LA Times Crossword 26 May 24, Sunday

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Constructed by: Samuel A. Donaldson & Doug Peterson
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Theme: Workplay

Themed answers are BUSINESSES, each clued rather “punnily”:

• 22A Home business? : REAL ESTATE OFFICE
• 39A Risky business? : INSURANCE AGENCY
• 56A Pressing business? : DRY CLEANER
• 70A Core business? : FITNESS STUDIO
• 83A Funny business? : COMEDY CLUB
• 101A Family business? : FERTILITY CLINIC
• 122A Nobody’s business? : SHELL CORPORATION

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

Bill’s time: 16m 27s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 FLOTUS after Hillary : LAURA

Laura Bush, wife of President George W. Bush, had her memoir “Spoken from the Heart” published in 2010. Born Laura Lane Welch, the former First Lady has a Master’s degree in Library Science (as does my wife, my own First Lady!). Given that background, it’s not surprising that two causes that Laura Bush focused on while in the White House were education and literacy. She established the annual National Book Festival, first held in Washington, D.C. in 2001, after having co-founded the Texas Book Festival in her home state.

Hillary Rodham was born in Chicago, Illinois to Hugh Rodham (a businessman in the textile industry) and Dorothy Howell (a homemaker). Hillary was raised in a conservative home, and she campaigned for Republican candidate Barry Goldwater in the 1964 US presidential election. The following year, she served as president of the Young Republicans at Wellesley College. Our former First Lady left the Republican Party expressing disappointment at what she witnessed at the 1968 Republican National Convention in Miami, citing “veiled” racist messages prevalent at that time.

First Lady of the United States (FLOTUS)

15 Docs doing deliveries : OBS

A medical doctor (MD) might be an expert in obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN).

18 Fairy tale bullies : OGRES

An ogre is a monster of mythology and folktales that has the appearance of a man, and which eats human beings. The term “ogre” comes to us via French from the name of the Etruscan god Orcus, who feasted on the flesh of humans.

19 Kuwaiti ruler : EMIR

The State of Kuwait sits at the northern tip of the Persian Gulf, sharing a border to the north with Iraq. After WWI, Kuwait was a Protectorate within the British Empire and then gained independence from the UK in 1961. Iraq annexed Kuwait in 1990, which led to the Gulf War of 1990-1991.

20 Gainbridge Fieldhouse player : PACER

The Gainbridge Fieldhouse indoor arena in downtown Indianapolis is host to several local basketball teams, including the WNBA’s Indiana Fever and the NBA’s Indiana Pacers. The facility opened for business in 1999, then named the Conseco Fieldhouse. It was designed to look like a college field house, hence the name “fieldhouse”, and hence the primary use as a basketball arena.

21 “Sussudio” singer Collins : PHIL

“Sussudio” is a 1985 song written and recorded by Phil Collins. The song’s title is a pseudoword that Collins coined himself while composing. Apparently, he intended to replace “sussudio” with a real word, but couldn’t come up with anything that scanned as well.

22 Home business? : REAL ESTATE OFFICE

The terms “realty” and “real estate” actually date back to the late 1600s. Back then, the terms meant “real possessions, things owned that are tangible and real”.

26 Ritzy : DELUXE

The adjective “ritzy” meaning “high quality and luxurious” derives from the opulent Ritz hotels in New York, London, Paris, etc.

27 PJ top, perhaps : CAMI

A camisole (also “cami”) is a sleeveless undershirt worn by women that extends down to the waist. “Camisole” is a French word that we imported into English that ultimately derives from the Latin “camisia” meaning “shirt, nightgown”.

30 Sift through : CULL

To cull is to pick out the best, get rid of the rejects.

32 Small stream : RILL

The word “rill”, meaning a small brook or rivulet, has German roots. It has the same roots as “Rhine”, the name of the major European river.

45 Division I org. based in Arlington, Texas : WAC

Western Athletic Conference (WAC)

Arlington is a city that is part of the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metropolitan area in Texas. It was founded in 1876, and named for Arlinlgton house in Virginia, the family residence of Robert E. Lee.

47 Diamond with hits : NEIL

I saw Neil Diamond in concert back in the mid-nineties, and I must say he put on a great show. His voice has cracked a bit, but that didn’t seem to spoil anyone’s enjoyment. I’ve also seen Diamond interviewed a few times on television, and I wouldn’t say he has the most scintillating of personalities.

49 Pita sandwiches : GYROS

A gyro is a traditional Greek dish of meat roasted on a tall vertical spit that is sliced from the spit as required. Gyros are usually served inside a lightly grilled piece of pita bread, along with tomato, onion and tzatziki (a yogurt and cucumber sauce).

