1010-21 NY Times Crossword 10 Oct 21, Sunday

Constructed by: Brandon Koppy
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Theme Clue: The Movie

Themed CLUES are famous MOVIE titles:

  • 23A Field of Dreams : PSYCHOANALYSIS
  • 26A Guys and Dolls : GI JOES
  • 38A Star Trek : THE RED CARPET
  • 50A Top Gun : T-SHIRT CANNON
  • 66A Letters From Iwo Jima : KANJI
  • 67A The Imitation Game : SIMON SAYS
  • 69A The Fifth Element : BORON
  • 84A A Man for All Seasons : BINGE-WATCHER
  • 97A Scent of a Woman : CHANEL NO FIVE
  • 113A Wayne’s World : GOTHAM
  • 114A Space Jam : FLY ME TO THE MOON

Bill’s time: 24m 49s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

12 Beyoncé chart-topper “Single ___ (Put a Ring on It)” : LADIES

“Single Ladies” (Put a Ring on It)” is a 2008 hit by singer Beyoncé. The song is all about men in a relationship who are unwilling to commit, unwilling to propose.

18 Simile center : AS A

A simile is a figure of speech in which a comparison is made between two things that are unalike. For example, a person might be described as “cute as a kitten” or as “busy as a bee”.

19 ___ Lawrence College : SARAH

Sarah Lawrence College is a private school in Yonkers, New York that was established in 1926 by real-estate mogul William Van Duzer Lawrence. He named the institution in honor of his wife Sarah, who died that same year. The school was originally intended to provide an education in the arts and humanities for women students, although back then the curriculum included modeling, shorthand, typing and applying makeup. Things have changed a little since then …

20 Magazine co-founded in 1945 by Hélène Gordon Lazareff : ELLE

“Elle” magazine was founded in 1945 in France and today has the highest circulation of any fashion magazine in the world. “Elle” is the French word for “she”. “Elle” is published monthly worldwide, although you can pick up a weekly edition if you live in France.

22 Similar-sounding phrase, such as “I scream” for “ice cream” : ORONYM

“Oronym” is an informal term used for a pair of phrases that sound identical, or almost identical. There is a marvelous British comedy sketch from the show “The Two Ronnies” that is built around oronyms. Known as the “Four Candles” sketch, it’s a favorite clip of mine …

23 Field of Dreams : PSYCHOANALYSIS

“Field of Dreams” is a fantasy drama about baseball, released in 1989 and starring Kevin Costner. The movie is an adaptation of a 1982 novel titled “Shoeless Joe” by Canadian author W. P. Kinsella. Shoeless Joe Jackson was a real baseball player, and someone associated with the Black Sox Scandal that allegedly affected the outcome of the 1919 World Series. Jackson was portrayed by Ray Liotta in the movie. “Field of Dreams” was also the last film in which Burt Lancaster made an appearance. The baseball stadium that was built for the movie can be visited in Dubuque County, Iowa.

26 Guys and Dolls : GI JOES

G.I. Joe was the original “action figure”, the first toy to carry that description. G.I. Joe first hit the shelves in 1964. There have been a few movies based on the G.I. Joe figure, but, more famous than all of them I would say is the 1997 movie “G.I. Jane” starring Demi Moore in the title role. I thought that “G.I. Jane” had some potential, to be honest, but it really did not deliver in the end.

“Guys and Dolls” is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser. It was first produced on Broadway, in 1950, and ran for 1200 performances. The show was based on a book written by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows, which in turn was inspired by the short stories “The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown” and “Blood Pressure” by Damon Runyon. “Guys and Dolls” was chosen as winner of a Pulitzer in 1951, but the award was cancelled as Abe Burrows was having problems with the House Un-American Activities Committee at the time.

27 Lucrative and undemanding : CUSHY

Our term “cushy”, meaning “easy and profitable”, is actually Anglo-Indian slang coming from the Hindi word “khush”, which translates as “pleasant, happy”.

28 Ingredient in a McDonald’s McFlurry : OREO

A McFlurry is an ice cream dessert served in McDonald’s restaurants. A McFlurry is made from soft-serve ice cream, to which are added crushed candy bars or cookies. Cleverly, a McFlurry is mixed on a machine with the mixing blade then doubling as a spoon with which one eats it.

