LA Times Crossword Answers 25 Jun 14, Wednesday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: Matt Skoczen
THEME: Blow It … each of today’s themed answers starts with something that one might BLOW:

17A. *Bit of formalwear TOP HAT (giving “blow one’s top”)
18A. *Interrupt HORN IN ON (giving “blow one’s horn”)
39A. *Scandal management ploy COVER UP (giving “blow one’s cover”)
60A. *Less intense workout after a workout COOL DOWN (giving “blow one’s cool”)
11D. *Psychologically manipulative tactics MIND GAMES (giving “blow one’s mind”)
33D. *Snoop NOSE ABOUT (giving “blow one’s nose”)

62A. Lose when you should have won, and a hint to the start of the answers to starred clues BLOW IT

BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 9m 27s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across

7. Dog star’s first name? RIN
The original Rin Tin Tin was a real-life dog, a puppy discovered by a GI in a bombed-out kennel in France during WWI. The soldier named the pup Rin Tin Tin, the same name as a puppet given to American soldiers for luck. On returning to the US, “Rinty” was trained by his owner and was spotted doing tricks by a film producer. Rinty featured in some films, eventually getting his first starring role in 1923 in the silent movie “Where the North Begins”. Legend has it that this first Rin Tin Tin died in the arms of actress Jean Harlow. Not a bad way to go …

10. Singing an olde-fashioned love song? SMIT
“Smitten” is a past participle of “smite” meaning “to inflict a heavy blow”. We tend to use “smitten” to mean “affected by love, love-struck”.

14. Saudi neighbors OMANIS
Oman lies on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula and is neighbored by the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Yemen.

16. Opera set in Egypt 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!

24. Letters for the Queen Mary HMS
The HMS Queen Mary (not to be confused with the RMS Queen Mary) was a Royal Navy battlecruiser that was launched in 1913. She was sunk at the Battle of Jutland in 1916, during WWI. The wreck of HMS Queen Mary was discovered on the floor of the North Sea in 1991, where she now rests as the gravesite of 1,266 crew members.

The RMS Queen Mary is a retired ocean liner that worked the North Atlantic for the Cunard line from 1936 to 1967. The Queen Mary, along with her sister ship the Queen Elizabeth, dominated the transportation of passengers between Europe and North America from the end of WWII until jet planes came into service in the late 50s. The Queen Mary was built in Clydebank, adjacent to Glasgow, Scotland. The ship was named after Queen Mary, the consort of King George V. The Queen Mary now sits in Long Beach, California where it is used as a hotel and a tourist attraction. It’s well worth a visit if you’re in the area …

The ship prefix “HMS” is used by the warships of the Royal Navy, and stands for “Her/His Majesty’s Ship/Submarine”. The prefix “RMS” is used by ships of the merchant navy, and stands for “Royal Mail Ship/Steamer”.

28. Mideast ruler EMIR
An emir is a prince or chieftain, most notably in the Middle East. In English, “emir” can also be written as “amir” and “ameer” (watch out for those spellings in crosswords!).

30. Delaware tribe LENAPE
The Lenape Native American people lived along the Delaware River when Europeans first landed in the Americas. As a result of the enforcement of the Indian Removal Act 1830, most Lenape now live in Oklahoma, with significant numbers also in Wisconsin and Ontario, Canada.

31. “General Hospital” extra, for short LPN
A licensed practical nurse (LPN) might work in a hospital (hosp.).

The daytime soap opera “General Hospital” is the longest running such drama still in production in the US, and is second-longest running soap in the world (the UK’s famous “Coronation Street” heads the list).

34. Territory in dispute between Russia and Ukraine CRIMEA
Crimea is a peninsula jutting out into the Black Sea that is almost completely surrounded by water. It is connected to the Ukrainian mainland to the north by the Isthmus of Perekop, and is separated from the nearby Russian region of Kuban by the narrow (less than 10 miles) Kerch Strait. Crimea has been occupied by foreign powers many times over the centuries, and now control of the region is disputed by Ukraine and Russia.

37. FBI agent G-MAN
The nickname “G-men” is short for “Government Men” and refers to agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

What we know today as the FBI was set up in 1908 as the BOI, the Bureau of Investigation. The name was changed to the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 1935. The Bureau was set up at the behest of President Theodore Roosevelt. President Roosevelt was largely moved to do so after the 1901 assassination of President McKinley, as there was a perception that anarchists were threatening law and order. The FBI’s motto uses the organization’s acronym, and is “Fidelity, Bravery, Integrity”.

