LA Times Crossword 9 Jul 19, Tuesday

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Constructed by: Gail Grabowski & Bruce Venzke
Edited by: Rich Norris

Today’s Reveal Answer: Put on the Dog

Themed answers each end with a word that is often followed by “DOG”:

  • 54A Pretend to be wealthy, in old slang … and a hint to words that end answers to starred clues : PUT ON THE DOG
  • 20A *Hit the roof : BLOW ONE’S TOP (giving “top dog”)
  • 38A *Goes on a winning streak : GETS HOT (giving “hot dog”)
  • 11D *Old Spice rival : RIGHT GUARD (giving “guard dog”)
  • 29D *Photogenic evening event : SETTING SUN (giving “sun dog”)

Bill’s time: 5m 09s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Tampa NFLers : BUCS

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers joined the NFL in 1976, along with the Seattle Seahawks, as an expansion team. The Bucs had a tough start in the NFL, losing their first 26 games. Things went better in the early eighties, but then the team went through 14 consecutive losing seasons. Their luck changed again though, and they won the Super Bowl at the end of the 2002 season.

5 Copier powder : TONER

The key features of a laser printer (or copier) are that it uses plain paper and produces quality text at high speed. Laser printers work by projecting a laser image of the printed page onto a rotating drum that is coated with photoconductors (material that becomes conductive when exposed to light). The areas of the drum exposed to the laser carry a different charge than the unexposed areas. Dry ink (toner) sticks to the exposed areas due to electrostatic charge. The toner is then transferred to paper by contact and is fused into the paper by the application of heat. So, that explains why paper coming out of a laser printer is warm, and sometimes powdery.

14 Sundance Film Festival state : UTAH

The Sundance Film Festival is the largest independent film event in the country, and takes place every year around the Sundance Resort near Provo, Utah. The festival has its roots in the Utah/US Film Festival which started in Salt Lake City in 1978. Management of the festival was taken over by Robert Redford’s Sundance Institute in 1985. The festival has became a bit of a media feeding frenzy in recent years, as a lot of A-list celebrities attend. The Festival organizers introduced a “Focus on Film” campaign in 2007 to try to offset some of the madness.

15 Virtuosic piece : ETUDE

An étude is a short instrumental composition that is usually quite hard to play and is intended to help the performer master a particular technique. “Étude” is the French word for “study”. Études are commonly performed on the piano.

16 Document with an executor : WILL

In general terms, an executor is a person responsible for the execution of some task. Most commonly, it is the person who has been designated to carry out the directions called out in someone’s will after the person is deceased. So, the executor has the necessary authority to distribute assets, pay bills etc. The executor usually works alongside the attorney for the estate.

17 Celeb’s wheels : LIMO

The word “limousine” derives from the name of the French city Limoges. The area around Limoges is called the Limousin, and it gave its name to a cloak hood worn by local shepherds. In early motor cars, a driver would sit outside in the weather while the passengers would sit in the covered compartment. The driver would often wear a limousin-style protective hood, giving rise to that type of transportation being called a “limousine”. Well, that’s how the story goes …

19 French Toaster Sticks brand : EGGO

Eggo is a line of frozen waffles and related products made by Kellogg’s. When they were introduced in the 1930s, the name “Eggo” was chosen to promote the “egginess” of the batter. “Eggo” replaced “Froffles”, the original name chosen by melding “frozen” and “waffles”.

24 Spring flower : IRIS

Iris is a genus of flowering plants that come in a wide variety of flower colors. The term “iris” is a Greek word meaning “rainbow”. Many species of irises are called “flags”. One suggestion is that the alternate name comes from the Middle English “flagge” meaning “reed”. This term was used because iris leaves look like reeds.

32 Rudder’s region : STERN

A rudder is usually a flat sheet of wood or metal located at the stern of a boat, and under the waterline. The rudder is attached to a rudder post, which rotates to change the orientation of the rudder hence steering the boat. That rotation of the rudder post can be achieved by pulling or pushing a lever called a tiller, which is located at the top of the post.

34 Ballet skirt : TUTU

The word “tutu”, used for a ballet dancer’s skirt, is actually a somewhat “naughty” term. It came into English from French in the early 20th century. The French “tutu” is an alteration of the word “cucu”, a childish word meaning “bottom, backside”.

37 Museum display : ART

The term “museum” comes from the ancient Greek word “mouseion” that denoted a temple dedicated to the “Muses”. The Muses were the patrons of the arts in Greek mythology.

