LA Times Crossword Answers 27 May 2018, Sunday

Advertisement

[ad_above_grid]

Advertisement

Advertisement

Constructed by: Gail Grabowski
Edited by: Rich Norris

Today’s Theme: Suppressed Urges

Themed answers each include the hidden word “YEN”:

  • 107D. Urge hidden in this puzzle’s eight longest answers : YEN
  • 25A. No-fuss course : EASY ENTREE
  • 27A. “Spin” that really doesn’t affect the ball : BODY ENGLISH
  • 44A. Invitation enclosure : REPLY ENVELOPE
  • 83A. “Curious though it may seem … ” : FUNNILY ENOUGH …
  • 99A. Fairy tale feature : HAPPY ENDING
  • 104A. Frank account, e.g. : DIARY ENTRY
  • 35D. Focusing completely : FULLY ENGAGED
  • 40D. Military construction expert : ARMY ENGINEER

Bill’s time: 16m 02s

Bill’s errors: 0

Advertisement

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

5. Songs in Bollywood soundtracks : RAGAS

Raga isn’t really a type of music, but has been described as the “tonal framework” in which Indian classical music is composed. Ravi Shankar was perhaps the most famous raga virtuoso (to us Westerners). Western rock music with a heavy Indian influence might be called raga rock.

“Bollywood” is the informal name given to the huge film industry based in Mumbai in India. The term “Bollywood” is a melding of “Bombay” (the former name of Mumbai), and “Hollywood”.

15. Nincompoop : BOOB

The word “nincompoop”, meaning a fool, seems to have been around for quite a while. It has been used since the 1670s, but no one appears to know its origins.

19. __ Bell: fast-food chain : TACO

Taco Bell was founded by a former US Marine, 25-year-old Glen Bell. His first restaurant was Bell’s Drive-In, located in Southern California. After opening that first establishment, Bell bought up some more restaurants including four named El Taco. He sold off the El Taco restaurants but used the name in part when he opened his first Taco Bell in 1962. Bell sold then sold franchises, with the 100th Taco Bell opening in 1967. The ex-Marine sold off the whole chain to PepsiCo in 1978, and I am guessing he made a pretty penny. Taco Bell has been using the “Live Más” slogan since 2012, with “más” being the Spanish word for “more”.

20. Donovan of “Clueless” : ELISA

Elisa Donovan is an actress from Poughkeepsie, New York. Donovan’s big break came in the film “Clueless”, playing a part that she later played in the television series of the same name.

The 1995 movie “Clueless” is apparently based on Jane Austen’s “Emma”, which is a favorite novel of mine. As a result, I am going to have to check out the film. That said, “Clueless” is set in a Beverly Hills high school, so I probably should prepare myself to be disappointed …

22. Alternative to de Gaulle : ORLY

Orly is on the outskirts of Paris, to the south of the city. It is home to the Paris-Orly Airport, the second busiest international airport for the city after the more recently built Charles de Gaulle Airport. That said, Orly is home to more domestic flights than Charles de Gaulle.

23. Back up on a job? : ABET

The word “abet” comes into English from the Old French “abeter” meaning “to bait” or “to harass with dogs” (it literally means “to make bite”). This sense of encouraging something bad to happen morphed into our modern usage of “abet” meaning to aid or encourage someone in a crime.

25. No-fuss course : EASY ENTREE

“Entrée” means “entry” in French. An entrée can be something that helps one get “a way in”, an interview for example perhaps helped along by a recommendation letter. In Europe, even in English-speaking countries, the entrée is the name for the “entry” to the meal, the first course. I found it very confusing to order meals when I first came to America!

27. “Spin” that really doesn’t affect the ball : BODY ENGLISH

The term “body English” describes the movement that someone might make to influence the movement of an object that has already been propelled. One might watch a golfer’s body English after he or she tees off and yells “go left, go left!”

31. Berkshire jackets : ETONS

An Eton jacket is usually black in color, cut square at the hips and has wide lapels. It is named for the design of jacket that is worn by the younger students at Eton College just outside London.

Berkshire is a county in England that is referred to as one of the “home counties”. The home counties are those that surround the city of London, outside of London itself. “Home county” is not an official designation but has been in popular use since the 1800s.

32. Cardiology concern : AORTA

The aorta originates in the heart and extends down into the abdomen. It is the largest artery in the body.

