LA Times Crossword 28 Dec 19, Saturday

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Constructed by: Christopher Adams
Edited by: Rich Norris

Today’s Theme: None

Bill’s time: 17m 27s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Bay of __, which includes the Cantabrian Sea : BISCAY

The Bay of Biscay is the large gulf that sits north of Spain and west of France. The bay is named after the Spanish province of Biscay located in Basque country.

The Cantabrian Sea is the southern part of the Bay of Biscay. It washes up against the northern coast of Spain and the southwestern coast of France. The Cantabrian Sea takes its name from the autonomous community of Cantabria in northern Spain.

7 Port captured in Sherman’s March to the Sea : SAVANNAH

Savannah was founded in 1733, making it the oldest city in the state of Georgia. The city is named for the Savannah River, which runs through it. It is believed that the river’s name is derived from a Shawnee word, or from a variant name for the Shawnee people.

The Savannah Campaign during the American Civil War is more commonly known as “Sherman’s March to the Sea”. General Sherman of the Union Army started his month-long march in Atlanta, Georgia and ended it with the capture of the port of Savannah, Georgia on 21 December 1864.

15 Odysseus’ kingdom : ITHACA

Ithaca is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. The island features in Homer’s “Odyssey” as it was the home of the mythological hero Odysseus, who was Ithaca’s king.

16 Regional birds : AVIFAUNA

“Avifauna” is the collective name for birds of a specific region. An older term for the same thing is “ornis”, which has the same root as “ornithology”.

17 Cuts off contact with : GHOSTS

A rather insensitive person might break off a relationship simply by cutting off all communication with his or her partner, without any warning. Such a move is referred to as “ghosting” in modern parlance, particularly when the relationship relies heavily on online interaction.

20 Kingston address : MON

Kingston is the capital of Jamaica. Prior to a 1692 earthquake, Port Royal was the main settlement on the island. Survivors of the earthquake set up camp in the agricultural village of Kingston. Despite the hardship of thousands dying in the camp from mosquito-borne diseases, the camp developed into a permanent settlement, especially after a 1703 fire that further destroyed Port Royal.

21 Site with “Living Healthy” guides : WEBMD

WebMD is a website containing health information. Online since 1996, WebMD is read by over 80 million readers each month. One example of the useful features on the site is the Pill Identification Tool.

23 Two-faced god : JANUS

Janus was a Roman god usually depicted with two heads, one looking to the past and the other to the future. As such, as a god Janus is often associated with time. The Romans named the month of Ianuarius (our “January”) after Janus.

29 “The Last Jedi” heroine : REY

Rey is a central character in the “Star Wars” universe. She first appeared in 2015’s “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”. Rey is played by British actress Daisy Ridley.

“Star Wars: The Last Jedi” is a 2017 movie from the “Star Wars” film franchise, and the second installment of the “Star Wars” sequel trilogy. The title character is Luke Skywalker, played by Mark Hamill. Ah, but is Luke in fact the “last Jedi”?

30 Tight military formation : PHALANX

In ancient warfare, a phalanx was a group of soldiers that stood or marched together as a unit using their shields as an outer barrier around the formation. “Phalanx” (plural “phalanges”) is the Greek word for “finger”. “Phalanx” was used for the military formation probably because of the finger-like movements that such formations made on the field of battle.

32 Makeup kit item : Q-TIP

Cotton swabs were originally marketed under the name “Baby Gays”. This was changed in 1926 to “Q-Tips”, with the Q standing for “quality”.

35 Monopoly pieces : HOUSES

In the game of Monopoly, one can purchase a hotel by “demolishing” four houses and by paying an extra amount equal to the price of one house.

41 Florida’s first two-term Republican governor : JEB BUSH

Jeb Bush is the son of President George H. W. Bush, and the brother of President George W. Bush. I always thought that Jeb was an American nickname for James or Joseph but I must be wrong, because George and Barbara’s son John Ellis Bush is called “Jeb”. A kind blog reader has suggested the name “Jeb” may have been chosen as JEB are the initials of John Ellis Bush.

