LA Times Crossword Answers 18 Aug 14, Monday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: Gail Grabowski & Bruce Venzke
THEME: One-Stop Shopping … the first words in today’s themed answers spell out BIG-BOX STORE, a place where we might enjoy ONE-STOP SHOPPING:

17A. 1962 hit by The 4 Seasons BIG GIRLS DON’T CRY
25A. Underpass drainage channels BOX CULVERTS
43A. Products with “Walgreens” on the label, say STORE BRANDS

55A. Target convenience, and a hint to the first words of 17-, 25- and 43-Across ONE-STOP SHOPPING

BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 6m 57s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across

1. Arctic hazards BERGS
An iceberg is a large piece of freshwater ice that is floating freely after having broken off (“calved”) from a glacier or ice shelf. Our use of “iceberg” comes from the Dutch word for the same phenomenon “ijsberg”, which translates literally as “ice mountain”.

6. Artist Chagall MARC
Marc Chagall was a Russian-French artist, one of the most successful of the 20th century. Unlike so many painters, Chagall was able to achieve wealth and notoriety for his work during his own lifetime. It did help that Chagall lived to a ripe old age though. He passed away in 1985, when he was 97 years young. One of Chagall’s most famous works is the ceiling of the Paris Opera. The new ceiling for the beautiful 19th-century building was commissioned in 1963, and took Chagall a year to complete. Chagall was 77 years old when he worked on the Paris Opera project.

10. Washington MLB team NATS
The Washington Nationals baseball team started out life as the Montreal Expos in 1969. The Expos moved to Washington in 2005 becoming the Nats. There are only two Major Leagues teams that have never played in a World Series, one being the Mariners and the other the Nats.

16. “Law & Order: SVU” actor ICE-T
Rapper Ice-T must be sick of having his name come up as an answer in crossword puzzles. Maybe he should have stuck to his real name, Tracy Marrow? Then again, maybe not … Ice-T has been interested in acting for decades and made his film debut in the 1984 movie about break-dancing called “Breakin’”. He has also played Detective Fin Tutuola in the TV show “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” since the year 2000.

17. 1962 hit by The 4 Seasons BIG GIRLS DON’T CRY
“Big Girls Don’t Cry” is a classic hit released by the 4 Seasons in 1962. The title of the song comes from a line spoken in the 1956 film noir “Slightly Scarlet”, which one of the co-writers heard on the TV when awakening from a nap.

21. Need for an Olympic vault POLE
The pole vault has been an Olympic event for men since the 1896 games. However, women’s pole vaulting was only introduced at the 2000 games.

23. Note after fa SOL
The solfa syllables are: do, re, mi, fa,sol, la & ti.

25. Underpass drainage channels BOX CULVERTS
Culverts are drainage structures that permit water to flow under a construction such as a road, trail or railroad track. Culverts are usually round in cross-section, but can have a box-like structure, in which case they might be called box culverts.

33. Dizzying painting genre OP ART
Op art is also known as optical art, and puts optical illusions to great effect.

34. Childlike sci-fi people ELOI
In the 1895 novel by H. G. Wells called “The Time Machine”, there are two races that the hero encounter in his travels into the future. The Eloi are the “beautiful people” who live on the planet’s surface. The Morlocks are a race of cannibals living underground who use the Eloi as food.

35. __ Lee: dessert brand SARA
In 1935, businessman Charles Lubin bought a chain of three bakeries in Chicago called Community Bake Shops, and soon expanded the operation into seven stores. Lubin introduced a cream cheesecake that he named after his daughter who was only 8-years-old at the time, Sara Lee Lubin. The cheesecake was a hit and he renamed the bakeries to Kitchen of Sara Lee. The business was bought out by Consolidated foods in 1956, but the brand name Sara Lee persists to this day, as does Ms. Sara Lee herself who now goes by the name Sara Lee Schupf.

38. “Star Trek: T.N.G.” counselor TROI
Deanna Troi is a character on “Star Trek: The Next Generation” who is played by the lovely Marina Sirtis. Sirtis is a naturalized American citizen and has what I would call a soft American accent on the show. However, she was born in the East End of London and has a natural accent off-stage that is more like that of a true Cockney.

When Gene Roddenberry first proposed the science fiction series that became “Star Trek”, he marketed it as “Wagon Train to the Stars”, a pioneer-style Western in outer space. In fact his idea was to produce something more like “Gulliver’s Travels”, as he intended to write episodes that were adventure stories on one level, but morality tales on another. Personally I think that he best achieved this model with the spin-off series “Star Trek: The Next Generation”. If you watch individual episodes you will see thinly disguised treatments of moral issues such as racism, homosexuality, genocide etc. For my money, “The Next Generation” is the best of the whole franchise …

39. Radar image BLIP
Scientists have been using radio waves to detect the presence of objects since the late 1800s, but it was the demands of WWII that accelerated the practical application of the technology. The British called their system RDF standing for Range and Direction Finding. The system used by the US Navy was called Radio Detection And Ranging, which was shortened to the acronym RADAR.

