LA Times Crossword Answers 24 Jun 17, Saturday










Constructed by: Mark Diehl

Edited by: Rich Norris

Quicklink to a complete list of today’s clues and answers

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Theme: None

Bill’s time: 30m 52s

Bill’s errors: 4

  • TEAPOY (tea boy)
  • PEPA (Pesa!)
  • POLEAX (bole ax!)
  • SWEETSOP (sweet son!)



Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies

Across

9. Three-legged table : TEAPOY

“Teapoy” is a term of Indian origin that is used in English to describe a small, three-legged table. Just because of the letters “tea” in “teapoy”, the table has come to be associated with the serving of tea.

16. How old radios are heard : IN MONO

Monophonic sound (“mono”) is sound reproduced using just one audio channel, which is usually played out of just one speaker. Stereophonic sound is reproduced using two audio channels, with the sound from each channel played out of two different speakers. The pair of stereo speakers are usually positioned apart from each other so that sound appears to come from between the two. Quadraphonic sound (4.0 surround sound) uses four audio channels with the sound played back through four speakers often positioned at the corners of the room in which one is listening.

17. Fed with a wand : TSA AGENT

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is the agency that employs the good folks that check passengers and baggage at airports.

20. Tiny stream : RILL

The word “rill”, meaning a small brook or rivulet, has German roots. It has the same roots as “Rhine”, the name of the major European river.

25. “I Lost It at the Movies” author : KAEL

“I Lost It at the Movies” is collection of film reviews by critic Pauline Kael that was published in one volume in 1965.

Pauline Kael was a film critic who wrote for “The New Yorker” magazine from 1968 to 1991.

29. __-Tiki : KON

The Kon-Tiki is a raft used by Thor Heyerdahl in 1947 to cross the Pacific Ocean from South America to the Polynesian islands. The original raft used in the voyage is on display in the Kon-Tiki Museum in Oslo, Norway (Heyerdahl was a native of Norway).

30. One with all the answers? : ALEX TREBEK

Alex Trebek has been the host of “Jeopardy!” since the syndicated version of the game show launched in 1984. Trebek has missed just one episode since then, when he and host of “Wheel of Fortune” Pat Sajak swapped roles in 1997 as an April Fool’s joke.

34. Hodges of the Dodgers : GIL

Gil Hodges was a professional baseball player and manager. Perhaps Hodges’ most celebrated achievement was managing the New York Mets team (the “Miracle Mets”) that won the 1969 World Series. Hodges died from a heart attack just a few years later in 1972, when he was only 48 years old. By the way,

37. Certain racing vehicle : BURLAP SACK

Burlap, also called “hessian”, is a coarse woven fabric made from fibers taken from jute, sisal or hemp plants.

38. Baskin-Robbins order : CONE

The Baskin-Robbins chain of ice cream parlors is the largest in the word. The chain was founded by Burt Baskin and Irv Robbins in Glendale, California in 1945. The company started using the slogan “31 flavors” in 1953, suggesting that a customer could order a different flavor of ice cream on every day of every month.

41. Eighth of 24 : THETA

The Greek letter theta is the one that looks like the number zero with a horizontal line across the middle.

42. Many ATM deposits : CKS

Check (ck.)

43. Part of a hip-hop trio name : PEPA

Salt-n-Pepa are an all-female hip hop trio from New York, made up of “Salt” (Cheryl James), “Pepa” (Sandra Denton) and “DJ Spinderella” (Deidra Roper). Their 1991 song “Let’s Talk Sex” created quite a fuss as the lyrics explored the subject of sex, and safe sex in particular. A later version addressed the dangers of AIDS.

45. Keys on a piano : ALICIA

Alicia Keys is the stage name of Alicia Cook, an R&B and soul singer from Hell’s Kitchen in New York City.

51. Inspector in Elizabeth George mysteries : LYNLEY

“The Inspector Lynley Mysteries” is a entertaining BBC series that is based on mystery novels written by Elizabeth George. The stories are all set in Great Britain, although Elizabeth George is an American writer based here in California.

52. Two-time British Open champ : ERNIE ELS

Ernie Els is a South African golfer. Els a big guy but he has an easy fluid golf swing that has earned him the nickname “The Big Easy”. He is a former World No. 1 and has won four majors: the US Open (1994 & 1997) and the British Open (2002 & 2012).

The golf tournament that we usually refer to as “the British Open” here in North America, is more correctly known as “The Open Championship”. The tournament has earned its somewhat haughty title as it is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. The Open was first played in 1860, at Scotland’s Prestwick Golf Club. That first tournament attracted a grand field of eight professional golfers, with Scotsman Willie Park, Sr. emerging victorious.

Down

1. Ad campaign almost dismissed by its creators for grammatical inaccuracy : GOT MILK?

The “got milk?” advertising campaign was funded originally by the California Milk Processor Board and later by milk processors and dairy farmers. The “got milk?” ads encourage us to drink cow’s milk, and lots of it.

