LA Times Crossword 14 Oct 19, Monday

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Constructed by: Paul Coulter
Edited by: Rich Norris

Today’s Reveal Answer: On the Money

Themed answers each start with a US president whose image appears on a banknote (ON THE MONEY) that is specified in the clue:

  • 59A Exactly right … and where parts of 17-, 24- and 47-Across appear : ON THE MONEY
  • 17A Toy component of a miniature cabin ($5) : LINCOLN LOG
  • 24A One applying for a financial gift ($50) : GRANT WRITER
  • 47A Popular Wyoming mountain resort ($20) : JACKSON HOLE

Bill’s time: 4m 42s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

5 River through the Lake of the Ozarks : OSAGE

Much of the Osage River in Missouri is now taken up by two large reservoirs created behind two dams that provide power for St. Louis and the surrounding area. The two reservoirs are the Truman Reservoir and the Lake of the Ozarks.

10 GPS diagrams : MAPS

Global positioning system (GPS)

15 Rocker Eddie Van __ : HALEN

Van Halen is a heavy metal band formed in Pasadena, California back in 1972. Brothers Eddie and Alex Van Halen originally called the band Mammoth, changing the name to Van Halen in 1974 when they found out there was another Mammoth playing the circuit. Early on, the brothers were renting a sound system from David Lee Roth, and they decided to save some money by bringing him into the band and saving on the rental fee!

16 Tennis great Arthur who wrote “A Hard Road to Glory” : ASHE

“A Hard Road to Glory: A History of the African-American Athlete” is a 1988 book by tennis star Arthur Ashe. Published in three volumes, Ashe researched for almost six years with a team to put the book together. Ashe stated publicly that he valued “A Hard Road to Glory” more than any of his tennis titles.

17 Toy component of a miniature cabin ($5) : LINCOLN LOG

The toy known as “Lincoln Logs” was invented by John Lloyd Wright, son of architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The toy was named after President Abraham Lincoln, who was born in a log cabin.

The US five-dollar bill is often called an “Abe”, as President Abraham Lincoln’s portrait is on the front. An Abe is also referred to as a “fin”, a term that has been used for a five-pound note in Britain since 1868.

19 Actor Gosling : RYAN

Ryan Gosling is a Canadian actor who really seems to be riding high right now. He is one of a string of entertainers to graduate from the Mickey Mouse Club on the Disney Channel.

23 Jack Sprat no-no : FAT

Jack Sprat was a nickname given in the 16th century to people of small stature. Jack featured in a proverb of the day:

Jack will eat not fat, and Jull doth love no leane. Yet betwixt them both they lick the dishes cleane.

Over time, this mutated into a nursery rhyme that is still recited in England:

Jack Sprat could eat no fat. His wife could eat no lean. And so between them both, you see, they licked the platter clean.

24 One applying for a financial gift ($50) : GRANT WRITER

President Ulysses S. Grant appears on the obverse of the US fifty-dollar bill. There have been two unsuccessful attempts in recent years in Congress to have President Grant’s image replaced with that of President Ronald Reagan.

29 Frosty coating : RIME

Rime is the beautiful coating of ice that forms on surfaces like roofs, trees and grass, when cold water freezes instantly under the right conditions.

30 Par __: via airmail, in Arles : AVION

“Par avion” is a French term meaning “by airplane”. We’re used to seeing “par avion” on a blue sticker under the words “Air Mail” on our mail.

34 WWII turning point : D-DAY

The Normandy landings on D-Day in 1944 took place along a 50-mile stretch of the Normandy coast divided into five sectors: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword. The worst fighting by far took place on Omaha Beach, a sector assigned to the US Army that was transported by elements of the US Navy and the Royal Navy.

38 Doozy : LULU

We call a remarkable thing or a person a lulu. The term “lulu” was coined in honor of Lulu Hurst, the Georgia Wonder, who was a stage magician active in the 1880s.

