LA Times Crossword 24 Oct 22, Monday

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Constructed by: Kyle Dolan
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Reveal Answer: Raincoats

Themed answers each have the letter string RAIN divided between the start and finish:

  • 61A Wet-weather gear, and what this puzzle’s circled letters literally are? : RAINCOATS
  • 17A Major annoyance : ROYAL PAIN
  • 29A Utter destruction : RACK AND RUIN
  • 45A Train depot : RAIL STATION

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

Bill’s time: 4m 46s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

16 Supermodel Klum : HEIDI

German-born Heidi Klum was married to the successful English singer, Seal. Klum is a talented lady and has built a multi-faceted career based on her early success as a model. She is the force behind the Bravo reality show called “Project Runway” that has been on the air since 2004. Klum has been nominated 4-5 times for an Emmy for her association with the show. Klum was also signed up as the official ambassador for Barbie in 2009, the 50th anniversary of the Barbie Doll, and for her service that year a Heidi Klum Barbie was produced. She has been adding a touch of class to the judging panel on the show “America’s Got Talent” from 2013 through 2020.

19 Dangerous household gas : RADON

The element radon (Rn) is a radioactive gas, and a byproduct produced when uranium decays naturally in the earth. Radon gas can collect and accumulate in buildings and rooms that are particularly well insulated with very little air exchange. The danger is very real, as radon is listed as the second most frequent cause of lung cancer after cigarette smoke.

20 Synagogue scroll : TORAH

The Torah, the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, are traditionally believed to have been written by Moses. As such, they are sometimes referred to as the Law of Moses, or Mosaic Law. Those five books are:

  • Bereshit/Genesis
  • Shemot/Exodus
  • Vayikra/Leviticus
  • Bamidbar/Numbers
  • Devarim/Deuteronomy

23 ABC News anchor David : MUIR

Journalist and TV anchor David Muir started hosting the show “ABC World News Tonight with David Muir” in 2014. Apparently, Muir’s reporting received more airtime than any other American journalist in 2012 and 2013. Muir also made it onto “People” magazine’s list of Sexiest Men Alive in 2014.

26 Kiss __: PDA capturer at a stadium : CAM

The kiss cam is a diversion during some sporting events in which a video camera picks out random couples in the crowd, projecting their image onto the giant screen at the venue. The couples are encouraged to kiss, for the entertainment of the fans. Famously, President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama kissed for the kiss cam at a basketball game a few years ago, as did former President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter.

Public display of affection (PDA)

29 Utter destruction : RACK AND RUIN

The phrase “rack and ruin” (also “wrack and ruin”), meaning “complete destruction”, is a derivative of “wreck and ruin”.

35 “Clueless” actress Donovan : ELISA

Elisa Donovan is an actress from Poughkeepsie, New York. Donovan’s big break came in the film “Clueless”, playing a part that she later played in the television series of the same name.

The 1995 movie “Clueless” is apparently based on Jane Austen’s “Emma”, which is a favorite novel of mine. As a result, I am going to have to check out the film …

38 Lhasa __ : APSO

The Lhasa apso breed of dog originated in Tibet and is named after “Lhasa” (the capital city) and “apso” (a Tibetan word meaning “bearded”). The Lhasa apso has been around since 800 BC and is one of the oldest breeds in the world, one very closely related to the ancestral wolf.

44 Ed of “Elf” : ASNER

Ed Asner was most famous for playing the irascible but lovable Lou Grant on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and on the spin-off drama “Lou Grant”. Off-screen Asner was noted for his political activism. He served two terms as president of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), and was very involved in the 1980 SAG strike. When “Lou Grant” was canceled in 1982, despite decent ratings, there was a lot of talk that the cancellation was a move by the network against Asner personally. In fact, one of Asner’s activist colleagues, Howard Hesseman (who played Johnny Fever) found that his show “WKRP in Cincinnati” was also canceled … on the very same day.

“Elf” is a comedy movie that was released for the 2003 Christmas season. It was directed by Jon Favreau and stars Will Ferrell in the title role, with James Caan supporting and Ed Asner playing Santa Claus. It’s all about one of Santa’s elves who finds out he is human and goes to meet his father in New York City. The film was adapted into a stage musical that premiered on Broadway during the Christmas season of 2010.

