LA Times Crossword 12 Jan 25, Sunday

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Constructed by: Zhouqin Burnikel
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Theme: PR Stunt

Themed answers are all common phrases with “PR” inserted:

• 22A Ultrathin bicycle chain holder? : LIGHT SPROCKET (PR + light socket)
• 40A Divinely inspired binge session? : THE HOLY SPREE (PR + the Holy See)
• 58A Number important to bakers? : VANILLA PRICE (PR + Vanilla Ice)
• 81A Guaranteed ball catchers? : PROVEN GLOVES (PR + oven gloves)
• 97A Question from a grocery mister? : SHALL WE SPRAY? (PR + shall we say)
• 118A Fairyland queen? : SPRITE MANAGER (PR + site manager)
• 34D Garment for a gingerbread cookie? : PRALINE SKIRT (PR + A-line skirt)
• 39D Avid fan of Chunky Garden pasta sauce? : PREGO BOOSTER (PR + ego booster)

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

Bill’s time: 16m 38s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 “Alright, Still” singer Lily : ALLEN

“Alright, Still” is the 2006 debut album released by English singer Lily Allen. Although the album does not have a title track, the words “alright, still” come from the line “You look alright still, yeah what’s your name?” from the track “Knock “Em Out”.

6 Split asunder : CLEAVE

I’ve always found “to cleave” an interesting verb. When used with an object, to cleave something is to split it, as when using a cleaver. When used without an object, to cleave is to cling, to adhere, as in “to cleave to one’s principles in the face of adversity”. Although not exactly so, the two definitions seem to have opposite meanings to me …

22 Ultrathin bicycle chain holder? : LIGHT SPROCKET (PR + light socket)

A sprocket is a toothed wheel that is designed to mesh with perhaps a chain, like on a bicycle.

27 Modern art? : ARE

“Thou art” became “you are” quite a while ago.

31 Meat in a Cuban sandwich : HAM

A Cuban sandwich almost always includes Cuban bread filled with roast pork, glazed ham, Swiss cheese and sliced dill pickles. The Cuban was designated the city of Tampa’s signature sandwich in 2012.

33 Comics dog with a long tongue : ODIE

Odie is Garfield’s best friend, and is a slobbery beagle. Both are characters in Jim Davis’ comic strip named “Garfield”.

34 Drain pipe material : PVC

PVC is polyvinyl chloride, the third most widely produced plastic in the world (after polyethylene and polypropylene). PVC is resistant to corrosion from biological and chemical agents making it a favored choice these days for sewage lines, replacing the traditional metal materials. It is so chemically stable that it will be around a long, long time …

37 Stay-at-home worker? : UMP

Back in the 15th century, “an umpire” was referred to as “a noumpere”, which was misheard and hence causing the dropping of the initial letter N. The term “noumpere” came from Old French “nonper” meaning “not even, odd number”. The idea was that the original umpire was a third person called on to arbitrate between two, providing that “odd number” needed to decide the dispute.

40 Divinely inspired binge session? : THE HOLY SPREE (PR + the Holy See)

In the Roman Catholic Church, an episcopal see is the official seat of a bishop, and is usually described by the town or city where the bishop presides and has his cathedral. The most famous see in the church is called the Holy See, the episcopal see of the Bishop of Rome, the Pope.

44 Cookie with a churro flavor : OREO

A churro is pastry made from fried dough, and is sometimes called a Spanish doughnut. Churros are often served for breakfast, when they are dipped in hot chocolate or milky coffee.

45 Trunk : TORSO

“Torso” (plural “torsi”) is an Italian word meaning “trunk of a statue”, and is a term that we imported into English.

47 Peddle : SELL

In its purest sense, a peddler is someone who sells his or her wares on the street or from door to door. The term probably comes from the Latin “pedarius” meaning “one who goes on foot”.

49 Delany of “China Beach” : DANA

Actress Dana Delany came to the public’s attention playing the lead in the TV show “China Beach” from 1988 to 1991. More recently, she played the lead in the drama series “Body of Proof” from 2011 to 2013.

“China Beach” is a drama TV series set during the Vietnam War that aired in the late eighties and early nineties. The show’s storyline revolves around the women who worked at an evacuation hospital. The name “China Beach” was a nickname given to a beach in the city of Da Nang, Vietnam by American soldiers during the conflict.

