LA Times Crossword 25 Jul 21, Sunday

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Constructed by: Tony Caruso & C.C. Burnikel
Edited by: Rich Norris

Today’s Theme: Call Up

Themed answers are all in the down-direction. Circled letters in those answers spell out a type of PHONE in the UP-direction:

  • 86D Motorola Razr, e.g., and a hint to each set of circles : FLIP PHONE
  • 3D Amusement park pickup areas : TRAM STOPS (giving “smartphone”)
  • 5D Cooper classic : THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS (giving “home phone”)
  • 11D Striped walkways : ZEBRA CROSSINGS (giving “car phone”)
  • 15D Sweet snacks on sticks : CANDY APPLES (giving “pay phone”)
  • 21D “Absolutely!” : THERE’S NO DOUBT ABOUT IT! (giving “Batphone”)
  • 55D Best Actor role for Anthony Hopkins : HANNIBAL LECTER (giving “cell phone”)
  • 71D “That’s not news to me” : I’M WELL AWARE (giving “wall phone”)

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

Bill’s time: 14m 51s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Club alternatives : BLTS

The BLT (bacon, lettuce and tomato) is the second-most popular sandwich in the US, after the plain old ham sandwich.

14 Future doc’s hurdle : MCAT

Medical College Admission Test (MCAT)

18 Mark replacement : EURO

One of the currencies replaced by the euro was Germany’s Deutsche Mark (known as “deutschmark” in English).

23 Sweet Sixteen org. : NCAA

In the NCAA Division I Basketball Championship, the teams remaining at various stages of the tournament are known as:

  • The “Sweet Sixteen” (the regional semi-finalists)
  • The “Elite Eight” (the regional finalists)
  • The “Final Four” (the national semi-finalists)

24 Jacob’s brother : ESAU

Esau was the grandson of Abraham and the twin brother of Jacob, the founder of the Israelites. When Esau was born to Isaac and Rebekah, the event was described with “Now the first came forth, red all over like a hairy garment”. Esau is portrayed later in life as being very different from his brother Jacob, as a hunter and someone who loves the outdoor life.

27 Distressed ones in some fairy tales : DAMSELS

A damsel is a young woman, and often a lady of noble birth. The term “damsel” came into English from the Old French “dameisele”, which had the same meaning. The modern French term is “demoiselle”, which in turn is related to the term of address “mademoiselle”.

29 Sun, for one : G STAR

Stars are commonly classified by the color of the light that they emit. These classifications are, from hottest to coolest, O, B, A, F, G, K and M. One way to remember the order of these letters is to use the mnemonic “Oh, be a fine girl, kiss me”. The colors of these stars range from blue (class O) to red (class M). Our sun is class G, a yellow star. I think we all know that …

31 Pale green glaze that originated in China : CELADON

Celadon is a shade of green that has a pale grey hue. It has been suggested that the name “celadon” comes from the character Céladon who features in the 17th-century novel “L’Astrée” by Honoré d’Urfé. Céladon routinely wears a grey-green color of clothing.

35 Antonio’s love : AMORE

In Italian, people might fall in “amore” (love).

38 Seminole rivals, in college sports : GATORS

The Florida Gators are the sports teams of the University of Florida, located in Gainesville. Sometimes the female teams are called the “Lady Gators”, and all of the fans make up the “Gator Nation”.

40 Simpson trial judge : ITO

Judge Lance Ito came in for a lot of criticism for his handling of the 1995 O.J. Simpson murder trial. The lead prosecutor in that trial was Marcia Clark, you might recall. I read the book that’s Clark wrote about the trial called “Without a Doubt”, and she pointed out one trait of Judge Ito that I think is quite telling. Ito would almost always refer to the prosecutor as “Marcia”, while addressing the men on both sides of the case with the honorific “Mister”.

41 Signature Obama legis. : ACA

The correct name for what has been dubbed “Obamacare” is the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act” (ACA).

42 James played by Beyoncé in “Cadillac Records” : ETTA

“Cadillac Records” is a 2008 movie about the life of Leonard Chess who founded Chess Records along with his brother. There are some famous characters appearing in the film, including Chuck Berry (played by Mos Def) and Etta James (played by Beyoncé Knowles).

