LA Times Crossword Answers 15 Feb 16, Monday

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
1. Diplomat Henry __ Lodge CABOT
Henry Cabot Lodge was a Republican Senator from Massachusetts. He famously went up against President Woodrow Wilson demanding congressional control over the declaration of war. As a result, the US never ratified the Treaty of Versailles that ended WWI, and never joined the League of Nations.

6. Former Ford division, briefly MERC
The Mercury brand of car was made by Ford from 1938 until 2011. Mercury was introduced by Henry Ford’s son Edsel Ford. Mercury vehicles were positioned as being more luxurious that the regular Ford models, and more economical than Ford’s high-end Lincoln models.

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

17. *The president’s annual salary, e.g. SIX FIGURES (giving “deep six”)
The salary of the US president has been fixed at $400,000 per annum since 2001.

To deep-six something is to toss it, possibly overboard, or to completely destroy it. The derivation of this slang term is from “six feet deep”, not the length of a fathom but rather the traditional depth of a grave.

19. Lily that’s Utah’s state flower SEGO
The Sego Lily is the state flower of Utah, and is a perennial plant found throughout the Western United States.

20. Mary __ cosmetics KAY
Mary Kay Ash founded her skincare and cosmetics company, somewhat ominously on Friday 13th, 1963. In 1968, Mary Kay Ash bought herself a pink Cadillac, specially painted to match the color of one of her compacts. The car became so famous that she gave away five of them to her top saleswoman, a tradition that endures to this day.

22. Avoid shipping out? SHAPE UP
The idiom “shape up or ship out” means “behave yourself or leave”. The phrase originated in the military during WWII. Back then, the threat was “get your act together, or you’re getting shipped out to a combat zone”.

27. Kind of football kick ONSIDE
In American football, an onside kick is one in which the ball is kicked a short distance. The intention is for the kicking team to retain possession, although that is a relatively unlikely outcome.

30. Prairie dog or squirrel RODENT
The prairie dog is a type of ground squirrel that is found in the grasslands of North America. Prairie dogs are so named because they inhabit prairies and because they have a warning call that is similar to the bark of a dog.

32. Brown photo tone SEPIA
Sepia is that lovely rich, brown-grey color so common in old photographs. “Sepia” is the Latinized version of the Greek word for cuttlefish, as sepia pigment is derived from the ink sac of the cuttlefish.The “sepia tone” of old photographs is not the result of deterioration over time. Rather, it is the result of a deliberate preservation process which converts the metallic silver in the photographic image to a more stable silver sulfide. Prints that have been sepia-toned can last in excess of 150 years.

34. Carpe __: seize the day DIEM
“Carpe diem” is a quotation from Horace, one of Ancient Rome’s leading lyric poets. “Carpe diem” translates from Latin as “seize the day” or “enjoy the day”.

37. Hawaii’s Mauna __ LOA
Mauna Loa on the “big island” of Hawaii is the largest volcano on the planet (in terms of volume). The name “Mauna Loa” is Hawaiian for “Long Mountain”.

41. Dean’s list fig. GPA
Grade point average (GPA)

44. Prayer ending AMEN
The word “amen” is translated as “so be it”. “Amen” is said to be of Hebrew origin, but it is likely to be also influenced by Aramaic and Arabic.

45. Autumn shade 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.

52. Arabian Peninsula country YEMEN
Yemen is located on the Arabian Peninsula, lying just south of Saudi Arabia and west of Oman. Yemen is the only state on the peninsula that is a republic (its official name is the Republic of Yemen). Everyone over the age of 18 gets to vote, but only Muslims can hold elected office. Yemen has seen many rebellions over the centuries, and has been suffering through a Shia uprising since February 2015.

57. Comedian Margaret CHO
Margaret Cho is a very successful stand-up comedian, but she is also a fashion designer with her own line of clothing. Cho also acts, and you might have seen her in the John Travolta/Nicolas Cage movie “Face/Off” in which she played John Travolta’s FBI colleague.

60. X-ray units RADS
A rad is a unit used to measure radiation levels that is largely obsolete now. The rad has been superseded by the rem.

61. *Prince film featuring “When Doves Cry” PURPLE RAIN (giving “Deep Purple”)
Famously, “Purple Rain” is a 1984 musical drama film starring the rock star Prince, and a movie now considered a cult classic. Not so famously, “Graffiti Bridge” is a 1990 sequel to “Purple Rain” and also stars Prince.

