LA Times Crossword 13 Nov 20, Friday

Advertisement

Constructed by: Tina Lippman
Edited by: Rich Norris

Today’s Reveal Answer: Pairs of Shoes

Themed answers each comprise a PAIR OF SHOES:

  • 52A What inspired three long puzzle answers : PAIRS OF SHOES
  • 19A London apartment for a snake? : MOCCASIN FLAT
  • 29A One who watches Grand Canyon pack animals? : MULE SPECTATOR
  • 37A Spy at a centuries-old school? : OXFORD SNEAKER

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

Bill’s time: 11m 34s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Bond’s watch since 1995 : OMEGA

The Seamaster is a line of watches that Omega has produced since 1948. The Seamaster name arose because the original design was based on watches made for the Royal Navy during WWII. On the silver screen, James Bond has been wearing an Omega Seamaster since 1995.

14 Like gumbo : CAJUN

Cajun cuisine is named for the French-speaking Acadian people who were deported from Acadia in Canada to Louisiana in the 18th century.

Gumbo is a type of stew or soup that originated in Louisiana. The primary ingredient can be meat or fish, but to be true gumbo it must include the “holy trinity” of vegetables, namely celery, bell peppers and onion. Okra used to be a requirement but this is no longer the case. Okra gave the dish its name as the vernacular word for the African vegetable is “okingumbo”, from the Bantu language spoken by many of the slaves brought to America.

17 Setting for much of “Aquaman” : OCEAN

“Aquaman” is a 2018 superhero film starring Jason Momoa in the title role. Momoa had previously played the Aquaman character in “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” in 2016, and in “Justice League” in 2017.

18 Wiry-coated terriers : AIREDALES

The Airedale terrier breed of dog originated in a geographic area of Yorkshire in the North of England … called Airedale. The breed was developed to hunt otters in and around the River Aire that runs through the area.

19 London apartment for a snake? : MOCCASIN FLAT

“Moccasin” is a common name used for several varieties of snake in the genus Agkistrodon. All are pit vipers, and are venomous. Some moccasins also go by the names copperhead and cottonmouth.

Flats are shoes with a very thin heel, or no neel at all.

21 Fangorn Forest dweller : ENT

Fangorn Forest is a location in the fictional world of Middle-earth created by J.R.R. Tolkien. Notably, it is the home of the Ents, a race of beings who closely resemble trees.

22 Movie costume for Keaton or Kilmer : BATSUIT

Michael Keaton is an actor from Coraopolis, Pennsylvania. Keaton is perhaps best known for roles he played in Tim Burton films. Keaton had the title role in “Beetlejuice” in 1988, and the title role in “Batman” in 1989 and “Batman Returns” in 1992.

Val Kilmer’s first big leading role in a movie was playing Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone’s 1991 biopic “The Doors”. A few years later, Kilmer was chosen for the lead in another big production, “Batman Forever”. Things haven’t really gone as well for Kilmer since then, I’d say. Off the screen, he flirted with the idea of running for Governor of New Mexico in 2010. A Hollywood actor as a governor? Would never happen …

26 Lexicon with 600,000+ wds. : OED

The “Oxford English Dictionary” (OED) contains over 600,000 “main” entries and 59 million words in total. The longest entry for one word in the second edition of the OED is the verb “set”. When the third edition was published in 2007, the longest entry for a single word became the verb “put”. Perhaps not surprisingly, the most-quoted author in the OED is William Shakespeare, with his most quoted work being “Hamlet”. The most-quoted female author is George Eliot (aka Mary Ann Evans).

A lexicon was originally just a dictionary, but we tend nowadays to use the term more to mean a vocabulary that relates to some specific area of activity.

29 One who watches Grand Canyon pack animals? : MULE SPECTATOR

The wild donkey that we know as a burro was introduced into the Grand Canyon in the late 1800s, where they used the animal to help pack out mined copper, asbestos and lead. When the miners moved on, they left the burros to roam free. Feral burros essentially overran the Grand Canyon in subsequent years, leading to the forced removal of 500 of them in the early eighties by the National Park Service. Burros wreak havoc on the canyon’s ecosystem, and in particular compete with native bighorn sheep. The bighorn sheep population has rebounded since the number of wild donkeys has dropped.

A mule is a shoe without a back and usually with a closed toe. The original mule was a shoe worn by the highest magistrates in ancient Rome.

