LA Times Crossword 26 Jan 19, Saturday

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Constructed by: Andy Kravis & Erik Agard
Edited by: Rich Norris

Today’s Theme: None

Bill’s time: 15m 17s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1. Selection process including the Sky and the Sun : WNBA DRAFT

The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) includes the Connecticut Sun, San Antonio Stars and the Chicago Sky.

10. Anna of “The Emoji Movie” : FARIS

Comic actress Anna Faris broke through to the big time when she landed a leading role in the 2000 horror parody “Scary Movie”. She reprised that “Scary Movie” role in three sequels. TV audiences will likely recognize Faris as the main character in the sitcom “Mom”. Faris was married to fellow actor Chris Pratt from 2009 until 2018.

“The Emoji Movie” is a 2017 animated film that has been panned widely by the critics. It did do well at the 38th Golden Raspberry awards, winning for Worst Picture, Worst Director, Worst Screen Combo and Worst Screenplay.

15. Lip-syncing accompaniment? : AIR GUITAR

The concept of playing an imaginary electric guitar (“air guitar”) is so popular that there are several championship competitions held, including a world championship since 1996. Crazy …

17. Bingo center square : FREE SPACE

Our game called “Bingo” is a derivative of an Italian lottery game called “Il Giuoco del Lotto d’Italia” that became popular in the 16th-century.

18. Hasbro game that requires twisting and pulling : BOP IT

Bop It is a line of toys with a speaker that issues commands to activate input devices on the toy, devices such as handles, cranks, wheels and switches. The commands come in a series of increasing length, and at increasing speed. So, I guess Bop It is a test of memory and dexterity.

19. Spacewalk initials : EVA

Extravehicular activity (EVA) is the name given to any work done by an astronaut outside of his or her spacecraft. The term would encompass walking on the moon, as well as making a space walk i.e. floating around in space tethered to spacecraft.

20. Ready for fumigation : TENTED

To fumigate something is to apply smoke or gas, especially in order to destroy pests. Back in the late 1300s, fumigation was the using of aromatic smoke for ceremonial purposes. The term “fumigation” comes from the Latin “fumigare” meaning to smoke, which is the verb derived from “fumus” meaning “smoke”.

25. Film dialect that uses subject-object inversion : YODA-SPEAK

Here are some of the wiser sayings of the “Star Wars” character Yoda:

  • Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.
  • In this war, a danger there is, of losing who we are.
  • Attachment leads to jealousy. The shadow of greed, that is.
  • In the end, cowards are those who follow the dark side.
  • Train yourself to let go of everything you fear to lose.

27. 1990s gaming release, initially : SNES

The name Super NES (or SNES) stands for Super Nintendo Entertainment System.

28. “LOTR” initials : JRR

J. R. R. (John Ronald Reuel) Tolkien was an English author best known by far for his fantasy novels “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings”. Although Tolkien lived in England and was a professor at Oxford, he served for many years as an external examiner at my old school, University College Dublin in Ireland.

29. Visitor center : SHORT I

The central letter in the word “visitor” is a short letter I.

34. Licorice, e.g. : ROOT

Liquorice (also “licorice”) and aniseed have similar flavors, but they come from unrelated plants. The liquorice plant is a legume like a bean, and the sweet flavor is an extract from the roots. The flavor mainly comes from an ether compound called anethole, the same substance that gives the distinctive flavor to anise. The seedpods of the anise plant are what we know as “aniseed”. The anise seeds themselves are usually ground to release the flavor.

37. Commented on EweTube? : BAAED

Believe it or not, there is a website called “EweTube”. It is based in Australia, and seems to feature cute videos featuring sheep and lambs.

40. Ironically, designation for the fourth film release in a classic sequence : EPISODE I

“Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace” was the fourth film released in the “Star Wars” franchise, and the first in a prequel trilogy (the first three films were Episodes IV, V & VI). “The Phantom Menace” was released in 1999, twenty-two years after the original “Star Wars” movie, and sixteen years after the previous episode, “Return of the Jedi”.

46. Record no. : RPM

Revolutions per minute (rpm)

47. Tablets brand … or, cutely, what they treat : TUMS

The main ingredient in Tums antacid, made by GlaxoSmithKline, is calcium carbonate. Tums have been on the market since 1930. If you want to save a few pennies, Target brand antacid is identical to Tums, so I hear …

49. Saves for the future : SALTS AWAY

To salt away is to put aside safely for the future, and usually refers to something of value like money. The use of “salt” here is a figurative usage of the verb in the sense of preserving, as in salting meat for a future meal.

51. Hardly taciturn : VOCAL

Someone described as taciturn is disposed to be silent. The term “taciturn” comes from the Latin “tacitus” meaning “silent”.

52. Whack : STAB

To have a whack, take a stab, is to give it a try.

53. Andalusian city on the Costa del Sol : MALAGA

Málaga is the capital city of the autonomous community of Andalusia in Spain. Located on the Mediterranean coast, Málaga is considered the southernmost large city in Europe, and lies about 80 miles north of Africa. Included in the list of notable people born in Málaga are artist Pablo Picasso, and Hollywood actor Antonio Banderas.

