LA Times Crossword 9 Aug 26, Sunday

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Constructed by: Joe Deeney

Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Theme: A⁺ in Film Studies

Themed answers are all FILM titles, PLUS a letter A:

• 22A Public square that gets really sticky in the heat? : LICORICE PIAZZA (A + “Licorice Pizza”)
• 39A One who can only rasp quietly? : THE HOARSE WHISPERER (A + “The Horse Whisperer”)
• 48A Spot in a store with toys, water bowls, and leashes? : AISLE OF DOGS (A + “Isle of Dogs”)
• 68A Warning before a particularly scary monster flick? : BEAST IN SHOW (A + “Best in Show”)
• 84A R-rated NASA event? : NAKED LAUNCH (A + “Naked Lunch”)
• 93A Oak trees? : CHILDREN OF THE ACORN (A + “Children of the Corn”)
• 116A Glass ceiling-breaking event? : ASCENT OF A WOMAN (A + “Scent of a Woman”)

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

Bill’s time: 15m 49s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

7A Enemy of ancient Athens : SPARTA

Sparta was a city-state in ancient Greece that was famous for her military might. Spartan children had a tough upbringing, and newborn babies were bathed in wine to see if the child was strong enough to survive. Every child was presented to a council of elders that decided if the baby was suitable for rearing. Those children deemed too puny were executed by tossing them into a chasm. We’ve been using the term “spartan” to describe something self-disciplined or austere since the 1600s.

22A Public square that gets really sticky in the heat? : LICORICE PIAZZA (A + “Licorice Pizza”)

2021’s “Licorice Pizza” sounds like an interesting film. It stars two actors in their debut performances, Alana Haim and Cooper Hoffman. Haim is a very successful musician, and Cooper is the son of actor Philip Seymour Hoffman. The inexperienced leads are supported by heavyweights Sean Penn, Tom Waits, Maya Rudolph and Bradley Cooper. “Licorice Pizza” bombed at the box office, but the critics loved it.

28A Ski lift : T-BAR

A T-bar is a ski lift on which the skiers are pulled up the hill in pairs, with each pair standing (not sitting!) either side of a T-shaped metal bar. The bar is placed behind the thighs, pulling along the skiers as they remain standing on their skis (hopefully!). There’s also a J-bar, which is a similar device but with each J-shaped bar used by one skier at a time.

30A Actor Kilmer : VAL

Val Kilmer’s first big leading role in a movie was playing Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone’s 1991 biopic “The Doors”. A few years later, Kilmer was chosen for the lead in another big production, “Batman Forever”. Off the screen, he flirted with the idea of running for Governor of New Mexico in 2010. A Hollywood actor as a governor? Would never happen …

36A “Don’t play,” in music : TACET

“Tacet” is a musical direction meaning “be silent”. It is typically written on a score to instruct a particular voice or instrument to remain silent for a whole movement. “Tacet” is Latin for “it is silent”.

38A Phi __ Kappa : BETA

Phi Beta Kappa was the first collegiate Greek fraternity in the US, founded in 1776 at the College of William and Mary. The organization served as a model for future collegiate fraternities and sororities, although in the 19th century Phi Beta Kappa distanced itself from the fraternal focus and transformed into the honor society that it is today, recognizing academic excellence. The initials Phi Beta Kappa stand for “philosophia biou kybernētēs”, which translates into “philosophy is the guide of life”. The symbol of the Phi Beta Kappa Society is a golden key.

39A One who can only rasp quietly? : THE HOARSE WHISPERER (A + “The Horse Whisperer”)

1998’s “The Horse Whisperer” is a film starring Robert Redford in the title role. It is based on a 1995 novel of the same name by British author Nicholas Evans. Both movie and book are about a high-powered magazine editor who brings her traumatized daughter and their severely injured horse from New York to a remote Montana ranch for healing. “The Horse Whisperer” marked the first time Robert Redford directed himself in a starring role.

