LA Times Crossword Answers 3 Aug 15, Monday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: Ray Hamel
THEME: ‘Da Vowel Progression … each of today’s themed answers ends with a “D-word”, and that D-word sounds as is it is progressing through the list of vowels:

17A. Thanksgiving, casually TURKEY DAY
21A. Actress/activist who was Ossie Davis’ life partner RUBY DEE
38A. Crooked craps cube LOADED DIE
60A. Anonymous man JOHN DOE
65A. “Where Are You!” toon pooch SCOOBY-DOO

BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 5m 30s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across

15. Frankfurt mister HERR
In Germany, a “Mr.” (Herr) is married to a “Mrs.” (Frau).

Frankfurt is the fifth largest city in Germany. The city is more properly called Frankfurt am Main, to distinguish it from Frankfurt an der Oder, a town near the Polish border. Frankfurt is located on the Main River, hence the name.

16. Chat room troublemaker TROLL
In Internet terms, a “troll” is someone who attempts to disrupt online group activities. The fishing term “troll” is used to describe such a person, as he or she throws out off-topic remarks in an attempt to “lure” others into some emotional response.

17. Thanksgiving, casually TURKEY DAY
Thanksgiving Day was observed on different dates in different states for many years, until Abraham Lincoln fixed the date for the whole country in 1863. Lincoln’s presidential proclamation set that date as the last Thursday in November. In 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt moved the holiday to the fourth Thursday in November, arguing that the earlier date would give the economy a much-needed boost.

The tradition of the US President “pardoning” a Thanksgiving turkey was only formalized in 1989, during the administration of President George H, W. Bush. The pardoned turkey is taken to a farm where is gets to live out its life. Prior to 1989, the tradition was more focused on the presentation of a turkey to the White House, and less on the fate of the bird. President Eisenhower was presented with a turkey in each year of his two terms, and he ate them all …

20. River through Rome TIBER
The Tiber is the principal river in Italy in that it runs through the capital of Rome. It is also the third longest river in the country.

21. Actress/activist who was Ossie Davis’ life partner RUBY DEE
Ruby Dee was an actress and civil rights activist. On the big screen she is perhaps best remembered for co-starring in “A Raisin in the Sun” alongside Sidney Poitier, “Do the Right Thing” alongside her husband Ossie Davis, and “American Gangster” in which she played Denzel Washington’s mother.

Ossie Davis was a very successful African-American actor, but also a director, poet, playwright and social activist. One of Davis’s better known performances was in the 1993 movie “Grumpy Old Men”, in which he played the owner of the bait shop by the lake.

23. “Give me __!”: start of a Hoosier cheer AN I
The exact origin of the word “Hoosier” is unknown, but has been around since at least 1830. The term had no direct linkage with Indiana until John Finley of Richmond, Indiana wrote a poem called “The Hoosier’s Nest” in 1833. A few years later, by 1840, “hoosier” was generally accepted as a term for Indiana residents.

30. Hot chili pepper CAYENNE
The cayenne pepper is a hot chili pepper that is often used in a powdered from, when it might be referred to as “red pepper”. The pepper is named for the city of Cayenne in French Guiana, an overseas department of France located on the northeast coast of South America.

32. Parisian summer ETE
In French, one might spend the summer (été) under the sun (le soleil).

35. When repeated, a former breath freshener SEN
Sen-Sen is a breath freshener that has been available for purchase since the late 1800s.

38. Crooked craps cube LOADED DIE
If one considers earlier versions of craps, then the game has been around for a very long time and probably dates back to the Crusades. It may have been derived from an old English game called “hazard” also played with two dice, which was mentioned in Geoffrey Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales” from the 1300s. The American version of the game came here courtesy of the French and first set root in New Orleans where it was given the name “crapaud”, a French word meaning “toad”.

