Crossword Archives - LAXCrossword.com (2023)

Today's Amazon Googlies Wiki-est

On the other side of

14 Maritime Threat of World War II: U-BOAT

The term “U-boat” comes from the German word “Unterseeboot” (submarine boat). Submarines were primarily used in World War II to impose a blockade against enemy commercial shipping, with the primary purpose of cutting off supplies brought into Britain from the British and US colonies. The epic struggle for control of supply routes became known as the Battle of the Atlantic.

20 NutraSweet Developer: SEARLE

Searle is primarily a pharmaceutical company and was founded in Omaha, Nebraska in 1888. The company is famous for introducing the first birth control pill in the late 1950's, as well as the artificial sweetener NutraSweet. Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld was CEO and then chairman of Searle in the 1970s and 1980s.

NutraSweet is a brand name for the artificial sweetener aspartame. Aspartame was discovered by a chemist working for Searle in 1965, but it took the company 15 years to get approval to sell it. Asked me why...???

27 “Your guide to a better future” website: C|NET

c|net is a great technology site. It started in 1994 as a television network specializing in technology news. “American Idol” host Ryan Seacrest began his career hosting a c|net show.

29 Best of the Best, Initially: GOAT

Greatest of All Time (GOAT)

30 Balance Apr. : THE LAST YEAR

Cumulative no year (YTD)

A company's balance sheet is a snapshot (single point in time) view of a company's financial position. The balance sheet lists all of the company's liabilities, all of its assets and all of its share capital. A company's assets minus its liabilities equal its equity. The term "inventory" is used because assets are always balanced by the sum of liabilities and equity.

32 Styling aid: OINTMENT

Pomade is a scented pomade, which is mainly used for hair care. The word “ointment” comes from the Latin “pomum” which means “apple”, as the original recipe for the ointment used crushed apples.

36 Main Compression: BAE

In the late 1800's, the "main squeeze" was the "most important person". It wasn't until nearly a century later that one's main love became one's love.

39 Do you agree with the harsh criticism of an ancient Athenian? : I AGREE IN DIS A GREEK (from "I agree to disagree")

Athens is the capital of Greece and is one of the oldest cities in the world, with a history that dates back some 3,400 years. In its heyday, classical Athens was a remarkable center of arts and philosophical debate, and was home to Plato and Aristotle. Athens is often called "the cradle of western civilization" and "the cradle of democracy". The city is named after the Greek goddess Athena.

44 Plum family: SLOE

Sloe is the fruit of the blackthorn tree and the main flavoring ingredient in sloe gin. A sloe looks like a small plum, but it usually tastes much more sour.

46 Annual timeshare at Buckingham Palace? : THE REAL WEEK (of “the real ‘us’”)

Buckingham Palace is a stately home that has been the official residence of the British monarch since the days of Queen Victoria. Buckingham Palace was originally a grand house built for the Duke of Buckingham in 1703, hence its name.

The "royal we" is more correctly called the "royal plural" and is the use of a plural pronoun to describe a single person in high office. I think the most quoted line using the majestic plural is "We're not having fun", which is often attributed to Queen Victoria. The “editorial we” is a similar concept, where a newspaper editor or columnist refers to himself or herself as “we” when giving an opinion.

56 Leaf under a petal: SEPAL

In a flower, the sepals are the green, leaf-like structures that "intertwine" with the petals, providing support. Before serving as a support for the petals, the sepals protect the flower in bud.

57 Fat used for roasting: LARD

The fat, when removed from the carcass of an animal, is called tallow. Untreated tallow breaks down easily at room temperature, so it needs to be processed and purified to make it stable. The fat extracted from pigs is what we call lard. Processed meat or lamb fat is known as tallow.

58 Lift Alternative: CAB
59 Lyft Deal: RIDE

Lyft is a ride-sharing service based in San Francisco, much like Uber, Lyft's biggest competitor.

60 Apple Devices That May Have Smart Cover: iPad

Apple's Smart Cover attaches to the side of an iPad with a magnetic strip and covers the screen to protect it. The cover has folds, which allow the user to place it in configurations that facilitate typing and watching videos (for example).

62 Mountain __: FOUND

Mauna Loa on the Big Island of Hawaii is the largest volcano on the planet (in terms of volume). The name "Mauna Loa" in Hawaiian means "Long Mountain".

63 Minecraft Resources: ORES

Minecraft is a video game released in 2011. It has been cited as one of the most influential video games of all time.

