LA Times Crossword Answers 15 Dec 15, Tuesday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: C.W. Stewart
THEME: Change of Pace … each of today’s themed answers contains a hidden string of four-letters. Each of those strings of letters is the word PACE rearranged, a CHANGE OF PACE:

53A. Deviation from a normal routine, and a hint to this puzzle’s circles CHANGE OF PACE

20A. Madison or Jackson, e.g. STATE CAPITAL
32A. Workplace social event OFFICE PARTY
41A. Camper’s gift from home CARE PACKAGE

BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 5m 16s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across

1. Big name in designer bags PRADA
Prada was started in 1913 as a leathergoods shop in Milan, by the two Prada brothers. One of the brothers, Mario Prada, prevented the female members of his family participating in the company as he didn’t believe women should be involved in business (!). When the sexist brother died, his son had no interest in the business so it was his daughter who took over and ran the company for about twenty years, handing it over to her own daughter. I’d say the devil loved that …

14. Edmonton NHL player OILER
The National Hockey League’s Edmonton Oilers are so called because they are located in Alberta, Canada … oil country.

15. Caen’s river ORNE
Orne is a department and river in the northwest of France. Perhaps one of the most famous locations in Orne is the village of Camembert, the home of the famous (and delicious!) cheese.

Caen, on the River Orne, lies in the Calvados department of France in the northwest of the country. Caen is famous for the WWII Battle of Caen that left the town practically destroyed. Caen is also the burial place of the Norman King William I of England, also known as William the Conqueror after his victory at the Battle of Hastings in 1066.

16. World’s longest river NILE
Depending on definition, the Nile is generally regarded as the longest river on the planet. The Nile forms from two major tributaries, the White Nile and the Blue Nile, which join together near Khartoum, the capital of Sudan. From Khartoum the Nile flows north, traveling almost entirely through desert making it central to life for the peoples living along its length.

19. “My life. My card” co. AMEX
“Amex” is short for American Express. In dollar terms, there are more transactions conducted in the US using the Amex card than any other card.

20. Madison or Jackson, e.g. STATE CAPITAL
Madison is the second-largest city in Wisconsin (after Milwaukee), and is the state capital. The city was named for President James Madison, who was one of the signers of the US Constitution. Many of Madison’s first streets were named for the 39 other signatories.

23. Start of something? ESS
The word “something” starts with the letter S (ess).

30. Illegal diamond pitch SPITBALL
A “spitball” is an illegal pitch in baseball in which saliva, petroleum jelly or some other material has been applied to one side of the ball. The foreign substance makes a subtle change to the wind resistance and weight of that side of the ball, causing it to move atypically during a pitch.

36. MADD concern DUI
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.

Candice Lightner lost her 13-year-old child to a drunk driver in 1980. Soon after, Lightner formed the group Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).

38. Many a Monopoly rd. AVE
The street names in the US version of Monopoly are locations in or around Atlantic City, New Jersey.

39. “__ No Sunshine”: Bill Withers hit AIN’T
Bill Withers was working as an assembly operator while he was trying to make a name for himself in the music industry, actually making toilet seats for Boeing 747 airplanes. Even as Withers found success with his glorious 1971 single “Ain’t No Sunshine”, he held onto his day job, worried that the music industry was unpredictable.

40. Emancipation Proclamation first name ABE
The Emancipation Proclamation was issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863 during the Civil War. The order freed slaves in Confederate territory, but did not apply to the five slave states that were not in rebellion. Slavery became illegal in the whole of the United States in December 1865 when the Thirteenth Amendment to the US Constitution was ratified.

45. Like the Titanic ILL-FATED
The RMS Titanic set off on her tragic maiden voyage in 1912, sailing from Southampton, England bound for New York City. Regulations only required that the ship have lifeboat capacity for 1,178 people, even though a full complement of passengers and crew was 3,547. When the order was given to abandon ship, the captain adhered to the traditional protocol of “women and children first”. As a result, only 20% of male passengers survived the disaster, compared to 75% of the female passengers. Perhaps more telling is that 61% of those in first class survived, and only 25% of those in third class. The crew fared even worse though, with only 24% making it.

