LA Times Crossword 9 Dec 22, Friday

Advertisement

Constructed by: Katie Hale
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Theme (according to Bill): Inserted (i.e. inside)

Themed answers are common two-word phrases with “IE” added to the end of the first:

  • 17A Gourmet chefs’ argument about plating? : FOODIE FIGHT (from “food fight”)
  • 24A Paying attention to the portraits in a social media feed? : SELFIE-CONSCIOUS (from “self-conscious”)
  • 38A Photographers who specialize in permanent markers? : SHARPIE SHOOTERS (from “sharpshooters”)
  • 49A Patches on one’s favorite sweatshirt? : HOODIE ORNAMENTS (from “hood ornaments”)
  • 60A Exclamation before putting on one’s favorite pajamas? : NIGHTIE TIME (from “nighttime”)

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

Bill’s time: 6m 00s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Obama daughter : SASHA

Sasha is the younger of the two Obama children, having been born in 2001. She was the youngest child to reside in the White House since John F. Kennedy, Jr. moved in with his parents as a small infant. Sasha’s Secret Service codename is “Rosebud”, and her older sister Malia has the codename “Radiance”.

6 Tried to get home, say : SLID

That would be baseball.

13 Removes, as a brooch : UNPINS

A brooch is an ornamental accessory held by a pin or clasp, and worn near the neck. The term “brooch” comes from the Old French “broche” meaning “long needle”.

16 End of a Harvard address : EDU

Harvard University was founded in 1636 as New College, the college at New Towne. The school was renamed three years later after John Harvard, a deceased clergyman and who donated books and money.

17 Gourmet chefs’ argument about plating? : FOODIE FIGHT (from “food fight”)

A gourmand is someone who takes great pleasure in consuming food and drink, often eating and drinking to excess. The related term “gourmet” refers to someone who has a refined palate.

20 Romeo’s last words : I DIE

In Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”, the last words uttered by Romeo are:

O true apothecary!
They drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I die.

Juliet’s last words are:

Yea, noise? then I’ll be brief. O happy dagger! This is thy sheath; there rust, and let me die.

21 High-sided cookware : WOK

“Wok” is a Cantonese word, and is the name for the frying pan now used in many Asian cuisines.

22 “The Princess Bride” co-star : ELWES

Cary Elwes is an English actor who is perhaps most noted for appearing in the 1987 film “The Princess Bride”. He also played the title role in 1993’s “Cary Elwes”. Cary is the son of a celebrated English portrait painter, Dominick Elwes.

“The Princess Bride” is a novel by William Goldman written in 1973. Famously, the book was adapted into a 1987 film of the same name directed by Rob Reiner that has become a cult classic.

24 Paying attention to the portraits in a social media feed? : SELFIE-CONSCIOUS (from “self-conscious”)

A selfie is a self-portrait, one usually taken with a digital camera or cell phone. A “group selfie” is sometimes referred to as a “groufie” or “wefie”. A “couple selfie” is known as an “usie” or “ussie”, although those terms are sometimes also used for a group picture.

28 X-ray kin : MRI

An MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) machine uses powerful magnetic fields to generate images that can be used by medical professionals to diagnose injury and disease.

29 __ Hebrides : OUTER

The Hebrides are a group of islands just off the west coast of Scotland. They are divided into two main groups: the Inner and Outer Hebrides.

30 Hong Kong neighbor : MACAU

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.

34 Jenna’s role on “The Office” : PAM

In the excellent sitcom “The Office”, the character Pam Halpert (née Beesly) is played very ably by Jenna Fischer. If you’ve seen the original version of “The Office” from the UK, then you’d have met Pam’s equivalent character, whose name is Dawn Tinsley.

38 Photographers who specialize in permanent markers? : SHARPIE SHOOTERS (from “sharpshooters”)

Sharpie is a brand of marker pen that has been on sale since 1964. When introduced, it was the world’s first permanent marker styled as a pen.