45 Train depot : RAIL STATION

Our term “depot”, meaning “station, warehouse”, comes from the French word “dépôt”. The French term translates into English as “deposit” or “place of deposit”.

49 Language of Southeast Asia : LAO

Lao, the language of Laos, does not use spaces between words (or periods!), although this is apparently changing. Spaces are used between sentences and clauses.

52 Slow-cooked meat at a luau : ROAST PIG

The Hawaiian party or feast known as a “luau” really dates back to 1819, when King Kamehameha II removed religious laws that governed the eating of meals. These laws called for women and men to eat separately. At the same time as he changed the laws, the king initiated the luau tradition by symbolically eating with the women who moved in his circle.

60 Diplomatic agent : ENVOY

An envoy works at an embassy and is a representative of a government, and someone ranking below an ambassador. The name comes from the concept of the envoy being a “messenger” from his or her government. “Envoyer” is the French word for “to send”.

65 On pins and needles : AGOG

To be on pins and needles is to be in a state of anxious suspense. The phrase “pins and needles” describes the sharp and tingling sensation felt when recovering from numbness.

Down

1 Listener-supported broadcaster : NPR

National Public Radio (now just called “NPR”) was established in 1970 after President Johnson signed into law the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967. The station’s first broadcast took place in April of 1971, coverage of the US Senate hearings on the Vietnam War. The intent of the act was to provide funding for radio and television broadcasting that wasn’t simply driven by profit. As a longtime fan of the state-funded BBC in the UK, I’d have to agree with that intent …

3 Toy that exercises the wrist : YO-YO

Would you believe that the first yo-yos date back to 500 BC? There is even an ancient Greek vase painting that shows a young man playing with a yo-yo. Centuries later Filipinos were using yo-yos as hunting tools in the 1500s. “Yo-yo” is a Tagalog (Filipino) word meaning “come-come” or simply “return”.

5 “The Golden Girls” character born in Sicily : SOPHIA

Sophia Petrillo is a character in the sitcom “Golden Girls” played by actress Estelle Getty. Petrillo also appears in the “Golden Girl” spin-off shows “”Golden Place” and “Empty Nest”, as well as in a few episodes of “Blossom” and “Nurses”.

“The Golden Girls” is a sitcom that originally aired in the eighties and nineties. The show features Bea Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan and Estelle Getty as four older women who share a house in Miami.

8 “Song of Solomon” novelist Morrison : TONI

“Song of Solomon” is a 1977 novel by Toni Morrison. It is one of the novels cited when she was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1993.

9 Canny : SHREWD

The adjective “canny” is of Scottish origin, and was formed from the verb “to can” meaning “to know how to”. The idea is that someone who is “knowing” is careful, canny.

11 Verdi opera set in ancient Egypt : AIDA

“Aida” is a celebrated opera by Giuseppe Verdi that is based on a scenario written by French Egyptologist Auguste Mariette. Mariette also designed the costumes and stages for the opening performance. The opera was first staged in 1871 in an opera house in Cairo. In the storyline, Aida is an Ethiopian princess brought into Egypt as a slave. Radamès is an Egyptian commander who falls in love with her, and then complications arise!

13 Highest sudoku digit : NINE

Number puzzles similar to our modern-day Sudoku first appeared in French newspapers in the late 1800s. The format that we use today was created by Howard Garns, a 74-year-old freelance puzzle constructor from Connersville, Indiana and first published in 1979. The format was introduced in Japan in 1984 and given the title of “Sūji wa dokushin ni kagiru”, which translates to “the digits are limited to one occurrence”. The rather elaborate Japanese title was eventually shortened to Sudoku. No doubt many of you are fans of Sudoku puzzles. I know I am …

18 “Marriage Story” Oscar winner Dern : LAURA

Actress Laura Dern is the daughter of actors Bruce Dern and Diane Ladd. Among her many notable roles, Laura Dern played the Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris in the 2008 movie “Recount”, and Dr. Ellie Sattler in the 1993 blockbuster “Jurassic Park”.

