LA Times Crossword Answers 22 Apr 2018, Sunday

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Constructed by: Victor Barocas
Edited by: Rich Norris

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Today’s Theme: Number One Fan

Themed answers each contain the word “EGO” located right in the CENTER:

  • 117A. Narcissistic trait exhibited perfectly by this puzzle’s eight other longest answers : EGOCENTRISM
  • 23A. Neighbor of Montenegro : HERZEGOVINA
  • 34A. Knew unfavorable things about : HAD THE GOODS ON
  • 43A. Put the blame on : SCAPEGOATED
  • 56A. In the “Other” column : UNCATEGORIZED
  • 67A. Solving a problem boldly : CUTTING THE GORDIAN KNOT
  • 77A. Tony Gwynn, notably : SAN DIEGO PADRE
  • 94A. Ill-advised : MISBEGOTTEN
  • 102A. Complaint about monotony : HERE WE GO AGAIN

Bill’s time: 19m 23s

Bill’s errors: 0

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Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1. Jennifer Saunders Britcom : AB FAB

“Absolutely Fabulous” (sometimes shortened to “Ab Fab”) is a cult-classic sitcom produced by the BBC. The two stars of the show are Jennifer Saunders (Edina Monsoon) and Joanna Lumley (Patsy Stone). “Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie” hit the screens in 2016. I haven’t seen it yet, but my wife did and really enjoyed it. She said that there’s a veritable cavalcade of British stars that make an appearance …

Jennifer Saunders is an English comedian who is perhaps best known as costar and writer of the hit sitcom “Absolutely Fabulous”. On the other side of the Atlantic, Saunders is equally well known for her work with fellow comedian Dawn French.

11. When tripled, “and so on” : YADA

The Yada Yada Yada is the title of the 153rd episode of “Seinfeld”. Before “Seinfeld” made “yada yada yada” famous, we were more likely to hear the phrase “yadda yadda” that was often used by comedian Lenny Bruce, for example.

15. Scandinavian language : SAMI

Lapland is a geographic region in northern Scandinavia, largely found within the Arctic Circle. Parts of Lapland are in Norway, Sweden and Finland. The people who are native to the region are called the Sami people. The Sami don’t like to be referred to as “Lapps” and they regard the term as insulting.

19. PowerPoint unit : SLIDE

Given that PowerPoint is a Microsoft product, it is perhaps a bit of a paradox that the original application that became PowerPoint was designed for the Macintosh computer. This first release was called “Presenter”. The company that designed Presenter was purchased by Microsoft in 1987.

20. Greek goddesses of the seasons : HORAE

The Horae of Greek mythology were the goddesses of the seasons. There were several Horae, many of them associated with natural portions of time. Most commonly there were three, and sometimes ten (later twelve) Horae, or “Hours”, associated with the times of the day. For example, Auge was the goddess of first light, Gymnastika was the goddess of the morning hour for exercise, and Dysis was the goddess of sunset.

21. K.C. Royal, e.g. : ALER

The Kansas City Royals Major League Baseball team was founded in 1969. The team takes its name from the American Royal, a livestock show and rodeo held annually in Kansas City since 1899.

22. Snapchat co-founder Spiegel : EVAN

Evan Spiegel is the CEO of Snapchat, a social media company that he co-founded with two colleagues while they were students at Stanford. Spiegel has done quite well for himself since founding Snapchat. Back in 2015, he was named the world’s youngest billionaire by “Forbes”, at 24 years of age.

Snapchat is a messaging system that allows users to send photos and video clips to a limited list of recipients. The photos and clips, called “snaps”, can be viewed for only a few seconds before they are deleted from the recipient’s device, and from the Snapchat servers.

23. Neighbor of Montenegro : HERZEGOVINA

Herzegovina is the southern part of the nation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is often referred to informally as “Bosnia”. The region’s name comes from a ruler of the area in the 1400s, who had the title Herzog (duke) of Saint Sava. Much later, the duke’s realm became known as “Herzegovina” (Herzog’s lands).

30. Mournful melody : DIRGE

A “dirge” is a slow and mournful musical piece, like a funeral hymn.

31. Fleece-seeking vessel : ARGO

In Greek mythology, Jason and the Argonauts sailed on the Argo in search of the Golden Fleece. The vessel was called the “Argo” in honor of the ship’s builder, a man named Argus.

