LA Times Crossword 17 Apr 22, Sunday

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Constructed by: Jeffrey Wechsler
Edited by: Rich Norris

Today’s Theme: In Re

Themed answers are common phrases with RE added IN:

  • 22A All caps in an angry blog? : INTERNET SCREAM (from “Internet scam”)
  • 32A “Untoward behavior shall call for appropriate countermeasures,” e.g.? : FANCY THREAT (from “fancy that!”)
  • 47A Wiseacre mom and dad? : SMARTY PARENTS (from “smarty pants”)
  • 63A Type of dog that does origami? : FOLDING BREED (from “folding bed”)
  • 74A Farsi editor’s mark? : PERSIAN CARET (from “Persian cat”)
  • 84A Finishing touch for foppish painters? : PLACING A BERET (from “placing a bet”)
  • 104A 1932 presidential election victory? : HOOVER DREAM (from “Hoover Dam”)
  • 118A Hush-hush lamasery topic? : BUDDHIST SECRET (from “Buddhist sect”)

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

Bill’s time: 20m 40s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Beat decisively : DRUB

A drubbing is a beating, one given either literally or figuratively. The term “drub” dates back in English to the 17th century when it was imported from the Arabic word for a beating, i.e. “darb”.

13 Venetian Renaissance painter : TITIAN

Titian was an Italian painter and a founding member of the Venetian School of the 16th century. His most famous work is probably “Assumption of the Virgin”, which was commissioned for the Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari in Venice and which can be seen there on the high altar to this very day.

19 He played Klaatu in “The Day the Earth Stood Still” (2008) : KEANU

Keanu Reeves is a Canadian actor whose most celebrated roles were a metalhead in “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure” (1989), a cop in “Speed” (1994) and the protagonist Neo in “The Matrix” series of films. Although Reeves is a Canadian national, he was born in Beirut, Lebanon. Reeves has some Hawaiian descent, and the name “Keanu” is Hawaiian for “the coolness” or “cool breeze”.

2008’s film “The Day the Earth Stood Still” is a remake of the 1951 film of the same name, although the storylines do differ quite substantially. One underlying difference is that the 1951 film focuses on a potential nuclear war, and the 2008 film focuses on the potential disaster coming from environmental degradation. Keanu Reeves plays Klaatu, a humanoid alien, in the remake. That part was played by Michael Renne in the original.

20 Inferior accommodations : STEERAGE

Originally, steerage was that part of a ship holding the steering tackle that ran from the rudder up to the tiller or wheel. The steerage area also served as cheap accommodation (with dire conditions) for passengers who could only afford to pay a small amount for travel. This usage evolved into the name of the cheapest class of ticket even when amenities improved on board.

21 Common cone color : ORANGE

“Pylon” can be used as another word for “traffic cone”.

24 Glutinous : VISCID

The word “viscid” means “thick and adhesive”. Both “viscid” and “viscous” come from “viscum”, the Latin word for “mistletoe”. The idea is that mistletoe berries were used to make a sticky paste that was smeared on branches to entrap birds.

26 Etna output : ASH

Mount Etna on the island of Sicily is the largest of three active volcanoes in Italy, and indeed the largest of all active volcanoes in Europe. Etna is about 2 1/2 times the height of its equally famous sister, Mt. Vesuvius. Mt. Etna is home to a 110-km long narrow-gauge railway, and two ski resorts. It is sometimes referred to as “Mongibello” in Italian, and as “Mungibeddu” (sometimes “Muncibeddu”) in Sicilian. The English name “Etna” comes from the Greek “aitho” meaning “I eat”.

29 Artist friend of Dalí : SERT

José Maria Sert was a painter of murals from Barcelona. He was a good friend of fellow-artist Salvador Dali.

36 Trig function : SINE

Trigonometry (trig) is a branch of mathematics dealing with triangles, and calculations based on the relationship between a triangle’s angles and the lengths of its sides.

37 Word with tax or L.A. : DODGERS

The Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team were known as the Brooklyn Dodgers before the franchise moved to California. Before being called the Dodgers, the team was known in Brooklyn as the Robins, the Superbas, the Trolley Dodgers, the Bridegrooms/Grooms, the Grays and the Atlantics.

