LA Times Crossword Answers 9 Jun 2018, Saturday

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Constructed by: Greg Johnson
Edited by: Rich Norris

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Today’s Theme: None

Bill’s time: 17m 39s

Bill’s errors: 0

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Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

10. Dance term literally meaning “thrown” : JETE

A jeté is a leap in ballet, with the term “jeté” coming from the French word “jeter” meaning “to throw”. A “jeté en avant” is a “leap to the front”, towards the audience. A “grand jeté” is a long horizontal jump, a split in the air, leaping from one foot to the other.

16. Stylish energy : ELAN

Our word “élan” was imported from French, in which language the word has a similar meaning to ours, i.e “style, flair”.

17. Exec’s hire, perhaps : ASST

Assistant (asst.)

18. Unlikely to become a decorator : COLOR-BLIND

The most common cause of color blindness is inherited, and is a defect found on the X chromosome. As females have two X chromosomes, a defect gene is usually compensated by the non-defective on the other X chromosome. Males only have one X chromosome, and so inherited color blindness is far more prevalent in men than women.

23. Trip approx. : ETA

Estimated time of arrival (ETA)

24. Debt securities : LIENS

A lien is the right that one has to retain or secure someone’s property until a debt is paid. When an individual takes out a car loan, for example, the lending bank is usually a lien holder. The bank releases the lien on the car when the loan is paid in full.

26. Source of ancient wisdom : TORAH

The Torah, the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, are traditionally believed to have been written by Moses. As such, they are sometimes referred to as the Law of Moses, or Mosaic Law.

43. Textron Aviation brand : CESSNA

The Cessna Aircraft manufacturing company was founded in 1911 by Clyde Cessna, a farmer from Kansas. Cessna is headquartered in Wichita and today has over 8,000 employees.

Textron is a multi-billion dollar aerospace and defense company that was founded back in 1923 as Special Yarns Company, a manufacturer of synthetic yarns. The company’s first venture into military products was the production of parachutes during WWII. Today, Textron owns well-known brands like Bell Helicopter, Beechcraft and Cessna.

48. Bacon output : ESSAY

The English philosopher and statesman Francis Bacon wrote a celebrated and respected collection of essays called “The Essayes”, first published in 1597. My favorite of these essays is “Of Simulation and Dissimulation”, which observes:

Dissimulation, in the negative; when a man lets fall signs and arguments, that he is not, that he is… Simulation, in the affirmative; when a man industriously and expressly feigns and pretends to be, that he is not.

52. River rat : NUTRIA

The river rat, also known as the coypu or nutria, is a native of South America, although is now found all over the word as an invasive species. The river rat was introduced into locations outside of South America by ranchers who farmed them for their fur.

61. Skin-healing aid : ALOE

Aloe vera has a number of alternate names that are descriptive of its efficacy as a medicine. Ancient Egyptians knew it as the plant of immortality, and Native Americans called it the wand of heaven.

64. It followed a postwar boom : GEN-X

The term “Generation X” originated in the UK where it was the name of a book by Jane Deverson. Her book detailed the results of a study of British youths in 1964, contrasting their lifestyle to those of previous generations. It was Canadian author Douglas Coupland who was responsible for popularizing the term, with his more successful publication “Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture”. By one definition, Gen-Xers were born between 1961 and 1981.

A baby boomer is someone who was born in the post-WWII baby boom. The rate of births had been falling fairly steadily in the US at least since 1900, but this trend was sharply reversed in 1946 after WWII. The higher birth rate continued until 1964, when it returned to pre-war levels. Since then the birth rate has continued to decline, although at a slower pace. The period between 1946 and 1964 is often defined as the “baby boom”.

Down

1. Halloween inevitabilities : SCARES

All Saints’ Day is November 1st each year. The day before All Saints’ Day is All Hallows’ Eve, better known by the Scottish term “Halloween”.

3. Comment about contagion : IT’S CATCHING

A contagion is a contagious disease or a disease-producing agent. The term “contagion” ultimately derives from the Latin “com” meaning “with” and “tangere” meaning “to touch”. A distinction is sometimes made between the nouns “contagion” and “infection”, with the former referring to transmission of disease by contact, and the latter referring to transmission through the air by floating germs.

