LA Times Crossword 21 Sep 18, Friday

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Constructed by: Jerry Edelstein
Edited by: Rich Norris

Today’s Reveal Answer: No C and O

Themed answers are common phrases with an initial CO- removed:

  • 62A. “Above my pay grade” … and, read in four parts, a hint to 16-, 24-, 32-, 40- and 49-Across : NO CAN DO … and NO C AND O
  • 16A. Result of too many people fishing? : PIER JAM (from “copier jam”)
  • 24A. Religious music? : PIOUS NOTES (from “copious notes”)
  • 32A. Well-versed about sailing ships? : UP ON CLIPPERS (from “coupon clippers”)
  • 40A. Dispute between polite fellows? : GENT ARGUMENT (from “cogent argument”)
  • 49A. Problems with cellphone signals? : PING ISSUES (from “coping issues”)

Bill’s time: 10m 04s

Bill’s errors: 0

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Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

7. Maybelline product : MASCARA

Maybelline was founded in 1925 in New York by a chemist who was inspired to produce a line of mascara when he noticed his sister applying some makeup. The young lady was using a mixture of Vaseline and coal dust on her eyelashes to make them appear darker and fuller. He produced a product in the laboratory that had a similar effect and started to sell it. The sister’s name was Maybel, and Maybelline became the new company name.

14. Role for Miley : HANNAH

Miley Cyrus became famous playing the Disney Channel character “Hannah Montana”. Miley is the daughter of country singer Billy Ray Cyrus. When she was born, Billy Ray and his wife named their daughter “Destiny Hope”, but soon they themselves calling her “Smiley” as she was always smiling as a baby, and this got shortened to Miley over time. Cute …

15. Sticks : CLEAVES

I’ve always found “to cleave” an interesting verb. When used with an object, to cleave something is to split it, as one would would using a cleaver. When used without an object, to cleave is to cling, to adhere, as in “to cleave to one’s principles in the face of adversity”. Although not exactly so, the two definitions seem to have opposite meanings to me …

19. Lincoln and Grant had them in common : BEARDS

There is a story that just before Abraham Lincoln was elected president in 1860, he received a letter from a 12-year-old girl who criticized Lincoln’s appearance and his pock-marked, gaunt face. The little girl, Grace Bedell from New York, promised to get her brothers to vote for Lincoln if he would just grow a beard. However, Lincoln waited until after the election to grow his famous whiskers, a distinctive look that would forever be associated with his presidency.

Ulysses S. Grant (USG) was born Hiram Ulysses Grant in 1822 in Point Pleasant, Ohio. At the request of Grant’s father, US Congressman Thomas L. Hamer nominated 16-year-old Ulysses to West Point. Hamer mistakenly wrote the young lad’s name as “Ulysses S. Grant”, and so that became the future president’s adopted name.

27. Buoyant wood : BALSA

Balsa is a very fast growing tree that is native to parts of South America. Even though balsa wood is very soft, it is actually classified as a hardwood, the softest of all the hardwoods (go figure!). Balsa is light and strong, so is commonly used in making model airplanes. Amazingly, in WWII a full-size British plane, the de Havilland Mosquito, was built largely from balsa and plywood. No wonder they called it “The Wooden Wonder” and “The Timber Terror”.

31. ’60s protest gp. : SDS

Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) was an activist group in the sixties. The SDS organized the largest student strike in the history of the United States on 26 April 1968, with about a million students staying away from class that day. The “Students for a Democratic Society” name was revived in 2006 with the foundation of a new US-based student organization with left wing beliefs. Today’s SDS was founded by a pair of high school students from Greenwich Village, New York.

32. Well-versed about sailing ships? : UP ON CLIPPERS (from “coupon clippers”)

A clipper was a three-masted sailing ship commonly crossing the seas in the 19th century. Clippers were built for speed, so were narrow and had less room for carrying freight than many vessels used in trade. They were developed largely due to the demand for speedy delivery of fresh tea from China to Europe. The name comes from the term “to clip” meaning to move swiftly (as in “at a clip”). Perhaps the most famous clipper ship is the Cutty Sark built in 1869, the last clipper to be built as a merchant vessel. The Cutty Sark owes her fame to the fact that she is on display as a museum ship in a dry dock in Greenwich in London.

38. Fencing gear : EPEES

The French word for sword is “épée”. In competitive fencing the épée is connected to a system that records an electrical signal when legal contact is made on an opponent’s body.

44. Term. : STA

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

48. Stimulate : PIQUE

The words “whet” and “pique” can both be used in the sense of sharpening or awaking one’s interest or desire.

49. Problems with cellphone signals? : PING ISSUES (from “coping issues”)

In the world of computer science, a “ping” is a test message sent over a network between computers to check for a response and to measure the time of that response. We now use the verb “to ping” more generally, meaning to send someone a message, usually a reminder.

