LA Times Crossword 19 Feb 26, Thursday

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Constructed by: Alisya Reza & Shannon Rapp

Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Reveal Answer: Double-Edged Sword

The EDGES of each themed answer spell out a type of SWORD:

• 65A Metaphor for something with positive and negative consequences, or what 18-, 30-, and 49-Across literally are? : DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD

• 18A “Espresso” singer : SABRINA CARPENTER (giving “SAB-ER“)
• 30A Taking time off from school? : CUTTING CLASS (giving “CUT-LASS“)
• 49A Pet adoption that wasn’t planned : FOSTER FAIL (giving “FO-IL“)

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

Bill’s time: 7m 49s

Bill’s errors: 3

• ZONE (lane)
• SZA (Sla)
• LOC (lac)

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1A Wood used by luthiers : ALDER

There appears to be heated debate by those in the know, about whether or not the type of wood used in the construction of electric guitars makes a difference to the sound quality. However, amongst those that value choice of wood, alder is the clear favorite.

A luthier is someone who constructs and repairs stringed instruments like violins and guitars. The term “luthier” is French and comes from “luth”, the French word for “lute”.

10A One of many in Indonesia’s Kepulauan Seribu : ISLET

Indonesia’s Thousand Islands (“Kepulauan Seribu” in Indonesian) are a chain of islands located to the north of Jakarta, the nation’s capital. There aren’t actually 1,000 islands in the chain, and more like 100-400, depending on the definition of “island”. Several of the islands are privately owned, some are home to resorts, a couple are historic parks, and the rest support a fishing village or are uninhabited.

15A He-Man’s twin : SHE-RA

“Masters of the Universe” is a sword-and-sorcery multimedia franchise that was introduced by Mattel in the 1980s. The main characters in the storyline are superhero He-Man, who battles against Skeletor on the planet Eternia, and He-Man’s sister She-Ra, who rebels against the Horde on the planet Etheria.

18A “Espresso” singer : SABRINA CARPENTER (giving “SAB-ER”)

Singer and actress Sabrina Carpenter first garnered attention as a young actress, playing one of the main characters on the Disney comedy TV show “Girl Meets World”. She is the niece of actress Nancy Cartwright, who voices Bart Simpson on “The Simpsons”.

A saber (sometimes “sabre”) is a sword with a curved blade and a relatively large hand guard. It is thought that the term originated with the Hungarian verb “szabni” meaning “to cut”.

21A 2024 Korean Air merger partner : ASIANA

Asiana is the second-largest airline in South Korea, behind Korean Air. That ranking became less important to passengers in 2024, when the two companies merged.

23A “Jeopardy!” champion Amodio : MATT

Mathematician Matt Amodio enjoyed the third-longest winning streak on the game show “Jeopardy!” in 2021. He sparked a “grammar scandal” during that streak by answering every single clue with the simplified prefix “What’s…?”, as opposed to “What is …?”, “Who is …?”, etc. This strategy saved him a lot of thinking time, but upset some viewers.

30A Taking time off from school? : CUTTING CLASS (giving “CUT-LASS”)

The cutlass is a slashing sword that became known as the “workhorse of the seas”. During the Age of Sail, it was a naval weapon of choice, partly because it also served as a useful tool, robust enough to hack through thick ropes or canvas during storms. Its short, curved blade was specifically designed for the cramped environment of a ship’s deck, where longer swords would have snagged on rigging or narrow corridor walls.

33A Flavor of fermented foods : UMAMI

“Umami” is a loanword from Japanese, literally meaning “pleasant savory taste”. It was first scientifically identified as a distinct taste in 1908 by Japanese chemist Kikunae Ikeda, who discovered that the amino acid glutamate was responsible for the unique taste (umami) of kombu seaweed.

