LA Times Crossword Answers 18 Feb 15, Wednesday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: Jeff Stillman
THEME: Takes a Hint … each of today’s themed answers contains a synonym of the word HINT, used in the sense of a small amount:

63A. Gets the unspoken message … which includes one of five synonyms found in this puzzle’s longest answers TAKES A HINT

17A. Abe’s youngest son TAD LINCOLN (a tad is a hint)
25A. Exhortation from Santa, in Moore’s poem DASH AWAY ALL! (a dash is a hint)
38A. Halls product COUGH DROP (a drop is a hint)
54A. Late-inning substitute PINCH HITTER (a pinch is a hint)

BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 10m 54s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across

1. Recitals showing promise OATHS
One might recite an oath in order to place emphasis on the the act of promising e.g. Olympic athletes declare:
In the name of all the competitors I promise that we shall take part in these Olympic Games, respecting and abiding by the rules which govern them, committing ourselves to a sport without doping and without drugs, in the true spirit of sportsmanship, for the glory of sport and the honor of our teams.

10. Big name in PCs ACER
I owned several Acer laptops, which are for my money the most reliable machine at the best price. Acer is a Taiwanese company that I used to visit a lot when I was in the electronics business. I was very impressed with the company’s dedication to quality, and haven’t been let down since.

16. Clue weapon ROPE
Clue is another board game that we knew under a different name growing up in Ireland. Outside of North America, Clue is marketed as “Cluedo”. Cluedo was the original name of the game, introduced in 1949 by the famous British board game manufacturer Waddingtons. There are cute differences between the US and UK versions. For example, the man who is murdered is called Dr. Black (Mr. Boddy in the US), one of the suspects is the Reverend Green (Mr. Green in the US), and the suspect weapons include a dagger (a knife in the US), a lead pipe (lead piping in the US) and a spanner (a wrench in the US). I think it’s a fabulous game, a must during the holidays …

17. Abe’s youngest son TAD LINCOLN (a tad is a hint)
Tad Lincoln was the youngest son of Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd Lincoln. The child was named Thomas Lincoln III after his paternal grandfather, but was soon christened “Tad” by his father as he “wiggled like a tadpole” when he was very young. Tad was born with a cleft lip and palate, which led to speech problems and difficulties chewing. On the fateful night that his parent’s went to see “Our American Cousin” at Ford’s Theatre, Tad was taken to nearby Grover’s Theatre (now the National Theatre) to see “Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp”. Tad heard the news of his father’s assassination from the theatre manager, like all the other patrons. The distraught 12-year-old ran around the theater screaming “They killed Papa! They killed Papa!” Tad himself passed away just six years later due to heart or lung problems.

Back in the 1800s “tad” was used to describe a young child, and this morphed into our usage of “small amount” in the early 1900s. The original use of “tad” for a child is very likely a shortened version of “tadpole”.

19. Friend on “Friends” ROSS
Ross Geller is the character on “Friends” played by David Schwimmer. The role was actually written with Schwimmer in mind, so Ross was the first of the “Friends” to be cast.

20. West Point newbie PLEBE
“Plebe” is a slang term for a freshman in the US military and naval academies. Plebe is probably short for “plebeian”, an adjective describing someone of the common class in Ancient Rome, one of the “plebs” (a singular collective noun). “Pleb” is a shortened version of plebeian, and is a term used outside of the military schools to mean “commoner”.

West Point is a military reservation in New York State, located north of New York City. West Point was first occupied by the Continental Army way back in 1778, making it the longest, continually-occupied military post in the country. Cadet training has taken place at the garrison since 1794, although Congress funding for a US Military Academy (USMA) didn’t start until 1802.

21. Latin phrase usually shortened ET ALIA
Et alii (et al.) is the equivalent of et cetera (etc.), with et cetera being used in place of a list of objects, and et alii used for a list of names. In fact “et al.” can stand for et alii (for a group of males, or males and females), aliae (for a group of women) and et alia (for a group of neuter nouns, or for a group of people where the intent is to retain gender-neutrality).

