LA Times Crossword Answers 21 Oct 13, Monday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: Erik Agard
THEME: S Moves … today’s themed answers are each made up of two words, the first beginning with teh letter S. The second word is formed by moving the S in the first word from the beginning to the end:

17A. German cars bought by Riyadh residents? SAUDI AUDIS
21A. Cafeteria carriers gone missing? STRAY TRAYS
54A. Streamlined onion relatives? SLEEK LEEKS
59A. Stories you’ve heard a bajillion times? STALE TALES
10D. Out-of-tune string instruments? SHARP HARPS
27D. Neato water sources? SWELL WELLS

BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 05m 56s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across

10. Haughty sort SNOB
Back in the 1780s, a “snob” was a shoemaker or a shoemaker’s apprentice. By the end of the 18th century the word was being used by students at Cambridge University in England to refer to all local merchants and people of the town. The term evolved to mean one who copies those who are his or her social superior (and not in a good way). From there it wasn’t a big leap for “snob” to include anyone who emphasized their superior social standing and not just those who aspired to rank. Nowadays a snob is anyone who looks down on those considered to be of inferior standing.

15. Top military draft category ONE-A
The US government maintains information on all males who are potentially subject to military conscription, using what is called the Selective Service System(SS). In the event that a draft was held, men registered would be classified into groups to determine eligibility for service. Class 1-A registrants are those available for unrestricted military service. Other classes are 1-A-O (conscientious objector available for noncombatant service), 4-A (registrant who has completed military service) and 4-D (Minister of religion).

16. Skid row denizen 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.

The term “skid row” is used to describe a run-down urban neighborhood. “Skid row” appears to have originated in the Pacific Northwest where a “skid road” was a wooden pathway used for “skidding” logs through forests and over bogs. The terms “skid road” and “skid row” came to be used for logging camps and mills, and then somehow was applied to run-down areas in cities up and down the west coast of North America.

17. German cars bought by Riyadh residents? SAUDI AUDIS
The Audi name has an interesting history. The Horch company was founded by August Horch in 1909. Early in the life of the new company, Horch was forced out of his own business. He set up a new enterprise and continued to use his own name as a brand. The old company sued him for using the Horch name so a meeting was held to choose something new. Horch’s young son was studying Latin in the room where the meeting was taking place. He pointed out that “Horch” was German for “hear” and he suggested “Audi” as a replacement, the Latin for “listen”.

Riyadh is the capital of Saudi Arabia, and is located near the center of the country. The name “Riyadh” translates from Arabic as ‘the gardens”.

20. Releases (on), as an attack dog SICS
Sic ’em is an attack order given to a dog, instructing the animal to growl, bark or even bite. The term dates back to the 1830s, with “sic” being a variation of “seek”.

23. QB’s mishap INT
A quarterback’s (QB’s) mishap might be an interception (Int.).

24. Tennis icon Arthur ASHE
Arthur Ashe was a professional tennis player from Richmond, Virginia. In his youth, Ashe found himself having to travel great distances to play against Caucasian opponents due to the segregation that still existed in his home state. He was rewarded for his dedication by being selected for the 1963 US Davis Cup team, the first African American player to be so honored. Ashe continued to run into trouble because of his ethnicity though, and in 1968 was denied entry into South Africa to play in the South African Open. In 1979 Ashe suffered a heart attack and had bypass surgery, with follow-up surgery four years later during which he contracted HIV from blood transfusions. Ashe passed away in 1993 due to complications from AIDS. Shortly afterwards, Ashe was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Bill Clinton.

38. Rose of baseball PETE
Pete Rose was a talented baseball player who holds the record for all-time Major League hits. In recent years of course his reputation has been tarnished by admissions that he bet on games in which he played and managed.

41. Figure skater’s leap AXEL
An Axel is a forward take-off jump in figure skating. It was first performed by Norwegian Axel Paulsen at the 1882 World Figure Skating championships.

42. Uncle Remus’s __ Rabbit BR’ER
Br’er Rabbit and Br’er Fox are characters in the “Uncle Remus” stories, written by Joel Chandler Harris. The Uncle Remus stories are adaptations of African American folktales that Harris collected across the Southern States. “Br’er” of course stands for “brother”.

43. Nursery-rhyme Jack or his wife SPRAT
Jack Sprat was a nickname given in the 16th century to people of small stature. Jack featured in a proverb of the day:

Jack will eat not fat, and Jull doth love no leane. Yet betwixt them both they lick the dishes cleane.

Over time, this mutated into a nursery rhyme that is still recited in England:

Jack Sprat could eat no fat. His wife could eat no lean. And so between them both, you see, they licked the platter clean.

