LA Times Crossword 3 Oct 19, Thursday

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Constructed by: Jeff Stillman
Edited by: Rich Norris

Today’s Reveal Answer: Fifty-Percent Off

Themed answers are common phrases that include numbers, but those numbers have been changed, with FIFTY PERCENT taken OFF:

  • 58A Sales incentive : FIFTY-PERCENT OFF
  • 17A Feature of an American flag purchased with 58-Across? : TWENTY-FIVE STARS (from “fifty stars”)
  • 29A Sidney Lumet film purchased with 58-Across? : SIX ANGRY MEN (from “Twelve Angry Men”)
  • 44A Freight vehicle purchased with 58-Across? : NINE-WHEELER (from “eighteen-wheeler”)

Bill’s time: 9m 01s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

6 Stag : HART

Nowadays, a hart is a male red deer over five years old. A hind is a female red deer.

14 Lake between the Silver State and Golden State : TAHOE

Lake Tahoe (often referred to simply as “Tahoe”) is up in the Sierra Nevada mountains, and is located right on the border between California and Nevada. Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in the country, and the largest lake in general, behind the five Great Lakes. It’s also the second deepest lake, with only the beautiful Crater Lake in Oregon being deeper. Given its location, there are tall casinos that sit right on the shore on the Nevada side of the state line where gambling is legal.

The official nickname of Nevada is the Silver State, a reference to the importance of silver ore in the state’s growth and economy. An unofficial nickname is the Battle Born State. “Battle Born” is a reference to Nevada being awarded statehood during the American Civil War.

“Golden State” has been the official nickname of California since 1968. The nickname reflects the expansion of the state’s economy that followed the discovery of gold in 1848, and also the fields of golden poppies seen growing wild across California in the spring.

15 Promise, for one : OLEO

The Unilever brand of margarine that we know as Promise here in the US is sold as Becel in much of the world, including Canada. Back in Ireland we call the same product Flora.

16 Operation Solomon airline : EL AL

In 1991, the Israeli government responded to political turmoil in Ethiopia with an evacuation of Ethiopian Jews from Addis Ababa. The massive undertaking was known as Operation Solomon, and involved continuous shuttling of 34 large aircraft for 36 hours non-stop. On one of those flights, an El Al 747 carried 1,088 passengers. That’s a record number of passengers for a commercial airliner to carry. The plan left Addis Ababa with 1,086 passengers andlanded with 1,088, as two babies were born during the flight.

17 Feature of an American flag purchased with 58-Across? : TWENTY-FIVE STARS (from “fifty stars”)

Legend has it that Betsy Ross made the first American flag for General George Washington. However, this story only surfaced during the centennial celebrations of 1876, and although Betsy Ross was indeed one of several flag makers in Philadelphia in the days of George Washington, sadly there’s no definitive evidence that Ross provided that first Stars and Stripes.

20 Raina Telgemeier graphic novel about a girl with braces : SMILE

Cartoonist Raina Telgemeier is a cartoonist who wrote a webcomic titles “Smile (A Dental Drama). The work is autobiographical, and describes the years of dental and orthodontic surgery that Telgemeier underwent due to a serious mouth injury that she incurred as a child.

21 Breeder’s income source : STUD FEE

The word “stud”, meaning “a male horse kept for breeding”, is derived from the Old English word “stod”, which described a whole herd of horses. The term “stud” can be used figuratively for a “ladies’ man”.

26 Decryption org. : NSA

National Security Agency (NSA)

29 Sidney Lumet film purchased with 58-Across? : SIX ANGRY MEN (from “Twelve Angry Men”)

The powerful 1957 movie “12 Angry Men” was directed by Sidney Lumet, and has a stellar cast of “jury members” including Henry Fonda, Lee J. Cobb, Jack Klugman and Ed Begley. If ever there is a movie that clearly was based on a play, it’s this one. Practically the whole film takes place on one set, the jury room.

