LA Times Crossword Answers 23 Nov 15, Monday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: Clement McKay
THEME: E = mc2 … the starting words of themed answers today give us the equation that is central to ALBERT EINSTEIN’S theory of special relativity, i.e. E = mc2.

42D. With 53-Across, physics Nobelist who devised the formula that begins 17-, 22-, 34- and 46-Across ALBERT
53A. See 42-Down EINSTEIN

17A. Online matchmaker E-HARMONY
22A. = EQUALS SIGN
34A. “U Can’t Touch This” rapper MC HAMMER
46A. Looked ready to fight SQUARED OFF

BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 5m 55s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across

1. Popeye’s nemesis BLUTO
Bluto is the villain in the Popeye cartoon strip, a character who has been around since 1932. Sometimes you will see Bluto go by the name Brutus, depending on the date of the publication. This “confusion” arose because there was an unfounded concern that the name “Bluto” was owned by someone else. Bluto, Brutus … it’s the same guy.

6. Electrolux, briefly VAC
Electrolux is a Swedish company, the second largest manufacturer of household appliances in the world (after Whirlpool). The company was founded in 1919 mainly to make vacuum cleaners. Electrolux owns dozens of brands including Frigidaire and Westinghouse.

9. Nos. on beach lotion labels SPFS
In theory, the sun protection factor (SPF) is a calibrated measure of the effectiveness of a sunscreen in protecting the skin from harmful UV rays. The idea is that if you wear a lotion with say SPF 20, then it takes 20 times as much UV radiation to cause the skin to burn than it would take without protection. I say just stay out of the sun …

13. Pachelbel composition CANON
Johann Pachelbel was a composer from Germany active in the Baroque Era. Pachelbel’s music was very popular during his own lifetime, and today his best-known work is his “Canon in D”. which has become one of the most popular choices during modern wedding ceremonies.

14. Tel Aviv’s county: Abbr. ISR
The full name of Israel’s second largest city is Tel Aviv-Yafo. Tel Aviv translates into “Spring Mound”, a name chosen in 1910.

16. Small thicket COPSE
A copse is a small stand of trees. The term “copse” originally applied to a small thicket that was specifically grown for cutting.

17. Online matchmaker EHARMONY
eHarmony is a high-profile online dating service based in Pasadena, California.

21. School course with slides BIOLOGY
Microscope slides are thin pieces of glass on which are mounted samples for examination. Often a “cover slip”, a smaller and thinner sheet of glass, is placed on top of the sample. Originally called “sliders”, such specimens would “slide” into the gap between the stage and the objective lens on a microscope.

29. Inlaid designs MOSAICS
Medieval mosaics were often dedicated to the Muses. The term “mosaic” translates as “of the Muses”.

32. Apple music players IPODS
The iPod is Apple’s signature line of portable media players. It first hit the market in 2001, with a hard drive-based device that is now known as the iPod Classic. Later models all use flash memory, allowing a smaller form factor.

34. “U Can’t Touch This” rapper MC HAMMER
Rapper MC Hammer (aka Hammer and Hammertime) was born Stanley Kirk Burrell, and was very popular in the 80s and 90s. Being around that early, MC Hammer is considered to be one of the forefathers of rap. Nowadays, MC Hammer is a preacher, and uses the initials MC to stand for “Man of Christ”.

36. Web destinations SITES
The World Wide Web (WWW) was effectively the invention of British computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee. The key to Berner-Lee’s invention was bringing together two technologies that already existed: hypertext and the Internet. I for one am very grateful …

43. Wisecracking West MAE
Comic actress Mae West can be quoted so easily, as she had so many great lines delivered so well. Here are a few:

• When I’m good, I’m very good. When I’m bad, I’m better.
• When choosing between two evils, I always like to try the one I’ve never tried before.
• I’ll try anything once, twice if I like it, three times to make sure.
• Marriage is a great institution, but I’m not ready for an institution yet.
• I used to be Snow White, but I drifted.
• Why don’t you come on up and see me sometime — when I’ve got nothin’ on but the radio.
• When women go wrong, men go right after them.
• To err is human, but it feels divine.
• I like my clothes to be tight enough to show I’m a woman, but loose enough to show I’m a lady.
• I never worry about diets. The only carrots that interest me are the number you get in a diamond.
• Is that a gun in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?

