LA Times Crossword 17 Jul 22, Sunday

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Constructed by: Doug Burnikel & C.C. Burnikel
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Theme: All-Star Break

Seven rows of the grid include circled letters that spell the names of STARS. Those names are each BROKEN in two by a black square:

  • 21A Stopped suddenly : SCREECHED TO A HALT
  • 24A Makes public : AIRS (ALT-AIR)
  • Altair is the brightest star in the constellation Aquila (the Eagle). Altair is also one of the three vertices of the Summer Triangle, the others being Deneb and Vega.
  • 30A Summons for a certain assistant : HEY, SIRI
  • 32A Medication warning : USE AS DIRECTED (SIRI-US)
  • When you look up at the night sky, the brightest star you can see is Sirius. It appears so bright to us because it is relatively close to the Earth. Sirius is commonly known as the “Dog Star”, as it can be seen in the constellation Canis Major, the “Big Dog”.
  • 48A “Marie Antoinette” director : SOFIA COPPOLA
  • 53A Gets higher : RISES (POLA-RIS)
  • Because the orientation of the Earth’s axis shifts, albeit very slowly, the position of north relative to the stars changes over time. The bright star that is closest to true north is Polaris, and so we call Polaris the “North Star” or “Pole Star”. 14,000 years ago, the nearest bright star to true north was Vega, and it will be so again in about 12,000 years time.
  • 69A Zen temple feature : ROCK GARDEN
  • 72A Tide fluctuation : EBB AND FLOW (DEN-EB)
  • Deneb is the brightest star in the constellation Cygnus, the Swan. The name “Deneb” comes from the Arabic word “dhaneb” meaning “tail”, as it lies at the tail of the swan.
  • 87A Thyme unit : SPRIG
  • 89A Many a Pro Bowl player : ELITE ATHLETE (RIG-EL)
  • Rigel is the sixth brightest star in the night sky, and the brightest star in the constellation of Orion. If you can imagine the stars in Orion laid out, Rigel is at his left foot. The name “Rigel” is an abbreviated version of the Arabic term for “Left Foot of the Central One”.
  • 109A News program format : LIVE BROADCAST
  • 113A Dessert with a crushed cookie crust : OREO PIE (CAST-OR)
  • The constellation of Gemini contains 85 stars that are visible with the naked eye, but the two brightest are Pollux and Castor. These two stars are named for the twins Pollux and Castor of Greek mythology. The name “Gemini” is Latin for “twins”.
  • 119A Glowing review : RAVE
  • 120A Get an advantage over : GAIN THE UPPER HAND (VE-GA)
  • Vega is the brightest star in the constellation Lyra. Vega (along with Altair and Deneb from other constellations) is also part of the group of three stars that is called the Summer Triangle. Vega is the star at the right-angle of said triangle.

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

Bill’s time: 16m 49s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Lab warning : BARK

The Labrador (Lab) breed of dog has been around at least since 1814, and the chocolate Labrador appeared over a century later in the 1930s. The name “Labrador Retriever” is simply a reference to the breed’s origin and behavior. Labs originally “retrieved” from the “Labrador Sea”.

5 Provence city that inspired van Gogh : ARLES

Quite a few years ago now, I had the privilege of living just a short car-ride from the beautiful city of Arles in the South of France. Although Arles has a long and colorful history, the Romans had a prevailing influence over the city’s design. Arles has a spectacular Roman amphitheater, arch, circus as well as old walls that surround the center of the city. In more modern times, it was a place Vincent van Gogh often visited, and was where he painted many of his most famous works, including “Cafe Terrace at Night” and “Bedroom in Arles”.

Vincent van Gogh was a Dutch post-impressionist painter who seems to have had a very tortured existence. Van Gogh only painted for the last ten years of his life, and enjoyed very little celebrity while alive. Today many of his works are easily recognized, and fetch staggering sums in auction houses. Van Gogh suffered from severe depression for many of his final years. When he was only 37, he walked into a field with a revolver and shot himself in the chest. He managed to drag himself back to the inn where he was staying but died there two days later.

10 Duolingo, e.g. : APP

Duolingo is a language-learning app that can be used for free, or with no ads for a premium price. The app was launched to the public in 2012, and 2013 was chosen by Apple as its iPhone App of the Year.

13 One in a onesie : BABY

A onesie is a baby’s one-piece bodysuit, and is a common gift at a baby shower.

17 Mystical glows : AURAE

An aura (plural “aurae”) is an intangible quality that surrounds a person or thing, a “je ne sais quoi”. “Je ne sais quoi” is French for “I don’t know what”.

18 __ kebab : SHISH

The term “kebab” (also “kabob”) covers a wide variety of meat dishes that originated in Persia. In the West, we usually use “kebab” when talking about shish kebab, which is meat (often lamb) served on a skewer. “Shish” comes from the Turkish word for “skewer”.

20 Ohio border lake : ERIE

Lake Erie borders four US states (Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York and Michigan) and one Canadian province (Ontario).

25 Initials between names : AKA

Also known as (aka)

27 “Black Dog” singer Parks : ARLO

“Arlo Parks” is the stage name of British singer and poet Anaïs Marinho. Parks seems to have hit the big time early in her career, with her first studio album “Collapsed in Sunbeams” garnering a lot of positive attention.

