LA Times Crossword 25 Jun 22, Saturday

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Constructed by: Nova Qi & Matthew Stock
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Theme: None

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

Bill’s time: 12m 26s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 USWNT star __ Heath : TOBIN

Tobin Heath is a professional soccer player who plays for the US national team. She has played club football on both sides of the Atlantic, turning out for the New York Fury, Paris Saint-Germain, the Portland Thorns, Manchester United and Arsenal.

United States women’s national soccer team (USWNT)

10 CPR crew : EMS

Emergency medical services (EMS)

15 Alison of “GLOW” : BRIE

Alison Brie is an actress best known for playing Trudy Campbell, the wife of Pete Campbell on the TV drama “Mad Men”.

16 Finishing school concern? : SENIORITIS

“Senioritis” is the colloquial name given to the tendency of some senior students to lose motivation to study as they head towards the end of high school and college careers.

17 “The Best of Everything” author Jaffe : RONA

Rona Jaffe was an American novelist perhaps most famous for two of her books, “The Best of Everything” and “Mazes and Monsters”. “The Best of Everything” was published in 1958 and has been compared with the HBO television series “Sex and the City” as it depicts women in the working world. “Mazes and Monsters” was published in 1981 and explores a role-playing game similar to Dungeons & Dragons and the impact it has on players.

18 __ stick : POGO

What we know today as a pogo stick was invented in Germany by Max Pohlig and Ernst Gottschall. The name “pogo” comes from the first two letters in each of the inventors’ family names: Po-hlig and Go-ttschall.

23 Greta with three Oscar nominations : GERWIG

Greta Gerwig is an actress from Sacramento whose best-known role is probably opposite Russell Brand in the remake of the film “Arthur”. Gerwig has turned to directing, and was at the helm for the 2019 movie “Little Women”.

32 “I __ Girl From Africa”: Elizabeth Nyamayaro memoir : AM A

Elizabeth Nyamayaro is the head of HeForShe, a UN-initiated solidarity movement for the advancement of gender equality. In 2015, she filmed a popular TED Talk titled “An invitation to men who want a better world for women.”

34 “¡Ándale!” : VAMOS!

To vamoose is to to leave, coming from the Spanish “vamos” meaning “let’s go”.

When I was a kid, Speedy Gonzales was one of my favorite cartoon characters. He was billed as “The Fastest Mouse in all Mexico” and tore around the place yelling “¡Ándale! ¡Ándale! ¡Arriba! ¡Arriba! ¡Epa¡ ¡Epa! ¡Epa! Yeehaw!”

36 NYC airport code : LGA

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

38 Some Twitter trolls : BOTS

A Twitterbot is a bot program designed specifically to work on the Twitter microblogging service.

39 World __ Health Day : MENTAL

World Mental Health Day is October 10th every year. It is an initiative of the World Federation for Mental Health, and was first celebrated in 1992.

41 Former MLB commissioner honored with a statue in Milwaukee : SELIG

Bud Selig was the Commissioner of Baseball for Major League Baseball from 1998 to 2015. Selig became acting commissioner in 1992 after the resignation of Fay Vincent. The team owners searched for a new commissioner for six years, and finally gave the permanent job to Selig in 1998.

50 Tres y cinco : OCHO

In Spanish, “ocho” (eight) is the sum of “tres y cinco” (three plus five).

52 Thomas known as the “Soul Queen of New Orleans” : IRMA

Irma Thomas is a singer from New Orleans who had a challenging start to her life. She had been married twice by the time she was 19 years old, and had four children. Thomas is often referred to as the “Soul Queen of New Orleans”.

55 Mid day? : IDES

There were three important days in each month of the old Roman calendar. These days originally depended on the cycles of the moon but were eventually “fixed” by law. “Kalendae” were the first days of each month, originally the days of the new moon. “Nonae” were originally the days of the half moon. And “idus” (the ides) was originally the day of the full moon, eventually fixed at the 15th day of a month. Actually, the ides were the 15th day of March, May, July and October. For all other months, the ides fell on the 13th. Go figure …

56 Staff addition : LEDGER LINE

On a musical staff, ledger lines are used to place notes that fall above or below the regular five lines of the staff.

57 Oft-redacted no. : SSN

Social Security number (SSN)

58 Consignment caveat : AS IS

A caveat is a warning or a qualification. “Caveat” is the Latin for “let him beware”.

59 “Ginger Pye” Newbery Medal winner Eleanor : ESTES

Eleanor Estes started writing children’s books when she was bedridden, recovering from tuberculosis. By the time she died in 1988, she had written 20 books, including one novel for adults. Her most lauded title is “Ginger Pye”, published in 1951.

