LA Times Crossword Answers 23 May 16, Monday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: Janice Luttrell
THEME: Coneheads … today’s themed answers each start with (are HEADED by) a type of CONE:

52A. Classic “Saturday Night Live” family, with “the” … and, literally, what the starts of the answers to starred clues can be CONEHEADS

20A. *Make easier to hear, as bad news SUGARCOAT (giving “sugar cone”)
38A. *Rhinoplasty NOSE JOB (giving “nose cone”)
11D. *Appliance that makes Eggos unnecessary WAFFLE IRON (giving “waffle cone”)
28D. *Freeway congestion TRAFFIC JAM (giving “traffic cone”)

BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 4m 24s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across

5. Gadget for KP duty PEELER
KP is a US military slang term that stands for either “kitchen police” or “kitchen patrol”.

11. Part of www WEB
In essence, the World Wide Web is a vast collection of documents that is accessible using the Internet, with each document containing hyperlinks which point to other documents in the collection. So the “Web” is different from the Internet, although the terms are often used interchangeably. The Web is the collection of documents, and the Internet is global network of computers on which the documents reside. The Web 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 …

14. Champagne Tony of golf LEMA
Tony Lema was a golfer, a native of Oakland, California. In 1962-1966 he had an impressive run of PGA victories, including a famous 1962 win at the Orange County Open. As a joke, he promised that should he win he would serve champagne to the press corps, who quickly gave him the nickname “Champagne Tony”, a name that stuck. In 1966, Lema and his wife were flying in a small, chartered plane to an exhibition tournament in Illinois, when the aircraft ran out of fuel. Ironically, it crashed into a water hazard near the seventh green of a country club in Lansing, Illinois, killing all four people on board. Lema was 32-years-old.

15. Replacing, with “of” IN LIEU
As one might perhaps imagine, “in lieu” comes into English from the Old French word “lieu” meaning “place”, which in turn is derived from the Latin “locum”, also meaning “place”. So, “in lieu” means “in place of”.

17. Old pharmacy weight DRAM
The dram is a confusing unit of measurement, I think. It has one value as an ancient unit of mass, and two different values as a modern unit of mass, another value as a unit of fluid volume, and yet another varying value as a measure of Scotch whisky!

18. Phonograph inventor EDISON
Thomas Edison was a very successful inventor. He held over a thousand US patents in his name. Included in the list of Edison’s inventions is the phonograph, the movie camera and the long-lasting light bulb. He passed away in 1931. There is a test tube at the Henry Ford Museum that supposedly holds Edison’s last breath. Ford convinced Thomas’s son Charles to seal up a tube of air in the room just after the inventor died, as a memento.

26. __ voce: softly SOTTO
“Sotto voce” literally means “under the voice” in Italian, and describes the deliberate lowering of one’s voice for emphasis.

33. Promotional bribe PAYOLA
“Payola” is the illegal practice of paying radio stations or disk jockeys to repeatedly play a particular piece of music. The impetus behind the crime is that the more often a song is played, the more likely it is to sell. The term “payola” comes from the words “pay” and “Victrola”, an RCA brand name for an early phonograph.

36. Novelist Fleming IAN
Ian Fleming is most famous for writing the “James Bond” series of spy novels. You might also know that he wrote the children’s story “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang”, which was made into a cute movie released in 1968 and even a stage musical that opened in 2002.

37. Letter after zeta ETA
Eta is the seventh letter of the Greek alphabet, and is a forerunner of our Latin character “H”. Originally denoting a consonant, eta was used as a long vowel in Ancient Greek.

38. *Rhinoplasty NOSE JOB
A nose job is more correctly called rhinoplasty. The “first plastic surgeon” was a physician in ancient India called Sushruta who lived around 1500 B.C. Sushruta performed reconstructive surgery on noses even in his time, largely as there was a demand for the procedure as punitive nose amputation was a favored punishment of the day.

39. Genetic letters 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.

40. Terrier’s welcome ARF
Most terrier breeds of dog originated in the British Isles. Terriers were developed as working dogs, with the job of controlling populations of rats, rabbits and foxes by rooting them out above and below the ground. The name “terrier” comes via Middle French from the the Latin “terra” meaning “earth”, a reflection of the breeds habit of burrowing into the earth looking for its prey.