38 *Goes on a winning streak : GETS HOT (giving “hot dog”)

A hot dog is a sausage served in a split roll. The term “hot dog” dates back to the 19th-century and is thought to reflect a commonly-held opinion that the sausages contained dog meat.

42 Fictional terrier from Kansas : TOTO

Toto is Dorothy’s dog in the film “The Wizard of Oz”, and in the original book “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” by L. Frank Baum. Toto was played in the movie by a dog called Terry, but Terry’s name was soon changed to Toto in real life due to the success of the film.

44 Picture of health? : X-RAY

X-rays were first studied comprehensively by the German physicist Wilhelm Röntgen (also “Roentgen”), and it was he who gave the name “X-rays” to this particular type of radiation. Paradoxically, in Röntgen’s native language of German, X-rays are routinely referred to as “Röntgen rays”. In 1901, Röntgen’s work on X-rays won him the first Nobel Prize in Physics that was ever awarded.

47 “Famous potatoes” referred to in a license plate slogan : IDAHOS

Idaho has the nickname “Gem State”, mainly because almost every known type of gemstone has been found there. Idaho is also sometimes called the Potato State as potatoes are such a popular crop in the state. I’d go for the potatoes over the gems, but that’s probably just me …

52 __ bath: therapeutic soak : SITZ

A “sitz bath” is one in which the water comes up to the hips. It is usually a therapeutic bath used to treat discomfort in the lower part of the body. The term comes from the German “Sitzbad” meaning a bath (“bad”) in which one sits. “Sitzen” is German for “to sit”.

53 Energy unit : ERG

An erg is a unit of mechanical work or energy. It is a small unit, with one joule comprising 10 million ergs. it has been suggested that an erg is about the amount of energy required for a mosquito to take off. The term comes from “ergon”, the Greek word for work.

54 Pretend to be wealthy, in old slang … and a hint to words that end answers to starred clues : PUT ON THE DOG

The idioms “put on the dog” and “put on the the ritz” mean to dress formally or to make things extra special for a particular event. The phrase can also mean to appear more important or richer that one actually is.

60 Arnaz of early TV : DESI

Desi Arnaz has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. One was placed to mark his contribution motion pictures, and the other for his work in television.

62 Anwar of Egypt : SADAT

Anwar Sadat was the third President of Egypt right up to the time of his assassination in 1981. Sadat won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1978 along with Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin for the role played in crafting the Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty of 1978 at Camp David. It was this agreement that largely led to Sadat’s assassination three years later.

63 U2 lead singer : BONO

Irish singer Bono is a Dubliner who was born Paul David Hewson. As a youth, Hewson was given the nickname “Bono Vox” by a friend, a Latin expression meaning “good voice”, and so the singer has been known as Bono since the late seventies. His band’s first name was “Feedback”, later changed to “The Hype”. The band members searched for yet another name and chose U2 from a list of six names suggested by a friend. They picked U2 because it was the name they disliked least …

65 Bike for a tyke : TRIKE

“Tyke” has been used playfully to describe a young child since at least 1902, but for centuries before that a tyke was a cur or mongrel, or perhaps a lazy or lower-class man.

66 Shamu was one : ORCA

Shamu was the name of the third orca (aka “killer whale”) ever to be featured in a public exhibition. Shamu starred in a popular SeaWorld show in San Diego in the sixties. After she died in 1971, her name lived on as the “stage name” of orca shows in different SeaWorld parks. That original Shamu was retired after she grabbed and refused to let go of the leg of one of her trainers.

67 Rooms with recliners : DENS

The first reclining chairs were introduced around 1850 in France. Supposedly, the first reclining chair was owned by Napoleon III.

69 RR depot posting : SKED

Schedule (sked)

Down

1 Daffodil-to-be : BULB

Daffodils are more properly called narcissus plants, and are a whole genus in the Amaryllis family. Ancient Greeks believe that after the god Narcissus died (while obsessed with his reflection in a pool), his remains were turned in the Narcissus flower, hence the name. Back in Britain and Ireland, the daffodil is most famous as the national flower of Wales. It is also remembered for its appearance in Wordsworth’s poem:

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o’er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;

3 Covert ops garb : CAMO

Our word “camouflage” (often abbreviated to “camo”) evolved directly from a Parisian slang term “camoufler” meaning “to disguise”. The term was first used in WWI, although the British navy at that time preferred the expression “dazzle-painting” as it applied to the pattern painted on the hulls of ships.

