LA Times Crossword 23 Jan 25, Thursday

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Constructed by: Zhouqin Burnikel
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Theme (according to Bill): We’ve Had Words

Themed clues are all single words in the format “___words”. However, each single word is reinterpreted as a pair of words, i.e. ___ words:

  • 17A Keywords? : OPEN SESAME!
  • 39A Crosswords? : I SAID NO!
  • 62A Safewords? : JUST IN CASE
  • 11D Catchwords? : ROGER THAT!
  • 35D Watchwords? : SWISS MADE

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

Bill’s time: 5m 31s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

14 Bar mitzvah dance : HORA

The hora is a circle dance that originated in the Balkans. It was brought to Israel by Romanian settlers, and is often performed to traditional, Israeli folk songs. The hora (also “horah”) is a regular sight at Jewish weddings. Sometimes the honoree at an event is raised on a chair during the dance.

A Jewish girl becomes a bat mitzvah at 12 years of age, the age at which she becomes responsible for her actions. Boys become bar mitzvahs at 13. The terms translate into English as daughter and son of the commandments.

15 Bloom from a bulb : TULIP

We usually associate the cultivation of tulips with the Netherlands, but they were first grown commercially in the Ottoman Empire. The name “tulip” ultimately derives from the Ottoman Turkish word “tulbend” that means “muslin, gauze”.

16 Wrap for onigiri : NORI

Onigiri is an item from Japanese cuisine, one often served in a bento box. It comprises white rice, usually formed into the shape of a pyramid or cylinder. The rice is wrapped in nori, dried edible seaweed.

17 Keywords? : OPEN SESAME!

In the folk tale “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves”, the title character is a poor woodcutter who discovers the magic phrase “Open sesame!” that opens the thieves’ den.

22 Kilt detail : PLEAT

The lovely Scottish garment called a kilt is pleated, but only at the rear.

23 Sticker : DECAL

A decal is a decorative sticker. “Decal” is a shortening of “decalcomania”. The latter term is derived from the French “décalquer”, the practice of tracing a pattern from paper onto glass or perhaps porcelain.

27 Laughing relative of a meerkat : HYENA

The spotted hyena of Sub-Saharan Africa is also known as the laughing hyena because of the sound it often makes, which resembles maniacal laughter.

The meerkat (also called “suricate”) is a mongoose-like mammal that is native to parts of Africa including the Kalahari and Namib Deserts

37 Japan’s “Kimigayo,” for one : ANTHEM

The word “anthem” used to describe a sacred song, especially one with words taken from the Scriptures. The British national anthem (“God Save the Queen/King”) technically is a hymn, and so it came to be described as “the national hymn” and later “the national anthem”. The use of the word “anthem” extended from there to describe any patriotic song.

The Japanese national anthem, “Kimigayo”, is one of the oldest and shortest anthems in the world. 1 Its lyrics are taken from a 10th-century waka poem. The melody, however, was composed much later, in 1880. “Kimigayo” was officially adopted as the national anthem in 1999, though it had been used de facto for centuries. The title itself translates roughly to “His Imperial Majesty’s Reign”, reflecting the lyrics’ focus on the Emperor.

38 __ of averages : LAW

The “law of averages” is an informal idea that suggests things will balance out in the long run. If something happens more frequently than expected, it’s tempting to think it’s less likely to happen in the future, and vice versa. For example, if you flip a coin and get heads five times in a row, you might feel like tails is “due” to come up. However, this is a misconception. Each coin flip is independent, and the odds reset every time.

42 Three-note chords : TRIADS

A triad is a group of three and, specifically in music, a chord made up of three notes.

45 Corp. scientific execs : CTOS

Chief technology officer (CTO)

47 Green : MOOLA

Lettuce, cabbage, kale, dough, bread, scratch, cheddar, simoleons, clams and moola(h) are all slang terms for money.

54 Parents honored in May : MAMAS

Note the official punctuation in “Mother’s Day”, even though one might think it should be “Mothers’ Day”. President Wilson and Anna Jarvis, who created the tradition, specifically wanted Mother’s Day to honor the mothers within each family and not just “mothers” in general, so they went with the “Mother’s Day” punctuation.

