LA Times Crossword 10 May 23, Wednesday

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Constructed by: Emma Lawson & Shannon Rapp
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Reveal Answer: Range Rover

Themed answers each include breeds of DOG spread throughout, shown in circled letters in the grid:

  • 63A High-end SUV, and an apt description of each set of circled letters? : RANGE ROVER
  • 17A Dog relaxing across a foam flotation device? : POOL NOODLE (giving “POODLE”)
  • 28A Dog traveling through a mysterious section of the North Atlantic? : BERMUDA TRIANGLE (giving “BEAGLE”)
  • 49A Dog spreading out at a minimal performance venue? : BLACK BOX THEATER (giving “BOXER”)

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

Bill’s time: 6m 14s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 “Between Two Ferns” host Galifianakis : ZACH

Zach Galifianakis is a stand-up comedian who is making a name for himself on the big screen. Galifianakis garnered a lot of attention for his role in 2009’s “The Hangover”, and also starred opposite Robert Downey Jr. in the 2010 release “Due Date”.

“Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis” is a comedy show that airs over the Internet, and has done so since it was introduced in 2008. In each show, Galifianakis interviews a celebrity, with the guest sitting between two potted ferns. The list of VIPs who have appeared between the ferns includes Natalie Portman, Ben Stiller, Justin Bieber and even President Barack Obama.

5 German woman : FRAU

In German, a “Herr” (Mr.) is married to a “Frau” (Mrs.), and they live together in a “Haus” (house).

9 Brief “Don’t know yet” : TBD

To be determined (TBD)

12 __ mutter: potatoes and peas dish : ALOO

Aloo mutter (also “all matar”) is a very delicious dish from Indian cuisine comprising potatoes and peas in a spicy, creamy, tomato-based sauce. The dish’s name translates as “potatoes and peas”.

13 “Birmingham” sculptor Simone __ : LEIGH

Simone Leigh is a contemporary artist who works in sculpture, installation, video and performance. In 2022, Leigh represented the US at the Venice Biennale, one of the most prestigious art exhibitions in the world. Her installation “Brick House” was a towering sculpture of a Black woman’s head made from terracotta and steel.

17 Dog relaxing across a foam flotation device? : POOL NOODLE (giving “POODLE”)

Pool noodles are foam flotation devices and swim-toys much-loved by kids.

The standard poodle breed of dog is considered by many to be the second-most intelligent breed, after the border collie. The name “poodle” comes from a Low German word meaning “to splash about”, reflecting the original use of the breed as a water retriever.

21 Round Table titles : SIRS

King Arthur (and his Round Table) probably never really existed, but his legend is very persistent. Arthur was supposedly a leader of the Romano-British as they tried to resist the invasion of the Anglo-Saxons in the late 5th and early 6th centuries.

23 Cavaliers sch. : UVA

The University of Virginia (UVA) sports teams are known officially as “the Cavaliers”. The unofficial nickname is “the Wahoos”.

28 Dog traveling through a mysterious section of the North Atlantic? : BERMUDA TRIANGLE (giving “BEAGLE”)

The Bermuda Triangle is an area in the western part of the North Atlantic Ocean that is famous for the loss of ships and aircraft under mysterious circumstances. The triangular area is roughly defined by Miami, Florida, and the islands of Bermuda and Puerto Rico.

The beagle breed of dog is a scent hound, one developed for tracking small game. Because of this characteristic, beagles are often used as detection dogs in customs halls around the world. The world’s most famous beagle is probably Snoopy from the comic strip “Peanuts”.

33 Window part : SASH

Before we used the word “chassis” for the base frame of a car, in 1903, the term applied to the carriage base of a large gun, and indeed a window frame (later “sash”), “Châssis” is French for “frame”.

35 2019 documentary about fatherhood : DADS

“Dads” is an American documentary film directed by actress and director Bryce Dallas Howard. The movie explores contemporary fatherhood through the eyes of dads from all walks of life, but including well-known figures like Ron Howard, Jimmy Fallon, Judd Apatow, Jimmy Kimmel, Will Smith, Ken Jeong and Kenan Thompson.