65 Sea Eagles: ERNA

The ern (sometimes "erne") is also known as the white-tailed eagle or sea eagle.

66 Story about a Disney girl who climbs Mount Everest? : THE PRINCESS AND THE PEAK (from “The Princess and the Pea”)

Mount Everest was first climbed in 1953 by New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Nepalese Sherpa Tenzing Norgay. Hillary and Norgay were part of an expedition from which two pairs of climbers were selected to make a summit attempt. The first pair was Tom Bourdillon and Charles Evans and they came within 330 feet of their objective but had to turn back. The expedition sent the second pair two days later, and on May 29, 1953, history was made.

"The Princess and the Pea" is a pen fairy tale by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. The essence of the story is that a prince's mother tests the royal blood of an apparent princess by placing a pea under a pile of mattresses on which the young woman sleeps. The girl complains about a restless night, displaying a physical sensitivity that can only be attributed to a princess. And they all lived happily ever after...

72 Brazos River City: WACO

The Texan town of Waco is named after the Wichita people known as "Waco" who occupied the area for thousands of years.

The Brazos River is the longest river in the state of Texas. It was originally called “Río de los Brazos de Dios” by the Spanish, which translates as “the river of God's weapons”. So, Brazos is literally "the arms" in English.

75 Porto, maybe: ABET

The word "abet" comes from the Old French "abeter" which means "bait" or "dog bait" (literally "to make bite"). This sense of encouraging something bad to happen has morphed into our modern usage of "incite" which means to help or encourage someone to commit a crime.

77 Lily of France clothing : BRA

Lily of France is a women's underwear brand launched in 1915, not in a French city, but in New York.

80 Sons of Selo: BARK

There are three families of seals. The first is the walrus family, the second is the eared seals (like sea lions) and the third is earless seals (like elephant seals).

83 “1984” Superstate: EASTASIA

The action of George Orwell's 1949 novel “Nineteen Eighty-Four” takes place in the intercontinental superstate of Oceania. Orwell also created two other superstates, one called Eurasia and the other Eastasia.

89 Gershwin Classic: SWANEE

Swanee was written in 1919 by George Gershwin. Gershwin was very young at the time and created the song in just ten minutes while riding a bus in Manhattan. Al Jolson was already a star and heard Gershwin perform the song at a party. Jolson made a deal to include the song on his show "Sinbad", and then "Swanee" just took off.

91 “Sunday Night Baseball” analyst, familiarly: A-ROD

Baseball player Alex Rodríguez, nicknamed “A-Rod,” hit his 600th home run on August 4, 2010. He had hit his 500th home run exactly three years earlier, on August 4, 2007, when he became the youngest player in the baseball leagues. Big leagues. history to enter the club two 500 home runs.

92 Mahershala Academy Award Winner: ALI

Mahershala Ali is an actor and occasional rapper. Ali's most memorable roles include lobbyist Remy Danton in the television series "House of Cards" and Colonel Boggs in the film series "The Hunger Games". He also won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for playing Juan in the 2016 drama "Moonlight" and Dr. Don Shirley in 2018's "Green Book".

93 Poultry dish served in a Punjabi restaurant? : CHICKEN SIKH (from “Chicken of the Sea”)

Sikhism is a religion founded in the Punjab region, which straddles the border between India and Pakistan. Although Sikhism was established relatively recently, it is now the fifth largest organized religion in the world. Sikhism was founded in the 15th century by Guru Nanak.

The Frango do Mar tuna brand is named after a phrase used by fishermen for the "meat" of yellowfin tuna.

106 Torre Amor Island: OAHU

Aloha Tower is a lighthouse located at Pier 9 in Honolulu Harbor. Aloha Tower was the tallest structure in Hawaii for many years, standing 10 stories tall with a 40-foot flag pole at the top.

107 Dog that visits Oz: TOTO

Toto is Dorothy's dog in the movie "The Wizard of Oz" and in the original book "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" by L. Frank Baum. Toto was played in the film by a dog named Terry, but Terry's name was soon changed to Toto in real life due to the film's success.

117 Shop selling gold earrings and scarves? : PIRATES BOUTIQUE (from “pirate booty”)

A bandana is a large, patterned, colorful bandana. The term “bandana” comes from the Hindi “bandhu”, which is a dyeing method.

"Saque", which means "plunder, gain", is derived from the old French word "butin", which has the same meaning.

