LA Times Crossword 15 Oct 23, Sunday

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Constructed by: Gary Larson
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Theme: Hollywood Endings

Themed answers are common phrases, each reinterpreted with reference to a HOLLYWOOD movie, the name of which is the ENDING:

  • 23A Editing scenes from a Wesley Snipes vampire film? : CUTTING “BLADE”
  • 28A Putting the final touches on an Ed Asner Pixar film? : WRAPPING “UP”
  • 47A Going on a promotional tour for a Sigourney Weaver family film? : PLUGGING “HOLES”
  • 64A Showing the final cut of a Jennifer Lawrence sci-fi film? : SCREENING “PASSENGERS”
  • 89A Hiring actors for a Shailene Woodley survival-at-sea film? : CASTING “ADRIFT”
  • 103A Composing the music for a Tom Hanks fantasy film? : SCORING “BIG”
  • 112A Acquiring the rights for a Sandra Bullock action film? : LANDING “SPEED”

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

Bill’s time: 13m 50s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

19 Spare place : TRUNK

In North America we use the word “trunk” for the storage space in the back of a vehicle as that space is reminiscent of the large traveling chest called a “trunk”. Such trunks used to be lashed onto the back of automobiles before storage was integrated. On the other side of the Atlantic, a trunk is known as a “boot”. The original boot was a built-in storage compartment on a horse-drawn carriage on which a coachman would sit.

20 Footnote notation : IBIDEM

Ibid. is short for the Latin word “ibidem” and is typically found in footnotes and bibliographies. Ibid. is used to refer the reader to the prior citation, instead of giving the same information all over again (title, author etc.).

23 Editing scenes from a Wesley Snipes vampire film? : CUTTING “BLADE”

“Blade” is a superhero film in the Marvel Universe that was released in 1998. The title character is played by Wesley Snipes. Blade is like a vampire fighter who has the strength of a vampire, but not the weaknesses.

Wesley Snipes is a movie actor, and a martial artist. The role most associated with him is the title character in the “Blade” series of films. Snipes was sent to federal prison in 2010 to serve a 3-year sentence for wilful failure to file tax returns, and was released earlier this month.

25 Sleep stage : REM

“REM” is an acronym standing for “rapid eye movement”. REM sleep takes up 20-25% of the sleeping hours and is the period associated with one’s most vivid dreams.

26 New Rochelle school with an award-winning pipe band : IONA

Iona College is a Roman Catholic school run by Christian Brothers in New Rochelle, New York. The Brothers named the college for the island of Iona off the west coast of Scotland on which is located Iona Abbey, which was founded by St. Columba. The school’s sports teams are called the Iona Gaels, and the team mascot goes by the name “Killian”.

27 Nth, for one : ORDINAL

Ordinal numbers express a position in a series, i.e. first, second, third etc.

28 Putting the final touches on an Ed Asner Pixar film? : WRAPPING “UP”

“Up” was the tenth movie released by Pixar studios, and features the wonderful animation that we have come to expect from Pixar. The film earned itself two Academy Awards. The main voice actor is Ed Asner, whose animated persona as Carl Fredricksen was created to resemble Spencer Tracy, as Tracy appeared in his last film, “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner”.

Ed Asner was most famous for playing the irascible but lovable Lou Grant on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and on the spin-off drama “Lou Grant”. Off-screen Asner was noted for his political activism. He served two terms as president of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), and was very involved in the 1980 SAG strike. When “Lou Grant” was canceled in 1982, despite decent ratings, there was a lot of talk that the cancellation was a move by the network against Asner personally. In fact, one of Asner’s activist colleagues, Howard Hesseman (who played Johnny Fever) found that his show “WKRP in Cincinnati” was also canceled … on the very same day.

37 Big letters in home security : ADT

ADT is a home and small-business security company based in Boca Raton, Florida. The company was founded back in 1874 by Edward Calahan. Calahan invented the stock ticker several years earlier, and ran the Gold and Stock Telegraph Company. Calahan was awoken one morning by the sound of a burglar in his house, and so he decided to develop a telegraph-based security alarm system. The success of the system led to the founding of American District Telegraph, later known as ADT.

41 Four score and ten : NINETY

Our verb “to score” meaning “to tally”, comes from the Old Norse “skor”, which is a “mark, notch”. It is likely that items such as livestock were counted by placing a notch in a stick for each set of twenty, hence our use of the noun “score” to mean “twenty”.

