LA Times Crossword Answers 27 Oct 2017, Friday

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Constructed by: Andy Kravis & Erik Agard
Edited by: Rich Norris

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Today’s Theme: If Y Is Inserted

Each of today’s themed clue is a common phrase or word with the letter sequence IFY inserted:

  • 19A. Watch a music-streaming app? : SEE SPOTIFY RUN (from “See spot run”)
  • 26A. Organize circus performers? : CLASSIFY CLOWNS (from “class clowns”)
  • 46A. Rationalize one’s need for duel assistance? : JUSTIFY A SECOND (from “just a second”)
  • 53A. Worship at the altar of buttercream? : DEIFY FROSTING (from “defrosting”)

Bill’s time: 9m 51s

Bill’s errors: 0

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Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1. Apples on a desk : IMACS

The iMac is a desktop computer platform from Apple introduced in 1998. One of the main features of the iMac is an “all-in-one” design, with the computer console and monitor integrated. The iMac also came in a range of colors, that Apple marketed as “flavors”, such strawberry, blueberry and lime.

6. Unattached : STAG

Back where I come from, bachelor parties are called stag parties, and bachelorette parties are known as hen parties.

10. Ruler meas. : CMS

Centimeter (cm)

13. Two-sport Sanders : DEION

Deion Sanders is a former NFL footballer, and a former Major League Baseball player. He is the only person to play in a Super Bowl and in a World Series. And, in the 1989 season Sanders became the only person to hit a major league home run and score an NFL touchdown in the same week. While playing, he earned the nicknames “Neon Deion” and “Prime Time Sanders”.

14. Texas city : WACO

The Texas city of Waco is named for the Wichita people known as the “Waco”, who occupied the area for thousands of years.

16. Braugher of “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” : ANDRE

Andre Braugher is the actor who plays Captain Ray Holt on the sitcom “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”. Braugher played a more serious cop on the TV show “Homicide: Life on the Street”, namely Detective Frank Pembleton.

17. Maker of Swift laptops : ACER

Computer manufacturer Acer has a line of ultra-portable laptops that are remarkably thin, which are sold under the “Swift” label.

19. Watch a music-streaming app? : SEE SPOTIFY RUN (from “See spot run”)

Spotify is a popular music-streaming service that was launched in 2008 in Sweden.

In the “Dick and Jane” series of book for children, Spot was a cat back in the thirties, but then became a dog in later editions.

The “Dick and Jane” beginning reader series of books was originally written by William S. Gray and Zerna Sharp and first published in the 1930s. There are claims of plagiarism from an earlier pair of books published throughout the British Commonwealth that featured the characters Dick and Dora. Indeed, I grew up in the British Isles with “Dick and Dora”, and always assumed that “Dick and Jane” were somehow their American cousins!

22. Garden State city : NEWARK

What is now the city of Newark, New Jersey was settled in 1666 by puritans from the New Haven Colony. It is thought that the settlement was named for one of the towns named Newark in England, either Newark-on-Trent in Yorkshire or Newark in Nottinghamshire.

Apparently New Jersey was nicknamed “The Garden State” by former Attorney General of the state Abraham Browning. While speaking at the Philadelphia Centennial exhibition in 1876, he described his “garden state” as an immense barrel, filled with good things to eat and open at both ends, with Pennsylvanians grabbing from one end and New Yorkers from the other.

31. Where Spike Lee earned his MFA : NYU

New York University (NYU) is comprised of fifteen schools, one of which it the Tisch School of the Arts. The Tisch is famous for its acting program, with notable alumni such as Debra Messing, Christopher Guest and Josh Radnor.

Film director Spike Lee was born in Atlanta, Georgia but has very much made New York City his home and place of work. Most of Lee’s films are set in New York City, including his first feature film, 1986’s “She’s Gotta Have It”. That film was shot over two weeks with a budget of $175,000. “She’s Gotta Have It” grossed over $7 million at the US box office.

32. Louisville Slugger wood : ASH

Louisville Slugger is a brand of baseball bat manufactured by the Hillerich & Bradsby Company in Louisville, Kentucky. The famous bat is made of Northern White Ash grown on the New York/Pennsylvania border. These ash forests used by the company are threatened by the emerald ash borer which is moving closer and closer every year. There are already plans in place to replace the traditional wood used in the bat as the assumption is that the source of ash will succumb to infestation.

37. Brazilian music genre : SAMBA

The samba is a Brazilian dance that is very much symbolic of the festival known as Carnival. Like so much culture around the world, the samba has its roots in Africa, as the dance is derived from dances performed by former slaves who migrated into urban Rio de Janeiro in the late 1800s. The exact roots of the name “samba” seem to have been lost in the mists of time. However, my favorite explanation is that it comes from an African Kikongo word “semba” which means “a blow struck with the belly button”. We don’t seem to have a need for such a word in English …

43. Blanc with “That’s all folks” on his gravestone : MEL

Mel Blanc was known as “The Man of a Thousand Voices”. We’ve all heard Mel Blanc at one time or another, I am sure. His was the voice behind such cartoon characters as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Tweety Bird, Woody Woodpecker, Elmer Fudd and Barney Rubble. And the words on Blanc’s tombstone are … “That’s all folks”.

