LA Times Crossword 25 Apr 23, Tuesday

Advertisement

Constructed by: Jennifer Lee & Victor Galson
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Reveal Answer: Got Milk?

Themed answers each start with a kind of MILK:

  • 64A Ad campaign featuring white mustaches, and a hint to the starts of the answers to 18-, 26-, 38-, and 52-Across : GOT MILK?
  • 18A Slopes accessory : SKI MASK (giving “skim milk”)
  • 26A Inauguration text : OATH OF OFFICE (giving “oat milk”)
  • 38A Baha Men hit single : WHO LET THE DOGS OUT? (giving “whole milk”)
  • 52A Dystopian thriller starring Charlton Heston : SOYLENT GREEN (giving “soy milk”)

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

Bill’s time: 6m 14s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 American marsupial, familiarly : POSSUM

Although they are both marsupials, the opossum and the possum are two distinct animals. True possums are found in Australia and other places in the South Pacific. Opossums are found in North America.

Marsupials are mammals that carry their young in a pouch called a marsupium. Better-known marsupials are kangaroos, koalas, wombats and Tasmanian devils. As you can probably tell from this list, most marsupials are native to the Southern Hemisphere.

7 “__, Brute?” : ET TU

It was Shakespeare who popularized the words “Et tu, Brute?” (meaning “And you, Brutus?”). They appear in his play “Julius Caesar”, although the phrase had been around long before he penned his drama. It’s not known what Julius Caesar actually said in real life (if anything at all) as he was assassinated on the steps of the Senate in Rome.

16 Speckled horse : ROAN

A roan horse has an even mixture of white and colored hairs on the body with the head, lower legs, mane and tail having a more solid color.

18 Slopes accessory : SKI MASK (giving “skim milk”)

The fatty component of milk is known as butterfat (sometimes “milkfat”). To be labeled whole milk, the butterfat content must be at least 3.25%. Low-fat milk is defined as milk containing 0.5-2% fat, with levels of 1% and 2% commonly found on grocery store shelves. Skim milk must contain less than 0.5% fat, and typically contains 0.1%.

24 TV collie : LASSIE

The canine character Lassie is the creation of Eric Knight, an author who wrote a short story that he expanded into a novel called “Lassie Come Home” published in 1940. “Lassie Come Home” was turned into a movie three years later, the first of a very successful franchise. The original Lassie (a female) was played by a long-haired collie called Pal (a male). In fact, all of the dogs that played Lassie over the years were males, because they looked better on camera, retaining a thick coat even during the summer months.

26 Inauguration text : OATH OF OFFICE (giving “oat milk”)

Oat milk is one of the alternatives to cow’s milk, and is lactose free. Oat milk is made by blending oats with water and then straining out the solids. The resulting liquid is then flavored and fortified with vitamins and minerals. I’m a huge fan …

28 “Searching for Italy” host Tucci : STANLEY

Stanley Tucci is a UK-based American actor. Of his many fine performances, my favorite is in 2009’s “Julie & Julia” in which he plays the husband of celebrity chef Julia Child. Tucci is quite the cook himself in real life and released “The Tucci Cookbook” in 2012. He was also a co-owner of the Finch Tavern restaurant in Croton Falls, New York.

“Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy” is a travel and food show that aired on CNN from 2021 to 2022. The series follows Italian-American actor Stanley Tucci, who travels around Italy visiting each region and exploring their cultures, cuisine and history. The series has been praised by critics and viewers alike, and has also been a ratings success for CNN. Regardless, the show was canceled as CNN moved away from production of original documentary series.

31 Stackable cookies : OREOS

If you take a close look at the embossed design on the front and back of an Oreo cookie, you’ll spot the main elements of the Nabisco logo. Those elements are an oval with a cross on top, a cross with two bars. Usually the company name “Nabisco” is inside the oval, but for the cookie it’s the brand name “Oreo”. The current embossed design was introduced in 1952.

35 X-ray kin : MRI

MRI scans can be daunting for many people as they usually involve the patient lying inside a tube with the imaging magnet surrounding the body. Additionally, the scan can take up to 40 minutes in some cases. There are some open MRI scanners available that help prevent a feeling of claustrophobia. However, the images produced by open scanners are of lower quality as they operate at lower magnetic fields.

38 Baha Men hit single : WHO LET THE DOGS OUT? (giving “whole milk”)

The Baha Men are so called because they hail from the Bahamas. Their big hit was “Who Let the Dogs Out?” That song once ranked third in a list of the world’s most annoying songs!

