LA Times Crossword Answers 28 Nov 13, Thursday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: David W. Cromer
THEME: Write Homophones … today’s themed clues are all homophones:

17A. Wright WILBUR OR ORVILLE
27A. Rite CHURCH CEREMONY
43A. Right STARBOARD AT SEA
57A. Write EMULATE AN AUTHOR

BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 9m 53s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across

1. Nature photographer’s lens MACRO
A macro lens is one that is used for shooting very small subjects, so that the resulting image is usually larger than life size.

6. __ facie PRIMA
“Prima facie” is Latin for “first encounter” or “at first sight”. In the world of the law, a prima facie case is one in which the evidence is deemed to be sufficient for a judgment to be made unless the evidence is contested.

11. Dells, at times PCS
Dell, the computer manufacturer, is named after the company’s founder Michael Dell. Michael Dell started his company in his dorm room at college, shipping personal computers that were customized to the specific needs of his customers. He dropped out of school in order to focus on his growing business, a decision that I doubt he regrets. Michael Dell is now one of the richest people in the world.

17. Wright WILBUR OR ORVILLE
Wilbur was the older of the two Wright brothers, and he was born in 1867 in Millville, Indiana. By the time that Orville was born in 1871, the family was living in Dayton, Ohio. The Wrights spent a few years of their youth back in Richmond, Indiana, before settling in Dayton for the rest of their lives. The brothers both died in Dayton; Wilbur in 1912 and Orville in 1948.

22. Soothing application ALOE
Aloe vera has a number of alternate names that are descriptive of its efficacy as a medicine. These include the First Aid plant, Wand of Heaven, Silent Healer and Miracle Plant.

33. North Carolina’s __ Banks OUTER
The Outer Banks are a 200-mile long chain of barrier islands lying just off the coast of North Carolina (and a small section of Virginia). The seas of the Outer Banks have a reputation as being very treacherous and so are nicknamed the Graveyard of the Atlantic.

34. “America” soloist in “West Side Story” ANITA
The Puerto Rican singer, dancer and actress Rita Moreno is one of the few performers to have won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy and Tony. Moreno got her big break, and won her Oscar, for playing Anita in the 1961 screen adaption of “West Side Story”.

Leonard Bernstein’s musical “West Side Story” is of course based on William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”. The musical is set in New York City and features two rival gangs: the Sharks from Puerto Rico and the Jets with working-class, Caucasian roots. Tony from the Jets falls in love with Maria from the Sharks. All this parallels Romeo from the House of Montague falling for Juliet from the House of Capulet in the Italian city of Verona.

35. Hardy heroine TESS
The full name of Thomas Hardy’s 1891 novel is “Tess of the d’Urbervilles: A Pure Woman Faithfully Presented”. When it was originally published, “Tess …” received very mixed reviews, largely because it addresses some difficult sexual themes including rape, and sexual double standards (society’s attitude towards men vs women). I suppose the most celebrated screen adaptation is Roman Polanski’s “Tess” released in 1979. Polanski apparently made “Tess” because his wife, Sharon Tate, gave him Hardy’s novel as her last act before she was murdered by the Manson family. There is a dedication at the beginning of the movie that simply reads “To Sharon”.

41. Weasel relative SABLE
Sables are small mammals about two feet long, found right across northern Europe and northern Asia. The sable’s pelt is highly prized in the fur trade. Sable is unique among furs in that it feels smooth no matter which direction it is stroked.

42. Feudal lord LIEGE
A liege was a feudal lord, one to whom service or allegiance was owed under feudal law. “Liege” was also the term used for one who owed allegiance or service to a lord. Very confusing …

43. Right STARBOARD AT SEA
The “starboard” side of a ship is her right side, a term that comes from the Old English “steobord” meaning “side on which a vessel was steered”. Apparently, old Germanic peoples constructed boats that were habitually propelled and steered by a paddle on the right side.

The left side of a ship used to be called the “larboard” side, but this was dropped in favor of “port” as pronunciation of “larboard” was easily confused with “starboard”, the right side of the vessel. The term “port” was chosen as it was customary to dock a ship, for loading in port, with the left side of the vessel against the dock.

50. Showy neckwear ASCOT
An Ascot tie is that horrible-looking (I think!) wide tie that narrows at the neck, which these days is only really worn at weddings. The tie takes its name from the Royal Ascot horse race at which punters still turn up in formal wear at Ascot Racecourse in England.

