LA Times Crossword 21 Nov 22, Monday

Advertisement

Constructed by: Dan Caprera
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Reveal Answer: Cold Spell

Themed answers each start with a homophone of a letter in the alphabet. Those letters SPELL out the word “COLD”:

  • 60A Stretch of chilly weather, and what the first words of the answers to the starred clues amount to, phonetically? : COLD SPELL
  • 17A *Song sung by sailors : SEA SHANTY (giving “C”)
  • 25A *”Huzzah!” : OH HAPPY DAY (giving “O”)
  • 36A *Yosemite monolith in the 2018 documentary “Free Solo” : EL CAPITAN (giving “L”)
  • 50A *Actress who played Elliott’s mom in “E.T.” : DEE WALLACE (giving “D”)

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

Bill’s time: 5m 43s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 “Skedaddle!” : SCRAM!

“Skedaddle” is a slang term meaning “run away”, one that dates back to the Civil War.

6 CSI stuff : DNA

I’ve always been fascinated by the fact that the DNA of living things is so very similar across different species. Human DNA is almost exactly the same for every individual (to the degree of 99.9%). However, those small differences are sufficient to distinguish one individual from another, and to determine whether or not individuals are close family relatives.

Crime scene investigation (CSI)

14 Hockey venue : ARENA

Our term “arena” comes from the Latin “harena”, a place of combat. Originally “harena” was used to describe sand or a sandy place. Those Ancient Roman places of combat were covered with sand to soak up blood.

16 Underworld : HADES

Hades was the god of the underworld to the ancient Greeks. Over time, Hades gave his name to the underworld itself, the place where the dead reside. The term “Hades” was also adopted into the Christian tradition, as an alternative name for hell. But, the concept of hell in Christianity is more akin to the Greek “Tartarus”, which is a dark and gloomy dungeon located in Hades, a place of suffering and torment.

17 *Song sung by sailors : SEA SHANTY (giving “C”)

A sea shanty (also “chantey”) is a song sung by sailors, often when they are working away on some repetitive task.

19 Feathers in a duvet : EIDER

Eiders are large sea ducks. Their down feathers are used to fill pillows and quilts, giving the name to the quilt called an “eiderdown”.

A duvet is a large flat bag that is filled with down feathers or a synthetic substitute that is used as a top cover for a bed. Although a duvet is similar to what is called a “comforter” in the US, there is a difference. A duvet often has an easily removed cover that is usually laundered at the same time as the bottom sheet and pillowcases. We use them a lot in Europe, and generally without a top sheet due to the ease of laundering.

21 Desktop computer originally sold in Bondi Blue : IMAC

The iMac is a desktop computer platform that Apple introduced in 1998. One of the main features of the iMac is an “all-in-one” design, with the computer console and monitor integrated. The iMac also came in a range of colors that Apple marketed as “flavors”, such as strawberry, blueberry and lime.

25 *”Huzzah!” : OH HAPPY DAY (giving “O”)

“Huzzah” is a cheer, originally a sailor’s interjection, possibly accompanying the hoisting of a sail.

28 World __ of Poker : SERIES

The World Series of Poker is an annual event held in Las Vegas. The winner of each event is given a much-coveted World Series of Poker bracelet.

30 Homophone of 31-Across : TOO
31 Homophone of 30-Across : TWO

Homophones are words that are pronounced in the same way (e.g., ere, air, err and heir). Homonyms are a subset of homophones, and are words that have the same spelling and the same pronunciation but different meanings, for example, skate (a fish) and skate (worn on the foot).

32 Old fast fliers: Abbr. : SSTS

The first supersonic transport (SST) to fly was the Tupolev Tu-144, which was constructed in the Soviet Union. The Tu-144 first flew in 1968, but did not carry passengers until 1977. The aircraft was permanently grounded as a passenger craft in 1978 due to concerns about safety (there had been two Tu-144 crashes). The second SST to fly was the Anglo-French Concorde, which operated at a profit for over 27 years until it was withdrawn from service in 2003. There was one Concorde crash, in Paris in July 2000. Since then, there have been no commercial SST services.

36 *Yosemite monolith in the 2018 documentary “Free Solo” : EL CAPITAN (giving “L”)

El Capitan is a stunning vertical rock formation in Yosemite National Park in California. The top of El Capitan has been used as the take-off point for many BASE jumps, parachute jumps made by diving off the top of the rock face. The National Park Service put a stop to the practice in 1999. Soon afterwards, a BASE jumper made an illegal jump to protest the ban. She died …

“Free Solo” is an excellent, albeit frightening (to me), 2018 documentary about Alex Honnold’s record-setting free-solo ascent of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. The film won that season’s Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, as well it should …

48 __ Bros. Discovery: media conglomerate : WARNER

The Warner Bros. film studio was founded by four Warner brothers, although their original family name was Wonskolaser. The brothers Harry, Albert, Sam and Jack emigrated from Poland as children with their parents, and changed their name when they landed in Baltimore, Maryland in 1889.

