LA Times Crossword Answers 18 Dec 2017, Monday

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Constructed by: Brock Wilson
Edited by: Rich Norris

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Today’s Theme: Crossword Puzzle

Each of today’s themed answers ends with an item commonly found in a CROSSWORD PUZZLE:

  • 60A. Where to find the last words of 17-, 22-, 39- and 51-Across : CROSSWORD PUZZLE
  • 17A. Shunning public utilities and such : GOING OFF THE GRID
  • 22A. Even-steven : ALL SQUARE
  • 39A. Respond to cries of “Encore!” : DO ANOTHER NUMBER
  • 51A. Is totally in the dark : HAS NO CLUE

Bill’s time: 5m 46s

Bill’s errors: 0

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Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

9. Cherokee and Wrangler : JEEPS

The Jeep is the original off-road vehicle. It was developed by the American Bantam Car Company in 1940 at the request of the US government who recognized the upcoming need for the armed forces as American involvement in WWII loomed. The Bantam Company was too small to cope with demand, so the government gave the designs to competing car companies. The design and brand eventually ended up with AMC in the seventies and eighties.

The Jeep Cherokee is an SUV with some legs. The original SJ model was produced from 1974 until 1983, with derivative models very much alive today.

Chrysler’s Jeep Wrangler is a direct descendent of the military “Jeep” vehicle that was heavily relied on during WWII.

14. VCR go-back button : REW

Video Cassette Recorder (VCR)

15. 1945 “Big Three” conference city : YALTA

The Yalta Conference was a wartime meeting between WWII leaders Franklin D. Roosevelt, Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin. Held in February of 1945, the conference is most remembered for decisions made on the post-war organization of Europe. To a large extent, the three leaders made decisions carving up political influence around the world, decisions that have profound implications to this day.

The Grand Alliance of WWII brought together the Big Three Allied powers: the USSR, the USA and the UK. An alternative moniker for the relationship is the Strange Alliance, reflecting the unlikely cooperation between the world’s most influential communist state (the USSR), capitalist state (the USA), and colonial power (the UK).

16. “Snowy” bird : EGRET

The snowy egret is a small white heron, native to the Americas. At one time the egret species was in danger of extinction due to hunting driven by the demand for plumes for women’s hats.

20. “Blame It __”: Caine film : ON RIO

“Blame It on Rio” is an oft-panned romcom released in 1984 starring Michael Caine, Valerie Harper and a young Demi Moore. What’s remarkable to me is that “Blame It on Rio” was directed by the great Stanley Donen, who also directed classics such as “Singin’ in the Rain”, “On the Town”, “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” and “Charade”.

21. Continental coin : EURO

The reverse side of euro coins feature a common design, a design that includes the 12-stars featured on the Flag of Europe. The number of stars is not related to the number of states in the European Union, nor has it ever been. The number of stars in the design was the subject of much debate prior to its adoption in 1955 by the Council of Europe. Twelve was a deliberate choice, as at that time there was no political connotation, and twelve was considered to be a symbol of unity.

26. Twelfths of yrs. : MOS

Our contemporary western calendar was introduced in 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII, giving it the name “Gregorian” calendar. The Gregorian calendar superseded the Julian calendar, both of which were aligned with movement of the sun across the sky. At issue was that the Julian calendar was misaligned with the solar year by about 11 minutes, creating an error that accumulated over time. Pope Gregory corrected the length of the year by introducing a more accurate rule for calculating leap years. He also wiped out the cumulated “misalignment”, in order to bring together the Christian celebration of Easter and the spring equinox. That correction involved the “loss” of 11 days. The last day of the Julian calendar (Thursday, 4 October 1582) was immediately followed by the first day of the Gregorian calendar (Friday, 15 October 1582).

33. __ fatso: bit of Archie Bunker language-mangling : IPSO

“Ipso facto” is Latin, meaning “by the fact itself”. Ipso facto describes something that is a direct consequence of particular act, as opposed to something that is the result of some subsequent event. For example, my father was born in Dublin and was an Irish citizen ipso facto. My son was born in California and is an Irish citizen by virtue of being the son of an Irish citizen (i.e. “not” ipso facto).

