LA Times Crossword 29 May 22, Sunday

Constructed by: David Alfred Bywaters
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Theme: Day Trading

Themed answers come in pairs, side by side in the grid. Each starts with an abbreviation for a day of the week. Swapping those abbreviations (DAY TRADING) within each pair gives us two common phrases:

23A First the chardonnay, then the merlot, then the cabernet? : TASTER PLAN (trade M-onday for T-uesday = MASTER PLAN)
25A Invisible walls? : MIME LIMITS (trade T-uesday for M-onday = TIME LIMITS)

54A Inept caner’s resource? : WICKER TAPE (trade W-ednesday for T-uesday = TICKER TAPE)
57A Meteorology lectures? : TALKS ON AIR (trade T-uesday for W-ednesday = WALKS ON AIR)

91A Bungalow owner’s challenge to a roofer? : THATCH THIS (trade TH-ursday for W-ednesday = WATCH THIS)
95A Makes doubly sure everyone’s in on the joke? : WINKS TWICE (trade W-ednesday for TH-ursday = THINKS TWICE)

124A Appreciative sound from the alumni luxury box? : FUNDER CLAP (trade F-riday for TH-ursday = THUNDERCLAP)
128A Water cooler? : THIRST BASE (trade TH-ursday for F-riday = FIRST BASE)

Read on, or jump to …
… a complete list of answers

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Bill’s time: 19m 35s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Prepare for parking or driving : PAVE

Back in Ireland, the “pavement” is what we call the “sidewalk, footpath” (because the footpath is “paved”, often with “paving” stones!). It’s very confusing when you arrive in this country from Ireland, and a little dangerous when one has been taught from a young age to “walk on the pavement” …

19 Mountain goat : IBEX

“Ibex” is a common name for various species of mountain goat. “Ibex” is a Latin name that was used for wild goats found in the Alps and Apennines in Europe.

21 Word for a lei-person? : ALOHA

The Hawaiian word “aloha” has many meanings in English: affection, love, peace, compassion and mercy. More recently, “aloha” has come to mean “hello” and “goodbye”, but only since the mid-1800s.

“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.

23 First the chardonnay, then the merlot, then the cabernet? : TASTER PLAN (trade M-onday for T-uesday = MASTER PLAN)

The chardonnay grape is believed to have originated in the Burgundy wine region of France. Now it’s grown “everywhere”. Drinkers of California “chards” seem to be particularly fond of oak flavor, so most chardonnay wines are aged in oak barrels or with oak chips.

Merlot is one of the main grapes used to make Bordeaux wines, along with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.

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.

28 Sandler of “Uncut Gems” : ADAM

Adam Sandler’s big break was with “Saturday Night Live” (SNL). He then went on to make several successful movies and has his own movie and television production company. Personally, I am not a fan of Adam Sandler as a performer, nor a fan of his movies …

“Uncut Gems” is a 2019 comedy thriller film starring Adam Sandler as a gambling addict. As well as gambling, Sandler’s character works as a jeweler in the Diamond District of New York, so one can perhaps imagine the gist of the storyline. The critics really liked this one …

32 Mystical gathering : SEANCE

“Séance” is a French word meaning “sitting”. We use the term in English for a sitting in which a spiritualist tries to communicate with the spirits of the dead.

33 Felt hats : FEDORAS

A fedora is a lovely hat, I think. It is made of felt, and is similar to a trilby, but has a broader brim. “Fedora” was a play written for Sarah Bernhardt and first performed in 1889. Bernhardt had the title role of Princess Fedora, and on stage she wore a hat similar to a modern-day fedora. The play led to the women’s fashion accessory, the fedora hat, commonly worn by women into the beginning of the twentieth century. Men then started wearing fedoras, but only when women gave up the fashion …

53 Land parcel : ACRE

At one time, an acre was defined as the amount of land a yoke of oxen could plow in a day. Then, an acre was more precisely defined as a strip of land “one furrow long” (i.e. one furlong) and one chain wide. The length of one furlong was equal to 10 chains, or 40 rods. An area of one furlong times 10 rods was one rood.

54 Inept caner’s resource? : WICKER TAPE (trade W-ednesday for T-uesday = TICKER TAPE)

The Wych elm is also known as the Scots elm. It is the most common species of elm found in Europe. The term “wych” comes from the Old English “wice” meaning “pliant, supple”. The word “wice” also gives rise to our word “wicker”.

