LA Times Crossword 15 Oct 19, Tuesday

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Constructed by: Michael A. Macdonald
Edited by: Rich Norris

Today’s Reveal Answer: Flash Forward

Themed a

    nswers each start with a kind of FLASH:

  • 55A Narrative device that peeks at the future … and a hint to the start of 20-, 31-, and 48-Across : FLASH FORWARD
  • 20A “Hell’s Kitchen” chef : GORDON RAMSAY (giving “Flash Gordon”)
  • 31A Risky low-lying area to build on : FLOOD ZONE (giving “flash flood”)
  • 48A Not someone an amateur should play poker with : CARD SHARK (giving “flash card”)

Bill’s time: 5m 10s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Bloke : CHAP

“Chap” is an informal term meaning “lad, fellow” that is used especially in England. The term derives from “chapman”, an obsolete word meaning “purchaser” or “trader”.

“Bloke” is British slang for “fellow”. The etymology of “bloke” seems to have been lost in the mists of time.

9 Rival of Elle : VOGUE

“Vogue” magazine has been published for an awfully long time, with the first issue appearing in 1892. Over the decades the magazine has picked up a lot of criticism as well as its many fans. Famously, an assistant to the editor wrote a novel based on her experiences working with the magazine’s editor, and called it “The Devil Wears Prada”.

14 Punjabi prince : RAJA

“Raja” (also “rajah”) is a word derived from Sanskrit that is used particularly in India for a monarch or princely ruler. The female form is “rani” (also “ranee”) and is used for a raja’s wife.

Punjab is the most populous province in Pakistan and is home to over half of the country’s citizens. “Punjab” (also “Panjab”) translates as “Five Waters”, a reference to five rivers that form tributaries to the Indus River: Chenab, Jhelum, Ravi, Beas and Sutlej.

16 Black key wood, traditionally : EBONY

The traditional materials used for the manufacture of piano keys were ebony (black) and ivory (white). Ebony is still used, but now for both white and black keys. The white keys are made by covering ebony with white plastic.

17 Banned apple spray : ALAR

The chemical name for Alar, a plant growth regulator and color enhancer, is “daminozide”. Alar was primarily used on apples but was withdrawn from the market when it was linked to cancer.

20 “Hell’s Kitchen” chef : GORDON RAMSAY (giving “Flash Gordon”)

Gordon Ramsay is a celebrity chef from Scotland who appears more on US television now than he does on British TV. Personally, I think the man is pretty obnoxious.

The American reality TV show “Hell’s Kitchen” is based on the UK show of the same name, which in turn is based on a New Zealand show that also uses the same name.

“Flash Gordon” was originally a comic strip that was first published in 1934 and drawn by Alex Raymond. It was created to compete with the already successful strip titled “Buck Rogers”.

24 Trucker’s unit : TON

Here in the US, a ton is equivalent to 2,000 pounds. Over in the UK, a ton is 2,240 pounds. The UK unit is sometimes referred to as an Imperial ton, long ton or gross ton. Folks over there refer to the US ton then as a short ton. To further complicate matters, there is also a metric ton or tonne, which is equivalent to 2,204 pounds. Personally, I wish we’d just stick to kilograms …

28 Lorelei’s river : RHINE

The Lorelei is a 300-foot tall rock on the eastern bank of the Rhine in Germany. The Lorelei juts out into the river creating a strong current as the water is forced through the narrows. The current combined with numerous rocks under the waterline have led to numerous boating accidents. Appropriately enough, Lorelei is the name of a legendary mermaid who lured fishermen to their death on the rocks by singing a beautiful song.

35 Post-WWI art movement : DADA

Dadaism thrived during and just after WWI, and was an anti-war, anti-bourgeois and anti-art culture. The movement was launched in Zurich, Switzerland by a group of artists and writers who met to discuss art and put on performances in the Cabaret Voltaire. The same group frequently expressed disgust at the war that was raging across Europe.

38 Unknown Doe : JOHN

Though the English court system does not use the term today, “John Doe” first appeared as the “name of a person unknown” in England in 1659, along with the similar “Richard Roe”. An unknown female is referred to as “JaneDoe ”, and the equivalent to Richard Roe is Jane Roe (as in Roe v. Wade, for example). Variants of “John Doe” used outside of the courts are “Joe Blow” and “John Q. Public”.

40 “Gymnopédies” composer : SATIE

Erik Satie was a French composer best known for his beautiful composition, the three “Gymnopédies”. I have tried so hard to appreciate other works by Satie but I find them so very different from the minimalist simplicity of the lyrical “Gymnopédies”.

42 High-grade cotton : PIMA

Pima is a soft cotton that is very durable and absorbent. Pima cotton is named after the Pima Native Americans who first cultivated it in this part of the world.

45 Boots the ball : ERRS

That would be baseball.

