LA Times Crossword Answers 27 Jul 2018, Friday

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Constructed by: Jeffrey Wechsler
Edited by: Rich Norris

Today’s Reveal Answer: Hide in Plain Sight

Themed answers include a synonym of “HIDE” as a hidden word:

  • 62A. What words concealed by the other four longest Across answers do … and also, what each of them is : HIDE IN PLAIN SIGHT
  • 18A. “Bummer!” : THAT’S KIND OF A DRAG (hiding “skin”)
  • 24A. An unquestionable fact : THE GOSPEL TRUTH (hiding “pelt”)
  • 39A. Hershey’s collectible : COCOA TIN (hiding “coat”)
  • 53A. Pressing feeling : SENSE OF URGENCY (hiding “fur”)

Bill’s time: 14m 04s

Bill’s errors: 0

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Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

6. Organic jewelry source : AMBER

Amber’s technical name is “resinite”, reflecting its composition and formation. Amber starts out life as soft sticky tree resin but then under high temperature and pressure from overlying layers of soil, it fossilizes. The sticky resin can trap organisms or other plant matter, and this material can sometimes remain virtually intact inside the amber fossil giving us a unique gift from the past.

11. Nation west of Mumbai : OMAN

The Arabian Peninsula is shaped like a boot, with the Sultanate of Oman occupying the toe of that boot.

Mumbai is the most populous city in India, and the second most populous city in the world (after Shanghai). The name of the city was changed from Bombay to Mumbai in 1995.

15. Part of a John Williams quintet : OSCAR

The great composer John Williams has won five Academy Awards for his work on film scores, for:

  • “Fiddler on the Roof”
  • “Jaws”
  • “Star Wars”
  • “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial”
  • “Schindler’s List”

16. High-end German appliance brand : MIELE

Miele is a manufacturer of kitchen equipment based in Germany. The company was founded by Carl Miele and Reinhard Zinkann in 1899, and is still privately-held and family-run. One of Miele’s first products was a butter churn.

22. Odds partner : ENDS

Odds and ends.

23. Bench press target : PEC

“Pecs” is the familiar name for the chest muscle, which is more correctly known as the pectoralis major muscle. “Pectus” is a the Latin word for “breast, chest”.

24. An unquestionable fact : THE GOSPEL TRUTH (hiding “pelt”)

“Gospel” is a term that came to us via Old English. The Old English term is “godspel” meaning “good story”, and referred to the glad tidings announced by Jesus. There are four Gospels in the Christian New Testament: the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

A pelt is the skin of a furry animal.

31. Nutritional abbr. : RDA

Recommended Daily Allowances (RDAs) were introduced during WWII, and were replaced by Recommended Daily Intakes (RDIs) in 1997.

32. Northern terminus of I-79 : ERIE

Interstate 79 runs from Charleston, West Virginia in the south to Erie, Pennsylvania in the north.

33. Operatic villains, often : BASSI

The bass is the lowest male singing voice. A man with such a voice might be called a “basso” (plural “bassi”). In an opera, the villain of the piece is usually played by a basso.

36. Veto, in Vienna : NEIN

“Nein” is the German for “no”, and “ja” translates as “yes”.

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.

38. Matterhorn, e.g. : ALP

“Matterhorn” is the German name for the famous Alpine peak that lies on the border between Switzerland and Italy. The Italian name for the same mountain is “Monte Cervino”, and the French call it “Mont Cervin”. “Matterhorn” comes from the German words Matte and Horn meaning “meadow” and “peak”. “Cervino” and “Cervin” come from the Latin name for the mountain, i.e. “Mons Silvius” meaning “Forest Mountain”.

39. Hershey’s collectible : COCOA TIN (hiding “coat”)

Milton Hershey used profits from the sale of his successful Lancaster Caramel Company to construct a chocolate plant in his hometown of Derry Church, Pennsylvania. Hershey started building the factory in 1903, and by 1906 his chocolate was so successful that Derry Church changed its name to Hershey, Pennsylvania.

44. Alexa counterpart : SIRI

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.

Amazon’s Alexa is a personal assistant application that is most associated with the Amazon Echo smart speaker. Apparently, one reason the name “Alexa” was chosen is because it might remind one of the Library of Alexandria, the “keeper of all knowledge”.

49. Sweater fabric : KNIT

Until the early 1880s, the word “sweater” applied to clothing worn specifically for weight reduction by “sweating”.

51. “… that struts and frets his hour __ the stage”: Macbeth : UPON

There is a famous soliloquy in Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” that is spoken by the title character. It is usually referred to as “Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow”, from the second sentence:

She should have died hereafter;
There would have been a time for such a word.
— To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
To the last syllable of recorded time;
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury
Signifying nothing.

