LA Times Crossword Answers 2 Apr 13, Tuesday

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
1. “SNL”-like show filmed in Canada SCTV
“Second City Television” (SCTV) is a sketch show produced in Canada from 1976 to 1984.

5. “Doctor Who” network BBC
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.

16. With 3-Down, way west for many American pioneers OREGON
(3D. See 16-Across TRAIL)
The Oregon Trail was established by fur trappers and traders as early as 1811. The first migrant wagon train traveled the route in 1836, starting off in Independence, Idaho and going as far as Fort Hall, Idaho. In the coming years, the trail was extended for wagons as far as the Willamette Valley in Oregon.

17. __-Iraq War: ’80s conflict IRAN
The Iran-Iraq War was the longest conventional war of the 20th century, lasting from 1980 to 1988. The war started when Iraq invaded Iran after several border disputes remained unresolved. The US supported Iraq during the conflict, although arms were sold surreptitiously to Iran by the US in the so-called Iran-Contra affair. During the conflict, Iraq attacked and damaged an American frigate, the USS Stark. As US involvement increased, an American cruiser shot down a civilian Iran Air flight in a tragic error.

18. Crooner Perry’s ad? COMO’S PROMO
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!

21. Manicurist’s aid EMERY
Emery is a very hard type of rock that is crushed for use as an abrasive. Emery paper is made by gluing small particles of emery to paper. Emery boards are just emery paper with a cardboard backing. And emery boards are primarily used for filing nails.

23. Space pilot Han’s shirt? SOLO’S POLO
Han Solo is the space smuggler in “Star Wars” played by Harrison Ford. Ford was originally hired by George Lucas just to read lines for actors during auditions for “Star Wars”, but over time Lucas became convinced that Ford was right for the pivotal role of Han Solo.

26. Classic racecars GTS
GT stands for “Grand Touring” or “Gran Turismo”.

30. Nouveau __ RICHE
The “nouveau riche” are people who have achieved their wealth themselves, not from an inheritance. “Nouveau riche” is French for “new rich”.

33. U2 frontman’s bit of naughtiness? BONO’S NO-NO
Irish singer Bono is a Dubliner, born Paul David Hewson. As a youth, Hewson was given the nickname “Bono Vox” by a friend, a Latin expression meaning “good voice”, and so the singer has been known as Bono since the late seventies. His band’s first name was “Feedback”, later changed to “The Hype”. The band members searched for yet another name and chose U2 from a list of six names suggested by a friend. They picked U2 because it was the name they disliked least …

39. PC monitor type LCD
Liquid Crystal Displays (LCDs) are the screens that are found in most laptops today, and in flat panel computer screens and some televisions. LCD monitors basically replaced Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) screens, the old television technology.

40. Cartoon possum’s corporate symbol? POGO’S LOGO
“Pogo” is a comic strip that was launched in 1948, the creation of cartoonist Walt Kelly. The story centers on animals that live in the Okefenokee Swamp on the Georgia-Florida border, with the title character “Pogo Possum” being an anthropomorphic opossum.

42. Chilean range ANDES
The Andes is the longest continuous chain of mountains in the world, running right down the length of the west coast of South America for about 4,300 miles. The highest peak in the range is Mt. Aconcagua, at an elevation of 22,841 feet. Interestingly, the peak of Mt. Chimborazo in Ecuador is the furthest point on the Earth’s surface from the center of the planet. That’s because of the equatorial “bulge” around the Earth’s “waist”.

47. Japanese general Hideki’s talisman? TOJO’S MOJO
Hideki Tojo was a general and the Prime Minister of Japan during most of WWII. Although the attack on Pearl Harbor was planned before he took office, Tojo was the Prime Minister who made the decision to declare war on the US. After Japan surrendered, General MacArthur ordered Tojo’s arrest. Tojo attempted to commit suicide by shooting himself in the heart, but missed. There is a story that while recovering, Tojo was given a set of replacement dentures that were made by an American dentist. Apparently the dentist drilled the message “Remember Pearl Harbor” into the teeth in Morse code. Tojo was hanged for war crimes in 1948.

57. Movie pooch’s picture? TOTO’S PHOTO
Toto is Dorothy’s dog in the film “The Wizard of Oz”. Toto was played by a dog called Terry, but Terry’s name was soon changed to Toto in real life, due to the success of the film.

60. Church key, e.g. OPENER
A church key is a bottle opener.

61. “__ My Party”: Lesley Gore hit IT’S
“Its My Party” is a great song from the sixties that was released by Lesley Gore in 1963 when she was just 16 years of age. “It’s My Party” tells the story of a teenage girl whose boyfriend hooks up with another girl at her own birthday party. The song struck such a chord with the listening audience that Gore recorded a sequel called “Judy’s Turn to Cry” in which the teenage girl gets her revenge, and her boyfriend returns to her.

