LA Times Crossword Answers 24 Feb 14, Monday

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
16. “Laughing” critter HYENA
The spotted hyena of Sub-Saharan Africa is also known as the laughing hyena because of the sound it oftens makes, which resembles maniacal laughter.

17. Teensy bit A TAD
Back in the 1800s “tad” was used to describe a young child, and this morphed into our usage of “small amount” in the early 1900s. The original use of “tad” for a child is very likely a shortened version of “tadpole”.

18. A hop, skip and jump away NEAR
The track and field sport sometimes called the “hop, skip and jump” is more correctly termed the triple jump. The triple jump dates back as an event to the ancient Olympic Games. When the modern Olympics were introduced in 1896, the triple jump consisted of two hops on the same foot followed by a jump. Today’s triple jump consists of a hop, a bound and then a jump.

19. Savanna antelope ELAND
An eland is a large African antelope, in fact the largest on the continent.

25. __ New Guinea PAPUA
New Guinea is an island in the southwest Pacific Ocean. It is the second largest island in the world (after Greenland). The western half of the the island is ruled by Indonesia, and is made up of the provinces of Papua and West Papua. The eastern half of the island forms the mainland of the independent country called Papua New Guinea.

27. Large seaweed KELP
Kelps are large seaweeds that grow in kelp forests underwater. The forests are made of lengths of kelp that are anchored to the the seabed and floating vertically. Kelps can grow to over 250 feet long, and do so very quickly, some growing at the rate of 1-2 feet per day.

36. Bard’s nightfall E’EN
Our word “bard” comes from the Old Celtic word “bardos”, which means “poet, singer”.

39. Game with Wild Draw Four cards UNO
In my youth I remember being taught a great card game, by a German acquaintance of mine, called Mau Mau. Years later I discovered that Uno is basically the same game, but played with a purpose-printed deck instead of the regular deck of playing cards that’s used for Mau Mau. I hear that Mau Mau is derived from the game called Crazy Eights.

42. Keebler cookie character ELF
The famous Keebler Elves have been appearing in ads for Keebler since 1968. The original head of the elves was J. J. Keebler, but he was toppled from power by Ernest J. Keebler in 1970.

45. Side with green eggs HAM
Dr. Seuss’s famous children’s book “Green Eggs and Ham” was first published in 1960. “Green Eggs and Ham” ranks fourth in the list of top selling children’s books:

1. “The Poky Little Puppy” by Janette Sebring Lowrey
2. “The Tale of Peter Rabbit” by Beatrix Potter
3. “Tootle” by Gertrude Crampton
4. “Green Eggs and Ham” by Dr. Seuss
5. “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” by J.K. Rowling

46. Part of MIT: Abbr. INST
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) was founded in 1861 and first offered classes in 1865, in the Mercantile building in Boston. Today’s magnificent campus on the banks of the Charles River in Cambridge opened in 1916.

49. Anjou, e.g. PEAR
The Anjou pear is a cultivar of the European Pear. The Anjou pear is thought to have originated in Belgium or France (Anjou is a province in the Loire Valley of western France).

51. Memorable labor leader Jimmy HOFFA
Jimmy Hoffa headed off to meet with two Mafia leaders at a restaurant in a suburb of Detroit on July 30, 1975. The two men he was supposed to meet denied any appointment was made, and they were seen in public in other locations far from the restaurant. Hoffa was spotted by passers by in the restaurant parking lot, the last time he was ever seen. His wife reported him missing later that night, and the resulting police investigation failed to find Hoffa or his body. Hoffa was declared legally dead in 1982, seven years after he disappeared.

56. GI R&R provider USO
The United Service Organization (USO) was founded in 1941 at the request of FDR “to handle the on-leave recreation of the men in the armed forces”. A USO tour is undertaken by a troupe of entertainers, many of whom are big-name celebrities. A USO tour usually includes troop locations in combat zones.

62. __ and crossbones SKULL
The Jolly Roger is a flag that was flown by pirates to identify their vessels, basically to strike fear in the hearts of the crews they were attacking. We usually think of the Jolly Roger’s design as a white skull and crossbones on a black background. There is a theory that pirates originally flew a red flag, and this was known colloquially as the “pretty red”, or “joli rouge” in French. “Joli Rouge” then evolved into “Jolly Roger”.

66. Studio stand EASEL
The word “easel” comes from an old Dutch word meaning “donkey” would you believe? The idea is that an easel carries its load (an oil painting, say) just as a donkey would carry its load.