61 Loafer, e.g. : SHOE

The loafer slip-on shoe dates back to 1939. “Loafer” was originally a brand name introduced by Fortnum and Mason’s store in London. The derivative term “penny loafer” arose in the late fifties or early sixties, although the exact etymology seems unclear.

62 Souvenir shop staples : TEES

A souvenir is a memento, a token of remembrance. We imported “souvenir” from French, in which language it has the same meaning. The term comes from the Latin “subvenire” meaning “to come to mind”, or literally “to come up”.

68 Buckeyes’ sch. : OSU

Ohio State University (OSU) in Columbus was founded back in 1870 as the Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical College. The athletic teams of OSU are called the Buckeyes, named after the state tree of Ohio. In turn the buckeye tree gets its name from the appearance of its fruit, a dark nut with a light patch thought to resemble a “buck’s eye”. The school’s athletic mascot was introduced in 1965, and is an anthropomorphic buckeye nut named Brutus Buckeye.

74 Venn diagram grouping : SET

In mathematics, a set is defined as a collection of distinct objects. Remember those Venn diagrams at school? Each of the circles in a Venn diagram represents a set.

75 1960s sitcom family with a pet dragon named Spot : MUNSTERS

“The Munsters” is a sitcom about a family of harmless monsters that ran at the same time as “The Addams Family”, a show with a similar storyline. “The Munsters” was produced by the same team that created “Leave It to Beaver”.

88 Six Flags attractions : RIDES

The Six Flags Entertainment Corporation is an operator of amusement parks that is headquartered in Grand Prairie, Texas. Six Flags owns more amusement parks than any other company in the world. The first of these properties to open was Six Flags Over Texas. The park’s name was chosen as a homage to the flags of the six nations that have governed Texas, namely Spain, France, Mexico, the Republic of Texas, the United States of America, and the Confederate States of America.

93 127-Across’s Bonneville __ Flats : SALT

The largest salt pan located near the Great Salt Lake is the famous Bonneville Salt Flats. There is an area in the Flats called the Bonneville Speedway that is devoted to motor sports and is noted as a venue for numerous land speed records.

94 Homeowner’s overhaul, for short : RENO

“Reno” is short for renovation.

95 ICU readout : EKG

An EKG measures the electrical activity in the heart. Back in my homeland of Ireland, an EKG is known as an ECG (for electrocardiogram). We use the German name in the US, Elektrokardiogramm, giving us EKG. Apparently the abbreviation EKG is preferred, as ECG might be confused (if poorly handwritten, I guess) with EEG, the abbreviation for an electroencephalogram.

99 Gymnastics team gear : LEOTARDS

The garment known as a leotard was named for French trapeze artist Jules Léotard. Léotard wore such a garment when he was performing.

107 Scanner brand : EPSON

Seiko Epson is a Japanese company, and one of the largest manufacturers of printers in the world. The company has its roots in the watch business, roots that go back to 1942. Seiko was chosen as the official timekeeper for the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo and was asked to supply a timer that produced a printed record. This request brought Seiko into the business of printer production. The company developed the world’s first mini-printer for the 1964 Games and called it EP-101 (with “EP” standing for Electronic Printer). In 1975 Seiko introduced the next generation of EP printers which was called EPSON, from “SON of EP”. Cute, huh?

112 Slimming procedure, for short : LIPO

Liposuction (lipo) dates back to the 1920s when it was developed by a surgeon in France. However, the procedure quickly lost favor when a French model developed gangrene after surgery. As a result, it wasn’t until the mid-seventies that modern liposuction took off, after being popularized by two Italian-American surgeons in Rome.

113 Gothic governess : EYRE

“Jane Eyre” is a celebrated novel written by Charlotte Brontë, under the pen name Currer Bell. The love story is perhaps represented by the oft-quoted opening lines of the last chapter, “Reader, I married him”. There is a wonderful 4-hour television adaptation made by the BBC that I highly recommend to fans of the novel …

117 Lack of pep : ANEMIA

The term “anemia” (or “anaemia”, as we write it back in Ireland) comes from a Greek word meaning “lack of blood”. Anemia is a lack of iron in the blood, or a low red blood cell count. Tiredness is a symptom of the condition, and so we use the term “anemic” figuratively to mean “lacking in vitality or substance”.

121 “Hooked on Classics” record label : K-TEL

I know that a lot of people detested the “Hooked on Classics” albums, but to be honest, I found them to be a lot of fun. But then again, I like disco! The original “Hooked on Classics” album was recorded in 1981 by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra from London. The music was a selection of recognizable extracts from the world of classical music played over a continuous disco beat.

