LA Times Crossword 6 Jun 22, Monday

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Constructed by: Craig Stowe
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Reveal Answer: Sandwich Bar

Themed answers start with ingredients one might use in a SANDWICH BAR:

  • 63A Spot to assemble the first parts of the answers to the starred clues : SANDWICH BAR
  • 17A *Take a chance : ROLL THE DICE
  • 24A *Minnesota medical center : MAYO CLINIC
  • 38A *Mug for the cameras : HAM IT UP
  • 52A *Vatican security detail : SWISS GUARD

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

Bill’s time: 5m 58s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Tibetan monks : LAMAS

“Lama” is a Tibetan word meaning “chief, high priest”.

6 Game with drivers and carts : GOLF

The modern game of golf originated in Scotland in the 15th century. The first written record of golf is actually a banning of the game, by King James II in 1457. King James IV was a fan of golf, and so lifted the ban in 1502. The venerated Old Course at St. Andrews dates back to 1574. The first golf club established in the US was in Yonkers, New York in 1888. That first club was also named St. Andrews.

10 __ of gold : POT

A leprechaun is a mischievous fairy of Irish folklore. Traditionally, leprechauns spend their days making shoes and hide all their money in a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. Our word “leprechaun” comes from the Irish name for such a sprite, i.e. “leipreachán”.

15 Slender woodwind : OBOE

When you hear an orchestra tuning before a performance, you’ll note (pun!) that the oboe starts off the process by playing an “A”. The rest of the musicians in turn tune to that oboe’s “A”.

16 Flightless bird of Australia : EMU

The large flightless birds called emus make sounds by manipulating inflatable neck-sacs. The sac is about a foot long, has a thin wall and allows the bird to emit a booming sound. The type of sound emitted is the easiest way to differentiate between male and female emus.

17 *Take a chance : ROLL THE DICE

The numbers on dice are arranged so that the opposite faces add up to seven. Given this arrangement, the numbers 1, 2 and 3 all meet at a common vertex. There are two ways of arranging the 1, 2 and 3 around the common vertex, a so-called right-handed die (clockwise 1-2-3) or a left-handed die (counterclockwise 1-2-3). Traditionally, dice used in Western cultures are right-handed, whereas Chinese dice are left-handed. Quite interesting …

19 Photographer Goldin : NAN

Nan Goldin is an American photographer who works out of New York, Berlin and Paris. She is known for her work featuring LGBT models, and for images highlighting the HIV crisis and the opioid epidemic.

20 Squirrel’s discard : NUTSHELL

There are several species of gray squirrel that are native to North America. Even though I live here in the west of the continent, I am most familiar with the eastern gray squirrel. That’s because that particular species was introduced into Italy in 1948, and now the whole continent is overrun with the animal. The result in Britain and Ireland is that the native red squirrel population is now endangered and there are active programs to eradicate the invading species. There was even a plan to have celebrity chefs promote gray squirrel recipes in an effort to cull the population!

21 Pancakes often served with smoked salmon : BLINI

A blintz (also “blintze” and “blin”, plural “blini”) is a thin pancake similar to a crêpe, although unlike a crêpe, a blintz may contain yeast.

23 Archaic “once” : ERST

“Erst” is an archaic way of saying “formerly, before the present time”. The term is mostly seen as part of the word “erstwhile”, an adjective meaning “of times past”.

24 *Minnesota medical center : MAYO CLINIC

The Mayo Clinic started out as a private practice run by Dr. William Mayo, an immigrant from the North of England who arrived in the US in 1846. Mayo’s first practice was with his two sons, which evolved into a clinic set up with six other doctors.

30 Mother-of-pearl : NACRE

Nacre, also known as mother-of-pearl, is the strong iridescent material laid down by some mollusks on the inside of their shells, and it’s also what makes up pearls. The creature lays down nacre as a defensive mechanism, protecting the soft tissue of its body from the rough surface of the outer shell. Similarly, it uses nacre to encapsulate harmful debris or a parasite that penetrates the shell, and that’s how a pearl is formed. Cultured pearls are made by inserting a tissue graft from a donor oyster, around which the nacre is laid down.

