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Solution to today’s crossword in the New York Times
Solution to today’s SYNDICATED New York Times crossword in all other publications
CROSSWORD SETTER: Brendan Emmett Quigley
THEME: Grin and Parrot … the theme answers are all common terms or expressions with a “P” sound changed to a “B” sound, as in “GRIN AND PARROT” for “grin and bear it”:
24A. Détente as a means of self-preservation? : DEFENSIVE PAX (defensive backs)
40A. Make a homie’s turf unfit for habitation? : POISON THE HOOD (“Boyz N the Hood”)
67A. Lay out some newspaper copy the old-fashioned way? : PASTE ON A TRUE STORY (based on a true story)
95A. Rhombus on an award? : PLAQUE DIAMOND (black diamond)
112A. What a mysterious restaurant critic has? : SECRET PALATE (secret ballot)
4D. Getaway where Italian pies are consumed? : PIZZA RETREAT (beats a retreat)
16D. Strength required to lift a car? : JACK POWER (Jack Bauer)
66D. Awards won by shrimps? : PRAWNS MEDALS (bronze medal)
77D. Where your opinion on “One lump or two?” counts? : SUGAR POLL (sugar bowl)
COMPLETION TIME: 41m 33s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 2 … EZER (AZER), SABE (SABA)
Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
5. Time’s 1981 Man of the Year : WALESA
Lech Walesa used to be an electrician in the Gdansk Shipyards in Poland. He was active in the trade union movement in the days when unions were not welcome behind the Iron Curtain. His efforts resulted in the founding of Solidarity, the first independent trade union in Soviet-controlled territory. For his work, Walesa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983, and in 1990 he became the first democratically elected President of Poland. He has lost support in Poland in recent years, but he is a very popular booking on the international speaking circuit.
11. Churchill item : CIGAR
Soon after Winston Churchill took over as Prime Minister of the UK in 1940, he delivered some stirring speeches that rallied the country in the face of German victories right across Europe. The first of these was his “Blood, toil, tears, and sweat” speech as he reported the formation of a new coalition government designed to unite the country in time of war. The second was his “We shall fight on the beaches” speech, as he reported the successful evacuation of Allied troops from Dunkirk. The third speech concluded with, “This was their finest hour”, words delivered to Parliament just as France fell, when Churchill pledged that the British Commonwealth would fight on, alone if necessary. The last lines of this third speech, from this magnificent orator, were:
“… But if we fail, then the whole world, including the United States, including all that we have known and cared for, will sink into the abyss of a new dark age made more sinister, and perhaps more protracted, by the lights of perverted science. Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves, that if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, ‘This was their finest hour’.”
19. Subject of a blurry photo, maybe : YETI
A yeti is a beast of legend, also called an abominable snowman. “Yeti” is a Tibetan term, and the beast is fabled to live in the Himalayan regions of Nepal and Tibet. Our equivalent legend in North America is that of Bigfoot. The study of animals whose existence have not yet been substantiated is called cryptozoology.
20. Some terminals : ANODES
The two terminals of a battery are called the anode and the cathode. Electrons travel from the anode to the cathode, creating an electric current.
21. Mild 11-Across : CLARO
A claro is mild cigar made with light-colored tobacco. The name “claro” comes from the Spanish for “clear”.
23. Ride : RAZZ
Not so much here in America, but over the British Isles “blowing a raspberry” is a way of insulting someone (I think it’s called “a Bronx cheer” in the US). The verb “razz” is a shortened form of “raspberry”.
24. Détente as a means of self-preservation? : DEFENSIVE PAX (defensive backs)
Détente is a French word meaning “loosening” and in general it’s used to describe the easing of strained relations in a political situation. In particular, the policy of détente came to be associated with the improved relations between the US and the Soviet Union in the seventies.
26. World Factbook publisher, in brief : CIA
“The World Factbook” is a publication produced by the CIA. It is intended primarily for use by government employees but, as it is in the public domain, it is now used by just about anyone. The first edition of “Factbook” came out in 1962 and, as it was classified, it had limited distribution. It was decided to make “Factbook” public in 1975, and it has been freely available on the World Wide Web since 1994.
