LA Times Crossword 12 Jan 20, Sunday

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Constructed by: David Alfred Bywaters
Edited by: Rich Norris

Today’s Theme: Up Above

Themed answers are all in the down-direction. Each is a common phrase with the letters UP placed ABOVE that phrase:

  • 3D Like many characters in 22-Across? : (UP)SET TO MUSIC
  • 12D Fashion house employee? : (UP)SCALE MODEL
  • 14D Belt firms? : (UP)HOLDING COMPANIES
  • 25D Some online forum posts? : (UP)LOADED QUESTIONS
  • 28D Like an enthusiastic shrubbery salesperson? : (UP)BEAT ABOUT THE BUSH
  • 63D Unwanted piano key noise? : (UP)RIGHT CLICK
  • 66D Niacin and protein, say? : (UP)SIDE OF BEEF

Bill’s time: 16m 04s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

5 Dublin-based air conditioner company : TRANE

The heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) company called Trane was formed in 1913 by father and son James and Reuben Trane. James was a Norwegian immigrant, and Reuben earned his mechanical engineering degree at the University of Wisconsin. As the company’s marketing folks say, “It’s hard to stop a Trane”. Indeed, four huge chillers supplied by Trane cool the Channel Tunnel (a “train” tunnel) in what is Europe’s largest cooling system. Trane is now headquartered on the Northside of Dublin, Ireland.

10 Fontaine filler : EAU

In French, there is “eau” (water) in “une fontaine” (a fountain).

13 Red and blue : PURPLE

The name of the color purple ultimately comes from the Greek “porphura”, with was the name of a purple dye that was made from mucus secreted by the spiny dye-murex snail.

21 Matterhorn or Jungfrau : ALP

“Matterhorn” is the German name for the famous Alpine peak that lies on the border between Switzerland and Italy. The Italian name for the same mountain is “Monte Cervino”, and the French call it “Mont Cervin”. “Matterhorn” comes from the German words Matte and Horn meaning “meadow” and “peak”. “Cervino” and “Cervin” come from the Latin name for the mountain, i.e. “Mons Silvius” meaning “Forest Mountain”.

The Jungfrau is a peak in the Bernese Alps in Switzerland. “Jungfrau” translates from German as “maiden” or “virgin”.

22 Mozart works : OPERAS

The Austrian composer’s full name was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The name “Wolfgang” translates literally as “wolf journey”. Amadeus translates as “love god”!

23 Informally formal entry announcement : IT’S I

The much debated statement “it is I” is grammatically correct, and should not be “corrected” to “it is me”. Traditionally, pronouns following linking verbs, such as “is”, “appear” and “seem”, are written in the nominative case. Examples are:

  • It is I (who called)
  • It was he (who did it)
  • It is we (who care)

24 Mozart works for 22-Across : OVERTURES
(22 Mozart works : OPERAS)

In musical terms, an overture is the introductory part of an orchestral work. The term “overture” is Old French for “opening, proposal”, and is related to our contemporary “overt” meaning “open to view”.

26 “Friends” friend : PHOEBE

The character Phoebe Buffay (and her identical twin sister Ursula) is played on the sitcom “Friends” by the actress Lisa Kudrow. Kudrow plays the ditzy member of the troupe of friends, but I’ve always viewed her as the “smartest” of the group of actors in real life, as best I could tell. Kudrow is behind the US version of the British genealogy show “Who Do You Think You Are?” a very entertaining bit of television.

27 “Friday I’m in Love” group : THE CURE

The Cure is an English rock band founded in 1976 that is still going strong today, although not with the original line up. The only top-ten hit the Cure had in the US was “Lovesong”, released in 1989.

29 Google __ : MAPS

Google Maps was developed as a web mapping service for desktops. The (wonderful!) Google Maps mobile app was released in 2008, and is now the most popular smartphone app in the world.

30 Rival of J.H. and W.K. Kellogg : CW POST

C. W. Post decided to get into the cereal business after visiting the Battle Creek Sanitarium operated by John Harvey Kellogg. Post was interested in the chemistry of digestion and was inspired by the dietary products offered by Kellogg at his sanitarium. The first breakfast cereal Post introduced was Grape-Nuts, way back in 1897.

