LA Times Crossword 24 Oct 23, Tuesday

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Constructed by: Samuel A. Donaldson
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Theme (according to Bill): 3-Across

Themed answers are all phrases comprising three identical words:

  • 18A “So tasty!” : NOM NOM NOM!
  • 20A Disco hit with the repeated lyric “How do you like it?” : MORE, MORE, MORE
  • 36A Dance syllables : CHA-CHA-CHA
  • 54A “Exactly right!” : DING DING DING!
  • 58A “Wait for it” : DOT DOT DOT

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

Bill’s time: 7m 11s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

10 Monterey __ cheese : JACK

What we now call Monterey Jack cheese was originally made by Franciscan friars in Monterey, California in the 19th century. In the 1800s, a powerful landowner called David Jack started to make the same cheese as the friars in his own dairy, and marketed it as “Jack’s Cheese” and later “Monterey Jack”.

15 Pizazz : ELAN

Pizazz (also “pizzazz”) is energy, vitality. There’s a kind of cool thing about the “pizzazz” spelling, namely that it is the only 7-letter word in English that cannot be played in Scrabble. You can get close by using the Z-tile with the two blank tiles to get to three of the required four Zs, but there’s no way to get to the fourth Z.

20 Disco hit with the repeated lyric “How do you like it?” : MORE, MORE, MORE

“More, More, More” is a 1976 song recorded by Andrea True that made quite a splash in the disco era.

22 Naval initials : USS

The abbreviation “USS” stands for “United States Ship”. The practice of naming US Navy vessels in a standard format didn’t start until 1907, when President Theodore Roosevelt issued an executive order that addressed the issue.

28 Bit of plastic foam packing material : PEANUT

Styrofoam is an extruded polystyrene foam made by the Dow Chemical Company. Styrofoam has loads of applications, including home insulation and use as a buoyancy aid. It is also formed into “peanuts” used as a packaging filler.

30 Soviet news agency : TASS

“TASS” is the abbreviation used for the former news agency that had the full name Telegraph Association of the Soviet Union (Telegrafnoe Agentstvo Sovetskogo Soyuza). When the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991, the Moscow-based agency’s scope changed along with its name. It is now known as the Information Telegraph Agency of Russia (ITAR-TASS).

32 Director DuVernay : AVA

Ava DuVernay is a filmmaker who became the first African-American woman to win the Best Director Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, a feat she achieved in 2012 for her feature film “Middle of Nowhere”. “Middle of Nowhere” tells the story of a woman who drops out of medical school to focus on her husband when he is sentenced to 8 years in prison. DuVernay also directed the 2014 film “Selma” about the 1965 voting rights marches from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama.

33 Crisis unit : SWAT TEAM

“SWAT” is an acronym standing for Special Weapons and Tactics. The first SWAT team was pulled together in the Los Angeles Police Department in 1968.

35 Sink-cleaning brand : AJAX

Ajax cleanser has been around since 1947, and it’s “stronger than dirt!” That was the most famous slogan over here in the US. On my side of the pond, the celebrated slogan was “it cleans like a white tornado”.

36 Dance syllables : CHA-CHA-CHA

The cha-cha-cha (often simplified to “cha-cha”) is a Latin dance with origins in Cuba, where it was introduced by composer Enrique Jorrin in 1953.

45 Green who played Vesper Lynd in “Casino Royale” : EVA

Despite the English-sounding name, Eva Green is a French actress. Green played Bond girl Vesper Lynd in the 2006 movie “Casino Royale” opposite Daniel Craig.

Vesper Lynd is a character in Ian Fleming’s novel “Casino Royale”. Lynd was played by Ursula Andress in the 1967 film spoof of the same name, and by Eva Green in the more action-packed 2006 “Casino Royale” starring Daniel Craig as 007.

48 “Earthsea” series writer __ K. Le Guin : URSULA

“The Earthsea Cycle” is a series of fantasy novels penned by Ursula K. Le Guin, starting with “A Wizard of Earthsea” published in 1968. In addition to six standalone novels, Le Guin also wrote nine short stories set in the world of Earthsea.

50 Big name in pianos and motorcycles : YAMAHA

The Japanese company Yamaha started out way back in 1888 as a manufacturer of pianos and reed organs. Even though the company has diversified since then, Yamaha’s logo still reflects its musical roots. Said logo is made up of three intersecting tuning forks, and can even be seen on Yamaha motorcycles and ATVs.

52 Army fare, briefly : MRE

The Meal, Ready-to-Eat (MRE) comes in a lightweight package that’s easy to tote around. The MRE replaced the more cumbersome Meal, Combat, Individual (MCI) in 1981, a meal-in-a-can. In turn, the MCI had replaced the C-ration in 1958, a less sophisticated meal-in-a-can with a more limited choice.

