LA Times Crossword Answers 18 Oct 16, Tuesday




la-times-crossword-solution-18-oct-16







Constructed by: Agnes Davidson & C.C. Burnikel

Edited by: Rich Norris

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

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Theme: Use a Body Part

Our themed answers today are phrases involving the use of a body part:

  • 18A…Mug for the camera..MAKE A FACE
  • 23A…Pitch in..LEND A HAND
  • 37A…Do the slightest thing..LIFT A FINGER
  • 50A…What the winning quarterback may do as time runs out..TAKE A KNEE
  • 57A…Theatrical “Good luck!”..BREAK A LEG!

Bill’s time: 5m 14s

Bill’s errors: 0




Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies

Across

1…With 66-Across, crisp serving with pâté..MELBA …
(66A…See 1-Across.. … TOAST)

Melba toast is a dry, thinly sliced toast that is usually served with soup or salad. Melba toast was created by chef Auguste Escoffier for opera singer Dame Nellie Melba, for whom he also created the dessert called Peach Melba.

10…Australian gem..OPAL

97% of the world’s opals come from Australia, so it’s no surprise perhaps that the opal is the national gemstone of the country. The state of South Australia provides the bulk of the world’s production, about 80%.

14…Mountains between Europe and Asia..URALS

The eastern side of the Ural Mountains in Russia is generally regarded as the natural divide between the continents of Europe and Asia.

15…Singer Guthrie..ARLO

Arlo Guthrie is the son of Woody Guthrie. Both father and son are renowned for their singing of protest songs about social injustice. Arlo is most famous for his epic “Alice’s Restaurant Massacree”, a song that lasts a full 18m 34s. In the song Guthrie tells how, after being drafted, he was rejected for service in the Vietnam War based on his criminal record. He had only one incident on his public record, a Thanksgiving Day arrest for littering and being a public nuisance when he was 18-years-old.

18…Mug for the camera..MAKE A FACE

The verb “to mug” means to make an exaggerated facial expression. The term comes from mugs used to drink beer (called Toby mugs) that are the made in the shape of heads with grotesque expressions. “Mug” can also be a noun meaning “face”.

20…Govt. assistance program..SSI

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is federal program that provides financial relief to persons with low incomes who are 65 or older, or who are blind or disabled. The SSI program is administered by the Social Security Administration (SSA) even though the the Social Security trust fund is not used for SSI payments. SSI payments come out of general tax revenue.

22…Hot spot..SAUNA

As my Finnish-American wife will tell you, “sauna” is a Finnish word, and is correctly pronounced “sow-nah” (with “sow” as in the female pig).

27…Battery post..ANODE

A battery is a device that converts chemical energy into electric energy. A simple battery is made up of three parts: a cathode, an anode and a liquid electrolyte. Ions from the electrolyte react chemically with the material in the anode producing a compound and releasing electrons. At the same time, the electrolyte reacts with the material in the cathode, absorbing electrons and producing a different chemical compound. In this way, there is a buildup of electrons at the anode and a deficit of electrons at the cathode. When a connection (wire, say) is made between the cathode and anode, electrons flow through the resulting circuit from the anode to cathode in an attempt to rectify the electron imbalance.

30…Some iTunes downloads, briefly..EPS

An extended play record, CD or download (EP) contains more music than a single, but less than an LP.

32…Queen __..BEE

A queen bee has a stinger, just like worker bees. When a worker bee stings, it leaves it stinger in its victim. The worker bee dies after losing its stinger as the loss rips out part of its insides. However, a queen bee can sting with impunity as the stinger’s anatomy is different.

41…Voice of Carl Fredricksen in “Up”..ED ASNER

“Up” is the tenth movie released by Pixar studios, featuring wonderful animation as we have come to expect from Pixar. The film earned itself two Academy Awards. The main voice actor is Ed Asner, whose animated persona as Carl Fredricksen was created to resemble Spencer Tracy, as Tracy appeared in his last film, “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner”.

