Quicklinks:
The full solution to today’s crossword that appears in the New York Times
The full solution to today’s SYNDICATED New York Times crossword that appears in all other publications
THEME: HEY, MISTER! … all the theme answers are common expressions with the word MAN added once (or twice) e.g. I NEED MY SPACE(MAN), BAT(MAN)S IN THE BELFRY, OPEN DOOR(MAN) POLICY
COMPLETION TIME: 30m 31s
ANSWERS I MISSED: too many in the top of the grid (after a couple of champagne cocktails!)
Across
14. On the 73-Across, e.g. : AT SEA
(73. W.W. II carrier praised by Churchill for its ability to “sting twice” : USS WASP)
19. Élan : VERVE
Our word “élan” was imported from French, in which it has a similar meaning, “style” or “flair”.
20. Lampblack : SOOT
Carbon black (also known as lampblack) is the product of the incomplete combustion of heavy petroleum products. It’s very like soot, although the physical characteristics are a little different. Carbon black is commonly used as a pigment.
23. Loving comment from an astronaut’s wife? : I NEED MY SPACEMAN
From “I need my space”.
26. Place from which to watch a Hawaiian sunset : LANAI
Named after the Hawaiian island, a lanai is a type of veranda.
The tuba is the lowest pitched of all the brass instruments, and one of the most recent additions to the modern symphony orchestra (usually there is only one included in an orchestra). “Tuba” is the Latin word for “trumpet, horn”.
35. News offices : BUREAUS
“Bureau” is the French word for “office, desk”. The term was originally used in French for the cloth covering put on a desk, from “burel”, a coarse woolen cloth used for that covering.
From “bats in the belfry”.
The expression “bats in the belfry” meaning “mad, crazy” conjures up images of bats flying around Gothic bell towers, but actually it’s a relatively recent addition to our vernacular. The term is American in origin, and dates back only to the early 1900s. The concept is that someone who is “crazy”, with wild ideas flying around his or her head, can be described as having bats (wild ideas) flying around the belfry (head). The terms “bats” and “batty” originated at the same time, and are clearly derivative.
41. Chili powder ingredient : CUMIN
Cumin is a flowering plant native to the region stretching from the eastern Mediterranean to East India. Cumin spice is made from the dried seeds, and is the second most common spice used in the world (only black pepper is more popular). It is particularly associated by Indian cuisine and is a key ingredient in curry powder. Lovely stuff …
The Copacabana of song is the Copacabana nightclub in New York City (which is also the subject of the Frank Sinatra song “Meet Me at the Copa”). The Copa opened in 1940, and is still going today although with difficulty. It had to move due to impending construction and is now “sharing” a location with the Columbus 72 nightclub.
“Love Story” was released in 1970, and has to be one of the most romantic films of all time. The film stars Ryan O’Neill and Ali McGraw, with the screenplay written by Erich Segal. Erich Segal wrote a the novel “Love Story” after the screenplay, and as the novel was published before the film was released, there’s a popular misconception that the movie is based on the book. If you watch “Love Story” anytime soon, keep an eye out for Tommy Lee Jones who has a small role, his film debut.
47. Hotel’s ask-your-greeter-anything approach? : OPEN DOORMAN POLICY
From “open door policy”.
53. Popular portal : MSN
MSN was originally called The Microsoft Network, a service introduced in 1995 as an integral part of Microsoft’s Windows 95 operating system. MSN is a whole bundle of services including email, instant messaging, and the MSN.com portal (the 9th most visited site on the Internet).