As a movie director, Sidney Lumet had a great string of celebrated films to his name including “12 Angry Men”, “Dog Day Afternoon”, “Network” and “The Verdict”. Although nominated for an Academy Award for Best Director for each of these films, he never won an individual Oscar. However, the Academy gave Lumet the recognition he deserved in 2004 by presenting him with an Honorary Award.

34 Regatta racer : YACHT

The word “regatta” is Venetian dialect and was originally used to describe boat races among the gondoliers of Venice on the Grand Canal back in the mid-1600s.

37 Ristorante bottle : VINO

In Italian, in a “ristorante” (restaurant) one might order a glass of “vino” (wine), or maybe two …

38 Mandolin kin : LUTES

The lute is a stringed instrument with a long neck and usually a pear-shaped body. It is held and played like a guitar, and was popular from the Middle Ages right through to the late Baroque era. A person who plays the lute can be referred to as a “lutenist”.

A mandolin is a stringed instrument in the lute family. There is also a mandola, a similar instrument that is a little larger. In fact, “mandolin” comes from the Italian for “little mandola”.

40 Dasani product : WATER

Dasani is a Coca-Cola brand of bottled water. Dasani is simply filtered tap water with some trace minerals added.

41 Carbon monoxide’s lack : ODOR

Oxides are usually named for the number of oxygen atoms in each molecule of the oxide. Oxides with one oxygen atom are called monoxides (as in carbon monoxide: CO). Oxides with two oxygen atoms are dioxides (as in carbon dioxide: CO2). Oxides with three oxygen atoms are trioxides (as in sulfur trioxide: SO3). Oxides with four oxygen atoms are tetroxides (as in dinitrogen tetroxide: N2O4).

42 Iditarod racer : SLED

The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race covers an incredible 1,161 miles, from Anchorage to Nome in Alaska. The race starts every year on the first Saturday in March, with the first race having been held in 1973. Finishing times range from over 8 days to 15 days or more. The first few races only used a northern route, but then a southern route was added to the roster every second year. It’s kind of a good thing, because when the racers take the northern route they don’t even pass through the town of Iditarod!

43 Capital of Ghana : ACCRA

Accra sits on Ghana’s coast and is a major seaport as well as the country’s capital city. The name “Accra” comes from a local word “Nkran” meaning “ants”, a name chosen because of the large number of anthills found in the area when the city was founded.

44 Freight vehicle purchased with 58-Across? : NINE-WHEELER (from “eighteen-wheeler”)

An 18-wheeler semi-trailer truck has eight wheels under the trailer, i.e. four on each of the two rear axles. There are 10 wheels under the tractor unit. Two of the ten wheels are on the front axle, and eight are on the rear two axles that sit under the front of the trailer.

47 Coal scuttle : HOD

A coal scuttle, sometimes called a hod, is a container rather like a bucket that is used for carrying coal and pouring it onto the fire. Coal scuttles were important features in every home in which I grew up …

49 Silas of the Continental Congress : DEANE

Silas Deane was a member of the Continental Congress. When Deane was dispatched to Paris by the Congress, he became America’s first foreign diplomat. His amazing story is told in Joel Richard Paul’s book titled “Unlikely Allies”.

55 Museo Leonardiano city : VINCI

Vinci is a town in Tuscany that is famous as the birthplace of famed artist Leonardo da Vinci. Vinci is now home to the Museo Leonardiano, a museum dedicated to the work of the renowned polymath. In particular, visitors can view several models constructed from Leonardo’s drawings. I’ve never made it to Vinci, and would love to visit that museum …

62 Everyone, in Essen : ALLE

Essen is a large industrial city located on the River Ruhr in western Germany. The city experienced major population growth in the mid-1800s that was driven by the iron works established by the Krupp family.

63 Mideast bigwig : EMIR

An emir is a prince or chieftain, one most notably from the Middle East. In English, “emir” can also be written variously as “emeer, amir, ameer” (watch out for those spellings in crosswords!).

A bigwig is someone important. The use of the term “bigwig” harks back to the days when men of authority and rank wore … big wigs.

