LA Times Crossword 9 Aug 21, Monday - LAXCrossword.com (2023)

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Dutch-speaking Caribbean island : ARUBA

Aruba is one of the so-called ABC Islands located off the northern coast of Venezuela. “ABC Islands” is a name given to the three westernmost islands of the Leeward Antilles in the Caribbean. The nickname comes from the first letters of the island names: Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao. All three of the ABC Islands are part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

17 Performance featuring Gene Simmons : KISS CONCERT (giving “throw a kiss”)

“Gene Simmons” is the stage name of musician Chaim Witz, who was born in Haifa, Israel. Simon’s adopts the stage persona “The Demon” when performing with Kiss the rock band that he formed in 1973 with Paul Stanley.

19 Shipping weight : TON

Here in the US, a ton is equivalent to 2,000 pounds. In the UK, a ton is 2,240 pounds. The UK unit is sometimes referred to as an Imperial ton, long ton or gross ton. Folks over there refer to the US ton then as a short ton. To further complicate matters, there is also a metric ton or tonne, which is equivalent to 2,204 pounds. Personally, I wish we’d just stick to kilograms …

20 Deck chair piece : SLAT

A deck chair is a folding chair with a single strip of fabric that forms the backrest/seat. The term “deck chair” was coined when such folding chairs became common sights on the decks of ocean liners and cruise ships.

21 Meat ending for “sir” : -LOIN

The name of the cut of meat known as “sirloin” comes from the French “sur” (over) and “longe” (loin). There is a story dating back to the early 1600s that the “sur” changed to “sir” because the cut was a favorite of an English king and so he “knighted” it, dubbed it “Sir Loin”.

25 Went for stripers, say : FISHED

The striped bass (also called “striper”) is found along the Atlantic coast of North America, but also in inland waterways where it has been introduced for sport fishing. It is the state fish of Rhode Island, South Carolina and Maryland.

30 Hora or hula : DANCE

The hora is a circle dance that originated in the Balkans. It was brought to Israel by Romanian settlers, and is often performed to traditional, Israeli folk songs. The hora (also “horah”) is a regular sight at Jewish weddings. Sometimes the honoree at an event is raised on a chair during the hora.

The hula is a native dance of Hawaii that uses arm movements to relate a story. The hula can be performed while sitting (a noho dance) or while standing (a luna dance).

31 Dead-on : EXACT

To be dead-on is to be exactly correct. The term “dead-on” comes from marksmanship, and describes an exactly accurate shot.

36 Queeg’s ship : CAINE

“The Caine Mutiny” is a Pulitzer-winning, 1951 novel by Herman Wouk. The story involves mutiny and court-martial aboard a US Navy vessel and reflected, at least partly, the personal experiences of Wouk as he served in the Pacific in WWII aboard a destroyer-minesweeper. The novel was adapted into a marvelous film released in 1954 starring Humphrey Bogart as Philip Queeg, the harsh captain of the USS Caine.

38 Old King Cole’s smoke : PIPE

Old King Cole was a merry old soul
And a merry old soul was he;
He called for his pipe, and he called for his bowl
And he called for his fiddlers three.
Every fiddler he had a fiddle,
And a very fine fiddle had he;
Oh there’s none so rare, as can compare
With King Cole and his fiddlers three.

39 Broad-brimmed hats : STETSONS

Stetson is a brand of hats manufactured by John B. Stetson Company of St. Joseph, Missouri. The so-called “cowboy hat” that Stetson pioneered was such a success that the company became the largest hat maker in the world, producing over 3.3 million hats per year.

41 __ of Troy : HELEN

According to Greek mythology, Helen (later “Helen of Troy”) was the daughter of Zeus and Leda. When Helen reached the age of marriage, she had many suitors as she was considered the most beautiful woman in the world. Menelaus was chosen as her husband, and he took her back to his home of Sparta. Paris, a Trojan prince, seduced Helen, as she eloped with him and travelled to Troy. This event sparked the Trojan War that waged between the city of Troy and Greece. Because of this war, Helen was said to have “the face that launched a thousand ships”. And because of this phrase, it has been suggested, probably by author Isaac Asimov, that the amount of beauty needed to launch a single ship is one “millihelen”.

42 Astronaut Schirra : WALLY

Wally Schirra was one of the original Mercury Seven astronauts, and the only astronaut who flew in the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo Programs. Schirra retired after commanding the Apollo 7 mission, and took the seat beside Walter Cronkite for the TV coverage for the seven moon landings. Schirra was a naval officer. After he passed away in 2007, his body was cremated and his ashes were committed to the deep in a burial at sea ceremony on the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan.

