LA Times Crossword 23 Jun 24, Sunday

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Constructed by: Gary Larson
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Theme: Commercial Free

Themed answers are common phrases that have been “FREED” of a “commercial”, have had the letters “AD” removed:

• 23A Like a kid wearing a tutu and a superhero cape? : SELF-DRESSED (from “self-addressed”)
• 47A Parental agenda that involves claims like, “You never call, you never text … “? : MISSION OF GUILT (from “admission of guilt”)
• 67A Compose a second draft of a hit song from “Cats”? : REWRITE “MEMORY” (from “read-write memory”)
• 89A Good title for a reflective book on the life of a rap Dr.? : EXISTENTIAL DRE (from “existential dread”)
• 111A Carnival? : RIO ACTIVITY (from “radioactivity”)
• 3D Flashy accessories for hair curlers? : ROLLER BLING (from “rollerblading”)
• 69D The guilty pleasure of using WebMD to second-guess one’s doctor? : MEDICAL VICE (from “medical advice”)

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

Bill’s time: 20m 45s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Solitaire unit : CARAT

In the world of jewelry, a solitaire is a single gem set alone.

6 Brownish pigment : UMBER

Umber is an earthy, brown shade. The word “umber” originally described a pigment made from earth found in Umbria, a region in central Italy. In its natural form, the pigment is referred to as “raw umber”. The heated form of the pigment has a more intense color and is known as “burnt umber”.

21 Country whose anthem is “Amhrán na bhFiann” : EIRE

“Amhrán na bhFiann” is Irish for “The Soldiers’ Song”, and is the name of the Irish national anthem. I got this one pretty quickly …

22 Five-O : PO-PO

“Po-po” is a slang term meaning “police”.

“Five-O” has become urban slang for a police officer, or the police force in general. The term is rooted in the 1970s TV Show “Hawaii Five-O”. Hawaii Five-O was a totally fictional police force created for the television show. The name recognizes that Hawaii was the 50th state to join the union. Steve McGarrett in the original show was played by Jack Lord, and “Danno” Williams was played by James MacArthur.

23 Like a kid wearing a tutu and a superhero cape? : SELF-DRESSED (from “self-addressed”)

The word “tutu”, used for a ballet dancer’s skirt, is actually a somewhat “naughty” term. It came into English from French in the early 20th century. The French “tutu” is an alteration of the word “cucu”, a childish word meaning “bottom, backside”.

28 __ buco : OSSO

Osso buco is a traditional Italian dish that is typically made with veal shanks that are braised with vegetables and herbs. The name “osso buco” means “bone with a hole” in Italian, which refers to the marrow-filled bone in the center of the veal shank. The marrow is considered a delicacy and is often scooped out and served with the dish.

31 2021 role for Kristen Stewart : LADY DI

Kristen Stewart is an actress from Los Angeles who topped the list of highest-paid actresses in 2010 and again in 2012. One of Stewart’s first roles was playing the daughter of Jodie Foster’s character in the 2002 film “Panic Room”. She later played Bella Swan in “The Twilight Saga” series of movies. Her portrayal of Diana, Princess of Wales in the 2021 film “Spencer” earned Stewart a nomination for that season’s Best Actress Oscar.

35 Zane Grey setting : OLD WEST

Zane Grey certainly did hit on the right niche. He wrote romanticized western novels and stories that really lent themselves to the big screen in the days when westerns were very popular movies. Incredibly, 110 films were made based on his work.

40 Former Ford : TORINO

Ford produced the Torino from 1968 to 1976. The name “Torino” is Italian for “Turin”, a nod to the city that has been dubbed “the Italian Detroit”, as Turin is home to auto manufacturers FIAT, Lancia and Alfa Romeo. Ford extended the Torino line’s offering by adding the Gran Torino, and the Gran Torino Sport in 1972. Famously, the Ford Gran Torino was used by the title characters in the seventies cop show “Starsky & Hutch”. Starsky’s Torino was red in color, with a large white vector stripe running along both sides. Ford cashed in on the popularity of the show by producing a thousand replicas of the “Starsky and Hutch” car, although they weren’t much more than the standard vehicle with a specialty paint job.