64 Mill input : GRIST

When grain has been separated from its chaff, to prepare it for grinding, it is called “grist”. Indeed, the word “grist” is derived from the word “grind”. Grist can be ground into a relatively coarse meal, or into a fine flour. The names can be confusing though. For example, the grist from maize when ground to a coarse consistency is called “grits”, and when ground to a fine consistency is called “corn meal”. There is an idiomatic phrase “grist for one’s mill”, meaning something used to one’s advantage. The grinding mechanism, or the building that holds the mechanism, is known as a “gristmill”.

65 “All in the Family” producer Norman : LEAR

Norman Lear wrote for and produced some great television shows, including “All in the Family”, “Sanford and Son” and “The Jeffersons”. He also did some film work, including writing and producing the great 1967 movie “Divorce American Style”.

“All in the Family” is an American sitcom, and 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

66 Donnybrook : RIOT

A “donnybrook” is a free-for-all, a melee. It is named for a famous historic fair in Donnybrook, a district in Dublin, Ireland. Donnybrook Fair had the reputation as a place where there was lots of drinking and fighting. I used to hang out a lot in Donnybrook in my student days and didn’t see any fighting. Lots of drinking, but no fighting …

67 Church council : SYNOD

The word “synod” comes from the Greek word for assembly, or meeting. A synod is a church council, usually one in the Christian faith.

Down

1 QB’s stat : ATT

In football, one statistic (stat) used to track the performance of a quarterback (QB) is attempts (ATT).

4 Sega’s hedgehog : SONIC

Sonic the Hedgehog is a title character in a videogame and the mascot of Sega, the computer game developer. Sonic was set up as a rival to Nintendo’s mascot “Mario”.

6 Cooperstown inst. : HOF

The first Hall of Fame (HOF) established in the US was the Hall of Fame for Great Americans, an outdoor sculpture gallery located in the grounds of Bronx Community College in New York City. Completed in 1900, it is an open-air colonnade featuring the bronze busts of renowned Americans such as President George Washington, author Henry David Thoreau, musician John Philip Sousa and baseball legend Jackie Robinson. The Hall of Fame of Great Americans was inspired by the Ruhmeshalle (“Hall of Fame” in German) located in Munich, Germany that exhibits busts of important people from Bavaria.

Cooperstown is a village in New York that is famous as the home to the Baseball Hall of Fame. The village was named for Judge William Cooper, the founder of Cooperstown and the father of the noted writer James Fenimore Cooper.

7 “Rope-a-dope” boxer : ALI

The Rumble in the Jungle was the celebrated 1974 fight between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman that took place in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo). The fight was set in Zaire because of financial arrangements between promoter Don King and Zaire’s President Mobutu Seko. Ali coined the term “rope-a-dope” to describe his incredibly successful strategy in the contest. From the second round onwards, Ali adopted a protected stance on the ropes letting Foreman pound him with blows to the body and head, with Ali using his arms to dissipate the power of the punches. He kept this up until the eighth round, and then opened up and downed the exhausted Foreman with a left-right combination. I hate boxing but I have to say, that was a fascinating fight …

11 Elsa and Anna’s snowman pal : OLAF

In the 2013 animated film “Frozen”, Olaf is a happy-go-lucky snowman who provides a lot of comic relief in the movie. Olaf is voiced by actor and comedian Josh Gad.

18 Mysterious Himalayan : YETI

The yeti, also known as the abominable snowman, is a beast of legend. “Yeti” is a Tibetan term, and the beast is fabled to live in the Himalayan regions of Nepal and Tibet. Our equivalent legend in North America is that of Bigfoot, also known as Sasquatch. The study of animals whose existence have not yet been substantiated is called cryptozoology, and a cryptid is a creature or plant that isn’t recognized by the scientific community, but the existence of which has been suggested.