“Marriage Story” is a 2019 movie starring Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver as a couple going through a messy divorce. The critics loved this one. Me, not so much …

22 Country star Travis : RANDY

Randy Travis is a country singer, and since the mid-nineties, a sometime actor. Starting in 1999, Travis’s recordings focused on gospel music. He suffered a massive stroke in 2013, from which he made a recovery. However, he hasn’t really recorded or performed much since that event.

24 Pioneer in canned soft drinks : RC COLA

Claude A. Hatcher ran a grocery store in Columbus, Georgia. He decided to develop his own soft drink formula when he balked at the price his store was being charged for Coca-Cola syrup. Hatcher launched the Union Bottling Works in his own grocery store, and introduced Royal Crown Ginger Ale in 1905. The Union Bottling Works was renamed to Chero-Cola in 1910, the Nehi Corporation in 1925, and Royal Crown Company in the mid-fifties. The first RC Cola hit the market in 1934.

26 Labor leader Chavez : CESAR

César Chávez was a Mexican American farm worker, and co-founder of the union today known as the United Farm Workers. Chávez was born in Yuma, Arizona, but moved to California as a child with his family. He never attended high school, dropping out to become a full-time migrant farm worker. In 1944, at 17 years of age, he joined the US Navy and served for two years. 5-6 years after returning from the military, back working as a farm laborer, Chávez became politically active and rose to national attention as an articulate union leader during some high profile strikes. He is remembered annually here in California on his birthday, March 31, which is a state holiday.

28 South Beach city : MIAMI

South Beach is a neighborhood in Miami Beach, Florida that is often referred to by the nickname “SoBe”. SoBe is known for its active and vibrant LGBT community. The title of the marvelous 1996 film “The Birdcage” refers to a fictional Birdcage drag nightclub located in South Beach.

30 Gold unit : KARAT

A karat (also “carat”, the spelling outside of North America) is a measure of the purity of gold alloys, with 24-karat representing pure gold.

31 Saudi __ : ARABIA

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the largest Arab country in the Middle East and is the world’s largest oil producer, home to the world’s largest oil reserves. The Saudi dynasty started in central Arabia in 1744 when the secular leader Muhammad ibn Saud joined forces with the Islamic scholar and Imam, Muhammad ibn Abd-al-Wahhab. At the time, Saud was a ruler of a town near Riyadh and he was determined to bring “true” Islam to the Arabian peninsula. Since 1744 the fortunes of the Saudi family have risen and fallen, but it is that same family who rules what we know today as Saudi Arabia.

33 The Hebrides, e.g. : ISLES

The Hebrides are a group of islands just off the west coast of Scotland. They are divided into two main groups: the Inner and Outer Hebrides.

34 __ Dame: South Bend school : NOTRE

The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a private school that was founded by French-born priest Edward Sorin in 1842, originally as a primary and secondary school. The nearby Saint Mary’s College was founded in 1844 by the Sisters of the Holy Cross. The women’s school was needed as Notre Dame was a men-only university back then.

The city of South Bend, Indiana is located on the St. Joseph River. The actual location is on the most southerly bend of the river, hence the name “South Bend”.

40 Photographer’s setting that affects depth : F-STOP

Varying the f-stop in a lens varies how big the lens opening (the aperture) is when a photograph is taken. Smaller apertures (higher f-stop values) admit less light, but result in a greater depth of field (more of the photograph is in focus).

46 Mythical man-goats : SATYRS

The satyrs of Greek mythology came with a very high sex drive. They are the “rude” male subjects drawn on the side of old Greek vases. The nubile maidens known as nymphs were often an object of attention for the satyrs.

47 Marmalade fruit : ORANGE

Marmalade is my favorite fruit preserve. The essential ingredients in a marmalade are fruit juice and peel, and sugar and water. “Marmalade” comes from the Portuguese “marmelada” meaning “quince jam”.

51 Garb for a finger-painting project, say : SMOCK

A smock is an outer garment that is often worn as protection for one’s clothing. Today, the term often applies to the protective garment worn by a painter.

54 Stratford-upon-__ : AVON

Stratford-upon-Avon is a town in the county of Warwickshire in the English midlands. Most famously perhaps, it was the birthplace of William Shakespeare.

