LA Times Crossword 16 Jun 26, Tuesday

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Constructed by: Daniel Hrynick

Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Reveal Answer: Remote Start

Themed answers each start with a button found on a REMOTE:

• 55A Convenient car feature on a cold winter morning, or a feature of 19-, 27-, and 44-Across? : REMOTE START

• 19A Build a snow fort or catch frogs : PLAY OUTSIDE
• 27A What a deeply regretful person may wish to do : REWIND THE CLOCK
• 44A Stop mid-story to add suspense, say : PAUSE FOR EFFECT

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

Bill’s time: 5m 26s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

5A 24 hours : DAY

Counting systems based on the number 12 have been around since the days of the Babylonians and Sumerians. The choice of the number twelve may be due to the fact that there are twelve cycles of the moon in a year. It is also possible that 12 was chosen as there is a convenient way to use one’s hand to count in groups of twelve. The thumb can be placed on each of the three phalanges of the forefinger to count to three, and then placed on each of the phalanges of the remaining fingers to count up to six, nine and ultimately twelve. It’s true, just try it …

12A Nevada gambling town : RENO

The city of Reno’s economy took off when open gambling was legalized in Nevada in 1931. Within a short time, a syndicate had built the Bank Club in Reno, which was the largest casino in the world at the time.

15A Tilt-A-Whirl, e.g. : RIDE

The Tilt-A-Whirl is a fairground ride that has seven cars on a spinning platform, with the cars rotating freely and randomly. Each of the cars holds 3-4 riders; pretty nauseated riders at times.

16A Overnight __: breakfast dish : OATS

Overnight oats are a convenient, no-cook breakfast made by soaking rolled or steel-cut oats in a liquid (perhaps milk, yogurt or simply water) to soften them into a creamy, chilled meal by morning. I go for a high-powered alternative called BROL, a high-fiber blend of Barley, Rye, Oats, and Lentils (hence the acronym). I prepare it in batches that last a few days, in an Instant Pot.

35A Qatar’s capital : DOHA

Doha is the capital city of the Persian Gulf state of Qatar. The name “Doha” translates from Arabic as “big tree” or “roundness”.

39A Wrinkly little dog : PUG

The pug is a dog breed of Chinese origin. Our last family pet was a boxer/pug cross, and was a good-looking mutt!

43A Insurance giant bailed out in 2008 : AIG

“AIG” is an initialism used by the American International Group, a giant insurance corporation. After repeated bailouts by American taxpayers starting in 2008, the company made some serious PR blunders by spending large amounts of money on executive entertainment and middle management rewards. These included a $444,000 California retreat, an $86,000 hunting trip in England, and a $343,000 getaway to a luxury resort in Phoenix. Poor judgment, I’d say …

49A Food Network figure : CHEF

Food Network is a cable television network, first broadcasting in 1993, that launched the careers of many famous celebrity chefs, including Emeril Lagasse, Bobby Flay, Rachael Ray, and Ina Garten. Food Network also spawned a number of popular cooking competition shows, such as “Chopped,” “Iron Chef America,” and “Food Network Star.”

50A __ Lanka : SRI

The island nation of Sri Lanka lies off the southeast coast of India. The name “Sri Lanka” translates from Sanskrit into English as “venerable island”. Before 1972, Sri Lanka was known as Ceylon, a name given to the country during British rule.

51A “For __ a jolly good fellow … ” : HE’S

“For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow” is the second-most popular song in the English language according to the “Guinness Book of World Records”. Top of the list is “Happy Birthday to You”, with “Auld Lang Syne” in third place.

61A Bright celestial events : NOVAS

A nova (plural “novae”) is basically a star that suddenly gets much brighter, gradually returning to its original state weeks or even years later. The increased brightness of a nova is due to increased nuclear activity as the star picks up extra hydrogen from a neighboring celestial body. A supernova is very different from a nova. A supernova is a very bright burst of light and energy created when most of the material in a star explodes.

62A Creole vegetable : OKRA

Here in North America, we tend to associate Creole cuisine with Louisiana. However, the term “Creole cuisine” applies to several areas of the world, areas within the reach of the French, Portuguese and Spanish colonial empires. One definition of Creole culture refers to peoples of European origin, born in the New World, and who have integrated with local cultures. As a result, we encounter a variety of Creole-named cuisines beyond Louisiana, in places like Cuba, Brazil, Peru, Jamaica, Réunion and Cape Verde. All the variations share a leaning towards spiciness, the use of simpler techniques in preparing the food (stewing, frying, etc.), and the use of local products in traditional European dishes.

