LA Times Crossword 5 Jul 22, Tuesday

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Constructed by: Karen Lurie
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Reveal Answer: Get After It

Themed answers each include “IT” and “GET” as hidden words, and we always see “GET” AFTER “IT”:

  • 55A “Seize the day!,” and what the answers to the starred clues literally have : GET AFTER IT!
  • 20A *Financial plan followed by a mayor : CITY BUDGET
  • 28A *Nests, as a set of measuring cups : FITS TOGETHER
  • 44A *Achieve one’s specific goal : HIT THE TARGET

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

Bill’s time: 6m 56s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Seat that may swallow the remote control : SOFA

“Sofa” is a Turkish word meaning “bench”.

5 U.K. soccer teams : FCS

Football club (FC)

16 Krispy Kreme buy : DONUT

The Krispy Kreme chain of doughnut stores was founded in 1937 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The company introduced the Whole Wheat Glazed doughnut in 2007, which is great news for folks looking to eat a healthy diet, I am sure …

18 “Pitch Perfect” actress Kendrick : ANNA

Anna Kendrick is a marvelous actress whose big break came when she played the sidekick to George Clooney’s character in the very interesting 2009 film “Up in the Air”. Kendrick can sing as well as act, and played a student a cappella singer in the 2012 movie “Pitch Perfect”.

“Pitch Perfect” is an entertaining musical comedy film released in 2012. It’s all about an all-female college a cappella group competing to win a national competition.

26 Breakfast syrup choice : MAPLE

Maple syrup comes in three grades:

  • Grade A
  • Processing grade
  • Substandard

32 Olympian’s goal : MEDAL

In the Ancient Olympic Games, the winner of an event was awarded an olive wreath. When the games were revived in 1896, the winners were originally given a silver medal and an olive branch, with runners-up receiving a bronze medal and a laurel branch. The tradition of giving gold, silver and bronze medals began at the 1904 Summer Olympic Games held in St. Louis, Missouri.

36 Big primate : APE

Primates are mammals, many of whom are omnivorous and make good use of their hands. They also have larger brains relative to their body size, compared to other animals. The order Primates includes apes, lemurs, baboons and humans.

38 Some postgrad degs. : MAS

Master of Arts (MA)

39 Bermuda shorts endpoint : KNEE

The short trousers that we now know as Bermuda shorts were introduced by the British Army for wear in tropical climes. When there was a shortage of clothing during WWII in the British Overseas Territory of Bermuda, some local banks supplied their male employees with pants using the British military design. The employees were also issued knee-length socks to wear with the shorts. To this day, a dress shirt, tie and blazer with Bermuda shorts and knee-length socks is considered as appropriate business attire on the island.

40 Automobile : CAR

Our word “automobile” came into English from French. The French term “véhicule automobile” translates as “self-propelled motor vehicle”.

53 Fish often grilled, on menus : 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 …

55 “Seize the day!,” and what the answers to the starred clues literally have : GET AFTER IT!

“Carpe diem” is a quotation from Horace, one of ancient Rome’s leading lyric poets. “Carpe diem” translates from Latin as “seize the day” or “enjoy the day”. The satirical motto of a procrastinator is “carpe mañana”, “translating” as “seize tomorrow”.

61 Score in a tennis shutout : LOVE

In tennis the score of zero is designated as “love”. Some people believe that this usage originates from the French “l’oeuf” (meaning “the egg”). The idea is that the written character “0” looks like an egg.

63 Fill until full : SATE

“Sate” is a variant of the older word “satiate”. Both terms can mean either to satisfy an appetite fully, or to eat to excess.

65 Annual cable sports awards : ESPYS

The ESPY Awards are a creation of the ESPN sports television network. One difference with similarly named awards in the entertainment industry is that ESPY winners are chosen solely based on viewer votes.

66 Drug used in microdosing therapies, for short : LSD

Psychedelic microdosing is the practice of taking extremely low doses of psychedelic drugs in order to promote creativity and well-being. Drugs commonly used are lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and psilocybin (found in “magic mushrooms”). Hmm …

Down

2 Belly button type : OUTIE

The navel is basically the scar left behind when the umbilical cord is removed from a newborn baby. One interesting use of the umbilicus (navel, belly button) is to differentiate between identical twins, especially when they are very young.

