0302-14 New York Times Crossword Answers 2 Mar 14, Sunday

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
6. Director of “Carrie” and “Scarface” : DE PALMA
Brian De Palma is a very successful film director from Newark, New Jersey. Examples of De Palma films are “Carrie”, “Dressed to Kill”, “Scarface”, “The Untouchables” and “Mission: Impossible”.

“Carrie” is a 1976 horror film based on a Stephen King novel of the same name. Sissy Spacek plays the title role, a breakthrough role for her. I’m afraid I have never seen movie (I don’t really do “horror”).

“Scarface” is a 1983 gangster movie starring Al Pacino as a Cuban expatriate drug lord in Miami. The film was directed by Brian De Palma and written by Oliver Stone, and is a remake of a 1932 film of the same name.

21. Does some farrier’s work on : RESHOES
Traditionally there has been a distinction between a farrier and a blacksmith. A blacksmith is someone who forges and shapes iron, perhaps to make horseshoes. A farrier is someone who fits horseshoes onto the hooves of horses. The term “blacksmith” is sometimes used for one who shoes horses, especially as many blacksmiths make horseshoes and fit them as well.

23. Nelson Mandela? [1995, 1985] : BRAVE HEART OUT OF AFRICA (“Braveheart” & “Out of Africa”)
“Braveheart” is an excellent 1995 historical drama that was directed by and stars Mel Gibson. “Braveheart” tells the story of William Wallace, the warrior who led the Scottish against King Edward I of England. Much of the movie was filmed on location in Ireland, and I visited Trim Castle not so long ago where that filming took place …

“Out of Africa” is a Sydney Pollack film released in 1985, starring Robert Redford and Meryl Streep. The storyline is based on the autobiographical book of the same name by Karen Blixen (written under the pen name Isak Dinesen).

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 population. Mandela was elected president of the Republic of South Africa (RSA) in 1994, an office that he held until 1999. Nelson Mandela passed away on December 5, 2013.

26. She, in Lisbon : ELA
Lisbon is the capital of Portugal. Lisbon is the westernmost capital city in Europe, and indeed is the westernmost large city on the continent. It is also the oldest city in Western Europe and is hundreds of years older than London, Paris and Rome.

29. Fraternal group : ELKS
The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (BPOE) was founded in 1868, and is a social club that has about a million members today. It started out as a group of men getting together in a “club” in order to get around the legal opening hours of taverns in New York City. The club took on a new role as it started to look out for poor families of members who passed away. The club now accepts African Americans as members (since the seventies) and women (since the nineties), but atheists still aren’t welcome.

30. One giving unreliable testimony? [1976, 1985*] [* = Nominee] : ROCKY WITNESS (“Rocky” & “Witness”)
If ever there was a movie that defines a career breakthrough for an actor, it would have to be “Rocky” for Sylvester Stallone. Stallone was a struggling actor in 1975 when a Muhammad Ali fight inspired Stallone to write a screenplay for a boxing movie, which he did in just three days. His efforts to sell the script went well but for the fact that the interested studios wanted a big name for the lead role, and Stallone was determined to be the star himself. Stallone persevered and “Rocky” was eventually made with him playing title role of Rocky Balboa. The movie won three Oscars, and “Sly” Stallone had arrived …

“Witness” is a very engaging Peter Weir film from 1985 starring Harrison Ford and Kelly McGillis. It’s all about a Philadelphia detective providing protection for a young Amish boy after he witnesses a murder.

36. Gang girl : MOLL
The slang term “moll” is a used for the female companion of a gangster. “Moll” is short for “Molly”, which is a nickname for “Mary”. In 17th century England a moll was a prostitute.

48. Like yaks and mynas : ASIAN
The English word “yak” is an Anglicized version of the Tibetan name for the male of the species. Yak milk is much prized in the Tibetan culture. It is made into cheese and butter, and the butter is used to make a tea that is consumed in great volume by Tibetans. The butter is also used as a fuel in lamps, and during festivals the butter is even sculpted into religious icons.

Some species of myna (also “mynah”) bird are known for their ability to imitate sounds.

