LA Times Crossword Answers 16 Feb 13, Saturday

CROSSWORD SETTER: Brad Wilber & Doug Peterson
THEME: None
COMPLETION TIME: 13m 06s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
1. Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski, familiarly—he holds the NCAA Division I men’s basketball record for most wins COACH K
Mike Krzyzewski is a coach and former basketball player from Chicago, Illinois. As a young man, Krzyzewski captained the Army Cadets basketball team, before serving in the Army for five years. After resigning from active duty, Coach K (as he is called) eventually took the head coaching job with the Army Cadets followed by the head coach’s position with Duke, where he has been since 1980. Today, Coach K also coaches the US International team.

13. Mawkish MAUDLIN
To be maudlin is to be excessively sentimental. The term comes into English from the tearful and repentant sinner Mary Magdalene who was forgiven by Jesus. Mary’s surname “Magdalene” became the name “Maudelen” in Middle English, and then “maudlin” meaning “tearful”.

14. Many Civil War mess kits TINWARE
“Mess” first came into English about 1300 and described the list of food needed for a meal, from the Old French word “mes” meaning a portion of food or a course at a meal. This usage in English evolved into “mess” meaning a jumbled mass of anything from the concept of “mixed food”. At the same time, the original usage in the sense of a food for a meal surfaced again in the military in the 1500s when a “mess” was a communal eating place.

16. Arab League member since 1962 ALGERIA
Algeria is a huge country, the second largest in Africa (only Sudan is larger), and the largest country on the Mediterranean. The capital of Algeria is Algiers, and the country takes its name from the city.

The Arab League was formed in 1945 in Cairo with six founding members: Egypt, Iraq, Transjordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Syria. As a result of events during the 2011 Arab Spring, the Arab League has suspended Syria’s membership.

18. Lady Violet in “Downton Abbey,” e.g. DOWAGER
Violet Crawley, Countess of Grantham is a marvelous character on the PBS hit show “Downton Abbey”. Lady Violet is played superbly by the great Dame Maggie Smith.

Originally, a dowry was money that was set aside by a man for his wife and children, to be used in the event that he passed away. A widow who receives said money was known as a “dowager”. Over time, “dowry” became a term used for the money, goods or estate that a woman brought into a marriage.

Fans of the wonderful TV drama “Downton Abbey” will be very familiar with the exterior appearance of Highclere Castle in Hampshire. Highclere is used as the location for exterior and many interior shots of the fictitious Grantham residence called Downton Abbey. The exterior of Highclere is very reminiscent of the Houses of Parliament building in London. That similarity exists because the house was largely rebuilt from 1839 to 1842 by architect Sir Charles Barry soon after he finished work on the refurbished Houses of Parliament.

20. GI assignments KPS
KP is a US military slang term, and stands for either “kitchen police” or “kitchen patrol”.

21. Nash’s “ill wind that no one blows good” OBOE
We’ve all probably heard the phrase “‘tis an ill wind that blows nobody any good”. The poet Ogden Nash made a punny statement about the oboe, calling the instrument “an ill wind nobody blows good”.

24. Hershey’s candy ROLO
Rolo was a hugely popular chocolate candy in Ireland when I was growing up. Rolo was introduced in the thirties in the UK, and is produced under license in the US by Hershey. I was a little disappointed when I had my first taste of the American version as the center is very hard and chewy. The recipe used on the other side of the Atlantic calls for a soft gooey center.

25. Karate takedown maneuver FOOT SWEEP
“Karate”, means “open hand”, and the related word “karaoke” means “open orchestra”.

28. Bagel order, maybe DOZEN
The bagel was invented in the Polish city of Kraków in the 16th century. Bagels were brought to this country by Jewish immigrants from Poland, who mainly established homes in and around New York City.

29. Familiar title of Beethoven’s “Bagatelle No. 25” FUR ELISE
“Fur Elise” is a beautiful piece of music written by Beethoven, and is also known as “Bagatelle in A Minor”. “Fur Elise” means simply “For Elise”, but sadly no one knows the identity of the mysterious dedicatee.

