LA Times Crossword Answers 18 Nov 12, Sunday

CROSSWORD SETTER: Steven J. St. John
THEME: Flipping Out … each of the theme answers is a well known expression that has been “flipped”:

24A. Pay attention to a word game? MIND THE BOGGLE (boggle the mind)
38A. Ask, “Is this really diet?” QUESTION THE POP (pop the question)
57A. Trade with Marineland? DEAL THE SEAL (seal the deal)
59A. Find out whether a strikeout king is doping? TEST THE ACE (ace the test)
72A. Advertise some prime real estate? MARKET THE CORNER (corner the market)
90A. Present a styling award? HONOR THE DO (do the honor)
93A. Fill a cargo bay? LINE THE HOLD (hold the line)
108A. Move a chess piece? POSITION THE MAN (man the position)
127A. Redecorate a castle? CHANGE THE KEEP (keep the change)

COMPLETION TIME: 24m 11s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
8. Biblical patriarch ABRAHAM
Abraham is a prominent figure in the Jewish, Christian and Muslim religions. Abraham was descended from Noah and was the “father” of many tribes including the Israelites and Ishmaelites. In the Christian tradition Jesus was a descendant of Abraham through the Israelite tribe, and in the Muslim tradition Muhammad was a descendant of Abraham through the Ishmaelite tribe.

21. Period named for an element IRON AGE
Ancient societies can be classified by the “three-age system”, which depends on the prevalence of materials used to make tools. The three ages are:

– The Stone Age
– The Iron Age
– The Bronze Age

The actual dates defined by each age depend on the society, as the timing of the transition from the use of one material to another varied around the globe.

22. Flash lamp gas XENON
Metal halide lamps that are called xenons don’t actually rely on the incorporated xenon gas to generate light. The xenon gas is added so that the lamp comes on “instantly”. Without the xenon, the lamp would start up rather like a street lamp, flickering and sputtering for a while before staying alight.

30. “Stand” band REM
R.E.M. was a rock band from Athens, Georgia formed in 1980. The name “R.E.M.” was chosen randomly from a dictionary, apparently.

33. Like Charles Bronson MACHO
Tatars are an ethnic group of people, mainly residing in Russia (a population of about 5 1/2 million). Actor Charles Bronson had a Tatar heritage. Bronson’s real name was Charles Buchinsky.

45. Lines at the market? UPC
UPC stands for Universal Price Code or Universal Product Code. The first UPC-marked item to get scanned in a store was on June 26, 1974 at 08:01 a.m. at Marsh’s supermarket in Troy, Ohio. It was a 10-pack of Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit chewing gum …

46. Where many races are seen, briefly OTB
Off-Track Betting (OTB) is the legal gambling that takes place on horse races outside of a race track. A betting parlor can be referred to as an OTB.

47. Evergreen shrubs ERICAS
It is a commonly held belief that heather and erica are the same thing botanically, but in fact, erica is another name for a different species, called “heath”.

52. “Stupid __ stupid does”: Forrest Gump IS AS
The epic 1994 movie “Forrest Gump” is based on a 1986 novel of the same name by Winston Groom. Groom said that he had envisioned John Goodman playing the title role, and not Tom Hanks.

71. Inventing initials TAE
Thomas Alva Edison was nicknamed “The Wizard of Menlo Park” by a newspaper reporter, a name that stuck. He was indeed a wizard, in the sense that he was such a prolific inventor. The Menlo Park part of the moniker recognizes the location of his first research lab, in Menlo Park, New Jersey.

77. Yang counterpart YIN
The yin and the yang can be explained using many different metaphors. In one, as the sun shines on a mountain, the side in the shade is the yin and the side in the light is the yang. The yin is also regarded as the feminine side, and the yang the masculine. The yin can also be associated with the moon, while the yang is associated with the sun.

81. It may share a kit with a 113-Down TOM-TOM
The tom-tom is a drum played with the hands, which gave its name to a dull, repeating beat or sound.

82. Djokovic rival NADAL
Rafael Nadal is a Spanish tennis player, noted for his expertise on clay courts, earning him the nickname “The King of Clay”.

