LA Times Crossword Answers 11 Jun 13, Tuesday

CROSSWORD SETTER: Robin Stears
THEME: A Couple of Boys … today’s themed answers are made up of two words, each of which are often seen preceding BOY:

17A. *Campus brother’s residence FRAT HOUSE (from “frat boy” & “houseboy”)
39A. *Bossy’s neckwear COW BELL (from “cowboy” & “bellboy”)
59A. *Student’s transport SCHOOL BUS (from “schoolboy” & “busboy”)
11D. *Christmas hit for Roy Orbison written by Willie Nelson PRETTY PAPER (from “pretty boy” and “paperboy”)
24D. *Color with a military name SOLDIER BLUE (from “soldier boy” & “(The) Blue Boy”)
25D. *An outfielder may call it FLYBALL (from “flyboy” & “ball boy”)
61D. Word that can follow both parts of the answers to starred clues BOY

BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 6m 07s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
1. Résumé writer’s quest JOB
A résumé is a summary of a person’s job experience and education and is used as a tool by a job seeker. In many countries, a résumé is equivalent to a curriculum vitae. “Résumé” is the French word for “summary”.

4. Maker of WorkForce printers EPSON
Seiko Epson is a Japanese company, one of the largest manufacturers of printers in the world. The company has its roots in the watch business, roots that go back to 1942. Seiko was chosen as the official timekeeper for the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo and was asked to supply a timer that produced a printed record. This request brought Seiko into the business of printer production. The company developed the world’s first mini-printer for the 1964 Games and called it EP-101 (EP standing for Electronic Printer). In 1975 Seiko introduced the next generation of EP printers which was called EPSON, from “SON of EP”. Cute, huh?

9. Pet adoption org. ASPCA
Unlike in most developed countries, there is no “umbrella” organization in the US with the goal of preventing cruelty to animals. Instead there are independent organizations set up all over the nation using the name SPCA. Having said that, there is an organization called the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) that was originally intended to operate across the country, but really it now focuses its efforts in New York City.

16. Pasta wheat DURUM
Durum wheat, also called “macaroni wheat” is a species with a high protein content that is commonly used as an ingredient in bread and pasta.

19. Grenoble’s river ISERE
The Isère river gives its name to the French Department of Isère, located partly in the French Alps. In turn, Isère gave its name to a somewhat famous ship called the Isère, which in 1885 delivered the Statue of Liberty from France to America in 214 shipping crates.

Grenoble is a city at the edge of the French Alps. Grenoble hosted the 1968 Winter Olympic Games.

30. “Imagine greater” cable network SYFY
Syfy is a cable television that used to be known as “Sci-Fi Channel”, which of course specializes in broadcasting science fiction shows. The brand name “Syfy” was chosen because “Syfy” could be trademarked whereas the generic term “sci-fi” could not.

33. Loggers’ balancing contest ROLEO
Roleo is the name given to a log rolling competition traditionally engaged in by lumberjacks.

35. Damascus’s land SYRIA
Damascus is the second largest city in Syria (after Aleppo), and is the country’s capital. Damascus has the distinction of being the oldest, continuously-inhabited city in the world, having been settled in the 2nd millennium BC.

38. Spain’s El __ CID
Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar was known as El Cid Campeador, which translates as “The Champion” or perhaps “The Lord, Master of Military Arts”. El Cid was a soldier who fought under the rule of King Alfonso VI of Spain (among others). However, he was sent into exile by the King in 1080, after acting beyond his authorization in battle. El Cid then offered his services to his former foes, the Moorish kings, After a number of years building a reputation with the Moors, he was recalled from exile by Alfonso. By this time El Cid was very much his own man. Nominally under the orders of Alfonso, he led a combined army of Spanish and Moorish troops and took the city of Valencia on the Mediterranean coast, making it is headquarters and home. He died there, quite peacefully in 1099.

39. *Bossy’s neckwear COW BELL (from “cowboy” & “bellboy”)
“Bossy” is an informal word for a cow or calf. “Bos” is the Latin for “cow”. Bossy the Cow is one of the muppets featured on “Sesame Street”.

41. California’s Santa __ Mountains ANA
Southern California’s Santa Ana Mountains run southeast of Los Angeles. The range was named by Spanish explorer Gaspar de Portolà. Don Gaspar camped below the mountains in 1769 on July 26, the Feast of Saint Anne.

42. Aussie’s college UNI
“Uni” is a familiar term for “university” in some parts of the world, including my homeland of Ireland.

43. Golf legend Sam SNEAD
Sam Snead was probably the most successful golfer never to win a US Open title, as he won a record 82 PGA Tour events. Snead did win seven majors, but never the US Open. He was also quite the showman. He once hit the scoreboard at Wrigley Field stadium with a golf ball by teeing off from home plate.

