LA Times Crossword Answers 21 Feb 14, Friday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: Peg Slay
THEME: All to Ail … today’s themed answers are well-known phrases, but with the letter sequence -ALL changed to -AIL to suit the clue:

17A. Device that tracks certain weather? HAIL MONITOR (from “hall monitor”)
23A. Make a mournful cry louder? DRIVE UP THE WAIL (from “drive up the wall”)
39A. Follow, oater-style? TAIL IN THE SADDLE (from “tall in the saddle”)
48A. Run-of-the-mill letters? PEDESTRIAN MAIL (from “pedestrian mall”)
61A. Eight maids a-milking? PAIL BEARERS (from “pallbearers”)

BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 14m 40s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 2 ANTS (amts!!), UNITA (Uimta)

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across

1. “Sesame Street” lessons ABCS
Back in 1966, the Carnegie Institute allocated money to study the use of television to help young children prepare for school. The institute gave an $8million grant to set up the Children’s Television Workshop with the task of creating an educational TV program for young people. The program began to come together, especially after Jim Henson (of Muppet fame) got involved. The name “Sesame Street” was chosen simply because it was the “least disliked” of all names proposed just before the program went on the air.

11. NASA vehicle LEM
In the Apollo program, the Lunar Excursion Module (LEM) was the vehicle that actually landed on the moon and returned the astronauts to the command module that was orbiting overhead. The third LEM built was named “Spider”, and it participated in the Apollo 9 mission which tested the functionality of the LEM design in space. The fourth LEM was called “Snoopy” and it flew around the moon in the Apollo 10 mission, the dress rehearsal for the upcoming moon landing. Apollo 11’s LEM was of course called “Eagle” and it brought Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to and from the moon’s surface. Another famous LEM was Apollo 13’s Aquarius. Although Aquarius never landed on the moon, it did serve as a “lifeboat” for the three astronauts after the explosive rupture of an oxygen canister in the Service Module.

14. Word spoken con affetto CARA
“Dear” (cara) is a word spoken with affection (con affetto), in Italian.

15. Lead ore GALENA
Galena is the most commonly used mineral to produce lead. It is a form of lead sulfide. Galena is the state mineral of Missouri and of Wisconsin.

19. Ken. neighbor IND
The US states of Kentucky (Ken.) and Indiana (Ind.) are neighbors.

21. Karaoke need MIC
“Karate”, means “open hand”, and the related word “karaoke” means “open orchestra”.

22. Together, in music A DUE
“A due” is a musical term meaning “together”, and literally translates from Italian as “by two”.

27. Bulldog, perhaps ELI
The Yale Bulldogs are the athletic teams of Yale University. The Yale school mascot is “Handsome Dan”, the Yale bulldog.

28. German article DAS
“Der”, “die” and “das” are German words meaning “the”. “Der” is used with a masculine noun, “die” with a feminine noun and “das” with a neuter noun.

29. Lollapalooza gear AMPS
Lollapalooza is a music festival held annually in varying locations around North America. There have also been Lollapalooza festivals held overseas from 2010. The word “lollapalooza” mean “extraordinary thing, person or event”. The festival’s founder heard the term used in a “Three Stooges” short film, liked it and so used it for his musical event.

39. Follow, oater-style? TAIL IN THE SADDLE (from “tall in the saddle”)
The term “oater” that is used for a western movie comes from the number of horses seen, as horses love oats!

56. Pie crust ingredient LARD
Fat, when extracted from the carcass of an animal, is called “suet”. Untreated suet decomposes at room temperature quite easily so it has to be “rendered” or purified to make it stable. Rendered fat from pigs is what we call “lard”. Rendered beef or mutton fat is known as “tallow”.

61. Eight maids a-milking? PAIL BEARERS (from “pallbearers”)
A pall is a cloth used to cover a casket at a funeral. Pallbearers actually carry the coffin, covered by the pall. The phrase “casting a pall over”, meaning to create a dark mood, is metaphorical use of the pall over the casket.

There are “eight maids a-milking” in the carol called “The 12 Days of Christmas”.

The fabulous Christmas Carol called “The Twelve Days of Christmas” dates back at least to 1780 when it was first published in England, though it may be French in origin. The concept of twelve days of Christmas comes from the tradition that the three kings came to visit the Christ Child twelve days after he was born. This same tradition is the origin of the title to Shakespeare’s play “Twelfth Night”.

65. Jeans measure INSEAM
Denim fabric originated in Nimes in France. The French phrase “de Nimes” (from Nimes) gives us the word “denim”. Also, the French phrase “bleu de Genes” (blue of Genoa) gives us our word “jeans”.

