LA Times Crossword Answers 17 Feb 14, Monday

Share today’s solution with a friend:
FacebookTwitterGoogleEmail

CROSSWORD SETTER: C.C. Burnikel
THEME: Presidential Ball-Players … each of today’s themed answers is the name of a Hall of Fame baseball player, and each shares a family name with a former US president:

17A. Favorite Hall of Famer of the 39th U.S. president? GARY CARTER (from “President Jimmy Carter”)
24A. Favorite Hall of Famer of the 7th U.S. president? REGGIE JACKSON (from “President Andrew Jackson”)
44A. Favorite Hall of Famer of the 17th and 36th U.S. presidents? WALTER JOHNSON (from “Presidents Andrew Johnson and Lyndon Johnson)
55A. Favorite Hall of Famer of the 38th U.S. president? WHITEY FORD (from “President Gerald Ford”)

BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 6m 22s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across

1. Tubers rich in beta carotene YAMS
Carotene is an orange pigment that plants use in the process of photosynthesis. Carotene gives carrots their orange color, and it is carrots that give the pigment its name. “Carota” is the Latin for “carrot”. Carotene is found in nature in two structural forms: alpha-carotene and the more common beta-carotene.

10. Bouillabaisse, e.g. STEW
Bouillabaisse is a traditional seafood stew that originated in the port city of Marseille on the Mediterranean coast of France.

15. Mrs. Gorbachev RAISA
Raisa Gorbachova was the wife of Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. There’s no doubt that Raisa’s charm and personality helped her husband as he worked to change the image of the Soviet Union.

16. Dancer-turned-spy Mata HARI
Mata Hari was the stage name used by Margaretha Geertuida Zella, born in the Netherlands in 1876. After an unsuccessful and somewhat tragic marriage, Zella moved to Paris in 1903 where she struggled to make a living. By 1905 she was working as an exotic dancer and using the name Mata Hari. She was a successful courtesan, notably moving in various circles of high-ranking military officers. She apparently worked as a double agent, both for the French and the Germans. When Mata Hari was accused by the French of passing information to the enemy, she was tried, found guilty and executed by firing squad at the height of WW1, in 1917.

17. Favorite Hall of Famer of the 39th U.S. president? GARY CARTER (from “President Jimmy Carter”)
Gary Carter was a baseball catcher who played mainly for the Montreal Expos and the New York Mets. Carter played for the Mets team that won the 1986 World Series against the Boston Red Sox.

President Jimmy Carter is a graduate of the US Naval Academy. Carter served in the Navy on surface ships and submarines, and chose to pursue a career in the submarine service as he was interested in nuclear power and believed it had a great future in submarine design. As a result, he became an expert in nuclear propulsion. In 1952, the Navy sent the young Carter to the Chalk River Laboratories in Canada to lead the US effort to shutdown the reactor after an accident and partial meltdown of a reactor core. He and his team had to be lowered into the leaking reactor core for mechanical disassembly, staying there for only seconds at a time to minimise exposure to radiation. Decades later as US President, it was this experience that influenced Carter’s decision not to complete the development of the neutron bomb.

19. Tablet with a “mini” version IPAD
The iPad mini is line of smaller iPads that was introduced by Apple in 2012. The iPad mini has a screen size of 7.9 inches, whereas the regular iPad’s screen is 9.7 inches.

21. Egyptian cross with a top loop ANKH
The ankh was the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic character for “eternal life”. The ankh wasn’t just used in inscriptions but was often fashioned into amulets and as surrounds for mirrors (perhaps symbolizing a view into another world).

22. Black belt activity KARATE
“Karate” means “open hand”, and the related word “karaoke” means “open orchestra”.

24. Favorite Hall of Famer of the 7th U.S. president? REGGIE JACKSON (from “President Andrew Jackson”)
Former baseball player Reggie Jackson is known as “Mr. October” because of his memorable postseason performances.

Like many of the earlier US presidents, Andrew Jackson was a career military man. Jackson distinguished himself as commander of American forces during the War of 1812, particularly in the defense of New Orleans. He had a reputation of being fair to his troops, but strict. It was during this time that he was described as “tough as old hickory”, giving rise to the nickname “Old Hickory” that stuck with him for life.