50. Muckraker Tarbell : IDA
Ida Tarbell was a teacher and what we would call today an “investigative journalist”, although back in her day she was known as a “muckraker”. Tarbell’s most famous work is her 1904 book “The History of the Standard Oil Company”. This exposé is credited with hastening the breakup of John D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil in 1911.

53. Reason for missing a flight? [1970*, 2000*] : AIRPORT TRAFFIC (“Airport” & “ Traffic”)
“Airport” is an entertaining 1970 film that is based on an equally entertaining 1968 novel of the same name by Arthur Hailey. Starring Burt Lancaster and Dean Martin at the head of an impressive cast, “Airport” really originated the “disaster film” genre.

“Traffic” is a crime drama film released in 2000 that is focused on the illegal drug traffic that enters the US over the southern border. The movie is actually an adaptation of a British television series called “Traffik”.

58. It’s pitchfork-shaped : PSI
The Greek letter psi is the one that looks a bit like a trident or a pitchfork.

60. “With the jawbone of ___ …” (declaration of Samson) : AN ASS
According to the Bible, Samson slayed one thousand Philistines using “the jawbone of an ass”.

62. First name in tyranny : IDI
Idi Amin received most of his military training in the British armed forces, eventually achieving the highest rank possible for a Black African in the British Colonial Army in 1959, that of Warrant Officer. On his return to Uganda Amin joined his country’s military and quickly rose to the rank of Deputy Commander of the Army. During that time he was quite the athlete. He was a noted rugby player and swimmer, and for nine years held the Ugandan national light-heavyweight boxing title. By the early seventies, Amin was commander of all the armed forces of Uganda and in 1971 seized power in a military coup, displacing the country’s president Milton Obote. There followed seven years of brutal rule by Amin during which it is estimated that between 100,000 and 500,000 people were murdered. Amin was ousted from power in 1979 after a war with Tanzania, and fled to Libya where he stayed for a year. He then moved to Saudi Arabia, where he was financially supported by the Saudi Royal Family for the remainder of his life. Amin died in 2003.

65. Ending for acro- or homo- : -NYM
Strictly speaking, words formed from the first letters or other words are known as “initialisms”. Examples would be FBI and NBC, where the initials are spoken by sounding out each letter. Certain initialisms are pronounced as words in their own right, such as NATO and AWOL, and are called “acronyms”. So, acronyms are a subset of initialisms. As I say, that’s “strictly speaking”, so please don’t write in …

68. Part of a line at O’Hare? [2002, 1976*] : CHICAGO TAXI DRIVER (“Chicago” & “Taxi Driver”)
The wonderful 1975 musical “Chicago” is based on a 1926 play of the same name written by a news reporter called Maurine Dallas Watkins. Watkins had been assigned to cover the murder trials of Beulah Annan and Belva Gaertner for the “Chicago Tribune”, and used the story that unfolded as the basis for her play. Annan became the character Roxie Hart, and Gaertner became Velma Kelly. I’ve only ever seen the 2002 movie version of “Chicago” and never a live performance …

“Taxi Driver” is a remarkable 1976 movie directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Robert De Niro. The film is remarkable for some great performances, but also for sparking an attempt on the life of President Ronald Reagan. Would-be assassin John Hinckley, Jr. tried to kill the President in order to impress Jodie Foster, with whom he had been obsessed since seeing her performance in the film as child prostitute Iris Steensma.

O’Hare International is the fourth busiest airport in the world. The original airport was constructed on the site between 1942 and 1943, and was used by the Douglas Aircraft Company for the manufacture of planes during WWII. Before the factory and airport were built, there was a community in the area called Orchard Place, so the airport was called Orchard Place Airport/Douglas Field. This name is the derivation of the airport’s current location identifier: ORD (OR-chard D-ouglas). Orchard Place Airport was renamed to O’Hare International in 1949 in honor of Lieutenant Commander Edward O’Hare who grew up in Chicago. O’Hare was the US Navy’s first flying ace and a Medal of Honor recipient in WWII. As an aside, Edward O’Hare’s father was a lawyer for Al Capone who helped get the famous gangster convicted on tax evasion.

75. ___ cologne : EAU DE
Back in 1709, an Italian perfume-maker moved to Cologne in Germany. There he invented a new fragrance that he named Eau de Cologne after his newly adopted town. The fragrance is still produced in Cologne, using a secret formulation. However, the terms “Eau de Cologne” and “cologne”, are now used generically.

82. Insurance giant : AETNA
When the health care management and insurance company known as Aetna was founded, the name was chosen to evoke images of Mt. Etna, the European volcano.

84. Part of a jazz duo? : ZEE
There is a duo of letters Z in the word “jazz”.

85. Noted provider of pictorial instructions : IKEA
IKEA was founded by Ingvar Kamprad in 1943 when he was just 17-years-old! IKEA is an acronym that stands for Ingvar Kamprad Elmtaryd Agunnaryd (don’t forget now!). Elmtaryd was the name of the farm where Ingvar Kamprad grew up, and Agunnaryd is his home parish in Sweden.

86. Cheesy pickup line? [1944, 1995*] : GOING MY WAY, BABE? (“Going My Way” & “Babe”)
“Going My Way” is a 1944 musical film starring Bing Crosby and Barry Fitzgerald as the incoming and outgoing pastors of a New York City parish. The film was so successful that it spawned a sequel called “The Bells of St. Mary’s” that was released the following year.

The hit 1995 film “Babe” was produced and filmed in Australia. The movie is an adaptation of a 1983 novel called “The Sheep-Pig” written by Dick King-Smith. “Babe” was a smash hit at the box office and was extremely well received by the critics. The film was nominated for the Best Picture Oscar, but lost out to “Braveheart”. However, it did win the Oscar for Best Visual Effects by beating out “Apollo 13”, which was an amazing feat, I’d say…

90. Bears, but not Cubs : NFLERS
The Chicago Bears were founded in Decatur, Illinois in 1919 and moved to Chicago in 1921. The Bears are one of only two franchises in the NFL that were around at the time of the NFL’s founding (the other is the Arizona Cardinals, who were also based in Chicago in 1921).

92. Novelist Patchett : ANN
Ann Patchett is an author who lives in Nashville, Tennessee. Patchett’s most famous work is probably her novel “Bel Canto”, published in 2001. In 2012, “Time” included her in the magazine’s list of 100 most influential people in the world.

94. Degrees for attys. : LLDS
The honorary degree of Legum Doctor (LL.D.) translates from the Latin as Doctor of Laws, a plural. This practice of using the plural originated in Cambridge University in England, as one was awarded an LL.D. after having been taught both Canon Law and Civil Law.

96. “Hound Dog” or “What’s New Pussycat?” : OLDIE
The Elvis Presley classic “Hound Dog” was a big hit, but his wasn’t the first version of the song to make it to number one in the charts. Presley released “Hound Dog” in 1956, but Big Mama Thornton had brought the song to the top spot back in 1953.

Woody Allen made his first film appearance in “What’s New Pussycat?”, released in 1965. It was also the first script that Woody Allen had been able to get produced. The film is a madcap comedy with a great cast including Peter Sellers, Peter O’Toole and Ursula Andress. Burt Bacharach and Hal Davis wrote the theme song, and the old Tom Cat himself, Tom Jones, sang it. I’ll say it again, Tom Jones has the best male voice in pop music …

97. Baseball’s Iron Man : RIPKEN
Cal Ripken played his entire, 20-year professional baseball career for the Baltimore Orioles. Ripken was known as the “Iron Man” because he showed up for work every day, come rain or shine. He played 2,632 straight games, blowing right past the previous 2,130-game record held by Lou Gehrig.

99. Snowmobile brand : 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.

102. River to the Rhine : AARE
The Aar (also called the “Aare” in German) is the longest river entirely in Switzerland. A famous spot along the Aar is the Reichenbach Falls in the center of the country, actually a series of waterfalls near the city of Meiringen. These falls are renowned in the world of literature as it was here that Sherlock Holmes fell to his supposed doom with his nemesis Professor Moriarty (in “The Adventure of the Final Problem”).

