Day: March 17, 2013

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
9. Classic verse that begins “Ah, broken is the golden bowl!” : LENORE
“Lenore” is a poem written by Edgar Allen Poe that was published in 1843. The name “Lenore” illustrates Poe’s penchant for using a dominant “L” sound in the names for females characters e.g. Annabel Lee, Eulalie and Ulalume.

15. Kafka or Liszt : FRANZ
Franz Kafka was born in 1883 in Prague, then part of Bohemia and today the capital of the Czech Republic. Kafka is known as one of the greatest novelists who worked in the German language, and even has an adjective named after him. Something that is “kafkaesque” is senseless, disorienting and may have menacing complexity. As it was for many great artists, Kafka’s fame came after his death when much of his work was published.

Franz Liszt was a Hungarian composer and a fabulous pianist. Particularly towards the end of his life, Liszt gained a tremendous reputation as a teacher. While he was in his sixties, his teaching jobs caused him to commute regularly between the cities of Rome, Weimar and Budapest. It is quite remarkable that a man of such advanced age, and in the 1870s, could do so much annual travel. It is estimated that Liszt journeyed at least 4,000 miles every year!

20. Written justification : APOLOGIA
An apologia is a formal apology, or a formal defense of one’s beliefs.

22. Esther of “Good Times” : ROLLE
Esther Rolle was an actress best known for playing the character Florida Evans on the sitcom “Maude” and on the show’s spinoff “Good Times”.

27. “It’s a Wonderful Life” cabdriver : ERNIE
I’ve always believed that the “Sesame Street” characters Bert and Ernie were named after two roles played in the Christmas classic “It’s a Wonderful Life”. In the movie, the policeman’s name is Bert and his taxi-driving buddy is named Ernie. However, the “Sesame Street” folks have stated that the use of the same names is just a coincidence.

28. Meter reader? : POET
The meter of a poem is its rhythmic structure.

30. Architect Saarinen : EERO
Eero Saarinen was a Finnish American architect, renowned in this country for his unique designs for public buildings such as Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Dulles International Airport Terminal, and the TWA building at JFK.

32. Young actor Smith : JADEN
Child actor Jaden Smith is the son of actors Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith. I think I’ve only seen Jaden play one role on the screen, as the title character in the 2010 remake of “The Karate Kid”. I must say, that is a very entertaining film and young Jaden does a great job.

34. Churchill, e.g. : TORY
A member of the Conservative Party in the UK is known as a Tory.

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, and 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’.

42. Ed.’s pile : MSS
An editor (Ed.) has to wade his or her way through a manuscript (MS) that has been submitted.

53. BlackBerry, e.g., in brief : PDA
A device like perhaps an iPhone, Droid, or Treo can be termed a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA).

The PDA known as a BlackBerry was given its name because the keyboard on the original device resembled the surface on the fruit of a blackberry.

54. Having freedom of tempo : RUBATO
“Tempo rubato” is a musical instruction encouraging the conductor or soloist to speed up and slow the tempo at his or her own discretion. Often singers and musicians vary the tempo anyway, giving the piece of music their own “imprint”.

55. Illumination unit : LUX
The “lux” is the SI unit of illuminance, and is equal to one lumen per square meter.

56. Year that “Shrek” and “A Beautiful Mind” came out : MMI
Before “Shrek” was a successful movie franchise and Broadway musical, it was a children’s picture book called “Shrek!” authored and illustrated by William Steig. The title “Shrek!” came from the German/Yiddish word Schreck, meaning “fear” or “terror”.

The wonderful 2001 movie “A Beautiful Mind” is of course based on a true story, but it is also a screenplay adapted from a very successful book of the same name written by Sylvia Nasar. Both book and film tell the life story of John Nash (played by Russell Crowe on the big screen). Nash is a mathematician and Nobel Laureate who struggles with paranoid schizophrenia.

