LA Times Crossword 10 Aug 23, Thursday

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Constructed by: Christina Iverson
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Reveal Answer: Pots and Pans

Themed answers are all POTS AND PANS, each clued with a fictitious review:

  • 61A Kitchen array, or an apt title for this puzzle? : POTS AND PANS
  • 18A “Two stars! My spaghetti always sticks to the sides!” : PASTA COOKER
  • 27A “Half a star! The ceramic is flaking off the cast iron!” : DUTCH OVEN
  • 37A “One star! Chocolate gets clumpy, and sauces always separate!” : DOUBLE BOILER
  • 51A “Zero stars! It spits hot oil everywhere!” : DEEP FRYER

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

Bill’s time: 8m 02s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Rain’s counterpart : SHINE

Come rain or come shine …

6 Bottomless pit : ABYSS

“Abyss”, meaning “deep chasm”, ultimately derives from the Greek “a-” (without) and “byssos” (bottom).

15 Quartet voice : TENOR

A mixed vocal quartet is often composed of a soprano, alto, tenor and bass.

18 “Two stars! My spaghetti always sticks to the sides!” : PASTA COOKER

The term “spaghetti” is a plural diminutive form of the Italian word “spago”, which means “thin string, twine”.

20 North __ Sea: Kazakh lake : ARAL

The former Soviet Union decided to divert the two rivers feeding the Aral Sea in order to irrigate food and cotton crops. Once the fourth largest lake in the world, the Aral Sea began to shrink dramatically in the 1960s due to the loss of water. Today, the Aral Sea is no more. Instead, there are two relatively small bodies of water labeled as the North Aral Sea and the South Aral Sea.

The Republic of Kazakhstan in Central Asia is the world’s largest landlocked country. Kazakhstan was also the last of the former Soviet Republics (SSRs) to declare itself independent from Russia.

21 Son of Hera : ARES

The Greek god Ares is often referred to as the Olympian god of warfare, but originally he was regarded as the god of bloodlust and slaughter. Ares united with Aphrodite to create several gods, including Phobos (Fear), Deimos (Terror) and Eros (Desire). Ares was the son of Zeus and Hera, and the Roman equivalent to Ares was Mars.

22 Actress Ortiz : ANA

The breakthrough role for actress Ana Ortiz was playing the title character’s older sister in the TV series “Ugly Betty”.

23 Part of SCOTUS : SUPREME

Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS)

25 Magnate : TYCOON

Our term “tycoon” meaning powerful business person was originally used by foreigners to describe the shogun of Japan. “Tycoon” is an anglicization of the Japanese “taikun” meaning “great lord or prince”.

27 “Half a star! The ceramic is flaking off the cast iron!” : DUTCH OVEN

A Dutch oven is a cooking pot with a tight lid, usually made from cast-iron. Back in Ireland we call them casserole dishes.

30 The Falcons, on scoreboards : ATL

The Atlanta Falcons joined the NFL in 1965. The team name was suggested by a schoolteacher called Miss Julia Elliott. Elliot suggested that “the Falcon is proud and dignified, with great courage and fight. It never drops its prey. It is deadly and has a great sporting tradition.”

32 Munro pen name : SAKI

Hector Hugh Munro, who used the pen name “Saki”, was a British writer who is best known for his witty and often macabre short stories. Saki was killed by a sniper during World War I while serving in the army. He was 43 years old at the time. Reportedly, his last words were “Put that bloody cigarette out!”

33 Poem of homage : ODE

Back in the 14th century, homage was the act of acknowledging allegiance to a feudal lord. We use “homage” more expansively today to describe an expression of high regard. The term ultimately comes from the Latin “homo” meaning “man”.

34 Poolside piece : CHAISE

A chaise is a light carriage with a folding hood that transports one or two people. “Chaise” is the French for “chair”, and takes its name from the “sedan chair” means of transportation. In the US, the name “chaise” evolved into “shay”.

36 Kit letters : DIY

Do-it-yourself (DIY)

37 “One star! Chocolate gets clumpy, and sauces always separate!” : DOUBLE BOILER

A double boiler (also “bain-marie” or “water bath”) is a piece of equipment used to apply gentle heat. It is commonly used in kitchens on the stove top to melt ingredients (like chocolate) and in the oven to provide moist heat (when baking cheesecake, perhaps).

42 Planet Fitness payment : GYM FEE

Planet Fitness is a chain of fitness centers operating around the world and headquartered in Hampton, New Hampshire. About 100 of the Planet Fitness locations are corporate owned, but the balance (about 2,000) are franchises.

44 SoCal school : SDSU

San Diego State University (SDSU) was founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School. Back then, the main purpose of the school was to educate women who wanted to be elementary school teachers. It changed its name to San Diego State Teachers College in 1923. The curriculum expanded beyond teacher education in 1935, and became San Diego State College. In 1960, the college joined what is now known as the California State University.

47 Tanqueray, for one : GIN

Tanqueray is a popular brand of gin here in the US, although it is less popular over in the UK, where it originated. It was first produced in the 1830s by Charles Tanqueray, hence the name. The list of added botanicals in Tanqueray includes juniper (necessary to be called “gin”), coriander, angelica root and liquorice.

