LA Times Crossword Answers 2 Jul 14, Wednesday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: Tracy Bennett
THEME: Punny Nicknames … each of today’s themed answer is a common phrase, but clued as with a “punny” reference to a person’s nickname:

21A. Apt username for John, the labor organizer? UNION JACK (“Jack” is a nickname for “John”)
41A. Apt username for Catherine, the handywoman? DO-IT-YOURSELF KIT (“Kit” is a nickname for “Catherine”)
56A. Apt username for Margaret, the geometry teacher? SQUARE PEG (“Peg” is a nickname for “Margaret”)
4D. Apt username for Dorothy, the Oktoberfest accordionist? POLKA DOT (“Dot” is a nickname for “Dorothy”)
43D. Apt username for William, the rural worker? FARM BILL (“Bill” is a nickname for “William”)

BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 8m 11s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across

6. “Black __”: 2010 Natalie Portman film SWAN
The 2010 movie “Black Swan” is a psychological thriller (described by some as a horror film) set against the background of a ballet company staging Tchaikovsky’s “Swan Lake”. Natalie Portman plays an obsessive ballerina who seems perfect for the role of the White Swan in “Swan Lake”, but doesn’t seem to have the passion to also play the Black Swan. Then things start to go wonky …

The actress Natalie Portman was born in Jerusalem, Israel. She moved to the US with her family when she was just three years old.

14. Yoke attachment OXBOW
An oxbow is a wooden or metal frame that is U-shaped and which fits under the neck of an ox. A wooden yoke then accepts two oxbows, hence linking two oxen so that they can work as a team. The shape of the oxbow used by farmers gives us the term “oxbox lake” referring to a lake formed by a meandering river.

15. Tuscan river ARNO
The Arno is the principal river in the Tuscany region of Italy, passing through the cities of Florence and Pisa. Famously the Arno flooded in 1966, the worst flood in the region for centuries. There were numerous deaths and extensive destruction of priceless art treasures, particularly in Florence.

16. Writer Ephron NORA
Nora Ephron had many talents, including writing film scripts and novels. Many of the movies that she wrote, she also directed. These would include some of my favorite movies of all time like “Sleepless in Seattle”, “You’ve Got Mail” and most recently, the wonderful “Julie & Julia”. And, did you know that Nora Ephron’s second marriage was to journalist Carl Bernstein of Watergate fame? She wrote an autobiographical novel based on her life with Bernstein, dealing in particular with Bernstein’s affair with the daughter of British Prime Minister James Callaghan.

18. Protestant denom. METH
The Methodist movement started within the Church of England in the 1700s, inspired mainly by the teachings of John Wesley and his younger brother Charles.

21. Apt username for John, the labor organizer? UNION JACK (“Jack” is a nickname for “John”)
The Union Jack is a “jack” (a flag) representing the “Union” (the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland). The flag is made up of three crosses:

– The St. George’s Cross of England, a red cross (+) on a white background.
– The St. Andrew’s Cross of Scotland, a white cross (x), on a blue background.
– The St. Patrick’s Cross representing Northern Ireland, a red cross (x) on a white background.

26. Fez bearer HEAD
“Fez” is the name given to the red cylindrical hat worn mainly in North Africa, and by Shriners here in the US. The fez used to be a very popular hat across the Ottoman Empire. The etymology of “fez” is unclear, although it might have something to do with the Moroccan city named Fez.

29. Chamonix peak ALPE
Chamonix-Mont-Blanc is on the eastern border of France, in the Alps. Famously it was the site of the 1924 Winter Olympics, the first ever Winter Olympic Games.

36. Equanimity APLOMB
“Aplomb” is such a lovely word, meaning confidence and assurance. It is a French word that literally means “perpendicularity”, or “on the plumb line”. The idea is that someone with aplomb is poised, upright, balanced.

“Equanimity” is the quality of being composed and calm. The term comes from the Latin”aequus” (even) and “”animus” (mind). “Equanimity” is one of my favorite words of all time …

38. “Orinoco Flow” singer ENYA
Enya’s real name is Eithne 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!

