LA Times Crossword 22 Jun 22, Wednesday

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Constructed by: Dave Taber & Laura Moll
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Reveal Answer: Homemade Meal

Themed answers are elements in a MEAL, and each includes a synonym of “HOME” as a hidden word:

  • 63A Sequence of dishes such as 18-, 25-, 38-, and 55-Across, in more ways than one : HOMEMADE MEAL
  • 18A Healthy starter : GARDEN GREENS (hiding “DEN”)
  • 25A Baked side : POTATO WITH CHIVES (hiding “HIVE”)
  • 38A Meaty entrée : T-BONE STEAK (hiding “NEST”)
  • 55A Filled dessert : CHOCOLATE ECLAIRS (hiding “LAIR”)

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

Bill’s time: 7m 03s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

7 Stalagmite creator : DRIP

A stalactite is a mineral deposit that hangs from the roof of a cave, formed by continuous dripping of mineral-rich water. “Stalactite” comes from the Greek word “stalasso” meaning “to drip”. A stalagmite is a rock formation that rises from the floor of a cave as a result of mineral deposits dissolved in water dripping from the ceiling.

11 Spam holder : CAN

Spam is a precooked meat product that is sold in cans. It was introduced by Hormel Foods in 1937. The main meat ingredients are pork shoulder meat and ham. The name “Spam” was chosen as the result of a competition at Hormel, with the winner earning himself a hundred dollars. According to the company, the derivation of the name “Spam” is a secret known by only a few former executives, but the speculation is that it stands for “spiced ham” or “shoulders of pork and ham”. Spam is particularly popular in Hawaii, so popular that it is sometimes referred to as “the Hawaiian steak”.

14 Periodic Pacific current : EL NINO

When the surface temperature of much of the Pacific Ocean rises more than half a degree celsius, then there is said to be an El Niño episode. That small temperature change in the Pacific has been associated with climatic changes that can stretch right across the globe. El Niño is Spanish for “the boy” and is a reference to the Christ child. The phenomenon was given this particular Spanish name because the warming is usually noticed near South America and around Christmas-time.

15 American Eagle Outfitters lingerie brand : AERIE

Aerie (stylized as “aerie”) is a retailer of lingerie and general undergarments that was founded in 2006. Aptly enough, Aerie was initially a sub-brand of American Eagle. The name “Aerie” comes from “American Eagle lingerie”).

20 Zodiac animal with horns : RAM

Aries the Ram is the first astrological sign in the Zodiac, and is named after the constellation. Your birth sign is Aries if you were born between March 21 and April 20, but if you are an Aries you would know that! “Aries” is the Latin word for “ram”.

21 Thurman of “The War With Grandpa” : UMA

Uma Thurman started her working career as a fashion model, at the age of 15. She appeared in her first movies at 17, with her most acclaimed early role being Cécile de Volanges in 1988’s “Dangerous Liaisons”. Thurman’s career really took off when she played the gangster’s moll Mia in Quentin Tarantino’s “Pulp Fiction” in 1994. My favorite of all Thurman’s movies is “The Truth About Cats & Dogs”, a less acclaimed romcom released in 1996. She took a few years off from acting from 1998 until 2002 following the birth of her first child. It was Tarantino who relaunched her career, giving her the lead in the “Kill Bill” films.

“The War With Grandpa” is a 2020 comedy movie starring Robert De Niro in the title role. It was actually filmed in 2017, three years before its release. The delay was largely caused by the closure of the Weinstein Company, which was contracted to distribute the movie.

22 Actress Goldie : HAWN

I remember watching the ditsy character played by Goldie Hawn on “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In”. Hawn used to give great performances on the show, convincing everyone that she was the stereotypical dumb blonde. Well, what a great career she was to carve out for herself!

25 Baked side : POTATO WITH CHIVES (hiding “HIVE”)

Chives are the smallest species of edible onion, and a favorite of mine.

31 Genuflect : KNEEL

Our verb “to genuflect” means “to bend the knee, in worship”. The term comes to us via French from the Latin “genu” meaning “knee” and “flectere” meaning “to bend”.

32 Pool or polo : GAME

The more correct name for the game of pool is “pocket billiards”. The designation “pool” arose after pocket billiards became a common feature in “pool halls”, places where gamblers “pooled” their money to bet on horse races.

The sport of polo originated in Iran, possibly before the 5th century BC. Polo was used back then primarily as a training exercise for cavalry units.