37 “Designated Survivor” actor Penn : KAL

Indian-American actor Kal Penn made a name for himself in the “Harold & Kumar” series of comedy films. These so-called “stoner comedies” are not my cup of tea, but I enjoyed him playing his more mainstream roles on TV’s “House” and “24”. He left the world of acting when President Obama won the 2008 election to work as an Associate Director in the White House Office of Public Engagement (although he did leave the White House briefly to film the “Harold & Kumar” sequel).

“Designated Survivor” is a political thriller drama TV show starring Kiefer Sutherland. He plays a US Secretary of Housing and Urban Development who is tapped as the designated survivor for a State of the Union address. He suddenly ascends to the position of President of the US after an explosion kills everyone ahead of him in the presidential line of succession. I thought this was a very promising storyline, but the show never really delivered on that promise …

39 Robin’s residence : NEST

The American robin has a reddish-orange breast. This coloring gave the bird its name, due to the similarity to the European robin. The two species are not in fact related, with the American robin being a thrush, and its European cousin an Old World flycatcher. It is the American robin that famously lays light-blue eggs.

48 __ of Tranquility : SEA

The Moon’s Mare Tranquillitatis (Latin for “Sea of Tranquility”) was named in 1651 by astronomers Francesco Grimaldi and Giovanni Battista Riccioli. Famously, the first manned landing on the Moon was in the Sea of Tranquility, when the Apollo 11 Lunar Module named Eagle touched down there in 1969. However, the first man-made vehicle to reach the Sea of Tranquility arrived four years earlier. The Ranger 8 spacecraft was deliberately crashed there in 1965, sending thousands of photographs back to Earth in the last 23 minutes of its mission.

49 Dog spreading out at a minimal performance venue? : BLACK BOX THEATER (giving “BOXER”)

A black box theater is a relatively simple space used for performance arts. Such spaces are cost effective, versatile and easily maintained. They typically have black walls surrounding a square floor that houses both performers and audience.

The boxer breed of dog (one of my favorites) originated in Germany. My first dog was a boxer/Labrador mix, a beautiful combination. Our current family dog is a boxer/pug mix, and is another gorgeous animal.

55 Car care brand : STP

STP was founded in 1953 by racing enthusiast and businessman Andy Granatelli. The name “STP” stands for “Scientifically Treated Petroleum.”

63 High-end SUV, and an apt description of each set of circled letters? : RANGE ROVER

The Range Rover is the luxury version of the celebrated Land Rover made in England. The first Range Rover was produced in 1970.

66 Renaissance fair instrument : LUTE

The lute is a stringed instrument with a long neck and usually a pear-shaped body. It is held and played like a guitar, and was popular from the Middle Ages right through to the late Baroque era. A person who plays the lute can be referred to as a “lutenist”.

A Renaissance faire (Ren faire) is an outdoor public event in which many participants recreate historical settings by dressing in costume. Usually held in North America, many such fairs are set during the English Renaissance, and more particularly during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. The definition of “Renaissance” is often stretched quite a bit, with fairs also set during the reign of Henry VIII, and maybe even during medieval times.

71 Codas : ENDS

In music, a coda is primarily a passage that brings a movement to a conclusion. “Coda” is Italian for “tail”.

Down

1 Comic book onomatopoeia : ZAP!

Onomatopoeia is the naming of something by vocally imitating the sound associated with it. Examples of onomatopoeia are “chirp”, “clash”, “click” and “hiccups”.

4 Poker variety : HOLD ‘EM

The official birthplace of the incredibly popular poker game of Texas hold ’em is Robstown, Texas where the game dates back to the early 1900s. The game was introduced into Las Vegas in 1967 by a group of Texan enthusiasts including Doyle Brunson, a champion often seen playing on TV today. Doyle Brunson published a poker strategy guide in 1978, and this really helped increase the popularity of the game. But it was the inclusion of Texas hold ‘em in the television lineup that really gave the game its explosive surge in popularity, with the size of the prize money just skyrocketing.

