LA Times Crossword 29 Oct 20, Thursday

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Constructed by: Michael A. Macdonald
Edited by: Rich Norris

Today’s Theme (according to Bill): In Front

Themed answers are each a well-known phrase preceded by IN:

  • 17A Anger at progress? : INROAD RAGE (in + road rage)
  • 27A Embezzlements? : INSIDE SWIPES (in + sideswipes)
  • 47A Bills’ places? : INVOICE BOXES (in + voice boxes)
  • 60A EMT assignment? : INJURY DUTY (in + jury duty)

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

Bill’s time: 7m 45s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 “__ Come Undone”: Wally Lamb novel : SHE’S

Wally Lamb is an author from Connecticut who is perhaps best known for his novels “She’s Come Undone” (1992) and “I Know This Much Is True” (1998). Apparently, Oprah Winfrey is a big fan of Lamb’s work, and chose both of the mentioned titles for Oprah’s Book Club.

5 They’re on the house : COMPS

To comp is to give for free, with “comp” coming from “complimentary”.

14 Guinness logo : HARP

Guinness trademarked its famous harp logo way back in 1862. The harp is also a symbol of Ireland. When Ireland became a Free State from the United Kingdom in 1922, the new Irish government had to come up with a different symbol so as not to infringe trademark laws. That’s why Ireland’s harp points in the opposite direction of Guinness’ harp. ‘Tis true, ‘tis true …

15 Extra rival : ORBIT

Orbit is a sugarless gum made by Wrigley’s. Orbit was first introduced during WWII, but was taken off the shelves in the 1980s when there was a concern that the gum’s sweetener was carcinogenic. Orbit was relaunched in 2001.

16 Info on a blood donor card : TYPE

The most important grouping of blood types is the ABO system. Blood is classified as either A, B, AB or O, depending on the type of antigens on the surface of the red blood cells. A secondary designation of blood is the Rh factor, in which other antigens are labelled as either positive or negative. When a patient receives a blood transfusion, ideally the donor blood should be the same type as that of the recipient, as incompatible blood cells can be rejected. However, blood type O-neg can be accepted by recipients with all blood types, A, B, AB or O, and positive or negative. Hence someone with O-neg blood type is called a universal donor.

17 Anger at progress? : INROAD RAGE (in + road rage)

The term “road rage” dates back to a specific time and place. The phrase was used by newscasters on Los Angeles TV station KTLA in 1988 to describe a rash of freeway shootings in the area on interstates 405, 110 and 10, many sparked by incidents in heavy traffic.

19 Writer Blyton : ENID

Enid Blyton wrote stories for children that were very popular when I was growing up in Britain and Ireland. Not so long ago, I purchased and reread my favorite of her stories growing up, a children’s novel called “The Secret Island”.

24 Human being, for one : MAMMAL

There are several main characteristics distinguishing mammals from other animals:

  • Mammals have fur or hair
  • Mammals are warm-blooded
  • Mammals are born alive
  • Mammals feed their young with milk produced by mammary glands
  • Mammals have relatively complex brains

35 All-star game side : EAST

Major League Baseball’s first All-Star Game was held as part of the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair. The longest All-Star games since then went to 15 innings, in 1967 and 2008, with the 2008 game lasting 4 hours and 50 minutes.

36 Rank above maj. : COL

The rank of colonel (col.) is above the rank of major (maj.).

38 U.N. workers’ rights gp. : ILO

The International Labour Organization (ILO) is an agency, now administered by the UN, that was established by the League of Nations after WWI. The ILO deals with important issues such as health and safety, discrimination, child labor and forced labor. The organization was recognized for its work in 1969 when it was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

41 __ chi : TAI

More correctly called “t‘ai chi ch‘uan”, tai chi is a martial art that is mostly practiced to improve overall health and increase longevity.

42 Amman native : ARAB

Amman is the capital city of Jordan, and one of the oldest continuously-inhabited cities in the world. Amman has been occupied by a number of different civilizations over the centuries, including the Greeks who called it “Philadelphia”, a name retained by the Romans when they occupied the city just after 100 AD.

44 National Storytelling Festival VIP : RACONTEUR

A raconteur is an accomplished storyteller. The term comes from the French “raconter” meaning “to relate”.

The National Storytelling Festival is an annual event held at the International Storytelling Center in Jonesborough, Tennessee. First organized in 1973, the festival now attracts entrants from all over the world.