122 "Così fan __" by Mozart: ALL

Mozart's comic opera “Così fan tutte” is also known in English as “The School of Lovers”. The literal translation of the opera's Italian title is "That's the way all (women) do it" or "Women are like that".

123 Staghorn: ANTLER

A deer's antlers become pointed. The higher the number of points, the more valued the deer's head will be as a trophy, so I'm told...

126 Surgical beam: LASER

The term "laser" is an acronym that stands for "light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation". It has been pointed out that a more accurate name for laser technology is "light oscillation by stimulated emission of radiation", but the resulting acronym is not as attractive, namely "loser".

127 jazz heads? : NBA STARS

The Utah Jazz professional basketball team moved to Salt Lake City in 1979. As you might guess from the name, the team originated in New Orleans but only played there for five seasons. New Orleans was a difficult place to assemble because venues were hard to find, and Mardi Gras forced the team to play on the road for an entire month.

Below

1 Confidential reports: BCCS

A blind (coconut) copy is a copy of a document or message sent to someone without other recipients of the message knowing about this additional copy.

4 Agar de Van Halen: SAMMY

Rock vocalist and guitarist Sammy Hagar rose to fame in the 1970s as a member of the group Montrose. He went on to forge a successful solo career and in 1985 replaced David Lee Roth as Van Halen's lead vocalist.

6 Needle: GAR

"Gar" was originally the name given to a species of billfish found in the North Atlantic. The term "gar" is now used to describe several species of fish with elongated bodies that inhabit North and Central America and the Caribbean. Gar is unusual in that it is often found in very brackish water. What I find interesting is that catfish swim bladders are vascularized so they can function as lungs. In fact, many species of gar can be seen rising to the surface and breathing air. This adaptation allows them to live in conditions that are very unsuitable for other fish that depend on their gills to extract oxygen from the water. It's actually quite interesting...

7 Actor Cage, informally: NIC

Actor Nicolas "Nic" Cage was born Nicolas Coppola. Cage is the nephew of director Francis Ford Coppola and actress Talia Shire, both brothers of Nic Cage's father.

8 __Lanka: SRI

The island nation of Sri Lanka is located off the southeast coast of India. The name "Sri Lanka" translates from Sanskrit into English as "venerable island". Prior to 1970, Sri Lanka was known as Ceylon, the name given to the country during British rule.

10 Lock Insertion: OAR

Oars are swivel clamps on the sides of a rowboat that hold the oars while the boat is being propelled. In Ireland we call them "rowlocks" (pronounced "rollox").

12 Style: ELAN

Someone who displays panache is showing enthusiasm and enthusiasm, and perhaps has arrogance. "Panache" is a French word used for a plume of feathers, especially one on a hat.

13 Gelo Fint: DEKE

A deke, also known as a swing, is a technique used to get past an opponent in ice hockey. "Deke" is a colloquial abbreviation for the word "bait".

14 mixed martial arts organization. :UFC

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is the world's largest promoter of mixed martial arts competitions. I think the idea is for competitors to battle each other in various disciplines to see who is the "best of the best"...

15 Wheat Tabbouleh: BULGUR

Bulgur is a cereal made from semolina (grains in the husk) of wheat, usually durum wheat.

Tabbouleh is a Middle Eastern dish made with tomatoes and chopped parsley, mint, bulgur and onion, along with olive oil, lemon juice and salt. The name "tabouleh" comes from the Arabic "taabil" which means "spice". I love board...

23 Lotion Additive: ALOE

Aloe vera is a succulent plant that grows in relatively dry climates. The plant's leaves are full of biologically active compounds that have been extensively studied. Aloe vera has been used for centuries in herbal medicine, primarily for the topical treatment of wounds.

28 Scottish feudal lord: THANE

Thanes were Scottish aristocrats. The most famous warriors must be Shakespeare's characters Macbeth (Thane of Glamis, later "Thane of Cawdor", and even later "King of Scotland") and MacDuff (Thane of Fife). Other barons in "Macbeth" are Ross, Lennox and Angus, as well as Menteith and Caithness.

31 “The Voice” Host Carson: DALY

Carson Daly is a television and radio personality, perhaps best known today as the host of the reality television series "The Voice". If you stay up late on New Year's Eve, you might also know him from NBC's "New Night with Carson Daly."

32 Green Shampoo: PRELL

Prell shampoo was introduced by Procter & Gamble in 1947. At that time, it was a light green concentrate sold in a tube (like toothpaste).