56 Pop star Lady __ : GAGA

“Lady Gaga” is the stage name of Stefani Germanotta. Germanotta is a big fan of the band Queen, and she took her stage name from the marvelous Queen song titled “Radio Ga Ga”.

59 Nebraska native : OTOE

The Otoe (also “Oto”) Native American tribe originated in the Great Lakes region as part of the Winnebago or Siouan tribes. The group that would become the Otoe broke away from the Winnebago and migrated southwestward, ending up in the Great Plains. In the plains the Otoe adopted a semi-nomadic lifestyle dependent on the horse, with the American bison becoming central to their diet.

63 “Weekend Update” show, for short : SNL

“Weekend Update” is the longest-running of any recurring sketch on “Saturday Night Live” (SNL). In fact, the segment made its debut on the very first show, back in 1975. The first “anchor” at the “Weekend Update” desk was Chevy Chase.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Thumbs-down votes : NAYS
5 “Save me a __!” : SEAT
9 Laundry day challenge : STAIN
14 Soil-turning farm machine : PLOW
15 Approximation words : OR SO
16 Supermodel Klum : HEIDI
17 Major annoyance : ROYAL PAIN
19 Dangerous household gas : RADON
20 Synagogue scroll : TORAH
21 “Everything must go” event : FIRE SALE
23 ABC News anchor David : MUIR
25 Amazement : AWE
26 Kiss __: PDA capturer at a stadium : CAM
29 Utter destruction : RACK AND RUIN
35 “Clueless” actress Donovan : ELISA
37 Mailed holiday greeting : CARD
38 Lhasa __ : APSO
39 Shower bar : SOAP
40 Sudden raid : FORAY
41 Nincompoop : DOLT
42 “Alas, whatever shall I do?” : AH ME
43 Thick slice : SLAB
44 Ed of “Elf” : ASNER
45 Train depot : RAIL STATION
48 WNW’s opposite : ESE
49 Language of Southeast Asia : LAO
50 Performing __ : ARTS
52 Slow-cooked meat at a luau : ROAST PIG
57 “We __ please” : AIM TO
60 Diplomatic agent : ENVOY
61 Wet-weather gear, and what this puzzle’s circled letters literally are? : RAINCOATS
64 Scrub with steel wool, say : SCOUR
65 On pins and needles : AGOG
66 “Let’s go!” : C’MON!
67 Camp shelters : TENTS
68 Rational : SANE
69 On an even __: steady : KEEL

Down

1 Listener-supported broadcaster : NPR
2 “That’s __ to ask” : A LOT
3 Toy that exercises the wrist : YO-YO
4 Bees on the move : SWARM
5 “The Golden Girls” character born in Sicily : SOPHIA
6 Chapter in history : ERA
7 “In your dreams!” : AS IF!
8 “Song of Solomon” novelist Morrison : TONI
9 Canny : SHREWD
10 Product promos with few details : TEASER ADS
11 Verdi opera set in ancient Egypt : AIDA
12 Adored one : IDOL
13 Highest sudoku digit : NINE
18 “Marriage Story” Oscar winner Dern : LAURA
22 Country star Travis : RANDY
24 Pioneer in canned soft drinks : RC COLA
26 Labor leader Chavez : CESAR
27 Greeting at a luau : ALOHA
28 South Beach city : MIAMI
30 Gold unit : KARAT
31 Saudi __ : ARABIA
32 Winning by a very small margin : UP ONE
33 The Hebrides, e.g. : ISLES
34 __ Dame: South Bend school : NOTRE
36 Explains in great detail : SPELLS OUT
40 Photographer’s setting that affects depth : F-STOP
44 Bit of silliness : ANTIC
46 Mythical man-goats : SATYRS
47 Marmalade fruit : ORANGE
51 Garb for a finger-painting project, say : SMOCK
52 Take five : REST
53 __ in a while : ONCE
54 Stratford-upon-__ : AVON
55 Some savings plans, briefly : IRAS
56 Pop star Lady __ : GAGA
58 Gentle : TAME
59 Nebraska native : OTOE
62 Charged particle : ION
63 “Weekend Update” show, for short : SNL