LA Times Crossword Answers 29 May 15, Friday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: John Lampkin
THEME: Desserts, Done to a T … each of today’s themed answers is a common phrase, but with a letter T added to the front of the final word, to create a notional dessert:

17A. Self-preparing dessert? AUTOMATIC (T)RIFLE
27A. Dry, powdery dessert? DUST (T)RUFFLE
34D. Surreal dessert? DADA (T)ART
36D. Like the desserts in this puzzle, literally? DONE TO A T

BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 10m 37s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across

14. Piglet bud ROO
Like most of the characters in A. A. Milne’s “Winnie the Pooh”, Roo was inspired by on a stuffed toy belonging to Milne’s son Christopher Robin.

16. Kyrgyzstan city OSH
Osh is the second largest city in the former Soviet Republic of Kyrgyzstan (after the capital Bishkek). Osh was a center of silk production and lies along the old Silk Road, the trade route that traversed Asia.

22. Red giant S STAR
Red giants are very large stars with a relatively low mass. The atmosphere of a red giant is also very inflated and extends a long way into space so the surface of that atmosphere that we see is relatively cool, which gives it a red color. Stars are classified by their spectral characteristics, basically the color of the light they emit. As such, red giants are classified as M stars. Cool red giants are of a color beyond the usual range, and are classified as S stars.

23. 37-Down’s concerns BEES
(37D. See 23-Across APIARIST)
An apiary is an area where bees are kept. The Latin word for “bee” is “apis”.

24. Year during Augustus’ reign ONE BC
Gaius Octavius Thurinus (often called Octavian) was the adopted son of Gaius Julius Caesar. After Julius Caesar was assassinated, Octavian came to power in Rome and teamed up with Mark Antony and Marcus Aemilius Lepidus in what was called the Second Triumvirate. When the triumvirate fell apart, especially after Antony’s defeat at Actium, Octavian became more powerful within the Roman Republic. Several years later he wrested sufficient power from the Roman Senate to end the Republic and begin the Roman Empire. As the first Emperor of Rome, Octavian was given the name Caesar Augustus. The month of August, originally called “Sextilis” in Latin, was renamed in honor of Augustus.

26. Val-d’__: French department OISE
Val-d’Oise is a French department located just to the north of Paris. Part of the Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport is located in Val-d’Oise.

27. Dry, powdery dessert? DUST (T)RUFFLE
A chocolate truffle is a (delicious) confectionary comprising a chocolate coating surrounded by chocolate that may be coated in cocoa powder or chopped nuts. The confection is named for the edible fungus called a truffle, which has a similar shape.

31. Big bunch SCAD
The origin of the word “scads”, meaning “lots and lots”, is unclear, although back in the mid-1800s “scads” was used to mean “dollars”.

39. Biological duct travelers OVA
Oviducts are the non-mammalian equivalents of the Fallopian tubes. Eggs travel from the ovaries, along the oviduct (there are usually two oviducts, but sometimes only one) and are released into some other organ or anatomical structure depending on species.

40. Wagering letters OTB
Off-Track Betting (OTB) is the legal gambling that takes place on horse races outside of a race track. A betting parlor can be referred to as an OTB.

45. Unlock, to Byron OPE
George Gordon Byron, known simply as “Lord Byron”, was an English poet active in the early 1800s. Byron was equally as famous for his poetry as he was for the wild excesses in his personal life. Byron lived much of that life outside of England, and fought for revolutionaries in both Italy and Greece. He died from a fever contracted while fighting for the Greeks against the Ottomans.

52. Anne Frank’s father OTTO
Anne Frank has to be one of the most famous victims of the Holocaust. This is largely because the story of this young girl lives on in her widely published diary, and in adaptations of the diary for stage and screen. Anne Frank was a German until she lost her nationality in 1941 when the Nazis came to power. By this time she was living with her family in Amsterdam, as the Franks chose to flee Germany in 1933. When the Germans occupied the Netherlands, the family went into hiding in the attic of Otto Frank’s office building (Otto was Anne’s father). There the family hid for two whole years until they were betrayed. The family was split up, and Anne and her sister died from typhus in a concentration camp in 1945.

55. __ vez: Juan’s “again” OTRA
“Otra vez” is Spanish for “again”, translating literally as “other time”.

56. Grassy surface SWARD
Sward is version of the word “swarth”, and describes a grassy piece of land.

58. Bio, e.g. SCI
Biology (bio.) is a science (sci.).

59. Indifferent STOIC
Someone who is “stoic” is indifferent to pleasure or pain, is relatively impassive.

Zeno of Citium was a Greek philosopher famous for teaching at the Stoa Poikile, the “Painted Porch”, located on the north side of the Ancient Agora of Athens. Because of the location of his classes, his philosophy became known as stoicism (from “stoa”, the word for “porch”). And yes, we get our adjective “stoic” from the same root.

61. One of the Kardashians KIM
Kim Kardashian is a socialite and television personality. She was introduced into society by her friend, Paris Hilton. Kardashian’s name first hit the headlines when a homemade sex tape made by her and singer Ray J was leaked.