38. U.N. workers’ rights agcy. ILO
The ILO (International Labour Organization) is an agency now administered by the UN which was established by the League of Nations after WWI. The ILO deals with important issues such as health and safety, discrimination, child labor and forced labor. The organization was recognized for its work in 1969 when it was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

42. Condé __ Publications NAST
Condé Nast has a very large portfolio of publications, including “Vogue”, “GQ”, “House and Garden”, “Golf Digest”, “Wired”, “Vanity Fair” and “The New Yorker”.

44. Like Enya’s music NEW-AGE
New-Age music is created to provide a relaxing and stress-free atmosphere. The New Age movement is often said to have begun with the release of an album called “Spectrum Suite” by Steven Halpern in 1975.

Enya’s real name is Eithne Patricia Ní Bhraonáin, which can translate from Irish into Enya Brennan. Her Donegal family (in the northwest of Ireland) formed a band called Clannad, which included Enya. In 1980 Enya launched her very successful solo career. She sure does turn up a lot in crosswords!

45. Emulated Miss Muffet SAT
Little Miss Muffet sat on a tuffet eating her curds and whey, in the popular nursery rhyme. A tuffet is a low seat or a footstool, another word for a pouffe or a hassock. When milk curdles it separates into two parts, the solid curds and the liquid whey.

48. Open carriage SHAY
A chaise is a light carriage with a folding hood that transports one or two people. “Chaise” is the French for “chair”, and takes its name from the “sedan chair” means of transportation. In the US, the name “chaise” evolved into “shay”.

50. Jazz player, briefly NBAER
The Utah Jazz professional basketball team moved to their current home in Salt Lake City in 1979. As one might guess from the name, the team originated in New Orleans, but only played there for five seasons. New Orleans was a tough place to be based because venues were hard to come by, and Mardi Gras forced the team to play on the road for a whole month.

53. Stavros superior, in ’70s TV KOJAK
“Kojak” is a fun police drama that had an original run on TV from 1973 to 1978. The title character was NYPD Detective Lieutenant Theo Kojak, played by Telly Savalas. Famously, Kojak sucks away on lollipops as he tries to quit cigarettes. Kojak is assisted in his cases by Sergeant “Fatso” Stavros, a character played by George Savalas, Telly’s younger brother.

57. “Star Wars” weapon BLASTER
“Stars Wars” fans will no doubt be delighted to hear that George Lucas has announced that he will be making “Star Wars Episode VII”, scheduled for release in 2015.

59. Mandlikova of tennis HANA
Hana Mandlikova is a former professional tennis star from Czechoslovakia. Mandlikova won four Grand Slam titles and then retired in 1990, at the ripe old age of 28.

64. Molokai neighbor MAUI
Maui is the second largest of the Hawaiian Islands. Maui is sometimes called the “Valley Isle” as it is composed of two volcanoes to the northwest and southeast of the island, each with numerous beautiful valleys carved into them.

Molokai is the fifth largest of the Hawaiian Islands. Famously, Molokai was home to a leper colony that was managed by Father Damien, a Roman Catholic priest from Belgium. Father Damien cared for the victims of Hansen’s Disease (then known as “leprosy”) for sixteen years before succumbing to the illness himself in 1889. Father Damien was declared a saint in 2009.

65. When repeated, a Kenyan rebel MAU
The Mau Mau Uprising was a revolt against British rule in Kenya that took place in the fifties. The group staging the revolt called themselves the Kenya Land and Freedom Army. Apparently for some long forgotten reason, the rebels became known as the Mau Mau.

66. Puccini’s “La __” BOHEME
“La bohème” by Giacomo Puccini is the second most frequently performed opera in the US (after Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly”).

Giacomo Puccini was an Italian composer, famous for his operas that are so often performed all over the world. Included in the list of his works are “La bohème”, “Tosca”, “Madama Butterfly” and “Turandot”. Puccini died in Brussels, Belgium in 1924 having suffered from throat cancer. An audience attending a performance of “La bohème” in Rome heard of the composer’s death in the middle of the performance. At the news, the opera was stopped, and the orchestra instead played Chopin’s “Funeral March”.

