LA Times Crossword Answers 28 Jan 16, Thursday

Quicklink
Jump to a complete list of today’s clues and answers

CROSSWORD SETTER: Robert E. Lee Morris
THEME: Altered States … each of today’s themed answers includes a string of letter that is the name of a US STATE, although that STATE name has been ALTERED, jumbled:

35A. 1980 sci-fi thriller, and a hint to this puzzle’s circles ALTERED STATES

17A. Downpour DRIVING RAIN (contains “VIRGINIA” altered)
25A. Weasel relative PINE MARTEN (contains “MAINE” altered)
49A. 1988 Best Supporting Actress Oscar winner GEENA DAVIS (contains “NEVADA” altered)
56A. Christmas, for many PAID HOLIDAY (contains “IDAHO” altered)

BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 7m 58s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across

11. Armonk, N.Y.-based tech company IBM
IBM was founded as the Tabulating Machine Company in 1896. The company changed its name to the Computing Tabulating Recording Corporation (CTR) in 1911 and was listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 1916. The name of International Business Machines (IBM) was given first to the company’s Canadian subsidiary, and then its South American subsidiary. In 1924, it was decided to adopt the International Business Machines name for the whole company. Good choice …

14. Quarterback with the 2011 autobiography “Through My Eyes” TEBOW
Tim Tebow is a former quarterback who played mainly for the Denver Broncos and New York Jets. Tebow’s relatively short professional career followed a very successful college career during which he became the first sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy.

15. Tell’s target APPLE
Supposedly William Tell came from Uri, a canton in the German part of Switzerland. Altdorf is the capital of Uri and is the city where William Tell shot the apple off his son’s head, at least according to legend.

16. PBS funder NEA
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an agency funded by the federal government that offers support and financing for artistic projects. The NEA was created by an Act of Congress in 1965. Between 1965 and 2008, the NEA awarded over $4 billion to the arts, with Congress authorizing around $170 million annually through the eighties and much of the nineties. That funding was cut to less than $100 million in the late nineties due to pressure from conservatives concerned about the use of funds, but it is now back over the $150 million mark. I wonder how long that will last though …

The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) was founded in 1970, and is my favorite of the broadcast networks. I love PBS’s drama and science shows in particular, and always watch the election results coming in with the NewsHour team.

19. 40-yr.-old NBC show SNL
NBC first aired a form of “Saturday Night Live” (SNL) in 1975 under the title “NBC’s Saturday Night”. The show was actually created to give Johnny Carson some time off from “The Tonight Show”. Back then “The Tonight Show” had a weekend episode, and Carson convinced NBC to pull the Saturday or Sunday recordings off the air and hold them for subsequent weeknights in which Carson needed a break. NBC turned to Lorne Michaels and asked him to put together a variety show to fill the vacant slot, and he came up with what we now call “Saturday Night Live”.

20. Mature insect IMAGO
The imago is an intermediate stage in the development of an insect. All four stages are embryo, larva, pupa and imago.

21. Singer Vannelli GINO
Gino Vannelli is a Canadian singer, from Montreal, Quebec. Today. Vannelli is very popular in Holland, and divides his time between his homes in the US and the Netherlands.

22. Fairy tale word ONCE
The stock phrase “Once upon a time” has been used in various forms as the start of a narrative at least since 1380. The stock phrase at the end of stories such as folktales is often “and they all lived happily ever after”. The earlier version of this ending was “happily until their deaths”.

25. Weasel relative PINE MARTEN (contains “MAINE” altered)
The pine marten is an animal about the size of a domestic cat. It is native to Northern Europe and is related to the mink, otter, badger and weasel.

29. Horned Frogs’ sch. TCU
The athletic teams of Texas Christian University (TCU) are known as the TCU Horned Frogs. The Texas horned lizard is known colloquially as the “horned frog”.

32. Ankle bones TARSI
The tarsals (also “tarsi”) are the ankle bones, equivalent to the carpals in the wrist.

35. 1980 sci-fi thriller, and a hint to this puzzle’s circles ALTERED STATES
“Altered States” is a 1980 sci-fi movie that was adapted from a 1978 novel of the same name by Paddy Chayefsky. Both film and novel are about the use of psychoactive drugs and sensory deprivation in isolation tanks.