50. Actress Aniston, in tabloids : JEN

Jennifer Aniston won a 2002 Emmy for playing Rachel on the great sitcom “Friends”. Jennifer’s parents are both actors, and her godfather is the actor Telly Savalas.

Tabloid is the trademarked name (owned by Burroughs, Wellcome and Co,) for a “small tablet of medicine”, a name that goes back to 1884. The word “tabloid” had entered into general use to mean a compressed form of anything, and by the early 1900s was used in “tabloid journalism”, applied to newspapers that had short, condensed articles and stories printed on smaller sheets of paper.

52. “Mean Girls” actress Seyfried : AMANDA

Actress Amanda Seyfried’s first film role was in the 2004 teen comedy “Mean Girls”, supporting Lindsay Lohan. Seyfried has quite the voice too, using it to good effect in her leading roles in 2008’s “Mamma Mia!” and 2012’s “Les Misérables”. Seyfried married fellow actor Thomas Sadoski (from “Life in Pieces”) in 2017.

59. Tantalus’ daughter : NIOBE

In Greek mythology, Niobe fled to Mount Sipylus when her children were killed. There, she was turned into stone and wept for eternity. There is indeed a Niobe’s Rock on Mount Sipylus (in modern-day Turkey) that resembles a female face, and so is known as “The Weeping Rock”.

In Greek mythology, Tantalus wanted to make an offering to the Olympic gods, so he cut up his son Pelops into pieces and made up a stew. After his shoulder was consumed, the gods stopped the feasting and reassembled the boy’s body. They replaced his shoulder with one made of ivory.

67. Sparkling wine choices : ROSES

Rosé wines get their color from the skins of the grapes, although the intensity of the color is not sufficient to make them red wines. Of the varying type of rosé wines available, we are most familiar with sweet White Zinfandels. Personally I am fond of the really dry Provençal rosé wines.

Down

1. Mont. neighbor : IDA

Idaho has the nickname the Gem State, mainly because almost every known type of gemstone has been found there. Idaho is also sometimes called the Potato State as potatoes are such a popular crop in the state. I’d go for the potatoes over the gems, but that’s probably just me …

2. “White __ Can’t Jump” : MEN

“White Men Can’t Jump” is a comedy film about two street basketball hustlers played by Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson.

3. Charity fundraiser since 1985 : AIDS WALK

The first AIDS Walk was held in 1985 to benefit AIDS Project Los Angeles. The goal was to raise $100,000, but the 4,500 walkers that turned up brought in almost $700,000.

8. Vinegary, as acid : ACETIC

Acetic acid has the formula CH3COOH, and is the main component of vinegar.

9. Brute : GORILLA

The gorilla is the largest primate still in existence, and is one of the nearest living species to humans. Molecular biology studies have shown that our nearest relatives are in fact the species in the genus Pan (the chimpanzee and the bonobo), which split from the human branch of the family 4-6 million years ago. Gorillas and humans diverged at a point about 7 million years ago. The term “gorilla” derives from the Greek “gorillai” meaning “tribe of hairy women”. Wow!

10. Oscar-winning “Gravity” director Alfonso : CUARON

Film director Alfonso Cuarón has been at the helm of some real blockbusters, including 2004’s “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” and 2013’s “Gravity”. When he won the Academy Award for Best Directing for the latter film, Cuarón became the first Mexican director to be so honored.

20. Parchment source : SKIN

The writing material known as “parchment” is made by processing the untanned skins of animals. If calfskin is used, the writing material is known as “vellum”. Parchment is usually made from the skins of goats, sheep and cows. The term “parchment” comes from the name of the city of Pergamon, which was a major center of parchment production in ancient Greece.

22. Org. that fills bowls? : NCAA

National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)

23. Bulldog fans : ELIS

The Yale Bulldogs are the athletic teams of Yale University. The Yale school mascot is “Handsome Dan”, the Yale bulldog. The Bulldogs’ logo features a bulldog in front of a letter Y.

27. “Just an update” letters : FYI

You might see “FYI” (For Your Information) or “Attn.” (Attention) at the top of a memo.

38. Selene and Luna : MOON GODS

“Luna” is the Latin word for “moon”, and is the name given to the Roman moon goddess. The Greek equivalent of Luna was Selene. Luna had a temple on the Aventine Hill in Rome but it was destroyed during the Great Fire that raged during the reign of Nero.

39. No foe : BOND

“Dr. No” may have been the first film in the wildly successful James Bond franchise, but it was the sixth novel in the series of books penned by Ian Fleming. Fleming was inspired to write the story after reading the Fu Manchu tales by Sax Rohmer. If you’ve read the Rohmer books or seen the films, you’ll recognize the similarities between the characters Dr. No and Fu Manchu.