47 Bills’ places? : INVOICE BOXES (in + voice boxes)

An invoice is an itemized bill. The term comes from the Middle French “envois” meaning “dispatch (of goods)”. The root verb is “envoyer”, which translates as “to send”.

50 Flora and fauna of different regions : BIOTAS

The biota of a region is the total collection of flora and fauna found there.

55 Some colas : PEPSIS

The Pepsi-Cola formulation was developed by one Caleb Bradham who made the drink at home and sold it as Brad’s Drink. Bradham’s aim was to provide a drink that was pleasant to taste, that would aid digestion and boost energy. Included in the formula were pepsin (a digestive enzyme) and kola nuts. These two ingredients inspired the brand name we use today: Pepsi-Cola.

58 “Groovy!” : FAR OUT!

The term “groovy” meaning “neat, cool” comes from the jazz slang phrase “in the groove”.

59 National gemstone of Australia : OPAL

97% of the world’s opals come from Australia, so it’s no surprise perhaps that the opal is the national gemstone of the country. The state of South Australia provides the bulk of the world’s production, i.e. about 80%.

60 EMT assignment? : INJURY DUTY (in + jury duty)

Emergency medical technician (EMT)

66 Curved molding : OGEE

An ogee is a type of S-curve. Specifically, it is a figure consisting of two arcs that curve in opposite directions (like an S) but both ends of the curve end up parallel to each other (which is not necessarily true for an S).

67 Whole bunch : SCAD

The origin of the word “scads”, meaning “lots and lots”, is unclear. That said, “scads” was used to mean “dollars” back in the mid-1800s.

68 Chic, to a Brit : NOBBY

Particularly on the other side of the pond, a member of the aristocracy might be referred to as a nob. The term “nob” is slang for “noble”, as in “nobleman, noblewoman”.

Down

1 They might be icebreakers : SHIPS

In order to be successful, an icebreaker must have a strengthened hull, a shape designed to clear the broken ice, and lots of power to push through thick ice. Russia has a fleet of nuclear-powered icebreakers. They are so effective that in 1977, Russia’s nuclear-powered NS Arktika became the first surface ship to reach the North Pole.

2 Asian capital on the Red River : HANOI

Hanoi (“Hà Nội” in Vietnamese) was the capital of North Vietnam, and Saigon the capital of South Vietnam. After the Vietnam War, Hanoi was made capital of the reunified state. Saigon, the larger metropolis, was renamed to Ho Chi Minh City. Hanoi is located in the delta of the Red River, and is just over 50 miles from the Gulf of Tonkin in the South China Sea.

The Red River (sometimes “Red River of the South”) runs for almost 1,400 miles, and for much of its length serves as the border between Texas and Oklahoma. It is a saltwater river, with the salt coming from vast deposits buried in the upper reaches of the river and its tributaries. Almost 3,500 tons of salt flows down the Red River every day.

5 Buffalo Bill Museum city : CODY

The city of Cody, Wyoming takes its name from one of the city’s founders Colonel William F. Cody, better known as Buffalo Bill.

6 Two-time Art Ross Trophy winner Bobby : ORR

Bobby Orr is regarded as one of the greatest hockey players of all time. By the time he retired in 1978 he had undergone over a dozen knee surgeries. At 31 years of age, he concluded that he just couldn’t skate anymore. Reportedly, he was even having trouble walking. While still 31 years old, in 1979, Orr became the youngest person inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Prior to that, in 1967, Orr became the youngest person named the NHL’s Rookie of the Year.

Art Ross was a Canadian who played professional hockey from 1905 to 1918. Ross then worked as a game official on the ice, before launching a second career as coach and general manager of the Boston Bruins. In 1947, Ross donated the Art Ross Trophy to the NHL that is awarded annually to the league’s highest scorer.

7 Deg. offered at Duke’s Fuqua School : MBA

Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business opened for students in 1970 as the Graduate School of Business Administration. A few years later, the name was changed to honor philanthropist J.B. Fuqua who made a $10-million-dollar donation to the university’s capital campaign.

8 Pua of “Moana,” e.g. : PIG

“Moana” is a 2016 animated feature film and the 56th animated Disney movie. The title character is the daughter of a Polynesian chief who heads off in search of the demigod Maui, hoping that he can save her people.

10 Metal marble : STEELIE

A playing marble made from agate is called just that, an agate. Steelies on the other hand, are made from solid steel.