50 Sherlock adversary Adler : IRENE

The character Irene Adler only appears in one of the many Sherlock Holmes stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. In the story “A Scandal in Bohemia”, Holmes expresses remarkable admiration for Adler as a woman and as a foe. As a result, derivative works in the Holmes genre often feature Adler as something of a romantic interest for Sherlock.

51 “I know kung fu” character : NEO

Neo is the character played by Keanu Reeves in “The Matrix” series of films.

52 Land in the Seine : ILE

There are two famous “îles” (islands) in the middle of the River Seine in Paris, one being the Île de la Cité, and the other Île Saint-Louis. Île de la Cité is the most renowned of the two, as it is home to the cathedral of Notre-Dame.

56 Plot progression : ARC

A story arc is a continuing storyline in say a television show that runs through a number of episodes. Story arcs are also found in comics, books, video games, and other forms of media.

58 Number important to bakers? : VANILLA PRICE (PR + Vanilla Ice)

Vanilla Ice is the stage name of rapper Robert Van Winkle. Van Winkle used to breakdance with a band of friends when he was a young teenager and, as he was the only white guy in the group, he was given the nickname “Vanilla”.

61 Succulent harvested for its gel : 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”.

65 Nancy Drew’s beau : NED

I loved the “Nancy Drew” mysteries as a kid. The “Nancy Drew stories” were written by a number of ghost writers, all of whom went by the pseudonym Carolyn Keene. The character was introduced by publisher Edward Stratemeyer in 1930. Nancy Drew’s boyfriend is Ned Nickerson, a college student from Emerson.

72 “Hamilton” actress Phillipa : SOO

Phillipa Soo is an actress and singer who is perhaps best known for portraying Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton, the title character’s wife in the original Broadway production of “Hamilton”.

74 The “L” of Samuel L. Jackson : LEROY

According to some sources, Samuel L. Jackson is the highest-grossing actor of all time. He earns that ranking because of his talent and box-office draw, but also because of the large number of films in which he appears.

76 Thrill-seeker’s activity : BUNGEE

The first bungee jump using the modern latex cord was from the Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol, England. It was an illegal jump, with all five jumpers getting arrested soon after “hitting” the ground.

84 Doctor’s orders, for short : RXS

Abbreviations on a medical prescription (Rx) are shortened forms of Latin phrases. “Ter in die” is Latin for “three times a day”, abbreviated to “TID”. “Bis in die” (BID) would be twice a day, and “quater in die” (QID) would be four times a day.

87 Jaden’s role in “The Karate Kid” : DRE

Actor Jaden Smith is the son of actors Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith. Jaden played the title character in the 2010 remake of 1984’s “The Karate Kid”. I must say, that is a very entertaining film and young Jaden did a great job. More recently, Jaden Smith has focused more on a career as a rap singer.

The 2010 film “The Karate Kid” is a remake of the 1984 classic, this time taking the action to China. Instead of Mr. Miyagi, 12-year-old Dre Parker (Jaden Smith) is mentored by Mr. Han (Jackie Chan), a maintenance man who is secretly a kung fu master. After being bullied by Cheng, a skilled kung fu student, Dre begins training with Mr. Han to compete in an upcoming tournament. It seems to me that the title of the film should have been changed to “The Kung Fu Kid” …

90 Résumé highlight : SKILL

A résumé is a summary of a person’s job experience and education and is used as a tool by a job seeker. In many countries, a résumé is equivalent to a curriculum vitae. “Résumé” is the French word for “summary”.

92 Som tam cuisine : THAI

The dish usually listed as green papaya salad on menus in Thai restaurants in North America is referred to as “som tam” in Thailand. Som tam really goes for all of one’s taste buds, as it includes sour lime, hot chili, savory fish sauce and palm sugar for sweetness.

95 Intrinsically : PER SE

“Per se” is a Latin phrase that translates as “by itself”. We use “per se” pretty literally, meaning “in itself, intrinsically”.

