LA Times Crossword Answers 1 Jan 16, Friday

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

CROSSWORD SETTER: Pam Amick Klawitter
THEME: Contained Phrases … Happy New Year, everyone! Each of today’s themed answers is a common phrase that finishes with a type of container. Each answer is clued whimsically, with reference to that container:

17A. Where to keep the newest merchandise? JUST IN CASE
26A. Where to keep papal headgear? MITER BOX
38A. Where to keep bustiers and halters? TOP DRAWER
53A. Where to keep tunes? DITTY BAG
64A. Where to keep clock components? HANDBASKET

BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 10m 35s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across

1. Prynne punishment RED A
Hester Prynne is the main character in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel “The Scarlet Letter”. When Hester is convicted by her puritanical neighbors of the crime of adultery, she is forced to wear a scarlet “A” (for “adultery”) on her clothing for the rest of her life, hence the novel’s title, “The Scarlet Letter”.

5. Family that wrote a lot of notes BACHS
Johann Sebastian Bach raised a very large family. He had seven children with his first wife, who died suddenly. He had a further thirteen children with his second wife. Of his twenty youngsters, there were four sons who became famous musicians in their own right:

– Wilhelm Friedemann Bach (aka “the Halle Bach”)
– Carl Philipp Bach (aka “the Hamburg Bach”)
– Johann Christoph Bach (aka “the Buckeberg Bach”)
– Johann Christian Bach (aka “the London Bach”)

10. Chief of Staff after Haldeman HAIG
Alexander Haig was Secretary of State under President Reagan, and White House Chief of Staff under Presidents Nixon and Ford. Famously, Haig took over temporary control of the country immediately after President Reagan was shot in 1981. To do so was a pragmatic move, while waiting on Vice President Bush to arrive in Washington. There was much debate at the time about the legality of the steps taken, as the presidential line of succession called out in the US Constitution is President, Vice President, Speaker of the House, President pro tempore of the US Senate, and then Secretary of State.

H. R. Haldeman served as White House Chief of Staff to President Richard Nixon. Haldeman became embroiled in the Watergate scandal, which led to him resigning from government. Haldeman was later found guilty of several charges related to the Watergate cover-up and served 18 months in prison.

19. Tabloid perennial IDOL
“Tabloid” is the trademarked name (owned by Burroughs, Wellcome and Co,) for a “small tablet of medicine”, a name that goes back to 1884. The word “tabloid” had entered into general use to mean a compressed form of anything, and by the early 1900s was used in “tabloid journalism”, applied to newspapers that had short, condensed articles and stories printed on smaller sheets of paper.

20. Circus couple? CEES
The word “circus” includes a couple of letters C (cee).

21. Strength SINEW
Sinew is another name for a tendon. Tendons are bands of collagen that connect muscle to bone. Tendons are similar to ligaments and fasciae, which are also connective tissue made out of collagen, but ligaments join bone to bone, and fasciae connect muscle to muscle. We also use the term sinew to mean “muscular power”.

23. Andalusian article UNA
“Una”, the Spanish for “a”.

Andalusia (“Andalucia” in Spanish) is one of the seventeen autonomous communities in the Kingdom of Spain, and is the most southerly. The capital of Andalusia is the old city of Seville. The name Andalusia comes from its Arabic name, Al-Andalus, reflecting the region’s history as the center of Muslim power in Iberia during medieval times.

24. Fictional destroyer of Chamberlain, Maine CARRIE
“Carrie” is a 1974 novel by Stephen King, the first book that he had published. It tells the story of high school girl Carrie White who is bullied, and uses her telekinetic powers to wreak havoc on her tormentors and destroy her hometown of Chamberlain, Maine. Apparently, “Carrie” is one of the most frequently banned titles in American schools.

26. Where to keep papal headgear? MITER BOX
A mitre (also “miter”) is a traditional headdress worn by bishops in some Christian traditions. The name “mitre” comes from a Greek word for “headband, turban”.

A miter saw is used to make precise crosscuts in a piece of wood, and to make miter cuts in particular. Back in the day, a piece of wood would be put in a miter box which guided the miter saw so that a precise 45-degree (usually) angle was cut.

