LA Times Crossword Answers 11 Sep 15, Friday

Share today’s solution with a friend:
FacebookTwitterGoogleEmail

Quicklink
Jump to a complete list of today’s clues and answers

CROSSWORD SETTER: Patti Varol
THEME: Passes … each of today’s themed answers has the same clue, namely PASS:

69A. Clue for four puzzle answers PASS

20A. See 69-Across FOOTBALL THROW
34A. See 69-Across MAKE THE GRADE
41A. See 69-Across SKIP ONE’S TURN
56A. See 69-Across MOUNTAIN ROUTE

BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 15m 36s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across

1. Some UPS deliveries CODS
Cash on delivery (COD)

United Parcel Service (UPS) is based in Sandy Springs, Georgia and has its own airline that operates out of Louisville, Kentucky.

5. First Homeland Security secretary RIDGE
Immediately following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, President Bush created the Office of Homeland Security. He called on Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge to head that office. The office was elevated to cabinet level in 2003, with Ridge being appointed the first Secretary of Homeland Security. Ridge resigned at the end of 2004, later claiming in a memoir that he did so in response to pressure to raise the nation’s terror alert for political reasons.

10. Help badly? ABET
The word “abet” comes into English from the Old French “abeter” meaning “to bait” or “to harass with dogs” (it literally means “to make bite”). This sense of encouraging something bad to happen morphed into our modern usage of “abet” meaning to aid or encourage someone in a crime.

14. Scott Turow title ONE L
“One L” is a name used in general for first year law students.

Scott Turow is an author and lawyer from Chicago. Turow has had several bestselling novels including “Presumed Innocent”, “The Burden of Proof” and “Reversible Errors”, all three of which were made into films. He also wrote the autobiographical book “One L: The Turbulent True Story of a First Year at Harvard Law School”.

17. One in una escuela primaria NINO
In Spanish, a child (niño) attends a primary school (una escuela primaria).

18. Like two Tim Lincecum games NO-HIT
Tim Lincecum is pitcher for the San Francisco Giants baseball team. Lencecum won the National League’s Cy Young Award in 2008 and again in 2009. His nickname is “the Freak”, a moniker applied due to his ability to throw powerful pitches despite his very slight build.

19. Senate garment TOGA
In Ancient Rome the classical attire known as a toga (plural “togae”) was usually worn over a tunic. The tunic was made from linen, and the toga itself was a piece of cloth about twenty feet long made from wool. The toga could only be worn by men, and only if those men were Roman citizens. The female equivalent of the toga was called a “stola”.

23. Country song ANTHEM
The word “anthem” used to describe a sacred song, especially one with words taken from the Scriptures. The British national anthem (“God Save the Queen/King”) technically is a hymn, and so it came to be described as the “national hymn” and eventually “national anthem”. The use of the word “anthem” extended from here to describe any patriotic song.

24. __ generis SUI
“Sui generis” is a Latin expression meaning “of its own kind”. The term can be used in a number of fields, and in philosophy it refers to an idea which cannot be included in a wider concept, and idea of its own kind.

36. Idaho motto word ESTO
“Esto perpetua” is the Latin phrase meaning, “Let it be perpetual”. It is used as the motto of a number of groups, as well as the state of Idaho. The words are attributed to the theologian Paolo Sarpi (Fra Paolo), his last words, a wish for his native Venice, “let it be perpetual”.

39. Theater funding gp. NEA
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an agency funded by the federal government that offers support and financing for artistic projects. The NEA was created by an Act of Congress in 1965. Between 1965 and 2008, the NEA awarded over $4 billion to the arts, with Congress authorizing around $170 million annually through the eighties and much of the nineties. That funding was cut to less than $100 million in the late nineties due to pressure from conservatives concerned about the use of funds, but it is now back over the $150 million mark. I wonder how long that will last though …

46. Doctor with an island of Beast Folk MOREAU
“The Island of Doctor Moreau” is an 1896 novel penned by H. G. Wells. The book tells the story of a shipwrecked man who ends up on the island of Doctor Moreau. Moreau engages in vivisection and creates new beasts (the “Beast Folk”) by combining different species.

