LA Times Crossword Answers 11 May 13, Saturday

CROSSWORD SETTER: Barry C. Silk
THEME: None
BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 14m 50s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
12. Casting leader? POD-
A podcast is basically an audio or video media file that is made available for download. The name comes from the acronym “POD” meaning “playable on demand”, and “cast” from “broadcasting”. So, basically a podcast is a broadcast that one can play on demand, simply by downloading and opening the podcast file.

15. 1925 musical based on the play “My Lady Friends” NO, NO, NANETTE
The 1925 musical “No, No, Nanette” spawned two famous songs: “Tea for Two” and “I Want to Be Happy”.

17. Expanse seen from Point Barrow ARCTIC OCEAN
Point Barrow is a headland on the north coast of Alaska that sits on the Arctic Ocean. Point Barrow, also known as Nuvuk, is the most northerly point in the United States.

20. Shatner’s “__War” TEK
The “Tekwar” series of science-fiction novels was co-authored by Ron Goulart and the actor William Shatner, although it’s only Shatner’s name that appears on the book covers. The stories center around the microchip “drug” called “tek” which dominates the Tekwar universe.

23. Cole Porter and Rudy Vallée, e.g. ELIS
Eli is the nickname for a graduate of Yale University, a term used in honor of the Yale benefactor Elihu Yale.

Cole Porter was a little unusual amongst his peers in that he was one of the few successful songwriters who wrote both lyrics and musics for his compositions. Porter was seriously injured in a riding accident when in his forties and was left disabled and in pain. Despite this, he continued to work and produced his most successful work after the accident.

36. Starfleet uniform wearers TREKKIES
When Gene Roddenberry first proposed the science fiction series that became “Star Trek”, he marketed it as “Wagon Train to the Stars”, a pioneer-style Western in outer space. In fact his idea was to produce something more like “Gulliver’s Travels”, as he intended to write episodes that were adventure stories on one level, but morality tales on another. Personally I think that he best achieved this model with the spin-off series “Star Trek: The Next Generation”. If you watch individual episodes you will see thinly disguised treatments of moral issues such as racism, homosexuality, genocide etc. For my money, “The Next Generation” is the best of the whole franchise …

38. Twerpz and Strawz candy brand TWIZZLERS
Twizzlers candy has been produced since 1845, although back then the only flavor available was licorice. My wife is addicted to strawberry Twizzlers. Can’t stand the stuff myself …

40. Actor honored with a memorial statue in Hong Kong BRUCE LEE
Bruce Lee was born not far from here in San Francisco although he was raised in Hong Kong, returning to the US to attend college. Sadly, Bruce Lee died when he was only 32 years old, due to cerebral edema (a swelling of the brain) attributed to adverse reactions to the pain killing drug Equagesic.

46. Bill’s first Supreme Court appointee RUTH
Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg serves on the US Supreme Court. Justice Ginsburg was the second woman to join the Court, nominated by President Bill Clinton. She was diagnosed with colon cancer in 1999 and underwent surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. During that time she did not miss one day on the bench. In 2009 Justice Ginsburg had surgery for pancreatic cancer, and was back to work 12 days later.

49. __ Hall SETON
Seton Hall is a private, Roman Catholic college in South Orange, New Jersey. The most famous of their sports programs is men’s basketball, played by the Seton Hall Pirates.

53. 1924 Darrow client LOEB
Nathaniel Leopold and Richard Loeb were two well-heeled students at the University of Chicago who famously murdered a 14-year-old boy, apparently just on a whim, to show that they could commit the perfect crime. The crime turned out to be not quite so perfect and the pair were caught and put on trial for the murder. The trial was big news, especially after the defendants engaged high-profile attorney Clarence Darrow to represent them. In fact, the court proceedings were dubbed “The Trial of the Century”. The crime itself was the inspiration for the 1929 play called “Rope” by Patrick Hamilton, which in turn was the inspiration for the 1948 Hitchcock film of the same name.

56. Pitman users STENOS
Stenography is the process of writing in shorthand. The term comes from the Greek “steno” (narrow) and “graphe” (writing).

Pitman shorthand is a system developed by Sir Isaac Pitman that he started to promote in 1837. Pitman shorthand is the most popular shorthand system in the UK. Here in North America, Pitman is the second most popular system, having been displaced by Gregg shorthand.

58. DOJ part DEA
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) was set up in 1973 while President Nixon was in office.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) came into being in 1870.

61. White wine apéritif KIR
Kir is a French cocktail, made by adding a teaspoon or so of creme de cassis (blackcurrant liqueur) to a glass, and then topping it off with white wine. The drink is named after Felix Kir, the Mayor of Dijon in Burgundy, who used to offer the drink to his guests. My wife (expensive tastes!) is particularly fond of a variant called a Kir Royale, in which the white wine is replaced with champagne.