96 Flintstones Vitamins shape : FRED

Flintstones Chewable Vitamins are multivitamin supplements for children that were introduced in 1968. The pills come in the shape of characters from “The Flintstones” cartoon series. The original lineup of characters used included Fred, Wilma and Pebbles Flintstone as well as Barney and Bamm-Bamm Rubble. Barney’s wife Betty was a notable omission from the lineup for over twenty years, which led to a grassroots campaign for her to be included. There is even a rock band named Betty’s Not a Vitamin, which is a reference to the “controversy”. Betty Rubble finally became a multivitamin in 1995.

100 Asphalt alternative : TAR

The asphalt surface on roads (or basketball courts) is more properly called asphaltic concrete because asphalt itself (also known as “bitumen”) is just a sticky black liquid that comes from crude petroleum. Asphalt is used as a binder with aggregate to form asphaltic concrete.

101 Turk. neighbor : SYR

The border between Syria and Turkey extends 565 miles, from the Mediterranean in the west to the tripoint shared with Iraq in the east.

102 Dude from Dundee : SCOT

The city of Dundee lies on the north bank of the Firth of Tay in Scotland. The origins of the name “Dundee” are a little obscure, although the omnipresent “dùn” in place names all over Scotland and Ireland is the Celtic word for “fort”.

106 “The Alienist” author Caleb : CARR

“The Alienist” is a 1994 crime novel by Caleb Carr that is set in New York City at the end of the 19th century. The protagonist is Dr. Laszlo Kreizler, a psychologist who works with Police Commissioner and future US president Theodore Roosevelt. The novel was adapted into a 10-part TV series that first aired on TNT in early 2018.

109 Drink with cardamom : CHAI

The spice known as cardamom comes from the seeds of several plants that are native to India. Those plants were introduced to Guatemala in the early 20th century, and now Guatemala produces and exports more cardamom than any other country in the world, even India. Cardamom is the third-priciest spice on the market today by weight, after vanilla and saffron.

115 Pack of camels : CARAVAN

A camel train carrying passengers or goods across a desert can be referred to as a caravan. “Caravan” derives from the Persian “karwan”, which has the same meaning. Over in Britain, “caravan” is the name given to travel trailers.

118 Fairyland queen? : SPRITE MANAGER (PR + site manager)

A sprite is an elfin or fairy-like creature of European myth. The term “sprite” comes from the Latin “spiritus” meaning “spirit”.

121 One with a cordial rivalry : FRENEMY

A frenemy is someone who feigns friendship but who is actually an enemy or competitor.

123 Fancy party : SOIREE

“Soir” is the French word for “evening” and a soirée is an evening party. The French word “soirée” has an acute accent over the first “e”, but we tend to drop this when using the word in English.

Down

1 Gnocchi __ Romana : ALLA

Gnocchi alla romana is a classic dish from Roman cuisine that differs significantly from the more common potato gnocchi. Instead of potato, these gnocchi are made from semolina flour cooked with milk and butter to create a thick dough. The dough is then spread into a sheet, cut into rounds, and baked with butter and cheese. A traditional topping is meatballs in a tomato sauce, with Parmesan cheese.

2 Nonclerical : LAIC

Anything described as laic (or “laical, lay”) is related to the laity, those members of the church who are not clergy. The term “laic” ultimately comes from the Greek “laikos” meaning “of the people”.

3 Org. for women who are great drivers : LPGA

The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) was founded in 1950 by a group of 13 lady golfers, and today it is the oldest ongoing women’s sports professional organization in the US.

7 Contract flaw : LOOPHOLE

A loophole is a means of evading perhaps a rule or a law. The contemporary usage of “loophole” comes from the older meaning of the word. In days past, a loophole was an arrow slit in a fortification, a vertical window through which defenders could shoot arrows from a sheltered position.

9 Dickinson’s advice column : ASK AMY

Amy Dickinson is the author and journalist behind the syndicated advice column “Ask Amy”. I listen to Dickinson quite often on the great PBS radio game show called “Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!”

11 Haim sister mentioned in Taylor Swift’s “No Body, No Crime” : ESTE

Este Haim is a musician and actress best known as the bassist and vocalist for the pop rock band Haim, which she formed with her younger sisters, Danielle and Alana.

