LA Times Crossword Answers 1 Apr 13, Monday

CROSSWORD SETTER: Patti Varol
THEME: Some People Today … each of today’s themed answers ends with a word that means “fool”, apt since today is April Fools Day:

60A. Cry heard today, and a hint to the ends of the answers to starred clues APRIL FOOL

16A. *Evangelist honored with a basilica in Venice SAINT MARK
10D. *Trapshooter’s target CLAY PIGEON
24D. *Tapped maple fluid TREE SAP
29D. *Lightweight, crinkled material used for suits SEERSUCKER

COMPLETION TIME: 06m 43s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
13. __ vera lotion ALOE
Aloe vera has a number of alternate names that are descriptive of its efficacy as a medicine. These include the First Aid plant, Wand of Heaven, Silent Healer and Miracle Plant.

16. *Evangelist honored with a basilica in Venice SAINT MARK
St. Mark’s Basilica is the Roman Catholic cathedral in the the city of Venice, Italy. In front of the basilica is the Piazza San Marco, the city’s main public square. St. Mark’s Square is a remarkable urban space in Europe as the sound of the human voice dominates, rather than the sound of traffic. That is indeed remarkable …

18. Resell at a big profit SCALP
Scalping of tickets, selling them above retail price for an excessive profit, originated in the mid-1800s with scalpers making money off theater tickets. There was also quite a bit of money made by people scalping railway tickets. Railroads gave discounts on tickets for longer journeys, so someone trying to get from San Francisco to Chicago say, might buy a ticket to New York. Once in Chicago the passenger would scalp the remainder of his/her ticket to someone wanting to get to New York, and make his or her invested money back with a bonus.

22. Huck Finn’s ride RAFT
“The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” by Mark Twain was first published in 1884, not here in the US but rather in England. The original launch planned for the US had to be delayed until the following year because some rascal had defaced the plate for one of the illustrations, making an obscene joke. Once the problem was spotted a new plate had to be made, and 30,000 copies already printed had to be reworked to cover up the obscenity.

25. Astrological edges CUSPS
The word “cusp” comes from the Latin “cuspis” meaning “spear, point”. In the world of astrology, a cusp is an imaginary line separating two signs of the zodiac. For example, some whose birthday is between April 16 and April 26 is said to have been born “on the cusp” between the signs Aries and Taurus.

27. Pyromaniac’s crime ARSON
“Pyro-” is the combining form of the Greek word for “fire”. A pyromaniac (a “pyro”) is someone with an abnormal desire to start fires, or with a general obsession with fire.

33. Figs. well above 100 in Mensa IQS
The first usable intelligence test was invented by a French psychologist named Alfred Binet. Binet collaborated with Théodore Simon and together they produced the Binet-Simon Intelligence Scale that is still in use today for IQ tests.

If you ever had to learn Latin, as did I, “mensa” was probably taught to you in Lesson One as it’s the word commonly used as an example of a first declension noun. Mensa means “table”. The Mensa organization for folks with high IQs was set up in Oxford, England back in 1946. To become a member, one is required to have an IQ that is in the top 2% of the population.

36. BBC nickname, with “the” BEEB
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is also known as “the Beeb”, a name given to the network by the great Peter Sellers on the classic British radio comedy called “The Goon Show”. The BBC was founded in 1922, and was the world’s first national broadcasting organization.

37. Juan’s water AGUA
In Spanish, there is plenty of water (agua) in a river (río).

40. “Hud” Best Actress Patricia NEAL
Patricia Neal won her Best Actress Oscar relatively late in her career, for playing the middle-aged housekeeper in 1963’s “Hud”. A few years later she was offered the role of Mrs. Robinson in “The Graduate” but turned it down. Famously, Neal had an affair with Gary Cooper who was married at the time. She became pregnant with his child but he persuaded her to have an abortion. Not long afterwards Neal married British writer Roald Dahl (of “Willy Wonka” fame) and the couple had five children together before divorcing in 1983.

The modern-day, western movie called “Hud” was released in 1963 and has become a classic. “Hud” stars Paul Newman (in the title role) and Patricia Neal and is an adaptation of a novel by Larry McMurtry called “Horseman, Pass By”. Patricia Neal’s role in the film was relatively small, yet her performance was enough to earn her an Academy Award for Best Actress.

44. ICU personnel RNS
Registered nurses (RNs) might be found in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

45. Campaign sticker, e.g. DECAL
A decal is a decorative sticker, short for “decalcomania”. The term is derived from the French “décalquer”, the practice of tracing a pattern from paper onto glass or perhaps porcelain.

49. Folk icon Seeger PETE
The American folk singer Pete Seeger wrote and co-wrote a lot of classic songs. The list includes “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?”, “If I had a Hammer”, and “Turn, Turn, Turn!”

