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Constructed by: Renee Thomason & Zhouqin Burnikel
Edited by: Patti Varol
Today’s Reveal Answer: Little Women
Themed answers are common phrases reinterpreted with reference to POPULAR COMIC STRIPS:
- 16A Popular comic strip at a deli? : DILL “PICKLES”
- 23A Popular comic strip on an ocean liner? : SALTED “PEANUTS”
- 37A Popular comic strip at a pub? : TAP “SHOE”
- 50A Popular comic strip at the White House? : JAMES “GARFIELD”
- 61A Popular comic strip at a talk show? : CHATTY “CATHY”
Read on, or jump to …
… a complete list of answers
Want to discuss the puzzle? Then …
… leave a comment
Bill’s time: 7m 50s
Bill’s errors: 0
Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies
Across
1 Wile E. Coyote’s vantage points : MESAS
Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner are two much-loved cartoon characters from Warner Bros. Wile E. Coyote was created first, and Road Runner was invented as someone for Wile E. to play off. I love this cartoon; it’s definitely one of the best …
6 Cantilever, sometimes : BEAM
A beam designated as a cantilever is one that is supported on only one end.
16 Popular comic strip at a deli? : DILL “PICKLES”
“Pickles” is a comic strip by Brian Crane that made its debut in 1990. It’s all about retired couple Earl and Opal Pickles who are trying to enjoy their golden years, but are facing a few challenges.
Dill is a herb in the celery family. Dill seeds can be used for flavoring food, as can dill leaves. In this sense, dill “leaves” are sometimes referred to as dill “weed”.
Often, a dill pickle is actually a pickled gherkin, as the gherkin and cucumber are different cultivars within the same species. Here in the US, dill is commonly added to pickling vinegar or brine, but this wasn’t the case when I used to eat them back in Ireland (I can’t stand dill!). You might see jars labeled as “cornichons”, but they’re gherkins. “Cornichon” is the French word for “gherkin”.
18 “The Commitments” loc. : IRE
“The Commitments” is a 1991 musical film that is adapted from a 1987 novel of the same name by Irish author Roddy Doyle. Both movie and book are the first in a series of movies and books known as “The Barrytown Trilogy” (along with “The Snapper” and “The Van”). I am very, very biased in favor of “The Commitments” as the story and setting are so reminiscent of my own upbringing in Dublin. I recommend viewing, and recommend subtitles …
23 Popular comic strip on an ocean liner? : SALTED “PEANUTS”
The characters in the cartoon series “Peanuts” were largely drawn from Charles Schultz’s own life, with shy and withdrawn Charlie Brown representing Schultz himself.
The use of the word “line” with reference to transportation started in the 1780s, in the context of stagecoaches. Such transportation operated a string of stagecoaches between towns and cities along regular “lines”. The concept shifted to shipping “lines” operating ocean-going “liners” between ports. And then came “airliners”.
31 NCR device : ATM
NCR is an American company that has been in business since 1884 and was originally called the National Cash Register Company. The company has done well in a market where new technologies seem to be constantly disrupting the status quo. NCR is a leading supplier of automated teller machines (ATMs) and barcode scanners.
32 Mint and Snapchat : APPS
Mint was a financial services app until it was integrated by Intuit into Credit Karma. Credit Karma is mainly a credit management platform.
Snapchat is a messaging system that allows users to send photos and video clips to a limited list of recipients. The photos and clips, called “snaps”, can be viewed for only a few seconds before they are deleted from the recipient’s device, and from the Snapchat servers.
37 Popular comic strip at a pub? : TAP “SHOE”
“Shoe” is a comic strip drawn by Jeff MacNelly from 1977 until he passed away in 2000. The strip features a group of birds, all of whom work as newspaper employees.
41 Garnish on uramaki sushi : ROE
In Japanese cuisine, the rainbow roll is an example of “uramaki” (inside-out roll). Uramaki is rolled sushi in which the rice is on the outside of the “nori” (seaweed). Rainbow rolls are then topped with different colors of sushi, and laid out on the plate in a rainbow-like array. Those toppings are usually thinly sliced maguro (tuna), hamachi (yellowtail), ebi (shrimp) and avocado.
42 No-frills supermarket chain : ALDI
Aldi is an extremely large discount supermarket chain based in Germany with outlets in many countries, including the main European nations and Australia. Here in the US, Aldi owns the Trader Joe’s chain of stores. The chain was founded in 1946 by brothers Karl and Theo Albrecht. The name “Aldi” is an abbreviation of “Albrecht Diskont”, “Albrecht Discount” in English.
44 Lacuna : GAP
A lacuna is a missing piece of text (or music) in a larger work. Usually the text has been lost due to damage of an older manuscript. Lacunae can be very controversial as experts vie with each other to suggest what words have been lost.
