LA Times Crossword 19 Feb 24, Monday

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Constructed by: Janice Luttrell
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Reveal Answer: Ringleader

Themed answers each start with a kind of RING:

  • 55A Mastermind, and what the first word of 16-, 23-, 35-, or 45-Across can be : RINGLEADER
  • 16A Disruptive student : CLASS CLOWN (giving “class ring”)
  • 23A Cocktail with rum and vodka : BRASS MONKEY (giving “brass ring”)
  • 35A Wilson/Vaughn comedy with the tagline “Hide Your Bridesmaids” : WEDDING CRASHERS (giving “wedding ring”)
  • 45A Time for a final bow : CURTAIN CALL (giving “curtain ring”)

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

Bill’s time: 5m 05s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Island northwest of Molokai : OAHU

Molokai is the fifth largest of the Hawaiian Islands. Famously, Molokai was home to a leper colony that was managed by Father Damien, a Roman Catholic priest from Belgium. Father Damien cared for the victims of Hansen’s Disease (then known as “leprosy”) for sixteen years before succumbing to the illness himself in 1889. Father Damien was declared a saint in 2009.

5 Inseparable pals, briefly : BFFS

Best friend forever (BFF)

9 Grizzly, for one : BEAR

The North American brown bear is usually referred to as the grizzly bear. The name “grizzly” was given to the bear by Lewis and Clark. The term “grizzly” might mean “with gray-tipped hair”, or “fear-inspiring”. Both definitions seem to be apt …

14 Monica who won nine Grand Slam singles titles : SELES

Monica Seles has a Hungarian name as she was born to Hungarian parents in former Yugoslavia. Seles was the World No. 1 professional tennis player in 1991 and 1992 before being forced from the sport when she was stabbed by a spectator at a match in 1993. She did return to the game two years later, but never achieved the same level of success.

20 “Killing Eve” actress Shaw : FIONA

One of Irish actress Fiona Shaw’s better known film roles is Petunia Dursley, Harry’s maternal aunt, in the “Harry Potter” series of films. On TV, she plays Carlyn Martens, the head of MI6’s Russia Section, on the spy thriller show “Killing Eve”.

“Killing Eve” is a spy thriller series about an MI5 agent on the trail of a female assassin. The agent is played by Canadian actress Sandra Oh, and the assassin by English actress Jodie Comer. The storyline comes from a series of novellas titled “Codename Villanelle” by British author Luke Jennings.

21 Short “I need a short break” : BRB

Be right back (brb)

23 Cocktail with rum and vodka : BRASS MONKEY (giving “brass ring”)

A brass monkey cocktail is basically a screwdriver to which rum is added. The drink gained popularity after the Beastie Boys released their single “Brass Monkey” in 1987. One recipe is: one part dark rum, one part vodka, orange to taste, and served over ice.

26 Carter’s successor : REAGAN

President Ronald Reagan (RWR) used the middle name “Wilson”, as his mother was born Nelle Wilson.

28 Body parts studied by otologists : EARS

Otology is a branch of medicine dealing with the ear. The prefix “oto-” means “pertaining to the ear”.

29 Actress Chlumsky : ANNA

Anna Chlumsky launched her career as a child actress playing the title role in the films “My Girl” (1991) and “My Girl 2” (1994). After taking time out to attend college, Chlumsky resumed her run of success with a regular role in the political satire show “Veep”.

35 Wilson/Vaughn comedy with the tagline “Hide Your Bridesmaids” : WEDDING CRASHERS (giving “wedding ring”)

Not only does the 2005 romantic comedy “Wedding Crashers” star Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn, but if you rent it you’ll see cameos from Democratic pundit James Carville, and Republican Senator John McCain.

39 “__ Misérables” : LES

The 1980 musical “Les Misérables” is an adaptation of the 1862 novel of the same name by Victor Hugo. The show opened in London in 1985, and is the longest running musical in the history of London’s West End. My wife and I saw “Les Miz” in the Queen’s Theatre in London many years ago, but were only able to get tickets in the very back row. The theater seating is very steep, so the back row of the balcony is extremely high over the stage. One of the big events in the storyline is the building of a street barricade over which the rebels fight. At the height we were seated we could see the stagehands behind the barricade, sitting drinking Coke, even smoking cigarettes. On cue, the stagehands would get up and catch a dropped rifle, or an actor who had been shot. It was pretty comical. I didn’t really enjoy the show that much, to be honest. Some great songs, but the musical version of the storyline just didn’t seem to hang together for me.

