LA Times Crossword 30 Nov 22, Wednesday

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Constructed by: Hoang-Kim Vu & Christine Simpson
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Reveal Answer: It’s Not a Crime!

Themed answers are common phrases clued as if they were CRIMES:

• 60A “I did nothing wrong!,” or an apt title for this puzzle? : IT’S NOT A CRIME!

• 20A Shoplifting? : TAKING A STAND
• 29A Insider trading? : BODY SWAPPING
• 50A Money laundering? : GREENWASHING

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

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Bill’s time: 6m 56s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies Across 15 New York school named after a Scottish isle : IONA

Iona College is a Roman Catholic school run by Christian Brothers in New Rochelle, New York. The Brothers named the college for the island of Iona off the west coast of Scotland on which is located Iona Abbey, which was founded by St. Columba. The school’s sports teams are called the Iona Gaels, and the team mascot goes by the name “Killian”.

16 “Grand slam” awards acronym : EGOT

The acronym “EGOT” stands for “Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony”, and is a reference to performers who have won all four awards. Also known as the “Showbiz Award Grand Slam”, there are relatively few individuals who have been so honored. The first five to do so were:

1. Richard Rodgers in 1962
2. Helen Hayes in 1977
3. Rita Moreno in 1977
4. John Gielgud in 1991
5. Audrey Hepburn in 1994 (posthumously)

17 African herbivore : RHINO

There are five types of rhinoceros that survive today, with the smaller Javan Rhino being the most rare. The rhinoceros is probably the rarest large mammal on the planet, thanks to poaching. Hunters mainly prize the horn of the rhino as it is used in powdered form in traditional Chinese medicine.

18 “Double Indemnity” genre : NOIR

“Double Indemnity” is a classic film noir released in 1944 and starring Fred MacMurray, Edward G. Robinson and Barbara Stanwyck. Based on the James M. Cain novella of the same name, it’s all about a woman who kills her husband for insurance money. The title “Double Indemnity” refers to the double payout clause in the life insurance policy in the event of an accidental death. And that’s what the wife tried to show investigators, that the death was accidental.

19 Filmmaker Ephron : NORA

Nora Ephron had many talents, including writing film scripts and novels. Many of the movies that she wrote, she also directed. These would include some of my favorite movies of all time like “Sleepless in Seattle”, “You’ve Got Mail” and most recently, the wonderful “Julie & Julia”. And, did you know that Nora Ephron’s second marriage was to journalist Carl Bernstein of Watergate fame? She wrote an autobiographical novel based on her life with Bernstein, which deals in particular with Bernstein’s affair with the daughter of British Prime Minister James Callaghan.

24 Pacific Northwest st. : ORE

The Oregon Treaty of 1846 settled a dispute between the US and the UK over sovereignty of the Oregon Country. “The Oregon Country” was the name given by the Americans to a large swathe of land west of the Rocky Mountains. That same disputed land was known as the Columbia Department by the British. Oregon became a US state in 1859.

25 “Lady Bird” Oscar nominee Metcalf : LAURIE

Actress Laurie Metcalf hit the big time when she played the title character’s sister on the hit sitcom “Roseanne”. She had regular roles on several other sitcoms, notably “3rd Rock from the Sun”, “Frasier” and “The Big Bang Theory”. On the big screen, her most acclaimed role was the title character’s mother in the 2017 film “Lady Bird”.

“Lady Bird” is a 2017 coming-of-age movie starring Saoirse Ronan in the title role, a high school senior who has a strained relationship with her mother (played by Laurie Metcalf). Roman and Metcalf earned themselves Oscar nominations for their performances.

29 Insider trading? : BODY SWAPPING

Body swapping is a device used by storytellers. It involves two beings exchanging minds, so that they end up in each other’s bodies. Some of the best (my choices!) examples of body swaps in the world of movies are found in “All of Me” (1984), “Freaky Friday” (2003) and “Prelude to a Kiss” (1992).

