LA Times Crossword 9 Mar 26, Monday

Advertisement

Constructed by: Zhouqin Burnikel

Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Reveal Answer: Lace Up

Themed answers are all in the down-direction, and each includes the word “LACE” hidden within, but in the UP-direction:

• 50A Prepare to skate, or what can be found in 3-, 8-, 10-, and 33-Down? : LACE UP

• 3D Business meetings over the phone : CONFERENCE CALLS
• 8D Stillness before a storm : EERIE CALM
• 10D Zodiac cycle in which the Rabbit follows the Tiger : CHINESE CALENDAR
• 33D Baby humpback : WHALE CALF

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

Bill’s time: 5m 01s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

5A Diamond corner : BASE

That could be a baseball diamond.

15A Guacamole scoop : CHIP

Guacamole is one of my favorite dishes. It is prepared by mashing avocados and perhaps adding the likes of tomato, onion and lime juice. The guacamole recipe dates back as early as the 16th century, to the time of the Aztecs. “Guacamole” translates as “avocado sauce”.

19A North Pole helper : ELF
24D North Pole VIP : SANTA

If you want to send a note to Santa from Canada, he has his own special postal code: “North Pole, HOH OHO”. The US Postal Service suggests that we send mail for Santa to zip code 99705, which directs it to the city of North Pole, Alaska.

20A __ Angeles Sparks : LOS

The Los Angeles Sparks (LAS) women’s basketball team was founded just before the WNBA opened its doors for business in 1997.

28A U.S. ID issuer : SSA

The Social Security Administration (SSA) was set up as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal. The first person to receive a monthly retirement benefit was Ida May Fuller of Vermont who received her first check for the sum of $22.54 after having contributed for three years through payroll taxes. The New Deal turned out to be a good deal for Ms. Fuller, as she lived to be 100 years of age and received a total benefit of almost $23,000, whereas her three years of contributions added up to just $24.75.

31A Broken mirror, to some : OMEN

It was the ancient Romans who produced the first mirrors. They came to believe that the gods observed souls through mirrors. They also deemed it very disrespectful to damage a mirror, and that doing so would lead to bad luck. As the Romans also believed that the body renewed itself every seven years, the bad luck was said to last for seven years. And still today, some embrace the superstition that breaking a mirror will bring seven years of bad luck.

34A White-barked trees : ASPENS

The “quaking” aspen tree is so called because the structure of the leaves causes them to move easily in the wind, to “tremble, quake”.

36A Go on a tirade : RANT

The term “tirade” describes a long and vehement speech, and is a word that came into English from French. “Tirade” can have the same meaning in French, but is also the word for “volley”. So, a tirade is a “volley” of words.

37A Red Monopoly piece : HOTEL

In the game of Monopoly, one can purchase a hotel by “demolishing” four houses and by paying an extra amount equal to the price of one more house.

40A Noisy summer insect : CICADA

Cicadas are insects that are found all over the world. Although they resemble locusts, cicadas are an unrelated family. The name “cicada” is Latin and translated as “tree cricket”. However, the name is imitative of the clicking sound the insect makes using parts of its exoskeleton known as “tymbals”.

42A Meat in a croque monsieur : HAM

The “croque monsieur” is a French dish, a baked or fried ham and cheese sandwich. The cheese used is traditionally Emmental or Gruyère. If the sandwich is topped with a fried egg, then it is referred to as a “croque madame”.

43A California wine valley : NAPA

The history of winemaking in Napa Valley dates back to the mid-19th century, when European settlers first began planting vineyards in the region. However, the industry did not become widely popular until the 1960s and 1970s, when a group of winemakers began producing high-quality wines that gained international recognition.

53A Bold alternative? : ITALICS

Italic type leans to the right, and is often used to provide emphasis in text. The style is known as “italic” because the stylized calligraphic form of writing originated in Italy, probably in the Vatican.

55A Fragrant evergreen : FIR

Firs are evergreen coniferous trees, with several species being popular as Christmas trees. The most commonly used species during the holidays are the Nordmann fir, noble fir, Fraser fir and balsam fir. We also see a lot of Douglas fir trees at Christmas, but they’re not actually true firs.

56A Org. whose seal depicts an eagle atop a key : NSA

The National Security Agency (NSA) seal was introduced in 1965 and features an eagle perched upon a key. The eagle represents the agency’s national mission, and the key represents security.

58A Fruity fall beverage : APPLE CIDER

The term “cider” is used in most English-speaking countries to describe the alcoholic drink made from fermented apple juice. Here in the US, we often use the term to describe sweetened, unfiltered apple juice, and use “hard cider” to describe the alcoholic beverage. So in Britain and Ireland, beware of what you order …

61A “Riverdale” actress Reinhart : LILI

While best known for portraying Betty Cooper in the TV show “Riverdale”, actress Lili Reinhart is also a published author. Her debut collection of poetry, titled “Swimming Lessons”, was released in 2020 and made it to number two on the New York Times Best Sellers list.

“Riverdale” is a teen drama TV show based on the “Archie” comic book series. While the “Archie” comics are light in tone, “Riverdale” is a darker production that explores the complex world of the “Archie” characters.

63A Title for New Zealand golfer Lydia Ko : DAME

Lydia Ko is a professional golfer from New Zealand. In 2015, she reached number-one in the Women’s World Golf Rankings, when she was only 17 years old. That made her the youngest player, male or female, to make the number-one ranking in professional golf.

Down

2D One-named “Hello” singer : ADELE

“Hello” is a 2015 song by English singer Adele that won her three Grammy Awards: Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Pop Solo Performance. It was the first song to sell over one million digital copies in a single week in the US.