33 GI show gp. : USO

The United Service Organization (USO) was founded in 1941 at the request of President Franklin D. Roosevelt “to handle the on-leave recreation of the men in the armed forces”. A USO tour is undertaken by a troupe of entertainers, many of whom are big-name celebrities. A USO tour usually includes troop locations in combat zones.

38 *Mug for the cameras : HAM IT UP

The word “ham”, describing a performer who overacts, is a shortened form of “hamfatter” and dates back to the late 1800s. “Hamfatter” comes from a song in old minstrel shows called “The Ham-Fat Man”. It seems that a poorly performing actor was deemed to have the “acting” qualities of a minstrel made up in blackface.

The verb “to mug” means “to make an exaggerated facial expression”. The term comes from mugs used to drink beer (called Toby mugs) that are made in the shape of heads with grotesque expressions. “Mug” can also be a noun meaning “face”.

42 Language of Southeast Asia : LAO

Lao, the language of Laos, does not use spaces between words (or periods!), although this is apparently changing. Spaces are used between sentences and clauses.

43 Off-white shade : ECRU

The color ecru is a grayish, yellowish brown. The word “ecru” comes from French and means “raw, unbleached”. “Ecru” has the same roots as our word “crude”.

45 Pollen gatherer : BEE

The fine powder known as pollen is basically a flower’s sperm. Pollen carries a seed plant’s male reproductive cells.

46 Arcade pioneer : ATARI

Founded in 1972, electronics and video game manufacturer Atari was once the fastest-growing company in US history. However, Atari never really recovered from the video game industry crash of 1983.

50 Covert ops outfit, for short : CAMO

Our word “camouflage” (often abbreviated to “camo”) evolved directly from a Parisian slang term “camoufler” meaning “to disguise”. The term was first used in WWI, although the British navy at that time preferred the expression “dazzle-painting” as it applied to the pattern painted on the hulls of ships.

52 *Vatican security detail : SWISS GUARD

The Pontifical Swiss Guard is a small force of about 110 men responsible for the safety of the Pope. To join the Swiss Guard, a recruit must be a single male citizen of Switzerland who has completed basic training with the Swiss military. The commandant of the Guard suggested in 2009 that the force might be open for admission to female recruits one day, but that would be well in the future.

59 Sun porch : LANAI

A lanai is a type of veranda, and a design that originated in Hawaii. A kind blog reader tells me that the etymology of “lanai” seems unclear, but that the island name of “Lana’i” is not related.

63 Spot to assemble the first parts of the answers to the starred clues : SANDWICH BAR

Meats placed between slices of bread was first called a sandwich in the 18th century, named after the Fourth Earl of Sandwich. The earl was fond of eating “sandwiches” while playing cards at his club.

67 Area behind an altar : APSE

The apse of a church or cathedral is a semicircular recess in an outer wall, usually with a half-dome as a roof and often where there resides an altar. Originally, apses were used as burial places for the clergy and also for storage of important relics.

69 Chicken __: itchy malady : POX

Chicken pox is a viral infection, and a classic disease of childhood most commonly caught by 4-10 year olds. There is a complication that can arise later in life if the virus reactivates to cause shingles.

Down

1 “SNL” producer Michaels : LORNE

Lorne Michaels is a television producer who is best known as the creator of “Saturday Night Live” (SNL). We can get some insight into Michaels’ character and demeanor by watching the show “30 Rock”. The character Jack Donaghy, played by Alec Baldwin, is inspired by Michaels.

5 Late-night host Meyers : SETH

Seth Meyers is an actor and comedian who is perhaps best-known for his appearances on “Saturday Night Live” (SNL), for which program he served as head writer. Meyers now hosts his own late night talk show on NBC.

7 __-Wan Kenobi : OBI

Obi-Wan Kenobi is one of the more beloved of the “Star Wars” characters. Kenobi was portrayed by two fabulous actors in the series of films. As a young man he is played by Scottish actor Ewan McGregor, and as an older man he is played by Alec Guinness.

8 Opp. of express : LOC

A local (loc.) train is the opposite (opp.) of an express train.

