LA Times Crossword 19 May 20, Tuesday

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Constructed by: Adrian Kabigting
Edited by: Rich Norris

Today’s Reveal Answer: Keyboard Warrior

Themed answers each end with a KEY found on a computer KEYBOARD:

  • 37A Internet troll, slangily … and a hint to the ends of 17-, 22-, 45- and 59-Across : KEYBOARD WARRIOR
  • 17A It may provide arch support : SHOE INSERT
  • 22A First house : STARTER HOME
  • 45A Skill of elite WNBA players : BALL CONTROL
  • 59A Emergency exit with a ladder : FIRE ESCAPE

Bill’s time: 5m 17s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

10 SpongeBob SquarePants’ boss, e.g. : CRAB

SpongeBob SquarePants is a cartoon character in a Nickelodeon television series. Spongebob first appeared in 1999, and he “lives in a pineapple under the sea”. The character was created by marine biologist, cartoonist and animator Stephen Hillenburg.

16 Cut with a beam : LASE

The term “laser” is an acronym standing for “light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation”. It has been pointed out that a more precise name for laser technology is “light oscillation by stimulated emission of radiation”, but the resulting acronym isn’t quite so appealing, namely “loser”.

20 “Good Hands” company : ALLSTATE

Allstate is the second-largest provider of personal insurance in the US, after State Farm. Allstate started doing business in 1931 as part of Sears Roebuck, and indeed I can remember when Allstate offices were located in Sears stores. Sears spun off Allstate in 1993.

25 Big name in electric cars : TESLA

Tesla Motors shortened its name to just “Tesla” in early 2017.

29 Corp. bases : HQS

Headquarters (HQ)

30 Badges worn by conference attendees : ID TAGS

Identity document (ID)

32 Letter after sigma : TAU

Tau is the 19th letter of the Greek alphabet, and the letter which gave rise to our Roman “T”. Both the letters tau (T) and chi (X) have long been symbolically associated with the cross.

33 Grammy winner Erykah : BADU

“Erykah Badu” is the stage name of Erica Wright, an American “neo-soul” singer. Badu gained some notoriety in March of 2010 when she shot a scene for a music video in Dallas. In the scene, she walks to the spot where President Kennedy was assassinated, removing her clothes until she is nude, and then falls to the ground as if she has been shot in the head. For that stunt she was charged with disorderly conduct.

37 Internet troll, slangily … and a hint to the ends of 17-, 22-, 45- and 59-Across : KEYBOARD WARRIOR

In Internet terms, a troll is someone who attempts to disrupt online group activities. The fishing term “troll” is used to describe such a person as he or she throws out off-topic remarks in an attempt to “lure” others into some emotional response. I must admit to feeling sorry for people who have such sad lives …

40 “Need You Tonight” band : INXS

INXS (pronounced “in excess”) was a rock band from Australia. The band formed in 1977 in Sydney as the Farriss Brothers, as three of the original lineups were indeed brothers.

41 __ Angeles : LOS

Mission San Gabriel Arcángel was founded by Spanish Franciscans led by Friar Junipero Serra in 1771. The mission, which continues running to this day, is located about 10 miles from today’s downtown LA. Forty-four settlers left Mission San Gabriel Arcángel in 1781 to found the pueblo named “El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles del Río de Porciúncula” (The Town of Our Lady the Queen of the Angels of the Porciúncula River”). It was this pueblo that grew into the city of Los Angeles.

44 Petri dish gels : AGARS

Julius Richard Petri was a German bacteriologist and was the man after whom the Petri dish is named. The petri dish can have an agar gel on the bottom which acts as a nutrient source for the specimen being grown and studied, in which case the dish plus agar is referred to as an “agar plate”.

45 Skill of elite WNBA players : BALL CONTROL

The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) was founded in 1996. The WNBA had to compete with the American Basketball League (ABL), a professional women’s basketball league that started playing games the same year the WNBA was founded. The ABL folded in its third season.