Down
1. Pink ones are unwelcome–except in lingerie SLIPS
The term “pink slip” can be used as a verb meaning “to terminate an employee”. No one really seems to know for sure where the term originated, but there are lots of stories.

“Lingerie” is a French term, but as used in France it just means any underwear, worn by either males or females. In English we use “lingerie” to describe alluring underclothing worn by women. The term “lingerie” comes into English via the French word “linge” meaning “washables”, and ultimately from the Latin “linum”, meaning “linen”. We tend not to pronounce the word correctly in English, either here in the US or across the other side of the Atlantic. The French pronunciation is more like “lan-zher-ee”, as opposed to “lon-zher-ay” (American) and “lon-zher-ee” (British).

4. Self-portraitist with a bandaged ear VAN GOGH
Gauguin visited Van Gogh in Arles in 1888. At one point the two argued quite violently, with Van Gogh eventually threatening his friend with a razor blade. In a panic, Van Gogh fled the house and made his way to a local brothel. Famously, that night he cut off his own left ear.

5. Bodybuilder’s “guns” BICEPS
The biceps muscle is made up of two bundles of muscle, both of which terminate at the same point near the elbow. The heads of the bundles terminate at different points on the scapula or shoulder blade. “Biceps” is Latin for “two-headed”.

9. Dada pioneer Jean ARP
Hans Arp was a French artist renowned for his work with torn and pasted paper, although that wasn’t the only medium he used. Arp was the son of a French mother and German father and spoke both languages fluently. When he was speaking German he gave his name as Hans Arp, but when speaking French he called himself Jean Arp. Both “Hans” and “Jean” translate into English as “John”. In WWI Arp moved to Switzerland to avoid being called up to fight, taking advantage of Swiss neutrality. Eventually he was told to report to the German Consulate and fill out paperwork for the draft. In order to get out of fighting, Arp messed up the paperwork by writing the date in every blank space on the forms. Then he took off all of his clothes and walked with his papers over to the officials in charge. He was sent home …

Dadaism thrived during and just after WWI, and was an anti-war, anti-bourgeois and anti-art culture. The movement began in Zurich, Switzerland started by a group of artists and writers who met to discuss art and put on performances in the Cabaret Voltaire, frequently expressing disgust at the war that was raging across Europe.

10. __ Gulf: Arabian waterway PERSIAN
The Persian Gulf is in effect an inland sea although it technically is an offshoot of the Indian Ocean. The outlet from the Persian Gulf to the Indian Ocean is one of the most famous maritime “choke points” in the world: the Strait of Hormuz. About 20% of the world’s supply of petroleum passes through the Strait of Hormuz.

19. Pizarro’s gold ORO
Francisco Pizarro was a Spanish conquistador, the man who led the conquest of the Incan Empire in 1533. Pizarro founded the city of Lima in Peru in 1535. Pizarro’s body was laid to rest in Lima after the son of a rival conquistador assassinated him.

24. Broad-brimmed hat STETSON
Stetson is a brand name of hat, manufactured by the John B. Stetson Company of St. Joseph, Missouri. The so called “cowboy hat” that Stetson pioneered was such a success that the company became the largest hat maker in the world, producing over 3.3 million hats per year.

25. Chaste priestesses of ancient Rome VESTALS
In Ancient Rome the priestesses of the the goddess Vesta were known as the Vestals. They were also called the Vestal Virgins as they took a vow of chastity, although they weren’t required to be celibate for life. Each priestess entered the order before puberty and promised to live a celibate life for thirty years. The first decade was spent as a student, the second in service, and the final ten years as a teacher. Upon completion of the thirty years the Vestal was free to marry, but few did. Life was a lot better for a woman in the priesthood than it was subject to Roman Law.

27. “__ appétit!” BON
Anyone tempted to use the French term “bon appétit” before a meal should be careful not pronounce the last “t”, it’s silent …

31. Composer Stravinsky IGOR
Igor Stravinsky’s most famous works were completed relatively early in his career, when he was quite young. His three ballets “The Firebird”, “Petrushka” and “The Rite of Spring” were published in 1910-1913, when Stravinsky was in his early thirties.

34. “Egad!” in an IM OMG
OMG is text-speak for Oh My Gosh! Oh My Goodness! or any other G words you might think of …

35. Opposite of paleo- NEO-
The prefix “paleo-” means “prehistoric, primitive”. It comes from the Greek word “palaios” which means “old, ancient”.

41. Tommy Dorsey hit tune OPUS ONE
The 1944 hit for the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra known as “Opus One” is more correctly called “Opus No. 1”.