47 Going on a promotional tour for a Sigourney Weaver family film? : PLUGGING “HOLES”

“Holes” is a 2003 American comedy-drama film directed by Andrew Davis and based on the novel of the same name by Louis Sachar. Shia LaBeouf, who played the lead role of Stanley Yelnats IV, was relatively unknown at the time the movie was made. His performance in “Holes” helped to launch his career as an actor.

Actress Sigourney Weaver was born Susan Weaver in New York City. She chose the stage name “Sigourney” from Mrs. Sigourney Howard, a minor character in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel “The Great Gatsby”. After playing a few minor roles in major films, Weaver’s big break came with the lead in the 1979 blockbuster “Alien”.

53 Chocolaty cereal brand : OREO O’S

Oreo O’s cereal was made by Post from 1998 to 2007. The pieces of cereal were basically O-shaped (like Cheerios) but chocolate-flavored, dark brown in color and with white sprinkles on them. Oh, and lots of sugar.

64 Showing the final cut of a Jennifer Lawrence sci-fi film? : SCREENING “PASSENGERS”

“Passengers” is a 2016 sci-fi romance movie starring Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence, ably supported by Michael Sheen. Pratt and Lawrence play two passengers on a spaceship making a 120-year journey. They are the only two, out of more than 5,000, passengers to awaken early from hibernation. Critics and audiences weren’t fans of this film, but I really enjoyed it …

Jennifer Lawrence (sometimes “J.Law” in the press) is an actress from Louisville, Kentucky who really hit the big time when she was cast as Katniss Everdeen, the protagonist in the “Hunger Games” series of films.

72 Deodorant brand : MENNEN

The Mennen Speed Stick was the leading deodorant for men for many years. The Mennen Company was founded by Gerhard Mennen in Newark, New Jersey in 1878.

74 No-goodnik : CAD

The suffix “-nik” is of Slavic origin. It is somewhat like the suffix “-er” in English. By adding “-nik” to a noun, the new word describes a person related to what that noun describes. Examples of the use of “-nik” in mainstream English are “beatnik” and “”refusenik”. Examples of more casual “-nik” terms are “neatnik” and “peacenik”.

75 Chuck who broke the sound barrier : YEAGER

Chuck Yeager enlisted as a private in the US Army Air Forces in 1941, starting out as an aircraft mechanic. With the onset of the war at the end of the year, Yeager was able to enroll in flight school. In 1943 he was posted overseas, and flew P-51 Mustangs out of the south of England. He was shot down over France in 1944 and escaped to Spain with the aid of the French Resistance. His 11.5 accredited victories includes five downed aircraft in one mission (making him an “ace in a day”), and one of the first air-to-air kills of a jet fighter. Yeager didn’t live too far from here, and a friend of mine had the honor to have breakfast with him a couple of times …

82 Gilbert and Sullivan work : OPERETTA

The theatrical partnership that we know as “Gilbert & Sullivan” comprised dramatist W. S. Gilbert and composer Arthur Sullivan. They wrote fourteen operettas together in the late 19th century, the majority of which are performed regularly to this day. The list of their works includes:

  • “H. M. S. Pinafore” (1878)
  • “The Pirates of Penzance” (1879)
  • “The Mikado” (1885)
  • “The Yeomen of the Guard” (1888)
  • “The Gondoliers” (1889)

86 Skin care brand : NIVEA

Nivea is a brand name of skin-care products from Germany. The Latin word “nivea” means “snow-white”.

88 Tribal emblems : TOTEMS

“Totem” is a word used to describe any entity that watches over a group of people. As such, totems are usually the subjects of worship. Totem poles are really misnamed, as they are not intended to represent figures to be worshiped, but rather are heraldic in nature, and often celebrating the legends or notable events in the history of a tribe.

89 Hiring actors for a Shailene Woodley survival-at-sea film? : CASTING “ADRIFT”

“Adrift” is a 2018 film based on the true story of a couple who find themselves sailing through a hurricane in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The man loses his life in the storm, and the woman is faced with the challenge of sailing their crippled vessel, with no functioning radio, about 1,500 miles to Hawiaii.

