LA Times Crossword 27 Nov 18, Tuesday

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Constructed by: Jeff Stillman
Edited by: Rich Norris

Today’s Reveal Answer: Hands Down

Themed answers are all in the DOWN-direction, and each starts with a type of HAND:

  • 36D. Without a doubt … or what the starts of the answers to starred clues are? : HANDS DOWN
  • 3D. *Educational outing : FIELD TRIP (giving “field hand”)
  • 10D. *Social elite : UPPER CRUST (giving “upper hand”)
  • 21D. *Gambler’s stoic expression : POKER FACE (giving “poker hand”)
  • 28D. *Quick-cook side dish : MINUTE RICE (giving “minute hand”)

Bill’s time: 5m 29s

Bill’s errors: 0

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Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1. Transvaal treks : SAFARIS

“Safari” is a Swahili word meaning “journey” or “expedition”.

In geographic terms, the Transvaal is an area in modern-day South Africa that lies north of the Vaal River. “Transvaal” translates as “across the Vaal”.

15. Big building : EDIFICE

To edify is to provide instruction in order to improve spiritually, morally or intellectually. The intent is to “build up” someone’s faith or morality, and so “edify” comes from the Latin “aedificare” meaning “to build, construct”. This Latin root also gives us our word “edifice”, meaning “massive building”.

16. Political power structure : APPARAT

An apparat is a political power structure. The term “apparat” comes into English via Russian ultimately from the Latin word “apparatus” meaning “tools”. The use of “apparat” is usually derogatory due to the terms’ historical association with the oppressive communist political structure that held sway in the Soviet Union.

17. Asian setting of a 2017 PBS documentary by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick : VIETNAM

Ken Burns directs and produces epic documentary films that usually make inventive use of archive footage. Recent works are the sensational “The War” (about the US in WWII) and the magnificent “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea”, as well as 2014’s “The Roosevelts: An Intimate History”. Burns’ latest offering is 2017’s “The Vietnam War” that he co-directed with Lynn Novick.

23. Paul of “Ant-Man” : RUDD

I think Paul Rudd is a very talented actor. He has played a variety of roles in movies but is probably best known on television for playing Phoebe Buffay’s boyfriend and then husband on the sitcom “Friends”.

In the Marvel universe, Ant-Man has been the superhero persona of three different fictional characters: Hank Pym, Scott Lang and Eric O’Grady. In the 2015 film “Ant-Man”, Michael Douglas plays Hank Pym, and Paul Rudd plays Scott Lang.

25. GI entertainers : USO

The United Service Organization (USO) was founded in 1941 at the request of President Franklin D. Roosevelt “to handle the on-leave recreation of the men in the armed forces”. A USO tour is undertaken by a troupe of entertainers, many of whom are big-name celebrities. A USO tour usually includes troop locations in combat zones.

26. Many soap opera meetings : TRYSTS

In its most general sense, a tryst is a meeting at an agreed time and place. More usually we consider a tryst to be a prearranged meeting between lovers. The term comes from the Old French “triste”, a waiting place designated when hunting. Further, a tryst taking place at lunchtime is sometimes referred to as a nooner.

27. Scottish caps : TAMS

A tam o’shanter is a man’s cap traditionally worn by Scotsmen. “Tams” were originally all blue (and called “blue bonnets”) but as more dyes became readily available they became more colorful. The name of the cap comes from the title character of the Robert Burns poem “Tam O’Shanter”.

29. Ray of fast food : KROC

The original McDonald’s restaurant was opened in 1940 by Richard and Maurice McDonald as a barbecue restaurant. The brothers then moved into fast food hamburgers, eventually selling out to one of their franchise agents, Ray Kroc. It was Ray Kroc who really led the company to its worldwide success. He was played by Michael Keaton in the movie about Ray Kroc’s business life called “The Founder”.

