LA Times Crossword 15 Apr 23, Saturday

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Constructed by: C.C. Burnikel
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Theme: None

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

Bill’s time: 11m 13s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Green edges : FRINGES

That would be golf.

8 Art form also known as “kado,” or “way of flowers” : IKEBANA

The Japanese art of flower arranging is very much focused on minimalism, the use of a minimum number of blooms arranged among a few stalks and leaves. The Japanese name for the art is “ikebana”, which can be translated as “making flowers alive”.

15 African country whose flag is similar to Old Glory : LIBERIA

Liberia is a nation in West Africa. The country was founded in 1847 by former American slaves who were repatriated to Africa. As a result, the Liberian flag resembles the US flag, and the country’s motto is “The love of liberty brought us here”.

The person who coined the phrase “Old Glory” with reference to the American flag was Captain William Driver, a shipmaster from Salem, Massachusetts. As Driver was leaving on an 1831 voyage aboard the brig Charles Doggett, he unfurled the American flag that he had just been given by a group of friends. As the flag caught the breeze, he uttered the words, “Old Glory!”. That’s the story anyway. On that same voyage, Charles Doggett rescued the famous mutineers of the HMS Bounty, after he encountered them on Pitcairn Island.

16 Sheep from Spain : MERINOS

The Merino breed of sheep is prized for the soft quality of its wool.

18 Wall Street figure : ANALYST

New York’s famous Wall Street was originally named by the Dutch “de Waalstraat”. The “Waal” in question was a wall erected by Dutch colonists to protect them from an attack by the British from the north. The attack by land never came, but the British did mount a successful invasion by sea. The British demolished the wall two decades later, in 1699.

20 Victoria Arlen’s cable channel : ESPN

Victoria Arlen is a remarkable individual who overcame incredible challenges in her life. At the age of 11, she was diagnosed with two rare autoimmune disorders that left her in a vegetative state for four years. Despite being told that she would never walk, talk, or eat on her own again, Victoria made a miraculous recovery and went on to become a Paralympic swimmer, ESPN host, and motivational speaker.

22 “Les Misérables” escape route : SEWER

Victor Hugo’s famous 1862 novel “Les Misérables” has been translated into English several times. However, the title is usually left in the original French as a successful translation of “les misérables” seems to be elusive. Some suggestions for an English title are “The Wretched”, “The Victims” and “The Dispossessed”. The novel follows the lives of several characters including an ex-convict Jean Valjean, a fanatic police inspector Javert, a beautiful prostitute Fantine, and Fantine’s illegitimate daughter Cosette.

24 2020 NL batting champion Juan : SOTO

Juan Soto is a professional baseball player from Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. He made his MLB debut with the Washington Nationals in 2018, and in so doing became the youngest player in the majors (at 19).

25 Largest moon of Saturn : TITAN

Titan is the largest moon of Saturn. Titan is unusual in many ways, including the fact that it is the only known satellite in the solar system that has its own atmosphere (our own moon does not, for example). It is the second largest moon in the solar system, after Ganymede that orbits Jupiter. Titan is so large that it has a greater volume than Mercury, the solar system’s smallest planet.

32 “This Is Us” Emmy winner __ Cephas Jones : RON

Actor Ron Cephas Jones is perhaps best known for portraying chess master Bobby Fish on the Netflix superhero series “Luke Cage”, and Randall Pearson’s biological father William “Shakespeare” Hill on the TV drama “This Is Us”. Jones is the father of actress Jasmine Cephas Jones, originated the dual roles of Peggy Schuyler and Maria Reynolds in the Broadway stage musical “Hamilton”.

33 Bar mixer : TONIC

The original tonic water was a fairly strong solution of the drug quinine dissolved in carbonated water. It was used in tropical areas in South Asia and Africa where malaria is rampant. The quinine has a prophylactic effect against the disease, and was formulated as “tonic water” so that it could be easily distributed. In British colonial India, the colonial types got into the habit of mixing gin with the tonic water to make it more palatable by hiding the bitter taste of quinine. Nowadays, the level of quinine in tonic water has dropped, and sugar has been added.

39 Pin cushion? : MAT

That might be wrestling.

42 “What’s ur __?” : ETA

Estimated time of arrival (ETA)

45 Policy maven : WONK

A wonk is an overly studious person. “Wonk” is an American slang term that has been around at least since 1954. More recently, “wonk” has acquired an air of respectability as it has come to mean someone who has studied a topic thoroughly and become somewhat expert.

