LA Times Crossword 25 May 23, Thursday

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Constructed by: Kelly Richardson & Katie Hale
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Theme (according to Bill): “The Birds” Movie

Themed answers are film titles with the first letter in one word changed to create a reference to a bird:

  • 16A Film about a seabird who will stop at nothing for a sandwich? : RAGING GULL (from “Raging Bull”)
  • 22A Film about a bird who is constantly mistaken for a common pigeon? : DOVE, ACTUALLY (from “Love Actually”)
  • 33A Film about a flocking bird who wants to fly solo? : INDEPENDENCE JAY (from “Independence Day”)
  • 45A Film about a prehistoric songbird? : JURASSIC LARK (from “Jurassic Park”)
  • 55A Film about a diving bird who collides with a snorkeler? : LOON STRUCK (from “Moonstruck”)

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

Bill’s time: 8m 48s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Purple bloom : LILAC

The ornamental flowering plant known as lilac is native to the Balkans, and is a member of the olive family. The name “lilac” comes from the Persian word “lilaq,” which means “flower.”

6 “Your Baby’s First Word Will Be __”: Jimmy Fallon picture book : DADA

Jimmy Fallon was a cast member for a number of years on “Saturday Night Live” before getting his own talk show in 2009, “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon”. Fallon took over “The Tonight Show” from Jay Leno in 2014. I’m not a big Fallon fan …

10 Digital collectible: Abbr. : NFT

Non-fungible token (NFT). I admit it, I don’t understand NFTs (or the related cryptocurrencies).

13 Geek Squad member, for short : IT PRO

Best Buy is a retailer specializing in the supply of consumer electronics. Best Buy services include the famous “Geek Squad”, a band of technical experts that will help solve your computer and other consumer electronic problems.

15 Foal’s mama : MARE

There are lots of terms to describe horses of different ages and sexes, it seems:

  • Foal: horse of either sex that is less than one year old
  • Yearling: horse of either sex that is one to two years old
  • Filly: female horse under the age of four
  • Colt: male horse under the age of four
  • Gelding: castrated male horse of any age
  • Stallion: non-castrated male horse four years or older
  • Mare: female horse four years or older

16 Film about a seabird who will stop at nothing for a sandwich? : RAGING GULL (from “Raging Bull”)

Gulls are a family of seabirds that is most closely related to terns. Some species of gull can be quite clever. For example, they can reportedly use pieces of bread as bait to catch goldfish in ponds. Others can be quite fearless, and have been known to land on the backs of whales and peck out pieces of flesh.

I just do not like boxing, nor movies about boxing, but I certainly accept that “Raging Bull” is a true cinema classic. It is a biopic released in 1980, with Robert De Niro starring as Jake LaMotta, and Martin Scorsese directing. Famously, De Niro gained about 70 pounds in weight to lay LaMotta in his early years, showing true dedication to his craft.

19 One of the Gulf States: Abbr. : ALA

The Gulf States are the US states bordering on the Gulf of Mexico, i.e. Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas.

21 Garden gastropod : SNAIL

Snails and slugs are referred to collectively as gastropods. There are many, many species of gastropods, found both on land and in the sea. Gastropods with shells are generally described as snails, and those species without shells are referred to as slugs.

22 Film about a bird who is constantly mistaken for a common pigeon? : DOVE, ACTUALLY (from “Love Actually”)

Taxonomically, doves and pigeons are the only members of the order Columbidae. The terms “dove” and “pigeon” are often used interchangeably. Scientifically speaking, dove species tend to be smaller than pigeon species. Colloquially though, many refer to doves as the white or nearly white species in the family.

“Love Actually” is a wonderful British romantic comedy, and a film we watch every Christmas. The movie has a great ensemble cast and was written and directed by Richard Curtis. Curtis was also the man behind “Four Weddings and a Funeral”, “Bridget Jones’s Diary” and “Notting Hill”. “Love Actually” is very much in the same style as those earlier films.

24 Like a cyclops : ONE-EYED

Cyclops was a one-eyed giant in Greek and Roman mythology. Cyclops lived inside Mount Etna, the Sicilian volcano.

28 Ermine kin : MINK

There are two species of mink extant: the European Mink and the American Mink. There used to be a Sea Mink which was much larger than its two cousins, but it was hunted to extinction (for its fur) in the late 1800s. American Minks are farmed over in Europe for fur, and animal rights activists have released many of these animals into the wild when raiding mink farms. As a result the European Mink population has declined due to the presence of its larger and more adaptable American cousin.