47. Internet slang based on a common typo TEH
“Teh” is urban slang for the word “the”, and is actually derived from a common typo for “the”.

49. Harbor wall JETTY
A jetty is a pier that juts out into a body of water. “Jetty” derives from the French verb “jeter” meaning “to throw”, the idea being that a jetty is a structure that is “thrown” out past the edge of the land surrounding the body of water.

50. Eight-time All-Star Tony of the ’60s-’70s Minnesota Twins OLIVA
Tony Oliva is a former Major League baseball player who played his whole career for the Minnesota Twins.

51. Sister of La Toya JANET
Janet Jackson is the youngest of the famed Jackson family of musicians. She is a very successful musical artist (she has sold over 100 million records!) but also devotes a lot of time to acting. When she was quite young she appeared on the TV show “Fame”, and in 1993 had her first starring role in a film, namely “Poetic Justice”. She followed that up with a part in “Nutty Professor II” playing opposite Eddie Murphy. As usual, she got to sing on the movie’s soundtrack and produced a number one with the song “Doesn’t Really Matter”. Then there was the 2004 Super Bowl halftime show, and a wardrobe malfunction …

La Toya Jackson was very close to her brother Michael, both in age and temperament. It seems to me that La Toya’s obsession with the plastic surgeon’s knife was second only to that of her younger brother.

54. Arizona native HOPI
The Hopi nation live on a reservation that is actually located within the much larger Navajo reservation in Arizona.

58. Rev.’s message SER
A reverend (rev.) might deliver a sermon (sr.).

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. “SNL”-like show filmed in Canada SCTV
5. “Doctor Who” network BBC
8. Rafters shoot them RAPIDS
14. Pre-Euro Italian coin LIRA
15. Nest egg letters IRA
16. With 3-Down, way west for many American pioneers OREGON
17. __-Iraq War: ’80s conflict IRAN
18. Crooner Perry’s ad? COMO’S PROMO
20. Self-righteous sort PRIG
21. Manicurist’s aid EMERY
22. Rage inwardly STEW
23. Space pilot Han’s shirt? SOLO’S POLO
25. Through VIA
26. Classic racecars GTS
27. Lighthouse light BEACON
30. Nouveau __ RICHE
33. U2 frontman’s bit of naughtiness? BONO’S NO-NO
36. Back in the day AGO
37. Bedevil TORMENT
39. PC monitor type LCD
40. Cartoon possum’s corporate symbol? POGO’S LOGO
42. Chilean range ANDES
44. Camera stand TRIPOD
45. Roman 1,051 MLI
46. Winery container TUN
47. Japanese general Hideki’s talisman? TOJO’S MOJO
53. Triumphant cries AHAS
55. Disconnect SEVER
56. Explosion sound, in comics BLAM!
57. Movie pooch’s picture? TOTO’S PHOTO
59. Poetry unit LINE
60. Church key, e.g. OPENER
61. “__ My Party”: Lesley Gore hit IT’S
62. Fairly matched EVEN
63. Great suffering MISERY
64. Easter egg dip DYE
65. “That didn’t go well” RATS

Down
1. Pink ones are unwelcome–except in lingerie SLIPS
2. Prefix with cumulus CIRRO-
3. See 16-Across TRAIL
4. Self-portraitist with a bandaged ear VAN GOGH
5. Bodybuilder’s “guns” BICEPS
6. __-Seltzer BROMO
7. Desert safari beast CAMEL
8. Pink-cheeked ROSY
9. Dada pioneer Jean ARP
10. __ Gulf: Arabian waterway PERSIAN
11. Reason given for calling in sick I GOT A COLD
12. Rounded roof DOME
13. Winter whiteness SNOW
19. Pizarro’s gold ORO
24. Broad-brimmed hat STETSON
25. Chaste priestesses of ancient Rome VESTALS
27. “__ appétit!” BON
28. Fairy tale start ONCE
29. Dozes NODS
30. Like one who can’t put a book down RAPT
31. Composer Stravinsky IGOR
32. Ponders COGITATES
33. Male sib BRO
34. “Egad!” in an IM OMG
35. Opposite of paleo- NEO-
38. Long in the tooth OLD
41. Tommy Dorsey hit tune OPUS ONE
43. Less clumsy NIMBLER
45. Sullen MOROSE
47. Internet slang based on a common typo TEH
48. Egg-shaped OVOID
49. Harbor wall JETTY
50. Eight-time All-Star Tony of the ’60s-’70s Minnesota Twins OLIVA
51. Sister of La Toya JANET
52. Warning signs OMENS
53. Elemental particle ATOM
54. Arizona native HOPI
55. Twinkle-toed SPRY
58. Rev.’s message SER

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