LA Times Crossword 18 Aug 23, Friday

Constructed by: Lewis Rothlein
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Reveal Answer: Disappeared

Themed answers are common phrases inside which “DIS” has APPEARED:

53A Faded away, and what happened in 17-, 26-, and 42-Across? : DISAPPEARED and “DIS” APPEARED

17A Blackmailer’s ultimatum? : CASH OR DISCREDIT! (“cash or credit” + DIS)
26A Message such as “Still looking for my golf ball in the tall grass”? : ROUGH DISPATCH (“rough patch” + DIS)
42A Pawn shop, essentially? : HOUSE OF DISCARDS (“House of Cards” + DIS)

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

Want to discuss the puzzle? Then …
… leave a comment

Bill’s time: 10m 59s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Quad spot : LEG

The quadriceps femoris is the muscle group at the front of the thigh. It is the strongest muscle in the human body, and is also the leanest. The “quads” are actually a group of four muscles in the upper leg, hence the use of the prefix “quad-”.

4 Pollen producers : STAMENS

The stamen is the male reproductive organ of a flower. The part of the stamen known as the anther sits on a stalk called the filament that carries the pollen. The pollen is picked up by insects, especially bees, who then transfer pollen from flower to flower. The pistil is the female reproductive organ, and it accepts the pollen.

14 Kaplan of Yo La Tengo : IRA

Yo La Tengo is an indie rock band from Hoboken, New Jersey that formed in 1984 as the husband/wife duo Ira Kaplan and Georgia Hubley. The band’s name translates from Spanish as “I have it”, and was chosen with reference to a baseball anecdote. Elio Chacon was a baseball player from Venezuela, the seventh person to play in the Majors from that country. There’s a story that Mets center fielder Richie Ashburn was always running into Elio Chacon in the outfield, because he would call for the ball in English, and Chacon only understood Spanish. Ashburn started to call for the ball in Spanish “Yo la tengo!” (I’ve got it!), at which point he’d be run down by left fielder Frank Thomas who only understood English!

16 Tuber also called a New Zealand yam : OCA

The plant called an oca is also known as the New Zealand yam, even though it isn’t a true yam. The tubers of the oca are used as a root vegetable.

21 Pollen collector? : PETAL

The petals of a plant are modified leaves that are usually brightly colored or unusually shaped in order to attract pollinators. Collectively, the petals of a flower are known as the corolla.

23 College Park athlete, for short : TERP

The sports teams of the University of Maryland are called the Maryland Terrapins, or “Terps” for short. The name dates back to 1932 when it was coined by the university’s president at the time, Curley Byrd. He took the name from the diamondback terrapins that are native to the Chesapeake Bay.

25 Lobbying orgs. : PACS

A political action committee (PAC) is a private group that works to influence the outcome of a particular election or group of elections. Any group becomes a PAC by law when it receives or spends more than $1,000 for the purpose of influencing the outcome of an election. In 2010 the Supreme Court ruled that PACS that did not make direct contributions to candidates or parties could accept unlimited contributions. These “independent, expenditure-only committees” are commonly referred to as “super PACs”.

31 Dessert ruined by Little Jack Horner : PIE

Little Jack Horner
Sat in the corner,
Eating a Christmas pie;
He put in his thumb,
And pulled out a plum,
And said ‘What a good boy am I!

32 Washington state brewski : OLY

The Olympia Brewing Company was founded in the town of Tumwater, Washington in 1896, by a German immigrant. Olympia (familiarly “Oly”) was acquired by Pabst in 1983.

38 “La __ en Rose” : VIE

The literal translation of the title to the French song “La Vie en rose” is “Life In Pink”, but a better translation would be “Life Through Rose-Colored Glasses”.

39 Tazo product : TEA

Tazo is an American brand of tea products introduced in 1983. The company’s name is a Romany word meaning “river of life”.

42 Pawn shop, essentially? : HOUSE OF DISCARDS (“House of Cards” + DIS)

I remember the bad old days growing up in Dublin, Ireland, when my mother had to go to the pawnshop (bad times!). I’d wait outside with my brother, looking up at the pawnbroker’s sign, three gold balls hanging down from a metal bar. This traditional sign used by pawnbrokers is said to date back to the Medici family as the sign had symbolic meaning in the province of Lombardy where the Medici family reigned supreme. Because of this connection, pawnshop banking was originally called Lombard banking.

