LA Times Crossword 10 Feb 19, Sunday

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Constructed by: David Poole
Edited by: Rich Norris

Today’s Theme: Not Again

Themed answers are phrases in which the prefix RE- has been removed:

  • 23A. Chef’s directives involving sieves? : (RE)STRAINING ORDERS
  • 34A. One splitting firewood? : (RE)CORD BREAKER
  • 43A. Chance for Obi-Wan to play? : (RE)TURN OF THE JEDI
  • 69A. Therapist’s technique using poetry? : (RE)VERSE PSYCHOLOGY
  • 101A. Social event for British tavern keepers? : (RE)PUBLICAN PARTY
  • 111A. Dusting goal? : (RE)MOTE CONTROL
  • 125A. License to search for the Holy Grail? : (RE)QUEST PERMISSION

Bill’s time: 17m 09s

Bill’s errors: 4

  • TRITT (Trett)
  • ESALEN (Usalen)
  • UMIAKS (Umeaks)
  • AMEN-RA (Amun-Ra!)

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1. Pen pals? : CONS

“Pen” is a slang term for “penitentiary”. Back in the early 1400s, a penitentiary was a place to do “penance”, a place of punishment for offences against the church.

10. Email subject abbr. : FWD

Forward (fwd.)

21. John, to Paul, George and Ringo : LOO

It has been suggested that the British term “loo” comes from “Waterloo” (water closet … water-loo), but no one seems to know for sure. Another suggestion is that the term comes from the card game of “lanterloo”, in which the pot was called the loo!

The use of “john” as a slang term for a toilet is peculiar to North America. “John” probably comes from the older slang term of “jack” or “jakes” that had been around since the 16th century. In Ireland, in less polite moments, we still refer to a toilet as “the jacks”.

26. Travis of country : TRITT

Travis Tritt is a country singer from Marietta, Georgia.

27. Tennis’ Goolagong : EVONNE

Evonne Goolagong is a former Australian tennis player who was at the pinnacle of her success in seventies and early eighties. Her colorful family name Goolagong came from her Aboriginal father who worked for much of his life as an itinerant sheep shearer. When I watched tennis in 1970s, I remember admiring Goolagong’s quiet professionalism on the court …

28. Kia HQ city : SEOUL

Seoul is the capital city of South Korea. The Seoul National Capital Area is home to over 25 million people and is the second largest metropolitan area in the world, second only to Tokyo, Japan.

Kia Motors is the second largest manufacturer of cars in South Korea, behind Hyundai (and Hyundai is a part owner in Kia now). Kia was founded in 1944 as a manufacturer of bicycle parts, and did indeed produce Korea’s first domestic bicycle. The company’s original name was Kyungsung Precision Industry, with the Kia name introduced in 1952.

30. Old pool people : STENOS

Stenography is the process of writing in shorthand. The term comes from the Greek “steno” (narrow) and “graphe” (writing).

34. One splitting firewood? : (RE)CORD BREAKER

A cord of wood has a volume of 128 cubic feet. More commonly it’s a neat stack measuring 4 feet high, 8 feet long and 4 feet deep.

43. Chance for Obi-Wan to play? : (RE)TURN OF THE JEDI

The Jedi are the “good guys” in the “Star Wars” series of movies. The most famous Jedi knights from the films are Obi-Wan Kenobi (played by Alec Guinness, and later Ewan McGregor) and Yoda (voiced by Frank Oz). Well, they’re my favorites anyway …

49. Bar quaff, briefly : IPA

India pale ale (IPA) is a style of beer that originated in England. The beer was originally intended for transportation from England to India, hence the name.

“Quaff” is both a verb and a noun. One “quaffs” (takes a hearty drink) of a “quaff” (a hearty drink).

50. YOLO, in ancient Rome : CARPE DIEM

“Carpe diem” is a quotation from Horace, one of Ancient Rome’s leading lyric poets. “Carpe diem” translates from Latin as “seize the day” or “enjoy the day”. The satirical motto of a procrastinator is “carpe mañana”, “translating” as “seize tomorrow”.

You only live once (YOLO)

52. Actress Staunton of Harry Potter movies : IMELDA

Imelda Staunton is a favorite actress of mine. Nowadays, Staunton is known for playing Prof. Dolores Jane Umbridge in the “Harry Potter” series of films. I’ve seen/heard her many times on radio shows, TV shows and movies that haven’t had much exposure in North America. One of Staunton’s more powerful performances was the title role in the 2004 film “Vera Drake”.

60. 113-Down’s last words : … A DAMN
(113D. “I never give anything without expecting something in return” speaker : RHETT)

In Margaret Mitchell’s novel “Gone with the Wind”, when Rhett Butler finally walks out on Scarlett O’Hara he utters the words “My dear, I don’t give a damn”. Most of us are more familiar with the slightly different words spoken by Clark Gable in the film adaption of the story: “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.”

