LA Times Crossword 21 Mar 19, Thursday

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Constructed by: Ed Sessa
Edited by: Rich Norris

Today’s Reveal Answer: Shaken Bake

Themed answers include “BAKE” as a hidden word, although the order of the letters has been SHAKEN up:

  • 59A Breadcrumb coating brand … or, as two words, what is found in the answers to starred clues : SHAKE ‘N BAKE … or SHAKEN BAKE
  • 17A *Hazards for herpetologists : SNAKEBITES
  • 26A *Square-shaped ice cream treat : KLONDIKE BAR
  • 44A *Novel narrated by a horse : BLACK BEAUTY
  • 11D *Pry : POKE ABOUT
  • 31D *Doggie bag item : STEAK BONE

Bill’s time: 7m 47s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Mosque leaders : IMAMS

An imam is a Muslim leader, and often the person in charge of a mosque or perhaps a Muslim community.

6 Teddy-bearlike Star Wars figure : EWOK

The Ewoks are creatures that live on the moon of Endor in the “Star Wars” universe. First appearing in “Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi”, they’re the cute and cuddly little guys that look like teddy bears.

14 Prime production : MOVIE

Amazon Prime is a membership service that Amazon introduced in 2005. From my perspective, the main features coming with Amazon Prime are free two-day shipping and a large collection of free movies and TV shows that are available for streaming.

15 Vase-making dynasty : MING

The Ming Dynasty lasted in China from 1368 to 1644. The Ming Dynasty oversaw tremendous innovation in so many areas, including the manufacture of ceramics. Late in the Ming period, a shift towards a market economy in China led to the export of porcelain on an unprecedented scale, perhaps explaining why we tend to hear more about Ming vases than we do about porcelain from any other Chinese dynasty.

16 Legal plea, briefly : NOLO

“Nolo contendere” (sometimes shortened to “nolo”) is a legal term that translates from Latin as “I do not wish to contend”. It’s the plea of no contest, and is an alternative to guilty and not guilty, meaning that one doesn’t admit guilt but nor does one dispute the charge.

17 *Hazards for herpetologists : SNAKEBITES

Herpetology is the study of amphibians and reptiles. The term “herpetology” comes from the Greek “herpeton” meaning “creeping animal” and “-logia” meaning “knowledge”.

19 Ring calls : TKOS

Technical knockout (TKO)

20 Falco of “The Sopranos” : 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.

21 Designer Schiaparelli : ELSA

Elsa Schiaparelli was an Italian fashion designer, and a great rival of the perhaps more famous Coco Chanel. Schiaparelli was most successful between the two World Wars, but her business closed in 1954 as she failed to adapt to changing tastes after WWII.

22 Classic mother-and-son statue : PIETA

The Pietà is a representation of the Virgin Mary holding in her arms the dead body of her son Jesus. The most famous Pietà is undoubtedly the sculpted rendition by Michelangelo that is located in St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. That particular sculpture is thought to be the only work that Michelangelo signed. In some depictions of the Pietà, Mary and her son are surrounded by other figures from the New Testament. Such depictions are known as Lamentations.

23 Didn’t emulate Washington? : TOLD A LIE

The famous story about George Washington cutting down a cherry tree as a child has been shown to be fiction. He supposedly was confronted by his father after taking an axe to a tree and confessed with the words, “I’m sorry father, I cannot tell a lie”. Not true …

25 Programming language with a coffee icon : JAVA

Java is a programming language that was developed by Sun Microsystems. Java was originally designed for interactive television, but it didn’t fit the needs at the time. Back then, the language was called Oak, named after an oak tree that stood outside the designer’s office. Later it was called Green, and finally named Java, which was simply picked out of a list of random words.

26 *Square-shaped ice cream treat : KLONDIKE BAR

The delicious treat made from an ice cream square covered with chocolate is actually called a “Klondike”, and not the oft-cited “Klondike Bar”. The Klondike “bar” was introduced in the early 1920s and takes its name from the Klondike River of Yukon, Canada.

30 North-of-the-border gas : ESSO

The brand name Esso has its roots in the old Standard Oil company as it uses the initial letters of “Standard” and “Oil” (ESS-O). The Esso brand was replaced by Exxon in the US, but ESSO is still used in many other countries.

34 What the fourth little piggy had : NONE

This little piggy went to market,
This little piggy stayed home,
This little piggy had roast beef,
This little piggy had none,
And this little piggy went wee wee wee all the way home.

41 Shuttlecock’s path : ARC

A shuttlecock is the conical, feathered projectile used in the game of badminton. Previously referred to as a “shuttlecork”, the object is probably so named because it is “shuttled” back and forth over the net, and because the feathers resemble those on a cockerel.