The Golden Fleece was the fleece of a winged ram made from pure gold that was held by King Aeëtes in Colchis, a kingdom on the eastern coast of the Black Sea. The fleece is central to the tale of Jason and the Argonauts, who set out on a quest to steal the fleece by order of King Pelias.

41. Obama : Bo :: FDR : __ : FALA

Fala was the famous Scottish Terrier that was ever present at the side of President Franklin D. Roosevelt for many years. The terrier was a Christmas gift to the president from his cousin, who had named the dog Big Boy while she trained him as a puppy. President Roosevelt renamed him after an ancestor of his from Falahill in Scotland, so the dog’s full name was Murray the Outlaw of Falahill. Fala lived on for several years after the president’s passing. I’ve had the privilege of visiting the gravesites of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt in Hyde Park, New York, and Fala is buried just a few feet away from his master.

Sunny and Bo are Portuguese water dogs owned by the Obama family. The former First Family chose the Portuguese water dog largely because it is a hypoallergenic breed, and Malia Obama suffers from an allergy to most dogs.

43. Put the blame on : SCAPEGOATED

A scapegoat is a person chosen to take the blame in place of others. The term comes from the Bible’s Book of Leviticus, which describes a goat that was cast into the desert along with the sins of the community.

45. Bamm-Bamm’s mom : BETTY

In the animated series “The Flintstones”, Betty Rubble is the wife of Barney Rubble, the adoptive mother of Bamm-Bamm Rubble, and best friend of neighbor Wilma Flintstone. For most of the original run of “The Flintstones”, Betty was voiced by Bea Benaderet, the actress who also played Kate Bradley on “Petticoat Junction”. Rosie O’Donnell played Betty in the 1994 film adaptation of the show.

In the classic cartoon show “The Flintstones”, Pebbles is the red-haired daughter of Fred and Wilma Flintstone. Pebbles’ best friend Bamm-Bamm lives next door, the adopted son of Barney and Betty Rubble. As the franchise developed, so did the two youngsters, and they eventually married.

47. Like Chichén Itzá pyramids : MAYAN

Chichén Itzá is a Mayan ruin located in the Mexican state of Yucatán. It is the second-most visited archaeological site in the country (after the ancient city of Teotihuacan). Chichén Itzá has seen a surge in the number of visitors since the development of nearby Cancún as a tourist destination.

48. Harp constellation : LYRA

Lyra (Latin for “lyre, harp, lute”) is a constellation that includes the star Vega, one of the brightest stars in the night sky. The constellation Lyra is surrounded by the neighboring constellations of Draco, Hercules, Vulpecula and Cygnus.

51. “Don’t Bring Me Down” rock gp. : ELO

“Don’t Bring Me Down” was the biggest hit the Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) had in the US. The song was dedicated to NASA’s Skylab, which reentered the earth’s orbit in 1979, the same year the song was released.

60. Knuckler’s lack : SPIN

A knuckleball is a baseball pitch that has minimal spin, and as such has a relatively erratic path towards the plate.

63. T or F, maybe : ANS

An answer (ans.) might be true (T) or false (F).

65. Astronomer Hale : ALAN

Comet Hale-Bopp was an unusually bright comet that was observable in the night sky for 18 months in the late 1990s. The comet was discovered in 1995 by professional astronomer Alan Hale and amateur observer Thomas Bopp, hence the name. Famously, claims were made that there was an alien spaceship travelling behind Hale-Bopp. 39 members of a San Diego religious cult called Heaven’s Gate committed mass suicide in 1996 in order to reach the spacecraft.

66. Japanese comics : ANIME

Anime is cartoon animation in the style of Japanese Manga comic books.

67. Solving a problem boldly : CUTTING THE GORDIAN KNOT

In the legend of the Gordian Knot, a poor peasant called Gordian was made king and in gratitude dedicated his ox and cart to the god Zeus. He tied up the cart with a very intricate knot, and it was predicted that the person who untied the knot would rule all of Asia. Many tried and failed to release the knot, including Alexander the Great. Alexander eventually worked around the problem and sliced the knot in a half with his sword. Apparently the gods were pleased, and Alexander went onto great military success.

75. Knee-injury initials : ACL

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of four major ligaments that support the knee.

