LA Times Crossword Answers 2 Nov 2017, Thursday

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Constructed by: Peg Slay
Edited by: Rich Norris

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Today’s Theme: Flats

Each of today’s themed answers is clued with “Where to find (FLATS)”:

• 37A. Road trip troubles … and what can be found in 17-, 24-, 43- and 57-Across : FLATS

• 17A. Where to find 37-Across : APARTMENT HOUSES
• 24A. Where to find 37-Across : GARDENING CENTER
• 43A. Where to find 37-Across : WOMEN’S SHOE STORE
• 57A. Where to find 37-Across : SYMPHONIC SCORES

Bill’s time: 6m 31s

Bill’s errors: 0

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Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1. Ford crossover SUV : EDGE

The Edge is a midsize crossover SUV that Ford has been manufacturing in the company’s plant in Oakville, Ontario since 2006.

16. Pennsylvania city subject to lake-effect snow : ERIE

Erie is a city in the very north of Pennsylvania, right on the southern shore of Lake Erie. The city takes its name from the Erie Native American tribe that resided in the area. Erie is nicknamed the Gem City, a reference to the “sparkling” Lake Erie.

Lake-effect snow is produced when cold air moves across a relatively warm lake picking up moisture from the water below. The warm moisture rises through the cold mass of air, freezes and then falls as snow on the downwind side of the lake.

17. Where to find 37-Across : APARTMENT HOUSES

“Flat”, in the sense of an apartment or condominium, is a word more commonly used in the British Isles than on this side of the pond. The term “flat” is Scottish in origin, in which language it used to mean “floor in a house”.

22. Penn of “Harold & Kumar” films : KAL

Indian-American actor Kal Penn made a name for himself in the “Harold & Kumar” series of comedy films. These so called “stoner comedies” are not my cup of tea, but I enjoyed him playing his more mainstream roles on TV’s “House” and “24”. He left the world of acting when President Obama won the 2008 election to work as an Associate Director in the White House Office of Public Engagement (although he did leave the White House briefly to film the “Harold & Kumar” sequel).

23. U.N. workers’ gp. : ILO

The International Labour Organization (ILO) is an agency, now administered by the UN, that 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.

24. Where to find 37-Across : GARDENING CENTER

Flats are shallow trays in which young plants in individual pots are displayed for sale.

34. Ostrich kin : EMUS

The large flightless birds called emus make sounds by manipulating inflatable necks sacs. The sac is about a foot long, has a thin wall and allows the bird to emit a booming sound. The type of sound emitted is the easiest way to differentiate between male and female emus.

The ostrich is a flightless bird that is native to Africa. It is extensively farmed, mainly for its feathers but also for its skin/leather and meat. Famously, the ostrich is the fastest moving of any flightless bird, capable of achieving speeds of over 40 mph. It is also the largest living species of bird, and lays the largest eggs.

39. Piedmont bubbly : ASTI

Asti is a city in the Piedmont region of northwest Italy. The region is perhaps most famous for its Asti Spumante sparkling white wine.

40. Nine-time NHL All-Star : ORR

Bobby Orr is regarded as one of the greatest hockey players of all time. By the time he retired in 1978 he had undergone over a dozen knee surgeries. At 31 years of age, he concluded that he just couldn’t skate anymore. Reportedly, he was even having trouble walking.

42. Cathedral areas : APSES

The apse of a church or cathedral is a semicircular recess in an outer wall, usually with a half-dome as a roof and often where there resides an altar. Originally, apses were used as burial places for the clergy and also for storage of important relics.

43. Where to find 37-Across : WOMEN’S SHOE STORE

Flats are shoes that are not high-heeled.

47. Map line: Abbr. : LAT

Lines of latitude are the imaginary horizontal lines surrounding the planet. The most “important” lines of latitude are, from north to south:

• Arctic Circle
• Tropic of Cancer
• Equator
• Tropic of Capricorn
• Antarctic Circle

48. Kendrick Lamar’s genre : RAP

Kendrick Lamar is a hip hop singer from Compton, California. Lamar’s full name is Kendrick Lamar Duckworth, with the singer’s given name honoring Motown artist Eddie Kendricks.

