LA Times Crossword 23 Mar 23, Thursday

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Constructed by: Rebecca Goldstein & Rafael Musa
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Reveal Answer: The Vibes Are Off

Themed answers each include the letter string “V-I-B-E”, although the order of the letters is OFF:

  • 62A “This doesn’t feel right,” and what can be said about some letters in the answers to the starred clues? : THE VIBES ARE OFF
  • 16A *Players who cover wide receivers : DEFENSIVE BACKS
  • 28A *Film fanatic : MOVIE BUFF
  • 39A *Black Friday slogan : SAVE BIG
  • 50A *Couple in the honeymoon phase : LOVEBIRDS

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

Bill’s time: 6m 13s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Acrobat format : PDF

Adobe Acrobat is the software used to create .pdf files. Most of us are more familiar with the associated application called Adobe Reader, because that’s what we use to read those .pdf files.

4 Mumford & Sons instrument : BANJO

Mumford & Sons is a British folk rock band formed in 2007. They got their name from the lead singer Marcus Mumford’s family name, even though none of the other band members are related to him. My guess is that the group’s most famous song is the excellent “I Will Wait”, written by Mumford and released in 2012.

13 Non opposite : OUI

In French, “oui” (yes) or “non” (no) might be responses to “un questionnaire” (a questionnaire).

14 Burmese or Lao : ASIAN

The Republic of the Union of Myanmar is the official name of the Asian country that some nations still recognize as the Union of Burma.

The official name for the country of Laos is the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. In the Lao language, the country’s name is “Meuang Lao”. The French ruled Laos as part of French Indochina, having united three separate Lao kingdoms. As there was a plural of “Lao” entities united into one, the French added the “S” and so today we tend to use “Laos” instead of “Lao”.

16 *Players who cover wide receivers : DEFENSIVE BACKS

That would be American football.

19 Part of a winesap or a wineglass : STEM

A winesap is a small and tart apple, one often used for making cider.

21 Actress Shawkat : ALIA

Alia Shawkat is an actor who might be best known for playing Maeby Fünke on the sitcom “Arrested Development”. Shawkat is best friends with fellow actor Elliot Page (formerly Ellen Page), whom she met while filming the 2009 movie “Whip It”.

28 *Film fanatic : MOVIE BUFF

A buff or nut is someone who is extremely enthusiastic and knowledgeable about a subject. For example, one might be a movie buff, or perhaps a baseball nut.

35 Burj Khalifa’s fed. : UAE

Burj Khalifa is a spectacular skyscraper in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It is the tallest man-made structure in the world, and has been so since the completion of its exterior in 2009. The space in the building came onto the market at a really bad time, during the global financial crisis. The building was part of a US$20 billion development of downtown Dubai that was backed by the city government which had to go looking for a bailout from the neighboring city of Abu Dhabi. The tower was given the name Burj Khalifa at the last minute, apparently as a nod to UAE President Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan who helped to broker the bailout.

37 Frog’s kid-lit friend : TOAD

The “Frog and Toad” series of books for young children was written and illustrated by Arnold Lobel. The books were the basis of a 2002 Broadway musical called “A Year with Frog and Toad”.

39 *Black Friday slogan : SAVE BIG

In the world of retail, Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving in the US. It is also the day when many stores start the holiday shopping season, and so offer deep discounts to get ahead of the competition.

45 GQ or EW : MAG

The men’s magazine known today as “GQ” used to be titled “Gentlemen’s Quarterly” (hence “GQ”). It was known as “Apparel Arts” when launched in 1931.

“Entertainment Weekly” (EW) is a magazine focused on entertainment media news and reviews of movies, television, books, etc. “EW” was launched in 1990.

46 Pampers product : DIAPER

Pampers is a Procter & Gamble brand of disposable diaper for babies and toddlers that was introduced in 1961.

48 Chimney ducts : FLUES

The flue in a chimney is a duct that conveys exhaust gases from a fire to the outdoors. An important feature of a flue is that its opening is adjustable. When starting a fire, the flue should be wide open, maximizing airflow to get help ignition.

50 *Couple in the honeymoon phase : LOVEBIRDS

The concept of a honeymoon vacation only started in the early 1800s. In Britain, wealthy couples would take a “bridal tour” together after the wedding, visiting those friends and relatives who could not attend the ceremony. The etymology of “honeymoon” isn’t very clear, and may even have a negative derivation as it might suggest that the sweetness (honey) of love is doomed to wane like a passing phase of the moon. The equivalent terms in other languages are “moon of honey” (French), “honey month” (Welsh) and “tinsel week” (German).

54 Greek war god : ARES

The Greek god Ares is often referred to as the Olympian god of warfare, but originally he was regarded as the god of bloodlust and slaughter. Ares united with Aphrodite to create several gods, including Phobos (Fear), Deimos (Terror) and Eros (Desire). Ares was the son of Zeus and Hera, and the Roman equivalent to Ares was Mars.

