LA Times Crossword 2 Sep 21, Thursday

Advertisement

Constructed by: George Jasper
Edited by: Rich Norris

Today’s Reveal Answer: Cut In

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

  • 65A Interrupt … and a hint to each set of puzzle circles : CUT IN
  • 17A Rubber in the kitchen? : BRILLO PAD (hiding “LOP”)
  • 24A Major seen annually in Paris : FRENCH OPEN (hiding “CHOP”)
  • 38A “C’est la vie” : THAT’S THE WAY IT IS (hiding “HEW”)
  • 48A Ones skilled at making deductions : TAX EXPERTS (hiding “AXE”)
  • 61A White House nickname : HONEST ABE (hiding “STAB”)

Read on, or jump to …
… a complete list of answers

Bill’s time: 7m 34s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Nest egg, perhaps : CACHE

A cache is a secret supply. We imported the term “cache” into English from French-Canadian trappers in the 17th century. Back then, “cache” was slang for “hiding place for stores”, derived from the French verb “cacher” meaning “to hide”.

6 One of the Tide’s rivals : VOL

The Tennessee Volunteers (the Vols) are the men’s sports teams at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. The women’s teams are the Lady Volunteers.

The athletic teams of the University of Alabama (“Bama”) are nicknamed the Crimson Tide, which is a reference to the team colors of crimson and white.

14 Literary musketeer : ATHOS

Alexandre Dumas’ “Three Musketeers” are Athos, Porthos and Aramis, although the hero of the novel is the trio’s young protégé D’Artagnan. A musketeer was an infantry soldier who was equipped with a musket. Funnily enough, the three “musketeers” really don’t use their muskets, and are better known for prowess with their swords.

16 Fancy tie : ASCOT

An ascot is a wide tie that narrows at the neck, which these days is only really worn at weddings or part of a dress uniform. The tie takes its name from the Royal Ascot horse race at which punters still turn up in formal wear at Ascot Racecourse in England.

17 Rubber in the kitchen? : BRILLO PAD (hiding “LOP”)

Brillo is a soapy, steel wool pad, patented in 1913. The company claims that the name “Brillo” is derived from the Latin word for “bright”.

19 European river : RHONE

The Rhône river rises in Switzerland, passes through Lake Geneva, flows through the southeast of France, and empties into the Mediterranean Sea near Arles.

20 Overly suave : OILY

The Latin word “suavis” translates as “agreeable, pleasant to the senses”. “Sauvis” is the root of the English word “suave” that describes someone who is gracious and sophisticated, and perhaps somewhat superficial. “Sauvis” also gave us the English word “sweet” meaning “pleasing to the taste”.

21 Driver’s warning : FORE!

No one seems to know for sure where the golfing term “fore!” comes from. It has been used at least as far back as 1881, and since then has been called out to warn other golfers that a wayward ball might be heading their way. My favorite possibility for its origin is that it is a contraction of the Gaelic warning cry “Faugh a Ballagh!” (clear the way!) which is still called out in the sport of road bowling. Road bowling is an Irish game where players bowl balls along roads between villages, trying to reach the end of the course in as few bowls as possible, just like in golf!

22 Rocker since the ’60s, familiarly : STONE

Even though Mick Jagger and Keith Richards have been the driving force behind the Rolling Stones for decades, they didn’t start the group. The band was the idea of guitarist and harmonica player Brian Jones, and it was he who invited Richards and Jagger to join, as well as Ian Stewart, Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts to make an original lineup of six band members. Jones called the band “Rollin’ Stone” back then in 1962, named for the song by Muddy Waters. Jones was the leader, manager and decision maker for the first few years until songs written by Richards and Jagger became hits and he started to lose artistic control. In 1967, Jones was arrested for drug possession, and again in 1968. When his trouble with the law prevented him from getting a US work visa, Jones wasn’t able to accompany the Stones on a 1969 US tour. That was the last straw, it seems, and Jones and the Stones parted company. Famously, one month later, Jones was found dead, at the bottom of his swimming pool.

