LA Times Crossword Answers 18 Apr 14, Friday

Share today’s solution with a friend:
FacebookTwitterGoogleEmail

CROSSWORD SETTER: Peter Koetters
THEME: Oliver Twist … today’s themed answers each include an anagram of OLIVER i.e. “OLIVER” TWISTED:

17A. Fish-derived supplement COD LIVER OIL
24A. Prince Charles’ closetful SAVILE ROW SUITS
37A. Leaving the jurisdiction, perhaps PAROLE VIOLATION
48A. 1982 Joan Jett & the Blackhearts hit I LOVE ROCK ‘N’ ROLL

59A. Literary orphan … and what 17-, 24-, 37- and 48-Across each contains? OLIVER TWIST

BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 11m 20s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across

1. Famiglia nickname MAMMA
In Italian, Mom (Mamma) is a head of the family (famiglia).

6. Celtic language WELSH
The Welsh language is a Celtic tongue that is known as “Cymraeg” by its native speakers. The country of Wales is known as “Cymru” in Welsh.

11. Base enforcers, briefly MPS
Military policeman (MP)

15. Muse with a lyre ERATO
In Greek mythology, Erato was the Muse of Lyric Poetry.

16. Bugler in a forest ELK
Male elks are called bulls, and females are known as cows. Bull elks are known for their very loud screaming, which is called bugling. Cow elks are attracted to bulls that bugle more often and most loudly.

17. Fish-derived supplement COD LIVER OIL
Cod liver oil is a nutritional supplement that is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, as well as vitamins A and D. I remember being dosed with the stuff as a kid. Ugh …

20. Diners Club competitor AMEX
Amex is short for American Express. In dollar terms, there are more transactions conducted in the US using the Amex card than any other card.

Diners Club is a charge card company that today belongs to Discover Financial. The company was started in 1950 as a “club of diners” who were free to use their card at 27 participating restaurants and who would then settle their account at the end of each month.

22. Tool that’s not for crosscuts RIP SAW
In woodworking, a cut across the grain is known as a cross cut. A cut along the grain is called a rip cut. Most saws are designed to perform the best cross cuts, but there is a special rip saw that more easily cuts straight lines along the grain.

24. Prince Charles’ closetful SAVILE ROW SUITS
Savile Row is a street in central London that is home to many prestigious men’s tailors.

27. Title stuffed bear in a 2012 film TED
“Ted” is a movie written, directed, produced and starring Seth MacFarlane. In the story, MacFarlane voices a teddy bear who is the best friend of a character played by Mark Wahlberg.

28. Valley where Hercules slew a lion NEMEA
“The Twelve Labors of Hercules” is actually a Greek myth, although Hercules is the Roman name for the hero that the Greeks called Heracles. The first of these labors was to slay the Nemean Lion, a monster that lived in a cave near Nemea. Hercules had a tough job as the lion’s golden fur was impenetrable to normal weapons. One version of the story is that Hercules killed the lion by shooting an arrow into its mouth. Another version says that Hercules stunned the monster with a club and then strangled him with his bare hands.

29. Site of the Alaska Purchase transfer ceremony SITKA
The city of Sitka is located on Baranof Island and part of Chichagof Island in the Alaska Archipelago in the Pacific Ocean. Sitka used to be known as Redoubt Saint Michael and then New Archangel when it was ruled by the Russians. The current city name comes from a local term meaning “People on the Outside of Baranof Island”. Immediately after the purchase of Alaska by the US, Sitka served as the capital of the Alaska Territory until the seat of government was relocated north to Juneau.

33. Blues home: Abbr. STL
The St. Louis Blues hockey team takes its name from the song “St. Louis Blues”, a jazz and popular music classic.

34. Cellular messengers RNAS
Ribonucleic Acid (RNA) is an essential catalyst in the manufacture of proteins in the body. The genetic code in DNA determines the sequence of amino acids that make up each protein. That sequence is read in DNA by messenger RNA, and amino acids are delivered for protein manufacture in the correct sequence by what is called transfer RNA. The amino acids are then formed into proteins by ribosomal RNA.

