LA Times Crossword 26 Feb 23, Sunday

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Constructed by: Chandi Deitmer
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Theme: Brand Awareness

Themed answers are BRAND NAMES reinterpreted to match the corresponding clue:

  • 113A Political movement against free enterprise, or a way of reading this puzzle’s long answers? : ANTI-CAPITALISM
  • 21A Southwestern snapshot gallery? : ADOBE PHOTO SHOP
  • 30A Alerts to some party planners that their guests have arrived? : HOSTESS DING DONGS
  • 44A One searching for a river crossing? : FORD EXPLORER
  • 56A Troves of getting-to-know-you questions? : ICE BREAKER MINTS
  • 70A Flipped bar tables? : CONVERSE HIGH TOPS
  • 82A Veto a very large corsage? : AXE BODY SPRAY
  • 101A Entertainment at a tailgate party? : FENDER TELECASTER

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

Bill’s time: 23m 12s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Lawn game similar to pétanque : BOCCI

The Italian bowling game of bocce (often anglicized as “bocci” or “boccie”) is based on a game played in ancient Rome. “Bocce” is the plural of the Italian word “boccia” meaning “bowl”.

“Pétanque” is a form of the game of boules that is played in France, mainly in Provence.

13 Old-Fashioned option : NEAT

An Old Fashioned cocktail is usually made from whiskey or brandy muddled with sugar and bitters, with a twist of citrus rind.

21 Southwestern snapshot gallery? : ADOBE PHOTO SHOP

The building material known as adobe has been around a long time, and has been used in dry climates all over the world. The original form of the word “adobe” dates back to Middle Egyptian times, about 2000 BC. The original spelling is “dj-b-t”, and translates as mud (sun-dried) brick.

Photoshop is a wonderful piece of software used for editing graphics. When I first bought a copy of Photoshop, it was really expensive (about $300 in 1995), but now there are cost-effective, stripped-down versions available. Also, the full version of Photoshop is now only available as a monthly subscription service.

23 Like Chartres Cathedral : GOTHIC

Gothic architecture is a style that dates back to the mid and late medieval period, following on from the Romanesque style. Gothic architecture originated in France in the 12th century, and was prevalent until the 16th century, when it was largely superseded by the Renaissance style. Gothic buildings often feature pointed arches, ribbed vaults and flying buttresses. The best known example of Gothic edifices are magnificent cathedrals and abbeys across Europe, many of which are still used today. Examples of the style can be seen in Notre-Dame de Paris in France, Westminster Abbey in England, and Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin.

Chartres Cathedral is a magnificent Gothic structure located in Chartres, France, and one of the most famous examples of Gothic architecture in the world. The cathedral contains a labyrinth on the floor of the nave made of black and white stones that is 42 feet in diameter. Visitors can walk the labyrinth as a form of meditation, with the twists and turns of the path representing the challenges and trials of life.

24 Drummer Ringo : STARR

Ringo Starr is a musician, best known as the drummer for the Beatles. In addition to his music career, Ringo Starr has appeared in a number of films. In addition to his film work, Ringo Starr has also done voiceover work for several animated television shows and movies. He has lent his distinctive voice to characters in shows like “Thomas & Friends” and “The Simpsons,” as well as movies like “Yellow Submarine”.

25 Inert gas : NEON

Neon (Ne) was discovered in 1898 by two British chemists, Sir William Ramsay and Morris Travers. They chilled a sample of air, turning it into a liquid. They then warmed that liquid and separated out the gases that boiled off. Along with nitrogen, oxygen and argon (already known), the pair of scientists discovered two new gases. The first they called “krypton” and the second “neon”. “Krypton” is Greek for “the hidden one” and “neon” is Greek for “new”.

26 Diver’s need : AIR TANK

As a scuba diver descends into the water, the water pressure on the outside of the eardrum increases, whereas the pressure on the inside of the ear remains constant. This difference in pressure can cause the eardrum to distend, creating pain. A diver avoids the problem by holding the nose and gently blowing air through his or her eustachian tubes, equalizing the pressure inside and outside the eardrum. A similar process operates as the diver ascends, although it is the higher pressure in the middle ear that expels excess air through the eustachian tube into the mouth cavity. If the eustachian tube is blocked, perhaps because of an ear infection, then the persistent pressure difference can result in an excruciating earache after a dive.