56 __ de parfum : EAU

In the world of perfumery, eau de parfum (EdP) is generally more concentrated than eau de toilette (EdT), which in turn is generally more concentrated than eau de cologne (EdC).

64 Acronym after a lengthy post : TL;DR

Too long, didn’t read (TL;DR)

69 Libya-to-Algeria direction : WEST

The Algeria–Libya border stretches for nearly 620 miles across the Sahara Desert. This boundary, primarily defined by straight lines, reflects its colonial origins. It was first established in the early 20th century when the region was divided between French Algeria and Italian Libya. and was later adjusted in 1955 to facilitate administration. Following Algerian independence in 1962, the border became one between two sovereign nations.

Down

3 Leader of the girl group Red Velvet : IRENE

Red Velvet is a girl group from South Korea that formed in 2014. The original lineup comprised Irene, Seulgi, Wendy and Joy, with Yeri joining in 2015.

4 Dashing style : PANACHE

Someone exhibiting panache is showing dash and verve, and perhaps has a swagger. “Panache” is a French word used for a plume of feathers, especially one in a hat.

5 Enjoyed a mochi doughnut, say : ATE

Mochi doughnuts are a fusion of Japanese mochi and the classic American doughnut. They come in a wide array of flavors and toppings, from classic glazes to more adventurous options like matcha, black sesame, and ube. Despite their Japanese influence, the mochi doughnut is believed to have originated in Hawaii, with the bakery chain Mister Donut popularizing the concept in the early 2010s.

7 Beauty brand with a Retinol 24 line : OLAY

Retinol is a vitamin A derivative that’s widely used in skincare products for its anti-aging and acne-fighting properties. It works by increasing cell turnover, stimulating collagen production, and unclogging pores, supposedly leading to smoother skin, reduced wrinkles, and a more even skin tone.

9 Tailless primate : APE

The tailless primates known as apes (also “hominoids”) are divided into two main branches: gibbons (lesser apes) and hominids (great apes). The hominids are the great apes, and belong to the family of primates called Hominidae. Extant genera that make up the family Hominidae are:

  • chimpanzees
  • gorillas
  • humans
  • orangutans

11 Catchwords? : ROGER THAT!

The term “roger”, meaning “yes” or “acknowledged”, comes from the world of radiotelephony. The British military used a phonetic alphabet in the fifties that included “Roger” to represent the letter “R”. As such, it became customary to say “Roger” when acknowledging a message, with R (Roger) standing for “received”.

22 Steinway product : PIANO

Steinway & Sons is a supplier of handmade pianos based in New York City and in Hamburg, Germany. The company was founded in Manhattan in 1853 by German immigrant Henry E. Steinway. One element of Steinway’s business model is to offer a “piano bank” service. Performing artists can “borrow” a particular piano from the bank for a particular concert or tour. About 400 pianos are in the bank, and are located all over the world. The value of the bank’s collection of pianos is estimated at over $25 million.

26 Primitive shelters : LEAN-TOS

By definition, a lean-to is a building in which the rafters lean against the wall of another building. A lean-to shelter has a similar appearance, although it is free-standing. The shelter has a single-pitched roof and only three walls.

28 Org. that awards grants to orchestras : NEA

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an agency funded by the federal government that offers support and financing for artistic projects. The NEA was created by an Act of Congress in 1965. Between 1965 and 2008, the NEA awarded over $4 billion to the arts, with Congress authorizing around $170 million annually through the eighties and much of the nineties. That funding was cut to less than $100 million in the late nineties due to pressure from conservatives concerned about the use of funds, but it is now back over the $150 million mark.

29 Self-evident truth : AXIOM

In the world of mathematics, an axiom is a proposition, one that is taken as basic and self-evident. The term “axiom” extends beyond mathematics with a similar meaning, an established or self-evident truth.

32 Yukon and Sierra : GMCS

The GMC Yukon is basically the same vehicle as the Chevrolet Tahoe.

