LA Times Crossword 2 Dec 19, Monday

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Constructed by: Adam Vincent
Edited by: Rich Norris

Today’s Reveal Answer: Following Orders

Themed answers each start with a type of ORDER:

  • 39A Doing as told, in the military … or what the starts of the answers to starred clues can literally have? : FOLLOWING ORDERS
  • 18A *Lucrative business : MONEYMAKER (giving “money order”)
  • 23A *Medieval entertainer : COURT JESTER (giving “court order”)
  • 54A *Hostel audience? : BACKPACKERS (giving “back order”)
  • 61A *Comedian’s suppliers : GAG WRITERS (giving “gag order”)

Bill’s time: 4m 49s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

5 German philosopher who wrote “The Phenomenology of Spirit” : HEGEL

Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel was a German philosopher, and one of the founders of the German idealism movement. “Idealism”, in the context of the movement, was the principle that objects did not have properties in themselves, but rather that an object’s properties depended on the person perceiving the object.

10 Microsoft Surface competitor : IPAD

Microsoft Surface is a series of portable computing devices that includes a line of 2-in-1 detachables, which are crosses between tablets and laptops.

15 Amazon assistant : ALEXA

Alexa is a personal assistant application that is most associated with the Amazon Echo smart speaker. Apparently, one reason the name “Alexa” was chosen is because it might remind one of the Library of Alexandria, the “keeper of all knowledge”.

16 Italia’s capital : ROMA

In Italian, “Roma” (Rome) is the “capitale” (capital) of “Italia” (Italy).

20 Mai __: cocktail : TAI

The mai tai cocktail is strongly associated with the Polynesian islands, but the drink was supposedly invented in 1944 in Trader Vic’s restaurant in Oakland, California. One recipe is 6 parts white rum, 3 parts orange curaçao, 3 parts Orgeat syrup, 1 part rock candy syrup, 2 parts fresh lime juice, all mixed with ice and then a float added of 6 parts dark rum. “Maita’i” is the Tahitian word for “good”.

26 Ave. and tpk. : RDS

Back in the 15th century, a turnpike (tpk.) was a defensive barrier across a road. By the 17th century the term was used for a barrier that stopped travelers until a toll was paid. By the 18th century a turnpike was the name given to a road with a toll.

28 Word with York or Jersey : NEW …

During the Second Anglo-Dutch War, the Province of New Netherland in North America was claimed by Charles II of England. Charles awarded it to his brother, the Duke of York (and future king, James II). James dispatched a fleet in 1664 to New Netherland, where the Dutch governor surrendered. New Netherland was renamed to the Province of New York, in honor of the duke. Soon after, the Duke of York gave part of the Province to his friends Sir George Carteret and Lord Berkeley of Stratton. Carteret’s ancestral home was the Island of Jersey in the English Channel, and so the awarded land was named the Province of New Jersey.

43 Mario Kart console, initially : SNES

The name Super NES (or “SNES”) stands for Super Nintendo Entertainment System.

44 “__, but no cigar” : CLOSE

The expression “close but no cigar” is a reference meaning that one can come close in a competition, but may not win the prize, the cigar.

46 Christen, as a knight : DUB

Kneel, and a monarch might “dub thee a knight” if you’re lucky. “Dub” is a specific term derived from Old English that was used to mean “make a knight”. As the knight was also given a knightly name at the same time, “dub” has come to mean “give someone a name”.

51 ISP option : DSL

An Internet service provider (ISP) is just what the name indicates, a company that provides its customers with access to the Internet. One way that ISPs differentiate themselves from each other is in the way in which end users are connected to the ISP’s network. So, there are cable ISPs, DSL ISPs, dial-up ISPs and satellite ISPs.

63 Modern in-flight amenity : WI-FI

“Wi-Fi” is nothing more than a trademark, a trademark registered by an association of manufacturers of equipment that use wireless LAN (Local Area Network) technology. A device labeled with “Wi-Fi” has to meet certain defined technical standards, basically meaning that the devices can talk to each other. The name “Wi-Fi” suggests “Wireless Fidelity”, although apparently the term was never intended to mean anything at all.

66 Earl __ tea : GREY

The Earl Grey blend of tea is supposedly named after Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey who was Prime Minister of the UK from 1830 to 1834. Earl Grey tea has a distinctive flavor that is largely due to the addition of oil from the rind of the bergamot orange.

67 Etsy’s biz, e.g. : E-TAIL

Etsy.com is an e-commerce website where you can buy and sell the kind of items that you might find at a craft fair.