64. Broadway’s Hagen : UTA

Uta Hagen was a German-born, American actress. Hagen married Jose Ferrer in 1938, but they were divorced ten years later after it was revealed that she was having a long-running affair with Paul Robeson. Her association with Robeson, a prominent civil rights activist, earned her a spot on the Hollywood Blacklist during the McCarthy Era. This forced her away from film, but towards a successful stage career in New York City.

66. Hirsute Himalayan humanoid of myth : YETI

The yeti, also known as “the abominable snowman”, is a beast of legend. “Yeti” is a Tibetan term, and the beast is fabled to live in the Himalayan regions of Nepal and Tibet. Our equivalent legend in North America is that of Bigfoot, also known as Sasquatch. The study of animals whose existence have not yet been substantiated is called cryptozoology, and a cryptid is a creature or plant that isn’t recognized by the scientific community, but the existence of which has been suggested.

“Hirsute” means “hairy”. The term comes from the Latin “hirsutus” meaning “rough, shaggy”.

76. Compress, as a file : ZIP

A .ZIP file is one that has been compressed. The ZIP file format was co-developed and introduced by programmer Phil Katz in 1989.

80. Pop duo __ & Him : SHE

Singer-songwriter M. Ward and actress/singer Zooey Deschanel perform as the musical duo “She & Him”. The pair met on set when Deschanel was filming the 2007 film “The Go-Getter”. Deschanel had a starring role, and M. Ward provided most of the movie’s music. Ward and Deschanel recorded a duet for the closing credits, and have been singing together ever since.

85. Currier’s partner : IVES

Currier and Ives was a printmaking concern in New York City run by Nathaniel Currier and his partner James Merritt Ives from 1834 to 1907. The firm specialized in making affordable, hand-colored black and white lithographs.

87. Andrea __: ill-fated ship : DORIA

The SS Andrea Doria was an Italian ocean liner with the home port of Genoa. She was named after Andrea Doria, a 16th-century admiral from the city. As always seems to be the case with ships that go down, the Andrea Doria was the pride of the fleet and was deemed to be the biggest, fastest and safest of Italy’s ships in the fifties. Her end came in 1956 when she collided with the MS Stockholm off the coast of Nantucket Island. Such was the damage to the side of the vessel that she quickly and severely listed to starboard, rendering half her lifeboats unusable. Nonetheless, 1,660 crew and passengers were rescued by vessels that came to her aid. Only 46 lives were lost, mainly in the collision itself. The Andrea Doria capsized and sank eleven hours after the collision.

92. Magoo’s malady : MYOPIA

A myope is someone suffering from myopia, short-sightedness. Far-sightedness or long-sightedness is known as hypermetropia or hyperopia .

Mr. Quincy Magoo is a wonderful cartoon character voiced by Jim Backus. Backus is probably equally well-known for playing Mr. Magoo as well as Thurston Howell, III on “Gilligan’s Island”. Mr. Magoo first appeared on the screen in a short called “The Ragtime Bear” in 1949. His persona was at least in part based on the antics of W. C. Fields. Backus originally used a fake rubber nose that pinched his nostrils in order to create the distinctive voice, although in time he learned to do the voice without the prop. My absolute favorite appearance by Mr. Magoo is in “Mr Magoo’s Christmas Carol”, a true classic from the sixties. There was a movie adaptation of “Mr Magoo” released in 1997, with Leslie Nielsen playing the title role.

93. Cooperstown charter member : TY COBB

Baseball player Ty Cobb was born in Narrows, Georgia and died 74 years later in Atlanta, Georgia. He was nicknamed “The Georgia Peach”. Cobb was one of the richest baseball players of all times. When he retired, Cobb was a major stockholder of the Coca-Cola Corporation. By the time he passed away in 1961, Cobb had an even bigger investment in General Electric. He left an estate after his death worth about $86m (in 2008 dollars). The most common nickname associated with Cobb during his career was “the Georgia Peach”.

Cooperstown is a village in New York that is famous as the home to the Baseball Hall of Fame. The village was named for Judge William Cooper, the founder of Cooperstown and the father of the noted writer James Fenimore Cooper.

98. Prov. at one end of the Ambassador Bridge : ONT

The Ambassador International Bridge connecting Detroit, Michigan with Windsor, Ontario is the busiest international border on the continent in terms of volume of trade. One quarter of all goods traded between Canada and the US pass over the Ambassador Bridge. The bridge, which crosses the Detroit River, opened for business in 1929.