64. Photo developing compound : AMIDOL
In black and white photography, photographic film and paper both contain tiny silver halide crystals in a layer of emulsion. If the silver ion in the halide is exposed to light then it is converted from an ion into metallic silver. Visually there is no difference at this stage between the light-exposed and unexposed parts of the film/paper. When a liquid developer (such as amidol) is applied, then the metallic silver is reduced, turning the silver into metallic crystals that make up the dark areas of the exposed film or paper.

76. Source of the line “They have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind” : HOSEA
Hosea was one of the Twelve Prophets of the Hebrew Bible, also called the Minor Prophets of the Old Testament in the Christian Bible.

79. Part of R.R.: Abbr. : RTE
Rural route (RR).

84. Due follower : TRE
“One, two, three” in Italian is “uno, due, tre”.

85. Part of R.S.V.P. : VOUS
RSVP stands for “Répondez s’il vous plaît”, which is French for “please, answer”.

93. Canadian natives : CREES
The Cree are one of the largest groups of Native Americans on the continent. In the US most of the Cree nation live in Montana on a reservation shared with the Ojibwe people. In Canada most of the Cree live in Manitoba.

95. “Alexander’s Feast,” e.g. : ODE
“Alexander’s Feast, or the Power of Music” is a 1697 ode written by English poet John Dryden. The poem tells of a great feast hosted by Alexander the Great in Persia after his forces defeated those of the Persian king.

96. “Nothing” and “aught”? : LOVE HANDLES
In tennis the score of zero is designated as “love”. Some people believe that this usage originates from the French “l’oeuf” (the egg). The idea is that the written character “0” looks like an egg.

100. Captain Hook’s alma mater : ETON
Captain Hook is the bad guy in “Peter Pan”, the famous play by J. M. Barrie. Hook is Peter Pan’s sworn enemy, as Pan cut off Hook’s hand causing it to be replaced by a “hook”. It is implied in the play that Hook attended Eton College, just outside London. Hook’s last words are “Floreat Etona”, which is Eton College’s motto.

102. Bit of voodoo : CURSE
Voodoo is a religion that originated in the French slave colony of Saint-Domingue on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola.

112. Author of a 1719 literary sensation : DEFOE
When Daniel Defoe wrote his marvelous 1719 novel called “Robinson Crusoe”, he was likely thinking of real-life Scottish castaway, Alexander Selkirk. Selkirk lived alone on the Pacific Island called “Mas a Tierra” off the coast of Chile, for four years. The island was officially renamed in 1966, and is now called Robinson Crusoe Island.

113. Transamerica Pyramid feature : SPIRE
The spectacular Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco is the city’s tallest and most remarkable skyscraper. The building was completed in 1972, at which time it was the fifth tallest structure in the world. Unlike many tall buildings, the Transamerica Pyramid is not open for visitors per se, and one cannot travel to the top to enjoy the view.

114. Planchette holder : OUIJA
The Ouija board was introduced to America as a harmless parlor game at the end of the 19th century, although variations of the board date back to 1100 BC in China, where it was apparently used to “contact” the spirit world. The name “Ouija” is relatively recent, and is probably just a combination of the French and German words for “yes” … “oui” and “ja”.

A “planchette” is a small piece of wood on three castors, with a fixture that holds a pen or pencil. The planchette is used in seances for “automatic writing”. Seance attendees hold the planchette and move it over a sheet of paper to write messages from the beyond …

116. Luke Skywalker’s volley? : RETURN OF THE JEDI
“Return of the Jedi” is the sixth episode in the series of “Star Wars” films, although it was the third film released. The next film made in the series was “Episode I: The Phantom Menace”, which took us back to the beginning of the story. “Stars Wars” fans will be delighted to hear that “Star Wars Episode VII” will be made, and is scheduled for release in 2015.

119. Hit single-player game of the 1980s : SIMON
Simon is an electronic memory game that was released in the 1980s. The idea is to press four big colored buttons in the right order.

122. It falls between 3760 and 3761 on the Jewish calendar : ONE BC
The first day of the Jewish calendar marks the creation of Adam and Eve, which took place on the sixth day of creation according to the Bible. The years 2013-2014 in the Julian calendar correspond to the year Hebrew year 5774.

