LA Times Crossword 8 Jun 23, Thursday

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Constructed by: Tim D’Alfonso
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Reveal Answer: Sounds Right

Themed answers each SOUND like common phrases, but with “RIGHT” changed to a homophone:

  • 58A “That tracks,” and an apt description of 17-, 27-, and 43-Across? : SOUNDS RIGHT
  • 17A Formal induction ceremony for a league of pickpockets? : SWIPING RITE (from “swiping right”)
  • 27A Bicycles and aviation, notably? : THE WRIGHT STUFF (from “The Right Stuff”)
  • 43A Tax advice for slugger Aaron Judge? : WRITE OFF THE BAT (from “right off the bat”)

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

Bill’s time: 6m 08s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

11 Bioengineering letters : GMO

A genetically modified organism (GMO) is one with genetic material that has been altered by genetic engineering. One might argue that the oldest form of genetic engineering is selective breeding, the use of animals or plants with desired traits for the creation of the next generation.

14 Capital of Pakistan’s Punjab province : LAHORE

Lahore is a large city in Pakistan that is second in size only to Karachi. It is known as the Garden of the Mughals (or in English, Moguls) because of its association with the Mughal Empire. The Mughals ruled much of India from the sixteenth to the nineteenth centuries.

Punjab is the most populous province in Pakistan and is home to over half of the country’s citizens. “Punjab” (also “Panjab”) translates as “Five Waters”, a reference to five rivers that form tributaries to the Indus River: Chenab, Jhelum, Ravi, Beas and Sutlej.

16 Say no to : NIX

The use of “to nix” as a verb, meaning “to shoot down”, dates back to the early 1900s. Before that, “nix” was just a noun meaning “nothing”. “Nix” comes from the German “nichts”, which also means “nothing”.

17 Formal induction ceremony for a league of pickpockets? : SWIPING RITE (from “swiping right”)

Many apps on phones are now using “swipe right” and “swipe left” actions to indicate “like” and dislike”. I suppose Tinder is the most famous “swipe right/swipe left” app in use today.

20 Hathaway of “The Intern” : ANNE

Actress Anne Hathaway is a trained soprano singer. She put that training on display in the 2012 film adaptation of “Les Misérables,” for which she received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

“The Intern” is an entertaining comedy released in 2015 starring Robert De Niro in the title role, a 70-year-old retired executive who joins a senior citizen intern program. De Niro’s young boss is played by Anne Hathaway. The initial plan had been to cast Michael Caine and Tina Fey as leads, but things worked out just fine with the “replacements”, I’d say …

22 “Amsterdam” novelist Ian : MCEWAN

“Amsterdam” is a 1998, Booker Prize-winning novel by British author Ian McEwan. Central to the story is a euthanasia pact entered into by two friends.

24 “Stay” singer Lisa : LOEB

Singer Lisa Loeb was discovered by actor Ethan Hawke, who lived just across the street from her in New York City. Hawke took a demo of her song “Stay (I Missed You)” and gave it to director Ben Stiller, who in turn used it over the ending credits of his 1994 movie “Reality Bites”. The movie was a hit, the song went to number one, and Loeb became the first artist ever to hit that number one spot without having signed up with a record label. Good for her!

26 Dos y dos y dos : SEIS

In Spanish, three times “dos” (two) is “seis” (six).

27 Bicycles and aviation, notably? : THE WRIGHT STUFF (from “The Right Stuff”)

The Wright Brothers, Orville and Wilbur, used knowledge gained from manufacturing and repairing bicycles when designing the world’s first motor-driven airplane. The key to their success was the development of a mechanical system for controlled flight, building on the existing progress made by others in the fields of wing and engine design.

36 MLB Triple Crown category : RBIS

In Major League baseball, a player can earn the Triple Crown when he is the leader in three specific statistics. The pitching Triple Crown includes wins, strikeouts and earned run average (ERA). The batting Triple Crown includes home runs, runs batted in (RBI) and batting average.

39 __ of thumb : RULE

The exact origin of the phrase “rule of thumb” appears to be unclear. However, the expression does exist in languages other than English, although the wording can vary. In Finnish and German the equivalent is “rule of fist”, and in Hebrew the phrase is “rule of finger”.