53 Reclusive : HERMITIC

The Greek word for “uninhabited” is “eremos”, which is the root for “eremia” meaning both “desert” and “solitude”. The Greek word eremites then means “a person of the desert”. This was absorbed into Latin as “ermita”, meaning someone who lived in solitude or in an uninhabited area. We use “eremite” to mean the same thing, although the derivative term “hermit” is more common.

61 Tae __ do : KWON

Taekwondo is the national sport of Korea. “Tae” means “to strike or break with foot”; “kwon” means “to strike or break with fist”; “do” means “way” or “art”. Along with judo, taekwondo is one of only two martial arts included in the Olympic Games.

62 Personal belief system : CREDO

A creed or credo is a confession of faith, or a system of belief or principles. “Credo” is Latin for “I believe”.

63 Lustrous gem : OPAL

The largest opal ever found, and the most valuable, is the Olympic Australis. It was discovered in South Australia in 1956. That same year, the Summer Olympics were being held in Melbourne so the newly discovered stone was given the name “Olympic Australis”.

64 IDs on 1040s : SSNS

Here in the US we can choose one of three main forms to file our tax returns. Form 1040 is known as the “long form”. Form 1040A is called the “short form”, and can be used by taxpayers with taxable income below $100,000 who don’t itemize deductions. Form 1040EZ is an even simpler version of the 1040, and can be used by those with taxable income less than $100,000 who take the standard deduction and who also have no dependents. Form 1040 was originally created just for tax returns from 1913, 1914 and 1915, but it’s a form that just keeps on giving, or should I say “taking” …?

65 Salad green : CRESS

Garden cress is a leafy vegetable that is closely related to watercress and mustard. Cress is particularly popular in the UK where it is a common ingredient in sandwiches.

Down

1 Rick’s love in “Casablanca” : ILSA

I love the words of one critic describing the chemistry between Bogart and Bergman in the film “Casablanca” … “she paints his face with her eyes”. Wow!

2 “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” author Roald : DAHL

Roald Dahl’s name is Norwegian. Dahl’s parents were from Norway, although Dahl himself was Welsh. Dahl became one of the most successful authors of the twentieth century. Two of his most famous titles are “James and the Giant Peach” and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”.

“Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” is a 1964 novel for children penned by British author Roald Dahl. The two main character’s in the story are young schoolboy Charlie Bucket, and chocolate manufacturer Willy Wonka. Dahl was inspired to write the novel by his exposure to the rivalry between Britain’s two major chocolatiers: Cadbury and Rowntree’s.

3 Winner of a TV talent show : IDOL

“American Idol” is a spin-off show that was created after the amazing success of the British television show “Pop Idol”. Aired on Fox from 2002 to 2016, the show “jumped ship” and moved to ABC starting in the 2018 season.

6 Photo-sharing app, briefly : INSTA

Instagram (often abbreviated to “Insta”) is a photo-sharing application, one that is extremely popular. Instagram started in San Francisco in 2010. Facebook purchased Instagram two years later, paying $1 billion. The billion-dollar Instagram company had just 13 employees at the time of the sale …

8 White wine apéritif : KIR

Kir is a French cocktail made by adding a teaspoon or so of crème de cassis (blackcurrant liqueur) to a glass, and then topping it off with white wine. The drink is named after Felix Kir, the Mayor of Dijon in Burgundy, who used to offer the drink to his guests. My wife is particularly fond of a variant called a kir royale, in which the white wine is replaced with champagne.

An apéritif is an alcoholic drink served before a meal, to stimulate the palate. A digestif is an alcoholic drink served after a meal, to aid digestion.

11 Stallone’s one-man army : RAMBO

A rambo is a very violent and militant person. The term is a relatively recent one, coming from the character John Rambo played by Sylvester Stallone in the “Rambo” series of movies. The first Rambo film made was “First Blood” in 1982. The film in turn is based on the 1972 novel of the same name by David Morrell.

