LA Times Crossword 9 Sep 24, Monday

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Constructed by: Sala Wanetick & Emily Biegas
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Reveal Answer: Double-Park

Themed answers each comprise TWO kinds of PARK:

• 52A Leave one’s vehicle in a traffic lane, and an apt description of the answers to the starred clues : DOUBLE-PARK

• 16A *DieHard product : CAR BATTERY (car park & Battery Park)
• 23A *Presence in a pet-friendly workplace : OFFICE DOG (office park & dog park)
• 32A *Los Angeles neighborhood in many John Singleton films : SOUTH CENTRAL (“South Park” & Central Park)
• 44A *University in Muncie, Indiana : BALL STATE (ballpark & state park)

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

Bill’s time: 5m 20s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

13 Swindler’s accomplice : SHILL

A shill is someone planted, perhaps in an audience, with the job of feigning enthusiasm.

14 Milky birthstone : OPAL

An opal is often described as having a milky iridescence known as opalescence.

16 *DieHard product : CAR BATTERY (car park & Battery Park)

Sears had a few long-standing, in-house brands, including Craftsman tools, Kenmore appliances and DieHard car batteries.

The Battery is a park at the tip of Lower Manhattan that looks out over New York Harbor. Formally known as Battery Park, the area was named for artillery batteries placed there in the late 1600s. The Battery is home to Castle Clinton, formerly “Castle Garden”, which served as the nation’s first immigration station from 1855 to 1890, before being replaced by Ellis Island.

18 __ culpa : MEA

Many Roman Catholics are very familiar with the Latin phrase “mea culpa” meaning “my fault”, as it is used in the Latin Mass. The additional term “mea maxima culpa” translates as “my most grievous fault”.

20 Vampire tooth : FANG

Legends about vampires were particularly common in Eastern Europe and in the Balkans in particular. The superstition was that vampires could be killed using a wooden stake, with the preferred type of wood varying from place to place. Superstition also defines where the body should be pierced. Most often, the stake was driven through the heart, but Russians and northern Germans went for the mouth, and northeastern Serbs for the stomach.

29 Learning institution : ACADEMY

An academy is a place of education, especially higher education. The original Academy was the public garden in which Greek philosopher Plato taught his students. That garden was the Grove of Academus, named for a hero of Greek mythology.

30 Soccer superstar Lionel : MESSI

Lionel “Leo” Messi is a soccer player from Argentina. Messi has been awarded FIFA’s Ballon d’Or (Golden Ball) award more times than any other player. The Ballon d’Or is presented to the player who is considered the best in the world in the prior year.

32 *Los Angeles neighborhood in many John Singleton films : SOUTH CENTRAL (“South Park” & Central Park)

Filmmaker John Singleton’s big breakthrough came with the 1991 film “Boyz n the Hood”, which he wrote and directed. That film earned him a nomination for the season’s Best Director Oscar, making him the youngest person and the first African American to be so recognized.

“South Park” is an adult-oriented cartoon series on Comedy Central. I don’t do “South Park” …

The man most associated with the decision to develop Central Park in New York City was William Cullen Bryant, the editor of what today is the “New York Post”. He argued that the growing city needed a large, public open space, along the lines of Hyde Park in London and the Bois de Boulogne in Paris. Most of the park’s construction took place between 1860 and 1873. Much of the clearing work was accomplished using gunpowder, and it is often noted that more gunpowder was used in Central Park than in the Battle of Gettysburg.

44 *University in Muncie, Indiana : BALL STATE (ballpark & state park)

Ball State University is located in Muncie, Indiana. The school took on the name “Ball” in recognition of the generosity of the Ball Brothers, local industrialists who saved the institution from collapse in 1917 by intervening financially.

46 Nickname of the 34th president : IKE

When the future president was growing up, the Eisenhowers used the nickname “Ike” for all seven boys in the family, as “Ike” was seen as an abbreviation for the family name. “Big Ike” was Edgar, the second oldest boy. “Little/Young Ike” was Dwight, who was the third son born. Dwight had no sisters.