40 British ref. work : OED

Oxford English Dictionary (OED)

41 Soft French cheese : BRIE

Brie is a soft cheese that is named for the French region in which it originated. Brie is similar to the equally famous (and delicious) Camembert. Brie is often served baked in puff pastry with fig jam.

43 Tax advice for slugger Aaron Judge? : WRITE OFF THE BAT (from “right off the bat”)

Aaron Judge is a baseball outfielder who was selected as 2017’s American League Rookie of the Year. Judge is a big guy. He weighs 282 pounds, and is 6 foot 7 inches tall.

47 From Denver to Topeka : EAST

Denver, Colorado is nicknamed “Mile-High City” because its official elevation is listed as exactly one mile. Denver City was founded in 1858 as a mining town. The name was chosen in honor of the Kansas Territorial Governor at the time, James W. Denver.

Topeka is the capital of Kansas, and is located on the Kansas River in the northeast of the state. The name “Topeka” was chosen in 1855 and translates from the Kansa and the Ioway languages as “to dig good potatoes”. The reference isn’t to the common potato but rather to the herb known as the prairie potato (also “prairie turnip”), which was an important food for many Native Americans.

48 Puerto __ : RICO

Puerto Rico (PR) is located in the northeastern Caribbean (in the Atlantic Ocean), east of the Dominican Republic. The name “Puerto Rico” is Spanish for “rich port”. The locals often call their island Borinquen, the Spanish form of “Boriken”, the original name used by the natives.

49 Houston WNBA team until 2008 : COMETS

The Houston Comets WNBA team was one of the original eight teams when the league started playing in 1997. The Comets were very, very successful, particularly in the early years, winning the championship in the first four seasons. The franchise eventually collapsed, playing their last game in 2008.

52 iPhone platform : IOS

“iOS” is what Apple now calls their mobile operating system. It was previously known as iPhone OS.

53 Westminster spot for art lovers : TATE

The museum known as “the Tate” comprises four separate galleries in England. The original Tate gallery was founded by Sir Henry Tate as the National Gallery of British Art. It is located on Millbank in London, on the site of the old Millbank Prison, and is now called Tate Britain. There is also the Tate Liverpool in the north of England that is located in an old warehouse, and the Tate St. Ives in the west country located in an old gas works. My favorite of the Tate galleries is the Tate Modern which lies on the banks of the Thames in London. It’s a beautiful building, a converted power station that you have to see to believe. As of 2018, the Tate Modern was the most visited art museum in the UK.

The City of Westminster in England’s London Region is home to the bulk of Britain’s government buildings, including the the Houses of Parliament and 10 Downing Street. The city’s name comes from the fact that the prominent “minster” (Westminster Abbey) is located “west” of the City of London. There used to be Estminster as well, located near the Tower of London, east of the City.

62 Cologne ingredient : MUSK

Musk has such an elegant connotation these days because of its use in the world of perfumery. However, its origin is not quite so glamorous. The original substance called musk, also used in perfumes, was extracted from a gland in the rectal area of the male musk deer. The name “musk” is a Sanskrit word for “testicle”.

Back in 1709, an Italian perfume-maker moved to Cologne in Germany. There he invented a new fragrance that he named Eau de Cologne after his newly adopted town. The fragrance is still produced in Cologne, using a secret formulation. However, the terms “Eau de Cologne” and “cologne”, are now used generically.

66 Kind of oil used in hummus : SESAME

Down

Sesame oil is extracted from sesame seeds. It is one of the nutritionally “good” oils, in that it is high in polyunsaturated fatty acids. Unlike most “good” oils, sesame oil keeps at room temperature, due to the presence of naturally occurring preservatives.

“Tahini” is the Arabic name for a paste made from ground sesame seeds. Tahini is a major ingredient in hummus, one of my favorite dishes.

The lovely dip/spread called hummus usually contains mashed chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and garlic. The name “hummus” is an Arabic word for “chickpeas”.

1 Woman who says “Play it, Sam” in “Casablanca” : ILSA

There is a famous exchange in the movie “Casablanca” that results in the piano player Sam singing “As Time Goes By”.