42…”What’s up, __?”..DOC

Bugs Bunny first said “What’s up, Doc?” in the 1940 cartoon short “A Wild Hare”, addressing the hunter Elmer Fudd.

43…iPhone, e.g., briefly..PDA

Personal digital assistant (PDA)

48…Shoulder wrap..STOLE

A stole is a lady’s clothing accessory, a narrow shawl. It can be made of quite light decorative material, or it can be heavier especially if made of fur.

50…What the winning quarterback may do as time runs out..TAKE A KNEE

In football, when the quarterback “takes a knee” after the snap, the play immediately ends. The quarterback kneel is often used to run down the clock.

53…Contemptible sort..TWERP

“Twerp” and “pipsqueak” are both terms used for someone who is insignificant and contemptible.

55…Prosecutors, for short..DAS

District Attorney (DA)

56…Seine season..ETE

In French, “été” (summer) is “la saison chaude” (the warm season).

The Seine is the river that flows through Paris. The Seine empties into the English Channel to the north, at the port city of Le Havre.

57…Theatrical “Good luck!”..BREAK A LEG!

There are many, many colorful theories for the origins of the expression “break a leg”, used in the world of theater to mean “good luck”. Regardless of the origin, what is clear is that using the phrase “good luck” is considered to be very “bad luck”.

62…Grand soirée..GALA

“Soir” is the French word for “evening” and a “soirée” is an “evening party”. The French word “soirée” has an acute accent over the first “e”, but we tend to drop this when using the word in English.

63…Super Bowl party bowlful..CHILI

The full name of the dish that is often called simply “chili” is “chili con carne”, Spanish for “peppers with meat”. The dish was created by immigrants from the Spanish Canary Islands in the city of San Antonio, Texas (a city which the islanders founded). The San Antonio Chili Stand was a popular attraction at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, and that stand introduced the dish to the rest of America and to the world.

64…Chianti and cabernet..REDS

Chianti is a red wine from the Chianti region of central Tuscany in Italy. Historically, Chianti was stored in a characteristically bulbous bottle wrapped in a straw basket. However, the pragmatists have won the day and regular wine bottles tend to be used nowadays.

The Cabernet Sauvignon grape has been around since the 17th century, and is the result of a chance crossing in southwestern France of the Cabernet franc and Sauvignon blanc grapes.

Down

1…Granola kin..MUESLI

“Muesli” is a Swiss-German term describing a breakfast serving of oats, nuts, fruit and milk. “Muesli” is a diminutive of the German word “Mues” meaning “puree”. Delicious …

The name “Granola” (and “Granula”) were trademarked back in the late 1800s for whole-grain foods that were crumbled and baked until crisp. Granola was created in Dansville, New York in 1894.

3…Rita Moreno or Gloria Estefan..LATINA

The Puerto Rican singer, dancer and actress Rita Moreno is one of the few performers to have won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy and Tony. Moreno got her big break, and won her Oscar, for playing Anita in the 1961 screen adaption of “West Side Story”.

Gloria Estefan is a Cuban American singer, born in Havana. Estefan fled Cuba along with her family after the Cuban Revolution, and ended up in Miami. Her father fought for the US military in Vietnam, and also took part in the doomed Bay of Pigs invasion. Years later, Estefan herself was approached by the CIA to work for the agency due to her skill with languages. She ended up doing quite well singing instead …

4…__-ray Disc..BLU

A CD player reads the information on the disc using a laser beam. The beam is produced by what’s called a laser diode, a device similar to a light-emitting diode (LED) except that a laser beam is emitted. That laser beam is usually red in CD and DVD players. Blu-ray players are so called as they use blue lasers.

5…Snake that bit Cleopatra..ASP

The asp is a venomous snake found in the Nile region of Africa. It is so venomous that the asp was used in ancient Egypt and Greece as a means of execution. Cleopatra observed such executions noting that the venom brought on sleepiness without any painful spasms. When the great queen opted to commit suicide, the asp was therefore her chosen method.