43 Graceland surname : PRESLEY

Elvis Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi and moved to Memphis, Tennessee with his family when he was 13-years-old. Once he had achieved fame, Elvis purchased Graceland, the famous Memphis home that he used for himself and his family. I visited Graceland many years ago, and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

47 Word after Joe or low : … BLOW

Though the English court system does not use the term today, “John Doe” first appeared as the “name of a person unknown” in England in 1659, along with the similar “Richard Roe”. An unknown female is referred to as “Jane Doe ”, and the equivalent to Richard Roe is Jane Roe (as in Roe v. Wade, for example). Variants of “John Doe” used outside of the courts are “Joe Blow” and “John Q. Public”.

48 “Gay” city in a Porter song : PAREE

“Paree” is a nickname used sometimes in English for “Paris”. The word “Paree” represents the French pronunciation of the city name.

49 Blue-green shade : TEAL

The beautiful color teal takes its name from the duck called a teal, which has dark greenish-blue (teal) markings on its head and wings.

50 Bluish part of blue cheese : MOLD

Being a bit of a French speaker (admittedly, a very poor one), the term “bleu cheese” has always kind of irritated me. I would prefer that we use either “blue cheese” or “fromage bleu” and not mix the languages, but then I can be annoyingly picky! It’s said that blue cheese was probably discovered accidentally, as molds tend to develop in the same conditions that are best for storing cheese. The blue mold in the cheese is introduced by adding Penicillium spores before the cheese is allowed to set. And yes, it’s the same mold that is used to produce penicillin, the antibiotic.

55 Speaker of the House, e.g. : PARTY LEADER (giving “throw a party”)

The title “speaker”, used for the chairperson or presiding officer of a parliamentary assembly, dates way back to 1377, and is English in origin. In the US Congress, the Speaker presides over the House of Representatives. The US Senate is presided over by the Vice President of the United States.

58 Biography datum : AGE

Our word “data” (singular “datum”) comes from the Latin “datum” meaning “given”. The idea is that data are “things given”.

61 “Anchorman: The Legend of __ Burgundy” : RON

Ron Burgundy is the title character in the “Anchorman” series of films. Burgundy is a news anchor played by comedian Will Ferrell. Apparently Burgundy loves a glass of scotch, poetry, and his dog Baxter.

Down

3 Astronomical bear : URSA

The constellation Ursa Major (Latin for “Larger Bear”) is often just called “the Big Dipper” because of its resemblance to a ladle or dipper. Ursa Major also resembles a plow, and that’s what we usually call the same constellation back in Ireland, “the Plough”.

Ursa Minor (Latin for “Smaller Bear”) sits right beside the constellation Draco (Latin for “Dragon”). Ursa Minor used to be considered the wing of Draco, and was once called “Dragon’s Wing”. The tail of the “Smaller Bear” might also be considered as the handle of a ladle, and so the constellation is often referred to as the Little Dipper.

4 Oscars category adjective : BEST

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) is the organization that gives the annual Academy Awards, also known as the “Oscars”. The root of the name “Oscar” is hotly debated, but what is agreed is that the award was officially named “Oscar” in 1939. The first Academy Awards were presented at a brunch in 1929 with an audience of just 29 people. The Awards ceremony is a slightly bigger event these days …

8 Port of Yemen : ADEN

Aden is a seaport in Yemen that is located on the Gulf of Aden by the eastern approach to the Red Sea. Aden has a long history of British rule, from 1838 until a very messy withdrawal in 1967. A native of Aden is known as an Adeni. Some believe that Cain and Abel are buried in the city.

9 Knightly title : SIR

“Sire” is derived from the Latin word “senior” and used to be an honorific for a knight, dating back to about 1200 (“Sire” Lancelot, for example). Over time, “sire” came to be used as a standalone alternative for “your majesty”. The derivative term “sir” evolved from “sire” as a title of honor for a knight, and also for priests (until the 1600s).

10 Emergency phone link : HOTLINE

A famous hotline was used during WWII by President Roosevelt in the White House and Prime Minister Churchill in the Cabinet War Room bunker in London. That link was secured in 1943, marking the world’s very first use of voice encryption. An even more famous hotline was set up between Washington and Moscow in 1963, in the aftermath of the near catastrophic Cuban Missile Crisis. Often referred to as the “red telephone”, the Washington-Moscow hotline has never used phones. Instead, there were teletypewriters at either end, which were later upgraded to telecopiers, and now the parties use emails.

12 Photoshop creator : ADOBE

Adobe Systems is a San Jose-based enterprise that is best known for developing Photoshop image editing software and the Portable Document Format (PDF). The company was founded in 1982 by John Warnock and Charles Geschke, in Warnock’s garage. The Adobe Creek ran behind that garage, and the founders borrowed the name of the waterway for the company’s moniker.

Photoshop is a wonderful piece of software used for editing graphics. When I first bought a copy of Photoshop, it was really expensive (about $300 in 1995), but now there are cost-effective, stripped-down versions available. Also, the full version of Photoshop is now only available as a monthly subscription service.