33 Red-wrapped cheeses : EDAMS

Edam cheese takes its name from the Dutch town of Edam in North Holland. The cheese is famous for its coating of red paraffin wax, a layer of protection that helps Edam travel well and prevents spoiling. You might occasionally come across an Edam cheese that is coated in black wax. The black color indicates that the underlying cheese has been aged for a minimum of 17 weeks.

35 Julia of “The Addams Family” : RAUL

Raúl Juliá was a Hollywood actor from San Juan, Puerto Rico. Julia had a very distinguished career, but is perhaps best known for portraying Gomez Addams in the two film adaptations of “The Addams Family”.

37 Area represented by Sen. Gillibrand : NYS

Kirsten Gillibrand is a US Senator from New York, and a member of the Democratic Party. Gillibrand was serving as a member of the US House of Representatives when she was appointed to the Senate by Governor David Paterson in 2009 after Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton left office to serve as Secretary of State.

38 Meaty entrée : T-BONE STEAK (hiding “NEST”)

The T-bone and porterhouse are related cuts of meat, with the latter being a larger version of the former, and both being cut from the short loin.

42 Prez on a fiver : ABE

The US five-dollar bill is often called an “Abe”, as President Abraham Lincoln’s portrait is on the front. An Abe is also referred to as a “fin”, a term that has been used for a five-pound note in Britain since 1868.

45 Whole lot : SCAD

The origin of the word “scads”, meaning “lots and lots”, is unclear. That said, “scads” was used to mean “dollars” back in the mid-1800s.

49 Tank top kin, briefly : CAMI

A camisole (also “cami”) is a sleeveless undergarment worn by women that extends down to the waist. “Camisole” is a French word that we imported into English that ultimately derives from the Latin “camisia” meaning “shirt, nightgown”.

“Tank top” is another one of those terms that always catches me out, as it has a different meaning on each side of the Atlantic. In the US, a tank top is a sleeveless shirt, something we would call a “vest” back in Ireland (and the US “vest” is what we call a “waistcoat”). A tank top in Ireland is a sleeveless sweater, which further adds to the confusion. The name “tank top” is derived from “tank suit”, an old name for a woman’s one-piece bathing suit. The use of “tank” for the bathing suit came from “swimming tank”, an obsolete term used in the 1920s for a swimming pool.

51 Crème de la crème : A-LIST

The crème de la crème are the elite, the best of the best. The term “crème de la crème” is French, and translates as “cream of the cream”.

54 Writer Bombeck : ERMA

Erma Bombeck wrote for newspapers for about 35 years. She produced more than 4,000 witty and humorous columns under the title “At Wit’s End”, with all describing her home life in suburbia.

55 Filled dessert : CHOCOLATE ECLAIRS (hiding “LAIR”)

The name for the pastry known as an “éclair” is clearly French in origin. The French word for lightning is “éclair”, but no one seems to be too sure how it came to be used for the rather delicious bakery item.

59 “Taxi” mechanic : LATKA

Latka Gravas is one of the most popular characters in the TV sitcom “Taxi” that aired in the late seventies and early eighties. Latka was played by the controversial comic actor Andy Kaufman. The producers of “Taxi” had the character written around a persona that Kaufman was using in his stand-up routines called “Foreign Man”.

“Taxi” is a sitcom that aired in the late seventies and early eighties. “Taxi” was the big break for a host of great comic actors including Judd Hirsch, Jeff Conaway, Danny DeVito, Marilu Henner, Tony Danza, Christopher Lloyd and Andy Kaufman.

61 Place for a “snake bite” piercing : LIP

Some lip piercings are referred to as “bites”. The type of bite varies with the placement of the piercing around the mouth. For example, a “snake bite” is a double piercing near the outer corner of the lower lip’s edge.

62 “What __, chopped liver?” : AM I

“What, am I chopped liver?” is a Jewish-American expression meaning “Why do I get overlooked”. One suggestion for the rationale behind the expression is that chopped liver was traditionally served as a side dish rather than a main course, so might be overlooked.

68 Actor McKellen : IAN

Sir Ian McKellen is a marvelous English actor, one who is comfortable playing anything from Macbeth on stage to Magneto in an “X-Men” movie. On the big screen, McKellen is very famous for playing Gandalf in “The Lord of Rings”. In the UK, Sir Ian is noted for being at the forefront of the campaign for equal rights for gay people, a role he has enthusiastically embraced since the eighties.

