LA Times Crossword Answers 20 Jul 2018, Friday

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Constructed by: Bruce Haight
Edited by: Rich Norris

Today’s Reveal Answer: Leave Me Out of This!

Themed answers are common phrases in which ME has been LEFT OUT:

  • 61A. “No comment!” … and a hint to four puzzle answers : LEAVE ME OUT OF THIS!
  • 18A. Torch fuel? : GAS OF THE OLYMPIAD (from “Games of the Olympiad”)
  • 25A. Tragedy involving a Milne character? : ROO AND JULIET (from “Romeo and Juliet”)
  • 37A. Drawing by Buffalo Bill? : CODY SKETCH (from “comedy sketch”)
  • 53A. Spectator sport aboard a UFO? : WRESTLING ETS (from “wrestling meets”)

Bill’s time: 12m 37s

Bill’s errors: 0

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Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

6. Syria’s Bashar al-__ : ASSAD

Dr. Bashar al-Assad is the current President of the Syrian Arab Republic and the son of the former President Hafez al-Assad whom he replaced in 2001. President Assad is a medical doctor, speaks fluent English and conversational French. Assad was studying ophthalmology in London when he met his wife, who is an Englishwoman.

11. Ed. promoters : PTAS

Parent-Teacher Association (PTA)

16. Some Strads : CELLI

Generations of the Stradivari family produced violins and other stringed instruments, the most famous of which were constructed by Antonio Stradivari.

17. Minor overhead? : URSA

Ursa Minor (Latin for “Smaller Bear”) sits right beside the constellation Draco (Latin for “Dragon”). Ursa Minor used to be considered the wing of Draco, and so was once called “Dragon’s Wing”. The tail of the “Smaller Bear” might also be considered as the handle of a ladle, and so the constellation is often referred to as the Little Dipper.

18. Torch fuel? : GAS OF THE OLYMPIAD (from “Games of the Olympiad”)

A flame is used as the symbol for the Olympic Games in commemoration of the theft of fire for humanity by Prometheus from Zeus in Greek mythology. The symbolic flame was introduced to the Modern Olympics in the 1928 Summer Games in Amsterdam. The tradition of the Olympic torch relay started out as political theater devised and funded by Nazi Germany for the 1936 Summer Games in Berlin.

22. Georgetown athlete : HOYA

The athletic teams of Georgetown University are known as the Hoyas. The name is derived from “Hoya Saxa”, a traditional cheer yelled out at Georgetown games as far back as 1893. The term is a mixture of Greek and Latin, with the Greek word “hoya” meaning “such” or “what”, and “saxa” translating from Latin as “rocks” or “small stones”. The cheer is usually rendered in English as “what rocks!”.

25. Tragedy involving a Milne character? : ROO AND JULIET (from “Romeo and Juliet”)

Like most of the characters in A. A. Milne’s “Winnie the Pooh”, the kangaroo named Roo was inspired by a stuffed toy belonging to Milne’s son Christopher Robin.

William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” doesn’t end well for the title characters. Juliet takes a potion as a ruse to fool her parents, to trick them into thinking she is dead. The potion puts her in a death-like coma for 24 hours, after which Juliet plans to awaken and run off with Romeo. Juliet’s sends a message to Romeo apprising him of the plan, but the message fails to arrive. Romeo hears of Juliet’s “death”, and grief-stricken he takes his own life by drinking poison. Juliet awakens from the coma, only to find her lover dead beside her. She picks up a dagger and commits suicide. And nobody lives happily ever after …

32. Can opener : TAB

The term “pop top” refers to a whole family of designs for opening the top of a soda can. The oldest method is the “pull tab” or “ring pull”, invented in Canada in 1956. The design was long-lived, but it had its problems, so the world heaved a sigh of relief with the invention of the stay-on-tab in 1975. The new design led to less injuries and eliminated all those used pull tabs that littered the streets.

33. Reserved : STAID

Something described as “staid” is unwavering, fixed. This usage expanded to mean “sober, sedate”. The term dates back to the 16th century, and comes from verb “to stay”. “Staid” is a rewriting of the past participle “stayed”.