The Kellogg Company was founded in 1906 by Will Keith Kellogg as the Battle Creek Toasted Corn Flake Company. Will established the enterprise while working with his brother John Harvey Kellogg at his Battle Creek Sanitarium. The brothers created corn flakes as a health food for patients at the sanitarium.

35 Hall with Oates : DARYL

Daryl Hall & John Oates are a pop music duo who were most successful in the late seventies and early eighties. They had six number one hits, including the 1982 release “Maneater”.

39 Ambulance worker, briefly : EMT

Emergency medical technician (EMT)

Our word “ambulance” originated from the French term “hôpital ambulant” meaning “field hospital” (literally “walking hospital”). In the 1850s, the term started to be used for a vehicle transporting the wounded from the battlefield, leading to our “ambulance”.

40 Fromage hue : BLEU

Being a bit of a French speaker (admittedly, a very poor one), the term “bleu cheese” has always kind of irritated me. I would prefer that we use either “blue cheese” or “fromage bleu” and not mix the languages, but then I can be annoyingly picky! It’s said that blue cheese was probably discovered accidentally, as molds tend to develop in the same conditions that are best for storing cheese. The blue mold in the cheese is introduced by adding Penicillium spores before the cheese is allowed to set. And yes, it’s the same mold that is used to produce penicillin, the antibiotic.

44 Holder of rays : DAISY

The flowerheads of daisies consist of white ray florets surrounding yellow disc florets.

47 Google __ : EARTH

Google Earth is a program that maps the Earth by superimposing satellite images and aerial photographs. Google acquired the technology when it purchased Keyhole, Inc in 2004. Keyhole had been partially funded by the CIA.

53 Bad sort whose second syllable is often dropped : HOODLUM

“Hood” is a slang term for “gangster”, a shortening of “hoodlum”.

55 Hart part : ANTLER

Nowadays, a hart is a male red deer over five years old. A hind is a female red deer.

59 Intl. supporter of the arts : UNESCO

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is better known by the acronym “UNESCO”. UNESCO’s mission is to help build peace in the world using programs focused on education, the sciences, culture, communication and information. The organization’s work is aimed in particular at Africa, and gender equalization. UNESCO also administers a World Heritage Site program that designates and helps conserve sites of outstanding cultural or natural importance to humanity across the world.

60 Metric wts. : KGS

Today, the gram is defined as one thousandth of a kilogram, with the kilogram being equal to the mass of physical sample preserved by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures. Prior to 1960, the gram was defined as the weight of a cubic centimeter of pure water (at the temperature of melting ice).

61 “__ luego” : HASTA

“Hasta luego” translates literally from Spanish as “until later”, and is used to say “see you later”.

64 Like some ancient Icelandic works : EDDIC

The “Poetic Edda” and “Prose Edda” are two ancient works that are the source for much of Norse mythology. Both Eddas were written in the 13th century in Iceland.

66 Strike caller : UMP

Back in the 15th century, “an umpire” was referred to as “a noumpere”, which was misheard and hence causing the dropping of the initial letter N. The term “noumpere” came from Old French “nonper” meaning “not even, odd number”. The idea was that the original umpire was a third person called on to arbitrate between two, providing that “odd number” needed to decide the dispute.

69 Bigeye or yellowfin : AHI

Yellowfin and bigeye tuna are usually marketed as “ahi”, the Hawaiian name. They are both big fish, with yellowfish tuna often weighing over 300 pounds, and bigeye tuna getting up to 400 pounds.

72 Times and Herald, in NYC : SQS

Times Square in New York City isn’t a square at all, but rather a triangle. When the New York Times newspaper opened new headquarters in the area in 1904, the city agreed to the name “Times Square”, changing it from Longacre Square.

Herald Square in New York City is at the intersection of Broadway, Avenue of the Americas and 34th Street. It is famous as the end-point of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade, as the square is home to the flagship Macy’s store. It was also home to the old New York Herald Building, hence the name “Herald Square”.

