LA Times Crossword 3 Nov 24, Sunday

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Constructed by: Emma Oxford
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Theme: Cold Shoulders

Themed answers each include circled letters BROKEN between the start and finish, and those letters spell out something ICY:

• 111A Starts a conversation, or what the answer to each starred clue does to its circled letters : BREAKS THE ICE

• 23A *Summertime activity that may precede piemaking : BERRY PICKING (giving “BER-G”)
• 36A *Fictional space force satirized in John Scalzi’s “Redshirts” : STARFLEET (giving “S-LEET”)
• 43A *Casper, for one : FRIENDLY GHOST (giving “FR-OST”)
• 62A *Span needed for a system to return to equilibrium : RELAXATION TIME (giving “R-IME”)
• 69A *Nickname for a hotel in the middle of Lake Pichola : FLOATING PALACE (giving “FLO-E”)
• 90A *Charming rogue : HANDSOME DEVIL (giving “HA-IL”)
• 98A *”Take it slow” : STEADY NOW (giving “S-NOW”)

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

Bill’s time: 11m 59s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

7 Antagonist of Rocky and Bullwinkle : BORIS

Fearless Leader, Boris Badenov and Natasha Fatale are all characters in the cartoon show “Rocky and Bullwinkle”. Fearless Leader is the dictatorial ruler of Pottsylvania, and Boris and Natasha are two of his minions, two inept government agents.

12 Check in point? : ATM

Checks and checking accounts caused me some language trouble when I first came to the US. Back in Ireland (and the UK) we write “cheques” using funds from our “current” accounts.

15 43,560 square feet : ACRE

At one time, an acre was defined as the amount of land a yoke of oxen could plow in a day. Then, an acre was more precisely defined as a strip of land “one furrow long” (i.e. one furlong) and one chain wide. The length of one furlong was equal to 10 chains, or 40 rods. An area of one furlong times 10 rods was one rood.

19 “Angel” singer Jon : SECADA

Jon Secada is a Cuban-American singer/songwriter, who was born in Havana and raised in Florida. Secada was hired as a background singer by Gloria Estefan in the late eighties, and soon after he started composing for her. It was Gloria Estefan who gave him his performing break, offering him solo spots on stage during her performances.

29 Federal loan agcy. : SBA

The Small Business Administration (SBA) is a government agency with the mission of assisting small businesses. The SBA doesn’t give loans itself, but it does act as a guarantor under the right circumstances. The SBA was set up in 1953, and isn’t a favorite with fiscal conservatives.

33 Letters with a green check mark at the airport : TSA PRE

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) operates its precheck program known as “TSA Pre✓” (or “TSA PreCheck”). Members of the program receive expedited screening at most airports. In order to become a member, a traveler must apply online, appear in person at a designated office for a background check and fingerprinting, and pay a fee for a 5-year membership.

36 *Fictional space force satirized in John Scalzi’s “Redshirts” : STARFLEET (giving “S-LEET”)

In the “Star Trek” universe, Starfleet is a military service maintained by the United Federation of Planets. Famously, Starfleet is also tasked with deep-space exploration, “to boldly go where no man has gone before …”

“Redshirts” is a 2012 sci-fi novel by John Scalzi. It is a satire of the “Star Trek” franchise of TV series and movies, and indeed the audiobook is narrated by Wil Wheaton who portrayed Wesley Crusher on “Star Trek: The Next Generation”. The title is a reference to the red shirts worn by security officers and engineers on the original “Star Trek” TV show. Almost inevitably, anyone with a red shirt was doomed to die as part of an episode’s storyline.

42 Eclectic online digest : UTNE

The “Utne Reader” is known for aggregation and republishing of articles on politics, culture and the environment from other sources in the media. It was founded in 1984 by Eric Utne, with management taken over by Eric’s wife Nina Rothschild Utne in 1990.

43 *Casper, for one : FRIENDLY GHOST (giving “FR-OST”)

Casper the Friendly Ghost features in a whole series of cartoon shorts made by Famous Studios. Casper made the big time in 1995 when he appeared in his own “Casper” movie, alongside Christina Ricci, Bill Pullman and Eric Idle.

46 “Spider-Man: __ the Spider-Verse” : ACROSS

“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” is a 2023 sequel to 2018’s “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”. Both are computer-animated films that were very well received by audiences and critics alike. There is a third movie in the series planned for release in 2024: “Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse”, as well as a “Spider-Woman” spinoff.

