1011-26 NY Times Crossword 11 Oct 26, Sunday

Bill’s time: 17m 00s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

11A Exam for a future atty. : LSAT

Law School Admission Test (LSAT)

19A Sea surrounding Mykonos : AEGEAN

The Aegean Sea is that part of the Mediterranean that lies between Greece and Turkey. Within the Aegean Sea are found the Aegean Islands, a group that includes Crete and Rhodes. The body of water is named for Aegeus, a mythical king of Athens and the father of the hero Theseus. After Theseus departed to slay the Minotaur, Aegeus instructed him to replace his ship’s black sails with white ones upon his safe return. Theseus forgot to change the sails, and Aegeus believed his son had been killed. As a result, he threw himself into the sea in despair.

Mykonos is a Greek island that is part of the Cyclades group. Mykonos has the nickname “the island of the winds”, a reference to the strong seasonal winds that impact the island in the winter and the summer.

22A “Mr. Blue Sky” band, in brief : ELO

“Mr. Blue Sky” is a 1977 song by the Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) from Britain. It’s a song that has been described as “Beatlesque”, and I must say that I agree with that assertion …

23A Some “Star Trek” slang? : KLINGON LINGO

Klingons are a warrior race often featured in the “Star Trek” franchise of shows. Back in the first “Star Trek” movie, the actor James Doohan (who played “Scotty”) put together some Klingon dialogue that was used in the film. For subsequent movies, the American linguist Marc Okrand was commissioned to develop a working Klingon language, which he duly did, using the original words from Doohan as its basis.

25A Infamous Russian mystic : RASPUTIN

Grigori Rasputin was a Russian Orthodox mystic who apparently had great influence over the Emperor Nicholas and his family, and over the Empress Alexandra in particular.

32A French filmmaker Jacques : TATI

Jacques Tati was a very famous filmmaker and comic actor in his homeland of France. Even though he only directed six feature-length movies, Tati is often cited by insiders as one of the greatest movie directors of all time.

34A Secrets known only to E.N.T.s? : EAR CANAL ARCANA

Arcana are deep secrets or mysteries. “Arcana” is from the Latin adjective “arcanum” meaning “secret, hidden”.

Ear, nose and throat specialist (ENT)

38A Depression formed by a volcano’s collapse : CALDERA

A caldera forms when a volcano erupts. Often mistaken for just a large crater, a caldera is actually a vast, bowl-shaped depression. It forms when the land around a volcano collapses inward after a massive eruption empties the magma chamber beneath it. Fittingly, the name “caldera” comes from the Spanish word for “cooking pot”.

42A C.I.A. forerunner : OSS

The Office of Strategic Services (OSS) was formed during WWII in order to carry out espionage behind enemy lines. A few years after the end of the war the OSS functions were taken up by a new group, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) that was chartered by the National Security Act of 1947.

43A Listened to “Rigoletto” way too many times? : OVERDID VERDI

“Rigoletto” is one of Giuseppe Verdi’s most famous and oft-performed operas. The storyline comes from Victor Hugo’s play “Le roi s’amuse” (usually translated as “The King’s Fool”). Rigoletto is the king’s fool, the jester.

48A Member of the South Asian diaspora : DESI

People from the Indian subcontinent might refer to themselves as “desi”.

“Diaspora” is a Greek word meaning “a scattering of seeds”. I guess I’m one of the Irish seeds …

49A Ocho menos uno : SIETE

In Spanish, “ocho menos uno” (eight minus one) is “siete” (seven).

50A Berkeley university, familiarly : CAL

The University of California, Berkeley (Cal) is the most difficult public university to get into in the world. It opened in 1869, and is named for Anglo-Irish philosopher George Berkeley.

56A Many a David Foster Wallace piece : ESSAY

American author David Foster Wallace’s most famous work is his 1996 novel “Infinite Jest”. Wallace’s books are known for extensive use of explanatory footnotes and endnotes, which can take up as many pages as the novel’s text. Wallace struggled with depression for about twenty years. Sadly, he ended up committing suicide in 2008 by hanging himself, when he was only 46 years old. Wallace left an unfinished novel called “The Pale King” that, even though published incomplete, became a finalist for the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.

61A “___ y plata” (Montana’s motto) : ORO

“Oro y Plata” means “gold and silver”, and is the state motto of Montana. The motto was written in Spanish, apparently because “it had a nice ring to it”.