42 Black __ : OPS

“Black ops” is the name given to covert operations, activities that are usually outside of standard military protocol and may even be against the law. Funding for black ops is usually provided by a secret “black budget”.

47 Early GE subsidiary : RCA

RCA was founded in 1919 as the Radio Corporation of America, and as a wholly-owned subsidiary of General Electric (GE). GE divested RCA in 1932, and then reacquired the company in 1986. Today, RCA is just a brand name.

54 Black Hills terr. : DAK

The Dakota Territory was formed in 1861 and ceased to exist with the admission to the Union of the states of North Dakota and South Dakota. The territory was split into two states in 1889 largely due to lobbying by the Republican Party, which enjoyed a lot of support in the Dakota Territory. The admission of two states added to the political power of the party in the US Senate, by adding four safe Republican seats.

The Black Hills are a mountain range in South Dakota and Wyoming. The Black Hills are home to some celebrated locations including Mount Rushmore, Wind Cave National Park, the Crazy Horse Memorial and the historic city of Deadwood.

55 Biathlete’s need : RIFLE

A biathlon is an event requiring expertise in two sporting disciplines. The most common biathlon is a winter sport that combines cross-country skiing with rifle shooting. This traditional biathlon was born out of an exercise for Norwegian soldiers.

58 Some cells : NOKIAS

I do enjoy classical guitar music, but there isn’t a huge choice on CD. There is one very special piece called “Gran Vals” by Francisco Tárrega, written in 1902. This piece has a unique reputation as it contains a phrase that was once the most listened-to piece of music in the whole world. Just a few bars into the work one can hear the celebrated Nokia ringtone!

61 Oopsy or Funshine, e.g. : CARE BEAR

The Care Bears franchise includes a line of toys as well as TV shows and movies. The original Care Bears were characters created for greeting cards marketed by American Greetings starting in 1981.

62 “Pippin” Tony winner : VEREEN

Ben Vereen is an American actor and dancer who is probably best known for playing Chicken George in the magnificent television miniseries “Roots”. When he was applying for a passport in the sixties, Vereen discovered that he was adopted. He then went looking for his birth parents and identified his birth mother (who had passed away by this time). She went away on a trip when Ben was very young, only to return and find that her child and the person minding him had disappeared. She never saw her son again.

“Pippin” is a stage musical by Stephen Schwartz that was first produced in 1972, on Broadway. The original Broadway production was directed and choreographed by Bob Fosse, for which work Fosse won two Tony Awards in 1973. The title character’s father in “Pippin” is named Charlemagne. The father-son characters are inspired by the Holy Roman Emperors Charlemagne and Pepin.

Down

1 Rap hit heard in the 2009 biopic “Notorious” : BIG POPPA

“The Notorious B.I.G.” was the stage name of rap star Christopher Wallace, who also went by the names “Biggie Smalls” and “Biggie”. While at the height of his fame Wallace was killed in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles, a murder case that has never been solved. The 2009 movie “Notorious” is about Wallace’s life and stars fellow rap artist Jamal Woolard (aka Gravy) in the title role.

6 “__, queen!”: slangy celebratory words : YAS

“Yas” is a slang term used in place of the interjection “yes!”, when it expresses pleasure and excitement. The exclamation often takes the form “Yas, queen!”

7 It’s a wrap : SARONG

“Sarong” is the Malay word for “sheath. The term originally described a garment worn by Malay men and women around their waists. The Malay sarong is actually a tube of fabric, about a yard wide and two-and-a-half yards long. Many variations of the sarong are worn all over South Asia and the Pacific Islands. I had occasion to wear one in Hawaii many years ago, and found it very … freeing!

8 Tony-winning musical that draws inspiration from “Sesame Street” : AVENUE Q

“Avenue Q” is a musical inspired by “Sesame Street”, with puppets being used for all the characters on the stage. It’s an adult-oriented production, but a parody on the children’s show. Some of the characters are clearly knock-offs of “Sesame Street” favorites e.g. Rod and Nicky (Bert and Ernie) and Trekkie Monster (Cookie Monster).

9 Ford’s Crown __ : VIC

The Crown Victoria is full-sized sedan car that was manufactured by Ford from 1991 to 2011. One of the most famous versions of the Crown Vic is the Police Interceptor that Ford introduced in 1998.

