LA Times Crossword 4 Apr 19, Thursday

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Constructed by: Kevin Salat
Edited by: Rich Norris

Today’s Reveal Answer: Nine-to-Five Jobs

Themed answers are JOBS, and each comprises NINE letters followed by FIVE letters. Clever!

  • 46A Predictable work … and, in a way, what the other three longest answers are? : NINE-TO-FIVE JOBS
  • 20A One reviewing challenges : APPELLATE JUDGE
  • 24A One who’s got you covered : INSURANCE AGENT
  • 41A One seen in a Hanes catalog : UNDERWEAR MODEL

Bill’s time: 7m 28s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

14 El __, Texas : PASO

Although there have been human settlements in the El Paso area for thousands of years, the first European settlement was founded in 1659 by the Spanish. That first community was on the south bank of the Rio Grande, and was called El Paso del Norte (the North Pass). Most of the urban development under Spanish rule took place on the south side of the river, with El Paso del Norte acting as the center of governance for the Spanish for the territory of New Mexico. The Rio Grande was chosen as the border between Mexico and the US in 1848, so most of the city of El Paso del Norte became part of the Mexican state of Chihuahua (and is now called Ciudad Juárez ). The area north of the river developed as a US military post, eventually becoming the modern city of El Paso, Texas.

15 Actor Idris who plays Heimdall in “Thor” films : ELBA

English actor Idris Elba is probably best known in North America for playing the drug lord Stringer Bell in the marvelous HBO drama series “The Wire”, and the title character in the 2013 film “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom”. Off the screen, Elba occasionally appears as a disk jockey using the name “DJ Big Driis”.

The 2011 movie “Thor” is yet another film based on a comic book hero. Even though I won’t be seeing it (I don’t do comics), I must admit it does have an impressive cast. Chris Hemsworth plays Thor, supported by Natalie Portman, Rene Russo, Idris Elba and Anthony Hopkins. And to crown it all, Kenneth Branagh is the director.

16 Mozart wrote a lot of them : NOTES

The Austrian composer’s full name was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The name “Wolfgang” translates literally as “wolf journey”. Amadeus translates as “love god”!

17 Dungeness delicacies : CRAB CAKES

Dungeness crabs are found off the west coast of North America. The species takes its name from the port of Dungeness in Washington state, although the port is named for a headland in the southwest of England called Dungeness.

19 Omni rival : HYATT

The Hyatt hotel chain takes its name from the first hotel in the group, i.e. Hyatt House at Los Angeles International Airport that was purchased in 1957. Among other things, Hyatt is famous for designing the world’s first atrium hotel, the Hyatt Regency in Atlanta.

23 Brooding genre : EMO

The emo musical genre originated in Washington D.C. in the 80s, and takes its name from “emotional hardcore”. “Emo” is also the name given to the associated subculture. Not my cup of tea …

35 Sch. near the U.S.-Mexico border : UTEP

The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) was founded in 1914 as the Texas State School of Mines and Metallurgy. To this day, there is a mine shaft on the campus. The mascot of the school’s sports teams is Paydirt Pete, a prospector from the mining industry. The teams are also known as the UTEP Miners and Lady Miners.

36 Law school subject : TORTS

“Tort” is a French word meaning “mischief, injury or wrong”. In common law, a tort is a civil wrong that results in the injured party suffering loss or harm, and the injuring party having a legal liability. Tort law differs from criminal law in that torts may result from negligence and not just intentional actions. Also, tort lawsuits may be decided on a preponderance of evidence, without the need of proof beyond a reasonable doubt.

37 Put on the cloud, say : SAVE

“On the cloud” or “in the cloud”, that is the question. While working for years within the cloud computing industry, I was only exposed to the phrase “in the cloud”. However, I learned later that the phrase “on the cloud” is out there too.

38 Writer Deighton : LEN

I used to walk my dog right past author Len Deighton’s house years ago, as we lived in the same village in Ireland (probably my only claim to “fame”). Deighton wrote the excellent espionage thriller “The IPCRESS File”, made was into a 1965 movie starring Michael Caine.