48 __ Arbor, Michigan : ANN

Ann Arbor, Michigan was founded in 1824 by John Allen and Elisha Rumsey. Supposedly, Allen and Rumsey originally used the name “Annsarbour” in recognition of stands of bur oak that were on the land they had purchased and in recognition of their wives, both of whom were called “Ann” (i.e. Anns’ Arbor)

49 Vicinity : AREA

A vicinity is an area surrounding a place. The term “vicinity” ultimately comes from the Latin “vicus” meaning “group of houses, village”.

50 Fermi paradox subjs. : ETS

The Fermi paradox, named for physicist Enrico Fermi, highlights the puzzling contradiction between the high probability of extraterrestrial life existing and the lack of any observable evidence for it. Given the vastness of the universe and the sheer number of stars and planets, it seems statistically likely that other intelligent civilizations should have arisen. Yet, we haven’t detected any signals, encountered any alien artifacts, or been visited by any extraterrestrial beings.

53 Corp. money managers : CFOS

The chief financial officer (CFO) is particularly concerned about his or her company’s profit and loss (P&L).

56 Grenadine : RED

The color grenadine is reddish orange. The term “grenadine” comes from the French “grenade” meaning “pomegranate”.

69 *Nickname for a hotel in the middle of Lake Pichola : FLOATING PALACE (giving “FLO-E”)

The Lake Palace is a former summer place built on an island in the artificial freshwater Lake Pichola in the state of Rajasthan in northwestern India. The lake was created, along with several other contiguous lakes, in 1387 with the construction of a series of dams. The Lake Palace itself was constructed in the mid 1700s, basically covering the whole of the island of Jag Niwas and making it appear to “float” on the water. James Bond fans might recognize the structure as the home of the titular character, played by Maud Adams, in the 1983 film “Octopussy”.

79 Woven silk projects : WEBS

The silk that makes up a web is a protein fiber that is “spun” by a spider. Spider silk is about one sixth of the density of steel, yet has a comparable tensile strength.

80 Ventimiglia of “Gilmore Girls” : MILO

Actor Milo Ventimiglia got his break on TV playing Jess Mariano on the show “Gilmore Girls”. He then played Peter Petrelli on “Heroes”, and Jack Pearson on “This Is Us”.

“Gilmore Girls” is a comedy show that originally aired from 2000 to 2007 on the WB. The title characters are mother and daughter Lorelai and Rory Gilmore, played by Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel. All the action takes place in the fictional Connecticut town of Stars Hollow. The theme song was written by Carole King, and is a version of her 1971 recording “Where You Lead”. King sing’s the show’s theme with her own daughter, Louise Goffin.

81 Like $2 bills, compared to most bills : RARER

The US two-dollar bill features a portrait of Thomas Jefferson. The bill was introduced in 1862, and withdrawn in 1966. It was reintroduced in 1976, and is still legal tender. That said, there are relatively few two-dollar bills in circulation. Some people even hold that possession of a two-dollar bill is bad luck.

84 “Waterfalls” trio : TLC

“Waterfalls” was a hit in 1995 for girl group TLC. It was to become the band’s signature song, and is notable in that it is the first number-one song to reference AIDS. In fact, “Waterfalls” also mentions the illegal drug trade and promiscuity.

87 Wages : SALARY

It has been suggested that our term “salary” comes from the Latin “sal” meaning “salt”. The idea is that a Roman soldier’s “salarium” might have been an allowance to purchase salt.

94 Country where Farsi is spoken : IRAN

Farsi (also known as Persian) is a language spoken by about 62 million people as a first language, and another 50 million or more as a second language. It is the official language of Iran, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan.

96 Prefix with -plasm : ECTO-

The endoplasm is the inner part of a cell’s cytoplasm, and the ectoplasm is the outer part.

97 Brazilian dance : SAMBA

The samba is a Brazilian dance that is very much symbolic of the festival of Carnival. Like so much culture around the world, the samba has its roots in Africa, as the dance is derived from dances performed by former slaves who migrated into urban Rio de Janeiro in the late 1800s. The exact roots of the name “samba” seem to have been lost in the mists of time. However, my favorite explanation is that it comes from an African Kikongo word “semba” which means “a blow struck with the belly button”. We don’t seem to have a need for such a word in English …

107 Helvetica alternative : ARIAL

Helvetica and Arial are typefaces.

