LA Times Crossword Answers 3 Sep 15, Thursday

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
1. iTunes Store category SOUL
Soul music originated in the United States and was born out of gospel music and rhythm & blues. I read one quotation that describes soul as “music that arose out of the black experience in America”.

iTunes is a very, very successful software application from Apple. It’s basically a media player that works on platforms like the iPad, iPhone and iPod. Of course it connects seamlessly to the iTunes Store, where you can spend all kinds of money.

10. Ones dealing with deductions, briefly CPAS
Certified public accountant (CPA)

16. Jessica of “Machete Kills” ALBA
Actress Jessica Alba got her big break when she was cast in the Fox science fiction show “Dark Angel”. Alba had a tough life growing up as she spent a lot of time in hospital and so found it difficult to develop friendships. As a youngster she twice had a collapsed lung, frequently caught pneumonia, suffered from asthma, had a ruptured appendix and a tonsillar cyst. On top of all that she acknowledges that she suffered from obsessive-compulsive disorder as a child. It seems that she has really turned her life around …

“Machete Kills” is a 2013 comedy film, a sequel to the 2010 movie “Machete”. I know nothing about this film as there is a link to Quentin Tarantino, and I don’t do Tarantino …

17. Hood sites KING COBRAS
The king cobra isn’t a cobra at all and rather belongs to its own genus. The king cobra is the world’s longest venomous snake and can grow to over 18 feet in length.

19. George H.W. Bush, once VEEP
President George H. W. Bush served in the US Navy during WWII. Future President Bush postponed his entry into college after the attack on Pearl Harbor and enlisted in the navy instead. When he earned his wings, he was the youngest aviator in the US Navy at that time.

20. Type of infection STAPH
Staphylococcus is a genus of bacteria. Under a microscope it can be seen that the individual bacteria form into clusters like bunches of grapes. “Staphylococcus” comes from the Greek word meaning “bunch of grapes”.

21. One eavesdropping, perhaps SPY
To “eavesdrop” is to listen in on someone else’s conversation without being invited to do so. The term comes from the practice of spies loitering in the area just outside the walls of a house, particularly in the “eavesdrip”, the ground close to a house that catches the drips of rainwater falling from the eaves of the roof.

22. Royal decrees FIATS
A “fiat” is an arbitrary rule that is imposed. “Fiat” is the Latin for “let it be done”.

25. Lesage hero Gil __ BLAS
Alain-René Lesage was a novelist and playwright from France. Lesage is best known for his novels “The Devil upon Two Sticks” (1707) and “Gil Blas” (1715-1735).

26. Hood site SHERWOOD FOREST
Even though Robin Hood is character in legend, Sherwood Forest does really exist. It is located in Nottinghamshire in England, and has been around since the last ice age.

33. Bourbon bigwigs ROIS
Roi is the French word for “king”.

The House of Bourbon is a royal house in Europe that ruled France right up until the French Revolution. Famous French kings such as Louis XIV and Louis XVI all belonged to the House of Bourbon.

35. Shad delicacy ROE
The shad is also known as the river herring. The eggs (roe) of the female shad are prized as a delicacy in the Eastern US.

36. Fidgety ANTSY
The word “antsy” embodies the concept of “having ants in one’s pants”, meaning being nervous and fidgety. However, “antsy” has been used in English since the 1830s, whereas “ants in the pants” originated a century later.

38. Raggedy character ANN
Raggedy Ann is a rag doll, created by Johnny Gruelle in 1915 for his daughter, Marcella. He decided to name the doll by combining the titles of two poems by James Whitcomb Riley, “The Raggedy Man” and “Little Orphan Annie”. Gruelle introduced Raggedy Ann in a series of books three years later. Sadly, Marcella died at 13 years of age with her father blaming a smallpox vaccination she was given at school. Gruelle became very active in the movement against mass vaccination, for which Raggedy Ann became a symbol.

41. “Friday” actress Long NIA
Nia Long is an American actress, probably best known for playing Will Smith’s sometime girlfriend and fiancee Lisa Wilkes on the TV show “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air”.

“Friday” is a 1995 movie that is described as a “stoner comedy”. I’m not a big fan of “stoner” films, to be honest …

45. Pet-adoption ads, briefly PSAS
Public service announcement (PSA)

46. Hood sites GANGSTER MOVIES
“Hood” is a slang term for “gangster”, a shortening of “hoodlum”.

49. Mafia bosses DONS
In the Mafia, a don is a head of a family.

Apparently “Cosa Nostra” is the real name for the Italian Mafia. “Cosa Nostra” translates as “our thing” or “this thing of ours”. The term first became public in the US when the FBI managed to turn some members of the American Mafia. The Italian authorities established that “Cosa Nostra” was also used in Sicily when they penetrated the Sicilian Mafia in the 1980s. The term “Mafia” seems to be just a literary invention that has become popular with the public.