23 Smidge : TAD

Back in the 1800s, “tad” was used to describe a young child, and this extended into our usage of “small amount” in the early 1900s. The original use of “tad” for a child is very likely a shortened version of “tadpole”.

24 Major seen annually in Paris : FRENCH OPEN (hiding “CHOP”)

The tennis tournament that we know in English as the French Open is officially named the Roland-Garros. Roland Garros was a pioneering aviator and a WWI fighter pilot. The Stade Roland-Garros, the major tennis stadium in Paris, is named for him. In turn, the French Open tournament held there every year is named for the stadium.

29 “Atlas Shrugged” author Rand : AYN

Ayn Rand was a Russian-American novelist born “Alisa Rosenbaum”. Her two best known works are her novels “The Fountainhead” published in 1943 and “Atlas Shrugged” from 1957. Back in 1951, Rand moved from Los Angeles to New York City. Soon after, she gathered a group of admirers around her with whom she discussed philosophy and shared drafts of her magnum opus, “Atlas Shrugged”. This group called itself “The Collective”, and one of the founding members was none other than future Federal Reserve chairman, Alan Greenspan. Rand described herself as “right-wing” politically, and both she and her novel “Atlas Shrugged” have become inspirations for the American conservatives, and the Tea Party in particular.

30 Will of “Blue Bloods” : ESTES

Actor Will Estes played JJ Pryor on the TV drama “American Dreams”, and then Jamie Reagan on the police drama “Blue Bloods”.

“Blue Bloods” is a police drama series about a family of police officers led by Police Commissioner Frank Reagan, played by Tom Selleck. The show first aired in 2010.

38 “C’est la vie” : THAT’S THE WAY IT IS (hiding “HEW”)

“C’est la vie” is French for “that’s life”.

42 Country E of Cyprus : SYR

The modern state that we know as Syria was established after WWI as a French mandate. Syria was granted independence from France in 1946.

Cyprus is an island nation in the Mediterranean Sea, and a member of the European Union. Cyprus is a divided island, with the Republic of Cyprus controlling about 60% of its area. The remaining 40% calls itself the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, and is occupied by Turkish forces.

43 Edward G.’s “Little Caesar” role : RICO

“Little Caesar” is a gangster movie released in 1931. The film was the big break for Edward G. Robinson, who played the title character, Caesar “Rico” Bandello.

45 “Breaking Bad” org. : DEA

Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

The AMC drama “Breaking Bad” is a well-written show about a high school teacher stricken by lung cancer who turns to a life of crime to make money. It turns out that the teacher has a talent for making high-quality crystal meth. The show was created by Vince Gilligan who had spent many years as a producer and writer of “The X-Files”. There is a “Breaking Bad” spin-off show running on AMC called “Better Call Saul” that focuses on the life of lawyer Saul Goodman. To be honest, I enjoyed “Better Call Saul” even more than the original show …

47 Islamic official : IMAM

An imam is a Muslim leader, and often the person in charge of a mosque and/or perhaps a Muslim community.

54 Hagen of Broadway : UTA

Uta Hagen was a German-born American actress. Hagen married Jose Ferrer in 1938, but they were divorced ten years later after it was revealed that she was having a long-running affair with Paul Robeson. Her association with Robeson, a prominent civil rights activist, earned her a spot on the Hollywood Blacklist during the McCarthy Era. This forced her away from film, but towards a successful stage career in New York City.

57 Some nerve? : OPTIC

The optic nerve enters the eyeball at a location on the retina called the optic disc. Because there are no light-sensitive cells at the optic disc, there is a “hole” in our visual field that is called the blind spot. People with normal vision don’t usually notice this blind spot as the brain “fills in” the blind spot with information from the other eye.

61 White House nickname : HONEST ABE (hiding “STAB”)

Abraham Lincoln was the sixteenth President of the US. There are several stories told about how he earned the nickname “Honest Abe”. One story dates back to early in his career as a lawyer. Lincoln accidentally overcharged a client and then walked miles in order to right the wrong as soon as possible.