32. Big name in office supplies : AVERY
Avery Dennison Corporation was founded as Kum Kleen Products in 1935, by R. Stanton Avery. Kum Kleen Products were the first manufacturers of self-adhesive labels.
33. “The ___ Bride” (Rimsky-Korsakov opera) : TSAR’S
“The Tsar’s Bride” is an opera by Rimsky-Kirsakov with a libretto inspired by a play of the same name written by Lev Mey. Although often performed in Russia, “The Tsar’s Bride” is rarely staged in the West.
40. Make a homie’s turf unfit for habitation? : POISON THE HOOD (“Boyz N the Hood”)
“Boyz N the Hood” is a 1991 movie about the gang culture in South Central LA. Cuba Gooding, Jr. and Ice Cube have starring roles, and it was directed by Jon Singleton. Singleton was only 23 years old at the time of filming, and his resulting nomination for a Best Director Oscar made him the youngest ever nominee for that category of Academy Award.
45. “Today” rival, for short : GMA
Good Morning America.
47. Veep Agnew : SPIRO
Spiro Agnew served as Vice-President under Richard Nixon, before becoming the only VP in American history to resign because of criminal charges (there was a bribery scandal). He was also the first Greek-American to serve as VP, the son of a Greek immigrant who shortened his name from Anagnostopoulos.
53. Where the 34th Infantry Division fought: Abbr. : ETO
The 34th Infantry Division is part of the Army National Guard. The 34th Infantry had the distinction of being the very first US Division to be deployed to the European Theater of Operations (ETO) during WWII.
54. Joint legislative assemblies : PLENA
“Plenum” is the name given to a complete legislative assembly under the parliamentary system, with the associated term of “quorum” being the minimum number of members required to be present to conduct business.
55. Israel’s Weizman : EZER
Ezer Weizman was the seventh President of Israel.
56. Seven, for one : NATURAL
In the game of craps, a throw of 7 or 11 is known as a “natural”.
If one considers earlier versions of craps, then the game has been around for a very long time and probably dates back to the Crusades. It may have been derived from an old English game called “hazard” also played with two dice, which was mentioned in Geoffrey Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales” from the 1300s. The American version of the game came here courtesy of the French and first set root in New Orleans where it was given the name “crapaud”, a French word meaning “toad”.
58. Songs for one : SOLI
“Soli” (the plural of “solo”) are pieces of music performed by one artist, whereas “tutti” are pieces performed by all of the artists.
60. Eye part : ROD
The retina is the name given to the tissue that lines the inside of the eye, the tissue that is light-sensitive. There are (mainly) two types of cell in the retina that are sensitive to light: the rods and the cones. Rods are cells that best function in very dim light and only provide black-and-white vision. Cones on the other hand function in brighter light and can perceive color.
63. Antiulcer pill : ZANTAC
Zantac is a brand name for the drug called ranitidine, which is used to inhibit the production of stomach acid. Ranitidine was introduced in 1981, and by 1988 was the biggest-selling, prescription drug in the world.
78. Tucson sch. : U OF A
The University of Arizona (UA, or “U of A”) was the first university founded in the state, opening its doors for students in Tucson in 1885 (which was actually 27 years before the territory was granted statehood).
86. They’re laid by aves : OVA
In Latin, birds (“aves”) lay eggs (“ova”).
88. Shiny, hollow paperweight : GEODE
A geode is a naturally occurring rock in which there is a cavity lined or filled with crystal formations.
90. Star men? : MAGI
“Magi” is the plural of the Latin word “magus”, a term applied to someone who was able to read the stars. Hence, magi is commonly used with reference to the “wise men from the East” who followed the star and visited Jesus soon after he was born.
93. Electoral map shade : RED
On political maps, red states are Republican, and blue states Democrat. The designation of red and blue states is a very recent concept, only introduced in the 2000 presidential election by TV journalist, the late Tim Russert. In retrospect, the choice of colors is surprising, as in other democracies around the world red is usually used to describe left-leaning, socialist parties (the reds under the bed!), and blue is used for conservative, right-wing parties.