123. Housekeeping : MENAGE
“Ménage” is the French word for “household”. The familiar term “ménage à trois” translates as “household of three” and is used to describe a domestic arrangement in which three people having sexual relations occupy the same household.

Down
1. Vice president John ___ Garner : NANCE
John Nance Garner was Speaker of the House when he ran against New York Governor Franklin Roosevelt for the nomination in the presidential race in 1932. When it was clear that Roosevelt was to win the nomination, Garner cut a deal with FDR and joined the ticket as candidate for Vice President. When the two Democrats won, they were sworn into office on March 4, 1933. As Garner was still Speaker of the House at the time, he is the only person to have held the office of Speaker and Vice President on the same day.

2. Setting for a 1935 Marx Brothers comedy : OPERA
“A Night at the Opera” is a 1935 Marx Brothers film that was the first movie in which Chico, Harpo and Groucho appeared without their brother Zeppo. “A Night at the Opera” is really great entertainment!

3. Public radio offerings : TOTES
Public radio is famous for offering tote bags adorned with the NPR logo in return for financial support during pledge drives.

6. Cabinet dept. : AGR
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) actually dates back to 1862 when it was established by then-president Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln referred to the USDA as the “people’s department” as our economy had such a vast agrarian base back then.

8. Scottish landowners : LAIRDS
“Laird” is just the word “lord” in the local English dialect in Scotland and the north of England.

11. Home of the Shoshone Mtns. : NEV
The Shoshone Mountains run in a north-south direction in west central Nevada. The range takes its name from the Shoshone Native American tribe.

12. It’s higher than an ace : ONE PAIR
In poker, a pair is higher than a hand with just ace high.

14. Art Deco master : ERTE
Erté was the pseudonym of French artist (Russian born) Romain de Tirtoff. Erté is the French pronunciation of his initials “R.T.”

15. Monk’s title : FRA
The title “Fra” (brother) is used by Italian monks.

16. Barbie’s last name : ROBERTS
Barbie’s (the doll) full name is Barbie Millicent Roberts. Barbie’s male counterpart doll is Ken, and Ken’s family name is Carson. When Ken was introduced in 1959, it was as Barbie’s boyfriend. In 2004 it was announced that Ken and Barbie were splitting up, and needed to spend quality time apart. Soon after the split, Barbie “met” Blaine, a boogie boarder from Australia.

17. Mistakenly hitting into the doubles area during a singles match? : ALLEY-OOPS
On a tennis court, the alley is the zone between the singles court and the doubles court (which is wider). There is one alley on each side of a court. We used to call that zone “the tramlines” when I was a kid back in Ireland.

18. Pirate, e.g., for short : NLER
The Pittsburgh Pirates (nicknamed the Bucs or Buccos) were an early team in the National Baseball League, joining in 1887 just six years after the league was formed. The Pirates played in the first ever World Series, in 1903, and actually won their first World Series in 1909.

32. Middle brother in a 2000s pop trio : JOE JONAS
Joe Jonas is one of the lead singers for the Jonas Brothers. A young neighbor of mine went to see the Jonas Brothers in concert not too long ago. She came home swooning …

35. Epithet for Nadya Suleman : OCTOMOM
“Octomom” is the nickname that the media gave to Nadya Doud-Suleman Gutierrez. There was a lot of controversy surrounding the birth of Suleman’s octuplets in 2009, which were conceived with the aid of in vitro fertilization. She already had six children and was unemployed and availing of public assistance programs.

37. Riga resident : LETT
Latvia is one of the former Soviet Socialist Republics. People from Latvia are called Letts.

Riga is the capital city of Latvia. The historical center of Riga is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, declared as such because of the city’s magnificent examples of Art Nouveau architecture.

38. Spanish irregular verb : SER
There are two verbs in Spanish that translate into English as “to be”: “ser” and “estar”. I’m not a Spanish speaker, and couldn’t explain the difference until a kind blog reader from Texas contacted me. “Ser” is used for “to be” when describing permanent status, as in “I am Irish”. “Estar” is used for temporary status, as in “I am thirsty”. I wonder which form of the verb I should use for “I am overweight” …?

