LA Times Crossword 5 Jul 26, Sunday

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Constructed by: Sheldon Polonsky

Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Theme: Extravehicular Activities

Themed answers are common phrases to which an “EXTRA” VEHICLE is added. Clever …

• 23A Most popular member of a 1960s television family? : FAVORITE JETSON (favorite son + jet)
• 38A “People walk all over me,” “No one appreciates my rugged good looks,” etc.? : CARPET PEEVES (pet peeves + car)
• 41A Just a hint of flavor in some ice cream? : VANILLA TEASE (ill at ease + van)
• 66A With 71-Across, terse rejection note? : SUBMISSION …
• 71A See 66-Across : … IMPOSSIBLE (“Mission: Impossible” + sub)
• 95A Part-time gig at a summer camp? : CABIN SIDE JOB (inside job + cab)
• 98A Perfect nursery gift for a future astronomer? : PLANET MOBILE (T-Mobile + plane)
• 117A Sign of overwork for a bird of prey? : EAGLE EYE STRAIN (eagle eyes + train)

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

Bill’s time: 15m 30s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1A Does some chiropractic work : ADJUSTS

Chiropractic is a type of alternative medicine that largely involves the adjustment of the spinal column. The term “chiropractic” was coined in the US in the late 1800s and comes from the Latinized Greek “chiro-” meaning “hand” and “praktikos” meaning “practical”.

14A Southeast Africa’s “Sunshine City” : HARARE

Harare is the capital of Zimbabwe, and the African nation’s largest city. It was founded by the British in 1890 as Fort Salisbury (later just “Salisbury”). The outpost was named after Lord Salisbury, who was Prime Minister of the UK at the time. Salisbury was renamed to Harare in 1982, on the second anniversary of the independence of Zimbabwe. The name “Harare” applied to the area in which Fort Salisbury had been erected. “Harare” is a local word meaning “It doesn’t sleep”, a word applied to locations with constant noise.

22A Takes a hand in Vegas, perhaps : ELOPES

Las Vegas is known as the Marriage Capital of the World due to the incredibly high number of weddings that take place there. Historically, the marriage “frenzy” started when it became relatively easy to get a marriage license, and when wedding ceremonies could be performed for a nominal fee.

23A Most popular member of a 1960s television family? : FAVORITE JETSON (favorite son + jet)

“The Jetsons” is an animated show from Hanna-Barbera that had its first run in 1962-1963, and then was recreated in 1985-1987. When it debuted in 1962 on ABC, “The Jetsons” was the network’s first ever color broadcast. “The Jetsons” is like a space-age version of “The Flintstones”. The four Jetson family members are George and Jane, the parents, and children Judy and Elroy. Residing with the family in Orbit City are their household robot Rosie and pet dog Astro.

26A Actor Guinness : ALEC

Alec Guinness initially turned down the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi in “Star Wars”, reportedly finding the script “fairy tale rubbish”. He negotiated for a percentage of the film’s gross earnings instead of a flat fee, a decision that made him incredibly wealthy as the film became a blockbuster.

33A Pore strip brand : BIORE

Bioré is a skincare brand owned by the Kao Corporation of Tokyo.

34A National park in Maine : ACADIA

Acadia National Park in Maine was created in 1919, although back then it was called Lafayette National Park in honor of the Marquis de Lafayette who famously supported the American Revolution. The park was renamed to Acadia in 1929. It is the oldest national park east of the Mississippi River.

46A Antidiscrimination in the workplace inits. : EEO

“Equal Employment Opportunity” (EEO) is a term that has been around since 1964 when the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) was set up by the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title VII of the Act prohibits employers from discriminating against employees on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin or religion.

58A Cornstarch brand : ARGO

Argo brand cornstarch first hit the store shelves way back in 1892.

66A With 71-Across, terse rejection note? : SUBMISSION …
71A See 66-Across : … IMPOSSIBLE (“Mission: Impossible” + sub)

The “Mission: Impossible” TV show featured the following line close to the start of each episode:

As always, should you or any of your I.M. Force be caught or killed, the Secretary will disavow any knowledge of your actions.

And then the tape self-destructed. Great stuff …

76A Grilled fruta on some tacos : PINA

In Spanish, “piña” (pineapple) is a “fruta” (fruit).