41. Writing fluid container INKPOT
“Inkpot” is another name for “inkwell”, a container for holding ink into which a pen is dipped.

45. Minister’s home MANSE
A manse is a minister’s home in various Christian traditions. “Manse” derives from “mansus”, the Latin for “dwelling”. The term can also be used for any stately residence.

46. French cruise stops ILES
The French would find “une île” (an island) in “la mer” (the sea).

47. Manuscript insertion mark CARET
The character known as a caret was originally a proofreading mark, used to indicate where a punctuation mark was to be inserted. “Caret” is Latin for “it lacks”.

50. Emmy-winning daytime host Lake RICKI
Ricki Lake is perhaps as well known for her “Ricki Lake” talk show, as she is for playing Tracy Turnblad in the 1988 movie “Hairspray”.

52. Classic “Saturday Night Live” family, with “the” … and, literally, what the starts of the answers to starred clues can be CONEHEADS
“The Coneheads” first appeared in a “Saturday Night Live” sketch in 1977. The three family members back then were played by Dan Ackroyd (father), Jane Curtin (mother) and Laraine Newman (daughter). The characters became so popular they were featured in a “Coneheads” movie in 1993.

56. Modifying wd. ADJ
Adjective (adj.)

57. Martial arts film star Chuck NORRIS
Chuck Norris is a martial artist and an actor from Ryan, Oklahoma. Norris’s first real exposure to martial arts was in the US Air Force when he was serving in South Korea. When he left the service Norris opened up a chain of karate schools, and among his clients were Steve McQueen and his son, as well as Donny and Marie Osmond.

59. Fingerprint, to a detective CLUE
In the world of criminology, there are three classes of fingerprints. Patent prints are those which are obvious, easily spotted by the naked eye. Impressed prints are those made when the fingertips apply pressure to a soft material or surface, such as the skin. Latent prints are those that are invisible to the naked eye, but which can be detected using special equipment and materials.

60. “Kampgrounds” chain KOA
Kampgrounds of America (KOA) was founded in 1962 by Montana businessman Dave Drum, who opened up his first property along the Yellowstone River. His strategy was to offer a rich package of services including hot showers, restrooms and a store, which he hoped would attract people used to camping in the rough. The original campground was an immediate hit and Drum took on two partners and sold franchises all over the country. There are about 500 KOA sites today.

65. __ Springs, California PALM
The desert resort city of Palm Springs is located about 100 miles east of Los Angeles. The name “Palm Springs” dates back at least to 1853, and probably is a reference to the abundant California fan palms that are native to the area. However, earlier Spanish explorers used the place name “La Palma de la Mano de Dios” (The Palm of God’s Hand), giving an alternative derivation for the “Palm Springs” moniker.

Down
1. The “O” in REO cars OLDS
The REO Motor Company was founded by Ransom Eli Olds (hence the name REO). The company made cars, trucks and buses, and was in business from 1905 to 1975 in Lansing, Michigan. Among the company’s most famous models were the REO Royale and the REO Flying Cloud.

2. Land of Lima and llamas PERU
Peru’s name comes from the word “Biru”. Back in the early 1500s, Biru was a ruler living near the Bay of San Miguel in Panama. The territory over which Biru ruled was the furthest land south in the Americas known to Europeans at that time. The Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro was the first European to move south of Biru’s empire and the land that he found was designated “Peru”, a derivative of “Biru”.

Lima is the capital city of Peru. Lima was founded in 1535 by the Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro, who named it “la Ciudad de los Reyes” (the City of Kings). He chose this name because the decision to found the city was made on January 6th, the feast of the Epiphany that commemorates the visit of the three kings to Jesus in Bethlehem.

The wool from a llama is much softer than that from a sheep, and it is also free from lanolin.

3. Kindle read, briefly E-MAG
Amazon’s Kindle line of e-book readers was introduced in 2007. The name “kindle” was chosen to evoke images of “lighting a fire” through reading and intellectual stimulation. I bought myself a Kindle Fire HD not that long ago. I’ve started reading e-books for the first time in my life, as well as enjoying other computing options available with the tablet device. I love it …

4. Word that ends many yoga classes NAMASTE
In the Hindu tradition, “namaste” is a respectful greeting meaning “I bow to the divine in you”. The greeting usually includes a slight bow made with the palms of the hand pressed together, pointing upwards in front of the body.