67. West of Gotham City? : ADAM

Adam West was the actor who played the title role in the sixties TV series “Batman”. More recently West voiced the character named “Adam West” on the animated show “Family Guy”. Back in 1970, West was offered the role of James Bond in the movie “Diamonds are Forever”, but he turned it down!

“Gotham” had been a nickname for New York City long before it was picked up by comic books as a setting for Batman tales. The term was coined by Washington Irving in a periodical that he published in 1807. Irving was lampooning New York politics and culture, and lifted the name from the village of Gotham in Nottinghamshire, England. The original Gotham was, according to folklore, inhabited by fools.

69. Western __ : UNION

Western Union dominated the telegram business from the 1850s until the service was discontinued in 2006.

70. Giant great : MAYS

Willie Mays’ nickname was the “Say Hey Kid”, although his friends and teammates were more likely to refer to him as “Buck”. When Mays was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, he was asked who was the best player he’d ever seen in the game. He replied, “I don’t mean to be bashful, but I was.”

71. How many commute : BY CAR

Our verb “to commute”, meaning “to go back and forth to work”, ultimately derives from the Latin “commutare”, meaning “to often change”. Back in the late 1800s, a “commutation ticket” was a season pass, so named because it allowed one to “change” one kind of payment into another. Quite interesting …

72. What Italians may use to commute : 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”.

Down

1. Notes : JOTS

A “jot” is something very small, from the Latin “jota”, which in turn is from the Greek “iota”, the smallest letter in the Greek alphabet. The verb “to jot” comes from the noun, in the sense of making a small, short note.

9. Symphonic rock gp. : ELO

The Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) is a symphonic rock group from the north of England.

10. Call the game : REF

Back in the early 17th century, a referee was someone who examined patent applications. We started using the same term for a person presiding over a sporting event in the 1820s. “Referee” is derivative of the verb “to refer”, and literally describes someone who has the authority to make a decision by “referring to” a book, archive etc.

12. Fickle : MERCURIAL

“Mercurial” is an adjective used to describe things related to Mercury, the god or the planet. A person described as mercurial is said to have a changeable temperament, a characteristic long associated with people born under the influence of the planet. This erratic quality may be an association with the fluid properties of mercury, the liquid metal.

13. Org. promoting fluoridation : ADA

American Dental Association (ADA)

Fluoridation is the addition of a fluoride salt to the public drinking water system, a measure taken to reduce tooth decay. What I find interesting is that bottled water usually has no added fluoride, and most domestic water filters remove the fluoride from the water coming out of the faucet. Maybe that explains why my dental hygienist has been applying a fluoride varnish to my teeth …

14. Rich quaff : NOG

It’s not really clear where the term “nog” (as in “eggnog”) comes from although it might derive from the word “noggin”, which was originally a small wooden cup that was long associated with alcoholic drinks.

25. “South Park” kid : ERIC

“South Park” is an adult-oriented cartoon series on Comedy Central. I don’t do “South Park” …

27. Civil rights theorist Guinier : LANI

Lani Guinier was the first African-American woman to achieve tenure at Harvard Law School.

33. Luxuriates : BASKS

Our verb “to bask”, meaning “to expose one to pleasant warmth”, is derived from the gruesome 14th-century term “basken”, meaning “to wallow in blood”. The contemporary usage apparently originated with Shakespeare, who employed “bask” with reference to sunshine in “As You Like It”.

34. Dior dress : A-LINE

An A-line skirt is one that fits snugly at the hips and flares toward the hem.

Christian Dior was a French fashion designer. As WWII approached, Dior was called up by the French military, drawing a temporary halt to his career in fashion. He left the army in 1942 and for the duration of the war designed clothes for wives of Nazi officers and French collaborators. After the war his designs became so popular that he helped re-establish Paris as the fashion center of the world.

35. Amy Lowell poem of a “fresh-washed and fair” time : SPRING DAY

Amy Lowell was an American poet, and the winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1926 for the collection of her poems called “What’s O’Clock”.

41. Salon product : COIF

A coif is a hairdo. The term “coif” comes from an old French term “coife” describing a skull-cap that was worn under a helmet back in the late 13th century.

42. Common lunch hour : NOON

Our word “noon”, meaning “midday”, comes from the Latin “nona hora” that translates as “ninth hour”. Back in Ancient Rome, the “ninth hour” was three in the afternoon. Over the centuries, traditions such as church prayers and “midday” meals shifted from 3 p.m. to 12 p.m., and so “noon” became understood as 12 noon.

