LA Times Crossword 14 May 20, Thursday

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Constructed by: Bruce Haight
Edited by: Rich Norris

Today’s Reveal Answer: Not Fit for the Job

Themed answers each start with a JOB, one that has nothing to do with that answer:

  • 36A Like the start of four long answers, vis-à-vis its answer? : NOT FIT FOR THE JOB
  • 17A Make one’s spirits last? : NURSE A DRINK
  • 23A What a karaoke performer may do : BUTCHER A SONG
  • 49A Use the airbrush, say : DOCTOR A PHOTO
  • 58A Work out specific strategy : TAILOR A PLAN

Bill’s time: 9m 09s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

16 Tribute in stanzas : ODE

“Stanza” is an Italian word meaning “verse of a poem”.

19 Hawthorne Heights music genre : EMO

Hawthorne Heights is a rock band from Dayton, Ohio that formed in 2001 as A Day in the Life. The group had to change their name in 2003 as a Long Island band was already performing as A Day in the Life. The band’s genre has been classified as screamo. No, I’ve no idea …

23 What a karaoke performer may do : BUTCHER A SONG

“Karate” is a Japanese word meaning “empty hand”, and the related word “karaoke” translates as “empty orchestra”.

27 Takes public transport, slangily : BUSES IT

We use the term “bus” for a mode of transportation, as it is an abbreviated form of the original “omnibus”. We imported “omnibus” via French from Latin, in which language it means “for all”. The idea is that an omnibus is a “carriage for all”.

30 Comedian Marc who interviewed President Obama on his podcast : MARON

Stand-up comedian Marc Maron has been hosting the podcast “WTF with Marc Maron” since 2009. The online show features interviews with comedians and celebrities. The list of interviewees is pretty impressive, and includes Conan O’Brien, Robin Williams and even President Barack Obama.

31 Foil relative : EPEE

The sword known as an épée has a three-sided blade. The épée is similar to a foil and sabre, although the foil and saber have rectangular cross-sections.The sword known as an épée has a three-sided blade. The épée is similar to a foil and sabre, although the foil and saber have rectangular cross-sections.

32 __ Hayes, “The Mod Squad” role : LINC

The 1999 movie “The Mod Squad” was an adaptation of the seventies television show of the same name. The part of Lincoln “Linc” Hayes was played by Omar Epps, Claire Danes played Julie Barnes and Giovanni Ribisi played Peter Cochran.

33 Canine care org.? : ADA

The American Dental Association (ADA) is the largest and oldest national dental association in the world. Today the ADA is based in Chicago, but the association was founded in Niagara Falls, New York in 1859. The ADA started out as a group of 26 dentists, and it now has more than 152,000 members.

41 Musician Brian : ENO

Brian Eno was one of the pioneers of the ambient genre of music. Eno composed an album in 1978 called “Ambient 1: Music for Airports”, which was the first in a series of four albums with an ambient theme. Eno named the tracks, somewhat inventively, 1/1, 1/2, 2/1 and 2/2.

42 “My Heart Will Go On” singer : DION

“My Heart Will Go On” is the love theme from the 1997 blockbuster movie “Titanic”. It was recorded by Céline Dion, and hit the number one spot in the charts all around the world. “My Heart Will Go On” was destined to become Dion’s biggest hit, and the best-selling single in the world for 1998.

49 Use the airbrush, say : DOCTOR A PHOTO

An airbrush is a nebulizing tool used for spraying paint, ink or dye in a fine mist. One common use for the tool is retouching non-digital photos, perhaps hiding a person’s blemishes or even removing whole figures from an image. We still use the term “airbrushing” in the digital world to describe similar adjustments.

52 Munch Museum city : OSLO

Edvard Munch was a Norwegian expressionist, and most famous for his painting “The Scream”, painted in 1893. What a wonderful work that is, a true representation of expressionism. The Munch Museum in Oslo is dedicated to his work and life. In 2004, two of Munch’s paintings, “The Scream” and “Madonna”, were stolen from the Munch Museum by armed robbers who subdued the museum guards. The paintings were missing for two years, but recovered in 2006.

