LA Times Crossword 25 Jul 23, Tuesday

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Constructed by: Joe Deeney
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Reveal Answer: Eye Contact

The first word in each themed answer ends in “I”, and the second starts with “I”:

  • 60A Nonverbal communication concern, and a phonetic hint to a feature of 16-, 25-, 37-, and 49-Across : EYE CONTACT and “I” CONTACT
  • 16A Denomination of most of the world’s Muslims : SUNNI ISLAM
  • 25A Spiced cold drink made with sweetened condensed milk : THAI ICED TEA
  • 37A Pro on the slopes : SKI INSTRUCTOR
  • 49A Coastal resort town southeast of Naples : AMALFI, ITALY

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

Bill’s time: 5m 40s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Spelman or Morehouse, for short : HBCU

Historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are a group of higher education institutions that were established, mainly after the Civil War, to primarily serve the African-American community.

Spelman College is a women’s school in Atlanta, Georgia that was founded as the Atlanta Baptist Female Seminary in 1881. Spelman is part of the Atlanta University Center, along with the nearby all-male Morehouse College, with which Spelman has a long-standing relationship.

Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia is one of only three all-male liberal arts colleges left in the US. The other two are Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia and Wabash College in Indiana.

14 Texter’s “What’s up?” : HOWRU

How are you? (HOWRU?)

15 Black-and-white cookie : OREO

Oreo cookies can be found with a savory-flavored filling in some parts of the world. In China, you can buy Hot Chicken Wing Oreos and Wasabi Oreos.

16 Denomination of most of the world’s Muslims : SUNNI ISLAM

The Islamic sects of Sunni and Shia Muslims differ in the belief of who should have taken over leadership of the Muslim faithful after the death of the Prophet Muhammad. Followers of the Sunni tradition agree with the decision that the Prophet Muhammad’s confidante Abu Bakr was the right choice to become the first Caliph of the Islamic nation. Followers of the Shia tradition believe that leadership should have stayed within the Prophet Muhammad’s own family, and favored the Prophet’s son-in-law Ali.

18 Genesis twin : ESAU

Esau was the twin brother of Jacob, the founder of the Israelites. When their mother Rebekah gave birth to the twins “the first emerged red and hairy all over (Esau), with his heel grasped by the hand of the second to come out (Jacob)”. As Esau was the first born, he was entitled to inherit his father’s wealth (it was his “birthright”). Instead, Esau sold his birthright to Jacob for the price of a “mess of pottage” (a meal of lentils).

19 Zesty flavor : TANG

Back in the 1300s, the tongue of a serpent might be referred to as a tang, and that tongue was believed to be a stinging organ. By the mid-1600’s, the term “tang” had come to mean “sharp taste”, a meaning that persists to this day.

22 “GMA” TV network : ABC

“Good Morning America” (GMA) is ABC’s morning show, and has been since 1975. There was even a spin-off show called “Good Afternoon America”, although that only lasted for a few months in 2012.

23 Teacup pig, e.g. : PET

Miniature pigs (also “pygmy pigs, teacup pigs) are commonly kept as pets. They are intelligent creatures, and relatively easily house-trained.

25 Spiced cold drink made with sweetened condensed milk : THAI ICED TEA

Thai tea is made from Ceylon black tea, condensed milk and sugar. It can be served either hot or cold.

29 “Dracula” novelist Stoker : BRAM

Bram Stoker was an Irish writer best known for the 1897 novel “Dracula”. Stoker’s fame as an author came after his death. During his lifetime he was better known as the personal assistant of renowned English actor Henry Irving. It is believed that Stoker used Irving as his inspiration for the title character in “Dracula”.

31 Doc intended to protect confidentiality : NDA

Non-disclosure agreement (NDA)

32 Eggs purchase : DOZEN

Our word “dozen” is used for a group of twelve. We imported it into English from Old French. The modern French word for “twelve” is “douze”, and for “dozen” is “douzaine”.