41. Katz of “Hocus Pocus” : OMRI

Omri Katz played John Ross Ewing, the son of J. R. and Sue Ellen Ewing on “Dallas”. Katz retired from acting in 2006.

43. Rarity for a duffer : PAR

A duffer is a golfer, and not a very good one at that.

49. Inc. relative : LLC

A limited liability company (LLC) is a company structure that limits the liability of the owner or owners. It is a hybrid structure in the sense that it can be taxed as would an individual or partnership, while also maintaining the liability protection afforded to a corporation.

52. Property attachment : LIEN

A lien is the right that one has to retain or secure someone’s property until a debt is paid. When an individual takes out a car loan, for example, the lending bank is usually a lien holder. The bank releases the lien on the car when the loan is paid in full.

56. Wood-shaping 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 blade is set in line with the shaft.

57. Apothecary’s measures : DRAMS

The dram is a confusing unit of measurement, I think. It has one value as an ancient unit of mass, and two different values as a modern unit of mass, another value as a unit of fluid volume, and yet another varying value as a measure of Scotch whisky!

Nowadays, we would call an apothecary a pharmacist. “Apotecaire” is an Old French word from the 13th century meaning simply “storekeeper”.

58. Like some early hieroglyphics : MAYAN

The prefix “hiero-” comes from the Greek word “hieros” meaning sacred or holy. The classic use of the prefix is in the term “hieroglyphics” (meaning “sacred carving”), the writing system that uses symbols and pictures.

The Maya civilization held sway in Central America and Mexico from about 350 AD, until the arrival of the Spanish in the 1500s.

60. They may rest on sills: Abbr. : ACS

Air conditioner (AC)

61. Wine label first name : CARLO

Carlo Rossi is a brand of wine produced by E & J Gallo. The name was chosen in honor of a salesman working for the winery named Charles Rossi, who was also a member of the Gallo family by marriage. Charles Rossi used to appear in TV ads for the wine in seventies.

63. “Affliction” actor : NOLTE

The actor Nick Nolte got his big break playing opposite Jacqueline Bisset and Robert Shaw in “The Deep”, released in 1976. Prior to that, he had worked as a model. Nolte appeared in a magazine advertisement for Clairol in 1972 alongside fellow model and future actor Sigourney Weaver.

“Affliction” is a 1997 film based on a novel of the same name by Russell Banks. The movie is about a New Hampshire policeman who becomes obsessed with investigating a fatal hunting accident. “Affliction” has a great cast, including Nick Nolte, James Coburn, Sissy Spacek and Willem Dafoe. I must put it on my viewing list …

66. Cheney’s successor : BIDEN

Vice President Joe Biden was a US Senator representing the state of Delaware from 1973 until he joined the Obama administration. While he was a senator, Vice President Biden commuted to Washington from Wilmington, Delaware almost every working day. He was such an active customer and supporter of Amtrak that the Wilmington Station was renamed as the Joseph R. Biden Railroad Station in 2011. Biden has made over 7,000 trips from that station, and the Amtrak crews were known to even hold the last train for a few minutes so that he could catch it. Biden earned himself the nickname “Amtrak Joe”.

In 2000, Dick Cheney was called upon by then-Governor George W. Bush to head up the search for a running mate for Bush in the presidential election. After a few months search, Bush turned things on their head by asking Cheney to join him on the ticket.

76. Part of LGBTQ : GAY

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer/questioning (LGBTQ)

77. Texas tourist spot : ALAMO

The famous Alamo in San Antonio, Texas was originally known as Mission San Antonio de Valero. The mission was founded in 1718 and was the first mission established in the city. The Battle of the Alamo took place in 1836, a thirteen-day siege by the Mexican Army led by President General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna. Only two people defending the Alamo Mission survived the onslaught. One month later, the Texian army got its revenge by attacking and defeating the Mexican Army in the Battle of San Jacinto. During the surprise attack on Santa Anna’s camp, many of the Texian soldiers were heard to cry “Remember the Alamo!”.

78. Gimlet options : GINS

A gimlet is a relatively simple cocktail that is traditionally made with just gin and lime juice. The trend in more recent times is to replace the gin with vodka.

