LA Times Crossword 19 Dec 22, Monday

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Constructed by: Spencer Leach
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Reveal Answer: Makes Waves

Themed answers each end with something that MAKES WAVES:

  • 60A Causes a ruckus, and what the end of each answer to the starred clues does : MAKES WAVES
  • 17A *Medical scan with a wand : ULTRASOUND
  • 27A *”Channel Orange” Grammy winner : FRANK OCEAN
  • 44A *Comment after a joke that doesn’t land : TOUGH CROWD

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

Bill’s time: 6m 38s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

10 New York MLB team : METS

The New York Mets (NYM) baseball team was founded in 1962 as a replacement for two teams that the city had lost, namely the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Giants. For several years the Mets played very poorly, finishing no better than second-to-last in their division. Then along came the “Miracle Mets” (aka “Amazin’ Mets”) who beat the Baltimore Orioles in 1969 to claim the World Series in a huge upset.

16 Aid and __ : ABET

The word “abet” comes into English from the Old French “abeter” meaning “to bait” or “to harass with dogs” (literally “to make bite”). This sense of encouraging something bad to happen morphed into our modern usage of “abet” meaning to aid or encourage someone in a crime.

17 *Medical scan with a wand : ULTRASOUND

“Ultrasound” is the name given to sound energy that has frequencies above the audible range.

19 British conservative : TORY

“Tory” comes from the Irish word “tóraí” meaning “outlaw, robber”. The term “tory” was originally used for an Irish outlaw and later became a term of abuse for Irish rebels. At the end of the reign of King Charles II in Britain, there was a political divide with one side being called “Whigs” and the other “Tories”. Historically, the term “Tory” evolved to basically mean a supporter of the British monarchy, and indeed was used to describe those who remained loyal to the British Crown during the American Revolution. Today, “Tory” is used for a member of the British Conservative Party.

20 Valentine symbol : HEART

Saint Valentine’s Day was introduced by Pope Gelasius I in 496 AD to honor various martyrs with the name Valentine. However, the saint’s day was dropped by the Roman Catholic church in 1969, by Pope Paul VI. Try telling that to Hallmark though …

21 Three-pronged Greek letter : 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.

22 Mint family herb : THYME

In Britain and Ireland, thyme is listed as one of the four essential herbs. And those would be “parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme”.

23 Multiuse tool with lots of attachments : DREMEL

Dremel is a manufacturer of power tools intended for use in the home. The Company was founded back in 1932 in Racine, Wisconsin by Austrian inventor Albert J. Dremel. Dremel was quite the inventor, and held patents for devices such as an electric eraser, an electric fish scaler, and a device to monitor the production of chicken eggs. The first product sold by Dremel was an electric razor-blade sharpener.

27 *”Channel Orange” Grammy winner : FRANK OCEAN

“Frank Ocean” is the stage name of singer and rap artist Christopher Breaux.

36 Sporty car roof : T-TOP

A T-top is a car roof that has removable panels on either side of a rigid bar that runs down the center of the vehicle above the driver.

39 Box set component : DVD

The abbreviation “DVD” doesn’t actually stand for anything these days, although it was originally short for “digital video disk”. The use of the word “video” was dropped as DVDs started to be used for storing a lot more than video. As a result, some folks assign the phrase “digital versatile disk” to “DVD”.

43 Pungent sushi condiment : WASABI

Sometimes called Japanese horseradish, wasabi is a root used as a condiment in Japanese cooking. The taste of wasabi is more like mustard than a hot pepper in that the vapors that create the “hotness” stimulate the nasal passages rather than the tongue. Personally, I love the stuff …

47 Farm animal with horns : GOAT

Male goats are bucks or billies, although castrated males are known as wethers. Female goats are does or nannies, and young goats are referred to as kids.

48 Badger at the comedy club : HECKLE

Originally, the verb “to heckle” meant “to question severely”, and for many years was associated with the public questioning of parliamentary candidates in Scotland. In more recent times, the meaning has evolved into questioning that is less polite and that is directed at stand-up comics.

To badger is to harass. The verb “to badger” comes from the cruel practice of badger-baiting, which dates back to medieval times. Badger-baiting is a blood sport in which a dog is used as bait for a badger in its den, to draw it out into the open. The den is an artificial structure built to resemble a natural badgers’ den, complete with a tunnel entrance. The dog is sent down the tunnel causing the badger and dog to lock their jaws on each other. The badger and dog are then removed from the den by pulling on the dog’s tail. Horrible …

55 Freight weight : TON

Here in the US, a ton is equivalent to 2,000 pounds. In the UK, a ton is 2,240 pounds. The UK unit is sometimes referred to as an Imperial ton, long ton or gross ton. Folks over there refer to the US ton then as a short ton. To further complicate matters, there is also a metric ton or tonne, which is equivalent to 2,204 pounds. Personally, I wish we’d just stick to kilograms …

57 Message-spelling board : OUIJA

The Ouija board was introduced to America as a harmless parlor game at the end of the 19th century, although variations of the board date back to 1100 AD in China, where it was apparently used to “contact” the spirit world. The name “Ouija” is relatively recent, and is probably just a combination of the French and German words for “yes” … “oui” and “ja”.

