LA Times Crossword 22 Nov 22, Tuesday

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Constructed by: Susy Christiansen & Doug Peterson
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Reveal Answer: Nuts and Bolts

Themed answers each start with either a NUT or a BOLT:

  • 66A Essentials, or what the first words of the answers to the starred clues are : NUTS AND BOLTS
  • 18A *Gift basket retailer known for cheese and smoked sausage : HICKORY FARMS (hickory nut)
  • 27A *Oktoberfest venues : BEER GARDENS (beer nut)
  • 42A *Robin Williams drama set at a prep school : DEAD POETS SOCIETY (dead bolt)
  • 54A *Classic Ford model : THUNDERBIRD (thunderbolt)

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

Bill’s time: 6m 04s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Oktoberfest mugs : STEINS

A stein is a type of beer glass. The term “stein” is German in origin, and is short for “Steinkrug” meaning “stone jug”. “Stein” is German for “stone”.

12 Battleship letters : USS

The abbreviation “USS” stands for “United States Ship”. The practice of naming US Navy vessels in a standard format didn’t start until 1907, when President Theodore Roosevelt issued an executive order that addressed the issue.

In the days of sail, a naval fleet of ships often formed a “line of battle” in the vessels formed up end to end. The advantage of such a formation was that all vessels could fire a battery of cannon along the full length of the ship. Vessels deemed powerful enough to join the line of battle became known as “ships of the line”, or “line of battle ships”. The term “line of battle ship” shortened over time to become our modern word “battleship”. The main feature of a contemporary battleship is a battery of large caliber guns.

16 Letter-shaped violin opening : F-HOLE

The hole(s) in the upper sound boards of stringed musical instruments are known as sound holes. Interestingly, the holes themselves aren’t the main source of the musical sound, and rather they allow for more vibration of the sound boards that provide most of the sound. Sound holes have different shapes. The holes in the sound boards of guitars are D-shaped and hence known as D-holes. Instruments from the violin family have S-shaped holes, but they resemble lowercase letters F and so are known as F-holes.

18 *Gift basket retailer known for cheese and smoked sausage : HICKORY FARMS (hickory nut)

Hickory Farms is a Chicago-based supplier of gift boxes and gift baskets. The company was founded in 1951 to supply handcrafted cheeses, and today also supplies wine, chocolates, charcuterie items and cupcakes.

21 Director Brooks : MEL

Mel Brooks’ real name is Melvin Kaminsky. Brooks is one of relatively few entertainers who have won the “Showbiz Award Grand Slam” i.e. an Oscar, Tony, Grammy and Emmy (EGOT). He is in good company, as the list also includes the likes of Richard Rogers, Sir John Gielgud, Marvin Hamlisch and Audrey Hepburn.

22 Soccer family rides : SUVS

“SUV” is an initialism standing for “sports utility vehicle”, and is a term that was introduced by our marketing friends. Using the phrase “sports utility vehicle” was a very clever way to get us to pay a lot of money for what was essentially a station wagon on a truck chassis, or at least it was back then.

27 *Oktoberfest venues : BEER GARDENS (beer nut)

Oktoberfest is a 16-day beer festival in Munich that actually starts in September. About six million people attend every year, making it the largest fair in the world. I’ve attended twice, and it really is a remarkable party …

31 “What’s up, __?” : DOC

Bugs Bunny first said “What’s up, Doc?” in the 1940 cartoon short “A Wild Hare”, while addressing the hunter Elmer Fudd.

33 Unlike Bond’s martini : STIRRED

Why have a vodka martini shaken and not stirred (like James Bond, 007)? For one thing, the shaken drink tends to be colder. And with more melted ice in the drink, it isn’t as strong. These are my personal observations. No need to write in …

34 Wunderkind : PHENOM

A wunderkind is a child prodigy, often one with a musical gift. The term is German in origin and translates literally as “wonder child”.

37 Highchair fashion : BIB

The word “bib” comes from the Latin “bibere” meaning “to drink”, as does our word “imbibe”. So, maybe a bib is less about spilling the food, and more about soaking up the booze …

38 Seehorn of “Better Call Saul” : RHEA

Rhea Seehorn is an actress best known for playing lawyer Kim Wexler in the TV crime drama “Better Call Saul”.

