LA Times Crossword 31 Aug 18, Friday

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Constructed by: Lewis Rothlein
Edited by: Rich Norris

Today’s Reveal Answer: Auto Corrections

Themed answers are CORRECTIONS that need to be made before driving an AUTO. And, there are typos in the first word of each themed clue that also need to be AUTO-CORRECTED:

  • 57A. Suggestions in a text message … and what 17-, 24-, 36-, and 48-Across may require, literally and figuratively? : AUTOCORRECTIONS
  • 17A. Blub (Bulb) needing replacement : BROKEN TAILLIGHT
  • 24A. Dashbaord (Dashboard) warning : CHECK ENGINE
  • 36A. Prolbems (Problems) caused by nails, maybe : FLAT TIRES
  • 48A. Resutl (Result) of lengthy nonuse, maybe : DEAD BATTERY

Bill’s time: 8m 49s

Bill’s errors: 0

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Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

5. Hot tub features : JETS

Jacuzzi is one of those brand names that has become so much associated with the product that it is often assumed to be a generic term. The Jacuzzi company was founded in 1915 by the seven(!) Jacuzzi brothers in Berkeley California. The brothers, who were Italian immigrants, pronounced their name “ja-coot-si”, as one might suspect when one realizes the name is of Italian origin. The company started off by making aircraft propellers and then small aircraft, but suspended aircraft production in 1925 when one the brothers was killed in one of their planes. The family then started making hydraulic pumps, and in 1948 developed a submersible bathtub pump so that a son of one of the brothers could enjoy hydrotherapy for his rheumatoid arthritis. The “hydrotherapy product” took off in the fifties with some astute marketing towards “worn-out housewives” and the use of celebrity spokesman Jack Benny.

14. Anti-fur-farming org. : PETA

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is a very large animal rights organization, with 300 employees and two million members and supporters worldwide. Although the group campaigns for animal rights across a broad spectrum of issues, it has a stated focus in opposition of four practices:

  • Factory farming
  • Fur farming
  • Animal testing
  • Use of animals in entertainment

20. GM navigation system : ONSTAR

The OnStar system was developed as a joint venture between GM, EDS and Hughes. The product itself was launched in 1996. Today, OnStar is only available on GM cars, although it used to be offered on other makes of car through a licensing agreement. OnStar is a subscription service that packages vehicle security, telephone, satellite navigation and remote diagnostics.

23. Chi follower : PSI

Psi is the 23rd and penultimate letter of the Greek alphabet, and the one that looks a bit like a trident or a pitchfork.

24. Dashbaord warning : CHECK ENGINE

Back in the 1800s, “dashboard” was the name given to a board placed at the front of a carriage to stop mud from “dashing” against the passengers in the carriage, mud that was kicked up by the hoofs of the horses. Quite interesting …

27. Father of the Edomites : ESAU

Edom was an ancient Iron Age kingdom located in the south of modern-day Jordan. The area is known for its red-colored sandstone, which gave the kingdom its name. According to the Bible, the Edomites were the descendants of Esau. “Edom” translates from Hebrew as “red”, and was the name given to Esau when he ate the “red pottage”.

31. Eggnog spice : CINNAMON

“True” cinnamon sticks are taken from the inner bark of the Cinnamomum verum tree. However, a lot of cinnamon sticks are also sold that come from related species of tree, and these are more correctly referred to as “cassia”.

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.

34. __ Park, Colo. : ESTES

Estes Park is a town in a beautiful part of the US, in northern Colorado. Estes Park is home to the headquarters of Rocky Mountain National Park.

44. First name in stunt cycling : EVEL

Daredevil Evel Knievel contracted hepatitis C from the many blood transfusions that he needed after injuries incurred during stunts. He had to have a liver transplant as a result, but his health declined after that. Knievel eventually passed away in 2007.

47. “I Am __”: Jenner reality show : CAIT

“I Am Cait” is a documentary series that follows Caitlyn Jenner after she changed her gender and identification from Bruce Jenner.

Caitlyn Jenner is a former Olympic gold medalist in the decathlon. Caitlyn competed as Bruce Jenner, and made an official gender change in September 2015. Bruce was married for 23 years to Kris Kardashian, the mother of the TV personality Kim Kardashian.

53. The Vitamin Shoppe alternative : GNC

General Nutrition Centers (GNC) is a retailer of health and nutrition supplements based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The company was founded in 1935 as a small health food store in downtown Pittsburgh. There are now about 5,000 stores in the US. The GNC slogan is “Live Well”.

54. Santa __ winds : ANA

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.

55. “Faust” dramatist : GOETHE

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was a German writer (among many other things!). Goethe’s most famous work is probably his play “Faust”. This epic work was published in parts, starting in 1808. The work was only published in toto after his death in 1832.

