LA Times Crossword 16 Oct 24, Wednesday

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Constructed by: Rebecca Goldstein
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Reveal Answer(s): Recipe for Disaster

Themed answers are common phrases reinterpreted as items that would be “DISASTROUS” in a RECIPE:

• 50A With 58-Across, conditions likely to lead to catastrophe, or what 16-, 21-, 26-, and 45-Across are ingredients for? : RECIPE …
• 58A See 50-Across : … FOR DISASTER

• 16A Fruit given to Snow White by the Evil Queen : POISON APPLE
• 21A Rabble-rouser : BAD EGG
• 26A Youthful rebelliousness : WILD OATS
• 45A Unrefined petroleum : CRUDE OIL

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

Bill’s time: 6m 55s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

6 “Dancing Queen” quartet : ABBA

“Dancing Queen” is a great, great song from 1976 that was released by the Swedish group ABBA. ABBA’s music has never been as popular in the US as it is in other countries, but “Dancing Queen” did make it to the number-one spot in the charts here. It was in fact, ABBA’s only #1 hit in the US.

13 Introverted, maybe : ALOOF

I suppose one might guess from the “feel” of the word “aloof” that it has nautical roots. Originally “aloof” meant “to windward” and was the opposite of “alee”. A helmsman might be instructed to stay aloof, to steer the boat into the weather to keep a distance from a lee-shore. It is from this sense of maintaining a distance that aloof came to mean “distant” in terms of personality. Interesting, huh …?

The Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung popularized the terms “Introvert” and “extrovert”, although he believed that we all have introverted and extroverted sides to us. Nowadays we tend to think of extroversion and introversion as extremes on a continuum. We bloggers, sitting at home glued to our laptops, tend to the introverted end of the scale …

15 Actress Thurman : 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.

16 Fruit given to Snow White by the Evil Queen : POISON APPLE

“Snow White” is a traditional German fairy tale that was published in 1812 in the collection of the Brothers Grimm. There is also a second, very different Grimms’ Fairy Tale called “Snow-White and Rose-Red”, not to be confused with its more famous cousin. In the latter tale, Snow-White and Rose-Red are sisters who get into trouble with a dwarf, but are rescued by a bear who turns into a prince.

21 Rabble-rouser : BAD EGG

A person might be described as a “good egg” or “bad egg”. There doesn’t seem to be a clear explanation for how “egg” came to mean “person”. One suggestion is that the term reflects the resemblance between the shape of the human head and the shape of an egg.

25 Turkish dough : LIRAS

The currency of Turkey is the Turkish lira, which is divided into 100 kuruş. In 1927, the Turkish lira replaced the Ottoman lira, which had been in use since 1844.

26 Youthful rebelliousness : WILD OATS

Traditionally, “wild oats” were a crop that one might regret sowing instead of “good grain”. Young and tempestuous people were rash enough to sow their wild oats, and had yet to comprehend their folly. Over time, to “feel one’s oats” came to mean “be lively and confident”.

30 __ party: sudsy celebration : FOAM

A foam party is a dance event in which participants dance on a floor that is covered with bubbles created by a foam machine. Although such events have been around for several decades, they really took off in the early nineties in night clubs in the Mediterranean island of Ibiza. The foam machines are usually mounted on the ceiling, where they rain bubbles and suds onto the dancers.

31 Literature Nobel laureate Bashevis Singer : ISAAC

Isaac Bashevis Singer was a Polish-born American author who won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1978. One of Singer’s most celebrated works is a short story titled “Yentl the Yeshiva Boy”. Along with Leah Napolin, he adapted the story into a 1975 stage play “Yentl”. Famously, Barbra Streisand co-wrote a screenplay based on the stage play that was released as a musical movie with the same title in 1983.

38 Comrade : CRONY

A crony is a friend or companion. The term originated as slang in Cambridge University in England in the 1600s. “Crony” is probably derived from the Greek “khronios” meaning “long-lasting”.

39 First Nations people of Canada : CREE

The Cree are one of the largest groups of Native Americans on the continent. In the US, Montana is home to most of the Cree nation. They live on a reservation shared with the Ojibwe people. In Canada, most of the Cree live in Manitoba.

45 Unrefined petroleum : CRUDE OIL

Crude oil is a naturally occurring liquid mixture of hydrocarbons that is found in geological formations. Also known as “petroleum”, crude is usually accessed by drilling. Once collected, it is refined and separated into many, many chemicals, e.g. gasoline and asphalt as well chemicals used to make plastics, fertilizers and pharmaceuticals.

47 Gush with naches : KVELL

To kvell is to be particularly proud, to rejoice. The verb “to kvell” comes into English via Yiddish from the Middle High German “kveln” meaning “to well up”.

52 Prefix with -logue : EPI-

Our word “epilog” (also “epilogue”) applies to an addition at the end of a play or other literary work. The term ultimately comes from the Greek “epi-” signifying “in addition”, and “logos” meaning “speech”.

63 Home of the Kaaba : MECCA

The Kaaba (sometimes referred to as the “Bayt Allah”) is a large, cube-shaped structure that resides in a mosque in Mecca, in Saudi Arabia. According to the Qur’an, the Kaaba was constructed by Abraham and his son, Ishmael. When Muslims turn to face Mecca during prayers, they are actually turning to the Kaaba.