50. Plastic coffee container designed for a Keurig brewer K-CUP
A K-Cup is a single-portion cup of coffee, tea or hot chocolate in which the beverage is prepared in situ. K-Cup packs are used with brewing machines made by Keurig, a manufacturer of coffee brewers based in Reading, Massachusetts. Personally, I’ve never seen one …

57. Pie à la __ MODE
In French, “à la mode” simply means “fashionable”. In America, the term has come to describe a way of serving pie, usually with ice cream, or as I recall from when I lived in Upstate New York, with cheese.

58. Basketball’s __ “The Pearl” Monroe EARL
Earl Monroe is a retired professional basketball player who played for the Baltimore Bullets and the New York Knicks. Monroe had the nicknames “Earl the Pearl” and “Jesus”.

62. Promgoer’s concern ACNE
A prom is a formal dance held upon graduation from high school (we call them “formals” over in Ireland). The term “prom” is short for “promenade”, the name given to a type of dance or ball.

66. Zappos.com inventory SHOES
Zappos.com is a online retailer of mainly shoes that was founded in 1999. Zappos has been a subsidiary of Amazon.com since 1999, and is the largest online shoe store in the world. The name “Zappos” is derived from “zapatos”, the Spanish word for “shoes”.

Down
1. Big name in vermouth ROSSI
The company that is today known as Martini & Rossi was started in the mid-1800s in Italy, by Alessandro Martini and Luigi Rossi (and a third partner who sold out years later). From day one it was focused on bottling the fortified wine known as vermouth. Nowadays, the company is also famous for its sparkling wines, and its sponsorship of Grand Prix racing teams. And yes, the famous cocktail is probably named for Mr. Martini.

4. Koppel and Knight TEDS
The broadcast journalist Ted Koppel is most associated with his long run as anchor for the “Nightline” program on ABC. Koppel was actually born in England, to a Jewish family that had fled from Germany. He emigrated with his family to the US when he was 13 years old. Koppel is great friends with former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger who was a frequent guest on his television show.

Ted Knight was the actor best known for playing the slow-witted news anchor Ted Baxter on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show”. Knight’s most famous role on the big screen was Judge Elihu Smails in the 1980 comedy “Caddyshack”.

5. __ Lanka SRI
The name Sri Lanka translates from Sanskrit into English as “venerable island”. Before 1970, Sri Lanka was known as Ceylon, a name given to the country during British rule. The lion on the country’s national flag symbolizes the fight against British colonialism.

7. Conductor Previn ANDRE
André Previn is pianist, conductor and composer who was born in Berlin, Germany but who grew up in Los Angeles. Previn has won four Oscars for his work on the musical scores of “Gigi” (1958), “Porgy & Bess” (1959), “Irma la Douce” (1963) and “My Fair Lady” (1964). Previn was married five time, most famously probably to actress Mia Farrow.

8. “Star Wars” princess LEIA
Princess Leia is Luke Skywalker’s sister in the original “Star Wars” trilogy and was played by Carrie Fisher. Carrie Fisher has stated that she hated the famous “cinnamon bun hairstyle” that she had to wear in the films, as she felt it made her face look too round. She also had to to sit for two hours every day just to get her hair styled. Two hours to get your hair done? It takes me just two seconds …

18. Part of YMCA: Abbr. ASSN
The YMCA is a worldwide movement that has its roots in London, England. There, in 1844, the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) was founded with the intent of promoting Christian principles through the development of “a healthy spirit, mind and body”. The founder, George Williams, saw the need to create YMCA facilities for young men who were flocking to the cities as the Industrial Revolution flourished. He saw that these men were frequenting taverns and brothels, and wanted to offer a more wholesome alternative.

28. Insult comic who was a frequent Johnny Carson guest DON RICKLES
Don Rickles is a stand-up comedian and actor from Queens, New York. Rickles became known as an “insult comedian” early in his stand-up career, as he handled hecklers in the audience. His witty insults received bigger laughs than his prepared jokes. Rickles’ acerbic style earned him the nicknames “The Merchant of Venom” and “Mr. Warmth”. Rickles was also a popular guest on “The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson”, appearing over 100 times.

31. Put a curse on HEX
“Hexen” is a German word meaning “to practice witchcraft”. The use of the word “hex” in English started with the Pennsylvania Dutch in the early 1800s.

35. Financial planner’s concern PORTFOLIO
Our word “portfolio” comes from the Italian “portafoglio” meaning “a case for carrying loose papers”. The Italian term comes from “porta” meaning “carry” and “foglio” meaning “sheet, leaf”.

36. Handheld computer, briefly PDA
Personal Digital Assistant (PDA)

39. “The X-Files” gp. FBI
“The X-Files” is a very successful science fiction show that aired on the Fox network from 1993 to 2002. The stars of the show are David Duchovny (playing Fox Mulder) and the very talented Gillian Anderson (playing Dana Scully). By the time the series ended, it was the longest running sci-fi show in US broadcast history.

