LA Times Crossword 18 Oct 22, Tuesday

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Constructed by: Amie Walker
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Reveal Answer: It’s All You

Themed answers each include only letters U as vowels:

  • 62A “I’m handing this off now,” and a phonetic description of the answers to the starred clues : IT’S ALL YOU and IT’S ALL U
  • 17A *Busy stretch at a sandwich shop : LUNCH RUSH
  • 25A *Crumple, as notepaper filled with bad ideas : SCRUNCH UP
  • 36A *Fare that pairs well with beer : PUB GRUB
  • 38A *Ticket marketplace with a FanProtect Guarantee : STUBHUB
  • 52A *Source of bribe money, perhaps : SLUSH FUND

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

Bill’s time: 6m 01s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 “Barbaric” cry in Whitman’s “Song of Myself” : YAWP!

“Song of Myself” is a celebrated 1855 poem by Walt Whitman that he continued to work on until 1881. The current title was only adopted in that last 1881 publication. In prior versions it was titled “Poem of Walt Whitman, an American” and simply “Walt Whitman”.

I celebrate myself, and sing myself,
And what I assume you shall assume,
For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.

Walt Whitman is considered to be one of the greatest American poets. He was born in 1819 on Long Island, and lived through the American Civil War. Whitman was a controversial character, even during his own lifetime. One view held by him was that the works attributed to William Shakespeare were not actually written by Shakespeare, but rather by someone else, or perhaps a group of people.

14 Actress Falco : EDIE

Actress Edie Falco won three Emmy Awards for playing Carmela Soprano on HBO’s outstanding drama series called “The Sopranos”. Falco also won an Emmy in 2010 for playing the title role in “Nurse Jackie”, an excellent black comedy.

16 “Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!” host Peter : SAGAL

Humorist and writer Peter Sagal is perhaps best known for hosting the excellent NPR radio panel show “Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!” He also wrote and starred in a wonderful PBS miniseries “Constitution USA with Peter Sagal”. In the documentary, Sagal travels across the country on a motorcycle, exploring how the US Constitution works, and perhaps how it doesn’t.

Chicago Public Radio produces one of my favorite radio shows, “Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!” It is indeed a fun game show, hosted by Peter Sagal. The “Morning Edition” newsreader Carl Kasell used to act as judge and scorekeeper, until he retired in 2014. There should be more game shows of that ilk on the radio, in my humble opinion …

29 Lightbulb unit : WATT

“Wattage” is a colloquial term meaning “electric power in watts”. Electric power is the rate at which electrical energy is transferred by a circuit. In the SI system, electric power is measured in joules per second, i.e. watts.

30 “Fiddlesticks!” : RATS!

We’ve been using “fiddlesticks” to mean “nonsense” since the early 17th century. Prior to that time, “fiddlestick” just referred to the bow of a fiddle.

31 Brief “If you ask me” : IMO

In my opinion (IMO)

34 Provençal pal : AMI

Provence is a geographical region in France, in the south of the country. The region was once a Roman province called Provincia Romana, and was the first Roman province beyond the Alps. It is this Roman name “Provincia Romana” that gives Provence its name. Something related to Provence is referred to as “Provençal” (note the use of the cedilla, even in English).

38 *Ticket marketplace with a FanProtect Guarantee : STUBHUB

StubHub is an online ticket exchange business that is owned by eBay. StubHub acts as the middleman between buyers and sellers of event tickets, whether those buyers and sellers are individuals or large organizations.

44 Actress de Armas : ANA

Ana de Armas is an actress from Cuba. Having attended the National Theater School of Cuba, she moved to Spain at the age of 18. Thre, she made a name for herself in a Spanish TV series called “El Internado”. De Armas moved to Los Angeles in 2014, after which her performance opposite Ryan Gosling in 2017’s “Blade Runner 2049” earned her critical acclaim.

45 __ facto : IPSO

“Ipso facto” is Latin, meaning “by the fact itself”. “Ipso facto” describes something that is a direct consequence of a particular act, as opposed to something that is the result of some subsequent event. For example, my father was born in Dublin and was an Irish citizen, ipso facto. My son was born in California and is an Irish citizen by virtue of being the son of an Irish citizen (i.e. “not” ipso facto).

48 “__ sesame!” : OPEN

In the folk tale “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves”, the title character is a poor woodcutter who discovers the magic phrase “Open sesame!” that opens the thieves’ den.

52 *Source of bribe money, perhaps : SLUSH FUND

A slush fund is a sum of money that is held in reserve or, in the case of illicit dealings, a sum that is used for paying bribes.

54 Scoundrel : CAD

Our word “cad”, meaning “person lacking in finer feelings”, is a shortening of the word “cadet”. “Cad” was first used for a servant, and then students at British universities used “cad” as a term for a boy from the local town. “Cad” took on its current meaning in the 1830s.

