LA Times Crossword 22 Feb 25, Saturday

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Constructed by: Zhouqin Burnikel
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Theme: None

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

Bill’s time: 11m 27s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Seated asana?: CHAIR POSE

In yoga, the chair pose is also known as the fierce pose, or utkatasana. The Sanskrit word “utkata” translates as “wild, frightening”. It is a standing asana, in which the knees are bent 90-degrees, the hips 90-degrees, and the arms are held above the head. The resulting pose is said to resemble a lightning bolt.

17 Skin care company with a Sanskrit name: AVEDA

Horst Rechelbacher was traveling in India in 1970 when he was introduced to the Hindu science of longevity called Ayurveda, which inspired him to set up his own company of skin and hair care products that he called Aveda. The company opened its doors in 1978 and is based in Blaine, Minnesota.

18 Smart Fiesta kit brand: OLD EL PASO

Old El Paso is a Tex-Mex food brand that is owned today by General Mills. The original Old El Paso company started operating in El Paso, Texas in 1938. The original products produced were canned tomatoes and pinto beans.

21 Bread like limppu: RYE

Limppu is a traditional Finnish rye bread known for its dark color, dense texture, and slightly sweet flavor. The word “limppu” translates to “loaf” in English, describing its typical round or oval shape. It’s typically made with a combination of rye flour, water, yeast, and salt, and often includes molasses or coffee for added sweetness and color.

27 Hymn associated with King David: PSALM

The Greek word “psalmoi” originally meant “songs sung to a harp”, and gave us the word “psalms”. In the Jewish and Western Christian traditions, the Book of Psalms contains 150 individual psalms, divided into five sections.

32 The Grand Ole __: OPRY

The Grand Ole Opry started out as a radio show in 1925 originally called the WSM “Barn Dance”. In 1927, the “Barn Dance” radio show was broadcast in a slot after an NBC production called “Musical Appreciation Hour”, a collection of classical works including Grand Opera. In a December show, the host of “Barn Dance” announced, “For the past hour, we have been listening to music taken largely from Grand Opera. From now on we will present the ‘Grand Ole Opry'”. That name was used for the radio show from then on.

35 Start without a key: HOT-WIRE

To hot-wire a vehicle is to start it by bypassing the keyed ignition.

38 Masked drama whose name means “skill”: NOH

Noh is a form of musical drama in Japan that has been around since the 14th century. Many of the Noh performers are masked, allowing all the roles to be played by men, including the female parts.

40 Food that never decays: HONEY

Honey keeps for a long, long time due to the high sugar content. But, it needs to be stored in a dry environment. Honey pulls moisture out of the air, and so can dilute over time. When the sugar content lowers, fermentation can begin.

45 Rainbow eucalyptus, for one: TREE

The rainbow eucalyptus, which is native to the Philippines and Indonesia, is the only species of eucalyptus found in rainforest. The bark has an orange hue, and it strips away to reveal multi-colored streaks, hence the tree’s name.

46 Liquor in a dark ‘n’ stormy: RUM

A dark ‘n’ stormy is a classic cocktail made from dark rum and ginger beer, served over ice. The name comes from the ingredients, with the “dark” being the rum, and the “stormy” being the ginger beer.

54 See-through fabric: GAUZE

The surgical dressing called “gauze” is named for the thin fabric with a loose weave that bears the same name. The fabric’s name might possibly be derived from the Palestinian city of Gaza that has a history of gauze production.

56 Total variety: RAISIN BRAN

The name of the cereal “Raisin Bran” is not trademark protected. The Skinner Manufacturing Company introduced Raisin Bran in 1926, and did have trademark protection until 1944. At that time, an appeals court ruled that “Raisin-BRAN” should not be considered a trademark as it is merely a description of the cereal’s ingredients.

59 Frank Stella pieces: MINIMAL ART

Frank Stella was an influential American painter and sculptor known for his minimalist and abstract works. He rose to prominence in the 1960s with his “Black Paintings” series, which featured stripes of black paint separated by thin lines of unpainted canvas. The US Congress awarded him the National Medal of Arts in 2009.

61 Travel at night, maybe: SLEEPWALK

The sleep disorder known as sleepwalking is also called somnambulism or noctambulism.

Down

1 AIDS Memorial Quilt designer Jones: CLEVE

Cleve Jones is an AIDS activist and author who is best known for co-founding the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt. In the early years of the AIDS epidemic, Jones and a group of fellow activists created the quilt as a tribute to those lost to the disease. Each panel of the quilt is a handmade memorial to an individual who died from AIDS, often created by loved ones. The AIDS Memorial Quilt has grown into a massive collection of over 48,000 panels, weighing an estimated 54 tons, and is considered the world’s largest piece of community folk art.

2 Dead zone?: HADES

Hades was the god of the underworld to the ancient Greeks. Over time, Hades gave his name to the underworld itself, the place where the dead reside. The term “Hades” was also adopted into the Christian tradition, as an alternative name for hell. But, the concept of hell in Christianity is more akin to the Greek “Tartarus”, which is a dark and gloomy dungeon located in Hades, a place of suffering and torment.

3 Taqueria option: ASADA

The name of the dish called “carne asada” translates from Spanish as “roasted meat”.