31. Nuclear pioneer Enrico : FERMI

Enrico Fermi was born in Rome, Italy. Fermi moved to the US just before WWII, largely to escape the anti-Semitic feelings that were developing in Italy under Mussolini. Fermi traveled from Rome to Stockholm in 1938 to receive that year’s Nobel Prize in Physics. Instead of returning to Italy, Fermi and his family traveled on to New York City, where they applied for permanent residency. It was Fermi’s work at the University of Chicago that led to the construction of the world’s first nuclear reactor. Fermi died at 53 years of age from stomach cancer . Cancer was a prevalent cause of death among the team working on that first nuclear pile.

39. French __ soup : ONION

To cook “au gratin” is to prepare something in a shallow dish with a crust of bread or cheese on top. In America we tend to think mainly of potatoes prepared this way, but the technique can be used for many different dishes. What we call French onion soup, a soup with some bread and cheese baked on top, is called “gratinée” in France.

40. Appt. book blocks : HRS

Hour (hr.)

41. Mountains between Europe and Asia : URALS

The eastern side of the Ural Mountains in Russia and Kazakhstan is generally regarded as the natural divide between the continents of Europe and Asia.

42. Channel for school sports : ESPNU

ESPNU (short for “ESPN Universities”) is a sports channel focused on college athletics.

44. December temp : SANTA

Temp (temporary worker)

45. Skater Lipinski : TARA

When American skater Tara Lipinski won the figure skating gold medal at the 1998 Winter Olympics, she was only 15 years old. To this day, Lipinski is the youngest person to win an individual gold at the Winter Games.

47. Combat vet’s affliction, briefly : PTSD

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

52. Tax whiz : CPA

Certified public accountant (CPA)

57. Nonresident hospital employee : EXTERN

In the field of medicine, an extern is usually a visiting physician who is not a member of the regular staff of a hospital.

63. Dilapidated digs : RATHOLE

Something dilapidated has fallen into a state of ruin, a state of decay. Ultimately, the term “dilapidation” comes from the Latin “lapis” meaning “stone”, with the Latin verb “dilapidare” meaning “to throw away, squander”, literally “pelt with stones”.

Down

2. French parting : ADIEU

“Adieu” is the French for “goodbye” or “farewell”, from “à Dieu” meaning “to God”. The plural of “adieu” is “adieux”.

6. Wax-winged flier of myth : ICARUS

Daedalus was a master craftsman of Greek mythology who was tasked with creating the Labyrinth on the island of Crete that was to house the Minotaur. After the Labyrinth was completed, King Minos imprisoned Daedalus and his son Icarus in a tower, so that he could not spread word of his work. Daedalus fabricated wings so that he and Icarus could escape by flying off the island. Despite being warned by his father, Icarus flew too close to the sun so that the wax holding the wings’ feathers in place melted. Icarus drowned in the sea, and Daedalus escaped.

8. The 1% in 1% milk : FAT

The fatty component of milk is known as butterfat (sometimes “milkfat”). To be labeled whole milk, the butterfat content must be at least 3.25%. Low-fat milk is defined as milk containing 0.5-2% fat, with levels of 1% and 2% commonly found on grocery store shelves. Skim milk must contain less than 0.5% fat, and typically contains 0.1%.

9. Portuguese wine city : OPORTO

Portugal’s city of Oporto (“Porto” in Portuguese) gave its name to port wine in the late 1600s. Oporto was the seaport through which most of the region’s fortified red wine was exported.

11. Sounding like Popeye : RASPY

Popeye first appeared in 1929 in a comic strip called “Thimble Theatre”. The strip, created by E. C. Segar, ran for ten years before Popeye made an appearance. Popeye received such a great welcome from readers that he soon “took over” the strip, and eventually even hogged the strip’s title. Before Popeye turned up, Olive Oyl was the main character.

14. Decides to leave in the manuscript : STETS

“Stet” is a Latin word meaning “let it stand”. In editorial work, the typesetter is instructed to disregard any change previously marked by writing the word “stet” and then underscoring that change with a line of dots or dashes.