41 __ martini : DRY

The term “martini” probably takes its name from the “Martini & Rossi” brand of dry vermouth, although no one seems to be completely sure. What is clear is that despite the Martini name originating in Italy, the martini drink originated in the US. The original martini was made with gin and sweet vermouth, but someone specifying a “dry” martini was given gin and dry vermouth. Nowadays we use dry vermouth for all martinis, and the term “dry” has become a reference to how little vermouth is included in the drink. Famously, Noël Coward liked his drink very dry and said that a perfect martini is made by “filling a glass with gin then waving it in the general direction of Italy”. The German-American journalist and satirist H. L. Mencken referred to the martini as “the only American invention as perfect as a sonnet”.

43 Fruity, so to speak : BANANAS

The expression “to go bananas”, meaning “to become excited or angry”, is one that I would have imagined had a clear etymology but that doesn’t seem to be the case. A further surprise is that we’ve only been “going bananas” since the sixties, the days of flower power. One apt theory about the hippy roots of the phrase is that there was an unfounded belief that ingesting roasted banana peels had a similar hallucinogenic effect as magic mushrooms.

47 Wiseacre mom and dad? : SMARTY PARENTS (from “smarty pants”)

The word “wiseacre” dates back to the late 1500s, when it was a botched translation of the Middle Dutch word “wijsegger” meaning “soothsayer”. Originally, there was no derogatory connotation to the word, but over time a wiseacre had become a know-it-all.

55 Biblical spy : CALEB

According to the Bible, after fleeing Egypt the Hebrews were led by Moses to the promised land of Canaan. Moses sent twelve spies into Canaan (one from each of the Twelve Tribes) to report on what awaited them. Ten spies returned with exaggerated stories of giants who would kill the Hebrew army if it entered Canaan. Two spies, Caleb and Joshua, came back with valid reports that the Hebrews could inhabit the area. As a result of the false reports from the ten spies, the Hebrews did not enter Canaan but instead wandered the desert for another forty years, before they finally took up residence in the promised land. At the end of the forty years, Caleb and Joshua were the only adults that survived the forty-year journey, a reward from God for their obedience.

63 Type of dog that does origami? : FOLDING BREED (from “folding bed”)

Origami is the traditional Japanese art form of paper folding. The best-known example of the craft is the paper crane (“orizuru“). The word “origami” is derived from “ori“ (folding) and “kami” (paper).

69 Perjurious testimony : LIES

An act of perjury is the willful giving of false testimony under oath. The term “perjury” ultimately comes from the Latin “per” meaning “away” and “iurare” meaning “to swear”.

70 81-Down friend : ROO

Like most of the characters in A. A. Milne’s “Winnie-the-Pooh”, the kangaroo named “Roo” was inspired by a stuffed toy belonging to Milne’s son Christopher Robin.

72 23rd Greek letter : PSI

Psi is the 23rd and penultimate letter of the Greek alphabet, and the one that looks a bit like a trident or a pitchfork.

73 Capital NNW of Copenhagen : OSLO

Oslo is the capital of Norway. The city of Oslo burns trash to fuel half of its buildings, including all of its schools. The problem faced by the city is that it doesn’t generate enough trash. So, Oslo imports trash from Sweden, England and Ireland, and is now looking to import some American trash too.

Copenhagen is the largest city and the capital of Denmark. I haven’t had the privilege of visiting Copenhagen, but I hear it is a wonderful metropolis with a marvelous quality of life. The city is also very environmentally friendly, with over a third of its population commuting to work by bicycle.

74 Farsi editor’s mark? : PERSIAN CARET (from “Persian cat”)

The character known as a caret (^) was originally a proofreading mark, one used to indicate where a punctuation mark was to be inserted. “Caret” is Latin for “it lacks”.

“Farsi” is one of the local names used for the Persian language.

77 Submit a crossword, say : SEND IT IN

Arthur Wynne is generally credited with the invention of what we now know as a crossword puzzle. Wynne was born in Liverpool, England and emigrated to the US when he was 19-years-old. He worked as a journalist and was living in Cedar Grove, New Jersey in 1913 when he introduced a “Word-Cross Puzzle” in his page of puzzles written for the “New York World”. The first book of crossword puzzles was published by Shuster & Shuster, in 1924. The collection of puzzles was a huge hit, and crosswords were elevated to the level of “a craze” in 1924 and 1925.

79 Nytol competitor : UNISOM

ZzzQuil, Benadryl, Unisom and Sominex are all brand names for the antihistamine diphenhydramine, which is a drug that also has sedative properties.