47. Monk’s title FRA
The title “Fra” (brother) is used by Italian monks.

49. Bikini part BRA
The origin of the name “bikini”, a type of bathing suit, seems very uncertain. My favorite story is that it is named after the Bikini Atoll, site of American A-bomb tests in the forties and fifties. The name “bikini” was chosen for the swim-wear because of the “explosive” effect it had on men who saw a woman wearing the garment!

61. Churchgoer’s donation TITHE
Traditionally, a “tithe” is a payment of one tenth of a person’s annual income and is usually given to a church. Tithing is a practice taught in many traditions, and according to a 2002 survey, about 3% of American adults donate 10% or more of their income to a church.

62. Figure skating leap AXEL
An Axel is a forward take-off jump in figure skating. It was first performed by Norwegian Axel Paulsen at the 1882 World Figure Skating championships.

64. Bygone anesthetic ETHER
Ethers are a whole class of organic compounds, but in the vernacular “ether” is specifically diethyl ether. Diethyl ether was once very popular as a general anesthetic.

66. Cravings YENS
The word “yen”, meaning “urge”, has been around in English since the very early 1900s. It comes from the earlier word “yin” imported from Chinese, which was used in English to describe an intense craving for opium!

Down
1. Wild West law group POSSE
Our word “posse” comes from an Anglo-Latin term from the early 15th century “posse comitatus” meaning “the force of the county”.

4. Shoulder muscle, informally DELT
The deltoid muscle is actually a group of muscles, the ones that cover the shoulder and create the roundness under the skin. The deltoids are triangular in shape resembling the Greek letter delta, hence the name.

5. Pesticide poison ARSENIC
Because of arsenic’s toxicity, it was very commonly used in pesticides. These compounds are getting banned over time, but it seems there is a long way to go. Arsenic in aquifers continues to be a problem around the world, including here in the US. China has introduced limits to the amounts of arsenic permitted in food as well as water, mainly as the staple food of rice is particularly good at accumulating arsenic from groundwater.

6. Coke and Pepsi SODAS
The first cola drink to become a commercial success was Coca-Cola, soon after it was invented by a druggist in 1886. That original Coca-Cola was flavored mainly with kola nuts and vanilla. The formulation was based on an alcoholic drink called Coca Wine that had been on sale for over twenty years. The original alcoholic version actually contained a small concentration of cocaine.

The Pepsi-Cola formulation was developed by one Caleb Bradham who made the drink at home and sold it as “Brad’s Drink”. Bradham’s aim was to provide a drink that was pleasant to taste, that would aid digestion and boost energy. Included in the formula were pepsin (a digestive enzyme) and kola nuts. These two ingredients inspired the brand name we use today: Pepsi-Cola.

9. Skedaddles BEATS IT
“Skedaddle ” is a slang term meaning “run away” that dates back to the Civil War.

13. Apt name for a Dallas cowboy? TEX
The Dallas Cowboys play in the National Football Conference of the NFL. The Cowboys are famous for a lengthy streak of 20 consecutive winning seasons, from 1966 to 1985. They are the highest-valued sports franchise in the country. The only team in the world that’s worth more money is the UK’s Manchester United soccer team.

22. Divorce proceeding rep. ATTY
Attorney (atty.)

26. Gymnast Comaneci NADIA
Nadia Comaneci won three golds in the 1976 Summer Olympics and was the first gymnast to be awarded a perfect score of a ten in the gymnastics competition. Comaneci published a book called “Letters to a Young Gymnast” in 2003, and now lives in the United States.

29. Sally, to Charlie Brown SIS
In the “Peanuts” comic strip by Charles M. Schulz, the protagonist Charlie Brown has a younger sister Sally Brown. Sally is often the dominant person in the sibling relationship, and sometimes for Charlie to do her homework.

30. Fed the piggy bank SAVED
The word “pig” can be used for earthenware, or an earthenware shard. From this usage there evolved the term “pig jar” that described an earthenware pot that could be filled with water for use as a bed-warmer. Crockery pots were also used to collect coins and these were also termed “pig jars”. By the 1700s, these pig jars had evolved into the first “piggy banks”.

39. Police blotter letters AKA
Also known as (aka)

A police blotter is (or used to be) a daily record of arrests made.

