LA Times Crossword 14 Apr 19, Sunday

Advertisement

Constructed by: Jeffrey Wechsler
Edited by: Rich Norris

Today’s Theme: I Candy

Themed answers are common phrases with a letter I inserted:

  • 23A Ryder Cup two-man team? : PAIR FOR THE COURSE (from “par for the course”)
  • 34A Locally organized event with rides and games? : FAIR FROM HOME (from “far from home”)
  • 66A Signpost signaling farmland? : PLAINS AHEAD (from “plans ahead”)
  • 93A Source of Capitol Hill water? : CONGRESS MAIN (from “congressman”)
  • 112A Overworked employee at a desert diner? : HOT RUNNING WAITER (from “hot running water”)
  • 16D Periodical for some Downton Abbey employees? : MAID MAGAZINE (from “”Mad’ magazine”)
  • 59D Only bucket you’ll ever need? : LIFELONG PAIL (from “lifelong pal”)

Bill’s time: 18m 23s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Stationery item with printed margin lines : LEGAL PAD

“Stationery” is a noun describing writing materials and office supplies, items that are sold by a stationer. Centuries ago, a stationer was someone who sold goods from a shop or a “station”, from a fixed, “stationary” stall.

16 Artistic dynasty : MING

The Ming Dynasty lasted in China from 1368 to 1644. The Ming Dynasty oversaw tremendous innovation in so many areas, including the manufacture of ceramics. Late in the Ming period, a shift towards a market economy in China led to the export of porcelain on an unprecedented scale, perhaps explaining why we tend to hear more about Ming vases than we do about porcelain from any other Chinese dynasty.

20 Haydn’s “The Creation,” for one : ORATORIO

“The Creation” is an oratorio by composer Joseph Haydn that was written between 1796 and 1798. Many consider it to be his magnum opus. Haydn was a deeply religious man (he wrote the words “Praise to God” at the end of every composition) and spent more time working on “The Creation” than any other single work. He was inspired to write “The Creation” after spending time in England and hearing the oratorios of Handel.

23 Ryder Cup two-man team? : PAIR FOR THE COURSE (from “par for the course”)

The Ryder Cup trophy was donated to the sport of golf by Samuel Ryder, an English entrepreneur. Ryder made his money selling garden seeds in small packets. He only took up golf when he was in his fifties but became quite the enthusiast and eventually donated the trophy in 1927, when it was valued at 100 guineas. The Ryder Cup is a biennial tournament played between teams from the US and Europe.

25 Othello deceiver : IAGO

Iago is the schemer in Shakespeare’s “Othello”. He is a soldier who fought alongside Othello and feels hard done by, missing out on promotion. Iago hatches a plot designed to discredit his rival Cassio by insinuating that Cassio is having an affair with Desdemona, Othello’s wife.

27 Virus’ protein shell : CAPSID

Viruses exist outside of infected cells as independent particle known as virions. Virions comprise three structures:

  1. Genetic material (DNA or RNA)
  2. A protective protein coat called a capsid surrounding the genetic material
  3. An envelope of lipids surrounding the capsid

31 Cinque e uno : SEI

In Italian, “cinque e uno” (five and one) adds up to “sei” (six).

33 Gooey treat : S’MORE

S’mores are treats peculiar to North America that are usually eaten around a campfire. A s’more consists of a roasted marshmallow and a layer of chocolate sandwiched between two graham crackers. The earliest written reference to the recipe is in a 1927 publication called “Tramping and Trailing with the Girl Scouts”. Girl Scouts always did corner the market on cookies and the like!

41 Photogenic expanse : VISTA

When the word “photogenic” was coined back in the 1830s, it had the meaning “produced by light”, and came from “photo-” meaning “light” and “-genic” meaning “produced by”. Back then, the new technology of photography was referred to as “photogenic drawing”. “Photogenic” evolved into the current meaning meaning of “photographing well” in the 1920s.

44 Copied, old-style : DITTOED

The word “ditto” was originally used in Italian (from Tuscan dialect) to avoid repetition of the names of months in a series of dates. So, “ditto” is just another wonderful import from that lovely land …

45 Wilder’s “__ Town” : OUR

“Our Town” is a play by Thornton Wilder that was first performed in 1938. Wilder won a Pulitzer for the work. “Our Town” was actually banned by the Soviet authorities in East Berlin in 1946. Their reasoning was that “the drama was too depressing and could inspire a German suicide wave”.