Faust is a character from a classic German legend who makes a pact with the devil. He agrees to exchange his soul for worldly gratification and unlimited knowledge.

63. Fingerprint, perhaps : CLUE

Fingerprint patterns are classified into three different patterns: loops, whorls and arches.

Down

1. Msg. for a squad car : APB

An All Points Bulletin (APB) is a broadcast from one US law enforcement agency to another.

2. Portia of “Arrested Development” : DE ROSSI

Portia de Rossi is an actress from Australia who played Nellie Porter on “Ally McBeal” and Lindsay Bluth/Fünke on “Arrested Development”. Off the screen, de Rossi is famous as the wife of Ellen DeGeneres, whom she married in 2008.

3. James Bond or George Orwell : ETONIAN

The world-famous Eton College is just a brisk walk from Windsor Castle, which itself is just outside London. Eton is noted for producing many British leaders including David Cameron who took power in the last UK general election. The list of Old Etonians also includes Princes William and Harry, the Duke of Wellington, George Orwell, and the creator of James Bond, Ian Fleming (as well as 007 himself as described in the Fleming novels).

4. Nordstrom competitor : SAKS

Saks Fifth Avenue is a high-end specialty store that competes with the likes of Bloomingdale’s and Neiman Marcus. The original Saks & Company business was founded by Andrew Saks in 1867. The first Saks Fifth Avenue store was opened on Fifth Avenue in New York City in 1924. There are now Saks Fifth Avenue stores in many major cities in the US, as well in several locations worldwide.

5. Whale of a guy? : JONAH

The story of “Jonah’s Dilemma” can be found in the Bible. The story involves Jonah being swallowed by a whale and living inside the “big fish” for three days. I’ve never understood where the “dilemma” is in the tale, though …

6. Import/export port : ENTREPOT

An entrepôt is a port or trading post in which goods are imported, stored and then exported. Entrepôts were established in times past when it took lots of time and effort to ship good over long differences. Many smaller traders were happy to sell goods to an intermediary at an entrepôt at a discounted price, rather than put in the place the infrastructure necessary to transport to the end user. The intermediary was happy to buy the goods and sell on to another trader who could complete the shipping process.

7. Aunt in Madrid : TIA

Madrid is the largest city in Spain, and is the nation’s capital. Madrid is located very close to the geographical center of the country. It is the third-largest city in the European Union (after London and Paris). People from Madrid called themselves Madrileños.

9. Launcher of many ships? : HELEN

According to Greek mythology, Helen was the daughter of Zeus and Leda. When Helen reached the age of marriage, she had many suitors as she was considered the most beautiful woman in the world. Menelaus was chosen as her husband, and he took her back to his home of Sparta. Paris, a Trojan prince, seduced Helen, as she eloped with him and travelled to Troy. This event sparked the Trojan War that waged between the city of Troy and Greece. Because of this war, Helen was said to have “the face that launched a thousand ships”. And because of this phrase, it has been suggested, probably by author Isaac Asimov, that the amount of beauty needed launch a single ship is one “millihelen”.

10. Foreman rival : ALI

The Rumble in the Jungle was the celebrated 1974 fight between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman that took place in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo). The fight was set in Zaire because of financial arrangements between promoter Don King and Zaire’s President Mobutu Seko. Ali coined the term “Rope-a-dope” to describe his incredibly successful strategy in the contest. From the second round onwards, Ali adopted a protected stance on the ropes letting Foreman pound him with blows to the body and head, with Ali using his arms to dissipate the power of the punches. He kept this up until the eighth round, and then opened up and downed the exhausted Foreman with a left-right combination. I hate boxing but I have to say, that was an fascinating fight …

11. Resembling a dingo : DOGLIKE

The dingo is a wild dog of Australia. It is thought to have originated from domesticated dogs that were brought to Australia with humans that settled the land centuries ago.

23. Bench press muscle : 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”.

32. Like : A LA

The phrase “in the style of” can be translated in “alla” in Italian and “à la” in French.

33. Legendary Yankees closer, familiarly : MARIANO

Mariano Rivera is a professional baseball pitcher from Panama City. Rivera played for the New York Yankees from 1995 until his retirement at the end of the 2013 season. Rivera holds the league record for the most career saves (at 652).

35. Kamala Harris, e.g.: Abbr. : SEN

Kamala Harris has been a US Senator for California since 2017, after serving for six years as the Attorney General of California. Harris is regularly cited as a leading contender for the 2020 Democratic nomination for US president.

37. 5 and 10, e.g. : INTEGERS

An integer is a number that does not include a fraction. The word “integer” is Latin for “whole”.