81 Urban park snack snitcher : PIGEON

Taxonomically, doves and pigeons are the only members of the order Columbidae. The terms “dove” and “pigeon” are often used interchangeably. Scientifically speaking, dove species tend to be smaller than pigeon species. Colloquially though, many refer to doves as the white or nearly white species in the family.

93 Long-running CBS drama : NCIS

NCIS is the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which investigates crimes in the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. The service gives its name to the CBS TV show “NCIS”, a spin-off drama from “JAG” in which the main “NCIS” characters were first introduced. The big star in “NCIS” is the actor Mark Harmon. “NCIS” is now a franchise, with spin-off shows “NCIS: Los Angeles” and “NCIS: New Orleans”.

97 Prov. bordering four Great Lakes : ONT

The province of Ontario borders on four of the Great Lakes: Superior, Huron, Erie and Ontario.

98 Formicidae family member : ANT

The study of ants is known as myrmecology. The term “myrmecology” derives from the Greek “myrmex” meaning “ant”.

104 1932 presidential election victory? : HOOVER DREAM (from “Hoover Dam”)

President Herbert Hoover was born in West Branch, Iowa, and is the only president to have been born in that state. His birthplace is now a National Landmark, and he and his wife were buried in the grounds of the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum in West Branch. President Hoover died at the age of 90 years old in 1964, outliving his nemesis Franklin Delano Roosevelt by almost 20 years.

110 Gator relative : CROC

Crocodiles and alligators do indeed bear a resemblance to each other, although they belong to distinct biological families. One of the main ways used to distinguish them is by their teeth and jaws. Both the upper and lower sets of teeth of a crocodile are visible when its mouth is closed, whereas only the upper teeth of an alligator are visible with the mouth shut.

111 White team : SOX

The Chicago White Sox Major League Baseball team was established in Chicago in 1900 and originally was called the White Stockings. The name was changed because the abbreviation “Sox” for “Stockings” was regularly used in newspaper headlines.

115 Heat units : THERMS

A therm is a unit of heat energy. One therm is equivalent to 100,000 British thermal units (BTUs).

116 “Tear down this wall!” speaker : REAGAN

I think that most would agree that at least two memorable speeches have been delivered by an American president in Berlin, both during the Cold War. President John F. Kennedy delivered his “Ich bin ein Berliner” speech on June 26, 1963:

Two thousand years ago, the proudest boast was civis romanus sum [“I am a Roman citizen”]. Today, in the world of freedom, the proudest boast is “Ich bin ein Berliner!”… All free men, wherever they may live, are citizens of Berlin, and therefore, as a free man, I take pride in the words “Ich bin ein Berliner!”

President Ronald Reagan delivered his “Tear down this wall” speech on June 12, 1987:

We welcome change and openness; for we believe that freedom and security go together, that the advance of human liberty can only strengthen the cause of world peace. There is one sign the Soviets can make that would be unmistakable, that would advance dramatically the cause of freedom and peace. General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization: Come here to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!

118 Hush-hush lamasery topic? : BUDDHIST SECRET (from “Buddhist sect”)

A lamasery is a monastery of lamas.

“Lama” is a Tibetan word meaning “chief, high priest”.

The Buddhist tradition has two major branches. The Theravada is “the School of the Elders”, and the Mahayana is “the Great Vehicle”. The Theravada is the older of the two schools, whereas the Mahayana split from the Theravada around the 1st century CE.

124 Cal State city : CHICO

California State University, Chico was established in 1887 as the Northern Branch State Normal School of California. That makes it the second oldest of Cal State’s 23 campuses, after San Jose State University.

125 Joust participants : STEEDS

“Jousting” and “tilting” are synonyms describing the medieval competition in which two horsemen yielding blunted lances attempt to unseat each other. Such an event has been referred to as “jousting” since the 1300s. At some point, the path of the two charging horsemen was separated by a cloth barrier known as a tilt (“tilt” meant “cloth covering”). The term “tilting” was applied to the sport in the 1500s, although by then the cloth barrier had been upgraded to a wooden fence.

Down

1 U.S. peak officially renamed in 2015 : DENALI

Denali’s summit stands at 20,310 feet, making it the highest mountain peak in North America. Denali means “the high one” in the native Athabaskan language. The peak was known as Mount McKinley for many years, named in 1896 for future president William McKinley. The state of Alaska changed the name back to Denali in 1975, and the federal government followed suit in 2015.

2 Palm used in furniture : RATTAN

Rattan is the name of a large number of species of palms, all of which look less like trees and more like vines. The woody stems are used for making cane furniture.

