LA Times Crossword Answers 25 Jan 2018, Thursday

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Constructed by: C.C. Burnikel
Edited by: Rich Norris

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Today’s Theme: Escapee

Themed answers each comprise two words. The first starts with the letters SK, and the second with the letter P. And, those letters SKP sound like “ESCAPEE”:

  • 41D. Search dogs’ target … and a phonetic hint to the answers to starred clues : ESCAPEE (sounds like “SKP”)
  • 16A. *Tony Hawk legwear : SKATE PANTS
  • 36A. *Stick in the snow : SKI POLE
  • 56A. *Drawing needs : SKETCHPADS
  • 10D. *Medicated dermal strip : SKIN PATCH
  • 31D. *Military chaplains : SKY PILOTS

Bill’s time: 6m 28s

Bill’s errors: 0

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Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

5. Centipede developer : ATARI

Centipede is an arcade game from Atari (it was my favorite!). The game was designed by Ed Logg and Dona Bailey, with Bailey being one of the few female game designers back then (it was released in 1980). Perhaps due to her influence, Centipede was the first arcade game to garner a significant female following.

10. Farm digs : STY

“Digs” is short for “diggings” meaning “lodgings”. Where “diggings” came from, no one seems to know.

13. Tennis legend for whom a “Courage Award” is named : ASHE

The Arthur Ashe Courage Award has been presented annually since 1993 as part of the ESPY Awards. Named for tennis great Arthur Ashe, it is awarded to individuals whose contributions “transcend sports”. The list of recipients includes Howard Cosell (1995), Muhammad Ali (1997), Billie Jean King (1999), Nelson Mandela (2009), Caitlyn Jenner (2015) and Eunice Kennedy Shriver (2017).

14. French upper house : SENAT

In French, the “Parlement français” (French parliament) is divided into the “Sénat” (Senate) and the “Assemblée nationale” (National Assembly).

15. Hershey bar : SKOR

Skor is a candy bar produced by Hershey’s. “Skor” is Swedish for “shoes”, and the candy bar’s wrapping features a crown that is identical to that found in the Swedish national emblem. What shoes have to do with candy, I don’t know …

16. *Tony Hawk legwear : SKATE PANTS

Tony Hawk is a former professional skateboarder from Carlsbad, California. He is probably the most famous skateboarder in the world. I certainly can’t name another one …

22. Nadal’s birthplace : SPAIN

Rafael “Rafa” Nadal is a Spanish tennis player. He is noted for his expertise on clay courts, which earned him the nickname “The King of Clay”.

23. Snatch, as a toy? : DOGNAP

The toy group of dogs is made up of the smallest breeds. The smallest of the small breeds are sometimes called teacup breeds.

24. Composer Franck : CESAR

César Franck was a composer from Liège in Belgium who spent his working life in Paris.

26. Luggage attachments : ID TAGS

The word “luggage” arose in the late 16th century, when it described something that was “lugged” about. More recently, the term is used mainly by English speakers on the other side of the Atlantic instead of “baggage”.

29. Soak up the sun : BASK

Our verb “to bask”, meaning “to expose one to pleasant warmth”, is derived from the gruesome 14th-century term “basken”, meaning “to wallow in blood”. The contemporary usage apparently originated with Shakespeare, who employed “bask” with reference to sunshine in “As You Like It”.

32. Blue Grotto resort : CAPRI

The island of Capri off the coast of Southern Italy has been a tourist resort since the days of ancient Rome. Capri is home to the famous Blue Grotto, a sea cave that is illuminated with sunlight that’s colored blue as it passes through the seawater into the cave.

34. Boy king : TUT

“King Tut” is a name commonly used for the Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun. Tutankhamun may not have been the most significant of the pharaohs historically, but he is the most famous today largely because of the discovery of his nearly intact tomb in 1922 by Howard Carter. Prior to this find, any Egyptian tombs uncovered by archaeologists had been ravaged by grave robbers. Tutankhamun’s magnificent burial mask is one of the most recognizable of all Egyptian artifacts.

38. Premier __: wine designation : CRU

“Cru” is a term used in the French wine industry that means “growth place”. So, “cru” is the name of the location where the grapes are grown, as opposed to the name of a specific vineyard. The terms “premier cru” and “grand cru” are also used, but the usage depends on the specific wine region. Generally it is a classification awarded to specific vineyards denoting their potential for producing great wines. “Grand cru” is reserved for the very best vineyards, with “premier cru” the level just below.

39. Word before watch or window : BAY

“Baywatch” is TV series starring David Hasselhoff that is about lifeguards patrolling the beaches of Los Angeles County. Over the life of the show, the lifeguards not only had to rescue swimmers, they also had to deal with earthquakes, shark attacks, serial killers and even nuclear bombs. The trademark “look” on the show was provided by slow motion shots of the lifeguards running to someone’s rescue in those red bathing costumes.

A bay window is a window that projects outside, beyond the wall. The resulting space inside the wall forms a “bay” inside a room.