33 Film about a flocking bird who wants to fly solo? : INDEPENDENCE JAY (from “Independence Day”)

The bird known as a “jay” is sometimes called a “magpie”, although the terms are not completely interchangeable.

The 1996 sci-fi action movie “Independence Day” is must-see-TV at our house on or around the 4th of July every year. The film was supposed to come out in 1996 on July 3rd but there was so much anticipation that many theaters started screening the day before. At one point after release, “Independence Day” was the second-highest grossing movie in history (“Jurassic Park” was number one at the time).

38 Future profs, often : TAS

Teaching assistant (TA)

39 Vietnam neighbor : LAOS

The present-day nation of Laos can trace its roots back to the historic Lao kingdom of Lan Xang that existed from 1354 to 1707. The full name of the kingdom was “Lan Xang Hom Khao”, which translates as “The Land of a Million Elephants and the White Parasol”.

40 Wild onion : RAMP

“Ramp” is a common name for species of wild onion or garlic found in the eastern part of North America.

42 Much of the Great Plains : PRAIRIE

The Great Plains lie between the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains in North America. This vast grassland is known as “the Prairies” in Canada.

45 Film about a prehistoric songbird? : JURASSIC LARK (from “Jurassic Park”)

Larks are small songbirds that are found all over the world, although only the horned lark species is found here in North America. Despite their size, larks are sometimes considered game birds, and can be served up as food. It’s not uncommon to find a dish containing lark meat in southern Europe.

The Jurassic geologic period lasted from about 200 to 145 million years ago, following the Triassic and followed by the Cretaceous. Limestone strata from the period were first identified in the Jura Mountains in the Western Alps. It is this mountain range that gives us the name “Jurassic”.

“Jurassic Park” is a 1990 novel by Michael Crichton that was adapted into a hugely successful movie by Steven Spielberg in 1993. One of the main premises of the novel is that dinosaur DNA could be harvested from mosquitoes trapped in amber (fossilized tree resin), the DNA coming from the dinosaur blood consumed by the mosquitoes. The dinosaur DNA is then sequenced and used to create clones of the original beasts. Apparently, that’s a clever idea, but not very practical …

49 Some Pennsylvania Dutch speakers : AMISH

The Amish are members of a group of Christian churches, and a subgroup of the Mennonite churches. The Amish church originated in Switzerland and Alsace in 1693 when it was founded by Jakob Ammann. It was Ammann who gave the name to the Amish people. Many Amish people came to Pennsylvania in the 18th century.

51 Barb : DIS

“Dis” (also “diss”) is a slang term meaning “insult” that originated in the eighties. It is a shortened form of “disrespect” or “dismiss”.

54 GQ and Cosmo : MAGS

The men’s magazine known today as “GQ” used to be titled “Gentlemen’s Quarterly” (hence “GQ”). It was known as “Apparel Arts” when launched in 1931.

“Cosmopolitan” magazine was first published way back in 1886! It started out life as a family magazine, then as a literary publication. “Cosmo” took its present form as a women’s magazine in the 1960s.

55 Film about a diving bird who collides with a snorkeler? : LOON STRUCK (from “Moonstruck”)

The bird known as a loon here in North America is called a diver in Britain and Ireland. The name “diver” comes from the bird’s habit of swimming calmly and then suddenly diving below the surface to catch a fish. The name “loon” comes from an Old English word meaning “clumsy” and reflects the awkward gait of the bird when walking on land.

Our word “snorkel” comes from German navy slang “Schnorchel” meaning “nose, snout”. The German slang was applied to an air-shaft used for submarines, due to its resemblance to a nose, in that air passed through it and it made a “snoring” sound. “Schnorchel” comes from “Schnarchen”, the German for “snore”.

“Moonstruck” is a 1987 movie, a romantic comedy starring Cher and Nicolas Cage. There’s a bit of a love triangle in the storyline, with Danny Aiello playing the man who loses the girl. “Moonstruck” won three Oscars and was a huge success, and somehow, I’ve never seen it …

58 Designer Cassini : OLEG

French-born American fashion designer Oleg Cassini developed a reputation for designing costumes for films, and dressing numerous film stars. He had two big names particularly associated with his designs. In the sixties he produced the state wardrobe for First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy. He was also the exclusive designer for Hollywood’s Gene Tierney, who was Cassini’s second wife.

59 Capital of Vietnam : HANOI

Hanoi (“Hà Nội” in Vietnamese) was the capital of North Vietnam, and Saigon the capital of South Vietnam. After the Vietnam War, Hanoi was made capital of the reunified state. Saigon, the larger metropolis, was renamed to Ho Chi Minh City. Hanoi is located in the delta of the Red River, and is just over 50 miles from the Gulf of Tonkin in the South China Sea.

