0816-20 NY Times Crossword 16 Aug 20, Sunday

Constructed by: Francis Heaney
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Theme: Alternative Cinema

Themed answers are movie names clued as ALTERNATIVE TITLES for other movies:

  • 23A Alternative title for “The Dirty Dozen”? : TWELVE ANGRY MEN
  • 33A Alternative title for “Cleopatra”? : THE AFRICAN QUEEN
  • 51A Alternative title for “Frankenstein”? : DOCTOR STRANGE
  • 68A With 70-Across, alternative title for “To Kill a Mockingbird”? : BYE BYE …
  • 70A See 68-Across : … BIRDIE
  • 92A Alternative title for “Titanic”? : WATERSHIP DOWN
  • 106A Alternative title for “Gone Girl”? : THE LADY VANISHES
  • 121A Alternative title for “The Name of the Rose”? : AMERICAN BEAUTY

Bill’s time: 16m 27s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Red Guard members : MAOISTS

Red Guards were young paramilitaries who were mobilized by Chairman Mao during the Cultural Revolution in China in the mid-sixties.

8 They can get canceled : STAMPS

Postage stamps were first introduced in 1840 in the UK, with the first stamp sold being the famous penny black, which is adorned with the head of Queen Victoria. The second stamp followed a few weeks later, and is known as the two penny blue.

23 Alternative title for “The Dirty Dozen”? : TWELVE ANGRY MEN

The powerful 1957 movie “12 Angry Men” was directed by Sidney Lumet, and has a stellar cast of “jury members” including Henry Fonda, Lee J. Cobb, Jack Klugman and Ed Begley. If ever there is a movie that clearly was based on a play, it’s this one. Practically the whole film takes place on one set, the jury room.

“The Dirty Dozen” is a very entertaining 1967 WWII movie that is based on a 1965 novel of the same name by E. M. Nathanson. In turn, the novel was inspired by a real-life military unit nicknamed “the Filthy Thirteen”. The latter were a demolition unit in the 101st Airborne Division whose mission was to destroy targets behind enemy lines. The movie had quite the cast, led by Lee Marvin and supported by Ernest Borgnine, Charles Bronson, Telly Savalas and Donald Sutherland, as well as football player Jim Brown and singer Trini Lopez.

27 Complete : ARRANT

“Arrant” means “out-and-out, complete”, and is a variant of “errant”.

28 “Vous êtes ___” (French map notation) : ICI

“Vous êtes ici” are important words to know when navigating your way around Paris. They mean “You are here”, and you’ll often see them on maps in the street.

30 Alan with six Emmys : ALDA

Alan Alda has had a great television career, most notably as a lead actor in “M*A*S*H”. He was born Alphonso D’Abruzzo in the Bronx, New York City. Alda won his first Emmy in 1972, for playing surgeon Hawkeye Pierce on “M*A*S*H”. He also won an Emmy in 2006 for his portrayal of Presidential candidate Senator Arnold Vinick in “The West Wing”. When it comes to the big screen, my favorite of Alda’s movies is the 1978 romantic comedy “Same Time, Next Year” in which he starred opposite Ellen Burstyn.

33 Alternative title for “Cleopatra”? : THE AFRICAN QUEEN

“The African Queen” is a 1935 novel by C. S. Forester that was adapted into a very successful 1951 film of the same name starring Katherine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart. The title refers to a steam-powered launch that travels the Ulanga River. The story is set during World War I. At the climax of the tale, the African Queen is used as a makeshift torpedo to sink a German gunboat (spoiler!).

The 1963 movie “Cleopatra” really is an epic work. It was the highest grossing film of the year, taking in $26 million dollars at the box office, yet it still lost money. The original budget for the film was just $2 million, but so many things went wrong the final cost swelled to a staggering $44 million dollars, making it the second most expensive movie ever made (taking into account inflation). Elizabeth Taylor was supposed to earn a record amount of $1 million for the film, and ended up earning seven times that amount due to delays. But she paid dearly, as she became seriously ill during shooting and had to have an emergency tracheotomy to save her life. The scar in her throat can actually be seen in some of the shots in the film.

