LA Times Crossword 3 Jun 23, Saturday

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Constructed by: Emma Lawson & Larry Snyder
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Theme: None

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

Bill’s time: 15m 23s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

11 1980s pop duo : WHAM!

I found out relatively recently that the eighties pop duo that we knew on the other side of the Atlantic as “Wham!” were better known as “Wham! UK” in North America. Apparently there already was a band called Wham! here in the US. Wham! UK was composed of singers George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley. George Michael made it big as a solo artist after the pair broke up and Ridgeley kind of faded into obscurity, relatively speaking.

15 Hardest part of making guacamole : AVOCADO PIT

Guacamole is one of my favorite dishes. It is prepared by mashing avocados and perhaps adding the likes of tomato, onion and lime juice. The guacamole recipe dates back as early as the 16th century, to the time of the Aztecs. “Guacamole” translates as “avocado sauce”.

16 Spooned, maybe : HELD

When two people are “spooning”, cuddling in bed perhaps, the person in the back is referred to as the “big spoon”, and the person in front is the “little spoon”.

17 Tropical mocktail : NADA COLADA

“Piña colada” is a Spanish term that translates into “strained pineapple”. The piña colada cocktail was introduced in the Caribe Hilton San Juan in 1954, and since 1978 it has been the official beverage of Puerto Rico. The mocktail version of the drink is known as a nada colada.

18 Some Minecraft blocks : ORES

Minecraft is a video game that was released in 2011. It is the most popular video game of all time, with well over 200 million units sold.

22 Actress Winslet : KATE

Kate Winslet is one of my favorite actresses, one known for taking both the big Hollywood roles while still finding the time to act in smaller independent films. Perhaps Winslet’s most famous part was opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in “Titanic”, although she won her Oscar for a more dramatic role in “The Reader”. But my favorite of her performances is in the romantic comedy “The Holiday” from 2006. I love that movie …

23 Mathewson who was one of the first five inductees into the Baseball Hall of Fame : CHRISTY

Christy Mathewson was a Major League pitcher who played 17 seasons with the New York Giants. He won three World Series championships with the Giants, in 1903, 1911, and 1912. He was also named MVP of the 1911 World Series. In 1936, Mathewson was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame as one of its first five members.

25 Blackthorn berries : SLOES

The sloe is the fruit of the blackthorn bush, and the main flavoring ingredient in sloe gin. A sloe looks like a small plum, but is usually much more tart in taste.

27 __ Troopa: Nintendo turtlelike creature : KOOPA

Koopa Troopas are turtle-like creatures that appear in the Mario video game franchise. “Koopas” are known in Japan as “Nokonoko”.

30 Some viewer-supported broadcasts : PBS SHOWS

The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) was founded in 1970, and is my favorite of the broadcast networks. I love PBS’s drama and science shows in particular, and always watch election results coming in with the NewsHour team.

36 Richard Williams, to Venus and Serena : DADAGER

A “dad” who “manages” a famous son or daughter might be called a “dadager”. A “mom” performing the same role might be called a “momager”.

Richard Williams is a former tennis coach and the father of tennis players Venus Williams and Serena Williams. He has been credited with helping to shape the careers of Venus and Serena Williams, and he is a major reason why they are considered two of the greatest tennis players of all time. Richard was portrayed by Will Smith in the hit 2021 film “King Richard”.

38 Tiny object that goes around the world? : MINI YO-YO

A basic yo-yo trick is to make it go “around the world”. It looks cool, but it’s hard to describe in words …

40 Group that meets regularly to practice spelling? : COVEN

“Coven” is an old Scottish word meaning simply “gathering”. The first known application of the word to witchcraft came during the trial of a Scotswoman in 1662 accused of being a witch. At that time, “coven” came to mean a group of 13 witches.

43 Teléfono answer : HOLA

In Spanish, one might answer “el teléfono” (the telephone) with the word “Aló” (hello).

47 Neptune’s largest moon : TRITON

Given that Neptune was the Roman god of the freshwater and the sea, the moons of the planet Neptune are all named with reference to water. For example, the largest moon is Triton, named for the Greek sea god and son of Poseidon. The innermost moon is Naiad, named for the female water spirits of Greek mythology.

50 Cooler at sea : BRIG

A brig is a two-masted sailing vessel, with the name “brig” coming from the related vessel known as a brigantine. Brigs and brigantines are both two-masted, but there is a difference in the sails used. It was the use of retired brigs as prison ships that led to the use of “brig” as the word for a jail or prison cell on a seagoing vessel.

