LA Times Crossword 27 Oct 24, Sunday

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Constructed by: John Lieb
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Theme: Interview With the Vampire

Themed answers are common phrases reinterpreted as comments that one might hear in an INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE:

  • 23A “What is your least favorite form of advertising?” : CROSS PROMOTIONS
  • 34A “What pricing advice do you have for garden centers?” : RAISE THE STAKES
  • 51A “What aspect of your personality are you working on?” : SELF-REFLECTION
  • 68A “What would you wear, say, when spending St. Patrick’s Day in Madrid?” : CAPE VERDE
  • 85A “Not to put you on the spot, but who is your favorite pet?” : BAT, ONE THOUSAND
  • 97A “What investment do you recommend to your fellow creatures of the night?” : CRYPTOCURRENCY
  • 115A “Above all else, what must your minions be?” : DOWN FOR THE COUNT

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

Bill’s time: 18m 55s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Texas A&M athlete : AGGIE

Texas A&M is the seventh largest university in the country, and was the first public higher education institute in the state when it accepted its first students in 1876. The full name of the school was the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas (hence “A&M”) and its primary mission used to be the education of males in the techniques of farming and military warfare. That’s quite a combination! Because of the agricultural connection, the college’s sports teams use the moniker “Aggies”. Texas A&M is also home to the George Bush Presidential Library.

21 Georgetown athlete : HOYA

The athletic teams of Georgetown University are known as the Hoyas. The name is derived from “Hoya Saxa”, a traditional cheer yelled out at Georgetown games as far back as 1893. The term is a mixture of Greek and Latin, with the Greek word “hoya” meaning “such” or “what”, and “saxa” translating from Latin as “rocks” or “small stones”. The cheer is usually rendered in English as “what rocks!”.

26 Edible Arrangements bit : MELON

Edible Arrangements is a company founded in 1999 that specializes in gift baskets of fruit that resemble flower arrangements.

27 Australian hub, for short : SYD

Australia’s Sydney Airport (SYD) is located just five miles south of the city center, and next to Botany Bay. There have been plans dating back to the 1940s to build a second airport on the outskirts of the city.

29 March Madness openers? : EMS

The opening letter of the words “March” and “Madness” is a letter M (em).

37 Les États-__ : UNIS

“Les États-Unis” is what French speakers call “the United States”.

44 She, in Lisbon : ELA

Lisbon is the capital of Portugal. It is the westernmost capital city in Europe, and indeed is the westernmost large city on the continent. Lisbon is also the oldest city in Western Europe, and was founded hundreds of years before London, Paris and Rome.

46 Phillies slugger Harper : BRYCE

Bryce Harper is a MLB right-fielder who was chosen by the Washington Nationals as the first overall pick in the 2010 draft.

55 Domed homes : IGLOOS

The Inuit word for “house” is “iglu”, which we usually write as “igloo”. The Greenlandic (yes, that’s a language) word for “house” is very similar, namely “igdlo”. The walls of igloos are tremendous insulators, due to the air pockets in the blocks of snow.

59 Former SCOTUS monogram : RBG

Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (RBG) served on the US Supreme Court. Justice Ginsburg was the second woman to join the Court, and was nominated by President Bill Clinton. She was diagnosed with colon cancer in 1999 and underwent surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. During that time she did not miss one day on the bench. In 2009 Justice Ginsburg had surgery for pancreatic cancer, and was back to work 12 days later. She had left-lung lobectomy to remove cancerous nodules in 2018, which forced Justice Ginsburg to miss oral argument in January 2019, for the first time since joining the court 25 years earlier. She finally succumbed to pancreatic cancer in 2020. Much of Ginsburg’s life is recounted in the excellent 2018 movie “On the Basis of Sex”.

60 Sunscreen : PARASOL

A parasol is a light umbrella that is used as a sunshade. The term “parasol” ultimately comes from Latin “para-” meaning “defense against”, and “sol” meaning “sun”.

65 Pink cat in “Garfield” : ARLENE

Arlene is a pink stray cat who is fond of the title character in the “Garfield” comic strip by Jim Davis. Garfield is pretty rude to Arlene though, and often makes fun of the gap in her teeth.