53 Baseball great Hodges inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2022 : GIL

Gil Hodges was a professional baseball player and manager. Perhaps Hodges’ most celebrated achievement was managing the New York Mets team (the “Miracle Mets”) that won the 1969 World Series. Hodges died from a heart attack just a few years later in 1972, when he was only 48 years old.

61 New wave band __ Boingo : OINGO

Oingo Boingo was a band active from the seventies through the nineties. The group had a reputation for giving pretty wild concerts on Halloween each year.

65 Überfan : STAN

“Stan” is a song by rapper Eminem (featuring Dido) that was recorded in 2000. The title refers to a fictional Eminem fan named “Stan” who becomes obsessed with the rapper, and who grows irate when his letters to his idol go unanswered. Stan’s final act is to make a voice recording as he drives into a river, with his pregnant girlfriend locked in the trunk. One of the legacies of the song is that “stan” is now used as a slang term for an obsessed and maniacal fan.

66 Sazerac spirits : RYES

The classic New Orleans cocktail known as a Sazerac is a mixture of rye, absinthe, bitters and sugar. The use of rye is a little incongruous, given that the cocktail is named for the Sazerac de Forge et Fils brand of Cognac that was originally the base spirit.

Down

6 Painter Matisse : HENRI

Henri Matisse was a French artist renowned for his contribution to modern art. In his early career, Matisse was classed as a “fauve”, one of the group of artists known as the “wild beasts” who emphasized strong color over realism in their works. He was a lifelong friend of Pablo Picasso, and the two were considered to be good-natured rivals so their works are often compared. One major difference between their individual portfolios is that Picasso tended to paint from his imagination, whereas Matisse tended to use nature as his inspiration.

8 Soccer legend Mia : HAMM

Mia Hamm is a retired American soccer player. She played as a forward on the US national team that won the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 1991. Hamm scored 158 international goals, which was more than any other player in the world, male or female, until the record was broken in 2013. Amazingly, Hamm was born with a clubfoot, and so had to wear corrective shoes when she was growing up.

9 Drives bonkers : ANNOYS

The word “bonkers” meaning “crazy” originated in the fifties. The term might come from navy slang meaning “slightly drunk”, behaving as though one received a “bonk” on the head.

10 LeBron who broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s NBA scoring record in 2023 : JAMES

Basketball player LeBron James (nicknamed “King James”) seems to be in demand for the covers of magazines. James became the first African-American man to adorn the front cover of “Vogue” in March 2008. That made him only the third male to make the “Vogue” cover, following Richard Gere and George Clooney.

11 Novelist Patchett : ANN

Ann Patchett is an author who lives in Nashville, Tennessee. Her most famous work is probably her novel “Bel Canto”, published in 2001. In 2012, “Time” included Patchett in the magazine’s list of 100 most influential people in the world.

12 Exec who’s good at networking? : CTO

Chief technology officer (CTO)

13 Crime-fighting teen toon __ Possible : KIM

“Kim Possible” is an animated Disney TV series for kids that originally ran from 2002 until 2007. The title character is a teenage crimefighter, with a partner named Ron Stoppable.

21 “Straight __ Compton” : OUTTA

“Straight Outta Compton” was the first album by NWA. NWA was a hip hop group from Compton, California. The original five group members included rappers who have made a name for themselves as solo acts, including: Dr. Dre and Ice Cube. The story of NWA is told in a 2015 film, also called “Straight Outta Compton”.

29 Table salt, to a chemist : NACL

Sodium chloride (NaCl, common salt) is an ionic compound. It comprises a crystal lattice made up of large chloride (Cl) ions in a cubic structure, with smaller sodium (Na+) ions in between the chlorides.

30 Chevy model that shares a name with a lake : TAHOE

The Chevrolet Tahoe SUV was introduced in 1994. It is based on the same platform as the Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck, and it shares many of its components. The Tahoe is sold under the Silverado badge in Mexico.

Lake Tahoe (often referred to simply as “Tahoe”) is up in the Sierra Nevada mountains, and is located right on the border between California and Nevada. It is the largest alpine lake in the country, and the largest lake in general behind the five Great Lakes. Tahoe is also the second deepest lake, with only the beautiful Crater Lake in Oregon being deeper. Given its location, there are tall casinos that sit right on the shore on the Nevada side of the state line where gambling is legal.

31 Amo, amas, __ : AMAT

“Amo, amas, amat” translates from Latin as “I love, you love, he/she/it loves”.

37 Device for making butter : CHURN

Butter churns are devices that convert cream into butter. The churn agitates the cream mechanically, disrupting milk fat. Clumps of disrupted milk fat form larger and larger fat globules. Eventually, the mixture separates into solid butter and liquid buttermilk.

39 Writer/actress Tina who graduated from 40-Down : FEY
40 Charlottesville sch. : UVA

Comic actress Tina Fey has a scar on her face a few inches long on her left cheek, which I was shocked to learn was caused by a childhood “slashing” incident. When she was just five years old and playing in the alley behind her house, someone just came up to her and slashed her with a knife. How sad!