The hit TV show “House of Cards” is a political drama that highlights ruthless manipulation within the corridors of power in Washington, D.C. The show is an adaptation of a BBC miniseries of the same name, which in turn is based on a novel by Michael Dobbs.

46 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.

47 Arrange, as a sari : DRAPE

The item of clothing called a “sari” (also “saree”) is a strip of cloth, as one might imagine, unusual perhaps in that it is unstitched along the whole of its length. The strip of cloth can range from four to nine meters long (that’s a lot of material!). The sari is usually wrapped around the waist, then draped over the shoulder leaving the midriff bare. I must say, it can be a beautiful item of clothing.

49 Genre that uses a caricature style known as chibi : ANIME

Chibi is a style of caricature that originated in Japanese culture. It is also known as super deformation (SD) as the characters are usually small with large heads, and very little detail in their features. The chibi style is very prevalent in anime and manga mass media.

51 Mantra syllables : OMS

“Om” is a sacred mystic word from the Hindu tradition. “Om” is sometimes used as a mantra, a focus for the mind in meditation.

52 Matchstick wood : ASPEN

Aspen wood is relatively soft, and very white. It isn’t very flammable, compared to other woods, and so is commonly used to make matchsticks and paper.

56 Massage style : SHIATSU

“Shiatsu” is a Japanese word meaning “finger pressure”, and is the name given to a style of massage.

63 Tina of “30 Rock” : FEY

Comedian and actress Tina Fey was born Elizabeth Stamatina Fey in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania. Fey is perhaps best known to television viewers as a cast member on “Saturday Night Live” (1997-2006), and as the creator and star of the sitcom “30 Rock” (2006-2013).

64 Defunct D.C. stadium : RFK

Robert F. Kennedy (RFK) Memorial Stadium opened in 1961 as the District of Columbia Stadium, and is actually owned by the District of Columbia. The stadium was renamed in 1969, a few months after Robert Kennedy was assassinated. Kennedy had been instrumental in the racial integration of the Washington Redskins who played in the stadium for 36 seasons. As Attorney General, Kennedy threatened to oust the Redskins from the federally-owned stadium unless the team agreed to sign African-American players.

Down

3 Gourmet’s prefix : GASTRO-

A “gourmand” is someone who takes great pleasure in consuming food and drink, often eating and drinking to excess. The related term “gourmet” refers to someone who has a refined palate.

4 “Billions” airer, briefly : SHO

“Billions” is a Showtime drama series starring Paul Giamatti and Damian Lewis. It’s about a federal prosecutor going after a hedge fund manager in New York. Excellent show …

5 Large spread : TARP

Originally, tarpaulins were made from canvas covered in tar that rendered the material waterproof. The word “tarpaulin” comes from “tar” and “palling”, with “pall” meaning “heavy cloth covering”.

6 Summer term? : ADDEND

An addend (also “summand”) is a number that is to be added to another. A number that is to be multiplied with another is a factor.

7 Curaçao and rum drink : MAI TAI

The mai tai cocktail is strongly associated with the Polynesian islands, but the drink was supposedly invented in 1944 in Trader Vic’s restaurant in Oakland, California. One recipe is 6 parts white rum, 3 parts orange curaçao, 3 parts orgeat syrup, 1 part rock candy syrup, 2 parts fresh lime juice, all mixed with ice and then a float added of 6 parts dark rum. “Maita’i” is the Tahitian word for “good”.

The liqueur known as Curaçao comes from the island of Curaçao in the southern Caribbean. The liqueur is usually given artificial coloring to make it suitable for use in exotic cocktails. The common colors used are blue and orange.

9 Pickling mineral, chemically : NACL

Sodium chloride (NaCl, common salt) is an ionic compound. It comprises a crystal lattice made up of large chloride (Cl^–) ions in a cubic structure, with smaller sodium (Na⁺) ions in between the chlorides.

10 Med. nation : SYR

The modern state that we know as Syria was established after WWI as a French mandate. Syria was granted independence from France in 1946.

11 Signs from above : ZODIAC

In astronomical terms, the zodiac is a group of 13 constellations that together form a roughly circular pattern in the night sky. Most of these constellations are named for animals, which explains why the word “zodiac” comes from the Greek “zodiakos” meaning “circle of little animals”. We can’t see the whole Zodiac at any one time in the year, but one constellation does dominate the sky every four weeks. In astrological terms, there are only 12 signs of the zodiac. Astrologists skip the constellation Ophiuchus (visible November/December). Ophiuchus is the serpent bearer.