45 Buffalo NHL team : SABRES

The Buffalo Sabres joined the National Hockey League in the 1970-71 season. The team took the name “Sabres” as the result of a fan contest.

50 Lashes, e.g. : CILIA

“Cilia” (singular “cilium”) is Latin for “eyelashes”.

53 Folktronica musician Beth : ORTON

Beth Orton is a musician from England whose music combines elements of electronica and folk music, referred to as “folktronica”.

58 Raises a glass to : TOASTS

The tradition of toasting someone probably dates back to the reign of Charles II, when the practice was to drink a glass of wine to the health of a beautiful or favored woman. In those days, spiced toast was added to beverages to add flavor, so the use of the word “toast” was an indicator that the lady’s beauty would enhance the wine. Very charming, I must say …

67 Compose a second draft of a hit song from “Cats”? : REWRITE “MEMORY” (from “read-write memory”)

“Memory” is a show-stopping song from the stage musical “Cats” by Andrew Lloyd Webber. It was written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Trevor Nunn, with lyrics based on poems by T.S. Eliot. It is a powerful ballad about loss and longing that tells the story of Grizabella, a once-glamorous cat who has fallen on hard times. She sings of her memories of the past and her hopes for a better future.

69 Prefix with life or wife : MID-

A midwife is someone trained to assist women in childbirth. The term comes from Middle English “mid wif” meaning “with woman”.

78 Fleet org. : USN

The origins of the US Navy lie in the Continental Navy that was established during the American Revolution as the navy of the Thirteen Colonies. After the end of the Revolutionary War, the Continental Navy was dissolved. The first ships of the US Navy proper were constructed under the Naval Act of 1794, largely in response to the loss of goods and personnel to Barbary pirates from Algiers.

89 Good title for a reflective book on the life of a rap Dr.? : EXISTENTIAL DRE (from “existential dread”)

“Dr. Dre” is the stage name of rapper Andre Romelle Young. He is known for his own singing career as well as for producing records and starting the careers of others such as Snoop Dogg, Eminem and 50 Cent.

The philosophy of existentialism basically posits that the individual is responsible for his or her life. One cannot look to a higher being, accident of birth, or any other outside influence to define the meaning of one’s life.

92 Indigenous Arizona people : APACHE

The Apache are a group of Native American peoples originally from the Southwest US. The Navajo are a separate but related people, through culture and language, and are often described as “Apachean”.

93 Coin with olive and oak branches : DIME

The term “dime”, used for a 10-cent coin, comes from the Old French word “disme” meaning “tenth part”.

94 Poirot creator Christie : AGATHA

Hercule Poirot is one of Agatha Christie’s most beloved characters. He is a wonderful Belgian private detective who plies his trade from his base in London. Poirot’s most famous case is the “Murder on the Orient Express”. First appearing in 1920’s “The Mysterious Affair at Styles”, Poirot finally succumbs to a heart condition in the 1975 book “Curtain: Poirot’s Last Case”. Famously, Poirot is fond of using his “little gray cells”.

95 Prom fabric : TAFFETA

Taffeta is a plain woven fabric with a crisp feel that is made from silk or one of several manmade materials. The name “taffeta” ultimately comes from the Persian “taftah” meaning “silk or linen cloth”.

105 Pub glass size : PINT

A US pint comprises 16 fluid ounces, and an imperial pint is 20 fluid ounces. The term “pint” comes into English via Old French, ultimately from the Latin “picta” meaning “painted”. The name arose from a line painted on the side of a beer glass that marked a full measure of ale.

106 Rosalind of “Mulan” : CHAO

Actress Rosalind Chao’s big break came with the role of Rose Hsu Jordan in the 1993 hit film “The Joy Luck Club”. That said, she also played a South Korean refugee in the closing episodes of the TV series “M*A*S*H”. That character ended up marrying Klinger in the final episode, which led to Chao co-starring in the “M*A*S*H” sequel “AfterMASH”.

