LA Times Crossword 6 Apr 22, Wednesday

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Constructed by: Julian Lim
Edited by: Rich Norris

Today’s Reveal Answer: Exercise Routine

Themed answers each include hidden words written in the UP-direction. Combining each word with “UP” gives a part of an EXERCISE ROUTINE:

  • 11D Workout suggested by the circled letters and their orientation : EXERCISE ROUTINE
  • 3D “It’s safe to come out” : THE COAST IS CLEAR (hiding “SIT”-up)
  • 9D Predictors of most 20th-century U.S. presidential elections : GALLUP POLLS (hiding “PULL”-up)
  • 25D User’s rescuer : TECH SUPPORT (hiding “PUSH”-up)
  • Read on, or jump to …
    … a complete list of answers

    Bill’s time: 7m 26s

    Bill’s errors: 0

    Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

    Across

    1 Bank security device, briefly : CCTV

    Closed-circuit television (CCTV)

    15 Vital vessel : AORTA

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

    16 Semi bar : AXLE

    An 18-wheeler semi-trailer truck has eight wheels under the trailer, i.e. four on each of the two rear axles. There are 10 wheels under the tractor unit. Two of the ten wheels are on the front axle, and eight are on the rear two axles that sit under the front of the trailer.

    20 Region on the South China Sea : MACAO

    Macau (also “Macao”) is an autonomous territory of China located on the Pearl River estuary about 40 miles west of Hong Kong. It was a Portuguese colony from the mid-1500s until 1999. Macau was in fact the first European colony in China, and the last, having been handed back to the Chinese in 1999, two years after Hong Kong was returned by the British. Macau’s economy is driven by tourism and gambling. The territory’s gaming revenue is the highest for any gambling center in the world.

    Although there is no “China Sea” per se, the term “China Seas” is used collectively to describe several marginal seas in the Western Pacific that touch on China. The four principal China Seas are:

    • The Bohai Sea
    • The Huanghai Sea
    • The East China Sea
    • The South China Sea

    The South China Sea is part of the Western Pacific Ocean. It is bounded by the Indochinese peninsula to the west, by mainland China to the north, by the Philippines to the east, and by Borneo to the south. It is an important body of water in geopolitical terms. About a third of all maritime shipping passes through the South China Sea, and there are massive oil and natural gas reserves beneath the seabed.

    26 __ Ellen, J.R.’s wife on “Dallas” : SUE

    Sue Ellen Ewing is a leading character on the primetime soap opera “Dallas”. She is the wife of JR Ewing, and is portrayed by Linda Gray.

    The TV soap “Dallas” revolved around the Ewing family. The series that ran for 13 years was originally intended as a five-part mini-series, with the main characters being newlyweds Bobby and Pam Ewing. But, the devious character in the piece, Bobby’s brother J. R., became so popular with audiences that the series was extended with J. R. at the center of the story. Who can remember who shot J.R.? (It was Kristin Shepard: J.R.’s mistress, who was also his sister-in-law).

    28 HHS agency : FDA

    The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has its roots in the Division of Chemistry (later “Bureau of Chemistry”) that was part of the US Department of Agriculture. President Theodore Roosevelt gave responsibility for examination of food and drugs to the Bureau of Chemistry with the signing of the Pure Food and Drug Act. The Bureau’s name was changed to the Food, Drug and Insecticide Organization in 1927, and to the Food and Drug Administration in 1930.

    The Department of Health, Education and Welfare (HEW) was split in 1979, into the Department of Education (ED) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

    32 12-Down output : IPA
    (12D Pub dispenser : ALE TAP)

    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.

    35 ER skill practiced on a doll : CPR

    Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) has for decades involved the simultaneous compression of the chest to pump blood using the heart, and artificial respiration by blowing air into the lungs. I hear that nowadays, emergency services are placing more emphasis on heart compressions, and less on artificial respiration.

    36 Pet-adoption ads, briefly : PSAS

    Public service announcement (PSA)

    38 Part of MB : -BYTE

    In the world of computing, 1,000,000 bytes is a megabyte (meg, MB).

    41 Text recipient : CELL

    Short Message Service (SMS) is the name for the text messaging service that many of us still use on our cell phones to contact friends and family.