5. Jigsaw puzzle unit PIECE
The original jigsaw puzzles were created by painting a picture on a sheet of wood and then cutting the picture into small pieces using a jigsaw, hence the name. Today, almost all jigsaw puzzles are pictures glued onto cardboard. The puzzle pieces are then die-cut, and there’s no jigsaw involved at all.

7. Sewing machine inventor Howe ELIAS
Elias Howe was an American inventor. Howe wasn’t the first to come up with the idea of a sewing machine, but he was the first to develop one that was functional.

8. “Schindler’s __” LIST
Oskar Schindler is the protagonist in the Steven Spielberg movie “Schindler’s List”. Schindler was a real person who survived WWII. During the Holocaust, Schindler managed to save almost 1,200 Jews from perishing by employing them in his factories. After the war, Schindler and his wife were left penniless having used his assets to protect and feed his workers. For years the couple survived on the charity of Jewish groups. Schindler tried to make a go of it in business again but never had any real success. He died a pauper in 1974 in Hildesheim, not far from Hanover. His last wish was to be buried in Jerusalem. Schindler was the only former member of the Nazi Party to be buried on Mount Zion.

9. Fair-hiring abbr. EEO
Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) is a term that has been around since 1964 when the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) was set up by the Civil Rights Act. Title VII of the Act prohibits employers from discriminating against employees on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin or religion.

10. Gets credit from the bartender RUNS A TAB
When we “run a tab” at a bar say, we are “running a tabulation”, a listing of what we owe. Such a use of “tab” is American slang that originated in the 1880s.

11. *Appliance that makes Eggos unnecessary WAFFLE IRON (giving “waffle cone”)
You can’t get a Belgian waffle in Belgium, and the nearest thing is probably a Brussels waffle. Brussels waffles were introduced to the world in 1958, and arrived in the US in 1962 at the Century 21 Exposition in Seattle. The name “Brussels” was changed to “Bel-Gem” for the US market, which evolved into “Belgian”.

Eggo is the brand name of a line of frozen waffles made by Kellogg’s. When they were introduced in the 1930s, the name “Eggo” was chosen to promote the “egginess” of the batter. “Eggo” replaced the original name chosen, which was “Froffles”, created by melding “frozen” and “waffles”.

12. One of the Great Lakes ERIE
Lake Erie is the fourth largest of the five Great Lakes by area (Lake Ontario is the smallest). The lake takes its name from the Erie tribe of Native Americans that used to live along its southern shore. Erie is the smallest of the Great Lakes by volume and the shallowest, something for which nearby residents must be quite grateful. Being relatively shallow, much of Erie freezes over part way through most winters putting an end to most of the lake effect snow that falls in the snow belt extending from the lake’s edge.

21. “King Kong” studio RKO
When RKO released the 1933 movie “King Kong”, the promotional material listed the ape’s height as 50 feet. During filming, a bust was created for a 40-foot ape, as well as a full-size hand that went with a 70-foot Kong.

23. PC key ALT
The Alt (alternate) key is found on either side of the space bar on US PC keyboards. The Alt key evolved from what was called a Meta key on old MIT keyboards, although the function has changed somewhat over the years. Alt is equivalent in many ways to the Option key on a Mac keyboard, and indeed the letters “Alt” have been printed on most Mac keyboards starting in the nineties.

27. Very odd OUTRE
The word “outré” meaning “unconventional, bizarre” comes to us from French, as you might imagine, derived from the verb “outrer” meaning “to overdo, exaggerate”. “Outrer” is also the ultimate root of our word “outrage”.

29. Magic charm MOJO
The word “mojo”, meaning magical charm or magnetism, is probably of Creole origin.

33. Southern loaves PONES
“Pone” is another word for corn bread, from the Powhatan word “apan” meaning “something baked”.

45. “Doesn’t thrill me” MEH
“Meh!” is one of those terms unfamiliar to me outside of crosswords. It is a modern colloquialism meaning “I’m not great, but not bad”. A friendly reader of this blog tells me that the usage of the term increased dramatically after it started to appear regularly in “The Simpsons” starting in the early nineties.

48. Sambuca flavoring ANISE
Sambuca is an Italian liqueur that is flavored with anise. Sambuca is often served straight up with three coffee beans floating on the surface. The beans are said to represent health, happiness and prosperity. A more “saucy” representation for the beans is the husband, wife and mistress.