63. Blog input ENTRY
Many folks who visit this website regard it as just that, a website. That is true, but more correctly it is referred to as a blog, as I make regular posts (actually daily posts) which then occupy the “front page” of the site. The blog entries are in reverse chronological order, and one can just look back day-by-day, reading older and older posts. Blog is a contraction of the term “web log”.

64. Compound suffix -IDE
In chemistry, when a metal combines with a nonmetal, the non-metal is often given the suffix -ide. One example would be iron sulfide..

65. Annie of “Designing Women” POTTS
Annie Potts is an actress from Nashville, Tennessee. She had roles in successful films such as “Ghostbusters” and “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” and did voice work for “Toy Story” and “Toy Story 2”. Potts was lucky to survive a car crash when she was 21 years old, as she broke nearly every bone in her lower body.

Down
1. Colgate rival ORAL-B
The Oral-B toothbrush was introduced to the world in 1950, designed by a California periodontist. The first “model” was the Oral-B 60, a name given to reflect the 60 tufts in the brush. In 1969, the Oral-B was the first toothbrush to get to the moon as it was the toothbrush of choice for the crew of the Apollo 11 spacecraft.

2. Mascot of the NHL’s Blues LOUIE
The St. Louis Blues hockey team takes its name from the song “St. Louis Blues”, a jazz and popular music classic.

3. Like pointillist works DOTTED
Pointillism is a style of painting that grew out of Impressionism. The pointillist technique calls for the artist to use small, distinct dots of bold color to build up the image. Pointillism was developed in the late 1800s by the great French painter, Georges Seurat. You can go see his magnificent work “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte” at The Art Institute of Chicago the next time you’re in town.

4. Cultural idea that may go viral MEME
A “meme” (short for “mineme”) is a cultural practice or idea that is passed on verbally or by repetition from one person to another. The term lends itself very well to the online world where links, emails, files etc. are so easily propagated.

5. Acting legend Hagen UTA
Uta Hagen was a German-born American actress. Hagen married Jose Ferrer in 1938, but they were divorced ten years later after it was revealed that she was having a long-running affair with Paul Robeson. Her association with Robeson, a prominent civil rights activist, earned her a spot on the Hollywood Blacklist during the McCarthy Era. This forced her away from film, but towards a successful stage career in New York City.

6. Political thaw DETENTE
“Détente” is a French word meaning “loosening, reduction in tension” and in general it is used to describe the easing of strained relations in a political situation. In particular, the policy of détente came to be associated with the improved relations between the US and the Soviet Union in the seventies.

7. First coat PRIMER
I guess primer would be the first layer of protection on painted or varnished furniture.

8. Nocturnal demonic visitor INCUBUS
In folklore, a succubus is a female demon that takes on the form of an attractive female in order to seduce unwitting men. The succubus draws energy from the seduced men in order to survive, using sexual intercourse in the same way that a vampire might suck blood for the same purpose. The word succubus derives from the Latin “succubare”, itself from “sub” “cubare” meaning “to lie under”. There was a male equivalent to a succubus, namely an incubus.

10. Some pic takers SLRS
SLR stands for “single lens reflex”. Usually cameras with changeable lenses are the SLR type. The main feature of an SLR is that a mirror reflects the image seen through the lens out through the viewfinder, so that the photographer sees exactly what the lens sees. The mirror moves out of the way as the picture is taken, and the image that comes through the lens falls onto unexposed film, or nowadays onto a digital sensor.

12. Lands in el mar ISLAS
In Spanish, an island (isla) is found in the sea (el mar).

18. “And I’m Cleopatra” OH SURE
Apparently the phrase “yeah, and I’m Cleopatra, Queen of the Nile” is used to express disbelief at an assertion made by someone.

19. Wagnerian soprano ISOLDE
“Tristan und Isolde” is an epic opera by Richard Wagner (Wagner … not one of my favorites!). Many see it as the first serious move away from the traditional harmony and tonality of the classical and romantic eras.

Richard Wagner was born in the Jewish quarter of Leipzig in 1813. Decades later, Wagner became known not only for writing magnificent music, but also for his anti-semitic views and writings.

24. Needing no Rx OTC
Over-the-counter (OTC)

There seems to some uncertainty about the origin of the symbol “Rx” that’s used for a medical prescription. One explanation is that it comes from the astrological sign for Jupiter, a symbol put on prescriptions in days of old to invoke Jupiter’s blessing to help a patient recover.

25. Ozone-threatening compound CFC
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are the propellants that were once used in aerosols. CFCs make their way up into the ozone layer and trigger a chain reaction that converts ozone (O3) into regular oxygen (O2). That conversion creates “holes” in the ozone layer. Regular O2 is good stuff, but we need O3 to absorb harmful UV radiation raining down on us. CFC is not good stuff …

32. Choreographer with nine Tonys BOB FOSSE
Bob Fosse won more Tony Awards for choreography than anyone else, a grand total of eight (and another Tony for direction). Fosse also won an Oscar for Best Director for his 1972 movie “Cabaret”, even beating out the formidable Francis Ford Coppola who was nominated that same year for “The Godfather”.