55. Modern pentathlon event : EPEE
The original pentathlon of the ancient Olympic games consisted of a foot race, wrestling, long jump, javelin and discus. When a new pentathlon was created as a sport for the modern Olympic Games, it was given the name the “modern pentathlon”. First introduced in 1912, the modern pentathlon consists of:
– pistol shooting
– épée fencing
– 200m freestyle swimming
– show jumping
– 3 km cross-country running
56. Difference in days between the lunar and solar year : EPACT
A solar calendar is based on the 365 1/4 days it takes for the earth to orbit the sun. A lunar calendar is based on the moon’s phases (not the 28 days it takes the moon to orbit the earth) and has 12 lunar months of 29-30 days, with the “lunar year” ending eleven days earlier than the “solar year”. So, solar and lunar calendars are always out of sync. An epact is a device that adjusts the lunar calendar to bring it in to sync with the solar calendar.
64. Honoree’s spot : DAIS
Ultimately our word “dais” comes from the Latin “discus” meaning a “disk-shaped object”. “Discus” morphed into the Old French word “dais” meaning a table or platform, before being absorbed into English. So, we end up with both “dais” and “discus”, from the same “root”, via two different “routes”, having two different meanings.
Mariah Carey produced her first album in 1990 under the guidance of Tommy Mottola, an executive at Columbia Records. Mottola and Carey must have hit it off, because they were married three years later (although Mottola is married now to a different singer …).
From “cart before the horse”.
Eric Cartman is a character on the animated television series “South Park”, which I have never watched …
72. One ___ (ball game) : O’CAT
One o’cat, or more properly “one old cat”, is an abbreviated form of baseball with a home plate and just one base.
73. W.W. II carrier praised by Churchill for its ability to “sting twice” : USS WASP
The USS Wasp (CV-7) was an aircraft carrier launched in 1939, famous in the UK for services rendered to the British base and island of Malta in the Mediterranean. In 1942 the Wasp took on the critical and dangerous task of resupplying the beleaguered Malta with aircraft. This involved exposing the carrier to Axis aircraft and coastal defenses as she sailed at night through the narrow straits of Gibraltar. The mission was successful, but many of the planes were destroyed soon after in attacks by German and Italian planes. So, Wasp made another supply run to the island, a vital move that helped the island survive under Allied command. Winston Churchill was so grateful to the Wasp and its crew that he sent a personal message to the captain and the ship’s company, “Many thanks to you all for the timely help. Who said a Wasp couldn’t sting twice?”
From “take a raincheck”.
The use of “rainchecks” dates back to the 1880s, where they were originally tickets issued at rained out baseball games, guaranteeing free entry to a make-up game.
The 1958 horror film “The Blob” was the first film in which Steve McQueen had a leading role. The movie wasn’t a success at all, until Steve McQueen became a star that is. Using McQueen’s name, the movie was re-released and gained a cult following, and was particularly successful at drive-in theaters.
92. Actor Hugh involved in every swap shop deal? : JACKMAN OF ALL TRADES
From “Jack of all trades”.
98. W.W. I hero played by Gary Cooper : SGT YORK
The marvelous 1941 film called “Sergeant York” stars Gary Cooper playing the WWI hero Alvin York. York was the most decorated American soldier in the First World War, and his story helped make the movie about his life the highest grossing film of 1941. For his heroism, York was not only awarded the Medal of Honor by the United States, but also the French Légion d’honneur (the highest decoration in France) and the Italian Croce di Guerra.
99. Pre-1868 Tokyo : EDO
Edo is the former name of the Japanese capital city of Tokyo. Edo was the seat of the Tokugawa shogunate, a feudal regime that ruled from 1603 until 1868.
“The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis” is a sitcom that aired from 1959 to 1963. The show was based on a collection of short stories of the same name by Max Shulman. The Shulman stories had also inspired a movie back in 1953 called “The Affairs of Dobie Gillis” starring Debbie Reynolds and Bobby Van.
107. Bar activity : KARAOKE
Kara-te, means “open hand”, and Kara-oke, means “open orchestra”.
110. Like some gases : NOBLE
The noble gases are those elements over on the extreme right of the Periodic Table. Because of their “full” complement of electrons, noble gases are very nonreactive. The noble gases are Helium, Neon, Argon, Krypton and Xenon.
111. Actor John playing Wayne Knight’s role on “Seinfeld”? : GOODMAN AS NEWMAN
From “good as new”.