Down

1 Kitchen abbr. : TBSP

Tablespoon (tbsp.)

2 Snacks filled with “stuf” : OREOS

Double Stuf Oreos were introduced in 1975, and have twice the normal amount of white cream filling as the original cookie. Nabisco really went big in 2013, introducing the Mega Stuf Oreo that has even more white cream filling.

3 Game in which players form lines : BINGO

Our game Bingo is a derivative of an Italian lottery game called “Il Giuoco del Lotto d’Italia” that became popular in the 16th-century.

4 Particular way with words : IDIOLECT

An individual’s speech pattern is referred to as his or her “idiolect”. The idiolect comprises the vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation used by a person.

5 Private aid gp. : NGO

Non-governmental organization (NGO)

6 Alter ego of Marvel’s Peter Porker : SPIDER-HAM

In 1983, Marvel Comics introduced a parody of the heroic Spider-Man character in the form of an anthropomorphic pig named Spider-Ham. Spider-Ham’s alter ego is Peter Porker (as opposed to Spider-Man’s alter ego Peter Parker). There are a few more parodies in the Marvel Comics universe, such as Captain AmeriCat (for Captain America), Goose Rider (for Ghost Rider) and Hulk-Bunny (for Hulk).

7 Dog who bit Miss Gulch : TOTO

Miss Almira Gulch is the woman who gets bitten by Dorothy’s dog Toto right at the start of “The Wizard of Oz”. In Oz, Miss Gulch manifests herself as the Wicked Witch of the West.

11 Quick contests between turns in Mario Party : MINIGAMES

Mario Party is a series of video games that feature characters from the Mario franchise. Mario Party players participate in a central board game, with minigames introduced throughout the gaming session.

14 CNN journalist Hill : ERICA

Erica Hill was the co-anchor of “CBS This Morning”, and before that she was co-anchor of CBS’s “The Early Show”. Hill moved in 2008 to NBC News and co-hosted the weekend edition of “Today”. She moved to CNN in 2016.

22 Rhineland rats? : ACH!

The German exclamation “ach!” is usually translated into English as “oh!”

28 Forum posters who stir things up : EDGELORDS

Edgelords are sad people who make outlandish statements online with the intent of shocking others and provoking a reaction.

29 Beijing monument whose name translates to “gate of heavenly peace” : TIANANMEN

Tiananmen Square is located in the center of Beijing, China. It is the third largest city square in the world, after Merdeka Square in Jakarta, Indonesia and Praça dos Girassóis in Palmas, Brazil. Tiananmen Square can hold up to 600,000 people, and has been the site of major protests on several occasions over the years. The protests of 1989 are also referred to as the “Tiananmen Square massacre of 1989” as 200-300 (official figures) or perhaps several thousand (unofficial estimates) protestors and soldiers were killed when the military was sent in to restore order.

34 Installment of “Assassin’s Creed” featuring Vikings : VALHALLA

Assassin’s Creed is a franchise of video games that was introduced in 2007. The games’ storylines center on the struggle for power between the Assassins and the Templars. “Assassin’s Creed” made it to the big screen in 2016 in a sci-fi action movie of the same name, but it was pretty badly received by audiences.

38 Catcher behind a plate? : BIB

The word “bib” comes from the Latin “bibere” meaning “to drink”, as does our word “imbibe”. So, maybe a bib is less about spilling the food, and more about soaking up the booze …

40 Big brass : TUBAS

The tuba is the lowest-pitched of all brass instruments, and one of the most recent additions to the modern symphony orchestra (usually there is just one tuba included in an orchestral line-up). “Tuba” is the Latin word for “trumpet, horn”. Oom-pah-pah …

44 Zappos buy : SHOES

Zappos.com is a online retailer of mainly shoes that was founded in 1999. Zappos has been a subsidiary of Amazon.com since 1999, and now is the largest online shoe store in the world. The name “Zappos” is derived from “zapatos”, the Spanish word for “shoes”.

47 Macbeth title : THANE

Thanes were Scottish aristocrats. The most famous thanes have to be the Shakespearean characters Macbeth (Thane of Glamis, later “Thane of Cawdor”, and still later “King of Scotland”) and MacDuff (Thane of Fife). Other thanes in “Macbeth” are Ross, Lennox and Angus, as well as Menteith and Caithness.

48 Switch predecessors : WIIS

The Nintendo Switch is a gaming console released in 2017. I guess the name “Switch” is used because users can “switch” between portable and home console modes. The device is a table that can be used as a personal gaming unit, or can be docked for use as a home console.

