LA Times Crossword Answers 3 Nov 14, Monday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: David W. Cromer
THEME: Home Movies … each of today’s themed answers is a MOVIE title that ends with a type of HOME:

64A. Nostalgic films for family gatherings … and what 18-, 28- and 50-Across are? HOME MOVIES

18A. 2001 Redford/Gandolfini film, with “The” LAST CASTLE
28A. 1990 Connery/Pfeiffer spy film THE RUSSIA HOUSE
50A. 2003 Eddie Murphy film, with “The” HAUNTED MANSION

BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 5m 46s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across

1. Spill the beans BLAB
“To spill the beans” is to divulge a secret. The expression first appeared in American English, in the early 1900s. The phrase arose as an alternative to “spoil the beans” or “upset the applecart”.

5. Hindu deity RAMA
In the Hindu tradition, the god known as Vishnu has seven different avatars i.e. incarnations or manifestations. Rama is the seventh of these avatars.

9. Spore-producing plants FERNS
Spores are produced by many bacteria, fungi and non-flowering plants. A spore is a reproductive body encased in a protective shell that is highly resistant to damage, and resistant to heat in particular.

16. How food is often sautéed IN OIL
“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.

18. 2001 Redford/Gandolfini film, with “The” LAST CASTLE
“The Last Castle” is 2001 action movie about inmates going up against the warden of an American military prison. The film has a great cast headed by Robert Redford, James Gandolfini and Mark Ruffalo. Despite the strong cast, the film bombed at the box office. I haven’t seen this one, but would like to …

20. Rap session? SEANCE
“Séance” is a French word meaning “sitting”.

22. Aunts in la familia TIAS
In Spanish, an aunt (tia) is a member of the family (la familia).

24. Part of Q.E.D. ERAT
QED is used at the end of a mathematical proof or a philosophical argument. The QED acronym stands for the Latin “quod erat demonstrandum” meaning “that which was to be demonstrated”.

26. Letters on a Soviet uniform CCCP
The acronym CCCP stands for “Сою́з Сове́тских Социалисти́ческих Респу́блик”, which translates from Russian as “Union of Soviet Socialist Republics”, the USSR.

28. 1990 Connery/Pfeiffer spy film THE RUSSIA HOUSE
“The Russia House” is a spy novel penned by John le Carré, who famously authored “The Spy Who Came in from the Cold”. “The Russia House” was made into 1990 movie starring Sean Connery and Michelle Pfeiffer. It’s a pretty good film, but not nearly as good as the big-screen adaptation of “The Spy Who Came in from the Cold” …

36. Barcelona’s nación ESPANA
In Spanish, Barcelona is a city in the nation (nación) of Spain (España).

40. “The Twilight Zone” creator Serling ROD
Rod Serling was the man behind, and in front of, the iconic science-fiction TV series “The Twilight Zone”. Serling used a lot of the shows he created to advance his strongly held views against war (he was a soldier in WWII), and against racism and censorship.

43. Mercedes-Benz model series E-CLASS
The Mercedes-Benz E-Class is a range of executive-size cars. Originally, the “E” stood for “Einspritzmotor”, the German for “fuel injection engine”.

49. Dr. who has co-produced many Eminem tracks DRE
Dr. Dre is the stage name of rapper Andre Romelle Young. Dr. Dre is known for his own singing career as well as for producing records and starting the careers of others such Snoop Dogg, Eminem and 50 Cent.

Rap star Eminem’s real name is Marshall Mathers, a native of Saint Joseph, Missouri. Mathers grew up poor, raised by a single-mom as the family was abandoned by his father when he was 18 months old. Marshall and his mother moved around the country before settling in a suburb of Detroit. He didn’t do well at school, and dropped out at the age of 17. But in the end he made it pretty big …

50. 2003 Eddie Murphy film, with “The” HAUNTED MANSION
“The Haunted Mansion” is a 2003 horror comedy film inspired by the Disney theme park attraction of the same name. Starring Eddie Murphy, it was the fourth in a series of films that Disney made based on theme park attractions. The others movies are:

– “Tower of Terror” (1997), based on the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
– “The Country Bears” (2002), based on Country Bear Jamboree
– “Pirates of the Caribbean” (2003), based on Pirates of the Caribbean

53. __ weevil BOLL
A weevil is a small beetle, known for the damage that it can do to crops. The boll weevil damages cotton plants by laying eggs inside cotton bolls. The young weevils then eat their way out.