30. 2003-’04 OutKast chart-topper HEY YA!
OutKast is a hip hop duo consiting of rappers André 3000 and Big Boi.

31. Monopoly deed word RENT
The street names in the US version of Monopoly are locations in or around Atlantic City, New Jersey.

35. WWII Pacific Theater battle site CORAL SEA
The Coral Sea is part of the South Pacific Ocean, lying off the northeast coast of Australia and home to the renowned Great Barrier Reef. The WWII Battle of the Coral Sea was a major engagement between the Japanese and the Allies in May 1942 that took place over a 5-day period. It was the first ever action in which opposing aircraft carriers engaged each other. In fact, the opposing fleets never even sighted each other, nor did they fire on each other directly. The Japanese inflicted the most damage in the battle, but both sides disengaged due to heavy losses. The US aircraft carrier Lexington was so badly damaged that she had to be scuttled to prevent her capture.

41. Turgenev’s birthplace OREL
Orel (also Oryol) is a city lying on the Oka River, just over 200 miles SSW of Moscow. Orel was one of the cities occupied by Germany during WWII. It was liberated in 1943, but had been almost completely destroyed.

Ivan Turgenev was a Russian novelist and playwright. Turgenev’s most famous works are a collections of short stories called “A Sportsman’s Sketches” (1852) and the novel “Fathers and Sons” (1862).

43. Fitch who partnered with Abercrombie EZRA
Ezra Fitch was a co-founder with David Abercrombie of the clothing retailer Abercrombie & Fitch. It is Ezra Fitch who gets the credit for introducing the Chinese game of mahjong into the US. Fitch bought up as many mahjong sets as he could find in villages all over China and sold them through Abercrombie & Fitch outlets.

44. Broadway legend Hagen UTA
Uta Hagen was a German-born American actress. Hagen married Jose Ferrer in 1938, but they were divorced ten years later after it was revealed that she was having a long-running affair with Paul Robeson. Her association with Robeson, a prominent civil rights activist, earned her a spot on the Hollywood Blacklist during the McCarthy Era. This forced her away from film, but towards a successful stage career in New York City.

45. Command to Fido DOWN, BOY!
“Fido”, the name for a dog, is the Latin for “I trust”.

48. Anteater’s slurp in the comic “B.C.” ZOT
“B.C.” is a comic strip that was drawn by Johnny Hart, and now since Hart’s passing, is produced by his grandson. Hart introduced “B.C.” in 1958. One of the non-human characters in the strip is the Anteater, who sucks up ants with his sticky tongue making a “ZOT!” sound. Hart’s Anteater is the inspiration for Peter the Anteater, the team mascot for UC Irvine. Johnny Hart’s other famous comic strip is the brilliant “The Wizard of Id”.

49. The “G” in G.K. Chesterton GILBERT
Gilbert Keith “G. K.” Chesterton was an English writer. He was a big man, tall and very heavy. Chesterton once remarked to his very slight friend, the Irish author George Bernard Shaw, “To look at you, anyone would think a famine had struck England”. Shaw replied to the portly Chesterton, “To look at you, anyone would think that you have caused it!”

51. Ethel Waters title line following “Now he’s gone, and we’re through” AM I BLUE?
“Am I Blue?” is a song from the 1929 movie “On with the Show”. “On with the Show” is noted as the first all-talking and all-color feature ever to be released.

Ethel Waters was a singer and actress. Waters was the second African American to be nominated for an Academy Award (after Hattie McDaniel).

54. Lucky groups? SEPTETS
In some cultures, seven is regarded as a lucky number.

Down
1. Arctic game CARIBOU
Caribou is the North American name for reindeer.

