LA Times Crossword Answers 15 Mar 14, Saturday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: Barry C. Silk
THEME: None
BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 18m 09s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 2 … MARIMBA (carimba), MOBY (Coby)

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across

1. Instrument played with mallets MARIMBA
A marimba is a musical instrument somewhat like a large xylophone. The marimba originated in Mexico.

8. Pitcher’s coup PICKOFF
In baseball, a pitcher might be able to pick off a baserunner who is trying to steal the next base.

16. Orwell superstate OCEANIA
The action in George Orwell’s 1949 novel “Nineteen Eighty-Four” takes place in the intercontinental super-state of Oceania. Orwell also created two other super-states, Eurasia and Eastasia.

George Orwell was the pen name of Eric Arthur Blair, the famous British author of the classics “Nineteen Eighty-Four” and “Animal Farm”.

17. 1980s Hollywood sex symbol BO DEREK
Bo Derek’s most famous role was in the comedy from 1979 titled “10”, in which she starred opposite Dudley Moore.

22. Warthog features TUSKS
A warthog is a wild animal from the pig family found in Sub-Saharan Africa. The animal takes its name from four wart-like protrusions on its head that serve as a means of defense as well as reserves of fat.

28. The Mekong flows along its border LAOS
The official name for the country of Laos is the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. In the Lao language, the country’s name is “Meuang Lao”. The French ruled Laos as part of French Indochina, having united three separate Lao kingdoms. As there was a plural of “Lao” entities united into one, the French added the “S” and so today we tend to use “Laos” instead of “Lao”.

The Mekong is the twelfth longest river in the world, at over 2,700 miles in length. It rises in the Tibetan Plateau and empties into the South China Sea at the famed Mekong delta system in Vietnam.

29. Fighter acronym MIG
The Russian fighter jets that we know as “MiGs” are so called because they were designed by the Mikoyan-and-Gurevich Design Bureau, and MiG is an acronym for “Mikoyan-and-Gurevich” in Russian.

33. “The __ Affair”: Jasper Fforde novel EYRE
“The Eyre Affair” is the first novel from author Jasper Fforde. The story involves a parallel universe, a master criminal and a literary detective working in the world of Charlotte Bronte’s “Jane Eyre”. That might just be worth reading …

41. Food-curing chemical LYE
What we call “lye” is usually sodium hydroxide, although historically the term was used for potassium hydroxide. Lye has many uses, including to cure several foodstuffs. Lye can make olives less bitter, for example. The chemical is also found in canned mandarin oranges, pretzels and Japanese ramen noodles. More concentrated grades of lye are used to clear drains and clean ovens. Scary …

42. “__ Mia”: 1965 hit CARA
“Cara Mia” was a hit for Jay and the Americans in 1965. The same song had been a hit for English singer David Whitfield in 1954, and was the first record to stay in the number one position in the UK charts for ten consecutive weeks. “Cara Mia” translates from Italian as “My Beloved”.

44. Funk band instrument SAXOPHONE
The saxophone was invented by Belgian Adolphe Sax. Sax developed lip cancer at one point in his life, and one has to wonder if his affliction was related to his saxophone playing (I am sure not!). I had the privilege of visiting Sax’s grave in the Cemetery of Montmartre in Paris a few years ago.

Funk is a genre of music that originated in the late sixties with African-American musicians, and has been described as a mix of soul, jazz and R&B. One of the more famous names associated with funk was James Brown.

46. When to see die Sterne NACHT
In German, one might see a star (Sterne) at night (Nacht).

49. Pasta bit SHELL
Pasta shells are more correctly known “conchiglie”, coming from the Italian word for “seashell”.

50. Card quality WIT
An exceptionally witty or amusing person might be described as a “card”, originally a “smart card” from the sense of playing cards.

53. Odorless fuels ETHANES
Ethane is the second largest component of natural gas, after methane. Ethane’s main use is in the production of ethylene, a compound that is widely used in the chemical industry.

55. Tennessee neighbor ALABAMA
Alabama is known as the Yellowhammer State, in honor of the state bird. Alabama is also called the “Heart of Dixie”.

Down
1. Colorado State’s __ Arena MOBY
Moby Arena is home to the basketball and volleyball teams of Colorado State University. Located in Fort Collins, the arena is also used for concerts. In fact, the Rolling Stones kicked off their 1969 tour at the Moby Arena.

