LA Times Crossword Answers 6 May 2018, Sunday

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Constructed by: Pam Amick Klawitter
Edited by: Rich Norris

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Today’s Theme: Where Have You Gone?

Today’s themed answers are common phrases in which a letter U is “GONE”:

  • 27A. Soil expert’s observations? : CLOD FORMATIONS (from “cloud formations”)
  • 44A. Contest where anglers compete while jogging on the shore? : TROT FISHING (from “trout fishing”)
  • 68A. Where all the Aberdeen lads get together? : BOY SCOT JAMBOREE (from “boy scout jamboree”)
  • 93A. Knee-socks, essentially : HALFWAY HOSE (from “halfway house”)
  • 113A. Adventurous Centennial State motto? : BOLDER COLORADO (from “Boulder, Colorado”)
  • 14D. Like the studio forced to quit making 007 movies? : OUT OF BONDS (from “out of bounds”)
  • 73D. How some insects get their news? : WORD OF MOTH (from “word of mouth”)

Bill’s time: 20m 19s

Bill’s errors: 0

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Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1. Hogwarts’ Mrs. Norris is one : CAT

In the “Harry Potter” universe, Mrs. Norris is a cat belonging to Argus Filch, the caretaker of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Filch is an ill-tempered and nosey fellow, and Mrs. Norris acts as a spy for him.

4. Long-dist. threat : ICBM

An Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) is a ballistic missile with the range necessary to cross between continents. Being ballistic (unlike a cruise missile), an ICBM is guided during the initial launch phase, but later in flight just relies on thrust and gravity to arrive at its target. It is defined as intercontinental as it has a range greater than 3,500 miles. ICBMs are really only used for delivering nuclear warheads. Scary stuff …

17. Wearer of hot pants? : LIAR

The full rhyme used by children to deride someone not telling the truth is:

Liar, liar, pants on fire,
Hang them up on the telephone wire.

The rhyme is the source of the title for the 1997 Jim Carrey comedy “Liar Liar”. “Liar Liar” is an amusing film about a lawyer who finds himself only able to tell the truth and cannot tell a lie, all because his son made a birthday wish.

19. Milhous : Nixon :: __ : Garfield : ABRAM

President Richard Milhous Nixon (RMN) used “Milhous” in his name in honor of his mother Hannah Milhous. Richard was born in a house in Yorba Linda, California. You can visit that house today as it is on the grounds of the Richard Nixon Presidential Library. It’s a really interesting way to spend a few hours if you ever get to Yorba Linda …

President James Abram Garfield was born in Orange Township in Ohio, the youngest son of Abram Garfield. Abram had moved from New York to Ohio specifically to court his childhood sweetheart Mehitabel Ballou. When Abram arrived in Ohio, however, he found that Mehitabel had already married. Abram did manage to join the Ballou family though, as he eventually married Mehitabel’s sister Eliza.

21. Goosebump-inducing : EERIE

The terms “goosebumps” and “goose flesh” come from the fact that skin which is cold can look like the flesh of a plucked goose.

22. Big wind : TUBA

The tuba is the lowest-pitched of all the brass instruments, and one of the most recent additions to the modern symphony orchestra (usually there is just one tuba included in an orchestral line-up). “Tuba” is the Latin word for “trumpet, horn”. Oom-pah-pah …

23. One of the British? : ISLE

The British Isles comprise over six thousand islands off the northwest coast of Europe, the two largest being the islands of Great Britain and Ireland. Back in my homeland, the Republic of Ireland, we’re not too fond of the term “British Isles”, as it tends to awaken memories of the Norman invasion and the Tudor conquest. We tend to go with the term “Britain and Ireland”.

24. Progressive rival : GEICO

GEICO was founded in 1936 with a very specific mission, to provide auto insurance for employees of the federal government and their families, hence the name Government Employees Insurance Company (GEICO). GEICO is a private company, despite the word “government” in its name. The founders’ idea was to focus on government employees as they believed such a group represented a lower risk profile than the rest of the population. Nowadays any qualifying person can take out a policy with GEICO.

25. Common sights on Roman roads : FIATS

Fiat is the largest car manufacturer in Italy, and is headquartered in Turin in the Piedmont region in the north of the country. Fiat was founded in 1899 by Giovanni Agnelli, when the company’s name was “Fabbrica Italiana di Automobili Torino” (FIAT). A few years ago, Fiat became the majority shareholder in Chrysler.

26. Louisiane, par exemple : ETAT

In French, Louisiana (Louisiane) is a state (état).