28. Powerful Giant 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. Ott played his whole career with the New York Giants, from 1926 to 1947. Sadly, Ott died in a car accident in New Orleans in 1958 when he was only 49 years old.

29. Green eggs advocate SAM
Dr. Seuss’s famous children’s book “Green Eggs and Ham” was first published in 1960. “Green Eggs and Ham” now ranks twelfth in the list of top selling children’s books. By the way, “Harry Potter” books hold the top four slots in that list. The text of “Green Eggs and Ham” has a lot of “I am” going on. It starts with:

I am Sam
I am Sam
Sam I am

and ends with:

I do so like
green eggs and ham!
Thank you!
Thank you,
Sam-I-am

31. Food Channel adjective SAVORY
The Food Channel is a website (and not a TV channel). It started out as a newsletter in the eighties, and was launched as FoodChannel.com in 2008. Not to be confused with TV’s Food Network …

32. High flat MESA
“Mesa” is the Spanish for “table”, which gives to our English usage of “mesa” to describe a geographic feature.

34. “American Pastoral” Pulitzer-winning author ROTH
Author Philip Roth’s two most famous works are probably his 1959 novella “Goodbye, Columbus” for which he won a National Book Award, and his extremely controversial 1969 novel “Portnoy’s Complaint”. The latter title was banned in some libraries in the US, and was listed as a “prohibited import” in Australia. The controversy surrounded Roth’s treatment of the sexuality of the main character, a young Jewish bachelor undergoing psychoanalysis for his “complaint”.

Several Philip Roth novels feature the character Nathan Zuckerman as the protagonist and author. Acclaimed titles in the Zuckerman series are “American Pastoral” (1997) and “The Human Stain” (2000).

37. Actress Russo RENE
The lovely and very talented actress Rene Russo is a native of Burbank, California. Russo went to highschool (with actor/director Ron Howard), but dropped out in tenth grade. At seventeen, she was given the opportunity to train as a model and within a very short time appeared on the cover of “Vogue”. As her modelling jobs slowed down in her early thirties, Russo made a career change and studied theater and acting. I am so glad she did, as Rene Russo is one of my favorite actresses …

50. Super __ PAC
A Political Action Committee (PAC) is a private group that works to influence the outcome of a particular election or group of elections. Any group becomes a PAC by law when it receives or spends more than $1,000 for the purpose of influencing the outcome of an election. In 2010 the Supreme Court ruled that PACS that did not make direct contributions to candidates or parties could accept unlimited contributions. These “independent-expenditure only committees” are commonly referred to as “super PACs”.

52. Sign of summer LEO
Leo is the fifth astrological sign of the Zodiac. People born from July 23 to August 22 are Leos.

53. Where to keep tunes? DITTY BAG
A “ditty bag” is a small bag used to keep odds and ends. The term arose in the British navy, where it describes a bag to hold toiletries, sewing implements, etc. It may be a shortening of “commodity bag”.

56. Church counter? ROSARY
The Rosary is a set of prayer beads used in the Roman Catholic tradition. The name “Rosary” comes from the Latin “rosarium”, the word for a “rose garden” or a “garland of roses”. The term is used figuratively, in the sense of a “garden of prayers”.

59. Big name in beauty ESTEE
Estée Lauder was a very successful businesswoman, with a reputation as a great salesperson. Lauder introduced her own line of fragrances in 1953, a bath oil called “Youth Dew”. “Youth Dew” was marketed as a perfume, but it was added to bathwater. All of a sudden women were pouring whole bottles of Ms. Lauder’s “perfume” into their baths while using only a drop or two of French perfumes behind their ears. That’s quite a difference in sales volume …

61. Sign-changing area CUSP
The word “cusp” comes from the Latin “cuspis” meaning “spear, point”. In the world of astrology, a cusp is an imaginary line separating two signs of the zodiac. For example, someone whose birthday is between April 16 and April 26 is said to have been born “on the cusp” between the signs Aries and Taurus.

