LA Times Crossword Answers 29 Jan 2018, Monday

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Constructed by: John Guzzetta
Edited by: Rich Norris

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Today’s Theme: Side Effect

Themed answers end with a type of EFFECT:

  • 59A. Undesired medication consequence … and what can literally go with the end of 17-, 23-, 37- and 48-Across : SIDE EFFECT
  • 17A. “Blueberry Hill” R&B singer : FATS DOMINO (giving “domino effect”)
  • 23A. Title passenger train with an “ever-lovin’ light” : MIDNIGHT SPECIAL (giving “special effect”)
  • 37A. Cho-Cho-San story on which a Puccini opera was based : MADAME BUTTERFLY (giving “butterfly effect”)
  • 48A. Body of water bordering most of Connecticut’s coast : LONG ISLAND SOUND (giving “sound effect”)

Bill’s time: 5m 27s

Bill’s errors: 0

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Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1. Pearl Harbor site : OAHU

The US Navy’s presence in Pearl Harbor dates back to 1899. The original name for the bay was “Wai Momi”, which translates from Hawaiian as “Waters of Pearl”.

10. Fabric woven with metallic threads : LAME

Lamé is a fabric that has metallic yarns included in the weave. Lamé is a popular fabric for stylish evening wear, and also in the sport of fencing. The metallic threads are conductive and so help register a touch by an épée.

14. Dec. 25 : XMAS

The abbreviation “Xmas” that is used for “Christmas” comes from the Greek letter chi (X), which is the first letter of the Greek word for “Christ” (“Χριστός”).

15. Aerosmith frontman Steven : TYLER

Steven Tyler is the lead singer of the rock band Aerosmith, which is based in Boston. Tyler likes to scream a lot on stage and is the known as the “Demon of Screamin’”. Tyler’s daughter is the actress Liv Tyler.

16. Apple tablet : IPAD

The very exciting iPad isn’t Apple’s first foray into the world of tablet computing. Apple created great buzz by introducing the Newton MessagePad way back in 1993. This innovative machine was fraught with problems and really died a very slow death, finally being withdrawn from the market in 1998.

17. “Blueberry Hill” R&B singer : FATS DOMINO (giving “domino effect”)

Antoine “Fats” Domino was born and raised in New Orleans, with Creole as his first language. He made into the big time in 1949 when he recorded an early rock and roll record called “The Fat Man”. That record sold over a million copies, the first rock and roll record to achieve that milestone.

19. Telephoto, for one : LENS

In the world of photography, a telephoto lens is one in which the physical length of the lens is shorter than the focal length. For example, a 500mm simple lens would be over 500 mm (approx. 20 inches) in length, and quite unwieldy. A telephoto version of a 500mm lens includes a group of lens elements, rather than just one, so that the overall length of the lens is reduced, hence making it more practical to use.

22. Boot camp nickname : SARGE

“Boot camp” is US Marine slang that dates back to WWII. “Boot” was a slang term for a recruit that dates back further, to the Spanish-American War. “Boots” were the leggings worn by American sailors.

23. Title passenger train with an “ever-lovin’ light” : MIDNIGHT SPECIAL (giving “special effect”)

“Midnight Special” is a traditional folk song from the American South that was recorded by several artists, most notably Lead Belly Ledbetter (1934) and Creedence Clearwater Revival (1969). The title refers to a Midnight Special passenger train.

27. Integer after zero : ONE

An integer is a number that does not include a fraction. The word “integer” is Latin for “whole”.

29. Frosty coat : HOAR

The Old English word “har” meant “gray, venerable, old”, and came into English as “hoar” (and later “hoary”) with the same meaning. The term “hoar-frost” dates back to the 13th century, and reflects the similarity of the white feathers of frost to the gray/white of an old man’s beard.

32. Plant’s sticker : THORN

Believe it or not, roses don’t have any thorns. Thorns are derived from shoots, spines are derived from leaves, and prickles are derived from the epidermis. The rose’s defensive barbs are in fact prickles.

