LA Times Crossword Answers 26 Feb 17, Sunday

Constructed by: Gail Grabowski

Edited by: Rich Norris

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

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Theme: The More the Merrier

• 25A. Trendy tots’ footwear? : HIP BOOTIES (from “hip boot”)
• 27A. Tipsy tour members? : HIGH ROADIES (from “high road”)
• 45A. Bakery products made with white chocolate? : LIGHT BROWNIES (from “light brown”)
• 83A. Complimentary hotel apparel? : GUEST NIGHTIES (from “guest night”)
• 98A. “Check out those platters of candy and fudge!”? : LOOK! GOODIES! (from “look good”)
• 104A. Tournament-changing scores? : BIG BIRDIES (from “Big Bird”)
• 35D. Snacks Batman can’t have? : ROBIN COOKIES (from “Robin Cook”)
• 40D. Protective tops for cattle drivers? : RANGE HOODIES (from “range hood”)

Bill’s time: 16m 14s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies

Across

19. Coastal South American capital : LIMA

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.

27. Tipsy tour members? : HIGH ROADIES (from “high road”)

A “roadie” is someone who loads, unloads and sets up equipment for musicians on tour, on the road.

30. How Steak Diane is traditionally served : FLAMBE

Flambé is the French word for “flamed”, and was originally a term used to describe certain types of porcelain. The word “flambé” crept into cookery just after 1900.

Steak Diane is pan-fried filet mignon served in a flambéed sauce made from the juices in the pan along with butter, shallots, cream and brandy. The dish is named after Diana, the Roman goddess of the hunt.

31. Ermine cousin : MINK

There are two species of mink extant: the European Mink and the American Mink. There used to be a Sea Mink which was much larger than its two cousins, but it was hunted to extinction (for its fur) in the late 1800s. American Minks are farmed over in Europe for fur, and animal rights activists have released many of these animals into the wild when raiding mink farms. As a result the European Mink population has declined due to the presence of its larger and more adaptable American cousin.

The stoat has dark brown fur in the summer, and white fur in the winter. Sometimes the term “ermine” is used for the animal during the winter when the fur is white. Ermine skins have long been prized by royalty and are often used for white trim on ceremonial robes.

41. “Dog Whisperer” Millan : CESAR

Cesar Millan is the real name of television’s “Dog Whisperer”. Millan has been working with overly aggressive dogs on his show “Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan” since 2004. Millan was an illegal immigrant from Mexico in the US back in 1990, became legal in 2000 and then became a US citizen in 2009.

44. Extended time off, briefly : LOA

Leave of absence (LOA)

45. Bakery products made with white chocolate? : LIGHT BROWNIES (from “light brown”)

Apparently the first brownies were created for the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893. The recipe was developed by a pastry chef at the city’s Palmer House Hotel. The idea was to produce a cake-like dessert that was small enough and dainty enough to be eaten by ladies as part of a boxed lunch.

49. HVAC measure : BTU

In the world of heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), the power of a heating or cooling unit can be measured in British Thermal Units (BTUs). This dated unit is the amount of energy required to heat a pound of water so that the water’s temperature increases by one degree Fahrenheit.

50. It’s near the humerus : ULNA

The humerus is the long bone in the upper arm. The bones in the forearm are the radius and ulna. “Ulna” is the Latin word for “elbow”, and “radius” is Latin for “ray”.

54. Publication sales fig. : CIRC

Circulation (circ.)

55. Diploma word : MAGNA

When an academic degree is awarded, a level of distinction can be noted depending on the degree of success achieved by the student. There are three types of honor, each with a Latin name:

• cum laude: meaning “with honor” (literally “with praise”)
• magna cum laude: meaning “with great honor”
• summa cum laude: meaning “with highest honor”

58. Opposite of belt : CROON

Don’t belt out the song; croon!

59. Co-star of Keanu in “The Whole Truth” : RENEE

“The Whole Truth” is a 2016 legal thriller film starring Keanu Reeves and Renée Zellweger. Apparently Daniel Craig had agreed to play the lead but dropped out of the project a few days before filming was due to start. A few months later, Reeves agreed to take the role.

62. Stake-driving tools : MAULS

A maul is a large, heavy hammer, one often used for driving stakes into the ground. The term comes from the Old French “mail”, and ultimately from the Latin “malleus”, both meaning “hammer”.

74. New York governor Andrew : CUOMO

Andrew Cuomo won the gubernatorial election for the State of New York in 2010. Andrew is the son of former Governor of New York, Mario Cuomo. Andrew was also married for 13 years to Kerry Kennedy, a daughter of Robert F. Kennedy.