33 Spicy pizza topping : JALAPENO

The jalapeño is a chili pepper, and a favorite of mine. The pepper’s name translates from Spanish as “from Xalapa”. Xalapa (also “Jalapa”) is the capital of the Mexican state of Veracruz, and the traditional origin of the jalapeño pepper. A smoke-dried jalapeño, called a chipotle, is used for seasoning.

44 Divided Asian peninsula : KOREA

Korea was occupied by the Japanese military from 1910 until Japan surrendered at the end of WWII in 1945. While the UN was working towards a trusteeship administration for Korea, the Soviet Union managed the Korean Peninsula north of the 38th parallel and the US managed the south. The UN’s plans came to naught as the Cold War dictated the establishment of the two separate states of North Korea and South Korea. North Korea invaded the South in 1950, leading to the Korean War. After three years of fighting, the border between the two states became the demarcation line between the two military forces on the day the Armistice Agreement was signed. That line runs diagonally across the 38th parallel, and is better known as the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).

49 Coastal resort town southeast of Naples : AMALFI, ITALY

Amalfi, Italy is a coastal town on the Gulf of Salerno located about 30 miles southeast of Naples. The town gives its name to the popular tourist destination known as the Amalfi Coast.

53 __ de plume : NOM

“Nom de plume” translates from French simply as “pen name”.

54 TiVo button : REC

TiVo is a digital video recorder (DVR) that revolutionized the way we watch television. The first TiVo devices were installed in homes in 1999, when they were the first consumer DVRs to hit the market. TiVo was originally marketed as a way to “pause live TV.” It quickly became known for its ability to record TV shows and movies, allowing viewers to watch them at their convenience.

65 U. of Maryland athlete : TERP

The sports teams of the University of Maryland are called the Maryland Terrapins, or “Terps” for short. The name dates back to 1932 when it was coined by the university’s president at the time, Curley Byrd. He took the name from the diamondback terrapins that are native to the Chesapeake Bay.

66 Disney warrior played by Liu Yifei : MULAN

2020’s “Mulan” is a live-action remake of the 1998 animated Disney film of the same name. Chinese-American actress Liu Yifei plays the title character, a woman from Chinese legend. The movie was received well by the critics, but fans of the animated original were largely unimpressed.

68 Online artisan marketplace : ETSY

Etsy.com was founded in 2005 as a way for artists and craftspeople to sell their handmade goods online, and has since grown to include vintage items and crafting supplies as well. The company’s name is derived from the Italian word “etsi,” which means “oh, yes”? This was a nod to founder Rob Kalin’s love of Italy and his appreciation for the country’s history and artistry.

69 Dalmatian mark : SPOT

The Dalmatian breed of dog originated in Dalmatia, in the Republic of Croatia. Here in the US, Dalmatians are known as “firehouse dogs”. This association dates back to the use of Dalmatians in firehouses to guard the valuable horses that pulled the fire engines.

70 Actress Ward : SELA

Actress Sela Ward turns up in crosswords a lot. She played Teddy Reed in the TV show “Sisters” in the nineties, and was in “Once and Again” from 1999-2002. I don’t know either show, but I do know Ward from the medical drama “House” in which she played the hospital’s lawyer and Greg House’s ex-partner. That was a fun role, I thought. More recently, Ward played a lead role on “CSI: NY” and was a very welcome and much-needed addition to the cast. And, Ward played Dr. Richard Kimble’s murdered wife in the 1993 film version of “The Fugitive”.

Down

1 “__ So Shy” : HE’S

“He’s So Shy” was a hit in 1980 for the Pointer Sisters. Although the title is reminiscent of the 1963 hit for the Chiffons called “He’s So Fine”, there is no relationship between the two numbers. The original lyrics were written for a male singer, but the Pointer Sisters decided to change the lyrics to fit their all-female group.

2 AC meas. : BTU

In the world of heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), the power of a heating or cooling unit can be measured using the British Thermal Unit (BTU). This dated unit is the amount of energy required to heat a pound of water so that the water’s temperature increases by one degree Fahrenheit.

