L.A. Times Crossword Wednesday, December 7, 2022 Rich Norris

 Theme - I can't do any better than the unifier, and it will make things easier to present it first.

14 D. Food named for how it's baked, and a hint to each set of circles: UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE.    A cake that is baked "upside-down" in a single pan, with its toppings at the bottom of the pan. When removed from the oven, the finished upside-down preparation is flipped over and de-panned onto a serving plate, thus "righting" it, and serving it right-side up.

In this theme, the relevant answers, with circled letters, are fragments of down fill, read from the bottom up, indicating types of cakes spelt in reverse.  Hope you got the circles.  Otherwise this would be extremely opaque.  It is an uncommon gimmick, but it is not unheard of, and requires the theme entries to be in the down orientation.  Let's have some cake.

4. Itinerary for touring speakers: LECTURE CIRCUIT.   A euphemistic reference to a planned schedule of regular lectures and keynote speeches given by celebrities, often ex-politicians, for which they receive an appearance fee.   

A rice cake may be any kind of food item made from rice that has been shaped, condensed, or otherwise combined into a single object. A wide variety of rice cakes exist in many different cultures in which rice is eaten and are particularly prevalent in Asia.

8 D. Brunch dish with ham and peppers: WESTERN OMELET.  Beaten eggs cooked without stirring until set and served folded in half, containing other flavor elements as described.   Now you're just egging me on.   

Lemon cake is a dense, flavorful and very popular cake. Lemon is used to provide its unique flavor to a variety of cakes, including bundt, angel food or white cakes. However, lemon cake commonly refers to loaf cake with a tighter grain and more elastic crumb, much like a pound cake.

16. Flatbed scanner relative: BAR-CODE READER.   An optical scanner that can read printed barcodes and decode the data contained in the barcode to a computer.

A crab cake is a variety of fishcake that is popular in the United States. It is composed of crab meat and various other ingredients, such as bread crumbs, mayonnaise, mustard, eggs, and seasonings. The cake is then sautéed, baked, grilled, deep fried, or broiled. 

Our constructor, Rick Norris, has provided a variety of unrelated cake types, along with an omelet, to fulfill all our culinary desires.  We recognize Rich as the recently retired editor of the L.A.Times Crossword, returning now as a constructor.  Here is a link to C. C.'s interview with him, back in 2009.

Across:

1. GI on the lam: AWOL.  A military person Absent Without Official Leave.

5. Annual festival in Austin, TX: SXSW.  South by Southwest, an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, Texas, 

9. Tot's crumb catcher: BIB.  

12. Rural strolling spot: LANE.  A narrow road, especially in a rural area.

13. Short dog, for short: PEKE.   The Pekingese is a breed of toy dog, originating in China. The breed was favored by royalty of the Chinese Imperial court as a companion dog, and its name refers to the city of Peking where the Forbidden City is located. The breed has several characteristics and health issues related to its unique appearance.

14. Forearm bone: ULNA.    The bone spans from the elbow to the wrist on the medial side of the forearm when in anatomical position. In comparison to the radius, the ulna is described to be larger and longer.

15. French preposition: AVEC.   It means "with."

16. Rationale: BASIS.  A set of reasons or a logical basis for a course of action or a particular belief.

17. Gloomy aura: PALL.  Literally, a dark cloud or covering of smoke, dust, or similar matter.

18. Nissan sedans since 1982: SENTRAS.  A series of automobiles manufactured by the Japanese automaker Nissan since 1982. Since 1999, the Sentra has been categorized as a compact car, while previously it occupied the subcompact class. Until 2006, Sentra was a rebadged export version of the Japanese Nissan Sunny, but since the 2013 model year, Sentra is a rebadged export version of the Sylphy. The Sentra nameplate is not used in Japan. 

20. Put away, as loot: STASHED.  Stored safely and secretly in a specified place.

22. "Blade Runner" actor Rutger __: HAUER.   Rutger Oelsen Hauer [1944 - 2019] was a Dutch actor.  In 1999, he was named by the Dutch public as the Best Dutch Actor of the Century. 

23. Lives: EXISTS.  Survives, perhaps.

24. Take away: DETRACT.   Diminish the worth or value of something. 

26. Brought up: BRED.    Reared in a specified environment or way.

27. "Night" author Wiesel: ELIE.   Elie Wiesel [1928 - 1916] was a Romanian-born American writer, professor, political activist, Nobel laureate, and Holocaust survivor. He authored 57 books, written mostly in French and English, including Night, a work based on his experiences as a Jewish prisoner in the Auschwitz and Buchenwald concentration camps.

