LA Times Crossword Answers 29 Aug 15, Saturday

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
16. With 12-Down, 1995 Hugo Award winner for Best Related Work I, ASIMOV
(12D. See 16-Across A MEMOIR)
Isaac Asimov was a wonderful science fiction writer, and a professor of biochemistry. He was a favorite author as I was growing up and I must admit that some hero worship on my part led me to study and work as a biochemist for a short while early in my career. My favorite of his works is the collection of short stories called “I, Robot”. Asimov wrote three autobiographies, the last of which was called “I, Asimov”. “I, Asimov” was published in 1994, two years after his death.

17. Going on, slangily COOKING
“Cooking” is a slang term meaning “full of excitement and activity”.

18. Stand for things ETAGERE
An étagère is a piece of furniture with open shelves, often used to display small ornaments. I can’t stand them …

19. “The Road to Wealth” author ORMAN
Suze Orman is a financial advisor who has gotten her message out on television, in books and on the speaking circuit. She often appears on PBS, and indeed is the most successful fundraiser public television has ever had.

22. Deity skilled at archery AMOR
Cupid, the Greek god of desire, was also known as Amor. “Cupido” is Latin for “desire” and “amor” is Latin for “love”.

23. It has rail service to ORD and MDW CTA
Chicago Transit Authority (CTA)

O’Hare International is the fourth busiest airport in the world. The original airport was constructed on the site between 1942 and 1943, and was used by the Douglas Aircraft Company for the manufacture of planes during WWII. Before the factory and airport were built, there was a community in the area called Orchard Place, so the airport was called Orchard Place Airport/Douglas Field. This name is the derivation of the airport’s current location identifier: ORD (OR-chard D-ouglas). Orchard Place Airport was renamed to O’Hare International in 1949 in honor of Lieutenant Commander Butch O’Hare who grew up in Chicago. O’Hare was the US Navy’s first flying ace and a Medal of Honor recipient in WWII.

Midway Airport started off with just one cinder runway in 1923, and was called Chicago Air Park. By 1927 the airport had expanded and earned the name Chicago Municipal Airport. In 1932 Midway was the world’s busiest airport, a title it held for thirty years. In 1949, in honor of the WWII Battle of Midway, the airport was renamed again to Chicago Midway Airport. Then in 1955, along came Chicago International Airport and all the major airlines started moving their operations over to the newer facility. Today Midway is a major hub for just one airline: Southwest.

24. Hawaii’s __ Coast KONA
The Kona district on the Big Island of Hawaii is on the western side of the island. The largest town in Kona is Kailua-Kona. Kailua-Kona is often incorrectly referred to as “Kona”. The term “kona” translates as “leeward side of the island” in Hawaiian.

26. Zippo NOT ONE
The use of the words “zip” and “zippo” to mean “nothing” dates back to the early 1900s when it was student slang for being graded zero on a test.

28. Amsterdam features CANALS
Amsterdam is the cultural capital and the commercial capital of the Netherlands, but not the administrative capital. That honor goes to the Hague. Amsterdam’s name translates as “Dam on the river Amstel”.

30. Meat-based sauce RAGU
The Ragu brand of pasta sauce is owned by Unilever. The name ” Ragù” is the Italian word for a sauce used to dress pasta, however the spelling is off a little. In Italian the word is “Ragù” with a grave accent over the “u”, but if you look at a jar of the Unilever sauce, it is spelled “Ragú” on the label, with an acute accent. Sometimes I think we just don’t try …

32. Shades-wearing TV cousin ITT
In the television sitcom “The Addams Family”, the family had a frequent visitor called Cousin Itt. Itt is a short man with long hair that runs from his head to the floor. Cousin Itt was played by Italian actor Felix Silla.

35. Deck used for readings TAROT
Tarot cards have been around since the mid-1400s, and for centuries were simply used for entertainment as a game. It has only been since the late 1800s that the cards have been used by fortune tellers to predict the future.

