LA Times Crossword Answers 14 Jul 2017, Friday










Constructed by: Ed Sessa

Edited by: Rich Norris

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

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Theme: Big Beast

Each of today’s themed answers ENDS with something elephantine:

  • 17A. Ring heavyweights : CIRCUS ELEPHANTS
  • 33A. Makes next to nothing : WORKS FOR PEANUTS
  • 49A. Jack’s spot : AUTOMOBILE TRUNK

Bill’s time: 11m 11s

Bill’s errors: 0




Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies

Across

10. Longtime shipboard scurvy preventative : LIME

Scurvy is a disease brought about by a lack of vitamin C in the diet. Famously, the disease was a focus in the navies of the world. Symptoms start to appear after a month with little or no vitamin C in the diet, and so scurvy was an issue that affected extended sea voyage. The Royal Navy surgeon James Lind proved in 1753 that scurvy could successfully be prevented and treated with citrus fruit.

16. Matched, in Paris Match : EGAL

“Égal” (feminine “égale”) is the French word for “equal, alike”, and a word we sometimes use in English. The national motto of France is “Liberté, égalité, fraternité”, meaning “Liberty, equality, fraternity (brotherhood).

“Paris Match” is a weekly magazine published in France that first appeared on newsstands in 1949.

20. Big cheese : KRAFT

The Kraft brand name originated with Canadian James L. Kraft. It was James L. Kraft who first patented processed cheese

21. NYC building that was Lennon’s last home, with “The” : DAKOTA

The Dakota is an apartment building in New York City that overlooks Central Park. Built in the 1880s, the prestigious property is perhaps most famous as the home of former Beatle John Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono. Lennon was murdered outside the Dakota in 1980 by Mark David Chapman. The impressive list of former residents includes Lauren Bacall, Leonard Bernstein, Rosemary Clooney, Judy Garland, Rudolf Nureyev and Boris Karloff.

25. “Real Time” host : MAHER

Bill Maher is a stand-up comedian and political commentator. Maher has an HBO television show called “Real Time with Bill Maher” which is essentially a follow-on from the very successful “Politically Incorrect” program that started out on Comedy Central.

27. ’80s voice of Inspector Gadget : DON ADAMS

Actor Don Adams was born Donald Yarmy in New York City. Prior to launching his career in show business, Adams served in the US Marine Corps during WWII. He participated in the Battle of Guadalcanal, but soon after he contracted a complication from malaria known as blackwater fever. The serious condition resulted in him being evacuated to a Navy hospital in New Zealand where he spent over a year under treatment. After the war, Adams became a comic, and famously in 1965 started to play Maxwell Smart in the sitcom “Get Smart”.

“Inspector Gadget” is a cartoon television show from the 1980s in which the title character is a cyborg detective. There’s a lot of similarity in Inspector Gadget’s behavior to the behavior of Maxwell Smart from the sitcom “Get Smart”. Actor Don Adams played the title role in “Get Smart” and also provided the voice for Inspector Gadget.

32. Angus beef? : MOO

The full name of the cattle breed is Aberdeen Angus, which is also the name used around the world outside of North America. The breed was developed by crossbreeding cattle from the counties of Aberdeenshire and Angus in Scotland. The breed stands out in the US as Angus cattle don’t have horns.

40. Navigation tools : SEXTANTS

The navigation tool known as a sextant is used to measure the angle between two visible objects, with one of those objects usually being the horizon. The primary role of a sextant is to determine latitude. The term “sextant” is said to have been coined by Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe around the year 1600. The name comes from the fact that a sextant is constructed around a graduated arc of 60 degrees, one sixth part of a full circle.

42. Grapefruit’s bigger cousin : POMELO

A pomelo is a very large, pear-shaped citrus fruit native to Southeast Asia.

45. Baroness Blixen’s pen name : DINESEN

Isak Dinesen was the pen name of the Danish author Baroness Karen Blixen. Blixen’s most famous title by far is “Out of Africa”, her account of the time she spent living in Kenya.

46. Women’s clothing chain founded on Florida’s Sanibel Island : CHICO’S

Chico’s is a chain of retail stores selling women’s clothing that was founded in 1983. The founders were Marvin and Helene Gralnick, and they named their stores after a friend’s pet parrot, Chico.

49. Jack’s spot : AUTOMOBILE TRUNK

In North America we use the word “trunk” for the storage space in the back of a vehicle as that space is reminiscent of the large travelling chest called a “trunk”. Such trunks used to be lashed onto the back of automobiles before storage was integrated. On the other side of the Atlantic, a trunk is known as a “boot”. The original boot was a built-in storage compartment on a horse-drawn carriage on which a coachman would sit.