122 Nobody’s business? : SHELL CORPORATION

A shell corporation is a company with no significant assets or operations. They are a main component of the underground economy, especially those based in tax havens.

127 Bryce Canyon National Park locale : UTAH

Bryce Canyon National Park is a beautiful part of America. The strange thing is that Bryce isn’t a canyon at all, but rather is a natural amphitheater created by erosion of sedimentary rocks that are part of the Paunsaugunt Plateau.

128 Run the __ : GAMUT

In medieval times, the musical scale was denoted by the notes “ut, re, mi, fa, sol, la”. The term “gamma ut”, shortened to “gamut”, was used to describe the whole scale. By the 1620s, “gamut” was being used to mean the entire range of anything, the whole gamut.

129 Couture monogram : YSL

Yves Saint Laurent (YSL)

130 Weasel relative : OTTER

Male and female otters are known as dogs and bitches, with the offspring called pups. Males and females are sometimes referred to as boars and sows. A collection of otters is a bevy, family, lodge or perhaps a romp. When in water, a collection of otters can be called a raft.

132 Kimberly of “Diary of a Mad Black Woman” : ELISE

Kimberly Elise is an actress who is perhaps best known for playing Denver in the 1998 film “Beloved” and the female lead Helen Simmons-McCarter in the 2005 film “Diary of a Mad Black Woman”.

“Diary of a Mad Black Woman” is a 2005 film written by Tyler Perry, who also stars as Madea, a recurring character in Perry’s films. The film is based on Perry’s play of the same name. “Diary of a Mad Black Woman” was a box office success, and spawned a franchise of Madea films.

Down

1 Parliament member : LORD

The UK Parliament is divided into two houses, with the upper house known as the House of Lords and the lower house as the House of Commons. The members of the House of Commons (MPs) are elected, but most new members of the House of Lords are appointed. Historically, a large proportion of the membership of the upper house were hereditary peers, but recent legislative changes are reducing the numbers who can sit in the House of Lords by virtue of birthright.

2 “The African Queen” screenwriter James : AGEE

James Agee was a noted American film critic and screenwriter. Agee wrote an autobiographical novel “A Death in the Family” that won him his Pulitzer in 1958, albeit posthumously. He was also one of the screenwriters for the 1951 classic movie “The African Queen”.

“The African Queen” is a 1935 novel by C. S. Forester that was adapted into a very successful 1951 film of the same name starring Katharine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart. The title refers to a steam-powered launch that travels the Ulanga River. The story is set during World War I. At the climax of the tale, the African Queen is used as a makeshift torpedo to sink a German gunboat (spoiler!).

3 Intercontinental mountain range : URAL

The eastern side of the Ural Mountains in Russia and Kazakhstan is generally regarded as the natural divide between the continents of Europe and Asia.

5 Like one of the ace community : ASEXUAL

Someone described as asexual lacks sexual attraction to others. “Asexuality” can be abbreviated to “ace”, and the population of asexual persons can be referred to as the “ace community”.

6 Service that’s neither good nor bad? : LET

That might be tennis, for example.

7 Apple that comes in many colors : IMAC

The iMac is a desktop computer platform that Apple introduced in 1998. One of the main features of the iMac is an “all-in-one” design, with the computer console and monitor integrated. The iMac also came in a range of colors that Apple marketed as “flavors”, such as strawberry, blueberry and lime.

8 Lutelike instruments : SITARS

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.

9 Pump option : PREMIUM

The difference between a premium and regular gasoline is its octane rating. This is a measure of the resistance of the gasoline to auto-ignition i.e. its resistance to ignition just by virtue of being compressed in the cylinder. This auto-ignition is undesirable as multiple-cylinder engines are designed so that ignition within each cylinder takes place precisely when the plug sparks, and not before. If ignition occurs before the spark is created, the resulting phenomenon is called “knocking”. We sometimes use the adjective “high-octane” to mean “intense, dynamic, high-powered”

10 Lotion letters : SPF

Sun protection factor (SPF)

11 Central Perk, e.g. : CAFE

The six title characters in the sitcom “Friends” met each other in the Central Perk coffeehouse from the very first episode. There is now a Central Perk franchise in reality, with locations all around the globe. The Central Perk in Dubai was opened by actor James Michael Tyler, who played the coffeehouse manager Gunther on the show.

13 Compete in a poetry slam : RECITE

A poetry slam is a competition in which poets read their own work (usually), with winners being chosen by members of the audience. Apparently the first poetry slam took place in Chicago in 1984. Now there is a National Poetry Slam that takes place each year, with representatives from the US, Canada and France.