38. Street in Manhattan’s Alphabet City : AVENUE C

Avenues A, B, C and D are the only avenues in Manhattan to have single letter names. The area bounded by Avenues A and D, 14th Street and Houston Street in the East Village is known as Alphabet City, a reference to those single-letter avenues. The “Alphabet City” moniker emerged in the 1980s.

44. Mystery awards : EDGARS

The Edgar Allan Poe Awards (the Edgars) are presented annually by the Mystery Writers of America. There are several categories of awards. For example, the Ellery Queen Award honors “writing teams and outstanding people in the mystery-publishing industry”. The Raven Award is presented to non-writers, who contribute to the mystery genre.

49. Brunch sizzler : BACON

“Bacon” is an Old French word that we imported into English. The term ultimately comes from the Proto-Germanic “bakkon” meaning “back meat”.

58. NHL legend Bobby : ORR

Bobby Orr is regarded as one of the greatest hockey players of all time. By the time he retired in 1978 he had undergone over a dozen knee surgeries. At 31 years of age, he concluded that he just couldn’t skate anymore. Reportedly, he was even having trouble walking.

59. Outback hopper : ROO

The word “kangaroo” comes from the Australian Aborigine term for the animal. There’s an oft-quoted story that the explorer James Cook (later Captain Cook) asked a local native what was the name of this remarkable-looking animal, and the native responded with “Kangaroo”. The story is that the native was actually saying “I don’t understand you”, but as cute as that tale is, it’s just an urban myth.

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Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1. Summer refreshers : ADES
5. Hot tub features : JETS
9. Welcomed to one’s home : HAD IN
14. Anti-fur-farming org. : PETA
15. Taking care of business : ON IT
16. Split to get together? : ELOPE
17. Blub needing replacement : BROKEN TAILLIGHT
20. GM navigation system : ONSTAR
21. Maiden name indicator : NEE
22. Parcel of land : LOT
23. Chi follower : PSI
24. Dashbaord warning : CHECK ENGINE
27. Father of the Edomites : ESAU
29. Not well done : POOR
30. Scratched (out) : EKED
31. Eggnog spice : CINNAMON
34. __ Park, Colo. : ESTES
36. Prolbems caused by nails, maybe : FLAT TIRES
38. Cheering loudly : AROAR
40. Tangles : ENSNARLS
44. First name in stunt cycling : EVEL
45. No longer exists : ISN’T
47. “I Am __”: Jenner reality show : CAIT
48. Resutl of lengthy nonuse, maybe : DEAD BATTERY
52. “Appropriate for all children” rating : TV-Y
53. The Vitamin Shoppe alternative : GNC
54. Santa __ winds : ANA
55. “Faust” dramatist : GOETHE
57. Suggestions in a text message … and what 17-, 24-, 36-, and 48-Across may require, literally and figuratively? : AUTOCORRECTIONS
61. Evoking the past : RETRO
62. Popped stopper : CORK
63. Fingerprint, perhaps : CLUE
64. Disdain : SCORN
65. Pard’s ride : HOSS
66. Didn’t go bad : KEPT

Down

1. Msg. for a squad car : APB
2. Portia of “Arrested Development” : DE ROSSI
3. James Bond or George Orwell : ETONIAN
4. Nordstrom competitor : SAKS
5. Whale of a guy? : JONAH
6. Import/export port : ENTREPOT
7. Aunt in Madrid : TIA
8. Smashed : STINKO
9. Launcher of many ships? : HELEN
10. Foreman rival : ALI
11. Resembling a dingo : DOGLIKE
12. They might offer 57-Across : IPHONES
13. Earned : NETTED
18. And so on: Abbr. : ETC
19. Ogling ones : LEERERS
23. Bench press muscle : PEC
25. Tweets, snaps, pics, etc. : CONTENT
26. Passes with mediocrity : GETS A C
28. Prepare to fly, as a flag : UNFOLD
32. Like : A LA
33. Legendary Yankees closer, familiarly : MARIANO
35. Kamala Harris, e.g.: Abbr. : SEN
37. 5 and 10, e.g. : INTEGERS
38. Street in Manhattan’s Alphabet City : AVENUE C
39. Laugh at, say : REACT TO
41. Filthy dwelling : RATHOLE
42. Add zip to : LIVEN UP
43. Filthy dwelling : STY
44. Mystery awards : EDGARS
46. Symbol of stiffness : STARCH
49. Brunch sizzler : BACON
50. Ice in a pub : ROCKS
51. Thus far : YET
56. Clock sound : TICK
58. NHL legend Bobby : ORR
59. Outback hopper : ROO
60. Game-match link : SET

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