67. DOE division?: Abbr. ENER
The US Department of Energy (DOE) came into being largely as a result of the 1973 oil crisis. The DOE was founded in 1977 by the Carter administration. The DOE is responsible for regulating the production of nuclear power, and it is also responsible for the nation’s nuclear weapons. The official DOE seal features symbols denoting five sources of energy: the sun, an atom, an oil derrick, a windmill and a dynamo.

69. Hair piece HANK
A “hank” is a loop or a coil of perhaps rope, or maybe hair.

70. Hill meeting: Abbr. SESS
Session (sess.)

Washington D.C.’s designer Pierre L’Enfant chose the crest of hill as the site for the future “Congress House”. He called the location “Jenkins Hill” and “Jenkins Heights”. Earlier records show the name as “New Troy”. Today we call it “Capitol Hill”.

71. Quaint retort ‘TISN’T
It is not (‘tisn’t)

Down
1. Koothrappali on “The Big Bang Theory” RAJ
Raj Koothrappali is a character on the sitcom “The Big Bang Theory” who is played by British-Indian actor Kunal Nayyar. Nayyar is married to Neha Kapur, a former Miss India.

6. MLB best-of-seven series ALCS
American League Championship Series (ALCS)

8. Egypt’s Mubarak HOSNI
Hosni Mubarak was the fourth President of Egypt, taking over after Anwar Sadat was assassinated in 1981. Mubarak resigned in 2011 in the early months of the Arab Spring after 18 days of public demonstrations. He was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2012, although this was overturned. Mubarak has been in detention ever while facing new charges.

10. Osaka okay HAI
“Hai” is the Japanese word for “yes”.

The Japanese city of Osaka used to be called Naniwa, with the name changing to Osaka some time before 1500. “Osaka” can be translated either as “large hill” or “large slope”. Osaka is sometimes referred to as “the Chicago of Japan” as it is a major center of commerce and industry.

11. “The Birds of America” author AUDUBON
The National Audubon Society is an environmental organization that was formed in 1905. The society is named for John James Audubon, an ornithologist who compiled his famous book “The Birds of America” between 1827 and 1838.

13. Place to see stars GALAXY
The Milky Way is the name given to our own galaxy, the home to the Solar System. In fact, the word “galaxy” comes from the Greek “galaxias” meaning “milky”.

18. Goddess with cow’s horns ISIS
Isis was the ancient Egyptian goddess of fertility, as well as the protector of the dead and the goddess of children.

22. “__ Family”: 1979 R&B hit WE ARE
“We Are Family” is a fabulous 1979 song released by Sister Sledge. The song was written specifically for Sister Sledge, a group that back then was actually “family”, comprising four sisters from Philadelphia.

25. Tombstone VIP EARP
Wyatt Earp is famous as one of the participants in the gunfight at the O.K. Corral. Earp was a city policeman in Wichita, Kansas and also in Dodge City, Kansas. Earp was also deputy sheriff in Tombstone, Arizona where the O.K. Corral gunfight took place. Years later, Earp joined the Alaska Gold Rush and with a partner built and operated the Dexter Saloon in Nome.

33. Reveling, after “on” A TOOT
“Toot” and “tear” are slang terms for a drinking binge.

41. Kansas site of the Eisenhower Presidential Library ABILENE
Dwight D. Eisenhower (DDE) was the 34th US president, but he wanted to be remembered as a soldier. He was a five-star general during WWII in charge of the Allied Forces in the European Theater of Operations (ETO). President Eisenhower died in 1969 at Walter Reed Army Hospital. He was buried $80 standard soldier’s casket in his army uniform in a chapel on the grounds of the beautiful Eisenhower Presidential Library in Abilene, Kansas.

45. Yakutat native ALASKAN
Yakutat is a city and borough in Alaska. The borough (Alaskan equivalent to “county”) of Yakutat is pretty extensive, about six times the size of Rhode Island.

46. Garden snake? SERPENT
In the Christian tradition, the “fall of man” took place in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve succumbed to the temptation of eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. This went against the bidding of God, and was at the urging of the serpent. As a result, Adam and Eve were banished from Eden to prevent them becoming immortal by eating from the tree of life. The first humans had transitioned from a state of innocent obedience to a state of guilty disobedience.

