Day: March 29, 2015

Frequently Asked Question: Why isn’t the puzzle in my paper the same as the one shown on your blog?
If the puzzle in your paper doesn’t match the one that I solved, it is probably a Sunday crossword. On Sundays, the “LA Times” chooses to publish Merl Reagle’s excellent crossword, and not their own “LA Times” Crossword. The “LA Times” puzzle is still sent out in syndication, and is also published in the “LA Times” online. I’ve been asked to blog about Merl Reagle’s crossword, but frankly I don’t have the time. Sunday puzzles have lots of clues!

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
18. Subject of a memorable chocolate simile LIFE
Here’s a famous quote from the movie “Forrest Gump” …
Mama always said life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.

A simile is a figure of speech in which a comparison is made between two things that are unalike. For example, a person might be described as “cute as a kitten” or “as busy as a bee”.

19. Sport with four-person teams POLO
The sport of polo originated in Iran, possibly before the 5th century BC. Polo was used back them primarily as a training exercise for cavalry units.

21. Theatrical work OPERA
The Latin for “work” is “opus”, with the plural being “opera”.

25. Canning tomatoes ROMAS
The Roma tomato isn’t considered to be an heirloom variety, but it is very popular with home gardeners, especially those gardeners that don’t have a lot of space. It is a bush type (as opposed to vine type) and needs very little room to provide a lot of tomatoes.

26. Sign outside the women’s locker room? BEWARE NAKED LADIES (from “Barenaked Ladies”)
Barenaked Ladies is a Canadian alternative rock band. The somewhat quirky name chosen by the band tends to reflect the group’s concert style. The band is noted for kidding around on stage with lots of banter between songs. They’re also noted for composing and performing the catchy theme song for the hit sitcom “The Big Bang Theory”.

32. How the riot act is read STERNLY
The Riot Act was a British law that was in force from 1715 to 1967. According to the Riot Act, government entities could declare any gathering of twelve or more people “unlawful”. Our expression “read the Riot Act” is derived from the requirement for the authorities to read out the Riot Act proclamation to a unlawful assembly before the Act could be enforced.

37. Beginning of Christmas? CEE
The word “Christmas” begins with a letter C (cee).

38. Tiny __ TIM
Tiny Tim is the nickname of Timothy Cratchit, the little disabled boy in the Charles Dickens novella “A Christmas Carol”. “A Christmas Carol” is such a popular book that it has not been out of print since its first publication in December 1843.

39. Gadget in the game Twister SPINNER
Eva Gabor was the youngest of the Gabor sisters, all three of whom were celebrated Hollywood actresses and socialites (her siblings were Zsa-Zsa and Magda). One of Eva’s claims to fame is the unwitting promotion of the game called “Twister”, the sales of which were languishing in 1996. In an appearance on “The Tonight Show” she got on all fours and played the game with Johnny Carson. Sales took off immediately, and Twister became a huge hit.

41. Hopper using hops? BREWER RABBIT (from “Br’er Rabbit”)
Br’er Rabbit and Br’er Fox are characters in the Uncle Remus stories, written by Joel Chandler Harris. The Uncle Remus stories are adaptations of African American folktales that Harris collected across the Southern States. “Br’er” is an abbreviated form of “brother”.

45. Gardner of “The Hucksters” AVA
Ava Gardner is noted for her association with some big movies, but also for her association with some big names when it came to the men in her life. In the world of film, she appeared in the likes of “Mogambo” (1953), “On the Beach” (1959), “The Night of the Iguana” (1964) and “Earthquake” (1974). The men in her life included husbands Mickey Rooney, Artie Shaw and Frank Sinatra. After her marriages had failed (and perhaps before!) she had long term relationships with Howard Hughes and bullfighter Luis Miguel Dominguin whom she met through her friend Ernest Hemingway.

