LA Times Crossword 2 Aug 22, Tuesday

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Constructed by: Ella Dershowitz
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Reveal Answer: Spell Book

Collectively, the first letters of themed answers SPELL out the word “BOOK”:

  • 59A Wizard’s reference, and what the first words of the answers to the starred clues do : SPELLBOOK
  • 16A *”Please don’t get hurt!” : BE CAREFUL
  • 22A *Have to pay back extra : OWE INTEREST
  • 34A *”Seriously!?” : OH BROTHER!
  • 51A *Mall store with engagement rings : KAY JEWELERS

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

Bill’s time: 6m 28s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

13 “Water Lilies” painter Claude : MONET

French artist Claude Monet was one of the founders of the Impressionist movement, and indeed the term “Impressionism” comes from the title of his 1872 painting “Impression, Sunrise”. That work depicts the port of Le Havre, which was Monet’s hometown. Later in his life, Monet purchased a house in Giverny, and famously installed lily ponds and a Japanese bridge in the property’s extensive gardens. He spent two decades painting the water lily ponds, producing his most famous works. I was fortunate enough to visit Monet’s house and gardens in Giverny a few years ago. A beautiful place …

“Water Lilies” by French Impressionist Claude Monet is actually a whole series of paintings, numbering about 250 in total. The subjects of the works were the water lilies in Monet’s flower garden at Giverny in northern France.

14 Nemesis : FOE

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.

15 Chicken structure : COOP

The Old English word “cypa”, meaning “basket”, evolved in the 14th century to the word “coop” to describe a small cage for poultry. We still use “coop” today.

18 Banks of fashion : TYRA

Tyra Banks is a tremendously successful model and businesswoman. Banks created and hosted the hit show “America’s Next Top Model “, and also had her own talk show. She was also the first African-American woman to make the cover of the “Sports Illustrated” swimsuit issue.

20 “Wake Up With Al” weather anchor : ROKER

Al Roker is best known as the weatherman on the “Today” show on NBC. He has successfully branched out from that platform though, and even co-wrote a novel called “The Morning Show Murders”, about a celebrity chef and TV host who gets entangled in mystery. Topical stuff …

21 “The Bachelorette” TV network : ABC

“The Bachelorette” is a reality television show about dating with the intent of marriage, and is a spin-off of “The Bachelor”. The marriage that resulted from the first season (2003) is still going strong, with the couple now the parents of two children.

28 Transitioned : SEGUED

A segue is a transition from one topic to the next. “Segue” is an Italian word that literally means “now follows”. It was first used in musical scores directing the performer to play into the next movement without a break. The oft-used term “segway” is given the same meaning, although the word “segway” doesn’t really exist. It is a misspelling of “segue” that has been popularized by its use as the name of the personal transporter known as a Segway.

29 Cultural funding org. : NEA

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an agency funded by the federal government that offers support and financing for artistic projects. The NEA was created by an Act of Congress in 1965. Between 1965 and 2008, the NEA awarded over $4 billion to the arts, with Congress authorizing around $170 million annually through the eighties and much of the nineties. That funding was cut to less than $100 million in the late nineties due to pressure from conservatives concerned about the use of funds, but it is now back over the $150 million mark.

30 Early PC platform : MS-DOS

MS-DOS (short for “Microsoft Disk Operating System”) was the main operating system used by IBM-compatible PCs in the eighties and for much of the nineties.

41 Many a Middle Easterner : ARAB

In geographical terms there are three “Easts”. “Near East” and “Middle East” are terms that are often considered synonymous, although “Near East” tends to be used when discussing ancient history and “Middle East” when referring to the present day. The Near/Middle East encompasses most of Western Asia and Egypt. The term “Far East” describes East Asia (including the Russian Far East), Southeast Asia and South Asia.

