LA Times Crossword 2 Oct 25, Thursday

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Constructed by: Tara Holland

Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Theme (according to Bill): That’s a Job?

Themed answers are common phrases reinterpreted, very cryptically, as types of job:

• 17A Peculiar anesthesiologist? : ODD NUMBER
• 24A Sad maker of simple dresses? : DOWN SHIFTER
• 37A Slightly loopy purveyor of Scottish attire? : OFF KILTER
• 55A Highly critical grain producer? : SHARP CORNER
• 63A Deadpan mathematician? : DRY SUMMER

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

Bill’s time: 9m 11s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1A Soup noodles : SOBA

Soba is a thin Japanese noodle made from buckwheat flour. In Japan, the word “soba” tends to describe any thin noodle, in contrast with the thicker noodle called “udon”.

5A Touch : ABUT

“Abut”, meaning “border on”, comes from the Old French word “abouter” meaning “join end to end”.

14A Baked custard : FLAN

Flan (also “crème caramel”) is a delicious dessert comprising a molded custard topped with a clear caramel sauce. The related crème brûlée is a dessert made from molded custard with a hard, burnt caramel layer on top.

16A Stradivarius alternative : AMATI

The first of the Amati family to make violins was Andrea Amati, who lived in the 14th century. He was succeeded by his sons Antonio and Girolamo. In turn, the two brothers were succeeded by Girolamo’s son Nicolo. Nicolo had a few students who achieved fame making musical instruments as well. One was his own son, Girolamo, and another was the famed Antonio Stradivari.

17A Peculiar anesthesiologist? : ODD NUMBER

“Aisthesis” is the Greek word for “feeling”, from which “anesthesia” is Greek for “want of feeling, lack of sensation”. And that’s how we get our English term “anesthesia”.

19A Dish with a vinegared rice base : SUSHI

Sushi is a Japanese dish that has as its primary ingredient cooked, vinegared rice. The rice is usually topped with something, most often fish, and can be served in seaweed rolls. If we want raw fish by itself, then we have to order sashimi.

21A Like taupe : NEUTRAL

Taupe is a dark, gray-brown color. The word “taupe” comes from the Latin name of the European Mole, which has skin with the same color.

23A Noodle soup : PHO

Pho (pronounced “fuh”) is a noodle soup from Vietnam that is a popular street food. It is often ordered with a side of hanh dam, pickled white onions.

24A Sad maker of simple dresses? : DOWN SHIFTER

A shift is a dress that is cut above-the-knee and has no clearly-defined waist. This style of dress originated in the 1920s when it was worn by the “flappers”, young women who defied social norms at the time. The shift was comfortable to wear and allowed easy movement, particularly on the dance floor.

28A Components of a square meal? : RAVIOLI

Ravioli (singular “raviolo”) are filled dumplings served in Italian cuisine.

A square meal is one that is substantial and nourishing. According to some sources, the phrase “square meal” originated with the Royal Navy, and the square wooden plates on which meals were served. However, this centuries-old practice has an unlikely origin as the phrase was first seen in print in the US, in 1856. An advertisement for a restaurant posted in a California newspaper offers a “square meal” to patrons, in the sense of an “honest, straightforward meal”. The “honest” meaning of “square” was well-established at the time, as in “fair and square”, “square play” and “square deal”.

30A Exit key : ESC

The escape key (Esc) was originally used just to control computer peripherals. It was a key that allowed the computer operator to stop what the peripheral was doing (cancel a print job, for example). Nowadays the escape key is used for all sorts of things, especially in gaming programs.

33A Aardvark snack : ANT

The aardvark is the oddest looking of creatures, a nocturnal burrowing animal that is native to Africa. Even though it is sometimes called the African ant bear, the name “aardvark” is Afrikaans for “earth pig”. Aardvarks are noted, among other things, for their unique teeth. Their teeth have no enamel and wear away quite readily, but continuously regrow. The aardvark feeds mainly on ants and termites.

37A Slightly loopy purveyor of Scottish attire? : OFF KILTER

The Scottish skirt called a “kilt” takes its name from the Middle English word “kilten” meaning “to tuck up”. The idea is that the kilt can be tucked up around the body to give freedom to the legs.

To be “off-kilter” is to be off-balance, not aligned. To be “out of kilter” is to be out of order, not in good condition.