79. Language group that includes Swahili : BANTU

Swahili is one of the many Bantu languages spoken in Africa. There are hundreds of Bantu languages, with most being spoken in central, east and southern Africa. The most commonly spoken Bantu language is Swahili, with Zulu coming in second.

80. Lengthy lunch? : HERO

“Hero” is another name for a submarine sandwich. The hero originated in New York City in the 1800s among Italian immigrants who wanted an Italian sandwich that reminded them of home. The name “hero” was coined in the 1930s, supposedly by a food critic in the “New York Herald Tribune” when he wrote that “one had to be a hero” to finish the gigantic sandwich. Hero is a prevalent term to this day in New York City, reserved for a submarine sandwich with an Italian flavor.

81. “Night Moves” singer : SEGER

Bob Seger struggled as a performing artist right through the sixties and early seventies before becoming a commercial success in 1976 with the release of his album “Night Moves”. Since then, Seger has recorded songs that have become classics like “We’ve Got Tonight” and “Old Time Rock & Roll”.

“Night Moves” is a 1976 recording written and performed by Bob Seger. It is a largely autobiographical song that Seger wrote based on his experiences during adolescence. Those experiences included a relationship with a 20-year-old Italian American girl while her boyfriend was serving in the military. That boyfriend returned, and and married the young lady.

86. Sinus dr. : ENT

Ear, nose and throat specialist (ENT)

In anatomical terms a sinus is a cavity in tissue. Sinuses are found all over the body, in the kidney and heart for example, but we most commonly think of the paranasal sinuses that surround the nose.

87. By and by, to a bard : ERE LONG

The original bards were storytellers, poets and composers of music in medieval Britain and Ireland, with the term coming from the Old Celtic word “bardos” that described a poet or singer. I guess the most famous bard was William Shakespeare, the Bard of Avon.

92. He pardoned Richard : GERALD

Facing almost certain impeachment, President Richard Nixon resigned the presidency in September 1974. One month later, President Gerald Ford granted Nixon a “full, free, and absolute pardon”.

93. Syrian leader : ASSAD

Dr. Bashar al-Assad is the current President of the Syrian Arab Republic and the son of the former President Hafez al-Assad whom he replaced in 2001. President Assad is a medical doctor, speaks fluent English and conversational French. Assad was studying ophthalmology in London when he met his wife, who is an Englishwoman.

95. “Li’l Abner” critter : SHMOO

The Shmoo is a cartoon creature who first appeared in the Al Capp comic strip “Li’l Abner” in 1948. Apparently, shmoos are delicious to eat, and love to be eaten. They’ll even jump into the frying pan themselves!

104. Frank account, e.g. : DIARY ENTRY

Anne Frank has to be one of the most famous victims of the Holocaust. This is largely because the story of this young girl lives on in her widely published diary, and in adaptations of the diary for stage and screen. Anne Frank was a German until she lost her nationality in 1941 when the Nazis came to power. By this time she was living with her family in Amsterdam, as the Franks chose to flee Germany in 1933. When the Germans occupied the Netherlands, the family went into hiding in the attic of Otto Frank’s office building (Otto was Anne’s father). There the family hid for two whole years until they were betrayed. The family was split up, and Anne and her sister died from typhus in a concentration camp in 1945.

108. Sarcophagus holder : CRYPT

A sarcophagus is a stone or wooden box in which a body is interred. “Sarcophagus” is Greek for “flesh-eating stones”. The name was applied as a sarcophagus was often made from a kind of limestone that was believed to cause the flesh of corpses to decompose.

109. Bonkers : LOCO

In Spanish, if one isn’t “sano” (sane) one might be described as “loco” (crazy).

The word “bonkers” meaning “crazy” originated in the fifties. The term might come from navy slang meaning “slightly drunk”, behaving as though one received a “bonk” on the head.

113. City near Vance Air Force Base : ENID

Vance Air Force Base is located just a few miles south of Enid, Oklahoma. The main mission of the base is to train pilots for the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps. Vance AFB is named after a Medal of Honor recipient from WWII, Leon Robert Vance, Jr.

114. Test release : BETA

In the world of software development, the first tested issue of a new program is usually called the alpha version. Expected to have a lot of bugs that need to be fixed, the alpha release is usually distributed to a small number of testers. After reported bugs have been eliminated, the refined version is called a beta and is released to a wider audience, but with the program clearly labeled as “beta”. The users generally check functionality and report further bugs that are encountered. The beta version feeds into a release candidate, the version that is tested just prior to the software being sold into the market, hopefully bug-free.

