LA Times Crossword 19 Jan 23, Thursday

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Constructed by: Jerry Edelstein
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Theme (according to Bill): Cees

Themed clues are all homophones of “cees”:

  • 20A C’s : MEDIOCRE GRADES
  • 33A Seas : GLOBAL SEPTET
  • 43A Sees : GETS THE POINT
  • 58A Seize : CAPTURE BY FORCE

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

Bill’s time: 5m 19s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Sven’s transport in “Frozen” : SLED

In the 2013 animated film “Frozen”, Kristoff is a 21-year old iceman who is accompanied by Sven, his reindeer. Kristoff is voiced by Jonathan Groff.

5 35-Down company founded in Milwaukee in 1844 : PABST
[35D Heady stuff? : BEER]

Frederick Pabst was a brewer from the Milwaukee, Wisconsin area who had immigrated to the US from Prussia with his parents. Pabst bought himself into his father-in-law’s small brewery and over the years grew the enterprise into a public company. The most famous beer from Pabst is Pabst Blue Ribbon.

10 Ziploc feature : SEAL

I guess “ziplock” is the generic adjective used to describe resealable zipper storage bags. The Ziploc brand storage devices were developed by Dow and introduced in 1968.

15 “Love Me Like You Do” Grammy nominee Goulding : ELLIE

“Love Me Like You Do” is a 2015 song recorded by English singer-songwriter Ellie Goulding. The song was written specifically for the soundtrack of the movie “Fifty Shades of Grey”.

17 Missing : AWOL

MPs (military police officers) often track down personnel who go AWOL (absent without leave).

18 Spa amenity : SAUNA

As my Finnish-American wife will tell you, “sauna” is a Finnish word. It is pronounced more correctly as “sow-nah” (“sow”, as in the female pig).

25 Gift with an aloha : LEI

“Lei” is a Hawaiian word meaning “garland, wreath”, although in more general terms a lei is any series of objects strung together as an adornment for the body.

30 Dec. 31 : NYE

New Year’s Eve (NYE)

33 Seas : GLOBAL SEPTET

The phrase “the seven seas” has been used for centuries by many different peoples. The actual definition of what constitutes the collection of seven has varied depending on the period and the culture. Nowadays we consider the seven largest bodies of water as the seven seas, namely:

  • The North Pacific Ocean
  • The South Pacific Ocean
  • The North Atlantic Ocean
  • The South Atlantic Ocean
  • The Indian Ocean
  • The Southern Ocean
  • The Arctic Ocean

38 Antlered deer : STAG

The antlers on a deer come to points. The higher the number of points, the more prized the head of the deer as a trophy, so I am told …

41 Retro photo hue : SEPIA

Sepia is that rich, brown-gray color so common in old photographs. “Sepia” is the Latinized version of the Greek word for cuttlefish, as sepia pigment is derived from the ink sac of the cuttlefish. Sepia ink was commonly used for writing and drawing as far back as ancient Rome and ancient Greece. The “sepia tone” of old photographs is not the result of deterioration over time. Rather, it is the result of a deliberate preservation process which converts the metallic silver in the photographic image to a more stable silver sulfide. Prints that have been sepia-toned can last in excess of 150 years.

42 Burial isle of many Scottish kings : IONA

Although the small island of Iona lies just off the west coast of Scotland, it was the site of a monastery built in the Middle Ages by a monk from Ireland named Colm Cille (also known as Columba). Colm Cille and his followers were sent into exile from the Irish mainland and settled in Iona, as at that time the island was part of an Irish kingdom. This monastery in Iona expanded its influence over the decades and founded other institutions all over Ireland and Great Britain. It is believed that the famous Book of Kells may have been written, or at least started, at the monastery on Iona. Iona is also the burial site for Macbeth, King of Scotland who was immortalized in Shakespeare’s fictional account of the king’s life.

46 Skin art, for short : TAT

The word “tattoo” (often shortened to “tat”) was first used in English in the writings of the famous English explorer Captain Cook. In his descriptions of the indelible marks adorning the skin of Polynesian natives, Cook anglicized the Tahitian word “tatau” into our “tattoo”. Tattoos are sometimes referred to as “ink”.