55. Unskilled sailor LUBBER
A ”lubber” is a clumsy person and a “landlubber” is a contemptuous term used by sailors for a man of the land. Sailors might call an inexperienced seaman a landlubber or perhaps just a “lubber”.

57. Gallup specialty POLL
The Gallup company is best known for its public opinion polls. The company was founded by George Gallup in 1935 as the American Institute of Public Opinion.

59. *Student’s transport SCHOOL BUS (from “schoolboy” & “busboy”)
A busboy is a person who assists a waiter, mainly by clearing tables. The verb “to bus” arose in the early 1900s and is probably a reference to the wheeled cart that was used to carry dishes.

68. Ten percent pledge TITHE
A tithe is a traditional payment of one tenth of a person’s annual income and is usually given to a church. Tithing is a practice taught in many traditions, and according to a 2002 survey, about 3% of American adults donate 10% or more of their income to a church.

69. Robin Hood’s wood YEW
Yew is the wood of choice for the longbow, a valued weapon in the history of England. The longbow is constructed with a core of yew heartwood (as the heartwood resists compression) that has a sheath of yew sapwood (as the sapwood resists stretching). The yew was in such demand for longbows that for centuries yew trees were in short supply in Britain and the wood had to be imported from all over Europe.

Robin Hood is a figure from English folklore, celebrated in story and song. Some stories suggest that Robin Hood the outlaw was actually a real nobleman, the Earl of Huntington. Robin Hood’s famous companion was Maid Marian. Interestingly, the legend of Maid Marian (full name Lady Marian of Leaford) had been around for centuries before she became associated with Robin Hood starting in the 1700s.

Down
1. Peanut butter brand JIF
Jif is the leading brand of peanut butter in the US in terms of sales, and has been since 1981. Introduced in 1958, it is now produced by Smuckers.

2. Hockey legend Bobby ORR
Bobby Orr is regarded as one of the greatest hockey players of all time. By the time he retired in 1978 he had undergone over a dozen knee surgeries. At 31 years of age, he concluded that he just couldn’t skate anymore. Reportedly, he was even having trouble walking …

3. Actress Arthur BEA
Actress Bea Arthur’s most famous roles were on television, as the lead in the “All in the Family” spin-off “Maude” and as Dorothy Zbornak in “The Golden Girls”. Arthur also won a Tony for playing Vera Charles on stage in the original cast of “Mame” in 1966, two years after she played Yente the matchmaker in the original cast of “Fiddler on the Roof”.

4. __ Allen furniture stores ETHAN
Ethan Allen was one of the founders of the state of Vermont. Allen was also a hero in the American Revolutionary War, famous for leading (along with Benedict Arnold) the small band of men that captured Fort Ticonderoga. And yes, the Ethan Allan store and furniture line is named for Ethan Allen the patriot.

6. First king of Israel SAUL
According to the Hebrew Bible, Saul was the first King of Israel and ruled from 1049 BC to 1007 BC. Saul’s story is mainly recounted in the Books of Samuel.

8. Born, in a bridal bio NEE
“Née” is the French word for “born” when referring to a female. The male equivalent is “né”.

9. “Farewell, mon ami” ADIEU
“Adieu” is the French for “goodbye” or “farewell”, from “à Dieu” meaning “to God”.

10. Sarandon and Sontag SUSANS
The very, very lovely Susan Sarandon is a Hollywood actress from Queens in New York City. She was born Susan Abigail Tomalin, and married fellow actor Chris Sarandon in 1967. After the two divorced in 1979, Susan retained Sarandon as her stage name.

Susan Sontag was a writer and political activist from New York City. Sontag wrote extensively on a number of subjects, including photography. She spent the last decade of her life in a relationship with renowned photographer Annie Leibovitz.

11. *Christmas hit for Roy Orbison written by Willie Nelson PRETTY PAPER (from “pretty boy” and “paperboy”)
“Pretty Paper” is a Christmas song recorded by Roy Orbison in 1963. The song was written by Willie Nelson, who was just starting out as a composer and singer at that time.

Roy Orbison had to be one the sickliest looking performers I’ve ever seen. Orbison had a very sallow complexion, pock-marked from teenage acne. The yellowish skin tone came from a severe bout of jaundice as a child. Perhaps poor nutrition affected him and his siblings, because all of them had very poor eyesight, with Roy almost blind and wearing very thick lenses from a very young age. He was also very ashamed of his head of hair, which was almost a ghostly white, and so he dyed it jet black even when he was young. Despite all this, he was immensely popular in his heyday with teenage girls, particularly in Canada and Ireland for some reason. On a tour of Ireland in 1963, the Irish police had to stop one of his performances in order to pull a bevy of local lasses off poor Mr. Orbison …

Willie Nelson is a country singer-songwriter and political activist from Abbott, Texas. Nelson now lives on the island of Maui in a community that uses only solar power. He is a very visible eco-activist and even owns his own brand of bio-diesel (Willie Nelson Biodiesel) that is made from vegetable oil.