59 One-named “Locked Up” singer : AKON

Akon is a Senegalese American R&B and hip hop singer, who was born in St. Louis but lived much of his early life in Senegal. Akon is a stage name, and his real name is Aliaune Damala Bouga Time Bongo Puru Nacka Lu Lu Lu Badara Akon Thiam. Got that?

60 Spelling of “BH90210” : TORI

Tori Spelling is an American actress who made a name for herself playing Donna Martin on television’s “Beverly Hills, 90210”. Tori is the daughter of film and television producer Aaron Spelling.

“Beverly Hills, 90210” is a drama that aired on Fox from 1990 to 2000. The show follows the lives of little rich kids in Beverly Hills. Many of the cast members have made it big following their appearances on “90210”, including Jason Priestly, Luke Perry, Shannen Doherty, Jennie Garth and Tori Spelling. I’ve never even seen one episode …

64 School near Windsor : ETON

Windsor is a town in Berkshire, England that is located about 20 miles outside of central London. The town sits on the south bank of the River Thames, opposite the small town of Eton on the north bank of the river. Windsor is home to the royal residence Windsor Castle, and Eton is home to the prestigious Eton College.

66 Bowen of “Modern Family” : JULIE

Actress Julie Bowen is probably best known today for playing Claire Dunphy on the excellent sitcom “Modern Family”.

Down

1 Day when everyone’s a little Irish, familiarly : ST PAT’S

The first Saint Patrick’s Day celebration in the US was held in 1600, in St. Augustine, Florida. There is some evidence that the first St. Paddy’s Day parade was held the following year, in the same locale. The annual parade in Boston dates back to 1737, in New York City dates back to 1762, and in Chicago dates back to 1843.

2 Town crier’s cry : HEAR YE!

Town criers make public announcements on the streets, usually shouting “Oyez! Oyez! Oyez!” to attract attention. The term “oyez” derives from the Anglo-Norman word for “listen” and is used in this instance to me “Hear ye!”

3 Walking stick, e.g. : INSECT

Insects belonging to the order Phasmatodea are often referred to as stick insects or walking sticks. Their main defense mechanism from predators is camouflage, as all stick insects blend into the background as they look like sticks or leaves. Stick insects vary greatly in size, with one species growing to over 20 inches in length, making it the world’s longest insect.

8 Source of Tibetan butter : YAK

The English word “yak” is an Anglicized version of the Tibetan name for the male of the species. Yak milk is much prized in Tibetan culture. It is made into cheese and butter, and the butter is used to make a tea that is consumed in great volume by Tibetans. The butter is also used as a fuel in lamps, and during festivals the butter is even sculpted into religious icons.

9 Afternoon rest : SIESTA

We use the word “siesta” to describe a short nap in the early afternoon, and imported the word into English from Spanish. In turn, the Spanish word is derived from the Latin “hora sexta” meaning “the sixth hour”. The idea is that the nap is taken at the sixth hour after dawn.

11 Mild cigar : CLARO

A claro is a mild cigar made with light-colored tobacco. The name “claro” comes from the Spanish for “clear”.

12 French farewell : AU REVOIR

“Au revoir” is a French phrase translating literally as “until seen again”, although the accepted usage is “goodbye”.

14 Greek moon goddess : SELENE

Selene was the Greek goddess of the moon, and the equivalent of the Roman deity Luna. Selene gave her name to the word “selenology”, the study of the geology of the moon, and also gave her name to the chemical element “selenium”. According to mythology, Selene fell in love with the handsome hunter/shepherd Endymion, a mere mortal.

19 Soda opener : CAN TAB

The term “pop top” refers to a whole family of designs for opening the top of a soda can. The oldest method is the “pull tab” or “ring pull”, invented in Canada in 1956. The design was long-lived, but it had its problems, so the world heaved a sigh of relief with the invention of the stay-on-tab in 1975. The new design led to less injuries and eliminated all those used pull tabs that littered the streets.

24 Chi preceder : PHI

Phi is the 21st letter of the Greek alphabet.

26 “The Gathering Place” island : OAHU

Oahu has been called “The Gathering Place”, although the word “O’ahu” has no translation in Hawaiian. It seems that “O’ahu” is simply the name of the island. One story is that it is named after the son of the Polynesian navigator who first found the islands. The island is made up of two volcanoes, Wai’anae and Ko’olau, joined together by a broad valley, the O’ahu Plain.

35 Transition : SEGUE

A segue is a transition from one topic to the next. “Segue” is an Italian word that literally means “now follows”. It was first used in musical scores directing the performer to play into the next movement without a break. The oft-used term “segway” is given the same meaning, although the word “segway” doesn’t really exist. It is a misspelling of “segue” that has been popularized by its use as the name of the personal transporter known as a Segway.

36 Kaitlin’s “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” role : DEE

Deandra “Sweet Dee” Reynolds is a character played by Kaitlin Olson on the sitcom “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”. Ronald “Mac” McDonald is also a character on the show, played by Rob McElhenney. Olson and McElhenney met on set, and married in 2008.