18 Lena of TV’s “Riviera” : OLIN

Lena Olin is a Swedish actress, and clearly someone who had acting in her blood. Her mother was the actress Britta Holmberg and her father the actor and director Stig Olin. Olin had a very successful career in Sweden, often working with the great Ingmar Bergman. Olin’s breakthrough international and English-speaking role was playing opposite Daniel Day-Lewis in “The Unbearable Lightness of Being” released in 1988. Way back in 1974, Miss Olin was crowned Miss Scandinavia in a beauty pageant for Nordic women held in Helsinki, Finland. Olin’s most famous performance was in “Chocolat” released in 2000, and then she won an Emmy in 2003 for Best Supporting Actress in the TV show “Alias”.

“Riviera” is a TV drama created by Irish director Neil Jordan that started airing in 2017. The show centers on an American art curator (played by Julia Styles), who is trying to uncover the truth about the death of her billionaire husband. It’s all set in the French Riviera, hence the title. Haven’t seen this one, but it looks interesting …

23 Houdini feats : ESCAPES

“Harry Houdini” was the stage name of Hungarian-born escapologist and magician Erik Weisz (later changed to “Harry Weiss”). Many people are under the impression that Houdini died while performing an escape that went wrong, an impression created by the storyline in a couple of movies about his life. The truth is that he died of peritonitis from a burst appendix. It is also true that a few days prior to his death Houdini took a series of punches to his stomach as part of his act, but doctors believe that his appendix would have burst regardless.

26 Many lipstick shades : REDS

Lipsticks have a remarkably long list of ingredients. Die-hard vegans have to be careful in their choice of lipstick, as most contain beeswax. and the “shimmering” types often contain fish scales. Yuk …

29 Clear overlay : ACETATE

An acetate is a transparency used on a projector onto which one can write or draw. It is called an acetate because it is usually made out of cellulose acetate.

33 Sword with a three-sided blade : EPEE

The sword known as an épée has a three-sided blade. It is similar to a foil and sabre, although the foil and saber have rectangular cross-sections.The sword known as an épée has a three-sided blade. The épée is similar to a foil and sabre, although the foil and saber have rectangular cross-sections.

36 Faucet handle word : COLD

The common “faucet” in an American house is almost always referred to as a “tap” on the other side of the pond.

45 Pickle serving : SPEAR

Often, a dill pickle is actually a pickled gherkin, as the gherkin and cucumber are different cultivars within the same species. Here in the US, dill is commonly added to the pickling vinegar or brine, but this wasn’t the case when I used to eat them back in Ireland (I can’t stand dill!). You might see jars labeled as “cornichons”, but they’re gherkins. “Cornichon” is the French word for “gherkin”.

46 Letter after Sierra : TANGO

Often, a dill pickle is actually a pickled gherkin, as the gherkin and cucumber are different cultivars within the same species. Here in the US, dill is commonly added to the pickling vinegar or brine, but this wasn’t the case when I used to eat them back in Ireland (I can’t stand dill!). You might see jars labeled as “cornichons”, but they’re gherkins. “Cornichon” is the French word for “gherkin”.

47 Midler of “The Rose” : BETTE

I am a huge, huge fan of Bette Midler. I love her bawdy humor, her expansive personality, and her amazing voice. Midler will forever be associated with the 1979 film “The Rose”, which is loosely based on the life of the self-destructive singer Janis Joplin, with Bette playing the lead. Midler shows that she can act in this movie, and boy does she show that she can sing. The title song was written by Amanda McBroom and became a huge hit for Midler in 1979.

50 Speed-of-sound word : MACH

The Mach number of a moving object (like say an airplane) is its speed relative to the speed of sound. A plane travelling at Mach 2, for example, is moving at twice the speed of sound. The term “Mach” takes its name from the Austrian physicist Ernst Mach who published a groundbreaking paper in 1877 that even predicted the “sonic boom”.

51 Garlic tip-off : ODOR

Our word “garlic” evolved via Old English from “gar” (spear) and “leac” (leek). The use of “spear” is apparently a reference to the shape of a clove.

52 Lantern-jawed Jay : LENO

Jay Leno was born James Leno in New Rochelle, New York. Jay’s father was the son of Italian immigrants, and his mother was from Scotland. Leno grew up in Andover, Massachusetts and actually dropped out of school on the advice of a high school guidance counsellor. However, years later he went to Emerson College and earned a Bachelor’s degree in speech therapy. Leno also started a comedy club at Emerson in 1973. Today Jay Leno is a car nut and owns about 200 vehicles of various types. You can check them out on his website: www.jaylenosgarage.com.

56 Oscar winner Mahershala __ : ALI

Mahershala Ali is an actor and sometime rapper. Among the more memorable roles Ali has had are lobbyist Remy Danton in TV’s “House of Cards”, and Colonel Boggs in “The Hunger Games” series of movies. He also won Best Supporting Actor Oscars for playing Juan in the 2016 drama “Moonlight”, and Dr. Don Shirley in 2018’s “Green Book”.

57 Charlotte winter hrs. : EST

The city of Charlotte is the most populous in the state of North Carolina. It was named for the queen consort of King George III of Britain, Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.