4 Rounded, knotty tree growths : BURLS

A burl is a small knot in a piece of wood or in cloth. The term “burl” is derived from the Old French “bourle” meaning “tuft of wool”.

5 Follower of Mao? : … TSE

Mao Zedong (also “Mao Tse-tung”) was born on December 16, 1893 in the Hunan Province of China. As Mao was the son of a peasant farmer, his prospects for education were limited. Indeed he left school at age 13 to work on the family farm but did eventually get to secondary school in Changsha, the provincial capital. In the years following, Mao continued his education in Beijing and actually turned down an opportunity to study in France.

7 Congressional mtg. : SESS

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

8 Worker with mice : TECH

The computer mouse was invented at the Stanford Research Institute in 1963, by one Douglas Engelbart. Sadly for him, his patent ran out before mice became standard equipment on computers, so he never made any money from his amazing invention.

10 One inspiring PDAs : BAE

“Bae” is a contemporary term of endearment. It is a pet name that is an abbreviation of “babe, baby”, although I’ve also read that it is an acronym standing for “before anyone else”.

Public display of affection (PDA)

11 “F Troop” corporal played by Larry Storch : AGARN

Relatively few people outside of the US saw the American sitcom “F-Troop”, which was made in the sixties. I remember watching the show as a young lad because it was picked up by the Irish national television service. The only other country that showed “F-Troop” was Australia.

Actor Larry Storch is best known for his television work, and particularly for playing comedic roles. Most notably, he voiced Phineas J. Whoopee on the animated show “Tennessee Tuxedo and His Tales”, and Corporal Randolph Agarn on “F Troop”. One nice nugget of trivia about Storch is that he served on a submarine tender in the US Navy during World War II, alongside fellow actor Tony Curtis.

13 “Mazel __!” : TOV

“Mazel” is a Yiddish word meaning “luck, fortune”, as in “mazel tov” meaning “good luck”.

14 “Fighting” Indiana team : IRISH

The athletic teams of the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana are known as the Fighting Irish. There are several debated etymologies for the moniker “Fighting Irish”, with the most generally accepted being that it was applied by the press in the 1920s, reflecting the team’s fighting spirit and grit, determination and tenacity. I guess “grit, determination and tenacity” are characteristics often associated with the Irish.

15 It’s shocking : TASER

Victor Appleton wrote a novel for young adults called “Tom Swift and His Electric Rifle”. The company that developed the TASER electroshock weapon partly named its product as a homage to the novel. The acronym “TASER” stands for “Thomas A. Swift’s Electric Rifle”.

18 “Spider-Man” reporter __ Leeds : NED

The fictional character Ned Leeds is a reporter for the “Daily Bugle” in Marvel Comics’ “Spider-Man” stories. He has been portrayed by actor Jacob Batalon in several big screen adaptations.

19 Board members who might become mated? : KINGS

In the game of chess, when the king is under immediate threat of capture it is said to be “in check”. If the king cannot escape from check, then the game ends in “checkmate” and the player in check loses. In the original Sanskrit game of chess, the king could actually be captured. Then a rule was introduced requiring that a warning be given if capture was imminent (today we announce “check!”) so that an accidental and early ending to the game doesn’t occur.

28 Beginner : TYRO

A tyro (also “tiro”) is a beginner or a novice. “Tyro” comes into English from Latin, in which language “tiro” means “recruit”.

31 Ivory, for one : SOAP

Ivory soap is one of Procter & Gamble’s oldest products, introduced way back in 1879. Ivory soap is noted for its “purity” and also because of its property of floating in water. Despite urban myths to the contrary, the property of floating in water was developed deliberately by a chemist at the time Ivory was being formulated. The soap floats because the ingredients are mixed longer than necessary for homogenization, which introduces more air into the product.

32 Viking great Tarkenton : FRAN

Fran Tarkenton is a former football player who played for the Minnesota Vikings and the New York Giants. Tarkenton has had quite the life after retiring from football in 1978. He co-wrote a murder-mystery novel, several self-help books and started his own software company.

35 Head of France : TETE

In French, the “tête” (head) is the top of “le corps” (the body).

38 Significant archaeological find : DNA

I’ve always been fascinated by the fact that the DNA of living things is so very similar across different species. Human DNA is almost exactly the same for every individual (to the degree of 99.9%). However, those small differences are sufficient to distinguish one individual from another, and to determine whether or not individuals are close family relatives.