3 Guitar neck features : FRETS

A fret is a metal strip embedded in the neck of a stringed instrument, a guitar perhaps. The fingers press on the frets, shortening a string and hence changing the note played. The note increases by one semitone as a finger shortens a string by one fret.

4 West Point team : ARMY

West Point is a military reservation in New York State, located north of New York City. West Point was first occupied by the Continental Army way back in 1778, making it the longest, continually-occupied military post in the country. Cadet training has taken place at the garrison since 1794, although Congress funding for a US Military Academy (USMA) didn’t start until 1802. The first female cadets were admitted to West Point in 1976, and as of 2018, about 15% of all new cadets were women.

6 Time-share units : CONDOS

The terms “condominium” and “apartment” tend to describe the same type of residential property, namely a private living space with facilities shared with others residing in the same building or complex. The difference is that a condominium is usually owned, and an apartment is rented. At least that’s how it is in the US. The word “condominium” comes from the Latin “com-” (together) and “dominum” (right of ownership).

7 Participated on karaoke night : SANG

“Karate” is a Japanese word meaning “empty hand”, and the related word “karaoke” translates as “empty orchestra”.

8 Mont. neighbor : IDA

Idaho borders six states, and one Canadian province:

  • Montana
  • Wyoming
  • Nevada
  • Utah
  • Washington
  • Oregon
  • British Columbia

9 Bright blue pigment : COBALT

Cobalt blue is a pigment, a pigment with a lighter shade than Prussian blue. Cobalt blue is made from cobalt oxide and alumina, and is used as a coloring agent in ceramics, jewelry and paint. Even “transparent” glass usually contains a little cobalt blue, giving a slight blue tint.

12 Instant Pot dish : STEW

The Instant Pot is a brand of pressure cooker cum slow cooker. We’ve got one …

15 Mailer-__: programs that send automated messages : DAEMONS

In the world of email, a mailer-daemon is a program that sends out an auto reply to an email sender when the original message bounces, does not reach the intended sender.

22 License plates : TAGS

Automobile tags are license plates. The informal term “tag” is actually the name of the small sticker that is issued annually to indicate that vehicle registration is current.

27 Vet’s patient : PET

A veterinarian (vet) is a professional who treats animals for disease and injury. The word “veterinary” comes from the Latin “veterinae” meaning “working animals, beasts of burden”.

29 Wonder Woman’s headpiece : TIARA

Superhero Wonder Woman first appeared in print in 1941, in a publication from DC Comics. As she was created during WWII, Wonder Woman’s first foes were the axis powers. In the less realistic world her biggest foe was and still is Ares, a “baddie” named after the Greek mythological figure. Wonder Woman had several signature expressions, including “Merciful Minerva!”, “Suffering Sappho!” and “Great Hera!”. She also has several devices that she uses in her quest for justice, e.g. the Lasso of Truth, a pair of indestructible bracelets and a tiara that can be used as a deadly projectile. Wonder Woman uses the name “Diana Prince” when “out of uniform”.

31 Woodwind insert : REED

Woodwind instruments are a subcategory of wind instruments that were traditionally made of wood, although some are now made from metal. There are two main classes of woodwind: flutes and reed instruments. Flutes produce sound by blowing air across the edge of a hole in a cylindrical tube. Reed instruments produce sounds by blowing into a mouthpiece, which then directs the air over a reed or reeds, causing them to vibrate.

32 Name associated with supersonic speed : MACH

The Mach number of a moving object (like say an airplane) is its speed relative to the speed of sound. A plane traveling at Mach 2, for example, is moving at twice the speed of sound. The term “Mach” takes its name from the Austrian physicist Ernst Mach who published a groundbreaking paper in 1877 that even predicted the “sonic boom”.

33 Actor Morales : ESAI

Actor Esai Morales is best known in the world of film for the 1987 movie “La Bamba”, which depicted the life of Ritchie Valens and his half-brother Bob Morales (played by Esai). On the small screen, Morales plays Lt. Tony Rodriguez on “NYPD Blue” and Joseph Adama on “Caprica”.

39 Kit __ Klub: “Cabaret” setting : KAT

The musical “Cabaret” is based on “I Am a Camera”, a 1951 play written by John Van Druten. In turn, the play was adapted from a novel “Goodbye to Berlin” written by Christopher Isherwood. The action in the musical takes place in the 1930s, in a seedy Berlin cabaret called the Kit Kat Klub. “Cabaret” is a great stage musical, although the 1972 film of the musical isn’t one of my favorites.

