LA Times Crossword Answers 9 Oct 15, Friday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: Bruce Haight
THEME: Notes … we have some musical grid art today, with three eighth-notes represented by the black squares going diagonally from top-left towards bottom-right. Also, our themed answers are written using only the letters A through G, the letters used to represent the notes of a musical scale:

52A. They’re graphically represented three times in this grid … and the answers to starred clues are the six longest common words than can be spelled using only them NOTES

32A. *Vandalized, in a way DEFACED
39A. *Head of the produce section? CABBAGE
1D. *Yielded ACCEDED
12D. *Place for oats FEEDBAG
36D. *Emotional burden BAGGAGE
42D. *Wiped out EFFACED

BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 11m 29s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across

5. He wrote about “a midnight dreary” POE
The first verse of Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven” is:

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore-
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door

“The Raven” is a narrative poem by Edgar Allan Poe that tells of a student who has lost the love of his life, Lenore. A raven enters the student’s bedchamber and perches on a bust of Pallas. The raven can talk, to the student’s surprise, but says nothing but the word “nevermore” (“quoth the raven, ‘Nevermore’”). As the student questions all aspects of his life, the raven taunts him with the same comment, “nevermore”. Finally the student decides that his soul is trapped beneath the raven’s shadow and shall be lifted “nevermore” …

8. Gobble (up) SNARF
“To snarf down” is to gobble up, to eat voraciously. “Snarf” is a slang term that is probably related to “scarf”, which has the same meaning.

13. Die, with “out” CONK
The phrase “conk out” was coined by airmen during WWI, and was used to describe the stalling of an engine.

14. Blog entry POST
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”.

15. Capital of India RUPEE
The rupee is a unit of currency, used in India, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Pakistan. The term “rupee” comes from the Sanskrit word “rupya”, which once meant “stamped, impressed” and then “coin”.

17. Colorful fish OPAH
Opah is the more correct name for the fish also known as the sunfish, moonfish or Jerusalem haddock. I’ve seen one in the Monterrey Aquarium. It is huge …

19. Old Tokyo EDO
Edo is the former name of the Japanese city of Tokyo. Edo was the seat of the Tokugawa shogunate, a feudal regime that ruled from 1603 until 1868. The shogun lived in the magnificent Edo castle. Some parts of the original castle remain and today’s Tokyo Imperial Palace, the residence of the Emperor of Japan, was built on its grounds.

23. High-five relative DAP
The dap is a form of handshake, nowadays often a complicated and showy routine of fist-bumps, slaps and shakes. Some say that “dap” is an acronym standing for “Dignity And Pride”.

24. Poison remedy IPECAC
Syrup of ipecac is a preparation made from the dried roots and rhizomes of the ipecacuanha plant. The syrup is used as an emetic, a substance that induces vomiting. Ipecac accomplishes this by irritating the lining of the stomach.

26. Poison test site LAB
Our term “laboratory”, often shortened to “lab”, comes from the Medieval Latin word “laboratorium” meaning “place for labor, work”. This in turn comes from the Latin verb “laborare” meaning “to work”.

30. Queen of the Goths in Shakespeare’s “Titus Andronicus” TAMORA
“Titus Andronicus” is one of Shakespeare’s tragedies, perhaps even the first that he wrote. I’ve never seen the play and apparently it is very gory, perhaps the reason why it was quite popular in Shakespeare’s own lifetime. Over the decades, sensibilities have changed and a result “Titus Andronicus” is performed less often today than his other works.

32. *Vandalized, in a way DEFACED
A “vandal” is someone who destroys some beautiful or valuable. The term comes from the Germanic tribe called the Vandals who sacked Rome in the year 455. Our contemporary term “vandalism” was coined by Henri Grégoire in 1794, when he was describing the destruction of artwork during the French Revolution.

33. Romantic activity BUSSING
“To buss” is “to kiss”.

34. Words of wisdom SAWS
A “saw” is an old adage, a saying.

35. Country on the Strait of Hormuz IRAN
The Persian Gulf is in effect an inland sea although it technically is an offshoot of the Indian Ocean. The outlet from the Persian Gulf to the Indian Ocean is one of the most famous maritime “choke points” in the world, i.e. the Strait of Hormuz. About 20% of the world’s supply of petroleum passes through the Strait of Hormuz.