    44 Tattoo parlor supplies : INKS

    The word “tattoo” (often shortened to “tat”) was first used in English in the writings of the famous English explorer Captain Cook. In his descriptions of the indelible marks adorning the skin of Polynesian natives, Cook anglicized the Tahitian word “tatau” into our “tattoo”. Tattoos are sometimes referred to as “ink”.

    46 Pussy-cat’s partner, in verse : OWL

    “The Owl and the Pussycat” is a poem by Edward Lear first published in 1871. It tells of an owl and a pussycat who set out to sea in a pea-green boat with honey and plenty of money wrapped in a five pound note.

    Here’s a limerick from the pen of nonsense poet Edward Lear:

    There was an Old Man with a beard,
    Who said, “It is just as I feared!—
    Two Owls and a Hen, four Larks and a Wren,
    Have all built their nests in my beard.

    48 Facebook barrage, at times : ADS

    In its original sense, the word “barrage” described the act of barring, of creating a barrier. In WWI, the French coined the phrase “tir de barrage” meaning “barrier fire”, artillery and mortar fire that was intended to isolate and objective. It was from this sense that we now use the term “barrage” to describe a massive delivery of gunfire, or figuratively, a concentrated outpouring of speech or writing.

    53 “Srsly?!” : OMG!

    “Srsly?” is text-speak for “seriously?”

    54 Media-monitoring org. : FCC

    The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has been around since 1934, when it replaced the Federal Radio Commission.

    55 “Up First” network : NPR

    “Up First” is a podcast produced by NPR every day. It was launched in 2017 as a spinoff of NPR’s flagship show “Morning Edition”. “Morning Edition” runs for several hours each weekday, whereas “Up First” condenses the news into a 10-25 minute broadcast, depending on the day of the week.

    56 Flu fighter : SERUM

    Blood serum (plural “sera”) is the clear, yellowish part of blood i.e. that part which is neither a blood cell nor a clotting factor. Included in blood serum are antibodies, the proteins that are central to our immune system. Blood serum from animals that have immunity to a particular disease can be transferred to another individual, hence providing that second individual with some level of immunity. Blood serum used to pass on immunity can be called “antiserum”.

    64 Bicolor cookie : OREO

    The Oreo was the best-selling cookie in the 20th century, and almost 500 billion of them have been sold since they were introduced in 1912 by Nabisco. In those early days the creme filling was made with pork fat, but today vegetable oils are used instead. If you take a bite out of an Oreo sold outside of America you might notice a difference from the homegrown cookie, as coconut oil is added in the overseas version to give a different taste.

    67 Italian tower city : PISA

    The city of Pisa sits right on the Italian coast, at the mouth of the River Arno. The city is perhaps most famous for its Leaning Tower. The tower is actually the campanile (bell tower) of the city’s cathedral, and it has been leaning since it was completed in 1173. Just shows you how important good foundations are …

    Down

    1 Micro- ending : -COSM

    We use the word “microcosm” to describe something that is an epitome of something more expansive. Ultimately, the term “microcosm” comes from the Greek “mikros” meaning “small” and “kosmos” meaning “world”.

    2 Calorie counter’s break : CHEAT DAY

    I wish we’d stop using the term “calorie”, because it is so confusing. In terms of physics, a calorie is the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of one gram of water by one degree celsius (at one atmosphere of pressure). The so-called “food calorie” is one thousand times as large, as it is defined in terms of kilograms instead of grams. In attempts to differentiate between these two definitions, the former is sometimes referred to as the “small calorie” and is given the symbol “cal”. The latter is referred to as the “large calorie” and given the symbol “Cal”, with a capital C. If only we’d use the SI system of units, we’d be thinking in just joules, instead of large and small and food calories.

    3 “It’s safe to come out” : THE COAST IS CLEAR

    If the coast is clear, it is safe to proceed. The term “the coast is clear” dates back at least to the 1530s, when it was used to report that a sailing vessel had safely cleared the coast.

    4 Author Gore : VIDAL

    Gore Vidal was an author and political activist from West Point, New York. Vidal’s most celebrated novel is probably “Myra Breckinridge”. His most controversial work has to be “The City and the Pillar” from 1948, which is cited as one of the first major novels to feature unambiguous homosexuality.

    7 Frank’s cousin : BRAT

    A bratwurst (sometimes simply “brat” in the US) is a German sausage. The name comes from “brät-” meaning “finely chopped meat”, and “Wurst” meaning “sausage”.

