LA Times Crossword 14 Feb 25, Friday

Advertisement

Constructed by: Daniel Hrynick
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Theme: Happy Valentine’s Day!

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone! Themed answers are common phrases reinterpreted as statements to one’s Valentine, about a Valentine’s dinner:

• 17A “My love, borscht for the first course of our Valentine’s dinner!” : SUGAR, BEETS!
• 23A “My love, ruby spuds as a side” : BABY, RED POTATOES
• 49A “My love, sweet-and-sour chops for our entree” : HONEY, GLAZED PORK
• 56A “My love, I didn’t forget dessert!” : PUMPKIN, PIE!

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

Bill’s time: 8m 13s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

13 __ trail : VAPOR

We talk so often about global warming these days but there is another fascinating phenomenon that is related, and known as “global dimming”. Global dimming is the reduction in the amount of heat that radiates daily from the planet due to the insulating effect of pollution and vapor trails (contrails) from aircraft that are present in the atmosphere. The effect has been touted as a theory for decades but dramatic empirical data became available in the wake of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Planes were grounded and the skies over America were clear for three days. There was a stark change in the temperature range measured across the US for these three days, demonstrating the impact that air travel has on our climate.

14 March Madness org. : NCAA

“March Madness” is the name given to the NCAA Men’s Division 1 Basketball Championship (among others), that is held in the spring each year. Another name is “the Big Dance”.

17 “My love, borscht for the first course of our Valentine’s dinner!” : SUGAR, BEETS!

Borscht is a beetroot soup that originated in Ukraine. It can be served both hot and cold.

19 Avian mimic : MYNA

Some species of myna (also “mynah”) birds are known for their ability to imitate sounds.

29 Balkan natives : SERBS

Serbs are an ethnic group native to the Balkans in southeastern Europe. Although Serbs exist as a minority group in many countries in the region, they are the majority ethnic group in Serbia, in Montenegro and in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Balkan Peninsula in Southeast Europe is usually referred to as “the Balkans”. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains located in present-day Bulgaria and Serbia. “Balkan” is Bulgarian for “mountain”.

31 “Whipped Cream” musician Alpert : HERB

Herb Alpert still plays the trumpet today, but he is also a talented painter and sculptor. His works are seen regularly in exhibitions all around the world.

“Whipped Cream” is an instrumental number that was most famously recorded by Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass. It is the title track of their 1965 album “Whipped Cream & Other Delights”. The song was used when introducing the bachelorette on “The Dating Game” game show.

36 Princeton team : TIGERS

When Princeton are playing in a game, one might hear a cheer known as the locomotive, i.e. “Rah rah rah! Tiger, tiger, tiger! Sis, sis, sis, boom, boom, boom, ah!” This cheer is sometimes referred to as “Sis Boom Ah!” Supposedly, the cheer dates back to 1861 when the Seventh New York Regiment came through Princeton on a train. The soldiers were shouting out their “rocket” cheer, ““ssss-boom-ahhh!”

40 Actor Corddry : NATE

Nate Corddry is an actor and comedian who is perhaps best known for playing the manager of the restaurant where Christy works in the sitcom “Mom”. Corddry also played lawyer Adam Branch on the sitcom “Harry’s Game” alongside Kathy Bates. Nate is the younger brother of comedian and actor Rob Corddry, who turned up quite frequently as a correspondent on “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart”.

41 First name in animation : WALT

The Walt Disney Company was founded in1923 as Disney Brother Studio by brothers Walt and Roy Disney. Walt had co-founded the short-lived Laugh-O-Gram studio two years earlier, but it went bankrupt in 1923.

44 Touchpad toucher : USER

A touchpad (also “trackpad”) is a pointing device found mainly on laptop computers. It serves as a fairly decent alternative to a mouse.

46 Filmmaker Kurosawa : AKIRA

Akira Kurosawa was an Oscar-winning Japanese film director. His most famous movie to us in the West has to be “The Seven Samurai”, the inspiration for “The Magnificent Seven” starring Yul Brynner, and indeed a basis for “Star Wars: The Clone Wars”.

48 Moo goo __ pan : GAI

Moo goo gai pan is the American version of a traditional Cantonese dish. In Cantonese, “moo goo” means “button mushroom”, “gai” is “chicken” and “pan” is “slices”.

64 Digestive aid brand : BEANO

Beano is a dietary supplement that is used to reduce gas in the digestive tract. It contains an enzyme that breaks down complex sugars found in many vegetables. This makes the food more digestible and apparently cuts down on gas.

Down

2 __ Claire, Wisconsin : EAU

Eau Claire, Wisconsin is named for the Eau Claire River, which in turn was named by French explorers. The explorers had been traveling down the muddy Chippewa River and diverted into the clear water of what is now called the Eau Claire River. They exclaimed “Voici l’eau claire!” meaning “Here is clear water!” The French phrase “Voici l’eau claire” is now the city’s motto that appears on the city seal.