4 More flamboyant : SHOWIER

Our word “flamboyant”, meaning “showy and elaborate”, is a French term meaning “flaming”. The term was first used in English to describe wavy, flame-like curves used in architecture.

5 Nadal’s sport : TENNIS

Rafael “Rafa” Nadal is a Spanish tennis player. He is noted for his expertise on clay courts, which expertise earned him the nickname “The King of Clay”.

6 Great Plains natives : OTOES

The Otoe (also “Oto”) Native American tribe originated in the Great Lakes region as part of the Winnebago or Siouan tribes. The group that would become the Otoe broke away from the Winnebago and migrated southwestward, ending up in the Great Plains. In the plains the Otoe adopted a semi-nomadic lifestyle dependent on the horse, with the American bison becoming central to their diet.

11 *Old Spice rival : RIGHT GUARD (giving “guard dog”)

Right Guard was the first aerosol antiperspirant, and was introduced in the early sixties.

The Old Spice brand of grooming products was introduced in 1937, and was originally intended for a female clientele. The first male product hit the shelves in 1938, and today Old Spice is completely focused on products for men.

12 Pool owner’s concern : ALGAE

Algae are similar to terrestrial plants in that they use photosynthesis to create sugars from light and carbon dioxide, but they differ in that they have simpler anatomies, and for example lack roots.

13 “Airplane!” actor Bridges : LLOYD

Actor Lloyd Bridges is noted for his many television and movie roles over a long and distinguished career. Lloyd is also remembered as the father of two great actor sons: Beau Bridges and jeff Bridges. Lloyd served with the US Coast Guard during WWII, and was a member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary after the war. Sons Beau and Jeff also served in the Coast Guard and Coast Guard Reserve.

The 1980 movie “Airplane!” has to be one of the zaniest comedies ever made. The lead roles were Ted Striker (played by Robert Hays) and Elaine Dickinson (played by Julie Hagerty). But it was Leslie Nielsen who stole the show, playing Dr. Barry Rumack. That’s my own humble opinion of course …

21 Indonesian ape : ORANG

Orangutans (also “orangs”) are arboreal creatures, the largest arboreal animals known to man. They are native to Indonesia and Malaysia, and live in the rainforests. Like most species in rainforests these days, orangutans are endangered, with only two species surviving. The word “orangutan” is Malay, meaning “man of the forest”.

22 Luau finger food : POI

I am a big fan of starch (being an Irishman I love potatoes). That said, I think that poi tastes horrible! Poi is made from the bulbous tubers (corm) of the taro plant by cooking the corm in water and mashing it until the desired consistency is achieved.

26 Blowup letters : TNT

“TNT” is an abbreviation for “trinitrotoluene”. Trinitrotoluene was first produced in 1863 by the German chemist Joseph Wilbrand, who developed it for use as a yellow dye. TNT is relatively difficult to detonate so it was on the market as a dye for some years before its more explosive properties were discovered.

27 Natl. Merit Scholarship qualifying exam : PSAT

The National Merit Scholarship Program is a privately-funded, not-for-profit organization that was founded in 1955. The program governs two annual competitions for scholarships, one open to all students and one open to only African Americans.

28 Other, in Oaxaca : OTRO

Oaxaca is a state in the southern part of Mexico on the Pacific coast. The state takes the name of Oaxaca, its largest city.

29 *Photogenic evening event : SETTING SUN (giving “sun dog”)

A sun dog (aslo “mock sun”) is a bright spot seen at one or both sides of the Sun when certain atmospheric conditions prevail. Sun dogs are usually caused by the scattering of light by ice crystals suspended in the atmosphere.

33 Houston MLBer : ‘STRO

The Houston baseball team changed its name to the Astros (sometimes “’Stros”) from the Colt .45s in 1965 when they started playing in the Astrodome. The Astrodome was so called in recognition of the city’s long association with the US space program. The Astros moved from the National League to the American League starting in the 2013 season.

36 Cold War country: Abbr. : USSR

The term “Cold War” was coined by the novelist George Orwell in a 1945 essay about the atomic bomb. Orwell described a world under threat of nuclear war as having a “peace that is no peace”, in a permanent state of “cold war”. The specific use of “cold war” to describe the tension between the Eastern bloc and the Western allies is attributed to a 1947 speech by Bernard Baruch, adviser to Presidents Woodrow Wilson and Franklin D. Roosevelt.