46 Occultist symbol : PENTAGRAM

A pentagram is a star-shape with five points that has been drawn using five straight lines. The name “pentagram” comes from the Greek for “five line”. The shape is sometimes also called a “pentacle”, “pentalpha” or “pentangle”. The pentagram is used as a prominent symbol in several religions and movements, notably in modern occultism.

53 Rhyme scheme in Frost’s “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” : AABA

When I was a schoolkid back in Ireland, Robert Frost’s “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” was our first introduction to American poetry, and what a lovely introduction it was:

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound’s the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

54 Boop frame : CEL

Betty Boop made her first appearance on the screen in 1930, in a cartoon called “Dizzy Dishes”. Her character was modeled on the the It-girl, the sexy Clara Bow of movie fame. Back then Betty Boop was a sexy poodle and it wasn’t until 1932 that she morphed into completely human form. Betty was quite the risqué figure, but her vampish ways only lasted a few years. When the Production Code of 1934 came into force, Betty started to dress more modestly and toned down her behavior.

57 Zagreb native : CROAT

Zagreb is the capital city of the Republic of Croatia. Zagreb has been around a long, long time, and dates back to the diocese of Zagreb that was founded at the end of 11th century.

58 Biblical mount : ZION

Mount Zion is a hill in Jerusalem that his home to a number of important sites including King David’s Tomb, the Room of the Last Supper and the Chamber of the Holocaust. The Catholic cemetery on Mount Zion is also where Oskar Schindler was buried, the German national who saved over 1,000 Jews during the Holocaust.

62 Don of talk radio : IMUS

Don Imus’s syndicated radio show “Imus in the Morning” used to broadcast from New York City. Imus has been described as a “shock jock”, a disc jockey who deliberately uses provocative language and humor that many would find offensive . I’m not a big fan of shock jocks …

63 Choir group : ALTI

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”.

72 Memorial __ Kettering: NYC hospital : SLOAN

The Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City comprises the Memorial Hospital for Cancer and Allied Diseases, and Sloan Kettering Institute. The center was founded in 1884 as the New York Cancer Hospital by a group of philanthropists led by John Jacob Astor and his wife Charlotte. The Sloan-Kettering Institute is the research arm of the center. The institute was set up in 1945 with funds from the charitable foundation of Alfred P. Sloan. Jr. Charles F. Kettering was an executive at General Motors at the time, and he organized the application of industrial research techniques to the fight against cancer. Sloan and Kettering jointly announced the founding of the institute in the days following the dropping of the first atom bomb on Hiroshima. The pair pointed out that if a two billion dollar scientific effort could produce an atomic bomb, then surely a similar application of funds and scientific talent could make enormous strides in the fight against cancer.

76 Sewing cases : ETUIS

An etui is an ornamental case used to hold small items, in particular sewing needles. We imported both the case design and the word “etui” from France. The French also have a modern usage of “etui”, using the term to depict a case for carrying CDs.

78 Brush brand : ORAL-B

The Oral-B toothbrush was introduced to the world in 1950, designed by a California periodontist. The first “model” was the Oral-B 60, a name given to reflect the 60 tufts in the brush. In 1969, the Oral-B was the first toothbrush to get to the moon as it was the toothbrush of choice for the crew of the Apollo 11 spacecraft.

82 “The __ that men do lives after them”: Antony : EVIL

There is a famous speech made by Mark Antony in William Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar” that starts with:

Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;
I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.
The evil that men do lives after them;
The good is oft interred with their bones;
So let it be with Caesar.

83 Wang of fashion : VERA

Vera Wang’s first choice for a career was figure skating. Although she a very capable skater, Wang failed to make the 1968 US Olympics team. She switched to the world of fashion, and is now famous for her designs of wedding dresses … and also costumes for figure skaters.

