LA Times Crossword Answers 8 Mar 13, Friday

PLEASE NOTE!
Because of the unusual design used for some of today’s answers, the numbering of the clues in my solution (taken from the online version) may not match the version printed in newspapers.



CROSSWORD SETTER: David Steinberg & David Phillips
THEME: Waterfalls … six of today’s answers include the word WATER, and in each case the WATER is written downwards so that is “falls”. The resulting answers snake through the grid, taking up both across and down spaces:

1A. Perennial Oscars staple PRICE (WATER)(HOUSE)
7A. Canoeist’s challenge WHITE (WATER)
34A. Prevent that sinking feeling? TREAD (WATER)
50A. Best Picture of 1954 ON THE (WATER) (FRONT)
21D. Important greenhouse gas WATER (VAPOR)
47D. River phenomena (or what literally happens six times in this puzzle) WATER(FALLS)

COMPLETION TIME: 13m 52s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
1. Perennial Oscars staple PRICE (WATER)(HOUSE)
PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) is the largest of the Big Four accountancy firms, followed by Deloitte, Ernst & Young and KPMG. One of PwC’s most noted clients is the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. The firm has tabulated and certified the votes for the Academy Awards continuously since 1934.

13. Game with pelotas JAI ALAI
Basque pelota is a sport played in parts of Spain. Pelota is a racket sport in which a ball is hit against a specially-built wall called a frontón. The term “pelota” is also used for the ball in the game of jai alai. “Pelota” is derived from the Spanish word for “pellet”.

15. Maria __, the last House of Habsburg ruler THERESA
Maria Theresa was the last ruler of the House of Habsburg, also known as the House of Austria. She was also the House’s only female ruler. Maria Theresa was married to Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor. The couple had sixteen children together, including Queen Marie Antoinette of France.

18. Breed canines? TEETHE
The canine teeth of a mammal are also called the eye teeth. The name “canine” is used because these particular teeth are very prominent in dogs. The name “eye” is used because in humans the eye teeth are located in the upper jaw, directly below the eyes.

20. “Peter Pan” character SMEE
In J. M. Barrie’s play and novel about Peter Pan, Smee is one of Captain Hook’s pirates and is Hook’s right-hand man. Smee is described by Barrie as being “Irish” and “a man who stabbed without offence”. Nice guy!

27. Ukr., once SSR
The former Soviet Union (USSR) was created in 1922, not long after the Russian Revolution of 1917 that overthrew the Tsar. Geographically, the new Soviet Union was roughly equivalent to the old Russian Empire, and was comprised of fifteen Soviet Socialist Republics (SSRs).

Ukraine is a large country in Eastern Europe, a Soviet Republic before the dissolution of the USSR. In English we often call the country “the” Ukraine, but I am told that we should just say “Ukraine”.

28. Honey Bear portrayer in “Mogambo” AVA
Ava Gardner is noted for her association with some big movies, but also for her association with some big names when it came to the men in her life. In the world of film, she appeared in the likes of “Mogambo” (1953), “On the Beach” (1959), “The Night of the Iguana” (1964) and “Earthquake” (1974). The men in her life included husbands Mickey Rooney, Artie Shaw and Frank Sinatra. After her marriages had failed (and perhaps before!) she had long term relationships with Howard Hughes and bullfighter Luis Miguel Dominguin whom she met through her friend Ernest Hemingway.

33. Cabinet dept. created under LBJ HUD
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has its roots in the “Great Society” program of President Lyndon Johnson. HUD’s mission is to address the housing needs of the citizenry at the national level. HUD can provide mortgage insurance to help people become homeowners and also provide rental subsidies to lower-income families. HUD is also responsible for enforcement of Federal Fair Housing laws.

40. Pygmalion’s statue GALATEA
Pygmalion is a figure from Greek legend who figures prominently in Ovid’s poem “Metamorphoses”. According to Ovid, Pygmalion was a goldsmith from Cyprus who became uninterested in women. However, he carved a beautiful sculpture of a woman (later identified as the sea-nymph Galatea), a statue that was so beautiful he fell in love with it.

44. “A Tale of Love and Darkness” author AMOS OZ
Amos Oz is an Israeli writer. Oz has written 18 books in Hebrew and his works have been translated into 30 languages, including Arabic.

46. Native Coloradan UTE
The Ute is a group of Native American tribes that now resides in Utah and Colorado. The Ute were not a unified people as such, but rather a loose association of nomadic groups.

47. Financial Times rival, briefly WSJ
“The Wall Street Journal” (WSJ) is a daily newspaper with a business bent that is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company. The WSJ has a larger US circulation than any other newspaper, with “USA Today” coming in second place.

50. Best Picture of 1954 ON THE (WATER) (FRONT)
The 1954 drama “On the Waterfront”, starring Marlon Brando, told a story of violence and corruption among longshoremen. The movie was based on a series of 24 articles written by investigative journalist Malcolm Johnston and published in “The New York Sun”. The original news stories uncovered mob infiltration on the New York City Waterfront, but the location for the film was chosen as Hoboken, New Jersey.

