LA Times Crossword 29 Jan 19, Tuesday

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Constructed by: Frank Virzi
Edited by: Rich Norris

Today’s Reveal Answer: Paper Cutter

Themed answers include the letters “PAPER” divided between the beginning and end:

  • 55A. Stationery supply with a blade … and a hint to the answers to starred clues : PAPER CUTTER
  • 16A. *Killjoy : PARTY POOPER
  • 20A. *Face consequences for poor decisions : PAY THE PIPER
  • 34A. *Furniture restorer’s chemical : PAINT STRIPPER
  • 50A. *Airborne unit member : PARATROOPER

Bill’s time: 5m 42s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

14. Valpolicella wine brand : BOLLA

Valpolicella Is a wine-growing region in the province of Verona in Northern Italy. Wine has been produced with the Valpolicella name for an awfully long time, since the mid-twentieth century.

18. Metro stop: Abbr. : STA

A station (“stn.” or “sta.”) is a railroad (RR) or bus stop.

19. State south of Wash. : ORE

The Oregon Treaty of 1846 settled a dispute between the US and the UK over sovereignty of the Oregon Country. “The Oregon Country” was the name given by the Americans to a large swathe of land west of the Rocky Mountains. That same disputed land was known as the Columbia Department by the British. Oregon became is a US state in 1859.

20. *Face consequences for poor decisions : PAY THE PIPER

The legend of the Pied Piper of Hamelin dates back to medieval times. Recently there have been suggestions that the story is rooted in some truth, that the town of Hamelin did in fact lose many of its children, perhaps to plague. The suggestion is that the tale is an allegory. The use of the word “pied” implies that the piper dressed in multi-colored clothing. The phrase “to pay the piper” means “to bear the cost of a poor decision”. It is a reference to townsfolk of Hamelin who refused to pay the Pied Piper for ridding the town of rats. They ultimately paid the cost when the piper lured their children away.

22. Like Lincoln in the Lincoln Memorial : SEATED

The Lincoln Memorial is my favorite place to visit in the whole of Washington D.C. The memorial was designed by Henry Bacon, and the sculptor of the magnificent statue of President Lincoln was Daniel Chester French. I spent a wonderful afternoon a few years ago touring the workshop and home of French, in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. The workshop is stunning, with miniature studies for his magnum opus, the Lincoln Statue, as well as many other beautiful works.

24. Yom Kippur observers : ATONERS

Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the year for the Jewish people, and is also known as the Day of Atonement.

25. Italian wine hub : ASTI

Asti is a city in the Piedmont region of northwest Italy. The region is perhaps most famous for its Asti Spumante sparkling white wine.

26. South African golfer 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).

29. MLB exec Joe who was the Yankees’ manager for 12 seasons : TORRE

As a manager, Joe Torre was part of four World Series wins, all of them with the New York Yankees baseball team. Torre is an Italian American who was born in Brooklyn, New York. During the run up (pun intended!) to the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Torre carried the Olympic flame part of the way through Florence in Italy, handing it over to the next runner at the famous Ponte Vecchio. I’d guess that was quite a thrill for him …

32. Wrangler’s ropes : LASSOS

Our English word “lasso” comes from the Spanish “lazo”, and ultimately from the Latin “laqueum” meaning “noose, snare”.

37. Wild cards, maybe : DEUCES

A “two” playing card might be called a “deuce”, from the Middle French “deus” (or Modern French “deux”) meaning “two”.

39. “At Last” singer James : ETTA

“Etta James” was the stage name of celebrated blues and soul singer Jamesetta Hawkins. James’ most famous recording was her 1960 hit “At Last”, which made it into the pop charts. James performed “At Last” at the age of 71 in 2009 on the reality show “Dancing with the Stars”, which was to be her final television appearance. She passed away in 2012.

41. Recipe amts. : TSPS

Teaspoon (tsp.)