104. V-shaped fortification : REDAN
A “redan” is a v-shaped projection in a fortified wall that juts out in the direction of an anticipated attack. “Redan” is a French word meaning “projection”.

106. Reason why all the computers are down? [1976*, 2005] : NETWORK CRASH (“Network” & “Crash”)
The movie “Network” was released in 1976. It was directed by Sidney Lumet and stars Peter Finch in his final role, for which he won a posthumous Academy Award. That Oscar for Peter Finch was remarkable in that it was the first time the Best Actor award had been won after the actor passed away, and it was also the first time it had been won by an Australian.

“Crash” is a 2004 crime drama film that was co-written, produced and directed by Paul Haggis. Haggis got the idea for the movie, which features a far-reaching carjacking, after he was the victim of a real-life carjacking in LA in the early nineties.

116. Pulitzer winner James : AGEE
James Agee was a noted American film critic and screenwriter. Agee wrote an autobiographical novel “A Death in the Family” that won him his Pulitzer in 1958, albeit posthumously. He was also one of the screenwriters for the 1951 classic movie “The African Queen”.

117. Locale in Gray’s “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard” : LEA
An elegy is a mournful poem or funeral song, also known as a dirge. Perhaps the most famous elegy in the English language is that written by Thomas Gray, completed in 1750. His “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard” is the source of many oft-quoted phrases, including:

– Celestial fire
– Far from the Madding Crowd
– Kindred spirit

118. Seaside outing? [1955*, 1954] : PICNIC ON THE WATERFRONT (“Picnic” & “On the Waterfront”)
The 1955 movie “Picnic” is an adaptation of the Pulitzer-winning play by William Inge. Joshua Logan directed both the film and original Broadway stage production. Stars of the movie are William Holden and Kim Novak.

The 1954 drama “On the Waterfront”, starring Marlon Brando, told a story of violence and corruption among longshoremen. The movie was based on a series of 24 articles written by investigative journalist Malcolm Johnston and published in “The New York Sun”. The original news stories uncovered mob infiltration on the New York City Waterfront, but the location for the film was chosen as Hoboken, New Jersey.

123. Former Gracie Mansion resident : ED KOCH
Ed Koch was a Democratic Representative in the US Congress from 1969-73, and then Mayor of New York City from 1978-89. From 1997 to 1999 Koch was a “judge” on the TV show “The People’s Court”. And in 2004, he collaborated with his sister Pat Koch, and wrote a children’s book called “Eddie, Harold’s Little Brother”, a tale about Ed’s own childhood experiences.

Gracie Mansion in the Yorkville neighborhood of Manhattan is the official residence of the Mayor of the City of New York. The mansion was built by Scottish-born shipping magnate Archibald Gracie. Gracie sold his New York estate in 1823 to pay off debts, and the city picked up the property in 1891.

126. ___ Channel (“Hannah Montana” airer) : DISNEY
“Hannah Montana” is a Disney comedy show starring Miley Cyrus in the title role. The show launched Cyrus’s career and established her as a teen idol.

128. Early Apple computers : LISAS
The Apple Lisa is a personal computer that was released in the early eighties as a cost-effective machine aimed at individual business owners. There was a lot of internal competition within Apple as the Lisa was developed. Steve Jobs was kicked off the project, forcing him to focus on the Apple Macintosh, which effectively killed off the Lisa when it was released in 1984.

Down
2. Thomas of TV : MARLO
Marlo Thomas’s most famous role was playing the title character in the television sitcom “That Girl”. Thomas is also well known as a spokesperson for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

3. Caravaggio’s “The Sacrifice of ___” : ISAAC
There are two paintings called “The Sacrifice of Isaac” by Caravaggio, one held in the Piasecka-Johnson Collection in Princeton, New Jersey and the other held in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. Both works depict the moment when Abraham is stopped in the act of sacrificing his son Isaac, as he had been instructed by God.

Caravaggio was a painter from Milan who was active in Italy in the late 1500s and early 1600s. Caravaggio achieved fame in his own lifetime, but his works were largely “forgotten” until they found a new appreciation in the 20th century.