36. Ravel classic BOLERO
Maurice Ravel was a great French composer of the Romantic Era. His most famous piece of music by far is his “Bolero”, the success of which he found somewhat irksome as he thought it to be a trivial work. Personally though, I love the minimalism and simplicity …

43. Old-style warning ALARUM
“Alarum” is an archaic spelling of our contemporary “alarm”, and a spelling oft used by William Shakespeare in his plays.

46. Deli staple SALAMI
Salame (note the “e” at the end) is an Italian sausage that is traditionally associated with the peasant classes. The meat in the sausage is preserved with salt, and it can be hung and stored for as long as ten years. The name “salame” comes from “sale”, the Italian word for salt, and “-ame”, a suffix indicating a collective noun. Our English word “salami” is actually the Italian plural for “salame”.

49. Like Beethoven’s “Pastoral Symphony” IN F
Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6 is also known as the Pastoral Symphony.

53. 2000 World Series venue SHEA
Shea Stadium in Flushing Meadows, New York was named after William A. Shea, the man credited with bringing National League baseball back to the city in the form of the New York Mets. Shea Stadium was dismantled in 2008-2009, and the site now provides additional parking for the new stadium nearby called Citi Field.

The 2000 World Series was the first postseason Subway Series since 1956. The term “Subway Series” has been used to describe World Series baseball games when both participating teams are based in New York. In 2000, the New Yankees defeated the New York Mets, four game to one.

54. Yearbook, e.g. ANNAL
“Annal” is a rarely used word, the singular of the more common “annals”. An annal would be the recorded events of one year, with annals being the chronological record of events in successive years. The term “annal” comes from the Latin “annus” meaning “year”.

57. Newspaper fig. CIRC
A newspaper’s sales figures are referred to as its circulation (circ.).

58. Little garden party? GNOME
In English folklore, the lovable fairy’s anti-hero is the diminutive gnome, an evil ugly character. Over the centuries, the gnome has become more lovable so we now have garden gnomes and even the Travelocity Gnome …

59. Mazatlán Mrs. SRA
The equivalent of “Mrs.” in French is “Mme.” (Madame) and in Spanish is “Sra.” (Señora).

Mazatlán is a city in Mexico on the Pacific coast sitting right opposite the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula.

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

8. Many AARP mems. SRS
AARP is now the official name for the interest group that used to be called the American Association of Retired Persons. The name change reflects the current focus of the group on all Americans aged 50 or over, as opposed to just people who have retired.

10. Ill-fated 1967 mission APOLLO I
Apollo 1 was planned to be the first manned mission in NASA’s lunar landing program. Sadly, the three crew members perished in a tragic cabin fire that took place in a launch pad test. The astronauts who died were Gus Grissom (the second American to fly in space), Edward White (the first American to walk in space) and Roger Chaffee (the pilot for the planned Apollo 1 mission).

21. Darwin, for one NATURALIST
Englishman Charles Darwin studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland but neglected his studies largely due to his interest in nature and natural history. In the early 1830s, a friend put forward Darwin’s name as a candidate for the post of “collector” on the voyage of HMS Beagle. The Beagle was intending to spend two years at sea primarily charting the coast of South America. The voyage ended up taking five years, during which time Darwin sent back copious letters describing his findings. Back in Britain these letters were published as pamphlets by a friend and so when Darwin eventually returned home in 1836, he had already gained some celebrity in scientific circles. It was while on the Beagle that Darwin developed his initial ideas on the concept of natural selection. It wasn’t until over twenty years later that he formulated his theories into a scientific paper and in 1859 published his famous book “On the Origin of the Species”. This original publication never even mentioned the word “evolution” which was controversial even back then. It was in 1871 that Darwin addressed head-on the concept that man was an animal species, in his book “The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex”.

25. Fruit named for a Turkish town CASABA
A casaba is type of honeydew melon. The casaba takes its name from the Turkish city of Kasaba, from where the fruit was imported into America in the late 1800s.