62A Sleuth, slangily : TEC

The word “sleuth” came into English from Old Norse as far back as 1200 when it meant the “track or trail of a person”. In the mid-1800s, the term “sleuthhound” described a keen investigator, a “hound” close on the trail of the suspect. Sleuthhound was shortened to “sleuth” and was used for a detective in general.

64A “A sharp edge recalls a splinter’s bite” or “The forest’s final revenge is whisper-thin,” e.g.? : PAPER CUT APERCU

An apercu is a first view, a glance. By extension, the term “apercu” can also be used for a detached view, an overview or a short synopsis. “Aperçu” is French for “perceived”.

69A N.K. ___, “Broken Earth” trilogy author : JEMISIN

Author N. K. Jemisin is a fantasy and sci-fi writer. She was the first author to win the Hugo Award for Best Novel three times in a row, doing so for her “Broken Earth” trilogy of novels published in 2015 to 2017.

74A Person discussed in Article II, Section 1, Clause 2 of the U.S. Constitution : ELECTOR

The US Constitution requires that the Electoral College appoint the president and vice president every four years. The states, and the District of Columbia, are responsible for appointing electors to the college. The number of electors assigned to each state (and DC) is equal to the combined number of representatives and senators each state sends to the US Congress. If no candidate gets an absolute majority of votes for president or vice president, then a contingent election is held in the US House and/or the US Senate. The House would then elect a president, and the Senate would elect a vice president.

82A Count (up) : TALLY

Back in the mid-1600s, a tally was a stick marked with notches that tracked how much one owed or paid. The term “tally” came from the Latin “talea” meaning “stick, rod”. The act of “scoring” the stick with notches gave rise to our word “score” for the number in a tally.

89A “The heart of the internet,” per its tagline : REDDIT

The website Reddit is often called “the front page of the internet”. It is a social news aggregator comprising a vast collection of user-created forums known as “subreddits”. Content is ranked by user “upvotes” and “downvotes,” which determines the visibility of posts and comments.

95A Animated explorer : DORA

“Dora the Explorer” is a cartoon series shown on Nickelodeon. Part of Dora’s remit is to introduce the show’s young viewers to some Spanish words and phrases. Her constant companion is an anthropomorphic monkey named “Boots”, because he always wears red boots. Dora, full name “Dora Márquez”, also hangs out with Isa, an iguana.

96A Cornea-reshaping surgery : LASIK

LASIK surgery uses a laser to reshape the cornea of the eye to improve vision. The LASIK acronym stands for “laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis”.

98A Diwali or Holi? : HINDI SHINDIG

“Shindig” is such a lovely word, I think. It describes a party that usually includes some dancing. Although its origin isn’t really clear, the term perhaps comes from “shinty”, a Scottish game that’s similar to field hockey.

Diwali, the Festival of Lights, is one of the most important holidays in Hinduism. Central to Diwali celebrations are the stories of Rama, the seventh avatar of Vishnu. According to the epic Ramayana, Diwali commemorates Rama’s return to his kingdom of Ayodhya after 14 years of exile, during which he defeated the demon king Ravana and rescued his wife Sita. The people of Ayodhya lit rows of oil lamps to guide the prince home, leading to the contemporary tradition of illuminating homes and streets with lights during Diwali festivities.

Holi is a Hindu festival, one celebrated in spring, that is also known as the Festival of Colours.

101A Queen ___ (pop nickname) : BEY

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 2002, 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. She is also referred to affectionately as “Queen Bey”, a play on the phrase “the queen bee”. Her fan base goes by the name “Beyhive”.

105A Some hair products : POMADES

Pomade is perfumed ointment, one mainly used for grooming the hair. The word “pomade” comes from the Latin “pomum” meaning “apple”, as the original ointment recipe used smashed apples.

111A Status after a leadoff walk : ONE ON

That might be baseball.

112A Drubbing : ROUT

A drubbing is a beating, one given either literally or figuratively. The term “drub” dates back in English to the 17th century when it was imported from the Arabic word for a beating, i.e. “darb”.

120A A whole bunch of ocean detritus? : LOTSA FLOTSAM

“Flotsam” and “jetsam” are both terms used to describe garbage in the ocean. Flotsam is floating wreckage from a ship or its cargo. Jetsam is similar to flotsam, except that it is part of a ship or cargo that is deliberately cast overboard, perhaps to lighten a vessel.

