LA Times Crossword Answers 15 Sep 13, Sunday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: Amy Johnson
THEME: No-Win Situations … each of our themed answers today contain a three-letter string of Xs and Os. These X-O combinations are all LOSERS in a game of tic-tac-toe, i.e. none are XXX or OOO:

23A. Wonka’s starting hockey team? SIX OOMPA-LOOMPAS
37A. Much “Sanford and Son” banter? REDD FOXX ONE-LINERS
66A. Rockport knockoffs? FAUX OXFORDS
96A. Rusty, the Iron Man? SUPERHERO OXYMORON
16D. Artistic place for tiny letters? MAILBOX ORIGAMI
50D. Non-conforming Marvel mutants? UNORTHODOX X-MEN

116A. Three-letter combinations hidden in this puzzle’s six other longest answers TIC-TAC-TOE LOSERS

BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 22m 11s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across

10. Santa __, aka “devil winds” ANAS
The Santa Ana winds are the very dry air currents that sweep offshore late in the year in Southern California. Because these air currents are so dry, they are noted for their influence over forest fires in the area, especially in the heat of the fall. The winds arise from a buildup of air pressure in the Great Basin that lies between the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada. Under the right conditions, that air spills over the peaks of the Sierra Nevada and basically “falls” down the side of the Sierra range, heading for the ocean. As the air falls it becomes drier and heats up so that relative humidity can fall to below 10% by the time it hits the coast.

14. Tut’s home, now TOMB
King Tut is a name commonly used for the Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamen. Tutankhamen may not have been the most significant of the pharaohs historically, but he is the most famous today largely because of the discovery of his nearly intact tomb in 1922. Prior to this find, any Egyptian tombs uncovered by archaeologists had been ravaged by grave robbers. Tutankhamen’s magnificent burial mask is one of the most recognizable of all Egyptian artifacts.

19. OS X basis UNIX
Apple introduced the Mac OS X Operating System in 2000. Each version of this operating system has had a code name, and that code name is always a type of big cat. The versions and code names are:

– 10.0: Cheetah
– 10.1: Puma
– 10.2: Jaguar
– 10.3: Panther
– 10.4: Tiger
– 10.5: Leopard
– 10.6: Snow Leopard

Interestingly, the earlier beta version was called Kodiak, after the bear, and not a cat at all.

23. Wonka’s starting hockey team? SIX OOMPA-LOOMPAS
The Oompa-Loompas are characters in the Roald Dahl book “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”, and indeed in the sequel story “Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator”. Willy Wonka came across the Oompa-Loompas on an isolated island in the Atlantic and invited them to work in his factory in order to escape those hunting them on the island. Right before Dahl’s book was first published, he was intending to call the Oompa-Loompas the “Whipple-Scrumpets”.

27. 2006 Verizon acquisition MCI
MCI was a giant telecom company that suffered a similar fate to Enron, and around about the same time. MCI’s stock price fell in 2000 and in maneuvers designed to protect the price, the company committed illegal acts. The larger-than-life CEO back then, Bernie Ebbers, is now serving a 25-year sentence in Louisiana.

28. Dutch pottery city DELFT
Delft is a city in the Netherlands located between Rotterdam and the Hague. Delft is noted for its pottery and was also home to one of my favorite painters: Johannes Vermeer.

29. Nonstick cookware brand T-FAL
Tefal (also T-Fal) is a French manufacturer of cookware, famous for its non-stick line. The name “Tefal” is a portmanteau, of TEFlon and ALuminum, the key materials used in producing their pots and pans.

31. Early philosophical hot spot ELEA
Parmenides was a philosopher in Ancient Greece. Parmenides was born in the Greek city of Elea located on the Italian coast and so the school of philosophy that he founded is called the Eleatics. Other members of the Eleatic school were Zeno of Elea and Melissus of Samos.

34. Home of the Green Wave TULANE
Tulane University is a private research university in New Orleans, Louisiana. Tulane was founded in 1834 as the Medical College of Louisiana. The university was privatized with the aid of an endowment from philanthropist Paul Tulane in 1884, and as a result the school’s name was changed to Tulane University.

