LA Times Crossword 28 Sep 19, Saturday

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Constructed by: Ed Sessa
Edited by: Rich Norris

Today’s Theme: None

Bill’s time: 9m 10s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Little more than a drop : THIMBLEFUL

The original thimbles were leather pouches that covered the thumb. The word “thimble” comes from the word “thumb” with an “-le” suffix. A word with a similar etymology is “handle” from “hand” plus “-le”.

11 Gossip : DISH

To dish the dirt is to talk about someone or something without regard to veracity. The phrase comes from “dish” (in the sense of dishing out food) and “dirt” (in the sense of negative information).

15 Simile for “luve” in a classic poem : RED, RED ROSE

“A Red, Red Rose” is a song and poem by Scottish poet Robert Burns. The Burns work is based on a traditional Scottish air.

O my Luve’s like a red, red rose
That’s newly sprung in june;
O my Luve’s like the melodie
That’s sweetly play’d in tune

16 “__ the valley of Death … “: Tennyson : INTO

“The Charge of the Light Brigade” is a narrative poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson published in 1854, just two months after the “Charge” took place at the Battle of Balaclava during the Crimean War. Apparently, Tennyson took only a few minutes to write the poem, after reading two accounts of the military engagement in “The Times” of London. Here’s the first of the six verses:

Half a league, half a league,
Half a league onward,
All in the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
“Forward, the Light Brigade!
Charge for the guns!” he said.
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.

17 C.S. Lewis, for one : ALLEGORIST

Irishman C. S. Lewis moved to Britain after serving in the British Army in WWI. A man of many achievements, Lewis is perhaps best remembered for his series of novels for children called “The Chronicles of Narnia” (which includes “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe”). He also wrote the “The Four Loves”, a nonfiction work exploring the nature of love from a Christian perspective. Famously, Lewis died on November 22nd, 1963, the same day that President John F. Kennedy was assassinated.

18 High seas adverb : THAR

“Thar she blows!” is a phrase that originated on whaling ships. A lookout spotting a whale surfacing to breathe might see the spray from the blowhole caused by the expulsion of carbon dioxide. Thar (there) she blows!

21 Trio in H2O : ATOMS

A water molecule is composed of an oxygen atom with two hydrogen atoms on roughly opposite sides (at about a 150-degree angle). So, sometimes the molecule is represented by “HOH”, although more usually it’s “H2O”.

24 __ Brava: Spanish tourist site : COSTA

The Costa Brava is a section of coast in northeastern Catalonia, Spain stretching from north of Barcelona to the border with France. “Costa Brava” means “rugged coast” and was a term coined in a local newspaper article in 1908.

30 Bentley of “American Beauty” : WES

Wes Bentley is an actor who is perhaps best known for playing Ricky Fitts, the voyeuristic son of the homophobic Colonel Frank Fitts in the 1999 blockbuster film “American Beauty”. A 2009 documentary called “My Big Break” tells of Bentley’s career taking off after “American Beauty” was released, and his subsequent struggles which addiction to drugs and alcohol that led to financial ruin. Bentley is well on the road to recovery, and has been appearing regularly on the small and large screens since 2010.

While I found the film “American Beauty” to be an enjoyable and interesting film (loved Annette Bening in it), I also found it very depressing. If you haven’t seen it, the main story is about a man having a midlife crisis (played by Kevin Spacey) and developing an infatuation for his teenage daughter’s flirtatious friend (played by Mena Suvari, and whom I guess is the “American Beauty”). The movie is definitely worth watching, and received huge accolades when released in 1999.

31 Nadya Suleman, in 2009 headlines : OCTOMOM

“Octomom” is a nickname that the media gave to Nadya Doud-Suleman Gutierrez. There was a lot of controversy surrounding the birth of Suleman’s octuplets in 2009, which were conceived with the aid of in vitro fertilization. She already had six children and was unemployed and availing of public assistance programs.

35 Martial artist/musician Steven : SEAGAL

Steven Seagal is known in the US as a martial artist turned actor. Seagal started his career as an Aikido instructor in Japan and was the first foreigner to operate an Aikido dojo in that country.

37 Instruments also called rumba shakers : MARACAS

Maracas are percussion instruments that are native to Latin America. They are constructed from a dried shell, like that of a coconut, to which a handle is attached. The shell is filled with dried seeds or beans, and shaken.

The rumba (sometimes “rhumba”) is a Cuban dance, with influences brought by African slaves and Spanish colonists. The name “rumba” comes from “rumbo”, the Spanish word for “party, spree”.

41 Isabella I’s birth city : AVILA

Ávila is famous for the walled defenses around the old city that date back to 1090. They were constructed out of brown granite, and are still in excellent repair. There are nine gateways and eighty-towers in all. Even the cathedral built between the 12th and 14th centuries is part of the city’s defenses, so it looks like an imposing fortress.