76. Uncle __ : BEN’S

Uncle Ben’s is a famous brand of rice that was introduced in 1943. It was the biggest selling brand of rice in the US from the fifties through the nineties. As one might imagine, the name “Uncle Ben” is pretty offensive and Mars, who owns the brand now, have tried to distance themselves from the African-American slave/domestic servant image. In 2007 there was a TV campaign showing “Uncle Ben” as Chairman of the Board of the company. But, he is still called Uncle Ben …

77. Tony Gwynn, notably : SAN DIEGO PADRE

Tony Gwynn was a Major League Baseball player who played the whole of his professional career with the San Diego Padres, and in fact earned the nickname “Mr. Padre”.

82. Sailor’s saint : ELMO

Saint Elmo is the patron saint of sailors. More formally referred to as Erasmus of Formia, St. Elmo is perhaps venerated by sailors as tradition tells us that he continued preaching despite the ground beside him being struck by a thunderbolt. Sailors started to pray to him when in danger of storms and lightning. He lends his name to the electrostatic weather phenomenon (often seen at sea) known as St. Elmo’s fire. The “fire” is actually a plasma discharge caused by air ionizing at the end of a pointed object (like the mast of a ship), something often observed during electrical storms.

84. U.N. worker protection gp. : ILO

The International Labour Organization (ILO) is an agency, now administered by the UN, that was established by the League of Nations after WWI. The ILO deals with important issues such as health and safety, discrimination, child labor and forced labor. The organization was recognized for its work in 1969 when it was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

85. Normand of silents : MABEL

Mabel Normand was a comedy actress in the days of silent films. perhaps more importantly, later in her career she became one of the first female screenwriters, producers and directors. Normand was so successful off the screen that she had her own movie studio and production company in the twenties.

86. Part of Q.E.D. : ERAT

The initialism “QED” is used at the end of a mathematical proof or a philosophical argument. QED stands for the Latin “quod erat demonstrandum” meaning “that which was to be demonstrated”.

88. Port near Sapporo : OTARU

The Japanese city and port of Otaru is just a 25-minute drive northwest from Sapporo. Just like Sapporo, Otaru has a famous beer that shares the city’s name.

96. “A Fish Called Wanda” actor : CLEESE

The magnificent actor and comedian John Cleese came to the public’s attention as a cast member in the BBC’s comedy sketch show “Monty Python’s Flying Circus”. Cleese then co-wrote and starred in the outstanding comedy “Fawlty Towers”. He even had a role in two “James Bond” films.

The 1988 comedy “A Fish Called Wanda” is a favorite of mine. The film was co-written by and stars John Cleese, and has an exceptional cast including Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline and Cleese’s friend from “Monty Python”, Michael Palin. Kevin Kline won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his performance. The “fish” in the film is the con artist Wanda, played by Curtis.

101. German state named for a river, with “the” : SAARLAND

Saarland, often referred to in English as “the Saar”, is one of Germany’s sixteen federal states and is located in the west of the country, on the borders with France and Luxembourg. Saarland is named for the Saar River that runs through the state. There is a lot of industry in the Saar region, historically “fueled” by the region’s plentiful supply of coal.

107. Greek marketplace : AGORA

In early Greece, the agora was a place of assembly. The assemblies held there were often quite formal, perhaps for the reading of a proclamation. Later in Greek history, things became less formal as the agora evolved into a marketplace. Our contemporary word “agoraphobia” comes from these agorae, in the sense that an agoraphobe has a fear of open spaces, a fear of “public meeting places”.

112. Caraway-flavored bread : RYE

Caraway is a plant in the carrot family that is prized for its fruits. Yes, what we call caraway “seeds” and use in cooking are actually caraway “fruits”.

115. Exam for intellectual property lawyers : PATENT BAR

“Patent bar” is an informal name for the registration examination that must be passed in order to become a patent attorney in the US.

117. Narcissistic trait exhibited perfectly by this puzzle’s eight other longest answers : EGOCENTRISM

Narcissus was a proud and vain hunter in Greek mythology. He earned himself a fatal punishment, being made fall in love with his own reflection in a pool. So, take was he by his own image, that he could not leave it and wasted away and died by the pool. Narcissus gives us our term “narcissism” meaning “excessive love of oneself”.

120. Medical suffix : -ITIS

The suffix “-itis” is used to denote inflammation, as in laryngitis (inflammation of the larynx), otitis (inflammation of the ear), tendinitis (inflammation of a tendon) and sinusitis (inflammation of the sinuses).

121. Actress Fanning : ELLE

The actress Elle Fanning’s most notable performance to date (probably) was playing Aurora in the 2014 movie “Maleficent”. Elle’s older sister is actress Dakota Fanning.