36. Sylvia of jazz : SYMS

Sylvia Syms was a jazz singer from New York. Frank Sinatra called Syms the “world’s greatest saloon singer”. Syms actually died on stage, suffering a heart attack at the age of 74.

37. Drawing by Buffalo Bill? : CODY SKETCH (from “comedy sketch”)

Buffalo Bill Cody became a great showman after he retired from the US Army. While serving in the Army, Buffalo Bill was awarded the Medal of Honor. William Frederick Cody earned his “Buffalo Bill” nickname while supplying buffalo meat to the Kansas Pacific Railroad. Cody “hunted” and slaughtered over 4,000 American bison in an 18-month period to fulfill his contract with the railroad.

44. Smidge : IOTA

Iota is the ninth letter in the Greek alphabet, one that gave rise to our letters I and J. We use the word “iota” to portray something very small, as it is the smallest of all Greek letters.

Our word “smidgen” (sometimes shortened to “smidge”) is used to describe a small amount. The term might come from the Scots word “smitch” that means the same thing or “a small insignificant person”.

49. Greek cross : TAU

Tau is the 19th letter of the Greek alphabet, and the letter which gave rise to our Roman “T”. Both the letters tau (T) and chi (X) have long been symbolically associated with the cross.

51. Amp transporters : ROADIES

A roadie is someone who loads, unloads and sets up equipment for musicians on tour, on the “road”.

53. Spectator sport aboard a UFO? : WRESTLING ETS (from “wrestling meets”)

One might speculate that an unidentified flying object (UFO) is flown by an extraterrestrial (ET).

57. Whale group : GAM

A group of whales can be called a gam, as well as a pod.

58. Fix, as a toy : SPAY

Our verb “to spay”, meaning “to surgically remove the ovaries of” (an animal) comes from an old Anglo-French word “espeier” meaning “to cut with a sword”.

60. Gulf Canada alternative : ESSO

The brand name Esso has its roots in the old Standard Oil company as it uses the initial letters of “Standard” and “Oil” (ESS-O). The Esso brand was replaced by Exxon in the US, but ESSO is still used in many other countries.

66. 1951 Reagan co-star : BONZO

“Bedtime for Bonzo” is a 1951 comedy film about a man training a chimpanzee. The man in question is played by future US president Ronald Reagan. After Clint Eastwood was elected mayor of Carmel, California, Reagan called up Eastwood and asked him, “What’s an actor who once appeared with a monkey in movie doing in politics?”. Eastwood had appeared with a monkey in the 1978 film “Every Which Way but Loose”.

67. Cell terminal : ANODE

A battery is a device that converts chemical energy into electric energy. A simple battery is made up of three parts: a cathode, an anode and a liquid electrolyte. Ions from the electrolyte react chemically with the material in the anode producing a compound and releasing electrons. At the same time, the electrolyte reacts with the material in the cathode, absorbing electrons and producing a different chemical compound. In this way, there is a buildup of electrons at the anode and a deficit of electrons at the cathode. When a connection (wire, say) is made between the cathode and anode, electrons flow through the resulting circuit from the anode to cathode in an attempt to rectify the electron imbalance.

Down

4. Son of Seth : ENOS

Enos was the son of Seth, and therefore the grandson of Adam and Eve. According to the ancient Jewish work called the Book of Jubilees, Enos married his own sister Noam.

5. Dict. offering : DEF

One might find a definition (def.) in a dictionary (dict.).

8. “McSorley’s Bar” artist : SLOAN

John French Sloan was an artist who did much of his work in New York City in the early 1900s. Sloan was a founder of the Ashcan School, a movement that focused on portrayals of daily life in New York.

A few years ago, I accompanied my wife and sister-in-law into McSorley’s. I was foolish enough to ask what kind of wine they had for the ladies. The gruff answer was “McSorley’s Light or McSorley’s Dark” (both of which are beers).

12. Fundamental doctrine of Christianity : TRINITY

In the Christian tradition, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit/Holy Ghost are three persons in one divine being, the Holy Trinity.