Deep Purple is a rock band that formed in England in 1968. The band’s biggest hit by far is 1972’s “Smoke on the Water”. Deep Purple made it into the “Guinness Book of World Records” in 1975 as the loudest band in the world, by virtue of a concert held in London in 1972.

69. 1971 Eric Clapton hit LAYLA
“Layla” is one of the great rock anthems of the seventies, released as a single by Derek and the Dominos in December of 1970. It is a masterpiece of composition, with the first half of the song a great vehicle for the guitar-playing talents of Eric Clapton. The second half is a beautifully melodic piano coda (a coda … taking up half the length of the track!). To top things off, we have the “unplugged” version recorded by Clapton in 1992, a fabulous and inventive variation on the original.

Layla, you’ve got me on my knees.
Layla, I’m begging, darling please.
Layla, darling won’t you ease my worried mind.

Down
4. Lummox OAF
Our word “oaf”, meaning a stupid or clumsy person, comes from the Old Norse word “elf” meaning “silly person”. Our word “elf” has the same root. On the other side of the Atlantic, the plural of “elf” is “elves”, and in some dictionaries the plural of “oaf” is written as “oaves”.

The word “lummox” comes from East Anglian slang (northeast of London). The term is probably a contraction of “lumbering ox”.

5. __ and Tobago: West Indies nation TRINIDAD
Trinidad and Tobago is a republic in the southern Caribbean, largely comprising the two main islands of Trinidad and Tobago.

6. “All in the Family” spin-off MAUDE
The seventies sitcom “Maude” starred Bea Arthur as the title character Maude Findlay. “Maude” was a spin-off of “All in the Family”, as Findlay is a cousin of Edith Bunker.

8. “Cheers” actor Roger REES
Roger Rees was a Welsh actor. Rees played the character Robin Colcord on “Cheers”, the posh love interest for Rebecca Howe played by Kirstie Alley. Rees also appeared periodically on “The West Wing” as the marvelously flamboyant and eccentric Lord John Marbury, the British Ambassador.

10. English translation of the start of 10-Across RESPOND
(10A. “Kindly let us know,” on invites RSVP)
RSVP stands for “répondez, s’il vous plaît”, which is French for “please, answer”.

18. 2000 Bush opponent GORE
George W. Bush won the 2000 US presidential election over Al Gore despite losing the popular vote. The result of the electoral college effectively came down to disputed votes cast in Florida. The US Supreme Court decided that these votes were to be awarded to Bush. President Bush wasn’t the first candidate to take the office without winning the popular vote. Three earlier presidents came to office in the same way : John Quincy Adams (1824), Rutherford B. Hayes (1876) and Benjamin Harrison (1888).

23. Pub potable ALE
Something that is “potable” is fit to drink. The term derives from the Latin verb “potare” meaning “to drink”, which is also the root for our word “potion”.

24. Nintendo game system WII
The Nintendo Wii is the biggest-selling game console in the world.

27. Capital of Norway 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. Oslo is also a large city with a relatively small population. As a result, about two-thirds of the city’s land area comprises protected forest, hills and lakes.

28. Gas used in signs NEON
The basic design of neon lighting was first demonstrated at the Paris Motor Show in 1910. Such lighting is made up of glass tubes containing a vacuum into which has been introduced a small amount of neon gas. When a voltage is applied between two electrodes inside the tube, the neon gas “glows” and gives off the familiar light.

29. *Scatterbrain SPACE CADET (giving “deep space”)
The expression “space cadet” is used to describe someone who is eccentric and disconnected with reality. It may even imply that the person is a user of hallucinogens. The phrase has been around since the sixties, and may be derived from the science fiction TV show “Tom Corbett, Space Cadet” which aired in the fifties.

33. Viral video, e.g. MEME
A “meme” (short for “mineme”) is a cultural practice or idea that is passed on verbally or by repetition from one person to another. The term lends itself very well to the online world where links, emails, files etc. are so easily propagated.

35. Fencing sword EPEE
The sword known as an épée has a three-sided blade. The épée is similar to a foil and sabre, both of which are also thrusting weapons. However, the foil and saber have rectangular cross-sections.

36. Fourth planet MARS
The surface of the planet Mars has a very high iron oxide content, so Mars is red because it is rusty!

40. Fait accompli DONE DEAL
“Fait accompli” is a French term, literally translating as “accomplished fact”. It is used in English to mean “a done deal”.

46. “Vaya __ Dios” CON
“Vaya con Dios” is Spanish for “Go with God”.

