LA Times Crossword 15 Dec 23, Friday

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Constructed by: John Andrew Agpalo
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Reveal Answer: On the Edge

Themed answers are all on the EDGE of the grid. And, each is preceded by “ON THE …” for completion:

  • 36A Exciting but dangerous way to live, and a hint to making the starred clues match their answers : ON THE EDGE
  • 1A *Kerouac novel : ON THE ROAD
  • 5A *Free : ON THE HOUSE
  • 10A *Alert : ON THE BALL
  • 67A *Precisely : ON THE NOSE
  • 68A *Undecided : ON THE FENCE
  • 69A *Then and there : ON THE SPOT
  • 1D *Officially : ON THE RECORD
  • 13D *Keeping watch : ON THE LOOKOUT
  • 39D *Imminent : ON THE HORIZON
  • 50D *Available for purchase : ON THE MARKET

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

Bill’s time: 7m 46s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 *Kerouac novel : ON THE ROAD

Jack Kerouac’s 1957 novel “On the Road” is largely autobiographical, telling the story of Sal Paradise (Jack K.) and the road trips that he and his friends took across the country in the fifties.

10 *Alert : ON THE BALL

The phrase “on the ball”, meaning “alert”, comes from ball sports. It is a contraction of the expression “keep your eye on the ball”, i.e. stay alert!

14 Sea eagle : ERNE

The ern (sometimes “erne”) is also known as the white-tailed eagle or the sea eagle.

15 The Ivies, e.g. : OCTAD

The term “Ivy League” originally defined an athletic conference, but now it is used to describe a group of schools of higher education that are associated with both a long tradition and academic excellence. The eight Ivy League Schools are: Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Princeton, the University of Pennsylvania, and Yale.

16 Palm smartphone : TREO

The Treo is a smartphone that was originally developed by a company called Handspring. Handspring was bought by Palm Inc. Subsequently, the Treo was phased out and replaced by the Palm Pre.

17 John of “The Suicide Squad” : CENA

John Cena is a professional wrestler turned rapper and actor. Although wrestling, rapping and “Cena-style” movies wouldn’t be my cup of tea, I have to admire Cena’s philanthropic record. He holds the title for the most wishes granted by a single individual for the Make-A-Wish Foundation that benefits children with life-threatening medical conditions.

“The Suicide Squad” is a 2021 superhero movie in the DC Comics universe, and a sequel to the 2016 film “Suicide Squad”. It has quite the cast, including Margot Robbie, Idris Elba, Sylvester Stallone, Viola Davis and Peter Capaldi.

20 Anthem with English and French lyrics : O CANADA

Canada’s national anthem “O Canada” was commissioned in 1880 by the Lieutenant Governor of Quebec, so the original words are in French. The first English translation was made in 1906. The current English lyrics have been revised a few times, but the French version remains the same as it did back in 1880.

O Canada!
Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all of us command.
With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!
From far and wide,
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

22 Eye surgery acronym : LASIK

LASIK surgery uses a laser to reshape the cornea of the eye to improve vision. The LASIK acronym stands for “laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis”.

23 Univ. dorm figures : RAS

A resident assistant/adviser (RA) is a peer leader found in a residence hall/dormitory, particularly on a college campus.

24 Jonathan Larson musical : RENT

The musical “Rent” by Jonathan Larson is based on the Puccini opera “La bohème”. “Rent” tells the story of struggling artists and musicians living in the Lower East Side of New York, and is set against the backdrop of the AIDS epidemic. We saw “Rent” on Broadway quite a few years ago, and were very disappointed …

26 Powerful Chevy : CAMARO

The Chevrolet Camaro is a car produced by General Motors from 1966 to 2002, and reintroduced in 2009. The Camaro shared much of its design with the Pontiac Firebird, and was introduced as a potential competitor to the Ford Mustang.

27 Celtic priest : DRUID

Druids were priests of Celtic Europe during the Iron Age. Historians rely on accounts of the beliefs and practices of druids recorded by the likes of ancient Romans and Greeks, as it is believed that druids themselves were prevented from recording their knowledge by their belief system.

29 Skewered snack in peanut sauce : SATAY

The dish known as “satay” originated in Java, Indonesia and is marinated pieces of meat served on a skewer in a sauce, often a spicy peanut sauce. “Satay” is the Indonesian spelling, and “sate” is the Malay spelling.

31 __ Malnati’s: chain known for Chicago-style pizza : LOU

Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria is a chain of restaurants that specializes in Chicago-style pizzas. Lou Malnati’s father was Rudy Malnati, a chef at Pizzeria Uno. Some say that it was Rudy that invented the Chicago-style, deep dish pizza.