2. MLB nickname in recent news A-ROD
]Poor old Alex Rodriguez earned more nicknames than just A-Rod. He has been called “the Cooler” by some players as there is a perception that teams go cold when he joins them and hot when he leaves. He has also been called “A-Fraud” by teammates because of another perception, that he is over-demanding. Rodriguez now seems to be in a world of hurt for using illegal performance-enhancing drugs.

3. Cabs, e.g. REDS
The Cabernet Sauvignon grape has been around since the 17th century, and is the result of a chance crossing in southwestern France of the Cabernet franc and Sauvignon blanc grapes.

5. Two-time 1990s A.L. batting champ Edgar MARTINEZ
Former designated hitter and third baseman Edgar Martinez played his entire career with the Seattle Mariners.

8. Deltiologist’s collection POSTCARDS
The studying and collecting of postcards is known as “deltiology”, from the Greek word “deltos” meaning “writing tablet, letter”.

9. Post-op area ICU
Intensive Care Unit (ICU)

10. Basque baskets CESTAS
A cesta (also “xistera”) is a wicker scoop strapped to the wrist that is used for catching and throwing the ball in jai alai. Jai alai is a game that derives from Basque pelota, and is known as “cesta-punta” in the Basque language.

Basque is the language of the Basque people who inhabit northeastern Spain and some of southwestern France. The origins of the language seem to be unclear, and it’s not obvious whether or not Basque is related to any other language spoken today.

11. Shot KAPUT
“Kaput” comes to us from French via German. “Capot” means “not having won a single trick” in the French card game called Piquet.

13. Rat FINK
A “fink” is an informer, someone who rats out his cohorts.

21. Storyteller? POLYGRAPH
The use of a polygraph might tell someone if one is making up stories, lies.

23. Arrangements may be made in them VASES
“Vase” is an interesting word for someone like me who has lived on both sides of the Atlantic. The American pronunciation, rhyming with “face”, is in fact the original. Over in the British Isles the pronunciation changed in the mid-1800s, rhyming with “bras”.

26. Classic board game SORRY!
Sorry! is a classic board game, with a long and respected history. The original version of the game dates back to about 500 BC in ancient India, where it was called “pachisi”. In this original version, the maximum moves a player can make in one turn is 25, giving the game its name, as “pachis” is the Hindi word for 25. The first real American adaptation of the game was called Parcheesi, a game with which all American kids are familiar. The game was marketed as Ludo in my part of the world when I was growing up. The more contemporary version called Sorry! originated in the UK, with a patent being filed for Sorry! in 1929, and the game being introduced in 1934. It’s the simplest of games, and I think it is great family fun.

27. Daughter of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands IRENE
Princess Irene is the second child of the late Prince Bernhard and Queen Juliana of the Netherlands. Princess Irene created a great deal of turmoil in her homeland when she converted from Protestantism to Roman Catholicism in order to marry Prince Carlos Hugo of Bourbon-Parma. Such was the outcry that no one from the Dutch Royal Family attended her wedding, and she lost her right of succession to the throne. The couple settled in Madrid, but divorced 17 years later. While they were married, Princess Irene never once returned to the Netherlands.

29. Tribute maker MAZDA
The Mazda Tribute was a small SUV that was jointly developed with Ford.

30. Key ISLET
A “key” (also “cay”) is a low island offshore, as in the Florida Keys. Our term in English comes from the Spanish “cayo” meaning “shoal, reef”.

31. Inane ones GEESE
Our word “inane” meaning silly or lacking substance comes from the Latin “inanitis” meaning “empty space”.

34. Salon, for one EZINE
Salon.com is a popular online magazine, one of the first “ezines” ever published. “Salon” focuses on American politics and current affairs, but also has articles about books, music and films. The magazine was launched in 1995, and managed to survive many loss-making years. Most of “Salon’s” content is free, but it does make money by offering a premium service with extra content, and by selling ad space.

36. Big name in movies? IMAX
The IMAX Corporation, which is behind the IMAX film format, is a Canadian company. The impetus for developing the system came after Expo ’67 in Montreal. Back then large format screenings were accomplished using multiple projectors with multiple screens, with images basically stitched together. The team behind the IMAX technology set out to simplify things, and developed a single-camera, single-projector system.

37. Nickname in 20th-century British leadership IRON LADY
Margaret Thatcher served as Prime Minister of the UK from 1979 to 1990, making her the longest serving leader of the country in the 20th century. Thatcher’s nickname in the press was the “Iron Lady”, a moniker bestowed on her by a Soviet journalist. The “Iron Lady” was born Margaret Hilda Roberts, the daughter of a grocer. She studied chemistry at Oxford University and worked for a while as a research chemist.

