LA Times Crossword 15 Mar 26, Sunday

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Constructed by: Katie Hale & Rich Katz

Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Theme: Stuck in the Middle with You

Themed answers are common phrases with a letter “U” STUCK IN THE MIDDLE, the exact middle. Very clever …

• 27A Complete text of “Prefixes for Dummies”? : THAT’S A NOUN STARTER (from “that’s a non-starter”)
• 40A Fancy hotel rooms overrun with spiders? : WEB SUITES (from “websites”)
• 65A Negotiating with Mephistopheles? : ON THE FAUST TRACK (from “on the fast track”)
• 78A Tariff on marble sculptures? : STATUE TAX (from “state tax”)
• 110A Snap selfies in a sulky pose? : TAKE POUT SHOTS (from “take potshots”)
• 71D Candlelit dinner at the Geek Squad counter? : BEST BUY DATE (from “best-by date”)
• 74D Sotheby’s event featuring a Shakespeare original? : PLAY AUCTION (from “play action”)
• 97D #marinara, e.g.? : RAGU TAG (from “ragtag”)

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

Bill’s time: 11m 57s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

7A Telly channel : BBC

The marvelous British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is mainly funded by the UK government through a television “licence” (British spelling, as opposed to “license”!) fee that is levied annually on all households watching TV transmissions.

“Telly” is a term commonly used in Britain and Ireland that is short for “television”.

19A Julia’s “Seinfeld” role : ELAINE

Actress and comedian Julia Louis-Dreyfus is an alum of the sketch show “Saturday Night Live”, in which she appeared from 1982 to 1985. Her really big break came when she was chosen to play Elaine Benes on “Seinfeld”. More recently, Louis-Dreyfus can be seen playing Vice President Selina Meyer on the HBO comedy show “Veep”.

21A Messenger __ : RNA

Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is an essential catalyst in the manufacture of proteins in the body. The genetic code in DNA determines the sequence of amino acids that make up each protein. That sequence is read in DNA by messenger RNA, and amino acids are delivered for protein manufacture in the correct sequence by transfer RNA. The amino acids are then formed into proteins by ribosomal RNA. An added complication is that small changes in the sequence of amino acids specified by DNA sometimes takes place in a process known as RNA editing. This RNA editing occurs after the nucleotide sequence has been transcribed from DNA, but before it is translated into protein.

30A Six-time Oscar nominee Adams : AMY

Amy Adams is an American actress, although she was actually born in Vicenza, Italy while her father was a US serviceman stationed on an Italian base. My favorite Amy Adams film so far is the outstanding “Julie & Julia” in which she acted alongside Meryl Streep. I highly recommend this truly delightful movie.

32A Avenger with a hammer : THOR

The hammer associated with the Norse god Thor is known as Mjölnir. The name “Mjölnir” translates as “crusher”.

33A Mixed martial arts org. : UFC

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is the largest promoter in the world of mixed martial arts competitions. I think the idea is that competitors fight each other in various disciplines to see who is the “best of the best” …

43A Tennessee NFLer : TITAN

The Tennessee Titans football team is based in Nashville, having relocated to Nashville from Houston in 1997. The team was called the Tennessee Oilers for two seasons, before adopting the “Titans” moniker.

47A Argentine soccer star Lionel : MESSI

Lionel “Leo” Messi is a soccer player from Argentina. Before becoming a global superstar, a 13-year-old Messi was so impressive during a tryout that FC Barcelona’s sporting director immediately drew up his first contract on a paper napkin because no other paper was available. That napkin was later auctioned off for nearly $1 million.

48A Wild cards, maybe : JOKERS

Playing cards, in various forms, have been around for centuries and were probably invented in China. The Joker card is an American invention, appearing first in the late 1860s. It was introduced as a card for the game of Euchre, and the suggestion is that the term “Joker” comes from “Juker” or “Juckerspiel”, the original German name for Euchre.

49A Some antique cars : REOS

The REO Motor Company was founded by Ransom Eli Olds (hence the name REO). The company made cars, trucks and buses, and was in business from 1905 to 1975 in Lansing, Michigan. Among the company’s most famous models were the REO Royale 8 and the REO Flying Cloud.

50A Grub : CHOW

“Chow” is a slang term for “food” that originated in California in the mid-1800s. “Chow” comes from the Chinese pidgin English “chow-chow” meaning “food”.

53A Valley where it’s easy to get a cab? : NAPA

Napa Valley in California is home to over 400 wineries, the first being established in 1858. Napa is also home to over 100 different grape varieties, the most popular being cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, and pinot noir.