29 Seasonal winds : MONSOONS

The term “monsoon” was first used in India in the days of the British Raj, when it described the seasonal winds that brought rain from the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea from June to September. “Monsoon” is derived from the Portuguese “monção”, which in turn comes from the Arabic “mawsim” meaning “season”.

31 Fictional brand of rocket-powered roller skates : ACME

The Acme Corporation is a fictional company used mainly by Looney Tunes, and within the Looney Tunes empire it appears mostly in “Road Runner” cartoons. Wile E. Coyote is always receiving a new piece of gear from Acme designed to finally capture the Road Runner, but the equipment always leads to his downfall.

38 Star Trek : THE RED CARPET

The 2009 movie “Star Trek” is in effect a prequel to the original “Star Trek” series. The film features a young James T. Kirk (played by Chris Pine) and a young Spock (played by Zachary Quinto) battling Romulan named Nero (played by Eric Bana) who comes back in time. There’s an appearance by the original Spock (played by Leonard Nimoy) who does a bit of time travel himself.

40 Woodworker’s tool : PANEL SAW

A panel saw is a sawing machine, one often found in cabinet shops. They can be used to cut cabinet components from plywood sheets.

43 Tax pro, for short : CPA

Certified public accountant (CPA)

45 Ancient work that describes the sacred tree Yggdrasil : EDDA

“Poetic Edda” and “Prose Edda” are two ancient works that are the source for much of Norse mythology. Both Eddas were written in 13th-century Iceland.

Yggdrasil is an enormous tree that is central to Norse mythology, and is known as the “world tree”. It is thought that it is an ash tree, and that the name “Yggdrasil” comes from the Norse word “igwja” meaning “ash tree”, but that fact is disputed.

46 Trendy home gym purchase : PELOTON

Peloton is a New York-based company that manufactures exercise equipment, and also provides fitness classes. Those classes are streamed to touchscreens incorporated into the equipment itself. Participation in the classes requires a subscription.

50 Top Gun : T-SHIRT CANNON

T-shirts can be shot out of an air cannon, perhaps at a sports game.

55 Baseball family name much seen in crosswords : ALOU

Felipe Alou is a former professional baseball player and manager. Alou managed the Montreal Expos from 1992 to 2001, and the San Francisco Giants from 2003 to 2006. Alou was born and raised in the Dominican Republic and came to the US to play for the Giants in 1955. Felipe’s brothers Matty and Jesús followed him to the US, and into Major League baseball.

60 Parrot’s sound : AWK!

Scientists tell us that parrots are some of the most intelligent species of birds. Many of those species are able to imitate the human voice. Such characteristics have led to parrots becoming popular house pets, and a resulting drop in populations of parrots living in the wild.

64 Big no-nos : TABOOS

The word “taboo” was introduced into English by Captain Cook in his book “A Voyage to the Pacific Ocean”. Cook described “tabu” (likely imitative of a Tongan word that he had heard) as something that was both consecrated and forbidden.

66 Letters From Iwo Jima : KANJI

Japanese writing comes in a number of forms, including romaji (which uses the Latin alphabet), kanji (which uses Chinese characters) and hiragana (which has a cursive and flowing appearance).

“Flags of Our Fathers” is a 2006 war film directed by Clint Eastwood, and based on a 2000 book of the same name by James Bradley. “Flags of Our Fathers” was a somewhat unique film, as it was filmed within a few months of a “paired” movie “Letters from Iwo Jima”, also directed by Eastwood. “Flags of Our Fathers” told the story of the WWII Battle of Iwo Jima from the American perspective, and “Letters from Iwo Jima” told the same story from the Japanese standpoint.

67 The Imitation Game : SIMON SAYS

“Simon Says” is a kids’ game. The idea is for the players of the game to obey the “controller” who gives instructions. But the players should only obey when the controller uses the words, “Simon says …”. The game has very old roots, with a Latin version that uses the words “Cicero dicit fac hoc” (Cicero says do this).