37. Much “Sanford and Son” banter? REDD FOXX ONE-LINERS
Redd Foxx was the stage name of John Elroy Sanford, best known for starring in “Sanford and Son”. “Sanford and Son” was an American version of a celebrated hit BBC sitcom that I grew up with in Ireland, called “Steptoe and Son”.

42. Eugene’s st. ORE
Eugene is the second-largest city in Oregon (after Portland). The city is named for its founder, Eugene Franklin Skinner. Skinner arrived in the area in 1846, after which the settlement he established was called Skinner’s Mudhole. The name was changed to Eugene City in 1852, which was shortened to Eugene in 1889.

45. Bygone TV knob HOR
Remember the “horizontal hold” and “vertical hold” on old TV sets? Our kids have no idea what we had to go through …

48. Grammy winner Cole PAULA
Paula Cole is a singer-songwriter from Rockport, Massachusetts. Cole is probably best known for her 1997 hit “Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?”

53. Org. with Pirates and Sharks AHL
The American Hockey League (AHL) is the so-called development circuit for the National Hockey League (NHL), the equivalent of the minors in professional baseball. The AHL’s playoff trophy is called the Calder Cup, which is named for Frank Calder who was the first president of the NHL.

54. Black hues, to Chaucer EBONS
Geoffrey Chaucer was an English author. He is often referred to as the father of English literature because he established vernacular English as a legitimate language for artistic works, as up to that point authors used French or Latin. Chaucer’s most famous work is actually unfinished, a collection of stories called “The Canterbury Tales”, all written at the end of the 14th century.

56. Fed. workplace monitor OSHA
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

59. Game with Skip cards UNO
In my youth I remember being taught a great card game, by a German acquaintance of mine, called Mau Mau. Years later I discovered that Uno is basically the same game, but played with a purpose-printed deck instead of the regular deck of playing cards that’s used for Mau Mau. I hear that Mau Mau is derived from the game called Crazy Eights.

60. Hawaii’s coffee capital KONA
Kona coffee is cultivated on the Big Island of Hawaii, on the slopes of Mauna Loa and Hualalai, two of the five active volcanoes on the island. Coffee plants were brought to Kona in 1828 and late in the 19th century, coffee became a viable and worthwhile crop. Today Kona is a one of the most expensive and popular coffees in the world.

62. Half the taijitu symbol YANG
The taijitu is the Chinese symbol for the concept of yin and yang. It is the familiar symbol of a circle divided equally by an s-shaped line, with one side dark and the other side light.

64. “__ Went Mad”: Riley poem ERE I
James Whitcomb Riley spent most of his life in Indianapolis, and earned for himself the moniker “The Hoosier Poet”.

76. Certain slip-on 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.

79. Crest letters ADA
American Dental Association (ADA)

87. Polynesian language MAORI
The Māori are the indigenous people of New Zealand. The Māori are eastern Polynesian in origin and began arriving in New Zealand relatively recently, starting sometime in the late 13th century. The word “māori” simply means “normal”, distinguishing the mortal human being from spiritual entities.

88. ABO designation POS
The most important grouping of blood types is the ABO system. Blood is classified as either A, B, AB or O, depending on the type of antigens on the surface of the red blood cells. A secondary designation of blood is the Rh factor, in which other antigens are labelled as either positive or negative. When a patient receives a blood transfusion, ideally the donor blood should be the same type as that of the recipient, as incompatible blood cells can be rejected. However, blood type O-neg can be accepted by recipients with all blood types, A, B, AB or O, and positive or negative. Hence someone with O-neg blood type is called a “universal donor”.

95. Tokugawa shogunate seat of power EDO
Edo is the former name of the Japanese city of Tokyo. Edo was the seat of the Tokugawa shogunate, a feudal regime that ruled from 1603 until 1868. The shogun lived in the magnificent Edo castle. Some parts of the original castle remain and today’s Tokyo Imperial Palace, the residence of the Emperor of Japan, was built on its grounds.