42 Drug cop : NARC

“Narc” and “narco” are slang terms describing a law enforcement officer who tracks down criminals associated with illegal drugs. Both words are short for “narcotics officer”. Narcs might work for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

43 CBS forensic drama : CSI

The “CSI” TV show franchise uses hits from the Who as theme music:

  • “Who Are You” … “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation”
  • “Baba O’Riley” … “CSI: New York”
  • “Won’t Get Fooled Again” … “CSI: Miami”
  • “I Can See for Miles” … “CSI: Cyber”

44 Sea Breeze need : VODKA

The sea breeze cocktail has been around in some form since the 1920s. The most common recipe today calls for vodka, cranberry juice and grapefruit juice. The variant called a bay breeze substitutes pineapple juice for the grapefruit juice.

45 Noble __ : GASES

The noble gases (also “rare gases”) are those elements on the extreme right of the Periodic Table. Because of their “full” complement of electrons, noble gases are very unreactive. The six noble gases that occur naturally are helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon and radon.

47 “Despicable Me” supervillain : GRU

The main protagonist in the “Despicable Me” movies is the supervillain Felonius Gru, usually referred to simply as “Gru”. Gru is voiced by Steve Carell.

49 Patches on one’s favorite sweatshirt? : HOODIE ORNAMENTS (from “hood ornaments”)

My wife gave me a hoodie for Christmas not so long ago, one with a Grumpy logo. Not sure why she chose that particular logo …

59 Mil. morale booster : USO

The United Service Organization (USO) was founded in 1941 at the request of President Franklin D. Roosevelt “to handle the on-leave recreation of the men in the armed forces”. A USO tour is undertaken by a troupe of entertainers, many of whom are big-name celebrities. A USO tour usually includes troop locations in combat zones.

60 Exclamation before putting on one’s favorite pajamas? : NIGHTIE TIME (from “nighttime”)

Our word “pajamas” (sometimes “PJs” or “jammies”) comes to us from the Indian subcontinent, where “pai jamahs” were loose fitting pants tied at the waist and worn at night by locals and ultimately by the Europeans living there. And “pajamas” is another of those words that I had to learn to spell differently when I came to America. On the other side of the Atlantic, the spelling is “pyjamas”.

65 Fencing blade : EPEE

The French word for sword is “épée”. In competitive fencing the épée is connected to a system that records an electrical signal when legal contact is made on an opponent’s body.

67 “Ideas worth spreading” org. : TED

The acronym “TED” stands for “Technology, Entertainment and Design”. TED is a set of conferences held around the world by a non-profit group called the Sapling Foundation. The conference subjects are varied, and the meetings are often led by big names such as Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Bill Gates and Jane Goodall. The Sapling Foundation then makes recordings of the conferences available for free online with the intent of disseminating the ideas globally. These conferences are known as “TED Talks”. There are also TEDx events, which are locally-run talks presented under license from TED.

Down

1 Muslim mystics : SUFIS

A sufi is a Muslim mystic, an ascetic. Apparently, the term “sufi” can be translated as “man of wool”. This might be a reference to the practice of donning holy garments made from wool, as opposed to silk.

2 Battery terminal : ANODE

A battery is a device that converts chemical energy into electric energy. A simple battery is made up of three parts: a cathode, an anode and a liquid electrolyte. Ions from the electrolyte react chemically with the material in the anode producing a compound and releasing electrons. At the same time, the electrolyte reacts with the material in the cathode, absorbing electrons and producing a different chemical compound. In this way, there is a buildup of electrons at the anode and a deficit of electrons at the cathode. When a connection (wire, say) is made between the cathode and anode, electrons flow through the resulting circuit from the anode to cathode in an attempt to rectify the electron imbalance.

5 Singer DiFranco : ANI

Ani DiFranco is a folk-rock singer and songwriter. DiFranco has also been labeled a “feminist icon”, and in 2006 won the “Woman of Courage Award” from National Organization for Women.

6 Omega rival : SEIKO

Watch manufacturer Seiko was founded as a watch and jewelry shop in Tokyo in 1881. The store was opened by one Kintaro Hattori, who started to produce clocks under the name Seikosha, which can be translated as “House of Exquisite Workmanship”. The first Seiko watches went on sale in 1924, and today the company suggests that the name “Seiko” is Japanese for “exquisite” and “success”.