123. Command to attack : SIC ‘EM

“Sic ’em” is an attack order given to a dog, instructing the animal to growl, bark or even bite. The term dates back to the 1830s, with “sic” being a variation of “seek”.

124. Japanese PCs : NECS

“NEC” is the name that the Nippon Electric Company chose for itself outside of Japan after a rebranding exercise in 1983.

Down

1. 1975 Wimbledon champ : ASHE

Arthur Ashe was a professional tennis player from Richmond, Virginia. In his youth, Ashe found himself having to travel great distances to play against Caucasian opponents due to the segregation that still existed in his home state. He was rewarded for his dedication by being selected for the 1963 US Davis Cup team, the first African American player to be so honored. Ashe continued to run into trouble because of his ethnicity though, and in 1968 was denied entry into South Africa to play in the South African Open. In 1979 Ashe suffered a heart attack and had bypass surgery, with follow-up surgery four years later during which he contracted HIV from blood transfusions. Ashe passed away in 1993 due to complications from AIDS. Shortly afterwards, Ashe was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Bill Clinton.

4. Carpentry tool : ADZ

An adze (also “adz”) is similar to an axe, but is different in that the blade of an adze is set at right angles to the tool’s shaft. An axe’s blade is set in line with the shaft.

6. “__: Ragnarok”: 2017 superhero film : THOR

“Thor: Ragnarok” is a 2017 superhero film in the “Thor” series. Not my cup of tea …

“Ragnarök” is the name given to a set of events in Norse mythology that resulted in the deaths of many famous gods, including Odin and Thor.

8. Robert of “Vega$” : URICH

Robert Urich was an actor famous for starring in television’s “Vega$” and “Spenser: For Hire”. Urich appeared in many television shows, starring in fifteen, which is a record for any actor.

9. Resident of America’s highest capital : SANTA FEAN

Santa Fe is New Mexico’s capital, and the fourth most-populous city in the state (after Albuquerque, Las Cruces and Rio Rancho). Sitting at 7,199 feet above sea level, Santa Fe is the highest state capital in the US. The city’s name translates from Spanish as “Holy Faith”. The full name of the city when it was founded in 1607 was “La Villa Real de la Santa Fe de San Francisco de Asís”, meaning “the Royal Town of the Holy Faith of Saint Francis of Assisi”. It became the capital of the province Santa Fe de Nuevo México in 1610, making Santa Fe the oldest state capital in the US.

10. Coral __ : SEA

The Coral Sea is part of the South Pacific Ocean lying off the northeast coast of Australia. It is home to the renowned Great Barrier Reef.

11. Piano brand : YAMAHA

The Japanese company Yamaha started out way back in 1888 as a manufacturer of pianos and reed organs. Even though the company has diversified since then, Yamaha’s logo still reflects it musical roots. Said logo is made up of three intersecting tuning forks, and can even be seen on Yamaha motorcycles.

12. Advil alternative : ALEVE

Aleve is a brand name used for the anti-inflammatory drug Naproxen sodium.

14. Part of ETA: Abbr. : ARR

Estimated time of arrival (ETA)

24. Composer Telemann : GEORG

Georg Philipp Telemann was a German composer in the Baroque period. Interestingly, Telemann was almost completely self-taught as a musician. Telemann was a good friend of George Frideric Handel and also Johann Sebastian Bach. In fact, Telemann was the godfather of Bach’s son Carl Philipp Emanuel.

29. Mo.’s largest airport : STL

Lambert-St. Louis International Airport has the IATA airport code STL. Commonly referred to as Lambert Field, the airport is named for Albert Bond Lambert, an olympic golfer and aviator from St. Louis. Back in the 1920s, Lambert Field was the first airport to have an air traffic control system, albeit a pretty rudimentary one in which pilots received flag signals.

37. Mil. award : DSM

The Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) is the highest non-valorous decoration awarded for services to the US military.

38. Plant 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.

39. Wuyi Mountains tea : OOLONG

The name for the Chinese tea called “oolong” translates into English as “black dragon”.

44. Play about Capote : TRU

“Tru” was written by Jay Presson Allen and is a one-man play about Truman Capote that premiered in 1989. There is a classic anachronism in the piece. It is set in Capote’s New York City apartment at Christmas 1975. At one point the Capote character talks about suicide, saying that he has enough pills to stage his own Jonestown Massacre. The Jonestown Massacre didn’t happen until three years later, in 1978.