74 21-year-old currency : EURO

The euro is divided into 100 cents, sometimes referred to as “euro cents”. Some countries within the European Union (Ireland, for example) have taken steps to withdraw the 1-cent and 2-cent coins from circulation by allowing cash transactions to be rounded to the nearest five cents. I found it a little odd when buying something in Ireland recently that was priced at 99 cents, and getting no change after handing over a euro coin …

75 Taro dish : POI

I am a big fan of starch (being an Irishman I love potatoes). That said, I think that poi tastes horrible! Poi is made from the bulbous tubers (corm) of the taro plant by cooking the corm in water and mashing it until the desired consistency is achieved.

76 U.S. org. chaired by the president : NSC

The National Security Council (NSC) was created by President Harry S. Truman in 1947. The NSC is chaired by the sitting president and meets in the White House Situation Room.

77 Aerosol targets : ODORS

Strictly speaking, the term “aerosol” defines a suspension of either liquid droplets or solid particles in a gas. A good example of an aerosol is smoke. We tend to use the “aerosol” to describe what comes out of a spray can, even though the liquid droplets usually fall out of the gas and don’t stay suspended.

79 Eurasian range : URALS

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

81 Surveying partner of Dixon : MASON

The original Mason-Dixon line was surveyed by Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon in the 1760s. The line was used to resolve a border dispute between some of the original British colonies. The Mason-Dixon now forms part of the state lines of Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware and West Virginia. The line has come to symbolize the cultural boundary between the Northern and Southern United States.

84 They may abut peninsulas : INLETS

A peninsula is a landform that is almost completely surrounded by water. The connection to the mainland is referred to as an isthmus. The term “peninsula” comes from the Latin words “paene” (almost) and “insula” (island).

86 “Kim” author : KIPLING

“Kim” is a novel by Rudyard Kipling that was first published in serial form, from 1900 to 1901. The title character, whose full name is Kimball O’Hara, is the orphaned son of an Irish soldier who lives like a vagabond in India during the days of the British Raj. The boy grows up to become a spy working for the British.

96 Name after Paul or before Peter : SIMON

Singer-songwriter Paul Simon’s career took off when he partnered with Art Garfunkel. Simon was the really the writing powerhouse of Simon & Garfunkel, and wrote most of their big hits, including “The Sound of Silence”, “Mrs. Robinson”, and “Bridge over Troubled Water”. Simon has had three wives, including actress Carrie Fisher (1983-1984), and singer Edie Brickell whom he wed in 1992.

Simon Peter (often “Peter” or “Saint Peter”) was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ. The Christian tradition holds that Peter founded the Roman Church, and the Roman Catholic tradition names Peter as the first pope.

104 Hindu princess : RANI

A ranee (also “rani”) is an Indian queen or princess, and the female equivalent of a raja.

105 Conquistador’s treasure : ORO

In Spanish, one might find “oro” (gold) in “una mina” (a mine”).

“Conquistador” is the Spanish for “conqueror”.

107 “Iliad” and “Odyssey” : EPICS

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

113 Submit a new invoice to : REBILL

An invoice is an itemized bill. The term comes from the Middle French “envois” meaning “dispatch (of goods)”. The root verb is “envoyer”, which translates as “to send”.

120 Mutton dish : IRISH STEW

The exact recipe of what’s known as “Irish stew” isn’t really specific, but it does include some kind of meat and at least one root vegetable. The most common recipe calls for mutton, potatoes, onions and parsley. Believe it or not, my (very Irish) mother used to make it with bacon and sausages. Yep, boiled bacon and boiled sausages …

125 CO rank : COL

A commanding office (CO) might be a colonel (col.).

126 Northeast express train : ACELA

The Acela Express is the fastest train routinely running in the US, as it gets up to 150 mph at times. The service runs between Boston and Washington D.C. via Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York. Introduced in 2000, the brand name “Acela” was created to evoke “acceleration” and “excellence”.

127 One in the headlights? : DEER

There may be some truth to the idea that a deer can freeze when “caught in the headlights” of a car. This is because the anatomy of a deer’s eye, like many animals, is such that its night vision is very effective. That extra night sensitivity can be a disadvantage when a deer is suddenly illuminated by a strong light like that from a headlamp. Such illumination can be blinding and perhaps bewildering, causing the deer to freeze.