45. __ Nineties GAY
When looking back at the 1890s, here in America we sometimes refer to the era as the Gay Nineties. The term is associated with a time of emerging wealth in the days before income taxes were permanently levied on citizens. Back in the British Isles, the same decade is known as the Naughty Nineties, days of society scandals and the outrageous antics of the likes of Oscar Wilde.

46. Nepalese staple RICE
Nepal lies to the northeast of India. Today, the state is known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal. In 2008, the Communist Party of Nepal won the country’s general election. Soon after, the Assembly voted to change the form of government, moving away from a monarchy and creating a secular republic.

50. Tres menos dos UNO
In Spanish, three minus two (tres menos dos) is one (uno).

56. Alpha follower BETA
The Greek alphabet starts off with the letters alpha, beta, gamma …

59. Part of TGIF: Abbr. FRI
“Thank God It’s Friday” (TGIF) is a relatively new expression that apparently originated in Akron, Ohio. It was a catchphrase used first by disk jockey Jerry Healy of WAKR in the early seventies. That said, one blog reader wrote me to say that he had been using the phrase in the fifties.

60. Anonymous man JOHN DOE
Although the English court system does not use the term today, John Doe first appeared as the “name of a person unknown” in England in 1659, along with another unknown, Richard Roe. The female equivalent of John Doe is Jane Doe, with the equivalent to Richard Roe being Jane Roe (as in Roe v. Wade, for example).

64. Argentine icon played by Madonna EVITA
Eva Perón was the second wife of President Juan Perón who was in office from 1946 to 1955. The Argentine First Lady was known affectionately by the people as “Evita”, the Spanish language diminutive of “Eva”.

“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.

65. “Where Are You!” toon pooch SCOOBY-DOO
“Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!” is a series of cartoons produced for Hanna-Barbera Productions, first broadcast in 1969. The title character is a great Dane dog owned by a young male called Shaggy Rogers. The character’s name was inspired by the famous “doo-be-doo-be-doo” refrain in the Frank Sinatra hit “Strangers in the Night”. Shaggy was voiced by famed disk jockey Casey Kasem.

69. Roman agriculture goddess CERES
Ceres was a Roman goddess of agriculture and fertility, and was the counterpart of the Greek goddess Demeter. Our modern word “cereal” comes from the name “Ceres”.

70. Quattro automaker AUDI
Audi introduced the Quattro model in 1980. It was the first car to use Audi’s “quattro permanent” four-wheel drive system, hence the name “Quattro”.

Down
1. 1997 Hawke/Thurman sci-fi movie GATTACA
“Gattaca” is a science fiction movie starring Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman that was released in 1997. Set in the not-too-distant future, the film describes a society in which potential children are preselected so that they inherit the most desirable traits from their parents. The title “Gattaca” is the space agency featured in the storyline. I haven’t seen this movie, but it’s on my “must see” list …

2. Semiannual astronomical event EQUINOX
An equinox is a phenomenon dictated by the tilt of the earth’s axis. Twice every year, that tilt “evens out” and the sun is equidistant from points at the same latitude both north and south of the equator. It is as if the earth has no tilt relative to the sun. The name equinox comes from the Latin for “equal night”, inferring that night and day are equally long, as the effect of the earth’s “tilt” is nullified.

3. Many a windmill TURBINE
A turbine is a machine uses the flow of a fluid (sometimes air) to create rotational work. Simple examples of turbines are windmills and waterwheels.

4. Sushi bar cupful SAKE
We refer to the Japanese alcoholic beverage made from rice as “sake”. We’ve gotten things a bit mixed up in the West. “Sake” is actually the word that the Japanese use for all alcoholic drinks. What we know as sake, we sometimes refer to as “rice wine”. It is indeed made from rice, but it is a brewed rather than fermented and so is more like a beer than a wine.

10. Fast food chain known for its roast beef ARBY’S
The Arby’s chain of fast food restaurants was founded in 1964 by two brothers, Forrest and Leroy Raffel. The name “Arby’s” is a homonym of “RB’s”, standing for “Raffel Brothers”.