4. Like a movie about filmmakers making a movie : META

In recent decades the prefix “meta-” has started to be used as a standalone adjective. In this sense “meta” means “self-referential”, describing something that refers to itself. For example, “This sentence starts with the word ‘this’ and ends with the word ‘this’” might be called a meta sentence. A movie that is about the making of the very same movie could also be described as meta.

5. Animated miner : DOC

In the original Brothers Grimm fairy tale called “Snow White”, the seven dwarfs were not given any names. The names were added for the 1937 classic Disney film “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”. The seven dwarfs are:

  • Doc (the leader of the group)
  • Grumpy (that would be me, according to my wife …)
  • Happy
  • Sleepy
  • Bashful
  • Sneezy
  • Dopey

7. Aviation guide : PYLON

A pylon is a tower that is used to mark the turning point in an air race.

9. Nomadic shelter : YURT

A yurt is a wood-framed dwelling that is used by nomads in the steppes of Central Asia. Although a yurt is a substantial structure, it is also extremely portable.

10. Kraft Foods trademark : JELL-O

If you like Jell-O, then you might want to stop by LeRoy, New York where you can visit the only Jell-O museum in the world. While at the museum, you can walk along the Jell-O Brick Road …

11. Fan of the Bulldogs : ELI

The Yale Bulldogs are the athletic teams of Yale University. The Yale school mascot is “Handsome Dan”, the Yale bulldog. The Bulldogs’ logo features a bulldog in front of a letter Y.

12. Summer vacation “souvenir” : TAN

A souvenir is a memento, a token of remembrance. We imported the word “souvenir” from French, in which language it has the same meaning. The term comes from the Latin “subvenire” meaning “to come to mind”, or literally “to come up”.

19. Dark background that makes a pitched baseball easier to see : BATTER’S EYE

In a baseball field, a batter’s eye screen is a dark and solid-colored area erected beyond centerfield that provided a visual backdrop for a batter attempting to hit a pitch. At Fenway Park in Boston, the batter’s eye screen is temporary. It is a black tarp that is laid over the bleachers in center field for day games. The tarp is removed for night games as the batter can see the ball regardless of background, and then those extra seats can be sold.

28. Basilica recess : APSE

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.

In its modern usage, the term “basilica” applies to a Roman Catholic church that has been given special ceremonial rights by the Pope.

31. PGA Tour Champions golfer Jay : HAAS

Jay Haas is a former PGA golfer from St. Louis, Missouri who now plays on the Champions Tour. Haas was named Champions Tour Player of the Year for 2006.

33. Wool source : ALPACA

Alpacas are like small llamas, but unlike llamas were never beasts of burden. Alpacas were bred specifically for the fleece. As such, there are no known wild alpacas these days, even in their native Peru.

36. Things few understand : ESOTERICA

Something described as “esoteric” is meant only for a select few with special knowledge. The term comes from the Greek “esoterikos” meaning “belonging to an inner circle”.

38. Injection molding inventory : DIES

Injection molding is a manufacturing process in which a molten material, such as a plastic, is injected into a mold. The molten material cools, and adopts the shape of the mold. The related process of die-casting involves the pouring of molten metal into a custom-shaped die.

40. “Silent Sunday Nights” network : TCM

“Silent Sunday Nights” is a block of programming on Turner Classic Movies (TCM) that airs on Sunday evenings and features films from the Silent Era.

45. Holiday hymn opener : ADESTE

The lovely Christmas hymn “Adeste Fideles” (entitled “O Come, All Ye Faithful” in English) was written by one John Francis Wade in the 13th century. Well, he wrote the original four verses, with four more verses being added over time. A kind blog reader pointed out to me that the English translation is in fact a little “off”. The term “adeste” best translates from Latin as “be present, attend”, rather that “come”. The verb “come” appears later in the lyrics in “venite adoremus”, meaning “come, let us worship”.

