LA Times Crossword 14 Dec 20, Monday

Advertisement

Constructed by: Bruce Haight
Edited by: Rich Norris

Today’s Reveal Answer(s): United States

Themed answers can each be reinterpreted as a string of two-letter abbreviations for American STATE names:

  • 39A With 43-Across, America … or what 18-, 23-, 53- and 63-Across contain, briefly : UNITED …
  • 43A See 39-Across : … STATES
  • 18A Florida swim-with-the-dolphins park : MARINELAND (MA-RI-NE-LA-ND)
  • 23A Energy source with tunnels : COAL MINE (CO-AL-MI-NE)
  • 53A Huge corporate agreement : MEGADEAL (ME-GA-DE-AL)
  • 63A One requiring a token payment? : ARCADE GAME (AR-CA-DE-GA-ME)
  • Read on, or jump to …
    … a complete list of answers

    Bill’s time: 5m 30s

    Bill’s errors: 0

    Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

    Across

    1 Food nutrients that might be saturated : FATS

    Saturated fats (“bad” fats) differ from unsaturated fats (“good” fats) chemically in that saturated fats have chains of fatty acids that are relatively straight, allowing individual molecules to pack closely together. This close packing largely explains why saturated fats are solid at room temperature. Unsaturated fatty acids on the other hand have “kinks” in the chains of their fatty acids, so that they cannot pack together closely. Unsaturated fats are generally liquid at room temperature. Food manufacturers have learned that humans get sick by consuming saturated fats (i.e. fats from animal sources). So, they market “healthy” vegetable fats (naturally unsaturated and liquid at room temperature) that they have magically transformed into solid fats (like vegetable spreads). All they did was saturate the healthy fats, so that now it solidifies at room temperature, and in your arteries. There should be a law …

    5 Trooper automaker : ISUZU

    Isuzu is a Japanese auto manufacturer that is very successful in the medium and heavy truck market in particular. You’ll be seeing fewer and fewer Isuzu passenger cars on American roads though, as the company exited the US passenger car market in 2008. The Isuzu Trooper was one of the company’s most successful SUVs, and was produced between 1981 and 2005.

    15 Father of Leif : ERIK

    According to Icelandic tradition, Erik the Red was the man responsible for founding the first Norse settlement in Greenland. Erik had a famous son: the explorer Leif Ericson.

    Leif Erikson was a Norse explorer and the first European to land in North America, some 500 years before Christopher Columbus’s landing in 1492. The Norsemen named the area they discovered “Vinland”, which might translate as “Wine Land” or “Pasture Land”. Erikson built a small settlement called Leifsbudir, which archaeologists believe they have found in modern day Newfoundland, at L’Anse aux Meadows. The settlement discovered in Newfoundland is definitely Norse, but there is some dispute over whether it is actually Erikson’s Leifsbudir.

    16 Curry spice : CUMIN

    Cumin is a flowering plant native to the region stretching from the eastern Mediterranean to East India. Cumin spice is made from the dried seeds and is the second most common spice used in the world (only black pepper is more popular). Cumin is particularly associated with Indian cuisine and is a key ingredient in curry powder. Lovely stuff …

    18 Florida swim-with-the-dolphins park : MARINELAND

    Marineland of Florida is an oceanarium and swim-with-the-dolphins park. The original park opened as Marine Studios, way back in 1938. The group of four individuals who conceived the idea for the facility included Ilya Andreyevich Tolstoy, a grandson of celebrated Russian author Leo Tolstoy.

    20 Lightning-fast Bolt : USAIN

    Usain Bolt is a Jamaican sprinter who won the 100m and 200m race gold medals in the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games. Back in Jamaica, Bolt was really into cricket, and probably would have been a very successful fast bowler had he not hit the track instead.

    21 1860s prez : ABE

    The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is located in the Illinois state capital, Springfield. As someone who has visited all of the nation’s presidential libraries, I must say that I found the Lincoln Library a little strange. There are some exhibits that use technology that I associate more with a theme park, and so I found them quite “jarring”. Regardless, visiting the library and museum is a wonderful way to learn more about one of America’s greatest presidents.