49. Greek vowels : IOTAS

Iota is the ninth letter in the Greek alphabet, one that gave rise to our letters I and J. We use the word “iota” to portray something very small as it is the smallest of all Greek letters.

60. Popular jeans : LEES

The Lee company that’s famous for making jeans was formed in 1889 by one Henry David Lee in Salina, Kansas.

61. “Once Upon a Time in China” star : JET LI

The actor Jet Li’s real name is Li Jian Jie. Jet Li is a martial artist and international film star from Beijing, China. Li played a villain in “Lethal Weapon 4”, and had a leading role in the 2000 movie “Romeo Must Die”.

“Once Upon a Time in China” is a franchise of Hong Kong martial arts films that started off in 1993. The lead character in each movie is Chinese folk hero Wong Fei-hung. Said hero is portrayed by Jet Li in the first three films, before the role was taken over by Vincent Zhao.

63. White-tailed seabird : ERNE

The ern (sometimes “erne”) is also called the white-tailed eagle, or the sea-eagle.

64. Dutch painter of “The Drawing Lesson” : STEEN

Jan Steen was a painter from the Netherlands who was active in the Dutch Golden Age, the 17th century. Steen’s most famous work is probably “The Feast of Saint Nicholas”, which we can see at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.

“The Drawing Lesson” is a 1665 painting by Dutch artist Jan Steen that can be viewed in the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles.

Down

3. Pest you might slap : GNAT

Gnats are attracted to the smell of rotting food, and to vinegar. Simple homemade traps that use vinegar are often constructed to attract and kill gnats.

5. South Pacific islander : SAMOAN

The official name for the South Pacific nation 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.

6. Oaty breakfast mix : 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 …

7. Obama Education secretary Duncan : ARNE

Long before Arne Duncan became Secretary of Education, he was a professional basketball player, but not in the NBA. Duncan played for the National Basketball League of Australia, with the Eastside Spectres in Melbourne.

10. Cell using a synapse : NEURON

A nerve cell is more correctly called a neuron. The branched projections that receive electrochemical signals from other neurons are known as dendrites. The long nerve fiber that conducts signals away from the neuron is known as the axon. A neuron that has no definite axon is referred to as “apolar” or “nonpolar”. In apolar neurons the nerve impulses radiate in all directions.

A synapse is a junction between a nerve cell and another cell over which an electrical or chemical signal can pass.

11. Bear in the sky : URSA

The constellation named Ursa Major (Latin for “Larger Bear”) is often just called the Big Dipper because of its resemblance to a ladle or dipper. Ursa Major also resembles a plow, and that’s what we usually call the same constellation back in Ireland, the “plough”.

12. Willingly : LIEF

“Lief” means “willingly, gladly”, and is a term that come from Middle English in the mid-13th century I think that it is a lovely word …

18. Tips for dealers : TOKES

“Toke” is an informal term for a tip given to a dealer or other employee at a casino.

23. Post-op sites : ICUS

Many a hospital (hosp.) includes an intensive care unit (ICU).

25. Last Olds off the line : ALERO

The Oldsmobile Alero was the last car made under the Oldsmobile brand. It was produced from 1999 to 2004.

27. One of four in Mississippi : DOT

There are four dots in the word “Mississippi”, with each being part of a letter I (i).

29. Clock-setting std. : GMT

Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) is the time at the Prime Meridian, the meridian that runs through Greenwich in London.

30. Italian Renaissance poet : TASSO

Torquato Tasso was an Italian poet who lived in the 1500s. He is best known for his poem “Jerusalem Delivered”. Such is his fame and standing in the arts, that he himself is the subject of works by other artists. Goethe wrote a play called “Torquato Tasso” in 1790 that explored Tasso’s life. Donizetti composed an opera, also called “Torquato Tasso”, in 1833 that incorporated some of the poet’s writing in the libretto.