    8 Formal confession : IT WAS I

    The much debated statement “it is I” is grammatically correct, and should not be “corrected” to “it is me”. Traditionally, pronouns following linking verbs, such as “is”, “appear” and “seem”, are written in the nominative case. Examples are:

    • It is I … who called
    • It was he … who did it
    • It is we … who care

    9 Predictors of most 20th-century U.S. presidential elections : GALLUP POLLS

    The Gallup company is best known for its public opinion polls. The company was founded by George Gallup in 1935 as the American Institute of Public Opinion.

    10 Nadal’s nickname : RAFA

    Rafael “Rafa” Nadal is a Spanish tennis player. He is noted for his expertise on clay courts, which earned him the nickname “The King of Clay”.

    28 Winter mo. : FEB
    (40D 28-Down number : TWO)

    The name of the month February comes from the Latin word “februum” meaning “purification”. The Romans had a ritual named Februa (purification) on February 15th every year. I don’t think many people pronounce the first letter R in “February”, leaving it silent, but I could be wrong …

    30 Bookkeeping pro : CPA

    Certified public accountant (CPA)

    31 Triage MD : ER DOC

    Triage is the process of prioritizing patients for treatment, especially on the battlefield. The term “triage” is French and means “sorting”.

    34 Craving : YEN

    The word “yen”, meaning “urge”, has been around in English since the very early 1900s. It comes from the earlier word “yin” imported from Chinese, which was used in English to describe an intense craving for opium.

    43 Thanksgiving dinner choice : LEG

    Thanksgiving Day was observed on different dates in different states for many years, until Abraham Lincoln fixed the date for the whole country in 1863. Lincoln’s presidential proclamation set that date as the last Thursday in November. In 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt moved the holiday to the fourth Thursday in November, arguing that the earlier date would give the economy a much-needed boost.

    45 Hawaii’s __ Coast : KONA

    The Kona district on the Big Island of Hawaii is on the western side of the island. The largest town in Kona is Kailua-Kona. Kailua-Kona is often incorrectly referred to as “Kona”. The term “kona” translates as “leeward side of the island” in Hawaiian.

    49 Georgetown Univ. locale : DC AREA

    Georgetown is a neighborhood in the northwest of Washington, D.C. Georgetown was founded as a port in the state of Maryland in 1751. Government of the municipality was taken over by the District of Columbia in 1871.

    51 Wall Street regular : TRADER

    New York’s famous Wall Street was originally named by the Dutch “de Waalstraat”.

    52 Ph.D., e.g. : DEG

    “Ph.D.” is an abbreviation for “philosophiae doctor”, Latin for “teacher of philosophy”. Often, candidates for a PhD already hold a bachelor’s and a master’s degree, so a PhD might be considered a “third degree”.

    57 Targets for towers : REPOS

    Repossession (repo)

    60 Caramel-centered treat : ROLO

    Rolo was a hugely popular chocolate candy in Ireland when I was growing up. Rolo was introduced in the thirties in the UK, and is produced under license in the US by Hershey. I was a little disappointed when I had my first taste of the American version as the center is very hard and chewy. The recipe used on the other side of the Atlantic calls for a soft gooey center.

    61 Request at the barbershop : TRIM

    Barbers originally offered a wide range of services, including surgery. Back in the Middle Ages, one of the primary services offered was bloodletting. The red and white sign outside a barber’s place of business represented bloody bandages wrapped around a pole. Henry VIII restricted barbers to just haircutting … and dentistry. Our term “barber” comes to us via Anglo-French from the Latin “barba” meaning “beard”.

    66 Longtime NASCAR sponsor : STP

    The acronym “NASCAR” stands for the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing. The association is actually a privately held company that was founded in 1948 and is headquartered in Daytona Beach, Florida. NASCAR is very, very popular and commands the second-largest television audience of any professional sport in America, second only to football.