6…South Pacific island nation..SAMOA

The official name for the South Pacific country formerly known as Western Samoa is the Independent State of Samoa. “Samoa” is the western part of the island group, with American Samoa lying to the southeast. The whole group of islands used to be known as Navigators Island, a name given by European explorers in recognition of the seafaring skills of the native Samoans.

7…Shrimp kin..PRAWN

The terms “prawn” and “shrimp” are often used interchangeably on menus. Over in the UK, the term “prawn” is most common, while “shrimp” is seen more often here in North America. Sometimes there is a differentiation from a food standpoint, with “prawn” being used for larger species and “shrimp” for smaller species. As a result, “jumbo prawns” seems to be an acceptable descriptor for a dish, whereas “jumbo shrimp” seems to be an oxymoron.

8…Fraternal club member..ELK

The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (BPOE) was founded in 1868, and is a social club that has about a million members today. It started out as a group of men getting together in a “club” in order to get around the legal opening hours of taverns in New York City. The club took on a new role as it started to look out for poor families of members who passed away. The club now accepts African Americans as members (since the seventies) and women (since the nineties), but atheists still aren’t welcome.

12…Video game spots..ARCADES

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.

13…Dixie general..LEE

Robert E. Lee is renowned as a southern officer in the Civil War. Lee was a somewhat reluctant participant in the war in that he opposed the secession of his home state of Virginia from the Union. At the beginning of the war, President Lincoln invited Lee to take command of the whole Union Army but he declined, choosing instead to stay loyal to his home state. During the Civil War, Lee’s men referred to him affectionately as “Marse Robert”, with “marse” being slang for “master”.

“Dixie” is a nickname sometimes used for the American South, and often specifically for the original 11 states that seceded from the Union just prior to the Civil War. It’s apparently not certain how the name “Dixie” came about. One theory is that it comes from the term “dixie” which was used for currency issued by banks in Louisiana. The 10-dollar bills had the word “dix” on the reverse side, the French for “ten”. From the banknote, the French speaking area around New Orleans came to be known as Dixieland, and from there “Dixie” came to apply to the South in general.

31…Cents..PENNIES

The official name of our smallest denomination coin is a “cent”, and our use of the word “penny” is just a colloquialism derived from the British coin of the same name. However, in the UK the plural of penny is “pence”, whereas we have “pennies” in our pockets.

36…Pfizer rival..MERCK

Merck & Co., Inc. is a US company, once a subsidiary of the German company known today as Merck KGaA. The US subsidiary of the German firm was confiscated in 1917 during WWI, and set up as an independent company that grew into the giant that it is today.

Pfizer is a pharmaceutical company based in New York City that was founded in 1849 by cousins Charles Pfizer and Charles Erhart. Pfizer has an impressive list of successful products that includes Lipitor (to lower cholesterol), Viagra (to help with erectile disfunction) and Celebrex (an anti-inflammatory).

37…Plant that is poisonous to livestock..LOCOWEED

“Locoweed” is the familiar name given to several plants that produce a toxin known as swainsonine. Locoweeds tend to be quite palatable to livestock, even though it is poisonous to the animal. As such, ingestion of locoweed is the most widespread poisonous plant problem in the nation.

38…Rowlands of “The Notebook”..GENA

Gena Rowlands is an actress best known for the films made with her husband, actor and director John Cassavetes. More recently, Rowlands played a lead role opposite James Garner in the weepy, weepy 2004 film “The Notebook”. “The Notebook” was directed by her son, Nick Cassavetes. Rowlands was nominated for Oscars for her performances in two films: “Gloria” (1980) and “A Woman Under the Influence” (1974).

45…Lack of vim and vigor..ANEMIA

The term “anemia” (or “anaemia” as we write it back in Ireland) comes from a Greek word meaning “lack of blood”. Anemia is a lack of iron in the blood, or a low red blood cell count. Tiredness is a symptom of the condition.