11 Forest cat : LYNX

The lynx is a wild cat, of which there are four species. These are:

  • The Eurasian lynx: the biggest of the four species.
  • The Canada lynx: well-adapted to life in cold environments.
  • The Iberian lynx: a native of the Iberian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and the most endangered cat species in the world.
  • The bobcat: our North American wildcat, the smallest of the four lynxes

12 Ryan Hurst’s “Sons of Anarchy” role : OPIE

“Sons of Anarchy” is a popular FX crime series about an outlaw motorcycle club in California’s Central Valley. Apparently, it is the most successful FX show ever.

Actor Ryan Hurst got his big break when he was picked to play Opie Winston in the hit show “Sons of Anarchy”. Ryan has acting in his blood, as his father is Rick Hurst, an actor who had a recurring role on “The Dukes of Hazzard” playing Boss Hogg’s cousin Cletus.

13 Sidewalk traffic, for short : PEDS

Pedestrian (ped.)

22 Fox foot : PAW

Male foxes are usually called dogs, and sometimes tods or reynards. Females are vixens, and young foxes are cubs, pups or kits.

24 Mosque tower : MINARET

A minaret is an architectural feature of Islamic mosques, a tall tower with an onion-shaped crown that is used for the call to prayer. The world’s oldest minaret is part of the Great Mosque of Kairouan in Tunisia, having been completed in 836 BCE. The term “minaret” comes from the Arabic for “lighthouse”.

29 Cracker topper : PATE

Pâté is a rich spreadable paste made from a mixture of ground meat and fat, to which various vegetables, herbs and spices may be added. The most famous version of the paste is pâté de foie gras, which is made from the fattened livers of geese (“foie gras” means “fat liver” in French).

30 Old Testament twin : ESAU

Esau is a son of Isaac, and someone whose story is told in the Bible’s Book of Genesis. Esau had three wives, Adah, Aholibamah and Bashemath.

32 Dark purple berry : ACAI

Açaí (pronounced “ass-aye-ee”) is a palm tree native to Central and South America. The fruit has become very popular in recent years and its juice is a very fashionable addition to juice mixes and smoothies.

33 First word of two Springsteen album titles : BORN

Two of Bruce Springsteen’s album titles start with the word “Born”, namely “Born to Run” (1975) and “Born in the USA” (1984).

34 Balkan native : SLAV

The Slavic peoples are in the majority in communities covering over half of Europe. This large ethnic group is traditionally broken down into three smaller groups:

  • the West Slavic (including Czechs and Poles)
  • the East Slavic (including Russians and Ukrainians)
  • the South Slavic (including Bulgarians, Croats and Serbs)

The Balkan Peninsula in Southeast Europe is usually referred to as “the Balkans”. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains located in present-day Bulgaria and Serbia. “Balkan” is Bulgarian for “mountain”.

39 Salmon cured in brine : LOX

Nova lox is salmon that has been cured with a mild brine and then cold-smoked. The term “nova” originally applied to salmon from Nova Scotia.

43 “Cool Runnings” vehicle : BOBSLED

Bobsleds are so called because competitors in the sport originally would “bob” in and out of the sled in order to increase its speed.

The 1993 film “Cool Runnings” was inspired by a true story of the unlikely participation of Jamaica in the 1988 Winter Olympic Games in the bobsled competition. The film was well received, as was the song “I Can See Clearly Now” by Jimmy Cliff that features on the soundtrack. John Candy appears in the film as the bobsled team’s coach. This was to be the last John Candy film to be released in his lifetime.

45 Court org. : ABA

The American Bar Association (ABA) was founded back in 1878 and is a voluntary association for lawyers and law students. The ABA focuses on setting academic standards for law schools and setting ethical codes for the profession.

46 Russia, until 1917 : TSARDOM

The last ruler of Imperial Russia was Tsar Nicholas II (of the House of Romanov). Famously, the Tsar and his family were murdered in 1918 in the basement of a house in Yekaterinburg, Russia by members of the Bolshevik secret police. The Tsar’s youngest daughter was 16-year-old Anastasia and rumors of her escape have persisted for years. The rumors grew with the help of numerous women who claimed to be Anastasia. In 2009, DNA testing finally proved that the remains of all of the Tsar’s immediate family, including Anastasia, have been found and identified.

52 Nice red : ROUGE

The French city of Nice is on the Mediterranean coast in the southeast of the country. Although Nice is only the fifth most populous city in France, it is home to the busiest airport outside of Paris. That’s because of all the tourists flocking to the French Riviera.