14 Tool that resembles a “P” : FRETSAW

A fretsaw is a type of bow saw with a thin blade that facilitates intricate cutting. The saw takes its name from its use in making intricate decorative designs called fretwork.

15 “Fiddlesticks!” : OH DARN!

We’ve been using “fiddlesticks” to mean “nonsense” since the early 17th century. Prior to that time, “fiddlestick” just referred to the bow of a fiddle.

16 Burger with a jingle listing its ingredients : BIG MAC

In 1974, McDonald’s started advertising the Big Mac with a jungle that listed the sandwich’s ingredients: “Two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun.”

17 Grumpy colleague : SLEEPY

In the original Brothers Grimm fairy tale called “Snow White”, the seven dwarfs were not given any names. The names were added for the 1937 classic Disney film “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”. The seven dwarfs are:

• Doc (the leader of the group)
• Grumpy (that would be me, according to my wife …)
• Happy
• Sleepy
• Bashful
• Sneezy
• Dopey

21 Whitsunday, by another name : PENTECOST

Pentecost is a holiday observed in the Christian tradition. Also known as Whit Sunday, it takes place on the 49th day after Easter Sunday. Well, it’s the 50th day, if we include both Pentecost and Easter Sunday. The term “Pentecost” comes from the Greek “pentekoste” meaning “fiftieth”.

23 Seasoning for French fries? : SEL

In French, one might put “sel” (salt) on “pommes frites” (French fries).

24 North Sea work site : OIL RIG

The North Sea is an offshoot of the Atlantic Ocean that is located between Britain and Scandinavia.

33 Like many doilies : LACY

There was a draper in London in the seventeenth century named Doiley, and he gave his name to the lace fabric that he sold. The fabric in turn gave its name to the ornamental mat that we call a “doily”. I can’t abide doilies …

35 Vegan panna cotta ingredient : AGAR

Panna cotta is an Italian dessert made from cream, sugar and gelatin and perhaps some flavoring. The name “panna cotta” really wasn’t used in Italy until the 1960s, and the dish became popular in the US starting in the 1990s.

37 Laptop using ChromeOS, maybe : ACER

Google’s ChromeOS operating system is based on Linux, and uses the Google Chrome web browser. I’m writing this post right now using ChromeOS, which runs my Chromebook. I am a huge fan …

40 Apt reply to “Does drei times drei equal acht?” : NEIN

“Does drei times drei equal acht?” can be translated from “German” as “Does three times three equal eight?” The answer is “nein”, which translates as “no”, and sounds like “nine”.

41 Brand with a Kids Tactical Vest Kit : NERF

Nerf is a soft material used in a whole series of toys designed for “safe” play indoors. The Nerf product is used to make darts, balls and ammunition for toy guns. “NERF” is an acronym, standing for Non-Expanding Recreational Foam.

48 What a journalist might bury, in jargon : LEDE

The opening paragraph in any work of literature is often just called “the lead”. In the world of journalism, this is usually referred to as “the lede”. The derivative phrase “bury the lede” means to fail to stress the most important aspect of a story.

50 Home of surfing’s Triple Crown : OAHU

The Vans Triple Crown of Surfing is a series of surfing competitions held in Hawaii. All of the events are held off the coast of the island of Oahu, except one of the women’s competitions that is held in Honolua Bay in Maui.

55 Chuck, casually : YEET

In contemporary slang, to yeet is to throw away, discard. “To yeet” usually implies the use of force and a general disregard for what is being discarded. As in, “I really want to yeet the word ‘yeet’ …”

64 ISP option : DSL

An Internet service provider (ISP) is just what the name indicates, a company that provides its customers with access to the Internet. One way that ISPs differentiate themselves from each other is in the way in which end users are connected to the ISP’s network. So, there are cable ISPs, DSL ISPs, dial-up ISPs and satellite ISPs.

67 Nemo’s forgetful friend : DORY

Pixar’s 2016 animated feature “Finding Dory” is a sequel to the megahit film “Finding Nemo”. “Finding Dory” seems to have built on the success of its predecessor and had the highest-grossing opening weekend ever in North America for an animated movie.

68 Squad-mate of Tlaib and Pressley : OMAR

In the US Congress, the term “the Squad” was applied to four House Representatives elected in 2017 who represent the more progressive side of the Democratic Party. The four original Squad members are Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (New York), Ilhan Omar (Minnesota), Ayanna Pressley (Massachusetts), and Rashida Tlaib (Michigan). Soon after election day, the four took a group photo together after a live-streamed interview. Ocasio-Cortez published the picture on Instagram, and used the caption “Squad”. The label seems to have stuck since then.