30 Alerts to some party planners that their guests have arrived? : HOSTESS DING DONGS

Hostess Ding Dongs are snack cakes that were originally called “Big Wheels” when they were first introduced in the 1960s. The name was changed to “Ding Dongs” in the 1970s, before production ceased in the mid-1980s due to a labor strike at the Hostess factory. The snack cake returned to stores a few years later, but with a new name: King Dons. In 1999, the name was changed back to Ding Dongs, and has remained that way ever since.

33 Red tide bloom : ALGA

An algal bloom that takes on a red or brown color is commonly referred to as “red tide”. The algae causing the bloom are phytoplankton containing photosynthetic pigments that give the red/brown color. Some red tides are extremely harmful to marine life as there can be a depletion of oxygen dissolved in the seawater. The algae can also contain natural toxins that can kill those creatures that eat it.

34 Drag show accessory : BOA

The etymology of the term “drag”, as used in the transvestite world, seems to be unclear. It perhaps relates to the tendency of a transvestite’s skirts to drag along the ground in days of old (although why they just didn’t hitch up their skirts is beyond me!).

36 __ tie : BOLO

I’ve never worn a bolo tie, and was surprised to discover that it is a relatively recent invention. The first bolo tie was apparently produced in Wickenburg, Arizona in the late 1940s by a silversmith. The bolo takes its name from the boleadora, an Argentine lariat.

37 Skating biopic starring Margot Robbie : I, TONYA

“I, Tonya” is a 2017 comedy biopic about the life of figure skater Tonya Harding, with a focus on the 1994 attack on Harding’s rival Nancy Kerrigan. Harding is played by Australian actress Margot Robbie. I haven’t seen this one, but it’s on my list as I hear good things …

Margot Robbie is a versatile actress who is also a trained ballet dancer. She began dancing at a young age and studied ballet throughout her childhood and teenage years, and even considered pursuing a career as a professional ballerina before ultimately deciding to focus on acting.

40 Ending for sub- or ex- : -URB

An extension to the term “suburb”, “exurb” describes an area beyond the suburbs at the very outskirts of a city. The related term “exurbia” is often used to denote an area inhabited by more wealthy people.

42 “Nailed It!” host Nicole : BYER

Nicole Byer is a comedian, actress, and television personality who is also a self-taught baker and cake decorator. In 2018, she started a popular YouTube series called “Nailed It!” in which amateur bakers attempt to recreate elaborate and intricate cakes and other desserts, with often hilarious and disastrous results. The success of “Nailed It!” led to a spinoff series on Netflix, which premiered in 2018 with Byer as the host.

43 “Over the Rainbow” composer : ARLEN

“Over the Rainbow” is a classic song written especially for the 1939 movie “The Wizard of Oz”. It was sung by the young Judy Garland (Dorothy) in the film, and it was to become her signature song. There is an introductory verse that wasn’t used in the movie, and is very rarely heard:

When all the world is a hopeless jumble
And the raindrops tumble all around,
Heaven opens a magic lane
When all the clouds darken up the skyway,
There’s a rainbow highway to be found
Leading from your window pane
To a place behind the sun,
Just a step beyond the rain.

44 One searching for a river crossing? : FORD EXPLORER

The Ford Explorer SUV was introduced in 1990, and is still going strong. The same car has been sold as the Mercury Mountaineer and the Lincoln Aviator.

47 __ blues: genre that originated in Mississippi : DELTA

Delta blues is a style of music that originated in the Mississippi Delta region of the United States in the early 20th century. The genre was heavily influenced by African American spirituals and work songs, as well as the musical traditions of West Africa.

49 Actor Mahershala : ALI

Mahershala Ali is an actor and sometime rapper. Among the more memorable roles Ali has had are lobbyist Remy Danton in TV’s “House of Cards”, and Colonel Boggs in “The Hunger Games” series of movies. He also won Best Supporting Actor Oscars for playing Juan in the 2016 drama “Moonlight”, and Dr. Don Shirley in 2018’s “Green Book”.

64 Audio giant : BOSE

Bose Corporation was founded in 1964 by Amar G. Bose, and is a company that specializes in manufacture of audio equipment.

Bose Corporation specializes in audio equipment, including headphones, speakers, and sound systems. The company was founded in 1964 by Dr. Amar G. Bose, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Bose Corp. started as a research project in psychoacoustics, the study of how humans perceive sound.

65 Passage cleared by a neti pot : SINUS

In anatomical terms, a sinus is a cavity in tissue. Sinuses are found all over the body, in the kidney and heart for example, but we most commonly think of the paranasal sinuses that surround the nose.