96. Rusty, the Iron Man? SUPERHERO OXYMORON
The word “oxymoron” is in itself an oxymoron, as it is derived from the Greek words “Oxys” and “moros” meaning “sharp” and “stupid”.

104. Scripts that may be hard to read RXS
There seems to some uncertainty about the origin of the symbol “Rx” that’s used for a medical prescription. One explanation is that it comes from the astrological sign for Jupiter, a symbol put on prescriptions in days of old to invoke Jupiter’s blessing to help a patient recover.

107. Old-fashioned show of affection: Abbr. LTR
I think the reference is to a letter (ltr.), perhaps a love letter. I might be wrong …

108. Project Mercury org. NASA
The goal of NASA’s Project Mercury was to put a human being in orbit around the Earth before the Soviet Union. NASA lost this first leg of the space race, as cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin achieved the feat in April 1961. Mercury astronaut Alan Shepard became the first American in space, in May 1961. The John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth, in February 1962.

109. Actress Meredith __-Birney BAXTER
The actress Meredith Baxter is best known for playing the mother in the eighties sitcom “Family Ties”. Baxter’s big break on television came with a title role on a short-lived sitcom called “Bridget Loves Bernie”. She ended up marrying David Birney, her co-star on “Bridget Loves Bernie”, and so was known for many years as Meredith Baxter-Birney. She changed her name back to Meredith Baxter when the pair divorced in 1989.

112. Calligrapher’s line SERIF
Serifs are details on the ends of characters in some typefaces. Typefaces without serifs are known as sans-serif (using the French word “sans” meaning “without”). Some people say that serif fonts are easier to read on paper, whereas sans-serif fonts work better on a computer screen. I’m not so sure though …

114. Rotation meas. RPS
Revolutions per second (rps)

116. Three-letter combinations hidden in this puzzle’s six other longest answers TIC-TAC-TOE LOSERS
When I was growing up in Ireland we played “noughts and crosses” … our name for the game tic-tac-toe.

121. Bengay, e.g. BALM
Bengay is sold as a painkilling heat rub, to relieve aching muscles. It was developed in France by a Dr. Jules Bengue (hence the name) and was first sold in America way back in 1898.

123. Lombardy Castle city ENNA
The city of Enna sits very high up in the hills of Sicily, overlooking the whole island below. Enna is the capital of the province that bears its name, which is the highest province in the whole of Italy.

125. Old dagger SNEE
“Snick or snee” is the name given to cut and thrust while fighting with a knife. The phrase is rooted in a pair of Dutch words and it gave its name to a “snee”, a light sword-like knife.

126. Mythical lover of wine and women SATYR
The satyrs of Greek mythology came with a very high sex drive. They are the “rude” male subjects drawn on the side of old Greek vases. The nubile maidens known as nymphs were often an object of attention for the satyrs.

Down
1. “Animal magnetism” coiner MESMER
Franz Mesmer was a German physician, the person who coined the phrase “animal magnetism”. Back then the term described a purported magnetic field that resided in the bodies of animate beings. Mesmer also lent his name to our term “mesmerize”.

4. Menu general TSO
General Tso’s chicken is an American creation, often found on the menu of a Chinese restaurant. The name General Tso may be a reference to General Zuo Zongtang of the Qing Dynasty, but there is no clear link.

11. Himalayan native NEPALI
Nepal lies to the northeast of India. Today, the state is known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal. In 2008, the Communist Party of Nepal won the country’s general election. Soon after, the Assembly voted to change the form of government, moving away from a monarchy and creating a secular republic.

15. __ vincit amor OMNIA
“Omnia vincit amor” is a line from Eclogue X, one of the major works of the Latin poet Virgil. We know the phrase in English as “love conquers all”.

16. Artistic place for tiny letters? MAILBOX ORIGAMI
Origami is the traditional Japanese art form of paper folding. The word “origami” is derived from “ori“ (folding) and “kami” (paper).