Stock price information used to be transmitted over telegraph lines by “stock tickers” that produced the famous “ticker tape”, a paper tape with stock symbols and prices printed on it. The “ticker” got its name from the noise it created when it was printing. Even though ticker tape is no longer used, the concept lives on in the scrolling electronic tickers that stream across the bottom of a television screen when there’s a financial program airing.

57 Meteorology lectures? : TALKS ON AIR (trade T-uesday for W-ednesday = WALKS ON AIR)

Meteorology is the science dealing with weather and weather conditions. The term “meteorology” comes into English via French from the Greek “meteoron” meaning “thing high up” and “-logia” meaning “treatment of”.

63 British co. : LTD

In Britain and Ireland, the most common type of business (my perception anyway) is one that has private shareholders whose liability is limited to the value of their investment. Such a company is known as a private limited company, and has the abbreviation “Ltd.” after the name. If the shares are publicly traded, then the company is a public limited company, and has the letters “plc” after the name.

67 Cookbook offering : RECIPE

The Latin “recipere” means “to take”, and the imperative form “recipe” was written at the top of medical prescriptions as an instruction, i.e. “take (the following)”. This use of “recipe” evolved into the instruction for preparing a dish of food in the mid-1700s.

70 WSJ headline topic : IPO

An initial public offering (IPO) is the very first offer of stock for sale by a company on the open market. In other words, an IPO marks the first time that a company is traded on a public exchange. Companies have an IPO to raise capital to expand (usually).

“The Wall Street Journal” (WSJ) is a daily newspaper with a business bent that is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company. The WSJ has a larger US circulation than any other newspaper, with “USA Today” coming in a close second place.

71 Watches on Hulu, say : STREAMS

Hulu is a video-on-demand service. Although competing directly with Netflix and Amazon Prime, Hulu’s primary focus is the streaming of television shows rather than movies.

74 River through Reno : TRUCKEE

The Truckee River is the only outlet of the magnificent Lake Tahoe in the High Sierra of California/Nevada. The Truckee River flows northeast through Reno, Nevada and empties into Pyramid Lake.

Reno, Nevada was named in honor of Major General Jesse Lee Reno, a Union officer killed in the Civil War. The city has a famous “Reno Arch”, a structure that stands over the main street. The arch was erected in 1926 to promote an exposition planned for the following year. After the expo, the city council decided to keep the arch and held a competition to decide what wording should be displayed, and the winner was “The Biggest Little City in the World”.

83 Subj. for a non-native speaker : ESL

English as a Second Language (ESL) is sometimes referred to as English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and English as a Foreign Language (EFL).

86 Ear-related : OTIC

Otology is a branch of medicine dealing with the ear. The prefix “oto-” means “pertaining to the ear”.

90 Greek Cupid : EROS

The name of Eros, the Greek god of love, gives rise to our word “erotic” meaning “arousing sexual desire”. Eros was referred to in Latin as both “Amor” (meaning “love”) and “Cupid” (meaning “desire”).

91 Bungalow owner’s challenge to a roofer? : THATCH THIS (trade TH-ursday for W-ednesday = WATCH THIS)

In India, a house that was in the Bengali style was known by the Hindi word “bangla”, which came into English as “bungalow”. The original bungalows were humble buildings, single-story with thatched roofs (or “rooves”, as the colonials would say!) and a veranda at the front. Later, the British built very elaborate bungalows, and then even later, the term “bungalow” was brought back to Britain where it was used to describe a more modest home. Today, a bungalow is simply a single-story family dwelling.

98 World Baseball Classic team : CUBA

The World Baseball Classic is a periodic tournament that is modeled on the FIFA World Cup of soccer. The tournament was founded mainly in response to the 2005 decision by the International Olympic Committee to drop baseball as an Olympic sport. The first three World Baseball Classics were won by Japan (2006 & 2009) and the Dominican Republic (2013).

101 Chopper blade : ROTOR

“Chopper” is an informal term used for a helicopter.

Our term “helicopter” was absorbed from the French word “hélicoptère” that was coined by Gustave Ponton d’Amécourt in 1861. d’Amécourt envisioned aircraft that could fly vertically using rotating wings that “screwed” into the air. He combined the Greek terms “helix” meaning “spiral, whirl” and “pteron” meaning “wing” to give us “helicopter”.