51. Earth pigment OCHER
“Ochre” is often spelled “ocher” in the US (it’s “ochre” where I come from). Ocher is a light, yellowy-brown color, although variations of the pigment are possible such as red ocher and purple ocher.

57. Bowler or boater HAT
I think a bowler hat is usually called a derby here in the US. The bowler was first produced in 1849 in London by hatmakers Thomas and William Bowler, hence the name. The alternative name of “derby” comes from the tradition of wearing bowler hats at the Derby horse race (a major race held annually in England).

A boater is a straw hat often associated with boating, hence the name.

58. Kitchen gadgets brand OXO
The OXO line of kitchen utensils is designed to be ergonomically superior to the average kitchen too. The intended user of OXO products is someone who doesn’t have the normal range of motion or strength in the hands e.g. someone suffering from arthritis.

59. Common URL ending NET
The .net domain was one of the six original generic top-level domains specified. The complete original list is:

– .com (commercial enterprise)
– .net (entity involved in network infrastructure e.g. an ISP)
– .mil (US military)
– .org (not-for-profit organization)
– .gov (US federal government entity)
– .edu (college-level educational institution)

Internet addresses (like NYTCrossword.com and LAXCrossword.com) are more correctly called Uniform Resource Locators (URLs).

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Big name in designer bags PRADA
6. Wild guess STAB
10. “Oh, darn!” DRAT!
14. Edmonton NHL player OILER
15. Caen’s river ORNE
16. World’s longest river NILE
17. Gets dirty SOILS
18. Facts and figures DATA
19. “My life. My card” co. AMEX
20. Madison or Jackson, e.g. STATE CAPITAL
23. Start of something? ESS
24. Figs. NOS
25. Golf lesson subject STANCE
29. Little taste SIP
30. Illegal diamond pitch SPITBALL
32. Workplace social event OFFICE PARTY
36. MADD concern DUI
37. Scottish denials NAES
38. Many a Monopoly rd. AVE
39. “__ No Sunshine”: Bill Withers hit AIN’T
40. Emancipation Proclamation first name ABE
41. Camper’s gift from home CARE PACKAGE
45. Like the Titanic ILL-FATED
47. Monk’s title FRA
48. Put up a fight RESIST
49. Bikini part BRA
50. Float up and down BOB
53. Deviation from a normal routine, and a hint to this puzzle’s circles CHANGE OF PACE
57. Traffic complaint HONK
60. Prejudicial view BIAS
61. Churchgoer’s donation TITHE
62. Figure skating leap AXEL
63. Tackling a problem ON IT
64. Bygone anesthetic ETHER
65. Shopping bag TOTE
66. Cravings YENS
67. Salon employees DYERS

Down
1. Wild West law group POSSE
2. Laugh-a-minute types RIOTS
3. Name after 39-Down ALIAS
4. Shoulder muscle, informally DELT
5. Pesticide poison ARSENIC
6. Coke and Pepsi SODAS
7. Catch TRAP
8. Voting against ANTI
9. Skedaddles BEATS IT
10. “CSI” facility DNA LAB
11. Canyon edge RIM
12. Pub choice ALE
13. Apt name for a Dallas cowboy? TEX
21. Deal with it COPE
22. Divorce proceeding rep. ATTY
26. Gymnast Comaneci NADIA
27. Stuck CLUNG
28. A-list group ELITE
29. Sally, to Charlie Brown SIS
30. Fed the piggy bank SAVED
31. Word in some private school names PREP
32. Broadcasting ON AIR
33. Story with a lesson FABLE
34. Senses FEELS
35. Remove, as a rind PARE
39. Police blotter letters AKA
41. Payment option CASH
42. “Way to go, kid!” ATTA BOY!
43. Hardly a buzz cut AFRO
44. Skillfully made CRAFTED
46. Prone to flip-flopping FICKLE
49. Triumphs over BESTS
50. Get clean BATHE
51. Earth pigment OCHER
52. Pub choices BEERS
54. Four and five, but not six and seven NINE
55. Dieter’s setback GAIN
56. “That’s a shame” PITY
57. Bowler or boater HAT
58. Kitchen gadgets brand OXO
59. Common URL ending NET

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12 thoughts on “LA Times Crossword Answers 15 Dec 15, Tuesday”

  1. Got the theme right away, but had to Google for OILER. But That's just me, the anti-sport.

    Oh – and one last thing – wouldn't it be wonderful if all scholarships were for scholarship?

