LA Times Crossword 28 Apr 23, Friday

Constructed by: Pam Amick Klawitter
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Reveal Answer: Here’s Why

Themed answers are common phrases with a letter Y added to the end of one word:

63A “Allow me to explain,” and a phonetic hint to this puzzle’s theme : HERE’S WHY

18A Forged painting? : ART DECOY (from “art deco”)
23A When kids start rolling their eyes at everything their parents say? : THE IRONY AGE (from “the Iron Age”)
40A School newspaper entries from its youngest reporters? : KINDERGARTEN COPY (from “Kindergarten Cop”)

49A Sign that it’s time to clean the closet? : DUSTY JACKET (from “dust jacket”)
63A “Allow me to explain,” and a phonetic hint to this puzzle’s theme : HERE’S WHY

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Bill’s time: 7m 41s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 __ farm : ANT

“Formicary” is another name for “ant nest”, and comes from the Latin “formica” meaning “ant”. The phrase “ant colony” describes the ants living in an ant nest. A formicarium is similar to an aquarium, and used to house an ant colony perhaps for study. The phrase “ant farm” is usually reserved for ant nests built by an ant colony in a formicarium.

8 Burro : ASS

Our word “burro”, meaning “donkey”, comes from the Spanish word for the same animal, namely “burrico”.

11 Bamboozle : CON

It’s thought that the lovely word “bamboozle” came into English from the Scottish “bombaze” meaning “perplex”. We’ve been using “bamboozle” since the very early 1700s.

14 Lav : LOO

Our word “lavatory” (sometimes “lav”) originally referred to a washbasin, and comes from the Latin “lavatorium”, a place for washing. In the 1600s, “lavatory” came to mean a washroom, and in the 1920s a toilet.

15 London jazz duo? : ZEDS

There is a duo of letters Z (“zed”, in London) in the word “jazz”.

16 “Shape of You” singer-songwriter : SHEERAN

“Shape of You” is a 2017 song co-written and recorded by Ed Sheeran. In 2018, it became the first song on Spotify to hit two billion streams. By the end of 2019, it was Spotify’s most streamed song of the whole decade.

18 Forged painting? : ART DECOY (from “art deco”)

The 1925 World’s Fair, officially known as the “Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes”, was held in Paris. The fair was intended to showcase the latest trends in modern decorative arts and industrial design. The term “art deco” comes from the name of the fair, and is a shortening of the words “Arts Décoratifs”.

23 When kids start rolling their eyes at everything their parents say? : THE IRONY AGE (from “the Iron Age”)

Ancient societies can be classified by the “three-age system”, which depends on the prevalence of materials used to make tools. The three ages are:

The Stone Age
The Bronze Age
The Iron Age

The actual dates defined by each age depend on the society, as the timing of the transition from the use of one material to another varied around the globe.

31 Country quarters : INNS

We use the term “quarters” for a place of abode, especially housing for military personnel. Back in the late 16th century, quarters were a portion (quarter) of a town reserved for a military force.

35 Gardener’s mixture : LOAM

Loam is soil made up of sand, silt and clay in the ratio of about 40-40-20. Relative to other soil types, loam is usually rich in nutrients and moisture, drains well and is easy to till. Loam can also be used in constructing houses as it is quite strong when mixed with straw and dried.

40 School newspaper entries from its youngest reporters? : KINDERGARTEN COPY (from “Kindergarten Cop”)

“Kindergarten” is a German term, one translating as “children’s garden”. The term was coined by the German education authority Friedrich Fröbel in 1837, when he used it as the name for his play and activity institute that he created for young children to use before they headed off to school. His thought was that children should be nourished educationally, like plants in a garden.

“Kindergarten Cop” is a fun 1990 comedy starring Arnold Schwarzenegger in a different role for him. Arnie plays a cop, one working undercover as a kindergarten teacher.

45 Spy-fi writer Deighton : LEN

I used to walk my dog right past author Len Deighton’s house years ago, as we lived in the same seaside village in Ireland (probably my only claim to “fame”). Deighton wrote the excellent espionage thriller “The IPCRESS File”, which was made into a 1965 movie starring Michael Caine.

46 Turow book : ONE L

Scott Turow is an author and lawyer from Chicago. Turow has had several bestselling novels including “Presumed Innocent”, “The Burden of Proof” and “Reversible Errors”, all three of which were made into films. He also wrote the autobiographical book “One L: The Turbulent True Story of a First Year at Harvard Law School”.

47 Shar-__: wrinkly dog : PEI

The shar-pei breed of dog is one with a wrinkly face and really dark tongue. The breed originated in China, with “shar-pei” being the British spelling of the Cantonese name.