32 Male with horns : STEER

A steer is a male bovine that was castrated when young and is then raised for beef. The term “steer” comes from the Old English “steor” meaning “bullock”.

35 Road goo : TAR

The terms “tarmac” and “macadam” are short for “tarmacadam”. In the 1800s, Scotsman John Loudon McAdam developed a style of road known as “macadam”. Macadam had a top-layer of crushed stone and gravel laid over larger stones. The macadam also had a convex cross-section so that water tended to drain to the sides. In 1901, a significant improvement was made by English engineer Edgar Purnell Hooley who introduced tar into the macadam, improving the resistance to water damage and practically eliminating dust. The “tar-penetration macadam” is the basis of what we now call “tarmac”.

36 Cushioned seat : SOFA

“Sofa” is a Turkish word meaning “bench”.

37 La madre de su prima : TIA

In Spanish, “la madre de su prima” (the mother of his cousin) is his “tia” (aunt).

38 Family docs : GPS

General practitioner (GP)

41 Food with altered DNA : GMO

A genetically modified organism (GMO) is one with genetic material that has been altered by genetic engineering. One might argue that the oldest form of genetic engineering is selective breeding, the use of animals or plants with desired traits for the creation of the next generation.

43 Martin’s “The West Wing” role : JED

In the excellent television show “The West Wing”, President Jed Bartlet is played by Martin Sheen. Sheen also played real-life President John F. Kennedy in the miniseries “Kennedy: Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy”.

44 Lobby group for seniors : AARP

“AARP” is now the official name for the interest group that used to be called the American Association of Retired Persons. The name change reflects the current focus of the group on all Americans aged 50 or over, as opposed to just people who have retired.

46 Big primate : APE

The tailless primates known as apes (also “hominoids”) are divided into two main branches: gibbons (lesser apes) and hominids (great apes). The hominids are the great apes, and belong to the family of primates called Hominidae. Extant genera that make up the family Hominidae are:

• chimpanzees
• gorillas
• humans
• orangutans

Primates are mammals, many of whom are omnivorous and make good use of their hands. They also have larger brains relative to their body size, compared to other animals. The order Primates includes apes, lemurs, baboons and humans.

50 Money laundering? : GREENWASHING

Greenwashing is the despicable practice of deceptively marketing products and services as being friendly to the environment. To see examples, just turn on your television …

55 Group of whales : POD

A group of whales can be called a gam, as well as a pod.

63 Essential nutrient for the immune system : ZINC

The metal zinc is an essential trace element in the human diet. There are 2-4 grams of zinc in the body typically, with the highest concentrations in the eyes and the male prostate gland.

66 Pulled strings? : HARP

Guinness trademarked its famous harp logo way back in 1862. The harp is also a symbol of Ireland. When Ireland became a Free State from the United Kingdom in 1922, the new Irish government had to come up with a different symbol so as not to infringe trademark laws. That’s why Ireland’s harp points in the opposite direction of Guinness’ harp. ‘Tis true, ‘tis true …

67 Bushy-tailed canines : FOXES

Male foxes are usually called dogs, and sometimes tods or reynards. Females are vixens, and young foxes are cubs, pups or kits.

70 Singer Patsy : CLINE

Patsy Cline was a country music singer who managed to cross over into the world of pop music where she enjoyed great success. Cline is one of a long list of musical legends who died in plane crashes. Cline was 30 years old when she was killed in 1963 in a Piper Comanche plane piloted by her manager, Randy Hughes. Hughes and Cline decided to make that last flight despite warnings of inclement weather, and it was a severe storm that brought down the plane in a forest outside Camden, Tennessee.

Down 2 “__ Frome”: Edith Wharton novel : ETHAN

“Ethan Frome” is a novel by New York and Massachusetts author Edith Wharton, first published in 1911. Wharton started “Ethan Frome” as a composition in French that she wrote while studying the language in Paris. The novel was adapted into a 1993 film of the same name starring Liam Neeson in the title role, opposite Patricia Arquette.

