LA Times Crossword Answers 15 Dec 14, Monday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: Gary Schlapfer & C.C. Burnikel
THEME: Cascade Peaks … each of today’s themed answers ends with the name of a peak in THE CASCADE mountain range:

56A. Pacific Northwest range, three of whose peaks end 17-, 24 – and 47-Across THE CASCADES

17A. Beer named for an American patriot SAMUEL ADAMS (giving “Mount Adams”)
24A. Girl who found a wolf in her grandmother’s clothing RED RIDING HOOD (giving “Mount Hood”)
47A. Monaco ruler married to Grace Kelly PRINCE RAINIER (giving “Mount Rainier”)

BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 5m 08s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across

6. Tehran native IRANI
Tehran is the capital of Iran and is the largest city in the Middle East, with a population of about 8.5 million. Iran has been around an awful long time and Tehran is actually the country’s 31st national capital.

17. Beer named for an American patriot SAMUEL ADAMS (giving “Mount Adams”)
Samuel Adams beers are named in honor of the American patriot who played a role in the American Revolution and the Boston Tea Party. Samuel Adams came from a family associated the brewing industry, mainly involved in the production of malt.

Mount Adams is a volcanic peak in the state of Washington, in the Cascade Range. There was an unsuccessful attempt in the 1930s to have the Cascade Range renamed to the President’s Range, with each of the major peaks named for a US president. The plan was rename Mount Hood as Mount Adams, after President John Adams. Due to a cartographer’s error, the relatively unknown peak that we now call Mount Adams was given the name, instead of Mount Hood. The plans for “the President’s Range” came to nought, but the Mount Adams name stuck.

20. Summer in Paris ETE
One might spend the summer (été) under the sun (le soleil) in Paris.

22. Kismet FATE
“Kismet” is a Turkish word, meaning fate or fortune, one’s lot.

24. Girl who found a wolf in her grandmother’s clothing RED RIDING HOOD (giving “Mount Hood”)
“Little Red Riding Hood” is a fairy tale that originated in Europe and was first published in France by Charles Perrault in 1697. The title translates into French as “Le Petit Chaperon Rouge”.

Mount Hood is a volcanic peak in northern Oregon. Mount Hood is the highest peak in the state, and is located about 50 miles southeast of Portland. There are six ski areas on the mountain, including a resort called Timberline that has North America’s only lift operating year-round for skiing.

27. Movie lioness ELSA
The life story of Elsa the lion was told by game warden Joy Adamson, who had a very close relationship with the lioness from when Elsa was orphaned as a young cub. Adamson wrote the book “Born Free” about Elsa, and then “Living Free” which tells the story of Elsa and her three lion cubs. In the 1966 film based on “Born Free”, Adamson is played by the talented actress Virginia McKenna.

31. Toy soldier GI JOE
G.I. Joe was the original “action figure”, the first toy to carry that description. G.I. Joe first hit the shelves in 1964.

34. Clock radio letters AM/PM
The 12-hour clock has been around a long time, and was even used in sundial format in Ancient Egypt. Our use of AM and PM dates back to Roman times, with AM standing for Ante Meridiem (before noon) and PM standing for Post Meridiem (after noon). However, the Romans originally used the AM concept a little differently, by counting backwards from noon. So, 2AM to the Romans would be two hours before noon, or 10AM as we would call it today.

35. PC memory unit, briefly MEG
In the world of computing, one kilobyte (“1k) is one thousandth of a megabyte (“a meg”).

39. Hawaiian coffee region KONA
Kona coffee is cultivated on the Big Island of Hawaii, on the slopes of Mauna Loa and Hualalai, two of the five active volcanoes on the island. Coffee plants were brought to Kona in 1828 and late in the 19th century, coffee became a viable and worthwhile crop. Today Kona is a one of the most expensive and popular coffees in the world.

43. Big shots HONCHOS
“Honcho” is a slang term for a leader or manager. The term comes to us from Japanese, in which language a “hancho” is a squad (han) leader (cho).

