LA Times Crossword 16 May 22, Monday

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Constructed by: Bruce Venzke
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Theme (according to Bill): Response to “Thanks”

Themed answers all fit the same clue, namely “Response to ‘Thanks’”:

  • 17A Response to “Thanks” : GLAD TO DO IT
  • 27A Response to “Thanks” : YOU’RE WELCOME
  • 48A Response to “Thanks” : ANY TIME AT ALL
  • 64A Response to “Thanks” : MY PLEASURE

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

Bill’s time: 5m 40s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Blackjack player’s request to a dealer : HIT ME

The card game known as “twenty-one” was first referred to in print in a book by Cervantes, the author famous for writing “Don Quixote”. He called the game “veintiuna” (Spanish for “twenty-one”). Cervantes wrote his story just after the year 1600, so the game has been around at least since then. Twenty-one came to the US but it wasn’t all that popular so bonus payments were introduced to create more interest. One of the more attractive bonuses was a ten-to-one payout to a player who was dealt an ace of spades and a black jack. This bonus led to the game adopting the moniker “Blackjack”.

10 Punxsutawney celebrity : PHIL

Punxsutawney is a borough in Pennsylvania that is located about 80 miles northeast of Pittsburgh. Punxsutawney Phil is the famous groundhog that lives in the area. Phil comes out of his hole on February 2 each year and if he sees his shadow he goes back into his hole predicting six more weeks of winter weather. February 2 is known as “Groundhog Day”.

15 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”.

16 “iZombie” actress McIver : ROSE

Rose McIver is an actress from New Zealand. She might be best known to American audiences for playing the lead in the supernatural crime drama TV series “iZombie” starting in 2015. She also headed the cast in three “A Christmas Prince” movies from 2017 to 2019.

“iZombie” is a supernatural crime drama TV show that was adapted from a comic book series of the same name. New Zealand actress Rose McIver plays a Seattle medical examiner who solves murders by eating the victims’ brains. Ugh …

19 Jazz great Fitzgerald : ELLA

Ella Fitzgerald, the “First Lady of Song”, had a hard and tough upbringing. She was raised by her mother alone in Yonkers, New York. Her mother died while Ella was still a schoolgirl, and around that time the young girl became less interested in her education. She fell in with a bad crowd, even working as a lookout for a bordello and as a Mafia numbers runner. She ended up in reform school, from which she escaped, and found herself homeless and living on the streets for a while. Somehow Fitzgerald managed to get herself a spot singing in the Apollo Theater in Harlem. From there her career took off and as they say, the rest is history.

21 Penny : CENT

The official name of our smallest denomination coin is “cent”, and our use of the word “penny” is just a colloquialism derived from the British coin of the same name. In the UK, the plural of penny is “pence”, whereas we have “pennies” in our pockets.

23 Last non-AD yr. : ONE BC

The designations Anno Domini (AD, “year of Our Lord”) and Before Christ (BC) are found in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. The dividing point between AD and BC is the year of the conception of Jesus, with AD 1 following 1 BC without a year “0” in between. The AD/BC scheme dates back to AD 525, and gained wide acceptance soon after AD 800. Nowadays a modified version has become popular, with CE (Common/Christian Era) used to replace AD, and BCE (Before the Common/Christian Era) used to replace BC.

36 Eurasian border river : URAL

The Ural River rises in the Ural Mountains in Russia and flows for half its length through Russian territory until it crosses the border into Kazakhstan, finally emptying into the Caspian Sea. It is the third-longest river in Europe, after the Volga and Danube. The Ural is often cited as defining a long stretch of the border between Europe and Asia, although the exact position of that border is open to debate.

42 Relatively cool heavenly body : K 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 …

43 Krispy Kreme products : DONUTS

The Krispy Kreme chain of doughnut stores was founded in 1937 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The company introduced the Whole Wheat Glazed doughnut in 2007, which is great news for folks looking to eat a healthy diet, I am sure …

45 Nick at __ : NITE

“Nick at Nite” is the name given to the late-night programming aired on the Nickelodeon channel space. Nick at Nite started broadcasting in 1985 and was conceived as television’s first “oldies” television network.

47 Slip-__: shoes without laces : ONS

The loafer slip-on shoe dates back to 1939. “Loafer” was originally a brand name introduced by Fortnum and Mason’s store in London. The derivative term “penny loafer” arose in the late fifties or early sixties, although the exact etymology seems unclear.

51 Meat Loaf’s “Bat Out of __” : HELL

“Meat Loaf” is the stage name of rock musician Marvin Lee Aday from Dallas, Texas. Meat Loaf’s second album is “Bat Out of Hell”, one of the best selling albums of all time. “Bat Out of Hell” still sells hundreds of thousands copies every year, and has sold over 40 million copies worldwide.