Shailene Woodley is an actress who garnered a lot of attention for playing the teenage cancer patient in the 2014 film “The Fault in Our Stars”. She then portrayed Tris Prior, the main protagonist in the “Divergent” series of movies. Off the screen, Woodley was engaged for a while to NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

92 Singer/actress Kazan : LAINIE

Lainie Kazan is an actress and singer from Brooklyn, New York. One of Kazan’s first acting jobs was working as Barbra Streisand’s understudy in the stage musical “Funny Girl”. She was the understudy for 18 months before she had an opportunity to go on stage when Streisand developed a throat condition. Kazan’s performances were so well received that she quit the show and embarked on a singing career. Years later, Kazan played “the mother” in the “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” series of films.

103 Composing the music for a Tom Hanks fantasy film? : SCORING “BIG”

“Big” is a fun movie that was released in 1988. It is a romantic comedy with an unusual plot involving a young boy who is aged to adulthood overnight (played by Tom Hanks). Who can forget the scene where Hanks and the owner of a toy store hop around on a giant piano keyboard. Remember what they played? “Heart and Soul” and “Chopsticks” …

Tom Hanks is such a great actor. He has played so many iconic roles in a relatively short career. Hanks is from California, and studied theater for a couple of years in Hayward, California not far from here. Tom’s son Colin Hanks is one of the stars of the TV comedy “Life in Pieces”. Hanks is married to the talented actress Rita Wilson.

107 Radioactive element named for a planet : URANIUM

The isotope of uranium that is mostly found in nature in uranium-238. Natural uranium also contains a small amount (less than 1%) of uranium-235. When uranium is “enriched”, the percentage of uranium-235 is increased. Uranium containing 80% or more uranium-235 is considered “weapons grade”. Uranium was discovered in 1789, and named for the planet Uranus that had been discovered a few years earlier.

111 Santa __ winds : ANA

The Santa Ana winds are the very dry air currents that sweep offshore late in the year in Southern California. Because these air currents are so dry, they are noted for their influence over forest fires in the area, especially in the heat of the fall. The winds arise from a buildup of air pressure in the Great Basin that lies between the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada. Under the right conditions, that air spills over the peaks of the Sierra Nevada and basically “falls” down the side of the Sierra range, heading for the ocean. As the air falls it becomes drier and heats up so that relative humidity can fall to below 10% by the time it hits the coast.

112 Acquiring the rights for a Sandra Bullock action film? : LANDING “SPEED”

“Speed” is an entertaining 1994 action film starring Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock, as well as the late Dennis Hopper as the bad guy.

Actress Sandra Bullock is the daughter of a part-time voice coach (her father) and an opera singer and voice coach (her mother). Her father was an American soldier stationed in Nuremberg in Germany when he met his German wife. Sandra Bullock’s maternal grandfather was a rocket scientist working in Nuremberg.

117 Adroit : ABLE

The French for “to the right” is “à droit”, from which we get our word “adroit”. The original meaning of “adroit” was “rightly, properly”, but it has come to mean dexterous and skillful. Someone described as “maladroit” is unskilled and awkward.

119 Costello partner : ABBOTT

Bud Abbott and Lou Costello made up the comedy duo Abbott and Costello who were immensely popular in the forties and fifties. Even when I was growing up in Ireland and knew nothing about baseball, I was rolling around the floor listening to Abbott and Costello’s famous “Who’s on First?” comedy routine. Can you name all the players?

First Base: Who
Second Base: What
Third Base: I Don’t Know
Left field: Why
Centerfield: Because
Pitcher: Tomorrow
Catcher: Today
Shortstop: I Don’t Care/I Don’t Give a Darn

120 Outback canine : DINGO

The dingo is a wild dog of Australia. It is thought to have originated from domesticated dogs that were brought to Australia with humans that settled the land centuries ago.

124 Kaitlin of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” : OLSON

Deandra “Sweet Dee” Reynolds is a character played by Kaitlin Olson on the sitcom “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”. Ronald “Mac” McDonald is also a character on the show, played by Rob McElhenney. Olson and McElhenney met on set, and married in 2008.

Down

1 Like aspirin, briefly : OTC

Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs don’t need a prescription (Rx).

“Aspirin” used to be a brand name for the drug acetylsalicylic acid. Aspirin was introduced by the German drug company Bayer AG in the late 1800s. As part of the war reparations paid by Germany after WWI, Bayer AG lost the use of the trademark “Aspirin” (as well as the trademark Heroin!) and it became a generic term.