Singer and poet Arlo Parks released the 2020 song “Black Dog” just a few weeks before she became an ambassador for a British mental health charity. The song deals with mental health, and the title “Black Dog” is a term that Winston Churchill used for “depression”.

30 Summons for a certain assistant : HEY, SIRI

Siri is a software application that works with Apple’s iOS operating system. “Siri” is an acronym standing for Speech Interpretation and Recognition Interface. Voice-over artist Susan Bennett revealed herself as the female American voice of Siri a few years ago. The British version of Siri is called Daniel, and the Australian version is called Karen. Also, “Siri” is a Norwegian name meaning “beautiful woman who leads you to victory”, and was the name the developer had chosen for his first child.

36 New Year celebrated with bánh chu’ng : TET

The full name for the New Year holiday in Vietnam is “Tet Nguyen Dan” meaning “Feast of the First Morning”, with the reference being to the arrival of the season of spring. Tet usually falls on the same day as Chinese New Year.

Bánh chu’ng is a steamed cake mainly made from glutinous rice, mung bean and pork. The eating of bánh chu’ng is an important part of the Tet holiday in Vietnam.

38 Bic Clic __ pens : STIC

Société Bic is a company based in Clichy in France. The first product the company produced, more than fifty years ago, was the Bic Cristal ballpoint pen that is still produced today. Bic also makes other disposable products such as lighters and razors.

39 Truly bizarre : OUTRE

The word “outré”, meaning “unconventional, bizarre”, comes to us from French, as one might imagine. It is derived from the verb “outrer” meaning “to overdo, exaggerate”. “Outrer” is also the ultimate root of our word “outrage”.

40 JFK alternative : LGA

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

42 Princess who wields a chakram : XENA

The Xena character, played by New Zealander Lucy Lawless, was introduced in a made-for-TV movie called “Hercules and the Amazon Women”. Lawless reprised the role in a series called “Hercules: The Legendary Journeys”. Xena became so popular that a series was built around her character, with Lawless retained for the title role. The fictional Xena supposedly came from the “non-fictional” Greek city of Amphipolis.

A chakram is a throwing weapon from India. Essentially, it is a flattened metal ring with a sharpened outer edge. In popular culture, the chakram is the weapon of choice for the title character in the TV show “Xena: Warrior Princess”.

48 “Marie Antoinette” director : SOFIA COPPOLA

Sofia Coppola is a filmmaker, following in the footsteps of her father Francis Ford Coppola. She has made some very interesting films, with “Lost in Translation” (2003) and “Marie Antoinette” (2006) being my personal favorites. Before turning to filmmaking, Coppola appeared in front of the camera in several films. She was an infant at a baptism in “The Godfather”, an immigrant child in “The Godfather Part II”, and Michael Corleone’s daughter Mary in “The Godfather Part III”.

“Marie Antoinette” is a 2006 film by Sofia Coppola that stars Kirsten Dunst in the title role. A lot of the film’s footage was actually shot in the Palace of Versailles. This is an interesting movie, with lavish costumes and a contemporary soundtrack that stands out given the period depicted on the screen.

55 Vietnamese soup : PHO

Pho (pronounced “fuh”) is a noodle soup from Vietnam that is a popular street food.

57 Comfy slip-ons : MOCS

“Moc” is short for “moccasin”, a type of shoe. The moccasin is a traditional form of footwear worn by members of many Native American tribes.

59 Writer Anaïs : NIN

Anaïs Nin was a French author who was famous for the journals that she wrote for over sixty years from the age of 11 right up to her death. Nin also wrote highly regarded erotica and cited D. H. Lawrence as someone from whom she drew inspiration. Nin was married to banker and artist Hugh Parker Guiler in 1923. Decades later in 1955, Nin married former actor Rupert Pole, even though she was still married to Guiler. Nin and Pole had their marriage annulled in 1966, but just for legal reasons, and they continued to live together as husband and wife until Nin passed away in 1977.

63 Stop on the Taj Express : AGRA

The Taj Express is a train service between Delhi and Agra. It was launched in 1964, primarily to serve tourists wishing to visit the Taj Mahal in Agra from the nation’s capital.

65 The least bit : ONE IOTA

Iota is the ninth letter in the Greek alphabet, and one that gave rise to our letters I and J. We use the word “iota” to portray something very small, as it is the smallest of all Greek letters.

67 Jujitsu kin : AIKIDO

Aikido is a Japanese martial art that only dates back to the 1920s and 1930s. It was developed by Morihei Ueshiba, who is often referred to as “the Founder” or “Great Teacher”.

Jujitsu (also “jiujitsu”) is a group of martial arts associated with Japan. The name “jujitsu” comes from “ju” meaning “gentle” and “jitsu” meaning “technique”. The name was chosen to represent the principle of using the opponent’s force against himself, rather than relying on one’s own strength.

69 Zen temple feature : ROCK GARDEN

Zen is a Buddhist school that developed its own tradition in China back in the 7th century AD. “Zen” is a Japanese spelling of the Chinese word “chan”, which in turn derives from the Sanskrit word “dhyana” meaning “meditation”.