67. Humerus locale ARM
The humerus is the long bone in the upper arm.

69. Santa __: dry winds ANAS
The Santa Ana winds are the very dry air currents that sweep offshore late in the year in Southern California. Because these air currents are so dry, they are noted for their influence over forest fires in the area, especially in the heat of the fall. The winds arise from a buildup of air pressure in the Great Basin that lies between the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada. Under the right conditions, that air spills over the peaks of the Sierra Nevada and basically “falls” down the side of the Sierra range, heading for the ocean. As the air falls it becomes drier and heats up so that relative humidity can fall to below 10% by the time it hits the coast.

Down
1. Rhine whines ACHS
The German exclamation “ach!” is usually translated into English as “oh!”

The river running through Germany that we know in English as the Rhine, is called “Rhein” in German.

3. Old-time newsman CRIER
Town criers make public announcements on the streets, usually shouting “Oyez! Oyez! Oyez!” to attract attention. The term “oyez” derives from the Anglo-Norman word for “listen” and is used in this instance to me “Hear ye!”

4. 1972 missile pact SALT I
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.

5. Id checker? EGO
Sigmund Freud created a structural model of the human psyche, breaking it into three parts: the id, the ego, and the super-ego. The id is that part of the psyche containing the basic instinctual drives. The ego seeks to please the id by causing realistic behavior that benefits the individual. The super-ego almost has a parental role, contradicting the id by introducing critical thinking and morals to behavioral choices.

7. Skycam carrier BLIMP
There is an important difference between a “blimp” (like “The Goodyear Blimp”) and an airship (like a Zeppelin). An airship is a rigid structure with an internal framework that helps maintain the shape of the airbag, whereas a blimp uses the pressure of the helium gas inside the airbag to give it shape. Also, blimps are usually heavier than air and so will sink slowly to the ground should the engines lose power. They maintain their lift with forward motion and by raising the nose slightly.

8. The Beatles’ “__ Be” LET IT
“Let It Be” was the last album that the Beatles released as an active group playing together. The title song “Let It Be” was written by Paul McCartney, and it is clearly one of his own favorites. McCartney says that he was inspired to write the song after having had a dream about his mother (who had died some years earlier from cancer). In fact he refers to her (Mary McCartney) in the line “Mother Mary comes to me”. Paul’s second wife, Linda, is singing backing vocals on the song, the only time she is known to have done so in a Beatles recording. 18 years after that 1970 recording was made, Paul, George and Ringo sang “Let It Be” at a memorial service for Linda, who was also lost to cancer. Sad stuff, but a lovely song …

9. Cain’s oldest son ENOCH
After Cain murdered his younger brother Abel, he was sent to the Land of Nod as a punishment. There his wife Awan had their first child, a boy called Enoch.

12. Blasé state ENNUI
“Ennui” is the French word for boredom, a word that we now use in English. It’s one of the few French words we’ve imported that we haven’t anglicized and actually pronounce “correctly”.

“Blasé”, meaning “nonchalant, bored from overindulgence” comes from the French verb “blaser”, meaning “to satiate”.

24. Panache ELAN
Our word “élan” was imported from French, in which language the word has a similar meaning to ours i.e “style” or “flair”.

Someone exhibiting panache is showing dash and verve, and perhaps has a swagger. “Panache” is a French word used for a plume of feathers, especially in a hat.

25. Utah’s __ Mountains UINTA
The Uinta Mountains are a subrange of the Rocky Mountains located mainly in northeastern Utah, approximately 100 miles east of Salt Lake City. The highest point in the Uintas is Kings Peak, the highest point in Utah.

26. Norse mythology source EDDA
The Poetic Edda and Prose Edda are two ancient works that are the source for much of Norse mythology. Both Eddas were written in the 13th century, in Iceland.

30. “Where the Wild Things Are” boy MAX
Maurice Sendak is an American writer and illustrator of children’s books. His best known work is “Where the Wild Things Are”, published in 1963. The “Wild Things” of the tale are beasts conjured up in the imagination of a young boy named Max, after he is sent to bed with no supper.

31. Winning the lottery, usually PIPE DREAM
In common parlance, a “pipe dream” is a vain hope for something that is unlikely to take place. The original pipe dreams were visions that were experienced after taking opiates.

35. Medicinal shrub SENNA
Sennas are used as purgatives and laxatives.

40. Jersey add-on -ITES
Folks from New Jersey are officially known as “New Jerseyans”, although the term “New Jerseyite” is also quite common.