47. Idée source TETE
In French, one’s head (tête) might produce an idea (idée).

48. Butcher’s units: Abbr. LBS
The unit of mass that we know today as a “pound” is descended from the old Roman unit of weight known as a “libra”. That “libra” connection is why we abbreviate pound to “lb”. The name “pound” though comes from the Latin “pondo” meaning “weight”. Our term “ounce” comes from the Latin “uncia”, which was 1/12 of a Roman “libra”.

51. Progressive __ ERA
The Progressive movement had the goal of eliminating corruption in government in the US. The movement gave its name to the Progressive Era that lasted from the 1890s to the 1920s. Journalists who investigated and exposed corruption were given the name “muckrakers”. The term “muckraker” was popularized by President Theodore Roosevelt when he referred to “the Man with the Muck-rake”, a character in John Bunyan’s allegory “The Pilgrim’s Progress”.

54. Enjoy the bistro EAT OUT
“Bistro” was originally a Parisian slang term for a “little wine shop or restaurant”.

60. Home to many Indians ASIA
The three most populous countries in the world are:

a. China (1.4 billion)
b. India (1.3 billion)
c. United States (300 million)

Together, these three nations account for 41% of the world’s population.

62. Indianapolis pros COLTS
The Indianapolis Colts professional football team has been in Indiana since 1984. The team traces its roots back to the Dayton Triangles, one of the founding members of the NFL created in 1913. The Dayton Triangles relocated and became the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1930, and then the Brooklyn Tigers in 1944. The team merged with the Boston Yanks in 1945, so then played in Boston. The Yanks were moved to New York in 1949, and then to Dallas in 1952 as the Dallas Texans. The Texan franchise moved to Baltimore in 1953, forming the Colts. The Colts made their last move, to Indianapolis, in 1984. Whew!

63. Wrap alternative PITA
Pita is a lovely bread in Middle-Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines. Pita is usually round, and has a “pocket” in the center. The pocket is created by steam that puffs up the dough during cooking leaving a void when the bread cools. The pockets were a big hit in the seventies when someone came up with the idea of using them for fillings hence creating pita sandwiches or “pita pockets”.

65. Food inspector’s concern E COLI
Escherichia coli (E. coli) are usually harmless bacteria found in the human gut, working away quite happily. However, there are some strains that can produce lethal toxins. These strains can make their way into the food chain from animal fecal matter that comes into contact with food designated for human consumption.

68. “Hamlet” prop SKULL
In Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”, there is a scene when Prince Hamlet holds in his hand the skull of the deceased court jester Yorick. Hamlet starts into a famous monologue at this point:
Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio; a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy; he hath borne me on his back a thousand times; and now, how abhorred in my imagination it is …
The opening line is often misquoted as “Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him well.”

Down
1. Informal chat CONFAB
“Confab”, meaning “chat” is a shortened form of “confabulation”. The word “confabulation” derives from the Latin from “com” (together) and “fabula” (a tale). “Fabula” is also the root of our word “fable”.

4. Critter that sleeps upside down SLOTH
“Sloth”, meaning “indolence, sluggishness”, comes from the Middle English word “slowe”, the same root for our contemporary word “slow”. The animal, the sloth, is so named as it exhibits slow-moving behavior.

5. Went berserk RAN AMOK
The phrase “to run amok” (sometimes “to run amuck”) has been around since the 1670s and is derived from the Malay word for “attacking furiously”, “amuk”. The word “amok” was also used as a noun to describe Malay natives who were “frenzied”. Given Malaya’s troubled history, the natives probably had good reason for that frenzy …

Our word “berserk” meaning “deranged” comes from the “Berserkers”, Norse warriors described in Old Norse literature. Berserkers were renowned for going into battle in a fury, and some believe that they consumed drugged food to get themselves worked up for the fighting ahead.

7. “Fantastic Mr. Fox” author DAHL
“Fantastic Mr. Fox” is a children’s novel by Roald Dahl. “Fantastic Mr. Fox” was adapted into a 2006 animated film directed by Wes Anderson.

12. Frittata base EGG
A “frittata” is an omelet recipe from Italy. The word “frittata” is Italian, and comes from “fritto” meaning “fried”.