39 “It Wasn’t All Velvet” memoirist : TORME

Mel Tormé was a jazz singer, with a quality of voice that earned him the nickname “The Velvet Fog”. Tormé also wrote a few books, and did a lot of acting. He was the co-author of the Christmas classic known as “The Christmas Song”, which starts out with the line “Chestnuts roasting on an open fire …”

41 One seen in a Hanes catalog : UNDERWEAR MODEL

The Hanes brand of apparel was founded in 1901. A related brand was introduced in 1986 called Hanes Her Way.

44 Aromatic necklace : LEI

“Lei” is the Hawaiian word for “garland, wreath”, although in more general terms a lei is any series of objects strung together as an adornment for the body.

45 “How We Do (Party)” British singer Rita __ : ORA

Rita Ora is a British singer who was born Rita Sahatçiu in Pristina, Yugoslavia to Albanian parents. The family name “Sahatçiu” comes from a Turkish word meaning “watchmaker”. Rita’s parents changed their name to make it easier to pronounce. So, the family name morphed from “watchmaker” to “time”, which is “ora” in Albanian.

55 Chain used by many contractors : HOME DEPOT

The Home Depot is the largest home improvement retail chain in the US, ahead of Lowe’s. Home Depot opened their first two stores in 1979. The average store size if just over 100,000 square feet. The largest Home Depot outlet is in Union, New Jersey, and it is 225,000 square feet in size. That’s a lot of nuts and bolts …

56 Courtroom pro : STENO

Stenography is the process of writing in shorthand. The term comes from the Greek “steno” (narrow) and “graphe” (writing).

59 “The Ant and the Grasshopper” storyteller : AESOP

In Aesop’s fable “The Ant and the Grasshopper”, the grasshopper spends the warm months singing and having a good time while the ant toils away storing food. When winter arrives, the grasshopper starts to die from hunger and begs the ant for food. The ant tells the grasshopper that he should have been more sensible instead of singing away all summer, and maybe he should dance through the winter!

61 Fort SSW of Louisville : KNOX

Fort Knox is actually a US Army base, but it lends its name to the adjacent facility that is more correctly called the United States Bullion Depository. Most of the US gold reserves are in “Fort Knox”, although it isn’t the biggest gold repository in the US. That honor goes to the vault under the Federal Reserve Bank of New York in Manhattan. Most of the gold stored in the New York vault belongs to foreign nations and banks.

Down

1 Shelter gp. : SPCA

Unlike most developed countries, the US has no umbrella organization with the goal of preventing cruelty to animals. Instead there are independent organizations set up all over the nation using the name SPCA. Having said that, there is an organization called the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) that was originally intended to operate across the country, but really it now focuses its efforts in New York City.

2 Big name in Tombstone : EARP

The legendary Western gunfighter and lawman Wyatt Earp has been portrayed on the big and small screen many, many times. Kevin Costner played the title role in 1994’s “Wyatt Earp”, and Val Kilmer played Earp in 2012’s “The First Ride of Wyatt Earp”. Joel McCrea had the part in 1955’s “Wichita”, and Kurt Russell was Earp in 1993’s “Tombstone”. James Garner played Earp twice, in 1967’s “Hour of the Gun” and 1988’s “Sunset”.

The Arizona town of Tombstone built up around a mine that was owned by one Ed Schieffelin. Schieffelin had been told by US soldiers stationed in the area that the only stone (ore sample) he would find in the area was his tombstone. Regardless, he did file a claim, and it was centered on the grave site of one of his men who had been killed by Apaches. Schieffelin filed papers under the name “the Tombstone claim”.

3 “By yesterday!” : ASAP!

As soon as possible (ASAP)

6 Commercial word with Seltzer : ALKA-

Alka-Seltzer is a brand of fizzy antacid that has been marketed since 1931. In terms of ingredients, it is a mix of sodium bicarbonate, aspirin and anhydrous citric acid.

8 Cut with a beam : LASE

The term “laser” is an acronym standing for “light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation”. It has been pointed out that a more precise name for laser technology is “light oscillation by stimulated emission of radiation”, but the resulting acronym isn’t quite so appealing, namely “loser”.