72 Tide fluctuation : EBB AND FLOW

Tides are caused by the gravitational pull of the moon on the oceans. At neap tide, the smaller gravitational effect of the sun cancels out some of the moon’s effect. At spring tide, the sun and the moon’s gravitational forces act in concert causing more extreme movement of the oceans.

83 Schedule info : ETAS

A schedule (sked) might show the estimated time of arrival (ETA) of a plane or bus, perhaps.

86 Director Browning : TOD

Tod Browning was a Hollywood actor and director whose career spanned the silent and talkie eras. Browning is best remembered as the director of 1931’s “Dracula”, starring Bela Lugosi in the title role, and for his silent film work with Lon Chaney.

87 Thyme unit : SPRIG

In ancient Greece, thyme was burned as incense and used in baths as it was believed to be a source of courage.

89 Many a Pro Bowl player : ELITE ATHLETE

The AFC-NFC Pro Bowl is the NFL’s all-star game, and is played towards the end of the season around the time of the Super Bowl. The rules for the Pro Bowl differ from normal NFL games, in order to make the game safer. Apparently, NFL owners don’t want their players getting injured when they’re not playing for their own team.

92 Paul who plays the Riddler in “The Batman” : DANO

Paul Dano is an actor and musician from New York City. I best know him for playing Brian Wilson in “Love & Mercy”, a fascinating film about the Beach Boys.

“The Batman” is a 2022 film, and a reboot of the “Batman” film franchise. It stars Robert Pattinson as the title character Paul Dano as the Riddler, the antagonist of the piece.

95 Cat costume part : TAIL

I’ve seen Manx cats by the dozen on their native island. They’re found all over the Isle of Man (hence the name “Manx”) that is located in the middle of the Irish Sea. Manx cats have just a stub of a tail, and hence are called “stubbins” by the locals.

98 “Who, me?” : MOI?

“Moi” is the French word for “me”. One might say “Moi?” when feigning innocence.

99 Like some watches : SMART

A smartwatch is a computer device that is worn on the wrist as a watch.

101 Maasai Mara antelopes : GNUS

The Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya sits right beside the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania.

The gnu is also known as the wildebeest, and is an antelope native to Africa. “Wildebeest” is a Dutch meaning “wild beast”.

103 School in L.A. : USC

The University of Southern California (USC) is a private school in Los Angeles. Apart from its excellent academic record, USC is known for the success of its athletic program. USC Trojans have won more Olympic medals than the students of any other university in the world. The USC marching band is very famous as well, and is known as the “Spirit of Troy”. The band has performed with many celebrities, and is the only college band to have two platinum records.

105 Author Evelyn : WAUGH

Evelyn Waugh was an English author who is most famous for his fabulous 1945 novel “Brideshead Revisited”. Evelyn Waugh met and fell in love with Evelyn Gardner in 1927. Known to friends as “He-Evelyn” and “She-Evelyn”, the couple were married in 1929 (but divorced one year later).

115 President after Jack : LYNDON

Lyndon Baines Johnson (LBJ) was born in Stonewall, Texas to Samuel Ealy Johnson, Jr. and Rebekah Baines.

118 Ohtani’s team, on scoreboards : LAA

Shohei Ohtani is a baseball pitcher from Japan who started his professional career in 2013 playing for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters. He was signed by the Los Angeles Angels in 2017, and in 2018 was named the American League’s Rookie of the Year.

124 Western Shoshone neighbors : UTES

The Ute are a group of Native-American tribes who now reside in Utah and Colorado. The Ute were not a unified people as such, but rather a loose association of nomadic groups. The word “Ute” means “Land of the Sun”, and “Ute” also gave us the state name “Utah”.

The Western Shoshone are a group of tribes indigenous to the Great Basin area in the American Southwest. In 1992, the Western Shoshone issued their own passports, following the example of the Six Nations (who issued the Iroquois passport as early as 1923).

125 Colonnade trees : ELMS

A colonnade is a long sequence of columns that are equally spaced, and often support some type of roof. A colonnade surrounding a porch at an entranceway is known as a portico. A colonnade surrounding a courtyard or the perimeter of a building is known as a peristyle.

126 Borden spokescow : ELSIE

Elsie the Cow is the mascot of the Borden Company. Elsie first appeared at the New York World’s Fair in 1939, introduced to symbolize the perfect dairy product. She is so famous and respected that she has been awarded the degrees of Doctor of Bovinity, Doctor of Human Kindness and Doctor of Ecownomics. Elsie was also given a husband named Elmer the Bull. Elmer eventually moved over to the chemical division of Borden where he gave his name to Elmer’s Glue.

127 Malt-drying kilns : OASTS

An oast is a kiln used for drying hops as part of the brewing process. Such a structure might also be called an “oast house” or “hop kiln”. The term “oast” can also apply to a kiln used to dry tobacco.

Malt is germinated cereal grains that have been dried. The cereal is germinated by soaking it in water, and then germination is halted by drying the grains with hot air.

129 Ginger paste amt. : TSP

It is the root of the ginger flowering plant that is most prized, as it is used as a spice and a folk medicine. Almost half of the ginger consumed across the world comes from India.

131 Gumdrops brand : DOTS

Dots are a brand of gumdrops. Apparently, four billion Dots are produced annually.