48 Not someone an amateur should play poker with : CARD SHARK (giving “flash card”)

A “card sharp” is someone who is skilled and deceptive with playing cards, particularly when playing gambling games like poker. It seems that the term “card sharp” predates the related “card shark”, both of which have the same meaning.

50 Adidas alternatives : PUMAS

Puma is a German company that sells athletic shoes worldwide. The company is most famous for its line of soccer boots.

The Adidas brand dates back to when Adolf “Adi” Dassler started making his own sports shoes in his mother’s laundry room in Bavaria after returning from WWI. With his brother, Adi founded Dassler shoes. The company’s big break came in 1936 at the Berlin Olympics, when Adi persuaded American sprinter Jesse Owens to use his shoes, and with the success of Jesse Owens came success for the fledgling shoe company. After WWII the brothers split, acrimoniously. Adi’s brother, Ru-dolf Da-ssler, formed “Ruda” shoes (later to become Puma), and Adi Das-sler formed “Adidas”.

53 Second-tallest living bird : EMU

Emu eggs are very large, with a thick shell that is dark-green in color. One emu egg weighs about the same as a dozen chicken eggs.

55 Narrative device that peeks at the future … and a hint to the start of 20-, 31-, and 48-Across : FLASHFORWARD

A flashforward is a narrative device that temporarily moves the action in a story into the future. A famous flashforward is found in Charles Dickens’ novella “A Christmas Carol”, when Ebeneezer Scrooge is shown the potential future by the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come.

61 Camper’s craft : CANOE

The boat known as a canoe takes its name from the Carib word “kenu” meaning “dugout”. It was Christopher Columbus who brought “kenu” into Spanish as “canoa”, which evolved into our English “canoe”.

64 “English breakfast” drinks : TEAS

English breakfast tea is a blend of black teas dominated by teas from Assam, Ceylon and Kenya. The blends are created to go well with milk and perhaps sugar, as indeed one might drink tea with an English breakfast. Irish breakfast tea is mainly a blend of teas from Assam. It is also created to go well with milk, especially after a few pints of Guinness. Okay, I made up that last bit …

67 Colored eye part : IRIS

The iris is the colored part of the eye. It has an aperture in the center that can open or close depending on the level of light hitting the eye.

69 Where to get dates : PALMS

Date palms can be either male or female. Only the female tree bears fruit (dates).

70 __ a one: none : NARY

The adjective “nary” means “not one”, as in “nary a soul” or even “nary a one”.

Down

2 Angelic ring : HALO

The Greek word “halos” is the name given to the ring of light around the sun or moon, which gives us our word “halo” that is used for a radiant light depicted above the head of a saintly person.

3 Cracked open, say : AJAR

Our word “ajar” is thought to come from Scottish dialect, in which “a char” means “slightly open”.

6 German coal valley : RUHR

The Ruhr is a large urban area in western Germany. The area is heavily populated, and is the fifth largest urban area in the whole of Europe, after Istanbul, Moscow, London and Paris. The Ruhr became heavily industrialized due to its large deposits of coal. By 1850, the area contained nearly 300 operating coal mines. Any coal deposits remaining in the area today are too expensive to exploit.

7 La Scala number : ARIA

La Scala Opera House opened in 1778. It was built on the site of the church of Santa Maria della Scala, which gave the theater its Italian name “Teatro alla Scala”.

12 Institute of higher learning, to Brits : UNI

In Australia (Down Under), and in Britain and Ireland, the term “uni” is routinely used for “university”.

21 Opinion piece : OP-ED

“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.

22 Oklahoma athlete : SOONER

The University of Oklahoma was founded in 1890 in the city of Norman, as the Norman Territorial University. The school’s sports teams are called the “Sooners”, from the state of Oklahoma’s nickname.

The 1889 Indian Appropriations Act officially opened up the so called Unassigned Lands, land in Oklahoma on which no Native American tribes had settled. Once the Act was signed, those lands became available for settlement. Those people that settled the same lands illegally, prior the date specified, they were termed “Sooners” as their situation was defined in the “sooner clause” of the Act. “Sooner State” is now a nickname for Oklahoma.

25 “Total patient” philosophy : HOLISM

Holism is an approach taken to the study of systems (physical, biological, economic, etc.) that views those systems as part of a whole, and not in isolation. The term “holism” was coined in a 1926 book titled “Holism and Evolution” by Field Marshal Jan Christiaan Smuts, a philosopher and former South African prime minister.

26 Low-hemoglobin condition : ANEMIA

The term “anemia” (or “anaemia”, as we write it back in Ireland) comes from a Greek word meaning “lack of blood”. Anemia is a lack of iron in the blood, or a low red blood cell count. Tiredness is a symptom of the condition, and so we use the term “anemic” figuratively to mean “lacking in vitality or substance”.

