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Constructed by: David Alfred Bywaters
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Theme (based on Bill): Declined to Solve This One

Themed solutions are all widespread two-word phrases within the down-direction. Each begins with a synonym of “descending”, and is reinterpreted within the clue:

• 3D Committee members parachuting from an airplane? : DIVING BOARD
• 9D Feathers throughout a no-holds-barred pillow struggle? : DROPPING DOWN
• 21D Church steeple in hurricane-strength winds? : TIPPING POINT
• 27D Ball provider on a moist soccer discipline? : FALLING BACK

Read on, or soar to …
… an entire record of solutions

Bill’s time: 7m 31s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Realm surrounded by the Styx : HADES

Hades was the god of the underworld to the traditional Greeks. Over time, Hades gave his identify to the underworld itself, the place the place the lifeless reside. The time period “Hades” was additionally adopted into the Christian custom, as a substitute identify for hell. But, the idea of hell in Christianity is extra akin to the Greek “Tartarus”, which is a darkish and gloomy dungeon situated in Hades, a spot of struggling and torment.

The River Styx of Greek mythology was the river that fashioned the boundary between the Earth and the Underworld (or “Hades”). The souls of the newly lifeless needed to cross the River Styx in a ferry boat piloted by Charon. Traditionally, a coin could be positioned within the mouths of the lifeless “to pay the ferryman”.

10 Preliminary race : HEAT

The time period “heat”, that means “qualifying race”, dates again to the 1660s. Originally, a warmth was a run given to a horse to arrange it for a race, to “heat” it up.

15 Gulf States ruler : EMIR

An emir is a prince or chieftain, one most notably from the Middle East in Islamic international locations. In English, “emir” can be written variously as “emeer, amir, ameer” (be careful for these spellings in crosswords!).

The Persian Gulf is in impact an inland sea, though it technically is an offshoot of the Indian Ocean. The outlet from the Persian Gulf to the Indian Ocean is without doubt one of the most well-known maritime “choke points” on the planet, and is called the Strait of Hormuz. About 20% of the world’s provide of petroleum passes by the Strait of Hormuz.

16 Pennsylvania metropolis on I-90 : ERIE

Erie is a port metropolis within the very north of Pennsylvania, sitting on the southern shore of Lake Erie. The metropolis takes its identify from the Erie Native American tribe that resided within the space. Erie is nicknamed the Gem City, a reference to the “sparkling” water of Lake Erie.

I-90 runs in an east-west course from Seattle to Boston, and is the longest interstate within the US. When I-90 was constructed, it made use of a number of present roads, together with the Massachusetts Turnpike, New York State Thruway, Ohio Turnpike, Indiana Toll Road, Chicago Skyway, and the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway.

17 Piercing website : NAVEL

The navel is actually the scar left behind when the umbilical wire is faraway from a new child child. One fascinating use of the umbilicus (navel, stomach button) is to distinguish between an identical twins, particularly when they’re very younger.

18 Plot-heavy work : MELODRAMA

A melodrama is a play or movie that often pits good in opposition to evil, with an apparent hero or heroine vying in opposition to an apparent villain. Melodrama has developed over time, originating within the 18th century as a drama for which there was a musical accompaniment. The time period is derived from the Greek “melos” that means “music” and the French “drame” that means “drama”.

20 Table protector : TRIVET

A trivet is an merchandise positioned below a sizzling serving bowl to guard the floor of a eating desk. The time period “trivet” can also be used for a tripod supporting pots over an open fireplace. “Trivet” comes from the Latin “tripes” that means “tripod”.

26 Audit agency exec : CPA

Certified public accountant (CPA)

30 Sales assembly diagrams : GRAPHS

A graph is a diagram that represents how one variable adjustments compared with one other (or multiple different). The similar diagram was referred to as a graphic system previous to the 1870s, when “graph” emerged as an abbreviation of “graphic formula”.

33 Enter en masse : INVADE

“En masse” is a French time period, one which greatest interprets as “as a group”

35 Udon kin : SOBA

Soba is a skinny Japanese noodle constituted of buckwheat flour. In Japan, the phrase “soba” tends to explain any skinny noodle, in distinction with the thicker noodle known as “udon”.

39 MBA discipline : ECON

Master of Business Administration (MBA)

40 Choosing from a lineup : ID’ING

Identity doc (ID)

46 News journal since 1923 : TIME

“TIME” journal was first revealed in 1923 in New York City, making it the nation’s first weekly information journal.