43 Alley-__ pass : OOP

An alley-oop is a play in basketball in which one player lobs the ball close to the basket for a teammate who usually scores with a slam dunk.

44 Unsubtle actors : HAMS

The word “ham”, describing a performer who overacts, is a shortened form of “hamfatter” and dates back to the late 1800s. “Hamfatter” comes from a song in old minstrel shows called “The Ham-Fat Man”. It seems that a poorly performing actor was deemed to have the “acting” qualities of a minstrel made up in blackface.

45 Buenos __ : AIRES

Buenos Aires is the capital of Argentina, and is located on the estuary of the Ria de la Plata. As it is a port city, the people of Buenos Aires are known as porteños (“people of the port”). The name “Buenos Aires” can be translated from Spanish as “fair winds”.

46 One on the Pacific Crest Trail, say : HIKER

The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) runs mainly through National Forest and protected wilderness. The southern end of the trail is near Campo, California on the US-Mexico border. The trail’s northern terminus is on the US-Canadian border on the edge of Manning Park, British Columbia. The 2014 movie “Wild” starring Reese Witherspoon, is based on the true story of Cheryl Strayed who hiked much of the PCT by herself in 1995.

52 Dystopian thriller starring Charlton Heston : SOYLENT GREEN (giving “soy milk”)

“Soylent Green” is a 1973 dystopian thriller film starring Charlton Heston that is loosely based on the 1966 science-fiction novel “Make Room! Make Room!” by Harry Harrison. A central element of the storyline is the feeding of the poor with wafers of Soylent Green. The constituents of Soylent Green are revealed to be less than appetizing …

61 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup champs : USA

2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup was hosted by nine cities in France. The final was played between the US and the Netherlands, with the US emerging victorious in a 2-0 win.

62 Airbnb alternative : VRBO

VRBO is an online marketplace for vacation rentals. The initialism stands for Vacation Rentals by Owner. VRBO was founded in 1995, and is headquartered in Austin.

64 Ad campaign featuring white mustaches, and a hint to the starts of the answers to 18-, 26-, 38-, and 52-Across : GOT MILK?

The “got milk?” advertising campaign was funded originally by the California Milk Processor Board and later by milk processors and dairy farmers. The “got milk?” ads encourage us to drink cow’s milk, and lots of it.

66 Put down : DIS

“Dis” (also “diss”) is a slang term meaning “insult” that originated in the eighties. It is a shortened form of “disrespect” or “dismiss”.

67 Currier and __ : IVES

Currier and Ives was a printmaking concern in New York City run by Nathaniel Currier and his partner James Merritt Ives from 1834 to 1907. The firm specialized in making affordable, hand-colored black and white lithographs.

70 State bird of Hawaii : NENE

The nene is a bird that is native to Hawaii, and is also known as the Hawaiian goose. The name “nene” is an imitation of its call. When Captain Cook landed on the islands in 1778, there were 25,000 nene living there. By 1950, the number was reduced by hunting to just 30 birds. Conservation efforts in recent years have been somewhat successful. The nene was named State Bird of Hawaii in 1957.

71 Holiday treats served with applesauce : LATKES

A latke is a delicious potato pancake (I’m Irish, so anything made with potatoes is delicious, to be fair).

Down

2 Like wine aged in certain barrels : OAKY

Oak barrels are sometimes used to store wine during fermentation and aging. The oak wood has a profound effect, usually changing the wine’s color, flavor and texture. If the wine is stored in stainless steel barrels, then a similar effect can be achieved by adding oak chips or staves to the liquid.

4 Japanese wrestling form : SUMO

Sumo is a sport that is practiced professionally only in Japan, the country of its origin. There is an international federation of sumo wrestling now, and one of the organization’s aims is to have the sport accepted as an Olympic event.

5 The NBA’s Jazz, on scoreboards : UTA

The Utah Jazz professional basketball team moved to Salt Lake City in 1979. As one might guess from the name, the team originated in New Orleans, but only played there for five seasons. New Orleans was a tough place to be based because venues were hard to come by, and Mardi Gras forced the team to play on the road for a whole month.

6 Smoky liquor made from agave : MESCAL

Mezcal (also “mescal”) is a distilled spirit made from the agave plant. Technically, tequila is a type of mezcal that is distilled specifically from the blue agave.