Red blood cells are also known as erythrocytes, and are responsible for delivering oxygen from the lungs to the body’s tissues. Iron-rich hemoglobin in the cell binds the oxygen molecules, and is also responsible for the red color. While some waste carbon dioxide (CO2) is carried back to the lungs by red blood cells, most of the CO2 is transported back to the lungs as bicarbonate ions dissolved in the blood plasma.

27 Many taxis : SEDANS

The American sedan car is the equivalent of the British saloon car. By definition, a sedan car has two rows of seating and a separate trunk (boot in the UK), although in some models the engine can be at the rear of the car.

29 Pipe smoked in trendy bars : HOOKAH

A hookah is a water pipe, a device for smoking tobacco in which the smoke is passed through a water basin before it is inhaled.

31 Govt. regulator of dietary supplements : FDA

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has its roots in the Division of Chemistry (later “Bureau of Chemistry”) that was part of the US Department of Agriculture. President Theodore Roosevelt gave responsibility for examination of food and drugs to the Bureau of Chemistry with the signing of the Pure Food and Drug Act. The Bureau’s name was changed to the Food, Drug and Insecticide Organization in 1927, and to the Food and Drug Administration in 1930.

33 Nada : ZIP

The use of the words “zip” and “zippo” to mean “nothing” dates back to the early 1900s, when it was student slang for being graded zero on a test.

The word “nothing” translates to “nada” in Spanish, and to “rien” in French.

36 Inhaler user’s malady : ASTHMA

In the human body, the windpipe (trachea) divides into the left and right bronchi, which enter the lungs. Inflammation of the bronchi can cause the airways to contract and narrow, leading to the condition known as asthma.

49 “Keep __ Weird”: Texas city slogan : AUSTIN

Austin is the capital of the state of Texas. When the area was chosen to be the capital of the Republic of Texas, it was known as Waterloo. The name was changed in honor of Stephen F. Austin, a native of Virginia who was raised in Missouri and led the first successful colonization of Texas.

54 Everycow : BOSSY

“Bossy” is a common name used for a cow, just like a cat might be called “Kitty”. “Bossy” comes from the Latin word “bos” meaning “ox, cow”.

56 Olympian queen : HERA

In Greek mythology, Hera was the wife of Zeus and was noted for her jealous and vengeful nature, particularly against those who vied for the affections of her husband. The equivalent character to Hera in Roman mythology was Juno. Hera was the daughter of Cronus and Rhea.

59 Part of APR : RATE

Annual percentage rate (APR)

62 Phrase on a menu : A LA

The phrase “in the style of” can be translated into “alla” in Italian and “à la” in French.

63 Nada : NIL

The word “nothing” translates to “nada” in Spanish, and to “rien” in French.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Bloke : CHAP
5 Tie, in chess : DRAW
9 Rival of Elle : VOGUE
14 Punjabi prince : RAJA
15 Personal energy field, some say : AURA
16 Black key wood, traditionally : EBONY
17 Banned apple spray : ALAR
18 Electric fan noise : WHIR
19 Fix, as a loose shoelace knot : RETIE
20 “Hell’s Kitchen” chef : GORDON RAMSAY (giving “Flash Gordon”)
23 Special or covert strategies : OPS
24 Trucker’s unit : TON
25 Owns : HAS
28 Lorelei’s river : RHINE
31 Risky low-lying area to build on : FLOOD ZONE (giving “flash flood”)
34 Long, long time : EON
35 Post-WWI art movement : DADA
37 Affixed with a hammer : NAILED
38 Unknown Doe : JOHN
40 “Gymnopédies” composer : SATIE
42 High-grade cotton : PIMA
43 Barely make, as a living : EKE OUT
45 Boots the ball : ERRS
47 Serious no-no : SIN
48 Not someone an amateur should play poker with : CARD SHARK (giving “flash card”)
50 Adidas alternatives : PUMAS
52 Everyday article : THE
53 Second-tallest living bird : EMU
54 Burger holder : BUN
55 Narrative device that peeks at the future … and a hint to the start of 20-, 31-, and 48-Across : FLASHFORWARD
61 Camper’s craft : CANOE
64 “English breakfast” drinks : TEAS
65 Bear’s warning : ROAR
66 Assumed name : ALIAS
67 Colored eye part : IRIS
68 Prefix for objectors : ANTI-
69 Where to get dates : PALMS
70 __ a one: none : NARY
71 Barely a sound : PEEP