44 “Mr. Blue Sky” rock gp. : ELO

“Mr. Blue Sky” is a 1977 song by the Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) from Britain. It’s a song that has been described as “Beatlesque”, and I must say that I agree with that statement …

45 Inventor who had his ups and downs : OTIS

Elevators (simple hoists) have been around for a long time. What Elisha Otis did was come up with the “safety elevator”, a design that he showcased at the 1853 World’s Fair in New York. At the Fair, Otis would stand on an elevated platform in front of onlookers and order his assistant to cut the single rope holding up the platform. His safety system kicked in when the platform had only fallen a few inches, amazing the crowd. After this demonstration, the orders came rolling in.

47 Victory wreaths : LAURELS

In the Ancient Olympic Games, the winner of an event was awarded an olive wreath. When the games were revived in 1896, the winners were originally given a silver medal and an olive branch, with runners-up receiving a bronze medal and a laurel branch. The tradition of giving gold, silver and bronze medals began at the 1904 Summer Olympic Games held in St. Louis, Missouri.

50 Wall St. debuts : IPOS

An initial public offering (IPO) is the very first offer of stock for sale by a company on the open market. In other words, an IPO marks the first time that a company is traded on a public exchange. Companies have an IPO to raise capital to expand (usually).

53 PGA leaders, say : TOP PROS

The Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) was founded in 1916 and today has its headquarters (unsurprisingly) in Florida, where so many golfers live. Back in 1916, the PGA was based in New York City.

58 Slangy meeting : SESH

Session (abbreviated to “sess.” formally, and “sesh” informally)

59 Bug with bounce : FLEA

Fleas are flightless insects, but they sure can jump. Their very specialized hind legs allow them to jump up to 50 times the length of their bodies.

63 EWR alternative : LGA

The three big airports serving New York City (NYC) are John F. Kennedy (JFK), LaGuardia (LGA) and Newark (EWR).

66 Sch. with the mascot Sparty : MSU

Michigan State University (MSU) is located in East Lansing, Michigan. MSU has the largest study-abroad program of any single-campus university in the US. Programs are offered on all continents of the world, including Antarctica. The MSU athletic teams are known as the Spartans.

69 1862 Tennessee battle site : SHILOH

The Battle of Shiloh was a major engagement in the Civil War, and was fought in 1862 at Pittsburg Landing in southwestern Tennessee. The battle started with a surprise attack by Confederate forces led by Generals Albert Sidney Johnston and P. G. T. Beauregard. The attackers gained the upper hand on the first day over the Union forces led by Major General Ulysses S. Grant. Union reinforcements arrived during the night and the tide of the battle turned the next day and the Confederates were forced to withdraw. Almost 3,000 men died in the course of the Battle of Shiloh, thus making it the bloodiest battle in US history up to that point in time.

72 Luanda is its cap. : ANG

Luanda is the capital city of Angola. It is a large seaport that was founded by the Portuguese in 1576. For centuries, Luanda served as the main center of the slave trade from Africa to the Portuguese colony of Brazil.

74 Minor issue : NIT

A “beef” is a complaint and to “nitpick” is to be excessively critical, complaining about every little thing. So a “nit” might be considered a little beef, a “baby beef” …

75 Ric of The Cars : OCASEK

Ric Ocasek was an American musician of Czech heritage. He was the lead vocalist of the rock band known as the Cars.

76 “Who wants cake?” eager reply : ME ME ME!

Me too …

81 Slide organisms : AMOEBAE

An ameba (also “amoeba”) is a single-celled microorganism. The name comes from the Greek “amoibe”, meaning change. The name is quite apt, as the cell changes shape readily as the ameba moves, eats and reproduces.

Microscope slides are thin pieces of glass on which are mounted samples for examination. Often a “cover slip”, a smaller and thinner sheet of glass, is placed on top of the sample. Originally called “sliders”, such specimens would “slide” into the gap between the stage and the objective lens on a microscope.

91 “Et __?”: “And then what?” : APRES

In French, one might ask “et après?” (and then what, and after?)

95 Hindu festival of love : HOLI

Holi is a Hindu festival, celebrated in spring, that is also known as the Festival of Colours.