A spectator shoe is a two-toned brogue that was particularly popular in the 1920s and 1930s. It is also known as a co-respondent show, which is a blatant reference to the flamboyant style being popular among the type of person who might be cited as a co-respondent in a divorce case.

35 A.L. East player : RAY

The Tampa Bay Rays are a relatively young franchise, having been formed in 1998. The initial name of the franchise was the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. While known as the Devil Rays, the team finished last in the league in almost every year. The name was changed to the Tampa Bay Rays in 2008, and I am told the Rays started into a streak of winning seasons soon after.

37 Spy at a centuries-old school? : OXFORD SNEAKER

The University of Oxford is the oldest university in the English-speaking world. The exact date of the school’s founding is uncertain, although teaching was recorded there as early as 1096. Back in the early 1200s, the authorities from the town of Oxford hanged two Oxford University scholars following the death of a woman. There followed a dispute between the townsfolk and the university that resulted in many academics leaving Oxford. Many ended up in Cambridge, leading to the founding of the University of Cambridge in 1209. The two universities have a similar status today, and are often referred to jointly as “Oxbridge”.

An oxford is a type of lace-up shoe that originated not in Oxford, but actually in Scotland and/or Ireland.

“Sneaker” is a common name for an athletic shoe, one that is now used as everyday casual wear. The term “sneaker” is used widely across the US. Back in my homeland of Ireland, the terms “trainers” and “tennis shoes” are more common.

43 Subject for Dr. Ruth : SEX

Dr. Ruth Westheimer is a German sex therapist who made a name for herself as a media personality. Westheimer is the daughter of Orthodox Jews and was sent away from Germany by her family just before WWII. She ended up in Palestine and participated in the 1948 Palestine War serving as a scout and sniper. Westheimer was seriously wounded, and spent several months unable to walk. She moved to France in 1950, and soon after arrived in the US. It was in the US where she did her training as a sex therapist.

44 Kourtney, to Kim : SIS

Kourtney Kardashian is a media personality who was able to parlay her appearances on the reality show “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” into spin-off shows such as “Kourtney and Khloé Take Miami” and “Kourtney and Kim Take New York.”

Kim Kardashian is a socialite and television personality. She was introduced into society by her friend, Paris Hilton. Kardashian’s name first hit the headlines when a homemade sex tape, made by her and singer Ray J, was leaked.

54 “Potluck Dinner Party” co-host : SNOOP DOGG

Rap star Snoop Dogg’s real name is Cordozar Calvin Broadus. He is the most famous protege of the notorious rapper Dr. Dre. Sadly, Snoop Dogg has had numerous run-ins with police all round the world, even after he started to live the good life that came with his fame. Snoop Dogg has also been known as “Snoop Doggy Dogg”, and more recently as “Snoop Lion”.

57 Some combustion engines : HEMIS

“Hemi” is short for “hemisphere”, and is the name given to an internal combustion engine with hemispherical combustion chambers. Chrysler is famous for using hemi engines in many of its models.

58 Five-time NCAA Division I ice hockey champs : MINNESOTA

The Golden Gophers are the sports teams of the University of Minnesota, most of whom compete in the Big Ten Conference. The team name ultimately comes from “The Gopher State”, the nickname for the state of Minnesota. Originally known just as “the Gophers”, the name evolved into its current form in the 1920s due to the color of the team uniform.

60 Bridges seen on TV : LLOYD

Actor Lloyd Bridges is noted for his many television and movie roles over a long and distinguished career. Lloyd is also remembered as the father of two great actor sons: Beau Bridges and Jeff Bridges. Lloyd served with the US Coast Guard during WWII, and was a member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary after the war. Sons Beau and Jeff also served in the Coast Guard and Coast Guard Reserve.

61 Work for eds. : MSS

An editor (ed.) might read or edit a manuscript (MS)

Down

1 Noel beginning : O COME, …

The lovely Christmas hymn “Adeste Fideles” (entitled “O Come, All Ye Faithful” in English) was written by one John Francis Wade in the 13th century. Well, he wrote the original four verses, with four more verses being added over time. A kind blog reader pointed out to me that the English translation is in fact a little “off”. The term “adeste” best translates from Latin as “be present, attend”, rather than “come”. The verb “come” appears later in the lyrics in “venite adoremus”, meaning “come, let us worship”.

