LA Times Crossword 2 Mar 23, Thursday

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Constructed by: Joe Hansen
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Reveal Answer: Repeat after Me

Themed answers each start with a word that is repeated after the letters “ME”:

  • 36A Instruction before an oath, and a feature of 20-, 31-, 43-, and 54-Across : REPEAT AFTER ME
  • 20A Line dance that’s actually a hustle? : CON GAME CONGA
  • 31A Breakfast, lunch, and dinner for Pacino? : AL’S MEALS
  • 43A Singer DiFranco, as portrayed in Japanese cartoons? : ANIME ANI
  • 54A One inevitable bar of music? : A SURE MEASURE

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

Bill’s time: 6m 43s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

5 Mil. truant : AWOL

AWOL (absent without leave)

“Truant” is such a lovely word. We have been using it to describe someone who wanders from an appointed place since the mid-1400s. Prior to that, a truant was a beggar or a vagabond.

9 Witch played by Elizabeth Olsen in Marvel films : WANDA

“WandaVision” is a TV miniseries featuring characters from Marvel Comics. The title characters are Wanda Maximoff (aka Scarlet Witch) played by Elizabeth Olsen and Vision played by Paul Bettany. I am by no means a fan of screen adaptations of comic characters, but I might take a look at “WandaVision”. Wanda and Vision are living in suburbia, trying to conceal their superhero identities. Each episode progresses the storyline through several decades, using situations encountered in sitcoms of the day. Episodes use the format of shows such as:

  • The Dick Van Dyke Show
  • I Love Lucy
  • Bewitched
  • I Dream of Jeannie
  • The Brady Bunch
  • Good Times
  • The Mary Tyler Moore Show
  • Full House
  • Malcolm in the Middle
  • Modern Family
  • Out of this World
  • The Twilight Zone

Sounds very intriguing …

Elizabeth Olsen is the younger sister of famous actresses Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, who rose to fame as child stars on the TV show Full House. Elizabeth didn’t start acting until later in life, and has starred in several critically acclaimed films. She is also known for her role as Scarlet Witch in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

14 “Othello” villain : IAGO

Despite being portrayed as a villain in William Shakespeare’s “Othello”, Iago is one of the most complex characters in the play. He is known for his Machiavellian tactics, manipulating the other characters to achieve his selfish goals.

15 Smoke an e-cig : VAPE

An electronic cigarette (also called an “e-cigarette”) is a battery-powered device that resembles a real cigarette. The e-cigarette vaporizes a solution that contains nicotine, forming a vapor that resembles smoke. The vapor is inhaled in a process called “vaping”, delivering nicotine into the body. The assumption is that an e-cigarette is healthier than a regular cigarette as the inhaled vapor is less harmful than inhaled smoke. But, that may not be so …

17 Some agts. : G-MEN

The nickname “G-men” is short for “government men” and refers to agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

18 __-steven : EVEN

“Even steven” is an idiom that means “fair and equal.” It is believed to have originated in the 19th century in the United States. The phrase was likely derived from the concept of evenly dividing goods or resources between two parties.

19 Sparkly stone : GEODE

A geode is a rock in which there is a cavity that is lined or filled with crystal formations. The crystals inside a geode form when mineral-rich water seeps into a cavity in a rock, leaving behind dissolved minerals that gradually build up over time. Some of the largest geodes ever discovered have been as big as a room and can take millions of years to form.

20 Line dance that’s actually a hustle? : CON GAME CONGA

The conga line is a dance that originated as a Cuban carnival march. It became popular in the US starting in the thirties. The dance is apparently named after the Congo region of Africa, and it was originated by slaves who were brought from there to Cuba.

31 Breakfast, lunch, and dinner for Pacino? : AL’S MEALS

Al Pacino seems to be best known for playing characters on both sides of the law. Pacino’s big break in the movies came when he played Michael Corleone in “The Godfather”, a role that grew for him as the series of films progressed. But his Oscar-winning role was that of a blind ex-military officer in “Scent of a Woman”.

Al Pacino is an actor who has had a long and successful career in Hollywood. He was once offered the role of Han Solo in the original Star Wars trilogy, but he turned it down. The role eventually went to Harrison Ford, who went on to become one of the most iconic actors in Hollywood history.

35 Hotmail provider : MSN

Hotmail was one of the first web-based email services, launched on July 4, 1996. “Hotmail” was initially spelled as “HoTMaiL” to emphasize its use of HTML for web pages. In 1997, Microsoft acquired the service, later rebranding it as Outlook.com.

42 Blood line? : ARTERY

Arteries are vessels that carry blood away from the heart, and veins are vessels carrying blood to the heart.