100 Jeans name : LEVI

Levi Strauss was the founder of the first company in the world to manufacture blue jeans. Levi Strauss & Co. opened in 1853 in San Francisco. Strauss and his business partner were awarded a patent in 1873 for the use of copper rivets to strengthen points of strain on working pants.

Denim fabric originated in Nimes in France. The French phrase “de Nimes” (meaning “from Nimes”) gives us the word “denim”. Also, the French phrase “bleu de Genes” (meaning “blue of Genoa”) gives us our word “jeans”.

102 Racing Unsers : ALS

The Unser family seems to have auto racing in their blood. Al Unser, Sr. won the Indy 500 on four occasions. Al’s brother Jerry was the first of the Unsers to compete at Indianapolis. Al’s other brother Bobby, won the Indy three times. Al’s son, Al Junior, won the Indy twice. Al Junior’s son is also a racing driver who competes at the Indy Speedway.

103 Hoppy brew, briefly : IPA

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.

The foodstuff that we call “hops” are actually the female flowers of the hop plant. The main use of hops is to add flavor to beer. The town in which I live here in California used to be home to the largest hop farm in the whole world. Most of the harvested hops were exported all the way to the breweries of London, where they could fetch the best price.

105 Seedy company? : BURPEE

The Burpee Seeds company was formed in 1876 by Washington Atlee Burpee.

111 Music genre big in China : CANTOPOP

Cantopop is a pop music genre, with the name short for “Cantonese pop music”. An alternative name for the genre is “HK-pop”, short for “Hong Kong pop music”.

124 Café additive : LAIT

“Café au lait” (French for “coffee with milk”) is usually strong drip coffee to which one adds steamed milk. Well, that’s the way we tend to make it here in the US.

126 Stimulating nut : KOLA

The nut of the kola tree has a bitter taste, and is loaded with caffeine. Despite the taste, the nut is habitually chewed in some cultures, especially in West Africa where the tree is commonly found in the rainforest. Here in the US we best know the kola nut as a flavoring used in cola drinks.

127 German gent : HERR

In German, a “Herr” (Mr.) is married to a “Frau” (Mrs.), and they live together in a “Haus” (house).

129 Civil rights activist Guinier : LANI

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

130 Baseball’s Slaughter : ENOS

Enos Slaughter has a remarkable playing record in Major League Baseball over a 19-year career. Slaughter’s record is particularly remarkable given that he left baseball for three years to serve in the military during WWII.

131 Cookie that’s customizable : OREO

Nabisco offers customized packets of Oreo cookies through its OREOiD website. Users of the stie can choose filling colors and decorations, and can add a photo or a message to the cookie itself.

132 Dog-__ pages : EARED

The folded-down corner of the page of a book, a temporary placeholder, is known as a “dog-ear”. I suppose that’s because it looks like the ear of a dog …

134 Teller’s stack : TENS

To tell can mean to count, as in “telling one’s blessings” and “there are 16, all told”. This usage of the word “tell” gives us the term “bank teller”.

Down

2 Hatchet man __ Brasi of “The Godfather” : LUCA

Luca Brasi is one of Don Corleone’s most loyal “enforcers” in Mario Puzo’s novel “The Godfather”. Brasi comes to a violent end, garroted while his hand is pinned to a wooden bar with a knife. Famously, the Corleone family learn of his demise when they receive Brasi’s bulletproof vest wrapped around dead fish. The message is that he “sleeps with the fishes”. In the big screen adaptation of “The Godfather”, Luca Brasi is played by ex-wrestler and professional bodyguard Lenny Montana. The role launched a very successful television character-acting career for Montana.

5 Cooper classic : THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS (giving “home phone”)

“The Last of the Mohicans” is an 1826 novel by James Fenimore Cooper. It is the second in a series of five novels that comprise the “Leatherstocking Tales”. All five titles are:

  • “The Deerslayer” (1841)
  • “The Last of the Mohicans” (1826)
  • “The Pathfinder” (1840)
  • “The Pioneers” (1823)
  • “The Prairie” (1827)

7 “Take on Me” band : A-HA

A-ha is a band from Norway that first appeared on the music scene in Oslo in 1982. The band made it into the Guinness Book of World Records twice. A-ha holds the record for the largest paying audience at a concert, drawing 198,000 people to the Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro in 1991. Lead singer Morten Harket has the record for holding the longest live note in a song. He held a note in the song “Summer Moved On” for 22 seconds!