“The Imitation Game” is a superb 2014 film that tells the story of Alan Turing and the decrypting operations undertaken by the British government during WWII. Benedict Cumberbatch portrays Turing, and Keira Knightley portrays Joan Clarke, a cryptanalyst who played a crucial and underappreciated role in the code-breaking program. Clarke was briefly engaged to be married to Turing, despite Turing’s closeted life as a gay man. Famously, Turing was prosecuted for homesexual acts in 1952, agreed to chemical castration treatment, and committed suicide in 1954.

69 The Fifth Element : BORON

Boron is the chemical element with the atomic number of 5 and symbol B. It lies over to the right in Group 13 of the Periodic Table of the Elements. Uncombined, elemental boron is not found naturally on Earth. The boron that is mined is found in oxide form, and not as uncombined boron.

“The Fifth Element” is a 1997 French film, with an English screenplay that was co-written by director Luc Besson. Besson wrote the storyline for “The Fifth Element” when he was still in his teens, and ended up directing Bruce Willis in the lead role in 1997.

75 1930s migrant to California : OKIE

“Okies” is a derogatory term used during the Dust Bowl of the 1930s for farming families who migrated from Oklahoma (hence the name), Arkansas, Kansas and Texas in search of agricultural jobs in California. The road used by many of these migrant families was Route 66, which is also called “Mother Road”.

77 Sesh on Reddit : AMA

Reddit.com is a networking and news website that started up in 2005. It is essentially a bulletin board system with posts that are voted up and down by users, which determines the ranking of posts. The name “Reddit” is a play on “read it”, as in “I read it on Reddit”. One popular feature of the Reddit site is an online forum that is similar to a press conference. Known as an AMA (for “ask me anything”), participants have included the likes of President Barack Obama, Madonna, Bill Gates, Stephen Colbert and Gordon Ramsay. President Obama’s AMA was so popular that the high level of traffic brought down many parts of the Reddit site.

Session (abbreviated to “sess.” formally, and “sesh” informally)

80 Speed reader? : RADAR

Radar speed guns were first used to monitor traffic by Connecticut State Police in the town of Glastonbury, way back in 1947!

81 Gave, as gossip : TOLD TO

Our word “gossip” comes from the Old English “godsibb” meaning “godparent”. Back then, the term was used for female friends who attended a birth, and later for anyone engaging in idle talk.

84 A Man for All Seasons : BINGE-WATCHER

I’m a big fan of binge-watching, the practice of watching perhaps two or three (even four!) episodes of a show in a row. My wife and I will often deliberately avoid watching a recommended show live, and instead wait until the whole series has been released online. I’m not a big fan of “tune in next week …”

“A Man for All Seasons” is a 1966 biographical drama movie that is based on a 1960 play of the same name by Robert Bolt. It tells the story of Sir Thomas More, a Lord Chancellor of England who fell foul of King Henry VIII when he refused to ask the Pope to annul the King’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon. He later refused to sign the Oath of Supremacy, declaring Henry VIII Supreme Head of the Church of England. As a result, More was beheaded. In the 1966 film, More is played by Paul Schofield, and King Henry VIII by Robert Shaw. The impressive supporting cast includes Leo McKern,. Orson Welles, Susannah York, Nigel Davenport, John Hurt and Vanessa Redgrave.

87 Matricidal figure of Greek myth : ORESTES

Orestes is a character appearing in Greek mythology, and is the subject of several Ancient Greek plays. In a story by Homer, Orestes kills his mother Clytemnestra. He does so in revenge as Clytemnestra killed Agamemnon, who was her husband and father to Orestes. Agamemnon was killed by his wife for sacrificing his daughter Iphigenia in order to get favorable winds on a sea voyage. Heavy stuff …

89 Golden rule word : UNTO

The Golden Rule is also known as the ethic of reciprocity, and is a basis for the concept of human rights. A version of the rule used in the Christian tradition is attributed to Jesus:

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

97 Scent of a Woman : CHANEL NO FIVE

Chanel No. 5 is a perfume that was released by Coco Chanel back in 1921. Chanel had an affinity for the number “5”, and always presented her dress collection on May 5th (the fifth day of the fifth month). When she was presented with a selection of experimental scents as potential choices for the first perfume to bear the Chanel name, she chose the sample in the fifth vial. Chanel instructed that the “sample number 5” should keep its name, asserting that it would bring the scent good luck.