102 Org. followed by “puckheads” : NHL

National Hockey League (NHL)

103 Outkast hit single : HEY YA!

“Hey Ya!” is a 2003 song by hip hop duo Outkast. I took a look at the song’s official music video, as I read that it was inspired by the 1964 appearance of the Beatles on “The Ed Sullivan Show”. Fun …

105 Touch-screen gestures : SWIPES

Many apps on phones are now using “swipe right” and “swipe left” actions to indicate “like” and dislike”. I suppose Tinder is the most famous “swipe right/swipe left” app in use today.

109 CrossFit sets : REPS

CrossFit is a trademarked fitness, strength and conditioning program that was introduced in 2000.

111 Embassy employee : ATTACHE

“Attaché” is a French term which literally means “attached”, and is used for a person who is assigned to the administrative staff of some agency or other service. The term is most recognized as it applies to someone assigned to an Ambassador’s staff at an embassy. The word was extended to “attaché case” at the beginning of the twentieth century, meaning a leather case used for carrying papers. I guess that an attaché case might be “attached” to an attaché at an embassy …

118 Sashimi choice : AHI

Sashimi is thinly sliced raw fish, although it can also be raw meat. The word “sashimi” translates literally as “pierced body”, which may be a reference to the practice of sticking the tail and fin to sliced fish to identify it.

122 Revived villain in Domino’s ads, with “the” : … NOID

The Noid is a character who appeared in ads for Domino’s Pizza. In 1973, Domino’s started guaranteeing delivery of their pizzas in 30 minutes or less, or the pizza would be free. In the 1980s advertising campaign, the Noid represented the difficulties encountered in delivering a pizza in 30 minutes or less.

123 Food critic Hines whose name is on cake mixes : DUNCAN

Duncan Hines was a restaurant critic from Bowling Green, Kentucky. HInes had been working for many years as a traveling salesman and pulled together a list of ratings for restaurants that he visited all across the country, initially as a resource for friends. He later published the list in book form, thereby finding his true calling. Some years later, Hines sold the rights to use his name on food-related businesses, which is how we ended up with the Duncan Hines brand.

130 Midrange voice : ALTO

In choral music, an alto (plural “alti”) is the second-highest voice in a four-part chorus made up of soprano, contr(alto), tenor and bass. The word “alto” describes the vocal range, that of the deepest female singing-voice, whereas the term “contralto” describes more than just the alto range, but also its quality and timbre. An adult male’s voice (not a boy’s) with the same range as an alto is called a “countertenor”.

132 Chocolate source : CACAO

The flowers of the cacao tree grow in clusters, directly on the trunk and on older branches. The pollinated flowers turn into ovoid cacao pods, each of which contain 20-60 seeds or beans. The seeds are used as the main ingredient in chocolate.

135 Lasagna staple : PASTA

“Lasagna” was originally the name of a cooking pot, but the term came to mean a dish that was cooked in it. “Lasagna” also became the name of the flat noodle used in the dish. If you order lasagna on the other side of the Atlantic, you’ll notice the “lasagne” spelling, the plural of “lasagna”. The plural is used as there is more than one layer of pasta in the dish.

136 Part of a protected URL : HTTPS

“http” are the first letters in many Internet links. “http” stands for HyperText Transfer Protocol. More secure and “safer” websites (like this one!) use links starting with “https”, which stands for “http secure”).

Down

1 Fillable flatbreads : PITAS

Pita is a lovely bread from Middle-Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines. Pita is usually round, and has a “pocket” in the center. The pocket is created by steam that puffs up the dough during cooking leaving a void when the bread cools.

2 Taper off : ABATE

I used to think that the word “taper” was used for a slender candle because said candle was “tapered” in shape, but it’s exactly the opposite. It turns out that our word “tapered” comes from the candle. “Taper” and “tapur” are Old English words meaning “candle”. From these nouns arose the verb “to taper” meaning “shoot up like flame”. This meaning evolved into “become slender” from the idea that a candle’s flame has such a shape.