40. Sister of Clio ERATO
In Greek mythology, the muses are the goddesses who inspire the creation of literature and the arts. The number of muses is a subject of debate at times, but the most popular view is that there are nine:

– Calliope (epic poetry)
– Clio (history)
– Erato (lyric poetry)
– Euterpe (music)
– Melpomene (tragedy)
– Polyhymnia (choral poetry)
– Terpsichore (dance)
– Thalia (comedy)
– Urania (astronomy)

43. It’s usually taken in twos ASPIRIN
Aspirin was a brand name for the drug acetylsalicylic acid. Aspirin was introduced by the German drug company Bayer AG in the late 1800s. As part of the war reparations paid by Germany after WWI, Bayer AG lost the use of the trademark “Aspirin” (as well as the trademark “Heroin”!) and it became a generic term.

48. Reason for adolescent angst ZIT
The slang term “zit”, meaning “a pimple”, came into the language in 1966, but no one seems to know its exact derivation.

49. 1988 Best Supporting Actress Oscar winner GEENA DAVIS (contains “NEVADA” altered)
As well as being a successful Hollywood actress, Geena Davis is an accomplished archer and came close to qualifying for the US archery team for the 2000 Summer Olympics. Davis is also a member of American Mensa. She is quite the lady …

“The Accidental Tourist” is a novel by Anne Tyler, first published in 1985. The book was famously adapted into a 1988 movie starring William Hurt, Kathleen Turner and Geena Davis (who won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her performance).

52. Mythical arrow shooter EROS
Eros, the Greek god of love, was also known as Amor. The Roman counterpart to Eros was Cupid.

53. Key ISLET
A “key” (also “cay”) is a low island offshore, as in the Florida Keys. Our term in English comes from the Spanish “cayo” meaning “shoal, reef”.

55. 2014 FIFA World Cup champion: Abbr. GER
The 2014 FIFA World Cup tournament was held in Brazil, with Germany emerging victorious after defeating Argentina in the final. The most memorable game of the competition was Germany’s unexpectedly big win over the host nation in the semi-final round, a 7-1 victory.

62. “Wheel of Fortune” buy AN I
Contestants have been spinning the “Wheel of Fortune” since the game show first aired in 1975.

63. “__ Grows in Brooklyn” A TREE
Betty Smith’s novel “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” is a story that is largely autobiographical. The tree referenced in the title and the story is the “tree of heaven”, a deciduous variety native to China, brought into the US in 1784. The tree is so successful here in America that it takes over vacant lots and many “waste” spaces of land, and is now considered to be a weed. Awfully big weed, I’d say …

64. Carrot family herb ANISE
The essential oil in the anise plant is anethole. Anethole has a licorice-like flavor, and is used extensively in cooking.

65. __ jacket PEA
A pea coat (also “pea jacket”) is a heavy woolen outer jacket originally associated with sailors. Nowadays anyone wears them (they’re very comfortable and warm). The female equivalent of a pea coat is often called a Jackie O Jacket, apparently.

66. About 17 of them equal a United States dollar PESOS
The coin called a “peso” is used in many Spanish-speaking countries around the world. The coin originated in Spain where the word “peso” means “weight”. The original peso was what we know in English as a “piece of eight”, a silver coin of a specific weight that had a nominal value of eight “reales”.

67. Toyota’s luxury division LEXUS
Lexus is a division of the Toyota Motor Company, and is Toyota’s luxury brand. As an aside, Infiniti is the equivalent luxury brand for the Nissan Motor Company, and Acura is the more luxurious version of Honda’s models.

Down
1. Former Ford model LTD
There has been a lot of speculation about what the abbreviation LTD stands for in the car model known as “Ford LTD”. Many say it is an initialism standing for Luxury Trim Decor, and others say that it is short for “limited”. Although the car was produced in Australia with the initialism meaning Lincoln Type Design, it seems LTD was originally chosen as just three meaningless letters that sound well together.

3. Japanese sash OBI
The sash worn as part of traditional Japanese dress is known as an obi. The obi can be tied in what is called a butterfly knot.

4. Tinseltown vehicle MOVIE
“Tinsel Town” is a nickname for Hollywood.

5. Show off a butterfly, perhaps SWIM
The butterfly is the newest swimming stroke used in competition, having been introduced in 1933. It was originally used as a variant of the breaststroke, in an attempt to gain an advantage in speed over swimmers using the traditional breaststroke movement. The butterfly was carved out as a style of its own in 1952, and made its Olympic debut in 1956.