84A Heath bar alternative : SKOR

The candy bar named “Skor” is produced by Hershey’s. “Skor” is Swedish for “shoes”, and the candy bar’s wrapping features a crown that is identical to that found in the Swedish national emblem. What shoes have to do with candy, I don’t know …

89A Anderson of “WKRP in Cincinnati” : LONI

Loni Anderson’s best-remembered role is Jennifer Marlowe on the sitcom “WKRP in Cincinnati”. Anderson has been married four times, most famously to actor Burt Reynolds from 1988 to 1993.

The sitcom “WKRP in Cincinnati” was produced by MTM, the production company established by Mary Tyler Moore and her husband for “The Mary Tyler Moore Show”. “WKRP” was a successful enough show when it originally aired, but then became a blockbuster in syndication. It became MTM’s most-watched program, even outstripping the original “The Mary Tyler Moore Show”.

90A BOLO kin : APB

An All Points Bulletin (APB) is a broadcast from one US law enforcement agency to another.

A BOLO is a police alert, with the acronym standing for “be on the look-out”. A BOLO can also be called an APB, an “all-points bulletin”.

93A __ Games: Fortnite company : EPIC

Fortnite is a very, very popular online game that was released in 2017. There are several versions of the game, including the original Fortnite: Save the World.

107A Pt. of YMCA : ASSN

The YMCA (the Y) is a worldwide movement that has its roots in London, England. There, in 1844, the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) was founded with the intent of promoting Christian principles through the development of “a healthy spirit, mind and body”. The founder, George Williams, saw the need to create YMCA facilities for young men who were flocking to the cities as the Industrial Revolution flourished. He saw that these men were frequenting taverns and brothels, and wanted to offer a more wholesome alternative.

109A Naval fleet : ARMADA

The most famous armada was the Spanish fleet that sailed against England in order to overthrow Queen Elizabeth I in 1588. It failed in its mission, partly due to bad weather encountered en route. Ironically, the English mounted a similar naval attack against Spain the following year, and it failed as well.

115A Cesar who played the Joker : ROMERO

Cesar Romero was an American actor of Cuban descent from New York. He played a wide variety of roles on the big screen, but is remembered by many for playing the Joker on the “Batman” television show in the sixties.

117A Sign of overwork for a bird of prey? : EAGLE EYE STRAIN (eagle eyes + train)

Eagles have extraordinary eyesight that is several times stronger than that enjoyed by humans. The average eagle weighs about ten pounds, and yet has eyes that are about the same size as human eyes.

120A Summer months in Argentina : ENEROS

Argentina is the second largest country in South America (after Brazil), and the world’s largest Spanish-speaking nation. The name “Argentina” comes from the Latin “argentum”, the word for “silver”. It is thought that the name was given by the early Spanish and Portuguese conquerors who also named the Rio de la Plata (the “Silver River”). Those early explorers got hold of lots of silver objects that they found among the native population.

121A Ankle-related : TARSAL

The tarsals (also “tarsi”) are the ankle bones, and are equivalent to the carpals in the wrist.

125A Catch of the day choice : SEA BASS

“Sea bass” isn’t a single species, but rather a broad term encompassing various fish with similar characteristics. Prized for their firm, white flesh, sea bass are popular in culinary dishes around the globe.

Down

1D Italian auto, familiarly : ALFA

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 1910 and which was taken over by Nicola Romeo in 1915. In 1920 the company name was changed to Alfa Romeo.

3D “__ Talkin'”: 1975 Bee Gees hit : JIVE

“Jive Talkin’” is a 1975 song written and recorded by the Bee Gees. The rhythm of the song was inspired by the sound the group’s car made each day as it crossed a bridge on the way to the recording studios in Miami. As a result, the original title was “Drive Talking”.

4D Games org. that added a “P” to its initials in 2019 : USOC

The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) has a federal charter but it doesn’t receive any funds from the US government. As such, it has to engage in fundraising just like any other charitable organization. The USOPC was founded in 1894 as the United States Olympic Committee (USOC), and is headquartered in Colorado Springs. The committee renamed itself to the USOPC in 2019.

5D California’s Big __ : SUR

Big Sur is a lovely part of the California Coast located south of Monterey and Carmel. The name “Big Sur” comes from the original Spanish description of the area as “el sur grande” meaning “the big south”.