40. Only actor to appear in every episode of “M*A*S*H” : ALDA

Hawkeye Pierce is the lead character in the “M*A*S*H” novel, movie and TV series. Hawkeye was originally portrayed by Donald Sutherland in the film, and then by Alan Alda in the television show. Pierce is the only character appearing in all 250 episodes of the groundbreaking TV series.

44. Future atty.’s exam : LSAT

Law School Admission Test (LSAT)

46. Valet in Wodehouse stories : JEEVES

Jeeves is probably the most famous character created by novelist P. G. Wodehouse. Wodehouse’s full name was Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse. Bertie Wooster’s celebrated valet’s full name is Reginald Jeeves.

48. Oatmeal alternative : FARINA

Farina is semolina or cream of wheat. It is made from wheat grain in which much of the nutritious ingredients are removed leaving a fine “flour”. The name “Farina” is a Latin word meaning “flour”.

49. Key of Dvorák’s New World Symphony : E MINOR

Antonín Dvořák was a composer from Czechoslovakia who spent three years working and composing in the United States. He was the director of the National Conservatory of Music of America in New York from 1892 to 1895. Certainly here in the US, Dvořák’s best known work is his Symphony No. 9, “From the New World”, which is often referred to as “The New World Symphony”. His career was very much helped along by fellow composer Johannes Brahms, who very much appreciated Dvořák’s work.

50. Singles network logo with a partly outlined Star of David : JDATE

Spark Networks is company that owns several special-interest dating sites online. The most famous is probably ChristianMingle.com, but there is also BlackSingles.com, LDSSingles.com, JDate.com and CatholicMingle.com.

60. Pollen carrier : BEE

The fine powder known as pollen is basically a flower’s sperm. Pollen carries a seed plant’s male reproductive cells.

61. Hectic hosp. zones : ERS

Emergency room (ER)

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Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1. Apples on a desk : IMACS
6. Unattached : STAG
10. Ruler meas. : CMS
13. Two-sport Sanders : DEION
14. Texas city : WACO
15. Leave work : QUIT
16. Braugher of “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” : ANDRE
17. Maker of Swift laptops : ACER
18. Waiter at a stand : TAXI
19. Watch a music-streaming app? : SEE SPOTIFY RUN (from “See spot run”)
22. Garden State city : NEWARK
24. “__ be the judge of that” : I’LL
25. Make the call : OPT
26. Organize circus performers? : CLASSIFY CLOWNS (from “class clowns”)
30. Afflicts : AILS
31. Where Spike Lee earned his MFA : NYU
32. Louisville Slugger wood : ASH
33. Answered counterpart : ASKED
35. Little devil : IMP
37. Brazilian music genre : SAMBA
41. Up to, for short : TIL
43. Blanc with “That’s all folks” on his gravestone : MEL
45. Punch or file : TOOL
46. Rationalize one’s need for duel assistance? : JUSTIFY A SECOND (from “just a second”)
50. Actress Aniston, in tabloids : JEN
51. Afternoon social : TEA
52. “Mean Girls” actress Seyfried : AMANDA
53. Worship at the altar of buttercream? : DEIFY FROSTING (from “defrosting”)
57. Declare openly : AVOW
58. Streaming on Facebook : LIVE
59. Tantalus’ daughter : NIOBE
62. Manage : TEND
63. Over : ANEW
64. Further out there : ODDER
65. Start of something? : ESS
66. Gets some sun : TANS
67. Sparkling wine choices : ROSES

Down

1. Mont. neighbor : IDA
2. “White __ Can’t Jump” : MEN
3. Charity fundraiser since 1985 : AIDS WALK
4. Vital business holdings : CORE ASSETS
5. Villainous visages : SNEERS
6. Exchange : SWAP
7. Folded Mexican fare : TACO
8. Vinegary, as acid : ACETIC
9. Brute : GORILLA
10. Oscar-winning “Gravity” director Alfonso : CUARON
11. Mistakes : MIX-UPS
12. Stretch on the job : STINT
15. Invoice abbr. : QTY
20. Parchment source : SKIN
21. Dental visit freebie : FLOSS
22. Org. that fills bowls? : NCAA
23. Bulldog fans : ELIS
27. “Just an update” letters : FYI
28. Delish : YUMMY
29. “Need my help?” : WHAT CAN I DO?
34. Catchy tune : DITTY
36. Edible orb : PEA
38. Selene and Luna : MOON GODS
39. No foe : BOND
40. Only actor to appear in every episode of “M*A*S*H” : ALDA
42. Become prostrate : LIE FLAT
44. Future atty.’s exam : LSAT
46. Valet in Wodehouse stories : JEEVES
47. Labor parties? : UNIONS
48. Oatmeal alternative : FARINA
49. Key of Dvorák’s New World Symphony : E MINOR
50. Singles network logo with a partly outlined Star of David : JDATE
54. Chain email abbr. : FWD
55. It may be self-cleaning : OVEN
56. Works with threads : SEWS
60. Pollen carrier : BEE
61. Hectic hosp. zones : ERS

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