47 Unit of corn : EAR

“Maize” is another name for “corn”. Even though there is more maize grown in the world than wheat or rice, a relatively small proportion of the total maize crop is consumed directly by humans. That’s because a lot of maize goes to make corn ethanol, animal feed and derivative products like cornstarch and corn syrup. Here in the US, over 40% of the maize produced is used to feed livestock, and about 30% is used to make ethanol.

48 Titan with a heavy load : ATLAS

The famous Flemish geographer Gerardus Mercator published his first collection of maps in 1578. Mercator’s collection contained a frontispiece with an image of Atlas the Titan from Greek mythology holding up the world on his shoulders. That image gave us our term “atlas” that is used for a book of maps.

52 “Hellboy” actor Perlman : RON

Ron Perlman is a Hollywood actor noted for playing roles that require heavy make-up, as well as for voice-over work. Notably, he played the title character in the superhero film “Hellboy”, and its sequel “Hellboy II: The Golden Army”.

54 Comfort Revolution bra-maker : BALI

The Bali brand of lingerie started out as Fay-Miss in 1927, before becoming the Bali Brassiere Company in 1969.

57 Tolkien terror : ORC

According to Tolkien, Orcs are small humanoids that live in his fantasy world of Middle-earth (also called “Mordor”). They are very ugly and dirty, and are fond of eating human flesh.

62 Clicking devices : MICE

Thank goodness for the invention of the optical mouse. The old wheeled mouse, although it was a great device in its day, is prone to slipping on the wrong surface and clogs up with dirt. An optical mouse is the next level of technology and uses a light emitting diode and photo-diodes to detect motion.

63 Poet Dove and actress Moreno : RITAS

Poet Rita Dove received the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1987, and was the second African American to be so honored (the first being Gwendolyn Brooks).

Puerto Rican singer, dancer and actress Rita Moreno is one of the few performers to have won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy and Tony (EGOT). Moreno got her big break, and won her Oscar, for playing Anita in the 1961 screen adaptation of “West Side Story”. And, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George W. Bush in 2004.

64 “Less” Pulitzer winner Andrew __ Greer : SEAN

Novelist and short story writer Andrew Sean Greer won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for his 2017 satirical novel “Less”. The title character in Less is a writer traveling around the world, trying the numb the pain caused by the loss of the man he loved.

67 “Smooth Operator” singer : SADE

Singer Sade’s real name is Helen Folasade Adu. Although born in Nigeria, Sade grew up and lives in the UK. She was the lead vocalist for the English group Sade, and adopted the name of the band. The band’s biggest hits were “Smooth Operator” (1984) and “The Sweetest Taboo” (1985).

68 Crime novelist Gerritsen : TESS

Tess Gerritsen is a novelist and retired physician. Her most famous novels are the “Rizzoli & Isles” series, featuring homicide detective Jane Rizzoli and medical examiner Maura Isles. The Isles character also appears in the stand-alone crime thriller “The Bone Garden”, first published in 2007.

69 Alloy containing carbon : STEEL

Steel is an alloy that is composed mainly of iron, with a small percentage of carbon.

Down

1 Shrimp dish : SCAMPI

The Italian dish known as “scampi” is a serving of shrimp in garlic butter and dry white wine.

4 Supermarket section : DELI

The word “delicatessen” (or “deli” for short) came into English from the German “Delikatessen”. The Germans borrowed the word from French, in which language “délicatesse” means “delicious things (to eat)”. The term’s ultimate root is “delicatus”, the Latin for “giving pleasure, delightful”.

5 “GoodFellas” Oscar winner : PESCI

Joe Pesci got his big break in movies with a supporting role in “Raging Bull” starring Robert De Niro, earning Pesci an Oscar nomination early in his career. There followed a string of gangster roles played alongside De Niro, namely “Once Upon a Time in America”, “Goodfellas” and “Casino”. But I like Pesci’s comedic acting best of all. He was marvelous in the “Home Alone” films, the “Lethal Weapon” series, and my personal favorite, “My Cousin Vinny”. Pesci gets a mention in the stage musical “Jersey Boys”, which isn’t too surprising as he is one of the show’s producers.