25. Exhortation from Santa, in Moore’s poem DASH AWAY ALL! (a dash is a hint)
“Dash away all!” is a phrase from the poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas”.

The poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas” was published anonymously in 1823, and is better known today by its first line “‘Twas the night before Christmas”. Most scholars believe that the poem was written by Clement Clarke Moore, a theologian from New York City. Others say that it was written by Henry Livingston, Jr. a poet from Upstate New York.

‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her ’kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap,
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash …

32. Nerdy types DWEEBS
Dweeb, squarepants, nerd … all are unkind terms that mean the same thing, someone excessively studious and socially inept.

38. Halls product COUGH DROP (a drop is a hint)
Halls brand of cough drops were first made by Halls Brothers in England in the 1930s.

41. NCR product ATM
NCR is an American company that has been in business since 1884, originally called the National Cash Register Company. The company has done well in a market where new technologies seem to be constantly disrupting the status quo.

44. Reed in a hall OBOE
The oboe is perhaps my favorite of the reed instruments. The name “oboe” comes from the French “hautbois” which means “high wood”. When you hear an orchestra tuning before a performance you’ll note (pun intended!) that the oboe starts off the process by playing an “A”. The rest of the musicians in turn tune to that oboe’s “A”.

51. Org. with Eagles BSA
The rank of Eagle Scout was introduced by the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) in 1911. A candidate for Eagle Scout must have first earned a minimum of 21 merit badges, and demonstrate leadership skills and embrace Scout Spirit. Prior to 1911, the highest rank attainable in the BSA was Wolf Scout.

53. Coin with 12 stars on its reverse side EURO
Euro coins are issued by all the participating European states. The reverse side is a common design used by all countries, whereas the obverse is a design specific to each nation. For example, the one euro coin issued by Malta features the Maltese Cross. That Maltese euro is legal tender right across the eurozone. Of course the Irish euro features a harp.

The reverse side of euro coins feature a common design, a design that includes the 12-stars featured on the Flag of Europe. The number of stars is not related to the number of states in the European Union, nor has it ever been. The number of stars in the design was the subject of much debate prior to its adoption in 1955 by the Council of Europe. Twelve was a deliberate choice, as at that time there was no political connotation, and twelve was considered to be a symbol of unity.

60. Organisms of a region BIOTA
The biota of a region is the total collection of flora and fauna found there.

69. Maui music makers UKES
The ukulele (“uke”) originated in the 1800s and mimicked a small guitar brought to the Hawaiian Islands by Portuguese immigrants.

Maui is the second largest of the Hawaiian islands. Maui is sometimes called the “Valley Isle” as it is composed of two volcanoes to the northwest and southeast of the island, each with numerous beautiful valleys carved into them.

70. Lingerie fabric SATIN
The material known as “satin” takes its name from “Zayton”, the medieval Arabic name for the Chinese port city of Quanzhou. Quanzhou was used for the export of large amounts of silk to Europe.

“Lingerie” is a French term, but as used in France it just means any underwear, worn by either males or females. In English we use “lingerie” to describe alluring underclothing worn by women. The term “lingerie” comes into English via the French word “linge” meaning “washables”, and ultimately from the Latin “linum”, meaning “linen”. We tend not to pronounce the word correctly in English, either here in the US or across the other side of the Atlantic. The French pronunciation is more like “lan-zher-ee”, as opposed to “lon-zher-ay” (American) and “lon-zher-ee” (British).

Down
2. __ française A LA
The French phrase “à la française” translates as “in the style of the French”.

4. “This Kiss” singer Faith HILL
Faith Hill is a country singer from Ridgeland, Mississippi. Hill is married to fellow country singer Tim McGraw.