2020’s “Mulan” is a live-action remake of the 1998 animated Disney film of the same name. Chinese-American actress Liu Yifei plays the title character, a woman from Chinese legend. The movie was received well by the critics, but fans of the animated original were largely unimpressed.

111 Carnival? : RIO ACTIVITY (from “radioactivity”)

The Rio de Janeiro Carnival is the largest carnival celebration in the world. The city hosts about two million celebrants on its streets for the six days of the festival.

A radioactive material is one containing unstable nuclei that lose energy by radiation in the process known as radioactive decay. The most common types of radiation measured are alpha particles, beta particles and gamma rays.

117 Puccini work : OPERA

Giacomo Puccini was an Italian composer who was famous for his operas that are so often performed all over the world. Included in the list of his works are “La bohème”, “Tosca”, “Madama Butterfly” and “Turandot”. Puccini died in Brussels, Belgium in 1924 having suffered from throat cancer. An audience attending a performance of “La bohème” in Rome heard of the composer’s death in the middle of the performance. At the news, the opera was stopped, and the orchestra instead played Chopin’s “Funeral March”.

118 “Attack!” : SIC ‘EM!

“Sic ’em” is an attack order given to a dog, one instructing the animal to growl, bark or even bite. The term dates back to the 1830s, with “sic” being a variation of “seek”.

119 College freshman, often : TEEN

“Frosh” is a slang term for a college freshperson. We call such an individual a “fresher” back in Ireland …

120 Like French toast : EGGY

The dish made from bread soaked in milk with beaten eggs and then fried is usually called French toast in the US, but it also goes by the names German toast and Spanish toast. In France, the dish is known as “pain perdu”, which translates as “lost bread”. This name is a reference to the fact that “lost” or “stale” bread can be reclaimed by dipping it in a mixture of milk and eggs and then frying it.

121 Gets smaller, as the moon : WANES

The phases of the moon have been given the following names, in order:

• New moon
• Waxing crescent moon
• First quarter moon
• Waxing gibbous moon
• Full moon
• Waning gibbous moon
• Third quarter moon
• Waning crescent moon
• Dark moon

122 Reagan-era attorney general : MEESE

Ed Meese was born in Oakland, California and spent 24 years in the office of the Treasurer of Alameda County, the county in which I used to live. After military service, Meese earned himself a law degree at UC Berkeley. Later, as chief of staff for then Governor Reagan, he was instrumental in a famous decision to crack down on student protesters at Berkeley which resulted in one protester dying and a two-week occupation of the city by the California National Guard.

Down

2 “Set Fire to the Rain” singer : ADELE

“Set Fire to the Rain” is a 2011 song co-written and recorded by Adele. It was written for the album “21”, and was destined to become the third consecutive US number-one single from that album.

3 Flashy accessories for hair curlers? : ROLLER BLING (from “rollerblading”)

Bling-bling (often simply “bling”) is the name given to all the shiny stuff sported by rap stars in particular i.e. the jewelry, watches, metallic cell phones, even gold caps on the teeth. The term comes from the supposed “bling” sound caused by light striking a shiny metal surface.

4 Sandy’s bark : ARF!

In the “Little Orphan Annie” comic strip, and derivative works, the three main characters are Annie, her dog Sandy, and her benefactor Oliver “Daddy” Warbucks.

5 Actor Danson : TED

Actor Ted Danson is noted in particular for three successful roles that he has played on television. He played Sam Malone on the sitcom “Cheers”, the title role on the sitcom “Becker”, and eventually led the cast on the drama series “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation”. Danson has been married to actress Mary Steenburgen, his third wife, since 1995. He had a very public divorce from his second wife after an affair with Whoopi Goldberg that was covered widely in the tabloid press.

8 “Eso __”: Paul Anka hit : BESO

“Eso Beso” is Spanish for “That Kiss”, and is the title of a 1962 hit song recorded by Canadian-born singer Paul Anka.

10 Spicy cinnamon candies : RED HOTS

Red Hots are cinnamon-flavored candy pieces. I recently found out that Red Hots are sometimes used in apple sauce …

15 NBA great Webb : SPUD

Spud Webb is a retired NBA point guard. In 1986, Webb won the NBA’s annual Slam Dunk Contest, despite being one of the shortest players in the league (at only 5’ 7”).