Novac Djokovic is a Serbian tennis player, the world No. 2 (behind Roger Federer). Djokovic is quite the character off the court it seems and he is very popular on the talk-show circuit, all around the world. It helps that Djokovic is fluent in several languages.

86. Cicero’s love AMOR
“Amor” is the Latin word for love.

Cicero was a very influential senator in Ancient Rome, in part due to his renowned ability to deliver a persuasive speech.

98. Corduroy feature PILE
There’s a myth that the name of textile known as “corduroy” comes from the French “corde du roi” (the cord of the king). It’s more likely that “corduroy” comes from a melding of “cord” and “duroy” (a coarse fabric that used to be made in England).

100. With 116-Across, noted finger-pointer UNCLE
116. See 100-Across SAM
The Uncle Sam personification of the United States was first used during the War of 1812. The “Uncle Sam” term was so widely accepted that even the Germans used it during WWII, choosing the code word “Samland” for “America” in intelligence communiques.

101. Sands of Chad SAHARA
The landlocked African country called Chad takes its name from the second largest wetland on the continent: Lake Chad.

105. Texter’s “two cents” lead-in IMO
In my opinion (IMO).

115. Godzilla creator, in the story H-BOMB
Godzilla is a Japanese creation. The first in a very long series of Godzilla films was released back in 1954. The original name in Japanese was “Gojira”, but this was changed to Godzilla for audiences outside of Japan. “Gojira” is a combination of “gorira” and “kujira”, the Japanese words for gorilla and whale, apt because Godzilla is a big ape-like creature that comes out of the deep.

118. Baldwin and Guinness ALECS
Alec is the oldest of the acting Baldwin brothers. I think Alec’s big break was playing Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan in “The Hunt for Red October”, but thank goodness that role was taken over by Harrison Ford for the subsequent Jack Ryan movies. Baldwin made a name for himself in recent times playing Jack Donaghy on “30 Rock”, opposite Tina Fey. He has also hosted the sketch show “Saturday Night Live” on more occasions than anyone else (16 times).

Sir Alec Guinness played many great roles over a long and distinguished career, but nowadays is best remembered for playing the original Obi-Wan Kenobi in “Star Wars”.

121. Somber genre NOIR
The expression “film noir” has French origins, but only in that it was “created” by a French critic in describing a style of Hollywood film. The term, meaning “black film” in French, was first used by Nino Frank in 1946. Film noir often applies to a movie with a melodramatic plot and a private eye or detective at its center. Good examples would be “The Big Sleep” and “D.O.A”.

133. West of hip-hop KANYE
Kanye West is a rap singer from Atlanta, Georgia. That’s all I know …

Down
3. Intro to physics? META-
The word “metaphysics” comes from the Greek “meta” (beyond) and “physika” (physical), and is a branch of philosophy that investigates reality beyond the principles of science. Not something I would understand …

6. “Baudolino” author ECO
Umberto Eco is an Italian writer, probably best known for his novel “The Name of the Rose” published in 1980. “The Name of the Rose” was adapted in 1986 into a movie with the same title, starring Sean Connery.

7. Gabrielle’s rescuer XENA
The Xena character, famously played by actress Lucy Lawless, was introduced in a made-for-TV movie called “Hercules and the Amazon Women”. Lawless reprised the role in a series called “Hercules: The Legendary Journeys”. Xena became so popular that a series was built around her character, with Lawless retained for the role.

10. Howard of Hollywood RON
Ron Howard sure has come a long way since playing Opie Taylor on “The Andy Griffith Show”. Howard has directed some fabulous movies, including favorites of mine like “Apollo 13”, “A Beautiful Mind” and “The Da Vinci Code”. And today, “Opie” is a grandfather …

38. Capital at 9,350 feet QUITO
The full name of the capital city of Ecuador is San Francisco de Quito. Quito is the second highest administrative capital city in the world, after La Paz, Bolivia.

40. PayPal currency E-CASH
PayPal has been around since the year 2000, born out of a merger of two older companies: Confinity and X.com. PayPal was so successful that it was the first of the beleaguered dot.com companies to successfully complete an IPO after the attacks of 9/11. Then in 2002, PayPal was bought by eBay, for a whopping $1.5 billion.

