LA Times Crossword 29 Apr 26, Wednesday

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Constructed by: Yijing Chen

Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Reveal Answer(s): Poles Apart

There is a type of POLE hidden in each of the themed answers, but broken APART, at either end of the answer:

• 35A With 39-Across, diametrically opposed, or what this puzzle’s sets of circled letters are : POLES …
• 39A See 35-Across : … APART

• 20A Cinematic cultural phenomenon in the summer of 2023 : BARBENHEIMER (BARB-ER POLE)
• 29A Abolitionist known for her “Ain’t I a Woman” speech : SOJOURNER TRUTH (SO-UTH POLE)
• 44A Literary movement that included Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Allen Ginsberg : BEAT GENERATION (BEA-N POLE)
• 54A Micronutrient such as zinc or iodine : TRACE ELEMENT (T-ENT POLE)

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

Bill’s time: 7m 11s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

5A Oft-pickled pod : OKRA

Okra seeds can be processed just like coffee beans, roasted and ground to make a coffee-like beverage that contains no caffeine. They were a popular substitute for coffee beans when the supply of coffee from South America was disrupted during the American Civil War.

14A Actor Clive : OWEN

English actor Clive Owen first grabbed the public’s attention in his native land in the early nineties, when he played the lead in a popular TV show called “Chancer” about a likable conman. I’m guessing that his most notable movie appearance is the supporting role he had in the 2004 film “Closer”, alongside Julia Roberts, Jude Law and Natalie Portman. More recently, I enjoyed his performance in the TV mini-series “Monsieur Spade”, in which he played the title character, Dashiell Hammett’s private detective Sam Spade.

15A Eclipse body : MOON

A lunar eclipse occurs when the moon passes into the shadow cast by the Earth from the light of the Sun, in other words when the Earth is positioned directly between the Sun and the Moon. The more spectacular solar eclipse takes place when the Moon passes in front of the Sun, so that the Earth falls into the shadow cast by the Moon.

16A Voice above baritone : TENOR

A tenor (plural “tenori”) is a male voice that falls between that of a countertenor and a baritone. The word “tenor” comes from the Latin “tenere” meaning “to hold”. This etymology refers to the tenor part that carries the sustained melody (canto fermo) of a traditional polyphonic composition.

17A The Fates, e.g. : TRIO

The three Fates of Greek mythology were white-robed deities, and were also called the Moirai. The three Fates were Clotho the spinner, Lachesis the allotter and Atropos the unturnable.

20A Cinematic cultural phenomenon in the summer of 2023 : BARBENHEIMER (BARB-ER POLE)

The cinematic phenomenon known as “Barbenheimer” was centered around the same-day release of two major, and contrasting, films on the same day in July of 2023. The phenomenon’s name is a portmanteau of the movie titles: “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer”. “Oppenheimer” won out in that season’s Academy Award battle, receiving seven Oscars versus one for “Barbie”. Personally, I loved both films …

23A Since Jan. 1 : YTD

Year-to-date (YTD)

29A Abolitionist known for her “Ain’t I a Woman” speech : SOJOURNER TRUTH (SO-UTH POLE)

Sojourner Truth (real name “Isabella Baumfree”) was an African-American abolitionist and women’s rights activist. Truth was born a slave in New York State, and freed in 1827. She became famous for her speeches against slavery, including her most famous address “Ain’t I a Woman?” that was delivered at the Women’s Convention in Akron, Ohio in 1851.

The geographic North Pole is located in the middle of the Arctic Ocean, although there is almost always a covering of sea ice at that location. The geographic South Pole is located on land, on the continent of Antarctica.

38A Cal. divisions : MOS

Month (mo.)

41A Purple yam : UBE

Ube is a species of yam that is purple in color. I’m a big fan of ube ice cream. Yam-flavored ice cream; what’s not to like?!

42A Vehicle that can really move? : VAN

The vehicle we call a “van” takes its name from “caravan”, and so “van” is a shortened version of the older term. Back in the 1600s, a caravan was a covered cart. We still use the word “caravan” in Ireland to describe what we call a “mobile home” or “recreational vehicle” here in the US.

43A Hurdle for M.A. hopefuls : GRE

Passing the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is usually a requirement for entry into graduate school here in the US.

44A Literary movement that included Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Allen Ginsberg : BEAT GENERATION (BEA-N POLE)

The group of American writers known as the Beat Generation first came to prominence at a poetry reading at the Six Gallery in San Francisco in October of 1955. Five young poets presented their work that day:

• Allen Ginsberg
• Philip Lamantia
• Michael McClure
• Gary Snyder
• Philip Whalen

Lawrence Ferlinghetti was a poet and publisher. He served as a captain of an anti-submarine vessel during WWII, in support of the D-Day landings. In 1956, he published “Howl and Other Poems” by Allen Ginsberg, which resulted in Ferlinghetti being arrested for disseminating obscene literature. He was acquitted in 1957, and 1958 Ferlinghetti published his own collection of poems, “A Coney Island of the Mind”, his most famous work.

Allen Ginsberg was a poet from Newark, New Jersey whose name became inextricably linked with the Beat Generation of the 1950s and the counterculture of the 1960s. His most famous work is the 1955 poem “Howl”, in which Ginsberg denounces capitalism and conformity in the US.

50A Some Middle Easterners : SYRIANS

The modern state that we know as Syria was established after WWI as a French mandate. Syria was granted independence from France in 1946.

51A Yalie : ELI

“Eli” is the nickname for a graduate of Yale University, and a term used in honor of the Yale benefactor Elihu Yale.