128 1994 Grammy Lifetime Achievement awardee : ARETHA

I think that Aretha Franklin, the “Queen of Soul”, had a tough life. Franklin had her first son when she was just 13-years-old, and her second at 15. In 2008, “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked Franklin as number one its list of the greatest singers of all time.

Down

1 In love : SMITTEN

“Smitten” is the past participle of “to smite”, meaning “to inflict a heavy blow”. We tend to use “smitten” to mean “affected by love, love-struck”.

4 Insurance giant : GEICO

GEICO was founded in 1936 with a very specific mission, to provide auto insurance for employees of the federal government and their families, hence the name Government Employees Insurance Company (GEICO). GEICO is a private company, despite the word “government” in its name. The founders’ idea was to focus on government employees as they believed such a group represented a lower risk profile than the rest of the population. Nowadays any qualifying person can take out a policy with GEICO.

5 Son of Odin : THOR

In Norse mythology, Thor was the son of Odin. Thor wielded a mighty hammer and was the god of thunder, lightning and storms. Our contemporary word “Thursday” comes from “Thor’s Day”.

6 Rosie, notably : RIVETER

Rosie the Riveter is a cultural icon that represented women working in factories across the country during WWII as part of the war effort. The term “Rosie the Riveter” first appeared as the title of a 1942 song that was a national hit. The image that we bring to mind today that supposedly depicts “Rosie” is a wartime poster with the words “We Can Do It!”, which shows a woman in blue overalls and a red and white polka-dot headscarf. However, this image was used by Westinghouse as an internal motivation tool only for a two-week period in 1943, and was never associated with the Rosie the Riveter persona. The “Rosie” association to that image came decades later, in the 1980s. The best-known WWII representation of Rosie the Riveter was a “Saturday Evening Post” cover drawn by Norman Rockwell in 1943. This image shows a female worker with a rivet gun, and a lunch box bearing the name “Rosie”.

8 Marilyn’s birth name : NORMA

Marilyn Monroe was born in 1926 in LA County Hospital, the child of Gladys Pearl Baker. The young girl was given the name of Norma Jeane Mortenson on her birth certificate, but her mother changed this to Norma Jeane Baker almost immediately. She and her estranged husband, Martin Edward Mortensen, had separated before Baker became pregnant so it is suggested that the Mortensen name was used just to give Norma Jeane “legitimacy”. Norma Jeane married a Jim Dougherty when she 16 years old, and took his name to become Norma Jeane Dougherty in 1932. During WWII she was discovered by a photographer and became quite a successful model. The modelling earned her a screen test, at which time it was suggested that Norma Jeane change her name yet again. The first name chosen for her by studio executives was Carole Lind (after Carole Lombard and Jenny Lind), but then Norma Jeane chose “Jeane Monroe” for herself, using her mother’s maiden name. It didn’t take long before the studio intervened again, suggesting that they had too many “Jeans” already. The name Marilyn Monroe was floated as it had a nice ring to it. Along with the new name, Marilyn changed from a brunette to a blonde, and a star was born …

10 Rabbit __ : EARS

Remember the television antenna called “rabbit ears”? I don’t recall being told this when I was younger, but to get the best reception the length of the “ears” needs to be set at about one half of the wavelength of the signal of the target channel. If only I had known …

13 “Row on row” blower in a classic poem : POPPY

The WWI battlefields in West Flanders, East Flanders (both in Belgium) and French Flanders are often referred to in English as “Flanders Fields”. The phrase was coined by Canadian physician Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae in his 1915 poem “In Flanders Fields”.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

15 Flying Clouds, e.g. : REOS

The REO Motor Company was founded by Ransom Eli Olds (hence the name REO). The company made cars, trucks and buses, and was in business from 1905 to 1975 in Lansing, Michigan. Among the company’s most famous models were the REO Royale and the REO Flying Cloud.

18 Salem-to-Boise dir. : ESE

Salem is the state capital of Oregon. It is thought that the city takes its name from the older city of Salem, Massachusetts.

