LA Times Crossword 10 Sep 21, Friday

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Constructed by: Gary Larson
Edited by: Rich Norris

Today’s Reveal Answer: Scooby-Doo

Themed answers are phrases that follow the speech pattern used by SCOOBY-DOO:

  • 56A Cartoon canine whose speech patterns inspired four puzzle answers : SCOOBY-DOO
  • 18A Deception at a dog show? : ROVER RUSE
  • 23A Top-shelf whiskey? : REGAL RYE
  • 34A Food staple storage areas? : RICE RACKS
  • 51A Unexpected lopsided victory? : RARE ROUT

Read on, or jump to …
… a complete list of answers

Bill’s time: 6m 59s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

6 Wit : CARD

An exceptionally witty or amusing person might be described as a “card”, originally a “smart card”, in the sense of playing cards.

14 Trunk with a chest : TORSO

“Torso” (plural “torsi”) is an Italian word meaning the “trunk of a statue”, and is a term that we imported into English.

17 Denny who founded the Moody Blues and Wings : LAINE

English musician Denny Laine is best known as the founder of two very successful rock bands: the Moody Blues in 1964, and Wings in 1971. Laine’s birth name is Brian Hines. He opted for a stage name when founding his first band, Denny Laine and the Diplomats.

The Moody Blues are an English rock band that was formed in 1964. The Moody Blues were noted in the early days for fusing classical music with rock and released a famous 1967 album in that style called “Days of Future Passed”.

Wings (later “Paul McCartney and Wings”) were a rock band co-founded by Paul McCartney in 1971, soon after the Beatles broke up. Wings had many hits including, “Band on the Run”, “Jet” and “Live and Let Die”. Their biggest hit was 1977’s “Mull of Kintyre”, which was the first single to sell over two million copies in the UK.

22 Highest unstriped pool ball : EIGHT

One side (player) in a game of pool uses the “solid” balls, the other the “stripes”.

27 Samsa of Kafka’s “The Metamorphosis” : GREGOR

“The Metamorphosis” is a famous novella by Franz Kafka that is regarded by many as one of the greatest pieces of short fiction written in the 20th century. The story tells of the metamorphosis of Gregor Samsa into a gigantic insect. His sister Grete Samsa becomes his caregiver.

30 Perfume compound : ESTER

Esters are very common chemicals. The smaller, low-molecular weight esters are usually pleasant smelling and are often found in perfumes. At the other end of the scale, the higher-molecular weight nitroglycerin is a nitrate ester and is very explosive, and polyester is a huge molecule and is a type of plastic. Fats and oils found in nature are fatty acid esters of glycerol known as glycerides.

33 Video game letters : NES

The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) was sold in North America from 1985 to 1995. The NES was the biggest selling gaming console of the era. Nintendo replaced the NES with Wii, which is also the biggest-selling game console in the world.

41 Wranglers rival : LEES

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

42 Big name in health care : AETNA

When the healthcare management and insurance company known as Aetna was founded, the name was chosen to evoke images of Mount Etna, the Italian volcano.

46 Ambient music pioneer Brian : ENO

Brian Eno was one of the pioneers of the genre of ambient 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.

48 Bordeaux wine : CLARET

Clairet is a dark rosé wine. Although it is uncommon today, clairet used to be the most common wine produced in the Bordeaux region of France. For centuries now, English consumers have used the derivative term “claret” to describe any red wine from Bordeaux.

Bordeaux is perhaps the wine-production capital of the world. Wine has been produced in the area since the eighth century. Bordeaux has an administrative history too. During WWII, the French government relocated from Paris to the port city of Bordeaux when it became clear that Paris was soon to fall to the Germans. After the Germans took France, the capital was famously moved to Vichy.

53 “Star Wars” name : ARTOO

Artoo’s proper name is R2-D2 (also “Artoo-Detoo”). R2-D2 is the smaller of the two famous droids from the “Star Wars” movies. British actor Kenny Baker, who stood just 3 feet 8 inches tall, was the man inside the R2-D2 droid for the first six of the “Star Wars” movies.

54 Fishing boat : DORY

A dory is a small boat that’s around 20 feet long with a shallow draft, a flat bottom and a sharp bow. Dories are commonly used for fishing.

55 Wireless standard initials : LTE

In the world of telecommunications, the initialism LTE stands for Long-Term Evolution, and is wireless broadband communication standard. In general terms, LTE improves broadband speeds. As I understand it, LTE technology allows a 3G network to perform almost as well as a true 4G network, and so LTE is sometimes marketed as 4G LTE, even though it’s really “3G plus”.

56 Cartoon canine whose speech patterns inspired four puzzle answers : SCOOBY-DOO

“Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!” is a series of cartoons produced for Hanna-Barbera Productions, first broadcast in 1969. The title character is a great Dane dog owned by a young male called Shaggy Rogers. The character’s name was inspired by the famous “doo-be-doo-be-doo” refrain in the Frank Sinatra hit “Strangers in the Night”. Shaggy was voiced by famed disk jockey Casey Kasem. Shaggy and Scooby’s friends are Velma, Fred and Daphne.