51…Singer with the albums “19,” “21” and “25”..ADELE

Adele is the stage name of English singer Adele Adkins. Adele’s debut album is “19”, named after the age she was during the album’s production. Her second album was even more successful than the first. Called “21”, the second album was released three years after the first, when Adele was three years older. More recently, her third studio album “25”, released in 2015, broke the first-week sales records in both the UK and the US.

52…Sotomayor colleague..KAGAN

Elena Kagan was the Solicitor General of the United States who replaced Justice John Paul Stevens on the US Supreme Court. That made Justice Kagan the first female US Solicitor General and the fourth female US Supreme Court justice. I hear she is a fan of Jane Austen, and used to reread “Pride and Prejudice” once a year. Not a bad thing to do, I’d say …

Sonia Sotomayor is the first Hispanic justice on the US Supreme Court, and the third female justice. Sotomayor was nominated by President Barack Obama to replace the retiring Justice David Souter.

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Complete List of Clues and Answers

Across

1…With 66-Across, crisp serving with pâté..MELBA …

6…Gush forth..SPEW

10…Australian gem..OPAL

14…Mountains between Europe and Asia..URALS

15…Singer Guthrie..ARLO

16…Bring on board, workwise..HIRE

17…Enjoy to the max..EAT UP

18…Mug for the camera..MAKE A FACE

20…Govt. assistance program..SSI

21…”Holy smokes!”..WOW!

22…Hot spot..SAUNA

23…Pitch in..LEND A HAND

27…Battery post..ANODE

29…Aggressive poker words..I RAISE

30…Some iTunes downloads, briefly..EPS

32…Queen __..BEE

33…Road problem needing patching..POTHOLE

36…Catcher’s protection..MASK

37…Do the slightest thing..LIFT A FINGER

39…Aware of..IN ON

41…Voice of Carl Fredricksen in “Up”..ED ASNER

42…”What’s up, __?”..DOC

43…iPhone, e.g., briefly..PDA

44…HOW THIS IS TYPED..IN CAPS

48…Shoulder wrap..STOLE

50…What the winning quarterback may do as time runs out..TAKE A KNEE

53…Contemptible sort..TWERP

55…Prosecutors, for short..DAS

56…Seine season..ETE

57…Theatrical “Good luck!”..BREAK A LEG!

59…”Really, bro?!”..AW, MAN!

61…Was sorry for..RUED

62…Grand soirée..GALA

63…Super Bowl party bowlful..CHILI

64…Chianti and cabernet..REDS

65…Paradise..EDEN

66…See 1-Across.. … TOAST

Down

1…Granola kin..MUESLI

2…Error remover..ERASER

3…Rita Moreno or Gloria Estefan..LATINA

4…__-ray Disc..BLU

5…Snake that bit Cleopatra..ASP

6…South Pacific island nation..SAMOA

7…Shrimp kin..PRAWN

8…Fraternal club member..ELK

9…Misfortunes..WOES

10…”Terrific … not!”..OH FUN!

11…Lounge with keyboard music..PIANO BAR

12…Video game spots..ARCADES

13…Dixie general..LEE

19…Remote batteries..AAAS

21…Stimulated, as one’s appetite..WHETTED

24…Scoop up, as salsa with a chip..DIP IN

25…Starting on..AS OF

26…Meat markets..DELIS

28…Cry of fright..EEK!

31…Cents..PENNIES

34…Attacked..HAD AT

35…All __ sudden..OF A

36…Pfizer rival..MERCK

37…Plant that is poisonous to livestock..LOCOWEED

38…Rowlands of “The Notebook”..GENA

39…Crooks may have fake ones..IDS

40…”You lie!”..NOT TRUE!

