LA Times Crossword Answers 19 Nov 14, Wednesday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: C.C. Burnikel
THEME: The Cloud … each of today’s themed answers starts with a type of cloud:

17A. Leave in a huff STORM OUT (giving “storm cloud”)
25A. Book keeper? DUST JACKET (giving “dust cloud”)
34A. Steak topper MUSHROOM SAUCE (giving “mushroom cloud”)
48A. Deep-fried carnival treat FUNNEL CAKE (giving “funnel cloud”)

58A. Virtual storage area, and a hint to words that start 17-, 25-, 34- and 48-Across THE CLOUD

BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 6m 53s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across

1. Amin portrayed in “The Last King of Scotland” IDI
“The Last King of Scotland” is a 2006 film adaptation of a 1998 novel of the same name by Giles Foden. The story tells of a Scottish doctor (played by James McAvoy) who was employed by Idi Amin (played by Forest Whitaker). The title of the piece comes from the fact that Idi Amin offered his services as King of Scotland, should he ever be needed.

4. Arabic “son of” IBN
In Arabic names, “ibn” is a word meaning “son of”. The words “bin” and “ben” are also used for “son of”. The word “bint” means “daughter of”. Similarly, in Hebrew “ben” is used to mean “son of”, and “bat” is used to mean “daughter of”.

14. Lingerie tops BRAS
The word “brassière” is French in origin, but it isn’t the word the French use for a “bra”. In France what we call a bra is known as a “soutien-gorge”, translating to “held under the neck”. The word “brassière” is indeed used in France but there it describes a baby’s undershirt, a lifebelt or a harness. “Brassière” comes from the Old French word for an “arm protector” in a military uniform (“bras” is the French for “arm”). Later “brassière” came to mean “breastplate” and from there the word was used for a type of woman’s corset. The word jumped into English around 1900.

“Lingerie” is a French term, but as used in France it just means any underwear, worn by either males or females. In English we use “lingerie” to describe alluring underclothing worn by women. The term “lingerie” comes into English via the French word “linge” meaning “washables”, and ultimately from the Latin “linum”, meaning “linen”. We tend not to pronounce the word correctly in English, either here in the US or across the other side of the Atlantic. The French pronunciation is more like “lan-zher-ee”, as opposed to “lon-zher-ay” (American) and “lon-zher-ee” (British).

16. Turkey feature WATTLE
A wattle is that ugly (at least I think it’s ugly) appendage hanging below the neck of some birds, like say a turkey.

20. “Evil Woman” rock gp. ELO
The Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) recorded the song “Evil Woman” in 1975. “Evil Woman” was written by the band’s lead vocalist Jeff Lynne, in just thirty minutes!

21. Lode loads ORES
A lode is a metal ore deposit that’s found between two layers of rock or in a fissure. The “mother lode” is the principal deposit in a mine, usually of gold or silver. “Mother lode” is probably a translation of “veta madre”, an expression used in mining in Mexico.

23. Jalapeño topper TILDE
A diacritic mark is added to a letter to indicate that it has a special phonetic sound. Examples of diacritic marks are the tilde above the n in Spanish words like “jalapeño”, and the cedilla under the c in French words like “façade”.

24. Chignon, e.g. UPDO
A chignon is a hairstyle in which the hair is pinned into a knot at the nape of the neck or the back of the head. The word “chignon” comes from the French “chignon du cou” meaning “nape of the neck”.

32. One who woke up on the wrong side of the bed, say CRAB
The fruit of the crabapple tree is very sour and tart. It is from this acidic quality that we get the term “crab”, describing a person who is grouchy and irritable.

40. Neighborhood sale caveat AS IS
A caveat is a warning or a qualification. “Caveat” is the Latin for “let him beware”.

41. Dishonorable fellow KNAVE
We’ve been using “knave” to mean a cad since about 1200, and as an alternative name for the jack in a deck of cards since the mid-1500s. “Knave” comes from the Old English word “cnafa”, a “boy, male servant”.

