LA Times Crossword 20 Feb 23, Monday

Advertisement

Constructed by: Bruce Venzke
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Reveal Answer: Leading Question

Themed answers each LEAD off with type of QUESTION:

  • 63A Reason for a courtroom objection, and what the start of the answer to each starred clue has : LEADING QUESTION
  • 17A *Sincere intention to be fair : GOOD FAITH EFFORT (good question)
  • 27A *One who can’t help but see the bright side : ETERNAL OPTIMIST (eternal question)
  • 47A *Private fashion consultant : PERSONAL SHOPPER (personal question)

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

Bill’s time: 5m 14s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Sport played on horseback : POLO

A game of polo is divided into periods of play called chukkers (sometimes “chukkas”). The game usually lasts for two hours, plus the time between the chukkers that is used to change horses.

14 Bibliography abbreviation : IBID

Ibid. is short for the Latin word “ibidem” and is typically found in footnotes and bibliographies. Ibid. is used to refer the reader to the prior citation, instead of giving the same information all over again (title, author etc.).

15 Furniture chain that also sells lingonberry preserves : IKEA

Every IKEA store features a restaurant that serves traditional Swedish food, including Swedish meatballs and lingonberry jam. Each store also has a Swedish Food Market where customers can purchase specialty foods from Sweden.

16 Feeling of existential boredom : ENNUI

“Ennui” is the French word for “boredom”, and is a term that we now use in English. It’s one of the few French words we’ve imported and haven’t anglicized, and actually pronounce “correctly”.

22 Some Wall St. deals : LBOS

A leveraged buyout (LBO) is a transaction in which an investor acquires a controlling volume of stock in a company, but buys that stock with borrowed funds (hence “leveraged”). Often the assets of the acquired company are used as collateral for the borrowed money. There is a special form of LBO known as a management buyout (MBO) in which the company’s own management team purchases the controlling interest.

New York’s famous Wall Street was originally named by the Dutch “de Waalstraat”. The “Waal” in question was a wall erected by Dutch colonists to protect them from an attack by the British from the north. The attack by land never came, but the British did mount a successful invasion by sea. The British demolished the wall two decades later, in 1699.

23 Joan of __: French heroine : ARC

Joan of Arc (also “Jeanne d’Arc”, her birth name) led the French Army successfully into battle a number of times during the Hundred Years War with England. When she was eventually captured, Joan was tried in Rouen, the seat of the occupying English government in France at that time. There she was burned at the stake having been found guilty of heresy. In fact, after the fire died down, the executioner raked the coals to display the charred body, proving Joan had died, and then burned the corpse again, twice, so that relics could not be collected. The remaining ashes were then cast into the Seine River. Joan of Arc was canonized some 600 years later, in 1920, and is now one of the patron saints of France.

25 Pampering place : SPA

The word “spa” migrated into English from Belgium, as “Spa” is the name of a municipality in the east of the country that is famous for its healing hot springs. The name “Spa” comes from the Walloon word “espa” meaning “spring, fountain”.

37 Ore deposit : LODE

A lode is a metal ore deposit that’s found between two layers of rock or in a fissure. The mother lode is the principal deposit in a mine, usually of gold or silver. “Mother lode” is probably a translation of “veta madre”, an expression used in mining in Mexico.

38 Beat : TEMPO

“A tempo” is Italian for “in time”. The phrase is used on a musical score to instruct a performer to return to the main tempo of the piece, perhaps after slowing down or speeding up.

39 Chicago winter hrs. : CST

Central Standard Time (CST)

40 Central Pennsylvania city : ALTOONA

Altoona is in central Pennsylvania, and is home to the Ivyside Park Campus of Pennsylvania State University. Altoona is also home to Lakemont Park and Leap-The-Dips, the world’s oldest operating wooden roller coaster. Altoona was founded in 1849 by the Pennsylvania Railroad as the site of a large maintenance facility. Railroad enthusiasts flock to Altoona to stand at the center of Horseshoe Curve, a tightly curved section of track that allows trains to achieve the elevation necessary to cross the Allegheny Ridge. That section of track lends its name to the city’s minor league baseball team, the Altoona Curve.