41. Wind in a pit OBOE
The oboe is perhaps my favorite of the reed instruments. The name “oboe” comes from the French “hautbois” which means “high wood”. When you hear an orchestra tuning before a performance you’ll note (pun intended!) that the oboe starts off the process by playing an “A”. The rest of the musicians in turn tune to that oboe’s “A”. Oh, and if you want to read a fun book (almost an “exposé”) about life playing the oboe, you might try “Mozart in the Jungle” by oboist Blair Tindall. I heard recently that the folks at HBO are working towards a pilot based on the book, and I can’t wait to see it!

42. Andean staple OCA
The plant called an oca is also known as the New Zealand Yam. The tubers of the oca are used as a root vegetable.

56. Big name in paper products SCOTT
One of the claims to fame of the Scott Paper Company is that it was the first to sell toilet paper on a roll.

61. This, in Seville ESTO
The city of Seville is the capital of Andalusia in southern Spain. Seville is a favored setting for many operas including “The Barber of Seville” by Rossini, “Fidelio” by Beethoven and Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” and “The Marriage of Figaro”.

66. Unit of resistance OHM
The unit of electrical resistance is the ohm (with the symbol omega) named after Georg Simon Ohm, the German physicist. Ohm was the guy who established experimentally that the amount of current flowing through a circuit is directly proportional to the voltage applied, (V=IR) a relationship that every school kid knows as Ohm’s Law.

68. Parlor utensil SCOOP
You’ll find a scoop or two in an ice cream parlor.

76. Bleachers support RAHS
At a sports event, one often sits in the “bleachers”. This is a particularly American term for the tiered stands that provide seating for spectators. These seats were originally wooden planks, and as they were uncovered they would be “bleached” by the sun, giving the name we use today. Sometimes the fans using the bleachers might be referred to as “bleacherites”.

77. Chinese border river YALU
A large section of the border between China and North Korea runs down the center of the Yalu River. Yalu is the Chinese name for the river, whereas it is known as the Amnok in Korean. The valley through which the western part of the river flows was the site of many, many dogfights during the Korean War, and was famously known as “MiG Alley”.

83. Biker’s fabric DENIM
Denim fabric originated in Nimes in France. The French phrase “de Nimes” (from Nimes) gives us the word “denim”. Also, the French phrase “bleu de Genes” (blue of Genoa) gives us our word “jeans”.

84. “Battlestar Galactica” commander ADAMA
“Battlestar Galactica” is a whole franchise these days, based on an original television series that aired in 1978. The executive producer of that first series was Glen A. Larson who had been trying get the show off the ground since the sixties. Larson was finally able to get some finances for his sci-fi show on the back of the success of the 1977 movie “Star Wars”.

91. Actress Lena OLIN
The lovely Lena Olin is a Swedish actress, clearly someone who had acting in her blood. Olin’s mother was the actress Britta Holmberg and her father the actor and director Stig Olin. Lena Olin had a very successful career in Sweden, often working with the great Ingmar Bergman. Olin’s breakthrough international and English-speaking role was playing opposite Daniel Day-Lewis in “The Unbearable Lightness of Being” released in 1988. Way back in 1974, the lovely Miss Olin was crowned Miss Scandinavia in a beauty pageant for Nordic women held in Helsinki, Finland.

94. “Glee” extra TEENAGER
The TV show called “Glee” has proved to be very popular. The storyline focuses on a high school glee club in Lima, Ohio.

104. How the riot act is usually read SHARPLY
The Riot Act was a British law that was in force from 1715 to 1967. According to the Riot Act, government entities could declare any gathering of twelve or more people “unlawful”. Our expression “read the Riot Act” is derived from the requirement for the authorities to read out the Riot Act proclamation to a unlawful assembly before the Act could be enforced.