45. Actress Vaccaro : BRENDA

As well as for her performances on stage and screen, actress Brenda Vaccaro is known for her distinctive husky voice. Vaccaro’s best known movie appearances are perhaps her supporting role in “Midnight Cowboy” for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe, and her supporting role in “Once Is Not Enough” for which she was nominated for an Oscar.

46. Mind reader? : EEG

An electroencephalogram (EEG) is a record of electrical activity caused by the firing of neurons within the brain. The EEG might be used to diagnose epilepsy, or perhaps to determine if a patient is “brain dead”.

49. Anaheim baseball cap feature : HALO

The Anaheim Angels baseball team are today more correctly called the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (LAA). The “Angels” name dates back to 1961 when the team was founded in the “City of Angels”, Los Angeles. When the franchise moved to Anaheim in 1965 they were known as the California Angels, then the Anaheim Angels, and most recently the Los Angeles Angels at Anaheim. The Angels are also known as “the Halos”.

50. Name dropped by TASS in 2014 : ITAR

“TASS” is the abbreviation used for the former news agency that had the full name Telegraph Association of the Soviet Union (Telegrafnoe Agentstvo Sovetskogo Soyuza). When the Soviet Union dissolved in 1992, the Moscow-based agency’s scope changed along with its name. It is now known as the Information Telegraph Agency of Russia (ITAR-TASS).

53. “Waiting for Lefty” playwright : ODETS

Clifford Odets was a playwright, screenwriter and director from Philadelphia. “Waiting for Lefty” was the first play by Clifford Odets that made it to stage, in 1935. The storyline deals with cab drivers who are planning a strike. Famously, the play breaks through the “fourth wall” by placing actors within the audience who react to the action taking place on the stage.

59. Item gifted with a fountain pen : INK BOTTLE

The fountain pen is the successor to the dip pen. Both pens have a nib, but the fountain pen has its own internal reservoir of ink that flows to the nib as required.

64. Dance floor flasher : STROBE

A strobe light is a device that produces regular flashes, like the light on top of a police car. The term derives from the Greek “strobos” meaning “twisting, whirling”.

68. “Lord, is __?”: Matthew : IT I

At the Last Supper, Jesus told his apostles that one of them would betray him that day. According to the Gospel of Matthew:

And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I?

78. Roast host : EMCEE

The term “emcee” comes from “MC”, an initialism standing for Master or Mistress of Ceremonies.

79. Needlefish : GAR

“Gar” was originally the name given to a species of needlefish found in the North Atlantic. The term “gar” is now used to describe several species of fish with elongated bodies that inhabit North and Central America and the Caribbean. The gar is unusual in that it is often found in very brackish water. What I find interesting is that the gar’s swim bladders are vascularized so that they can actually function as lungs. Many species of gar can actually be seen coming to the surface and taking a gulp of air. This adaptation makes it possible for them to live in conditions highly unsuitable for other fish that rely on their gills to get oxygen out of the water. Indeed, quite interesting …

81. RN workplaces : ERS

One might find a registered nurse (RN) or a medical doctor (MD) in an emergency room (ER).

83. “S.W.A.T.” star Shemar : MOORE

Shemar Moore is an actor and former fashion model. Moore played Malcolm Winters on the soap opera “The Young and the Restless” for many years. More recently, he took on the lead role of Sergeant Hondo Harrelson on the TV show “S.W.A.T”.

90. Toon canine : REN

“The Ren & Stimpy Show” is an animated television show created by Canadian animator John Kricfalusi, and which ran on Nickelodeon from 1991 to 1996. The title characters are Marland “Ren” Höek, a scrawny Chihuahua, and Stimpson J. Cat, a rotund Manx cat. Not my cup of tea …

91. Grand Forks sch. : UND

The University of North Dakota (UND) was founded in 1883, which was a full six years before North Dakota became a state. UND’s athletic teams are known as the Fighting Hawks.

Grand Forks is located on the eastern border of North Dakota, alongside the twin city of East Grand Forks, Minnesota. The twin cities are at the center of a metropolitan area often referred to as “the Grand Cities”. Grand Forks is a located at the forks of the Red River and Red Lake River. The location was initially referred to as “Les Grandes Fourches” (the Big Forks) by French fur trappers in the early to mid 1700s.