84 Some beer orders, initially : PBRS

Pabst Blue Ribbon (PBR) is the most recognizable brand of beer from the Pabst Brewing Company. There appears to be some dispute over whether or not Pabst beer ever won a “blue ribbon” prize, but the company claims that it did so at the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893. The beer was originally called Pabst Best Select, and then just Pabst Select. With the renaming to Blue Ribbon, the beer was sold with an actual blue ribbon tied around the neck of the bottle until it was dropped in 1916 and incorporated into the label.

86 Immature insects : LARVAE

The larva is an intermediate stage in the development of an insect. All four stages are embryo, larva, pupa and imago.

90 Okinawa okay : HAI

Okinawa Island is the largest of the Ryukyu Islands, a long chain that arcs over 1,000 miles south of Japan in the direction of Taiwan. Okinawa is home to over 30 US military facilities, including Kadena Air Base and the Marine Corps’ Camp Foster.

93 Source of Capitol Hill water? : CONGRESS MAIN (from “congressman”)

Washington D.C.’s designer Pierre L’Enfant chose the crest of a hill as the site for the future Congress House. He called the location “Jenkins Hill” and “Jenkins Heights”. Earlier records show the name as “New Troy”. Today we call it “Capitol Hill”.

95 Europe’s longest river : VOLGA

The Volga is the longest river in Europe. It is also considered the national river of Russia.

98 Vulcano of “Impractical Jokers” : SAL

“Impractical Jokers” is a TV reality show in which a comedy troupe called the Tenderloins give each other outrageous challenges that usually involve unwitting members of the public. The show is very popular, but to be honest, not my cup of tea …

101 Frozen treats : ICE POPS

The term “ice pop” has largely been supplanted in the US by “popsicle”, as the Popsicle brand of ice pop became so popular. We still use “ice pop” in Ireland, and in the UK the same thing is called an “ice lolly”, and in Australia it’s an “ice block”.

104 City near Mount Rainier : 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.

106 Exemplar of corporate malfeasance : ENRON

After all the trials following the exposure of fraud at Enron, several of the key players ended up in jail. Andrew Fastow was the Chief Financial Officer. He plea-bargained and received ten years without parole, and became the key witness in the trials of others. Even Fastow’s wife was involved and she was sentenced to one year for helping her husband hide money. Jeffrey Skilling (ex-CEO) was sentenced to 24 years and 4 months. Kenneth Lay (CEO) died in 2006 after he had been found guilty but before he could be sentenced. The accounting firm Arthur Andersen was found guilty of obstruction of justice for shredding thousands of pertinent documents and deleting emails and files (a decision that the Supreme Court later overturned on a technicality). But still, Arthur Andersen collapsed under the weight of the scandal and 85,000 people lost their jobs (despite only a handful being directly involved with Enron).

111 Medical lab liquids : SERA

Blood serum (plural “sera”) is the clear, yellowish part of blood i.e. that part which is neither a blood cell or a clotting factor. Included in blood serum are antibodies, the proteins that are central to our immune system. Blood serum from animals that have immunity to some disease can be transferred to another individual, hence providing that second individual with some level of immunity. Blood serum used to pass on immunity can be called “antiserum”.

116 Wells people : ELOI

In the 1895 novel by H. G. Wells called “The Time Machine”, there are two races that the hero encounter in his travels into the future. The Eloi are the “beautiful people” who live on the planet’s surface. The Morlocks are a domineering race living underground who use the Eloi as food.

Down

4 Big name in razors : ATRA

Fortunately for crossword constructors, the Atra was introduced by Gillette in 1977, as the first razor with a pivoting head. The Atra was sold as the Contour in some markets and its derivative products are still around today.

6 They know the ropes : PROS

As one might expect perhaps, the phrase “learning the ropes” is nautical in origin. A new recruit on a sailing vessel would have to learn how to tie the appropriate knots and learn which rope controlled which sail or spar.

8 Many a late ’90s startup : DOT-COM

The dot-com bubble was a phenomenon seen in 1997 to 2000 during which speculation led to the overvaluation of poorly-understood Internet stocks. The bubble burst on March 10, 2000. Within ten days, the value of the NASDAQ was down by over 10%.

10 WWII females : WACS

The Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) was formed in 1942, and the unit was converted to full status the following year to become the Women’s Army Corps (WAC). I like a quotation from the front of the WAC physical training manual from 1943: “Your Job: To Replace Men. Be Ready To Take Over.” Famously, General Douglas MacArthur referred to the WACs as his “best soldiers”, saying they worked harder, complained less and were better disciplined than men. The WACs were disbanded in 1978 and the serving members were integrated into the rest of the army.