4 Forearm bone : ULNA

The bones in the forearm are the radius and ulna. “Ulna” is the Latin word for “elbow”, and “radius” is Latin for “ray”. The humerus (plural “humeri”) is the long bone in the upper arm.

5 Fenway team: Abbr. : BOS

The Boston Red Sox are one of the most successful Major League Baseball teams and so command a large attendance, but only when on the road. The relatively small capacity of Boston’s Fenway Park, the team’s home since 1912, has dictated that every game the Red Sox have played there has been a sell-out from May of 2003 to April 2013. I had the pleasure of touring Fenway Park some years ago. It’s quite a place …

6 Duo, the Duolingo mascot, for one : OWL

Duolingo is a language-learning app that can be used for free, or with no ads for a premium price. The app was launched to the public in 2012, and 2013 was chosen by Apple as its iPhone App of the Year. Duolingo has a mascot, a green cartoon owl named “Duo”.

7 Saudi __ : ARABIA

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the largest Arab country in the Middle East and is the world’s largest oil producer, home to the world’s largest oil reserves. The Saudi dynasty started in central Arabia in 1744 when the secular leader Muhammad ibn Saud joined forces with the Islamic scholar and Imam, Muhammad ibn Abd-al-Wahhab. At the time, Saud was a ruler of a town near Riyadh and he was determined to bring “true” Islam to the Arabian peninsula. Since 1744 the fortunes of the Saudi family have risen and fallen, but it is that same family who rules what we know today as Saudi Arabia.

8 Poison shrub : SUMAC

Poison sumac is a nasty plant (from a human perspective). Also known as thunderwood, it produces the resin urushiol that irritates human skin. Inhaling the smoke from burning poison sumac can irritate the lining of the lungs causing pain, and maybe even death.

9 Actor Pesci : JOE

Joe Pesci got his big break in movies with a supporting role in “Raging Bull” starring Robert De Niro, earning Pesci an Oscar nomination early in his career. There followed a string of gangster roles played alongside De Niro, namely “Once Upon a Time in America”, “Goodfellas” and “Casino”. But I like Pesci’s comedic acting best of all. He was marvelous in the “Home Alone” films, the “Lethal Weapon” series, and my personal favorite, “My Cousin Vinny”. Pesci gets a mention in the stage musical “Jersey Boys”, which isn’t too surprising as he is one of the show’s producers.

10 Not genuine : ERSATZ

Something described as ersatz is a copy, and usually not a good one. “Ersatz” comes from the German verb “ersetzen” meaning “to replace”.

11 “We build, we fight” military member : SEABEE

The Seabees are members of the Construction Battalions (CB) of the US Navy, from which the name “Seabee” originates. There’s a great 1944 movie called “The Fighting Seabees” starring John Wayne that tells the story of the birth of the Seabees during WWII. The Seabees’ official motto is “Construimus. Batuimus”, Latin for “We build. We fight.” The group’s unofficial motto is “Can Do!”

12 Big-billed bird : TOUCAN

The toucan is a brightly-marked bird with a large, colorful bill. The name “toucan” comes into English via Portuguese from the Tupi name “tukana”. The Tupi were an indigenous people of Brazil.

17 Loan payment pt. : INT

Interest (int.)

23 Kid-friendly sandwich, informally : PBJ

Peanut butter and jelly (PB&J or PBJ)

26 Actresses Sothern and Jillian : ANNS

Actress Ann Sothern starred in a series of “Maisie” Hollywood films in the 1930s and 1940s, playing the title character Maisie Ravier, a kind-hearted Brooklyn showgirl. She transitioned to TV in the 1950s, starring in her own sitcom “Private Secretary” as well as “The Ann Sothern Show”. She also appeared several times on “The Lucy Show”. Lucille Ball referred to Sothern as “the best comedian in the business, bar none.”