46 Stud farm stud : SIRE

The word “stud”, meaning “male horse kept for breeding”, is derived from the Old English word “stod”, which described a whole herd of horses. The term “stud” can be used figuratively for a “ladies’ man”.

50 Sunflower St. school : KSU

Kansas State University (KSU) was founded as the Kansas State Agricultural College in 1863 during the Civil War. The main KSU campus is located in the city of Manhattan, which is 56 miles northwest of Topeka, Kansas.

One of Kansas’s major crops is the sunflower, and so the state’s official nickname is the Sunflower State. The sunflower is the state symbol, and Mount Sunflower is the highest point in Kansas.

55 Biblical ark builder : NOAH

According to the Bible’s Book of Genesis, Noah was instructed to build his ark 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide and 30 cubits high. That’s about 450 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high.

67 Red gemstone : RUBY

Ruby is a precious stone made from the mineral corundum, also called aluminum oxide. The corundum includes some of the element chromium, which results in the red or pink color.

68 Writer Bombeck : ERMA

Erma Bombeck wrote for newspapers for about 35 years. She produced more than 4,000 witty and humorous columns under the title “At Wit’s End”, with all describing her home life in suburbia.

69 “Let’s Make a Deal” host Brady : WAYNE

Wayne Brady is a TV personality and comedian who is known for key roles on several television shows including “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” and “Let’s Make a Deal”. Brady was a regular on the original British version of “Whose Line …”, and then became a regular on the American version of the show when a US “Whose Line …” was commissioned with Drew Carey as host.

The game show “Let’s Make a Deal” first aired way back in 1963. For many years the show was hosted by Monty Hall, from 1963 until 1986, and again briefly in 1991. In more recent years, Wayne Brady took over as host in 2009.

Down

1 Green animals in Angry Birds : PIGS

Angry Birds is a video game developed for smartphones. Angry Birds is the third most downloaded game, after Tetris and Pac-Man. There is a whole series of Angry Birds games now, including Angry Birds Rio, Angry Birds Star Wars and Angry Birds Transformers.

2 Slender woodwind : OBOE

If you want to read a fun book (almost an “exposé”) about life playing the oboe, you might try “Mozart in the Jungle” by oboist Blair Tindall.

3 Zebra hunter : LION

A group of lions is known as a pride. It’s possible that the term “pride”, in this context, derives from the Latin “praeda” meaning “prey”.

The term “zebra” comes from an old Portuguese word “zevra” meaning “wild ass”. Studies of zebra embryos show that zebras are basically black in color, with white stripes that develop with growth. Before this finding, it was believed they were white, with black stripes.

5 Coastal inlet : RIA

A drowned valley might be called a ria or a fjord, and both are formed as sea levels rise. A ria is a drowned valley created by river erosion, and a fjord is a drowned valley created by glaciation.

7 Oscar winner Catherine __-Jones : ZETA

Catherine Zeta-Jones is a movie actress from Swansea in Wales. Her earlier starring roles were in films such as “The Mask of Zorro” and “Entrapment”, followed by much-lauded performances in “Traffic” (2000) and “Chicago” (2002). Zeta-Jones is married to actor Michael Douglas who is exactly 25 years her senior (the pair share the same birthday).

8 Journalist Paula : ZAHN

Paula Zahn has worked as a journalist and news anchor with ABC, NBC, Fox News and CNN. In 2009, she first appeared as the host of the long-running true crime show on the Discovery Channel called “On the Case with Paula Zahn”. Outside of her work on television, Zahn is an accomplished cellist and has even played at Carnegie Hall with the New York Pops Orchestra.

11 __ appeal : SNOB

Back in the 1780s, a snob was a shoemaker or a shoemaker’s apprentice. By the end of the 18th century the word “snob” was being used by students at Cambridge University in England to refer to all local merchants and people of the town. The term evolved to mean one who copies those who are his or her social superior (and not in a good way). From there it wasn’t a big leap for “snob” to include anyone who emphasized their superior social standing and not just those who aspired to rank. Nowadays a snob is anyone who looks down on those considered to be of inferior standing.