38 Words to a betrayer : ET TU?

It was Shakespeare who popularized the words “Et tu, Brute?” (meaning “And you, Brutus?”). They appear in his play “Julius Caesar”, although the phrase had been around long before he penned his drama. It’s not known what Julius Caesar actually said in real life (if anything at all) as he was assassinated on the steps of the Senate in Rome.

42 Dessert often topped with caramel sauce : FLAN

Flan (also “crème caramel”) is a delicious dessert comprising a molded custard topped with a clear caramel sauce. The related crème brûlée is a dessert made from molded custard with a hard, burnt caramel layer on top.

45 Newswire co. : UPI

Founded in 1958, United Press International (UPI) used to be one of the biggest news agencies in the world, sending out news by wire to the major newspapers. UPI ran into trouble with the change in media formats at the end of the twentieth century and lost many of its clients as the afternoon newspapers shut down due to the advent of television news. UPI, which once employed thousands, still exists today but with just a fraction of that workforce.

48 Disc brake components : ROTORS

The drum brake was invented in 1902 by Louis Renault (founder of Renault, the automobile company). In a drum brake, there is a set of brake shoes that usually presses on the inner surface of the drum to slow down rotation. Nowadays, the disc brake system is more popular, a design which uses brake pads instead of brake shoes.

51 Alternative title for “Frankenstein”? : DOCTOR STRANGE

“Doctor Strange” is a 2016 superhero film starring Benedict Cumberbatch in the title role.

The classic 1931 film “Frankenstein” is based on the Mary Shelley novel of the same name, and stars Colin Clive as Henry Frankenstein and Boris Karloff as the Monster. Bela Lugosi was offered the role of Henry Frankenstein first, and then was recast as the Monster. Lugosi tried working with the Monster role but eventually bowed out. Many say that the decision to leave was one of the worst of Lugosi’s career.

56 Monopoly token elected by an internet vote : CAT

The tokens included with a game of Monopoly have changed over the years. Two of the more interesting tokens are the battleship and cannon. These were created by Hasbro for a board game called Conflict. When Conflict failed in the market, the excess tokens were recycled and included with Monopoly.

60 “___ Another” (NPR game show) : ASK ME

“Ask Me Another” is a National Public Radio (NPR) show that features word games, puzzles and trivia. The show is recorded live in front of an audience In New York City, and is hosted by comedian Ophira Eisenberg.

62 Toyota model since 1966 : COROLLA

More cars have been sold under the Toyota Corolla brand name than any other brand name in history, even outstripping sales of the VW Beetle. There has been an average of one Corolla manufactured every 40 seconds for the past 40 years. “Corolla” is Latin for “small crown”, part of a pattern used by Toyota in naming their cars (“Corona” is Latin for crown, and “Camry” sounds like the Japanese for crown).

64 Van ___, Calif. : NUYS

The Los Angeles neighborhood of Van Nuys was founded in 1911 and named for one of its developers, Isaac Newton Van Nuys.

65 D.C. donor : PAC

A political action committee (PAC) is a private group that works to influence the outcome of a particular election or group of elections. Any group becomes a PAC by law when it receives or spends more than $1,000 for the purpose of influencing the outcome of an election. In 2010 the Supreme Court ruled that PACS that did not make direct contributions to candidates or parties could accept unlimited contributions. These “independent, expenditure-only committees” are commonly referred to as “super PACs”.

68 With 70-Across, alternative title for “To Kill a Mockingbird”? : BYE BYE … 70 See 68-Across : … BIRDIE

“Bye Bye Birdie” is a stage musical set in 1958, and first performed in 1960 on Broadway. It was inspired by the real-life events surrounding Elvis Presley getting drafted into the Army in 1957. The “Elvis” character in the musical is called Conrad Birdie, a play on the name of the singer Conway Twitty. One of the songs from the show is “Put on a Happy Face”.

Nelle Harper Lee was an author from Monroeville, Alabama. For many years, Lee had only one published novel to her name, i.e. “To Kill a Mockingbird”. That contribution to the world of literature was enough to earn her the Presidential Medal of Freedom and a Pulitzer Prize. Harper Lee was a close friend of fellow author Truman Capote who was the inspiration for the character named “Dill” in her novel. Lee was all over the news in 2015 as she had published a second novel, titled “Go Set a Watchman”. The experts seem to be agreeing that “Go Set a Watchman” is actually the first draft of “To Kill a Mockingbird”. Lee passed away less than a year after “Go Set a Watchman” hit the stores.

