LA Times Crossword 9 Jun 23, Friday

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Constructed by: Natasha Erickson
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Reveal Answer: Glow Up

Themed answers are all common phrases, written in the down-direction. Each features a synonym of “GLOW” that is written backwards, in the UP-direction:

• 51A Positive personal transformation, in slang, and what the answer to each starred clue literally has? : GLOW UP

• 5A *Possible symptom before a bad headache : MIGRAINE AURA (ARUA)
• 10A *Quick-to-wake sorts : (THGIL) LIGHT SLEEPERS
• 18A *Small sign that things will improve : (REMMILG) GLIMMER OF HOPE
• 22A *Morning exhortation : RISE AND SHINE (ENIHS)

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

Bill’s time: 7m 18s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 CIO partner : AFL

The American Federation of Labor (AFL) was founded in 1886, making it one of the first federations of unions in the country. Over time the AFL became dominated by craft unions, unions representing skilled workers of particular disciplines. In the early thirties, John L. Lewis led a movement within the AFL to organize workers by industry, believing this would be more effective for the members. But the craft unions refused to budge, so Lewis set up a rival federation of unions in 1932, the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO). The two federations became bitter rivals for over two decades until finally merging in 1955 to form the AFL-CIO.

9 Literary musketeer : ATHOS

Alexandre Dumas’ “Three Musketeers” are Athos, Porthos and Aramis, although the hero of the novel is the trio’s young protégé D’Artagnan. A musketeer was an infantry soldier who was equipped with a musket. Funnily enough, the three “musketeers” really don’t use their muskets, and are better known for prowess with their swords.

14 Natori Feathers undergarment : BRA

Natori is a women’s clothing supplier that was founded in New York City in 1977 by Josie Natori. Natori, a native of the Phillipines, was the first female VP in corporate finance at Merrill Lynch, when she embarked on a career as an entrepreneur in fashion.

16 __ Island : RHODE

Rhode Island is the smallest state in the union, and is the second-most densely populated. (after New Jersey). Rhode Island is known as the Ocean State (and more informally “Little Rhody”), largely because about 14% of the state’s area is made up of ocean bays and inlets. Exactly how Rhode Island got its name is a little unclear. What is known is that way back in 1524, long before the Pilgrims came to New England, the Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano likened an island in the area to the Island of Rhodes in the Mediterranean. There were subsequent references to “Rhode Island” in English publications, before the colonists arrived.

17 Life, for one : BOARD GAME

The board game we call “The Game of Life” (also just “Life”) was created quite a few years ago, in 1869 by Milton Bradley. Back then it was called “The Checkered Game of Life” and was the first parlor game to become a popular hit. The modern version of the game was first released in 1960.

20 Fashion magazine that’s also a French pronoun : ELLE

“Elle” magazine was founded in 1945 in France and today has the highest circulation of any fashion magazine in the world. “Elle” is the French word for “she”. “Elle” is published monthly worldwide, although you can pick up a weekly edition if you live in France.

21 Reuben bread : RYE

There are conflicting stories about the origin of the Reuben sandwich. One such story is that it was invented around 1914 by Arnold Reuben, an immigrant from Germany who owned Reuben’s Deli in New York.

22 Softball stat : RBIS

Runs batted in (RBIs)

23 Thailand, once : SIAM

Siam was the official name of Thailand up to 1939 (and again from 1945 to 1949).

26 Toy company based in Billund, Denmark : LEGO

Billund is a town in the Jutland peninsula of Denmark. It is home to the head office of the Lego company, and also home to Denmark’s second-largest airport.

29 Garlicky dish : SCAMPI

The Italian dish known as “scampi” is a serving of shrimp in garlic butter and dry white wine.

31 Ocho menos seis : DOS

In Spanish, “dos” (two) is “ocho menos seis” (eight minus six).

32 Jazz style : SCAT

Scat singing is a vocal improvisation found in the world of jazz. There aren’t any words as such in scat singing, just random nonsense syllables made up on the spot.

33 Solar wind particle : ION

The Sun’s upper atmosphere continually ejects a stream of the charged particles that have such high energy that they can escape the Sun’s gravity. This supersonic plasma consisting mainly of electrons, protons and alpha particles is referred to as the solar wind. The solar wind extends as far as the outer limits of our solar system, and is responsible for phenomena such as the Earth’s northern and southern lights, the geomagnetic storms that affect radio reception, and the plasma tails of comets.

34 Christmas __ : EVE

Several factors contributed to the selection of December 25th as the day of the birth of Jesus. One factor is that it was the date of the winter solstice in the Roman calendar, and tradition had it that Jesus chose to be born on the shortest day of the year. It was also nine months after the vernal equinox (March 25th) in the same calendar, which was a date linked to the conception of Jesus.

36 Serranos, e.g. : CHILIES

The serrano chili pepper is native to the mountainous regions of the Mexican states of Puebla and Hidalgo. The name “serrano” comes from the Spanish “sierra” meaning “mountain”.