39. Ski-___ : DOO
Ski-Doo is a brand name of snowmobile produced by the Canadian company, Bombardier Recreational Products. The first Ski-Doo went on sale in 1959 and was intended to be named a “Ski-Dog” as the marketing concept was that the personal snowmobile would replace the dogsleds used by hunters and trappers. A painter misread instructions and wrote “Ski-Doo” on the side of the vehicle instead of Ski-Dog, and the name stuck.

42. Sloppy fast-food sandwich : MCRIB
The McDonald’s McRib sandwich is based on a pork patty. There isn’t any pork rib in the patty though. It is primarily made up of pork shoulder meat reconstituted with tripe, heart and stomach tissue. Enjoy …

43. “Semper Fidelis” composer : SOUSA
John Philip Sousa was a composer and conductor from Washington, D.C. Sousa was well known for his patriotic marches and earned himself the nickname “The American March King”. He served as a member of the US Marine Band from 1868 to 1875, and after leaving the Marines learned to conduct and compose. One of the Sousa compositions that is well-known around the world is called “The Liberty Bell”, a tune used as the musical theme for BBC Television’s “Monty Python’s Flying Circus”. Sousa also wrote “Semper Fidelis”, which is the official march of the US Marine Corps.

44. ___ Bay, former U.S. base in the Philippines : SUBIC
Subic Bay is in the Philippines, about 100 miles north of the capital Manila. Subic Bay was the famous site of a US Naval base until it was closed in 1992. I lived in the Philippines for a couple of years, and spent most weekends SCUBA diving. Subic Bay is a mecca for divers as there are many shipwrecks on the bottom of the bay that date back to the Spanish-American War of 1898, and to WWII.

46. Eliza Doolittle, for one : STUDENT
Eliza Doolittle is Professor Henry Higgins’ speech student in George Bernard Shaw’s “Pygmalion”. Of course “Pygmalion” was adapted by Lerner and Loewe to become the Broadway musical “My Fair Lady”. The musical spun off the wonderful 1964 film of the same name starring Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison. To cockney Eliza Doolittle, Professor Henry Higgins was “‘Enry ‘Iggins”.

51. White Castle offerings : SLIDERS
White Castle is a chain of fast food hamburger restaurants. White Castle is famous for its small hamburgers called “sliders”. From 1929, when the chain was founded, until 1941, sliders were sold for five cents. They go for something more like eighty cents these days, I am told …

59. Batting champ John : OLERUD
John Olerud is a former professional first baseman who was noted for his hitting. Olerud has the nicknames “Johnny O” and the not very complimentary “Big Rude”.

66. Part of a requiem Mass : DIES IRAE
“Dies Irae” is Latin for “Day of Wrath”. It is the name of a famous melody in Gregorian Chant, one that is often used as part of the Roman Catholic Requiem Mass.

70. “Singin’ in the Rain” composer ___ Herb Brown : NACIO
Ignacio “Nacio” Herb Brown was a writer of songs and musical scores. Included in the list of great songs that Brown wrote are “All I Do Is Dream of You”, “Make ‘Em Laugh” and “Singin’ in the Rain”.

72. Durable fabric : SERGE
Serge is a type of twill fabric with diagonal ridges on both sides. The name “serge” comes from the Greek word for “silken”.

76. Abbr. after a period : HTML
HTML is HyperText Markup Language, the language used to write most Internet web pages (including this one).

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

86. Praying figure : ORANT
An orant is a gesture made during some Christian services. It is the name given to the pose with the hands raised, set apart, and palms facing outwards. The term can also be used for someone holding such a pose. If you’ve looked at many examples of early Christian art, you’ll know what I mean.

