LA Times Crossword 28 Oct 25, Tuesday

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Constructed by: Samuel A. Donaldson

Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Theme (according to Bill): Ordinals

Themed answers each start with an ordinal number, one that increases as we descend the grid:

• 15A Spendy flying option : FIRST CLASS
• 23A Dating option not recommended by Madonna in “Express Yourself” : SECOND BEST
• 33A Topic to avoid, metaphorically : THIRD RAIL
• 49A Imaginary barrier that might be broken by a stage actor : FOURTH WALL
• 59A Double date tagalong : FIFTH WHEEL

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

Bill’s time: 6m 02s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

18A Ga. airport code : ATL

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) is the world’s busiest airport, as measured by passenger traffic. Atlanta has had that distinction since 1998, and was the world’s busiest in terms of take-offs and landings from 2005 until 2013. Over 50% of Atlanta’s traffic comes from Delta Air Lines.

20A “Oppenheimer” or “Anora” : MOVIE

“Oppenheimer” is an epic 2023 film starring Cillian Murphy in the title role. The movie follows J. Robert Oppenheimer, “the father of the atomic bomb”, from his student days right through World War II and beyond. Directed by Christopher Nolan, the film has an amazing ensemble cast that includes:

• Matt Damon (General Leslie Groves)
• Robert Downey Jr. (Lewis Strauss)
• Josh Hartnett (Ernest Lawrence)
• Kenneth Branagh (Niels Bohr)
• Tom Conti (Albert Einstein)
• Gary Oldman (Harry S. Truman)

The 2024 movie “Anora” is about a young stripper from Brooklyn who impulsively marries the son of a wealthy Russian oligarch. The marriage is short-lived, as the groom’s parents send henchmen to find the couple and force an annulment. The film follows the aftermath as the stripper ends the marriage, leaving her in an emotionally vulnerable and uncertain state. The entire film was shot in 37 days, with one 25-minute sequence taking up 10 of those days. The sequence was a particularly demanding and disturbing home invasion scene.

21A Corner chess piece : ROOK

The corner piece in the game of chess is called a “rook”, a word coming from the Persian “rokh” meaning a “chariot”. The rook has also been called, perhaps incorrectly, the castle, tower, marquess and rector.

23A Dating option not recommended by Madonna in “Express Yourself” : SECOND BEST

“Express Yourself” is a 1989 song co-written and recorded by Madonna. The song’s music video ranks as one of the most expensive to produce of all time, and indeed was the most expensive ever produced at that time. It was inspired by the 1927 Fritz Lang classic film “Metropolis”.

27A St. Francis of __ : ASSISI

Francis of Assisi was a Catholic friar and preacher who founded the Franciscan order. Because he is honored for his love of animals and nature, many churches hold ceremonies to bless animals on the feast day of Saint Francis, October 4th, every year.

29A Picked up the tab : PAID

When we run a “tab” at a bar, we are running a “tabulation”, a listing of what we owe. Such a use of “tab” is American slang that originated in the 1880s.

32A Concert souvenir that may list tour stops : TEE

A souvenir is a memento, a token of remembrance. We imported “souvenir” from French, in which language it has the same meaning. The term comes from the Latin “subvenire” meaning “to come to mind”, or literally “to come up”.

33A Topic to avoid, metaphorically : THIRD RAIL

The first commercial uses of a third rail to power trains were actually in Ireland, with the Giant’s Causeway Tramway in 1883, and the Bessbrook and Newry Tramway in 1885. We use the term “third rail” metaphorically to describe a topic that must be avoided at all costs. The metaphorical usage was popularized in the US in the early 1980s, often in reference to the political “untouchability” (if that’s a word!) of Social Security.

37A LLC alternative : INC

A limited liability company (LLC) has a structure that limits the liability of the owner or owners. It is a hybrid structure in the sense that it can be taxed as would an individual or partnership, while also maintaining the liability protection afforded to a corporation.

A company that has incorporated uses the abbreviation “Inc.” after its name. By incorporating, a company forms a corporation, which is a legal entity that has legal rights similar to those of an individual. For example, a corporation can sue another corporation or individual. However, a corporation does not have all the rights of citizens. A corporation does not have the Fifth Amendment right of protections against self-incrimination, for example. It is perhaps understandable that the concept of “corporations as persons” is a frequent subject for debate.

41A Peony part : PETAL

The flowering plant called a peony is named for Paean, the mythical physician to the Greek gods. Indiana adopted the peony as its state flower in 1957.

45A Danish or Swedish : NORDIC

Someone is described as Nordic if he or she is a native of Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland or Iceland.

48A Vietnamese sandwich : BANH MI

The French introduced the baguette into Vietnam in the days the country was a French colony. Today, a single-serving baguette is known in Vietnam as “bánh mì” (meaning “wheat bread”). The term has been extended, particularly here in the US, to describe a Vietnamese sandwich.

49A Imaginary barrier that might be broken by a stage actor : FOURTH WALL

In the theater world, the fourth wall is an imaginary plane at the front of the stage through which the audience experiences the action. When a character acknowledges the existence of the audience, perhaps by addressing them, he or she is said to have broken the fourth wall.

53A The “D” of NYPD, for short : DEPT

The New York Police Department (NYPD) is the largest municipal police force in the country. The department’s roots go back as far as 1625 when there was an eight-man night watch in the days when New York was still known as New Amsterdam. Several disparate forces with policing responsibility were amalgamated in 1844 to form the New York City Police Department, signaling the end of the night watch force that had existed for over 200 years.