75 Phillipa who played Eliza in the original cast of “Hamilton” : SOO

Phillipa Soo is an actress and singer who is perhaps best known for portraying Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton, the title character’s wife in the Broadway production of “Hamilton”.

76 Hook’s sidekick : SMEE

In J. M. Barrie’s play and novel about Peter Pan, Smee is one of Captain Hook’s pirates and is Hook’s bosun and right-hand man. Smee is described by Barrie as being “Irish” and “a man who stabbed without offence”. Nice guy! Captain Hook and Smee sail on a pirate ship called the Jolly Roger.

79 “The Hangover” co-star : ED HELMS

Comedic actor Ed Helms got his big break in television on Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show”, after which he joined the cast of “The Office”. Helms is now making a name for himself on the big screen. Notably, he co-stars in “The Hangover” series of films.

“The Hangover” is a comedy film released in 2009. The action revolves around a bachelor party in Las Vegas. The critics liked this one, although I didn’t really enjoy it too much.

83 Mortgage co. : S AND L

Savings and Loan (S&L)

88 They feature clowns and rope tricks : RODEOS

“Rodeo” is a Spanish word that is usually translated into English as “round up”.

89 Grp. organizing school dances : PTA

Parent-Teacher Association (PTA)

92 Alternative title for “Titanic”? : WATERSHIP DOWN

When James Cameron made his epic movie “Titanic”, released in 1997, it was the most expensive film ever made and cost about $200 million. It was a good investment for the studio as it became the highest-grossing film of all time, bringing in over $1.8 billion. “Titanic” remained the highest-grossing film until 2010, when Cameron eclipsed the prior record with “Avatar”.

94 Hello Kitty company : SANRIO

Hello Kitty is a female bobtail cat, and a character/brand name launched in 1974 by the Japanese company Sanrio. Folks can overpay for stationary, school supplies and fashion accessories with the Hello Kitty character emblazoned thereon.

97 Actress Tyler who will be an apt age in 2031 : LIV

Liv Taylor will be 54 years old in 2031. 54 is written as “LIV” in Roman numerals.

Actress and model Liv Tyler is the daughter of Steven Tyler, lead singer with Aerosmith, and Bebe Buell, a celebrated model and singer. Liv Tyler plays the Elf maiden Arwen Undómiel in Peter Jackson’s “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy.

101 “Ella and ___” (1956 jazz album) : LOUIS

“Ella and Louis” was a studio album released in 1956. It was a collaboration between Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong with accompaniment by the Oscar Peterson Quartet. The pair worked together on two more albums: “Ella and Louis Again” and “Porgy and Bess”, both released in 1957.

106 Alternative title for “Gone Girl”? : THE LADY VANISHES

“The Lady Vanishes” is a classic 1938 Alfred Hitchcock movie that is based on a 1936 novel “The Wheel Spins” by Ethel Lina White. Star of the film is Margaret Lockwood, who plays an English tourist on a trans-European train journey who finds herself looking for a lady who she believes has vanished from the train. Hitchcock makes his trademark cameo appearance near the end of the movie, as a passenger standing in the railway station.

“Gone Girl” is a thriller novel written by Gillian Flynn that was first published in 2012. The story tells of a man whose wife has disappeared, with the reader not being certain if the husband is involved in the disappearance. The book was adapted into a movie of the same name released in 2014, starring Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike.

110 Sheepskin holders : ALUMS

An alumnus (plural “alumni”) is a graduate or former student of a school or college. The female form is “alumna” (plural “alumnae”). The term comes into English from Latin, in which an alumnus is a foster-son or pupil. “Alum” is an informal term used for either an alumna or alumnus.

In ancient times, diplomas issued by educational institutions were made of thin sheepskin, as paper wasn’t an economically viable material back then. We still use the term “sheepskin” to mean “diploma”.