12 Currency named for a continent : EURO

The euro is divided into 100 cents, sometimes referred to as “euro cents”. Some countries within the European Union (Ireland, for example) have taken steps to withdraw the 1-cent and 2-cent coins from circulation by allowing cash transactions to be rounded to the nearest five cents. I found it a little odd when buying something in Ireland recently that was priced at 99 cents, and getting no change after handing over a euro coin …

18 Houseplant with fronds : FERN
[34D 18-Down seed : SPORE]

Victorian Britain fell subject to a craze for the collection and propagation of varying species of ferns. The phenomenon was described as Fern-Fever and Pteridomania, a word coined by Charles Darwin’s friend and correspondent Charles Kingsley. “Pteridomania” comes from “pteridophyte”, a term describing vascular plants (including ferns) that disperse spores.

Ferns are unlike mosses in that they have xylem and phloem, making them vascular plants. They also have stems, leaves and roots, but they do not have seeds and flowers, and reproduce using spores. Spores differ from seeds in that they have very little stored food.

26 Bread served with hummus : PITA

The lovely dip/spread called hummus usually contains mashed chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and garlic. The name “hummus” is an Arabic word for “chickpeas”.

27 Rock formation in Yosemite, familiarly : EL CAP

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 …

30 Led Zeppelin’s “Whole __ Love” : LOTTA

Led Zeppelin was an English rock band founded in 1968. The band’s most famous release has to be the classic “Stairway to Heaven”. Led Zeppelin broke up right after drummer John Bonham was found dead in 1988.

31 Near-beer name : O’DOUL

I once did a blind taste test on all of the big-selling non-alcoholic beers with a friend of mine. O’Doul’s Amber won the day pretty decisively, which surprised us as it was the cheapest! But, the best non-alcoholic beer by far, by miles, is Guinness Zero …

32 Lowly workers : PEONS

A peon is a lowly worker who has no real control over his/her working conditions. The word “peon” comes into English from Spanish, in which language it has the same meaning.

35 Copier cartridge : TONER

The key features of a laser printer (or copier) are that it uses plain paper and produces quality text at high speed. Laser printers work by projecting a laser image of the printed page onto a rotating drum that is coated with photoconductors (material that becomes conductive when exposed to light). The areas of the drum exposed to the laser carry a different charge than the unexposed areas. Dry ink (toner) sticks to the exposed areas due to electrostatic charge. The toner is then transferred to paper by contact and is fused into the paper by the application of heat. So, that explains why paper coming out of a laser printer is warm, and sometimes powdery.

40 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 …

48 Former Georgia senator Sam : NUNN

Sam Nunn served as a US Senator for the state of Georgia as a Democrat, for 24 years until 1997. Nunn is married to Colleen O’Brien, whom he met for the first time in the US Embassy in Paris where she was working as a spy for the CIA.

49 Bygone GM line : OLDS

Oldsmobile was an automobile brand founded by Ransom E. Olds (REO) in 1897. The brand was finally phased out by General Motors in 2004.

53 “Chocolat” actress Olin : LENA

Lena Olin is a Swedish actress, and someone who has acting in her blood. Her mother was the actress Britta Holmberg and her father the actor and director Stig Olin. Olin had a very successful career in Sweden, often working with the great Ingmar Bergman. Olin’s breakthrough international and English-speaking role was playing opposite Daniel Day-Lewis in “The Unbearable Lightness of Being” released in 1988. Way back in 1974, Miss Olin was crowned Miss Scandinavia in a beauty pageant for Nordic women held in Helsinki, Finland. Olin’s most famous performance was in “Chocolat” released in 2000, and then she won an Emmy in 2003 for Best Supporting Actress in the TV show “Alias”.

The movie “Chocolat” released in 2000 is a big-screen adaption of the novel of the same name by Joanne Harris. “Chocolat” tells the story of a young mother with a six-year-old daughter who opens up a chocolate shop in a French village. The mother is played by the talented Juliette Binoche.

54 Like Cheerios : OATY

Cheerios breakfast cereal has the distinction of being the first oat-based cereal introduced into the market, hitting the grocery store shelves in 1941. Back then, Cheerios were known as CheeriOats.

