LA Times Crossword Answers 24 Feb 15, Tuesday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: C.C. Burnikel
THEME: I’m Stuffed … each of today’s themed answers starts with something that is often STUFFED and eaten:

61A. Comment after a feast … or what the first word of 18-, 20-, 38- and 57-Across would sometimes say–if it could talk I’M STUFFED

18A. Single proprietor SOLE OWNER (giving “stuffed sole”)
20A. The Old Spaghetti Factory alternative OLIVE GARDEN (giving “stuffed olive”)
38A. Self-defense option PEPPER SPRAY (giving “stuffed pepper”)
57A. Fragrant bloomer with typically pink flowers CABBAGE ROSE (giving “stuffed cabbage”)

BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 5m 34s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across

1. Rosie of “The Jetsons,” for one ROBOT
On “The Jetsons” animated TV show, the character Rosie the Robot was voiced by Jean Vander Pyl. Vander Pyl was also the voice actress behind Wilma Flintstone in “The Flintstone in “The Flintstones”

13. Golden Gloves venue ARENA
The Golden Gloves are a series of boxing tournaments for amateurs in the US. Competitors must be aged 16 years or over in order to qualify. There is also a Silver Gloves tournament, which is open to kids aged 10 to 15 years.

16. Toondom’s __ E. Coyote WILE
Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner are two much-loved cartoon characters from Warner Bros. Wile E. Coyote was created first, and Road Runner was invented as someone for Wile E. to play off. I love this cartoon; definitely one of the best …

18. Single proprietor SOLE OWNER (giving “stuffed sole”)
The group of flatfish known as soles take their name from “solea”, the Latin word for “sandal”.

20. The Old Spaghetti Factory alternative OLIVE GARDEN (giving “stuffed olive”)
Olive Garden is a chain of Italian-American restaurants that has over 800 locations worldwide. The chain was originally established as part of General Mills. The current owners of the chain also operate Red Lobster restaurants. Apparently there are plans to co-located Olive Garden and Red Lobster eateries so that they have separate entries but share kitchens.

The Old Spaghetti Factory is a chain of Italian-style restaurants that was founded in Portland, Oregon in 1969. Most of the chain’s restaurants are located in renovated warehouses and historic locations. Also, each restaurant has a streetcar in which diners can be seated.

A pimento is a cherry pepper in the chili family. It used to be stuffed into Spanish olives by a tool that took out the pit the same time. Sadly, in these days of modern technology, the pimento is usually pureed now, mixed with a gum and formed into neat strips, before being stuffed into the olive. Nothing is what it seems anymore …

22. Big D hoopster MAV
The Mavericks is the name of the NBA franchise in Dallas, Texas. The team was founded in 1980, and the Mavericks name was chosen by fan votes. The choice of “Mavericks” was prompted by the fact that the actor James Garner was a part-owner of the team, and Garner of course played the title role in the “Maverick” television series.

“Big D” is a nickname for the city of Dallas, Texas.

23. West Coast sch. with more than 100 NCAA championships USC
The University of Southern California (USC) is a private school in Los Angeles. Apart from its excellent academic record, USC is known the success of its athletic program. USC athletes have won more Olympic medals than the students of any other university in the world. The USC marching band is very famous as well, and is known as the “Spirit of Troy”. The band has performed with many celebrities, and is the only college band to have two platinum records.

24. Martini order DRY
The name “martini” probably takes it name from the “Martini & Rossi” brand of dry vermouth, although no one seems to be completely sure. What is clear is that despite the Martini name originating in Italy, the martini drink originated in the US. The original martini was made with gin and sweet vermouth, but someone specifying a “dry” martini was given gin and dry vermouth. Nowadays we use dry vermouth for all martinis and the term “dry” has become a reference to how little vermouth is included in the drink. Famously, Noel Coward liked his drink very dry and said that a perfect martini is made by “filling a glass with gin then waving it in the general direction of Italy”.

32. Fed. power dept. ENER
The US Department of Energy (DOE) came into being largely as a result of the 1973 oil crisis. The DOE was founded in 1977 by the Carter administration. The DOE is responsible for regulating the production of nuclear power, and it is also responsible for the nation’s nuclear weapons.

33. “__ Legend”: Will Smith movie I AM
“I Am Legend” is a 1955 science fiction novel by Richard Matheson that tells of an apparent sole survivor of a pandemic. The survivor has to fight off zombie-like vampires who come out at night. “I Am Legend” was famously adapted into a 1971 movie called “The Omega Man” starring Charlton Heston, and then into a 2007 film using the same title as the novel, which stars Will Smith.

In the late eighties Will Smith was a successful rapper, but he ran foul of the IRS. When he was faced with an IRS-imposed penalty of $2.8 million he was close to becoming bankrupt. Fortunately, along came NBC with a proposal to build a sitcom around him, and “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” was born.