58 Actor Neeson : LIAM

Irish actor Liam Neeson got his big break when he played Oskar Schindler in the Spielberg epic, “Schindler’s List”. Neeson was in the news some years later when he lost his wife, actress Natasha Richardson, in a tragic skiing accident in 2009. Earlier in his life, in the 1980s, Neeson lived for several years with Oscar-winning actress Helen Mirren.

67 Birthplace of the violin : ITALY

The invention of the modern violin is attributed to Andrea Amati, a repairer of stringed instruments from Cremona, Italy. He created the first known violin in the mid-16th century, which was initially called the “viola da braccio” or “arm viola.”

68 Darjeeling, for one : TEA

Darjeeling tea comes from the Darjeeling district of West Bengal in India.

Down

1 Vanilla units : PODS

The flavor extract that we call “vanilla” comes from the pod-like fruit of climbing orchids belonging to the genus Vanilla. Genuine vanilla is a relatively expensive spice, second only to saffron, due to the amount of work required to grow and harvest the fruit (also called “beans” and “pods”). Spanish and Portuguese explorers came across the Vanilla orchid while exploring the Gulf Coast of Mexico. They gave it the name “vainilla” meaning “little pod”.

3 Marching band pipe : FIFE

A fife is a small flute that is often used in military and marching bands. The name “fife” comes from the German “Pfeife” meaning “pipe”.

6 Hawaiian island whose population was 84 in the 2020 census : NIIHAU

The Hawaiian island of Niihau lies about 17 miles southwest of Kauai, and has a population of about 100 people. The island is privately owned and so only a few tourists are welcome, and only in the past few decades. The lack of access led to it earning the nickname the “Forbidden Isle”.

7 Cup of joe : JAVA

Back in 1850, the name “java” was given to a type of coffee grown on the island of Java, and the more general usage of the term spread from then.

9 Old Testament collection : PSALMS

The Greek word “psalmoi” originally meant “songs sung to a harp”, and gave us the word “psalms”. In the Jewish and Western Christian traditions, the Book of Psalms contains 150 individual psalms, divided into five sections.

10 Lengthy register printout from CVS : RECEIPT

CVS receipts are famous for their length and the amount of information they contain and have become somewhat of a pop culture phenomenon. They are so long because they are designed to include as much information as possible about purchases, including details about the products, discounts, and rewards earned. This is part of CVS’s ExtraCare program, which is a marketing tool designed to promote customer loyalty.

11 Mammals also known as wapiti : ELK

Wapiti, also known as elk, are one of the largest species of deer found in North America and East Asia. They are social animals and live in herds of up to 400 individuals. The herds are usually led by a dominant male, known as a bull, who defends his harem of females during the mating season.

12 Letters from a polite texter : PLS

A polite texter might type PLS (please) and TY (thank you).

17 Message in Outlook : EMAIL

Outlook is the email management application that comes with Microsoft Office.

18 Org. with sashes and badges : BSA

The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) organization was founded in 1910 by American businessman and philanthropist, William D. Boyce. Legend has it that Boyce was moved to do so after he was helped by a young British boy scout while lost in the fog in London. Inspired by the boy scout’s preparedness and helpfulness, Boyce brought the idea of scouting back to the United States and worked to establish the BSA.

25 Favorable optics, for short : GOOD PR

Public relations (PR)

27 Passover rituals : SEDERS

The Passover Seder is a ritual feast that marks the beginning of the Jewish Passover holiday celebrating the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt.

29 Soothsayer : ORACLE

In ancient Greece and Rome, an oracle was someone believed to be inspired by the gods to give wise counsel. The word “oracle” derives from the Latin “orare” meaning “to speak”, which is the same root for our word “orator”. One of the most important oracles of ancient Greece was Pythia, the high priestess to Apollo at Delphi.

A soothsayer is someone who claims to have the ability to predict the future. The term “soothsayer” comes from “sooth”, an archaic word for “truth”. So a soothsayer was supposedly one who told the “truth” (about the future).

32 British Invasion adjective : FAB

The Beatles were described on the sleeve notes of their 1963 album “With the Beatles” as the “fabulous foursome”. The press picked up on the phrase and morphed it into “the Fab Four”.

The Beatles arrived in the US for their first tour in February 1964, arriving at John F. Kennedy Airport to a very, very warm reception. The group’s arrival was the first “action” in what came to be known as “the British Invasion”.

36 Arctic Circle duck : EIDER

Eiders are large sea ducks. Their down feathers are used to fill pillows and quilts, giving the name to the quilt called an “eiderdown”.