66 Iditarod vehicles : SLEDS

The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race covers an incredible 1,161 miles, from Anchorage to Nome in Alaska. The race starts every year on the first Saturday in March, with the first race having been held in 1973. Finishing times range from over 8 days to 15 days or more. The first few races only used a northern route, but then a southern route was added to the roster every second year. It’s kind of a good thing, because when the racers take the northern route they don’t even pass through the town of Iditarod!

67 Trip taker’s vehicle : LSD

The term “psychedelic” was coined in 1956 by British-born psychiatrist Humphry Osmond. He proposed the term to describe the effects of taking the drugs LSD and mescaline. He suggested that “psychedelic” be defined as “mind-manifesting”, from the Greek “psyche” (mind) and “delos” (manifest).

Down

1 Northwest Passage seeker : CABOT

Giovanni Caboto (known in English as “John Cabot”) was an Italian explorer. Cabot is believed to have been the first European to visit North America since the Vikings landed here in the 11th century. Many say that he landed in Newfoundland in 1497.

The Northwest Passage (NWP) is a collection of sea routes allowing navigation between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. The first expedition to traverse the NWP was led by Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen, an expedition lasting from 1903 until 1906.

2 Sunlit courts : ATRIA

In modern architecture, an atrium (plural “atria” or “atriums”) is a large open space usually in the center of a building and extending upwards to the roof. The original atrium was an open court in the center of an Ancient Roman house. One could access most of the enclosed rooms of the house from the atrium.

3 Temple, for one : CHILD STAR

Child star Shirley Temple made her first movie in 1932 at the age of three. She became a star in 1934 with the release of the film “Bright Eyes”. Temple retired from show business at the age of 22, but made a brief attempt to resume her career in the late fifties and early sixties. She served as a board member for several organizations, including the Walt Disney Company. She also ran unsuccessfully for the US Congress in 1967, but was appointed as US Ambassador to Ghana in 1974, and then to Czechoslovakia in 1989.

5 Immigrant’s subj. : ESL

English as a Second Language (ESL) is sometimes referred to as English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and English as a Foreign Language (EFL).

6 Jet trail : VAPOR

We talk so often about global warming these days but there is another fascinating phenomenon that is related, and known as “global dimming”. Global dimming is the reduction in the amount of heat that radiates daily from the planet due to the insulating effect of pollution and vapor trails (contrails) from aircraft that are present in the atmosphere. The effect has been touted as a theory for decades but dramatic empirical data became available in the wake of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Planes were grounded and the skies over America were clear for three days. There was a stark change in the temperature range measured across the US for these three days, demonstrating the impact that air travel has on our climate.

7 Midway alternative : O’HARE

Midway Airport (MDW) started off with just one cinder runway in 1923, and was called Chicago Air Park. By 1927 the airport had expanded and earned the name Chicago Municipal Airport. In 1932 Midway was the world’s busiest airport, a title it held for thirty years. In 1949, in honor of the WWII Battle of Midway, the airport was renamed again to Chicago Midway Airport. Then in 1955, along came Chicago International Airport and all the major airlines started moving their operations over to the newer facility. Today, Midway is a major hub for Southwest.

9 Like the Okefenokee : MARSHY

“Pogo” is a comic strip launched in 1948 that was the creation of cartoonist Walt Kelly. The story centers on animals that live in the Okefenokee Swamp on the Georgia-Florida border, with the title character “Pogo Possum” being an anthropomorphic opossum.

10 He played Steve in “Jobs” : ASHTON

Ashton Kutcher played the character Michael Kelso on Fox’s “That ‘70s Show”. Kelso was Kutcher’s breakthrough acting role. Kutcher then starred in the sitcom “Two and a Half Men”, replacing the “disgraced” Charlie Sheen. In 2009, Kutcher became the first user on Twitter to get over 1 million followers. I wasn’t one of them …

“Jobs” is a 2013 biopic about high-tech entrepreneur Steve Jobs. Ashton Kutcher plays the title role, and Josh Gad plays Apple cofounder Steve Wozniak.