59 Slim woodwind : OBOE

We’ve all probably heard the phrase “‘tis an ill wind that blows nobody any good”. The poet Ogden Nash made a “punny” statement about the oboe, calling the instrument “an ill wind nobody blows good”. I must say though, I disagree …

60 Causes a ruckus, and what the end of each answer to the starred clues does : MAKES WAVES

The word “ruckus” is used to mean “commotion”, and has been around since the late 1800s. “Ruckus” is possibly a melding of the words “ruction” and “rumpus”.

62 Bird’s __ soup : NEST

An edible bird’s nest is the key ingredient in the Chinese delicacy bird’s nest soup. Edible bird’s nests are pricey, fetching thousands of dollars per kilogram. Most nests used in cooking are the nests made by small birds called swiftlets. Those nests comprise interwoven strands of cement-like saliva.

63 “Queen Sugar” co-producer Winfrey : OPRAH

“Queen Sugar” is a TV drama created by Ava DuVernay that is based on a 2014 novel of the same name by Natalie Baszile. It’s all about three estranged siblings who reunite to save their family’s failing sugarcane farm in Louisiana.

What can you say about Oprah Winfrey that hasn’t been said already? Born into poverty to a single mother and with a harrowing childhood, Oprah is now the greatest African American philanthropist the world has ever known. Oprah’s name was originally meant to be “Orpah” after the Biblical character in the Book of Ruth, and that’s how it appears on her birth certificate. Apparently folks had trouble pronouncing “Orpah”, so she’s now “Oprah”.

64 Peace Nobelist Walesa : LECH

Lech Walesa worked as an electrician in the Gdansk Shipyards in Poland. Walesa was active in the trade union movement in the days when unions were not welcome behind the Iron Curtain. His efforts resulted in the founding of Solidarity, the first independent trade union in Soviet-controlled territory. For his work, Walesa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983, and in 1990 he became the first democratically elected President of Poland. He has lost support in Poland in recent years, but he is a very popular booking on the international speaking circuit.

66 Like bogs : PEATY

When dead plant matter accumulates in marshy areas, it may not fully decay due to a lack of oxygen or acidic conditions. We are familiar with this in Ireland, because this decaying matter can form peat, and we have lots and lots of peat bogs around the country.

Down

1 “Dude!” : BRUH!

Our term “dude” arose as slang in New York City in the 1880s, when it was used to describe a fastidious man. In the early 1900s, the term was extended to mean “city slickers”, easterners who vacationed in the West. The first use of the term “dude ranch” was recorded in 1921.

4 __ Haute, Indiana : TERRE

Terre Haute, Indiana is a city close to the state’s western border with Illinois. The city is home to a state prison which in turn is home to the state’s death row. The name “Terre Haute” was chosen by French explorers in the 18th century to describe the location, as “terre haute” is French for “high ground”.

5 IV units : CCS

An intravenous drip (IV) might contain fluids measured in cubic centimeters (ccs).

6 Ruckus : HOOPLA

The word “hoopla” means “boisterous excitement”. The term probably comes from “houp-là”, something the French say instead of “upsy-daisy”. Then again, “upsy-daisy” probably isn’t something said very often here in the US …

7 “Mr. Holland’s __”: Dreyfuss film : OPUS

“Mr. Holland’s Opus” is an engaging 1995 film starring Richard Dreyfuss in the title role, a high school music teacher.

Actor Richard Dreyfuss is from New York City, although he grew up in Los Angeles. Dreyfuss got his big break with a lead role in 1973’s “American Graffiti” and then made a name for himself in two Steven Spielberg blockbusters: “Jaws” and “Close Encounters of the Third Kind”. He won the 1978 Best Actor Oscar for his wonderful performance in “The Goodbye Girl”, making him the youngest actor to be so honored at that time (he was 30 years old).

8 Froze, perhaps : PANICKED

In Greek mythology, Pan was a lecherous god who was part-man and part-goat, and one who fell in love with Echo the mountain nymph. Echo refused Pan’s advances so that he became very angry. Pan’s anger created a “panic” (a word derived from the name “Pan”) and a group of shepherds were driven to kill Echo.

9 Pink Floyd guitarist Barrett : SYD

Syd Barrett was the lead singer and a founding member of the English rock band Pink Floyd. Barrett was only active as a musician for just over ten years. He retired from the music scene in 1975 and spent the next 30 years living off Pink Floyd royalties until he passed away in 2006.