“No Body, No Crime” is a 2020 song written and recorded by Taylor Swiftand featuring the band Haim. The lyrics tell the tale of Este (a nod to Este Haim), a woman who suspects her husband of infidelity and then mysteriously disappears.

12 Fitted cap : BEANIE

A beanie is a knitted, close-fitting hat with no brim. The name probably comes from the slang term “bean” meaning “head”.

15 Liquor in a Negroni : GIN

The negroni is a lovely cocktail, one that hails from Italy. A classic recipe calls for equal parts gin, sweet vermouth and Campari. According to legend, the drink was first made by bartender Fosco Scarselli at the request of Count Camillo Negroni, hence the name. The count wanted a stronger version of an Americano, and so Scarselli dropped the Americano’s soda water and replaced it with gin!

16 Capital One’s virtual assistant : ENO

Capital One is a financial services company based in McLean, Virginia. The company is known for its mass marketing of credit cards. In fact, it is one of the US Post Office’s largest customers due to the volume of direct mail solicitations sent out.

21 Crystal hunter’s finds : GEODES

A geode is a rock in which there is a cavity that is lined or filled with crystal formations. The crystals inside a geode form when mineral-rich water seeps into a cavity in a rock, leaving behind dissolved minerals that gradually build up over time. Some of the largest geodes ever discovered have been as big as a room and can take millions of years to form.

23 Some toy doggies : PEKES

The pekingese (“peke”) breed originated in China, as one might suspect from the name. Breeding practices have resulted in the dog having many health problems, including breathing issues related to the “desirable” flat face. Standards have been changed in recent years, demanding an “evident muzzle” in an attempt to breed healthier “pekes”.

30 __-Missouria Tribe : OTOE

The Otoe and Missouria Native-American tribes, once part of a larger group in the Great Lakes region, migrated west and became distinct peoples with related languages and customs. They inhabited areas of present-day Nebraska and Missouri, giving those states and the Missouri River their names. European contact brought trade but also devastating diseases, leading the diminished Missouria to merge with the Otoe. Today, the Otoe-Missouria tribe is headquartered in Red Rock, Oklahoma.

33 “1984” author : ORWELL

George Orwell’s famous novel actually has the title “Nineteen Eighty-Four” (as opposed to “1984”), with the date spelled out.

34 Garment for a gingerbread cookie? : PRALINE SKIRT (PR + A-line skirt)

A praline is a candy made out of nuts and sugar syrup. The first pralines were made in France in the 17th century for an industrialist named Marshal du Plessis-Praslin, who gave his name to the confection.

The first documented use of gingerbread shaped in the form of human figures was in the court of Queen Elizabeth I of England. She used to have figures made to represent her important guests.

An A-line skirt is one that fits snugly at the hips and flares towards the hem. The term “A-line” was first used in fashion by French designer Christian Dior in his 1955 spring collection.

35 Marco Polo’s hometown : VENICE

Marco Polo was a merchant from Venice and a famous traveler throughout Asia. Polo journeyed with his father and uncle on an epic tour of Central Asia and China that lasted 24 years. Marco tends to be the member of the party we remember today though, because it was he who documented their travels in a book called “Il Milione” (usually “The Travels of Marco Polo” in English).

37 City east of Syracuse : UTICA

Utica in New York is known as “Second Chance City” these days, due to the relatively recent influx of refugees from war-torn parts of the world and from Bosnia in particular. These immigrants have helped revitalize the area and reverse a trend of population loss.

39 Avid fan of Chunky Garden pasta sauce? : PREGO BOOSTER (PR + ego booster)

The Prego brand of pasta sauce is owned by the Campbell Soup Company. It is actually based on the family recipe of one of the company’s chefs. “Prego” literally means “I pray” in Italian, but it translates best in English as “you’re welcome” when it is used after a “thank you” (“grazie”, in Italian).

43 Diver on Louisiana’s state seal : PELICAN

The official nickname of Louisiana is the Pelican State, but it is also known as the Bayou State, the Child of Mississippi, the Creole State, the Sportsman’s Paradise and the Sugar State.

56 Pre-Christmas season : ADVENT

In the Christian tradition, Advent is the season of expectation prior to the Christmas celebration of the birth of Jesus. The term “Advent” comes from the Latin “adventus” meaning “coming”. In non-religious contexts, an advent is a coming into being.