36A Mississippi formation : DELTA

A river delta is a triangular landform at the mouth of a river created by the deposition of sediment. The use of the term “delta” in this context comes from the triangular shape of the Greek letter delta. The Nile Delta in Northern Egypt is one of the world’s largest river deltas, and covers 150 miles of coastline on the Mediterranean. The most famous “delta” in the United States isn’t actually a delta at all. The Mississippi Delta is an alluvial plain that lies 300 miles north of the river’s actual delta, yet it is known as the “Mississippi Delta”. Very confusing …

42A Tub with jets : SPA

“Jacuzzi” is one of those brand names that has become so much associated with the product that it is often assumed to be a generic term. The Jacuzzi company was founded in 1915 by the seven(!) Jacuzzi brothers in Berkeley, California. The brothers, who were Italian immigrants, pronounced their name “ja-coot-si”, as one might suspect when one realizes the name is of Italian origin. The company started off by making aircraft propellers and then small aircraft, but suspended aircraft production in 1925, when one of the brothers was killed in one of their planes. The family then started making hydraulic pumps, and in 1948 developed a submersible bathtub pump so that a son of one of the brothers could enjoy hydrotherapy for his rheumatoid arthritis. The “hydrotherapy product” took off in the fifties with some astute marketing towards “worn-out housewives” and the use of celebrity spokesman Jack Benny.

44A Product of a redox reaction : ION

In the world of chemistry, redox reactions are those in which electrons are transferred between species. “Redox” is a portmanteau of “reduction” and “oxidation”, where reduction is the gain of electrons by a molecule or atom, and oxidation is the corresponding loss of electrons. Examples of redox reactions are the oxidation of carbon to create carbon dioxide, and the reduction of carbon using hydrogen to create methane.

49A Pet adoption that wasn’t planned : FOSTER FAIL (giving “FO-IL”)

When someone is kind enough to foster an animal, that temporary arrangement can become permanent. If the person fostering adopts the animal, then there has been a “foster fail”.

Before the foil was introduced as a sporting weapon, it was used as a blunted weapon for sword practice. It has been suggested that the sword was blunted by wrapping metal foil around the tip, hence the name.

56A Taquería drink : AGUA

In Spanish, one might ask for “agua” (water) at “una taquería” (a restaurant specializing in tacos).

57A European range : ALPS

The Alpine mountain range in Europe extends from the French city of Nice on the Mediterranean coast to Trieste on the Adriatic and Vienna in the northeastern foothills.

60A Pachakamaq worshippers : INCA

The archaeological site of Pachacámac is located about 25 miles to the southeast of Lima, the Peruvian capital. It was named for the Andean god Pacha Kamaq, who was worshiped as the creator god of the entire universe by those living in the area, prior to conquest by the Incas. However, the Inca eventually accepted Pacha Kamaq into their pantheon of gods, and added several structures in his honor.

63A Mammal with a saddle patch : ORCA

The orca (killer whale) has a unique “saddle patch” just behind its dorsal fin: a gray-white mark that acts much like a human fingerprint. Marine biologists use the specific shape and scarring of this patch to track individual whales across decades.

68A Freelancer’s targets : OUTLETS

The term “free lance” was coined by Sir Walter Scott in his 1820 novel “Ivanhoe”, when he used it to describe a medieval mercenary warrior. Forty years later, a “freelancer” was a journalist who did work for more than one publication without a long-term commitment.

Down

1D Tea in masala chai, perhaps : 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.

Masala chai is an Indian drink made with black tea (the “chai”) and mixed spices (the “masala”, a mixture known as “khara”).

2D Tibet’s capital : LHASA

Lhasa is the capital city of Tibet, with the name “Lhasa” translating as “place of the gods”. However, Lhasa used to be called Rasa, a name that translates into the less auspicious “goat’s place”. Lhasa was also once called the “Forbidden City” due to its inaccessible location high in the Himalayas and a traditional hostility exhibited by residents to outsiders. The “forbidden” nature of the city has been reinforced since the Chinese took over Tibet in the early 1950s as it has been difficult for foreigners to get permission to visit Lhasa.

4D Printing gaffe : ERRATUM

“Errata” is the past participle of the Latin word “errare” meaning “to err”. We use “errata” (singular “erratum”) to describe a list of errors that have been noted in some publication.

Our word “gaffe”, meaning “blunder”, comes from the French “gaffe” meaning “clumsy remark”, although it originally was a word describing a boat hook. The exact connection between a boat hook and a blunder seems to be unclear.

5D Part of the water cycle : RAIN

The water cycle is one of nature’s recycling systems, with water evaporating, condensing, falling as rain, and then evaporating again. Essentially, no “new” water has been created or destroyed for billions of years. Earth’s total supply is fairly constant, and just moves between the planet’s major reservoirs of ice, fresh water, salt water and atmospheric water.

