LA Times Crossword Answers 23 Jan 2018, Tuesday

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Constructed by: Michael Dewey
Edited by: Rich Norris

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Today’s Theme: Item of Capital

Themed answers today are phrases in the format “x of y”, where “y” is the name of a European capital city:

  • 20A. 1666 conflagration that destroyed St. Paul’s Cathedral : FIRE OF LONDON
  • 28A. Raphael fresco depicting Greek philosophers, with “The” : SCHOOL OF ATHENS
  • 48A. Gypsum used for casts : PLASTER OF PARIS
  • 54A. Pope : BISHOP OF ROME

Bill’s time: 5m 31s

Bill’s errors: 0

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Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1. Daily bread? : WAGE

The use of the word “bread” as a slang term for money dates back to the 1940s, and is derived from the term “breadwinner”, meaning the person in the house who puts bread on the table, brings in the money.

9. Flower that’s a Buddhist symbol of purity : LOTUS

The roots of the lotus plant penetrate into the bed of a lake or river, while the leaves float on the water’s surface. This behavior led to the use of the lotus as a symbol in the Buddhist tradition, as a symbol of purity of the body, speech and mind. The idea is that the lotus flower represents the pure body, speech and mind floating above the muddy waters of attachment and desire.

18. Actress Russo : RENE

The very talented actress Rene Russo is a native of Burbank, California. Russo went to highschool (with actor/director Ron Howard), but dropped out in tenth grade. At seventeen, she was given the opportunity to train as a model and within a very short time appeared on the cover of “Vogue”. As her modelling jobs slowed down in her early thirties, Russo made a career change and studied theater and acting. I am so glad she did, as Rene Russo is one of my favorite actresses …

20. 1666 conflagration that destroyed St. Paul’s Cathedral : FIRE OF LONDON

The Great Fire of London was a devastating blaze that swept through the center of the English capital for four days in 1666. The fire started at a bakery in Pudding Lane and eventually destroyed the homes of over 80% of the city’s inhabitants, 13,200 houses and 87 parish churches, as well as St. Paul’s Cathedral. After the fire died out, there was a rush to place blame, and a French watchmaker was tried and hanged for setting the blaze. However, it was later discovered that the Frenchman had only arrived in London two days after the fire started.

The famous and very beautiful St. Paul’s Cathedral in London was designed by Sir Christopher Wren. St. Paul’s was completed in 1708 and was constructed as part of a rebuilding program necessary after the devastation of the Great Fire of London of 1666. St. Paul’s is the second largest church building in the country, after Liverpool Cathedral.

23. Military abbr. on a Beatles album : SGT

“Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart Club Band” was the alter-ego of the Beatles, and the title of a famous studio album released in 1967.

24. NYC subway line : IRT

The Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT) was the original private operator of the New York Subway when it opened in 1904. The city took over ownership of the system in 1940, but the lines originally operated by the IRT are still known by the IRT moniker.

28. Raphael fresco depicting Greek philosophers, with “The” : SCHOOL OF ATHENS

“The School of Athens” is a painting by Raphael, one thought by many to be his masterpiece. The painting is a fresco, and can be seen in the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican.

33. “__-ching!” : CHA

The interjection “cha-ching!” is used to celebrate a windfall, lots of money. The term is imitative of the sound made by a mechanical cash register when ringing up a transaction. “Cha-ching!” was popularized by the 1992 movie “Wayne’s World”. It was also used around the same time in a TV spot for Rally’s hamburgers that featured a young Seth Green.

34. Venison source : DEER

Venison is the meat of a deer. In days of yore, the term “venison” applied not just to deer, but to any large game. The word ultimately derives from the Latin “venare” meaning “to hunt”.

36. Seventh-day activity, in the Bible : REST

According to the Book of Genesis:

And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.

40. Repeated Doris Day song word : SERA

As Doris Day told us, “que sera sera” is Spanish for “whatever will be, will be”.

Alfred Hitchcock made two versions of the film “The Man Who Knew Too Much”. The first was made in 1934 while Hitchcock still lived in England. It starred Leslie Banks, Edna Best and Peter Lorre in his first English-speaking role. Hitchcock remade the original in 1956, with James Stewart and Doris Day playing the leads. And by the way, in that movie Doris Day sang the Oscar-winning song “Que Sera, Sera”.

44. Indian bread : NAAN

Naan (also “nan”) bread is very popular in Indian restaurants, as well as in other West, Central and South Asian cuisines. Indian Naan is traditionally baked in a clay oven known as a tandoor.

48. Gypsum used for casts : PLASTER OF PARIS

Plaster made using gypsum is commonly referred to as plaster of Paris. The original plaster of Paris came from a large deposit of gypsum mined at Montmartre in Paris, hence the name.

51. Subj. for immigrants : ESL

English as a Second Language (ESL) is sometimes referred to as English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and English as a Foreign Language (EFL).

53. Coastal inlet : RIA

A drowned valley might be called a ria or a fjord, with both formed as sea level rises. A ria is a drowned valley created by river erosion, and a fjord is a drowned valley created by glaciation.