48. Deep-fried carnival treat FUNNEL CAKE (giving “funnel cloud”)
Funnel cake is a traditional serving at American carnivals and seaside resorts. The cake is made by pouring cake batter from a funnel into hot cooking oil in a circular pattern, and then deep frying until it is golden-brown.

52. One, to Goethe EINS
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was a German writer (among other things!). Goethe’s most famous work is probably his play “Faust”. This epic work was published in parts, starting in 1808. The work was only published in toto after his death in 1832.

55. Puerto Rico hrs. AST
Atlantic Standard Time (AST) is four hours behind Greenwich Mean Time and one hour ahead of Eastern Standard Time. The list of locations that use AST includes Puerto Rico and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.

56. TaylorMade parent ADIDAS
The brand name Adidas dates back to when Adolf “Adi” Dassler started making his own sports shoes in his mother’s laundry room in Bavaria after returning from WWI. With his brother, Adi founded Dassler shoes. The companies big break came in 1936 at the Berlin Olympics, when Adi persuaded American sprinter Jesse Owens to use his shoes, and with the success of Jesse Owens came success for the fledgling shoe company. After WWII the brothers split, acrimoniously. Adi’s brother, Ru-dolf Da-ssler, formed “Ruda” shoes (later to become Puma), and Adi Das-sler formed “Adidas”.

TaylorMade is a brand of golf products that is now owned by Adidas. The Taylormade company was founded in 1979 by Gary Adams in order to manufacture and sell a 12-degree loft metalwood. TaylorMade now sells more drivers than any other company.

58. Virtual storage area, and a hint to words that start 17-, 25-, 34- and 48-Across THE CLOUD
In the world of computing, when one operates “in the cloud”, one’s files and key applications are not stored on one’s own computer, but rather are residing “in the cloud”, on a computer(s) somewhere out on the Internet. I do 90% of my computing in the cloud. That way I don’t have to worry about backing up files, and I can operate from any computer if I have to. In fact, I am working in the cloud right now as I type up this post …

61. “Fighting” college team ILLINI
The Illini (or the Fighting Illini) are the athletic teams and marching band of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The name Illinois is a French name that was given to the people who lived in the area (called Illiniwek).

62. “Born Free” lioness ELSA
The life story of Elsa the lion was told by game warden Joy Adamson, who had a very close relationship with the lioness from when Elsa was orphaned as a young cub. Adamson wrote the book “Born Free” about Elsa, and then “Living Free” which tells the story of Elsa and her three lion cubs. In the 1966 film based on “Born Free”, Adamson is played by the talented actress Virginia McKenna.

65. Pink Floyd guitarist Barrett SYD
Syd Barrett was the lead singer and a founding member of the English rock band Pink Floyd. Barrett was only active as a musician for just over ten years. He retired from the music scene in 1975 and spent the next 30 years living off Pink Floyd royalties until he passed away in 2006.

66. New Haven student ELI
Eli is the nickname for a graduate of Yale University, a term used in honor of the Yale benefactor Elihu Yale.

The city of New Haven, Connecticut was founded in 1638 by Puritan immigrants from England. New Haven is home to Yale University. The city also initiated the first public tree planting program in the country. The large elms included in the program led to New Haven being called “the Elm City”.

Down
1. Govt. org. that may freeze assets IRS
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) was set up during the Civil War to raise money to cover war expenses. Prior to the introduction of income tax in 1862, the government was funded by levies on trade and property.

4. “Big Blue” IBM
The origin of the IBM nickname “Big Blue” seems to have been lost in the mists of time. That said, maybe it has something to do with the fact that the IBM logo is blue, and almost every mainframe they produced was painted blue. I remember visiting IBM on business a few times in my career, and back then we were encouraged to wear white shirts and blue suits to “fit in” with our client’s culture.

5. Coop groups BROODS
An Old English word for basket (“cypa”) started to be used in the 14th century as the word “coop”, meaning a small cage for poultry, a word we still use today.

