LA Times Crossword Answers 28 Feb 14, Friday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: Daniel Landman
THEME: Gigi’s Inside … each of today’s themed answers is a well-known expression, but with the letter sequence GG inserted to suit the clue:

18A. Non-magical “Harry Potter” animal? MUGGLE DEER (from “mule deer”)
23A. Camembert left out in the sun too long? SAGGY CHEESE (from “say ‘cheese’”)
37A. Woman’s enticing movements? FEMININE WIGGLES (from “feminine wiles”)
52A. Miracle in the mire? BOGGY WONDER (from “boy wonder”)
58A. Periodical dedicated to stylish boots? UGGS WEEKLY (from “US Weekly”)

63A. Best Picture of 1958, and a hint to this puzzle’s theme GIGI

BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 11m 15s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across

1. “Poetic” or “Prose” mythological work EDDA
The Poetic Edda and Prose Edda are two ancient works that are the source for much of Norse mythology. Both Eddas were written in the 13th century, in Iceland.

5. Movie-rating org. MPAA
The Motion Picture Association of America’s (MPAA) film-rating system (R, PG-17, G etc.) is purely voluntary and is not backed by any law. Movie theaters agree to abide by the rules that come with the MPAA ratings in exchange for access to new movies.

9. R&B singer known for popularizing Auto-Tune T-PAIN
T-Pain the stage name of rap artist Faheem Rasheed Najm. T-Pain is from Tallahassee, Florida.

When Cher recorded the 1998 song “Believe”, the audio engineers routinely corrected the sound of Cher’s voice to ensure that all notes were sung with perfect pitch (all singers “cheat”, it seems!). The software that does this pitch correction is called “Auto-Tune”. Then, for a bit of fun, the same engineers played with the Auto-Tune software and created a special effect in her voice that she so liked it was left in the final release. You can easily detect the strange effect if you listen to the song. The process is now called the “Cher Effect” and is used by other artists in their recordings.

14. Device for Marner LOOM
“Silas Marner: The Weaver of Raveloe” is a novel written by George Eliot and first published in 1861. There’s an excellent BBC TV version of the tale (shown on PBS) starring Ben Kingsley in the title role, with Patsy Kensit playing Eppie, the young orphaned child that Marner takes under his wing.

18. Non-magical “Harry Potter” animal? MUGGLE DEER (from “mule deer”)
In the word of “Harry Potter”, a “muggle” is someone born without any magical ability, and who wasn’t born into the magical world. There is also a “Squib”, who is someone born to magical parents but who has no magical abilities.

The mule deer is native to North America and is named for its large ears, which resemble those of a mule.

20. Shill PLANT
A shill is someone planted, perhaps in an audience, with the job of feigning enthusiasm.

22. Serengeti predators LIONS
The Serengeti is a region in Africa, located in northern Tanzania and southwest Kenya. The name “Serengeti” comes from the Maasai language and means “Endless Plains”.

23. Camembert left out in the sun too long? SAGGY CHEESE (from “say ‘cheese’”)
Photographers often instruct us to say “cheese”, to elicit a smile-like expression. Even Japanese photographers use the word “cheese” for the same effect. Bulgarians use the word “zele” meaning “cabbage”. The Chinese say “eggplant”, the Danish “orange”, the Iranians “apple” and the most Latin Americans say “whiskey”.

The soft cheese called Camembert is named after the place it was first produced, the commune of Camembert in Normandy in the north of France.

26. Whammy HEX
“Hexen” is a German word meaning “to practice witchcraft”. The use of the word “hex” in English started with the Pennsylvania Dutch in the early 1800s.

29. Cockney location word ‘ERE
The East End of London is home to the Cockney, and Cockneys are famous for dropping their aitches, as in “here” becoming “‘ere” and “home” becoming “‘ome”.

30. Bean opening? SOY
What are known as soybeans here in the US are called “soya beans” in most other English-speaking countries. So, I drink soy milk here in America, but when I am over in Ireland I drink “soya milk”.

36. Inventing middle name ALVA
Thomas Alva Edison was nicknamed “The Wizard of Menlo Park” by a newspaper reporter, a name that stuck. He was indeed a wizard, in the sense that he was such a prolific inventor. The Menlo Park part of the moniker recognizes the location of his first research lab, in Menlo Park, New Jersey.

