LA Times Crossword 16 Apr 25, Wednesday

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Constructed by: Jeffrey Martinovic & Evan Park
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Reveal Answer: Rock Climber

Themed answers are all in the down-direction. Each includes a kind of “ROCK” hidden within, CLIMBING in the up-direction:

• 17D Athlete who might have a “belayed” reaction, and what 3-, 5-, 9-, and 30-Down each contain? : ROCK CLIMBER

• 3D Meatless barbecue patties : SOY BURGERS (hiding “ruby”)
• 5D Light punishment : A SLAP ON THE WRIST (hiding “opal”)
• 9D “Au revoir” : TILL WE MEET AGAIN (hiding “agate”)
• 30D Former Samsung smartphone with a stylus : GALAXY NOTE (hiding “onyx”)

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

Bill’s time: 6m 03s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

7 Metaphor for a wearying work routine : RAT RACE

We use “rat race” figuratively to describe an endless, pointless pursuit. The term comes from the laboratory, where one might imagine rats racing around a maze in search of some cheese.

14 Person who’s self-obsessed : EGOIST

An egoist (also “egotist”) is a selfish and conceited person. The opposite would be an altruist.

16 “Casino __”: Bond film : ROYALE

1967’s “Casino Royale” is a comedy spy film that spoofs the celebrated series of James Bond films, of which four had been produced at the time starring Sean Connery. “Casino Royale” is loosely based on the Ian Fleming novel of the same name, and stars David Niven as James Bond 007. The film features Dusty Springfield singing “The Look of Love”, which was nominated for a Best Song Oscar.

2006’s “Casino Royale” is the 21st film in the “James Bond” series, and the first to star Daniel Craig in the lead role. The film was directed by New Zealander Martin Campbell, someone who was my next door neighbor for a couple of years (my claim to fame!). Campbell also directed “GoldenEye” in 1995, which introduced Pierce Brosnan as James Bond. I find it interesting that Campbell was asked back to oversee the introduction of Daniel Craig to the role.

18 Texter’s “Just a moment” : BRB

Be right back (brb)

19 Nerf darts, e.g. : AMMO

The word “munitions” describes materials and equipment used in war. The term derives from the Latin “munitionem” meaning “fortification, defensive wall”. Back in the 17th century, French soldiers referred to such materials as “la munition”, a Middle French term. This was misheard as “l’ammunition”, and as a result we ended up importing the word “ammunition” (often shortened to “ammo”), a term that we now use mainly to describe the material fired from a weapon.

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.

26 Super __ Bros. : MARIO

“Super Mario” is a series of video games created by Nintendo that features the character Mario, and his adventures in the Mushroom Kingdom.

28 Ring victory, for short : TKO

Technical knockout (TKO)

29 NBC foreign correspondent Richard : ENGEL

Richard Engel assumed the role of NBC News’ chief foreign correspondent in 2008. His career is defined by extensive reporting from conflict zones, particularly in the Middle East. Notably, while covering the Syrian Civil War, Engel and his team were kidnapped and held for five days, eventually escaping during a firefight with Syrian rebels.

33 Skin and bones : ORGANS

The skin is the largest organ in the human body by surface area. The largest organ by mass is the liver.

Bones are considered to be rigid organs that play crucial roles in the body. They provide structural support, enabling movement and protecting vital organs. They also serve as a storage depot for minerals like calcium and phosphorus, releasing them as needed for various physiological functions. Bone marrow, located within certain bones, is responsible for the production of blood cells.

37 __ carte : A LA

“Carte” is a word sometimes used in French for a menu. Menu items that are “à la carte” are priced and ordered separately, as opposed to “table d’hôte” which is a fixed price menu with limited choice.

41 Claiborne of fashion : 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.

42 Sticky roadway substance : TAR

The terms “tarmac” and “macadam” are short for “tarmacadam”. In the 1800s, Scotsman John Loudon McAdam developed a style of road known as “macadam”. Macadam had a top-layer of crushed stone and gravel laid over larger stones. The macadam also had a convex cross-section so that water tended to drain to the sides. In 1901, a significant improvement was made by English engineer Edgar Purnell Hooley who introduced tar into the macadam, improving the resistance to water damage and practically eliminating dust. The “tar-penetration macadam” is the basis of what we now call “tarmac”.

43 Colorful Hindu spring observance : HOLI

Holi is a Hindu festival, one celebrated in spring, that is also known as the Festival of Colours.

46 “Jungle Fever” actor Davis : OSSIE

Ossie Davis was a prominent actor and civil rights activist. He married his wife, fellow actor Ruby Dee, in 1948. They remained together until his death in 2005, making their marriage one of the longest-lasting in Hollywood history. Davis was a prominent voice in the civil rights movement, and a close friend of both Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. Davis delivered a powerful eulogy at Malcolm X’s funeral in 1965.

The 1991 film “Jungle Fever” is a Spike Lee project. Set in New York City, it is a romantic drama about an extramarital, interracial relationship between an architect (played by Wesley Snipes) and his secretary (played by Annabella Sciorra).

48 Long-legged bird : EMU

The large flightless birds called emus make sounds by manipulating inflatable neck-sacs. The sac is about a foot long, has a thin wall and allows the bird to emit a booming sound. The type of sound emitted is the easiest way to differentiate between male and female emus.

50 Formal options, informally : TUXES

Apparently, the style of men’s evening dress called a “tuxedo” was first worn to a country club event in 1886 in New York. The use of a dark dinner jacket without tails became fashionable at the club with the members, and the tradition spread from there. The country club was located in Tuxedo Park, New York, giving the style of dress its name.