58. Bracelet site ANKLE
To the best of my knowledge a bracelet goes on the arm or wrist. The equivalent for the ankle is an anklet. Oh, I guess that might also be called an “ankle bracelet” …

60. Cry heard today, and a hint to the ends of the answers to starred clues APRIL FOOL
April Fool’s Day is celebrated on April 1st in the western world. In the US (and Ireland) one can make practical jokes all day long if one wants, but in the UK there is a noon deadline. Anyone pranking after midday is called an “April Fool”.

66. Mayo holders JARS
Mayonnaise originated in the town of Mahon in Menorca, a Mediterranean island belonging to Spain. The Spanish called the sauce “salsa mahonesa” after the town, and this morphed into the French word “mayonnaise” that we use in English today.

67. Beaver-built barriers DAMS
Beavers build dams so that they can live in and around the slower and deeper water that builds up above the dam. This deeper water provides more protection for the beavers from predators such as bears. Beavers are nocturnal animals and do all their construction work at night.

Down
1. Soak up the sun BASK
Our word “bask” has a gruesome etymology. It comes from the Old English “basken” meaning “to wallow in blood”. Then William Shakespeare used the word “bask” in his play “As You Like It” (about 1600) in reference to sunshine, and we’ve been basking in warmth ever since.

3. Superman’s Lane LOIS
Lois Lane has been the love interest of Superman/Clark Kent since the comic series was first published in 1938. Lois and Clark both work for the big newspaper in the city of Metropolis called “The Daily Planet”. The couple finally got hitched in the comics (and on television’s “Lois and Clark”) in 1996. But never mind all that … one has to wonder how good the crossword is in “The Daily Planet” …

5. __ Bay Rays TAMPA
The Tampa Bay Rays is a relatively “young” franchise, being formed in 1998. The initial name of the franchise was the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. and while known as the Devil Rays the team finished last in the league in almost every year. The name was changed to the Tampa Bay Rays in 2008, and I am told the Rays started into a streak of winning seasons soon after.

6. Composer Gershwin IRA
I don’t think Ira Gershwin is usually regarded as a composer. Certainly, he was one of the greatest lyricists in American history, and one who worked the best of composers, including his brother George.

8. Sushi bar cupful SAKE
We refer to the Japanese alcoholic beverage made from rice as “sake”. We’ve gotten things a bit mixed up in the West. “Sake” is actually the word that the Japanese use for all alcoholic drinks. What we know as sake, we sometimes refer to as “rice wine”. It is indeed made from rice, but it is a brewed rather than fermented and so is more like a beer than a wine.

Sushi is a Japanese dish that has as its primary ingredient cooked, vinegared rice. The rice is usually topped with something, most often fish, and can be served in seaweed rolls. If you want raw fish by itself, then you have to order “sashimi”.

9. Machu Picchu builders INCAS
Machu Picchu is known as “The Lost City of the Incas”, and it can be visited on a mountain ridge in Peru, 50 miles northwest of the city of Cuzco in the southeast of the country. The name Machu Picchu means “old peak”.

10. *Trapshooter’s target CLAY PIGEON
There are three types of competitive shotgun target shooting sports:

– Skeet shooting
– Trap shooting
– Sporting clays

12. Longtime auto racing sponsor STP
STP motor oil takes its name from “Scientifically Treated Petroleum”.

21. Reef explorer’s gear SCUBA
The SCUBA tank was of course invented by the underwater adventurer Jacques Cousteau.

Jacques-Yves Cousteau started off his career in the French Navy, aiming for a working life in aviation. Because of a car accident, Cousteau had to abandon his first career choice and instead went to sea. Famously, he invented the Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus (SCUBA), also called the aqualung.

27. Ann __, Michigan ARBOR
Ann Arbor, Michigan was founded in 1824 by John Allen and Elisha Rumsey. Supposedly, Allen and Rumsey originally used the name “Annsarbour” in recognition of stands of bur oak that were on the land they had purchased and in recognition of their wives, both of whom were called “Ann” (i.e. Anns’ Arbor)

28. “Seinfeld” episodes, now RERUNS
The character called Elaine Benes, unlike Jerry, Kramer and George, did not appear in the pilot episode of “Seinfeld”. NBC executives specified the addition of a female lead when they picked up the show citing that the situation was too “male-centric”.

29. *Lightweight, crinkled material used for suits SEERSUCKER
Seersucker is a type of fabric, often made of alternating rough and smooth stripes. The name “seersucker” comes from the Persian “shir o shekar” meaning “milk and sugar”. I guess the idea is that the “milky” stripes are smooth and the “sugary” stripes are rough or granular.