66 “Tomorrow” musical : ANNIE

“Tomorrow” is a song written for the Broadway musical “Annie”. The musical is based on the Harold Gray comic strip “Little Orphan Annie”. There were two subsequent film adaptations, both really quite successful, including one released in 1982 directed by John Huston of all people. It was the only musical that he ever directed.

68 “What would you wear, say, when spending St. Patrick’s Day in Madrid?” : CAPE VERDE

The first Saint Patrick’s Day celebration in the US was held in 1600, in St. Augustine, Florida. There is some evidence that the first St. Paddy’s Day parade was held the following year, in the same locale. The annual parade in Boston dates back to 1737, in New York City dates back to 1762, and in Chicago dates back to 1843.

Madrid is the most populous city in Spain, and is the nation’s capital. It is located very close to the geographical center of the country. Madrid is the second-largest city in the European Union by population, after Berlin. People from Madrid called themselves Madrileños.

70 Aquarium fish : TETRA

The neon tetra is a freshwater fish that is native to parts of South America. The tetra is a very popular aquarium fish and millions are imported into the US every year. Almost all of the imported tetras are farm-raised in Asia and very few come from their native continent.

73 Soy-based meat alternative : TEMPEH

Tempeh is a soy product that originated in Indonesia. It is made from soybeans that have been partly cooked and fermented. I’ve had quite a bit of tempeh used as a meat substitute in vegetarian dishes. It doesn’t have an appealing texture to me, so I’m not a fan …

78 Rum cocktails : MAI TAIS

The mai tai cocktail is strongly associated with the Polynesian islands, but the drink was supposedly invented in 1944 in Trader Vic’s restaurant in Oakland, California. One recipe is 6 parts white rum, 3 parts orange curaçao, 3 parts orgeat syrup, 1 part rock candy syrup, 2 parts fresh lime juice, all mixed with ice and then a float added of 6 parts dark rum. “Maita’i” is the Tahitian word for “good”.

80 Finish with zero cards in Uno, say : WIN

UNO is a card game that was developed in the early seventies and that has been sold by Mattel since 1992. It falls into the shedding family of card games, meaning that the goal is to get rid of all your cards while preventing opponents from doing the same.

83 Musician Brian : ENO

Brian Eno is a musician, composer and record producer from England who first achieved fame as the synthesizer player with Roxy Music. As a producer, Eno has worked with David Bowie, Devo, Talking Heads and U2.

84 Throat part : TONSIL

The palatine tonsils are located at the back of the human throat. The exact role that tonsils play isn’t completely understood, but it is known that they are in the first line of defense in the body’s immune system. They provide some level of protection against pathogens that are ingested and inhaled.

88 Math subj. : ALG

Algebra (alg.) is a branch of mathematics in which arithmetical operations are performed on variables rather than specific numbers (x,y etc). The term “algebra” comes from the Arabic “al jebr” meaning “reunion of broken parts”.

89 1970s Renault model : LE CAR

French automaker Renault made the “mini-like” Renault 5 and sold it as the Renault Le Car in North America. My Dad had a Renault 5 in Ireland, back in the day …

91 Fútbol cheer : OLE!

In Spanish, a “fútbol” (football, soccer) supporter might shout “olé!” (bravo!).

92 Pan-fried : SAUTED

“Sauté” is a French word. The literal translation from the French is “jumped” or “bounced”, a reference to the tossing of food while cooking it in a frying pan.

96 Missives: Abbr. : LTRS

Our word “missive”, which is used for a written message or letter, comes from the Latin “mittere” meaning “to send”.

105 Trickster of the 109-Across : LOKI
(109A Norse pantheon : AESIR)

Loki is a trickster god in Norse mythology known for continually creating chaos. Loki is the father of sons with his wife Sigyn. Because Loki is also a shape-shifter, he gave birth to children “himself” by assuming the shape of the opposite sex.

107 Title girl in a No. 1 song by the Knack : SHARONA

“My Sharona” is a hit single from 1979 released by a band called the Knack. The group’s guitarist wrote the song after meeting a 17-year-old girl named Sharona, who later became his girlfriend. Young Sharona appears on the cover sleeve for the record. Three decades later, Sharona was a real estate agent in LA.