54. PayPal parent company EBAY
PayPal is an ecommerce business that has been around since the year 2000, born out of a merger of two older companies: Confinity and X.com. PayPal performs payment processing for online vendors. The company was so successful that it was the first of the beleaguered dot.com companies to successfully complete an IPO after the attacks of 9/11. Then in 2002, PayPal was bought by eBay for a whopping $1.5 billion. eBay announced in 2014 that PayPal will be spun off into a separate company.

55. Pan Am rival TWA
Trans World Airlines (TWA) was a big carrier in the US, but was perhaps even more recognized for its extensive presence in Europe and the Middle East. For many years, especially after the collapse of Pan Am, TWA was considered the unofficial flag carrier for the US. The company started in 1930, the product of a forced merger of Transcontinental Air Transport and Western Air Express. The Transcontinental and Western Air that resulted (the original meaning of the acronym TWA) was what the Postmaster General wanted, a bigger airline to which the Postal Service could award airmail contracts.

“Pan Am” was the more familiar name for Pan American World Airways, founded in 1927 and flying until it went bankrupt in 1991. Pan Am was the unofficial flag carrier of the United States during most of its lifetime, largely because the airline focused on international routes. ABC introduced a television series called “Pan Am” in 2011 which brought back memories of the glamorous aspects of air travel in the sixties. Sadly, the show was cancelled in 2012.

67. Wrist-to-elbow bone ULNA
The radius and ulna are bones in the forearm. If you hold the palm of your hand up in front of you, the radius is the bone on the “thumb-side” of the arm, and the ulna is the bone on the “pinkie-side”.

72. Fiddle-playing emperor NERO
The Great Fire of Rome raged for five and a half days in 64 AD. Of the fourteen districts of Rome, three were completely destroyed and seven more suffered serious damage. The emperor at the time was of course Nero, although reports that he fiddled, played his lyre or sang while the city burned; those accounts are probably not true. In fact, Nero was staying outside of Rome when the fire started and rushed home on hearing the news. He organized a massive relief effort, throwing open his own home to give shelter to many of the citizens who were left living on the street.

73. Postage-paid encl. SASE
A self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE) might be an enclosure (encl.) sent with a letter.

Down
6. Doc bloc AMA
American Medical Association (AMA)

8. 1971 prison riot site ATTICA
The Attica Correctional Facility in Attica, New York is used to incarcerate the toughest of the state’s convicts. Famous people who have spent time in Attica include David Berkowitz (Son of Sam) and Mark David Chapman (who killed John Lennon). Attica was the site of a famous riot in 1971 involving almost 1,000 inmates. Control of the prison was restored by the authorities after several days of unrest that left 39 people dead, including ten guards and other prison employees.

10. USN rank ENS
Ensign is (usually) the most junior rank of commissioned officer in the armed forces. The name comes from the tradition that the junior officer would be given the task of carrying the ensign flag.

11. Senator for whom an IRA is named ROTH
Roth Individual Retirement Accounts (Roth IRAs) were introduced in 1997 under a bill sponsored by Senator William Roth of Delaware, hence the name.

12. River of Egypt NILE
Depending on definition, the Nile is generally regarded as the longest river on the planet. The Nile forms from two major tributaries, the White Nile and the Blue Nile, which join together near Khartoum, the capital of Sudan. From Khartoum the Nile flows north, traveling almost entirely through desert making it central to life for the peoples living along its length.

19. Secret supply CACHE
A “cache” is a secret supply. We imported the term into English from French Canadian trappers in the 17th century. Back then, “cache” was as slang term for a “hiding place for stores”, derived from the French verb “cacher” meaning “to hide”.