44A Title for Judi Dench : DAME

Dame Judi Dench is an outstanding English actress who has appeared for decades in her home country on stage and screen. Dench’s film career took off in the nineties with a relatively trivial role as “M” in the James Bond series of films. Since then she has played leading roles in several excellent movies including “Shakespeare in Love”, “Mrs. Brown”, “Notes on a Scandal” and “Philomena”. Sadly, Dench suffers from a condition called macular degeneration, which has caused her to lose most of her central vision.

47A __ monster : GILA

A Gila monster is a venomous lizard found in the southwestern US and northern Mexico, and is the only venomous lizard native to the US. Gila monsters move along at a snail’s pace so aren’t normally a danger to humans. The name “Gila” is a reference to the Gila River Basin in the American Southwest, where the Gila monster was prevalent.

48A Spot in a store with toys, water bowls, and leashes? : AISLE OF DOGS (A + “Isle of Dogs”)

“Isle of Dogs” is a 2018 animated and stop-action film by Wes Anderson. The movie has a science-fiction storyline, and is set in near-future Japan. All dogs are banished to Trash Island after an outbreak of dog flu threatens to cross into the human population. The voice cast of “Isle of Dogs” is very impressive, and includes Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum, Frances McDormand, Scarlett Johansson, Yoko Ono and many other A-list names.

51A Castle-breaching explosive : PETARD

In days of old, a petard was a small bomb that was used to breach fortified gates and walls. The phrase “hoist with his own petard” comes from Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”, and is a reference to a petard detonating prematurely and blowing up (“hoisting”) the bomber.

54A Rapper Dr. __ : DRE

“Dr. Dre” is the stage name of rapper Andre Romelle Young. He is known for his own singing career as well as for producing records and starting the careers of others such as Snoop Dogg, Eminem and 50 Cent.

55A Matar paneer vegetables : PEAS

Mattar paneer is a dish from North Indian cuisine. It consists mainly of paneer (a freshly-made cheese) combined with peas in a tomato-based sauce.

60A Cookie whose website has recipes for cheesecake and empanadas : OREO

An empanada is a dish made by folding pastry around cooked meat and vegetables. To me an empanada looks very similar to a dish I grew up with called a Cornish pasty.

62A Derby-sporting Addams : ITT

In the television sitcom “The Addams Family”, the family has a frequent visitor named Cousin Itt. He is a short man with long hair that runs from his head to the floor. Itt was played by Italian actor Felix Silla.

They’re creepy and they’re kooky,
Mysterious and spooky,
They’re altogether ooky,
The Addams Family.

”

64A Ancient hulled wheat : SPELT

Spelt (also “dinkel wheat”) is a wheat species that has been around for thousands of years. Once a staple in the human diet, it was largely replaced by bread wheat. Spelt is seeing a revival in recent years, as its growth is less dependent on artificial fertilizers.

66A Old Jutland resident : TEUTON

The Germanic peoples of Northern Europe are often called Teutonic, a term which originated with the Teutons, one of the Germanic tribes that lived in the region in the days of ancient Greece and Rome.

Jutland is a peninsula in Northern Europe comprising the mainland of Denmark and part of northern Germany. Jutland is named for the Jutes, a powerful Germanic people that inhabited the peninsula in the Nordic Iron Age.

67A “Fiddlesticks” : DARN

We’ve been using “fiddlesticks” to mean “nonsense” since the early 17th century. Prior to that time, “fiddlestick” just referred to the bow of a fiddle.

68A Warning before a particularly scary monster flick? : BEAST IN SHOW (A + “Best in Show”)

“Best in Show” is a comedy film released in 2000 that is in the mockumentary style. It follows five entrants to a big dog show. It is a Christopher Guest film, so I gave up after about 10 minutes of viewing …

71A Lysol target : GERM

Lysol disinfectant gets its name from the Greek word “lysis” (meaning to dissolve or loosen) and the chemical suffix “-ol” (or Latin “oleum” for oil).

