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Constructed by: Beth Rubin & Rebecca Goldstein
Edited by: Patti Varol
Today’s Reveal Answer: Body Double
Themed answers each comprise two parts, both of which can follow the word “BODY”:
- 57A Actor’s stand-in, or a hint to what can precede both parts of 17-, 25-, 35-, and 48-Across : BODY DOUBLE
- 17A Intimate conversation in bed : PILLOW TALK (body pillow & body talk)
- 25A Laundry apparatus used as a percussion instrument : WASHBOARD (bodywash & bodyboard)
- 35A Aerosolized popcorn condiment : SPRAY BUTTER (body spray & body butter)
- 48A Timepiece innards : CLOCKWORK (body clock & bodywork)
Read on, or jump to …
… a complete list of answers
Want to discuss the puzzle? Then …
… leave a comment
Bill’s time: 5m 34s
Bill’s errors: 0
Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies
Across
15 One of the Three Musketeers : ATHOS
Alexandre Dumas’ “Three Musketeers” are Athos, Porthos and Aramis, although the hero of the novel is the trio’s young protégé D’Artagnan. A musketeer was an infantry soldier who was equipped with a musket. Funnily enough, the three “musketeers” really don’t use their muskets, and are better known for prowess with their swords.
16 Penne __ vodka : ALLA
Penne alla vodka is a pasta dish with a sauce made of vodka, cream, tomatoes, onions and sausage or bacon.
19 “The Rabbit Hutch” National Book Award winner Gunty : TESS
Tess Gunty is an author who hit the big time with her debut novel. “The Rabbit Hutch”, published in 2022, garnered widespread critical acclaim and won the prestigious National Book Award for Fiction.
20 Pizzeria owner in “Do the Right Thing” : SAL
“Do the Right Thing” is a Spike Lee movie that was released in 1989. Much of the action in the film is centered on a local pizzeria called “Sal’s” owned by Italian-American Salvatore Frangione (played by Danny Aiello).
25 Laundry apparatus used as a percussion instrument : WASHBOARD (bodywash & bodyboard)
A jug band features a jug player, as well as others playing ordinary objects perhaps modified to make sound. One such instrument is the washtub bass. The “tub” is a stringed instrument that uses a metal washtub as a resonator. A washboard might also be used in a jug band, as a percussion instrument. The ribbed surface of the washboard is usually scraped using thimbles on the ends of the fingers.
28 Funnel-shaped flower : PETUNIA
The flowering plants known as petunias are in a genus related to the tobacco plant. The name “petunia” comes from the obsolete French word “petun” meaning “tobacco plant”.
31 Greek letter before upsilon : TAU
Tau is the 19th letter of the Greek alphabet, and the letter that gave rise to our Roman “T”. Both the letters tau (T) and chi (X) have long been symbolically associated with the cross.
34 “Been there, __ that” : DONE
Me too …
40 Key __: car remote : FOB
A fob is attached to an object to make it easier to access. And so, a key fob is a chain attached to a key so that it can be retrieved easily. There are also watch fobs, and the pocket in a vest in which a watch can be placed is called a fob. In fact, the original use of the term “fob” was for a small pocket in which one could carry valuables.
43 Poivre partner : SEL
In French, one might season one’s food with “sel” (salt) and “poivre” (pepper).
48 Timepiece innards : CLOCKWORK (body clock & bodywork)
Biological processes are said to exhibit circadian rhythm if they are characterized by 24-hour cycles. The term “circadian” comes from the Latin “circa” meaning “around, approximately” and “diem” meaning “day”.
51 Muscat resident : OMANI
Muscat is the capital city of Oman. It lies on the northeast coast of the state on the Gulf of Oman, a branch of the Persian Gulf.
52 “NCIS” protagonist __ Jethro Gibbs : LEROY
NCIS is the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which investigates crimes in the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. The service gives its name to the CBS TV show “NCIS”, a spin-off drama from “JAG” in which the main “NCIS” characters were first introduced. The original big star in “NCIS” was actor Mark Harmon, playing Supervisory Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs.