Down

1 Maker of Købenstyle casseroles : DANSK

Despite the Danish-sounding name, “Dansk” was an American company that manufactured and distributed tableware and cookware. It was founded in 1954 by a couple in the garage of their home in Great Neck, New York after a visit to Denmark where they found a unique design of cutlery that they arranged to fabricate here in the US. The company was founded to showcase the flatware created by Danish designer Jens Quistgaard. The Dansk brand is now owned by Lenox. The name “Dansk” is Danish for “Danish”!

2 Pomeranian voiced by Emma Stone in Disney’s “Suite Life” franchise : IVANA

“The Suite Life of Zack & Cody” is a Disney sitcom that aired from 2005 to 2008. The series follows the lives of Zack and Cody Martin, twin brothers who live with their single mother, Carey, in a penthouse suite at the Tipton Hotel in Boston.

Actress Emma Stone is from Scottsdale, Arizona. Stone really came to prominence with her performance in the 2010 high school movie called “Easy A”. She won the Best Actress Oscar for her performance in the 2016 movie “La La Land”. Now one of the most sought-after actresses in Hollywood, Stone values her privacy and works hard to maintain a low profile. Good for her, I say …

3 Focus of actors working as waiters? : GODOT

“Waiting for Godot” is a play by novelist and playwright Samuel Beckett that premiered in 1953. Irishman Beckett actually wrote the piece in French, under the title “En attendant Godot”. He then translated the play into English himself.

8 Clean water agcy. : EPA

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

10 Video Olympics platform : ATARI

Video Olympics is a video game collection for the Atari 2600 gaming console. The collection was published at the same time as the gaming system was released, in 1977. The included titles are all bat-and-ball style games, e.g. Pong, Super Pong and Foozpong.

13 Some steinfuls : ALES

A stein is a type of beer glass. The term “stein” is German in origin, and is short for “Steinkrug” meaning “stone jug”. “Stein” is German for “stone”.

14 Physical pros : MDS

Medical doctor (MD)

23 Farm moms : COWS

Today’s cattle are believed to have originated from two small groups of wild aurochs that were domesticated about 10,500 years ago. One group gave rise to the taurine cattle that we find primarily in Europe, the Americas and Australia. The second group gave rise to the indicine cattle (also “zebus”, “humped cattle”) primarily found in the Indian sub-continent.

25 Decathlon event : SHOT PUT

Shot put, or events like shot put, have been around for millennia, but the first events that truly resemble today’s track and field event had to come with the invention of the cannonball. Soldiers would “put” (throw) cannonballs as far as possible in attempts to outperform each other. Shot put has been in the modern Olympic Games since day-one, with American Robert Garrett winning the gold in the first games in 1896.

The decathlon event is a track and field competition, with the name “decathlon” coming from the Greek “deka” (ten) and “athlos” (contest). The ten events in the men’s decathlon are:

  • 100 meters
  • Long jump
  • Shot put
  • High jump
  • 400 meters
  • 110 meters hurdles
  • Discus throw
  • Pole vault
  • Javelin throw
  • 1500 meters

30 Tawny __ : PORT

We tend to see two main styles of port (although there are several available): ruby and tawny. Ruby port is stored in concrete or stainless steel tanks that prevent oxidative aging, leaving the wine a bright red color. Tawny port is aged in wooden barrels, which allow gradual oxidation, leaving the wine a golden-brown color.

31 “The __ Crew”: Milwaukee nickname : BREW

“The Brew Crew” is a nickname of the Milwaukee Brewers baseball team.

The Milwaukee Brewers Major League Baseball (MLB) team was founded in 1969 as the Seattle Pilots. The Pilots only played one season in Seattle before going bankrupt, relocating to Milwaukee and adopting the “Brewers” name. At that time, the Brewers were playing in the American League, and joined the National League in 1998. Only two MLB teams have switched leagues, the other being the Houston Astros.

33 “The Boys” superhero who fires destructive beams : STARLIGHT

Erin Moriarty is an actress from New York City whose big break came when she landed the role of Starlight (aka AnnieJanuary) in the superhero TV series “The Boys”.

34 Nemesis : BANE

Today, we tend to use the word “bane” to mean “anathema, a source of persistent annoyance”. A few centuries ago, a bane was a cause of harm or death, perhaps a deadly poison.

Nemesis was a Greek goddess, the goddess of retribution. Her role was to make pay those individuals who were either haughty or arrogant. In modern parlance, one’s nemesis (plural “nemeses”) is one’s sworn enemy, often someone who is the exact opposite in character but someone who still shares some important characteristics. A nemesis is often someone one cannot seem to beat in competition.