109 Norse pantheon : AESIR

The gods and goddesses of Norse mythology generally belong to either the Aesir tribe or the Vanir tribe. Most of the Norse gods with which we are familiar belong to Aesir, including Odin, Thor, Frigg and Tyr. Examples of the Vanir gods are Freya and Njord. The Aesir live in Asgard, and the Vanir in Vanaheim. The Aesir and Vanir eventually united into one pantheon after the Aesir-Vanir War.

A pantheon is the set of all gods in a particular religion or mythology. The term comes from the Greek “pan” (all) “theon” (of gods). “Pantheon” is also the name given to a temple dedicated to all deities.

114 __ grigio : PINOT

The Pinot gris grape is used to make white wine called Pinot gris, which is also known as Pinot grigio. DNA analysis has shown that the Pinot gris grape mutated from the Pinot noir variety.

115 “Above all else, what must your minions be?” : DOWN FOR THE COUNT

A minion is a servile follower, a yes-man. The term “minion” comes from the French word “mignon” meaning “favorite, darling”.

120 Alan of “Bridge of Spies” : ALDA

“Bridge of Spies” is a 2015 historical thriller directed by Steven Spielberg and starring his friend Tom Hanks. The story is all about the arrest and trial of U-2 pilot Gary Powers, who was shot down over the Soviet Union while on a spying mission for the CIA. Hanks plays lawyer James B. Donovan, the lawyer who negotiates Powers’ release. Powers was actually exchanged for Soviet spy Rudolf Abel, with the exchange taking place at the bridge connecting Potsdam with Berlin, the “Bridge of Spies”.

121 Running shoe brand : AVIA

The Avia brand name for athletic shoes was chosen as “avia” is the Latin word for “to fly”, and suggests the concept of aviation. Avia was founded in Oregon in 1979.

122 Actress McDonald with six Tony Awards : AUDRA

Audra McDonald is an actress and singer best known for her work on the stage. She has won six competitive Tony Awards, which is more than any other actor. McDonald is also the only person to have won Tony Awards in all four categories: featured actress in a play, leading actress in a play, featured actress in a musical, and leading actress in a musical.

123 Bouquets, at a vineyard : NOSES

“Bouquet” comes from the French word for “bunch” in the sense of “bunch of flowers”. In French, the term is derived from an older word describing a little wood or small grove of trees. We started using “bouquet” to mean “perfume from a wine” in the early 1800s.

125 “Roundball Rock” composer John : TESH

The theme music for the “NBA on NBC” television broadcasts is called “Roundball Rock”. It was composed by John Tesh for the first broadcasts, which aired in 1990.

Down

1 Shuttlecock paths : ARCS

A shuttlecock (also “bird, birdie”) is the conical, feathered projectile used in the game of badminton. Previously referred to as a “shuttlecork”, the object is probably so named because it is “shuttled” back and forth over the net, and because the feathers resemble those on a cockerel.

3 Film with the Boston-accented line “How do you like them apples?” : GOOD WILL HUNTING

“Good Will Hunting” was the movie that gave both Matt Damon and Ben Affleck their big break in films, and deservedly so. Affleck and Damon are actually distant cousins who lived two blocks from each other in Cambridge, Massachusetts where the pair spent their teen years. The two friends wrote the film’s screenplay and of course took starring roles, alongside Robin Williams and Minnie Driver. Affleck and Damon won an Academy Award for the screenplay. What a great success story, eh?

9 Musician Yoko : ONO

Yoko Ono was born in 1933 in Tokyo into a prosperous Japanese family, and is actually a descendant of one of the emperors of Japan. Yoko’s father moved around the world for work, and she lived the first few years of her life in San Francisco. The family returned to Japan, before moving on to New York, Hanoi and back to Japan just before WWII, in time to live through the great firebombing of Tokyo in 1945. Immediately after the war the family was far from prosperous. While Yoko’s father was being held in a prison camp in Vietnam, her mother had to resort to begging and bartering to feed her children. When her father was repatriated, life started to return to normal and Yoko was able to attend university. She was the first woman to be accepted into the philosophy program of Gakushuin University.