114 Shankar who taught sitar to George Harrison : RAVI

Ravi Shankar was perhaps the most famous virtuoso (to us Westerners) from the world of Indian classical music, and was noted for his sitar playing. Shankar was the father of the pop singer Norah Jones.

Ravi Shankar was perhaps the most famous virtuoso (to us Westerners) from the world of Indian classical music, and was noted for his sitar playing. Shankar was the father of the pop singer Norah Jones.

115 ASCAP alternative : BMI

ASCAP (the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) collects licence fees for musicians and distributes royalties to composers whose works have been performed. BMI (Broadcast Music Incorporated) provides the same service.

116 ___-faire : SAVOIR

“Savoir-faire” is a French term that literally means “to know (how) to do”. There’s a similar term in French that we haven’t absorbed into English, “savoir-vivre” meaning “to know how to live”. Savoir-vivre describes the ability to acquit oneself well in the world, in society.

118 “Blueberries for ___” (classic children’s book) : SAL

“Blueberries for Sal” is a children’s storybook by Robert McCloskey that was published in 1948. It won the Caldecott Medal in 1949, recognizing “Blueberries for Sal” as the most distinguished picture for children released in the preceding year.

121 Alternative title for “The Name of the Rose”? : AMERICAN BEAUTY

While I found the film “American Beauty” to be an enjoyable and interesting film (loved Annette Bening in it), I also found it very depressing. If you haven’t seen it, the main story is about a man having a midlife crisis (played by Kevin Spacey) and developing an infatuation for his teenage daughter’s flirtatious friend (played by Mena Suvari, and whom I guess is the “American Beauty”). The movie is definitely worth watching, and received huge accolades when released in 1999.

“The Name of the Rose” is a 1986 film adaptation of the 1980 novel of the same name by Umberto Eco. Sean Connery plays a Franciscan friar who finds himself investigating a series of mysterious deaths in a medieval abbey.

126 Duck dish : CONFIT

A confit is a meat that has been cooked and preserved in its own fat. “Confit” is a French word meaning “preserved”.

127 “Welp, guess I have to try again” : NO LUCK

“Welp”? Maybe “Well”?

128 Develop over time : GESTATE

The normal gestation period for humans is 280 days, a little over 9 months. The gestation period can be a little shorter, or longer. Back in 1945, a pregnancy was confirmed at 375 days, which is just over 12 months.

129 Lowbrow art : KITSCH

“Kitsch” is a German word, and is an adjective that means “gaudy, trash”.

131 Terry Bradshaw, for his entire career : STEELER

Terry Bradshaw is a former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback who has been co-hosting the TV show “NFL Sunday” since 1994. Bradshaw has also done a lot of acting, albei small parts. As a result, he is the only former NFL player to have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Down

2 First name of a Peace Nobelist that ends ironically : ANWAR

Anwar Sadat was the third President of Egypt right up to the time of his assassination in 1981. Sadat won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1978 along with Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin for the role played in crafting the Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty of 1978 at Camp David. It was this agreement that largely led to Sadat’s assassination three years later.

3 “Einstein on the Beach,” e.g. : OPERA

“Einstein on the Beach” is a four-act opera by Philip Glass that premiered in 1975 in Avignon, France. I’m a big fan of Philip Glass’ work, but I’m not sure I’ll be seeing a performance of “Einstein on the Beach”. It takes five hours to perform, and there’s no intermission …

5 Scholar : SAVANT

A savant is a learned person. The term “savant” can also be short for “idiot savant”, the outdated name for someone with a mental disability but who has above-normal capabilities in perhaps calculation or musical expression.

9 What a dental scaler removes : TARTAR

Calculus or tartar is dental plaque that has hardened on the surface of teeth. Plaque is removed relatively easily by brushing and flossing. Once plaque has hardened into tartar, a dental hygienist usually needs to intervene.

10 Senator Klobuchar : AMY

Amy Klobuchar was elected to the US Senate in 2006, and became the first elected female senator for Minnesota when she took her seat in the following January. Former Second Lady of the US Muriel Humphrey was Minnesota’s first female senator. Ms. Humphrey was appointed to serve out the balance of her husband’s term after Hubert Humphrey died.