107. 1996 runner-up DOLE
Despite all Bob Dole’s success in the world of politics, he is remembered by many as the VP candidate who lost to Walter Mondale (and Jimmy Carter) and the presidential candidate who lost to incumbent Bill Clinton. The man is a true war hero. He joined up in 1942 and fought with the Army’s 10th Mountain Division in Italy. In 1945 he was hit by machine gun fire in his right arm and back Dole was so badly injured that his comrades could only dose him up with morphine, write “M” on his forehead with his own blood (so that another, fatal dose of morphine would not be administered) and continue fighting the battle. Dole had to wait nine hours to be evacuated from the battlefield, and wait another three years before being discharged from hospital back in the States.

110. Asian sash OBI
The sash worn as part of traditional Japanese dress is known as an obi. The obi can be tied in what is called a butterfly knot.

113. Percussion pair HI-HAT
In a drum kit, a hi-hat is that pairing of cymbals that sits on a stand and is played by using a foot pedal. The top cymbal is raised and lowered by the foot, hence creating a crashing sound.

114. Aquarium favorite TETRA
The neon tetra is a freshwater fish, native to parts of South America. The tetra is a very popular aquarium fish and millions are imported into the US every year. Almost all of the imported tetras are farm-raised in Asia and very few come from their native continent.

119. Jazzman Baker CHET
The famous jazz trumpeter Chet Baker was noted for his heroin addiction, a problem that nearly put an end to his performing career. He managed a comeback in the late seventies, mainly appearing and recording in Europe. But he never kicked the drug habit and was found dead one day after falling from his hotel room window in Amsterdam.

120. Golfer Ballesteros SEVE
Seve Ballesteros was a very entertaining golfer from Spain, once ranked as the world’s number one player. Sadly, Ballesteros died from brain cancer in 2011, at the age of 54.

125. “Little Women” woman BETH
Louisa May Alcott wrote what is unofficially known as the “Little Women” trilogy. The three books in the series are:

– “Little Women”
– “Little Men”
– “Jo’s Boys”

128. Science guy Bill NYE
That would be “Bill Nye the Science Guy”. Bill’s show ran on Disney for 4 years from 1993-97. I was surprised to learn that Bill Nye was married briefly to Blair Tindall, the author of “Mozart in the Jungle”. That’s a great book, if anyone is interested …

129. Mauna __ KEA
Mauna Kea is a dormant volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii, the peak of which is the highest point in the whole state. Mauna Kea is in effect the tip of a gigantic volcano rising up from the seabed. So, the “real” height of the volcano is over 33,000 feet, which is significantly “taller” than even Mount Everest, which has an elevation of 29,029 feet above sea level.

130. Tolkien tree creature ENT
Ents are those tree-like creatures that live in J. R. R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth in his series of books “The Lord of the Rings”. “Ent” is an Old English word for “giant”.

132. Fla. airport MIA
Miami International Airport deals with more international passengers than any other airport in the US, other than New York-JFK.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Psychiatrist’s diagnosis COMPLEX
8. Biblical patriarch ABRAHAM
15. Jet set ELITE
20. How shrimp cocktail may be served OVER ICE
21. Period named for an element IRON AGE
22. Flash lamp gas XENON
23. Join, as a lucrative deal GET IN ON
24. Pay attention to a word game? MIND THE BOGGLE (boggle the mind)
26. Culinary tide-me-over SNACK
27. __-ran ALSO
29. Critic, at times HATER
30. “Stand” band REM
31. Mentalist’s claim ESP
33. Like Charles Bronson MACHO
36. Fellowship SOCIETY
38. Ask, “Is this really diet?” QUESTION THE POP (pop the question)
44. Sympathetic KIND
45. Lines at the market? UPC
46. Where many races are seen, briefly OTB
47. Evergreen shrubs ERICAS
49. High roller’s quarters SUITE
52. “Stupid __ stupid does”: Forrest Gump IS AS
54. Picnic remnants COBS
57. Trade with Marineland? DEAL THE SEAL (seal the deal)
59. Find out whether a strikeout king is doping? TEST THE ACE (ace the test)
62. Has permission to MAY
63. Loose things to tie up ENDS
64. One might be significant OTHER
65. Busts BOSOMS
69. Little rascal IMP
71. Inventing initials TAE
72. Advertise some prime real estate? MARKET THE CORNER (corner the market)
77. Yang counterpart YIN
80. “Doing a crossword with a broken pencil is pointless,” for example PUN
81. It may share a kit with a 113-Down TOM-TOM
82. Djokovic rival NADAL
86. Cicero’s love AMOR
88. “Gimme a __” SEC
90. Present a styling award? HONOR THE DO (do the honor)
93. Fill a cargo bay? LINE THE HOLD (hold the line)
98. Corduroy feature PILE
99. Delay cause SNAG
100. With 116-Across, noted finger-pointer UNCLE
101. Sands of Chad SAHARA
103. Connections INS
105. Texter’s “two cents” lead-in IMO
106. Made haste HIED
108. Move a chess piece? POSITION THE MAN (man the position)
112. So on WHAT NOT
115. Godzilla creator, in the story H-BOMB
116. See 100-Across SAM
117. Suffer AIL
118. Baldwin and Guinness ALECS
121. Somber genre NOIR
123. Jewish teacher RABBI
127. Redecorate a castle? CHANGE THE KEEP (keep the change)
131. Ruling periods EMPIRES
133. West of hip-hop KANYE
134. Payback REVENGE
135. Butcher’s array FILLETS
136. Amusing zoo creature OTTER
137. Indulged at Thanksgiving ATE A TON
138. Skeptic’s retort SAYS WHO?