31. Aromatic compound : ESTER

Esters are very common chemicals. The smaller, low-molecular weight esters are usually pleasant smelling and are often found in perfumes. At the other end of the scale, the higher-molecular weight nitroglycerin is a nitrate ester and is very explosive, and polyester is a huge molecule and is a type of plastic. Fats and oils found in nature are fatty acid esters of glycerol known as glycerides.

37. Ramadan ritual : FAST

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, and is traditionally a period of fasting. The faithful that observe Ramadan refrain from eating, drinking and sexual relations from dawn to dusk everyday, a lesson in patience, humility and spirituality.

38. Fleur-de-__ : LIS

“Lys” (also “lis”) is the French word for “lily”, as in “fleur-de-lys”, the heraldic symbol often associated with the French monarchy.

39. Germane : APT

Something that is germane is relevant. “Germane” originally meant “having the same parents”, but it was used more figuratively to mean “on topic” by William Shakespeare in “Hamlet”. Tthat’s the way we’ve been using it ever since “Hamlet” was first performed in the 1600s.

42. Mold that’s cold : ASPIC

Aspic is a dish in which the main ingredients are served in a gelatin made from meat stock. “Aspic” is a French word meaning “jelly”.

45. Big name in databases : ORACLE

Oracle is a huge software company with a headquarters in Redwood City, California. Oracle’s main product is enterprise software, software that meets the needs of an organization rather than an individual user. Oracle was co-founded in 1977 by Larry Ellison, who is now one of the richest businesspeople in the world.

50. Terminer’s partner, in law : OYER

“Oyer and terminer” is a term that originates in English law and that applies in some US states. Here in the US, “oyer and terminer” is the name given to some courts of criminal jurisdiction. Even though it has its origins in English law, the words “oyer” and “terminer” come from French (via Anglo-Norman) and mean “to hear” and “to determine”.

51. Feds under Ness : T-MEN

Eliot Ness was the Treasury agent charged with the task of bringing down the notorious Chicago gangster Al Capone. When Ness took on the job in 1930, Chicago law-enforcement agents were renowned for being corrupt, for being on the take. Ness handpicked 50 prohibition agents who he thought he could rely on, later reducing the group to a cadre of 15 and ultimately just 11 trusted men. That group of 11 earned the nickname “The Untouchables”, the agents who couldn’t be bought.

53. Parks whose famous bus is in the Henry Ford Museum : ROSA

Rosa Parks was one of a few brave women in days gone by who refused to give up their seats on a bus to white women. It was the stand taken by Rosa Parks on December 1, 1955 that sparked the Montgomery, Alabama Bus Boycott. President Clinton presented Ms. Parks with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1996. When she died in 2005, Rosa Parks became the first ever woman to have her body lie in honor in the US Capitol Rotunda.

The Henry Ford is a huge indoor-outdoor museum complex in Dearborn, Michigan. The museum was founded by automobile industrialist Henry Ford in 1929 as the Edison Institute, and was opened to the public in 1933. Exhibits focus on the Industrial Revolution in America, although there are also many fascinating items in the collection that reflect US history in general. Included in the Henry Ford’s collection are:

• The Lincoln Continental carry President John F. Kennedy when he was assassinated
• The rocking chair in which President Abraham Lincoln was sitting when he was assassinated
• Thomas Edison’s alleged last breath, in a sealed tube
• The bus on which Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat
• A camp bed used by President George Washington
• The bicycle shop and home used by the Wright brothers

54. Shah’s former land : IRAN

The last Shah of Iran was Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, as he was overthrown in the revolution led by the Ayatollah Khomeini in 1979. The post-revolution government sought the extradition of the Shah back to Iran while he was in the United States seeking medical care (he had cancer). His prolonged stay in the United States, recovering from surgery, caused some unrest back in Iran and resentment towards the United States. Some say that this resentment precipitated the storming of the US Embassy in Tehran and the resulting hostage crisis.

56. Cato’s “to be” : ESSE

Cato the Younger was a politician in the late Roman Republic, noted for his moral integrity. He is also remembered for an extended conflict with Julius Caesar.