39 Long-nosed fish : GAR

“Gar” was originally the name given to a species of needlefish found in the North Atlantic. The term “gar” is now used to describe several species of fish with elongated bodies that inhabit North and Central America and the Caribbean. The gar is unusual in that it is often found in very brackish water. What I find interesting is that the gar’s swim bladders are vascularized so that they can actually function as lungs. Many species of gar can actually be seen coming to the surface and taking a gulp of air. This adaptation makes it possible for them to live in conditions highly unsuitable for other fish that rely on their gills to get oxygen out of the water. Indeed, quite interesting …

40 Boise-to-Fargo dir. : ENE

Boise, Idaho is the capital and the largest metropolitan area in the state by far. There are a number of stories pertaining to the etymology of the name “Boise”. One is that French trappers called the tree-lined river that ran through the area “la rivière boisée”, meaning “the wooded river”.

Fargo, North Dakota is the biggest city in the state. The original name for the city was Centralia, when it was a stopping point for steamboats that traveled the Red River in the late 19th century. The town really grew with the arrival of the Northern Pacific Railway, so the name “Fargo” was adopted in honor of one of the railroad company’s directors, William Fargo (of Wells Fargo Express fame).

47 Make a killing on, in a way : SCALP

Scalping of tickets, selling them above retail price for an excessive profit, originated in the mid-1800s with scalpers making money off theater tickets. There was also quite a bit of money made by people scalping railway tickets. Railroads gave discounts on tickets for longer journeys, so someone trying to get from San Francisco to Chicago might buy a ticket to New York. Once in Chicago the passenger would scalp the remainder of his/her ticket to someone wanting to get to New York, and make his or her invested money back with a bonus. The exact etymology of the term “scalper” seems unclear.

48 Skyler’s sister on “Breaking Bad” : MARIE

Betsy Brandt is an actress best known for playing Marie Schrader on “Breaking Bad”. Brandt has two children, the second of which was born while the second season of “Breaking Bad” was being filmed.

Anna Gunn is an actress from Santa Fe, New Mexico. She is best known for playing Skyler White on the TV show “Breaking Bad”.

51 “Chad” network : TBS

“Chad” is a sitcom created by and starring “Saturday Night Live” alum Nasim Pedrad. Pedrad, a 40-year-old woman, plays the title character, a 14-year-old boy. That must be a challenge for an actor …

54 Most any Disney princess : HEROINE

As of 2016, there were 11 “official” Disney princesses:

  1. Princess Snow White (from “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”)
  2. Princess Cinderella (from “Cinderella”)
  3. Princess Aurora (from “Sleeping Beauty)
  4. Princess Ariel (from “The Little Mermaid”)
  5. Princess Belle (from “Beauty and the Beast”)
  6. Princess Jasmine (from “Aladdin”)
  7. Princess Pocahontas (from “Pocahontas”)
  8. Princess Mulan (from “Mulan”)
  9. Princess Tiana (from “The Princess and the Frog”)
  10. Princess Rapunzel (from “Tangled”)
  11. Princess Merida (from “Brave”)

58 Massachusetts motto starter : ENSE …

The motto of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is “Ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem”, a Latin phrase that can be translated as “By the sword we seek peace, but peace only under liberty”. The quotation is from a passage written by English politician Algernon Sidney who was executed for treason by King Charles II.

61 Electrolysis products : IONS

Electrolysis is a chemical process that uses direct current passing through a solution to separate out individual chemicals in that solution. One chemical moves to the anode, and the other to the cathode.

62 Pixar film set in Mexico : COCO

“Coco” is a 2017 Pixar movie about a 12-year-old boy named Miguel who ends up in the land of the dead by accident. There, he seeks out the help of the great-great-grandfather to get back to his family in the land of the living.

66 Fragrant compound : ESTER

Esters are very common chemicals. The smaller, low-molecular weight esters are usually pleasant smelling and are often found in perfumes. At the other end of the scale, the higher-molecular weight nitroglycerin is a nitrate ester and is very explosive, and polyester is a huge molecule and is a type of plastic. Fats and oils found in nature are fatty acid esters of glycerol known as glycerides.

76 Concert piece : AMP

An electric guitar, for example, needs an amplifier (amp) to take the weak signal created by the vibration of the strings and turn it into a signal powerful enough for a loudspeaker.