22. Video game console NES
The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) was sold in North America from 1985 to to 1995. The NES was the biggest selling gaming console of the era.

30. Pak of the LPGA SE RI
Se Ri Pak is a South Korean golfer playing on the LPGA tour. Having a Korean name, we really should be calling her Pak Se Ri as she is known in her homeland. Korean names always start with the family name.

32. Mr. Rochester’s ward ADELE
In Charlotte Brontë’s novel “Jane Eyre”, the title character becomes the governess of Adele, Mr. Rochester’s ward.

“Jane Eyre” is of course the novel written by Charlotte Brontë, under the pen name Currer Bell. Over the years, I’ve shared here on my blogs that the “Jane Eyre” story line is a little too dark and Gothic for my taste, but a very persuasive blog reader convinced me to look more at the romantic side of the story and give it a second chance. I watched a wonderful 4-hour television adaptation of the novel made by the BBC a while back and I have to say that because I was focused on the relationship between Jane and Rochester, I was able to push past the Gothic influences (that depress me) so I really enjoyed the story. I thoroughly recommend the 2006 BBC adaptation to fans of the novel.

35. “Gimme a Break!” star Carter NELL
Nell Carter was a singer and actress from Birmingham, Alabama. Carter won a Tony for her performance on Broadway in “Ain’t Misbehavin’”. She also starred in the TV sitcom “Gimme a Break!” in the 1980s.

38. Ballpark buy FRANK
What we call a wiener in this country is known as a Vienna sausage in Germany. It was first produced by a butcher from Frankfurt who was living in Vienna, hence the name “Wiener”, which is German for “of Vienna”. Paradoxically, the same sausage is called a Frankfurter in Vienna, as it was created by someone from Frankfurt. It’s all very confusing …

43. Manitoba pump sign ESSO
The brand name Esso has its roots in the old Standard Oil company as it uses the initial letters of “Standard” and “Oil” (ESS-O). The Esso brand was replaced by Exxon in the US, but ESSO is still used in many other countries.

Manitoba is the Canadian province that borders the US states of North Dakota and Minnesota. Even though Manitoba has an area of over 250,000 square miles, 60% of its population resides in the province’s capital city of Winnipeg.

47. Irish Rose’s guy ABIE
“Abie’s Irish Rose” was originally a Broadway play by Anne Nichols that opened in 1922 and ran for over five years, which back then was the longest run for any show in New York. The show then went on tour, and stayed on tour for an amazing 40 years.

48. Grade refinement PLUS
For example, a grade of A+ is better than just A.

49. “__ Misbehavin'” AIN’T
“Ain’t Misbehavin'” is a song written in 1929 by Fats Waller and Harry Brooks, with lyrics by Andy Razaf. Waller was the first to record the song, quickly followed by six other artists that same year. The song also provided the title for a successful stage musical that premiered in 1978.

50. Non-conforming Marvel mutants? UNORTHODOX X-MEN
X-Men is a team of superheroes created by Stan Lee for Marvel Comics. Nowadays the X-Men are perhaps best known as the subject of a series of movies, with Hugh Jackman playing Wolverine, and Patrick Stewart playing Professor Xavier (or simply “Professor X”).

51. “__ Lisa” MONA
Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece that we know in English as the “Mona Lisa” is called “La Gioconda” in Italian, the language of the artist. It’s also known as “La Joconde” by the Government of France which owns the painting and displays it in the Louvre Museum in Paris. The title comes from the name of the subject, almost certainly Lisa Gherardini, wife of Francesco del Giocondo. Giocondo was a wealthy silk merchant in Florence who commissioned the painting for the couple’s new home to celebrate the birth of their second son.

52. Biblical barterer ESAU
Esau was the twin brother of Jacob, the founder of the Israelites. When their mother Rebekah gave birth to the twins “the first emerged red and hairy all over (Esau), with his heel grasped by the hand of the second to come out (Jacob)”. As Esau was the first born, he was entitled to inherit his father’s wealth (it was his “birthright”). Instead, Esau sold his birthright to Jacob for the price of a “mess of pottage” (a meal of lentils).