Down

1 Rugged cliff : CRAG
2 Angelic ring : HALO
3 Cracked open, say : AJAR
4 Formal forgiveness : PARDON
5 Occurs to, with “on” : DAWNS …
6 German coal valley : RUHR
7 La Scala number : ARIA
8 Become fond of : WARM TO
9 Porch with a roof, usually : VERANDA
10 Give heed to : OBEY
11 Obtained : GOT
12 Institute of higher learning, to Brits : UNI
13 Look at intently : EYE
21 Opinion piece : OP-ED
22 Oklahoma athlete : SOONER
25 “Total patient” philosophy : HOLISM
26 Low-hemoglobin condition : ANEMIA
27 Many taxis : SEDANS
28 Not accept : REJECT
29 Pipe smoked in trendy bars : HOOKAH
30 “Where are you?” response from a nearby room : IN HERE
31 Govt. regulator of dietary supplements : FDA
32 “I don’t have time right now” : LATER
33 Nada : ZIP
36 Inhaler user’s malady : ASTHMA
39 Nonverbal okay : NOD
41 Really bug : IRK
44 Having no purpose : USELESS
46 Cowboy boot attachment : SPUR
49 “Keep __ Weird”: Texas city slogan : AUSTIN
51 Open for Christmas : UNWRAP
54 Everycow : BOSSY
55 Whitecap formation : FOAM
56 Olympian queen : HERA
57 Okay, but not great : FAIR
58 Great : A-ONE
59 Part of APR : RATE
60 Plumbing problem : DRIP
61 Upper limit : CAP
62 Phrase on a menu : A LA
63 Nada : NIL

15 thoughts on “LA Times Crossword 15 Oct 19, Tuesday”

  1. Little problems in the middle. Card shark or card sharp? Errs for boots the ball? I’m thinking that’s only a crossword thing. Only knew Erik Satie from an old Blood, Sweat, and Tears album. 🙂

  2. Alittle tricky in some spots but a good puzzle. Had soso for 57D, and had to white our alittle. But I did get it finally. Ok

  3. No Googles, no Errors. Had Deco before DADA, BeSSY before BOSSY, CARDSHARp before CARDSHARK. Good theme. Liked PUMAS and PIMA, NIL and ZIP (2 nadas).

    Did not like (one of my pet peeves) failing to label an abbrev as such – OPS crosses OP EDS.

    (Old Lady from Upstate NY)

    1. Phrases like “black ops” and “covert ops” have crept into our vocabulary in recent times, via TV, news, and social media. And “op-ed” has been around for eons (much less clumsy than “opinion-editorial”). So maybe constructors don’t think they have to indicate they are abbreviations anymore…

      (Old Geezer from Northern Colorado)

  4. I have been working both NYT and LAT puzzles for many years and I just had to comment on this one. An outstanding puzzle in so many ways.

  5. 15:55 no errors….I had a hard time getting the syndicated NYT 0910 on my iPad today. Did the format change ? Before today I would choose
    NYT crossword and then select today’s syndicated puzzle. That didn’t work today.

  6. 7:55. Forgot to pay attention to the theme.

    I thought breakfast TEAS were just something you drink if there’s no coffee available. I don’t drink tea very often, but I can’t imagine putting milk into it. Yuck. Just not my cup of tea….literally. I drink black coffee and unsweetened iced tea only. But I also hate diet soft drinks and will only drink fully sugared versions. Go figure.

    The “Keep AUSTIN Weird” movement began when Austin started to become a tech center and started growing like a weed. I went to grad school in Austin when it was more a college and government town only. They liked to put on events like Eeyore’s Birthday Party from Winnie the Pooh since Eeyore didn’t have one. It was just an excuse for people to drink beer in a park. As far as I know the movement still exists.

    Michael G – I looked up the origin of both. It seems that “card sharp” is used mostly in Great Britain and “card shark” is used more frequently in the U.S. Canada, and Australia. I think it’s just one of those “errors” that got used so often it became correct via common usage. Unfortunately we see a lot of that these days.

    Ted Thomas – Interesting comment coming from someone who’s done hundreds (thousands?) of these things. What set this one apart from the others?

    I’m a bit verbose today. I spent all day yesterday getting my extended tax returns done so I think I’m still jumpy from that experience.

    Best –

  7. We did it pretty fast, it was fun and I thought we got 100.
    Not to be; missed one square of 25D; used T instead of M
    as the last letter.

    Had to do some changing with the whiteover. Didn’t know
    ALAR, SATIE or PIMA, but got all of these with the help of
    surrounding fillers.

    Kudos to all and nice to see the new names. Welcome to all.

  8. Hello folks!!🙀

    No errors– fun puzzle! Didn’t take notice of the theme. I really hoped I’d see CARD SHARP here instead of SHARK. Agreed; it’s an error that became acceptable over the years of misuse, but *I* don’t like when that happens!! …. Well, sometimes it’s okay. A good example is…..

    Hey Jeff!! Cardinals got swept!?! This postseason has me in a tailspin. At this point, I gotta revert to my love of the national league and root for the Nats, albeit grudgingly.

    Be well~~🦆

    (Ageing punk from SoCal– Wayne, see what you’ve started?!😁)

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