93. City near Lake Nasser : ASWAN

The Egyptian city of Aswan lies in the south of the country, on the River Nile. Aswan is famous for its stone quarries, going back to ancient times. The most celebrated granite rock from the area is called syenite. Stone from Aswan was shipped northwards along the Nile and used in the construction of the pyramids. From ancient times right up to 1970, the annual flooding of the Nile was a significant event in Egypt. The flooding allowed the deposition of fertile silt far beyond the banks of the river, helping the region’s agriculture. However, the flooding was unpredictable. So the Aswan Dam was built in the sixties and from 1970 the flooding was brought under control.

Lake Nasser is a large artificial lake created as a result of the construction of the Aswan High Dam (initiated by President Nasser). Lake Nasser lies in southern Egypt and northern Sudan. Strictly speaking, the section of the lake in Sudan is called Lake Nubia.

94. Hamm of soccer : MIA

Mia Hamm is a retired American soccer player, a forward who played on the US national team that won the FIFA women’s World Cup in 1991. Hamm has scored 158 international goals, more than other player in the world, male or female. Amazingly, Hamm was born with a clubfoot, and so had to wear corrective shoes when she was growing up.

95. Neighbor of Cameroon : GABON

The nation of Gabon lies on the west coast of Central Africa. Since it became independent from France in 1960, Gabon has become one of the most prosperous countries on the continent, making use of the abundant natural resources and willing foreign investment.

The Republic of Cameroon is on the west coast of Africa. One of Cameroon’s claims to fame is having a great national soccer team, one that always seems to do well in the FIFA World Cup.

96. “Cat’s in the Cradle” singer Harry : CHAPIN

Singer Harry Chapin is perhaps best remembered musically for his 1974 folk rock song “Cat’s in the Cradle”, which was his only number one hit. Sadly, Chapin died after a terrible auto accident that perhaps happened after he suffered a heart attack. Chapin was only 39 years old.

97. Papal representative : LEGATE

A papal legate is a representative of the pope, usually to a foreign nation. The term “legate” comes from the Latin “legatus”, which was the name of a high-ranking office in the Roman army.

98. Designed to light a fire? : EROTIC

Eros, the Greek god of love, gives rise to our word “erotic”, meaning “arousing sexual desire”. Eros was referred to in Latin as both Amor (meaning “love”) and Cupid (meaning “desire”).

100. 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.

103. Triangular building feature : GABLE

The gable is a the triangular portion of a building’s wall that is defined by the intersection of the two slopes of the roof.

104. City including the former site of a Seminole War fort : OCALA

Fort King was a fort built by the US military in Florida in 1827 to serve as a buffer between settlers and the Seminole people who occupied the land that was being settled. The settlement around the fort later developed into the city we known today as Ocala.

105. Glowing signs : NEONS

The basic design of neon lighting was first demonstrated at the Paris Motor Show in 1910. Such lighting is made up of glass tubes containing a vacuum into which has been introduced a small amount of neon gas. When a voltage is applied between two electrodes inside the tube, the neon gas “glows” and gives off the familiar light.

110. Entr’__ : ACTE

The term “entr’acte” comes to us from French, and is the interval “entre deux actes” (between two acts) of a theatrical performance. The term often describes some entertainment provided during that interval.

113. Flemish river : YSER

The Yser river flows into the North Sea at Nieuwpoort in the Flemish province of West Flanders in Belgium.

The term “Flemish” describes the language spoken, the culture and the people of northern Belgium, and Flanders in particular.

114. One of 11 for Julia Louis-Dreyfus : EMMY

Actress and comedian Julia Louis-Dreyfus is an alum of the sketch show “Saturday Night Live”, in which she appeared from 1982 to 1985. Her really big break came when she was chosen to play Elaine Benes on “Seinfeld”. More recently, Louis-Dreyfus can be seen playing Vice President Selina Meyer on the HBO comedy show “Veep”.

116. Texas senator Cruz : TED

US Senator Ted Cruz served as Solicitor General for the state of Texas before heading to Washington. Cruz was appointed Solicitor General in 2003 at the age of 32, making him the youngest Solicitor General in the country. Famously, Cruz is an opponent of the Affordable Care Act and made a speech in 2013 in the US Senate on the subject that lasted for 21 hours and 19 minutes. It was the fourth longest speech in the history of the Senate.

