LA Times Crossword 1 Nov 23, Wednesday

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Constructed by: Catherine Lammersen
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Theme (according to Bill): Capitals-ish

Themed answers are US cities that share a name with a nation’s capital:

  • 17A Capital of the Midwest? : ATHENS, OHIO
  • 55A Capital of the South? : PARIS, TEXAS
  • 10D Capital of the Northeast? : LISBON, MAINE
  • 24D Capital of the Northwest? : MOSCOW, IDAHO
  • Read on, or jump to …
    … a complete list of answers

    Bill’s time: 6m 26s

    Bill’s errors: 0

    Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

    Across

    1 Roulette wheel action : SPIN

    The term “roulette” means “little wheel” in French, and the game as we know it today did in fact originate in Paris, in 1796. A roulette wheel bears the numbers 1-36. A French entrepreneur called François Blanc introduced the number “0” on the wheel, to give the house an extra advantage. Legend has it that Blanc made a deal with the devil in order to unearth the secrets of roulette. The legend is supported by the fact that the numbers 1 through 36 add up to a total of “666”, which is the “Number of the Beast”. Spooky …

    5 “Brokeback Mountain” actor Ledger : HEATH

    Heath Ledger was a movie actor from Australia who died in 2008, at only 28 years old. He passed away due to an accidental overdose and abuse of prescribed medications. Ledger had just finished filming “The Dark Night”, in which he played the Joker. For that performance, Ledger was awarded posthumously that season’s Best Supporting Actor Oscar.

    “Brokeback Mountain” is a 2005 movie about the romantic and sexual relationship between two cowboys, played by Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal. Matt Damon was asked to play one of the leads but declined. Damon gave the excuse, “I did a gay movie (The Talented Mr. Ripley), then a cowboy movie (All the Pretty Horses). I can’t follow it up with a gay-cowboy movie!”

    10 Edelstein of “The Kominsky Method” : LISA

    Lisa Edelstein is the actress who plays the character Dr. Lisa Cuddy on the excellent TV series “House”. I remember seeing her character do a difficult yoga pose on one of the “House” episodes. It turns out that in real life Edelstein is an avid practitioner of Mysore-style Ashtanga Yoga, an ancient practice.

    “The Kominsky Method” is a TV series starring Michael Douglas as Sandy Kominksky, a former actor and revered Hollywood acting coach. Also starring in the show are Alan Arkin as Kominsky’s friend Norman Newlander, and Nancy Travis as Lisa, a newly divorced woman who starts taking acting lessons.

    14 Gimlet flavor : LIME

    A gimlet is a relatively simple cocktail that is traditionally made using just gin and lime juice. The trend in more recent times is to replace the gin with vodka.

    15 Sister company of Enterprise : ALAMO

    The third-largest car rental company in recent years is Alamo, which was founded in 1974. Alamo made inroads (pun!) into the market by popularizing the idea of “unlimited mileage”.

    16 As above, in a footnote : IDEM

    “Idem” is usually abbreviated as “id.” and is the Latin word for “the same”. In research papers, “idem” is used in a list of references, in place of citations “already mentioned above”.

    17 Capital of the Midwest? : ATHENS, OHIO

    Athens is a city in southeastern Ohio. Ohio became a US state in 1803, and Ohio University was chartered the following year, in 1804. Athens County was formed in 1805, and named for the Greek center of learning. Ohio University opened for students in 1809, and the village surrounding the school was incorporated as Athens village in 1811.

    20 “Eternally nameless” concept : TAO

    Taoism is a religion and philosophy that originated in ancient China. It has been connected to the development of martial arts. The Chinese martial arts are based on the idea of using the body’s natural movements to defend oneself. Taoist philosophy emphasizes the importance of being in tune with one’s body and mind, which is essential for martial arts training.

    21 Hieroglyphic snakes : ASPS

    The prefix “hiero-” comes from the Greek word “hieros” meaning sacred or holy. The classic use of the prefix is in the term “hieroglyph” (meaning “sacred carving”), the writing system that uses symbols and pictures.

    22 Employee-owned supermarket chain based in Florida : PUBLIX

    Publix is a supermarket chain that was founded in Florida in 1930. The chain’s stores are found all across the US’s Southeast. Publix is employee-owned, and is the largest employee-owned company in the nation.

    24 Marathon unit : MILE

    The marathon commemorates the legendary messenger-run by Pheidippides from the site of the Battle of Marathon back to Athens, and is run over 26 miles and 385 yards. The first modern Olympic marathon races were run over a distance that approximated the length of the modern-day Marathon-Athens highway, although the actual length of the race varied from games to games. For the 1908 Olympics in London, a course starting at Windsor Castle and ending in front of the Royal Box at White City Stadium was defined. That course was 26 miles and 385 yards, the standard length now used at all Olympic Games. Organizers of subsequent games continued to vary the length of the race, until a decision was made in 1921 to adopt the distance used in London in 1908.

