LA Times Crossword Answers 12 Jun 2018, Tuesday

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Constructed by: C.C. Burnikel
Edited by: Rich Norris

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Today’s Reveal Answer: Spice Mix

Themed answers include the letter sequence SPICE, but the order of those letters has been MIXED:

  • 35D. Curry powder, e.g. … and what each set of puzzle circles contains : SPICE MIX
  • 16A. Area behind velvet ropes, often : VIP SECTION
  • 60A. Former “SNL” regular known for Sinatra impressions : JOE PISCOPO
  • 10D. Commercial rental property : OFFICE SPACE
  • 24D. Beverage-named Denver arena : PEPSI CENTER

Bill’s time: 6m 25s

Bill’s errors: 0

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Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

9. Swamp croaker : TOAD

The “warts” on the skin of a toad have no relation to the viral infection that can occur on human skin. A toad’s warts a colored bumps that are believed to help the animal blend more effectively into its environment.

13. Hand lotion ingredient : ALOE

Aloe vera has a number of alternate names that are descriptive of its efficacy as a medicine. Ancient Egyptians knew it as the plant of immortality, and Native Americans called it the wand of heaven.

14. Triangular Greek letter : DELTA

Delta is the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet. We are most familiar with an upper-case delta and its distinctive triangular shape. The letter’s shape has influenced terms such as “deltoid muscle” and “river delta”. The upper-case delta is also used in mathematics and science to indicate a change in value. The lower-case delta looks a bit like our lower-case D, and indeed the Greek letter delta gave us our Latin letter D.

15. Jackson 5 hairdo : AFRO

The Jackson 5 singing group was originally made up of brothers Tito, Jackie, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael. The four eldest brothers are still performing, but now using the name “The Jacksons”.

18. Sci-fi hoverers : UFOS

Unidentified flying object (UFO)

19. Cul-de-__ : SAC

Even though “cul-de-sac” can indeed mean “bottom of the bag” in French, the term cul-de-sac is of English origin (the use of “cul” in French is actually quite rude). The term was introduced in aristocratic circles at a time when it was considered very fashionable to speak French. Dead-end streets in France are usually signposted with just a symbol and no accompanying words, but if words are included they are “voie sans issue”, meaning “way without exit”.

22. Cholesterol-inhibiting drug : LIPITOR

Lipitor is the Pfizer brand name of the drug atorvastatin. Lipitor is used to lower cholesterol levels, and in 2008 was the highest-selling brand drug in the world.

Sterols occur in nature in both plants and animals. The most famous of the animal sterols is cholesterol, which is found in all animals as a vital component of cell walls. Cholesterol is made within the body, so it isn’t a necessary part of the diet.

26. Smokey Bear TV ad, e.g. : PSA

Public service announcement (PSA)

Smokey Bear is the mascot of the US Forest Service. Smokey first appeared in 1944, in an advertising campaign directed towards preventing forest fires.

27. Scoundrel : CAD

Our word “cad”, meaning “a person lacking in finer feelings”, is a shortening of the word “cadet”. “Cad” was first used for a servant, and then students at British universities used “cad” as a term for a boy from the local town. “Cad” took on its current meaning in the 1830s.

28. Sports drink suffix : -ADE

Gatorade was developed at the University of Florida by a team of researchers at the request of the school’s football team. And so, Gatorade is named after the Gators football team.

31. JFK’s predecessor : DDE

Dwight D. Eisenhower (DDE) was the 34th US president, but he wanted to be remembered as a soldier. He was a five-star general during WWII in charge of the Allied Forces in the European Theater of Operations (ETO). President Eisenhower died in 1969 at Walter Reed Army Hospital. He was buried in an $80 standard soldier’s casket in his army uniform in a chapel on the grounds of the beautiful Eisenhower Presidential Library in Abilene, Kansas.

John Fitzgerald Kennedy (JFK) was the son of Joe Kennedy and Rose Fitzgerald, hence the president’s double-barreled name.

33. Favoring relatives in hiring : NEPOTISM

Nepotism is the practice of giving relatives preferential treatment. The term originated during the Middle Ages with favoritism shown by Roman Catholic bishops and popes. The ministers of the church had taken vows of chastity, and some gave prefered positions to their nephews, as they didn’t have sons of their own to favor. The term “nepotism” derives from the Latin “nepos” meaning “nephew”.