10 Papillon, e.g. : TOY DOG

The papillon is Spaniel-type breed of dog. It is a very small dog, and so falls into the toy category of breeds. The name “papillon” is French, and reflects the butterfly look of its long-haired, pricked-up ears. A papillon with dropped-ears is called a “phalène”, which if French for “moth”.

11 Deer sir : STAG

A male deer is usually called a buck, and a female is a doe. However, the male red deer is usually referred to as a stag. The males of even larger species of deer are often called bulls, and females cows. In older English, male deer of over 5 years were called harts, and females of over 3 years were called hinds. The young of small species are known as fawns, and of larger species are called calves. All very confusing …

13 Ballpark fig. : EST

Estimate (est.)

26 “When the moon hits your eye” feeling : AMORE

“That’s Amore” is a pop standard written by Harry Warren and Jack Brooks in 1952. “That’s Amore” became the signature song for Dean Martin after he sang it (with some help from Jerry Lewis) in the 1953 comedy film “The Caddy”. “When the moon hits you eye like a big pizza pie, that’s amore …”

27 With 34-Across, Sally Field film : NORMA …
(34A See 27-Down : … RAE)

“Norma Rae” is a 1979 movie starring Sally Field as Norma Rae Webster in a tale of union activities in a textile factory in Alabama. The film is based on the true story of Crystal Lee Sutton told in a 1975 book called “Crystal Lee, a Woman of Inheritance”.

30 Piercing site, perhaps : NAVEL

The navel is basically a scar left behind when the umbilical cord is removed from a newborn baby. One interesting use of the umbilicus (navel, belly button) is to differentiate between identical twins, especially when they are very young.

31 Scottish center? : TEES

There are two letters T (tee) in the center of the word “Scottish”.

32 Sci-fi navigator : SULU

Mr. Hikaru Sulu was played by George Takei in the original “Star Trek” series. Takei has played lots of roles over the years, and is still very active in television. Did you know that he appeared in the 1963 film, “Pt-109”? He played the helmsman steering the Japanese destroyer that ran down John F. Kennedy’s motor torpedo boat. From destroyer helmsman to starship helmsman …

36 Specifically : TO WIT

The verb “to wit” means “to know”. The verb really isn’t used anymore except in the phrase “to wit” meaning “that is to say, namely”.

37 Float fixer : SODA JERK

In the halcyon days of yore, a “soda jerk” was usually a young person whose main job was to serve ice cream sodas in a drugstore. The server would “jerk” the handle on the soda fountain to dispense the soda water, giving the job its distinctive name.

42 Nickname of golfer Sergio García, who turned pro at age 19 : EL NINO

Sergio García is a professional golfer from Spain, and a very colorful character with the nickname “El Niño”. Garcia also likes his football (soccer). He is the chairman of his hometown team CF Borriol.

43 Shakers’ relatives? : MOVERS

We use the phrase “movers and shakers” to describes people who are especially active and influential in a particular field. The phrase was coined by English poet Arthur O’Shaughnessy in his rather famous 1874 poem “Ode”, in which the opening stanza is:

We are the music makers,
And we are the dreamers of dreams,
Wandering by lone sea-breakers,
And sitting by desolate streams;—
World-losers and world-forsakers,
On whom the pale moon gleams:
Yet we are the movers and shakers
Of the world for ever, it seems.

46 “Mom” actor Corddry : NATE

Nate Corddry is an actor and comedian who is perhaps best known for playing the manager of the restaurant where Christy works in the sitcom “Mom”. Corddry also played lawyer Adam Branch on the sitcom “Harry’s Game” alongside Kathy Bates. Nate is the younger brother of comedian and actor Rob Corddry, whe turned up quite frequently as a correspondent on “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart”.

“Mom” is a sitcom starring Anna Faris and the great Allison Janney that premiered in 2013. Famously, the show deals with the problems of alcoholism and drug abuse head on.