109 Biometric security measure : IRIS SCAN

An iris scan is a method of biometric identification. It relies on the fact that the complex patterns in the irises are unique to an individual. Note that an iris scan differs from a retinal scan. The latter uses technology that scans the unique pattern of blood vessels in an individual’s retina.

117 Government health program : MEDICARE

Medicare is a national medical insurance program administered by the US government. The term “Medicare” originally applied to a government program introduced in 1956 that provided coverage for families of those serving in the military. The current Medicare program was introduced by the Johnson administration in 1966, to provide health insurance to anyone aged 65 years or older.

119 Acela operator : AMTRAK

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”.

120 Inkling : IDEA

Our word “inkling” apparently comes from the Middle English word “inclen” meaning “to hint”.

Down

1 Computer connection letters : USB

Universal Serial Bus (USB) is an industry standard dealing with how computers and electronic devices connect and communicate, and dealing with electrical power through those connections.

3 Old tape player : VCR

The first video cassette recorder (VCR) was introduced in the 1950s, but it wasn’t until the 1970s that home VCRs became successful.

4 Hammer or anvil : EAR BONE

The middle ear is the portion of the ear immediately behind the eardrum. The middle ear contains three small bones called the ossicles, the three smallest bones in the human body. The ossicles’ job is to transmit sound from the outer ear to the inner ear. The shape of the bones gives rise to their names: the hammer (malleus), anvil (incus) and stirrup (stapes).

5 Pastoral poem : IDYL

An idyll (also “idyl”) is a short poem with a pastoral theme, usually depicting the scene in romantic and idealized terms. The word “idyl” comes from the Greek “eidyllion”, which literally translates to “little picture” but was a word describing a short poem with a rustic theme.

8 Mork’s home : ORK

“Mork & Mindy” is a sitcom that originally aired from 1978 to 1982. The title characters were played by Robin Williams and Pam Dawber. Mork is an alien from the planet Ork who reports back to his superior called Orson. Orson is played by voice actor Ralph James. Ralph James was also known for providing the voice of Mr. Turtle in famous Tootsie Pop commercials in the seventies. Nanu nanu!

10 Belly button type : INNIE

The navel is essentially the scar left behind when the umbilical cord is removed from a newborn baby. One interesting use of the umbilicus (navel, belly button) is to differentiate between identical twins, especially when they are very young.

12 Broad ties : ASCOTS

An ascot is a wide tie that narrows at the neck, which these days is only really worn at weddings or part of a dress uniform. The tie takes its name from the Royal Ascot horse race at which punters still turn up in formal wear at Ascot Racecourse in England.

15 Vlogger’s revenue source : ADS

A video blog is perhaps what one might expect, i.e. a blog that is essentially a series of video posts. The phrase “video logging” is often shortened to “vlogging”.

17 Corned beef sandwiches : REUBENS

There are conflicting stories about the origin of the Reuben sandwich. One such story is that it was invented around 1914 by Arnold Reuben, an immigrant from Germany who owned Reuben’s Deli in New York.

18 Pemberley and Mansfield Park : ESTATES

In Jane Austen’s 1813 novel “Pride and Prejudice”, the hero of the piece is Fitzwilliam Darcy. He owns a magnificent country estate called Pemberley. Pemberley is located near the fictional town of Lambton, and some believe that it is based on the estate of Lyme Park in Cheshire. Indeed, exterior shots of Lyme Park were used to represent Pemberley in the magnificent 1995 TV adaptation of “Pride and Prejudice”.

“Mansfield Park” is Jane Austen’s third novel, published after “Sense and Sensibility” and “Pride and Prejudice”. “Mansfield Park” is a rags-to-relative-riches story about the main character, Fanny Price.

22 Brand for indoor sports : 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.

28 Hurdle for college-bound sophs : PSAT

The term “sophomore” has been used since the 1680s for a student in the second year of university. The original meaning of the word was “arguer”. The term has Greek roots, from two Greek words that have been artificially combined in English. The Greek “sophos” means “wise”, and “moros” means “foolish”.

30 The “A” of NATO? : ALFA

The NATO phonetic alphabet is also called the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) phonetic alphabet. Alfa, Bravo, Charlie … X-ray, Yankee, Zulu.