40 2021 documentary about actor Kilmer : VAL

“Val” is a documentary film that premiered at the 2021 about the life and career of Val Kilmer, the American actor best known for his roles in films such as “Top Gun,” “Batman Forever,” and “Heat.” The film was largely compiled from footage Kilmer has been recording himself about his life and work since he was a young actor. Due to Kilmer’s battle with throat cancer, the film features his son, Jack, as the narrator.

44 Funds for a rainy day : NEST EGG

A nest egg is an amount of money laid down as a reserve. This is the figurative use of “nest egg” that originally described an artificial egg left in a nest to encourage a hen to lay real eggs in that spot. So our financial nest egg is set aside in anticipation of continued growth, more eggs being laid.

51 Jane Fonda’s alma mater : VASSAR

Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York is now a coeducational school, after over a century of operating as a women’s college since its founding in 1861. The school was officially declared co-ed in 1969, although it had accepted a handful of male students on the GI Bill after WWII.

Jane Fonda is the daughter of Henry Fonda, sister of Peter Fonda, and aunt of Bridget Fonda, making the Fondas quite the acting family. Jane Fonda had many memorable screen performances, but is equally memorable for her anti-war activism. Most famously she was outspoken against the Vietnam War, going so far as to visit North Vietnam during the height of the conflict in 1972, posing for photographs and making radio broadcasts denouncing American leaders as “war criminals”. For her stance, Fonda was nicknamed “Hanoi Jane”.

53 Starchy luau dish : POI

Nowadays, the word “luau” denotes almost any kind of party on the Hawaiian Islands, but to the purist a luau is a feast that always includes a serving of poi, the bulbous underground stems of taro.

57 Slugger Alonso nicknamed “Polar Bear” : PETE

Pete Alonso is a professional first baseman who made his Major League debut in 2019 with the New York Mets. In that first season, Alonso set the record for most home runs by a rookie in a single season with 53, breaking the previous record set by Aaron Judge in 2017. Alonso’s nickname is “Polar Bear”.

61 Degs. for ballerinas : MFAS

Master of Fine Arts (MFA)

62 Uno e uno e uno : TRE

In Italian, “uno e uno e uno” (one plus one plus one) is “tre” (three).

64 “Moonlight” Oscar winner 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”.

“Moonlight” is a 2016 semi-autobiographical film based on an unpublished play by Tarell Alvin McCraney titled “In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue”. “Moonlight” won the season’s Best Picture Oscar, thus becoming the first film to do so with an all-Black cast, and the first with an LGBT storyline.

65 Manhattan liquor : RYE

The cocktail called a manhattan is made from whiskey, sweet vermouth and Angostura bitters. I favor my own version of a brandy manhattan, using brandy, sweet vermouth and orange bitters.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Acrobat format : PDF
4 Mumford & Sons instrument : BANJO
9 __ school : PREP
13 Non opposite : OUI
14 Burmese or Lao : ASIAN
15 Trading floor order : SELL
16 *Players who cover wide receivers : DEFENSIVE BACKS
19 Part of a winesap or a wineglass : STEM
20 Major headache : HASSLE
21 Actress Shawkat : ALIA
24 Pals : AMIGOS
28 *Film fanatic : MOVIE BUFF
33 Uttered : SPOKE
34 “… because you don’t want to cross me” : … OR ELSE
35 Burj Khalifa’s fed. : UAE
37 Frog’s kid-lit friend : TOAD
38 “You’re it!” : TAG!
39 *Black Friday slogan : SAVE BIG
42 Go green, say? : DYE
43 Gay __ : ICON
45 GQ or EW : MAG
46 Pampers product : DIAPER
48 Chimney ducts : FLUES
50 *Couple in the honeymoon phase : LOVEBIRDS
52 Plays matchmaker for : SETS UP
54 Greek war god : ARES
55 18-Down units : TROOPS
58 Actor Neeson : LIAM
62 “This doesn’t feel right,” and what can be said about some letters in the answers to the starred clues? : THE VIBES ARE OFF
66 Intense anger : RAGE
67 Birthplace of the violin : ITALY
68 Darjeeling, for one : TEA
69 Neither calm nor collected : EDGY
70 Like some foggy nights : EERIE
71 Cribside chorus : AWS