94. Blender maker : OSTER
The Oster brand of small appliances was introduced in 1924 by John Oster. He started out by making manually-powered hair clippers designed for cutting women’s hair, and followed up with a motorized version in 1928. The clippers kept the company in business until 1946 when Oster diversified, buying a manufacturer of liquefying blenders in 1946. The blender was renamed an Osterizer and was a big hit.
95. Rhombus on an award? : PLAQUE DIAMOND (black diamond)
There are a number of uses for the term “black diamond”, but I think the most common one is as part of the rating table for ski runs.
In North America, ski runs are given a standardized rating in terms of skiing difficulty. The ratings are:
– Green circles: easy to ski, often termed “bunny slopes”.
– Blue squares: medium difficulty
– Black diamond: steep and challenging terrain
– Double black diamond: experts only (I’ve never braved one!)
100. Dead letter? : RUNE
A rune is a character in an alphabet (including the Viking alphabet), believed to have mysterious powers.
101. Concert for ___ (2007 event) : DIANA
The Concert for Diana was held to honor the memory of Diana, Princess of Wales in 2007 at Wembley Stadium. That was the year of the 10th anniversary of her death. There were 22,500 tickets printed for the performance, and they sold out in 27 minutes.
102. Highflier’s home? : AERIE
An aerie is the nest of an eagle.
104. Derailleur settings : SPEEDS
Derailleur gears are the basis of the transmission system on most bicycles. The system uses a chain, various sizes of sprockets and a shifting mechanism. “Derailleur” is from the French verb “dérailler”, meaning “to go off the rails”. “Derailleur” has the same root as our word “derail”.
106. Cartoon character whose last name is Höek : REN
“The Ren and Stimpy Show” ran on Nickelodeon from 1991 to 1996. Not my cup of tea …
111. P : RHO
Rho is the Greek letter that looks just like our Roman letter “p”.
116. 1968 live folk record : ARLO
Arlo Guthrie is the son of Woody Guthrie. Both father and son are renowned for their singing of protest songs about social injustice. Arlo is most famous for his epic “Alice’s Restaurant Massacree”, a song that lasts a full 18m and 34s. In the song Guthrie tells how he was rejected for service in the Vietnam War after being drafted, based on his criminal record. He had one incident on his public record, a Thanksgiving Day arrest for littering and being a public nuisance when he was 18-years-old.
117. Company with Patch Media : AOL
Patch Media (owned by AOL) is the company that operates the website Patch.com, which uses a concept the company calls “hyperlocal journalism”. Patch.com employs a network of local community news editors that manage local community news websites. There are over 500 such websites live on Patch.com today.
120. Something special : LULU
A “lulu” or a “oner” is a remarkable person or object. The word “lulu” first appeared in an article about baseball in New Orleans back in 1886.
122. Court nobleman in “Hamlet” : OSRIC
In William Shakespeare’s play “Hamlet”, Osric is the courtier that Claudius dispatches to invite Hamlet to participate in a duel.
123. Bottoms : NADIRS
The nadir is the direction pointing immediately below a particular location (through to the other side of the Earth for example). The opposite direction, that pointing immediately above, is called the zenith.
124. “Mr. Roboto” band, 1983 : STYX
“Mr Roboto” is a song on the 1983 album “Kilroy Was Here” by the Chicago band Styx.
Down
1. Banks raking in the money? : TYRA
Tyra Banks is a tremendously successful model and businesswoman. She hosts, and indeed created, the hit show “America’s Next Top Model “, and has her own talk show. Banks was the first African American woman to make the cover of the “Sports Illustrated” swimsuit issue.
2. Criticize severely, with “out” : REAM
I must admit that I find the slang term “to ream, with its meaning “to scold harshly”, quite distasteful. The usage of the word as a reprimand dates back to about 1950.
3. Chichén ___ (Mayan ruins) : ITZA
Chichén Itzá is a Mayan ruin located in the Mexican state of Yucatán. It is the second most visited archaeological site in the country (after the ancient city of Teotihuacan). Chichén Itzá has seen a surge in the number of visitors since the development of nearby Cancún as a tourist destination.