“Noël” is the French word for the Christmas season, and ultimately comes from the Latin word for “birth” (natalis). “Noel” has come to be used as an alternative for “Christmas carol”.

2 Georgia home of the Tubman Museum : MACON

The Georgia city of Macon was named in 1823 in honor of North Carolina politician Nathaniel Macon, who served as Speaker of the US House of Representatives from 1801 to 1807.

The Tubman Museum in Macon, Georgia was founded in 1981 to showcase African-American art, history and culture. The facility is named for the celebrated abolitionist and activist Harriet Tubman.

4 Avocado dip, for short : GUAC

Guacamole is one of my favorite dishes. It is prepared by mashing avocados and perhaps adding the likes of tomato, onion and lime juice. The guacamole recipe dates back as early as the 16th century, to the time of the Aztecs. “Guacamole” translates as “avocado sauce”.

5 Lee who lived “in a kingdom by the sea” : ANNABEL

“Annabel Lee” was the last complete poem written by Edgar Allan Poe. The opening lines are:

It was many and many a year ago,
In a kingdom by the sea,
That a maiden there lived whom you may know
By the name of Annabel Lee;

The closing lines are:

And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side
Of my darling—my darling—my life and my bride,
In her sepulchre there by the sea—
In her tomb by the sounding sea.

7 Biceps exercises, familiarly : CHINS

A chin-up (also “chin”) is a strength exercise involving a pull-up to the point where the chin reaches a stationary bar held by the hands.

The biceps muscle is made up of two bundles of muscle, both of which terminate at the same point near the elbow. The heads of the bundles terminate at different points on the scapula or shoulder blade. “Biceps” is Latin for “two-headed”.

8 Greek vacation spot : CORFU

Corfu is an island in the very northwest of Greece, and is located in the Ionian Sea. Corfu is a very, very popular vacation destination for European tourists, particularly those from the UK, Scandinavia and Germany.

10 Nursing school subj. : ANAT

Anatomy (anat.)

12 “The Photograph” actress Issa : RAE

Issa Rae is a Stanford University graduate who created a YouTube web series called “The Mis-Adventures of Awkward Black Girl”. Rae also plays the title role in the series, a young lady named “J”. “Awkward Black Girl” was adapted into an HBO comedy-drama called “Insecure”, in which Issa Rae stars.

“The Photograph” is a 2020 film starring Issa Rae and Lakeith Stanfield. Rae plays the daughter of a famed photographer (portrayed by Courtney B. Vance), and Stanfield plays a journalist who is investigating the life of her mother. This one is probably best described as a romantic drama, and one I’d like to see one day …

13 Part of GPS: Abbr. : SYS

Global positioning system (GPS)

16 Pertaining to the abdominal cavity : CELIAC

Our word “celiac” is used for things related to the abdomen. The term is derived from the Greek “koiliakous” meaning “pertaining to the bowels”.

20 “Smooth Operator” artist : SADE

Singer Sade’s real name is Helen Folasade Adu. Although born in Nigeria, Sade grew up and lives in the UK. She was the lead vocalist for the English group Sade, and adopted the name of the band. The band’s biggest hits were “Smooth Operator” (1984) and “The Sweetest Taboo” (1985).

24 “The Killing” actress Mireille : ENOS

Mireille Enos is an actress from Kansas City. Enos is perhaps best known for her TV work, playing Sarah Linden on “The Killing” and for playing twins Kathy and JoDean Marquart on “Big Love”. Enos is married to actor Alan Ruck, who I mainly remember playing Cameron Frye in the great movie “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”.

“The Killing” is an excellent crime series that aired for four season starting 2011. It stars Mireille Linden as a Seattle homicide detective. The US-produced show is based on a Danish TV series titled “The Crime” in English.

25 Dave Martinez and Dave Roberts, for two: Abbr. : MGRS

Dave Martinez is a former Major League Baseball player who moved into team management in 2018 when he took charge of the Washington Nationals.

Dave Roberts is a former MLB outfielder who last played professionally in 2006, for the San Francisco Giants. After a few years coaching with the San Diego Padres, Roberts was named team manager in 2015, before becoming manager of the LA Dodgers in 2016. Roberts was born in Naha, Okinawa, where his father (a US Marine) was stationed.