56 Actress Shawkat : ALIA
Alia Shawkat is an actor who might be best known for playing Maeby Fünke on the sitcom “Arrested Development”. Shawkat is best friends with fellow actor Elliot Page (formerly Ellen Page), whom she met while filming the 2009 movie “Whip It”.
62 Wax alternative : NAIR
Nair is a hair-removal product that has some pretty harsh ingredients. The most important active constituents are calcium hydroxide (“slaked lime”) and sodium hydroxide (“caustic soda”). Other Nair components seem to be there to soothe the skin after the harsher chemicals have done their job. The name “Nair” probably comes from combining “no” and “hair”.
65 Best Female Athlete, e.g. : ESPY
The ESPY Awards are a creation of the ESPN sports television network. One difference with similarly named awards in the entertainment industry is that ESPY winners are chosen solely based on viewer votes. The acronym “ESPY” stands for “Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly”.
Down
4 NBC sketch show, familiarly : SNL
NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” (SNL) was named “NBC’s Saturday Night” during its first season. This was to differentiate it from the ABC show airing at that time, called “Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell”. Chevy Chase uttered the famous line “Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night” in the very first SNL episode on October 11, 1975. That careful wording has persisted, even though the NBC show’s name was changed to “Saturday Night Live” after Cosell’s show went off the air in 1976.
6 Capital of Canada : OTTAWA
Ottawa is the second-largest city in the Province of Ontario (after Toronto) and is the capital city of Canada. The name “Ottawa” comes from an Algonquin word “adawe”, which means “to trade”.
8 Pine-__: cleaning brand : SOL
Pine-Sol first came on the market in 1929, and is a cleaner based on pine oil.
22 “All Creatures Great and Small” airer : PBS
James Herriot was the pen name of British veterinarian and author Alf Wight. Herriot wrote an incredibly successful semi-autobiographical series of books titled “All Creatures Great and Small”. I must admit to walking surreptitiously past the author’s veterinary office in the Yorkshire town of Thirsk while my wife and I were on our honeymoon back in the eighties, hoping to catch a glimpse of the man. No luck, although we did get the inside scoop on the characters in the books from the lady running our B&B, over a cup of tea. An enjoyable bit of gossip …
26 “Atlas” actor Liu : SIMU
Simu Liu is a Chinese-born Canadian actor. One of his more famous roles was the title character in the Marvel Comics 2021 superhero movie “Shang-Chi and the legend of the Ten Rings”.
“Atlas” is a 2024 sci-fi movie starring Jenifer Lopez. It’s all about artificial intelligence being used for evil in the future. Could it happen …?
34 Jeans material : DENIM
Denim fabric originated in Nîmes in France. The French phrase “de Nîmes” (meaning “from Nîmes”) gives us the word “denim”. Also, the French phrase “bleu de Genes” (meaning “blue of Genoa”) gives us our word “jeans”.
36 “Carpe diem” acronym : YOLO
You only live once (YOLO)
“Carpe diem” is a quotation from Horace, one of ancient Rome’s leading lyric poets. “Carpe diem” translates from Latin as “seize the day” or “enjoy the day”. The satirical motto of a procrastinator is “carpe mañana”, “translating” as “seize tomorrow”.
37 “My Neighbor __”: 1988 Miyazaki film : TOTORO
“My Neighbor Totoro” is a 1988 Japanese animated film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki and animated by Studio Ghibli for Tokuma Shoten. The film tells the story of two sisters, Satsuki and Mei, who move to the countryside with their father to be closer to their hospitalized mother. The sisters befriend Totoro, a large, furry creature who lives in the nearby forest.
39 Sonia Sotomayor’s alma mater : YALE LAW
Sonia Sotomayor was the first Hispanic justice appointed to the US Supreme Court, and the third female justice. Sotomayor was nominated by President Barack Obama to replace the retiring Justice David Souter in 2009. She is the subject of a picture book in the series “Ordinary People Change the World” by Brad Meltzer. “I Am Sonia Sotomayor” was published in 2018.