21. Interim software phase BETA
In the world of software development, the first tested issue of a new program is usually called the “alpha” version. Expected to have a lot of bugs that need to be fixed, the alpha release is usually distributed to a small number of testers. After reported bugs have been eliminated, the refined version is called a “beta” and is released to a wider audience, but with the program clearly labeled as “beta”. The users generally check functionality and report further bugs that are encountered. The beta version feeds into a release candidate, the version that is tested just prior to the software being sold into the market, bug-free. Yeah, right …

26. Great Seal word ORDO
The Latin phrase “novus ordo seclorum” means “new order of the ages”. These words appear on the reverse of the Great Seal of the United States, a device used to authenticate some US federal documents. “Novus ordo seclorum” also appears on the back of one-dollar bills. The phrase itself is lifted from one of the works of the ancient Roman poet Virgil.

27. Strategic European river of 1914 YSER
The Yser originates in northern France and flows through Belgium into the North Sea. The Yser is often associated with WWI as it figured in a major battle early in the conflict. In the first three months of the war, the German Army pushed almost completely through Belgium, inflicting heavy losses on the Belgian Army as the defenders were forced to fight a fast-moving rearguard action. The Germans were intent on pushing right through Belgium and across France in a “race to the sea”. But the Belgians, with the help of their Allies, decided to make a final stand at the Yser Canal in an effort to prevent the Germans reaching the French ports of Calais and Dunkirk. The 22-mile long defensive line was chosen at the Yser because the river and canal system could be flooded to create a barrier that might be defended. The plan was successful and the front was “stabilized”. As we now know, millions of lives were lost over the coming years with very little movement of that battle line.

30. Former Quebec premier Lévesque RENE
René Lévesque was the Premier of Quebec from 1976 until 1985. Prior to entering the world of politics, Lévesque worked as a journalist and broadcaster. He served as a war correspondent in London during WWII and made regular broadcasts while the city was being bombed. Lévesque was also with the first unit of American soldiers who reached the concentration camp at Dachau.

31. Arms control subj. N-TEST
Nuclear test (N-test)

33. Land with “her back towards Britain, her face to the West,” in a William Drennan poem ERIN
William Drennan was an Irish poet and political activist. As a poet, his most famous work is “When Erin First Rose”. The first verse of the poem is:

When Erin first rose from the dark swelling flood,
God bless’d the green island and saw it was good;
The em’rald of Europe, it sparkled and shone,
In the ring of the world the most precious stone.
In her sun, in her soil, in her station thrice blest,
With her back towards Britain, her face to the West,
Erin stands proudly insular, on her steep shore,
And strikes her high harp ‘mid the ocean’s deep roar.

The fifth verse of the poem provides us with the first known use of the phrase “Emerald Isle” to describe Ireland:

Alas! for poor Erin that some are still seen,
Who would dye the grass red from their hatred to green;
Yet, oh! when you’re up, and they’re down, let them live,
Then yield them that mercy which they would not give.
Arm of Erin, be strong! but be gentle as brave;
And uplifted to strike, be still ready to save;
Let no feeling of vengeance presume to defile
The cause of, or men of, the Emerald Isle.

36. Miss Megley’s charge, in a Salinger story ESME
J. D. Salinger wrote a short story called “For Esme – with Love and Squalor”, originally published in “The New Yorker” in 1950. It is a story about a young English girl called Esme and an American soldier, and is set in WWII.

37. Chocolate-and-toffee bar SKOR
Skor is a candy bar produced by Hershey’s. Skor is sold in Canada as Rutnam.

38. Layered dessert TIRAMISU
Tiramisu is an Italian cake. The name “tiramisu” translates from Italian as “pull me up”, and is often translated into our English phrase “pick-me-up”.

42. Waimea Bay locale OAHU
Waimea Bay is located on the north shore of O’ahu in the Hawaiian Islands.

45. Slowpoke’s place REAR
Back in the early 1800s, a “poke” was a device attached to domestic animals such as pigs or sheep to keep them from escaping their enclosures. The poke was like a yoke with a pole, and slowed the animal down, hence the term “slowpoke”.

48. Creator of Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy LOUISA
“Little Women” is a novel written by American author Louisa May Alcott. The quartet of little women is Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy March. Jo is a tomboy and the main character in the story, and is based on Alcott herself.