8. The Oscars are awarded on it: Abbr. : PST
Pacific standard time (PST)

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) is the organization that gives the annual Academy Awards also known as the “Oscars”. The root of the name “Oscar” is hotly debated, but what is agreed is that the award was officially named “Oscar” in 1939. The first Academy Awards were presented at a brunch in 1929 with an audience of just 29 people. The Awards ceremony is a slightly bigger event these days …

9. When repeated, a plea of Richard III : A HORSE
“Richard III” is one of the more famous of William Shakespeare’s historical plays. A well-known 1955 version of the play was made for the big screen with Laurence Olivier playing the title role. The most oft-quoted lines from “Richard III” are probably:

– Now is the winter of our discontent/Made glorious summer by this sun of York
– A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse!

10. Daughter in “The Sound of Music” : LOUISA
“The Sound of Music” is a Rodgers and Hammerstein musical made into a celebrated movie in 1965 starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer. The musical is based on “The Story of the Trapp Family Singers”, a memoir by Maria von Trapp. The von Trapp family ended up in Stowe, Vermont after the war and one family descended from the Vermont von Trapps lives here in the same town in which I reside in California.

12. “Dilbert” intern : ASOK
“Dilbert” is a comic strip written by Scott Adams, a “neighbor” of mine here in the Bay Area, and the owner of a nice restaurant down the end of my street.

14. Lummox : OAF
The word “lummox”, meaning “oaf”, comes from East Anglian slang (northeast of London). The term is probably a contraction of “lumbering ox”.

24. TurboTax option : E-FILE
E-file: that’s what I do with my tax returns each year, returns that I prepare using TurboTax.

31. 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 …

Target Corporation was founded by George Draper Dayton in 1902 in Minneapolis, Minnesota as Dayton Dry Goods Company. Dayton developed into a department store, and the company opened up a discount store chain in 1962, calling it Target. Today Target is the second-largest discount retailer in the country, after Walmart.

32. Not yet final, legally : NISI
A decree nisi is a court order, one that only comes into force when certain specified conditions are met. At the point where the conditions are met, it becomes a decree absolute and is binding. “Nisi” is Latin for “unless”.

33. Linda of Broadway’s “Jekyll & Hyde” : EDER
Linda Eder is a singer and actress. She came to public attention when she won the television talent show “Star Search” for a record 13 weeks in a row. I’ve never heard of her. I know, I lead a sheltered life …

“Jekyll & Hyde” is a stage musical based on the Robert Louis Stevenson novel “The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde”. I hear there’s a musical film on the way …

38. Historic fort on the Oregon Trail : LARAMIE
The town of Fort Laramie, Wyoming is named for the trading post and military encampment of the same name that was located nearby. Fort Laramie was a stop on the Oregon, California and Mormon trails.

39. Bygone boomers : SSTS
The most famous supersonic transport (SST) is the retired Concorde. Concorde was developed and produced under an Anglo-French treaty by France’s Aérospatiale and the UK’s British Aircraft Corporation (BAC). Concordes were mainly operated by Air France and British Airways, with both companies buying the planes with substantial subsidies from the French and British governments.

42. Tijuana treat : TACO
Tijuana is the largest city in the Mexican state of Baja California, and lies just across the US-Mexico border from San Diego. Tijuana is also the most westerly of all Mexican cities. A lot of Tijuana’s growth took place in the twenties as tourists flocked south of the border during the days of prohibition in the US. One of the many casinos and hotels that flourished at that time was Hotel Caesar’s in the Avenida Revolución area. Hotel Caesar’s claims to be the birthplace of the now ubiquitous Caesar Salad.

43. Star of “Mr. Hulot’s Holiday” : TATI
Monsieur Hulot is a celebrated comedic character played by French actor Jacques Tati in several films in the fifties and sixties, including “Les Vacances de Monsieur Hulot” (1953) and “Mon Oncle” (1959). Rowan Atkinson draws on the antics of Monsieur Hulot when he plays his character “Mr. Bean”.

47. “The Divided Self” author R. D. ___ : LAING
R. D. Laing was a controversial Scottish psychiatrist.

