LA Times Crossword 26 Sep 19, Thursday

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Constructed by: David Poole
Edited by: Rich Norris

Today’s Reveal Answer: Spy vs. Spy

Themed answers start or end with a single letter that is circled in the grid. Those letters on the left of the grid spell out CIA, and on the right KGB:

  • 23D Long-running Mad feature suggested by this puzzle’s circled letters : SPY VS SPY
  • 17A Delivery method : C-SECTION
  • 35A Siri device : IPHONE
  • 62A Angular abode : A-FRAME
  • 19A Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski, familiarly : COACH K
  • 43A Big name in smooth jazz : KENNY G
  • 63A Complex containing thiamine and niacin : VITAMIN B

Bill’s time: 7m 32s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

5 “4×2=8” rapper from Korea : PSY

“PSY” is the stage name of South Korean rapper Park Jae-sang. PSY became an international star when his 2012 music video “Gangnam Style” went viral on YouTube. That video had over 1 billion views on YouTube in about six months, making it the most viewed YouTube video clip of all time. I am not one of that billion …

8 Blood component : PLASMA

Plasma (sometimes “plasm”) is the clear, yellow-colored liquid component of blood and lymph in which cells are suspended.

14 Et __: and others : ALII

“Et alii” (et al.) is the equivalent of “et cetera” (etc.), with “et cetera” being used in place of a list of objects, and “et alii” used for a list of names. In fact, “et al.” can stand for “et alii” (a group of males, or males and females), “et aliae” (a group of women) and “et alia” (a group of neuter nouns, or a group of people where the intent is to retain gender-neutrality).

15 Troy, N.Y., school : RPI

The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) is a private school in Troy, New York. The university is named after its founder Stephen Van Rensselaer who set up the school in 1824. The goal of RPI has always been the “application of science to the common purposes of life”, an objective set by the founder. Given that, the name for the school’s sports teams is quite apt: the Engineers.

16 Trojan War hero : AENEAS

Aeneas was a Trojan hero of myth who traveled to Italy and became the ancestor of all Romans. Aeneas’s story is told in Virgil’s epic poem “The Aeneid”.

17 Delivery method : C-SECTION

The story that Julius Caesar was born via Caesarean section (C-section) seems to be unfounded. Although such procedures were indeed carried out in ancient Rome, there are no reports of the mother surviving (and Julius Caesar’s mother did raise her child).

19 Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski, familiarly : COACH K

Mike Krzyzewski is a coach and former basketball player from Chicago, Illinois. As a young man, Krzyzewski captained the Army Cadets basketball team, before serving in the Army for five years. After resigning from active duty, Coach K (as he is called) eventually took the head coaching job with the Army Cadets followed by the head coach’s position with Duke, where he has been since 1980. Today, Coach K also coaches the US International team.

24 Tigers, on scoreboards : DET

The origins of the Detroit Tigers baseball team’s name seems a little unclear. One story is that it was taken from the Detroit Light Guard military unit who were known as “The Tigers”. The Light Guard fought with distinction during the Civil War and in the Spanish-American War. Sure enough, when the Detroit baseball team went into the Majors they were formally given permission to use “The Tigers” name by the Detroit Light Guard.

25 “Miracle on Ice” winners: Abbr. : USA

Team USA won the gold medal in men’s hockey at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid. The victory was a surprising one given the decades-long dominance of the USSR team. The “big result” for the American team was the epic victory against the Soviets, a victory often referred to as the “Miracle on Ice”. The US went on to defeat Finland in the final and secured the gold medal. The moniker “miracle” comes from words uttered by sportscaster Al Michaels, who was calling the game for ABC. He declared, in the final seconds, “Do you believe in miracles?! Yes!”

29 Start of el año : ENERO

In Spanish, “el año” (the year) starts in “enero” (January) and ends in “diciembre” (December).

31 Quick bite : NOSH

Our word “nosh” has been around since the late fifties, when it was imported from the Yiddish word “nashn” meaning “to nibble”. We use “nosh” as a noun that means “snack”, or as a verb meaning “to eat between meals”.