Queen Isabella I of Castile was recognized as a formidable sovereign, and was perceived as a joint ruler with her husband, King Ferdinand II of Aragon. The pair united their two kingdoms in a move that heralded the unification of Spain.

44 Snake targets : CLOGS

A plumber’s snake is a flexible auger that is used to clear clogs from pipes. A snake is often chosen for dislodging clogs if a plunger fails to get the job done.

46 Factor of diez : CINCO

In Spanish, “cinco” (five) times “dos” (two) is “diez” (ten).

49 Texter’s “May I say” : IMHO

In my humble opinion (IMHO)

50 “__ Before Chanel”: 2009 film : COCO

“Coco Before Chanel” is a 2009 biographical film about the early life of French fashion designer Coco Chanel. Audrey Tautou plays the title role. Although the movie was well received in Europe, it hasn’t really had much exposure in the US. I’d like to see this one …

55 “Sgt. Pepper” collectible : ALBUM COVER

“Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart Club Band” was the alter-ego of the Beatles, and the title of a famous studio album released in 1967.

57 Shakers, but not movers : SECT

“Shakers” is the common name for the religious sect more properly called the United Society of Believer in Christ’s Second Appearing. The sect’s doctrine was based on the teachings of Ann Lee.

59 Deuce topper : TREY

A trey is a three in a deck of cards. The term “trey” can also be used for a domino with three pips, and even a three-point play in basketball.

A “two” playing card might be called a “deuce”, from the Middle French “deus” (or Modern French “deux”) meaning “two”.

Down

1 Yap : TRAP

“Yap” and “trap” are slang terms meaning “mouth”.

2 Inferno : HELL

“Inferno” is a word meaning “Hell” that we’ve imported into English, probably because of the influence of Dante’s “Inferno”.

4 ’60s role for Bamboo Harvester : MR ED

The sitcom “Mister Ed” first aired in 1961 and ran for almost five years. It was a very successful show (and even made it to Ireland!). Mister Ed, the talking horse, was a palomino that had the real name of Bamboo Harvester. Mister Ed’s “voice” was that of actor Allan “Rocky” Lane, a star of a lot of B-movie westerns from the forties and fifties. In the show, Mister Ed would only talk to the lead (human) character Wilbur, played by Alan Young, leading to some hilarious situations. Mister Ed had a stunt double and stand-in for the show, another horse called Pumpkin. Pumpkin later made frequent appearances on the show “Green Acres”.

6 Parkinson’s drug : L-DOPA

The name of the drug L-3,4-DihydrOxyPhenylAlanine can be shortened, thankfully, to L-DOPA. Swedish scientist Arvid Carlsson won a Nobel Prize for showing that L-DOPA could be used to reduce the symptoms of Parkinson’s Syndrome.

7 Post-printing problem : ERRATUM

“Errata” is the past participle of the Latin word “errare” meaning “to err”. We use “errata” (singular “erratum”) to describe a list of errors that have been noted in some publication.

8 Palms off (on) : FOISTS

The word “foist”, meaning “to pass off as genuine”, comes from the Dutch word meaning “take in hand”. The original concept came from playing dice, in which one die was held surreptitiously in one hand.

9 Company co-founded by J.P. Morgan : US STEEL

US Steel was founded in 1901 with a merger of Carnegie Steel, Federal Steel and National Steel. The resulting company immediately became the world’s first billion-dollar corporation. US Steel reorganized in 1986 and changed its name to USX Corporation, but reverted to the US Steel name in 2001. I think I’m right in saying that the USX name was chosen because US Steel is traded under the symbol “X” on the New York Stock Exchange …

John Pierpont Morgan, Sr. was a financier and banker active in the last half of the 19th century and the early 20th century. Given the tremendous power that came with his wealth, J. P. Morgan and other tycoons were at times unpopular with the masses. Morgan did not often respond to criticism although did once say “I owe the public nothing”. Around the same time, John D. Rockefeller habitually rebuffed public inquiries with the words “silence is golden”.

10 Reason for a court replay : LET

That would be tennis, for example.

11 Likewise : DITTO

The word “ditto” was originally used in Italian (from Tuscan dialect) to avoid repetition of the names of months in a series of dates. So, “ditto” is just another wonderful import from that lovely land …

12 Like a stereotypical cannibal captive : IN HOT WATER

The term “cannibalism” was coined by the Spanish, working from the name of the Carib people of the Lesser Antilles. The Spanish explorers of the Caribbean believed that the Carib people ate human flesh for food, but apparently this was untrue (although there was a war ritual that involved some chewing of an enemy’s flesh). The eating of human flesh has been noted throughout history, in many parts of the world. In fact, Fiji in the South Pacific was once known as “Cannibal Isles”.