117. Moody rock genre : EMO

The emo musical genre originated in Washington D.C. in the 80s, and takes its name from “emotional hardcore”. “Emo” is also the name given to the associated subculture. Not my cup of tea …

118. PreCheck org. : TSA

The Transportation Security Administration operates its a precheck program known as “TSA Pre✓”. Members of the program receive expedited screening at airports at most airports. In order to become a member, a traveler must apply online, appear in person at a designated office for a background check and fingerprinting, and pay a fee for a 5-year membership.

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Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1. Jennifer Saunders Britcom : AB FAB
6. Supporting structure : TRUSS
11. When tripled, “and so on” : YADA
15. Scandinavian language : SAMI
19. PowerPoint unit : SLIDE
20. Greek goddesses of the seasons : HORAE
21. K.C. Royal, e.g. : ALER
22. Snapchat co-founder Spiegel : EVAN
23. Neighbor of Montenegro : HERZEGOVINA
25. Gaiety : MERRIMENT
27. Fleeced female : EWE
28. Put up : ERECT
29. Goalkeeper’s success : SAVE
30. Mournful melody : DIRGE
31. Fleece-seeking vessel : ARGO
34. Knew unfavorable things about : HAD THE GOODS ON
37. Cabinetmaker’s cylinder : DOWEL ROD
41. Obama : Bo :: FDR : __ : FALA
42. Pre-riot state : UNREST
43. Put the blame on : SCAPEGOATED
45. Bamm-Bamm’s mom : BETTY
47. Like Chichén Itzá pyramids : MAYAN
48. Harp constellation : LYRA
49. Brought in : HIRED
51. “Don’t Bring Me Down” rock gp. : ELO
54. Comparison phrase : IS TO
56. In the “Other” column : UNCATEGORIZED
60. Knuckler’s lack : SPIN
63. T or F, maybe : ANS
65. Astronomer Hale : ALAN
66. Japanese comics : ANIME
67. Solving a problem boldly : CUTTING THE GORDIAN KNOT
73. Favorite’s surprise : UPSET
74. Learning method : ROTE
75. Knee-injury initials : ACL
76. Uncle __ : BEN’S
77. Tony Gwynn, notably : SAN DIEGO PADRE
82. Sailor’s saint : ELMO
84. U.N. worker protection gp. : ILO
85. Normand of silents : MABEL
86. Part of Q.E.D. : ERAT
88. Port near Sapporo : OTARU
92. Holy, to Henriette : SACRE
94. Ill-advised : MISBEGOTTEN
96. “A Fish Called Wanda” actor : CLEESE
99. Important pipe : MAIN
101. German state named for a river, with “the” : SAARLAND
102. Complaint about monotony : HERE WE GO AGAIN
106. Audible alert : BEEP
107. Greek marketplace : AGORA
108. Plot measure : ACRE
109. “Swell!” : NEATO!
112. Caraway-flavored bread : RYE
115. Exam for intellectual property lawyers : PATENT BAR
117. Narcissistic trait exhibited perfectly by this puzzle’s eight other longest answers : EGOCENTRISM
120. Medical suffix : -ITIS
121. Actress Fanning : ELLE
122. Eatery freebies : MINTS
123. Command to attack : SIC ‘EM
124. Japanese PCs : NECS
125. Useless, battery-wise : DEAD
126. Beginning : ONSET
127. Imitation : APERY