Pink Floyd was an English rock band founded in 1965. The band’s most famous albums are probably “The Dark Side of the Moon” and “The Wall”.

10 Students with a lot of problems? : MATHLETES

A mathlete is someone who competes in mathematics competitions.

11 Goth-like aesthetic of some TikTok guys : E-BOY

E-girls and e-boys (maybe “e-kids”) may spend a lot of time on social media, especially TikTok, hence the use of the prefix “e-”.

TikTok is a video-sharing service that is based in China, and is very popular with the younger set I am told). The TikTok mobile app provides tools facilitating production of sophisticated selfie videos that use special effects.

13 Eye affliction : STYE

A stye is a bacterial infection of the sebaceous glands at the base of the eyelashes, and is also known as a hordeolum.

22 Gentle handling, for short : TLC

Tender loving care (TLC)

24 “To __ is human … ” : ERR

Alexander Pope’s 1709 poem “An Essay on Criticism” is the source of at least three well-known quotations:

  • A little learning is a dangerous thing; Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring.
  • To err is human, to forgive divine.
  • For fools rush in where angels fear to tread.

30 Clueless gamer : NOOB

“Noob” (sometimes “newb”) is a not-so-nice, slang term for a “newbie”, and often refers to someone who is new to an online community.

31 __ choy : BOK

Bok choy is a variety of Chinese cabbage. “Bok choy” translates as “white vegetable”.

32 Foot or furlong : UNIT

There are eight furlongs in a mile. The name “furlong” comes from the Old English “furh” (meaning “furrow”) and “lang” (meaning “long”). In Anglo-Saxon times, a furlong was the length of a furrow in a “ploughed” field that was one acre in area. The width of said one-acre field was defined as one chain.

33 Ventimiglia of “This Is Us” : MILO

Actor Milo Ventimiglia got his break on TV playing Jess Mariano on the show “Gilmore Girls”. He then played Peter Petrelli on “Heroes”, and Jack Pearson on “This Is Us”.

“This Is Us” is a television drama that debuted in 2016. The storyline centers on three siblings and their parents. Two of the siblings are the surviving members of a triplet pregnancy. The parents decide to adopt a child born on the same day as the surviving siblings. The adopting family is white, and the adopted child is black.

34 Happy Meal chicken option : MCNUGGETS

Chicken nuggets were invented by a food science professor named Robert C. Baker at Cornell University in the 1950s. Fundamentally, Baker’s invention was a way to keep ground meat clumped without a skin, and a batter that stayed on the clumps despite being frozen and then deep-fried.

The McDonald’s Happy Meal was introduced in 1977. It was inspired by a selection of food in a Guatemalan McDonald’s designed to suit children that was called “Menu Ronald”. The toys in Happy Meals often tie-in with some movie, and so are part of an advertising campaign.

37 Luau bowlful : POI

The Hawaiian party or feast known as a “luau” really dates back to 1819, when King Kamehameha II removed religious laws that governed the eating of meals. These laws called for women and men to eat separately. At the same time as he changed the laws, the king initiated the luau tradition by symbolically eating with the women who moved in his circle.

39 All-purpose roll : DUCT TAPE

What we tend to call “duct” tape today was originally known as “duck” tape. In its first form, duck tape was rubber-based adhesive applied to a duck cloth backing, hence the name. Cotton duck cloth is a canvas-like material, a plain woven cotton fabric. The name “duck” comes from the Dutch “doek” meaning “linen canvas”. Duck tape started to be known as “duct tape” in the fifties, as it was commonly used to wrap air ducts in the construction industry.

40 Bovine disease, familiarly : MAD COW

The dreadful illness known as “mad cow disease” is more properly called “bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). It is a disease found only in cattle, but there is a variant called Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (vCJD) that humans can contract by eating BSE-infected meat. BSE spreads when cattle are fed meat and bone meal from the remains of infected cattle. Dairy farmers in the UK routinely fed meat and bone meal from cattle to young dairy calves, and so most cases of BSE have been associated with Britain.

43 “SummerSlam” org. : WWE

World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is a company promoting professional wrestling as a form of entertainment.

49 __ Lumpur, Malaysia : KUALA

The capital city of Malaysia is Kuala Lumpur, which is often abbreviated to “KL”. The name “Kuala Lumpur” translates into English as “muddy estuary”. Famously, KL is home to the spectacular Petronas Twin Towers, which are currently the tallest twin towers in the world and was the tallest of any building from 1998 to 2004.

50 Gallbladder neighbor : LIVER

The human liver has many functions, one of which is to store vital substances. The list of substances stored in the liver includes glucose (as glycogen), vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin B12, vitamin K, iron and copper. Another function of the liver is to produce bile, a substance stored in the gallbladder that aids in the digestion of fats.

