LA Times Crossword 19 Nov 20, Thursday

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Constructed by: Julian Lim
Edited by: Rich Norris

Today’s Reveal Answer: Side Salad

Themed answers are each types of SALAD, and are located around the SIDES of the grid:

  • 36A Steak go-with, perhaps, and a hint to 10 puzzle answers : SIDE SALAD
  • 1A Inaugural class MLB Hall of Famer : COBB (salad)
  • 5A Gift basket option : FRUIT (salad)
  • 10A Groanworthy humor : CORN (salad)
  • 66A Cat food flavor : TUNA (salad)
  • 67A Naples staple : PASTA (salad)
  • 68A __ Bell : TACO (salad)
  • 1D “The fault … is not in our stars” speaker : CAESAR (salad)
  • 13D From a coastal French city : NICOISE (salad)
  • 39D It’s usually downed last : DESSERT (salad)
  • 49D Ingredient in the Irish dish colcannon : POTATO (salad)

Read on, or jump to …
… a complete list of answers

Bill’s time: 5m 24s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Inaugural class MLB Hall of Famer : COBB

Ty Cobb’s first cousin, Robert H. Cobb, owned the Brown Derby chain of restaurants. One of his regular customers was the famous Sid Grauman, who ran Grauman’s Chinese Theater. Late one night, Grauman asked for a snack, and Cobb came up with a chopped salad simply made from ingredients he happened to have in the refrigerator. Grauman liked it so much that he continued to request it, and the Cobb salad was born.

14 Certain something : AURA

An aura (plural “aurae”) is an intangible quality that surrounds a person or thing, a “je ne sais quoi”. “Je ne sais quoi” is French for “I don’t know what”.

15 Sunken ship finder : SONAR

The British developed the first underwater detection system that used sound waves. Research was driven by defence demands during WWI, leading to production of working units in 1922. This new sound detection system was described as using “supersonics”, but for the purpose of secrecy the term was dropped in favor of an acronym. The work was done under the auspices of the Royal Navy’s Anti-Submarine Division, so ASD was combined with the “IC” from “superson-ic-s” to create the name ASDIC. The navy even went as far as renaming the quartz material at the heart of the technology “ASDivite”. By the time WWII came along, the Americans were producing their own systems and coined the term SONAR, playing off the related application, RADAR. And so, the name ASDIC was deep-sixed …

16 Jai __ : ALAI

Even though jai alai is often said to be the fastest sport in the world because of the speed of the ball, in fact golf balls usually get going at a greater clip. Although, as a blog reader once pointed out to me, you don’t have to catch a golf ball …

17 Dominic West alma mater : ETON

Dominic West is an actor from England who first came to national attention in this country playing Irish-American detective Jim McNulty in “The Wire”. West is the first cousin once removed of Thomas Eagleton, an American politician who was briefly the Democratic vice presidential nominee under George McGovern.

19 1933 Banking Act creation: Abbr. : 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.

21 Brother of Aaron : MOSES

Moses is an important prophet in Christianity and Islam, and the most important prophet in Judaism. It fell to Moses to lead the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt across the Red Sea. He was given the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai, and then wandered the desert with his people for forty years. Moses then died within sight of the Promised Land.

In the Bible and the Qur’an, Aaron was the older brother of Moses and was a prophet. Aaron became the first High Priest of the Israelites.

23 Turkish title : AGA

“Aga” (also “agha”) is a title that was used by both civil and military officials in the Ottoman Empire.

25 Sapporo rival : ASAHI

Asahi is a Japanese beer, and the name of the brewery that produces it. “Asahi” is Japanese for “morning sun”. Asahi introduced a “dry beer” in 1987, igniting a craze that rocketed the brewery to the number one spot in terms of beer production in Japan, with Sapporo close behind.

The Sapporo Brewery was founded in 1876 as the Kaitakushi Brewery, making it the oldest producer of beer in Japan. Kaitakushi’s first brewer was German-trained Seibei Nakagawa. The first beer that Nakagawa produced was Sapporo lager, which was named for the city in which Kaitakushi was located.

26 Brought back, in titles : REDUX

The adjective “redux” means “returned, brought back”, and is derived from the Latin “reducere” meaning “to lead back, to bring back”.

31 Mo. in which Oktoberfest begins : SEP

Oktoberfest is a 16-day beer festival in Munich that actually starts in September. About six million people attend every year, making it the largest fair in the world. I’ve attended twice, and it really is a remarkable party …

35 Abbr. in some vineyard names : STE

For example, Chateau Ste. Michelle in Woodinville, Washington and Ste. Genevieve in Fort Stockton, Texas.