Down

3 Issa of “Hair Love” : RAE

Issa Rae is a Stanford University graduate who created a YouTube web series called “The Mis-Adventures of Awkward Black Girl”. Rae also plays the title role in the series, a young lady named “J”. “Awkward Black Girl” was adapted into an HBO comedy-drama called “Insecure”, in which Issa Rae stars.

“Hair Love” is a 2019 animated short about a man who has to style his daughter’s hair for the first time. It is a poignant piece, as the father and daughter must use a tutorial video made by the girl’s mother. At the end of the film, the father and daughter visit the mother in hospital, and the latter removes her scarf to reveal that she has lost her hair due to chemotherapy.

6 Seehorn of “Better Call Saul” : RHEA

Rhea Seehorn is an actress best known for playing lawyer Kim Wexler in the TV crime drama “Better Call Saul”.

7 Kimchi jar top : LID

Kimchi is a traditional dish from Korea. The original kimchi is made from fermented vegetables, and is pretty strong stuff …

8 “¿Cómo __?” : ESTAS

“Cómo estas?” is Spanish for “how are you?”

10 Pie __ mode : A LA

In French, “à la mode” simply means “fashionable”. In America, the term has also come to describe a way of serving pie. Pie served à la mode includes a dollop of cream or ice cream, or as I recall from my time living in Upstate New York, with a wedge of cheddar cheese.

12 Fizzle (out) : PETER

The verb phrase “to peter out”, meaning “to fizzle out”, originated in the 1840s in the American mining industry. While the exact etymology isn’t clear, it probably derives from the term “saltpeter”, a constituent of gunpowder.

13 Grizzly youngsters : BEAR CUBS

The North American brown bear is usually referred to as the grizzly bear. The name “grizzly” was given to the bear by Lewis and Clark. The term “grizzly” might mean “with gray-tipped hair”, or “fear-inspiring”. Both definitions seem to be apt …

14 Short operatic piece : ARIETTA

An arietta, quite simply, is a short aria.

15 Cardinals’ followers, say : BIRDERS

A birder is a bird watcher, an ornithologist.

Cardinals are a family of birds that inhabit the Americas. The northern cardinal is the species from which the family gets the cardinal name. It was named by early settlers from Europe for the red crest on the male, the color of which resembled the color of a Roman Catholic cardinal’s biretta (a square cap).

17 Sapporo competitor : ASAHI

Asahi is a Japanese beer, and the name of the brewery that produces it. “Asahi” is Japanese for “morning sun”. Asahi introduced a “dry beer” in 1987, igniting a craze that rocketed the brewery to the number one spot in terms of beer production in Japan, with Sapporo close behind.

19 Cuts off contact with : GHOSTS

A rather insensitive person might break off a relationship simply by cutting off all communication with his or her partner, without any warning. Such a move is referred to as “ghosting” in modern parlance, particularly when the relationship relies heavily on online interaction.

29 Fair-hiring letters : EEO

“Equal Employment Opportunity” (EEO) is a term that has been around since 1964 when the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) was set up by the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title VII of the Act prohibits employers from discriminating against employees on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin or religion.

31 Recital high points : SOLI

“Soli” (the plural of “solo”) are pieces of music performed by one artist, whereas “tutti” are pieces performed by all of the artists.

32 Sch. that hosts the Sun Bowl : UTEP

The Sun Bowl is an annual college football game played in El Paso. The Rose Bowl is the oldest of the bowl games, but the Sun Bowl, Sugar Bowl and Orange Bowl come in second. The first Sun Bowl was played on New Year’s Day 1935. To be fair to the sponsors Kellogg’s, the game’s full name since 2019 is the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl.

33 J’adore perfumer : DIOR

The fragrance “J’adore” was introduced in 1999 by Dior. The name “J’adore” is a pun on “Dior”.

34 “Bessie” director Rees : DEE

Dee Rees is a screenwriter and director who might be best known for directing the historical drama film “Mudbound” (2017). Rees also wrote and directed the 2011 movie “Pariah”, which she describes as semi-autobiographical.

“Bessie” is a made-for-TV film about the blues singer Bessie Smith. Singer and actress Queen Latifah plays the title role.

41 Obamacare, initially : ACA

The correct name for what has been dubbed “Obamacare” is the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act” (ACA).

44 __ tikki: potato patties : ALOO

In South Asian dishes, “aloo” is a term meaning “potatoes”.

The word “tikka” in Indian cuisine refers to a small cutlet or croquette.

46 From China, e.g. : ASIAN

The world’s most populous country is the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The Republic of China (ROC) is the official name of the sovereign state that we usually call Taiwan.

48 City-state known for its austerity : SPARTA

Sparta was a city-state in ancient Greece that was famous for her military might. Spartan children had a tough upbringing, and newborn babies were bathed in wine to see if the child was strong enough to survive. Every child was presented to a council of elders that decided if the baby was suitable for rearing. Those children deemed too puny were executed by tossing them into a chasm. We’ve been using the term “spartan” to describe something self-disciplined or austere since the 1600s.

