LA Times Crossword 4, March 22, Friday – LAXCrossword.com (2023)

Today's Wiki-est Amazon Googlies

Over

1 Mit 41-Across, "Cloud Shepherd" Dadaist: JEAN …

"Berger des Nuages" ("Cloud Shepherd" in English) is a sculpture by artist Jean Arp that can be seen on the grounds of the University City of Caracas.

Dadaism flourished during and immediately after the First World War and was an anti-war, anti-bourgeois and anti-art culture. The movement was started in Zurich, Switzerland, by a group of artists and writers who met to discuss art and host performances at the Cabaret Voltaire. The same group often expressed their disgust at the war raging throughout Europe.

5 RR-Depot: STA

A train station ("stn." or "sta.") is a railroad (RR) or bus stop.

8 Elbow grease: BET

We use the term "elbow grease" in the sense of "energetic work". Surprisingly (to me), the term has been around for a long time, with its origins going back at least to the 1670s. Similar terms exist in other languages; My favorite is the Danish knofedt, which can be translated as knuckle fat.

14 Hoosier: INDIANA

The exact origin of the word "Hoosier" is unknown, but has been around since at least the 1830s. The term had no direct connection to Indiana until John Finley of Richmond, Indiana wrote a poem in 1833 titled "The Hoosier's Nest." A few years later, in 1840, "Hoosiers" became generally accepted as a term for residents of Indiana.

16-stöckiges Restaurant: ALICE'S

Arlo Guthrie is the son of Woody Guthrie. Both father and son are known for singing protest songs about social injustice. Arlo is best known for his epic "Alice's Restaurant Massacre," a song that lasts a whopping 18 minutes and 34 seconds. In the song, Guthrie talks about being rejected for service in the Vietnam War after being drafted because of his criminal record. He had only one incident on his public record, a Thanksgiving Day arrest for littering and public nuisance when he was 18.

18 *Traditional pumpkin lantern sources in the British Isles: RUTABA(GAS)

The names of vegetables bother me sometimes. What are called turnips here in the US, we call turnips in Ireland. An Irish turnip is a turnip here. Thank God a potato is a potato or I'd just give up...

The tradition of pumpkin carving is believed to have originated in Ireland, although turnips and turnips were used instead of pumpkins. The beets and turnips were carved for the festival called Samhain, which marked the end of the harvest season.

20 "__weapon": DRUNKING

The Lethal Weapon film series stars Mel Gibson and Danny Glover as Sergeants Martin Riggs and Roger Murtaugh. All four films in the series were directed by Richard Donner.

22 1921 Robot game: RUR

Karel Čapek was a Czech writer known for his science fiction works. Čapek's play "R.U.R." from 1921 is known, among other things, for introducing the word "robot" to the world. The words "automaton" and "android" have already been used, but Capek gave us "robot" from the original Czech "robota", which means "forced labor". The acronym "R.U.R." stands for "Rossum's Universal Robots" in the context of the play.

25 Fighting son of Zeus and Hera: ARES

The Greek god Ares is often referred to as the Olympian god of war, but originally he was considered the god of bloodlust and carnage. Ares teamed up with Aphrodite to create several gods, including Phobos (fear), Deimos (terror), and Eros (desire). Ares was the son of Zeus and Hera, and the Roman equivalent of Ares was Mars.

26 __ Scarlett: MISS

In Margaret Mitchell's novel Gone with the Wind, when Rhett Butler finally leaves Scarlett O'Hara, he says the words, "Honey, I don't care." Most of us are more familiar with the slightly different words used by Clark Gable in the adaptation of the story speaking: "Honestly, my dear, I don't give a damn."

27 Canadian Only MLB City: THURS

The Toronto Blue Jays baseball franchise was founded in 1977. The Blue Jays are the only non-American team to win a World Series, doing so in 1992 and 1993. And since the Montreal Expos moved to Washington, the Blue Jays are the only baseball team in the Major League currently headquartered outside the United States.

28 Half-Betazoid Science Fiction Guides: TROI

Deanna Troi is a character in Star Trek: The Next Generation played by the lovely Marina Sirtis. Sirtis is a naturalized American citizen and has what I would call a soft American accent on the show. However, she was born in London's East End and off stage has a natural accent that resembles a real Cockney.