43 Italian sub meat : SALAMI

“Salame” (note the letter E at the end) is an Italian sausage that is traditionally associated with the peasant classes. The meat in the sausage is preserved with salt, and it can be hung and stored for as long as ten years. The name “salame” comes from “sale”, the Italian word for salt, and “-ame”, a suffix indicating a collective noun. Our English word “salami” is actually the Italian plural for “salame”.

54 Ibuprofen target : PAIN

“Ibuprofen” is a shortened version of the drug’s name: Iso-BUtyl-PROpanoic-PHENolic acid. Ibuprofen is primarily an anti-inflammatory, but apparently it is good for headaches too.

60 Country shaped like a boot : ITALY

In the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, the “boot” is the mainland of Italy, and the “ball” being kicked by the boot is the island of Sicily.

64 “Auld Lang __” : SYNE

The song “Auld Lang Syne” is a staple at New Year’s Eve (well, actually in the opening minutes of New Year’s Day). The words were written by Scottish poet Robbie Burns. The literal translation of “Auld Lang Syne” is “old long since”, but is better translated as “old times”. The sentiment of the song is “for old time’s sake”.

Down

1 Available sans Rx : OTC

Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs don’t need a prescription (Rx).

4 Space race initials : USSR

The Soviet Union launched the Sputnik satellite towards the end of 1957 in a development that shocked the establishment in the US. Within months, President Eisenhower created the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA, now DARPA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The Space Race had begun …

5 Heroine in Stephenie Meyer’s “Twilight” novels : BELLA

The reference is to a character (Bella Swan) in “The Twilight” series of books by Stephenie Meyer. “The Twilight Saga” is a series of films based on the books. “The Twilight” books feature vampires, and I don’t do vampires …

6 Word after dental or Mental : FLOSS

Dental floss has been around a long time, with the term “dental floss” being introduced in the early 1800s. Anyone fond of the writings of James Joyce (that wouldn’t be me!) might recall a character using dental floss in his famous novel “Ulysses” that was published between 1918 and 1920.

“Mental Floss” is an online magazine that was launched in 2001 as a print publication. Focused on millennials, “Mental Floss” features facts, puzzles and trivia. In 2015, the company presented its first TV special, on the National Geographic Channel. That special was the first live broadcast of brain surgery.

8 Nine-digit ID : SSN

Social Security number (SSN)

10 Kindle download : E-BOOK

Amazon’s Kindle line of e-book readers was introduced in 2007. The name “kindle” was chosen to evoke images of “lighting a fire” through reading and intellectual stimulation. I bought myself a Kindle Fire HD several years ago. I started reading e-books for the first time in my life, as well as enjoying other computing options available with the tablet device …

11 Dress with a triangular silhouette : A-LINE

An A-line skirt is one that fits snugly at the hips and flares towards the hem. The term “A-line” was first used in fashion by French designer Christian Dior in his 1955 spring collection.

A silhouette is an outline, usually of a person’s profile, which has been filled in with a solid color. One theory is that the term “silhouette” comes from the name of the French Minister of Finance in 1759, Étienne de Silhouette. Said minister made major cutbacks in spending to finance the Seven Years War, cutbacks that were not popular with the citizenry. His name came to be used for a cheap way of making someone’s likeness, a “silhouette”.

12 Electrical circuit component : RELAY

A relay is a switch, one that is operated electrically as opposed to mechanically. Relays tend to be used when a high-power circuit needs to be controlled by a low-power signal.