37. Leaving the jurisdiction, perhaps PAROLE VIOLATION
The term “parole” is a French word that we use in English, with the French “parole” meaning “word, speech”. Of particular interest is the French phrase “parole d’honneur” which translates as “word of honor”. In the early 1600s we started using “parole” to mean a promise by a prisoner of war not to escape, as in the prisoner giving his “word of honor” not to run off. Over time, parole has come to mean conditional release of a prisoner before he or she has served the full term of a sentence.

41. Brest pals AMIS
Brest is a port city in northwest France, and is the second largest military port in the country. Brest was an important base for German U-boats during WWII when France was occupied by the Nazis. Brest is the most westerly city in the whole country.

43. Hall of Fame umpire Conlan JOCKO
Jocko Conlan was a former outfielder with the Chicago White Sox before working as an umpire from 1941 to 1965 in the National League.

46. “… against a __ of troubles”: Hamlet SEA

To be, or not to be, that is the question:
Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The Slings and Arrows of outrageous fortune;
Or to take Armes against a Sea of troubles …

There has been centuries of debate about how one interprets Hamlet’s soliloquy that begins “To be or not to be …”. My favorite opinion is that Hamlet is weighing up the pros and cons of suicide (“to not be”).

54. Luxury watch BULOVA
The world’s first television commercial aired on July 1, 1941 before a baseball game between the Brooklyn Dodgers and the Philadelphia Phillies. It was aired on the New York station WNBT, and watch-maker Bulova paid $9 to have its products promoted.

55. Bailed-out insurance co. AIG
AIG is the American International Group, a giant insurance corporation (or I should say, “was”). After repeated bailouts by American taxpayers, the company made some serious PR blunders by spending large amounts of money on executive entertainment and middle management rewards. These included a $444,000 California retreat, an $86,000 hunting trip in England, and a $343,000 getaway to a luxury resort in Phoenix. Poor judgment, I’d say …

58. “The Prague Cemetery” novelist ECO
Umberto Eco is an Italian writer, probably best known for his novel “The Name of the Rose” published in 1980. In 1986, “The Name of the Rose” was adapted into a movie with the same title starring Sean Connery.

59. Literary orphan … and what 17-, 24-, 37- and 48-Across each contains? OLIVER TWIST
“Oliver Twist” is a novel by Charles Dickens. It is a popular tale for adaptation to the big screen. There were two silent film versions, in 1909 and 1922, and the first talkie version was released in 1933, with many to follow. The latest “Oliver” for the big screen was a 2005 Roman Polanski production.

64. Sculled OARED
A scull is a boat used for competitive rowing. The main hull of the boat is often referred to as a shell. Crew members who row the boat can be referred to as “oars”.

65. House and Howser MDS
I think that “House” is one of the best shows made by Fox television. It is fun for me to see English actor Hugh Laurie in the title role as coming from the other side of the Atlantic I have been watching him in various comedic roles for decades. Famously he played Bertie Wooster opposite Stephen Fry in P.G. Wodehouse’s “Jeeves & Wooster”, as well as one of the bumbling “bad guys” in “101 Dalmatians” (the version starring Glenn Close).

“Doogie Howser, M.D.” is the TV show that gave Neil Patrick Harris his big break. Harris played a teenager who worked as a physician.

66. Bygone monarchs TSARS
The term czar (also tsar) is a Slavic word that was first used as a title by Simeon I of Bulgaria in 913 AD. “Czar” is derived from the word “Caesar”, which was synonymous with “emperor” at that time.

Down
1. Mineral found in sheets MICA
Mica is a mineral, a sheet silicate. Thin sheets of mica are transparent and are used in place of glass in certain applications. This form of mica is called isinglass, and as it has a better thermal performance than glass it is a great choice for “peepholes’ in boilers and lanterns. Mica is also used in the electronics industry, making use of its unique electrical and thermal insulating properties.

