LA Times Crossword Answers 29 Jul 15, Wednesday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: Ian Livengood
THEME: Airtime … each of today’s themed answers starts with something that can have AIR TIME:

40A. Sponsor’s purchase … or what the starts of 18-, 24-, 51- and 60-Across can have AIRTIME

18A. Online intrusion POP-UP WINDOW
24A. Complicated material, metaphorically ROCKET SCIENCE
51A. 1981 Burt Reynolds film, with “The” CANNONBALL RUN
60A. Early chronicler of the ’50s-’60s civil rights movement JET MAGAZINE

BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 6m 29s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across

9. God of Islam ALLAH
The term “Allah” comes from the Arabic “al-” and “ilah”, meaning “the” and “deity”. So “Allah” translates as “God”.

20. “Downton Abbey” character Lady __ Crawley EDITH
In the incredibly successful period drama “Downton Abbey”, the patriarch of the family living at Downton is Robert Crawley, the Earl of Grantham or Lord Grantham. The character is played by Hugh Bonneville. Lord Grantham married American Cora Levinson (played by Elizabeth McGovern. Lord and Lady Grantham had three daughters, and no son. The lack of a male heir implied that the Grantham estate would pass to a male cousin, and out of the immediate family. The Grantham daughters are Lady Mary (played by Michelle Dockery), Lady Edith (played by Laura Carmichael) and Lady Sybil (played by Jessica Brown Findlay). Lady Sybil had the audacity to marry the family chauffeur, an Irish nationalist. The shame of it all …

30. Places to stand and deliver? DAISES
Ultimately our word “dais”, meaning “raised platform for a speaker”, comes from the Latin “discus” meaning a “disk-shaped object”. I guess that many a dais was disc-shaped …

38. Busch Gardens city TAMPA
The Busch Gardens group of theme parks was originally envisioned as a vehicle for the promotion of Anheuser-Busch products, so free beer samples were made available to patrons (but no longer!). The Tampa location was the first of the parks to be opened, in 1959. The Tampa property has an African theme, whereas Williamsburg, Virginia property has a European theme. There are plans to open a third park in Dubai, although the project has been put on hold due to the current financial climate.

39. Walter Scott’s title SIR
Sir Walter Scott was a Scottish novelist and playwright, the first English-language author to gain popularity around the world during his own lifetime. The most famous of Scott’s works are “Ivanhoe”, “Rob Roy” and “The Lady of the Lake”.

46. Skort revelation KNEE
The garment called a “skort” is a hybrid between shorts and a skirt.

47. Heroic son of Aphrodite AENEAS
In Roman mythology, Aeneas was a Trojan who traveled to Italy and became the ancestor Romulus and Remus, and thus the ancestor of all Romans. Aeneas’s story is told in Virgil’s epic poem “The Aeneid”.

51. 1981 Burt Reynolds film, with “The” CANNONBALL RUN
“The Cannonball Run” and “The Gumball Rally” are a pair of movies inspired the by the real-life Cannonball Baker Sea-to-Shining Sea Memorial Trophy Dash. The “Dash” was a less-than-legal race run four times in the seventies using public highways to get from the east to the west coast. “Cannonball Run” was an action film, whereas “The Gumball Rally” is more of a comedy.

The actor Burt Reynolds is famous for playing the “Bandit” in “Smokey and the Bandit”, and Lewis Medlock in “Deliverance”, but his critically acclaimed performance was as Jack Horner in the 1997 movie “Boogie Nights”. Off the screen he was quite the man around town, romantically linked to the likes of Tammy Wynette, Lucie Arnaz (daughter of Lucille Ball), Sally Field, Dinah Shore and Chris Evert. He was married to Judy Carne, as well as Loni Anderson.