53. Ship protected by Hera 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.

In Greek mythology, Hera was the wife of Zeus and was noted for her jealous and vengeful nature, particularly against those who vied for the affections of her husband. The equivalent character to Hera in Roman mythology was Juno. Hera was the daughter of Cronus and Rhea.

58. Company with toy trucks HESS
The Hess Corporation is an oil company based in New York City. In 1964, the company started selling toy trucks with the Hess logo on them, in Hess gas stations. The company has been selling them every since, bringing out new models just before Christmas. Hess toy trucks have become quite collectible and the old ones can fetch a pretty penny.

61. “All __”: 1984 film OF ME
“All of Me” is a very entertaining 1984 comedy film starring Steve Martin and Lily Tomlin, and directed by Carl Reiner. The storyline is a little fantastic, but hilarious. The Lily Tomlin character ends up occupying the Steve Martin character’s body. Two years after meeting on “All of Me” film set, Steve Martin ended up marrying supporting actress Victoria Tennant

63. Rocker Rose AXL
Axl Rose is the lead vocalist of the American rock band, Guns N’ Roses.

Guns N’ Roses is a hard rock band founded in 1985 that is still going strong. The group was pulled together by Axl Rose, the lead vocalist. The lead-guitar player back then was Tracii Guns, and it was the combination of Axl and Tracii’s “family” names that led to the band being called Guns N’ Roses.

67. Adman’s yuletide XMAS
“Yule” celebrations coincide with Christmas, and the words “Christmas” and “Yule” have become synonymous in much of the world. However, Yule was originally a pagan festival celebrated by Germanic peoples. The name “Yule” comes from the Old Norse word “jol” that was used to describe the festival.

68. Aaron’s MLB record 2,297 RBIS
The great Hank Aaron has many claims to fame. One notable fact is that he was last major league baseball player to have also played in the Negro League.

69. Longtime “What’s My Line?” host DALY
I only discovered the wonderful old American TV show “What’s My Line?” a few years ago. I was familiar with the show’s British adaptation, but hadn’t spotted the US version until relatively recently in reruns. I fell in love with the beautiful Arlene Francis watching those reruns. She was a regular panelist on the show, and the embodiment of elegance. Host of the show was the erudite and genteel John Daly, a much-respected journalist and broadcaster. Daly became the son-in-law of Chief Justice Earl Warren when he married Warren’s daughter, Virginia.

71. Original sin site EDEN
In the Christian tradition, “original sin” is the state of sin that exists in all humanity as a result of Adam’s first disobedience in the Garden of Eden. According to the Roman Catholic faith, three people were born without original sin: the Virgin Mary, Jesus Christ and John the Baptist.

74. Israeli folk dance HORA
The hora (also “horah”) is a circle dance that originated in the Balkans. The hora was brought to Israel by Romanian settlers, and is often performed to traditional Israeli folk songs. The dance is a regular sight at Jewish weddings and at bar and bat mitzvahs. At such events, it is common for the honorees to be raised on chairs during the dance.

75. Actress Moran et al. ERINS
Erin Moran is the lovely actress most famous for playing Joanie Cunningham on “Happy Days” and the resulting (short-lived) spin-off sitcom called “Joanie Loves Chachi”. Long before she got her big break in “Happy Days”, Moran played Jenny Jones on the children’s drama “Daktari” from the late sixties.

78. “Casey’s Top 40” host KASEM
Not only is Casey Kasem so closely associated with the radio show “American Top 40”, but he is also well known for playing the voice of Shaggy Rogers on the “Scooby-Doo” animated series.

81. 1959 Gidget player SANDRA DEE
The actress Sandra Dee started out as a model before moving into film. After a promising start to her career it seemed to peter out, and the public became more interested in her 7-year marriage to Bobby Darin. And of course she will forever be remembered from the song in the movie and stage-show “Grease” called “Look at Me, I’m Sandra Dee”.