49. Actor Jannings EMIL
Emil Jannings was an actor from Switzerland, who also held German and Austrian citizenship. Jannings was the first person to receive an Oscar, as the star of the 1928 silent movie called “The Last Command”. He also starred opposite Marlene Dietrich in the 1930 classic “The Blue Angel”.

50. Tax deadline month APRIL
April 15th wasn’t always Tax Day in the US. The deadline for returns was March 1st from 1913-18, when it was moved to March 15th. Tax Day has been April 15th since 1955.

59. Most fit for military duty ONE-A
The US government maintains information on all males who are potentially subject to military conscription, using what is called the Selective Service System(SS). In the event that a draft was held, men registered would be classified into groups to determine eligibility for service. Class 1-A registrants are those available for unrestricted military service. Other classes are 1-A-O (conscientious objector available for noncombatant service), 4-A (registrant who has completed military service) and 4-D (Minister of religion).

63. Genetic stuff RNA
Ribonucleic Acid (RNA) is an essential catalyst in the manufacture of proteins in the body. The genetic code in DNA determines the sequence of amino acids that make up each protein. That sequence is read in DNA by messenger RNA, and amino acids are delivered for protein manufacture in the correct sequence by what is called transfer RNA. The amino acids are then formed into proteins by ribosomal RNA.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Diplomat Henry __ Lodge CABOT
6. Former Ford division, briefly MERC
10. “Kindly let us know,” on invites RSVP
14. Like a noisy stadium AROAR
15. Length times width AREA
16. Israeli airline EL AL
17. *The president’s annual salary, e.g. SIX FIGURES (giving “deep six”)
19. Lily that’s Utah’s state flower SEGO
20. Mary __ cosmetics KAY
21. Agree silently NOD
22. Avoid shipping out? SHAPE UP
24. Electrically connected WIRED
26. Weds in secret ELOPES
27. Kind of football kick ONSIDE
30. Prairie dog or squirrel RODENT
32. Brown photo tone SEPIA
33. Long skirt MAXI
34. Carpe __: seize the day DIEM
37. Hawaii’s Mauna __ LOA
38. Pool diving area … and, literally, what the start of each answer to a starred clue can be DEEP END
41. Dean’s list fig. GPA
42. How some audiobooks are recorded ON CD
44. Prayer ending AMEN
45. Autumn shade OCHER
47. Pencil mark remover ERASER
49. PC memos E-NOTES
50. Say yes (to) ACCEDE
52. Arabian Peninsula country YEMEN
54. Thick fog metaphor PEA SOUP
56. Prefix with east or west MID-
57. Comedian Margaret CHO
60. X-ray units RADS
61. *Prince film featuring “When Doves Cry” PURPLE RAIN (giving “Deep Purple”)
64. “Understood” I SEE
65. Flanged fastener T-NUT
66. It’s measured in degrees ANGLE
67. “Why don’t we?” LET’S!
68. “__-dokey!” OKEY
69. 1971 Eric Clapton hit LAYLA

Down
1. Wine barrel CASK
2. Operatic solo ARIA
3. Squarish, as some cars BOXY
4. Lummox OAF
5. __ and Tobago: West Indies nation TRINIDAD
6. “All in the Family” spin-off MAUDE
7. Make a typo, say ERR
8. “Cheers” actor Roger REES
9. Redeemed, as casino chips CASHED IN
10. English translation of the start of 10-Across RESPOND
11. *”Sweet dreams” SLEEP TIGHT (giving “deep sleep”)
12. Unclear VAGUE
13. Lands heavily PLOPS
18. 2000 Bush opponent GORE
23. Pub potable ALE
24. Nintendo game system WII
25. Window treatment DRAPERY
27. Capital of Norway OSLO
28. Gas used in signs NEON
29. *Scatterbrain SPACE CADET (giving “deep space”)
31. Team on the farm OXEN
33. Viral video, e.g. MEME
35. Fencing sword EPEE
36. Fourth planet MARS
39. Approach cautiously EASE UP TO
40. Fait accompli DONE DEAL
43. Puts on clothes DRESSES
46. “Vaya __ Dios” CON
48. Commotion ADO
49. Actor Jannings EMIL
50. Tax deadline month APRIL
51. Put an end to CEASE
53. “E” on a gas gauge EMPTY
55. Rock genre PUNK
57. Clever CAGY
58. Sledding slope HILL
59. Most fit for military duty ONE-A
62. Regret RUE
63. Genetic stuff RNA

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