42 *Robin Williams drama set at a prep school : DEAD POETS SOCIETY (dead bolt)

1989’s “Dead Poets Society” was directed by Peter Weir and stars Robin Williams as an English teacher who uses poetry to inspire his students. Tom Schulman wrote the somewhat autobiographical script based on his own experiences at a day school in Nashville, Tennessee. This is one of my favorite Robin Williams movies …

46 Actress Hathaway : ANNE

Actress Anne Hathaway is a favorite of mine, I must say. She starred in “The Devil Wears Prada” in 2006 and in 2007’s “Becoming Jane”, a film that I particularly enjoyed. And yes, baby Anne was named after Anne Hathaway, the wife of William Shakespeare.

47 Texter’s caveat : IMO

In my opinion (IMO)

A caveat is a warning or a qualification. “Caveat” is the Latin for “let him beware”.

49 Xylophone kin : MARIMBA

A marimba is a musical instrument that is somewhat like a large xylophone. It originated in Mexico and … it is the instrument that plays the default ringtone on Apple phones.

54 *Classic Ford model : THUNDERBIRD (thunderbolt)

Ford manufactured the Thunderbird (T-Bird) from 1955 to 2005. Originally a two-seater sporty convertible, the T-Bird was introduced as a competitor to Chevrolet’s new sports car, the Corvette. The “Thunderbird” name is a reference to a legendary creature from the culture of several Native-American peoples. There’s also a story that the name is a direct reference to the Thunderbird Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California of which the then chairman of Ford’s board was a member.

The word “thunder” precedes the word “lightning” in the phrase “thunder and lightning”. However, thunder comes after lighting in reality, at least to the observer. The observer sees the flash of lightning and then seconds later hears the crash of thunder. That’s because light travels faster than sound.

58 Window ledge : SILL

“Sill plate”, or simply “sill”, is an architectural term describing a bottom horizontal member to which vertical members are attached. Window sills and door sills are specific sill plates found at the bottoms of windows and door openings.

61 Low voice : BASSO

The bass is the lowest male singing voice. A man with such a voice might be called a “basso” (plural “bassi”). In an opera, the villain of the piece is usually played by a basso.

64 Campground chain HQ’d in Billings, MT : KOA

Kampgrounds of America (KOA) was founded in 1962 by Montana businessman Dave Drum, who opened up his first property along the Yellowstone River. His strategy was to offer a rich package of services including hot showers, restrooms and a store, which he hoped would attract people used to camping in the rough. The original campground was an immediate hit and Drum took on two partners and sold franchises all over the country. There are about 500 KOA sites today.

Billings is the only city in Montana with a population greater than 100,000 people. It was founded as a railroad town in 1882 and experienced such rapid growth that it was nicknamed the Magic City. The town’s name was chosen in honor of a former president of the Northern Pacific Railroad, Frederick H. Billings.

71 Broadcaster with regular pledge drives : 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 …

74 Shaved head? : ESS

The head of the word “shaved” is a letter S (ess).

75 Skewered appetizer served with peanut sauce : SATAY

The dish known as “satay” originated in Java, Indonesia and is marinated pieces of meat served on a skewer in a sauce, often a spicy peanut sauce. “Satay” is the Indonesian spelling, and “sate” is the Malay spelling.

Down

1 Hard-to-like person : SCHMO

“Schmo” (also “shmo”) is American slang for a dull or boring person, and comes from the Yiddish word “shmok”.

3 Type of geometry : EUCLIDEAN

Euclid of Alexandria was a Greek mathematician who lived in the first millennium, often referred to as the “Father of Geometry”. He wrote a famous book called “Elements” on the subject of mathematics, and the title was so enduring that it was used as the main textbook for the subject right up to the late 19th century.

Our word “geometry” comes from Greek. The Greek “geometria” translates as “geometry, measurement of earth or land”. Hence, there is a link between terms like “geography” and “geology”, and the mathematical word “geometry”.

4 Ballpoint pen filler : INK

The ballpoint pen was invented by László Bíró in the late thirties, a Hungarian newspaper editor. Over in Ireland we use the term “biro” as a generic word for “ballpoint pen”.

5 GIs with chevrons : NCOS

Non-commissioned officer (NCO)

The initialism “GI” stands for “Government Issue”, and not “General Infantry” as is widely believed. “GI” was first used in the military to denote equipment made from Galvanized Iron and during WWI, incoming German shells were nicknamed “GI cans”. Soon after, the term GI came to be associated with “Government Issue” and eventually became an adjective to describe anything associated with the Army.

A chevron is a band that is shaped like an inverted “V”. One example of a chevron is the insignia that indicates rank on a military uniform.