45. Birth announcement subject, about half the time GIRL
As of 2011, there are about 107 boys born to every 100 girls, a ratio that has been increasing in recent years. The speculation is that the higher birth rate of boys is nature’s way of counteracting the relatively high mortality rate of boys, and hence maintain gender balance.

47. Monaco ruler married to Grace Kelly PRINCE RAINIER (giving “Mount Rainier”)
The lovely American actress Grace Kelly led the US delegation to the Cannes Film Festival in 1955 and there she met Prince Rainier III, at a photo-op in the Palace of Monaco. Twelve months later the pair were married and Kelly retired from acting at the age of 26. She suffered a stroke while driving her car in 1982, not long before her 53rd birthday. She died in the resulting car crash but her daughter, Princess Stéphanie, survived the accident.

Mount Rainier is an active volcano in the state of Washington in the Cascade Mountain Range. Native Americans first called the peak “Tacoma” meaning “mother of waters”. When Captain George Vancouver discovered Puget Sound in 1792, he named the peak in honor of his friend Rear Admiral Peter Rainier. There have been movements to change the name back to Tacoma, but these seem to have petered out (pun intended!).

52. Fabled Himalayan creature YETI
A yeti is a beast of legend, also called an abominable snowman. “Yeti” is a Tibetan term, and the beast is fabled to live in the Himalayan regions of Nepal and Tibet. Our equivalent legend in North America is that of Bigfoot, also known as Sasquatch. The study of animals whose existence have not yet been substantiated is called cryptozoology.

54. Abbr. for a person with only one given name NMI
No middle initial (NMI)

56. Pacific Northwest range, three of whose peaks end 17-, 24 – and 47-Across THE CASCADES
The Cascades are a mountain range in North America stretching from Northern California to southern British Columbia. The Cascades includes several active volcanoes, and is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire. The range was named for the Cascades Rapids in the Columbia River Gorge, as they were referred to as the “mountains by the cascades” in the days following the Lewis and Clark expedition.

60. Continental coins EUROS
The “eurozone” or “euro area” is a monetary and economic union within the European Union of 18 states (as of today) that use the euro as a shared legal tender and their sole currency.

Down
1. Shocking weapon TASER
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”.

4. The Spartans of the Big Ten: Abbr. MSU
Michigan State University (MSU) is located in East Lansing, Michigan. MSU has the largest study-abroad program of any single-campus university in the US. Programs are offered on all continents of the world, including Antarctica. MSU’s athletic teams are called the Spartans.

6. Roma’s country ITALIA
In Italian, the city of Rome (Roma) is in Italy (Italia).

7. Flying movie monster RODAN
Rodan is a flying pterosaur appearing in a series of Japanese monster movies, created by the same studio that had earlier come up with Godzilla.

9. ’60s-’70s war zone, for short NAM
By some definitions, the official involvement of Americans in the Vietnam War started in 1955. At that time, President Eisenhower deployed a Military Assistance Advisory Group to assist in the training of the South Vietnamese Army. American involvement in the conflict officially ended in 1973 with the signing of an agreement that came out of the Paris Peace Accords.

10. 1040, for one IRS FORM
Form 1040 was originally created just for tax returns from 1913, 1914 and 1915, but it’s a form that just keeps on giving …

11. Will Hunting portrayer MATT DAMON
Matt Damon is an actor and screenwriter from Cambridge, Massachusetts. Damon’s big break came with the 1997 movie “Good Will Hunting” in which he starred. He co-wrote the screenplay with his childhood friend Ben Affleck.

12. Farm measure ACRE
At one time, an acre was defined as the amount of land a yoke of oxen could plow in a day. This was more precisely defined as a strip of land “one furrow long” (i.e. one furlong) and one furlong wide. The length of one furlong was equal to 10 chains, or 40 rods. A area of one furlong times 10 rods was one rood.