28. Finance guru Suze: ORMAN.   Susan Lynn "Suze" Orman [b. 1951] is an American financial advisor, author, and podcast host. In 1987, she founded the Suze Orman Financial Group. Her work as a financial advisor gained notability with The Suze Orman Show, which ran on CNBC from 2002 to 2015.

30. 1815 classic whose title character is played by Anya Taylor-Joy in a 2020 film: EMMA.  A novel about youthful hubris and romantic misunderstandings, written by Jane Austen. It is set in the fictional country village of Highbury and the surrounding estates of Hartfield, Randalls and Donwell Abbey, and involves the relationships among people from a small number of families.

a decadent update

34. Common interest group: BLOC.   A combination of countries, parties, or groups sharing a common purpose.

35. "Same": DITTO.   Used to say that whatever you have said about one person or thing is also true of another person or thing.

36. Campus bigwig: DEAN.   The head of a college or university faculty or department.

37. Novelist Morrison: TONI.   Chloe Anthony Wofford Morrison [1931 - 2019], known as Toni Morrison, was an American novelist. Her first novel, The Bluest Eye, was published in 1970. The critically acclaimed Song of Solomon brought her national attention and won the National Book Critics Circle Award

38. Derby town in Surrey, England: EPSOM.  The principal town of the Borough of Epsom and Ewell in Surrey, England, about 13.5 miles south of central London. The town is first recorded as Ebesham in the 10th century and its name probably derives from that of a Saxon landowner. 

39. Frigg's husband: ODIN.  A widely revered god in Germanic paganism. Norse mythology, the source of most surviving information about him, associates him with wisdom, healing, death, royalty, the gallows, knowledge, war, battle, victory, sorcery, poetry, frenzy, and the runic alphabet, and depicts him as the husband of the goddess Frigg.  His name is rendered in several, loosely phonetically related ways in various germanic languages,  all ultimately stemming from the Proto-Germanic theonym *Wōðanaz, meaning 'lord of frenzy', or 'leader of the possessed'.

40. Steakhouse order: RARE.  the lowest level of doneness when it comes to steaks and burgers. Diners who like extremely tender, flavorful cuts of meat will choose this option. Rare meat has an internal temperature of 125 degrees Fahrenheit. If you order your food rare, the central portion of the meat will be a bright red color.

42. Steakhouse order: RED WINE.  To compliment your RARE steak.

44. Database systems giant: ORACLE.   An American multinational computer technology corporation headquartered in Austin, Texas. In 2020, Oracle was the third-largest software company in the world by revenue and market capitalization.

47. Jousting weapon: LANCE.   A long weapon for thrusting, having a wooden shaft and a pointed steel head, formerly used by a horseman in charging.

48. Revenue source in many a free app: POP-UP AD.   A form of online advertising on the World Wide Web. A pop-up is a graphical user interface display area, usually a small window, that suddenly appears in the foreground of the visual interface.

50. Counterpoint melody: DESCANT.  This is the most common usage of this term whose meaning has shifted over the centuries.  Typically, this melody is in the highest pitched voice, and sounded as a harmony line above the main melody of the song.

52. Kid's plea for permission: CAN I?  Should properly be "May I?"  But, eh -- kids!

53. Fairway chunk: DIVOT.  A piece of turf cut out of the ground by a golf club in making a stroke.

55. "__ girl!": ATTA.   An informal expression of encouragement or admiration to a woman or girl.  Kinda like: Ya done good, kid!

56. "Law & Order: SVU" co-star: ICE-T.  Tracy Lauren Marrow [b.1958], better known by his stage name Ice-T, is an American rapper, songwriter, actor, and producer. He began his career as an underground rapper in the 1980s. 

57. Storm rescue op: EVAC. Short for evacuation.

58. 2007 U.S. Women's Open winner Cristie: KERR.  Cristie Kerr (b.1977) is an American professional golfer who plays on the LPGA Tour. She has 20 wins on the LPGA Tour, including two major championships, and over $19 million in career earnings. Kerr was the number one-ranked golfer in the Women's World Golf Rankings for three time periods in 2010. She is naturally left handed but plays golf right handed.

59. Lil Wayne's "__ Carter V": THA.   The twelfth studio album by American rapper Lil Wayne. It was released on September 28, 2018, by Young Money Entertainment and Republic Records.