54. Like Gamal Abdel Nasser’s movement : PAN-ARAB
Gamal Abdel Nasser was the second president of Egypt, from 1956 until he died in 1970. He stood alongside Muhammad Naguib, Egypt’s first president, during the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 that overthrew the ruling monarchy of Egypt and Sudan. Nasser was an advocate of Pan-Arabism, an ideology promoting unification of Arab peoples and countries. President Nasser went so far as forming the United Arab Republic (UAR), a union between Egypt and Syria that started in 1958 but fell apart in 1961 when Syria withdrew.

55. Jet black : ONYX
Onyx is a form of quartz that comes in many different shades, but most often it’s the black version that’s used for jewelry. The name “onyx” comes from the Greek word for “fingernail”, as onyx in the flesh color is said to resemble a fingernail.

56. Numismatic condition : FINE
A numismatist is a coin collector. The term “numismatics” comes into English via French from the Latin word “nomisma”, meaning ”coin”.

69. Chemistry Nobelist Otto : HAHN
Otto Hahn was a German chemist, someone who vigorously opposed the anti-Jewish policies of Nazi Germany. Hahn was one of a small group of scientists who discovered nuclear fission, pointing out that uranium atoms could be split into barium atoms when bombarded with neutrons. Hahn was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1944 for this discovery, although he probably got the credit for work that was actually shared with others.

70. Award won 21 times by Harold Prince : TONY
Sardi’s is a renowned restaurant in the Theater District of Manhattan. Sardi’s is famous for attracting celebrities who pose for caricatures that are then displayed on the restaurant’s walls. After the death of actress and director Antoinette Perry in 1946, her friend and partner Brock Pemberton was having lunch at Sardi’s and came up with idea of a theater award that could be presented in Perry’s honor. The award was to be called the Tony Award.

Hal Prince is a theatrical producer and director who is mainly associated with Broadway shows such as “Show Boat”, “Cabaret”, “The Phantom of the Opera”, “Evita” and “Sweeney Todd”. Prince has won 21 Tony Awards, more than any other individual.

77. Hatcher or Polo : TERI
Teri Hatcher’s most famous role these days is the Susan Mayer character in “Desperate Housewives”. I’ve never seen more than a few minutes of “Housewives” but I do know Teri Hatcher as a Bond girl, as she appeared in “Tomorrow Never Dies”.

Teri Polo’s most prominent role on the big screen was Pam Focker in “Meet the Fockers” and its sequel. Pam is the wife of the character played by Ben Stiller. Polo also played the wife of Presidential candidate Matt Santos in “The West Wing”.

79. Food thickener : AGAR
Agar is a jelly extracted from seaweed that has many uses. Agar is found in Japanese desserts, and can also be used as a food thickener or even as a laxative. In the world of science it is the most common medium used for growing bacteria in Petri dishes.

80. Actress Anderson : LONI
Loni Anderson’s most remembered role was Jennifer Marlowe on the sitcom “WKRP in Cincinnati”. Anderson has been married four times, most famously to actor Burt Reynolds from 1988 to 1993.

85. “No one’s ___ than me” (Eminem lyric) : ILLER
“Ill” is hip-hop slang, meaning sublime, singularly creative. Not how I use the word …

Rap star Eminem’s real name is Marshall Mathers, a native of Saint Joseph, Missouri. Mathers grew up poor, raised by a single-mom as the family was abandoned by his father when he was 18 months old. Marshall and his mother moved around the country before settling in a suburb of Detroit. He didn’t do well at school, and dropped out at the age of 17. But in the end he made it pretty big …

95. “Beetle Bailey” figure : SARGE
Sgt. Snorkel (“Sarge”) is Beetle Bailey’s nemesis in the cartoon strip that bears his name. Snorkel has a dog called Otto that he dresses up to look just like himself. Otto started off as a regular dog, but artist Mort Walker decide to draw him more like his owner, and soon Otto became a big hit.

103. Astronaut Thomas on four space shuttle flights : AKERS
Thomas Akers is a former astronaut who is a veteran of four space shuttle flights. On his third mission, Akers broke the record for the longest extra-vehicular activity (EVA or spacewalk), working for 8 hours and 29 minutes straight outside the shuttle.