31 “Charlotte’s Web” girl : FERN

“Charlotte’s Web” is a children’s novel by author E. B. White. Charlotte is a barn spider, who manages to save the life of a pig named Wilbur. Wilbur is a pet pig, owned by the farmer’s daughter, Fern Arable. The story also includes a gluttonous rat named Templeton who provides some light and comical moments.

34 1990s fad item : POG

The game of pogs was originally played with bottle caps from POG fruit juice. The juice was named for its constituents, passion fruit, orange and guava.

37 Read but never post : LURK

A “lurker” is someone who visits websites, especially a discussion forum, and who just reads but does not make a contribution or leave a comment. In other words, someone who just lurks in the background. I know you’re out there … 🙂

39 Major mess-up : SNAFU

“SNAFU” is an acronym standing for “situation normal: all fouled up” (well, that’s the polite version!). As one might perhaps imagine, the term developed in the US Army, during WWII.

41 Thames Estuary county : ESSEX

Essex is a county in England that is referred to as one of the “home counties”. The home counties are those that surround the city of London, outside of London itself. “Home county” is not an official designation but has been in popular use since the 1800s. The list of home counties usually comprises Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, Surrey, and Sussex.

47 ESPN anchor Linda : COHN

Linda Cohn is a sportscaster who started anchoring ESPN’s “SportsCenter” in 1992. When Cohn was in high school, she played hockey on the boys team.

51 Saul Rubinek’s “Warehouse 13” role : ARTIE

Canadian actor Saul Rubinek has played many, many supporting roles on the small and big screens. He was born a few years after WWII in a displaced-person camp in Germany to Jewish parents from Poland. His parents had been hidden by Polish farmers for more than two years during the war. He is perhaps best known these days for playing Artie Nelson on the sci-fi TV show “Warehouse 13”. I best know him for his appearances on “Frasier” portraying Donny Douglas, Niles Crane’s divorce lawyer and Daphne Moon’s fiancé.

“Warehouse 13” is a very successful sci-fi/comedy TV series that originally aired from 2009 to 2014. The title refers to a secret facility in present-day South Dakota used for the storage of supernatural artifacts.

53 Michael of “Sacramento” : CERA

Michael Cera is a Canadian actor who played great characters on the TV show “Arrested Development”, and in the 2007 comedy-drama “Juno”. Cera is also quite the musician. He released an indie folk album titled “True That” in 2014.

“Sacramento” is a 2024 comedy film about two friends making an impromptu road trip from Los Angeles to Sacramento. The friends are played by Michael Angarano and Michael Cera.

56 With 20-Across, “The San Francisco Treat” : RICE-
[20A See 56-Down : -A-RONI]

Rice-A-Roni was introduced in 1958 by the Golden Grain Macaroni Company of San Francisco. The company was run by an Italian immigrant and his four sons. The wife of one of the sons created a pilaf dish for the family diner they owned. It was a big hit, so her brother-in-law created a commercial version by blending dry chicken soup mix with rice and macaroni. Sounds like “a San Francisco treat” to me …

57 Actress Thompson : EMMA

Emma Thompson is one of my favorite English actresses, and someone who has appeared in many of my favorite films. She probably first came to attention in the US when she won an Oscar for her role in “Howards End”, which she followed up with “Remains of the Day” and “In the Name of the Father”. Perhaps my favorite production of hers is her own adaptation of “Sense and Sensibility”, which won her Oscars for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Actress. Emma Thompson went to Cambridge University and was good friends with a host of successful British actors and entertainers, including her ex-boyfriend Hugh Laurie who is famous in the US for playing the title role in television’s “House”.

59 “Ur 2 funny!” : ROFL

Rolling on floor laughing (ROFL)

61 Flue dust : SOOT

The flue in a chimney is a duct that conveys exhaust gases from a fire to the outdoors. An important feature of a flue is that its opening is adjustable. When starting a fire, the flue should be wide open, maximizing airflow to get help ignition.

64 Staple in the Pacific Islands : TARO

Taro is a root vegetable that is grown for its edible underground plant stems (corms). The English name “taro” is borrowed from the Maori language of New Zealand. The same plant is known as “gabi” in the Philippines, “arbi” in much of India, and “jimbi” in parts of Africa where Swahili is spoken.

66 Penny-__ : ANTE

Penny Ante poker is a game in which bets are limited to a penny, or some other small, friendly sum. The expression “penny-ante” has come to describe any business transaction that is on a small scale.