47 Loose garment : SARONG

“Sarong” is the Malay phrase for “sheath”. The time period initially described a garment worn by Malay women and men round their waists. The Malay sarong is definitely a tube of cloth, a few yard extensive and two-and-a-half yards lengthy. Many variations of the sarong are worn throughout South Asia and the Pacific Islands. I had event to put on one in Hawaii a few years in the past, and located it very … liberating!

48 The 1973 Mets’ “Ya Gotta Believe!,” e.g. : SLOGAN

“Ya Gotta Believe” is a phrase related to the New York Mets baseball workforce. It was popularized in 1973 by pitcher Tug McGraw, after the Mets had a poor season however miraculously made it to that season’s World Series (though they ultimately misplaced to the Oakland As).

51 Tailless simian : APE

Apes and monkeys each belong to the order of primates. The most evident technique to distinguish apes from monkeys is by the presence or lack of a tail. Almost all apes don’t have any tail, and virtually all monkeys have tails.

“Simian” means “pertaining to monkeys or apes”, from the Latin phrase “simia” that means “ape”.

53 Leatherwork instrument : AWL

An axe is a pointed instrument used for marking a floor or for piercing small holes. The earliest awls have been used to pierce ears, apparently. The instrument then turned very a lot related to shoemakers.

54 Controversial agribusiness letters : GMO

A genetically modified organism (GMO) is one with genetic materials that has been altered by genetic engineering. One would possibly argue that the oldest type of genetic engineering is selective breeding, the usage of animals or crops with desired traits for the creation of the following era.

57 Treat with disdain : SCORN

To present disdain in the direction of one thing is to look on it with scorn. The verb “disdain” comes from the Old French “des-” (do the other of) and “deignier” (deal with as worthy).

66 Midday : NOON

Our phrase “noon”, that means “midday”, comes from the Latin “nona hora” that interprets as “ninth hour”. Back in historical Rome, the “ninth hour” was three within the afternoon. Over the centuries, traditions similar to church prayers and “midday” meals shifted from 3 p.m. to 12 p.m., and so “noon” turned understood as 12 midday.

67 “You’ve Got Mail” director Ephron : NORA

Nora Ephron had many skills, together with writing movie scripts and novels. Many of the films that she wrote, she additionally directed. These would come with a few of my favourite motion pictures of all time like “Sleepless in Seattle”, “You’ve Got Mail” and most lately, the great “Julie & Julia”. And, do you know that Nora Ephron’s second marriage was to journalist Carl Bernstein of Watergate fame? She wrote an autobiographical novel primarily based on her life with Bernstein, which offers particularly with Bernstein’s affair with the daughter of British Prime Minister James Callaghan.

71 Whitehorse’s territory : YUKON

Canada’s federal territory referred to as Yukon takes its identify from the Yukon River. “Yukon” means “Big Stream” within the native Gwich’in language.

Whitehorse is the capital metropolis of Canada’s Yukon Territory. It sits on the head of the Yukon River and its location made it an vital provide middle through the Klondike Gold Rush.

Down

2 Classic arcade identify : ATARI

I bear in mind being fairly hooked on the Atari video arcade sport known as Asteroids again within the early eighties. Apparently I wasn’t the one one, as Asteroids was Atari’s greatest promoting sport of all time.

5 Gomez of “Only Murders in the Building” : SELENA

Selena Gomez is an actress and singer from Grand Prairie, Texas. Gomez’s first tv position was within the kids’s present “Barney & Friends”. She then performed the lead within the TV collection “Wizards of Waverly Place”. Gomez’s followers usually discuss with themselves as “Selenators”. Offscreen, Gomez made a splash because the girlfriend of Canadian singer Justin Bieber for a few years.

“Only Murders in the Building” is a comedy-mystery TV present starring Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez as a trio of true-crime podcasters who band collectively to unravel a homicide of their house constructing. Steve Martin co-created the collection. I’ve received to see it in the future …

7 Like a retired prof. : EMER

“Emeritus” (feminine type “emerita”, and plural “emeriti”) is a time period within the title of some retired professionals, notably these from academia. Originally an emeritus was a veteran soldier who had served his time. The time period comes from the Latin verb “emerere” that means to finish one’s service.