54 Lid woes : STYES

A stye is a bacterial infection of the sebaceous glands at the base of the eyelashes, and is also known as a hordeolum.

56 With 20-Across, Homer’s medium : EPIC
(20A See 56-Down : … POETRY)

Homer was a famous poet of ancient Greece who is believed to be the author of the two classic epic poems “Iliad” and “Odyssey”. However, some scholars believe that Homer did not actually exist, but rather he is the personification of oral tradition that was passed down through the ages.

58 Glenn of The Eagles : FREY

Eagles are a rock band that formed in 1971, with the founding members being Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Bernie Leadon and Randy Meisner. Frey and Henley were hired as session musicians by Linda Ronstadt. The four then played live together backing Ronstadt in a gig at Disneyland in 1971, and recorded their debut album together in England the following year.

62 Bush in Florida : JEB

Jeb Bush is the son of President George H. W. Bush, and the brother of President George W. Bush. I always thought that Jeb was an American nickname for James or Joseph but I must be wrong, because George and Barbara’s son John Ellis Bush is called “Jeb”. A kind blog reader has suggested the name “Jeb” may have been chosen as JEB are the initials of John Ellis Bush.

63 Port letters : USB

Universal Serial Bus (USB) is an industry standard dealing with how computers and electronic devices connect and communicate, and deal with electrical power through those connections.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 “__ Come Undone”: Wally Lamb novel : SHE’S
5 They’re on the house : COMPS
10 Sty fare : SLOP
14 Guinness logo : HARP
15 Extra rival : ORBIT
16 Info on a blood donor card : TYPE
17 Anger at progress? : INROAD RAGE (in + road rage)
19 Writer Blyton : ENID
20 See 56-Down : … POETRY
21 Tops : APEXES
23 Move laterally : SIDLE
24 Human being, for one : MAMMAL
27 Embezzlements? : INSIDE SWIPES (in + sideswipes)
32 Did not participate : ABSTAINED
35 All-star game side : EAST
36 Rank above maj. : COL
37 Place for a mineral scrub : SPA
38 U.N. workers’ rights gp. : ILO
41 __ chi : TAI
42 Amman native : ARAB
44 National Storytelling Festival VIP : RACONTEUR
47 Bills’ places? : INVOICE BOXES (in + voice boxes)
50 Flora and fauna of different regions : BIOTAS
51 Prepares, as leftovers : WARMS
55 Some colas : PEPSIS
58 “Groovy!” : FAR OUT!
59 National gemstone of Australia : OPAL
60 EMT assignment? : INJURY DUTY (in + jury duty)
64 Apply with a tube, as frosting : PIPE
65 Down source : GEESE
66 Curved molding : OGEE
67 Whole bunch : SCAD
68 Chic, to a Brit : NOBBY
69 Challenge for the cleaning staff : MESS

Down

1 They might be icebreakers : SHIPS
2 Asian capital on the Red River : HANOI
3 Flubbed a play : ERRED
4 Drew attention to : SPOTLIT
5 Buffalo Bill Museum city : CODY
6 Two-time Art Ross Trophy winner Bobby : ORR
7 Deg. offered at Duke’s Fuqua School : MBA
8 Pua of “Moana,” e.g. : PIG
9 Cooks in a bamboo basket : STEAMS
10 Metal marble : STEELIE
11 Forest cat : LYNX
12 Ryan Hurst’s “Sons of Anarchy” role : OPIE
13 Sidewalk traffic, for short : PEDS
18 Sports venues : ARENAS
22 Fox foot : PAW
24 Mosque tower : MINARET
25 Drink suffix : -ADE
26 Docs : MEDICOS
28 Sample : SIP
29 Cracker topper : PATE
30 Old Testament twin : ESAU
31 Recipe verb : STIR
32 Dark purple berry : ACAI
33 First word of two Springsteen album titles : BORN
34 Balkan native : SLAV
39 Salmon cured in brine : LOX
40 Like some city streets : ONE-WAY
43 “Cool Runnings” vehicle : BOBSLED
45 Court org. : ABA
46 Russia, until 1917 : TSARDOM
48 Son of a son : III
49 Guarantee, as a loan : COSIGN
52 Nice red : ROUGE
53 Silences with a button : MUTES
54 Lid woes : STYES
55 Bursts : POPS
56 With 20-Across, Homer’s medium : EPIC
57 Dad : PAPA
58 Glenn of The Eagles : FREY
61 New prefix : NEO
62 Bush in Florida : JEB
63 Port letters : USB