3. Vengeful sorceress of myth MEDEA
In Greek mythology Medea was the wife of Jason, the heroic leader of the Argonauts. Medea was a sorceress who pledged to help Jason in his search for the Golden Fleece, on condition that he take her as his wife. According to some accounts, Jason left Medea and took up with Glauce, the daughter of the king of Corinth. Medea got her own back by sending Glauce a golden coronet and a dress that were covered with poison. The poison killed Glauce, and her father the king. To further her revenge on Jason, Medea killed two of her own children that were fathered by him.

4. Appomattox bicentennial year MMLXV
The Battle of Appomattox Court House was the last engagement by the Army of Northern Virginia, led by Confederate General Robert E. Lee. Immediately after the battle, Lee surrendered to Union General Ulysses S. Grant. When the two men met for the signing of the surrender documents, even though the pair were acquaintances, it was the first time they had seen each other in almost 20 years. Grant started off the conversation by discussing a previous meeting they had during the Mexican-American War, when they were fighting on the same side.

5. Faulkner’s “__ Lay Dying” AS I
“As I Lay Dying” is a novel by William Faulkner first published in 1930. The book has an unusual structure, with stream of consciousness writing throughout. There is one whole chapter that I’d like to quote here:

My mother is a fish.

That’s a five-word chapter …

8. Thai native LAO
The Lao people are an ethnic group found mainly in Laos, but who also have a significant presence in Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.

10. “Total patient” treatment HOLISM
A holistic approach to medicine emphasises not only physical symptoms but also social considerations and the environment.

11. Like one expected to deliver? MESSIANIC
Something described as “messianic” is related to a messiah. A messiah is a liberator of a group of people.

23. __ Rico PUERTO
Puerto Rico is located in the northeastern Caribbean (in the Atlantic Ocean), east of the Dominican Republic. The name “Puerto Rico” is Spanish for “rich port”. The locals often call their island Borinquen, the Spanish form of “Boriken”, the original name used by the natives.

25. Angled ltrs. ITAL
Italic type leans to the right. The style is known as “italic” because the stylized calligraphic form of writing originated in Italy, probably in the Vatican.

31. French and Italian flags TRICOLORS
The French national flag is a tricolor of blue, white and red. The blue and red colors in the flag date back to the French Revolution, when the Paris militia that participated in the storming of the Bastille wore a cockade of blue and red. Subsequently, this blue and red was added to white to create a three-color national cockade that was sported by the national militia. The design of the national cockade was absorbed into the national flag that was adopted in 1794.

The Italian tricolor is made up of three vertical blocks of green, white and red. The three colors have been said to signify many different things. One interpretation is that the green represents the country’s plains and hills, the white represents the snowy Alps and the red represents blood spilt in the Wars of Italian Independence.

32. Disputed Balkan republic KOSOVO
The country name “Kosovo” is an adjectival form of the Serbian word “kos” meaning “blackbird”. The name commemorates the “field of the blackbirds” the site of a 1389 battle between Serbia and the Ottoman Empire. The dispute over Kosovo technically dates back to the implosion of Yugoslavia in the 1990s. The capital of Kosovo is Pristina.

35. Hunky-dory A-OK
Our term “A-OK” is supposedly an abbreviation for “A(ll systems are) OK”, and arose in the sixties during the Space Program.

Surprisingly (to me), the term “hunky-dory” has been around a long time, and is documented back in the mid-1800s. No one is really sure of its origin, but some say it is an Anglicization of Honcho dori, that back in the day was a street of ill repute in Yokohama, Japan.

36. __-cone SNO
A sno-cone (also “snow cone”) is just a paper cone filled with crushed ice and topped with flavored water. Italian ice is similar, but different. Whereas the flavoring is added on top of the ice to make a sno-cone, Italian ice is made with water that is flavored before it is frozen.