34. Arabic “son of” : IBN

In Arabic names, “ibn” is a word meaning “son of”. The words “bin” and “ben” are also used for “son of”. The word “bint” means “daughter of”. Similarly, in Hebrew “ben” is used to mean “son of”, and “bat” is used to mean “daughter of”.

37. Cho-Cho-San story on which a Puccini opera was based : MADAME BUTTERFLY (giving “butterfly effect”)

Cio-Cio-San is the title character in Puccini’s opera “Madama Butterfly”. The opera is based on the short story “Madame Butterfly” by American author John Luther Long. The name of the short story’s title character is usually written as “Cho-Cho-San”.

The butterfly effect in chaos theory embraces the idea that a relatively large event is dependent on an earlier, much smaller event. The classic theoretical example is a hurricane that started with the flapping of a distant butterfly’s wings several weeks earlier.

41. “Total Request Live” network : MTV

“Total Request Live” (TRL) is a music video TV show that originally ran on MTV from 1998-2008, and was revived in 2017. The original manifestation of the show included an incredibly popular rundown of the top ten most requested music videos of the day based on votes from viewers.

42. Bedouins, e.g. : ARABS

Bedouin tribes are Arab ethnic groups that predominantly live in the Middle East, in desert areas. Bedouin tribes tend to be nomadic, not settling permanently in one location.

43. 90 degrees from norte : ESTE

The cardinal directions in Spanish are “norte” (north), “este” (east), “sur” (south) and “oeste” (west).

46. 007 creator Fleming : IAN

The character James Bond was the creation of writer Ian Fleming. Fleming “stole” the James Bond name from an American ornithologist. The number 007 was “stolen” from the real-life, 16th century English spy called John Dee. Dee would sign his reports to Queen Elizabeth I with a stylized “007” to indicate that the reports were for “her eyes only”. There’s an entertaining miniseries that aired on BBC America called “Fleming: The Man Who Would Be Bond” that details Ian Fleming’s military career, and draws some nice parallels between Fleming’s experiences and aspirations and those of his hero James Bond. Recommended …

48. Body of water bordering most of Connecticut’s coast : LONG ISLAND SOUND (giving “sound effect”)

Long Island Sound is a tidal estuary that lies between Connecticut (to the north) and Long Island (to the south). The sound is about 110 miles long, and 21 miles at its widest point.

55. Ancient Peruvians : INCAS

The Inca people emerged as a tribe around the 12th century, in what today is southern Peru. The Incas developed a vast empire over the next 300 years, extending along most of the western side of South America. The Empire fell to the Spanish, finally dissolving in 1572 with the execution of Tupac Amaru, the last Incan Emperor.

56. Place to order a Reuben : DELI

There are conflicting stories about the origin of the Reuben sandwich. One such story is that it was invented around 1914 by Arnold Reuben, an immigrant from Germany who owned Reuben’s Deli in New York.

57. __ Paulo, Brazil : SAO

São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil. It is also the city with the highest number of helicopters in the world. This is partly driven by the horrendous traffic jams in São Paulo, but also by the wealthy having a very real fear of being kidnapped on the city’s streets.

58. Chow or lo follower, in Chinese cuisine : … MEIN

“Chow mein” has two slightly different meanings on the East and West Coasts of the US. On the East Coast, basic chow mein is a crispy dish, whereas on the West Coast it is a steamed dish that is relatively soft. On the East Coast the steamed dish is available, but under the name “lo mein”. On the West Coast, the crispy dish is also on the menu, as “Hong Kong-style chow mein”.

63. Opinion pieces : OP-EDS

“Op-ed” is an abbreviation for “opposite the editorial page”. Op-eds started in “The New York Evening World” in 1921 when the page opposite the editorials was used for articles written by a named guest writer, someone independent of the editorial board.