“Gidget” is an early “beach party film” that was released in 1959. The movie stars Sandra Dee as a teenage girl who falls in love with a young surfer. The surfer’s gang gives the young lass the nickname “Gidget”, a portmanteau of “girl” and “midget”.

82. Jibs, e.g. FORESAILS
A jib is a triangular sail that is set at the bow of a sailboat.

84. Lhasa __ APSO
The Lhasa apso breed of dog originated in Tibet and is named after Lhasa. the capital city, and “apso”, a Tibetan word meaning “bearded”. The Lhasa apso has been around since 800 BC and is one of the oldest breeds in the world, one very closely related to the ancestral wolf.

89. Powerful D.C. lobby THE NRA
National Rifle Association (NRA)

92. __ gum: thickening agent GUAR
Guar gum is a powder that is extracted from guar beans. About 80% of the world’s supply of guar gum comes from India. It is used mainly in the food industry, often as a substitute for gluten in gluten-free recipes and products.

94. Ritchard who played Hook on Broadway CYRIL
Cyril Ritchard was an actor from Sydney, Australia. Ritchard is best remembered today for portraying Captain Hook in the hit production of the musical “Peter Pan” that starred Mary Martin in the title role. Both Martin and Ritchard won Tony Awards in 1954 for their performances.

97. Gun, in old slang ROSCOE
Roscoe is a slang term for a gun, especially a handgun when used in gangster circles of old. I wasn’t able to unearth the etymology of the term …

102. Fish-eating hawk OSPREY
The Osprey is also known as the sea hawk or fish eagle.

103. 1952 Egyptian Revolution leader NASSER
Gamal Abdel Nasser was the second president of Egypt, from 1956 until he died in 1970. He stood alongside Muhammad Naguib, Egypt’s first president, during the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 that overthrew the ruling monarchy of Egypt and Sudan. Nasser was an advocate of Pan-Arabism, an ideology promoting unification of Arab peoples and countries. President Nasser went so far as forming the United Arab Republic (UAR), a union between Egypt and Syria that started in 1958 but fell apart in 1961 when Syria withdrew.

109. Statement no. BAL
Balance (bal.)

110. Mononymous New Ager ENYA
Enya’s real name is Eithne Patricia Ní Bhraonáin, which can translate from Irish into Enya Brennan. Her Donegal family (in the northwest of Ireland) formed a band called Clannad, which included Enya. In 1980 Enya launched her very successful solo career. She sure does turn up a lot in crosswords!

112. Asian country suffix -STAN
The suffix “-stan” that is seen in the name of several countries in Asia is of Persian for “place of” or “country”.

117. Letters next to an eye CBS
CBS introduced its “eye” logo in 1951.

118. “__ man walks into …” SO A
So a man walks into a bar and says to the bartender, “Give me 12 shots of your most expensive Tequila!” The bartender pours the shots and lines them up. The guy starts shooting them back really quickly, one right after another. The bartender says in shock, “Why are you drinking those so fast?!” The guy stops long enough to get out a few words, “You would drink these fast too, if you had what I have” Confused, the bartender asks, “Why? what do you have?” The guy says, “About four dollars” …

