LA Times Crossword Answers 28 Dec 12, Friday

CROSSWORD SETTER: Marti DuGuay-Carpenter
THEME: The Age After … each of today’s themed answers are well-known terms with -AGE added at the end to suit the clue:

17A. Somnambulist’s icebox raid? SLEEPING PILL(AGE)
27A. Personalized gauze? ONE-MAN BAND(AGE)
47A. Big problem at KFC? CHICKEN OUT(AGE)
63A. After-hours spa service? MIDNIGHT MASS(AGE)

COMPLETION TIME: 13m 13s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
14. Volkswagen brand AUDI
The Audi name has an interesting history. The Horch company was founded by August Horch in 1909. Early in the life of the new company, Horch was forced out of his own business. He set up a new enterprise and continued to use his own name as a brand. The old company sued him for using the Horch name so a meeting was held to choose something new. Horch’s young son was studying Latin in the room where the meeting was taking place. He pointed out that “Horch” was German for “hear” and he suggested “Audi” as a replacement, the Latin for “listen”.

16. Acid used in soap-making OLEIC
Oleic Acid is a fatty acid, found in many animal and plants sources, but most notably in olives. As such, “Oleic” means “derived from the olive”.

Soap is basically made by adding a strong alkali (like lye) to a fat (like olive oil). The fats break down in the basic solution in a process called saponification. The crude soap is extracted from the mixture, washed, purified and finished in molds.

17. Somnambulist’s icebox raid? SLEEPING PILL(AGE)
A somnambulist is a sleepwalker.

21. Neither esta nor esa OTRA
In Spanish, the other (otra) is neither this (esta) not that (esa).

23. Hot porridge ingredient PEA
Pease pudding or pease porridge, is a very English dish similar to split pea soup. We used to sing a nursery rhyme as kids:

“Pease pudding hot, pease pudding cold, pease pudding in the pot, nine days old”.

25. Work requiring oversized shelves, briefly OED
The “Oxford English Dictionary” (OED) contains over 300,000 “main” entries and 59 million words in total. It is said it would take a single person 120 years to type it out in full. The longest entry for one word in the second edition of the OED is the verb “set”. When the third edition was published in 2007, the longest entry for a single word became the verb “put”. Perhaps not surprisingly, the most-quoted author in the OED is William Shakespeare, with his most quoted work being “Hamlet”. The most-quoted female author is George Eliot (aka Mary Ann Evans).

26. Otto I’s realm: Abbr. HRE
Otto I the Great, ruled the Holy Roman Empire in the 10th century.

The Holy Roman Empire (HRE) existed from 962 to 1806 AD and was a territory of varying size over the centuries that centered on the Kingdom of Germany. The HRE was a successor to the western half of the Ancient Roman Empire.

38. Channel watched in many a bar ESPN
ESPN is the Entertainment Sports Programming Network, a cable network that broadcasts sports programming 24 hours a day. ESPN was launched back in 1979.

39. EZ or MT, e.g. REBUS
A rebus is a representation of a word in the form of symbols, letters or perhaps a picture. A rebus crossword is one in which some squares are replaced with a symbol or picture (although we often use multiple letters when solving).

45. WWII craft LST
LST stands for Landing Ship, Tank. LSTs were the large vessels used mainly in WWII that had doors at either ends through which tanks and other vehicles could roll off and onto beaches. The design concept persists to this day in the huge fleet of commercial roll-on/roll-off car ferries, all inspired by the LST.

46. Anderson of “WKRP in Cincinnati” LONI
Loni Anderson’s most remembered role was Jennifer Marlowe on the sitcom “WKRP in Cincinnati”. Anderson has been married four times, most famously to actor Burt Reynolds from 1988 to 1993.

47. Big problem at KFC? CHICKEN OUT(AGE)
The famous “Colonel” of Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) fame was Harland Sanders, an entrepreneur from Henryville, Indiana. Although not really a “Colonel”, Sanders did indeed serve in the military. He enlisted in the Army as a private in 1906 at the age of 16, lying about his age. He spent the whole of his time in the Army as a soldier in Cuba. It was much later, in the 1930s, that Sanders went into the restaurant business making his specialty deep-fried chicken. By 1935 his reputation as a “character” had grown, so much so that Governor Ruby Laffoon of Kentucky gave Sanders the honorary title of “Kentucky Colonel”. Later in the fifties, Sanders developed his trademark look with the white suit, string tie, mustache and goatee. When Sanders was 65 however, his business failed and in stepped Dave Thomas, the founder of Wendy’s. Thomas simplified the Sanders menu, cutting it back from over a hundred items to just fried chicken and salads. That was enough to launch KFC into the fast food business. Sanders sold the US franchise in 1964 for just $2 million and moved to Canada to grow KFC north of the border. He died in 1980 and is buried in Louisville, Kentucky. The Colonel’s secret recipe of 11 herbs and spices is indeed a trade secret. Apparently there is only one copy of the recipe, a handwritten piece of paper, written in pencil and signed by Colonel Sanders. Since 2009, the piece of paper has been locked in a computerized vault surrounded with motion detectors and security cameras.