43 Pie in the __ : SKY
We use the phrase “pie in the sky” to describe a ridiculously optimistic goal. The expression was coined by songwriter and labor activist Joe Hill in 1911 as a lyric in the hymn parody “The Preacher and the Slave”. The chorus is:
You will eat, bye and bye
In that glorious land above the sky
Work and Pray, live on hay
You’ll get pie in the sky when you die
45 Deadly African snakes : MAMBAS
Mambas, most famously black mambas, are highly venomous snakes that used to be responsible for a great number of fatalities before anti-venoms became available. Mamba venom is a deadly mix of neurotoxins that attack the nervous system and cardiotoxins that attack the heart. A bite, if left untreated, causes the lungs and the heart to shut down.
46 Release, as a carabiner : UNCLIP
Carabiners are specialty shackles that comprise a metal loop with a spring-loaded gate that facilitates speedy and safe connections. The name comes from the German “Karabinerhaken” meaning “spring hook”. The original carabiners were used by carabinier, soldiers armed with short muskets or rifles called “carbines”. The soldier attached items to his belt or bandolier using carabiners.
57 “The Fresh Prince of __-Air” : BEL
“The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” sitcom originally ran from 1990 to 1996. It starred Will Smith as a teenager from Philadelphia who arrives in Bel Air to live in a mansion with his wealthy aunt and uncle.
58 Artist Yoko : ONO
Yoko Ono is an avant-garde artist. She met her future husband John Lennon for the first time while she was preparing her conceptual art exhibit called “Hammer a Nail”. Visitors were encouraged to hammer in a nail into a wooden board, creating the artwork. Lennon wanted to hammer in the first nail, but Ono stopped him as the exhibition had not yet opened. Apparently Ono relented when Lennon paid her an imaginary five shillings to hammer an imaginary nail into the wood.
Read on, or …
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Complete List of Clues/Answers
Across
1 Gentle touches : PATS
5 Raise, as morale : BOOST
10 Harvest : REAP
14 Baker’s appliance : OVEN
15 One of the Three Musketeers : ATHOS
16 Penne __ vodka : ALLA
17 Intimate conversation in bed : PILLOW TALK (body pillow & body talk)
19 “The Rabbit Hutch” National Book Award winner Gunty : TESS
20 Pizzeria owner in “Do the Right Thing” : SAL
21 Prepare ahead of time : PLAN
22 Make a quick policy change : PIVOT
23 Coming in handy : UTILE
25 Laundry apparatus used as a percussion instrument : WASHBOARD (bodywash & bodyboard)
28 Funnel-shaped flower : PETUNIA
30 Apple platform : IOS
31 Greek letter before upsilon : TAU
32 Fellows : MEN
33 CPR pro : EMT
34 “Been there, __ that” : DONE
35 Aerosolized popcorn condiment : SPRAY BUTTER (body spray & body butter)
38 Yes votes : AYES
40 Key __: car remote : FOB
41 Bit of positivity? : ION
42 Bad review : PAN
43 Poivre partner : SEL
44 Ideal : OPTIMUM
48 Timepiece innards : CLOCKWORK (body clock & bodywork)
51 Muscat resident : OMANI
52 “NCIS” protagonist __ Jethro Gibbs : LEROY
53 Lyft competitor : UBER
55 Show hosts, for short : MCS
56 Actress Shawkat : ALIA
57 Actor’s stand-in, or a hint to what can precede both parts of 17-, 25-, 35-, and 48-Across : BODY DOUBLE
60 Exams for srs. : SATS
61 Foe : ENEMY
62 Wax alternative : NAIR
63 Whack : SWAT
64 Like grainy graphics : LO-RES
65 Best Female Athlete, e.g. : ESPY
Down
1 Comes as a surprise, maybe : POPS UP
2 Fly a plane : AVIATE
3 “Preach!” : TELL IT!