    28 Miler Sebastian : COE

    Sebastian Coe is a retired middle-distance runner from the UK who won four Olympic medals including golds in the 1500m in 1980 and 1984. After retiring from athletics, Coe went into politics and served as a Member of Parliament from 1992 to 1997. In the year 2000, he was made a Life Peer, and so Coe now sits in the House of Lords. Lord Coe headed up London’s successful bid to host the 2012 Summer Olympic Games.

    29 Tree pod used as ersatz chocolate : CAROB

    The carob is a tree or shrub in the pea family that is mainly grown for its seed pods. The carob seeds are dried or roasted, and when powdered or chipped make a good substitute for chocolate.

    Something described as ersatz is a copy, and usually not a good one. “Ersatz” comes from the German verb “ersetzen” meaning “to replace”.

    31 Muslim mystic : SUFI

    A sufi is a Muslim mystic, an ascetic. Apparently, the term “sufi” can be translated as “man of wool”. This might be a reference to the practice of donning holy garments made from wool, as opposed to silk.

    34 Bellicose god : ARES

    The Greek god Ares is often referred to as the Olympian god of warfare, but originally he was regarded as the god of bloodlust and slaughter. Ares united with Aphrodite to create several gods, including Phobos (Fear), Deimos (Terror) and Eros (Desire). Ares was the son of Zeus and Hera, and the Roman equivalent to Ares was Mars.

    Someone described as bellicose is inclined to favor strife or war. The term “bellicose” comes from “bellum”, the Latin word for “war”.

    38 Symphony wind : OBOE

    The oboe is perhaps my favorite of the reed instruments. The name “oboe” comes from the French “hautbois” which means “high wood”.

    39 With 43-Across, America … or what 18-, 23-, 53- and 63-Across contain, briefly : UNITED …
    43 See 39-Across : … STATES

    The Declaration of Independence, adopted on 4 July 1776, refers to “these United Colonies”. The nation name “United States” was not adopted by the Continental Congress until September 9th of the same year.

    41 Black-clad subculturist : GOTH

    The goth subculture developed from the gothic rock scene in the early eighties, and is a derivative of the punk music movement. It started in England and spread to many countries around the globe. The term “goth” comes from the Eastern Germanic tribe called the Goths.

    42 Boy Scout groups : DENS

    As every little boy (of my era) knows, the Scouting movement was founded by Lord Baden Powell, in 1907. The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) soon followed, in 1910. And, the Boy Scouts motto is “Be Prepared”.

    44 “Back forty” unit : ACRE

    In the Public Land Survey System, land right across the country is divided into townships and sections. A section is roughly equivalent to a square mile, 640 acres. It became the practice to refer to quarter-quarter divisions of a section, with a quarter of a quarter of a section being equal to 40 acres (check the math!). From this sprung phrases like “lower 40” (nominally the lowest elevation 40 acres on a property) and the “back 40” (nominally a 40 acre parcel that was undeveloped on a property, “out the back”).

    50 Amber and epoxy : RESINS

    Amber’s technical name is “resinite”, reflecting its composition and formation. Amber starts out life as soft sticky tree resin but then under high temperature and pressure from overlying layers of soil, it fossilizes. The sticky resin can trap organisms or other plant matter, and this material can sometimes remain virtually intact inside the amber fossil giving us a unique gift from the past.

    Epoxy resins are thermosetting polymers that have high adhesive strength. In order to achieve mechanical and adhesive strength, the epoxy has to cure. The “curing” is a cross-linking reaction that takes place between individual molecules in the material. In some cases, the cross-linking is brought about by mixing the epoxy with a co-reactant known as a “hardener”. In other cases, the epoxy is cured by exposing it to heat.

    58 Zodiac butter : RAM

    Aries the Ram is the first astrological sign in the Zodiac, and is named after the constellation. Your birth sign is Aries if you were born between March 21 and April 20, but if you are an Aries you would know that! “Aries” is the Latin word for “ram”.

    62 Rossini work : OPERA

    Gioachino Rossini was a prolific and very successful composer from Pesaro, Italy. During his lifetime, Rossini was lauded as the most successful composer of operas in history. His best-known opera today is probably “The Barber of Seville”. His best-known piece of music is probably the finale of the overture from his opera “William Tell”.

    67 Big blood vessel : AORTA

    The aorta originates in the heart and extends down into the abdomen. It is the largest artery in the body.