A doozy is something extraordinary or bizarre. The exact origins of the word “doozy” aren’t clear, but it might be a derivative of the name Eleanora Duse, an Italian actress popular early in the 20th century. Some say that the term comes from the Duesenberg brand of automobile, which was indeed referred to as a “duesy”. However, the use of “doozy” in print occurs before the Duesenberg hit the market.

39 High-tech eye surgery : LASIK

LASIK surgery uses a laser to reshape the cornea of the eye to improve vision. The LASIK acronym stands for “laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis”.

40 Self-defense spray : MACE

“Mace” is actually a brand name, one introduced by Lake Erie Chemical when they started to manufacture “Chemical Mace”, with the name being a play on the club-like weapon from days of old. Mace was originally a form of tear gas, but Mace today uses a formula that is actually a pepper spray, a different formulation.

41 Roach or termite : PEST

The insect known as a cockroach is closely related to the termite. Although generally considered a pest, the lowly cockroach has at least one claim to fame. A cockroach named Nadezhda was sent into space in 2007 by Russian scientists, where it became the first terrestrial creature to give birth in space. Nadezhda bore 33 cockroaches.

Termites are insects that are somewhat unique in that they can digest cellulose (as can ruminants such as cattle). Because of this diet, they cause a lot of trouble for human populations by feeding on wood in man-made structures.

42 Stuntman Knievel : EVEL

Daredevil Evel Knievel contracted hepatitis C from the many blood transfusions that he needed after injuries incurred during stunts. He had to have a liver transplant as a result, but his health declined after that. Knievel eventually passed away in 2007.

43 Like Cheerios, grain-wise : OATEN

Cheerios breakfast cereal has the distinction of being the first oat-based cereal introduced into the market, hitting the grocery store shelves in 1941. Back then, Cheerios were known as CheeriOats.

46 Author Rice : ANNE

Anne Rice is an American author of erotic and Gothic novels. Rice was born Howard Allen O’Brien (no wonder she changed her name!). Her famous series of novels “The Vampire Chronicles” centers on her character Lestat de Lioncourt, a French nobleman who was turned into a vampire in the 18th century. One of the stories, “Interview with the Vampire”, was adapted for the big screen in 1994 and features Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt and others in a star-studded cast. Not my kind of movie though, as I don’t do vampires …

47 Popular Wyoming mountain resort ($20) : JACKSON HOLE

Jackson Hole is the name of a beautiful valley in Wyoming formed between the Teton and Gros Ventre Ranges. The name “Jackson Hole” is also used locally for the town of Jackson that is located in the valley.

The twenty-dollar bill is called a “Jackson” as it bears the portrait of President Andrew Jackson on the front side of the bill. Jackson’s image replaced that of President Grover Cleveland in 1928, and there doesn’t seem to be any record documenting just why that change was made. Over one-fifth of all notes printed today are 20-dollar bills. The average life of a Jackson is a little over 2 years, after which it is replaced due to wear.

52 Myrna of “The Thin Man” : LOY

The beautiful Myrna Loy was one of my favorite actresses. Her career took off when she was paired up with William Powell in the fabulous “The Thin Man” series of films. Loy also appeared opposite Cary Grant in a couple of films that I like to watch every so often, namely “The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer” (1947) and “Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House” (1948).

“The Thin Man” is a detective novel written by Dashiell Hammett that was first published in the magazine “Redbook” in 1934. Hammett never wrote a sequel to his story, but it spawned a wonderful, wonderful series of “The Thin Man” films starring William Powell and Myrna Loy (as Nick and Nora Charles). “The Thin Man” was the last novel that Hammett wrote.

56 Greek “i” : IOTA

Iota is the ninth letter in the Greek alphabet, and one that gave rise to our letters I and J. We use the word “iota” to portray something very small, as it is the smallest of all Greek letters.