Down

1 Euro forerunner : LIRA

The word “lira” is used in a number of countries for currency. “Lira” comes from the Latin for “pound” and is derived from the British pound sterling, the value of a Troy pound of silver. For example, the lira (plural “lire”) was the official currency of Italy before the country changed over to the euro in 2002.

2 Stress indicator: Abbr. : ITAL

Italic type leans to the right, and is often used to provide emphasis in text. The style is known as “italic” because the stylized calligraphic form of writing originated in Italy, probably in the Vatican.

3 Links org. : LPGA

The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) was founded in 1950 by a group of 13 lady golfers, and today it is the oldest ongoing women’s sports professional organization in the US.

4 “Beau Is Afraid” director Aster : ARI

Ari Aster is a film director from New York City. He is into horror films, and I am not …

5 Frances of “Six Feet Under” : CONROY

Actress Frances Conroy is perhaps best known for playing Ruth Fisher on the TV show “Six Feet Under”. She also played several roles on the drama series “American Horror Story”.

7 “In Treatment” actress Uzo : ADUBA

Uzo Aduba is an actress best known for playing prison inmate Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren on the Netflix TV show “Orange Is the New Black”.

The HBO series “In Treatment” stars Gabriel Byrne as a psychologist who holds weekly sessions with his patients, and with his own therapist. The show is a remake of an Israeli TV series titled “BeTipul” (meaning “In Therapy”), and indeed some episodes use the same script as the original show, just translated into English.

9 Visual communication syst. : ASL

American Sign Language (ASL)

12 British tube : TELLY

“Telly” is a term commonly used in Britain and Ireland that is short for “television”.

15 “Dirty Computer” singer Janelle : MONAE

Janelle Monáe is a singer and actress. I’m not familiar with her as a singer, but did see Monáe play NASA engineer Mary Jackson in the excellent 2016 film “Hidden Figures”.

“Dirty Computer” is a 2018 studio album released by Janelle Monáe. Monáe had to delay plans for the album for almost two years while she pursued her acting career, including leading roles in the films “Moonlight” (2016) and “Hidden Figures” (2016).

21 Poison __ : 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.

22 Hockey feint : DEKE

A deke, also known as a dangle, is a technique used to get past an opponent in ice hockey. “Deke” is a colloquial shortening of the word “decoy”.

25 “To Be Young, Gifted and Black” singer Simone : NINA

“Nina Simone” was the stage name of Eunice Waymon. Simone was very much associated with jazz music, although she really wanted to be a classical musician early in her career. She was inspired by a love for the music of Bach.

“To Be Young, Gifted and Black” is a 1970 Nina Simone song. Simone wrote the music herself, and Weldon Irvine wrote the lyrics. Simone composed “To Be Young, Gifted and Black” in memory of her friend Lorraine Hansberry, author of the play “A Raisin in the Sun”, who had died a few years earlier at the age of 34.

30 Not quite closed : AJAR

Our word “ajar” is thought to come from Scottish dialect, in which “a char” means “slightly open”.

31 Cropped top? : CAMI

A camisole (also “cami”) is a sleeveless undergarment worn by women that extends down to the waist. “Camisole” is a French word that we imported into English that ultimately derives from the Latin “camisia” meaning “shirt, nightgown”.

36 Seaweed-wrapped bite : NORI ROLL

Nori is an edible seaweed that we used to know as “laver” when we were living in Wales. Nori is usually dried into thin sheets. Here in the US, we are most familiar with nori as the seaweed used as a wrap for sushi.

37 Karlsson of the NHL : ERIK

Erik Karlsson is a professional hockey player from Sweden who debuted with the NHL in 2009 playing for the Ottawa Senators. He was made captain of the Senators in 2014, and was traded to the San Jose Sharks in 2018.

41 So last season : PASSE

“Passé” is a French word, meaning “past, faded”. We’ve imported the term into English, and use it in the same sense.

44 “Chain of Fools” singer Franklin : ARETHA

“Chain of Fools” is a song written by Don Covay, and is most associated with Aretha Franklin after she released a version in 1967. “Chain of Fools” is actually a rewriting of a gospel song called “Pains of Life”, which has the exact same melody.

45 Crawford who was NBA Sixth Man of the Year three times : JAMAL

Jamal Crawford is an NBA basketball player from Seattle. In 2017, he broke the record for the most number of four-point plays in a single season.