21. *Gambler’s stoic expression : POKER FACE (giving “poker hand”)

Zeno of Citium was a Greek philosopher famous for teaching at the Stoa Poikile, the “Painted Porch”, located on the north side of the Ancient Agora of Athens. Because of the location of his classes, his philosophy became known as stoicism (from “stoa”, the word for “porch”). And yes, we get our adjective “stoic” from the same root.

24. Bourne portrayer : DAMON

Matt Damon is an actor and screenwriter from Cambridge, Massachusetts. Damon’s big break came with the 1997 movie “Good Will Hunting”, in which he starred. He co-wrote the screenplay with his childhood friend Ben Affleck.

The “Bourne” series of films are based on a series of three “Bourne” novels penned by Robert Ludlum. The first three “Bourne” movies star Matt Damon in the title role of Jason Bourne. Damon opted out of the fourth movie (“The Bourne Legacy”), and so a new lead character was added and played by Jeremy Renner. Damon returned for the fifth film in the series, but has suggested that he is unlikely to take on the role again.

28. *Quick-cook side dish : MINUTE RICE (giving “minute hand”)

Minute Rice is a brand of “instant rice”, rice that has been pre-cooked and dehydrated. Using instant rice saves about ten minutes and cooking time, but many of the rice’s natural nutrients have been lost in the factory dehydration process.

32. Nav. rank : ENS

Ensign (ens.)

33. Norse god with a hammer : THOR

The hammer associated with the Norse god Thor is known as Mjölnir. The name “Mjölnir” translates as “crusher”.

36. Without a doubt … or what the starts of the answers to starred clues are? : HANDS DOWN

“Hands down” is used to mean “without much effort, without question”. The phrase comes from horse racing and refers to a jockey letting go of the reins just before the finishing line when faced with an easy victory.

37. PC key near Ctrl : ALT

The Alt (alternate) key is found on either side of the space bar on US PC keyboards. The Alt key evolved from what was called a Meta key on old MIT keyboards, although the function has changed somewhat over the years. Alt is equivalent in many ways to the Option key on a Mac keyboard, and indeed the letters “Alt” have been printed on most Mac keyboards starting in the nineties.

38. Org. with merit badges : BSA

As every little boy (of my era) knows, the Scouting movement was founded by Lord Baden Powell, in 1907. The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) soon followed, in 1910. And, the Boy Scouts motto is “Be Prepared”.

46. Chronological records : ANNALS

“Annal” is a rarely used word, and is the singular of the more common “annals”. An annal would be the recorded events of one year, with annals being the chronological record of events in successive years. The term “annal” comes from the Latin “annus” meaning “year”.

47. Stately 16th-century dance : PAVANE

A pavane is a slow dance, one in which the dancers process majestically. Pavanes were very popular in Renaissance Europe.

51. __ monitor: OB/GYN device : FETAL

The word “fetus”, used for an unborn young animal, comes from Latin as one might expect. “Fetus” is the Latin word for the act of hatching or bringing forth a young animal or child. The mistaken spelling “foetus” is seen occasionally, but there’s no historical basis for adding that “o”.

Obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN)

56. Opinion columns : OP-EDS

“Op-ed” is an abbreviation for “opposite the editorial page”. Op-eds started in “The New York Evening World” in 1921 when the page opposite the editorials was used for articles written by a named guest writer, someone independent of the editorial board.

59. JFK postings : ETDS

Estimated time of departure (ETD)

The three big airports serving New York City (NYC) are John F. Kennedy (JFK), LaGuardia (LGA) and Newark (EWR).

