LA Times Crossword 21 Mar 26, Saturday

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Constructed by: Kyle Dolan

Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Theme: None

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

Bill’s time: 34m 27s

Bill’s errors: 3

• FIXED (fused)
• DIANE (Duane)
• TEXTS (tests)

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1A Shell station? : PASTA BAR

Pasta shells are more correctly known as “conchiglie”, coming from the Italian word for “seashell”.

15A The 24 Hours of Le Mans, e.g. : AUTO RACE

Le Mans is a city in northwestern France. It is famous for the 24 Hours of Le Mans sports car race that has been held annually since 1923. The 24-hour race uses the city’s race track, but closed city streets are also used for part of the circuit.

16A Networking aid : ROUTER

In the world of computing, a router is a device that helps direct traffic, as it were. A router in a house is often found in combination with a modem, and directs traffic between the Internet and the computers in the home.

17A Exams with answers provided by parents : DNA TESTS

The first commercial DNA tests for ancestry were launched in 2000 by FamilyTreeDNA. At-home DNA testing can lead to life-altering discoveries by uncovering hidden family secrets, such as previously unknown affairs or the existence of half-siblings. Even for those who choose not to test, the growing use of public genetic databases by law enforcement means a distant relative’s results can be used to track down family members or solve cold cases through genetic genealogy.

18A World capital named for a river : OTTAWA

The Ottawa River takes its name from the Odawa people, an Algonquin nation. The city of Ottawa changed its name to that of the river, from Bytown, in 1855. The original townsite was called Bytown after Captain John By who completed the Rideau Canal that runs from Kingston on Lake Ontario to present-day Ottawa.

19A Headgear that sparked a riot in 1922 New York City : STRAW HAT

Believe it or not, there was a Straw Hat Riot in 1922 in New York City after youths began snatching and stomping on headwear worn past the “official” September 15 cutoff for summer fashion. It was a bizarre multi-day brawl leading to dozens of arrests and hospitalizations as men fought to defend their seasonal style. Oh dearie me …

20A Christmas delivery? : NOEL

“Noël” is the French word for the Christmas season, and ultimately comes from the Latin word for “birth” (natalis). “Noel” has come to be used as an alternative for “Christmas carol”.

22A American painter James __ Whistler : MCNEILL

James Abbott McNeill Whistler was an American-born painter who spent most of his working life in Britain. His most famous work is the 1871 painting usually referred to as “Whistler’s Mother”. That actual title of the piece is “Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1”.

25A Chef’s coat? : TEFLON

Teflon is a brand name for the polymer called PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene). Teflon is used as a coating for nonstick pans, a lubricant in machinery and as a graft material in surgery. Dupont discovered PTFE in 1938, and registered Teflon as a trademark in 1945.

29A Harlem Renaissance writer Locke : ALAIN

Author and philosopher Alain LeRoy Locke was the first African American Rhodes Scholar, and studied in Oxford and Berlin. Years later, Locke was the philosophical architect of what became known as the Harlem Renaissance, and indeed is often referred to as the Harlem Renaissance’s “Dean”.

“Harlem Renaissance” is the term used to describe a cultural movement in the 1920s that was known at the time as the “New Negro Movement”. The movement involved new cultural expression by African Americans that was centered mainly in urban areas in the northeast and midwest, and that was especially vibrant in New York City’s Harlem neighborhood.

35A Joint-stabilizing band, for short : ACL

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).

37A Tree cultivated for its seeds more than 5,000 years ago : CACAO

Chocolate is made from the seeds of the Theobroma cacao tree. The seeds are very bitter and the traditional drink made with the seed was called “xocolatl” by the Aztecs, meaning “bitter water”. Our word “chocolate” comes from “xocolatl”.

38A Magic City residents : MIAMIANS

The Florida city of Miami is sometimes referred to as “Magic City”, a nickname said to have originated in a 1900 promotional brochure to describe the town’s transformation from a tiny settlement of 300 people into a bustling city in just four years. This rapid growth was spurred by the 1896 arrival of the Florida East Coast Railway, which linked Miami to Jacksonville in the north of the state.

42A “The Leavers” novelist Ko : LISA

Author Lisa Ko launched her literary career in 2017 with her debut novel “The Leavers”, which was a national bestseller and prize winner. The novel explores undocumented immigration and transracial adoption. “The Leavers” was inspired by the true story of an undocumented immigrant from China who was arrested in Florida and spent 18 months in detention.

43A Marvel hero Cage : LUKE

“Luke Cage” is a Netflix TV show based on the Marvel Comics superhero of the same name. The title character is a reformed convict with superhuman strength, and is portrayed by Mike Colter. Nope. Not for me …

52A Reef denizen : MORAY EEL

Morays are a large group of about 200 species of eels found across the world’s oceans. They are carnivorous and look pretty scary but they’re quite shy when confronted and present no threat to humans. One interesting thing about morays is that they will sometimes work in cooperation with the grouper fish found in reefs, the two helping each other hunt for food.

