LA Times Crossword Answers 30 May 13, Thursday

CROSSWORD SETTER: Peg Slay
THEME: Al’s in the Middle … each of today’s themed answers is a well-known phrase, but with the letters AL added to the end of the first syllable:

20A. Wrigglers’ waterway? CAN(AL) OF WORMS (from “can of worms”)
33A. Mail carrier’s romantic activities? POST(AL) DATING (from “postdating”)
42A. Fortress for summer shoes? SAND(AL) CASTLE (from “sandcastle”)
58A. Collage of potpourri bits? PET(AL) PROJECT (from “pet project”)

BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 16m 13s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
1. It’s a lock YALE
The Yale brand name comes from the name of the founder of the original company, Linus Yale Jr. Linus Yale was the inventor of the pin tumbler lock.

10. Niña or Pinta SHIP
The ship used by Christopher Columbus that we know as the Niña was actually the nickname of a ship actually called the Santa Clara. The nickname “Niña” probably came from the name of her owner, Juan Niña of Moguer.

As we all know, Christopher Columbus used three ships in his first voyage across the Atlantic: the Santa Maria, the Niña and the Pinta. The Pinta was the fastest of the three, and it was from the Pinta that the New World was first spotted, by a sailor called Rodrigo de Triana who was a lookout on the fateful day. Pinta was a nickname for the ship that translated as “the painted one”. The Pinta’s real name has been lost in mists of time.

15. Fox’s “War Stories With Oliver __” NORTH
Oliver North is a former US Marine Corps lieutenant colonel. North played an important role in the Iran-Contra affair of the late eighties.

The Iran-Contra affair (also called “Irangate”) came to light in 1986. The “Iran” part of the scandal was the sale of arms to Iran by the Reagan administration, initially to facilitate the release of US hostages. This was done in secret largely because there was ostensibly a US arms embargo in place against Iran. The “Contra” part of the scandal arose when the man in charge of the operation, Oliver North, took funds from the arms sales and funneled the cash to the Contra militants who were fighting to topple the government in Honduras.

18. Raccoon relative COATI
A coati is a member of the raccoon family and is also known as the Brazilian aardvark, or the snookum bear. The coati is native to Central and South America, but can also be found in the southwest of the United States.

23. Flik in “A Bug’s Life,” e.g. ANT
“A Bug’s Life” is a 1998 animated feature film from Pixar. The storyline is based on the film “The Seven Samurai” and the fable of “The Ant and the Grasshopper”.

37. On the calmer side ALEE
“Alee” is the direction away from the wind. If a sailor points into the wind, he or she is pointing “aweather”.

41. Bad day for Caesar IDES
There were three important days in each month of the old Roman calendar. These days originally depended on the cycles of the moon but were eventually “fixed” by law. “Kalendae” were the first days of each month, originally the days of the new moon. “Nonae” were originally the days of the half moon. And “idus” (the ides) was originally the day of the full moon, eventually fixed at the 15th day of a month. Well, actually the ides were the 15th day of March, May, July and October. For all other months, the ides fell on the 13th. Go figure …

Julius Caesar was assassinated on the 15th (the ides) of March, 44 BC. He was attacked by a group of sixty people in the Roman Senate, and was stabbed 23 times. The first to strike a blow was Servilius Casca, who attacked Caesar from behind and stabbed him in the neck.

47. “Verses” poet DiFranco ANI
Ani DiFranco is a folk-rock singer and songwriter. DiFranco has also been labeled a “feminist icon”, and in 2006 won the “Woman of Courage Award” from National Organization of Women.

49. You can get down from them EIDERS
Eiders are large sea ducks. Their down feathers are used to fill pillows and quilts, giving the name to the quilt called an “eiderdown”.

57. “Take Good Care of My Baby” singer Bobby VEE
Bobby Vee is the stage name of pop singer Robert Velline. Bobby Vees big break in music came amid a terrible tragedy. Buddy Holly and the Crickets were scheduled to play in Moorhead, Minnesota in February 1959 when the plane carrying Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper went down killing all on board. 15-year-old Bobby Vee and a group of friends were given the job of replacing Buddy Holly at the gig. Despite the circumstances, the show was a success, and Bobby Vee’s career was launched.

58. Collage of potpourri bits? PET(AL) PROJECT (from “pet project”)
The French term “pot pourri” literally translates to “rotten pot”, but in France it used to mean “stew”. Over time the term evolved in English usage to mean a “medley”, and eventually a mixture of dried flowers and spices.