54. Pope : BISHOP OF ROME

The Pope is the Bishop of Rome and the leader of the Roman Catholic Church. The term “pope” comes from the Latin “papa”, and ultimately from the Greek “pappas”, with both terms being a child’s word for “father”.

60. Complete chaos : HAVOC

Havoc is a great damage or destruction. The term comes from the Anglo-French phrase “crier havok”, which was an order given in the late 1500s to soldiers, instructing them to seize plunder.

64. Rapper whose name sounds like a drink : ICE-T

Rapper Ice-T must be sick of having his name come up as an answer in crossword puzzles (I know I am!). Ice-T has been interested in acting for decades and made his film debut in the 1984 movie about breakdancing called “Breakin’”. He has also played Detective Fin Tutuola in the TV show “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” since the year 2000.

65. Plato’s marketplace : AGORA

In early Greece, the agora was a place of assembly. The assemblies held there were often quite formal, perhaps for the reading of a proclamation. Later in Greek history, things became less formal as the agora evolved into a marketplace. Our contemporary word “agoraphobia” comes from these agorae, in the sense that an agoraphobe has a fear of open spaces, a fear of “public meeting places”.

Plato was a Greek philosopher and mathematician. He was a student of the equally famous and respected Socrates, and Plato in turn was the teacher and mentor of the celebrated Aristotle.

66. Fodder storage tower : SILO

“Silo” is a Spanish word that we absorbed into English. The term ultimately derives from the Greek “siros”, which described a pit in which one kept corn.

70. “Star Wars” guru : YODA

Yoda is one of the most beloved characters of the “Star Wars” series of films. Yoda’s voice is provided by the great modern-day puppeteer Frank Oz of “Muppets” fame.

“Guru” is a Hindi word meaning “teacher” or “priest”.

Down

1. Many a Dickens child : WAIF

Charles Dickens was an English novelist who achieved great success in his own time, and is still regarded as perhaps the greatest novelist of the Victorian period. Many of his novels explored the plight of the poor in Victorian society, perhaps driven by his own experiences as a child. Dickens had to leave school to work in a factory after his father was thrown into a debtor’s prison. As a result, Dickens had to educate himself. He is said to have pioneered the serial publication of narrative fiction, with his first success coming with the 1835 serial publication of “Pickwick Papers”. And, everyone’s favorite has to be his 1843 novella, “A Christmas Carol”.

5. Sports injury on an artificial surface : TURF TOE

Turf toe is a sports injury associated with play on artificial turf or any other surface without much give. It is a sprain of the ligaments around one or more toe joints, particularly the big toe. The medical term for the injury is “metatarsophalangeal joint sprain”.

6. First-year law student : ONE L

“One L” is a name used in general for first year law students, especially those attending Harvard.

7. Former Yankee slugger Martinez : TINO

First baseman Tino Martinez has retired from Major League Baseball. Martinez played for a number of teams including the Mariners, Yankees, Cardinals and Devil Rays. Martinez was born and raised in Tampa, Florida and as a boy he worked in his father’s cigar factory.

9. De Niro’s “Raging Bull” role : LAMOTTA

Jake LaMotta is a retired Italian-American boxer and former world champion. Famously. LaMotta was played by Robert De Niro in the 1980 movie “Raging Bull”. LaMotta’s nickname is “The Bronx Bull” as well as “The Raging Bull”.

10. Arabian Peninsula nation : OMAN

Oman lies on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula and is neighbored by the OAE, Saudi Arabia and Yemen. Oman is a monarchy, and the official name of the state is the Sultanate of Oman. All of the country’s legislative, executive and judiciary power resides with the hereditary sultan.

12. Action film weapon : UZI

The first Uzi submachine gun was designed in the late 1940s by Major Uziel “Uzi” Gal of the Israel Defense Forces, who gave his name to the gun.

13. College yr. division : SEM

“Semester” is a German word from the Latin “semestris”, an adjective meaning “of six months”. We use the term in a system that divides an academic year into two roughly equal parts. A trimester-system has three parts, and a quarter-system has four.

25. Native of Sana’a : YEMENI

Sana (also “Sana’a”) is the capital city of Yemen. Sitting at an elevation of 7,380 feet, Sana is one of the highest capital cities in the world. Within the bounds of today’s metropolis is the old fortified city of Sana, where people have lived for over 2,500 years. The Old City is now a World Heritage Site. According to legend, Sana was founded by Shem, the son of Noah.

26. Emcees’ duties : INTROS

The term “emcee” comes from “MC”, an initialism standing for Master or Mistress of Ceremonies.

27. “Horsefeathers!” : PSHAW!

“Horsefeathers” is probably a euphemism for a similar word that’s a little more crude. The term is said to have been coined by cartoonist Billy DeBeck in 1928. DeBeck’s most famous strip is called “Barney Google”.

30. Meet portion, or portion of meat : LEG

There might be a leg of a race at a sports meet.

31. Maine college town : ORONO

The town of Orono is home to the University of Maine, founded in 1862. The college is actually located on an island (Marsh island) lying between the Penobscot and Stillwater rivers. The town of Orono is named after Joseph Orono, a chief of the Penobscot Nation. The school’s athletic teams are named the Maine Black Bears.