29. Legendary flier ICARUS
Daedalus was a master craftsman of Greek mythology who was tasked with creating the Labyrinth on the island of Crete that was to house the Minotaur. After the Labyrinth was completed, King Minos imprisoned Daedalus and his son Icarus in a tower, so that he could not spread word of his work. Daedalus fabricated wings so that he and Icarus could escape by flying off the island. Despite being warned by his father, Icarus flew too close to the sun so that the wax holding the wings’ feathers in place melted. Icarus drowned in the sea, and Daedalus escaped.

31. “Morning Joe” airer MSNBC
“Morning Joe” is a show broadcast by MSNBC each weekday morning. It is hosted by Joe Scarborough, and first went on the air in 2007. Given the name of the show, Starbucks were very content being the show’s sponsor from 2009 through 2013, and got lots of product placement.

33. Like Congress BICAMERAL
The US Congress is described “bicameral” in that it is divided into two separate assemblies, namely the Senate and the House of Representatives. The term “bicameral” comes from the prefix “bi-” meaning “two”, and the Latin “camera” meaning “chamber”.

37. 1992 Mamet play OLEANNA
I’ve never seen it, but “Oleanna” sounds like a powerful play to me. Written by David Mamet, it was first performed in 1992. It’s a two-person piece, the tale of a university professor and a female student who accuses him of sexual exploitation.

38. Fast-growing U.S. ethnic group LATINOS
“Hispanic” comes from the Latin word for “Spain”, and refers all Spanish-speaking peoples around the world. “Latino” refers to people from Latin America, who might not necessarily speak Spanish (e.g. Brazilians).

40. Reigning emperor of Japan AKIHITO
Akihito is the current Emperor of Japan, and has been so since 1989. Akihito is the eldest son of Emperor Hirohito who occupied the throne during World War II.

41. Regan’s poisoner, in Shakespeare GONERIL
“King Lear” is one of William Shakespeare’s tragedies. Lear’s three daughters figure prominently in the storyline. The three are, in order of age:

– Goneril
– Regan
– Cordelia

48. Asteroids maker ATARI
I remember being quite addicted to the Atari video arcade game called “Asteroids” back in the early eighties. Apparently I wasn’t the only one, as “Asteroids” was Atari’s best selling game of all time.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Stirs ADOS
5. He wrote about “a midnight dreary” POE
8. Gobble (up) SNARF
13. Die, with “out” CONK
14. Blog entry POST
15. Capital of India RUPEE
16. Capital __ CITY
17. Colorful fish OPAH
18. Took the wrong way? STOLE
19. Old Tokyo EDO
20. Haul to the kitchen, as groceries LUG IN
22. Word before or after dog SLED
23. High-five relative DAP
24. Poison remedy IPECAC
26. Poison test site LAB
27. Steamy stuff EROTICA
30. Queen of the Goths in Shakespeare’s “Titus Andronicus” TAMORA
32. *Vandalized, in a way DEFACED
33. Romantic activity BUSSING
34. Words of wisdom SAWS
35. Country on the Strait of Hormuz IRAN
36. Ravel classic BOLERO
39. *Head of the produce section? CABBAGE
43. Old-style warning ALARUM
44. Rather little A LACK OF
45. Understand GET
46. Deli staple SALAMI
49. Like Beethoven’s “Pastoral Symphony” IN F
50. Horse show concern GAIT
52. They’re graphically represented three times in this grid … and the answers to starred clues are the six longest common words than can be spelled using only them NOTES
53. 2000 World Series venue SHEA
54. Yearbook, e.g. ANNAL
56. Bakery buy TART
57. Newspaper fig. CIRC
58. Little garden party? GNOME
59. Mazatlán Mrs. SRA
60. End in __ A TIE
61. Facilitated EASED
62. Suffer AIL
63. Squealed TOLD

Down
1. *Yielded ACCEDED
2. “Is it worth the risk?” DO I DARE?
3. Knowledgeable about ON TOP OF
4. Word before or after blue SKY
5. Online annoyances POP-UP ADS
6. Oklahoma county in which a 2008 Pulitzer-winning drama is set OSAGE
7. Work __ ETHIC
8. Many AARP mems. SRS
9. “Darn it!” NUTS!
10. Ill-fated 1967 mission APOLLO I
11. Brush up on RELEARN
12. *Place for oats FEEDBAG
14. Member of the force POLICEWOMAN
21. Darwin, for one NATURALIST
25. Fruit named for a Turkish town CASABA
28. 14-Down’s need, at times TASER
29. Legendary flier ICARUS
31. “Morning Joe” airer MSNBC
33. Like Congress BICAMERAL
36. *Emotional burden BAGGAGE
37. 1992 Mamet play OLEANNA
38. Fast-growing U.S. ethnic group LATINOS
40. Reigning emperor of Japan AKIHITO
41. Regan’s poisoner, in Shakespeare GONERIL
42. *Wiped out EFFACED
47. “__ luck!” LOTSA
48. Asteroids maker ATARI
51. Subdue TAME
53. “Buzz off!” SCAT!
55. Went first LED