The French explorer René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle claimed the Mississippi River basin for France in 1682. He named the region “La Louisiane” in honor of Louis XIV, who was King of France at that time. It is from “La Louisiane” that we get the state name “Louisiana”.

32. Alaska’s __ Peninsula : KENAI

The Kenai Peninsula juts out into the Gulf of Alaska from Alaska’s southern coast. The Kenai Peninsula is home to several towns, including Homer, Alaska. Homer is nicknamed “the end of the road” as it is a terminus for North America’s paved highway system. The peninsula is also home to Kenai Fjords National Park.

36. Pixar clownfish : NEMO

“Finding Nemo” is a 2003 animated blockbuster from Pixar. The film was the winner of the Oscar that year for Best Animated Feature. Believe it or not, “Finding Nemo” is the best-selling DVD of all time and, until 2010’s “Toy Story 3”, it was the highest-grossing, G-rated movie at the box office.

39. Grafton’s “__ for Outlaw” : O IS

Sue Grafton wrote detective novels, and her “alphabet series” feature the private investigator Kinsey Millhone. She started off with “A Is for Alibi” in 1982 and worked her way up to “U is for Undertow” before she passed away in 2017.

40. Tiny shape-shifters : AMOEBAS

An ameba (or “amoeba”, as we spell it back in Ireland) is a single-celled microorganism. The name comes from the Greek “amoibe”, meaning change. The name is quite apt, as the cell changes shape readily as the ameba moves, eats and reproduces.

44. Contest where anglers compete while jogging on the shore? : TROT FISHING (from “trout fishing”)

We use the verb “to angle” to mean “to fish” because “angel” was an Old English word meaning “hook”.

51. Tokyo sash : OBI

The sash worn as part of traditional Japanese dress is known as an obi. The obi can be tied at the back in what is called a butterfly knot. The term “obi” is also used for the thick cotton belts that are an essential part of the outfits worn by practitioners of many martial arts. The color of the martial arts obi signifies the wearer’s skill level.

52. Debtor’s list : IOUS

I owe you (IOU)

54. Sumatran swingers : ORANGS

Orangutans (also “orangs”) are arboreal creatures, in fact the largest arboreal animals known to man. They are native to Indonesia and Malaysia, and live in the rainforests. Like most species in rainforests these days, orangutans are endangered, with only two species surviving. The word “orangutan” is Malay, meaning “man of the forest”.

Sumatra is a very large island in western Indonesia. It is the sixth largest island in the world and home to 22% of the country’s population.

56. It might be square : KNOT

The granny knot is related to the reef knot (sometimes “square knot”) in that both are doubled overhand knots. The granny knot is formed by tying two left-handed (or two right-handed) overhand knots. The reef knot is formed by tying a right-handed and then a left-handed overhand knot (or vice versa). As a former sailor, I can attest that it is important to use a reef knot rather than a granny knot, as a granny knot is very difficult to untie whereas a reef knot is secure, yet can be released relatively easily.

57. Sudoku box fillers: Abbr. : NOS

Number puzzles similar to our modern-day Sudoku first appeared in French newspapers in the late 1800s. The format that we use today was created by Howard Garns, a 74-year-old freelance puzzle constructor from Connersville, Indiana and first published in 1979. The format was introduced in Japan in 1984 and given the title of “Sūji wa dokushin ni kagiru”, which translates to “the digits are limited to one occurrence”. The rather elaborate Japanese title was eventually shortened to Sudoku. No doubt many of you are fans of Sudoku puzzles. I know I am …

58. Tennis garb : SKORTS

The garment called a “skort” is a hybrid between shorts and a skirt.

60. Penetrating wind : OBOE

When you hear an orchestra tuning before a performance, you’ll note (pun!) that the oboe starts off the process by playing an “A”. The rest of the musicians in turn tune to that oboe’s “A”.

61. Steffi’s tennis-playing spouse : ANDRE

Retired tennis professional Andre Agassi has been married to fellow player Steffi Graf since 2001. Agassi wrote an autobiography called “Open”, published in 2009. An amazing revelation in the book is that Agassi’s famous head of hair was actually a wig for much of his playing career. Can you imagine how hard it must have been to play tennis at his level with a rug stuck on?

68. Where all the Aberdeen lads get together? : BOY SCOT JAMBOREE (from “boy scout jamboree”)

A jamboree is a very large gathering of scouts from around the country, and sometimes from around the world. The exact etymology of “jamboree” is much debated, but it is likely to be a term coined by Lord Baden-Powell, the founder of the scouting movement. Baden-Powell lived in Africa for many years and so many think that the term is based on “jambo”, the Swahili word for “hello”.