4 NBC sketch show, familiarly : SNL
5 Weep loudly : BAWL
6 Capital of Canada : OTTAWA
7 Hawaiian word for “family” : ‘OHANA
8 Pine-__: cleaning brand : SOL
9 Disapproving sound : TSK!
10 Math comparison : RATIO
11 Stairs alternative : ELEVATOR
12 Concession speech giver : ALSO-RAN
13 Late, as a library book : PAST DUE
18 First game of the season : OPENER
22 “All Creatures Great and Small” airer : PBS
24 Sugar cubes : LUMPS
26 “Atlas” actor Liu : SIMU
27 Good intel : HOT TIP
29 Shortly : IN A FEW
33 Flow out : EBB
34 Jeans material : DENIM
35 Miss, in Mexico : SENORITA
36 “Carpe diem” acronym : YOLO
37 “My Neighbor __”: 1988 Miyazaki film : TOTORO
38 Sr.’s course for college credit : AP CLASS
39 Sonia Sotomayor’s alma mater : YALE LAW
43 Pie in the __ : SKY
44 “I’m cool with that” : OK BY ME
45 Deadly African snakes : MAMBAS
46 Release, as a carabiner : UNCLIP
47 “__ loves company” : MISERY
49 Seashore : COAST
50 More impolite : RUDER
54 Dreyer’s ice cream, east of the Rockies : EDY’S
57 “The Fresh Prince of __-Air” : BEL
58 Artist Yoko : ONO
59 French article : UNE
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14 thoughts on “LA Times Crossword 9 Jul 24, Tuesday”
Comments are closed.
11 min, no errors
Got the theme but didn’t really help in the solve process. Not sure I even understood all the BODY parts.
Just a couple of false starts: Prep/PLAN, Optimal/OPTIMUM
Didn’t notice the theme
8:56, no errors. The theme was … interesting. After finishing the puzzle, I had to look up several of the unfamiliar “body … “ phrases to see if they were defined more or less as I had imagined them to be. (“Body butter”? Is there such a thing as “body mayonnaise”? … 😜)
No errors and I also didn’t get the theme words…can anyone explain 64A?
Stay safe😀
Go Orioles ⚾️
Jack low resolution
Lo-res, as in “low resolution.”
Fun puzzle time not as good as Bills….two over sight error Attos….umami…is “nair”still around ???
17:07. Nice Tuesday with no helps.
@Jack: LORES= low res(olution)
What is LORES?
8:34 – didn’t know there was a theme …
Some days it just comes together, other days not …
Be Well.
8:59 – no errors or lookups. False start: INASEC>INAFEW.
New or forgotten: Penne ALLA vodka, TESS Gunty, SAL pizzeria owner, “poivre,” LEROY Gibbs, ALIA Shawkat, OHANA, SIMU Liu, TOTORO.
I got the “body” prefix on the first word of each theme-related answer. Similar to Dave Kennison, the second ones seemed odd to me; but, it turns out they are real things. However, I would be more familiar with body language, boogie board, shea butter, and body of work, respectively.
Hmm – SOL, SAL, SEL for answers. All that was needed was SIL (sister-in-law) and SUL (Italian or Portuguese) to use all vowels.
8:35, no errors, just a routine Tuesday
Clever and creative clues but the theme is a stretch. In general , one has to marvel at the ingenuity of all the contributors. Have to wonder how many millions of us are x-word addicts. Is anyone out there also into KenKen ? Those are a hoot especially the 9 by 9 ‘s at all levels of difficulty.
A little tricky for a Wednesday; took 11:23 with 1 peek and no errors. Had to dance around a few PPPs and then stuck for a little while with INA???/?OB/S?L/CLOCK?ORK. I initially had INA sec, but gave up on that, and did a check-grid which still had me with 0 errors. Finally came to me and I got the banner. Had to dance around SAL, TESS, SIMU, SEL, LEROY, ALIA (kinda knew). Also UNCLIP and LO REES held up for a little.
Learned SEL (again) and POIVRE (new!) today. Also new to me was Body Talk and Bodywork. I always thought bodywork was what you needed when you had a fender bender. I make Body Butter from my beeswax/olive oil/coconut oil – popular item.