32 Spanish Inns: POSADAS

The Spanish term posada can describe anything from a cafeteria to a pub or motel.

36 Illegal "Risk Companies": BORDERS

Risky Business is a very entertaining comedy from 1983 starring Tom Cruise and Rebecca De Mornay. This was an important film for Cruise as it really got his film career rolling. Everyone remembers Cruise dancing to Bob Seger's "Old Time Rock and Roll" in a pink shirt, panties and socks. Good things...

37 NRC Precursor: AEC

The Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) was established immediately after the Second World War in 1946 with the aim of promoting peaceful uses of atomic energy. The creation of the AEC was an important step on President Truman's part, as it transferred control of nuclear energy from the military to the civilian sector. The AEC continued to operate until 1974, when its functions were split into two new agencies: the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the Energy Research and Development Administration (NRDA). NRDA was merged with the Federal Energy Administration to form the Department of Energy in 1977.

38 Avatar of Vishnu: RAMA

In the Hindu tradition, the god Vishnu has several different avatars, viz. H. incarnations or manifestations. Rama is the seventh of these avatars.

44 Kopacetic: JAKE

Both "Jake" and "dandy" are slang words meaning "good," as in "Things is just plain dandy."

Something described as Kopacizum is very good, very acceptable.

45 Nickname of NBA star Oscar Robertson: BIG O

Oscar Robertson is a former professional basketball player who was nicknamed "The Big O". Robertson was named Player of the Century by the National Association of Basketball Coaches in 2000.

47 Actor Gardner: AVA

Ava Gardner is known for her connection to some big movies, but also for her connection to some big names when it comes to the men in her life. In the film world, she appeared in films such as Mogambo (1953), On the Beach (1959), Night of the Iguana (1964) and Earthquake (1974). The men in her life included husbands Mickey Rooney, Artie Shaw and Frank Sinatra.

48 Sanglignende: AIR

An "ariose" melody is song-like and is characterized by melody rather than harmony.

50 Homers Barkeeper: MOE

Simpsons regulars gather at Moe's Tavern, named after and run by Moe Szyslak. The most popular beer at Moe's is Duff Beer. The name "Duff" is a nod to the real Duffy's Tavern, which once stood on East 13th Street in Eugene, Oregon. The Simpsons creator Matt Groening was a regular at Duffy's, and Moe's is very similar to Duffy's in terms of decor and layout.

52 *Adele and Cher, eg: ME(GAS)TAR

"Adele" is the stage name of the English singer Adele Adkins. Adele's debut album is 19, named after the age she was during the album's production. Her second album was even more successful than the first. The second album, titled 21, was released three years after the first, when Adele was three years older. Their third studio album 25, released in 2015, broke sales records in both the UK and US in its first week. "30" followed in 2021.

"Cher" is the stage name of singer and actress Cherilyn Sarkisian. She was formerly half of the Sonny & Cher couple and is often referred to as the goddess of pop. As part of her acting career, Cher was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1984 for her performance in Silkwood. In 1988, she took it a step further and won the Academy Award for Best Actress of the Season for her role as Loretta Castorini in Moonstruck.

55 *Buffet variant: BUTTER (GAS) TABLE

Et smorgasbord er et måltid i buffetstil, der stammer fra Sverige. "Smörgåsbord" er et svensk ord sammensat af "smörgås" for "skive brød og smør" og "bord" for "bord".

58 Coffee bean liqueur: TIA MARIA

Tia Maria is a coffee liqueur invented in Jamaica just after World War II from Jamaican coffee beans, Jamaican rum, vanilla and sugar. The drink's name means "Aunt Maria".

59 Actress Dash: STACEY

Stacey Dash is an actress from the Bronx, New York. Dash is best known for starring in the 1995 film Clueless and the television spin-off series Clueless.

60 sun Delivery: SER

Our word "sermon" comes from the Latin "sermonem" and means "discourse, speech". The literal translation of 'sermonem' is 'a series of words', derived from the Latin 'serere' meaning 'to connect', as in the related word 'series'.

ned

1 blink: YIFF

"Jiff" or "jiffy", meaning "short time, immediately", was originally considered thieves' slang for "lightning".