18. Watch readouts, briefly LEDS
A Light Emitting Diode (LED) is a specialized form of semiconductor that when switched on releases photons (light). LEDs were used in early digital watches, and are getting more and more popular even though their use in electronic equipment is fading away. LEDs are used now as a replacement for the much less efficient tungsten light bulb. I replaced all of my tungsten Xmas lights a few years ago and saved a lot on my electricity bill.

25. Vintage autos REOS
The REO Motor Company was founded by Ransom E. Olds (hence the name REO). The company made cars, trucks and buses, and was in business from 1905 to 1975 in Lansing, Michigan. Among the company’s most famous models were the REO Royale and the REO Flying Cloud.

29. Trait transmitter GENE
A gene is a section of a chromosome that is responsible for a particular characteristic in an organism. For example, one gene may determine eye color and another balding pattern. We have two copies of each gene, one from each of our parents, with each copy known as an allele.

32. Gung-ho about INTO
“Kung ho” is a Chinese expression meaning “work together, cooperate”. The anglicized version “gung ho” was adopted by a Major Evans Carlson as an expression of combined spirit for his 2nd Marine Raider Battalion during WWII. From there the term spread throughout the Marine Corps and back to America where it persists to this day.

33. “Evita” role JUAN PERON
“Evita” was the follow up musical to “Jesus Christ Superstar” for Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. Both of these works were originally released as album musicals, and very successful ones at that (I remember buying them when they first came out). “Evita” was made into a film in 1996, with Madonna playing the title role and Welsh actor Jonathan Pryce playing her husband Juan Perón.

37. SpaceX founder __ Musk ELON
Elon Musk is successful businessman who has founded or led some very high-profile companies, namely PayPal, Tesla Motors and SpaceX.

SpaceX is a California company that specializes in providing transportation into space. The company was founded by Elon Musk, an entrepreneur whose name is closely associated with the successful ventures of PayPal and Tesla Motors. SpaceX was launched (pun!) in 2002 with the goal of reducing the cost of space transportation, and even enabling the colonization of Mars.

38. Period of strobe lights and the hustle DISCO ERA
Discotheques first appeared during WWII in Occupied France. American-style music (like jazz and jitterbug dances) was banned by the Nazis, so French natives met in underground clubs that they called discotheques where records were often played on just a single turntable. After the war, these clubs came out into the open. One famous Paris discotheque was called “Whiskey a Gogo”. In that Paris disco, non-stop music was played using two turntables next to a dance-floor, and this concept spread around the world.

41. Certain Muslims SHIITES
The Islamic sects of Sunni and Shia Muslims differ in the belief of who should have taken over leadership of the Muslim faithful after the death of the Prophet Muhammad. Followers of the Sunni tradition agree with the decision that the Prophet Muhammad’s confidante Abu Bakr was the right choice to become the first Caliph of the Islamic nation. Followers of the Shia tradition believe that leadership should have stayed within the Prophet Muhammad’s own family.

42. Med. diagnostic test MRI SCAN
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.

44. Old PC monitor CRT
Cathode Ray Tube (CRT)

45. Rock ‘n’ roll musical GREASE
“Grease” was, and still is, a very successful stage musical with a blockbuster film version released in 1978. The movie stars John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John. Travolta wasn’t the first choice for the lead role. It was first offered to Henry Winkler of “Happy Days” fame in which he played “the Fonz”. Winkler turned down the role for fear of being typecast as a leather-clad fifties “hood”.

46. Writers McEwan and Fleming IANS
Ian McEwan is an English author with a track record of writing well-received novels. McEwan’s most famous work at the moment I would say is “Atonement” which has benefited from the success of the fabulous movie adaptation released in 2007.

Ian Fleming is most famous for writing the “James Bond” series of spy novels. You might also know that he wrote the children’s story “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang”, which was made into a cute movie released in 1968 and even a stage musical that opened in 2002.

48. Spaceship Earth site EPCOT
EPCOT Center (now just called Epcot) is the theme park beside Walt Disney World in Florida. EPCOT is an acronym for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, and is a representation of the future as envisioned by Walt Disney. Walt Disney actually wanted to build a living community for 20,000 residents at EPCOT, but he passed away before that vision could be realized.