8 Snickers ingredient : NOUGAT

“Nougat” is an Occitan word (Occitania being a region of Southern Europe) that translates as “nut bread”.

Snickers is a candy bar made by Mars. When I was growing up in Ireland, the same candy bar was sold as a Marathon. The name was changed in Europe to Snickers in 1990. 75% of the world’s Snickers bars are made in the Mars factory in Waco, Texas.

10 Hogwarts librarian __ Pince : IRMA

In the “Harry Potter” universe, Irma Pince is the librarian at Hogwarts. Ms. Pince is a severe woman, and is said to look like an “underfed vulture”. Pince is played on the big screen by English actress Sally Mortemore.

11 Striped walkways : ZEBRA CROSSINGS (giving “car phone”)

A zebra crossing is a pedestrian crossing marked by alternating dark and white stripes on the ground. I am willing to bet that the world’s most well-known zebra crossing is the one in front of the Abbey Road Studios in London, as it features so prominently on the cover of the famous “Abbey Road” album recorded by The Beatles.

12 School URL ender : EDU

An Internet address (like NYXCrossword.com and LAXCrossword.com) is more correctly called a uniform resource locator (URL).

13 Summer songs? : DISCO

Donna Summer is known as “The Queen of Disco”, with great hits like “Love to Love You, Baby”, “I Feel Love” and “Hot Stuff”. In the late sixties and early seventies, LaDonna Gaines (her real name) lived and worked in Germany. There she met and married an Austrian actor called Helmuth Sommer. They divorced not long after the marriage, but Donna kept his family name, just changing the “o” to “u” to give her the stage name of “Donna Summer”.

14 Movie-rating org. : MPAA

The Motion Picture Association of America’s (MPAA) film-rating system (PG-13, R, etc.) is purely voluntary and is not backed by any law. Movie theaters agree to abide by the rules that come with the MPAA ratings in exchange for access to new movies.

15 Sweet snacks on sticks : CANDY APPLES (giving “pay phone”)

“Candy apple” is yet another term that I had to learn when I came to the US. Candy apples are called “toffee apples” outside of North America.

21 “Absolutely!” : THERE’S NO DOUBT ABOUT IT! (giving “Batphone”)

The Batphone was introduced in the Batman comic books before gaining celebrity in the Batman television series of the sixties. The Batphone was Commissioner Gordon’s secure line to Batman. The term “bat phone” is used quite a bit in the business world, where it describes a private telephone number that is handled as a priority above the regular lines.

30 Vodka nickname : STOLI

Stolichnaya is a brand of “Russian” vodka made from wheat and rye grain. “Stoli” originated in Russia, but now it’s made in Latvia. Latvia is of course a completely different country, so you won’t see the word “Russian” on the label anymore.

34 Lead-in to gender : CIS-

The term “cisgender” is now used as the opposite of “transgender”. Cisgender people have a gender identity that matches the sex they were assigned at birth.

36 Astronaut Jemison : MAE

Mae Jemison was a crew member on the Space Shuttle Endeavour on a 1992 mission, and as such became the first African-American woman to travel in space. She is also a big fan of “Star Trek” and appeared on an episode of “Star Trek: The Next Generation”. That made Jemison the first real astronaut to appear on any of the “Star Trek” shows.

41 Halloween is in it : AUTUMN

All Saints’ Day is November 1st each year. The day before All Saints’ Day is All Hallows’ Eve, better known by the Scottish term “Halloween”.

43 “Whether __ nobler … “: Hamlet : ‘TIS

There has been centuries of debate about how one interprets Hamlet’s soliloquy that begins “To be or not to be …”. My favorite opinion is that Hamlet is weighing up the pros and cons of suicide (“to not be”).