12 Author Rand : AYN

Ayn Rand was a Russian-American novelist born “Alisa Rosenbaum”. Her two best known works are her novels “The Fountainhead” published in 1943 and “Atlas Shrugged” from 1957. Back in 1951, Rand moved from Los Angeles to New York City. Soon after, she gathered a group of admirers around her with whom she discussed philosophy and shared drafts of her magnum opus, “Atlas Shrugged”. This group called itself “The Collective”, and one of the founding members was none other than future Federal Reserve chairman, Alan Greenspan. Rand described herself as “right-wing” politically, and both she and her novel “Atlas Shrugged” have become inspirations for the American conservatives, and the Tea Party in particular.

15 Northeast Corridor train : ACELA

The Acela Express is the fastest train running routinely in the US, as it gets up to 150 mph at times. The service runs between Boston and Washington D.C. via Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York. Introduced in 2000, the brand name “Acela” was created to evoke “acceleration” and “excellence”.

16 Oscar winner Rami : MALEK

Actor Rami Malek’s big break came with the leading role in the television series “Mr. Robot”. In 2018, Malik gave an Oscar-winning performance playing Freddie Mercury in the hit biopic “Bohemian Rhapsody”. That marked the first time that an actor of Egyptian descent won an Academy Award for Best Actor.

35 Apple desktop : IMAC

The iMac is a desktop computer platform that Apple introduced in 1998. One of the main features of the iMac is an “all-in-one” design, with the computer console and monitor integrated. The iMac also came in a range of colors that Apple marketed as “flavors”, such as strawberry, blueberry and lime.

36 Shofar, e.g. : HORN

A shofar is a musical instrument used in Jewish rituals. It is a relatively simple instrument, made from an animal’s (usually a ram’s) horn.

37 “The Little Mermaid” witch : URSULA

In the original 1837 Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale “The Little Mermaid”, there is a villainous sea witch who plays a relatively small part in the story. When Disney made the big-screen, animated adaptation of the tale, the sea witch’s role was expanded, and she was given the name “Ursula”.

38 Liam of “Taken” : NEESON

Irish actor Liam Neeson’s big break came with the role of Oskar Schindler in the Spielberg epic, “Schindler’s List”. Neeson was in the news some years later when he lost his wife, actress Natasha Richardson, in a tragic skiing accident in 2009. Earlier in his life, in the 1980s, Neeson lived for several years with Oscar-winning actress Helen Mirren.

“Taken” is a fabulous thriller movie released in 2008. It stars Liam Neeson as kind of an older James Bond-ish character, and he is great in the role. “Taken 2” followed in 2012 and it wasn’t a bad sequel, I must say. 2014’s “Taken 3” was just “okay” …

43 Org. looking for alien life : SETI

“SETI” is the name given to a number of projects searching for extraterrestrial life. The acronym stands for “search for extraterrestrial intelligence”. One of the main SETI activities is the monitoring of electromagnetic radiation (such as radio waves) reaching the Earth in the hope of finding a transmission from a civilization in another world.

44 Seder prophet : ELIJAH

Once the Grace after Meals has been recited at the Passover Seder, it is customary to pour a cup of wine known as the Cup of Elijah. Tradition is that by doing so, the home is graced by the presence of Elijah the Prophet.

46 Peaty wetland : BOG

When dead plant matter accumulates in marshy areas, it may not fully decay due to a lack of oxygen or acidic conditions. We are familiar with this in Ireland, because this decaying matter can form peat, and we have lots and lots of peat bogs around the country.

47 Everglades bird : EGRET

The Everglades are tropical wetlands that cover much of southern Florida. The area was named “River Glades” by a British surveyor in 1773, and it is suggested that poor transcription of the word “river” led to the use of “ever”. The southern 20% of the Everglades is a protected region that we know as Everglades National Park. The park is the third-largest National Park in the lower 48 states, after Death Valley NP (the largest) and Yellowstone NP.

50 Broadband letters : DSL

In Internet terms, the word “broadband” is used to describe Internet access that is faster than dialup. In more broad (pun!) telecommunication terms, “broadband” is used to describe “bandwidth” data transmission that is “broad” enough to carry several signals and several different types of traffic at the same time.