19. Superhero with a hammer : THOR

The hammer associated with the Norse god Thor is known as Mjölnir. The name “Mjölnir” translates as “crusher”.

20. Spike __: railroad worker’s tool : MAUL

A maul is a large, heavy hammer, one often used for driving stakes into the ground. The term comes from the Old French “mail” and ultimately from the Latin “malleus”, with both meaning “hammer”.

27. Dump : JILT

To jilt someone with whom you have a relationship is to drop them suddenly or callously. “Jilt” is an obsolete noun that used to mean “harlot” or “loose woman”.

28. “Conan” channel : TBS

Before Conan O’Brien came to fame as a late night talk show host, he was a writer. He wrote for both “Saturday Night Live” and “The Simpsons”. While attending Harvard, O’Brien was president of “The Harvard Lampoon”.

38. Lifebuoy competitor : DIAL

Dial was the first antibacterial soap introduced in the US. It was given the name “Dial” as it was touted as offering “round-the-clock” protection against any odors caused by perspiration.

The Lifebuoy brand of soap was first produced in England in 1895. Famously in the 1920s, Lifebuoy had a campaign using the Philadelphia Phillies name. One of the advertisements on a wall at the Baker Bowl (former home to the Phillies) proclaimed “The Phillies use Lifebuoy”. Someone defaced the advertisement by adding the words “… and they still stink!” Witty!

39. Classic Yankee nickname : YOGI

Yogi Berra is regarded by many as the greatest catcher ever to play in Major League Baseball, and has to be America’s most celebrated “author” of malapropisms. Here are some greats:

  • It ain’t over till it’s over.
  • 90% of the game is half mental.
  • Nobody goes there anymore. It’s too crowded.
  • When you come to a fork in the road, take it.
  • It’s déjà vu all over again.
  • Always go to other people’s funerals, otherwise they won’t go to yours.
  • A nickel ain’t worth a dime anymore.

43. Granada greeting : QUE PASA?

In Spanish, “qué pasa?” translates literally as “what’s happening?” It is used to mean “how are things going for you?”.

48. Diffused through a membrane : OSMOSED

Osmosis is the movement of a solvent (often just water) across a semipermeable membrane. In the process of osmosis, the solvent tends to flow from an area of less concentration to an area of higher concentration. This sense of absorbing water effortlessly gives rise to the expression “learning by osmosis”.

50. Ophthalmologist’s concern : STYE

A stye is a bacterial infection of the sebaceous glands at the base of the eyelashes, and is also known as a hordeolum.

51. Right-hand pages : RECTOS

The left and right pages of a book or magazine are known in publishing circles as verso and recto. Recto comes from the Latin for “right”, and verso comes from the Latin word for “turned”. The idea is that the left side of the page is “turned” and is the reverse of the recto/right side.

52. Second emperor after Nero : OTHO

AD 69 was a year of civil war in ancient Rome. The unrest started with the death of emperor Nero in AD 68, after which followed the brief rule of Galba, of Otho, of Vitellius, and of Vespasian all in the same year. As a result, AD 69 became known as the Year of the Four Emperors.

55. Bright signs : NEONS

The basic design of neon lighting was first demonstrated at the Paris Motor Show in 1910. Such lighting is made up of glass tubes containing a vacuum into which has been introduced a small amount of neon gas. When a voltage is applied between two electrodes inside the tube, the neon gas “glows” and gives off the familiar light.

56. First-aid kit item : GAUZE

The surgical dressing called gauze is named for the thin fabric with a loose weave that is also called gauze. The fabric’s name might possibly be derived from the Palestinian city of Gaza that has a history of gauze production.

60. Sicilian tourist attraction : ETNA

Mount Etna on the island of Sicily is the largest of three active volcanoes in Italy, and indeed the largest of all active volcano in Europe. Etna is about 2 1/2 times the height of its equally famous sister, Mt. Vesuvius. Mt. Etna is home to a 110-km long narrow-gauge railway, and two ski resorts.