50 Religious scholar : IMAM

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

52 Simple tie : BOLO

I’ve never worn a bolo tie, and was surprised to discover that it is a relatively recent invention. The first bolo tie was apparently produced in Wickenburg, Arizona in the late 1940s by a silversmith. The bolo takes its name from the boleadora, an Argentine lariat.

53 Where Achilles was dipped for invincibility : STYX

Achilles is a Greek mythological figure, and the main protagonist of Homer’s “Iliad”. When Achilles was born, his mother attempted to make him immortal by dipping him into the River Styx. As he was held by the heel as he was immersed, this became the only vulnerable point on his body. Years later he was killed when a poisoned arrow struck him in the heel. That arrow was shot by Paris.

54 Org. operating full-body scanners : TSA

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) was created in 2001, soon after the 9/11 attacks. TSA personnel carry out the baggage and body searches at US airports. The TSA has a Trusted Traveler program that allows certain passengers to move more quickly through security screening. These passengers pay the TSA a one-time fee that covers a background check after which successful applicants are issued a Known Traveler Number (KTN).

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 “High” places? : SEAS
5 Flag down : HAIL
9 Caller ID? : IT’S ME!
14 El __, Texas : PASO
15 Actor Idris who plays Heimdall in “Thor” films : ELBA
16 Mozart wrote a lot of them : NOTES
17 Dungeness delicacies : CRAB CAKES
19 Omni rival : HYATT
20 One reviewing challenges : APPELLATE JUDGE
22 Fish eggs : ROE
23 Brooding genre : EMO
24 One who’s got you covered : INSURANCE AGENT
32 Pig’s sniffer : SNOUT
33 Weep for : MOURN
34 See 27-Down : … RAE
35 Sch. near the U.S.-Mexico border : UTEP
36 Law school subject : TORTS
37 Put on the cloud, say : SAVE
38 Writer Deighton : LEN
39 “It Wasn’t All Velvet” memoirist : TORME
40 Asks : POSES
41 One seen in a Hanes catalog : UNDERWEAR MODEL
44 Aromatic necklace : LEI
45 “How We Do (Party)” British singer Rita __ : ORA
46 Predictable work … and, in a way, what the other three longest answers are? : NINE-TO-FIVE JOBS
54 Implied : TACIT
55 Chain used by many contractors : HOME DEPOT
56 Courtroom pro : STENO
57 Take testimony from : HEAR
58 Depend : RELY
59 “The Ant and the Grasshopper” storyteller : AESOP
60 Philosophies : ISMS
61 Fort SSW of Louisville : KNOX

Down

1 Shelter gp. : SPCA
2 Big name in Tombstone : EARP
3 “By yesterday!” : ASAP!
4 Sleeps it off : SOBERS UP
5 Physician, ideally : HEALER
6 Commercial word with Seltzer : ALKA ..
7 “Oh, suuure” : I BET
8 Cut with a beam : LASE
9 Cruel : INHUMAN
10 Papillon, e.g. : TOY DOG
11 Deer sir : STAG
12 Dole (out) : METE
13 Ballpark fig. : EST
18 Influence : CLOUT
21 Ballpark opinions, at times : JEERS
24 One-__ chance : IN-TEN
25 Incessantly : NO END
26 “When the moon hits your eye” feeling : AMORE
27 With 34-Across, Sally Field film : NORMA …
28 More adorable : CUTER
29 Make blank : ERASE
30 Piercing site, perhaps : NAVEL
31 Scottish center? : TEES
32 Sci-fi navigator : SULU
36 Specifically : TO WIT
37 Float fixer : SODA JERK
39 Place with a bird’s-eye view : TREETOP
40 Went carefully (over) : PORED
42 Nickname of golfer Sergio García, who turned pro at age 19 : EL NINO
43 Shakers’ relatives? : MOVERS
46 “Mom” actor Corddry : NATE
47 Treats, as a sprain : ICES
48 Surprised greeting : OH HI!
49 They’re not on the same page : FOES
50 Religious scholar : IMAM
51 Premiere : OPEN
52 Simple tie : BOLO
53 Where Achilles was dipped for invincibility : STYX
54 Org. operating full-body scanners : TSA