41A Pelvic bones : SACRA

The sacrum is a large, triangular bone at the base of the spine, formed by the fusion of typically five sacral vertebrae in adulthood. The term “sacrum” comes from the Latin “os sacrum”, meaning “sacred bone,” possibly because it was offered in sacrifices or believed to contain the soul.

50A Football VIPs : QBS

Quarterback (QB)

59A Molasses relative : TREACLE

Molasses and treacle are both byproducts of the sugar-making process.. Molasses is an American term for the thick, bittersweet syrup produced by boiling sugarcane or sugar beets. “Treacle” is a British term referring to a more refined syrup or a blend that includes molasses. Because of their different flavors and viscosities, molasses is often used in savory dishes, while treacle is more common in sweeter applications. When I was a young lad on the other side of the pond, treacle pudding was a favorite dessert provided as part of a school lunch …

62A Bond actor : CRAIG

English actor Daniel Craig rocketed to fame in 2005 when he was chosen to replace Pierce Brosnan as James Bond in the series of films based on Ian Fleming’s character. One of Craig’s most famous appearances as Bond was alongside Queen Elizabeth II in the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics. Craig married actress Rachel Weisz in 2011.

I have not been a fan of Daniel Craig as James Bond (preferring Sean Connery and Pierce Brosnan in the role). However, I saw “Skyfall” when it first came out and have been won over. “Skyfall” is one of the best Bond films so far, in my humble opinion. And, Adele’s rendition of the title song is an added plus …

63A Deadpan mathematician? : DRY SUMMER

The term “deadpan”, slang for “impassive expression”, comes from “dead” (expressionless) and “pan” (slang for “face”).

67A Grasslike plant : SEDGE

Sedges are a family of plants that resemble grasses and rushes. They are more properly called Cyperaceae.

68A Narwhal feature : TUSK

The narwhal is a whale species in which the male has a large tusk. The “tusk” is actually a canine tooth that projects from the jaw through the lip. Usually only one tusk develops, on the left side of the jaw. Occasionally, a second tusk develops as well, on the right side of the jaw. The tusk is unlike a tooth in that it contains many nerves, making it a sensory organ. It is rarely used in an act of aggression.

72A When Romeo says, “Thus with a kiss I die” : ACT V

In Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”, the last words uttered by Romeo are:

O true apothecary!
They drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I die.

Juliet’s last words are:

Yea, noise? then I’ll be brief. O happy dagger! This is thy sheath; there rust, and let me die.

Down

1D Calif. hub : SFO

San Francisco International Airport (SFO) served as the main base of operations for Virgin America (sold to Alaska Airlines), and is also the maintenance hub for United Airlines. Even though SFO is owned and operated by the City and County of San Francisco, the airport is located to the south in San Mateo County.

2D English gent : OLD CHAP

“Chap” is an informal term meaning “lad, fellow” that is used especially in England. The term derives from “chapman”, an obsolete word meaning “purchaser” or “trader”.

4D Part of A.D. : ANNO

The Latin word for year is “annus” (plural “anni”). We often see it used in Latin phrases, but usually with a different spelling. In “anno Domini” (AD), the “anno” is the ablative case of “annus” as the phrase means “in the year of the Lord”. Another example is “per annum”, in which “annum” is the accusative case as the literal translation of the phrase is “during the year”.

6D “Comedy Comedy Comedy Drama” memoirist Odenkirk : BOB

Actor Bob Odenkirk is perhaps best known today for playing lawyer and con artist Jimmy McGill (aka Saul Goodman) on the show “Breaking Bad” and its spinoff “Better Call Saul”. The original intention was to include the Saul Goodman character in just three episodes in the second season of “Breaking Bad”, but Odenkirk’s performance led to the character persisting through the fifth and final season of the show. That led to the spinoff “Better Call Saul”, and Odenkirk taking the title role.

7D Sch. with a Quaker mascot : UPENN

The University of Pennsylvania (also “Penn” and “UPenn”) was founded in 1740 by Benjamin Franklin in Philadelphia. Penn was the first school in the country to offer both graduate and undergraduate courses. Penn’s sports teams are known as the Quakers, and sometimes the Red & Blue.