10 Landform that juts into the water : PENINSULA

A peninsula is a landform that is almost completely surrounded by water. The connection to the mainland is referred to as an isthmus. The term “peninsula” comes from the Latin words “paene” (almost) and “insula” (island).

11 Resident of a Middle Eastern sultanate : OMANI

Qaboos bin Said al Said was Sultan of Oman, until his death in 2020, after coming to power in a coup in 1970 by deposing his own father. Qaboos had no children, and no agreed heir. After his death, the country’s Defense Council opened a letter left by Qaboos that named his successor, his cousin Haitham bin Tariq.

18 Splashy style : ELAN

Our word “élan” was imported from French, in which language the word has a similar meaning to ours, i.e “style, flair”.

22 Fibbed : LIED

To fib is to tell a lie. The verb “to fib” likely comes from “fibble-fable” meaning “nonsense”, with “fibble-fable” coming from “fable”.

25 Hops-drying oven in a brewery : OAST

An oast is a kiln used for drying hops as part of the brewing process. Such a structure might also be called an “oast house” or “hop kiln”. The term “oast” can also apply to a kiln used to dry tobacco.

26 “Mon petit __”: French endearment : CHOU

“Mon petit chou” is a term of endearment in French meaning “sweetheart, darling”, but translating literally as “my little cabbage”.

30 Jill Biden, __ Jacobs : NEE

“Née” is the French word for “born” when referring to a female. The male equivalent is “né”. The term “née” is mainly used in English when referring to a married woman’s birth name, assuming that she has adopted her husband’s name, e.g. Michelle Obama née Robinson, Melania Trump née Knavs, and Jill Biden née Jacobs.

First Lady Jill Biden has a Doctor of Education degree in educational leadership from the University of Delaware. She became a professor of English at Northern Virginia Community College in 2009. She continued in that post after she became Second Lady of the United States in 2009, making her the first Second Lady of the US to hold a paying job while her husband was in office.

31 Rainbow shape : ARC

Sunlight reflected by airborne water droplets can produce rainbows. The water droplets act as little prisms, dispersing the white light into its constituent colors. Sometimes we see double rainbows. If we look carefully, we can see that the order of the colors in the first and second arcs is reversed.

33 One-eighty : UIE

Hang a “uey” or “uie”, make a u-turn, make a 180.

35 Indy 500 racer : CAR

The Indianapolis 500 race is held annually at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana. The race is run around a 2.5 mile oval, hence requiring 200 laps for completion. The first Indy 500 race was held on Memorial Day in 1911. The winner that day was one Ray Harroun. Harroun had seen someone using a rear view mirror on a horse-drawn vehicle, and decided to fit one on his Marmon “Wasp” motor car. Supposedly, that was the first ever use of a rear-view mirror on a motor vehicle.

36 Colorful pond fish : KOI

Koi are fish that are also known as Japanese carp. Koi have been bred for decorative purposes and there are now some very brightly colored examples found in Japanese water gardens.

41 Actress Grier : PAM

Pam Grier is an actress whose most acclaimed performance was in the 1997 Quentin Tarantino film “Jackie Brown”, in which she played the title role.

44 __ Minor: constellation : URSA

Ursa Minor (Latin for “Smaller Bear”) sits right beside the constellation Draco (Latin for “Dragon”). Ursa Minor used to be considered the wing of Draco, and was once called “Dragon’s Wing”. The tail of the “Smaller Bear” might also be considered as the handle of a ladle, and so the constellation is often referred to as the Little Dipper.

51 Ibuprofen brand : ADVIL

The anti-inflammatory drug ibuprofen is sold under the brand names Advil and Motrin.

52 Sailing vessel : SLOOP

Sloops and cutters are sailboats, and each has just one mast. One major difference between the two types of vessel is that the mast on a cutter is set much further aft than the mast on a sloop.

53 Picture book character lost in a crowd : WALDO

The series of children’s illustrated books called “Where’s Waldo?” were originally titled “Where’s Wally?” in Britain, where the books originated. The book contains page after page of illustrations with crowds of people surrounding famous landmarks from around the world. The challenge is to find Waldo/Wally, who is hidden in the crowd.