35. Nook and Kindle E-READERS
The Barnes & Noble electronic-book reader is called the Nook. The Nook accounts for 10-15% of electronic book readers in the world.

I bought myself a Kindle Fire HD a while back. I’ve started reading e-books for the first time in my life, as well as enjoying other computing options available with the tablet device. I love it …

38. Self-defense option PEPPER SPRAY (giving “stuffed pepper”)
Pepper sprayis a chemical agent designed to irritate the eyes, causing them to hurt and tear up, resulting in temporary blindness. The active ingredient in the spray is capsaicin, a chemical derived from the fruit of plants like chili peppers. Pepper spray isn’t water-soluble, so it’s difficult to wash out of the eyes. The recommendation is to blink vigorously so that the tears flush the spray away. Apparently, emergency rooms keep baby shampoo on hand to remove the irritant.

42. Actor McKellen IAN
Sir Ian McKellen is a marvelous English actor, someone who is comfortable playing anything from Macbeth on stage to Magneto in an “X-Men” movie. On the big screen, McKellen is very famous for playing Gandalf in “The Lord of Rings”. In the UK Sir Ian is noted for being at the forefront of the campaign for equal rights for gay people, a role he has enthusiastically embraced since the eighties.

43. Japanese soup noodle UDON
Udon noodles are made from wheat-flour and are very popular in Japanese cuisine such as tempura.

44. Formula for salt NACL
Sodium chloride (NaCl, common salt) is an ionic compound, a crystal lattice made up of large chloride (Cl) ions in a cubic structure, with smaller sodium (Na) ions in between the chlorides.

53. Singer Orbison ROY
Roy Orbison had to be one the sickliest looking performers I’ve ever seen. Orbison had a very sallow complexion, pock-marked from teenage acne. The yellowish skin tone came from a severe bout of jaundice as a child. Perhaps poor nutrition affected him and his siblings, because all of them had very poor eyesight, with Roy almost blind and wearing very thick lenses from a very young age. He was also very ashamed of his head of hair, which was almost a ghostly white, and so he dyed it jet black even when he was young. Despite all this, he was immensely popular in his heyday with teenage girls, particularly in Canada and Ireland for some reason. On a tour of Ireland in 1963, the Irish police had to stop one of his performances in order to pull a bevy of local lasses off poor Mr. Orbison …

56. Chinese chairman MAO
Mao Zedong (also “Mao Tse-tung”) was born on December 16, 1893 in the Hunan Province of China. As Mao was the son of a peasant farmer, his prospects for education were limited. Indeed he left school at age 13 to work on the family farm but did eventually get to secondary school in Changsha, the provincial capital. In the years following, Mao continued his education in Beijing and turned down an opportunity to study in France.

57. Fragrant bloomer with typically pink flowers CABBAGE ROSE (giving “stuffed cabbage”)
The cabbage rose is particularly associated with the French city of Grasse, which is considered the world’s capital of perfume. The flowers of the cabbage rose are harvested to make rose oil that is used by the local perfume factories.

63. Christmas celebrity SANTA
The Santa Claus with whom we are familiar today largely comes from the description in the 1823 poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas”, and from the caricature created by the political cartoonist Thomas Nast.

65. Nonstick cookware brand T-FAL
Tefal (also T-Fal) is a French manufacturer of cookware, famous for its nonstick line. The name “Tefal” is a portmanteau, of TEFlon and ALuminum, the key materials used in producing their pots and pans.

66. __ salts EPSOM
The Surrey town of Epsom in England is most famous for its racecourse (Epsom Downs), at which is run the Epsom Derby every year, one of the three races that make up the English Triple Crown. We also come across Epsom salt from time to time. Epsom salt is magnesium sulfate, originally prepared by boiling down mineral waters. Epsom was indeed a spa town at one time.

Down
5. Used a stun gun on TASED
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”.

10. Cash for fun PIN MONEY
“Pin money” is a small amount set aside for minor expenditures or for some fun activity. Back in the 14th century, the tradition in England was that pins were only offered for sale on January 1st and 2nd. Generous husbands (!) would provide their wives with “pin money” to purchase these luxury items. The allowance given to wives was later used for other fun items, but the phrase “pin money” persisted.

19. Artist with the website imaginepeace.com ONO
The artist Yoko Ono operates the website ImaginePeace.com. I just checked it out and pulled these two quotes:

– Imagine all the people living life in peace … John Lennon
– A dream you dream alone is only a dream, a dream you dream together is reality … Yoko Ono

26. Hill-building biter RED ANT
Fire ants are stinging ants, many species of which are called red ants. Most stinging ants bite their prey and then spray acid on the wound. The fire ant however, bites to hold on and then injects an alkaloid venom from its abdomen, creating a burning sensation in humans that have been nipped.

28. “Burnt” crayon color SIENNA
The shade of “sienna” was originally a pigment made from earth found around Siena in Tuscany.