11 Production co. behind “Rhoda” and “Newhart” : MTM

MTM Enterprises was a television production company founded in 1969 by Mary Tyler Moore, originally to produce the “The Mary Tyler Moore Show”. The company subsequently produced the likes of “The Bob Newhart Show”, “Rhoda”, “WKRP in Cincinnati”, “Hill Street Blues” and “St. Elsewhere”. That’s a lot of great television …

The seventies sitcom “Rhoda” starring Valerie Harper was a spinoff of “The Mary Tyler Moore Show”. The eighth episode of the show was an hour-long special in which Rhoda married her fiance Joe (played by David Groh). At the time of airing it was the second-most watched television episode in history, second only to the 1953 birth of Little Ricky on “I Love Lucy”.

“Newhart” is a very entertaining sitcom starring Bob Newhart and Mary Frann as innkeepers in rural Vermont. The show is remembered by many for its last episode, which aired in 1990. In that final episode, Bob Newhart wakes up in bed and suggests that the whole of the show’s eight-year run was just a dream. He is lying beside actress Suzanne Pleshette who played his wife in an earlier sitcom “The Bob Newhart Show”. Very, very clever …

12 “Once upon a midnight dreary …” penner : POE

The first verse of Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven” is:

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore-
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
“’Tis some visitor,” I muttered, “tapping at my chamber door—
Only this and nothing more.”

14 Sauce on chicken Parmesan : MARINARA

Italians use the term “marinara” not for a sauce, but in the name of a recipe that includes a tomato-based sauce. For example, “spaghetti alla marinara” would be a spaghetti dish, served “mariner’s style”. The tomato sauce that we call “marinara” is called “salsa di pomodoro” in Italy.

Parma is a city in northern Italy that is famous for its ham (prosciutto) and cheese (parmesan). The adjective “Parmesan” means “of or from Parma”.

15 Parts of zygotes : OVA

“Zygote” is the name given to the cell formed when (in the case of humans) a sperm fertilizes an egg. It is the earliest stage in the development of an embryo. The term “zygote” comes from the Greek for “joined, yoked”.

16 French automaker : RENAULT

Renault is a French automaker that was founded in 1899 by Louis Renault and his brothers. I’ve seen relatively few Renault cars here in North America, but have driven them many times in Europe, which is the company’s core market.

18 Soft leather : SUEDE

Suede is leather made from the underside of an animal’s skin, usually the skin from a lamb. As such it is very soft, although not as durable as leather made from the exterior skin. The soft leather was, and is still used for making gloves. Back in 1859 these gloves were called “gants de Suede” in France, or “gloves of Sweden”. So, the name “suede” comes from the French word for Sweden.

19 Two-door or four-door : SEDAN

The American sedan car is the equivalent of the British and Irish saloon car. By definition, a sedan car has two rows of seating and a separate trunk (boot in Britain and Ireland), although in some models the engine can be at the rear of the car.

37 Workload that must be met : QUOTA

A quota is an allotment. The term “quota” was used originally with reference to the number of soldiers or quantity of supplies required from a particular town or district.

39 Pets kept in terrariums : TURTLES

A “terrarium” (plural “terraria”) is a contained environment used to house land animals. The term comes from the equivalent “aquarium”, a tank for holding mainly fish. In general, a contained environment for keeping live animals or plants is known as a “vivarium”

42 Bank-backing grp. : FDIC

During the Great Depression, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed into law the Banking Act of 1933. The legislation established the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), intended to be a temporary government corporation that provided insurance on deposits made by customers of qualified financial institutions. The first accounts to be covered, in 1934, had an insurance limit of $2,500. Since the financial crisis of 2008, that limit is $250,000.

44 Laptop brand : ACER

Acer is a Taiwanese company that I visited a couple of times when I was in the electronics business. I was very impressed back then with the company’s dedication to quality, although I have heard that things haven’t gone so well in recent years …

53 Painter Magritte : RENE

Belgian artist René Magritte was a surrealist. His most recognized work may be “The Son of Man”, a painting he created as a self-portrait. It is the work that shows a man in a bowler hat with his face covered by an apple. The image features prominently in a great movie, the 1999 remake of “The Thomas Crown Affair”.