12 2007 Alicia Keys album that won three Grammys : AS I AM

“Alicia Keys” is the stage name of Alicia Cook, an R&B and soul singer from Hell’s Kitchen in New York City.

13 Actress Midler : BETTE

One of my favorite singers, and indeed all-round entertainers, is Bette Midler. If you’ve ever seen her live show you’ll know that “camp” is a good word to describe it, as her humor is definitely “out there” and quite bawdy. Early in her career, Midler spent years singing in the Continental Baths, a gay bathhouse in New York City. There she became very close friends with her piano accompanist, Barry Manilow. While singing in the bathhouse, Bette only wore a white towel, just like the members of her audience. It was in those days that she created her famous character “the Divine Miss M” and also earned herself the nickname “Bathhouse Betty”.

21 Horror trio? : ARS

There is a trio of letters R (ar) in the word “horror”.

25 __ torch: party light : TIKI

A tiki torch is a bamboo torch that’s commonly used in Tiki culture. Tiki culture is a relatively modern invention dating from the 20th century, and is the experience created in Polynesian-style restaurants. The word “Tiki” is borrowed from Polynesia.

26 Biblical paradise : EDEN

According to the Book of Genesis, Adam and Eve lived in a garden “in” Eden, with Eden being geographically located by reference to four rivers, including the Tigris and the Euphrates. Some scholars hypothesize that Eden was located in Mesopotamia, which encompasses much of modern-day Iraq.

27 Underworld river : STYX

The River Styx of Greek mythology was the river that formed the boundary between the Earth and the Underworld (or “Hades”). The souls of the newly dead had to cross the River Styx in a ferry boat piloted by Charon. Traditionally, a coin would be placed in the mouths of the dead “to pay the ferryman”.

28 Yellow or chocolate dogs : LABS

The Labrador (Lab) breed of dog has been around at least since 1814. The breed comes in three registered colors: black, yellow and chocolate.

31 Cannon barrage : SALVO

A salvo is a simultaneous discharge of guns. Ironically, “salvo” comes from the Latin “salve” meaning “be in good health”. Salvo was originally the name given to the firing of guns in the air as a sign of respect or greeting for an important visitor. Good health!

32 Many “NFL Live” highlights : TDS

Touchdown (TD)

34 Verdi opera set in Egypt : AIDA

“Aida” is a celebrated opera by Giuseppe Verdi that is based on a scenario written by French Egyptologist Auguste Mariette. Mariette also designed the costumes and stages for the opening performance. The opera was first staged in 1871 in an opera house in Cairo. In the storyline, Aida is an Ethiopian princess brought into Egypt as a slave. Radames is an Egyptian commander who falls in love with her, and then complications arise!

38 Dappled horse : ROAN

A roan horse has an even mixture of white and colored hairs on the body with the head, lower legs, mane and tail having a more solid color.

43 Neatnik’s possible condition, briefly : OCD

Apparently, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is the fourth most commonly diagnosed mental disorder, making it about as prevalent as asthma.

45 Pitching miscues : BALKS

To balk is to stop and refuse to go on. It’s not just a baseball term …

46 Promises with gusto : AVOWS

“Gusto” is an Italian word meaning “taste”. We use it in English in the phrase “with gusto” meaning “with great enjoyment”.

48 Pride members : LIONS

A group of lions is known as a pride. It’s possible that the term “pride”, in this context, derives from the Latin “praeda” meaning “prey”.

51 Sandwich cookies : OREOS

The Oreo was the best-selling cookie in the 20th century, and almost 500 billion of them have been sold since they were introduced in 1912 by Nabisco. In those early days the creme filling was made with pork fat, but today vegetable oils are used instead. If you take a bite out of an Oreo sold outside of America you might notice a difference from the homegrown cookie, as coconut oil is added in the overseas version to give a different taste.