A neti pot is a spouted vessel that is used for nasal irrigation. “Neti” is a Sanskrit word meaning “nasal cleansing”.

66 PBS-funding org. : NEA

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an agency funded by the federal government that offers support and financing for artistic projects. The NEA was created by an Act of Congress in 1965. Between 1965 and 2008, the NEA awarded over $4 billion to the arts, with Congress authorizing around $170 million annually through the eighties and much of the nineties. That funding was cut to less than $100 million in the late nineties due to pressure from conservatives concerned about the use of funds, but it is now back over the $150 million mark.

67 Play-__ : DOH

Back in the 1930s, a manufacturer in Cincinnati produced a doughy compound that was used to clean wallpaper. Twenty years later, school-kids started using the cleaning material as a modeling compound, so the manufacturer reworked the formula, and sold it to local schools. It was given the name “Play-Doh”.

68 Like lechón asado : CUBAN

Lechón Asado is a popular dish in many Spanish-speaking countries, including Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and the Philippines. Preparation varies depending on the region and the chef, but it typically involves marinating a whole pig in a mixture of spices and citrus juices before roasting it over an open flame.

70 Flipped bar tables? : CONVERSE HIGH TOPS

The Converse shoe company was founded in Malden, Massachusetts in 1908 by one Marquis Mills Converse. The company grew steadily, and introduced its first athletic shoe in 1915, a shoe designed for playing tennis. The Converse brand really took off in 1917 with the launch of a shoe designed especially for basketball, which was called the “All Star”. Basketball player Chuck Taylor really liked the new design and was hired by Converse as a salesman and a spokesman. Taylor suggested a refinement to the design, including a patch on the side to protect the ankle. A star logo (representing the “All Star” brand) was added to the patch, with Chuck Taylor’s signature being added to the logo as an endorsement in 1923. The Chuck Taylor All Star became the best selling basketball shoe of all time, and the star became the logo for the Converse company.

75 Private aye : YES, SIR

The lowest military rank of soldier is often a private (pvt.). The term “private” comes from the Middle Ages when “private soldiers” were hired or conscripted by noblemen to form a “private army”. The more generic usage of “private” started in the 1700s.

77 Daredevil Knievel : EVEL

Daredevil Evel Knievel contracted hepatitis C from the many blood transfusions that he needed after injuries incurred during stunts. He had to have a liver transplant as a result, but his health declined after that. Knievel eventually passed away in 2007.

78 “Beach House” singer Carly __ Jepsen : RAE

Carly Rae Jepsen is a singer/songwriter from Mission, British Columbia. She got her start on TV’s “Canadian Idol” when she placed third in the show’s fifth season. In addition to her music career, Jepsen has also dabbled in acting. She made her Broadway debut in 2014 playing the title in the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical “Cinderella.”

82 Veto a very large corsage? : AXE BODY SPRAY

“Corsage” is a word that we imported from French in the late 15th century. Back then it meant, believe it or not, “body size”. By the early 1800s, a corsage was a bodice, or the body of a woman’s dress. At the beginning of the 20th century, the French term “bouquet de corsage” was being used for a “bouquet worn on the bodice”, and this has been shortened simply to “corsage”.

Axe Body Spray was first launched in France in 1983 under the name “Ego.” The brand was later rebranded as Axe in 1996 and introduced in the United States.

89 Some IRAs : ROTHS

Roth Individual Retirement Accounts (Roth IRAs) were introduced in 1997 under a bill sponsored by Senator William Roth of Delaware, hence the name.

92 Vampire’s curfew : DAWN

Legends about vampires were particularly common in Eastern Europe and in the Balkans in particular. The superstition was that vampires could be killed using a wooden stake, with the preferred type of wood varying from place to place. Superstition also defines where the body should be pierced. Most often, the stake was driven through the heart, but Russians and northern Germans went for the mouth, and northeastern Serbs for the stomach.

Our word “curfew” comes from an Old French word meaning “cover fire”. In medieval days a bell would ring in the evenings as a signal to bank the hearths in preparation for sleeping. The intent was to prevent uncontrolled fires starting from fireplaces that were not tended during the night.

96 Pointless event at the Olympics? : 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.

97 Napa product : WINE

The history of winemaking in Napa Valley dates back to the mid-19th century, when European settlers first began planting vineyards in the region. However, the industry did not become widely popular until the 1960s and 1970s, when a group of winemakers began producing high-quality wines that gained international recognition.