5 Home of Everglades National Park : FLORIDA

The Everglades are tropical wetlands that cover much of southern Florida. The area was named “River Glades” by a British surveyor in 1773, and it is suggested that poor transcription of the word “river” led to the use of “ever”. The southern 20% of the Everglades is a protected region that we know as Everglades National Park. The park is the third-largest National Park in the lower 48 states, after Death Valley NP (the largest) and Yellowstone NP.

6 __ Speedwagon : REO

REO Speedwagon is an American rock band that formed in 1967, and is still going strong. The band’s biggest hits are “Keep On Loving You” (1980) and “Can’t Fight This Feeling” (1985). The founding members chose the name for the REO Speed Wagon flatbed truck. Note that the band’s name is one word “Speedwagon”, whereas the vehicle’s name uses two words “Speed Wagon”.

9 Best Buy wallful : TVS

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.

10 “Beauty and the Beast” song : BE OUR GUEST

“Be Our Guest” is a song from the 1991 Disney film “Beauty and the Beast”. It is sung by Mrs. Potts (Angela Lansbury) and Lumière (Jerry Orbach) and the rest of the castle’s staff of magical objects.

11 Tripe : DRIVEL

“Tripe” is an informal term meaning “rubbish, of little value”. Tripe is actually the rubbery stomach lining of an animal such as a cow. Tripe is a traditional dish in British cuisine that is prepared by poaching it with onions in milk.

14 __ crab : HERMIT

Hermit crabs are famous for occupying the discarded shells of other animals. Most commonly, hermit crabs can be found in empty shells that once belonged to sea snails.

16 Nonchalant : BLASE

“Blasé”, meaning “nonchalant, bored from overindulgence” comes from French, in which language it can mean “satiated”.

18 Connection : NEXUS

A nexus is a means of connection, or a center where many connections come together. “Nexus” is a Latin word meaning “that which ties or binds together”. The Latin “nexus” is the past participle of the verb “nectere” meaning “to bind”.

28 Billie Eilish’s “__ Guy” : BAD

Billie Eilish is a singer-songwriter from Los Angeles. She has won several awards, and is the youngest person to have won all four major Grammy categories in the same year, i.e. Best New Artist, Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Album of the Year.

46 Viola Davis film whose tagline was “Change begins with a whisper” : THE HELP

“The Help” is a 2011 film that is an adaptation of a 2009 novel of the same name written by Kathryn Stockett. The story centers on a young female journalist who writes a book exposing the racism experienced by African American maids working in Jackson, Mississippi in the sixties.

Actress Viola Davis is probably best known on the small screen for playing the lead in the drama “How to Get Away with Murder”. On the big screen, I’d say that her most famous role is the starring role in the 2011 film “The Help”. Davis is one of the few EGOT winners (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) and is the only African-American to have won the Triple Crown of Acting (a competitive Oscar, Emmy and Tony).

47 Ninja Turtle home : SEWER

The “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” started out as a parody of comic book superheroes, first appearing in a self-published comic book in 1984. A couple of years later the characters were picked up by someone who built a whole line of toys around the characters, and then television and movies followed. Do you remember the names of all four of the Turtles? Their names were all taken from Renaissance artists:

  • Leonardo
  • Raphael
  • Michelangelo
  • Donatello

50 Chemistry paper? : LITMUS

Litmus is a mixture of naturally-occurring dyes that responds to acidity by changing color. Litmus was probably first used around 1300 by the Spanish alchemist Arnaldus de Villa Nova, who extracted the blue dye from lichens. One suggestion is that the term “litmus” comes from the Old Norse “litmose” meaning “lichen for dyeing”. Litmus is often absorbed onto filter paper, creating “litmus paper” or “pH paper”. We also use the phrase “litmus test” figuratively to describe any test in which a single factor decides the outcome.