115. Mixed nuts tidbit : PECAN

The pecan is the state nut of which state in the Union? Nope, it’s not Georgia, but rather Alabama …

116. Dubai dignitaries : EMIRS

Dubai is one of the seven Emirates that make up the federation known as the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The two largest members of the UAE (geographically) are Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the only two of the seven members that have veto power over UAE policy.

Down

2. Baja resort : CABO

Cabo San Lucas is a major tourist destination at the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula in Mexico. “Cabo” is sometimes referred to as the “Fort Lauderdale of Mexico”.

3. Completed with a stroke : ACED

That would be tennis, for example.

5. Common cold sign : RED NOSE

The common cold is caused by a viral infection of the upper respiratory tract. There are over 200 strains of virus that are known to cause the disease.

7. Some Little Leaguers : GIRLS

Little League Baseball was founded in 1939 in Williamsport, Pennsylvania by Carl Stotz. Back then, Little League was limited to boys. Participation was opened up to girls in 1974, although it took a lawsuit by the National Organization for Women for that to happen.

8. Wine city near Turin : ASTI

Asti is a city in the Piedmont region of northwest Italy. The region is perhaps most famous for its Asti Spumante sparkling white wine.

Turin (“Torino” in Italian) is a major city in the north of Italy that sits on the Po River. Back in 1861, when the Kingdom of Italy was formed, Turin was chosen as the first capital of the country.

9. Ends a prayer : SAYS “AMEN”

The word “amen” translates as “so be it”. “Amen” is said to be of Hebrew origin, but it is also likely to be influenced by Aramaic and Arabic.

13. “A Day Without Rain” New Ager : ENYA

“A Day Without Rain” is an album released in 2000 by New Age singer Enya. I doubt that Enya came up with that title based on life in her native Ireland …

15. Invasive spam spreader : BOTNET

A botnet is a network of computers running cooperatively to send spam messages. The computers are usually private machines infected with malware that running the bots without the owners’ knowledge.

A bot is computer program that is designed to imitate human behavior. It might crawl around the Web doing searches for example, or it might participate in discussions in chat rooms by giving pre-programmed responses. It might also act as a competitor in a computer game.

16. Hockey immortal : ORR

Bobby Orr is regarded as one of the greatest hockey players of all time. By the time he retired in 1978 he had undergone over a dozen knee surgeries. At 31 years of age, he concluded that he just couldn’t skate anymore. Reportedly, he was even having trouble walking.

17. Shout after un pase : OLE!

In Spanish, the crowd might shout “Ole!” (Wow!) after “un pase” (a pass) in a soccer match.

18. Playoff pass : BYE

The word “bye”, as used in sport, originated in cricket. A bye is a run scored due to an error by the wicketkeeper (similar to a catcher in baseball) when he fails to stop a ball bowled by the bowler (like a pitcher in baseball). Later the word “bye” in sport came to mean the position of a player in a tournament who is left without a competitor when the rest have drawn pairs. In these commercial times, those byes tend to be awarded to the best (seeded) players, so that the most popular players always advance past the first round of competition.

33. Semiaquatic rodent : RIVER RAT

The river rat, also known as the coypu or nutria, is a native of South America, although is now found all over the word as an invasive species. The river rat was introduced into locations outside of South America by ranchers who farmed them for their fur.

36. “The Orchid Thief” author Susan : ORLEAN

“The Orchid Thief” is a 1998 book by journalist Susan Orlean about the poaching of the rare Ghost Orchid from a Florida State Park. The book was adapted into the 2002 film “Adaptation” starring Meryl Streep as the author Orlean.

38. Words with friends? : SPATS

As in, “I had words with friends, we had a spat”.

41. Courtroom cry : OYEZ!

“Oyez” is an Anglo-French word, traditionally called out three times, with the meaning “hear ye!”

46. Starbucks stack : LIDS

Starbucks is a coffee company based in Seattle, Washington. It is the largest coffeehouse company in the world and has over 19,000 stores. In the 1990s, Starbucks was opening one new store every single day! Starbucks is named after the chief mate on the Pequod in Herman Melville’s book “Moby Dick”.