78. University town near Bangor : ORONO

The town of Orono is home to the University of Maine, founded in 1862. The college is actually located on an island (Marsh island) lying between the Penobscot and Stillwater rivers. The town of Orono is named after Joseph Orono, a chief of the Penobscot Nation.

Bangor is the third-most populous city in the state of Maine (after Portland and Lewiston). The city was given its name in 1791, after the hymn “Antiphonary of Bangor” that was written at Bangor Abbey in Northern Ireland.

79. Brilliant display : ECLAT

“Éclat” can mean a brilliant show of success, or the applause or accolade that one receives. The word derives from the French “éclater” meaning “to splinter, burst out”.

81. Emphatic assent, in Sonora : SI SI!

Sonora is the state in Mexico that lies just south of the borders with Arizona and New Mexico. Sonora is the second-largest state in the country, after Chihuahua.

82. Govt.-issued aid : 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.

87. Protective film : ACETATE

The protective film that might be referred to as “acetate” is actually cellulose acetate. The same material is used to make transparencies that can be projected onto a screen. As a result, transparencies are sometimes referred to as “acetates”.

93. “The Picasso of our profession,” to Seinfeld : PRYOR

Richard Pryor was a stand-up comedian and actor from Peoria, Illinois. Pryor had a rough childhood. He was the daughter of a prostitute and was raised in his grandmother’s brothel after his mother abandoned him at the age of ten years. He was regularly beaten by his grandmother, and was molested as a child. Pryor grew up to become the comedian’s comedian, one who was much respected by his peers. Jerry Seinfeld once referred to Pryor as “the Picasso of our profession”.

95. Folk first name : 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.

104. Tournament-changing scores? : BIG BIRDIES (from “Big Bird”)

The man “inside” Big Bird on “Sesame Street” is Caroll Spinney, who has been playing the character since 1969. That’s a long time, so Matt Vogel has been Spinney’s understudy since 1998.

108. Gaucho’s turf : LLANO

“Llano” is the Spanish word for “plain”.

A “gaucho” is someone who lives in the South American pampas, the fertile lowlands in the southeast of South America. The term “gaucho” is also used as the equivalent of our “cowboy”.

110. Kibbles ‘n Bits shelfmate : ALPO

Alpo is a brand of dog food first produced by Allen Products in 1936, with “Alpo” being an abbreviation for “Allen Products”. Lorne Greene used to push Alpo in television spots, as did Ed McMahon and Garfield the Cat, would you believe?

115. Cookware brand : PYREX

Pyrex is a brand of glassware that was developed by Corning. As well as being used in bakeware and laboratory glassware, Pyrex is often the material of choice for optics in large telescopes used in astronomy. Corning’s PYREX (note the capital letters) is made from borosilicate glass, the main ingredients of which are silica and boron trioxide. Such Corning products are only available now outside of the US. Corning divested its consumer products division in 1998, resulting in the formation of World Kitchen. World Kitchen purchased the rights to the “Pyrex” name in the US, and market it as “pyrex” (all lowercase letters). So “PYREX” glassware is made from borosilicate glass, and “pyrex” products are made from cheaper tempered soda-lime glass.

Down

2. Taylor of “Six Feet Under” : LILI

The actress Lili Taylor had supporting roles in films like “Mystic Pizza”, “The Haunting” and “Rudy”, and she had a recurring role in the HBO series “Six Feet Under”.

“Six Feet Under” is reportedly a great TV drama aired on HBO, one that I fully intend to take a look at one day. The “six feet under” is a reference to the show’s storyline which features a family funeral business.

3. Webby Award candidate : E-MAG

The Webby Awards recognize excellent on the Internet, and have been presented since 1995. One interesting twist in the Webby version of the award ceremony is that (theoretically) recipients are limited to five-word acceptance speeches.

4. Words written with an index? : WASH ME

That would be an index finger, writing on a dirty vehicle.

6. Longtime photo lab supplier : KODAK

George Eastman founded the Eastman Kodak Company, named after the Kodak camera that he had invented four years earlier. He came up with the name of Kodak after careful consideration. Firstly he was a big fan of the letter “K”, calling it “strong, incisive”. He also wanted a word that was short, easy to pronounce and difficult to mispronounce, and a word that was clearly unique with no prior associations. “Kodak” fit the bill.

8. Doctor Zhivago : YURI

Doctor Zhivago is an epic novel by Boris Pasternak, first published in 1957. I haven’t tried to read it the book, but the 1965 film version is a must-see, directed by David Lean and starring Omar Sharif in the title role. The story centers on Yuri Zhivago, a doctor and poet, and how he is affected by the Russian Revolution and the Russian Civil War.