54 “The Simpsons” character with a Ph.D. : APU

The fictional Kwik-E-Mart store is operated by Apu Nahasapeemapetilon on “The Simpsons” TV show. Apu is married to Manjula, and the couple have eight children. The convenience store owner doesn’t seem to be making much use of his Ph.D in computer science that he earned in the US. Apu’s undergraduate degree is from Caltech (the Calcutta Technical Institute), where he graduated top of his class of seven million students …

59 Nail polish brand : OPI

Opi is a manufacturer of nail polish based in North Hollywood, California. One of Opi’s marketing coups was the introduction of a line of Legally Blonde 2 polishes, which featured in the film.

71 Seller of the Ultimate Waffle Sandwich : IHOP

The International House of Pancakes (IHOP) was founded back in 1958. IHOP was originally intended to be called IHOE, the International House of Eggs, but that name didn’t do too well in marketing tests.

72 Nile snakes : ASPS

The asp is a venomous snake found in the Nile region of Africa. It is so venomous that the asp was used in ancient Egypt and Greece as a means of execution. Cleopatra observed such executions noting that the venom brought on sleepiness without any painful spasms. When the great queen opted to commit suicide, the asp was therefore her chosen method.

73 ___ Hari : MATA

“Mata Hari” was the stage name used by Margaretha Geertruida Zelle, born in the Netherlands in 1876. After an unsuccessful and somewhat tragic marriage, Zella moved to Paris in 1903 where she struggled to make a living. By 1905 she was working as an exotic dancer and using the name Mata Hari. She was a successful courtesan, notably moving in various circles of high-ranking military officers. She apparently worked as a double agent, both for the French and the Germans. When Mata Hari was accused by the French of passing information to the enemy, she was tried, found guilty and executed by firing squad at the height of WW1, in 1917.

76 Stone to cast? : SHARON

Actress Sharon Stone’s big break came with her appearance in the erotic thriller “Basic Instinct” released in 1992. Stone really hasn’t landed huge roles in big movies since then, other than the role of Ginger in “Casino”, for which she earned a Golden Globe nomination. Personally I enjoyed her performance in 1994’s “The Specialist”, an entertaining action film in which she played opposite Sylvester Stallone and James Woods.

77 Slugger Hideki named the 2009 World Series M.V.P. : MATSUI

Hideki Matsui is a Major League Baseball player from Japan, who has played here in the US since the 2003 season. He is a power hitter and deserves his nickname “Godzilla”. He even got himself a cameo in the 2002 Japanese film “Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla”.

80 Nuevo ___ (Mexican state) : LEON

Nuevo León is a Mexican state located across the border from the US state of Texas. The capital city of Nuevo León is Monterrey.

82 IDs assigned at birth: Abbr. : SSNS

The main purpose of a Social Security Number (SSN) is to track individuals for the purposes of taxation, although given its ubiquitous use, it is looking more and more like an identity number to me. The social security number system was introduced in 1936. Prior to 1986, an SSN was required only for persons with substantial income, so many children under 14 had no number assigned. For some years the IRS had a concern that a lot of people were claiming children on their tax returns who did not actually exist. So, from 1986 onward, it is a requirement to get an SSN for any dependents over the age of 5. Sure enough, seven million dependents “disappeared” in 1987.

84 Boxer Ali : LAILA

Laila Ali is the daughter of the great Muhammad Ali and is a very capable boxer in her own right. Laila’s professional record is an impressive 24 wins, including 21 knockouts. Now retired, she never lost a fight, and nor did she ever draw. One of those victories was against Jackie Frazier-Lyde, daughter of her father’s nemesis Joe Frazier. Laila is not a bad dancer either, coming in third place in the fourth season of “Dancing with the Stars”.

86 Tharp who choreographed “Hair” : TWYLA

I love Twyla Tharp’s choreography, and her “patented moves”. Tharp was born in Portland, Indiana in 1941. She was named for Twila Thornburg, the “Pig Princess” of the 89th Annual Muncie Fair in Indiana. That’s one to tell the grandkids …

87 Modem letters : DSL

The initialism “DSL” originally stood for Digital Subscriber Loop, but is now accepted to mean (Asymmetric) Digital Subscriber Line. DSL is a technology that allows Internet service to be delivered down the same telephone line as voice service, by separating the two into different frequency signals.

