L. A. Times Crossword - Wednesday May 12, 2021 Freddie Cheng

Theme: Here's That Rainy Day.  And here's today's theme song.

 

Each person in the theme entries notably has the item we need on a rainy day - though they have it when it's not raining.

19 A. Julie Andrews Oscar-winning role: MARY POPPINS.  A magical English nanny blown in on the East Wind - presumably with the help of her - well, we'll see.

 

26 A. Character who sings "When You Wish Upon a Star": JIMINY CRICKET.  Disney's adaptation of the un-named talking cricket in Carlo Collodi's original story The Adventures of Pinocchio..  In the movie, he is Pinocchio's official conscience.

42 A. Emma Peel's partner on "The Avengers": JOHN STEED.  He has much more to his story than his highly charged association with Mrs. Peel.

So - on to the unifier.  55 A. With "The," Netflix title superhero team ... and a hint to something associated with 19-, 26- and 42-Across: UMBRELLA ACADEMY.  As you have probably gleaned by now, the common characteristic is that each of the theme-noted characters is equipped with an UMBRELLA, with varying degrees of functionality - but always as a fashion accessory.  The UMBRELLA ACADEMY is new to me.  The Netflix series is adapted from a comic book series of the same name, first released in 2007.  You can read more here.

Across:

1. Boyfriend: BEAU. A male admirer.

5. Still, briefly: THO.  Truncated "although."

8. Taunt: GIBE. An insult or mocking remark.

12. Chief Norse god: ODIN.

13. Adler in Sherlock Holmes fiction: IRENE.  A former opera singer, and an opponent Holmes admired for her cunning and wit.  Sjho only appears in one story: A Scandal in Bohemia.

15. "I got this, boss": ON IT.

16. __ Khalifa: Dubai structure that's the world's tallest: BURJ.   With a total height of 829.8 m (2,722 ft, just over half a mile) and a roof height (excluding antenna, but including a 244 m spire[2]) of 828 m (2,717 ft), the Burj Khalifa has been the tallest structure and building in the world since its topping out in 2009.  [Wikipedia]

17. Apple throwaways: CORES.  The central part with the seeds.

18. Bout enders, briefly: TKOs.  Technical Knock Outs.  These occur when a referee or court side physician determines that a boxer is incapable of defending himself or has sustained a serious injury; or for some other reason cannot continue.

22. Crimson Tide nickname: BAMA.  Truncated. Alabama.

23. Hightail it, old-style: HIE.  Go quickly.

24. Caps for Highlanders: TAMS.

29. By oneself: SOLELY.  

30. Garden clippers: SHEARS.

32. "Best in Show" actor Willard: FRED. Frederick Charles Willard Jr. (1933 – 2020) was an American actor, comedian, and writer. 

33. Pack animals: MULES.

37. "Shucks!": DRAT.  Dad burn it!

38. Approved, briefly: OK'D.  Gave the OK to.

39. Part ways: SPLIT UP.  

 

 41. Operative: SPY.  More generally, a skilled worker.  I was not aware of this usage.

44. Luminance: SHEEN.  Characteristic of a bright and shiny surface.

47. Towing org.: AAA.  American Automobile Association.

48. Twiggy abodes: NESTS.  Bird homes.

52. Clothing store department: WOMENS.  Along with MENS and CHILDRENS

54. Justice Gorsuch's predecessor: SCALIA.  Antonine [1936-2016] was appointed to the Supreme Court by Reagan in 1986, and was confirmed by a vote of 98-0.

59. Born, in bios: NEE.  Generally used in wedding announcements to refer to the bride's maiden name.

60. Santa's elves' workplace: TOY SHOP.  At the North pole, of course.

61. "The Grand Budapest Hotel" director Anderson: WES.  Wesley Wales Anderson (b.1969) is an American filmmaker. His films are known for their symmetry, eccentricity and distinctive visual and narrative styles.

62. Dog's warning: GRR.  Growl. 

63. Up-and-down rides: SEE-SAWS.

64. Sign at a hot show: SRO.  Standing Room Only.

Down:

1. Hope with jokes: BOB.  Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope KBE (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was a British-American stand-up comedian, vaudevillian, actor, singer, dancer, athlete and author. With a career that spanned nearly 80 years, Hope appeared in more than 70 short and feature films, with 54 feature films with Hope as star, including a series of seven "Road" musical comedy movies with Bing Crosby as Hope's top-billed partner. [Wikipedia]

2. School URL letters: EDU.  This is the top level domain name for academic institutions in the U.S.

3. Sent by plane: AIR-MAILED.  Transported with at least one leg of the journey by plane.  This typically is quicker and more costly than surface mail.