43. Ninth mo. SEP
The month of September is the ninth month in our year, although the name “September” comes from the Latin word “septum” meaning “seventh”. September was the seventh month in the Roman calendar until the year 46 BC when Julius Caesar introduced the Julian calendar. The Julian system moved the start of the year from March 1st to January 1st, and shifting September to the ninth month. The Gregorian calendar that we use today was introduced in 1582.

50. Reeves of “Speed” KEANU
Keanu Reeves is a Canadian actor whose most celebrated roles were a metalhead in “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure” (1989), a cop in “Speed” (1994) and the main antagonist in “The Matrix” series of films. Although Reeves is a Canadian national, he was born in Beirut, Lebanon. Reeves has some Hawaiian descent and the name “Keanu” is Hawaiian for “the coldness”.

“Speed” is an entertaining 1994 action film starring Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock, as well as the late Dennis Hopper as the bad guy.

52. Dancer Astaire ADELE
As you may well know, Fred Astaire’s real name was Frederick Austerlitz. Fred was from Omaha, Nebraska and before he made it big in movies, he was one half of a celebrated music hall act with his sister Adele. The pair were particularly successful in the UK, and Adele ended up marrying into nobility in England, taking the name Lady Charles Cavendish.

55. J.D.-to-be’s exam LSAT
Law School Admission Test (LSAT)

Juris Doctor (J.D.)

56. __ A Sketch ETCH
Etch A Sketch was introduced in 1960. The toy was developed in France by inventor André Cassagnes.

60. Prof.’s helpers TAS
Teaching Assistants (TAs)

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Floating platforms RAFTS
6. Guy or fellow MALE
10. Haughty sort SNOB
14. Creepy starer OGLER
15. Top military draft category ONE-A
16. Skid row denizen HOBO
17. German cars bought by Riyadh residents? SAUDI AUDIS
19. Not many A FEW
20. Releases (on), as an attack dog SICS
21. Cafeteria carriers gone missing? STRAY TRAYS
23. QB’s mishap INT
24. Tennis icon Arthur ASHE
25. Makes a choice OPTS
26. Drawing upon USING
28. 100-yard race DASH
30. Shoulder wrap SHAWL
32. “Once __ a time …” UPON
34. PC software APPS
38. Rose of baseball PETE
39. Hard to hear FAINT
40. Was a passenger RODE
41. Figure skater’s leap AXEL
42. Uncle Remus’s __ Rabbit BR’ER
43. Nursery-rhyme Jack or his wife SPRAT
44. Put down, as floor tile LAID
46. “__ my case” I REST
48. Fixes with thread SEWS
50. Plastic coffee container designed for a Keurig brewer K-CUP
51. Sports enthusiast FAN
54. Streamlined onion relatives? SLEEK LEEKS
57. Pie à la __ MODE
58. Basketball’s __ “The Pearl” Monroe EARL
59. Stories you’ve heard a bajillion times? STALE TALES
61. Bad to the bone EVIL
62. Promgoer’s concern ACNE
63. Leaning somewhat ATILT
64. Lousy grades DEES
65. Like so THUS
66. Zappos.com inventory SHOES

Down
1. Big name in vermouth ROSSI
2. A second time AGAIN
3. Vary irregularly, as prices FLUCTUATE
4. Koppel and Knight TEDS
5. __ Lanka SRI
6. Teeth-and-gums protector MOUTHGUARD
7. Conductor Previn ANDRE
8. “Star Wars” princess LEIA
9. “Piece of cake!” EASY!
10. Out-of-tune string instruments? SHARP HARPS
11. Like Jack 43-Across’s diet NO-FAT
12. Does as directed OBEYS
13. Curtain call acknowledgments BOWS
18. Part of YMCA: Abbr. ASSN
22. How-__: instruction books TOS
24. Feel lousy AIL
27. Neato water sources? SWELL WELLS
28. Insult comic who was a frequent Johnny Carson guest DON RICKLES
29. Crumb-carrying insect ANT
30. Relaxation center SPA
31. Put a curse on HEX
33. Dessert with a crust PIE
35. Financial planner’s concern PORTFOLIO
36. Handheld computer, briefly PDA
37. Go down in the west SET
39. “The X-Files” gp. FBI
43. Ninth mo. SEP
45. Pop the question ASK
47. Ploy RUSE
48. Work really hard SLAVE
49. Spooky EERIE
50. Reeves of “Speed” KEANU
52. Dancer Astaire ADELE
53. Homes for chicks NESTS
54. Future flower SEED
55. J.D.-to-be’s exam LSAT
56. __ A Sketch ETCH
57. Trig or calc MATH
60. Prof.’s helpers TAS

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