LA Times Crossword 20 Mar 23, Monday

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Constructed by: Jon Pennington
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Reveal Answer: Ahead of the Game

Themed answers all comprise two words, both of which are often seen AHEAD OF THE word “GAME”:

  • 52A In an advantageous position, or where both halves of the answers to 20-, 26-, and 44-Across can be placed? : AHEAD OF THE GAME
  • 20A First songs of musicals : OPENING NUMBERS (“opening game” & “numbers game”)
  • 26A Collectible once sold with bubble gum : BASEBALL CARD (“baseball game” & “card game”)
  • 44A Ideal partner : PERFECT MATCH (“perfect game” & “match game”)

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

Bill’s time: 5m 12s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

14 Port-au-Prince’s country : HAITI

Port-au-Prince is the capital city of Haiti, located on the western coast of the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean Sea. One of the main tourist attractions in the city is the “Marché en Fer” (Iron Market), where vendors sell everything from traditional Haitian crafts to fresh produce. The building is called the Iron Market because it is constructed largely using cast iron. It was built in Paris, intended for use as a railroad station in Cairo. When that deal fell through, the president of Haiti purchased the building and brought it to the island in 18981.

15 Happily __ after : EVER

The stock phrase “Once upon a time …” has been used in various forms as the start of a narrative at least since 1380. The stock phrase at the end of stories such as folktales is often “and they all lived happily ever after”. The earlier version of this ending was “happily until their deaths”.

16 Norway’s capital : OSLO

The Norwegian capital of Oslo is located at the northern end of a fjord known as Oslofjord. The fjord is home to 40 islands that lie within the city’s limits. Oslo also has 343 lakes.

17 Director Welles : ORSON

Orson Welles is perhaps best-remembered in the world of film for his role in 1941’s “Citizen Kane”. In the world of radio, Welles is known for directing and narrating 1938’s famous broadcast of “The War of the Worlds”, a broadcast that convinced many listeners that the Earth was indeed being invaded by aliens.

18 Quayle follower : GORE

Al Gore was born in Washington DC, and is the son of Al Gore, Sr., then a US Representative for the state of Tennessee. After deferring his military service in order to attend Harvard, the younger Gore became eligible for the draft on graduation. Many of his classmates found ways of avoiding the draft, but Gore decided to serve and even took the “tougher” option of joining the army as an enlisted man. Actor Tommy Lee Jones shared a house with Gore in college and says that his buddy told him that even if he could find a way around the draft, someone with less options than him would have to go in his place and that was just wrong.

Dan Quayle served as both a US Representative and a US Senator from Indiana before becoming the 44th Vice President, under President George H. W. Bush. Quayle refused to run for office in 1996, going up against the Clinton/Gore ticket, but entered the fray again in 2000 seeking the Republican nomination for president. Ironically, he was defeated by the son of his former Commander-in-Chief, George W. Bush.

19 Viral social media post : MEME

A meme (from “mineme”) is a cultural practice or idea that is passed on verbally or by repetition from one person to another. The term lends itself very well to the online world where links, emails, files etc. are so easily propagated.

24 Actress Arthur : BEA

Bea Arthur an American actress and comedian who rose to fame in the 1970s with her iconic roles in the hit TV shows “Maude” and “The Golden Girls.” Prior to launching her acting career, Arthur served in the US military. In 1943, at the age of 21, she joined the US Marine Corps Women’s Reserve, where she worked as a typist and truck driver.

25 “Très __!” : BIEN

“Very good” is written as “sehr gut” in German, and as “très bien” in French.

35 Fannie __: federal mortgage agency : MAE

The Federal National Mortgage Association is commonly called “Fannie Mae”, a play on the initialism “FNMA”. Fannie Mae was founded during the Great Depression as part of President Roosevelt’s New Deal.

36 Igneous rock, before cooling : LAVA

The three main classes of rocks are sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic. Igneous rocks are formed from solidified lava or magma. They are commonly used in construction materials, such as paving stones and countertops, due to their durability and resistance to weathering.

38 Brand of spongy toys : NERF

Nerf is a soft material used in a whole series of toys designed for “safe” play indoors. The Nerf product is used to make darts, balls and ammunition for toy guns. “NERF” is an acronym, standing for Non-Expanding Recreational Foam.

40 Italian tower city : PISA

The Italian city of Pisa is home to the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa, which is actually the bell tower of the city’s cathedral. Pisa is also a university town, and is home to one of the oldest universities in Europe, the University of Pisa, which was founded in 1343. The university has produced many notable alumni, including the physicist Galileo Galilei.

48 “Fortunate Son” band, for short : CCR

“Fortunate Son” is a hit song by American rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR), released in 1969. The song is widely regarded as an anti-war anthem and is often associated with the Vietnam War era. The song was written by John Fogerty, CCR’s lead singer and songwriter. He has said that the song was inspired by his frustration with the war and the fact that the sons of wealthy and influential people often managed to avoid military service, while those from lower-income families were more likely to be drafted and sent to fight.