2 __TV: reality show channel : TRU

truTV is a Turner Broadcasting cable network that launched in 1991 as Court TV. The name, and programming, was changed to truTV in 2008.

7 “Fernando” singers : ABBA

“Fernando” was a 1976 hit for ABBA, and a followup to their smash hit “Dancing Queen”. “Fernando” was originally released as a solo single by one of the ABBA band members: Anni-Frid Lyngstad.

8 Country estate : VILLA

“Villa” is a Latin word describing a country house owned by members of the upper class in ancient Rome. Such a person would live in a “domus” in the city, whereas the rest of the population would live in “insulae”, apartment buildings.

9 “Ghost” psychic __ Mae Brown : ODA

Oda Mae Brown is the psychic medium in the movie “Ghost”, and is played by Whoopi Goldberg.

11 Small duck : SMEW

The smew is a beautiful-looking species of duck found right across northern Europe and Asia. The smew requires trees to complete its breeding cycle as it nests in tree holes, such as old woodpecker nests.

12 Two-time NBA Finals MVP Kevin : DURANT

Kevin Durant is a professional basketball player who started his career in the NBA with the Seattle Supersonics, and relocated with the team to Oklahoma City where they became the Thunder. You might come across Durant on the big screen as well, as he starred in the children’s film “Thunderstruck” in 2012.

15 Downtown street : MAIN DRAG

The main street of a city or town is often referred to as the “main drag”. The main drag is where horses would “drag” along most of the wagons and buggies back in the day.

18 PDQ : ASAP

Pretty darn quick (PDQ)

24 Capone cohort : NITTI

Frank Nitti was one of the top henchmen working for Al Capone. Unlike American-born Capone, Nitti was actually from Italy and was born near the city of Salerno. When Capone was eventually put away for 11 years for tax evasion, Nitti was convicted of the same crime. Nitti was only imprisoned for 18 months, and when released he was labeled as the new head of Capone’s Chicago Outfit. However the truth seems to be that he was just a frontman, with others making the decisions.

“Cohort” can be used as a collective noun, meaning “group, company”. The term can also apply to an individual supporter or companion, although usually in a derogatory sense. “Cohort” comes from the Latin “cohors”, which was an infantry company in the Roman army, one tenth of a legion.

31 Enervates : SAPS

To enervate is to drain of energy. “Enervare” is the Latin for “to weaken”.

32 1950s politico Stevenson : ADLAI

Adlai Stevenson (AES) ran for president unsuccessfully against Dwight D. Eisenhower (DDE), once in 1952 and again in 1956. Some years after his second defeat, Stevenson served under President Kennedy (JFK) as Ambassador to the United Nations. Stevenson was always noted for his eloquence and he had a famous exchange in a UN Security Council meeting during the Cuban missile crisis. Stevenson bluntly demanded that the Soviet representative on the council tell the world if the USSR was installing nuclear weapons in Cuba. His words were “Don’t wait for the translation, answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’!” followed by “I am prepared to wait for my answer until Hell freezes over!”

34 Haughty one : SNOOT

“Snoot” is a variant of “snout”, and is a word that originated in Scotland. The idea is that someone who is snooty, or “snouty”, tends to look down his or her nose at the rest of the world.

42 Drink brand with a green leaf logo : NESTEA

Nestea is a brand of iced tea made by Nestlé. The name is a portmanteau of “Nestlé” and “tea”.

45 Mortise inserts : TENONS

One simple type of joint used in carpentry is a mortise and tenon. It is basically a projection carved at the end of one piece of wood that fits into a hole cut into the end of another. In the related dovetail joint, the projecting tenon is not rectangular but is cut at a bias, so that when the dovetails are joined they resist being pulled apart. You’ll see dovetail joints in drawers around the house.

48 Poet __ Manley Hopkins : GERARD

Gerard Manley Hopkins was an English Jesuit priest who came to prominence as a poet after his passing in 1889. He was a great friend of Robert Bridges, who was destined to become the UK’s Poet Laureate in 1913. Bridges published an anthology of Hopkins’ works in 1918, a key step in establishing Hopkins as one England’s greatest poets.

50 “Isn’t __ bit like you and me?”: Beatles lyric : HE A

“Isn’t he a bit like you and me?” is a line from the Beatles song “Nowhere Man”.

“Nowhere Man” is an early song by the Beatles, released in 1966. “Nowhere Man” was one of the first songs that John Lennon wrote that was more philosophical than romantic in nature, indicative of songs to come. Apparently, Lennon himself is the inspiration for the “Nowhere Man” persona.