30. Hook’s sidekick SMEE
In J. M. Barrie’s play and novel about Peter Pan, Smee is one of Captain Hook’s pirates and is Hook’s right-hand man. Smee is described by Barrie as being “Irish” and “a man who stabbed without offence”. Nice guy!

31. ChapStick target LIP
ChapStick is a brand name of lip balm owned by Pfizer, although it is so popular that the term tends to be used generically. ChapStick was invented way back in the 1880s by a Dr. Charles Browne Fleet in Lynchburg, Virginia.

38. “__ and Peace” WAR
I have to confess that I have tried to read Leo Tolstoy’s “War and Peace” twice in my life, and failed both times (it is l-o-n-g). Even though the 1956 movie adaptation runs for 3 1/2 hours, it’s still the easy way out! The film version stars Audrey Hepburn as Natasha Rostova and Henry Fonda as Count Pierre Bezukhov.

41. British rule in India RAJ
The period of colonial rule by the British in South Asia from 1858 to 1947 is referred to as the British Raj. Prior to 1858, the area was ruled by a private enterprise, the British East India Company. “Raj” is the Hindi word for “reign”.

42. “The Bachelorette” contestant, e.g. SUITOR
“The Bachelorette” is a reality television show about dating with the intent of marriage, a spin-off of “The Bachelor”. The marriage that resulted from the first season (2003) is still going strong, with the couple now the parents of two children. The “winners” of the third and fourth seasons are still with their husbands. The couples to come out of the remaining six seasons have all broken up.

44. Favorite Hall of Famer of the 17th and 36th U.S. presidents? WALTER JOHNSON (from “Presidents Andrew Johnson and Lyndon Johnson)
Walter Johnson was a professional baseball pitcher who played his whole career with the Washington Senators. Even though Johnson retired from playing in 1927, his record-setting 110 career shutouts has never been bested.

Andrew Johnson was the 17th President of the US, the man who came to power after the assassination of President Lincoln. As well as being Lincoln’s successor, Johnson is remembered as the first sitting president to be impeached. Johnson fell foul of the so-called “Radical Republicans” due to his efforts to quickly incorporate the southern states back into the Union. His political opponents chose the Tenure of Office Act as their “weapon” for impeachment. The Act prevented a president from removing an appointee of a past-president without the consent of the Senate. Johnson had removed the sitting Secretary of War without consulting Congress creating the opportunity for an impeachment trial in Congress. He was acquitted though, as his opponents fell one vote shy of the majority needed. The impeachment of President Johnson was the only presidential impeachment until that of President Clinton in 1999.

President Lyndon Johnson (LBJ) is one of only four people to have held all four elected federal offices, namely US Representative, US Senator, US Vice-President and US President. As President he is perhaps best remembered for escalating involvement in the Vietnam War, and for his “Great Society” legislation.

55. Favorite Hall of Famer of the 38th U.S. president? WHITEY FORD (from “President Gerald Ford”)
Whitey Ford was a baseball pitcher who played his whole career with the New York Yankees. Ford was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974, along with fellow Yankees star Mickey Mantle.

President Gerald Ford was well known for his athletic prowess. He was the star football player both in his high school and later at the University of Michigan. After graduation, President Ford received two offers to play in the NFL, from the Detroit Lions and the Green Bay Packers. He turned down both teams opting instead to take a coaching position at Yale giving him the opportunity to apply to Yale Law School. But young Mr. Ford’s plan backfired as Yale Law School turned him down because of his full-time commitment to sports: coaching football, boxing and teaching JV cheer-leading. It took three years for President Ford to make it into Yale Law School, but he finally got there, in 1938.

63. Tour de France, e.g. RACE
Back in the late 1800s, long-distance cycle races were used as promotional events, traditionally to help boost sales of newspapers. These races usually took place around tracks, but in 1902 the backers of the struggling sports publication “L’Auto” decided to stage a race that would take the competitors all around France. That first Tour de France took place in 1903, starting in Paris and passing through Lyon, Marseilles, Bordeaux, Nantes and then back to Paris.