42. Gulf of __ ADEN
The Gulf of Aden is the body of water that lies south of the Red Sea, and just north of the Horn of Africa.

44. The Aztecs’ Tonatiuh, for one SUN GOD
Tonatiuh was an Aztec sun god, actually the fifth in a series of such gods. The Aztecs believed him to be the sun that took over after the fourth sun was ousted. They also believed that human sacrifice was needed to ensure that the sun moved across the sky. It is though that the Aztecs sacrificed 20,000 humans each year to Tonatiuh and other gods.

47. Bert Bobbsey’s twin NAN
The “Bobbsey Twins” series of children’s novels was first written by Edward Stratemeyer in 1904. Stratemeyer used the pseudonym Laura Lee Hope, as did subsequent authors who wrote 72 books in the series between 1904 and 1979. The title characters were two sets of fraternal twins, one called Bert and Nan (who were 12) and the other called Flossie and Freddie (who were 6).

48. Old sports org. with a red, white and blue ball ABA
The American Basketball Association (ABA) was absorbed into the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 1976. Famously, the ABA used a red, white and blue ball instead of the traditional orange ball used by the NBA.

51. Germaphobia may be a symptom of it, for short OCD
Apparently obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is the fourth most commonly diagnosed mental disorder, making it about as common as asthma.

52. Miracle in the mire? BOGGY WONDER (from “boy wonder”)
A “boy wonder” is a male who rises through the ranks early in his career. The term is also a nickname given to Batman’s sidekick Robin the Boy Wonder.

56. British bishop’s headdress MITRE
A mitre is a traditional headdress worn by bishops in some Christian traditions. The name “mitre” comes from a Greek word for “headband, turban”.

58. Periodical dedicated to stylish boots? UGGS WEEKLY (from “US Weekly”)
“US Weekly” is a celebrity gossip magazine, first published in 1977.

Uggs are sheepskin boots that originated in Australia and New Zealand. Uggs have sheepskin fleece on the inside for comfort and insulation, with a tanned leather surface on the outside for durability. Ugg is a generic term down under, although it’s a brand name here in the US.

63. Best Picture of 1958, and a hint to this puzzle’s theme GIGI
In the lovely musical film “Gigi”, released in 1958, the title song is sung by Louis Jourdan who plays Gaston. My favorite number though, has to be “Thank Heaven for Little Girls” sung by Maurice Chevalier. Many say that “Gigi” is the last in the long line of great MGM musicals. It won a record 9 Academy Awards, a record that only lasted one year. Twelve months later “Ben Hur” won 11 Oscars. In the 1958 film, Gigi was played by the lovely Leslie Caron. A few years earlier, “Gigi” was a successful stage play on Broadway. Chosen for the title role on stage was the then-unknown Audrey Hepburn.

64. Japanese comics MANGA
The Japanese word “manga” means “whimsical pictures” and is an apt term to describe the Japanese style of comic book. Manga publications are more diverse than American comic books and have a larger audience. Manga cover many subjects including romance, sports, business, horror, and mystery.

65. Kitchenware brand EKCO
The EKCO name dates back to 1888 when Edward Katzinger founded his company in Chicago, to make baking pans. The acronym EKCO stands for “Edward Katzinger Co”.

66. First name in case fiction ERLE
I must have read all of the Perry Mason books when I was in college. I think they kept me sane when I was facing the pressure of exams. Author Erle Stanley Gardner was himself a lawyer, although he didn’t get into the profession the easy way. Gardner went to law school, but got himself suspended after a month. So, he became a self-taught attorney and opened his own law office in Merced, California. Understandably, he gave up the law once his novels became successful.

Down
2. Almighty __ DOLLAR
The idiom “almighty dollar” is used to describe an obsession with material wealth or with capitalism. The phrase is sometimes attributed to Washington Irving who used it in his story “The Creole Village”, first published in 1837:

The almighty dollar, that great object of universal devotion throughout our land, seems to have no genuine devotees in these peculiar villages; and unless some of its missionaries penetrate there, and erect banking houses and other pious shrines, there is no knowing how long the inhabitants may remain in their present state of contented poverty.

4. First __ equals AMONG
The phrase “first among equals” is a translation of the Latin “primus inter pares”. The expression was used by Roman emperors to describe themselves and mitigate the appearance of dictatorship after the demise of the Roman Republic.