12 Metric unit : TONNE

The tonne, also known as a metric ton, is equivalent to 1,000 kg (or 2,205 lb). The tonne isn’t an official unit of mass in the metric system, but it is used a lot.

13 Rembrandt contemporary : STEEN

Jan Steen was a painter from the Netherlands who was active in the Dutch Golden Age, the 17th century. Steen’s most famous work is probably “The Feast of Saint Nicholas”, which we can see at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.

The celebrated Dutch painter’s full name was Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (sometimes “Ryn”). Rembrandt is perhaps most appreciated for his portraits, and left the world a remarkable collection of self-portraits.

25 Durango digs : CASA

Durango is one of Mexico’s 32 “estados” (states). It is landlocked, and is located in the northwest of the country.

30 UFO operators : ETS

One might speculate that an unidentified flying object (UFO) is flown by an extraterrestrial (ET).

32 Sashimi selection : AHI

Sashimi is thinly sliced raw fish, although it can also be raw meat. The word “sashimi” translates literally as “pierced body”, which may be a reference to the practice of sticking the tail and fin to sliced fish to identify it.

33 VCR button : REC

Video Cassette Recorder (VCR)

34 Bill featuring Jefferson : TWO

The US two-dollar bill features a portrait of Thomas Jefferson. The bill was introduced in 1862, and withdrawn in 1966. It was reintroduced in 1976, and is still legal tender. That said, there are relatively few two-dollar bills in circulation. Some people even hold that possession of a two-dollar bill is bad luck.

37 “Four Quartets” monogram : TSE

T. S. Eliot was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1948, largely due to his “Four Quartets”, a set of four poems that Eliot himself considered to be his life’s masterpiece. He also won a Tony Award in 1950 for Best Play, for “The Cocktail Party”, as well as two posthumous Tony Awards in 1983 for his poems that are used in the musical “Cats”.

40 Orange edible : YAM

Although in the US we sometimes refer to sweet potatoes as “yams”, the yam is actually a completely different family of plants. True yams are more common in other parts of the world than they are in this country, and are especially common in Africa.

41 Supermarket franchise initials : IGA

The initialism “IGA” stands for “Independent Grocers Alliance”, and is a chain of supermarkets that extends right around the world. IGA’s headquarters is in Chicago. The company uses the slogan “Hometown Proud Supermarkets”.

48 Trading cards giant : TOPPS

Topps was a relaunch of an older company called American Leaf Tobacco, with the Topps name used from 1938. The earlier company was in trouble because it could not get supplies of its Turkish tobacco, so it moved into another chewy industry, making bubblegum. Nowadays, Topps is known for including (mainly) sports-themed trading cards in the packs of gum.

49 Arbor Day month : APRIL

Arbor Day is a holiday each year in which people traditionally plant and care for trees. The first Arbor Day was held way back in 1872.

50 Scrabble 8-pointer : X-TILE

The game of Scrabble has been produced in many international versions, and each of these editions has its own tile distribution to suit the local language. For example, in English we have two tiles worth ten points: one “Q” and one “Z”. If you play the game in French then there are five tiles worth ten points: one “K”, one “W”, one “X”, one “Y” and one “Z”.

51 Lucy’s landlord, in old TV : ETHEL

In the hit television show “I Love Lucy”, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz play Lucy and Ricky Ricardo. The Ricardos’ best friends are also their landlords, Fred and Ethel Mertz. The Mertzes are played by William Frawley and Vivian Vance.

52 Pieces that castle : ROOKS

In the game of chess, the move known as “castling” involves the king two squares towards one of the rooks, and then placing that rook in the square over which the king crossed. It is the only chess move involving two pieces at the same time.

55 Knee-to-ankle bone : TIBIA

The tibia is the shinbone, and is the larger of the two bones right below the knee. It is the strongest weight-bearing bone in the human body. “Tibia” is the Roman name for a Greek flute and it is thought that the shinbone was given the same name because flutes were often fashioned out of the shinbones of animals.