51 Actor Yul : BRYNNER

Yul Brynner was a Russian-born actor. Brynner was well known for his great performances, but also for his shaved head and his deep rich voice. He first adopted the “hairstyle” while playing the King of Siam in the stage version of “The King and I”, and he stuck with it.

55 Cartoon canine : ODIE

Odie is Garfield’s best friend, and is a slobbery beagle. Both are characters in Jim Davis’ comic strip named “Garfield”.

57 Queens team : THE METS

Queens is the largest borough in New York City, and is today coterminous with Queens County. Queens is an amazingly diverse location in terms of ethnicity. There is a population of over 2 million people, with almost 50% of that population being foreign-born. Apparently there are over 130 native languages spoken in the area. Queens was named for Catherine of Braganza (from Portugal), Queen consort of King Charles II of England.

62 ICU worker : LPN

Licensed practical nurse (LPN)

64 Apply haphazardly : SLAP ON

Our word “hap” means chance or fortune. It turns up combined in words like “haphazard” and even “happen”. “To happen” originally meant “to occur by hap, by chance”.

67 Swenson of “Benson” : INGA

Inga Swenson is an American actress. Her best known role was “Gretchen Kraus”, the German cook, and later housekeeper, on the TV show “Benson”. Swenson also appeared in a couple of episodes of “Bonanza” playing the second wife of Ben Cartwright (Lorne Greene), and mother of Hoss Cartwright (Dan Blocker). This was despite the fact that in real life, she was actually 4 years younger than Blocker!

69 Liechtenstein’s language : GERMAN

Liechtenstein is a tiny European country with an area of just over 61 square miles that is located in the Alps between Switzerland and Austria. It is one of only two doubly-landlocked nations in the world, the other being Uzbekistan. Liechtenstein has the highest gross domestic product per person in the world. The country is a winter sports haven attracting lots of visitors, and is also a tax haven with a strong financial center. There are actually more registered companies in Liechtenstein than there are citizens!

71 “Sicko Mode” rapper Travis __ : SCOTT

“Sicko Mode” is a 2018 song by rapper Travis Scott. It was destined to become the first hip-hop song to spend a minimum of three weeks in the top ten of the Billboard 100.

76 Carafe size : LITER

A carafe is a container made from glass that has no handles, and no stopper.

77 Frazier opponent : ALI

Smokin’ Joe Frazier was world heavyweight boxing champion from 1970 to 1973, eventually losing the title to George Foreman. Two of Frazier’s most memorable fights were against Muhammad Ali. In 1971’s “Fight of the Century”, Frazier emerged victorious, delivering Ali his first ever defeat. In 1975’s “Thrilla in Manila”, Ali came out on top. Frazier and Ali were actually great friends, despite the acrimony on display in front of the cameras. While Ali was barred from boxing for refusing the draft, Frazier lent Ali money. He also appeared in front of Congress on Ali’s behalf and petitioned President Nixon to have Ali’s right to box reinstated.

78 Canadian bank notes featuring civil rights activist Viola Desmond : TENS

Activist Viola Desmond challenged racial discrimination at a movie theater in Nova Scotia in 1946. Desmond was of African descent, and she refused to leave a whites-only seating section in the Roseland Theatre in New Glasgow. Desmond was named a National Historic Person in 2018, and later that same year she became the first Canadian-born woman to appear on a Canadian bank note.

83 Pension beneficiaries : RETIREES

A pension is a fund into which people make payments, usually during their working lives. In return, anyone who contributed receives periodic payments after retirement. In the US, Social Security is the most widely available pension.

85 Bhutan locale : ASIA

Bhutan is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is located high up in the Eastern Himalayas between China to the north and India to the south, east and west. Bhutan has been a constitutional monarchy since 2008, and has been ranked by “Businessweek” as the “happiest” country in Asia.

89 Big name in banking : CITI

Internationally, the Big Four (Central) Banks are:

  • The Federal Reserve (US)
  • The European Central Bank
  • The Bank of Japan
  • The Bank of England

In American terms, the Big Four Banks are:

  • JPMorgan Chase
  • Bank of America
  • Citigroup
  • Wells Fargo

92 Wheel securer : LUG NUT

A lug nut is a nut on which one side is tapered. Lug nuts are used to secure wheels to a vehicle.