47 Disability Pride Month : JULY

Disability Pride Month is a worldwide celebration that is observed annually in July. The month of July was chosen to recognize the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by US president George H. W. Bush on July 26th, 1990.

48 Keyboard instruments : PIANOS

What was remarkable about the piano when it was invented, compared to other keyboard instruments, was that notes could be played with varying degrees of loudness. This is accomplished by pressing the keys lightly or firmly. Because of this quality, the new instrument was called a “pianoforte”, with “piano” and “forte” meaning “soft” and “loud” in Italian. We tend to shorten the name these days to just “piano”.

51 Stately tree : ELM

Elms are a genus of tree comprising 30-40 different species. Sadly, most elm trees in the world have died in recent decades due to the spread of Dutch elm disease.

56 Sch. whose alumni include Anthony Bourdain and Roy Choi : CIA

The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, New York was founded in 1946 in New Haven, Connecticut as the New Haven Restaurant Institute. It was established as a training school for veterans returning from WWII.

Anthony Bourdain was a chef, author and television personality from New York City. Bourdain’s celebrity came with the publication of his book “Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly” in 2000. He moved on to host the television shows “Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations” and “Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown”. Bourdain was working on an episode of “Parts Unknown” when he committed suicide in 2018 in his Paris hotel room. Sad …

Roy Choi is a Korean-American celebrity chef who is recognized as a pioneer in the gourmet food truck movement. In 2010, Choi was named Best New Chef by “Food & Wine” magazine for his work with Kogi Korean BBQ, marking the first time a chef from the food truck space was so honored.

58 Muppet who sings to his rubber duckie : ERNIE

“Rubber Duckie” is a song performed by the muppet Ernie on “Sesame Street”. Rubber Duckie is also Ernie’s favorite toy, his rubber duck. The song was released as a single in 1970 and actually made it into the charts.

59 Full complement of players, in men’s lacrosse : TEN

Lacrosse is a game very much associated with the cultural tradition of the Iroquois people, and may have originated as early as the 12th century. The original games lasted all day long, and perhaps for two or three days, and were played as part of a ceremonial ritual. In the native language, the activity was referred to as “the Creator’s Game”. It was French Jesuit missionaries who coined the name “lacrosse”. In French, a “crosse” is a “stick with a curved end”.

61 High-end hair dryer manufacturer : DYSON

James Dyson is a British inventor and business magnate who is best known as the inventor of the bagless vacuum cleaner (what a great invention!). More recent inventions from the Dyson company include the Dyson Airblade hand dryer and the Dyson Supersonic hair dryer. James Dyson was a vocal proponent of Brexit, but garnered a lot of criticism in 2019 by moving his company headquarters from England to Singapore. He has made a lot of money, and owns the largest British-flagged superyacht in the world.

Down

4 “Zootopia” voice actor Idris : ELBA

English actor Idris Elba played the drug lord Stringer Bell in the marvelous HBO drama series “The Wire”, and played the title character in the 2013 film “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom”. Off the screen, Elba occasionally appears as a disk jockey using the name “DJ Big Driis”.

“Zootopia” is a 2016 Disney animated film about a rabbit police officer and a red fox con artist who team up to uncover a bizarre conspiracy.

5 High-five sound : SLAP

The celebratory gesture that we call a “high five” is said to have been invented by former baseball players Dusty Baker and Glenn Burke when they were both playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers in the late 1970s.

7 Like some sandwiches : OPEN-FACE

Meats placed between slices of bread was first called a sandwich in the 18th century, named after the Fourth Earl of Sandwich. The earl was fond of eating “sandwiches” while playing cards at his club.

8 Two-person card game : WAR

War is a card game, one played mainly by children.

17 General __ chicken : TSO’S

General Tso’s chicken is an American creation, and a dish often found on the menu of a Chinese restaurant. The name General Tso may be a reference to General Zuo Zongtang of the Qing Dynasty, but there is no clear link.