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14 thoughts on “LA Times Crossword Answers 9 Oct 15, Friday”

  1. I…I…I actually completed this grid in a relatively decent fashion. I don't know if it's the theme I figured out about 1/4 of the way through or not, but it's very strange for me to do this well on a Friday grid. Still had 4 errors, though, each one letter off. But no DNF for a Friday, and no direct lookups whatsoever. We'll have to see how Saturday and Sunday goes.

  2. I completely missed the three graphic "notes" until Bill pointed them out in his commentary. Funny how you can stare at something and yet not really see it. It might have something to do with the left-brain/right-brain divide — or maybe I'm just an idiot. Anyway thanks to Bruce Haight for a clever, well-designed puzzle.

  3. This one falls in the close but no cigar category. I actually did put scarf instead of SNARF. I was all set to complain about CUTS meaning "Darn it"?? BUSSING is kissing? Maybe I need to get out more. It would be interesting to see the look on a woman's face if a man in a romantic moment offered to BUSS the woman somewhere…..

    I thought of a 4 letter word that describes a concern at a horse show, but it wasn't GAIT…

    Here we go again – my daily rant about a misused word. SHEA wasn't imploded, but neither was any other building you've seen blown up. Implosion has come to mean blowing up a building so it collapses on itself, but that is not really an implosion. An implosion is a violent collapse – similar to an explosion but the force is directed inward rather than outward. What we do to buildings is a series of explosions which allow gravity to make the buiding collapse inward. An implosion is what you would see if a submarine lost its seal in very deep water – ie it would be crushed by the force inward.

    Ironic, reentry, implosion…I'm sure there are more to come, but it's weekend time!!

    Best –

  4. Much (dare I say too much so) easier than a normal Friday. Not much else to say. Hope everyone has a most excellent weekend.

  5. NUTS!
    Didn't fare so well today.
    Theme went totally over my head.
    The grid eighth notes look like they
    SNARFED up too much, like Pacman.

  6. @Jeff — I'm with you on that four-letter word for "horse show concern." But I don't get the connection between SHEA and implosion. The clue in my paper (on the east coast) says "2000 World Series venue." And please don't stop your rants — they're entertaining and educational.

  7. Jeff, — thats what happens when a literal rational scientist confronts an irrational concept product like a language …. you can't expect rational decisions. Thanks for your little complaints, they make me think about ideas and concepts that I never knew existed. Implosion, re-entry – whats next ? ;-D) I was perfectly comfortable with implosion until you pointed out the salient difference.

    On matters of the puzzle, I had a tough time. I had N–es – Names ?

    Anyway, the weekend beckons. All of you take care and remember – once you exit the weekend, there is no re-entry.

  8. @macaronijack
    It was mentioned in Bill's write up not the clue itself. He mentioned it was dismantled rather than imploded

  9. By the way – the word 'Rupya' or rupiya has more to do with the word 'silver', and the metal, rather than the coin. I grew up knowing that rupya was an object, item, vessel or thing made of silver.

    The first pseudo-coinage in India, during the Maurya and Ashoka empires circ. 4th BCE were indeed punch marked silver tokens, generally unifaced, but not necessarily circular.

  10. Had ScARFED, but not –IT. Love the horse's GAITS. Humans only have 3 – walking, running, skipping. If only we had 4 legs.

    Finished but with a little help from my friend, Google, for 6.

    Once again, Vidwan has the goods. When I worked (NYS prison teacher) I had inmates from all over the world. One was an educated Indian fellow who told us all about Elephanta and other interesting places. He couldn't wait to go back with his improved English. Despite what Trump might say, I learned as much from some of these foreign guys as they from me.

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