Spain’s Costa del Sol (“Coast of the Sun”) is in Andalusia in the South of Spain. It lies sandwiched between two other “costas”, the Costa de la Luz and the Costa Tropical. The city of Malaga is on the Costa del Sol, as well as the famous European tourist destinations of Torremolinos and Marbella. The Costa del Sol was made up of sleepy little fishing villages until the 1980s when the European sunseekers descended on the region. I wouldn’t recommend it for a holiday quite frankly …

58. 2017 hit comedy about a women’s weekend getaway : GIRLS TRIP

“Girls Trip” Is a 2017 comedy movie. I haven’t seen this one, but I hear good things about it. It was chosen as one of the top 10 films of 2017 by “Time” Magazine. Before girls that go on the trip are played by Regina Hall, Queen Latifah, Tiffany Haddish and Jada Pinkett Smith.

60. QB’s protection, in football lingo : O-LINE

Offensive line (O-line)

61. Type of gland : ENDOCRINE

An endocrine gland is one that secretes hormones directly into the bloodstream. Examples of endocrine glands are the hypothalamus, the thyroid and the adrenal glands. An exocrine gland is one that secretes its essential product by way of a duct. Example of exocrine glands are sweat glands, salivary glands and mammary glands.

63. Where I-35 and I-80 intersect : DES MOINES

The city of Des Moines is the capital of Iowa, and takes its name from the Des Moines River. The river in turn takes its name from the French “Riviere des Moines” meaning “River of the Monks”. It looks like there isn’t any “monkish” connection to the city’s name per se. “Des Moines” was just the name given by French traders who corrupted “Moingona”, the name of a group of Illinois Native Americans who lived by the river. However, others do contend that French Trappist monks, who lived a full 200 miles from the river, somehow influenced the name.

Down

2. End point of the Noble Eightfold Path : NIRVANA

Nirvana is a philosophical concept in some Indian-based religions. In the Buddhist tradition, nirvana is the state of being free from suffering i.e. not experiencing craving, anger or other afflicting states.

The Noble Eightfold Path of Buddhism comprises eight factors:

  1. Right view
  2. Right intention
  3. Right speech
  4. Right action
  5. Right livelihood
  6. Right effort
  7. Right mindfulness
  8. Right concentration

3. CBer’s opening word : BREAKER

A CB’er is someone who operates a citizens’ band (CB) radio. In 1945, the FCC set aside certain radio frequencies for the personal use of citizens. The use of the Citizens’ Band increased throughout the seventies as advances in electronics brought down the size of transceivers and their cost. There aren’t many CB radios sold these days though, as they have largely been replaced by cell phones.

10. Old-style dope? : FAB

Apparently, something that is described as “dope” is really, really cool …

12. Narrow-bladed swords : RAPIERS

A rapier is a very thin sword with a sharp point that is used to kill and maim by thrusting the point into the body, rather than by slashing.

14. Winter Paralympians’ equipment : SIT SKIS

The Winter and Summer Paralympic Games grew out of a gathering of British disabled WWII veterans that coincided with 1948’s Summer Olympic Games. The first official Paralympic Games was held in Rome in 1960.

21. Legal pros : DAS

District Attorney (DA)

24. Jersey Shore rockers since the ’70s : E STREET BAND

The E Street Band is the backing group for Bruce Springsteen. The band came together in 1972 but didn’t take a formal name until two years later. The keyboard player in the original line up was David Sancious, and his mother allowed the group to rehearse at her home. That home was on E Street in Belmar, New Jersey, and that’s where the band got their name.

26. Visored military cap : SHAKO

A shako is a tal, cylindrical cap with a visor that is used by some military organizations. Nowadays used only ceremonially, they shakos will often feature a feather, plume or pompon at the top, usually at the front. The term “shako” (sometimes “chako”) comes from “csákó”, which is the the Hungarian name for the cap.

28. Companion of A-Rod : JLO

“J.Lo” is the nickname of singer and actress Jennifer Lopez. “J.Lo” is also the title of her second studio album, one released in 2001.

Baseball player Alex Rodriguez, nicknamed “A-Rod”, broke a lot of records in his career, albeit under a shroud of controversy due to his use of illegal performance-enhancing drugs. When he signed a 10-year contract with the Texas Rangers for $252 million in 2000, it was the most lucrative contract in sports history. In 2007, Rodriguez signed an even more lucrative 10-year contract with the New York Yankees, worth $275 million. Rodriguez retired in 2016.

38. Literary France : ANATOLE

“Anatole France” was the pen name for French poet and novelist François-Anatole Thibault. France won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1921.

39. Lang. test for top students : AP LATIN

The Advanced Placement (AP) program offers college-level courses to kids who are still in high school. After being tested at the end of the courses, successful students receive credits that count towards a college degree.

41. Cajun confection : PRALINE

A praline is a candy made made out of nuts and sugar syrup. The first pralines were made in France in the 17th century for an industrialist named Marshal du Plessis-Praslin, who gave his name to the confection.