42 __ shui : FENG

Feng shui is the ancient Chinese tradition of arranging objects, buildings and other structures in a manner that is said to improve the lives of the individuals living in or using the space. “Feng shui” translates as “wind-water”, a reference to the belief that positive and negative life forces ride the wind and scatter, but are retained when they encounter water.

45 How prosciutto is sliced : THINLY

The word “prosciutto” is used in Italian to mean “ham”, however it is prepared. In English, we use the word to describe the dry-cured ham that is served raw, in thin slices. Apparently, prosciutto can be made out of the meat from the leg of a pig, or from the thigh of a wild horse!

53 For a __ pittance : MERE

A pittance is a small amount, often a living allowance or remuneration. The term “pittance” came into English from Old French, and is basically an amount given out of a sense of “pity”.

56 Color named for a duck : TEAL

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.

59 Texting format, briefly : SMS

Short Message Service (SMS) is the name for the text messaging service that many of us still use on our cell phones to contact friends and family.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Seat that may swallow the remote control : SOFA
5 U.K. soccer teams : FCS
8 Tappable symbols : ICONS
13 Happy kitty sound : PURR
14 Washer capacity : LOAD
16 Krispy Kreme buy : DONUT
17 Thing : ITEM
18 “Pitch Perfect” actress Kendrick : ANNA
19 Residence : ABODE
20 *Financial plan followed by a mayor : CITY BUDGET
23 From square one : ANEW
24 “Totally!” : YES!
25 “It’s __-win situation” : A NO
26 Breakfast syrup choice : MAPLE
28 *Nests, as a set of measuring cups : FITS TOGETHER
32 Olympian’s goal : MEDAL
35 Technical sch. : INST
36 Big primate : APE
37 Words that clarify spelling : AS IN
38 Some postgrad degs. : MAS
39 Bermuda shorts endpoint : KNEE
40 Automobile : CAR
41 Way out there : AFAR
43 No longer vivid : FADED
44 *Achieve one’s specific goal : HIT THE TARGET
48 Repeated slogan : CHANT
49 Frying liquid : OIL
50 Some laptops : PCS
53 Fish often grilled, on menus : MAHI
55 “Seize the day!,” and what the answers to the starred clues literally have : GET AFTER IT!
58 Odds partner : EVENS
60 Take five : REST
61 Score in a tennis shutout : LOVE
62 Royal domain : REALM
63 Fill until full : SATE
64 Scissors sound : SNIP
65 Annual cable sports awards : ESPYS
66 Drug used in microdosing therapies, for short : LSD
67 Snakelike swimmers : EELS

Down

1 Like hot wings : SPICY
2 Belly button type : OUTIE
3 Guitar neck features : FRETS
4 West Point team : ARMY
5 Show off shamelessly : FLAUNT
6 Time-share units : CONDOS
7 Participated on karaoke night : SANG
8 Mont. neighbor : IDA
9 Bright blue pigment : COBALT
10 How some tots count to five : ON ONE HAND
11 Ready for skinny-dipping : NUDE
12 Instant Pot dish : STEW
15 Mailer-__: programs that send automated messages : DAEMONS
21 Skip out (on) : BAIL
22 License plates : TAGS
27 Vet’s patient : PET
28 Autograph seeker : FAN
29 Wonder Woman’s headpiece : TIARA
30 Fencing blade : EPEE
31 Woodwind insert : REED
32 Name associated with supersonic speed : MACH
33 Actor Morales : ESAI
34 Really inexpensive : DIRT CHEAP
38 Holds weight : MATTERS
39 Kit __ Klub: “Cabaret” setting : KAT
41 “I see now!” : AHA!
42 __ shui : FENG
43 Perceived : FELT
45 How prosciutto is sliced : THINLY
46 Cooks in an oven : ROASTS
47 Talented : GIFTED
50 Naturally inclined (to) : PRONE
51 Courteous : CIVIL
52 Pedometer units : STEPS
53 For a __ pittance : MERE
54 St. crossers : AVES
56 Color named for a duck : TEAL
57 Besides : ELSE
59 Texting format, briefly : SMS