3 Roman goddess of the hearth : VESTA

In ancient Rome, Vesta was the goddess of the hearth and home, and family. She was a virgin goddess, and the priestesses who tended the Temple of Vesta were the Vestal Virgins. The Vestalia was a Roman festival honoring Vesta, and the sacred fire of Rome that burned continuously within her temple.

6 European mountain : ALP

There are eight Alpine countries:

Austria
Slovenia
France
Switzerland
Liechtenstein
Germany
Monaco
Italy

7 Rice dish : PILAF

“Pilaf” is a Persian word, one that we use to describe rice that is browned in oil and then cooked in a seasoned broth. It can also be called “pilau”.

9 “Gracias” response : DE NADA

In Spanish, one can respond to “gracias” (thank you) with “de nada” (it’s nothing).

10 Beaver creation : DAM

Beavers build dams so that they can live in and around the slower and deeper water that builds up above the dam. This deeper water provides more protection for the beavers from predators such as bears. Beavers are nocturnal animals and do all their construction work at night.

11 Pharmaceutical giant __ Lilly : ELI

Eli Lilly is the largest corporation in the state of Indiana. Founder Eli Lilly was a veteran of the Union Army in the Civil War, and a failed Mississippi plantation owner. Later in life he returned to his first profession and opened a pharmaceutical operation to manufacture drugs and sell them wholesale. Under Lilly’s early guidance, the company was the first to create gelatin capsules to hold medicines and the first to use fruit flavoring in liquid medicines.

12 2019 film starring Charlize Theron as Megyn Kelly : BOMBSHELL

“Bombshell” is a 2019 film that deals with the culture of sexual harassment encountered by women at Fox News under the leadership of CEO Roger Ailes. The three female leads are Charlize Theron and Nicole Kidman playing real-life broadcast journalists Megyn Kelly and Gretchen Carlson, and Margot Robbie playing a fictional character named Kayla Pospisil.

Charlize Theron is an actress from South Africa who has played leading roles in Hollywood films such as “The Devil’s Advocate”, “The Cider House Rules” and my personal favorite “The Italian Job”. More recently, Theron portrayed broadcast journalist Megyn Kelly in “Bombshell”, to much acclaim. Although Theron is obviously fluent in English, her first language is actually Afrikaans.

Broadcast journalist Megyn Kelly started out her working life as an attorney, and practiced law for eight years before moving to Washington, D.C. to become a television reporter. Kelly worked at Fox News for 13 years, and was one of the moderators at a Republican Party presidential debate hosted by Fox News in 2015. Then candidate Donald Trump took offense at Kelly’s line of questioning (about Trump’s insulting remarks to women), and then refused to attend a subsequent debate as she was named as a moderator.

13 “Good News” rapper Megan __ Stallion : THEE

“Megan Thee Stallion” is the stage name of rapper Megan Pete. Pete’s mother Holly Thomas was also a rap performer, one using the stage name “Holly-Wood”. Thomas would bring Megan to recording sessions rather than put her in daycare, and so exposed her young daughter to the recording business at an early age.

14 BOGO events : SALES

Buy one, get one (BOGO) or buy one, get one free (BOGOF).

15 Dim __ : SUM

Dim sum is a Chinese cuisine made up of small portions of various dishes. The tradition of serving dim sum is associated with the serving of tea, when small delicacies were offered to travelers and guests along with tea as a refreshment. The name “dim sum” translates as “touch the heart” implying that dim sum is not a main meal, just a snack “that touches the heart”.

16 Amusingly capricious : WHIMSICAL

Something “capricious” is impulsive or unpredictable. The term comes into English from the Italian “capriccio” meaning “sudden start or motion”, which in turn comes from the Latin word “capreolus” meaning “wild goat”.

35 Taj Mahal site : AGRA

Agra is a medieval city on the banks of the river Yamuna in India that was the capital of the Mughal Empire from 1556 to 1658. The city is home to three UNESCO World Heritage Sites:

The Taj Mahal: the famous mausoleum built in memory of Mumtaz Mahal.
Agra Fort: the site where the famous Koh-i-Noor diamond was seized.
Fatehpur Sikri: a historic city that’s home to well-preserved Mughal architecture.

37 “The Martian” actor Sean : BEAN

Sean Bean is an English actor who is perhaps best known in North America for playing Boromir in the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, and Ned Stark in the fantasy TV show “Game of Thrones”. James Bond fans will remember him as the bad guy in “GoldenEye”, the character called Alec Trevelyan.

