It parallels the radius : ULNA
76 Blood test letters : HDL
77 Hardwood seller’s markup? : FLOOR PROFIT (from “for profit”)
81 Supply : STOCK
82 WWII threats : U-BOATS
84 Starts the pool game : BREAKS
85 Cactus features : SPINES
86 One may be common : NOUN
87 Rhythm instrument usually played in pairs : MARACA
88 Israelite patriarch : ISAAC
90 Banks on a runway : TYRA
91 Nocturnal acronym : REM
92 Period when Lindsay ruled? : LOHAN DYNASTY (from “Han dynasty”)
97 Clothing giant that’s lost an article over the years : THE GAP
100 Daughter-in-law of 88-Across : LEAH
101 Fair-hiring letters : EOE
102 Two-handled Greek vase : AMPHORA
105 Davis of “Dr. Dolittle” : OSSIE
109 Former tykes’ clothing chain : KIDS ‘R’ US
112 “Two Women” actress teaming up with a cartoon cat? : LOREN AND STIMPY (from “Ren & Stimpy”)
115 Tot’s foot : TOOTSY
116 Lincoln Center landmark, familiarly : THE MET
117 Elemental variant : ISOTOPE
118 Reduced : ON SALE
119 Gamer’s venue : ARCADE
120 Ski report highlight : NEW SNOW
121 Softens : EASES

Down

1 Learn about : HEAR OF
2 Temper : ANNEAL
3 Knows about : IS ONTO
4 Disney World attraction : RIDE
5 Side for a dog : SLAW
6 Commanded : LED
7 “Lose Yourself” rapper : EMINEM
8 Barcelona bull : TORO
9 Part of a process : STEP
10 Italian Neorealism film pioneer Vittorio De __ : SICA
11 Between, to Berlioz : ENTRE
12 It may be inflated : EGO
13 Ben-Hur portrayer : HESTON
14 Stomach woe : ULCER
15 Armed forces units : MILITIAS
16 Heaps : A TON
17 Like Switz. in WWII : NEUT
18 Concerning : AS TO
20 Went by : ELAPSED
25 Indy competitor : RACER
27 Cowardly Lion portrayer : LAHR
32 Road trip need : GAS
34 Wintry pellets : SLEET
36 Boundary : ABUTTAL
37 Musical pitch : TONE
38 Tied up at the harbor : IN PORT
39 Bright signs : NEONS
40 Lady of song : GAGA
43 Prosthetic eagle claw? : FAKE TALON (from “fake ton”)
44 Bow or curtsy : OBEISANCE
45 X-ray doses : RADS
48 Thrice, in Rx’s : TER
50 Part of RFK, briefly : ROBT
51 Gofer guy : ERRAND BOY
52 Imitation semolina? : FAUX FLOUR (from “faux fur”)
53 Sheltered, at sea : ALEE
54 Bright, blue-white heavenly body : B STAR
55 Multi-purpose vehicle, briefly : UTE
57 Playground retort : CAN SO!
58 Toondom’s Olive : OYL
59 Key : ISLET
62 Knitting loops : PURLS
64 Izod competitor : NAUTICA
67 What the Wonderland caterpillar smokes : HOOKAH
68 Sounds from pounds : ARFS
69 Dietitian’s calc. : BMI
71 Fifth Avenue retailer : SAKS
73 Pond dweller : EFT
74 Harsh Athenian lawmaker : DRACO
76 Pursuit : HUNT
78 President who appointed Justice Kagan : OBAMA
79 Educ. basics : RRR
80 Toll : PEAL
81 Hand measurement : SPAN
83 Cursed thing : ANATHEMA
85 Greet informally : SAY “HI” TO
87 Fox of “Transformers” : MEGAN
88 Like Vivaldi’s “Spring” : IN E
89 The Missouri R. runs through it : SDAK
91 Upgrade, as on Yelp : RERATE
93 City of NW Syria : ALEPPO
94 Perfect Sleepers, e.g. : SERTAS
95 Rumple : TOUSLE
96 “Absolutely!” : YES YES!
98 Refined : HONED
99 Entourage : POSSE
102 Utah ski resort : ALTA
103 “Jerry Maguire” actor Jay : MOHR
104 Occurring before: Abbr. : PREC
106 Put in a hold : STOW
107 Watches tykes : SITS
108 “It’s showtime!” : I’M ON!
110 Cooked : DONE
111 Slugger Sammy : SOSA
113 Hubbub : DIN
114 Red-berried tree : YEW