12 Child’s play : A CINCH

The term “cinch” was absorbed into American English from Spanish in the mid-1800s, when it was used to mean a “saddle-girth”. “Cincha” is the Spanish word for “girdle”. In the late 1800s, “cinch” came to mean a ‘sure thing”, in the sense that a saddle-girth can provide a “sure hold”.

28 Tenor role in “Salome” : HEROD

Richard Strauss’s opera “Salome” was based on the play of the same name by Oscar Wilde. The opera created quite a fuss in its early performances due to its erotic “Dance of the Seven Veils”.

Herod Antipas was a ruler of Galilee and Perea in the 1st century CE. Even though he never held the title of “king”, he is referred to in the New Testament of the Christian Bible as “King Herod”. So, it was Herod Anitipas who was so instrumental in the executions of John the Baptist and Jesus of Nazareth.

29 Unflappability : POISE

To be worried about something is to be in a flap. “In a flap” was navy slang dating back to 1916, coming from the flapping of restless birds. The related term “unflappable” arose in the 1950s, with the meaning “unflustered”.

30 Guinness of “Lawrence of Arabia” : ALEC

Sir Alec Guinness played many great roles over a long and distinguished career, but nowadays is best remembered (sadly, I think) for playing the original Obi-Wan Kenobi in “Star Wars”. He won his only Best Actor Oscar for playing Colonel Nicholson in the marvelous 1957 WWII movie “The Bridge on the River Kwai”. Guinness did himself serve during the Second World War, in the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve. He commanded a landing craft during the Allied invasion of Sicily in 1943.

“Lawrence of Arabia” is a 1962 movie that recounts the real life story of T. E. Lawrence, a British army officer who was famous for his role in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign of World War I. The title role in the film is played by Irish actor Peter O’Toole. The role of Sherif Ali ibn el Kharish is played by Omar Sharif.

33 __ butter : SHEA

Shea butter is a common moisturizer and lotion used as a cosmetic. It is a fat that is extracted from the nut of the African shea tree. There is evidence that shea butter was used back in Cleopatra’s Egypt.

35 Heat index factor : HUMIDITY

The heat index combines air temperature and relative humidity. It is an attempt to measure the relative temperature that is actually perceived by a person. The idea is that temperatures are perceived by us as being higher if accompanied by high humidity. This is because when the humidity is high, the body finds it more difficult to cool itself by perspiring.

43 Seuss character : SAM I AM

Dr. Seuss’s famous children’s book “Green Eggs and Ham” was first published in 1960. “Green Eggs and Ham” now ranks twelfth in the list of top selling children’s books. By the way, “Harry Potter” books hold the top four slots in that list. The text of “Green Eggs and Ham” has a lot of “I am” going on. It starts with:

I am Sam
I am Sam
Sam I am

and ends with:

I do so like
green eggs and ham!
Thank you!
Thank you,
Sam-I-am

50 Czech Olympian Ledecká who won gold in two winter disciplines : ESTER

Ester Ledecká is a Czech snowboarder and alpine skier. She is the most successful Czech winter Olympian of all time, and the first athlete to win gold medals in both snowboarding and alpine skiing at the same Olympic Games.

55 Boombox brand : AIWA

Aiwa was a Japanese company that produced consumer electronics, mainly audio and video equipment. Sony bought Aiwa in 2002 and eventually discontinued the brand in 2006. The Aiwa trademark was acquired by a Chicago-based consumer electronics company in 2015.

A boombox is a portable music player with speakers that includes an AM/FM radio as well as a recording device (originally cassette tapes, and later compact discs). The first boombox was introduced by Philips in 1966 as a “Radiorecorder”, a portable device that could record radio broadcasts without the need to use external cables and microphones. Boomboxes became very popular with young people in urban areas. The practice of playing loud music using boomboxes in neighborhoods led to the devices being labeled as “ghetto blasters”.

56 Initialism for certain applications : SPF

In theory, the sun protection factor (SPF) is a calibrated measure of the effectiveness of a sunscreen in protecting the skin from harmful UV rays. The idea is that if you wear a lotion with say SPF 20, then it takes 20 times as much UV radiation to cause the skin to burn than it would take without protection. I say just stay out of the sun …

59 Actress Thurman : UMA

Robert Thurman was the first westerner to be ordained a Tibetan Buddhist monk. Robert raised his children in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition and called his daughter “Uma” as it is a phonetic spelling of the Buddhist name “Dbuma”. Uma’s big break in the movies came with her starring role in Quentin Tarantino’s 1994 hit “Pulp Fiction”. My favorite Uma Thurman film is the wonderful 1996 romantic comedy “The Truth About Cats and Dogs”.