“The Martian” is an intriguing 2015 science fiction film starring Matt Damon as an astronaut who is accidentally stranded on Mars. The movie is based on a 2011 novel of the same name by Andy Weir. One thing that I liked about the film is that the science cited is fairly realistic. In fact, NASA collaborated with the filmmakers extensively from script development to principal casting.

44 Do the impossible with cats, proverbially : HERD

The idiomatic phrase “herding cats” describes a futile attempt to control a group of people (perhaps) who are inherently uncontrollable. This phrase originated relatively recently, and appears to come from a line spoken in the 1979 film “Monty Python’s Life of Brian”. In the movie’s opening, three shepherds are discussing sheep, and move on to cats: “Can you imagine a herd of cats waiting to be sheared? Meow! Meow! Woo hoo hoo.”

46 Wine grape : PINOT

The Pinot family of grapes includes the varieties:

Pinot blanc (Pinot bianco)
Pinot gris (Pinot grigio)
Pinot noir (Pinot nero)

49 Cowardly Lion portrayer : LAHR

Bert Lahr’s most famous role was the cowardly lion in “The Wizard of Oz”. Lahr had a long career in burlesque, vaudeville and on Broadway. Lahr also starred in the first US production of Samuel Beckett’s play “Waiting for Godot”, alongside Tom Ewell.

50 Pitches to customers : SPIELS

A spiel is a lengthy speech or argument designed to persuade, like a sales pitch. “Spiel” comes to us from German, either directly (“spiel” is the German for “play”) or via the Yiddish “shpil”.

52 Term with a check mark on an airport sign : TSA PRE✓

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) operates its precheck program known as “TSA Pre✓” (or “TSA PreCheck”). Members of the program receive expedited screening at most airports. In order to become a member, a traveler must apply online, appear in person at a designated office for a background check and fingerprinting, and pay a fee for a 5-year membership.

55 Beach toy for a windy day : KITE

Would you believe that I was given my very first kite when I was 64 years old? I flew it by on the coast of California, and it went way, way up in the air. I was very excited, and acted more like a 4-year-old than an old man …

56 Florida theme park with a geodesic dome : EPCOT

EPCOT Center (now just called “Epcot”) is the theme park beside Walt Disney World in Florida. EPCOT is an acronym standing for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, and is a representation of the future as envisioned by Walt Disney. Walt Disney actually wanted to build a living community for 20,000 residents at EPCOT, but he passed away without that vision being realized.

Spaceship Earth is perhaps the structure that comes to mind when we think of Epcot in the Walt Disney World Resort. It is the large, white, 18-story geodesic sphere.

The term “geodesic” originally applied to the shortest route between any two points on the Earth’s surface. In this sense, a geodesic is an arc, a segment of a great circle that goes around the whole of the Earth. A geodesic dome is a structure that gets its strength from an interlocking network of triangular elements. The sides of those triangles are geodesics, arced segments of great circles that encompass the dome.

58 Poorly ventilated theatre phenomenon : ODOUR

As we know, spelling in Britain and Ireland is a tad different at times; and so one might detect an “odour” (odor) in a “theatre” (theater).

61 Command to an attack dog : SIC ’EM

“Sic ’em” is an attack order given to a dog, one instructing the animal to growl, bark or even bite. The term dates back to the 1830s, with “sic” being a variation of “seek”.

65 Utter chaos : HAVOC

Havoc is great damage or destruction. The term “havoc” comes from the Anglo-French phrase “crier havok”, which was an order given in the late 1500s to soldiers, instructing them to seize plunder.

66 Metalworkers : SMITHS

A blacksmith is someone who forges and shapes iron, perhaps to make horseshoes. A farrier is someone who fits horseshoes onto the hooves of horses. The term “blacksmith” is sometimes used for one who shoes horses, especially as many blacksmiths make horseshoes and fit them as well.

68 Green-skinned tropical fruit : PAPAW

The papaw (also “pawpaw”) tree is native to North America and has a fruit that looks similar to a papaya. Papaw probably gets its name from the word papaya, but papaw and papaya are two distinct species.

69 Cure-all mixture : ELIXIR

An elixir is a solution of alcohol and water that is used to deliver a medicine. The term “elixir” can also be used to mean a medicine that has the power to cure all ills.