39 “Rugrats” infant : DIL

Tommy Pickles is the protagonist on the Nickelodeon cartoon show “Rugrats”. Dil Pickles is Tommy’s younger brother.

42 Trudeau’s country : CANADA

Justin Trudeau ascended to the leadership of Canada’s Liberal Party in 2013, He led the Liberals to a decisive victory in the federal election of 2015, after which he assumed the office of Prime Minister of Canada. Justin is the eldest son of former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, who led Canada for 15 years starting in 1968.

43 Night school subj. : ESL

English as a Second Language (ESL) is sometimes referred to as English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and English as a Foreign Language (EFL).

46 Job listing inits. : EOE

Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE)

56 Enero begins it : ANO

In Spanish, we start the “año” (year) in “enero” (January) as noted on a “calendario” (calendar).

57 Mickey Mantle’s number : SEVEN

Mickey Mantle only played professional baseball for the one team, spending 18 years with the New York Yankees. Mickey Mantle memorabilia is highly prized, especially since he retired from the game in 1969, and even more so since he died in 1995. The only other player memorabilia said to command a higher price is Babe Ruth’s. Mantle holds the record for the most career home runs by a switch hitter, as well as the most World Series home runs.

59 Tatami, e.g. : MAT

A tatami is a traditional mat used on floors in Japan. The term “tatami” comes from the Japanese word “tatamu” meaning “to fold”, reflecting the fact that the mat is designed to be folded up for storage.

62 Pocket often filled : PITA

Pita is a lovely bread from Middle-Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines. Pita is usually round, and has a “pocket” in the center. The pocket is created by steam that puffs up the dough during cooking leaving a void when the bread cools.

65 Hand or foot : UNIT

A hand is a measurement equal to 4 inches. Today, the hand is mainly used to measure the height of a horse. That measurement is taken from the ground to the withers, the ridge between the horse’s shoulder blades.

67 Naples staple : PASTA

Naples (“Napoli” in Italian) is the third largest city in Italy. The name “Napoli” comes from the city’s Ancient Greek name, which translates as “New City”. That’s a bit of a paradox as today Naples is one of the oldest continuously-inhabited cities in the world.

68 __ Bell : TACO

Taco Bell was founded by a former US Marine, 25-year-old Glen Bell. His first restaurant was Bell’s Drive-In, located in Southern California. After opening that first establishment, Bell bought up some more restaurants including four named El Taco. He sold off the El Taco restaurants but used the name in part when he opened his first Taco Bell in 1962. Bell then sold franchises, with the 100th Taco Bell opening in 1967. The ex-Marine sold off the whole chain to PepsiCo in 1978, and I am guessing he made a pretty penny. Taco Bell has been using the “Live Más” slogan since 2012, with “más” being the Spanish word for “more”.

Down

1 The “he” in “Brutus says he was ambitious” : CAESAR

The famous “Friends, Romans, countrymen …” speech by Antony in William Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar” includes the lines:

… The noble Brutus
Hath told you Caesar was ambitious.
If it were so, it was a grievous fault,
And grievously hath Caesar answered it.
Here, under leave of Brutus and the rest—
For Brutus is an honorable man;
So are they all, all honorable men—
Come I to speak in Caesar’s funeral.
He was my friend, faithful and just to me.
But Brutus says he was ambitious,
And Brutus is an honorable man.

3 Fashionable fabric in the Italian Renaissance : BROCADE

Brocade is a very decorative fabric usually made from silk and often incorporating gold and silver thread. The name “brocade” comes from the Italian word “broccato”

5 Nikon setting : F-STOP

Varying the f-stop in a lens varies how big the lens opening (the aperture) is when a photograph is taken. Smaller apertures (higher f-stop values) admit less light, but result in a greater depth of field (more of the photograph is in focus).

The Japanese company Nikon was founded in 1917 with the merger of three manufacturers of various optical devices. After the merger, Nikon’s main output was lenses (including the first lenses for Canon cameras, before Canon made its own). During the war, Nikon sales grew rapidly as the company focused on (pun!) equipment for the military including periscopes and bomb sights.