56A 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”.

59A Taxpayer’s rep : CPA

Certified public accountant (CPA)

62A Nike rival : PUMA

The German sportswear company Puma was founded in 1948 by Rudolf Dassler, the elder brother of Adidas founder Adolf Dassler.

65A Negotiating with Mephistopheles? : ON THE FAUST TRACK

Faust is a character from a classic German legend who makes a pact with the devil. He agrees to exchange his soul for worldly gratification and unlimited knowledge. Mephistopheles is the demonic figure who acts as an agent of Lucifer to collect the souls of those who wager their lives for forbidden knowledge.

69A Trembling violin tone : VIBRATO

The vibrato musical effect is a regular, pulsating change of pitch. A tremor in the diaphragm or larynx can give rise to vibrato in a singing voice. On a stringed instrument, the vibrato effect is usually achieved by wobbling the finger while stopping a string on a fingerboard.

72A Scotts Miracle-Gro brand : ORTHO

Ortho is a brand of weed killer owned by Scotts Miracle-Gro.

78A Tariff on marble sculptures? : STATUE TAX

Tariffs are taxes imposed by a government on imported goods or services. They serve several purposes, including protecting domestic industries by making imported goods more expensive for consumers in the nation imposing the tariffs, generating revenue for the government, and influencing international trade policy. While tariffs can protect domestic producers from foreign competition, they also lead to higher prices for consumers and potentially trigger retaliatory tariffs from other countries, leading to trade wars.

84A “The Sweetest Taboo” singer : SADE

“The Sweetest Taboo” is a smooth jazz song recorded by the English band Sade for their 1985 album “Promise”. Released as the album’s lead single, it became their second consecutive number one single on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, after 1984’s “Smooth Operator”.

86A Some Italian sports cars, familiarly : ALFAS

The “Alfa” in “Alfa Romeo” is actually an acronym, one standing for Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili (“Lombard Automobile Factory, Public Company”). ALFA was an enterprise founded in 1909 and which was taken over by Nicola Romeo in 1915. In 1920 the company name was changed to Alfa Romeo.

94A Thumbnails in a music collection : ALBUM ART

The Latin word “album” translates as “white”. Back in the 17th century, public notices and lists of names were written on a board painted white, or in a souvenir book with white pages known as an “albo” (from “album”). Over time, the term “album” came to be used in English for a blank book created to collect signatures or other mementos. By the end of the 19th century, albums were used to collect photographs. The term “album” was applied to long-playing gramophone records as early as 1909, because the record sleeves resembled large photographic albums.

96A “The Mole” host Shapiro : ARI

Ari Shapiro served very ably as White House correspondent for National Public Radio (NPR) for several years. He then became a co-host of the network’s drive-time program “All Things Considered” in 2015. When he’s not working, Shapiro likes to sing. He appears regularly as a guest singer with the group Pink Martini, and has appeared on several of the band’s albums. He also turned up as host of the seventh season of the reality game show “The Mole”.

101A Surgical stitch : SUTURE

A suture is used to close an open wound. The term “suture” comes from the Latin word “suere” meaning “to sew”, the past participle of which is “sutus”.

103A “A __ of Their Own” : LEAGUE

“A League of Their Own” is a comedy drama film released in 1992 that tells a tale about the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League active during WWII. The lead actors were Tom Hanks and Geena Davis. The film spawned one of the most famous quotes in movie history: “There’s no crying in baseball!”

106A Booker T.’s band : MG’S

Booker T. & the M.G.’s were in effect the house band at Stax Records, and so appeared on loads of famous recordings including some by Wilson Pickett and Otis Redding. As such, they became synonymous with what became known as the Stax Sound. One of the unique things about the band was that it was racially integrated, with two white guys making a name for themselves in soul music, which at the time was very much part of black culture. And of course Booker T. & the M.G.’s produced the fabulous 1962 hit “Green Onions”.

107A Pacific Northwest hub, familiarly : SEA-TAC

Sea-Tac Airport (SEA) is more fully known as Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Sea-Tac is the main hub for Alaska Airlines.

113A Airport safety gp. : TSA

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is the agency that employs the good folks who check passengers and baggage at airports.

116A Esquire publisher : HEARST

“Esquire” has been around for quite some time, first appearing on newsstands in 1933. The magazine’s circulation really took off in the thirties with the inclusion of pin-up girls painted by Alberto Vargas and George Petty.