8D Missouri city nickname : ST JOE

The city of Saint Joseph (“St. Joe”) in Missouri was the westernmost point in the US that was accessible by rail after the Civil War. As such, it was a final stopping-off point as people headed out to the Wild West. The city takes its name from its founder, fur trader Joseph Robidoux. Robidoux apparently liked things named after himself and his family, as eight of the main streets downtown were named after his children, and another was named for his second wife!

11D Part of FWIW : IT’S

For what it’s worth (FWIW)

16D Band aide : ROADIE

A “roadie” is someone who loads, unloads and sets up equipment for musicians on tour, on the “road”.

19D Anka song with a Spanish title : ESO BESO

“Eso Beso” is Spanish for “That Kiss”, and is the title of a 1962 hit song recorded by Canadian-born singer Paul Anka.

36D Source of indigo : ANIL

“Anil” is another name for the indigo plant, as well as the name of the blue indigo dye that is obtained from it. The color of anil is relatively close to navy blue. The main coloring agent in indigo dye is a crystalline powder called indigotin.

39D Breakfast tea variety : ASSAM

Assam is a state in the far northeast of India, and just south of the Himalayas. It is noted for its tea, as well as its silk.

42D Nautical greetings : AHOYS

“Ahoy!” is a nautical term used to signal a vessel. When the telephone was invented by Alexander Graham Bell, he suggested that “ahoy” be used as a standard greeting when answering a call. However, Thomas Edison came up with “hello”, and we’ve been using that ever since.

43D The Raptors, on schedules : TOR

The Raptors are an NBA basketball team based in Toronto, Ontario. The franchise was founded, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies, when the NBA expanded into Canada in 1995. However, the Grizzlies moved to Memphis in 2001, leaving the Raptors as the only Canadian member of the league. The selection of the name “Raptors” in 1995 was strongly influenced by the popularity of the movie “Jurassic Park” in the mid-nineties.

52D __ milk : SKIM

The fatty component of milk is known as butterfat (sometimes “milkfat”). To be labeled whole milk, the butterfat content must be at least 3.25%. Low-fat milk is defined as milk containing 0.5-2% fat, with levels of 1% and 2% commonly found on grocery store shelves. Skim milk must contain less than 0.5% fat, and typically contains 0.1%.

56D Omega, in physics : OHM

The unit of electrical resistance is the ohm (with the symbol omega) named after German physicist Georg Simon Ohm. Ohm was the guy who established experimentally that the amount of current flowing through a circuit is directly proportional to the voltage applied (V=IR), a relationship that every school kid knows as Ohm’s Law.

64D Java’s home : ASIA

Java is a large island in Indonesia that is home to the country’s capital, Jakarta. With a population of over 130 million, Java is the most populous island in the world, with even more people than Honshu, the main island of Japan.

66D Brillo rival : SOS

S.O.S is a brand of scouring pads made from steel wool impregnated with soap. The product was invented as a giveaway by an aluminum pot salesman in San Francisco called Ed Cox. His wife gave it the name “S.O.S” as an initialism standing for “Save Our Saucepans”. Note the punctuation! There is no period after the last S, and that is deliberate. When Cox went to register the trademark, he found that “S.O.S.” could not be a trademark because it was used as an international distress signal. So he dropped the period after the last S, and I hope made a lot of money for himself and his wife.

Brillo is a soapy, steel wool pad patented in 1913. The company claims that the name “Brillo” is derived from the Latin word for “bright”.

68D Bali garment : BRA

The Bali brand of lingerie started out as Fay-Miss in 1927, before becoming the Bali Brassiere Company in 1939.

69D Big day for a co. : IPO

An initial public offering (IPO) is a significant event for a company as it marks the first time it becomes a publicly traded company. IPOs are often accompanied by a so-called “lock-up period.” This is a period of time, typically 90 to 180 days after the IPO, during which company insiders, such as executives and early investors, are not allowed to sell their shares on the open market. The purpose of the lock-up period is to prevent a flood of shares from hitting the market and potentially driving down the price of the stock.

78D Black Sea peninsula : CRIMEA

Crimea is a peninsula jutting out into the Black Sea that is almost completely surrounded by water. It is connected to the Ukrainian mainland to the north by the Isthmus of Perekop, and is separated from the nearby Russian region of Kuban by the narrow (less than 10 miles) Kerch Strait. Crimea has been occupied by foreign powers many times over the centuries, and now control of the region is disputed by Ukraine and Russia.