38. Taurus birthstones, perhaps EMERALDS
Here is the “official” list of birthstones by month, that we tend to use today:

January: Garnet
February: Amethyst
March: Bloodstone or Aquamarine
April: Diamond
May: Emerald
June: Pearl or Moonstone
July: Ruby
August: Sardonyx or Peridot
September: Sapphire or Lapis Lazuli
October: Opal or Pink Tourmaline
November: Topaz or Citrine
December: Turquoise or Zircon (also now, Tanzanite)

39. Florida’s __ Beach VERO
Vero Beach, Florida was the home of spring training for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers from 1948 to 2008 (after which the team moved spring training to Arizona).

40. Out of a jamb? AJAR
Our word “ajar” is thought to come from Scottish dialect, in which “a char” means “slightly open”.

A door or window jamb is the vertical portion of the frame. The term “jamb” comes from the French word “jambe” meaning “leg”.

51. Sun Tzu’s “The Art __” OF WAR
“The Art of War(fare)”. I’ve even seen the principles in Sun Tzu’s book applied to modern business.

52. Longest river in France LOIRE
The Loire is the longest river in France, so long that it drains one-fifth of the nation’s land mass. The Loire rises in the southeast, in the Cevennes mountain range, then it heads north and then due west, emptying into the Bay of Biscay at the city of Nantes.

57. Old Fords LTDS
There has been a lot of speculation about what the acronym LTD stands for in the car model known as “Ford LTD”. Many say it stands for Luxury Trim Decor, and others that it is an abbreviation for “limited”. Although the car was produced in Australia with the acronym meaning Lincoln Type Design, it seems LTD was originally chosen as just three meaningless letters that sound well together.

60. Gilbert and Sullivan princess IDA
“Princess Ida; or, Castle Adamant” is a Gilbert & Sullivan comic opera. It was first performed in 1884 at the Savoy Theatre in London that was famous for staging the duo’s works.

Share today’s solution with a friend:
FacebookTwitterGoogleEmail

Return to top of page

For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Famiglia nickname MAMMA
6. Celtic language WELSH
11. Base enforcers, briefly MPS
14. Menu listings ITEMS
15. Muse with a lyre ERATO
16. Bugler in a forest ELK
17. Fish-derived supplement COD LIVER OIL
19. Behold SEE
20. Diners Club competitor AMEX
21. Binding promise I DO
22. Tool that’s not for crosscuts RIP SAW
24. Prince Charles’ closetful SAVILE ROW SUITS
27. Title stuffed bear in a 2012 film TED
28. Valley where Hercules slew a lion NEMEA
29. Site of the Alaska Purchase transfer ceremony SITKA
33. Blues home: Abbr. STL
34. Cellular messengers RNAS
37. Leaving the jurisdiction, perhaps PAROLE VIOLATION
41. Brest pals AMIS
42. Most soldiers MEN
43. Hall of Fame umpire Conlan JOCKO
44. App writer CODER
46. “… against a __ of troubles”: Hamlet SEA
48. 1982 Joan Jett & the Blackhearts hit I LOVE ROCK ‘N’ ROLL
54. Luxury watch BULOVA
55. Bailed-out insurance co. AIG
56. Mislead FOOL
58. “The Prague Cemetery” novelist ECO
59. Literary orphan … and what 17-, 24-, 37- and 48-Across each contains? OLIVER TWIST
62. It may be fresh or stale AIR
63. Milk source UDDER
64. Sculled OARED
65. House and Howser MDS
66. Bygone monarchs TSARS
67. Winemaking tool PRESS