43…Company car, e.g…PERK

45…Lack of vim and vigor..ANEMIA

46…Colorful flower parts..PETALS

47…”Caught that movie last week”..SEEN IT

49…Detectives follow them..LEADS

51…Singer with the albums “19,” “21” and “25”..ADELE

52…Sotomayor colleague..KAGAN

54…Senate aide..PAGE

57…”I’m freezing!”..BRR!

58…Young fellow..LAD

59…Fake it..ACT

60…”__ goes there?”..WHO

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13 thoughts on “LA Times Crossword Answers 18 Oct 16, Tuesday”

  1. I found a his grid to be easy, but enjoyable.
    A factoid: “good luck” is definitely not said before or during a performance because, as Bill said, it’s thought to bring bad luck. In the world of dance, though, it would be thoughtless to offer “break a leg,” so dancers go with the French word “merde,” which means, well, “s**t.”

    “What’s Up, Doc?” is a very funny movie starring Ryan O’Neal and Barbra Streisand. Peter Bogdonavich directed, and Madeleine Kahn made her film debut. Of course, Bugs was the first to utter the phrase.

  2. 7:30, no errors, iPad. Some fascinating tidbits in today’s blog. And I did not know how one is wished good luck in the world of dance. Strange. We humans are definitely a superstitious lot …

    1. @Ken Wh n someone suggests an activity that you find, at best, uninteresting, you might say under your breath “oh fun” as you sarcastically roll your eyes. Still, I have to agree, it is a bit of a stretch, especially for a mere Tuesday puzzle.

  3. David K, as above, thats why I keep upteem evil eye preventers. Not that I am superstitious, mind you, ….oh no ! …. but it wouldn’t hurt, even if it is not true ! :-D) The cute word to remember is Apo-tro-paic = the gizmo that (supposedly) removes or prevents the evil eye …. As an indian, myself, I am well aware that gypsies are definitely genetically and historically indian, ….. and they started this whole evil eye idea …. and also they then proceeded to manufacture the amulets and other junk to supposedly get rid of the evil eye. Talk about developing an entire industry, out of nothing. Simply brilliant. The fads and beliefs that never go out of style. Ha.

    On the subject of Merde , may I recommend a rip roaring, side splitting, humorous book – in english – A Year in the Merde, by Stephen Clarke, and an earlier book by the same author. Caution: Francophiles do not ever read, or even mention, this book.

  4. Just a couple of other stage superstitions you might find interesting:

    A bare stage is never left unlit. A simple stand light is set center stage and remains lit all night. It’s called a “ghost light,” I guess to the ghosts away

    The cast and crew of any production of “Macbeth” are not supposed to utter the play’s title, lest doom beset the entire company. In lieu of the title, it is referred to as “the Scottish play.”

    Superstitions are strange, but kinda fun. Every culture has its own. Many of my mom’s Eastern European Jewish superstitions were deeply embedded in me in my formative years. To this day, I still shudder to see shoes on the table, and I still spit between my fingers to ward off the Jewish version of the evil eye. LOL, right?

  5. I found this puzzle to be relatively easy. Another one by CC Burnickel and another one of her increasing followers. She has indeed sponsored and mentored a lot of otherwise dedicated solvers, now constructors. May her tribe increase.

    Bill, when are you going to go into the limelight ???? We all look forward to your brilliant and punny contributions !

    The difference between a prawn and a shrimp
    Note; at the end of the article, ‘A shrimp in the USA is a prawn in Australia”.

    Merck, ( also Merck, Sharpe and Dohme ) was the first co, to manufacture, commercially, Penicillin – in the world – during WW II and for decades later. Although the antibiotic was discovered in England, in a petrie dish (!), by Sir Alexander Fleming, the british were not able to commercially make the drug – on the large scale, as so ardent desired – so it fell to an american company to actually make it, in large tonnage, so it could be available at a reasonable price, worldwide.

    Also Merck, was the first to synthesize on a large scale, and manufacture vitamin B -12 cyano-co-balamin, for anemia, etc. Btw, cyanocobalamin, the most common and stable form of ingesting a form of B-12, does contain cyanide …. but the FDA says its Ok, in microgramme quantities.