34 Cassis cocktail : KIR

Kir is a French cocktail made by adding a teaspoon or so of crème de cassis (blackcurrant liqueur) to a glass, and then topping it off with white wine. The drink is named after Felix Kir, the Mayor of Dijon in Burgundy, who used to offer the drink to his guests. My wife is particularly fond of a variant called a kir royale, in which the white wine is replaced with champagne.

35 Safari shelter : TENT

“Safari” is a Swahili word meaning “journey” or “expedition”.

42 In medias __ : RES

“In medias res” is a Latin phrase that translates as “into the middle of things”. We use “in medias res” to describe a literary technique in which a story starts at some point other than the beginning of the plot.

47 Special talent : FORTE

A person’s forte is his or her strength. The term “forte” came into English via French from the Latin “fortis” meaning strong. “Forte” (F) is also a musical direction meaning “loud”.

49 Jeans fabric : DENIM

Nîmes is a lovely city in the south of France. One of the claims to fame of the city is the invention of denim fabric. The French phrase “de Nîmes” (from Nîmes) gives us the word “denim”. Also, the French phrase “bleu de Gênes” (blue of Genoa) gives us our word “jeans”.

51 Curiosity and Opportunity : ROVERS

There have been several rovers sent to Mars from Earth. The Soviet Union’s Mars 2 landed in 1971, and failed. Mars 3 landed the same year, and ceased operation just 20 seconds after landing. NASA’s Sojourner landed in 1997 (what a great day that was!) and operated from July through September. The British rover Beagle 2 was lost six days before its scheduled entry into the Martian atmosphere. NASA’s Spirit landed in 2004, and operated successfully for over six years before getting trapped in sand and eventually ceasing to communicate. NASA’s Opportunity also landed in 2004, and operated for over fourteen years. And then NASA’s Curiosity made a spectacular, hi-tech landing in 2012 and is continuing to explore the planet today. Based on the Curiosity design, NASA’s Perseverance rover landed in 2021, along with the Mars helicopter named Ingenuity. The China National Space Administration landed its first rover, named Zhurong (“Rover” in English), five months after Perseverance started its mission on the planet.

53 Scandinavian capital : OSLO

Strictly speaking, Scandinavia is a region in Northern Europe that covers the kingdoms of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. The broader region that includes Finland and Iceland is referred to locally as “the Nordic countries”.

55 Nashville awards org. : CMA

Country Music Association (CMA)

57 Rat : TATTLER

Something described as tattletale is revealing, it gives away a secret. The term is a combination of “tattle” and “tale”, and is probably patterned on the similar word “telltale”. “To tattle” means “to tell secrets”, and the noun “tattletale” applies to someone who tells secrets and informs.

59 Boast in a restaurant window : ZAGAT-RATED

The Zagat Survey is best known for rating restaurants across the major cities of the US, but it also rates things like hotels, nightlife, shopping, airlines and even zoos. The survey was started by Tim and Nina Zagat in 1979, and back then the survey was simply a collection of New York City restaurant ratings provided by friends of the couple.

63 File’s partner : RANK

At the end of the 16th century, a group of soldiers marching in formation were divided into ranks and files. The ranks in the formation were the “horizontal” lines, and the files the “vertical” lines. The phrase “rank and file” was then used for “common soldiers”, and eventually “common people”.

64 Poetic paeans : ODES

A paean is a poem or song that expresses triumph or thanksgiving. “Paean” comes from the ancient Greek “paian” meaning “song of triumph”.

65 TikTok aesthetic : E-GIRL

E-girls and e-boys (maybe “e-kids”) may spend a lot of time on social media, especially TikTok, hence the use of the prefix “e-”.

Down

3 Fashion icon with a Fantasia fragrance line : ANNA SUI

Anna Sui is a fashion designer from Detroit, Michigan.

5 Throng : HORDE

A horde is a large crowd. “Horde” ultimately derives from the Turkish “ordu” meaning “camp, army”.

6 Scads : OCEANS

The origin of the word “scads”, meaning “lots and lots”, is unclear. That said, “scads” was used to mean “dollars” back in the mid-1800s.

7 “Respect for Acting” writer Hagen : UTA

“Respect for Acting” is a textbook used in acting classes that was written by actress and teacher Uta Hagen and first published in 1973. Hagen published a follow-up textbook in 1991 called “Challenge for the Actor”.

21 Elizabeth who founded the Red Door salon : ARDEN

“Elizabeth Arden” was the business name used by Canadian-American Florence Nightingale Graham. Arden built a cosmetics empire that made her one of the wealthiest women in the world. Arden had a famous rivalry with fellow cosmetics entrepreneur Helena Rubinstein, and that rivalry even spawned a 2016 stage musical called “War Paint”.