99. Dental image : X-RAY

X-rays were first studied comprehensively by the German physicist Wilhelm Röntgen (also “Roentgen”), and it was he who gave the name “X-rays” to this particular type of radiation. Paradoxically, in Röntgen’s native language of German, X-rays are routinely referred to as “Röntgen rays”. In 1901, Röntgen’s work on X-rays won him the first Nobel Prize in Physics that was ever awarded.

101. Social event for British tavern keepers? : (RE)PUBLICAN PARTY

The modern-day Republican Party was founded in 1854 by anti-slavery activists. The party’s name was chosen as a homage to Thomas Jefferson’s Republican Party, which had been subsumed into the Democratic-Republican Party led by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. Abraham Lincoln became the first Republican US president, in 1861. Since then, there have been more US presidents from the Republican party than from any other.

110. Role for Liam : OSKAR

Oskar Schindler is the protagonist in the Steven Spielberg movie “Schindler’s List”. Schindler was a real person who survived WWII. During the Holocaust, Schindler managed to save almost 1,200 Jews from perishing by employing them in his factories. After the war, Schindler and his wife were left penniless having used his assets to protect and feed his workers. For years the couple survived on the charity of Jewish groups. Schindler tried to make a go of it in business again but never had any real success. He died a pauper in 1974 in Hildesheim, not far from Hanover. His last wish was to be buried in Jerusalem. Schindler was the only former member of the Nazi Party to be buried on Mount Zion.

Irish actor Liam Neeson got his big break when he played Oskar Schindler in the Spielberg epic, “Schindler’s List”. Neeson was in the news a few years ago when he lost his wife, actress Natasha Richardson, in a tragic skiing accident in 2009.

111. Dusting goal? : (RE)MOTE CONTROL

A “mote” is a speck of dust.

115. Banded metamorphic rock : GNEISS

Gneiss is a metamorphic rock containing bands of different colors and compositions. The term “gneiss” comes from the Middle High German “gneist” meaning “to spark”, which is a reference to the rock’s tendency to glitter.

117. Big Sur institute : ESALEN

Esalen is a retreat centre in Big Sur, California that was opened in 1962. The center is located on the coast, about 50 miles south of Monterey. It takes its name from the Esselen Native American tribe that once lived in the area where the institute is located.

118. Cambodians’ neighbors : THAIS

Siam was the official name of Thailand up to 1939 (and again from 1945 to 1949).

124. Knighted British actor Hawthorne : NIGEL

Sir Nigel Hawthorne was an English actor who is best remembered for his portrayal of the marvelous Sir Humphrey Appleby on the British sitcom “Yes Minister”. On the big screen, he is perhaps best known for playing the title role in the 1994 film “The Madness of King George”.

125. License to search for the Holy Grail? : (RE)QUEST PERMISSION

The Holy Grail is a theme found throughout Arthurian legend. The grail itself is some vessel, with the term “grail” coming from the Old French “graal” meaning “cup or bowl made of earth, wood or metal”. Over time, the legend of the Holy Grail became mingled with stories of the Holy Chalice of the Christian tradition, the cup used to serve wine at the Last Supper. Over time, the term “grail” came to be used for any desired or sought-after object.

129. “The Canterbury Tales” pilgrim : REEVE

A reeve was a senior official in the days of Anglo-Saxon England, and might perhaps have been a chief magistrate of a town. Famously, a reeve appears in Geoffrey Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales”. “The Reeve’s Tale” is the third tale in the book.

130. Blast cause : TNT

“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.

131. Washington city : YAKIMA

The city and county of Yakima lie southeast of Mount Rainier in the state of Washington. The Yakima Valley is recognized as one of the best apple-producing regions in the world, and it also produces three quarters of all the hops grown in the US.

132. Enterprise counselor : TROI

Deanna Troi is a character on “Star Trek: The Next Generation” who is played by the lovely Marina Sirtis. Sirtis is a naturalized American citizen and has what I would call a soft American accent on the show. However, she was born in the East End of London and has a natural accent off-stage that is more like that of a true Cockney.

134. Collecting Soc. Sec. : RET

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the average age for retirement in the US is 63, even though that’s early relative to the eligibility age for Social Security and Medicare benefits. Also according to the U.S. Census Bureau, the average length of retirement is 18 years.

136. Virgo/Libra mo. : SEPT

The astrological sign of Virgo is associated with the constellation of the same name. The Virgo constellation is related to maidens (virgins), purity and fertility.

The constellation of Libra is named for the scales held by the goddess of justice. Libra is the only sign of the zodiac that isn’t named for a living creature.

Down

1. Project for Poirot : CASE

Hercule Poirot is one of Agatha Christie’s most beloved characters. He is a wonderful Belgian private detective who plies his trade from his base in London. Poirot’s most famous case is the “Murder on the Orient Express”. First appearing in 1920’s “The Mysterious Affair at Styles”, Poirot finally succumbs to a heart condition in the 1975 book “Curtain: Poirot’s Last Case”. Famously, Poirot is fond of using his “little grey cells”.