72 Wallops, quaintly : SMITES

To smite is to strike with a firm blow. The term “smite” can also mean “strike down and slay”.

76 “Pieces of Her” novelist Slaughter : KARIN

Karin Slaughter is an American author of crime fiction. She has two successful series of novels: the “Grant County” series, and the “Will Trent” series.

“Pieces of Her” is a 2018 thriller novel penned by Karin Slaughter that was adapted into a TV series of the same name that premiered in 2022. The television version stars the marvelous Toni Collette.

77 “How to Get Away With Murder” actor Alfred __ : ENOCH

Actor Alfred Enoch’s breakthrough role was portraying Dean Thomas in 2001”s “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone”, a role that he reprised in several of the “Harry Potter” films. In the US, he might be better known for playing the lead role of Wes Gibbons in the very successful legal drama series “How to Get Away with Murder”. Enoch comes from England, and is the son of British actor William Russell, who played the first companion to the Doctor in the original manifestation of the BBC’s “Dr. Who” in the mid-1960s.

78 Unsuccessful Ford model : EDSEL

The Edsel brand of automobile was named for Edsel Ford, son of Henry. Sadly, the name “Edsel” has become synonymous with “failure”, which was no fault of Edsel himself who had died several years before the Edsel line was introduced. When the Ford Motor Company introduced the Edsel on 4 September 1957, Ford proclaimed the day to be “E Day”.

84 Actress Elisabeth : SHUE

Elisabeth Shue has always been a favorite actress of mine. She has been in several popular films including “The Karate Kid”, “Cocktail”, two of the “Back to the Future” movies, “Leaving Las Vegas”, and my personal favorite “Adventures in Babysitting”. More recently, Shue had a recurring role on the TV crime drama “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation”.

85 Maze : LABYRINTH

A labyrinth is a maze, and is named after the maze in which the Minotaur was confined in Greek mythology.

89 NYSE, NASDAQ, etc. : MKTS

Market (mkt.)

The roots of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) go back to 1792 when a group of 24 stock brokers set up the New York Stock & Exchange Board. They did so in an agreement signed under a buttonwood tree outside 68 Wall Street. That document became known as the Buttonwood Agreement. Today, the NYSE is located in a National Historic Landmark building with the address 11 Wall Street in Lower Manhattan, New York City.

The National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD) no longer exists per se. Since 2007, its functions are carried out by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). These functions include regulation of trading in equities, bonds, futures and options. In 1971, the NASD set up a new computerized trading system called the NASD Automated Quotations stock market, a system we know better by the acronym NASDAQ.

92 Diggs of “Empire” : TAYE

Taye Diggs is an actor most associated with the Broadway show “Rent”, in which he played the nasty landlord Benny. He then co-starred on the television show “Private Practice”. Diggs’ given name is “Scott”, and the nickname “Taye” comes from saying the given name as “Scottay”. Diggs was married to Broadway star Idina Menzel for several years before they separated.

“Empire” is a musical drama TV series about the hip hop music business. Star of the show is Terrence Howard, who plays drug-dealer turned hip hop mogul Lucious Lyon. Lyon is CEO of Empire Entertainment.

94 Labor Day mo. : SEPT

The month of September is the ninth month in our year, although the name “September” comes from the Latin word “septum” meaning “seventh”. September was the seventh month in the Roman calendar until the year 46 BC when Julius Caesar introduced the Julian calendar. The Julian system moved the start of the year from March 1st to January 1st, and shifted September to the ninth month. The Gregorian calendar that we use today was introduced in 1582.

Labor Day is a federal holiday observed every year on the first Monday in September. The tradition of honoring workers with a holiday started in Boston in 1878, when a day of observance was organized by the Central Labor Union, the major trade union at the time. There was a bloody dispute in 1894 between labor unions and the railroads called the Pullman Strike, which led to the death of some workers when the US Military and US Marshals were instructed to maintain order. President Grover Cleveland submitted a “Labor Day” bill to Congress which was signed into law just six days after the end of the strike. The introduction of a federal holiday to honor the worker was a move designed to promote reconciliation between management and unions after the bitter conflict.