The Martin Scorsese classic “Goodfellas” is a 1990 adaptation of a nonfiction book by Nicholas Pileggi called “Wiseguy”. The film tells the story of a mob family that succumbs to the FBI after one of their own becomes an informant.

7 St. Louis team : BLUES

The St. Louis Blues NHL hockey team takes its name from the song “St. Louis Blues”, a jazz and popular music classic.

8 Compete on “The Voice” : SING

“The Voice” is yet another reality television show. It is a singing competition in which the judges hear the contestants without seeing them in the first round. The judges then take on chosen contestants as coaches for the remaining rounds. “The Voice” is a highly successful worldwide franchise that originated in the Netherlands as “The Voice of Holland”.

10 Digging tool : SPADE

A spatula is a tool or implement used for mixing, lifting or spreading. “Spatula” is the Latin name for the tool, and is a diminutive of the word “spatha” meaning “broad, flat blade”. “Spatha” also gives rise to our related term “spade”.

13 Paul in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame : LES

Les Paul was a guitarist, songwriter and inventor. When he was 33 years old, Paul was involved in a near-fatal car crash that left his right arm and elbow shattered. Surgeons offered him the choice of amputation or a rebuilding of the limb that would leave him unable to bend his elbow. He told them to set his arm at just under 90 degrees so that he could at least hold his guitar and perhaps play it.

21 Former pitcher Hershiser : OREL

Orel Hershiser is big into poker now that he has retired from Major League Baseball. Hershiser lives in Las Vegas and when he isn’t working for ESPN, apparently he is at the poker tables, playing professionally. When Hershiser is eliminated in a poker tournament, he is in the habit of presenting the person who ousts him with an autographed baseball.

22 Body wash ingredient : ALOE

Aloe vera is a succulent plant that grows in relatively dry climates. The plant’s leaves are full of biologically-active compounds that have been studied extensively. Aloe vera has been used for centuries in herbal medicine, mainly for topical treatment of wounds.

27 Some slouchy boots : UGGS

Uggs are sheepskin boots that were first produced in Australia and New Zealand. The original Uggs have sheepskin fleece on the inside for comfort and insulation, with a tanned leather surface on the outside for durability. “Ugg” is a generic term Down Under, although it’s a brand name here in the US.

28 Ad writer’s award : CLIO

The Clio Awards are the Oscars of the advertising world and are named after Clio, the Greek Muse of History. Clio was also the recorder of great deeds, the proclaimer and celebrator of great accomplishments and a source of inspiration and genius. The Clio Awards were first presented in 1959.

29 Actor Morales : ESAI

Actor Esai Morales is best known in the world of film for the 1987 movie “La Bamba”, which depicted the life of Ritchie Valens and his half-brother Bob Morales (played by Esai). On the small screen, Morales plays Lt. Tony Rodriguez on “NYPD Blue” and Joseph Adama on “Caprica”.

31 Desire : YEN

The word “yen”, meaning “urge”, has been around in English since the very early 1900s. It comes from the earlier word “yin” imported from Chinese, which was used in English to describe an intense craving for opium.

34 Hazmat monitor : OSHA

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

Dangerous goods are commonly referred to as hazardous materials, or HAZMAT. People working with dangerous goods might wear a HAZMAT suit.

37 The Panthers of the ACC : PITT

The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) chose the nickname for its sporting teams in 1909, and claims that it was the first team in the country to adopt the name “Panthers”.

38 Lt.’s underling : SGT

The rank of lieutenant (lt.) is superior to the rank of sergeant (sgt.), and below the rank of captain (capt.).

45 Gullible sort : NAIF

A naïf is someone who is naive, as “naïf” is the French word for “naive”.

49 World’s largest cosmetics company : L’OREAL

L’Oréal is a French cosmetics company, the largest cosmetics and beauty company in the world. Here in the US, L’Oréal runs a “Women of Worth” program that honors women who volunteer in their communities. The phrase “Women of Worth” underlines the longstanding L’Oréal slogan “Because I’m worth it”, which evolved into “Because you’re worth it” and eventually “Because we’re worth it”.