68. Suffix with Canton -ESE
Cantonese is the Chinese language that originated in and around Guangzhou (aka “Canton”), the third largest city in the country. In particular, Cantonese is spoken by the majority of people in the former colonies of Hong Kong and Macau, and is the most common Chinese language spoken in overseas Chinese communities around the world.

69. Quarters ABODES
We use the term “quarters” for a place of abode, especially housing for military personnel. Back in the late 16th century, quarters were a portion (quarter) of a town reserved for a military force.

Down
2. “There’s __ Out Tonight”: 1961 hit A MOON
“There’s a Moon Out Tonight” is a ballad that was record originally in 1958 by the Capris, a Doo Wop group from Queens, New York. The song was a “slow burner” for the Capris, eventually becoming a hit in 1961.

3. Rock legend Frank ZAPPA
Frank Zappa was an American composer and guitarist, a solo artist as well as the founding member of the rock band Mothers of Invention. You might like to meet his four children: Moon Unit, Dweezil, Ahmet Emuukha Rodan, and Diva Thin Muffin Pigeen.

5. Singer Peeples NIA
Actress Nia Peeples played the character Nicole Chapman in the TV series “Fame”.

6. Clock-setting std. GST
GST is Greenwich Standard Time.

A meridian is a line of longitude, and the Prime Meridian is that line of longitude defined as 0 degrees. The Prime Meridian is also called the Greenwich Meridian as it passes through the Royal Observatory in Greenwich in southeast London. Of course the line of longitude that is used to represent 0 degrees is an arbitrary decision. 25 nations formally decided in 1884 to use the Greenwich Meridian as 0 degrees as it was already a popular choice. That is all except the French, who abstained from the vote and used the Paris Meridian as 0 degrees on French charts for several decades.

9. Indoor ball brand NERF
Nerf is the name given to the soft material used in a whole series of toys designed for “safe” play indoors. The Nerf product is used to make darts, balls and ammunition for toy guns. “NERF” is an acronym, standing for Non-Expanding Recreational Foam.

26. “Brusha, brusha, brusha” toothpaste IPANA
Ipana toothpaste was introduced in 1915 and was at the height of its popularity in the forties and fifties. Sales declined in the sixties and the product was withdrawn from the US market in the seventies. Bucky the Beaver was the “spokesman” for Ipana. Bucky the Beaver’s slogan was “Brusha… Brusha… Brusha. Get the New Ipana – it’s dandy for your teeth!”

27. Maxim TENET
A tenet is an article of faith, something that is held to be true. “Tenet” is Latin for “he holds”.

Our word “maxim” meaning “precept, principle” has been around since the early 1600s. The term ultimately derives from the Latin phrase “maxima popositio”, literally “greatest premise”.

29. “The Twilight Zone” plot device IRONY
The iconic television series called “The Twilight Zone” first aired in 1959 and then ran for 156 episodes before being pulled in 1964. “The Twilight Zone” was revived for four years in the late eighties, and was also spun-off into a movie by Steven Spielberg in 1983.

31. Flax fabric LINEN
Flax is mainly grown for its seeds (to make oil) and for its fibers. Flax fibers have been used to make linen for centuries, certainly back as far as the days of the Ancient Egyptians. Flax fibers are soft and shiny, resembling blonde hair, hence the term “flaxen hair”.

47. Alum GRAD
An “alumnus” (plural … alumni) is a graduate or former student of a school or college. The female form is “alumna” (plural … alumnae). The term comes into English from Latin, in which alumnus means foster-son or pupil. “Alum” is an informal term used for either an alumna or an alumnus.

49. Start of a pirate’s refrain YO-HO-HO
The fictional sea shanty called “Dead Man’s Chest” was introduced in Robert Louis Stevenson’s great novel, “Treasure Island”. In the book, Stevenson only describes the chorus, which goes:

Fifteen men on the dead man’s chest–
…Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum!
Drink and the devil had done for the rest–
…Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum!

51. “__ a dark and stormy night …” IT WAS
Edward Bulwer-Lytton was an English politician and writer. Among his writings, he came up with some phrases that have endured, such as:

– “the great unwashed”
– “pursuit of the almighty dollar”
– “the pen is mightier than the sword”
– “It was a dark and stormy night …”

55. Cartoon genre ANIME
Anime is cartoon animation in the style of Japanese Manga comic books.

The Japanese word “manga” means “whimsical pictures” and is an apt term to describe the Japanese style of comic book. Manga publications are more diverse than American comic books and have a larger audience. Manga cover many subjects including romance, sports, business, horror, and mystery.