98 Small slitherer : ASP

The asp is a small to medium-sized snake, typically growing to between 18 and 30 inches in length. It has a distinctive triangular head and a dark, zigzag pattern along its back.

100 Last president to keep a White House cow : TAFT

William Howard Taft was the 27th president of the United States, serving from 1909 to 1913. During his presidency, Taft became known for his love of dairy products and his interest in keeping a cow on the White House lawn to provide fresh milk. His cow was named Pauline Wayne and was a Holstein-Friesian breed that was given to Taft by a Wisconsin senator in 1910.

101 Entertainment at a tailgate party? : FENDER TELECASTER

The Telecaster electric guitar was introduced by Fender in 1950 and was originally called the “Fender Broadcaster.” However, this name had to be changed due to a trademark dispute with the Gretsch drum company, which already had a drum set called the “Broadcaster.”

107 __ mitzvah : B’NAI

B’nai Mitzvah is a Jewish coming-of-age ritual that is typically celebrated when a child turns 12 or 13 years old. “B’nai Mitzvah” literally means “children of the commandment” in Hebrew. The ritual is a way of marking a child’s transition into adulthood and their acceptance of responsibility for following the commandments of Jewish law.

109 Meat salad in Lao cuisine : LARB

Larb is a traditional dish from Lao cuisine that is made with minced meat, fish sauce, lime juice, and various herbs and spices. It is often considered the national dish of Laos, although it is also popular in neighboring countries like Thailand and Vietnam. The word “larb” is derived from the Lao word “laap,” which means “to mince” or “to chop finely.”

110 Pontificate : ORATE

To pontificate is to issue dogmatic decrees with a pompous air. Back in 1818, the word had the more literal meaning, “to act as a pontiff, pope”.

118 Rummikub pieces : TILES

Rummikub is a tile-based game that was created in the 1940s by Ephraim Hertzano in Israel. Hertzano’s game combines elements of mahjong with the card game rummy. Rummikub was the best-selling game in the US back in 1977.

123 Many OCS grads : LTS

Officer candidate school (OCS)

124 Cicely who wrote the 2021 memoir “Just As I Am” : TYSON

“Just As I Am” is the title of the memoir written by the late Cicely Tyson, the renowned American actress. The book was published on January 26, 2021, just two days before Tyson’s death at the age of 96.

Down

1 Wireless support, maybe : BRA

The first modern bra was invented by a New York socialite named Mary Phelps Jacob in 1913. Jacob was looking for a more comfortable and fashionable alternative to the corsets that were then commonly worn, and she fashioned a bra using two handkerchiefs and some ribbon. She later patented her invention, which she called the “Backless Brassiere.”

2 Ref. that could be considered hi-def.? : OED

The first edition of the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) was published in installments between 1884 and 1928. It was edited by James Murray and a team of lexicographers and linguists, who worked to collect and document the history and usage of English words from the earliest known written sources.

3 Comedian Margaret : CHO

Margaret Cho is a Korean-American comedian and actress who was born in San Francisco in 1968. As well as performing as a comedian, Cho has also had a successful acting career, appearing in films such as “Face/Off,” “Bam Bam and Celeste,” and “All About Steve,” as well as TV shows such as “Drop Dead Diva” and “30 Rock.”

8 Veterinary patient : PET

A veterinarian (vet) is a professional who treats animals for disease and injury. The word “veterinary” comes from the Latin “veterinae” meaning “working animals, beasts of burden”.

9 Thorny flowers : ROSES

Believe it or not, roses don’t have any thorns as such. Thorns are derived from shoots, spines are derived from leaves, and prickles are derived from the epidermis. The rose’s defensive barbs are in fact prickles.

11 When the sun is highest : NOONDAY

Our word “noon”, meaning “midday”, comes from the Latin “nona hora” that translates as “ninth hour”. Back in ancient Rome, the “ninth hour” was three in the afternoon. Over the centuries, traditions such as church prayers and “midday” meals shifted from 3 p.m. to 12 p.m., and so “noon” became understood as 12 noon.

12 Bank acct. addition : DEP

One might make a deposit (dep.) into a bank account (acct.).

14 Gas additive : ETHANOL

Ethyl alcohol is more usually known as ethanol. It is the alcohol found in intoxicating beverages, and nowadays is also used as a fuel for cars. Ethanol is also found in medical wipes and hand sanitizer, in which it acts as an antiseptic.