64. Poetry Muse ERATO
In Greek mythology, Erato was the Muse of Lyric Poetry.

66. “King of New York” director Ferrara ABEL
Abel Ferrara is a screenwriter and film director noted for his work on independent movies. Ferrara’s best-known film is probably the 1990 crime drama “King of New York” starring Christopher Walken.

69. Oldest British service branch NAVY
Britain’s Royal Navy traces its roots back to the 10th century. As the oldest of the nation’s armed forces, the Royal Navy is known as the Senior Service.

71. Pentathlon weapon EPEE
The original pentathlon of the ancient Olympic games consisted of a foot race, wrestling, long jump, javelin and discus. When a new pentathlon was created as a sport for the modern Olympic Games, it was given the name the “modern pentathlon”. First introduced in 1912, the modern pentathlon consists of:

– pistol shooting
– épée fencing
– 200m freestyle swimming
– show jumping
– 3 km cross-country running

Down
1. Desert plants with sword-shaped leaves YUCCAS
Yuccas are a genus of shrubs and trees that live in hot and dry areas of North and South America. One of the more famous species of Yucca is the Joshua tree.

2. Italicized ASLANT
Italic type leans to the right. The style is known as “italic” because the stylized calligraphic form of writing originated in Italy, probably in the Vatican.

4. 13th-century Scandinavian epic EDDA
The Poetic Edda and Prose Edda are two ancient works that are the source for much of Norse mythology. Both Eddas were written in the 13th century, in Iceland.

5. Numbers that aren’t programmed ENCORES
“Encore” is the French word for “again”.

6. Fibrous sponge LOOFA
The loofah (also loofa, lufah and luffa, all Arabic words) is a vine, with fruit that’s very popular in Asia and Africa. If the fruit is allowed to mature, it can be processed to remove everything but the more rigid xylem structure (remember your high school botany class?) leaving a soft, sponge-like mass that is used as a skin polisher.

7. Melee BRAWL
Our word “melee” comes from the French “mêlée”, and in both languages the word means a “confused fight”.

8. Sgt. Snorkel’s bulldog OTTO
Sgt. Snorkel (“Sarge”) is Beetle Bailey’s nemesis in the cartoon strip that bears his name. Snorkel has a dog called Otto that he dresses up to look just like himself. Otto started off as a regular dog, but artist Mort Walker decide to draw him more like his owner, and soon Otto became a big hit.

10. Spicy condiment SALSA
“Salsa” is simply the Spanish for “sauce”.

11. Color wheel unit HUE
A color wheel is visual device that illustrates the relationship between various colors and hues.

21. Eye on CBS, e.g. LOGO
CBS introduced its “eye” logo in 1951.

22. Actress Sorvino MIRA
Mira Sorvino is an American actress, winner of an Oscar for her supporting role in the 1995 Woody Allen movie “Mighty Aphrodite”. Sorvino also played a title role opposite Lisa Kudrow in the very forgettable “Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion”.

26. Footnote abbr. IBID
Ibid. is short for the Latin word “ibidem” and is typically found in footnotes and bibliographies. Ibid. is used to refer the reader to the prior citation, instead of giving the same information all over again (title, author etc.).

28. Quiche essentials EGGS
The classic dish called quiche is made with eggs (“oeufs” in French). Even though the quiche is inextricably linked to French cuisine, the name “quiche” comes from the German word for cake, “Kuchen”.

30. Page with some right angles? OP-ED
Op-ed is an abbreviation for “opposite the editorial page”. Op-eds started in “The New York Evening World” in 1921 when the page opposite the editorials was used for articles written by a named guest writer, someone independent of the editorial board.

31. Auto pioneer OLDS
The REO Motor Company was founded by Ransom E. Olds (hence the name REO). The company made cars, trucks and buses, and was in business from 1905 to 1975 in Lansing, Michigan.

35. Literary olio ANA
An ana (or plural anas) is a collection, perhaps of literature, that represents the character of a particular place or a person. Ana can be used as a noun or as a suffix (e.g. Americana).

Olio is a term meaning a hodgepodge or a mixture, coming from the mixed stew of the same name. The stew in turn takes its name from the Spanish “olla”, the clay pot used for cooking.

39. “National Velvet” writer Bagnold ENID
Enid Bagnold was a British author and is best known for her 1935 novel “National Velvet”, which was of course adapted into a very successful film starring Elizabeth Taylor.

46. Stylish ride LIMO
The word “limousine” actually derives from the French city of Limoges. The area around Limoges is called the Limousin, and it gave its name to a cloak hood worn by local shepherds. In early motor cars, a driver would sit outside in the weather while the passengers would sit in the covered compartment. The driver would often wear a limousin-style protective hood, giving rise to that type of transportation being called a “limousine”. Well, that’s how the story goes anyway …

52. Lounge sofa SETTEE
“Settee” is another word for a couch. The term come from the Old English “setl”, which was a long bench with a high back and arms.