42 __ Kong : HONG

Hong Kong became part of the British Empire after the First Opium War in 1842. In 1898, Britain signed a 99-year lease to retain control of Hong Kong. That control ended 99 years later in 1997 with a formal transfer of sovereignty back to China.

43 Courses for coll. credit : APS

The Advanced Placement (AP) program offers college-level courses to kids who are still in high school (HS). After being tested at the end of an AP course, successful students receive credits that count towards a college degree.

45 Formerly, in bios : NEE

“Née” is the French word for “born” when referring to a female. The male equivalent is “né”. The term “née” is mainly used in English when referring to a married woman’s birth name, assuming that she has adopted her husband’s name, e.g. Michelle Obama née Robinson, Melania Trump née Knavs, and Jill Biden née Jacobs.

46 Petrol brand : ESSO

“Petrol” is the chiefly British-English term used for gasoline. “Petrol” comes via French from the Latin “petroleum”, itself derived from “petra” meaning “rock” and “oleum” meaning “oil”.

47 Issa of “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” : RAE

Issa Rae is a Stanford University graduate who created a YouTube web series called “The Mis-Adventures of Awkward Black Girl”. Rae also plays the title role in the series, a young lady named “J”. “Awkward Black Girl” was adapted into an HBO comedy-drama called “Insecure”, in which Issa Rae stars.

“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” is a 2023 sequel to 2018’s “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”. Both are computer-animated films that were very well received by audiences and critics alike. There is a third movie in the series planned for release in 2024: “Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse”.

48 Olympian’s violation : DOPING

Blood doping increases the number of red blood cells in a person’s bloodstream. The extra red blood cells boost aerobic capacity, allowing more oxygen to be carried from the lungs to the muscles. The use of blood doping in sports probably dates back to the seventies, and was banned in 1986.

52 Utah’s Capitol __ National Park : REEF

Capitol Reef National Park in south-central Utah was designated as a National Monument in 1937, and given National Park status in 1971. The name is a reference to the park’s white Navajo Sandstone cliffs, many having a dome shape reminiscent of white domes often seen on capitol buildings.

55 Sci. that studies biodiversity : ECOL

Ecology (ecol.) is a science (sci.).

56 __ egg: vegan baking ingredient : CHIA

Ground chia seeds are often used as a substitute for eggs in recipes calling for thickening or binding.

58 Radar __ : GUN

Radar speed guns were first used to monitor traffic by Connecticut State Police in the town of Glastonbury, way back in 1947!

59 Silver State city : RENO

The official nickname of Nevada is the Silver State, a reference to the importance of silver ore in the state’s growth and economy. An unofficial nickname is the Battle Born State. “Battle Born” is a reference to Nevada being awarded statehood during the American Civil War.

60 Blacksmith’s wear : APRON

In Old French, a “naperon” was a “small table-cloth”. The term was absorbed into English as “napron”, describing a cloth used to cover the front of a person at work. Over time, “a napron” was heard as “an apron”, giving us our contemporary noun “apron”.

A blacksmith is someone who forges and shapes iron, perhaps to make horseshoes. A farrier is someone who fits horseshoes onto the hooves of horses. The term “blacksmith” is sometimes used for one who shoes horses, especially as many blacksmiths make horseshoes and fit them as well.

62 Bit of Valentine’s decor : CUPID’S BOW

Saint Valentine’s Day was introduced by Pope Gelasius I in 496 AD to honor various martyrs with the name Valentine. However, the saint’s day was dropped by the Roman Catholic church in 1969, by Pope Paul VI. Try telling that to Hallmark though …

66 Canberra sch. : ANU

The Australian National University (ANU) is located in the nation’s capital, Canberra. ANU was established in 1946, and has been ranked as the top university in the country.

Canberra is the capital of Australia. The city is located in what’s called the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), an area independent of any of the other Australian territories. In this sense, there is a similarity between Canberra in the ACT and Washington in the District of Columbia. Canberra was chosen as the nation’s capital in 1908, a choice that was a compromise in deference to Australia’s two largest cities, Sydney and Melbourne.

69 Rep. group : GOP

The Republican Party has had the nickname Grand Old Party (GOP) since 1875. That said, the phrase was coined in the “Congressional Record” as “this gallant old party”. The moniker was changed to “grand old party” in 1876 in an article in the “Cincinnati Commercial”. The Republican Party’s elephant mascot dates back to an 1874 cartoon drawn by Thomas Nast for “Harper’s Weekly”. The Democrat’s donkey was already an established symbol. Nast drew a donkey clothed in a lion’s skin scaring away the other animals. One of the scared animals was an elephant, which Nast labeled “The Republican Vote”.

Down

1 Convent leader : ABBESS

A convent is a community devoted to religious life, and especially a community of nuns. The term “convent” ultimately comes from the Latin “com” (with, together) and “venire” (to come).