Actress Ann Jillian is perhaps best known for playing waitress Cassie Cranston on the TV sitcom “It’s a Life” in the eighties. Her first role was as a child actress in the 1961 Disney film “Babes in Toyland”, playing Little Bo Peep.

28 Nylabone, e.g. : DOG TOY

If you want to contact Nylabone, manufacturer of chew toys for dogs, you might drop a line to Glen Axelrod. He is the company’s Chief Chewing Officer …

30 “The Marvelous Mrs. __” : MAISEL

“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” is a comedy drama TV show set in the late fifties and early sixties. The title character, played by Rachel Brosnahan, is a New York housewife who opts for a career as a standup comedian.

34 Rice dishes : PILAFS

“Pilaf” is a Persian word, one that we use to describe rice that is browned in oil and then cooked in a seasoned broth. It can also be called “pilau”.

35 Experimental musician Brian : ENO

Brian Eno started his musical career with Roxy Music. However, Eno’s most oft-played composition (by far!) is Microsoft’s “startup jingle”, the 6-second sound you hear when the Windows operating system is booting up. Eno might have annoyed the Microsoft folks when he stated on a BBC radio show:

I wrote it on a Mac. I’ve never used a PC in my life; I don’t like them.

38 Music featuring sitars : RAGA

Raga isn’t really a genre of music, but has been described as the “tonal framework” in which Indian classical music is composed. Ravi Shankar was perhaps the most famous raga virtuoso (to us Westerners). Western rock music with a heavy Indian influence might be called raga rock.

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. 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.

39 Like Pyrex : OVEN SAFE

Pyrex is a brand of glassware that was developed by Corning. As well as being used in bakeware and laboratory glassware, Pyrex is often the material of choice for optics in large telescopes used in astronomy. Corning’s PYREX (note the capital letters) is made from borosilicate glass, the main ingredients of which are silica and boron trioxide. Such Corning products are only available now outside of the US. Corning divested its consumer products division in 1998, resulting in the formation of World Kitchen. World Kitchen purchased the rights to the “Pyrex” name in the US, and market it as “pyrex” (all lowercase letters). So “PYREX” glassware is made from borosilicate glass, and “pyrex” products are made from cheaper tempered soda-lime glass.

40 Work-related move, for short : RELO

Relocate (relo)

43 LP’s 33 1/3 : RPM

The first vinyl records designed to play at 33⅓ rpm were introduced by RCA Victor in 1931, but were discontinued due to quality problems. The first long play (LP) 33⅓ rpm disc was introduced by Columbia Records many years later in 1948, with RCA Victor following up with a 45 rpm “single” the following year, in 1949.

44 Discipline taught by a sensei : KARATE

“Sensei” is a Japanese form of address used for figures of authority, from lawyers to martial arts instructors.

46 Indy 500 entrants : RACERS

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.

51 Minnesota’s state bird : LOON

The common loon (also “great northern diver”) is the provincial bird of Ontario, and the state bird of Minnesota. The loon once appeared on Canadian $20 bills and also appears on the Canadian one-dollar coin, giving the coin the nickname “the loonie”.

52 Hither and __ : YON

“Hither and yon” is a phrase meaning “from over here to over there”.

57 School support orgs. : PTAS

Parent-Teacher Association (PTA)

61 Jeff Lynne’s band, informally : ELO

Jeff Lynne is a singer-songwriter who is best known as the leader of the Electric Light Orchestra (ELO). Lynne went on to form the Traveling Wilburys supergroup, along with Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Roy Orbison and Tom Petty.

62 Feline : CAT

A feline is a member of the cat family, the “felidae”. The Latin word for “cat” is “feles”.

63 Cartoon frame : CEL

Animation cels are transparent sheets made of celluloid acetate that were used in traditional hand-drawn animation to create animated films. They were first introduced in the 1930s and were widely used in animation production until the late 1990s, when digital animation techniques began to dominate the industry.