54 Birch family tree : ALDER

Alders are deciduous (i.e. not evergreen) trees with fruit called catkins. The tree carries both male and female catkins that look very similar to each other, but the male catkin is longer than the female. Alders are pollinated by wind usually, although bees can play a role.

56 Brand of hummus : SABRA

Sabra Dipping is a company that specializes in the production of hummus and guacamole. If I can’t get homemade hummus or guacamole, then Sabra is the way to go …

65 Super-secret intel org. : NSA

The National Security Agency (NSA) was set up in 1952 by President Truman, a replacement for the Armed Forces Security Agency that had existed in the Department of Defense (DoD) since 1949. The NSA has always been clouded in secrecy and even the 1952 letter from President Truman that established the agency was kept under wraps from the public for over a generation. I really like the organization’s nickname … “No Such Agency”.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Tibetan monks : LAMAS
6 Game with drivers and carts : GOLF
10 __ of gold : POT
13 Eggy brunch choice : OMELET
15 Slender woodwind : OBOE
16 Flightless bird of Australia : EMU
17 *Take a chance : ROLL THE DICE
19 Photographer Goldin : NAN
20 Squirrel’s discard : NUTSHELL
21 Pancakes often served with smoked salmon : BLINI
23 Archaic “once” : ERST
24 *Minnesota medical center : MAYO CLINIC
27 Blessing ender : AMEN
29 “Oh, now I see” : AH YES
30 Mother-of-pearl : NACRE
33 GI show gp. : USO
34 Quacking bird : DUCK
37 Slice of history : ERA
38 *Mug for the cameras : HAM IT UP
42 Language of Southeast Asia : LAO
43 Off-white shade : ECRU
45 Pollen gatherer : BEE
46 Arcade pioneer : ATARI
48 Hole in a tub : DRAIN
50 Covert ops outfit, for short : CAMO
52 *Vatican security detail : SWISS GUARD
55 “Hey, you!” : PSST!
59 Sun porch : LANAI
60 Float in the air : LEVITATE
62 So last month : OLD
63 Spot to assemble the first parts of the answers to the starred clues : SANDWICH BAR
66 Laudatory poem : ODE
67 Area behind an altar : APSE
68 Hears (of) : LEARNS
69 Chicken __: itchy malady : POX
70 Class ring number : YEAR
71 Wager : STAKE

Down

1 “SNL” producer Michaels : LORNE
2 French love : AMOUR
3 Gets soupy, as ice cream : MELTS
4 Elite athlete : ALL-STAR
5 Late-night host Meyers : SETH
6 Divine : GODLY
7 __-Wan Kenobi : OBI
8 Opp. of express : LOC
9 Without oomph : FEEBLY
10 Landform that juts into the water : PENINSULA
11 Resident of a Middle Eastern sultanate : OMANI
12 Loose-fitting top : TUNIC
14 Unifying feature of many crosswords : THEME
18 Splashy style : ELAN
22 Fibbed : LIED
25 Hops-drying oven in a brewery : OAST
26 “Mon petit __”: French endearment : CHOU
28 “It’s okay, I guess” : MEH
30 Jill Biden, __ Jacobs : NEE
31 Rainbow shape : ARC
32 Analog catalog in British libraries : CARD INDEX
33 One-eighty : UIE
35 Indy 500 racer : CAR
36 Colorful pond fish : KOI
39 “You’re making __ mistake!” : A BIG
40 Feature of many restaurant websites : MENU
41 Actress Grier : PAM
44 __ Minor: constellation : URSA
47 “Let’s see you do better!” : TOP THAT!
49 “To quote myself … ” : AS I SAY …
50 Team on a film set : CREW
51 Ibuprofen brand : ADVIL
52 Sailing vessel : SLOOP
53 Picture book character lost in a crowd : WALDO
54 Birch family tree : ALDER
56 Brand of hummus : SABRA
57 Smelled a lot : STANK
58 To the point : TERSE
61 Puts frosting on : ICES
64 Imitate : APE
65 Super-secret intel org. : NSA