107. Western : OATER
The term “oater” that is used for a western movie comes from the number of horses seen, as horses love oats!

108. Dr. Alzheimer : ALOIS
Alzheimer’s disease is a form of dementia, the most common form of the condition. The disease is named for German psychiatrist and neuropathologist Alois Alzheimer who first described it in 1906.

109. Medicinal plant : SENNA
Sennas are used as purgatives and laxatives.

115. James portrayed by Beyoncé : ETTA
Etta James was best known for her beautiful rendition of the song “At Last”. Sadly, as she disclosed in her autobiography, James lived a life that was ravaged by drug addiction leading to numerous legal and health problems. Ms. James passed away in January 2012 having suffered from leukemia.

Etta James was portrayed by singer Beyoncé Knowles in the 2008 movie “Cadillac Records”.

Beyoncé Knowles established herself in the entertainment industry as the lead singer with the R&B group Destiny’s Child. She launched her solo singing career in 2003, two years after making her first appearance as an actor. In 2006 she played the lead in the very successful movie adaptation of the Broadway musical “Dreamgirls”. Beyoncé is married to rap star Jay-Z.

120. Post-W.W. II female service member : WAF
The program called Women in the Air Force (WAF) started in 1948 with signing of the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act in 1948 by President Truman. The WAF program gave women only a limited role in the service, and so ended in 1976 when women were given equal status with men in the USAF in 1976.

122. The Engineers of the N.C.A.A., for short : RPI
The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) is a private school in Troy, New York. The university is named after its founder Stephen Van Rensselaer who set up the school in 1824. The goal of RPI has always been the “application of science to the common purposes of life”, an objective set by the founder. Given that, the name for the school’s sports teams is quite apt: the Engineers.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Compadre : AMIGO
6. Director of “Carrie” and “Scarface” : DE PALMA
13. Muss : TOUSLE
19. They put up walls : MASONS
21. Does some farrier’s work on : RESHOES
22. Berate : RANT AT
23. Nelson Mandela? [1995, 1985] : BRAVE HEART OUT OF AFRICA (“Braveheart” & “Out of Africa”)
26. She, in Lisbon : ELA
27. Strike the ground in a golf swing : BAFF
28. On the line : RISKED
29. Fraternal group : ELKS
30. One giving unreliable testimony? [1976, 1985*] [* = Nominee] : ROCKY WITNESS (“Rocky” & “Witness”)
34. Blood-related : HEMAL
36. Gang girl : MOLL
37. Paradigms : IDEALS
40. Bread holder? : WALLET
43. Magnate : TITAN
46. Alternatively : ELSE
48. Like yaks and mynas : ASIAN
50. Muckraker Tarbell : IDA
51. Flips over : ADORES
53. Reason for missing a flight? [1970*, 2000*] : AIRPORT TRAFFIC (“Airport” & “ Traffic”)
57. Message from one who’s all thumbs? : TEXT
58. It’s pitchfork-shaped : PSI
60. “With the jawbone of ___ …” (declaration of Samson) : AN ASS
61. Purposely misinform : LIE TO
62. First name in tyranny : IDI
63. Real enthusiast : FIEND
65. Ending for acro- or homo- : -NYM
66. Look-alike : TWIN
68. Part of a line at O’Hare? [2002, 1976*] : CHICAGO TAXI DRIVER (“Chicago” & “Taxi Driver”)
73. From the top : ANEW
74. Hide-hair connector : NOR
75. ___ cologne : EAU DE
76. Put away : ATE
79. Leader of the pack : ALPHA
82. Insurance giant : AETNA
84. Part of a jazz duo? : ZEE
85. Noted provider of pictorial instructions : IKEA
86. Cheesy pickup line? [1944, 1995*] : GOING MY WAY, BABE? (“Going My Way” & “Babe”)
90. Bears, but not Cubs : NFLERS
92. Novelist Patchett : ANN
93. Forfeits : LOSES
94. Degrees for attys. : LLDS
96. “Hound Dog” or “What’s New Pussycat?” : OLDIE
97. Baseball’s Iron Man : RIPKEN
99. Snowmobile brand : SKI-DOO
102. River to the Rhine : AARE
104. V-shaped fortification : REDAN
106. Reason why all the computers are down? [1976*, 2005] : NETWORK CRASH (“Network” & “Crash”)
111. Gallic girlfriend : AMIE
113. Surgically remove : RESECT
116. Pulitzer winner James : AGEE
117. Locale in Gray’s “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard” : LEA
118. Seaside outing? [1955*, 1954] : PICNIC ON THE WATERFRONT (“Picnic” & “On the Waterfront”)
123. Former Gracie Mansion resident : ED KOCH
124. Repeat : ITERATE
125. Lying face up : SUPINE
126. ___ Channel (“Hannah Montana” airer) : DISNEY
127. Successfully impersonate : PASS FOR
128. Early Apple computers : LISAS

