LA Times Crossword Answers 3 Dec 14, Wednesday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: Bruce Venzke & Gail Grabowski
THEME: Alpen Anagrams … each of today’s themed answers starts with an anagram of ALPEN:

17A. Geometry subject PLANE FIGURE
28A. Vertical window dressings PANEL CURTAINS
47A. Carrier based in Kathmandu NEPAL AIRLINES
61A. Place for some exiled prisoners PENAL COLONY

BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 7m 33s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across

1. Quizmaster’s request ANSWER
It may be that “quiz” comes from the Latin “qui es?” meaning “who are you?” We’ve been using the word “quiz” since the late 1800s.

7. Enjoy the sun BASK
Our verb “to bask”, meaning “to expose one to pleasant warmth”, is derived from the gruesome 14th-century term “basken”, meaning “to wallow in blood”. The contemporary usage apparently originated with Shakespeare, who employed “bask” with reference to sunshine in “As You Like It”.

11. Four times a day, in an Rx QID
“Ter” is the Latin word for “three”, commonly used in the medical world on prescriptions as part of the expression “ter in die”. “Ter in die” is Latin for “three times a day”, abbreviated to “TID”. “Bis in die” (BID) would be twice a day, and “quater in die” (QID) would be four times a day.

There seems to some uncertainty about the origin of the symbol “Rx” that’s used for a medical prescription. One explanation is that it comes from the astrological sign for Jupiter, a symbol put on prescriptions in days of old to invoke Jupiter’s blessing to help a patient recover.

15. Aunt Bee’s grandnephew OPIE
Aunt Bee was a character in “The Andy Griffith Show”. The character’s full name was Beatrice Taylor but everyone in Mayberry called her “Aunt Bee”. In the storyline she was the aunt of the protagonist, Sheriff Andy Taylor, and great-aunt to Andy’s son Opie. Aunt Bee was played by actress Frances Bavier.

22. Cuban bandleader __ Prado, “King of the Mambo” PEREZ
Pérez Prado was a bandleader from Cuba who earned for himself the nickname “King of the Mambo”. He was the son of Sara Prado and Pablo Pérez, so his stage name was a melding of his paternal and maternal family names.

The form of music and dance known as mambo developed in Cuba. “Mambo” means “conversation with the gods” in Kikongo, a language spoken by slaves taken to Cuba from Central Africa.

24. Western tie BOLO
I’ve never worn a bolo tie, and was surprised to discover that it is a relatively recent invention. The first bolo tie was apparently produced in Wickenburg, Arizona in the late 1940s by a silversmith. The bolo takes its name from the boleadora, an Argentine lariat.

26. Haughty look SMIRK
The Old English word “smearcian” means “to smile”, and gave us our verb “to smirk”, meaning “to smile in a self-satisfied manner”.

32. LPGA garment SKORT
Skorts are a hybrid between shorts and a skirt.

The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) was founded in 1950 by a group of 13 lady golfers, and today it is the oldest ongoing women’s sports professional organization in the US.

41. U.K. record label EMI
EMI was a British music company, with the acronym originally standing for Electric and Musical Industries.

44. Scoreboard letters RHE
On baseball scoreboards we see the letters “RHE”, standing for Runs, Hits and Errors.

47. Carrier based in Kathmandu NEPAL AIRLINES
Although Kathmandu is the capital city of the lofty nation of Nepal, it sits in a bowl-shaped valley so is only at an elevation of 4,600 ft. Air pollution is a huge problem in the city. Industry and residents launch a lot of smog into the air, and given the surrounding geography and climate, any pollution blown away during the day tends to fall back into the valley at night.

51. Autumn stones 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%.

Here is the “official” list of birthstones by month, that we tend to use today:

January: Garnet
February: Amethyst
March: Bloodstone or Aquamarine
April: Diamond
May: Emerald
June: Pearl or Moonstone
July: Ruby
August: Sardonyx or Peridot
September: Sapphire or Lapis Lazuli
October: Opal or Pink Tourmaline
November: Topaz or Citrine
December: Turquoise or Zircon (also now, Tanzanite)

53. “Never needs sharpening” brand GINSU
Ginsu knives are more famous for their hard-sell television ads than they are for their efficacy in the kitchen. The Ginsu phenomenon took off in the seventies when two brothers found a set of knives called “Eversharp” that were being manufactured in Ohio. The brothers changed the brand name to something more exotic, and Japanese in particular (Ginsu), and then produced ads that made references to Japanese martial arts. I think they made a fortune …

55. Certain Ivy Leaguer ELI
Eli is the nickname for a graduate of Yale University, a term used in honor of the Yale benefactor Elihu Yale.