43 Singer DiFranco, as portrayed in Japanese cartoons? : ANIME ANI

Anime is cartoon animation in the style of Japanese manga comic books.

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

54 One inevitable bar of music? : A SURE MEASURE

Musical scores are divided into measures, although on the other side of the Atlantic the term “bar” is used instead of “measure”.

58 Bear in the WWF logo : PANDA

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) was founded in 1961. It’s mission is …

… to stop the degradation of the planet’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature.

The panda logo used by World Wildlife Fund (WWF) was created in 1961 by the organization’s founder, Sir Peter Scott. He chose the panda as the symbol for the organization because he believed that it was a “charismatic and universally loved” animal that could help raise awareness about the need for conservation.

61 Voracious : AVID

To be voracious is to have a huge appetite, or to be excessively eager. The term “voracious” comes from the Latin verb “vorare” meaning “to devour”.

64 DoorDash link : MENU

DoorDash is the largest food delivery company in the country. Customers can order food from many different restaurants using the DoorDash app, and a DoorDash driver delivers it to a home or office. DoorDash also operates ghost kitchens, facilities that prepare meals for delivery customers of a group of restaurants.

65 Cuba libre ingredient : COKE

The Cuba Libre cocktail was created during the Spanish-American War. American soldiers, stationed in Cuba, mixed Coca-Cola with Cuban rum and added a squeeze of lime to create a refreshing drink. The name “Cuba Libre” translates to “Free Cuba,” which became a popular slogan during the war as the United States supported Cuban independence from Spanish rule.

Down

1 Member of the genus Panthera : BIG CAT

Panthera is a genus of big cats that includes tigers, lions, jaguars, leopards, and snow leopards. The genetic similarity among the different Panthera species is so close that they can interbreed and produce hybrid offspring, such as the liger (lion-tiger hybrid) and the jaglion (jaguar-lion hybrid).

2 “I Wanna Be Sedated” surname : RAMONE

“I Wanna Be Sedated” is a 1978 song written and released by the American punk rock band the Ramones. The song was inspired by the band’s exhausting tour schedule and their desire for a quick fix to escape the monotony and boredom of life on the road. The song’s opening line, “Twenty-twenty-twenty-four hours to go,” refers to the remaining time until their next gig.

4 Pagoda instrument : GONG

Pagodas are tiered (“storied”) towers, found in various parts of Asia, that are usually built for religious purposes.

5 Beyoncé song that samples Schubert : AVE MARIA

“Ave Maria” is a 2008 ballad co-written and recorded by Beyoncé. The song features elements from Franz Schubert’s “Ave Maria”, a song that was playing while Beyoncé walked down the aisle at her wedding to Jay-Z.

“Ave Maria” (“Hail Mary” in English) is the prayer at the core of the Roman Catholic Rosary, which itself is a set of prayers asking for the assistance of the Virgin Mary. Much of the text of the “Hail Mary” comes from the Gospel of Luke. The words in Latin are:

AVE MARIA, gratia plena, Dominus tecum. Benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Iesus. Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc, et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen.

The prayer has been adapted as a hymn. The two most famous musical versions of “Ave Maria” are by Charles Gounod (based on a piece by Bach) and by Franz Schubert.

7 Intl. oil group : OPEC

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) controls a significant portion of the world’s oil supply. OPEC member countries account for around 44% of global oil production and 73% of the world’s oil reserves.

8 Longtime NBC host : LENO

Jay Leno was born James Leno in New Rochelle, New York. Jay’s father was the son of Italian immigrants, and his mother was from Scotland. Leno grew up in Andover, Massachusetts and actually dropped out of school on the advice of a high school guidance counselor. However, years later he went to Emerson College and earned a Bachelor’s degree in speech therapy. Leno also started a comedy club at Emerson in 1973. Today Jay Leno is a car nut and owns over 300 vehicles of various types. You can check them out on his website: www.jaylenosgarage.com.

9 Ralph of “The Simpsons” who said, “Me, fail English? That’s unpossible” : WIGGUM

Ralph Wiggum is a character on “The Simpsons”. He is the son of Police Chief Wiggum, and a classmate of Lisa Simpson. Ralph is voiced by Nancy Cartwright, who also voices Bart Simpson.

11 Oxfam, e.g. : NGO

Non-governmental organization (NGO)

Oxfam was founded in 1942 in Oxford, England, and was originally called the Oxford Committee for Famine Relief. The original mission of Oxfam was to persuade the British government to allow food into Greece during WWII in the days the country was occupied by the Axis Powers. The name OXFAM was adopted in 1965. Prior to that date, OXFAM was quite simply the organization’s telegraph address (remember telegraphs?).