51 2023 awards for “Everything Everywhere All at Once” : OSCARS

“Everything Everywhere All at Once” is a 2022 comedy-drama movie starring Michelle Yeoh as a woman undergoing an IRS audit. That mundane storyline gets lost completely in a film full of science-fiction, fantasy, animation and martial arts. The screenplay was originally written for Jackie Chan, but it was reworked intentionally so that a female lead carried the plot.

59 Tennis star Lendl : IVAN

Ivan Lendl is a former professional tennis player from Czechoslovakia. Lendl appeared in eight consecutive US Open finals in the eighties, a record that stands to this day.

65 Shares again, on Twitter : RTS

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Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 “Between Two Ferns” host Galifianakis : ZACH
5 German woman : FRAU
9 Brief “Don’t know yet” : TBD
12 __ mutter: potatoes and peas dish : ALOO
13 “Birmingham” sculptor Simone __ : LEIGH
15 Trick or treat : VERB
17 Dog relaxing across a foam flotation device? : POOL NOODLE (giving “POODLE”)
19 Garden need : SOIL
20 Respected figure : ELDER
21 Round Table titles : SIRS
23 Cavaliers sch. : UVA
24 Way out : EXIT
26 Realms : EMPIRES
28 Dog traveling through a mysterious section of the North Atlantic? : BERMUDA TRIANGLE (giving “BEAGLE”)
32 What “will be” will be : ARE
33 Window part : SASH
34 Short pants? : TROU
35 2019 documentary about fatherhood : DADS
37 “Designated Survivor” actor Penn : KAL
39 Robin’s residence : NEST
42 Spanish house : CASA
45 Court dividers : NETS
48 __ of Tranquility : SEA
49 Dog spreading out at a minimal performance venue? : BLACK BOX THEATER (giving “BOXER”)
53 Expression of love that doesn’t quite land? : AIR-KISS
54 Stitches : SEWS
55 Car care brand : STP
56 Fold : TUCK
58 Pronoun pair : HE/HIM
61 Call-and-response response : AMEN
63 High-end SUV, and an apt description of each set of circled letters? : RANGE ROVER
66 Renaissance fair instrument : LUTE
67 Dentist’s tool : DRILL
68 Angry outburst : RANT
69 Opposite of NNE : SSW
70 Octagonal sign : STOP
71 Codas : ENDS

Down

1 Comic book onomatopoeia : ZAP!
2 Soothing succulent : ALOE
3 Like early spring weather : COOL
4 Poker variety : HOLD ‘EM
5 Home of Everglades National Park : FLORIDA
6 __ Speedwagon : REO
7 Helps : AIDS
8 Less appealing : UGLIER
9 Best Buy wallful : TVS
10 “Beauty and the Beast” song : BE OUR GUEST
11 Tripe : DRIVEL
14 __ crab : HERMIT
16 Nonchalant : BLASE
18 Connection : NEXUS
22 Trade jabs : SPAR
25 Undertaking : TASK
27 Party to : IN ON
28 Billie Eilish’s “__ Guy” : BAD
29 Notable slice of time : ERA
30 Fancy places to see the stars? : RED CARPETS
31 Quick note of appreciation : THANX
36 Bag of potatoes : SACK
38 “Shall we?” response : LET’S
40 “Told ya!” : SEE!
41 Roof goo : TAR
43 Comic vignette : SKIT
44 Ridiculous : ABSURD
46 Viola Davis film whose tagline was “Change begins with a whisper” : THE HELP
47 Ninja Turtle home : SEWER
49 Rudimentary : BASAL
50 Chemistry paper? : LITMUS
51 2023 awards for “Everything Everywhere All at Once” : OSCARS
52 On land : ASHORE
57 Make mittens, say : KNIT
59 Tennis star Lendl : IVAN
60 Repair : MEND
62 Just out : NEW
64 __ Worm: 1980s bedtime toy : GLO
65 Shares again, on Twitter : RTS