53 Instrument in the intro to the Carpenters’ “For All We Know” : OBOE

“For All We Know” is a 1970 song that was most famously released by the Carpenters in 1971. The song was written for the 1970 movie “Lovers and Other Strangers”, and won that season’s Academy Award for Best Original Song.

The Carpenters were a musical duo comprising brother and sister Richard and Karen Carpenter. Karen had an amazing contralto voice, and played the drums. Richard played the piano, and composed and arranged most of their music. Tragically, Karen Carpenter died in 1983 due to heart failure brought on by an eating disorder. She was only 32 years old.

54 Maven : PRO

I’ve always loved the term “maven”, which is another word for “expert”. Maven comes into English from the Yiddish “meyvn” describing someone who appreciates and is a connoisseur.

57 2019 Coll. Football Playoffs champs : LSU

The Tigers are the sports teams of Louisiana State University (LSU). They are officially known as the Fightin’ Tigers, and the school mascot is “Mike the Tiger”. The name comes from the days of the Civil War, when two Louisiana brigades earned the nickname the “Louisiana Tigers”. Given the French/Cajun history of Louisiana, the LSU fans use the cheer “Geaux Tigers” instead of “Go Tigers”.

62 Ad-__ : LIB

“Ad libitum” is a Latin phrase meaning “at one’s pleasure”. In common usage, the phrase is usually shortened to “ad lib”. On the stage, the concept of an ad lib is very familiar.

63 Gang leader on “The Wire” : MARLO

I didn’t watch the HBO series called “The Wire” when it first aired. We ended up buying all five series on DVD and we watched the whole thing several years ago. It is a great drama series, and I thoroughly recommend it. Personally, I think that HBO produces some of the best dramas on American television.

67 County in four Northeastern states : ESSEX

There are five counties named Essex in the US:

  • Essex County, Massachusetts
  • Essex County, New Jersey
  • Essex County, New York
  • Essex County, Vermont
  • Essex County, Virginia
  • Down

    3 Sticker at a bar? : DART

    Darts is a wonderful game that’s often played in English and Irish pubs, even over here in America. The scoring in a traditional game of darts is difficult to describe in a sentence or two, but the game of darts called “Round the Clock” is simply hitting the numbers 1 through 20 on the dartboard in sequence.

    4 Ewoks, e.g. : ETS

    The Ewoks are creatures that live on the moon of Endor in the “Star Wars” universe. First appearing in “Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi”, they’re the cute and cuddly little guys that look like teddy bears.

    5 Monkey named for a mythical Greek king : RHESUS

    The Rhesus macaque is also known as the Rhesus monkey. As it is widely available and is close to humans anatomically and physically, the Rhesus macaque has been used in scientific research for decades. The Rhesus monkey was used in the development of rabies, smallpox and polio vaccines, and it also gave its name to the Rhesus factor that is used in blood-typing. It was also Rhesus monkeys that were launched into space by the US and Soviet space programs. Humans and macaques share about 93% of their DNA and had a common ancestor about 25 million years ago.

    6 Aficionado : ADDICT

    An aficionado is an enthusiast. Imported from Spanish, “aficionado” was originally used in English to describe a devotee of bullfighting.

    8 What April has that no other month does : AN I

    The exact etymology of “April”, the name of the fourth month of our year, seems to be uncertain. The ancient Romans called it “mensis Aprilis”, which roughly translated as “opening month”. The suggestion is that April is the month in which fruits, flowers and animals “open” their life cycles.

    9 __ garden : ZEN

    Japanese Zen gardens are inspired by the meditation gardens of Zen Buddhist temples. Zen gardens have no water in them, but often there is gravel and sand that is raked in patterns designed to create the impression of water in waves and ripples.

    11 Cries and cries, say : GOES ON A JAG

    The word “jag” is used to describe periods of unrestrained activity, particularly involving alcohol, and has been in use since the 1800s.