50. Busy mo. for FedEx DEC
FedEx began operations in 1973 as Federal Express, but now operates very successfully under it’s more catchy abbreviated name. Headquartered in Memphis with its “SuperHub” at Memphis International Airport, FedEx is the world’s largest airline in terms of tons of freight flown. And due to the presence of FedEx, Memphis Airport has the largest-volume cargo operation of any airport worldwide.

51. On hold, with “in” LIMBO
In the Roman Catholic tradition, “Limbo” is a place where souls can remain who cannot enter heaven. For example, infants who have not been baptized are said to reside in Limbo. Limbo is said to be located on the border of Hell. The name was chosen during the Middle Ages from the Latin “limbo” meaning “ornamental border to a fringe”. We use the phrase “in limbo” in contemporary English to mean “in a state of uncertainty”.

53. Fuel efficiency stat MPG
Miles per gallon (mpg)

60. One of a classically opposed pair EVIL
I guess that would be “good” and “evil”.

63. Peony holder VASE
“Vase” is one of those words that is pronounced differently in British English and American English, but it is the American English that preserves the original pronunciation. In the US we pronounce “vase” so that it rhymes with “face, place, grace”. Somehow the British usage morphed from this original into rhyming with “bras”.

The flowering plant called a peony is named for Paean, the mythical physician to the Greek gods.

64. North Dakota home of the Roger Maris Museum FARGO
Fargo, North Dakota is the biggest city in the state. The original name for the city was Centralia, when it was a stopping point for steamboats that traveled the Red River in the late 19th century. The town really grew with the arrival of the Northern Pacific Railway, so the name “Fargo” was adopted in honor of one of the railroad company’s directors, William Fargo (of Wells Fargo Express fame).

Roger Maris (real name: Roger Maras) was the son of Croatian immigrants who was raised in Fargo, North Dakota. It was Maris’s single season record of 61 home runs that Mark McGwire broke in in 1998 (hitting 70 that season). Maris’s own record of 61 runs (in 1961) beat the previous record of 60 set in 1927 by Babe Ruth.

65. ’60s sitcom boy OPIE
Opie Taylor is the character played by Ron Howard on “The Andy Griffith Show”. Opie lives with widowed father Andy Taylor (played by Andy Griffith) and his great-aunt Beatrice “Aunt Bee” Taylor (played by Frances Bavier. Ron Howard first played the role in 1960 in the pilot show, when he was just 5 years old. Howard sure has come a long way since playing Opie Taylor. He has directed some fabulous movies including favorites of mine like “Apollo 13”, “A Beautiful Mind” and “The Da Vinci Code”.

67. “Dude!” OH MAN!
Our term “dude” arose as a slang term in New York City in the 1880s, when it was used to describe a fastidious man. In the early 1900s, the term was extended to mean “city slickers”, Easterners who vacationed in the West. The first use of the term “dude ranch” was recorded in 1921.

Down
1. Lord & Taylor competitor SAKS
Saks Fifth Avenue is a high-end specialty store that competes with the likes of Bloomingdales and Neiman Marcus. The original Saks & Company business was founded by Andrew Saks in 1867. The first Saks Fifth Avenue store was opened on Fifth Avenue in New York City in 1924. There are now Saks Fifth Avenue stores in many major cities in the US, as well in several locations worldwide.

Lord & Taylor is a chain of luxury department stores founded by Samuel Lord and George Washington Taylor. With the original store opening in Manhattan in 1826, Lord & Taylor is the oldest chain of luxury department stores in the country.

2. Departure notice? OBIT
“Obituary” comes from the Latin “obituaris”, originally the record of the death of a person, although the literal meaning is “pertaining to death”.

3. Bone involved in Tommy John surgery ULNA
The humerus is the long bone in the upper arm. The bones in the forearm are the radius and ulna. “Ulna” is the Latin word for “elbow”, and “radius” is Latin for “ray”.

Tommy John surgery (TGS) is a procedure in the ulnar collateral ligament, a thick band of tissue in the elbow, is replaced with a tendon from elsewhere in the body. The operation is commonly required for athletes, particularly baseball player. The first baseball player to undergo the procedure, in 1974, was Major League pitcher Tommy John, hence the name.

5. Pontiac muscle car GTO
The Pontiac GTO was was produced by GM from 1964 to 1974, and again by a GM subsidiary in Australia from 2004 to 2006. The original GTO’s design is credited to Pontiac chief engineer at the time John DeLorean, who later was found the DeLorean Motor Company.