43 Dols. and cts. : AMTS

Amount (amt.)

44 *Novel narrated by a horse : BLACK BEAUTY

English novelist Anna Sewell only wrote one book in her life, which was the immensely popular “Black Beauty” first published in 1877. The book was written at the tail end of Sewell’s life, over a period of six years while her health was declining. “Black Beauty” was an immediate success, and is supposedly the sixth best selling title in the English language. Sewell died just five months after the book was published, but she did get to see its immediate success.

48 Spelled-out strikeouts : KAYS

In baseball, the traditional abbreviation used for a strikeout is a letter K (kay).

49 Best Buy buys : FM RADIOS

In telecommunications, a radio signal is transmitted using a sinusoidal carrier wave. Information is transmitted using this carrier wave in two main ways, by varying (modulating) the instantaneous amplitude (signal strength) of the carrier wave, and by modulating the instantaneous frequency of the carrier wave. The former is referred to as an AM signal (“amplitude modulation”), and the latter as an FM signal (“frequency modulation”).

Best Buy is a retailer specializing in the supply of consumer electronics. Best Buy services include the famous “Geek Squad”, a band of technical experts that will help solve your computer and other consumer electronic problems.

56 Great Plains tribe : OTOE

The Otoe (also “Oto”) Native American tribe originated in the Great Lakes region as part of the Winnebago or Siouan tribes. The group that would become the Otoe broke away from the Winnebago and migrated southwestward, ending up in the Great Plains. In the plains the Otoe adopted a semi-nomadic lifestyle dependent on the horse, with the American bison becoming central to their diet.

57 Eurasia’s __ Mountains : URAL

The eastern side of the Ural Mountains in Russia and Kazakhstan is generally regarded as the natural divide between the continents of Europe and Asia.

59 Breadcrumb coating brand … or, as two words, what is found in the answers to starred clues : SHAKE ‘N BAKE … or SHAKEN BAKE

Shake ‘n Bake is a flavored, breadcrumb-like coating made for meats. Introduced in 1965, the idea is to shake the coating with pieces of meat in a bag and then bake in the oven.

61 Poet St. Vincent Millay : EDNA

Edna St. Vincent Millay was an American poet and playwright, and the third woman to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry (in 1923 for “The Ballad of the Harp-Weaver”). Millay was noted not only for her work, but also for the open arrangement that she and her husband had in their marriage. Millay took many lovers, including the poet George Dillon, for whom she wrote a number of sonnets.

62 Funny Fey : TINA

Tina Fey’s 2011 humorous autobiography “Bossypants” topped the New York Times Best Seller list for five weeks.

65 Fragrant arrangement : POSY

“Poesy” was the name given to a line of verse engraved on the inner surface of a ring. The related word “posy”, for a bouquet of flowers, arose with the notion that giving a posy might be a message of love, just as a poesy inside a ring could have the same meaning.

66 Property claims : LIENS

A lien is the right that one has to retain or secure someone’s property until a debt is paid. When an individual takes out a car loan, for example, the lending bank is usually a lien holder. The bank releases the lien on the car when the loan is paid in full.

Down

2 Columbus’ world : MONDO

“Mondo” is Italian for “world”.

Christopher Columbus set off on four voyages of exploration from Spain. The initial intent of the expeditions was to establish an ocean link with the Indian subcontinent, by sailing westward. Columbus reached the Americas instead of India, yet insisted on calling the natives “indios”, the Spanish word for “Indians”.

6 Estevez of “The Breakfast Club” : EMILIO

Emilio Estevez is one of the members of Hollywood’s famous “Brat Pack”, having appeared in “The Breakfast Club” and “St. Elmo’s Fire”. Estevez’s father (and can’t you tell it from looking at him?) is actor Martin Sheen. Estevez decided to keep his father’s real name, and not the stage name of “Sheen”. Charlie Sheen is Emilio’s brother, and Charlie’s real name is Carlos Estevez.

“The Breakfast Club” is a fabulous teen drama film (a genre that I usually avoid like the plague) released in 1985. It is directed by John Hughes, and stars Judd Nelson, Emilio Estevez, Anthony Michael Hall, Molly Ringwald and Ally Sheedy as the students at a Saturday school detention class.

8 Service status : ONE-A

The US government maintains information on all males who are potentially subject to military conscription, using what is called the Selective Service System (SSS). In the event that a draft was held, men registered would be classified into groups to determine eligibility for service. Class 1-A registrants are those available for unrestricted military service. Other classes are 1-A-O (conscientious objector available for noncombatant service), 4-A (registrant who has completed military service) and 4-D (Minister of religion).