58 Youngest French Open champ : SELES

Monica Seles has a Hungarian name as she was born to Hungarian parents in former Yugoslavia. Seles was the World No. 1 professional tennis player in 1991 and 1992 before being forced from the sport when she was stabbed by a spectator at a match in 1993. She did return to the game two years later, but never achieved the same level of success.

60 Superhero with a hammer : THOR

Thor Odinson is a superhero who was introduced to us by Marvel Comics in 1962. The character is based on the Norse god Thor, and comes complete with a magical hammer. Like so many comic book heroes it seems, Thor has made it to the big screen. Actor Chris Hemsworth played the role in the 2011 film “Thor” directed by the great Kenneth Branagh. Branagh must have needed the cash. Thor’s father Odin is played by Anthony Hopkins. He must have needed the cash too …

62 “At the Movies” co-host : EBERT

Roger Ebert co-hosted a succession of film review television programs for over 23 years, most famously with Gene Siskel until Siskel passed away in 1999. Siskel and Ebert famously gave their thumbs up or thumbs down to the movies they reviewed. Ebert himself died in 2013.

63 Dict. entries : SYNS

Synonym (syn.)

64 Where Cisco has no “i,” briefly : NYSE

The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) can give some quite descriptive ticker symbols to companies, for example:

  • Anheuser-Busch (BUD, for “Budweiser”)
  • Molson Coors Brewing Company (TAP, as in “beer tap”)
  • Steinway Musical Instruments (LVB, for “Ludwig van Beethoven”)
  • Sotheby’s (BID, for the auction house)

Cisco is a company that I really admire (in terms of innovation and management). Headquartered in San Jose, California, Cisco develops and sells products and services in the communications sector. The name “Cisco” was taken from the name of the city San Francisco.

Down

3 One of the Fondas : BRIDGET

Actress Bridget Fonda has acting in her blood. She is the daughter of actor Peter Fonda, niece of actress Jane Fonda, and granddaughter of actor Henry Fonda.

4 “Top Gun” org. : USN

“Top Gun” is an entertaining action movie released in 1986 starring Tom Cruise and Kelly McGillis. The movie is all about pilots training at the US Navy’s Fighter Weapons School. A lot of footage was shot on board the Navy’s carrier the USS Enterprise during flight operations. At one point in a day’s shooting, the commander of the Enterprise changed course as needed for normal operations, but this altered the light for the cameras that were filming at the time. Director Tony Scott asked for the course to be changed back, but was informed that a course change would cost the Navy $25,000. Scott wrote out a check there and then, and he got another five minutes of filming with the light he needed.

5 Homer’s bartender : MOE

The regulars on “The Simpsons” hang out at Moe’s Tavern, which is named for and run by Moe Szyslak. The most popular beer at Moe’s is Duff Beer. The name “Duff” is a reference to the real-life Duffy’s Tavern that used to be East 13th Street in Eugene, Oregon. “The Simpsons” creator Matt Groening used to frequent Duffy’s regularly, and Moe’s looks very much like Duffy’s in terms of decor and floor plan.

6 Clichéd : CORNY

“Cliché” is a word that comes from the world of printing. In the days when type was added as individual letters into a printing plate, for efficiency some oft-used phrases and words were created as one single slug of metal. The word “cliché” was used for such a grouping of letters. It’s easy to see how the same word would become a term to describe any overused phrase. Supposedly, “cliché” comes from French, from the verb “clicher” meaning “to click”. The idea is that when a matrix of letters was dropped in molten metal to make a cliché, it made a clicking sound.

7 Quarters : ABODE

We use the term “quarters” for a place of abode, especially housing for military personnel. Back in the late 16th century, quarters were a portion (quarter) of a town reserved for a military force.

10 Diagonal sail extender : SPRIT

A sprit is a pole that extends out from a mast, one often supporting a special sail called a spritsail.

11 ’60s-’70s show with a Joke Wall, familiarly : LAUGH-IN

“Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In” was originally recorded as a one-off special for NBC in 1967, but it was so successful that it was brought back as a series to replace the waning spy show “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” Personally, I loved both shows!

13 African pests : TSETSES

Tsetse flies live on the blood of vertebrate mammals. The name “tsetse” comes from Tswana, a language of southern Africa, and translates simply as “fly”. Tsetse flies are famous for being carriers of the disease known as “sleeping sickness”. Sleeping sickness is caused by a parasite which is passed onto humans when the tsetse fly bites into human skin tissue. If one considers all the diseases transmitted by the insect, then the tsetse fly is responsible for a staggering quarter of a million deaths each year.

25 Loughlin of “Full House” : LORI

Lori Loughlin played Rebecca Donaldson-Katsopolis on the sitcom “Full House”. Loughlin later appeared in a spin-off of the TV show “Beverly Hills, 90210” titled, inventively enough, “90210”.

26 Pear variety : BOSC

Bosc is a cultivar of the European pear that is grown mainly in the northwest of the United States. It is named for French horticulturist Louis Bosc. The cultivar originated in Belgium or France in the early 19th century. The Bosc is that pear with a skin the color of a potato, with a long neck.