20 Epithet for Shiva : LORD

Shiva (also “Siva”) is one of the major deities of the Hindu tradition, and is known as the destroyer of evil and the transformer. Shiva is also part of the Hindu trinity known as the Trimurti, along with Brahma and Vishnu.

23 Tour stops : GIGS

Musicians use “gig” to describe a job, a performance. The term originated in the early 1900s in the world of jazz. The derivative phrase “gig economy” applies to a relatively recent phenomenon where workers find themselves jumping from temporary job to temporary job, from gig to gig.

26 Tennis great Agassi : ANDRE

Retired tennis professional Andre Agassi has been married to fellow player Steffi Graf since 2001. Agassi wrote an autobiography called “Open”, published in 2009. An amazing revelation in the book is that Agassi’s famous head of hair was actually a wig for much of his playing career. Can you imagine how hard it must have been to play tennis at his level with a rug stuck on?

27 Oliver Twist, for one : WAIF

A waif is a street urchin, or perhaps a stray animal.

“Oliver Twist” is an 1838 novel by Charles Dickens. The title character is an orphan who escapes from an oppressive apprenticeship with an undertaker. He gets drawn into the criminal underworld of London, where he meets up with some colorful characters such as the Artful Dodger, Fagin and Bill Sykes. Television, stage and film adaptations of “Oliver Twist” tend to lift the overall mood of the story, which in the novel is pretty bleak.

28 Palo __, California : ALTO

The city of Palo Alto, California takes its name from a specific redwood tree called El Palo Alto (Spanish for “the tall stick”) that is located within the bounds of the city. The tree is 110 feet tall and over a thousand years old.

29 Assistant with a hunch? : IGOR

In the world of movies, Igor has been the assistant to Dracula, Frankenstein and Young Frankenstein among others. Igor is almost invariably portrayed as a hunchback.

31 __ chips : TARO

Taro is a root vegetable that is grown for its edible underground plant stems (corms). The English name “taro” is borrowed from the Maori language of New Zealand. The same plant is known as “gabi” in the Philippines, “arbi” in much of India, and “jimbi” in parts of Africa where Swahili is spoken.

32 Picked out of a lineup, briefly : ID’ED

Identity document (ID)

45 Steinway instrument : PIANO

Steinway & Sons is a supplier of handmade pianos based in New York City and in Hamburg, Germany. The company was founded in Manhattan in 1853 by German immigrant Henry E. Steinway. One element of Steinway’s business model is to offer a “piano bank” service. Performing artists can “borrow” a particular piano from the bank for a particular concert or tour. About 400 pianos are in the bank, and are located all over the world. The value of the bank’s collection of pianos is estimated at over $25 million.

46 Above-the-street trains : ELS

Elevated railroad (El)

48 Scale divs. : LBS

The unit of mass that we know today as a pound is descended from the old Roman unit of weight known as a “libra”. That “libra” connection is why we abbreviate “pound” to “lb”. The name “pound” comes from the Latin “pondo” meaning “weight”. Our term “ounce” (abbreviated to “oz.”) comes from the Latin “uncia”, which was 1/12 of a Roman “libra”.

53 Basketball commentator Rebecca : LOBO

Rebecca Lobo is a former WNBA basketball player who launched a second career as a sports reporter and analyst for ESPN. Lobo played with the New York Liberty, Houston Comets and Connecticut Sun.

57 French film : CINE

“Cine” is the French word for “cinema”.

59 Plans to go public? : BUS SCHEDULES

We use the term “bus” for a mode of transportation as it is an abbreviated form of the original “omnibus”. We imported “omnibus” via French from Latin, in which language it means “for all”. The idea is that an omnibus is a carriage “for all”.

60 Actor Watanabe : KEN

Ken Watanabe is an actor from Japan known mainly for his roles in the films “Letters from Iwo Jima” and “The Last Samurai”. My favorite of Watanabe’s movies though, is “Inception”. Great film …

62 Japanese drama : NOH

Noh is a form of musical drama in Japan that has been around since the 14th century. Many of the Noh performers are masked, allowing all the roles to be played by men, including the female parts.

70 __-Magnon : CRO

Remains of early man, dating back to 35,000 years ago, were found in Abri de Cro-Magnon in southwest France, giving the name to those early humans. Cro-Magnon remains are the oldest human relics that have been discovered in Europe.

