LA Times Crossword 30 Nov 21, Tuesday

Constructed by: John Michael Currie
Edited by: Rich Norris

Today’s Reveal Answer: Opposite Day

Themed answers each start with a word found OPPOSITE DAY:

54A Period when everything is backwards … and where the starts of 20-, 27- and 45-Across might be found? : OPPOSITE DAY

20A Available workers, statistically : LABOR MARKET (giving “Labor Day”)
27A Meteorology, e.g. : EARTH SCIENCE (giving “Earth Day”)
45A Game in which grabbing a piece of cloth replaces tackling : FLAG FOOTBALL (giving “Flag Day”)

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Bill’s time: 5m 27s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

5 Japanese cattle breed yielding Kobe beef : WAGYU

“Wagyu” is a name given to four different breeds of beef cattle in Japan. The famous Kobe beef is obtained from wagyu cattle. The name comes from the Japanese “Wa gyu”, which simply translates as “Japanese cattle”.

10 Fleecy footwear brand : UGGS

Uggs are sheepskin boots that were first produced in Australia and New Zealand. The original Uggs have sheepskin fleece on the inside for comfort and insulation, with a tanned leather surface on the outside for durability. “Ugg” is a generic term Down Under, although it’s a brand name here in the US.

14 Currency named for a continent : EURO

The euro sign (€) looks like a letter C, but with two horizontal lines drawn across the middle. Inspiration for the design comes from the Greek letter epsilon.

17 Burnett on CNN : ERIN

Erin Burnett is a television journalist and the host of her own show on CNN called “Erin Burnett OutFront”. Apparently Burnett also used to show up occasionally as advisor to Donald Trump on “The Celebrity Apprentice”.

18 Author Dahl : ROALD

Roald Dahl’s name is Norwegian. Dahl’s parents were from Norway, although Dahl himself was Welsh. Dahl became one of the most successful authors of the twentieth century. Two of his most famous titles are “James and the Giant Peach” and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”.

19 Crib sheet user : BABY

In Old English, the word “cribbe” applied to a manger, an open box holding fodder for livestock. Probably because of the association of a manger used as a bed for the infant Jesus, the word “crib” came to describe an enclosed bed for a child.

20 Available workers, statistically : LABOR MARKET (giving “Labor Day”)

Labor Day is a federal holiday observed every year on the first Monday in September. The tradition of honoring workers with a holiday started in Boston in 1878, when a day of observance was organized by the Central Labor Union, the major trade union at the time. There was a bloody dispute in 1894 between labor unions and the railroads called the Pullman Strike, which led to the death of some workers when the US Military and US Marshals were instructed to maintain order. President Grover Cleveland submitted a “Labor Day” bill to Congress which was signed into law just six days after the end of the strike. The introduction of a federal holiday to honor the worker was a move designed to promote reconciliation between management and unions after the bitter conflict.

23 “Oedipus __” : REX

“Oedipus Rex” (also “Oedipus the King”) is a tragedy penned by the Ancient Greek playwright Sophocles. The play tells the story of Oedipus, a man who becomes king of Thebes. Famously, Oedipus was destined from birth to murder his father and marry his mother.

25 First name in civil rights history : ROSA

Rosa Parks was one of a few 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.

27 Meteorology, e.g. : EARTH SCIENCE (giving “Earth Day”)

Meteorology is the science dealing with weather and weather conditions. The term “meteorology” comes into English via French from the Greek “meteoron” meaning “thing high up” and “-logia” meaning “treatment of”.

Earth Day was founded in the US, where it was introduced by Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin. Earth Day was designed to increase awareness and appreciation of our planet’s natural environment. The original Earth Day was on April 22nd, 1970. Decades later, the day is observed in over 175 countries.

32 Gets ready for a selfie : POSES

A selfie is a self-portrait, one usually taken with a digital camera or cell phone. A “group selfie” is sometimes referred to as a “groufie” or “wefie”. A “couple selfie” is known as an “usie” or “ussie”, although those terms are sometimes also used for a group picture.