45. Polar expedition vehicles : SNO-CATS

The brand name “Sno-Cat” is owned by the Tucker company. All snowcats are tracked vehicles built to work in snow, and are famously used in expeditions to the polar regions. The modern Sno-Cat from Tucker differs from its competitors in that it has four independently-mounted tracks.

48. ’70s-’80s FBI sting : ABSCAM

The FBI set up a sting operation in 1978, eventually targeting corruption within Congress. Central to the “scam” was a front company called “Abdul Enterprises, Ltd”, which company name led to the whole operation being nicknamed “Abscam”. At the end of the say, one senator and five House members were convicted of bribery and conspiracy. Karim Abdul Rahman was the fictional sheik that gave “his” name to the front company.

50. *Airborne unit member : PARATROOPER

The term “parachute” was coined by Frenchman François Blanchard, from “para-” meaning “defense against” and “chute” meaning “a fall”.

53. Tijuana gold : ORO

Tijuana is the largest city in the Mexican state of Baja California, and lies just across the US-Mexico border from San Diego. Tijuana is also the most westerly of all Mexican cities. A lot of Tijuana’s growth took place in the twenties as tourists flocked south of the border during the days of prohibition in the US. One of the many casinos and hotels that flourished at that time was Hotel Caesar’s in the Avenida Revolución area. Hotel Caesar’s claims to be the birthplace of the now ubiquitous Caesar Salad.

54. “__ little teapot … ” : I’M A

The children’s song “I’m a Little Teapot” was written and published in 1939, composed by a married couple who ran a dance school for children. They needed a simple tune that young ones could use to learn a simple tap routine, and came up with this:

I’m a little teapot,
Short and stout,
Here is my handle,
Here is my spout,
When I get all steamed up,
Hear me shout,
Tip me over and pour me out!

55. Stationery supply with a blade … and a hint to the answers to starred clues : PAPER CUTTER

“Stationery” is a noun describing writing materials and office supplies, items that are sold by a stationer. Centuries ago, a stationer was someone who sold goods from a shop or a “station”, from a fixed, “stationary” stall.

57. Min. part : SEC

The hour is subdivided into 60 parts, each of which was known as a “pars minuta prima” in Medieval Latin, translating as “first small part”. This phrase “pars minuta prima” evolved into our word “minute”. The “pars minuta prima” (minute) was further divided into 60 parts, each called a “secunda pars minuta”, meaning “second small part”. “Secunda pars minuta” evolved into our term “second”.

59. Quai d’Orsay’s river : SEINE

The Quai d’Orsay in Paris is a quay and street along the left bank of the River Seine. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is located there, and the French commonly use “Quai d’Orsay” as a nickname for the Ministry.

61. Swiss watch brand : RADO

Rado is a celebrated manufacturer of watches that is noted for pioneering the use of scratch-proof materials. Rado makes a watch that the Guinness Book of Records calls “the hardest watch on Earth”.

62. Trial rounds : HEATS

The term “heat”, meaning a qualifying race, dates back to the 1660s. Originally a heat was a run given to a horse to prepare it for a race, to “heat” it up.

Down

1. Señor’s wife : ESPOSA

“Esposa” is Spanish for “wife”.

2. Stock market purchases : SHARES

The “stock” of a company represents its ownership, and is partitioned into “shares”. Shares may be held privately, or traded publicly on an exchange. Existing shareholders can decide to dilute their ownership by offering more shares for sale, a step that is usually taken to raise capital for the company.

5. Video conferencing choice : SKYPE

The main feature of the Skype application when introduced was that it allows voice communication to take place over the Internet (aka VoIP). Skype has other features such as video conferencing and instant messaging, but the application made its name from voice communication. Skype was founded by two Scandinavian entrepreneurs and the software necessary was developed by a team of engineers in Estonia. The development project was originally called “Sky peer-to-peer” so the first commercial name for the application was “Skyper”. This had to be shortened to “Skype” because the skyper.com domain name was already in use.

8. Wintry pellets : SLEET

Apparently, “sleet” is a term used to describe two different weather conditions. One is a shower of ice pellets, smaller than hail, and the second is a mixture of rain and snow, with the snow melting as it falls.