The GMC Sierra truck is also sold as the Chevrolet Silverado.

35 Watchwords? : SWISS MADE

The third largest group of exported goods from Switzerland is watches (after chemicals and machines/electronics). Over half the watches made in the world are made by Swiss companies such as Omega, Swatch, Rolex and TAG Heuer.

39 Elba who played Luther : IDRIS

Idris Elba is a British actor and DJ. He was born in London to a Sierra Leonean father and a Ghanaian mother. Elba’s breakthrough role came in 2002, when he was cast as Stringer Bell in the HBO series “The Wire”.

“Luther” is a British television series starring Idris Elba in the title role as Detective Chief Inspector John Luther. There has been talk about developing a US version of “Luther”, and a Russian version was first broadcast in 2016 using the title “Klim”.

43 Live-in nannies : AU PAIRS

An au pair is a domestic assistant from a foreign country working and living as part of a host family. The term “au pair” is French, and means “on a par”, indicating that an au pair is treated as an equal in the host family.

45 Reliable moneymaker : CASH COW

On a farm, a dairy cow can produce a steady supply of milk, with relatively little maintenance. In the world of business, by analogy, a “cash cow” is an operation that delivers a steady stream of profits, with relatively little investment.

48 Lake bird with an eerie call : LOON

The bird known as a loon here in North America is called a diver in Britain and Ireland. The name “diver” comes from the bird’s habit of swimming calmly and then suddenly diving below the surface to catch a fish. The name “loon” comes from an Old English word meaning “clumsy” and reflects the awkward gait of the bird when walking on land.

50 Tie score in tennis : DEUCE

The exact origins of the scoring system used for a game in tennis seems to be a tad murky. One suggestion is that clock faces were once used to keep score, with a hand pointing to 15, 30, 45 and 60. When the rules were changed to ensure games were won with more than a one-point difference in the score, the concept of “deuce” was introduced. The hand on the clock was then moved back to 40 (for deuce), and 50 was used for “advantage”, with 60 continuing to represent “game”. This resulted in the scores 15, 30, 40 and game.

54 Judo class surfaces : MATS

Judo is a martial art from Japan that developed relatively recently, in 1882. The name “judo” translates as “gentle way”. It was the first martial art to become an Olympic sport. Judo made its debut as an Olympic sport in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, which were held in Japan.

55 Org. with a Women’s Rights Project : ACLU

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) created the Women’s Rights Project in 1971. One of the founders of the project was future Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

57 “Days of Grace” memoirist Arthur : ASHE

The great American tennis player Arthur Ashe spent the last years of his life writing his memoir called “Days of Grace”. He finished the manuscript just a few days before he passed away, dying from AIDS caused by a tainted blood transfusion.

58 Sch. that publishes the bilingual magazine Minero : UTEP

Minero Magazine is a bilingual student-run publication based at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). Published biannually, it features a mix of English and Spanish content reflecting the cultural landscape of the border region.

62 Mouth part : JAW

The human skull is made up of two parts: the cranium (which encloses the brain) and the mandible (or “jawbone”).

63 Cards shown to bouncers : IDS

Identity document (ID)

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Vase flaw : CHIP
5 Fragrance : AROMA
10 Like a thesis defense : ORAL
14 Bar mitzvah dance : HORA
15 Bloom from a bulb : TULIP
16 Wrap for onigiri : NORI
17 Keywords? : OPEN SESAME!
19 Seemingly forever : AGES
20 Word with code or colony : PENAL …
21 Organ protected by lashes : EYE
22 Kilt detail : PLEAT
23 Sticker : DECAL
25 More crafty : SLIER
27 Laughing relative of a meerkat : HYENA
30 Wildlife tracking device : EAR TAG
33 Abbey space : APSE
36 __-Mex : TEX
37 Japan’s “Kimigayo,” for one : ANTHEM
38 __ of averages : LAW
39 Crosswords? : I SAID NO!
41 Path of a fly ball : ARC
42 Three-note chords : TRIADS
44 No longer trendy : OUT
45 Corp. scientific execs : CTOS
46 “Why not” : OK, SURE
47 Green : MOOLA
49 Worked as a secret agent : SPIED
51 “What a shame!” : SO SAD!
54 Parents honored in May : MAMAS
56 __ de parfum : EAU
59 “Good heavens!” : OH GOD!
61 Purple berry high in fat : ACAI
62 Safewords? : JUST IN CASE
64 Acronym after a lengthy post : TL;DR
65 Felt a workout later : ACHED
66 Foreboding sign : OMEN
67 Brings legal action against : SUES
68 Lets tears flow : WEEPS
69 Libya-to-Algeria direction : WEST