31 Many a “Buffy” character : TEEN

“Buffy the Vampire Slayer” is a TV series that originally aired from 1997 to 2003. “Buffy …” was incredibly successful, especially given that it wasn’t aired on one of the big four networks. The show was created by Joss Whedon and stars Sarah Michelle Gellar in the title role.

39 Lawlessness : ANARCHY

Our word “anarchy”, used to describe a society without a publicly enforced government, comes from the Greek “an-” (without) and “arkhos” (leader).

40 What may float your boat : PONTOON

Pontoons are buoyancy tanks, empty spaces that help keep vessels afloat. So, the hulls of catamarans and trimarans are pontoons, as are the floats that act as landing gear on float planes.

43 Transport on “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” : TROLLEY

The “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” TV show starred Fred Rogers. It was the second-longest running series on PBS television, after that other iconic children’s show “Sesame Street”.

47 Oozy horror film menace, with “the” : … BLOB

The 1958 horror film “The Blob” was the first movie in which Steve McQueen had a leading role. “The Blob” wasn’t a success at all, that is until Steve McQueen became a star. Using McQueen’s name, the movie was re-released and gained a cult following and was particularly successful at drive-in theaters.

54 WWII turning point : D-DAY

The most famous D-Day in history was June 6, 1944, the date of the Normandy landings in WWII. The term “D-Day” is used by the military to designate the day on which a combat operation is to be launched, especially when the actual date has yet to be determined. What D stands for seems to have been lost in the mists of time although the tradition is that D just stands for “Day”. In fact, the French have a similar term, “Jour J” (Day J), with a similar meaning. We also use H-Hour to denote the hour the attack is to commence.

57 Strong desire : YEN

The word “yen”, meaning “urge”, has been around in English since the very early 1900s. It comes from the earlier word “yin” imported from Chinese, which was used in English to describe an intense craving for opium.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Musical collectible : ALBUM
6 Wit : CARD
10 Cut : SLIT
14 Trunk with a chest : TORSO
15 Mind : OBEY
16 Is gentle with : PATS
17 Denny who founded the Moody Blues and Wings : LAINE
18 Deception at a dog show? : ROVER RUSE
20 With 21-Across, odds follower : … AND …
21 See 20-Across : … ENDS
22 Highest unstriped pool ball : EIGHT
23 Top-shelf whiskey? : REGAL RYE
26 Washes up : BATHES
27 Samsa of Kafka’s “The Metamorphosis” : GREGOR
28 Roll in the grass : SOD
29 Steamed state : IRE
30 Perfume compound : ESTER
31 Tees, say : TOPS
33 Video game letters : NES
34 Food staple storage areas? : RICE RACKS
38 Blame : RAP
41 Wranglers rival : LEES
42 Big name in health care : AETNA
46 Ambient music pioneer Brian : ENO
47 It might be sticky : BUN
48 Bordeaux wine : CLARET
49 Classic light provider : CANDLE
51 Unexpected lopsided victory? : RARE ROUT
53 “Star Wars” name : ARTOO
54 Fishing boat : DORY
55 Wireless standard initials : LTE
56 Cartoon canine whose speech patterns inspired four puzzle answers : SCOOBY-DOO
58 Youngest French Open champ : SELES
60 Superhero with a hammer : THOR
61 Has something : EATS
62 “At the Movies” co-host : EBERT
63 Dict. entries : SYNS
64 Where Cisco has no “i,” briefly : NYSE
65 Vast chasm : ABYSS

Down

1 Loose : AT LARGE
2 Auto repair perks : LOANERS
3 One of the Fondas : BRIDGET
4 “Top Gun” org. : USN
5 Homer’s bartender : MOE
6 Clichéd : CORNY
7 Quarters : ABODE
8 Guns : REVS
9 Salon supply : DYE
10 Diagonal sail extender : SPRIT
11 ’60s-’70s show with a Joke Wall, familiarly : LAUGH-IN
12 “The parcel has arrived” : IT’S HERE
13 African pests : TSETSES
19 __ lips : READ
21 Blunder : ERR
24 New __ : AGER
25 Loughlin of “Full House” : LORI
26 Pear variety : BOSC
28 Getaway spots : SPAS
31 Many a “Buffy” character : TEEN
32 Vein contents : ORE
35 Solving aid : CLUE
36 Trendy kind of chips : KALE
37 Lightly burn : SEAR
38 Replaces actors for : RECASTS
39 Lawlessness : ANARCHY
40 What may float your boat : PONTOON
43 Transport on “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” : TROLLEY
44 Fixes, in a way : NEUTERS
45 Certifies : ATTESTS
47 Oozy horror film menace, with “the” : … BLOB
48 Shout : CRY
50 Metaphorical opportunities : DOORS
51 Underground network : ROOTS
52 Turned up : AROSE
54 WWII turning point : D-DAY
57 Strong desire : YEN
58 Watery expanse : SEA
59 Point of decline : EBB