56 Mythical menace : OGRE

An ogre is a hideous monster of legend. There is a suggestion that “ogre” is French in origin and comes from “Orcus”, the name of an Etruscan underworld god who fed on human flesh. Nice guy …

57 Teal shade : AQUA

The beautiful color teal takes its name from the duck called a teal, which has dark greenish-blue (teal) markings on its head and wings.

60 Ireland, to the Irish : EIRE

“Éire” is the Irish name for Ireland, coming from “Ériu”. Ériu was the matron goddess of Ireland in Irish mythology.

61 Heavy book : TOME

“Tome” first came into English from the Latin “tomus” which means “section of a book”. The original usage in English was for a single volume in a multi-volume work. By the late 16th century, “tome” had come to mean “large book”.

64 With 52-Across, floating Arctic sheet : ICE …
[52A See 64-Down : … FLOE]

An ice floe is a sheet of ice that has separated from an ice field and is floating freely on the surface of the ocean.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Sport played on horseback : POLO
5 Make fun of : RAZZ
9 Goes up : RISES
14 Bibliography abbreviation : IBID
15 Furniture chain that also sells lingonberry preserves : IKEA
16 Feeling of existential boredom : ENNUI
17 *Sincere intention to be fair : GOOD FAITH EFFORT (good question)
20 Sight or smell : SENSE
21 Granny : NANA
22 Some Wall St. deals : LBOS
23 Joan of __: French heroine : ARC
25 Pampering place : SPA
27 *One who can’t help but see the bright side : ETERNAL OPTIMIST (eternal question)
36 Assignment for a swimmer or a bowler : LANE
37 Ore deposit : LODE
38 Beat : TEMPO
39 Chicago winter hrs. : CST
40 Central Pennsylvania city : ALTOONA
42 Luv : HON
43 Go-to crew : A-TEAM
45 Salad fish : TUNA
46 Stud farm stud : SIRE
47 *Private fashion consultant : PERSONAL SHOPPER (personal question)
50 Sunflower St. school : KSU
51 __-pitch softball : SLO
52 See 64-Down : … FLOE
55 Biblical ark builder : NOAH
59 Songs for two : DUETS
63 Reason for a courtroom objection, and what the start of the answer to each starred clue has : LEADING QUESTION
66 Silly activity : ANTIC
67 Red gemstone : RUBY
68 Writer Bombeck : ERMA
69 “Let’s Make a Deal” host Brady : WAYNE
70 Unworried state : EASE
71 “Whoa, trippy!” : DEEP!

Down

1 Green animals in Angry Birds : PIGS
2 Slender woodwind : OBOE
3 Zebra hunter : LION
4 “There’s a nonzero chance … ” : ODDS ARE …
5 Coastal inlet : RIA
6 Comparable (to) : AKIN
7 Oscar winner Catherine __-Jones : ZETA
8 Journalist Paula : ZAHN
9 NFL official : REF
10 Fill with passion : INFLAME
11 __ appeal : SNOB
12 Currency named for a continent : EURO
13 Follows an obedience school command : SITS
18 Houseplant with fronds : FERN
19 Sunup direction : EAST
24 Match a bet, in poker : CALL
26 Bread served with hummus : PITA
27 Rock formation in Yosemite, familiarly : EL CAP
28 Have a spoonful, say : TASTE
29 “The door’s open!” : ENTER!
30 Led Zeppelin’s “Whole __ Love” : LOTTA
31 Near-beer name : O’DOUL
32 Lowly workers : PEONS
33 Reply to “Ya dig?” : I’M HIP
34 18-Down seed : SPORE
35 Copier cartridge : TONER
40 Songwriter Tori : AMOS
41 Slangy turndowns : NAHS
44 Welcomed at the door : ASKED IN
46 Mouthed (off) : SPOUTED
48 Former Georgia senator Sam : NUNN
49 Bygone GM line : OLDS
52 Imperfection : FLAW
53 “Chocolat” actress Olin : LENA
54 Like Cheerios : OATY
56 Mythical menace : OGRE
57 Teal shade : AQUA
58 Busy airports : HUBS
60 Ireland, to the Irish : EIRE
61 Heavy book : TOME
62 Simple fastener : SNAP
64 With 52-Across, floating Arctic sheet : ICE …
65 Potato spot : EYE