60. Early chronicler of the ’50s-’60s civil rights movement JET MAGAZINE
“Jet” was a weekly magazine published in Chicago that targeted mainly an African American readership. Launched in 1951, “Jet” gained popularity in the fifties and sixties largely due to its extensive coverage of the American Civil Rights movement. “Jet” stopped appearing on newsstands in 2014 and now exists only as a digital magazine.

66. Snorkeler’s haunt ATOLL
An atoll is a coral island that is shaped in a ring and enclosing a lagoon. There is still some debate as to how an atoll forms, but a theory proposed by Charles Darwin while on his famous voyage aboard HMS Beagle still holds sway. Basically an atoll was once a volcanic island that had subsided and fallen into the sea. The coastline of the island is home to coral growth which persists even as the island continues to subside internal to the circling coral reef.

67. Letter before lambda KAPPA
Kappa is the 10th letter of the Greek alphabet, the equivalent of our letter K.

71. Episodic story line ARC
A story arc is a continuing storyline in say a television show that has a number of episodes. Story arcs are also found in comics, books, video games, and other forms of media.

Down
2. System of belief CREDO
A creed or credo is a confession of faith, or a system of belief or principles. “Credo” is Latin for “I believe”.

4. One saying uncle? NEPHEW
To “say uncle” is an American expression meaning to submit or yield. Its usage dates back to the early 1900s, but nobody seems to know how “uncle!” came to mean “stop!”

5. Galeón load ORO
In Spanish, a galleon (galeón) might carry gold (oro).

7. Terre Haute sch. ISU
Indiana State University (ISU) was established in Terre Haute in 1865, as the Indiana State Normal School. ISU’s sports teams are called the Sycamores.

Terre Haute, Indiana is a city close to the state’s western border with Illinois. The city is home to a state prison which in turn is home to the state’s death row. The name “Terre Haute” was chosen by French explorers in the 18th century to describe the location, as “terre haute” is French for “high ground”.

8. Soft drink with a red-white-and-blue logo PEPSI
The Pepsi logo is a relatively simple red, white and blue sphere, and is referred to as the “Pepsi Globe”. The Globe was introduced during WWII as a design on bottle caps as a sign of patriotism. The design became very popular and so was adopted as Pepsi’s primary logo at the end of the war.

10. Spy thriller writer Deighton LEN
I used to walk my dog right past author Len Deighton’s house years ago, as we lived in the same village in Ireland (probably my only claim to fame!). Deighton wrote the excellent espionage thriller “The IPCRESS File”, made into a 1965 movie starring Michael Caine.

12. Cosmetic titan AVON
In 1886, a young man called David McConnell was selling books door-to-door. To enhance his sales numbers he was giving out free perfume to the ladies of the houses that he visited. Seeing as his perfume was more popular than his books, he founded the California Perfume Company in New York City and started manufacturing and selling across the country. The company name was changed to Avon in 1939, and the famous “Avon Calling” marketing campaign was launched in 1954.

21. Bout enders, for short TKOS
In boxing, a knockout (KO) is when one of the fighters can’t get up from the canvas within a specified time, usually 10 seconds. This can be due to fatigue, injury, or the participant may be truly “knocked out”. A referee, fighter or doctor may also decide to stop a fight without a physical knockout, especially if there is concern about a fighter’s safety. In this case the bout is said to end with a technical knockout (TKO).

25. Garr of “Young Frankenstein” TERI
The lovely Teri Garr had a whole host of minor roles in her youth, including appearances in nine Elvis movies. Garr’s big break came with the role of Inga in “Young Frankenstein”, and her supporting role in “Tootsie” earned Garr an Academy Award nomination. Sadly, Teri Garr suffers from multiple sclerosis. She is a National Ambassador for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

I am not really a big fan of movies by Mel Brooks, but “Young Frankenstein” is the exception. I think the cast has a lot to do with me liking the film, as it includes Gene Wilder (Dr. Frankenstein), Teri Garr (Inga), Marty Feldman (Igor) and Gene Hackman (Harold, the blind man).