I’ve always loved the term “maven”, which is another word for “expert”. Maven comes into English from the Yiddish “meyvn” describing someone who appreciates and is a connoisseur.

52 X6 and i4 cars : BMWS

The initialism “BMW” stands for “Bayerische Motoren Werke”, which translates into Bavarian Motor Works. BMW was making aircraft engines during WWI, but had to cease that activity according to the terms of the Treaty of Versailles. The company then started making motorcycles, and moved into automobile production starting in 1928. BMW moved back into aircraft engine manufacturing during the build-up of the Luftwaffe prior to WWII.

63 Old money neighborhood in “The Great Gatsby” : EAST EGG

East Egg is a fictional location in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel “The Great Gatsby”. It is an exclusive residential area located on Long Island’s north shore, across from another fictional area called West Egg. East Egg is said to be based on the real-life location of Sands Point, Long Island.

Down

2 Birthplace of Mikhail Baryshnikov and Mikhail Tal : RIGA

Riga is the capital city of Latvia. The historical center of Riga is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, declared as such because of the city’s magnificent examples of Art Nouveau architecture. In fact, Riga has the largest collection of Art Nouveau buildings in the world, with over 750 buildings in the city center designed in the style.

5 Test for some srs. : GRE

Passing the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is usually a requirement for entry into graduate school here in the US.

6 Collins who was the first woman to be Space Shuttle commander : EILEEN

Eileen Collins was the first female pilot of a Space Shuttle, and the first female commander of a Space Shuttle mission. She was also the first astronaut to fly the shuttle through the 360-degree, rendezvous pitch maneuver. This maneuver became routine for Shuttles in docking with the International Space Station. The idea is for the spacecraft to perform a backflip so that the crew of the Space Station can photograph the Shuttle’s heat-shield to verify integrity prior to reentry.

7 __ verde : SALSA

“Salsa verde” is simply Spanish for “green sauce”.

8 “Ms. Marvel” star Vellani : IMAN

Iman Vellani is a Pakistani-born Canadian actress who is best known for playing the title character (aka Kamala Khan) in the superhero miniseries “Ms. Marvel”.

9 Mental perception : KEN

“Ken” is a noun meaning “understanding, perception”. One might say, for example, “half the clues in Saturday’s crossword are beyond my ken, beyond my understanding”.

11 Gymnast named Time’s Athlete of the Year in 2021 : BILES

Simone Biles holds the record for the most gold medals (4) won by an American gymnast in a single Olympic Games. She achieved the feat at the 2016 games held in Rio. Biles has also won more World medals than any other gymnast in history.

13 Like the traditional Maori greeting known as the Hongi : NOSE-TO-NOSE

The Hongi is a traditional Maori greeting in New Zealand where two people press their noses and foreheads together while inhaling at the same time. This act is believed to signify the exchange of the breath of life, or “ha” in Maori culture.

14 Space Shuttle commander, e.g. : ASTRONAUT

NASA’s Space Shuttle program was the agency’s fourth human spaceflight program, following Projects Mercury, Gemini and Apollo. Five fully functional shuttles were built and deployed into space:

  1. Columbia made its first flight in 1981, but was destroyed during a tragic reentry disaster in 2003.
  2. Challenger made its first flight in 1983, but was destroyed in an accident just after launch in 1986.
  3. Discovery made its first flight in 1984, and was retired to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum annex at Washington Dulles Airport
  4. Atlantis made its first flight in 1985, and was retired to the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
  5. Endeavour made its first flight in 1992, and was retired to the California Science Center in Los Angeles

21 Senior’s big ask : PROMPOSAL

Over the years, the act of asking someone to be a prom date has become very elaborate. Such acts are sometimes referred to as “promposals”, a portmanteau of “prom” and “proposal”.

23 Chips on the table : NACHOS

The dish known as “nachos” was supposedly created by the maître d’ at a restaurant called the Victory Club in the city of Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico. The name of the maître d’ was Ignacio “Nacho” Anaya.

27 Nico Márquez, to Dora the Explorer : TIO

“Dora the Explorer” is a cartoon series shown on Nickelodeon. Part of Dora’s remit is to introduce the show’s young viewers to some Spanish words and phrases. Dora’s constant companion is an anthropomorphic monkey named “Boots”, because he always wears red boots. She also hangs out with Isa, an iguana.