13 Claudius and Porky Pig : STAMMERERS

I find Claudius to be the most fascinating of all the Roman Emperors. Claudius had a lot going against him as he walked with a limp and was slightly deaf. He was put in office by the Praetorian Guard (the emperor’s bodyguards) after Caligula was assassinated. Claudius had very little political experience and yet proved to be very forward-thinking and capable.

Porky Pig was the first of the characters created by Warner Bros. to become a hit with audiences. Porky Pig is the guy with the line at the end of each cartoon, “Th-th-th-that’s all folks!” If you don’t mind a little adult language, there’s a very funny 11-second Porky Pig clip that the studio released on a blooper reel in 1938. Porky Pig stutters out “Son of g-g-gun”, only he doesn’t say “gun” …

22 “Dream a Little Dream of Me” singer : MAMA CASS

Cass Elliot (born “Ellen Cohen”) was one of the four singers in the Mamas and the Papas, a sensational group from the sixties. “Mama Cass” was performing sold-out concerts in London in 1974 when she was found dead one morning, having had a heart attack. She was only 32 years old. Eerily, Elliot died in the same flat (on loan from Harry Nilsson) in which the Who’s drummer Keith Moon would die just four years later.

24 Matter of space : COSMIC DUST

Cosmic dust is usually defined as the space dust that exists in our solar system. These dust particles mainly originate from comets and asteroids in our system, but can also be interstellar dust particles that are just “passing through” from other solar systems.

25 Port-to-port connector : OCEAN LINER

The use of the word “line” with reference to transportation started in the 1780s, in the context of stagecoaches. Such transportation operated a string of stagecoaches between towns and cities along regular “lines”. The concept shifted to shipping “lines” operating ocean-going “liners” between ports.

26 Scott Hamilton venue : STARS ON ICE

“Stars on Ice” is a touring figure skating show that was founded in 1986 and built around Olympic gold medalist Scott Hamilton. Family-oriented ice shows like “Ice Capades” and “Disney on Ice” already existed at that time, so “Stars on Ice” was aimed at an adult audience. The original cast included, in addition to Scott Hamilton, Dorothy Hamill, Toller Cranston and Rosalynn Sumners.

27 Cover-up in Nero’s time : TOGA

In ancient Rome, the classical attire known as a toga (plural “togae” or “togas”) was usually worn over a tunic. The tunic was made from linen, and the toga itself was a piece of cloth about twenty feet long made from wool. The toga could only be worn by men, and only if those men were Roman citizens. The female equivalent of the toga was called a “stola”.

Nero was Emperor of Rome from 54 to 68 CE, and he had quite the family life. When he was just 16-years-old Nero married his step-sister Claudia Octavia. He also had his mother and step-brother executed.

29 Novelist Jaffe : RONA

Rona Jaffe was an American novelist perhaps most famous for two of her books, “The Best of Everything” and “Mazes and Monsters”. “The Best of Everything” was published in 1958 and has been compared with the HBO television series “Sex and the City” as it depicts women in the working world. “Mazes and Monsters” was published in 1981 and explores a role-playing game similar to Dungeons & Dragons and the impact it has on players.

32 Scandinavian patron : OLAV

Of the many kings of Norway named Olaf/Olav (and there have been five), Olaf II is perhaps the most celebrated, as he was canonized and made the patron saint of the country. Olaf II was king from 1015 to 1028 and was known as “Olaf the Big” (or “Olaf the Fat”) during his reign. Today he is more commonly referred to as “Olaf the Holy”. After Olaf died he was given the title of “Rex Perpetuus Norvegiae”, which is Latin for “Norway’s Eternal King”.

38 Strait of Messina isola : SICILIA

In Italian, “Sicilia” (Sicily) is an “isola” (island).

Messina is a port, and the third largest city, on the Italian island of Sicily. The city’s natural harbor has a curved shape like that of a scythe. When founded by Greek colonists in the 8th century BC, the settlements first name was “Zancle”, from the Greek word for “scythe”. The port gives its name the Strait of Messina, the narrow passage between the island of Sicily and the Italian mainland.

42 Transitional situations : LIMBOS

In the Roman Catholic tradition, “Limbo” is a place where souls can remain who cannot enter heaven. For example, infants who have not been baptized are said to reside in Limbo. Limbo is said to be located on the border of Hell. The name was chosen during the Middle Ages from the Latin “limbo” meaning “ornamental border to a fringe”. We use the phrase “in limbo” in contemporary English to mean “in a state of uncertainty”.