56. Beckinsale and Chopin KATES
Kate Beckinsale is an English actress probably best known here for playing the romantic lead opposite Ben Affleck and Josh Hartnett in 2001’s “Pearl Harbor”. Kate is the daughter of actor Richard Beckinsale who is well known in Britain for his roles in the sitcoms “Porridge” and “Rising Damp”.

Kate Chopin was a novelist and writer of short stories from St. Louis. Chopin is now regarded as one of the earliest feminist writers in America. He 1899 novel “The Awakening” is about a woman struggling to find her own identity as a woman in the turn-of-the-century American South.

60. Awards often co-hosted by Carrie Underwood: Abbr. CMA
Country Music Association (CMA)

Carrie Underwood is a country singer, and the winner of the fourth season of “American Idol”. Underwood is the most successful “Idol” winner to date, in terms of music sales.

62. Mgr.’s degree BBA
Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA)

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Looking at the stars GAZING
7. Dog star’s first name? RIN
10. Singing an olde-fashioned love song? SMIT
14. Saudi neighbors OMANIS
15. Poetic preposition ERE
16. Opera set in Egypt AIDA
17. *Bit of formalwear TOP HAT (giving “blow one’s top”)
18. *Interrupt HORN IN ON (giving “blow one’s horn”)
20. Wear a long face MOPE
21. Lucrative way for a handicapper’s bet to pay off TENFOLD
22. Supply with weapons, old-style ENARM
24. Letters for the Queen Mary HMS
25. Numeral DIGIT
28. Mideast ruler EMIR
30. Delaware tribe LENAPE
31. “General Hospital” extra, for short LPN
34. Territory in dispute between Russia and Ukraine CRIMEA
37. FBI agent G-MAN
38. U.N. workers’ rights agcy. ILO
39. *Scandal management ploy COVER UP (giving “blow one’s cover”)
41. Memphis-to-Nashville dir. ENE
42. Condé __ Publications NAST
44. Like Enya’s music NEW-AGE
45. Emulated Miss Muffet SAT
46. Vigor ENERGY
48. Open carriage SHAY
50. Jazz player, briefly NBAER
51. “__ seen enough!” I’VE
53. Stavros superior, in ’70s TV KOJAK
57. “Star Wars” weapon BLASTER
59. Mandlikova of tennis HANA
60. *Less intense workout after a workout COOL DOWN (giving “blow one’s cool”)
62. Lose when you should have won, and a hint to the start of the answers to starred clues BLOW IT
64. Molokai neighbor MAUI
65. When repeated, a Kenyan rebel MAU
66. Puccini’s “La __” BOHEME
67. Times in the p.m. AFTS
68. Suffix with Canton -ESE
69. Quarters ABODES

Down
1. “I dunno” GOT ME
2. “There’s __ Out Tonight”: 1961 hit A MOON
3. Rock legend Frank ZAPPA
4. Response from the next room IN HERE
5. Singer Peeples NIA
6. Clock-setting std. GST
7. Sew up again REHEM
8. Presses IRONS
9. Indoor ball brand NERF
10. Asea SAILING
11. *Psychologically manipulative tactics MIND GAMES (giving “blow one’s mind”)
12. Words often said in front of a priest I DO
13. Brown shade TAN
19. Plant stem joint NODE
21. Flourish THRIVE
23. DL x IV MMCC
26. “Brusha, brusha, brusha” toothpaste IPANA
27. Maxim TENET
29. “The Twilight Zone” plot device IRONY
30. Chuckle LAUGH
31. Flax fabric LINEN
32. Something to fall back on PLAN B
33. *Snoop NOSE ABOUT (giving “blow one’s nose”)
35. Litter sound MEW
36. Pencil topper ERASER
40. Busiest type of season PEAK
43. Ivy support TRELLIS
47. Alum GRAD
49. Start of a pirate’s refrain YO-HO-HO
51. “__ a dark and stormy night …” IT WAS
52. Locale VENUE
54. Yakked JAWED
55. Cartoon genre ANIME
56. Beckinsale and Chopin KATES
58. A few SOME
60. Awards often co-hosted by Carrie Underwood: Abbr. CMA
61. Bungler OAF
62. Mgr.’s degree BBA
63. Toss LOB

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