44. MLB’s Indians, on scoreboards CLE
The Cleveland baseball franchise started out in 1869 as the Forest Citys named after Forest city, the nickname for Cleveland. After a number of transitions, in 1914 the team took on the name “Indians”. The media came up with name “Indians” after being asked for suggestions by the team owners. “Indians” was inspired by the successful Boston team of the day, the Boston Braves.

45. __ Vegas LAS
Back in the 1800s, the Las Vegas Valley was given its name from the extensive meadows (“las vegas” is Spanish for “the meadows”) present in the area courtesy of the artesian wells drilled by local farmers. Las Vegas was incorporated as a city in 1905, in the days when it was a stopping-off point for pioneers travelling west. It eventually became a railroad town, although with the coming of the railroad growth halted as travelers began to bypass Las Vegas. The city’s tourism industry took off in 1935 with the completion of the nearby Hoover Dam, which is still a popular attraction. Then gambling was legalized, and things really started to move. Vegas was picked, largely by celebrated figures in “the mob”, as a convenient location across the California/Nevada state line that could service the vast population of Los Angeles. As a result, Las Vegas is the most populous US city founded in the 20th century (Chicago is the most populous city founded in the 19th century, just in case you were wondering).

50. Obscure from view, as in an eclipse BLOT OUT
A lunar eclipse occurs when the moon passes into the shadow cast by the earth from the light of the sun, in other words when the earth is positioned directly between the sun and the moon. The more spectacular solar eclipse takes place when moon passes in front of the sun, so that the earth falls into the shadow cast by the moon.

58. San __: Riviera resort REMO
The Italian city of San Remo sits on the Mediterranean, right on the border with France. In Italian the city is named Sanremo, just one word, although the spelling of “San Remo” dates back to ancient times.

59. Ambient music pioneer Brian ENO
Brian Eno was one of the pioneers of the “ambient” genre of music. Eno composed an album in 1978 called “Ambient 1: Music for Airports”, the first in a series of four albums with an ambient theme. Eno named the tracks somewhat inventively: 1/1, 2/1, 2/1 and 2/2.

60. Bete __ NOIRE
“Bête noire” translates from French as “black beast” and is used in English to describe something or someone that is disliked.

61. Tijuana three TRES
Tijuana is the largest city in the Mexican state of Baja California, and lies just across the US-Mexico border from San Diego. Tijuana is also the most westerly of all Mexican cities. A lot of Tijuana’s growth took place in the twenties as tourists flocked south of the border during the days of prohibition in the US. One of the many casinos and hotels that flourished at that time was Hotel Caesar’s in the Avenida Revolución area. Hotel Caesar’s claims to be the birthplace of the now ubiquitous Caesar Salad.

62. Athletic center GYM
Our word “gymnasium” comes from the Greek “gymnasion” meaning “public place where exercise is taken”. The Greek term comes from “gymnos” meaning “naked”, as that physical training was usually done unclothed.

Down
1. Secretly keep in the email loop, for short BCC
A blind carbon copy (bcc) is a copy of a document or message that is sent to someone without other recipients of the message knowing about that extra copy.

I wonder do the kids of today know that “cc” stands for carbon copy, and do they have any idea what a carbon copy was? Do you remember how messy carbon paper was to handle?

2. Philosopher __-tzu LAO
Lao Tse (also Lao-Tzu) was a central figure in the development of the religion/philosophy of Taoism.

5. Ryan or Tatum O’NEAL
Tatum O’Neal is the youngest actress to win a “competitive” Oscar. She won the Best Supporting Actress Award in 1974 when she was just 10 years old, for her role as Addie in “Paper Moon”. The youngest person to win an honorary Academy Award was Shirley Temple, who was only 5 years old when she was presented with an Oscar in 1934.