Ilsa: Play it once, Sam. For old times’ sake.
Sam: I don’t know what you mean, Miss Ilsa.
Ilsa: Play it, Sam. Play “As Time Goes By.”
Sam: Oh, I can’t remember it, Miss Ilsa. I’m a little rusty on it.
Ilsa: I’ll hum it for you. Da-dy-da-dy-da-dum, da-dy-da-dee-da-dum…
Ilsa: Sing it, Sam.

2 Babe in the woods? : FAWN

A fawn is a young deer, usually one less than a year old.

5 D’backs, in box scores : ARI

The Arizona Diamondbacks (also “D-backs”) joined Major League Baseball’s National League in 1998. By winning the World Series in 2001, the Diamondbacks became the fastest expansion team to do so in Major League history.

7 Fabled napper : HARE

“The Tortoise and the Hare” is perhaps the most famous fable attributed to Aesop. The cocky hare takes a nap during a race against the tortoise, and the tortoise sneaks past the finish line for the win while his speedier friend is sleeping.

8 Former Abbey Road Studios owner : EMI

The Abbey Road Studios in London was a large Georgian townhouse built in the 1830s. It became a recording studio in 1931, and you can even see some YouTube videos showing Sir Edward Elgar back then making recordings with the London symphony Orchestra. The studios passed through various owners and by the time the Beatles started their famous recording it was known as EMI Studios. The Beatles recorded practically all of their albums there, between 1962 and 1970, and named their 1969 album “Abbey Road” for the studio. That’s the one with the cover showing the Fab Four crossing the “zebra crossing” outside the studio.

11 Chew like a beaver : GNAW

Beavers build dams so that they can live in and around the slower and deeper water that builds up above the dam. This deeper water provides more protection for the beavers from predators such as bears. Beavers are nocturnal animals and do all their construction work at night.

12 Flaky mineral : MICA

Mica is a silicate mineral. Thin sheets of mica are transparent and are used in place of glass in certain applications. This form of mica is called isinglass, and as it has a better thermal performance than glass it is a great choice for “peepholes” in boilers and lanterns. Mica is also used in the electronics industry, making use of its unique electrical and thermal insulating properties.

13 Rice paddy plow team : OXEN

A paddy field is a flooded piece of land used to grow rice, or perhaps taro. The water reduces competition from weeds allowing the rice to thrive. The word “paddy” has nothing to do with us Irish folk, and is an anglicized version of the word “padi”, the Malay name for the rice plant.

18 Mongolian desert : GOBI

The Gobi, the large desert in Asia, lies in northern China and southern Mongolia. It is growing at an alarming rate, particularly towards the south. This “desertification” is caused by increased human activity. The Chinese government is trying to halt the desert’s forward progress by planting great swaths of new forest, the so-called “Green Wall of China”. The name “Gobi” is Mongolian for “waterless place, semidesert”.

26 Fancy pillowcase : SHAM

A sham is something that is imitation, fake. In the world of bed linens, a sham is also an imitation or fake, in the sense that it is a decorative cover designed to cover up a regular pillow used for sleeping.

27 One floating down a river or speeding down a snowy slope : TUBER

In the activity of river tubing, participants free-float down a river in inflated inner tubes. Tubers can also ride on inner tubes down a snowy slope.

28 Gardner of “Saturday Night Live” : HEIDI

Comedian and actress Heidi Gardner joined the cast of “Saturday Night Live” in 2017.

30 Soft palate projection : UVULA

The uvula is a conical fleshy projection hanging down at the back of the soft palate. The uvula plays an important role in human speech, particularly in the making of “guttural” sounds. The Latin word for “grape” is “uva”, so “uvula” is a “little grape”.

31 Boneless cut : FILET

A fillet is a boneless cut of meat or fish. The term “fillet” comes from the Old French “filet” meaning “small thread, filament”. Apparently, we applied the term to food because the piece of fish or meat was tied up with string after it was boned. Here in the US, we tend to use the French spelling “filet”.

39 Branch of engineering whose name was coined by Asimov : ROBOTICS

Science fiction author Isaac Asimov wrote a marvelous collection of short stories titled “I, Robot” that were first published together in 1950. In the stories, he makes repeated reference to the Three Laws of Robotics, which he introduced in the story “Runaround”, first published in 1942. The three laws are:

  1. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
  2. A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
  3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

42 Min. fraction : SEC

We use base-10, the decimal system for our numbers. Base-60, the sexagesimal system, was used by the ancient Babylonians. This ancient usage gives rise to our 60 seconds in a minute, and 360 (6 x 60) degrees in a circle.