“Scent of a Woman” is a 1992 American remake of a 1974 Italian film “Profumo di donna”, which in turn is an adaptation of the Giovanni Arpino novel “Il buio e il miele”. Al Pacino won a Best Actor Oscar for playing the irascible, blind, retired Army officer Frank Slade.

105 ___ Toy Barn (“Toy Story 2” locale) : AL’S

“Toy Story 2” is a Pixar feature film that was released in 1999. The film was an even bigger hit than the original “Toy Story”, and grossed just under $500 million.

106 Small things that you pluck : UKULELES

The ukulele (uke) originated in the 1800s and mimicked a small guitar brought to the Hawaiian Islands by Portuguese immigrants.

107 Breakout band for Harry Styles and Zayn Malik, familiarly : ONE-D

Harry Styles is a singer from England who got his big break when he appeared on the British version of “The X Factor”, from which he was selected as an original member of the boy band One Direction. Styles turned to acting, and had a significant role in the 2017 war movie “Dunkirk”. Reading the gossip columns reveals that he dated Taylor Swift for a while in 2012.

Zayn Malik is a singer from Yorkshire in northern England who found fame with the boy band One Direction. Malik quit the band in 2015 to launch a solo career. A year later, Malik became the first male artist to hit the number-one spot in both the UK and US charts with both a debut single (“Pillowtalk”) and a debut album (“Mind of Mine”).

111 Mad magazine cartoonist Drucker : MORT

Mort Drucker is a caricaturist and longtime contributor to “Mad” magazine. He worked with “Mad” for over five decades, starting in 1956.

113 Wayne’s World : GOTHAM

“Gotham” had been a nickname for New York City long before it was picked up by comic books as a setting for Batman tales. The term was coined by Washington Irving in a periodical that he published in 1807. Irving was lampooning New York politics and culture, and lifted the name from the village of Gotham in Nottinghamshire, England. The original Gotham was, according to folklore, inhabited by fools.

Bruce Wayne is the secret identity of Batman in the comic series created by DC Comics. The first name of Bruce was chosen as a homage to the Scottish king and heroic figure, Robert the Bruce. The family name was a nod to “Mad Anthony” Wayne, the US Army general and statesman who rose to prominence in the Revolutionary War.

114 Space Jam : FLY ME TO THE MOON

If you know the lyrics of the old standard “Fly Me to the Moon“, you’ll know that “in other words” features prominently. “In Other Words” was the original song title, and over time it was more often designated by its opening line “Fly me to the moon“. My mother’s favorite version is by Perry Como, but Frank Sinatra’s rendition is probably best known …

“Space Jam” is a 1996 movie that is a fictional account of the retirement of Michael Jordan from the NBA. Jordan himself stars in the film, along with a whole host of “Looney Tunes” cartoon characters.

118 Gene variant : ALLELE

A gene is a section of a chromosome that is responsible for a particular characteristic in an organism. For example, one gene may determine eye color and another balding pattern. We have two copies of each gene, one from each of our parents, with each copy known as an allele.

121 Fragrant ring : LEI

“Lei” is a Hawaiian word meaning “garland, wreath”, although in more general terms a lei is any series of objects strung together as an adornment for the body.

122 Candy with the slogan “Not sorry” : REESE’S

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups were invented by Harry Burnett “HB” Reese. Peanut Butter Cups were originally called penny cups, reflecting the price at which they were sold. Then inflation took over, and maybe that’s why they were broken into smaller “Pieces” …

123 Skosh : TAD

“Skosh” is a slang term meaning “a little bit”, and was originally military slang that came out of the Korean War. “Skosh” derives from the Japanese word “sukoshi” which translates as “few, little, some”.

124 Main artery : AORTA

The aorta originates in the heart and extends down into the abdomen. It is the largest artery in the body.

125 Panic button, of a sort : ESC

The escape key (Esc) was originally used just 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 things, especially in gaming programs.

Down

4 Flue-like : ASHY

The flue in a chimney is a duct that conveys exhaust gases from a fire to the outdoors. An important feature of a flue is that its opening is adjustable. When starting a fire, the flue should be wide open, maximizing airflow to get help ignition.

5 Confucian philosophy : TAO

The sayings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius (anglicized from “K’ung Fu-Tse”) are collected in a work called “The Analects” or “Linyu”. It wasn’t Confucius who wrote down his thoughts though, but rather his pupils, some 40 or so years after his death in 479 BC.