52. Train with dukes? SPAR
“Dukes” is a slang term for “hands”, as in “put up your dukes”. The term is of uncertain etymology.

55. Strasbourg’s region ALSACE
Of the 27 regions of metropolitan France (i.e. the territory of France within Europe), the smallest is Alsace. Alsace sits at the very east of the country, right on the border with Germany.

Strasbourg is a beautiful city that I had the privilege to visit some years ago. Strasbourg is home to many international organizations, including the European Court of Human Rights.

60. Biological reversion ATAVISM
An atavism is an evolutionary throwback, the reappearance of a trait that disappeared in prior generations. One example of an atavism would be a vestigial tail that might be found on some newborn babies.

65. Progress by directed effort TELESIS
“Telesis” is a term coined by the sociologist Lester Frank Ward in the late 1800s. Telesis is “planned progress”, the deliberate use of natural and social processes to achieve a particular goal or set of goals.

Down
1. Retiree’s attire? PJS
Our word “pajamas” comes to us from the Indian subcontinent, where “pai jamahs” were loose fitting pants tied at the waist and worn at night by locals and ultimately by the Europeans living there. And “pajamas” is another of those words that I had to learn to spell differently when I came to America. In the British Isles the spelling is “pyjamas”.

3. “Revenge of the Sith” episode number III
The Sith are characters in “Star Wars” that use the “dark side of the Force”, and as such are the antithesis of the Jedi Knights. The last made of the six “Star Wars” movies is called “Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith”.

4. Café reading CARTE
“Carte” is a word sometimes used in French for a menu. Menu items that are “à la carte” are priced and ordered separately, as opposed to “table d’hôte” which is a fixed price menu with limited choice.

5. Peace Nobelist two years after Desmond ELIE
Elie Wiesel is a holocaust survivor, best known for his book “Night” that tells of his experiences in Auschwitz and Buchenwald. Wiesel was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986.

Desmond Tutu is a South African, a former Anglican bishop who is an outspoken opponent of apartheid. Tutu won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009, among other distinguished awards.

7. Time-traveling Doctor WHO
The iconic science-fiction television show “Doctor Who” was first aired in 1963, and relaunched in 2005 by the BBC. The relaunched series is produced in-house by the BBC in Cardiff in Wales, the location that is the setting of the successful “Doctor Who” spin-off called “Torchwood”. The new show is about the Cardiff branch of the Torchwood Institute which investigates incidents involving extraterrestrials.

9. Pupil controller IRIS
The iris is the colored part of the eye with an aperture in the center that can open or close depending on the level of light hitting the eye.

11. Scoreless trio? ESSES
There are three letters S in the word “scoreless”.

14. Formation meaning “neck” in Greek ISTHMUS
The word “isthmus” (plural “isthmi”) comes the Greek word for “neck”. An isthmus is a narrow strip of land that usually connects two large land masses. The most notable examples of the formation are the Isthmus of Corinth in the Greek peninsula, and the Isthmus of Panama connecting North and South America.

15. N.Y.C. country club? THE UN
The United Nations building is located on “international territory” in New York City in Manhattan, overlooking the East River. The building is sometimes referred to as “Turtle Bay”, as it is located in the Turtle Bay neighborhood of the city.

21. Important greenhouse gas WATER (VAPOR)
Greenhouse gases are those that absorb and emit infrared radiation, meaning that they act as an insulator for our planet. The most abundant greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are water vapor, carbon dioxide and methane. Levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere have increased by about 40% since 1750, and levels of methane have increased over 150% in the same timeframe.

22. Co-tsar with Peter I IVAN V
Peter I and Ivan V were half-brothers who serves as joint Tsars of Russia between the years 1682 and 1696. Peter was the most influential of the duo by far, and after Ivan died Peter went on to bring Russia into a new age earning himself the moniker Peter the Great.

23. TV cook Deen PAULA
Paula Deen is a celebrity chef from Savannah, Georgia who is noted for her Southern cooking. Deen has been criticized for the amount of salt, fat and sugar in her recipes. The criticism became even more intense when Deen disclosed that she herself has been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.

25. Prominent instrument in “Paint It, Black” SITAR
The sitar has been around since the Middle Ages. The sitar is a stringed instrument that is played by plucking, and is used most often in Hindustani classical music. In the West we have been exposed to the instrument largely through the performances of Ravi Shankar and some music by George Harrison of the Beatles, a onetime student of Shankar.

A close runner-up to my favorite Rolling Stones song (“Satisfaction”) is “Paint It, Black”, released in 1966. Due to the song’s prominent use in the movie “Full Metal Jacket” and the TV show “Tour of Duty”, “Paint It, Black” has become inextricably linked with the Vietnam War. That linkage gets reinforced even today as the song is often used in television shows and even video games whenever there is a Vietnam reference. It is interesting to note that the correct form of the title includes a comma (“Paint It, Black”) as this was how it was written when originally released. According to Keith Richards, the inclusion of the comma was a mistake made by the company printing the original record label, and it stuck.