41. Hannity of “Hannity” SEAN
Sean Hannity is a conservative political commentator who is perhaps best known from his syndicated radio broadcast called “The Sean Hannity Show”. Hannity also host the news show called “Hannity” on the Fox News Channel. Hannity has written a few bestselling books, including “Let Freedom Ring: Winning the War of Liberty over Liberalism”.

47. Gesture-driven hit YMCA
“YMCA” was released by Village People and has been adopted as an anthem by the gay community. The song was written by Victor Willis, a straight member of the mostly gay band, and he clarifies that the lyrics are extolling the virtues of the “YMCA” as a source of recreation for black urban youth. I think he might have been winking when he said that …

48. __ del Carmen, Mexico PLAYA
Playa del Carmen is a resort city located south of Cancún in Eastern Mexico. The city is named for Our Lady of Mount Carmel, the patron saint of Cancún.

53. It originates from the left ventricle AORTA
The aorta originates in the heart and extends down into the abdomen. It is the largest artery in the body.

The heart has four chambers. The two upper chambers (the atria) accept deoxygenated blood from the body and oxygenated blood from the lungs. The atria squeeze the blood into the two lower chambers of the heart (the ventricles), “priming” the pump, as it were. One ventricle pumps deoxygenated blood to the lungs, and the other pumps oxygenated blood to the rest of the body.

55. Spanish poet Federico García __ LORCA
Garcia Lorca was a Spanish poet and dramatist. Lorca is as famous for his poems and his plays as he is for the circumstances of his death. Although it has never been irrefutably proven, many believe that he was shot and killed while in the custody of Nationalist militia, one month after the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War.

62. Cricket club BAT
Cricket is the national game of England. The term “cricket” apparently comes from the Old French word “criquet” meaning “goalpost, stick”.

63. 911 response letters EMS
Emergency Medical Services (EMS)

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. “Sesame Street” lessons ABCS
5. Logo, e.g. EMBLEM
11. NASA vehicle LEM
14. Word spoken con affetto CARA
15. Lead ore GALENA
16. “Should I take that as __?” A NO
17. Device that tracks certain weather? HAIL MONITOR (from “hall monitor”)
19. Ken. neighbor IND
20. Handle SEE TO
21. Karaoke need MIC
22. Together, in music A DUE
23. Make a mournful cry louder? DRIVE UP THE WAIL (from “drive up the wall”)
27. Bulldog, perhaps ELI
28. German article DAS
29. Lollapalooza gear AMPS
33. They may be in columns ANTS
36. More ironic DRIER
39. Follow, oater-style? TAIL IN THE SADDLE (from “tall in the saddle”)
42. Short exile? EXPAT
43. Tops A-ONE
44. __-portrait SELF
45. Watch EYE
46. 64-Across opposite NAY
48. Run-of-the-mill letters? PEDESTRIAN MAIL (from “pedestrian mall”)
56. Pie crust ingredient LARD
57. Tidy sum WAD
58. Warmer for a snowy day COCOA
60. Tree ring revelation AGE
61. Eight maids a-milking? PAIL BEARERS (from “pallbearers”)
64. 46-Across opposite YEA
65. Jeans measure INSEAM
66. Auditor’s mark TICK
67. Humerus locale ARM
68. Expels EGESTS
69. Santa __: dry winds ANAS

Down
1. Rhine whines ACHS
2. Sounded like a flock BAAED
3. Old-time newsman CRIER
4. 1972 missile pact SALT I
5. Id checker? EGO
6. “Holy cow!” MAN!
7. Skycam carrier BLIMP
8. The Beatles’ “__ Be” LET IT
9. Cain’s oldest son ENOCH
10. Deface MAR
11. Saved for the future LAID ASIDE
12. Blasé state ENNUI
13. Hobby shop purchase MODEL
18. Stir MOVE
22. Accolades AWARDS
24. Panache ELAN
25. Utah’s __ Mountains UINTA
26. Norse mythology source EDDA
29. Put away ATE
30. “Where the Wild Things Are” boy MAX
31. Winning the lottery, usually PIPE DREAM
32. Left rolling in the aisles SLAYED
34. E’en if THO
35. Medicinal shrub SENNA
37. Annex, maybe ELL
38. Instant replay watcher REF
40. Jersey add-on -ITES
41. Hannity of “Hannity” SEAN
47. Gesture-driven hit YMCA
48. __ del Carmen, Mexico PLAYA
49. Bright-eyed EAGER
50. Country sound TWANG
51. Put up RAISE
52. Isn’t busy IDLES
53. It originates from the left ventricle AORTA
54. Trap at a chalet ICE IN
55. Spanish poet Federico García __ LORCA
59. Queries ASKS
61. __ chart PIE
62. Cricket club BAT
63. 911 response letters EMS

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8 thoughts on “LA Times Crossword Answers 21 Feb 14, Friday”

  1. Hello Bill, Pookie and friends,

    This was a rather difficult puzzle for me …. I can never get introverted themes … My mind does not work in such complex ways….

