LA Times Crossword 13 Jan 24, Saturday

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Constructed by: Kyle Dolan
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Theme: None

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

Bill’s time: 14m 53s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Part of GTO : GRAN

The initialism “GTO” was used on several touring cars (including a famous Pontiac) and stands for “Gran Turismo Omologato”. Italian car manufacturers started the tradition of calling their luxury performance cars “Gran Turismo”, and calling those cars they approved for racing “Gran Turismo Omologato”. The phrase “gran turismo omologato” translates as “grand touring homologated”, “homologated” being a technical term signifying official approval.

14 Drink made with a spice mixture called karha : MASALA CHAI

Masala chai is an Indian drink made with black tea (the “chai) and mixed spices (the “masala”, a mixture known as “khara”).

16 First name in country music : REBA

Reba McEntire is a country music singer and television actress. McEntire starred in her own sitcom “Reba” that aired on the WB and the CW cable channels from 2001 to 2007. She is sometimes referred to as “The Queen of Country”.

17 Whole alternative : ONE-PERCENT

The fatty component of milk is known as butterfat (sometimes “milkfat”). To be labeled whole milk, the butterfat content must be at least 3.25%. Low-fat milk is defined as milk containing 0.5-2% fat, with levels of 1% and 2% commonly found on grocery store shelves. Skim milk must contain less than 0.5% fat, and typically contains 0.1%.

20 Aerospace company based in Sweden : SAAB

“SAAB” stands for Svenska Aeroplan AB, which translates into English as Swedish Aeroplane Limited. Although we usually think of SAAB as an auto manufacturer, it is mainly an aircraft manufacturer. If you take small hops in Europe you might find yourself on a SAAB passenger plane. The SAAB automotive division was acquired by General Motors in the year 2000, who then sold it to a Dutch concern in 2010. However, SAAB (automotive) finally went bankrupt in 2011. The assets were acquired in 2012 by NEVS (National Electric Vehicle Sweden), a new company that used the SAAB name on its vehicles for several years.

25 Disney villain played by Glenn : CRUELLA

Cruella de Vil is the villain in the 1956 novel “The Hundred and One Dalmatians” written by Dodie Smith. Most famously perhaps, Cruella was played so ably by Glenn Close in the Disney movie adaption “101 Dalmatians”, released in 1996.

Glenn Close is a wonderful actress who has played many varied roles, but is well known for her portrayals of less than wholesome characters. She played the crazy Alex Forrest in “Fatal Attraction”, and Cruella de Vil in “101 Dalmatians”. More recently, Close had a regular role on a TV show called “Damages”. Glenn Close is an avid fan of the New York Mets and regularly sings the national anthem before games. As of 2021, Close is tied with Peter O’Toole for the record for the most Oscar acting nominations without a win (that would be eight).

32 Tag word : SMALL

That would be a tag on an item of clothing, perhaps.

33 Page by phone? : FAX

A facsimile is a copy. The term comes from the Latin phrase “fac simile” meaning “make similar”, with “fac” being the imperative form of “facere”, to make. The term “fax” (as in “fax machine”) is an abbreviated form of “facsimile”.

36 Cold cocktail : FROZEN MARGARITA

No one seems to know for sure who first created the margarita cocktail. The most plausible and oft-quoted is that it was invented in 1941 in Ensenada, Mexico. The barman mixed the drink for an important visitor, the daughter of the German ambassador. The daughter’s name was Margarita Henkel, and she lent her name to the new drink. The basic recipe for a margarita is a mixture of tequila, orange-flavored liqueur (like Cointreau) and lime juice.

42 Former “SportsCenter” anchor Patrick : DAN

Dan Patrick is a sportscaster and radio personality. He is host of “The Dan Patrick Show” on the radio and is co-host of “Football Night in America” on NBC television.

43 “Pure goodness” mandarin oranges brand : HALOS

The mandarin is a small citrus fruit, a species of orange. Genetic research reveals that the mandarin was one of the original citrus fruits, alongside the pomelo, papeda and citron.

46 Ax in a concert hall : EMANUEL

The wonderful classical pianist Emanuel Ax was born in Lviv, now in Ukraine. He arrived in New York City with his family when he was 12 years old. Ax regularly performs with the cellist Yo-Yo Ma.

51 Crunchy side : SLAW

The term “coleslaw” is an Anglicized version of the Dutch term “koolsla”, which in itself is a shortened form of “Koolsalade” meaning “cabbage salad”.

57 God who helps the Trojans in the “Iliad” : ARES

The Greek god Ares is often referred to as the Olympian god of warfare, but originally he was regarded as the god of bloodlust and slaughter. He united with Aphrodite to create several gods, including Phobos (Fear), Deimos (Terror) and Eros (Desire). Ares was the son of Zeus and Hera, and the Roman equivalent to Ares was Mars.

59 Kerry Washington role : OLIVIA POPE

“Scandal” is a political drama TV show centered on a former White House Communications Director named Olivia Pope, played by Kerry Washington. Pope has a complicated relationship with her ex-boss President Fitzgerald Grant, and therefore a complicated relationship with the First Lady. I haven’t seen this one …

62 Warhol, Johns, et al. : POP ARTISTS

American artist Andy Warhol was a leader in the pop art movement that emerged in the mid-1950s. Many of his works became the most expensive paintings ever sold. A 1963 Warhol canvas titled “Silver Car Crash (Double Disaster)” fetched over 100 million dollars in 2013.

Jasper Johns is a contemporary artist from Augusta, Georgia. Johns’ most famous work is called “Flag”, which he created two years after being discharged from the US Army, in 1954. “Flag” is a representation of the “Stars and Stripes” made with paint and a collage of newsprint.