9. Marx brother with a horn : HARPO

Harpo Marx was the second oldest of the Marx brothers. Harpo’s real name was Adolph, and he earned his nickname because he played the harp. Famously, Harpe didn’t speak on screen, a routine that he developed after reading a review that he performed really well when he just didn’t speak! He would usually whistle or toot a hand-held horn instead of speaking.

10. Mete out, as PEZ candy : DISPENSE

PEZ is an Austrian brand of candy sold in a mechanical dispenser. Famously, PEZ dispensers have molded “heads”, and have become very collectible over the years. The list of heads includes historical figures like Betsy Ross and Paul Revere, characters from “Star Wars” and “Star Trek”, and even British royalty like the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (“William and Kate”). The name PEZ comes from the first, middle and last letters of “Pfefferminz”, the German word for “peppermint”.

12. Publishing family : HEARSTS

William Randolph Hearst got into publishing when he took over “The San Francisco Examiner” from his father George Hearst. Beyond his work in the newspaper business, William Randolph Hearst was also a politician and represented a district of New York in the US House. His life was the inspiration for the lead role in the 1941 movie “Citizen Kane” with Orson Welles playing the Hearst-like character. If you’re ever driving along the coast between Los Angeles and San Francisco, I’d recommend a stop at Hearst Castle, William Randolph’s magnificent estate located near San Simeon.

14. __ Wonder: Robin : BOY

Batman is sometimes referred to as the Caped Crusader, Robin as the Boy Wonder, and the pair as the Dynamic Duo.

21. Classic ’30s-’50s vocal quartet, with “the” : INK SPOTS

The Ink Spots were a singing group from the 1930s and 1940s. The Ink Spots had hits with two of my all time favorite ballads: “If I Didn’t Care” (1939) and “Whispering Grass (Don’t Tell the Trees)” (1940).

23. Lake on the border of Bolivia and Peru : TITICACA

Lake Titicaca is the largest lake in South America, and the highest navigable lake in the world (navigable by “large” commercial vessels). Lake Titicaca is located in the Andes, on the border between Peru and Bolivia.

26. Critical-care ctrs. : ERS

Emergency room (ER)

30. Queen’s “Another __ Bites the Dust” : ONE

“Another One Bites the Dust” is a hit song released in 1980 by Queen. Written by bass guitarist John Deacon, it was destined to become the band’s best-selling single.

31. Shares again on Twitter, briefly : RTS

Retweet (RT)

35. Grand Prix, e.g. : AUTO RACE

Even though the term is used in many competitions, I think that we most associate “Grand Prix” with the series of Formula One motor races. These Formula One Grand Prix races trace their roots back to organized automobile road races from one French town to the next that date back to 1894. “Grand Prix” translates from French as “grand, big prize.”

36. Han and Leia’s son Kylo __ : REN

Kylo Ren is the son of Han Solo and Princess Leia Organa in the “Star Wars” universe. The character’s birth name was Ben Solo. He was trained as a Jedi knight by his uncle, Luke Skywalker. However, Ben came to embrace the Dark Side, and changed his name to Kylo Ren. Ren is played by actor Adam Driver.

40. 14-legged crustacean : ISOPOD

Isopods are small crustaceans with seven pairs of legs. Examples would be woodlice and pill bugs. The name “isopod” comes from the Greek “iso” (same) and “pod” (foot). All isopods have seven pairs of jointed limbs.

42. Nova __ : SCOTIA

The Canadian province of Nova Scotia (NS) lies on the east coast of the country and is a peninsula surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean. The area was settled by Scots starting in 1621, and Nova Scotia is Latin for “New Scotland”.

44. Gooey campfire treats : S’MORES

S’mores are treats peculiar to North America that are usually eaten around a campfire. A s’more consists of a roasted marshmallow and a layer of chocolate sandwiched between two graham crackers. The earliest written reference to the recipe is in a 1927 publication called “Tramping and Trailing with the Girl Scouts”. Girl Scouts always did corner the market on cookies and the like!