71 Tony-winning musical “Dear __ Hansen” : EVAN

“Dear Evan Hansen” is a 2015 stage musical about a young man with awkward social skills and his efforts to make friends. The show was inspired by real-life events: The show’s writer, Steven Levenson, was inspired to write the musical after the suicide of a high school student in his hometown.

72 Nero Wolfe creator Stout : REX

Rex Stout was an author who is mainly known for his detective fiction featuring his hero Nero Wolfe. One of Stout’s friends was the British author P. G. Wodehouse, who wrote the “Jeeves” series of books.

Nero Wolfe is a fictional detective and the hero of many stories published by author Rex Stout. There are 33 Nero Wolfe novels for us to read, and 39 short stories. There are also movie adaptations of two of the novels: “Meet Nero Wolfe” (1936) which features a young Rita Hayworth, and “The League of Frightened Men” (1937). One of Wolfe’s endearing traits is his love of good food and beer, so he is a pretty rotund character.

74 “Mercy Mercy Me” singer : GAYE

“Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)” is a song written and performed by American soul singer Marvin Gaye, released in 1971. It is a lament for the state of the environment, with Gaye singing about pollution, deforestation, and the impact of human activity on the natural world. The song’s opening notes are a recording of seagulls and crashing waves, which gives the impression of being on a (polluted) beach.

81 Great __ : DANE

The Great Dane breed of dog isn’t actually from Denmark, and rather is from Germany. They were originally bred to hunt wild boar, and were also used for protection and as guard dogs.

85 Rotund stove : POTBELLY

Potbelly stoves are a type of wood-burning stove that were commonly used for heating and cooking in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The name “potbelly” refers to the stove’s shape, with a distinctive bulging midsection that resembles a potbelly. This design allowed the stoves to hold more fuel and burn it more efficiently.

86 “Glass Onion” filmmaker Johnson : RIAN

Filmmaker Rian Johnson wrote and directed quite a few major films, including “Looper” (2012), “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” (2017) and “Knives Out” (2019).

“Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” is a 2022 sequel to “Knives Out”, with both films written and directed by Rian Johnson and starring Daniel Craig as private investigator Benoit Blanc. Johnson wrote “Glass Onion” during the COVID-19 lockdown, and set the film against the backdrop of the pandemic. The score for both films was written by Nathan Johnson, Rian’s cousin.

87 __ Romeo: sports car : ALFA

The “Alfa” in “Alfa Romeo” is actually an acronym, one standing for Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili (“Lombard Automobile Factory, Public Company”). ALFA was an enterprise founded in 1909 and which was taken over by Nicola Romeo in 1915. In 1920 the company name was changed to Alfa Romeo.

88 Hairy legend : YETI

The yeti, also known as the abominable snowman, is a beast of legend. “Yeti” is a Tibetan term, and the beast is fabled to live in the Himalayan regions of Nepal and Tibet. Our equivalent legend in North America is that of Bigfoot, also known as Sasquatch. The study of animals whose existence have not yet been substantiated is called cryptozoology, and a cryptid is a creature or plant that isn’t recognized by the scientific community, but the existence of which has been suggested.

97 Noisy bird in a dome-shaped nest : WREN

The wren is a small songbird belonging to the family troglodytidae and the genus troglodytes. Wrens are known for making dome-shaped nests. Despite their small size, they are known for their loud and complex songs. Male wrens often sing to attract mates and to establish territory, They have been known to attack much larger birds that get too close to their nests.

102 Bow-toting deity : EROS

As always seems to be the case with Greek gods, Eros and Aphrodite have overlapping spheres of influence. Aphrodite was the goddess of love between a man and a woman, and Eros was the god who stirred the passions of the male. The Roman equivalent of Aphrodite was Venus, and the equivalent of Eros was Cupid.

103 Tempting words in Wonderland : EAT ME

In Lewis Carroll’s “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”, Alice follows the white rabbit down a rabbit hole and finds a bottle labeled “DRINK ME”. When she drinks the contents, it causes her to shrink. She also sees a cake adorned with the words “EAT ME” written using currants, and when she eats the cake she grows so big she finds it hard to stand up. After eating the cake, she utters the words, “Curiouser and curiouser”.

114 IM pioneer : AOL

AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) was a popular instant messaging service that was launched by America Online (AOL) in 1997, making it one of the first such services. AIM introduced many of the features that we now take for granted in messaging apps, such as emoticons, screen names, and buddy lists. The service was eventually shut down in 2017 due to declining usage and the rise of newer messaging apps.