3. Student of Seneca : NERO

Seneca the Younger was a tutor and advisor to Nero, emperor of ancient Rome. Although maybe innocent, Seneca was forced to commit suicide by Nero as it was alleged that Seneca participated in a plot to kill the emperor. To kill himself, Seneca cut into a number of veins in order to bleed to death.

4. TV dinner brand : SWANSON

The term “TV dinner”, which describes a prepackaged frozen meal, was actually a trademark for C. A. Swanson & Sons back in 1953. Swanson’s original prepackaged meal was sold as “TV Brand Frozen Dinner” and came in an aluminum tray so that it could be heated in an oven. Swanson stopped using the name in 1962, and now “TV dinner” is a generic term.

5. “Xena” actress O’Connor : RENEE

Renee O’Connor is an actress from Katy, Texas who best known for playing Gabrielle on the television show “Xena: Warrior Princess”.

6. Hush-hush maritime org. : ONI

The Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) is the oldest of the US intelligence services. The ONI was set up in 1882 to determine the state of advancement of foreign naval forces.

7. Java holder : URN

Back in 1850, the name “java” was given to a type of coffee grown on the island of Java, and the usage of the term spread from there.

10. __-de-lis : FLEUR

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

11. Wells title foes : WORLDS

“The War of the Worlds” is a science fiction classic penned by H. G. Wells in 1895-97. This compelling story of Martians invading Earth has been adapted many times into radio dramas, a television series and several movies.

13. Bloody Civil War battle site : ANTIETAM

The first major battle to take place on northern soil during the Civil War was at Antietam Creek in Maryland. It was also the most bloody one-day battle in American history, with about 23,000 casualties.

14. Actress Maples : MARLA

Marla Maples was the second wife of Donald Trump. Maples and Trump dated secretly for a couple of years while Trump was still married to his first wife Ivana. When Ivana discovered the affair, she filed for divorce, and eventually Donald and Marla married. It was Trump’s turn to file for divorce several years later after the National Enquirer outed Marla for having an affair with a Florida bodyguard.

15. Inuit boats : UMIAKS

There is a type of boat used by Inuit people called an “umiak”. . The term “umiak” means “woman’s boat”, whereas “kayak” means “man’s boat”.

The Inuit peoples live in the Arctic, in parts of the US, Russia, Greenland and Canada.

16. Volleyball position : SETTER

In volleyball, each team can only touch the ball a maximum of three times before it returns to the other side of the net. The three contacts are often a “bump” (a preliminary pass) and a “set” (setting up the attacking shot) followed by a “spike” (a shot into the opposing court).

17. Fragrant compounds : ESTERS

Esters are very common chemicals. The smaller, low-molecular weight esters are usually pleasant smelling and are often found in perfumes. At the other end of the scale, the higher-molecular weight nitroglycerin is a nitrate ester and is very explosive, and polyester is a huge molecule and is a type of plastic. Fats and oils found in nature are fatty acid esters of glycerol known as glycerides.

25. Rooster’s last word? : -DOO

Cock-a-doodle-doo

31. __ bene : NOTA

“Nota bene” is Latin for “note well”.

32. Yellowish tone : OCHRE

Ocher is a light, yellowy-brown color, although variations of the pigment are possible such as red ocher and purple ocher. “Ocher” is usually spelled “ochre” on the other side of the pond.

35. Pollen carrier : BEE

The stamen is the male reproductive organ of a flower. The part of the stamen known as the anther sits on a stalk called the filament that carries the pollen. The pollen is picked up by insects, especially bees, who then transfer pollen from flower to flower. The pistil is the female reproductive organ, and it accepts the pollen.

36. Erie Canal city : UTICA

Utica in New York is known as “Second Chance City” these days, due to the recent influx of refugees from war-torn parts of the world and from Bosnia in particular. These immigrants have helped revitalize the area and reverse a trend of population loss.

The Erie Canal runs from Albany to Buffalo in the state of New York. What the canal does is allow shipping to proceed from New York Harbor right up the Hudson River, through the canal and into the Great Lakes. When it was opened in 1825, the Erie Canal had immediate impact on the economy of New York City and locations along its route. It was the first means of “cheap” transportation from a port on the Atlantic seaboard into the interior of the United States. Arguably it was the most important factor contributing to the growth of New York City over competing ports such as Baltimore and Philadelphia. It was largely because of the Erie Canal that New York became such an economic powerhouse, earning it the nickname of “the Empire State”. Paradoxically, one of the project’s main proponents was severely criticized. New York Governor DeWitt Clinton received so much ridicule that the canal was nicknamed “Clinton’s Folly” and “Clinton’s Ditch”.