12 Nature Valley offering : NUT BAR

Nature Valley is brand owned by General Mills that is used for a line of granola-related foods. The brand uses the slogan “The Energy Bar Nature Intended”. The first Nature Valley granola bar appeared on shelves in 1975.

13 Breakdown of social norms : ANOMIE

Anomie is social breakdown caused by the erosion of value and standards. The term comes to us via French from Greek. The root words are “a-” (without) “nomos” (law).

20 Chico was the first-born one : MARX

Chico was the oldest of the Marx Brothers. Well, Chico did in fact have an older brother Manfred, but he died in infancy.

23 Buffs : JUNKIES

A buff, fiend, junkie or nut is one who is extremely enthusiastic and knowledgeable about a subject, someone who is a devotee.

27 Big name in investment banking : SACHS

The investment banking firm Goldman Sachs was founded in New York in 1869 by Marcus Goldman. Samuel Sachs joined the firm in 1882, the same year that he married Louisa Goldman, Marcus’s daughter. The name “Goldman Sachs” was adopted by the firm in 1885. Goldman Sachs made out like bandits during the subprime mortgage crisis of 2007-08 as the company actually short-sold subprime mortgage bonds. As the price of the bonds nose-dived, Goldman Sachs made huge profits.

28 Mythical weeper : NIOBE

In Greek mythology, Niobe fled to Mount Sipylus when her children were killed. There, she was turned into stone and wept for eternity. There is indeed a Niobe’s Rock on Mount Sipylus (in modern-day Turkey) that resembles a female face, and so is known as “The Weeping Rock”.

31 Bar subject : LAW

The legal profession is referred to as “the bar”. The term arose in medieval times when European courtrooms were divided into two with “barring” furniture, basically a wooden rail that separated the public from the participants in the trial.

37 Cadillac SUV : ESCALADE

The Escalade is a full-size SUV that Cadillac introduced in 1999. The word “escalade” describes the act of scaling defensive walls with ladders during a siege.

40 Singer/actress who voices Meechee in “Smallfoot” : ZENDAYA

Zendaya Coleman, known simply as “Zendaya” on stage, is an actress and singer. Her big break as an actress came with the role of Rocky Blue on the Disney sitcom “Shake It Up”. Zendaya gained further attention from TV audiences when in 2013, at 16 years of age, she became the youngest contestant up to that time on “Dancing with the Stars”. She did well, coming in second in the competition.

41 Soda __ : JERK

In the halcyon days of yore, a “soda jerk” was usually a young person whose main job was to serve ice cream sodas in a drugstore. The server would “jerk” the handle on the soda fountain to dispense the soda water, giving the job its distinctive name.

42 How much freelance work is done : ON SPEC

The term “free lance” was coined by Sir Walter Scott in his 1820 novel “Ivanhoe”, when he used it to describe a medieval mercenary warrior. Forty years later, a “freelancer” was a journalist who did work for more than one publication without a long-term commitment.

43 Tropical fruit : PAPAYA

The papaya is the fruit of the Carica papaya, a large tree-like plant that is native to southern Mexico and Central America. One traditional use of papaya is as a meat tenderizer. The fruit and sap contain the enzyme papain that breaks down meat fibers. Papain is used today as a component in powdered meat tenderizers.

46 Charlatan : HOAXER

A charlatan is someone who makes false claims of skill or knowledge. “Charlatan” is a word we imported from French, although the original derivation is the Italian “ciarlatano”, a term meaning “quack”.

51 Hog owner : BIKER

The Harley-Davidson motorcycle company was founded in the very early 1900s by two childhood friends, William Harley and Arthur Davidson, . Their first design was in effect an engine hooked up to a pedal bicycle, but the 116 cc cylinder capacity simply couldn’t generate enough power to get up the hills of their native city of Milwaukee. The pair came up with a redesigned model that had a cylinder capacity of 405 cc, which the partners built in a shed at the back of Davidson’s house. In 1906, the partners built their first factory, located where the company’s headquarters is to this day, on Juneau Avenue in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Famously, Harley motorcycles are nicknamed “hogs”.