25. Russian ruler until 1917 TSAR
The year 1917 saw two revolutions in Russia, with the pair collectively called “the Russian Revolution”. As a result of the February Revolution that centered on Petrograd, the last Emperor of Russia (Tsar Nicholas II) abdicated and members of the Imperial parliament took control of the country, forming the Russian Provisional Government. The Provisional Government was itself overthrown in the October Revolution, by Vladimir Lenin and the Bolshevik party.

28. Iconic news magazine TIME
“Time” magazine has a readership of about 25 million, making it the largest circulation weekly news magazine in the world.

29. Liquor, in slang HOOCH
In the Klondike gold rush, a favorite tipple of the miners was “Hoochinoo”, a liquor made by the native Alaskans. Soon after “hooch” (also “hootch”) was adopted as a word for cheap whiskey.

30. First name on a 1945 bomber ENOLA
The Enola Gay was the B-29 that dropped the first atomic bomb, on Hiroshima in August 1945. Enola Gay was the name of the mother of pilot Col. Paul W. Tibbets, Jr.

32. Riyadh resident SAUDI
Riyadh is the capital of Saudi Arabia, and is located near the center of the country. The name “Riyadh” translates from Arabic as ‘the gardens”.

33. Año starter ENERO
In Spanish, a year (año) starts in January (enero) and ends in December (diciembre).

37. Port in Yemen ADEN
Aden is a seaport in Yemen, located on the Gulf of Aden by the eastern approach to the Red Sea. Aden has a long history of British rule, from 1838 until a very messy withdrawal in 1967. A native of Aden is known as an Adeni. Some believe that Cain and Abel are buried in the city.

39. Apply crudely DAUB
“To daub” is to coat a surface with something thick and sticky, like say plaster or mud.

41. Stephen King’s “Under the __” DOME
“Under the Dome” is a sci-fi show that is based on a novel of the same name by Stephen King. The storyline involves a small town in Maine that is inexplicably covered with a transparent indestructible dome that cuts the inhabitants off from the rest of the world. It’s an intriguing concept for a novel/show, but I’m not a big fan of Stephen King …

44. Frosty, notably SNOWMAN
“Frosty the Snowman” is a song that was recorded first by Gene Autry, in 1950. The song was specifically written in the hope that it would become a follow-up hit to Autry’s “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” that topped the charts the previous year.

45. Canonized fifth-cen. pope ST LEO
The first pope named Leo is now known as Pope Saint Leo the Great. Leo I is famous for meeting with the feared Attila the Hun and persuading him to turn back his invading force that was threatening to overrun Western Europe.

47. Cajun condiment TABASCO
Edward McIlhenny created the first Tabasco Sauce in 1868. He recycled old cologne bottles as a container for the sauce so that he could present it to friends, and when he went into business he ordered new cologne bottles for the commercial product. Even today, the Tabasco Sauce bottle bears a striking resemblance to the bottle used to distribute 4711 cologne.

51. Gridiron quota ELEVEN
We never used the word “gridiron” when I was growing up in Ireland (meaning a grill used for cooking food over an open fire). So, maybe I am excused for finding out relatively recently that a football field gridiron is so called because the layout of yard lines over the field looks like a gridiron used in cooking!

52. IHOP array SYRUPS
The International House of Pancakes (IHOP) was founded back in 1958. IHOP was originally intended to be called IHOE, the International House of Eggs, but that name didn’t do too well in marketing tests …

57. “Famous” cookie maker AMOS
Wally Amos was a talent agent, one who was in the habit of taking home-baked cookies with him as an enticement to get celebrities to see him. He was urged by friends to open a cookie store (the cookies were that delicious, I guess) and this he did in Los Angeles in 1975 using the name “Famous Amos”. The store was a smash hit and he was able build on the success by introducing his cookies into supermarkets. The brand was eventually bought up making Wally a rich man, and Famous Amos cookies are still flying off the shelf.

59. Seedy joint DIVE
“Dive’ is slang for a disreputable or run-down bar or nightclub. The term dates back to the 1870s and probably arose from the sense that won had to “dive down” into such an establishment, as they were usually located in basements.