28 Activewear brand : IZOD

Jack Izod was a tailor of some repute over in England producing shirts for King George V, as well as other members of the Royal Family. As Izod was about to retire, he was approached for the use of his name by an American clothing manufacturer based in New York. The brand Izod of London was introduced to America in 1938.

33 Houston squad, casually : ‘STROS

The Houston baseball team changed its name to the Astros (sometimes “’Stros”) from the Colt .45s in 1965 when they started playing in the Astrodome. The Astrodome was so called in recognition of the city’s long association with the US space program. The Astros moved from the National League to the American League starting in the 2013 season.

35 Head of Québec : TETE

Québec is the largest province in Canada, and the only one with French as its sole official language. The name “Québec” comes from an Algonquin word “kebec” meaning “where the river narrows”. This refers to the area around Quebec City where the St. Lawrence River narrows as it flows through a gap lined by steep cliffs. The province has voted twice in referenda asking whether or not Quebec should become an independent country, once in 1980, and again in 1995. The 1995 result was 49% in favor of sovereignty, up from 40% in 1980.

37 R&B singer whose stage name is pronounced like a pronoun : HER

Gabriella Wilson is a singer/songwriter who uses the stage name H.E.R. (pronounced “Her”), which is an acronym standing for “Having Everything Revealed”.

38 Gal of “Red Notice” : GADOT

Gal Gadot is an actress and former Miss Israel. She played Gisele Yashar in the “Fast & Furious” film franchise, and then began portraying Wonder Woman in superhero movies.

“Red Notice” is an action comedy film released in 2021 that stars Dwayne Johnson, Gal Gadot and Ryan Reynolds. Reynolds plays an art thief who teams up with an FBI agent, played by Johnson, to catch an even cagier art thief played by Gadot. The movie’s title refers to an alert about crimes and criminals that is distributed by Interpol to police forces around the world.

40 California roll ingredient : AVOCADO

A California roll is a kind of sushi roll that is made inside-out, with the seaweed inside and the rice on the outside. A California roll often includes rice, seaweed, cucumber and avocado. The dish originated in Los Angeles where a chef at the Tokyo Kaikan restaurant substituted avocado for fatty tuna (“toro”) in a traditional sushi recipe. The chef also put the seaweed on the inside, as his American customers preferred not to look directly at seaweed while they were eating it!

41 Wreaks havoc on : RAVAGES

Havoc is great damage or destruction. The term “havoc” comes from the Anglo-French phrase “crier havok”, which was an order given in the late 1500s to soldiers, instructing them to seize plunder.

45 __ cheese: Southern spread : PIMENTO

Pimento cheese is a spread that is particularly popular in the US South. It is usually made using sharp cheddar cheese, mayonnaise and pimentos. Pimento cheese is sometimes referred to as the caviar of the South. Yum …

A pimiento (also “pimento”) is a cherry pepper in the chili family. It used to be stuffed into Spanish olives by a tool that took out the pit at the same time. Sadly, in these days of modern technology, the pimiento is usually pureed now, mixed with a gum and formed into neat strips, before being stuffed into the olive. Nothing is what it seems anymore …

48 Brand that boasts 24-hour immunity support : ESTER-C

As far as I can tell, the brand Ester-C is just vitamin C.

52 Shake an Etch A Sketch, say : ERASE

Etch A Sketch was introduced in 1960. The toy was developed in France by inventor André Cassagnes, who initially named it “L’Écran Magique” (The Magic Screen).

58 “__ chic!” : TRES

“Très chic” is a French term meaning “very stylish”.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 *Kerouac novel : ON THE ROAD
5 *Free : ON THE HOUSE
10 *Alert : ON THE BALL
14 Sea eagle : ERNE
15 The Ivies, e.g. : OCTAD
16 Palm smartphone : TREO
17 John of “The Suicide Squad” : CENA
18 Running start? : READY, SET, GO!
20 Anthem with English and French lyrics : O CANADA
22 Eye surgery acronym : LASIK
23 Univ. dorm figures : RAS
24 Jonathan Larson musical : RENT
26 Powerful Chevy : CAMARO
27 Celtic priest : DRUID
29 Skewered snack in peanut sauce : SATAY
31 __ Malnati’s: chain known for Chicago-style pizza : LOU
32 King and queen : SIZES
34 Cassis cocktail : KIR
35 Safari shelter : TENT
36 Exciting but dangerous way to live, and a hint to making the starred clues match their answers : ON THE EDGE
39 Tough : HARD
42 In medias __ : RES
43 Snapped out of a daydream, perhaps : SAT UP
46 Latin for “eggs” : OVA
47 Special talent : FORTE
49 Jeans fabric : DENIM
51 Curiosity and Opportunity : ROVERS
53 Scandinavian capital : OSLO
55 Nashville awards org. : CMA
56 Words of empathy : I CARE
57 Rat : TATTLER
59 Boast in a restaurant window : ZAGAT-RATED
63 File’s partner : RANK
64 Poetic paeans : ODES
65 TikTok aesthetic : E-GIRL
66 Spanish “east” : ESTE
67 *Precisely : ON THE NOSE
68 *Undecided : ON THE FENCE
69 *Then and there : ON THE SPOT