49 Kim Kardashian, to North West : MOM

North West is the eldest daughter of reality TV star Kim Kardashian and rapper Kanye West. She was born in 2013, and has since become a media personality in her own right.

58 Book of maps : ATLAS

The first modern atlas was published in 1570 by Abraham Ortelius, a Flemish cartographer. It was called “Theatrum Orbis Terrarum” (Theater of the World).

59 NBA Hall of Famer Frazier : WALT

Walt “Clyde” Frazier is a former American professional basketball player who played for the New York Knicks during the 1960s and 1970s. He is known for his unique fashion sense and flamboyant style both on and off the court. He was famous for wearing colorful and flashy outfits, often including custom-made suits, fedora hats, and wide-brimmed hats.

60 Watson of “Little Women” : EMMA

“Little Women” is a 2019 film adaptation of the novel by Louis May Alcott. The role of Meg March was originally slated for Emma Stone. She had to drop out due to a scheduling conflict, and was replaced by another Emma, namely Emma Watson.

61 Invaders of ancient Rome : GOTHS

The East Germanic tribe called the Goths had two main branches, called the Ostrogoths and the Visigoths. The Visigothic capital was the city of Toulouse in France, whereas the Ostrogoth capital was the Italian city of Ravenna just inland of the Adriatic coast. It was the Visigoths who sacked Rome in 410 CE, heralding the fall of the Western Roman Empire.

62 8-Down capital : LIMA
(8D South American country whose capital is 62-Across : PERU)

Lima is the capital city of Peru. It was founded in 1535 by the Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro, who named it “la Ciudad de los Reyes” (the City of Kings). He chose this name because the decision to found the city was made on January 6th, the feast of the Epiphany that commemorates the visit of the three kings to Jesus in Bethlehem. Lima is home to the oldest university in all of the Americas, as San Marco University was founded in 1551 during the days of Spanish colonial rule.

Down

2 __ diem: seize the day : CARPE

“Carpe diem” is a quotation from Horace, one of ancient Rome’s leading lyric poets. “Carpe diem” translates from Latin as “seize the day” or “enjoy the day”. The satirical motto of a procrastinator is “carpe mañana”, “translating” as “seize tomorrow”.

3 Like a soufflé, if everything goes well : RISEN

A soufflé is a French dish that is usually served as a dessert. The verb “souffler” means “to blow, blow up”.

5 Hotel room fridge stocked with drinks : MINIBAR

Minibars were first introduced into rooms in the Hong Kong Hilton in 1974. They were so popular and profitable that they were added to almost all Hilton hotel rooms in 1975.

6 Peter Tosh’s music genre : REGGAE

Peter Tosh was a musician from Jamaica, a member of the Wailers reggae band. Sadly, Tosh was murdered in a home invasion and extortion attempt in 1987.

7 Skinvincible cosmetics brand : AVON

In 1886, a young man called David McConnell was selling books door-to-door. To enhance his sales numbers he was giving out free perfume to the ladies of the houses that he visited. Seeing as his perfume was more popular than his books, he founded the California Perfume Company in New York City and started manufacturing and selling across the country. The company name was changed to Avon in 1939, and the famous “Avon Calling” marketing campaign was launched in 1954.

8 South American country whose capital is 62-Across : PERU

The area of South America that we now know as Peru was home to the Inca Empire, one of the largest and most powerful empires in pre-Columbian America. The Inca Empire existed from the early 13th century until it was conquered in the 16th century by the Spanish, led by Francisco Pizarro.

10 Skills class rebranded as “family and consumer sciences,” familiarly : HOME EC

Home economics (home ec)

12 Tall shade trees : ELMS

Elm trees have a unique ability to tolerate urban environments, making them a popular choice for city planners looking to add greenery to their landscapes. They have a high tolerance for air pollution, compacted soil, and other stresses commonly found in urban areas, which allows them to thrive in these environments where other tree species might struggle.

13 Mama deer : DOE

A male deer is usually called a buck, and a female is a doe. However, the male red deer is usually referred to as a stag. The males of even larger species of deer are often called bulls, and the females called cows. In older English, male deer of over 5 years were called harts, and females of over 3 years were called hinds. The young of small species are known as fawns, and of larger species are called calves. All very confusing …

21 Loch __ monster : NESS

The Loch Ness Monster, also known as “Nessie,” is a legendary creature said to inhabit Loch Ness, a deep freshwater loch in the Scottish Highlands. The first recorded sighting of Nessie dates back to 565 AD, but it was not until the 1930s that the legend really took off.

22 Hornswoggle : BILK

The verb “to bilk”, meaning “to defraud”, comes from the card game of cribbage. “To bilk” in cribbage is to spoil someone’s score.

27 Second-stringers : B-TEAM

We’ve been using the phrases “first string” and “second string” in athletics since the mid-19th century. The expressions come from archery, in which a competitor would carry a second bowstring in case the first broke.

29 Hard to find, in Latin : RARA

A “rara avis” is anything that is very rare. The Latin term translates as “rare bird”.