6. Little, in Lille PEU
Lille is a large city in the very north of France sitting right on the border with Belgium. The name “Lille” is a derivation of the term “l’isle” meaning “the island”.

8. Bellow title hero March AUGIE
“The Adventures of Augie March” is a novel by Saul Bellow published first in 1953. The story tells of a young man growing up during the Great Depression.

21. 1980s-’90s heavyweight champ TYSON
The boxer Mike Tyson has said some pretty graphic things about his opponents. For example:

– About Lennox Lewis, “My main objective is to be professional but to kill him.”
– To Razor Ruddock, “I’m gonna make you my girlfriend.”
– About Tyrell Biggs, “He was screaming like my wife.”

24. E. follower COLI
Escherichia coli (E. coli) are usually harmless bacteria found in the human gut, working away quite happily. However, there are some strains that can produce lethal toxins. These strains can make their way into the food chain from animal fecal matter that comes into contact with food designated for human consumption.

25. Serengeti scavenger HYENA
Hyenas have the reputation of being cowardly scavengers. That said, the spotted hyena that lives in Sub-Saharan Africa actually kills about 95% of its food and a pack of spotted hyenas are capable of driving off leopards or lionesses before they can consume their kill.

28. Short holiday? XMAS
The abbreviation “Xmas” that is used for “Christmas” comes from the Greek letter chi (X), which is the first letter of the Greek word for “Christ” (Χριστός).

32. Joplin works RAGS
Scott Joplin was a great American composer and pianist, the “King of Ragtime”. Joplin was born poor, into a laboring family in Texas. He learned his music from local teachers and started out his career as an itinerant musician, traveling around the American South. He found fame with the release of his 1899 composition “Maple Leaf Rag”, regarded as the foundation stone on which ragtime music was built. Joplin’s music, and ragtime in general, was rediscovered by the populous in the early seventies when it was used in the very successful movie “The Sting”.

33. Artistic dynasty MING
The Ming Dynasty lasted in China from 1368 to 1644. The Ming Dynasty oversaw tremendous innovation in so many areas, including the manufacture of ceramics. Late in the Ming period, a shift towards a market economy in China led to the export of porcelain on an unprecedented scale, perhaps explaining why we tend to hear more about Ming vases than we do about porcelain from any other Chinese dynasty.

34. Sun. message SER
A sermon (ser.) is often delivered in Sunday (Sun.) in many Christian traditions.

35. Strong like string TWINY
Our word “twine”, meaning a light string, has the same root as our word “twin”. The original Old English “twin” was a double thread.

37. Burkina __ FASO
Burkina Faso is an inland country in western Africa. The country used to be called the Republic of Upper Volta and was renamed in 1984 to Burkina Faso meaning “the land of upright people”.

38. Cabinet dept. EDUC
The US Department of Education is by far the smallest government department in the cabinet, having a mere four or five thousand employees. The next smallest department is Housing and Urban Development with about ten thousand employees. The largest of course is the Department of Defense with a permanent staff of over 600 thousand.

40. Part of Caesar’s boast I SAW
The oft-quoted statement “Veni, vidi, vici” (“I came, I saw, I conquered”) is believed by many to have been written by Julius Caesar. The words date back to 47 BC and refer to the short war between Rome and Pharnaces II of Pontus.

41. Italy’s largest port GENOA
Genoa is a seaport in the very north of Italy, in fact the largest port in the country. One of Genoa’s most famous sons was Christopher Columbus.

45. Sci-fi character nicknamed Ben OBI-WAN
Obi-Wan Kenobi is one of the more beloved of the “Star Wars” characters. Kenobi was portrayed by two fabulous actors in the series of films. As a young man he is played by Scottish actor Ewan McGregor, and as an older man he is played by Alec Guinness.

49. Hunting dog BEAGLE
The Beagle breed of dog is a scent hound, developed for tracking small game. Because of this characteristic, Beagles are often used as detection dogs in customs halls around the world. The world’s most famous Beagle is probably Snoopy from the comic strip “Peanuts”.

53. “__ is good” GREED
54. “Wall Street” antagonist who said 53-Down GEKKO
“Wall Street” is a very entertaining 1987 film from Oliver Stone starring Charlie Sheen as an up and coming stockbroker and Michael Douglas as an amoral corporate raider.