57. “Nothing lived in him but fear and hatred” : HYDE

Robert Louis Stevenson’s novella “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” was first published in 1886. There are many tales surrounding the writing of the story including one that the author wrote the basic tale in just three to six days, and spent a few weeks simply refining it. Allegedly, Stevenson’s use of cocaine stimulated his creative juices during those few days of writing.

Down

1. Senegal’s pink-watered __ Rose : LAC

Lake Retba in Senegal is located just outside the capital city of Dakar. It is also named “Lac Rose” (“Pink Lake” in French), a reference to the water’s pink color caused by a red pigment that is produced by algae.

The Republic of Senegal is a country on the far western coast of Africa. For many years Senegal was a French colony, gaining independence in 1960. The capital of Senegal is Dakar, a city located on the Cap-Vert Peninsula that juts out into the Atlantic Ocean.

2. Sushi selection : AHI

Yellowfin and bigeye tuna are usually marketed as “ahi”, the Hawaiian name. They are both big fish, with yellowfish tuna often weighing over 300 pounds, and bigeye tuna getting up to 400 pounds.

3. Cannes view : MER

“Mer” is the French word for “sea”.

Cannes is a city on the French Riviera that is noted as host of the Cannes Film Festival. The decision to host an annual film festival was adopted by the city just before WWII. However, the festival had to wait for the end of the war for its launch in 1946.

4. Website-to-website connection : BACKLINK

A backlink on a web page is like a citation at the bottom of a printed page. That backlink points to another web page, perhaps citing a source for information.

9. Cagney does it on stairs in “Yankee Doodle Dandy” : TAP DANCE

“Yankee Doodle Dandy” is the musical biopic about the life of George M. Cohan, released in 1942. Jimmy Cagney plays the part of Cohan, a fitting choice as Cagney started his career as a song-and-dance man, just like Cohan. There is a palpable, patriotic feel to the film, something that is very deliberate. Production of the film was just a few days underway at the end of 1941 when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. The cast and crew met soon after the attack, and resolved that their movie would be uplifting and patriotic.

11. Dolts : IGNORAMUSES

“Ignoramus” comes to us directly from Latin. The term translates from Latin as “we ignore”, the first person, plural tense of “ignorare”.

12. Damon of the Bourne films : MATT

“The Bourne Identity” is a great spy novel written by Robert Ludlum, and first published in 1980. It has been ranked as the second best spy novel of all time, just behind the even more enjoyable “The Spy Who Came in from the Cold” by John le Carre. I’ll agree with that sentiment. Ludlum wrote two sequels, and all three parts of the Bourne Trilogy have been made into very successful movies now, starring Matt Damon in the title role. Ludlum died before he could write more than three novels featuring Jason Bourne, but five more titles in the series have been published, written by Eric Van Lustbader. I must check them out …

13. Big cat of film : ELSA

The life story of Elsa the lion was told by game warden Joy Adamson, who had a very close relationship with the lioness from when Elsa was orphaned as a young cub. Adamson wrote the book “Born Free” about Elsa, and then “Living Free” which tells the story of Elsa and her three lion cubs. In the 1966 film based on “Born Free”, Adamson is played by the talented actress Virginia McKenna.

22. Seafood order : PRAWNS

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.

23. Punk rock surname : RAMONE

“The Ramones” were an American punk rock band. The group formed in Forest Hills, New York in the mid-seventies. Arguably, it was the first punk rock group, defining the genre. Something else that’s not my cup of tea …

27. Pub entertainment : DARTS

Darts is a wonderful game that’s often played in English and Irish pubs, even over here in America. The scoring in a traditional game of darts is difficult to describe in a sentence or two, but the game of darts called “Round the Clock” is simply hitting the numbers 1 through 20 in sequence.

31. Medieval barriers : MOATS

A “moat” is a protective trench that surrounds a castle, say, or a an exhibit in a zoo. A moat may or may not be filled with water.

34. Hebrew greeting : SHALOM

“Shalom” is a Hebrew word meaning “peace” that is also used to mean “hello” and “goodbye”.

43. Knockout couple? : ONE-TWO

Those would be punches.

45. Prominent mayor at the 1968 Democratic Convention : DALEY

Richard J. Daley was the Mayor of Chicago for 21 years (1955-1976), making him the longest-serving mayor for the city in history. His son, Richard M. Daley, was mayor until relatively recently, and was the city’s second-longest serving mayor.