93 Hudson River capital : ALBANY

New York’s state capital of Albany was founded as a Dutch trading post called Fort Nassau in 1614. The English took over the settlement in 1664 and called it Albany, naming it after the future King of England James II, whose title at the time was the Duke of Albany. It became the capital of New York State in 1797.

99 Architectural style : TUDOR

Anyone wanting to see examples of magnificent buildings in the Tudor style of architecture might consider a visit to the English university towns of Oxford and Cambridge.

104 Baja resort, familiarly : CABO

Cabo San Lucas is a major tourist destination at the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula in Mexico. “Cabo” is sometimes referred to as the “Fort Lauderdale of Mexico”.

105 Nobel Institute city : OSLO

The Norwegian Nobel Institute was established in Oslo in 1904. The main task of the Institute is to assist the Norwegian Nobel Committee in selecting the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize and to organize the annual Nobel event.

113 Simpsons grandfather : ABE

In the animated TV show called “The Simpsons”, Grandpa Abe Simpson is voiced by Dan Castellaneta, the same actor who provides the voice for Homer.

114 Peacock network : NBC

The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) has had a number of different logos in its history, including the famous peacock with which we are familiar today. The first peacock logo was introduced in the early days of color television and was designed to illustrate how wonderful color television would be, so go buy one! (NBC was owned by RCA, and so had a vested interest in sales of color television sets).

/p>

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Native Nebraskans : OTOES
6 Relishes : SAVORS
12 Speck : DOT
15 First word for some babies : MAMA
19 Spare place : TRUNK
20 Footnote notation : IBIDEM
21 French article : UNE
22 Grows old : AGES
23 Editing scenes from a Wesley Snipes vampire film? : CUTTING “BLADE”
25 Sleep stage : REM
26 New Rochelle school with an award-winning pipe band : IONA
27 Nth, for one : ORDINAL
28 Putting the final touches on an Ed Asner Pixar film? : WRAPPING “UP”
31 Least risky : SAFEST
33 “Fire away” : ASK
36 Dump : UNLOAD
37 Big letters in home security : ADT
38 On top of everything : TOO
41 Four score and ten : NINETY
43 Fireplace piece : GRATE
47 Going on a promotional tour for a Sigourney Weaver family film? : PLUGGING “HOLES”
51 Faced : BRAVED
52 Wedding dress option : SAREE
53 Chocolaty cereal brand : OREO O’S
54 Like some conclusions : FOREGONE
56 Withdrawing : IN RETREAT
58 Colorful tee : TIE-DYE
60 Came out on top : WON
61 Hearth residue : ASH
62 Welcomes : LETS IN
63 Hungers : YENS
64 Showing the final cut of a Jennifer Lawrence sci-fi film? : SCREENING “PASSENGERS”
71 Winter coaster : SLED
72 Deodorant brand : MENNEN
73 Hosp. areas : ERS
74 No-goodnik : CAD
75 Chuck who broke the sound barrier : YEAGER
76 Many a night owl : LATE RISER
82 Gilbert and Sullivan work : OPERETTA
84 Envelope : MAILER
86 Skin care brand : NIVEA
88 Tribal emblems : TOTEMS
89 Hiring actors for a Shailene Woodley survival-at-sea film? : CASTING “ADRIFT”
91 Govt. security : T-NOTE
92 Singer/actress Kazan : LAINIE
94 Word in the names of two MLB teams : SOX
95 Island chain? : LEI
96 Dig : INSULT
98 College major that may involve many museum trips : ART
100 Bring in : IMPORT
103 Composing the music for a Tom Hanks fantasy film? : SCORING “BIG”
107 Radioactive element named for a planet : URANIUM
110 Facility : EASE
111 Santa __ winds : ANA
112 Acquiring the rights for a Sandra Bullock action film? : LANDING “SPEED”
117 Adroit : ABLE
118 Jump the __ : GUN
119 Costello partner : ABBOTT
120 Outback canine : DINGO
121 Herd noises : MOOS
122 Place with a trough : STY
123 Dictate : DECREE
124 Kaitlin of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” : OLSON