56. Senator Cochran of Mississippi THAD
Senator Thad Cochran is the senior senator from Mississippi, and a Republican. While earning his B.A. at the University of Mississippi, Cochran was on the cheer-leading squad, with fellow senator Trent Lott.

60. Special forces weapon UZI
The first Uzi submachine gun was designed in the late 1940s by Major Uziel Gal of the Israel Defense Forces who gave his name to the gun.

67. Carol opening ADESTE
The lovely hymn “Adeste Fideles” (translated from Latin as “O Come, All Ye Faithful”) was written by one John Francis Wade in the 13th century. Well, he wrote the original four verses, with four more verses being added over time.

68. ’60s antiwar org. SDS
Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) was an activist group in the sixties. The SDS organized the largest student strike in the history of the United States on 26 April 1968, with about a million students staying away from class that day. The “Students for a Democratic Society” name was revived in 2006 with the foundation of a new US-based student organization with left wing beliefs. Today’s SDS was founded by a pair of high school students from Greenwich Village, New York.

70. Stacked like Tupperware NESTED
Back in the 1930s, Earl Tupper was working at the DuPont Chemical Company, and from DuPont obtained inflexible pieces of polyethylene slag. Tupper purified the slag and shaped it into unbreakable containers. He added airtight lids which were provided tight seals similar to that provided by the lids on paint cans. He called his new product Tupperware.

Down
1. Music boosters AMPS
An electric guitar, for example, needs an amplifier (amp) to take the weak signal created by the vibration of the strings and turn it into a signal powerful enough for a loudspeaker.

2. Brief legal plea NOLO
“Nolo contendere” (informally just “nolo”) is a legal term that translates from Latin as “I do not wish to contend”. It’s the plea of “no contest” and is an alternative to “guilty” or “not guilty”, meaning that one doesn’t admit guilt but nor does one dispute the charge.

4. Place offering two-ounce servings WINE BAR
A tasting pour of wine is usually about 2 fluid ounces. A regular pour is usually 4-5 fluid ounces, or about 3 fluid ounces for a dessert wine.

6. Send an amended 1040, say REFILE
Form 1040 was originally created just for tax returns from 1913, 1914 and 1915, but it’s a form that just keeps on giving …

8. Calcutta Tech grad on “The Simpsons” APU
The fictional Kwik-E-Mart store is operated by Apu Nahasapeemapetilon on “The Simpsons” TV show. Apu is married to Apu, and the couple have eight children. The convenience store owner doesn’t seem to be making much use of his Ph.D in computer science that he earned in the US. Apu’s undergraduate degree is from Caltech (the Calcutta Technical Institute), where he graduated top of his class of seven million students …

12. Memo leadoff IN RE
The term “in re” is Latin, derived from “in” (in) and “res” (thing, matter). “In re” literally means “in the matter”, and is used to mean “in regard to”, or “in the matter of”.

13. Cameron of “Bad Teacher” DIAZ
The Hollywood actress Cameron Diaz started out her professional life as a model. Diaz’s first acting role was in the 1994 film “The Mask”, starring alongside Jim Carrey.

“Bad Teacher” is a 2011 comedy starring Cameron Diaz as a middle school teacher trying to skate by in her teaching job while she earns enough money for breast enlargement surgery.

27. Hosp. diagnostics MRIS
A CT (or “CAT”) scan produces (via computer manipulation) a three dimensional image of the inside of an object, usually the human body. It does so by taking a series of two dimensional x-ray images while rotating the camera around the patient. The issue with CT scans is that they use x-rays, and high doses of radiation can be harmful causing damage that is cumulative over time. An MRI on the other hand (Magnetic Resonance Imaging), uses powerful magnetic fields to generate its images so there is no exposure to ionizing radiation (such as X-rays). We used MRI equipment in our chemistry labs at school, way back in the days when the technology was still called Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging (NMRI). Apparently the marketing folks didn’t like the term “nuclear” because of its association with atomic bombs, so now it’s just called MRI.

28. Rides during chukkers POLO PONIES
A game of polo is divided into periods of play called chukkers (sometimes “chukkas”). The game usually lasts for two hours, and the time between the chukkers is used to change horses.

31. Polish partner SPIT
“Spit and polish”

38. River to the Caspian URAL
The Ural River rises in the Ural Mountains in Russia and flows for half its length through Russian territory until it crosses the border into Kazakhstan, finally emptying into the Caspian Sea.

The Caspian Sea is a landlocked sea lying between Asia and Europe. By some definitions, the Caspian is the largest lake on the planet. The name “Caspian” comes from the Caspi people who lived to the southwest of the sea in South Caucasus.

40. Singer Braxton TONI
Toni Braxton is a very successful R&B singer, but one who seems to have trouble managing her financial affairs. After two highly successful albums, she had to file for bankruptcy protection in 1993. She recovered and had even more success, and then had to file for bankruptcy again in 2010.