11 Plaza Hotel imp : ELOISE

Kay Thompson wrote the “Eloise” series of children’s books. Kay Thompson actually lived at the Plaza Hotel in New York, the setting she would choose for her “Eloise” stories. Eloise started out as a hit song for Thompson, a success that she parlayed into the book franchise.

14 Part of MIT: Abbr. : INST

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) was founded in 1861 and first offered classes in 1865, in the Mercantile building in Boston. Today’s magnificent campus on the banks of the Charles River in Cambridge opened in 1916.

16 Periodical for some Downton Abbey employees? : MAID MAGAZINE (from “”Mad’ magazine”)

Fans of the wonderful TV drama “Downton Abbey” will be very familiar with the exterior appearance of Highclere Castle in Hampshire. Highclere is used as the location for exterior and many interior shots of the fictitious Grantham residence called Downton Abbey. The exterior of Highclere is very reminiscent of the Houses of Parliament building in London. That similarity exists because the house was largely rebuilt from 1839 to 1842 by architect Sir Charles Barry soon after he finished work on the refurbished Houses of Parliament.

“Mad” magazine has been around since 1952, although back then it was more of a comic book than a magazine. The original founder and editor was Harvey Kurtzman and in order to convince him to stay, the publisher changed the format to a magazine in 1955. That’s when the publication really took off in terms of popularity.

18 Neighbor of Chad : NIGER

The Republic of Niger is a landlocked country in Western Africa that gets its name from the Niger River. 80% of the country lies within the bounds of the Sahara Desert.

19 Crystal-bearing rock : GEODE

A geode is a rock in which there is a cavity that is lined or filled with crystal formations.

24 One holding a derby? : HAT HOOK

I think that a bowler hat is usually called a derby here in the US. The bowler was first produced in 1849 in London by hatmakers Thomas and William Bowler, hence the name. The alternative name of “derby” comes from the tradition of wearing bowler hats at the Derby horse race (a major race held annually in England).

29 Open org. : USTA

The United States Tennis Association (USTA) is the national organization governing the sport of tennis in the US. The USTA was founded way back in 1881 as the United States National Lawn Tennis Association.

30 Fish-and-chips fish : COD

In the British Isles, the most common fish that is used in traditional “fish and chips” is Atlantic cod. Cod has been overfished all over the world, and is now considered to be an endangered species by many international bodies. Confrontations over fishing rights in the North Atlantic led to conflicts called “the Cod Wars” between Iceland and the UK in the 1950s and the 1970s, with fishing fleets being protected by naval vessels and even shots being fired.

34 Banking org. since 1933 : FDIC

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

37 GPS datum : RTE

A global positioning system (GPS) might point out a route (rte.).

38 “Too little payment __ great a debt”: Shak. : FOR SO

The above quote is a line from the end of William Shakespeare’s play “The Taming of the Shrew”.

William Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew” is about a courting couple. The male in the couple is Petruchio, a gentleman of Verona, and the female is Katharina/Kate, the so-called “shrew”. As the play progresses, the “shrew” is “tamed” and becomes an “obedient” bride … a controversial storyline in the contemporary world, to say the least. Regardless, modern adaptations have been made, including 1948’s Broadway musical “Kiss Me Kate” and the 1999 romantic comedy “10 Things I Hate About You”.

40 Union title? : MRS

Mr. is an abbreviation for “mister”, and Mrs. is an abbreviation for “mistress”.

42 Visiting the Griffith Observatory, say : IN LA

The Griffith Observatory is a facility on Mount Hollywood in Los Angeles that opened in 1935. It was named for benefactor Griffith J. Griffith, a philanthropist whose reputation was marred when he shot his wife, a crime for which he served two years in prison.

43 Editor’s mark : STET

“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.

47 Spider-Man films director : RAIMI

Sam Raimi is a very successful director and producer. He was behind the “Spider-Man” series of films among others, and TV series’ such as “Xena: Warrior Princess”.

49 Cleric’s residence : MANSE

A manse is a minister’s home in various Christian traditions. “Manse” derives from “mansus”, the Latin for “dwelling”. The term can also be used for any stately residence.