65. Gold medalist Korbut : OLGA

Olga Korbut is from modern-day Belarus, but was born during the days of the Soviet Union. Korbut competed for the USSR team in the 1972 and 1976 Olympic Games. She was 17 when she appeared in the 1972 Munich Games, and had been training in a sports school since she was 8-years-old. The world fell in love with her as she was a very emotional young lady, readily expressing joy and disappointment, something that we weren’t used to seeing in athletes from behind the Iron Curtain. Korbut immigrated to the US in 1991 and now lives in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Down

1. Britain-based relief agcy. : OXFAM

Oxfam was founded in 1942 in Oxford, England, and was originally called Oxford Committee for Famine Relief. The original mission of Oxfam was to persuade the British government to allow food into Greece during WWII in the days the country was occupied by the Axis Powers. The name OXFAM was adopted in 1965. Prior to that date, OXFAM was quite simply the organization’s telegraph address (remember telegraphs?).

2. Prized violin : AMATI

The first of the Amati family to make violins was Andrea Amati, who lived in the 14th century. He was succeeded by his sons, Antonio and Girolamo. In turn, they were succeeded by Girolamo’s son, Nicolo. Nicolo had a few students who achieved fame making musical instruments as well. One was his own son, Girolamo, and another was the famed Antonio Stradivari.

4. Navy sub initials : USS

The abbreviation “USS” stands for “United States Ship”. The practice of naming US Navy vessels in a standard format didn’t start until 1907 when President Theodore Roosevelt issued an executive order that addressed the issue.

5. Moe, Curly or Larry : STOOGE

If you’ve seen a few of the films starring “The Three Stooges” you’ll have noticed that the line up changed over the years. The original trio was made up of Moe and Shemp Howard (two brothers) and Larry Fine (a good friend of the Howards). This line up was usually known as “Moe, Larry and Shemp”. Then Curly Howard replaced his brother when Shemp quit the act, creating the most famous trio, “Moe, Larry And Curly”. Shemp returned when Curly had a debilitating stroke in 1946, and Shemp stayed with the troupe until he died in 1955. Shemp was replaced by Joe Besser, and then “Curly-Joe” DeRita. When Larry Fine had a stroke in 1970, it effectively marked the end of the act.

6. Lorelei, for one : NYMPH

Lorelei is the name of a legendary mermaid or nymph who lured fishermen by singing a beautiful song. Lorelei’s aim was to have the fishermen steer their boats onto rocks lurking beneath the water’s surface.

7. Roster of invited celebs : A-LIST

Our word “roster”, meaning “list, register”, actually comes from the same root as our word “roast”, would you believe. “Roster” came into English from the Dutch “rooster”, meaning “table, list”. An alternative use of the Dutch “rooster” was “gridiron”, from the “roosten” meaning “to roast”. The connection is that a roster of names is often listed on a sheet of paper that has grid lines resembling the marks left by a gridiron on roasted meat. Quite interesting …

9. Sign of a sellout : SRO

Standing room only (SRO)

10. Purple flowers : LILACS

The ornamental flowering plant known as lilac is native to the Balkans, and is a member of the olive family.

11. Pre-dinner drinks : APERITIFS

An apéritif is an alcoholic drink served before a meal, to stimulate the palate. A digestif is an alcoholic drink served after a meal, to aid digestion.

12. Japanese comics : MANGA

The Japanese word “manga” means “whimsical pictures” and is an apt term to describe the Japanese style of comic book. Manga publications are more diverse than American comic books and have a larger audience. Manga cover many subjects including romance, sports, business, horror, and mystery.

13. ’50s Ford flop : EDSEL

The Edsel brand of automobile was named for Edsel Ford, son of Henry. Sadly, the name “Edsel” has become synonymous with “failure”, which was no fault of Edsel himself who had died several years before the Edsel line was introduced. When the Ford Motor Company introduced the Edsel on 4 September 1957, Ford proclaimed the day to be “E Day”.

22. River through Paris : SEINE

The Seine is the river that flows through Paris. The Seine empties into the English Channel to the north, at the port city of Le Havre.

24. Screenwriter Ephron : NORA

Nora Ephron had many talents, including writing film scripts and novels. Many of the movies that she wrote, she also directed. These would include some of my favorite movies of all time like “Sleepless in Seattle”, “You’ve Got Mail” and most recently, the wonderful “Julie & Julia”. And, did you know that Nora Ephron’s second marriage was to journalist Carl Bernstein of Watergate fame? She wrote an autobiographical novel based on her life with Bernstein, which deals in particular with Bernstein’s affair with the daughter of British Prime Minister James Callaghan.