49 European import : AUDI

The Audi name has an interesting history. The Horch company was founded by August Horch in 1909. Early in the life of the new company, Horch was forced out of his own business. He set up a new enterprise and continued to use his own name as a brand. The old company sued him for using the Horch name so a meeting was held to choose something new. Horch’s young son was studying Latin in the room where the meeting was taking place. He pointed out that “horch” was German for “hear” and he suggested “Audi” as a replacement, the Latin for “listen”.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 USWNT star __ Heath : TOBIN
6 Shock : STUN
10 CPR crew : EMS
13 Backbend that counteracts the effects of prolonged sitting : BRIDGE POSE
15 Alison of “GLOW” : BRIE
16 Finishing school concern? : SENIORITIS
17 “The Best of Everything” author Jaffe : RONA
18 __ stick : POGO
19 [Blank stare] : [I DON’T GET IT]
21 Comfort : SOLACE
23 Greta with three Oscar nominations : GERWIG
24 Digital greeting : E-CARD
26 Tank top : GAS CAP
28 Laser cut, perhaps : ETCH
30 Leaves out to dry : HANGS
32 “I __ Girl From Africa”: Elizabeth Nyamayaro memoir : AM A
33 Doctor : EDIT
34 “¡Ándale!” : VAMOS!
35 Made faces, perhaps : DREW
36 NYC airport code : LGA
37 Has an in-tents experience? : CAMPS
38 Some Twitter trolls : BOTS
39 World __ Health Day : MENTAL
41 Former MLB commissioner honored with a statue in Milwaukee : SELIG
43 Gag reflexes? : LAUGHS
45 Hare kin : RABBIT
48 Barely triumphed : WON BY A HAIR
50 Tres y cinco : OCHO
52 Thomas known as the “Soul Queen of New Orleans” : IRMA
53 Comfy attire : LOUNGEWEAR
55 Mid day? : IDES
56 Staff addition : LEDGER LINE
57 Oft-redacted no. : SSN
58 Consignment caveat : AS IS
59 “Ginger Pye” Newbery Medal winner Eleanor : ESTES

Down

1 Kitchen abbr. : TBSP
2 Snacks filled with “stuf” : OREOS
3 Game in which players form lines : BINGO
4 Particular way with words : IDIOLECT
5 Private aid gp. : NGO
6 Alter ego of Marvel’s Peter Porker : SPIDER-HAM
7 Dog who bit Miss Gulch : TOTO
8 Working with : USING
9 Dollar stores? : NEST EGGS
10 Off-color prints? : EROTIC ART
11 Quick contests between turns in Mario Party : MINIGAMES
12 Ticket info : SEAT
14 CNN journalist Hill : ERICA
15 Cooks up : BREWS
20 French fat : GRAS
22 Rhineland rats? : ACH!
25 Deadens, in acoustics : DAMPS
27 Bear hand : PAW
28 Forum posters who stir things up : EDGELORDS
29 Beijing monument whose name translates to “gate of heavenly peace” : TIANANMEN
31 Accessories for many Hindu brides : NOSE RINGS
33 One with longtime standing on Capitol Hill : ELM
34 Installment of “Assassin’s Creed” featuring Vikings : VALHALLA
35 Dishes that may be adorned with bones : DOG BOWLS
37 Hard to pin down : CAGY
38 Catcher behind a plate? : BIB
40 Big brass : TUBAS
42 Soda size : LARGE
44 Zappos buy : SHOES
46 Seal the deal : ICE IT
47 Macbeth title : THANE
48 Switch predecessors : WIIS
49 European import : AUDI
51 Some deposits : ORES
54 Afore : ERE

18 thoughts on “LA Times Crossword 25 Jun 22, Saturday”

  1. Not bad for Saturday. Between the really odd or poor cluing , I managed to squeeze out a couple of errors. 5D started out as USO but I couldn’t come up with anything on 1A but TOBIU. Then 4D really had me going. But that was complicated with 13A where I had BRIDGEPOSE. It was a mess.

    So IDIOLECT is a thing. And TOBIN is a name of USWNT player. Huh.

    48D was the last thing to deal with. Settled on WIIS but I don’t get the connection to switches.

    I think I may have to accept the editors approach, look up odd clues, until I find the rhythm.

  2. Left (SW) side did me in. I missed the question mark after “Gag reflex” and entered “cough” instead of the cutesy “laugh.” Even so, I couldn’t get Wiis, Irma, Ides, or Ssn and never heard of Edgelords. Came close but no cigar.

  3. Oft when I encounter an interesting new word, I jot it down just inside the cover of my Webster’s dictionary, which is always within arm’s reach of my recliner, lest I irretrievably forget it. A couple of examples are ‘gralloch’ and, perhaps ironically, ‘recherche.’ Today I added ‘idiolect.’