48. Long ride? : LIMO

The word “limousine” derives from the French city of Limoges. The area around Limoges is called the Limousin, and it gave its name to a cloak hood worn by local shepherds. In early motor cars, a driver would sit outside in the weather while the passengers would sit in the covered compartment. The driver would often wear a limousin-style protective hood, giving rise to that type of transportation being called a “limousine”. Well, that’s how the story goes …

51. Corona and Tsingtao : IMPORTS

The Mexican beer called Corona is the biggest-selling imported beer in the United States.

Tsingtao is a Chinese beer that is produced primarily in the city of Qingdao (anglicized as “Tsingtao”) on the east coast of China in Shandong Province. Tsingtao is the top-selling Chinese beer in the US. Snow beer tops the list of Chinese beers sold in China.

54. Light beer? : PALE ALE

Pale ale is a beer made using mainly pale malt, which results in a relatively light color for a malted beer.

57. Mayor before Emanuel : DALEY

Richard J. Daley was the Mayor of Chicago for 21 years (1955-1976), making him the longest-serving mayor for the city in history. His son, Richard M. Daley, was mayor from 1989 to 2011, and was the city’s second-longest serving mayor.

Rahm Emanuel was an Illinois representative in the US House before resigning in 2009 to take up President Obama’s offer to become the White House Chief of Staff. Emanuel moved on from the White House the following year in order to run as a candidate in Chicago’s mayoral election in 2011. He won the 2011 race, and was re-elected in 2015.

61. Spiral-shaped light sources, briefly : CFL BULBS

The fluorescent lamp that we use as direct replacement for an incandescent light bulb is known as a compact fluorescent lamp (CFL). CFLs largely displaced incandescents as the bulb of choice in our homes, and LED bulbs are now replacing CFLs.

62. Old star makeup : TIN

In the Old West, a sheriff’s badge was often referred to as a “tin star”.

64. Guitarist Paul : LES

Les Paul was a guitarist, songwriter and inventor. When he was 33 years old, Paul was involved in a near-fatal car crash that left his right arm and elbow shattered. Surgeons offered him the choice of amputation or a rebuilding of the limb that would leave him unable to bend his elbow. He told them to set his arm at just under 90 degrees so that he could at least hold his guitar and perhaps play it.

65. ’80s-’90s crime boss : GOTTI

John Gotti was the boss of the Gambino crime family from 1985. Gotti was known as the “Teflon Don” and took over leadership of the family from Paul Castellano when he was gunned down, allegedly on Gotti’s orders. Gotti remained head of the New York family until he was sentenced to life in prison in 1992. Gotti died of throat cancer after ten years behind bars.

66. Louisiana wetland : BAYOU

A bayou is a marshy inlet or outlet of a lake or river, usually with stagnant or slow-moving water. The exact origins of the term “bayou” is uncertain, but it is thought perhaps to come from the Choctaw (a Native American people from the southeast) word “bayuk”, meaning “small stream”.

67. Fairway challenge : DOGLEG

A dogleg on a golf course is a hole that bends to the left or right. The name comes from the shape of a dog’s hind leg.

68. Asylum seeker : EMIGRE

An “émigré” is an emigrant. The term is French in origin, and particularly applies to someone who is a political refugee from his or her native land.

Asylum (plural “asyla”) is a Latin word meaning “sanctuary”.

69. Home to Dollywood: Abbr. : TENN

Dollywood is a theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee that is owned by country singer Dolly Parton. The park opened in 1961 as Rebel Railroad. The name was changed to “Goldrush Junction” in 1970, “Goldrush” in 1976, “Silver Dollar City Tennessee” in 1977 and finally to “Dollywood” in 1986 when Parton became a co-owner.

70. Islands staple : TARO

The corm of some taro plants is used to make poi, the traditional Hawaiian dish (that I think tastes horrible). When a taro plant is grown as an ornamental, it is often called Elephant Ears due to the shape of its large leaves.

72. Fix text : EMEND

The verb “to amend” means “to change for the better, put right, alter by adding”. The related verb “to emend” is used more rarely and mainly in reference to the editing of professional writing. Both terms are derived from the Latin “emendare” meaning “to remove fault”.