54. Actress Carrere TIA
Tia Carrere is an actress from Honolulu who got her break in the soap opera “General Hospital”. Carrere is perhaps best known for playing Cassandra Wong in the “Wayne’s World” movies.

61. End of a texter’s amusing comment, perhaps LOL
LOL is an abbreviation used in Instant Messages and phone texting, an abbreviation for “Laughing Out Loud”.

62. Paramount output MOVIE
Paramount Pictures is one of the oldest surviving film studios, and is the last major studio that still has its headquarters in Hollywood. Paramount was founded in 1912 as the Famous Players Film Company by Adolph Zukor, with partners Daniel and Charles Frohman. Paramount is now owned by Viacom.

63. Mazda two-seater MIATA
I’ve always liked the looks of the Mazda Miata, probably because it reminds me so much of old British sports cars. The Miata is built in Hiroshima, Japan.

65. Comets, long ago OMENS
Comets and asteroids are similar, both being relatively small celestial bodies orbiting the sun. Comets differ from asteroids in that they have a coma or tail, especially when they are close enough to the sun. The coma and tail are temporary fuzzy atmospheres that develop due to the presence of solar radiation.

Down
1. Bryn __ College MAWR
I used to live not far from Bryn-mawr (also “Brynmwar”) in Wales, the town with the highest elevation in the country. Appropriately enough, “bryn mawr” is Welsh for “big hill”. There is also a Bryn Mawr in Pennsylvania (note the different capitalization) that is named after its Welsh counterpart. At the Pennsylvania location there’s a Bryn Mawr college, a private women’s school that was the first American university to offer graduate degrees to women.

2. Reebok rival AVIA
The Avia brand name for athletic shoes was chosen as “avia” is the Latin word for “to fly”, and suggests the concept of aviation.

5. Norfolk, Va., campus ODU
Old Dominion University (ODU) is a public school in Norfolk, Virginia. ODU was established in 1930 as a two year branch division of the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg. The school was granted independence in 1962 as Old Dominion College, and became Old Dominion University in 1969. “The Old Dominion” was a nickname given to Virginia by King Charles II in recognition of the loyalty shown by the colony during the English Civil War.

9. Rover’s turf MARS
There have been several rovers sent to Mars from Earth. The Soviet Union’s Mars 2 landed in 1971, and failed. Mars 3 landed the same year, and ceased operation just 20 seconds after landing. NASA’s Sojourner landed in 1997 (what a great day that was!) and operated from July through September. The British rover Beagle 2 was lost six days before its scheduled entry into the Martian atmosphere. NASA’s Spirit landed in 2004, and operated successful for over six years before getting trapped in sand and eventually ceasing to communicate. NASA’s Opportunity also landed in 2004, and it is still going. And then NASA’s Curiosity made a spectacular, hi-tech landing in 2012 and is really just starting its explorations of the planet.

10. Four-wheeler, briefly ATV
All-terrain vehicle (ATV)

11. Common allergen POLLEN
The pollen of ragweed is the greatest allergen of all pollens. It seems that the pollen season has been lengthening in recent years, probably due to global warming.

18. __ Hashanah ROSH
Rosh Hashanah is loosely referred to as “Jewish New Year”. The literal translation from Hebrew is “head of the year”.

19. “Othello” villain IAGO
Shakespeare’s “Othello” was first performed in 1604. The main characters in the play are:

– Othello, a general in the army of Venice
– Desdemona, Othello’s wife
– Cassio, Othello’s trusted ensign
– Iago, the villain of the piece

25. Big name in ATMs NCR
NCR is an American company that has been in business since 1884, originally called the National Cash Register Company. The company has done well in a market where new technologies seem to be constantly disrupting the status quo.

26. Doc bloc AMA
American Medical Association (AMA)

29. __-loading CARBO
Only relatively small amounts of carbohydrate can be stored by the human body, but those stores are important. The actual storage molecule is a starch-like polysaccharide called glycogen, which is found mainly in the liver and muscles. Glycogen is a quick source of energy when required by the body. Most of the body’s energy is stored in the form of fat, a more compact substance that is mobilized less rapidly. Endurance athletes often eat meals high in carbohydrate (carbo-loading) a few hours before an event, so that their body’s glycogen is at optimum levels.