30 Jon Favreau holiday film : ELF

“Elf” is a comedy movie that was released for the 2003 Christmas season. It was directed by Jon Favreau and stars Will Ferrell in the title role, with James Caan supporting and Ed Asner playing Santa Claus. It’s all about one of Santa’s elves who finds out he is human and goes to meet his father in New York City. The film was adapted into a stage musical that premiered on Broadway during the Christmas season of 2010.

Jon Favreau is an actor and filmmaker who has played a key role in the development of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He directed the first two “Iron Man” movies, which kicked off the Marvel Cinematic Universe and helped establish the franchise. He also played the role of Happy Hogan, the personal chauffeur and bodyguard of Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, in the films. Additionally, Favreau is known for his passion for cooking and has even hosted a cooking show called “The Chef Show”, which he also created and produced.

44 Bottomless brunch drunk, often : MIMOSA

Where I come from, the cocktail known in North America as a mimosa is called a buck’s fizz, with the latter named for Buck’s Club in London where it was introduced in 1921. The mimosa came along a few years later, apparently first being served in the Paris Ritz. If you want to make a mimosa, it’s a 50-50 mix of champagne and orange juice, and it is very tasty …

46 Chips on the table : KITTY

The pot in a card game has been referred to as “the kitty” since the 1880s. It’s not certain how the name “kitty” evolved but possibly it comes from “kit”, the necessary equipment for the game.

48 Journalist Couric : KATIE

Katie Couric left NBC’s “The Today Show” in 2006 and took over as news anchor for “CBS Evening News”. In doing so, she became the first solo female anchor of a broadcast network evening news program. Couric also has the honor of being the only person to guest-host on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno”. In fact she “swapped jobs” on that particular day, and Leno filled in for Couric on “The Today Show”.

52 Many a theatre attendee : BRIT

The terms “United Kingdom”, “Great Britain” and “England” can sometimes be confused. The official use of “United Kingdom” originated in 1707 with the Acts of Union that declared the countries of England and Scotland as “United into One Kingdom by the Name of Great Britain”. The name changed again with the Acts of Union 1800 that created the “United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland” (much to the chagrin of most of the Irish population). This was partially reversed in 1927 when the current name was introduced, the “United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland”, in recognition of an independent Irish Free State in the south of the island of Ireland.

54 King, in Cantonese : WONG

Cantonese is a language that developed around the city of Guangzhou (also known as “Canton”) in South China. Cantonese is the language spoken by most of the inhabitants of Hong Kong and Macau, and by the major overseas Chinese communities around the world.

55 Hazy stuff : SMOG

“Smog” is a portmanteau formed by melding “smoke” and “fog”. The term was first used to describe the air around London in the early 1900s. Several cities around the world have a reputation of being particularly smoggy. For example, the most smog-plagued city in Latin America is Mexico City, which is located in a highland “bowl” that traps industrial and vehicle pollution.

57 “I Still Believe” actor KJ __ : APA

KJ Apa is an actor and musician from New Zealand. He first came to the attention of North American audiences when he was cast as the lead (Archie Andrews) in the teen drama TV series “Riverdale”. Prior to his “Riverdale” casting, Apa had been making regular appearances on the New Zealand primetime soap opera “Shortland Street”.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Green edges : FRINGES
8 Art form also known as “kado,” or “way of flowers” : IKEBANA
15 African country whose flag is similar to Old Glory : LIBERIA
16 Sheep from Spain : MERINOS
17 Get better with time : AGE WELL
18 Wall Street figure : ANALYST
19 Soft touches : PATS
20 Victoria Arlen’s cable channel : ESPN
22 “Les Misérables” escape route : SEWER
23 Close : NEAR
24 2020 NL batting champion Juan : SOTO
25 Largest moon of Saturn : TITAN
28 Is behind, perhaps : OWES
32 “This Is Us” Emmy winner __ Cephas Jones : RON
33 Bar mixer : TONIC
34 Minute : SMALL
35 Cold case evidence : DNA
36 “Big congrats!” : I’M SO HAPPY FOR YOU!
39 Pin cushion? : MAT
40 Ingredient in some crusts : OREOS
41 Part of the inn crowd : GUEST
42 “What’s ur __?” : ETA
43 Brief periods : SECS
44 Lipstick type : MATTE
45 Policy maven : WONK
47 Close (to) : AKIN
49 Destination for the last flight? : ATTIC
51 Knock harshly : SLAM
52 X6 and i4 cars : BMWS
56 Seedy place : RAT TRAP
58 Place for playthings : TOY ROOM
60 Record in advance : PRETAPE
61 Emphatic denial : I SAID NO!
62 Hold a grudge : STAY MAD
63 Old money neighborhood in “The Great Gatsby” : EAST EGG