57 Simpson trial judge : ITO

Judge Lance Ito came in for a lot of criticism for his handling of the 1995 O.J. Simpson murder trial. The lead prosecutor in that trial was Marcia Clark, you might recall. I read the book that’s Clark wrote about the trial called “Without a Doubt”, and she pointed out one trait of Judge Ito that I think is quite telling. Ito would almost always refer to the prosecutor as “Marcia”, while addressing the men on both sides of the case with the honorific “Mister”.

62 First, in “Who’s on First?” : BASE

Bud Abbott and Lou Costello made up the comedy duo Abbott and Costello who were immensely popular in the forties and fifties. Even when I was growing up in Ireland and knew nothing about baseball, I was rolling around the floor listening to Abbott and Costello’s famous “Who’s on First?” comedy routine. Can you name all the players?

First Base: Who
Second Base: What
Third Base: I Don’t Know
Left field: Why
Center field: Because
Pitcher: Tomorrow
Catcher: Today
Shortstop: I Don’t Care/I Don’t Give a Darn

64 “I, Claudius” role : NERO

Nero was Emperor of Rome from 54 to 68 CE, and he had quite the family life. When he was just 16-years-old Nero married his step-sister Claudia Octavia. He also had his mother and step-brother executed.

“I, Claudius” is a 1934 novel penned by Robert Graves, written in the form of an autobiography of Emperor Claudius of Rome. Graves wrote a sequel in 1935 called “Claudius the God”. Both books were adapted by the BBC into a fabulous television series that went by the name of the first book “I, Claudius”.

Down

1 Seasoned rice dish : PILAF

“Pilaf” is a Persian word, one that we use to describe rice that is browned in oil and then cooked in a seasoned broth.

2 Patsy’s “Ab Fab” pal : EDINA

“Absolutely Fabulous” (sometimes shortened to “Ab Fab”) is a cult-classic sitcom produced by the BBC. The two stars of the show are Jennifer Saunders (Edina Monsoon) and Joanna Lumley (Patsy Stone). “Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie” hit the screens in 2016. I haven’t seen it yet, but my wife did and really enjoyed it. She said that there’s a veritable cavalcade of British stars that make an appearance …

4 Utah luggage tag initials : SLC

Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) is a joint civil and military facility. The Roland R. Wright National Air Guard Base is located on 135 acres of land that is leased from the airport.

6 Reindeer reins holder : SANTA

The Santa Claus with whom we are familiar today largely comes from the description in the 1823 poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas”, and from the 1863 caricature created by the political cartoonist Thomas Nast. Nast is also responsible for locating Santa’s workshop at the North Magnetic Pole, a fact that he revealed to the world in a series of drawings in 1879.

7 Filmmaker Woody : ALLEN

Allan Stewart Konigsberg changed his legal name to “Heywood Allen” when he was 17 years old, and soon after started to call himself “Woody Allen”, the name with which he achieved celebrity. Allen won four Academy Awards, three for Best Original Screenplay and one for Best Director. He has more Oscar nominations as a screenwriter than any other writer, but he spurns the Awards ceremony and only attended it once in all his years in the movie business. He broke tradition by turning up at the 2002 ceremony, unannounced, to beg producers to continue filming in his beloved New York City despite the fears created by the 9/11 attacks.

8 Former Prizm maker : GEO

Geos were small vehicles manufactured by General Motors mainly in the nineties. Geos were designed to compete head-to-head with the small imports that were gaining market share at the time in the US. Some Geo models that you might remember are the Metro, the Prizm and the Storm. The cars were actually built as joint-ventures with Japanese manufacturers. The Prizm was a GM/Toyota project, the Metro was GM/Suzuki, and the Storm was GM/Isuzu.

9 London lang. : ENG

London is the largest metropolitan area in the whole of the European Union (and one of my favorite cities in the world). London has been a major settlement for over 2,000 years and was founded as a town by the Romans who named it Londinium. The name “Londinium” may have existed prior to the arrival of the Romans, and no one seems too sure of its origins. Famously, the City of London is a one-square-mile area at the center of the metropolis, the area that marked old medieval London. “The City”, as it is commonly called, has its own Mayor of the City of London (the Mayor of London is someone else), and it’s own City of London Police Force (the London Metropolitan Police are the police usually seen on the streets, a different force).