52. Hammer part : PEEN

The peen of a hammer is on the head, and is the side of the head that is opposite the striking surface. Often the peen is in the shape of a hemisphere (as in a ball-peen hammer), but usually it is shaped like a claw (mainly for removing nails).

55. Gear for a gaucho : RIATA

A riata is a lariat or a lasso. “Riata” comes from “reata”, the Spanish word for lasso.

A gaucho is someone who lives in the South American pampas, the fertile lowlands in the southeast of South America. The term “gaucho” is also used as the equivalent of our “cowboy”.

56. Meditative ones : YOGIS

A yogi is a practitioner of yoga.

61. Mediterranean mount : 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.

63. Director Lupino : IDA

Actress Ida Lupino was also a successful director, in the days when women weren’t very welcome behind the camera. She had already directed four “women’s” shorts when she stepped in to direct the 1953 drama “The Hitch-Hiker”, taking over when the original director became ill. “The Hitch-Hiker” was the first film noir movie to be directed by a woman, and somewhat of a breakthrough for women in the industry.

64. S.D. neighbor : NEB

Nebraska gets its name from the Platte River which flows through the state. “Nebraska” is an anglicized version of Otoe and Omaha words meaning “flat water”.

66. Cherokee, e.g. : SUV

The Jeep Cherokee is an SUV with some legs. The original SJ series Jeep Cherokee was produced from 1974 until 1983, and derivative models are very much alive today.

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Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1. Bar rooms? : JAILS
6. Organic jewelry source : AMBER
11. Nation west of Mumbai : OMAN
15. Part of a John Williams quintet : OSCAR
16. High-end German appliance brand : MIELE
17. Overhaul : REDO
18. “Bummer!” : THAT’S KIND OF A DRAG (hiding “skin”)
21. Harmony : SYNC
22. Odds partner : ENDS
23. Bench press target : PEC
24. An unquestionable fact : THE GOSPEL TRUTH (hiding “pelt”)
30. In the past, once : ERST
31. Nutritional abbr. : RDA
32. Northern terminus of I-79 : ERIE
33. Operatic villains, often : BASSI
36. Veto, in Vienna : NEIN
37. Actress Meyer of “Johnny Mnemonic” : DINA
38. Matterhorn, e.g. : ALP
39. Hershey’s collectible : COCOA TIN (hiding “coat”)
43. Field concerned with fields: Abbr. : AGR
44. Alexa counterpart : SIRI
46. Fishing hole site : POND
47. Kept from squeaking : OILED
49. Sweater fabric : KNIT
50. What may come to those who wait : TIP
51. “… that struts and frets his hour __ the stage”: Macbeth : UPON
53. Pressing feeling : SENSE OF URGENCY (hiding “fur”)
57. Salon application : GEL
58. Rancor : BILE
59. Get rid of : LOSE
62. What words concealed by the other four longest Across answers do … and also, what each of them is : HIDE IN PLAIN SIGHT
67. West of Gotham City? : ADAM
68. Privileged group : ELITE
69. Western __ : UNION
70. Giant great : MAYS
71. How many commute : BY CAR
72. What Italians may use to commute : VESPA

Down

1. Notes : JOTS
2. Grayish : ASHY
3. “__ even!” : I CAN’T
4. Gate closers : LATCHES
5. Yearbook gp. : SRS
6. Self-affirming query : AM I NOT?
7. Watches : MINDS
8. Something fit for a king? : BEDSPREAD
9. Symphonic rock gp. : ELO
10. Call the game : REF
11. Called for takeout, say : ORDERED
12. Fickle : MERCURIAL
13. Org. promoting fluoridation : ADA
14. Rich quaff : NOG
19. Pub inventory items : KEGS
20. Proper : APT
25. “South Park” kid : ERIC
26. Find better words, say : EDIT
27. Civil rights theorist Guinier : LANI
28. Trace amount : TINGE
29. Got wind (of) : HEARD
33. Luxuriates : BASKS
34. Dior dress : A-LINE
35. Amy Lowell poem of a “fresh-washed and fair” time : SPRING DAY
36. Private : NON-PUBLIC
40. Eye-related prefix : OPTO-
41. Salon product : COIF
42. Common lunch hour : NOON
45. “Indications are … ” : IT SEEMS …
48. Lean : INCLINE
51. More nasty, as weather : UGLIER
52. Hammer part : PEEN
54. Yale figure : ELI
55. Gear for a gaucho : RIATA
56. Meditative ones : YOGIS
60. Small business : SHOP
61. Mediterranean mount : ETNA
62. Baked __ : HAM
63. Director Lupino : IDA
64. S.D. neighbor : NEB
65. Work at : PLY
66. Cherokee, e.g. : SUV

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