60 “Ideas worth spreading” org. : TED

The acronym “TED” stands for “Technology, Entertainment and Design”. TED is a set of conferences held around the world by a non-profit group called the Sapling Foundation. The conference subjects are varied, and the meetings are often led by big names such as Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Bill Gates and Jane Goodall. The Sapling Foundation then makes recordings of the conferences available for free online with the intent of disseminating the ideas globally. These conferences are known as “TED Talks”. There are also TEDx events, which are locally-run talks presented under license from TED.

Read on, or …
… return to top of page

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Quad spot : LEG
4 Pollen producers : STAMENS
11 One turn after another? : -ZAG
14 Kaplan of Yo La Tengo : IRA
15 Was allowed to vote : HAD A SAY
16 Tuber also called a New Zealand yam : OCA
17 Blackmailer’s ultimatum? : CASH OR DISCREDIT! (“cash or credit” + DIS)
20 “Which __ say … ” : IS TO
21 Pollen collector? : PETAL
22 Extract : MINE
23 College Park athlete, for short : TERP
24 Vote against : NAY
25 Lobbying orgs. : PACS
26 Message such as “Still looking for my golf ball in the tall grass”? : ROUGH DISPATCH (“rough patch” + DIS)
31 Dessert ruined by Little Jack Horner : PIE
32 Washington state brewski : OLY
33 Racket dampener? : SHH!
36 Garment with adjustable straps : BRA
38 “La __ en Rose” : VIE
39 Tazo product : TEA
42 Pawn shop, essentially? : HOUSE OF DISCARDS (“House of Cards” + DIS)
46 Writer Bombeck : ERMA
47 Arrange, as a sari : DRAPE
48 Wilts : SAGS
49 Genre that uses a caricature style known as chibi : ANIME
51 Mantra syllables : OMS
52 Matchstick wood : ASPEN
53 Faded away, and what happened in 17-, 26-, and 42-Across? : DISAPPEARED and “DIS” APPEARED
56 Massage style : SHIATSU
58 Puts on the line, maybe : AIRS OUT
61 “I’m ready to play, coach!” : PUT ME IN!
62 Duo : TWOSOME
63 Tina of “30 Rock” : FEY
64 Defunct D.C. stadium : RFK
65 Tree feller : SAW
66 “Sweet!” : RAD!

Down

1 Not outlawed : LICIT
2 Crossword solver’s need, maybe : ERASER
3 Gourmet’s prefix : GASTRO-
4 “Billions” airer, briefly : SHO
5 Large spread : TARP
6 Summer term? : ADDEND
7 Curaçao and rum drink : MAI TAI
8 Takes in the paper? : ESSAYS
9 Pickling mineral, chemically : NACL
10 Med. nation : SYR
11 Signs from above : ZODIAC
12 Child’s play : A CINCH
13 Airport array : GATES
18 Words said while patting a stool, perhaps : HOP UP
19 Needing filling : EMPTY
27 Teasing remark : GIBE
28 Tenor role in “Salome” : HEROD
29 Unflappability : POISE
30 Guinness of “Lawrence of Arabia” : ALEC
33 __ butter : SHEA
34 Traffic sound : HORN
35 Heat index factor : HUMIDITY
37 Arts festival that calls itself “the other Black experience” : AFRO-PUNK
38 Prime viewing spots : VIP SEATS
39 Secret exit, maybe : TRAPDOOR
40 Periphery : EDGE
41 Gp. : ASSN
43 Seuss character : SAM I AM
44 Almost dry : DAMP
45 Appraise : ASSESS
50 Czech Olympian Ledecká who won gold in two winter disciplines : ESTER
52 Directional aid : ARROW
54 “You’re kidding, right?” : AS IF
55 Boombox brand : AIWA
56 Initialism for certain applications : SPF
57 Saffron or sage : HUE
59 Actress Thurman : UMA
60 “Ideas worth spreading” org. : TED

Leave a comment (below), or …
… return to top of page

The post LA Times Crossword 18 Aug 23, Friday appeared first on LAXCrossword.com.

from LAXCrossword.com https://ift.tt/cgR6EQF