43. Products with “Walgreens” on the label, say STORE BRANDS
Walgreens is the largest chain of drugstores in the United States, with over 7,500 retail outlets. The company is named for the owner of the first store and founder of the chain, Charles R. Walgreen.

45. Marquee name STAR
A marquee is a large sign that is placed over the entrance to a theater. The marquee usually displays the names of the film or play that is currently showing.

52. Key lime __ PIE
The species of citrus fruit called a key lime is so named due to its association with the Florida Keys.

55. Target convenience, and a hint to the first words of 17-, 25- and 43-Across ONE-STOP SHOPPING
Target Corporation was founded by George Draper Dayton in 1902 in Minneapolis, Minnesota as Dayton Dry Goods Company. Dayton developed into a department store, and the company opened up a discount store chain in 1962, calling it Target. Today Target is the second-largest discount retailer in the country, after Walmart.

61. Zap with a stun gun TASE
Victor Appleton wrote a novel for young adults called “Tom Swift and His Electric Rifle”. The company that developed the TASER electroshock weapon named its product as a homage to the novel. The acronym TASER stands for “Thomas A. Swift’s Electric Rifle”.

62. Designer Schiaparelli ELSA
Elsa Schiaparelli was an Italian fashion designer, a great rival of the perhaps more famous Coco Chanel. Schiaparelli was most successful between the two World Wars, but her business closed in 1954 as she failed to adapt to changing tastes after WWII.

Down
1. Ali __ BABA
There is some controversy about the story “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves” in that it has been suggested it was not part of the original collection of Arabic tales called “One Thousand and One Nights”. The suggestion is that the Ali Baba tale was added by one of the European translators of the collection.

4. Band booking GIG
Musicians use “gig” to describe a job, a performance. The term originated in the early 1900s in the world of jazz.

6. Retail complex MALL
Surprisingly, our word “mall”, meaning “shady walk” or “enclosed shopping space”, comes from the Italian for “mallet”. All of our shopping-style malls are named for “The Mall” in St. James’s Park in London. This tree-lined promenade was so called as it used to a famous spot to play the croquet-like game called “pall-mall”. The game derived its name from the Italian for ball (palla) and mallet “maglio”. The London thoroughfare called the Mall still exists, at one end of which is Buckingham Palace. Indeed, parallel to the Mall is a street called Pall Mall.

7. Cathedral section 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.

10. The “N” in TNT NITRO
TNT is an abbreviation for trinitrotoluene. Trinitrotoluene was first produced in 1863 by the German chemist Joseph Wilbrand, who developed it for use as a yellow dye. TNT is relatively difficult to detonate so it was on the market as a dye for some years before its more explosive properties were discovered.

12. Trillion: Pref. TERA-
The prefix tera- signifies a trillion and comes from the Greek word “teras” meaning “monster”.

13. Underworld river STYX
The River Styx of Greek mythology was the river that formed the boundary between the Earth and the Underworld (or Hades). The souls of the newly dead had to cross the River Styx in a ferry boat piloted by Charon. Traditionally, a coin would be placed in the mouths of the dead “to pay the ferryman”.

18. Throw of the dice ROLL
The numbers on dice are arranged so that the opposite faces add up to seven. Given this arrangement, the numbers 1, 2 and 3 all meet at a common vertex. Now, there are two ways of arranging the 1, 2 and 3 around the common vertex, a so called right-handed die (clockwise 1-2-3) or a left-handed die (counterclockwise 1-2-3). Traditionally, dice used in Western cultures are right-handed, whereas Chinese dice are left-handed. Quite interesting …

23. Direction to a pharmacist, briefly SCRIP
When used in a medical context, “scrip” is an abbreviation for “prescription”.

26. October birthstones OPALS
97% of the world’s opals come from Australia, so it’s no surprise perhaps that the opal is the national gemstone of the country. The state of South Australia provides the bulk of the world’s production, about 80%.

30. Vice President Burr AARON
Aaron Burr was the third vice-president of the US, serving under Thomas Jefferson. In the final year of his term in office, Burr fought an illegal duel and killed his political rival Alexander Hamilton. Burr wasn’t brought to justice, but he did pay the price politically. Thomas Jefferson dropped him from his ticket in the election held the following year.

32. Coin toss call TAILS
The two sides of a coin are known as the “obverse” and the “reverse”. The obverse is commonly referred to as “heads”, as it often depicts someone’s head. The reverse is commonly called “tails”, as it is the opposite of “heads”.

44. Vigor BRIO
“Brio” is borrowed from Italian, in which language it means vigor and vivacity. “Con brio” is a musical direction often found on a score, instructing the musicians to play “with energy, vigor”.

45. “Wake Up, Little __”: Everly Brothers hit SUSIE
“Wake Up, Little Susie” is a song most famously associated with the Everly Brothers, as it was a hit for the duo in 1957. “Wake Up, Little Susie” is, or at least used to be, the favorite song of President George W. Bush.

The Everly Brothers are noted for their steel guitar sound, and their great use of harmony. Their harmony onstage wasn’t reflected off the stage though. In 1973 the brothers decided to pursue separate careers and scheduled a farewell performance attended by many fans, family and stalwarts from the music industry. Don Everly came on stage too drunk to perform, and eventually brother Phil just stormed off into the wings, smashing his guitar as he left. The boys didn’t talk to each other for ten years after that incident. Phil Everly passed away in January 2014.