    32 Quran chapter part : VERSE

    The Koran is also known as the “Qur’an” and “Quran” in English. “Qur’an” a transliteration of the Arabic name for the holy text of the Muslim faith. The literal translation of “Koran” is “the recitation”.

    34 Not worth discussing : MOOT

    A moot court is a simulated court proceeding engaged in by law students. A moot court is similar to a mock trial, with the former simulating an appellate court or arbitral case, and the latter simulating a jury trial or bench trial. In Anglo-Saxon times, a “moot” was a gathering of prominent men to discuss matters of local importance.

    38 German automaker : AUDI

    The Audi name has an interesting history. The Horch company was founded by August Horch in 1909. Early in the life of the new company, Horch was forced out of his own business. He set up a new enterprise and continued to use his own name as a brand. The old company sued him for using the Horch name so a meeting was held to choose something new. Horch’s young son was studying Latin in the room where the meeting was taking place. He pointed out that “horch” was German for “hear” and he suggested “Audi” as a replacement, the Latin for “listen”.

    39 Padres slugger 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).

    40 Düsseldorf dwelling : HAUS

    Düsseldorf lies in the west of Germany, fairly close to the border with France. The city is located on the River Rhine.

    45 Antilles landmass : ISLE

    The Antilles islands are divided into two main groups, the Greater Antilles and the Lesser Antilles. The Greater Antilles includes the islands of Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola and Puerto Rico. The Lesser Antilles are made up of the Leeward Islands, the Windward Islands and the Leeward Antilles, and lie just north of Venezuela.

    46 Richard of “Chicago” : GERE

    Richard Gere is an American actor who is a practicing Buddhist and has been a student of the Dalai Lama for many years. He has been married three times, including his first marriage to supermodel Cindy Crawford. They were married from 1991 to 1995.

    The wonderful 1975 musical “Chicago” is based on a 1926 play of the same name written by a news reporter called Maurine Dallas Watkins. Watkins had been assigned to cover the murder trials of Beulah Annan and Belva Gaertner for the “Chicago Tribune”, and used the story that unfolded as the basis for her play. Annan became the character Roxie Hart, and Gaertner became Velma Kelly. I’ve only ever seen the movie version of “Chicago” and never a live performance …

    47 Actress Hawn : GOLDIE

    I remember watching the ditsy character played by Goldie Hawn on “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In”. Hawn used to give great performances on the show, convincing everyone that she was the stereotypical dumb blonde. Well, what a great career she was to carve out for herself!

    51 Cy Young stat : ERA

    Cy Young was a pitcher in the major leagues from 1890-1911. Young is remembered for pitching the first perfect game of baseball’s modern era. Soon after he died in 1955, the Cy Young Award was created and is presented to the best pitcher in each baseball season.

    55 Capital of the South? : PARIS, TEXAS

    The city of Paris, Texas is in the northeast corner of the state. Residents like to call the city the “Second Largest Paris in the World”. Cute …

    59 Zinc __: sunblock ingredient : OXIDE

    Zinc oxide is a popular ingredient in sunscreens as it blocks both UVA and UVB components of ultraviolet light.

    63 Largest active volcano in Italy : ETNA

    Italy is home to three active volcanoes:

    • Stromboli (in the Tyrrhenian Sea, off the north coast of Sicily)
    • Vesuvius (overlooking Naples)
    • Etna (on the island of Sicily)

    Down

    1 Picket fence piece : SLAT

    Back in the late 17th century, a picket was a pointed stake used militarily to defend against attacking forces, and charging cavalry in particular. Ultimately, the term “picket” comes from the French verb “piquer” meaning “to pierce”. The term “pickets” then became the name for troops posted in the front lines, watching for the enemy. A picket line is a unit of soldiers lined up as a team of lookouts. The first use of “picket line” in the sense of labor disputes appeared just after the end of WWII. Our use of “picket fence” evolved from the original lines of pointed stakes used to defend positions held by early colonists.

    2 Baba ghanouj bread : PITA

    Baba ganoush (also “baba ghanouj”) is an Arab dish with the main ingredient of mashed eggplant. It is sometimes served as a (delicious) dip.

    9 Cager : HOOPSTER

    In the early days of basketball, when a ball went out of bounds possession was awarded to the player who first retrieved the ball. This led to mad scuffles off the court, often involving spectators. As the game became more organized, courts were routinely “caged”, largely because of this out of bounds rule, to limit interaction with the crowd. It’s because of these cages that basketball players are sometimes referred to today as “cagers”.