    12 Madison Ave. guys : ADMEN

    Madison Avenue became the center of advertising in the US in the twenties, and serves as the backdrop to the great TV drama “Mad Men”. There aren’t many advertising agencies left on Madison Avenue these days though, as most have moved to other parts of New York City. The street takes its name from Madison Square, which is bounded on one side by Madison Avenue. The square in turn takes its name from James Madison, the fourth President of the United States.

    13 Conductor Solti : GEORG

    Sir Georg Solti was a great Hungarian-British conductor, who spent 22 years as music director of the Chicago Symphony, one of many prestigious positions he held in the world of classical music and opera. Solti was awarded 31 Grammy Awards, the most won by any individual in any genre of music. I think it’s kind of cool that Solti’s name comprises two notes in the solfa scale: sol-ti …

    22 Gp. for the troops : USO

    The United Service Organization (USO) was founded in 1941 at the request of President Franklin D. Roosevelt “to handle the on-leave recreation of the men in the armed forces”. A USO tour is undertaken by a troupe of entertainers, many of whom are big-name celebrities. A USO tour usually includes troop locations in combat zones.

    24 Mideast mogul : EMIR

    A mogul is a person with power. The term comes from the Mughal emperors of India and South Asia.

    27 Nota __ : BENE

    “Nota bene” is Latin for “note well”, and is abbreviated to “NB”.

    32 Chaney of horror : LON

    Lon Chaney, Sr. played a lot of crazed-looking characters in the days of silent movies. He did much of his own make-up work, developing the grotesque appearances that became his trademark, and earning himself the nickname “the man of a thousand faces”. Most famous were his portrayals of the title characters in the films “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” (1923) and “The Phantom of the Opera” (1925).

    37 Fig. on a badge : ID NO

    Identity document (ID)

    40 Breakfast brand : EGGO

    Eggo is a line of frozen waffles and related products made by Kellogg’s. When they were introduced in the 1930s, the name “Eggo” was chosen to promote the “egginess” of the batter. “Eggo” replaced “Froffles”, the original name chosen by melding “frozen” and “waffles”.

    46 hit for the Crew-Cuts : SH-BOOM

    The great song “Sh-Boom” is also known as “Life Could Be a Dream”. It was written and recorded by the Chords in 1954. “Sh-Boom” was also recorded in that same year by the Crew-Cuts. Many regard it as the first doo-wop song to break into the top ten of the pop charts.

    47 Queen dowager of Jordan : NOOR

    Queen Noor is the widow of King Hussein of Jordan. Queen Noor was born Lisa Halaby in Washington, D.C., the daughter of Najeeb Halaby. Her father was appointed by President Kennedy as the head of the Federal Aviation Administration, and later became the CEO of Pan Am. Lisa Halaby met King Hussein in 1977, while working on the design of Jordan’s Queen Alia Airport. The airport was named after King Hussein’s third wife who had been killed that year in a helicopter crash. Halaby and the King were married the next year, in 1978.

    49 Movie studio roller : DOLLY

    A dolly is a small platform on rollers, especially on a movie set. Apparently, it is so called because it’s supposed to look like a doll. No, it doesn’t. I don’t believe it …

    50 Davis of “Grumpy Old Men” : OSSIE

    Ossie Davis was a very successful actor, but also a director, poet, playwright and social activist. One of Davis’s better known performances was in the 1993 movie “Grumpy Old Men”, in which he played the owner of the bait shop by the lake.

    51 Matters of opinion : POLLS

    “Grumpy Old Men” is a wonderful romantic comedy film from 1993 starring the great actors Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau and Ann-Margret along with an excellent supporting cast. “Grumpy Old Man” was the sixth on-screen collaboration between Lemmon and Matthau, but the first in over a decade.

    56 Cameo stone : ONYX

    Onyx is a form of quartz that comes in many different shades, but most often it’s the black version that’s used for jewelry. The name “onyx” comes from the Greek word for “fingernail”, as onyx in the flesh color is said to resemble a fingernail.