75. Our __ : GANG

The marvelous series of “Our Gang” comedy short films was also known as “The Little Rascals”. The series was produced by Hal Roach starting in 1922, and running up until 1944. There were 220 “Our Gang” film shorts made in all, and one feature film title “General Spanky” released in 1936.

77. He plays Steve in “Jobs” : ASHTON

Ashton Kutcher played the character Michael Kelso on Fox’s “That ‘70s Show”. Kelso was Kutcher’s breakthrough acting role. Kutcher then starred in the sitcom “Two and a Half Men”, replacing the “disgraced” Charlie Sheen. In 2009, Kutcher became the first user on Twitter to get over 1 million followers. I wasn’t one of them …

“Jobs” is a 2013 biopic about high-tech entrepreneur Steve Jobs. Ashton Kutcher plays the title role, and Josh Gad plays Apple cofounder Steve Wozniak.

83. Scott of “Scandal” : FOLEY

I am most familiar with actor Scott Foley from the action-drama TV show “The Unit”, in which he played a lead role. Foley was married to actress Jennifer Garner from 2000 to 2003. We learned on the genealogy show “Who So You Think You Are?” that Foley is descended from one of the defendants in the Salem witch trials.

85. Reproductive cells : GAMETES

A gamete is a reproductive cell that has half the full complement of genes needed to make a normal cell. In sexual reproduction, it takes two gametes, one from each parent, to fuse into one cell which then develops into a new organism. The female gamete is the ovum, and the male the sperm.

88. Attraction in L.A.’s Hancock Park : LA BREA

The La Brea Tar Pits are located right in the heart of the city of Los Angeles. At the site there is a constant flow of tar that seeps up to the surface from underground, a phenomenon that has been around for tens of thousands of years. What is significant is that much of the seeping tar is covered by water. Over many, many centuries animals came to the water to drink and became trapped in the tar as they entered the water to quench their thirsts. The tar then preserved the bones of the dead animals. Today a museum is located right by the Tar Pits, recovering bones and displaying specimens of the animals found there. It’s well worth a visit if you are in town …

Hancock Park is a 23-acre facility in central Los Angeles that is home to the La Brea Tar Pits and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the largest art museum in the western US. The park was created in 1924 and is named for George Allan Hancock, who donated the land to Los Angeles County.

91. Tons : OODLES

It’s thought that the term “oodles”, meaning “a lot”, comes from “kit and caboodle”.

94. Perfect Sleeper, e.g. : SERTA

Serta was founded in 1931 when a group of 13 mattress manufacturers came together, essentially forming a cooperative. Today, the Serta company is owned by eight independent licensees in a similar arrangement. Serta advertisements feature the Serta Counting Sheep. Each numbered sheep has a different personality, such as:

  • #1 The Leader of the Flock
  • #½ The Tweener
  • #13 Mr. Bad Luck
  • #53 The Pessimist
  • #86 Benedict Arnold

95. “Heidi” author : SPYRI

“Heidi” is a Swiss children’s book written by Johanna Spyri and published in two parts. The first is “Heidi’s years of learning and travel”, and the second “Heidi makes use of what she has learned”. The books tell the story of a young girl in the care of her grandfather in the Swiss Alps. The most famous film adaptation of the story is the 1937 movie of the same name starring Shirley Temple in the title role.

98. Celebrity chef Burrell : ANNE

Anne Burrell is co-host of the show “Worst Cooks in America” that airs on the Food Network. Yet another celebrity chef …

101. Macbeth’s burial isle : IONA

Although the small island of Iona lies just off the west coast of Scotland, it was the site of a monastery built in the Middle Ages by a monk from Ireland names Colm Cille (also known as Columba). Colm Cille and his followers were sent into exile from the Irish mainland and settled in Iona, as at that time the island was part of an Irish kingdom. This monastery in Iona expanded its influence over the decades and founded other institutions all over Ireland and Great Britain. It is believed that the famous Book of Kells may have been written, or at least started, at the monastery on Iona. Iona is also the burial site for Macbeth, King of Scotland who was immortalized in Shakespeare’s fictional account of the king’s life.

102. CBS military drama : NCIS

NCIS is the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which investigates crimes in the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. The service gives its name to the CBS TV show “NCIS”, a spin-off drama from “JAG” in which the main “NCIS” characters were first introduced. The big star in “NCIS” is the actor Mark Harmon. “NCIS” is now a franchise, with spin-off shows “NCIS: Los Angeles” and “NCIS: New Orleans”.

