LA Times Crossword Answers 18 May 13, Saturday

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
1. Faraday’s field: Abbr. ELEC
Michael Faraday was a scientist from England who discovered electromagnetic induction among other things. It was Faraday who first observed that a conductor carrying an electric current has an associated magnetic field. Amazingly, the sum total of Faraday’s formal education was little more than a seven-year apprenticeship as a bookbinder and bookseller.

5. Paris is in it ILIAD
The Iliad is an epic poem by the Greek poet Homer, which tells the story of the siege of Ilium (also known as Troy) during the Trojan war.

In Greek legend, Paris was the son of the king of Troy. Paris eloped with Helen, Queen of Sparta, and this act was a major trigger for the Trojan War. Also it was Paris who fatally wounded Achilles by shooting him in the heel with an arrow.

10. __ champêtre: garden party FETE
A fête champêtre was an elaborate garden party held in France in the 1700s. Such fêtes held in the French court might even include whole orchestras hidden away in the trees and guests in fancy dress. The term “fête champêtre” is usually translated as “pastoral festival” or “country feast”, or nowadays as “garden party”.

14. Love letters? XOXO
In the sequence XOX, I think the X represents a kiss, and the O a hug. Hugs and kisses …

17. Bali specification C-CUP
Bali is an American lingerie company that has been around since 1927.

19. Danish director von Trier LARS
Lars von Trier is a film director and screenwriter from Denmark. Even though there is lot of demand for von Trier to work all over the world, the vast majority of his films are shot in Denmark or Sweden, even movies set in the US. That’s because von Trier has an intense fear of flying.

20. NBC’s usual “Must See TV” night THU
“Must See TV” is a slogan that has been used by NBC to promote its Thursday night lineup of sitcoms. The slogan was introduced in the 1990s, and was dropped in the 2000s.

21. Flight segment RISER
A flight of stairs features a set of risers.

22. Clerical garment ALB
The alb is the white, neck-to-toe vestment worn by priests, usually with a rope cord around the waist. The term alb comes from “albus”, the Latin word for “white”.

33. About, legally IN RE
The term “in re” is Latin, derived from “in” (in) and “res” (thing, matter). “In re” literally means “in the matter”, and is used to mean “in regard to”, or “in the matter of”.

35. Single __: tournament type ELIM
In a single-elimination tournament, also called sudden death tournament, losers of a game are immediately eliminated.

38. LaBeouf of “Holes” SHIA
Shia LaBeouf is an actor who started out in the Disney television series “Even Stevens”. Adult audiences might be more familiar with his leading role in the 2003 film “Holes”.

“Holes” is a 2003 film based on a 1998 novel of the same name by Louis Sachar. This one isn’t my kind of film, despite having an impressive cast that includes, Shia LaBeouf, Sigourney Weaver, Jon Voight, Patricia Arquette, Dulé Hill, Eartha Kitt and Henry Winkler.

40. Code word DIT
Dahs and dits are the sound equivalents of dashes and dots of Morse Code. Samuel Morse didn’t invent Morse code, but it took his name because it was invented for use on the electric telegraph invented by him.

41. United nations, perhaps BLOCS
“Bloc” is the French word for “block”.

42. Order in an oater REACH FOR THE SKY!
The term “oater” that is used for a western movie comes from the number of horses seen, as horses love oats!

48. 5-Across poet HOMER
(5. Paris is in it ILIAD)
The Greek poet Homer wrote the “Iliad” and the “Odyssey”. Although not certain, it’s thought that Homer lived in the 7th or 8th centuries BCE.

52. “… by good __, yonder’s my lord”: “Timon of Athens” HAP
“Hap” means “fortune, chance”.

Timon of Athens was noted for renouncing society, for being someone who despised mankind. Timon started out life as a wealthy man, but he lost all his money by pandering to the needs of his friends. Without money, Timon’s friends deserted him. Timon became rich again when he found a pot of gold, and so his friends sought him out once more. Timon was very embittered and so drove everyone away and lived the rest of his life as a hermit. Centuries after he died, Timon of Athens was to become the title character in a play by William Shakespeare.