53 Golf great Lee : TREVINO

Lee Trevino is an American golfer of Mexican descent, and so has the nicknames “The Merry Mex” and “Supermex”. He is well known for his great sense of humor and for playing pranks on the golf course. For many years, Trevino wore a Band-Aid on his arm while playing, covering the tattoo with the name of his ex-wife.

54 “Peer Gynt” playwright : IBSEN

Henrik Ibsen’s play “Peer Gynt” is based on a Scandinavian fairy tale “Per Gynt”. The incidental music to the play, written by Edvard Grieg, is some of the most approachable classical music ever written, at least in my humble opinion …

60 Deliver a sermon : PREACH

Our word “sermon” comes from the Latin “sermonem” meaning “discourse, talk”. The literal translation of “sermonem” is “a stringing together of words”, from the Latin “serere” meaning “to join”, as in the related word “series”.

71 Athlete in a triathlon’s last leg : RUNNER

An Ironman Triathlon is a race involving a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike ride, and a marathon run of just over 26 miles. The idea for the race came out of a debate between some runners in the 1977 Oahu Perimeter Relay. They were questioning whether runners, swimmers or bikers were the most fit athletes. The debaters decided to combine three local events to determine the answer, inviting athletes from all three disciplines. The events that were mimicked in the first triathlon were the Waikiki Roughwater swim (2.4 miles), the Around-Oahu Bike Race (115 miles) and the Honolulu Marathon (26.2 miles). The idea was that whoever finishes first would be called “the Iron Man”. The first triathlon was run in 1978, with fifteen starters and only twelve finishers. The race format is used all over the world now, but the Hawaiian Ironman is the event that everyone wants to win.

78 NYC subway org. : MTA

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has public transportation responsibility in the state of New York (as well as part of Connecticut).

80 “One, two, three, four, I declare a thumb __!” : WAR

A thumb war (also “thumb wrestling”) is a kid’s game in which two players grasp each other’s hand, with thumbs pointing upwards. At the “go”, each competitor tries to pin his or her opponent’s thumb with their own.

82 “Dance the Night” singer Lipa : DUA

“Dance the Night” is a 2023 song co-written and recorded by English-Albanian singer/songwriter Dua Lipa. It made it the number one spot in the UK and Ireland, but not in the US. Dua Lipa appeared in the celebrated 2023 movie “Barbie”, playing Mermaid Barbie. In return, Barbie’s director Greta Gerwig made a cameo in the music video for “Dance in the Night”.

85 Hindu “sir” : BABU

“Babu” is a Hindu word used in South Asia as a sign of respect to men. It can be used to mean “boss” or “father”.

90 Noisy insects : CICADAS

Cicadas are insects that are found all over the world. Although they resemble locusts, cicadas are an unrelated family. The name “cicada” is Latin and translated as “tree cricket”. However, the name is imitative of the clicking sound the insect makes using parts of its exoskeleton known as “tymbals”.

95 Foam toy material : NERF

Nerf is a soft material used in a whole series of toys designed for “safe” play indoors. The Nerf product is used to make darts, balls and ammunition for toy guns. “NERF” is an acronym, standing for Non-Expanding Recreational Foam.

97 Channel created as a community service : C-SPAN

C-SPAN is a privately-funded, nonprofit cable channel that broadcasts continuous coverage of government proceedings. The acronym stands for “Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network”.

98 Thick-skinned herbivore : RHINO

There are five types of rhinoceros that survive today, with the smaller Javan Rhino being the most rare. The rhinoceros is probably the rarest large mammal on the planet, thanks to poaching. Hunters mainly prize the horn of the rhino as it is used in powdered form in traditional Chinese medicine.

100 Member of the working class : PROLE

Author George Orwell introduced us to the proles, the working class folk in his famous novel “Nineteen Eighty-Four”. Collectively, the proles make up the section of society known as the proletariat.

104 Legendary Himalayans : YETIS

The magnificent Himalaya range of mountains in Asia takes its name from the Sanskrit for “abode of snow”. Geographically, the Himalaya separates the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau to the north.