64 Defunct airline : TWA

Trans World Airlines (TWA) was a big carrier in the US, but was perhaps even more recognized for its extensive presence in Europe and the Middle East. For many years, especially after the collapse of Pan Am and TWA’s purchase by Howard Hughes, TWA was considered the unofficial flag carrier for the US. The company started in 1930, the product of a forced merger of Transcontinental Air Transport and Western Air Express. The Transcontinental and Western Air that resulted (the original meaning of the initialism “TWA”) was what the Postmaster General wanted, a bigger airline to which the Postal Service could award airmail contracts.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Spelman or Morehouse, for short : HBCU
5 Fluffy scarves : BOAS
9 “Surely, you __!” : JEST
13 List-ending abbr. : ET AL
14 Texter’s “What’s up?” : HOWRU
15 Black-and-white cookie : OREO
16 Denomination of most of the world’s Muslims : SUNNI ISLAM
18 Genesis twin : ESAU
19 Zesty flavor : TANG
20 Saloon : BAR
22 “GMA” TV network : ABC
23 Teacup pig, e.g. : PET
25 Spiced cold drink made with sweetened condensed milk : THAI ICED TEA
29 “Dracula” novelist Stoker : BRAM
31 Doc intended to protect confidentiality : NDA
32 Eggs purchase : DOZEN
33 Spicy pizza topping : JALAPENO
36 Clumsy oaf : LUG
37 Pro on the slopes : SKI INSTRUCTOR
41 __-mo replay : SLO
42 Host, as guests : HAVE OVER
44 Divided Asian peninsula : KOREA
47 Nape tickler : TAG
48 Sharp cry : YELP
49 Coastal resort town southeast of Naples : AMALFI, ITALY
53 __ de plume : NOM
54 TiVo button : REC
55 Normal: Abbr. : STD
56 “Silly me!” : OOPS!
58 Brewpub options : ALES
60 Nonverbal communication concern, and a phonetic hint to a feature of 16-, 25-, 37-, and 49-Across : EYE CONTACT and “I” CONTACT
65 U. of Maryland athlete : TERP
66 Disney warrior played by Liu Yifei : MULAN
67 Some : A FEW
68 Online artisan marketplace : ETSY
69 Dalmatian mark : SPOT
70 Actress Ward : SELA

Down

1 “__ So Shy” : HE’S
2 AC meas. : BTU
3 “No time to chat!” : CAN’T TALK!
4 Forearm bone : ULNA
5 Fenway team: Abbr. : BOS
6 Duo, the Duolingo mascot, for one : OWL
7 Saudi __ : ARABIA
8 Poison shrub : SUMAC
9 Actor Pesci : JOE
10 Not genuine : ERSATZ
11 “We build, we fight” military member : SEABEE
12 Big-billed bird : TOUCAN
14 Low’s opposite : HIGH
17 Loan payment pt. : INT
21 Decrease : REDUCE
23 Kid-friendly sandwich, informally : PBJ
24 History chapters : ERAS
26 Actresses Sothern and Jillian : ANNS
27 “Very relatable” : I DO THAT
28 Nylabone, e.g. : DOG TOY
30 “The Marvelous Mrs. __” : MAISEL
34 Rice dishes : PILAFS
35 Experimental musician Brian : ENO
36 Hon : LUV
38 Music featuring sitars : RAGA
39 Like Pyrex : OVEN SAFE
40 Work-related move, for short : RELO
43 LP’s 33 1/3 : RPM
44 Discipline taught by a sensei : KARATE
45 Filled and folded brunch order : OMELET
46 Indy 500 entrants : RACERS
47 Prepare for company, in a way : TIDY UP
50 Things : ITEMS
51 Minnesota’s state bird : LOON
52 Hither and __ : YON
57 School support orgs. : PTAS
59 Undercover agent : SPY
61 Jeff Lynne’s band, informally : ELO
62 Feline : CAT
63 Cartoon frame : CEL
64 Defunct airline : TWA