51 What hydrogen lacks : ODOR

There are three naturally occurring isotopes of hydrogen. The most common isotope is what we ordinarily refer to as hydrogen, and it has no neutrons. This particular isotope is sometimes called “protium”. The isotope with one neutron is called “deuterium”. When paired with two atoms of oxygen, deuterium forms “heavy water”. The hydrogen isotope with two neutrons is called “tritium”. Tritium is radioactive, with a half-life of 12.3 years.

54 Oklahoma city : ENID

Enid, Oklahoma takes its name from the old railroad station around which the city developed. Back in 1889, that train stop was called Skeleton Station. An official who didn’t like the name changed it to Enid Station, using a character from Alfred Lord Tennyson’s “Idylls of the King”. Maybe if he hadn’t changed the name, the city of Enid would now be called Skeleton, Oklahoma! Enid has the nickname “Queen Wheat City” because it has a huge capacity for storing grain, the third largest grain storage capacity in the world.

60 “Jesus Christ Superstar” character : PILATE

Pontius Pilate was the judge at the trial of Jesus Christ and the man who authorized his crucifixion. Over the years, many scholars have suggested that Pilate was a mythical character. However, a block of limestone was found in 1961 in the modern-day city of Caesarea in Israel, and in the block was an inscription that included the name of Pontius Pilate, citing him as Prefect of Judea.

“Jesus Christ Superstar” is a rock opera that was first released in album form in 1970, before being adapted for the stage in 1971. The music was composed by Andrew Lloyd Weber and the lyrics by Tim Rice.

64 “Best in Show” org. : AKC

The American Kennel Club (AKC) is the organization that handles registration of purebred dogs The AKC also promotes dog shows around the country, including the famous Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.

“Best in Show” is a comedy film released in 2000 that is in the mockumentary style. It follows five entrants to a big dog show. It is a Christopher Guest film, so I gave up after about 10 minutes of viewing …

66 Fish in Hamburg Aalsuppe : EELS

Aalsuppe is a dish that originated in Hamburg. Even though the soup served today might include eels, the name “Aalsuppe” does not translate as “eel soup”. Rather, “Aalsuppe” is better written as “all soup”, a name derived from using everything available in the kitchen as an ingredient.

Hamburg is the second-largest city in Germany (after Berlin), and the third largest port in Europe (after Rotterdam and Antwerp).

68 Largest fast-food chain in China : KFC

The famous “Colonel” of Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) fame was Harland Sanders, an entrepreneur from Henryville, Indiana. Although not really a “Colonel”, Sanders did indeed serve in the military. He enlisted in the Army as a private in 1906 at the age of 16, lying about his age. He spent the whole of his time in the Army as a soldier in Cuba. It was much later, in the 1930s, that Sanders went into the restaurant business making his specialty deep-fried chicken. By 1935 his reputation as a “character” had grown, so much so that Governor Ruby Laffoon of Kentucky gave Sanders the honorary title of “Kentucky Colonel”. Later in the fifties, Sanders developed his trademark look with the white suit, string tie, mustache and goatee. When Sanders was 65 however, his business failed and in stepped Dave Thomas, the founder of Wendy’s. Thomas simplified the Sanders menu, cutting it back from over a hundred items to just fried chicken and salads. That was enough to launch KFC into the fast food business. Sanders sold the US franchise in 1964 for just $2 million and moved to Canada to grow KFC north of the border. He died in 1980 and is buried in Louisville, Kentucky. The Colonel’s secret recipe of 11 herbs and spices is indeed a trade secret. Apparently there is only one copy of the recipe, a handwritten piece of paper, written in pencil and signed by Colonel Sanders. Since 2009, the piece of paper has been locked in a computerized vault surrounded with motion detectors and security cameras.

74 “The Thin Man” dog : ASTA

Asta is the wonderful little dog in the superb “The Thin Man” series of films starring William Powell and Myrna Loy (as Nick and Nora Charles). In the original story by Dashiell Hammett, Asta was a female Schnauzer, but on screen Asta was played by a wire-haired fox terrier called “Skippy”. Skippy was also the dog in “Bringing Up Baby” with Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn, the one who kept stealing the dinosaur bone. Skippy retired in 1939, so Asta was played by other dogs in the remainder of “The Thin Man” films.

77 Glass artist Chihuly : DALE

American artist Dale Chihuly is best known for his large glass sculptures. The largest permanent exhibit of his work is at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, although I’ve personally seen large amounts of his work at Chihuly Garden and Glass in Seattle and at the Bellagio resort and hotel in Las Vegas.

81 Bishop’s paths : DIAGONALS

That would be chess.

84 20s source : ATM

The twenty-dollar bill is called a “Jackson” as it bears the portrait of President Andrew Jackson on the front side of the bill. Jackson’s image replaced that of President Grover Cleveland in 1928, and there doesn’t seem to be any record documenting just why that change was made. Over one-fifth of all notes printed today are 20-dollar bills. The average life of a Jackson is a little over 2 years, after which it is replaced due to wear.

87 Post-marathon feeling : SORENESS

The marathon commemorates the legendary messenger-run by Pheidippides from the site of the Battle of Marathon back to Athens, and is run over 26 miles and 385 yards. The first modern Olympic marathon races were run over a distance that approximated the length of the modern-day Marathon-Athens highway, although the actual length of the race varied from games to games. For the 1908 Olympics in London, a course starting at Windsor Castle and ending in front of the Royal Box at White City Stadium was defined. That course was 26 miles and 385 yards, the standard length now used at all Olympic Games. Organizers of subsequent games continued to vary the length of the race, until a decision was made in 1921 to adopt the distance used in London in 1908.