The Scottish city of Aberdeen is located amidst plentiful supplies of granite that were actively quarried until the 1970s. Many local buildings incorporate the granite in their structure. Aberdeen granite is especially prized for its high levels of mica, which can cause the stone to sparkle like silver. It’s no surprise then, that the list of Aberdeen’s nicknames includes “Granite City” and “Silver City”.

72. Logo on many sneakers : SWOOSH

I remember seeing a lady named Carolyn Davidson on the television show “I’ve Got a Secret”. Davidson created the Nike “swoosh” back in 1971 when she was a design student at Portland State. She did it as freelance work for Blue Ribbon Sports, a local company introducing a new line of athletic footwear. The “swoosh” is taken from the wing of the Greek goddess of victory, Nike. Years later, BRS changed its name to Nike, so I suppose the company should be grateful to Carolyn for both the great design, and a great company name.

79. Coral Sea sight : ATOLL

An atoll is a coral island that is shaped in a ring and enclosing a lagoon. There is still some debate as to how an atoll forms, but a theory proposed by Charles Darwin while on his famous voyage aboard HMS Beagle still holds sway. Basically an atoll was once a volcanic island that had subsided and fallen into the sea. The coastline of the island is home to coral growth which persists even as the island continues to subside internal to the circling coral reef.

The Coral Sea is part of the South Pacific Ocean lying off the northeast coast of Australia. It is home to the renowned Great Barrier Reef.

80. She plays Hermione in “Harry Potter” films : EMMA

Emma Watson is the English actress famous for playing Hermione Granger in the “Harry Potter” series of movies. Watson continued her education while pursuing her acting career and studied at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island.

83. Big-headed club : DRIVER

That would be golf.

86. Spanish muralist : SERT

José Maria Sert was a painter of murals from Catalan. He was a good friend of fellow-artist Salvador Dali.

89. It feels like forever : AEON

Geological time is divided into a number of units of varying lengths. These are, starting from the largest:

  • supereon
  • eon (also “aeon”)
  • era
  • period
  • epoch
  • age

90. IRS enforcers : T-MEN

A T-man is a law-enforcement agent of the US Treasury (T is for “Treasury”).

91. “Mansplain” was added to it in Jan. 2018 : OED

Oxford English Dictionary (OED)

If a man explains something in a condescending manner to a woman, he is said to be “mansplaining”, a portmanteau of “man” and “explaining”.

92. Reward units : MILES

Those would be loyalty rewards earned by passengers flying particular airlines.

93. Knee-socks, essentially : HALFWAY HOSE (from “halfway house”)

The word “hose” meaning “covering for the leg” has the same roots as the contemporary German word “Hose” meaning “trousers, pants”.

96. Jupiter’s locale : FLORIDA

Jupiter is a seaside town in Florida, in Palm Beach County and in the Miami metropolitan area. The town is named for the Hobe people that lived nearby. The Spanish wrote this as “Jobe”, and this was mistakenly recorded as “Jove” by mapmakers and others. As “Jove” is the Latin name for the god Jupiter, we arrived at today’s name for the town.

98. Bad in Barcelona : MAL

Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain, after the capital Madrid. Barcelona is the largest European city that sits on the Mediterranean coast. It is also the capital city of the autonomous community of Catalonia.

106. K, to Kay : KARAT

A karat (also “carat”, the spelling outside of North America) is a measure of the purity of gold alloys, with 24-karat representing pure gold.

Kay Jewelers is perhaps the most famous store brand owned by Sterling Jewelers. Sterling is the largest fine jewelry chain in the country, with the company’s main competitor being Zale Corporation.

113. Adventurous Centennial State motto? : BOLDER COLORADO (from “Boulder, Colorado”)

The Colorado city of Boulder is located in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains about 25 miles northwest of Denver. Boulder is a college town, and is home to the main campus of the University of Colorado.

The Territory of Colorado became a US state in 1876, just 28 days after the nation’s centennial celebration. As a result, Colorado is nicknamed “the Centennial State”.

116. Greek love god : EROS

Eros, the Greek god of love, gives rise to our word “erotic”, meaning “arousing sexual desire”. Eros was referred to in Latin as both Amor (meaning “love”) and Cupid (meaning “desire”).

121. __ noire : BETE

“Bête noire” translates from French as “black beast”, and is used in English to describe something or someone that is disliked.