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Casserole holders MITTS
6. Flood barrier DIKE
10. Santa __, aka “devil winds” ANAS
14. Tut’s home, now TOMB
18. Online payment E-CASH
19. OS X basis UNIX
20. Guns REVS
21. At full throttle AMAIN
23. Wonka’s starting hockey team? SIX OOMPA-LOOMPAS
26. Say “I do” UNITE
27. 2006 Verizon acquisition MCI
28. Dutch pottery city DELFT
29. Nonstick cookware brand T-FAL
30. Clown’s props STILTS
31. Early philosophical hot spot ELEA
33. Island gift LEI
34. Home of the Green Wave TULANE
36. Civil War nickname ABE
37. Much “Sanford and Son” banter? REDD FOXX ONE-LINERS
42. Eugene’s st. ORE
44. Cousin of a bald eagle ERN
45. Bygone TV knob HOR
46. High points CLIMAXES
48. Grammy winner Cole PAULA
51. Alley cries MEOWS
53. Org. with Pirates and Sharks AHL
54. Black hues, to Chaucer EBONS
55. Traditional fourth-anniversary gift LINEN
56. Fed. workplace monitor OSHA
57. Hot state IRE
58. Bob or bowl HAIRDO
59. Game with Skip cards UNO
60. Hawaii’s coffee capital KONA
62. Half the taijitu symbol YANG
64. “__ Went Mad”: Riley poem ERE I
65. Cellists’ sect. STR
66. Rockport knockoffs? FAUX OXFORDS
70. Styling stuff GEL
73. Us opponents THEM
76. Certain slip-on MULE
77. Catch some rays BASK
79. Crest letters ADA
80. Like sailors on leave ASHORE
82. Lucrative FAT
83. Epitome of thinness RAIL
85. High points ACMES
87. Polynesian language MAORI
88. ABO designation POS
89. High TIPSY
90. Venerated one SAINT
91. Skating on thin ice IN DANGER
93. Holiday chuckles HOS
94. 21st, e.g.: Abbr. CEN
95. Tokugawa shogunate seat of power EDO
96. Rusty, the Iron Man? SUPERHERO OXYMORON
104. Scripts that may be hard to read RXS
106. Part of ASAP AS SOON
107. Old-fashioned show of affection: Abbr. LTR
108. Project Mercury org. NASA
109. Actress Meredith __-Birney BAXTER
111. Coll. major involving an observatory ASTR
112. Calligrapher’s line SERIF
114. Rotation meas. RPS
115. Skilled pitchers ADMEN
116. Three-letter combinations hidden in this puzzle’s six other longest answers TIC-TAC-TOE LOSERS
119. Hardly certain LEERY
120. Natural soother ALOE
121. Bengay, e.g. BALM
122. “Have a look!” GO SEE!
123. Lombardy Castle city ENNA
124. Surfer, perhaps USER
125. Old dagger SNEE
126. Mythical lover of wine and women SATYR

Down
1. “Animal magnetism” coiner MESMER
2. Frozen drip ICICLE
3. Rolled on a runway TAXIED
4. Menu general TSO
5. Sporting heels SHOD
6. Two-floor apartment DUPLEX
7. Up the creek IN A FIX
8. Highland wear KILT
9. Skeletal prefix EXO-
10. Carrying limit ARMFUL
11. Himalayan native NEPALI
12. Ski area concern AVALANCHE
13. Snake’s “Back off!” SSS!
14. Ready to snap TAUT
15. __ vincit amor OMNIA
16. Artistic place for tiny letters? MAILBOX ORIGAMI
17. What some fight to, with “the” BITTER END
22. Video game console NES
24. Cantaloupe, e.g. MELON
25. Aquatic rompers OTTERS
30. Pak of the LPGA SE RI
32. Mr. Rochester’s ward ADELE
35. “Gimme a Break!” star Carter NELL
38. Ballpark buy FRANK
39. “This could be a problem” OH-OH
40. Trouble for the hopelessly trapped NO WAY OUT
41. Nasty race tactic SMEAR
43. Manitoba pump sign ESSO
47. Irish Rose’s guy ABIE
48. Grade refinement PLUS
49. “__ Misbehavin'” AIN’T
50. Non-conforming Marvel mutants? UNORTHODOX X-MEN
51. “__ Lisa” MONA
52. Biblical barterer ESAU
53. Ship protected by Hera ARGO
57. Lower-ranking INFERIOR
58. Company with toy trucks HESS
61. “All __”: 1984 film OF ME
63. Rocker Rose AXL
67. Adman’s yuletide XMAS
68. Aaron’s MLB record 2,297 RBIS
69. Longtime “What’s My Line?” host DALY
71. Original sin site EDEN
72. __ resort LAST
74. Israeli folk dance HORA
75. Actress Moran et al. ERINS
78. “Casey’s Top 40” host KASEM
80. French girlfriend AMIE
81. 1959 Gidget player SANDRA DEE
82. Jibs, e.g. FORESAILS
84. Lhasa __ APSO
86. Church law CANON
88. Spices (up) PEPS
89. Powerful D.C. lobby THE NRA
92. __ gum: thickening agent GUAR
94. Ritchard who played Hook on Broadway CYRIL
97. Gun, in old slang ROSCOE
98. More spicy HOTTER
99. Soccer stadium shout OLE OLE!
100. Limit-pushing, in adspeak XTREME
101. Most limited RAREST
102. Fish-eating hawk OSPREY
103. 1952 Egyptian Revolution leader NASSER
105. Tough STERN
109. Statement no. BAL
110. Mononymous New Ager ENYA
112. Asian country suffix -STAN
113. London forecasts FOGS
116. Sigma follower TAU
117. Letters next to an eye CBS
118. “__ man walks into …” SO A