88 “Suits” actress Torres : GINA

Actress Gina Torres plays the formidable Jessica Pearson on the USA Network show “Suits”. In real life, Gina is married to the actor Laurence Fishburne. Torres and Fishburne appeared together on the horror TV show “Hannibal”, in which they played a married couple.

“Suits” is an entertaining, albeit formulaic, legal drama that is set in New York City. One of the main characters in the show is Mike Ross, a brilliant law school dropout who poses as a law associate. Mike Ross’ love interest is paralegal Rachel Zane. Zane is played by actress Meghan Markle, who married the UK’s Prince Harry in 2018.

91 “Fuller House” actress Ashley : LIAO

Ashley Liao is an actress who started out as a child actress in the sitcom “Fuller House” playing Lola Wong.

92 Cable alternative : DSL

The initialism “DSL” originally stood for Digital Subscriber Loop, but is now accepted to mean (Asymmetric) Digital Subscriber Line. It is a technology that allows Internet service to be delivered down the same telephone line as voice service, by separating the two into different frequency signals.

94 Former Seabee, say : NAVY VET

The Seabees are members of the Construction Battalions (CB) of the US Navy, from which the name “Seabee” originates. There’s a great 1944 movie called “The Fighting Seabees” starring John Wayne that tells the story of the birth of the Seabees during WWII. The Seabees’ official motto is “Construimus. Batuimus”, Latin for “We build. We fight.” The group’s unofficial motto is “Can Do!”

96 Cough drops brand : LUDEN’S

The Luden’s brand of throat lozenge was created in 1879 by William H. Luden. Luden was able to give his cough drops national attention by giving samples to railroad workers, who took their “freebies” all over the country.

100 Not yet settled, briefly : TBD

To be determined (TBD)

102 “Get lost!” : SCAT!

Our word “scat!” means “get lost!” It comes from a 19th-century expression “quicker than s’cat”, which meant “in a great hurry”. The original phrase probably came from the words “hiss” and “cat”.

104 Two-door cars : COUPES

The type of car known as a “coupe” or “coupé” is a closed automobile with two doors. The name comes from the French word “couper” meaning “to cut”. In most parts of the English-speaking world the pronunciation adheres to the original French, but here in most of North America we go with “coop”. The original coupé was a horse-drawn carriage that was cut (coupé) to eliminate the rear-facing passenger seats. That left just a driver and two front-facing passengers. If the driver was left without a roof and out in the open, then the carriage was known as a “coupé de-ville”.

107 Titans : GIANTS

The Titans were a group of twelve older deities in Greek mythology, the twelve children of the primordial Gaia and Uranus, Mother Earth and Father Sky. In the celebrated Battle of the Titans, they were overthrown by the Olympians, who were twelve younger gods. We use the term “titan” figuratively to describe a powerful person, someone with great influence.

108 Coin flip choice : HEADS

The two sides of a coin are known as the “obverse” and the “reverse”. The obverse is commonly referred to as “heads”, as it often depicts someone’s head. The reverse is commonly called “tails”, as it is the opposite of “heads”.

110 Word often used as a synonym for “thesaurus” : ROGET

The first person to use the term “thesaurus” to mean a “collection of words arranged according to sense” was Roget in 1852, when he used it for the title of his most famous work. Up to that point in time, a thesaurus was basically an encyclopedia. Before being used with reference to books, a thesaurus was a storehouse or treasury, coming from the Latin “thesaurus” meaning “treasury, treasure”.

112 Snail’s home : SHELL

Snails and slugs are referred to collectively as gastropods. There are many, many species of gastropods, found both on land and in the sea. Gastropods with shells are generally described as snails, and those species without shells are referred to as slugs.

114 “The Pioneer Woman” host Drummond : REE

Ree Drummond is a food writer and blogger. Drummond’s blog “The Pioneer Woman” recounts her daily life on her family’s working ranch outside of Pawhuska, Oklahoma.

117 Rotisserie part : SPIT

We use the term “rotisserie” to describe a cooking device used to roast meat. The French word “rôtisserie” describes a shop selling cooked meats (“rôti” is French for “roasted”). We first absorbed the French term into English in the 1800s, when “rotisserie” described a similar establishment. It was only in the 1950s that we started to describe the home-cooking apparatus as a rotisserie.

119 Tofu steak coating : RUB

“Tofu” is a name for bean curd, and is a Japanese word meaning just that … bean that has curdled. Tofu is produced by coagulating soy milk, using either salt or something acidic. Once the protein has coagulated, the curds are pressed into the familiar blocks. Personally I love tofu, but my wife absolutely hates it …

122 Erin Jackson’s Olympic team : USA

Erin Jackson is a speed skater who won gold at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing in the 500-meter event. That win made her the first African American to medal in an individual Winter Olympic event.

123 “Ni __”: “Hello,” in Hangzhou : HAO

One might say “ni hao” in Chinese to mean “hello”, although a more literal translation is “you good”.