Boise, Idaho is the capital and the largest metropolitan area in the state by far. There are a number of stories pertaining to the etymology of the name “Boise”. One is that French trappers called the tree-lined river that ran through the area “la rivière boisée”, meaning “the wooded river”.

28 Like an enthusiastic shrubbery salesperson? : (UP)BEAT ABOUT THE BUSH

To beat around the bush is to avoid coming to the point, to prevaricate. The phrase “beat around the bush” evolved from the practice of the beating bushes during a hunt to scare up the quarry.

34 Bible book : RUTH

The Book of Ruth in the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament tells the story of Ruth. Ruth was one of two women who married the two sons of Elimelech and Naomi. Father and sons died, leaving the three widows to fend for themselves. Naomi decided that it was best to go to Bethlehem. Orpah was Naomi’s second daughter-in-law, and she decided to return to her home. Ruth decided to stick with her mother-in-law, using the words “Whither thou goest, I will go”.

35 Emulate The Book of Ruth in the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament tells the story of Ruth. Ruth was one of two women who married the two sons of Elimelech and Naomi. Father and sons died, leaving the three widows to fend for themselves. Naomi decided that it was best to go to Bethlehem. Orpah was Naomi’s second daughter-in-law, and she decided to return to her home. Ruth decided to stick with her mother-in-law, using the words “Whither thou goest, I will go”.

35 Emulate Columbo : DEDUCE

“Columbo” is a police drama that aired from 1971-78, with some more episodes made as recently as 2003. Columbo was played by Peter Falk, although the character of Columbo was first played by Bert Freed in 1960 in an episode of “The Chevy Mystery Show”. That first appearance was so successful that the episode was adapted for the stage in 1962, with Thomas Mitchell taking on the role. Then, the same episode was stretched into a TV movie in 1968, with Peter Falk playing Lt. Columbo for the first time.

41 Social activist Guinier : LANI

Lani Guinier was the first African-American woman to achieve tenure at Harvard Law School.

50 Muslim mendicant : FAKIR

A fakir (also “faqir”) is an ascetic in the Muslim tradition. The term “fakir” is derived from “faqr”, an Arabic word for “poverty”.

56 Sleuth Charlie known for aphorisms : CHAN

Charlie Chan is the main character in a series of novels by Earl Derr Biggers. Chan is a Chinese-American detective working with the Honolulu police department. There have been almost 50 movies made featuring the Charlie Chan character.

An aphorism is a short and pithy statement that embodies a general truth or insightful observation. Some great examples are:

  • Life is a journey, not a destination (Ralph Waldo Emerson)
  • The average person thinks he isn’t (Larry Lorenzoni)
  • To err is human, to forgive divine (Alexander Pope)
  • Reality is an illusion, albeit a very persistent one (Albert Einstein)
  • Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely (Lord Acton)

58 Jazz singer Laine : CLEO

Cleo Laine is a jazz singer from England who is noted for her remarkable range of nearly four octaves. Laine is the only female performer to have received Grammy nominations in each of the classical, jazz and popular music categories. My favorite of her recordings is “He Was Beautiful”, which is also known as “Cavatina” and is a version of the theme from the film “The Deer Hunter”.

65 Gloaming : DUSK

“Gloaming” is an alternative word for “twilight, dusk”, and is often used poetically. The word is particularly associated with Scottish poetry, and notably the work of Robert Burns.

66 Niacin and protein, say? : (UP)SIDE OF BEEF

Niacin is also known as vitamin B3. A deficiency of niacin causes the disease pellagra. Pellagra is often described by “the four Ds”, the symptoms being diarrhea, dermatitis, dementia and death.

67 Tidal influence : MOON

Tides are caused by the gravitational pull of the moon on the oceans. At neap tide, the smaller gravitational effect of the sun cancels out some of the moon’s effect. At spring tide, the sun and the moon’s gravitational forces act in concert causing more extreme movement of the oceans.

68 Send a text to : PING

In the world of computer science, a “ping” is a test message sent over a network between computers to check for a response and to measure the time of that response. We now use the verb “to ping” more generally, meaning to send someone a message, usually a reminder.