55 Some pasta : TUBES

Cylindrical pasta is known in general as “penne”, and there are many variants. For example, ziti is a particularly large and long tube with square-cut ends. “Penne” is the plural of “penna”, the Italian for “feather, quill”.

56 James Cameron blockbuster set on Pandora : AVATAR

In James Cameron’s epic “Avatar”, the “blue people” are the Na’vi, the indigenous species that lives on the lush moon called Pandora. The main Na’vi character featured in the film is the female Neytiri. According to Cameron, Neytiri was inspired by the character played by Raquel Welch in the movie “Fantastic Voyage” and the comic book character Vampirella.

60 Critters sought in a Nintendo game : POKEMON

“Pokémon” is the second-biggest video game franchise in the world, second only to the “Mario” franchise. “Pokémon” is a contraction of “Pocket Monsters”.

65 Rust-causing agent : OXIDANT

Rust is iron oxide. Rust forms when iron oxidizes, reacts with oxygen.

66 “Dear __ Hansen” : EVAN

“Dear Evan Hansen” is a 2015 stage musical about a young man with awkward social skills and his efforts to make friends. The show was inspired by real-life events: The show’s writer, Steven Levenson, was inspired to write the musical after the suicide of a high school student in his hometown.

67 Energizer size : AAA

We are all fairly familiar with the Energizer Bunny, I am guessing. It was introduced in 1989 to promote Energizer batteries, by parodying the Duracell Bunny that made its debut in 1973.

69 Cartoon frame : CEL

Animation cels are transparent sheets made of celluloid acetate that were used in traditional hand-drawn animation to create animated films. They were first introduced in the 1930s and were widely used in animation production until the late 1990s, when digital animation techniques began to dominate the industry.

70 Bulb unit : WATT

James Watt was a Scottish inventor. He figured prominently in the Industrial Revolution in Britain, largely due to the improvements he made to the fledgling steam engine. The SI unit of power is called the watt, and was named in his honor.

71 Phisher’s fig. : SSN

Phishing is the online practice of stealing usernames, passwords and credit card details by creating a site that deceptively looks reliable and trustworthy. Phishers often send out safe-looking emails or instant messages that direct someone to an equally safe-looking website where the person might inadvertently enter sensitive information. “Phishing” is a play on the word “fishing”, as in “fishing for passwords, PINs, etc.”

Down

3 “Africa” band : TOTO

“Africa” is a 1982 song that was a big hit for the American rock band Toto. In fact, it was destined to become the band’s only Billboard chart-topper. Apparently, someone set up a sound installation in the Namib Desert in 2019 just to play “Africa”. The song plays on a constant loop, and the installation is powered by solar panels. It just keeps on going …

4 Slovak neighbor : CZECH

Czechoslovakia existed as a sovereign state in Europe from 1918, at which time it declared itself independent from the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The country went through much turmoil through the days of Nazi and Soviet occupation, but democracy was restored in 1989 after the nonviolent Velvet Revolution that overthrew the communist government. Nationalist tendencies did develop over time, leading to a peaceful dissolution of the country in 1993, and the creation of the two independent states of the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic (aka “Slovakia”).

5 Dulce de __ : LECHE

“Dulce de leche” is Spanish for “candy of milk”, and is a confection made by slowly heating milk and sugar until it develops a pleasing flavor and color.

7 “Gangnam Style” rapper : PSY

“PSY” is the stage name of South Korean rapper Park Jae-sang. PSY became an international star when his 2012 music video “Gangnam Style” went viral on YouTube. That video had over 1 billion views on YouTube in about six months, making it the most viewed YouTube video clip of all time. The title of the song refers to a lifestyle experienced in the Gangnam District of Seoul.

8 Colorado quaker : ASPEN

The “quaking” aspen tree is so called because the structure of the leaves causes them to move easily in the wind, to “tremble, quake”.

9 Like a strutting peacock : SHOWY

The male peafowl is known as a peacock, and the female a peahen. The peafowl’s young are sometimes called peachicks.

10 Title city in a DuVernay film : SELMA

“Selma” is a 2014 film about the Selma-to-Montgomery marches of 1965. Directed by Ava DuVernay, the movie stars David Oyelowo as Martin Luther King, Jr. and Tom Wilkinson as President Lyndon B. Johnson.

11 French wine term : CRU

“Cru” is a term used in the French wine industry that means “growth place”. So, “cru” is the name of the location where the grapes are grown, as opposed to the name of a specific vineyard. The terms “premier cru” and “grand cru” are also used, but the usage depends on the specific wine region. Generally it is a classification awarded to specific vineyards denoting their potential for producing great wines. “Grand cru” is reserved for the very best vineyards, with “premier cru” the level just below.

