LA Times Crossword 6 May 26, Wednesday

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Constructed by: Sita C. Palepu & David Y. Lin

Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Reveal Answer: Poker Night

Themed answers each start with a betting term used during POKER NIGHT:

• 55A Evening when one hopes to get a good deal, and when one might hear the starts of 18-, 23-, 37-, and 47-Across : POKER NIGHT

• 18A “I say we’re square now” : CALL IT EVEN
• 23A Set new, higher standards : RAISE THE BAR
• 37A Versatile home office device : ALL-IN-ONE PRINTER
• 47A Do a washday chore : FOLD LAUNDRY

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

Bill’s time: 7m 32s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

10A Fashion designer Cassini : OLEG

French-born American fashion designer Oleg Cassini developed a reputation for designing costumes for films, and dressing numerous film stars. He had two big names particularly associated with his designs. In the sixties he produced the state wardrobe for First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy. He was also the exclusive designer for Hollywood’s Gene Tierney, who was Cassini’s second wife.

27A Pianist in “Casablanca” : SAM

There is a famous exchange in the movie “Casablanca” that results in the piano player Sam singing “As Time Goes By”.

Ilsa: Play it once, Sam. For old times’ sake.
Sam: I don’t know what you mean, Miss Ilsa.
Ilsa: Play it, Sam. Play “As Time Goes By.”
Sam: Oh, I can’t remember it, Miss Ilsa. I’m a little rusty on it.
Ilsa: I’ll hum it for you. Da-dy-da-dy-da-dum, da-dy-da-dee-da-dum…
Ilsa: Sing it, Sam.

29A Egrets, e.g. : HERONS

Herons have special “powder down” feathers that don’t molt but instead grow continuously and disintegrate at the tips into a fine, talc-like powder. The herons then spread this powder over their other feathers, using it as a natural waterproofing agent and to help clean off the oils from the fish they catch.

Egrets are a group of several species of white herons. Many egret species were faced with extinction in the 1800s and early 1900s due to plume hunting, a practice driven by the demand for egret plumes that could be incorporated into hats.

31A Family doctor, for short : PCP

Primary care physician (PCP)

37A Versatile home office device : ALL-IN-ONE PRINTER

An all-in-one printer is a multifunctional computer peripheral that typically incorporates a photocopier, printer and scanner.

40A Leavening agents : YEASTS

Leaven is a substance that causes bread to rise, perhaps yeast or baking powder. The term “leaven” comes into English via French from the Latin “levare” meaning “to rise”.

52A “The Daily Show” genre : SATIRE

“The Daily Show” debuted on Comedy Central in 1996 with host Craig Kilborn before Jon Stewart took over in 1999. Trevor Noah steered the program for seven years until 2022, until Stewart returned to anchor Monday nights in 2024. “The Daily Show” remains the network’s longest-running staple, garnering honors including more than 20 Primetime Emmy Awards.

54A Throwback diet : PALEO

The paleolithic (or “paleo, caveman”) diet is a fad diet that became popular in the 2000s. The idea is to eat wild plants and animals that would have been available to humans during the Paleolithic era (roughly the Stone Age). This period precedes the introduction of agriculture and the domestication of animals. As a result, someone on the diet avoids consuming grains, legumes, dairy and processed foods. The diet consists mainly of lean meat (about 45-65% of the total calorie intake), non-starchy vegetables, fruits, berries and nuts.

55A Evening when one hopes to get a good deal, and when one might hear the starts of 18-, 23-, 37-, and 47-Across : POKER NIGHT

The official birthplace of the incredibly popular poker game of Texas hold ’em is Robstown, Texas where the game dates back to the early 1900s. The game was introduced into Las Vegas in 1967 by a group of Texan enthusiasts including Doyle Brunson, a champion often seen playing on TV. Doyle Brunson published a poker strategy guide in 1978, and this really helped increase the popularity of the game. But it was the inclusion of Texas hold ‘em in the television lineup that really gave the game its explosive surge in popularity, with the size of the prize money just skyrocketing.