62. Reason to make a stand? REFRESHMENT
One might make a lemonade stand and serve refreshments.

66. Subj. for an au pair ESL
English as a Second Language (ESL) is sometimes referred to as English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and English as a Foreign Language (EFL).

An “au pair” is a domestic assistant from a foreign country working and living as part of a host family. The term “au pair” is French, and means “on a par”, indicating that an au pair is treated as an equal in the host family.

67. 1993 movie co-written by Quentin Tarantino TRUE ROMANCE
“True Romance” is a romantic crime movie released in 1993 starring Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette. Directed by Tony Scott, the film was written by Quentin Tarantino and Roger Avary (who also co-wrote “Pulp Fiction”).

Down
2. Razor handle? NORELCO
Norelco is a brand of shavers and personal care products made by Philips. The brand name was introduced as the company was barred from using “Philips” in the US in the early 1940s. The name Norelco was chosen as an acronym for “NOR-th American Philips EL-ectrical CO-mpany.

3. Balm UNCTION
“Unction” is another term for “anointing”.

7. Japanese mushrooms ENOKIS
Enokitake (also known as enoki) are long and thin white mushrooms often added to soups or salads.

8. Lawman Ramsey of ’70s TV HEC
“Hec Ramsey” is a TV western starring Richard Boone that aired in the early seventies. The series was unusual in that it was set late in the days of the Old West, and the title character focused less on using a gun, and more on using forensic techniques to catch the bad guys.

9. Haitian season ETE
One might spend the summer (été) under the sun (le soleil) in a French-speaking country.

The Republic of Haiti occupies the smaller, western portion of the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean. The rest of the island is taken up by the Dominican Republic. Haiti is one of only two nations in the Americas to have French as an official language, the other being Canada.

11. Brightest star in Cygnus DENEB
Deneb is the brightest star in the constellation called Cygnus, the Swan. The name “Deneb” comes from the Arabic word “dhaneb” meaning tail, as it lies at “the tail” of the swan.

12. 18th-century teenage Russian emperor PETER II
Peter II was the son of Peter I and Emperor of Russia. Peter II took over as Emperor on the death of Catherine I, wife of Peter I.

13. Region of eastern Ecuador ORIENTE
The Oriente is that part of Ecuador that is east of the Ecuadorian Andes. Geographically, the Oriente makes up half of the country. That said, only 5% of the country’s population lives in the Oriente.

22. Peddler HUCKSTER
A huckster is an aggressive peddler of goods. The term derives from the Middle Dutch “hokester”, a word for a peddler.

26. Los Angeles-based ISP NETZERO
NetZero was launched in 1998 and was the first free Internet Service Provider. NetZero’s idea was to provide targeted advertising to users, based on what users liked to view online. It’s a little like Google’s business model, providing advertising based on Internet surfing patterns.

An Internet Service Provider (ISP) is just what the name indicates, a company that provides its customers with access to the Internet. One way that ISPs differentiate themselves from each other is in the way in which end users are connected to the ISP’s network. So, there are cable ISPs, DSL ISPs, dial-up ISPs and satellite ISPs. I’d go with cable if I were you, if it’s available in your area …

27. Hall of Fame running back Campbell EARL
Earl Campbell is a retired American football running back from Tyler, Texas. Campbell had the nickname “The Tyler Rose”. He retired in 1985, and has for many years suffered from the injuries he incurred during his playing career, injuries that necessitate the use of a wheelchair.

30. “The West Wing” Emmy nominee LOWE
The actor Rob Lowe is one of the “founding members” of the so-called Brat Pack, having appeared in the movie “St. Elmo’s Fire”. He is currently playing a regular character on the TV show “Parks and Recreation”. My favorite of his roles though, was playing Sam Seaborn on Aaron Sorkin’s great drama series “The West Wing”. When “The West Wing” first aired, Seaborn was billed as the show’s main character, but outstanding performances from the rest of the cast and some great writing meant that Lowe’s role became “one of many”. This led to some dissatisfaction on Lowe’s part, and eventually he quit the show.

37. Songwriter Kristofferson KRIS
The singer Kris Kristofferson was born in Brownsville, Texas and was the son of a USAF Major General. Indeed, Kristofferson’s paternal grandfather was also a military officer, but in the Swedish Army. Kristofferson himself went into the US Army and served in West Germany, achieving the rank of Captain.

40. Common entrée at 48-Down BRISKET
Brisket is a cut of beef from the lower chest of the animal. The brisket muscles contain a large amount of connective tissue, so brisket can be a tough cut and needs to be carefully cooked.