7. Dining faux pas BURP
The term “faux pas” is French in origin, and translates literally as “false step” (or “false steps”, as the plural has the same spelling in French).

9. Rental car feature, briefly GPS
Global Positioning System (GPS)

10. Fancy spread CAVIAR
“Caviar” is the roe of a large fish that has been salted and seasoned, and especially the roe of a sturgeon. Beluga caviar comes from the beluga sturgeon, found primarily in the Caspian Sea. It is the most expensive type of caviar in the world. 8 ounces of US-farmed beluga caviar can be purchased through Amazon.com for just over $850, in case you’re feeling peckish …

12. Harbor after a heist, say ABET
The word “abet” comes into English from the Old French “abeter” meaning “to bait” or “to harass with dogs” (it literally means “to make bite”). This sense of encouraging something bad to happen morphed into our modern usage of “abet” meaning to aid or encourage someone in a crime.

13. Gullible sorts SAPS
“Sap” is slang for a fool, someone easily scammed. The term arose in the early 1800s in Britain when it was used in “saphead” and “sapskull”. All these words derive from “sapwood”, which is the soft wood found in tree trunks between the bark and the heartwood at the center.

22. Native plants FLORA
The fauna (plural “faunae”) is the animal life of a particular region, and the flora (plural “florae”) is that region’s plant life. The term “fauna” comes from the Roman goddess of earth and fertility who was called Fauna. Flora was the Roman goddess of plants, flowers and fertility.

24. Post-Breathalyzer-test charge: Abbr. 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.

What we know today as the breathalyzer was introduced in 1931 as a device called the “drunkometer”.

25. Dancer’s deg. BFA
The degree of Bachelor of Fine Arts is primarily designed for students intent on pursuing a career in the visual or performing arts.

26. Colleague of Elena and Ruth SONIA
Sonia Sotomayor is the first Hispanic justice on the US Supreme Court, and the third female justice. Sotomayor was nominated by President Barack Obama to replace the retiring Justice David Souter.

Elena Kagan was the Solicitor General of the United States who replaced Justice John Paul Stevens on the US Supreme Court. That made Justice Kagan the fourth female US Supreme Court justice (there have been 108 men!). I hear she is a fan of Jane Austen, and used to reread “Pride and Prejudice” once a year. Not a bad thing to do, I’d say …

Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg serves on the US Supreme Court. Justice Ginsburg was the second woman to join the Court, nominated by President Bill Clinton. She was diagnosed with colon cancer in 1999 and underwent surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. During that time she did not miss one day on the bench. In 2009 Justice Ginsburg had surgery for pancreatic cancer, and was back to work 12 days later.

28. “August: ___ County”: 2008 Pulitzer-winning play OSAGE
“August: Osage County” is a dark comedy play by Tracy Letts that won a 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. I saw a 2013 movie adaptation that has a great cast including Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Ewan McGregor, and Benedict Cumberbatch. I really enjoyed it …

30. GUESS material DENIM
Denim fabric originated in Nimes in France. The French phrase “de Nimes” (from Nimes) gives us the word “denim”. Also, the French phrase “bleu de Genes” (blue of Genoa) gives us our word “jeans”.

GUESS is a company producing a whole line of clothing, although it was originally very much associated with the production of denim jeans.

32. Pro shop pickups TEES
One might pick up some tees at a golf course’s pro shop.

40. Like Kung Pao chicken SPICY HOT
Sichuan (also Szechuan) is a province in southwest China. Sichuan is noted for its cuisine, which is hot and spicy as it uses plenty of garlic, chili peppers and the Sichuan peppercorn. A famous Szechuan dish in the US is Kung Pao chicken or shrimp.

43. Drying-out hurdle DTS
The episodes of delirium that can accompany withdrawal from alcohol are called Delirium Tremens (the DTs). The literal translation of this Latin phrase is “trembling madness”.

48. Docs using cones VETS
Vets might use a cone-shaped piece of plastic around a dog’s neck to keep it from scratching at a head-wound.

51. Son of Leah LEVI
In the Torah, the Israelites are traced back to Jacob, the grandson of Abraham. Jacob had twelve sons, six with each of his concurrent wives Leah and Rachel. The sons became the ancestors of the Twelve Tribes of Israel. The sons were:

– Reuben
– Simeon
– Levi
– Judah
– Dan
– Naphtali
– Gad
– Asher
– Issachar
– Zebulun
– Joseph
– Benjamin

52. “Terrible” ruler IVAN
The Grand Prince of Moscow Ivan IV became known as Ivan the Terrible. The name “terrible” is a translation from Russian, and perhaps creates the wrong impression about the man. The Russian word is “Grozny”, which is more akin to “strict” and “powerful” rather than “cruel” or “abominable”.