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Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1. Transvaal treks : SAFARIS
8. Quarters : FOURTHS
15. Big building : EDIFICE
16. Political power structure : APPARAT
17. Asian setting of a 2017 PBS documentary by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick : VIETNAM
18. Not belowdecks : TOPSIDE
19. Snakelike fish : EEL
20. Golf club part : GRIP
22. Mend one’s sinful ways : REPENT
23. Paul of “Ant-Man” : RUDD
25. GI entertainers : USO
26. Many soap opera meetings : TRYSTS
27. Scottish caps : TAMS
29. Ray of fast food : KROC
31. Nuclear pioneer Enrico : FERMI
33. Kickoff aid : TEE
34. Physical therapy, briefly : REHAB
39. French __ soup : ONION
40. Appt. book blocks : HRS
41. Mountains between Europe and Asia : URALS
42. Channel for school sports : ESPNU
43. Frequently, in verse : OFT
44. December temp : SANTA
45. Skater Lipinski : TARA
47. Combat vet’s affliction, briefly : PTSD
48. Bombard with noise : DEAFEN
52. Tax whiz : CPA
54. Spanish “this” : ESTO
57. Nonresident hospital employee : EXTERN
58. Gutter locale : EAVE
60. Party bowlful : DIP
61. Brutish : BESTIAL
63. Dilapidated digs : RATHOLE
65. Contrived sentimentality : TREACLE
66. Funded : ENDOWED
67. Like the oldest bread : STALEST
68. Emails anew : RESENDS

Down

1. Break, as ties : SEVER
2. French parting : ADIEU
3. *Educational outing : FIELD TRIP (giving “field hand”)
4. Toward the stern : AFT
5. Mark on a table from a wet glass : RING
6. Wax-winged flier of myth : ICARUS
7. Their winners go to the finals : SEMIS
8. The 1% in 1% milk : FAT
9. Portuguese wine city : OPORTO
10. *Social elite : UPPER CRUST (giving “upper hand”)
11. Sounding like Popeye : RASPY
12. Tastes : TRIES
13. “Wish I __ said that” : HADN’T
14. Decides to leave in the manuscript : STETS
21. *Gambler’s stoic expression : POKER FACE (giving “poker hand”)
24. Bourne portrayer : DAMON
28. *Quick-cook side dish : MINUTE RICE (giving “minute hand”)
30. Enjoy a recliner : REST
31. Enemy : FOE
32. Nav. rank : ENS
33. Norse god with a hammer : THOR
35. Dry-__ board : ERASE
36. Without a doubt … or what the starts of the answers to starred clues are? : HANDS DOWN
37. PC key near Ctrl : ALT
38. Org. with merit badges : BSA
46. Chronological records : ANNALS
47. Stately 16th-century dance : PAVANE
48. Financial obligations : DEBTS
49. Wield, as influence : EXERT
50. Perplexed : AT SEA
51. __ monitor: OB/GYN device : FETAL
53. Peeling device : PARER
55. Like many shower stalls : TILED
56. Opinion columns : OP-EDS
59. JFK postings : ETDS
62. Tennis do-over : LET
64. Furrow maker : HOE

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15 thoughts on “LA Times Crossword 27 Nov 18, Tuesday”

  1. LAT: 9:38, no errors. Couple sections of oddity, but nothing that couldn’t ultimately be worked around. Not a Tuesday puzzle. WSJ: 6:27, no errors. Newsday: 6:48, no errors. Jones: 8:40, no errors. Strange theme. CHE: DNF after 34:45, half done. Too many proper names and too much Northeastern culture for me to know this – I was surprised I even got that far.

  2. 20 min. and no errors.
    I say again Monday and Tuesday puzzles seem to be getting harder or I am just getting older.

  3. Pavane, alt, stoic: your explication of words such as these is the reason I love to read your column. It must get tiring, for you, to educate us daily. But rest assured, I am one reader who enjoys your work!

  4. LAT: 7:10, no errors. Newsday: 5:57, no errors. WSJ: 7:20, no errors. CHE, Croce, and Jones in the offing (but apparently I’m still running a day late and a dollar short 😜).