33 Nerd type: DORK

I find "silly" and "cute" to be quite offensive slang. “Dork” emerged in the 1960s among American students and has its roots in another slang term, a term for male genitalia.

35 I really like brandy: AGED

Brandy is brandy distilled from wine. The term “brandy” comes from the Dutch “gebrande wijn”, which means “burnt wine”. The duration of this brandy aging defines the different grades of brandy:

• VS: Very special... at least 2 years of storage
• VSOP: Very Special (or Superior) Old Pale… at least 4 years storage
• XO: Extra Old… at least 6 years old
• VSO: Very Superior Old… 12-17 years

37 Tylenol objective: DOR

Tylenol is a pain reliever with the active ingredient acetaminophen (known as "acetaminophen" outside the US).

40th smallest state in India: GOA

Goa is the smallest state in India and is located in the southwest of the country. The Portuguese landed in Goa in the early 16th century, trading peacefully at first, but later taking the area by force creating Portuguese India. Portugal retained Portuguese India even after the British withdrew from India in 1947, until the Indian army entered the area in 1961.

42 Can Granita : SORBET

Granita is a semi-frozen dessert from Italian cuisine that is similar to sorbet, with the difference that granita is usually less smooth and more crystalline.

48 Polish Solidarity Hero Lech : WALESA

Lech Walesa worked as an electrician at the shipyard in Gdansk, Poland. Walesa was active in the trade union movement in the days when trade unions were not welcome behind the Iron Curtain. His efforts resulted in the founding of Solidarity, the first independent union in Soviet-controlled territory. For his work, Walesa received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983, and in 1990 he became Poland's first democratically elected president. He has fallen out of favor in Poland in recent years, but is a very popular signing on the international speaking circuit.

49 Mythical Matchmaker: EROS

The name of Eros, the Greek god of love, gives rise to our word "erotic" which means "awakening sexual desire". Eros was referred to in Latin as "Amor" (meaning "love") and "Cupid" (meaning "desire").

50 Lou Grant player: ED ASNER

Ed Asner was most famous for playing the irascible but lovable Lou Grant on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and the spin-off drama "Lou Grant." Off-screen, Asner was known for her political activism. He served two terms as president of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and was heavily involved in the 1980 SAG strike. When "Lou Grant" was canceled in 1982, despite decent ratings, there was much talk that the cancellation was a move in jail against Asner personally. In fact, one of Asner's fellow activists, Howard Hesseman (who played Johnny Fever) found out that his "WKRP in Cincinnati" show was also cancelled... on the same day.

52 “To reiterate…”: I REPEAT…

The verb iterate means to repeat over and over again. The verb "reiterate" means the same thing. One might suspect that "reiterate" is one of those words that has crept into the language due to repeated misuse (reiterated?!). Well, that's not the case, but almost. In the 15th century, "iterate" meant "to repeat" and "reiterate" meant "to repeat over and over again". We have lost the distinction between these two definitions over time.

53 Goodyear Surface: RUNNING ON THE TIRE

The Goodyear Tire Company was founded in 1898. The company was named after Charles Goodyear, the man who invented vulcanized rubber in 1839. Despite the Goodyear name, Charles Goodyear himself had no connection with the company. Sadly, he never reaped a financial reward for his inventions.

54 Novelist O'Brien: EDNA

Edna O'Brien is an Irish novelist and playwright known for her works that shed light on women's issues in relation to men and society at large. O'Brien's first novel, "The Country Girls", was banned, burned and denounced by the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland. As a result, O'Brien left the country and now lives in London.

58 Claritin rival: COUNTED

Contac is a GlaxoSmithKline product used to treat cold and flu symptoms. The active ingredient of the drug is pseudoephedrine. Pseudoephedrine is a drug with decongestant properties, although it is also a stimulant. Personally, I would go with hot tea and lemon...

Claritin is a brand name of Bayer for the drug loratadine, which is used to treat allergies.

61 Archaeological site: DIG

"Archaeology" is a British English-sounding word, and one could be forgiven for using the spelling "archaeology" in American English. Although the latter spelling has been around for a few hundred years, the former is the standard spelling on both sides of the Atlantic.

64 __ cha veal: braised : SHA

Beef sha cha is a Chinese dish that originated in the Chinese province of Gansu.

66 Oh So Precious: TWEE

In the UK something "twee" is cheesy or too cool. "Twee" comes from "tweet", which is the cute, childish way of saying "sweet".