46 Open-sided structures also called summerhouses : GAZEBOS

A gazebo is a roofed structure, often octagonal in shape, that is found mainly in public spaces. Gazebos can be quite small, or can be large enough to perhaps serve as a bandstand. The actual etymology of the term “gazebo” seems to be a bit of a mystery, and there are some misconceptions out there.

51 Goddess of peace : IRENE

Eirene (also “Irene”) was the Greek goddess of peace, with “eirene” being the Greek word for “peace”. The Roman equivalent to Eirene was the goddess Pax.

56 Drooling toon canine : ODIE

Jon Arbuckle is a fictional character, and the owner of Odie from Jim Davis’s comic strip “Garfield”. Garfield is Arbuckle’s orange tabby cat. Odie is his less-than-smart beagle.

57 Nerdy sort : DORK

I consider “dork” and “adorkable” to be pretty offensive slang. “Dork” originated in the sixties among American students, and has its roots in another slang term, a term for male genitalia.

59 Egg on : GOAD

The verb “to edge” has been used to mean to incite, to urge on, from the 16th century. Somewhere along the way “edge” was mistakenly replaced with “egg”, giving us our term “to egg on” meaning “to goad”.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Tampa NFLers : BUCS
5 Copier powder : TONER
10 Like much testimony : ORAL
14 Sundance Film Festival state : UTAH
15 Virtuosic piece : ETUDE
16 Document with an executor : WILL
17 Celeb’s wheels : LIMO
18 Angry diner patron’s decision : NO TIP
19 French Toaster Sticks brand : EGGO
20 *Hit the roof : BLOW ONE’S TOP (giving “top dog”)
23 Barn bale : HAY
24 Spring flower : IRIS
25 Turned to compost : ROTTED
27 Pretend to be : POSE AS
30 Word with call or ritual : MATING …
32 Rudder’s region : STERN
33 Religious faction : SECT
34 Ballet skirt : TUTU
37 Museum display : ART
38 *Goes on a winning streak : GETS HOT (giving “hot dog”)
41 Satisfied exhalations : AHS
42 Fictional terrier from Kansas : TOTO
44 Picture of health? : X-RAY
45 Kiddie-lit brutes : OGRES
47 “Famous potatoes” referred to in a license plate slogan : IDAHOS
49 Rubble-lifting machine : LOADER
50 Movie theater : CINEMA
52 __ bath: therapeutic soak : SITZ
53 Energy unit : ERG
54 Pretend to be wealthy, in old slang … and a hint to words that end answers to starred clues : PUT ON THE DOG
60 Arnaz of early TV : DESI
62 Anwar of Egypt : SADAT
63 U2 lead singer : BONO
64 Sufficient, briefly : ENUF
65 Bike for a tyke : TRIKE
66 Shamu was one : ORCA
67 Rooms with recliners : DENS
68 Take the wheel : STEER
69 RR depot posting : SKED

Down

1 Daffodil-to-be : BULB
2 Electric co., e.g. : UTIL
3 Covert ops garb : CAMO
4 More flamboyant : SHOWIER
5 Nadal’s sport : TENNIS
6 Great Plains natives : OTOES
7 Tree-borne allergen sources : NUTS
8 Tweak, as text : EDIT
9 Work under, as a manager : REPORT TO
10 Have bills to pay : OWE
11 *Old Spice rival : RIGHT GUARD (giving “guard dog”)
12 Pool owner’s concern : ALGAE
13 “Airplane!” actor Bridges : LLOYD
21 Indonesian ape : ORANG
22 Luau finger food : POI
26 Blowup letters : TNT
27 Natl. Merit Scholarship qualifying exam : PSAT
28 Other, in Oaxaca : OTRO
29 *Photogenic evening event : SETTING SUN (giving “sun dog”)
30 Western plateaus : MESAS
31 Like overworked muscles : ACHY
33 Houston MLBer : ‘STRO
35 You, quaintly : THEE
36 Cold War country: Abbr. : USSR
39 Drains of energy : EXHAUSTS
40 One in a comb row : TOOTH
43 Glorifying verse : ODE
46 Open-sided structures also called summerhouses : GAZEBOS
48 Sound system part : AMP
49 Leave a paper trail? : LITTER
50 Formally gave up : CEDED
51 Goddess of peace : IRENE
52 Slithering reptile : SNAKE
55 Fruit pastry : TART
56 Drooling toon canine : ODIE
57 Nerdy sort : DORK
58 Back in the day : ONCE
59 Egg on : GOAD
61 “No __, ands or buts” : IFS