49. Flat-topped formations BUTTES
“Mesa” is the Spanish for “table” and is how we get the term “mesa” that describes the geographic feature. A mesa is similar to a butte. Both are hills with flat tops, but a mesa has a top that is wider than it is tall. A butte is a much narrower formation, taller than it is wide.

58. Giants manager before Bochy ALOU
Felipe Alou is a former professional baseball player and manager. Alou managed the Montreal Expos from 1992 to 2001, and the San Francisco Giants from 2003 to 2006. Alou was born and raised in the Dominican Republic and came to the US to play for the Giants in 1955. Felipe’s brothers Matty and Jesús followed him to the US, and into Major League baseball.

Bruce Bochy has been manager of the San Francisco Giants baseball team since 2007. Bochy is a little unusual in the Major League Baseball world in that he was born in France (his father was a US Army officer stationed there). Bruce became the first European-born manager to win the World Series when the Giants emerged victorious in 2010.

60. Juice unit AMP
The unit of electric current is the ampere, abbreviated correctly to “A” rather than “amp”. It is named after French physicist André-Marie Ampère, one of the main scientists responsible for the discovery of electromagnetism.

61. ESPN reporter Paolantonio SAL
Sal Paolantonio is a reporter for ESPN based in Philadelphia, mostly associated with coverage of the Philadelphia Eagles, New York Giants and the New York Jets.

Share today’s solution with a friend:
FacebookTwitterGoogleEmail

Return to top of page

For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Some UPS deliveries CODS
5. First Homeland Security secretary RIDGE
10. Help badly? ABET
14. Scott Turow title ONE L
15. “I don’t give __” A DARN
16. It may be hard to resist URGE
17. One in una escuela primaria NINO
18. Like two Tim Lincecum games NO-HIT
19. Senate garment TOGA
20. See 69-Across FOOTBALL THROW
23. Country song ANTHEM
24. __ generis SUI
25. Word with band or toy BOY
28. “Peace out” BYE
29. Struggling with a choice TORN
32. Hardly friendly looks SNEERS
34. See 69-Across MAKE THE GRADE
36. Idaho motto word ESTO
39. Theater funding gp. NEA
40. “… like __ not” IT OR
41. See 69-Across SKIP ONE’S TURN
46. Doctor with an island of Beast Folk MOREAU
47. Idée source TETE
48. Butcher’s units: Abbr. LBS
51. Progressive __ ERA
52. Gives birth to HAS
54. Enjoy the bistro EAT OUT
56. See 69-Across MOUNTAIN ROUTE
60. Home to many Indians ASIA
62. Indianapolis pros COLTS
63. Wrap alternative PITA
64. Staff at sea MAST
65. Food inspector’s concern E COLI
66. Showing wear USED
67. And PLUS
68. “Hamlet” prop SKULL
69. Clue for four puzzle answers PASS

Down
1. Informal chat CONFAB
2. Like some dips ONIONY
3. Symbolize DENOTE
4. Critter that sleeps upside down SLOTH
5. Went berserk RAN AMOK
6. Screen VIP IDOL
7. “Fantastic Mr. Fox” author DAHL
8. Breakfast side GRITS
9. Speak with passion ENTHUSE
10. Start to focus? AUTO-
11. Bully BROWBEAT
12. Frittata base EGG
13. Leaves in a bag TEA
21. Interim software phase BETA
22. Digital band RING
26. Great Seal word ORDO
27. Strategic European river of 1914 YSER
30. Former Quebec premier Lévesque RENE
31. Arms control subj. N-TEST
33. Land with “her back towards Britain, her face to the West,” in a William Drennan poem ERIN
34. Brood MOPE
35. Not fancy at all HATE
36. Miss Megley’s charge, in a Salinger story ESME
37. Chocolate-and-toffee bar SKOR
38. Layered dessert TIRAMISU
42. Waimea Bay locale OAHU
43. Easy things to overlook NUANCES
44. Diner’s need UTENSIL
45. Slowpoke’s place REAR
48. Creator of Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy LOUISA
49. Flat-topped formations BUTTES
50. Places STEADS
53. Seller’s supply STOCK
55. Freshen, as a drink TOP UP
57. Stable diet OATS
58. Giants manager before Bochy ALOU
59. “__ be all right” IT’LL
60. Juice unit AMP
61. ESPN reporter Paolantonio SAL

Return to top of page