118A Largest of the British Virgin Islands : TORTOLA

Tortola is one of the British Virgin Islands (BVI), a British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean located to the east of Puerto Rico. Tortola is the largest and most populated of the BVI, and is home to the territory’s capital Road Town.

125A Financial records : LEDGERS

A ledger is an account book. The term ”ledger” comes from the Middle English “leggen” meaning “to lay”. The original ledger was a large book “laid” in one particular place permanently, an example being a breviary in a church.

Down

1D Lunar holiday in Vietnam : TET

The full name for the New Year holiday in Vietnam is “Tet Nguyen Dan” meaning “Feast of the First Morning”, with the reference being to the arrival of the season of spring. Tet usually falls on the same day as Chinese New Year.

2D Drink served in a yard? : ALE

A yard of ale is a very tall glass, one that is just under a yard (three feet) long. It holds about 60 fluid ounces of beer. I’ve tried drinking out of one, and it is extremely difficult. There is a bulb at the bottom of the glass. When you get towards the end of the drink, that bulb causes a kind of airlock and the remainder of the beer rushes to the top of the glass, splashing you in the face.

4D __ and kin : KITH

The word “kith” describes friends and acquaintances, and is used in the phrase “kith and kin” meaning “friends and family”. “Kith” comes from an Old English word meaning “native country, home”, as the expression “kith and kin” was used originally to mean “country and kinsmen”.

6D Western Australia city : PERTH

Perth is the capital city of Western Australia. Perth earned itself the nickname of “City of Light” in 1962 as virtually all the town’s lights were turned on at full power when astronaut John Glenn passed overhead in earth orbit in Friendship 7, so that he could see the city below. The city gave a repeat performance for Glenn in 1998 when he passed overhead in the Space Shuttle in 1998.

9D Go on a bender : CAROUSE

The terms “jag” and “bender” describe periods of unrestrained activity, particularly those involving alcohol. Both words have been in use since the 1800s.

10D Saint of Assisi : FRANCIS

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.

12D Tell (on) : TATTLE

Something described as tattletale is revealing, it gives away a secret. The term is a combination of “tattle” and “tale”, and is probably patterned on the similar word “telltale”. “To tattle” means “to tell secrets”, and the noun “tattletale” applies to someone who tells secrets and informs.

13D Leafy green in the beet family : CHARD

Chard is a lovely leafy vegetable, in my humble opinion. It is the same species as the garden beet, but chard is grown for the leaves and beet is grown for the roots. Chard also goes by the names Swiss chard, silver beet and mangold. In some parts of Australia, it’s even known as spinach.

25D Singer-songwriter Wainwright : RUFUS

Singer and composer Rufus Wainwright is a member of a whole clan of musicians, being the son of folk legends Loudon Wainwright III and Kate McGarrigle. He began touring at age 13 with his mother and aunt (Anna McGarrigle) as part of the McGarrigle Sisters and Family. Rufus has received many accolades for his work, including praise from Elton John who dubbed him “the greatest songwriter on the planet”.

30D Capital of Ghana : ACCRA

Accra sits on Ghana’s coast and is a major seaport as well as the country’s capital city. The name “Accra” comes from a local word “Nkran” meaning “ants”, a name chosen because of the large number of anthills found in the area when the city was founded.

31D Drones, e.g. : MALES

Drone bees (and ants) are fertile males of the species, whose sole role in life seems to be to mate with a queen. Given that drone bees make no honey, we sometimes use the term “drone” figuratively, to describe a lazy worker, or someone who lives on the labors of others.

36D “The Sound of Music” governess : MARIA

“The Sound of Music” is a Rodgers and Hammerstein musical that was made into a celebrated movie in 1965 starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer. The musical is based on “The Story of the Trapp Family Singers”, a memoir by Maria von Trapp. The von Trapp family ended up in Stowe, Vermont after World War II. One family descended from the Vermont von Trapps lives in the same town in which I used to live in California.

39D Bugs on the road, briefly : VWS

“VW” stands for “Volkswagen”, which translates from German into “people’s car”. The original Volkswagen design was the Beetle and was built under a directive from Adolf Hitler, who wanted a cheap car built that ordinary people could afford to purchase. Hitler awarded the contract to engineer Ferdinand Porsche, whose name (paradoxically) would forever be associated with high performance, expensive cars. The Beetle was the official name of the VW model released in North America, but it was usually referred to as a “Bug” here in the US, and a “Beetle” elsewhere in the world.