110 Deposed Iranian ruler : SHAH

The last Shah of Iran was Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, who was overthrown in the revolution led by Ayatollah Khomeini in 1979. The post-revolution government sought the extradition of the Shah back to Iran while he was in the United States seeking medical care (he had cancer). His prolonged stay in the United States, recovering from surgery, caused some unrest back in Iran and resentment towards the United States. Some say that this resentment precipitated the storming of the US Embassy in Tehran and the resulting hostage crisis.

113 Coveted symbol in Dr. Seuss’s “The Sneetches” : STAR

Dr. Seuss’s “The Sneetches and Other Stories” was first published in 1961. The collection comprises four stories in all: “The Sneetches”, “The Zax”, “Too Many Daves” and “What Was I Scared Of?”

116 Lisbon greeting : OLA!

Lisbon is the capital of Portugal. It is the westernmost capital city in Europe, and indeed is the westernmost large city on the continent. Lisbon is also the oldest city in Western Europe, and was founded hundreds of years before London, Paris and Rome.

117 Cheerios grain : OAT

Cheerios breakfast cereal has the distinction of being the first oat-based cereal introduced into the market, hitting the grocery store shelves in 1941. Back then, Cheerios were known as CheeriOats.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Texas A&M athlete : AGGIE
6 Foldable dish : TACO
10 Study like mad : CRAM
14 Nightstand lights : LAMPS
19 Hotel bookings : ROOMS
20 Wrinkle remover : IRON
21 Georgetown athlete : HOYA
22 Words of empathy : I CARE
23 “What is your least favorite form of advertising?” : CROSS PROMOTIONS
26 Edible Arrangements bit : MELON
27 Australian hub, for short : SYD
28 Starters : A-TEAM
29 March Madness openers? : EMS
30 Last part : TAIL END
32 Procedures : WAYS
34 “What pricing advice do you have for garden centers?” : RAISE THE STAKES
37 Les États-__ : UNIS
39 High pts. : MTS
40 Spanish gold : ORO
41 Depends (on) : RELIES
44 She, in Lisbon : ELA
46 Phillies slugger Harper : BRYCE
48 HDTV choice : LCD
51 “What aspect of your personality are you working on?” : SELF-REFLECTION
55 Domed homes : IGLOOS
57 Help at a wedding, informally : USH
58 Took a spill : ATE IT
59 Former SCOTUS monogram : RBG
60 Sunscreen : PARASOL
61 Garish : LOUD
63 Does harm to : INJURES
65 Pink cat in “Garfield” : ARLENE
66 “Tomorrow” musical : ANNIE
68 “What would you wear, say, when spending St. Patrick’s Day in Madrid?” : CAPE VERDE
70 Aquarium fish : TETRA
73 Soy-based meat alternative : TEMPEH
75 Inorganic : MINERAL
77 Sealed : SHUT
78 Rum cocktails : MAI TAIS
80 Finish with zero cards in Uno, say : WIN
81 Couldn’t stand still, say : PACED
83 Musician Brian : ENO
84 Throat part : TONSIL
85 “Not to put you on the spot, but who is your favorite pet?” : BAT, ONE THOUSAND
88 Math subj. : ALG
89 1970s Renault model : LE CAR
91 Fútbol cheer : OLE!
92 Pan-fried : SAUTED
93 Sis or bro : SIB
94 “It’s __-brainer!” : A NO
96 Missives: Abbr. : LTRS
97 “What investment do you recommend to your fellow creatures of the night?” : CRYPTOCURRENCY
105 Trickster of the 109-Across : LOKI
107 Title girl in a No. 1 song by the Knack : SHARONA
108 Poetic contraction : O’ER
109 Norse pantheon : AESIR
111 Poetic contraction : ‘TIS
114 __ grigio : PINOT
115 “Above all else, what must your minions be?” : DOWN FOR THE COUNT
119 Oft-taped joint for athletes : ANKLE
120 Alan of “Bridge of Spies” : ALDA
121 Running shoe brand : AVIA
122 Actress McDonald with six Tony Awards : AUDRA
123 Bouquets, at a vineyard : NOSES
124 Articulates : SAYS
125 “Roundball Rock” composer John : TESH
126 Guide : STEER