104 Cathedral alcove : APSE

The apse of a church or cathedral is a semicircular recess in an outer wall, usually with a half-dome as a roof and often where there resides an altar. Originally, apses were used as burial places for the clergy and also for storage of important relics.

A cathedral is the church at the center of a Christian diocese or episcopate. The name “cathedral” comes from the “cathedra” that it houses, the “seat” of the bishop. That seat is more like a throne.

106 Single-malt pour : SCOTCH

In order to be labeled as “single-malt” scotch, the whisky must come from a single distillery (hence “single”), and from a mash of malted grain (hence “malt”) that has been processed in a pot still.

108 Storied sailor : SINBAD

Sinbad is the hero of a set of fictional tales from the Middle East. He came from the port city of Basra and had fantastic adventures on voyages throughout the sea east of Africa and south of Asia.

110 Backpack holder : STRAP

“Rucksack” is a word used for a backpack, mainly in the UK but also in the US Army, I believe. It derives from the German “Rücken” meaning “back, and “Sack” meaning “bag”.

112 Drum kit cymbals : HI-HAT

In a drum kit, a hi-hat is a pairing of cymbals that sits on a stand and is played by using a foot pedal. The top cymbal is raised and lowered by the foot, hence creating a crashing sound.

119 Polynesian dance : HULA

The hula is a native dance of Hawaii that uses arm movements to relate a story. The hula can be performed while sitting (a noho dance) or while standing (a luna dance).

121 Golden St. campus : UCLA

The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) gets more applications from potential students than any other university in the country. UCLA also has more students enrolled than any other university in the state.

“Golden State” has been the official nickname of California since 1968. The nickname reflects the expansion of the state’s economy that followed the discovery of gold in 1848, and also the fields of golden poppies seen growing wild across California in the spring.

127 Sch. group : PTA

Parent-Teacher Association (PTA)

129 Flo Milli’s music genre : RAP

“Flo Milli” is the stage name of rapper Tamia Carter. Carter started rapping when she was 11 years old, and by the age of 14 had disbanded her first rap group Pink Mafia.

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Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Prepare for parking or driving : PAVE
5 Stared open-mouthed : GAPED
10 Liabilities : DEBTS
15 Did laps : SWAM
19 Mountain goat : IBEX
20 Not out of contention yet : ALIVE
21 Word for a lei-person? : ALOHA
22 “Hmm … I doubt that” : UH … NO
23 First the chardonnay, then the merlot, then the cabernet? : TASTER PLAN (trade M-onday for T-uesday = MASTER PLAN)
25 Invisible walls? : MIME LIMITS (trade T-uesday for M-onday = TIME LIMITS)
27 Be there for : ATTEND
28 Sandler of “Uncut Gems” : ADAM
30 Brewpub pour : BEER
31 Ran across : MET
32 Mystical gathering : SEANCE
33 Felt hats : FEDORAS
36 Has a good cry : SOBS
38 Vocal quality : TONE
40 Land : ALIGHT
42 Imitate a horse : NEIGH
45 Place for a deep-tissue massage : SPA
48 Hands out cards : DEALS
51 Unwrapped with enthusiasm : TORE AT
53 Land parcel : ACRE
54 Inept caner’s resource? : WICKER TAPE (trade W-ednesday for T-uesday = TICKER TAPE)
57 Meteorology lectures? : TALKS ON AIR (trade T-uesday for W-ednesday = WALKS ON AIR)
59 Voting no : ANTI
60 Fleet parts : SHIPS
62 Have followers : LEAD
63 British co. : LTD
64 Fair shelters : BOOTHS
67 Cookbook offering : RECIPE
70 WSJ headline topic : IPO
71 Watches on Hulu, say : STREAMS
73 Like farmers’ market veggies : LOCAL
74 River through Reno : TRUCKEE
79 __ and vigor : VIM
80 Intervene : STEP IN
82 Quick post office run, say : ERRAND
83 Subj. for a non-native speaker : ESL
86 Ear-related : OTIC
88 “Time is money” or “money is power” : MAXIM
90 Greek Cupid : EROS
91 Bungalow owner’s challenge to a roofer? : THATCH THIS (trade TH-ursday for W-ednesday = WATCH THIS)
95 Makes doubly sure everyone’s in on the joke? : WINKS TWICE (trade W-ednesday for TH-ursday = THINKS TWICE)
98 World Baseball Classic team : CUBA
99 Came off as : SEEMED
101 Chopper blade : ROTOR
102 Org. followed by “puckheads” : NHL
103 Outkast hit single : HEY YA!
105 Touch-screen gestures : SWIPES
107 Puts into words : SAYS
109 CrossFit sets : REPS
111 Embassy employee : ATTACHE
114 Snap, crackle, and pop : NOISES
118 Sashimi choice : AHI
120 Ticket remnant : STUB
122 Revived villain in Domino’s ads, with “the” : … NOID
123 Food critic Hines whose name is on cake mixes : DUNCAN
124 Appreciative sound from the alumni luxury box? : FUNDER CLAP (trade F-riday for TH-ursday = THUNDERCLAP)
128 Water cooler? : THIRST BASE (trade TH-ursday for F-riday = FIRST BASE)
130 Midrange voice : ALTO
131 Wide-awake : ALERT
132 Chocolate source : CACAO
133 Region : AREA
134 Cheers : RAHS
135 Lasagna staple : PASTA
136 Part of a protected URL : HTTPS
137 Office surface : DESK