51 They work on books : TREASURERS

In a corporate structure, a treasurer us usually an officer in the finance organization whose responsibility it is to manage cash and liquidity.

56 How to talk to the hand?: Abbr. : ASL

American Sign Language (ASL)

57 “The Godfather” actor : CAAN

James Caan is an actor from the Bronx, New York City. He is noted for his appearances in some very big movies such as “The Godfather”, “Misery”, “A Bridge Too Far”, “Rollerball” and more recently “Elf”. Caan is quite the sportsman. He plays golf with an 8 handicap, and is a 6-Dan Black Belt Master of Gosoku Karate.

“The Godfather” series of films is based on “The Godfather” novel by Mario Puzo, first published in 1969. Francis Ford Coppola worked with Puzo in partnership to adapt his novel into the screenplay for the first film, and to write the screenplays for the two sequels. Coppola holds that there are really only two films in “The Godfather” series, with “The Godfather Part III” actually being the epilogue.

60 Genesis grandson : ENOS

Enos was the son of Seth, and therefore the grandson of Adam and Eve. According to the ancient Jewish work called the Book of Jubilees, Enos married his own sister Noam.

61 Clandestine org. : NSA

National Security Agency (NSA)

63 Transmogrify, e.g. : ALTER

To transmogrify is to alter something to an extreme, often with humorous or grotesque intent.

65 Sri Lankan people : TAMIL

Tamils are a large ethnic group of almost 80 million people who speak Tamil as their mother tongue. Despite the large Tamil population, there is no Tamil state. The highest concentration of Tamils is in Sri Lanka, where they make up about 25% of the population.

67 Homeric epic : ILIAD

“The Iliad” is an epic poem by the Greek poet Homer that tells the story of the ten-year siege of Ilium (also known as “Troy”) during the Trojan war. “The Odyssey”, also attributed to Homer, is sometimes described as a sequel to “The Iliad”.

68 2010 health law: Abbr. : ACA

The correct name for what has been dubbed “Obamacare” is the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act” (ACA).

69 Airport serving Washington : DULLES

Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) opened for business in 1962. It was named for John Foster Dulles, who served as Secretary of State in the Eisenhower administration. When it opened, Dulles used the airport code “DIA”, standing for Dulles International Airport. However, “IAD” was often confused with “DCA” when handwritten, with the latter being the code for nearby Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. So, Dulles adopted the IAD code letters in 1968.

74 Ski resort helpers : T-BARS

A T-bar is a ski lift on which the skiers are pulled up the hill in pairs, with each pair standing (not sitting!) either side of a T-shaped metal bar. The bar is placed behind the thighs, pulling along the skiers as they remain standing on their skis (hopefully!). There’s also a J-bar, which is a similar device but with each J-shaped bar used by one skier at a time.

77 Footballer’s tool, in France : TETE

In French, the “tête” (head) is the top of “le corps” (the body).

In soccer, a header is a pass or shot on goal made by heading the ball, by hitting and directing the ball with the head.

78 Literally, “folding paper” : ORIGAMI

Origami is the traditional Japanese art form of paper folding. The best-known example of the craft is the paper crane. The word “origami” is derived from “ori“ (folding) and “kami” (paper).

79 Sports shoe brand : AVIA

The “Avia” brand name for athletic shoes was chosen as “avia” is the Latin word for “to fly”, and suggests the concept of aviation. Avia was founded in Oregon in 1979.

80 Star trek figures? : MAGI

“Magi” is the plural of the Latin word “magus”, a term applied to someone who was able to read the stars. Hence, “magi” is commonly used with reference to the “wise men from the East” who followed the star and visited Jesus soon after he was born. In Western Christianity, the three Biblical Magi are:

  • Melchior: a scholar from Persia
  • Caspar: a scholar from India
  • Balthazar: a scholar from Arabia

81 Low-level laborer : PEON

A peon is a lowly worker who has no real control over his/her working conditions. The word “peon” comes into English from Spanish, in which language it has the same meaning.

84 Saigon soup : PHO

Pho is a noodle soup from Vietnam that is a popular street food.