6 Singer Rita : ORA

Rita Ora is a British singer who was born Rita Sahatçiu in Pristina, Yugoslavia to Albanian parents. The family name “Sahatçiu” comes from a Turkish word meaning “watchmaker”. Rita’s parents changed their name to make it easier to pronounce. So, the family name morphed from “watchmaker” to “time”, which is “ora” in Albanian.

9 Donkey with a pinned-on tail : EEYORE

Eeyore is the donkey character in A. A. Milne’s “Winnie-the-Pooh”. Eeyore is very lovable, but has a gloomy and pessimistic outlook on life.

10 Two in a million? : ELS

There are two letters L (els) in the word “million”.

11 “The Kiss” painter : KLIMT

Gustav Klimt was an Austrian painter who primarily painted the female body, often producing works that were described as erotic. One of Klimt’s most famous paintings is “The Kiss”, which he completed in 1908.

13 Melodious : ARIOSE

A tune that is “ariose” is song-like, characterized by melody as opposed to harmony.

14 Place to develop one’s chops : DOJO

The Japanese word “dojo” translates literally as “place of the way”. Originally the term applied to training halls that were found in or beside temples. The teaching in a dojo was not limited to the martial arts, but in the Western world we use the dojo as the name for a training facility for judo, karate and the like.

17 Texting tech, briefly : SMS

Short Message Service (SMS) is the name for the text messaging service that many of us still use on our cell phones to contact friends and family.

24 “Clueless” protagonist : CHER

The 1995 movie “Clueless” is apparently based on Jane Austen’s “Emma”, which is a favorite novel of mine. As a result, I am going to have to check out the film …

30 Org. with an annual Codebreaker Challenge : NSA

The National Security Agency (NSA) runs an annual Codebreaker Challenge that is aimed mainly at the student population. As best I can tell, the focus of the challenge is reverse software engineering. Checking out the Codebreaker Challenge website suggests that the NSA runs this program in order to identify and attract potential new employees.

39 Product for one who wonders “Am I expecting?” : EPT

Early Pregnancy Test (EPT)

40 Increased into something much more valuable : PARLAYED

A parlay is a combination wager, one that links two or more bets. All bets have to win in order to collect on a parlay.

41 Spy novelist Deighton : LEN

I used to walk my dog right past author Len Deighton’s house years ago, as we lived in the same seaside village in Ireland (probably my only claim to “fame”). Deighton wrote the excellent espionage thriller “The IPCRESS File”, which was made into a 1965 movie starring Michael Caine.

49 Mystic’s board : 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 AD 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”.

50 4x World Series winner Martinez : TINO

First baseman Tino Martinez has retired from Major League Baseball. Martinez played with a number of teams including the Mariners, Yankees, Cardinals and Devil Rays. Martinez was born and raised in Tampa, Florida and as a boy he worked in his father’s cigar factory.

54 Spanish marinade : ADOBO

In Spanish and Mexican cuisine, a dish prepared “adobo” style has been marinated in a mixture containing paprika, oregano, salt, garlic and vinegar. “Adobo” is Spanish for “marinade, seasoning”.

62 Cardinal’s hat, in Britain : MITRE

A miter (also “mitre”) is a traditional headdress worn by bishops in some Christian traditions. The term “miter” comes from a Greek word for “headband, turban”.

68 Hershey’s chocolate-and-toffee bar : SKOR

The candy bar named “Skor” is produced by Hershey’s. “Skor” is Swedish for “shoes”, and the candy bar’s wrapping features a crown that is identical to that found in the Swedish national emblem. What shoes have to do with candy, I don’t know …

70 Diatribe : RANT

A diatribe is a bitter discourse. The term “diatribe” comes from the Greek “diatribein” meaning “to wear away”.

71 Quaint sign word : OLDE

The word “olde” wasn’t actually used much earlier than the 1920s. “Olde” was introduced to give a quaint antique feel to brand names, shop names etc. as in “Ye Olde Shoppe”.

