LA Times Crossword Answers 30 Oct 2017, Monday

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Constructed by: Jake Braun
Edited by: Rich Norris

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Today’s Theme: Fall Back

Each of today’s themed answers comprises two words, the second of which often precedes FALL:

  • 66A. “Spring forward” partner (a reminder for November 5th) … and what the last word of each answer to a starred clue can literally have : FALL BACK
  • 17A. *Palestine, to many : HOLY LAND (giving “landfall”)
  • 28A. *Slam-dance area : MOSH PIT (giving “pitfall”)
  • 51A. *What “blows no good” : ILL WIND (giving “windfall”)
  • 11D. *Jam on the brakes : STOP SHORT (giving “shortfall”)
  • 35D. *Regular dinner-and-a-movie evening : DATE NIGHT (giving “nightfall”)

Bill’s time: 5m 34s

Bill’s errors: 0

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Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1. Press (down), as pipe bowl ash : TAMP

“To tamp” means to pack down tightly by tapping. “Tamp” was originally used to specifically describe the action of packing down sand or dirt around an explosive prior to detonation.

5. Life-saving proc. : CPR

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) has for decades involved the simultaneous compression of the chest to pump blood using the heart, and artificial respiration by blowing air into the lungs. Nowadays emergency services are placing more emphasis on heart compressions, and less on artificial respiration.

8. Collect $200 in Monopoly : PASS GO

The commercial game of Monopoly is supposedly a remake of “The Landlord’s Game” created in 1903 by a Quaker woman called Lizzie Phillips. Phillips used her game as a tool to explain the single tax theory of American economist Henry George. The Landlord’s Game was first produced commercially in 1924. The incredibly successful derivative game called Monopoly was introduced in 1933 by Charles Darrow, who became a very rich man when Parker Brothers bought the rights to the game just two years later in 1935.

19. Soccer game shout : OLE OLE!

Soccer (also known as “association football”) is the most popular sport in the world. The term “association football” was introduced in 1863 in England, with the name chosen to distinguish the sport from rugby football. The term “soccer” started to appear about 20 years later in Oxford, as an abbreviation for “association”.

23. Colorado resort : ASPEN

Aspen, Colorado used to be known as Ute City, with the name change taking place in 1880. Like many communities in the area, Aspen was a mining town, and in 1891 and 1892 it was at the center of the highest production of silver in the US. Nowadays, it’s all about skiing and movie stars.

26. Monterey County seat : SALINAS

Salinas is a California city located south of the San Francisco Bay Area, just a few miles from the Pacific Ocean. Salinas was the hometown of Nobel Prize winning author John Steinbeck, and was the setting of his 1952 novel “East of Eden”.

28. *Slam-dance area : MOSH PIT (giving “pitfall”)

Moshing (also “slam dancing”) is the pushing and shoving that takes place in the audience at a concert (usually a punk or heavy metal concert). The area directly in front of the stage is known as the mosh pit. When a performer does a “stage dive” it is into (or I suppose “onto”) the mosh pit. It doesn’t sound like fun to me. Injuries are commonplace in the mosh pit, and deaths are not unknown.

30. Spontaneous notion : WHIM

“Whim” meaning “sudden fancy” is such a lovely word, and one that we’ve been using in English since the 1640s. “Whim” is actually a shortened form of “whimwham” which has a similar meaning and has been around since the early 1500s.

33. Classic Ford : MODEL T

The Ford Model T was the first really affordable car that was offered for sale, and it was produced from 1908 to 1927. It was the Model T that ushered in the era of assembly line production, which greatly cut down the cost of manufacture. The Model T’s engine was designed to run on petrol, kerosene or ethanol. Ford stated in 1909 that “Any customer can have a car painted any color that he wants so long as it is black”. In actual fact, from 1908 through 1913, the Model T wasn’t available in black, and only grey, green, blue and red. The “black only” strategy applied from 1914.

36. One of eight Eng. kings : EDW

There have been eight kings of England named Edward. Edward I was on the throne from 1272 to 1307 and was also known as Edward Longshanks. The “Longshanks” name came from Edward’s exceptional height. Edward VIII was on the British throne for less than a year. Famously, Edward abdicated in 1936 in order to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson.

38. Actress Longoria : EVA

Eva Longoria is a fashion model and actress who had a regular role on TV’s “Desperate Housewives”, playing Gabrielle Solis.

39. Vienna’s country: Abbr. : AUS

Vienna is the capital of Austria. Vienna has a long musical tradition and was home to Franz Schubert, Johann Strauss (I and II), Josef Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Liszt, Johannes Brahms and Gustav Mahler. As such, Vienna is sometimes called the “City of Music”. It is also called the “City of Dreams” as it was home to the psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud.

46. Baseball throw : PEG

To peg something is to throw it. The informal verb “to peg” especially applies to a hard throw in baseball in an attempt to catch out a base runner.