9 Fin. neighbor : NOR

The border between Norway and Finland extends almost 460 miles. It was defined in a 1751 treaty between Sweden and Denmark, because Sweden ruled Finland and Denmark ruled Norway. The westernmost end of the Finland-Norway border is at a point where both countries border Sweden. The easternmost end of the border is at a point where both border Russia.

10 Stately tree : ELM

The Ulmus laevis deciduous tree that is native to Europe is commonly referred to as the European white elm, spreading elm and stately elm.

19 First name in fashion : YVES

Yves Saint Laurent (YSL)

24 Outmoded data readers on PCs : CD DRIVES

“CD-ROM” stands for “compact disc read only memory”. The name indicates that you can read information from the disc (like a standard music CD for example), but you cannot write to it. You can also buy a CD-RW, which stands for “compact disc – rewritable”, with which you can read data and also write over it multiple times using a suitable CD drive.

28 Corduroy ridges : RIBS

There’s a myth that the name of the textile known as “corduroy” comes from the French “corde du roi” (the cord of the king). It’s more likely that “corduroy” comes from a melding of “cord” and “duroy” (a coarse fabric that used to be made in England).

29 Pinot __: white wine grape : GRIS

The Pinot gris grape is used to make white wine called Pinot gris, which is also known as Pinot grigio. DNA analysis has shown that the Pinot gris grape mutated from the Pinot noir variety.

30 Ann __, Michigan : ARBOR

Ann Arbor, Michigan was founded in 1824 by John Allen and Elisha Rumsey. Supposedly, Allen and Rumsey originally used the name “Annsarbour” in recognition of stands of bur oak that were on the land they had purchased and in recognition of their wives, both of whom were called “Ann” (i.e. Anns’ Arbor)

32 Arresting figure? : COP

“To cop” was northern-English dialect for “to seize, catch”, and is still a slang term meaning “to get hold of, steal”. This verb evolved in the noun “copper”, describing a policeman, someone who catches criminals. “Copper” is often shortened to “cop”.

34 Couple’s indiscretion, for short : PDA

Public display of affection (PDA)

35 Female lobster : HEN

A male lobster is called a cock, and a female a hen. A lobster weighing less than a pound is called a chicken.

36 Rippled pattern : MOIRE

A moiré pattern is a phenomenon in physics, a so-called interference pattern. If you lay two sheets of mesh over each other for example, slightly offset, then what you see is a moiré pattern. “Moiré” is the French name for a textile that we know simply as “moire”. The rippled pattern of the textile resembles that of the interference pattern.

39 Judge on “America’s Got Talent” : HEIDI KLUM

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.

40 Sci-fi aviators : ETS

One might speculate that an unidentified flying object (UFO) is flown by an extraterrestrial (ET).

43 Mideast leader : EMIR

An emir is a prince or chieftain, one most notably from the Middle East in Islamic countries. In English, “emir” can also be written variously as “emeer, amir, ameer” (watch out for those spellings in crosswords!).

44 “Lara Croft: __ Raider” : TOMB

“Lara Croft: Tomb Raider” is a 2001 action movie that is a spinoff of the very successful video game series “Tomb Raider”. Angelina Jolie plays the title character. I really wanted to enjoy this film, but that didn’t happen …

45 Animation 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.

50 Aphrodite’s love : ADONIS

In Greek mythology, Adonis is a beautiful young god loved by Aphrodite. Adonis dies in a hunting accident (gored by a boar), but not before he gives Aphrodite a child. Adonis was originally a Phoenician god “absorbed” into Greek lore (Phoenicia is modern day Lebanon). The child born of Adonis to Aphrodite was called Beroe, after which is named Beirut, the capital city of Lebanon. We also use the term “adonis” to mean “beautiful male”.

52 Galway Bay island group : ARAN

The Aran Islands are a group of three islands located at the mouth of Galway Bay in the west of Ireland. They are beautiful and desolate places, and one of the few places in Ireland where the main language spoken is Irish, as opposed to English. If you’ve seen the television comedy “Father Ted”, you’ll be familiar with the landscape. Many of the external shots are from Inishmore, the largest of the Aran Islands.’

Galway Bay is a large inlet on the west coast of Ireland. The city of Galway is located on the northeast side of the bay. Fans of the film “The Quiet Man” might recognize the song “Galway Bay”.

If you ever go across the sea to Ireland
Then maybe at the closing of your day
You will go and see the moon rise over Claddagh
Or see the sun go down at Galway Bay.

54 Steakhouse order : T-BONE

The T-bone and porterhouse are related cuts of meat, with the latter being a larger version of the former, and both being cut from the short loin.