49. Strength : SINEW

“Sinew” is another name for “tendon”. Tendons are bands of collagen that connect muscle to bone. Tendons are similar to ligaments and fasciae, which are also connective tissue made out of collagen, but ligaments join bone to bone, and fasciae connect muscle to muscle. We also use the term “sinew” to mean muscular power.

50. Prom gown material : SATIN

The material known as “satin” takes its name from “Zayton”, the medieval Arabic name for the Chinese port city of Quanzhou. Quanzhou was used for the export of large amounts of silk to Europe.

56. Witch : HAG

“Hag” is a shortened form of the Old English word “haegtesse” meaning, “witch”.

57. Maugham’s “Cakes and __” : ALE

The phrase “cakes and ale” makes a number of appearances in literature. Aesop uses the phrase in his fable “The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse”, to symbolize the good life. Shakespeare included the line “Dost thou think, because thou art virtuous, there shall be no more cakes and ale?” in his play “Twelfth Night”. W. Somerset Maugham used the Shakespearean line as inspiration for the title of his 1930 play “Cakes and Ale, or, The Skeleton in the Cupboard”.

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Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1. Exercise activity : SWIM
5. Foolish : DIPPY
10. Dance term literally meaning “thrown” : JETE
14. Officer’s verb : CITE
15. “That’s so sweet!” : OH YOU!
16. Stylish energy : ELAN
17. Exec’s hire, perhaps : ASST
18. Unlikely to become a decorator : COLOR-BLIND
20. ESPN.com post : RECAP
22. Theoretical parallel world access : PORTAL
23. Trip approx. : ETA
24. Debt securities : LIENS
26. Source of ancient wisdom : TORAH
30. In order to : SO THAT
32. Muffin topper : PAT
34. Full-body animal costume : APE
35. Part of a gift that needs to be returned : CASSEROLE DISH
39. “I figured as much” : WHAT A SURPRISE
40. Skeptical words : THIS I GOTTA SEE
41. It may look like a great deal : CON
42. It folds for easy storage : COT
43. Textron Aviation brand : CESSNA
46. __ touch : MAGIC
48. Bacon output : ESSAY
51. User-created video game alteration : MOD
52. River rat : NUTRIA
54. Take the edge off? : ERODE
56. Kids may use them to make turkeys : HANDPRINTS
60. Wad embellishers : ONES
61. Skin-healing aid : ALOE
62. Get ’em all right : ACE IT
63. Good source of protein : MEAT
64. It followed a postwar boom : GEN-X
65. Noticeably bored : YAWNY
66. Ceremonial pile : PYRE

Down

1. Halloween inevitabilities : SCARES
2. Not tricked by : WISE TO
3. Comment about contagion : IT’S CATCHING
4. Like a movie about filmmakers making a movie : META
5. Animated miner : DOC
6. Longing words : I HOPE
7. Aviation guide : PYLON
8. One unlikely to shake hands : POOR SPORT
9. Nomadic shelter : YURT
10. Kraft Foods trademark : JELL-O
11. Fan of the Bulldogs : ELI
12. Summer vacation “souvenir” : TAN
13. Extreme : END
19. Dark background that makes a pitched baseball easier to see : BATTER’S EYE
21. Party holder : PLASTIC CUP
25. “We’ve got clearance” : IT’S A GO
27. Holds a benefit, say : RAISES MONEY
28. Basilica recess : APSE
29. Chuckle bit : HEH
31. PGA Tour Champions golfer Jay : HAAS
33. Wool source : ALPACA
36. Things few understand : ESOTERICA
37. Evidence of frequent travel : RUT
38. Injection molding inventory : DIES
39. Stop on the trail : WHOA!
40. “Silent Sunday Nights” network : TCM
44. Affectionate turndown : NO, DEAR
45. Holiday hymn opener : ADESTE
47. Organize, in a way : INDEX
49. Strength : SINEW
50. Prom gown material : SATIN
53. Lunch __ : TRAY
55. Easy win : ROMP
56. Witch : HAG
57. Maugham’s “Cakes and __” : ALE
58. Exclusion prefix : NON-
59. Place for a mud bath : STY

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