3 Hands-on healing practice : REIKI

The Japanese practice of hands-on healing called “reiki” was developed by Mikao Usui in 1922. “Reiki” is a Japanese term meaning “universal energy”. Practitioners of reiki believe that they are transferring this universal energy through the palms of the hand into the patient’s body.

6 Using only ones and zeros : BINARY

We use a base-ten numbering system, with ten digits (0 – 9). The binary system, or base-two, uses just two digits (0 & 1). The binary system is used at a fundamental level in computing, because the number 0 and 1 can be represented by microcircuits being switched “on” or “off”.

9 Deterrent in a parking garage : CAR ALARM

There are two classes of car alarm, namely passive and active. A passive alarm turns on automatically when the vehicle’s doors are locked after the ignition is turned off. There is no need for the driver to set the alarm, hence the term “passive”. An active alarm requires the driver’s intervention for arming.

13 “Wheels down” stat, for short : ETA

Estimated time of arrival (ETA)

21 Jupiter or Mars : GOD

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. He 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.

22 Suede property : NAP

Suede is leather made from the underside of an animal’s skin, usually the skin from a lamb. As such it is very soft, although not as durable as leather made from the exterior skin. The soft leather was, and is still used for making gloves. Back in 1859 these gloves were called “gants de Suede” in France, or “gloves of Sweden”. So, the name “suede” comes from the French word for Sweden.

26 Spanish wine region : RIOJA

Rioja wines come from the province of La Rioja in Northern Spain. In my days living back in Europe, Rioja wines were noted for their heavy oaky flavors and it wasn’t uncommon to order a “rough Rioja” when out for dinner of an evening.

32 Males with antlers : STAGS

A male deer is usually called a buck, and a female is a doe. However, the male red deer is usually referred to as a stag. The males of even larger species of deer are often called bulls, and the females called cows. In older English, male deer of over 5 years were called harts, and females of over 3 years were called hinds. The young of small species are known as fawns, and of larger species are called calves. All very confusing …

39 Spot for fast cash : PAWNSHOP

I remember the bad old days growing up in Dublin, Ireland, when my mother had to go to the pawnshop (bad times!). I’d wait outside with my brother, looking up at the pawnbroker’s sign, three gold balls hanging down from a metal bar. This traditional sign used by pawnbrokers is said to date back to the Medici family as the sign had symbolic meaning in the province of Lombardy where the Medici family reigned supreme. Because of this connection, pawnshop banking was originally called Lombard banking.

45 Human-powered taxi : PEDICAB

A pedicab is also known as a cycle rickshaw.

47 Competitive video gaming : ESPORTS

Esports (electronic sports) are video game competitions. The International Olympic Committee has held meetings to consider the inclusion of esports in the Olympic Games. What about medals for crossword solving …?

51 Brooklyn NBA player : NET

The NBA’s Brooklyn Nets were the New Jersey Nets until 2012, and were based in Newark. Prior to 1977, the team was known as the New York Nets and played in various locations on Long Island. Ten years earlier, the Nets were called the New Jersey Americans and were headquartered in Teaneck, New Jersey.

53 Journalist Tarbell : IDA

Ida Tarbell was a teacher and what we would call today an “investigative journalist”, although back in her day she was known as a “muckraker”. Her most famous work is her 1904 book “The History of the Standard Oil Company”. It is an exposé that is credited with hastening the breakup of John D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil in 1911. She also wrote several books about President Abraham Lincoln.

57 Carter of “Designing Women” : DIXIE

Actress Dixie Carter was perhaps best known for playing Julia Sugarbaker on the sitcom “Designing Women”. Carter’s third husband was fellow actor Hal Holbrook, whom she married in 1984.

“Designing Women” is a sitcom that originally aired in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The show’s storyline centers on four women, and one man, who work together at a small interior designing company in Atlanta.

58 Modify : AMEND

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”.