The University of Virginia (UVA) was founded by Thomas Jefferson, who then sat on the original Board of Visitors alongside former US Presidents James Madison and James Monroe. In fact, the original UVA campus was built on land near Charlottesville that was once a farm belonging to President Monroe.

41 Aries animal : RAM

Aries the Ram is the first astrological sign in the Zodiac, and is named after the constellation. Your birth sign is Aries if you were born between March 21 and April 20, but if you are an Aries you would know that! “Aries” is the Latin word for “ram”.

44 Burger preparer, in diner slang : SLINGER

To sling hash (also “to sling plates”) is to serve food in a diner.

49 Dick Cheney’s predecessor : AL GORE

Al Gore was born in Washington DC, and is the son of Al Gore, Sr., then a US Representative for the state of Tennessee. After deferring his military service in order to attend Harvard, the younger Gore became eligible for the draft on graduation. Many of his classmates found ways of avoiding the draft, but Gore decided to serve and even took the “tougher” option of joining the army as an enlisted man. Actor Tommy Lee Jones shared a house with Gore in college and says that his buddy told him that even if he could find a way around the draft, someone with less options than him would have to go in his place and that was just wrong.

In 2000, Dick Cheney was called upon by then-Governor George W. Bush to head up the search for a running mate for Bush in the presidential election. After a few months’ search, Bush turned things on their head by asking Cheney to join him on the ticket.

57 By __ of: due to : DINT

A dint is an effort or power, as in “make it by dint of hard work”. “By dint of” is a new expression to me, but it has been around since the early 1300s. I must have been out that day …

60 LAX agency that’s not lax about safety : TSA

Transportation Security Administration (TSA)

/p>

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Three, so they say : CROWD
6 “You’re a riot” : HA HA!
10 Monterey __ cheese : JACK
14 Prying tool : LEVER
15 Pizazz : ELAN
16 Not pro : ANTI
17 Mimic’s talent : APERY
18 “So tasty!” : NOM NOM NOM!
20 Disco hit with the repeated lyric “How do you like it?” : MORE, MORE, MORE
22 Naval initials : USS
23 French agreement : OUI
24 Polite child’s reply : YES, MOM
28 Bit of plastic foam packing material : PEANUT
30 Soviet news agency : TASS
32 Director DuVernay : AVA
33 Crisis unit : SWAT TEAM
35 Sink-cleaning brand : AJAX
36 Dance syllables : CHA-CHA-CHA
39 Roll up, as a flag : FURL
42 Volatile types : HOTHEADS
45 Green who played Vesper Lynd in “Casino Royale” : EVA
46 Slender woodwind : OBOE
48 “Earthsea” series writer __ K. Le Guin : URSULA
50 Big name in pianos and motorcycles : YAMAHA
52 Army fare, briefly : MRE
53 Baseball great Hodges inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2022 : GIL
54 “Exactly right!” : DING DING DING!
58 “Wait for it” : DOT DOT DOT
61 New wave band __ Boingo : OINGO
62 In that case : IF SO
63 Sunup direction : EAST
64 ATM key : ENTER
65 Überfan : STAN
66 Sazerac spirits : RYES
67 Retail outlet : STORE

Down

1 Refuse to answer questions : CLAM UP
2 Takes a rest : REPOSES
3 Supervised : OVERSAW
4 “Where __ we?” : WERE
5 Sign of dehydration : DRY MOUTH
6 Painter Matisse : HENRI
7 Natural balm : ALOE
8 Soccer legend Mia : HAMM
9 Drives bonkers : ANNOYS
10 LeBron who broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s NBA scoring record in 2023 : JAMES
11 Novelist Patchett : ANN
12 Exec who’s good at networking? : CTO
13 Crime-fighting teen toon __ Possible : KIM
19 Mine yields : ORES
21 “Straight __ Compton” : OUTTA
25 Capt.’s boss : MAJ
26 Egg cells : OVA
27 Tops : MAX
29 Table salt, to a chemist : NACL
30 Chevy model that shares a name with a lake : TAHOE
31 Amo, amas, __ : AMAT
34 Sound in an empty hallway : ECHO
35 Penlight batteries : AAAS
37 Device for making butter : CHURN
38 “Wish me luck!” : HERE GOES!
39 Writer/actress Tina who graduated from 40-Down : FEY
40 Charlottesville sch. : UVA
41 Aries animal : RAM
43 Explored deeply : DUG INTO
44 Burger preparer, in diner slang : SLINGER
46 State on Lake Erie : OHIO
47 Friendly back-and-forth : BANTER
49 Dick Cheney’s predecessor : AL GORE
51 Optional feature : ADD-ON
52 Fielding gloves : MITTS
55 Aussie mate-ing call? : G’DAY
56 Two tablets, maybe : DOSE
57 By __ of: due to : DINT
58 Put down : DIS
59 Over and again, in poetry : OFT
60 LAX agency that’s not lax about safety : TSA