46. What’s in your wallet : CASH

Our word “cash” comes from the Middle French “caisse” meaning “money box”.

47. News headliner Lewis? : HUEY

Huey Lewis and the News are a local band out here in the Bay Area, based in San Francisco. When the movie “Ghostbusters” came out in 1984, the band sued Ray Parker, Jr. who wrote the film’s theme song, claiming that it was very similar to their own song “I Want a New Drug”. The case was settled out of court, and the following year “Huey Lewis and the News” made the most of an opportunity to write a movie theme themselves. Their smash hit “The Power of Love” was written for “Back to the Future”, and propelled the band into stardom.

48. “__ With a ‘Z'”: 1972 TV special : LIZA

“Liza with a ‘Z’” is a TV film of a 1972 concert given by Liza Minnelli. The film was co-produced by Bob Fosse, who had also directed Minnelli in the very successful film “Cabaret” that was released just a few months before the concert.

51. A, in Avignon : UNE

Avignon is a city in the southeast of France on the Rhône river. Avignon is sometimes called the “City of Popes” as it was home to seven popes during the Catholic schism from 1309 to 1423.

52. Photographer Goldin : NAN

Nan Goldin is an American photographer who is based in New York, Berlin and Paris.

53. Board jumpers: Abbr. : KTS

Knights (kts.) are the only pieces on a chessboard that can jump over other pieces.

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Complete List of Clues and Answers

Across

1. Innocents : LAMBS

6. Afternoon tea accompanier : CHAT

10. Longtime shipboard scurvy preventative : LIME

14. Piles (of) : A HEAP

15. “Yo” : HIYA

16. Matched, in Paris Match : EGAL

17. Ring heavyweights : CIRCUS ELEPHANTS

20. Big cheese : KRAFT

21. NYC building that was Lennon’s last home, with “The” : DAKOTA

22. Literary intros : PROLOGS

25. “Real Time” host : MAHER

26. Western ambush site : RAVINE

27. ’80s voice of Inspector Gadget : DON ADAMS

30. “You said it!” : AMEN!

31. Protest movement : MARCH

32. Angus beef? : MOO

33. Makes next to nothing : WORKS FOR PEANUTS

37. San Jose-to-Sacramento dir. : NNE

38. Uncultivated land : HEATH

39. Regarding : AS TO

40. Navigation tools : SEXTANTS

42. Grapefruit’s bigger cousin : POMELO

44. Common bugs : COLDS

45. Baroness Blixen’s pen name : DINESEN

46. Women’s clothing chain founded on Florida’s Sanibel Island : CHICO’S

48. Like Olympic racetracks : LANED

49. Jack’s spot : AUTOMOBILE TRUNK

54. Appear : SEEM

55. Unnerve : FAZE

56. Was successful in : WON AT

57. “Nothing lived in him but fear and hatred” : HYDE

58. Become undone, in a way : FRAY

59. Gets down to business? : OPENS

Down

1. Senegal’s pink-watered __ Rose : LAC

2. Sushi selection : AHI

3. Cannes view : MER

4. Website-to-website connection : BACKLINK

5. Embolden : SPUR ON

6. Ones doing the dishes : CHEFS

7. Sword handle : HILT

8. Maritime agreement : AYE

9. Cagney does it on stairs in “Yankee Doodle Dandy” : TAP DANCE

10. Came out somehow : LEAKED

11. Dolts : IGNORAMUSES

12. Damon of the Bourne films : MATT

13. Big cat of film : ELSA

18. Wise one : SAGE

19. “Very funny!” : HA HA HA!

22. Seafood order : PRAWNS

23. Punk rock surname : RAMONE

24. Hyped-up : OVEREXCITED

25. Transform : MORPH

27. Pub entertainment : DARTS

28. Mark with blotches : MOTTLE

29. “Already?” : SO SOON?

31. Medieval barriers : MOATS

34. Hebrew greeting : SHALOM

35. Drives back : FENDS OFF

36. Make a personal connection? : NAME DROP

41. On the way : TO COME

42. Softwood tree : PINE

43. Knockout couple? : ONE-TWO

45. Prominent mayor at the 1968 Democratic Convention : DALEY

46. What’s in your wallet : CASH

47. News headliner Lewis? : HUEY

48. “__ With a ‘Z'”: 1972 TV special : LIZA

50. Military band? : BAR

51. A, in Avignon : UNE

52. Photographer Goldin : NAN

53. Board jumpers: Abbr. : KTS

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11 thoughts on “LA Times Crossword Answers 14 Jul 2017, Friday”

  1. 27 minutes, no errors. Another fun grid. Good reminder that Huey Lewis & The News was the last concert I got to attend. Splendid to hear them and a good time to be had.