58A Moreno with an EGOT : RITA

The acronym “EGOT” stands for “Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony”, and is a reference to performers who have won all four awards. Also known as the “Showbiz Award Grand Slam”, there are relatively few individuals who have been so honored. The first five to do so were:

1. Richard Rodgers in 1962
2. Helen Hayes in 1977
3. Rita Moreno in 1977
4. John Gielgud in 1991
5. Audrey Hepburn in 1994 (posthumously)

59A Double date tagalong : FIFTH WHEEL

Idiomatically, a fifth wheel is a person or thing who is unnecessary, like the fifth wheel on a car. Given the automotive reference, it is perhaps a little surprising that the phrase “fifth wheel” dates back to the 1630s. I suppose a fifth wheel might be useful, like a spare, for an automobile. Back in the 17th century, I’m guessing that 4-wheel wagons and carriages didn’t carry spares ….

62A Raison d’__ : ETRE

“Raison d’être” is a French phrase meaning “reason for existence”.

63A Disparage : ABASE

The verb “to disparage” comes from the Old French word “desparagier”, which meant “to marry someone of unequal rank”. It is a combination of “des-”, a prefix meaning “away, apart from”, and “parag”, meaning “rank, equality” (which is also the root of the word peer). So, to disparage someone was literally to move them away from their rank by marrying them to an inferior. Over time, the meaning broadened to the more general sense we use today, i.e. “to belittle, lower in esteem”.

65A Lingo suffix : -ESE

Lingo is specialized vocabulary. Journalese and legalese would be good examples.

66A Some dessert wines : PORTS

We tend to see two main styles of port (although there are several available): ruby and tawny. Ruby port is stored in concrete or stainless steel tanks that prevent oxidative aging, leaving the wine a bright red color. Tawny port is aged in wooden barrels, which allow gradual oxidation, leaving the wine a golden-brown color.

Down

1D African expeditions : SAFARIS

“Safari” is a Swahili word meaning “journey” or “expedition”.

2D Textbook example : EPITOME

The more common meaning of “epitome” is “perfect example of a group, quality, type”. An epitome is also an abstract or summary of a book or article.

4D Soph and jr. : YRS

The term “sophomore” has been used since the 1680s for a student in the second year of university. The original meaning of the word was “arguer”. The term has Greek roots, from two Greek words that have been artificially combined in English. The Greek “sophos” means “wise”, and “moros” means “foolish”.

6D Swiss currency : FRANC

Not only is the Swiss franc legal tender in Switzerland, it is also the money used in Liechtenstein and the Italian exclave of Campione d’Italia.

10D French painter Henri : MATISSE

Henri Matisse was a French artist renowned for his contribution to modern art. In his early career, Matisse was classed as a “fauve”, one of the group of artists known as the “wild beasts” who emphasized strong color over realism in their works. He was a lifelong friend of Pablo Picasso, and the two were considered to be good-natured rivals so their works are often compared. One major difference between their individual portfolios is that Picasso tended to paint from his imagination, whereas Matisse tended to use nature as his inspiration.

13D Board game with weapons, suspects, and rooms : CLUE

Clue is a board game that we knew under a different name growing up in Ireland. Outside of North America, Clue is marketed as “Cluedo”. Cluedo was the original name of the game, introduced in 1949 by the famous British board game manufacturer Waddingtons. There are cute differences between the US and UK versions. For example, the man who is murdered is called Dr. Black (Mr. Boddy in the US), one of the suspects is the Reverend Green (Mr. Green in the US), and the suspect weapons include a dagger (a knife in the US), and a spanner (a wrench in the US). I think it’s a fabulous game, a must during the holidays …

14D Supercilious types : SNOBS

“Supercilious” is such a lovely-sounding word, with a not-so-lovely meaning. Someone described as supercilious is lofty with pride, haughtily contemptuous. The term derives from the Latin “supercilium” meaning “eyebrow” (actually “above the eyelid), the idea being that a person is prone to raise his or her eyebrows to express haughtiness.

31D Org. featured in the book “Many Unhappy Returns” : IRS

“Many Unhappy Returns” is a 2005 book subtitled “One Man’s Quest to Turn Around the Most Unpopular Organization in America”. It was written by Charles O. Rossotti, the commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service from 1997 to 2002. It actually sounds like a good read …

35D Craft beer letters : IPA

India pale ale (IPA)

38D Request from a diner concerned about bad breath : NO ONION

When an onion is sliced, cells are broken. Enzymatic reactions take place that result in the generation of a volatile gas, syn-propanethial-S-oxide. The gas irritates the eyes and tears are produced in order to clear them.

42D Jeremy Allen White series featuring the oft-repeated line “Yes, chef!” : THE BEAR

“The Bear” is a comedy-drama TV show that started airing in 2022. It stars Jeremy Allen White (of “Shameless” fame) as a chef from a Michelin-star restaurant who heads home to Chicago to run his family’s sandwich shop after his brother dies. I really enjoyed this one …

47D Cousin in “The Addams Family” : ITT

In the television sitcom “The Addams Family”, the family has a frequent visitor named Cousin Itt. He is a short man with long hair that runs from his head to the floor. Itt was played by Italian actor Felix Silla.

51D Emmy winner Woodard : ALFRE

Alfre Woodard is an actress from Tulsa, Oklahoma. She was nominated for an Oscar for her performance in the 1983 film “Cross Creek”. Off the stage and screen, she is very active in the Democratic Party.

60D “Euphoria” airer : HBO

“Euphoria” is an HBO teen drama show that is loosely based on a miniseries of the same name from Israel. The lead actress in the show is Zendaya, who plays a recovering teenage drug addict.