Down

1 Like aspirin, briefly : OTC
2 __TV: reality show channel : TRU
3 At the wrong time : OUT OF TURN
4 Between, in French : ENTRE
5 Loses control on the ice : SKIDS
6 Communicate with one’s hands : SIGN
7 “Fernando” singers : ABBA
8 Country estate : VILLA
9 “Ghost” psychic __ Mae Brown : ODA
10 Primary color : RED
11 Small duck : SMEW
12 Two-time NBA Finals MVP Kevin : DURANT
13 Like cheap toilet paper : ONE-PLY
14 Beat : TEMPO
15 Downtown street : MAIN DRAG
16 Eager : AGOG
17 Drop-down list : MENU
18 PDQ : ASAP
24 Capone cohort : NITTI
29 Wishes undone : RUES
30 “Ditto” : I AGREE
31 Enervates : SAPS
32 1950s politico Stevenson : ADLAI
34 Haughty one : SNOOT
35 Drug bust unit : KILO
39 __ about: circa : ON OR
40 Brute : OGRE
42 Drink brand with a green leaf logo : NESTEA
44 Declarer : AVOWER
45 Mortise inserts : TENONS
46 Paradises : EDENS
48 Poet __ Manley Hopkins : GERARD
49 Down source : GEESE
50 “Isn’t __ bit like you and me?”: Beatles lyric : HE A
51 Actor Yul : BRYNNER
54 Come clean, with “up” : FESS …
55 Cartoon canine : ODIE
57 Queens team : THE METS
59 “__ only money” : IT’S
62 ICU worker : LPN
63 Formal agreement : YES, SIR
64 Apply haphazardly : SLAP ON
65 Officially give : CEDE TO
66 In apple-pie order : NEAT
67 Swenson of “Benson” : INGA
68 U-turn from SSW : NNE
69 Liechtenstein’s language : GERMAN
70 Coffee machine setting : GRIND
71 “Sicko Mode” rapper Travis __ : SCOTT
75 Omani neighbor : YEMENI
76 Carafe size : LITER
77 Frazier opponent : ALI
78 Canadian bank notes featuring civil rights activist Viola Desmond : TENS
79 Thus : ERGO
80 Dark signs : EVIL OMENS
81 Allude (to) : REFER
83 Pension beneficiaries : RETIREES
85 Bhutan locale : ASIA
87 In a quarrel : AT IT
89 Big name in banking : CITI
90 Chopping down : AXING
92 Wheel securer : LUG NUT
93 Hudson River capital : ALBANY
97 Hose woes : SNAGS
99 Architectural style : TUDOR
101 Botch : MISDO
102 Trainee : PUPIL
103 Clothing line : SEAM
104 Baja resort, familiarly : CABO
105 Nobel Institute city : OSLO
106 Elated : GLAD
108 Solemn ceremony : RITE
109 Poker stake : ANTE
113 Simpsons grandfather : ABE
114 Peacock network : NBC
115 __ trip : EGO
116 Get into : DON

8 thoughts on “LA Times Crossword 15 Oct 23, Sunday”

  1. Pretty straight forward. It was fun going down memory lane with all those movies.

    I couldn’t remember ADRIFT until I read Bill’s notes. Then I had an AHA moment remembering the ending!!

  2. I didn’t have too much trouble but the answer to 52 Across “saree” had me in doubt until I came here and saw it was correct. Is that a variation of sari?

    1. Saree is a variant of sari.
      From M-W, it is “a garment of southern Asian women that consists of several yards of lightweight cloth draped so that one end forms a skirt and the other a head or shoulder covering.”
      I looked around for context with a sari/saree worn as a wedding dress. I found none.

  3. 24:08 – no errors or lookups. False starts: MANSE>VILLA, OUTOFTOWN>OUTOFTURN, EIDER>GEESE, ITA>HEA, GLOPON>SLOPON>SLAPON, NEVEA>NIVEA, DIG>DON.

    New or forgotten: IBIDEM, Kaitlin OLSON, ODA Mae Brown, GERARD Manley Hopkins, INGA Swenson, Ttravis SCOTT, “Sicko Mode,” “Viola Desmond,” ABE Simpson.

    Decoded the theme early on, and that helped with solving. Lots of one-bamed movie titles. Have seen Up, Holes, Big, and Speed – all recommended.

  4. Actually there is at least one version on the Abbott and Costello Who’s On First that has “Nobody” in right field.

  5. No look ups, no errors but it took me a
    while. Also had a couple of lucky guesses in
    the top middle, ODA and SMEW. Fun theme
    and it helped but “Landing Speed” is a
    common phrase? Sounds like an oxymoron.

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