76 Dodos : MORONS

The unsavory word “moron” was formerly used by the medical community to describe someone with a degree of mental retardation. The term comes from the Greek “moros” meaning “foolish, dull”. Back in the early 1900s, IQ tests were used to classify those suffering from mental retardation into categories:

  • “idiot” … IQ of 0-20
  • “imbecile” … IQ of 21-50
  • “moron” …IQ of 51-70

The dodo was a direct relative of the pigeon and dove, although the fully-grown dodo was usually three feet tall. One of the reasons the dodo comes to mind when we think of extinction of a species, is that it disappeared not too long ago (last recorded alive in 1662) and humans were the reason for its demise. The dodo lived exclusively on the island of Mauritius and when man arrived, we cut back the forests that were its home. We also introduced domestic animals, such as dogs and pigs, that ransacked the dodo’s nests. The dodo was deemed to be an awkward flightless bird and so the term “dodo” has come to mean a dull-witted person.

77 City that replaced Lagos as Nigeria’s capital : ABUJA

Lagos is a port and the biggest city in Nigeria. It used to be the country’s capital, until it was replaced in that role in 1991 by Abuja, a city built just for this purpose. Lagos is also the most populous city in the whole of Africa (followed by Cairo in Egypt).

78 Cameo : MINOR ROLE

Even in my day, a cameo role was more than just a short appearance in a movie (or other artistic piece). For the appearance to be a cameo, the actor had to play himself or herself, and was instantly recognizable. With this meaning it’s easy to see the etymology of the term, as a cameo brooch is one with the recognizable carving of the silhouette of a person. Nowadays, a cameo is any minor role played by a celebrity or famous actor, regardless of the character played.

82 French fabric : TOILE

Toile fabric can be used as upholstery, as wallpaper, or even as a fabric for clothing. The name “toile” comes from the French word for “canvas, linen cloth”.

88 Ike’s domain in W.W. II : ETO

General Dwight D. Eisenhower (DDE) was in command of the European Theater of Operations (ETO) during WWII.

91 Reason the physicist stayed in bed? : INERTIA

Newton’s first law of motion states that a body that is moving maintains the same velocity unless it is acted upon by an external force. That resistance to changing velocity is known as “inertia”. Johann Kepler introduced the Latin word “inertia” to describe the physical phenomenon in the 17th century. The Latin term translates as “apathy, inactiveness”. We started using the Latin “inertia” in English to mean the same thing only in the 19th century, after the term had bopped around in science texts for a couple of centuries.

92 “The Shape of Water” director : DEL TORO

Guillermo del Toro is a film director from Guadalajara in Mexico who has had success directing and producing American films. His best-known works are probably action movies like “Blade II” (2002) and “Hellboy” (2004). Del Toro won an Oscar for Best Director for the 2017 movie “The Shape of Water”.

“The Shape of Water” is a 2017 movie that is described as a “romantic monster” film, and so is in a pretty unique genre, I’d say. It was directed by Guillermo del Toro, who also co-wrote the script. It’s all about a mute young lady working in a government laboratory and falling in love with a humanoid amphibian who is held captive there. Not my cup of tea …

94 Natasha ___, Boris’s partner against Rocky and Bullwinkle : FATALE

Fearless Leader, Boris Badenov and Natasha Fatale are all characters in the cartoon show “Rocky and Bullwinkle”. Fearless Leader is the dictatorial ruler of Pottsylvania, and Boris and Natasha are two of his minions, two inept government agents.

95 Some water park rides : FLUMES

A flume is a water-filled, man-made channel that sits above ground and is used for transportation. The water flows due to the flume’s downward slope. Most commonly, flumes are built to transport logs and lumber. Traditional log flumes were operated by flume herders, people stationed along the course of the flume to ensure that water and lumber moved freely. The more daring flume herders would ride along the flume in small boats, a practice that led to our contemporary log flume rides in theme parks.

96 Olympics symbol for Madrid’s country : ESP

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) uses its own set of three-letter abbreviations for country names, e.g. HUN (Hungary), ECU (Ecuador), ESP (Spain) and CRO (Croatia).

100 Latte art medium : FOAM

“Latte art” is the name given to the designs that can be drawn on the surface of coffee drinks. Some of those designs can be quite intricate.

102 Bill killers : VETOES

The verb “veto” comes directly from Latin and means “I forbid”. The term was used by tribunes of ancient Rome to indicate that they opposed measures passed by the Senate.