2. Hall of fame : ARSENIO

Arsenio Hall got his big break with his role in the movie “Coming to America” with Eddie Murphy in 1988. The following year he started hosting “The Arsenio Hall Show”, which ran until 1994. He had a loyal group of fans in the audience that had the habit of almost “barking” while pumping their fists in the air. The raucous move became so popular it extended far beyond the influences of Arsenio, and to this day it is still used as a mark of appreciation in some arenas. Not by me, mind you …

3. Nine-time presidential candidate : STASSEN

Harold Stassen was Governor of Minnesota from 1939 to 1943, and is largely remembered as a perennial candidate for the Republican nomination for US president. Stassen sought the nomination nine times in all between 1940 and 1992, and never came close to winning.

5. He had a way with words : ROGET

Peter Mark Roget was an English lexicographer. Roget was an avid maker of lists, apparently using the routine of list-making to combat depression, a condition he endured for most of his life. He published his famous thesaurus in 1852, with revisions and expansions being made years later by his son, and then in turn by his grandson.

7. Bamboozle : CON

It’s thought that the lovely word “bamboozle” came into English from the Scottish “bombaze” meaning “perplex”. We’ve been using “bamboozle” since the very early 1700s.

8. Like a trenta at Starbucks : EXTRA EXTRA LARGE

Starbucks introduced us to coffee drinks in a whole range of volumes:

  • Demi … 3 fl oz
  • Short … 8 fl oz
  • Tall … 12 fl oz
  • Grande … 16 fl oz (Italian for “large”)
  • Venti … 20 fl oz (Italian for “twenty”)
  • Trenta … 30 fl oz (Italian for “thirty”)

9. The Beatles’ “Help!” is one : TITLE TRACK

“Help!” is a 1965 movie, the second film released by the Beatles. The film’s soundtrack was released under the same title. Personally, I prefered the Beatles’ first movie, “A Hard Day’s Night” …

10. Organic compound : ENOL

An enol is an alkene with a hydroxyl group, sort of part-alkene and part-alcohol. The term “enol” therefore, is a portmanteau of “alkene” and “alcohol”.

12. Weapon similar to a halberd : POLEAXE

A poleaxe (also “poleax”) is a medieval weapon. As one might expect, it is an axe on a pole. The pole could be anything from 4 to 8 feet in length.

A halberd is weapon that is similar to a poleax. It comprises an axe blade on a pole, with a long spike above the blade. There is also a hook on the side of the pole opposite the axe blade. Halberds are still used today as ceremonial weapons by the Swiss Guard in the Vatican.

13. Salary period : ONE WEEK

It has been suggested that out term “salary” comes from the Latin “sal” meaning “salt”. The idea is that a Roman soldier’s “salarium” might have been an allowance to purchase salt.

24. Fruit also called a sugar apple : SWEETSOP

The custard apple or sugar apple is the fruit of a small deciduous tree native to the New World. It is also called a “sweetsop” in some parts of the world. The soursop, the fruit of an evergreen tree that’s related to the paw-paw, has a more sour taste.

25. __ beef : KOBE

Kobe is a city on the island of Honshu in Japan. Here is North America, the city of Kobe is perhaps most famous for its beef. And yes, basketball star Kobe Bryant is named after that very same beef.

28. Santa Anita action : BETS

Santa Anita Park is a racetrack for horses located in Arcadia, California. The most famous races on the track’s calendar are the Santa Anita Derby and the Santa Anita Handicap.

30. Michigan city or college : ALMA

Alma College in Alma, Michigan was founded by Michigan Presbyterians in 1886. The school has a Scottish heritage of which it is very proud. Alma has its own Scottish marching band, a Scottish dance troupe and even its own design of tartan.

31. Decide not to call : FOLD

That would be the card game of poker.

32. “Firing Line” host : BUCKLEY

William F. Buckley, Jr. was an author and commentator. Buckley wrote spy novels a syndicated newspaper column. He also hosted the public affairs television show called “Firing Line” for over 33 years from 1966 to 1999.

34. Has a cow : GOES APE

The phrase “don’t have a cow” originated in the fifties, a variation of the older “don’t have kittens”. The concept behind the phrase is that one shouldn’t get worked up, it’s not like one is giving birth to a cow.

36. Olduvai Gorge paleontologists : LEAKEYS

Louis and Mary Leakey were a married couple who worked as paleoanthropologists in Africa, particularly in the Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania. In addition to their own work, the Leakey’s sponsored field research of primates in their natural habitats. The most famous of these researchers were Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey and Birutė Galdikas, a group that came to be known as Leakey’s Angels or the Trimates.

The Olduvai Gorge is an important paleoanthropological in Tanzania. It is home to the earliest evidence of human ancestors. Discoveries of fossilized bones and tools have led the paleoanthropological community to conclude that humans evolved in Africa.