11. Ill-gotten gains : GRIFT

“Grift” is money made dishonestly, especially as the result of a swindle. The term perhaps is an alteration of the the word “graft”, which can have a similar meaning.

13. Noodle sometimes served with a dipping sauce : SOBA

Soba is a thin Japanese noodle made from buckwheat flour. In Japan, the word “soba” tends to be used to describe any thin noodle, in contrast with the thicker noodles that are called udon.

16. __ Fit: video exercise game : WII

Wii Fit is popular, very popular. It’s the third bestselling console “game” in history, with over 20 million sold. Wii Fit uses the Wii Balance Board for much of its functionality, on which the user stands.

17. Par-four rarity : ACE

One well-documented hole-in-one (ace) was during a round of the British Open in 1973. American golfer Gene Sarazen achieved the feat that day, at the age of 71. A less well-documented series of holes-in-one was reported by the North Korean press in a story about the Korean leader Kim Jong-il. The report was that Kim Jong-il scored 11 holes-in-one in his one and only round of golf.

28. Capital of Yemen : RIAL

“Rial” is the name of the currency of Yemen (as well as Iran, Oman, Cambodia and Tunisia).

35. Snacks Batman can’t have? : ROBIN COOKIES (from “Robin Cook”)

Robin Cook is novelist from New York who writes thrillers dealing with medical situations. Cook’s first major novel “Coma” was made into a 1978 feature film directed by Michael Crichton and starring Geneviève Bujold and Michael Douglas. Cook is himself a physician and is currently on leave with the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary.

37. They may be wild : DEUCES

A “two” playing card might be called a “deuce”, from the Middle French “deus” (or Modern French “deux”) meaning “two”.

43. Phillips of “I, Claudius” : SIAN

Siân Phillips is an actress from Wales. Phillips was married for twenty years to actor Peter O’Toole.

47. Angora and alpaca : WOOLS

Angora wool comes from the Angora rabbit. On the other hand, the Angora goat produces the wool known as mohair.

Alpacas are like small llamas, but unlike llamas were never beasts of burden. Alpacas were bred specifically for the fleece. As such, there are no known wild alpacas these days, even in their native Peru.

51. Signal receiver : ANTENNA

An antenna’s job is to convert electrical power into radio waves, and radio waves into an electrical signal. The first antennas were built by the German physicist Heinrich Hertz in 1888.

54. Citation Mustangs, e.g. : CESSNAS

The Cessna Aircraft manufacturing company was founded in 1911 by Clyde Cessna, a farmer from Kansas. Cessna is headquartered in Wichita and today has over 8,000 employees.

58. Coptic Museum city : CAIRO

The Coptic Museum in Cairo traces the history of Christianity in Egypt and contains the largest collection of Coptic artifacts and artwork in the world.

The Copts make up the largest minority religious group in Egypt. Copts are Christians, with most adhered to the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, and others practicing Coptic Catholicism or Coptic Protestantism. The term “Copt” ultimately derives from a Greek word for Egyptian.

61. “The Blacklist” network : NBC

“The Blacklist” is an entertaining, albeit a little formulaic, crime drama TV show starring James Spader and Megan Boone. Spader plays a successful criminal who surrenders to the FBI in order to help catch a “blacklist” of high-profile criminals.

63. Water__: dental brand : PIK

Waterpik is a brand of oral irrigator, a device that uses a stream of water to remove food debris and dental plaque from the teeth. There are claims made that water irrigators are more effective than dental floss.

66. __ Lama : DALAI

The Dalai Lama is a religious leader in the Gelug branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The current Dalai Lama is the 14th to hold the office. He has indicated that the next Dalai Lama might be found outside of Tibet for the first time, and may even be female.

68. Minnesota lake : ITASCA

Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota is the main source of the Mississippi River. Known by Native Americans as “Elk Lake”, the name was changed by Henry Schoolcraft, who led the 1832 expedition to find the source of the Mississippi River. The name “Itasca” is formed from the Latin words for truth (ver-ITAS) and head (CA-put).

69. OutKast and others : DUOS

OutKast is a hip hop duo consisting of rappers André 3000 and Big Boi.

71. “The Gondoliers” bride : TESSA

“The Gondoliers” is a delightful operetta by Gilbert & Sullivan, first performed in 1889 at the Savoy Theatre in London. Tessa is a maiden selected as a bride in a “line up” by one of the gondoliers. I last saw “The Gondoliers” decades ago, an amateur production in the small town where I was living at the time in Ireland. Great fun!