49 Mexican resort, familiarly : CABO

Cabo San Lucas is a major tourist destination at the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula in Mexico. “Cabo” is sometimes referred to as the “Fort Lauderdale of Mexico”.

50 Milky birthstone : OPAL

An opal is often described as having a milky iridescence known as opalescence.

52 Color printer refills : INKS

Four-color printing uses four different color inks: cyan, magenta, yellow and black. The black ink is also known as the “key”. The first letter of the colors (with black being ”key”) give the more common name for four-color printing, namely CMYK.

54 Turkish title of honor : AGHA

“Aga” (also “agha”) is a title that was used by both civil and military officials in the Ottoman Empire.

56 French 101 verb : ETRE

The French for “to be” is “être”.

60 Short way to go? : RTE

Route (rte.)

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 “Maybe less” : IF THAT
7 “I could use a hand!” : HELP!
11 Bioengineering letters : GMO
14 Capital of Pakistan’s Punjab province : LAHORE
15 U.S. citizen : AMER
16 Say no to : NIX
17 Formal induction ceremony for a league of pickpockets? : SWIPING RITE (from “swiping right”)
19 Unreturned serve : ACE
20 Hathaway of “The Intern” : ANNE
21 Forest female : DOE
22 “Amsterdam” novelist Ian : MCEWAN
24 “Stay” singer Lisa : LOEB
26 Dos y dos y dos : SEIS
27 Bicycles and aviation, notably? : THE WRIGHT STUFF (from “The Right Stuff”)
33 Shot in the dark : GUESS
34 Hardly well : RARE
35 Compete (for) : VIE
36 MLB Triple Crown category : RBIS
37 Hard to clean : GRIMY
39 __ of thumb : RULE
40 British ref. work : OED
41 Soft French cheese : BRIE
42 Boot bottoms : SOLES
43 Tax advice for slugger Aaron Judge? : WRITE OFF THE BAT (from “right off the bat”)
47 From Denver to Topeka : EAST
48 Puerto __ : RICO
49 Houston WNBA team until 2008 : COMETS
52 iPhone platform : IOS
53 Westminster spot for art lovers : TATE
57 Mimic : APE
58 “That tracks,” and an apt description of 17-, 27-, and 43-Across? : SOUNDS RIGHT
61 Abolish : BAN
62 Cologne ingredient : MUSK
63 Acid artist : ETCHER
64 Over the hill : OLD
65 Flight sked figs. : ETAS
66 Kind of oil used in hummus : SESAME

Down

1 Woman who says “Play it, Sam” in “Casablanca” : ILSA
2 Babe in the woods? : FAWN
3 Slender : THIN
4 Sure to fail : HOPELESS
5 D’backs, in box scores : ARI
6 Warmhearted : TENDER
7 Fabled napper : HARE
8 Former Abbey Road Studios owner : EMI
9 “Maybe I’ll have better luck” : LET ME TRY
10 Exact : PRECISE
11 Chew like a beaver : GNAW
12 Flaky mineral : MICA
13 Rice paddy plow team : OXEN
18 Mongolian desert : GOBI
23 Inexact fig. : EST
25 Yelps of pain : OWS
26 Fancy pillowcase : SHAM
27 One floating down a river or speeding down a snowy slope : TUBER
28 Gardner of “Saturday Night Live” : HEIDI
29 Heartache : GRIEF
30 Soft palate projection : UVULA
31 Boneless cut : FILET
32 Charges : FEES
33 Get taller : GROW
37 Completely disgust : GROSS OUT
38 Divide : RIFT
39 Branch of engineering whose name was coined by Asimov : ROBOTICS
41 “No clue” : BEATS ME
42 Min. fraction : SEC
44 Concert purchase : TEE
45 Stepped : TROD
46 Shows disapproval, in a way : HISSES
49 Mexican resort, familiarly : CABO
50 Milky birthstone : OPAL
51 Stitch up : MEND
52 Color printer refills : INKS
54 Turkish title of honor : AGHA
55 The other side : THEM
56 French 101 verb : ETRE
59 Olympics chant : USA!
60 Short way to go? : RTE