To be, or not to be, that is the question:
Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The Slings and Arrows of outrageous fortune;
Or to take Armes against a Sea of troubles …

46 Wight, e.g. : ISLE

The Isle of Wight is the largest island in England, and lies about five miles off the south coast of the country. For many centuries, the island was a kingdom in its own right. One popular tourist attraction on the Isle of Wight is Osborne House, a former royal residence that was built as a summer home for Queen Victoria, and that was designed by the queen’s consort Prince Albert. Queen Victoria died in Osborne House, in 1901.

48 20s dispenser : ATM

The twenty-dollar bill is called a “Jackson” as it bears the portrait of President Andrew Jackson on the front side of the bill. Jackson’s image replaced that of President Grover Cleveland in 1928, and there doesn’t seem to be any record documenting just why that change was made. Over one-fifth of all notes printed today are 20-dollar bills. The average life of a Jackson is a little over 2 years, after which it is replaced due to wear.

51 __ Boogie: “The Nightmare Before Christmas” villain : OOGIE

“The Nightmare Before Christmas” is a 1993 animated feature film by Tim Burton. The inspiration for the movie was a 1982 poem written by Burton himself. I’m not a fan …

52 Won a Razzie Award, say : STANK

“Razzie” is the familiar name for the Golden Raspberry Award, an award presented annually for the worst in the world of film. The Razzies have been presented on the day before the Oscars since 1981.

55 Best Actor role for Anthony Hopkins : HANNIBAL LECTER (giving “cell phone”)

Hannibal Lecter is a character created by author Thomas Harris, first appearing in his novel “Red Dragon”. Lecter also features prominently in “Red Dragon’s” famous sequel “The Silence of the Lambs”, and even more so in the third book, “Hannibal Rising”. The latter title is a “prequel” exploring Lecter’s childhood and development into a serial killer. Famously, Lecter was portrayed in the 1991 film version of “The Silence of the Lambs” by Welsh actor Anthony Hopkins. Hopkins also played Lecter in 2001’s “Hannibal” and in 2002’s “Red Dragon”. Lector was also played by Brian Cox (“Manhunter” – 1986), by Gaspard Ulliel (“Hannibal Rising” – 2007), and by Mad Mikkelsen (“Hannibal” – TV series).

The marvelous actor Anthony Hopkins got his big break in movies playing Richard the Lionheart in the 1968 historical drama “The Lion in Winter”. Hopkins hails from the south coast of Wales, and was encouraged in his early career by fellow Welshman Richard Burton, whom he met when he was a teenager. I’d say that Hopkins’ best-known film role was Hannibal Lecter in “The Silence of the Lambs”.

57 Kobe-based shoe company : ASICS

ASICS is a Japanese company based in Kobe that produces athletic gear, including running shoes. The company name comes from the first letters of the Latin phrase “anima sana in corpore sano”, which translates to “a healthy soul in a healthy body”.

70 Strictly follow : HEW TO

To hew to something is to conform to it, especially to a rule or principle.

73 Fox’s quest in a fable : GRAPES

Our expression “sour grapes” is used to describe a negative attitude adopted by somebody towards something just because that person can’t have the thing himself or herself. The phrase alludes to one of Aesop’s fables, the story of “The Fox and the Grapes”. In the fable, a squirrel could climb up to grapes high in a tree that a fox was unsuccessful in getting to. On seeing this, the fox said, “It’s okay, the grapes were sour anyway”.

79 Burkina __ : FASO

Burkina Faso is an inland country in western Africa. The country used to be called the Republic of Upper Volta and was renamed in 1984 to “Burkina Faso”, meaning “the land of upright people”.

82 “Blueprint for a Sunrise” artist : ONO

“Blueprint for a Sunrise” is a 2001 album released by Yoko Ono. It is a feminist work with the suffering of women as the theme. In the liner notes, Ono talks about “waking up in the middle of the night hearing thousands of women screaming”.

83 Laundry brand : ERA

Era was the first liquid laundry detergent produced by Procter & Gamble.

86 Motorola Razr, e.g., and a hint to each set of circles : FLIP PHONE

The Razr is a series of smartphones introduced by Motorola in 2003. The “Razr” name was chosen in part because of the phone’s relatively thin form factor.