59 State drawing : LOTTO

Originally, lotto was a type of card game, with “lotto” being the Italian for “a lot”. We’ve used “lotto” to mean a gambling game since the late 1700s.

60 __ pointer : LASER

eBay was founded in 1995 as AuctionWeb. One of the first items purchased was a broken laser pointer, for $14.83. The buyer was a collector of broken laser pointers …

68 Blasting material : TNT

“TNT” is an abbreviation for “trinitrotoluene”. Trinitrotoluene was first produced in 1863 by the German chemist Joseph Wilbrand, who developed it for use as a yellow dye. TNT is relatively difficult to detonate so it was on the market as a dye for some years before its more explosive properties were discovered.

69 Aquaman’s realm : SEA

Aquaman is a comic book superhero who first appeared in 1941. He was inspired by a character in a Russian science-fiction novel named “Amphibian Man”.

70 Fútbol fan’s cry : OLE!

In Spanish, a “fútbol” (football, soccer) supporter might shout “olé!” (bravo!).

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Oktoberfest mugs : STEINS
7 Possessed : OWNED
12 Battleship letters : USS
15 Sit-up kin : CRUNCH
16 Letter-shaped violin opening : F-HOLE
17 “Picked” complaint : NIT
18 *Gift basket retailer known for cheese and smoked sausage : HICKORY FARMS (hickory nut)
20 __-la-la : TRA
21 Director Brooks : MEL
22 Soccer family rides : SUVS
23 More frigid : ICIER
25 Lyrical : ODIC
27 *Oktoberfest venues : BEER GARDENS (beer nut)
31 “What’s up, __?” : DOC
33 Unlike Bond’s martini : STIRRED
34 Wunderkind : PHENOM
37 Highchair fashion : BIB
38 Seehorn of “Better Call Saul” : RHEA
42 *Robin Williams drama set at a prep school : DEAD POETS SOCIETY (dead bolt)
46 Actress Hathaway : ANNE
47 Texter’s caveat : IMO
48 Edit : REVISE
49 Xylophone kin : MARIMBA
53 Went first : LED
54 *Classic Ford model : THUNDERBIRD (thunderbolt)
58 Window ledge : SILL
61 Low voice : BASSO
62 Hammer target : NAIL
64 Campground chain HQ’d in Billings, MT : KOA
65 Natural resource : ORE
66 Essentials, or what the first words of the answers to the starred clues are : NUTS AND BOLTS
71 Broadcaster with regular pledge drives : NPR
72 Deep-seated : INNER
73 Military gesture : SALUTE
74 Shaved head? : ESS
75 Skewered appetizer served with peanut sauce : SATAY
76 Seismic event : TREMOR

Down

1 Hard-to-like person : SCHMO
2 Did one’s best : TRIED
3 Type of geometry : EUCLIDEAN
4 Ballpoint pen filler : INK
5 GIs with chevrons : NCOS
6 Landscaping bush : SHRUB
7 Compensate for : OFFSET
8 “Huh … ?” : WHA …?
9 Fin. neighbor : NOR
10 Stately tree : ELM
11 Long for : DESIRE
12 Disentangle : UNTIE
13 Warning signal : SIREN
14 Plays the lead : STARS
19 First name in fashion : YVES
24 Outmoded data readers on PCs : CD DRIVES
26 Denounces : CONDEMNS
28 Corduroy ridges : RIBS
29 Pinot __: white wine grape : GRIS
30 Ann __, Michigan : ARBOR
32 Arresting figure? : COP
34 Couple’s indiscretion, for short : PDA
35 Female lobster : HEN
36 Rippled pattern : MOIRE
39 Judge on “America’s Got Talent” : HEIDI KLUM
40 Sci-fi aviators : ETS
41 Nautical “yes” : AYE
43 Mideast leader : EMIR
44 “Lara Croft: __ Raider” : TOMB
45 Animation collectible : CEL
50 Aphrodite’s love : ADONIS
51 Consisting of two parts : BINARY
52 Galway Bay island group : ARAN
54 Steakhouse order : T-BONE
55 Pluckable instruments : HARPS
56 Computer operators : USERS
57 Quaint “performed” : DIDST
59 State drawing : LOTTO
60 __ pointer : LASER
63 Letter-shaped brace : L-BAR
67 Spanish “a” : UNA
68 Blasting material : TNT
69 Aquaman’s realm : SEA
70 Fútbol fan’s cry : OLE!