3. Much spam ADS
Apparently the term “SPAM”, used for unwanted email, is taken from a “Monty Python” sketch. In the sketch (which I’ve seen) the dialog is taken over by the word SPAM, a play on the glut of canned meat in the markets of Britain after WWII. So “SPAM” is used for the glut of emails that takes over online communication. I can just imagine nerdy Internet types (like me) adopting something from a “Monty Python” sketch to describe an online phenomenon …

5. American port below the 20th parallel HILO
Hilo is the largest settlement on the big island of Hawai’i, with a population of over 43,000 (that’s not very many!). I love the Big Island …

6. Emulated a ’50s TV father? KNEW BEST
“Father Knows Best” is a radio and television sitcom that ran in the 1940s and 1950s. The title character was played by Robert Young, the actor who later played the title role on “Marcus Welby, M.D.”

8. IBM hire, maybe ENGR
IBM was founded as the Tabulating Machine Company in 1896. The company changed its name to the Computing Tabulating Recording Corporation (CTR) in 1911 and was listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 1916. The name of International Business Machines (IBM) was given first to the company’s Canadian subsidiary, and then its South American subsidiary. In 1924, it was decided to adopt the International Business Machines name for the whole company. Good choice …

10. Chirac’s successor SARKOZY
Nicolas Sarkozy was President of France from 2007 to 2012. Sarkozy’s wife is perhaps as famous as the President himself. He married the singer-songwriter Carla Bruni at the Élysée Palace in 2008.

Jacques Chirac served as French President from 1995 to 2007. He also served twice as Prime Minister of France, and as the Mayor of Paris. At the end of 2011, Chirac was found guilty of embezzling public funds and was given a 2-year suspended sentence.

13. Bernie __, subject of the 2011 book “The Wizard of Lies” MADOFF
Bernie Madoff is serving a 150-year sentence for having operated what is described as the largest Ponzi scheme in history. Basically Madoff took investor’s money and instead of investing it in the markets as agreed, he put the money into a bank account. He used some of the money he collected from new investors to pay the older investors the anticipated monthly returns. This worked just fine, until too many investors started looking for the return of the original investment. The money was “gone”, paid to new investors (and Madoff), so the whole scheme collapsed.

19. Not being buffeted as much ALEE
“Alee” is the direction away from the wind. If a sailor points into the wind, he or she is pointing “aweather”.

24. Majestic euphemism ROYAL WE
The “royal we” is more correctly called the majestic plural, and is the use of a plural pronoun to describe a single person in a high office. I suppose the most often quoted phrase that uses the majestic plural is, “We are not amused”, uttered by Queen Victoria.

26. Nasty fall SLEET
Apparently “sleet” is a term used to describe two weather conditions. One is a shower of ice pellets, smaller than hail, and the second is a mixture of rain and snow, with the snow melting as it falls. It’s the second definition that I have always used …

28. “Fin d’Arabesque” painter DEGAS
Edgar Degas was a French artist, famous for his paintings and sculptures. Some of Degas’ most beautiful works feature female ballet dancers, and others depict women bathing.

“Fin d’Arabesque” is a famous 1877 painting by Edgar Degas featuring a ballerina holding a bouquet of flowers at the end of her dance.

33. __ arts MARTIAL
“Martial arts” are various fighting traditions and systems used in combat or simply to promote physical well-being. The term ultimately derives from Latin and means “Arts of Mars”, a reference to Mars, the Roman god of war.

35. Either “A Serious Man” director COEN
I think it’s great to see two brothers working together and being so successful. Joel and Ethan Coen are two movie producers and directors who both live in New York City. The Coen brothers do love the movie-making business and they even married industry “insiders”. Ethan’s wife is film editor Tricia Cooke, and Joel is married to one of my favorite actresses, the lovely Frances McDormand.

“A Serious Man” is 2009 film written directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. The movie is a dark comedy (as one might expect from the Coen brothers), about a Jewish man struggling through life and questioning his faith.

37. Getting there EN ROUTE
“En route” is a French term that means “on the way”.

38. Striped marbles AGATES
Agate is a micro-crystalline form of quartz (so is related to sand/silica). Some agate samples have deposited layers that give a striped appearance, and these are called “banded agate”.