7. __ Schwarz FAO
FAO Schwarz is perhaps the most famous, and is certainly the oldest, toy store in the United States. The FAO Schwarz outlet on Fifth Avenue in New York City has been made very famous by Hollywood. For example, in the New York Store you can see that floor piano that was played by Tom Hanks in the movie “Big”.

8. CIO partner AFL
The American Federation of Labor (AFL) was founded in 1886, making it one of the first federations of unions in the country. Over time the AFL became dominated by craft unions, unions representing skilled workers of particular disciplines. In the early thirties, John L. Lewis led a movement within the AFL to organize workers by industry, believing this would be more effective for the members. But the craft unions refused to budge, so Lewis set up a rival federation of unions in 1932, the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO). The two federations became bitter rivals for over two decades until finally merging in 1955 to form the AFL-CIO.

12. Delta-zeta connection EPSILON
Epsilon is the fifth letter of the Greek alphabet. The uppercase epsilon looks identical to our Latin E.

18. Pistons’ org. NBA
I was surprised to learn that the “Pistons” name used by the Detroit professional basketball team was not in fact a direct reference to the city’s own automotive industry. The team was founded in Fort Wayne Indian as the Zollner Pistons, with the team name being a reference to the owner Fred Zollner, who owned a foundry that manufactured pistons for cars, trucks and locomotives. Zollner moved the franchise to Detroit in 1957 and decided to retain the Pistons name given the new host city’s position in the automotive world.

23. Honorary deg., perhaps PHD
PhD is an abbreviation for “philosophiae doctor”, Latin for “teacher of philosophy”.

24. Fracas ROW
“Fracas” is a French word that we absorbed into English. In turn, the French usage evolved from the Italian “fracasso” meaning “uproar, crash”.

27. Three-time MLB home run king A-ROD
Professional baseball player Alex Rodriguez earned more nicknames than just A-Rod. He has been called “the Cooler” by some players as there is a perception that teams go cold when he joins them and hot when he leaves. He has also been called “A-Fraud” by teammates because of another perception, that he is over-demanding. Rodriguez now seems to be in a world of hurt for using illegal performance-enhancing drugs.

29. Advent mo. DEC
In the Christian traditions, Advent is the season of expectation prior to the Christmas celebration of the birth of Jesus. The term “Advent” comes from the Latin “adventus” meaning “coming”.

39. Mongolian expanse GOBI
The large desert in Asia called the Gobi lies in northern China and southern Mongolia. The Gobi desert is growing at an alarming rate, particularly towards the south. This “desertification” is caused by increased human activity. The Chinese government is trying to halt the desert’s progress by planting great swaths of new forest, the so called “Green Wall of China”.

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

46. Persian Gulf native KUWAITI
The State of Kuwait sits at the northern tip of the Persian Gulf, famously sharing a border to the north with Iraq. After WWI, Kuwait was a Protectorate within the British Empire and then gained independence from the UK in 1961. Iraq annexed Kuwait in 1990, which led to the Gulf War of 1990-1991.

47. Make a faux pas ERR
The term “faux pas” is French in origin, and translates literally as “false step” (or “false steps”, as the plural has the same spelling in French).

48. Traditional Asian sauce base SOY
Soy sauce is made by fermenting soybeans with a mold in the presence of water and salt. Charming …

50. Like a string bikini SCANTY
The origin of the name “bikini”, a type of bathing suit, seems very uncertain. My favorite story is that it is named after the Bikini Atoll, site of American A-bomb tests in the forties and fifties. The name “bikini” was chosen for the swim-wear because of the “explosive” effect it had on men who saw a woman wearing the garment!

56. Frozen Wasser EIS
In German, ice (Eis) is frozen water (Wasser).

57. Holiday entrée ROAST
“Entrée” means “entry” in French. An entrée can be something that helps one get “a way in”, an interview for example perhaps helped along by a recommendation letter. In Europe, even in English-speaking countries, the entrée is the name for the “entry” to the meal, the first course. I found it very confusing to order meals when I first came to America!