41. Scrawny RUNTISH
Back around 1500. a runt was an old or decayed tree stump, and by the early 1600s “runt” was being used to describe animals that were similarly old and decayed. Ultimately “runt” came to mean the smallest and often sickest in a litter.

48. Rituals including the Cup of Elijah SEDERS
The Passover Seder is a ritual feast that marks the beginning of the Jewish Passover holiday, celebrating the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. One of the traditions at the meal is that the youngest child at the table asks “The Four Questions”, all relating to why this night is different from all other nights in the year:

– Why is it that on all other nights during the year we eat either bread or matzoh, but on this night we eat only matzoh?
– Why is it that on all other nights we eat all kinds of herbs, but on this night we eat only bitter herbs?
– Why is it that on all other nights we do not dip our herbs even once, but on this night we dip them twice?
– Why is it that on all other nights we eat either sitting or reclining, but on this night we eat in a reclining position?

54. Inebriate BESOT
Our word “sot” comes from the Old English “sott”, meaning a fool. The word “sot” started to be associated with alcohol and not just foolery in the late 1500s.

57. Prefix with -tonin SERO-
Most of the body’s serotonin is found in the gut, where it regulates intestinal muscle movement. The balance is manufactured in specialized nerve tissue and has various functions such as regulation of mood, sleep and appetite.

63. Giant word FUM
The line “fee-fi-fo-fum” (with various spellings) comes from the famous English fairy tale “Jack and the Beanstalk”. Within the story, the giant at the top of the beanstalk utters a little poem when he detects the presence of Jack:

Fee-fi-fo-fum,
I smell the blood of an Englishman,
Be he alive, or be he dead
I’ll grind his bones to make my bread.

64. Lough __, second-largest lake on the River Shannon REE
Lough Ree is the second largest lake on the River Shannon in Ireland, with the largest being Lough Derg. The really good thing about Lough Ree is that I have a boat trip that will take me through the lough in three weeks’ time …

65. Pasture plea MAA
“Maa” is the call of a goat.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Jerk KNUCKLEHEAD
12. Casting leader? POD-
15. 1925 musical based on the play “My Lady Friends” NO, NO, NANETTE
16. Stumble ERR
17. Expanse seen from Point Barrow ARCTIC OCEAN
18. Draw TIE
19. Check out VET
20. Shatner’s “__War” TEK
21. Snickers TEHEES
23. Cole Porter and Rudy Vallée, e.g. ELIS
25. Thing to do in style DINE
28. Hurts, in a way BURNS
29. Glare SCOWL
31. Connecting line SEAM
33. Make an example of CITE
34. Food found in rings ONION
36. Starfleet uniform wearers TREKKIES
38. Twerpz and Strawz candy brand TWIZZLERS
40. Actor honored with a memorial statue in Hong Kong BRUCE LEE
43. Heavyweight TITAN
46. Bill’s first Supreme Court appointee RUTH
47. Pencil holders? EARS
49. __ Hall SETON
51. Hitched behind IN TOW
53. 1924 Darrow client LOEB
55. Value RATE
56. Pitman users STENOS
58. DOJ part DEA
60. Rebuffs NOS
61. White wine apéritif KIR
62. Reason to make a stand? REFRESHMENT
66. Subj. for an au pair ESL
67. 1993 movie co-written by Quentin Tarantino TRUE ROMANCE
68. Commandment word THY
69. Back-to-the-land movement practitioner HOMESTEADER

Down
1. Jacks KNAVES
2. Razor handle? NORELCO
3. Balm UNCTION
4. Where a guest may rest COT
5. Loop together KNIT
6. Tied together LACED
7. Japanese mushrooms ENOKIS
8. Lawman Ramsey of ’70s TV HEC
9. Haitian season ETE
10. Rat-__ A-TAT
11. Brightest star in Cygnus DENEB
12. 18th-century teenage Russian emperor PETER II
13. Region of eastern Ecuador ORIENTE
14. Clothing store hangers DRESSES
22. Peddler HUCKSTER
24. Activate, in a way SWITCH ON
26. Los Angeles-based ISP NETZERO
27. Hall of Fame running back Campbell EARL
30. “The West Wing” Emmy nominee LOWE
32. Fulfill MEET
35. Shade of green NILE
37. Songwriter Kristofferson KRIS
39. Fire ZEAL
40. Common entrée at 48-Down BRISKET
41. Scrawny RUNTISH
42. Altogether UTTERLY
44. Finished AT AN END
45. Never NOT ONCE
48. Rituals including the Cup of Elijah SEDERS
50. Bird, for one NESTER
52. Value WORTH
54. Inebriate BESOT
57. Prefix with -tonin SERO-
59. Words of lament AH ME
63. Giant word FUM
64. Lough __, second-largest lake on the River Shannon REE
65. Pasture plea MAA

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