103 Utopian : EDENIC

The word “Utopia” was coined by Sir Thomas More in his book “Utopia” published in 1516 to describe an idyllic fictional island in the Atlantic Ocean. More’s use of the name Utopia comes from the Greek “ou” meaning “not” and “topos” meaning “place”. By calling his perfect island “Not Place”, More was apparently making the point that he didn’t think that the ideal could actually exist.

109 “___ All That” (1999 film) : SHE’S

The 1999 romantic comedy “She’s All That” is an adaptation of George Bernard Shaw’s “Pygmalion” (as is “My Fair Lady”). The critics hated “She’s All That”, but it still made it to number one at the box office.

112 Lugosi of horror films : BELA

Bela Lugosi was a Hungarian stage and screen actor who was perhaps best known for playing the title role in the 1931 film “Dracula” and for playing the same role on Broadway. Lugosi found himself typecast for the rest of his career and almost always played the role of the villain, often in horror movies. When he passed away in 1956, his wife had him buried in the costume he wore playing Count Dracula on Broadway.

113 Fish with an elongated jaw : GAR

“Gar” was originally the name given to a species of needlefish found in the North Atlantic. The term “gar” is now used to describe several species of fish with elongated bodies that inhabit North and Central America and the Caribbean. The gar is unusual in that it is often found in very brackish water. What I find interesting is that the gar’s swim bladders are vascularized so that they can actually function as lungs. Many species of gar can actually be seen coming to the surface and taking a gulp of air. This adaptation makes it possible for them to live in conditions highly unsuitable for other fish that rely on their gills to get oxygen out of the water. Indeed, quite interesting …

115 Singer Sumac : YMA

Yma Sumac was a Peruvian soprano. Sumac had a notable vocal range of five octaves.

117 Toke : HIT

“Toke” is a slang term describing a puff on a marijuana cigarette, or on a pipe containing the drug.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Syllables when you forget the words : LAS
4 The universe has an estimated 1082 of them : ATOMS
9 “A mouse!” : EEK!
12 Beyoncé chart-topper “Single ___ (Put a Ring on It)” : LADIES
18 Simile center : AS A
19 ___ Lawrence College : SARAH
20 Magazine co-founded in 1945 by Hélène Gordon Lazareff : ELLE
22 Similar-sounding phrase, such as “I scream” for “ice cream” : ORONYM
23 Field of Dreams : PSYCHOANALYSIS
26 Guys and Dolls : GI JOES
27 Lucrative and undemanding : CUSHY
28 Ingredient in a McDonald’s McFlurry : OREO
29 Seasonal winds : MONSOONS
31 Fictional brand of rocket-powered roller skates : ACME
32 “Cross my heart!” : I SWEAR IT!
35 Fam girl : SIS
36 Sounds of doubt : EHS
38 Star Trek : THE RED CARPET
40 Woodworker’s tool : PANEL SAW
42 Some tourist spots in San Francisco : PIERS
43 Tax pro, for short : CPA
45 Ancient work that describes the sacred tree Yggdrasil : EDDA
46 Trendy home gym purchase : PELOTON
50 Top Gun : T-SHIRT CANNON
55 Baseball family name much seen in crosswords : ALOU
56 Jerkface : MEANIE
59 Tightly affixed : GLUED
60 Parrot’s sound : AWK!
61 Insurance department : CLAIMS
63 “___ for me, thanks” : NONE
64 Big no-nos : TABOOS
66 Letters From Iwo Jima : KANJI
67 The Imitation Game : SIMON SAYS
69 The Fifth Element : BORON
73 Perfectly comfortable : AT HOME
75 1930s migrant to California : OKIE
76 Spirits : MORALE
77 Sesh on Reddit : AMA
80 Speed reader? : RADAR
81 Gave, as gossip : TOLD TO
83 Trimmed parts of green beans : ENDS
84 A Man for All Seasons : BINGE-WATCHER
87 Matricidal figure of Greek myth : ORESTES
89 Golden rule word : UNTO
90 Spanish “Listen!” : OYE!
91 Dostoyevsky’s Prince Myshkin, so the book title declares : IDIOT
93 Cause for switching positions : JOB OFFER
97 Scent of a Woman : CHANEL NO FIVE
104 “___ you decent?” : ARE
105 ___ Toy Barn (“Toy Story 2” locale) : AL’S
106 Small things that you pluck : UKULELES
107 Breakout band for Harry Styles and Zayn Malik, familiarly : ONE-D
108 Overlie : REST UPON
111 Mad magazine cartoonist Drucker : MORT
112 Get the juices flowing? : BASTE
113 Wayne’s World : GOTHAM
114 Space Jam : FLY ME TO THE MOON
118 Gene variant : ALLELE
119 Denominator in the velocity formula : TIME
120 Beam for train tracks : I-RAIL
121 Fragrant ring : LEI
122 Candy with the slogan “Not sorry” : REESE’S
123 Skosh : TAD
124 Main artery : AORTA
125 Panic button, of a sort : ESC