47. Protective trench MOAT
A “moat” is a protective trench that surrounds a castle, say. The moat may or may not be filled with water.

48. “The King and I” role ANNA
“The King and I” is a Rodgers and Hammerstein musical based on a book by Margaret Landon called “Anna and the King of Siam” first published in 1944. Landon’s book is based on a true story, told in the memoirs of Anna Leonowens. Leonowens was the governess of the children of King Mongkut of Siam in the 1860s, and she also taught the king’s wives.

51. Perlman of “Cheers” RHEA
Rhea Perlman’s most famous role has to be “Carla Tortelli”, the irascible waitress in the long-running sitcom “Cheers”. Perlman is also a successful children’s author, and has published a series of six books called “Otto Undercover”. She is of course married to Hollywood actor Danny DeVito, and has been so since 1982. The couple went through a separation in 2012/2013 but happily are reconciled and back together again.

52. La Brea Tar __ PITS
The La Brea Tar Pits are located right in the heart of the city of Los Angeles. At the site there is a constant flow of tar that seeps up to the surface from underground, a phenomenon that has been around for tens of thousands of years. What is significant is that much of the seeping tar is covered by water. Over many, many centuries animals came to the water to drink and became trapped in the tar as they entered the water to quench their thirsts. The tar then preserved the bones of the dead animals. Today a museum is located right by the Tar Pits, recovering bones and displaying specimens of the animals found there. It’s well worth a visit if you are in town …

53. “Picnic” playwright INGE
Playwright William Inge had a run of success on Broadway in the early fifties. Inge’s most celebrated work of that time was the play “Picnic”, for which he was awarded a Pulitzer Prize. The original 1953 cast of “Picnic” included a young male actor making his debut on Broadway. His name was Paul Newman. Many of Inge’s works are set in the American heartland and so he became known as the “Playwright of the Midwest”.

56. D.C. regular POL
Politician (pol.)

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Arctic hazards BERGS
6. Artist Chagall MARC
10. Washington MLB team NATS
14. To no __: useless AVAIL
15. Monkey see, monkey do sort APER
16. “Law & Order: SVU” actor ICE-T
17. 1962 hit by The 4 Seasons BIG GIRLS DON’T CRY
20. Bar pint ALE
21. Need for an Olympic vault POLE
22. Additional assessment SURTAX
23. Note after fa SOL
24. In the matter of AS TO
25. Underpass drainage channels BOX CULVERTS
30. Dramatic unit divided into scenes ACT
33. Dizzying painting genre OP ART
34. Childlike sci-fi people ELOI
35. __ Lee: dessert brand SARA
36. Ankle-length skirt MAXI
37. Provide, as with a quality ENDUE
38. “Star Trek: T.N.G.” counselor TROI
39. Radar image BLIP
40. Sidewalk stand drinks ADES
41. Empty stomach sound GROWL
42. Sizzling sound SSS
43. Products with “Walgreens” on the label, say STORE BRANDS
45. Marquee name STAR
46. Like veggies served with dip RAW
47. How-to handbook MANUAL
50. Ballroom blunder TRIP
52. Key lime __ PIE
55. Target convenience, and a hint to the first words of 17-, 25- and 43-Across ONE-STOP SHOPPING
58. Against ANTI
59. “In your dreams” NOPE
60. Turn loose LET GO
61. Zap with a stun gun TASE
62. Designer Schiaparelli ELSA
63. Makes simpler EASES

Down
1. Ali __ BABA
2. Rotten to the core EVIL
3. Extreme anger RAGE
4. Band booking GIG
5. Exit without fanfare SLIP OUT
6. Retail complex MALL
7. Cathedral section APSE
8. Wine list heading RED
9. Transverse railroad timber CROSS TIE
10. The “N” in TNT NITRO
11. Money in the bank: Abbr. ACCT
12. Trillion: Pref. TERA-
13. Underworld river STYX
18. Throw of the dice ROLL
19. “Darn it!” NUTS!
23. Direction to a pharmacist, briefly SCRIP
24. Stir up AROUSE
25. Total failures BOMBS
26. October birthstones OPALS
27. Horizontal graph line X-AXIS
28. Ballpark hot dog seller, e.g. VENDOR
29. Church leader ELDER
30. Vice President Burr AARON
31. Ballpark throng CROWD
32. Coin toss call TAILS
35. Soda-sipping aid STRAW
37. What bachelors often do at mealtime EAT ALONE
41. Struggle (with) GRAPPLE
43. Sports page datum STAT
44. Vigor BRIO
45. “Wake Up, Little __”: Everly Brothers hit SUSIE
47. Protective trench MOAT
48. “The King and I” role ANNA
49. Acrobat catchers NETS
50. Cookbook amts. TSPS
51. Perlman of “Cheers” RHEA
52. La Brea Tar __ PITS
53. “Picnic” playwright INGE
54. They may clash on a set EGOS
56. D.C. regular POL
57. Podded plant PEA

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