40. Appt. book sequence MTWTF
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday …

42. Cleansing agent BORAX
Borax is also known as sodium borate, and is a salt of boric acid. Borax is a white powder that dissolves easily in water. The compound has many uses, for example as an anti-fungal agent and an antiseptic.

45. Geometric art style DECO
Art deco is the name given to a style of design and architecture of the 1920s that actually had its roots in Belgium and then spread throughout Europe before arriving in North America. Celebrated examples of art deco architecture are the magnificent Chrysler Building in New York City completed in 1930, and the GE Building that sits in the middle of Rockefeller Center also in New York City, with the address of “30 Rock”.

46. Augur’s reading OMEN
The verb “augur” means “bode”, to serve as an omen. The word comes from the name of religious officials in Ancient Rome called augurs whose job it was to interpret signs and omens.

50. Texter’s soul mate BFF
Best friend forever (BFF).

52. HVAC measure BTU
In the world of heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), the power of a heating or cooling unit can be measured in British Thermal Units (BTUs). This dated unit is the amount of energy required to heat a pound of water so that the water’s temperature increases by one degree Fahrenheit.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski, familiarly—he holds the NCAA Division I men’s basketball record for most wins COACH K
7. Gets stuffed FEASTS
13. Mawkish MAUDLIN
14. Many Civil War mess kits TINWARE
15. Gallery event ART SALE
16. Arab League member since 1962 ALGERIA
17. Pulled off DID
18. Lady Violet in “Downton Abbey,” e.g. DOWAGER
20. GI assignments KPS
21. Nash’s “ill wind that no one blows good” OBOE
23. Run together BLUR
24. Hershey’s candy ROLO
25. Karate takedown maneuver FOOT SWEEP
28. Bagel order, maybe DOZEN
29. Familiar title of Beethoven’s “Bagatelle No. 25” FUR ELISE
30. 2003-’04 OutKast chart-topper HEY YA!
31. Monopoly deed word RENT
32. Vitamin starter? MEGA-
33. Got the lead out? MINED
35. WWII Pacific Theater battle site CORAL SEA
39. Without any aptitude for BAD AT
40. Emotional one-eighty MOODSWING
41. Turgenev’s birthplace OREL
42. Bingo call B TEN
43. Fitch who partnered with Abercrombie EZRA
44. Broadway legend Hagen UTA
45. Command to Fido DOWN, BOY!
48. Anteater’s slurp in the comic “B.C.” ZOT
49. The “G” in G.K. Chesterton GILBERT
51. Ethel Waters title line following “Now he’s gone, and we’re through” AM I BLUE?
53. Latte option HALF-CAF
54. Lucky groups? SEPTETS
55. Schemer SLY FOX
56. Sew up ENSURE

Down
1. Arctic game CARIBOU
2. Unprotected, in a way OUTDOOR
3. Much spam ADS
4. Decent, so to speak CLAD
5. American port below the 20th parallel HILO
6. Emulated a ’50s TV father? KNEW BEST
7. One doing cabinet work? FILER
8. IBM hire, maybe ENGR
9. Floor AWE
10. Chirac’s successor SARKOZY
11. Like the least risky bonds TRIPLE-A
12. __ pass SEASON
13. Bernie __, subject of the 2011 book “The Wizard of Lies” MADOFF
14. Run after a fly? TAG UP
19. Not being buffeted as much ALEE
22. Enduring ETERNAL
24. Majestic euphemism ROYAL WE
26. Nasty fall SLEET
27. Empty talk WIND
28. “Fin d’Arabesque” painter DEGAS
30. Wrangler’s charge HERD
32. Sci-fi destination MOONBASE
33. __ arts MARTIAL
34. “If everything works out …” IDEALLY
35. Either “A Serious Man” director COEN
36. Over-90 day, say SIZZLER
37. Getting there EN ROUTE
38. Striped marbles AGATES
39. Large branches BOUGHS
40. Appt. book sequence MTWTF
42. Cleansing agent BORAX
45. Geometric art style DECO
46. Augur’s reading OMEN
47. Litter sounds YIPS
50. Texter’s soul mate BFF
52. HVAC measure BTU

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