22 “Judy” Oscar winner Zellweger : RENEE

Renée Zellweger’s big break came with the 1996 movie “Jerry Maguire”. A few years later, Zellweger followed that up with a string of successes in “Bridget Jones’ Diary” (2001), “Chicago” (2002) and “Cold Mountain” (2003). My wife and I love watching her play Bridget Jones, and as someone coming from Britain and Ireland, I have to say that Zellweger does a remarkable job with the accent. She worked hard to perfect that accent, and of course she had a voice coach. She also went “undercover” and worked as a temp in an office for three weeks fine-tuning her skills.

The 2019 movie “Judy” is a biopic about singer and actress Judy Garland. The film is an adaptation of the 2005 Peter Quilter play “End of the Rainbow”. “Judy” focuses on the last year of Garland’s life, with Renée Zellweger in the title role.

24 Clairvoyants : SEERS

We’ve been using the term “clairvoyant” to describe a psychic since the nineteenth century. Prior to that, a clairvoyant was a clear-sighted person. The term comes from French, with “clair” meaning “clear” and “voyant” meaning “seeing”.

25 “House of Cards” actress Kate : MARA

Kate Mara is an actress who plays a lead character in the US TV series “House of Cards”. She got her big break with a supporting role in the 2005 Oscar-winning film Brokeback Mountain, in which she played Heath Ledger’s daughter, despite being only four years younger than Ledger. Kate is the sister of fellow actress Rooney Mara, who played the lead in the American version of the film “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”.

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.

27 Roam (about) : GAD

To gad about is to move around with little purpose. The word “gad” comes from the Middle English “gadden” meaning “to hurry”.

31 TiVo precursor : VCR

The first video cassette recorder (VCR) was introduced in the 1950s, but it wasn’t until the 1970s that home VCRs became successful.

36 Whitlock Jr. of “Da 5 Bloods” : ISIAH

Actor Isiah Whitlock Jr. is perhaps best known for playing state senator Clay Davis on the hit TV show “The Wire”. Whitlock picked up a colorful catchphrase from his character on “The Wire”, as the actor used his rich, deep voice to the full pronouncing a mild expletive as “sheeeeeeeee-it”. 🙂

“Da 5 Bloods” is a 2020 Spike Lee film about four aging veterans of the Vietnam War who go back to Vietnam. Their mission is to find the remains of their fallen squad leader, and to find a stash of gold bars they hid during the conflict. I haven’t seen this one, but am putting it on “the list” …

37 Sushi seaweed : NORI

Nori is an edible seaweed that we used to know as “laver” when we were living in Wales. Nori is usually dried into thin sheets. Here in the US, we are most familiar with nori as the seaweed used as a wrap for sushi.

38 Linden who played Barney Miller : HAL

The actor and musician Hal Linden is best known for playing the title role in the sitcom “Barney Miller” in the seventies and eighties. Linden started his entertainment career as a big band musician and singer. After achieving success as an actor, he decided to revive his career in music and toured with his cabaret act starting in the early 1980s. Linden plays the clarinet and sings with backing from a big band.

“Barney Miller” is a sitcom set in a Greenwich Village, New York police station. All of the action takes place actually within the station house, except for a once-a-year “special” that follows one of the detectives on a stakeout or in their home. The title character is the captain of the precinct, and is played by Hal Linden.

46 Company with orange-and-white trucks : U-HAUL

The U-Haul company was started by married couple Leonard Shoen and Anna Mary Carty in Ridgefield, Washington in 1945. The Shoens used $5,000 of seed money to build trailers in their garage, and then cleverly recruited gas station owners as franchisees with whom they would split the rental revenue. There are now about 15,000 U-Haul dealers across the country.

47 River through western Germany : RHINE

The river running through Europe that we know in English as the Rhine, is called “Rhein” in German, “Rhin” in French and “Rijn” in Dutch.

48 Panama waterway : CANAL

The Panama Canal was predated by the Panama Railway. The railway route actually determined the eventual route of the canal. The impetus to build a canal was spurred on by the success of the Suez Canal which opened in 1869. Work on the Panama Canal started in 1881, but things did not go smoothly at all. Companies involved in the project went bankrupt, one after the other. Eventually the US government bought its way into the project with President Roosevelt handing over millions of dollars to the country of Panama. The canal was finally completed in 1914. All in all, about 27,500 workers died during construction. A kind blog reader highly recommends the book “The Path Between the Seas” by David McCullough, should anyone want to read more about the fascinating tale of Panama Canal’s construction.