43 Cling wrap brand : SARAN

What’s known as plastic wrap in America, we call cling-film in Ireland. The brand name “Saran” is often used generically in the US, while “Glad” wrap is common down under. Plastic wrap was one of those unintended inventions, a byproduct of a development program to create a hard plastic cover for cars.

45 Game in which grabbing a piece of cloth replaces tackling : FLAG FOOTBALL (giving “Flag Day”)

It is suggested that flag football developed from American football in the US military during WWII. The sport was introduced as a way for military personnel to enjoy football without sustaining injury during wartime. More specifically, the first flag football games were played at Fort Meade.

Flag Day in the US is June 14th each year, as the Flag of the United States was adopted officially by the Second Continental Congress on June 14th, 1777. Flag Day in Canada is on February 15th, as the current Flag of Canada was inaugurated on February 15th, 1965.

49 Meteorologist’s pressure line : ISOBAR

An isobar is a line on a weather map connecting points of equal barometric pressure.

54 Period when everything is backwards … and where the starts of 20-, 27- and 45-Across might be found? : OPPOSITE DAY

Opposite Day is a children’s game in which participants make statements that are the opposite of what is actually intended. I’ve never played it. I mean, I’ve played it …

60 Made a boo-boo : ERRED

A small child might refer to an injury as an “ouchie” or a “boo-boo”.

61 NFL analyst Tony : ROMO

Tony Romo is a former quarterback who spent his entire NFL career with the Dallas Cowboys. Romo is also an avid amateur golfer and has even tried (albeit unsuccessfully) to qualify for the US Open golf championship.

62 Google-owned navigation app : WAZE

Waze is a navigation app that is similar to Google Maps and Apple Maps. Waze was developed in Israel, and was acquired by Google in 2013.

63 Volleyball great Gabrielle : REECE

Gabrielle Reece is quite the athlete. She was on the team that won the first ever Beach Volleyball World Championship, in 1997. She is also a great golfer, and tried hard to make it onto the LPGA circuit.

64 Deuce defeater : TREY

A trey is a three in a deck of cards. The term “trey” can also be used for a domino with three pips, and even for a three-point play in basketball.

66 Dalmatian features : SPOTS

The Dalmatian breed of dog originated in Dalmatia, in the Republic of Croatia. Here in the US, Dalmatians are known as “firehouse dogs”. This association dates back to the use of Dalmatians in firehouses to guard the valuable horses that pulled the fire engines.

67 __ Domini : ANNO

The designations Anno Domini (AD, “year of Our Lord”) and Before Christ (BC) are found in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. The dividing point between AD and BC is the year of the conception of Jesus, with AD 1 following 1 BC without a year “0” in between. The AD/BC scheme dates back to AD 525, and gained wide acceptance soon after AD 800. Nowadays a modified version has become popular, with CE (Common/Christian Era) used to replace AD, and BCE (Before the Common/Christian Era) used to replace BC.

Down

1 Banana leftover : PEEL

The banana is actually a berry, botanically speaking. And, bananas don’t really grow on trees. The “trunk” of the banana plant is in fact a pseudostem. The pseudostem is a false stem comprising rolled bases of leaves, and it can grow to 2 or 3 meters tall.

3 Wichita or Omaha : TRIBE

The Wichita people are a confederation of Native American tribes that includes the Kichai, Waco, Tawakoni and Taovaya. They are native to modern-day Oklahoma, Texas and Kansas.

The Omaha Nation was one of the most welcoming of the Native American tribes, never resisting the influx of European explorers and traders. The Omaha even fought alongside Union troops during the American Civil War, and have stood by the US people ever since. Regardless, the Omaha people lost most of their land and now reside on the Omaha Reservation in northeastern Nebraska and western Iowa.

6 “Raise your glass!” : A TOAST!

The tradition of toasting someone probably dates back to the reign of Charles II, when the practice was to drink a glass of wine to the health of a beautiful or favored woman. In those days, spiced toast was added to beverages to add flavor, so the use of the word “toast” was an indicator that the lady’s beauty would enhance the wine. Very charming, I must say …

8 The “sun” in “sunny side up” : YOLK

The yolk is the yellow part of a chicken’s egg. The term “yolk” comes from the Old English “geolu” meaning “yellow”.

