LA Times Crossword Answers 4 Oct 13, Friday

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
1. Place for una familia LA CASA
In Spanish, a family (una familia) might live in the house (la casa).

7. Xerox insert: Abbr. ORIG
Original (orig.)

The key features of a laser printer (or copier) are that it uses plain paper and produces quality text at high speed. Laser printers work by projecting a laser image of the printed page onto a rotating drum that is coated with photoconductors (material that becomes conductive when exposed to light). The areas of the drum exposed to the laser carry a different charge than the unexposed areas. Dry ink (toner) sticks to the exposed areas due to electrostatic charge. The toner is then transferred to paper by contact and is fused into the paper by the application of heat. So, that explains why paper coming out of a laser printer is warm, and sometimes powdery …

11. Advanced math deg., in Canada MSC
A Master of Science degree is abbreviated to M.Sc. in Canada (and Ireland), and to MS in the US.

16. Suffix with Capri -OTE
A Capriote is a native of the Isle of Capri.

17. Clubs with balls DISCOS
Discotheques first appeared during WWII in Occupied France. American-style music (like jazz and jitterbug dances) was banned by the Nazis, so French natives met in underground clubs that they called discotheques where records were often played on just a single turntable. After the war, these clubs came out into the open. One famous Paris discotheque was called “Whiskey a Gogo”. In that Paris disco, non-stop music was played using two turntables next to a dance-floor, and this concept spread around the world.

18. Yellow butterflies, to Brits SULPHURS
Butterflies in the subfamily called Coliadinae are also known as yellows or sulfurs (also ”sulphurs”).

20. Two-note keyboard effect TREMOLO
The tremolo effect was invented by Claudio Monteverdi in the 16th century, and was first applied to the violin (by rapid bowing). Tremolo is a trembling effect that can be achieved in two ways:
– On stringed instruments, by rapidly reiterating the same note by bowing or plucking.
– On keyboard instruments, by rapidly reiterating two notes or chords in alternation.

22. Most fit to serve 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).

23. “Pinocchio” whale MONSTRO
“The Adventures of Pinocchio” is an 1883 children’s novel by Carlo Collodi, which is all about an animated puppet called Pinocchio, and Geppetto, his poor woodcarver father. In one of his adventures, Pinocchio encounters “the Terrible Dogfish”, a huge sea monster that is given the nickname “the Attila of fish and fishermen”. The sea monster features in the 1940 film “Pinocchio”, but in Walt Disney’s version it is given the name “Monstro” (the Portuguese word for “monster”).

28. Barcelona gold ORO
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain, after the capital Madrid. Barcelona is the largest European city that sits on the Mediterranean coast. It is also the capital city of the autonomous community of Catalonia.

29. Kiosk STALL
Our word “kiosk” came to us via French and Turkish from the Persian “kushk” meaning “palace, portico”.

33. Fam. tree member DESC
A descendant (desc.) is found in a family tree (fam. tree).

35. Old cutter SNEE
“Snick or snee” is the name given to cut and thrust while fighting with a knife. The phrase is rooted in a pair of Dutch words and it gave its name to a “snee”, a light sword-like knife.

37. See 39-Across MEAL
39. With 37- and 40-Across, nosh, literally EAT (literally “EAT BETWEEN MEALS”)
40. See 39-Across MEAL
Our word “nosh” has been around since the late fifties, when it was imported from the Yiddish word “nashn” meaning “to nibble”.

42. Progressive Insurance spokeswoman FLO
Flo is a perky character featured in ads for Progressive Insurance. Flo is played by comedienne and actress Stephanie Courtney.

43. B.C. law group RCMP
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (the Mounties; RCMP) is an unusual police force in that it provides all policing for the whole country. The RCMP works on the national level, and right down to the municipal level. The force’s distinctive uniform of red serge tunic, blue pants with a yellow stripe, stetson hat etc. is known internally as “Review Order”. The red uniform dates back to the days of the North-West Mounted Police, which was one of the existing forces that were merged in 1920 to form the RCMP.