45 Big name in oil : GETTY

Jean Paul Getty was famous as an industrialist, but also as a grandfather who had a grandson kidnapped for ransom. John Paul Getty III was 16 years old when he was taken in Rome in 1973. The ransom demand to his father was for $17 million, a sum that he had to ask from the child’s grandfather, as he was the one with all the money. Jean Paul Getty refused to pay and 4 months later an envelope was delivered to the family containing a lock of hair and an ear. The grandfather then entered into negotiations with the kidnappers, beat them down to $2 million, and the boy was released. Getty’s grandson never really recovered. He got into drugs, and an overdose left him speechless, blind and paralyzed. Sad story …

47 Title in a Dumas title : COMTE

“Comte” is the French word for “count”, as in “Le Comte de Monte-Cristo” (The Count of Monte Cristo) by Alexandre Dumas.

50 Lake of Lombardy : COMO

Lake Como is a glacial lake in Lombardy in Italy. Lake Como has long been a retreat for the rich and famous. Lakeside homes there are owned by the likes of Madonna, George Clooney, Gianni Versace, Sylvester Stallone and Richard Branson.

55 Loser to Franklin in ’36 : ALF

Alf Landon was the Governor of Kansas from 1933-37, and was the Republican Party’s nominee against Franklin D. Roosevelt in the 1936 Presidential election. Landon is remembered as the candidate who “disappeared” after winning the nomination. He rarely traveled during the campaign, and made no appearances at all in its first two months. FDR famously won by a landslide, with Landon only winning the states of Maine and Vermont. Landon wasn’t even able to carry his home state of Kansas.

56 Spam holder : CAN

Spam is a precooked meat product that is sold in cans. It was introduced by Hormel Foods in 1937. The main meat ingredients are pork shoulder meat and ham. The name “Spam” was chosen as the result of a competition at Hormel, with the winner earning himself a hundred dollars. According to the company, the derivation of the name “Spam” is a secret known by only a few former executives, but the speculation is that it stands for “spiced ham” or “shoulders of pork and ham”. Spam is particularly popular in Hawaii, so popular that it is sometimes referred to as “the Hawaiian steak”.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Little more than a drop : THIMBLEFUL
11 Gossip : DISH
15 Simile for “luve” in a classic poem : RED, RED ROSE
16 “__ the valley of Death … “: Tennyson : INTO
17 C.S. Lewis, for one : ALLEGORIST
18 High seas adverb : THAR
19 Declared one’s innocence, say : PLED
20 Over and done with : PAST
21 Trio in H2O : ATOMS
22 Varnish option : MATTE
23 “I’m innocent” : NOT ME
24 __ Brava: Spanish tourist site : COSTA
28 Emailers, e.g. : USERS
30 Bentley of “American Beauty” : WES
31 Nadya Suleman, in 2009 headlines : OCTOMOM
33 No-frills flight feature : LOW FARE
35 Martial artist/musician Steven : SEAGAL
36 Straighten up : NEATEN
37 Instruments also called rumba shakers : MARACAS
39 Genetic identifiers : MARKERS
40 Connections : INS
41 Isabella I’s birth city : AVILA
43 To the point : TERSE
44 Snake targets : CLOGS
46 Factor of diez : CINCO
48 More than just eats : DINES
49 Texter’s “May I say” : IMHO
50 “__ Before Chanel”: 2009 film : COCO
54 Military group : UNIT
55 “Sgt. Pepper” collectible : ALBUM COVER
57 Shakers, but not movers : SECT
58 Workers behind bars : LION TAMERS
59 Deuce topper : TREY
60 Connected with by nailing, say : FASTEN ONTO

Down

1 Yap : TRAP
2 Inferno : HELL
3 Not occupied : IDLE
4 ’60s role for Bamboo Harvester : MR ED
5 Entreat : BEG
6 Parkinson’s drug : L-DOPA
7 Post-printing problem : ERRATUM
8 Palms off (on) : FOISTS
9 Company co-founded by J.P. Morgan : US STEEL
10 Reason for a court replay : LET
11 Likewise : DITTO
12 Like a stereotypical cannibal captive : IN HOT WATER
13 Claudius and Porky Pig : STAMMERERS
14 Stable judgment? : HORSE SENSE
21 Be called : ANSWER TO
22 “Dream a Little Dream of Me” singer : MAMA CASS
24 Matter of space : COSMIC DUST
25 Port-to-port connector : OCEAN LINER
26 Scott Hamilton venue : STARS ON ICE
27 Cover-up in Nero’s time : TOGA
29 Novelist Jaffe : RONA
32 Scandinavian patron : OLAV
34 Art buyer’s concern : FAKE
38 Strait of Messina isola : SICILIA
39 It often follows a breakout : MANHUNT
42 Transitional situations : LIMBOS
45 Big name in oil : GETTY
47 Title in a Dumas title : COMTE
50 Lake of Lombardy : COMO
51 Spot for pots : OVEN
52 Marriage doc. : CERT
53 Roughly : OR SO
55 Loser to Franklin in ’36 : ALF
56 Spam holder : CAN