67 “__ Naughty”: NENHUM

"Hava Nagila" is a Hebrew folk song, the title of which translates as "Let us rejoice". The melody is from a Ukrainian folk song. The lyrics to "Hava Nagila" were composed in 1918 to celebrate the British victory in Palestine during World War I.

68 African __ Desert: Eastern Sahara : NUBIAN

Nubia is a region shared by Egypt and Sudan that lies along the Nile River. The name “Nubia” comes from the Nuba people who settled in the area in the 4th century.

69 2021 lead role for Peter Dinklage: CYRANO

“Cyrano” is a 2021 big-screen adaptation of a 2018 musical of the same name by Erica Schmidt. In turn, the musical is based on the 1897 play "Cyrano de Bergerac" by Edmond Rostand. The main role in the film is played by New Jersey actor Peter Dinklage, perhaps best known for playing Tyrion Lannister in the TV series "Game of Thrones".

Cyrano de Bergerac was a French playwright who lived in the 17th century. Paintings and drawings show that Bergerac had a large nose, although the size has been exaggerated by those who wrote about his life. Cyrano is said to have fought over 1,000 duels, most instigated by someone who insulted his nose. In the work written about his life, Cyrano had a famous lover named Roxane. It is believed that the character of Roxane was inspired by Cyrano's cousin who lived with her sister in a convent.

79 Steadfast: SERIOUS

Something described as serious is unshakable, fixed. This usage has expanded to mean "sober, calm". The term dates back to the 16th century and comes from the verb “to stay”. “Staid” is a rewrite of the past participle “staid”.

Pele protest of 86 gp. : PETA

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is famous for its advertising campaigns that feature implied nudity, often with celebrities appearing front and center. Networks that air the Super Bowl have been known to ban these ads.

88 Sports Announcer Linda: COHN

Linda Cohn is a sportscaster who began hosting ESPN's "SportsCenter" in 1992. When Cohn was in high school, she played hockey on the men's team.

93 dalmatians, p. : CROATIANS

Dalmatia is a historical region on the east coast of the Adriatic Sea, and most of its area is located in present-day Croatia.

95 Apple's old photo app: IPHOTO

iPhoto is a digital photo manipulation application that Apple no longer supports, having been replaced by the Photos application.

97 Gamer who doesn't mind making bloopers? : BATTERY

In baseball, a simple bloop is often called a blooper. It is a fly ball that drops to a single between an infielder and an outfielder.

104 female singers below mezzo-sopranos: ALTO

A mezzo-soprano is a female voice singing below a soprano but above an alto. "Mezzo" is Italian for "half".

105 “Money __”: Spanish television series: HEIST

“Money Heist” (“La casa de papel” in Spanish) is a hit crime drama series from Spain that was transferred to Netflix, after which the broadcast of the show was extended. The show was so successful that Netflix made a documentary called "Money Herist: The Phenomenon".

108 Birthstone of Autumn: OPAL

Here is the "official" list of birthstones, by month, that we tend to wear today:

• January: Garnet
• February: amethyst
• March: Heliotrope or Aquamarine
• April: Diamante
• mayonnaise: Esmeralda
• June: Pearl or Moonstone
• Julius: rubi
• August: Sardonyx or Peridot
• September: Sapphire or Lapis Lazuli
• October: Opal or Pink Tourmaline
• November: Topaz or Citrine
• December: Turquoise or Zirconia (now also Tanzanite)

109 Fey de “Mean Girls”: TINA

Comedian and actress Tina Fey was born Elizabeth Stamatina Fey in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania. Fey is perhaps best known to viewers as a cast member of “Saturday Night Live” (1997-2006) and as the creator and star of the sitcom “30 Rock” (2006-2013).

"Mean Girls" is a 2004 teen comedy film starring Lindsay Lohan. Tina Fey also makes an appearance, which isn't really surprising since Fey wrote the script.

118 blondes __ : ALE

Blonde beers are a group of loosely related beers that share a very pale color. I think the most famous of their kind in North America are Belgian blondes.

120 Governo. monitor fiscal: OGP

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is the successor to the Office of Budget, formed in 1970 during the Nixon administration. The OGP's main task is to prepare the federal government's budget. The Director of OGP is a member of the Cabinet.

121 Mexico. neighbor: United States

The United States-Mexico border stretches nearly 2,000 miles from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean. It is the most frequently crossed international border in the world, with around 350 million legal crossings a year.