114. Inhabitant of the Pribilof Islands : ALEUT
If you’re looking for an isolated place to live in the US, you might want to try the Pribilof Islands in the Bering Sea, north of Aleutian island chain. The islands are a group of four volcanic “rocks” 200 miles off the coast of Alaska, and 500 miles from the Siberian coast. There are two towns, St. Paul and St. George and a total island population of just under 700.
115. Razor brand : ATRA
Fortunately for crossword setters, the Atra razor was introduced by Gillette in 1977. It was sold as the Contour in some markets, and its derivative products are still around today.
Yogi Berra is regarded by many as the greatest catcher ever to play in Major League Baseball, and has to be America’s greatest “author” of malapropisms. Here are some greats:
– “It’s ain’t over till it’s over.”
– “90% of the game is half mental.”
– “Nobody goes there anymore. It’s too crowded.”
– (giving directions) “When you come to a fork in the road, take it.”
– “It’s déjà vu all over again.”
– “Always go to other people’s funerals, otherwise they won’t go to yours.”
117. Excoriate : BLAST
“To excoriate” is to abrade or chafe. It also means to strongly denounce something or someone.
118. “Viva ___!” : EL REY
“Viva el rey!” … ” Long live the king!” in Spanish.
121. Dummkopfs : ASSES
“Dummkopf” is a German word, and literally means “dumb head”.
Down
1. Modern party summons : EVITE
An “evite” is an “electronic invitation”.
Xenon gas is used in flash tubes. The gas is ionized into a light emitting plasma by discharging a high voltage through it, using current stored in a capacitor.
3. Confession of faith : CREED
The word “creed” comes from the Latin “credo”, meaning “I believe”.
5. Mother of Helen : LEDA
In Greek mythology, Leda was the beautiful Queen of Sparta who was seduced by Zeus, in the form of a swan. She produced two eggs from the union. One egg hatched into the beautiful Helen, later to be known as Helen of Troy over whom the Trojan War was fought. The other egg hatched into the twins Castor and Pollux. Castor and Pollux had different fathers in the myth. Castor was the son of Zeus, so was immortal, while Pollux was the son of Leda’s earthly husband, so he was mortal.
6. Retreat : ASYLUM
“Asylum” is a Latin word, meaning “sanctuary”.
In the original “Star Wars” movie (later called “Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope”), Mos Eisley is an outpost and hangout of less than reputable traders. Han Solo and Luke Skywalker get attacked there by Sandtroopers, but make their escape.
8. Dad : POP
“Pop” is an American term for “father”, and comes from the French “Papa”.
Sweden is one of only two countries to have won medals at every Olympic Games (summer and winter) since 1908. The other with such a record is Finland. Sweden is a winter Olympics powerhouse, but has only ever hosted a summer Games, in Stockholm in 1912. Although it should be noted that for the 1956 Melbourne Games, the equestrian events could not be held in Australia due to quarantine restrictions, so those competitions were held in Stockholm five months before the Melbourne games opened. Quite interesting …
11. Whence the phrase “Murder most foul” : HAMLET
In Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”, it’s the ghost of Hamlet’s father that says to him:
“Murder most foul, as in the best it is;
But this most foul, strange and unnatural.”
15. Prickly plants : TEASELS
Botanically the prickly plants called teasels are collectively known as plants of the genus Dipsacus. They’re considered invasive species in the US, and you’ll see them all over waste, uncultivated land.
Georgia O’Keefe was an influential American artist, one who led the introduction of American art into Europe. Famously, she was married to photographer Alfred Stieglitz who helped develop her career in the early days. Georgia O’Keeffe’s last home was in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where she had done a lot of her work during her lifetime. She died there in 1986, at the ripe old age of 1986.
17. Expunction : ERASURE
Expunction is the act of expunging, erasing.