30. Name on a historic bomber ENOLA
The Enola Gay was the B-29 that dropped the first atomic bomb, on Hiroshima in August 1945. Enola Gay was the name of the mother of pilot Col. Paul W. Tibbets, Jr.

32. Little green men ETS
In 1952, the USAF revived its studies of reported sightings of unidentified flying objects (UFOs) in a program called Project Blue Book. Project Blue Book ran from 1952 until it was shut down in 1969 with the conclusion that there was no threat to national security and that there were no sightings that could not be explained within the bounds of modern scientific knowledge.

36. “Cash __”: TV game show CAB
“Cash Cab” is a fun TV game show that originated in the UK but it now shown all over the world, including here in North America. In the US version, contestants are picked up in a cab in New York City and asked question during their ride.

39. Scotch bottle datum AGE
Don’t forget to that we use the spelling “whiskey” for American and Irish versions of the drink, and “whisky” for Scotch, the Scottish version.

41. Many AARP members: Abbr. SRS
AARP is now the official name for the interest group that used to be called the American Association of Retired Persons. The name change reflects the current focus of the group on all Americans aged 50 or over, as opposed to just people who have retired. The AARP has two affiliated organizations. The AARP Foundation is a charitable arm that helps older people who are in need. AARP Services sells services such as insurance and advertising in AARP publications. In 2008, AARP services made over $650 million selling insurance, and about $120 million from selling advertising space in AARP publications.

43. John of “Necessary Roughness” STAMOS
Actor John Stamos is best known as the star of the sitcom “Full House”, although he also played Dr. Tony Gates on the medical drama “ER”.

“Necessary Roughness” is a sports drama revolving around a therapist who works with a professional football team.

45. 52-Down victim ABEL
(52. Slayer of 45-Down CAIN)
The story of Cain and Abel not only appears in the Christian and Hebrew Bibles, it also features in the Qur’an. In the Muslim account the brothers are named Kabil and Habil.

47. Stone marker STELE
Stelae were used all over the world, sometimes as territorial markers and sometimes to commemorate military victories. In later times stelae were commonly erected as commemorative markers in graveyards or other religious sites.

50. Bit that can be split ATOM
By some definitions, New Zealand-born physicist and chemist Ernest Rutherford was the first person to “split the atom”. Rutherford bombarded nitrogen with alpha particles and thereby forced neutrons out of the nucleus of the nitrogen atom. The first intentional nuclear “fission” came decades later in the 1930s, with experiments in which larger nuclei were split into smaller nuclei.

51. Cantabria-born golfer, familiarly SEVE
Seve Ballesteros was a very entertaining golfer from Spain, once ranked as the world’s number one player. Sadly, Ballesteros died from brain cancer in 2011, at the age of 54.

55. Kappa preceder IOTA
Iota is the ninth letter in the Greek alphabet. We use the word “iota” to portray something very small as it is the smallest of all Greek letters.

56. Shrinking sea ARAL
The Aral Sea is a great example of how man can have a devastating effect on his environment. In the early sixties the Aral Sea covered 68,000 square miles of Central Asia. Soviet Union irrigation projects drained the lake to such an extent that today the total area is less than 7,000 square miles, with 90% of the lake now completely dry. Sad …

58. Latin trio word AMO
“Amo, amas, amat” … “I love, you love, he/she/it loves”, in Latin.

60. Haberdashery item TIE
Back in the 14th century a haberdasher was a dealer in small wares. By the late 1800s, the term had evolved to mean a purveyor of menswear, and in particular was associated with the sale of hats.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Nature photographer’s lens MACRO
6. __ facie PRIMA
11. Dells, at times PCS
14. Steer clear of AVOID
15. Charged RAN AT
16. Impressed reaction OOH!
17. Wright WILBUR OR ORVILLE
20. “Far out!” RAD!
21. Begins OPENS
22. Soothing application ALOE
23. Dupes CONS
26. One getting a share AGENT
27. Rite CHURCH CEREMONY
33. North Carolina’s __ Banks OUTER
34. “America” soloist in “West Side Story” ANITA
35. Hardy heroine TESS
36. They may be dusted CROPS
37. Indication of freshness? SLAP
41. Weasel relative SABLE
42. Feudal lord LIEGE
43. Right STARBOARD AT SEA
47. Theater sweepings STUBS
48. Drops from the staff AXES
49. Like most pets TAME
50. Showy neckwear ASCOT
54. Actress Carrere TIA
57. Write EMULATE AN AUTHOR
61. End of a texter’s amusing comment, perhaps LOL
62. Paramount output MOVIE
63. Mazda two-seater MIATA
64. Cornerstone abbr. EST
65. Comets, long ago OMENS
66. With 12-Down, exile site PENAL