27. Chisholm Trail community COWTOWN
Wichita, Kansas started out as a trading post established by Jesse Chisholm in the 1860s, a stopover on the famous Chisholm Trail. Wichita became one of the railheads on the Chisholm Trail, the end point of many cattle drives from Texas. As such, Wichita earned the nickname “Cowtown”.

28. Org. in many a spy thriller CIA
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is the successor to the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) formed during WWII. The CIA was chartered by the National Security Act of 1947.

31. Olympian’s weapon EPEE
There are three fencing events in the modern Olympics, distinguished by the weapon used:

– Foil
– Épée
– Sabre

32. Black Friday event SALE
In the world of retail, “Black Friday” is the day after Thanksgiving in the US. Black Friday is when many stores start the holiday shopping season, and so offer deep discounts to get ahead of the competition.

33. Beef inspection org. USDA
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) classifies meat into eight different grades:

– Prime
– Choice
– Select
– Standard
– Commercial
– Utility
– Cutter
– Canner

35. Bill Bradley’s alma mater PRINCETON
Bill Bradley played his whole NBA career with the New York Knicks, although prior to joining the Knicks he played professional basketball for a year in Europe while attending Oxford University on a Rhodes Scholarship. After retiring from basketball, Bradley served three terms as a Democratic US Senator from New Jersey, and then ran unsuccessfully for the party’s Presidential nomination in the 2000 election.

40. “Gilligan’s Island” co-star ALAN HALE
Alan Hale, Jr. was the actor most famous for playing the Skipper on the sixties sitcom “Gilligan’s Island”, although I well remember watching Hale play the title role in the children’s Western series “Casey Jones”.

41. Prefix with carpal META-
There are five metacarpal bones in each hand. They make up the framework of the palm and the back of the hand. Each metacarpal is connected to a finger and the wrist. The equivalent bones in the foot are called the metatarsals.

46. NASCAR racer Busch KYLE
NASCAR racer Kyle Busch is the younger brother of fellow racer Kurt Busch. Kyle is nicknamed “Shrub”, because he’s the smaller “bush” …

48. Fly in the ointment SNAG
Our expression “a fly in the ointment” is used when we come across some relatively minor snag that is a hindrance to completing something. We started using the expression in the 1700’s, and it refers to some lines in the Bible; Ecclesiastes 10:1:
Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour.

50. Maine mail order giant LL BEAN
L.L.Bean (note the lack of spaces in the company name) was founded back in 1912 in Freeport, Maine as a company selling its own line of waterproof boots. The founder, Leon Leonwood Bean, gave his name to the enterprise. Right from the start, L.L.Bean focused on mail-order and sold from a circular he distributed and then from a catalog. Defects in the initial design led to 90% of the first boots sold being returned, and the company made good on its guarantee to replace them or give back the money paid.

52. Japanese port OSAKA
The Japanese city of Osaka used to be called Naniwa, with the name changing to Osaka some time before 1500. “Osaka” can be translated either as “large hill” or “large slope”. Osaka is sometimes referred to as “the Chicago of Japan” as it is a major center of commerce and industry.

53. Dreadlocks wearer RASTA
Dreadlocks are matted coils of hair nowadays usually formed intentionally, although if one lets hair grow out without grooming then it naturally forms twisted and matted dreadlocks. The hairstyle is associated with the Rastafarian movement in which “dread” is a very positive term meaning “fear of the Lord”.

55. Backstreet Boys contemporaries NSYNC
NSYNC was a boy band from Orlando, Florida that was formed in 1995. The name of the group came from a comment by the mother of band member Justin Timberlake, who said the boys voices sounded “in sync”.

The Backstreet Boys are a boy band from Orlando, Florida that formed in 1993. They are now the world’s best-selling boy band, having moved over 130 million records.

56. Open a little AJAR
Our word “ajar” is thought to come from Scottish dialect, in which “a char” means “slightly open”.