“The Hucksters” is a 1947 movie starring Clark Gable and Deborah Kerr in her first American-made film. The film is based on a novel of the same name by Frederic Wakeman, Sr. The novel was pretty racy for its day, and so the storyline had to be toned down for the screenplay.

46. Cher’s “Burlesque” role TESS
Cher’s real name is Cherilyn Sarkisian, born in 1946. In her acting career, Cher was nominated for the Best Supporting Actress Oscar of 1984 for her performance in “Silkwood”. She went further in 1998 and won the Best Actress Oscar for playing Loretta Castorini in “Moonstruck”.

“Burlesque” is a 2010 musical film starring Cher and Christina Aguilera.

56. Where Yogi naps DEN
Yogi Bear made his debut for Hanna-Barbera in 1958, on the Huckleberry Hound Show before he was given his own series. Do you remember that collar that Yogi wore around his neck? That was a little trick from the animators. By using the collar, for many frames all they had to do was redraw everything from the collar up, saving them lots and lots of time.

57. Vice president before Gerald SPIRO
Spiro Agnew served as Vice-President under Richard Nixon, before becoming the only VP in American history to resign because of criminal charges (there was a bribery scandal). Agnew was also the first Greek-American to serve as US Vice-President as he was the son of a Greek immigrant who had shortened the family name from Anagnostopoulos.

President Gerald Ford was well known for his athletic prowess. He was the star football player both in his high school and later at the University of Michigan. After graduation, President Ford received two offers to play in the NFL, from the Detroit Lions and the Green Bay Packers. He turned down both teams opting instead to take a coaching position at Yale giving him the opportunity to apply to Yale Law School. But young Mr. Ford’s plan backfired as Yale Law School turned him down because of his full-time commitment to sports: coaching football, boxing and teaching JV cheer-leading. It took three years for President Ford to make it into Yale Law School, but he finally got there, in 1938.

61. Edison’s 1,000-plus PATENTS
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. Edison had 1,093 patents in his name in the US, and 2,332 patents worldwide.

63. Told too much OLD
Like an old joke, perhaps …

66. Powerful Persian bloodline? MEWING DYNASTY (from “Ming Dynasty”)
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.

The Persian is that long-haired cat with a squashed muzzle. The breed takes its name from its place of origin, namely Persia (Iran).

70. It’s longer than a dit DAH
Dahs and dits are the sound equivalents of dashes and dots in Morse Code.

71. Finale of Copland’s “Rodeo” HOEDOWN
“Rodeo” is a ballet with a score by Aaron Copland that was originally choreographed by Agnes de Mille. First performed in 1942, “Rodeo” is one of the earliest examples of a truly American classical ballet.

74. Wii fanatic, say GAMER
The Wii, produced by Nintendo, is the biggest-selling game console in the world.

76. Shaker unit GRAIN
A shaker can contain grains of salt.

77. __ tai MAI
The Mai Tai cocktail is strongly associated with the Polynesian islands, but the drink was supposedly invented in 1944 in Trader Vic’s restaurant in Oakland, California. One recipe is 6 parts white rum, 3 parts orange curaçao, 3 parts Orgeat syrup, 1 part rock candy syrup, 2 parts fresh lime juice, all mixed with ice and then a float added of 6 parts dark rum.

80. Paintballs, e.g. AMMO
The “paint” in paintball isn’t actually paint, but rather a mix of gelatin and food coloring.

97. Academic no. GPA
Grade point average (GPA)

98. Full Sail or Harpoon product ALE
Full Sail is a craft brewery in Hood River, Oregon.

Harpoon is an brewery based in Boston, best known for its Harpoon India Pale Ale.

99. Title stuffed bear in a 2012 comedy 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.

100. Squat hounds BASSETS
The Basset Hound wouldn’t be my favorite breed of dog, to be honest. Basset Hounds have a great sense of smell with an ability to track a scent that is second only to that of the Bloodhound. The name “Basset” comes from the French word for “rather low”, a reference to the dog’s short legs.

