LA Times Crossword 9 Aug 24, Friday

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Constructed by: Ed Sessa
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Theme (according to Bill): Don’t say “Shh”!

Themed answers are common phrases with a starting “SH-” sound changed to a “S-” sound:

• 17A Principle behind “speak softly and carry a big stick”? : SUBTLE DIPLOMACY (from “shuttle diplomacy”)
• 31A Grumblers left holding the bag? : SOUR CADDIES (from “shower caddies”)
• 40A Some Lakota winter supplies? : SIOUX STORES (from “shoe stores”)
• 56A Item in a moth-infested closet? : SUIT FULL OF HOLES (from “shoot full of holes”)

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

Bill’s time: 6m 47s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

5 Soccer star Kelley who hosted a “Just Women’s Sports” podcast : O’HARA

Kelley O’Hara is a soccer player who was a member of the national team when the US won the FIFA World Cup in 2015, and Olympic gold in 2012.

14 Cyan kin : AQUA

“Cyan” is short for “cyan blue”. The term comes from the Greek word “kyanos” meaning “dark blue, the color of lapis lazuli”.

15 Lavender kin : LILAC

The ornamental flowering plant known as lilac is native to the Balkans, and is a member of the olive family. The name “lilac” comes from the Persian word “lilaq,” which means “flower.”

“Lavender” is the common name for the plant genus Lavandula. It is used as an ornamental plant, as a culinary herb and for the production of essential oils. The plant’s name might ultimately be derived from the Latin word “lavare” meaning “to wash”, a reference to the use of essential oils in bathing.

16 “Metamorphoses” poet : OVID

“Metamorphoses” is a narrative poem by Roman poet Ovid that deals with a lofty subject. It describes the history of the world from creation until the “present day”, that is Ovid’s “present day”, the era of Julius Caesar. A lot of the storyline makes use of Greek mythology (rather than Roman).

17 Principle behind “speak softly and carry a big stick”? : SUBTLE DIPLOMACY (from “shuttle diplomacy”)

A diplomat engaging in shuttle diplomacy acts as an intermediary between two disputing sides who do not meet directly. The intermediary travels (shuttles) between the working location of one side and the working location of the other. The term “shuttle diplomacy” was first used to describe the actions of US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger as he acted as an intermediary between the Arab states and Israel to bring an end to hostilities towards the end of the Yom Kippur War of 1973.

22 Perambulates : WALKS

To perambulate is to travel by foot. The original Latin “perambulare” translated more specifically as “to walk through”.

23 Fictional archaeologist Lara : CROFT

Lara Croft was introduced to the world in 1996 as the main character in a pretty cool video game (or so I thought, back then) called “Tomb Raider”. Lara Croft moved to the big screen in 2001 and 2003, in two pretty awful movie adaptations of the game’s storyline. Angelina Jolie played Croft, and she did a very energetic job.

36 Cartoon corporation : ACME

The Acme Corporation is a fictional company used mainly by Looney Tunes, and within the Looney Tunes empire it appears mostly in “Road Runner” cartoons. Wile E. Coyote is always receiving a new piece of gear from Acme designed to finally capture the Road Runner, but the equipment always leads to his downfall.

38 The Met __: annual NYC fundraising event : GALA

The Costume Institute Gala is an annual fundraising event that benefits the Anna Wintour Costume Center in New York City’s Museum of Modern Art. The fundraiser is commonly referred to as the “Met Gala” or “Met Ball”, and was established in 1948.

39 Extinct New Zealand bird : MOA

Moas were flightless birds native to New Zealand that are now extinct. The fate of the Moa is a great example of the detrimental effect that humans can have on animal populations. The Maoris arrived in New Zealand about 1300 AD, upsetting the balance of the ecosystem. The Moa were hunted to extinction within 200 years, which had the knock-on effect of killing off the Haast’s Eagle, the Moa’s only predator prior to the arrival of man. Moa were huge creatures, measuring up to 12 feet tall with their necks stretched upwards.

40 Some Lakota winter supplies? : SIOUX STORES (from “shoe stores”)

The Sioux are a group of Native American peoples who are also known as the Dakota. There are three divisions of Sioux, based on language: the Dakota, Lakota and Nakota.

42 Peppers used in mole : ANCHOS

An ancho is a dried poblano pepper used in Mexican cuisine. The poblano is a mild chili.

Mole sauce comes in various guises. “Mole negro” includes everyone’s favorite ingredient, namely chocolate.

46 Fingerprint feature : WHORL

Fingerprint patterns are classified into three different patterns: loops, whorls and arches.

48 __ New Guinea : PAPUA

Papua New Guinea is a country occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea (the western side of the island is part of Indonesia).

56 Item in a moth-infested closet? : SUIT FULL OF HOLES (from “shoot full of holes”)

The larvae of several types of moth are noted for eating fabrics made from natural fibers such as wool or cotton. Many people store woolens in cedar chests believing that the scent of the wood prevents a moth infestation. In fact, the only known effective repellent is the naphthalene found in mothballs, which might be a health concern for humans. One way to kill moth larvae in fabric is to freeze the garment for several days at a temperature below -8 degrees celsius.

61 Lustrous fabric : SILK

The textile known as silk is made from a natural protein fiber produced from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm. Ethical vegans tend to avoid silk as many, many silkworms die in order to produce a relatively small amount of fabric. Raw silk is obtained by boiling the silkworms alive inside the cocoons that yield the fibers.

62 “The Jellicle Ball” musical : CATS

Jellicle cats are the creation of T. S. Eliot in his unpublished poem “Pollicle Dogs and Jellicle Cats”, with the title being a corruption of “poor little dogs and dear little cats”. Eliot later wrote another poem “The Song of the Jellicles”, which is included in his collection “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats”. Famously, this collection was the inspiration for the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical “Cats”.