34. Surreal dessert? DADA (T)ART
Dadaism thrived during and just after WWI, and was an anti-war, anti-bourgeois and anti-art culture. The movement began in Zurich, Switzerland started by a group of artists and writers who met to discuss art and put on performances in the Cabaret Voltaire, frequently expressing disgust at the war that was raging across Europe.

36. Like the desserts in this puzzle, literally? DONE TO A T
The expression “to a T” can also be written as “to a tee”, and has been around at least since 1693.

42. Suds BREWSKI
“Brewski” and “suds” are slang terms for “beer”.

47. Acorn woodpecker, e.g. STORER
The acorn woodpecker is known for storing acorns in a remarkable range of locations. The woodpecker drills holes in wooden structures (mainly) and then drops the acorns inside.

49. “Ditto” I DO TOO
“Ditto” was originally used in Italian (from Tuscan dialect) to avoid repetition of the names of months in a series of dates. So “ditto” is just another wonderful import from that lovely land …

54. Lithographer’s material ACID
Lithography is a printing technique that was invented in 1796 as a cheap way to publish theatrical works. In the litho process the image is drawn on a metal plate, although originally it was drawn on a stone (hence the prefix “litho-“). The image is drawn in such a way that some regions of the plate repel ink, and then when paper is applied to the plate, those areas are ink-free. A “lithograph” is a print that is made using the technique, and is often a reproduction of a work of art.

57. “L.A. Law” actress DEY
The actress Susan Dey first appeared on “The Partridge Family” when she was 17-years-old when she had no acting experience. Years later, Dey won a Golden Globe for playing the leading role of Grace Van Owen in “L. A. Law”.

“L.A. Law” ran on NBC from 1986 to 1994, and was one of the network’s most successful drama series. It took over from the equally successful “Hill Street Blues” in the Thursday night 10 p.m. slot until, after a six-year run, it was itself replaced by yet another respected drama, “E.R.” The opening credits showed that famous California licence plate. The plate was on a Jaguar XJ for most of the series, but moved onto a Bentley towards the end of the run. For each series the registration sticker was updated, so no laws were being broken.

59. Indy initials STP
STP is a brand name for automotive lubricants and additives. The name STP comes from “Scientifically Treated Petroleum”.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Like some timers? OLD
4. Kids’ rainy day projects MUD PIES
11. Watch kids SIT
14. Piglet bud ROO
15. Boring, facetiously ETERNAL
16. Kyrgyzstan city OSH
17. Self-preparing dessert? AUTOMATIC (T)RIFLE
20. Supple LITHE
21. Red meat source EMU
22. Red giant S STAR
23. 37-Down’s concerns BEES
24. Year during Augustus’ reign ONE BC
26. Val-d’__: French department OISE
27. Dry, powdery dessert? DUST (T)RUFFLE
30. Human __ RACE
31. Big bunch SCAD
32. Moisten, as garden cobwebs BEDEW
35. Shingle wood CEDAR
39. Biological duct travelers OVA
40. Wagering letters OTB
43. You’d be amazed to stand in it AWE
45. Unlock, to Byron OPE
46. Tries to obtain BIDS FOR
48. Dead last, say NOT IN IT
50. Hourly-rate alternative FLAT FEE
51. Marital concession YES, DEAR
52. Anne Frank’s father OTTO
53. Belts SWATS
55. __ vez: Juan’s “again” OTRA
56. Grassy surface SWARD
58. Bio, e.g. SCI
59. Indifferent STOIC
60. Yes-Bob link SIREE
61. One of the Kardashians KIM
62. Sandwich request TOAST
63. Blog input ENTRY
64. Compound suffix -IDE
65. Annie of “Designing Women” POTTS

Down
1. Colgate rival ORAL-B
2. Mascot of the NHL’s Blues LOUIE
3. Like pointillist works DOTTED
4. Cultural idea that may go viral MEME
5. Acting legend Hagen UTA
6. Political thaw DETENTE
7. First coat PRIMER
8. Nocturnal demonic visitor INCUBUS
9. Corrode EAT
10. Some pic takers SLRS
11. Pushover SOFTIE
12. Lands in el mar ISLAS
13. Pointing remark THERE
18. “And I’m Cleopatra” OH SURE
19. Wagnerian soprano ISOLDE
24. Needing no Rx OTC
25. Ozone-threatening compound CFC
28. Prune SAW OFF
29. Aspects FACETS
32. Choreographer with nine Tonys BOB FOSSE
33. Facetious scapegoat EVIL TWIN
34. Surreal dessert? DADA (T)ART
36. Like the desserts in this puzzle, literally? DONE TO A T
37. See 23-Across APIARIST
38. Pulls back RETRACTS
41. Digits displayed on beaches TOES
42. Suds BREWSKI
43. “Whenever” ANYTIME
44. Travails WOES
47. Acorn woodpecker, e.g. STORER
49. “Ditto” I DO TOO
54. Lithographer’s material ACID
57. “L.A. Law” actress DEY
59. Indy initials STP

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