Actor Ryan O’Neal got his big break in the sixties on television. He appeared in the prime-time soap opera “Peyton Place”, opposite fellow newcomer Mia Farrow. Then in 1970 he landed a starring role in the hit movie “Love Story”, which established him in Hollywood. O’Neal was an amateur boxer before he turned to acting, and established a respectable record Golden Gloves competitions. These days, O’Neal has a recurring role on the TV show “Bones”, playing the title character’s father.

8. Online guy with a list CRAIG
Craigslist is an online network of communities that features classified advertisements organized geographically. Craigslist was started by Craig Newmark in 1995, originally as an email distribution list for his friends who lived and worked in the San Francisco Bay Area.

9. O.T. prophet SAML
The Bible’s Books of Samuel, Samuel was a prophet and leader of ancient Israel. Samuel anointed Saul and David, the first two kings of Israel. The name “Samuel” translates as “Name of God”.

11. Piano players? FINGERS
What was remarkable about the piano when it was invented, compared to other keyboard instruments, was that notes could be played with varying degrees of loudness. This is accomplished by pressing the keys lightly or firmly. Because of this quality, the new instrument was called a “pianoforte”, with “piano” and “forte” meaning “soft” and “loud” in Italian. We tend to shorten the name these days to just “piano”.

18. Director Howard RON
Ron Howard sure has come a long way since playing Opie Taylor on “The Andy Griffith Show”. He has directed some fabulous movies including favorites of mine like “Apollo 13”, “A Beautiful Mind” and “The Da Vinci Code”.

23. Status __ QUO
“Status quo” translates from Latin as “state in which”, and in English is used to mean the existing condition or state of affairs.

24. Slugger Sammy SOSA
Sammy Sosa was firmly in the public eye in 1998 when he and Mark McGwire were vying to be the first to surpass the home run record held by Roger Maris. McGwire fell out of public favor due to stories of steroid abuse (stories which he later admitted were true) while Sosa fell out of favor when he was found to be using a corked bat in a 2003 game.

28. Bar mitzvah dance HORA
The hora is a circle dance that originated in the Balkans. It was brought to Israel by Romanian settlers, and is often performed to traditional, Israeli folk songs. The hora (also horah) is a regular sight at Jewish weddings.

A Jewish girl becomes a Bat Mitzvah at 12 years of age, the age at which she becomes responsible for her actions. Boys become Bar Mitzvahs at 13. The terms translate into English as daughter and son of the commandments.

31. Cocktail rocks ICE
Our word “cocktail” first appeared in the early 1800s. The exact origin of the term is not clear, but it is thought to be a corruption of the French word “coquetier” meaning “egg cup”, a container that was used at that time for serving mixed drinks.

35. Movie-rating org. MPAA
The Motion Picture Association of America’s (MPAA) film-rating system (PG-13, R, etc.) is purely voluntary and is not backed by any law. Movie theaters agree to abide by the rules that come with the MPAA ratings in exchange for access to new movies.

39. Many a November birth, to astrologers SCORPIO
Scorpio is a the eighth astrological sign of the Zodiac. In days of old, the planetary ruler of Scorpio was Mars, but since 1930 and the discovery of a new planet, Pluto has been the ruler. I wonder if the “demotion” of Pluto to a dwarf planet has made a difference?

42. With 53-Across, physics Nobelist who devised the formula that begins 17-, 22-, 34- and 46-Across ALBERT
(53A. See 42-Down EINSTEIN)
After Albert Einstein moved to the US in 1933, he became quite a celebrity and his face was readily recognizable. Einstein was frequently stopped in the street by people who would naively ask him if he could explain what “that theory” (i.e. the theory of relativity) was all about. Growing tired of this, he finally learned to tell people that he was sorry, but folks were constantly mistaking him for Albert Einstein!

43. Problem on the Caine MUTINY
(47D. Captain of the Caine QUEEG)
Herman Wouk won a Pulitzer in 1951 for his novel “The Caine Mutiny”. The story involves mutiny and court-martial aboard a US Navy vessel and reflected, at least partly, the personal experiences of Wouk as he served in the Pacific in WWII aboard a destroyer-minesweeper. The novel was adapted into a marvelous film released in 1954 starring Humphrey Bogart as Philip Queeg, the harsh captain of the USS Caine.