64 Revise : 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”.

65 __ as a pin : NEAT

Apparently, the idiom “neat as a pin” arose in the early 1800s, with the advent of mass production. Up until that time, pins were handmade and so were irregular and relatively flawed. Mass-produced pins were uniform and of consistent quality. So, something that was uniform and of consistent quality came to be described as “neat as a pin”.

67 Odorless gas : RADON

The element radon (Rn) is a radioactive gas, and a byproduct produced when uranium decays naturally in the earth. Radon gas can collect and accumulate in buildings and rooms that are particularly well insulated with very little air exchange. The danger is very real, as radon is listed as the second most frequent cause of lung cancer after cigarette smoke.

Down

3 Connoisseur who likely scoffs at boxed Merlot : WINE SNOB

The “box wine” package was invented in Australia, back in 1935. The original design had no tap, so the corner had to be cut off the bladder to get at the wine. The bladder with a tap was also invented in Australia, but not until 1967. I’ve done blind taste tests featuring bottled and boxed wines, and love the box concept, especially for a decent red wine …

5 Baker’s fat : LARD

Fat, when extracted from the carcass of an animal, is called suet. Untreated suet decomposes at room temperature quite easily so it has to be rendered, purified to make it stable. Rendered fat from pigs is what we call lard. Rendered beef or mutton fat is known as tallow.

6 __ de toilette : EAU

“Eau de toilette” (toilet water) is a diluted perfume. A French person when dressing is said to be attending to his or her “toilette”.

7 Tracy Chapman hit with the line “Won’t have to drive too far” : FAST CAR

Singer-songwriter Tracy Chapman began playing the guitar and writing songs at a pretty early age, when she was about eight years old. Her best-known songs are probably “Fast Car” (1988) and “Give Me One Reason” (1995).

9 Colorado ski resort : ASPEN

Aspen, Colorado used to be known as Ute City, with the name change taking place in 1880. Like many communities in the area, Aspen was a mining town, and in 1891 and 1892 it was at the center of the highest production of silver in the US. Nowadays, it’s all about skiing and movie stars.

11 “Death on the Nile” novelist Christie : AGATHA

Agatha Christie wrote a very successful crime novel called “Death on the Nile” that was first published in 1937. That novel had started off life as a play that was never performed, one that Christie called “Moon on the Nile”. Christie then adapted the novel back into a play again, calling it “Murder on the Nile”, which opened in London in 1946.

18 Activation phrase for Apple’s digital assistant : HEY, SIRI

Siri is a software application that works with Apple’s iOS operating system. “Siri” is an acronym standing for Speech Interpretation and Recognition Interface. Voice-over artist Susan Bennett revealed herself as the female American voice of Siri a few years ago. The British version of Siri is called Daniel, and the Australian version is called Karen. Also, “Siri” is a Norwegian name meaning “beautiful woman who leads you to victory”, and was the name the developer had chosen for his first child.

22 Change genetically : MUTATE

Genetic variation is a fundamental behind the process of natural selection. Genetic variation is the result of mutations occurring in genes. If a mutation results in an individual that is more fit for survival, then the principle of “survival of the fittest” makes it more likely that the individual will mate. The mutation can then be passed onto offspring.

25 DNA test kit item : SWAB

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.

26 High-sided bed : CRIB

In Old English, the word “cribbe” applied to a manger, an open box holding fodder for livestock. Probably because of the association of a manger used as a bed for the infant Jesus, the word “crib” came to describe an enclosed bed for a child.

28 Ostrich kin : EMU

The emu has had a tough time in Australia since man settled there. There was even an “Emu War” in Western Australia in 1932 when migrating emus competed with livestock for water and food. Soldiers were sent in and used machine guns in an unsuccessful attempt to drive off the “invading force”. The emus were clever, breaking their usual formations and adopting guerrilla tactics, operating as smaller units. After 50 days of “war”, the military withdrew. Subsequent requests for military help for the farmers were ignored. The emus had emerged victorious …

The ostrich is a flightless bird that is native to Africa. It is extensively farmed, mainly for its feathers but also for its skin/leather and meat. Famously, the ostrich is the fastest moving of any flightless bird, capable of achieving speeds of over 40 mph. It is also the largest living species of bird, and lays the largest eggs.

37 Main mail ctrs. : GPOS

General post office (GPO)

39 Like some small-batch textiles : HAND-DYED

A textile is a cloth that has been woven or knitted. The term “textile” comes from the Latin “texere” meaning “to weave”.

40 Card game with an American Girl version : UNO

American Girl is a line of dolls introduced in 1986. The dolls were originally young girls dressed in clothes that evoked various periods of American history.