64 __ Pueblo, New Mexico : 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.

Down

1 Enjoy the sun : BASK

Our verb “to bask”, meaning “to expose one to pleasant warmth”, is derived from the gruesome, 14th-century term “basken”, meaning “to wallow in blood”. The contemporary usage apparently originated with Shakespeare, who employed “bask” with reference to sunshine in “As You Like It”.

5 Flamenco shout : OLE!

Flamenco is a style of Spanish music and dance. The origin of the word “flamenco” isn’t clearly understood, but the explanation that seems most credible to me is that it comes from Flanders in Northern Europe. Given that “flamenco” is the Spanish word for “Flemish” and Flanders is home to the Flemish people it makes perfect sense, doesn’t it?

9 Knee injury initials : ACL

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of four major ligaments that support the knee. It is located in the center of the knee and connects the femur (thigh bone) to the tibia (shin bone).

10 Mogadishu resident : SOMALI

Mogadishu is a major port city on the east coast of Africa, and is the capital of Somalia. The city is known locally as “Xamar”.

26 Swiss Miss product : COCOA

Swiss Miss is a brand of cocoa powder and related products sold by ConAgra Foods. The original Swiss Miss product was introduced in the 1950s and sold exclusively to airlines. Back then, airlines were in the habit of making hot cocoa for their passengers. Swiss Miss became so popular on flights that it was later added to grocery store shelves.

27 Not perfect : HUMAN

According to the Roman philosopher Seneca the Younger, “Errare humanum est, perseverare autem diabolicum”. This translates literally as “To err is human, to persist (in committing such errors) is of the devil”.

30 Chaucer collection : TALES

“The Canterbury Tales” is a collection of stories penned by Geoffrey Chaucer at the end of the 14th century. Written in MIddle English, the tales are presented as a storytelling contest held by a group of pilgrims as they travel from London to the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket in Canterbury Cathedral. “The Canterbury Tales” is often cited as a landmark piece of English literature as it popularized the use of vernacular English, as opposed to the French or Latin works that were commonly published up to that time.

31 Heughan of “Outlander” : SAM

Scottish actor Sam Heughan is best known for playing Jamie Fraser, one of the two lead characters on the fantasy drama “Outlander”. If you like a drop of whisky now and then, you might want to try “The Sassenach”, a brand that Heughan launched in 2020.

The “Outlander” period drama TV show is based on a series of novels of the same name by Diana Gabaldon. Stars of the show are Irish actress Caitríona Balfe and Scottish actor Sam Heugan. Balfe plays a military nurse who is transported back in time to mid-17th century Scotland, where she falls in love with a Highland warrior played by Heugan. Because of the success of the TV show, there’s a prequel in the works titled “Outlander: Blood of My Blood”.

32 Olympic badminton teams, e.g. : DUOS

The game of badminton was developed in the mid-1700s by British military officers in India. There was already an old game called battledore and shuttlecock, so the creation of badminton was essentially the addition of a net and boundary lines for play. The game was launched officially as a sport in 1873 at Badminton House in Gloucestershire in England, hence the name that we now use.

33 R&B’s __ Hill : DRU

Dru Hill is an R&B singing group from Baltimore, Maryland. Dru Hill was formed in 1992, and is still going strong today. The name “Dru Hill” comes from Druid Hill Park which is found on the west side of Baltimore.

35 Mini mover : GAS

The original Mini was a fabulous car, one that I drove all over Ireland in my youth. It had a unique front-wheel-drive layout that took up very little space, allowing for a lot of room (relatively speaking) for passengers and baggage. One space-saving trick was to mount the engine transversely, so it sits rotated 90 degrees from the norm. That engine had a capacity of only 848cc. In 1961, a Mini Cooper model was introduced, which was a sporty version. The Mini Cooper was a phenomenal hit, especially after repeated wins in the Monte Carlo Rally. The Mini marque has been owned by BMW since 1994.

43 Half of a board game : CHUTES

The game of “Snakes and Ladders” is usually sold as “Chutes and Ladders” in the US. Milton Bradley introduced “chutes” instead of “snakes” in 1943 as children weren’t too fond of snakes back then. Snakes/Chutes and Ladders is based on an ancient Indian game.

46 “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot” indie band : WILCO

Wilco is a rock band that formed in Chicago in 1994. The band’s most successful album is 2001’s “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot”. There is a well-received 2002 documentary “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart: A Film About Wilco” that follows the band as they record and distribute “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot”.

48 Min. fraction : PSEC

A picosecond is one trillionth of a second, and is correctly abbreviated to “ps” in the SI system of measurements. I guess that’s what “psec” is meant to be …

50 Pub order : 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.

57 Thurman of “Red, White & Royal Blue” : UMA

Uma Thurman started her working career as a fashion model, at the age of 15. She appeared in her first movies at 17, with her most acclaimed early role being Cécile de Volanges in 1988’s “Dangerous Liaisons”. Thurman’s career really took off when she played the gangster’s moll Mia in Quentin Tarantino’s “Pulp Fiction” in 1994. My favorite of all Thurman’s movies is “The Truth About Cats & Dogs”, a less acclaimed romcom released in 1996. She took a few years off from acting from 1998 until 2002 following the birth of her first child. It was Tarantino who relaunched her career, giving her the lead in the “Kill Bill” films.

“Red, White & Royal Blue” is a 2023 romcom film that is based on a 2019 novel of the same name by Casey McQuiston. Central to the story is a love affair between a British prince and a son of the US president. The two big names in the cast (to me, anyway) are Uma Thruman playing the American president and Stephen Fry playing the British king.