Down

6D Open, as a piñata : BASH IN

Piñatas originated in Mexico, probably among the Aztecs or Mayans. Today’s piñatas are usually made from cardboard that is brightly decorated with papier-mâché. Traditionally a piñata was made out of a clay pot, adorned with feathers and ribbons and filled with small treasures. During religious ceremonies the clay pots would be suspended and broken open so that the contents would spill out onto the ground at the feet of a god as an offering.

9D Battleship precursor : IRONCLAD

Ironclads were the mid-19th-century warships that were first used in battle during the American Civil War. By definition, an ironclad had a hull that was skinned in iron, was steam-powered, and had guns that fired explosive shells.

12D Granita kin : ITALIAN ICE

Granita is a semi-frozen dessert in Italian cuisine that resembles sorbet, with the difference being that granita is usually less smooth and more crystalline.

13D Bit of Persian language? : MEW

The Persian is that long-haired cat with a squashed muzzle. The breed takes its name from its place of origin, namely Persia (Iran).

14D Young fig. : ERA

Cy Young was a pitcher in the major leagues from 1890-1911. Young is remembered for pitching the first perfect game of baseball’s modern era. Soon after he died in 1955, the Cy Young Award was created and is presented to the best pitcher in each baseball season.

22D Rumble : MELEE

Our term “melee” comes from the French “mêlée”, and in both languages the word means “confused fight”.

23D Outfitter with signature boots : LL BEAN

L.L.Bean (note the lack of spaces in the company name) was founded back in 1912 in Freeport, Maine as a company selling its own line of waterproof boots. The founder, Leon Leonwood Bean, gave his name to the enterprise. Right from the start, L.L.Bean focused on mail-order and sold from a circular he distributed and then from a catalog. Defects in the initial design led to 90% of the first boots sold being returned, and the company made good on its guarantee to replace them or give back the money paid.

24D Grassy plains : LLANOS

“Llano” is a Spanish word meaning “plain, flat region”. The Llanos is a vast grassland in the northwest of South America.

25D Flooring option : TATAMI

A tatami is a traditional mat used on floors in Japan. The term “tatami” comes from the Japanese word “tatamu” meaning “to fold”, reflecting the fact that the mat is designed to be folded up for storage.

30D Designer von Furstenberg : DIANE

Diane von Fürstenberg (DVF) is a fashion designer from Brussels, now based in the US. Born Diane Halfin, she was Princess Diane of Fürstenberg from 1969 until 1972 while married to Prince Egon of Fürstenberg.

33D Spanish steps? : FLAMENCO

Flamenco is a style of Spanish music and dance. The origin of the word “flamenco” isn’t clearly understood, but the explanation that seems most credible to me is that it comes from Flanders in Northern Europe. Given that “flamenco” is the Spanish word for “Flemish” and Flanders is home to the Flemish people it makes perfect sense, doesn’t it?

34D React : BAT AN EYE

At least as far back as the 1800s, the term “batting” was used in falconry to describe the fluttering of a hawk’s wings while on a perch or a fist, as if the bird intended to fly away. The usage of “batting” extended to the fluttering of a human’s eyelids, giving us the expressions “batting an eye” and “batting an eyelid”.

36D Small digits : PINKIES

The use of “pinkie” or “pinky” for the little finger or toe comes into English from “pinkje”, the Dutch word for the same digit. Who knew …?

39D Do stuff? : MOUSSE

Our word “mousse” is an Old French term meaning “froth”.

40D Natural detox centers : LIVERS

The human liver has many functions, one of which is to store vital substances. The list of substances stored in the liver includes glucose (as glycogen), vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin B12, vitamin K, iron and copper. Another function of the liver is to produce bile, a substance stored in the gallbladder that aids in the digestion of fats. It also acts as a sophisticated filtration plant, processing 1.5 quarts of blood every single minute.

44D Eastern priest : LAMA

“Lama” is a Tibetan word meaning “chief, high priest”.

45D Simple wager choice : OVER

An over-under bet is a wager that a number will be over or under a particular value. A common over-under bet is made on the combined points scored by two teams in a game.

47D Catherine the Great portrayer Fanning : ELLE

Actress Elle Fanning first appeared on film in the 2001 movie “I Am Sam”, in which she played a younger version of her sister and fellow actor Dakota Fanning (a 2-year-old version of the character). One of her first major roles was Aurora/Sleeping Beauty alongside Angelina Jolie in the 2014 movie “Maleficent”. Fannin reprised the role in the 2019 sequel “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil”.

“The Great: An Occasionally True Story” is a very entertaining comedy-drama that takes an outrageous satirical look at the life and times of Russian empress Catherine the Great. Elle Fanning plays the title role, with English actor Nicholas Hoult playing Catherine’s husband Peter III. The show is based on a 2008 play of the same name by Australian playwright Tony McNamara. Lots of fun …

49D Chef Jiro of the documentary “Jiro Dreams of Sushi” : ONO

Jiro Ono is a Japanese celebrity chef and sushi master. He opened Sukiyabashi Jiro in 1965 in the Ginza district of Tokyo, an establishment that became the first sushi restaurant in the world to receive three stars from the “Michelin Guide”.