38. Benjamin of “Law & Order” : BRATT

The actor Benjamin Bratt’s most noted role has to be Detective Rey Curtis on the NBC cop show “Law & Order”. Bratt dated the actress Julia Roberts for a few years.

44. Govt. org. with a Media Bureau : FCC

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has been around since 1934, when it replaced the Federal Radio Commission.

45. Calendario square : DIA

In Spanish we can look at a particular “día” (day) on the “calendario” (calendar).

46. Mil. roadside danger : IED

Improvised explosive device (IED)

48. 2017 Best Director Oscar winner Guillermo __ Toro : DEL

Guillermo del Toro is a film director from Guadalajara in Mexico who has had a of success directing and producing American films. His best-known works are probably action movies like “Blade II” (2002) and “Hellboy” (2004). Del Toro won an Oscar for Best Director for the 2017 movie “The Shape of Water”.

51. It may be held in a deli : MAYO

Mayonnaise originated in the town of Mahon in Menorca, a Mediterranean island belonging to Spain. The Spanish called the sauce “salsa mahonesa” after the town, and this morphed into the French word “mayonnaise” that we use in English today.

53. Southern Calif. airport : LAX

Los Angeles International Airport is the sixth busiest airport in the world in terms of passenger traffic, and the busiest here on the West Coast of the US. The airport was opened in 1930 as Mines Field and was renamed to Los Angeles Airport in 1941. On the airport property is the iconic white structure that resembles a flying saucer. This is called the Theme Building and I believe it is mainly used as a restaurant and observation deck for the public. The airport used to be identified by the letters “LA”, but when the aviation industry went to a three-letter standard for airport identification, this was changed to “LAX”. Apparently, the “X” has no significant meaning.

54. Roller in Vegas : DIE

The numbers on dice are arranged so that the opposite faces add up to seven. Given this arrangement, the numbers 1, 2 and 3 all meet at a common vertex. There are two ways of arranging the 1, 2 and 3 around the common vertex, a so called right-handed die (clockwise 1-2-3) or a left-handed die (counterclockwise 1-2-3). Traditionally, dice used in Western cultures are right-handed, whereas Chinese dice are left-handed. Quite interesting …

57. MLK’s title : REV

Martin Luther King, Jr’s father was born Michael King. On a trip to Germany in 1934, Michael came to admire Protestant leader Martin Luther and changed his name to Martin Luther King on his return the United States. Famously, he passed on his new name to his son, the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr (MLK).

61. Voice artist Blanc : MEL

Mel Blanc was known as “The Man of a Thousand Voices”. We’ve all heard Mel Blanc at one time or another, I am sure. His was the voice behind such cartoon characters as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Tweety Bird, Woody Woodpecker, Elmer Fudd and Barney Rubble. And the words on Blanc’s tombstone are … “That’s all folks”.

67. Pop of punk : IGGY

Iggy Pop is a punk rock performer from Muskegon, Michigan. When he was in high school, he was a drummer for a local band called the Iguanas, and so was given the nickname “Iggy”. He was vocalist for a band called the Stooges, and is often referred to as the Godfather of Punk.

70. Snoopy’s nemesis : RED BARON

Snoopy, the famous beagle in the “Peanuts” comic strip, has a number of alter-egos and is sometimes depicted as a World War I flying ace. Snoopy’s arch-enemy in the air is Manfred von Richthofen, the Red Baron, and Snoopy can often be seen shaking his fist and crying out, “Curse you, Red Baron!”

71. Northern Calif. airport : SFO

The San Francisco Bay Area is served by three major airports: San Francisco (SFO), Oakland (OAK) and San Jose (SJC).

72. Jane Rochester, née __ : EYRE

“Jane Eyre” is a celebrated novel written by Charlotte Brontë, under the pen name Currer Bell. Over the years, I’ve shared here on my blogs that the “Jane Eyre” story line is a little too dark and Gothic for my taste, but a very persuasive blog reader convinced me to look more at the romantic side of the story and give it a second chance. I watched a wonderful 4-hour television adaptation of the novel made by the BBC a while back and I have to say that because I was focused on the relationship between Jane and Rochester, I was able to push past the Gothic influences (that depress me) so I really enjoyed the story. I thoroughly recommend the 2006 BBC adaptation to fans of the novel.

73. Uncouth types : CHURLS

A churl is rude, boorish person. The word “churl” comes from the Old English word “ceorl”, meaning a freeman of the lowest class.

74. It’s misleading when it’s red : HERRING

The exact origin of the term “red herring”, meaning “something that misleads”, isn’t known. The most common explanation for the use of the phrase is that kippers (strong-smelling smoked herrings) were used to by fugitives to distract bloodhounds who were on their trail. Kippers become red-colored during the smoking process, and are no longer “white herrings”.