8D Gibson of the “Fast & Furious” films : TYRESE

Tyrese Gibson is singer-songwriter and actor who is known simply as “Tyrese”. He is best known for playing the character Roman Pearce in the “Fast And Furious” series of movies.

“The Fast and the Furious” is a series of action movies about street racing and car heists. The original 2001 film spawned several sequels, making it Universal Pictures’ most successful franchise of all time.

9D Artistic style that imitates another : PASTICHE

A pastiche is an artistic work, such as a piece of music, that is written by one person in the style of another. The term can also apply to a mixture of different things.

10D Part of a blue crew : SMURF

The Smurfs are little blue people created in 1958 by the Belgian cartoonist who went by the pen name Peyo. The Smurfs became famous in the US when Hanna-Barbera used them in a children’s cartoon series. The characters are largely a group of males. The original lineup included just one “Smurfette”, who is wooed by almost all of the boy Smurfs. Later, another female was introduced into the mix called Sassette, and still later along came Granny Smurf.

12D Olympian, for one : ATHLETE

It is generally noted that the first Olympic Games were held in 776 BCE. This date was noted by the Greek teacher Hippias of Elis about 400 years after the event, when he compiled a list of Olympic victors. Some archaeologists have placed the date of the first games nearer to 700 BCE.

13D Switch predecessor : WII

Introduced in 2006, Nintendo’s Wii quickly became the biggest-selling game console in the world.

The Nintendo Switch is a gaming console released in 2017. I guess the name “Switch” is used because users can “switch” between portable and home console modes. The device is a table that can be used as a personal gaming unit, or can be docked for use as a home console.

25D Character who says, “Some people are worth melting for” : OLAF

In the 2013 animated film “Frozen”, Olaf is a happy-go-lucky snowman who provides a lot of comic relief in the movie. He is voiced by actor and comedian Josh Gad.

27D Crimson or carmine : RED

Both crimson and carmine are deep reds, but their tones come from two different types of insect-derived dyes. Carmine is a slightly purplish red, and its pigment is extracted from the crushed bodies of the female cochineal beetle, which is native to Mexico and South America. This was the dye used to create the red coats of the British army. Crimson’s pigment is extracted from the scale insect called Kermes vermilio, which lives on the sap of oak trees in the Mediterranean.

36D Edible part of a pomegranate : ARIL

The casing surrounding many seeds is called the aril, and it may be quite fleshy. This fruit-like characteristic makes it desirable as a food and hence aids in the dispersion of the seeds.

The name of the fruit called a “pomegranate” comes from the Latin “pomum” meaning “apple” and “granatum” meaning “seeded”.

38D Web sections for the curious or confused : FAQ PAGES

Most websites have a page listing answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). Even this blog has one!

39D Great Lakes diving bird : 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.

42D Growth threatened by an emerald borer : ASH TREE

The emerald ash borer (EAB) is a beetle native to eastern Asia that is considered a major invasive species in Europe and North America. The EAB has killed tens of millions of ash trees since its accidental introduction into North America in the 1990s.

46D Like some tile : CERAMIC

A ceramic is a hard, heat- and corrosion-resistant material that is strong in compression but has a low tensile strength. Most ceramics are inorganic, non-metallic chemicals. As an aside, I have a degree in ceramics, believe it or not, after writing a thesis on the material used to make refrigerator magnets. Sad, really …

51D Secretly loop in : BCC

Blind carbon copy (bcc)

54D Pakistani language : URDU

Urdu is one of the two official languages of Pakistan (the other being English), and is one of the 22 scheduled languages in India. Urdu partly developed from Persian and is written from right to left.

61D Austen protagonist : EMMA

Jane Austen’s novel “Emma” (1815) is her last novel published during her lifetime. Unlike many of her other heroines, Emma Woodhouse is a wealthy, privileged young woman who is not concerned with finding a husband but rather delights in matchmaking for others, often with disastrous and comedic results. A favorite of mine …

62D Wisc. winter hrs. : CST

Central Standard Time (CST)

The state of Wisconsin is nicknamed “the Badger State”. This name came about in the early days of lead mining in the 1800s. The miners would often set up home in the holes they were digging, earning them the nickname “badgers”, and leading to the state’s nickname.

64D Fashion logo initials : YSL

Yves Saint Laurent (YSL)