41. Israeli politician Barak : EHUD

Ehud Barak served as Prime Minister of Israel from 1999 to 2001, taking over from Benjamin Netanyahu. Barak left office after he called a special election for Prime Minister and lost the vote to Ariel Sharon. Barak resigned from the Knesset and took an advisory job with the US company Electronic Data Systems (EDS), and did some security-related work with a private equity company. In 2007, Barak took over leadership of Israel’s Labor Party.

52. Wheat protein : GLUTEN

Gluten is a protein mixture found in foods processed mainly from wheat. The sticky properties of gluten are used in making bread, giving dough its elasticity and making the final product chewy. “Gluten” is the Latin word for “glue”.

53. Tree with durable wood : ACACIA

Acacia is a genus of tree and shrub that is also known as thorntree, whistling thorn and wattle.

60. Dairy mascot : ELSIE

Elsie the Cow is the mascot of the Borden Company. Elsie first appeared at the New York World’s Fair in 1939, introduced to symbolize the perfect dairy product. She is so famous and respected that she has been awarded the degrees of Doctor of Bovinity, Doctor fo Human Kindness and Doctor of Ecownomics. Elsie was also given a husband named Elmer the Bull. Elmer eventually moved over to the chemical division of Borden where he gave his name to Elmer’s Glue.

61. Canal completed in 1825 : ERIE

The Erie Canal runs from Albany to Buffalo in the state of New York. What the canal does is allow shipping to proceed from New York Harbor right up the Hudson River, through the canal and into the Great Lakes. When it was opened in 1825, the Erie Canal had immediate impact on the economy of New York City and locations along its route. It was the first means of “cheap” transportation from a port on the Atlantic seaboard into the interior of the United States. Arguably it was the most important factor contributing to the growth of New York City over competing ports such as Baltimore and Philadelphia. It was largely because of the Erie Canal that New York became such an economic powerhouse, earning it the nickname of “the Empire State”. Paradoxically, one of the project’s main proponents was severely criticized. New York Governor DeWitt Clinton received so much ridicule that the canal was nicknamed “Clinton’s Folly” and “Clinton’s Ditch”.

62. Belly dance muscles : ABS

The Middle Eastern dance referred to in Arabic as “Raqs Sharqi” was referred to in French as “danse du ventre” meaning “belly dance”, a reference to the abdominal movements used and the tradition of performing with a bare midriff.

64. “Hairspray” mom : EDNA

In the musical “Hairspray”, Edna Turnblad is one of the main characters. “Hairspray” was originally a John Waters movie, from 1988. In that film Edna was played by Divine, a famous drag queen who featured in many Waters films. In the stage musical that opened in 2002, the original Broadway cast featured Harvey Fierstein as Edna. The 2007 movie adaptation of the musical had John Travolta in the role.

Down

5. Trees of the species Populus tremula : ASPENS

The “quaking” aspen tree is so called because the structure of the leaves causes them to move easily in the wind, to “tremble, quake”.

6. “Eat Drink Man Woman” drink : TEA

“Eat Drink Man Woman” is a Taiwanese film directed by Ang Lee that was released in 1994. The film was remade in 2001 in English as “Tortilla Soup”.

7. Former Texas governor Richards : ANN

Ann Richards was the second woman to serve as Governor of Texas, and held the office from 1991 to 1995. Richards was a Democrat, and she was defeated in the 1994 election by Republican George W. Bush.

8. “Midnight Cowboy” con man : RATSO

Enrico Salvatore “Ratso” Rizzo is one of the characters in the groundbreaking 1969 movie “Midnight Cowboy”. Rizzo is a down-and-out con man played by Dustin Hoffman.

The 1969 movie “Midnight Cowboy” is a Hollywood adaptation of a novel of the same name by James Leo Herlihy. It’s a pretty depressing story about a young Texan named Joe Buck (played by Jon Voight) who heads to New York City to make money as a hustler, hiring himself out to women for sex. Pretty soon the young man ends up selling his body for sex with males as well. Prior to release the MPAA gave the movie an R-rating, but the United Artists studio took advice and decided to release it with an X-rating. When “Midnight Cowboy” won the Best Picture Academy Award in 1969, it became the only X-rated film to be so honored.

12. Cen. components : YRS

There are 100 years (yrs.) in a century (cen.).

15. 1978 Peace co-Nobelist : SADAT

Anwar Sadat was the third President of Egypt right up to the time of his assassination in 1981. Sadat won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1978 along with Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin for the role played in crafting the Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty of 1978 at Camp David. It was this agreement that largely led to Sadat’s assassination three years later.

17. Tahari of fashion : ELIE

Elie Tahari is an American fashion designer, although he was born in Jerusalem. Tahari immigrated to the US from Israel in 1971 and started work as an electrician in the the Garment District in New York City. It was there that he became interested in fashion.

23. Decorator’s choice : DRAPERY

When I was growing up on the other side of the pond, a drapery was a shop where one could buy cloth for making clothes or curtains. It was only when I came to America that I heard the term “drapes” used for curtains.

27. Expert : GURU

“Guru” is a Hindi word meaning “teacher” or “priest”.