7 Muse of poetry : ERATO

In Greek mythology, Erato was the Muse of lyric poetry. She is often depicted with a wreath of myrtle and roses, and playing a lyre.

8 Celebrity chef Colicchio : TOM

Tom Colicchio is a celebrity chef and restaurateur who turns up a lot on television. He is a judge on the Food Network reality show “Top Chef”, and he has also appeared on “Iron Chef America” and “The View”. Colicchio made it into the news in 2009 when he saved the life of someone choking, by using the Heimlich maneuver. The person choking was cookbook author and food journalist Joan Nathan.

12 Scary story? : ATTIC

An attic or loft is a room or space located below the roof of a building. The term “attic” is a shortened form of “attic story”, the uppermost story or level of a house. This term “attic story” originally applied to a low, decorative level built on top of the uppermost story behind a building’s decorative facade. This use of decoration at the top of buildings was common in ancient Greece, and was particularly important in the Attica style. That Attica style was so called because it originated in the historical region of Attica that encompassed the city of Athens. And that’s how our attics are linked to ancient Greece.

13 Venmo recipient : PAYEE

Venmo is a smartphone payment app that is now owned by PayPal. The first version of the product was introduced in 2009 by two entrepreneurs who had met as freshman students at the University of Pennsylvania. They sold the company in 2012 for over $26 million, and then PayPal acquired it the following year for a whopping $800 million. I wonder if PayPal ever buys blogs …

25 Bay Area hub, for short : SFO

San Francisco International Airport (SFO) served as the main base of operations for Virgin America (sold to Alaska Airlines), and is also the maintenance hub for United Airlines. Even though SFO is owned and operated by the City and County of San Francisco, the airport is located to the south in San Mateo County.

26 __ in a blue moon : ONCE

As there is a full moon once every four weeks, approximately monthly, there are usually twelve full moons in any given year. However, every 2-3 years, depending on the phase of the moon at the beginning of the calendar year, there may be a thirteenth full moon. The “extra” full moon is called a “blue moon”, although no one seems to really know why the term “blue” is used, as far as I can tell. Which of the thirteen full moons that is designated as the blue moon varies depending on tradition. My favorite definition is from the Farmer’s Almanac. It states that as each of the seasons normally has three full moons (one for each calendar month), then the season with four full moons is designated as “special”, then the third (and not the fourth) full moon in that “special” season is the blue moon. Complicated, huh?

27 Comestibles : FOOD

Something described as comestible is edible, fit to eat. An alternative word for “food” is “comestibles”, almost always used in the plural.

28 NYC nabe near Little Italy : SOHO

The Manhattan neighborhood known today as SoHo was very fashionable in the early 1900s, but as the well-heeled started to move uptown the area became very run down and poorly maintained. Noted for the number of fires that erupted in derelict buildings, SoHo earned the nickname “Hell’s Hundred Acres”. The area was then zoned for manufacturing and became home to many sweatshops. In the mid-1900s artists started to move into open loft spaces and renovating old buildings as the lofts were ideal locations in which an artist could both live and work. In 1968, artists and others organized themselves so that they could legalize their residential use of an area zoned for manufacturing. The group they formed took its name from the name given to the area by the city’s Planning Commission i.e “South of Houston”. This was shortened from So-uth of Ho-uston to SoHo as in “SoHo Artists Association”, and the name stuck.

The Little Italy neighborhood in Manhattan has shrunk over the years, but was once home to almost 10,000 Italian immigrants and their descendents. The area centers on about three blocks of Mulberry Street. The Feast of San Gennaro is a major annual event in Little Italy, a street fair lasting 10-11 days in September.

40 Like Key lime pie : TART

The species of citrus fruit called a key lime is so named due to its association with the Florida Keys.

48 Temperature unit : KELVIN

The kelvin is a unit of measurement for temperature, named after British physicist William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin.

50 1952-2022, for Queen Elizabeth II : REIGN

Princess Elizabeth became Queen Elizabeth II in 1952 when her father, King George VI died. The Princess was on an official visit to Kenya when her husband broke the news to her; that she had become queen. When she was crowned in 1953 in Westminster Abbey, it was the first coronation to be televised. Queen Elizabeth’s reign was the longest in the history of the UK.

53 Fertile desert spot : OASIS

An isolated area of vegetation in a desert is called an oasis (plural “oases”). As water is needed for plant growth, an oasis might also include a spring, pond or small lake. We often use the term “oasis” more generally to describe a haven, a place of rest.