17 Surface alternative : IPAD

Microsoft Surface is a series of portable computing devices that includes a line of 2-in-1 detachables, which are crosses between tablets and laptops.

18 Seaweed snack : NORI

Nori is an edible seaweed that we used to know as “laver” when we were living in Wales. Nori is usually dried into thin sheets. Here in the US, we are most familiar with nori as the seaweed used as a wrap for sushi.

30 Mumford of “Fifty Shades of Grey” : ELOISE

Eloise Mumford is perhaps best known to movie audiences for playing Kate Kavenagh, roommate to Anastasia Steele, in the “Fifty Shades of Grey” series of films.

38 ID issuer : DMV

What we know today as “Real IDs” are the result of the Real ID Act of 2005. One of the most visible results of the law are state-issued drivers’ licenses that meet new minimum security standards set by the federal government.

39 “Unstoppable” singer : SIA

“Unstoppable” is a 2016 co-written and recorded by Australian singer Sia. It has been used in several different marketing campaigns. For example, Major League Baseball used “Unstoppable” to promote the 2016 season, Lancôme used it in ads featuring Zendaya promoting the Idôle fragrance, and Samusung used it in an ad for the Galaxy S22 Ultra smartphone.

42 Olive discards : PITS

The olive tree developed in and around the Mediterranean Basin, but has been cultivated in many locations around the world for thousands of years. The fruit of the olive tree is prized as a foodstuff, as well as a source of olive oil. Our word “oil” ultimately derives from the Greek “elaia” meaning “olive”.

46 Pop singer Mann : AIMEE

Aimee Mann is a rock singer and guitarist from Virginia. Mann is married to Michael Penn, the brother of actor Sean Penn.

51 Chris of “The Sapphires” : O’DOWD

Irish actor and comedian Chris O’Dowd hit the big time on the other side of the Atlantic with a starring role in the quirky British sitcom “The IT Crowd”. His first major role in the US, I think, was as the Irish-American Wisconsin State Patrol officer in the comedy film “Bridesmaids”. O’Dowd married Scottish writer and TV presenter Dawn Porter in 2012, after which Dawn changed her name to “O’Porter”.

“The Sapphires” is a 2012 film about a girl group comprising four Aboriginal Australians. It is set in the sixties, and is loosely based on a true story. The foursome is discovered by an alcoholic Irish talent scout, portrayed by Chris O’Dowd.

57 Ada Limón works : POEMS

Ada Limón was named US Poet Laureate in 2022. Here is her poem “Field Bling”, which comes from her 2015 collection “Bright Dead Things”:

Nights when it’s warm
and no one is watching,
I walk to the edge
of the road and stare
at all the fireflies.
I squint and pretend
they’re hallucinations,
bright made-up waves
of the brain.
I call them,
field bling.
I call them,
fancy creepies.
It’s been a long time
since I’ve wanted to die,
it makes me feel
like taking off
my skin suit
and seeing how
my light flies all
on its own, neon
and bouncy like a
wannabe star.

58 Top spot? : TORSO

“Torso” (plural “torsi”) is an Italian word meaning “trunk of a statue”, and is a term that we imported into English.

61 Half of sei : TRE

In Italian, “due” (two) times “tre” (three) is “sei” (six).

62 __ al-Fitr : EID

Eid al-Fitr is a religious holiday in the Muslim tradition that is known in English as the “Festival of Breaking the Fast”. It marks the end of Ramadan, a period of dawn-to-sunset fasting.

64 British recording giant : EMI

EMI was a British music company, with the initialism standing for Electric and Musical Industries.

65 Valium maker : ROCHE

The generic name for Valium is diazepam. The drug was developed by Dr. Leo Sternbach of Hoffman-La Roche, and approved for use in 1963. This was the second of Dr. Sternbach’s major developments, as he was responsible for the diazepam’s sister drug Librium, that went to market in 1960.