104. Rotisserie league data STATS
Rotisserie League Baseball is a version of fantasy baseball that uses a particular scoring system that was popularized by a group of journalists. The apparently strange name for the league is a reference to the New York restaurant La Rotisserie Française, where the founders met to first play the game.

106. Israeli machine gun UZI
The first Uzi submachine gun was designed in the late 1940s by Major Uziel Gal of the Israel Defense Forces who gave his name to the gun.

107. Stray nut among the Doritos? CASHEW IN ONE’S CHIPS (from “cash in one’s chips”)
Doritos are a brand of flavored tortilla chips launched in 1964. The name “Doritos” means “little bits of gold” in Spanish.

116. Athenian landmark PARTHENON
The Parthenon is the ruined temple that sits on the Athenian Acropolis. Although the Parthenon was dedicated to the goddess Athena as a sacred building in the days of the Athenian Empire, it was actually used primarily as a treasury. In later centuries, the Parthenon was repurposed as a Christian Church dedicated to the Virgin Mary, and was used as a mosque after Ottoman conquest.

117. Gussy up PREEN
“To gussy up” is to dress showily, and is derived from the slang term “gussy” that was used for an overly-dressed person.

119. Olympian chariot rider ARES
In Greek mythology the god Ares was the half-brother of the goddess Athena, although the two were regarded as enemies. Both deities are associated with war, with Athena representing strategic warfare whereas Ares is linked to momentary, passionate violence.

Down
7. Crème brûlée ingredient YOLK
Crème brûlée is a classic French dessert consisting of a rich custard topped with a crusty layer of caramelized sugar. The name “crème brûlée” translates from French as “burnt cream”.

8. Considerable outbreak PANDEMIC
A pandemic is an outbreak of a disease over a large area, especially a whole country or perhaps the whole world.

14. NYSE event IPO
An Initial Public Offering (IPO) is the very first offering of stock for sale by a company on the open market. In other words, an IPO marks the first time that a company is traded on a public exchange. Companies have an IPO to raise capital to expand (usually).

15. Another showing of an Edsel documentary? LEMON REWIND (from “lemon rind”)
The slang term “lemon” describes something that is considered worthless or defective, most often these days an automobile. We’ve been using “lemon” in this context since the early 1900s when the term was criminal slang for a mark, someone one could suck the juice out of. Well, that’s one explanation anyway …

The Edsel brand of automobile was named for Edsel Ford, son of Henry Ford. Sadly, the name “Edsel” has become synonymous with “failure”, which was no fault of Edsel himself who had died several years before the Edsel line was introduced.

16. Matthew McConaughey has one DRAWL
Matthew McConaughey is an actor from Uvalde, Texas. He won the Best Actor Oscar for his performance as an AIDS victim in the 2013 film “Dallas Buyers Club”.

28. Former lab burners ETNAS
“Etna” (after the volcano) is another name for a Bunsen Burner that is used in a laboratory.

34. Kimono holders OBIS
The sash worn as part of traditional Japanese dress is known as an obi. The obi can be tied in what is called a butterfly knot.

The lovely Japanese kimono is a garment worn by men, women and children. The word “kimono” translates simply as “thing to wear”, with “ki” meaning “wear” and “mono” meaning “thing”.

35. It occasionally floods Florence ARNO
The Arno is the principal river in the Tuscany region of Italy, passing through the cities of Florence and Pisa. Famously the Arno flooded in 1966, the worst flood in the region for centuries. There were numerous deaths and extensive destruction of priceless art treasures, particularly in Florence.

38. Lift not as common as it used to be T-BAR
A T-bar is a type of ski lift in which the skiers are pulled up the hill in pairs, with each pair standing (not sitting!) either side of T-shaped metal bar. The bar is placed behind the thighs, pulling along the skiers as they remain standing on their skis (hopefully!). There’s also a J-bar, a similar device, but with each J-shaped bar used by one skier at a time.