6. Tiny Pacific republic NAURU
Nauru is the world’s smallest island nation, located in the South Pacific 300 km to the east of Kiribati. The island was taken as a colony by Germany in the late 1800s, and came under the administration of Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom after WWI. The Japanese invaded during WWII, but Nauru was one of the islands that was bypassed in the US advance across the Pacific towards Japan. Nauru achieved independence in 1968.

11. Fails to pronounce ELIDES
“To elide” is to pass over, omit or slur a syllable when speaking.

15. Fr. holy women STES
“Sainte” (ste.) is French for “saint”, when referring to a female.

22. Cooks, as dim sum dumplings STEAMS
Dim sum is a Chinese cuisine made up of small portions of various dishes. The tradition of serving dim sum is associated with the serving of tea, when small delicacies were offered to travelers and guests along with tea as a refreshment. The name “dim sum” translates as “touch the heart” implying that dim sum is not a main meal, just a snack “that touches the heart”.

24. iPad-to-PC port USB
Universal Serial Bus (USB) is an industry standard dealing with how computers and electronic devices connect and communicate, and deal with electrical power through those connections.

28. __Kosh B’Gosh OSH
OshKosh B’Gosh is a company that produces and sells children’s clothes. The trademark OshKosh bib-overalls remind us of the company’s roots, as it was originally a manufacturer of adult work clothes based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

32. Store with a Kirkland Signature brand COSTCO
Costco is the largest warehouse club in the US. Apparently Costco is also the largest retailer of wine in the whole world. The company was founded in 1983 in Kirkland, Washington. Kirkland Signature is Costco’s store brand, and you can even buy Kirkland Signature wine.

33. Many a Louis ROI
Louis XIV is perhaps the most famous of the kings (“rois”) of France and was known as the “Sun King” (le Roi Soleil”). Louis XIV was king from 1638 to 1715, a reign of over 72 years and the longest reign of any European monarch.

36. Letters in an APB AKA
Also known as (aka)

An All Points Bulletin (APB) is a broadcast from one US law enforcement agency to another.

38. Lingerie top CAMISOLE
A camisole (also “cami”) is a sleeveless undergarment worn by women that extends down to the waist. “Camisole” is a French word that we imported into English, which ultimately derives from the Latin “camisia” meaning “shirt, nightgown”.

42. Vogue VIPs EDS
Editor (ed.)

“Vogue” magazine has been published an awfully long time, with the first issue appearing in 1892. Over the decades the magazine has picked up a lot of criticism as well as its many fans. Famously, an assistant to the editor wrote a novel based on her experiences working with the magazine’s editor, and called it “The Devil Wears Prada”.

44. Steeplechase feature HURDLE
Back in the 1700s there was a race called a “steeplehunt”, a horse race from a fixed location to some church in the distance which had a steeple visible. This evolved into the race that we know as a “steeplechase”.

45. Escargots SNAILS
“Escargot” is the French word for “snail”. In order to eat snails, apparently they have to be “purged” before killing them. That means starving them or feeding them on something “wholesome” for several days before cooking them up. Ugh …

46. One fussy about minor details PEDANT
A pedant, someone who is pedantic, is a person “who trumpets minor points of learning”, a person who tends to nit-pick. “Pedant” comes via Middle French from the Italian word “pedante” meaning “teacher”.

47. Charge against Galileo HERESY
Galileo was a prominent supporter of heliocentrism, the principle that the Earth and the other planets revolve around the Sun. The commonly accepted model at the time was geocentrism, that the Earth was at the center of the universe. Galileo fell foul of the Roman Inquisition as a result of his views, and was found guilty of heresy in 1615. As a result, Galileo spent the rest of his life under house arrest.

51. JCPenney rival KOHL’S
Kohl’s is a department store chain with its headquarters in a suburb of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The store takes its name from the founder, Maxwell Kohl.

The JCPenney department stores started out as the Golden Rule Store, founded by James Cash Penney and two partners in 1902 in Kemmerer, Wyoming. That first store is still operating today in Kemmerer. Sam Walton used to work for Penney’s in Des Moines, Iowa, before moving on to found the Walmart empire.

