LA Times Crossword Answers 15 Oct 13, Tuesday

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
1. Medicine-testing org. FDA
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) started out as the Food, Drug and Insecticide organization in 1906, after President Theodore Roosevelt signed into law the Food and Drug Act. The main driver behind the Act was concern over public hygiene.

8. Destructive insect MOTH
The larvae of several types of moth are noted for eating fabrics made from natural fibers such as wool or cotton. Many people store woolens in cedar chests believing that the scent of the wood prevents a moth infestation. In fact, the only known effective repellent is the naphthalene found in mothballs, which might be a health concern for humans. One way to kill moth larvae in fabric is to freeze the garment for several days at a temperature below 8 degrees centigrade.

12. Tolkien henchmen ORCS
According to Tolkien, Orcs are small humanoids that live in his fantasy world of Middle-earth(also called “Mordor”). They are very ugly and dirty, and are fond of eating human flesh.

14. Astrological Ram ARIES
Aries the Ram is the first astrological sign in the Zodiac, and is named after the constellation. Your birth sign is Aries if you were born between March 21 and April 20, but if you are an Aries you would know that!

16. Days of old YORE
We use the word “yore” to mean “time long past” as in “the days of yore”. “Yore” comes from the Old English words for “of years”.

17. Frequent prank caller to Moe’s Tavern BART
On the animated TV comedy “The Simpsons”, Bart likes to prank call Moe’s Tavern. Bart asks Moe to “page” someone in the bar using a fictitious name, a name which sounds like a rude phrase when called out loud. This running joke on “The Simpsons” is a homage to a series of legendary calls made in real life to the Tube Bar in Jersey City by John Elmo and Jim Davidson that were taped and circulated widely in the mid-seventies. Some of the milder names used in the original prank calls were:

– Al cholic (alcoholic)
– Cole Kutz (cold cuts)
– Sal Lammy (salami)

19. Ostrich cousin RHEA
The rhea is a flightless bird native to South America. The rhea takes its name from the Greek titan Rhea, an apt name for a flightless bird as “rhea” comes from the Greek word meaning “ground”.

23. Forrest Gump’s Army friend BUBBA
In the celebrated movie “Forrest Gump”, Forrest befriends Bubba Blue after he enlists in the US Army. The pair make a pact to go into the shrimping business together. Bubba is killed in Vietnam, but Forrest decides to fulfill his promise to his friend and opens the very successful Bubba Gump Shrimp Company. Tom Hanks of course plays the title role in the film, and Bubba Blue is played by Mykelti Williamson.

25. Chowed down ATE
“Chow” is an American slang term for food that originated in California in the mid-1800s. “Chow” comes from the Chinese pidgin English “chow-chow” meaning “food”.

26. One of the Gulf States: Abbr. ALA
Alabama (Ala.)

27. Springsteen’s “__ to Run” BORN
“Born to Run” is a 1975 album released by Bruce Springsteen, the third of his career. “Born to Run” was to be Springsteen’s “breakout” album and really established him as popular artist.

35. Séance sounds RAPS
“Séance” is a French word meaning “a sitting”.

37. Indian prince RAJA
“Raja” is an Indian word for “monarch”.

40. “Nerts!” DRAT!
“Nerts” is a slang term, a corruption of “nuts!” and has the same meaning.

43. Caption under a monkey covering its eyes SEE NO EVIL
The old adage “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil” originated in the 17th century. The phrase comes as an interpretation of a wood carving over a door in a shrine in Nikko, Japan. The carving depicts the “Three Wise Monkeys”:

– Mizaru, covering his eyes
– Kikazaru, covering his ears
– Iwazaru, covering his mouth

51. __ helmet: safari wear PITH
Pith helmets were worn by mainly Europeans in the tropics, often on safari or as part of a military uniform. The helmet was light in weight, covered with cloth and made from cork or pith.

52. “__ Yankee Doodle …” I’M A
“The Yankee Doodle Boy” is a song from the musical “Little Johnny Jones” by George M. Cohan. It is a patriotic number, well known for it’s opening line “I’m a Yankee Doodle Dandy”. The musical tells the story of American jockey Johnny Jones who rides a horse called Yankee Doodle in the English Derby. Jimmy Cagney played Cohan in the 1942 biopic called “Yankee Doodle Dandy”, and gave a famous rendition of the song.

56. Parachute fabric NYLON
The term “parachute” was coined by Frenchman François Blanchard, from “para-” meaning “defence against” and “chute” meaning “a fall”.

66. “Miss __ Regrets”: Porter song OTIS
“Miss Otis Regrets” is a Cole Porter composition written in 1934 that is usually sung in a blues style. Porter wrote the song as a friendly bet. He had boasted that he could write a song about any subject, so the challenge from some friends was to create something using the next words they should hear. Porter and friends were at lunch in a restaurant, and they heard a waiter at an adjoining table say “Miss Otis regrets she’s unable to lunch today”. And that became a classic song …

68. Long-tailed 8-Across LUNA
The lime-green Luna Moth is one of the largest moths found in North America, growing to a wingspan of up to 4½ inches.