122. Barbie’s original bestie : MIDGE

Midge Hadley was doll created to as the best friend of Mattel’s famed “Barbie”. Midge was introduced as a “more wholesome” character in order to counteract criticism that Barbie was “too sexy” for young girls.

123. Rx : SCRIP

There seems to some uncertainty about the origin of the symbol “Rx” that’s used for a medical prescription. One explanation is that it comes from the astrological sign for Jupiter, a symbol put on prescriptions in days of old to invoke Jupiter’s blessing to help a patient recover.

124. Ward of “Sisters” : SELA

The actress Sela Ward turns up in crosswords a lot. Ward played Teddy Reed in the TV show “Sisters” in the nineties, and was in “Once and Again” from 1999-2002. I don’t know either show, but I do know Ward from the medical drama “House” in which she played the hospital’s lawyer and Greg House’s ex-partner. That was a fun role, I thought. More recently Ward played a lead role on “CSI: NY” and was a very welcome and much-needed addition to the cast …

127. Detective Dick’s love : TESS

In the “Dick Tracy” comic strip, Tess Trueheart was Dick’s love interest and later his wife (and still his love interest, I am sure!).

128. King of Spain : REY

“El rey” is Spanish for “the king”.

Down

3. Prey grabber : TALON

A talon is a claw of a bird of prey. The term ultimately derives from “talus”, the Latin word for “ankle”.

4. Scheming Shakespearean soldier : IAGO

Iago is the schemer in Shakespeare’s “Othello”. He is a soldier who fought alongside Othello and feels hard done by, missing out on promotion. Iago hatches a plot designed to discredit his rival Cassio by insinuating that Cassio is having an affair with Desdemona, Othello’s wife.

5. Trucker, often : CBER

A CBer is someone who operates a citizens’ band (CB) radio. In 1945, the FCC set aside certain radio frequencies for the personal use of citizens. The use of the Citizens’ Band increased throughout the seventies as advances in electronics brought down the size of transceivers and their cost. There aren’t many CB radios sold these days though, as they have largely been replaced by cell phones.

7. Rain forest parrot : MACAW

Macaws are beautifully colored birds of native to Central and South America, and are actually a type of parrot. Most species of macaw are now endangered, with several having become extinct in recent decades. The main threats are deforestation and illegal trapping and trafficking of exotic birds.

9. Bit attachments : REINS

The type of horse tack known as a bit is placed in a horse’s mouth and is used to aid communication of instruction from rider to mount. The bit is held in place by means of a bridle around the head, and is controlled by the rider using the attached reins.

11. Island in the stream : AIT

Aits are little islands found in a river. Aits aren’t formed by erosion, but by the deposition of silt over time. As a result, aits often have a long and narrow shape running parallel to the banks as the sediment builds up with the flow of the water. Many of the islands in the River Thames in England have been given the name “Ait”, like Raven’s Ait in Kingston-upon-Thames, and Lot’s Ait in Brentford.

12. Barracks break : MESS

“Mess” first came into English about 1300, when it described the list of food needed for a meal. The term comes from the Old French word “mes” meaning a portion of food or a course at a meal. This usage in English evolved into “mess” meaning a jumbled mass of anything, from the concept of “mixed food”. The original usage, in the sense of a food for a meal, surfaced again in the military in the 1500s when a “mess” was a communal eating place.

13. Paul’s “Ebony and Ivory” partner : STEVIE

“Ebony and Ivory” is a hit song written by Paul McCartney, and recorded by him with Stevie Wonder in 1982. The song uses the image of the ebony and ivory keys on a piano to symbolize racial integration and harmony.

14. Like the studio forced to quit making 007 movies? : OUT OF BONDS (from “out of bounds”)

The character James Bond was the creation of writer Ian Fleming. Fleming “stole” the James Bond name from an American ornithologist. The number 007 was “stolen” from the real-life, 16th century English spy called John Dee. Dee would sign his reports to Queen Elizabeth I with a stylized “007” to indicate that the reports were for “her eyes only”. There’s an entertaining miniseries that aired on BBC America called “Fleming: The Man Who Would Be Bond” that details Ian Fleming’s military career, and draws some nice parallels between Fleming’s experiences and aspirations and those of his hero James Bond. Recommended …

16. Bodybuilder’s pride : LATS

The muscles known as the “lats” are the latissimi dorsi, the broadest muscles in the back. “Latissimus” is the Latin for “broadest” and “dorsum” is Latin for “back”.

18. Tiny stingers : RED ANTS

Fire ants are stinging ants, and many species are known as “red ants”. Most stinging ants bite their prey and then spray acid on the wound. The fire ant, however, bites to hold on and then injects an alkaloid venom from its abdomen, creating a burning sensation in humans who have been nipped.