52 Big name in hotels : HYATT

The Hyatt hotel chain takes its name from the first hotel in the group, i.e. Hyatt House at the Los Angeles International Airport that was purchased in 1957. Among other things, Hyatt is famous for designing the world’s first atrium hotel, the Hyatt Regency in Atlanta.

55 Iridescent gems : OPALS

An opal is often described as having a milky iridescence known as opalescence.

An iridescent surface appears to change color gradually with a change in the angle of view, or a change in the angle that the light is hitting that surface.

67 Retired tennis pro Kournikova : ANNA

Not only is Anna Kournikova a world class tennis player, but she is also a model. She apparently has a lot of fans because her name is one of the most commonly searched for terms on Google’s search engine …

68 “Big Little Lies” actress Witherspoon : REESE

“Reese” is not actually actress Witherspoon’s given name. She started out life as Laura Jeanne Witherspoon. “Reese” is her mother’s maiden name.

“Big Little Lies” is a 2017 TV miniseries that is based on a 2014 novel of the same name. It stars Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon and Shailene Woodley as three women who, while dealing with their own emotional problems, find themselves involved in a murder investigation. I haven’t seen this one, but hear very good things …

69 Brooklyn NBA team : NETS

The NBA’s Brooklyn Nets were the New Jersey Nets until 2012, and were based in Newark. Prior to 1977, the team was known as the New York Nets and played in various locations on Long Island. Ten years earlier, the Nets were called the New Jersey Americans and were headquartered in Teaneck, New Jersey.

71 Ill-fated Ford : EDSEL

The Edsel brand of automobile was named for Edsel Ford, son of Henry. Sadly, the name “Edsel” has become synonymous with “failure”, which was no fault of Edsel himself who had died several years before the Edsel line was introduced. When the Ford Motor Company introduced the Edsel on 4 September 1957, Ford proclaimed the day to be “E Day”.

Down

2 Aptly named cooler brand : IGLOO

Igloo Products is a Texas-based manufacturer of coolers. The company started up in 1947 making metal water coolers, and introduced its first all-plastic ice chest in 1962. The Igloo name was adopted in 1971.

3 “How to __ Your Dragon” : TRAIN

“How to Train Your Dragon” is a series of children’s books by English author Cressida Cowell. The main character in the stories is Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, a Viking who is able to speak “Dragonese”. The books were adapted into two feature films and two animated TV series. A tough Viking girl named Astrid was introduced for the purpose of the movies, a girl who becomes Hiccup’s love interest.

8 Chairlift alternative : SKI TOW

A rope tow is a very basic form of ski lift. It consists of a loop of rope between two pulleys, one at the top of the hill and one at the bottom. One pulley is motorized, so that the rope moves. Skiers can mount the hill by grabbing hold of the rope.

9 Former Air France jet, for short : SST

The most famous supersonic transport (SST) is the retired Concorde. Concorde was developed and produced under an Anglo-French treaty by France’s Aérospatiale and the UK’s British Aircraft Corporation (BAC). Concordes were mainly operated by Air France and British Airways, with both companies buying the planes with substantial subsidies from the French and British governments. The final Concorde flight was a British Airways plane that landed in the UK on 26 November 2003.

Air France is my favorite airline (okay … after Aer Lingus, the Irish airline). I used to fly Air France a lot (I lived in France for a while), but haven’t done so since the company merged with KLM in 2004. Back in 2008, Air France-KLM was the world’s largest airline in terms of revenue.

13 Shakespearean king with three daughters : LEAR

“King Lear” is one of William Shakespeare’s tragedies. Lear’s three daughters figure prominently in the story line. The three are, in order of age:

  • Goneril
  • Regan
  • Cordelia

29 Supreme Court justice Kagan : ELENA

Elena Kagan was the Solicitor General of the United States from 2009 until 2010, when she replaced Justice John Paul Stevens on the US Supreme Court. That made Justice Kagan the first female US Solicitor General and the fourth female US Supreme Court justice. Kagan also served as the first female dean of Harvard Law School from 2003 to 2009.

30 “The Simpsons” bus driver : OTTO

Otto Mann drives the school bus on the TV show “The Simpsons”. He is a Germanic character voiced by Harry Shearer, and his name is a play on “Ottoman Empire”. Whenever Bart sees him, he greets Otto with the words “Otto, man!”

34 Japanese soup noodles : UDON

Udon noodles are made from wheat-flour and are very popular in Japanese cuisines such as tempura.

39 Without mercy : RUTHLESS

“Ruth” is a term meaning compassion or sorrow, pity for another. To be lacking in compassion is to be “ruthless”. To be full of sorrow, pity is to be “ruthful”.

41 Avocado center : PIT

The wonderful avocado comes from a tree that is native to Mexico and Central America. The avocado fruit is sometimes called an avocado pear, because of its shape, even though it is not related to the pear at all. The fruit might also be referred to as an alligator pear, due to the roughness of the green skin of some avocado cultivars.

