LA Times Crossword Answers 17 Aug 13, Saturday

CROSSWORD SETTER: Brad Wilber
THEME: None
BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 18m 53s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
1. Pretentious fop COXCOMB
A coxcomb is a bit of a fop or a dandy. The term comes from “cockscomb”, the comb or crest sported by a cockerel.

8. Ring of Fire country JAPAN
The Ring of Fire is the name given to the area surrounding the Pacific Ocean which is prone to large numbers of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. In fact, 75% of the planet’s active volcanoes are found in the Ring of Fire.

15. Slow-tempo Spanish dance BOLERO
The name “bolero” is used to describe slow-tempo Latin music, and can be both a dance and a song.

16. “Who’s on First?” comic COSTELLO
Bud Abbott and Lou Costello made up the comedy duo Abbott and Costello who were immensely popular in the forties and fifties. Even when I was growing up in Ireland and knew nothing about baseball, I was rolling around the floor listening to Abbott and Costello’s famous “Who’s on First?” comedy routine. Can you name all the players?

– First Base: Who
– Second Base: What
– Third Base: I Don’t Know
– Left field: Why
– Center field: Because
– Pitcher: Tomorrow
– Catcher: Today
– Shortstop: I Don’t Care/I Don’t Give a Darn

17. Britt of “The Wicker Man” EKLAND
Britt Ekland is perhaps best known on screen for playing the female lead in the James Bond film “The Man With the Golden Gun” opposite Roger Moore. Offscreen she lived a very public life as the husband of actor and comedian Peter Sellers. Today, she is a very close friend of Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne.

“The Wicker Man” is a trilogy of horror films. I really don’t do horror …

18. Resource in Montana/Wyoming’s Powder River Basin COAL MINE
The Powder River Basin in southeast Montana and northeast Wyoming is noted for its deposits of coal. The Powder River Basin is actually the largest coal mining region in the US, but most of the coal in the region is buried too deeply to be economically viableas as a source of fuel.

20. Antique auto REO
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. Among the company’s most famous models were the REO Royale and the REO Flying Cloud.

21. Peacock Throne leaders SHAHS
The Peacock Throne is the name given to the thrones of the Persian rulers since the early 1700s.

24. Coltrane’s rendition of “My Favorite Things,” e.g. JAZZ WALTZ
John Coltrane was a jazz saxophonist who also went by the nickname “Trane”. John’s son Ravi Coltrane is also a noted jazz saxophonist.

28. Launder money for, e.g. ABET
The word “abet” comes into English from the Old French “abeter” meaning “to bait” or “to harass with dogs” (it literally means “to make bite”). This sense of encouraging something bad to happen morphed into our modern usage of “abet” meaning to aid or encourage someone in a crime.

32. Dickens’s “Little __” DORRIT
“Little Dorrit” is a novel by Charles Dickens, a satirical work that takes potshots at the government and society of the day.

34. Creator of Marryin’ Sam and Joe Btfsplk AL CAPP
The cartoonist Al Capp set his classic comic strip “Li’l Abner” in the fictional community of “Dogpatch”. According to one of the “Li’l Abner” strips, Dogpatch was located somewhere in the state of Kentucky.

42. Earth tone ECRU
The shade called ecru is a grayish, yellowish brown. The word “ecru” comes from French and means “raw, unbleached”. “Ecru” has the same roots as our word “crude”.

45. Edgar-winning mystery writer Stabenow DANA
Dana Stabenow is an author of sci-fi, suspense and mystery novels. Stabenow lives in her home state of Alaska, and sets many of her stories there.

46. “__: The Wanderer Talks Truth”: singer’s memoir DION
Perhaps the biggest hits for Dion and the Belmonts were “A Teenager in Love” and “The Wanderer”.

49. Flooded field PADDY
A paddy field is the flooded piece of land used to grow rice. The water reduces competition from weeds allowing the rice to thrive. The word “paddy” has nothing to do with us Irish folk, and is an anglicized version of the word “padi”, the Malay name for the rice plant.

51. Brad, for one FASTENER
“Brad” is a name given to the brass fastener that is used to hold sheets of paper together. The brad is used by inserting it through holes punched in the paper, and then spreading out the two legs of the fastener.