37. What we’re made of, per 21-Down STARSTUFF
The nitrogen in our DNA, the calcium in our teeth, the iron in our blood, the carbon in our apple pies were made in the interiors of collapsing stars. We are made of starstuff.

39. Place for an ice bed IGLOO
The Inuit word for “house” is “iglu”, which we usually write as “igloo”. The Greenlandic (yes, that’s a language) word for “house” is very similar: namely “igdlo”.

42. Idylls PASTORALS
An “idyll” (also “idyl”) is a short poem with a pastoral theme, usually depicting the scene in romantic and idealized terms. The word comes from the Greek “eidyllion”, which literally translates to “little picture” but was a word describing a short, poem with a rustic theme.

46. Egg __ yung FOO
Egg foo yung is a dish served in Chinese restaurants, and is basically an omelet. It probably takes its name from a flower called the Fu Yung.

47. Salon, for one E-MAG
Salon.com is a popular online magazine, one of the first “ezines” ever published. “Salon” focuses on American politics and current affairs, but also has articles about books, music and films. The magazine was launched in 1995, and managed to survive many loss-making years. Most of “Salon’s” content is free, but it does make money by offering a premium service with extra content, and by selling ad space.

50. Threatening to steal, perhaps ON BASE
That would be on base in baseball …

52. Heroine in Auel’s “Earth’s Children” books AYLA
Ayla is a little Cro-Magnon girl who is orphaned and then adopted by a Neanderthal tribe, as told in “The Clan of the Cave Bear”, the first of a series of novels written by Jean Auel that set in prehistoric times. I haven’t read any of Auel’s books myself, but they are on my reading to-do list as my wife recommends them. They sound interesting …

54. Cpl., for one NCO
Corporal (Cpl.)

An NCO is a non-commissioned officer in the armed forces. Usually such an officer is one who has earned his or her rank by promotion through the enlisted ranks. A good example would be a sergeant.

56. Brown of publishing TINA
Tina Brown is a British/American journalist and author. Brown wrote “The Diana Chronicles”, a biography of Diana, Princess of Wales, of whom Brown was a personal friend. She emigrated to the US in 1984 to become editor for “Vanity Fair”, and later took the helm at “The New Yorker”.

60. Discoverer of Jupiter’s four largest moons GALILEO
So far, Jupiter is known to have 67 moons, more than any other planet in the Solar System. The four largest moons (Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto) were discovered by Galileo in 1610, making them the first objects found that did not orbit either the Earth or the Sun.

62. Lab tube PIPETTE
A pipette (also “pipet”) is tool used in a lab to transport an accurately measured volume of liquid. Back in my day, we would suck up the liquid into the pipette by applying our mouths to the top of the instrument. This could be quite dangerous, as one ended up with a mouthful of something unsavory if one lifted the top of pipette out of the liquid too soon. Nowadays, things are much safer.

Down
1. 1970s Ford president IACOCCA
Lee Iacocca was a lot more successful at Chrysler than he was earlier in his career at Ford. Iacocca is credited with the turnaround of Chrysler in the eighties, but he is also credited with the failure of the Ford Pinto. He didn’t get on well with Henry Ford II so he was fired from the Ford Motor Company.

3. Ferocious Flea foe ATOM ANT
Atom Ant is a cartoon character introduced by Hanna-Barbera in 1965. He is a tiny superhero who fights villains such as Ferocious Flea and a mad scientist named Professor Von Gimmick.

4. Tailless rabbit relative PIKA
A pika is a small mammal with no external tail that lives in many parts of the world. The pika is prone to emitting a high-pitched alarm call as it dives for cover into its burrow, which behavior led to it being nicknamed the “whistling hare”. Taxonomically, the pika does indeed belong to the same order as rabbits and hares.

5. Sparkly Skechers style for girls TWINKLE TOES
Skechers is a manufacturer of shoes that was founded in 1992, initially offering utility boots and skate shoes. Since then, the company is perhaps best known for its trendy athletic, casual and dress shoes. I don’t own any …

8. Neoplasticism artist Mondrian PIET
Piet Mondrian was painter from the Netherlands who also lived and worked in Paris, London and New York. Mondrian’s works ranged in style from Impressionism to Abstract.