45 Figure of speech : TROPE
A trope is a figure of speech. The term “trope” comes from the Greek word “tropos” that has the same meaning. The term has evolved in meaning to also describe a common or overused device or theme.
47 “Gangnam Style” style : K-POP
K-pop (Korean pop) is a genre of music from South Korea that emerged in the early nineties.
“PSY” is the stage name of South Korean rapper Park Jae-sang. PSY became an international star when his 2012 music video “Gangnam Style” went viral on YouTube. That video had over 1 billion views on YouTube in about six months, making it the most viewed YouTube video clip of all time. The title of the song refers to a lifestyle experienced in the Gangnam District of Seoul.
49 Future ENT’s course : PRE-MED
The ear, nose and throat (ENT) branch of medicine is more correctly called “otolaryngology”.
50 Popular comic strip at the White House? : JAMES “GARFIELD”
“Garfield” is a comic strip drawn by Jim Davis from 1978. The title character is an orange tabby cat. Davis named his cartoon hero Garfield after his own grandfather.
James Abram Garfield, the 20th President of the US, was assassinated in office. He was shot twice, and one bullet could not be found (it was lodged in his spine). Inventor Alexander Graham Bell developed a metal detector in an attempt to locate the bullet, but apparently he was unsuccessful because of interference from the metal bed frame on which the president lay. Garfield died two months after being shot.
60 Grumpy companion : DOC
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
61 Popular comic strip at a talk show? : CHATTY “CATHY”
“Cathy” is a comic strip drawn by Cathy Guisewite. The strip was largely based on Guisewite’s own life experiences. For decades, cartoon Cathy was a single woman dealing with food, love, family and work. Cathy married her longtime boyfriend Irving in 2005, and the strip ended its run in 2010 with the revelation that Cathy was expecting a baby girl.
65 Bird that can run faster than Usain Bolt : EMU
Usain Bolt is a Jamaican sprinter who won the 100m and 200m race gold medals in the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games. Back in Jamaica, Bolt was really into cricket, and probably would have been a very successful fast bowler had he not hit the track instead.
69 Brand that makes Froot Loops waffles : EGGO
Eggo is a brand of frozen waffles that was introduced by Kellogg in 1953. The brand experienced a surge in popularity in the 1980s due to a successful ad campaign featuring a family sitting down to breakfast together and enjoying Eggo waffles. The tagline of the commercials, “Leggo my Eggo”, is still recognized today.
Froot Loops (ugh!) is a breakfast cereal from Kellogg’s that has been around since 1963. The little loops come in different colors, originally red, orange and yellow, but now there are green, purple and blue loops as well. Notice I said “different colors” not “different flavors”. Each loop tastes the same, so I wonder where the color comes from …?
70 Sauce that originated in Genoa : PESTO
Pesto sauce is more completely called “pesto alla genovese”, i.e. pesto from Genoa. A traditional recipe calls for crushed garlic, pine nuts, salt, basil leaves, parmesan cheese and olive oil. Yum …
Down
2 “True Blood” vampire Northman : ERIC
“True Blood” is a television drama made by HBO. The series is based on a series of novels written by Charlaine Harris that describe human and vampires co-existing in a small town in Louisiana. I don’t do vampires …
5 Bi Visibility Day mo. : SEP
Celebrate Bisexuality Day (also “Bi Visibility Day”) is observed every year on September 23.
6 Went by tandem : BIKED
Back in the mid- to late-1700s, a tandem was a horse-drawn carriage, one with the two horses harnessed one behind the other. A century later, we applied the term “tandem” to a bicycle with two seats, and the two riders one behind the other.
7 Night school subj. : ESL
English as a Second Language (ESL)
8 Drink made from hops : ALE
The many, many different styles of beer can generally be sorted into two groups: ales and lagers. Ales are fermented at relatively warm temperatures for relatively short periods of time, and use top-fermenting yeasts, i.e. yeasts that float on top of the beer as it ferments. Lagers ferment at relatively low temperatures and for relatively long periods of time. Lagers use bottom-fermenting yeasts, i.e. yeasts that fall to the bottom of the beer as it ferments.
9 Drink made from agave : MESCAL
Mezcal (also “mescal”) is a distilled spirit made from the agave plant. Technically, tequila is a type of mezcal that is distilled specifically from the blue agave.
10 17-syllable poem : HAIKU
A haiku is a very elegant form of Japanese verse. When writing a haiku in English we tend to impose the rule that the verse must contain 17 syllables. This restriction comes from the rule in Japanese that the verse must contain 17 sound units called “moras”, but moras and syllables aren’t the same thing. Sadly, the difference is not so clear to me. Here’s an example of a Haiku:
Haikus are easy
But sometimes they don’t make sense
Refrigerator
11 Bird that stands on cattle : EGRET
The cattle egret is a kind of heron that got its name from the special relationship that it has with cattle and other grazing animals. Flocks of egrets will often accompany such animals, feeding off ticks and flies that are hosted and disturbed by the beasts.