79D “Wonder Woman” backdrop, briefly : WWI

“Wonder Woman” is a 2017 film starring Gal Gadot as the superhero title character. It is listed by many as one of the best superhero movies of all time. Gadot had played Wonder Woman before, in the 2016 film “Batman v Superman”. Notably, the 2017 movie is set in WWI, whereas the original story from the comics was set in WWII.

88D 1860s prez : ABE

Abraham Lincoln was the sixteenth President of the US. There are several stories told about how he earned the nickname “Honest Abe”. One story dates back to early in his career as a lawyer. Lincoln accidentally overcharged a client and then walked miles in order to right the wrong as soon as possible.

92D Some cricket players : BATSMEN

Traditionally, a person at bat in cricket was known as a “batsman”. In recent years, the sport has adopted the more inclusive term “batter”.

96D Deadlock : IMPASSE

“Impasse” is a French word describing a blind alley or an impassable road, and we use the term to mean “stalemate”.

A deadlock is a standstill, a stalemate. The suggestion is that the term “deadlock” was coined in the 1779 play called “The Critic”, from the pen of Richard Brinsley Sheridan.

99D SF NFL team : NINERS

The San Francisco 49ers of the NFL have been playing their home games in Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara since 2014. The team moved from the famous Candlestick Park, which they had been using since 1971. Levi’s Stadium, the team’s new home, got a big boost in January 2016 when it was used as the venue for the Super Bowl. Given the sponsorship by Levi Strauss, the jeans manufacturer, the venue has the nickname “Field of Jeans”, a play on the movie title “Field of Dreams”.

100D Luzon peninsula on Manila Bay : BATAAN

Bataan is a peninsula in the Philippines that is located on the side of Manila Bay opposite to the capital city. In WWII, Bataan was where American and Filipino forces made their last stand before the Japanese took control of the country. The Battle of Bataan lasted three months, at the end of which 75,000 captured prisoners were forced to march from Bataan to various prison camps. It is thought that between 6,000 and 11,000 men died on the march, many from the physical abuse above and beyond the rigors of the 5-6 day march without food or water. For obvious reasons, the 5-6 day trek is referred to as the Bataan Death March.

Luzon is the largest of the Philippine Islands, and home to the capital city of Manila.

105D “Funny Face” actress Thompson who wrote the “Eloise” books : KAY

Kay Thompson, born Catherine Fink, was a multi-talented and multi-experienced person. As a singer, she was a regular on radio shows like “Bing Crosby Entertains”. As a vocal coach, she coached MGM stars like Judy Garland, Lena Horne and Frank Sinatra. As a movie actress, she played fashion editor Maggie Prescott in the film musical “Funny Face” (1957). Despite so many achievements, she is perhaps best known today as the children’s author who penned the celebrated “Eloise” series of books. Notably, the character “Eloise” was inspired by the antics of Liza Minnelli, Thompson’s goddaughter.

Kay Thompson wrote the “Eloise” series of children’s books. Thompson actually lived at the Plaza Hotel in New York, the setting she would choose for her “Eloise” stories. Eloise started out as a hit song for Thompson, a success that she parlayed into the book franchise.

108D Dress for Less discount store : ROSS

Ross Dress for Less is a chain of discount clothes stores. The first store opened, under the name Ross Department Store, in San Bruno, California in 1950. That store was established by Morris “Morrie” Ross, but Ross sold it on to William Isackson. It was Isackson who expanded the business and established the chain of stores.

109D To boot : ALSO

The noun “boot” was once used to describe something of advantage in trying to accomplish a goal. This obsolete term really only exists in the adverb “to boot” meaning “in addition, over and above”, literally “to advantage”.

111D Vittles : GRUB

“Victuals” is a term for food that is fit for consumption. We tend to pronounce “victuals” as “vittles”, and we use the term “vittles” and “victuals” interchangeably.

119D PreCheck org. : TSA

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) operates its precheck program known as “TSA Pre✓” (or “TSA PreCheck”). Members of the program receive expedited screening at most airports. In order to become a member, a traveler must apply online, appear in person at a designated office for a background check and fingerprinting, and pay a fee for a 5-year membership.