6D Kendrick Lamar’s Grand National Tour co-headliner : SZA

“SZA” is the stage name of American singer Solána Imani Rowe. The name is essentially a creative code where each letter stands for a powerful word: Savior, Zig-Zag, and Allah.

Kendrick Lamar is a hip-hop singer from Compton, California. Lamar’s full name is Kendrick Lamar Duckworth, with the singer’s given name honoring Motown artist Eddie Kendricks. Notably, his 2017 album “Damn” won a Pulitzer Prize for Music, becoming the first non-classical or non-jazz album to do so.

7D Follower of wisdom or love, in hairstyling : LOC

Dreadlocks (often just “locs”) are matted coils of hair that are usually formed intentionally, although if one lets hair grow out without grooming then it naturally forms twisted and matted dreadlocks. The hairstyle is associated with the Rastafarian movement in which “dread” is a very positive term meaning “fear of the Lord”.

8D Actress Gasteyer : ANA

Ana Gasteyer is an actress best known for being a cast member of “Saturday Night Live” (SNL) from 1996 to 2002. Gasteyer was famous on SNL for playing Martha Stewart … topless!

14D “Fresh Air” co-host Gross : TERRY

“Fresh Air” is a marvelous radio talk show broadcast on NPR, and hosted by Terry Gross. The first broadcast of the program was made in 1975, with Judy Blank hosting. Terry Gross took over a few months later, and Gross has been presenting and producing the show ever since. I had the privilege of hearing Terry Gross give a talk here in my hometown some years ago. What a fascinating woman she is, full of great stories about her experiences interviewing so many interesting personalities.

19D Condé __ : … NAST

Condé Nast is a mass media corporation that has a very large portfolio of publications, including “Vogue”, “GQ”, “House and Garden”, “Golf Digest”, “Wired”, “Vanity Fair” and “The New Yorker”.

26D Indigenous people of North Carolina : ENO

The Eno people (also, “Enoke” and “Stuckenock”) were a Siouan-speaking tribe that historically resided along the banks of the Eno river (which bears their name) in present-day North Carolina. The Eno moved westward in the early 18th century, and merged with the Catawba Native Americans.

32D “Minor Detail” novelist Shibli : ADANIA

Palestinian author Adania Shibli has written and been published in several languages, as she speaks Arabic, English, Hebrew, French, Korean, and German. Her most famous work is a 2017 novel titled “Minor Detail”, that deals with the rape and murder of a Palestinian girl by Israeli soldiers. There was some controversy after the 2022 German edition of the novel was selected for a prize to be presented at the Frankfurt Book Fair. The presentation was cancelled following claims that the narrative was antisemitic, a move that drew criticism from several prominent authors and Nobel Laureates.

33D Shipper with brown trucks : UPS

United Parcel Service (UPS) is based in Sandy Springs, Georgia and has its own airline that operates out of Louisville, Kentucky. UPS often goes by the nickname “Brown”, because of its brown delivery trucks and brown uniforms.

34D Astronaut Jemison : MAE

Mae Jemison was a crew member on the Space Shuttle Endeavour on a 1992 mission, and as such became the first African-American woman to travel in space. She is also a big fan of “Star Trek” and appeared on an episode of “Star Trek: The Next Generation”. That made Jemison the first real astronaut to appear on any of the “Star Trek” shows.

41D In medias __ : … RES

“In medias res” is a Latin phrase that translates as “into the middle of things”. We use it to describe a literary technique in which a story starts at some point other than the beginning of the plot.

43D Educational ad : PSA

Public service announcement (PSA)

51D “Holy moly!” : EGAD!

The mild expletive “Holy moly!” is a euphemism for “Holy Moses!”

54D Aardvark feature : SNOUT

The aardvark is the oddest looking of creatures, a nocturnal burrowing animal that is native to Africa. Even though it is sometimes called the African ant bear, the name “aardvark” is Afrikaans for “earth pig”. Aardvarks are noted, among other things, for their unique teeth. Their teeth have no enamel and wear away quite readily, but continuously regrow. The aardvark feeds mainly on ants and termites.

67D NorCal hub : 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.