“Softly, as I Leave You” is an Italian popular song, composed by Antonio De Vita in 1960. The song was given English lyrics by Hal Shaper, and it was recorded by many artists over the years, most notably the British singer Matt Monro. Frank Sinatra’s version of the song was used as background music by the Sinatra family on it’s website when the announcement was made that Frank had died. Very fitting …
25. Charged particle : CATION
As we all recall from science class, a positive ion is called a cation, and a negative ion an anion. The name “cation” comes from the Greek word “kation” meaning “going down”, and “anion” comes from the Greek “anion” meaning going up.
32. Vermont city : BARRE
The city of Barre, Vermont calls itself the “Granite Center of the World”, as there are vast deposits of the stone in nearby Millstone Hill. “Barre Gray” granite is famous worldwide and is very popular with sculptors, especially for outdoor works.
33. Cartoon genre : ANIME
Anime is animation in the style of Japanese Manga comic books.
36. Old-time cartoonist Hoff : SYD
Syd Hoff wrote the children’s readers “Danny and the Dinosaur” and “Sammy the Seal”. He also drew two syndicated comic strips, “Tuffy” (1939-1949) and “Laugh It Off” (1958-1978).
39. Vamoose : SCAT
“To vamoose” is to “to leave”, and comes from the Spanish “vamos” meaning “let us go”.
Our word “scat” 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”.
42. Like Rochester, N.Y. : UPSTATE
The city in upstate New York called Rochester started off as a tract of land on the Genesee River purchased in 1803 by three army officers from Maryland, including Col. Nathaniel Rochester. Within a few years the land had been developed into the village of Rochesterville, and in 1823 the name was simplified to Rochester.
43. Literally, “guilty mind” : MENS REA
“Mens rea” is Latin for “guilty mind” and is a central concept in criminal law. The concept is expanded to “actus non facit reum nisi mens sit rea” meaning “the act does not make a person guilty unless the mind be also guilty”. In other words, a man should not be deemed guilty of an act, unless he had a “guilty mind”, that he intended to do wrong.
49. Author Robert ___ Butler : OLEN
Robert Olen Butler is an American writer of fiction. He won a Pulitzer in 1995 for his collection of short stories called “A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain”. Each of the stories in the book tells of a different Vietnamese immigrant living in Louisiana.
In the US, regulations restrict the use of the term “juice” as a label for a drink, reserving it for beverages that are 100% fruit juice. The term “nectar” is used for drinks that may have been diluted or maybe contain additives. If you go to New Zealand, beware, because the terms nectar and juice have exactly the opposite meaning.
Ron Howard sure has come a long way since playing Opie on “The Andy Griffith Show”. He has directed some fabulous movies, including favorites of mine like “Apollo 13”, “A Beautiful Mind” and “The Da Vinci Code”. And today, Opie is a grandfather …
58. The Red Baron and others : AIR ACES
Manfred von Richthofen was a famous WWI fighter pilot flying for the Germans, and was known as the Red Baron. He was credited with more kills than any other pilot fighting on either side of the conflict, recording over 80 combat victories. He didn’t survive the war though, as he was shot down near Amiens in France in 1918.
60. Stir : THE POKY
“Stir” is a slang term for prison, but no one seems to from where the usage originates.
“The pokey, poky” is a slang term for prison, possibly a corruption of “pogie”, a term for a “poorhouse”.
62. “Uncle!” : STOP
To “say uncle” is an American expression meaning to submit or yield. Its usage dates back to the early 1900s, but nobody seems to know how “uncle!” came to mean “stop!”
65. Quark/antiquark particle : MESON
A meson is a sub-atomic particle, made up of one quark and one antiquark.
67. Slow dance with quick turns : BOLERO
The name “bolero” is used to describe slow-tempo Latin music, and can be both a dance and a song.
68. S. American land : ECUA
“Ecuador” is the Spanish word for “equator”, which give the country its name.
Diane Farr plays the FBI agent Megan Reeves on the TV show “Numb3rs”.