41 Belfry critter : BAT

The expression “bats in the belfry” meaning “mad, crazy” conjures up images of bats flying around Gothic bell towers, but actually it’s a relatively recent addition to our vernacular. The term is American in origin, and dates back only to the early 1900s. The concept is that someone who is “crazy”, with wild ideas flying around his or her head, can be described as having bats (wild ideas) flying around the belfry (head). The terms “bats” and “batty” originated at the same time, and are clearly derivative.

46 Blood component : PLASMA

Plasma (sometimes “plasm”) is the clear, yellow-colored liquid component of blood and lymph in which cells are suspended.

49 Fancy Feast maker : PURINA

Fancy Feast is a brand of cat food that was introduced by the Carnation Company in 1982.

Purina began business in 1894 as an operation for producing feed for farm animals. A few years later, in 1902, the Ralston name was introduced when Webster Edgerly joined the business. Edgerly was the founder of a controversial social movement called Ralstonism. Central to the movement was personal health, with RALSTON standing for Regime, Activity, Light, Strength, Temperation, Oxygen and Nature. Ralston Purina was acquired by Nestlé in 2001.

53 Composer known as the “Father of the Symphony” : HAYDN

Josef Haydn was an Austrian composer, often called the “Father of the Symphony” due to his prolific output of symphonies that helped define the form. This is one of the reasons that he was known, even in his own lifetime, as “Papa Haydn”. Haydn was also the father figure among “the big three” composers of the Classical Period: Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven. Haydn was a good friend to Mozart, and a teacher of Beethoven.

57 Butter portions : PATS

A “pat” of butter is so called because of the tradition of forming it by “patting”.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 “Barbaric” cry in Whitman’s “Song of Myself” : YAWP!
5 Departed : LEFT
9 Stockpile : AMASS
14 Actress Falco : EDIE
15 Thin batteries : AAAS
16 “Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!” host Peter : SAGAL
17 *Busy stretch at a sandwich shop : LUNCH RUSH
19 Dish : PLATE
20 Snuck a look : PEEKED
21 Clock readout : TIME
23 Shoe front : TOE
24 Verbalize : SAY
25 *Crumple, as notepaper filled with bad ideas : SCRUNCH UP
27 Lets off steam : VENTS
29 Lightbulb unit : WATT
30 “Fiddlesticks!” : RATS!
31 Brief “If you ask me” : IMO
32 Letter-shaped support : I-BAR
34 Provençal pal : AMI
36 *Fare that pairs well with beer : PUB GRUB
38 *Ticket marketplace with a FanProtect Guarantee : STUBHUB
42 Farmyard oinker : PIG
43 Worrisome grades : DEES
44 Actress de Armas : ANA
45 __ facto : IPSO
48 “__ sesame!” : OPEN
50 Otherwise : IF NOT
52 *Source of bribe money, perhaps : SLUSH FUND
54 Scoundrel : CAD
55 Used to be : WAS
56 Natural hairstyle : AFRO
57 Infomercial disclaimer : PAID AD
60 College application part : ESSAY
62 “I’m handing this off now,” and a phonetic description of the answers to the starred clues : IT’S ALL YOU and IT’S ALL U
64 Revise : AMEND
65 __ as a pin : NEAT
66 Watch over, as sheep : TEND
67 Odorless gas : RADON
68 Tacks on : ADDS
69 Poems of praise : ODES

Down

1 [You stepped on my paw!] : [YELP!]
2 For two voices, in music : A DUE
3 Connoisseur who likely scoffs at boxed Merlot : WINE SNOB
4 Eat like a bird : PECK AT
5 Baker’s fat : LARD
6 __ de toilette : EAU
7 Tracy Chapman hit with the line “Won’t have to drive too far” : FAST CAR
8 Summer top : T-SHIRT
9 Colorado ski resort : ASPEN
10 Prefix with practice : MAL-
11 “Death on the Nile” novelist Christie : AGATHA
12 Stayed on the sidelines : SAT OUT
13 Snoozes : SLEEPS
18 Activation phrase for Apple’s digital assistant : HEY, SIRI
22 Change genetically : MUTATE
25 DNA test kit item : SWAB
26 High-sided bed : CRIB
27 Big shot, briefly : VIP
28 Ostrich kin : EMU
33 “Scram!” : BUG OFF!
35 Broadway offering : MUSICAL
37 Main mail ctrs. : GPOS
38 Put in the mail : SEND
39 Like some small-batch textiles : HAND-DYED
40 Card game with an American Girl version : UNO
41 Belfry critter : BAT
43 Stood for : DENOTED
45 “Cross my heart!” : I SWEAR!
46 Blood component : PLASMA
47 Figured (out) : SUSSED
49 Fancy Feast maker : PURINA
51 “I __ see the humor here” : FAIL TO
53 Composer known as the “Father of the Symphony” : HAYDN
57 Butter portions : PATS
58 Top of the line : A-ONE
59 Disappointing fireworks : DUDS
61 “It’s __-win situation” : A NO
63 Glum : SAD