12 Muesli grain : OAT

“Muesli” is a Swiss-German term describing a breakfast serving of rolled oats, nuts, fruit and milk. The dish can be soaked overnight in milk before serving (“overnight oats”). “Muesli” is a diminutive of the German word “Mues” meaning “puree”. Delicious …

17 Mournful : ELEGIAC

“Elegiac” is the adjective coming from “elegy”, a mournful poem or funeral song also known as a dirge.

24 PR concern : IMAGE

Public relations (PR)

25 Tomato paste tomato : ROMA

The Roma tomato isn’t considered an heirloom variety but it is very popular with home gardeners, especially those gardeners that don’t have a lot of space. It is a bush type (as opposed to vine type) and needs very little room to provide a lot of tomatoes.

27 Pacific Rim capital : TOKYO

The Greater Tokyo Area is the most populous metropolitan area on the planet. 51 of the Fortune Global 500 companies are headquartered in Tokyo. And the residents of Tokyo eat very well. Michelin has awarded more Michelin stars to Tokyo than any other city in the world.

The phrase “Pacific Rim” describes the countries that surround the Pacific Ocean. The related phrase “Pacific Basin” includes the islands in the Pacific Ocean, in addition to the Pacific Rim nations.

33 Broadway composer Jule : STYNE

Jule Styne was an English songwriter who made a name for himself in America with a series of popular musicals. Styne wrote a number of famous songs including “Don’t Rain on My Parade” from “Funny Girl”, “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” from “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes”, and “Everything’s Coming Up Roses” from “Gypsy”.

35 “__ Misérables” : LES

Victor Hugo’s famous 1862 novel “Les Misérables” has been translated into English several times. However, the title is usually left in the original French as a successful translation of “les misérables” seems to be elusive. Some suggestions for an English title are “The Wretched”, “The Victims” and “The Dispossessed”. The novel follows the lives of several characters including an ex-convict Jean Valjean, a fanatic police inspector Javert, a beautiful prostitute Fantine, and Fantine’s illegitimate daughter Cosette.

37 Poker-faced : STOIC

Zeno of Citium was a Greek philosopher famous for teaching at the Stoa Poikile, the “Painted Porch”, located on the north side of the Ancient Agora of Athens. Because of the location of his classes, his philosophy became known as stoicism (from “stoa”, the word for “porch”). We get our adjective “stoic”, meaning “indifferent to pleasure or pain”, from the same root.

39 Gridiron position : END

We never used the word “gridiron” when I was growing up in Ireland (meaning a grill used for cooking food over an open fire). So, maybe I am excused for taking two decades living in the US to work out that a football field gridiron is so called because the layout of yard lines over the field looks like a gridiron used in cooking.

42 Actress Perlman : RHEA

Rhea Perlman’s most famous role has to be Carla Tortelli, the irascible waitress in the long-running sitcom “Cheers”. Perlman is also a successful children’s author, and has published a series of six books called “Otto Undercover”. She married Hollywood actor Danny DeVito in 1982.

47 Sack dress? : PJS

Our word “pajamas” (sometimes “PJs” or “jammies”) comes to us from the Indian subcontinent, where “pai jamahs” were loose fitting pants tied at the waist and worn at night by locals and ultimately by the Europeans living there. And “pajamas” is another of those words that I had to learn to spell differently when I came to America. On the other side of the Atlantic, the spelling is “pyjamas”.

50 Poison __ : SUMAC

Poison sumac is a nasty plant (from a human perspective). Also known as thunderwood, it produces the resin urushiol that irritates human skin. Inhaling the smoke from burning poison sumac can irritate the lining of the lungs causing pain, and maybe even death.

51 Pricey steak : T-BONE

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.

52 “Papa, Can You Hear Me?” film : YENTL

“Papa, Can You Hear Me?” is a powerful song written by Michel Legrand for the 1983 film “Yentl”, Barbra Streisand stars in the movie, and performs the song. The song was nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Song, but it lost to “Flashdance…What a Feeling” from the film “Flashdance”. However, the song did win that season’s Golden Globe for Best Original Song.

53 Gold purity unit : KARAT

A karat (also “carat”, the spelling outside of North America) is a measure of the purity of gold alloys, with 24-karat representing pure gold.

57 First word of “Jabberwocky” : ‘TWAS

Here are the first two verses of “Jabberwocky” by Lewis Carroll, probably the one poem that we all just loved learning to recite at school

’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!

59 “Deadpool” actor Reynolds : RYAN

“Deadpool” is a 2016 superhero film, the eighth of the “X-Men” series of movies. The title character is played by Ryan Reynolds. Deadpool constantly breaks the fourth wall in the movie, often to crack a joke. That characteristic is a carry-over from the comics, in which Deadpool often addresses asides to the reader.