Omega is a manufacturer of high-end watches based in Switzerland. An Omega watch was the first portable timepiece to make it to the moon, Perhaps even more (!) impressive is the fact that James Bond has been wearing an Omega watch in the movies since 1995.

7 Streaming issue : LAG

In Internet terms, lag is a delay in response caused by network latency. We might notice lag when streaming a video, for example.

11 “Farewell, mon ami!” : ADIEU!

“Adieu” is French for “goodbye, farewell”, from “à Dieu” meaning “to God”. The plural of “adieu” is “adieux”.

12 Brand with a question mark in its logo : GUESS?

GUESS? is a company producing a whole line of clothing, although it was originally very much associated with the production of denim jeans.

18 Hubs : FOCI

A focus (plural “foci”) is a point of convergence, or a center of activity. “Focus” is a Latin word meaning “hearth, fireplace”. I guess the idea is that the hearth is usually the focus of a room.

26 Stewart’s “The Daily Show” successor : NOAH

Trevor Noah is an outstanding comedian from Johannesburg, South Africa. Noah took over as host of the Comedy Channel’s “The Daily Show” after Jon Stewart retired. Noah can speak several languages, including English, Xhosa, Zulu, Sotho, Afrikaans, and German.

27 Honbasho sport : SUMO

Honbasho are professional sumo tournaments. Since 1958, there have been six honbasho held each year. There are other unofficial tournaments held throughout the year, but only six official honbasho. In fact, the term “honbasho” can be translated as “main/real tournament”.

30 Bing provider : MSN

Bing is the search engine from Microsoft. “Bing” is the latest name for an engine that Microsoft used to call Live Search, Windows Live Search and MSN Search.

32 Container store? : CARGO HOLD

Cargo is freight carried by some vehicle. The term “cargo” comes into English via Spanish, ultimately deriving from the Latin “carricare” meaning “to load on a cart”.

33 Burlington __: London shopping destination : ARCADE

Burlington Arcade is an upmarket, covered shopping area in London that was built in 1818. There is a very much a regency feel to the facility, not only because of the arcade’s architecture. Security is provided by beadles (“constables”) in traditional uniforms that include top hats and frock coats. The beadles enforce regency-era rules, e.g. no singing, humming, carrying large parcels, running, or holding open umbrellas.

34 Omega preceder : PSI

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

37 Liquid-confiscating org., at times : TSA

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) loosened the ban on liquids, aerosols and gels in carry-on baggage in 2006, From that date onwards, passengers had to abide by the 3-1-1 rule, i.e. 3.4-ounce or less containers (3), in a one-quart ziploc bag (1), one bag per person (1).

40 Petrol brand : ESSO

The Esso brand has its roots in the old Standard Oil company as it uses the initial letters of “Standard” and “Oil” (ESS-O). The Esso brand was replaced by Exxon in the US, but ESSO is still used in many other countries.

47 Buzzing pest : GNAT

Gnats are attracted to the smell of rotting food, and vinegar. Simple homemade traps that use vinegar are often constructed to attract and kill gnats.

50 “Cotton Comes to Harlem” director Davis : OSSIE

Ossie Davis was a very successful actor, and also a director, poet, playwright and social activist. One of Davis’s better known performances was in the 1993 movie “Grumpy Old Men”, in which he played the owner of the bait shop by the lake.

“Cotton Comes to Harlem” is a 1970 action movie that is based on a 1965 novel of the same name by Chester Himes. The film saw the debut performance of Cleavon Little, who went on to star in the Mel Brooks comedy “Blazing Saddles”. Stand-up comic Redd Foxx also made his debut movie performance in “Cotton comes to Harlem”, after which he won the title role in the TV show “Sanford and Son”.