“Numb3rs” ran on CBS for five years, finishing up in 2010. The show features an FBI agent (played by Rob Morrow) and his mathematical genius of a brother who helps him solve crimes.
70. ___ Bowl : HULA
The annual college football game called the Hula Bowl isn’t played anymore. The inaugural game was in 1947, and it was cancelled in 2008.
78. Planetary shadow : UMBRA
“Umbra” is the Latin word for shadow. We hear a lot about the Earth’s umbra, our planet’s shadow, during a lunar eclipse as it plunges the moon into darkness.
The words “El Che vive” (“The Che lives”) were often seen on posters and flags after the death of Che Guevara.
Ernesto “Che” Guevara was born in Argentina, and in 1948 started studying medicine at the University of Buenos Aries. While studying he satisfied his need to “see the world” by taking two long journeys around South America, the story of which are told in Guevara’s memoir later published as “The Motorcycle Diaries”. While travelling, Guevara was moved by the plight of the people he saw and their working conditions and what he viewed as capitalistic exploitation. He dropped out of medical school and became involved in social reform in Guatemala. In Mexico City he met brothers Raul and Fidel Castro and was persuaded to join their cause, the overthrow of the US-backed government in Cuba. He rose to second-in-command among the Cuban insurgents, and when Castro came to power Guevara was influential in repelling the Bay of Pigs Invasion and bringing Soviet nuclear missiles to the island. Guevara left Cuba in 1965 to continue his work as a revolutionary. He was captured by Bolivian forces in 1967, and was executed. Fidel Castro led the public mourning of Guevara’s death, and soon the revolutionary was an icon for many left-wing movements around the world.
Jan Hus was Czech priest, famous today for having been burnt at the stake in 1415 as he was deemed guilty of heresy against the Catholic Church. Hus was an important contributor to Protestantism, over 100 years before Martin Luther made his famous proclamations.
85. Comfy bedwear : PJS
Our word “pajamas” comes to us from the Indian subcontinent, where “pai jamahs” were loose fitting pants tied at the waist and worn at night by locals, and ultimately by the Europeans living there. And “pajamas” is another of those words that I had to learn to spell differently when I came to America. In the British Isles the spelling is “pyjamas”.
Raggedy Ann is a rag doll, created by Johnny Gruelle in 1915 for his daughter, Marcella. He decided to name the doll by combining the titles of two poems by James Whitcomb Riley, “The Raggedy Man” and “Little Orphan Annie”. Gruelle introduced Raggedy Ann in a series of books three years later. Sadly, Marcella died at 13 years of age with her father blaming a smallpox vaccination she was given at school. Gruelle became very active in the movement against mass vaccination, for which Raggedy Ann became a symbol.
87. When Canada celebrates Thanksgiving : OCTOBER
The Canadian Thanksgiving holiday predates the related celebration in the US. The first Canadian Thanksgiving was held in 1578 by an explorer from England, Martin Frobisher. He was giving thanks for his safe arrival in the New World, and made the observance in October as was tradition in England. All this happened 43 years before the pilgrims landed in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
The word “azure” came in to English from Persian via Old French. The French word “l’azur” was taken from the Persian name for a place in northeastern Afghanistan called “Lazheward” which was the main source of the semi-precious stone lapis lazuli. The stone has a vivid blue color, and “azure” has been describing this color since the 14th century.
93. Half : MOIETY
A “moiety” is a “half”, a word that made it’s way into English via Old French from the Latin “medius” meaning “middle”.