54. __ corda: played using the piano’s soft pedal : UNA

The una corda pedal is the soft pedal on a piano, usually the pedal situated to the left. Normally a hammer in a piano strikes three strings tuned to the same note. When the soft pedal is depressed, all of the hammers shift slightly to the left so that only two strings are struck.

55. Orly arrival : AVION

“Avion” is French for “airplane”.

Orly is a town on the outskirts of Paris to the south of the city. It is home to the Paris-Orly Airport, the second busiest international airport for the city after the more recently built Charles de Gaulle Airport. That said, Orly is home to more domestic flights than Charles de Gaulle.

56. Like little-known facts : ARCANE

Something that is arcane is something that is understood by only a few, something that might be described as mysterious.

59. Hungary neighbor : ROMANIA

Romania sits just east of Hungary and north of Bulgaria in Europe. Romania was formed from the union of two principalities in 1859, Moldavia and Wallachia. The Kingdom of Romania grew larger in size after WWI with the addition of three new regions, including the “vampirish” Transylvania.

68. Antarctic explorer Shackleton : ERNEST

Sir Ernest Shackleton was a British polar explorer (although he was born in Ireland). His most famous venture was the last of the three expeditions Shackleton led to the Antarctic. His ship, the Endurance, was crushed by pack ice, forcing the crew to take to lifeboats. Shackleton led his men on a 720-nautical mile voyage in those open boats through freezing and stormy weather to safety.

Down

1. Golden State traffic org. : CHP

The California Highway Patrol (CHP) was established in 1929, and merged with the smaller California State Police in 1995. Given these roots, the CHP not only controls the highways, but also provides other services such as protecting the State Capitol and state officials. It is the the largest state police force in the country.

“Golden State” has been the official nickname of California since 1968. The nickname reflects the expansion of the state’s economy that followed the discovery of gold in 1848, and also the fields of golden poppies seen growing wild across California in the spring.

2. “Bali __” : HA’I

The song “Bali Ha’i” is from the musical “South Pacific” by Rodgers and Hammerstein. Bali Ha’i is the name of a volcanic island that neighbors the island on which the story takes place. The matriarch of Bali Ha’i is a character named Bloody Mary, and it is Bloody Mary who sings the song in the musical.

5. Indian noble : RAJA

“Raja” (also “rajah”) is word derived from Sanskrit that is used particularly in India for a monarch or princely ruler. The female form is “rani” (also “ranee”) and is used for a raja’s wife.

7. George Strait label : MCA

Today’s MCA Nashville country music label started out in 1945 as the country music division of Decca Records, and was based in New York. The division was moved to Nashville in 1955.

George Strait is a country music singer known as the “King of Country”. The moniker seems to be well deserved, as Strait has had more number-one hits on Billboard’s list of Hot Country Songs than any other artist.

8. Munic. official : ALD

The term “alderman” comes from English law, and is used for a member of a municipal assembly or council. Some cities in the US have a Board of Aldermen instead of a city council.

9. Family ride : SEDAN

The American sedan car is the equivalent of the British saloon car. By definition, a sedan car has two rows of seating and a separate trunk (boot in the UK), although in some models the engine can be at the rear of the car.

10. Shipped stuff : CARGO

Cargo is freight carried by some vehicle. The term “cargo” comes into English via Spanish, ultimately deriving from the Latin “carricare” meaning “to load on a cart”.

17. Sixteenth-century year : MDI

In Roman numerals, the year 1501 is written as MDI.

20. Ivory, for one : SOAP

Ivory soap is one of Procter & Gamble’s oldest products, introduced way back in 1879. Ivory soap is noted for its “purity” and also because of its property of floating in water. Despite urban myths to the contrary, the property of floating in water was developed deliberately by a chemist at the time Ivory was being formulated. The soap floats because the ingredients are mixed longer than necessary for homogenization, which introduces more air into the product.

22. __ Dhabi : ABU

Abu Dhabi is one of the seven Emirates that make up the federation known as the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The two largest members of the UAE (geographically) are Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the only two of the seven members that have veto power over UAE policy. Before 1971, the UAE was a British Protectorate, a collection of sheikdoms. The sheikdoms entered into a maritime truce with Britain in 1835, after which they became known as the Trucial States, derived from the word “truce”.

29. Back to back? : ACHE

The word “ache” is at the “back” of the word “backache”.

34. Very small amounts : IOTAS

Iota is the ninth letter in the Greek alphabet, 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.

36. Final Four game : SEMI

In the NCAA Division I Basketball Championship, the teams remaining at various stages of the tournament are known as:

  • The “Sweet Sixteen” (the regional semi-finalists)
  • The “Elite Eight” (the regional finalists)
  • The “Final Four” (the national semi-finalists)

41. Eau in Ecuador : AGUA

“Ecuador” is the Spanish word for “equator”, which gives the country its name.