35 Siri device : IPHONE

Siri is a software application that works with Apple’s iOS operating system. “Siri” is an acronym standing for Speech Interpretation and Recognition Interface. Voice-over artist Susan Bennett revealed herself as the female American voice of Siri a few years ago. The British version of Siri is called Daniel, and the Australian version is called Karen. Also, “Siri” is a Norwegian name meaning “beautiful woman who leads you to victory”, and was the name the developer had chosen for his first child.

37 Pointed facial features : VAN DYKES

Anthony van Dyck was a Flemish artist, although he was noted as a painter in the British royal court. His most famous portraits are of King Charles I of England and members of his family. The men in his paintings often sported a short, pointed beard that was in fashion at the time. When that style of beard became fashionable again centuries later, it was termed a “Van Dyke” in honor of the artist.

41 Morris Buttermaker’s “bad news” team : THE BEARS

“The Bad News Bears” is 1976 comedy film starring Walter Matthau and Tatum O’Neal. The movie is all about a Little League baseball team made up of misfits who are coached by an alcoholic former minor-league baseball player named Morris Buttermaker. The film was a big hit that spawned two sequels, “The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training” (1977) and “The Bad News Bears Go to Japan” (1978). There was also a television series and a 2005 remake that stars Billy Bob Thornton.

43 Big name in smooth jazz : KENNY G

Saxophonist Kenny G’s full name is Kenneth Bruce Gorelick. Kenny’s “G” might also stand for “golfer”, as in 2006 he was ranked by “Golf Digest” magazine as the number-one golfer working in the field of music.

44 Spray can output : AEROSOL

Strictly speaking, the term “aerosol” defines a suspension of either liquid droplets or solid particles in a gas. A good example of an aerosol is smoke. We tend to use the “aerosol” to describe what comes out of a spray can, even though the liquid droplets usually fall out of the gas and don’t stay suspended.

46 Like some U.S. mail : CERT

Certified (cert.)

47 African antelope : ELAND

The eland (plural “eland, elands”) is a large African antelope, in fact the largest antelope on the continent. Both male and female eland have horns, and those horns have a steady spiral ridge along their length.

50 Binge : SPREE

Back in the 1850’s, to binge was to drink heavily, to soak up the booze. The original use of “to binge” was to describe the soaking of a wooden vessel in water in order to prevent leaks.

52 Montgomery of jazz : WES

Wes Montgomery was a jazz guitarist from Indianapolis.

53 Part of UCLA : LOS

The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) gets more applications from potential students than any other university in the country. UCLA also has more students enrolled than any other university in the state.

56 Easy marks : PATSIES

The etymology of the word “patsy” meaning “fall guy” isn’t really understood. One colorful theory suggests that the term comes from an 1890s vaudeville character named Patsy Bolivar. Patsy always got the blame when something went wrong.

59 __ del Fuego : TIERRA

Tierra del Fuego is an archipelago off the southern tip of South America and is the location of the famed Cape Horn. Tierra del Fuego was discovered by the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan. He saw native fires on land as he passed by and originally called the location “Land of Smoke” This was later changed to “Land of Fire”, or “Tierra del Fuego” in Spanish.

62 Angular abode : A-FRAME

An A-frame house is one that has a steeply-angled roof, one forming the shape of the letter “A”. The A-frame design is popular in snowy regions, as the roof is so steeply pitched that it does not collect snow.

63 Complex containing thiamine and niacin : VITAMIN B

Thiamine is also known as vitamin B1. A deficiency of thiamine causes the disease known as beriberi, which is a disorder of the nervous system.

Niacin is also known as vitamin B3. A deficiency of niacin causes the disease pellagra. Pellagra is often described by “the four Ds”, the symptoms being diarrhea, dermatitis, dementia and death.

67 Spots at the prom? : ACNE

A prom is a formal dance held upon graduation from high school (we call them “formals” over in Ireland). The term “prom” is short for “promenade”, the name given to a type of dance or ball.

Down

1 Brit’s raincoat : MAC

When I was growing up in Ireland, we had to take our “macs” to school in case it rained (and it usually did!). “Mac” is short for “Macintosh”, a waterproof raincoat made of rubberized fabric. The coat was named after its inventor, Scotsman Charles Macintosh.