47. __ sauce SOY
Soy sauce is made by fermenting soybeans with a mold, in the presence of water and salt. Charming …

49. Red Ryder ammo BB SHOT
A BB gun is an air pistol or rifle that shoots birdshot known as BBs. Birdshot comes in a number of different sizes, from size 9 (0.080″ in diameter) to size FF (.23″). 0.180″ diameter birdshot is size BB, which gives the airgun its name.

The Red Ryder BB Gun is the most famous air gun made by Daisy Outdoor Products. It was introduced in 1938 and was named for the Red Ryder comic strip character. Famously, Ralphie Parker wants a Red Ryder BB Gun as a gift in the classic holiday movie “A Christmas Story”.

51. 1952 “Your Show of Shows” Emmy winner COCA
Imogene Coca was a comic actress from Philadelphia who is perhaps best-known for her appearances on television starting in the forties. Famously, Coca performed opposite Sid Caesar on NBC’s “Your Show of Shows” in the fifties.

54. Arcade pioneer ATARI
At one point, the electronics and video game manufacturer Atari was the fastest growing company in US history. However, Atari never really recovered from the video game industry crash of 1983.

57. Bite-sized Asian dish SUSHI
Sushi is a Japanese dish that has as its primary ingredient cooked, vinegared rice. The rice is usually topped with something, most often fish, and can be served in seaweed rolls. If you want raw fish by itself, then you have to order “sashimi”.

60. Utopia EDEN
The word “Utopia” was coined by Sir Thomas More for his book “Utopia” published in 1516 describing an idyllic fictional island in the Atlantic Ocean. More’s use of the name Utopia comes from the Greek “ou” meaning “not” and “topos” meaning “place”. By calling his perfect island “Not Place”, More was apparently making the point that he didn’t think that the ideal could actually exist.

63. Gp. receiving diplomas SRS
Senior (sr.)

Our word “diploma” comes from Greek via Latin, with an original meaning of “state or official document”. The Greek word “diploma” described a license or a chart, and originally meant a “paper doubled over” from “diploos” the word for “double”.

66. Ring ruling TKO
In boxing, a knockout (KO) is when one of the fighters can’t get up from the canvas within a specified time, usually 10 seconds. This can be due to fatigue, injury, or the participant may be truly “knocked out”. A referee, fighter or doctor may also decide to stop a fight without a physical knockout, especially if there is concern about a fighter’s safety. In this case the bout is said to end with a technical knockout (TKO).

Return to top of page

For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Prynne punishment RED A
5. Family that wrote a lot of notes BACHS
10. Chief of Staff after Haldeman HAIG
14. Summer quenchers ADES
15. Let go ALLOW
16. It’s all around you AURA
17. Where to keep the newest merchandise? JUST-IN CASE
19. Tabloid perennial IDOL
20. Circus couple? CEES
21. Strength SINEW
23. Andalusian article UNA
24. Fictional destroyer of Chamberlain, Maine CARRIE
26. Where to keep papal headgear? MITER BOX
28. Powerful Giant OTT
29. Green eggs advocate SAM
31. Food Channel adjective SAVORY
32. High flat MESA
34. “American Pastoral” Pulitzer-winning author ROTH
37. Actress Russo RENE
38. Where to keep bustiers and halters? TOP DRAWER
41. Long, long time AEON
43. No hassle EASE
44. Cheek SASS
48. Sponge ABSORB
50. Super __ PAC
52. Sign of summer LEO
53. Where to keep tunes? DITTY BAG
56. Church counter? ROSARY
58. Styled after A LA
59. Big name in beauty ESTEE
61. Sign-changing area CUSP
62. Sees GETS
64. Where to keep clock components? HANDBASKET
67. DOE division?: Abbr. ENER
68. End of a host’s query … OR TEA?
69. Hair piece HANK
70. Hill meeting: Abbr. SESS
71. Quaint retort ‘TISN’T
72. Enjoying a lot INTO