    28 minutes, no errors on the WSJ though I haven’t figured out the meta yet.

    @Carrie
    By “host”, I mean what WordPress will allow you to upload of your own, which is pictures, audio, or video. Since it’s a web site, you can link to whatever you want. For example, if you look at some of the constructors blogs who offer puzzles, you’ll find they have to host those elsewhere because they can’t upload them directly to the blog. But they still can link to them.

    1. I believe it is a term for insignia denoting rank or possibly campaign ribbons, such as that of a lieutenant or captain or the so called “fruit salad” that is worn on dress occasions including medals and colorful ribbons.

      This grid was a good challenge. No final errors but it definitely took some “cogitating” and more than a few “fits and starts” before it got solved.

  2. 13:08, no errors. Some of the short entries were more difficult to come up with than the long ones.

    @Glenn … Thanks again for the info about “WordPress.com”. I may be able to post my FORTRAN code as a preformatted text file. We’ll see.

    @Glenn and @Tony … I thought Thursday’s WSJ was harder than usual: it took me 22:25, with no errors. Each of the long entries is a common phrase from which a couple of W’s have been excised, as suggested by the title (“NOW, NOW!” = “NO W, NO W!”) Friday’s WSJ took me 16:42, with no errors, but, so far, I have absolutely no clue about the meta.

    1. Funny you thought the WSJ was more difficult than typical for a Thursday as I thought the LAT’s grid was more difficult today,, and usually I find the WSJ harder, (or at least equal to the LAT’s level of difficulty).

  3. 33:51, sin errores for an Ed Sessa grid? I’ll take it. As per his usual this was both challenging and entertaining. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out the SE. “Personal connection” / NAME DROP was a bit of a stretch. Didn’t break any laws, but I think the crossword congressional ethics committee would like a chat with him about it….

    Also KTS referring to KnighTS on a chessboard completely escaped me. Embarrassing because I’m a chess grand master…..either that or a chess grand master wannabe. I always forget which…..

    @Anon –
    As Tony mentions BARs on a uniform denote rank. I believe the number of bars and the color (gold or silver) denote which type of officer, and they’re mainly for lower grade officers. Ken Mick from yesterday could probably clarify. Bottom line is you have to equate BAR with band for the clue to work, and that could be another ethics violation….

    My big weekend plans have been scrapped due to conjunctivitis. Fortunately, I’m not the afflicted one. Nevertheless, now I’ll have to think of something constructive to do. Sounds awful…

    Best –

    1. I also had a hard time coming up with bar for “military band”. It is a stretch, but several officers have metal bars as rank insignia: gold bar for second lieutenant; silver far for first lieutenant; two silver bars (often referred to informally as “railroad tracks”) for captain.

      Of course, the above explanation only applies for the Army, Marines and Air Force. In the Navy they mean different things.

  4. While shrimp and prawns are used interchangeably in cooking, there are some physical differences. I think the most interesting is: in prawns, the head overlaps the thorax and the thorax overlaps the abdomen and on down, like the shingles of a roof. In shrimp it is the opposite. The thorax extends over the head and the abdomen like a band. Also, shrimp have claws on two of their five pairs of legs while prawns have claws on three of their five pairs of legs. In some countries (UK and Asia) whether one is a shrimp or a prawn is simply a matter of size, and most diners would never know the difference. There are small prawns and large (Jumbo) shrimp. Taste is pretty much the same.

  5. Hey folks! ?
    No errors, and nice to see Ed Sessa. Interesting thing happened here!! Wrote the same clue TWICE for two different pairs of answers!!! ? And they all kinda worked!!! I had FRAY for FAZE till I realized that “Become undone” was FRAY. AND at different points I had BAY for both “Senegal’s ____ Rose” AND “View from Cannes.” !!! Funny.
    @Glenn, many thanks for the info! ?
    Vidwan, where are you??
    Be well~~™?

  6. I love the quote “Nothing lived in him but fear and hatred,” because it reminds me of my exhusband who got mixed up with strippers, cocaine, etc. and looking back on our 20 year marriage that was his personality; nothing but fear and hatred.
    Betrayal was painful, but like that comedian said, when your spouse cheats on you, it’s your lucky day, you get to get rid of them.

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