37. “Applause” Tony winner : BACALL

What a bombshell Lauren Bacall was, with that husky voice and her quiet, suggestive manner. Bacall was born in New York City to Jewish immigrant parents from Europe. She was actually a first cousin of Shimon Peres, the former President and Prime Minister of Israel. Famously, Bacall was married to Humphrey Bogart, from 1945 until his passing in 1957.

“Applause” is a stage musical based on the 1950 movie “All About Eve”. The musical premiered in 1970 in Broadway, with Lauren Bacall playing actress Margo Channing. “Applause” won that season’s Tony Award for Best Musical, and Bacall won the Tony for Best Actress in a Musical.

38. Jack in a box lunch : CHEESE

What we now call Monterey Jack cheese was originally made by Franciscan friars in Monterey, California in the 19th century. In the 1800s, a powerful landowner called David Jack started to make the same cheese as the friars in his own dairy, and marketed it as “Jack’s Cheese” and later “Monterey Jack”.

41. Tanks cover them : TORSI

“Torso” (plural “torsi”) is an Italian word meaning the “trunk of a statue”, and is a term that we imported into English.

“Tank top” is another one of those terms that always catches me out, as it has a different meaning on each side of the Atlantic. In the US a tank top is a sleeveless shirt, something we would call a “vest” back in Ireland (and the US “vest” is what we call a “waist coat”). A tank top in Ireland is a sleeveless sweater, which further adds to the confusion. The name “tank top” is derived from “tank suit”, an old name for a woman’s one-piece bathing suit. The use of “tank” for the bathing suit came from “swimming tank”, an obsolete term used in the 1920s for a swimming pool.

43. Frosty feature : PIPE

“Frosty the Snowman” is a song that was recorded first by Gene Autry, in 1950. The song was specifically written in the hope that it would become a follow-up hit to Autry’s “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” that topped the charts the previous year.

44. Raid shelfmate : D-CON

“d-Con” is a line of rodent control products that has been around for over 50 years.

46. __-de-sac : CUL

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”.

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Complete List of Clues and Answers

Across

1. It can affect where you stop on a road trip : GAS PRICE

9. Three-legged table : TEAPOY

15. Customary : ORTHODOX

16. How old radios are heard : IN MONO

17. Fed with a wand : TSA AGENT

18. Plugged away : TOILED

19. Botched, with “up” : MESSED

20. Tiny stream : RILL

22. Milk source : EWE

23. Detail on a map : INSET

24. Judicious : SANE

25. “I Lost It at the Movies” author : KAEL

26. Took part in a cover-up : LIED

27. Poor working conditions : SWEATBOXES

29. __-Tiki : KON

30. One with all the answers? : ALEX TREBEK

31. Company car advantage : FLEET RATE

32. Identity verification system : BIOMETRICS

34. Hodges of the Dodgers : GIL

37. Certain racing vehicle : BURLAP SACK

38. Baskin-Robbins order : CONE

39. Breezed through : ACED

40. It’s under a foot : SOLE

41. Eighth of 24 : THETA

42. Many ATM deposits : CKS

43. Part of a hip-hop trio name : PEPA

44. Makes a good living : DOES OK

45. Keys on a piano : ALICIA

47. Give new life to : RECREATE

49. Abs strengtheners : LEG-UPS

50. It’s rarely taken home : GROSS PAY

51. Inspector in Elizabeth George mysteries : LYNLEY

52. Two-time British Open champ : ERNIE ELS

Down

1. Ad campaign almost dismissed by its creators for grammatical inaccuracy : GOT MILK?

2. Hall of fame : ARSENIO

3. Nine-time presidential candidate : STASSEN

4. Introduced in stages, with “in” : PHASED

5. He had a way with words : ROGET

6. Named : IDED

7. Bamboozle : CON

8. Like a trenta at Starbucks : EXTRA EXTRA LARGE

9. The Beatles’ “Help!” is one : TITLE TRACK

10. Organic compound : ENOL

11. “What __ bid for … ” : AM I

12. Weapon similar to a halberd : POLEAXE

13. Salary period : ONE WEEK

14. Off-peak calls? : YODELS

21. Quicker than quick : IN A TRICE

24. Fruit also called a sugar apple : SWEETSOP

25. __ beef : KOBE

27. Doesn’t toss and turn : SLEEPS EASY

28. Santa Anita action : BETS

30. Michigan city or college : ALMA

31. Decide not to call : FOLD

32. “Firing Line” host : BUCKLEY

33. Parting words : I RESIGN

34. Has a cow : GOES APE

35. All told : IN TOTAL

36. Olduvai Gorge paleontologists : LEAKEYS

37. “Applause” Tony winner : BACALL

38. Jack in a box lunch : CHEESE

41. Tanks cover them : TORSI

43. Frosty feature : PIPE

44. Raid shelfmate : D-CON

46. __-de-sac : CUL

48. Muck it up : ERR

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