20 Architectural style that flourished after the American Revolution : FEDERAL

Federal style architecture was prevalent in the US from roughly 1780 to 1830. It is characterized by its elegant simplicity and symmetrical design. Influenced by classical Greek and Roman architecture, federal-style buildings often feature grand entrances with fanlights and sidelights, Palladian windows, and understated decorative elements like dentil moldings and swags. Red brick construction is common, although wood and stone were also used.

34 Boulder-hurling weapon : CATAPULT

In Medieval times, armies used catapults mainly as siege weapons. The payload varied depending on the situation encountered. Boulders were used to breach walls, and incendiary missiles were used to set fire to wooden structures. Catapults also delivered diseased carcasses and garbage in attempts to further disrupt life within the walls of the besieged settlement.

36 Chive kin : LEEK

The leek is a vegetable closely related to the onion and the garlic. It is also a national emblem of Wales (along with the daffodil), although I don’t think we know for sure how this came to be. One story is that the Welsh were ordered to wear leeks in their helmets to identify themselves in a battle against the Saxons. Apparently, the battle took place in a field of leeks.

39 Initials of the 34th president : DDE

Future US president Eisenhower was born in Denison, Texas in 1890 and given the name David Dwight, but by the time he made it to the White House he was going by the name Dwight D. Eisenhower (DDE). Growing up, his family called him Dwight, and when “Ike” enrolled in West Point he himself reversed the order of his given names.

41 Rocky’s best friend in the “Rocky” films : PAULIE

In the “Rocky” series of films, the title character’s best friend Paulie Pennino becomes his brother-in-law, after Rocky marries Paulie’s sister Adrian. Paulie was played by Burt Young, and Young was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his performance in the original “Rocky” movie.

42 Comedian Tracey : ULLMAN

Tracey Ullman is an outrageous comic actress from the UK. She moved to the US and brought out her own series in the late eighties called “The Tracey Ullman Show”. Famously, it was from “The Tracey Ullman Show” that “The Simpsons” was spun off in 1989.

45 Neighbor of Nepal : TIBET

Tibet is a plateau region that is part of China, and is located northeast of the Himalayas. Tibet declared its independence from China in 1913, but fell back under Chinese control after the Invasion of Tibet in 1951. The Tibetan leader, the 14th Dalai Lama, fled the country during the 1959 Tibetan Rebellion. Since then, he has led the Tibetan government-in-exile in Dharamsala, India.

50 Nashville’s Grand Ole __ : OPRY

The Grand Ole Opry started out as a radio show in 1925 originally called the WSM “Barn Dance”. In 1927, the “Barn Dance” radio show was broadcast in a slot after an NBC production called “Musical Appreciation Hour”, a collection of classical works including Grand Opera. In a December show, the host of “Barn Dance” announced, “For the past hour, we have been listening to music taken largely from Grand Opera. From now on we will present the ‘Grand Ole Opry'”. That name was used for the radio show from then on.

52 Beaver creation : DAM

Beavers build dams so that they can live in and around the slower and deeper water that builds up above the dam. This deeper water provides more protection for the beavers from predators such as bears. Beavers are nocturnal animals and do all their construction work at night.

53 __-Wan Kenobi : OBI

Obi-Wan Kenobi is one of the more beloved of the “Star Wars” characters. He was portrayed by two fabulous actors in the series of films. As a young man Kenobi was played by Scottish actor Ewan McGregor, and as an older man by Alec Guinness.

54 __ de Janeiro : RIO

Rio de Janeiro is the second largest city in Brazil (after São Paulo). “Rio de Janeiro” translates as “January River”. The name reflects the discovery of the bay on which Rio sits, on New Year’s Day in 1502.

55 “Jeopardy!” host Jennings : KEN

Ken Jennings is a remarkable man, the person who had the longest winning streak on television’s “Jeopardy!”. He has also won more game show money than any other person. He was defeated after 75 appearances on the show, after racking up over $2.5 million in the prior episodes. In 2020, Jennings was named as the first interim host of “Jeopardy!” following the passing of Alex Trebek.