Hanoi (“Hà Nội” in Vietnamese) was the capital of North Vietnam, and Saigon the capital of South Vietnam. After the Vietnam War, Hanoi was made capital of the reunified state. Saigon, the larger metropolis, was renamed to Ho Chi Minh City. Hanoi is located in the delta of the Red River, and is just over 50 miles from the Gulf of Tonkin in the South China Sea.

87 Sleep stage : REM

“REM” is an acronym standing for rapid eye movement sleep. REM sleep takes up 20-25% of the sleeping hours and is the period associated with one’s most vivid dreams.

89 “See you later!” : CIAO!

“Ciao” is Italian for “‘bye”. “Arrivederci” is more formal, and translates as “goodbye”.

93 Artist Monet : CLAUDE

French artist Claude Monet was one of the founders of the Impressionist movement, and indeed the term “Impressionism” comes from the title of his 1872 painting “Impression, Sunrise”. That work depicts the port of Le Havre, which was Monet’s hometown. Later in his life, Monet purchased a house in Giverny, and famously installed lily ponds and a Japanese bridge in the property’s extensive gardens. He spent two decades painting the water lily ponds, producing his most famous works.

94 Its capital is Kigali : RWANDA

Kigali is the capital of the African nation of Rwanda, and is located in the center of the country. That location led to the city being picked as the capital in 1962, over the traditional capital of Nyanza. The choice was made on the occasion of Rwanda’s independence from Belgium. Kigali was the center of the Rwandan Genocide of 1994, in which half a million to one million Rwandans were killed. That was perhaps 20% of the country’s total population wiped out in the space of four months.

96 Kitchen sponge brand : OCELO

“o-cel-o” is a brand of kitchen sponge was introduced in 1947, and is made today by 3M. The “o-cel-o” name comes from chemical components used in the product’s manufacture, i.e. oxygen-cellulose-oxygen.

99 Old-time actor Lew : AYRES

The Hollywood actor Lew Ayres got his big break in “All Quiet On the Western Front”. Famously, he also played Dr. Kildare in several movies. Ayres’ private life wasn’t too dull. He was married three times, Lola Lane and Ginger Rogers being wives one and two. Ayres was also the man for whom actress Jane Wyman left her husband Ronald Reagan, although the Ayres-Wyman relationship didn’t last very long.

102 February forecaster from Punxsutawney : PHIL

Punxsutawney is a borough in Pennsylvania that is located about 80 miles northeast of Pittsburgh. Punxsutawney Phil is the famous groundhog that lives in the area. Phil comes out of his hole on February 2 each year and if he sees his shadow he goes back into his hole predicting six more weeks of winter weather. February 2 is known as “Groundhog Day”.

103 Sound measure : SONE

In the world of acoustics, the sone was introduced in 1936 as a unit of perceived loudness.

109 Redding of blues : OTIS

Otis Redding is often referred to as the “King of Soul”, and what a voice he had. Like so many of the greats in the world of popular music it seems, Redding was killed in a plane crash, in 1967 when he was just 26 years old. Just three days earlier he had recorded what was to be his biggest hit, “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay”.

110 “Party of Five” actress Campbell : NEVE

Neve Campbell is a Canadian actress whose big break in movies came with the “Scream” horror film series, in which she had a leading role. I don’t do horror films, so I haven’t seen any of the “Scream” movies. Nor have I seen the TV series “Party of Five” that launched the acting careers of both Campbell and Jennifer Love Hewitt in the nineties.

114 Some appliances : GES

The General Electric Company is usually referred to simply as “GE”. One of the precursor companies to GE was Edison General Electric, founded in 1890 by the inventor Thomas Edison. What we know today as GE was formed two years later when Edison merged his company with Charles Coffin’s Thomson-Houston Electric Company. In 1896, GE was selected as one of the 12 companies listed on the newly formed Dow Jones Industrial Average. GE was the last the original 12 to survive on that list, being replaced by Walgreens in 2018. I spent over ten years with GE at the beginning of my working career, and in fact it was GE that asked me to transfer to the US back in the 1980s …