Detritus is loose material that results from the process of erosion. The usage of the term has evolved to describe any accumulated material or debris. “Detritus” is Latin for “a wearing away”.

128A Fleur-de-___ : LIS

“Lys” (sometimes “lis”) is the French word for “lily” as in “fleur-de-lys”, the heraldic symbol often associated with the French monarchy.

129A Luxury goods retailer since 1867 : SAKS

Saks Fifth Avenue is a high-end specialty store that competes with the likes of Bloomingdale’s and Neiman Marcus. The original Saks & Company business was founded by Andrew Saks in 1867. The first Saks Fifth Avenue store was opened on Fifth Avenue in New York City in 1924. There are now Saks Fifth Avenue stores in many major cities in the US, as well as in several locations worldwide.

130A Needlessly adorns, in an idiom : GILDS

To gild is to coat with gold. The phrase “to gild the lily” means to add unnecessary ornamentation, to try to improve something that is already ideal.

131A Massachusetts county in which the term “gerrymandering” was first applied : ESSEX

Essex County, Massachusetts, had a notable role in the development of gerrymandering. In 1812, Governor Elbridge Gerry signed a bill that redistricted the state senate in a way that benefited his party. One of the oddly shaped districts in Essex County was said to resemble a salamander, leading to the term “gerrymander”.

Down

2D “Dissent is patriotic” grp. : ACLU

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has its roots in the First World War. It grew out of the National Civil Liberties Bureau (CLB) that was founded to provide legal advice and support to conscientious objectors. The ACLU’s motto is “Because Freedom Can’t Protect Itself”. The ACLU also hosts a blog on the ACLU.org website called “Speak Freely”.

8D Stress-induced discomfort : AGITA

“Agita” is another name for “acid indigestion”, and more generally for “agitation, anxiety”.

9D Stimpy’s TV partner : REN

“The Ren & Stimpy Show” is an animated television serial created by Canadian animator John Kricfalusi, and which ran on Nickelodeon from 1991 to 1996. The title characters are Marland “Ren” Höek, a scrawny Chihuahua, and Stimpson J. Cat, a rotund Manx cat. Not my cup of tea …

11D Roundup rope : LARIAT

Our word “lariat” comes from the Spanish “la reata” meaning “the rope”.

12D Comics legend behind the Fantastic Four : STAN LEE

Stan Lee was an American comic book writer, editor, publisher, and producer, who is best known for co-creating many of Marvel Comics’ most iconic superheroes, including Spider-Man, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, Iron Man, the Hulk, Thor, and Black Panther.

14D Odd-toed ungulate : TAPIR

All four species of tapir are endangered or vulnerable. Even though the tapir looks much like a pig, it is more closely related to the horse and the rhinoceros.

Ungulates are hoofed animals. “Ungulate” comes from the Latin “ungula” meaning “hoof” or “claw”, which in turn comes from “unguis” meaning “nail”.

16D Many characters in Pixar’s “Elio” : ALIENS

“Elio” is a 2025 animated film about an 11-year-old boy named Elio who is mistakenly beamed up to an intergalactic “Communiverse” and forced to fake his way through being Earth’s official ambassador.

17D “The Bear” matriarch played by Jamie Lee Curtis : DONNA

“The Bear” is a comedy-drama TV show that started airing in 2022. It stars Jeremy Allen White (of “Shameless” fame) as a chef from a Michelin-star restaurant who heads home to Chicago to run his family’s sandwich shop after his brother dies. I really enjoyed this one …

Actress Jamie Lee Curtis got her big break when she played the lead in the original “Halloween” horror movie. She is the daughter of actors Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh. Curtis married fellow actor and director Christopher Guest in 1984. Guest holds the hereditary title of 5th Baron Haden-Guest in the British peerage. That makes Curtis Lady Haden-Guest.

20D Rootless : NOMADIC

A nomad is someone who roams about. The term “nomad” comes from the Latin “nomas” meaning “wandering shepherd”. In turn, “nomas” comes from the Greek “nomas” meaning “roaming (especially when looking for pasture)”.