Down

1 Wing it? : FLAP
2 Birthplace of Mikhail Baryshnikov and Mikhail Tal : RIGA
3 Skeptical reply : I BET
4 Paper product? : NEWS
5 Test for some srs. : GRE
6 Collins who was the first woman to be Space Shuttle commander : EILEEN
7 __ verde : SALSA
8 “Ms. Marvel” star Vellani : IMAN
9 Mental perception : KEN
10 Significant stretches : ERAS
11 Gymnast named Time’s Athlete of the Year in 2021 : BILES
12 Request for an update : ANY WORD YET?
13 Like the traditional Maori greeting known as the Hongi : NOSE-TO-NOSE
14 Space Shuttle commander, e.g. : ASTRONAUT
21 Senior’s big ask : PROMPOSAL
23 Chips on the table : NACHOS
25 Tangy pastry : TOMATO TART
26 Quick beverage : INSTANT TEA
27 Nico Márquez, to Dora the Explorer : TIO
29 Routes : WAYS
30 Jon Favreau holiday film : ELF
31 Commercial line : SLOGAN
33 Sci-fi anomalies : TIME WARPS
34 Contractor’s detail, briefly : SPEC
37 Amount to : ARE
38 Tire track : RUT
44 Bottomless brunch drunk, often : MIMOSA
46 Chips on the table : KITTY
48 Journalist Couric : KATIE
50 Quick study? : CRAM
51 Apt rhyme of “fled” : SPED
52 Many a theatre attendee : BRIT
53 Gamer’s choice : MODE
54 King, in Cantonese : WONG
55 Hazy stuff : SMOG
57 “I Still Believe” actor KJ __ : APA
59 “Love it!” : YAS!

12 thoughts on “LA Times Crossword 15 Apr 23, Saturday”

  1. I was tickled to learn I did a Burnikel crossword after I got done. With no errors!! And a saturday to boot!!!

    WONK had me befuddled. I started with CZAR but that got me absolutely nowhere. Especially after TIMEWARPS appeared.

    PROMPOSAL showed up again.

    I remember the Great Gatsby but done remember EAST EGG.

    The last one I was confused about is YAS for 59D?

  2. Frustrating slog with this one; had the grid finished and knew I had an
    error somewhere…turned out to be the “wonk-kitty” cross, but I had to
    “reveal grid” to find it. A lot of PPP cheats on this one.

  3. Was expecting an error or two in the top middle/right when I finished, but instead I got only one with PRETAkE/AkA. Did better than I expected with all the names otherwise.

  4. At first glance I thought I’d never be able to complete it, but it all gradually fell into place. I had only one incorrect letter, resulting in two answers just a bit off. Acceptable to me, especially for Saturday.

  5. At first I was doubtful about finishing this grid without error, but slowly it came together as I went into “grind it out mode” and suddenly it was complete. I’m not sure I’m aging well but at least my crossword brain cells somehow rise to the occasion, occasionally! Ha!

  6. Quite a few things I never heard of, so it wasn’t fun at all and took forever.
    I wonder what east egg is. Guess I’ll have to read The Great Gatsby.

  7. One error…never heard of “east egg “ and had yah where they crossed.
    Is yas the plural of ya?…whatever it takes👎👎
    Stay safe😀

  8. I too didn’t think I’d finish but it came
    together nicely for the most part. Had a
    Natick on Oman/Iman. Too many PPP’s in
    that corner! I thought there was a couple
    of “wonky” answers, yas? Toy Room? One change on the fly ESP/ken….

  9. 26:22 – two lookups for ikEBANA/ImAN. False starts: USSR>RIGA, EONS>ERAS, NEAR>AKIN.

    New: IKEBANA, “kado,” MERINOS, “Victoria Arlen,” Juan SOTO, MATTE as a lipstick type, EASTEGG, IMAN Vellani, TOMATOTART, “Nico Marquez,” KJ APA.

    A few clues to “decipher,” but a basically solvable Saturday after seeming to be very difficult, so yay!

  10. Just over 7 minutes in, I realized I was wasting my time. With this many specialized references, there wasn’t a snowball’s chance in hell I was going to finish even half of this exercise in esoterica.

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