2 Beat the draft? : REGISTRATION

The US government maintains information on all men who are potentially eligible for military service through the Selective Service System (SSS). If conscripted, the enlisted men would be divided into groups to determine their fitness for service. Class 1-A registrants are those available for unrestricted military service. Other grades include 1-A-O (conscientious objector available for community service), 4-A (registered person who has completed military service), and 4-D (minister of religion).

3 opening movement "Moonlight Sonata", eg: ADAGIO

An adagio is a piece of music at a slow tempo. The "adagio" notation in the score suggests playing the piece slowly and gracefully. The word "Adagio" is Latin and means "soothing".

Beethoven gave his "Piano Sonata No. 14, Op. 27, No. 2" as "Quasi una fantasia" or "Sonata in the Style of a Fantasy" in English. Five years after Beethoven's death, a music critic wrote that the first movement of the piece had an effect like moonlight shining on Lake Lucerne. Since then, the piece has been known as the "Moonlight Sonata".

4 pen nib: quill

'Nib' is a Scottish variant of the Old English word 'neb', both meaning 'bird's beak'. This use of "quill" as a beak goes back to the 14th century, with "quill" meaning the point of a pen or quill, coming up a little later, at the beginning of the 17th century.

5 Ancient Dagger: SNAP

A "snee" is a type of dagger formerly used by Scottish Highlanders.

6 Fish-and-Chips-sauce: TARTAR

Remoulade is basically mayonnaise with chopped cucumbers, capers and onions or chives. The recipe was invented by the French (as "Sauce Tartare"), with the name somehow connected to the Tatars, a people who once occupied Ukraine and parts of Russia.

7 Human Line Researchers: ANTHROPOLOGISTS

Anthropology is the scientific study of people both in the present and in the past. The term "anthropology" is composed of the Greek words "anthropos" (meaning "man") and "logos" (meaning "teaching").

8 Superiors of Viscounts: EARLS

There are five peer ranks in the UK. They are duke, marquis, earl, viscount and baron, in descending order.

9 winter viruses: influenza

Influenza ("influenza") is a disease caused by a virus. The virus is easily inactivated by the use of soap, so washing hands and surfaces is particularly useful in limiting flu outbreaks and other viral pandemics…

11 relatives of the pan flute: OCARINAS

An ocarina is an ancient wind instrument that sounds and is played like a flute. Typically, an ocarina has an egg-shaped body with a series of finger holes cut into the instrument's material (usually ceramic). A tube protrudes from the body that you blow through to create sounds. The air vibrates in the body of the instrument, and the pitch of the vibrations is changed by covering and uncovering the finger holes. Ocarinas have been around for as long as 12,000 years, when they were used in both China and Central America. The ocarina was brought to Italy in the 19th century, where it became popular as a children's toy, but also as a serious instrument. It was named "ocarina" because its shape resembles a goose. "Ocarina" is a diminutive word derived from "oca", the Italian word for "goose".

Panpipes (also "panpipes") are folk instruments that have been around for a long time and are believed to have been the first harmonicas. The panpipe is named after the Greek god Pan, who was often depicted playing the instrument.

12 picture puzzles: RECYCLE

A rebus is a puzzle that uses pictures to represent letters and groups of letters. For example, a picture of "mother" could represent the letter "U" or the pronoun "you", a picture of "vein" could represent the letter "R" or the conjunction "or", and a picture of "syll" could represent the word represent " all".

13 figures of the Winter Palace: Tsars

The Winter Palace is a magnificent building in St. Petersburg, Russia, which was the residence of the Russian czars (and tsars). Today, the Winter Palace houses the famous Hermitage Museum. I was lucky enough to visit the palace and museum a few years ago and I must say that I have rarely been so impressed by a historic building.

15 Cutting mustard: ONLY

The phrase "cut the mustard" means "meet expectations." Apparently the origin of the phrase is unclear, but some suggest it may come from "cut the muster". But "cutting the pattern" has a completely different meaning, which is "doesn't show up for a military parade." I've also heard people use "cut the mustard" and "fail" interchangeably. It's all so confusing...

21 Important quintet in English literature: A-E-I-O-U

Although definitions vary, it is common to divide the English alphabet into 21 consonants and 5 vowels (A, E, I, O, and U). The letter Y is sometimes used as a vowel, changing the number to 20 consonants and 6 vowels.