50 Garr of “Tootsie” : TERI

Actress Teri Garr had a whole host of minor roles in her youth, including appearances in nine Elvis movies. Garr’s big break came with the role of Inga in “Young Frankenstein”, and her supporting role in “Tootsie” earned Garr an Academy Award nomination. Sadly, Teri Garr suffers from multiple sclerosis. She is a National Ambassador for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

“Tootsie” is a hilarious 1982 comedy starring Dustin Hoffman in the title role, a male actor who adopts a female identity in order to land an acting job. Jessica Lange won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her performance in the film. “Tootsie” also provided Geena Davis with her first movie role.

51 *Mall store with engagement rings : KAY JEWELERS

Kay Jewelers is perhaps the most famous store brand owned by Sterling Jewelers. Sterling is the largest fine jewelry chain in the country, with the company’s main competitor being Zale Corporation.

55 Discontinued Apple music devices : IPODS

The iPod is Apple’s discontinued signature line of portable media players. The iPod first hit the market in 2001 with a hard drive-based device, now known as the iPod Classic. Later models all used flash memory, allowing a smaller form factor. The smallest of the flash-based models is the iPod Shuffle, which was introduced in 2005.

58 Italian volcano : ETNA

Italy is home to three active volcanoes:

  • Stromboli (in the Tyrrhenian Sea, off the north coast of Sicily)
  • Vesuvius (overlooking Naples)
  • Etna (on the island of Sicily)

64 Anti-frizz hair product : SERUM

Apparently, there are three reasons why a person might have frizzy hair. Firstly, genetics plays a role. Some folks are naturally inclined to have frizzy hair. Secondly, hair damage can cause frizz. This damage can be caused by brushing roughly or perhaps backcombing. Thirdly, humidity plays a key role. The hair absorbs moisture in humid environments causing proteins to swell. The varying proteins in the hair absorb moisture to greater and lesser extents, causing the hair to twist and bend. The irony of me writing about hair is not lost on me …

65 Christmas __ : TREE

The custom of decorating trees at Christmas seems to have originated in Renaissance Germany. Those first trees were placed in guildhalls and were decorated with sweets and candy for the apprentices and children. After the Protestant Reformation, the Christmas tree became an alternative in Protestant homes for the Roman Catholic Christmas cribs. The Christmas tree tradition was imported into Britain by the royal family because of its German heritage. That tradition spread from Britain into North America.

66 Zodiac sign between Cancer and Virgo : LEO

The constellation named Leo can be said to resemble a lion. Others say that it resembles a bent coat hanger. “Leo” is the Latin for “lion”, but I’m not sure how to translate “coat hanger” into Latin …

Down

1 Knocks back a few : IMBIBES

To imbibe is to drink or take in. The verb “to imbibe” ultimately comes from the Latin “in-” (into, in) and “bibere” (to drink).

3 __ 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?

6 Like sour milk : OFF

Milk naturally contains harmless lactobacillus bacteria. This bacteria feed on the lactose in the milk for energy, and creates lactic acid as a byproduct. It is this lactic acid that gives sour milk its acidic taste and odor. Pasteurization reduces the amount of lactobacillus in the milk, hence slowing the production of lactic acid.

7 Baseball Hall of Famer Brock : LOU

Lou Brock was a professional baseball player who played most of his career with the St. Louis Cardinals. Brock broke Ty Cobb’s all-time stolen base record (938) in 1977, and held that record until 1982.

10 Gruff footballer played by Brett Goldstein on “Ted Lasso” : ROY KENT

English actor and comedian Brett Goldstein is perhaps best known for portraying the grouchy midfielder and captain Roy Kent on the excellent sitcom “Ted Lasso”. Goldstein was originally hired as a writer for the show, but was then given the additional job of playing Kent.

12 Like a no-frills hotel room : SPARTAN

Sparta was a city-state in ancient Greece that was famous for her military might. Spartan children had a tough upbringing, and newborn babies were bathed in wine to see if the child was strong enough to survive. Every child was presented to a council of elders that decided if the baby was suitable for rearing. Those children deemed too puny were executed by tossing them into a chasm. We’ve been using the term “spartan” to describe something self-disciplined or austere since the 1600s.