35. Richter scale event : SEISM

The Richter scale was developed in 1935, by Charles Richter at the California Institute of Technology. The Richter Scale has largely been abandoned, replaced by the moment magnitude scale (MMS). Even though the US Geological Survey has been reporting earthquakes using the MMS since 2002, the media is prone to mix things up and use phrases such as “Richter magnitude”.

37. Pinch in a recipe : DASH

In cooking, the terms “dash”, “pinch” and “smidgen” can all be used for a very small measure, one that is often undefined. However, you can in fact buy some measuring spoons that define these amounts as follows:

  • a dash is 1/8 teaspoon
  • a pinch is 1/16 teaspoon
  • a smidgen is 1/32 teaspoon

38. Tourney winner : CHAMP

“Tourney” is another word for “tournament”. The term comes from the Old French word “tornei” meaning “contest of armed men”, from “tornoier” meaning “to joust, jilt”.

42. Pride members : LIONS

A group of lions is known as a pride. It’s possible that the term “pride”, in this context, derives from the Latin “praeda” meaning “prey”.

46. John of “Star Trek” (2009) : CHO

John Cho is an actor and musician who was born in Seoul, South Korea but who has lived in the US since he was a young boy. Cho’s break in movies came in playing Harold Lee in the ”Harold & Kumar” films. He is now making a name for himself playing Mr. Sulu in the latest “Star Trek” movies.

The 2009 movie “Star Trek” is in effect a prequel to the original “Star Trek” series. The film features a young James T. Kirk (played by Chris Pine) and a young Spock (played by Zachary Quinto) battling Romulan named Nero (played by Eric Bana) who comes back in time. As always, there’s an appearance by the original Spock (Leonard Nimoy, of course) who does a bit of time travel himself.

51. Yellowfin tuna : AHI

Yellowfin and bigeye tuna are usually marketed as “ahi”, the Hawaiian name. They are both big fish, with yellowfish tuna often weighing over 300 pounds, and bigeye tuna getting up to 400 pounds.

58. “O Sole __” : MIO

“O sole mio” is a famous Italian song from Naples, written in 1898. The song’s lyrics are usually sung in the original Neapolitan, as opposed to Italian. The title translates from Neapolitan into “My Sun” (and not into “O, My Sun” as one might expect). It’s a love song, sung by a young man declaring that there is a sun brighter than that in the sky, the sun that is his lover’s face. Awww …

60. Former “SNL” regular known for Sinatra impressions : JOE PISCOPO

Comedian Joe Piscopo is best known for being a member of the “Saturday Night Live” cast from 1980 to 1984. He appeared on the show at the same time as Eddie Murphy, but never enjoyed the same level of success as Murphy did after SNL.

65. Draft classification : ONE-A

The US government maintains information on all males who are potentially subject to military conscription, using what is called the Selective Service System (SSS). In the event that a draft was held, men registered would be classified into groups to determine eligibility for service. Class 1-A registrants are those available for unrestricted military service. Other classes are 1-A-O (conscientious objector available for noncombatant service), 4-A (registrant who has completed military service) and 4-D (Minister of religion).

Down

1. Cleveland NBAer : CAV

The Cavaliers are the professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavs joined the NBA as an expansion team in 1970.

2. “Moonlight” Oscar winner Mahershala __ : ALI

Mahershala Ali is an actor and sometime rapper. Among the more memorable roles Ali has had are lobbyist Remy Danton in TV’s “House of Cards”, and Colonel Boggs in “The Hunger Games” series of movies.

“Moonlight” is a 2016 semi-autobiographical film based on an unpublished play by Tarell Alvin McCraney titled “In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue”. “Moonlight” won the season’s Best Picture Oscar, thus becoming the first film to do so with an all-black cast, and the first with an LGBT storyline.

4. Argentine soccer superstar Lionel : MESSI

Lionel “Leo” Messi is a soccer player from Argentina. Messi was awarded FIFA’s Ballon d’Or (Golden Ball) award from 2009 to 2013. The Ballon d’Or is presented to the player who is considered the best in the world in the prior year.

8. Underwear brand : HANES

The Hanes brand of apparel was founded in 1901. A related brand was introduced in 1986 called Hanes Her Way.