Neoplasticism, the “new plastic art”, is an artistic movement founded in 1917 in Amsterdam that is also known as “De Stijl”, which is Dutch for “the style”. Artists and architects who embrace this style try to limit themselves to basic shapes and straight lines, to primary colors and black and white.

10. Spanish pronoun ESA
“Esa” is Spanish for “that”.

13. Hockey Hall of Fame city TORONTO
The Hockey Hall of Fame was established in 1943 in Kingston, Ontario. However, years of effort failed to raise sufficient funds to build a permanent building for the Hall of Fame in Kingston. The NHL finally agreed to construct a building for a permanent exhibition in Toronto that was opened in 1961. A larger home for the Hockey Hall of Fame was opened in Toronto in 1993.

14. Former surgeon general C. __ Koop EVERETT
C. Everett Koop was Surgeon General from 1982-89, appointed by President Reagan. Koop was a somewhat controversial character and one who brought the position of Surgeon General into the spotlight more than was historically the case. Partly this was due to his pro-life position, his anti-tobacco stance and the fact that AIDS became a prominent issue while he was in office.

21. “The Dragons of Eden” Pulitzer winner CARL SAGAN
Carl Sagan’s 1977, Pulitzer-winning book is has the full title “The Dragons of Eden: Speculations on the Evolution of Human Intelligence”. In the work, Sagan attempts to explain how intelligence, and human intelligence in particular, may have evolved. The title “Dragons of Eden” embodies the idea that early humans had a fear of reptiles as they struggled for survival, which led to the myth of dragons.

25. DOL division OSHA
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was created in 1970 during the Nixon administration. OSHA regulates workplaces in the private sector and regulates just one government agency, namely the US Postal Service.

The US Department of Labor (DOL) was founded as the Bureau of Labor in 1889 under the Department of the Interior. The Bureau’s status was elevated to Cabinet level by President William Howard Taft in 1913, with a bill he signed on his last day in office. The DOL has headquartered in the Frances Perkins Building in Washington, D.C. since 1975. The building was named for Frances Perkins who serves as Secretary of Labor from 1933 to 1945 and who was the first cabinet secretary in US history.

29. “Yes, of course” AHSO
The slang term “ahso” is used in American English to mean “I see”. The term derives from the Japanese expression “Ah so desu ka” meaning “Oh, that’s how it is”.

31. Classified times AFTS
The abbreviation “aft.” might be used in a classified ad to mean “afternoon”.

34. Plucked instrument, to Vivaldi ARPA
“Arpa” is Italian for “harp”.

Antonio Vivaldi was one of the great composers of the Baroque period. He achieved fame and success within in his own lifetime, notoriety that faded soon after he died. His music has reemerged in recent decades and I am sure everyone is familiar with at least part of his most famous composition, the violin concerto called “The Four Seasons”. Vivaldi was nicknamed “The Red Priest” because he was indeed a priest, and he had red hair.

41. Popular hanging-basket flower LOBELIA
Lobelias are plants that have two-lipped tubular flowers, each with five lobes. The abundance of the plant’s flower and the intense color make Lobelias popular ornamentals. The name Lobelia is in honor of Belgian botanist Matthias de Lobel.

43. One of the original Mouseketeers ANNETTE
Annette Funicello is an actress and singer whose big break came on the original “Mickey Mouse Club”, in which Funicello was one of the most popular of the Mouseketeers. After her time with “Mickey Mouse Club”, she had a very successful few years as a pop singer. Then Funicello transitioned to the big screen and starred alongside Frankie Avalon in the “Beach Party” series of films.

44. Google map, say LOCATOR
I navigate my way around in my car using Google maps as my GPS system. Highly, highly recommended …

48. Shower component METEOR
A shooting star is what we call the visible path of a meteoroid as is it enters the earth’s atmosphere. Almost all meteoroids burn up, but if one is large enough to survive and reach the ground, we call it a meteorite. The word “meteor” comes from the Greek “meteōros” meaning “high in the air”.