64 Correct : EMEND

The verb “to amend” means “to change for the better, put right, alter by adding”. The related verb “to emend” is used more rarely, and mainly in reference to the editing of professional writing. Both terms are derived from the Latin “emendare” meaning “to remove fault”.

Down

1 Some biotech products : GMOS

A genetically modified organism (GMO) is one with genetic material that has been altered by genetic engineering. One might argue that the oldest form of genetic engineering is selective breeding, the use of animals or plants with desired traits for the creation of the next generation.

3 “… against __ of troubles”: Hamlet : A SEA

There has been centuries of debate about how one interprets Hamlet’s soliloquy that begins “To be or not to be …”. My favorite opinion is that Hamlet is weighing up the pros and cons of suicide (“to not be”).

To be, or not to be, that is the question:
Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The Slings and Arrows of outrageous fortune;
Or to take Armes against a Sea of troubles …

4 Table cloth? : NAPKIN

Our word “napkin” dates back to the 1300s, when it had the same meaning as today. The term comes from the old French word “nape” meaning “tablecloth” and the Middle English suffix “-kin” meaning “little”. So, a napkin is a little tablecloth.

5 Taylor Swift hit with the lyric “You put me on and said I was your favorite” : CARDIGAN

“Cardigan” is a 2020 song co-written and released by Taylor Swift. The lyrics describe a woman named Betty recalling a relationship with a man named James. As with many Swift recordings, it broke a few records. For example, it had the biggest opening day for a song on Spotify.

6 Duke’s conf. : ACC

The collegiate athletic conference known as the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) was founded in 1953. The seven charter members of the ACC were Clemson, Duke, Maryland, North Carolina, North Carolina State, South Carolina and Wake Forest.

8 Hebrew Bible: Var. : TANACH

The Tanakh (sometimes “Tanach”) is the Hebrew Bible. It comprises 24 books. The first five books make up the Torah, the law of God as received by Moses.

9 Long-necked instrument : SITAR

The sitar has been around since the Middle Ages. It is a stringed instrument that is played by plucking, and is used most often in Hindustani classical music. In the West we have been exposed to the instrument largely through the performances of Ravi Shankar and some music by George Harrison of the Beatles, a onetime student of Shankar.

10 “Dungeons & Dragons” creature : ORC

Dungeons & Dragons (D&D, DnD) is a complex role-playing game (RPG) introduced in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules Incorporated (TSR). Dungeons & Dragons was probably the first of the modern role-playing games to be developed, and the most successful. It is still played by lots of people today, including my youngest son …

12 Curry, e.g. : NBA ALL-STAR

Stephen “Steph” Curry is a professional basketball player who was selected by the Golden State Warriors in the 2009 draft. His father is former NBA player Dell Curry, and his younger brother is current player Seth Curry. Steph Curry is noted for accuracy in shooting. Curry set the record for three-pointers made in a regular season in 2013, broke that record in 2015, and broke it yet again in 2016. Then, in 2021, he broke the record for career three-pointers.

15 Symbol of Wales : LEEK

The leek is a vegetable closely related to the onion and the garlic. It is also a national emblem of Wales (along with the daffodil), although I don’t think we know for sure how this came to be. One story is that the Welsh were ordered to wear leeks in their helmets to identify themselves in a battle against the Saxons. Apparently, the battle took place in a field of leeks.

21 Transit convenience : BUS MAP

We use the term “bus” for a mode of transportation as it is an abbreviated form of the original “omnibus”. We imported “omnibus” via French from Latin, in which language it means “for all”. The idea is that an omnibus is a carriage “for all”.

27 Zany : OFF THE WALL

Something described as zany is clownish and bizarre. “Zany” can also be a noun, a term used for a clown or buffoon. The original noun was “Zanni”, a Venetian dialect variant of Gianni, short for Giovanni (John). Zanni was a character who appeared in comedy plays of the day, and was someone who aped the principal actors.

28 Grammy-winning Santana song co-written by Wyclef Jean : MARIA MARIA

“Maria Maria” is a 1999 song recorded by the rock band Santana as a track on the album “Supernatural”. That track features R&B duo the Product G&B (what a name!). Santana released “Maria Maria” as a single later that year, after which it became a huge hit.

29 Subjects that may be studied for life : EXOPLANETS

An exoplanet is simply a planet that exists outside of our own solar system. Astronomers have detected thousands of exoplanets, most of which are quite large (the size of Jupiter), no doubt because bigger planets are easier to find.

34 Individual account? : CENSUS

The original census was taken during the days of the Roman Republic, and was a reckoning of all adult males who were fit for military service. The first US Census was taken in 1790, and was conducted by federal marshals.

37 Angels Landing’s national park : ZION

Angels Landing is a rock formation in Utah’s Zion National Park.

44 Course with gates : SLALOM

“Slalom” is an anglicized version of the Norwegian word “slalam” that translates as “skiing race”. There is a longer version of the traditional slalom that is called giant slalom

45 Stand in church : PULPIT

A pulpit is a platform in a church from which a sermon is delivered by a preacher. The term comes from the Latin “pulpitum” meaning “scaffold, stage, platform for actors”. “Pulpit” can also be used figuratively, to describe the clerical profession generally.

56 “La fanciulla del __”: Puccini opera : WEST

“La fanciulla del West” (“The Girl of the West”) is an opera by Puccini that premiered in 1910 at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. The Met has commissioned the opera, and it was the first world premier of an opera at the Lincoln Center. “La fanciulla del West” is based on the play “The Girl of the Golden West”, which is set in the California Gold Rush.

60 Vehicle that really moves? : VAN

The vehicle we call a “van” takes its name from “caravan”, and so “van” is a shortened version of the older term. Back in the 1600s, a caravan was a covered cart. We still use the word “caravan” in Ireland to describe what we call a “mobile home” or “recreational vehicle” here in the US.