3 WoW or D&D : RPG

World of Warcraft (WoW) is an online role-playing game (RPG). My son informs me that the game is not that great. Like I would know …

Dungeons & Dragons (D&D, DnD) is a complex role-playing game (RPG) introduced in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules Incorporated (TSR). Dungeons & Dragons was probably the first of the modern role-playing games to be developed, and the most successful. It is still played by lots of people today, including my youngest son …

4 Like the taste of cilantro, to some : SOAPY

Research has suggested that the dislike of cilantro may have a genetic basis. This gene in question is associated with the detection of aldehydes, which are compounds found in cilantro that are also present in soap and other household products. Cilantro tolerance can also vary depending on cultural background. Cilantro is a commonly used herb in Mexican and Thai cuisines, and individuals from these cultures are more likely to have a higher tolerance for cilantro than individuals from other cultures where cilantro is less commonly used.

8 Spine-stretching asana : CAT POSE

The yoga pose called bidalasana is also referred to as the cat pose. The practitioner usually kneels on all fours, and arches the back. The counterpose, with the back lowered, is the cow pose.

11 Repeated line in “Blitzkrieg Bop” : HEY HO, LET’S GO!

“Blitzkrieg Bop” is a song by the punk rock band Ramones. The song opens with “Hey! Ho! Let’s go!”, a chant that is now used as a rallying cry at sporting events.

12 Orange Muppet who tries to learn the saxophone : ERNIE

Bert and Ernie are two of the most beloved Muppet characters on the children’s television program “Sesame Street.” Their characters were originally created by Jim Henson and his team to be different from each other in every way possible. Bert is the more serious, analytical and uptight one, while Ernie is more carefree, spontaneous and playful. The contrast between their personalities was intentional, as it was meant to help children learn about different personalities and how to get along with people who may be different from themselves.

16 Stout grains : OATS

Oatmeal stout is a dark, rich beer known for its creamy texture due to the addition of oats during the brewing process. It often has a slightly higher alcohol by volume (ABV) than traditional stouts.

18 Censors : BLEEPS

The original “censor” was an officer in ancient Rome who had responsibility for taking the “census”, as well as supervising public morality.

22 Pico de __: taco topper : GALLO

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”.

23 Thai coin : BAHT

The baht is the currency of Thailand. One baht is subdivided into 100 satang.

27 Beer letters since the 1800s : PBR

Pabst Blue Ribbon (PBR) is the most recognizable brand of beer from the Pabst Brewing Company. There appears to be some dispute over whether or not Pabst beer ever won a “blue ribbon” prize, but the company claims that it did so at the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893. The beer was originally called Pabst Best Select, and then just Pabst Select. With the renaming to Blue Ribbon, the beer was sold with an actual blue ribbon tied around the neck of the bottle until it was dropped in 1916 and incorporated into the label.

38 Barely run? : STREAK

People have been running around naked for an awfully long time, but the application of the word “streaking” to the phenomenon only dates back to 1973. A journalist was reporting on a mass nude run of 533 people at the University of Maryland in 1973, and used the words “they are streaking (i.e. moving quickly) past me right now. It’s an incredible sight!”. The Associated Press picked up the story the next day, and interpreted “streaking” as the term to describe “running naked”, and we’ve been using it that way ever since.

39 Actor Estrada : ERIK

Actor Erik Estrada’s big break came with the movie “Airport 1975”, in which he played the doomed flight engineer of a Boeing 747. A couple of years later, Estrada began a six-year gig, co-starring on the television show “CHiPs” as motorcycle police officer Poncherello.

41 Buildings without elevators : WALK-UPS

A walk-up is a building with several stories, but no elevator. An opportunity to get extra steps on one’s Fitbit …

43 Fashion’s Claiborne : LIZ

Liz Claiborne was a Belgian-American fashion designer and founder of the Liz Claiborne fashion company. She was the first woman to become CEO of a Fortune 500 company. Indeed, Liz Claiborne Inc. was also the first company founded by a woman to make the Fortune 500 list, doing so in 1986.

47 Improvises : AD-LIBS

“Ad libitum” is a Latin phrase meaning “at one’s pleasure”. In common usage, the phrase is usually shortened to “ad-lib”. On the stage, the concept of an ad-lib is very familiar.

58 Dells, e.g. : PCS

Computer manufacturer Dell is named for the company’s founder Michael Dell. Michael Dell started his company in his dorm room at college, shipping personal computers that were customized to the specific needs of his customers. He dropped out of school in order to focus on his growing business, a decision that I doubt he regrets. Michael Dell is now one of the richest people in the world.

59 Kung __ tofu : PAO

Kung Pao chicken (or sometimes shrimp or tofu) is a Sichuan stir-fry dish that includes peanuts, vegetables and chili peppers. The name “Kung Pao” is thought to come from a governor of the Sichuan province whose title was “Gongbao”, meaning “Palace Guardian”.

60 QB misfire : INT

In football, if a quarterback’s (QB’s) pass ends up in the hands of a cornerback (CB), then that’s an interception (INT).

61 Goddess of the dawn : EOS

In Greek mythology, Eos is the goddess of the dawn who lives at the edge of the ocean. Eos wakes each morning to welcome her brother Helios the Sun. The Roman equivalent of Eos is Aurora. Rather delightfully, Homer referred to Eos as “rosy-fingered dawn” in both “Iliad” and “Odyssey”.