37. NFL six-pointers : TDS

Touchdown (TD)

45. At just the right time : APROPOS

“Apropos” comes into English directly from French, in which “à propos” means “to the purpose”. Note that we use the term as one word (apropos), but the original French is two words (à propos).

46. Innocent soul : NAIF

A naïf is someone who is naive, as “naïf” is the French word for “naive”.

55. Freckled boy of old TV : OPIE

Opie Taylor is the character played by Ron Howard on “The Andy Griffith Show”. Opie lives with widowed father Andy Taylor (played by Andy Griffith) and his great-aunt Beatrice “Aunt Bee” Taylor (played by Frances Bavier). Ron Howard first played the role in 1960 in the pilot show, when he was just 5 years old. Howard sure has come a long way since playing Opie Taylor. He has directed some fabulous movies including favorites of mine like “Apollo 13”, “A Beautiful Mind” and “The Da Vinci Code”.

56. Roly-__ : POLY

The term “roly-poly” applies to several things, including a game in which a ball is “rolled” into holes on a board or table. A roly-poly is also cake-like dessert made from dough that has been spread out flat and then rolled up into the shape of a cylinder.

57. Eight, in Ecuador : OCHO

“Ecuador” is the Spanish word for “equator”, which gives the country its name.

58. Renaissance faire quaff : MEAD

Mead is a lovely drink that’s made from fermented honey and water.

“Quaff” is both a verb and a noun. One “quaffs” (takes a hearty drink) of a “quaff” (a hearty drink).

59. Jazzy James : ETTA

Etta James was best known for her beautiful rendition of the song “At Last”. Sadly, as she disclosed in her autobiography, James lived a life that was ravaged by drug addiction leading to numerous legal and health problems. Ms. James passed away in January 2012 having suffered from leukemia.

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Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1. Daily bread? : WAGE
5. Convenient bag : TOTE
9. Flower that’s a Buddhist symbol of purity : LOTUS
14. Unattributed, as a quote: Abbr. : ANON
15. Prof.’s employer : UNIV
16. Stupefy : AMAZE
17. Checkout line unit : ITEM
18. Actress Russo : RENE
19. Words to live by : MAXIM
20. 1666 conflagration that destroyed St. Paul’s Cathedral : FIRE OF LONDON
23. Military abbr. on a Beatles album : SGT
24. NYC subway line : IRT
25. Pup squeak : YIP
28. Raphael fresco depicting Greek philosophers, with “The” : SCHOOL OF ATHENS
33. “__-ching!” : CHA
34. Venison source : DEER
35. Sunny feeling : WARMTH
36. Seventh-day activity, in the Bible : REST
38. __ Gone: gunk-cleaning product : GOO
40. Repeated Doris Day song word : SERA
41. Gave the slip : ELUDED
44. Indian bread : NAAN
47. At this moment : NOW
48. Gypsum used for casts : PLASTER OF PARIS
51. Subj. for immigrants : ESL
52. Color gradation : HUE
53. Coastal inlet : RIA
54. Pope : BISHOP OF ROME
60. Complete chaos : HAVOC
63. Each : A POP
64. Rapper whose name sounds like a drink : ICE-T
65. Plato’s marketplace : AGORA
66. Fodder storage tower : SILO
67. Not this : THAT
68. Wooden peg : DOWEL
69. Informal greetings : HEYS
70. “Star Wars” guru : YODA

Down

1. Many a Dickens child : WAIF
2. Prefix with social : ANTI-
3. Suffix with party : -GOER
4. Catch in a net : ENMESH
5. Sports injury on an artificial surface : TURF TOE
6. First-year law student : ONE L
7. Former Yankee slugger Martinez : TINO
8. Should it arise that : EVEN IF
9. De Niro’s “Raging Bull” role : LAMOTTA
10. Arabian Peninsula nation : OMAN
11. Payroll deduction : TAX
12. Action film weapon : UZI
13. College yr. division : SEM
21. Prayer opener : O GOD …
22. Sketch : DRAW
25. Native of Sana’a : YEMENI
26. Emcees’ duties : INTROS
27. “Horsefeathers!” : PSHAW!
28. Beachcomber’s finds : SHELLS
29. Like some Friday work attire : CASUAL
30. Meet portion, or portion of meat : LEG
31. Maine college town : ORONO
32. Store posting: Abbr. : HRS
33. Parisian pancake : CREPE
37. NFL six-pointers : TDS
39. Dolt : OAF
42. Virtuous : ETHICAL
43. Latin god : DEUS
45. At just the right time : APROPOS
46. Innocent soul : NAIF
49. Go over again : REHASH
50. Uncommon thing : RARITY
54. Droning lecture, e.g. : BORE
55. Freckled boy of old TV : OPIE
56. Roly-__ : POLY
57. Eight, in Ecuador : OCHO
58. Renaissance faire quaff : MEAD
59. Jazzy James : ETTA
60. “I’ve been __!” : HAD
61. Back in time : AGO
62. Pledge : VOW

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