59. Hana Airport’s island MAUI
Maui is the second largest of the Hawaiian islands. Maui is sometimes called the “Valley Isle” as it is composed of two volcanoes to the northwest and southeast of the island, each with numerous beautiful valleys carved into them.

60. Federal inspection org. OSHA
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was created in 1970 during the Nixon administration. OSHA regulates workplaces in the private sector and regulates just one government agency, namely the US Postal Service.

62. Old, in Oldenburg ALTE
Oldenburg is a city in the northwest of Germany.

Down
3. One with a long commute, probably EXURBANITE
Derived from the term “suburb”, an “exurb” is an area beyond the suburbs at the very outskirts of a city. Often the “exurb” is used to denote an area inhabited by more wealthy people.

8. Philip __, first Asian-American film actor with a Hollywood Walk of Fame star AHN
The actor Philip Ahn is perhaps best known for playing Master Kahn, one of Caine’s teachers on the television show “kung Fu”. Ahn was the first Asian-American actor to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

10. Vanua Levu’s archipelago FIJI
Vanua Levu is the second largest island of the Republic of Fiji. The larger island is Vitu Levu. Vanua Levu used to be called Sandalwood Island.

11. Slaughter with a bat ENOS
Enos Slaughter has a remarkable playing record in Major League Baseball over a 19-year career. Slaughter’s record is particularly remarkable given that he left baseball for three years to serve in the military during WWII.

12. Vegas tip TOKE
“Toke” is an informal term for a tip given to a dealer or other employee at a casino.

13. Cabinet dept. with an Office of Science ENER
The Office of Science is the largest supporter in the US of basic research in the physical sciences. The Office of Science is part of the Department of Energy.

23. Recoil SHY
“To shy” is to move suddenly if startled.

27. Valley where Hercules slew a lion NEMEA
The Twelve Labors of Hercules is actually a Greek myth, although Hercules is the Roman name for the hero that the Greeks called Heracles. The first of these labors was to slay the Nemean Lion, a monster that lived in a cave near Nemea. Hercules had a tough job as the lion’s golden fur was impenetrable to normal weapons. One version of the story is that Hercules killed the lion by shooting an arrow into its mouth. Another version says that Hercules stunned the monster with a club and then strangled him with his bare hands.

29. Recuperating at the Royal London IN HOSPITAL
The Royal London Hospital has 675 beds, making it the largest hospital in Europe.

30. Covered in bling, say TRICKED OUT
Bling-bling is the name given to all the shiny stuff sported by rap stars in particular i.e. the jewelry, watches, metallic cell phones, even gold caps on the teeth. The term comes from the supposed “bling” sound caused by light striking a shiny metal surface.

36. Child psychologist’s concern, briefly ADHD
The “official” name for the condition we sometimes still refer to as “attention deficit disorder” (ADD) is “attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder” (ADHD).

37. Minnie Mouse’s peke FIFI
Minnie and Mickey were both introduced to the world in 1928. Minnie was originally known as Minerva, and sometimes still is. Minnie has two pets: a dog called Fifi and a cat called Figaro.

41. Antioxidant food preservative BHT
Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) is a food additive that is allowed in our food. BHT is an antioxidant.

43. Demeter’s Roman counterpart CERES
In Greek mythology, Demeter is the goddess of the harvest. Her Roman equivalent is Ceres.

45. Swamp tree TUPELO
The tupelo is genus of tree in the dogwood family. The tree gives its name to the city of Tupelo, Mississippi.

48. Down Under swagman, in the States HOBO
No one seems to know for sure how the term “hobo” originated, although there are lots of colorful theories. My favorite is that “hobo” comes from the first letters in the words “ho-meward bo-und”, but it doesn’t seem very plausible. A kind blog reader tells me that according to Click and Clack from PBS’s “Car Talk” (a great source!), “hobo” comes from “hoe boy”. Hoe boys were young men with hoes looking for work after the Civil War. Hobos differed from “tramps” and “bums”, in that “bums” refused to work, “tramps” worked when they had to, while “hobos” traveled in search of work.

In Australia and New Zealand, a “swagman” was a migratory worker who walked from farm to farm seeking work, and carrying his bedroll on his back (called a “swag”). A swagman typically wore a hat strung with corks that kept away flies.