    Complete List of Clues/Answers

    Across

    1 Bank security device, briefly : CCTV
    5 Aim high : GO BIG
    10 Harvest : REAP
    14 “Fancy meeting you here!” : OH HI!
    15 Vital vessel : AORTA
    16 Semi bar : AXLE
    17 Gardener’s buy : SEED
    18 Shoulder warmer : SHAWL
    19 Table parts : FEET
    20 Region on the South China Sea : MACAO
    22 Members with unflinching loyalty : STALWARTS
    24 Landlord’s sign : TO LET
    26 __ Ellen, J.R.’s wife on “Dallas” : SUE
    27 Maximum : CAP
    28 HHS agency : FDA
    29 Exchange need : RECEIPT
    32 12-Down output : IPA
    33 “No problem!” : EASY!
    35 ER skill practiced on a doll : CPR
    36 Pet-adoption ads, briefly : PSAS
    38 Part of MB : -BYTE
    39 Couldn’t refuse : HAD TO
    41 Text recipient : CELL
    44 Tattoo parlor supplies : INKS
    46 Pussy-cat’s partner, in verse : OWL
    47 One with many limbs : TREE
    48 Facebook barrage, at times : ADS
    50 Unconscious : OUT COLD
    53 “Srsly?!” : OMG!
    54 Media-monitoring org. : FCC
    55 “Up First” network : NPR
    56 Flu fighter : SERUM
    58 Emotionally break down : FALL APART
    62 “__ while they’re hot!” : GET ‘EM
    64 Bicolor cookie : OREO
    65 Dinnertime draws : ODORS
    67 Italian tower city : PISA
    68 End of the line : REAR
    69 Burning again : RELIT
    70 Column in math : ONES
    71 Risk it : DARE
    72 Walk heavily : TROMP
    73 Pursue : SEEK

    Down

    1 Micro- ending : -COSM
    2 Calorie counter’s break : CHEAT DAY
    3 “It’s safe to come out” : THE COAST IS CLEAR
    4 Author Gore : VIDAL
    5 Fun time, in slang : GAS
    6 Fireworks cries : OOHS
    7 Frank’s cousin : BRAT
    8 Formal confession : IT WAS I
    9 Predictors of most 20th-century U.S. presidential elections : GALLUP POLLS
    10 Nadal’s nickname : RAFA
    11 Workout suggested by the circled letters and their orientation : EXERCISE ROUTINE
    12 Pub dispenser : ALE TAP
    13 Pampering spot for cats and dogs : PET SPA
    21 Above, in poems : O’ER
    23 Dampens : WETS
    25 User’s rescuer : TECH SUPPORT
    28 Winter mo. : FEB
    30 Bookkeeping pro : CPA
    31 Triage MD : ER DOC
    34 Craving : YEN
    37 Pretense that’s put on : ACT
    40 28-Down number : TWO
    42 “I wanna look!” : LEMME SEE!
    43 Thanksgiving dinner choice : LEG
    45 Hawaii’s __ Coast : KONA
    48 Pay for on one’s own : AFFORD
    49 Georgetown Univ. locale : DC AREA
    51 Wall Street regular : TRADER
    52 Ph.D., e.g. : DEG
    57 Targets for towers : REPOS
    59 Mythology : LORE
    60 Caramel-centered treat : ROLO
    61 Request at the barbershop : TRIM
    63 Render indistinct, as an odor : MASK
    66 Longtime NASCAR sponsor : STP

    16 thoughts on “LA Times Crossword 6 Apr 22, Wednesday”

      1. Whatever gave you such an idea😉? If someone does, its draw will be more ODOR than aroma … just sayin’ …

    1. One error, darn it! I put “let me see” for 42down and didn’t go
      back to see that 53A should have been “OMG”

    2. Had trouble the first run thru but once I got the long down answers all fell into place quickly .What took Bill so long today the Wednesday blahs!Fun puzzle

    3. 14:13 – no errors or lookups. Revisions were: LEGS>FEET, AIR>ACT.

      Nothing new or particularly difficult. Easy theme.

    4. No look ups,no errors. 2 fixes on the fly
      Dec/Feb and stomp/tromp. I’m sorry but
      an odor would not be a dinner time draw
      for me 😵‍💫

      1. Re: targets for towers. This is not tower as in a building but tow-er as
        in towing away repos, as in reposessed vehicles. At least that’s my take on on it.

    5. Kinda tough but solvable Wednesday. Took 15:19 with no peeks or errors. Theme helped when I got stuck on the right side of the puzzle, which helped me get GALLUP… Thanks for the TOWER tip from Mary.

      Very proud, and lucky, to get a 2 guess Wordle today after a slew of 4s and even a couple of 5s. Aced the Worldle in 1 on an easy Somalia.

      Caught my first swarm a couple of days ago and several more looky loos in my two other bait hives. 🙂

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