10 Thumb drive port : USB

Universal Serial Bus (USB) is an industry standard dealing with how computers and electronic devices connect and communicate, and deal with electrical power through those connections.

13 River in which Achilles was dipped : STYX

The River Styx of Greek mythology was the river that formed the boundary between the Earth and the Underworld (or “Hades”). The souls of the newly dead had to cross the River Styx in a ferry boat piloted by Charon. Traditionally, a coin would be placed in the mouths of the dead “to pay the ferryman”.

Achilles is the protagonist in Homer’s “Iliad”. When Achilles was born, his mother attempted to make him immortal by dipping him into the River Styx. As he was held by the heel as he was immersed, this became the only vulnerable point on his body. Years later he was killed when a poisoned arrow struck him in the heel. That arrow was shot by Paris.

21 Narrow inlets : RIAS

A drowned valley might be called a ria or a fjord, and both are formed as sea levels rise. A ria is a drowned valley created by river erosion, and a fjord is a drowned valley created by glaciation.

26 Caribbean, for one : SEA

The Caribbean Sea takes its name from the Island Carib people. The Island Caribs are an American Indian people that live in the Lesser Antilles islands, part of the West Indies.

29 Texting format, for short : SMS

Short Message Service (SMS) is the name for the text messaging service that many of us still use on our cell phones to contact friends and family.

30 Michael of “Arrested Development” : CERA

Michael Cera is a Canadian actor who played great characters on the TV show “Arrested Development”, and in the 2007 comedy-drama “Juno”. Cera is also quite the musician. He released an indie folk album titled “True That” in 2014.

31 Genesis garden : EDEN

According to the Book of Genesis, Adam and Eve lived in a garden “in” Eden, with Eden being geographically located by reference to four rivers, including the Tigris and the Euphrates. Some scholars hypothesize that Eden was located in Mesopotamia, which encompasses much of modern-day Iraq.

33 Baseball’s Hershiser : OREL

Orel Hershiser is big into poker now that he has retired from Major League Baseball. Hershiser lives in Las Vegas and when he isn’t working for ESPN, apparently he is at the poker tables, playing professionally. When Hershiser is eliminated in a poker tournament, he is in the habit of presenting the person who ousts him with an autographed baseball.

38 Cancer follower : LEO

Leo is the fifth astrological sign of the Zodiac. People born from July 23 to August 22 are Leos.

41 Golden __ : AGE

A golden ager is a senior citizen.

44 Calgary’s province : ALBERTA

Alberta (Alta.) is a big province, one about the size of Texas. It is named after Princess Louise Caroline Alberta, the fourth child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Princess Louise also donated her name to Lake Louise, the large glacial lake in the province, now within the bounds of Banff National Park.

Calgary, the largest city in the Canadian province of Alberta, is named for Calgary on the Isle of Mull in Scotland. The Canadian Calgary hosted the 1988 Winter Olympic Games.

51 Asian noodle dish : RAMEN

Ramen is a noodle dish composed of Chinese-style wheat noodles in a meat or fish broth flavored with soy or miso sauce. Ramen is usually topped with sliced pork and dried seaweed. The term “ramen” is also used for precooked, instant noodles that come in single-serving, solid blocks.

53 Obi-Wan portrayer McGregor : EWAN

Ewan McGregor is a very talented Scottish actor, one who got his break in the 1996 film “Trainspotting”. McGregor’s first big Hollywood role was playing the young Obi-Wan-Kenobi in the “Star Wars” prequels. Less known is his televised marathon motorcycle journey from London to New York via central Europe, Ukraine, Siberia, Mongolia and Canada. The 2004 trip was shown as “Long Way Round” on TV. McGregor did a similar trip in 2007 called “Long Way Down”, which took him and the same travelling companion from the north of Scotland to Cape Town in South Africa.

Obi-Wan Kenobi is one of the more beloved of the “Star Wars” characters. Kenobi was portrayed by two fabulous actors in the series of films. As a young man he is played by Scottish actor Ewan McGregor, and as an older man he is played by Alec Guinness.