73 R&B singer Bridges : LEON

Leon Bridges is an R&B singer from Fort Worth, Texas who is best known for his 2015 hit single “Coming Home”. Bridges’ debut album, also titled “Coming Home,” was released in 2015 and peaked at number six on the US Billboard 200 chart. The album was praised for its authenticity and vintage sound, which Bridges achieved by recording with analog equipment and using techniques from the 1960s.

81 Tabula __ : RASA

Tabula rasa (plural “tabulae rasae”) is the idea that people are born with a “blank, clean slate”, and that knowledge comes from experience and perception. “Tabula rasa” translates literally from Latin as “scraped tablet”.

84 “Better Call Saul” rating : TV-MA

“Better Call Saul” is a spin-off drama series from the hit show “Breaking Bad”. The main character is small-time lawyer Saul Goodman, played by Bob Odenkirk, who featured in the original series. “Better Call Saul” is set six years before Goodman makes an appearance in the “Breaking Bad” storyline. The lawyer’s real name is James Morgan McGill, and his pseudonym is a play on the words “S’all good, man!”

87 Sushi kin : SASHIMI

Sashimi is thinly sliced raw fish, although it can also be raw meat. The word “sashimi” translates literally as “pierced body”, which may be a reference to the practice of sticking the tail and fin to sliced fish to identify it.

89 Sheltered place : LEE SIDE

Alee is the direction away from the wind. If a sailor points into the wind, he or she is pointing aweather. The sheltered side of an island, for example, might be referred to as the “lee” side.

92 Aerie hatchlings : EAGLETS

An aerie (sometimes “eyrie”) is an eagle’s nest. The term “aerie” can also more generally describe any bird’s nest that is located on a cliff or a mountaintop.

95 “Normal People” author Sally : ROONEY

Irish author Sally Rooney has published novels, short fiction and poetry. Her 2018 novel “Normal People” was adapted into a very successful TV miniseries of the same name that first aired in 2020.

100 Some workout spots : YMCAS

The YMCA (the Y) is a worldwide movement that has its roots in London, England. There, in 1844, the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) was founded with the intent of promoting Christian principles through the development of “a healthy spirit, mind and body”. The founder, George Williams, saw the need to create YMCA facilities for young men who were flocking to the cities as the Industrial Revolution flourished. He saw that these men were frequenting taverns and brothels, and wanted to offer a more wholesome alternative.

102 Indian lute : SITAR

The sitar has been around since the Middle Ages. It is a stringed instrument that is played by plucking, and is used most often in Hindustani classical music. In the West we have been exposed to the instrument largely through the performances of Ravi Shankar and some music by George Harrison of the Beatles, a onetime student of Shankar.

110 “Breathe Me” singer : SIA

“Breathe Me” was released in 2004 by Sia and quickly became a hit, especially after being featured in the finale of the TV series “Six Feet Under.” Interestingly, Sia has stated in interviews that she wrote the song in just 15 minutes while feeling frustrated and stuck in her career.

112 Regency, for “Bridgerton” : ERA

A regent is someone appointed to govern a monarchy temporarily, usually because the monarch is underage or incapacitated. One famous example was King George IV, who served as prince regent for his father King George III, who suffered from worsening mental health problems. The Prince Regent governed from 1811 until 1820, when his father eventually passed and he ascended to the throne as King George IV. That nine-year period is central to what is now termed “the Regency Era”.

“Bridgerton” is a fascinating period drama TV series based on a series of historical romance novels by Julia Quinn. Most of the action takes place in London’s high society during the Regency Era. An intriguing element is the show’s approach to race. There is a common, albeit unfounded, assertion that King George III’s wife Queen Charlotte was of African descent. “Bridgerton” runs with this assertion, portraying the era’s society as quite diverse.

114 401(k) kin : IRA

A 401(k) account resembles an IRA in that contributions can be made from a paycheck prior to the deduction of income taxes. A 401(k) differs from an IRA in that it is an employer-sponsored plan, with payments taken by the employer directly from an employee’s paycheck. Additionally, contributions can be fully or partially matched by an employer.

115 Ripken of baseball : CAL

Cal Ripken played his entire, 20-year professional baseball career for the Baltimore Orioles. Ripken was known as the “Iron Man” because he showed up for work every day, come rain or shine. He played 2,632 straight games, blowing past the previous 2,130-game record held by Lou Gehrig.