50 Game keeper? : ARCADE

Our word “arcade” comes from the Latin “arcus” meaning “arc”. The first arcades were passages made from a series of arches. This could be an avenue of trees, and eventually any covered avenue. I remember arcades lined with shops and stores when I was growing up on the other side of the Atlantic. Arcades came to be lined with lots of amusements, resulting in amusement arcades and video game arcades.

54 Actress Davis played by Susan Sarandon in TV’s “Feud” : BETTE

I must confess that I have a problem watching movies starring Bette Davis. I think I must have seen her play one of her more sinister roles when I was a kid and it gave me nightmares or something.

Actress Susan Sarandon was born Susan Tomalin in Queens, New York. Although Sarandon played in some notable films from 1969 onwards, it was her appearance opposite Kevin Costner and Tim Robbins in 1988’s “Bull Durham” that truly propelled her into the limelight.

“Feud” is a TV docudrama series intended to highlight some infamous feuds between celebrities. The first season, subtitled “Bette and Joan”, focuses on the rivalry between actresses Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. Davis is portrayed by Susan Sarandon, and Crawford by Jessica Lange.

56 Disinfectant brand : LYSOL

Lysol disinfectant takes its name from the words “lysosome” and “solvent”. Lysosomes are structures found within cells that have the job of breaking up waste material and cellular debris.

61 Mount of Greek legend : OSSA

Mount Ossa in Greece is located between Mount Pelion in the south, and the famed Mount Olympus in the north. Mount Ossa is also known as Kissavos.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Sven’s transport in “Frozen” : SLED
5 35-Down company founded in Milwaukee in 1844 : PABST
10 Ziploc feature : SEAL
14 Exercise target : CORE
15 “Love Me Like You Do” Grammy nominee Goulding : ELLIE
16 Cut : PARE
17 Missing : AWOL
18 Spa amenity : SAUNA
19 Doesn’t just assume : ASKS
20 C’s : MEDIOCRE GRADES
23 Start to mature? : PRE-
24 Eyeglass frames : RIMS
25 Gift with an aloha : LEI
26 Matter of debate : ISSUE
28 VIP with a corner office, perhaps : CEO
30 Dec. 31 : NYE
33 Seas : GLOBAL SEPTET
38 Antlered deer : STAG
41 Retro photo hue : SEPIA
42 Burial isle of many Scottish kings : IONA
43 Sees : GETS THE POINT
46 Skin art, for short : TAT
47 Unit of corn : EAR
48 Titan with a heavy load : ATLAS
52 “Hellboy” actor Perlman : RON
54 Comfort Revolution bra-maker : BALI
57 Tolkien terror : ORC
58 Seize : CAPTURE BY FORCE
62 Clicking devices : MICE
63 Poet Dove and actress Moreno : RITAS
64 “Less” Pulitzer winner Andrew __ Greer : SEAN
65 “It’s for you,” on an env. : ATTN
66 “Wrong!” : NOT SO!
67 “Smooth Operator” singer : SADE
68 Crime novelist Gerritsen : TESS
69 Alloy containing carbon : STEEL
70 Brewpub brews : ALES

Down

1 Shrimp dish : SCAMPI
2 Reduces : LOWERS
3 Reduces slowly : ERODES
4 Supermarket section : DELI
5 “GoodFellas” Oscar winner : PESCI
6 Heist obstacle : ALARM
7 St. Louis team : BLUES
8 Compete on “The Voice” : SING
9 Rip : TEAR
10 Digging tool : SPADE
11 Gradually become familiar with : EASE INTO
12 Slow-moving boats : ARKS
13 Paul in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame : LES
21 Former pitcher Hershiser : OREL
22 Body wash ingredient : ALOE
27 Some slouchy boots : UGGS
28 Ad writer’s award : CLIO
29 Actor Morales : ESAI
31 Desire : YEN
32 Schedule abbr. : ETA
34 Hazmat monitor : OSHA
35 Heady stuff? : BEER
36 Smartphone download : APP
37 The Panthers of the ACC : PITT
38 Lt.’s underling : SGT
39 Bagged leaves? : TEA
40 Has some pull? : ATTRACTS
44 Collapsible shelter : TENT
45 Gullible sort : NAIF
49 World’s largest cosmetics company : L’OREAL
50 Game keeper? : ARCADE
51 Movie parts : SCENES
53 Makes the first bet : OPENS
54 Actress Davis played by Susan Sarandon in TV’s “Feud” : BETTE
55 Humiliate : ABASE
56 Disinfectant brand : LYSOL
58 Quote : CITE
59 Large garden planters : URNS
60 Barrel of laughs : RIOT
61 Mount of Greek legend : OSSA
62 Little rug : MAT