70 Barcelona’s nación : ESPANA

Spain is the second largest country in the European Union (after France). “Spain” is an anglicized form of the Spanish name “España”, which comes from the Roman name for the Iberian Peninsula “Hispania”.

Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain, after the capital Madrid. It is also the largest European city that sits on the Mediterranean coast, and the capital city of the autonomous community of Catalonia.

71 Flavor enhancer, for short : MSG

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is the sodium salt of a naturally-occurring,non-essential amino acid called glutamic acid. It is used widely as a flavor enhancer, particularly in many Asian cuisines. Whether or not it is harmful seems to be still under debate. I say that something produced in a test tube shouldn’t be in our food …

Down

2 Apple pie order : A LA MODE

In French, “à la mode” simply means “fashionable”. In America, the term has also come to describe a way of serving pie. Pie served à la mode includes a dollop of cream or ice cream, or as I recall from my time living in Upstate New York, with a wedge of cheddar cheese.

6 Honolulu-born jet pilot who became a pop singer : DON HO

Honolulu-born singer Don Ho wasa a veteran of the US Airforce. He joined up in 1954 and graduated from flight school as a fighter pilot. However, he spent much of his active service flying C-97 Stratofreighters.

7 Galápagos Islands researcher : DARWIN

Englishman Charles Darwin studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland but neglected his studies largely due to his interest in nature and natural history. In the early 1830s, a friend put forward Darwin’s name as a candidate for the post of “collector” on the voyage of HMS Beagle. The Beagle was intending to spend two years at sea primarily charting the coast of South America. The voyage ended up taking five years, during which time Darwin sent back copious letters describing his findings. Back in Britain these letters were published as pamphlets by a friend and so when Darwin eventually returned home in 1836, he had already gained some celebrity in scientific circles. It was while on the Beagle that Darwin developed his initial ideas on the concept of natural selection. It wasn’t until over twenty years later that he formulated his theories into a scientific paper and in 1859 published his famous book “On the Origin of the Species”. This original publication never even mentioned the word “evolution” which was controversial even back then. It was in 1871 that Darwin addressed head-on the concept that man was an animal species, in his book “The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex”.

The Galápagos Islands lie over 500 miles west of Ecuador. The Galápagos owe their celebrity to the voyage of HMS Beagle which landed there in 1835, with Charles Darwin on board. It was Darwin’s study of various species on the islands that inspired him to postulate his Theory of Evolution.

9 Isl. with four provinces : IRE

Ireland is divided into four provinces: Leinster, Munster, Connacht and Ulster. “Ulster” is sometimes used as a synonym for “Northern Ireland”, but in fact Ulster comprises the six counties of Northern Ireland and three more, namely Donegal, Cavan and Monaghan.

11 Traveling band : CARAVAN

A camel train carrying passengers or goods across a desert can be referred to as a caravan. “Caravan” derives from the Persian “karwan”, which has the same meaning. Over in Britain, “caravan” is the name given to travel trailers.

13 Foes that seem impossible to beat : NEMESES

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.

16 Bk. read at Purim : ESTH

Purim is a festival commemorating the deliverance of the Jewish people from a plot to wipe them out by Haman the Agagite, as recorded in the Book of Esther.

26 Amo, amas, __ : AMAT

“Amo, amas, amat” translates from Latin as “I love, you love, he/she/it loves”.

27 Crypts : TOMBS

A crypt is a chamber that is located partially or totally underground. The term “crypt” comes from the Greek “kryptos” meaning “hidden”.

34 Home of many L.A. Times readers : SOCAL

Southern California (SoCal)

39 “The Lion King” lion : NALA

In “The Lion King”, Nala is a lioness and the childhood friend of Simba. By the end of the story, Nala and Simba become wedded. “The Lion King” is inspired by William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”, with Simba representing the title character, and Nala representing Hamlet’s love interest Ophelia.

41 Melissa Benoist’s role on “Supergirl” : KARA

Kara Zor-El is Superman’s cousin, and is also known as Supergirl. Supergirl’s father and Superman’s father were brothers. On Earth, Supergirl uses the name “Linda Lee”.

The television show “Supergirl” debuted in 2015. The title character is portrayed by Melissa Benoist, an actress who found fame playing Marley rose in the show “Glee”.

43 Islands northeast of Cuba : BAHAMAS

The Bahamas is a group of islands in the Atlantic Ocean lying in the same island chain as Cuba and Hispaniola. The Bahamas was a British colony for many years but became independent in 1973, although it retains membership in the British Commonwealth.