36 Low bar? : DIVE

We’ve been using the word “dive” in American English for a run-down bar since the latter half of the 19th century. The term comes from the fact that disreputable taverns were usually located in basements, so one had to figuratively dive into them. I’m a big fan …

38 Sun chaser? : MON

The days of the week are named for celestial bodies and gods

  • Sunday — Sun’s Day
  • Monday — Moon’s Day
  • Tuesday — Tiu’s day
  • Wednesday — Woden’s day
  • Thursday — Thor’s day
  • Friday — Freya’s day
  • Saturday — Saturn’s day

44 “Cocaine Bear” actor __ Jackson Jr. : O’SHEA

O’Shea Jackson Jr. is an American actor and rapper who is best known for his portrayal of his own father, rapper Ice Cube, in the biopic “Straight Outta Compton” (2015).

“Cocaine Bear” is a 2023 horror comedy film loosely inspired by the true story of the “Cocaine Bear”, an American black bear that ingested nearly 75 lb of lost cocaine. The movie is a darkly comedic take on the true story of the Cocaine Bear. The film’s cast includes Ray Liotta, and It is dedicated to him as he died in May 2022.

45 Singer Rimes : LEANN

LeAnn Rimes has been a country music star since she was 13 years old. In 2008 she disclosed publicly that she suffered from the autoimmune disease psoriasis. She has been active since then in raising money to fight the disease and helping fund cancer research as well. So, not only did Rimes win three Grammy Awards in 1997, she also won a 2009 Humanitarian Award from the Academy of Country Music.

49 Parks of Alabama : ROSA

Rosa Parks was one of a cadre of brave women in days gone by who refused to give up their seats on a bus to white women. It was the stand taken by Rosa Parks on December 1, 1955 that sparked the Montgomery, Alabama Bus Boycott. President Clinton presented Ms. Parks with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1996. When she died in 2005, Rosa Parks became the first ever woman to have her body lie in honor in the US Capitol Rotunda.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Age of the information superhighway : DIGITAL ERA
11 1980s pop duo : WHAM!
15 Hardest part of making guacamole : AVOCADO PIT
16 Spooned, maybe : HELD
17 Tropical mocktail : NADA COLADA
18 Some Minecraft blocks : ORES
19 Sounds from a bull pen : SNORTS
20 Fulfills a take-out order? : ERASES
22 Actress Winslet : KATE
23 Mathewson who was one of the first five inductees into the Baseball Hall of Fame : CHRISTY
25 Blackthorn berries : SLOES
27 __ Troopa: Nintendo turtlelike creature : KOOPA
30 Some viewer-supported broadcasts : PBS SHOWS
34 “Best sleep on it before deciding” : BE SURE
35 Big talkers : ORATORS
36 Richard Williams, to Venus and Serena : DADAGER
37 “I can __” : RELATE
38 Tiny object that goes around the world? : MINI YO-YO
39 Boob : TWERP
40 Group that meets regularly to practice spelling? : COVEN
41 Date : PLUS-ONE
43 Teléfono answer : HOLA
47 Neptune’s largest moon : TRITON
48 Up : ARISEN
50 Cooler at sea : BRIG
51 “Facts!” : AMEN TO THAT!
54 “That must hurt” : OUCH
55 Rant and rave in public : MAKE A SCENE
56 Ruby Queen, e.g. : BEET
57 “Little help, please!” : I NEED A HAND!

Down

1 Maker of Købenstyle casseroles : DANSK
2 Pomeranian voiced by Emma Stone in Disney’s “Suite Life” franchise : IVANA
3 Focus of actors working as waiters? : GODOT
4 “You matter to me” : I CARE
5 Delicacy : TACT
6 Fusses : ADOS
7 “U slay me!” : LOL!
8 Clean water agcy. : EPA
9 Backseat drivers, e.g. : RIDERS
10 Video Olympics platform : ATARI
11 “Maybe, maybe not” : WHO’S TO SAY?
12 “As requested” : HERE YOU GO
13 Some steinfuls : ALES
14 Physical pros : MDS
21 Welcomed : ASKED IN
23 Farm moms : COWS
24 Guys : HES
25 Decathlon event : SHOT PUT
26 Legends : LORE
28 Quarry : PREY
29 Flight-related prefix : AERO-
30 Tawny __ : PORT
31 “The __ Crew”: Milwaukee nickname : BREW
32 Attractive figure? : SALE PRICE
33 “The Boys” superhero who fires destructive beams : STARLIGHT
34 Nemesis : BANE
36 Low bar? : DIVE
38 Sun chaser? : MON
40 Hustler : CON MAN
42 “Me too” : SO AM I
43 Snag : HITCH
44 “Cocaine Bear” actor __ Jackson Jr. : O’SHEA
45 Singer Rimes : LEANN
46 Paid to play : ANTED
47 “Facts!” : TRUE!
48 Not much : A TAD
49 Parks of Alabama : ROSA
50 Small float : BOB
52 Squeak (out) : EKE
53 Once called : NEE