49. Enjoys a hammock RESTS
Our word “hammock” comes via Spanish from Haiti, evolving from a word used there to describe a fishing net.

52. Old PC monitors CRTS
Cathode Ray Tube (CRT)

53. Jessica of the “Fantastic Four” films ALBA
Actress Jessica Alba got her big break when she was cast in the Fox science fiction show “Dark Angel”. Alba had a tough life growing up as she spent a lot of time in hospital and so found it difficult to develop friendships. As a youngster she twice had a collapsed lung, frequently caught pneumonia, suffered from asthma, had a ruptured appendix and a tonsillar cyst. On top of all that she acknowledges that she suffered from obsessive-compulsive disorder as a child. It seems that she has really turned her life around …

“Fantastic Four” is a 2005 movie about the band of comic heroes made famous in Marvel Comics. The Fantastic Four are:

– Mr. Fantastic (played by Ioan Gruffudd)
– The Invisible Woman (played by Jessica Alba)
– The Human Torch (played by Chris Evans)
– Thing (played by Michael Chiklis)

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Like a store ready for business OPEN
5. Gadget for KP duty PEELER
11. Part of www WEB
14. Champagne Tony of golf LEMA
15. Replacing, with “of” IN LIEU
16. “__ we done here?” ARE
17. Old pharmacy weight DRAM
18. Phonograph inventor EDISON
19. Quaint “Tsk, tsk!” FIE!
20. *Make easier to hear, as bad news SUGARCOAT (giving “sugar cone”)
22. Not as risky SAFER
24. Misrepresents, as data SKEWS
25. Veil of gloom PALL
26. __ voce: softly SOTTO
29. Kid gloves? MITTENS
32. Unadulterated PURE
33. Promotional bribe PAYOLA
36. Novelist Fleming IAN
37. Letter after zeta ETA
38. *Rhinoplasty NOSE JOB
39. Genetic letters RNA
40. Terrier’s welcome ARF
41. Writing fluid container INKPOT
42. Laugh good and loud ROAR
43. Removes impurities from REFINES
45. Minister’s home MANSE
46. French cruise stops ILES
47. Manuscript insertion mark CARET
50. Emmy-winning daytime host Lake RICKI
52. Classic “Saturday Night Live” family, with “the” … and, literally, what the starts of the answers to starred clues can be CONEHEADS
56. Modifying wd. ADJ
57. Martial arts film star Chuck NORRIS
59. Fingerprint, to a detective CLUE
60. “Kampgrounds” chain KOA
61. Most adorable CUTEST
62. Not just ready and willing ABLE
63. Big shade tree ELM
64. Radiator sounds HISSES
65. __ Springs, California PALM

Down
1. The “O” in REO cars OLDS
2. Land of Lima and llamas PERU
3. Kindle read, briefly E-MAG
4. Word that ends many yoga classes NAMASTE
5. Jigsaw puzzle unit PIECE
6. Provide with funds ENDOW
7. Sewing machine inventor Howe ELIAS
8. “Schindler’s __” LIST
9. Fair-hiring abbr. EEO
10. Gets credit from the bartender RUNS A TAB
11. *Appliance that makes Eggos unnecessary WAFFLE IRON (giving “waffle cone”)
12. One of the Great Lakes ERIE
13. Suds in a mug BEER
21. “King Kong” studio RKO
23. PC key ALT
25. Show’s first episode PILOT
26. Asparagus unit SPEAR
27. Very odd OUTRE
28. *Freeway congestion TRAFFIC JAM (giving “traffic cone”)
29. Magic charm MOJO
30. Family babysitters NANAS
31. Hunter’s trap SNARE
33. Southern loaves PONES
34. Poses a poser ASKS
35. Slangy affirmative YEP
38. Like the width of many foot-long envelopes NINE-INCH
42. Interest limitation RATE CAP
44. Sort ILK
45. “Doesn’t thrill me” MEH
47. Apple centers CORES
48. Sambuca flavoring ANISE
49. Enjoys a hammock RESTS
50. Leaf-clearing tool RAKE
51. Superstar IDOL
52. Old PC monitors CRTS
53. Jessica of the “Fantastic Four” films ALBA
54. Yawn-inducing DULL
55. Outwardly appear SEEM
58. Yves’ yes OUI

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11 thoughts on “LA Times Crossword Answers 23 May 16, Monday”

  1. It's Mon. and I had a Natick at LEMA (sports) crosses NAMASTE (kinda sports). I do take Tai Chi, but I can't get into that Yoga position.