73 Span. title : SRTA

“Señorita” (Srta.) is Spanish, and “Mademoiselle” (Mlle.) is French, for “Miss”.

80 Nile serpents : ASPS

The asp is a venomous snake found in the Nile region of Africa. It is so venomous that the asp was used in ancient Egypt and Greece as a means of execution. Cleopatra observed such executions noting that the venom brought on sleepiness without any painful spasms. When the great queen opted to commit suicide, the asp was therefore her chosen method.

82 Muhammad with gloves : ALI

The boxer Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr. was born in 1942 in Louisville, Kentucky. Clay changed his name to Muhammad Ali when he converted to Islam in 1964. Who can forget Muhammad Ali lighting the Olympic flame for the 1996 games in Atlanta?

83 Tirade : RANT

The term “tirade” describes a long and vehement speech, and is a word that came into English from French. “Tirade” can have the same meaning in French, but is also the word for “volley”. So, a tirade is a “volley” of words.

85 Horne or Headey : LENA

Lena Horne was an American jazz singer, actress, dancer and civil rights activist. Horne started her career as a nightclub singer and then began to get some meaty acting roles in Hollywood. However, she ended up on the blacklist during the McCarthy Era for expressing left wing political views. One of Horne’s starring roles was in the 1943 movie “Stormy Weather” for which she also performed the title song.

English actress Lena Headey is best known for playing Cersei Lannister on the fantasy series “Game of Thrones”. Although a British citizen, Headey was actually born Bermuda, where her father was stationed as a police officer.

88 Old historian of older Britain : BEDE

The Venerable Bede was a monk in the north of England in the eighth century AD. Saint Bede is mainly known as an author and scholar, publisher of “The Ecclesiastical History of the English People”. In his writings, Bede struggled with the two common ways of referring to dates at that time. Bede turned to the anno domini dating method that had been devised by Dionysius Exiguus in 525. Bede’s writings of circa 730 were extremely influential and helped popularize the “anno domini” method.

90 Witty exchange : REPARTEE

Repartee is conversation that includes witty remarks. “Repartee” comes from the French “repartie” meaning “answering thrust”, originally a fencing term.

92 Hibernia : EIRE

“Hibernia” is the Latin name for the island of Ireland. The ancient Roman’s choice of name for Ireland was influenced by the Latin “hibernus” meaning “wintry”. I can understand that choice …

97 South African liberator : MANDELA

As a young man, Nelson Mandela led the armed wing of the African National Congress (ANC). Mandela was eventually arrested and admitted to charges of sabotage and was sentenced to life in prison in 1964. He remained behind bars for 27 years, mainly in the infamous prison on Robben Island. As the years progressed, Mandela became a symbol of the fight against apartheid. He was released in 1990, and immediately declared his commitment to peace and reconciliation with South Africa’s white minority population. Mandela was elected president of the Republic of South Africa (RSA) in 1994, an office that he held until 1999. Nelson Mandela passed away on December 5, 2013.

103 Revolutionary Hale : NATHAN

Nathan Hale fought for the Continental Army during the American Revolution, and was most famous for operating as a spy against the British. It was Nathan Hale who uttered the words, just before he was hanged by his British captors, “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country”.

108 Michelangelo masterpiece : PIETA

The Pietà is a representation of the Virgin Mary holding in her arms the dead body of her son Jesus. The most famous Pietà is undoubtedly the sculpted rendition by Michelangelo that is located in St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. That particular sculpture is thought to be the only work that Michelangelo signed. In some depictions of the Pietà, Mary and her son are surrounded by other figures from the New Testament. Such depictions are known as Lamentations.

110 Puccini masterpiece : TOSCA

Unlike so many operas, Giacomo Puccini’s “Tosca” was a big hit right from day one, when it was first performed in 1900 at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome. Currently, “Tosca” is the eighth-most performed opera in America.

114 Part of Q.E.D. : ERAT

The initialism “QED” is used at the end of a mathematical proof or a philosophical argument. QED stands for the Latin “quod erat demonstrandum” meaning “that which was to be demonstrated”.

115 Unctuous : OILY

A person described as “unctuous” is oily and insincere. “Unctum” is the Latin for “ointment”.