Down

1 *Officially : ON THE RECORD
2 Vehicles of mine? : ORE CARS
3 Fashion icon with a Fantasia fragrance line : ANNA SUI
4 Campus official : DEAN
5 Throng : HORDE
6 Scads : OCEANS
7 “Respect for Acting” writer Hagen : UTA
8 Teary, maybe : SAD
9 Dreyer’s partner in ice cream : EDY
10 Benchwarmers : B-TEAM
11 Place to check for prints : ART SALE
12 Shackle : LEG-IRON
13 *Keeping watch : ON THE LOOKOUT
19 Perform amazingly, informally : SLAY
21 Elizabeth who founded the Red Door salon : ARDEN
25 Grows fond of : TAKES TO
26 What casino workers are always dealing with : CARDS
28 Activewear brand : IZOD
30 Even numbers? : TIE
33 Houston squad, casually : ‘STROS
35 Head of Québec : TETE
37 R&B singer whose stage name is pronounced like a pronoun : HER
38 Gal of “Red Notice” : GADOT
39 *Imminent : ON THE HORIZON
40 California roll ingredient : AVOCADO
41 Wreaks havoc on : RAVAGES
44 Prepare for take-off? : UNCLASP
45 __ cheese: Southern spread : PIMENTO
47 Stew (over) : FRET
48 Brand that boasts 24-hour immunity support : ESTER-C
50 *Available for purchase : ON THE MARKET
52 Shake an Etch A Sketch, say : ERASE
54 Stock holder? : LADLE
58 “__ chic!” : TRES
60 Call, as a game : REF
61 Grow old : AGE
62 __ ear : TIN

10 thoughts on “LA Times Crossword 15 Dec 23, Friday”

  1. Took too long but finished. Messed up 11D.
    Had ART SAFE instead of ART SALE. FOU sounded fine for me at 31A. LOU sounds better. Never heard of it anyway.

    Never heard of ANNASUI ESTER-C or the smartphone TREO.

  2. 25:54, 4 errors. Also had ARTSAFE/FOU plus I overthought HER. I thought it had to be something like HYR or HRR. Took a while to get the theme but the “aha” moment was satisfying. I will sit back now and wait for angry comments to be posted…

    1. I overthought HER as well. That seemed misleading. It always takes me a while to get the theme, but I still enjoyed its cleverness.

  3. No errors…I got the theme right away which is unusual for me and that helped…all the “never heard ofs” were jammed together as they usually are.
    Stay safe😀

  4. 15:03, no errors. I was also puzzled by 37-Down (never having heard of the R&B singer involved). Now that I’ve read Bill’s explanation and seen “H.E.R.” written out, I understand how the clue makes sense. (That it stands for “Having Everything Revealed” brings out a bit of the cynic in me, though … 😜.)

  5. 15:37 – one letter error at SLAm/SATAm. Did not know or remember the skewered dish, SATAY, and SLAM seemed good enough for “perform amazingly.” Oh well, maybe next time. No false starts.

    New or forgotten: “Jonathan Larson,” SATAY, “cassis,” ANNASUI, “Respect for Acting.”

    Didn’t fully understand how the theme worked until reading Bill’s explanation. It makes sense.

    I ended up working this one from the bottom-up instead of my usual top-down. The SE is where I quickly found answers that I could readily fill in – OSLO, GADOT, DENIM, ESTE. I also solved ONTHEEDGE before anything else in the grid, but only because all of the starred answers were at the edges of the grid.

  6. 23:22 – didn’t know SATAY and EDY.

    Difficulty was about right for a Friday. Got the theme early and it really helped (for once!).

    Lots of words I didn’t know but got the crosses. For where I am now, I’m happy with my effort … a year ago I wouldn’t have even started this puzzle. One of these days I’ll finish a Saturday (sigh).

    Really enjoyed the many mis-directions … I know, some people hate them, but I love ’em.

    Be Well.

  7. 11 mins, 1 second, no errors. Not easy to divine, but the theme helped a lot and was actually (dare I say it) clever.

  8. Way too hard for me; took over an hour with numerous errors and check-grids. Just not on the same page as the constructor at all. Especially the junction of E GIRL/ESTER C, but actually all over the place…

    Theme was a complete mystery to me as well, even though I got the reveal no problem.

  9. Never heard of Annasui or Ester C. Stock holder was funny. Kept thinking of animals and securities-Duh.

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