10 Cappuccino sellers : CAFES

The Order of Friars Minor Capuchin is an order of Roman Catholic friars, an offshoot of the Franciscans. The order split from the Franciscans back in 1520, and were forced to go into hiding from church authorities. The new order was helped by the Camaldolese monks, and in recognition of their assistance, the breakaway monks adopted the Camaldolese hood, known as a capuccio. It is this “capuccio” that gave the order its name, and indeed ultimately gave the name to the Capuchin monkey. The cappuccino coffee is named for the coffee-and-white colored habits worn by Capuchin friars.

11 Adages : OLD SAWS

A saw is an old saying, one that is often repeated and is very familiar. The term “old saw” is actually a tautology, as by definition a “saw” is “old”.

13 From a coastal French city : NICOISE

The French city of Nice is on the Mediterranean coast in the southeast of the country. Although Nice is only the fifth most populous city in France, it is home to the busiest airport outside of Paris. That’s because of all the tourists flocking to the French Riviera. Something described as “à la niçoise” is “of Nice”.

22 One-third of et cetera? : YADDA

“The Yada Yada Yada” is the title of the 153rd episode of “Seinfeld”. Before “Seinfeld” made “yada yada yada” famous, we were more likely to hear the phrase “yadda yadda” that was often used by comedian Lenny Bruce, for example.

29 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.

32 Counting Crows frontman Duritz : ADAM

Counting Crows is a band that formed in 1991 in Berkeley, California. The band’s name comes from a nursery rhyme that actually describes the counting of magpies. It’s not so common on this side of the Atlantic, but most British and Irish people are familiar with:

One for sorrow,
Two for joy,
Three for a girl,
Four for a boy,
Five for silver,
Six for gold,
Seven for a secret,
Never to be told.
Eight for a wish,
Nine for a kiss,
Ten for a bird,
You must not miss.

33 Cape Cod, e.g. : PENINSULA

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).

Cape Cod is indeed named after the fish. It was first called Cape Cod by English navigator Bartholomew Gosnold in 1602 as his men caught so many fish there.

34 Pro bono TV spot : PSA

Public service announcement (PSA)

The Latin term “pro bono publico” means “for the public good”, and is usually shortened to “pro bono”. The term applies to professional work that is done for free or at a reduced fee as a service to the public.

37 Billionaire business mogul Carl : ICAHN

Carl Icahn has many business interests, and is probably best known in recent years for his dealings with Yahoo! Icahn has a reputation as a corporate raider, a reputation that dates back to his hostile takeover of TWA in 1985. He made a lot of money out of that deal, before being ousted in 1993 after the company filed for bankruptcy protection.

38 Tenth mo. in the original Roman calendar : DEC

December is the twelfth month in our calendar but was the tenth month in the old Roman calendar, hence the name (“decem” is Latin for “ten”). Back then there were only ten months in the year. “Ianuarius” (January) and “Februarius” (February) were then added as the eleventh and twelfth months of the year. Soon after, the year was reset and January and February became the first and second months.

39 It’s usually downed last : DESSERT

Our word “dessert” comes from the French verb “desservir” meaning “to clear the table”.

41 Keep as part of the manuscript : LEAVE IN

A manuscript is a handwritten or typewritten document, as opposed to one that has been printed. The term “manuscript” is also an adjective meaning “written by hand or typed”, as in “manuscript letter”. The Latin “manu scriptus” translates as “written by hand”.

44 Legs : STAMINA

The Latin word “stamen” translates as “thread”, or more specifically “warp in an upright loom”. The term was used figuratively to describe the thread woven by the Fates, the length of which predetermined the duration of a person’s natural life. This idea evolved into the idea that a person had several vital capacities (“stamina”, plural of “stamen”) that contributed to the duration of a life. Over time, “stamina” came to be used in a singular sense, describing a person’s capacity to endure. Quite interesting …

45 Nut : LUNATIC

“Lunatic” is an adjective that is now considered offensive. The term arose in the late 1400s when it meant “affected with periodic insanity”, insanity attacks brought on by the cycles of the moon. “Lunatic” comes from the Latin “luna” meaning “moon”.

48 Q&A part: Abbr. : ANS

Question and answer (Q&A)

49 Ingredient in the Irish dish colcannon : POTATO

Colcannon is a favorite dish of mine, and one that my American wife makes better than anyone I know from back in Ireland. The traditional Irish recipe calls for potatoes and cabbage with scallions, butter and salt. My wife’s secret is not to skin the potatoes before mashing them, and to substitute leeks for scallions. Lovely …

51 Model S manufacturer : TESLA

Tesla Motors was founded in 2003 as a manufacturer of electric vehicles based in Palo Alto, California. Tesla is noted for producing the first electric sports car, called the Tesla Roadster. The company followed the sports car with a luxury sedan, the Model S. The Model S was the world’s best selling plug-in electric vehicle of 2015. Tesla Motors shortened its name to Tesla in early 2017.