45. Villa d’Este city : TIVOLI

Tivoli is an ancient town in Italy, located about 20 miles outside Rome. Tivoli is home to a Temple of Vesta, which dates back to the 1st-century BCE. It is also home to the 16th-century Villa d’Este, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

50. Cattle drivers : GOADS

A goad is a pointed rod that is used to urge on an animal.

51. Navel configuration : INNIE

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.

52. Shore bird : ERN

The ern (sometimes “erne”) is also called the white-tailed eagle or the sea-eagle.

57. Lenovo competitor : ACER

Acer is a Taiwanese company that I visited a couple of times when I was in the electronics business. I was very impressed back then with the company’s dedication to quality, although I have heard that things haven’t gone so well in recent years …

Lenovo is a Chinese manufacturer of computers. The company is very successful, and sold more personal computers in 2013 than any other vendor worldwide. IBM sold off its personal computer division to Lenovo in 2005.

58. Bangalore bread : NAAN

Naan (also “nan”) bread is very popular in Indian restaurants, as well as in other West, Central and South Asian cuisines. Indian Naan is traditionally baked in a clay oven known as a tandoor.

Bangalore is the third most-populous city in India and is located in the south of the country. Today Bangalore is known as the Silicon Valley of India because it is a center of excellence for all things related to the semiconductor and information technology industries. I had the privilege of spending a very enjoyable few days working in Bangalore when I was in that line of work …

61. Sports rep. : AGT

Agent (agt.)

63. Sot’s affliction : DTS

The episodes of delirium that can accompany withdrawal from alcohol are called delirium tremens (the DTs). The literal translation of this Latin phrase is “trembling madness”.

64. East, in Essen : OST

Essen is a large industrial city located on the River Ruhr in western Germany. The city experienced major population growth in the mid-1800s that was driven by the iron works established by the Krupp family.

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Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1. Harmonious groups : CHOIRS
7. Maybelline product : MASCARA
14. Role for Miley : HANNAH
15. Sticks : CLEAVES
16. Result of too many people fishing? : PIER JAM (from “copier jam”)
18. Customer file prompt : ADDRESS
19. Lincoln and Grant had them in common : BEARDS
21. Meet halfway : AGREE
22. Show of support : AYE
24. Religious music? : PIOUS NOTES (from “copious notes”)
27. Buoyant wood : BALSA
30. On point : APT
31. ’60s protest gp. : SDS
32. Well-versed about sailing ships? : UP ON CLIPPERS (from “coupon clippers”)
37. Exhilarated shout : WAHOO!
38. Fencing gear : EPEES
40. Dispute between polite fellows? : GENT ARGUMENT (from “cogent argument”)
44. Term. : STA
47. Practical joke : GAG
48. Stimulate : PIQUE
49. Problems with cellphone signals? : PING ISSUES (from “coping issues”)
54. __ corda: played using the piano’s soft pedal : UNA
55. Orly arrival : AVION
56. Like little-known facts : ARCANE
59. Hungary neighbor : ROMANIA
62. “Above my pay grade” … and, read in four parts, a hint to 16-, 24-, 32-, 40- and 49-Across : NO CAN DO … and NO C AND O
65. Dodging : ELUDING
66. Pushes back, say : REACTS
67. No : DISSENT
68. Antarctic explorer Shackleton : ERNEST

Down

1. Golden State traffic org. : CHP
2. “Bali __” : HA’I
3. Nearly zero : ONE BELOW
4. About : IN RE
5. Indian noble : RAJA
6. Cutting : SHARP
7. George Strait label : MCA
8. Munic. official : ALD
9. Family ride : SEDAN
10. Shipped stuff : CARGO
11. Dodges : AVERTS
12. Fix some bare spots, say : RESEED
13. Take stock of : ASSESS
17. Sixteenth-century year : MDI
20. Ivory, for one : SOAP
22. __ Dhabi : ABU
23. Jabber : YAP
25. Cut or crust opener : UPPER-
26. Seventh in an instructional 39-Down, perhaps : STEP G
28. Obstacle : SNAG
29. Back to back? : ACHE
33. Pines : LONGS
34. Very small amounts : IOTAS
35. Volunteer for another tour : RE-UP
36. Final Four game : SEMI
39. Order : SEQUENCE
41. Eau in Ecuador : AGUA
42. Sister : NUN
43. It may be iced : TEA
44. Showed leniency toward : SPARED
45. Villa d’Este city : TIVOLI
46. Hostility : ANIMUS
50. Cattle drivers : GOADS
51. Navel configuration : INNIE
52. Shore bird : ERN
53. Goal or basket : SCORE
57. Lenovo competitor : ACER
58. Bangalore bread : NAAN
60. Lodging spot : INN
61. Sports rep. : AGT
63. Sot’s affliction : DTS
64. East, in Essen : OST

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