    I am not a gamer of any stripe, nor have I ever availed myself of any social medium, nor am I a fan of the idiot box, so I struggled to complete today’s puzzle, ending up victorious with the exception of the N in NGO.

    Anyway, thanks for ‘idiolect;’ I will be working it into my conversations with the crows and cows and coyotes, my closest confidants…

  4. There’s a tendency in these puzzles lately to be “too clever by half.” A case in point is 22 Down “Rhineland rats?” ACH. As a German speaker I can assure you that “ach” — which as Bill says is usually translated as “oh” and is generally noncommittal or even positive in tone — comes nowhere close to the expression “rats” in English. In German one would say “verdammt.” Add to this tendency a fondness for long, obscure (at least to me) words such as BRIDGEPOSE, SENIORITIS, SPIDERHAM, EDGELORDS, TIANANMEN (familiar but no idea how to spell it), and LEDGERLINE. There’s no way I can check my wrong answers against Bill’s and laugh to myself “Hey why didn’t I think of that?” Instead I’m left thinking I must be pretty stupid and that’s not a pleasant sensation.

  5. 17:00

    That was tough! It was time spent in a world where EDGELORDS use their personal IDIOLECT to demand attention.

  6. 15:15, no errors. Indeed, too much “too clever by half” resulting in a lot of mind-reader clues on this one. “Clue” doesn’t mean “requires consulting an oracle to divine the thoughts of the constructor to understand how it relates to the proposed answer”. Again not fun.

    As an aside, how many had SPIDERPIG for 6D (I did for the longest time)? The reference they had was incredibly obscure to the point I bet a very small percentage even know of it.

    1. @Glenn
      Thought “Porker” was a typo and this clue was a giveaway to compensate for all the dense obscurity. So I had SPIDERMAN — boy am I stupid!

    2. @Glenn
      Thought “Porker” was a typo and the clue a giveaway to compensate for all the dense obscurity, so I had SPIDERMAN — boy am I stupid!

  7. 15:39 and no errors, needing Check Help on two typos.

    19A is an accurate representation of how I spent half the time with this puzzle. I found the clues to be vague at best, misleading at worst. A lot of esoterica and “manufactured difficulty”. Kudos, though, for getting TIANANMEN into a grid.

    Can’t say I much enjoyed this grid.

  8. DNF…I got 95% but couldn’t put all the unknowns together in the SW corner.
    The LAT seems to be changing and not for the better IMO👎
    Stay safe😀

  9. No look ups, no errors. Decent challenge but
    something’s missing for me compared to
    the old Saturday puzzles….
    Two Nintendo references in one grid. Are
    kids writing these? Would explain a lot…

    1. I’m with you on Nintendo, Saul! I had maybe 25% blank or wrong squares before looking at Bill’s Googlies.

  10. Once again this was a puzzle “to clever by half” and I am quite certain the puzzlers created this zinger of puzzle chortling to each other and saying, “This clue will never be solved – – except by us. Look . . . I finished this puzzle, but on a beautiful Saturday morning I would like to be finished with solving the puzzle before lunchtime!! Can’t we compromise between ‘impossible’ and ‘difficult?’ Just asking . . .

  11. I forgot to mention one of the more important editor’s mistakes: If the clue is without quotation marks, then so should the answer to it. 22D should have quotation marks on either side of the word rats. Where is the editor of these puzzles?

  12. 25:51 with two lookup confirmations for Greta GERWIG and IRMA Thomas.

    Revisions of: EMT>EMS, TIME>SEAT, IDIOLOGY>IDIOLECT, SOOTHE>SOLACE, COUGHS>LAUGHS.

    New items/names: TOBIN Heath, IRMA Thomas, Elizabeth Nyamayaro, Eleanor Estes, IDIOLECT, SPIDERHAM, EDGELORDS.

    I don’t understand all the griping about the cluing or so-called gimmicks. When I get the answer to a “difficult” clue, I will typically understand the connection (occasionally, I need Bill’s explanation to understand it).

    It’s true that some clues or answers require certain regional or local knowledge, but figuring out [some of] the intersections usually provides enough help that I can figure out a reasonable word even without knowing it. Really, it’s all about one’s range of knowledge, experience, and ability to recall and “work things out.”

    If you have to look up something on occasion, it shouldn’t be a big deal because you learned something new.

  13. Too tough for me today; took 1:03:04 with 10-12 “check-grids” to get to the finish. Mostly came here to check the answers and lookup various actors, authors and words. Got the SE, good parts of the SW and middle. Little bits of the NW and hardly any of the NE.

    Still, I liked learning about IDIOLECT and I watched several videos of Alison Brie…very cute! And, I did the Bridge Pose this morning.

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