Down

1 Pork cut : CHOP
2 Crossed one’s fingers : HOPED
3 Leader of the girl group Red Velvet : IRENE
4 Dashing style : PANACHE
5 Enjoyed a mochi doughnut, say : ATE
6 Ploy : RUSE
7 Beauty brand with a Retinol 24 line : OLAY
8 Silent performers : MIMES
9 Tailless primate : APE
10 Ready for action : ON ALERT
11 Catchwords? : ROGER THAT!
12 63, for a 7×9 rectangle : AREA
13 Reminder on the fridge : LIST
18 Defeat, as a dragon : SLAY
22 Steinway product : PIANO
24 “As I remember it … ” : LET’S SEE …
26 Primitive shelters : LEAN-TOS
28 Org. that awards grants to orchestras : NEA
29 Self-evident truth : AXIOM
31 Flight-related prefix : AERO-
32 Yukon and Sierra : GMCS
33 Midrange voice : ALTO
34 Get into a spot? : PARK
35 Watchwords? : SWISS MADE
39 Elba who played Luther : IDRIS
40 Half a quartet : DUO
43 Live-in nannies : AU PAIRS
45 Reliable moneymaker : CASH COW
48 Lake bird with an eerie call : LOON
50 Tie score in tennis : DEUCE
52 Peak performance : A-GAME
53 Amounts of medicine : DOSES
54 Judo class surfaces : MATS
55 Org. with a Women’s Rights Project : ACLU
57 “Days of Grace” memoirist Arthur : ASHE
58 Sch. that publishes the bilingual magazine Minero : UTEP
60 Ding on a bumper : DENT
62 Mouth part : JAW
63 Cards shown to bouncers : IDS

10 thoughts on “LA Times Crossword 23 Jan 25, Thursday”

  1. 12 min, 4 errors

    Got caught at 42A

    THIRDS vs TRIADS
    PAHH vs PARK
    OHSURE vs OK SURE
    RUPAIRS vs AUPAIRS

    I knew PAHH wasn’t right but couldn’t break my mental block.

    RUPAIRS didn’t seem right but ….

  2. 7:56, no errors. For me 57D was definitely a case of “if the fill is 4 letters & the clue contains Arthur then it must be ASHE”…

  3. No errors on an easy Thursday but I didn’t get the theme clues and with my withering brain I still don’t despite Bills explanation which I don’t understand.🤪
    Stay safe😀

  4. 13 mins., no errors

    Thought of SARI for 16A before realizing it was NORI.

    MOOLA had me stumped ’til the end.

    A pretty good week so. Bring on Friday!

  5. 10:08 – no errors or lookups. False starts: LOIN>CHOP, OLD>OUT, MAW>JAW.

    New or forgotten: “onigiri,” IRENE of “Red Velvet,” “Days of Grace,” “Minero.”

    The theme was pretty good. It helped in figuring out the completion of a couple of the ___words answers.

    Seemed clever to get DEUCE and ASHE side-by-side.

  6. Surprisingly easy Thursday for me; took 7:06 with no peeks or errors, although I did stare at the puzzle for a minute or so before starting the timer, while doing something else. Knew practically everything except IRENE and UTEP and only vaguely knew NORI. Had WASTEFUL GAS SUCKING TANK before GMCS but it didn’t really fit.

    Not sure I understand the theme…maybe I’ll have another look.

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