22 School org. for top students : NHS

The National Honor Society (NHS) is a recognition program open to students who have demonstrated excellence in grades 10-12.

26 “Mad Men” star : HAMM

Jon Hamm lived the life of a struggling actor for quite some time before he hit gold with a starring role in the AMC drama “Mad Men”. He plays the main character, advertising executive and man about town Don Draper.

28 Govt.-issued ID : SSN

Social Security number (SSN)

30 Valvoline rival : STP

STP was founded in 1953 by racing enthusiast and businessman Andy Granatelli. The name “STP” stands for “Scientifically Treated Petroleum.”

Valvoline is the oldest brand of motor oil marketed here in the US. The formulation was trademarked in 1873.

31 Classic arcade name : ATARI

Founded in 1972, electronics and video game manufacturer Atari was once the fastest-growing company in US history. However, Atari never really recovered from the video game industry crash of 1983. The name “Atari” was chosen because it is a term used in the Japanese game Go that signifies a move that effectively seals the opponent’s fate.

32 Uber alternative : LYFT

Lyft was founded in 2012 as a ride-sharing service in San Francisco, California. The company’s original name was “Zimride” and it was focused on long-distance ride-sharing.

34 Suffix meaning “land” : -STAN

The suffix “-stan”, used in many place names, is Persian for “place of”.

36 Litter’s smallest : RUNT

Back around 1500, a runt was an old or decayed tree stump, and by the early 1600s “runt” was being used to describe animals that were similarly old and decayed. Ultimately “runt” came to mean the smallest and often sickest in a litter.

37 Mideast title : EMIR

An emir is a prince or chieftain, one most notably from the Middle East in Islamic countries. In English, “emir” can also be written variously as “emeer, amir, ameer” (watch out for those spellings in crosswords!).

39 “Get Out” actress Alexander : ERIKA

Erika Alexander is the actress who played Pam Tucker, a cousin that came to live with the Huxtable household in “The Cosby Show”. Alexander also won many awards for playing Maxine Shaw on the Fox sitcom “Living Single”.

45 Op-ed pieces : ESSAYS

“Op-ed” is an abbreviation for “opposite the editorial page”. Op-eds started in “The New York Evening World” in 1921 when the page opposite the editorials was used for articles written by a named guest writer, someone independent of the editorial board.

46 Sch. with a Phoenix campus : ASU

Arizona State University (ASU) has a long history, and was founded as the Tempe Normal School for the Arizona Territory in 1885. The athletic teams of ASU used to be known as the Normals, then the Bulldogs, and since 1946 they’ve been called the Sun Devils.

48 Literary castaway : CRUSOE

“Robinson Crusoe” is a novel written by Daniel Defoe and published in 1719. It is widely considered to be the first English novel. Before “Robinson Crusoe”, most works of fiction were written in verse or drama, but Defoe’s novel was written in prose and followed a narrative structure that would become standard for the novel genre.

49 California city on Humboldt Bay : EUREKA

Eureka, California is the largest city on the West Coast between San Francisco and Portland. It is a port city lying on Humboldt Bay that was settled by Europeans in 1850. Gold was discovered nearby, and this led to the settlement taking the name “Eureka”, which means “I’ve found it!” in Greek.

52 __ acid : AMINO

There are 20 different types of amino acids that make up proteins. However, only 11 of them can be synthesized by the human body, while the remaining nine essential amino acids must be obtained from food sources.

60 Org. with Cavs and Mavs : NBA

The Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavs joined the NBA as an expansion team in 1970.

The Mavericks (also “Mavs”) are an NBA franchise in Dallas, Texas. The team was founded in 1980, and the Mavericks name was chosen by fan votes. The choice of “Mavericks” was prompted by the fact that the actor James Garner was a part-owner of the team, and Garner of course played the title role in the “Maverick” television series.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Boast : BRAG
5 Mil. truant : AWOL
9 Witch played by Elizabeth Olsen in Marvel films : WANDA
14 “Othello” villain : IAGO
15 Smoke an e-cig : VAPE
16 Dude who might ask, “Have you tried turning it off and on again?” : IT GUY
17 Some agts. : G-MEN
18 __-steven : EVEN
19 Sparkly stone : GEODE
20 Line dance that’s actually a hustle? : CON GAME CONGA
23 “What’s your point?” : AND?
24 “Sick!” : RAD!
25 Quiets : HUSHES
29 “Coming soon” ad : TEASER
31 Breakfast, lunch, and dinner for Pacino? : AL’S MEALS
33 Like many mountain roads : TWISTY
35 Hotmail provider : MSN
36 Instruction before an oath, and a feature of 20-, 31-, 43-, and 54-Across : REPEAT AFTER ME
41 Mint alternative : GUM
42 Blood line? : ARTERY
43 Singer DiFranco, as portrayed in Japanese cartoons? : ANIME ANI
47 Girls in the family : NIECES
51 Emotional strain : STRESS
52 Request : ASK
53 Regret : RUE
54 One inevitable bar of music? : A SURE MEASURE
58 Bear in the WWF logo : PANDA
61 Voracious : AVID
62 Like items at a thrift shop : USED
63 “How fun!” : OH BOY!
64 DoorDash link : MENU
65 Cuba libre ingredient : COKE
66 Becomes more friendly : THAWS
67 Support, with “up” : PROP …
68 Cabbage unit : HEAD