44 Tee sizes, briefly : S-M-L

Small, medium and large (S, M & L)

46 California/Nevada resort lake : TAHOE

Lake Tahoe (often referred to simply as “Tahoe”) is up in the Sierra Nevada mountains, and is located right on the border between California and Nevada. It is the largest alpine lake in the country, and the largest lake in general behind the five Great Lakes. Tahoe is also the second deepest lake, with only the beautiful Crater Lake in Oregon being deeper. Given its location, there are tall casinos that sit right on the shore on the Nevada side of the state line where gambling is legal.

49 Comedian Boosler : ELAYNE

Elayne Boosler is a stand-up comedian and was one of the first female comedians to have her act aired as a special on cable television. She does have some funny lines, and here’s one that I particularly like:

When women are depressed they either eat or go shopping. Men invade another country.

59 ICU caregivers : LPNS

Licensed practical nurse (LPN)

60 Picket fence piece : SLAT

Back in the late 17th century, a picket was a pointed stake used militarily to defend against attacking forces, and charging cavalry in particular. Ultimately, the term “picket” comes from the French verb “piquer” meaning “to pierce”. The term “pickets” then became the name for troops posted in the front lines, watching for the enemy. A picket line is a unit of soldiers lined up as a team of lookouts. The first use of “picket line” in the sense of labor disputes appeared just after the end of WWII. Our use of “picket fence” evolved from the original lines of pointed stakes used to defend positions held by early colonists.

65 “You __ My Sunshine” : ARE

“You Are My Sunshine” is a song that was written back in 1933. It was first recorded in 1939, by the Pine Ridge Boys.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Blackjack player’s request to a dealer : HIT ME
6 Mouth off to : SASS
10 Punxsutawney celebrity : PHIL
14 Fairy tale monsters : OGRES
15 Tattoo parlor supplies : INKS
16 “iZombie” actress McIver : ROSE
17 Response to “Thanks” : GLAD TO DO IT
19 Jazz great Fitzgerald : ELLA
20 Gardener’s bagful : SOIL
21 Penny : CENT
22 Milk source : UDDER
23 Last non-AD yr. : ONE BC
25 Prefix meaning “all” : OMNI-
27 Response to “Thanks” : YOU’RE WELCOME
33 Bubble bath spot : TUB
36 Eurasian border river : URAL
37 Laugh nervously : TITTER
38 Festoon : ADORN
40 Energy : PEP
42 Relatively cool heavenly body : K STAR
43 Krispy Kreme products : DONUTS
45 Nick at __ : NITE
47 Slip-__: shoes without laces : ONS
48 Response to “Thanks” : ANY TIME AT ALL
51 Meat Loaf’s “Bat Out of __” : HELL
52 Big name in hotels : HYATT
55 Iridescent gems : OPALS
58 Too : ALSO
61 __ school : PREP
63 Muted, as colors : PALE
64 Response to “Thanks” : MY PLEASURE
66 Self-images : EGOS
67 Retired tennis pro Kournikova : ANNA
68 “Big Little Lies” actress Witherspoon : REESE
69 Brooklyn NBA team : NETS
70 Exam : TEST
71 Ill-fated Ford : EDSEL

Down

1 “You can’t have any!” types : HOGS
2 Aptly named cooler brand : IGLOO
3 “How to __ Your Dragon” : TRAIN
4 Sampling of songs : MEDLEY
5 Inexact no. : EST
6 Agree (with) : SIDE
7 Unknown composer, for short : ANON
8 Chairlift alternative : SKI TOW
9 Former Air France jet, for short : SST
10 Foretells : PREDICTS
11 Wait on the phone : HOLD
12 Cruise stopover : ISLE
13 Shakespearean king with three daughters : LEAR
18 Take place : OCCUR
22 Not probable : UNLIKELY
24 Generous bonuses : BOUNTIES
26 Bumped into : MET
28 Knock : RAP
29 Supreme Court justice Kagan : ELENA
30 “The Simpsons” bus driver : OTTO
31 Cruel : MEAN
32 Slips up : ERRS
33 “Look what I did!” : TA-DA!
34 Japanese soup noodles : UDON
35 Super skinny : BONY
39 Without mercy : RUTHLESS
41 Avocado center : PIT
44 Tee sizes, briefly : S-M-L
46 California/Nevada resort lake : TAHOE
49 Comedian Boosler : ELAYNE
50 Expired, as a subscription : LAPSED
53 Brings into alignment : TRUES
54 Not long-winded : TERSE
55 Inviting store window sign : OPEN
56 Numbered book part : PAGE
57 “That was __ of fun!” : A LOT
59 ICU caregivers : LPNS
60 Picket fence piece : SLAT
62 Take (off) : PEEL
64 Little rug : MAT
65 “You __ My Sunshine” : ARE