28. Feudal land : FIEF

Feudalism was a legal and military system that flourished in medieval Europe. Central to the system were the concepts of lords, vassals and fiefs. Lords would grant fiefs (land or rights) to vassals in exchange for allegiance and service.

29. Architect Jones : INIGO

Inigo Jones was a British architect, and a native of London. The most famous Jones’s design is probably London’s Covent Garden Square.

34. Ugli, for one : TANGELO

The fruit called a tangelo is a hybrid between a tangerine and either a grapefruit or a pomelo (which gives its the name). A pomelo is a very large, pear-shaped citrus fruit native to Southeast Asia. The Jamaican form of tangelo is known as the ugli fruit.

The ugli fruit is a hybrid of an orange and a tangerine that was first discovered growing wild in Jamaica where most ugli fruit comes from today. “UGLI” is a trademark name that is a variant of “ugly”, a nod to the fruits unsightly wrinkled rind.

37. Doctored drinks : MICKEYS

A Mickey Finn (sometimes just “Mickey”) is a drink that has been doctored with an incapacitating drug. It’s said that the original “Mickey Finn” was was a bartender at the Lone Star Saloon in Chicago around 1900. According to reports in local newspapers, said Mickey Finn routinely added knockout drops to the drinks of customers in order to rob them.

38. Nobel Institute city : OSLO

The Norwegian Nobel Institute was established in Oslo in 1904. The main task of the Institute is to assist the Norwegian Nobel Committee in selecting the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize and to organize the annual Nobel event.

41. TV Drs. Isles and Quincy : MES

“Rizzoli & Isles” is a detective drama that is inspired by the “Maura Isles/Jane Rizzoli” series of novels by Tess Gerritsen. In the show, Angie Harmon plays detective Jane Rizzoli and Sasha Alexander plays medical examiner Dr. Maura Isles.

“Quincy, M.E.” is a medical mystery series that originally aired in the seventies and eighties starring Jack Klugman in the title role. The show was loosely based on a book by former FBI agent Marshall Houts called “Where Death Delights”.

44. Barrett of S Club 7 : TINA

S Club 7 was an English pop group that was formed in 1998. S Club 7 were formed by Simon Fuller, who was the manager who created the Spice Girls.

45. Outback bounders : ROOS

The word “kangaroo” comes from the Australian Aborigine term for the animal. There’s an oft-quoted story that the explorer James Cook (later Captain Cook) asked a local native what was the name of this remarkable-looking animal, and the native responded with “Kangaroo”. The story is that the native was actually saying “I don’t understand you”, but as cute as that tale is, it’s just an urban myth.

46. Force out of office : OUST

In Australia, the land outside of urban area is referred to as the outback or the bush. That said, I think that the term “outback” is sometimes reserved for the more remote attachments of the bush.

47. Basic finish? : HARD C

The word “basic” ends with a hard letter C.

49. You might pick one up in a bar : TAB

When we run a “tab” at a bar say, we are running a “tabulation”, a listing of what we owe. Such a use of “tab” is American slang that originated in the 1880s.

55. Aviator __ Garros, French Open stadium namesake : ROLAND

Roland Garros was a French aviator who was noted as a fighter pilot during WWI. Garros is sometimes described as the world’s first fighter ace, but this isn’t true. He shot down four aircraft in total, and five kills are required in order to earn the name “ace”.

56. Knock follower? : -KNEED

The condition known as “knock-knee” is more correctly referred to as “genu valgum”, which translates from Latin as “knee bent out”. That Latin name is a little confusing, as a “knock-knee” usually bends inwards.

67. Storehouse : ARSENAL

Our word “arsenal” comes from the Italian “arzenale”, a work adapted from the Arabic for “workshop”. There was a large wharf in Venice called the Arzenale that became associated with the storage of weapons and ammunition, and this led to our contemporary usage of “arsenal”.

69. Percussionist who worked with Prince : SHEILA E

Sheila E. is the stage name of singer and drummer Sheila Escovedo. She is perhaps most famous for her collaborations with the musician Prince.

72. “__ Magnolias”: 1989 film : STEEL

“Steel Magnolias” is a 1989 film with quite a cast of actresses including Sally Field, Shirley MacLaine, Olympia Dukakis, Dolly Parton, Daryl Hannah and Julia Roberts. The film is based on a play of the same name by Robert Harling.