46 Savory flavor : UMAMI

Umami is one of the five basic tastes, along with sweet, sour, bitter and salty. “Umami” is a Japanese word used to describe “a pleasant savory taste”. Umami was proposed as a basic taste in 1908, but it wasn’t until the mid-1990s that the scientific community finally accepted it as such.

53 “A Black Lady Sketch Show” segment : SKIT

“A Black Lady Sketch Show” is a sketch comedy show that debuted in 2019. As one might expect from the show’s title, it features a main cast of Black women performing comedy sketches. The list of guests who have appeared on the show is very impressive, and includes Issa Rae, Vanessa William, Angela Bassett and Patti LaBelle.

55 WC : LOO

It has been suggested that the British term “loo”, meaning “toilet”, comes from “Waterloo” (water closet … water-loo), but no one seems to know for sure. Another suggestion is that the term comes from the card game of “lanterloo”, in which the pot was called the loo!

When I was growing up in Ireland, a bathroom was a room that had a bath and no toilet. The separate room with the commode was called the toilet or sometimes the W.C. (the water closet). Apparently the term “closet” was used because in the 1800s when homeowners started installing toilets indoors they often displaced clothes and linens in a closet, as a closet was the right size to take the commode.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Purple bloom : LILAC
6 “Your Baby’s First Word Will Be __”: Jimmy Fallon picture book : DADA
10 Digital collectible: Abbr. : NFT
13 Geek Squad member, for short : IT PRO
14 Lyric poems : ODES
15 Foal’s mama : MARE
16 Film about a seabird who will stop at nothing for a sandwich? : RAGING GULL (from “Raging Bull”)
18 Track shape : OVAL
19 One of the Gulf States: Abbr. : ALA
20 Jewish scholar : RABBI
21 Garden gastropod : SNAIL
22 Film about a bird who is constantly mistaken for a common pigeon? : DOVE, ACTUALLY (from “Love Actually”)
24 Like a cyclops : ONE-EYED
27 “Oh, dear” : AH ME
28 Ermine kin : MINK
29 39- and 59-Across locale : ASIA
30 Be in the picture? : ACT
33 Film about a flocking bird who wants to fly solo? : INDEPENDENCE JAY (from “Independence Day”)
38 Future profs, often : TAS
39 Vietnam neighbor : LAOS
40 Wild onion : RAMP
41 Feline rumble : PURR
42 Much of the Great Plains : PRAIRIE
45 Film about a prehistoric songbird? : JURASSIC LARK (from “Jurassic Park”)
49 Some Pennsylvania Dutch speakers : AMISH
50 Way to go : ROUTE
51 Barb : DIS
54 GQ and Cosmo : MAGS
55 Film about a diving bird who collides with a snorkeler? : LOON STRUCK (from “Moonstruck”)
57 Parisian pal : AMIE
58 Designer Cassini : OLEG
59 Capital of Vietnam : HANOI
60 Top : LID
61 Merrie __ England : OLDE
62 Spy : AGENT

Down

1 Euro forerunner : LIRA
2 Stress indicator: Abbr. : ITAL
3 Links org. : LPGA
4 “Beau Is Afraid” director Aster : ARI
5 Frances of “Six Feet Under” : CONROY
6 Spot for Spot to sleep : DOG BED
7 “In Treatment” actress Uzo : ADUBA
8 Lunch meat holder : DELI CASE
9 Visual communication syst. : ASL
10 Maritime : NAVAL
11 Delicate : FRAIL
12 British tube : TELLY
15 “Dirty Computer” singer Janelle : MONAE
17 Yielded : GAVE
21 Poison __ : SUMAC
22 Hockey feint : DEKE
23 Unconvincing, in a way : THIN
24 Leave out : OMIT
25 “To Be Young, Gifted and Black” singer Simone : NINA
26 Objectives : ENDS
29 Some pop-ups : ADS
30 Not quite closed : AJAR
31 Cropped top? : CAMI
32 Sort : TYPE
34 Luxuriously soft : PLUSH
35 Hearing things : EARS
36 Seaweed-wrapped bite : NORI ROLL
37 Karlsson of the NHL : ERIK
41 So last season : PASSE
42 Deep dive : PLUNGE
43 “Darn it!” : RATS!
44 “Chain of Fools” singer Franklin : ARETHA
45 Crawford who was NBA Sixth Man of the Year three times : JAMAL
46 Savory flavor : UMAMI
47 Unlikely to flex : RIGID
48 Babbled, as a baby : COOED
51 Sand formation : DUNE
52 Tapped pic : ICON
53 “A Black Lady Sketch Show” segment : SKIT
55 WC : LOO
56 Cleaning cloth : RAG