12 New moon, e.g. : PHASE

The phases of the moon have been given the following names, in order:

  • New moon
  • Waxing crescent moon
  • First quarter moon
  • Waxing gibbous moon
  • Full moon
  • Waning gibbous moon
  • Third quarter moon
  • Waning crescent moon
  • Dark moon

25 Oregon or Chisholm : TRAIL

The Oregon Trail was established by fur trappers and traders as early as 1811. The first migrant wagon train traveled the route in 1836, starting off in Independence, Missouri and going as far as Fort Hall, Idaho. In the coming years, the trail was extended for wagons as far as the Willamette Valley in Oregon.

The Chisholm Trail was used in the late 1800s by ranchers driving their cattle from Texas to the stockyards and railroad termini in Kansas. The trail was named for Jesse Chisholm, who operated trading posts along much of the route.

26 Bat one eye : WINK

At least as far back as the 1800s, the term “batting” was used in falconry to describe the fluttering of a hawk’s wings while on a perch or a fist, as if the bird intended to fly away. The usage of “batting” extended to the fluttering of a human’s eyelids, giving us the expressions “batting an eye” and “batting an eyelid”.

28 Place to eat Seoul food : SOUTH KOREA

Seoul is the capital city of South Korea. The Seoul National Capital Area is home to over 25 million people and is the second largest metropolitan area in the world, second only to Tokyo, Japan.

30 Mont Blanc, e.g. : ALP

Mont Blanc is the highest peak in the Alps. The name “Mont Blanc” translates from French into “white mountain”. The mountain lies on the border between France and Italy, and it has been generally accepted for decades that the summit lies within French territory. However, there have been official claims that the summit does in fact fall within the borders of Italy.

31 Saturn SUV : VUE

The VUE is a compact SUV made by General Motors under the Saturn brand from 2001 to 2009. The VUE was the best-selling of all Saturn models.

32 Expert : MAVEN

I’ve always loved the term “maven”, which is another word for “expert”. Maven comes into English from the Yiddish “meyvn” describing someone who appreciates and is a connoisseur.

37 Strong desire : YEN

The word “yen”, meaning “urge”, has been around in English since the very early 1900s. It comes from the earlier word “yin” imported from Chinese, which was used in English to describe an intense craving for opium.

39 Jay of late-night TV : LENO

Jay Leno was born James Leno in New Rochelle, New York. Jay’s father was the son of Italian immigrants, and his mother was from Scotland. Leno grew up in Andover, Massachusetts and actually dropped out of school on the advice of a high school guidance counsellor. However, years later he went to Emerson college and earned a Bachelor’s degree in speech therapy. Leno also started a comedy club at Emerson in 1973. Today Jay Leno is a car nut and owns about 200 vehicles of various types. You can check them out on his website: www.jaylenosgarage.com.

43 Late hr. to turn in : ONE AM

Very late indeed … [yawn]

45 CIA forerunner : OSS

The Office of Strategic Services (OSS) was formed during WWII in order to carry out espionage behind enemy lines. A few years after the end of the war the OSS functions were taken up by a new group, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) that was chartered by the National Security Act of 1947.

47 __ the Hutt of “Star Wars” : JABBA

Jabba the Hutt is the big blob of an alien that appears in the “Star Wars” movie “The Return of the Jedi”. Jabba’s claim to fame is that he enslaved Princess Leia and kitted her out in that celebrated metal bikini.

50 Blackjack request : HIT ME

“Stand” and “hit me” are instructions to the dealer in the card game Blackjack. The instruction “stand” means, I don’t want any more cards, I’ll use these. The instruction “hit me” means “please deal me another card”.

53 Comical Cheri : OTERI

Cheri Oteri was the SNL (“Saturday Night Live”) cast member who regularly appeared with Will Ferrell in the skit featuring a pair of Spartan cheerleaders.