59A Journalist Lisa : LING

Lisa Ling is a journalist who is best known as a former co-host of the television show “The View”. Lisa’s younger sister is Laura Ling. Laura is one of the pair of journalists who were sentenced to 12 years hard labor in prison for illegal entry to North Korea, but who were released in 2009 after a visit from former President Bill Clinton.

63A __-Alt-Del : CTRL

Ctrl-Alt-Delete is a keyboard command on IBM PC compatible systems used for a soft reboot, or more recently to bring up the task manager in the Windows operating system. Bill Gates tells us that the command was originally just a device to be used during development and was never meant to “go live”. He once said that “Ctrl+Alt+Delete” was a mistake, and that he would have preferred a dedicated key on the keyboard that carried out the same function.

65A First lady between Eleanor and Mamie : BESS

Harry Truman and Bess Wallace first met when they were very young children at Sunday school. They were friends right through high school and became engaged in 1918, just before Harry went off to France during WWI, and married the next year. Bess Truman never really took to the Washington scene when she became First Lady and stayed out of the limelight as much as she could. Perhaps that contributed to her longevity. Mrs. Truman lived to the age of 97, making her the longest living First Lady in US history.

First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt continued to lead a very active public life after her husband Franklin D. Roosevelt passed away. For example, President Roosevelt’s successor, Harry S. Truman appointed her as delegate to the UN General Assembly in 1945. In 1946, she became the chairperson of the UN Commission on Human Rights. The UN awarded Eleanor Roosevelt its Prize in the Field of Human Rights in the prize’s inaugural year of 1968, although this was six years after her death. President Truman called her the “First Lady of the World”, in recognition of her human rights achievements.

Mamie Eisenhower was surely one of the most charming of all the First Ladies of the United States. She suffered from an inner ear complaint called Ménière’s disease which caused her to lose her balance quite often. Because she was unsteady on her feet there were unfounded rumors floating around Washington that Ms. Eisenhower had a drinking problem. People can be very unkind …

Down

1D Instrument that may have 21 strings : SITAR

The sitar has been around since the Middle Ages. It is a stringed instrument that is played by plucking, and is used most often in Hindustani classical music. A key feature of the sitar is its set of sympathetic strings, which are not plucked but resonate in response to the main strings, contributing to its rich, shimmering sound. In the West we have been exposed to the instrument largely through the performances of Ravi Shankar and some music by George Harrison of the Beatles, a onetime student of Shankar.

2D “__ Holmes”: Millie Bobby Brown film : ENOLA

“The Enola Holmes Mysteries” is a series of detective novels for young adults by American author Nancy Springer. The title character is the 14-year-old sister of 34-year-old Sherlock Holmes, the detective created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Springer’s novels were adapted into a 2020 film “Enola Holmes” that Netflix picked up at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. I saw this one, and the sequel, and enjoyed both …

Actress Millie Bobby Brown was just twelve years old when she landed her breakthrough role, playing Eleven in the sci-fi horror show “Stranger Things”. I just admit that I really only know her from playing the title role in the very entertaining mystery movies “Enola Holmes” (2020) and “Enola Holmes 2” (2022). Brown was born to British parents in Marbella, Spain, and moved with them to Orlando, Florida when she was eight years old. In 2024, she married Jake Bongiovi, son of rock musician Jon Bon Jovi.

3D Brand of microwave popcorn : ACT II

Act II is a brand of popcorn that is marketed as having a taste and appearance that is similar to popcorn that we can buy at movie theaters.

6D UFC sport : MMA

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

7D Oft-torn knee pt. : 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).