37. Year, on monuments ANNO
Anno (plural “anni”) is the Latin for “year”.

45. Passé DATED
“Passé” is a French word, meaning “past, faded”.

52. Scotland __ YARD
London’s Metropolitan Police Service was originally headquartered at 4 Whitehall Place, and the rear entrance to the building was in a street called Great Scotland Yard. As the public entrance to the headquarters became that rear entrance, the headquarters and the force itself became known as “Scotland Yard”. The current headquarters is nowhere near that first building, and hasn’t been so since 1890, and the new facility is called New Scotland Yard.

55. Actor’s cameo, e.g. ROLE
Even in my day, a cameo role was more than just a short appearance in a movie (or other artistic piece). For the appearance to be a cameo, the actor had to playing himself or herself, and was instantly recognizable. With this meaning, it’s easy to see the etymology of the term, as a cameo brooch is one with the recognizable carving of the silhouette of a person. Nowadays, a cameo is any minor role played by a celebrity or famous actor, regardless of the character played.

57. One-armed bandit SLOT
Slot machines earned the nickname “one-armed bandits” simply because they had “one arm”, the handle pulled to operate the machine, and they robbed you of all your money!

59. Org. that created American Hunter magazine NRA
The National Rifle Association (NRA) issues a number of periodical publications, including:

– “American Rifleman”
– “American Hunter”
– “Shooting Illustrated”
– “America’s 1st Freedom”
– “Shooting Sports USA”

62. Chrysler truck that sounds hard-hitting RAM
Chrysler put ram hood ornaments on all of its Dodge branded vehicles starting in 1933. When the first line of Dodge trucks and vans were introduced in 1981, they were named “Ram” in honor of that hood ornament.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Bouncing toy BALL
5. What waiters wait for TIPS
9. Finishes making, as a black-and-white cookie ICES
13. __ vera lotion ALOE
14. Length times width AREA
15. Arm of a sea INLET
16. *Evangelist honored with a basilica in Venice SAINT MARK
18. Resell at a big profit SCALP
19. Flatter the boss for personal gain KISS UP
20. English class assignment ESSAY
22. Huck Finn’s ride RAFT
25. Astrological edges CUSPS
27. Pyromaniac’s crime ARSON
31. Lock horns (with) ARGUE
33. Figs. well above 100 in Mensa IQS
35. Marsh grasses REEDS
36. BBC nickname, with “the” BEEB
37. Juan’s water AGUA
38. Spawned BRED
39. Ice show site ARENA
40. “Hud” Best Actress Patricia NEAL
41. Yours and mine OURS
42. Dean’s __ LIST
43. Inelegant laugh SNORT
44. ICU personnel RNS
45. Campaign sticker, e.g. DECAL
46. Cold hard cash MONEY
47. Cubes in a bowl SUGAR
49. Folk icon Seeger PETE
51. Spiteful, as gossip CATTY
53. Antitheft noisemakers ALARMS
58. Bracelet site ANKLE
60. Cry heard today, and a hint to the ends of the answers to starred clues APRIL FOOL
63. Deep trepidation DREAD
64. Not hypothetical REAL
65. “Not only that …” ALSO
66. Mayo holders JARS
67. Beaver-built barriers DAMS
68. Conserve energy REST

Down
1. Soak up the sun BASK
2. Jai __ ALAI
3. Superman’s Lane LOIS
4. Binoculars part LENS
5. __ Bay Rays TAMPA
6. Composer Gershwin IRA
7. Pay-__-view PER
8. Sushi bar cupful SAKE
9. Machu Picchu builders INCAS
10. *Trapshooter’s target CLAY PIGEON
11. Snakelike swimmer EEL
12. Longtime auto racing sponsor STP
15. Newsletter edition ISSUE
17. Spins in board games, say TURNS
21. Reef explorer’s gear SCUBA
23. Seamstress’s purchase FABRIC
24. *Tapped maple fluid TREE SAP
26. Unhip type SQUARE
27. Ann __, Michigan ARBOR
28. “Seinfeld” episodes, now RERUNS
29. *Lightweight, crinkled material used for suits SEERSUCKER
30. Betting info ODDS
32. Soft-hearted GENTLE
34. Thirst-inducing, like potato chips SALTY
37. Year, on monuments ANNO
39. Vigilant ALERT
43. Aroma SMELL
45. Passé DATED
48. Grand parties GALAS
50. Coin toss choice TAILS
52. Scotland __ YARD
54. Quite a distance AFAR
55. Actor’s cameo, e.g. ROLE
56. Forest-floor plant MOSS
57. One-armed bandit SLOT
58. Descriptive wd. ADJ
59. Org. that created American Hunter magazine NRA
61. Potpie veggie PEA
62. Chrysler truck that sounds hard-hitting RAM


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