A fedora is a lovely hat, I think. It is made of felt, and is similar to a trilby but has a broader brim. “Fedora” was a play written for Sarah Bernhardt and first performed in 1889. Bernhardt had the title role of Princess Fedora, and on stage she wore a hat similar to a modern-day fedora. The play gave rise to the women’s fashion accessory, the fedora hat, commonly worn by women into the beginning of the twentieth century. Men then started wearing fedoras, but only when women gave up the fashion …
95. Nike competitor : ADIDAS
The brand name “Adidas” dates back to when Adolf “Adi” Dassler started making his own sports shoes in his mother’s laundry room in Bavaria after returning from WWI. With his brother, Adi founded Dassler shoes. The companies big break came in 1936 at the Berlin Olympics when Adi persuaded American sprinter Jesse Owens to use his shoes, and with the success of Jesse Owens came success for the fledgling shoe company. After WWII the brothers split, acrimoniously. Adi’s brother, Ru-dolf Da-ssler, formed “Ruda” shoes (later to become Puma), and Adi Das-sler formed “Adidas”.
In the 1969 film “Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice”, Dyan Cannon played Alice, a role which earned her an Oscar nomination. She is also famous for having been on Cary Grant’s long list of wives, from 1965 to 1968 (and he was 33 years her senior).
102. Decree : UKASE
In Imperial Russia, a ukase was a proclamation issued by the government or the tsar.
105. Wee bit : IOTA
Iota is the ninth letter in the Greek alphabet. We use it to portray something very small, as it is the smallest letter in the alphabet.
Reba McEntire is country music singer, and television actress. She starred in her own sitcom called “Reba” that aired on the WB and the CW cable channels from 2001 to 2007.
110. Dundee dissent : 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”.
112. Passeport info : NOM
In French, one has one’s name (nom) on one’s passport (passeport).
For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Shine : EXCEL
6. Intensifies, with “up” : AMPS
10. High-school class : SHOP
14. On the 73-Across, e.g. : AT SEA
19. Élan : VERVE
20. Lampblack : SOOT
21. Come to : WAKE
22. Shifty ones? : GEARS
23. Loving comment from an astronaut’s wife? : I NEED MY SPACEMAN
26. Place from which to watch a Hawaiian sunset : LANAI
27. Low tip : TOE NAIL
28. Not well : BADLY
29. Throws (off) : CASTS
30. Close : END
31. Big brass : TUBA
34. Plumber’s fitting : TEE
35. News offices : BUREAUS
37. The Dark Knight rooms with Quasimodo? : BATMAN’S IN THE BELFRY
41. Chili powder ingredient : CUMIN
44. “He wore a diamond” in “Copacabana” : RICO
45. Ryan’s “Love Story” co-star : ALI
46. Origin : SEED
47. Hotel’s ask-your-greeter-anything approach? : OPEN DOORMAN POLICY
53. Popular portal : MSN
54. Swift : FLEET
55. Modern pentathlon event : EPEE
56. Difference in days between the lunar and solar year : EPACT
61. “All clear” : IT’S SAFE
64. Honoree’s spot : DAIS
65. Singer Carey : MARIAH
66. “South Park” character leading a walk around a paddock? : CARTMAN BEFORE THE HORSE
71. Patronized a restaurant : ATE OUT
72. One ___ (ball game) : O’CAT
73. W.W. II carrier praised by Churchill for its ability to “sting twice” : USS WASP
74. Vaults : LEAPS
75. Aspersion : SLUR
76. Brazilian name for six popes : PAULO
79. Speak lovingly : COO
80. What Dustin Hoffman gets to do often, thanks to royalties? : TAKE A RAINMAN CHECK
85. Advantages : PROS
89. Scoundrel : CUR
90. Steve McQueen’s first major movie, with “The” : BLOB