115 “__ Raining Them”: Mila Jam remake celebrating the gender spectrum : IT’S

Mila Jam is an American singer, songwriter, and LGBTQ+ activist who was the first openly transgender woman to compete on the NBC singing competition show “The Voice”, doing so in 2019.

116 Sign for a crowded house : SRO

Standing room only (SRO)

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Lawn game similar to pétanque : BOCCI
6 iPad download : APP
9 Tear : REND
13 Old-Fashioned option : NEAT
17 Post-surgery regimen : REHAB
18 In close combat : TOE-TO-TOE
20 Ton o’ : LOTTA
21 Southwestern snapshot gallery? : ADOBE PHOTOSHOP
23 Like Chartres Cathedral : GOTHIC
24 Drummer Ringo : STARR
25 Inert gas : NEON
26 Diver’s need : AIR TANK
27 “Cool your jets” : WAIT
30 Alerts to some party planners that their guests have arrived? : HOSTESS DING DONGS
33 Red tide bloom : ALGA
34 Drag show accessory : BOA
35 Puts in : ADDS
36 __ tie : BOLO
37 Skating biopic starring Margot Robbie : I, TONYA
40 Ending for sub- or ex- : -URB
42 “Nailed It!” host Nicole : BYER
43 “Over the Rainbow” composer : ARLEN
44 One searching for a river crossing? : FORD EXPLORER
47 __ blues: genre that originated in Mississippi : DELTA
49 Actor Mahershala : ALI
50 Yale grads : ELIS
52 “Look on the bright side!” : BE GLAD!
56 Troves of getting-to-know-you questions? : ICE BREAKER MINTS
64 Audio giant : BOSE
65 Passage cleared by a neti pot : SINUS
66 PBS-funding org. : NEA
67 Play-__ : DOH
68 Like lechón asado : CUBAN
69 “No ifs, __, or buts” : ANDS
70 Flipped bar tables? : CONVERSE HIGH TOPS
75 Private aye : YES, SIR
77 Daredevil Knievel : EVEL
78 “Beach House” singer Carly __ Jepsen : RAE
79 Fawned (over) : COOED
82 Veto a very large corsage? : AXE BODY SPRAY
89 Some IRAs : ROTHS
92 Vampire’s curfew : DAWN
94 Nursery cry : WAH!
95 French star : ETOILE
96 Pointless event at the Olympics? : EPEE
97 Napa product : WINE
98 Small slitherer : ASP
100 Last president to keep a White House cow : TAFT
101 Entertainment at a tailgate party? : FENDER TELECASTER
107 __ mitzvah : B’NAI
108 Guarantees : ENSURES
109 Meat salad in Lao cuisine : LARB
110 Pontificate : ORATE
112 Lay into : RAIL ON
113 Political movement against free enterprise, or a way of reading this puzzle’s long answers? : ANTI-CAPITALISM
118 Rummikub pieces : TILES
119 Familiar turf : HOME SOIL
120 Hyper : ULTRA
121 Rich rocks : ORES
122 Agape : AWED
123 Many OCS grads : LTS
124 Cicely who wrote the 2021 memoir “Just As I Am” : TYSON