69 The guilty pleasure of using WebMD to second-guess one’s doctor? : MEDICAL VICE (from “medical advice”)

WebMD is a website containing health information. Online since 1996, WebMD is read by over 80 million readers each month. One example of the useful features on the site is the Pill Identification Tool.

70 Tchaikovsky’s middle name : ILICH

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was one of Russia’s most celebrated composers of the romantic period. Tchaikovsky was helped in his career by Russian businesswoman Nadezhda von Meck, who served as his patroness for 13 years. Famously, von Meck provided financial support so that he could devote himself to composition, but on condition that Tchaikovsky was never to meet her. The pair never did meet, but they did exchange over 1,200 letters.

74 Italian soprano Tebaldi : RENATA

Renata Tebaldi was an Italian soprano who was at the height of her popularity just after the end of WWII. Tebaldi had a much talked about rivalry with Maria Callas, one that was perhaps blown out of proportion in the press. Tebaldi and Callas ended up singing together in a touring company in 1951 and when asked by a reporter about the differences between the two singing voices, Callas said it was like comparing “Champagne and Cognac”, to which a bystander remarked, “no, with Coca-Cola”. The “Champagne and Coca-Cola” comparison was quoted in the paper, and attributed to Callas. That didn’t help …

78 Moab resident : UTAHAN

Moab is a city in eastern Utah that attracts a lot of visitors each year, mainly those heading for Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, which are nearby.

82 Teri’s “Young Frankenstein” role : INGA

I am not really a big fan of movies by Mel Brooks, but “Young Frankenstein” is the exception. I think the cast has a lot to do with me liking the film, as it includes Gene Wilder (Dr. Frankenstein), Teri Garr (Inga), Marty Feldman (Igor) and Gene Hackman (Harold, the blind man).

Actress Teri Garr had a whole host of minor roles in her youth, including appearances in nine Elvis movies. Garr’s big break came with the role of Inga in “Young Frankenstein”, and her supporting role in “Tootsie” earned Garr an Academy Award nomination. Sadly, Teri Garr suffers from multiple sclerosis. She is a National Ambassador for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

86 Frick collection : ART

The Frick Collection is an art museum in Manhattan, New York. It is housed in the former home of industrialist Henry Clay Frick, the art patron who accumulated the collection. The Frick is home to three of the thirty-seven known Vermeers in existence:

• Officer and Laughing Girl
• Girl Interrupted at Her Music
• Mistress and Maid

87 Brighton attraction : SEA

Brighton is a town (now part of the city called Brighton and Hove) on the south coast of England. Brighton developed as a major seaside tourist destination during the Victorian era after the completion of the London and Brighton Railway in 1841. Large hotels were built on the seafront, as well as famous piers that housed concert halls and other places of entertainment.

96 Brawl : FRACAS

“Fracas”, meaning “noisy quarrel”, is a French word that we absorbed into English. In turn, the French usage evolved from the Italian “fracasso” meaning “uproar, crash”.

99 The Chi-__: “Have You Seen Her” group : LITES

“Have You Seen Her” is a 1971 song released by the Chi-Lites vocal quartet. Almost twenty years later, MC Hammer released a cover version.

104 One of 16 in a chess set : PAWN

In the game of chess, the pawns are the weakest pieces on the board. A pawn that can make it to the opposite side of the board can be promoted to a piece of choice, usually a queen. Using promotion of pawns, it is possible for a player to have two or more queens on the board at one time. However, standard chess sets come with only one queen per side, so a captured rook is often used as the second queen by placing it on the board upside down.

106 Filmmaker Joel or Ethan : COEN

I think it’s great to see two brothers working together and being so successful. Joel and Ethan Coen are two movie producers and directors who both live in New York City. The Coen brothers do love the movie-making business and they even married industry “insiders”. Ethan’s wife is film editor Tricia Cooke, and Joel is married to one of my favorite actresses, the talented Frances McDormand.

107 Rabbit lookalike : HARE

Hares belong to the genus Lepus. Young hares under one-year-old are called leverets.

112 Craft beer letters : IPA

India pale ale (IPA)