48 Rivera who holds the MLB record for career saves : MARIANO

Mariano Rivera is a professional baseball pitcher from Panama City. Rivera played for the New York Yankees from 1995 until his retirement at the end of the 2013 season. Rivera holds the league record for the most career saves (at 652). He is known by the nicknames “Mo” and “Sandman”. In 2019, Rivera became the first player elected unanimously to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

56 Hanauma Bay’s island : OAHU

Hanauma Bay is located east of Honolulu on the coast of Oahu. In Hawaiian “hana” means bay and “uma” means curve, so the locals usually refer to the area as simply “Hanauma”, as the word “Bay” is extraneous.

65 Clever remark : MOT

“Bon mot” translates from French as “good word”. We use “bon mot” (and sometimes just “mot”) to mean “quip, witticism”.

66 Paul Anka’s “__ Beso” : ESO

“Eso Beso” is Spanish for “That Kiss”, and is the title of a 1962 hit song recorded by Canadian-born singer Paul Anka.

67 High hybrid stat : MPG

Miles per gallon (mpg)

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Praised : LAUDED
7 Stalagmite creator : DRIP
11 Spam holder : CAN
14 Periodic Pacific current : EL NINO
15 American Eagle Outfitters lingerie brand : AERIE
17 Whiz : ACE
18 Healthy starter : GARDEN GREENS (hiding “DEN”)
20 Zodiac animal with horns : RAM
21 Thurman of “The War With Grandpa” : UMA
22 Actress Goldie : HAWN
23 Vocation : TRADE
25 Baked side : POTATO WITH CHIVES (hiding “HIVE”)
30 Floor model : DEMO
31 Genuflect : KNEEL
32 Pool or polo : GAME
33 Red-wrapped cheeses : EDAMS
35 Julia of “The Addams Family” : RAUL
37 Area represented by Sen. Gillibrand : NYS
38 Meaty entrée : T-BONE STEAK (hiding “NEST”)
42 Prez on a fiver : ABE
45 Whole lot : SCAD
46 Muscle twitch : SPASM
49 Tank top kin, briefly : CAMI
51 Crème de la crème : A-LIST
54 Writer Bombeck : ERMA
55 Filled dessert : CHOCOLATE ECLAIRS (hiding “LAIR”)
59 “Taxi” mechanic : LATKA
60 __ mortals : MERE
61 Place for a “snake bite” piercing : LIP
62 “What __, chopped liver?” : AM I
63 Sequence of dishes such as 18-, 25-, 38-, and 55-Across, in more ways than one : HOMEMADE MEAL
68 Actor McKellen : IAN
69 Leading in a tight game : UP ONE
70 Barcelona’s nación : ESPANA
71 Flavor enhancer, for short : MSG
72 Buttonlike earring : STUD
73 Squeaky ball, e.g. : DOG TOY

Down

1 Slight advantage : LEG UP
2 Apple pie order : A LA MODE
3 Starless? : UNRATED
4 “You __ your best” : DID
5 Chicago-to-Toronto dir. : ENE
6 Honolulu-born jet pilot who became a pop singer : DON HO
7 Galápagos Islands researcher : DARWIN
8 Confirms, as a password : RE-ENTERS
9 Isl. with four provinces : IRE
10 See 36-Down : … PIN
11 Traveling band : CARAVAN
12 Private school : ACADEMY
13 Foes that seem impossible to beat : NEMESES
16 Bk. read at Purim : ESTH
19 Rubberneck : GAWK
24 Tractor-trailer : RIG
26 Amo, amas, __ : AMAT
27 Crypts : TOMBS
28 “But it’s a dry __” : HEAT
29 Hints : CLUES
34 Home of many L.A. Times readers : SOCAL
36 With 10-Down, politician’s flag, often : LAPEL …
39 “The Lion King” lion : NALA
40 Word processor feature : EDIT MENU
41 Melissa Benoist’s role on “Supergirl” : KARA
42 Accolades : ACCLAIM
43 Islands northeast of Cuba : BAHAMAS
44 Chewing the scenery : EMOTING
47 Welcome warmly : SMILE AT
48 Rivera who holds the MLB record for career saves : MARIANO
50 “Blech!” : ICK!
52 Apparently was : SEEMED
53 Mega- squared : TERA-
56 Hanauma Bay’s island : OAHU
57 Gave up : CEDED
58 Fan out : SPLAY
64 Photo __ : OPS
65 Clever remark : MOT
66 Paul Anka’s “__ Beso” : ESO
67 High hybrid stat : MPG