91. Sled dog : HUSKY
92. Actor Hugh involved in every swap shop deal? : JACKMAN OF ALL TRADES
98. W.W. I hero played by Gary Cooper : SGT YORK
99. Pre-1868 Tokyo : EDO
100. “Don’t strain” : EASY
101. Song on an album : CUT
104. ___ Gillis of 1960s TV : DOBIE
105. Colloquialism : IDIOM
107. Bar activity : KARAOKE
110. Like some gases : NOBLE
111. Actor John playing Wayne Knight’s role on “Seinfeld”? : GOODMAN AS NEWMAN
114. Inhabitant of the Pribilof Islands : ALEUT
115. Razor brand : ATRA
116. Quotable Hall-of-Famer, informally : YOGI
117. Excoriate : BLAST
118. “Viva ___!” : EL REY
119. Pastoral sounds : BAAS
120. Sign : OMEN
121. Dummkopfs : ASSES
Down
1. Modern party summons : EVITE
2. Element in strobe lights : XENON
3. Confession of faith : CREED
4. Square : EVEN
5. Mother of Helen : LEDA
6. Retreat : ASYLUM
7. ___ Eisley, “Star Wars” cantina town : MOS
8. Dad : POP
9. Attempt : STAB
10. Winter Olympics powerhouse : SWEDEN
11. Whence the phrase “Murder most foul” : HAMLET
12. So-so : OKAY
13. Pound : PEN
14. Harshly bright : AGLARE
15. Prickly plants : TEASELS
16. Onetime home for Georgia O’Keeffe : SANTA FE
17. Expunction : ERASURE
18. Sinatra’s “Softly, ___ Leave You” : AS I
24. Hand, in slang : MITT
25. Charged particle : CATION
29. Third-degree, in math : CUBIC
32. Vermont city : BARRE
33. Cartoon genre : ANIME
35. Contradict : BELIE
36. Old-time cartoonist Hoff : SYD
37. Hopper : BIN
38. Plus : AND
39. Vamoose : SCAT
40. Most fit : HALEST
41. Funny : COMICAL
42. Like Rochester, N.Y. : UPSTATE
43. Literally, “guilty mind” : MENS REA
48. Run ___ the mouth : OFF AT
49. Author Robert ___ Butler : OLEN
50. Nectar flavor : PEAR
51. 1960s TV boy : OPIE
52. Chorus of approvals : YEAHS
57. Projecting front : PROW
58. The Red Baron and others : AIR ACES
59. Clerical robe : CASSOCK
60. Stir : THE POKY
62. “Uncle!” : STOP
63. Something that’s not optional : A MUST
64. E-mail address component : DOT
65. Quark/antiquark particle : MESON
67. Slow dance with quick turns : BOLERO
68. S. American land : ECUA
69. Actress Diane of “Numb3rs” : FARR
70. ___ Bowl : HULA
75. Shut out : SKUNK
76. Tiresomely disagreeable sort : PILL
77. Make ___ of : A NOTE
78. Planetary shadow : UMBRA
81. Without ___ (nonchalantly) : A CARE
82. Flowering : ABLOOM
83. “El ___ vive!” (revolutionary catchphrase) : CHE
84. Czech martyr Jan : HUS
85. Comfy bedwear : PJS
86. Ann or Andy : RAG DOLL
87. When Canada celebrates Thanksgiving : OCTOBER
88. Azure : SKY BLUE
93. Half : MOIETY
94. Topper for Ol’ Blue Eyes : FEDORA
95. Nike competitor : ADIDAS
96. Welcomes warmly : ASKS IN
97. Actress Cannon : DYAN
101. Results of some accidents : COMAS
102. Decree : UKASE
103. Backpackers’ gear : TENTS
105. Wee bit : IOTA
106. Spread for lunch, maybe : MAYO
108. First name in country : REBA
109. Woodworking tools : AWLS
110. Dundee dissent : NAE
111. Yak : GAB
112. Passeport info : NOM
113. Dating service datum : AGE
111 across (12.26.10): I presume hyou mean that John Goodman was famous for being Roseanne Barr's *husband* and not her wife…
S. Romanowski
Oops!
I guess we know wore the pants in that family …
Thanks for telling me about my slip. I appreciate you taking the time, Sylvie!
I was wondering if anyone knows what happened to Dimepiece Los Angeles celebrity streetwear brand? I am unable to proceed to the checkout on Dimepiecela site. I have read in Vanity Fair that they were acquired by a UK-based hedge fund for $50 million. I have just bought the Dimepiece Open Up Laptop Sleeve from Amazon and totally love it xox