69 Islamic mystic : SUFI

A sufi is a Muslim mystic, an ascetic. Apparently, the term “sufi” can be translated as “man of wool”. This might be a reference to the practice of donning holy garments made from wool, as opposed to silk.

72 “H.R. wouldn’t like this” warning : NSFW

The abbreviation “NSFW” stands for “not safe/suitable for work”. It’s Internet slang used to describe online content that is best not viewed at work.

73 New Mexico art community : TAOS

The town of Taos, New Mexico is named for the Native American village nearby called Taos Pueblo. Taos is famous for its art colony. Artists began settling in Taos in 1899, and the Taos Society of Artists was founded in 1915.

82 Rishi Sunak, for one : TORY

“Tory” comes from the Irish word “tóraí” meaning “outlaw, robber”. The term “tory” was originally used for an Irish outlaw and later became a term of abuse for Irish rebels. At the end of the reign of King Charles II in Britain, there was a political divide with one side being called “Whigs” and the other “Tories”. Historically, the term “Tory” evolved to basically mean a supporter of the British monarchy, and indeed was used to describe those who remained loyal to the British Crown during the American Revolution. Today, “Tory” is used for a member of the British Conservative Party.

Conservative politician Rishi Sunak was born to parents of Indian descent, and became the UK’s first British-Asian prime minister in 2022. He was only 42 years of age when he moved into Number 10, making him the youngest prime minister since 1812. Sunak studied at Stanford University, where he met his future wife Akshata Murty. Murty is an Indian heiress, and a very rich woman.

84 Algeria neighbor : MALI

The Republic of Mali is a landlocked country in western Africa located south of Algeria. Formerly known as French Sudan, the nation’s most famous city is Timbuktu. Mali is the third-largest producer of gold on the continent, after South Africa and Ghana.

87 Cap’n’s deputy : BO’S’N

A boatswain works on the deck of a boat. He or she is unlicensed, and so is not involved in the navigation or handling of the vessel, and instead is in charge of the other unlicensed workers on the deck. “Boatswain” is pronounced “bosun” and this phonetic spelling is often used interchangeably with “boatswain”. The contraction “bo’s’n” is also very popular.

89 Whole alternative : SKIM

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%.

91 Slightly, on scores : POCO

“Poco” is an Italian word for “little”, and is used in musical notation to mean “a little, slightly”.

92 Argentine grape : MALBEC

Malbec is a red wine grape that used to be mainly associated with Bordeaux. A frost killed off much of the crop in Bordeaux in the fifties, and today Malbec wines are more closely linked to Argentina and California. I must admit to being a fan of Malbec blends …

100 The first “T” in TMNT : TEENAGE

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT)

102 Offers with clickable RSVP’s : E-VITES

“RSVP” stands for “répondez s’il vous plaît”, which is French for “answer, please”.

104 Pain relief brand with an oxymoronic name : ICYHOT

Heat rubs are products designed to produce a feeling of warmth in sore or tired muscles. The active ingredients are usually menthol (mint oil) and methyl salicylate (oil of wintergreen, an analgesic). A common brand name in this country is IcyHot, and we have Deep Heat in Ireland, and there’s Tiger Balm in Asia and Canada.

111 Snarky syllable : HAR

“Snark” is a term that was coined by Lewis Carroll in his fabulous 1876 nonsense poem “The Hunting of the Snark”. Somehow, the term “snarky” came to mean “irritable, short-tempered” in the early 1900s, and from there “snark” became “sarcastic rhetoric” at the beginning of the 21st century.

116 Daycation destinations : SPAS

A day off work, especially one that includes activities usually associated with a vacation, might be called a daycation.

118 “Rent” role : MIMI

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. The main character in both “La bohème” and “Rent” is named Mimi. In the former, Mimi is a seamstress suffering from tuberculosis. In the latter, Mimi is an erotic dancer with HIV.

123 Abbr. on a copier tray : LTR

Our paper sizes here in North America don’t conform with the standards in the rest of the world. ISO standard sizes used elsewhere were chosen so that the ratio of width to length is usually one to the square root of two. This mathematical relationship means that when you cut a piece of paper in two each half preserves the aspect ratio of the original, which can be useful in making reduced or enlarged copies of documents. Our standard size of “letter” (ltr., 8.5 x 11 inches) was determined in 1980 by the Reagan administration to be the official paper size for the US government. Prior to this, the “legal” size (8.5 x 14 inches) had been the standard, since 1921.