2 Rick’s love in “Casablanca” : ILSA

Ilsa Lund was played by Ingrid Bergman in the 1942 movie “Casablanca”. I love the words of one critic describing the chemistry between Bogart and Bergman in this film: “She paints his face with her eyes”. Wow …

3 In __ of : LIEU

As one might imagine perhaps, “in lieu” came into English from the Old French word “lieu” meaning “place”, which in turn is derived from the Latin “locum” that also means “place”. So, “in lieu” translates as “in place of”.

4 Decrees : DICTA

“Dictum” (plural “dicta”) is a legal term describing a statement by a court as part of a judgment.

5 1996 Richard Gere/Edward Norton thriller : PRIMAL FEAR

“Primal Fear” is a very enjoyable crime-thriller film released in 1996, starring Richard Gere. The most acclaimed performance in the movie came from Edward Norton, in his film debut.

7 Half a cosmic whole : YIN

The yin and yang can be illustrated using many different metaphors. In one, as the sun shines on a mountain, the side in the shade is the yin and the side in the light is the yang. The yin is also regarded as the feminine side, and the yang the masculine. The yin can also be associated with the moon, while the yang is associated with the sun.

9 Some summer babies : LEOS

Leo is the fifth astrological sign of the Zodiac. People born from July 23 to August 22 are Leos.

10 Santa __: dry winds : ANAS

The Santa Ana winds are the very dry air currents that sweep offshore late in the year in Southern California. Because these air currents are so dry, they are noted for their influence over forest fires in the area, especially in the heat of the fall. The winds arise from a buildup of air pressure in the Great Basin that lies between the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada. Under the right conditions, that air spills over the peaks of the Sierra Nevada and basically “falls” down the side of the Sierra range, heading for the ocean. As the air falls it becomes drier and heats up so that relative humidity can fall to below 10% by the time it hits the coast.

11 Withdraw formally : SECEDE

Back in the very early 1700s, to secede was to leave one’s companions. In the mid-18th century, the meaning of “secession” took on the current meaning of withdrawing from an organized union. The first such “secession” was the exodus of ministers and members from the Church of Scotland starting in 1733.

12 “Resurrection Symphony” composer : MAHLER

I’m still trying to keep an open mind when it comes to the music of Gustav Mahler, but I find it hard to appreciate. Mahler was an Austrian composer who was active in the late-Romantic period. During his own lifetime, he was most notable as a conductor, and his compositions gained in popularity only after his death in 1911. Mahler’s music was banned as “degenerate” during the Nazi Era, as Mahler was Jewish.

Gustav Mahler’s “Symphony No. 2” is often referred to as the “Resurrection Symphony”. It is sometimes compared to Beethoven’s “Ninth Symphony” as both works feature a chorus and solo voices. The original score for the “Resurrection Symphony” was sold in 2016 for 4.5 million pounds sterling, the highest price ever paid for a musical manuscript at auction.

18 Antacid brand : TUMS

The main ingredient in Tums antacid, made by GlaxoSmithKline, is calcium carbonate. Tums have been on the market since 1930. If you want to save a few pennies, Target brand antacid is identical to Tums, so I hear …

21 Italian scooter : VESPA

Vespa is a brand of motor scooter that was originally made in Italy (and now all over the world) by Piaggio. “Vespa” is Italian for “wasp”.

23 Long-running Mad feature suggested by this puzzle’s circled letters : SPY VS SPY

“Spy vs. Spy” is a comic strip that has run in “Mad” magazine continuously since 1961. It was drawn by Antonio Prohias, a refugee from Cuba, until his retirement. The early storyline was very fitting for the times, a statement about the futility of the arms race, detente and the Cold War.

26 Junior-to-be : SOPH

The term “sophomore” has been used for a student in the second year of university since the 1680’s. The original meaning of the word was “arguer”. The term has Greek roots, from two Greek words that have been artificially combined in English. The Greek “sophos” means “wise”, and “moros” means “foolish”.

27 Tennis immortal : ASHE

Arthur Ashe was a professional tennis player from Richmond, Virginia. In his youth, Ashe found himself having to travel great distances to play against Caucasian opponents due to the segregation that still existed in his home state. He was rewarded for his dedication by being selected for the 1963 US Davis Cup team, the first African American player to be so honored. Ashe continued to run into trouble because of his ethnicity though, and in 1968 was denied entry into South Africa to play in the South African Open. In 1979, Ashe suffered a heart attack and had bypass surgery, with follow-up surgery four years later during which he contracted HIV from blood transfusions. Ashe passed away in 1993 due to complications from AIDS. Shortly afterwards, Ashe was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Bill Clinton.