Down

1. 1975 Wimbledon champ : ASHE
2. Botched : BLEW
3. “Ask me anything” : FIRE AWAY
4. Carpentry tool : ADZ
5. Wax maker : BEE
6. “__: Ragnarok”: 2017 superhero film : THOR
7. Meander : ROVE
8. Robert of “Vega$” : URICH
9. Resident of America’s highest capital : SANTA FEAN
10. Coral __ : SEA
11. Piano brand : YAMAHA
12. Advil alternative : ALEVE
13. Reduction of legal constraints, briefly : DEREG
14. Part of ETA: Abbr. : ARR
15. With a touch of sweetness : SEMI-DRY
16. Opposed : AVERSE
17. Tropical fruits : MANGOS
18. What manslaughter lacks : INTENT
24. Composer Telemann : GEORG
26. Words of denial : I DON’T
29. Mo.’s largest airport : STL
32. Did some home maintenance : REPAINTED
33. Narrow valleys : GLENS
35. Pops : DAD
36. Surpass : OUTDO
37. Mil. award : DSM
38. Plant also called a New Zealand yam : OCA
39. Wuyi Mountains tea : OOLONG
40. It breaks in the morning : DAY
44. Play about Capote : TRU
45. Actress Vaccaro : BRENDA
46. Mind reader? : EEG
49. Anaheim baseball cap feature : HALO
50. Name dropped by TASS in 2014 : ITAR
51. Paperless periodical : E-ZINE
52. Subpar car : LEMON
53. “Waiting for Lefty” playwright : ODETS
55. Earth tone : TAN
57. Not free-range : CAGED
58. Fled on foot : RAN
59. Item gifted with a fountain pen : INK BOTTLE
60. “Pardon me, Giulia” : SCUSI
61. Post-larval : PUPAL
62. “__ problem” : IT’S NO
64. Dance floor flasher : STROBE
68. “Lord, is __?”: Matthew : IT I
69. What optimists don’t give up : HOPE
70. List-ending abbr. : ET AL
71. Summer brew : ICE TEA
72. Every one of : ALL
78. Roast host : EMCEE
79. Needlefish : GAR
80. Controlling : REINING IN
81. RN workplaces : ERS
83. “S.W.A.T.” star Shemar : MOORE
87. Crunch targets : ABS
89. Not for free : AT A PRICE
90. Toon canine : REN
91. Grand Forks sch. : UND
92. One looking ahead : SEERESS
93. City near Lake Nasser : ASWAN
94. Hamm of soccer : MIA
95. Neighbor of Cameroon : GABON
96. “Cat’s in the Cradle” singer Harry : CHAPIN
97. Papal representative : LEGATE
98. Designed to light a fire? : EROTIC
99. Damaged : MARRED
100. Iron __ : AGE
103. Triangular building feature : GABLE
104. City including the former site of a Seminole War fort : OCALA
105. Glowing signs : NEONS
110. Entr’__ : ACTE
111. Evaluate : TEST
113. Flemish river : YSER
114. One of 11 for Julia Louis-Dreyfus : EMMY
116. Texas senator Cruz : TED
117. Moody rock genre : EMO
118. PreCheck org. : TSA
119. Swindle, in slang : RIP

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9 thoughts on “LA Times Crossword Answers 22 Apr 2018, Sunday”

  1. LAT: 28:03, with a one-square error I should have caught: TOWEL ROD and TSM instead of DOWEL ROD and DSM. Newsday: 16:39, no errors; easy, but not as easy as some. And, once again, on to Monday! … ?

  2. Quite a Sunday slog, for a yawner of a payoff (“ego” in nine answers). More than 50 PPPs (proper noun answers — people, places, products), including a block toward the SE hemmed in by an actor, a German state, a port, and a state school. Good grief.

  3. 41:23 and I agree it felt like a slog. Parts were easy but others took a while. Many missteps including Borg before ASHE (forgot the years), Ghana before GABON and my personal favorite – Ace before ACL…as in an Ace bandage.

    @Anon
    50 proper nouns? I’ll take your word for it on the number. Wow. No wonder this one exhausted me.

    @Carrie
    That’s called an ice tunnel…for obvious reasons. Going Summer of 2019. Been through too much running around the last few months to want to do that right now, and I’m not going in the winter time. But I’m really looking forward to it.

    Best –

    1. Hey Jeff! Awesome. You aren’t by chance going on one of the cruise ships that travel thru those neat ice tunnels? Somehow I don’t think a cruise like that would be your speed….but I mention it because I have a friend who took an Alaskan cruise and just RAVED about it! She tried to get me to go once.

  4. I got bogged down in the mid-atlantic section for some reason. Never heard of Gordian Knot, so that messed that whole section up. Other than that I at least finished most of it. But I agree, it was a slog! (Is slog the same as bogged?)

  5. Hey folks!! ?
    Didn’t find this one as much a slog as some other Sundays– in fact, I was sailing along pretty well until I actually LOST the dang puzzle!! Did I toss it in recycling downstairs?? Did it fall behind the washing machine??? I DON’T KNOW!!! ? Searched everywhere; finally printed out the blank puzzle online and reconstructed it. What a drag. Ultimately had 2 or 3 mistakes in the southwest, around GABLE/PATENT BAR. ? I expect to wake up tomorrow and the first thing I’ll find will be my lost puzzle.
    TGIMonday….?
    Be well~~???

  6. Sorry guys, but ANIME is not Japanese comics, it’s Japanese cartoons/animation. Japanese comics are MANGA. Big difference, as one form is static and the other moves.

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