4 Emmy nominee Rae: ISSA

Issa Rae is a Stanford University graduate who created a YouTube web series called “The Mis-Adventures of Awkward Black Girl”. Rae also plays the title role in the series, a young lady named “J”. “Awkward Black Girl” was adapted into an HBO comedy-drama called “Insecure”, in which Issa Rae stars.

6 New Orleans heros: PO’BOYS

A po’ boy is a submarine sandwich from Louisiana. The name of the sandwich apparently dates back to 1929. It was a sandwich given away free to streetcar workers in New Orleans during a strike, i.e. to “poor boys” not earning a wage. A po’ boy differs from a regular submarine sandwich in that it uses Louisiana French bread, which is soft in the middle and crusty on the outside.

7 Gyeran-mari and tamagoyaki: OMELETS

“Gyeran-mari” is a savory, rolled omelet from Korean cuisine. The name translates as “rolled-eggs”.

Tamagoyaki is a Japanese omelet that is prepared by layering thin sheets of seasoned egg in a rectangular pan, and then rolling the sheets into a layered cylinder. “Tamagoyaki” translates as “grilled egg”.

8 Acorn, for one: SEED

These days, we don’t usually consider acorns (the fruit of the oak tree) as a foodstuff. But in days past, many cultures around the world have used acorns as food. Usually, bitter tannins that occur in acorns need to be leached out in water. Acorn meal can be a substitute for grain flour, which can then be used to make bread. Acorns have also been used as a substitute for coffee, especially when coffee was rationed. Notably, acorn coffee was brewed up by Confederates during the American Civil War, and by Germans during World War II.

9 One of the Haim sisters: 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.

14 City with views of Table Mountain: CAPE TOWN

Table Mountain is a large, flat-topped mountain that overlooks the city of Cape Town in South Africa. The peak is part of Table Mountain National Park, which also includes the Cape of Good Hope, an equally popular tourist destination. Visitors can hike to the top of Table Mountain, or make use of an aerial cableway that opened for riders in 1929.

19 Scale divs.: LBS

The unit of mass that we know today as a pound is descended from the old Roman unit of weight known as a “libra”. That “libra” connection is why we abbreviate “pound” to “lb”. The name “pound” comes from the Latin “pondo” meaning “weight”. Our term “ounce” (abbreviated to “oz.”) comes from the Latin “uncia”, which was 1/12 of a Roman “libra”.

21 Noodle dish with a tonkotsu variety: RAMEN

Tonkotsu ramen is a style of ramen that originated in Fukuoka, Japan, on the island of Kyushu. It’s characterized by its rich and creamy pork bone broth, which is typically simmered for hours or even days to extract maximum flavor. This style of ramen is believed to have been invented by Tokio Miyamoto, who in 1947 opened a ramen stall in Fukuoka and served a very thick, cloudy, pork-bone broth with thin noodles.

27 Rich fruit cake: PLUM TORTE

A torte is a type of cake made primarily with eggs, sugar and ground nuts (but no flour).

29 Google Wallet alternative: APPLE PAY

Apple Pay is a payment service that operates with many of Apple’s mobile devices. Apple Pay competes directly with Google Wallet. I like the idea behind Apple Pay and Google Wallet, but it has taken a long time to gain traction in the retail market …

33 Short records: EPS

An extended-play (EP) record, CD or download contains more music than a single, but less than a long-play (LP) record.

36 Fry alternative: TOT

Ore-Ida’s founders came up with the idea for Tater Tots when they were deciding what to do with residual cuts of potato. They chopped up the leftovers, added flour and seasoning, and extruded the mix through a large hole making a sausage that they cut into small cylinders. We eat 70 million pounds of this extruded potato every year!

39 Mulan, for one: HEROINE

“Mulan” is a 1998 animated feature film made by Walt Disney studios. The film is based on the Chinese legend of Hua Mulan, a woman who takes the place of her father in the army and serves with distinction for twelve years without reward. Disney’s lead character was given the name Fa Mulan. Donny Osmond provided the singing voice for one of the lead characters, after which his sons remarked that he had finally made it in show business as he was in a Disney film.

47 Sitar accompaniment: TABLA

A tabla is a percussion instrument used mainly in the Indian subcontinent. It consists of a pair of hand drums and is similar to bongos.

48 Like much of Maine: RURAL

Maine is the least-densely populated state east of the Mississippi, with almost 90% of its land covered with forests. Perhaps that’s why the state’s nickname is “The Pine Tree State” …

49 Netflix show set in Missouri: OZARK

“Ozark” is an excellent TV crime show starring Jason Bateman and Laura Linney as a married couple who relocate from Chicago to the Missouri Ozarks. The couple fall foul of a Mexican drug lord after a money laundering scheme goes awry. The show is set at a lake resort in the Ozarks, although filming actually takes place at lakes in the Atlanta area in order to take advantage of tax breaks offered by the State of Georgia.

51 Peter of the Wailers: TOSH

Peter Tosh was a musician from Jamaica, and a member of the Wailers reggae band. Sadly, Tosh was murdered in a home invasion and extortion attempt in 1987.

52 Quintet for most starfish: ARMS

Starfish (sometimes known as “sea stars”) come in many shapes and sizes, but commonly have “pentaradial symmetry”, meaning they have symmetrical body-shapes with five points. Most starfish are predators, mainly living on a diet of mollusks such as clams and oysters.