60 Balloon material : LATEX

Latex is a naturally occurring polymer made by some plants that can also be made synthetically. About one in ten of the flowering plants in the world make the milky fluid called latex. It serves as a defense against insects and is exuded when a plant is injured or attacked by insects. Latex is collected commercially and is the source of natural rubber, which can be used to make things such as gloves, condoms and balloons.

72 Gussies (up) : SPIFFS

To gussy up is to dress showily. The term “gussy” was a slang term that was used to describe an overly-dressed person.

73 Cantankerous : ORNERY

Back in the early 1800s, the word “ornery” was an informal contraction for the word “ordinary”, and meant commonplace, but with a sense of “poor quality, coarse, ugly” as opposed to “special”. Towards the end of the century, the usage “ornery” had evolved into describing someone who was mean or cantankerous.

75 Overly familiar : OLD HAT

The use of “old hat” to mean something “out of date, stale” started about 1911. Before that, the term “old hat” meant something very different, and very vulgar. “Old hat” was the name given to a very private part of the female anatomy, the idea being that it was “often felt” (as in a “felt hat”). I just don’t know what to say …

79 Pico de gallo, e.g. : SALSA

Pico de gallo is a Mexican condiment made from tomato, onion and chili peppers. “Pico de gallo” is Spanish for “beak of rooster”. Apparently this name was given as eating of the condiment with the thumb and forefinger resembled the pecking of a rooster. An alternative name for pico de gallo is “salsa fresca”, which translates literally as “fresh sauce”.

80 “The Accidental Tourist” novelist Anne : TYLER

“The Accidental Tourist” is a 1985 novel by Anne Tyler. The book was famously adapted into a 1988 movie starring William Hurt, Kathleen Turner and Geena Davis (who won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her performance).

90 1974 espionage spoof : S*P*Y*S

“S*P*Y*S” is a 1974 comedy starring Elliott Gould and Donald Sutherland as two men mistaken as spies and targeted by the KGB. With all those asterisks in the film’s title, one has to assume the movie was intended to capitalize on the success of the 1970 Gould/Sutherland vehicle called “M*A*S*H”.

98 Sister show of “SmackDown” : WWE RAW

“WWE Raw” is a professional wrestling TV show. The initialism “WWE” stands for World Wrestling Entertainment. Not my cup of java …

102 Piggy bank filler : SAVER

The word “pig” can be used for earthenware, or an earthenware shard. From this usage there evolved the term “pig jar” that described an earthenware pot that could be filled with water for use as a bed-warmer. Crockery pots were also used to collect coins and these were also termed “pig jars”. By the 1700s, these pig jars had evolved into the first “piggy banks”.

106 Sugar crop : CANE

When sugarcane is processed to extract sugar, it is crushed and mashed to produce a juice. The juice is boiled to make a sugary concentrate called cane syrup, from which sugar crystals are extracted. A second boiling of the leftover syrup produces second molasses, from which more sugar crystals can be extracted. A third boiling results in what is called blackstrap molasses.

112 EverQuest monster : OGRE

EverQuest, launched in 1999, is a 3D fantasy multiplayer online role-playing game. Apparently, it’s quite addictive, earning itself the nickname “EverCrack”, a reference to crack cocaine.

113 Some bell-bottoms : LEES

Bell-bottom pants have legs that flare out from the knees downwards. It is common knowledge that bell-bottoms originated as a style worn by sailors. They were standard uniform wear in the British Royal Navy starting in the mid-19th century. American sailors, however, were wearing bell-bottoms in the very early 1800s. The wide pant leg allows bell-bottoms to double as a life-saving device. Sailors are trained to remove the pants (without the need to remove shoes), tie a knot in the end of each leg, and then inflate the pants with air so that they can be used to aid flotation.

120 San Francisco’s __ Hill : NOB

Nob Hill is a very elevated and central location in the city of San Francisco. Because of its views of the surrounding city and environs, Nob Hill became a desirable place to live for the wealthy in the 1800s. The area is still one of San Francisco’s most affluent neighborhoods and is home to upscale hotels as well as the magnificent Grace Cathedral. The name “Nob Hill” comes from the slang term for someone who is well-to-do, a “nob”.