LA Times Crossword Answers 19 Dec 13, Thursday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: Mary Lou Guizzo & Jeff Chen
THEME: Pig-Headed … today’s themed answers each start with a foodstuff coming from a PIG:

17A. Some broadcasting equipment HAM RADIOS
30A. Political patronage PORK BARREL
36A. Degrees of separation from actor Kevin, in a parlor game BACON NUMBER
41A. Dachshunds, familiarly WIENER DOGS

58A. Obstinate, and what the other four longest puzzle answers are? PIG-HEADED

BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 7m 29s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across

1. Lines at the checkout? UPCS
UPC stands for Universal Price Code or Universal Product Code. The first UPC-marked item to get scanned in a store was on June 26, 1974 at 08:01 a.m. at Marsh’s supermarket in Troy, Ohio. It was a 10-pack of Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit chewing gum …

5. Powdery mineral TALC
Talc is a mineral, actually hydrated magnesium silicate. Talcum powder is composed of loose talc, although these days “baby powder” can also be cornstarch.

9. Org. for a 4-Down ASPCA
(4D. Rescued one, hopefully STRAY)
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.

15. Baseball’s Jesus or Moises ALOU
Jesus Alou played major league baseball, as did his brothers Matty and Felipe, and as does Felipe’s son, Moises.

16. “She loves you” followers, in song YEAHS
The Beatles song “She Loves You” was released in 1963. It was one of five songs that together achieved an amazing feat in the US charts. At one point that year, those five songs were in the top five positions.

17. Some broadcasting equipment HAM RADIOS
Amateur radio enthusiasts were originally called ham operators by professional telegraph operators, and the term was intended to be insulting. It came from the similar term “ham actor”, describing a person who is less than effective on the stage. But amateur operators eventually embraced the moniker and so it stuck.

20. Hoopster Shaquille O’NEAL
Shaquille O’Neal is one of the heaviest players ever to have played in the NBA (weighing in at around 325 pounds). Yep, he’s a big guy … 7 foot 1 inch tall.

21. Woman in two Goya works MAJA
Francisco Goya was a Spanish painter, often called the last of the Old Masters and the first of the moderns. Two of his most famous works are “The Nude Maja” and “The Clothed Maja”.

María Cayetana de Silva was the 13th duchess of Alba. She was a favorite subject of the Spanish painter Francisco Goya. The duchess is the subject in the famous portrait known as “The Naked Maja”.

23. Women’s org. based at Constitution Hall DAR
In order to be a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), an applicant has to prove that she is a descendant of someone closely associated with, and supportive of, the American Revolution.

24. Brightly colored beetle LADYBUG
The insect we know as a ladybug has seven spots on the wing covers. These seven spots gave rise to the common name “ladybug”, as in the Middle Ages the insect was called the “beetle of Our Lady”. The spots were said to symbolize the Seven Joys and Seven Sorrows, events in the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary called out in the Roman Catholic tradition.

27. Lincoln or Ford CAR
Lincoln is a luxury brand in the Ford Motors portfolio. The Lincoln name originated as the Lincoln Motor Company in 1917 when it was founded by Wilfred Leland. The company was named for President Abraham Lincoln, someone for whom Leland actually got to vote for in 1864.

The industrialist Henry Ford was born in Michigan, and was the son of an Irish immigrant from County Cork. Ford’s most famous vehicle was the one that revolutionized the industry: the Model T. Ford’s goal with the Model T was to build a car that was simple to drive and and easy and cheap to purchase and repair. The Model T cost $825 in 1908, which isn’t much over $20,000 in today’s money.

28. MPG watchdog EPA
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Miles per gallon (mpg)

29. Opposite of sweet DRY
A dry wine is the opposite of a sweet wine.

30. Political patronage PORK BARREL
Pork barrel politics have been around for a long time. The term originated in 1863 in a story by Edward Everett Hale called “The Children of the Public”. Hale used “pork barrel” in a positive way, describing any public spending by government for the benefit of citizens. By the 1870s the term “pork” had negative connotations, with references in the press to “pork barrel bills” in Congress. Nowadays “pork” really applies to any government project designed to benefit a relatively small group of citizens (usually potential voters for a particular politician) with the bill being paid by the citizenry as a whole.