62. Finance deg. : MBA

The world’s first Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree was offered by Harvard’s Graduate School of Business Administration, in 1908.

63. Sister of the moon goddess Selene : EOS

In Greek mythology, Eos was the goddess of the dawn who lived at the edge of the ocean. Eos would wake each morning to welcome her brother Helios the sun. The Roman equivalent of Eos was Aurora.

Selene was the Greek goddess of the moon, the equivalent of the Roman deity Luna. Selene gave her name to the word “selenology”, the study of the geology of the moon, and also gave her name to the chemical element “selenium”. According to mythology, Selene fell in love with the handsome hunter/shepherd Endymion, a mere mortal.

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Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1. Looking to start something new, maybe : BORED
6. Syria’s Bashar al-__ : ASSAD
11. Ed. promoters : PTAS
15. Combined : IN ONE
16. Some Strads : CELLI
17. Minor overhead? : URSA
18. Torch fuel? : GAS OF THE OLYMPIAD (from “Games of the Olympiad”)
21. Refreshing drinks : ADES
22. Georgetown athlete : HOYA
23. Is not wrong? : AIN’T
24. Rest, in a way : SIT
25. Tragedy involving a Milne character? : ROO AND JULIET (from “Romeo and Juliet”)
29. Things to hang onto : KEEPERS
31. Suffer : AIL
32. Can opener : TAB
33. Reserved : STAID
34. Noble title : EARL
36. Sylvia of jazz : SYMS
37. Drawing by Buffalo Bill? : CODY SKETCH (from “comedy sketch”)
41. Spit spots, for short : BBQS
44. Smidge : IOTA
45. “In what way?” : HOW SO?
49. Greek cross : TAU
50. Decline : SAG
51. Amp transporters : ROADIES
53. Spectator sport aboard a UFO? : WRESTLING ETS (from “wrestling meets”)
57. Whale group : GAM
58. Fix, as a toy : SPAY
59. A pop : EACH
60. Gulf Canada alternative : ESSO
61. “No comment!” … and a hint to four puzzle answers : LEAVE ME OUT OF THIS!
65. Facility : EASE
66. 1951 Reagan co-star : BONZO
67. Cell terminal : ANODE
68. Slightly : A TAD
69. Burden-bearing beasts : ASSES
70. Supported, as a weak ankle : TAPED

Down

1. Major requests : BIG ASKS
2. Losing purposely : ON A DIET
3. Floral brew : ROSE TEA
4. Son of Seth : ENOS
5. Dict. offering : DEF
6. Ones bringing blessings? : ACHOOS
7. “Later!” : SEE YA!
8. “McSorley’s Bar” artist : SLOAN
9. From A to Z : ALL
10. Handy initials : DIY
11. Star __ : PUPIL
12. Fundamental doctrine of Christianity : TRINITY
13. Together : AS A TEAM
14. Down : SAD
19. Superhero with a hammer : THOR
20. Spike __: railroad worker’s tool : MAUL
25. More than fix up : REDO
26. Take the plunge : DARE
27. Dump : JILT
28. “Conan” channel : TBS
30. Snaps : PICS
34. No. from a builder : EST
35. Sometimes called, for short : AKA
36. Booted, say : SHOD
38. Lifebuoy competitor : DIAL
39. Classic Yankee nickname : YOGI
40. Chuck alternative : CHAS
41. “Incidentally,” in texts : BTW
42. It’s often a high chair : BAR SEAT
43. Granada greeting : QUE PASA?
46. Top secret store? : WIG SHOP
47. Coast : SEASIDE
48. Diffused through a membrane : OSMOSED
50. Ophthalmologist’s concern : STYE
51. Right-hand pages : RECTOS
52. Second emperor after Nero : OTHO
54. Backed up : SAVED
55. Bright signs : NEONS
56. First-aid kit item : GAUZE
60. Sicilian tourist attraction : ETNA
61. Field : LEA
62. Finance deg. : MBA
63. Sister of the moon goddess Selene : EOS
64. Thick : FAT

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