9 Metric wts. : KGS

Today, the gram is defined as one thousandth of a kilogram, with the kilogram being equal to the mass of physical sample preserved by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures. Prior to 1960, the gram was defined as the weight of a cubic centimeter of pure water (at the temperature of melting ice).

10 Treatment for 17-Across : ANTIVENOM

(17A *Hazards for herpetologists : SNAKEBITES)
Antivenom is made by extracting venom from say a snake (so called “milking”) and then diluting it and injecting it into a host animal (like a cat, horse or sheep). The animal undergoes an immune response and produces antibodies to neutralize the poison. The antibodies are harvested from the animal’s blood and are stored for use with victims who are bitten by the same snake, or by some other creature that injects the same or a similar venom. I guess antivenom might also be called antiserum …

13 Slugger Sammy : SOSA

Sammy Sosa was firmly in the public eye in 1998 when he and Mark McGwire were vying to be the first to surpass the home run record held by Roger Maris. McGwire fell out of public favor due to stories of steroid abuse (stories which he later admitted were true) while Sosa fell out of favor when he was found to be using a corked bat in a 2003 game.

22 Karachi’s country: Abbr. : PAK

The suffix “-stan” in many place names is Persian for “place of”. One example is “Pakistan”, the Place of the Pure. “Pakistan” is a relatively recent name, first coined in 1933. It comes from the abbreviation PAKSTAN, standing for Punjab – Afghan Province – Kashmir – Sindh – BaluchisTAN, all regions in the north of India. The “I” was added to Pakistan to make it easier to pronounce, and to fit the translation “Land of the Pure”.

Karachi is the largest city in Pakistan. Karachi was the country’s capital when Pakistan gained independence from Britain in 1947. The capital was moved to Rawalpindi in 1958, and then to the newly built city of Islamabad in 1960.

24 “Locked Up” rapper : AKON

Akon is a Senegalese American R&B and hip hop singer, who was born in St. Louis but lived much of his early life in Senegal. Akon is a stage name, and his real name is Aliaune Damala Bouga Time Bongo Puru Nacka Lu Lu Lu Badara Akon Thiam. Got that?

25 Iwo __ : JIMA

Iwo Jima is a volcanic island located south of Tokyo that today is uninhabited. The name is Japanese for “Sulfur Island”, referring to the sulfur mining on which Iwo Jima’s economy once depended. There were about a thousand Japanese civilians living on the island prior to WWII. In 1944, there was a massive influx of Japanese military personnel in anticipation of the inevitable US invasion. As the Japanese military moved in, the civilians were forced out and no one has lived there since. Control of the island was wrested from the Japanese in the five-week Battle of Iwo Jima in 1945. Said battle was one of the bloodiest in the Pacific theater in WWII.

30 First name in tea : EARL

The Earl Grey blend of tea is supposedly named after Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey who was Prime Minister of the UK from 1830 to 1834. Earl Grey tea has a distinctive flavor that is largely due to the addition of oil from the rind of the bergamot orange.

32 Host of the 1950s’ “Your Show of Shows” : SID CAESAR

Sid Caesar achieved fame in the fifties on TV’s “Your Show of Shows”. To be honest, I know Sid Caesar mainly from the very entertaining film version of the musical “Grease”, in which he played Coach Calhoun.

36 Keep-on connection : TABS

To keep tabs on someone is to watch him or her carefully. Back in the late 1800s, the phrase was written as “keep a tab on”, with “tab” being short for “tablet”, in the sense of a writing tablet.

37 Cal. neighbor : ORE

The Oregon Treaty of 1846 settled a dispute between the US and the UK over sovereignty of the Oregon Country. “The Oregon Country” was the name given by the Americans to a large swathe of land west of the Rocky Mountains. That same disputed land was known as the Columbia Department by the British. Oregon became is a US state in 1859.

39 Sisterhood name in a 2002 film : YA-YA

The 2002 film “Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood” was a screen adaptation of the successful novel of the same name by Rebecca Wells. The Ya-Ya Sisterhood is a secret order created by four little girls from Louisiana, all of whom get together in later life to reassure a potential bride of the wonders of marriage and love.

42 Mideast tunics : CAFTANS

A kaftan (also “caftan”) is long robe associated for thousands of years with Islamic cultures.