Down
1. Koothrappali on “The Big Bang Theory” RAJ
2. Teach EDUCATE
3. Leaves without leave DESERTS
4. Daisy lookalike ASTER
5. Proscription BAN
6. MLB best-of-seven series ALCS
7. Assertion CLAIM
8. Egypt’s Mubarak HOSNI
9. Candy SWEETS
10. Osaka okay HAI
11. “The Birds of America” author AUDUBON
12. You can dig it IRON ORE
13. Place to see stars GALAXY
18. Goddess with cow’s horns ISIS
22. “__ Family”: 1979 R&B hit WE ARE
24. Dot follower? COM
25. Tombstone VIP EARP
27. Camping enthusiasts, for short RVERS
30. How it’s done MODE
33. Reveling, after “on” A TOOT
35. Vocal syllable TRA-
36. Door fastener HASP
39. Deli request ON RYE
40. Common sign of age WEAR
41. Kansas site of the Eisenhower Presidential Library ABILENE
42. They’re left behind ESTATES
45. Yakutat native ALASKAN
46. Garden snake? SERPENT
47. __ sauce SOY
48. Words from the wise ADAGES
49. Red Ryder ammo BB SHOT
51. 1952 “Your Show of Shows” Emmy winner COCA
54. Arcade pioneer ATARI
55. Fellows GENTS
57. Bite-sized Asian dish SUSHI
60. Utopia EDEN
63. Gp. receiving diplomas SRS
65. Cavern critter BAT
66. Ring ruling TKO

Return to top of page

14 thoughts on “LA Times Crossword Answers 1 Jan 16, Friday”

  1. Jeff, from yesterday …. about airbnb. The concept is a great idea, for real people-to-people contacts. Ordinary folks hosting other ordinary folks, for a reasonable fee. Makes new and unique friendships and opens up new horizons. Especially, in so-called first world countries, where daily rates in hotels run upwards of >$200 . As in New York City and San Francisco. For instance, I live in a five bedroom house, where the other four beds rarely have an occupant. Alas, I live off the beaten track for most tourist destinations. Also I have been trying to get rid of this leviathan for years.

    Talking about hotels … rather a spectacular hotel fire ysterday, at The ADDRESS, in Dubai. Ten floors burning, fortunately no deaths or serious injuries. Across the fountain from the Burj al Khalifah. I suspect the New Year fireworks may have had something to do with it.

    Time for another post.

  2. I had an issue for a while due to misspelling Audubon. That second u looked odd to me, but turned out to be right. So started the New Year on a high note when it comes to the daily LAT's crossword. Let's see how long that lasts!

    See you all tomorrow.

  3. Happy New Year to all ! And best wishes for the coming period. Thank you, Bill, for all your devoted service and hard work.

    The puzzle was very daunting, but I managed to finish it, before it finished me …. I confused between miter and mitre, the latter, I thought was the name of the headgear.

    Isis has cow horns ? A learning moment – I never examined her so carefully before.

    Bill, if you think Soy sauce with fermented soyabean grindings is charming, you haven't smelt or tasted the Thai favorite, Nam Pla, which is fermented sardines or anchovies, in salt sauce…

    Have a great year, all.

  4. Well so far I'm 0 for 2016. Better luck when New Years Day is on a Monday. I did the first 3/4 of the puzzle pretty quickly but really got bogged down and stuck in the southeast corner. In retrospect I sure had a lot of mental blocks going on at the same time. Ultimately I had to look up COCA to get me going.

    The second U in AUDUBON surprised me as well. I also had Hazni before HOSNI, but I figured that out quickly enough. Couldn't figure out REDA until the blog. Duh.

    I wonder if Rene Russo ever went back and at least finished high school. Things like that change my perceptions of people although I guess they shouldn't.

    Better luck tomorrow (Saturday?)….or more likely Sunday.