118 Entrepreneur-helping org. : SBA

The Small Business Administration (SBA) is a government agency with the mission of assisting small businesses. The SBA doesn’t give loans itself, but it does act as a guarantor under the right circumstances. The SBA was set up in 1953, and isn’t a favorite with fiscal conservatives.

An entrepreneur is someone takes on most aspects of a business venture, from the original idea to the execution. The term is imported from French, with “entreprendre” meaning “to undertake”. The original usage in English dates back to the early 1800s, when it applied to a manager and promoter of a theatrical production.

119 Bruins legend : ORR

Bobby Orr is regarded as one of the greatest hockey players of all time. By the time he retired in 1978 he had undergone over a dozen knee surgeries. At 31 years of age, he concluded that he just couldn’t skate anymore. Reportedly, he was even having trouble walking. While still 31 years old, in 1979, Orr became the youngest person inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Prior to that, in 1967, Orr became the youngest person named the NHL’s Rookie of the Year.

121 Shad spawn : ROE

The shad is also known as the river herring. The eggs (roe) of the shad are prized as a delicacy in the Eastern US.

122 Half a score : TEN

Our verb “to score” meaning “to tally”, comes from the Old Norse “skor”, which is a “mark, notch”. It is likely that items such a livestock were counted by placing a notch in a stick for each set of twenty, hence our use of the noun “score” to mean “twenty”.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Cozy : SNUG
5 Dublin-based air conditioner company : TRANE
10 Fontaine filler : EAU
13 Red and blue : PURPLE
19 Sulk : MOPE
20 Seriously flirt with : HIT ON
21 Matterhorn or Jungfrau : ALP
22 Mozart works : OPERAS
23 Informally formal entry announcement : IT’S I
24 Mozart works for 22-Across : OVERTURES
26 “Friends” friend : PHOEBE
27 “Friday I’m in Love” group : THE CURE
29 Google __ : MAPS
30 Rival of J.H. and W.K. Kellogg : CW POST
32 From bottom __ : TO TOP
33 Hiker’s path : TRAIL
35 Hall with Oates : DARYL
36 Clear (of) : RID
39 Ambulance worker, briefly : EMT
40 Fromage hue : BLEU
42 Unhappily unaccompanied : LONELY
44 Holder of rays : DAISY
46 Modernist’s prefix : NEO-
47 Google __ : EARTH
49 Staff helper : AIDE
50 Big finish : FINALE
51 Intend : MEAN
53 Bad sort whose second syllable is often dropped : HOODLUM
55 Hart part : ANTLER
56 Incisively sarcastic : CAUSTIC
59 Intl. supporter of the arts : UNESCO
60 Metric wts. : KGS
61 “__ luego” : HASTA
62 Enticed : LURED
64 Like some ancient Icelandic works : EDDIC
66 Strike caller : UMP
69 Bigeye or yellowfin : AHI
70 Appliance alert : BEEP
72 Times and Herald, in NYC : SQS
74 21-year-old currency : EURO
75 Taro dish : POI
76 U.S. org. chaired by the president : NSC
77 Aerosol targets : ODORS
79 Eurasian range : URALS
81 Surveying partner of Dixon : MASON
83 Area __ : RUG
84 They may abut peninsulas : INLETS
86 “Kim” author : KIPLING
88 Scold : BERATE
91 Loses it : GOES APE
93 Incursion : RAID
94 Calendar listings : EVENTS
95 Search : HUNT
96 Name after Paul or before Peter : SIMON
98 Chicken source … and product : EGG
101 Often perpendicular measure : DEPTH
102 Get to : ATTAIN
104 Hindu princess : RANI
105 Conquistador’s treasure : ORO
106 Significant period : ERA
107 “Iliad” and “Odyssey” : EPICS
109 Like some cookies : OATEN
111 Impish : ELFIN
113 Submit a new invoice to : REBILL
115 No longer fooled by : ONTO
116 Render nonfunctional : DISABLE
118 “Absolutely!” : SO TRUE
120 Mutton dish : IRISH STEW
123 Rightmost menu, often : HELP
124 Chicken choice : BREAST
125 CO rank : COL
126 Northeast express train : ACELA
127 One in the headlights? : DEER
128 1994 Grammy Lifetime Achievement awardee : ARETHA
129 Way in : KEY
130 Grandmas : NANAS
131 “In that case … ” : IF SO …