57. Mysterious mountain climber YETI
A yeti is a beast of legend, also called an abominable snowman. “Yeti” is a Tibetan term, and the beast is fabled to live in the Himalayan regions of Nepal and Tibet. Our equivalent legend in North America is that of Bigfoot, also known as Sasquatch. The study of animals whose existence have not yet been substantiated is called cryptozoology.

61. Chicago Fire’s org. MLS
The Chicago Fire is the name of the city’s Major League Soccer (MLS) team. The Fire were founded in 1997, and are named for the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.

62. Efron of “Neighbors” (2014) ZAC
Zac Efron is an actor from San Luis Obispo, California. Apparently Efron is a heartthrob to “tweenyboppers”. His big break was in the Disney hit movie “High School Musical”.

“Neighbors” is a 2014 comedy film starring Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne as a young couple with a newborn child. Zac Efron and Dave Franco play the leaders of a fraternity that moves into the house next door. I am told that hilarity ensues …

63. Financial pg. debut IPO
An Initial Public Offering (IPO) is the very first offer 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).

64. “Ask Me Another” airer NPR
“Ask Me Another” is a National Public Radio show that features word games, puzzles and trivia. The show is recorded live in front of an audience In New York City, and is hosted by comedian Ophira Eisenberg.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Pretense ACT
4. Dissatisfied diner’s decision NO TIP
9. God of Islam ALLAH
14. To’s opposite FRO
15. Dry-__ board ERASE
16. Run off LEAVE
17. Stereotypical rodeo nickname TEX
18. Online intrusion POP-UP WINDOW
20. “Downton Abbey” character Lady __ Crawley EDITH
22. “Get it?” SEE?
23. Helpful contacts INS
24. Complicated material, metaphorically ROCKET SCIENCE
29. Be a debtor of OWE TO
30. Places to stand and deliver? DAISES
33. They can call you out UMPS
36. Garden alignments ROWS
38. Busch Gardens city TAMPA
39. Walter Scott’s title SIR
40. Sponsor’s purchase … or what the starts of 18-, 24-, 51- and 60-Across can have AIRTIME
42. Slender fish EEL
43. Base exercise DRILL
45. Way MODE
46. Skort revelation KNEE
47. Heroic son of Aphrodite AENEAS
49. In a damp manner WETLY
51. 1981 Burt Reynolds film, with “The” CANNONBALL RUN
56. Voice vote call AYE!
58. Is laid up with HAS
59. Outscores BEATS
60. Early chronicler of the ’50s-’60s civil rights movement JET MAGAZINE
65. Messy abode STY
66. Snorkeler’s haunt ATOLL
67. Letter before lambda KAPPA
68. Common break hour TEN
69. Laundry setting RINSE
70. Fall faller ACORN
71. Episodic story line ARC

Down
1. Hunting AFTER
2. System of belief CREDO
3. Like biohazards TOXIC
4. One saying uncle? NEPHEW
5. Galeón load ORO
6. Brew dispenser TAP
7. Terre Haute sch. ISU
8. Soft drink with a red-white-and-blue logo PEPSI
9. Put off ALIENATE
10. Spy thriller writer Deighton LEN
11. Romeos LADIES’ MEN
12. Cosmetic titan AVON
13. Fells with an ax HEWS
19. Nursery intruder WEED
21. Bout enders, for short TKOS
25. Garr of “Young Frankenstein” TERI
26. Blizzard, e.g. STORM
27. Chisholm Trail community COWTOWN
28. Org. in many a spy thriller CIA
31. Olympian’s weapon EPEE
32. Black Friday event SALE
33. Beef inspection org. USDA
34. Muddy spot MIRE
35. Bill Bradley’s alma mater PRINCETON
37. Cassette half SIDE B
40. “Gilligan’s Island” co-star ALAN HALE
41. Prefix with carpal META-
44. Green span LEA
46. NASCAR racer Busch KYLE
48. Fly in the ointment SNAG
50. Maine mail order giant LL BEAN
52. Japanese port OSAKA
53. Dreadlocks wearer RASTA
54. Say UTTER
55. Backstreet Boys contemporaries NSYNC
56. Open a little AJAR
57. Mysterious mountain climber YETI
61. Chicago Fire’s org. MLS
62. Efron of “Neighbors” (2014) ZAC
63. Financial pg. debut IPO
64. “Ask Me Another” airer NPR