The human gallbladder is a pear-shaped organ that mainly helps with the digestion of fat. The gallbladder stores and concentrates bile, which is made in the liver. The bile is released from the gallbladder when fat enters the digestive tract. The bile acts as a surfactant, emulsifying the fat in food so that it can be more easily digested.

53 Wild mountain 47-Across : IBEX
[47A Farm animal with horns : GOAT]

“Ibex” is a common name for various species of mountain goat. “Ibex” is a Latin name that was used for wild goats found in the Alps and Apennines in Europe.

56 Gumbo pod : OKRA

Gumbo is a type of stew or soup that originated in Louisiana. The primary ingredient can be meat or fish, but to be true gumbo it must include the “holy trinity” of vegetables, namely celery, bell peppers and onion. Okra used to be a requirement but this is no longer the case. Okra gave the dish its name as the vernacular word for the African vegetable is “okingumbo”, from the Bantu language spoken by many of the slaves brought to America.

58 Like a newly reborn phoenix, probably : ASHY

A phoenix is a fabulous bird of Greek mythology, which can also be found in the mythologies of Persia, Egypt and China. The phoenix is a fire spirit, which lives from 500 to 1000 years. At the end of its lifespan, it builds a nest for itself (a pyre) and self-ignites, burning itself and the nest, creating a pile of ashes. A young phoenix arises from the ashes and the cycle starts all over again.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 “Whatever floats your __” : BOAT
5 Cuts of pork : CHOPS
10 New York MLB team : METS
14 Really get to : RILE
15 Patient contribution : COPAY
16 Aid and __ : ABET
17 *Medical scan with a wand : ULTRASOUND
19 British conservative : TORY
20 Valentine symbol : HEART
21 Three-pronged Greek letter : PSI
22 Mint family herb : THYME
23 Multiuse tool with lots of attachments : DREMEL
25 Phone up : CALL
27 *”Channel Orange” Grammy winner : FRANK OCEAN
31 “How sad for you” : BUMMER
35 “A mouse!!” : EEK!!
36 Sporty car roof : T-TOP
38 Being kept cold : ON ICE
39 Box set component : DVD
40 “Same here!” : ME TOO!
41 Pottery oven : KILN
42 Actor’s prompt : CUE
43 Pungent sushi condiment : WASABI
44 *Comment after a joke that doesn’t land : TOUGH CROWD
47 Farm animal with horns : GOAT
48 Badger at the comedy club : HECKLE
52 “That’s the answer!” : BINGO!
55 Freight weight : TON
57 Message-spelling board : OUIJA
59 Slim woodwind : OBOE
60 Causes a ruckus, and what the end of each answer to the starred clues does : MAKES WAVES
62 Bird’s __ soup : NEST
63 “Queen Sugar” co-producer Winfrey : OPRAH
64 Peace Nobelist Walesa : LECH
65 Post-breakup pair : EXES
66 Like bogs : PEATY
67 Superficially highbrow : ARTY

Down

1 “Dude!” : BRUH!
2 Used lubricant on : OILED
3 Place to say “I do” : ALTAR
4 __ Haute, Indiana : TERRE
5 IV units : CCS
6 Ruckus : HOOPLA
7 “Mr. Holland’s __”: Dreyfuss film : OPUS
8 Froze, perhaps : PANICKED
9 Pink Floyd guitarist Barrett : SYD
10 Students with a lot of problems? : MATHLETES
11 Goth-like aesthetic of some TikTok guys : E-BOY
12 Time in office : TERM
13 Eye affliction : STYE
18 Withdrawal charge : ATM FEE
22 Gentle handling, for short : TLC
24 “To __ is human … ” : ERR
26 Perfectly fine : A-OK
28 At no point : NEVER
29 “__ baby!”: “Way to go!” : ATTA
30 Clueless gamer : NOOB
31 __ choy : BOK
32 Foot or furlong : UNIT
33 Ventimiglia of “This Is Us” : MILO
34 Happy Meal chicken option : MCNUGGETS
37 Luau bowlful : POI
39 All-purpose roll : DUCT TAPE
40 Bovine disease, familiarly : MAD COW
42 “__-ching!” : CHA
43 “SummerSlam” org. : WWE
45 Slime : GOO
46 “How cool!” : OH NEAT!
49 __ Lumpur, Malaysia : KUALA
50 Gallbladder neighbor : LIVER
51 Kick out : EJECT
52 Dog biscuit shape : BONE
53 Wild mountain 47-Across : IBEX
54 Win by a __ : NOSE
56 Gumbo pod : OKRA
58 Like a newly reborn phoenix, probably : ASHY
60 Floor-washing tool : MOP
61 Relatively timid : SHY