42. Skincare brand from the Greek for “beautiful wax” : EUCERIN

Eucerin is a line of body and face care products manufactured German personal-care company Beiersdorf. The brand name “Eucerin” originally applied to an emulsifying agent that was patented in Germany in 1902, and which was made from Eucerit (lanolin), water and oil.

45. Fast flight : LAM

To be on the lam is to be in flight, to have escaped from prison. “On the lam” is American slang that originated at the end of the 19th century. The word “lam” also means to “beat” or “thrash”, as in “lambaste”. So “on the lam” might derive from the phrase “to beat it, to scram”.

51. Explorer da Gama : VASCO

Vasco da Gama left on his first voyage of discovery in 1497. da Gama journeyed around the Cape of Good Hope, the southernmost tip of Africa, and across the Indian Ocean making landfall in India. Landing in India, his fleet became the first expedition to sail directly from Europe to the sub-continent. Vasco da Gama was well known for acts of cruelty, especially on local inhabitants. One of his milder atrocities was inflicted on a priest whom he labelled as a spy. He had the priest’s lips and ears cut off, and sent him on his way after having a pair of dog’s ears sewn onto his head.

54. Latch (onto) : GLOM

“Glom” is a slang term meaning “steal”, although it can also be used to mean “latch onto” when used as “glom onto”. The term probably comes from the Scots word “glam” meaning “to snatch at”.

57. Arles article : LES

Quite a few years ago now, I had the privilege of living just a short car-ride from the beautiful city of Arles in the South of France. Although Arles has a long and colorful history, the Romans had a prevailing influence over the city’s design. Arles has a spectacular Roman amphitheater, arch, circus as well as old walls that surround the center of the city. In more modern times, it was a place Vincent van Gogh often visited, and was where he painted many of his most famous works, including “Cafe Terrace at Night” and “Bedroom in Arles”.

59. Piece of TNT? : TRI-

“TNT” is an abbreviation for “trinitrotoluene”. Trinitrotoluene was first produced in 1863 by the German chemist Joseph Wilbrand, who developed it for use as a yellow dye. TNT is relatively difficult to detonate so it was on the market as a dye for some years before its more explosive properties were discovered.

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Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1. Selection process including the Sky and the Sun : WNBA DRAFT
10. Anna of “The Emoji Movie” : FARIS
15. Lip-syncing accompaniment? : AIR GUITAR
16. “Me too” : AS AM I
17. Bingo center square : FREE SPACE
18. Hasbro game that requires twisting and pulling : BOP IT
19. Spacewalk initials : EVA
20. Ready for fumigation : TENTED
22. Metaphorical low area, with “the” : PITS
23. Gathering tools : RAKES
25. Film dialect that uses subject-object inversion : YODA-SPEAK
27. 1990s gaming release, initially : SNES
28. “LOTR” initials : JRR
29. Visitor center : SHORT I
30. Course with fruit, perhaps : ART CLASS
33. Sure-footed critters : ASSES
34. Licorice, e.g. : ROOT
35. Increase : HIKE
37. Commented on EweTube? : BAAED
40. Ironically, designation for the fourth film release in a classic sequence : EPISODE I
44. Remove the zest from : UNPEEL
46. Record no. : RPM
47. Tablets brand … or, cutely, what they treat : TUMS
49. Saves for the future : SALTS AWAY
51. Hardly taciturn : VOCAL
52. Whack : STAB
53. Andalusian city on the Costa del Sol : MALAGA
55. One in a conflict, maybe : EGO
56. Utter : TOTAL
58. 2017 hit comedy about a women’s weekend getaway : GIRLS TRIP
60. QB’s protection, in football lingo : O-LINE
61. Type of gland : ENDOCRINE
62. Hangs : PENDS
63. Where I-35 and I-80 intersect : DES MOINES

Down

1. Symbols of thinness : WAFERS
2. End point of the Noble Eightfold Path : NIRVANA
3. CBer’s opening word : BREAKER
4. Golden __ : AGE
5. Decisively outraces : DUSTS
6. Begging to be picked : RIPE
7. Nonetheless : AT ANY RATE
8. Two and one, for two : FACTORS
9. Trapped, in a way : TREED
10. Old-style dope? : FAB
11. In contrast with : AS OPPOSED TO
12. Narrow-bladed swords : RAPIERS
13. Do in a bit : IMITATE
14. Winter Paralympians’ equipment : SIT SKIS
21. Legal pros : DAS
24. Jersey Shore rockers since the ’70s : E STREET BAND
26. Visored military cap : SHAKO
28. Companion of A-Rod : JLO
31. Works on programs : CODES
32. Where some subs are fixed : SHIPYARDS
36. Belief : ISM
37. No-parking area : BUS STOP
38. Literary France : ANATOLE
39. Lang. test for top students : AP LATIN
41. Cajun confection : PRALINE
42. Skincare brand from the Greek for “beautiful wax” : EUCERIN
43. Envision : IMAGINE
45. Fast flight : LAM
48. Inclines : SLOPES
50. Engaged in : WAGED
51. Explorer da Gama : VASCO
54. Latch (onto) : GLOM
57. Arles article : LES
59. Piece of TNT? : TRI-

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