54. In a germane manner APTLY
Something that is “germane” is relevant. “Germane” originally meant “having the same parents”, but it was used more figuratively as “on topic” by William Shakespeare in “Hamlet”. And that’s the way we’ve been using it ever since “Hamlet” was first performed in the 1600s.

59. Kazakhstan border sea ARAL
The Aral Sea is a great example of how man can have a devastating effect on his environment. In the early sixties the Aral Sea covered 68,000 square miles of Central Asia. Soviet Union irrigation projects drained the lake to such an extent that today the total area is less than 7,000 square miles, with 90% of the lake now completely dry. Sad …

The Republic of Kazakhstan in Central Asia is the world’s largest landlocked country. Kazakhstan was the last of the former Soviet Republics to declare itself independent from Russia.

60. Hardy’s “__ the Obscure” JUDE
Thomas Hardy was a novelist and poet from Dorset in England. Hardy thought of himself mainly as a poet, but he is best remembered for some very fine novels, such as “Far from the Madding Crowd”, “The Mayor of Casterbridge”, “Tess of the d’Urbervilles” and “Jude the Obscure”.

62. Law school accrediting org. ABA
The American Bar Association (ABA) was founded back in 1878 and is a voluntary association for lawyers and law students. The ABA focuses on setting academic standards for law schools and setting ethical codes for the profession.

63. Race in the driveway REV
One might race the engine of one’s car in the driveway, rev it up.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. It’s a lock YALE
5. Jostle ELBOW
10. Niña or Pinta SHIP
14. Pressed into service USED
15. Fox’s “War Stories With Oliver __” NORTH
16. Mystique AURA
17. Sporting, with “in” CLAD
18. Raccoon relative COATI
19. Suggestive look LEER
20. Wrigglers’ waterway? CAN(AL) OF WORMS (from “can of worms”)
23. Flik in “A Bug’s Life,” e.g. ANT
24. Like some narratives ORAL
25. Connect (with) LIAISE
29. Patsy STOOGE
31. Poetic preposition O’ER
32. Source of tricks? BAG
33. Mail carrier’s romantic activities? POST(AL) DATING (from “postdating”)
37. On the calmer side ALEE
40. Also AND
41. Bad day for Caesar IDES
42. Fortress for summer shoes? SAND(AL) CASTLE (from “sandcastle”)
47. “Verses” poet DiFranco ANI
48. Objecting word BUT
49. You can get down from them EIDERS
53. Concert harp parts PEDALS
55. Artistic structure FORM
57. “Take Good Care of My Baby” singer Bobby VEE
58. Collage of potpourri bits? PET(AL) PROJECT (from “pet project”)
61. Emporium MART
64. Poetry Muse ERATO
65. Component UNIT
66. “King of New York” director Ferrara ABEL
67. Gardener, at times RAKER
68. Patsy DUPE
69. Oldest British service branch NAVY
70. Vehicles on runners SLEDS
71. Pentathlon weapon EPEE

Down
1. Desert plants with sword-shaped leaves YUCCAS
2. Italicized ASLANT
3. Rough house? LEAN-TO
4. 13th-century Scandinavian epic EDDA
5. Numbers that aren’t programmed ENCORES
6. Fibrous sponge LOOFA
7. Melee BRAWL
8. Sgt. Snorkel’s bulldog OTTO
9. Spun WHIRLED
10. Spicy condiment SALSA
11. Color wheel unit HUE
12. Argumentative state IRE
13. What amateurs rarely shoot PAR
21. Eye on CBS, e.g. LOGO
22. Actress Sorvino MIRA
26. Footnote abbr. IBID
27. Level-headed SANE
28. Quiche essentials EGGS
30. Page with some right angles? OP-ED
31. Auto pioneer OLDS
34. Delicacy TACT
35. Literary olio ANA
36. Going into overtime TIED
37. “I need it yesterday!” ASAP
38. Country road LANE
39. “National Velvet” writer Bagnold ENID
43. Fit ABLE
44. Polishing outcomes LUSTERS
45. Babysitting nightmares TERRORS
46. Stylish ride LIMO
50. Make equal EVEN UP
51. Cook’s Illustrated offering RECIPE
52. Lounge sofa SETTEE
54. In a germane manner APTLY
55. Bit of dandruff FLAKE
56. Stopped waffling OPTED
59. Kazakhstan border sea ARAL
60. Hardy’s “__ the Obscure” JUDE
61. Sixth-day creation MAN
62. Law school accrediting org. ABA
63. Race in the driveway REV

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