8 Amethyst hue : LILAC

Amethyst is a type of quartz that’s purple in colour. There was a perception that the stone protected the proprietor from drunkenness, which is how amethyst received its identify. The Ancient Greek “ἀméthystos” means “not intoxicated”. I’m not into jewellery, however perhaps I ought to get some amethyst [hic!] …

9 Feathers throughout a no-holds-barred pillow struggle? : DROPPING DOWN

Down feathers are the very nice feathers discovered below the harder exterior feathers of a hen. There is fossil proof that some non-avian dinosaurs had down-like feathers.

10 Bunch of buffalo : HERD

There are two species of bison left (4 species are extinct). We are most conversant in the American bison (generally known as the American buffalo), however there may be additionally a European bison, which is typically known as a “wisent”.

11 Pitching stat : ERA

Earned run common (ERA)

19 “Outlander” collection novelist Gabaldon : DIANA

Author Diana Gabaldon is greatest recognized for her “Outlander” collection of novels, which have been tailored into a really profitable (and entertaining) tv drama. The “Outlander” books are set in Scotland, and contain time journey. Gabaldon tells us that she was impressed to put in writing her first “Outlander” e book after watching an episode of “Doctor Who”.

The “Outlander” interval drama TV present relies on a collection of novels of the identical identify by Diana Gabaldon. Stars of the present are Irish actress Caitríona Balfe and Scottish actor Sam Heugan. Balfe performs a navy nurse who’s transported again in time to mid-Seventeenth century Scotland, the place she falls in love with a Highland warrior performed by Heugan. Because of the success of the TV present, there’s a prequel within the works titled “Outlander: Blood of My Blood.

28 Intense dislike : ODIUM

Odium is a robust dislike or aversion. The time period “odium” is Latin in origin and pertains to the Latin phrase “odi” that means “I hate”.

29 Britcom or bromance : GENRE

British sitcom (Britcom)

“Bromance” is a reputation given nowadays to an in depth relationship between two straight males.

34 Panoramic view : VISTA

Panoramic work have existed for hundreds of years, however the phrase “panorama” was coined round 1790 to explain an invention by the artist Robert Barker. He created an equipment for exhibiting photos on the within of a cylindrical floor, permitting the viewer to face within the center with entry to a 360-degree vista. The time period comes from Greek “pan-” that means “all” and “horama” that means “sight, spectacle”.

35 Intuit : SENSE

“To intuit” is a verb fashioned from the noun “intuition”, and means “to know intuitively”.

36 Setting for a lot of “Aquaman” : OCEAN

Aquaman is a comic book e book superhero who first appeared in 1941. He was impressed by a personality in a Russian science-fiction novel named “Amphibian Man”.

41 The Big Easy, for brief : NOLA

The metropolis of New Orleans, Louisiana has the nickname “The Big Easy”. This identify would possibly come from the early 1900s when musicians discovered it comparatively “easy” to search out work there. The metropolis can also be recognized by the acronym NOLA, standing for New Orleans (NO), Louisiana (LA).

55 NHL nice Lemieux : MARIO

Mario Lemieux is a retired Canadian NHL participant. He performed his entire skilled profession with the Pittsburgh Penguins, from 184 to 2006, and in 1999 took over possession of the workforce.

56 Ancient Greek theater : ODEON

In historical Greece, an odeon (additionally “odeum”) was like a small theater, with “odeon” actually that means “building for musical competition”. Odea have been utilized in each Greece and Rome for entertainments similar to musical exhibits and poetry readings.

57 “I Will Wait” band Mumford & __ : SONS

Mumford & Sons is a people rock band fashioned by Marcus Mumford in 2007 in London. My guess is that the group’s most well-known track is the wonderful “I Will Wait”, written by Mumford and launched in 2012.

58 Fictional Wolfe : NERO

Nero Wolfe is a fictional detective and the hero of many tales revealed by writer Rex Stout. There are 33 Nero Wolfe novels for us to learn, and 39 quick tales. There are additionally film variations of two of the novels: “Meet Nero Wolfe” (1936) which includes a younger Rita Hayworth, and “The League of Frightened Men” (1937). One of Wolfe’s endearing traits is his love of fine meals and beer, so he’s a fairly rotund character.

The submit LA Times Crossword 20 Oct 22, Thursday appeared first on LAXCrossword.com.

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