Down

1 Member of the genus Panthera : BIG CAT
2 “I Wanna Be Sedated” surname : RAMONE
3 Meeting guide : AGENDA
4 Pagoda instrument : GONG
5 Beyoncé song that samples Schubert : AVE MARIA
6 Greeted wordlessly : WAVED
7 Intl. oil group : OPEC
8 Longtime NBC host : LENO
9 Ralph of “The Simpsons” who said, “Me, fail English? That’s unpossible” : WIGGUM
10 “You can relax now” : AT EASE
11 Oxfam, e.g. : NGO
12 Disappointment : DUD
13 Sailor’s yes : AYE
21 “__ having fun yet?” : ARE WE
22 School org. for top students : NHS
26 “Mad Men” star : HAMM
27 Otherwise : ELSE
28 Govt.-issued ID : SSN
30 Valvoline rival : STP
31 Classic arcade name : ATARI
32 Uber alternative : LYFT
34 Suffix meaning “land” : -STAN
36 Litter’s smallest : RUNT
37 Mideast title : EMIR
38 Started to freeze : TENSED UP
39 “Get Out” actress Alexander : ERIKA
40 Deli slice : RYE
41 Tank filler : GAS
44 Grassy expanse : MEADOW
45 Op-ed pieces : ESSAYS
46 Sch. with a Phoenix campus : ASU
48 Literary castaway : CRUSOE
49 California city on Humboldt Bay : EUREKA
50 Like some 40-Down bread : SEEDED
52 __ acid : AMINO
55 Skate park feature : RAMP
56 At any time : EVER
57 “No __ luck!” : SUCH
58 Cauldron : POT
59 “That feels nice!” : AHH!
60 Org. with Cavs and Mavs : NBA

14 thoughts on “LA Times Crossword 2 Mar 23, Thursday”

  1. No errors.
    The “ME” thing definitely helped speed up my solving time. I was held up until I figured that out.

  2. This one went pretty smoothly, especially after I realized the
    theme; I had no errors and one lookup as I didn’t know “oxfam”
    and still don’t know what the letters NGO stand for. Someone
    will enlighten me, I’m sure.

  3. I was zooming right along until I got stopped dead in my tracks in the NE corner. I have no idea what Oxfam is. And I’m probably the only person on earth who has never seen a single episode of the Simpsons. Oh, poor me.

    1. No you are not the only one in the world who hasn’t seen the
      Simpsons. I haven’t either but some of the names come up in
      crossword puzzles so often that I’m getting to know them.

    2. I also have no interest in The Simpsons (hard to believe it’s been on for so long), Family Guy, King of the Hill, South Park, or anything like them.

  4. 9:46 – no errors or lookups. False start: AAH>AHH.

    New: “I Wanna Be Sedated,” RAMONE, WIGGUM, ERIKA Alexander, “Get Out.”

    Pretty clever theme construction. I saw it early, which helped solve the themed answers.

  5. WOW! Two good puzzles in a row. VERY clever theme and certainly helped solving this. Didn’t know several of the answers but the crosses filled everything in. Happy Thursday.

  6. 9:05, no errors. A Thursday PR for me; getting the theme halfway through was a big help.

  7. 9 mins 43 seconds and DNF: The WIG[G]UM/[G]EODE cross got me, and I had COLA instead of COKE in the SE corner.

    Just a mess. Stupid, strained theme, too.

  8. Tough Thursday for me; took 21:22 with 2 dumb errors because I didn’t properly figure out the theme. Still, a lot of weird names that I never heard of as well: WIGGUM, ERIKA and two that I’ve heard of but know nothing about: WANDA and HAMM. Failed on AVE?ARIE and NH? which, if I’d figured out the theme would’ve been a gimme.

    WSJ was a little longer but loads of fun, whereas this was kind of a blah…

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