    1. CHE: 16:53, no errors. Some difficult cluing and a few weird entries: “LOURS” for “Looks sullen” (a word I have seen, I think, but not recently); “HANA” for “Korean word for the number ‘one’” (okay, if you say so); “SLIGO” for “Home of the imposing rock formation known as Benbulbin” (a gimme for Bill, I imagine); and “EVOO” for “Sautéing shortcut for Rachael Ray?” (it’s short for “Extra Virgin Olive Oil”, which I finally remembered from another crossword puzzle).

      Matt Jones: 1:22:58, no errors. I actually “finished” the puzzle at 10:22, but I knew there was something wrong with 58D (“OMG”), 58A (“ONE-K CHARMER”), and 67A (“GELL’S KITCHEN”), so I walked away for awhile, analyzed the logic of the theme answers (each of which referred to an “internet meme” I’d never heard of), and finally changed the three incorrect answers to “SMH” (short for “Shaking My Head”, as it turns out), “SNEK CHARMER”, and “HELL’S KITCHEN”, respectively, at which point the total elapsed time was 1:22:58. An outrageously difficult one for an old fart (if you’ll pardon my French) … 😜.

    2. Tim Croce: 36:50, no errors. Not easy, but not too difficult, either. (I did it over dinner and it may be that that inflated my time a little. On the other hand, doing it that way may have been an advantage, too … 😜.)

  5. 0 errors and 0 omissions. The wife got over half on her pass and I was able
    to scratch out the rest. I didn’t know APPARAT, ICARUS, TREACLE and
    EXTERN. I found Treacle in my puzzle dictionary, but it gave different
    definitions. I bounced Extern off Intern as its opposite and satisfied myself
    that I was correct. Was given the other two by cross letters. Seems like I had to work harder than yesterday to get my part, but didn’t measure the time taken. The wife did very well. Challenging puzzle.

  6. 9:47. Agree that this was more difficult than most Tuesdays. I had the most trouble in the SW. I didn’t know TREACLE. When Bill didn’t have it in the write up, I assumed it was British. TREACLE is what the British call molasses which I certainly didn’t know. From there its meaning moves to cloying and hence today’s clue. All new to me.

    Best –

  7. Yes, this gave me a rough time too. And like Jeff, the SW was the last to get filled in. Took me forever. But did finish it. I’m glad I’m not the only one that thinks these early week puzzles are getting harder. Thought maybe the brain was in a decline! Phew.

  8. Never heard of EXTERN, so that slowed me down in the SW. The theme helped.

    What is CHE? Sounds like a nightmare.

    1. It’s the puzzle that the Chronicle for Higher Education (CHE) puts out in their journal for college educators. Consistent with that, the puzzle tends to have more technical fill in it than what you’d see in the LAT. That makes it harder in general for those that don’t know things, but at the same time it’s just as easy as these if you know them. Like for me, I just happened to not know almost the entire puzzle they printed for this week (though I did manage to guess at about half of it). More or less with the CHE puzzles, you either know it or you don’t. And I didn’t this week.

  9. Enjoyable puzzle today !
    Gabriel Faure’s Pavane is a favorite that I never tire listening to.
    Eddie

  10. Greetings one and all!! 🙃

    No errors. 😀 EXTERN can, as you’d imagine, apply to non-medical professions. A friend of mine did his “externship” for law school clerking for a judge in Alaska.

    Well, I saw 16 prospective tenants over a two-day period…. and I’m exhausted! Here’s hoping one of the good ones works out. 🤔

    Dave! “Beat me to the pun.” NICE! 😊

    Be well ~~✌🏻✌🏽✌🏾

  11. @Carrie …

    Re “Beat me to the pun”: Stolen from Jeff, I’m afraid … 😜.

    My ex is considering turning her studio into an apartment of sorts, in which case she may be interested in hearing of your experiences (if you’re willing). Sounds like a lot of work to me … 😳.

Comments are closed.