9D Knightley of the Netflix series “Black Doves” : KEIRA

English actress Keira Knightley had her big break in the movies when she co-starred in 2002’s “Bend It Like Beckham”. Knightley played one of my favorite movie roles, Elizabeth Bennet in 2005’s “Pride and Prejudice”, although that isn’t the best adaptation of Austen’s novel in my humble opinion …

“Black Doves” is a London-based spy thriller starring Keira Knightley as Helen Webb, a professional secret agent working with a “spies for hire” group called the Black Doves. Ben Whishaw plays assassin Sam Young, who is assigned to protect Webb. It’s a great show, one that was much anticipated. It was renewed for a second season before the first episode in the first season had even aired.

13D __ X : GEN

The term “Generation X” originated in the UK where it was the name of a book by Jane Deverson. Her book detailed the results of a study of British youths in 1964, contrasting their lifestyle to those of previous generations. It was Canadian author Douglas Coupland who was responsible for popularizing the term, with his more successful publication “Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture”. By one definition, Gen Xers were born between 1961 and 1981.

19D Road goo : TAR

The terms “tarmac” and “macadam” are short for “tarmacadam”. In the 1800s, Scotsman John Loudon McAdam developed a style of road known as “macadam”. Macadam had a top-layer of crushed stone and gravel laid over larger stones. The macadam also had a convex cross-section so that water tended to drain to the sides. In 1901, a significant improvement was made by English engineer Edgar Purnell Hooley who introduced tar into the macadam, improving the resistance to water damage and practically eliminating dust. The “tar-penetration macadam” is the basis of what we now call “tarmac”.

24D Charlie’s Angels and the Powerpuff Girls : TRIOS

When the TV show “Charlie’s Angels” first aired in the mid-seventies, it was a little unusual in that it featured three women playing private detectives, a role usually reserved for men. The name first chosen for the show was “The Alley Cats”, then “Harry’s Angels”, before finally settling on “Charlie’s Angels”.

“The Powerpuff Girls” is a children’s animated television show that airs on the Cartoon Network.

28D Austin Powers player Mike : MYERS

Mike Myers does a great British accent, witness his performance in the madcap “Austin Powers” movies. He has an advantage though, as both his parents were British, and lived in Ontario, Canada.

The Austin Powers character was created by the actor who plays him, namely Mike Myers. Apparently Myers came up with the idea for Powers while listening to the Burt Bacharach song “The Look of Love”.

31D Writer/director Alexander with two Oscars for Best Adapted Screenplay : PAYNE

Alexander Payne is a film director from Omaha, Nebraska. Payne’s most famous movies would be “Election” (1999), “About Schmidt” (2002) and “Sideways” (2004), all of which I would recommend. Payne was married for a few years to actress Sandra Oh, whom he directed in the film “Sideways”.

35D Mexican condiment : CREMA

“Crema” is the Spanish word for “cream”.

38D Facility that may see 16 sunrises a day, familiarly : ISS

The International Space Station (ISS) is a modular facility that comprises components launched into space by Russian Proton and Soyuz rockets, and by American Space Shuttles. The station has been occupied by astronauts and scientists continually since November, 2000.

49D NFL tackling gp. : D-LINE

Defensive line (D-line)

50D Monopoly income : RENTS

The commercial game of Monopoly is supposedly a remake of “The Landlord’s Game” created in 1903 by a Quaker woman named Lizzie Magie. Magie used her game as a tool to explain the single tax theory of American economist Henry George. The Landlord’s Game was first produced commercially in 1924. The incredibly successful derivative game called Monopoly was introduced in 1933 by Charles Darrow, who became a very rich man when Parker Brothers bought the rights to the game just two years later in 1935.

51D Ashram leaders : YOGIS

A yogi is a master practitioner of yoga. A master practitioner who is female might be referred to as a yogini.

“Ashram” is a term used in the Hindu tradition to describe a place of spiritual retreat, one that is typically located in a remote location conducive to spiritual instruction and meditation.

55D Rank below cpl. : PFC

Private first class (PFC)

56D Steve Carell voice role : GRU

The main protagonist in the “Despicable Me” movies is the supervillain Felonious Gru, usually referred to simply as “Gru”. Gru is voiced by Steve Carell.