55 Gad about : ROVE

To gad about is to move around with little purpose. The word “gad” comes from the Middle English “gadden” meaning “to hurry”.

57 Author Harper : LEE

Nelle Harper Lee was an author from Monroeville, Alabama. For many years, Lee had only one published novel to her name, i.e. “To Kill a Mockingbird”. That contribution to the world of literature was enough to earn her the Presidential Medal of Freedom and a Pulitzer Prize. Harper Lee was a close friend of fellow author Truman Capote who was the inspiration for the character named “Dill” in her novel. Lee was all over the news in 2015 as she had published a second novel, titled “Go Set a Watchman”. The experts seem to be agreeing that “Go Set a Watchman” is actually a first draft of “To Kill a Mockingbird”. Lee passed away less than a year after “Go Set a Watchman” hit the stores.

58 11, at times: Abbr. : NOV

November is the eleventh month in our calendar. The name comes from the Latin “novem” meaning “nine”, as November was the ninth month in the ancient Roman calendar.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Bay of __, which includes the Cantabrian Sea : BISCAY
7 Port captured in Sherman’s March to the Sea : SAVANNAH
15 Odysseus’ kingdom : ITHACA
16 Regional birds : AVIFAUNA
17 Cuts off contact with : GHOSTS
18 Sense organ : RECEPTOR
19 Makes a long face : POUTS
20 Kingston address : MON
21 Site with “Living Healthy” guides : WEBMD
22 Alibis : OUTS
23 Two-faced god : JANUS
25 Breeze (through) : SAIL
26 Family-friendly ratings : PGS
27 Smooth operator, one would hope : SURGEON
29 “The Last Jedi” heroine : REY
30 Tight military formation : PHALANX
32 Makeup kit item : Q-TIP
34 Charge : ATTACK
35 Monopoly pieces : HOUSES
39 Expert : WHIZ
41 Florida’s first two-term Republican governor : JEB BUSH
42 Black __ : OPS
45 “Listen to me … ” : SEE HERE …
47 Early GE subsidiary : RCA
48 Down times : NAPS
50 Sound from one who’s out : SNORE
51 Bird’s-eye view? : BEAK
52 Minor arguments : SPATS
54 Black Hills terr. : DAK
55 Biathlete’s need : RIFLE
56 Apparent displacement due to perspective : PARALLAX
58 Some cells : NOKIAS
59 Agreeable way of seeing : EYE-TO-EYE
60 Go too far : OVERDO
61 Oopsy or Funshine, e.g. : CARE BEAR
62 “Pippin” Tony winner : VEREEN

Down

1 Rap hit heard in the 2009 biopic “Notorious” : BIG POPPA
2 “… or so __” : I THOUGHT
3 Gives an earful : SHOUTS AT
4 Groups of players : CASTS
5 What many a player does : ACTS
6 “__, queen!”: slangy celebratory words : YAS
7 It’s a wrap : SARONG
8 Tony-winning musical that draws inspiration from “Sesame Street” : AVENUE Q
9 Ford’s Crown __ : VIC
10 Not many : A FEW
11 Shaving spots : NAPES
12 Nature Valley offering : NUT BAR
13 Breakdown of social norms : ANOMIE
14 Barely : HARDLY
20 Chico was the first-born one : MARX
23 Buffs : JUNKIES
24 “Neener neener!” : SO THERE!
27 Big name in investment banking : SACHS
28 Mythical weeper : NIOBE
31 Bar subject : LAW
33 Bar : PUB
36 Guaranteed : SURE-FIRE
37 Cadillac SUV : ESCALADE
38 Agrees to, in a way : SHAKES ON
40 Singer/actress who voices Meechee in “Smallfoot” : ZENDAYA
41 Soda __ : JERK
42 How much freelance work is done : ON SPEC
43 Tropical fruit : PAPAYA
44 More scant : SPARER
46 Charlatan : HOAXER
49 Condition : STATE
51 Hog owner : BIKER
53 Disorderly sort : SLOB
55 Gad about : ROVE
57 Author Harper : LEE
58 11, at times: Abbr. : NOV