30. Grain in Quaker cereals : OAT

The Quaker Oats Company was founded in 1901 when four oat mills merged, including the Quaker Mill Company of Ravenna, Ohio. Quaker Mill’s owner Henry Parsons Crowell played the key role in creating the new company and remained at the helm until 1943.

32. Little League precursor : T-BALL

Little League Baseball was founded in 1939 in Williamsport, Pennsylvania by Carl Stotz. Back then, Little League was limited to boys. Participation was opened up to girls in 1974, although it took a lawsuit by the National Organization for Women for that to happen.

36. “Science Guy” Bill : NYE

That would be “Bill Nye the Science Guy”. Bill’s show ran on PBS for four years, from 1993-97.

38. Roger who broke Babe’s record : MARIS

Roger Maris (whose real family name was “Maras”) was the son of Croatian immigrants. It was Maris’s single-season record of 61 home runs that Mark McGwire broke in 1998 (hitting 70 that season). Maris’s own record of 61 runs (from 1961) beat the previous record of 60 set in 1927 by Babe Ruth.

40. Alternative to Vegas : RENO

The city of Reno’s economy took off when open gambling was legalized in Nevada in 1931. Within a short time, a syndicate had built the Bank Club in Reno, which was the largest casino in the world at the time.

Back in the 1800s, the Las Vegas Valley was given its name from the extensive meadows (“las vegas” is Spanish for “the meadows”) present in the area courtesy of the artesian wells drilled by local farmers. Las Vegas was incorporated as a city in 1905, in the days when it was a stopping-off point for pioneers travelling west. It eventually became a railroad town, although with the coming of the railroad growth halted as travelers began to bypass Las Vegas. The city’s tourism industry took off in 1935 with the completion of the nearby Hoover Dam, which is still a popular attraction. Then gambling was legalized, and things really started to move. Vegas was picked, largely by celebrated figures in “the mob”, as a convenient location across the California/Nevada state line that could service the vast population of Los Angeles. As a result, Las Vegas is the most populous US city founded in the 20th century (Chicago is the most populous city founded in the 19th century, just in case you were wondering).

45. Where Amin ruled : UGANDA

Idi Amin ruled Uganda as a dictator from 1971 until 1979. Amin started his professional career as a cook in the Colonial British Army. Amin seized power from President Milton Obote in a 1971 coup d’état. The former cook eventually gave himself the title “His Excellency, President for Life, Field Marshal Al Hadji Doctor Idi Amin Dada, VC, DSO, MC, Lord of All the Beasts of the Earth and Fishes of the Seas and Conqueror of the British Empire in Africa in General and Uganda in Particular”.

48. Dance under a bar : LIMBO

The limbo dance originated on the island of Trinidad in the Caribbean. The name “limbo” is an alteration of our word “limber”, which isn’t surprising given what one has to do to get under that bar!

49. Tatum of “Paper Moon” : O’NEAL

Tatum O’Neal is the youngest actress to win a “competitive” Oscar. She won the Best Supporting Actress Award in 1974 when she was just 10 years old, for her role as Addie in “Paper Moon”. The youngest person to win an honorary Academy Award was Shirley Temple, who was only 5 years old when she was presented with an Oscar in 1934.

“Paper Moon” is a 1973 comedy film that tells the story of a father and daughter during the Great Depression. The onscreen father and daughter are played by real-life father and daughter Ryan and Tatum O’Neal. The original choices for the lead roles were Paul Newman and his daughter Nell Potts, but they left the project after director John Huston also dropped out.

50. Puff __: snake : ADDER

There are several species of venomous snakes that are referred to as puff adders. The so-called common puff adder is more correctly called the Bitis arietans. The most widespread snake in Africa, the common puff adder is responsible for more snakebite fatalities on the continent than any other snake.

53. Mother-of-pearl : NACRE

Nacre is the strong iridescent material laid down by some mollusks on the inside of their shells, and it’s also what makes up pearls. The creature lays down nacre as a defensive mechanism, protecting the soft tissue of its body from the rough surface of the outer shell. Similarly, it uses nacre to encapsulate harmful debris or a parasite that penetrates the shell, and that’s how a pearl is formed.