Down

1 Vanilla units : PODS
2 Piece for two : DUET
3 Marching band pipe : FIFE
4 Block : BAN
5 Donkey : ASS
6 Hawaiian island whose population was 84 in the 2020 census : NIIHAU
7 Cup of joe : JAVA
8 Snack machine inserts : ONES
9 Old Testament collection : PSALMS
10 Lengthy register printout from CVS : RECEIPT
11 Mammals also known as wapiti : ELK
12 Letters from a polite texter : PLS
17 Message in Outlook : EMAIL
18 Org. with sashes and badges : BSA
22 On sale, say : LESS
23 Pronoun-shaped girder : I-BEAM
25 Favorable optics, for short : GOOD PR
26 Approved : OKAYED
27 Passover rituals : SEDERS
28 Recurring themes : MOTIFS
29 Soothsayer : ORACLE
30 Ride the couch : VEG OUT
31 Fire, in Spanish : FUEGO
32 British Invasion adjective : FAB
36 Arctic Circle duck : EIDER
40 2021 documentary about actor Kilmer : VAL
41 Taunt : GIBE
44 Funds for a rainy day : NEST EGG
47 Market section : AISLE
49 Introductory course : SURVEY
51 Jane Fonda’s alma mater : VASSAR
53 Starchy luau dish : POI
56 Award related to a Tony : OBIE
57 Slugger Alonso nicknamed “Polar Bear” : PETE
59 Whit : IOTA
60 Not many : A FEW
61 Degs. for ballerinas : MFAS
62 Uno e uno e uno : TRE
63 “I’ve been __!” : HAD
64 “Moonlight” Oscar winner Mahershala : ALI
65 Manhattan liquor : RYE

22 thoughts on “LA Times Crossword 23 Mar 23, Thursday”

  1. Ended with no errors, but a couple of PPP lookups…the Hawaiian island
    which I never heard of and the Oscar winner Mahershala, which I didn’t
    know either. 28 minutes flat. This was a tricky one and never noticed
    the theme until it was all done.
    .

  2. 9:20, no errors. I drew a blank for a while on the cross between PODS & OUI. Finally figured out that coffee was being referenced, not ice cream. Reviewing things 5 minutes after finishing the puzzle I got that “Non opposite” is OUI. Well done….

      1. Many days later… Thanks! I was thinking flavored coffee such as one might find in K-Cup Coffee Pods

  3. Alia Shawkat was pretty darn good in the series “The Old Man” with Jeff Bridges. When I saw she was in Arrested Development, I went back to figure out which character she was. She played the young cousin of the young Michael Cera! Ha!

  4. “The Chargers” is the reveal answer? I don’t get it. If someone will be kind enough to explain it, I’ll gladly endure the embarrassment. Thx.

    1. I’m sure others have already responded, but … “The Chargers” as the reveal answer is an inadvertent leftover from yesterday.

  5. 12:29 – no errors, lookups, or false starts.

    New: ALIA Shawkat, NIIHAU, PETE Alonso.

    Got the theme after completing the puzzle. Pretty straightforward for a Thursday.

  6. LOVED “Green Book” and especially Mahershala Ali. If you haven’t seen it, do yourself a favor and WATCH IT! Great movie!!
    Oh yeah, and I finished the puzzle in about 20 minutes – no lookups or errors! Woo-hoo!
    Enjoy this day! 😊

  7. Almost perfecto. Didn’t know ALIA or NIIHAU so one blank, but pretty good for a Thursday. Good and interesting theme and it helped, once I got it. As to THECHARGERS, I think that’s left over from yesterday.

  8. 24:44 no errors…it still amazes me how someone can include something like “vibe” and make it fit both ways. Then again lots of things amaze this blue collar guy.
    Stay safe😀

  9. 13:05, no errors. My time includes some interruptions and should not be taken too seriously. (In any case, as Glenn so kindly pointed out a day or two ago, fast times are, in large part, the result of certain clerical advantages and an obsessive concern with improving that particular measure of one’s performance – a concern I do not share.)

    In other news, Brendan Emmett Quigley’s latest puzzle contains what I’m absolutely certain (wink, wink … 😜) is a nod to one of his most devoted solvers: The clue for 37-Across is “Dentist’s concern” and the answer is (drum roll) “TOOTH DK”! What a clever way to insert my initials into his puzzle! … 🤪

  10. 8 mins 33 sec, and two naticky fills resulting in 4 errors I had to clean up with Check Grid help.

  11. 22 down – Why is “on sale, say” “less?” I am 86 and and an old fuddy-duddy.

    Daniel Woodhead 3/24/23

    1. Glad to answer for you. This is simply a case of definition, where if something is “on sale,” it is going for “less” than the usual price.

  12. Mildly tricky Thursday for me; took 10:48 with no peeks or errors, although I had to roll 3 letters to get the banner at the NIIAHU/ALIA junction to get the banner. I knew which island they were talking about but forgot how what it was called and only vaguely knew ALIA, but not her first name.

    Looks like all that needs to be said regarding Ben has been said…I agree.

    Very enjoyable WSJ puzzle today which I almost solved all the way, along with the figuring out part of the trick. Didn’t see the universities until it was pointed out.

  13. 50A gave me a bad false start with NEWLYWEDS until I figured out the theme. A few dabs of Liquid Paper and all came together. Only about an hour to finish.

    I’ll respond to the racism comment by stating if you “aren’t anti-racist you are racist. [Ibram X. Kendi]

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