51. *What “blows no good” : ILL WIND (giving “windfall”)

We’ve all probably heard the phrase “‘tis an ill wind that blows nobody any good”. The poet Ogden Nash made a “punny” statement about the oboe, calling the instrument “an ill wind nobody blows good”. I must say though, I disagree …

53. More geeky : NERDIER

Originally, a geek was a sideshow performer, perhaps at a circus. We use the term today for someone regarded as foolish or clumsy, and also for someone who is technically driven and expert, but often socially inept.

61. “Six __ a-laying … ” : GEESE

The fabulous Christmas Carol called “The Twelve Days of Christmas” dates back at least to 1780 when it was first published in England, though it may be French in origin. The concept of twelve days of Christmas comes from the tradition that the three kings came to visit the Christ Child twelve days after he was born. This same tradition is the origin of the title to Shakespeare’s play “Twelfth Night”.

63. Yokohama yes : HAI

Yokohama is the second-most populous city in Japan. Yokohama lies on Tokyo Bay and is just a 40-minute drive from the nation’s capital.

64. Descartes’ “I think” : COGITO

The great French philosopher Rene Descartes made the famous statement in Latin, “Cogito ergo sum”. This translates into French as “Je pense, donc je suis” and into English as “I think, therefore I am”.

66. “Spring forward” partner (a reminder for November 5th) … and what the last word of each answer to a starred clue can literally have : FALL BACK

On the other side of the Atlantic, Daylight Saving Time (DST) is known as “summer time”. The idea behind summer/daylight-savings is to move clocks forward an hour in spring (i.e. “spring forward”) and backwards in the fall (i.e. “fall back”) so that afternoons have more daylight.

69. Island strings : UKE

The ukulele (“uke”) originated in the 1800s and mimicked a small guitar brought to the Hawaiian Islands by Portuguese immigrants.

72. ’60s hallucinogen : LSD

LSD (known colloquially as “acid”) is short for lysergic acid diethylamide. A Swiss chemist called Albert Hofmann first synthesized LSD in 1938 in a research project looking for medically efficacious ergot alkaloids. It wasn’t until some five years later when Hofmann ingested some of the drug accidentally that its psychedelic properties were discovered. Trippy, man …

Down

1. Nevada border lake : TAHOE

Lake Tahoe (often referred to simply as “Tahoe”) is up in the Sierra Nevada mountains, and is located right on the border between California and Nevada. Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in the country, and the largest lake in general, behind the five Great Lakes. It’s also the second deepest lake, with only the beautiful Crater Lake in Oregon being deeper. Given its location, there are tall casinos that sit right on the shore on the Nevada side of the state line where gambling is legal.

3. Messy fight : MELEE

Our term “melee” comes from the French “mêlée”, and in both languages the word means “confused fight”.

7. Administrative complications : RED TAPE

Back in the days of yore in England, official documents were bound in bundles with red ribbon. So, getting through all the paperwork required “cutting through the red tape”.

8. Kung __ chicken : PAO

Kung Pao chicken is a Sichuan stir-fry dish that includes chicken, peanuts, vegetables and chili peppers. The name “Kung Pao” is thought to come from a governor of the Sichuan province whose title was “Gongbao”, meaning “Palace Guardian”.

9. Edgar __ Poe : ALLAN

Edgar Allan Poe lived a life of many firsts. Poe is considered to be the inventor of the detective-fiction genre. He was also the first notable American author to make his living through his writing, something that didn’t really go too well for him as he was always financially strapped. In 1849 he was found on the streets of Baltimore, delirious and in dire need of medical help. Poe died a few days later in hospital at 39 years of age.

12. More than a breeze : GALE

A gale is a very strong wind, a wind that is defined by Beaufort Wind Scale as a wind with speeds from 50 to just over 100 kilometers per hour.

18. Common Jesuit school name : LOYOLA

Saint Ignatius of Loyola (also known as Inigo Lopez de Loyola) was a Spanish knight from a noble family in the Basque region of Spain. He left behind his easy life to become a hermit and a priest, and eventually founded the Society of Jesus (The Jesuit order of the Roman Catholic church).

25. Sra., on the Seine : MME

The equivalent of “Mrs.” in French is “Mme.” (Madame), in Spanish is “Sra.” (Señora) and in Portuguese is also “Sra.” (Senhora).

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.

27. Formal “My bad” : IT WAS I

The much debated statement “it is I” is actually grammatically correct, and should not be “corrected” to “it is me”. Traditionally, pronouns following linking verbs, such as “is”, “appear” and “seem”, are written in the nominative case. Examples are:

  • It is I (who called)
  • It was he (who did it)
  • It is we (who care)

31. Camille’s concept : IDEE

“Idée” is French for “idea”.

34. Exiled Roman poet : OVID

The Roman poet Publius Ovidius Naso is known today simply as Ovid. Ovid is usually listed alongside the two other great Roman poets: Horace and Virgil. Although he was immensely popular during his own lifetime, Ovid spent the last ten years of his life in exile. He fell foul of Emperor Augustus, although what led to this disfavor isn’t truly understood.