40. Gun lobby gp. NRA
The NRA is the National Rifle Association, an organization that has been around since 1871. The NRA has had some celebrity presidents, including US President Ulysses S. Grant. It’s often said that the NRA is the most powerful lobbying group in Washington.

45. Goofball DORK
I consider “dork” to be pretty offensive slang. It emanated in the sixties among American students, and has its roots in another slang term, a term for male genitalia.

46. Aquanaut’s station SEALAB
SEALAB I, II and II were man-made habitats built by the US Navy designed to advance the technology needed for humans to live and work underwater for extended periods. SEALAB I was lowered to a depth of just under 200 feet off the coast of Bermuda in 1964. Four divers stayed in SEALAB for 11 days, before the experiment was halted due to the approach of a tropical storm.

An aquanaut (also “oceanaut”) is a diver who spends extended periods in an underwater habitat, without returning to the surface.

47. “God helps __ …” THOSE …
“The gods help those who help themselves” is a quotation usually attributed to Aesop.

49. Rhône city LYON
The city of Lyon in France, is also known as “Lyons” in English.

The Rhone river rises in Switzerland and flows through the southeast of France.

52. La Brea muck TAR
The La Brea Tar Pits are located right in the heart of the city of Los Angeles. At the site there is a constant flow of tar that seeps up to the surface from underground, a phenomenon that has been around for tens of thousands of years. What is significant is that much of the seeping tar is covered by water. Over many, many centuries animals came to the water to drink and became trapped in the tar as they entered the water to quench their thirsts. The tar then preserved the bones of the dead animals. Today a museum is located right by the Tar Pits, recovering bones and displaying specimens of the animals found there. It’s well worth a visit if you are in town …

54. Ian of “The Hobbit” HOLM
English actor Sir Ian Holm is very respected on the stage in the UK, but is better known for his film roles here in the US. Holm played the hobbit Bilbo Baggins in two of the “Lord of the Rings” movies, and he also played the character who turns out be an android in the film “Alien”.

J. R. R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings” is the second best-selling novel ever written, with only “A Tale of Two Cities” by Charles Dickens having sold more copies around the world. Remarkably I think, the third best-selling novel is “The Hobbit”, which was also written by Tolkien.

61. Honolulu-born president OBAMA
Despite rumors to the contrary, I am pretty sure that Barack Hussein Obama II was indeed born in Hawaii. President Obama was born on August 4, 1961 at Kapi’olani Maternity & Gynecological Hospital in Honolulu, Hawaii.

66. Gucci of fashion ALDO
Gucci was founded in Rome in 1921, by Guccio Gucci. Guccio’s son Aldo took over the company after his father’s death in 1953. It was Aldo who established the international presence for the brand and opened the company’s first overseas store, in New York City.

69. “Superman” woman LOIS
Lois Lane has been the love interest of Superman/Clark Kent since the comic series was first published in 1938. Lois and Clark both work for the big newspaper in the city of Metropolis called “The Daily Planet”. The couple finally got hitched in the comics (and on television’s “Lois and Clark”) in 1996. But never mind all that … one has to wonder how good the crossword is in “The Daily Planet” …

71. Preppy shirt brand IZOD
Jack Izod was a tailor of some repute over in England, producing shirts for King George V as well as other members of the Royal Family. As Izod was about to retire, he was approached for the use of his name by an American clothing manufacturer based in New York. The brand Izod of London was introduced to America in 1938.

Down
3. Agnetha, Benny, Björn, and Anni-Frid, collectively ABBA
I am an unapologetic fan of ABBA’s music. ABBA was of course the Swedish group who topped the charts in the seventies and eighties. The name ABBA is an acronym formed from the first letters of the given names of each of the band members: Agnetha, Benny, Bjorn and Anni-Frid. Early in their careers, the four fell in love and formed two married couples: Agnetha and Bjorn, and Benny and Anni-Frid. However, at the height of their success, the relationships became strained and both couples divorced.

4. Apt username for Dorothy, the Oktoberfest accordionist? POLKA DOT (“Dot” is a nickname for “Dorothy”)
The polka is a dance from central Europe, one that originated in Bohemia in the mid-1800s. It’s thought that “polka” comes from a Czech word meaning “little half”, reflecting the little half-steps included in the basic dance.