Down

1 Wireless support, maybe : BRA
2 Ref. that could be considered hi-def.? : OED
3 Comedian Margaret : CHO
4 Taxi waiting area : CABSTAND
5 “Likely story” : I BET
6 Pulsating : ATHROB
7 Wretch : POOR SOUL
8 Veterinary patient : PET
9 Thorny flowers : ROSES
10 Set of values : ETHOS
11 When the sun is highest : NOONDAY
12 Bank acct. addition : DEP
13 “I’m normally more humble than this … ” : NOT TO BRAG, BUT …
14 Gas additive : ETHANOL
15 Excited : ATINGLE
16 Includes : TACKS ON
19 Color quality : TONE
20 Epithet for Shiva : LORD
22 Oom-__ : PAH
23 Tour stops : GIGS
26 Tennis great Agassi : ANDRE
27 Oliver Twist, for one : WAIF
28 Palo __, California : ALTO
29 Assistant with a hunch? : IGOR
31 __ chips : TARO
32 Picked out of a lineup, briefly : ID’ED
38 Quite a spell : YEARS
39 Wheel shaft : AXLE
41 Male title derived from “brother” : BR’ER
42 Hat edge : BRIM
43 Supped : ATE
45 Steinway instrument : PIANO
46 Above-the-street trains : ELS
48 Scale divs. : LBS
51 Pro or con : SIDE
53 Basketball commentator Rebecca : LOBO
54 w/o delay : ASAP
55 Cozy spots : DENS
56 “Mercy me!” : I SAY!
57 French film : CINE
58 Winds down : ENDS
59 Plans to go public? : BUS SCHEDULES
60 Actor Watanabe : KEN
61 Roof overhang : EAVE
62 Japanese drama : NOH
63 __ party : THIRD
68 Storage box : CHEST
70 __-Magnon : CRO
71 Tony-winning musical “Dear __ Hansen” : EVAN
72 Nero Wolfe creator Stout : REX
73 Oodles : SLEW
74 “Mercy Mercy Me” singer : GAYE
76 Apple platform : IOS
80 Takes care of a draft : EDITS
81 Great __ : DANE
83 Sheep trills : BAAS
84 “You’re too kind!” : OH, STOP IT!
85 Rotund stove : POTBELLY
86 “Glass Onion” filmmaker Johnson : RIAN
87 __ Romeo: sports car : ALFA
88 Hairy legend : YETI
89 Cite : REFER TO
90 Like many summer concerts : OPEN-AIR
91 __ strength: measure of tolerance : TENSILE
93 “Let’s see … ” : WELL NOW …
97 Noisy bird in a dome-shaped nest : WREN
99 Hazards : PERILS
102 Bow-toting deity : EROS
103 Tempting words in Wonderland : EAT ME
104 Bawled : CRIED
105 School basics : ABCS
106 Lab rodent : RAT
111 Stretched thin : TAUT
113 Cry of discovery : AHA!
114 IM pioneer : AOL
115 “__ Raining Them”: Mila Jam remake celebrating the gender spectrum : IT’S
116 Sign for a crowded house : SRO
117 Guy : MAN

12 thoughts on “LA Times Crossword 26 Feb 23, Sunday”

  1. Wow, pretty straight forward.
    Only stutter for me was LARB. After reading Bill’s explanation for LARB, I’m still not suure.

  2. I still don’t get the theme answers even with Bills explanation…I’m starting to think that these crosswords are above my pay grade.
    Stay safe😀

  3. From FORDEXPLORER to HOSTESSDINGDONGS, I found today’s puzzle laugh out loud funny. Please, everyone, always AXEBODYSPRAY!

    @Anon Mike, LARB is a Lao dish you’re more likely in the US to encounter in Thai restaurants. It might look like a scoop of tuna salad on a bed of greens, but watch out! It’s very, very spicy. This is one of those dishes that encourage you to eat plenty of rice.

    Hope everyone is getting through this crazy weather weather okay.

  4. This was one of those puzzles that if you got all the words that stated with a vowel the first time through…you had a quick solve ….every thing after that fell into place…fun solve!!

  5. For reasons that elude me I had one heck of a time finishing the NE corner and the SW corner. The last to fall was the NE corner. I kept pecking away at it and it finally made sense and I was finished without final error.

    We are going to see Chicago (Does Anyone Really Know What Time it Is?) in concert tonight at the Cerritos Performing Arts Center, a place we’ve never been to before. Looking forward to see the venue and of course, the music.

  6. 23:30 with 2 errors due to haste (I had icebreakermines instead of mints, made zero sense if I had looked at the THIRD party cross). Fun puzzle!

  7. 24 minutes 28 seconds and 2 errors. I know “BAR MITZVAH”, but not BNAI. Oy, they want I should know this, as a goy?

    The theme answers were just wretched. It rarely gets more “stretched” and forced than this. But, on balance, it was enjoyable enough.

  8. For various reasons, I don’t have a time for this one. No errors, but I spent several minutes, after I was done, trying to make sense of the answer for 70-Across, ultimately deciding that a “high top bar table” must be a thing. And, indeed, Google tells me that it is. I guess I just haven’t spent enough time in bars … 😳.

  9. 33:20 – no errors or lookups. Some false starts in the NE corner. Guesses at NEAT and GOTHIC helped get that section filled in and complete the grid.

    A few new items and names.

    I got the brand names in the 7 theme answers (the puzzle title is Brand Awareness), and how they answer the clues; but how they’re “anti-capitalism” is beyond me. I can’t figure out that aspect of them.

  10. No look ups, no errors. 3 changes on the fly
    lotsa/lotta, shore party/ third party and open/awed for “agape”. Clever theme and it
    helped but it was still a slog for me….

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