29. Spill catchers : BIBS

The word “bib” comes from the Latin “bibere” meaning “to drink”, as does our word “imbibe”. So, maybe it’s less about spilling the food, and more about soaking up the booze …

30. Smoothie berry : ACAI

Açaí 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.

37. Creator of Randle McMurphy and Chief Bromden : KEN KESEY

Ken Kesey wrote the novels “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” and “Sometimes a Great Notion”. Kesey was one of a group of friends who called themselves the “Merry Pranksters”, a bunch of guys who were associated with the likes of Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg and Timothy Leary, all icons of the Beat Generation.

Randle McMurphy and Chief Bromden are two characters in the novel “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” by Ken Kesey. In the famous 1975 film adaptation, McMurphy is played by Jack Nicholson and Bromden by Will Sampson.

46. Dash dial : TACH

The tachometer takes its name from the Greek word “tachos” meaning “speed”. A tachometer measures engine revolutions per minute (rpm).

50. Hallmark.com choice : E-CARD

Hallmark produces more greeting cards in the US than any other company. The company was started by Joyce Clyde Hall in 1910, and by 1915 was known as Hall Brothers after his brother Rollie joined the enterprise. Rollie invented what we know today as “wrapping paper”, displacing the traditional use of colored tissue paper for wrapping gifts. The company took on the name “Hallmark” in 1928, taking the term for the symbol used by goldsmiths in London in the 1500s.

54. On the Pacific : ASEA

Ferdinand Magellan was a Portuguese explorer who was hired by King Charles I of Spain to find a westward route to the Spice Islands, now known as the Maluku Islands of Indonesia. Magellan headed west through the Atlantic starting out in 1519. He passed south of the Americas through was is now called the Strait of Magellan. He gave the name “Peaceful Sea” to the body of water that he encountered west of the Americas, which we now know as the Pacific Ocean. He and his expedition reached the Spice Islands in 1521, and returned home via the Indian Ocean. This voyage was the first circumnavigation of the globe in history.

57. Course for intl. students : 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).

58. Lead : TIP

A detective might be given a lead, a tip, in a case.

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Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1. Apple Store display : MACS
5. Centipede developer : ATARI
10. Farm digs : STY
13. Tennis legend for whom a “Courage Award” is named : ASHE
14. French upper house : SENAT
15. Hershey bar : SKOR
16. *Tony Hawk legwear : SKATE PANTS
18. Helps out : AIDS
19. Unpretentious : HUMBLE
20. Turned it down : SAID NO
22. Nadal’s birthplace : SPAIN
23. Snatch, as a toy? : DOGNAP
24. Composer Franck : CESAR
26. Luggage attachments : ID TAGS
29. Soak up the sun : BASK
32. Blue Grotto resort : CAPRI
34. Boy king : TUT
35. “That’s gross!” : ICK!
36. *Stick in the snow : SKI POLE
38. Premier __: wine designation : CRU
39. Word before watch or window : BAY
40. Signs away : CEDES
41. Israeli politician Barak : EHUD
42. Nurses, as a drink : SIPS ON
44. Chills out : RESTS
47. “No harm done” : I’M OKAY
49. Waited nervously, perhaps : PACED
52. Wheat protein : GLUTEN
53. Tree with durable wood : ACACIA
55. Fellas : BROS
56. *Drawing needs : SKETCHPADS
59. Inauguration words : OATH
60. Dairy mascot : ELSIE
61. Canal completed in 1825 : ERIE
62. Belly dance muscles : ABS
63. Kennel cries : YELPS
64. “Hairspray” mom : EDNA

Down

1. British side : MASH
2. Words on a help desk sign : ASK US
3. Ring leader? : CHAMP
4. Reversal of fortune : SETBACK
5. Trees of the species Populus tremula : ASPENS
6. “Eat Drink Man Woman” drink : TEA
7. Former Texas governor Richards : ANN
8. “Midnight Cowboy” con man : RATSO
9. Delivery room cry : IT’S A GIRL!
10. *Medicated dermal strip : SKIN PATCH
11. Fuss : TO-DO
12. Cen. components : YRS
15. 1978 Peace co-Nobelist : SADAT
17. Tahari of fashion : ELIE
21. Many a low-budget flick : INDIE
23. Decorator’s choice : DRAPERY
25. Corrosive liquid : ACID
27. Expert : GURU
28. Drywall support : STUD
29. Spill catchers : BIBS
30. Smoothie berry : ACAI
31. *Military chaplains : SKY PILOTS
33. Sit for a snap : POSE
36. Hurry along : SCOOT
37. Creator of Randle McMurphy and Chief Bromden : KEN KESEY
41. Search dogs’ target … and a phonetic hint to the answers to starred clues : ESCAPEE (sounds like “SKP”)
43. Flatten : SMUSH
45. Garage units : SPACES
46. Dash dial : TACH
48. A high-top hides it : ANKLE
50. Hallmark.com choice : E-CARD
51. Bumped off : DID IN
52. Snatch : GRAB
54. On the Pacific : ASEA
55. Showgirl’s accessory : BOA
57. Course for intl. students : ESL
58. Lead : TIP

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