88 First Black NHL player Willie __ : O’REE

Willie O’Ree is a retired professional hockey player from Canada who made his debut for the Boston Bruins in 1958. That made him the first Black player in the National Hockey League, and earned him the nickname “Jackie Robinson of ice hockey”.

90 March 14 food : PIE

The first three digits of the mathematical constant pi are 3.14. Pi Day has been celebrated on March 14th (3/14) every year since 1988, when it was inaugurated at the San Francisco Exploratorium. In countries where the day is usually written before the month, Pi Day is July 22nd, reflecting the more accurate approximation of pi as 22/7. Interestingly, March 14th is also Albert Einstein’s birthday.

97 Road crew supply : TAR

The terms “tarmac” and “macadam” are short for “tarmacadam”. In the 1800s, Scotsman John Loudon McAdam developed a style of road known as “macadam”. Macadam had a top-layer of crushed stone and gravel laid over larger stones. The macadam also had a convex cross-section so that water tended to drain to the sides. In 1901, a significant improvement was made by English engineer Edgar Purnell Hooley who introduced tar into the macadam, improving the resistance to water damage and practically eliminating dust. The “tar-penetration macadam” is the basis of what we now call “tarmac”.

98 Honshu honorific : SAN

Honshu is the largest island in Japan, and the seventh largest island in the world. The name “Honshu” translates as “Main Island”.

104 Dish from Valencian for “frying pan” : PAELLA

Paella is sometimes referred to as the Spanish national dish, but not by Spaniards. In Spain, paella is regarded as a typical regional dish from Valencia. The name “paella” means “frying pan” in Valencian, and is a reference to the shallow vessel traditionally used to cook the dish over an open fire.

Valencia is one of the autonomous communities of Spain, and is located in the east of the country on the Mediterranean Coast. Its capital city is also called Valencia, and is the third-largest city in the nation, after Madrid and Barcelona.

106 __ Mortgage: Quicken brand : ROCKET

Our word “mortgage” comes from the Old French “mort gaige” which translated as “dead pledge”. Such an arrangement was so called because the “pledge” to repay “dies” when the debt is cleared.

107 Oregon Trail state : IDAHO

The Oregon Trail was established by fur trappers and traders as early as 1811. The first migrant wagon train traveled the route in 1836, starting off in Independence, Missouri and going as far as Fort Hall, Idaho. In the coming years, the trail was extended for wagons as far as the Willamette Valley in Oregon.

110 Yom Kippur verb : ATONE

Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the year for the Jewish people, and is also known as the Day of Atonement.

114 “Stoned Soul Picnic” songwriter Laura : NYRO

Laura Nyro was a singer-songwriter from the Bronx, New York. Nyro had success with her own recordings, but her songs were even more successful when recorded by other big names. Two of Nyro’s compositions were “Eli’s Coming” recorded by Three Dog Night, and “Stoney End” by Barbra Streisand.

“Stoned Soul Picnic” is a song by singer-songwriter Laura Nyro. Nyro recorded the song herself in 1968, but a cover version recorded the same year by the 5th Dimension is best known.

116 Level : RAZE

To raze (“rase”, in UK English) is to level to the ground. I’ve always thought it a little quirky that “raise”, a homophone of “raze”, means “build up”.

119 Tech mogul Musk : ELON

Elon Musk is a successful businessman who has founded or led some very high-profile companies, namely PayPal, Tesla Motors and SpaceX. Musk received a lot of publicity in early 2018 during a test launch by SpaceX of the Falcon Heavy launch vehicle. A Tesla Roadster belonging to Musk was carried into space as a dummy payload.

123 Org. with annual Jazz Master Awards : NEA

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) honors several jazz musicians each year with a Jazz Master Award. The list of recipients is impressive, and includes Count Base (1983), Miles Davis (1984), Ella Fitzgerald (1985) and Dave Brubeck (1999).