8. Dutch city : EDE
Ede is a small town in the Netherlands located between the cities of Arnhem and Utrecht.
10. Setting of the castle Rocca Maggiore : ASSISI
Rocca Maggiore is the name of the imperial fortress that sits on a hill above the city of Assisi in Italy.
The Italian town of Assisi is famous as the birthplace of St. Francis and as the home to the Franciscan religious order. It was also the home to Saint Clare and her order of the Poor Sisters (later known as the Poor Clares).
12. France’s Belle-___-en-Mer : ILE
Belle-Île-en-Mer, usually called just “Belle-Île”, is the largest island off the coast of Brittany in France. Many of the island’s 4,000 residents are descendants of the Acadian colonists who were repatriated from Acadia (Nova Scotia) during the French and Indian War.
14. Foe of the Pawnee : ARAPAHO
The Arapaho tribe lived on the eastern plains of Colorado and Wyoming. The Arapaho traditionally wintered in small camps in the foothills of the Rockies, and then relocated to plains in the spring where they hunted the buffalo that were gathering to give birth to their young.
15. Cyrano de Bergerac wooed her : ROXANE
Cyrano de Bergerac was a French dramatist who lived in the 17th century. Paintings and drawings show that he had a large nose, although the size was exaggerated by those that wrote about his life. Reputedly Cyrano fought in over 1000 duels, mostly instigated by someone insulting him about his nose. In the play written about his life, Cyrano had a famous lover named Roxane. It is thought that the Roxane character was modelled on Cyrano’s cousin, who lived with his sister in a convent.
16. Strength required to lift a car? : JACK POWER (Jack Bauer)
Jack Bauer is the main character in the television show “24”. Bauer is played by the actor Kiefer Sutherland. Fans of the show, which is no longer aired, will be pleased to hear that there is a movie in the works.
25. “Can’t beat that contract” : I PASS
Someone can “pass” on a contract, particularly when playing bridge, the card game.
28. Duke ___, Rocky’s manager/trainer : EVERS
Tony “Duke” Evers is a recurring character in the “Rocky” series of boxing movies. The Evers character is introduced as the trainer of Apollo Creed, and then works directly with Rocky. Evers is played by the actor Tony Burton.
31. 1986 Indy 500 winner : RAHAL
Bobby Rahal is an auto racing driver and team owner. He won the 1986 Indianapolis 500 as a driver, and won the 2004 Indianapolis 500 as a team owner (the driver was Buddy Rice).
34. Weapon in Clue : ROPE
Clue is another board game that we knew under a different name growing up in Ireland, as outside of North America Clue is marketed as “Cluedo”. Cluedo was the original name of the game, introduced in 1949 by the famous British board game manufacturer, Waddingtons. There are cute differences between the US and UK versions. For example, the man who is murdered is called Dr. Black (Mr. Boddy in the US), one of the suspects is the Reverend Green (Mr. Green in the US), and the suspect weapons include a dagger (a knife in the US), a lead pipe (lead piping in the US) and a spanner (a wrench in the US). I think it’s a fabulous game, a must during the holidays …
37. “Quién ___?” (“Who knows?”) : SABE
“Quién sabe?” is Spanish for, “Who knows?”
40. Some New Guineans : PAPUANS
Papua New Guinea is a country occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea (the western side of the island is part of Indonesia).
46. Seder serving : MATZO
The Passover Seder is a ritual feast that marks the beginning of the Jewish Passover holiday, celebrating the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. One of the traditions at the meal is that the youngest child at the table asks “The Four Questions”, all relating to why this night is different from all other nights in the year:
– Why is it that on all other nights during the year we eat either bread or matzoh, but on this night we eat only matzoh?
– Why is it that on all other nights we eat all kinds of herbs, but on this night we eat only bitter herbs?
– Why is it that on all other nights we do not dip our herbs even once, but on this night we dip them twice?