87. “Top Gun” org. : USN
“Top Gun” is an entertaining action movie released in 1986 starring Tom Cruise and the lovely Kelly McGillis. The movie is all about pilots training at the US Navy’s Fighter Weapons School. A lot of footage was shot on board the Navy’s carrier the USS Enterprise during flight operations. At one point in a day’s shooting, the commander of the Enterprise changed course as needed for normal operations, but this altered the light for the cameras that were filming at the time. Director Tony Scott asked for the course to be changed back, but was informed that a course change would cost the Navy $25,000. Scott wrote out a check there and then, and he got another five minutes of filming with the light he needed.

89. D.D.E. opponent : AES
Adlai Stevenson ran for president unsuccessfully against Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1952 and in 1956. Some years after his second defeat, Stevenson served under President Kennedy as Ambassador to the United Nations. Stevenson was always noted for his eloquence and he had a famous exchange in a UN Security Council meeting during the Cuban missile crisis. Stevenson bluntly demanded that the Soviet representative on the council tell the world if the USSR was installing nuclear weapons in Cuba. His words were “Don’t wait for the translation, answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’!” followed by “I am prepared to wait for my answer until Hell freezes over!”

90. Frankie Valli sang in it : FALSETTO
Frankie Valli is a great singer, best known for fronting the Four Seasons in the sixties. Valli had an incredible number of hits, with and without the Four Seasons. The extensive list includes, “Sherry”, “Big Girls Don’t Cry”, “Walk Like a Man”, “Rag Doll”, “My Eyes Adored You” and “Grease”.

92. 1958 hit with the line “Yip yip yip yip yip yip yip yip” : GET A JOB
“Get a Job” is a doo-wop song that was recorded by the Silhouettes in 1957, a hit that made it to number one in 1958.

93. Jefferson’s vice president : CLINTON
Not only was George Clinton the first Governor of New York, he was the state’s longest serving governor, holding office for eighteen years from 1777 to 1795. He was also the fourth Vice President of the United States, serving under both President Thomas Jefferson and President James Madison.

98. It can be gross : PROFIT
In a statement of accounts, gross profit is the difference between revenue from sales and the cost of making goods or providing a service. So-called fixed costs (overhead, payroll, taxes and interest payments) are not included in gross profits. When these fixed costs have been deducted, what is left is called the net profit, also known as “the bottom line”.

102. Perfume : CENSE
To cense is to perfume with incense. Such a lovely word …

103. Mysterious blip : UFO
In 1952, the USAF revived its studies of reported Unidentified Flying Objects (UFO) sightings in a program called Project Blue Book. There were two prior USAF studies of the UFO phenomenon, namely Project Sign and Project Grudge. Project Blue Book ran from 1952 until it was shut down in 1969 with the conclusion that there was no threat to national security, and that there were no sightings that could not be explained within the bounds of modern scientific knowledge.

105. Michelangelo masterpiece : PIETA
The Pietà is a representation of the Virgin Mary holding in her arms the dead body of her son Jesus. The most famous Pietà is probably the sculpted rendition by Michelangelo which is located in St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. In some depictions of Mary with Jesus in her arms, mother and son are surrounded by other figures from the New Testament. These depictions are known as “Lamentations”.

106. Eve of old TV : ARDEN
Eve Arden’s most famous role early in her career was the high school teacher in the 1950’s radio and television show “Our Miss Brooks”. Years later she played the Principal of Rydell High School in the movies “Grease” (a great film!) and “Grease 2” (a terrible film!).

107. One who does not believe in miracles : DEIST
Deism (from the Latin “deus” meaning god) is the belief that a supreme being created the universe, a belief based on observation and reason and without the need for faith. Further, a deist does not accept divine intervention, but rather believes that the supreme being, having created the universe, leaves the world to it own devices.

111. City near Provo : OREM
Orem, Utah was originally known as “Sharon” (a Biblical name), then “Provo Bench”, and in 1914 it was given the family name of a local railroad operator called “Orem”. The city of Orem gave itself the nickname “Family City USA” and sure enough in 2010, “Forbes” rated Orem the 5th best place in the country to raise a family.

112. Bit of residue : DREG
The dregs in wine, the sediment that settles during fermentation (and sometimes in the bottle), is also called “lees”.