Hangzhou (also “Hangchow”) in eastern China is the capital city of the province of Zhejiang (also “Chekiang”). The city has a reputation as a center of excellence for information technology, and is home to the headquarters of technology giant Alibaba.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Lab warning : BARK
5 Provence city that inspired van Gogh : ARLES
10 Duolingo, e.g. : APP
13 One in a onesie : BABY
17 Mystical glows : AURAE
18 __ kebab : SHISH
19 Utter delight : GLEE
20 Ohio border lake : ERIE
21 Stopped suddenly : SCREECHED TO A HALT
24 Makes public : AIRS
25 Initials between names : AKA
26 Dada : PAPA
27 “Black Dog” singer Parks : ARLO
28 Avoided a deer in the road, say : VEERED
30 Summons for a certain assistant : HEY, SIRI
32 Medication warning : USE AS DIRECTED
35 “Let’s do this!” : IT’S ON!
36 New Year celebrated with bánh chu’ng : TET
38 Bic Clic __ pens : STIC
39 Truly bizarre : OUTRE
40 JFK alternative : LGA
42 Princess who wields a chakram : XENA
45 Place for a catnap : SOFA
47 Statue bottom : BASE
48 “Marie Antoinette” director : SOFIA COPPOLA
53 Gets higher : RISES
55 Vietnamese soup : PHO
56 “I did it!” : TA-DA!
57 Comfy slip-ons : MOCS
59 Writer Anaïs : NIN
60 County fair animal : PIG
63 Stop on the Taj Express : AGRA
65 The least bit : ONE IOTA
67 Jujitsu kin : AIKIDO
69 Zen temple feature : ROCK GARDEN
72 Tide fluctuation : EBB AND FLOW
75 Work boot tip : TOE CAP
76 Climbing needs : LADDERS
78 “Pretty please?” : CAN I?
79 Toss into the mix : ADD
80 “You hate to see it” : SAD
82 Attempt : STAB
83 Schedule info : ETAS
86 Director Browning : TOD
87 Thyme unit : SPRIG
89 Many a Pro Bowl player : ELITE ATHLETE
92 Paul who plays the Riddler in “The Batman” : DANO
95 Cat costume part : TAIL
97 “My goodness!” : EGAD!
98 “Who, me?” : MOI?
99 Like some watches : SMART
101 Maasai Mara antelopes : GNUS
103 School in L.A. : USC
105 Author Evelyn : WAUGH
109 News program format : LIVE BROADCAST
113 Dessert with a crushed cookie crust : OREO PIE
115 President after Jack : LYNDON
116 Per person : EACH
117 Court plaintiff : SUER
118 Ohtani’s team, on scoreboards : LAA
119 Glowing review : RAVE
120 Get an advantage over : GAIN THE UPPER HAND
124 Western Shoshone neighbors : UTES
125 Colonnade trees : ELMS
126 Borden spokescow : ELSIE
127 Malt-drying kilns : OASTS
128 Gets in a pool : BETS
129 Ginger paste amt. : TSP
130 Bench planks : SLATS
131 Gumdrops brand : DOTS

Down

1 Fried chicken container : BUCKET
2 Ordered displays : ARRAYS
3 Issa of “Hair Love” : RAE
4 Persevering with : KEEPING AT
5 Barbecue receptacle : ASHPIT
6 Seehorn of “Better Call Saul” : RHEA
7 Kimchi jar top : LID
8 “¿Cómo __?” : ESTAS
9 Clambake locale : SHORE
10 Pie __ mode : A LA
11 Stabilizing appendage for a shark : PELVIC FIN
12 Fizzle (out) : PETER
13 Grizzly youngsters : BEAR CUBS
14 Short operatic piece : ARIETTA
15 Cardinals’ followers, say : BIRDERS
16 “You betcha!” : YES!
17 Sapporo competitor : ASAHI
19 Cuts off contact with : GHOSTS
22 Jam ingredient? : CAR
23 “What a shame!” : ALAS!
29 Fair-hiring letters : EEO
31 Recital high points : SOLI
32 Sch. that hosts the Sun Bowl : UTEP
33 J’adore perfumer : DIOR
34 “Bessie” director Rees : DEE
37 Open more stores, say : EXPAND
41 Obamacare, initially : ACA
43 Propose for an award : NOMINATE
44 __ tikki: potato patties : ALOO
46 From China, e.g. : ASIAN
48 City-state known for its austerity : SPARTA
49 “Happy to hear it!” : OH GOOD!
50 Not natural : FORCED
51 What hydrogen lacks : ODOR
52 Feigned toughness : ACTED BIG
54 Oklahoma city : ENID
58 “¿Quién __?”: Spanish “Who knows?” : SABE
60 “Jesus Christ Superstar” character : PILATE
61 Emphatic denial : I DO NOT!
62 Miss a field goal attempt, say : GO WIDE
64 “Best in Show” org. : AKC
66 Fish in Hamburg Aalsuppe : EELS
68 Largest fast-food chain in China : KFC
70 Sound of surprise : GASP
71 Not together : APART
73 64-Down concern : BREEDS
74 “The Thin Man” dog : ASTA
77 Glass artist Chihuly : DALE
81 Bishop’s paths : DIAGONALS
84 20s source : ATM
85 Bathroom fixture : SHOWER ROD
87 Post-marathon feeling : SORENESS
88 “Suits” actress Torres : GINA
90 Stretched tight : TAUT
91 “Fuller House” actress Ashley : LIAO
92 Cable alternative : DSL
93 “Is there still time?” : AM I LATE?
94 Former Seabee, say : NAVY VET
96 Cough drops brand : LUDEN’S
100 Not yet settled, briefly : TBD
102 “Get lost!” : SCAT!
104 Two-door cars : COUPES
106 Batting ninth : UP LAST
107 Titans : GIANTS
108 Coin flip choice : HEADS
110 Word often used as a synonym for “thesaurus” : ROGET
111 Dull pains : ACHES
112 Snail’s home : SHELL
114 “The Pioneer Woman” host Drummond : REE
117 Rotisserie part : SPIT
119 Tofu steak coating : RUB
121 Little rascal : IMP
122 Erin Jackson’s Olympic team : USA
123 “Ni __”: “Hello,” in Hangzhou : HAO