    Cameo is a method of carving, often the carving of a gemstone or a piece of jewelry. The resulting image is in relief (sits proud of the background), whereas an engraved image would be produced by the similar carving method known as intaglio. Nowadays, the term “cameo” is used for any piece of oval-shaped jewelry that contains the image of a head, usually in profile (maybe even a photograph).

    58 HBO rival : TMC

    The Movie Channel is owned by Showtime, which in turn is a subsidiary of CBS. The channel’s name is often abbreviated to “TMC”, although this is informal usage.

    60 Golden yrs. fund : IRA

    Individual retirement account (IRA)

    61 Faux __ : PAS

    The term “faux pas” is French in origin, and translates literally as “false step” (or “false steps”, as the plural has the same spelling in French).

    Complete List of Clues/Answers

    Across

    1 Pub customer’s usual, say : ORDER
    6 Floor : AMAZE
    11 One-liner : GAG
    14 Wasteland : HEATH
    15 Hospital, often : DONEE
    16 Tribute in stanzas : ODE
    17 Make one’s spirits last? : NURSE A DRINK
    19 Hawthorne Heights music genre : EMO
    20 Choose : OPT
    21 Short cut? : SNIP
    22 __ interface : USER
    23 What a karaoke performer may do : BUTCHER A SONG
    27 Takes public transport, slangily : BUSES IT
    30 Comedian Marc who interviewed President Obama on his podcast : MARON
    31 Foil relative : EPEE
    32 __ Hayes, “The Mod Squad” role : LINC
    33 Canine care org.? : ADA
    36 Like the start of four long answers, vis-à-vis its answer? : NOT FIT FOR THE JOB
    41 Musician Brian : ENO
    42 “My Heart Will Go On” singer : DION
    43 More than a glance : GAZE
    44 More elegant : FINER
    46 Caught : SNAGGED
    49 Use the airbrush, say : DOCTOR A PHOTO
    52 Munch Museum city : OSLO
    53 Instrument in the intro to the Carpenters’ “For All We Know” : OBOE
    54 Maven : PRO
    57 2019 Coll. Football Playoffs champs : LSU
    58 Work out specific strategy : TAILOR A PLAN
    62 Ad-__ : LIB
    63 Gang leader on “The Wire” : MARLO
    64 Impertinent : SAUCY
    65 “By all means” : YES
    66 Wide divide : CHASM
    67 County in four Northeastern states : ESSEX

    Down

    1 “Here comes trouble” : OH NO
    2 Enlist again : RE-UP
    3 Sticker at a bar? : DART
    4 Ewoks, e.g. : ETS
    5 Monkey named for a mythical Greek king : RHESUS
    6 Aficionado : ADDICT
    7 Transform : MORPH
    8 What April has that no other month does : AN I
    9 __ garden : ZEN
    10 “Yikes!” : EEK!
    11 Cries and cries, say : GOES ON A JAG
    12 Madison Ave. guys : ADMEN
    13 Conductor Solti : GEORG
    18 Naysaying : ANTI
    22 Gp. for the troops : USO
    23 Strengthen, with “up” : BEEF
    24 Mideast mogul : EMIR
    25 Blog harangue : RANT
    26 Part of a foot : ARCH
    27 Nota __ : BENE
    28 Informed about : UP ON
    29 Course load? : SET OF CLUBS
    32 Chaney of horror : LON
    34 Nod off : DOZE
    35 Nodding off, maybe : ABED
    37 Fig. on a badge : ID NO
    38 Big piece of cake? : TIER
    39 Fit-king link : FOR A
    40 Breakfast brand : EGGO
    45 “How was __ know?” : I TO
    46 1954 #1 hit for the Crew-Cuts : SH-BOOM
    47 Queen dowager of Jordan : NOOR
    48 Relaxed : AT EASE
    49 Movie studio roller : DOLLY
    50 Davis of “Grumpy Old Men” : OSSIE
    51 Matters of opinion : POLLS
    54 Grade refinement : PLUS
    55 Political contest : RACE
    56 Cameo stone : ONYX
    58 HBO rival : TMC
    59 “That’s the spot!” : AAH!
    60 Golden yrs. fund : IRA
    61 Faux __ : PAS