50 *Actress who played Elliott’s mom in “E.T.” : DEE WALLACE (giving “D”)

Actress Dee Wallace is best known for playing young Elliot’s mother in the Steven Spielberg 1982 masterpiece “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial”. Moving beyond acting, Wallace became a public speaker and author of self-help books. She gave a TED talk on the subject in 2018.

56 Computer giant : DELL

Computer manufacturer Dell is named for the company’s founder Michael Dell. Michael Dell started his company in his dorm room at college, shipping personal computers that were customized to the specific needs of his customers. He dropped out of school in order to focus on his growing business, a decision that I doubt he regrets. Michael Dell is now one of the richest people in the world.

59 Bee’s defense : STING

A queen bee has a stinger, just like worker bees. When a worker bee stings, it leaves its stinger in its victim. The worker bee dies after losing its stinger as the loss rips out part of its insides. However, a queen bee can sting with impunity as her stinger’s anatomy is different.

66 Spider creation : WEB

The silk that makes up a web is a protein fiber that is “spun” by a spider. Spider silk is about one sixth of the density of steel, yet has a comparable tensile strength.

67 Made docile : TAMED

Something described as “docile” is easily managed or readily trained. The term ultimately derives from the Latin “docere” meaning “to teach”.

Down

5 Half a menu fish : MAHI

“Mahi-mahi” (meaning “very strong”) is the Hawaiian name for the dolphinfish, which is also known as the dorado. The mahi-mahi is an ugly looking creature if ever I saw one …

6 Blues singer Washington : DINAH

“Dinah Washington” was the stage name of the blues and jazz singer Ruth Lee Jones. When she was once performing at the celebrated London Palladium, she announced (with Queen Elizabeth II sitting in the Royal Box), “There is but one Heaven, one Hell, one queen, and your Elizabeth is an impostor.” That would have created a bit of a stir …

9 Chintzy : CHEAPO

Chintz is a calico fabric that is very florid, and which originated in India. Indian chintz was in such great demand in Europe in the 17th-century, and so much was sold, that both England and France banned its import. This contributed to the term “chintz” being applied derogatively to a fabric, and from there to anything cheap or gaudy.

10 Church attendees : LAITY

Anything described as laic (or “laical, lay”) is related to the laity, those members of the church who are not clergy. The term “laic” ultimately comes from the Greek “laikos” meaning “of the people”.

13 Outdated geopolitical letters : SSR

The former Soviet Union (officially “Union of Soviet Socialist Republics” or “USSR”) was created in 1922, not long after the Russian Revolution of 1917 that overthrew the tsar. Geographically, the new Soviet Union was roughly equivalent to the old Russian Empire, and comprised fifteen Soviet Socialist Republics (SSRs).

18 Singer-songwriter Tori : AMOS

Tori Amos is an American pianist and singer. She started playing the piano at two years old, and was composing piano pieces by age five. Amos was playing in piano bars (chaperoned by her father) when she was 14. I’m going to have to find some of her music …

22 Cricket or squash : SPORT

Cricket is the national game of England. The term “cricket” apparently comes from the Old French word “criquet” meaning “goalpost, stick”.

Squash is a racket sport that is similar to racquetball, with the latter being more common here in the US. Squash is derived from the older sport of racquets, and was introduced around 1830 by students at Harrow School in London. It was originally called squash racquets as the first ball used was a racquets ball that was punctured. It was very, very squashable and much softer than that used in the parent game.

24 Web pages : SITES

In essence, the World Wide Web (WWW) is a vast collection of documents that is accessible using the Internet, with each document containing hyperlinks which point to other documents in the collection. So the “Web” is different from the Internet, although the terms are often used interchangeably. The Web is a collection of documents, and the Internet is a global network of computers on which the documents reside. The Web was effectively the invention of British computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee. The key to Berner-Lee’s invention was bringing together two technologies that already existed: hypertext and the Internet. I, for one, am very grateful …

29 Course for intl. students : ESL

English as a Second Language (ESL) is sometimes referred to as English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and English as a Foreign Language (EFL).

34 Wall St. launch : IPO

An initial public offering (IPO) is the very first offer of stock for sale by a company on the open market. In other words, an IPO marks the first time that a company is traded on a public exchange. Companies have an IPO to raise capital to expand (usually).

37 Tub sealant : CAULK

The term “caulk” comes from old Norman French “cauquer”, and described the action of filling gaps with lime. “Caulk” has the same root as our word “chalk”.

38 Atty.’s group : ABA

American Bar Association (ABA)

44 California home of the Angels and the Ducks : ANAHEIM

The California city of Anaheim is famous as home to the Disneyland resort. Prior to Disneyland opening in 1955, Anaheim was largely an agricultural community. It had been founded in 1857 by a group of German-Americans who were looking for an area suitable for growing grapes. The name “Anaheim” comes from “Ana”, referring to the nearby Santa Ana River, and from “Heim”, a German word meaning “home”.