52A Numeral associated with “The Force Awakens” : VII

“Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens” is the seventh episode in the “Star Wars” series of films. Several favorite characters return in “Star Wars VII”, including Han Solo (Harrison Ford), Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and General Leia Organa (or “Princess Leia” in earlier films, played by Carrie Fisher).

54A Micronutrient such as zinc or iodine : TRACE ELEMENT (T-ENT POLE)

The metal zinc is an essential trace element in the human diet. There are 2-4 grams of zinc in the body typically, with the highest concentrations in the eyes and the male prostate gland.

Iodine is the essential trace element primarily responsible for the synthesis of thyroid hormones, which regulate the body’s metabolic rate and protein synthesis. It is only required in microscopic amounts, but its absence can lead to significant developmental and metabolic issues.

57A __ powder : CHILI

Chili powder is made by drying one or more types of chile pepper, and then grinding the dried fruit into a powder. Other spices can be added to make a chili powder blend or chili seasoning mix.

60A Hot rod’s rod : AXLE

A hot rod is an American car that has been modified for speed by installing a larger than normal engine. A street rod is generally a more comfortable type of hot rod, with the emphasis less on the engine and more on custom paint jobs and interiors. By definition, a street rod must be based on an automobile design that originated prior to 1949.

62A Bamboozles : DUPES

A dupe is someone who is easily fooled, a “live one”, one who can fall victim to deception.

It’s thought that the lovely word “bamboozle” came into English from the Scottish “bombaze” meaning “perplex”. We’ve been using “bamboozle” since the very early 1700s.

64A Vermeer’s “__ With a Pearl Earring” : GIRL

Johannes (also “Jan”) Vermeer was born in the city of Delft in 1632, and died there some 43 years later. The name “Vermeer” is a contraction of “van der meer”, which translates as “from the sea/lake”. I just love Vermeer’s paintings, and his wonderful use of light. A great example of such a work is his “Girl with a Pearl Earring”. If you haven’t seen it, I thoroughly recommend the 2003 movie “Girl with a Pearl Earring” starring Scarlett Johansson as the girl in the painting, and Colin Firth as Vermeer. The movie is based on a novel of the same name by Tracy Chevalier, so it’s all just a great story as opposed to a documentary. The way the movie is shot really reflects the qualities of a Vermeer work of art.

66A Small vortex : EDDY

Vortex (plural “vortices”) is something resembling a whirlpool. The term “vortex” comes from the Latin verb “vertere” meaning “to turn”.

Down

2D “Fiddlesticks!” : AW, RATS!

We’ve been using “fiddlesticks” to mean “nonsense” since the early 17th century. Prior to that time, “fiddlestick” just referred to the bow of a fiddle.

6D Acceptable, casually : KOSHER

According to Jewish dietary laws, kosher food is fit to eat, and food that is not fit to eat is referred to as treif (or “tref”). The usage of “kosher” has extended to include anything considered legitimate.

9D F1 circuit type : STREET

In motor racing, the designation “formula” is a set of rules that all participants and cars must abide by. The definition of “Formula One” was agreed back in 1946, with the “one” designating that it is the most advanced of the “formulae”, and the most competitive.

21D Endor inhabitants : EWOKS

The fictional forested moon of Endor features prominently in the “Star Wars” movie “Return of the Jedi”. The moon is home to the race of furry aliens known as Ewoks. Filming for the forest scenes actually took place in Humboldt Redwoods State Park in Northern California.

27D New hullabaloo : STIR

Our word “hullabaloo”, meaning “commotion”, is a derivative of an older term “hollo-ballo”. “Hollo-ballo” was a word used for an uproar in the north of England and Scotland.

37D “O, that way madness lies” king : LEAR

“That way madness lies” is a phrase meaning “taking such an action could drive one crazy”, and is a direct quote from Shakespeare’s “King Lear”. The title character speaks the line while expressing grief for the selfish and cruel behavior of his daughters:

O Regan, Goneril,
Your old kind father, whose frank heart gave all—
Oh, that way madness lies. Let me shun that.
No more of that.

38D Use Beard Club products, perhaps : MANSCAPE

The practice of men removing and trimming their body hair is known as “manscaping”, a portmanteau of “man” and “landscaping”.

39D “Glee” teen played by Kevin McHale : ARTIE

Artie Abrams is a character in the Fox television show “Glee”. He is played by the young actor Kevin McHale, and is the character who gets around in a wheelchair.

40D Smallest Canadian prov. : PEI

Prince Edward Island (PEI) is a maritime Canadian province. The island at the center of the province was named for Prince Edward, the fourth son of King George III and the father of Queen Victoria. PEI is the smallest Canadian province, both in terms of land area and population.

42D __ cava : VENA

The superior vena cava is a large vein carrying deoxygenated blood from the upper part of the body to the right atrium of the heart. The inferior vena cava does the same thing for the lower part of the body.

45D Mr. and Mrs. : TITLES

“Mr.” is an abbreviation for “mister”, and “Mrs.” is an abbreviation for “mistress”.

49D SF NFLers : NINERS

The 49ers football team in San Francisco takes its name from the gold prospectors who flooded into Northern California around 1849 during the California gold rush. These “1849 prospectors” became known as the “49ers”.

53D 2026 Olympics host : ITALY

Italy has hosted four Olympic Games:

• The 1956 Winter Olympics in Cortina d’Ampezzo
• The 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome
• The 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin
• The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina

56D Final Fantasy spellcaster : MAGE

“Final Fantasy” is a series of fantasy role-playing video games that is much-respected in the gaming community. The first game was released back in 1987.

57D Jewel case items : CDS

It seems that the derivation of the term “jewel case” (CD box) is unclear. One suggestion is that initial prototypes weren’t very successful, so when a workable design was found it was dubbed the “jewel” case.