23 Yoga instruction : EXHALE

In the West we tend to think of yoga as a physical discipline, a means of exercise that uses specific poses to stretch and strengthen muscles. While it is true that the ancient Indian practice of yoga does involve such physical discipline, the corporeal aspect of the practice plays a relatively small part in the whole philosophy. Other major components are meditation, ethical behavior, breathing and contemplation.

24 Cooked in a skillet : SAUTEED

“Sauté” is a French word. The literal translation from the French is “jumped” or “bounced”, a reference to the tossing of food while cooking it in a frying pan.

26 Guitar string option : NYLON

The choice of material used to make the strings of a stringed instrument depends on the desired pitch. The list of materials used includes, steel, nylon and catgut. It is also common to have a sting with a core made of one material and overwound with another.

27 King Salman, for one : SAUDI

Salman of Saudi Arabia became the sovereign state’s king in 2015, following the death of his half-brother King Abdullah.

31 Deadpan comic Hedberg : MITCH

Mitch Hedberg was a stand-up comedian from Saint Paul, Minnesota. He made a lot of jokes about his drug use, and in 2003 he was arrested for possession of heroin. He was found dead in a hotel room in 2005, having overdosed on cocaine and heroin.

The term “deadpan”, slang for “impassive expression”, comes from “dead” (expressionless) and “pan” (slang for “face”).

32 Summer month in South America : ENERO

In Spanish, “el primer mes” (the first month) is “enero” (January).

33 Annual Santa tracker : NORAD

The North American Defense Command (NORAD) isn’t just a US operation but is a cooperative arrangement between Canada and the United States. The two countries entered into an agreement to establish NORAD in 1958, mainly due to the concern that there would be little or no warning of a missile attack from the Soviet Union that came over the North Pole. NORAD also tracks Santa Claus coming from the North Pole every Christmas, and these days publishes Santa’s location on Christmas Eve on its website. The tracking of Santa started into 1955 when a local Sears store placed an advertisement in a Colorado Springs newspaper with a phone number that could be used to call Santa Claus. The newspaper accidentally printed the number for the Continental Air Defense Command (a precursor to NORAD). The officer on duty instructed his staff to give all children who called a “current location” for Santa. Today, NORAD gets about 120,000 phone queries about Santa’s location every year, and the website gets about 20 million visitors.

42 More on the ball : SHARPER

The phrase “on the ball”, meaning “alert”, comes from ball sports. It is a contraction of the expression “keep your eye on the ball”, i.e. stay alert!

45 Miss Muffet fare : WHEY

“Little Miss Muffet sat on a tuffet eating her curds and whey”, in the popular nursery rhyme. A tuffet is a low seat or a footstool, another word for a pouffe or a hassock. When milk curdles it separates into two parts, solid curds and liquid whey. Then “along came a spider and sat down beside her”.

51 Nonstick kitchen brand : T-FAL

Tefal (also “T-Fal”) is a French manufacturer of cookware, famous for its nonstick line. The name “Tefal” is a portmanteau of TEFlon and ALuminum, the key materials used in producing their pots and pans.

53 “Man __ Mancha” : OF LA

“Man of La Mancha” is a musical based on “Don Quixote” by Miguel de Cervantes. The musical was first staged in 1965 on Broadway, when it ran for 2,328 performances. The show is also famous for the song “The Impossible Dream”, which has become a classic.

54 Frozen Four game : SEMI

The semi-finals and finals of the NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey Championship tournaments are collectively referred to as the “Frozen Four”. This term is a play on “Final Four”, which is the name given to the final round of the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Championship tournament.

56 Invent, in a way : COIN

To coin a phrase is to invent a new phrase or expression. The greatest “coiner” of them all has to be William Shakespeare. Here are a few everyday expressions that were created by the Bard:

  • The game is afoot (Henry IV, Part I)
  • Brave new world (The Tempest)
  • Break the ice (The Taming of the Shrew)
  • Dead as a doornail (Henry VI, Part II)
  • Eaten me out of house and home (Henry IV, Part II)
  • Forever and a day (As You Like It)
  • For goodness’ sake (Henry VIII)
  • Knock knock! Who’s there? (Macbeth)
  • Set my teeth on edge (Henry IV, Part I)
  • Wild-goose chase (Romeo and Juliet)

59 Brazilian hot spot : RIO

Rio de Janeiro is the second largest city in Brazil (after São Paulo). “Rio de Janeiro” translates as “January River”. The name reflects the discovery of the bay on which Rio sits, on New Year’s Day in 1502.