56 Black-and-white cookie : OREO

National Oreo Cookie Day is March 6th each year. There is an urban legend that the particular day was chosen as this was the day that the name “Oreo” was registered as a trademark. However, that’s not the case. The application was filed on March 14, 1912 and registration took place on August 12, 1913. So, who knows why it’s March 6th?

57 Toy on a string : YO-YO

Would you believe that the first yo-yos date back to 500 BC? There is even an ancient Greek vase painting that shows a young man playing with a yo-yo. Centuries later Filipinos were using yo-yos as hunting tools in the 1500s. “Yo-yo” is a Tagalog (Filipino) word meaning “come-come” or simply “return”.

59 Bow wood : YEW

Yew is the wood of choice for the longbow, a valued weapon in the history of England. The longbow is constructed with a core of yew heartwood (as the heartwood resists compression) that has a sheath of yew sapwood (as the sapwood resists stretching). The yew was in such demand for longbows that for centuries yew trees were in short supply in Britain and the wood had to be imported from all over Europe.

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Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Way in the woods : PATH
5 Japanese cattle breed yielding Kobe beef : WAGYU
10 Fleecy footwear brand : UGGS
14 Currency named for a continent : EURO
15 Used for dinner, as dishes : ATE ON
16 Fit : SUIT
17 Burnett on CNN : ERIN
18 Author Dahl : ROALD
19 Crib sheet user : BABY
20 Available workers, statistically : LABOR MARKET (giving “Labor Day”)
23 “Oedipus __” : REX
24 Set of TV programs : SERIES
25 First name in civil rights history : ROSA
27 Meteorology, e.g. : EARTH SCIENCE (giving “Earth Day”)
32 Gets ready for a selfie : POSES
35 Tried to be like : EMULATED
36 Before, in poems : ERE
37 Explosion : BLAST
39 Rock in a vein : ORE
40 Merchant : RETAILER
43 Cling wrap brand : SARAN
45 Game in which grabbing a piece of cloth replaces tackling : FLAG FOOTBALL (giving “Flag Day”)
48 Spanish kiss : BESO
49 Meteorologist’s pressure line : ISOBAR
52 Do stuff? : GEL
54 Period when everything is backwards … and where the starts of 20-, 27- and 45-Across might be found? : OPPOSITE DAY
58 Out of the office : AWAY
60 Made a boo-boo : ERRED
61 NFL analyst Tony : ROMO
62 Google-owned navigation app : WAZE
63 Volleyball great Gabrielle : REECE
64 Deuce defeater : TREY
65 Had down pat : KNEW
66 Dalmatian features : SPOTS
67 __ Domini : ANNO

Down

1 Banana leftover : PEEL
2 Subtle vibes : AURAS
3 Wichita or Omaha : TRIBE
4 Distinguished guest, perhaps : HONOREE
5 Not so cold : WARMER
6 “Raise your glass!” : A TOAST!
7 Camping equipment : GEAR
8 The “sun” in “sunny side up” : YOLK
9 Go even lower than, pricewise : UNDERCUT
10 Thumb drive port : USB
11 Co-signer, e.g. : GUARANTOR
12 Taunt : GIBE
13 River in which Achilles was dipped : STYX
21 Narrow inlets : RIAS
22 Work really hard : TOIL
26 Caribbean, for one : SEA
28 Essence : HEART
29 Texting format, for short : SMS
30 Michael of “Arrested Development” : CERA
31 Genesis garden : EDEN
32 Flawless, in slang : PERF
33 Baseball’s Hershiser : OREL
34 Light on fire : SET ABLAZE
37 Humorous outtakes : BLOOPERS
38 Cancer follower : LEO
41 Golden __ : AGE
42 “In that case … ” : IF SO …
43 Vending machine opening : SLOT
44 Calgary’s province : ALBERTA
46 Split equally : BISECT
47 Comments only for the audience : ASIDES
50 Decorate : ADORN
51 Asian noodle dish : RAMEN
52 Stare stupidly : GAWK
53 Obi-Wan portrayer McGregor : EWAN
55 Help the chef : PREP
56 Black-and-white cookie : OREO
57 Toy on a string : YO-YO
59 Bow wood : YEW

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