41D Automaker based in Munich : BMW

The initialism “BMW” stands for “Bayerische Motoren Werke”, which translates into Bavarian Motor Works. BMW was making aircraft engines during WWI, but had to cease that activity according to the terms of the Treaty of Versailles. The company then started making motorcycles, and moved into automobile production starting in 1928. BMW moved back into aircraft engine manufacturing during the build-up of the Luftwaffe prior to WWII.

42D Element with the shortest name : TIN

The Latin word for tin is “stannum”, and so tin’s atomic symbol is “Sn”. One of the ores used as a source of tin is “stannite”.

44D 34th prez : IKE

When the future president was growing up, the Eisenhowers used the nickname “Ike” for all seven boys in the family, as “Ike” was seen as an abbreviation for the family name. “Big Ike” was Edgar, the second oldest boy. “Little/Young Ike” was Dwight, who was the third son born. Dwight had no sisters.

46D Joplin known as the “King of Ragtime” : SCOTT

Scott Joplin was a great American composer and pianist, the “King of Ragtime”. Joplin was born poor, into a laboring family in Texas. He learned his music from local teachers and started out his career as an itinerant musician, traveling around the American South. He found fame with the release of his 1899 composition “Maple Leaf Rag”, regarded as the foundation stone on which ragtime music was built. Joplin’s music, and ragtime in general, was rediscovered by the populace in the early seventies when it was used in the very successful movie “The Sting”.

48D Denver Nuggets point guard Murray : JAMAL

Canadian basketball player Jamal Murray was picked up by the Denver Nuggets as the seventh overall pick in the NBA’s 2016 draft. He earned the nickname “The Blue Arrow” while playing in college at the University of Kentucky. The Kentucky Wildcats played in “blue”, and Murray habitually mimicked shooting an “arrow” after making three-pointers.

51D Hostess goodies : HO-HOS

Ho Hos snack cakes were first produced in San Francisco in 1967. The “Happy Ho Ho” mascot was created for the brand in the 1970s, and was a cartoon character in a Robin Hood outfit. Ho Hos weren’t the best thing to come out of the sixties I’d say …

55D Detergent brand : PUREX

The Purex brand name originated in 1923, adopted by Lional and Ray Precourt as the name for a bleach product that they were making in the garage behind their Los Angeles home. The name is a portmanteau of “pure” and “excellence”.

59D Magna __ : CARTA

The Magna Carta is a landmark document issued in England in 1215. It represents the first time that an English king had to submit to the will of his subjects, a group of barons who sought to limit the powers of the monarchy. In particular the Magna Carta calls out that no freeman could be punished except through the law of the land. And famously, the Magna Carta was an inspiration for the United States Constitution.

61D Lenten symbol : ASHES

In the Christian tradition, the first day in the season of Lent is called Ash Wednesday. On that day, Palm Crosses from the prior year’s Palm Sunday are burned. The resulting ashes are mixed with sacred oil and then used to anoint worshipers on the forehead with the shape of a cross.

63D Knee parts, for short : ACLS

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of four major ligaments that support the knee. It is located in the center of the knee and connects the femur (thigh bone) to the tibia (shin bone).

65D “The Lord of the Rings” monsters : ORCS

According to Tolkien, Orcs are small humanoids that live in his fantasy world of Middle-earth. They are very ugly and dirty, and are fond of eating human flesh.

66D Young horses : FOALS

There are lots of terms to describe horses of different ages and sexes, it seems:

• Foal: horse of either sex that is less than one year old
• Yearling: horse of either sex that is one to two years old
• Filly: female horse under the age of four
• Colt: male horse under the age of four
• Gelding: castrated male horse of any age
• Stallion: non-castrated male horse four years or older
• Mare: female horse four years or older

67D Spiritual carving : TOTEM

“Totem” is a word used to describe any entity that watches over a group of people. As such, totems are usually the subjects of worship. Totem poles are really misnamed, as they are not intended to represent figures to be worshiped, but rather are heraldic in nature, and often celebrating the legends or notable events in the history of a tribe.

68D Sportages and Rios : KIAS

Kia’s Sportage is a compact SUV that has been manufactured since 1993.

The Kia Rio is a subcompact that has been in production since 1999, and has undergone several updates and redesigns over the years. The Rio was designed by Kia’s chief design officer, Peter Schreyer, who previously worked for Audi and is credited with designing the iconic Audi TT.

69D Italian scooter : VESPA

Vespa is a brand of motor scooter that was originally made in Italy (and now all over the world) by Piaggio. “Vespa” is Italian for “wasp”.