29 “The Neverending Story” author : ENDE

Michael Ende was a children’s author from Germany. His most famous novel is the fantasy work titled “The Neverending Story”, first published in 1979.

30 Acronymically named boy band : NSYNC

NSYNC was a boy band from Orlando, Florida that was formed in 1995. The name of the group came from a comment by the mother of band member Justin Timberlake, who said the boys voices sounded “in sync”. But, it’s also true that the letters of the name NSYNC are the last letters of the given names of the five band members:

  • Justin Timberlake
  • Chris Kirkpatrick
  • Joey Fatone
  • Lance “Lansten” Bass
  • JC Chasez

32 White House architect James : HOBAN

The White House was designed by an Irishman. James Hoban from County Kilkenny emigrated to the US in his twenties, and won the design competition for the White House in 1792.

34 Rug rat : ANKLE BITER

“Rug rat” and “ankle-biter” are familiar terms meaning “child”, and especially a child who is not yet walking.

39 Thornfield Hall governess : EYRE

Thornfield Hall is the home of Mr. Rochester, and where much of the action takes place in Charlotte Brontë’s novel “Jane Eyre”. Ultimately, Thornfield is destroyed by fire, a fire in which Mr. Rochester loses a hand and his eyesight.

42 Bouquet for a señorita : ROSAS

In Spanish, a gift of “rosas” (roses) might be given on the “14 de febrero” (14th of February).

45 On the soapbox : ORATING

Back in the 1650s, a soapbox was just that, a wooden box for holding or transporting soap. Empty soapboxes were easily carried by a potential orator and used as a stand from which to deliver an address.

47 West Texas city : EL PASO

Although there have been human settlements in the El Paso area for thousands of years, the first European settlement was founded in 1659 by the Spanish. That first community was on the south bank of the Rio Grande, and was called El Paso del Norte (the North Pass). Most of the urban development under Spanish rule took place on the south side of the river, with El Paso del Norte acting as the center of governance for the Spanish for the territory of New Mexico. The Rio Grande was chosen as the border between Mexico and the US in 1848, so most of the city of El Paso del Norte became part of the Mexican state of Chihuahua (and is now called Ciudad Juárez ). The area north of the river developed as a US military post, eventually becoming the modern city of El Paso, Texas.

48 Preppy shoe : LOAFER

The loafer slip-on shoe dates back to 1939. “Loafer” was originally a brand name introduced by Fortnum and Mason’s store in London. The derivative term “penny loafer” arose in the late fifties or early sixties, although the exact etymology seems unclear.

51 Zeno’s home : ELEA

Zeno of Elea was a Greek philosopher who lived in Elea, a Greek colony in Southern Italy. Zeno is famous for his paradoxes, a set of problems that really make you think! In the problem known as “Achilles and the Tortoise”, Zeno tells us that Achilles races a tortoise, giving the tortoise a head start (of say 100 meters). By the time Achilles reaches the starting point of the tortoise, the tortoise will have moved on, albeit only a small distance. Achilles then sets his sights on the tortoise’s new position and runs to it. Again the tortoise has moved ahead a little. Achilles keeps on moving to the tortoise’s new position but can never actually catch his slower rival. Or can he …?

54 Coterie members, in slang : PEEPS

“Peeps” is a slang term for one’s associates or friends, one’s “people”.

A coterie is a small group of friends who hang out together, and often share a common interest. The term comes to us from French, in which language a coterie was an organization of peasants all of whom held land owned by the same feudal lord.

55 “Aunt __ Cope Book” : ERMA’S

“Aunt Erma’s Cope Book” was written by Erma Bombeck and published in 1979. Erma Bombeck wrote for newspapers for about 35 years, producing more than 4,000 witty and humorous columns describing her home life in suburbia.

57 Black Friday event : SALE

In the world of retail, Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving in the US. Black Friday is when many stores start the holiday shopping season, and so offer deep discounts to get ahead of the competition.