53 Veggies whose seeds can be roasted and ground to make coffee : OKRAS

Okra seeds can be processed just like coffee beans, roasted and ground to make a coffee-like beverage that contains no caffeine. Okra seeds were a popular substitute for coffee beans when the supply of coffee from South America was disrupted during the American Civil War.

54 Quaint denial : ‘TISN’T

“It is not” can be written quaintly as “’tisn’t”.

55 __-3 fatty acids : OMEGA

Fish oils are noted for containing omega-3 fatty acids, which have many health benefits including the reduction of inflammation. Like so many essential nutrients that we get from animals, the only reason the animal has them is that it feeds on plants. In this case, fish cannot manufacture omega-3 fatty acids, and instead absorb them from algae. Omega-3 fatty acids are also readily found in other plant oils such as flaxseed oil.

61 Angel dust letters : PCP

Phencyclidine is a recreational drug usually referred to on the street as “PCP” or “angel dust”.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Inaugural class MLB Hall of Famer : COBB
5 Gift basket option : FRUIT
10 Groanworthy humor : CORN
14 Certain something : AURA
15 Sunken ship finder : SONAR
16 Jai __ : ALAI
17 Dominic West alma mater : ETON
18 Tot’s ache spot : TUMMY
19 1933 Banking Act creation: Abbr. : FDIC
20 Pouch : SAC
21 Brother of Aaron : MOSES
22 Like some survey questions : YES/NO
23 Turkish title : AGA
24 Is __: likely will : APT TO
25 Sapporo rival : ASAHI
26 Brought back, in titles : REDUX
28 Performed : DID
30 Had the role of : WAS
31 Mo. in which Oktoberfest begins : SEP
32 Add : APPEND
35 Abbr. in some vineyard names : STE
36 Steak go-with, perhaps, and a hint to 10 puzzle answers : SIDE SALAD
39 “Rugrats” infant : DIL
42 Trudeau’s country : CANADA
43 Night school subj. : ESL
46 Job listing inits. : EOE
47 “__ dreaming?” : AM I
48 Behave badly : ACT UP
50 Line of cut grass : SWATH
52 Lacking one’s A game : NOT ON
56 Enero begins it : ANO
57 Mickey Mantle’s number : SEVEN
58 Reads quickly : SKIMS
59 Tatami, e.g. : MAT
60 Watches closely : EYES
61 Prize money : PURSE
62 Pocket often filled : PITA
63 Churn : ROIL
64 Metallic sound : CLANG
65 Hand or foot : UNIT
66 Cat food flavor : TUNA
67 Naples staple : PASTA
68 __ Bell : TACO

Down

1 “The fault … is not in our stars” speaker : CAESAR
2 Power losses : OUTAGES
3 Fashionable fabric in the Italian Renaissance : BROCADE
4 Make illegal : BAN
5 Nikon setting : F-STOP
6 Boot from bed : ROUST
7 Yet to be satisfied : UNMET
8 “There’s no getting out of this one” : I AM SO DEAD
9 Handle in court : TRY
10 Cappuccino sellers : CAFES
11 Adages : OLD SAWS
12 Gear for a drizzle : RAIN HAT
13 From a coastal French city : NICOISE
21 Highest degree : MAX
22 One-third of et cetera? : YADDA
27 Happy times : UPS
29 Visiting the Griffith Observatory, say : IN LA
32 Counting Crows frontman Duritz : ADAM
33 Cape Cod, e.g. : PENINSULA
34 Pro bono TV spot : PSA
37 Billionaire business mogul Carl : ICAHN
38 Tenth mo. in the original Roman calendar : DEC
39 It’s usually downed last : DESSERT
40 “Next one’s on me” : I OWE YOU
41 Keep as part of the manuscript : LEAVE IN
44 Legs : STAMINA
45 Nut : LUNATIC
48 Q&A part: Abbr. : ANS
49 Ingredient in the Irish dish colcannon : POTATO
51 Model S manufacturer : TESLA
53 Veggies whose seeds can be roasted and ground to make coffee : OKRAS
54 Quaint denial : ‘TISN’T
55 __-3 fatty acids : OMEGA
61 Angel dust letters : PCP
62 Knock, with “down” : PUT …