40. Tylenol target PAIN
Tylenol is pain-relieving drug, with the active ingredient acetaminophen (which we call paracetamol back in Ireland, and outside of America). Anacin does the same thing, with the active ingredients of aspirin and caffeine.

42. Fit as a fiddle WELL
Someone who is “as fit as a fiddle” is very fit, very well. When the idiom was coined around 1600, the phrase meant “suitable for purpose” as “fit” was more often used in that sense.

43. Summers in China? ABACI
The abacus was used as a counting frame long before man had invented a numbering system. It is a remarkable invention, particularly when one notes that abaci are still widely used today across Africa and Asia.

A “summer” is someone doing sums, adding up.

44. Tom and Jerry, e.g. TODDY
The word “toddy” has come a long way. Its origins lie in the Hindi word for a palm tree, which is “tar”. The derivative word “tari” was used for palm sap, which came into English as “tarrie”, then “taddy” and “toddy”, all of which described an alcoholic drink made from fermented palm sap. That was back around 1600. Late in the 18th century, the palm sap drink called “toddy” had morphed into meaning any alcoholic drink made with liquor, hot water, sugar and spices.

A Tom and Jerry is cocktail that is served hot, often around Christmas. The main ingredients are eggnog and a spirit, usually brandy or rum.

51. Hard-to-miss sign NEON
The basic design of neon lighting was first demonstrated at the Paris Motor Show in 1910. Such lighting is made up of glass tubes containing a vacuum into which has been introduced a small amount of neon gas. When a voltage is applied between two electrodes inside the tube, the neon gas “glows” and gives off the familiar light.

61. Coll. prep test PSAT
Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT)

64. Greene of the original “Battlestar Galactica” series LORNE
Lorne Greene was a Canadian actor, best known for playing the patriarch Ben Cartwright on the TV show “Bonanza”. Greene also had a number-one hit with the spoken-word ballad “Ringo” released in 1964.

“Battlestar Galactica” is a whole franchise these days, based on an original television series that aired in 1978. The executive producer of that first series was Glen A. Larson who had been trying get the show off the ground since the sixties. Larson was finally able to get some finances for his sci-fi show on the back of the success of the similarly themed 1977 movie “Star Wars”.

65. Pulled hamstring, to a hurdler? DEADLY SINEW (from “deadly sin”)
The cardinal sins of Christian ethics are also known as the seven deadly sins. The seven deadly sins are:

– wrath
– greed
– sloth
– pride
– lust
– envy
– gluttony

The hamstrings are four tendons connected to three posterior thigh muscles, although the term is sometimes used for the thigh muscles themselves.

68. “The Frog Prince” byline GRIMM
“The Frog Prince” is a fairy tale about a princess and her encounter with a frog who magically turns into a prince. In the version that is most common today, the prince appears when the princess kisses the frog. In the original Brothers Grimm version of the tale, the transformation takes place when the princess throws a gold ball against a wall in disgust at seeing the frog. Even earlier versions of the tale, the frog changes into the prince when it is allowed to spend a night on the princess’s pillow.

77. Wise men MAGI
“Magi” is the plural of the Latin word “magus”, a term applied to someone who was able to read the stars. Hence, magi is commonly used with reference to the “wise men from the East” who followed the star and visited Jesus soon after he was born.

79. “The Blacklist” actor ALDA
Alan Alda has had a great television career, especially of course on “M*A*S*H”. Alda won his first Emmy in 1972, for playing Hawkeye Pierce on “M*A*S*H”. He won his most recent Emmy in 2006 for his portrayal of Presidential candidate Arnold Vinick in “The West Wing”. When it comes to the big screen, my favorite of Alda’s movies is the 1978 romantic comedy “Same Time, Next Year” in which he starred opposite Ellen Burstyn.

“The Blacklist” is an entertaining, albeit a little formulaic, crime drama TV show starring James Spader and Megan Boone. Spader plays a successful criminal who surrenders to the FBI in order to help catch a “blacklist” of high-profile criminals.