Oktoberfest is a 16-day beer festival in Munich that actually starts in September. About six million people attend every year, making it the largest fair in the world. I’ve been there twice, and it really is a great party …

5. Many a middle schooler TWEEN
The term “tween” is now used to describe preadolescence, the years between 10 and 12 years of age.

6. With 28-Down, justice since 2006 SAMUEL
(28. See 6-Down ALITO)
Associate Justice Samuel Alito was nominated to the US Supreme Court by President George W. Bush. Alito is the second Italian-American to serve on the Supreme Court (Antonin Scalia was the first). Alito studied law at Yale and while in his final year he left the country for the first time in his life, heading to Italy to work on his thesis about the Italian legal system.

7. Birdhouse warbler WREN
A wren is a small songbird belonging to the family troglodytidae and the genus troglodytes.

10. Canon product INKJET
Inkjet is a very accurate and descriptive name for the type of printer. Printing is done by shooting fine jets of ink onto the page.

11. Actress Gaye of “Ali” NONA
The actress Nona Gaye is best known for playing the character Zee in the last two of “The Matrix” series of films. Nona is the only daughter of singer Marvin Gaye.

“Ali” is a 2001 biographical movie about Muhammad Ali, with Will Smith in the title role. Among other things, the film is noted for its realistic fight scenes. The scenes were realistic because Smith was really being hit, as hard as his opponents could manage.

12. Swamp beastie CROC
Crocodiles and alligators do indeed bear a resemblance to each other, although they belong to distinct biological families. One of the main ways used to distinguish them is by their teeth and jaws. Both the upper and lower sets of teeth of a crocodile are visible when its mouth is closed, whereas only the upper teeth of an alligator are visible with the mouth shut.

24. It’s off-limits TABOO
The word “taboo” was introduced into English by Captain Cook in his book “A Voyage to the Pacific Ocean”. Cook described “tabu” (likely imitative of a Tongan word that he had heard) as something that was both consecrated and forbidden.

31. Type widths ENS
In typography, there are em dashes and en dashes. The em dash is about the width of an “m” character, and an en dash about half that, the width of an “n’ character. An en dash is used, for example, to separate numbers designating a range, as in 5-10 years. Th em dash seems to be going out of style, and indeed the application I am using to write this paragraph won’t let me show you one!

37. Last thing Rhett called Scarlett MY DEAR
In Margaret Mitchell’s novel “Gone with the Wind”, when Rhett Butler finally walks out on Scarlett O’Hara he utters the words “My dear, I don’t give a damn”. Most of us are more familiar with the slightly different words spoken by Clark Gable in the film adaption of the story: “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.”

42. Clickable link URL
Internet addresses (like NYTCrossword.com and LAXCrossword.com) are more correctly called Uniform Resource Locators (URLs).

43. Apt username for William, the rural worker? FARM BILL (“Bill” is a nickname for “William”)
For several decades now, the federal government has passed a farm bill about every five years. This farm bill in effect lays out the government’s agricultural and food policy. The first farm bill was passed during the Great Depression with the intent of providing subsidies to struggling farmers while at the same time protecting the nation’s food supply.

56. Munro pen name SAKI
Hector Hugh Munro was a British writer, actually born in Burma. Munro was famous for his short stories, which he published using the pen name “Saki”. His most well-known story is “The Open Window”, which ends with the great line “Romance at short notice was her specialty”.

58. Passé preposition UNTO
“Passé” is a French word, meaning “past, faded”.

62. Madrid water AGUA
Madrid is the largest city in Spain and the capital. Madrid is located very close to the geographical center of the country. It is the third-largest city in the European Union (after London and Paris). People from Madrid called themselves Madrileños.