The two most famous meteor showers are the Perseids and Leonids. The Perseid meteor shower is most visible around August 12th each year, and the Leonid meteor shower is most notable around November 17th. The Perseids appear to emanate from the constellation Perseus, and the Leonids from the constellation Leo (hence the names “Perseids” and “Leonids”).

51. Pulitzer playwright Zoë AKINS
Zoë Akins was a playwright from Humansville, Missouri who won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1935 for her adaptation of the Edith Wharton’s “The Old Maid”. Her own play “The Greeks Had a Word for It” was adapted into the famous movie “How to Marry a Millionaire”, which rocketed Marilyn Monroe into stardom. Akins is the great-aunt of actress Laurie Metcalf.

57. Cyclotron bits IONS
A cyclotron accelerates charged particles (ions) using a magnetic field, usually directing the particles round and round a huge underground circular structure.

61. Be supine LIE
When lying on one’s back, one is said to be in a supine position. When lying on one’s stomach, one is said to be prone.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Probably will IS APT TO
8. Come before PREDATE
15. Like many a protest ANTIWAR
16. With 12-Down, 1995 Hugo Award winner for Best Related Work I, ASIMOV
17. Going on, slangily COOKING
18. Stand for things ETAGERE
19. “The Road to Wealth” author ORMAN
20. Opening segment ACT I
22. Deity skilled at archery AMOR
23. It has rail service to ORD and MDW CTA
24. Hawaii’s __ Coast KONA
26. Zippo NOT ONE
28. Amsterdam features CANALS
30. Meat-based sauce RAGU
32. Shades-wearing TV cousin ITT
33. Score update phrase AT THE HALF
35. Deck used for readings TAROT
37. What we’re made of, per 21-Down STARSTUFF
39. Place for an ice bed IGLOO
42. Idylls PASTORALS
46. Egg __ yung FOO
47. Salon, for one E-MAG
49. Like some transfers IRON-ON
50. Threatening to steal, perhaps ON BASE
52. Heroine in Auel’s “Earth’s Children” books AYLA
54. Cpl., for one NCO
55. Cause some nose-holding REEK
56. Brown of publishing TINA
58. Clip SHEAR
60. Discoverer of Jupiter’s four largest moons GALILEO
62. Lab tube PIPETTE
64. View OPINION
65. Flighty sort? AVIATOR
66. Some film clips TEASERS
67. Submits TENDERS

Down
1. 1970s Ford president IACOCCA
2. Show contempt for SNORT AT
3. Ferocious Flea foe ATOM ANT
4. Tailless rabbit relative PIKA
5. Sparkly Skechers style for girls TWINKLE TOES
6. Salon acquisition TAN
7. Reed site ORGAN
8. Neoplasticism artist Mondrian PIET
9. Assessment RATING
10. Spanish pronoun ESA
11. Make cutting remarks about DIG AT
12. See 16-Across A MEMOIR
13. Hockey Hall of Fame city TORONTO
14. Former surgeon general C. __ Koop EVERETT
21. “The Dragons of Eden” Pulitzer winner CARL SAGAN
25. DOL division OSHA
27. Cruising OUT FOR A SPIN
29. “Yes, of course” AHSO
31. Classified times AFTS
34. Plucked instrument, to Vivaldi ARPA
36. Picked style AFRO
38. Gas co., e.g. UTIL
39. Excuse for lateness I FORGOT
40. Lost it GONE APE
41. Popular hanging-basket flower LOBELIA
43. One of the original Mouseketeers ANNETTE
44. Google map, say LOCATOR
45. Not always the best roommates SNORERS
48. Shower component METEOR
51. Pulitzer playwright Zoë AKINS
53. Pester, puppy-style YAP AT
57. Cyclotron bits IONS
59. Lead HEAD
61. Be supine LIE
63. “__ seen the light!” I’VE

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