We use the word “seedy” to mean “shabby”. The usage probably arose from the appearance of a flowering plant that has gone to seed.

61. First lady of scat, familiarly ELLA
Ella Fitzgerald, the “First Lady of Song”, had a hard and tough upbringing. She was raised by her mother alone in Yonkers, New York. Her mother died while Ella was still a schoolgirl, and around that time the young girl became less interested in her education. She fell in with a bad crowd, even working as a lookout for a bordello and as a Mafia numbers runner. She ended up in reform school, from which she escaped, and found herself homeless and living on the streets for a while. Somehow Fitzgerald managed to get herself a spot singing in the Apollo Theater in Harlem. From there her career took off and as they say, the rest is history.

Scat singing is a vocal improvisation found in the world of jazz. There aren’t any words as such in scat singing, just random nonsense syllables made up on the spot.

62. Grandson of Adam ENOS
Enos was the son of Seth, and therefore the grandson of Adam and Eve.

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

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Spill the beans BLAB
5. Hindu deity RAMA
9. Spore-producing plants FERNS
14. Subtle emanation AURA
15. Put out EMIT
16. How food is often sautéed IN OIL
17. Sheepish smile GRIN
18. 2001 Redford/Gandolfini film, with “The” LAST CASTLE
20. Rap session? SEANCE
22. Aunts in la familia TIAS
23. Cut down HEW
24. Part of Q.E.D. ERAT
26. Letters on a Soviet uniform CCCP
28. 1990 Connery/Pfeiffer spy film THE RUSSIA HOUSE
34. Charged particle ION
35. Unable or unwilling to hear DEAF
36. Barcelona’s nación ESPANA
38. Frame of mind MOOD
40. “The Twilight Zone” creator Serling ROD
42. Sought damages SUED
43. Mercedes-Benz model series E-CLASS
46. More than a few LOTS
49. Dr. who has co-produced many Eminem tracks DRE
50. 2003 Eddie Murphy film, with “The” HAUNTED MANSION
53. __ weevil BOLL
54. PayPal parent company EBAY
55. Pan Am rival TWA
58. Garden nuisance WEED
60. Saw eye to eye AGREED
64. Nostalgic films for family gatherings … and what 18-, 28- and 50-Across are? HOME MOVIES
67. Wrist-to-elbow bone ULNA
68. Kitchen attraction AROMA
69. Brush fire op EVAC
70. Garden area PLOT
71. Varnish ingredient RESIN
72. Fiddle-playing emperor NERO
73. Postage-paid encl. SASE

Down
1. Airport carousel riders BAGS
2. Fish attractor LURE
3. Solo for a diva ARIA
4. Welcome sign hung over a street, e.g. BANNER
5. Prisoner’s goal RELEASE
6. Doc bloc AMA
7. Waterfall phenomenon MIST
8. 1971 prison riot site ATTICA
9. Debacles FIASCOS
10. USN rank ENS
11. Senator for whom an IRA is named ROTH
12. River of Egypt NILE
13. Did in, as a dragon SLEW
19. Secret supply CACHE
21. Gunk CRUD
25. Russian ruler until 1917 TSAR
27. Litter yippers PUPS
28. Iconic news magazine TIME
29. Liquor, in slang HOOCH
30. First name on a 1945 bomber ENOLA
31. Poker player’s “Too rich for my blood” I FOLD
32. Riyadh resident SAUDI
33. Año starter ENERO
37. Port in Yemen ADEN
39. Apply crudely DAUB
41. Stephen King’s “Under the __” DOME
44. Frosty, notably SNOWMAN
45. Canonized fifth-cen. pope ST LEO
47. Cajun condiment TABASCO
48. Unexpected obstacle SNAG
51. Gridiron quota ELEVEN
52. IHOP array SYRUPS
55. “__ she blows!” THAR
56. Had on WORE
57. “Famous” cookie maker AMOS
59. Seedy joint DIVE
61. First lady of scat, familiarly ELLA
62. Grandson of Adam ENOS
63. Dinner and a movie, say DATE
65. Brit. record label EMI
66. Musician’s asset EAR

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