60. File partner: RANK.  Rank and file is military term relating to the horizontal "ranks" (rows) and vertical "files" (columns) of individual foot-soldiers, exclusive of the officers.

61. "Grand" ice cream brand: EDY'S.   Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream, Inc., is an American ice cream company, founded in 1928 in Oakland, California, where its present-day headquarters office remains. The company's two signature brands, Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream and Edy's Grand Ice Cream, are named after its founders, William Dreyer and Joseph Edy

Down:

1. "Sad to say ... ": ALAS.   An expression of grief, pity, or concern.

2. Greet from across the street, say: WAVE HELLO. 

Hi, there.

3. Phrase of unity in the Pledge of Allegiance: ONE NATION.  Indivisible?  You decide.

5. Health club amenities: SPAS.   Commercial establishments offering health and beauty treatment through such means as steam baths, exercise equipment, and massage.

6. Crosses (out): XES.  Deletes.

7. Winter getaway need, maybe: SKIS.  Things are going down hill.

9. Malaise, with "the": BLAHS.  I had Blues, which messed up the perps.

10. Cove, e.g.: INLET.   A small, sheltered bay.

11. Gets thinner, in a way: BALDS.  A condition of hair loss.  Relatable.

19. Blues-rocker Chris: REA.  Christopher Anton Rea is an English rock and blues singer and guitarist from Middlesbrough. A "gravel-voiced guitar stalwart" known for his slide guitar playing, Rea has recorded twenty five solo albums, two of which topped the UK Albums Chart.

21. Lumberjack competition projectile: AXE.  

24. Mortgage balance, e.g.: DEBT.   Amount of money owed.

25. Nonsense: TRIPE.   Figuratively, something poor, worthless, or offensive. 

26. Ulan __: former Anglicization of Mongolia's capital: BATOR.   Ulaanbaatar is the capital of Mongolia. It’s in the Tuul River valley, bordering the Bogd Khan Uul National Park. Originally a nomadic Buddhist center, it became a permanent site in the 18th century. Soviet control in the 20th century led to a religious purge. Soviet-era buildings, museums within surviving monasteries, and a vibrant conjunction of traditional and 21st-century lifestyles typify the modern city.

29. Matterhorn and Weisshorn: Abbr.: MTS.   Mountains.  See 33 A. for location.

31. Treated, in a way: MEDICATED.  Treated for a sickness or injury.

32. Primary way in: MAIN ENTRY.   The entrance from outdoors into a primary building through which most customers or other visitors pass or are expected to pass.

33. Dudek of "Mad Men": ANNE.   Anne Louise Dudek [b. 1975] is an American actress. She is known for portraying Tiffany Wilson in the 2004 film White Chicks, Danielle Brookson in the USA Network television series Covert Affairs, Dr. Amber Volakis on the Fox series House, Lura Grant on the HBO series Big Love, and Francine Hanson on the AMC series Mad Men.

At the Bruce Willis roast in 2018

41. Matterhorn or Weisshorn: ALP.  Named peaks in the Alp mountain range.  The Weisshorn in in Switzerland. the Matterhorn straddles the border between Switzerland and Italy.

43. Courtroom VIPs: DAs.  District Attorneys.  They are public officials who acts as prosecutors for the state or the federal government in court in a particular district.

44. Footnote abbr.: OP CIT.   In the work already cited.

45. Jazz drummer Max: ROACH.   Maxwell Lemuel Roach [1924 – 2007] was an American jazz drummer and composer. A pioneer of bebop, he worked in many other styles of music, and is generally considered one of the most important drummers in history.  He was inducted into the DownBeat Hall of Fame in 1980 and the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 1992.   

46. Sleep disturbance: APNEA.   Temporary cessation of breathing, especially during sleep.

49. Operatic icon: DIVA.   Diva is the Latin word for a goddess. It has often been used to refer to a celebrated woman of outstanding talent in the world of opera, theatre, cinema, fashion and popular music. 

50. Tie up at the pier: DOCK.  Literal.  Tie up at a dock, especially in order to load or unload passengers or cargo.  I'd say moor, but that's all I have.

51. Patches, as a driveway: TARS.  Covers a surface with tar, a viscous mixture of organic materials.

54. Part of a moving story: VAN.  If you can get emotional about a truck-load of possessions being transported to a new location.

That wraps up another Wednesday.  

Cool regards!

JzB