The business strategy known as “corporate raiding” really is pretty ruthless and short sighted (excuse my being judgmental). The idea is to buy a large interest in a corporation, sometimes “stealthily”, by buying up a significant number of voting shares. Then, the raider uses the power of the voting rights to convince other voters to change the way the company is run, purely to increase the share price in the relatively short term. The changes often involve replacement of the management team, downsizing and even liquidation of the company, all for short term, personal gain. Corporate raider, Gordon Gekko said in the 1987 movie “Wall Street”, “greed is good”, but I wonder is he right?

55. Spinal Tap guitarist Tufnel NIGEL
“This Is Spınal Tap” is a rock musical mockumentary about the fictional band Spinal Tap, directed by the great Rob Reiner. I love Rob Reiner’s work, but this movie … not so much …

56. Roman Cath. title MSGR
“Monsignor” is a form of address used when speaking to some high ranking members of the Roman Catholic Church. The word “monsignor” comes from the Italian “monsignore” which in turn comes from the French “mon seignor” meaning “my lord”.

60. Serengeti prey GNU
A gnu is also known as a wildebeest, an antelope native to Africa. “Wildebeest” is actually the Dutch word for “wild beast”.

61. PC screen type LCD
LCD Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. “Poetic” or “Prose” mythological work EDDA
5. Movie-rating org. MPAA
9. R&B singer known for popularizing Auto-Tune T-PAIN
14. Device for Marner LOOM
15. Orderer’s reference MENU
16. “In what way?” HOW SO?
17. Not to mention ALSO
18. Non-magical “Harry Potter” animal? MUGGLE DEER (from “mule deer”)
20. Shill PLANT
22. Serengeti predators LIONS
23. Camembert left out in the sun too long? SAGGY CHEESE (from “say ‘cheese’”)
26. Whammy HEX
29. Cockney location word ‘ERE
30. Bean opening? SOY
31. Constant flow STREAM
33. Annoy MOLEST
36. Inventing middle name ALVA
37. Woman’s enticing movements? FEMININE WIGGLES (from “feminine wiles”)
42. Gulf of __ ADEN
43. Stands ARISES
44. The Aztecs’ Tonatiuh, for one SUN GOD
47. Bert Bobbsey’s twin NAN
48. Old sports org. with a red, white and blue ball ABA
51. Germaphobia may be a symptom of it, for short OCD
52. Miracle in the mire? BOGGY WONDER (from “boy wonder”)
56. British bishop’s headdress MITRE
57. Target AIM AT
58. Periodical dedicated to stylish boots? UGGS WEEKLY (from “US Weekly”)
63. Best Picture of 1958, and a hint to this puzzle’s theme GIGI
64. Japanese comics MANGA
65. Kitchenware brand EKCO
66. First name in case fiction ERLE
67. Rebuff SPURN
68. Lunkhead DODO
69. One may make you uncomfortable LEER

Down
1. Go by ELAPSE
2. Almighty __ DOLLAR
3. How much to take DOSAGE
4. First __ equals AMONG
5. “Dee-lish!” MMM!
6. Little, in Lille PEU
7. Position, as a pool cue ANGLE
8. Bellow title hero March AUGIE
9. Place to browse THE NET
10. Sci-fi vehicles PODS
11. Reverence AWE
12. Expert finish? -ISE
13. Here-there link NOR
19. Fan’s disappointment LOSS
21. 1980s-’90s heavyweight champ TYSON
24. E. follower COLI
25. Serengeti scavenger HYENA
26. Word after raise or catch HELL
27. Place for a nest, perhaps EAVE
28. Short holiday? XMAS
32. Joplin works RAGS
33. Artistic dynasty MING
34. Sun. message SER
35. Strong like string TWINY
37. Burkina __ FASO
38. Cabinet dept. EDUC
39. Heal MEND
40. Part of Caesar’s boast I SAW
41. Italy’s largest port GENOA
45. Sci-fi character nicknamed Ben OBI-WAN
46. Heap affection (on) DOTE
48. Regard highly ADMIRE
49. Hunting dog BEAGLE
50. More pretentious ARTIER
53. “__ is good” GREED
54. “Wall Street” antagonist who said 53-Down GEKKO
55. Spinal Tap guitarist Tufnel NIGEL
56. Roman Cath. title MSGR
58. Verbal stumbles UMS
59. Disparity GAP
60. Serengeti prey GNU
61. PC screen type LCD
62. “__-hoo!” YOO

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