103. Jupiter and Mars : GODS

Jupiter, also known as Jove, was the king of the gods in the Roman tradition, as well as the god of sky and thunder. Jupiter was the Roman equivalent to the Greek god Zeus.

Mars was the god of war in Ancient Rome. Mars was also viewed as the father of the Roman people and the father of Romulus and Remus, the twin brothers who founded Rome according to Roman mythology..

107. Urge hidden in this puzzle’s eight longest answers : YEN

The word “yen”, meaning “urge”, has been around in English since the very early 1900s. It comes from the earlier word “yin” imported from Chinese, which was used in English to describe an intense craving for opium.

Advertisement

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1. Read digitally : SCAN
5. Songs in Bollywood soundtracks : RAGAS
10. Stopped stalling : ACTED
15. Nincompoop : BOOB
19. __ Bell: fast-food chain : TACO
20. Donovan of “Clueless” : ELISA
21. 45 player : PHONO
22. Alternative to de Gaulle : ORLY
23. Back up on a job? : ABET
24. On the take : DIRTY
25. No-fuss course : EASY ENTREE
27. “Spin” that really doesn’t affect the ball : BODY ENGLISH
30. Motive : REASON
31. Berkshire jackets : ETONS
32. Cardiology concern : AORTA
34. Help dishonestly : LIE FOR
38. Floods : SPATES
41. Katz of “Hocus Pocus” : OMRI
42. Rural expanse : PASTURE
43. Rarity for a duffer : PAR
44. Invitation enclosure : REPLY ENVELOPE
49. Inc. relative : LLC
50. Governing gp. : ADMIN
52. Property attachment : LIEN
53. Signs often numbered : EXITS
54. Entreaty : PLEA
55. “You wouldn’t dare!” response : TRY ME!
56. Wood-shaping tool : ADZ
57. Apothecary’s measures : DRAMS
58. Like some early hieroglyphics : MAYAN
59. Trickle : SEEP
60. They may rest on sills: Abbr. : ACS
61. Wine label first name : CARLO
62. Gift : TALENT
63. “Affliction” actor : NOLTE
65. Key next to F : G-FLAT
66. Cheney’s successor : BIDEN
67. Document often framed : DEGREE
69. Landlord’s sign : TO LET
70. Surfer’s shade? : TAN
71. Eligibility factors : AGES
74. Skips past : OMITS
75. Cope : GET BY
76. Part of LGBTQ : GAY
77. Texas tourist spot : ALAMO
78. Gimlet options : GINS
79. Language group that includes Swahili : BANTU
80. Lengthy lunch? : HERO
81. “Night Moves” singer : SEGER
82. L, at times: Abbr. : LGE
83. “Curious though it may seem … ” : FUNNILY ENOUGH …
86. Sinus dr. : ENT
87. By and by, to a bard : ERE LONG
89. Needing a nap : BEAT
90. Feuding (with) : AT ODDS
92. He pardoned Richard : GERALD
93. Syrian leader : ASSAD
95. “Li’l Abner” critter : SHMOO
97. Miss the beginning : BE LATE
99. Fairy tale feature : HAPPY ENDING
104. Frank account, e.g. : DIARY ENTRY
108. Sarcophagus holder : CRYPT
109. Bonkers : LOCO
110. Parcel measure : ACRE
111. Bring together : UNITE
112. One in training, perhaps : HIREE
113. City near Vance Air Force Base : ENID
114. Test release : BETA
115. Mixed nuts tidbit : PECAN
116. Dubai dignitaries : EMIRS
117. Attitude : SASS