24D Green Egyptian god : OSIRIS

Osiris was the Egyptian god of the underworld. He was the son of Geb the Earth god, and Nut the sky goddess. His wife Isis was also his sister. Osiris was killed and mutilated by Set, his own brother. Isis reassembled Osiris and revived him, just long enough that they could conceive their son Horus.

26D Get into, as a cab, say : UNCORK

The cabernet sauvignon (often just “cab”) grape has been around since the 17th century, and is the result of a chance crossing in southwestern France of the cabernet franc and sauvignon blanc grapes.

30D DiFranco who made her Broadway debut in “Hadestown” : ANI

Ani DiFranco is a folk-rock singer and songwriter. DiFranco has also been labeled a feminist icon, and in 2006 won the Woman of Courage Award from the National Organization for Women.

“Hadestown” is a 2006 musical based on the ancient Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. Anaïs Mitchell wrote the music and lyrics, and in 2010 adapted the stage musical into a concept album, for which Mitchell herself took on the role of Eurydice. After a 9-year hiatus, Mitchell reworked the piece, and a new version of “Hadestown” opened off-Broadway in 2016. A few years later, the show made it to Broadway, and won eight Tony Awards.

33D Northernmost arm of the Mediterranean : ADRIATIC

The Adriatic is the sea separating Italy from the Balkans.

35D Like a blue moon or blue steak : RARE

As there is a full moon once every four weeks, approximately monthly, there are usually twelve full moons in any given year. However, every 2-3 years, depending on the phase of the moon at the beginning of the calendar year, there may be a thirteenth full moon. The “extra” full moon is called a “blue” moon, although no one seems to really know why the term “blue” is used, as far as I can tell. Which of the thirteen full moons that is designated as the blue moon varies depending on tradition. My favorite definition is from the Farmer’s Almanac. It states that as each of the seasons normally has three full moons (one for each calendar month), then the season with four full moons is designated as “special”, then the third (and not the fourth) full moon in that “special” season is the blue moon. Complicated, huh?

36D Something to chew on : CUD

Animals that chew the cud are called ruminants. Ruminants eat vegetable matter but cannot extract any nutritional value from cellulose without the help of microbes in the gut. Ruminants collect roughage in the first part of the alimentary canal, allowing microbes to work on it. The partially digested material (the cud) is regurgitated into the mouth so that the ruminant can chew the food more completely, exposing more surface area for microbes to do their work.

38D Work with Python, say : CODE

Python is a computer language, apparently one that my computing son uses quite often. The developers of the language tried hard to make it fun to use, and even chose its name from the comedy show “Monty Python’s Flying Circus”.

39D Park and Fifth, e.g.: Abbr. : AVES

Park Avenue in New York City used to be known as Fourth Avenue, and for much of its length carried the tracks of the New York and Harlem Railroad. When the line was built, some of it was constructed by cutting through the length of the street and then forming underground tunnels by covering over the line with grates and greenery. This greenery formed a parkland between 34th and 40th Streets, and in 1860 the grassy section of Fourth Avenue was renamed Park Avenue, a name that was eventually used for the whole thoroughfare.

Fifth Avenue in New York City is sometimes referred to as the “most expensive street in the world”. The section that runs through Midtown Manhattan is home to upscale stores, such as Saks Fifth Avenue.

40D Tennis score following deuce : AD IN

In tennis, if the score reaches deuce (i.e. when both players have scored three points), then the first player to win two points in a row wins the game. The player who wins the point immediately after deuce is said to have the advantage. If the player with the advantage wins the next point then that’s two in a row and that player wins the game. If the person with the advantage loses the next point, then advantage is lost and the players return to deuce and try again. The player calling out the score announces “ad in”, or more formally “advantage in”, if he/she has the advantage. If the score announcer’s opponent has the advantage, then the announcement is “ad out” or “advantage out”. Follow all of that …?

45D ___ Place, female companion of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid : ETTA

Etta Place is the schoolteacher character played by Katharine Ross in the superb 1969 movie “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid”.