70. Sinusitis docs ENTS
Ear, Nose and Throat specialist (ENT)

The suffix “-itis” is used to denote inflammation, as in laryngitis (inflammation of the larynx) and sinusitis (inflammation of the sinuses).

71. Darn or baste SEW
“To baste” is to sew loosely, just holding a join in a fabric together temporarily using large running stitches.

Down
1. Watch chain FOB
A fob is attached to another object to make access to it easier. And so a key fob is a chain attached to a key so that it can be retrieved easily. There are also watch fobs, of course.

2. Bram Stoker’s count DRACULA
“Dracula” is a novel written by the Irish author Bram Stoker, and first published in 1897. Dracula wasn’t the first vampire of literature, but he certainly was the one who spawned the popularity of vampires in theater, film and television, and indeed more novels. Personally, I can’t stand vampire fiction …

4. Light bulb unit WATT
James Watt was a Scottish inventor, a man who figured prominently in the Industrial Revolution in Britain largely due to the improvements he made to the fledgling steam engine. The SI unit of power is called the watt, named in his honor.

5. Utah city OREM
Orem, Utah was originally known as “Sharon” (a Biblical name), then “Provo Bench”, and in 1914 it was given the family name of a local railroad operator called “Orem”. Orem gave itself the nickname “Family City USA” and sure enough in 2010, “Forbes” rated Orem the 5th best place in the country to raise a family.

6. One-named Barbadian singer RIHANNA
The singer Rihanna was born and grew up on the island of Barbados and moved to the US when she was 16-years-old to pursue a singing career.

7. Brand that “Nothing runs like” DEERE
John Deere invented the first commercially successful steel plow in 1837. Prior to Deere’s invention, farmers used an iron or wooden plow that constantly had to be cleaned as rich soil stuck to its surfaces. The cast-steel plow was revolutionary as its smooth sides solved the problem of “stickiness”.

8. British pianist Hess MYRA
Myra Hess was a British pianist who earned the title of Dame due to her efforts to uphold morale in WWII. During the war all concerts were suspended due to blackout restrictions, so Myra Hess organized 1700 concerts that took place at lunchtimes throughout the conflict.

10. “Rock-a-bye baby” spot TREETOP
“Rock-a-Bye Baby” is a lullaby, the history of which is much debated. Some say it originated in England, and others claim that it was the first poem that was written on American soil.

11. Painful-looking soccer shots HEADERS
Well, if you’ve played soccer as a kid, I don’t think headers would look that painful …

31. “Dies __”: hymn IRAE
“Dies Irae” is Latin for “Day of Wrath”. It is the name of a famous melody in Gregorian Chant, one that is often used as part of the Roman Catholic Requiem Mass.

33. Jones of jazz ETTA
Etta Jones was a jazz singer, sometimes known as the “jazz musician’s jazz singer”. Because she has a similar name to Etta James, Jones was often confused with the more popular singer. Jones never really had any huge commercial success though, despite the respect that she engendered within the inner sanctums of the jazz world.

34. Half of sechs DREI
In German, half of six (sechs) is three (drei).

39. Sloop in a Beach Boys hit JOHN B
The Beach Boys hit “Sloop John B” is a traditional folk song from the West Indies, originally titled “The John B. Sails”. The John B. was a real boat, one used for collecting sponges. The John B. foundered and sank in Governor’s Harbor on the Bahamas on or about 1900. The folk song was around as far back is 1927, with recordings being made as early 1935. The Kingston Trio recorded a version in 1958, as did Johnny Cash in 1959. The Beach Boys version of the song made it to #3 in the US charts in 1966. We liked it even more in Ireland and sent it to the top of the Irish charts.

42. Strong-smelling cleaner AMMONIA
Amun (also Amon, Amen and “Amun-Ra”) was a god in Egyptian mythology. Amun lends his name to our word “ammonia”. This is because the Romans called the ammonium chloride that they collected near the Temple of Jupiter Amun, “sal ammoniacus” (salt of Amun).

44. Oscar-winning “Casablanca” co-screenwriter Julius or Philip EPSTEIN
The 1942 classic movie “Casablanca” was co-written by twin brothers Julius J. and Philip G. Epstein. After the Epstein brothers took on the “Casablanca” job, they left the production team after the attack on “Pearl Harbor” and worked with Frank Capra for a month on his “Why We Fight” series of short films. After WWII, Julius Epstein twice tried to adapt the screenplay into a Broadway musical, in 1951 and 1967, but it was never produced.