    10 Capital of the Northeast? : LISBON, MAINE

    The Maine town of Lisbon was named for the capital of Portugal back in 1802. Prior to that date, the town went by the somewhat unwieldy “Thompsonborough”.

    13 Green card co. : AMEX

    “Amex” is short for “American Express”, the name of the financial services company that is best known for its credit card, charge card and traveler’s check businesses. The company name is indicative of its original business. American Express was founded in 1850 in Buffalo, New York as an express mail service.

    24 Capital of the Northwest? : MOSCOW, IDAHO

    In its early days, the city of Moscow, Idaho was known as Paradise Valley, with the name change taking place in 1875. The choice of “Moscow” seems unexplained, but it is more likely related to Moscow, Pennsylvania than Moscow, Russia. Moscow is home to the University of Idaho.

    26 Sister company of Budget : AVIS

    Avis has been around since 1946, and is the second largest car rental agency after Hertz. Avis has the distinction of being the first car rental company to locate a branch at an airport.

    30 Two-door vehicle : COUPE

    The type of car known as a “coupe” or “coupé” is a closed automobile with two doors. The name comes from the French word “couper” meaning “to cut”. In most parts of the English-speaking world the pronunciation adheres to the original French, but here in most of North America we go with “coop”. The original coupé was a horse-drawn carriage that was cut (coupé) to eliminate the rear-facing passenger seats. That left just a driver and two front-facing passengers. If the driver was left without a roof and out in the open, then the carriage was known as a “coupé de-ville”.

    35 Spruce (up) : TIDY

    Our verb “to spruce up” means “to make trim or neat”. The term comes from the adjective “spruce”, meaning “smart, neat”. In turn, the adjective comes from “spruce leather”, which was a Prussian leather that was used in England in the 15th and 16th centuries to make a popular style of jerkin that was widely considered to look quite smart.

    43 Means-tested govt. assistance program : SSI

    Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a federal program that provides financial relief to persons with low incomes who are 65 or older, or who are blind or disabled. The SSI program is administered by the Social Security Administration (SSA) even though the Social Security trust fund is not used for SSI payments. SSI payments come out of general tax revenue.

    44 __ Antilles: Caribbean cluster : LESSER

    The Caribbean Sea takes its name from the Island Carib people. The Island Caribs are an American Indian people that live in the Lesser Antilles islands, part of the West Indies.

    47 Apple choice : GALA

    Gala is the second-most popular apple cultivar in the US, after red delicious. The gala apple tree originated in New Zealand in 1930, and is a cross between a golden delicious and a Kidd’s orange red.

    49 “__ we forget” : LEST

    “Lest we forget” is an oft-quoted phrase, one that comes from a poem by Rudyard Kipling called “Recessional”. Kipling wrote the piece on the occasion of the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1897 and used it to express sadness at the waning of the British Empire. The phrase “lest we forget” is used in this context, a warning that the empire will decline. Ever since WWI we’ve been using the words on memorials as a plea not to forget the sacrifices made by others in the past.

    50 One who may keep a spare tyre in a boot : BRIT

    The British spelling of “tyre”, for what we call a “tire” here in North America, was indeed the original spelling. The English started to use “tire” spelling in the 17th century, and then shifted back to the current “tyre” in the 19th century.

    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.

    53 Bhutan’s continent : 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.

    /p>

    Complete List of Clues/Answers

    Across

    1 Roulette wheel action : SPIN
    5 “Brokeback Mountain” actor Ledger : HEATH
    10 Edelstein of “The Kominsky Method” : LISA
    14 Gimlet flavor : LIME
    15 Sister company of Enterprise : ALAMO
    16 As above, in a footnote : IDEM
    17 Capital of the Midwest? : ATHENS, OHIO
    19 “__ help you are!” : SOME
    20 “Eternally nameless” concept : TAO
    21 Hieroglyphic snakes : ASPS
    22 Employee-owned supermarket chain based in Florida : PUBLIX
    24 Marathon unit : MILE
    25 Bone, in Italian : OSSO
    26 Niche : ALCOVE
    29 Power : POTENCY
    32 Quran chapter part : VERSE
    33 Steady look : GAZE
    34 Not worth discussing : MOOT
    36 Apple choice : IMAC
    37 More ironic : WRYER
    38 German automaker : AUDI
    39 Padres slugger Juan : SOTO
    40 Düsseldorf dwelling : HAUS
    41 Completely drained : WIPED
    42 Smartphone source of daily headlines : NEWS APP
    44 In need of companionship : LONELY
    45 Antilles landmass : ISLE
    46 Richard of “Chicago” : GERE
    47 Actress Hawn : GOLDIE
    50 Kiss : BUSS
    51 Cy Young stat : ERA
    54 Locale : AREA
    55 Capital of the South? : PARIS, TEXAS
    58 Mascara recipient : LASH
    59 Zinc __: sunblock ingredient : OXIDE
    60 Eight, on a sundial : VIII
    61 Middle harmony chorus part : ALTO
    62 Discourage : DETER
    63 Largest active volcano in Italy : ETNA