When the great movie “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” was in development, Paul Newman was always the first choice to play one of the leads, although the initial casting had him in the role of Sundance. Steve McQueen actually accepted the co-starring role, but left over a dispute about the billing (the film was entitled “The Sundance Kid and Butch Cassidy” at that point). The role of Sundance was then offered to Jack Lemmon, but he turned it down. Warren Beatty and Marlon Brando were considered next, before opting for the relatively unknown Robert Redford. What a great choice …

51D “Dancing With the Stars” network : ABC

When I was growing up in Ireland, there was a surprisingly popular BBC television show featuring professional ballroom dancing called “Come Dancing”. It ran almost every year from 1949 to 1998, and in 2004 the BBC resurrected it with a new twist, adding celebrities to dance with the professionals. The new show, called “Strictly Come Dancing”, is a huge success and has become a worldwide franchise. Over here we watch the American version called “Dancing with the Stars”. It really can be fun television …

52D Cardinals legend Brock : LOU

Lou Brock was a professional baseball player who played most of his career with the St. Louis Cardinals. Brock broke Ty Cobb’s all-time stolen base record in 1977, and held that record (938) until 1982.

63D Bibliography listing : CITATION

Back in the 17th century, the term “bibliography” meant “the writing of books”, from the Greek “biblion” meaning “book” and “graphos” meaning “written”. The contemporary usage, describing a list of books related to a particular subject, emerged in the early 19th century.

65D Louvre Pyramid architect : PEI

When I. M. Pei became the first foreign architect to work on the Louvre in Paris, he not only designed the famous glass and steel pyramid, but also worked on renovations throughout the museum. His design was very controversial, causing a lot of ill feelings among the public. Eventually, when the work was complete, public opinion became more favorable. Personally, I think it is magnificent, both inside and out.

The Musée du Louvre has the distinction of being the most visited art museum in the whole world. The collection is housed in the magnificent Louvre Palace that was the seat of power in France until 1682, when Louis XIV moved to Versailles.

66D Mail Boxes ___ : ETC

The franchised UPS Stores make up the world’s largest network of retail shipping, printing and business service centers. The first such outlets were branded and owned by Mail Boxes Etc., starting in 1980. UPS acquired Mail Boxes Etc. in 2001, and introduced the UPS Store brand in 2003. I’m a big fan …

68D Only egg-laying mammals besides platypuses : ECHIDNAS

The echidna is also called the spiny anteater. Just like the platypus, the echidna is a mammal that lays eggs.

70D “Night” memoirist Wiesel : ELIE

Elie Wiesel was a holocaust survivor, and is best known for his book “Night” that tells of his experiences in Auschwitz and Buchenwald. Wiesel was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986. He was also the first recipient of the US Holocaust Memorial Museum Award, which was later renamed the Elie Wiesel Award in his honor.

72D Grp. for Commanders and Chiefs : NFL

The Washington Commanders NFL team was founded in 1932 as the Boston Braves. The name was changed to the Boston Redskins in 1933, which was followed by a move to Washington, DC in 1937. The racially insensitive name persisted for decades, until “Redskins” was dropped in 2020. The “Washington Football Team” played for the following two seasons, becoming the Commanders in 2022.

The Kansas City Chiefs were founded as the Dallas Texans in 1960 as a charter member team of the AFL. The Texans moved to Kansas City in 1963 and took the name “Chiefs”. The team owners (perhaps naively) expected to keep the Texans name in Kansas City but a fan contest opted instead for the Chiefs, named after the Kansas City mayor at the time, “Chief” Bartle.

76D Holiday classic starring Will Ferrell : ELF

“Elf” is a comedy movie that was released for the 2003 Christmas season. It was directed by Jon Favreau and stars Will Ferrell in the title role, with James Caan supporting and Ed Asner playing Santa Claus. It’s all about one of Santa’s elves who finds out he is human and goes to meet his father in New York City. The film was adapted into a stage musical that premiered on Broadway during the Christmas season of 2010.

Will Ferrell is a comedian and comic actor from Irvine, California who got his big break as a cast member on “Saturday Night Live” (SNL) in the mid-nineties. While appearing on SNL, Ferrell was noted for several impersonations, including President George W. Bush, Neil Diamond, James Lipton, Ted Kennedy and Janet Reno.

77D Soapmaker’s supply : LYE

Soap is basically (pun!) made by adding a strong alkali (like lye) to a fat (like olive oil or palm oil). The fats break down in the basic solution in a process called saponification. The crude soap is extracted from the mixture, washed, purified and finished in molds.

79D Cryptid with a Tibetan name : YETI

The study of animals whose existence have not yet been substantiated is called cryptozoology, and a cryptid is a creature or plant that isn’t recognized by the scientific community, but the existence of which has been suggested.