115. Mandela’s org. : ANC
The African National Congress (ANC) started out as the South African Native National Congress in 1912 with the goal of improving the lot of Black South Africans. After years of turmoil, the ANC came to power in the first open election in 1964.

As a young man, Nelson Mandela led the armed wing of the African National Congress (ANC). Mandela was eventually arrested and admitted to charges of sabotage and was sentenced to life in prison in 1964. He remained behind bars for 27 years, mainly in the infamous prison on Robben Island. As the years progressed, Mandela became a symbol of the fight against apartheid. He was released in 1990, and immediately declared his commitment to peace and reconciliation with South Africa’s white minority. Mandela was elected president of the Republic of South Africa (RSA) in 1994, an office that he held until 1999.

117. Three-time Tony winner Hagen : UTA
Uta Hagen was a German-born American actress. Hagen married Jose Ferrer in 1938, but they were divorced ten years later after it was revealed that she was having a long-running affair with Paul Robeson. Her association with Robeson, a prominent civil rights activist, earned her a spot on the Hollywood Blacklist during the McCarthy Era. This forced her away from film, but towards a successful stage career in New York City.

118. Daughter of Loki : HEL
Hel is a being from Norse Mythology who presides over a realm that is also called Hel. The underworld of Hel receives many of the dead, and the term “go to Hel” is used in Norse accounts to mean “to die”.

Loki is a god appearing in Norse mythology. In one story about Loki, he was punished by other gods for having caused the death of Baldr, the god of light and beauty. Loki is bound to a sharp rock using the entrails of one of his sons. A serpent drips venom which is collected in a bowl, and then his wife must empty the venom onto Loki when the bowl is full. The venom causes Loki great pain, and his writhing results in what we poor mortals experience as earthquakes.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Polite response to “Thank you” : NOT AT ALL
9. Classic verse that begins “Ah, broken is the golden bowl!” : LENORE
15. Kafka or Liszt : FRANZ
20. Written justification : APOLOGIA
21. Part of a doubleheader : OPENER
22. Esther of “Good Times” : ROLLE
23. Tennis clinic focusing on drop shot skills? : NETWORKING EVENT
25. More competent : ABLER
26. Haunted house sound : CREAK
27. “It’s a Wonderful Life” cabdriver : ERNIE
28. Meter reader? : POET
30. Architect Saarinen : EERO
31. “Don’t get all worked up!” : EASY
32. Young actor Smith : JADEN
33. Cutter : SAW
34. Churchill, e.g. : TORY
36. Pigs : SLOBS
38. Coaches who help you use your wrist in shots? : SPIN DOCTORS
42. Ed.’s pile : MSS
45. Spiny ___ : EEL
46. Fleece : SHEAR
48. Chooses not to participate : OPTS OUT
49. Tennis players who clown around? : COURT JESTERS
52. “One can only ___ much” : DO SO
53. BlackBerry, e.g., in brief : PDA
54. Having freedom of tempo : RUBATO
55. Illumination unit : LUX
56. Year that “Shrek” and “A Beautiful Mind” came out : MMI
58. Putter (along) : MOSEY
60. “The fix ___” : IS IN
61. “Haven’t the foggiest” : NO IDEA
64. Photo developing compound : AMIDOL
67. “For a righty, you hit the ball pretty well on your left side,” and others? : BACKHANDED COMPLIMENTS
73. Allay : LESSEN
74. Destroy : UNMAKE
75. In ___ form : RARE
76. Source of the line “They have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind” : HOSEA
79. Part of R.R.: Abbr. : RTE
81. “___ in cat” : C AS
82. You might set one out for a cat : SAUCER
84. Due follower : TRE
85. Part of R.S.V.P. : VOUS
88. Line judge’s mission? : FAULTFINDING
91. Commercial law firm specialty : MERGERS
93. Canadian natives : CREES
94. Mastery : ART
95. “Alexander’s Feast,” e.g. : ODE
96. “Nothing” and “aught”? : LOVE HANDLES
98. Part of R.S.V.P. : PLAIT
100. Captain Hook’s alma mater : ETON
101. Ready follower? : AIM
102. Bit of voodoo : CURSE
104. Tech release of 2010 : IPAD
108. Mex. miss : SRTA
110. Of two minds : TORN
112. Author of a 1719 literary sensation : DEFOE
113. Transamerica Pyramid feature : SPIRE
114. Planchette holder : OUIJA
116. Luke Skywalker’s volley? : RETURN OF THE JEDI
119. Hit single-player game of the 1980s : SIMON
120. Goes over the top, in a way : EMOTES
121. Does again : ITERATES
122. It falls between 3760 and 3761 on the Jewish calendar : ONE BC
123. Housekeeping : MENAGE
124. Broad-minded : TOLERANT