26. British nobleman EARL
In the ranking of nobles, an earl comes above a viscount and below a marquess. The rank of earl is used in the British peerage system and is equivalent to the rank of count in other countries. Other British ranks have female forms (e.g. marquess and marchioness, viscount and viscountess), but there isn’t a female word for the rank of earl. A female given the same rank as an earl is known simply as a countess.

30. Biblical cover-up LEAF
In the Book of Genesis, Adam and Eve covered their nudity with fig leaves after eating from the Tree of knowledge of good and evil.

32. Snack in un bar TAPA
“Tapa” is the Spanish for “lid”, and there is no clear rationale for why this word came to be used for an appetizer. There are lots of explanations cited, all of which seem to involve the temporary covering of one’s glass of wine with a plate or item of food to either preserve the wine or give one extra space at the table.

36. American rival DELTA
Today, Delta is the world’s largest airline (after merging with Northwest Airlines in 2008) and is also the oldest airline still operating in the US. Delta’s roots go back to 1924 before the company’s planes started carrying passengers and was called Huff Daland Dusters, a crop dusting enterprise based in Macon, Georgia. The name Delta Air Service was introduced in 1928.

39. “It’s Impossible” crooner COMO
Perry Como is still my mother’s favorite singer. Como was born about 20 miles from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Famously, his first career was barbering. Como learned the trade from a local hairdresser and soon had his own shop in a Greek coffee house, at the age of 14!

42. Sci-fi writer Frederik POHL
Frederik Pohl is an American science-fiction writer, a winner of three Hugo awards. Pohl started off his career as a literary agent, and was the only agent ever hired by Isaac Asimov.

49. Tower-building game JENGA
Jenga is a simple but very entertaining game, one in which one stacks wooden blocks as high as possible until the resulting tower collapses. “Jenga” is the Swahili word for “to build”

58. __ canto BEL
“Bel canto” is a term used in Italian opera, the literal translation of which is “beautiful singing”.

62. It might be original SIN
In the Christian tradition, “original sin” is the state of sin that exists in all humanity as a result of Adam’s first disobedience in the Garden of Eden.

63. Boulder hrs. MST
The Colorado city of Boulder is located in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains about 25 miles northwest of Denver. Boulder is a college town, and is home to the main campus of the University of Colorado.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Retiree’s attire? PJS
2. Knock RAP
3. “Revenge of the Sith” episode number III
4. Café reading CARTE
5. Peace Nobelist two years after Desmond ELIE
7. Time-traveling Doctor WHO
8. Shut (in) HEM
9. Pupil controller IRIS
10. Swarms TEEMS
11. Scoreless trio? ESSES
14. Formation meaning “neck” in Greek ISTHMUS
15. N.Y.C. country club? THE UN
19. Broke ground HOED
21. Important greenhouse gas WATER (VAPOR)
22. Co-tsar with Peter I IVAN V
23. TV cook Deen PAULA
25. Prominent instrument in “Paint It, Black” SITAR
26. British nobleman EARL
30. Biblical cover-up LEAF
32. Snack in un bar TAPA
33. Leggy wader HERON
35. Couldn’t get enough of ATE UP
36. American rival DELTA
39. “It’s Impossible” crooner COMO
40. Watches with wonder GAZES AT
42. Sci-fi writer Frederik POHL
45. Legal orders STAYS
47. River phenomena (or what literally happens six times in this puzzle) WATER(FALLS)
48. Harvest sight SHEAF
49. Tower-building game JENGA
52. Cut off SEVER
54. Suburban symbol MALL
56. Pasture newborn CALF
58. __ canto BEL
59. Mil. ranks LTS
61. Prefix with propyl ISO-
62. It might be original SIN
63. Boulder hrs. MST

Down
1. Perennial Oscars staple PRICE (WATER)(HOUSE)
7. Canoeist’s challenge WHITE (WATER)
13. Game with pelotas JAI ALAI
15. Maria __, the last House of Habsburg ruler THERESA
16. They’re found in bars SPIRITS
17. Most comfortable HOMIEST
18. Breed canines? TEETHE
20. “Peter Pan” character SMEE
21. Erase, as from memory WIPE
27. Ukr., once SSR
28. Honey Bear portrayer in “Mogambo” AVA
29. Like some labor MENIAL
31. Emotionally strained TAUT
33. Cabinet dept. created under LBJ HUD
34. Prevent that sinking feeling? TREAD (WATER)
38. Intertwines ENLACES
40. Pygmalion’s statue GALATEA
42. Course number PAR
43. Touched FELT
44. “A Tale of Love and Darkness” author AMOS OZ
46. Native Coloradan UTE
47. Financial Times rival, briefly WSJ
50. Best Picture of 1954 ON THE (WATER) (FRONT)
52. Train with dukes? SPAR
53. “I hate to interrupt …” AHEM
55. Strasbourg’s region ALSACE
57. In a defensible manner TENABLY
60. Biological reversion ATAVISM
64. Newborn raptors EAGLETS
65. Progress by directed effort TELESIS

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