67. Line in blue cheese VEIN
The mold on blue cheese is actually from the genus Penicillium, the same genus of mold that is the source of many antibiotics.

68. Diva’s solo ARIA
“Diva” comes to us from Latin via Italian. “Diva” is the feminine form of “divus” meaning “divine one”. The word is used in Italy to mean “goddess” or “fine lady”, and especially is applied to the prima donna in an opera. We often use the term to describe a singer with a big ego.

Down
3. “I __ return”: MacArthur SHALL
General Douglas MacArthur made his famous declaration “I came through and I shall return” in Melbourne, Australia in 1942. The remarks followed his escape from the Philippines after the Japanese invasion. MacArthur and his family departed from the heavily fortified Corregidor Island in Manila Bay in a PT boat (PT-41). PT-41 joined up with three other PT boats and made a perilous two-day journey through Japanese-patrolled waters to the southern Philippine island of Mindanao. From Mindanao the party flew to Australia. MacArthur did eventually return to the Philippines as he had promised, arriving back on Corregidor in March 1945 on a PT boat.

4. Large Alaskan bears KODIAKS
Brown bears are found over much of northern Europe, Asia, and North America. The biggest subspecies of brown bear is the Kodiak Bear, the largest land-based predator in the world. The Kodiak grows to about the same size as the enormous polar bear.

6. Baldwin in Capital One ads ALEC
Alec is the oldest of the acting Baldwin brothers. I think Alec’s big break was playing Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan in “The Hunt for Red October”, but thank goodness that role was taken over by Harrison Ford for the subsequent Jack Ryan movies. Baldwin made a name for himself in recent times playing Jack Donaghy on “30 Rock”, opposite Tina Fey. He has also hosted the sketch show “Saturday Night Live” on more occasions than anyone else (16 times).

9. Many an Actors Studio member THESPIAN
The term “Thespian” is used for an actor. It derives from the name of the Greek poet of the 6th century Thespis, who was known as the father of Greek tragedy.

“Inside the Actors Studio” is an incredibly successful show on Bravo that is hosted by James Lipton. “Inside the Actors Studio” is broadcast in 125 countries around the world. The show is basically a very comprehensive interview by Lipton of celebrities from the world of film.

10. Popeye’s Olive OYL
“Thimble Theater” was the precursor comic strip to the famous “Popeye” drawn by E. C. Segar. Before Popeye came into the story, the brother and sister characters Castor Oyl and Olive Oyl were the main protagonists. And then along comes a sailor …

12. Actress Paquin of “True Blood” ANNA
Anna Paquin is an actress from New Zealand who won an Oscar as an 11-year-old for her role in “The Piano”. In the HBO series “True Blood” she plays Sookie Stackhouse, a role for which she won a Golden Globe.

“True Blood” is a television drama made by HBO. The series is based on novels written by Charlaine Harris that describe human and vampires who co-exist in a small town in Louisiana. I don’t do vampires …

21. TV educator Bill in a lab coat NYE
That would be “Bill Nye the Science Guy”. Bill’s show ran on Disney for 4 years from 1993-97.

33. Cologne scent MUSK
Musk has such an elegant connotation these days because of it’s use in the world of perfumery. However, its origin is not quite so glamorous. The original substance called musk, used in perfumes, was extracted from a gland in the rectal area of the male musk deer. The name “musk” is a Sanskrit word for “testicle”.

Back in 1709, an Italian perfume-maker moved to Cologne in Germany. There he invented a new fragrance that he named Eau de Cologne after his newly adopted town. The fragrance is still produced in Cologne, using a secret formulation. However, the terms “Eau de Cologne” and “cologne”, are now used generically.

44. John of London? LOO
It has been suggested that the British term “loo”, meaning “toilet, water-closet) comes from Waterloo (water-closet … water-loo), but no one seems to know for sure. Another suggestion is that the term comes from the card game of “lanterloo” in which the pot was called the loo!

The use of “john” as a slang term for a toilet is peculiar to North America. “John” probably comes from the older slang term of “jack” or “jakes” that had been around since the 16th century. In Ireland, in cruder moments, we still refer to a toilet as “the jacks”.

46. Armored superhero IRON MAN
Iron Man is another one of those comic book superheroes, created by Stan Lee for Marvel Comics. The character has become very famous in recent years since the appearance of the 2008 action movie “Iron Man” starring Robert Downey, Jr. in the title role.