73. How some insects get their news? : WORD OF MOTH (from “word of mouth”)

Moths are insects closely related to butterflies. As a generalization, moths differ from butterflies in that the former are almost always nocturnal. Also, butterflies tend to have much thinner antennae.

77. Popular jeans : LEES

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

78. Seaside glider : ERNE

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

81. Fr. title : MME

The equivalent of “Mrs.” in French is “Mme.” (Madame), in Spanish is “Sra.” (Señora) and in Portuguese is also “Sra.” (Senhora).

87. Top at Starbucks : LID

Starbucks is a coffee company based in Seattle, Washington. It is the largest coffeehouse company in the world and has over 19,000 stores. In the 1990s, Starbucks was opening one new store every single day! Starbucks is named after the chief mate on the Pequod in Herman Melville’s book “Moby Dick”.

90. Stymies : THWARTS

The word “stymie” comes from golf, and is a situation in which one’s approach to the hole is blocked by an opponent’s ball. We use the term more broadly for a distressing situation.

94. “War of the Worlds” invaders : ALIENS

“The War of the Worlds” is a science fiction classic penned by H. G. Wells in 1895-97. This compelling story of Martians invading Earth has been adapted many times into radio dramas, a television series and several movies.

95. With 50-Down, “Double Fantasy” artist : YOKO …
(50D. See 95-Down : … ONO)

“Double Fantasy” is an album released by John Lennon and Yoko Ono on 17 November 1980. Three weeks later, John Lennon was gunned down by Mark Chapman outside Lennon’s apartment building in New York City.

97. Big name in pharaohs : RAMSES

Ramesses (also “Ramses”) was the name taken by eleven of the Egyptian pharaohs. “Ramesses” translates as “Born of the sun-god Ra”.

98. Wild fights : MELEES

Our term “melee” comes from the French “mêlée”, and in both languages the word means “confused fight”.

103. Ice bucket accessory : TONGS

A pair of tongs is a tool with a scissor-like hinge used to pick up things, like meat cooking on a barbecue grill or ice from an ice bucket. The verb “to tong” means “to handle with tongs”.

108. One-named singer : ADELE

“Adele” is the stage name of English singer Adele Adkins. Adele’s debut album is “19”, named after the age she was during the album’s production. Her second album was even more successful than the first. Called “21”, the second album was released three years after the first, when Adele was three years older. More recently, her third studio album “25”, released in 2015, broke the first-week sales records in both the UK and the US.

109. Wine from Hungary : TOKAY

“Tokay” is the English version of what are more correctly called Tokaji wines, those from the Tokaj-Hegyalja region of Hungary and southeastern Slovakia. Most Tokaji wines are relatively sweet.

110. Portrayer of the first female Colonel Sanders, familiarly : REBA

“Colonel” Sanders of Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) fame has been portrayed in ads on television by several celebrities. The list includes Norm Macdonald, Jim Gaffigan, George Hamilton, Billy Zane, Rob Lowe, Ray Liotta and even Reba McEntire.

114. Publisher Chandler : OTIS

Otis Chandler was the fourth member of the Chandler family to publish the “Los Angeles Times”. Otis Chandler was publisher from 1960 to 1980, when he retired from the job at the age of 52.

118. Title for Elton : SIR

Elton John’s real name is Reginald Dwight. Sir Elton was knighted in 1998, not for his music per se, but for his charitable work. He founded his own Elton John AIDS Foundation back in 1992.