72A Chemist Mendeleev who created the periodic table : DMITRI

Dmitri Mendeleev was a Russian chemist. When Mendeleev classified elements according to their chemical properties, he noticed patterns and was able to group elements into his famous 1869 Periodic Table. So powerful was his table that he actually predicted the properties of some elements that had not even been discovered in 1869. Element number 101 is mendelevium, and was named after Mendeleev.

76A Blackthorn berry : SLOE

The sloe is the fruit of the blackthorn bush, and the main flavoring ingredient in sloe gin. A sloe looks like a small plum, but is usually much more tart in taste.

77A Beyoncé’s “I Am… __ Fierce” : SASHA

Sasha Fierce is an alter-ego that Beyoncé Knowles has developed for her stage and recording work. Beyoncé describes Sasha as very sensual and aggressive. She released a studio album called “I Am… Sasha Fierce” in 2008.

81A Liberty Mutual’s bus. : INS

Liberty Mutual is an insurance company based in Boston. The business was founded in 1912 as the Massachusetts Employees Insurance Association (MEIA). Liberty Mutual has a famous advertising icon named LiMu Emu.

82A Hybrid synth instrument : KEYTAR

A keytar is a lightweight musical keyboard that is worn around the neck with a strap like a guitar. “Keytar” is a slang term and is a portmanteau of “keyboard” and “guitar”. The instruments are more properly called “strap-on keyboards” or something similar.

84A R-rated NASA event? : NAKED LAUNCH (A + “Naked Lunch”)

“Naked Lunch” is a 1991 sci-fi film based on a 1959 novel of the same name by William S. Burroughs. The critics liked this one, but the public largely ignored it.

90A __ roll : KAISER

The Kaiser roll was invented in Vienna, Austria. It is thought that the “Kaiser” name was applied to the crusty roll in honor of Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph I.

93A Oak trees? : CHILDREN OF THE ACORN (A + “Children of the Corn”)

The “Children of the Corn” film series was adapted from a 1977 Stephen King short story of the same name that was first published in “Penthouse” magazine. The first film was released in 1984. I’m afraid that I don’t do horror …

99A Golfer McIlroy : RORY

Rory McIlroy is a very successful golfer from Northern Ireland. He became a world number one at a relatively young age, so folks can’t help but compare him to Tiger Woods. He was the first European to win three different majors. Along with Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, and Jordan Spieth, McIlroy is one of only four people to win three majors by the age of 25.

101A Hurdle for an aspiring JD : LSAT

Law School Admission Test (LSAT)

The law degree that is abbreviated to “J.D.” stands for “Juris Doctor” or “Doctor of Jurisprudence”.

102A Halloween mo. : OCT

All Saints’ Day is November 1st each year. The day before All Saints’ Day is All Hallows’ Eve, better known by the Scottish term “Halloween”.

105A Off-rd. wheels : ATV

All-terrain vehicle (ATV)

106A “Stranger Things” actor Wolfhard : FINN

Canadian actor Finn Wolfhard is known for playing Mike Wheeler on the sci-fi horror show “Stranger Things”. Outside of acting, Wolfhard is an accomplished guitarist, and was the lead vocalist for the indie rock band Calpurnia.

110A Wireless std. : LTE

In the world of telecommunications, the initialism LTE stands for Long-Term Evolution, and is a wireless broadband communication standard. In general terms, LTE improves broadband speeds. As I understand it, LTE technology allows a 3G network to perform almost as well as a true 4G network, and so LTE is sometimes marketed as 4G LTE, even though it’s really “3G plus”.

112A “Midsommar” director Aster : ARI

Ari Aster is a filmmaker associated with horror and dark comedy movies, and films that include graphic violence. Probably not for me …

“Midsommar”: it’s a horror film …

114A Minor flaw : FOIBLE

Originally, a foible was the weak point of a sword’s blade. Over time, “foible” came to be used for a weak point in a person’s character.