4. Removed stuck paper from: UNJAMMED.  As from a printer of copier.

5. Prize on the mantel: TROPHY. A decorative object awarded as a prize for victory or success.

6. Like many a rescue: HEROIC.

7. Sale limit, briefly: ONE PER.  One to a customer

8. Prepared to skinny-dip: GOT NAKED.  NAKED - or merely unclothed, like mother EVE?

9. Fountain pen mishaps: INK SMEARS.  Messy

10. eharmony profile part: BIOgraphy.  

11. Sci-fi beings: ETS. Extra-Terrestials - Visitors from another planet.

13. Bone-chilling: ICY.  Brrrr!

14. Sixth sense: Abbr.: ESP.  Exrta-Sensory Perception.  Presumed knowledge or ability without the use of the normal 5 senses.

20. Amtrak track: RAIL. The continuous line of metal bars upon which a train moves.

21. Something to scratch: ITCH.

22. One-named Icelandic singer: BJORK.  Björk Guðmundsdóttir [b 1965] is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, record producer, actress, and DJ. 

25. Watch fastener: STRAP.  Keeps it on your wrist.

27. Female folklore deity: NYMPH.  A mythological spirit of nature imagined as a beautiful maiden inhabiting rivers, woods, or other locations.  Not actually deities, they are personifications of nature, and typically toed to a particular location.

28. Put into circulation, as stamps: ISSUE.  

29. Bay Area airport code: SFO.

31. Messy dorm room, say: STY.  By reference to swine.

34. Arm bone: ULNA.  The thinner and longer of the two bones in the human forearm, on the side opposite to the thumb.

35. __ Cuddy, Dean of Medicine on "House": LISA.  Played by Lisa Edelstein.

36. "At Last" singer James: ETTA.  Jamesetta Hawkins, [1938-2012] known professionally as Etta James, was an American singer who performed in various genres, including blues, R&B, soul, rock and roll, jazz and gospel. 

 

 39. Shakespeare's 150+: SONNETS.  Fourteen line poems of various rhyme schemes.  The last is No. 154. Make of it what you will.

The little Love-god lying once asleep,

Laid by his side his heart-inflaming brand,

Whilst many nymphs that vowed chaste life to keep

Came tripping by; but in her maiden hand

The fairest votary took up that fire

Which many legions of true hearts had warmed;

And so the General of hot desire

Was, sleeping, by a virgin hand disarmed.

This brand she quenched in a cool well by,

Which from Love's fire took heat perpetual,

Growing a bath and healthful remedy,

For men diseased; but I, my mistress' thrall,

   Came there for cure and this by that I prove, 

   Love's fire heats water, water cools not love.

40. Ballpoint covers: PENCAPS.  A word you won't encounter every day.   They may prevent 9 D.

42. Boobird's output: JEER.  Rude, mocking remark, generally in a loud voice.

43. Kaput, as a battery: DEAD.  Out of juice, so to speak.

44. Took a cut, in baseball: SWUNG.  With a bat.

45. Baseball dinger: HOMER.  A home run - a batted ball hit beyond the outfield and out of the field of play, in fair territory.

46. Glowing leftover: EMBER.  A small piece of glowing wood or coal in a dying fire.

49. Oodles: SLEWS.  Big bunches.

50. It may set off a beeper: TIMER.  

51. Right to decide: SAY SO.  Just so.

53. Gin fizz flavor: SLOE.  The sloe is an astringent berry fond in English hedge rows.  Sloe gin is made by infusing gin with these berries.  The fizz is made by combining sloe gin with lemon juice, soda water simple syrup and a fruity garnish.

54. Garbage boat: SCOW.  A flat-bottomed boat with scooping sides.

56. Caustic cleanser: LYE.  Sodium hydroxide, and that's the truth!

57. Pack animal: ASS.  An ASS is a donkey.  A MULE [33 A] is the offspring of a male ass and a female horse.

58. "Bingo!": AHA.  Just so!

That wraps up another Wednesday.  Hope yours wasn't rainy.

Cool regards!

JzB