Down
1. Mineral found in sheets MICA
2. Basic matter ATOMS
3. Vengeful sorceress of myth MEDEA
4. Appomattox bicentennial year MMLXV
5. Faulkner’s “__ Lay Dying” AS I
6. Did lawn work WEEDED
7. Proofer’s find ERROR
8. Thai native LAO
9. Last words in a drink recipe, perhaps STIR WELL
10. “Total patient” treatment HOLISM
11. Like one expected to deliver? MESSIANIC
12. Fabric fold PLEAT
13. Slants SKEWS
18. Revolting VILE
23. __ Rico PUERTO
25. Angled ltrs. ITAL
26. Not misled by ONTO
29. Where to get wraps and scrubs SPA
30. “Are you going?” response I AM
31. French and Italian flags TRICOLORS
32. Disputed Balkan republic KOSOVO
33. Vice principle SIN
35. Hunky-dory A-OK
36. __-cone SNO
38. Taurus birthstones, perhaps EMERALDS
39. Florida’s __ Beach VERO
40. Out of a jamb? AJAR
45. Pious DEVOUT
46. They’re often on a slippery slope SKIERS
47. MIT grad, often ENGR
48. Construction girder I-BEAM
49. Understandable LUCID
50. Underground worker CAVER
51. Sun Tzu’s “The Art __” OF WAR
52. Longest river in France LOIRE
53. Gets knocked off LOSES
57. Old Fords LTDS
60. Gilbert and Sullivan princess IDA
61. Part of an inning TOP

Return to top of page

6 thoughts on “LA Times Crossword Answers 18 Apr 14, Friday”

  1. When I was done, I realized what a clever puzzle this was. I Didn't get OLIVER TWIST until the end because I was looking for a piece of literature that had been "orphaned." When I got it, I saw the anagrams were of OLIVER, not just "live."

    I Googled for JOCKO, which I still don't know, and SITKA, which I should know because Seward is from Upstate NY.

  2. Hi there, Sfingi.

    I never cease to be amazed at the ingenuity of those setting the puzzles for us. How they come up with these themes is beyond me!

    As for JOCKO, another bit of sports trivia that goes in one ear and out the other for me.

    My wife and I spent a very interesting few hours touring the Seward House and Museum in Auburn, NY a few years ago. That was a valuable lesson for me in American history. Still, I didn't remember the relevance of SITKA until after I was done with the puzzle 🙂

  3. Afternoon All,

    A good Friday level workout today.
    Got the theme reveal first @ 59A only after spending too much time trying to think if Orphan Annie had a last name…Major head slap!

    The north did me in with Messianic, Savile Row Suits, and Jocko.

    Still enjoyable overall.

    Have a great afternoon!

  4. Among the many remakes of Oliver Twist is the musical version, one of my favorites.

    That Medea was one mean *itch. Just goes to show "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned."

    Faulkner's five word chapter reminds me of when Ernest Hemingway was challenged that he couldn't write a short novel. He came up with: "Baby carriage for sale. Never used." Also five words. 🙂

  5. Hi Bill, Vidwan, Sfingi, Addict, Piano man, Jeff, Tony!
    This looked so daunting, but little by little things fell in place. Just didn't fill in the "V" in SAVILE ROW SUITS. It had to be V or I, but what the heck is a Savilerow Suit?
    Never heard of Savile Row.
    I enjoyed the puzzle. Will I EVER remember LOIRE???
    Have a geat day!

  6. @Addict
    I must admit, I found the theme to be obvious, not because I'm a fab solver but because I was raised on cryptic crosswords. They alwyas have words to signal anagrams, like "twist", "unravel", "rebuild".

    @Piano Man
    The musical "Oliver" also a favorite of mine. Two great actors playing two great characters, namely Ron Moody as Fagan and Oliver Reed as Bill Sykes. Great stuff. also, your comment about the "six-word" story prompted me to do some research. I found a blog featuring some great six-word stories submitted by readers e.g. "Strangers. Friends. Best friends. Lovers. Strangers." and "First sentient robot: 'turn me off.'"

    @Pookie
    Being a "foreigner" doing the puzzle I think is a double-edged sword. I have trouble remembering which amendment is which in the US Constitution, but I know where to find suits in London that I can't afford 🙂

    Have a great weekend, everyone.

Comments are closed.