51 Nerds : DWEEBS

“Dweeb” is relatively recent American slang that came out of college life in the late sixties. Dweeb, squarepants, nerd; they’re all not-nice terms that mean the same thing, i.e. someone excessively studious and socially inept.

54 Middle Eastern leaders : EMIRS

An emir is a prince or chieftain, one most notably from the Middle East in Islamic countries. In English, “emir” can also be written variously as “emeer, amir, ameer” (watch out for those spellings in crosswords!).

56 Vaping device : E-CIG

An electronic cigarette (also called an “e-cigarette”) is a battery-powered device that resembles a real cigarette. The e-cigarette vaporizes a solution that contains nicotine, forming a vapor that resembles smoke. The vapor is inhaled in a process called “vaping”, delivering nicotine into the body. The assumption is that an e-cigarette is healthier than a regular cigarette as the inhaled vapor is less harmful than inhaled smoke. But, that may not be so …

58 “Planet Money” producer : NPR

“Planet Money” is an NPR-produced podcast and blog that was launched in 2008, at the end of the 2007-2008 financial crisis.

63 Seaside city in Italia : NAPOLI

Naples (“Napoli” in Italian) is the third largest city in Italy. The name “Napoli” comes from the city’s Ancient Greek name, which translates as “New City”. That’s a bit of a paradox as today Naples is one of the oldest continuously-inhabited cities in the world.

67 Move like an old jalopy : STUTTER

The origins of our word “jalopy”, meaning “dilapidated, old motor car”, seem to have been lost in time, but the word has been around since the 1920s. One credible suggestion is that it comes from Xalapa, Mexico as the Xalapa scrap yards were the destination for many discarded American automobiles.

68 Odin feature : ONE EYE

In Norse mythology, Odin was the chief of the gods. He is usually depicted as having one eye, reflecting the story of how he gave one of his eyes in exchange for wisdom.

Down

2 Fictional lab assistant : IGOR

In the world of movies, Igor has been the assistant to Dracula, Frankenstein and Young Frankenstein among others. Igor is almost invariably portrayed as a hunchback.

6 Part of a winesap or a wineglass : STEM

A winesap is a small and tart apple, one often used for making cider.

7 “Hair Love” voice actress Issa : RAE

“Hair Love” is a 2019 animated short about a man who has to style his daughter’s hair for the first time. It is a poignant piece, as the father and daughter must use a tutorial video made by the girl’s mother. At the end of the film, the father and daughter visit the mother in hospital, and the latter removes her scarf to reveal that she has lost her hair due to chemotherapy.

8 Nautical “Halt!” : AVAST!

“Avast” is a nautical term used to tell someone to stop or desist from what they are doing. The word comes from the Dutch “hou vast” meaning “hold fast”.

9 “Au revoir” : TILL WE MEET AGAIN

“Au revoir” is a French phrase translating literally as “until seen again”, although the accepted usage is “goodbye”.

17 Athlete who might have a “belayed” reaction, and what 3-, 5-, 9-, and 30-Down each contain? : ROCK CLIMBER

One belays a rope or line by securing around a cleat. That’s the nautical use of “belay”. The term has been adopted by climbers, who use it to mean “secure at the end of a rope”.

23 “Mamma __!” : MIA

The hit musical “Mamma Mia!” was written to showcase the songs of ABBA. I’m a big fan of ABBA’s music, so I’ve seen this show several times and just love it. “Mamma Mia!” is such a big hit on the stage that on any given day there are at least seven performances going on somewhere in the world. There is a really interesting film version of the show that was released in 2008. I think the female lead Meryl Streep is wonderful in the movie, but the male leads … not so much! By the way, one can tell the difference between “Mamma Mia” the ABBA song and “Mamma Mia!” the musical, by noting the difference in the punctuation in the titles.

25 “Silent All These Years” singer Amos : TORI

“Silent All These Years” is a 1991 song written and recorded by Tori Amos. The song was used later in a campaign to promote awareness of the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN). Amos was the nonprofit’s first spokesperson.

30 Former Samsung smartphone with a stylus : GALAXY NOTE

Samsung’s Galaxy Note is a line of smartphone and tablets that run on the Android operating system. One feature of the Galaxy Note is that it’s designed around the use of a stylus.

34 __ Paulo, Brazil : SAO

São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil. It is also the city with the highest number of helicopters in the world. This is partly driven by the horrendous traffic jams in São Paulo, but also by the wealthy having a very real fear of being kidnapped on the city’s streets.

45 Hairdo for General Leia : BUN

Princess Leia is Luke Skywalker’s twin sister in the original “Star Wars” trilogy and was played by Carrie Fisher. Carrie Fisher has stated that she hated the famous “cinnamon bun hairstyle” that she had to wear in the films, as she felt it made her face look too round. She also had to sit for two hours every day just to get her hair styled. Two hours to get your hair done? It takes me just two seconds …

49 The Trojans of the NCAA : USC

The athletic teams of the University of Southern California are called the USC Trojans. The women’s teams are also called the Trojans, but are sometimes referred to as Women of Troy.

52 First name in cosmetics : ESTEE

Estée Lauder was a very successful businesswoman, and someone with a great reputation as a salesperson. Lauder introduced her own line of fragrances in 1953, a bath oil called “Youth Dew”. “Youth Dew” was marketed as a perfume, but it was added to bathwater. All of a sudden women were pouring whole bottles of Ms. Lauder’s “perfume” into their baths while using only a drop or two of French perfumes behind their ears. That’s quite a difference in sales “volume” …

54 QED part : ERAT

The initialism “QED” is used at the end of a mathematical proof or a philosophical argument. QED stands for the Latin “quod erat demonstrandum” meaning “that which was to be demonstrated”.

64 Safety gear for hosp. workers : PPE

Personal protective equipment (PPE)