45. Lithuania’s capital VILNIUS
Vilnius is the largest city and the capital of Lithuania. The city is named for the river on which it is built, the Vilnia. The Internet infrastructure in Vilnius is amongst the best in the world with users getting average download speeds of over 35 MB/s and upload speeds of 0ver 25 MB/s. That is very fast …

46. Comic Coca who worked with Sid Caesar IMOGENE
Famously, Imogene Coca performed opposite Sid Caesar on NBC’s “Your Show of Shows” in the fifties.

47. PC-to-PC system LAN
Local Area Network (LAN)

50. Fuzzy green fruits KIWIS
What we call kiwifruit today used to be called a Chinese gooseberry. Marketing folks in the fifties decided to call it a “melonette”, and then New Zealand producers adopted the name “kiwifruit”.

59. U.S. ally in WWII USSR
At the outset of WWII in 1939, the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany signed a non-aggression treaty. When the Germans invaded Poland, the Russians did the same thing a few weeks later, helping to complete the defeat of the Polish Military. Soon after, the Soviets invaded Finland, a move that angered France and the UK who deemed that the USSR was entering the war on the side of the Nazis. There followed a trade pact between Germany and the Soviet Union. When the Japan, Italy and Germany formally established the Axis Powers, they declared that an attack on any of the three members by any country other than the USSR would be an act of war against all three. In 1940, Hitler made perhaps the worst decision of the war for Nazi Germany, he ordered German military forces to invade Russia. The resulting Eastern Front of WWII saw the 30 million deaths, out of a total of 70 million for the whole conflict.

61. “Planet of the __” APES
The whole “Planet of the Apes” franchise was based on a French novel by Pierre Boulle called “La Planète des singes”. The book was published in English as “Monkey Planet” but was republished as “Planet of the Apes” when Hollywood had made its choice for a title.

65. Margery of nursery rhymes DAW
“See Saw Margery Daw” is a nursery rhyme that goes:

See Saw Margery Daw,
Jacky shall have a new master;
Jacky shall earn but a penny a day,
Because he can’t work any faster.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Medicine-testing org. FDA
4. Brief chat WORD
8. Destructive insect MOTH
12. Tolkien henchmen ORCS
14. Astrological Ram ARIES
16. Days of old YORE
17. Frequent prank caller to Moe’s Tavern BART
18. Snicker TEHEE
19. Ostrich cousin RHEA
20. Put on trial, in the military COURT-MARTIALED
23. Forrest Gump’s Army friend BUBBA
24. “Nifty!” NEAT!
25. Chowed down ATE
26. One of the Gulf States: Abbr. ALA
27. Springsteen’s “__ to Run” BORN
30. One who hems but doesn’t haw? TAILOR
32. Fruity loaf DATE BREAD
35. Séance sounds RAPS
36. Even-steven TIED
37. Indian prince RAJA
40. “Nerts!” DRAT!
43. Caption under a monkey covering its eyes SEE NO EVIL
48. Casual comment REMARK
51. __ helmet: safari wear PITH
52. “__ Yankee Doodle …” I’M A
53. Sleeve filler ARM
54. Broadcasts AIRS
56. Parachute fabric NYLON
58. End dramatically GO OUT WITH A BANG
62. Catches some rays SUNS
63. Freeze over ICE UP
64. Committed perjury LIED
66. “Miss __ Regrets”: Porter song OTIS
67. Perform brilliantly SHINE
68. Long-tailed 8-Across LUNA
69. Approach NEAR
70. Sinusitis docs ENTS
71. Darn or baste SEW

Down
1. Watch chain FOB
2. Bram Stoker’s count DRACULA
3. Nimble circus performer ACROBAT
4. Light bulb unit WATT
5. Utah city OREM
6. One-named Barbadian singer RIHANNA
7. Brand that “Nothing runs like” DEERE
8. British pianist Hess MYRA
9. “C’est magnifique!” OOH LA LA!
10. “Rock-a-bye baby” spot TREETOP
11. Painful-looking soccer shots HEADERS
13. Puny pencil STUB
15. Tuned to, as a radio dial SET AT
21. Synagogue leader RABBI
22. Call __ day IT A
23. Defective BAD
28. Miner’s discovery ORE
29. Wine shop section REDS
31. “Dies __”: hymn IRAE
33. Jones of jazz ETTA
34. Half of sechs DREI
38. Colony crawler ANT
39. Sloop in a Beach Boys hit JOHN B
40. Seems to last forever DRAGS ON
41. Require to detour REROUTE
42. Strong-smelling cleaner AMMONIA
44. Oscar-winning “Casablanca” co-screenwriter Julius or Philip EPSTEIN
45. Lithuania’s capital VILNIUS
46. Comic Coca who worked with Sid Caesar IMOGENE
47. PC-to-PC system LAN
49. Wharf rodent RAT
50. Fuzzy green fruits KIWIS
55. Wealthy, in France RICHE
57. Southern pronoun Y’ALL
59. U.S. ally in WWII USSR
60. Follow the game? HUNT
61. “Planet of the __” APES
65. Margery of nursery rhymes DAW

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