17 Fencing sword : EPEE

The French word for sword is “épée”. In competitive fencing the épée is connected to a system that records an electrical signal when legal contact is made on an opponent’s body.

23 Satiric science prize for “research that makes people laugh, then think” : IG NOBEL

The Ig Nobel Prize is a series of ten satirical awards presented annually since 1991. Despite their humorous nature, the awards do have some gravitas and are presented by actual Nobel laureates. The main thrust of the award is veiled criticism of trivial scientific research.

24 Night in Paris : NUIT

The French capital Paris is nicknamed “La Ville Lumière” (The City of Light). There are two justifications cited for the moniker. Firstly, the city played a leading role during Europe’s Age of Enlightenment, in the 18th century. In fact, the French refer to the era as “the Century of Lights”. Secondly, and more literally, Paris was one of the first cities in Europe to adopt widespread gas street lighting. There were about 56,000 gas lights illuminating the streets of Paris in the 1860s.

25 Virginia __ : TECH

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) has its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. It was founded in 1872 as an agricultural and mechanical land-grant college. The school will forever be associated with the 2007 Virginia Tech massacre in which 32 people were shot dead on the campus, which at the time was the deadliest shooting incident by a lone gunman in US history. Sadly, That “record” has been outstripped in recent years.

27 WC : LOO

It has been suggested that the British term “loo”, meaning “toilet”, comes from “Waterloo” (water closet … water-loo), but no one seems to know for sure. Another suggestion is that the term comes from the card game of “lanterloo”, in which the pot was called the loo!

35 Tweezing target : BROW

Tweezers are small metal pincers used in handling small objects. Back in the 1600s, “tweeze” was the name given to the case in which such an implement was kept, and over time the case gave its name to the device itself. “Tweeze” evolved from “etweese”, the plural of “etwee”, which in turn came from “étui “, the French word for “small case”.

39 Travel kit plug : ADAPTER

There are really two classes of travel adapter. One converts the mains voltage available in “the wall” to the voltage needed by an electrical device. The second class of adapter accepts the plug configuration on a device while providing the configuration of prongs needed by the wall socket.

40 Most nominated woman in Grammy history : BEYONCE

Beyoncé Knowles established herself in the entertainment industry as the lead singer with the R&B group Destiny’s Child. She launched her solo singing career in 2002, after making her first appearance as an actor. In 2006 she played the lead in the very successful movie adaptation of the Broadway musical “Dreamgirls”. Beyoncé is married to rap star Jay-Z. She is also referred to affectionately as “Queen Bey”, a play on the phrase “the queen bee”. Her fan base goes by the name “Beyhive”.

43 Conniving : DEVIOUS

To connive is to conspire with, to cooperate in secret. The term comes from the Latin verb “connivere” meaning “to wink”, the idea being that connivers might give each other a sly wink.

44 Message on a Wonderland potion : DRINK ME

In Lewis Carroll’s “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”, Alice follows the white rabbit down a rabbit hole and finds a bottle labeled “DRINK ME”. When she drinks the contents, it causes her to shrink. She also sees a cake adorned with the words “EAT ME” written using currants, and when she eats the cake she grows so big she finds it hard to stand up. After eating the cake, she utters the words, “Curiouser and curiouser”.

48 List on Facebook Marketplace, say : SELL

The first version of Facebook Marketplace was introduced on the platform in 2007. It gave users a place to post classified ads related to selling items and houses, and to job searches. That original version was shut down after a couple of years. A revamped version of Facebook Marketplace was introduced in 2016, one that not only allows users to sell to each other, but also businesses to hawk their wares and services.

52 Matchmaking site available in Hebrew : JDATE

Spark Networks is a company that owns several special-interest dating sites online. The most famous is probably ChristianMingle.com, but there is also BlackSingles.com, LDSSingles.com, JDate.com and CatholicMingle.com.