28 Glove material : LATEX

Latex is a naturally occurring polymer made by some plants that can also be made synthetically. About one in ten of the flowering plants in the world make the milky fluid called latex. It serves as a defense against insects and is exuded when a plant is injured or attacked by insects. Latex is collected commercially and is the source of natural rubber, which can be used to make things such as gloves, condoms and balloons.

30 Most GRE takers : SRS

Passing the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is usually a requirement for entry into graduate school here in the US.

33 Mercury and Mars : GODS

Mercury was a Roman god called “the messenger”, and the god of trade. Mercury’s name comes from the Latin word “merx” meaning merchandise (and therefore has the same roots as “merchant” and “commerce”).

Mars was the god of war in ancient Rome. Mars was also viewed as the father of the Roman people and the father of Romulus and Remus, the twin brothers who founded Rome according to Roman mythology.

34 Year in Nero’s reign : LXII

Nero was Emperor of Rome from 54 to 68 CE, and towards the end of his reign participated in the Olympic Games in the year 67. The Roman leader raced in a ten-horse chariot, of which he lost control and nearly perished after being thrown from the vehicle. Acting and singing were Olympic events back then, and Nero also took part in those competitions. By all accounts, Nero performed badly in every event in which he vied, and yet somehow still managed to win Olympic crowns that he paraded around Rome on his return from Greece.

39 “These aren’t the __ you’re looking for”: Obi-Wan : DROIDS

“Droid” is short for “android” and is used to describe a robot that resembles a human. The Latin word “androides” was used in English in the 18th century to mean “like a man”. Science fiction writers introduced us to “android” in the early 1950s.

Obi-Wan Kenobi is one of the more beloved of the “Star Wars” characters. Kenobi was portrayed by two fabulous actors in the series of films. As a young man he is played by Scottish actor Ewan McGregor, and as an older man he is played by Alec Guinness.

41 Kangaroo player : KEESHAN

“Captain Kangaroo” is a TV series for children that CBS aired for a long, long time. The show was first broadcast in 1955, and the last episode aired nearly 30 years later in 1984. The title character was played by Bob Keeshan. Apparently Keeshan had to wear heavy makeup in the early years to make him old enough for his role. The show ran so long that Keeshan had to use makeup to look younger in the latter years.

46 Woolf’s “__ of One’s Own” : A ROOM

Virginia Woolf was an English author who was active in the period between the two World Wars. Woolf’s most famous novels were “Mrs. Dalloway”, “To the Lighthouse” and “Orlando”. She also wrote a long essay entitled “A Room of One’s Own” in which she states “A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction.”

47 Certain NCOs : SSGTS

A staff sergeant (SSgt.) is a non-commissioned officer (NCO).

48 Forum robes : TOGAS

In ancient Rome, the classical attire known as a toga (plural “togae” or “togas”) was usually worn over a tunic. The tunic was made from linen, and the toga itself was a piece of cloth about twenty feet long made from wool. The toga could only be worn by men, and only if those men were Roman citizens. The female equivalent of the toga was called a “stola”.

The Latin “forum” (plural “fora”) translates as “marketplace, town square”. “The Roman Forum” is the most famous example of such a space. The Forum at the heart of the city of Rome is surrounded by the ruins of several ancient government buildings, and has been referred to as the most celebrated meeting place in the world.

49 “In the Bedroom” Oscar nominee : TOMEI

Marisa Tomei’s first screen role was in the daytime soap “As the World Turns”, but her break came with a recurring role in “The Cosby Show” spin-off “A Different World”. Tomei won an Oscar for her delightful performance in “My Cousin Vinny” in 1992.

“In the Bedroom” is a thought-provoking film released in 2001, set in a small community on the coast of Maine. The “bedroom” in the title refers to the inner compartment of a lobster trap (in Ireland we call them lobster pots). The outer chamber of the trap is baited and the lobster lured in. When the lobster enters the small “bedroom” at the rear of the trap, it cannot escape.

52 Shot glass : PONY

A shot glass is a small glass used to measure or hold liquor. There is no standard size for a shot in most parts of North America, but it is generally 1.25 to 1.5 fluid ounces. A smaller, 1 fl. oz. shot is called a “pony shot” or “short shot”.