Down
1. Vice president John ___ Garner : NANCE
2. Setting for a 1935 Marx Brothers comedy : OPERA
3. Public radio offerings : TOTES
4. Ever : ALWAYS
5. Swiped : TOOK
6. Cabinet dept. : AGR
7. Pleasant : LIKEABLE
8. Scottish landowners : LAIRDS
9. Modern kind of name : LOG-IN
10. Lightish blade : EPEE
11. Home of the Shoshone Mtns. : NEV
12. It’s higher than an ace : ONE PAIR
13. Celebrity : RENOWN
14. Art Deco master : ERTE
15. Monk’s title : FRA
16. Barbie’s last name : ROBERTS
17. Mistakenly hitting into the doubles area during a singles match? : ALLEY-OOPS
18. Pirate, e.g., for short : NLER
19. One goes after it : ZERO
24. Biloxi-to-Birmingham dir. : NNE
29. Sporty car features : T-TOPS
32. Middle brother in a 2000s pop trio : JOE JONAS
33. Jerk : SPASM
35. Epithet for Nadya Suleman : OCTOMOM
37. Riga resident : LETT
38. Spanish irregular verb : SER
39. Ski-___ : DOO
40. Like some awakenings : RUDE
41. Neither raise nor fold : STAY
42. Sloppy fast-food sandwich : MCRIB
43. “Semper Fidelis” composer : SOUSA
44. ___ Bay, former U.S. base in the Philippines : SUBIC
46. Eliza Doolittle, for one : STUDENT
47. Subjected to voodoo : HEXED
50. Vex : RANKLE
51. White Castle offerings : SLIDERS
52. Barely remembered days of old : DIM PAST
57. Zoo department : MAMMALS
59. Batting champ John : OLERUD
62. Turn-___ : ONS
63. Start to puncture? : ACU-
65. Kind : ILK
66. Part of a requiem Mass : DIES IRAE
68. Anchor-hoisting cry : HEAVE HO!
69. As expected : ON CUE
70. “Singin’ in the Rain” composer ___ Herb Brown : NACIO
71. Way things are going : TREND
72. Durable fabric : SERGE
76. Abbr. after a period : HTML
77. Crumbly snack : OREO
78. Start of a tennis game? : SERVE TIME
80. Either Zimbalist : EFREM
83. Con : ANTI
86. Praying figure : ORANT
87. “Top Gun” org. : USN
89. D.D.E. opponent : AES
90. Frankie Valli sang in it : FALSETTO
92. 1958 hit with the line “Yip yip yip yip yip yip yip yip” : GET A JOB
93. Jefferson’s vice president : CLINTON
97. Response to “I bet you won’t” : DARE ME
98. It can be gross : PROFIT
99. Container on a counter, maybe : TIP JAR
102. Perfume : CENSE
103. Mysterious blip : UFO
105. Michelangelo masterpiece : PIETA
106. Eve of old TV : ARDEN
107. One who does not believe in miracles : DEIST
108. Not bad : SO-SO
109. Destroy : RUIN
111. City near Provo : OREM
112. Bit of residue : DREG
113. Dry : SERE
115. Mandela’s org. : ANC
117. Three-time Tony winner Hagen : UTA
118. Daughter of Loki : HEL

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