53 Curved sword : SABER

A saber (sometimes “sabre”) is a sword with a curved blade and a relatively large hand guard. It is thought that the term originated with the Hungarian verb “szabni” meaning “to cut”.

57 Cartoon explorer with a talking backpack : DORA

“Dora the Explorer” is a cartoon series shown on Nickelodeon. Part of Dora’s remit is to introduce the show’s young viewers to some Spanish words and phrases. Dora’s constant companion is an anthropomorphic monkey named “Boots”, because he always wears red boots. She also hangs out with Isa, an iguana.

59 “Blueberries for __”: Caldecott Honor Book by Robert McCloskey : SAL

“Blueberries for Sal” is a children’s storybook by Robert McCloskey that was published in 1948. It won the Caldecott Medal in 1949, recognizing “Blueberries for Sal” as the most distinguished picture for children released in the preceding year.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Tappable screen symbols : ICONS
6 Spanish “Bravo!” : OLE!
9 Canine cries : ARFS
13 “Water Lilies” painter Claude : MONET
14 Nemesis : FOE
15 Chicken structure : COOP
16 *”Please don’t get hurt!” : BE CAREFUL!
18 Banks of fashion : TYRA
19 Listening device : WIRETAP
20 “Wake Up With Al” weather anchor : ROKER
21 “The Bachelorette” TV network : ABC
22 *Have to pay back extra : OWE INTEREST
26 Movie roll : REEL
28 Transitioned : SEGUED
29 Cultural funding org. : NEA
30 Early PC platform : MS-DOS
32 “Well played” : NICE
33 Countdown start : TEN …
34 *”Seriously!?” : OH BROTHER!
38 Quick blow : JAB
41 Many a Middle Easterner : ARAB
42 Like a post-rain hike : MUDDY
46 Poetic tribute : ODE
47 To a greater extent : MORE SO
50 Garr of “Tootsie” : TERI
51 *Mall store with engagement rings : KAY JEWELERS
54 Skybox guest : VIP
55 Discontinued Apple music devices : IPODS
56 Preambles : LEAD-INS
58 Italian volcano : ETNA
59 Wizard’s reference, and what the first words of the answers to the starred clues do : SPELLBOOK
62 Faction : SECT
63 Bowler’s asset : AIM
64 Anti-frizz hair product : SERUM
65 Christmas __ : TREE
66 Zodiac sign between Cancer and Virgo : LEO
67 Remove : ERASE

Down

1 Knocks back a few : IMBIBES
2 Strong-armed : COERCED
3 __ in a blue moon : ONCE
4 “How cool” : NEATO!
5 Juice box inserts : STRAWS
6 Like sour milk : OFF
7 Baseball Hall of Famer Brock : LOU
8 Long wriggly fish : EEL
9 Audition hopeful : ACTOR
10 Gruff footballer played by Brett Goldstein on “Ted Lasso” : ROY KENT
11 Know in advance : FORESEE
12 Like a no-frills hotel room : SPARTAN
17 Fencing sword : EPEE
19 Like shorts weather : WARM
20 Turn in for cash : REDEEM
23 Satiric science prize for “research that makes people laugh, then think” : IG NOBEL
24 Night in Paris : NUIT
25 Virginia __ : TECH
27 WC : LOO
31 Disgraces : SHAMES
35 Tweezing target : BROW
36 Hard to find : RARE
37 Boring routine : RUT
38 Least serious : JOKIEST
39 Travel kit plug : ADAPTER
40 Most nominated woman in Grammy history : BEYONCE
43 Conniving : DEVIOUS
44 Message on a Wonderland potion : DRINK ME
45 Sharp barks : YIPS
48 List on Facebook Marketplace, say : SELL
49 Warning words : OR ELSE!
52 Matchmaking site available in Hebrew : JDATE
53 Curved sword : SABER
57 Cartoon explorer with a talking backpack : DORA
59 “Blueberries for __”: Caldecott Honor Book by Robert McCloskey : SAL
60 Diner slice : PIE
61 Moody genre : EMO