45 “The Spanish Tragedy” dramatist : KYD

Thomas Kyd’s most famous work is “The Spanish Tragedy”, a play written in the mid to late 1580s. Even though Kyd was a recognized dramatist within his own lifetime, he fell foul of the standards of the Privy Council of the day and was imprisoned and tortured for allegedly being an atheist. He died soon after, impoverished.

50 Largest UAE city : DUBAI

Dubai is one of the seven Emirates that make up the federation known as the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The two largest members of the UAE (geographically) are Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the only two of the seven members that have veto power over UAE policy.

54 Fingered : ID’ED

Identity document (ID)

56 Birthplace of seven presidents : OHIO

The state of Ohio shares the nickname “Mother of Presidents” with the state of Virginia, as seven US presidents were born there:

  • Ulysses S. Grant
  • Rutherford B. Hayes
  • James A. Garfield
  • Benjamin Harrison
  • William McKinley
  • William Howard Taft
  • Warren G. Harding

Additionally, Virginia born Henry Harrison lived most of his life in Ohio, and indeed is buried there.

59 Oil additive brand : STP

STP is a brand name of automotive lubricants and additives. The name “STP” is an initialism standing for “Scientifically Treated Petroleum”.

60 Org. with Vikings : NFL

The Minnesota Vikings joined the NFL as an expansion team in 1960. Founded in Minnesota, the team’s name reflects the location’s reputation as a center of Scandinavian-American culture.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Mosque leaders : IMAMS
6 Teddy-bearlike Star Wars figure : EWOK
10 What many icons open : APPS
14 Prime production : MOVIE
15 Vase-making dynasty : MING
16 Legal plea, briefly : NOLO
17 *Hazards for herpetologists : SNAKEBITES
19 Ring calls : TKOS
20 Falco of “The Sopranos” : EDIE
21 Designer Schiaparelli : ELSA
22 Classic mother-and-son statue : PIETA
23 Didn’t emulate Washington? : TOLD A LIE
25 Programming language with a coffee icon : JAVA
26 *Square-shaped ice cream treat : KLONDIKE BAR
30 North-of-the-border gas : ESSO
33 Not sharp : DIM
34 What the fourth little piggy had : NONE
35 Erode : EAT INTO
38 Bettor expectations : PAYOUTS
40 Brought up : BRED
41 Shuttlecock’s path : ARC
43 Dols. and cts. : AMTS
44 *Novel narrated by a horse : BLACK BEAUTY
48 Spelled-out strikeouts : KAYS
49 Best Buy buys : FM RADIOS
54 Sacked out : IN BED
56 Great Plains tribe : OTOE
57 Eurasia’s __ Mountains : URAL
58 Groups of two : DUOS
59 Breadcrumb coating brand … or, as two words, what is found in the answers to starred clues : SHAKE ‘N BAKE … or SHAKEN BAKE
61 Poet St. Vincent Millay : EDNA
62 Funny Fey : TINA
63 Meant to be : FATED
64 Road sign animal : DEER
65 Fragrant arrangement : POSY
66 Property claims : LIENS

Down

1 “That’s enough, thanks” : I’M SET
2 Columbus’ world : MONDO
3 Be of use to : AVAIL
4 Ready to be recorded : MIKED
5 Use one’s eyes : SEE
6 Estevez of “The Breakfast Club” : EMILIO
7 Breaking point : WITS’ END
8 Service status : ONE-A
9 Metric wts. : KGS
10 Treatment for 17-Across : ANTIVENOM
11 *Pry : POKE ABOUT
12 Novelist’s starting point : PLOT
13 Slugger Sammy : SOSA
18 Tolling place : BELL
22 Karachi’s country: Abbr. : PAK
24 “Locked Up” rapper : AKON
25 Iwo __ : JIMA
27 Drop down : DIP
28 Lines in the sand, perhaps : ANTS
29 Hi-__ image : RES
30 First name in tea : EARL
31 *Doggie bag item : STEAK BONE
32 Host of the 1950s’ “Your Show of Shows” : SID CAESAR
35 Drop off : EBB
36 Keep-on connection : TABS
37 Cal. neighbor : ORE
39 Sisterhood name in a 2002 film : YA-YA
42 Mideast tunics : CAFTANS
45 “The Spanish Tragedy” dramatist : KYD
46 “I guess it’s fine” : UM, OKAY
47 Genealogy chart : TREE
50 Largest UAE city : DUBAI
51 Fuming : IRATE
52 Like some casks : OAKEN
53 Downhill runners : SLEDS
54 Fingered : ID’ED
55 Art class subject : NUDE
56 Birthplace of seven presidents : OHIO
59 Oil additive brand : STP
60 Org. with Vikings : NFL