74. First Nations tribe : CREE

The Cree are one of the largest groups of Native Americans on the continent. In the US most of the Cree nation live in Montana on a reservation shared with the Ojibwe people. In Canada most of the Cree live in Manitoba.

“First Nations” is a term used in Canada describing the ethnicity of Native Americans who are neither Inuit nor Métis people.

83. Bouquet __ : GARNI

“Bouquet garni” is French for “garnished bouquet”, and is the name given to a bundle of herbs often tied together and added to soups, stocks and stews. The bouquet garni adds flavor, but is removed prior to serving. The list of herbs included in the “bundle” varies, but thyme and bay leaf are often the base ingredients.

85. Rural structure : SILO

“Silo” is a Spanish word that we absorbed into English, originally coming from the Greek word “siros” that described a pit in which one kept corn.

88. Driver’s starting point : TEE BOX

In the game of golf, a “tee” is the wooden or plastic peg on which one can place a ball when “teeing off”. Also, the “teeing ground” (sometimes “tee” or “tee box”) is the area at the beginning of the hole from which the first stroke is taken, from where one tees off.

94. Singer Della : REESE

Della Reese is the stage name of the actress, singer and all-round entertainer Delloreese Patricia Early. Her career that started as a singer in the fifties and was revived in the nineties when she played the lead character in the TV show “Touched by an Angel”.

95. Late-’60s Maryland governor : AGNEW

Spiro Agnew served as Vice-President under Richard Nixon, before becoming the only VP in American history to resign because of criminal charges (there was a bribery scandal). Agnew was also the first Greek-American to serve as US Vice President as he was the son of a Greek immigrant who had shortened the family name from Anagnostopoulos.

99. Author Robert __ Butler : OLEN

Robert Olen Butler is an American writer of fiction. He won a Pulitzer in 1995 for his collection of short stories called “A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain”. Each of the stories in the book tells of a different Vietnamese immigrant living in Louisiana.

100. Green Hornet sidekick : KATO

In “The Green Hornet” television series, Kato was famously played by Bruce Lee. The Kato role has been cited as a driving force behind the increase in popularity of martial arts in the US during the sixties.

101. Netman Nastase : ILIE

I think that Ilie Nastase was the most entertaining tennis player of the 1970s, the days of Jimmy Connors, Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe. No matter how much pressure there was in a match, Nastase always had time to give the crowd a laugh. After retiring from the sport, he had a few novels published (in French) during the eighties. Then Nastase went into politics, making an unsuccessful run for the mayorship of Bucharest in 1996. He made a successful run for the Hungarian Senate though, and has been a senator since May 2014.

105. Worldwide workers’ gp. : ILO

The International Labour Organization (ILO) is an agency now administered by the UN which was established by the League of Nations after WWI. The ILO deals with important issues such as health and safety, discrimination, child labor and forced labor. The organization was recognized for its work in 1969 when it was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

106. Scholastic meas. : GPA

Grade point average (GPA)

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Complete List of Clues and Answers

Across

1. Made a mess of : BLEW

5. Authorizes : OKAYS

10. Audibly jarred : AGASP

15. Off the premises : AWAY

19. Coastal South American capital : LIMA

20. Unenthusiastic about, with “for” : NOT UP

21. Hard wear : ARMOR

22. “Good job!” : NICE!