38 “Holy wow!” : OMG!

“OMG” is text-speak for “Oh My Gosh!” “Oh My Goodness!” or any other G-words you might care to use …

40 Actress Headey : LENA

English actress Lena Headey is best known for playing Cersei Lannister on the fantasy series “Game of Thrones”. Headey was born in Bermuda, where her father was stationed as a police officer.

44 NorCal airport : SFO

San Francisco International Airport (SFO) served as the main base of operations for Virgin America (sold to Alaska Airlines), and is also the maintenance hub for United Airlines. Even though SFO is owned and operated by the City and County of San Francisco, the airport is located to the south in San Mateo County.

46 2021 winner of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” : SYMONE

“Symone” is the stage name of drag queen Reggie Gavin. She hit the big time when she won season 13 of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” in 2021.

48 Acid neutralizer : ALKALI

The “opposite” of an acid is a base. Acids turn litmus paper red, and bases turn it blue. Acids and bases react with each other to form salts. An important subset of the chemicals called bases are alkalis, hydroxides of the alkali metals and of ammonium. The term “alkali” is sometimes used interchangeably with “base”, especially if that base is readily soluble in water.

62 Oolong or rooibos : TEA

The name for the Chinese tea called “oolong” translates into English as “black dragon” or “dark dragon”.

Red tea is made from the leaves of the South African rooibos plant. The name “rooibos” translates as “red bush”.

63 Club VIPs : DJS

The world’s first radio disc jockey (DJ) was one Ray Newby of Stockton, California who made his debut broadcast in 1909, would you believe? When he was 16 years old and a student, Newby started to play his records on a primitive radio located in the Herrold College of Engineering and Wireless in San Jose. The records played back then were mostly recordings of Enrico Caruso.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Rain’s counterpart : SHINE
6 Bottomless pit : ABYSS
11 Scoundrels : CADS
15 Quartet voice : TENOR
16 Quality : TRAIT
17 Fly-fishing need : LURE
18 “Two stars! My spaghetti always sticks to the sides!” : PASTA COOKER
20 North __ Sea: Kazakh lake : ARAL
21 Son of Hera : ARES
22 Actress Ortiz : ANA
23 Part of SCOTUS : SUPREME
25 Magnate : TYCOON
27 “Half a star! The ceramic is flaking off the cast iron!” : DUTCH OVEN
29 Established : SET
30 The Falcons, on scoreboards : ATL
32 Munro pen name : SAKI
33 Poem of homage : ODE
34 Poolside piece : CHAISE
36 Kit letters : DIY
37 “One star! Chocolate gets clumpy, and sauces always separate!” : DOUBLE BOILER
41 Not cool : OUT
42 Planet Fitness payment : GYM FEE
43 Conclusion : END
44 SoCal school : SDSU
47 Tanqueray, for one : GIN
48 Behave : ACT
51 “Zero stars! It spits hot oil everywhere!” : DEEP FRYER
54 Words mouthed while holding an imaginary phone to one’s ear : CALL ME
56 Like a colorful garden : IN BLOOM
57 “Now I see!” : AHA!
59 One-named “Locked Up” singer : AKON
60 Spelling of “BH90210” : TORI
61 Kitchen array, or an apt title for this puzzle? : POTS AND PANS
64 School near Windsor : ETON
65 Useless : INEPT
66 Bowen of “Modern Family” : JULIE
67 Office fixture : DESK
68 Razz : TEASE
69 Some dance elements : SPINS

Down

1 Day when everyone’s a little Irish, familiarly : ST PAT’S
2 Town crier’s cry : HEAR YE!
3 Walking stick, e.g. : INSECT
4 False : NOT SO
5 Memorable span : ERA
6 Buckets : A TON
7 Wide : BROAD
8 Source of Tibetan butter : YAK
9 Afternoon rest : SIESTA
10 Occurred to : STRUCK
11 Mild cigar : CLARO
12 French farewell : AU REVOIR
13 Genre portmanteau : DRAMEDY
14 Greek moon goddess : SELENE
19 Soda opener : CAN TAB
24 Chi preceder : PHI
26 “The Gathering Place” island : OAHU
28 Date line? : USE BY
31 Tiny, made tinier : LIL’
34 Barracks bed : COT
35 Transition : SEGUE
36 Kaitlin’s “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” role : DEE
37 Disparaging term for some frat guys : DUDEBROS
38 “Holy wow!” : OMG!
39 Not exactly promising words : IF I CAN
40 Actress Headey : LENA
41 Flat, in a way : ONE-NOTE
43 Improved, hopefully : EDITED
44 NorCal airport : SFO
45 “You need to let this go” : DROP IT
46 2021 winner of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” : SYMONE
48 Acid neutralizer : ALKALI
49 Informal invitation at the door : C’MON IN
50 Stiffens : TENSES
52 Toy piano sound : PLINK
53 Carpentry files : RASPS
55 Drink like a kitten : LAP UP
58 “Stop the __”: protest sign : HATE
62 Oolong or rooibos : TEA
63 Club VIPs : DJS