36. Degrees of separation from actor Kevin, in a parlor game BACON NUMBER
The idea behind the concept of six degrees of separation is that, on average, every person on the planet is separated from every other by just six “degrees”. That is, everyone is linked to everyone else as a “friend of a friend”, six times. There’s also a popular trivia game called “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon” in which players have to show that a particular actor can be related to Kevin Bacon in fewer than six links, with each link being a movie in which two actors appear together.

41. Dachshunds, familiarly WIENER DOGS
The dachshund breed of dog was originally bred to chase and flush out badgers. The name “dachshund” is German and translates as “badger dog”.

What we call a wiener in this country is known as a Vienna sausage in Germany. It was first produced by a butcher from Frankfurt who was living in Vienna, hence the name “Wiener”, which is German for “of Vienna”. Paradoxically, the same sausage is called a Frankfurter in Vienna, as it was created by someone from Frankfurt. It’s all very confusing …

44. One involved in a pickup CAB
A hansom cab is a very specific design of horse and buggy that was patented by Joseph Hansom in 1834 in England. The “cab” in the name is short for “cabriolet”, a prior design of carriage on which the hansom was based. It’s from “hansom cab” that we get our modern term “cab”.

47. __ carte A LA
On a restaurant menu, items that are “à la carte” are priced and ordered separately. A menu marked “table d’hôte” (also called “prix fixe”) is a fixed-price menu with limited choice.

48. Fourth grade? DEE
A, B, C, D … the fourth grade is D (dee).

49. iPod accessories EARBUDS
I recently read an article on hearing loss that cites a study published in the “Journal of Pediatrics”. According to the study, 12½% of kids between 6 and 19 suffer from a loss of hearing that is directly attributable to the use of earphones set at a dangerously high volume. Personally, I love listening to all sorts of programming using earbuds. I am careful to use “in-ear” types of earphones that are designed to block out external noise so that I can listen to programming at the lowest possible volume, and don’t have to drown out external sounds. My doctor gives me a pat on the back for doing so, and has asked me to spread the word!

52. Sam Spade type TEC
“Tec” is a slang term for a private detective, a private investigator (PI).

Private detective Sam Spade is the main character in Dashiell Hammett’s novel “The Maltese Falcon”. Famously, Spade was played by Humphrey Bogart in the 1941 film adaptation directed by John Huston.

53. Eye layer UVEA
The uvea is the middle of the three layers that make up the eyeball.

55. Roman fountain TREVI
The Trevi Fountain is a huge fountain in Rome, the largest constructed in the Baroque style. The tradition is that if one throws a coin in the fountain then one is guaranteed a return visit to the city. Tourists throw in an amazing 3,000 euros (over $4,000) every day. The money is collected and is used to stock a supermarket for the needy of the city.

61. Court figure STENO
Stenography is the process of writing in shorthand. The term comes from the Greek “steno” (narrow) and “graphe” (writing).

62. Singer Adams EDIE
Edie Adams was an all-round entertainer. She worked for many years on television with Ernie Kovacs and Jack Paar, marrying Ernie Kovacs in 1954. On the big screen she has a major supporting role in “The Apartment”, and was one of the stars of “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World”.

64. “The Master Builder” playwright IBSEN
Henrik Ibsen was a Norwegian playwright, considered by many to be the greatest playwright since William Shakespeare. Ibsen was famous for shocking his audiences by exploring subjects that offended the sensibilities of the day (the late 1800s).

“The Master Builder” is an 1892 play by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. The play deals with a complex relationship between young 24-year-old woman and a much older Master Builder who is a married man. Ibsen admitted that the play has some autobiographical elements. He conceived the plot while having a brief affair with an 18-year-old student from Vienna.