65 Future AG’s exam : LSAT

Law School Admission Test (LSAT)

Attorneys General (AGs) head up the Department of Justice (DOJ). When the office of the Attorney General was created in 1789 it was a part-time job, with no departmental support. The Department of Justice came into being in 1870.

66 Oldest 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.

Down

1 Reneé of “Mean Girls” : RAPP

Singer and actress Reneé Rapp’s big break came with a starring role in the musical “Mean Girls” on Broadway. She played “mean girl” Regina George on stage from 2019 to 2020, and also in the big-screen adaptation released with the same title in 2024.

“Mean Girls” is a teen comedy movie released in 2004 starring Lindsay Lohan. Tina Fey also puts in an appearance, which really isn’t surprising as Fey wrote the screenplay.
The 2024 musical film “Mean Girls” is based on the 2017 stage musical, and in turn on the 2004 movie, all of the same name. Tina Fey wrote both of the screenplays, as well as the book accompanying the musical.

2 Succulent genus : ALOE

Succulent plants are those with thickened stems and/or leaves that have evolved to retain water. As such, succulents are often found where the climate is particularly dry. The term “succulent” comes from the Latin “sucus” meaning “juice, sap”.

3 Wrap for leftovers : FOIL

Before thin sheets of aluminum metal were available as aluminum foil, thin sheets of tin were used in various applications. Tin foil isn’t a great choice for wrapping food though, as it imparts a tinny taste. On the other side of the pond, aluminum foil has a different name. No, it’s not just the different spelling of aluminum (“aluminium”). We still call it “tin foil”. You see, we live in the past …

4 Open-faced dishes with crispy tortillas : TOSTADAS

In Mexican cuisine, a tostada is a flat or bowl-shaped tortilla

5 Hub across the Bay from OAK : SFO

The San Francisco Bay Area is served by three major airports: San Francisco (SFO), Oakland (OAK) and San Jose (SJC).

8 Glowing object on a marquee : BULB

A marquee is a large sign that is placed over the entrance to a theater. The marquee usually displays the names of the film or play currently showing, as well as the principal actors performing.

10 Nintendo platform game series : SUPER MARIO

“Super Mario” is a series of video games created by Nintendo that features the character Mario, and his adventures in the Mushroom Kingdom.

11 Seamaster watchmaker : OMEGA

The Seamaster is a line of watches that Omega has produced since 1948. The Seamaster name arose because the original design was based on watches made for the Royal Navy during WWII. On the silver screen, James Bond has been wearing an Omega Seamaster since 1995.

12 Fringe on some foreheads : BANGS

“Bangs” is another word that caught me out when I arrived in the US. “Bangs” back in Ireland are called “a fringe”. Apparently the US term is somehow derived from the name given to the hair on a horse’s head.

22 San José day : DIA

San José is the capital of Costa Rica. Costa Rica is in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua in the north and Panama to the South. It is a remarkable county in my opinion, a leader on the world stage in many areas. It has been referred to as the “greenest” country in the world, the “happiest” country in the world, and has a highly educated populace. In 1949, the country unilaterally abolished its own army … permanently!

24 OB or GYN : DOC

A medical doctor (MD) might be an expert in obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN).

27 Egyptian goddess : ISIS

Isis was the ancient Egyptian goddess of fertility, as well as the protector of the dead and the goddess of children. She was the personification of the pharaoh’s power. The name “Isis” translates as “throne”, and she is usually depicted with a headdress shaped like a throne.

29 Showing no fear, maybe : STOIC

Zeno of Citium was a Greek philosopher famous for teaching at the Stoa Poikile, the “Painted Porch”, located on the north side of the Ancient Agora of Athens. Because of the location of his classes, his philosophy became known as stoicism (from “stoa”, the word for “porch”). We get our adjective “stoic”, meaning “indifferent to pleasure or pain”, from the same root.

33 Boldly brave : INTREPID

The adjective “intrepid” describes someone who is fearless, with resolute fortitude. The term comes from the Latin “in-” meaning “not” and “trepidus” meaning “alarmed”.

39 Drawing board? : CHESS SET

“Stalemate” is a term used in chess when one player (who is not in check) cannot make a legal move. A game of chess with a stalemate is declared a draw. We use the term metaphorically for a no-win situation in general.

42 Sr. officer : CDR

Commander (Cdr.)

46 Novelist Leon : URIS

Leon Uris is an American writer. Uris’s most famous books are “Exodus” and “Trinity”, two excellent stories, in my humble opinion …

47 Krispy __ : KREME

The Krispy Kreme chain of doughnut stores was founded in 1937 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The company introduced the Whole Wheat Glazed doughnut in 2007, which is great news for folks looking to eat a healthy diet, I am sure …

48 Plant-based : VEGAN

A vegan is someone who stays away from animal products. A dietary vegan eats no animal foods, not even eggs and dairy that are usually eaten by vegetarians. Ethical vegans take things one step further by following a vegan diet and also avoiding animal products in other areas of their lives e.g. items made from leather or silk.

55 Miami Beach style : DECO

The coastal city of Miami Beach sits on a string of islands on the Florida coast, separated from Miami proper by Biscayne Bay. Miami Beach is home to the Art Deco Historic District, which is home to the largest collection of Art Deco architecture in the world.