57. Paris, to Nicky SIS
Paris Hilton is the great-granddaughter of Conrad Hilton, the founder of Hilton Hotels. Paris has a younger sister called Nicky Hilton. Nicky is named for her great-uncle Conrad “Nicky” Hilton, former husband of the actress Liz Taylor.

59. Dishonorable fellow CAD
Our word “cad”, meaning “a person lacking in finer feelings”, is a shortening of the word “cadet”. “Cad” was first used for a servant, and then students at British universities used “cad” as a term for a boy from the local town. “Cad” took on its current meaning in the 1830s.

60. MADD focus DWI
In some states, there is no longer a legal difference between a DWI (Driving While Intoxicated) and a DUI (Driving Under the Influence). Other states retain that difference, so that by definition a DUI is a lesser offence than a DWI.

Candice Lightner lost her 13-year-old child to a drunk driver in 1980. Soon after, Lightner formed the group Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Amin portrayed in “The Last King of Scotland” IDI
4. Arabic “son of” IBN
7. Took out ERASED
13. __ race RAT
14. Lingerie tops BRAS
16. Turkey feature WATTLE
17. Leave in a huff STORM OUT (giving “storm cloud”)
19. Necessitate ENTAIL
20. “Evil Woman” rock gp. ELO
21. Lode loads ORES
23. Jalapeño topper TILDE
24. Chignon, e.g. UPDO
25. Book keeper? DUST JACKET (giving “dust cloud”)
27. Ultimate authorities SAY-SOS
29. “Have some!” EAT!
30. Seattle-to-Reno dir. SSE
31. Stains on a record BLOTS
32. One who woke up on the wrong side of the bed, say CRAB
34. Steak topper MUSHROOM SAUCE (giving “mushroom cloud”)
40. Neighborhood sale caveat AS IS
41. Dishonorable fellow KNAVE
43. Blissful sounds AHS
46. Cherry core PIT
47. Damaged HARMED
48. Deep-fried carnival treat FUNNEL CAKE (giving “funnel cloud”)
52. One, to Goethe EINS
53. Deceit FRAUD
54. “Are we __ not?”: “Is it a date?” ON OR
55. Puerto Rico hrs. AST
56. TaylorMade parent ADIDAS
58. Virtual storage area, and a hint to words that start 17-, 25-, 34- and 48-Across THE CLOUD
61. “Fighting” college team ILLINI
62. “Born Free” lioness ELSA
63. Word after common or case LAW
64. Starts over RESETS
65. Pink Floyd guitarist Barrett SYD
66. New Haven student ELI

Down
1. Govt. org. that may freeze assets IRS
2. Desert fruit tree DATE PALM
3. “See?!” I TOLD YOU!
4. “Big Blue” IBM
5. Coop groups BROODS
6. Tiny Pacific republic NAURU
7. Ma that baas EWE
8. Go off on RANT AT
9. Place to stick rarely used stuff ATTIC
10. Celery pieces STALKS
11. Fails to pronounce ELIDES
12. Knock out, as a character DELETE
15. Fr. holy women STES
18. Dove bars? ROOSTS
22. Cooks, as dim sum dumplings STEAMS
24. iPad-to-PC port USB
26. Ring punches JABS
28. __Kosh B’Gosh OSH
32. Store with a Kirkland Signature brand COSTCO
33. Many a Louis ROI
35. One way to travel RAIL
36. Letters in an APB AKA
37. Beyond belief UNREAL
38. Lingerie top CAMISOLE
39. Ultimate EVENTUAL
42. Vogue VIPs EDS
43. Intense romance AFFAIR
44. Steeplechase feature HURDLE
45. Escargots SNAILS
46. One fussy about minor details PEDANT
47. Charge against Galileo HERESY
49. Film with a minimal costume budget? NUDIE
50. Put in a chip ANTE
51. JCPenney rival KOHL’S
57. Paris, to Nicky SIS
59. Dishonorable fellow CAD
60. MADD focus DWI

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