54 Up-and-down toys : YO-YOS

Would you believe that the first yo-yos date back to 500 BC? There is even an ancient Greek vase painting that shows a young man playing with a yo-yo. Centuries later Filipinos were using yo-yos as hunting tools in the 1500s. “Yo-yo” is a Tagalog (Filipino) word meaning “come-come” or simply “return”.

60 Dumfries denial : NAE

Dumfries is a town in the southeast of Scotland that is nicknamed “Queen of the South”. Dumfries has a professional soccer club that goes by the name Queen of the South.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Livens (up) : PEPS
5 River through the Lake of the Ozarks : OSAGE
10 GPS diagrams : MAPS
14 Teen heartthrob : IDOL
15 Rocker Eddie Van __ : HALEN
16 Tennis great Arthur who wrote “A Hard Road to Glory” : ASHE
17 Toy component of a miniature cabin ($5) : LINCOLN LOG
19 Actor Gosling : RYAN
20 “__ suggestions?” : ANY
21 Mindless repetition : ROTE
22 “You __ grounded!” : ARE SO
23 Jack Sprat no-no : FAT
24 One applying for a financial gift ($50) : GRANT WRITER
27 “What __ state of affairs!” : A SAD
29 Frosty coating : RIME
30 Par __: via airmail, in Arles : AVION
32 Intend to say : MEAN
34 WWII turning point : D-DAY
38 Doozy : LULU
39 High-tech eye surgery : LASIK
40 Self-defense spray : MACE
41 Roach or termite : PEST
42 Stuntman Knievel : EVEL
43 Like Cheerios, grain-wise : OATEN
44 Fine-tune, as skills : HONE
46 Author Rice : ANNE
47 Popular Wyoming mountain resort ($20) : JACKSON HOLE
52 Myrna of “The Thin Man” : LOY
55 High hairdos : AFROS
56 Greek “i” : IOTA
57 Simpson trial judge : ITO
58 Unfocused image : BLUR
59 Exactly right … and where parts of 17-, 24- and 47-Across appear : ON THE MONEY
62 First, in “Who’s on First?” : BASE
63 Worse, as excuses go : LAMER
64 “I, Claudius” role : NERO
65 “__ girl!” : ATTA
66 Accomplishments : DEEDS
67 “No warranties” : AS IS

Down

1 Seasoned rice dish : PILAF
2 Patsy’s “Ab Fab” pal : EDINA
3 Hairstyles named for an equine feature : PONYTAILS
4 Utah luggage tag initials : SLC
5 “Dear God!” : OH LORD!
6 Reindeer reins holder : SANTA
7 Filmmaker Woody : ALLEN
8 Former Prizm maker : GEO
9 London lang. : ENG
10 Guy wearing a ring, perhaps : MARRIED MAN
11 Until now : AS YET
12 New moon, e.g. : PHASE
13 Mexican title : SENOR
18 Church keyboard : ORGAN
22 Escort’s offer : ARM
25 Oregon or Chisholm : TRAIL
26 Bat one eye : WINK
28 Place to eat Seoul food : SOUTH KOREA
30 Mont Blanc, e.g. : ALP
31 Saturn SUV : VUE
32 Expert : MAVEN
33 Language suffix : -ESE
35 Starts of many news stories : DATELINES
36 Expert : ACE
37 Strong desire : YEN
39 Jay of late-night TV : LENO
43 Late hr. to turn in : ONE AM
45 CIA forerunner : OSS
46 Changes : ALTERS
47 __ the Hutt of “Star Wars” : JABBA
48 Note after G : A-FLAT
49 Pizza feature : CRUST
50 Blackjack request : HIT ME
51 __ and aahed : OOHED
53 Comical Cheri : OTERI
54 Up-and-down toys : YO-YOS
59 Ancient : OLD
60 Dumfries denial : NAE
61 Words before roll or streak : ON A …