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

57. Three-handed card game SKAT
When I was a teenager in Ireland, I had a friend with a German father. The father taught us the game of Skat, and what a great game it is. Skat originated in Germany in the 1800s and is to this day the most popular card game in the country. I haven’t played it in decades, but would love to play it again …

60. Senator Harry of Nevada REID
Democrat Harry Reid became the Senate Majority leader in 2007. Reid had a big day in the Senate from a Democratic perspective with the successful passage of the so-called ObamaCare Bill. Paradoxically, Harry Reid’s wife was in hospital at the time, having broken her back in a car accident. Reid took over as Senate Majority leader from Bill Frist who retired from politics in 2007.

61. Aykroyd and Quayle DANS
Dan Aykroyd is a Canadian comedian and actor, born in Ottawa, Ontario, although he is now a naturalized US citizen. He was of course an original cast member on “Saturday Night Live” and, along with John Belushi, fronted the Blues Brothers.

Dan Quayle served as both a US Representative and a US Senator from Indiana before becoming the 44th Vice President, under President George H. W. Bush. Quayle refused to run for office in 1996, going up against the Clinton/Gore ticket, but entered the fray again in 2000 seeking the Republican nomination for president. Ironically, he was defeated by the son of his former Commander-in-Chief George W. Bush.

63. Moon lander, for short 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.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. To-do list item TASK
5. Short-lived crazes FADS
9. Destroy beyond repair TOTAL
14. Yodeler’s feedback ECHO
15. Landed ALIT
16. “Laughing” critter HYENA
17. Teensy bit A TAD
18. A hop, skip and jump away NEAR
19. Savanna antelope ELAND
20. *Powerful stratum of society RULING CLASS (giving “ruling party” & “class party”)
23. In high spirits GAY
24. Spread out, as one’s fingers SPLAY
25. __ New Guinea PAPUA
27. Large seaweed KELP
30. Mixed in a glass STIRRED
33. Travel book inserts MAPS
36. Bard’s nightfall E’EN
38. Take care of HANDLE
39. Game with Wild Draw Four cards UNO
40. Continue with the fun, and a hint to each part of the answers to starred clues PARTY ON
42. Keebler cookie character ELF
43. Stone-faced STOLID
45. Side with green eggs HAM
46. Part of MIT: Abbr. INST
47. Unit of explosive force KILOTON
49. Anjou, e.g. PEAR
51. Memorable labor leader Jimmy HOFFA
52. Rinsed the soap from, as a car HOSED
56. GI R&R provider USO
58. *When brandy may be served AFTER DINNER (giving “after party” & “dinner party”)
62. __ and crossbones SKULL
64. Innovator’s spark IDEA
65. Additional MORE
66. Studio stand EASEL
67. Line in blue cheese VEIN
68. Diva’s solo ARIA
69. Rose parts STEMS
70. Comes to a close ENDS
71. Require NEED

Down
1. Glum drops TEARS
2. Behave poorly ACT UP
3. “I __ return”: MacArthur SHALL
4. Large Alaskan bears KODIAKS
5. Vampire tooth FANG
6. Baldwin in Capital One ads ALEC
7. Call on a retro phone DIAL
8. Bra parts STRAPS
9. Many an Actors Studio member THESPIAN
10. Popeye’s Olive OYL
11. *Picturesque spot for a warm drink TEA GARDEN (giving “tea party” & “garden party”)
12. Actress Paquin of “True Blood” ANNA
13. British noblewoman LADY
21. TV educator Bill in a lab coat NYE
22. Didn’t go out SAT HOME
26. Vessel on a mantel URN
28. Bat first LEAD OFF
29. Each PER
31. Angled pipes ELLS
32. Adept DEFT
33. Cologne scent MUSK
34. Not pro ANTI
35. *Place for changing out of a wet suit POOLHOUSE (giving “pool party” & “house party”)
37. To the __ degree NTH
40. Traps for the unwary PITFALLS
41. Big mouth, informally YAP
44. John of London? LOO
46. Armored superhero IRON MAN
48. One who was born there NATIVE
50. Yellowfin tuna AHI
53. Noise from a sleeper SNORE
54. Otherworldly EERIE
55. Deep anxiety DREAD
56. Capitalizes on USES
57. Three-handed card game SKAT
59. Blissful place EDEN
60. Senator Harry of Nevada REID
61. Aykroyd and Quayle DANS
63. Moon lander, for short LEM

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