3 Playmate of Tinky Winky, Dipsy, and Po : LAA-LAA

“Teletubbies” is a children’s television show produced by the BBC in the UK and shown over here on PBS. The show attracted a lot of attention in 1999 when Jerry Falwell suggested that one of the Teletubbies characters (Tinky Winky) was a homosexual role model for children.

4 Verb on a dipstick : ADD

One form of measuring dipstick is used to measure the level of oil in an internal combustion engine.

5 *Possible symptom before a bad headache : MIGRAINE AURA (ARUA)

A person who suffers from migraines might experience visual disturbances known as auras. Often, an aura may signal the onset of the migraine.

6 Annual milestones, briefly : B-DAYS

Birthday (b-day)

8 Summer in Monaco : ETE

The Principality of Monaco is on the Mediterranean coast, and is otherwise surrounded by France, even though it is just under 10 miles from the Italian border. Monaco is the world’s most densely populated country, and the world’s second smallest country (the smallest being Vatican City). The principality has been very prosperous since the late 1800s, with the economy given a tremendous boost with the opening of several gambling casinos.

9 Many a Yemeni : ARAB

Yemen is a country located in the southwestern part of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, Oman to the east, the Red Sea to the west, and the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea to the south. Yemen has a population of over 30 million people and its capital and largest city is Sana’a.

11 Early rail transportation : HORSECAR

A horsecar is a tram or streetcar that runs on rails and is powered by horse(s). Horsecars became more popular than horse-drawn carriages because the use of rails reduced the resistance to motion, allowing the horse to transport heavier loads.

12 Amanda Gorman’s “__ to Our Ocean” : ODE

Amanda Gorman is a poet and activist who, in 2017, was the first person named as the National Youth Poet Laureate. Famously, Gorman recited her poem “The Hill We Climb” at the inauguration of President Biden in 2021.

When day comes, we step out of the shade aflame and unafraid. The new dawn blooms as we free it. For there is always light. If only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it.

28 Other, in Mazatlán : OTRO

Mazatlán is a city in Mexico on the Pacific coast, sitting right opposite the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula.

30 Taro dish : POI

I am a big fan of starch (being an Irishman I love potatoes). That said, I think that poi tastes horrible! Poi is made from the bulbous tubers (corm) of the taro plant by cooking the corm in water and mashing it until the desired consistency is achieved.

36 “If I Could Turn Back Time” singer : CHER

“If I Could Turn Back Time” is a 1989 song released by Cher as the lead track on the album “Heart of Stone”. The US Navy gave permission for Cher to shoot the song’s music video on the USS Missouri battleship while it was stationed in Long Beach. Cher wore a revealing outfit while performing for the video, resulting in some claims that the event desecrated a national monument.

37 Spigot attachment : HOSE

Back in the 15th century, a spigot was specifically a plug to stop a hole in a cask. Somewhere along the way, a spigot had a valve added for variable control of flow.

44 Bird that cries “Mine! Mine! Mine!” in “Finding Nemo” : SEAGULL

“Finding Nemo” is a 2003 animated blockbuster from Pixar. The film was the winner of the Oscar that year for Best Animated Feature. Believe it or not, “Finding Nemo” is the best-selling DVD of all time and, until 2010’s “Toy Story 3”, it was the highest-grossing, G-rated movie at the box office.

51 Positive personal transformation, in slang, and what the answer to each starred clue literally has? : GLOW UP

The term “glowing up” is informal and describes the act of maturing, becoming more confident and attractive. The phrase is a play on “growing up”.

54 Sanjay of CNN : GUPTA

Sanjay Gupta is an American neurosurgeon who is best known as CNN’s chief medical correspondent. In 2009, Gupta was offered the post of Surgeon General in the Obama administration, but he declined.

57 Like some LAX flights : INTL

Los Angeles International Airport is the sixth busiest airport in the world in terms of passenger traffic, and the busiest here on the West Coast of the US. The airport was opened in 1930 as Mines Field and was renamed to Los Angeles Airport in 1941. On the airport property is the iconic white structure that resembles a flying saucer. This is called the Theme Building and I believe it is mainly used as a restaurant and observation deck for the public. The airport used to be identified by the letters “LA”, but when the aviation industry went to a three-letter standard for airport identification, this was changed to “LAX”. Apparently, the “X” has no significant meaning.

62 Half-__: coffee spec : CAF

Caffeine is a naturally occurring stimulant that is found in several plants. The chemical serves as a natural pesticide by paralyzing and killing certain insects that would otherwise feed on the plant. Caffeine is the most widely consumed psychoactive drug that is consumed by humans across the world.

63 [Head slap] : [D’OH!]

“The Simpsons” is one of the most successful programs produced by the Fox Broadcasting Company. Homer Simpson’s catchphrase is “D’oh!”, which became such a famous exclamation that it has been included in the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) since 2001. “D’oh!” can be translated as “I should have thought of that!”