– Why is it that on all other nights we eat either sitting or reclining, but on this night we eat in a reclining position?
51. Title character in love with Elvira : ERNANI
“Ernani” is an opera by Giuseppe Verdi. It was first performed in 1844 in Venice. “Ernani” has the distinction of being the first opera ever to be recorded in completion, by HMV in England in 1904. The recording took up 40 single-sided, vinyl discs.
56. Drag-racing fuel : NITRO
“Nitro” is one of the familiar terms for nitrous oxide, a gas that is used as an oxidizer to increase the power output of engines.
Laughing gas is the common name for nitrous oxide. Nitrous oxide is used as an anesthetic, particularly by dentists. It is also used in motor racing to increase the power output of engines. Laughing gas was first synthesized by the English chemist Joseph Priestly, but it was Humphrey Davy who discovered its potential as an anesthetic. Once it was realized that the gas could give the patient a fit of the giggles, “laughing gas parties” became common among those could afford them.
59. Ukrainian city : LUTSK
Lutsk is in north-western Ukraine, and sits on the Styr River. The river may have given the city it’s name, as one theory is that “Lutzk” comes from the old Slavic word “luka” meaning “a bend in a river”. The city was the center of the Battle of Lutsk during WWI, in June 1916, when the Russians took the city out of the hands of the Austrian-Hungarian forces.
70. Actress Mimieux : YVETTE
Yvette Mimieux is an American actress, born to a French father and Mexican mother. She had a lot of initial success in Hollywood, in the early sixties, but was never able to regain the same level of celebrity in later years. Her most famous role was that of Weena, opposite Rod Taylor in the excellent 1960 film “The Time Machine”.
75. Dole’s running mate of 1996 : KEMP
Jack Kemp was a Vice Presidential candidate in the 1996 presidential election, on the Republican ticket with Bob Dole. Prior to politics, Kemp played football in the NFL, serving as quarterback and captain of the San Diego Chargers and the Buffalo Bills. Kemp passed away in 2009, and was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Obama.
81. Nascar Hall-of-Famer Jarrett : NED
Ned Jarrett is retired now, a two-time NASCAR champion and father of NASCAR drivers Dale and Glenn Jarrett.
83. Spots for hammers and anvils : EARS
The middle ear is the portion of the ear immediately behind the eardrum. The ear contains three small bones called the ossicles, the three smallest bones in the human body. The ossicles’ job is to transmit sound from the outer ear to the inner ear. The shape of the bones gives rise to their common names: the hammer, anvil and stirrup.
85. Sharp irritation : PIQUE
Our word “pique” meaning a “fit of ill feeling” is a French word meaning a “prick, sting, irritation”.
87. Berry in some energy boosters : ACAI
Açaí is a palm tree native to Central and South America. The fruit has become very popular in recent years as its juice is a very fashionable addition to juice mixes and smoothies.
89. Slice of old Turkey? : IONIA
The geographic region called Ionia is located in present day Turkey. Ionia was prominent in the days of Ancient Greece although it wasn’t a unified state, but rather a collection of tribes. The tribal confederacy was more based on religious and cultural similarities rather than a political or military alliance. Nowadays we often refer to this arrangement as the Ionian League.
92. Target competitor : KMART
Kmart is the third largest discount store chain in the world, behind Wal-Mart and Target. Kmart is famous for its promotions known as “blue light specials”, a program first introduced in 1965 and discontinued in 1991. I remember being in a Kmart store soon after coming to live in the US. That evening an employee installed a light stand an aisle away from me, switched on a flashing blue light and there was some unintelligible announcement over the loudspeaker system. I had no idea what was going on …
96. Intl. humanities group : UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is better known by the acronym “UNESCO”. UNESCO’s mission is help build peace in the world using programs focused on education, the sciences, culture, communication and information. The organization’s work is aimed in particular at Africa, and gender equalization.
97. Bowler’s target : ONE-PIN
Bowling has been around for an awfully long time. The oldest known reference to the game is in Egypt, where pins and balls were found in an ancient tomb that is over 5,000 years old. The first form of the game to come to America was nine-pin bowling, which had been very popular in Europe for centuries. In 1841 in Connecticut, nine-pin bowling was banned due to its association with gambling. Supposedly, an additional pin was added to get around the ban, and ten-pin bowling was born.