64. Letters in a police record AKA
Also known as (aka)

65. Novelist Kesey KEN
Ken Kesey wrote the novel “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”. Kesey was one of a group of friends who called themselves the “Merry Pranksters”, a bunch of guys who were associated with the likes of Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg and Timothy Leary, all icons of the Beat Generation.

66. Eighty-six NIX
“To eighty-six” something is to eject it, to throw it out. The origin of the term is unclear. One story is that it originated in the days of prohibition in the West Village of Lower Manhattan, New York City. When there was a scheduled raid on the establishment called Chumley’s, an informant would call ahead and tell the bartender to “86” his customers i.e. to send them out the door on 86 Bedford Street. The cops would then turn up at the entrance on Pamela Court.

67. Explosive stuff TNT
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.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Recitals showing promise OATHS
6. A way off AFAR
10. Big name in PCs ACER
14. Braid PLAIT
15. Where to get a bite on the street CAFE
16. Clue weapon ROPE
17. Abe’s youngest son TAD LINCOLN (a tad is a hint)
19. Friend on “Friends” ROSS
20. West Point newbie PLEBE
21. Latin phrase usually shortened ET ALIA
23. Old hand PRO
25. Exhortation from Santa, in Moore’s poem DASH AWAY ALL! (a dash is a hint)
28. Wrestling maneuver HOLD
30. Term of respect SIR
31. “Liar!” in a playground IS NOT!
32. Nerdy types DWEEBS
35. Target GOAL
37. Shipping wts. TNS
38. Halls product COUGH DROP (a drop is a hint)
41. NCR product ATM
44. Reed in a hall OBOE
45. Stable rides for kids TRIKES
49. Whodunit surprise TWIST
51. Org. with Eagles BSA
53. Coin with 12 stars on its reverse side EURO
54. Late-inning substitute PINCH HITTER (a pinch is a hint)
58. Like some grins WRY
59. Crate up ENCASE
60. Organisms of a region BIOTA
62. Not fer AGIN
63. Gets the unspoken message … which includes one of five synonyms found in this puzzle’s longest answers TAKES A HINT
68. 53-Across fraction CENT
69. Maui music makers UKES
70. Lingerie fabric SATIN
71. Envelope-pushing EDGY
72. Huff and puff PANT
73. Bard’s “between” TWIXT

Down
1. Go (for) OPT
2. __ française A LA
3. Pond juvenile TADPOLE
4. “This Kiss” singer Faith HILL
5. Kept in a pen STIED
6. Tap into ACCESS
7. __ Schwarz FAO
8. CIO partner AFL
9. Keep up on the issues? RENEW
10. Neat arrangements ARRAYS
11. Nuclear reactor need COOLANT
12. Delta-zeta connection EPSILON
13. Seasons a bit more RESALTS
18. Pistons’ org. NBA
22. Worker who gives people fits? TAILOR
23. Honorary deg., perhaps PHD
24. Fracas ROW
26. Uppermost HIGHEST
27. Three-time MLB home run king A-ROD
29. Advent mo. DEC
33. Voting enclosures BOOTHS
34. Deli order SUB
36. Word with modern or cave ART
39. Mongolian expanse GOBI
40. Key lime __ PIE
41. Free from strife AT PEACE
42. Hurt suddenly, as a muscle TWINGED
43. Preparing garlic, in a way MINCING
46. Persian Gulf native KUWAITI
47. Make a faux pas ERR
48. Traditional Asian sauce base SOY
50. Like a string bikini SCANTY
52. If all goes according to plan AT BEST
55. Hopping mad HET UP
56. Frozen Wasser EIS
57. Holiday entrée ROAST
61. Turn to slush THAW
64. Letters in a police record AKA
65. Novelist Kesey KEN
66. Eighty-six NIX
67. Explosive stuff TNT

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