78 Pt. of an age calculation : DOB

Date of birth (DOB)

81 Storied bear : POOH

Alan Alexander (A.A.) Milne was an English author who is best known for his delightful “Winnie-the-Pooh” series of books. He had only one son, Christopher Robin Milne, born in 1920. The young Milne was the inspiration for the Christopher Robin character in the Winnie-the-Pooh stories. Winnie-the-Pooh was named after Christopher Robin’s real teddy bear, one he called Winnie, who in turn was named after a Canadian black bear called Winnie that the Milnes would visit in London Zoo. The original Winnie teddy bear is on display at the main branch of the New York Public Library in New York.

83 PepsiCo sports beverage : GATORADE

Gatorade was developed at the University of Florida by a team of researchers at the request of the school’s football team. And so, Gatorade is named after the Gators football team.

85 1970 Kinks hit : LOLA

“Lola” is a fabulous song that was written by Ray Davies and released by the Kinks back in 1970. Inspired by a real life incident, the lyrics tell of a young man who met a young “lady” in a club, danced with her, and then discovered “she” was actually a transvestite. The storyline isn’t very traditional, and the music is superb.

The Kinks were an English band who participated in the British Invasion of America in the sixties, although only briefly. After touring the US in the middle of 1965, the American Federation of Musicians refused permits for the Kinks to book concerts for four years, apparently in response to some rowdy on-stage behavior by the band.

86 Driver of “BlacKkKlansman” : ADAM

Adam Driver is an actor perhaps best known to TV audiences for playing Adam Sackler on the show “Girls” that airs on HBO. Driver’s movie career got a huge boost in 2015 when he played villain Kylo Ren in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”.

“BlacKkKlansman” is a 2018 biopic about an African-American detective who works on infiltrating a Klu Klux Klanchapter in Colorado Springs in the 1970s. The film is based on a 2014 memoir by Ron Stallworth, who is played in the movie by John David Washington. “BlacKkKlansman” was directed by Spike Lee, who earned his first nomination for Best Director Oscar for his work on the movie.

87 Dot follower? : COM

A dot-com is a company that primarily makes it money by providing products and services using its online presence.

88 Choler : IRE

Choler is anger, irritability. Choler (also “cholera”) was one of the body’s four basic substances of medieval science, the so-called four humors. All diseases were caused by these four substances getting out of balance. The four humors were:

  • Black bile (melancholia)
  • Yellow bile (cholera)
  • Phlegm (phlegma)
  • Blood (sanguis)

94 Swing voters: Abbr. : INDS

Independent (Ind)

95 Lightning simulators : STROBES

A strobe light is a device that produces regular flashes, like the light on top of a police car. The term derives from the Greek “strobos” meaning “twisting, whirling”.

100 Yuletide display : CRECHE

In the Christian tradition, a nativity scene (also “crèche”) is a display representing the scene of the birth of Jesus. Nativity scenes might be subjects for paintings, for example, although the term is usually used for seasonal displays associated with the Christmas season.

Yule celebrations coincide with Christmas, and the words “Christmas” and “Yule” (often “Yuletide”) have become synonymous in much of the world. However, Yule was originally a pagan festival celebrated by Germanic peoples. The name “Yule” comes from the Old Norse word “jol” that was used to describe the festival.

102 Early Mexicans : OLMECS

The Olmecs were an ancient civilization that lived in the lowlands of south-central Mexico from about 1500 BC to about 400 BC.

103 Basil-and-pine-nuts sauce : PESTO

Pesto sauce is more completely called “pesto alla genovese”, i.e. pesto from Genoa. A traditional recipe calls for crushed garlic, pine nuts, salt, basil leaves, parmesan cheese and olive oil. Yum …

105 Lauren Hutton has been on its cover 26 times : VOGUE

“Vogue” magazine has been published for an awfully long time, with the first issue appearing in 1892. Over the decades the magazine has picked up a lot of criticism as well as its many fans. Famously, an assistant to the editor wrote a novel based on her experiences working with the magazine’s editor, and called it “The Devil Wears Prada”.

Actress and model Lauren Hutton started her modeling career in the mid-1960s. She had a tough time getting work, as agents perceived the gap in her front teeth to be a serious imperfection. After years spent trying to hide the “flaw”, Hutton eventually embraced it. In 1973, she signed a modeling contract with Revlon that was the most lucrative in the industry to that date.

109 “Superman & Lois” network : THE CW

The WB Television Network was launched in 1995 as a joint venture between Warner Bros. Entertainment and Tribune Broadcasting. The WB (for “Warner Bros.”) was shut down in 2006 and replaced by the CW (for “CBS” and “Warner Bros.”).