53. One of six official U.N. languages ARABIC
The six official languages of the United Nations are:

– Arabic
– Chinese
– English
– French
– Russian
– Spanish

Down
1. Phased-out refrigerant compound CFC
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are the propellants that were once used in aerosols. CFCs make their way up into the ozone layer and trigger a chain reaction that converts ozone (O3) into regular oxygen (O2). That conversion creates “holes” in the ozone layer. Regular O2 is good stuff, but we need O3 to absorb harmful UV radiation raining down on us. CFC is not good stuff …

2. Conquistador’s treasure ORO
“Oro, plata, bronce” is “gold, silver, bronze” in Spanish.

“Conquistador” is the Spanish for “conqueror”.

3. They follow the nus XIS
The Greek letter “xi”, despite the name, is not the precursor of our letter X. Our X comes from the Greek letter “chi”.

5. Creme-filled snacks OREOS
The Oreo was the best-selling cookie in the 20th century, and almost 500 billion of them have been sold since they were introduced in 1912 by Nabisco. In those early days the creme filling was made with pork fat, but today vegetable oils are used instead. If you take a bite out of an Oreo sold outside of America you might notice a difference from the homegrown cookie, as coconut oil is added in the overseas version to give a different taste.

6. Actress Kunis MILA
Mila Kunis is a Ukrainian-born, American actress, who plays Jackie Burkhart on “That ’70s Show”. Fans of the cartoon series “Family Guy” might recognize her voicing the Meg Griffin character. Somehow, I’ve yet to see the movie “Black Swan”. In ”Black Swan”, Kunis plays a rival ballet dancer to the character played by Natalie Portman. In her personal life, Kunis dated Macaulay Culkin for 8 years.

8. Regular “Laugh-In” feature JOKE WALL
Dan Rowan was the straight man to funny guy Dick Martin on “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In”. “Laugh-In” was originally recorded as a one-off special for NBC in 1967, but it was so successful that it was brought back as a series to replace the waning, “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” Personally, back then I loved both shows!

10. LensCrafters rival PEARLE
Pearle Opticians were founded by Stanley Pearle in Savannah, Georgia back in 1961.

11. Journalist Peter ARNETT
Peter Arnett is an American journalist, originally from New Zealand. I mainly remember him from his coverage of the Gulf War for CNN, although Arnett was awarded his Pulitzer Prize in 1966 for his work in Vietnam during the war there.

12. Crammer’s tablet NODOZ
NoDoz and Vivarin are brand names of caffeine pills.

14. Horn of Africa native SOMALI
The Horn of Africa is that horn-shaped peninsula at the easternmost tip of the continent, containing the countries Eritrea, Djibouti, Ethiopia as well as Somalia. The Horn of Africa is also known as the Somali Peninsula.

15. Automotive pioneer Karl BENZ
It is generally accepted that Karl Benz invented the internal combustion engine, although others were doing similar work around the same time. He certainly was awarded the first patent for an automobile, in 1886. His first automobile, the Patent-Motorwagen, couldn’t get up hills unaided so his wife, Bertha Benz, suggested the introduction of gears. Sure enough, the next model had two gears. Behind every successful man …

19. Maker of PerformX sportswear IZOD
Jack Izod was a tailor of some repute over in England, producing shirts for King George V as well as other members of the Royal Family. As Izod was about to retire, he was approached for the use of his name by an American clothing manufacturer based in New York. The brand Izod of London was introduced to America in 1938.

21. Tater SPUD
The word “spud” is used as a slang term for a potato and was first recorded in the mid-1800s, in New Zealand would you believe?

23. Spanish soap staple? AMOR
In Spanish, signs of love (amor) might be kisses (besos).

25. Beginner ABECEDARIAN
An abecedarian is one who studies the alphabet, and also one who is just learning, who is a beginner. The term “abecedarian” comes from the letters A B C D.

27. “Design on a Dime” network HGTV
HGTV first went on air in 1994, as the “Home, Lawn and Garden Channel”. The name was shortened (the lawn was dropped) soon after, but nowadays it’s just known as HGTV.

31. Art movement born during WWI DADA
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.

33. Obsession with an accent IDEE FIXE
An “idée fixe” (a French term) is basically a fixed idea, an obsession.

40. “Bambi” creator Felix SALTEN
The 1942 Disney classic “Bambi” is based on a book written by Felix Salten called “Bambi, A Life in the Woods”. There is a documented phenomenon known as the Bambi Effect, whereby people become more interested in animal rights after having watched the scene where Bambi’s mother is shot by hunters.

43. Greg’s TV partner DHARMA
“Dharma & Greg” is a sitcom that aired from 1997 to 2002 on ABC. Greg and Dharma are a couple that married on their first date, despite being exact opposites in personality.