The Anaheim Angels baseball team is today more correctly called the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (LAA). The “Angels” name dates back to 1961 when the team was founded in the “City of Angels”, Los Angeles. When the franchise moved to Anaheim in 1965 they were known as the California Angels, then the Anaheim Angels, and most recently the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The Angels are also known as “the Halos”.

The Walt Disney Company founded the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim hockey team in 1993, with the franchise’s name being a nod to the 1992 Disney movie called “The Mighty Ducks”. The name was changed to the Anaheim Ducks when Disney sold the team before the 2006-2007 season.

45 Rossini’s “The Barber of __” : SEVILLE

“The Barber of Seville” is an extremely popular comic opera by Gioachino Rossini that is based on a play of the same name by Pierre Beaumarchais. Beaumarchais wrote a sequel called “The Marriage of Figaro”, on which Mozart based his comic opera of the same name.

Gioachino Rossini was a prolific and very successful composer from Pesaro, Italy. During his lifetime, Rossini was lauded as the most successful composer of operas in history. His best-known opera today is probably “The Barber of Seville”. His best-known piece of music is probably the finale of the overture from his opera “William Tell”.

57 Future atty.’s exam : LSAT

Law School Admission Test (LSAT)

59 “Murder, __ Wrote” : SHE

“Murder, She Wrote” is a mystery television show with the lead character Jessica Fletcher, a mystery writer who is also an amateur detective. Fletcher is played by the charming Angela Lansbury. The show was created by Richard Levinson and William Link who had just failed with the TV series “Ellery Queen”, which was pulled after only one season. “Ellery Queen” was also about a mystery writer who was an amateur detective.

61 Links org. : PGA

The Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) was founded in 1916 and today has its headquarters (unsurprisingly) in Florida, where so many golfers live. Back in 1916, the PGA was based in New York City.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 “Skedaddle!” : SCRAM!
6 CSI stuff : DNA
9 Word before act or action : CLASS …
14 Hockey venue : ARENA
15 “Am __ the right track?” : I ON
16 Underworld : HADES
17 *Song sung by sailors : SEA SHANTY (giving “C”)
19 Feathers in a duvet : EIDER
20 Consumed : HAD
21 Desktop computer originally sold in Bondi Blue : IMAC
22 Stuffs to the gills : SATES
23 “Vous __ ici”: “You are here,” in French : ETES
25 *”Huzzah!” : OH HAPPY DAY (giving “O”)
28 World __ of Poker : SERIES
30 Homophone of 31-Across : TOO
31 Homophone of 30-Across : TWO
32 Old fast fliers: Abbr. : SSTS
33 Fishing spot : PIER
35 Not bad, not great : SO-SO
36 *Yosemite monolith in the 2018 documentary “Free Solo” : EL CAPITAN (giving “L”)
39 Quick swims : DIPS
42 Auth. unknown : ANON
43 Meadow bleats : BAAS
46 Top pitcher : ACE
47 Payable now : DUE
48 __ Bros. Discovery: media conglomerate : WARNER
50 *Actress who played Elliott’s mom in “E.T.” : DEE WALLACE (giving “D”)
54 Roof overhang : EAVE
55 “I’ll __ to that!” : DRINK
56 Computer giant : DELL
58 Hustle, quaintly : HIE
59 Bee’s defense : STING
60 Stretch of chilly weather, and what the first words of the answers to the starred clues amount to, phonetically? : COLD SPELL
62 In the future : HENCE
63 Mine lode : ORE
64 Quick and nimble : AGILE
65 Bright-eyed : EAGER
66 Spider creation : WEB
67 Made docile : TAMED

Down

1 Merit badge holders : SASHES
2 Makes from scratch : CREATES
3 Bookworms : READERS
4 Reply to a ques. : ANS
5 Half a menu fish : MAHI
6 Blues singer Washington : DINAH
7 V-shaped slit : NOTCH
8 “__ news?” : ANY
9 Chintzy : CHEAPO
10 Church attendees : LAITY
11 Expanded, as a collection : ADDED TO
12 Playground fixtures for two : SEESAWS
13 Outdated geopolitical letters : SSR
18 Singer-songwriter Tori : AMOS
22 Cricket or squash : SPORT
24 Web pages : SITES
26 Enjoyed home cooking : ATE IN
27 “__-hoo! Over here!” : YOO
29 Course for intl. students : ESL
33 Comic strip unit : PANEL
34 Wall St. launch : IPO
35 Catch : SNARE
37 Tub sealant : CAULK
38 Atty.’s group : ABA
39 Pa : DAD
40 Beverage that may be served with a lemon slice : ICED TEA
41 Looking (in) : PEERING
44 California home of the Angels and the Ducks : ANAHEIM
45 Rossini’s “The Barber of __” : SEVILLE
47 Warning sign word : DANGER
48 Fuse using heat : WELD
49 Walked unsteadily : REELED
51 Pained reaction : WINCE
52 Crush on : ADORE
53 A-lister : CELEB
57 Future atty.’s exam : LSAT
59 “Murder, __ Wrote” : SHE
60 Dairy farm animal : COW
61 Links org. : PGA