115 Like most of Denmark’s flag : RED

The flag of Denmark comprises a white Scandinavian cross on a red background. The Danish flag appears in the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest continuously-used national flag, having being adopted in 1625. The flag is known in Denmark as the “Dannebrog”, meaning “Danish cloth”.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Stationery item with printed margin lines : LEGAL PAD
9 Arrive with a flourish : SWEEP IN
16 Artistic dynasty : MING
20 Haydn’s “The Creation,” for one : ORATORIO
21 Casual beer order : TALL ONE
22 Suzette’s gal pal : AMIE
23 Ryder Cup two-man team? : PAIR FOR THE COURSE (from “par for the course”)
25 Othello deceiver : IAGO
26 MLB info : STATS
27 Virus’ protein shell : CAPSID
28 Moved with effort : TRUDGED
30 Bunk array : COTS
31 Cinque e uno : SEI
33 Gooey treat : S’MORE
34 Locally organized event with rides and games? : FAIR FROM HOME (from “far from home”)
41 Photogenic expanse : VISTA
44 Copied, old-style : DITTOED
45 Wilder’s “__ Town” : OUR
46 Occultist symbol : PENTAGRAM
50 Lazy ones : IDLERS
51 Little ones : TOTS
52 Look too closely? : OGLE
53 Rhyme scheme in Frost’s “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” : AABA
54 Boop frame : CEL
55 Blunt, as reality : STARK
57 Zagreb native : CROAT
58 Biblical mount : ZION
59 Cad : LOUSE
60 Pass : ENACT
62 Don of talk radio : IMUS
63 Choir group : ALTI
66 Signpost signaling farmland? : PLAINS AHEAD (from “plans ahead”)
70 Evening, in ads : NITE
71 Kale unit : LEAF
72 Memorial __ Kettering: NYC hospital : SLOAN
73 Less than right? : ACUTE
75 Unthreatening : TAME
76 Sewing cases : ETUIS
78 Brush brand : ORAL-B
79 Rock bass supplier? : AMP
82 “The __ that men do lives after them”: Antony : EVIL
83 Wang of fashion : VERA
84 Some beer orders, initially : PBRS
86 Immature insects : LARVAE
88 Moved : RELOCATED
90 Okinawa okay : HAI
91 “Just watch me!” : HERE I GO!
92 More clement : NICER
93 Source of Capitol Hill water? : CONGRESS MAIN (from “congressman”)
95 Europe’s longest river : VOLGA
98 Vulcano of “Impractical Jokers” : SAL
100 Stare open-mouthed : GAWP
101 Frozen treats : ICE POPS
104 Occultist symbol : YAKIMA
106 Exemplar of corporate malfeasance : ENRON
111 Medical lab liquids : SERA
112 Overworked employee at a desert diner? : HOT RUNNING WAITER (from “hot running water”)
116 Wells people : ELOI
117 Words of desperation, perhaps : I NEED IT
118 Metaphorical scrutiny, in modern lingo : DEEP DIVE
119 Nursery staple : SOIL
120 Charge for using : LEASE TO
121 Took stock of : ASSESSED