60. NYSE debut : IPO

An initial public offering (IPO) is the very first offer of stock for sale by a company on the open market. In other words, an IPO marks the first time that a company is traded on a public exchange. Companies have an IPO to raise capital to expand (usually).

New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)

61. Ga.’s southern neighbor : FLA

What we know as the US state of Florida, was named by Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León, who led the first Europeans to the area in 1513. The actual name he used was “La Florida”, Spanish for “the Flowery (Land)”.

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Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1. Pearl Harbor site : OAHU
5. Breaks under pressure : SNAPS
10. Fabric woven with metallic threads : LAME
14. Dec. 25 : XMAS
15. Aerosmith frontman Steven : TYLER
16. Apple tablet : IPAD
17. “Blueberry Hill” R&B singer : FATS DOMINO (giving “domino effect”)
19. Telephoto, for one : LENS
20. Had lunch, say : ATE
21. Cry from one who’s all thumbs : OOPS!
22. Boot camp nickname : SARGE
23. Title passenger train with an “ever-lovin’ light” : MIDNIGHT SPECIAL (giving “special effect”)
27. Integer after zero : ONE
28. Bank job : HEIST
29. Frosty coat : HOAR
32. Plant’s sticker : THORN
34. Arabic “son of” : IBN
37. Cho-Cho-San story on which a Puccini opera was based : MADAME BUTTERFLY (giving “butterfly effect”)
41. “Total Request Live” network : MTV
42. Bedouins, e.g. : ARABS
43. 90 degrees from norte : ESTE
44. Ear-related : AURAL
46. 007 creator Fleming : IAN
48. Body of water bordering most of Connecticut’s coast : LONG ISLAND SOUND (giving “sound effect”)
55. Ancient Peruvians : INCAS
56. Place to order a Reuben : DELI
57. __ Paulo, Brazil : SAO
58. Chow or lo follower, in Chinese cuisine : … MEIN
59. Undesired medication consequence … and what can literally go with the end of 17-, 23-, 37- and 48-Across : SIDE EFFECT
62. Marching musicians : BAND
63. Opinion pieces : OP-EDS
64. Fishing decoy : LURE
65. Gold medalist Korbut : OLGA
66. Bottom-of-the-barrel : WORST
67. Copies : APES

Down

1. Britain-based relief agcy. : OXFAM
2. Prized violin : AMATI
3. Abhorrent : HATED
4. Navy sub initials : USS
5. Moe, Curly or Larry : STOOGE
6. Lorelei, for one : NYMPH
7. Roster of invited celebs : A-LIST
8. Signer’s writer : PEN
9. Sign of a sellout : SRO
10. Purple flowers : LILACS
11. Pre-dinner drinks : APERITIFS
12. Japanese comics : MANGA
13. ’50s Ford flop : EDSEL
18. Bump off : DO IN
22. River through Paris : SEINE
24. Screenwriter Ephron : NORA
25. Attempts to score, in hockey : SHOTS
26. Saucy : PERT
29. “I’m thinking … ” : HMM …
30. Grain in Quaker cereals : OAT
31. Getting promotions : ADVANCING
32. Little League precursor : T-BALL
33. Center of a wheel : HUB
35. Sandwich letters : BLT
36. “Science Guy” Bill : NYE
38. Roger who broke Babe’s record : MARIS
39. Times often named for presidents : ERAS
40. Alternative to Vegas : RENO
45. Where Amin ruled : UGANDA
46. Least active : IDLEST
47. “Yeah, right!” : AS IF!
48. Dance under a bar : LIMBO
49. Tatum of “Paper Moon” : O’NEAL
50. Puff __: snake : ADDER
51. Requires : NEEDS
52. Exhaust : USE UP
53. Mother-of-pearl : NACRE
54. Adores to death, with “on” : DOTES
59. Spread, as discord : SOW
60. NYSE debut : IPO
61. Ga.’s southern neighbor : FLA

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