18 thoughts on “LA Times Crossword 17 Jul 22, Sunday”

  1. Doug Burnikel, C.C.Burnikel and Zhouqin Burnikel??? I’m assuming they are all related. Now that is an ALL-STAR cast!!!!

    Unlike the All- Stars in this puzzle. They might be all stars but not All-Stars. Mainly because I didn’t know most of them. Didn’t help me solve. Apart from the proper names , I thoroughly enjoyed this one.

    I know what ALOO is now.

    No errors!!!! About 45 minutes. No ink smears!!

  2. Well, I found this one just as easy (relatively speaking) as yesterday’s was hard. Just over 22 minutes and that’s with not knowing a lot of names. I never knew Evelyn Waugh was male. Now I do. 🙂

  3. Doug Burnikel hit this one out of the park! To break the stars’ names and then fill in with no-nonsense clues/words took a measure of competence all too unapparent these days. Congratulations, and thanks!

    Also, thanx and a tip of the hat (remember that?) to Bill for the colonnade/portico/peristyle exposition, very handy, and for a new take- home word ‘tutti.’

    There was one natick, at least for some solvers, at 91D/105A; crossing PPP’s? I flashed on WAUGH because in my university days, back in the middle of the ultimo century, in the wilds of Arkansas, I read and greatly enjoyed The Loved One and A Handful of Dust. Who could forget the creator of Mr. Joyboy?

  4. This seemed like a very easy Sunday puzzle but I still managed to come up with 2 of the dumbest errors yet…CFC for KFC and EGOD for EGAD…the result of yet another lazy effort by me…by doing them on paper I don’t get any “almost there” prompts.
    Stay safe😀

  5. I didn’t tip to the theme until the 69A row, whereafter I used the knowledge to good advantage, not so much in solvability as in speed.

  6. 10:15, no errors.

    @AnonMike
    C.C. and Zhouqin are one in the same. C.C is an alias taken up when she started submitting crosswords (the LAT allows that), but other venues require publication under real names, so she switched to her real one.

  7. 12:03

    It’s neat to see all these stars right after the galactic revelations from the James Webb telescope.

  8. Never got the theme; one error and I should have known
    Oreo Pie. Not too bad for a Sunday, but if I’d paid attention
    a little more I could have aced it.

  9. No look ups, no errors. I liked the theme and it was cleverly done but didn’t need the help. We get the expression “Dog Days of
    Summer” from Sirius the Dog Star. Sirius is
    high in the daytime sky in August and the
    Romans thought that it added to the heat
    of the day.It can’t be seen,but it’s there.

  10. I had a good time with the puzzle, but I wanted to seek some meanings of some
    obtuse / arcane clues …. so I decided to come / hied to – Mr. Bill Butler’s well researched and authoratative website and get some definitive answers, which would be my Learning points for today.

    Thank you, Mr. Butler, as always, for your dedication, to explain all the difficult clues and the esoteric meanings of some of the most uncommon answers.
    We are Grateful !

  11. 31:09 with revisions of: AURAS>AURAE, DORSALFIN>PELVICFIN, MAYI>CANI, EARS>TAIL.

    New items/names: ARLO Parks, “chakram,” TOD Browning, Paul DANO, “Maasai Mara,” RHEA Seehorn, ASAHI, DEE Rees, ALOO tikki, Ashley LIAO, REE Drummond.

    The theme helped with a couple of answers – not needed for the others. Pretty good use of the theme.

  12. Very fun and mostly easy Sunday for me; took 25:55 with no peeks or errors. Haven’t done a Sunday in a while, so decided to take a stab at it. Tried to pay attention to the theme but didn’t really seem to need it in the end. Guessed on the “O” in DOTS to finish, which seemed like a reasonable choice.

    I saw Sofia COPOLLA’s “Virgin Suicides” – Pretty dark and a bit eerie, but still well done. I’ll have to check out her other work.

  13. That curveball for the final solution struck me out! I was thinking about the All-Star game (in L.A. this year) and after using 10 of the circled letters to spell LOS ANGELES, froze in the batter’s box. I was in good company, though. 22 All-Stars struck out in the game, 12 for the AL and 10 for the NL. And I wonder how many have read Anais Nin or Evelyn Waugh?

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