8. Place to kick back SPA
The word “spa” migrated into English from Belgium, as Spa is the name of a municipality in the east of the country that is famous for its healing hot springs. The name “Spa” comes from the Walloon word “espa” meaning “spring, fountain”.

9. Whitney, by birth and by education ELI
The inventor Eli Whitney is a best known for inventing the cotton gin. Whitney also came up with the important concept of “interchangeable parts”. Parts that are interchangeable can be swapped out of equipment or perhaps used in related designs.

10. D.C. VIP SEN
Senator (sen.)

11. As found IN SITU
“In situ” is a Latin phrase meaning “in the place”, and we use the term to mean “in the original position”.

12. “Pride and Prejudice” family name BENNET
Elizabeth Bennet is the protagonist in Jane Austen’s novel “Pride and Prejudice”. Elizabeth has an up and down relationship with Fitzwilliam Darcy, before the couple finally tie the knot at the end of the story.

13. NBA great Karl MALONE
Karl Malone is a retired professional basketball player who was nicknamed “the Mailman”. Malone played most of his career with the Utah Jazz, from 1985 to 2004.

21. Underground chamber GROTTO
A “grotto” is a cave or cavern. It is a word that we have imported from Italian, in which language it has the same meaning, or can describe a vault.

22. Polo Grounds slugger OTT
At 5′ 9″, Mel Ott weighed just 170 lb (I don’t think he took steroids!) and yet he was the first National League player to hit over 500 home runs. Sadly, Ott died in a car accident in New Orleans in 1958 when he was only 49 years old.

The original Polo Grounds in New York city was built in 1876 and as one might expect, it was used to play polo. The property was leased in 1880 by the New York Metropolitans and was converted into a baseball stadium. Over the years, the stadium was replaced, three times in all, but the “Polo Grounds” name was retained.

23. Univ. sports organizer NCAA
NCAA National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)

28. Penny __ ARCADE
Our word “arcade” comes from the Latin “arcus” meaning “arc”. The first arcades were passages made from a series of arches. This could be an avenue of trees, and eventually any covered avenue. I remember arcades lined with shops and stores when I was growing up on the other side of the Atlantic. Arcades came to be lined with lots of amusements, resulting in amusement arcades and video game arcades.

30. “The Treasure of the __ Madre”: Bogart classic SIERRA
“The Treasure of the Sierra Madre” is a 1927 novel by German novelist B. Traven. The book was made into a famous 1948 movie of the same name by John Huston, starring Humphrey Bogart and Walter Huston (director John Huston’s father).

33. Beer orders STEINS
A stein is a type of beer glass. The term is German in origin, and is short for “Steinkrug” meaning “stone jug”. “Stein” is the German for “stone”.

34. Tokyo, long ago 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.

37. Peak south of Stromboli ETNA
Mt. Etna is the largest of three active volcanoes in Italy. Mt Etna is about 2 1/2 times the height of its equally famous sister, Mt. Vesuvius. The third of Italy’s famous volcanoes is Stromboli.

38. Automaker Ferrari ENZO
Enzo Ferrari was an Italian race car driver, and founder of the Ferrari car manufacturing company. Ferrari died in 1988, and in 2003 the company named the Enzo model after its founder.

42. Map abbr. RTE
Route (rte.)

45. Illinois county or its seat PEORIA
Peoria is the oldest European settlement in the state of Illinois, having been settled by the French in 1680. The city is famous for being cited as “the average American city”. The phrase, “Will it play in Peoria?” is used to mean, “Will it appeal to the mainstream?” It is believed the expression originated as a corruption of, “We shall play in Peoria”, a line used by some actors in the 1890 novel “Five Hundred Dollars” by Horatio Alger, Jr.

47. European capital OSLO
Oslo is the capital of Norway. The city of Oslo burns trash to fuel half of its buildings, including all of its schools. The problem faced by the city is that it doesn’t generate enough trash. So, Oslo imports trash from Sweden, England and Ireland, and is now looking to import some American trash too.

51. “Goosebumps” series author STINE
“Goosebumps” is a series of children’s horror novels written by author R. L. Stine. The novels have been adapted into a television series shown on Canadian TV.

54. Ben Gurion carrier EL AL
El Al Israel Airlines is the flag carrier of Israel. The term “el al” translates from Hebrew as “to the skies”.

Ben Gurion International (TLV) is Israel’s main airport, and is located in the city of Lod just a few miles southeast of Tel Aviv. The airport is named for David Ben-Gurion, Israel’s first prime minister.