The accepted abbreviations for the ten Canadian provinces are:

AB – Alberta
BC – British Columbia
MB – Manitoba
NB – New Brunswick
NL – Newfoundland and Labrador
NS – Nova Scotia
ON – Ontario
PE – Prince Edward Island
QC – Quebec
SK – Saskatchewan

45. Starr-struck one? DRUM
Ringo Starr’s real name is Richard Starkey. Before he joined the Beatles (replacing drummer Pete Best), Starkey played with the Raving Texans. It was with the Raving Texans that he adopted the name “Ringo Starr”, because he wore a lot of rings and he thought it sounded “cowboyish”. Back then his drum solos were billed as “Starr Time”.

47. See 51-Across WOOD
51. With 47-Across, former “American Idol” winner, literally CARRIE (literally “CARRIE UNDERWOOD”)
Carrie Underwood is a country singer, and the winner of the fourth season of “American Idol”. Underwood is the most successful “Idol” winner to date, in terms of music sales.

53. Con artist GRIFTER
A grifter is a confidence trickster, although the term has been used for non-violent criminals in general.

55. Years in Claudius’ reign ANNI
I find Claudius to be the most fascinating of all the Roman Emperors. Claudius had a lot going against him as he walked with a limp and was slightly deaf. He was put in office by the Praetorian Guard (the emperor’s bodyguards) after Caligula was assassinated. Claudius had very little experience and yet proved to be very forward-thinking and capable.

61. Jason of “Harry Potter” films ISAACS
Jason Isaacs is an English actor from Liverpool that is probably best known these days for portraying Lucius Malfoy in the “Harry Potter” series of films. TV viewers might also know him for playing the “bad guy” Michael on the Showtime series “Brotherhood”.

65. Fancy marble TAW
In the game of marbles, the “taw” is the shooting marble, and is shot at the “ducks”.

66. See 67-Across NOON
67. With 66-Across, 1975 Best Picture nominee, literally DOG DAY (literally “DOG DAY AFTERNOON”)
“Dog Day Afternoon” is a crime film released in 1975. The movie was inspired by a real life incident, a robbery at a bank in Brooklyn, New York by John Wojtowicz and Salvatore Naturile. Al Pacino and John Cazale played the robbers in the film, with the names changed to Sonny Wortzik and Sal Naturile.

68. People people: Abbr. EDS
Editors (eds.)

There used to be a “People” page in each issue of “Time” magazine. This page was spun-off in 1974 as a publication of its own, which we now call “People” magazine.

69. Celebrity chef Burrell ANNE
Anne Burrell is co-host of the show “Worst Cooks in America” that airs on the Food Network. Yet another celebrity chef …

Down
1. Common HDTV feature LCD
Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)

2. Sushi-grade tuna AHI
Yellowfin tuna is usually marketed as “ahi”, its Hawaiian name. Yellowfin tuna is one big fish, often weighing over 300 pounds.

3. These, in Toulouse CES
Toulouse is the fourth largest city in France, and is locate in the southwest of the country. These days, Toulouse is noted as home to the Airbus headquarters and is known as the center of the European aerospace industry.

5. Culottes kin SKORTS
Skorts are a hybrid between shorts and a skirt.

In women’s fashion, the word “culottes” is used for a garment that hangs like a skirt but is actually pants. The term was imported from French, in which language culottes were originally split skirts used for horse riding.

8. Fidel’s successor RAUL
Raul Castro is the younger brother of Fidel Castro. Raul has been President of Cuba since 2008, when Fidel stepped aside.

9. Just starting to roll, perhaps IN LOW
The car is just starting to roll when it is in low gear.

10. Econ. yardstick GDP
A country’s Gross National Product (GNP) is the value of all services and products produced by its residents in a particular year. GNP includes all production wherever it is in the world, as long as the business is owned by residents of the country concerned. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is different, and is the value of all services and goods produced within the borders of a country for that year.