43. Word on a Canadian loonie DOLLAR
The great northern loon is the provincial bird of Ontario, and the state bird of Minnesota. The loon once appeared on Canadian $20 bills and also appears on the Canadian one dollar coin, giving the coin the nickname “the Loonie”.

44. San Diego attraction SHAMU
Shamu was the name of the third orca, or killer whale, ever to be featured in a public exhibition. Shamu starred in a popular SeaWorld show in San Diego in the sixties. After she died in 1971, her name lived on as the name “Shamu” is still used by SeaWorld for its killer whale shows. That original Shamu was retired after she grabbed and refused to let go of the leg of one of her trainers.

46. Tide table term NEAP
Tides of course are caused by the gravitational pull of the moon on the oceans. At neap tide, the smaller gravitational effect of the sun cancels out some of the moon’s effect. At spring tide, the sun and the moon’s gravitational forces act in concert causing more extreme movement of the oceans.

50. City on the Brazos WACO
In recent years, Waco is perhaps most famous as the site of a siege and shootout between ATF agents and members of the Protestant sect known as the Branch Davidians. Shortly after ATF agents tried to execute a search warrant, shots were fired and at the end of the fight six people inside the Branch Davidian compound were dead, as were four agents. A fifty-day siege ensued at the end of which a final assault resulted in members of the community setting fire to the compound. Only nine people walked away from that fire. 50 adults and 25 children perished.

The Brazos River is the longest river in the state of Texas. It was originally called “Rio de los Brazos de Dios” by the Spanish, which translates as “the River of the Arms of God”. So, the Brazos is literally “the arms” in English.

51. Apple product IMAC
The iMac is a desktop computer platform from Apple introduced in 1998. One of the main features of the iMac is an “all-in-one” design, with the computer console and monitor integrated.

54. Touchdown info ETA
Expected time of arrival (ETA)

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Instrument played with mallets MARIMBA
8. Pitcher’s coup PICKOFF
15. Mine carriers ORE CARS
16. Orwell superstate OCEANIA
17. 1980s Hollywood sex symbol BO DEREK
18. Hang SUSPEND
19. Meas. seen on a tee YDS
20. Beguile TEMPT
22. Warthog features TUSKS
23. Screened conversation? VIDEOCHAT
25. 28-Across natives, e.g. ASIANS
28. The Mekong flows along its border LAOS
29. Fighter acronym MIG
32. Going downhill WORSE
33. “The __ Affair”: Jasper Fforde novel EYRE
34. Lighten EASE
35. Winter forecast FREEZING DRIZZLE
38. Servers at affairs URNS
39. Ballpark figs. MGRS
40. Needles RIDES
41. Food-curing chemical LYE
42. “__ Mia”: 1965 hit CARA
43. Give away DONATE
44. Funk band instrument SAXOPHONE
46. When to see die Sterne NACHT
49. Pasta bit SHELL
50. Card quality WIT
53. Odorless fuels ETHANES
55. Tennessee neighbor ALABAMA
57. Zip up ANIMATE
58. Extreme RADICAL
59. Surfing annoyance POP-UP AD
60. Ship maintenance site DRYDOCK

Down
1. Colorado State’s __ Arena MOBY
2. MLB nickname in recent news A-ROD
3. Cabs, e.g. REDS
4. Winter coat ICE
5. Two-time 1990s A.L. batting champ Edgar MARTINEZ
6. Procreates BREEDS
7. Help desk sign ASK ME
8. Deltiologist’s collection POSTCARDS
9. Post-op area ICU
10. Basque baskets CESTAS
11. Shot KAPUT
12. People ONES
13. Rat FINK
14. They come and go FADS
21. Storyteller? POLYGRAPH
23. Arrangements may be made in them VASES
24. Weed killer HOER
25. Horrific AWFUL
26. Classic board game SORRY!
27. Daughter of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands IRENE
29. Tribute maker MAZDA
30. Key ISLET
31. Inane ones GEESE
33. Absorbed ENGROSSED
34. Salon, for one EZINE
36. Big name in movies? IMAX
37. Nickname in 20th-century British leadership IRON LADY
42. Short time out? CATNAP
43. Word on a Canadian loonie DOLLAR
44. San Diego attraction SHAMU
45. Picked up HEARD
46. Tide table term NEAP
47. Words before time or point AT NO
48. Wood __ CHIP
50. City on the Brazos WACO
51. Apple product IMAC
52. Converse TALK
54. Touchdown info ETA
56. Nod, at times BID

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