53 Siestas : NAPS

We use the word “siesta” to describe a short nap in the early afternoon, and imported the word into English from Spanish. In turn, the Spanish word is derived from the Latin “hora sexta” meaning “the sixth hour”. The idea is that the nap is taken at the sixth hour after dawn.

58 Manhattan liquor : RYE

The cocktail called a manhattan is made from whiskey, sweet vermouth and Angostura bitters. I favor my own version of a brandy manhattan, using brandy, sweet vermouth and orange bitters.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Island northwest of Molokai : OAHU
5 Inseparable pals, briefly : BFFS
9 Grizzly, for one : BEAR
13 Fastens, as shoelaces : TIES
14 Monica who won nine Grand Slam singles titles : SELES
15 Not all thumbs : ABLE
16 Disruptive student : CLASS CLOWN (giving “class ring”)
18 Garden dirt : SOIL
19 Slobbers : DROOLS
20 “Killing Eve” actress Shaw : FIONA
21 Short “I need a short break” : BRB
23 Cocktail with rum and vodka : BRASS MONKEY (giving “brass ring”)
26 Carter’s successor : REAGAN
28 Body parts studied by otologists : EARS
29 Actress Chlumsky : ANNA
30 Turn away : AVERT
32 Sheep bleat : BAA!
35 Wilson/Vaughn comedy with the tagline “Hide Your Bridesmaids” : WEDDING CRASHERS (giving “wedding ring”)
39 “__ Misérables” : LES
40 Flies like an eagle : SOARS
41 Most of the time : A LOT
42 Apple’s virtual assistant : SIRI
43 Italian sub meat : SALAMI
45 Time for a final bow : CURTAIN CALL (giving “curtain ring”)
50 Roofing stuff : TAR
51 “Ok, sure” : UH-HUH
52 Nobody in particular : ANYONE
54 Ibuprofen target : PAIN
55 Mastermind, and what the first word of 16-, 23-, 35-, or 45-Across can be : RINGLEADER
59 “Three and out” football play : PUNT
60 Country shaped like a boot : ITALY
61 Clever tactic : PLOY
62 Hoppy brews : ALES
63 Mexican sauce made with chocolate : MOLE
64 “Auld Lang __” : SYNE

Down

1 Available sans Rx : OTC
2 Feel awful : AIL
3 Workout accessories that keep sweat out of the eyes : HEADBANDS
4 Space race initials : USSR
5 Heroine in Stephenie Meyer’s “Twilight” novels : BELLA
6 Word after dental or Mental : FLOSS
7 Just a handful of : FEW
8 Nine-digit ID : SSN
9 Sinks : BASINS
10 Kindle download : E-BOOK
11 Dress with a triangular silhouette : A-LINE
12 Electrical circuit component : RELAY
14 Contempt : SCORN
17 Buckwheat noodle similar to udon : SOBA
20 Old West outposts : FORTS
21 Free-for-all fight : BRAWL
22 “Judy” Oscar winner Zellweger : RENEE
24 Clairvoyants : SEERS
25 “House of Cards” actress Kate : MARA
27 Roam (about) : GAD
30 “Oh no, not __!” : AGAIN
31 TiVo precursor : VCR
32 Not in time to be useful : BELATEDLY
33 Fragrance : AROMA
34 Up and about : ASTIR
36 Whitlock Jr. of “Da 5 Bloods” : ISIAH
37 Sushi seaweed : NORI
38 Linden who played Barney Miller : HAL
42 Daredevil’s feats : STUNTS
43 In a wily way : SLYLY
44 Succulent with soothing gel : ALOE
45 Brit’s spot of tea : CUPPA
46 Company with orange-and-white trucks : U-HAUL
47 River through western Germany : RHINE
48 Panama waterway : CANAL
49 Point of view : ANGLE
53 Siestas : NAPS
55 Lip of a glass : RIM
56 “Who am __ argue?” : I TO
57 Countless lifetimes : EON
58 Manhattan liquor : RYE