“Superman & Lois” is a superhero TV show that was launched in 2020. Tyler Hoechlin plays Superman, and Elizabeth Tulloch plays Lois Lane. Both actors had previously played the same roles in guest appearances on the show “Supergirl”.

114 Belgian river : YSER

The Yser river flows into the North Sea at Nieuwpoort in the Flemish province of West Flanders in Belgium.

117 Video game letters : NES

The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) was sold in North America from 1985 to 1995. It was the biggest selling gaming console of the era. Nintendo replaced the NES with Wii, which is also the biggest-selling game console in the world.

119 Agnus __ : DEI

“Agnus Dei” is Latin for “Lamb of God”, The expression is used in Christian traditions to describe Jesus Christ, hence symbolizing his role as a sacrificial offering (sacrificial lamb) to atone for the sins of man.

120 Binge-watcher’s device : DVR

Digital video recorder (DVR)

121 Ideal NFL drive endings : TDS

A National Football League (NFL) player might score a touchdown (TD).

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Beat decisively : DRUB
5 Evoke an “Eww!,” maybe : TASTE BAD
13 Venetian Renaissance painter : TITIAN
19 He played Klaatu in “The Day the Earth Stood Still” (2008) : KEANU
20 Inferior accommodations : STEERAGE
21 Common cone color : ORANGE
22 All caps in an angry blog? : INTERNET SCREAM (from “Internet scam”)
24 Glutinous : VISCID
25 Christmas in Rome : NATALE
26 Etna output : ASH
27 Nonsense : ROT
29 Artist friend of Dalí : SERT
30 They usually have frames : GLASSES
32 “Untoward behavior shall call for appropriate countermeasures,” e.g.? : FANCY THREAT (from “fancy that!”)
36 Trig function : SINE
37 Word with tax or L.A. : DODGERS
41 __ martini : DRY
42 Put away : ATE
43 Fruity, so to speak : BANANAS
44 Absorbs, with “up” : SOPS …
46 Barfly : SOT
47 Wiseacre mom and dad? : SMARTY PARENTS (from “smarty pants”)
53 Hider’s hissed revelation : IN HERE!
55 Biblical spy : CALEB
56 Means : AVENUE
59 Skilled at painting, say : ARTISTIC
63 Type of dog that does origami? : FOLDING BREED (from “folding bed”)
69 Perjurious testimony : LIES
70 81-Down friend : ROO
71 Astonish : AWE
72 23rd Greek letter : PSI
73 Capital NNW of Copenhagen : OSLO
74 Farsi editor’s mark? : PERSIAN CARET (from “Persian cat”)
77 Submit a crossword, say : SEND IT IN
79 Nytol competitor : UNISOM
80 “I’m not __ brag, but … ” : ONE TO
81 Urban park snack snitcher : PIGEON
84 Finishing touch for foppish painters? : PLACING A BERET (from “placing a bet”)
92 __ roll : ON A
93 Long-running CBS drama : NCIS
96 Nose-wrinkling : ODOROUS
97 Prov. bordering four Great Lakes : ONT
98 Formicidae family member : ANT
99 Mourns : LAMENTS
100 Meat serving : CHOP
104 1932 presidential election victory? : HOOVER DREAM (from “Hoover Dam”)
108 Fixed function : SET ROLE
110 Gator relative : CROC
111 White team : SOX
112 Shout : CRY
115 Heat units : THERMS
116 “Tear down this wall!” speaker : REAGAN
118 Hush-hush lamasery topic? : BUDDHIST SECRET (from “Buddhist sect”)
122 Keep going : ENDURE
123 Higher than normal, maybe : ELEVATED
124 Cal State city : CHICO
125 Joust participants : STEEDS
126 Sticks in drinks : STIRRERS
127 Brings together : WEDS