Down

1 Pet that should come with a lint roller? : LAP CAT
2 Given that : AS SUCH
3 Exasperated parent’s retort : SAYS ME!
4 Flue-like : ASHY
5 Confucian philosophy : TAO
6 Singer Rita : ORA
7 “Floating terror” of the sea : MAN O’ WAR
8 Many social media users : SHARERS
9 Donkey with a pinned-on tail : EEYORE
10 Two in a million? : ELS
11 “The Kiss” painter : KLIMT
12 Successfully uses a password : LOGS IN
13 Melodious : ARIOSE
14 Place to develop one’s chops : DOJO
15 Innate : IN ONE’S DNA
16 Part of a makeup test? : EYESHADOW
17 Texting tech, briefly : SMS
21 “___ es!” (“That’s right!”: Sp.) : ESO
24 “Clueless” protagonist : CHER
25 Accept eagerly, with “at” : LEAP …
30 Org. with an annual Codebreaker Challenge : NSA
32 Double-crossed and half-baked : IDIOMS
33 Embarrassing public episode : SCENE
34 Restless desire : ITCH
37 Luxurious : SWANK
39 Product for one who wonders “Am I expecting?” : EPT
40 Increased into something much more valuable : PARLAYED
41 Spy novelist Deighton : LEN
44 Weave off the shoulder? : PIGTAIL
46 Get ready for vacation : PACK
47 Civil rights activist Baker : ELLA
48 It may be forgiven : LOAN
49 Mystic’s board : OUIJA
50 4x World Series winner Martinez : TINO
51 [more info below] : [SEE NOTE]
52 Ice cream containers : TUBS
53 ___ compensation (subject of modern debate) : CEO
54 Spanish marinade : ADOBO
57 Drawer of shorts, e.g. : ANIMATOR
58 Cutthroat mentality : NO MERCY
62 Cardinal’s hat, in Britain : MITRE
65 Tender areas : SORES
67 Pop in the fridge : SODA
68 Hershey’s chocolate-and-toffee bar : SKOR
70 Diatribe : RANT
71 Quaint sign word : OLDE
72 Noun-making suffix : -NESS
74 Fumble for words : HAW
76 Dodos : MORONS
77 City that replaced Lagos as Nigeria’s capital : ABUJA
78 Cameo : MINOR ROLE
79 Predatory insect living in woodpiles : ANT BEETLE
82 French fabric : TOILE
85 Caramel or hot fudge, basically : GOO
86 Euphemistic exclamation : HECK!
88 Ike’s domain in W.W. II : ETO
91 Reason the physicist stayed in bed? : INERTIA
92 “The Shape of Water” director : DEL TORO
94 Natasha ___, Boris’s partner against Rocky and Bullwinkle : FATALE
95 Some water park rides : FLUMES
96 Olympics symbol for Madrid’s country : ESP
98 Sang along when you forgot the words : HUMMED
99 Ingredient in healing gel : ALOE
100 Latte art medium : FOAM
101 Arch support : INSOLE
102 Bill killers : VETOES
103 Utopian : EDENIC
106 Like a birthday cake, pre-party : UNLIT
109 “___ All That” (1999 film) : SHE’S
110 Frequently, quaintly : OFT
112 Lugosi of horror films : BELA
113 Fish with an elongated jaw : GAR
115 Singer Sumac : YMA
116 Describe in a negative way : TAR
117 Toke : HIT