LA Times Crossword 23 Jul 22, Saturday

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Constructed by: Enrique Henestroza Anguiano
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Theme: None

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

Bill’s time: 10m 12s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

11 Ersatz : SHAM

Something described as ersatz is a copy, and usually not a good one. “Ersatz” comes from the German verb “ersetzen” meaning “to replace”.

16 Grilled fruit in tacos al pastor : PINA

A taco al pastor is a popular street food from Mexico that can also be found in parts of the US. The key ingredient in al pastor is sliced, spit-grilled pork. The cooking method, using a vertical spit, is one introduced into Mexico by Lebanese immigrants in the 1800s. The term “al pastor” translates from Spanish as “shepherd style”).

19 Cardinal pts.? : TDS

The Arizona Cardinals were founded in 1898 as the Chicago Cardinals. That makes the Cardinals the oldest, continuously-run, professional football team in the whole country.

20 Racetrack doc : VET

“Vet” is an abbreviation for “veterinarian”, a professional who treats animals for disease and injury. The word “veterinary” comes from the Latin “veterinae” meaning “working animals, beasts of burden”.

30 French region that produces GSM blends : RHONE

Côtes du Rhône is a wine region centered on the Rhône river in France. The name of the region translates as “Slopes (or Hills) of Rhône”. The most prevalent grapes used in Côtes du Rhône wine are grenache (in reds and rosés) and grenache blanc (in whites).

GSM blends of wine, mainly produced in the Rhone Valley of France and Australia, are blends of grenache, syrah, mourvèdre (GSM).

33 Grenache, Syrah, or Mourvèdre, e.g. : RED GRAPE

Grenache is a red wine grape variety, and the major constituent of wines from the Châteauneuf-du-Pape region in France (my favorites). Grenache is also used to make rosé wines in the Cotes du Rhone region (also a favorite of mine).

The Iranian city of Shiraz has long been associated with wine, but there is no proven link between the city and the wine/grape we know today as “Shiraz” (also called “Syrah”). Having said that, some clay jars were found just outside of the city of Shiraz that contained wine; wine that was 7,000 years old!

Mourvèdre is a red wine grape that is grown across the world, but which probably originated in Spain. It is thought that the “Mourvèdre” name is a French term derived from “Murviedro”, an old name for the Spanish municipality of Sagunto in Valencia.

37 Home of the Kraken : SEATTLE

The Kraken are an NHL team based in Seattle. The Krakens played their first league game in Seattle in 2021, marking the first time that Seattle hosted a professional hockey team since the days of the Seattle Totems in 1975.

Kraken are huge sea monsters of legend that were reputed to live off the coasts of Iceland and Norway. It’s possible that the kraken legend was inspired by real-life giant squid.

40 Streaming option : NETFLIX

Netflix was founded in Los Gatos, California in 1997 as a DVD rental company that sent out titles by mail. The company delivered its billionth DVD in 2007. I presume the renter wasn’t charged for that movie …

41 Champurrado, for one : HOT DRINK

Champurrado is a warm, chocolate-based drink that is native to Mexico. Apparently, champurrado is sometimes made with alcohol. Interesting …

43 Goddess of peace : IRENE

Eirene (also “Irene”) was the Greek goddess of peace, with “eirene” being the Greek word for “peace”. The Roman equivalent to Eirene was the goddess Pax.

44 __ waves : RADIO

When German physicist Heinrich Hertz first demonstrated radio waves in 1887, he used the simplest form of antenna, namely a dipole antenna. A dipole antenna comprises two metal rods that are usually pointing away from each other. Ideally, the length of each rod is one half of the wavelength of the signal to be received.

46 Worshipper of the sun god Huitzilopochtli : AZTEC

Huitzilopochtli was the national god of the Aztecs. He was also the god of war, the sun, and human sacrifice.

51 Roughly 3.26 light-years : PARSEC

A parsec is a measure of length or distance used in astronomy. One parsec is equal to about 19.2 trillion miles.

A light-year (lt. yr.) is a measure of distance, not time. It is the distance that light travels in a vacuum in one year, which is almost six trillion miles. The accepted abbreviation for a light-year is “ly”. A light-second is a much shorter distance: about 186,000 miles.

53 “Candidly,” initially : TBH

To be honest (TBH)

57 Brouhahas : ADOS

“Brouhaha”, meaning “ado, stir”, was a French word that back in the 1550s meant “the cry of the devil disguised as clergy” . Wow!

65 Like maple-glazed bacon : SALTY SWEET

“Bacon” is an Old French word that we imported into English. The term ultimately comes from the Proto-Germanic “bakkon” meaning “back meat”.

Down

1 Pt. of GPS : SYST

Global positioning system (GPS)

4 “Ex’s & __”: Top 10 hit for Elle King : OH’S

“Elle King” is the stage name of singer Tanner Elle Schneider. She has a showbiz father, the former “Saturday Night Live” cast member Rob Schneider.