116A Glass ceiling-breaking event? : ASCENT OF A WOMAN (A + “Scent of a Woman”)

We use the term “glass ceiling” as a metaphor for an unseen barrier preventing advancement of a particular group within society. The phrase was coined in the late 1970s to describe the practice of denying promotion to qualified women in the workplace.

“Scent of a Woman” is a 1992 American remake of a 1974 Italian film “Profumo di donna”, which in turn is an adaptation of the Giovanni Arpino novel “Il buio e il miele”. Al Pacino won a Best Actor Oscar for playing the irascible, blind, retired Army officer Frank Slade.

122A Invertebrate found in every ocean : SEA STAR

Starfish (sometimes known as “sea stars”) come in many shapes and sizes, but commonly have “pentaradial symmetry”, meaning they have symmetrical body-shapes with five points. Most starfish are predators, mainly living on a diet of mollusks such as clams and oysters.

123A Hackers’ shout of success : WE’RE IN!

A computer hacker is a computer expert, and in particular one who uses that expertise to solve problems with hardware and software. So, the original use of the term “hacking” was very positive. Since the 1980s, the term “hacker” is more commonly used for an expert in subverting computer security.

126A Jaunty neckwear : ASCOTS

An ascot is a wide tie that narrows at the neck, which these days is only really worn at weddings or part of a dress uniform. The tie takes its name from the Royal Ascot horse race at which punters still turn up in formal wear at Ascot Racecourse in England.

Our words “jaunty” and “genteel” are related in that they both derive from the French “gentil” meaning “nice, pleasing”. In modern usage, someone described as jaunty has a buoyant air. Someone described as genteel is refined in manner.

Down

2D “Ethan Frome” novelist Wharton : EDITH

“Ethan Frome” is a novel by New York and Massachusetts author Edith Wharton, first published in 1911. Wharton started “Ethan Frome” as a composition in French that she wrote while studying the language in Paris. The novel was adapted into a 1993 film of the same name starring Liam Neeson in the title role, opposite Patricia Arquette.

3D Browser storage : CACHE

In the world of computers a “cache” is a component that stores data locally so that there is no need to go get that original data all over again after the first usage. Applications that use a cache move along more quickly. A good example is a web browser that will store some information from a website in a cache on one’s computer. When you ask your browser to visit a website that you’ve used before, while the browser is waiting for the latest information from the website it will display the old data (the stuff that doesn’t change, that was retained from the last visit) from its cache, so that you don’t have to wait so long to view a web page.

5D Many Christmas trees : FIRS

Firs are evergreen coniferous trees, with several species being popular as Christmas trees. The most commonly used species during the holidays are the Nordmann fir, noble fir, Fraser fir and balsam fir. We also see a lot of Douglas fir trees at Christmas, but they’re not actually true firs.

6D Fancy affair : SOIREE

“Soir” is the French word for “evening” and a “soirée” is an “evening party”. The French word “soirée” has an acute accent over the first “e”, but we tend to drop this when using the word in English.

8D “Play very, very softly,” in music : PPP

The musical term “pianissimo” is abbreviated to “pp”, and is an instruction to the performer to sing or play very softly. The concept can be extended to “ppp”, short for “pianississimo”, an instruction of play even more softly. The opposite instructions are fortissimo (ff) and fortississimo (fff), instructions to perform very loudly, and even more loudly.

9D Met highlight : ARIA

The Metropolitan Opera (often simply “the Met”) of New York City is the largest classical music organization in the country, presenting about 220 performances each and every year. Founded in 1880, the Met is renowned for using technology to expand its audiences. Performances have been broadcast live on radio since 1931, and on television since 1977. And since 2006 you can go see a live performance from New York in high definition on the big screen, at a movie theater near you …

11D Lipton division : TAZO TEA

Tazo is an American brand of tea products introduced in 1994. The company’s name was famously made up by its founder, who jokingly claimed it was a Romany word meaning “river of life”.

