LA Times Crossword 9 May 25, Friday

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Constructed by: Noelle Griskey
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Reveal Answer: Build Up

Themed answers are all in the down-direction. The first word in each is a synonym of “BUILD”, and is written in reverse, is “BUILT UP”:

• 25D Create high expectations for, or an apt description of the first part of the answer to each starred clue : BUILD UP

• 5D *Snappy dresser : FASHION PLATE
• 11D *Many a rejection notice : FORM LETTER
• 23D *Pillar of society : MODEL CITIZEN
• 29D *Mutate : SHAPE-SHIFT

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

Bill’s time: 8m 31s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Country made up of 14,125 islands : JAPAN

The island nation of Japan comprises over 14,000 islands in total. The five main islands are Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu, and Okinawa.

6 Vegetable with a lacinato variety : KALE

Lacinato kale, also known as Tuscan kale or dinosaur kale, is a variety characterized by its long, narrow, dark blue-green leaves with a distinctive wrinkled texture. It is a very popular ingredient in minestrone soup.

10 License issuers, for short : DMVS

In most states, the government agency responsible for vehicle registration and the issuing of driver’s licenses is called the DMV. This initialism usually stands for the Department of Motor Vehicles, but there are “variations on the theme”. For example, in Arizona the responsible agency is called the Motor Vehicle Division (MVD), and in Colorado the familiar abbreviation “DMV” stands for Division of Motor Vehicles.

It took me years to stop using the term “driving license” after I moved to the US. We call a driver’s license a “driving license” back in Ireland.

16 Part of the HOMES mnemonic : ERIE

A well-known mnemonic for remembering the names of the Great Lakes is HOMES, an acronym standing for Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie and Superior. Another mnemonic serving the same purpose is “super heroes must eat oats”.

17 Italian luxury brand : FENDI

Fendi is an Italian fashion house that was founded in 1925 by Adele Casagrande. Fendi started out as a fur and leather shop in Rome, and these days is famous for its line of handbags.

19 Ingredient in some barbecue sauce : COLA

Cola is a popular ingredient in barbecue sauces, for a couple of reasons. The high sugar content caramelizes as the sauce cooks, giving a rich, dark color and a little sweetness. And, the acidity of the cola helps to tenderize meat.

22 Fried chickpea bite : FALAFEL

Falafel is a ball of ground chickpeas or fava beans that has been deep fried and served in pita bread. I love chickpeas, but falafel is often too dry for me …

24 Bygone Swedish auto : SAAB

“SAAB” stands for Svenska Aeroplan AB, which translates into English as Swedish Aeroplane Limited. Although we usually think of SAAB as an auto manufacturer, it is mainly an aircraft manufacturer. If you take small hops in Europe you might find yourself on a SAAB passenger plane. The SAAB automotive division was acquired by General Motors in the year 2000, who then sold it to a Dutch concern in 2010. However, SAAB (automotive) finally went bankrupt in 2011. The assets were acquired in 2012 by NEVS (National Electric Vehicle Sweden), a new company that used the SAAB name on its vehicles for several years.

33 Pitching stat : ERA

Earned run average (ERA)

37 Tech boss : CIO

Chief information officer (CIO)

38 Rice cooker brand : OSTER

The Oster brand of small appliances was introduced in 1924 by John Oster. He started out by making manually-powered hair clippers designed for cutting women’s hair, and followed up with a motorized version in 1928. The clippers kept the company in business until 1946 when Oster diversified, buying a manufacturer of liquefying blenders in 1946. The blender was renamed to “Osterizer” and was a big hit. Oster was bought by Sunbeam, which has owned the brand since 1960.

40 Forever __ : STAMP

The Forever Stamp for first-class postage was introduced by the USPS in 2006 (and about time!). Now we have stamps that are good for first-class postage forever, no matter how often the rates change.

43 “His Eye Is on the Sparrow” singer Waters : ETHEL

“His Eye Is on the Sparrow” is a Gospel hymn that dates back to 1905. The most famous version of the hymn was sung by Ethel Waters, who used the title of the song for her 1951 autobiography. Whitney Houston’s 2012 recording of the song was her last, and was released four months after her passing.

47 Six-time MLB All-Star Moisés : ALOU

Moisés Alou played Major League Baseball, as did his father Felipe and his uncles Matty and Jesús.

49 Letter before Tango : SIERRA
54D Letter before Bravo : ALFA

The NATO phonetic alphabet is also called the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) phonetic alphabet. Alfa, Bravo, Charlie … X-ray, Yankee, Zulu.

57 Pink Floyd album with the songs “Dogs” and “Sheep” : ANIMALS

“Animals” is a 1977 concept album by Pink Floyd that draws heavily from George Orwell’s novel “Animal Farm.” The album critiques the social and political landscape of 1970s Britain, portraying different societal classes as animals: pigs representing the ruling elite, dogs symbolizing ruthless businesspeople, and sheep embodying the passive masses. Might be worth rereleasing …

66 Small transverse flute : FIFE

A fife is a small flute that is often used in military and marching bands. The name “fife” comes from the German “Pfeife” meaning “pipe”.