Down
2. Two-dimensional PLANAR
The dimension of an object is defined as the minimum number of coordinates needed to specify each point in the object. Therefore a line is one-dimensional, as you only need an x-coordinate to specify a particular point on the line. A plane is two-dimensional, as you need both an x-coordinate and a y-coordinate to locate a point on the plane. The inside of a solid object is then three-dimensional, needing an x-, y- and z-coordinate to specify a point, say within a cube.

6. Baba of folklore ALI
There is some controversy about the story “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves” in that it has been suggested it was not part of the original collection of Arabic tales called “One Thousand and One Nights”. The suggestion is that the Ali Baba tale was added by one of the European translators of the collection.

7. Device with shuttles LOOM
The main components of a loom are:

– warp beam
– heddles
– harnesses or shafts
– shuttle
– reed
– takeup roll

8. John who played Nixon in “The Butler” CUSACK
John Cusack is an actor from Evanston, Illinois. John is noted for appearing in several films with his equally-talented actress sister, Joan Cusack. I think the John Cusack film that I most enjoy is 1997’s “Grosse Pointe Blank”.

“Lee Daniels’ The Butler” is a 2013 movie that is loosely based on the life of Eugene Allen, who worked at the White House for 34 years before retiring as head butler in 1986. Forest Whitaker plays the title role. My wife saw this one, and really enjoyed it …

9. Bart Simpson catchphrase AY, CARAMBA!
Bart Simpson apparently uses the expression “Ay, caramba!” when he is positively surprised about something, often something related to a female I am told …

11. Person who caters to base interests PANDERER
“To pander” is to cater to the lower desires of someone, perhaps to exploit a weakness. The verb comes from the noun “pander”, which was basically a pimp, one who arranged sexual liaisons. The term ultimately derives from a Trojan aristocrat named Pandarus who appears in Homer’s “Iliad”. In medieval literature, Pandarus was portrayed as a bawdy figure who helped Prince Troilus have an affair with young Cressida.

12. Watch-Me-Grow fad CHIA PET
Chia is a flowering plant in the mint family, and the Chia Pet is an invention of a San Francisco company. Chia Pets are terracotta figurines to which are applied moistened chia seeds. The seeds sprout and the seedlings become the “fur” of the Chia Pet.

18. Priestly garb ALB
The alb is the white, neck-to-toe vestment worn by priests, usually with a rope cord around the waist. The term alb comes from “albus”, the Latin word for “white”.

26. Cross the threshold GO IN
Years ago I was taking a tour of a beautiful Elizabethan manor house in England, and was told a little “threshing” story by the guide as we stood in one of the rooms. She reminded us that threshing was the removal of seeds from chaff, and told us that back in the day the “chaff” was sometimes called the “thresh”. Thresh would be used on the floors, particularly in the kitchen areas where it would soak up spills and provide some thermal insulation, much as sawdust was used in my favorite pubs many moons ago. She pointed to two slots at the bottom of the door jambs where she said a low board was placed upright on the floor, to hold the thresh in the room. The board was called a “thresh hold”, giving us our contemporary word “threshold”. I am not sure if all of that is really true, but it makes a nice story.

31. Sonata movement RONDO
A rondo was often chosen by composers in the classical period for the last movement of a sonata (or symphony or concerto, for that matter). In rondo form there is a principal theme that alternates with a contrasting theme(s). So, the original theme anchors the whole piece in between secondary digressions.

The term “sonata” comes from the Latin and Italian word “sonare” meaning “to sound”. A sonata is a piece of music that is played, as opposed to a cantata (from Latin and Italian “cantare” meaning “to sing”), a piece of music that is sung.

38. Southwestern formation MESA
“Mesa” is the Spanish for “table” and is of course is how we get the term “mesa” that describes a geographic feature. A mesa is similar to a butte. Both are hills with flat tops, but a mesa has a top that is wider than it is tall. A butte is a much narrower formation, taller than it is wide.