75. Ming most look up to : YAO

Yao Ming is a retired professional basketball player from Shanghai who played for the Houston Rockets. At 7’6″, Yao was the tallest man playing in the NBA.

76. Spot at the prom? : ZIT

The slang term “zit”, meaning “pimple”, came into the language in 1966, but no one seems to know its exact derivation.

78. Iron pumper’s pride : PEC

“Pecs” is the familiar name for the chest muscle, which is more correctly known as the pectoralis major muscle. “Pectus” is a the Latin word for “breast, chest”.

82. Versatile utensil : SPORK

“Spork” is the more common name for the utensil that is a hybrid between a spoon and a fork. The same utensil is less commonly referred to as a “foon”.

83. Historic nautical trio member : PINTA

Famously, Christopher Columbus used three ships in his first voyage across the Atlantic: the Santa Maria, the Niña and the Pinta. The Pinta was the fastest of the three, and it was from the Pinta that the New World was first spotted, by a sailor named Rodrigo de Triana who was a lookout on the fateful day. Pinta was a nickname for the ship that translated as “the painted one”. The Pinta’s real name has been lost in mists of time.

84. Dionysus devotee : SATYR

The satyrs of Greek mythology came with a very high sex drive. They are the “rude” male subjects drawn on the side of old Greek vases. The nubile maidens known as nymphs were often an object of attention for the satyrs.

Dionysus was the party animal of Greek mythology. Dionysus was the god of wine, ritual madness and ecstasy! His Roman equivalent was Bacchus.

86. Red or White : SOX

The Boston Red Sox is one of the most successful Major League Baseball teams and so commands a large attendance, but only when on the road. The relatively small capacity of Boston’s Fenway Park, the team’s home since 1912, has dictated that every game the Red Sox has played there has been a sell-out since May of 2003. I recently had the pleasure of touring Fenway Park. It’s quite a place …

The Chicago White Sox Major League Baseball team was established in Chicago in 1900 and originally was called the White Stockings. The name was changed because the abbreviation “Sox” for “Stockings” was regularly used in newspaper headlines.

89. “Aladdin” monkey : ABU

Abu is a monkey in the Disney production of “Aladdin”. The character is based on Abu, a thief in the 1940 film “The Thief of Baghdad”.

91. Club component : BACON

The club sandwich is a double-decker affair with three layers of bread and two layers of filling. This style of sandwich has been around since the end of the 19th century, and some say it was invented at an exclusive gambling “club” in Saratoga Springs, New York.

92. AOL alternative : MSN

The Microsoft Network (MSN) used to be an Internet service provider (ISP). These days, MSN is mainly a web portal.

97. Fill to the max : SATE

“Sate” is a variant of the older word “satiate”. Both terms can mean either to satisfy an appetite fully, or to eat to excess.

100. Nikkei index currency : YEN

The Nikkei is a stock market index for the Tokyo Stock Exchange that has been published by the “Nihon Keizai Shimbun” newspaper since 1950. The “Nihon Keizai Shimbun” has the largest circulation of any financial newspaper in the world, and is read by over 3 million people daily.

102. Blog updates : POSTS

Many folks who visit this website regard it as just that, a website. That is true, but more specifically it is referred to as a blog, as I make regular posts (actually daily posts) that then occupy the “front page” of the site. The blog entries are in reverse chronological order, and one can just look back day-by-day, reading older and older posts. “Blog” is a contraction of the term “web log”.

103. Gretzky’s NHL record 1,963 : ASSISTS

Wayne Gretzky is regarded by many as the greatest ever player of ice hockey, and indeed he has the nickname “The Great One”.

104. Supreme Egyptian deity : AMEN-RA

Amun-Ra (also “Amon, Amen”) was a god in Egyptian mythology. Amun lends his name to our word “ammonia”. This is because the Romans called the ammonium chloride that they collected near the Temple of Jupiter Amun, “sal ammoniacus” (salt of Amun).

105. Bar in TV’s “M*A*S*H” : ROSIE’S

Rosie’s Bar was a popular off-base hangout for military personnel in both the film and TV version of “M*A*S*H”. Although the Americans referred to the bar as “Rosie’s”, the signs on the establishment showed that the correct name was “Rose’s Bar”.

112. Parisian 37-Down : ELEVE
(37D. One who has class? : PUPIL)

The French word “élève” can be translated as “pupil, student”.

114. Western treaty gp. : OAS

The Organization of American States (OAS) was founded in 1948, and has its headquarters in Washington, D.C. Not all of the independent states in the Americas are members. Cuba was barred from participation in the organization after a vote in 1962. Honduras had her membership suspended after the country’s 2009 coup.