49. Historic Jordanian city PETRA
The archaeological city of Petra in Jordan sounds like a fabulous sight, and is known for its beautiful buildings that have been carved out of the natural rock. Petra is Jordan’s most visited tourist attraction.

52. “Sex and the City” actor Chris NOTH
Is it just me or would sex and the city be so much better off without the two romantic leads, Carrie and Mr. Big? Carrie Bradshaw is played by Sarah Jessica Parker, and Mr. Big (aka John James Preston) is played by Chris Noth. We never found out Mr Big’s first name (John) until the series finale, and his full name wasn’t revealed until the first movie came out.

56. Third Major Leaguer to reach 500 home runs OTT
At 5′ 9″, Mel Ott weighed just 170 lb (I don’t think he took steroids!) and yet he was the first National League player to hit over 500 home runs. Sadly, Ott died in a car accident in New Orleans in 1958 when he was only 49 years old.

57. Alumna identifier NEE
“Née” is the French word for “born” when referring to a female. The male equivalent is “né”.

An “alumnus” (plural … alumni) is a graduate or former student of a school or college. The female form is “alumna” (plural … alumnae). The term comes into English from Latin, in which alumnus means foster-son or pupil.

58. Lith., once SSR
The nation of Lithuania is a former Soviet Socialist Republic (SSR) sitting on the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Pretentious fop COXCOMB
8. Ring of Fire country JAPAN
13. Some brotherhoods FRIARIES
15. Slow-tempo Spanish dance BOLERO
16. “Who’s on First?” comic COSTELLO
17. Britt of “The Wicker Man” EKLAND
18. Resource in Montana/Wyoming’s Powder River Basin COAL MINE
20. Antique auto REO
21. Peacock Throne leaders SHAHS
24. Coltrane’s rendition of “My Favorite Things,” e.g. JAZZ WALTZ
26. Grandeur POMP
27. Majestic quality HALO
28. Launder money for, e.g. ABET
29. “This could get ugly!” UH-OH!
30. Diner cooker GRIDDLE
32. Dickens’s “Little __” DORRIT
34. Creator of Marryin’ Sam and Joe Btfsplk AL CAPP
38. Was a mentor to ADVISED
42. Earth tone ECRU
43. Amount to take DOSE
45. Edgar-winning mystery writer Stabenow DANA
46. “__: The Wanderer Talks Truth”: singer’s memoir DION
47. Triple THREEFOLD
49. Flooded field PADDY
50. Unsavory paper RAG
51. Brad, for one FASTENER
53. One of six official U.N. languages ARABIC
55. They’re often mixed EMOTIONS
59. Waiter’s observation I’M NEXT
60. Fertilizer compounds NITRATES
61. Try TASTE
62. Plainsong singer CHANTER

Down
1. Phased-out refrigerant compound CFC
2. Conquistador’s treasure ORO
3. They follow the nus XIS
4. Familiar slogan CATCH PHRASE
5. Creme-filled snacks OREOS
6. Actress Kunis MILA
7. Lab vessel connected to a vacuum pump BELL JAR
8. Regular “Laugh-In” feature JOKE WALL
9. Up, in scores ALL
10. LensCrafters rival PEARLE
11. Journalist Peter ARNETT
12. Crammer’s tablet NODOZ
14. Horn of Africa native SOMALI
15. Automotive pioneer Karl BENZ
19. Maker of PerformX sportswear IZOD
21. Tater SPUD
22. Seasonal chuckle HO HO
23. Spanish soap staple? AMOR
25. Beginner ABECEDARIAN
27. “Design on a Dime” network HGTV
31. Art movement born during WWI DADA
33. Obsession with an accent IDEE FIXE
35. __ test ACID
36. Nudge PROD
37. Weak PUNY
39. Altar assurances I DOS
40. “Bambi” creator Felix SALTEN
41. Peculiar to a locale ENDEMIC
43. Greg’s TV partner DHARMA
44. They have stops and keys ORGANS
47. Attribute TRAIT
48. Really, after “in” FACT
49. Historic Jordanian city PETRA
52. “Sex and the City” actor Chris NOTH
54. Get into the pool BET
56. Third Major Leaguer to reach 500 home runs OTT
57. Alumna identifier NEE
58. Lith., once SSR

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2 thoughts on “LA Times Crossword Answers 17 Aug 13, Saturday”

  1. Great links, Addict, repeated or not.

    I remember "Laugh In" being a highlight of the week's television viewing when I was a nipper. I had a big crush on Goldie Hawn!

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