    I've never seen PONE pluralized.

    But did like the CONEHEADS, the best thing France ever produced; not their language wherein half the letters aren't pronounced.

  2. Nice Monday puzzle. Liked the theme. I never heard of KOA, a new bit of infor for me. Liked the 'kid gloves' clue. Very cute!

  3. I thought this was a little tricky for a Monday, but I was interrupted about 4 times in the middle of it. That makes any puzzle seem difficult. Had the same issue as Sfingi – the "A" in NAMASTE and LEMA was a total guess, but I guessed correctly.

    @Tony
    Hope you're still solvent after a weekend in Vegas.

    Best –

  4. TONY LEMA unknown to me. TONY LAMA boots, I've heard of.
    Spelled NeMAST? first.
    Nice Monday puzzle.
    Fri. and Sat. for me were impossible.
    Sunday I got through with no problems.
    Off to the pool!

  5. I am in New Jersey visiting my sister in law. She was watching me complete the puzzle. (I hope I impressed her …. 🙂 ) I enjoyed the puzzle and Namaste was a gimme. I have never taken Yoga classes …. probably too late to start…. Namaste ( N-mas-tey ) comes from the Sanskrit … Namaha – Astu ( Pray-to-you , I-do ). The 't' is very soft, more like a 'th'. The joined hand greeting, like the japanese bow, is popular because you avoid touching the other person, where this may be a concern ….

    The NJ drivers are very fast drivers, always in a hurry, and very unforgiving. No wonder their insurance rates are horrendous.

    Berners-Lee of the www fame, should have got a Nobel prize,IMHO.

    What no Chuck Norris jokes ?

    Have a nice day, all.

  6. I didn't think it was too much harder than a regular Monday. Lots of proper names, though.

    I was thinking of Chuck Norris jokes through the entire puzzle. Thanks Vidwan!

  7. Hi there all. Been busy today. Nice easy zero error puzzle today – I did it last night. Always a nice reminder to be had that you can do crossword puzzles, especially when you fail a bunch of them like I did over the weekend (CLORETS? Really?).

    WSJ is on the pile for tonight (hated how I missed such an easy clue on that last meta).

  8. Nice start to the week. Had trouble w/ Elias, endow, spelling Inlieu. Mon Dieu! When will the French learn to spell! After the English, no doubt.
    I just recently learned that Quebec is pronouced Ke-bek, not Kwe-bek. Learned that from a cab driver who once lived there. Then, as is usually the way, soon after, I heard someone else say it that way. So now we all know!

    Easterners probably hear Quebec in their newcasts now and then, but it doesn't seem to come up in my NW versions.

    Bella

  9. We got back from our son's wedding in Vegas about 10 AM yesterday. I drove out Saturday and back Sunday. I don't recommend it for anyone looking to actually get some sleep (which neither of us did while actually in Vegas) but my wife at least stretched out in the back seat and slept most of the way home.

    So I binge solved the three LAT's puzzles and two WSJ puzzles waiting for me…all today. That Saturday LAT's grid was a bear, but I finally got it done somehow (I don't know how). Sunday and today weren't bad and both WSJ grids came together without too much angst. I'm puzzled out!

    See you all tomorrow.

  10. I feel better knowing Tony thought Sat's LAT was a bear. I thought it/I was awful.
    Glad you had a safe drive. Knowing people are driving all night brings out the mother hen in me.
    Bella

  11. Hi all!
    @tony, congrats on your son's wedding!!
    Re "Quebec," I really just think it's pronounced Kwe-beck in English. We don't have to pronounce it as native speakers do, I say. HOWEVER, I did learn recently that Pierre (South Dakota) is pronounced "pear," no matter where you're from (I guess.)
    Easy Monday, although I thought the WAFFLE IRON clue was off: appliance that makes Eggos unnecessary. Don't we mean "appliance used when you're out of Eggos?" It's the iron and Eggo thing, and the iron came first.
    Annnyway…glad to see all the friendly folks here, and now I'm going to click on Vidwan's chuck Norris jokes…!!
    Be well~~®

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