LA Times Crossword 25 Mar 22, Friday

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Constructed by: Jeffrey Wechsler
Edited by: Rich Norris

Today’s Reveal Answer: What’s up, Doc?

Themed answers are in the across-direction, and each includes the letter string D-O-C written in the up-direction:

• 49A Classic Looney Tunes tagline offering some “direction” in solving the starred clues : WHAT’S UP, DOC?

• 17A *Guide for Smithsonian visitors, say : MUSEUM DOCENT
• (9D Indulge : CODDLE)

• 22A *Ken Burns specialty : DOCUMENTARY FILM
• (16D Eccentric old guys : CODGER)

• 42A *Southeast Asian colonial region dismantled in 1954 : FRENCH INDOCHINA
• (39D Fish-and-chips fish : COD)

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

Bill’s time: 11m 43s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

4 Dred Scott decision Chief Justice : TANEY

Roger B. Taney was Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court from 1836 until 1864 (when he passed away). Taney’s most notable decision was in the case of Dred Scott v. Sandford, in which he delivered the majority opinion that African Americans could not be considered citizens of the US. Taney was the second-longest serving Chief Justice (Chief Justice John Marshall served for 34 years, from 1801 to 1835).

The landmark case of Dred Scott vs. Sandford came before the US Supreme Court in 1857. Scott had been born a slave, but lived with his owner in a free state for several years before returning to the slave state of Missouri. Scott’s argument was that living in a free state entitled him to emancipation. A divided US Supreme Court sided with Scott’s owner John Sandford. The decision was that no African American, free or enslaved, was entitled to US citizenship and therefore Scott was unable to petition the court for his freedom. The decision heightened tensions between the North and South, and the American Civil War erupted just three years later.

9 Leg section : CALF

The calf muscle actually consists of two muscles, both of which connect to the foot through the Achilles tendon.

13 Two-digit sign : VEE

One has to be careful making that V-sign depending where you are in the world. Where I came from, the V-for-victory (or peace) sign has to be made with the palm facing outwards. If the sign is made with the palm facing inwards, it can be interpreted as a very obscene gesture.

15 Central Plains tribe : OTOE

The Otoe (also “Oto”) Native American tribe originated in the Great Lakes region as part of the Winnebago or Siouan tribes. The group that would become the Otoe broke away from the Winnebago and migrated southwestward, ending up in the Great Plains. In the plains the Otoe adopted a semi-nomadic lifestyle dependent on the horse, with the American bison becoming central to their diet.

16 “__ la vie” : C’EST

“C’est la vie” is French for “that’s life”.

17 *Guide for Smithsonian visitors, say : MUSEUM DOCENT

“Docent” is a term used for a university lecturer. There are also museum docents, people who serve as guides for visitors to their institutions and who usually provide their services for free. The term comes from the Latin “docere” meaning “to teach”.

The Smithsonian Institution was established in 1846 as the United States National Museum. The institution was renamed in honor of British scientist James Smithson who indirectly provided the initial funding. The funds were collected from England on the orders of President Andrew Jackson, and arrived in the form of 105 sacks containing 104,960 gold sovereigns.

19 Food scrap : ORT

Orts are small scraps of food left after a meal. “Ort” comes from Middle English, and originally described scraps left by animals.

20 Hardly libertine : PRIM

Someone who is described as “libertine” is free of restraint, sexually immoral. Back in the 14th century a libertine was an emancipated slave, someone given his or her freedom. The term derives from the Latin “libertinus” describing a freed person who was once a slave.

22 *Ken Burns specialty : DOCUMENTARY FILM

Ken Burns directs and produces epic documentary films that usually make inventive use of archive footage. Recent works are the sensational “The War” (about the US in WWII) and the magnificent “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea”, as well as 2014’s “The Roosevelts: An Intimate History”. Burns’ 2017 offering was “The Vietnam War” that he co-directed with Lynn Novick.

26 Fairy tale figures : GNOMES

In English folklore, the fairy’s anti-hero is the diminutive gnome, an evil ugly character. Although the charastics of gnomes vary in folklore, typically they are described as diminutive humanoids who live underground. Over the centuries, the gnome has become more lovable. We now have garden gnomes, and even the Travelocity Gnome.

27 Mother __ : LODE

A lode is a metal ore deposit that’s found between two layers of rock or in a fissure. The mother lode is the principal deposit in a mine, usually of gold or silver. “Mother lode” is probably a translation of “veta madre”, an expression used in mining in Mexico.