46. Plants with stinging hairs NETTLES
Most nettle species have stinging hairs that secrete formic acid. This formic acid is the same chemical that is found in the venom injected with a bee or ant sting. The Latin word for ant is “formica” and gives its name to the acid.

48. “Time After Time” singer LAUPER
If you’ve ever heard Cyndi Lauper speaking, you’d know that she was from Queens, New York. She is the daughter of divorced parents, strongly influenced by a supportive mother. She was always a free spirit, and even as young teen in the mid-sixties she dyed her hair different colors and wore outlandish fashions. She was a young woman who wanted to “find herself”, and to that end she once spent two weeks alone in the woods up in Canada, well, just with her dog.

“Time After Time” is a fabulous 1984 song recorded and co-written by Cyndi Lauper. Lauper wrote the song, starting from the title, which she lifted from the 1979 sci-fi movie “Time After Time” starring Malcolm McDowell and Mary Steenburgen.

50. Promiser’s caveat IF I CAN
A caveat is a warning or a qualification. “Caveat” is the Latin for “let him beware”.

54. Tommy Hilfiger rival IZOD
Jack Izod was a tailor of some repute over in England, producing shirts for King George V as well as other members of the Royal Family. As Izod was about to retire, he was approached for the use of his name by an American clothing manufacturer based in New York. The brand Izod of London was introduced to America in 1938.

Tommy Hilfiger is a fashion designer from Elmira, New York who is based in New York City.

62. Child expert LeShan EDA
Eda LeShan wrote “When Your Child Drives You Crazy”, and was host of the PBS television show “How Do Your Children Grow?”

63. Something in the air, perhaps NIP
The air might be described as “crisp” on a frosty morning. One might also say that there is a “nip” in the air.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Quizmaster’s request ANSWER
7. Enjoy the sun BASK
11. Four times a day, in an Rx QID
14. Whodunit plot element MOTIVE
15. Aunt Bee’s grandnephew OPIE
16. Verse starter? UNI-
17. Geometry subject PLANE FIGURE
19. Portfolio holding, briefly IRA
20. Upset SORE
21. Cards with pics IDS
22. Cuban bandleader __ Prado, “King of the Mambo” PEREZ
24. Western tie BOLO
26. Haughty look SMIRK
28. Vertical window dressings PANEL CURTAINS
32. LPGA garment SKORT
34. “Do it, __ will!” OR I
35. Lose one’s cool SNAP
36. Bud PAL
37. Where many pioneers headed OUT WEST
41. U.K. record label EMI
42. More than enough A LOT
44. Scoreboard letters RHE
45. Initial stage ONSET
47. Carrier based in Kathmandu NEPAL AIRLINES
51. Autumn stones OPALS
52. “What __?” OF IT
53. “Never needs sharpening” brand GINSU
55. Certain Ivy Leaguer ELI
56. Senator Cochran of Mississippi THAD
60. Special forces weapon UZI
61. Place for some exiled prisoners PENAL COLONY
65. Sneaker part TOE
66. Work on film EDIT
67. Carol opening ADESTE
68. ’60s antiwar org. SDS
69. Knocks RAPS
70. Stacked like Tupperware NESTED

Down
1. Music boosters AMPS
2. Brief legal plea NOLO
3. Rating symbol STAR
4. Place offering two-ounce servings WINE BAR
5. December 24, e.g. EVE
6. Send an amended 1040, say REFILE
7. Swampy spots BOGS
8. Calcutta Tech grad on “The Simpsons” APU
9. Respectful title SIR
10. “That’s yours now” KEEP IT
11. Eccentricity QUIRKINESS
12. Memo leadoff IN RE
13. Cameron of “Bad Teacher” DIAZ
18. Much-admired one IDOL
23. Significant stretches ERAS
25. Not fooled by ONTO
26. “Fine by me” SURE
27. Hosp. diagnostics MRIS
28. Rides during chukkers POLO PONIES
29. Cringe COWER
30. Parents’ selection NAME
31. Polish partner SPIT
32. Wing measurement SPAN
33. Farmers’ market veggie KALE
38. River to the Caspian URAL
39. What we have here THIS
40. Singer Braxton TONI
43. Pub hardware TAPS
46. Plants with stinging hairs NETTLES
48. “Time After Time” singer LAUPER
49. Take it easy LOLL
50. Promiser’s caveat IF I CAN
53. Inner workings GUTS
54. Tommy Hilfiger rival IZOD
55. Works on a sub EATS
57. Quizmaster, e.g. HOST
58. Get in on the deal ANTE
59. Like purple hair DYED
62. Child expert LeShan EDA
63. Something in the air, perhaps NIP
64. Laudatory work ODE

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