14. “Wonder Woman” publisher : DC COMICS

DC Comics takes its name from what used to be a highly popular series called “Detective Comics”. The main competitor to DC Comics is Marvel Comics, and between the two companies, they command 80% of comic sales in the US market. Nowadays of course, a lot of company income comes from movies that use the most popular characters from the original comics.

The superhero Wonder Woman first appeared in print in 1941, in a publication from DC Comics. As she was created during WWII, Wonder Woman’s first foes were the axis powers. In the less realistic world her biggest foe was and still is Ares, a “baddie” named for the Greek mythological figure. Wonder Woman had several signature expressions, including “Merciful Minerva!”, “Suffering Sappho!” and “Great Hera!”. She also has several devices that she uses in her quest for justice, e.g. the Lasso of Truth, a pair of indestructible bracelets and a tiara that can be used as a deadly projectile. Wonder Woman uses the name “Diana Prince” when “out of uniform”.

21. Marquis de __ : SADE

The Marquis de Sade was a French aristocrat with a reputation for a libertine lifestyle. De Sade was also a writer, well known for his works of erotica. He fell foul of the law for some of his more extreme practices and for blaspheming the Catholic church. On an off, de Sade spent 32 years of his life in prison and in insane asylums.

24. Beverage-named Denver arena : PEPSI CENTER

Pepsi Center in Denver is home to the NBA’s Denver Nuggets and the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche. The facility opened in 1999.

32. Blu-ray buy : DISC

A CD player reads the information on the disc using a laser beam. The beam is produced by what’s called a laser diode, a device similar to a light-emitting diode (LED) except that a laser beam is emitted. That laser beam is usually red in CD and DVD players. Blu-ray players are so called as they use blue lasers.

35. Curry powder, e.g. … and what each set of puzzle circles contains : SPICE MIX

Curry powder is a mixture of spices used in South Asian dishes. The actual composition of curry powder varies depending on the cuisine. The term “curry” is an anglicization of the Tamil “kari” meaning “sauce”.

36. Unlikely GoFundMe donor : MISER

GoFundMe is what is known as a crowdfunding website, and is based in San Diego.

Crowdsourcing is mainly an online phenomenon, and is the solicitation of perhaps services, ideas or content from a large group of people. “Crowdsourcing” is a portmanteau of “crowd” and “outsourcing”. An example of crowdsourcing is crowdfunding, where an individual solicits many small contributions from a large number of people to fund a project.

39. “ABC World News Tonight” anchor David : MUIR

Journalist and TV anchor David Muir started hosting the show “ABC World News Tonight with David Muir” in 2014. Apparently, Muir’s reporting received more airtime than any other American journalist in 2012 and 2013. Muir also made it onto “People” magazine’s list of Sexiest Men Alive in 2014.

43. Ark builder : NOAH

The term “ark”, when used with reference to Noah, is a translation of the Hebrew word “tebah”. The word “tebah” is also used in the Bible for the basket in which Moses was placed by his mother when she floated him down the Nile. It seems that the word “tebah” doesn’t mean “boat” and nor does it mean “basket”. Rather, a more appropriate translation is “life-preserver” or “life-saver”. So, Noah’s ark was Noah’s life-preserver during the flood.

45. Bangkok natives : THAIS

Bangkok is the capital city of Thailand. The exact etymology of the name “Bangkok” seems unclear, although “bang” is a Thai word for “a village situated on a stream”.

47. Ryder of “Edward Scissorhands” : WINONA

The Hollywood actress Winona Ryder’s real name is Winona Horowitz. Ryder was born near the town of Winona in Minnesota, from which she got her name. Her success on the screen has garnered as much media attention as her life off the screen. The papers had a field day when she was arrested in 2001 on a shoplifting charge followed by a very public court appearance. Her engagement with Johnny Depp in the early nineties was another media frenzy. Depp had “Winona Forever” tattooed on his arm, which he had changed after the breakup to “Wino Forever”. A man with a sense of humor …

“Edward Scissorhands” is a 1990 film starring Johnny Depp and directed by Tim Burton. Johnny Depp and Tim Burton; always a turn-off for me …

50. Mythical hunter : DIANA

Diana was the Roman goddess of the hunt, the moon and birthing. The Greek equivalent of Diana was the goddess Artemis. According to Roman mythology, Diana was the twin sister of Apollo, and the daughter of Jupiter and Latona.