Down

1 Shuttlecock paths : ARCS
2 Like some horror movies : GORY
3 Film with the Boston-accented line “How do you like them apples?” : GOOD WILL HUNTING
4 Some online exchanges, briefly : IMS
5 Composition : ESSAY
6 Run out of steam : TIRE
7 Like a cheering crowd : AROAR
8 Grammatical pause : COMMA
9 Musician Yoko : ONO
10 Wind __ : CHIMES
11 Perch : ROOST
12 Author Rand : AYN
13 Virtuosity : MASTERY
14 Maximum or minimum : LIMIT
15 Northeast Corridor train : ACELA
16 Oscar winner Rami : MALEK
17 Given (to) : PRONE
18 Elates : SENDS
24 NBA stat: Abbr. : PTS
25 “This is only a __” : TEST
31 Standoffish : ASOCIAL
33 “Yeah, right!” : AS IF!
35 Apple desktop : IMAC
36 Shofar, e.g. : HORN
37 “The Little Mermaid” witch : URSULA
38 Liam of “Taken” : NEESON
42 Pitcher’s stat : ERA
43 Org. looking for alien life : SETI
44 Seder prophet : ELIJAH
45 Relent : LET UP
46 Peaty wetland : BOG
47 Everglades bird : EGRET
48 “Enough with your sass!” : LOSE THE ATTITUDE!
49 Murmur : COO
50 Broadband letters : DSL
52 Yard dividers : FENCES
53 Golf great Lee : TREVINO
54 “Peer Gynt” playwright : IBSEN
56 Highway divisions : LANES
60 Deliver a sermon : PREACH
62 Meal plans : DIETS
64 Send payment : REMIT
65 Classified stat : AD RATE
67 Inbox message : EMAIL
69 Drive off : REPEL
71 Athlete in a triathlon’s last leg : RUNNER
72 Holding conflicting views : AT ODDS
74 Supplies additional criticism : PILES ON
76 Many August babies : LEOS
78 NYC subway org. : MTA
79 Early ISP : AOL
80 “One, two, three, four, I declare a thumb __!” : WAR
82 “Dance the Night” singer Lipa : DUA
85 Hindu “sir” : BABU
86 Midday : NOON
87 Brood : SULK
90 Noisy insects : CICADAS
94 Sports venues : ARENAS
95 Foam toy material : NERF
97 Channel created as a community service : C-SPAN
98 Thick-skinned herbivore : RHINO
99 BoSox rivals : YANKS
100 Member of the working class : PROLE
101 “For sure!” : TOTES!
102 Rambunctious : ROWDY
103 Make one’s mark, in a way : CARVE
104 Legendary Himalayans : YETIS
105 Tell tales : LIE
106 Black-and-white whales : ORCAS
110 Deposed Iranian ruler : SHAH
112 Memo starter : IN RE
113 Coveted symbol in Dr. Seuss’s “The Sneetches” : STAR
116 Lisbon greeting : OLA!
117 Cheerios grain : OAT
118 Tennis call : OUT!

12 thoughts on “LA Times Crossword 27 Oct 24, Sunday”

  1. 32 min, 2 errors

    TEMREH / TEMPEH
    RILES ON / PILES ON

    what does BAT ONE THOUSAND have to do with favorite Pets?

    1. Themed answers are common phrases reinterpreted as comments that one might hear in an INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE:

  2. One wrong letter (s) to the start of would should have been “Bats one thousand” and ended up “Sats one thousand”. D’oh! So two errors. Idiotic…

  3. 19:55 – no errors or lookups; 12 minutes quicker than yesterday, and only 1 minute shower than Bill (on paper!). False starts: TONGUE>TONSIL, ROSES>NOSES.

    New or forgotten: BRYCE Harper, TEMPEH, “Roundball Rock.” I remembered that a “shofar” is a horn from a few days ago.

    I got the vampire-related items in the seven themed answers, but also didn’t get how the “bat” answer related to its clue. Then, I saw that the clues were questions to ask when interviewing a vampire. Now I get it!

  4. A great Sunday puzzle! Really helps if you know your sports and sports teams! Didn’t know “prole”, but other than that, I thought it was a pretty easy Sunday.

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