    68 Grand __: auto race : PRIX

    Even though the term is used in many competitions, I think that we most associate “Grand Prix” with the series of Formula One motor races. These Formula One Grand Prix races trace their roots back to organized automobile road races from one French town to the next that date back to 1894. “Grand Prix” translates from French as “grand, big prize.”

    69 Bloodhound’s clue : SCENT

    Bloodhounds have an amazing sense of smell, and have been bred to track humans in particular. Bloodhounds have been used to follow humans since the Middle Ages.

    70 Haughty one : SNOOT

    “Snoot” is a variant of “snout”, and is a word that originated in Scotland. The idea is that someone who is snooty, or “snouty”, tends to look down his or her nose at the rest of the world.

    71 __ Spumante wine : ASTI

    Asti is a sparkling white wine from the Piedmont region of Italy, and is named for the town of Asti around which the wine is produced. The wine used to be called Asti Spumante, and it had a very bad reputation as a “poor man’s champagne”. The “Spumante” was dropped in a marketing attempt at rebranding associated with a reduction in the amount of residual sugar in the wine.

    Down

    1 Hurricane response org. : FEMA

    Federal emergency management has been structured for over 200 years, but what we know today as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was created in 1979 in an Executive Order issued by President Jimmy Carter.

    6 Pilot played by Hanks : SULLY

    “Sully” is a 2016 film directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Tom Hanks in the title role. The movie is based on the autobiography “Highest Duty” by Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, the captain of US Airways Flight 1549 that crash landed in the Hudson River in 2009. Although the film covers the crash and miraculous escape of all aboard, it is more about the investigation that seemed intent on proving that the accident was caused by pilot error. Sully managed to clear his name. He was listed second on “Time” magazine’s list of the “Top 100 Most Influential Heroes and Icons of 2009”, right after Michelle Obama.

    7 Actress Thurman : UMA

    Robert Thurman was the first westerner to be ordained a Tibetan Buddhist monk. Robert raised his children in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition and called his daughter “Uma” as it is a phonetic spelling of the Buddhist name “Dbuma”. Uma’s big break in the movies came with her starring role in Quentin Tarantino’s 1994 hit “Pulp Fiction”. My favorite Uma Thurman film is the wonderful 1996 romantic comedy “The Truth About Cats and Dogs”.

    8 Brass component : ZINC

    Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc. Compare this with bronze, an alloy of copper and tin. Brass and bronze are often mistaken for each other.

    10 São __, Brazil : PAULO

    São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil. It is also the city with the highest number of helicopters in the world. This is partly driven by the horrendous traffic jams in São Paulo, but also by the wealthy having a very real fear of being kidnapped on the city’s streets.

    12 Morales of “Criminal Minds” : ESAI

    Actor Esai Morales is best known in the world of film for the 1987 movie “La Bamba”, which depicted the life of Ritchie Valens and his half-brother Bob Morales (played by Esai). On the small screen, Morales plays Lt. Tony Rodriguez on “NYPD Blue” and Joseph Adama on “Caprica”.

    “Criminal Minds” is a police drama that has aired on CBS since 2005. The stories revolve around the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit in Quantico, Virginia.

    19 Gaming novice : NOOB

    “Noob” is a not-so-nice slang term for a “newbie”, and often refers to someone who is new to an online community.

    24 Stomach __: digestive aids : ACIDS

    Gastric acid is produced by cells lining the stomach, and is composed of hydrochloric acid (HCl), potassium chloride (KCl) and sodium chloride (NaCl). Other cells lining the stomach produce bicarbonate to ensure the contents of the stomach do not become too acidic. Those same cells also produce mucus that lines the stomach wall to protect it from the acid.

    29 Musical finale : CODA

    In music, a coda is primarily a passage that brings a movement to a conclusion. “Coda” is Italian for “tail”.

    30 Biblical shepherd : ABEL

    According to the Bible, Adam and Eve had several children, although only the first three are mentioned by name: Cain, Abel and Seth.

    33 Greens __: golfer’s payment : FEE

    The payment made to play a round of golf is known as the “greens fee”.