Down

1 Fillable flatbreads : PITAS
2 Taper off : ABATE
3 Roman goddess of the hearth : VESTA
4 Range : EXTENT
5 Person who makes beds? : GARDENER
6 European mountain : ALP
7 Rice dish : PILAF
8 Get around : EVADE
9 “Gracias” response : DE NADA
10 Beaver creation : DAM
11 Pharmaceutical giant __ Lilly : ELI
12 2019 film starring Charlize Theron as Megyn Kelly : BOMBSHELL
13 “Good News” rapper Megan __ Stallion : THEE
14 BOGO events : SALES
15 Dim __ : SUM
16 Amusingly capricious : WHIMSICAL
17 Upfront stake : ANTE
18 More than half : MOST
24 Provide privacy protection, in a way : ENCODE
26 Remove wrinkles from : IRON
29 Slip some skin : MOLT
34 Laugh-a-minute sort : RIOT
35 Taj Mahal site : AGRA
37 “The Martian” actor Sean : BEAN
39 Has for lunch : EATS
41 “Here!” : TAKE IT!
43 Determination : GRIT
44 Do the impossible with cats, proverbially : HERD
45 DNA lab items : SWABS
46 Wine grape : PINOT
47 One in a cast : ACTOR
49 Cowardly Lion portrayer : LAHR
50 Pitches to customers : SPIELS
52 Term with a check mark on an airport sign : TSA PRE✓
55 Beach toy for a windy day : KITE
56 Florida theme park with a geodesic dome : EPCOT
58 Poorly ventilated theatre phenomenon : ODOUR
61 Command to an attack dog : SIC ’EM
65 Utter chaos : HAVOC
66 Metalworkers : SMITHS
68 Green-skinned tropical fruit : PAPAW
69 Cure-all mixture : ELIXIR
72 Wallops, quaintly : SMITES
75 All hands on deck : CREW
76 “Pieces of Her” novelist Slaughter : KARIN
77 “How to Get Away With Murder” actor Alfred __ : ENOCH
78 Unsuccessful Ford model : EDSEL
81 Spanish boy : NINO
83 Mark for good : ETCH
84 Actress Elisabeth : SHUE
85 Maze : LABYRINTH
87 Pills for pets, often : CHEWABLES
89 NYSE, NASDAQ, etc. : MKTS
92 Diggs of “Empire” : TAYE
93 “There’s no one else” : I’M IT
94 Labor Day mo. : SEPT
96 Scoundrels : SO-AND-SOS
97 Experiment with : TRY OUT
100 Academic VIP : DEAN
104 Cathedral alcove : APSE
106 Single-malt pour : SCOTCH
108 Storied sailor : SINBAD
110 Backpack holder : STRAP
112 Drum kit cymbals : HI-HAT
113 Official mandate : EDICT
115 Induce fear in : SCARE
116 Makes less harsh : EASES
117 Be sly : SNEAK
118 Way off : AFAR
119 Polynesian dance : HULA
121 Golden St. campus : UCLA
125 Haircuts : DOS
126 Fine print, e.g. : ART
127 Sch. group : PTA
129 Flo Milli’s music genre : RAP

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