58 Controversial radio host : IMUS

Don Imus’s syndicated radio show “Imus in the Morning” used to broadcast from New York City. Imus has been described as a “shock jock”, a disc jockey who deliberately uses provocative language and humor that many would find offensive . I’m not a big fan of shock jocks …

61 Actress Hathaway : ANNE

Actress Anne Hathaway is a favorite of mine, I must say. She starred in “The Devil Wears Prada” in 2006 and in 2007’s “Becoming Jane”, a film that I particularly enjoyed.

63 Intl. news broadcaster : VOA

The United States Information Agency (USIA) was established under President Eisenhower in 1953, and continued operating until 1999. It’s mission was “public diplomacy”, another term for propaganda broadcast over radio airwaves. The intent from day one was to avoid having the broadcasts identified as propaganda. Speaking as a former listener to the USIA’s Voice of America (VOA) over in Europe, there were a lot of fun programs that had one coming back to hear more, but we all knew it was propaganda quite frankly …

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Indian food option : MILD
5 “4×2=8” rapper from Korea : PSY
8 Blood component : PLASMA
14 Et __: and others : ALII
15 Troy, N.Y., school : RPI
16 Trojan War hero : AENEAS
17 Delivery method : C-SECTION
19 Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski, familiarly : COACH K
20 Fall : AUTUMN
21 Boats and gravy boats : VESSELS
22 Stockpiled : AMASSED
24 Tigers, on scoreboards : DET
25 “Miracle on Ice” winners: Abbr. : USA
28 Pours carelessly : SLOPS
29 Start of el año : ENERO
31 Quick bite : NOSH
33 Chef’s collection : FRYPANS
35 Siri device : IPHONE
37 Pointed facial features : VAN DYKES
41 Morris Buttermaker’s “bad news” team : THE BEARS
43 Big name in smooth jazz : KENNY G
44 Spray can output : AEROSOL
46 Like some U.S. mail : CERT
47 African antelope : ELAND
50 Binge : SPREE
52 Montgomery of jazz : WES
53 Part of UCLA : LOS
54 Due : PAYABLE
56 Easy marks : PATSIES
59 __ del Fuego : TIERRA
62 Angular abode : A-FRAME
63 Complex containing thiamine and niacin : VITAMIN B
65 Close tightly : SEAL UP
66 Half of eleven? : ONE
67 Spots at the prom? : ACNE
68 Discount phrase : OR LESS
69 Farm sci. : AGR
70 Mower holder : SHED

Down

1 Brit’s raincoat : MAC
2 Rick’s love in “Casablanca” : ILSA
3 In __ of : LIEU
4 Decrees : DICTA
5 1996 Richard Gere/Edward Norton thriller : PRIMAL FEAR
6 Spot buyer : SPONSOR
7 Half a cosmic whole : YIN
8 Walked nervously : PACED
9 Some summer babies : LEOS
10 Santa __: dry winds : ANAS
11 Withdraw formally : SECEDE
12 “Resurrection Symphony” composer : MAHLER
13 Invites for : ASKS TO
18 Antacid brand : TUMS
21 Italian scooter : VESPA
23 Long-running Mad feature suggested by this puzzle’s circled letters : SPY VS SPY
25 Yard, say : UNIT
26 Junior-to-be : SOPH
27 Tennis immortal : ASHE
29 “The Neverending Story” author : ENDE
30 Acronymically named boy band : NSYNC
32 White House architect James : HOBAN
34 Rug rat : ANKLE BITER
36 More than want : NEED
38 Had down cold : KNEW
39 Thornfield Hall governess : EYRE
40 Capt.’s subordinates : SGTS
42 Bouquet for a señorita : ROSAS
45 On the soapbox : ORATING
47 West Texas city : EL PASO
48 Preppy shoe : LOAFER
49 Celestial : ASTRAL
51 Zeno’s home : ELEA
54 Coterie members, in slang : PEEPS
55 “Aunt __ Cope Book” : ERMA’S
57 Black Friday event : SALE
58 Controversial radio host : IMUS
60 Like chocolate cheesecake : RICH
61 Actress Hathaway : ANNE
63 Intl. news broadcaster : VOA
64 Rest area? : BED