53 1993 chart topper for Mariah Carey : HERO

Mariah Carey produced her first album in 1990 under the guidance of Tommy Mottola, an executive at Columbia Records. Mottola and Carey must have hit it off, because they were married three years later (although Mottola is now married to a different singer …).

54 Tee sizes, for short : SML

Small (S), medium (M) and large (L).

56 Activist Yoko : ONO

Yoko Ono was born in 1933 in Tokyo into a prosperous Japanese family, and is actually a descendant of one of the emperors of Japan. Yoko’s father moved around the world for work, and she lived the first few years of her life in San Francisco. The family returned to Japan, before moving on to New York, Hanoi and back to Japan just before WWII, in time to live through the great firebombing of Tokyo in 1945. Immediately after the war the family was far from prosperous. While Yoko’s father was being held in a prison camp in Vietnam, her mother had to resort to begging and bartering to feed her children. When her father was repatriated, life started to return to normal and Yoko was able to attend university. She was the first woman to be accepted into the philosophy program of Gakushuin University.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Bond’s watch since 1995 : OMEGA
6 Schools from Ky. and In. are in it, surprisingly : ACC
9 They may be split : HAIRS
14 Like gumbo : CAJUN
15 “No one knows” : WHO CAN SAY?
17 Setting for much of “Aquaman” : OCEAN
18 Wiry-coated terriers : AIREDALES
19 London apartment for a snake? : MOCCASIN FLAT
21 Fangorn Forest dweller : ENT
22 Movie costume for Keaton or Kilmer : BATSUIT
23 Clothing line : HEM
26 Lexicon with 600,000+ wds. : OED
27 Unwell : AILING
29 One who watches Grand Canyon pack animals? : MULE SPECTATOR
33 Oversupply : GLUT
35 A.L. East player : RAY
36 Pitch : TOSS
37 Spy at a centuries-old school? : OXFORD SNEAKER
42 Think otherwise : DIFFER
43 Subject for Dr. Ruth : SEX
44 Kourtney, to Kim : SIS
45 Brit’s grilled sandwich : TOASTIE
49 __-la-la : TRA
52 What inspired three long puzzle answers : PAIRS OF SHOES
54 “Potluck Dinner Party” co-host : SNOOP DOGG
57 Some combustion engines : HEMIS
58 Five-time NCAA Division I ice hockey champs : MINNESOTA
59 Skybox setting : ARENA
60 Bridges seen on TV : LLOYD
61 Work for eds. : MSS
62 Unpleasantly loud : NOISY

Down

1 Noel beginning : O COME, …
2 Georgia home of the Tubman Museum : MACON
3 Disc drive button : EJECT
4 Avocado dip, for short : GUAC
5 Lee who lived “in a kingdom by the sea” : ANNABEL
6 Anticipate : AWAIT
7 Biceps exercises, familiarly : CHINS
8 Greek vacation spot : CORFU
9 Jumped in with enthusiasm : HAD AT IT
10 Nursing school subj. : ANAT
11 8-Down, e.g.: Abbr. : ISL
12 “The Photograph” actress Issa : RAE
13 Part of GPS: Abbr. : SYS
16 Pertaining to the abdominal cavity : CELIAC
20 “Smooth Operator” artist : SADE
23 __-miss : HIT-OR
24 “The Killing” actress Mireille : ENOS
25 Dave Martinez and Dave Roberts, for two: Abbr. : MGRS
26 Words with touch or sight : OUT OF …
28 Glove material : LATEX
29 Mishandles : MUFFS
30 Most GRE takers : SRS
31 Bad assessment : PAN
32 __ shadow : EYE
33 Mercury and Mars : GODS
34 Year in Nero’s reign : LXII
38 Did a trainer’s job : RETAPED
39 “These aren’t the __ you’re looking for”: Obi-Wan : DROIDS
40 “Not likely!” : AS IF!
41 Kangaroo player : KEESHAN
46 Woolf’s “__ of One’s Own” : A ROOM
47 Certain NCOs : SSGTS
48 Forum robes : TOGAS
49 “In the Bedroom” Oscar nominee : TOMEI
50 Rider’s controls : REINS
51 Evaluate : ASSAY
52 Shot glass : PONY
53 1993 chart topper for Mariah Carey : HERO
54 Tee sizes, for short : SML
55 Nada : NIL
56 Activist Yoko : ONO