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10 thoughts on “LA Times Crossword Answers 29 Jul 15, Wednesday”

  1. A lot more smoother grid than yesterday. Though, still one error (46-Across), and a few clues that were a degree of nonsense.

  2. Good morning everyone!
    Still kicking.

    Quick and easy solve today.

    Groaner of the day 49A
    "In a damp manner" Wetly. Seriously! Almost
    refused to put it in as an answer thinking "Can't Be!"

    Oh well.

    Have a great day all!

  3. It was a standard Wednesday grid, IMO. Some decent fill like LLBEAN–nice use of a multi-consonant word–was nice. But lots of dreck like EEL, AJAR, and the dreaded EPEE. More crossword collusion at the LAT had SIDEB today, and the NYT had SIDEA. And WETLY…c'mon.

    ALANHALE's acting career began way back in 1933, per IMDb. He was in many TV shows, only half of which were resets of Gilligan's Island. I never knew Skipper had a given name in the script, Jonas Grumby. Anheuser-Busch no longer operates Busch Gardens in TAMPA (Sea-World), but continues to operate a nice animal park in St. Louis, Grant's Farm. On another Busch front, KYLE Busch (no direct relation) is nicknamed "Rowdy," not "Shrub," for his little temper tantrums he throws on the track. Sample.

  4. Good to see the Cannonball Baker mentioned here in Bill's blog. The first actual "organized" race was won by Brock Yates and Dan Gurney driving a beautiful and hellaciously fast Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona who made it from the Redball Garage in Midtown Manhattan New York to the Portofino Inn in Redondo Beach California in 35 hours and 53 minutes (or perhaps 54 minutes?).

  5. Thanks to all the well wishers from yesterday. I'm feeling much better today, but I still have a kind of hangover effect from having not eaten in 3 days as well as dehydration. Slowly getting back to eating normally. I hadn't thought of it, Pookie, but when you mentioned applesauce yesterday, it sounded like a gourmet meal. I downed a bunch of it; it was really a godsend. Thanks for the idea. I still won't be able to run for another month or 2, but the hamstring is feeling better as well.

    Puzzle was enjoyable with some sneaky cluing at times. I really struggled for a while in the NE, but I don't know why.

    It is so hot and humid in Houston that I have to walk WETLY to the mailbox. ??? ..uh….ok sure we say that all the time….

    Best –

  6. Episodic story line? A strange Wednesday clue for the often seen ARC.
    Agree on WETLY, although after looking up a few sites, one example could be "Jeff's shirt was clinging wetly to his body after he walked to the mailbox" ^0^
    Jeff, glad you're feeling better. My sister-in-law was sick for 2 weeks with some bug that was going around and her doctor told her to follow the BRAT diet, so it was fresh in my mind.
    See all of you tomorrow!

  7. This seemed easier than Monday and Tuesday. Thought the clue for 24A should have been Complicated subject…not…material. But that's just a nit. Hit a speed bump in the upper right but finally got it. I also refused to put in Wetly! lol, I let the crosses do it for me. Appreciate the "Young Frankenstein" reference, it's one of my favorites.

  8. The Skipper and Young Frankenstein, together at last! I never get tired of pulling that "Walk this way" gag.
    I also thought this was easier than Mon or Tues, although I made some really stupid mistakes: I at first spelled CANNON as CANON (!) and for the Garr clue I wrote GARR. LOL!!
    I will say that the clue "Skort revelation" is one weird phrase…
    Hope tomorrow's relatively easy too!

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