85. Santa __ Derby ANITA
Santa Anita Park is a racetrack for horses located in Arcadia, California. The most famous races on the track’s calendar are the Santa Anita Derby and the Santa Anita Handicap.

88. “That sav’d a __ like me!”: “Amazing Grace” WRETCH
“Amazing Grace” is a very, very famous hymn, with words written by John Newton in 1779. The words have been set to a number of different melodies, and what we are used to hearing is music of a tune named “New Britain”.

101. Poetic blue AZURE
The word “azure” came into English from Persian via Old French. The French word “l’azur” was taken from the Persian name for a place in northeastern Afghanistan called “Lazhward” which was the main source of the semi-precious stone lapis lazuli. The stone has a vivid blue color, and “azure” has been describing this color since the 14th century.

109. Abundant gemstone Down Under OPAL
97% of the world’s opals come from Australia, so it’s no surprise perhaps that the opal is the national gemstone of the country. The state of South Australia provides the bulk of the world’s production, about 80%.

110. Old empire builder INCA
The Inca Empire was known as the Tawantinsuyu, which translates as “land of the four quarters”. The Inca Empire was a federal organization having a central government that sat above four “suyu” or “quarters”, four administrative regions.

111. Vancouver, for one PORT
George Vancouver was a British explorer, and an officer in the Royal Navy. As well as exploring the coast of Australia, he is best known for his travels along the northwest coast of North America. The city of Vancouver was named in his honor. Travelling with him on his American voyage was a lieutenant Peter Puget, and in his honor, Vancouver named the waters south of the Tacoma Narrows “Puget’s Sound”. Nowadays, the name Puget Sound describes an area much greater than Vancouver had envisioned.

112. Sega competitor in the 16-bit market SNES
The acronym Super NES (or SNES) stands for Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Our kids probably have one somewhere …

Sega is a Japanese video game company headquartered in Tokyo. Sega actually started out 1940 in the US as Standard Games and was located in Honolulu, Hawaii. The owners moved the operation to Tokyo in 1951 and renamed the company to Service Games. The name “Sega” is a combination of the first two letters of the words “Se-rvice” and “Ga-mes”.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Trade SWAP
5. Bestow upon, as a compliment PAY
8. Increased excessively, with “on” PILED
13. Back country WILDS
18. Subject of a memorable chocolate simile LIFE
19. Sport with four-person teams POLO
20. Came to AWOKE
21. Theatrical work OPERA
22. Barbecue feature OPEN GRILL
24. More cordial NICER
25. Canning tomatoes ROMAS
26. Sign outside the women’s locker room? BEWARE NAKED LADIES (from “Bare Naked Ladies”)
29. Paper cut cries OWS
30. High LOFTY
31. Wooded depression DELL
32. How the riot act is read STERNLY
34. Lifeboat item OAR
37. Beginning of Christmas? CEE
38. Tiny __ TIM
39. Gadget in the game Twister SPINNER
41. Hopper using hops? BREWER RABBIT (from “Br’er Rabbit”)
45. Gardner of “The Hucksters” AVA
46. Cher’s “Burlesque” role TESS
49. Reason INFER
50. Auditorium sections BALCONIES
52. Illegal USMC status AWOL
53. Pot filler SOIL
54. Castaway’s signal FLARE
56. Where Yogi naps DEN
57. Vice president before Gerald SPIRO
58. Fragrant bloom LILAC
60. Excitement ADO
61. Edison’s 1,000-plus PATENTS
63. Told too much OLD
66. Powerful Persian bloodline? MEWING DYNASTY (from “Ming Dynasty”)
70. It’s longer than a dit DAH
71. Finale of Copland’s “Rodeo” HOEDOWN
73. Hosp. areas ERS
74. Wii fanatic, say GAMER
76. Shaker unit GRAIN
77. __ tai MAI
78. Equine array GAITS
80. Paintballs, e.g. AMMO
84. Fizzles out ENDS
85. Fire sign? ALARM BELL
88. Inflict WREAK
89. Sushi options EELS
90. Black batt. terminal NEG
91. Draft in a moldy basement? MILDEW BREEZE (from “mild breeze”)
94. “Wanna bet?” YES IT IS
97. Academic no. GPA
98. Full Sail or Harpoon product ALE
99. Title stuffed bear in a 2012 comedy TED
100. Squat hounds BASSETS
102. Red Carpet stance POSE
104. Rotisserie league data STATS
106. Israeli machine gun UZI
107. Stray nut among the Doritos? CASHEW IN ONE’S CHIPS (from “cash in one’s chips”)
113. Total RUN TO
115. Naps, maybe LOLLS
116. Athenian landmark PARTHENON
117. Gussy up PREEN
118. Some map dots ISLES
119. Olympian chariot rider ARES
120. Real estate division ACRE
121. Repaired, in a way SEWED
122. Bothersome PESTY
123. Was in the driver’s seat LED
124. Dieter’s data FATS