105 Italian city NW of Milan : VARESE

Varese is a town in the very north of Italy, one overlooking Lake Verese.

106 Semi, e.g. : TRUCK

A “semi” is a “semi-trailer truck”. The vehicle is so called because it consists of a tractor and a half-trailer. The half-trailer is so called because it only has wheels on the back end, with the front supported by the tractor.

107 Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum city : HANOI

The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is a huge memorial to the former Vietnamese leader that is located at the center of Ba Dinh Square in Hanoi. The mausoleum’s design was inspired by Lenin’s Tomb in Red Square in Moscow. Ho Chi Minh’s embalmed body is on display in a central hall in a glass case and visitors file past it every day to pay their respects.

109 “The Loco-Motion” singer Little ___ : EVA

Carole King and her longtime partner Gerry Goffin have been writing hit songs since the early sixties. Carole and Gerry had a babysitter, one Eva Narcissus Boyd, who was always bopping around the house in an unusual dance style. They wrote a song about her dance and they called it “The Loco-Motion”. Then they gave it to the babysitter to record. Ms. Boyd chose as a stage name a character in “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” named Little Eva.

120 O.E.D. part: Abbr. : DIC

Oxford English Dictionary (OED)

122 Casablanca’s country: Abbr. : MOR

Casablanca is a major city in western Morocco and sits on the Atlantic coast in Northern Africa. It is the country’s largest city (although the capital is Rabat), and the country’s largest port.

123 Ivy League nickname : ELI

“Eli” is the nickname for a graduate of Yale University, and a term used in honor of the Yale benefactor Elihu Yale.

The term “Ivy League” originally defined an athletic conference, but now it is used to describe a group of schools of higher education that are associated with both a long tradition and academic excellence. The eight Ivy League Schools are: Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Princeton, the University of Pennsylvania, and Yale.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Red Guard members : MAOISTS
8 They can get canceled : STAMPS
14 Sticky situation : MORASS
20 Remove braids from : UNPLAIT
21 “Likewise!” : I AM TOO!
22 Way to go : AVENUE
23 Alternative title for “The Dirty Dozen”? : TWELVE ANGRY MEN
25 Sorted in order : RANKED
26 Hear here! : EAR
27 Complete : ARRANT
28 “Vous êtes ___” (French map notation) : ICI
30 Alan with six Emmys : ALDA
31 Pulled from a raffle drum : DRAWN
33 Alternative title for “Cleopatra”? : THE AFRICAN QUEEN
38 Words to a betrayer : ET TU?
40 Partner of cut : DRIED
41 St. ___ Chapel, New York City public building in continuous use since 1766 : PAUL’S
42 Dessert often topped with caramel sauce : FLAN
45 Newswire co. : UPI
47 Zip : NIL
48 Disc brake components : ROTORS
51 Alternative title for “Frankenstein”? : DOCTOR STRANGE
55 Took a load off : SAT
56 Monopoly token elected by an internet vote : CAT
57 “Sure, that makes sense” : I GET IT
58 Trust : DEPEND ON
60 “___ Another” (NPR game show) : ASK ME
62 Toyota model since 1966 : COROLLA
64 Van ___, Calif. : NUYS
65 D.C. donor : PAC
67 “Hey, pal, over here!” : PSST!
68 With 70-Across, alternative title for “To Kill a Mockingbird”? : BYE BYE …
70 See 68-Across : … BIRDIE
72 Female friend, in France : AMIE
75 Phillipa who played Eliza in the original cast of “Hamilton” : SOO
76 Hook’s sidekick : SMEE
79 “The Hangover” co-star : ED HELMS
83 Mortgage co. : S AND L
85 Just out of the freezer : UNTHAWED
88 They feature clowns and rope tricks : RODEOS
89 Grp. organizing school dances : PTA
90 Make a move : ACT
92 Alternative title for “Titanic”? : WATERSHIP DOWN
94 Hello Kitty company : SANRIO
96 Calendar spans: Abbr. : YRS
97 Actress Tyler who will be an apt age in 2031 : LIV
98 Stopovers : INNS
99 Gives a hoot : YELLS
101 “Ella and ___” (1956 jazz album) : LOUIS
104 Sandal brand : TEVA
106 Alternative title for “Gone Girl”? : THE LADY VANISHES
110 Sheepskin holders : ALUMS
114 Shankar who taught sitar to George Harrison : RAVI
115 ASCAP alternative : BMI
116 ___-faire : SAVOIR
118 “Blueberries for ___” (classic children’s book) : SAL
119 Nabisco’s first cracker brand, introduced in 1899 : UNEEDA
121 Alternative title for “The Name of the Rose”? : AMERICAN BEAUTY
126 Duck dish : CONFIT
127 “Welp, guess I have to try again” : NO LUCK
128 Develop over time : GESTATE
129 Lowbrow art : KITSCH
130 Round things? : DRINKS
131 Terry Bradshaw, for his entire career : STEELER