102. Japanese beer : ASAHI
Asahi is a beer, and the name of the brewery that produces it. “Asahi” is Japanese for “morning sun”. Asahi introduced a “dry beer” in 1987, igniting a craze that rocketed the brewery to the number one spot in terms of beer production in Japan, with Sapporo close behind.
104. Home for a certain old woman : SHOE
“There Was an Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe” is an English nursery rhyme.
105. Tattoo removal reminder : SCAR
The word “tattoo” was first used in English in the writings of the famous English explorer Captain Cook. In his descriptions of the indelible marks adorning the skin of Polynesian natives, he anglicized the Tahitian word “tatau” into our “tattoo”.
108. Like some sparkling wines : BRUT
Sparkling wines can be classified according to sweetness. These classifications are, from dryest to sweetest:
– Brut Nature
– Extra Brut
– Brut
– Extra Dry
– Dry
– Semi-Dry
– Sweet
110. Sauce thickener : ROUX
A roux is a mixture of wheat flour and clarified butter (or other fat, sometimes) cooked together until it can be used as a thickening agent. Roux is an essential ingredient in French cooking, although “healthier” versions are being used more and more these days.
113. A single may get you one, briefly : RBI
Runs Batted In …
114. PC key : ESC
The escape key was originally used to control computer peripherals. It was a key that allowed the computer operator to stop what the peripheral was doing (cancel a print job, for example). Nowadays the escape key is used for all sorts of other things, especially in gaming programs.
115. Like some flat-screen panels, for short : LCD
Liquid Crystal Displays (LCDs) are the screens that are found in most laptops today, and in flat panel computer screens. They basically replaced Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) screens, the old television technology.
For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Dancing misstep : TRIP
5. Time’s 1981 Man of the Year : WALESA
11. Churchill item : CIGAR
16. Chattering bird : JAY
19. Subject of a blurry photo, maybe : YETI
20. Some terminals : ANODES
21. Mild 11-Across : CLARO
22. Ice climber’s tool : AXE
23. Ride : RAZZ
24. Détente as a means of self-preservation? : DEFENSIVEPAX
26. World Factbook publisher, in brief : CIA
27. Floored by : AMAZEDAT
29. Some extra bills, maybe : TIP
30. Symbols of a budding romance : SPARKS
32. Big name in office supplies : AVERY
33. “The ___ Bride” (Rimsky-Korsakov opera) : TSAR’S
36. Take ___ (rest) : A NAP
37. Like most churches : SPIRED
40. Make a homie’s turf unfit for habitation? : POISON THE HOOD (“Boyz N the Hood”)
44. Adjust : ALTER
45. “Today” rival, for short : GMA
47. Veep Agnew : SPIRO
48. Off : AWRY
49. Thai money : BAHTS
50. Dissertation : PAPER
53. Where the 34th Infantry Division fought: Abbr. : ETO
54. Joint legislative assemblies : PLENA
55. Israel’s Weizman : EZER
56. Seven, for one : NATURAL
58. Songs for one : SOLI
60. Eye part : ROD
61. Diminutive of a common Russian man’s name : ALEXI
63. Antiulcer pill : ZANTAC
65. Juice component : PULP
67. Lay out some newspaper copy the old-fashioned way? : PASTE ON A TRUE STORY (based on a true story)
71. Debating two options, say : TORN
72. Whine : SNIVEL
73. Barrel part : STAVE
75. Match closers, for short : KOS
78. Tucson sch. : U OF A
80. Quickly : IN A WINK
82. “While you ___ out … ” : WERE
84. Go off : ERUPT