Down
1. Bryn __ College MAWR
2. Reebok rival AVIA
3. Ham at a party, say COLD CUTS
4. Tease RIB
5. Norfolk, Va., campus ODU
6. Phone in a play, e.g. PROP
7. Uncommon RARE
8. Privy to IN ON
9. Rover’s turf MARS
10. Four-wheeler, briefly ATV
11. Common allergen POLLEN
12. See 66-Across COLONY
13. Sleep on it SHEET
18. __ Hashanah ROSH
19. “Othello” villain IAGO
24. Metal bearers ORES
25. Big name in ATMs NCR
26. Doc bloc AMA
27. Sleep on it COT
28. Peach or plum HUE
29. __-loading CARBO
30. Name on a historic bomber ENOLA
31. Closer to being harvested RIPER
32. Little green men ETS
36. “Cash __”: TV game show CAB
37. Set of Web pages SITE
38. Under LESS THAN
39. Scotch bottle datum AGE
40. Soup veggie PEA
41. Many AARP members: Abbr. SRS
42. Loose LAX
43. John of “Necessary Roughness” STAMOS
44. Turbulence TUMULT
45. 52-Down victim ABEL
46. Computer input DATA
47. Stone marker STELE
50. Bit that can be split ATOM
51. Cantabria-born golfer, familiarly SEVE
52. Slayer of 45-Down CAIN
53. Till fill ONES
55. Kappa preceder IOTA
56. Shrinking sea ARAL
58. Latin trio word AMO
59. Worker at home UMP
60. Haberdashery item TIE

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6 thoughts on “LA Times Crossword Answers 28 Nov 13, Thursday”

  1. Good morning, Bill and friends, happy Thanksgiving. I managed to complete a Thursday, but it was a bear. I kept thinking 'Starboard Area' , for a long time and the the last line wouldn't fill itself. I finally got it done, so I guess it's a triumph of sorts.

    The national aeronautical museum is located in Dayton! OH, near to the Wright home. It is definitely worth visiting.

    Thanks for the info on comets and asteroids …. Comets have tails …. I was reading yesterday, on the diff. between meteors, meteoroids, and meteorites.

    Meteors …. Rocks that orbit the earth.
    Meteoroids … Those rocks that burn up in the earths atmosphere
    Meteorites …. Those rocks that fall to the ground. ..
    U
    .. (. And some are presumably eventually recovered, to be displayed in museums …. )

    Today happens to be Thanksgiving AND the first full day of the Jewish holiday, Hanukkah (Chanukkah) …. and because the latter day "moves up", every year because of the shorter lunar cycle, they will not coincide for the next 79,000 years … According to some mathematicians. So it's a rare Thanksgiving-ukkah.

    Happy holidays to all.

  2. Happy Thanksgiving, Vidwan.

    I heard about the rare Thanksgiving and Hanukkah overlap. I guess that does indeed make this a special and rare holiday.

    I hope that everyone really enjoys it.

  3. Hi Bill and Vidwan, Happy Thansgivukkah to you both!
    Let's enjoy a turkey, cranberry sandwich between two potato latkes.
    I missed two letters. ODe (U)
    and TIu (A).
    I keep mixing up URAL and ARAL.
    Don't know why, one is a sae and the other is a mountain range. Oh well, it was an OK puzzle, but was hoping for a "Thansgiving" theme.
    Be safe and enjoy the rest of the day.

  4. Pookie and Bill, and everyone else, Happy Thanksgiving, and Hanukkah, to those who celebrate.

    We have much to be thankful about.

    Pookie, URAL has a "U" ,,,, as in moUntain . That's a way to remember…. Aral Sea has no U.

    For all —–

    There is a very cute Google Doodle on Thanksgiving Day today. Please do see it if you can …. It disappears at midnight tonight.

    Again, let's give thanks and be grateful.

  5. Hi there, Pookie.

    In fairness, the Ural/Aral confusion might be in the water. The mountains gave their name to the Ural river.

    Hope you had a great Thanksgiving.

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