52 Cosmetics name : ESTEE

Estée Lauder was a very successful businesswoman, and someone with a great reputation as a salesperson. Lauder introduced her own line of fragrances in 1953, a bath oil called “Youth Dew”. “Youth Dew” was marketed as a perfume, but it was added to bathwater. All of a sudden women were pouring whole bottles of Ms. Lauder’s “perfume” into their baths while using only a drop or two of French perfumes behind their ears. That’s quite a difference in sales volume …

53 Cacophony : NOISE

“Cacophony” is such a lovely word, a word used to describe a harsh or jarring sound. The term arises from the Greek “kakos” (bad) and “phone” (voice).“Cacophony” is such a lovely word, a word used to describe a harsh or jarring sound. The term arises from the Greek “kakos” (bad) and “phone” (voice).

61 Market debut, for short : IPO

An initial public offering (IPO) is the very first offer of stock for sale by a company on the open market. In other words, an IPO marks the first time that a company is traded on a public exchange. Companies have an IPO to raise capital to expand (usually).

62 Grapher’s prefix : GEO-

Geography is the science of studying the Earth surface, including its land, features and inhabitants. The term “geography” comes from the Greek “geo-” (earth) and “-graphia” (description).

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Obama daughter : SASHA
6 Tried to get home, say : SLID
10 Pester : NAG
13 Removes, as a brooch : UNPINS
15 Loosen (up) : EASE
16 End of a Harvard address : EDU
17 Gourmet chefs’ argument about plating? : FOODIE FIGHT (from “food fight”)
19 Formal accessory : TIE
20 Romeo’s last words : I DIE
21 High-sided cookware : WOK
22 “The Princess Bride” co-star : ELWES
24 Paying attention to the portraits in a social media feed? : SELFIE-CONSCIOUS (from “self-conscious”)
28 X-ray kin : MRI
29 __ Hebrides : OUTER
30 Hong Kong neighbor : MACAU
34 Jenna’s role on “The Office” : PAM
35 Sketch : SKIT
38 Photographers who specialize in permanent markers? : SHARPIE SHOOTERS (from “sharpshooters”)
42 Drug cop : NARC
43 CBS forensic drama : CSI
44 Sea Breeze need : VODKA
45 Noble __ : GASES
47 “Despicable Me” supervillain : GRU
49 Patches on one’s favorite sweatshirt? : HOODIE ORNAMENTS (from “hood ornaments”)
56 Blanched : ASHEN
57 Have : EAT
58 Wet bar? : SOAP
59 Mil. morale booster : USO
60 Exclamation before putting on one’s favorite pajamas? : NIGHTIE TIME (from “nighttime”)
64 Zero, in soccer : NIL
65 Fencing blade : EPEE
66 “I won’t be long” : ONE SEC
67 “Ideas worth spreading” org. : TED
68 Floor plan unit : ROOM
69 Closing documents : DEEDS

Down

1 Muslim mystics : SUFIS
2 Battery terminal : ANODE
3 Ruin : SPOIL
4 Film option, for short : HI-DEF
5 Singer DiFranco : ANI
6 Omega rival : SEIKO
7 Streaming issue : LAG
8 Kinda : ISH
9 Get a hint of : DETECT
10 Made professional connections : NETWORKED
11 “Farewell, mon ami!” : ADIEU!
12 Brand with a question mark in its logo : GUESS?
14 Waste line : SEWER
18 Hubs : FOCI
23 Leads up the garden path : LIES TO
25 “That’s my cue!” : I’M UP!
26 Stewart’s “The Daily Show” successor : NOAH
27 Honbasho sport : SUMO
30 Bing provider : MSN
31 Cry of discovery : AHA!
32 Container store? : CARGO HOLD
33 Burlington __: London shopping destination : ARCADE
34 Omega preceder : PSI
36 Bother : IRK
37 Liquid-confiscating org., at times : TSA
39 Slushy treat : ICEE
40 Petrol brand : ESSO
41 Egg cell : OVUM
46 Confessional visitor : SINNER
47 Buzzing pest : GNAT
48 Probability expression : RATIO
49 Favorite hangout : HAUNT
50 “Cotton Comes to Harlem” director Davis : OSSIE
51 Take up again : RE-HEM
52 Cosmetics name : ESTEE
53 Cacophony : NOISE
54 Domesticated : TAMED
55 Technical details : SPECS
61 Market debut, for short : IPO
62 Grapher’s prefix : GEO-
63 Conclude : END