Down

1 Like commercials, often : MUTED
2 First name of a Peace Nobelist that ends ironically : ANWAR
3 “Einstein on the Beach,” e.g. : OPERA
4 “___ say!” : I’LL
5 Scholar : SAVANT
6 Seating section : TIER
7 Recipients of venture capital : START-UPS
8 Joined a petition : SIGNED
9 What a dental scaler removes : TARTAR
10 Senator Klobuchar : AMY
11 Production co. behind “Rhoda” and “Newhart” : MTM
12 “Once upon a midnight dreary …” penner : POE
13 Ending with ultra- or super- : -SONIC
14 Sauce on chicken Parmesan : MARINARA
15 Parts of zygotes : OVA
16 French automaker : RENAULT
17 They don’t go much higher than the tongue : ANKLE SOCKS
18 Soft leather : SUEDE
19 Two-door or four-door : SEDAN
24 Unenthused response to “Wanna?” : NAH
29 Upper limit : CAP
32 Turned in : WENT TO BED
34 Charles ___, religious leader known as “The Father of Modern Revivalism” : FINNEY
35 Lengths for rulers : REIGNS
36 Killed time : IDLED
37 Workload that must be met : QUOTA
39 Pets kept in terrariums : TURTLES
42 Bank-backing grp. : FDIC
43 Something trademarked : LOGO
44 Laptop brand : ACER
46 “___ be an honor” : IT’D
49 Head-butts : RAMS
50 [Actually, don’t delete this] : STET
52 Smooth-tongued : OILY
53 Painter Magritte : RENE
54 “The Simpsons” character with a Ph.D. : APU
55 Catch : SNARE
59 Nail polish brand : OPI
61 Shortcut for a frequent contact : SPEED-DIAL
63 Approximately : ABOUT
66 Outmoded part of a laptop : CD DRIVE
69 Hither and ___ : YON
70 What a koozie might keep cool : BEER
71 Seller of the Ultimate Waffle Sandwich : IHOP
72 Nile snakes : ASPS
73 ___ Hari : MATA
74 “Regardless …” : IN ANY EVENT …
76 Stone to cast? : SHARON
77 Slugger Hideki named the 2009 World Series M.V.P. : MATSUI
78 Pasture parent : EWE
80 Nuevo ___ (Mexican state) : LEON
81 Like grass you can smell, perhaps : MOWN
82 IDs assigned at birth: Abbr. : SSNS
84 Boxer Ali : LAILA
86 Tharp who choreographed “Hair” : TWYLA
87 Modem letters : DSL
91 Soothing summer soak : COLD BATH
93 Chart-toppers : HIT SONGS
95 Raised sculptures : RELIEFS
100 Prefix with pathetic : SYM-
102 Needs medicine, say : IS SICK
103 Humble abodes : SHACKS
105 Italian city NW of Milan : VARESE
106 Semi, e.g. : TRUCK
107 Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum city : HANOI
108 Food item : VIAND
109 “The Loco-Motion” singer Little ___ : EVA
111 Standard : USUAL
112 Not glossy : MATTE
113 More underhanded : SLYER
117 “A likely story!” : I BET!
120 O.E.D. part: Abbr. : DIC
122 Casablanca’s country: Abbr. : MOR
123 Ivy League nickname : ELI
124 Make a break for it : RUN
125 Had : ATE