    Best –

  5. Firstly, a Happy New Year to you and your family, Bill!
    I think I can say for all of us who come here for explanations, answers, and revealing facts, that we really do appreciate this labor of love that you provide faithfully each day. I really don't know how you are able to pull together all of this information, even when you're on vacation!
    Let's here it for Bill!!!
    Thanks to all of my blog-mates for injecting humor, knowledge and links in making this a really fun place to get together.
    Vidwan, Sfingi, Carrie, Glenn, Tony Michaels, Willie D. Jeff, Bella, RestMyCase, Piano Man, Addict, and all of you who contribute…thank you.
    I wish all of you a safe, happy, healthy and prosperous New Year and a new beginning for whatever you have decided to improve on in 2016.

    Re: puzzle- I realize how unsure I am in spelling AUDUBON, ABILENE, and HOSNI.
    Could not see IRONORE as two words..tsk.
    The CEES didn't fool me this time.
    I really don't understand JUST IN CASE at all.

    If possible, it would be a nice gesture to Bill to pop in today, and give him a shout-out!

  6. Point taken, Pookie, and you're right.

    Bill your blog is as reliable as the sunrise. It's time to repeat my same joke that if the end of the world came today, I'm convinced your blog would still show up in the morning. None of us know how you can do it under all circumstances.

    You have stated here recently that your situation has changed. Whatever it is that has changed, we all here wish you the best.

    If I had ONE question I could ask you about the blog, I think it would be what the closest you ever came to not being able to complete the write up for a given day. I suspect that would be quite a story.

    Thanks again for everything.

    Best –

  7. Pookie, well said. Jeff, joke still funny! Bill, kudos for your continued, selfless daily efforts. Happy New Year to all.

  8. Further to the above explanation, here is a short article on JIT – Just in Time inventory.

    While the article is somewhat technical, the fourth para talks about an 'earlier' method of 'Just in Case' inventory. As that line mentions, Just in Case method of inventory (maintainence – ) is quite inefficient, in the sense that you have to carry an unnecessaily large inventory for some future high forecasted demand, which may or may not occur.

  9. Just finished watching the Rose Bowl Parade, a family tradition. Went there two years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it.

    Bill, thanks for sticking with all of us and maintaining the blog. It always makes my day.

    Wishing everyone a great 2016 and hoping that all your solutions in puzzles and in life be joyful 🙂

  10. @Everyone
    Thanks for the kind words as always, but especially today. I am very glad that my retirement hobby/obsession is providing some service. I wouldn't still be doing it after all these years if it wasn't for you folks dropping by and checking in. I wish ye all a very puzzling 2016 🙂

  11. Hi everyone and Happy New Year.

    @Pookie It's nice to be noticed and missed for sure. I'm kind of at that point where questions are afoot. Though, as I've gotten back a bit into my blogging affectations and have tired of slashing and burning through some of these harder grids, I'll be less noticeable in the near future, though around. Hopefully anyway, given how my life has been going.

    @Bill
    "If I had ONE question I could ask you about the blog, I think it would be what the closest you ever came to not being able to complete the write up for a given day. I suspect that would be quite a story."

    Seconded. As I've mentioned before, the act of posting can be a drain, but a reward too. It would be extremely difficult for me in my blogging ventures to stick to a daily posting schedule, for sure. I notice posts are delayed some days, I guess due to the difficulty of the puzzles, but I'm wondering this too, if there's ever been any close calls or misses where a day's post never got to happen on either blog. Power outages or whatever…

  12. @Jeff, Glenn
    My answer to the question about missing blog posts is a little convoluted. I make two blog posts daily, for the LA Times and the NY Times puzzles. Frankly, I give precedence to the LA Times posts if I come under time pressure, mainly due to the higher level of activity here at LAXCrossword.com. My NYTCrossword.com blog has been going longer, but it doesn't attract as many visitors and/or commenters.

    I suppose it's a sad admission that almost always find time to make the daily posts. Blogging is my most-consuming retirement hobby, and has become part of daily life for me. I come under most time pressure when traveling, another much-loved activity in my post-working days. My wife is very understanding, so we tend to manage our daily schedules on the road with blogging in mind. I've written up many a post while sitting beside a hotel pool while my wife is doing her laps of an evening.

    That's probably more information than you guys wanted, but there you have it! Thanks again for your support of the blog.

Comments are closed.