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7 thoughts on “LA Times Crossword Answers 15 Sep 13, Sunday”

  1. Bill, great blog, great show. Loved all your answers.

    -Stan – the etymology of the word is somewhat disputed. It could also be from the Hindi, or Sanskrit, where -"sthana", means place, or 'act of standing'. Since both Persian and Sanskrit are related, in so much as they are both Proto-Indo-European, both are cognate with each other. Normally, the compound sound 'Sth' is rarely used in the Persian or Arabic, especially in the beginning of the word. 'Stan' is also cognate with the English word -" stand" , and has similar meanings in the Polish and the Serbs-Croatian languages.

    Also, since you mentioned Universal Donor for blood, as O.Rh.neg. ,….. you might as well mention that the Universal Acceptor, of blood, as AB. Rh. positive. Since it has no antibodies to react to the A or B antigen coats.

    I wanted to post yesterday, but got otherwise occupied. I wanted to mention, in connection, with EBay ( which, a long time ago, I was somewhat addicted to – ), that the founder, and still majority shareholder, is Pierre Morad Omidyar, a French born, American, a person of Persian ancestry. With all the bad news coming from Iran, I think some of the positives should also be noted. As Einstein, once noted,' Genius is random, and comes from all parts of the world'. As an expat yourself, I'm sure you would appreciate that.

    Now, to read up on Guar Gum…..

    Thank you, and the top of the morning.

  2. Hi there, Vidwan.

    As always, lots of interesting stuff in your comprehensive comments.

    And all new to me (except for the universal acceptor AB+)!

    Have fun reading up on guar gum, and also have a great week 🙂

  3. Bill, thank you for the favor of your comments.

    Regarding the manufacture of Guar gum , an industry that has always been good, and on the up-side, in Bombay, where I used to live, 30 years ago. Apparently the price of the Guar gum has gone up 3800%. in the last 8 years.!!!! Apparently Halliburton and some other big boys have cornered the market, and stock piled it !!!!

    The gum, a polysaccharide with mostly sugars, galactose and mannose, used to have a modest role as a food additive, as a thickening agent, in dough, pizza, and ice creams and puddings and soups etc. It has about 18 times the 'thickening power' of corn flour…. And is presumably much cheaper ….. One source claims it could freeze a jellyfish, in its tracks ….

    No, the price rise is because , now, 95% of it is being used as a thickener and lubricant and viscosity facilitator as a "cracking fluid", in hydraulic drilling, in the US, China and other places. Apparently, a 5% solution of Guar gum, will do the trick and work wonders to lubricate the drilling machinery moving parts, squeeze the rock fractures, and gather up all the natural gas, god can provide …… All at the same time ……

    I wish Mother Nature would do some finger pointing to us , humans, and say, ' Now, DON'T play with your food !!!!!'.

  4. Hi there, Brighamcat.

    Yes, you could be rightabout LTR. We don't do the whole "letterman" thing back where I went to school, so the thought never occured to me. Thanks!

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