39. Dumb ending? SILENT B
The word “dumb” ends with a silent letter B.

41. ’60s dance WATUSI
The Watusi was almost as popular as the twist in the early sixties. The dance took its name from the Batutsi tribe in Rwanda.

42. Prepare to drag REV
Back in the 18th century “drag” was slang for a wagon or buggy, as it was “dragged” along by a horse or horses. In the 1930s, the underworld adopted drag as slang for an automobile. This sense of the word was imported into automobile racing in the forties, giving the name to “drag racing”. A drag race is basically a competition between two cars to determine which can accelerate faster from a standstill.

45. Pre-Christmas period ADVENT
In the Christian traditions, Advent is the season of expectation prior to the Christmas celebration of the birth of Jesus. The term “Advent” comes from the Latin “adventus” meaning “coming”.

50. GPS recommendation RTE
Route (rte.)

Global Positioning System (GPS)

51. Cry to a diva BRAVA
To express appreciation for a male performer at an operatic performance, traditionally one calls out “bravo!”. Appreciation for a female performer is shown by using “brava!”, and for more than one performer by using “bravi!”

54. Classic role for a diva AIDA
“Aida” is a famous opera by Giuseppe Verdi, actually based on a scenario written by French Egyptologist Auguste Mariette. Mariette also designed the costumes and stages for the opening performance. The opera was first staged in 1871 in an opera house in Cairo. In the storyline, Aida is an Ethiopian princess brought into Egypt as a slave. Radames is an Egyptian commander who falls in love with her, and then of course complications arise!

57. Like the finale of Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto IN E
Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E minor is one of the most popular violin concertos in the classical repertoire.

Felix Mendelssohn was a German composer who was active in the early Romantic period. Mendelssohn’s most famous works are probably his overtures “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and “The Hebrides”, as well as his “Italian Symphony” and “Scottish Symphony”.

59. Bathtub booze GIN
The term “bathtub gin” is used for any spirit that is made by an amateur. The term arose during the days of prohibition. Gin was the most popular drink in the twenties and cheap version of gin were made by mixing grain alcohol with water and flavorings. The gin bottles were too tall to be topped off with water from a faucet over a sink, so a bathtub faucet was used instead. Hence the name “bathtub gin”. It’s also true that bathtubs were sometimes used for fermentation prior to distillation of illegal spirits.

60. __ up: angry HET
Someone who is “het up” is “heated up, angry”.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Lines at the checkout? UPCS
5. Powdery mineral TALC
9. Org. for a 4-Down ASPCA
14. It may thicken PLOT
15. Baseball’s Jesus or Moises ALOU
16. “She loves you” followers, in song YEAHS
17. Some broadcasting equipment HAM RADIOS
19. “Cut the chatter!” CAN IT!
20. Hoopster Shaquille O’NEAL
21. Woman in two Goya works MAJA
23. Women’s org. based at Constitution Hall DAR
24. Brightly colored beetle LADYBUG
27. Lincoln or Ford CAR
28. MPG watchdog EPA
29. Opposite of sweet DRY
30. Political patronage PORK BARREL
33. Proportion RATIO
35. Swim competition MEET
36. Degrees of separation from actor Kevin, in a parlor game BACON NUMBER
39. Common Oscar gown feature SLIT
40. Anxious anticipation DREAD
41. Dachshunds, familiarly WIENER DOGS
44. One involved in a pickup CAB
47. __ carte A LA
48. Fourth grade? DEE
49. iPod accessories EARBUDS
52. Sam Spade type TEC
53. Eye layer UVEA
55. Roman fountain TREVI
56. Not cool UNHIP
58. Obstinate, and what the other four longest puzzle answers are? PIG-HEADED
61. Court figure STENO
62. Singer Adams EDIE
63. Creepy thing VINE
64. “The Master Builder” playwright IBSEN
65. Go on and on RANT
66. Busy crawlers ANTS