Down
1. Yellow shade : AMBER
2. Thomas of TV : MARLO
3. Caravaggio’s “The Sacrifice of ___” : ISAAC
4. End of some URLs : GOV
5. Individually : ONE BY ONE
6. Annual N.B.A. event : DRAFT
7. Auction ending? : -EER
8. The Oscars are awarded on it: Abbr. : PST
9. When repeated, a plea of Richard III : A HORSE
10. Daughter in “The Sound of Music” : LOUISA
11. 1986 World Series champs : METS
12. “Dilbert” intern : ASOK
13. Reciprocal raising of tariffs, e.g. : TRADE WAR
14. Lummox : OAF
15. “Amazing!” : UNREAL!
16. Many a hanging : STILL LIFE
17. Deficiency : LACK
18. Some P.A. announcements : ETAS
20. Knitted wrap : SHAWL
24. TurboTax option : E-FILE
25. “Yuk!” : FEH!
31. Target competitor : KMART
32. Not yet final, legally : NISI
33. Linda of Broadway’s “Jekyll & Hyde” : EDER
35. “Holy cow!” : MAN ALIVE!
38. Historic fort on the Oregon Trail : LARAMIE
39. Bygone boomers : SSTS
41. Mince words? : EDIT
42. Tijuana treat : TACO
43. Star of “Mr. Hulot’s Holiday” : TATI
44. Put the finger on : IDED
45. Poisonous : TOXIC
47. “The Divided Self” author R. D. ___ : LAING
49. “I’m not kidding!” : IT’S TRUE!
52. Enliven, with “up” : SPICE
54. Like Gamal Abdel Nasser’s movement : PAN-ARAB
55. Jet black : ONYX
56. Numismatic condition : FINE
59. Ocean routes : SEAWAYS
63. Achieved through trickery : FINAGLED
64. “Rough day?” response : DON’T ASK
67. Expand : WIDEN
69. Chemistry Nobelist Otto : HAHN
70. Award won 21 times by Harold Prince : TONY
71. In a stupor : DAZED
72. Like fall leaves : RAKED
77. Hatcher or Polo : TERI
78. Allay : EASE
79. Food thickener : AGAR
80. Actress Anderson : LONI
81. Small irritations : PINPRICKS
83. Meadow mamas : EWES
85. “No one’s ___ than me” (Eminem lyric) : ILLER
87. Belgium or Denmark : MONARCHY
88. Tons : A LOT
89. Diddle away : BLOW
91. Emphatic : FORCEFUL
95. “Beetle Bailey” figure : SARGE
98. Excited about : KEEN ON
100. Moves slowly : INCHES
101. Scares off : DETERS
103. Astronaut Thomas on four space shuttle flights : AKERS
105. Prefix with natal : NEO-
107. Western : OATER
108. Dr. Alzheimer : ALOIS
109. Medicinal plant : SENNA
110. Can’t stand : HATES
111. Mimicked : APED
112. Skirt style : MIDI
114. Short cut : SNIP
115. James portrayed by Beyoncé : ETTA
119. Clinch : ICE
120. Post-W.W. II female service member : WAF
121. From ___ Z : A TO
122. The Engineers of the N.C.A.A., for short : RPI

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