28 Money with hits : EDDIE

“Eddie Money” was the stage name of musician Edward Mahoney from New York City. Money was a rock guitarist, saxophonist and singer-songwriter.

36 Tiny particle : MOTE

A mote is a tiny particle, often a speck of dust.

38 Volcanic eruption sight : PLUME

“Plume” is a French word meaning “feather”. The term migrated into English from Old French in the late 1500s with the same meaning. We also use “plume” to describe something resembling a feather, like perhaps a “feathery” stream of smoke above a fire.

42 *Southeast Asian colonial region dismantled in 1954 : FRENCH INDOCHINA

In the strict sense of the term, “Indochina” is a region in Southeast Asia that corresponds to the former French territory known as French Indochina. Today this region is made up of the countries of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. However, the term “Indochina” is more generally used to describe Mainland Southeast Asia, and in this usage it also encompasses Myanmar, Singapore and Thailand.

45 Earth’s volume? : ATLAS

The famous Flemish geographer Gerardus Mercator published his first collection of maps in 1578. Mercator’s collection contained a frontispiece with an image of Atlas the Titan from Greek mythology holding up the world on his shoulders. That image gave us our term “atlas” that is used for a book of maps.

47 Mandlikova of ’80s tennis : HANA

Hana Mandlíková is a former professional tennis star from Czechoslovakia. Mandlíková won four Grand Slam titles and then retired in 1990, at the ripe old age of 28.

48 Mexican pinch? : SEL

In Spanish, “sal” (salt) is a “condimento” (seasoning).

49 Classic Looney Tunes tagline offering some “direction” in solving the starred clues : WHAT’S UP, DOC?

Bugs Bunny first said “What’s up, Doc?” in the 1940 cartoon short “A Wild Hare”, while addressing the hunter Elmer Fudd.

53 Cloth-dyeing method : BATIK

Genuine batik cloth is produced by applying wax to the parts of the cloth that are not to be dyed. After the cloth has been dyed, it is dried and then dipped in a solvent that dissolves the wax. Although wax-resist dyeing of fabric has existed in various parts of the world for centuries, it is most closely associated historically with the island of Java in Indonesia.

54 Pro using a siren, perhaps : EMT

Emergency medical technician (EMT)

Down

1 With 3-Down, sportsbook option based on the final score : OVER-UNDER …
(3D See 1-Down : … BET)

An over-under bet is a wager that a number will be over or under a particular value. A common over-under bet is made on the combined points scored by two teams in a game.

2 Game system turn-off options : REST MODES

As best I can tell, “rest mode” is a term used by Sony for “sleep mode” on the PlayStation 4 gaming console.

Sleep mode is a low-power mode for electronic devices … and crossword bloggers …

4 What a siren does : TEMPTS

In Greek mythology, the Sirens were seductive bird-women who lured men to their deaths with their song. When Odysseus sailed close to the island home of the Sirens he wanted to hear their voices, but in safety. He had his men plug their ears with beeswax and then ordered them to tie him to the mast and not to free him until they were safe. On hearing their song Odysseus begged to be let loose, but the sailors just tightened his bonds and the whole crew sailed away unharmed. We sometimes use the term “siren” today to describe a seductively charming woman.

5 Lexus competitor : ACURA

Acura is the luxury brand of the Honda Motor Company. As an aside, Infiniti is the equivalent luxury brand for the Nissan Motor Company, and Lexus is the more luxurious version of Toyota’s models.

6 Polite denial : NO, SIR

Someone described as polite shows tact and courtesy. The adjective “polite” comes from the Latin verb “polire” meaning “to polish”.

9 Indulge : CODDLE

The verb “to coddle”, meaning “to treat tenderly”, was actually coined in 1815 by Jane Austen in her novel “Emma”. At least, that is the first written record we have of the verb’s usage. John Knightley (younger brother of George Knightley) addresses his wife Isabella (elder sister of Emma Woodhouse) with the following words:

“My dear Isabella,” exclaimed he, hastily, “pray do not concern yourself about my looks. Be satisfied with doctoring and coddling yourself and the children, and let me look as I chuse.”

16 Eccentric old guys : CODGERS

“Geezer”, “codger” and “coot” are all not-so-nice terms meaning “old man”.