12D Curved cutting tool : ADZ

An adze (also “adz”) is similar to an ax, but is different in that the blade of an adze is set at right angles to the tool’s shaft. An ax blade is set in line with the shaft.

20D Nickname for Louis Armstrong : SATCH

Louis Armstrong was born in New Orleans in 1900. Armstrong had a poor upbringing, and only stayed in school until he was 11 years old. The exact origin of Louis’s nickname “Satchmo” seems to be a little unclear. One story is that he used to dance for pennies in New Orleans as a youngster and would hide those pennies in his mouth away from the other kids. For this he earned the nickname “satchel mouth”, which was shortened to “Satchmo”.

29D Neutral shades : BEIGES

Our word “beige” comes from the Old French “bege”, a term that applied to the natural color of wool and cotton that was not dyed.

32D Web design code : HTML

The initialism “HTML” stands for HyperText Markup Language. HTML is the language used to write most Internet web pages (including this one).

34D Warty amphibian : TOAD

The “warts” on the skin of a toad have no relation to the viral infection that can occur on human skin. A toad’s warts are colored bumps that are believed to help the animal blend more effectively into its environment.

35D Paul of “The Batman” : DANO

Paul Dano is an actor and musician from New York City. I best know him for playing Brian Wilson in “Love & Mercy”, a fascinating film about the Beach Boys.

“The Batman” is a 2022 film, and a reboot of the “Batman” film franchise. It stars Robert Pattinson as the title character (aka Bruce Wayne), and Paul Dano as the Riddler, the antagonist of the piece.

42D Texting tech : SMS

Short Message Service (SMS) is the name for the text messaging service that many of us still use on our cell phones to contact friends and family.

44D Natural history museum display : DIORAMA

A diorama is a full-scale or small-scale replica of a scene. We mostly see full-size dioramas in museums, whereas our kids might create small-scale dioramas as homework projects. The original diorama was a picture-viewing device that was invented in 1822 by Louis Daguerre and Charles Marie Bouton. These historic dioramas were quite large, and featured scenes that appeared to change as the lighting was manipulated.

45D “M*A*S*H” star? : ASTERISK

The name of the typographical symbol “asterisk” comes from the Greek word “asteriskos” meaning “little star”. The original use of the asterisk was by printers of family trees in feudal times. Back then it was a symbol indicating the date of birth.

“M*A*S*H” has only three stars (three asterisks, that is). These asterisks first appeared on the poster for the 1970 movie, but they were omitted in the opening titles. The TV series went on to use the asterisks from the poster.

49D Savanna antelope : ORIBI

The oribi is a small antelope found in parts of eastern and southern Africa. Male oribis will stake out a territory and defend it from other males. When an intruder enters their territory, they will emit a high-pitched whistle that alerts other males in the area. This whistle is unique to each individual oribi and serves as a way for them to identify themselves to other males.

55D Calligraphy tools : PENS

Calligraphy is the art of fine handwriting. The term “calligraphy” comes from the Greek “kallos” meaning “beauty” and “graphein” meaning “to write”.

65D Where some get tired quickly? : PIT

That would be a pitstop in an auto race to change tires, to retire.

73D Like a daisy : RAYED

The flowers of the daisy plant close tightly at sunset and then open up again in the morning. It is this behavior that led to the name “daisy”, from the Old English for “day’s eye”. So, the daisy could be called a “well-rested” plant. And, someone who is well-rested attacks the day “fresh as a daisy”. Interesting, huh?

78D Shiny fabric : SATEEN

Sateen is a cotton fabric. It has a weave that is “four over, one under”, meaning that most of the threads come to the surface to give it a softer feel.