22 thoughts on “LA Times Crossword 19 Jan 23, Thursday”

  1. No errors. About 20 minutes.

    I didn’t know URNs were a thing in gardening and landscaping. My wife bought 2 that were about 20 gallon capacity. I figured she wanted to put flowers in them or something. Nope, she wanted them buried in the landscaping! You know hard it is to bury a 20 gallon urn in the ground? … with a shovel!

    1. I would have initially gone with POTS for that one, but already had RITAS in place, so knew it had to be something else.

  2. It wasn’t until the puzzle was completely finished that I realized what
    the theme was. For a long time I was stuck way in the east section, so
    I finally gave up and looked up the Panthers answer. When I got
    Pitt the rest fell into place. No errors and that one lookup.

  3. Well, I immediately put in Blatz for the Milwaukee beer and that slowed things down a bit. Otherwise, it was more like a Monday puzzle to me.

  4. 24:07 no errors.
    Whenever I feel like I’m doing good on a puzzle I see your times and come back down to earth😥
    Stay safe😀

    1. Please don’t be discouraged. From what I can tell you’re doing great, both with the LAT and the NYT and it’s definitely encouraging to see you post. You’ll get better the more you do.

    2. I like the way you persevere and, much more often than not, end up with no errors. You should be proud.

  5. I finally finished a Thursday puzzle on my own!! No errors! Woo hoo!

    I think I’m finally starting to think like the writers do!!

    Enjoy the day! 😊

    1. @Christine W – WTG!

      Don’t know if “starting to think like the writers do” is a good thing, LOL …

  6. 11:31 – no errors or lookups. False starts: TUGS>ARKS, AGE>PRE, EVE>NYE, HAIR>BEER. Guess I didn’t fully appreciate the question marks on those clues.

    New: ELLIE Goulding, Andrew SEAN Greer, TESS Gerritsen, TV’s “Feud.”

    Liked the theme.

    Almost a clue duplication with “Reduces” and “Reduces slowly.”

  7. Scampi is an oft misrepresented dish to make shrimp dishes sound more exotic ,however, scampi is actually a different type of shrimp altogether(they have claws) and is available mostly in the Mediterranean Sea area . A recent discovery of large scampi beds was made off the coast of Western Australia .
    They are sweet and delicious !

  8. 63A reminded me to make all of you men envious. Back around 1950, I was pitching in a Little League Baseball All Star game and, as a young starlit, Rita Moreno was there to promote the game. The local newspaper wanted a picture of her on the pitcher’s mound and, when she got there, she bent down and gave me a kiss on the cheek. Damn, she was so pretty that I immediately fell in love. To a 10 yr old, life doesn’t get any better. Eat your heart out guys!

  9. 11:33 – Thought is was one of the easier Thursdays in recent times.

    Relatively few PPP’s, an honest puzzle.

  10. 7 mins 22 seconds and 2 errors at the cross of SEAN/OSSA. Proper names will do you in every time. Otherwise fun, enjoyable grid.

  11. Are others having trouble finding last year’s puzzles? On the calendar, the only option is 2023.
    I discovered by accident that if I Google (for example) ” LAX Crossword November 19, 2022″, then `it pulls up the correct blog, even though the calendar still only allows 2023.

  12. No look ups, no errors. This puzzle was
    “connect the dots” easy. Shrimp Scampi is
    very Garlicky. Fairly burns the nose….

  13. Nice, mostly easy Thursday for me; took 11:50 with no peeks or errors. Didn’t know the same things Ray C. didn’t know, except I vaguely knew ELLIE. Worked with the theme.

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