Down
1. Minor players COGS
2. Item most frequently heated up for dinner? OVEN
3. Intro to physics? META-
4. Comparison shopper’s data PRICES
5. Connects with LINKS TO
6. “Baudolino” author ECO
7. Gabrielle’s rescuer XENA
8. Targets AIMS AT
9. Café pastry BRIOCHE
10. Howard of Hollywood RON
11. “So?” AND
12. Possesses, biblically HATH
13. Ottoman VIP AGHA
14. Assembles MEETS
15. Cast out, as demons EXORCISE
16. Relay race part LEG
17. Piece of the pie? INGREDIENT
18. Sign of a clean apartment? TO LET
19. Opposition ENEMY
25. “It’s going to __” BE OK
28. K-O connection LMN
32. Selling technique PITCH
34. Do the impossible with cats, proverbially HERD
35. 10-Down played him OPIE
37. Restroom door sign IN USE
38. Capital at 9,350 feet QUITO
39. Improbable win UPSET
40. PayPal currency E-CASH
41. Wind in a pit OBOE
42. Andean staple OCA
43. Hurricane-resistant tree PALM
48. It takes you up and down but never moves STAIR
50. “Look!” TA-DA!
51. Besides ELSE
53. Apple projection STEM
55. Infant BABE
56. Big name in paper products SCOTT
58. Choir selection HYMN
60. It may be laid or set TRAP
61. This, in Seville ESTO
66. Unit of resistance OHM
67. Christian denom. METH
68. Parlor utensil SCOOP
70. Restricted, with “up” PENT
73. Exhilarated reaction RUSH
74. Many pray on them KNEES
75. Potent start? OMNI-
76. Bleachers support RAHS
77. Chinese border river YALU
78. “Sign me up!” I’M IN
79. Careless? NONCHALANT
83. Biker’s fabric DENIM
84. “Battlestar Galactica” commander ADAMA
85. Enter one’s credentials LOG ON
87. Ignited again RELIT
89. Dry and crack CHAP
91. Actress Lena OLIN
92. Allows to use temporarily RENTS
94. “Glee” extra TEENAGER
95. “Well now!” OHO!
96. Lid hair LASH
97. Bit DRIB
102. In a single attempt AT ONE GO
104. How the riot act is usually read SHARPLY
107. 1996 runner-up DOLE
109. “Nothing on my calendar” I’M OPEN
110. Asian sash OBI
111. Weightless correspondence? EMAILS
112. Not firing on all cylinders WACKO
113. Percussion pair HI-HAT
114. Aquarium favorite TETRA
119. Jazzman Baker CHET
120. Golfer Ballesteros SEVE
122. Ones on the field who aren’t team players? REFS
124. Coffee or tea BREW
125. “Little Women” woman BETH
126. Playground rebuttal IS SO!
128. Science guy Bill NYE
129. Mauna __ KEA
130. Tolkien tree creature ENT
132. Fla. airport MIA

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