64A __ Valley, California : DEATH

Death Valley is a spectacular desert valley in California that is part of the Mojave Desert. Badwater Basin in Death Valley is the lowest point in North America, sitting at 282 feet below sea level. Remarkably, Badwater Basin is located just 84 miles from Mount Whitney, the highest point in the contiguous United States.

65A Ancient city in modern Turkey : TROY

The ancient city of Troy was located on the west coast of modern-day Turkey. The Trojan War of Greek mythology was precipitated by the elopement of Helen, the wife of the king of Sparta, with Paris of Troy. The war itself largely consisted of a nine-year siege of Troy by the Greeks. We know most about the final year of that siege, as it is described extensively in Homer’s “Iliad”. The city eventually fell when the Greeks hid soldiers inside the Trojan Horse, which the Trojans brought inside the city’s walls. Beware of Greeks bearing gifts …

67A Mets’ div. : NLE

National League East (NLE)

68A Mr. Potato Head attachments : EARS

Mr. Potato Head (now just “Potato Head”) is an enduring and popular toy that has been around since its invention by George Lerner in 1949. In its original form, the toy was a collection of eyes, ears, and other facial features that were designed to be stuck into a real potato. Mr. Potato Head also has the distinction of being the first toy ever to be advertised on television.

Down

1D Familiar plot device : TROPE

A trope is a figure of speech. The term “trope” comes from the Greek word “tropos” that has the same meaning. The term has evolved in meaning to also describe a common or overused device or theme.

7D Bigfoot cousin : YETI

The yeti, also known as the abominable snowman, is a beast of legend. “Yeti” is a Tibetan term, and the beast is fabled to live in the Himalayan regions of Nepal and Tibet. Our equivalent legend in North America is that of Bigfoot, also known as Sasquatch. The study of animals whose existence has not yet been substantiated is called cryptozoology, and a cryptid is a creature or plant that isn’t recognized by the scientific community, but the existence of which has been suggested.

The sasquatch (also “Bigfoot”) is our North American equivalent of the yeti, the ape-like creature said to inhabit the Himalayas. Bigfoot is supposedly hiding out mainly in the Pacific Northwest of North America.

8D Dog kennel greeting : ARF!

Our word “kennel” meaning “doghouse” comes from the Vulgar Latin word “canile” meaning the same thing. A sheep (“ovis”) was kept in an “ovile”, a horse (“equus”) in an “equile”, and a dog (“canis”) in a “canile”.

31D The Blackhawks, on scoreboards : CHI

The Chicago Blackhawks are one of the “Original Six”, six teams still playing in the NHL who were the only league members from 1942 to 1967. The other five teams are the Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins and New York Rangers.

32D Actress Dennings : KAT

Kat Dennings is the stage name of actress Katherine Litwack, who is noted today for her co-starring role on CBS’s sitcom “2 Broke Girls”. On the big screen, she plays the somewhat humorous character Dr. Darcy Lewis in the “Thor” series of films. Dennings is an avid blogger, and you can check out her video blog on YouTube.

38D Long-running joke in the opening credits of “The Simpsons” : COUCH GAG

Viewers of “The Simpsons” TV show are used to seeing an ever-varying, short “couch gag” at the beginning of each episode. The whole family is introduced to the audience, usually rushing towards a couch to watch TV together. All sorts of things happen along the way. I don’t watch “The Simpsons” (don’t all yell at me!), so I am not familiar with the range of gags …

40D Old audio systems : HI-FIS

Hi-fi systems were introduced in the late 1940s. They are pieces of audio equipment designed to give a much higher quality reproduction of sound than cheaper systems available up to that point. “Hi-fi” stands for “high fidelity”.

47D Yoga energy point : CHAKRA

Chakras are energy centers in the body that are believed to correspond to different aspects of the physical, emotional, and spiritual self. There are seven main chakras, located along the spine from the base of the spine to the crown of the head. Each chakra is associated with a different color, element, and emotion.

56D Faucet brand : MOEN

The Moen line of faucets was started in 1956 by inventor Alfred M. Moen. It was Moen who invented the first single-handed mixing faucet.