83D Boston University athlete : TERRIER

The Boston terrier became the official mascot of Boston University (BU) in 1922, after students voted for the breed over a bull moose and an elephant. The dog was specifically chosen because the breed originated in the US in 1869, the same year the university was chartered. The school introduced a costumed mascot in 1983, later naming him “Rhett”. That was a nod to Margaret Mitchell’s 1936 novel “Gone with the Wind”: BU’s primary color is scarlet, and no one loves “Scarlett” more than Rhett!

90D Showy carp : 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.

91D From Cairo or Cape Town : AFRICAN

Cairo is the capital city of Egypt. It is nicknamed “The City of a Thousand Minarets” because of its impressive skyline replete with Islamic architecture. The name “Cairo” is a European corruption of the city’s original name in Arabic, “Al-Qahira”.

Cape Town is the legislative capital of South Africa (RSA), and one of three capital cities in the country. Pretoria is the executive capital, and Bloemfontein is the judicial capital.

95D California city near Santa Ana : IRVINE

The California city of Irvine is a planned city that was incorporated in 1971. The Irvine Company started developing the area after it sold land to the University of California in 1959 that was used for what is now the school’s Irvine campus.

97D Young hippopotamus : CALF

The name “hippopotamus” comes from the Greek for “river horse”. Hippos are the third-largest land mammals, after elephants and rhinos. The closest living relatives to hippos don’t even live on land. They are the whales and porpoises of the oceans.

98D Capital west of Montreal : OTTAWA

Ottawa is the second-largest city in the Province of Ontario (after Toronto) and is the capital city of Canada. The name “Ottawa” comes from an Algonquin word “adawe”, which means “to trade”.

103D Brief appearance : CAMEO

Even in my day, a cameo role was more than just a short appearance in a movie (or other artistic piece). For the appearance to be a cameo, the actor had to play themself, and be instantly recognizable. With this meaning it’s easy to see the etymology of the term, as a cameo brooch is one with the recognizable carving of the silhouette of a person. Nowadays, a cameo is any minor role played by a celebrity or famous actor, regardless of the character played.

108D Ramona, per Beezus : PEST

“Ramona and Beezus” is a 2010 kid’s movie based on the “Ramona” series of children’s novels by Beverly Cleary. The title characters are played by Joey King (Ramona) and Selena Gomez (Beezus). The original novel that inspired the title of the film is “Beezus and Ramona” (note the transposition of the names), but the movie’s plot is based on the storylines in the sequel novels “Ramona Forever” and “Ramona’s World”.

111D Short-horned bighorns : EWES

The male bighorn sheep of North America has horns that can weigh up to 30 pounds, which is about 10% of the animal’s body weight. A female bighorn is distinguished by her dagger-like horns that are significantly smaller than the massive horns of the rams.

113D Some Tripadvisor recommendations : INNS

Tripadvisor.com is a travel website dedicated to helping users in most aspects of their travels. Much of Tripadvisor’s content is generated by users, in the form of reviews by travelers.

115D Buzzer? : BEE

Bumblebees aren’t very aggressive, but they can sting if they deem it necessary. Unlike honey bees, bumblebees survive the stinging action as their stinger has no barb. There are a few misconceptions about bumblebees. One is that a bumblebee should be incapable of flight based on the laws of aerodynamics, but this isn’t true. Another misconception is that the bee’s buzzing sound is caused by the beating of its wings. In fact, the sound comes from the vibration of its flight muscles. The bee can decouple those muscles from its wings, and so can make a buzzing sound without the wings moving at all.

118D Washington’s Sea-__ Airport : TAC

Sea-Tac Airport (SEA) is more fully known as Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Sea-Tac is the main hub for Alaska Airlines.

119D Minecraft material : ORE

Minecraft is a video game that was released in 2011. Apparently, it is the most popular video game of all time, with well over 200 million units sold.

120D Battle of Helm’s Deep combatant : ORC

The Battle of Helm’s Deep is an event in J. R. R. Tolkien’s epic fantasy novel “The Lord of the Rings”.