    “Since vitamin B-12 is only synthesized naturally by animals and fish, and never by plants and vegetables — it is a small reason —– a very, very small reason —– NOT to be a strict vegetarian”.

    This advice should be taken with a pinch of salt. (pun !).

  6. Lively discussions this morning. Agreed – lots of good stuff in the blog. Many things came to mind so I’ll just do it rapidfire:

    “What’s Up, Doc?” Great movie! When I was a kid (or now) it was always an event when it came on. I loved that movie…and I guess I still do.

    PDA? Does anyone still use that initialism? I will admit to having an old Palm Pilot in a desk drawer somewhere.

    Joel – your “merde” reference gets me one step closer to the shiitake joke I was looking for yesterday. Note: I have an irrational fear and aversion to any mushroom.

    Chili con carne is more correctly written “chile con carne”. You’ll get a thousand different opinions on the difference between “chili” and “chile”. Some say “chili” is just an alternate spelling. The overwhelming opinion of New Mexican chefs (my favorite form of Mexican food, incidentally) is that “chile” is the capsicum containing plant, and “chili” is a protein based dish. Apparently both come from the Aztec word “chil” meaning pepper. Go figure. You can form your own opinion….

    Finally, regarding superstitions. To me the root of every one of them is the natural human penchant to confuse correlation with causality IMHO. Period. I’m as guilty as anyone. When my sports team is doing well, I make sure to wear the same shirt or use the same coffee mug that I did when we won.

    However, it becomes a problem when I see scientific data used the same way for either political expediency (too many instances to list here) and/or monetary gain (e.g. grant money). Listen carefully to almost any “new study” that comes out in the news. Almost always the study involves correlation shown but with causality being inferred or guessed at – at best. I could write a book on this subject (in fact I’ve considered it), but I promise I won’t write it here so I’ll stop now.

    Bottom line is it’s interesting that superstitions are pretty much the exact same thing going on in our heads – just less nefarious – mistaking correlation with causality.

    Best –

  7. Very easy romp through the puzzle this morning. Only erased
    IN BOLD (CAPS) and KAGEN (KAGAN).
    Don’t remember any superstitions growing up except the one JustJoel mentioned about shoes on a table. My mom said that they weren’t supposed to be placed at a height above the height of your knees. 🙂
    Figure that one out!

  8. “Easy but enjoyable”

    Many superstitions floating around my extended family. My father would not allow peacock feathers or open umbrellas in the house.
    My Sicilian mother-in-law could remove the evil eye curse over the phone. “Wet and dry, the evil eye,” is an expression that points to the theory that cultures in dry countries tend to believe in the evil eye.

  9. Over all a fun exercise.
    I do hate the “what do people say?” clues and answers, as in EEK, WOW, AND AHMAN. People in different parts of the country have different dialects. I was reminded of that this past weekend. The hotel I was in had an alcove marked Ice Pop. For a moment I thought they were offering Popsicles, which would be odd in a hotel. Where I come from a hotel offers Ice and Soft Drinks.
    Have a good week, all. I’m out of the rain and off to sunny Denver.

  10. Hi gang!
    Fun puzzle, fun comments?!
    My only sticking point: I misspelled MUESLI at first. I should know that one, since, when I was a kid, my best friend and her family ate things like Muesli. They were into “health foods” long before it became a thing.

    I have a few superstitions. Mainly, I guess, I have a Jade ring that I wear almost every day of my life. It makes me feel secure!! It was given to me when I was about 15. The funny thing is that the friend who gave it to me actually wanted to GET RID OF IT because, she insisted, it brought her BAD luck!! Maybe the ring’s been good to me in that I STILL have both the friend AND the ring!

    For that matter, I also still have my childhood Muesli friend. Pretty amazing, keeping friendships alive through many decades.
    Guess I’m lucky at that!
    See y’all back here mañana!
    Be well~~™?

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