“All in the Family” is an American sitcom, a remake of the incredibly successful BBC show called “Till Death Us Do Part”. Both the UK and US versions of the sitcom were groundbreaking in that the storyline brought into focus topics previously considered unsuitable for a television comedy, including racism, homosexuality, women’s liberation, menopause and impotence. “All in the Family” is one of only three TV shows that has topped the Nielsen ratings for five consecutive seasons (the other two are “The Cosby Show” and “American Idol”). Stars of the show are:

  • Carroll O’Connor as Archie Bunker
  • Jean Stapleton as Edith Bunker
  • Sally Struthers as Gloria Stivic née Bunker
  • Rob Reiner as Michael Stivic

37. World games org. : IOC

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) was founded in 1894, and has its headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland.

38. Oktoberfest dance : POLKA

The polka is a dance from central Europe, one that originated in Bohemia in the mid-1800s. It’s thought that “polka” comes from a Czech word meaning “little half”, reflecting the little half-steps included in the basic dance.

Oktoberfest is a 16-day beer festival in Munich that actually starts in September. About six million people attend every year, making it the largest fair in the world. I’ve been there twice, and it really is a great party …

39. Respond to cries of “Encore!” : DO ANOTHER NUMBER

“Encore” is French for “again, one more time”, and is a shout that an audience member will make here in North America to request another song, say. But, the term is not used this way in France. Rather, the audience will shout “Bis!”, which is the Italian for “twice!”

43. Delivery doc : OB/GYN

Obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN)

48. Soprano superstar : DIVA

The term “diva” comes to us from Latin via Italian. “Diva” is the feminine form of “divus” meaning “divine one”. The word is used in Italy to mean “goddess” or “fine lady”, and especially is applied to the prima donna in an opera. We often use the term to describe a singer with a big ego.

50. Notepad file extension : TXT

Notepad is a very basic text editing program that Microsoft introduced in 1983 to work with the MS-DOS operating system. I must admit, I use Notepad quite regularly to this day …

56. Classic 900 automaker : SAAB

“SAAB” stands for Svenska Aeroplan AB, which translates into English as Swedish Aeroplane Limited. Although we usually think of SAAB as an auto manufacturer, it is mainly an aircraft manufacturer. If you take small hops in Europe you might find yourself on a SAAB passenger plane. The SAAB automotive division was acquired by General Motors in the year 2000, who then sold it to a Dutch concern in 2010. However, SAAB (automotive) finally went bankrupt in 2011. A Chinese consortium purchased the assets of SAAB Automotive in 2012, and so SAAB vehicles are in production again. The new vehicles are using the SAAB name, but cannot use the SAAB griffin logo, the rights to which have been retained by the mother company.

58. No-brainer : CINCH

The term “cinch” was absorbed into American English from Spanish in the mid-1800s, when it was used to mean a “saddle-girth”. “Cincha” is the Spanish for “girdle”. In the late 1800s, “cinch” came to mean a ‘sure thing”, in the sense that a saddle-girth can provide a “sure hold”.

60. Where to find the last words of 17-, 22-, 39- and 51-Across : CROSSWORD PUZZLE

Arthur Wynne is generally credited with the invention of what we now known as a crossword puzzle. Wynne was born in Liverpool, England and emigrated to the US when he was 19-years-old. He worked as a journalist and was living in Cedar Grove, New Jersey in 1913 when he introduced a “Word-Cross Puzzle” in his page of puzzles written for the “New York World”. The first book of crossword puzzles was published by Shuster & Shuster, in 1924. The collection of puzzles was a huge hit, and crosswords were elevated to the level of “a craze” in 1924 and 1925.

66. Cry of dismay from Charlie Brown : AAUGH!

The characters in the cartoon series “Peanuts” were largely drawn from Charles Schultz’s own life, with shy and withdrawn Charlie Brown representing Schultz himself.

68. McKellen of “X-Men” : IAN

Sir Ian McKellen is a marvelous English actor, someone who is comfortable playing anything from Macbeth on stage to Magneto in an “X-Men” movie. On the big screen, McKellen is very famous for playing Gandalf in “The Lord of Rings”. In the UK, Sir Ian is noted for being at the forefront of the campaign for equal rights for gay people, a role he has enthusiastically embraced since the eighties.

X-Men is a team of superheroes created by Stan Lee for Marvel Comics. Nowadays the X-Men are perhaps best known as the subject of a series of movies, with Hugh Jackman playing Wolverine, and Patrick Stewart playing Professor Xavier (or simply “Professor X”). Some very respected actors have also played the villains that X-Men have to battle. For example, the enemy called Magneto is portrayed by veteran Shakespearean actor Sir Ian McKellan.

69. Minor, as a complaint : PETTY

The word “petty”, meaning “small-minded”, comes from the French word for small, “petit”. When “petty” first came into English it wasn’t used disparagingly, and was used more literally giving us terms like “petty officer” and “petty cash”. The word “petty” evolved into a prefix “petti-” with the meaning of “small”, as in the word “petticoat”.

71. Z’s 10, in Scrabble: Abbr. : PTS

The game of Scrabble has been produced in many international versions, and each of these editions has its own tile distribution to suit the local language. For example, in English we have two tiles worth ten points: one “Q” and one “Z”. If you play the game in French then there are five tiles worth ten points: one “K”, one “W”, one “X”, one “Y” and one “Z”.

Down

1. Therefore : ERGO

“Ergo” is the Latin word for “hence, therefore”.

2. British pop singer Lewis : LEONA

Leona Lewis rocketed to fame after winning the British TV show called “The X Factor” (the show that spawned the UK’s “Pop Idol” and America’s “American Idol”).

5. Lao Tzu principle : TAO

The name of the Chinese character “tao” translates as “path”, but the concept of Taoism signifies the true nature of the world.

Lao Tse (also “Lao-Tzu”) was a central figure in the development of the religion/philosophy of Taoism. Tradition holds that Lao-Tzu wrote the “Tao Te Ching”, a classical Chinese text that is fundamental to the philosophy of Taoism.

7. Justice Dept. arm : ATF

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is today part of the Department of Justice (DOJ). The ATF has its roots in the Department of Treasury dating back to 1886 when it was known as the Bureau of Prohibition. “Explosives” was added to the ATF’s name when the bureau was moved under the Department of Justice (DOJ) as part of the reorganization called for in the Homeland Security Act of 2002.

8. Mom in Middlesex : MATER

“Mater” and “pater” are the Latin words for “mother” and “father”. The Latin terms are sometimes used in the UK informally to refer to parents. The same terms are also used very formally as terms of address in some circles.

Middlesex is a former county in the southeast of England. Most of Middlesex was subsumed into Greater London in 1965, with some smaller parts being transferred to neighboring counties.

9. Sound of bleachers discontent : JEER

At a sports event one might sit in the bleachers. “Bleachers” is a particularly American term used to describe the tiered stands that provide seating for spectators. These seats were originally wooden planks, and as they were uncovered they would be “bleached” by the sun, giving them the name we use today. Sometimes the fans using the bleachers might be referred to as “bleacherites”.

10. Toaster waffle choice : EGGO

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 “Froffles”, the original name chosen by melding “frozen” and “waffles”.

12. Architect I.M. __ : PEI

I. M. Pei (full name: Ieoh Ming Pei) is an exceptional American architect who was born in China. Of Pei’s many wonderful works, my favorite is the renovation of the Louvre in Paris, especially the Glass Pyramid in the courtyard.

13. Par for the course: Abbr. : STD

Standard (std.)

26. Word before toast or after peach : MELBA

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.

Peach Melba is a dessert comprising peaches and raspberry sauce with vanilla ice cream. The dish was the creation of chef Auguste Escoffier, who introduced it at the Savoy Hotel in London in the 1890s in honor of Australian soprano Dame Nellie Melba. Escoffier later developed Melba toast, also in honor of the singer.

27. Like the old bucket of song : OAKEN

“The Old Oaken Bucket” is a poem by American author Samuel Woodworth. The words of the poem were set to music in 1826:

How dear to this heart are the scenes of my childhood,
When fond recollection presents them to view!
The orchard, the meadow, the deep-tangled wild-wood,
And every loved spot which my infancy knew!
The wide-spreading pond, and the mill that stood by it,
The bridge, and the rock where the cataract fell,
The cot of my father, the dairy-house nigh it,
And e’en the rude bucket that hung in the well-
The old oaken bucket, the iron-bound bucket,
The moss-covered bucket which hung in the well.

31. PC brain : CPU

The central processing unit (CPU) is the main component on the motherboard of a computer. The CPU is the part of the computer that carries out most of the functions required by a program. Nowadays you can get CPUs in everything from cars to telephones.

35. Bob of “Fuller House” : SAGET

Bob Saget is a real enigma to me. Saget made a name for himself playing very sugary roles in TV shows like “Full House” and “America’s Funniest Home Videos”, and yet in the world of stand-up comedy he is known for very blue and raunchy routines.

“Fuller House” is a Netflix original series that first aired in 2016. It is a sequel to the hit sitcom “Full House” that aired on network television in the eighties and nineties. Both shows were created by Jeff Franklin. Many of the original cast appear in the sequel, with the notable exception of Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. The now-famous Olsen twins played young Michelle Tanner on “Full House”.

36. Black gem : ONYX

Onyx is a form of quartz that comes in many different shades, but most often it’s the black version that’s used for jewelry. The name “onyx” comes from the Greek word for “fingernail”, as onyx in the flesh color is said to resemble a fingernail.

40. Covert maritime org. : ONI

The Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) is the oldest of the US intelligence services. The ONI was set up in 1882 to determine the state of advancement of foreign naval forces.

42. De __: again : NOVO

“De novo” is Latin for “anew”, and is a term that we use in English with the same meaning.

53. Actress Taylor, familiarly : LIZ

Elizabeth Taylor led what can only be described as a “fabulous” life, especially while married to Richard Burton. Ms. Taylor was very fond of jewelry and she had a few spectacular pieces that were purchased for her by Burton, including the Krupp Diamond, the Taylor-Burton Diamond, and the La Peregrina Pearl. The latter was once owned by Mary I, Queen of England. Burton sought out and found a portrait of the Queen wearing the pearl. He purchased it for his wife, but on discovering that the British National Gallery did not have an original portrait of Queen Mary I, the couple donated the painting. Good for them …

54. Open, as a ski suit : UNZIP

What we know today as a “zipper” was invented by mechanical engineer Whitcomb Judson in 1890, when it was called a “clasp locker”. The device was introduced at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, but was not successful. Several people made improvements to the basic design over the coming decades. By the 1920s, the B. F. Goodrich Company was using the device on a line of rubber boots. It was Goodrich who introduced us to the name “zipper”.

55. 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”.

56. NCO rank : SSGT

Staff sergeant (SSgt)

59. Coop layers : HENS

The Old English word “cypa”, meaning “basket”, evolved in the 14th century to the word “coop” to describe a small cage for poultry. And, we still use that word today.

61. Charlotte of “The Facts of Life” : RAE

Charlotte Rae is an American actress best known for playing the character Edna Garrett on two sitcoms from the seventies and eighties: “Diff’rent Strokes” and “The Facts of Life”. Towards the end of the series, the Edna Garrett character operated her own gourmet food shop called “Edna’s Edibles”.

64. “CSI” evidence : DNA

I’ve always been fascinated by the fact that the DNA of living things is so very similar across different species. Human DNA is almost exactly the same for every individual (to the degree of 99.9%). However, those small differences are sufficient to distinguish one individual from another, and to determine whether or not individuals are close family relatives.

The “CSI” franchise of TV shows has been tremendously successful, but seems to have finally wound down. “CSI: Miami” (the “worst” of the franchise, I think) was cancelled in 2012 after ten seasons. “CSI: NY” (the “best” of the franchise) was cancelled in 2013 after nine seasons. The original “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation”, set in Las Vegas, hung in there until 2015 when it ended with a two-hour TV movie. The youngest show in the series was “CSI: Cyber”. It lasted for two season before being canceled in 2016.

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Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1. Trains with a view of the street below : ELS
4. Second-string squad : B-TEAM
9. Cherokee and Wrangler : JEEPS
14. VCR go-back button : REW
15. 1945 “Big Three” conference city : YALTA
16. “Snowy” bird : EGRET
17. Shunning public utilities and such : GOING OFF THE GRID
20. “Blame It __”: Caine film : ON RIO
21. Continental coin : EURO
22. Even-steven : ALL SQUARE
26. Twelfths of yrs. : MOS
29. “Say what?” responses : HUHS
30. Horror film reaction : SCREAM
33. __ fatso: bit of Archie Bunker language-mangling : IPSO
37. World games org. : IOC
38. Oktoberfest dance : POLKA
39. Respond to cries of “Encore!” : DO ANOTHER NUMBER
43. Delivery doc : OB/GYN
44. Prefix with natal : NEO-
45. Breathe like a hot dog : PANT
46. “You can’t leave this way” sign : NO EXIT
48. Soprano superstar : DIVA
50. Notepad file extension : TXT
51. Is totally in the dark : HAS NO CLUE
56. Classic 900 automaker : SAAB
58. No-brainer : CINCH
60. Where to find the last words of 17-, 22-, 39- and 51-Across : CROSSWORD PUZZLE
66. Cry of dismay from Charlie Brown : AAUGH!
67. Grape holders : VINES
68. McKellen of “X-Men” : IAN
69. Minor, as a complaint : PETTY
70. Online social appointment : E-DATE
71. Z’s 10, in Scrabble: Abbr. : PTS

Down

1. Therefore : ERGO
2. British pop singer Lewis : LEONA
3. Ice cream pattern : SWIRL
4. “Golly!” : BY GOSH!
5. Lao Tzu principle : TAO
6. Helper in Santa’s workshop : ELF
7. Justice Dept. arm : ATF
8. Mom in Middlesex : MATER
9. Sound of bleachers discontent : JEER
10. Toaster waffle choice : EGGO
11. Goof : ERR
12. Architect I.M. __ : PEI
13. Par for the course: Abbr. : STD
18. Zero, in soccer : NIL
19. Color variations : HUES
23. Storm out of work for good : QUIT
24. “Oops!” : UH-OH!
25. Climbs : ASCENDS
26. Word before toast or after peach : MELBA
27. Like the old bucket of song : OAKEN
28. Intelligent : SMART
31. PC brain : CPU
32. Easy victory : ROMP
33. “__ get it” : I DON’T
34. Mail dely. compartment : PO BOX
35. Bob of “Fuller House” : SAGET
36. Black gem : ONYX
40. Covert maritime org. : ONI
41. Equestrian strap : REIN
42. De __: again : NOVO
47. Melt : THAW
49. Point a finger at : ACCUSE
52. Below’s opposite : ABOVE
53. Actress Taylor, familiarly : LIZ
54. Open, as a ski suit : UNZIP
55. Brilliant display : ECLAT
56. NCO rank : SSGT
57. Like used fireplaces : ASHY
59. Coop layers : HENS
60. Baseball hat : CAP
61. Charlotte of “The Facts of Life” : RAE
62. On a date, say : OUT
63. Unburdened (of) : RID
64. “CSI” evidence : DNA
65. Family dog, e.g. : PET

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