24 *Gourmet: (GAS)TRONOME

Gastronomy is the art or science of good food. The term "gastronomy" was coined by the Frenchman Joseph de Berchoux in 1801 as the title of a poem about the good life.

26 *Second largest island nation in the world: MADA(GAS)CAR

Madagascar is a large island nation off the southeast coast of Africa in the Indian Ocean. The main island of Madagascar is the fourth largest island in the world (after Greenland, New Guinea and Borneo).

Here is a list of the ten largest island nations by size:

1. Indonesia
2. Madagascar
3. Papua New Guinea
4. Japan
5. Malaysia
6. Phillipines
7. New Zealand
8. Great Britain
9. Because
10. Ø

28 Georgia __: SIGN

The Georgia Institute of Technology (collectively "Georgia Tech") is located in Atlanta. The school was founded in 1885 as part of the Reconstruction effort to rebuild the infrastructure of the South after the Civil War. President Theodore Roosevelt addressed the school in 1905 and then shook hands with each student. Back then, the school had no more than 20,000 students, as it has today...

33 runs or walks, e.g.: STAT

That would be baseball.

34 Sunda Strait Volcano: KRAKATOA

Krakatau is an island between Java and Sumatra in Indonesia. The island's volcano is known to have erupted in 1883, killing over 36,000 people, most of whom died in the resulting tsunamis. The sound of the explosive eruption is believed to have been the loudest sound in modern history.

The Sunda Strait is a waterway between the islands of Java and Sumatra in Indonesia. It connects the Java Sea in the northeast with the Indian Ocean in the southwest. The strait is home to several volcanic islands, including the famous Krakatoa, which exploded in 1883.

35 Russian milk drink: KEFIR

Kefir is a fermented milk drink that originates from the Caucasus region of Eurasia.

42 ride-along fisk: REMORA

Remoras are also called "sucker fish", whereby the name describes one of the basic behaviors of the fish. One of the remora's dorsal fins is shaped like a "sucker" so it can hold onto and take away a larger sea animal.

43 Everycity, USA: PEORIA

Peoria is the oldest European settlement in the state of Illinois and was settled by the French in 1680. The city is known for being referred to as "the average American city." The phrase, "Will it take place in Peoria?" means "Will it appeal to the mainstream?" The term is believed to have originated as a corruption of "We'll be set in Peoria", a line used by some actors in the novel "Five Hundred Dollars" by Horatio Alger Jr. in 1890.

44 door parts: frame

A door frame or window frame is the vertical part of the frame. The term "jamb" comes from the French word "jambe" and means "leg".

45 Very low: BASSY

A sound described as bassy has strong bass tones.

51 Red cheese: EDAM

Edam cheese takes its name from the Dutch town of Edam in North Holland. The cheese is famous for its coating of red paraffin wax, a protective layer that makes Edam easy to transport and prevents spoilage. Occasionally you come across an Edam cheese covered in black wax. The black color indicates that the underlying cheese has been aged for at least 17 weeks.

53 LAX-Tower-Service: ATC

The concept of Air Traffic Control (ATC) was introduced to the world in 1920 at Croydon Airport in South London, England.

Los Angeles International Airport is the sixth busiest airport in the world in terms of number of passengers and the busiest here on the US West Coast. The airport opened in 1930 as Mines Field and was renamed Los Angeles Airport in 1941. Located on the airport grounds is the iconic white structure that resembles a flying saucer. This is called a theme building and I think it is mainly used as a restaurant and viewing platform for the public. The airport used to be identified by the letters "LA", but when the airline industry adopted a three-letter standard for airport identification, this was changed to "LAX". Apparently "X" has no significant meaning.

54 Issa af "Awkward Black Girl": RAE

Issa Rae is a graduate of Stanford University and has created a YouTube web series called The Mis-Adventures of Awkward Black Girl. Rae also plays the title role of the series, a young lady named "J". Awkward Black Girl was adapted into an HBO comedy called Insecure, starring Issa Rae.

56 Emeril Keywords: BAM!

Emeril Lagasse is an American chef who was born in Massachusetts. Lagasse first rose to fame as head chef at Commander's Palace in New Orleans. Now famous for his television shows, his cuisine still incorporates New Orleans ingredients and influences. Lagasse began using his famous "Bam!" catchphrase to keep his crew awake during reruns of his show.