64. Chrysler Building architect William Van __ ALEN
William Van Alen was an architect, most famous for leading the design of the Chrysler Building in New York City. When the building was complete, Van Alen sent his bill to Walter Chrysler, a standard fee of 6% of the construction cost. Van Alan hadn’t pre-negotiated his fee for the job, so payment was refused. Van Alen sued and won the case, but his reputation was ruined by the litigation and he never designed another building.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Sprang LEAPT
6. “Black __”: 2010 Natalie Portman film SWAN
10. Inseam unit INCH
14. Yoke attachment OXBOW
15. Tuscan river ARNO
16. Writer Ephron NORA
17. Authoritative reference book BIBLE
18. Protestant denom. METH
19. Don’t have to guess KNOW
20. Gambler’s fund STAKE
21. Apt username for John, the labor organizer? UNION JACK (“Jack” is a nickname for “John”)
23. Gambler’s payment ANTE
25. Misery WOE
26. Fez bearer HEAD
29. Chamonix peak ALPE
32. ESPN data STATS
36. Equanimity APLOMB
38. “Orinoco Flow” singer ENYA
40. Gun lobby gp. NRA
41. Apt username for Catherine, the handywoman? DO-IT-YOURSELF KIT (“Kit” is a nickname for “Catherine”)
44. False front ACT
45. Goofball DORK
46. Aquanaut’s station SEALAB
47. “God helps __ …” THOSE …
49. Rhône city LYON
51. Fall back (on) RELY
52. La Brea muck TAR
54. Ian of “The Hobbit” HOLM
56. Apt username for Margaret, the geometry teacher? SQUARE PEG (“Peg” is a nickname for “Margaret”)
61. Honolulu-born president OBAMA
65. Reunion guest AUNT
66. Gucci of fashion ALDO
67. Watchful attention VIGIL
68. Windy day toy KITE
69. “Superman” woman LOIS
70. Escape cleverly ELUDE
71. Preppy shirt brand IZOD
72. Legend MYTH
73. Done in SLAIN

Down
1. Alternatives to passing shots, in tennis LOBS
2. Walk out EXIT
3. Agnetha, Benny, Björn, and Anni-Frid, collectively ABBA
4. Apt username for Dorothy, the Oktoberfest accordionist? POLKA DOT (“Dot” is a nickname for “Dorothy”)
5. Many a middle schooler TWEEN
6. With 28-Down, justice since 2006 SAMUEL
7. Birdhouse warbler WREN
8. Con ANTI
9. In any way NOHOW
10. Canon product INKJET
11. Actress Gaye of “Ali” NONA
12. Swamp beastie CROC
13. Peddle HAWK
22. Old cash register key NO SALE
24. It’s off-limits TABOO
26. Really dug into HAD AT
27. Prominent period EPOCH
28. See 6-Down ALITO
30. Chipper PERKY
31. Type widths ENS
33. Bracelet spot ANKLE
34. Courtroom event TRIAL
35. Didn’t do anything SAT BY
37. Last thing Rhett called Scarlett MY DEAR
39. Kind of question YES/NO
42. Clickable link URL
43. Apt username for William, the rural worker? FARM BILL (“Bill” is a nickname for “William”)
48. Made explicit STATED
50. “Gee whillikers!” OH GOSH!
53. Royal domain REALM
55. Treasures LOVES
56. Munro pen name SAKI
57. One may be popped in class QUIZ
58. Passé preposition UNTO
59. Tricky maneuver PLOY
60. Make less explicit, perhaps? EDIT
62. Madrid water AGUA
63. Skirt length MIDI
64. Chrysler Building architect William Van __ ALEN

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9 thoughts on “LA Times Crossword Answers 2 Jul 14, Wednesday”

  1. Hello Bill, and friends,

    I found this puzzle rather difficult. The long answers, across and down, were quite easy but the common words and / or clues seemed very unfamiliar. I thought the clues were misleading – but perhaps thats just me.

    Re: Equanimity – I always have a problem with unequivocal( -ly) – which means 'with one voice / all together'. I thought equivocal meant 'with one (equal – ) voice', so un- should mean the opposite. That one word bothers me a lot. But maybe, its just me.

    I was confused with Orinoco – since it flows through Venez. and Colombia, I was sure that was sung by a latino singer ….

    Very nice blog. Have a nice day, all.

    the US has lost yet another soccer game, again, and the Google doodle has finally quit the futbol themes. The FIFA games are now history for most Americans.