49. With 9-Down, conspiratorial group in “The Da Vinci Code” OPUS
(9. See 49-Down DEI)
Opus Dei is Roman Catholic institution that was founded in Spain in 1928, and officially approved by the church in 1950. In 2010, Opus Dei had over 90,000 members, mostly lay people. The institution’s mission is to promote certain aspects of the Roman Catholic doctrine. Opus Dei was used as a sinister organization by Dan Brown in his novel “The Da Vinci Code”.

51. “Oíche Chiún” singer ENYA
Enya’s real name is Eithne Patricia Ní Bhraonáin, which can translate from Irish into Enya Brennan. Her Donegal family (in the northwest of Ireland) formed a band called Clannad, which included Enya. In 1980 Enya launched her very successful solo career. She sure does turn up a lot in crosswords!

53. Hindu god of desire KAMA
Kama is the Hindu god of love. He is portrayed as a youth bearing a bow and arrows, much like Eros and Cupid. Kama lends his name to the “Kama Sutra”.

55. Miércoles, por ejemplo DIA
In Spanish, Wednesday (Miércoles) is a day (dia).

56. Three-pt. plays FGS
In football, field goals are three-point plays.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Faraday’s field: Abbr. ELEC
5. Paris is in it ILIAD
10. __ champêtre: garden party FETE
14. Love letters? XOXO
15. Exploits CASHES IN ON
17. Bali specification C-CUP
18. It’s more acceptable when it’s self-mocking ETHNIC JOKE
19. Danish director von Trier LARS
20. NBC’s usual “Must See TV” night THU
21. Flight segment RISER
22. Clerical garment ALB
23. Way to spread the green? SEEDAGE
26. Impatient cry I CAN HARDLY WAIT!
31. Green MONEY
32. Shade tree ELM
33. About, legally IN RE
35. Single __: tournament type ELIM
36. Kinky dos AFROS
38. LaBeouf of “Holes” SHIA
39. Mollycoddle, with “on” DOTE
40. Code word DIT
41. United nations, perhaps BLOCS
42. Order in an oater REACH FOR THE SKY!
46. Bleep, say EDIT OUT
47. Stew staple PEA
48. 5-Across poet HOMER
52. “… by good __, yonder’s my lord”: “Timon of Athens” HAP
53. Isn’t serious KIDS
54. Started to shoot OPENED FIRE
57. Crowning ATOP
58. Conversation barrier BUSY SIGNAL
59. Hana Airport’s island MAUI
60. Federal inspection org. OSHA
61. Invite for ASK TO
62. Old, in Oldenburg ALTE

Down
1. Hollered EXCLAIMED
2. Regional asset LOCAL COLOR
3. One with a long commute, probably EXURBANITE
4. Arresting characters COPS
5. Poolside refresher ICE TEA
6. Form foam LATHER
7. Words of dread I SHUDDER TO THINK
8. Philip __, first Asian-American film actor with a Hollywood Walk of Fame star AHN
9. See 49-Down DEI
10. Vanua Levu’s archipelago FIJI
11. Slaughter with a bat ENOS
12. Vegas tip TOKE
13. Cabinet dept. with an Office of Science ENER
16. Bad thing to have loose SCREW
23. Recoil SHY
24. Prefix meaning “other” ALLO-
25. Treadmill settings GYMS
27. Valley where Hercules slew a lion NEMEA
28. Where fliers walk AISLE
29. Recuperating at the Royal London IN HOSPITAL
30. Covered in bling, say TRICKED OUT
34. “No sweat!” EASY AS PIE!
36. Child psychologist’s concern, briefly ADHD
37. Minnie Mouse’s peke FIFI
41. Antioxidant food preservative BHT
43. Demeter’s Roman counterpart CERES
44. Find hilarious ROAR AT
45. Swamp tree TUPELO
48. Down Under swagman, in the States HOBO
49. With 9-Down, conspiratorial group in “The Da Vinci Code” OPUS
50. Fit well MESH
51. “Oíche Chiún” singer ENYA
53. Hindu god of desire KAMA
55. Miércoles, por ejemplo DIA
56. Three-pt. plays FGS

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Posted by Bill Butler
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