56 Agreeing chorus : AMENS

The word “amen” translates as “so be it”. “Amen” is said to be of Hebrew origin, but it is also likely to be influenced by Aramaic and Arabic.

59 Poker choice : STUD

“Stud poker” is the name given to many variants of poker, all of which are characterized by the dealer giving each player a mix of cards face-down and face-up. The cards facing upwards are called “upcards”. The cards facing downwards are called “hole cards”, cards only visible to the individual who holds that particular hand. This gives rise to the phrase “ace in the hole”, a valuable holding that only the player with the ace is aware of.

62 It may be natural: Abbr. : SCI

Science (sci.)

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Nest egg, perhaps : CACHE
6 One of the Tide’s rivals : VOL
9 Marine supports : MASTS
14 Literary musketeer : ATHOS
15 Kind of moment : AHA
16 Fancy tie : ASCOT
17 Rubber in the kitchen? : BRILLO PAD (hiding “LOP”)
19 European river : RHONE
20 Overly suave : OILY
21 Driver’s warning : FORE!
22 Rocker since the ’60s, familiarly : STONE
23 Smidge : TAD
24 Major seen annually in Paris : FRENCH OPEN (hiding “CHOP”)
26 Pedi places : SPAS
29 “Atlas Shrugged” author Rand : AYN
30 Will of “Blue Bloods” : ESTES
32 They may be fine : ARTS
35 Remained on the shelf : SAT
38 “C’est la vie” : THAT’S THE WAY IT IS (hiding “HEW”)
42 Country E of Cyprus : SYR
43 Edward G.’s “Little Caesar” role : RICO
44 Light on one’s feet : AGILE
45 “Breaking Bad” org. : DEA
47 Islamic official : IMAM
48 Ones skilled at making deductions : TAX EXPERTS (hiding “AXE”)
54 Hagen of Broadway : UTA
57 Some nerve? : OPTIC
58 Fixer’s need : TOOL
59 Not good, as a chance : SLIM
60 Asking __ : PRICE
61 White House nickname : HONEST ABE (hiding “STAB”)
63 Criticizes to excess, with “on” : PILES …
64 Supplement, with “out” : EKE …
65 Interrupt … and a hint to each set of puzzle circles : CUT IN
66 Iditarod vehicles : SLEDS
67 Trip taker’s vehicle : LSD
68 Brainstorming output : IDEAS

Down

1 Northwest Passage seeker : CABOT
2 Sunlit courts : ATRIA
3 Temple, for one : CHILD STAR
4 Sanctified : HOLY
5 Immigrant’s subj. : ESL
6 Jet trail : VAPOR
7 Midway alternative : O’HARE
8 Freight-filled, say : LADEN
9 Like the Okefenokee : MARSHY
10 He played Steve in “Jobs” : ASHTON
11 Reporter’s coup : SCOOP
12 Metric unit : TONNE
13 Rembrandt contemporary : STEEN
18 Plural word attached to rip or send : -OFFS
25 Durango digs : CASA
27 Adoptee, maybe : PET
28 Pack animal : ASS
30 UFO operators : ETS
31 Like one sitting alone at the dance, probably : SHY
32 Sashimi selection : AHI
33 VCR button : REC
34 Bill featuring Jefferson : TWO
35 Jump-start : STIMULATE
36 Come down with something : AIL
37 “Four Quartets” monogram : TSE
39 Corner : TRAP
40 Orange edible : YAM
41 Supermarket franchise initials : IGA
45 Cleared, in a way, as plane wings : DEICED
46 More than needed : EXCESS
47 Chain link? : ISLE
48 Trading cards giant : TOPPS
49 Arbor Day month : APRIL
50 Scrabble 8-pointer : X-TILE
51 Lucy’s landlord, in old TV : ETHEL
52 Pieces that castle : ROOKS
53 High-__: pretentious : TONED
55 Knee-to-ankle bone : TIBIA
56 Agreeing chorus : AMENS
59 Poker choice : STUD
62 It may be natural: Abbr. : SCI