    Bill, on yesterday's question, as to why Walmart is banned in India …. I think it was a political discussion, based on the irrational fear of the unknown, and some vested interests of local distributors. The fear was that a multinational ( read American -) , company could completely dominate the Indian economy …. Through its mastery of logistics, deep pockets and efficient management systems …. To me, it sounds like the Indian ostriches have their heads in the sand …. Anyway.

    Interestingly, Oyez, Oyez, Oyez is also cried by the US bailiff, at the opening session of every hearing of the U S Supreme Court. A quaint custom of olden times. Also each contesting lawyer, privileged to plead in the case, at the Supreme court gets a hand crafted quill, on his table, to take home as a memento or souvenir.

    As an aside, on pipe dreams …. It has been conclusively recorded that the number one decisive, retirement plan option, for most Americans,today …. is winning the lottery…..

    Finally, cricket is the national game of many, many countries notably Australia, South Africa, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, West Indies and India. For the answer to the clue, cricket club, I was tempted to write in 'MCC' … The Marylebone Cricket Club … Of the Lords stadium …. The most famous cricket club – stadium in England, and the world.

    I have written, too much, …. Have a good day, all.

  2. Hi Bill, Vidwan, Addict, Sfingi, Piano Man and welcome everyone!
    Had most of it filled in on paper and then resorted to Mensa with red letters. Can anyone explain TICK or EX-PAT?
    The bulldog completely fooled me.
    Really doubt I'll ever remember UINTA
    Vidwan, thanks for your insightful info. All I know is that I love Indian food and the block print fabrics. Wish I knew where to purchase some of the fabric.
    Have a great day, everyone!

  3. Hello, Pookie,
    Having done audit work at one time, I can tell you that an auditors "tick" mark is a check mark or a special tick mark,like a small backwards "n", to indicate that an item has been looked at or accepted.
    I didn't get "expat" either but when a person is sent overseas on a temporary assignment, one or two years perhaps, he/ she is known as an expat. This comes, I think, from "ex", out from, and patria, a citizen of one's country. In a way this is a short exile. My best guess.

  4. Hi Piano Man. Thanks for the explanations. I suppose a Friday clue for TICK couldn't be _____ Tock
    Short exile? …
    Napoleon wouldn't fit.

  5. If Enoch was Cain's son, and Adam was Cain's father, then Enoch was Adam's grandson, NOT his great grandson. Just correcting your 9 down wiki statement. Good puzzle for today.

  6. Just for clarification, the Enoch on Noah's tree, and Cain's son, are two different men. Jared was the father of the Enoch of whom Noah descended from.

  7. Hello all, hello Pookie,

    1. I, too, used to be an auditor, and participate in audits. An auditors tick mark, looks like an 'n', or an 'm', or an 'h', and may even have a slash running thru it. It generally means that the auditor has performed some audit test, or for internal control etc…. And that criteria was 'met' in that case…. In most cases the auditor has to explain the mark, in the subsequent pages.

    2. Short exile ? …. Ex pat …probably refers to an expatriate , who has temporarily left his country of citizenship, for a job, or for travel.

    Talking of Napoleon …… . Have you read the book, … "The murder of Napoleon ". .? Fascinating book. Publ. 1969 (?).

    3. I'm afraid I can't help you with block prints … But, recently, I did come across an Indian print style or art, called Varli or Warli.

    It is a sort of a contrived primitive Indian tribal style art that caught my fancy. I bought some bedsheets and some wall hangings recently.

    Link Warli art google images

    Enjoy.

  8. @Vidwan
    Thanks for following up on my Walmart question from yesterday. A controversial company, all over the world it seems. With regard to cricket, that's a sport that still has a bit of a stigma in Ireland due to its association with British rule. And then in 2011 an Ireland team beat England in a World Cup game, and now we love the sport! We can be very shallow lol

    @Pookie
    Like Piano Man, I think that an expat is an exile for short time. Although, Napolean as a short exile is a much better answer!

    @Piano Man
    I did the expat thing four times in all, but never felt like an exile. More like someone on a long vacation! I must count my blesssings.

    @coneyro
    Thanks for sorting out my Enochs for me, and for correcting genealogy. Embarassing, given that I am the family historian for the clan! I will correct my comments right now.

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