62 Ozone-destroying chemicals: Abbr. : CFCS

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) used to be widely used as propellants in aerosols, and as refrigerants in cooling systems. CFCs make their way up into the ozone layer and trigger a chain reaction that converts ozone (O3) into regular oxygen (O2). That conversion creates “holes” in the ozone layer. Regular O2 is good stuff, but we need O3 to absorb harmful UV radiation raining down on us. CFC is not good stuff …

64 Not online, online : IRL

In real life (IRL)

65 Prefix for classical and gothic : NEO-

The Neoclassicism movement originated in Rome in the 1700s, and influenced all branches of the arts. For example, architectural design moved away from the ornate Rococo style and turned to the ideals exhibited by the styles in ancient Greece and ancient Rome.

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Complete List of Clues/Answers Across

1 French “Thank you” : MERCI
6 Political alliance : BLOC
10 Strongbox : SAFE
14 Starters : A-TEAM
15 New York school named after a Scottish isle : IONA
16 “Grand slam” awards acronym : EGOT
17 African herbivore : RHINO
18 “Double Indemnity” genre : NOIR
19 Filmmaker Ephron : NORA
20 Shoplifting? : TAKING A STAND
23 Huffy mood : SNIT
24 Pacific Northwest st. : ORE
25 “Lady Bird” Oscar nominee Metcalf : LAURIE
29 Insider trading? : BODY SWAPPING
32 Male with horns : STEER
35 Road goo : TAR
36 Cushioned seat : SOFA
37 La madre de su prima : TIA
38 Family docs : GPS
41 Food with altered DNA : GMO
43 Martin’s “The West Wing” role : JED
44 Lobby group for seniors : AARP
46 Big primate : APE
48 Erodes : WEARS
50 Money laundering? : GREENWASHING
54 Depress : SADDEN
55 Group of whales : POD
56 Greeting Down Under : G’DAY
60 “I did nothing wrong!,” or an apt title for this puzzle? : IT’S NOT A CRIME!
63 Essential nutrient for the immune system : ZINC
66 Pulled strings? : HARP
67 Bushy-tailed canines : FOXES
68 Field : AREA
69 Aware of : ONTO
70 Singer Patsy : CLINE
71 Dollop : GLOB
72 Blast from the __ : PAST
73 Snow vehicles : SLEDS

Down

1 Gas station shops : MARTS
2 “__ Frome”: Edith Wharton novel : ETHAN
3 Hands-on healing practice : REIKI
4 “Do my eyes deceive me?” : CAN IT BE?
5 “My time to shine!” : I’M ON!
6 Using only ones and zeros : BINARY
7 Least strict : LOOSEST
8 “Put a lid __!” : ON IT
9 Deterrent in a parking garage : CAR ALARM
10 Parodies : SEND-UPS
11 Before now : AGO
12 Pro : FOR
13 “Wheels down” stat, for short : ETA
21 Jupiter or Mars : GOD
22 Suede property : NAP
26 Spanish wine region : RIOJA
27 Deduce : INFER
28 “Zounds!” : EGADS!
30 __ chart: corporate diagram : ORG
31 Move one’s tail : WAG
32 Males with antlers : STAGS
33 Jeweled accessory : TIARA
34 Like cornstalks? : EARED
39 Spot for fast cash : PAWNSHOP
40 Mud wrap venue : SPA
42 Possess : OWN
45 Human-powered taxi : PEDICAB
47 Competitive video gaming : ESPORTS
49 Appetizer served with duck sauce : EGG ROLL
51 Brooklyn NBA player : NET
52 Family-style Asian dish : HOT POT
53 Journalist Tarbell : IDA
57 Carter of “Designing Women” : DIXIE
58 Modify : AMEND
59 Agreements : YESES
61 Mama’s mama : NANA
62 Ozone-destroying chemicals: Abbr. : CFCS
63 Zig counterpart : ZAG
64 Not online, online : IRL
65 Prefix for classical and gothic : NEO-

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