Down

2 Guns N’ Roses frontman Rose : AXL

Axl Rose is the lead vocalist of the American rock band Guns N’ Roses.

4 Bothersome browser apps : ADWARE

Adware is “advertising-supported software”, an application that includes ads in some form so that the developed can generate revenue. Sometimes deceptive practices can be used to entice a user to install such programs, so adware can sometimes be classed as malware (malicious software).

7 Heredity units : GENES

A gene is a section of a chromosome that is responsible for a particular characteristic in an organism. For example, one gene may determine eye color and another balding pattern. We have two copies of each gene, one from each of our parents, with each copy known as an allele.

10 Persia, now : IRAN

Before 1935, the country we know today as Iran was referred to as Persia by the Western world. The official name of the country since the Iranian Revolution of 1979 is the “Islamic Republic of Iran”.

12 Change for the better : AMEND

The verb “to amend” means “to change for the better, put right, alter by adding”. The related verb “to emend” is used more rarely, and mainly in reference to the editing of professional writing. Both terms are derived from the Latin “emendare” meaning “to remove fault”.

13 Pub game : DARTS

Darts is a wonderful game that’s often played in English and Irish pubs, even over here in America. The scoring in a traditional game of darts is difficult to describe in a sentence or two, but the game of darts called “Round the Clock” is simply hitting the numbers 1 through 20 on the dartboard in sequence.

19 Former filly : 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

21 Prefix for Venice’s country : ITALO-

The city of Venice in northeast Italy is built in a saltwater lagoon on the Adriatic Coast, on 117 small islands. The classic transportation along the waterways is the gondola, but this is really only used for tourists these days, as well as on ceremonial occasions. The locals rely on the motorized water-buses.

24 Bagel flavoring : ONION

The bagel was invented in the Polish city of Kraków in the 16th century. Bagels were brought to this country by Jewish immigrants from Poland who mainly established homes in and around New York City.

25 “The Hunger Games” star, to fans : JLAW

Jennifer Lawrence (sometimes “J.Law” in the press) is an actress from Louisville, Kentucky who really hit the big time when she was cast as Katniss Everdeen, the protagonist in the “Hunger Games” series of films.

“The Hunger Games” is a 2008 novel by Suzanne Collins, and the first in a trilogy of titles that also includes “Catching Fire” (2009) and “Mockingjay” (2010). “The Hunger Games” was adapted into a very successful movie released in 2012, with the sequels following soon after. Amazon.com reports more sales of “The Hunger Games” series books than even the “Harry Potter” series.

32 Insta upload : PIC

Instagram (often abbreviated to “Insta”) is a photo-sharing application, one that is extremely popular. Instagram was started in San Francisco in 2010. Facebook purchased Instagram two years later, paying $1 billion. The billion-dollar Instagram company had just 13 employees at the time of the sale …

33 NBC late-night weekend staple, familiarly : SNL

NBC first aired a form of “Saturday Night Live” (SNL) in 1975 under the title “NBC’s Saturday Night”. The show was actually created to give Johnny Carson some time off from “The Tonight Show”. Back then “The Tonight Show” had a weekend episode, and Carson convinced NBC to pull the Saturday or Sunday recordings off the air and hold them for subsequent weeknights in which Carson needed a break. NBC turned to Lorne Michaels and asked him to put together a variety show to fill the vacant slot, and he came up with what we now call “Saturday Night Live”.

34 Freudian focus : EGO

Sigmund Freud created a structural model of the human psyche, breaking it into three parts: the id, the ego, and the superego. The id is that part of the psyche containing the basic instinctual drives. The ego seeks to please the id by causing realistic behavior that benefits the individual. The superego almost has a parental role, contradicting the id by introducing critical thinking and morals to behavioral choices.

38 13-digit pub. codes : ISBNS

The International Standard Book Number (ISBN) was invented by one Gordon Foster who was a professor at Trinity College Dublin in Ireland. The code was originally developed for booksellers, so that they had a unique number (and now a barcode) for each publication.

40 ’60s hallucinogen : LSD

The drug LSD is often sold impregnated into blotting paper. The paper blotter is usually divided into squares with ¼-inch sides, with each square referred to as a “tab”.

41 Org. providing workplace safety posters : OSHA

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was created in 1970 during the Nixon administration. OSHA regulates workplaces in the private sector and regulates just one government agency, namely the US Postal Service.

47 Lyft competitor : UBER

In some locations, the transportation network company Uber offers water-taxi services under the brand name UberBOAT. Most notably available in the city of Istanbul in Turkey, the service is also offered in other locations, often during special events.