    35 Rolling Stone interviewees : ROCK STARS

    The iconic magazine “Rolling Stone” was founded in San Francisco in 1967. Jann Wenner was a co-founder, and is still the magazine’s chief editor. The name for the publication is taken from the 1950 song “Rollin’ Stone” recorded by Muddy Waters.

    36 To be, in Toulon : ETRE

    As well as being a town on the southern coast of France, Toulon is a military port and home to the French Mediterranean Fleet. In particular, it is the home port of the French Navy’s sole aircraft carrier, the Charles de Gaulle.

    47 Corona wedge : LIME

    The Mexican beer called Corona is the biggest-selling imported beer in the United States.

    51 Muse with a lyre : ERATO

    In Greek mythology, Erato was the Muse of lyric poetry. She is often depicted with a wreath of myrtle and roses, and playing a lyre.

    52 Anwar of Egypt : SADAT

    Anwar Sadat was the third President of Egypt right up to the time of his assassination in 1981. Sadat won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1978 along with Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin for the role played in crafting the Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty of 1978 at Camp David. It was this agreement that largely led to Sadat’s assassination three years later.

    55 Heredity carrier : GENE

    A gene is a section of a chromosome that is responsible for a particular characteristic in an organism. For example, one gene may determine eye color and another balding pattern. We have two copies of each gene, one from each of our parents, with each copy known as an allele.

    57 Scientologist Hubbard : L RON

    L. Ron Hubbard wrote a self-improvement book in 1950 called “Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health”. A few years later, he used the concepts in the book as he founded his Church of Scientology.

    61 Thompson of the LPGA : LEXI

    Lexi Thompson has been a professional golfer since the age of 15, and won her first LPGA tournament at just 16 years of age, which is a record. Thompson had also qualified for the US Women’s Open when she was the ripe old age of 12 years, making her the youngest golfer to play in that tournament.

    64 __-Magnon : CRO

    Remains of early man, dating back to 35,000 years ago, were found in Abri de Cro-Magnon in southwest France, giving the name to those early humans. Cro-Magnon remains are the oldest human relics that have been discovered in Europe.

    65 College transcript no. : GPA

    Grade point average (GPA)

    Complete List of Clues/Answers

    Across

    1 Food nutrients that might be saturated : FATS
    5 Trooper automaker : ISUZU
    10 Docks : PIERS
    15 Father of Leif : ERIK
    16 Curry spice : CUMIN
    17 Away from the dock, maybe : AT SEA
    18 Florida swim-with-the-dolphins park : MARINELAND
    20 Lightning-fast Bolt : USAIN
    21 1860s prez : ABE
    22 Energy source : OIL
    23 Energy source with tunnels : COAL MINE
    25 Slangy “Now it’s clear” : I GOT YA
    28 Miler Sebastian : COE
    29 Tree pod used as ersatz chocolate : CAROB
    31 Muslim mystic : SUFI
    34 Bellicose god : ARES
    38 Symphony wind : OBOE
    39 With 43-Across, America … or what 18-, 23-, 53- and 63-Across contain, briefly : UNITED …
    41 Black-clad subculturist : GOTH
    42 Boy Scout groups : DENS
    43 See 39-Across : … STATES
    44 “Back forty” unit : ACRE
    45 “What’s more … ” : ALSO …
    46 Words of woe : AH ME
    47 Favored on Facebook : LIKED
    48 Pester : NAG
    50 Amber and epoxy : RESINS
    53 Huge corporate agreement : MEGADEAL
    58 Zodiac butter : RAM
    59 Smartphone no. : TEL
    62 Rossini work : OPERA
    63 One requiring a token payment? : ARCADE GAME
    66 Sexy poster : PINUP
    67 Big blood vessel : AORTA
    68 Grand __: auto race : PRIX
    69 Bloodhound’s clue : SCENT
    70 Haughty one : SNOOT
    71 __ Spumante wine : ASTI