7 Royal involved in baseball’s Pine Tar Incident : BRETT

Pine tar is applied to the handles of baseball bats as it is a sticky substance and improves the batter’s grip. In a 1983 game, the Yankees manager Billy Martin protested a home run hit by George Brett of the Royals because the pine tar on his bat extended beyond the regulation 18 inches. The home run was later allowed as it was determined that the 18-inch rule was in place for economic reasons, and had nothing to do with competitive advantage. If pine tar gets on a baseball it renders it unusable for play, and baseballs cost money!

8 Canine care org. : ADA

The American Dental Association (ADA) is the largest and oldest national dental association in the world. Today the ADA is based in Chicago, but the association was founded in Niagara Falls, New York in 1859. The ADA started out as a group of 26 dentists, and it now has more than 152,000 members.

9 B&B units : RMS

In the US, an intimate inn is a bed & breakfast (B&B). Traditionally, a bed & breakfast back in Ireland was more basic accommodation, and used to be much cheaper than a comparable hotel room.

10 California-based chocolate brand : SEE’S

See’s is a candy manufacturer that was founded in Los Angeles in 1921 by Canadian Charles See and his mother Mary See. Many of us remember the chocolate factory episode of “I Love Lucy”. Well, Lucille Ball and Vivian Vancse spent time at the See’s facility in LA learning how to dip chocolates and work the production line prior to filming that show.

12 Semiaquatic mammal : HIPPO

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.

13 Stud fees : ANTES

“Stud poker” is the name given to many variants of poker, all of which are characterized by the dealer giving each player a mix of cards face-down and face-up. The cards facing upwards are called “upcards”. The cards facing downwards are called “hole cards”, cards only visible to the individual who holds that particular hand. This gives rise to the phrase “ace in the hole”, a valuable holding that only the player with the ace is aware of.

14 En __ : MASSE

“En masse” is a French term, one that best translates as “as a group”

22 Footwear with overlays : WINGTIP SHOES

A brogue is more commonly called a wingtip here in the US, I think. The shoe design originated in Ireland and Scotland, and “brog” the Irish word (and similar Scottish word) for shoe gives rise to the name. The brogue/wingtip design includes decorative perforations in the leather uppers. The toe cap of a brogue curves back in a shape that suggests the tip of a bird’s wing, hence the alternative name.

24 NHL legend : ORR

Bobby Orr is regarded as one of the greatest hockey players of all time. By the time he retired in 1978 he had undergone over a dozen knee surgeries. At 31 years of age, he concluded that he just couldn’t skate anymore. Reportedly, he was even having trouble walking. While still 31 years old, in 1979, Orr became the youngest person inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Prior to that, in 1967, Orr became the youngest person named the NHL’s Rookie of the Year.

27 Beer-brewing mixture : MASH

In brewing and distilling, the mash is the mixture of grain and water that is heated so that enzymes break down starch into sugars. The sugary liquor extracted from the mash is called the wort. Yeast is added to the wort, resulting in the sugars being converted to alcohol.

28 Layered snack : OREO

There’s a smartphone app featuring the Oreo cookie. It’s a game in which one twists Oreo cookies apart, “licks” the cream from the center and then dunks the remainder of the cookie in a glass of milk.

29 Charcuterie fare : MEAT

In French, a “charcutier” is a pork butcher, although the term “charcuterie” has come to describe a genre of cooking focused on prepared meats such as bacon, ham, sausage and pâté. Although these meats often feature pork, it is not exclusively so. The word “charcuterie” comes from the French “chair” meaning “flesh” and “cuit” meaning “cooked”.

31 Elizabeth Acevedo’s “__ to the Head Nod” : ODE

Elizabeth Acevedo is an author and poet from Washington, DC. She is a former winner of the National Poetry Slam.

34 Actor Guinness : ALEC

Sir Alec Guinness played many great roles over a long and distinguished career, but nowadays is best remembered (sadly, I think) for playing the original Obi-Wan Kenobi in “Star Wars”. He won his only Best Actor Oscar for playing Colonel Nicholson in the marvelous 1957 WWII movie “The Bridge on the River Kwai”. Guinness did himself serve during the Second World War, in the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve. He commanded a landing craft during the Allied invasion of Sicily in 1943.

35 Sakura color : PINK

A cherry blossom (“sakura” in Japanese) is a flower of an ornamental cherry tree (not a fruit-producing cherry tree). Ornamental cherry trees are common in East Asia, and the cherry blossom is the national flower of Japan.

39 Diana Rigg’s first name : ENID

Diana Rigg was a marvelous actress from England who was best known for playing Emma Peel on the hit sixties show “The Avengers”. Rigg also won an Emmy for her performance in a 1997 television adaptation of “Rebecca”. In my humble opinion, she was also the best-ever Bond girl (opposite George Lazenby, the worst-ever Bond guy), in “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” …

42 Fish that symbolize love and friendship : 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.

47 “White Teeth” novelist Smith : ZADIE

Zadie Smith is an author from the UK whose first novel, “White Teeth”, became an immediate best-seller in 2000. Apparently, a partial manuscript was so well-received by insiders that a bidding war developed for the rights to publish “White Teeth”.