18 “Downton Abbey” personnel : MAIDS

One of my favorite scenes from the period drama “Downton Abbey” takes place around the dinner table. Matthew Crawley, a practicing lawyer being introduced to the aristocratic Grantham family says, “I will have plenty of time to do that over the weekend”. To which the Dowager Countess of Grantham (played brilliantly by Maggie Smith) remarks, “but what is a weekend?” Ah, the joys of the easy way of life …

23 Man’s name that becomes a measurement when one letter is moved : EMIL

The thickness unit known as a “mil” here in the US is usually referred to as a “thou” on the other side of the Atlantic. A “mil” is actually one “thousandth” of an inch. So, I vote for “thou” …

24 Once called : NEE

“Née” is the French word for “born” when referring to a female. The male equivalent is “né”. The term “née” is mainly used in English when referring to a married woman’s birth name, assuming that she has adopted her husband’s name, e.g. Michelle Obama née Robinson, Melania Trump née Knavs, and Jill Biden née Jacobs.

25 The Alamo, e.g. : FORT

The famous Alamo in San Antonio, Texas was originally known as Mission San Antonio de Valero. The mission was founded in 1718 and was the first mission established in the city. The Battle of the Alamo took place in 1836, a thirteen-day siege by the Mexican Army led by President General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna. Only two people defending the Alamo Mission survived the onslaught. One month later, the Texian army got its revenge by attacking and defeating the Mexican Army in the Battle of San Jacinto. During the surprise attack on Santa Anna’s camp, many of the Texian soldiers were heard to cry “Remember the Alamo!”.

33 Zips again, as a Ziploc bag : RESEALS

Ziploc resealable storage bags came on the market in 1968.

35 Rich dessert : FLAN

Flan (also “crème caramel”) is a delicious dessert comprising a molded custard topped with a clear caramel sauce. The related crème brûlée is a dessert made from molded custard with a hard, burnt caramel layer on top.

36 Subject with shapes : MATH

Here’s another term that catches me out all the time, having done my schooling on the other side of the Atlantic. The term “mathematics” is shortened to “math” in the US, but to “maths” in Britain and Ireland.

38 First Amendment concern : PRESS

The Constitution of the United States was adopted on September 17, 1787. There have been 27 amendments to the constitution, the first ten of which are collectively called the Bill of Rights. In essence the Bill of Rights limits the power of the Federal Government and protects the rights of individuals. For example, the First Amendment states:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

39 Fish-and-chips fish : COD

In Britain and Ireland, the most common fish that is used in traditional “fish and chips” is Atlantic cod. Cod has been overfished all over the world, and is now considered to be an endangered species by many international bodies. Confrontations over fishing rights in the North Atlantic led to conflicts called “the Cod Wars” between Iceland and the UK in the 1950s and the 1970s, with fishing fleets being protected by naval vessels and even shots being fired.

40 Like Romano, often : GRATED

“Romano” is actually an American term, and is used for a selection of hard and salty cheeses that are typically grated. One of these cheeses is the Italian Pecorino Romano, from which we get the more generic term “Romano”.

42 Emergency device : FLARE

The most commonly used flare gun was invented by an American naval officer, called Edward Wilson Very. He put his name to his invention (from the late 1800s), so we often hear the terms Very pistol, Very flare, and maybe even Very “light”. A Very pistol is indeed a gun, with a trigger and a hammer that’s cocked and can be reloaded with Very flares.

44 How tuna may be packed : IN OIL

There are 15 species of tuna, the size of which varies greatly. The smallest is the bullet tuna, which can grow to about 4 pounds in weight and just over 1½ feet in length. The Atlantic bluefin tuna can weigh over 1,500 pounds, and reach about 15 feet in length. That’s a lot of tuna …

45 Hole makers : AWLS

An awl is a pointed tool used for marking a surface or for piercing small holes. The earliest awls were used to pierce ears, apparently. The tool then became very much associated with shoemakers.

46 “O Julius Caesar, __ art mighty yet!”: Brutus : THOU

In William Shakespeare’s play “Julius Caesar”, while standing over the body of the senator Cassius, Brutus exclaims:

O Julius Caesar, thou art mighty yet!

Cassius had led the plot to assassinate Caesar, but facing a backlash from Caesar’s loyal followers, he commits suicide. Brutus realizes that the assassination was pointless, as Caesar’s spirit lives on.

50 Where, to Brutus : UBI

The most famous man with the name “Brutus” in ancient Rome was Marcus Junius Brutus the Younger. It was this Brutus that Julius Caesar turned to when he was assassinated on the steps of the Senate. William Shakespeare immortalized Brutus by featuring him in his play, “Julius Caesar”, and giving his victim the line “Et tu, Brute?”