86. They’re laid by aves : OVA
88. Shiny, hollow paperweight : GEODE
89. Prefix with venous : INTRA-
90. Star men? : MAGI
91. Churchgoers : FLOCK
93. Electoral map shade : RED
94. Blender maker : OSTER
95. Rhombus on an award? : PLAQUE DIAMOND (black diamond)
99. Taking drugs : ON MEDS
100. Dead letter? : RUNE
101. Concert for ___ (2007 event) : DIANA
102. Highflier’s home? : AERIE
104. Derailleur settings : SPEEDS
106. Cartoon character whose last name is Höek : REN
107. Dressing place : SALAD BAR
111. P : RHO
112. What a mysterious restaurant critic has? : SECRET PALATE (secret ballot)
116. 1968 live folk record : ARLO
117. Company with Patch Media : AOL
118. Sourpusses : CRABS
119. Precipitation prediction : INCHES
120. Something special : LULU
121. Many a shampoo : GEL
122. Court nobleman in “Hamlet” : OSRIC
123. Bottoms : NADIRS
124. “Mr. Roboto” band, 1983 : STYX
Down
1. Banks raking in the money? : TYRA
2. Criticize severely, with “out” : REAM
3. Chichén ___ (Mayan ruins) : ITZA
4. Getaway where Italian pies are consumed? : PIZZA RETREAT (beats a retreat)
5. Crumpled (up) : WADDED
6. Close to, in poetry : ANEAR
7. Skyscraping : LOFTY
8. Dutch city : EDE
9. Mailed : SENT TO
10. Setting of the castle Rocca Maggiore : ASSISI
11. Early third-century year : CCV
12. France’s Belle-___-en-Mer : ILE
13. Vacancies : GAPS
14. Foe of the Pawnee : ARAPAHO
15. Cyrano de Bergerac wooed her : ROXANE
16. Strength required to lift a car? : JACK POWER (Jack Bauer)
17. Revolutionary line : AXIS
18. What a raised hand may mean : YEA
25. “Can’t beat that contract” : I PASS
28. Duke ___, Rocky’s manager/trainer : EVERS
31. 1986 Indy 500 winner : RAHAL
34. Weapon in Clue : ROPE
35. Ticked-off states : SNITS
37. “Quién ___?” (“Who knows?”) : SABE
38. Shopping center : PLAZA
39. What PC gurus provide : IT HELP
40. Some New Guineans : PAPUANS
41. Army units : TROOPS
42. “Yes ___?” : OR NO
43. Couple : DYAD
45. Scholastic measure: Abbr. : GPA
46. Seder serving : MATZO
51. Title character in love with Elvira : ERNANI
52. Snitch’s activity : RATTING
54. Light on the stove : PILOT
56. Drag-racing fuel : NITRO
57. Grubs, e.g. : LARVAE
59. Ukrainian city : LUTSK
62. Obliterates : XS OUT
64. Last thing a fellow actor says, maybe : CUE WORD
66. Awards won by shrimps? : PRAWNS MEDALS (bronze medal)
68. Surround : ENFOLD
69. Drop a letter or two : ELIDE
70. Actress Mimieux : YVETTE
74. Dropped the ball : ERRED
75. Dole’s running mate of 1996 : KEMP
76. Like some contraception : ORAL
77. Where your opinion on “One lump or two?” counts? : SUGAR POLL (sugar bowl)
79. Skirt : AVOID
81. Nascar Hall-of-Famer Jarrett : NED
83. Spots for hammers and anvils : EARS
85. Sharp irritation : PIQUE
87. Berry in some energy boosters : ACAI
89. Slice of old Turkey? : IONIA
91. Bird hangouts : FEEDERS
92. Target competitor : KMART
96. Intl. humanities group : UNESCO
97. Bowler’s target : ONE-PIN
98. Refrain bit : NA-NA-NA
99. End of a pricing phrase : OR LESS
102. Japanese beer : ASAHI
103. Fire-___ (carnival performer) : EATER
104. Home for a certain old woman : SHOE
105. Tattoo removal reminder : SCAR
108. Like some sparkling wines : BRUT
109. Side (with) : ALLY
110. Sauce thickener : ROUX
111. Car wash need : RAG
113. A single may get you one, briefly : RBI
114. PC key : ESC
115. Like some flat-screen panels, for short : LCD
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