Spaceship Earth is perhaps the structure that comes to mind when we think of Epcot in the Walt Disney World Resort. It is the large white, 18-story geodesic sphere.

52. “Star Wars” sage YODA
Yoda is one of the most beloved characters in the “Star Wars” series of films. Yoda’s voice was provided by the great modern-day puppeteer Frank Oz of “Muppets” fame.

55. Chew the __: gab FAT
Back in the day, a wealthy man would “bring home the bacon” and sit around with guests and “chew the fat”.

58. Bass in a glass ALE
The red triangle on the label of a bottle of Bass Ale was registered in 1875 and is UK Registered Trade Mark (TM) No: 00001, the first trade mark issued in the world.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Royals and Giants, e.g. TEAMS
6. Tehran native IRANI
11. More, in Mexico MAS
14. Top-drawer celeb group A-LIST
15. “Say no __”: peace slogan TO WAR
16. Do something ACT
17. Beer named for an American patriot SAMUEL ADAMS (giving “Mount Adams”)
19. Attempt TRY
20. Summer in Paris ETE
21. Pass along RELAY
22. Kismet FATE
24. Girl who found a wolf in her grandmother’s clothing RED RIDING HOOD (giving “Mount Hood”)
27. Movie lioness ELSA
28. Temper tantrum during a flight AIR RAGE
31. Toy soldier GI JOE
34. Clock radio letters AM/PM
35. PC memory unit, briefly MEG
36. Responsibility ONUS
37. Barely beats EDGES
39. Hawaiian coffee region KONA
40. Bus depot: Abbr. STA
41. Narrow cut SLIT
42. Worked in a shaft MINED
43. Big shots HONCHOS
45. Birth announcement subject, about half the time GIRL
47. Monaco ruler married to Grace Kelly PRINCE RAINIER (giving “Mount Rainier”)
52. Fabled Himalayan creature YETI
53. Makes the first bet OPENS
54. Abbr. for a person with only one given name NMI
55. In favor of FOR
56. Pacific Northwest range, three of whose peaks end 17-, 24 – and 47-Across THE CASCADES
59. Big flap ADO
60. Continental coins EUROS
61. Skirt named for a letter A-LINE
62. Darken at the beach TAN
63. Iowa or Ohio, e.g. STATE
64. Calls for NEEDS

Down
1. Shocking weapon TASER
2. Bring great joy ELATE
3. Zeroed in AIMED
4. The Spartans of the Big Ten: Abbr. MSU
5. Like operating rooms STERILE
6. Roma’s country ITALIA
7. Flying movie monster RODAN
8. Sports contest, to the visitors AWAY GAME
9. ’60s-’70s war zone, for short NAM
10. 1040, for one IRS FORM
11. Will Hunting portrayer MATT DAMON
12. Farm measure ACRE
13. Pig’s pad STY
18. Watch readouts, briefly LEDS
23. “__ b?”: “Choose one” A OR
25. Vintage autos REOS
26. Swiveled joints HIPS
29. Trait transmitter GENE
30. “Golly!” EGAD!
31. “Gee!” GOSH
32. Gung-ho about INTO
33. “Evita” role JUAN PERON
34. FBI employee AGT
37. SpaceX founder __ Musk ELON
38. Period of strobe lights and the hustle DISCO ERA
39. Brickmaker’s oven KILN
41. Certain Muslims SHIITES
42. Med. diagnostic test MRI SCAN
44. Old PC monitor CRT
45. Rock ‘n’ roll musical GREASE
46. Writers McEwan and Fleming IANS
48. Spaceship Earth site EPCOT
49. Low-budget film, often INDIE
50. Improve, as text EMEND
51. Goes up RISES
52. “Star Wars” sage YODA
55. Chew the __: gab FAT
57. Crude home HUT
58. Bass in a glass ALE

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