Down

1 U.S. peak officially renamed in 2015 : DENALI
2 Palm used in furniture : RATTAN
3 Angst : UNEASE
4 Rounded, knotty tree growths : BURLS
5 Follower of Mao? : … TSE
6 “__ girl!” : ATTA
7 Congressional mtg. : SESS
8 Worker with mice : TECH
9 Go left instead of right, say : ERR
10 One inspiring PDAs : BAE
11 “F Troop” corporal played by Larry Storch : AGARN
12 Musicians’ garage creations, maybe : DEMO CDS
13 “Mazel __!” : TOV
14 “Fighting” Indiana team : IRISH
15 It’s shocking : TASER
16 Go up : INCREASE
17 Washer component : AGITATOR
18 “Spider-Man” reporter __ Leeds : NED
19 Board members who might become mated? : KINGS
23 Supplies order phrase : NEED BY
28 Beginner : TYRO
31 Ivory, for one : SOAP
32 Viking great Tarkenton : FRAN
33 No. 2 : ASST
34 Entering, as data : TYPING IN
35 Head of France : TETE
38 Significant archaeological find : DNA
39 Long-nosed fish : GAR
40 Boise-to-Fargo dir. : ENE
45 Brush off : SNUB
47 Make a killing on, in a way : SCALP
48 Skyler’s sister on “Breaking Bad” : MARIE
49 Redo : ALTER
50 Come out with a more current version of : REISSUE
51 “Chad” network : TBS
52 “A pity” : SAD
54 Most any Disney princess : HEROINE
57 Ones often seen in restricted lounges : VIPS
58 Massachusetts motto starter : ENSE …
60 Sleeper, for one : TRAIN CAR
61 Electrolysis products : IONS
62 Pixar film set in Mexico : COCO
63 Distant : FAR
64 Need to pay : OWE
65 Permit : LET
66 Fragrant compound : ESTER
67 Top names : ELITE
68 Prohibition words : DO NOT
75 Privy to : IN ON
76 Concert piece : AMP
78 Pt. of an age calculation : DOB
81 Storied bear : POOH
82 Unworldly : INNOCENT
83 PepsiCo sports beverage : GATORADE
85 1970 Kinks hit : LOLA
86 Driver of “BlacKkKlansman” : ADAM
87 Dot follower? : COM
88 Choler : IRE
89 Prefix with event or issue : NON-
90 Nerve : GUTS
91 Valuable things : ASSETS
94 Swing voters: Abbr. : INDS
95 Lightning simulators : STROBES
100 Yuletide display : CRECHE
101 Really awful : HORRID
102 Early Mexicans : OLMECS
103 Basil-and-pine-nuts sauce : PESTO
105 Lauren Hutton has been on its cover 26 times : VOGUE
106 Modern greeting : E-CARD
107 Rejoice : EXULT
109 “Superman & Lois” network : THE CW
112 Burn a bit : CHAR
113 Solemn event : RITE
114 Belgian river : YSER
116 Hi-__ image : RES
117 Video game letters : NES
119 Agnus __ : DEI
120 Binge-watcher’s device : DVR
121 Ideal NFL drive endings : TDS

10 thoughts on “LA Times Crossword 17 Apr 22, Sunday”

  1. Really did not like the GATORADE answer crossing the Gator clue. Nor the SINE clue being abbreviated when the answer isn’t. Otherwise mostly smooth.

  2. No errors.
    Did not know PESTO came from basil and pine nuts. That SE corner gave me some fit.

    I chuckled at the reference to the cross of GATOR an GATORADE.

    I used to watch F troop. Loved it. Probably wasn’t politically correct by today’s standard. But it was funny. About the time Petticoat Junction was on.

  3. 32 mins 6 sec, and needed Check Grid to correct 6 entries.

    Found this grid to be a bit “precious” with its terminology. About typical for Wechsler.

  4. 35:02 – no errors or lookups. Revisions were: ITSA>ATTA, USER>TECH, INTERNETSCREED>INTERNERSCREAM, EMPTYTHREAT>FANCYTHREAT, AZTECS>OLMECS (remembered from and earlier puzzle last week!).

    New items: VISCID, SERT, UNISOM, CHICO, ENSE, Agnus DEI, AGARN, NED Leeds, MARIE (on Breaking Bad).

    The theme helped with solving thise long answers and some of their intersections.

    Overall, a nice exercise for a Sunday puzzle.

  5. Took me what seemed like forever today…but what else do I have but time ….fun puzzle Jeff up to his☺️“ crazy “ old ways..I think Bill is slipping 30 minutes plus com’ on’ man pick it up!!!!ha

  6. “I think Bill is slipping 30 minutes plus com’ on’ man pick it up!!!!ha”

    Bill’s solve time was 20:40 so I guess he exceeded your expectations?

  7. Fun Sunday Wechsler; took me 52:26 with no peeks or errors. Didn’t know a few things, but gingerly worked my way around with the help of the theme and a few guesses.

    I absolutely loved F-Troop as a kid…falling down laughing farce…just plain fun!! Nice to know that the great Larry Storch is still alive at 99…just looking at a picture is enough to bring a smile to my face.

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