55 UPS Store supply : TAPE

The franchised UPS Stores make up the world’s largest network of retail shipping, printing and business service centers. The first such outlets were branded and owned by Mail Boxes Etc., starting in 1980. UPS acquired Mail Boxes Etc. in 2001, and introduced the UPS Store brand in 2003. I’m a big fan …

56 Bitter craft beers, briefly : IPAS

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.

57 Irish person, e.g. : CELT

The Celts are a very broad group of people across Europe who are linked by common languages. The original Celts were largely absorbed by other cultures, although a relatively modern revival of the “Celtic identity” is alive and well in Britain and Ireland. Such Celtic peoples today are mainly found in Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Brittany in France.

59 TV monitor : FCC

TV broadcasting is monitored by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The FCC has been around since 1934, when it replaced the Federal Radio Commission.

60 Like some vbs. : IRR

“To be” is an irregular (irr.) verb (vb.)

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 “__ my best” : I DID
5 Like many action film stunts : RISKY
10 SpongeBob SquarePants’ boss, e.g. : CRAB
14 Noblewoman : LADY
15 Remove, as a knot : UNTIE
16 Cut with a beam : LASE
17 It may provide arch support : SHOE INSERT
19 Leave out : OMIT
20 “Good Hands” company : ALLSTATE
21 Ready to swing : AT BAT
22 First house : STARTER HOME
25 Big name in electric cars : TESLA
29 Corp. bases : HQS
30 Badges worn by conference attendees : ID TAGS
32 Letter after sigma : TAU
33 Grammy winner Erykah : BADU
37 Internet troll, slangily … and a hint to the ends of 17-, 22-, 45- and 59-Across : KEYBOARD WARRIOR
40 “Need You Tonight” band : INXS
41 __ Angeles : LOS
42 Give false hope to : LEAD ON
43 Fertilization targets : OVA
44 Petri dish gels : AGARS
45 Skill of elite WNBA players : BALL CONTROL
52 Stay away from : AVOID
53 Reclusive : HERMITIC
58 20-Across’ hands symbol, e.g. : LOGO
59 Emergency exit with a ladder : FIRE ESCAPE
61 Tae __ do : KWON
62 Personal belief system : CREDO
63 Lustrous gem : OPAL
64 IDs on 1040s : SSNS
65 Salad green : CRESS
66 Hatchling’s refuge : NEST

Down

1 Rick’s love in “Casablanca” : ILSA
2 “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” author Roald : DAHL
3 Winner of a TV talent show : IDOL
4 Tints : DYES
5 Attack on foot : RUN AT
6 Photo-sharing app, briefly : INSTA
7 Take the wheel : STEER
8 White wine apéritif : KIR
9 At this time : YET
10 Dishrag, e.g. : CLOTH
11 Stallone’s one-man army : RAMBO
12 2007 Alicia Keys album that won three Grammys : AS I AM
13 Actress Midler : BETTE
18 “We’re on!” : IT’S A GO!
21 Horror trio? : ARS
23 Remove from the deep freeze : THAW
24 Fifty-fifty : EQUAL
25 __ torch: party light : TIKI
26 Biblical paradise : EDEN
27 Underworld river : STYX
28 Yellow or chocolate dogs : LABS
31 Cannon barrage : SALVO
32 Many “NFL Live” highlights : TDS
33 Speak highly of oneself : BRAG
34 Verdi opera set in Egypt : AIDA
35 Opportunity metaphor : DOOR
36 Coffee vessels : URNS
38 Dappled horse : ROAN
39 Emperors’ domains : REALMS
43 Neatnik’s possible condition, briefly : OCD
45 Pitching miscues : BALKS
46 Promises with gusto : AVOWS
47 Enter one’s credentials : LOG ON
48 Pride members : LIONS
49 Midafternoon hour : THREE
50 Marsh grasses : REEDS
51 Sandwich cookies : OREOS
54 Screen image : ICON
55 UPS Store supply : TAPE
56 Bitter craft beers, briefly : IPAS
57 Irish person, e.g. : CELT
59 TV monitor : FCC
60 Like some vbs. : IRR