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Club alternatives : BLTS
5 Word often after an “-er” word : … THAN
9 Adjusted to fit, as a ring : SIZED
14 Future doc’s hurdle : MCAT
18 Mark replacement : EURO
19 Upbeat greeting : HI-HO!
20 One’s due : CREDIT
22 Going rate : PACE
23 Sweet Sixteen org. : NCAA
24 Jacob’s brother : ESAU
25 Unexpected attack : AMBUSH
26 Pot builder : ANTE
27 Distressed ones in some fairy tales : DAMSELS
29 Sun, for one : G STAR
31 Pale green glaze that originated in China : CELADON
33 Adoption candidate, maybe : STRAY CAT
35 Antonio’s love : AMORE
37 Timeline divs. : YRS
38 Seminole rivals, in college sports : GATORS
40 Simpson trial judge : ITO
41 Signature Obama legis. : ACA
42 James played by Beyoncé in “Cadillac Records” : ETTA
44 “Mr. Blue Sky” rock gp. : ELO
45 Inventor who had his ups and downs : OTIS
47 Victory wreaths : LAURELS
50 Wall St. debuts : IPOS
53 PGA leaders, say : TOP PROS
55 Whacked at, as left field : HIT TO
56 Stuck : IN A SPOT
58 Slangy meeting : SESH
59 Bug with bounce : FLEA
61 Requirements : MUST-DOS
63 EWR alternative : LGA
64 Summer temp, maybe : INTERN
66 Sch. with the mascot Sparty : MSU
67 Sup at home : DINE IN
69 1862 Tennessee battle site : SHILOH
72 Luanda is its cap. : ANG
74 Minor issue : NIT
75 Ric of The Cars : OCASEK
76 “Who wants cake?” eager reply : ME ME ME!
77 Polite title : SIR
78 Easy, in ads : NO-FUSS
80 “That’s so cute!” : AWW!
81 Slide organisms : AMOEBAE
84 Take suddenly : GRAB
85 Pickable do : AFRO
89 Second-marriage relationship : STEPSON
91 “Et __?”: “And then what?” : APRES
93 Awesome : STELLAR
95 Hindu festival of love : HOLI
96 Detective’s promising discovery : HOT LEAD
98 Fly high : SOAR
99 Cold rocks : ICE
100 Jeans name : LEVI
102 Racing Unsers : ALS
103 Hoppy brew, briefly : IPA
105 Seedy company? : BURPEE
107 Nest egg initials : IRA
109 Words of comfort : I CARE
111 Music genre big in China : CANTOPOP
113 Mastered : DOWN PAT
115 Box with openings : CRATE
118 Pet rabbits’ homes : HUTCHES
121 Not at one’s desk : AWAY
122 Like some revenue, as parking fines : NON-TAX
124 Café additive : LAIT
126 Stimulating nut : KOLA
127 German gent : HERR
128 Blessing elicitor : SNEEZE
129 Civil rights activist Guinier : LANI
130 Baseball’s Slaughter : ENOS
131 Cookie that’s customizable : OREO
132 Dog-__ pages : EARED
133 Type of prof. : ASST
134 Teller’s stack : TENS