37 Retired fast jet, briefly : SST

Supersonic transport (SST)

40 “A Salt With a Deadly __”: 1988 hip-hop album : PEPA

“A Salt with a Deadly Pepa” is a 1988 studio album released by hip hop group Salt-N-Pepa. You gotta admire that punny album title …

43 Land measure : ACREAGE

At one time, an acre was defined as the amount of land a yoke of oxen could plow in a day. Then, an acre was more precisely defined as a strip of land “one furrow long” (i.e. one furlong) and one chain wide. The length of one furlong was equal to 10 chains, or 40 rods. An area of one furlong times 10 rods was one rood.

45 Small Ford model : FIESTA

The Fiesta is a car introduced by Ford in 1976, and is a model that has legs. There have been seven generations of Fiesta made, with over 16 million cars sold.

49 Ice cream drinks : MALTS

Walgreens claims to have introduced the malted milkshake, back in 1922.

50 Nebraska city : OMAHA

Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska. It is located on the Missouri River, about 10 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River. When Nebraska was still a territory Omaha was its capital, but when Nebraska achieved statehood the capital was moved to the city of Lincoln.

52 Superfood berry : ACAI

Açaí (pronounced “ass-aye-ee”) is a palm tree native to Central and South America. The fruit has become very popular in recent years and its juice is a very fashionable addition to juice mixes and smoothies.

55 Vintage Pontiac muscle cars : GTOS

The Pontiac GTO was produced by GM from 1964 to 1974, and again by a GM subsidiary in Australia from 2004 to 2006. The original GTO’s design is credited to Pontiac chief engineer at the time John DeLorean, who later founded the DeLorean Motor Company.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 “Get outta here!” : SCRAM!
6 Enthralled : RAPT
10 Tinted : HUED
14 Port-au-Prince’s country : HAITI
15 Happily __ after : EVER
16 Norway’s capital : OSLO
17 Director Welles : ORSON
18 Quayle follower : GORE
19 Viral social media post : MEME
20 First songs of musicals : OPENING NUMBERS (“opening game” & “numbers game”)
23 Countdown start : TEN
24 Actress Arthur : BEA
25 “Très __!” : BIEN
26 Collectible once sold with bubble gum : BASEBALL CARD (“baseball game” & “card game”)
31 Bowls over : FLOORS
34 Long journey : TREK
35 Fannie __: federal mortgage agency : MAE
36 Igneous rock, before cooling : LAVA
37 Pt. of a minute : SEC
38 Brand of spongy toys : NERF
39 Single : ONE
40 Italian tower city : PISA
42 Worries no end : EATS AT
44 Ideal partner : PERFECT MATCH (“perfect game” & “match game”)
47 Sanitizing cloth : WIPE
48 “Fortunate Son” band, for short : CCR
49 Kim Kardashian, to North West : MOM
52 In an advantageous position, or where both halves of the answers to 20-, 26-, and 44-Across can be placed? : AHEAD OF THE GAME
56 Top poker cards : ACES
57 Like so : THUS
58 Book of maps : ATLAS
59 NBA Hall of Famer Frazier : WALT
60 Watson of “Little Women” : EMMA
61 Invaders of ancient Rome : GOTHS
62 8-Down capital : LIMA
63 Yes votes : AYES
64 Writing contest entry : ESSAY

Down

1 “Dagnabbit!” : SHOOT!
2 __ diem: seize the day : CARPE
3 Like a soufflé, if everything goes well : RISEN
4 Lots and lots : A TON
5 Hotel room fridge stocked with drinks : MINIBAR
6 Peter Tosh’s music genre : REGGAE
7 Skinvincible cosmetics brand : AVON
8 South American country whose capital is 62-Across : PERU
9 Shake with fear : TREMBLE
10 Skills class rebranded as “family and consumer sciences,” familiarly : HOME EC
11 IDs entered before passwords : USERNAMES
12 Tall shade trees : ELMS
13 Mama deer : DOE
21 Loch __ monster : NESS
22 Hornswoggle : BILK
26 Feathery scarf : BOA
27 Second-stringers : B-TEAM
28 Circle segment : ARC
29 Hard to find, in Latin : RARA
30 Highly skilled : DEFT
31 Graceless dive : FLOP
32 Rural road : LANE
33 Inundate : OVERWHELM
37 Retired fast jet, briefly : SST
38 To the __ degree : NTH
40 “A Salt With a Deadly __”: 1988 hip-hop album : PEPA
41 Pure Leaf beverage : ICED TEA
42 Carve in stone : ETCH
43 Land measure : ACREAGE
45 Small Ford model : FIESTA
46 Plays the role of : ACTS AS
49 Ice cream drinks : MALTS
50 Nebraska city : OMAHA
51 In need of tidying : MESSY
52 Superfood berry : ACAI
53 “Heavens!” : OH MY!
54 Seethe : FUME
55 Vintage Pontiac muscle cars : GTOS
56 Hole-making tool : AWL