Down
1. Discipline using mats YOGA
In the West we tend to think of yoga as a physical discipline, a means of exercise that uses specific poses to stretch and strengthen muscles. While it is true that the ancient Indian practice of yoga does involve such physical discipline, the corporeal aspect of the practice plays a relatively small part in the whole philosophy. Other major components are meditation, ethical behavior, breathing and contemplation.

3. Red Planet explorer MARS ROVER
There have been several rovers sent to Mars from Earth. The Soviet Union’s Mars 2 landed in 1971, and failed. Mars 3 landed the same year, and ceased operation just 20 seconds after landing. NASA’s Sojourner landed in 1997 (what a great day that was!) and operated from July through September. The British rover Beagle 2 was lost six days before its scheduled entry into the Martian atmosphere. NASA’s Spirit landed in 2004, and operated successful for over six years before getting trapped in sand and eventually ceasing to communicate. NASA’s Opportunity also landed in 2004, and it is still going. And then NASA’s Curiosity made a spectacular, hi-tech landing in 2012 and is really just starting its explorations of the planet.

5. Borneo primates ORANGS
Orangutans are arboreal creatures, in fact the largest arboreal animals known to man. They are native to Indonesia and Malaysia, living in the rain forests. Like most species in rain forests these days, orangutans are endangered, with only two species surviving. The word “orangutan” is Malay, meaning “man of the forest”.

Borneo is the third largest island on the planet (after Greenland and New Guinea), and is located north of Australia in Maritime Southeast Asia. Most of the island is part of Indonesia (taking up 73% of the island) with almost all of the remainder being part of Malaysia (26%). The final 1% is home to the sovereign state of Brunei.

7. 10% church donation TITHE
A tithe is a traditional payment of one tenth of a person’s annual income and is usually given to a church. Tithing is a practice taught in many traditions, and according to a 2002 survey, about 3% of American adults donate 10% or more of their income to a church.

9. Period before the Renaissance DARK AGES
The “Dark Ages” was a term that used to be popular as a description of the period following the decline of the Roman Empire in Europe, the time after the “light of Rome” was extinguished. The Dark Ages were said to end with the rise of the Italian Renaissance in the 14th century. The Italian Renaissance was centered on the cities of Florence and Siena in Tuscany.

11. Spanish finger food TAPAS
“Tapa” is the Spanish word for “lid”, and there is no clear rationale for why this word came to be used for an appetizer. There are lots of explanations cited, all of which seem to involve the temporary covering of one’s glass of wine with a plate or item of food to either preserve the wine or give one extra space at the table.

12. Verse writer’s Muse ERATO
In Greek mythology, Erato was the Muse of Lyric Poetry.

25. Paradise lost EDEN
In the Christian tradition, the “fall of man” took place in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve succumbed to the temptation of eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, against the bidding of God. As a result, Adam and Eve were banished from Eden to prevent them becoming immortal by eating from the tree of life. The first humans had transitioned from a state of innocent obedience to a state of guilty disobedience.

33. Scholar’s deg. PHD
PhD is an abbreviation for “philosophiae doctor”, Latin for “teacher of philosophy”.

35. Tina Fey attribute SHARP WIT
Comic actress Tina Fey has a scar on her face a few inches long on her left cheek, which I was shocked to learn was caused by a childhood “slashing” incident. When she was just five years old and playing in the front yard of her house, someone just came up to her and slashed her with a knife. How despicable!

36. Journey to Mecca HAJJ
A Haji (also “Hajji”) is the term used for someone who has made a pilgrimage to Mecca, and it is sometimes also used as a form of address for such a person. The journey itself goes by the name “haj” or “hajj”.

37. Longtime Yugoslav president TITO
Marshal Josip Broz Tito led the Yugoslav resistance during WWII. After the war, he led the country as Prime Minister and then President.

42. Tried to hit in paintball SHOT AT
The “paint” in paintball isn’t actually paint, but rather a mix of gelatin and food coloring.

46. Andean alpaca kin LLAMA
The wool from a llama is much softer than that from a sheep, and it is also free from lanolin.