Down

1 Compromise : BEND
2 Hatchet man __ Brasi of “The Godfather” : LUCA
3 Amusement park pickup areas : TRAM STOPS (giving “smartphone”)
4 In order that one may : SO AS TO
5 Cooper classic : THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS (giving “home phone”)
6 __ fit : HISSY
7 “Take on Me” band : A-HA
8 Snickers ingredient : NOUGAT
9 Vocal improv : SCAT
10 Hogwarts librarian __ Pince : IRMA
11 Striped walkways : ZEBRA CROSSINGS (giving “car phone”)
12 School URL ender : EDU
13 Summer songs? : DISCO
14 Movie-rating org. : MPAA
15 Sweet snacks on sticks : CANDY APPLES (giving “pay phone”)
16 Stage figure : ACTOR
17 Many new drivers : TEENS
21 “Absolutely!” : THERE’S NO DOUBT ABOUT IT! (giving “Batphone”)
28 Fact-checker’s find : ERROR
30 Vodka nickname : STOLI
32 Rent : LET
34 Lead-in to gender : CIS-
36 Astronaut Jemison : MAE
38 Receives : GETS
39 Sunburn-soothing balm : ALOE
41 Halloween is in it : AUTUMN
43 “Whether __ nobler … “: Hamlet : ‘TIS
46 Wight, e.g. : ISLE
48 20s dispenser : ATM
49 Cap : LID
51 __ Boogie: “The Nightmare Before Christmas” villain : OOGIE
52 Won a Razzie Award, say : STANK
54 Lover’s suffix : -PHILE
55 Best Actor role for Anthony Hopkins : HANNIBAL LECTER (giving “cell phone”)
57 Kobe-based shoe company : ASICS
60 Remove entirely : ERASE
62 Personal teacher : TUTOR
65 “Enough, Jorge!” : NO MAS!
68 __ cavity : NASAL
69 Huge success : SMASH
70 Strictly follow : HEW TO
71 “That’s not news to me” : I’M WELL AWARE (giving “wall phone”)
73 Fox’s quest in a fable : GRAPES
79 Burkina __ : FASO
82 “Blueprint for a Sunrise” artist : ONO
83 Laundry brand : ERA
86 Motorola Razr, e.g., and a hint to each set of circles : FLIP PHONE
87 Political battle : RACE
88 First Black NHL player Willie __ : O’REE
90 March 14 food : PIE
92 Official proclamation : EDICT
94 Blow : ERUPT
97 Road crew supply : TAR
98 Honshu honorific : SAN
101 Big shot, briefly : VIP
104 Dish from Valencian for “frying pan” : PAELLA
106 __ Mortgage: Quicken brand : ROCKET
107 Oregon Trail state : IDAHO
108 Crew member : ROWER
110 Yom Kippur verb : ATONE
112 Wheat __: cracker brand : THINS
114 “Stoned Soul Picnic” songwriter Laura : NYRO
116 Level : RAZE
117 Canned : AXED
119 Tech mogul Musk : ELON
120 Lip : SASS
123 Org. with annual Jazz Master Awards : NEA
125 Small batteries : AAS

9 thoughts on “LA Times Crossword 25 Jul 21, Sunday”

  1. Over an hour but no errors…I Had no clue what 63A was and the same for 51D…52D could have been stank or stunk…some luck there🙏
    Stay safe😀

  2. 21 minutes, 23 , no errors, but needed Check Help to locate the usual number of typos and misspellings you’re bound to have in grids of this size (10).

    Seems like “I CARE” is the current ‘shared fill’ among the constructor cabal. I’ve seen it 3 times in a week, I believe with the same clue.

  3. NO FUSS NO MUSS

    How about 11 D.. ZEBRA CROSSING!!! ha! Had me for a loop.. had COBRA for a while thinking that was cute.. wasn’t thinking about SIZED until I had DOH moment

  4. 14:48

    Theme helped, but what helped more was lucky guesses of THELASTOFTHEMOHICANS and ZEBRACROSSING.

    Gotta respect a puzzle that uses the right plural for AMOEBAE.

  5. Thought I had no errors, but had Rae instead of Mae for
    astronaut Jemison. So that made Antonio’s love wrong too.
    Dumb error.

    All in all, an enjoyable puzzle although it took me awhile to
    slog through it.

  6. Mostly easy Sunday, except for 4 really tough clues; took 57:09 with no errors or peeks. I spent about 25-30 minutes on most of the grid and then just slowly grinded/ground out the remainder, until I finally got the banner.

    I had a bear of a time with Et Apres, although in retrospect this should have been fairly obvious. Same with BURPEE/OREE intersection. I’ve seen Burpee before and now I know a lot more about them, but Willie O’REE started playing in ’58 and retired in ’79, well before I developed any kind of interest in the NHL. Also, kind of embarrassing to be wearing ASICS and have trouble with the ASICS/OCASEK junction… 🙂 And, NON TAX/NEA was also a bit of a poser, although I kind of suspected NEA, but had no idea about NON TAX.

    So, outside of Thursday’s blooper, I managed the whole week pretty well.

  7. Good time for the big Sunday puzzle, 35:19, but with two letters in error – (1) STuNK/LGu instead of STaNK/LGa, and (2) NOtTAX/tEA instead of NOnTAX/nEA.

    (1) I did not know the EWR airport code, but I know JFK & LGA, and stunk seemed to be the better grammatical choice over stank (which I didn’t even think of); and (2) I did not know anything of the Jazz Master awards (shame on me as I do like much jazz music) and so TEA was a good as anything to go with “noT tax” (but should have pondered on that a little more).

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