61 Good Grips kitchen brand : OXO

The OXO line of kitchen utensils and housewares is designed to be ergonomically superior to the average household tools. The intended user of OXO products is someone who doesn’t have the normal range of motion or strength in the hands e.g. someone suffering from arthritis.

62 Tyke : KID

“Tyke” has been used playfully to describe a young child since at least 1902 For centuries before that, a tyke was a cur or mongrel, or perhaps a lazy or lower-class man.

63 Fell, as firs : HEW

Firs are evergreen coniferous trees, with several species being popular as Christmas trees. The most commonly used species during the holidays are the Nordmann fir, noble fir, Fraser fir and balsam fir. We also see a lot of Douglas fir trees at Christmas, but they’re not actually true firs.

64 Longoria of “Telenovela” : EVA

Eva Longoria is a fashion model and actress who had a regular role on TV’s “Desperate Housewives”, playing Gabrielle Solis. Her travel and food show “Eva Longoria: Searching for Mexico” premiered on CNN in 2023.

“Telenovela” is a sitcom set in Miami that follows the activities behind the cameras shooting a fictional telenovela called “Las Leyes de Pasión”. Eva Longoria plays the telenovela star, an actress who does not speak a word of Spanish.

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Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 __ farm : ANT
4 Respond to “Let’s give it up for … ” : CLAP
8 Burro : ASS
11 Bamboozle : CON
14 Lav : LOO
15 London jazz duo? : ZEDS
16 “Shape of You” singer-songwriter : SHEERAN
18 Forged painting? : ART DECOY (from “art deco”)
20 Foul : POLLUTE
21 Get lovey-dovey : SMOOCH
22 Post-makeover self : NEW ME
23 When kids start rolling their eyes at everything their parents say? : THE IRONY AGE (from “the Iron Age”)
27 Ink : TATS
30 Make hay, maybe : MOW
31 Country quarters : INNS
34 Spanish cheer : OLE!
35 Gardener’s mixture : LOAM
37 Cuss out : SWEAR AT
40 School newspaper entries from its youngest reporters? : KINDERGARTEN COPY (from “Kindergarten Cop”)
43 “No need to explain further” : YES, I SEE
44 Broke new ground? : HOED
45 Spy-fi writer Deighton : LEN
46 Turow book : ONE L
47 Shar-__: wrinkly dog : PEI
48 “Anything __?” : ELSE
49 Sign that it’s time to clean the closet? : DUSTY JACKET (from “dust jacket”)
55 Some pasta : TUBES
56 James Cameron blockbuster set on Pandora : AVATAR
60 Critters sought in a Nintendo game : POKEMON
63 “Allow me to explain,” and a phonetic hint to this puzzle’s theme : HERE’S WHY
65 Rust-causing agent : OXIDANT
66 “Dear __ Hansen” : EVAN
67 Energizer size : AAA
68 Pea holder : POD
69 Cartoon frame : CEL
70 Bulb unit : WATT
71 Phisher’s fig. : SSN

Down

1 “Ah, me!” : ALAS!
2 Convention : NORM
3 “Africa” band : TOTO
4 Slovak neighbor : CZECH
5 Dulce de __ : LECHE
6 Fuss : ADO
7 “Gangnam Style” rapper : PSY
8 Colorado quaker : ASPEN
9 Like a strutting peacock : SHOWY
10 Title city in a DuVernay film : SELMA
11 French wine term : CRU
12 Muesli grain : OAT
13 Vane dir. : NNE
17 Mournful : ELEGIAC
19 Apt rhyme for “spots” : DOTS
22 “On the double!” : NOW!
24 PR concern : IMAGE
25 Tomato paste tomato : ROMA
26 Register : ENROLL
27 Pacific Rim capital : TOKYO
28 Extraterrestrial : ALIEN
29 Became edgy : TENSED
32 Mane areas : NAPES
33 Broadway composer Jule : STYNE
35 “__ Misérables” : LES
36 Underground resource : ORE
37 Poker-faced : STOIC
38 Itty-bitty : WEE
39 Gridiron position : END
41 Watered down : DILUTED
42 Actress Perlman : RHEA
47 Sack dress? : PJS
48 “Are we there yet?” guesses : ETAS
50 Poison __ : SUMAC
51 Pricey steak : T-BONE
52 “Papa, Can You Hear Me?” film : YENTL
53 Gold purity unit : KARAT
54 Part of a track meet : EVENT
57 First word of “Jabberwocky” : ‘TWAS
58 “Got it!” cries : AHAS
59 “Deadpool” actor Reynolds : RYAN
60 Burst : POP
61 Good Grips kitchen brand : OXO
62 Tyke : KID
63 Fell, as firs : HEW
64 Longoria of “Telenovela” : EVA

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