46. Drunkard SOT
Our word “sot” comes from the Old English “sott”, meaning a fool. The word “sot” started to be associated with alcohol and not just foolery in the late 1500s.

49. Exorcism target DEMON
An exorcist is a religious figure who is believed to be able to cast out demons that have possessed a person or perhaps a building.

51. General __ chicken TSO’S
General Tso’s chicken is an American creation, often found on the menu of a Chinese restaurant. The name General Tso may be a reference to General Zuo Zongtang of the Qing Dynasty, but there is no clear link.

54. __ de plume NOM
“Nom de plume” translates from French simply as “pen name”.

56. Capote nickname TRU
The larger-than-life Truman Capote was a celebrated author and comedian. Capote is perhaps most associated with his novella “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” and his true crime novel “In Cold Blood”. Truman Capote grew up in Monroeville, Alabama. There he met, and became lifelong friends with, fellow novelist Harper Lee. Capote was the inspiration for the character “Dill” in Lee’s celebrated work “To Kill a Mockingbird”. In turn, Harper Lee was the inspiration for the character “Idabel” in Capote’s “Other Voices, Other Rooms”.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Popeye’s nemesis BLUTO
6. Electrolux, briefly VAC
9. Nos. on beach lotion labels SPFS
13. Pachelbel composition CANON
14. Tel Aviv’s county: Abbr. ISR
15. Opera highlight ARIA
16. Small thicket COPSE
17. Online matchmaker EHARMONY
19. “Look before you __” LEAP
21. School course with slides BIOLOGY
22. = EQUALS SIGN
25. Lawyer’s charge FEE
26. Carry with effort LUG
27. Partner of hither YON
28. For the lady HERS
29. Inlaid designs MOSAICS
32. Apple music players IPODS
34. “U Can’t Touch This” rapper MC HAMMER
36. Web destinations SITES
38. Worded PHRASED
42. They’re usually divided into scenes ACTS
43. Wisecracking West MAE
44. MLB’s Indians, on scoreboards CLE
45. __ Vegas LAS
46. Looked ready to fight SQUARED OFF
50. Obscure from view, as in an eclipse BLOT OUT
52. Continually EVER
53. See 42-Down EINSTEIN
55. Vacant EMPTY
58. San __: Riviera resort REMO
59. Ambient music pioneer Brian ENO
60. Bete __ NOIRE
61. Tijuana three TRES
62. Athletic center GYM
63. Pig’s sniffer SNOUT

Down
1. Secretly keep in the email loop, for short BCC
2. Philosopher __-tzu LAO
3. Disconnects from the outlet UNPLUGS
4. Where sailors go TO SEA
5. Ryan or Tatum O’NEAL
6. Compete VIE
7. Hearth receptacle ASH BIN
8. Online guy with a list CRAIG
9. O.T. prophet SAML
10. Reviewed for errors PROOFED
11. Piano players? FINGERS
12. Make a proposer smile SAY YES
18. Director Howard RON
20. Gives a pep talk, with “up” PSYCHS
22. Stately tree ELM
23. Status __ QUO
24. Slugger Sammy SOSA
28. Bar mitzvah dance HORA
30. Bill totals: Abbr. AMTS
31. Cocktail rocks ICE
32. Announcement upon arrival I’M HERE
33. For each PER
35. Movie-rating org. MPAA
36. Like large reptiles, compared to smaller ones SCALIER
37. “My treat” IT’S ON ME
39. Many a November birth, to astrologers SCORPIO
40. Helper for Santa ELF
41. Dict. entry DEF
42. With 53-Across, physics Nobelist who devised the formula that begins 17-, 22-, 34- and 46-Across ALBERT
43. Problem on the Caine MUTINY
46. Drunkard SOT
47. Captain of the Caine QUEEG
48. Coin toss call EVENS
49. Exorcism target DEMON
51. General __ chicken TSO’S
54. __ de plume NOM
56. Capote nickname TRU
57. To this point YET

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