56. Drivel PAP
One meaning of “pap” is soft or semi-liquid food for babies and small children. “Pap” comes into English via French, from the Latin word used by children for “food”. In the 1500s, “pap” also came to mean “an oversimplified” idea. This gives us a usage that’s common today, describing literature or perhaps TV programming that lacks real value or substance. Hands up those who think there’s a lot of pap out there, especially on television …

58. Govt. collection agency IRS
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) was set up during the Civil War to raise money to cover war expenses. Prior to the introduction of income tax in 1862, the government was funded by levies on trade and property.

59. Twice cinq DIX
In French, “cinq” (five) is half of “dix” (ten).

60. Pac-12 sch. ASU
Arizona State University (ASU) has a long history, founded as the Tempe Normal School for the Arizona Territory in 1885. The athletic teams of ASU used to be known as the Normals, then the Bulldogs, and since 1946 they’ve been called the Sun Devils.

Pac-12 is an abbreviation for the Pacific-12 Conference, a college athletic conference in the western US. The Pac-12 has won more NCAA National Team Championships than any other conference. The Pac-12 was founded in 1915 as the Pacific Coast Conference (PCC). Over time as it grew, the conference went by the names Big Five, Big Six, Pacific-8, Pacific-10 and became the Pacific-12 in 2011.

Return to top of page

For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Takes shape LOOMS
6. Military installations BASES
11. Armonk, N.Y.-based tech company IBM
14. Quarterback with the 2011 autobiography “Through My Eyes” TEBOW
15. Tell’s target APPLE
16. PBS funder NEA
17. Downpour DRIVING RAIN (contains “VIRGINIA” altered)
19. 40-yr.-old NBC show SNL
20. Mature insect IMAGO
21. Singer Vannelli GINO
22. Fairy tale word ONCE
25. Weasel relative PINE MARTEN (contains “MAINE” altered)
29. Horned Frogs’ sch. TCU
30. Spot SEE
31. Forward, in a way REROUTE
32. Ankle bones TARSI
34. Put up ERECT
35. 1980 sci-fi thriller, and a hint to this puzzle’s circles ALTERED STATES
40. Sister of Clio ERATO
41. Drive respondent DONOR
43. It’s usually taken in twos ASPIRIN
46. Rival FOE
48. Reason for adolescent angst ZIT
49. 1988 Best Supporting Actress Oscar winner GEENA DAVIS (contains “NEVADA” altered)
51. Only SOLE
52. Mythical arrow shooter EROS
53. Key ISLET
55. 2014 FIFA World Cup champion: Abbr. GER
56. Christmas, for many PAID HOLIDAY (contains “IDAHO” altered)
62. “Wheel of Fortune” buy AN I
63. “__ Grows in Brooklyn” A TREE
64. Carrot family herb ANISE
65. __ jacket PEA
66. About 17 of them equal a United States dollar PESOS
67. Toyota’s luxury division LEXUS

Down
1. Former Ford model LTD
2. Poetic preposition O’ER
3. Japanese sash OBI
4. Tinseltown vehicle MOVIE
5. Show off a butterfly, perhaps SWIM
6. Snack sack BAGGIE
7. Grilling garment APRON
8. Place to kick back SPA
9. Whitney, by birth and by education ELI
10. D.C. VIP SEN
11. As found IN SITU
12. “Pride and Prejudice” family name BENNET
13. NBA great Karl MALONE
18. Scruff NAPE
21. Underground chamber GROTTO
22. Polo Grounds slugger OTT
23. Univ. sports organizer NCAA
24. Circular lock CURL
26. Drops the ball ERRS
27. Track competition MEET
28. Penny __ ARCADE
30. “The Treasure of the __ Madre”: Bogart classic SIERRA
33. Beer orders STEINS
34. Tokyo, long ago EDO
36. Vice squad tactic RAID
37. Peak south of Stromboli ETNA
38. Automaker Ferrari ENZO
39. Get dirty SOIL
42. Map abbr. RTE
43. Generation-to-generation span AGE GAP
44. Calm SERENE
45. Illinois county or its seat PEORIA
46. Drops a line FISHES
47. European capital OSLO
50. Tape, maybe VIDEO
51. “Goosebumps” series author STINE
54. Ben Gurion carrier EL AL
56. Drivel PAP
57. Emptied the feedbag ATE
58. Govt. collection agency IRS
59. Twice cinq DIX
60. Pac-12 sch. ASU
61. “Of course” YES

Return to top of page