53. [Air kiss] MWAH!
Someone might make the air kiss gesture when leaving, as it tends to be a “goodbye, love you all” kind of move. The person touches the inside of the hand to the mouth, kisses it and “tosses” the kiss to those being from whom he or she is departing. As the hand throws the kiss, the person makes an exaggerated “mwah!” sound. The use of the word “mwah!” has crept into online messaging and texting as a way of bidding farewell. It’s not something you’d catch me doing, I must admit …

54. Wave maker PERM
“Perm” is the name given to a permanent wave, a chemical or thermal treatment of hair to produce waves or curls. I don’t worry about such things, as it’s a number-one all over for me …

55. Lady __ GAGA
Lady Gaga is the stage name of Stefani Germanotta. Germanotta is a big fan of the band Queen, and she took her stage name from the marvelous Queen song titled “Radio Ga Ga”.

58. Home port for the USS Niagara ERIE
The USS Niagara is a warship that was used in the War of 1812, serving in the Battle of Lake Erie. You can visit it today in the city of Erie, Pennsylvania, where it is docked behind the Erie Maritime Museum.

59. Peony part STEM
The flowering plant called a peony is named for Paean, the mythical physician to the Greek gods.

61. W. Coast airport SFO
San Francisco International Airport (SFO) serves as the main base of operations for Virgin America, and is also the maintenance hub for United Airlines. SFO was also the site of a 2013 crash of an Asiana Airlines Boeing 777 that resulted in three fatalities.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. iTunes Store category SOUL
5. Reach for the stars GO BIG
10. Ones dealing with deductions, briefly CPAS
14. Fit ABLE
15. Surpass TRUMP
16. Jessica of “Machete Kills” ALBA
17. Hood sites KING COBRAS
19. George H.W. Bush, once VEEP
20. Type of infection STAPH
21. One eavesdropping, perhaps SPY
22. Royal decrees FIATS
23. “Cool!” RAD!
25. Lesage hero Gil __ BLAS
26. Hood site SHERWOOD FOREST
33. Bourbon bigwigs ROIS
34. “Trust me!” I SWEAR!
35. Shad delicacy ROE
36. Fidgety ANTSY
38. Raggedy character ANN
39. Theatrical device ASIDE
41. “Friday” actress Long NIA
42. Enter carefully EDGE IN
45. Pet-adoption ads, briefly PSAS
46. Hood sites GANGSTER MOVIES
49. Mafia bosses DONS
50. Busy mo. for FedEx DEC
51. On hold, with “in” LIMBO
53. Fuel efficiency stat MPG
56. Enters, in a way TYPES
60. One of a classically opposed pair EVIL
61. Hood site SWEATSHIRT
63. Peony holder VASE
64. North Dakota home of the Roger Maris Museum FARGO
65. ’60s sitcom boy OPIE
66. Technical sch. INST
67. “Dude!” OH MAN!
68. Overflow TEEM

Down
1. Lord & Taylor competitor SAKS
2. Departure notice? OBIT
3. Bone involved in Tommy John surgery ULNA
4. Weight training exercise LEG PRESS
5. Pontiac muscle car GTO
6. Spheres ORBS
7. Dining faux pas BURP
8. Reply offering hope I MAY
9. Rental car feature, briefly GPS
10. Fancy spread CAVIAR
11. Standing order? PLEASE RISE
12. Harbor after a heist, say ABET
13. Gullible sorts SAPS
18. Scorch CHAR
22. Native plants FLORA
24. Post-Breathalyzer-test charge: Abbr. DWI
25. Dancer’s deg. BFA
26. Colleague of Elena and Ruth SONIA
27. Not reliable HIT AND MISS
28. “August: ___ County”: 2008 Pulitzer-winning play OSAGE
29. Pro sports VIP OWNER
30. GUESS material DENIM
31. Party supplies SODAS
32. Pro shop pickups TEES
33. Buzzed RANG
37. Kind of question YES/NO
40. Like Kung Pao chicken SPICY HOT
43. Drying-out hurdle DTS
44. Subtle acknowledgment NOD
47. Wine holder GOBLET
48. Docs using cones VETS
51. Son of Leah LEVI
52. “Terrible” ruler IVAN
53. [Air kiss] MWAH!
54. Wave maker PERM
55. Lady __ GAGA
57. Water conduit PIPE
58. Home port for the USS Niagara ERIE
59. Peony part STEM
61. W. Coast airport SFO
62. Huge number TON

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