  2. Actually finished this faster than yesterday's puzzle. I was a little confused with the clue for CARE PACKAGE until I realized the clue referred to a kid at camp, for example, rather than someone on a camping trip for the weekend.

    Coke and Pepsi drinkers are about as polarized as they come. FWIW – I've always been a Pepsi drinker….

    Best –

  3. Prototypical Tuesday puzzle. For some unexplained reason when I was filling in "sodas" for 6 Down I thought of the time when our son was 14 (he's 27 now) and I said that I'd like a "pop" to drink and he looked at me and said "What century did you say you were born in again?" We both had a laugh over that one.

    Hope everyone has a good day. See you all tomorrow.

  4. I am a Pepsi drinker too – am drinking a 'combination' of Diet Pepsi, lemon juice and peach flavored tea, right now. Morning breakfast. I wouldn't drink Coke, even if I was stuck in the middle of a desert.

    The puzzle was crunchy for a Tuesday, and my time was long. I enjoyed it very much. I had GUCCI before PRADA – not much into handbags. I didn't know campers got CARE PACKAGES … where are they delivered ? Corpse of trees past the 32 mile marker ? I thought care packages were sent to the GIs during the WWII and now to poor unfortunate souls in third world countries.

    'Deviation from a normal routine' – made me think of a term in statistics – the student's t test theorem …. wouldn't fit.

    Salon employees – DYERS. Technicians in a morgue, or a Path Lab, who assist in the preparation of a dead body, for analysis or autopsy are also called 'Dyers'… informally. Formally, they are properly referred to as Forensic Autopsy Technicians.

  5. @Vidwan827

    Bill indeed missed an interesting entry for CAREPACKAGE. As you point out, they were sent to the GIs during WWII. CARE originally was considered an acronym of an organization (Cooperative for American Remittances to Europe) which began sending out relief packages to soldiers serving in Europe in 1945. Americans were given an opportunity to purchase a package to be sent to their relatives serving in Europe. The idea obviously caught on in reference to other places (the organization changed to Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere). Today, it means any package of things sent for relief or comfort purposes for someone who is not home on a long-term basis, so it includes inmates and kids that go away from home to either college or longer term summer camps. (linked because it's another interesting read/entry)

  6. When I lived in Japan, my mom used to send me care packages. Mostly pretzels (which were difficult to find in Japan), and kitchen supplies. She always sent a little cash, too, which was appreciated, but troublesome, as it was a pain in the rear to exchange it for yen. I had to wait until I visited the States every year to get bagels; they didn't ship well at all lol!

  7. You know why I hate this puzzle? Because of that PRADA reference. I have no idea about handbags or women's fashion, and I think these types of answers should be outlawed from crosswords.

    [rimshot) Of course I'm poking fun at the recent "sports haters." But I actually don't know anything about that stuff…most guys don't. Maybe Bruce Jenner does.

  8. Hee Hee Hee!
    Actually, I had Coach bef Pucci bef Prada, but I don't know much abt Pucci or Prada.
    Last time I was in Honolulu, there was a Coach shop every few yards in the main shopping districts. I never have figured out how that would work.

    No one in my salon is called a dyer.

    Stopped raining for a few hours-
    Bella

  9. I had SWAG for STAB, as a "wild guess" for the engineer in me was always the abbreviation for "stupid wild-a$$ed guess". I'll add my incorrect answer to the thousands (and counting) of my other SWAGs.

    Mike

  10. Hi gang! Yes, one never calls them DYERS. They are colorists.
    Other than that, I liked the puzzle. Well done and easy.
    @Pookie, I like the re-arrange the circles thing! It helps narrow down which letter might be used.
    My current poison is diet Dr Pepper with about 10% regular DP. It gets me thru the day! As to colas, I'll take Coke over Pepsi ANY day!! Sorry, Pepsi people… I know you all want me to be honest here.
    It's my understanding that Caitlyn LOVES designer bags. She's got quite a collection.
    Be well~~™

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