51. Derby-wearing Addams ITT
In the television sitcom “The Addams Family”, the family had a frequent visitor called Cousin Itt. Itt is a short man with long hair that runs from his head to the floor. Cousin Itt was played by Italian actor Felix Silla.

55. Justice Fortas ABE
Abe Fortas was a US Supreme Court Justice from 1965 to 1969. Fortas has to resign his position on the bench due to a scandal about payments received, allegedly for favors granted.

56. Array in many an NBA game TATS
The word “tattoo” was first used in English in the writings of the famous English explorer Captain Cook. In his descriptions of the indelible marks adorning the skin of Polynesian natives, Cook anglicized the Tahitian word “tatau” into our “tattoo”.

58. Old oddball GEEZER
Geezer is a not-so-nice term for an old man.

63. After-hours spa service? MIDNIGHT MASS(AGE)
The principal act of worship in the Roman Catholic tradition is the Mass. The term “Mass” comes from the Late Latin word “missa” meaning “dismissal”. This word is used at the end of the Latin Mass in “Ite, missa est” which translates literally as “Go, it is the dismissal”.

Down
1. Commercial building with a conical roof, traditionally OAST
An oast is a kiln used for drying hops as part of the brewing process. Such a structure might also be called an “oast house”.

2. Backless shoe MULE
A mule is a shoe without a back and usually with a closed toe. The original mule was a shoe worn by the highest magistrates in Ancient Rome.

7. Golden Fleece vessel ARGO
Jason is a hero from Greek mythology, most noted for leading the quest for the Golden Fleece. The Golden Fleece is the fleece of the gold-haired winged ram. For his quest, Jason assembles a group of heroes who were given the name Argonauts, as they journeyed on the ship called the “Argo”. The vessel was called the “Argo” in honor of the ship’s builder, a man named Argus.

9. Rum concoctions COLADAS
Piña colada is a Spanish term which translates into “strained pineapple”. The Piña colada cocktail was introduced in the Caribe Hilton San Juan in 1954, and since 1978 it has been the official beverage of Puerto Rico. Yum …

12. Peak near the Jungfrau EIGER
The Eiger is a mountain in the Bernese Alps in Switzerland. It is a noted peak for mountain climbing, with its treacherous north face being the most famous approach to the summit. Over sixty climbers have died since 1935 on that north face.

18. Rap’s Salt-N-__ PEPA
Salt-n-Pepa are a hip hop trio from New York. Their 1991 song “Let’s Talk Sex” created quite a fuss as the lyrics explored the subject of sex, and safe sex in particular. A later version addressed the dangers of AIDS.

28. Graham __, co-founder of the Hollies NASH
The Hollies are a great pop group from Manchester in the north of England. The band formed in 1962 and had big hits in the late sixties and early seventies. The list of songs from the Hollies includes classics like “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother”, “Carrie Anne”, “Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress” and “The Air That I Breathe”.

Graham Nash is a singer-songwriter from England. Nash is famous as one of the founders of the Hollies, and as a member of the supergroup Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.

30. Winged chatterbox MYNAH
Some species of myna (also “mynah”) bird are known for their ability to imitate sounds.

37. Pennsylvania port ERIE
Erie is a city in the very north of Pennsylvania, right on the southern shore of Lake Erie. The city takes its name from the Erie Native American tribe that resided in the area.

40. Md. institution since 1845 USNA
The United States Naval Academy (USNA) is located in Annapolis, Maryland. The USNA was founded in 1845 and educates officers for the US Navy and the US Marine Corps. The motto of the USNA is “Ex Scientia Tridens”, which translates as “From Knowledge, Sea Power”.

49. First name in ’80s-’90s morning talk KATHIE
Kathie Lee Gifford is most famous for working alongside Regis Philbin on the talk show “Live with Regis and Kathie Lee”, a stint that last for about 15 years.