    Down

    1 Picket fence piece : SLAT
    2 Baba ghanouj bread : PITA
    3 Texter’s “I’m no expert, but … ” : IMHO …
    4 Formerly named : NEE
    5 Big headache : HASSLE
    6 Have no reception? : ELOPE
    7 Satisfied sighs : AAHS
    8 “OMG, stop sharing!” : TMI!
    9 Cager : HOOPSTER
    10 Capital of the Northeast? : LISBON, MAINE
    11 One inundated with fan mail : IDOL
    12 Partly : SEMI
    13 Green card co. : AMEX
    18 None too worldly : NAIVE
    23 Adopt : USE
    24 Capital of the Northwest? : MOSCOW, IDAHO
    25 Seeps : OOZES
    26 Sister company of Budget : AVIS
    27 Subpar car : LEMON
    28 Subpar car : CRATE
    29 “Fork it over!” : PAY UP!
    30 Two-door vehicle : COUPE
    31 Alpine song : YODEL
    33 Flavor of much children’s medicine : GRAPE
    35 Spruce (up) : TIDY
    37 Group of orcas, e.g. : WHALE POD
    41 Superlatively bad : WORST
    43 Means-tested govt. assistance program : SSI
    44 __ Antilles: Caribbean cluster : LESSER
    46 Museum employee : GUIDE
    47 Apple choice : GALA
    48 Interview-style exam : ORAL
    49 “__ we forget” : LEST
    50 One who may keep a spare tyre in a boot : BRIT
    51 Parking garage sign : EXIT
    52 Golf date ruiner : RAIN
    53 Bhutan’s continent : ASIA
    56 Splitting tool : AXE
    57 Morn’s opposite : EVE

    13 thoughts on “LA Times Crossword 1 Nov 23, Wednesday”

    1. Spun my wheels a bit in NE corner. SOME at 19A and SOME at 12D? Surely not.
      No clue on 22A. Once I figured out it was LISBON and not BOSTON for 10D, everything finally fell into place.

      Sorry, never heard of PUBLIX. Same reaction with finding out about KROGERS. until I went to Texas. KROGERS everywhere !!

      1. I live in Georgia where Publix is very prominent and popular, and I love it! The unique characteristic is the way employees have been trained to deal with the public in a very polite, professional, friendly manner. After an employee went out of his way to help me, I said, “And this is why we love Publix. He just smiled and said, “Yes ma’am.” Seriously, I’ve never seen anything like this at any other grocery store. You should hope one opens near you!

    2. Cute theme. Enjoyed this puzzle more than most recently.
      Had SOME for SEMI till a cross revealed another SOME…
      But is WRYER a real word? Seems “more wry” would be more appropriate

    3. For a complete change from usual cluelessness I actually got the theme right away, which helped fill in all the long clues. A fun puzzle and I learned that there is a Lisbon in Maine.

    4. 9:48 – couple check grids in NE corner, IDEM & PUBLIX.

      Nice Wednesday puzzle. Cute theme, I’ve seen it in other puzzles, but it never seems to get old …

      Enjoyed WAYYYY more than yesterday (ughhh!).

      Be Well.

    5. 8:19 – no errors, lookups, or false starts. Seemed easy like a Monday.

      New or forgotten: LISA Edelstein, OSSO, Juan SOTO.

      An easy theme to figure out. Sadly, Lisbon, Maine, was in the news recently due to the mass shooting in nearby Lewiston. And Moscow, Idaho, had the stabbing murders of the four college students a year ago.

      Duplicate cluings with: Apple choice; Subpar car.

    6. 7 minutes, 27 sec, no errors, or issues.

      Now this was a good puzzle. The theme was actually educational (“foreign” US cities), and there was even an occurence of duplicate clues (rental companies, subpar cars). The constructor was creative, but didn’t have to fall back on “tricks” or bad puns, or outright cynicism to turn out a superlative grid.

      As much as I gripe about the idiocy of some of the themes, I have to give credit where it is due!!! This one is my vote for Grid of the Year, as of now.

    7. Had to Google for BUBLIX.
      Morn was squished, so I thought it said Mom. Finally got that.
      Didn’t know SOTO.
      I agree, a well-rounded puzzle.

    8. Fun themed Wednesday; took 14:42 with 2 dumb errors. Had SaMe instead of SEMI. Didn’t know LISA, PUBLIX (sorta knew), OSSA (mostly knew) and SOTA (kinda knew).

      Agree with Ray C. on the sadness of Moscow, ID and Lewiston, ME – I noticed that right away.

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