Down

1. Shot in the dark : STAB
2. Baja resort : CABO
3. Completed with a stroke : ACED
4. “Have patience” : NOT YET
5. Common cold sign : RED NOSE
6. Square up : ALIGN
7. Some Little Leaguers : GIRLS
8. Wine city near Turin : ASTI
9. Ends a prayer : SAYS “AMEN”
10. Make fun of : APE
11. Plan, as a course : CHART
12. Where sailors go : TO SEA
13. “A Day Without Rain” New Ager : ENYA
14. Exercises in a pool : DOES LAPS
15. Invasive spam spreader : BOTNET
16. Hockey immortal : ORR
17. Shout after un pase : OLE!
18. Playoff pass : BYE
26. __ pollution : NOISE
28. Perpetually, poetically : ETERNE
29. Road warning : HORN
33. Semiaquatic rodent : RIVER RAT
35. Focusing completely : FULLY ENGAGED
36. “The Orchid Thief” author Susan : ORLEAN
37. Go back on one’s word : RECANT
38. Words with friends? : SPATS
39. Base adviser : PADRE
40. Military construction expert : ARMY ENGINEER
41. Courtroom cry : OYEZ!
42. Piles of chips : POTS
45. __ mat : PLACE
46. Starbucks stack : LIDS
47. Glorify : EXALT
48. Long ride? : LIMO
51. Corona and Tsingtao : IMPORTS
54. Light beer? : PALE ALE
57. Mayor before Emanuel : DALEY
58. Boiling : MAD
60. Worked on a course? : ATE
61. Spiral-shaped light sources, briefly : CFL BULBS
62. Old star makeup : TIN
64. Guitarist Paul : LES
65. ’80s-’90s crime boss : GOTTI
66. Louisiana wetland : BAYOU
67. Fairway challenge : DOGLEG
68. Asylum seeker : EMIGRE
69. Home to Dollywood: Abbr. : TENN
70. Islands staple : TARO
72. Fix text : EMEND
73. Puts in order : SORTS
75. Our __ : GANG
76. Refined chap : GENT
77. He plays Steve in “Jobs” : ASHTON
79. “It’s cold out there” : BUNDLE UP
80. Big pain : HEADACHE
83. Scott of “Scandal” : FOLEY
84. Fist-pump cry : YEAH!
85. Reproductive cells : GAMETES
88. Attraction in L.A.’s Hancock Park : LA BREA
91. Tons : OODLES
93. Web site : ATTIC
94. Perfect Sleeper, e.g. : SERTA
95. “Heidi” author : SPYRI
96. Excited to the max : HYPER
98. Celebrity chef Burrell : ANNE
100. Proper partner : PRIM
101. Macbeth’s burial isle : IONA
102. CBS military drama : NCIS
103. Jupiter and Mars : GODS
104. Small application : DAB
105. Word with pack or pick : ICE
106. Creative works : ART
107. Urge hidden in this puzzle’s eight longest answers : YEN

Advertisement

11 thoughts on “LA Times Crossword Answers 27 May 2018, Sunday”

  1. 21:58, no errors on the puzzle. Actually the first one of these I solved from top to bottom. Rare, but was kinda fun.

    As for the HBO Real Sports segment people have been talking about, I thought I’d link it on Youtube for those of us who don’t have HBO (or cable at all like myself). I thought it was…interesting.

    1. @Glenn … Thanks for the link! You should post it over on the NYT blog (in the syndie time line … or maybe both time lines, for that matter).

  2. 42:40. Felt like a bit of a slog to me. Other than a few proper names like Bob SEGER, I knew next to none of the ones in this grid and had to get a lot of things via crosses.

    CFL BULBS are the bane of my existence. Ever since hotels started using them, I feel like I’m in an Eastern European hotel in an old cold war movie whenever I walk into a hotel room. The rooms simply will not get bright with those things!! Grrr. My house was full of them when I moved in 2 weeks ago. I’m proud to say I’ve gotten rid of every one of them and replaced them with REAL light bulbs – bright happy cheery ones.

    Stanley Cup Finals Game 1 here in Vegas tomorrow. My season tickets on stubhub are going for around $2000 apiece (i.e. some in my section), but I wouldn’t miss this spectacle for the world..

    Best-

  3. No errors. No complaints. I have gotten so good at doing this Sunday LA Times that I no longer dread starting it. I hate the frustration of being unable to solve it. Now I look forward to it.

    1. That feeling is always great when you get it. I know the themeless stuff is starting to get fun to me now simply because I have a fighting chance at solving most of them (even though I get a lot of 90-95% DNFs because I don’t know one or two entries). Can’t do Sat Newsday or Croce very well still, but there’s always room for improvement.

  4. 32 minutes, 3 errors…tripped up by author names and never heard of the shmoo…

    @Glenn

    Well done on the “Real Sports” link!

    1. Only thing is that it spoiled one of the NYT puzzles I had here to solve in part…but can’t get everything cold, I suppose.

Comments are closed.