50. All-purpose vehicles UTES
A utility vehicle is often called a “ute” for short. Nowadays one mainly hears about sports utes and crossover utes.

51. Literary feet IAMBI
An iamb is a metrical foot containing an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. Robert Frost’s “Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening” consists of lines made up of four sequential iambs e.g. “Whose woods / these are / I think / I know”. With a sequence of four iambs, the poem’s structure is described as iambic tetrameter.

52. Classic V-8 T-BIRD
Ford manufactured the Thunderbird from 1955 to 2005, originally as a two-seater sporty convertible.

59. Latin 101 verb ESSE
“Esse” is the Latin for “to be”. “Sum” means “I am” and “erat” means “he, she was”.

60. Billy of “Titanic” ZANE
Billy Zane is an actor from Chicago, Illinois. One of Zane’s most prominent roles was the title character in the 1996 superhero film called “The Phantom”. He also played the somewhat creepy bad guy in the 1989 thriller movie called “Dead Calm”.

61. Even, to Yves EGAL
“Egal” is the French word for “equal, alike”, and a word we sometimes use in English. The national motto of France is “Liberté, égalité, fraternité”, meaning “Liberty, equality, fraternity (brotherhood).

64. Peeples in pictures NIA
Actress Nia Peeples played the character Nicole Chapman in the TV series “Fame”.

65. Strong joe MUD
It seems that no one really knows why we refer to coffee as “joe”, but we’ve been doing so since early in WWII.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Drop OMIT
5. Watery, perhaps WEAK
9. Informal eateries CAFES
14. Volkswagen brand AUDI
15. Staff addition HIRE
16. Acid used in soap-making OLEIC
17. Somnambulist’s icebox raid? SLEEPING PILL(AGE)
20. Dollhouse plaything TEA SET
21. Neither esta nor esa OTRA
22. King’s value, sometimes TEN
23. Hot porridge ingredient PEA
25. Work requiring oversized shelves, briefly OED
26. Otto I’s realm: Abbr. HRE
27. Personalized gauze? ONE-MAN BAND(AGE)
33. Like some still-life items WAXY
34. Stately tree ELM
35. Power problem SURGE
38. Channel watched in many a bar ESPN
39. EZ or MT, e.g. REBUS
42. Bridge beam I-BAR
43. Bundle SHEAF
45. WWII craft LST
46. Anderson of “WKRP in Cincinnati” LONI
47. Big problem at KFC? CHICKEN OUT(AGE)
51. Derby-wearing Addams ITT
53. La-la leader TRA-
54. Likely APT
55. Justice Fortas ABE
56. Array in many an NBA game TATS
58. Old oddball GEEZER
63. After-hours spa service? MIDNIGHT MASS(AGE)
66. Intellectual BRAIN
67. “Me next!” I’M UP!
68. Easy-peasy thing SNAP
69. Airport freebie ID TAG
70. Airport data, for short ETDS
71. Slippery swimmers EELS

Down
1. Commercial building with a conical roof, traditionally OAST
2. Backless shoe MULE
3. Start of a project IDEA
4. They bind TIES
5. Dentist’s recommendation WHITENER
6. German article EIN
7. Golden Fleece vessel ARGO
8. Didn’t quit KEPT ON
9. Rum concoctions COLADAS
10. Have it __ ALL
11. Burlesque accessory FEATHER BOA
12. Peak near the Jungfrau EIGER
13. Public row SCENE
18. Rap’s Salt-N-__ PEPA
19. Mightily miffed IRED
24. Qualified ABLE
27. Is shy, in a way OWES
28. Graham __, co-founder of the Hollies NASH
29. Scheduled to go to EXPECTED AT
30. Winged chatterbox MYNAH
31. Take it slow AMBLE
32. Therapy subject GUILT
36. Bunch of buds GANG
37. Pennsylvania port ERIE
40. Md. institution since 1845 USNA
41. They’re good enough for the time being STOPGAPS
44. Appropriate FITTING
48. Bit of a bluff CRAG
49. First name in ’80s-’90s morning talk KATHIE
50. All-purpose vehicles UTES
51. Literary feet IAMBI
52. Classic V-8 T-BIRD
57. Monthly acct. update STMT
59. Latin 101 verb ESSE
60. Billy of “Titanic” ZANE
61. Even, to Yves EGAL
62. Crunches, e.g. REPS
64. Peeples in pictures NIA
65. Strong joe MUD

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