Down
1. Hardly a pick-up expert? SLOB
2. Cleaning cloth WIPE
3. Rough quantity A FEW
4. __ colony PENAL
5. Tip POINTER
6. Temper ALLAY
7. Crème brûlée ingredient YOLK
8. Considerable outbreak PANDEMIC
9. Cooperative words I WILL
10. Hometown folks LOCALS
11. Managed with difficulty, with “out” EKED
12. Disdainful DERISIVE
13. Slip WORSEN
14. NYSE event IPO
15. Another showing of an Edsel documentary? LEMON REWIND (from “lemon rind”)
16. Matthew McConaughey has one DRAWL
17. Nervy SASSY
19. Want more PREFER
23. Seller of staples GROCER
27. Safe to have EDIBLE
28. Former lab burners ETNAS
33. Prepare to paint again RETAPE
34. Kimono holders OBIS
35. It occasionally floods Florence ARNO
36. Mtge. adjustment REFI
38. Lift not as common as it used to be T-BAR
40. Tylenol target PAIN
42. Fit as a fiddle WELL
43. Summers in China? ABACI
44. Tom and Jerry, e.g. TODDY
47. Partially, casually SORTA
48. Spill clumsily SLOSH
51. Hard-to-miss sign NEON
54. Zoomed FLEW
55. Estate highlight, often LAWN
57. Lid inflammation STYE
59. “__ a mission” I’M ON
60. Some magazine spreads ADS
61. Coll. prep test PSAT
62. Some drive-thrus ATMS
63. “That’s a surprise” OH GEE
64. Greene of the original “Battlestar Galactica” series LORNE
65. Pulled hamstring, to a hurdler? DEADLY SINEW (from “deadly sin”)
67. Move in on NEAR
68. “The Frog Prince” byline GRIMM
69. Like gymnasts AGILE
72. Trash-talks DISSES
75. Not at all typical RARE
77. Wise men MAGI
78. Ballpoint alternative GEL PEN
79. “The Blacklist” actor ALDA
81. Gather MEET
82. Cornfield attraction MAZE
83. Accepted OKED
85. Santa __ Derby ANITA
86. Accidentally reveals LETS SLIP
87. Fraidy cat BIG SISSY
88. “That sav’d a __ like me!”: “Amazing Grace” WRETCH
92. Filled with tears WATERED
93. Denounces BLASTS
95. Duel attendant SECOND
96. Bouts SPELLS
100. Goals of some back pats BURPS
101. Poetic blue AZURE
103. Young barn dweller OWLET
104. Trap SNARE
105. Bound bunch SHEAF
108. Washer part HOSE
109. Abundant gemstone Down Under OPAL
110. Old empire builder INCA
111. Vancouver, for one PORT
112. Sega competitor in the 16-bit market SNES
114. Ball holder TEE

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