30. __ firma TERRA
“Terra firma” is Latin for “solid ground”.

31. Surg. sites ORS
Operating room (OR)

34. Mil. mail address APO
Army post office (APO)

36. Literary wrap-up EPILOG
Our word “epilog”, meaning an addition at the end of a play or other literary work, ultimately comes from Greek. “Epi-” is a prefix signifying “in addition”, and “logos” is the noun for “a speech”.

37. Football’s Parseghian ARA
Ara Parseghian coached the Notre Dame football team from 1964 to 1974, a period known as “The Era of Ara”.

39. Bavarian article EIN
“Ein” is an indefinite article in German.

Bavaria in southeast Germany is the largest state in the country. The capital and largest city in Bavaria is Munich.

47. King in Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” ALONSO
In William Shakespeare’s play “The Tempest”, Alonso is the King of Naples. Alonso helps Antonio to depose his brother Prospero as Duke of Milan and set him adrift in a boat with Prospero’s young daughter Miranda.

51. Post-surg. area ICU
Intensive Care Unit (ICU)

58. Inseparable pals, to texters BFFS
Best friend forever (BFF)

59. Brummell or Bridges BEAU
Beau Brummell was a friend of the future King George IV of England, and established himself as the arbiter of men’s fashions at the time. He claimed that it took him five hours to get dressed properly, and that he had his boots polished with champagne. It was Brummell who popularized the fashion of wearing a fitted jacket and pants with a knotted cravat. So, we guys have Brummell to thank/blame for us having to wear business suits with ties.

The actor Beau Bridges is the son of actor Lloyd Bridges, and brother of actor Jeff Bridges. Beau’s best-known role is perhaps for playing one of “The Fabulous Bakker Boys” alongside brother Jeff.

62. NFL scores TDS
Touchdowns (TDs)

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Rosie of “The Jetsons,” for one ROBOT
6. Recede EBB
9. Downloadable programs APPS
13. Golden Gloves venue ARENA
14. Chimney substance SOOT
16. Toondom’s __ E. Coyote WILE
17. Camp shelters TENTS
18. Single proprietor SOLE OWNER (giving “stuffed sole”)
20. The Old Spaghetti Factory alternative OLIVE GARDEN (giving “stuffed olive”)
22. Big D hoopster MAV
23. West Coast sch. with more than 100 NCAA championships USC
24. Martini order DRY
25. Gloomy MOROSE
27. Golf hole starting points TEES
29. On the topic of AS TO
32. Fed. power dept. ENER
33. “__ Legend”: Will Smith movie I AM
35. Nook and Kindle E-READERS
38. Self-defense option PEPPER SPRAY (giving “stuffed pepper”)
40. Emphatic military reply SIR! NO SIR!
42. Actor McKellen IAN
43. Japanese soup noodle UDON
44. Formula for salt NACL
46. Brewpub lineup TAPS
50. Mr. Fixit’s forte REPAIR
53. Singer Orbison ROY
55. Aflame LIT
56. Chinese chairman MAO
57. Fragrant bloomer with typically pink flowers CABBAGE ROSE (giving “stuffed cabbage”)
61. Comment after a feast … or what the first word of 18-, 20-, 38- and 57-Across would sometimes say–if it could talk I’M STUFFED
63. Christmas celebrity SANTA
64. Future plant SEED
65. Nonstick cookware brand T-FAL
66. __ salts EPSOM
67. Grinds to a halt ENDS
68. Seek damages from SUE
69. Poker-faced STONY

Down
1. Squeal on RAT OUT
2. Parental warning words OR ELSE!
3. “No fighting, kids!” BE NICE!
4. “As seen __”: ad phrase ON TV
5. Used a stun gun on TASED
6. College application pieces ESSAYS
7. Mannerless fellow BOOR
8. Like headline typefaces BOLD
9. “So-o adorable!” AWW!
10. Cash for fun PIN MONEY
11. Crowd __: popular performer PLEASER
12. Order takers SERVERS
15. Overflow (with) TEEM
19. Artist with the website imaginepeace.com ONO
21. Pa’s pa GRAMPS
26. Hill-building biter RED ANT
28. “Burnt” crayon color SIENNA
30. __ firma TERRA
31. Surg. sites ORS
34. Mil. mail address APO
36. Literary wrap-up EPILOG
37. Football’s Parseghian ARA
38. Popped the question PROPOSED
39. Bavarian article EIN
40. Conjecture SURMISE
41. Think tank guys IDEA MEN
45. Baby rocker CRADLE
47. King in Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” ALONSO
48. Moving engine part PISTON
49. Hot and humid STEAMY
51. Post-surg. area ICU
52. Rapids transport RAFT
54. Go-aheads YESES
58. Inseparable pals, to texters BFFS
59. Brummell or Bridges BEAU
60. Captivated RAPT
62. NFL scores TDS

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