Alpacas are like small llamas, but unlike llamas were never beasts of burden. Alpacas were bred specifically for the fleece. As such, there are no known wild alpacas these days, even in their native Peru.

47. U. of Maryland team TERPS
The sports teams of the University of Maryland are called the Maryland Terrapins, or “the Terps” for short. The name dates back to 1932 when it was coined by the the university’s president at the time, Curly Byrd. He took the name from the diamondback terrapins that are native to the Chesapeake Bay.

52. Fast food tycoon Ray KROC
The original McDonald’s restaurant was opened in 1940 by Richard and Maurice McDonald as a barbecue restaurant. The brothers then moved into fast food hamburgers, eventually selling out to one of their franchise agents, Ray Kroc. It was Ray Kroc who really led the company to its worldwide success.

Share today’s solution with a friend:
FacebookTwitterGoogleEmail

Return to top of page

For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Tubers rich in beta carotene YAMS
5. Wasn’t indecisive OPTED
10. Bouillabaisse, e.g. STEW
14. Taken by mouth, as medication ORAL
15. Mrs. Gorbachev RAISA
16. Dancer-turned-spy Mata HARI
17. Favorite Hall of Famer of the 39th U.S. president? GARY CARTER (from “President Jimmy Carter”
19. Tablet with a “mini” version IPAD
20. Tummy muscles ABS
21. Egyptian cross with a top loop ANKH
22. Black belt activity KARATE
24. Favorite Hall of Famer of the 7th U.S. president? REGGIE JACKSON (from “President Andrew Jackson”)
27. Opposite of vain MODEST
28. “How awful!” UGH!
29. Greets with a hand gesture WAVES
30. Hook’s sidekick SMEE
31. ChapStick target LIP
34. Forewarning OMEN
35. Visits the mall SHOPS
37. Computer support person TECH
38. “__ and Peace” WAR
39. Spring melt THAW
40. Acted without speaking MIMED
41. British rule in India RAJ
42. “The Bachelorette” contestant, e.g. SUITOR
44. Favorite Hall of Famer of the 17th and 36th U.S. presidents? WALTER JOHNSON (from “Presidents Andrew Johnson and Lyndon Johnson)
49. Catching some z’s ASLEEP
50. Shed skin MOLT
51. Tackle a slope SKI
54. Celebrity STAR
55. Favorite Hall of Famer of the 38th U.S. president? WHITEY FORD (from “President Gerald Ford”)
58. Fill-in worker TEMP
59. Greek i’s IOTAS
60. Revered one IDOL
61. Historic times ERAS
62. Midterms and finals TESTS
63. Tour de France, e.g. RACE

Down
1. Discipline using mats YOGA
2. Many an Egyptian ARAB
3. Red Planet explorer MARS ROVER
4. Shifty SLY
5. Borneo primates ORANGS
6. “Sit!” PARK IT!
7. 10% church donation TITHE
8. Opposite of WNW ESE
9. Period before the Renaissance DARK AGES
10. Avoid, as duty SHIRK
11. Spanish finger food TAPAS
12. Verse writer’s Muse ERATO
13. Add a lane to, as a highway WIDEN
18. Animal houses CAGES
23. Back woe ACHE
25. Paradise lost EDEN
26. Leap JUMP
27. Mother, to baby MAMA
29. Bowl over WOW
30. Female pig SOW
31. Bubbly citrus drink LEMON SODA
32. Cake decorator ICER
33. Scholar’s deg. PHD
35. Tina Fey attribute SHARP WIT
36. Journey to Mecca HAJJ
37. Longtime Yugoslav president TITO
39. Shade provider TREE
40. Hazy MISTY
42. Tried to hit in paintball SHOT AT
43. Except if UNLESS
44. What haste makes WASTE
45. Fall bloomer ASTER
46. Andean alpaca kin LLAMA
47. U. of Maryland team TERPS
48. Leaves out OMITS
52. Fast food tycoon Ray KROC
53. Vegging out IDLE
56. Weed killer HOE
57. 39-Down with cones FIR

Return to top of page