48. NRC forerunner : AEC

The Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) was set up right after WWII in 1946, with the aim of promoting the peaceful use of atomic energy. Establishing the AEC was a significant move made by President Truman, as it passed control of atomic energy from the military to the civilian sector. The AEC continued to operate until 1974 when its functions were divided up into two new agencies: the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the Energy Research and Development Administration (NRDA). The NRDA was merged with the Federal Energy Administration in 1977 to form the Department of Energy.

51. Winery prefix : OENO-

In Greek mythology, Oeno was the goddess of wine, giving us “oeno-” as a prefix meaning “wine”. For example, oenology is the study of wine and an oenophile is a wine-lover.

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Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1. Tricky road curves : ESSES
6. Too hasty : RASH
10. “Boy, am I dumb!” : DUH!
13. Bowl over : SHOCK
14. Valpolicella wine brand : BOLLA
15. Suffix with project or percent : -ILE
16. *Killjoy : PARTY POOPER
18. Metro stop: Abbr. : STA
19. State south of Wash. : ORE
20. *Face consequences for poor decisions : PAY THE PIPER
22. Like Lincoln in the Lincoln Memorial : SEATED
24. Yom Kippur observers : ATONERS
25. Italian wine hub : ASTI
26. South African golfer Ernie : ELS
28. Make a wool cap, say : KNIT
29. MLB exec Joe who was the Yankees’ manager for 12 seasons : TORRE
32. Wrangler’s ropes : LASSOS
34. *Furniture restorer’s chemical : PAINT STRIPPER
37. Wild cards, maybe : DEUCES
38. Arrive at : GET TO
39. “At Last” singer James : ETTA
40. Charged particle : ION
41. Recipe amts. : TSPS
45. Polar expedition vehicles : SNO-CATS
48. ’70s-’80s FBI sting : ABSCAM
50. *Airborne unit member : PARATROOPER
53. Tijuana gold : ORO
54. “__ little teapot … ” : I’M A
55. Stationery supply with a blade … and a hint to the answers to starred clues : PAPER CUTTER
57. Min. part : SEC
58. Companionless : ALONE
59. Quai d’Orsay’s river : SEINE
60. WNW opposite : ESE
61. Swiss watch brand : RADO
62. Trial rounds : HEATS

Down

1. Señor’s wife : ESPOSA
2. Stock market purchases : SHARES
3. Furious with : SORE AT
4. Outer: Pref. : ECT-
5. Video conferencing choice : SKYPE
6. Carrot or turnip : ROOT
7. Dominant dogs : ALPHAS
8. Wintry pellets : SLEET
9. Marx brother with a horn : HARPO
10. Mete out, as PEZ candy : DISPENSE
11. Hidden, as motives : ULTERIOR
12. Publishing family : HEARSTS
14. __ Wonder: Robin : BOY
17. Note-taking aid : PAD
21. Classic ’30s-’50s vocal quartet, with “the” : INK SPOTS
23. Lake on the border of Bolivia and Peru : TITICACA
26. Critical-care ctrs. : ERS
27. Release : LET GO
30. Queen’s “Another __ Bites the Dust” : ONE
31. Shares again on Twitter, briefly : RTS
32. Set a match to : LIT
33. Befitting : APT
34. Love handles? : PET NAMES
35. Grand Prix, e.g. : AUTO RACE
36. Han and Leia’s son Kylo __ : REN
37. Loathe : DESPISE
40. 14-legged crustacean : ISOPOD
42. Nova __ : SCOTIA
43. Mother or father : PARENT
44. Gooey campfire treats : S’MORES
46. For face value : AT PAR
47. Song syllables : TRA-LA
48. NRC forerunner : AEC
49. Hair salon staple : BRUSH
51. Winery prefix : OENO-
52. Opposite of post- : PRE-
56. Shirt with a V-neck, perhaps : TEE

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