11. Halloween treats GOODIES
All Saints’ Day is November 1st each year. The day before All Saints’ Day is All Hallows Eve, better known by the Scottish term, “Halloween”.

12. Like firm spaghetti AL DENTE
The Italian expression “al dente” literally means “to the tooth” or “to the bite” and is used to describe not only pasta, but also vegetables that are cooked so that they are tender yet still crisp.

18. Guitarist Clapton ERIC
Can you believe that the great Eric Clapton only had one chart-topper in the US? In 1974, Clapton released a cover version of the Bob Marley classic “I Shot the Sheriff” and ended up selling more copies of that song than Bob Marley did himself.

22. “Star Trek: Enterprise” network UPN
The United Paramount Network (UPN) was a TV channel that launched in 1995, and shut down in 2006. Some of UPN’s programming was moved to the CW channel at the time of UPN’s demise.

“Star Trek: Enterprise” is a prequel TV series to “Star Trek” that was originally aired from 2001 until 2005. Central to the storyline of the prequel is the groundbreaking space ship called the Enterprise NX-01 that is the first to break the Warp 5 barrier, hence making interstellar travel a possibility.

25. Bambino’s home CASA
In Italian, a child (bambino) might be found at home (casa).

27. Mali neighbor SENEGAL
The Republic of Senegal is a country on the far western coast of Africa. For many years Senegal was a French colony, gaining independence in 1960. The capital of Senegal is Dakar, a city located on the Cap-Vert Peninsula that juts out into the Atlantic Ocean.

The Republic of Mali is a landlocked country in western Africa, south of Algeria. Formerly known as French Sudan, the nation’s most famous city is Timbuktu. Mali is the third-largest producer of gold on the continent, after South Africa and Ghana.

31. Yale student ELI
Eli is the nickname for a graduate of Yale University, a term used in honor of the Yale benefactor Elihu Yale.

34. Digital camera type, for short SLR
SLR stands for “single lens reflex”. Usually cameras with changeable lenses are the SLR type. The main feature of an SLR is that a mirror reflects the image seen through the lens out through the viewfinder, so that the photographer sees exactly what the lens sees. The mirror moves out of the way as the picture is taken, and the image that comes through the lens falls onto unexposed film, or nowadays onto a digital sensor.

39. Popeye’s Olive OYL
“Thimble Theater” was the precursor comic strip to the famous “Popeye” drawn by E. C. Segar. Before Popeye came into the story, the brother and sister characters Castor Oyl and Olive Oyl were the main protagonists. And then along comes a sailor …

43. Bogey, vis-à-vis par ONE OVER
The term “Bogey” originated at the Great Yarmouth Golf Club in England in 1890, and was used to indicate a total round that was one-over-par (and not one-over-par on a particular hole, as it is today). The name Bogey came from a music hall song of the time “Here Comes the Bogey Man”. In the following years it became popular for players trying to stay at par to be “playing against Colonel Bogey”. Then, during WWI, the marching tune “Colonel Bogey” was written and named after the golfing term. If you don’t recognize the name of the tune, it’s the one that’s whistled by the soldiers marching in the great movie “The Bridge on the River Kwai”.

44. Nest egg named for a Del. senator ROTH IRA
Roth Individual Retirement Accounts (Roth IRAs) were introduced in 1997 under a bill sponsored by Senator William Roth of Delaware, hence the name.

47. Nonbeliever, to some INFIDEL
“Infidel” is an English word that was created by the Roman Catholic Church to describe someone who did not believe in the Catholic dogma. The word comes from Latin “infidelis” meaning “unfaithful”. During the time of the Crusades, the word “infidel” was used for any non-Christian, and particular the Saracens of North Africa.

53. Shaw’s “__ and Cleopatra” CAESAR
“Caesar and Cleopatra” is an 1898 play by Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw. A film of the same name this based on the play was released in 1945, with Claude Rains and Vivien Leigh in the title roles.