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Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1. Hogwarts’ Mrs. Norris is one : CAT
4. Long-dist. threat : ICBM
8. Night vision? : DREAM
13. Bed covering : SOIL
17. Wearer of hot pants? : LIAR
19. Milhous : Nixon :: __ : Garfield : ABRAM
21. Goosebump-inducing : EERIE
22. Big wind : TUBA
23. One of the British? : ISLE
24. Progressive rival : GEICO
25. Common sights on Roman roads : FIATS
26. Louisiane, par exemple : ETAT
27. Soil expert’s observations? : CLOD FORMATIONS (from “cloud formations”)
30. Fully enjoys : SAVORS
32. Alaska’s __ Peninsula : KENAI
33. Kid’s backyard apparatus : SWING SET
35. “What’s the __?” : DIF
36. Pixar clownfish : NEMO
39. Grafton’s “__ for Outlaw” : O IS
40. Tiny shape-shifters : AMOEBAS
44. Contest where anglers compete while jogging on the shore? : TROT FISHING (from “trout fishing”)
49. Musical array : TONES
51. Tokyo sash : OBI
52. Debtor’s list : IOUS
53. Highlands group : CLAN
54. Sumatran swingers : ORANGS
56. It might be square : KNOT
57. Sudoku box fillers: Abbr. : NOS
58. Tennis garb : SKORTS
60. Penetrating wind : OBOE
61. Steffi’s tennis-playing spouse : ANDRE
62. In the know : ASTUTE
64. Show eager anticipation : DROOL
66. In vogue, with “the” : LATEST
68. Where all the Aberdeen lads get together? : BOY SCOT JAMBOREE (from “boy scout jamboree”)
72. Logo on many sneakers : SWOOSH
74. __ roll : HONOR
75. Prepare to ride, in a way : SADDLE
79. Coral Sea sight : ATOLL
80. She plays Hermione in “Harry Potter” films : EMMA
83. Big-headed club : DRIVER
85. Rocket end? : -EER
86. Spanish muralist : SERT
87. Vegas table postings : LIMITS
89. It feels like forever : AEON
90. IRS enforcers : T-MEN
91. “Mansplain” was added to it in Jan. 2018 : OED
92. Reward units : MILES
93. Knee-socks, essentially : HALFWAY HOSE (from “halfway house”)
96. Jupiter’s locale : FLORIDA
98. Bad in Barcelona : MAL
99. Boring : SLOW
100. Wide companion : FAR
101. Cafés and such : EATERIES
106. K, to Kay : KARAT
110. Tried to sink, maybe : RAMMED
113. Adventurous Centennial State motto? : BOLDER COLORADO (from “Boulder, Colorado”)
116. Greek love god : EROS
117. All together : AS ONE
119. “Spiffy!” : NEATO!
120. Long journey : TREK
121. __ noire : BETE
122. Barbie’s original bestie : MIDGE
123. Rx : SCRIP
124. Ward of “Sisters” : SELA
125. Spa sounds : AAHS
126. __ corps : PRESS
127. Detective Dick’s love : TESS
128. King of Spain : REY

Down

1. Select from a menu, with “on” : CLICK …
2. Divider of rows : AISLE
3. Prey grabber : TALON
4. Scheming Shakespearean soldier : IAGO
5. Trucker, often : CBER
6. Overflows (with) : BRIMS
7. Rain forest parrot : MACAW
8. Clears of condensation : DEFOGS
9. Bit attachments : REINS
10. Clean the slate : ERASE
11. Island in the stream : AIT
12. Barracks break : MESS
13. Paul’s “Ebony and Ivory” partner : STEVIE
14. Like the studio forced to quit making 007 movies? : OUT OF BONDS (from “out of bounds”)
15. Strong support : I BAR
16. Bodybuilder’s pride : LATS
18. Tiny stingers : RED ANTS
20. Formal proposal : MOTION
28. Feudal land : FIEF
29. Architect Jones : INIGO
31. Bothersome goings-on : ADOS
34. Ugli, for one : TANGELO
37. Doctored drinks : MICKEYS
38. Nobel Institute city : OSLO
41. TV Drs. Isles and Quincy : MES
42. Pull the plug : ABORT
43. Web destination : SITE
44. Barrett of S Club 7 : TINA
45. Outback bounders : ROOS
46. Force out of office : OUST
47. Basic finish? : HARD C
48. Singer’s cue : INTRO
49. You might pick one up in a bar : TAB
50. See 95-Down : … ONO
55. Aviator __ Garros, French Open stadium namesake : ROLAND
56. Knock follower? : -KNEED
58. Diner perch : STOOL
59. To make sure : SO THAT
61. Shed __ : A TEAR
63. Pipe fastener : U-BOLT
65. Eduardo’s eye : OJO
67. Storehouse : ARSENAL
69. Percussionist who worked with Prince : SHEILA E
70. Fable lesson : MORAL
71. Terse : BRIEF
72. “__ Magnolias”: 1989 film : STEEL
73. How some insects get their news? : WORD OF MOTH (from “word of mouth”)
76. Floor model : DEMO
77. Popular jeans : LEES
78. Seaside glider : ERNE
79. Beginning : AS OF
81. Fr. title : MME
82. Start to print? : MIS-
84. Altar exchange : VOWS
87. Top at Starbucks : LID
88. Glass fragment : SHARD
90. Stymies : THWARTS
92. Muck partner : MIRE
94. “War of the Worlds” invaders : ALIENS
95. With 50-Down, “Double Fantasy” artist : YOKO …
97. Big name in pharaohs : RAMSES
98. Wild fights : MELEES
102. Residence : ABODE
103. Ice bucket accessory : TONGS
104. Walking tall : ERECT
105. __ tactic : SCARE
107. More valuable, in some cases : RARER
108. One-named singer : ADELE
109. Wine from Hungary : TOKAY
110. Portrayer of the first female Colonel Sanders, familiarly : REBA
111. Geometry figure : AREA
112. Needing a little more drying time : DAMP
114. Publisher Chandler : OTIS
115. Prunes : LOPS
118. Title for Elton : SIR