52. Muslim woman’s headscarf : HIJAB

Some Muslim women wear a hijab in the presence of males outside of their immediate family. A hijab is a veil covering the head and chest. Some also wear a niqab as part of the hijab, which is a cloth that covers the face. Other Muslim women wear a burqa, which covers the whole body from the top of the head to the ground.

61. One on foot, in signs : PED

Pedestrian crossing (Ped Xing)

62. Musician Yoko : ONO

Yoko Ono was born in 1933 in Tokyo into a prosperous Japanese family, and is actually a descendant of one of the emperors of Japan. Yoko’s father moved around the world for work, and she lived the first few years of her life in San Francisco. The family returned to Japan, before moving on to New York, Hanoi and back to Japan just before WWII, in time to live through the great firebombing of Tokyo in 1945. Immediately after the war the family was far from prosperous. While Yoko’s father was being held in a prison camp in Vietnam, her mother had to resort to begging and bartering to feed her children. When her father was repatriated, life started to return to normal and Yoko was able to attend university. She was the first woman to be accepted into the philosophy program of Gakushuin University.

64. Part of MYOB : OWN

Mind your own business (MYOB)

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Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1. Condition before a storm : CALM
5. Secure at the pier : LASH
9. Swamp croaker : TOAD
13. Hand lotion ingredient : ALOE
14. Triangular Greek letter : DELTA
15. Jackson 5 hairdo : AFRO
16. Area behind velvet ropes, often : VIP SECTION
18. Sci-fi hoverers : UFOS
19. Cul-de-__ : SAC
20. Completes a sentence? : DOES TIME
22. Cholesterol-inhibiting drug : LIPITOR
26. Smokey Bear TV ad, e.g. : PSA
27. Scoundrel : CAD
28. Sports drink suffix : -ADE
29. Stockpile : AMASS
31. JFK’s predecessor : DDE
33. Favoring relatives in hiring : NEPOTISM
35. Richter scale event : SEISM
37. Pinch in a recipe : DASH
38. Tourney winner : CHAMP
40. Rotisserie rod : SPIT
42. Pride members : LIONS
44. Baggage claim bag : SUITCASE
46. John of “Star Trek” (2009) : CHO
47. Word of choice : WHICH
48. So-so grade : CEE
49. Tribute in verse : ODE
51. Yellowfin tuna : AHI
53. Book buyers : READERS
55. Not-so-subtle verbal nudge : HINT HINT!
58. “O Sole __” : MIO
59. Relaxing soak, or a financial soaking : BATH
60. Former “SNL” regular known for Sinatra impressions : JOE PISCOPO
65. Draft classification : ONE-A
66. Building extension : ANNEX
67. Be acquainted with : KNOW
68. Knitter’s purchase : YARN
69. Rock group : BAND
70. Planted, as seed : SOWN

Down

1. Cleveland NBAer : CAV
2. “Moonlight” Oscar winner Mahershala __ : ALI
3. Chop off : LOP
4. Argentine soccer superstar Lionel : MESSI
5. Net judge’s call : LET!
6. “Put __ on it!” : A LID
7. Hunches over : STOOPS
8. Underwear brand : HANES
9. Tightly drawn : TAUT
10. Commercial rental property : OFFICE SPACE
11. Candle shop allure : AROMA
12. Provided with medicine : DOSED
14. “Wonder Woman” publisher : DC COMICS
17. Bother a lot : EAT AT
21. Marquis de __ : SADE
22. Arrive onshore : LAND
23. Perfect example : IDEAL
24. Beverage-named Denver arena : PEPSI CENTER
25. Reckless : RASH
30. Roaring success : SMASH
32. Blu-ray buy : DISC
34. “Looks like trouble!” : OH-OH!
35. Curry powder, e.g. … and what each set of puzzle circles contains : SPICE MIX
36. Unlikely GoFundMe donor : MISER
39. “ABC World News Tonight” anchor David : MUIR
41. Casual shirts : TEES
43. Ark builder : NOAH
45. Bangkok natives : THAIS
47. Ryder of “Edward Scissorhands” : WINONA
49. “Yippee!” : OH BOY!
50. Mythical hunter : DIANA
52. Muslim woman’s headscarf : HIJAB
54. Comes to port : DOCKS
56. Larger __ life : THAN
57. Ky. neighbor : TENN
61. One on foot, in signs : PED
62. Musician Yoko : ONO
63. “Kaboom!” : POW!
64. Part of MYOB : OWN

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