48 Familiar theme : TROPE

A trope is a figure of speech. The term “trope” comes from the Greek word “tropos” that has the same meaning.

50 Angioplasty tube : STENT

Angioplasty (“angio”, for short) is a mechanical widening of a narrowed artery. In the surgical procedure, a balloon catheter is inflated at the point of the obstruction to open up the artery. A stent may then be inserted to make sure the vessel remains open.

52 Fiscal execs : CFOS

Chief financial officer (CFO)

56 “Sesame Street” roommate : BERT

The central location in “Sesame Street” is a three-story row house with the address 123 Sesame Street. The first floor of the house is home to Robinson family, and the second story is occupied by the Rodriguez family. Bert and Ernie live in the basement, and Oscar lives in a trash can outside the house’s fence.

59 “The Hate U Give” actor KJ __ : APA

KJ Apa is an actor and musician from New Zealand. He first came to the attention of North American audiences when he was cast as the lead (Archie Andrews) in the teen drama TV series “Riverdale”. Prior to his “riverdale” casting, Apa had been making regular appearances on the New Zealand primetime soap opera “Shortland Street”.

“The Hate U Give” is a 2018 film that is based on a 2017 novel of the same name by Angie Thomas. Both the film and novel center on the aftermath of a police officer shooting an unarmed teenager.

60 Disneyana collectible : CEL

In the world of animation, a cel is a transparent sheet on which objects and characters are drawn. In the first half of the 20th century the sheet was actually made of celluloid, giving the “cel” its name.

61 Celebratory acronym : FTW

“FTW” is an initialism abbreviating “for the win”, a phrase meaning “being great, sure to succeed”.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Tools that may cause webpages to go down : SCROLLBARS
11 Ersatz : SHAM
15 “I said what I said” : YOU HEARD ME
16 Grilled fruit in tacos al pastor : PINA
17 Relaxes : SETS AT EASE
18 Uses one’s discretion : OPTS
19 Cardinal pts.? : TDS
20 Racetrack doc : VET
21 Takes the wrong way : SWIPES
23 Confer (upon) : BESTOW
26 Words of concession : I LOSE
27 Second cousin? : MOMENT
30 French region that produces GSM blends : RHONE
32 Juvenile retort : ARE SO!
33 Grenache, Syrah, or Mourvèdre, e.g. : RED GRAPE
37 Home of the Kraken : SEATTLE
40 Streaming option : NETFLIX
41 Champurrado, for one : HOT DRINK
43 Goddess of peace : IRENE
44 __ waves : RADIO
45 Motes : SPECKS
46 Worshipper of the sun god Huitzilopochtli : AZTEC
49 Neglect : DISUSE
51 Roughly 3.26 light-years : PARSEC
53 “Candidly,” initially : TBH
54 White lie : FIB
57 Brouhahas : ADOS
58 In person : FACE-TO-FACE
62 Ready : RIPE
63 Protester’s medium : OPEN LETTER
64 Set (up) : TEED
65 Like maple-glazed bacon : SALTY SWEET

Down

1 Pt. of GPS : SYST
2 Like some softball teams : COED
3 Rough patches : RUTS
4 “Ex’s & __”: Top 10 hit for Elle King : OH’S
5 Good motto to follow in a National Park : LEAVE NO TRACE
6 Most recent : LATEST
7 Royal involved in baseball’s Pine Tar Incident : BRETT
8 Canine care org. : ADA
9 B&B units : RMS
10 California-based chocolate brand : SEE’S
11 Like a review that’s not very revealing? : SPOILER-FREE
12 Semiaquatic mammal : HIPPO
13 Stud fees : ANTES
14 En __ : MASSE
22 Footwear with overlays : WINGTIP SHOES
23 Red carpet list : BEST DRESSED
24 NHL legend : ORR
25 Question of time : WHEN?
27 Beer-brewing mixture : MASH
28 Layered snack : OREO
29 Charcuterie fare : MEAT
31 Elizabeth Acevedo’s “__ to the Head Nod” : ODE
34 Actor Guinness : ALEC
35 Sakura color : PINK
36 Old flames : EXES
38 Cap : LID
39 Diana Rigg’s first name : ENID
42 Fish that symbolize love and friendship : KOI
45 With nuances : SUBTLY
46 In pieces : APART
47 “White Teeth” novelist Smith : ZADIE
48 Familiar theme : TROPE
50 Angioplasty tube : STENT
52 Fiscal execs : CFOS
54 Lot : FATE
55 Frozen brand : ICEE
56 “Sesame Street” roommate : BERT
59 “The Hate U Give” actor KJ __ : APA
60 Disneyana collectible : CEL
61 Celebratory acronym : FTW