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11 thoughts on “LA Times Crossword Answers 6 May 2018, Sunday”

  1. LAT: 25:20, no errors. Had MICKIES before MICKEYS, NOTES before TONES, TERN before ERNE, I DO’S before VOWS, SMEAR before SCARE, and PEACE before PRESS. So … lots of missteps, but otherwise pretty uneventful.

    Newsday: 21:04, no errors.

  2. LAT: 27:12, no errors. Thought this was going to last a lot longer with the trouble I was having even getting into the puzzle, but somehow fell into place. Newsday: 49 minutes, with a small break put in there that I didn’t leave out. A lot tougher than it probably should have been, but then when the theme is a facet of ancient history where I had to use crossing entries to get all of them, that’s bound to happen. I may do the Post puzzle later on, but some NYT stuff definitely coming in the near future.

  3. 44:44 – a whole lot slower than youse guys today (thought I was in the NYT forum – hence “youse”). I had a similar experience to Glenn’s – only longer. Took me forever to get going, but then once I got going…..it still took me a long time to finish, or so it felt.

    I didn’t have my A game today. Totally mystified by “K, for Kay” until I came here. For “Knock follower” I kept wanting to put “knock” (as in knock knock..) so I could complain about it breaking the rules. And finally – c’mon…I’m pretty sure moths can’t talk.

    Finally I heard Starbucks goes through an amazing numer of pounds of coffee daily….but I’ve forgotten what the number was so I don’t know why I mentioned it. Told you I don’t have my A game today…

    Best –

  4. Actually Sue Grafton made it all the way to Y is for Yesterday which I am currently reading. Shame she didn’t make it to Z. I suspect her publisher may hire someone to write the final tome.

  5. Too many mistakes to mention. But made it though about 80%. Had oboe in for tuba and…….well never mind! I’ll now try to do the NYT in my usual fashion of cheating with all the long clues and going on my own for the rest. HaHa. Some fun, right?

  6. Trouble with “To make sure.” Not pleased with “So that,” but nothing else made sense.

  7. Hi gang!! ?
    DNF and proud of it!! ? I did more or less the top third but already found myself cheating; then I got kinda busy. I will say I didn’t like “In the know” for ASTUTE. I’m sure that there’s a dictionary definition out there that fits this, but I don’t like it! ? Seems off.
    I AM glad to see good old President Garfield here…I had ALLAN, however, as his middle name. I’ll refrain from telling my Garfield story here, out of respect for y’all, as I’ve told it already here at least twice. ?
    Jeff! Starbucks uses 88 million pounds of coffee per year. So, doing the math, that comes to A WHOLE LOT per day (and I calculated that in my head!!!!) ?
    Hey Dave! I’ve solved two Just Add Water words. I need a set of scrabble tiles! That would make it easier. I’m now just writing out possible combinations.
    Be well~~?

    1. @Carrie … I totally agree that Scrabble tiles would be a boon in working on the “Add Water” puzzle. It’s been 20 years since I had someone to play Scrabble with and my set is … somewhere in the house … but I don’t know where. I now have answers for all but one of the 36, but I’m unsure of six others (two because they’re hyphenated, and four others because they seem too obscure, regional, and/or new to be described as common). If and when I finish (or give up) and check my answers, would you like me to tell you if the ones I’m unsure of turn out to be right or wrong? Or just keep my mouth shut? ?

  8. Happy to say that I nailed this one with no errors. I remember starting to work these Sunday LA Times puzzles four or five years ago. It is only within the last six months or so that I have finally started to solve them consistently with either “no errors” or maybe one or two mistakes. Perseverance pays off.

    Bill, I cannot tell you how much I appreciate your blog. You add so to the experience of working a crossword. I occasionally work some other crossword puzzles where I am unable to get your “post-game analysis” and they leave me totally unsatisfied. Please keep up the good work and stay in good health, Bill.

    1. @Dale Stewart
      Thank you so much, Dale. Those are such kind words. I am very lucky to have found a retirement hobby that I really enjoy. I am truly delighted that you get some pleasure out of the drivel that I post of an evening! 🙂

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