86D Frigg and Freyja, e.g. : GODDESSES

The gods and goddesses of Norse mythology generally belong to either the Aesir tribe or the Vanir tribe. Most of the Norse gods with which we are familiar belong to Aesir, including Odin, Thor, Frigg and Tyr. Examples of the Vanir gods are Freya and Njord. The Aesir live in Asgard, and the Vanir in Vanaheim. The Aesir and Vanir eventually united into one pantheon after the Aesir-Vanir War.

90D Home of the N.C.A.A.’s Flyers : DAYTON

Dayton is a city in the southwest of Ohio that is famously home to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. The city is also referred to as the “Birthplace of Aviation”, as it was in Dayton that Orville and Wilbur Wright built and improved the Wright Flyer. The Wright Flyer made the first controlled and sustained flight of a powered, heavier-than-air aircraft in 1903 in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

93D Home services website : ANGI

ANGI is a website used by consumers to rate and research local businesses. Originally known as Columbus Neighbors, the business was founded in 1995 as a call-in service and publication with reviews, by William S. Oesterle and Angie Hicks. The operation moved to the Internet in 1996 as Angie’s List. A rebranding exercise in 2021 resulted in Angie’s List becoming “ANGI”.

97D “Barry Lyndon” director : KUBRICK

Stanley Kubrick was a film director from New York who worked mainly in the UK. Kubrick directed “Spartacus” in Hollywood in 1960, and then relocated to the UK to shoot “Lolita” in 1962. His next film was “Doctor Strangelove”, which also had to be shot in the UK. At that point, Kubrick decided to make England his home.

“Barry Lyndon” is a period drama released in 1975 that was directed by Stanley Kubrick, starring Ryan O’Neal in the title role. The film is an adaptation of an 1844 novel by William Makepeace Thackeray called “The Luck of Barry Lyndon”. The hero of the piece is a member of the Irish gentry struggling to become a member of the English aristocracy.

99D QB’s worry: Abbr. : INT

In football, if a quarterback’s (QB’s) pass ends up in the hands of an opponent, then that’s an interception (INT).

101D Vietnamese sandwich : BANH MI

The French introduced the baguette into Vietnam in the days the country was a French colony. Today, a single-serving baguette is known in Vietnam as “bánh mì” (meaning “wheat bread”). The term has been extended, particularly here in the US, to describe a Vietnamese sandwich.

103D Animals known for their slow metabolism : SLOTHS

All four of the extant species of three-toed sloths are native to South and Central America. Cousins of the three-toed sloths are the two-toed sloths, of which there are two species still living.

104D Capital of ancient Troy? : TAU

Tau is the 19th letter of the Greek alphabet, and the letter that gave rise to our Roman “T”. Both the letters tau (T) and chi (X) have long been symbolically associated with the cross.

The ancient city of Troy was located on the west coast of modern-day Turkey. The Trojan War of Greek mythology was precipitated by the elopement of Helen, the wife of the king of Sparta, with Paris of Troy. The war itself largely consisted of a ten-year siege of Troy by the Greeks. We know most about the final year of that siege, as it is described extensively in Homer’s “Iliad”. The city eventually fell when the Greeks hid soldiers inside the Trojan Horse, which the Trojans brought inside the city’s walls. Beware of Greeks bearing gifts …

107D Ancient Andeans : INCAS

The area of South America that we now know as Peru was home to the Inca Empire, one of the largest and most powerful empires in pre-Columbian America. The Inca Empire existed from the early 13th century until it was conquered in the 16th century by the Spanish, led by Francisco Pizarro.

117D Charger’s option, informally : AMEX

“Amex” is short for “American Express”, the name of the financial services company that is best known for its credit card, charge card and traveler’s check businesses. The company name is indicative of its original business. American Express was founded in 1850 in Buffalo, New York as an express mail service.

121D Part of NGO: Abbr. : ORG

Non-governmental organization (NGO)

123D Christmas carol contraction : ‘TIS

The music for the Christmas song “Deck the Halls” is a traditional Welsh tune that dates back to the 16th century. The same tune was used by Mozart for a violin and piano duet. The lyrics with which we are familiar (other than the “fa-la-la”) are American in origin, and were recorded in the 19th century.

“’Tis the season to be jolly, Fa la la la la la la la la!”