Down
1. Support UPHOLD
2. Two-dimensional PLANAR
3. Funny business? COMEDY
4. Rescued one, hopefully STRAY
5. Minute amount TAD
6. Baba of folklore ALI
7. Device with shuttles LOOM
8. John who played Nixon in “The Butler” CUSACK
9. Bart Simpson catchphrase AY, CARAMBA!
10. Salty expanse SEA
11. Person who caters to base interests PANDERER
12. Watch-Me-Grow fad CHIA PET
13. Celestial ASTRAL
18. Priestly garb ALB
22. Poke JAB
25. Until UP TO
26. Cross the threshold GO IN
31. Sonata movement RONDO
32. Swamp thing REED
33. Showers, say RAIN
34. Followed, as a hunch ACTED UPON
36. Laundry room supplies BLEACHES
37. Push URGE
38. Southwestern formation MESA
39. Dumb ending? SILENT B
41. ’60s dance WATUSI
42. Prepare to drag REV
43. More profound DEEPER
44. Informed CUED IN
45. Pre-Christmas period ADVENT
46. Backs of singles B-SIDES
50. GPS recommendation RTE
51. Cry to a diva BRAVA
54. Classic role for a diva AIDA
57. Like the finale of Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto IN E
59. Bathtub booze GIN
60. __ up: angry HET

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7 thoughts on “LA Times Crossword Answers 19 Dec 13, Thursday”

  1. Cute. Had to look up the spelling of O'NEAL; also CUSAK, EARBUD, and AYCARAMBA.
    Mostly, youth and sports items are my problems.
    Maybe I'll catch that Butler movie.

    Had YAR before ALI.

  2. Hi there, Sfingi.

    My problems solving are sports and an ever-increasing lack of youth 🙂 I don't do well with the Simpsons clues, but fortunately we've seen AY CARAMBA before.

  3. Just wondering…

    Which puzzles do you prefer – the
    New York Times or LA Times – and why?

    Thanks for any feedback…

  4. Hi Bill and friends,

    My uncle, RIP , was a ham radio operator …. Had the Rolls Royce of ham radio … A Hallicrafter. He took it all very seriously, and thought of his hobby as a pseudo emergency responder.

    The puzzle was quite challenging …. Lines at checkout made me worried . Since I like to get the first clue right off the bat.

    Shaquille ONeal played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, at the last time he was at bat …. Or at the hoop. He was well past his prime.

    I was trying to fit in Scarab for the ladybug … No luck.

    Regarding 48A. … Dee … I thought of the fourth grade, because of. A, B, C, and D. In the order of downward progression.

    Per your doctors orders, … I will be awaiting, a pat on the back, from you …. ;->)

    I must remember to get a chia pet for Xmas.

    Finally, I know that gin is flavored with juniper berries. And I have used the berries occasionally for my cooking. Very sharp taste.

    Have a nice day, all.

  5. @just wondering
    I really don't have a preference. I think both are quality puzzles, and indeed many of my favorite constructors set crosswords for both publications.

    @Vidwan
    Thanks for illuminating me on the "fourth grade" explanation. I missed the mark on that one (and will fix it right now). You can get your pat on the the back for that assistance 🙂

  6. Hi Bill, Vidwan, Sfingi and "just wondering"!
    Very late posting today. Christmas last minute extras. Soooo many people out there,and where the heck DID I park, anyway?
    Thought today was easier than yesterday for me.
    Didn't know BACON NUMBER, but it showed up on its own.
    Rained really hard today, so I postponed my outing for awhile.
    Husband remembered to pile all the gifts to colleagues into the car, but forgot his briefcase and lunch. Oy Vey!
    Here's an interactive e-card to all of you who read Bill's blog.
    I wish decorating was this easy,LOL

    Christmas Card

  7. Hi there, Pookie.

    Thank you for the Christmas card! 🙂

    I played the BACON NUMBER game with my family over in Ireland this summer, and actually had a bit of fun. Now it seems that Google have created a special search that allows you to "cheat". Just type in an actor's name and "bacon number" in Google, and Google gives you the number and the list of films that get you to that number. It's easier than finding your car in the mall parking lot at Christmas …

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