54 Bird in a gaggle : GOOSE

A collection of geese is referred to as a “gaggle” when on the ground. When geese are in V-formation in flight, they are referred to collectively as a “skein”.

58 NBA great Nowitzki : DIRK

Dirk Nowitzki is an NBA player from Northern Bavaria in Germany. Nowitzki has scored more points in the NBA than any other foreign-born player in the league’s history. He also turns out for the German national team, for which is the captain. Indeed, Nowitzki was named German Sports Personality of the Year in 2011.

63 Actor Kingsley : BEN

English actor Ben Kingsley won his Best Actor Oscar for playing the title role in the 1982 epic biographical film “Gandhi”. Kingsley was knighted in 2002, so if you meet him you should address him as “Sir Ben” …

65 Airport safety gp. : TSA

A carom is a ricochet, the bouncing of some projectile off a surface. “Carom” has come to describe the banking of a billiard ball, the bouncing of the ball off the side of the table.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 American marsupial, familiarly : POSSUM
7 “__, Brute?” : ET TU
11 Swimmer’s unit : LAP
14 Military maneuvers? : SALUTES
16 Speckled horse : ROAN
17 Rideshare driver’s guess : ETA
18 Slopes accessory : SKI MASK (giving “skim milk”)
19 French pals : AMIS
20 Oinker’s pen : STY
21 Autocorrect target : TYPO
22 Online store icon : CART
24 TV collie : LASSIE
26 Inauguration text : OATH OF OFFICE (giving “oat milk”)
28 “Searching for Italy” host Tucci : STANLEY
31 Stackable cookies : OREOS
32 Bagel-shaped : TORIC
33 Jog : TROT
35 X-ray kin : MRI
38 Baha Men hit single : WHO LET THE DOGS OUT? (giving “whole milk”)
43 Alley-__ pass : OOP
44 Unsubtle actors : HAMS
45 Buenos __ : AIRES
46 One on the Pacific Crest Trail, say : HIKER
49 Revolved around : ORBITED
52 Dystopian thriller starring Charlton Heston : SOYLENT GREEN (giving “soy milk”)
55 Get started on, as a problem : TACKLE
56 Ear-related : OTIC
57 Border : EDGE
61 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup champs : USA
62 Airbnb alternative : VRBO
64 Ad campaign featuring white mustaches, and a hint to the starts of the answers to 18-, 26-, 38-, and 52-Across : GOT MILK?
66 Put down : DIS
67 Currier and __ : IVES
68 “Forget it!” : NO SIREE!
69 Chicago-to-Orlando dir. : SSE
70 State bird of Hawaii : NENE
71 Holiday treats served with applesauce : LATKES

Down

1 Attention-getting hiss : PSST!
2 Like wine aged in certain barrels : OAKY
3 __ of the tongue : SLIP
4 Japanese wrestling form : SUMO
5 The NBA’s Jazz, on scoreboards : UTA
6 Smoky liquor made from agave : MESCAL
7 Muse of poetry : ERATO
8 Celebrity chef Colicchio : TOM
9 Customize for : TAILOR TO
10 Treacherous : UNSAFE
11 “You’re trying too hard” : LESS IS MORE
12 Scary story? : ATTIC
13 Venmo recipient : PAYEE
15 Enjoy the roller rink : SKATE
23 Part of R&B : RHYTHM
25 Bay Area hub, for short : SFO
26 __ in a blue moon : ONCE
27 Comestibles : FOOD
28 NYC nabe near Little Italy : SOHO
29 Place to store cups and bowls? : TROPHY CASE
30 Feel unwell : AIL
32 Pair : TWO
34 Vacation spot : RESORT
36 Regretted : RUED
37 “__ go time!” : IT’S
39 “I can’t believe they did that!” : THE NERVE!
40 Like Key lime pie : TART
41 Acquire : GAIN
42 Word often said while holding a treat : SIT!
47 Kind : ILK
48 Temperature unit : KELVIN
50 1952-2022, for Queen Elizabeth II : REIGN
51 “Don’t embarrass me” : BE COOL
52 Small earrings : STUDS
53 Fertile desert spot : OASIS
54 Bird in a gaggle : GOOSE
57 Let off : EMIT
58 NBA great Nowitzki : DIRK
59 Mirth : GLEE
60 Squeezes (out) : EKES
63 Actor Kingsley : BEN
65 Airport safety gp. : TSA