116. NBA legend Thomas : ISIAH

Isiah Thomas played his whole professional career with the Detroit Pistons, and he is now the head coach with the Florida International University Golden Panthers. When you’re out shopping for popcorn, keep an eye out for the Dale & Thomas brand, as it’s co-owned by Isiah Thomas.

121. Euro forerunners : LIRE

The word “lira” is used in a number of countries for currency. “Lira” comes from the Latin for “pound” and is derived from a British pound sterling, the value of a Troy pound of silver. For example, the lira (plural “lire”) was the official currency of Italy before the country changed over to the euro in 2002.

127. Fjord kin : RIA

A drowned valley might be called a ria or a fjord, with both formed as sea level rises. A ria is a drowned valley created by river erosion, and a fjord is a drowned valley created by glaciation.

128. CXL x XV : MMC

In Roman numerals, CXL x XV (140 x 15) comes to MMC (2100).

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Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1. Pen pals? : CONS
5. Complexion enhancement : ROUGE
10. Email subject abbr. : FWD
13. Get to smile : AMUSE
18. From square one : ANEW
19. Steam up : ENRAGE
21. John, to Paul, George and Ringo : LOO
22. John, Paul, George and Ringo : NAMES
23. Chef’s directives involving sieves? : (RE)STRAINING ORDERS
26. Travis of country : TRITT
27. Tennis’ Goolagong : EVONNE
28. Kia HQ city : SEOUL
29. Widen : DILATE
30. Old pool people : STENOS
34. One splitting firewood? : (RE)CORD BREAKER
36. Violin stroke : UPBOW
39. Big chamber group : OCTET
41. Candidate’s aim : SEAT
42. Yearbook sect. : SRS
43. Chance for Obi-Wan to play? : (RE)TURN OF THE JEDI
47. Quaint oath : EGAD!
49. Bar quaff, briefly : IPA
50. YOLO, in ancient Rome : CARPE DIEM
52. Actress Staunton of Harry Potter movies : IMELDA
56. Lemony, say : CITRIC
59. PC bailout key : ESC
60. 113-Down’s last words : … A DAMN
62. Placed : LAID
63. Take in or let out : ALTER
64. Broadway’s Hagen : UTA
66. Hirsute Himalayan humanoid of myth : YETI
68. Crossed (out) : XED
69. Therapist’s technique using poetry? : (RE)VERSE PSYCHOLOGY
76. Compress, as a file : ZIP
79. Resist : DEFY
80. Pop duo __ & Him : SHE
81. Signs of shock : GASPS
85. Currier’s partner : IVES
87. Andrea __: ill-fated ship : DORIA
90. City, informally : URB
92. Magoo’s malady : MYOPIA
93. Cooperstown charter member : TY COBB
95. Abash : EMBARRASS
98. Prov. at one end of the Ambassador Bridge : ONT
99. Dental image : X-RAY
101. Social event for British tavern keepers? : (RE)PUBLICAN PARTY
104. Latin art : ARS
107. Triangle product : AREA
109. Tot’s rebuttal : IS NOT
110. Role for Liam : OSKAR
111. Dusting goal? : (RE)MOTE CONTROL
115. Banded metamorphic rock : GNEISS
117. Big Sur institute : ESALEN
118. Cambodians’ neighbors : THAIS
120. Film frames : STILLS
124. Knighted British actor Hawthorne : NIGEL
125. License to search for the Holy Grail? : (RE)QUEST PERMISSION
129. “The Canterbury Tales” pilgrim : REEVE
130. Blast cause : TNT
131. Washington city : YAKIMA
132. Enterprise counselor : TROI
133. Portfolio part : ASSET
134. Collecting Soc. Sec. : RET
135. Enlighten : TEACH
136. Virgo/Libra mo. : SEPT