6D Enjoyed some tteokbokki, say : ATE

Tteokbokki is a Korean street food and a staple dish in Korean cuisine. It is a savory and slightly sweet dish featuring chewy cylindrical rice cakes, stir-fried in a spicy sauce made with gochujang (Korean chili paste), gochugaru (chili powder), and other seasonings.

7D Peak in the Cascade Range : SHASTA

Mount Shasta is in northern California. The origin of the name “Shasta” seems to be unclear. It may have come from the Russian “tchastal” meaning “white, clean, pure”, a name given to the volcanic peak by early Russian immigrants.

The Cascades are a mountain range in North America stretching from Northern California to southern British Columbia. The Cascade Range includes several active volcanoes, and is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire. The range was named for the Cascades Rapids in the Columbia River Gorge, as they were referred to as the “mountains by the cascades” in the days following the Lewis and Clark expedition.

10D Zodiac cycle in which the Rabbit follows the Tiger : CHINESE CALENDAR

The 12-year cycle in the Chinese calendar uses the following animals in order:

• Rat
• Ox
• Tiger
• Rabbit
• Dragon
• Snake
• Horse
• Goat
• Monkey
• Rooster
• Dog
• Pig

11D Catchall category: Abbr. : MISC

Our terms “miscellany” and “miscellaneous” ultimately come from the Latin verb “miscere” meaning “to mix”.

17D CeraVe rival : OLAY

Oil of Olay was developed in South Africa in 1952. When Oil of Olay was introduced internationally, it was given slightly different brand names designed to appeal in the different geographies. In Ireland we know it as Oil of Ulay, for example, and in France it is Oil of Olaz.

CeraVe is a skin care brand owned by L’Oréal. The name “CeraVe” is a direct nod to the brand’s formula and science. “Cera” stands for “ceramides”, lipids that help the skin retain moisture. “Ve” refers to their “MVE” (Multivesicular Emulsion) delivery technology. Apparently, this system acts like a time-release capsule, slowly dispensing the ceramides throughout the day to keep the skin barrier protected long after application. Means nothing to me …

22D Muscles near delts : LATS

The muscles known as the “lats” are the “latissimi dorsi”, and are the broadest muscles in the back. “Latissimus” is Latin for “broadest”, and “dorsum” is Latin for “back”.

27D Fair-hiring initials : EEO

“Equal Employment Opportunity” (EEO) is a term that has been around since 1964 when the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) was set up by the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title VII of the Act prohibits employers from discriminating against employees on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin or religion.

30D Iran’s continent : ASIA

Before 1935, the country we know today as Iran was referred to as Persia by the Western world. The official name of the country since the Iranian Revolution of 1979 is the “Islamic Republic of Iran”.

31D Dolphin with eye patches : ORCA

Orcas are the largest members of the dolphin family. They have white “eye patches” located just above and behind the eyes. It is believed that the patches of white serve as disruptive coloration helping to camouflage from prey the true position of their gaze.

33D Baby humpback : WHALE CALF

The males of the humpback whale species are known particularly for their song. This song can last up to 20 minutes and can be repeated for hours at a time. It is usually assumed that the song is part of a mating ritual.

35D Become frantic : PANIC

In Greek mythology, Pan was a lecherous god who was part-man and part-goat, and one who fell in love with Echo the mountain nymph. Echo refused Pan’s advances so that he became very angry. Pan’s anger created a “panic” (a word derived from the name “Pan”) and a group of shepherds were driven to kill Echo.

41D “The Substance” Oscar nominee Moore : DEMI

Demi Moore was born Demetria Guynes and took the name Demi Moore when she married her first husband, Freddy Moore. Moore’s second husband was Bruce Willis. She changed her name to Demi Guynes Kutcher a few years after marrying her third husband, Ashton Kutcher. However, Kutcher and Moore split in 2013.

“The Substance” is a horror movie (so I haven’t seen it). It stars Demi Moore and Dennis Quaid, the former portraying an aging film star, and the latter portraying the producer who fires her for being too old. The actress takes “The Substance” a black market drug that creates a younger version of herself. But, there are unintended, and horrifying consequences.

47D DEA agent : NARC

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) was set up in 1973 while President Nixon was in office.

50D Property claim : LIEN

A lien is a right that one has to retain or secure someone’s property until a debt is paid. When an individual takes out a car loan, for example, the lending bank is usually a lien holder. The bank releases the lien on the car when the loan is paid in full.

53D Part of an archipelago : ISLE

“Archipelago” is our spelling of the Italian “arcipelago”, a word that has Greek roots. The Aegean Sea was once known as the Archipelago. The usage of “Archipelago” migrated over time, eventually applying only to the Aegean Islands. As a result, we use the term “archipelago” today not for a sea, but for a group or chain of islands.

55D __ state: focused mindset : FLOW

Colloquially speaking, we might describe ourselves as “in the zone” or “locked in” when fully immersed in and focused on some activity. In psychological terms, this mental state can be called “flow”, a term coined by Hungarian-American psychologist Mihály Csíkszentmihályi in 1975. It has been shown that while in this state, the brain’s prefrontal cortex temporarily deactivates, which silences the “inner critic” and allows for effortless productivity. Amazing …

59D Kissing on the kiss cam, say : PDA

Public display of affection (PDA).

The kiss cam is a diversion during some sporting events in which a video camera picks out random couples in the crowd, projecting their image onto the giant screen at the venue. The couples are encouraged to kiss, for the entertainment of the fans. Famously, President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama kissed for the kiss cam at a basketball game a few years ago, as did former President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter.