LA Times Crossword Answers 23 Feb 2018, Friday

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Constructed by: Jeffrey Wechsler
Edited by: Rich Norris

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Today’s Theme: As Necessary

In order to arrive at today’s themed answers it is NECESSARY to insert the letters AS into a common phrase:

  • 55A. When required … or a terse hint to solving the starred clues : AS NECESSARY
  • 17A. *Dog that really needs a bath? : GREASY HOUND (AS in “greyhound”)
  • 22A. *Donkey that has mastered the hurdles? : JUMPING JACKASS (AS in “jumping jacks”)
  • 32A. *Holiday employment schedule in “Animal Farm”? : ALL BEASTS ARE OFF (AS in “all bets are off”)
  • 47A. *Offer to acquire a rising agent? : I’LL GET YOU YEAST (AS in “I’ll get you yet”)

Bill’s time: 8m 19s

Bill’s errors: 0

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Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1. Med. recording : ECG

An EKG measures electrical activity in the heart. Back in my homeland of Ireland, an EKG is known as an ECG (for electrocardiogram). We use the German name in the US, Elektrokardiogramm, giving us EKG. Apparently the abbreviation EKG is preferred as ECG might be confused (if poorly handwritten, I guess) with EEG, the abbreviation for an electroencephalogram.

4. Type sizes : PICAS

A pica is a unit of measure used in typography. One pica is equivalent to 1/6 of an inch. Also, each pica unit contains 12 points.

13. __ Post: Nassau County, N.Y. school : LIU

LIU Post is more formally known as the C. W. Post Campus of Long Island University. Located in Brookville in Nassau County, it is the largest campus of Long Island University (LIU). LIU Post was built on the Long Island estate owned by heiress and socialite Marjorie Merriweather Post, who was the daughter of breakfast cereal pioneer C. W. Post.

14. Spectacle : 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”.

16. Letters on a communications corp. logo : ATT

The original AT&T Corporation was known as the American Telephone and Telegraph Company, hence the contemporary abbreviation.

17. *Dog that really needs a bath? : GREASY HOUND (AS in “greyhound”)

Greyhound dogs were originally bred for coursing game, and today are bred for greyhound racing. Coursing is the pursuit of game by sight, rather than scent. As such, coursing dogs like greyhounds are often referred to as “sighthounds”.

19. The Gray Lady of the press: Abbr. : NYT

“The New York Times” (NYT) has been published since 1851, and is sometimes referred to as “the Gray Lady”. These days a viable alternative to buying the paper is to read the news online. NYTimes.com is the most popular online newspaper website in the country.

20. Exile of 1979 : AMIN

Idi Amin received most of his military training in the British armed forces, eventually achieving the highest rank possible for a Black African in the British Colonial Army in 1959, that of Warrant Officer. On his return to Uganda Amin joined his country’s military and quickly rose to the rank of Deputy Commander of the Army. During that time he was quite the athlete. He was a noted rugby player and swimmer, and for nine years held the Ugandan national light-heavyweight boxing title. By the early seventies, Amin was commander of all the armed forces of Uganda and in 1971 seized power in a military coup, displacing the country’s president Milton Obote. There followed seven years of brutal rule by Amin during which it is estimated that between 100,000 and 500,000 people were murdered. Amin was ousted from power in 1979 after a war with Tanzania, and fled to Libya where he stayed for a year. He then moved to Saudi Arabia, where he was financially supported by the Saudi Royal Family for the remainder of his life. Amin died in 2003.

21. Els on greens : ERNIE

Ernie Els is a South African golfer. Els a big guy but he has an easy fluid golf swing that has earned him the nickname “The Big Easy”. He is a former World No. 1 and has won four majors: the US Open (1994 & 1997) and the British Open (2002 & 2012).

22. *Donkey that has mastered the hurdles? : JUMPING JACKASS (AS in “jumping jacks”)

A female donkey is known as a jenny, and a male is known as a jack, or sometimes a “jackass”. We started using the term “jackass” to mean “fool” in the 1820s.
The original jumping jack was a child’s toy. It is a figure, generally made from wood, that has jointed limbs. The limbs can be made to “jump” by pulling on a string. The physical exercise known as a jumping jack takes its name from the toy, due to the similarity in motion of the arms and legs.

26. AB negative, among blood types : RAREST

Here is an approximate distribution of blood types across the US population:

  • O-positive: 38 percent
  • O-negative: 7 percent
  • A-positive: 34 percent
  • A-negative: 6 percent
  • B-positive: 9 percent
  • B-negative: 2 percent
  • AB-positive: 3 percent
  • AB-negative: 1 percent

27. Cockpit no. : ALT

Altitude (alt.)

29. Big Ben feature : DIAL

Big Ben is the name commonly used for the large bell in the Clock Tower of the Palace of Westminster (aka the Houses of Parliament). Big Ben’s official name is the Great Bell, and there is some debate about the origins of the nickname. It may be named after Sir Benjamin Hall who oversaw the bell’s installation, or perhaps the English heavyweight champion of the day Benjamin Caunt. Big Ben fell silent in 2017 to make way four years of maintenance and repair work to the clock’s mechanism and the tower.

30. Odysseus’ faithful dog : ARGOS

According to Homer’s “Odyssey”, Argos is a dog, and the faithful companion of Odysseus. Odysseus leaves his home, and his dog, for twenty years to wage battle in Troy. When Odysseus returns, he must enter his house disguised as a beggar in order to rescue his wife Penelope from unwelcome suitors. Odysseus sees his dog, neglected, lying on a pile of manure and close to death. Much as he wants to comfort the dog, Odysseus maintains his disguise and ignores Argos. The dog just manages to wag his tail on seeing his master’s return, but has not the strength to greet him. As Odysseus enters his house, Argos dies.

32. *Holiday employment schedule in “Animal Farm”? : ALL BEASTS ARE OFF (AS in “all bets are off”)

“Animal Farm” is a 1945 novella written by George Orwell, a satire of life in the Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin. Orwell had trouble getting his novel published in his homeland of the UK during WWII, as anti-Soviet literature wasn’t a good thing to publish while the UK and USSR were on the same side of a World War. In fact, one publisher who was willing to distribute the book changed his mind after being warned off by the British Ministry of Information. Given his experiences, I find it interesting that Orwell should write “Nineteen Eighty-Four” a few years later, and introduce the world to Big Brother.

39. Friend of d’Artagnan : ATHOS

Alexandre Dumas’ “Three Musketeers” are Athos, Porthos and Aramis, although the hero of the novel is the trio’s young protégé D’Artagnan. A musketeer was an infantry soldier who was equipped with a musket. Funnily enough, the three “musketeers” really don’t use their muskets, and are better known for prowess with their swords.

40. Unsullied : PURE

To sully is to stain, tarnish. The term is often used in the context of sullying or tarnishing a reputation.

41. One-fifth of MD : CCC

In Roman numerals, one-fifth of MD (1500) is CCC (300).

45. Any Beatle, say : BRITON

The Beatles went through quite an evolution of names and band members. The evolution of band names was the Blackjacks, the Quarrymen, Johnny & the Moondogs, Beatals, the Silver Beetles, the Silver Beatles and finally the Beatles.

47. *Offer to acquire a rising agent? : I’LL GET YOU YEAST (AS in “I’ll get you yet”)

Yeasts are unicellular microorganisms in the Fungi kingdom. The species of yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been used for centuries in the making of wine and beer, and in breadmaking. Saccharomyces cerevisiae converts carbohydrates into carbon dioxide and alcohol in the process of fermentation. When making beer and wine, the carbon dioxide and alcohol may be captured by the liquid. When making bread, the carbon dioxide and alcohol is driven off by heat.

52. Greatly reduced sea : ARAL

The Aral Sea is a great example of how man can have a devastating effect on his environment. In the early sixties the Aral Sea covered 68,000 square miles of Central Asia. Soviet irrigation projects drained the lake to such an extent that today the total area is less than 7,000 square miles, with 90% of the lake now completely dry. Sad …

58. Where Simone Biles won four golds : RIO

Simone Biles holds the record for the most gold medals won by an American gymnast in a single Olympic Games. She achieved the feat at the 2016 games held in Rio.

59. Welsh actor Roger : REES

Roger Rees was a Welsh actor. Rees played the character Robin Colcord on “Cheers”, the posh love interest for Rebecca Howe played by Kirstie Alley. Rees also appeared periodically on “The West Wing” as the marvelously flamboyant and eccentric Lord John Marbury, the British Ambassador.

60. Subway entrance : STILE

A stile is a structure allowing people to pass over or through a fence, while at the same time preventing livestock from escaping. The derivative term “turnstile” describes a revolving structure in a wall or fence that allows the controlled passage of people.

61. Lake Mich. state : IND

Of the five Great Lakes, Lake Michigan is the only one that is located totally within the US. The others are shared by the US and Canada.

63. Thompson of “Creed” : TESSA

Tessa Thompson is an actress from Los Angeles who is known for playing the supporting role of Jackie Cook on the TV show “Veronica Mars”, and for playing student leader Diane Nash in the 2014 film “Selma”.
“Creed” is a 2015 boxing movie, the seventh in the “Rocky” franchise. Sylvester Stallone returns as Rocky Balboa, but this time as a trainer. Rocky trains Apollo Creed’s son Adonis. Stallone was nominated for an Oscar for his supporting role in the film. It was the first Academy Award nomination he had received since the first “Rocky” film, which was released almost forty years earlier.

64. Org. with a tee in its logo : PGA

The Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) was founded in 1916 and today has its headquarters (unsurprisingly) in Florida, where so many golfers live. Back in 1916, the PGA was based in New York City.

Down

1. Joie de vivre : ELAN

“Joie de vivre” means “joy of living” in French. We use the phrase to mean the happy, carefree enjoyment of life, like when we finish our crossword puzzles …

6. Sound on some San Francisco streets : CLANG

The Cable Car Museum in San Francisco is a little special in that it is housed in the same complex as the city’s cable car power house. While touring the museum, visitors can look out over the power house and see the huge haulage cables heading out to the streets to pull the cars up all of those steep hills.

9. “__ very hard, and … play very hard”: Maya Angelou : I WORK

Maya Angelou is an African-American autobiographer and poet. Angelou recited her poem “On the Pulse of Morning” at the inauguration of President Clinton in 1983. Here are some words of wisdom from the great lady:

I work very hard, and I play very hard. I’m grateful for life. And I live it – I believe life loves the liver of it. I live it.

10. Regional animal groups : FAUNAS

The fauna is the animal life of a particular region, and the flora is that region’s plant life. The term “fauna” comes from the Roman goddess of earth and fertility who was called Fauna. Flora was the Roman goddess of plants, flowers and fertility.

11. “Forrest Gump” actor : SINISE

Actor Gary Sinise was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for playing Lieutenant Dan Taylor in the 1994 film “Forrest Gump”. Sinise then played the lead in television’s “CSI: NY” starting in 2004. Sinise was awarded the Presidential Citizens Medal by President Bush for his work helping Iraqi school children as well as his work with the USO.

The epic 1994 movie “Forrest Gump” is based on a 1986 novel of the same name by Winston Groom. Groom said that he had envisioned John Goodman playing the title role, and not Tom Hanks.

18. Bully : HECTOR

The verb “to hector” means “to bully, to dominate in a blustering way”. The term comes from the Trojan hero Hector, who encouraged his fellow Trojans to keep up the fight against the Greeks.I guess he must have bullied them …

23. __ toast : 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.

25. Bit of aquatic life : ALGA

Algae are similar to terrestrial plants in that they use photosynthesis to create sugars from light and carbon dioxide, but they differ in that they have simpler anatomies, and for example lack roots.

26. Nutritional fig. : RDA

Recommended Daily Allowances (RDAs) were introduced during WWII, and were replaced by Recommended Daily Intakes (RDIs) in 1997.

30. Cadillac compact : ATS

The Cadillac model known as the ATS is so called because it is an “A-Series Touring Sedan”.

31. Hue of many Renaissance drawings : SEPIA

Sepia is that rich, brown-grey color so common in old photographs. “Sepia” is the Latinized version of the Greek word for cuttlefish, as sepia pigment is derived from the ink sac of the cuttlefish. Sepia ink was commonly used for writing and drawing as far back as Ancient Rome and Ancient Greece. The “sepia tone” of old photographs is not the result of deterioration over time. Rather, it is the result of a deliberate preservation process which converts the metallic silver in the photographic image to a more stable silver sulfide. Prints that have been sepia-toned can last in excess of 150 years.

34. “Cat on __ Tin Roof” : A HOT

“Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” is the play that won Tennessee Williams the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1955. The play was adapted into a famous film version in 1958, with Elizabeth Taylor and Paul Newman playing the leads.

35. Xperia maker : SONY

The Xperia is a line of smartphones that Sony has been making since 2008. The company introduced Xperia tablets in 2012. The name “Xperia” is formed from the English word “experience”.

41. Pleasures shared by Churchill and Castro : CIGARS

Tiruchirappalli Is a city located about 200 miles south of Chennai, India. The Tiruchirappalli name is perhaps most familiar internationally due to the Trichinopoly cigar, which was a major export from the city in the 19th century. Winston Churchill was a fan of Black Tiger brand Trichinopoly cigars.
Cuban leader Fidel Castro smoked the Cohiba brand of cigar, which comes from his native land. The cigars made for Castro and his top officials were produced under conditions of tight security. Apparently, back in the early sixties, the CIA actually worked on the development of exploding cigars as a means of assassination.

42. It might be stuffed at home : CLOSET

In Old French a “clos” was an enclosure, with the diminutive form “closet” describing a small enclosure or private room. Over time this evolved into our modern usage, to describe a cabinet or cupboard.

49. Refreshing spot : OASIS

An isolated area of vegetation in a desert is called an oasis (plural “oases”). As water is needed for plant growth, an oasis might also include a spring, pond or small lake. We use the term “oasis” more generally to describe a haven, a place of rest.

50. Range with one end in Kazakhstan : URALS

The eastern side of the Ural Mountains in Russia and Kazakhstan is generally regarded as the natural divide between the continents of Europe and Asia.
The Republic of Kazakhstan in Central Asia is the world’s largest landlocked country. Kazakhstan was also the last of the former Soviet Republics (SSRs) to declare itself independent from Russia.

54. Small figure wielding much force? : YODA

Yoda is one of the most beloved characters of the “Star Wars” series of films. Yoda’s voice is provided by the great modern-day puppeteer Frank Oz of “Muppets” fame.

57. Jeanne d’Arc, e.g.: Abbr. : STE

Joan of Arc (also “Jeanne d’Arc”, her birth name) led the French Army successfully into battle a number of times during the Hundred Years War with England. When she was eventually captured, Joan was tried in Rouen, the seat of the occupying English government in France at that time. There she was burned at the stake having been found guilty of heresy. In fact, after the fire died down, the executioner raked the coals to display the charred body, proving Joan had died, and then burned the corpse again, twice, so that relics could not be collected. The remaining ashes were then cast into the Seine River. Joan of Arc was canonized some 600 years later, in 1920, and is now one of the patron saints of France.

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Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1. Med. recording : ECG
4. Type sizes : PICAS
9. “__, then … ” : IF SO
13. __ Post: Nassau County, N.Y. school : LIU
14. Spectacle : ECLAT
15. Haunted house sound : WAIL
16. Letters on a communications corp. logo : ATT
17. *Dog that really needs a bath? : GREASY HOUND (AS in “greyhound”)
19. The Gray Lady of the press: Abbr. : NYT
20. Exile of 1979 : AMIN
21. Els on greens : ERNIE
22. *Donkey that has mastered the hurdles? : JUMPING JACKASS (AS in “jumping jacks”)
26. AB negative, among blood types : RAREST
27. Cockpit no. : ALT
28. Prepared : SET
29. Big Ben feature : DIAL
30. Odysseus’ faithful dog : ARGOS
32. *Holiday employment schedule in “Animal Farm”? : ALL BEASTS ARE OFF (AS in “all bets are off”)
39. Friend of d’Artagnan : ATHOS
40. Unsullied : PURE
41. One-fifth of MD : CCC
44. Swindle : CON
45. Any Beatle, say : BRITON
47. *Offer to acquire a rising agent? : I’LL GET YOU YEAST (AS in “I’ll get you yet”)
51. Give one final flicker : GO OUT
52. Greatly reduced sea : ARAL
53. Old possessive : THY
55. When required … or a terse hint to solving the starred clues : AS NECESSARY
58. Where Simone Biles won four golds : RIO
59. Welsh actor Roger : REES
60. Subway entrance : STILE
61. Lake Mich. state : IND
62. Criteria: Abbr. : STDS
63. Thompson of “Creed” : TESSA
64. Org. with a tee in its logo : PGA

Down

1. Joie de vivre : ELAN
2. Lockup : CITY JAIL
3. Throaty : GUTTURAL
4. Hunter’s need : PERMIT
5. Trap during winter : ICE IN
6. Sound on some San Francisco streets : CLANG
7. Small batteries : AAS
8. Muddy abode : STY
9. “__ very hard, and … play very hard”: Maya Angelou : I WORK
10. Regional animal groups : FAUNAS
11. “Forrest Gump” actor : SINISE
12. Most stale : OLDEST
17. Voids : GAPS
18. Bully : HECTOR
23. __ toast : MELBA
24. Baby food array : JARS
25. Bit of aquatic life : ALGA
26. Nutritional fig. : RDA
30. Cadillac compact : ATS
31. Hue of many Renaissance drawings : SEPIA
33. Long list substitute, briefly : ETC ETC
34. “Cat on __ Tin Roof” : A HOT
35. Xperia maker : SONY
36. Best : OUTSTRIP
37. Causing to foam : FROTHING
38. Marshy expanse : FEN
41. Pleasures shared by Churchill and Castro : CIGARS
42. It might be stuffed at home : CLOSET
43. Like one who is beside oneself? : CLONED
45. How land prices are often calculated : BY AREA
46. Lean (on) : RELY
48. Stab : GUESS
49. Refreshing spot : OASIS
50. Range with one end in Kazakhstan : URALS
54. Small figure wielding much force? : YODA
56. Del. winter hrs. : EST
57. Jeanne d’Arc, e.g.: Abbr. : STE

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