13. “You’re so right!” AMEN!
The word “amen” is translated as “so be it”. “Amen” is said to be of Hebrew origin, but it is likely to be also influenced by Aramaic and Arabic.

24. *Color with a military name SOLDIER BLUE (from “soldier boy” & “[The] Blue Boy”)
“The Blue Boy” is the most famous painting by English artist Thomas Gainsborough. The masterpiece can be seen in the Huntington Library in San Marino, California. When Henry Huntington purchased “The Blue Boy” in 1921, it fetched $728,800, which was a record price for any painting up till then.

25. *An outfielder may call it FLYBALL (from “flyboy” & “ball boy”)
“Flyboy” is a slang term for a pilot.

26. Rio Grande city LAREDO
Laredo is a border city in Texas, situated on the banks of the Rio Grande across the border from Nuevo Laredo in Mexico.

34. Military training sch. OCS
Officer Candidate School (OCS)

36. Flight height: Abbr. ALT
Altitude (alt.)

56. Four Corners state UTAH
The Four Corners region of the US surrounds the meeting point of the four states of Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Utah. The Four Corners is the only point in the US that is shared by four states.

57. “Kewl” relative PHAT!
In hip-hop circles, the term “phat” means excellent or first-rate.

60. Dernier __: the latest thing CRI
The French phrase “dernier cri” translates literally as “the latest cry or scream”, but is used to denote the latest fashion.

62. Maui music maker UKE
The ukulele originated in the 1800s and mimicked a small guitar brought to the Hawaiian Islands by Portuguese immigrants.

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.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Résumé writer’s quest JOB
4. Maker of WorkForce printers EPSON
9. Pet adoption org. ASPCA
14. More than vexation IRE
15. Sports deal TRADE
16. Pasta wheat DURUM
17. *Campus brother’s residence FRAT HOUSE (from “frat boy” & “houseboy”)
19. Grenoble’s river ISERE
20. Room divider WALL
21. Vanquished BEATEN
22. Atlantic City attraction CASINO
25. Display shamelessly FLAUNT
27. Up to speed about IN ON
28. Extravagant affairs GALAS
30. “Imagine greater” cable network SYFY
33. Loggers’ balancing contest ROLEO
35. Damascus’s land SYRIA
37. Bake sale purchase PIE
38. Spain’s El __ CID
39. *Bossy’s neckwear COW BELL (from “cowboy” & “bellboy”)
41. California’s Santa __ Mountains ANA
42. Aussie’s college UNI
43. Golf legend Sam SNEAD
44. Camcorder inserts TAPES
46. Suffix with hip or quip -STER
48. Green-light ALLOW
50. Dry run TEST
51. Seconds from the soda fountain REFILL
53. Robust HEARTY
55. Unskilled sailor LUBBER
57. Gallup specialty POLL
58. Attorney-__ AT-LAW
59. *Student’s transport SCHOOL BUS (from “schoolboy” & “busboy”)
64. Pan-fry SAUTE
65. Make sense of GRASP
66. Green-lights OKS
67. Transparently thin SHEER
68. Ten percent pledge TITHE
69. Robin Hood’s wood YEW

Down
1. Peanut butter brand JIF
2. Hockey legend Bobby ORR
3. Actress Arthur BEA
4. __ Allen furniture stores ETHAN
5. Literary intro PROLOG
6. First king of Israel SAUL
7. Pigs out (on), briefly ODS
8. Born, in a bridal bio NEE
9. “Farewell, mon ami” ADIEU
10. Sarandon and Sontag SUSANS
11. *Christmas hit for Roy Orbison written by Willie Nelson PRETTY PAPER (from “pretty boy” and “paperboy”)
12. Make all better CURE
13. “You’re so right!” AMEN!
18. Bale bond TWINE
21. Pizza sauce herb BASIL
22. Tent entertainment CIRCUS
23. Apply oil to ANOINT
24. *Color with a military name SOLDIER BLUE (from “soldier boy” & “(The) Blue Boy”)
25. *An outfielder may call it FLYBALL (from “flyboy” & “ball boy”)
26. Rio Grande city LAREDO
29. Too AS WELL
31. Crème de la crème FINEST
32. Like bread dough or beer YEASTY
34. Military training sch. OCS
36. Flight height: Abbr. ALT
40. How the elated walk ON AIR
45. In any way AT ALL
47. Consumer lure REBATE
49. Wind tunnel noise WHOOSH
52. Five, to ten FEWER
54. Take the honey and run ELOPE
55. Scottish miss LASS
56. Four Corners state UTAH
57. “Kewl” relative PHAT!
59. Cpl.’s superior SGT
60. Dernier __: the latest thing CRI
61. Word that can follow both parts of the answers to starred clues BOY
62. Maui music maker UKE
63. Lincoln-to-Lubbock dir. SSW

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