11. Image on the Armenian coat of arms MOUNT ARARAT
Mount Ararat is in Turkey. Ararat is a snow-capped dormant volcano with two peaks. The higher of the two, Greater Ararat, is the tallest peak in the country. Ararat takes its name from a legendary Armenian hero called Ara the Beautiful (or Ara the Handsome). According to the Book of Genesis, Noah’s ark landed on Mount Ararat as the Great Flood subsided.

Armenia is a landlocked country found east of Turkey, and is a former Soviet Republic. Back in the year 301 CE, the ancient Kingdom of Armenia became the first nation in the world to adopt Christianity as its national religion.

12. Haight or Ashbury STREET
Haight-Ashbury is a neighborhood in San Francisco that is centered on the intersection of Haight Street and Ashbury Street. The district was one of the epicenters of hippie life in the sixties, and was home to psychedelic rock performers of the day including Jefferson Airplane, the Grateful Dead and Janis Joplin.

13. “Dog Whisperer” Millan CESAR
Cesar Millan is the real name of television’s “dog whisperer”. Millan has been working with overly aggressive dogs on his show “Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan” since 2004. Millan was an illegal immigrant from Mexico in the US back in 1990, became legal in 2000 and then became a US citizen in 2009.

24. Utah city on I-15 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.

27. SALT topic ICBM
An Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) is a ballistic missile with the range necessary to cross between continents. Being ballistic (as opposed to a cruise missile) an ICBM is guided during the initial launch phase, but later in flight just relies on thrust and gravity to arrive at its target. It is defined as intercontinental as it has a range greater that 3,500 miles. ICBMs are really only used for delivering nuclear warheads. Scary stuff …

There were two rounds of Strategic Arms Limitation Talks between the US and the Soviet Union, and two resulting treaties (SALT I & SALT II). The opening round of SALT I talks were held in Helsinki as far back as 1970.

34. Pepsi One’s one CALORIE
Pepsi ONE is so called as it has one calorie per eight-ounce serving. The artificial sweetener known as Ace-K was approved by the FDA for use in our food in 1998, and one hour after the approval was given, PepsiCo announced the introduction of Pepsi ONE …

38. California wine town near Stockton LODI
Lodi, California may not be as well known a wine producer as Sonoma and Napa counties, but has been given the moniker “Zinfandel Capital of the World”.

41. Posh LUXE
Luxe is another word for luxury. The term came into English via French from the Latin “luxus” meaning “luxury”.

No one really knows the etymology of the word “posh”. The popular myth that POSH stands for “Port Out, Starboard Home” is completely untrue, a story that can be traced back to the 1968 movie “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang”. The myth is that wealthy British passengers travelling to and from India would book cabins on the port side for the outward journey and the starboard side for the home journey. This trick was supposedly designed to keep their cabins out of the direct sunlight.

44. Ellington standard whose title is Spanish for “lost” PERDIDO
“Perdido” is a song recorded by Duke Ellington in 1942. “Perdido” translates from Spanish as “lost”, but can also mean “sloppy, indecent”. The song’s title is actually a reference to Perdido Street in New Orleans.

46. Nice view MER
“Mer” is the French word for “sea”.

The city of Nice lies on the Mediterranean coast of France, not far from the Italian border. Although it is only the fifth most populous city, Nice has the second busiest airport in the country (after Paris) thanks to the vast number of jet-setting tourists that flock to the French Riviera.

51. Class CASTE
Many creatures organize themselves into a social structure, a phenomenon known as “eusociality”. Examples of such creatures would be ants, bees and wasps, where there are queens, workers and soldiers. The groups within such a hierarchical structure are known as castes. The word “caste” was borrowed from the class divisions in Indian society (although the word “caste” and hierarchical concept was actually introduced by the Portuguese).

52. Pelé’s first name EDSON
Pelé is the nickname of Edson de Nascimento, a soccer player who has used the name Pelé for most of his life. Pelé is now retired, and for my money was the world’s greatest ever player of the game. He is the only person to have been part of three World Cup winning squads, and is a national treasure in his native Brazil.

54. Some grenades, briefly FRAGS
Fragmentation grenade (frag).

Our word “grenade”, used for a small explosive missile, came via French from the word for the pomegranate fruit. The name reflects the similarity between the seed-filled fruit and the powder-filled, fragmentation bomb.