68 College athletics airer : ESPNU

ESPNU (short for “ESPN Universities”) is a sports channel focused on college athletics.

69 Picnic pests : ANTS

Our term “picnic” comes from the French word that now has the same meaning, namely “pique-nique”. The original “pique-nique” was a fashionable potluck affair, and not necessarily held outdoors.

70 Trinitron developer : SONY

The Sony Trinitron was a television technology that dominated the market for decades. Introduced in 1968, it utilized a single electron gun with three beams. This produced a brighter and sharper image compared to traditional shadow mask CRTs, which used three electron beams (red, green and blue).

Down

1 TV host Probst : JEFF

Jeff Probst is the host of the very successful US version of the reality show “Survivor”. Before snapping up that gig, he hosted the VH1 game show “Rock & Roll Jeopardy!”

3 Southern cake : PONE

“Pone” is another name for corn bread, and comes from the Powhatan term “apan” meaning “something baked”.

5 *Snappy dresser : FASHION PLATE

A fashion plate is a fashionable person, someone who dresses in the latest fashions. The term “fashion plate” originally applied to illustrations (plates) that were used to disseminate fashionable styles in the 1800s and early 1900s.

6 “Out of Africa” setting : KENYA

“Out of Africa” is a Sydney Pollack film released in 1985, starring Robert Redford and Meryl Streep. The storyline is based on the autobiographical book of the same name by Karen Blixen (written under the pen name Isak Dinesen). Streep plays the author in the movie, and Redford plays big game hunter Denys Finch Hatton, Blixen’s lover.

7 Yeoman’s yes : AYE

In the US Navy, a yeoman (yeo.) is tasked with administrative and clerical work. In fact, the position of yeoman is the oldest rating in the navy. You’ll also see a lot of yeomen in the background on “Star Trek”.

8 Part of the Apple logo : LEAF

The logo of Apple, the computer company, is a silhouette of an apple with a bite taken out of it. The company’s original logo featured a picture of Sir Isaac Newton sitting under an apple tree.

10 Parking permit, perhaps : 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.

21 Napkin holder : LAP

Our word “napkin” dates back to the 1300s, when it had the same meaning as today. The term comes from the old French word “nape” meaning “tablecloth” and the Middle English suffix “-kin” meaning “little”. So, a napkin is a little tablecloth.

28 Led Zeppelin’s “Whole __ Love” : LOTTA

“Whole Lotta Love” was a 1969 song that became Led Zeppelin’s first hit in the US. Some of the song’s lyrics were adapted from the Muddy Waters 1962 hit “You Need Love”, which was written by blues musician Willie Dixon. Led Zeppelin didn’t credit Dixon on their recording. A lawsuit ensued, which was settled in 1985.

49 Bart, to Homer : SON

Bart Simpson is the main character in television’s “The Simpsons”. His name was chosen by the writers as it is an anagram of “brat”. Bart is voiced by actress and comedian Nancy Cartwright.

53 Long and lean : LANKY

The term “lank” can describe something that is straight and flat, particularly hair. The usage was extended in the early 1800s (especially in the form “lanky”) to mean “awkwardly tall and thin”.

55 “Mildred Pierce” novelist : CAIN

Novelist James M. Cain had a string of hit novels in the 1930s and 1940s, several of which were adapted into successful films. That list includes “The Postman Always Rings Twice” (1934), “Double Indemnity” (1936) and “Mildred Pierce” (1941). Even though Cain also worked as a screenwriter, he never had a successful film script, despite the success of his novels that others adapted.

“Mildred Pierce” is a 1945 film based on the 1941 of the same name by James M. Cain. Joan Crawford plays the title role, for which performance she won that season’s Best Actress Oscar. Cain’s novel was adapted for the small screen in a 2011 miniseries starring Kate Winslet as Pierce. That is well worth viewing …

56 Vinaigrette acronym : EVOO

Virgin olive oil is oil produced from olives with no chemical treatment involved in the production process at all. To be labeled “virgin”, the oil must have an acidity level of less than 2% and must be judged to have “a good taste”. Extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) comes from virgin oil production, and is the portion with acidity levels of less than 0.8% acidity that is judged to have “superior taste”.

A vinaigrette is a mixture of oil with an acid such as vinegar or lemon juice. A traditional mixture of 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar forms a stable emulsion that is commonly used as a salad dressing. The term “vinaigrette” is a diminutive form of the French word “vinaigre” (meaning “vinegar”). Back in the 1800s, such a mixture was referred to as “French dressing”, a term that has evolved to describe a creamy dressing in contemporary American cuisine.

58 Japanese soup base : MISO

Miso is the name of the seasoning that makes miso soup. Basic miso seasoning is made by fermenting rice, barley and soybeans with salt and a fungus to produce a paste. The paste can be added to stock to make miso soup, or perhaps to flavor tofu.

61 Wall support : STUD

In home construction, a wall stud is a vertical member providing support inside a wall.