Down

1. Project for Poirot : CASE
2. Airing : ON TV
3. Student of Seneca : NERO
4. TV dinner brand : SWANSON
5. “Xena” actress O’Connor : RENEE
6. Hush-hush maritime org. : ONI
7. Java holder : URN
8. Witty bit : GAG
9. Sensitive issues for directors : EGOS
10. __-de-lis : FLEUR
11. Wells title foes : WORLDS
12. Bobs and buns : DOS
13. Bloody Civil War battle site : ANTIETAM
14. Actress Maples : MARLA
15. Inuit boats : UMIAKS
16. Volleyball position : SETTER
17. Fragrant compounds : ESTERS
20. Put up : ERECTED
24. Bisected : IN TWO
25. Rooster’s last word? : -DOO
29. Involve with reluctantly, as a tough situation : DRAG INTO
31. __ bene : NOTA
32. Yellowish tone : OCHRE
33. Answers the call : STEPS UP
35. Pollen carrier : BEE
36. Erie Canal city : UTICA
37. One who has class? : PUPIL
38. Benjamin of “Law & Order” : BRATT
40. Kicks out : EJECTS
44. Govt. org. with a Media Bureau : FCC
45. Calendario square : DIA
46. Mil. roadside danger : IED
48. 2017 Best Director Oscar winner Guillermo __ Toro : DEL
51. It may be held in a deli : MAYO
53. Southern Calif. airport : LAX
54. Roller in Vegas : DIE
55. Put in : ADD
57. MLK’s title : REV
58. Miffed : IRED
61. Voice artist Blanc : MEL
65. Shakespearean cries : AYS
67. Pop of punk : IGGY
70. Snoopy’s nemesis : RED BARON
71. Northern Calif. airport : SFO
72. Jane Rochester, née __ : EYRE
73. Uncouth types : CHURLS
74. It’s misleading when it’s red : HERRING
75. Ming most look up to : YAO
76. Spot at the prom? : ZIT
77. Climbing greenery : IVY
78. Iron pumper’s pride : PEC
82. Versatile utensil : SPORK
83. Historic nautical trio member : PINTA
84. Dionysus devotee : SATYR
86. Red or White : SOX
88. Little trickster : IMP
89. “Aladdin” monkey : ABU
91. Club component : BACON
92. AOL alternative : MSN
94. Patient’s ID : BRACELET
96. Knack : ABILITY
97. Fill to the max : SATE
100. Nikkei index currency : YEN
102. Blog updates : POSTS
103. Gretzky’s NHL record 1,963 : ASSISTS
104. Supreme Egyptian deity : AMEN-RA
105. Bar in TV’s “M*A*S*H” : ROSIE’S
106. Play grounds? : STAGES
108. Bring into harmony : ATTUNE
112. Parisian 37-Down : ELEVE
113. “I never give anything without expecting something in return” speaker : RHETT
114. Western treaty gp. : OAS
116. NBA legend Thomas : ISIAH
119. Little fight : SPAT
121. Euro forerunners : LIRE
122. Programmer’s “endless” problem : LOOP
123. Peevish state : SNIT
125. Game div. : QTR
126. Barely make, with “out” : EKE
127. Fjord kin : RIA
128. CXL x XV : MMC

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19 thoughts on “LA Times Crossword 10 Feb 19, Sunday”

  1. LAT: 17:30, 5 errors. Various typos and dumb stuff, and then one of Bill’s errors. Newsday: 17:10, no errors. Washington Post: 15:56, no errors.

    1. Dave –
      That bottle of tequila sounds wonderful. I’ll send you some contact info and my schedule to Bill and have him pass it on to you. I could use Glenn too, but I don’t have his url

      1. > I could use Glenn too, but I don’t have his url

        Not sure what you mean here, but as far as web content goes, you can get to my blog off of my name. As far as e-mail goes, you could contact me off of the site and I’ll get it.

        1. Dave – left you a message on your site. Let me know here if you didn’t get it.

          I guess it’s time to do the actual puzzle now. I’ll save the NYT for the flight tomorrow morning

          Best –

  2. LAT 1 hr & 5 min. No errors .I had no idea what esalen was , it’s filled in with crosses
    @ Bill …. Give yourself a break . You had 2 letters wrong (ok that made 4 words wrong) but it was just two letters .
    NYT #0203 from my paper today, 1 hour & 45 min. On what IMO was a very tough puzzle only to have one error by spelling Cajun and Fiji with a G .****** Very exasperating .

  3. Just under 24 minutes, but the entire SW corner was one big Natick to me. So, 12 unfilled and one other error. Nice theme, which worked throughout. But sneakily difficult, as evidenced by an unlikely 4 errors from Bill himself!!!

  4. No errors. I give it a 7 on the scale of difficulty. I got lucky on some calculated guesses.

  5. Got it all but have to admit I didn’t tumble to the theme until I had the
    last part of 43-across as “Jedi”…then the rest came pretty easily…Oh, I
    misspelled “embarrass” the first time through so that caused me some
    problems. Fun puzzle.

  6. Greetings peeps!!🐔

    No errors, tho I wasn’t sure of REEVE till I came here. Clever theme! 😏

    I guess I’m a purist when it comes to the novel Gone With the Wind: I do love the movie, but I prefer Rhett’s rendition of that line in the book: “I don’t give a damn.” He is weary and resigned, not flip — not angry.

    Just watched Hamlet from 1948 — what a great movie. Never had seen that version. It’s the best, IMO, despite Olivier’s cutting of some scenes and characters.

    Be well~~🍹

  7. I don’t check your blog every day … or even very often, but this is the first time I have ever seen you cop to any errors! 😉

    (I came here today because I wasn’t sure about Amun-Ra/Usalen.)

Comments are closed.