71D Candlelit dinner at the Geek Squad counter? : BEST BUY DATE

Best Buy is a retailer specializing in the supply of consumer electronics. Best Buy services include the famous “Geek Squad”, a band of technical experts that will help solve your computer and other consumer electronic problems.

74D Sotheby’s event featuring a Shakespeare original? : PLAY AUCTION

Sotheby’s is one of the world’s oldest auction houses, having opened its doors for business in 1744 in London. However, the company is now headquartered in New York City. Sotheby’s was taken private in 2019. While publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange, the tickersymbol was quite apt, i.e. “BID”.

76D Online source of red carpet coverage : E! NEWS

E! Entertainment Television started out in 1987 as Movietime, and hired on-air hosts such as Greg Kinnear and Paula Abdul. It was renamed in 1990 to E! Entertainment Television, underscoring the focus on Hollywood gossip and the like.

87D Ranchers’ ropes : LARIATS

Our word “lariat” comes from the Spanish “la reata” meaning “the rope”.

88D “Le __” : Chic song : FREAK

“Le Freak” is a fabulous disco song released by Chic in 1978. The lyrics were inspired by a 1977 incident at renowned New York City nightclub Studio 54. Two of the band members were turned away at the door, despite having been invited by Grace Jones. Nightclub staff told the pair to “F*** off!”, two words that later incorporated into the lyrics of “Le Freak”. Those two words evolved into the now famous lyrics “Freak out!”, which permeate the song.

90D Lumberjack contest that requires a lot of balance : ROLEO

The log-rolling competition traditionally engaged in by lumberjacks is referred to as “roleo”.

95D Athlete who plays home games near the Great Salt Lake : UTE

The Runnin’ Utes are the basketball team of the University of Utah. The team was given the nickname the Runnin’ Redskins back when Jack Gardner was the head coach from 1953 to 1971. The “Runnin’” part of the name was chosen because Gardner was famous for playing quick offenses. The “Redskins” name was later dropped in favor of the less controversial “Utes”.

97D #marinara, e.g.? : RAGU TAG

The Ragú brand of pasta sauce was introduced in 1937. The name ”Ragù” is the Italian word for a sauce used to dress pasta, however the spelling is a little off in the name of the sauce. In Italian, the word is “Ragù” with a grave accent over the “u”, but if you look at a jar of the sauce on the supermarket shelf it is spelled “Ragú” on the label, with an acute accent. Sometimes I think we just don’t try …

Italians use the term “marinara” not for a sauce, but in the name of a recipe that includes a tomato-based sauce. For example, “spaghetti alla marinara” would be a spaghetti dish, served “mariner’s style”. The tomato sauce that we call “marinara” is called “salsa di pomodoro” in Italy.

100D McIlroy’s org. : PGA

Rory McIlroy is a very successful golfer from Northern Ireland. He became a world number one at a relatively young age, so folks can’t help but compare him to Tiger Woods. He was the first European to win three different majors. Along with Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, and Jordan Spieth, McIlroy is one of only four people to win three majors by the age of 25.

109D Honey producers : BEES

Honey bees (mainly) make the viscous food substance that we know as honey. Amazingly, very few microorganisms can survive in or on honey, and so sealed honey can last thousands of years. The oldest known honey deposits were found lining clay vessels in tombs in the nation of Georgia, deposits that were about 5,000 years old.

115D Greek Mars : ARES

The Greek god Ares is often referred to as the Olympian god of warfare, but originally he was regarded as the god of bloodlust and slaughter. He united with Aphrodite to create several gods, including Phobos (Fear), Deimos (Terror) and Eros (Desire). Ares was the son of Zeus and Hera, and the Roman equivalent to Ares was Mars.

117D Salted part of a margarita glass : RIM

No one seems to know for sure who first created the margarita cocktail. The most plausible and oft-quoted is that it was invented in 1941 in Ensenada, Mexico. The barman mixed the drink for an important visitor, the daughter of the German ambassador. The daughter’s name was Margarita Henkel, and she lent her name to the new drink. The basic recipe for a margarita is a mixture of tequila, orange-flavored liqueur (like Cointreau) and lime juice.

120D Pastrami sandwich bread : RYE

In the US, pastrami was originally called “pastrama”, and was a dish brought to America by Jewish immigrants from Romania in the second half of the nineteenth century. The original name may have evolved from the Turkish word “pastirma” meaning “pressed”. “Pastrama” likely morphed into “pastrami” influenced by the name of the Italian sausage called salami.