14 McMansion plot : ACRE
“McMansion” is a word used for a large, luxury house that many believe is “too much” for the neighborhood. Similar pejorative terms are “garage Mahal” and “Hummer house”.
22 Actress Taylor-Joy : ANYA
Actress Anya Taylor-Joy had quite the international upbringing. She was born in Miami, and raised in Buenos Aires and then London. She is perhaps best known for playing the title character in the 2020 film adaptation of Jane Austen’s “Emma”, and the lead role in the Netflix miniseries “The Queen’s Gambit”.
25 Camino de Santiago element : PATH
The Camino de Santiago is a conglomeration of several pilgrimage routes through Spain, Portugal and France that lead to Galicia in northwest Spain, specifically to the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral. The cathedral was erected over the purported tomb of Saint James the apostle. “Camino de Santiago” translates from Spanish as “Way of Saint James”.
31 African viper : ASP
The asp is a small to medium-sized snake, typically growing to between 18 and 30 inches in length. It has a distinctive triangular head and a dark, zigzag pattern along its back.
33 Teens in tuxedos : PROM DATES
Apparently, the style of men’s evening dress called a “tuxedo” was first worn to a country club event in 1886 in New York. The use of a dark dinner jacket without tails became fashionable at the club with the members, and the tradition spread from there. The country club was located in Tuxedo Park, New York, giving the style of dress its name.
34 Leader of the Holy See : POPE
In the Roman Catholic Church, an episcopal see is the official seat of a bishop, and is usually described by the town or city where the bishop presides and has his cathedral. The most famous see in the church is called the Holy See, the episcopal see of the Bishop of Rome, the Pope.
35 Finch food : SEED
True finches are relatively small, colorful birds known for their robust conical bills that have evolved for eating nuts and seeds. Back in the day, finches were used (along with canaries) in coal mines to detect the presence of carbon monoxide.
40 To be, in Biarritz : ETRE
The coastal city of Biarritz in southwestern France sits on the Bay of Biscay, about 20 miles from the Spanish border. It is a fashionable spa resort with an economy that largely depends on tourism.
43 Store with Småland play areas : IKEA
IKEA provides play areas for children in its stores. Those areas are labeled “Småland”, which is the name of the historical province in southern Sweden where IKEA founder Ingvar Kamprad was born and raised.
48 Id, ego, and superego, collectively : PSYCHE
Sigmund Freud created a structural model of the human psyche, breaking it into three parts: the id, the ego, and the superego. The id is that part of the psyche containing the basic instinctual drives. The ego seeks to please the id by causing realistic behavior that benefits the individual. The superego almost has a parental role, contradicting the id by introducing critical thinking and morals to behavioral choices.
50 Tired of it all : JADED
Our term “jaded”, meaning tired and feeling a little “ho-hum”, comes from the noun “jade” which in the 14th century was an old, worn-out horse.
52 Nickname for Ernie Banks : MR CUB
Ernie Banks, also known as “Mr. Cub,” was the first African-American player for the Chicago Cubs and one of the greatest shortstops in baseball history. He was known for his famous catchphrase “Let’s play two,” expressing his willingness to play a doubleheader any day of the week. Banks was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013 by President Obama, shortly before his death.
54 Saturated __ : FATS
Saturated fats (“bad” fats) differ from unsaturated fats (“good” fats) chemically in that saturated fats have chains of fatty acids that are relatively straight, allowing individual molecules to pack closely together. This close packing largely explains why saturated fats are solid at room temperature. Unsaturated fatty acids on the other hand have “kinks” in the chains of their fatty acids, so that they cannot pack together closely. Unsaturated fats are generally liquid at room temperature. Food manufacturers have learned that humans get sick by consuming saturated fats (i.e. fats from animal sources). So, they market “healthy” vegetable fats (naturally unsaturated and liquid at room temperature) that they have magically transformed into solid fats (like vegetable spreads). They saturate (hydrogenate) the healthy fats, so that now they solidify at room temperature, and in our arteries. There should be a law …
63 Mo. before 5-Down : AUG
[5D Bi Visibility Day mo. : SEP]
As the first Emperor of Rome, Octavian was given the name Caesar Augustus. The month of August, originally called “Sextilis” in Latin, was renamed in honor of Augustus.
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Complete List of Clues/Answers
Across
1 Wile E. Coyote’s vantage points : MESAS
6 Cantilever, sometimes : BEAM
10 Brooding type? : HEN
13 Very angry : IRATE
14 42-Across lane : AISLE
15 Store in a wine barrel : AGE
16 Popular comic strip at a deli? : DILL “PICKLES”
18 “The Commitments” loc. : IRE
19 Slushy treat : ICEE
20 Italian three : TRE
21 Like hardened mud on tires : CAKED
23 Popular comic strip on an ocean liner? : SALTED “PEANUTS”
27 “That’s for sure!” : I’LL SAY!
29 Treaty partner : ALLY
30 Some karaoke performances : DUETS
31 NCR device : ATM
32 Mint and Snapchat : APPS
36 Portuguese feminine pronoun : ELA
37 Popular comic strip at a pub? : TAP “SHOE”
41 Garnish on uramaki sushi : ROE
42 No-frills supermarket chain : ALDI
44 Lacuna : GAP
45 Figure of speech : TROPE
47 “Gangnam Style” style : K-POP
49 Future ENT’s course : PRE-MED
50 Popular comic strip at the White House? : JAMES “GARFIELD”
55 Collection : ARRAY
56 Work on an order? : EAT
57 Point in the right direction? : EAST
60 Grumpy companion : DOC
61 Popular comic strip at a talk show? : CHATTY “CATHY”
65 Bird that can run faster than Usain Bolt : EMU
66 Day divisions : HOURS
67 Finish off : USE UP
68 Gentle touch : DAB
69 Brand that makes Froot Loops waffles : EGGO
70 Sauce that originated in Genoa : PESTO
Down
1 Skirt length : MIDI
2 “True Blood” vampire Northman : ERIC
3 Potential new client : SALES LEAD
4 If nothing else : AT LEAST
5 Bi Visibility Day mo. : SEP
6 Went by tandem : BIKED
7 Night school subj. : ESL
8 Drink made from hops : ALE
9 Drink made from agave : MESCAL
10 17-syllable poem : HAIKU
11 Bird that stands on cattle : EGRET
12 Water and light, for plants : NEEDS
14 McMansion plot : ACRE
17 Teensy : ITTY
22 Actress Taylor-Joy : ANYA
24 Anchor’s position in a relay : LAST
25 Camino de Santiago element : PATH
26 Red Muppet : ELMO
27 Notion : IDEA
28 Quiet moment : LULL
31 African viper : ASP
33 Teens in tuxedos : PROM DATES
34 Leader of the Holy See : POPE
35 Finch food : SEED
38 Open-mouthed : AGOG
39 Daddy : PAPA
40 To be, in Biarritz : ETRE
43 Store with Småland play areas : IKEA
46 Free : RELEASE
48 Id, ego, and superego, collectively : PSYCHE
49 Feel sympathy for : PITY
50 Tired of it all : JADED
51 Diffuser output : AROMA
52 Nickname for Ernie Banks : MR CUB
53 Like some thrift store finds : RETRO
54 Saturated __ : FATS
58 Not open : SHUT
59 Keyboard goof : TYPO
62 Fail to share : HOG
63 Mo. before 5-Down : AUG
64 Sippy __ : CUP
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7 thoughts on “LA Times Crossword 1 Aug 24, Thursday”
Comments are closed.
12 min, no errors
Cutesy theme.
No errors…seemed pretty straightforward considering the setter.
Stay safe😀
Go Orioles⚾️
10:50 – no errors, lookups, or false starts.
New or forgotten: “The Commitments,” ELA, “uramaki,” “True Blood,” ERIC Northman, “Smaland.”
A clever theme, but 23A seems a little off with SALTED for “ocean liner.” SALTY might be more relateable.
I thought Gangnam Style was K-Rap, but that’s just me.
Slightly tricky Thursday for me; took 15:44 with 1 dumb error and 1 peek. Had to dance around a few clues and then didn’t get the banner at the end. Didn’t feel like looking for it and found the problem with a check-grid: HEf/fEEDS…well feeds make some kind of sense but hef sure doesn’t 🙂
Cute theme and it helped fill in a few spaces.
@Gail (from yesterday) – I was mostly a fan of Geri Halliwell 🙂 but certainly took notice of the rest. And, if I recall, they were mostly famous from last century, although their fame lives on with some of us.
I was stunned that the daughter of half of the Mamas and the Papas was married to D. Masterson. And, then I found out that the other daughter was on “One Day at a Time,” which I used to watch. At least Bijou appears to have dropped out of Scientology.
13 mins 45 seconds, and finished error free. Have to call b***sh** on the theme because none of those fills were comic strip titles. They *contained* comic strip names, but we all know that’s not the same thing. More lazy construction and even lazier editing.
Your comment is nonsense. As Bill says, the theme clues humorously reinterpret common phrases as possible titles for hypothetical comic strips.