52 Drum type : SNARE

Snare drums are so called because they have a set of wire strands (snares) stretching across the bottom surface of the drum. When the drum is struck, the snares vibrate against the bottom drumhead producing a unique sound.

53 Three-star mil. officer : LT GEN

Historically, the rank of lieutenant general (lt. gen) dates back to medieval times, when it was subordinate to a captain general. The latter was in command on the battlefield, and the former was his “lieutenant”, his second in command. Today, the rank of lieutenant general usually falls below general, and above major general (despite the fact that a “major” outranks a “lieutenant”).

55 Panna __: Italian dessert : COTTA

Panna cotta is an Italian dessert made from cream, sugar and gelatin and perhaps some flavoring. The name “panna cotta” really wasn’t used in Italy until the 1960s, and the dish became popular in the US starting in the 1990s.

59 “I-” rds., e.g. : HWYS

The US Interstate System is more correctly known as the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, a nod to President Eisenhower who championed the construction. The President had come to recognise the value of the German autobahn system in his experiences during WWII, and resolved to give the US a similar infrastructure. In real terms, the US Interstate construction project is said to have been the largest public works project since the Pyramids of Egypt.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Peruvian home : CASA
5 German philosopher who wrote “The Phenomenology of Spirit” : HEGEL
10 Microsoft Surface competitor : IPAD
14 Chopped down : AXED
15 Amazon assistant : ALEXA
16 Italia’s capital : ROMA
17 Imperfection : FLAW
18 *Lucrative business : MONEYMAKER (giving “money order”)
20 Mai __: cocktail : TAI
22 Hard to erase, as markers : PERMANENT
23 *Medieval entertainer : COURT JESTER (giving “court order”)
26 Ave. and tpk. : RDS
27 Hard to believe : UNREAL
28 Word with York or Jersey : NEW …
30 In shape : FIT
31 Forgetful moment : LAPSE
35 First part of a play : ACT I
39 Doing as told, in the military … or what the starts of the answers to starred clues can literally have? : FOLLOWING ORDERS
43 Mario Kart console, initially : SNES
44 “__, but no cigar” : CLOSE
45 Pencil eraser, e.g. : NUB
46 Christen, as a knight : DUB
49 Hurry up : HASTEN
51 ISP option : DSL
54 *Hostel audience? : BACKPACKERS (giving “back order”)
58 How chops or ribs are served : ON THE BONE
60 That girl : HER
61 *Comedian’s suppliers : GAG WRITERS (giving “gag order”)
63 Modern in-flight amenity : WI-FI
66 Earl __ tea : GREY
67 Etsy’s biz, e.g. : E-TAIL
68 Supply-and-demand sci. : ECON
69 Cravings : YENS
70 With a long face : SADLY
71 Stink : REEK

Down

1 Campus eatery, for short : CAF
2 Guns N’ Roses frontman Rose : AXL
3 Slow-moving coastal critter : SEA TURTLE
4 Bothersome browser apps : ADWARE
5 __ and eggs : HAM
6 Slip out to tie the knot : ELOPE
7 Heredity units : GENES
8 Apply, as pressure : EXERT
9 Joes who aren’t pros : LAYMEN
10 Persia, now : IRAN
11 Rod for stirring a fire : POKER
12 Change for the better : AMEND
13 Pub game : DARTS
19 Former filly : MARE
21 Prefix for Venice’s country : ITALO-
23 Perp’s restraints : CUFFS
24 Bagel flavoring : ONION
25 “The Hunger Games” star, to fans : JLAW
29 Roll of bills : WAD
32 Insta upload : PIC
33 NBC late-night weekend staple, familiarly : SNL
34 Freudian focus : EGO
36 Heart of the rink : CENTER ICE
37 More faithful : TRUER
38 13-digit pub. codes : ISBNS
40 ’60s hallucinogen : LSD
41 Org. providing workplace safety posters : OSHA
42 Attain : REACH
47 Lyft competitor : UBER
48 Bottle-fed tykes : BABIES
50 Backyard chef’s stick : SKEWER
51 Pooch, to a tyke : DOGGY
52 Drum type : SNARE
53 Three-star mil. officer : LT GEN
55 Panna __: Italian dessert : COTTA
56 Work with dough : KNEAD
57 Danger : PERIL
59 “I-” rds., e.g. : HWYS
62 Crafty : SLY
64 Hardly a friend : FOE
65 Confident crossword solver’s choice : INK