23. Wistful word : ALAS

24. Words after do or before you : I DARE

25. Trendy tots’ footwear? : HIP BOOTIES (from “hip boot”)

27. Tipsy tour members? : HIGH ROADIES (from “high road”)

30. How Steak Diane is traditionally served : FLAMBE

31. Ermine cousin : MINK

32. One may be responsible for rain : DEITY

34. Came down : POURED

38. Gambler’s concern : SPREAD

41. “Dog Whisperer” Millan : CESAR

43. Starting point : STEP ONE

44. Extended time off, briefly : LOA

45. Bakery products made with white chocolate? : LIGHT BROWNIES (from “light brown”)

49. HVAC measure : BTU

50. It’s near the humerus : ULNA

52. Hard to keep up? : POUTY

53. Musical shortcoming : NO EAR

54. Publication sales fig. : CIRC

55. Diploma word : MAGNA

57. Sit in a cellar, say : AGE

58. Opposite of belt : CROON

59. Co-star of Keanu in “The Whole Truth” : RENEE

60. Isn’t serious : PRETENDS

62. Stake-driving tools : MAULS

63. Many a March birth : PISCES

64. Chef’s supply : HERBS

65. Has to repeat, maybe : FAILS

66. Mouthy retort : DID SO!

67. Superhuman : BIONIC

69. “Nuthin’ but a ‘G’ Thang” rapper : DR DRE

70. Pay attention : TAKE NOTE

73. More than apologize : ATONE

74. New York governor Andrew : CUOMO

75. Catch a bug, say : AIL

76. Amassed, with “in” : RAKED

77. When tripled, a story shortener : YADA

78. University town near Bangor : ORONO

79. Brilliant display : ECLAT

81. Emphatic assent, in Sonora : SI SI!

82. Govt.-issued aid : SSI

83. Complimentary hotel apparel? : GUEST NIGHTIES (from “guest night”)

86. Changed-my-mind key : ESC

87. Protective film : ACETATE

89. Boundaries : EDGES

90. Zeroes in on : AIMS AT

92. Stunning instruments : TASERS

93. “The Picasso of our profession,” to Seinfeld : PRYOR

95. Folk first name : ARLO

96. Unabbreviated : ENTIRE

98. “Check out those platters of candy and fudge!”? : LOOK! GOODIES! (from “look good”)

104. Tournament-changing scores? : BIG BIRDIES (from “Big Bird”)

108. Gaucho’s turf : LLANO

109. Couture monthly : ELLE

110. Kibbles ‘n Bits shelfmate : ALPO

111. Brief concession : I LOSE

112. “Don’t care what they do” : LET ‘EM

113. Upswing : RISE

114. Elaborate ruse : HOAX

115. Cookware brand : PYREX

116. Puts one over on : SNOWS

117. Call for : NEED

Down

1. Hardly thrilling : BLAH

2. Taylor of “Six Feet Under” : LILI

3. Webby Award candidate : E-MAG

4. Words written with an index? : WASH ME

5. Party bowlful : ONION DIP

6. Longtime photo lab supplier : KODAK

7. Somewhat : A TAD

8. Doctor Zhivago : YURI

9. Passes in a blur : SPEEDS BY

10. “How relaxing!” : AAH!

11. Ill-gotten gains : GRIFT

12. With room to spare : AMPLY

13. Noodle sometimes served with a dipping sauce : SOBA

14. Provider of cues : PROMPTER

15. Get in on the deal : ANTE UP

16. __ Fit: video exercise game : WII

17. Par-four rarity : ACE

18. “No doubt” : YES

26. Penetrating winds : OBOES

28. Capital of Yemen : RIAL

29. Scorch : SEAR

33. Strict control : IRON RULE

35. Snacks Batman can’t have? : ROBIN COOKIES (from “Robin Cook”)

36. Primary course : ENTREE

37. They may be wild : DEUCES

38. Rough patch : SLUMP

39. Really cold : POLAR

40. Protective tops for cattle drivers? : RANGE HOODIES (from “range hood”)

41. Guzzles : CHUGS

42. Novel conclusion : -ETTE

43. Phillips of “I, Claudius” : SIAN

46. Incites : GOADS

47. Angora and alpaca : WOOLS

48. Modernists, informally : NEOS

51. Signal receiver : ANTENNA

54. Citation Mustangs, e.g. : CESSNAS

56. Cliff dwelling : AERIE

58. Coptic Museum city : CAIRO

59. Bill add-on : RIDER

61. “The Blacklist” network : NBC

62. Contingency funds : MAD MONEY

63. Water__: dental brand : PIK

65. Illegal laundering operation, say : FRONT

66. __ Lama : DALAI

67. Reacts to, as a dog does the moon : BAYS AT

68. Minnesota lake : ITASCA

69. OutKast and others : DUOS

70. Is inclined : TILTS

71. “The Gondoliers” bride : TESSA

72. Royal order : EDICT

74. First Nations tribe : CREE

75. Heat rub target : ACHE

78. Surpass : OUTSTRIP

79. Deep-fried appetizers : EGG ROLLS

80. Elegant cafés : TEAROOMS

83. Bouquet __ : GARNI

84. Object of adoration : IDOL

85. Rural structure : SILO

88. Driver’s starting point : TEE BOX

91. In step with the times : MODERN

93. Earlier offense : PRIOR

94. Singer Della : REESE

95. Late-’60s Maryland governor : AGNEW

97. In a laid-back manner : IDLY

99. Author Robert __ Butler : OLEN

100. Green Hornet sidekick : KATO

101. Netman Nastase : ILIE

102. Apart from this : ELSE

103. Flower child? : SEED

104. “What nonsense!” : BAH!

105. Worldwide workers’ gp. : ILO

106. Scholastic meas. : GPA

107. It sells in advertising : SEX

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