57. Bertie Wooster’s alma mater ETON
Bertie Wooster is one of the main characters in the “Jeeves” series of novels by P. G. Wodehouse. Bertie is a kindly, well-to-do English gentleman who employs the stoic and remarkably clever Jeeves as his valet.

60. Genetic stuff RNA
Ribonucleic Acid (RNA) is an essential catalyst in the manufacture of proteins in the body. The genetic code in DNA determines the sequence of amino acids that make up each protein. That sequence is read in DNA by messenger RNA, and amino acids are delivered for protein manufacture in the correct sequence by what is called transfer RNA. The amino acids are then formed into proteins by ribosomal RNA.

64. GPS part: Abbr. SYS
GPS Global Positioning System (GPS)

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Place for una familia LA CASA
7. Xerox insert: Abbr. ORIG
11. Advanced math deg., in Canada MSC
14. With 15-Across, verifies in advance, literally CHECKS (literally “CHECKS BEFOREHAND”)
15. See 14-Across HAND
16. Suffix with Capri -OTE
17. Clubs with balls DISCOS
18. Yellow butterflies, to Brits SULPHURS
20. Two-note keyboard effect TREMOLO
22. Most fit to serve ONE-A
23. “Pinocchio” whale MONSTRO
26. With 32-Across, warm apparel, literally WINTER (literally “WINTER OVERCOAT”)
28. Barcelona gold ORO
29. Kiosk STALL
32. See 26-Across COAT
33. Fam. tree member DESC
35. Old cutter SNEE
36. Sign of cold feet? BRR!
37. See 39-Across MEAL
39. With 37- and 40-Across, nosh, literally EAT (literally “EAT BETWEEN MEALS”)
40. See 39-Across MEAL
42. Progressive Insurance spokeswoman FLO
43. B.C. law group RCMP
45. Starr-struck one? DRUM
47. See 51-Across WOOD
48. __ music SHEET
50. Fire AXE
51. With 47-Across, former “American Idol” winner, literally CARRIE (literally “CARRIE UNDERWOOD”)
53. Con artist GRIFTER
55. Years in Claudius’ reign ANNI
56. Certain cracker DECODER
59. Guides in the direction of STEERS TO
61. Jason of “Harry Potter” films ISAACS
65. Fancy marble TAW
66. See 67-Across NOON
67. With 66-Across, 1975 Best Picture nominee, literally DOG DAY (literally “DOG DAY AFTERNOON”)
68. People people: Abbr. EDS
69. Celebrity chef Burrell ANNE
70. Initial stages ONSETS

Down
1. Common HDTV feature LCD
2. Sushi-grade tuna AHI
3. These, in Toulouse CES
4. Bank listing: Abbr. ACCTS
5. Culottes kin SKORTS
6. Declares ASSERTS
7. Overmuch OH SO
8. Fidel’s successor RAUL
9. Just starting to roll, perhaps IN LOW
10. Econ. yardstick GDP
11. Image on the Armenian coat of arms MOUNT ARARAT
12. Haight or Ashbury STREET
13. “Dog Whisperer” Millan CESAR
19. Accepted, as a gift card HONORED
21. Bellyachers MOANERS
23. Like platform shoes in the ’60s MOD
24. Utah city on I-15 OREM
25. Journalist’s asset NOSE FOR NEWS
27. SALT topic ICBM
30. Percolate LEACH
31. Prisoner’s demand LET ME GO
34. Pepsi One’s one CALORIE
38. California wine town near Stockton LODI
41. Posh LUXE
44. Ellington standard whose title is Spanish for “lost” PERDIDO
46. Nice view MER
47. Opening lines? WANT AD
49. Attaches, in a way TIES ON
51. Class CASTE
52. Pelé’s first name EDSON
54. Some grenades, briefly FRAGS
57. Bertie Wooster’s alma mater ETON
58. Road crew item CONE
60. Genetic stuff RNA
62. Stand buy ADE
63. Jazz lover CAT
64. GPS part: Abbr. SYS

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