57. Feeds the kitty ANTES
The “pot” in a card game has been referred to as the “kitty” since the 1880s. It’s not certain how the name “kitty” evolved but possibly it came from “kit”, the necessary equipment for the game.

61. Smidge, as of salt DASH
In cooking, a “dash” is a very small measure, one that is often undefined. However, you can in fact buy some measuring spoons that define not only a dash but also a “pinch” and a “smidgen”, as follows:

– a dash is 1/8 teaspoon
– a pinch is 1/16 teaspoon
– a smidgen is 1/32 teaspoon

63. Org. at 11 Wall St. NYSE
The roots of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) go back to 1792 when a group of 24 stock brokers set up the New York Stock & Exchange Board. They did so in an agreement signed under a buttonwood tree outside 68 Wall Street. That document became known as the Buttonwood Agreement.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Receives GETS
5. Slide downhill on runners SLED
9. Long stories SAGAS
14. Water color AQUA
15. Frankfurt mister HERR
16. Chat room troublemaker TROLL
17. Thanksgiving, casually TURKEY DAY
19. “Humble” home ABODE
20. River through Rome TIBER
21. Actress/activist who was Ossie Davis’ life partner RUBY DEE
23. “Give me __!”: start of a Hoosier cheer AN I
24. Becomes slippery, as a road ICES UP
28. Dirty dishes site SINK
29. Negative aspect CON
30. Hot chili pepper CAYENNE
32. Parisian summer ETE
33. Wood choppers AXES
35. When repeated, a former breath freshener SEN
36. Hard luck case LOSER
38. Crooked craps cube LOADED DIE
42. “My bad” SORRY
45. __ Nineties GAY
46. Nepalese staple RICE
50. Tres menos dos UNO
51. Finds LOCATES
55. Doze briefly NAP
56. Alpha follower BETA
58. In the best shape HALEST
59. Part of TGIF: Abbr. FRI
60. Anonymous man JOHN DOE
62. Storage auction buys UNITS
64. Argentine icon played by Madonna EVITA
65. “Where Are You!” toon pooch SCOOBY-DOO
69. Roman agriculture goddess CERES
70. Quattro automaker AUDI
71. Texting button SEND
72. Garbage TRASH
73. Film holder REEL
74. Other than that ELSE

Down
1. 1997 Hawke/Thurman sci-fi movie GATTACA
2. Semiannual astronomical event EQUINOX
3. Many a windmill TURBINE
4. Sushi bar cupful SAKE
5. Hardly outgoing SHY
6. Was in first place LED
7. Stretch of history ERA
8. Practice session DRY RUN
9. Wild guess STAB
10. Fast food chain known for its roast beef ARBY’S
11. Halloween treats GOODIES
12. Like firm spaghetti AL DENTE
13. More smooth SLEEKER
18. Guitarist Clapton ERIC
22. “Star Trek: Enterprise” network UPN
25. Bambino’s home CASA
26. Watched with suspicion EYED
27. Mali neighbor SENEGAL
31. Yale student ELI
34. Digital camera type, for short SLR
37. Poet’s “above” O’ER
39. Popeye’s Olive OYL
40. See socially DATE
41. Salon colorings DYES
42. Topic SUBJECT
43. Bogey, vis-à-vis par ONE OVER
44. Nest egg named for a Del. senator ROTH IRA
47. Nonbeliever, to some INFIDEL
48. Moving day stack CARTONS
49. Show in a television series EPISODE
52. “Look what I found!” OHO!
53. Shaw’s “__ and Cleopatra” CAESAR
54. Ticket part you keep STUB
57. Feeds the kitty ANTES
61. Smidge, as of salt DASH
63. Org. at 11 Wall St. NYSE
66. Actor’s aid CUE
67. Poetic tribute ODE
68. It may be crude OIL

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