60 Old PC monitor : CRT

Cathode ray tube (CRT)

61 Co. with a bouquet in its logo : FTD

Back in 1910, fifteen florists from around America agreed to fulfill each other’s orders using the telegraph system, setting up what they called the Florists’ Telegraph Delivery. The concept grew so large that in 1965 the group started to offer international service, and changed its name to Florists’ Transworld Delivery (FTD).

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Collect : AMASS
6 Stag : HART
10 Diminished gradually, with “off” : WORE …
14 Lake between the Silver State and Golden State : TAHOE
15 Promise, for one : OLEO
16 Operation Solomon airline : EL AL
17 Feature of an American flag purchased with 58-Across? : TWENTY-FIVE STARS (from “fifty stars”)
20 Raina Telgemeier graphic novel about a girl with braces : SMILE
21 Breeder’s income source : STUD FEE
22 Names as a source : CITES
25 Fizzy prefix : AER-
26 Decryption org. : NSA
29 Sidney Lumet film purchased with 58-Across? : SIX ANGRY MEN (from “Twelve Angry Men”)
34 Regatta racer : YACHT
36 Paint store selections : HUES
37 Ristorante bottle : VINO
38 Mandolin kin : LUTES
39 Loved, with “up” : ATE
40 Dasani product : WATER
41 Carbon monoxide’s lack : ODOR
42 Iditarod racer : SLED
43 Capital of Ghana : ACCRA
44 Freight vehicle purchased with 58-Across? : NINE-WHEELER (from “eighteen-wheeler”)
47 Coal scuttle : HOD
48 “I have an idea!” : AHA!
49 Silas of the Continental Congress : DEANE
51 Deals with freebies : TWOFERS
55 Museo Leonardiano city : VINCI
58 Sales incentive : FIFTY-PERCENT OFF
62 Everyone, in Essen : ALLE
63 Mideast bigwig : EMIR
64 Mill input : GRIST
65 “All in the Family” producer Norman : LEAR
66 Donnybrook : RIOT
67 Church council : SYNOD

Down

1 QB’s stat : ATT
2 Big mouths : MAWS
3 Word of disapproval : AHEM!
4 Sega’s hedgehog : SONIC
5 Band concert guides : SET LISTS
6 Cooperstown inst. : HOF
7 “Rope-a-dope” boxer : ALI
8 Races : REVS
9 “CSI” IDs : TOE TAGS
10 Multi-use workshop tool : WET/DRY VAC
11 Elsa and Anna’s snowman pal : OLAF
12 Medium __ : RARE
13 Besides that : ELSE
18 Mysterious Himalayan : YETI
19 Litigious type : SUER
23 Yoga instruction : EXHALE
24 Cooked in a skillet : SAUTEED
26 Guitar string option : NYLON
27 King Salman, for one : SAUDI
28 Do something in response to : ACT ON
30 Tease : NEEDLE
31 Deadpan comic Hedberg : MITCH
32 Summer month in South America : ENERO
33 Annual Santa tracker : NORAD
35 From now on : HEREAFTER
40 Alarms : WARNINGS
42 More on the ball : SHARPER
45 Miss Muffet fare : WHEY
46 Outer wall protector : EAVE
50 Vestibule, e.g. : ENTRY
51 Nonstick kitchen brand : T-FAL
52 Sly trick : WILE
53 “Man __ Mancha” : OF LA
54 Frozen Four game : SEMI
56 Invent, in a way : COIN
57 “That being the case … ” : IF SO …
59 Brazilian hot spot : RIO
60 Old PC monitor : CRT
61 Co. with a bouquet in its logo : FTD