40. Former MLB commissioner Bud : SELIG

Bud Selig was the Commissioner of Baseball for Major League Baseball from 1998 to 2015. Selig became acting commissioner in 1992 after the resignation of Fay Vincent. The team owners searched for a new commissioner for six years, and finally gave the permanent job to Selig in 1998.

45. “Cats” poet : TS ELIOT

“Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats” is a 1939 collection of poems by T. S. Eliot. The collection of whimsical poetry was a favorite of composer Andrew Lloyd Webber when he was a child. Webber used Eliot’s poems as inspiration for this megahit musical “Cats”.

52. Inflicts, as havoc : WREAKS

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.

57. Desert plants : CACTI

The cactus (plural “cacti”) is a member of a family plants that are particularly well-adapted to extremely dry environments. Almost all cacti are native to the Americas, although some succulent plants from the old world are similar in appearance and are often mislabeled as “cacti”.

59. Picket line violator : SCAB

We first started calling strikebreakers “scabs” in the early 1800s, and before that a scab was a person who refused to join a trade union (back as early 1777). The word probably comes from the use of “scab” as a symptom of a skin disease, and so is a term that is meant to insult.

60. Jazzman Allison : MOSE

Mose Allison is a pianist and singer of the jazz blues genre of music. Allison was born, raised and educated in Mississippi, but launched and maintained his career in New York.

62. Word with bob or dog : -SLED

Bobsleds are so called because competitors in the sport originally would “bob” in and out of the sled in order to increase its speed.

67. Eng. majors’ degrees : BAS

Bachelor of Arts (BA)

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Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1. Press (down), as pipe bowl ash : TAMP
5. Life-saving proc. : CPR
8. Collect $200 in Monopoly : PASS GO
14. Top poker pair : ACES
15. Feel remorse for : RUE
16. Brewpub fixture : ALE TAP
17. *Palestine, to many : HOLY LAND (giving “landfall”)
19. Soccer game shout : OLE OLE!
20. St. plagued by wildfires in 2017 : ORE
21. Leaves out : OMITS
23. Colorado resort : ASPEN
24. Other side in a fight : ENEMY
26. Monterey County seat : SALINAS
28. *Slam-dance area : MOSH PIT (giving “pitfall”)
30. Spontaneous notion : WHIM
33. Classic Ford : MODEL T
36. One of eight Eng. kings : EDW
37. Cola, e.g. : SODA
38. Actress Longoria : EVA
39. Vienna’s country: Abbr. : AUS
41. Gobble up : EAT
43. Do sales work (for) : REP
44. Baseball glove : MITT
46. Baseball throw : PEG
48. Multi-room accommodations : SUITES
50. Praiseful verses : ODES
51. *What “blows no good” : ILL WIND (giving “windfall”)
53. More geeky : NERDIER
55. V-shaped carving : NOTCH
59. Happy expression : SMILE
61. “Six __ a-laying … ” : GEESE
63. Yokohama yes : HAI
64. Descartes’ “I think” : COGITO
66. “Spring forward” partner (a reminder for November 5th) … and what the last word of each answer to a starred clue can literally have : FALL BACK
68. From boat to beach : ASHORE
69. Island strings : UKE
70. Pre-deal wager : ANTE
71. Poker player, e.g. : BETTOR
72. ’60s hallucinogen : LSD
73. Enjoys 23-Across : SKIS

Down

1. Nevada border lake : TAHOE
2. Bit of a squirrel’s stash : ACORN
3. Messy fight : MELEE
4. Future therapist’s maj. : PSY
5. Study at the last minute : CRAM
6. Say “You’re grounded” to, say : PUNISH
7. Administrative complications : RED TAPE
8. Kung __ chicken : PAO
9. Edgar __ Poe : ALLAN
10. Up-and-down playground fixtures : SEESAWS
11. *Jam on the brakes : STOP SHORT (giving “shortfall”)
12. More than a breeze : GALE
13. Ready for customers : OPEN
18. Common Jesuit school name : LOYOLA
22. Playground fixture : SLIDE
25. Sra., on the Seine : MME
27. Formal “My bad” : IT WAS I
29. Dumb : STUPID
31. Camille’s concept : IDEE
32. Route providers : MAPS
33. Note to the staff : MEMO
34. Exiled Roman poet : OVID
35. *Regular dinner-and-a-movie evening : DATE NIGHT (giving “nightfall”)
40. Former MLB commissioner Bud : SELIG
42. Way under a river : TUNNEL
45. “Cats” poet : TS ELIOT
47. Full of joy : GLEEFUL
49. About-to-be spouse’s words : I DO
52. Inflicts, as havoc : WREAKS
54. Nostalgically trendy : RETRO
56. Say “Much obliged” to : THANK
57. Desert plants : CACTI
58. Walks with backpacks : HIKES
59. Picket line violator : SCAB
60. Jazzman Allison : MOSE
62. Word with bob or dog : -SLED
65. Poetic “above” : O’ER
67. Eng. majors’ degrees : BAS

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