    Down

    1 Hurricane response org. : FEMA
    2 Many a Syrian : ARAB
    3 Flat-fixing tools : TIRE IRONS
    4 Slider on a slope : SKI
    5 Seal the deal : ICE IT
    6 Pilot played by Hanks : SULLY
    7 Actress Thurman : UMA
    8 Brass component : ZINC
    9 Loosen, as a knot : UNDO
    10 São __, Brazil : PAULO
    11 “I’m baaaack” : IT’S ME AGAIN
    12 Morales of “Criminal Minds” : ESAI
    13 Equestrian’s control : REIN
    14 All there : SANE
    19 Gaming novice : NOOB
    24 Stomach __: digestive aids : ACIDS
    26 Starts one’s daily jog : GOES ON A RUN
    27 “Take me __”: “This is me” : AS I AM
    29 Musical finale : CODA
    30 Biblical shepherd : ABEL
    32 Unmitigated : UTTER
    33 Greens __: golfer’s payment : FEE
    35 Rolling Stone interviewees : ROCK STARS
    36 To be, in Toulon : ETRE
    37 Mower storage spot : SHED
    39 Grammar lesson subject : USAGE
    40 Utmost degree : NTH
    47 Corona wedge : LIME
    49 Modify to fit : ADAPT
    51 Muse with a lyre : ERATO
    52 Anwar of Egypt : SADAT
    53 Deck-swabbing tools : MOPS
    54 Large-scale tale : EPIC
    55 Heredity carrier : GENE
    56 Small batteries : AAAS
    57 Scientologist Hubbard : L RON
    60 Radiate, as light : EMIT
    61 Thompson of the LPGA : LEXI
    64 __-Magnon : CRO
    65 College transcript no. : GPA

    23 thoughts on “LA Times Crossword 14 Dec 20, Monday”

    1. No errors. The lower left hand corner of the grid gave me a bit of trouble
      because I had “alter” before I found I had to change it to “adapt.” But
      otherwise no problems.

    2. Author made a mistake. Cub Scouts are in Dens and Packs. Boy Scouts are in Patrols and Troops.

    3. I didn’t think this was all that easy for a Monday. I didn’t know Coe or sufi. I struggled with goth because I couldn’t quite get what the clue was talking about. But what really got me was etre. I already know quite a bit of German and a smattering of Spanish. Am I expected to speak French in order to do these puzzles? Grrr. I tend to agree with Professor Higgins when he said, “The French don’t care what they do, actually, as long as they pronounce it properly”.

      1. “Raison d’etre” (reason to be) is a fairly commonly well known French term often used in English, sorta like “nom de plume” (pen name), “merci beaucoup” (thank you very much), “s’il vous plaît” (if you please), etc. Not very obscure. Prof. Higgins also said, “There are even places where English completely disappears. In America, they haven’t used it for years!”

    4. The theme did not make a whole lot of sense. SMELL threw me off the SCENT;
      zodiac butter is a RAM? but otherwise, a straighforward puzzle…

    5. Had a Natick at TEL crosses LESI.

      Didn’t catch theme. Had buG before NAG and “sun” before OIL.

      @Kannan – butter, as in one who butts someone.

    6. Within 15 seconds of Bill.A first ever for me!Thanks to your sharing throughout the year..appreciate the comments and insights..Merry Christmas to all.Tom

    7. 20:36 no errors but this was almost a DNF.
      After finishing and getting the theme I kept telling myself that there was no state for NE….my apologies to all you residents of Nebraska, my bad.
      Stay safe😀
      Go Ravens

    8. 6:39 no errors

      Thanks for the explanation of the theme.

      @Kannan, Rams butt, so Aries is the Zodiac butter.

    9. Completed the puzzle without “peeking” at the long clues (including United States)… then, after looking at the answers I could NOT get the theme. Very clever, a true puzzle, thank you Bruce Haight.

    10. Didn’t need the theme and didn’t see it, but very clever. Guess I shouldn’t call it clever if I couldn’t get it. 😉
      Yes, started to write troop and wondered what the deal was.

    11. I like Monday puzzles. I had SUN before OIL, too – this puzzle was heavy on the fossils.

      Carob is an old-world plant and chocolate is from the Americas. So from the European perspective, carob was here first.

    12. Greetings folks!!🎸

      No errors on a very well done puzzle. Actually got the theme once the grid was completed and I had a few minutes to stare at it. 🙃

      I live in LA and I’m sure I remember a Marineland in So Cal. Anyone? Not the one in San Diego….I’ve got to Google around and see if it exists or existed.

      Summer Olympics in Tokyo, July 2021. Here’s hoping life is normal by then.🤗

      Be well~~🥂

    Comments are closed.