Down

1 In love : SMITTEN
2 Off somewhere : NOT HOME
3 Like many characters in 22-Across? : (UP)SET TO MUSIC
4 Insurance giant : GEICO
5 Son of Odin : THOR
6 Rosie, notably : RIVETER
7 Consumed : ATE
8 Marilyn’s birth name : NORMA
9 Involve : ENTAIL
10 Rabbit __ : EARS
11 Pub order : ALE
12 Fashion house employee? : (UP)SCALE MODEL
13 “Row on row” blower in a classic poem : POPPY
14 Belt firms? : (UP)HOLDING COMPANIES
15 Flying Clouds, e.g. : REOS
16 Like some court motions : PRETRIAL
17 Workplace with tests : LAB
18 Salem-to-Boise dir. : ESE
25 Some online forum posts? : (UP)LOADED QUESTIONS
28 Like an enthusiastic shrubbery salesperson? : (UP)BEAT ABOUT THE BUSH
31 Twisted : WRY
34 Bible book : RUTH
35 Emulate Columbo : DEDUCE
37 Many a map dot : ISLE
38 Garment worker : DYER
41 Social activist Guinier : LANI
43 Good name for a Swedish soccer goalie? : NILS
45 Picnic invaders : ANTS
48 Time piece : HOUR
50 Muslim mendicant : FAKIR
52 Ga. winter hours : EST
54 People : ONES
56 Sleuth Charlie known for aphorisms : CHAN
57 Sighed lines : AAHS
58 Jazz singer Laine : CLEO
63 Unwanted piano key noise? : (UP)RIGHT CLICK
65 Gloaming : DUSK
66 Niacin and protein, say? : (UP)SIDE OF BEEF
67 Tidal influence : MOON
68 Send a text to : PING
71 Borders : EDGES
73 Span. title : SRTA
78 Prominent noses : SNOUTS
80 Nile serpents : ASPS
82 Muhammad with gloves : ALI
83 Tirade : RANT
85 Horne or Headey : LENA
87 Golfer’s choice : IRON
88 Old historian of older Britain : BEDE
89 One or more times : EVER
90 Witty exchange : REPARTEE
92 Hibernia : EIRE
97 South African liberator : MANDELA
99 Ornamental front ends : GRILLES
100 Surrendered amateur status : GONE PRO
102 Feel sick : AIL
103 Revolutionary Hale : NATHAN
108 Michelangelo masterpiece : PIETA
110 Puccini masterpiece : TOSCA
112 “Well, __-dah!” : LAH-DI
114 Part of Q.E.D. : ERAT
115 Unctuous : OILY
117 “As __ saying … ” : I WAS
118 Entrepreneur-helping org. : SBA
119 Bruins legend : ORR
121 Shad spawn : ROE
122 Half a score : TEN

10 thoughts on “LA Times Crossword 12 Jan 20, Sunday”

  1. Looks like Sunday is not in the usual place, but I eventually found it. It was a fun puzzle today, but still took me 40 minutes or so.

  2. 1:03:05 no errors…..I get all the “up” clues except for 63D….what does right click mean?

    1. Upright is a type of piano. “Upright click” would be an annoying (clicking) sound from piano keys.

  3. 20 minutes, 30 seconds for me this morning. I liked this puzzle because the theme was able to be revealed early in the puzzle, and then used to help solve the rest of the theme clues. That’s what a good theme is all about in my humble opinion. Today once I figured out the “schtick” I was able to fill in all of UPBEAT ABOUT THE BUSH and then use that to help me on the west side of the puzzle. Very fun and satisfying.

  4. 35 mins 30 sec, no errors. Ragged solve, ending in a review all around the grid to fill in a few squares left blank. Definitely didn’t come together smoothly. The theme was most unhelpful, except knowing that it began with UP. So, overall, thumbs DOWN on this one.

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