Down

1 Cut : LOP
2 Times to remember : ERAS
3 Track pace : GAIT
4 Big name in razors : ATRA
5 Hit in the 7-Down : LOFT
6 They know the ropes : PROS
7 See 5-Down : AIR
8 Many a late ’90s startup : DOT-COM
9 Leaves the office for a bit : STEPS OUT
10 WWII females : WACS
11 Plaza Hotel imp : ELOISE
12 Get away from : ELUDE
13 __ favor : POR
14 Part of MIT: Abbr. : INST
15 At no time, poetically : NE’ER
16 Periodical for some Downton Abbey employees? : MAID MAGAZINE (from “”Mad’ magazine”)
17 Mature insect : IMAGO
18 Neighbor of Chad : NIGER
19 Crystal-bearing rock : GEODE
24 One holding a derby? : HAT HOOK
29 Open org. : USTA
30 Fish-and-chips fish : COD
32 “No need to shout” : I’VE GOT EARS
34 Banking org. since 1933 : FDIC
35 One might run an errand : AIDE
36 “__ take a while” : IT’LL
37 GPS datum : RTE
38 “Too little payment __ great a debt”: Shak. : FOR SO
39 Relax between games : REST UP
40 Union title? : MRS
42 Visiting the Griffith Observatory, say : IN LA
43 Editor’s mark : STET
46 Place for a rocker : PORCH
47 Spider-Man films director : RAIMI
48 In the area of : ABOUT
49 Cleric’s residence : MANSE
51 They work on books : TREASURERS
56 How to talk to the hand?: Abbr. : ASL
57 “The Godfather” actor : CAAN
59 Only bucket you’ll ever need? : LIFELONG PAIL (from “lifelong pal”)
60 Genesis grandson : ENOS
61 Clandestine org. : NSA
63 Transmogrify, e.g. : ALTER
64 Get going : LEAVE
65 Sri Lankan people : TAMIL
67 Homeric epic : ILIAD
68 2010 health law: Abbr. : ACA
69 Airport serving Washington : DULLES
74 Ski resort helpers : T-BARS
76 Pre-hurricane emergency op : EVAC
77 Footballer’s tool, in France : TETE
78 Literally, “folding paper” : ORIGAMI
79 Sports shoe brand : AVIA
80 Star trek figures? : MAGI
81 Low-level laborer : PEON
84 Saigon soup : PHO
85 Ram : BANG INTO
87 Sleep stage : REM
89 “See you later!” : CIAO!
91 Old-school “cool” : HEP
93 Artist Monet : CLAUDE
94 Its capital is Kigali : RWANDA
95 Carpentry shop gadgets : VISES
96 Kitchen sponge brand : OCELO
97 The king of France? : LE ROI
99 Old-time actor Lew : AYRES
102 February forecaster from Punxsutawney : PHIL
103 Sound measure : SONE
105 Make woolens, say : KNIT
106 They’re woolly : EWES
107 Travel pillow spot : NAPE
108 Clears (of) : RIDS
109 Redding of blues : OTIS
110 “Party of Five” actress Campbell : NEVE
113 In-flight drink option : TEA
114 Some appliances : GES
115 Like most of Denmark’s flag : RED

12 thoughts on “LA Times Crossword 14 Apr 19, Sunday”

  1. LAT: 24:45, no errors. Newsday: 41:45, no errors. Much tougher than normal. Washington Post: 25:46, no errors. Nice little themeless grid.

  2. 49:03 no errors….It took a while to change hat rack to hat hook and I wasn’t sure gawp was a word but it turns out it is. NYT0407 1 hr and 9 min with no errors …..A good Sunday for me

  3. No errors, but had to use the cross words to get some answers–like
    “capsid” which was unknown to me. I, too, wondered about “gawp” but
    put it in anyway.

  4. @Carrie … Thanks for your concern (and I apologize for a possibly misleading post yesterday). I survived my battery-changing chore without any life-threatening moments. At 76, though, my days of climbing around on ladders, like my rock-climbing days, are probably numbered … 😳

    Did all my usual puzzles. Today’s 21×21 Universal puzzle has a truly elegant look and was very pleasant to solve …

  5. 38:17. A lot of typically Wechslerian cluing too numerous to mention, but I survived. Seemed tougher than normal to me, but that could be that I was half asleep trying to do it.

    Best –

  6. Some tricky (but fun) cluing today. no final errors but some 3 or even 4 ink overs. Dave, did you see the film with Alex Honnold becoming the only person (so far) to free solo El Capitan in a bit under 4 hours. Even knowing he didn’t plunge to his death I had trouble watching some of this incredible moves and his ability to damp down the terror of what would have anyone else paralyzed and shaking like a leaf in a hurricane.

    1. @Tony … I have not seen that movie and I don’t know if I could watch it: I’ve seen still shots of the climb that were enough to give me the willies. Before I took up climbing, I had a fairly serious case of acrophobia and I don’t know if I really got over it or just buried it. At this point, if I drive into Boulder and look west at some of the stuff I used to scramble, I sometimes get a flash of terror at the memory (even though I seemed to be okay with it at the time). So I’m in awe of Honnold; I just hope he knows when to stop … 😳.

  7. 27 mins, 4 sec and 2 errors at the naticky cross of ELOI/OCELO. Don’t know what either of them are, and don’t care to.

    1. Suit yourself, but “eloi” shows up in a lot of puzzles (and I’ve seen “ocelo” before, though not often, and, when I have seen it, I think it has referred to some kind of “eye spot”).

Comments are closed.