  2. @Sfingi
    I can't recall seeing nicknames used in answers to clues before, although there have been an awful lot of puzzles published 🙂

    @Vidwan
    You raise a good question about the etymology of "equivocal", inspiring me to do a little research. The "answer" is that the verb "to equivocate" comes from the Latin "aequus" meaning "equal" and "vocare" meaning "to call". So, to equivocate is "to call equally", used in the sense of giving equal emphasis to two sides of an argument, to be non-commital, to hedge, to equivocate. So, something described as "unequivocal" is the opposite, is unambiguous and clear. Thanks for bringing that one up, Vidwan!

  3. I thought it was curious that wrens belong to the family called troglodytes, since a troglodyte is someone who lives in a cave. Looking this up I found that some wrens nest in crevices in order to keep cool. I wonder which came first?

    The term "dork" is pretty antiquated now. I used to hear people use it in the 60's, then in the 70's it changed to "nerd" and now I hear "dweeb". There's never a shortage of adjectives for out of the mainstream people 🙂

    The Ox-Bow Incident was a 1943 movie starring Henry Fonda. It was a great study in mob violence and involved a hanging that takes place at a bend in the river called Ox-Bow, named for it's shape. Pretty heavy stuff for 1943.

  4. Thank you Bill, for your research on unequivocal. I came across this word 45 years ago (!) in India, in an election for a college board. I was standing for election as a General Secretary, and my opponent's campaign committee issued a statement that my opponent was 'unequivocally' supported by all. I was amused at what I thought was a poor use of the English vocabulary, until I looked it up and found that the word had been used correctly and appropriately. (I won handily, anyway – but that's irrelevant now.) I guess the electorate did not understand the word either ….

    I now faintly remember hearing the word 'troglodyte', in a movie, as an 'upper class' insult and pejorative …. Probably used as a 'caveman'.

    Finally I was wondering if wrens were among the class of birds favored as a culinary delicacy, for consumption, by our haute cuisine French friends. I wondered if the Ortolan bunting is a form of a wren. It isn't.

    For a Ortolan eating commentary on NBC .

    For a National Geographic article on bird slaughter.

    PLEASE NOTE; !!! Do not click on the SECOND link, unless you are prepared to be shocked. It has a gif. file that cannot be turned off ( unlike a youtube video, for instance) and the picture is very graphic and shocking.

  5. Hi Bill and all our friends-
    Fun puzzle! Clever theme,really liked DO IT YOURSELF KIT.
    Just spent 2 hours getting rid of stuff in My Documents and pictures.
    Now I'm defragging and it's taking FOREVER.
    Husband very frustrated with slowness on computer.
    I've still got XP and phoneline connection. Which is slowing us down, the computer (8 years) XP, or our internet connection?
    Techies? please comment.

  6. Pookie: Both.

    Phone line connection is the pipeline. If you can't get at least 3 megabits per second, you're going to slow down. Ideally, you should have 10 times that.

    On your computer a 32 bit memory limit just doesn't cut it nowadays for streaming. Best get a new one – about $ 400.
    The speed and memory will be 20 times your old computer.

    Hope this helps. Surf the web for more answers.

  7. @Piano Man
    It has been years since I've seen "The Ox-Bow Incident". I'm not one for westerns anymore, but that's a film worthy of anyone's attention. Mob rule has always scared me, so I found "The Ox-Bow Incident" very disturbing.

    @Vidwan
    I haven't heard of wrens being eaten in French cuisine, nut I wouldn't put it past them. I know that larks (alouettes) were eaten at least by French-Canadians, at least according to the song 🙂

    @Pookie
    Doesn't it feel good to clear out stuff, even from a computer? I'm not techie enough to give advice on XP and dial-up. One thing I do however, from time to time, is just start from scratch with a computer. I wipe the hard disk clean and reinstall the operating system. The process has gotten easier over the past few years, and is practically automatic. Of course, I've backed up everything I need ahead of time. Well, almost everything … 🙂

    @Techie
    Thanks for jumping in and offering advice. Stick around!

  8. Thanks, everyone!!!
    I just cleaned out more pix.
    The defrag finished and it looks like I have more space now.
    Techie, I know I have to get a new computer, sigh.
    I don't have dial up, ATT high speed internet, what a misnomer that is!
    Thanks for your input. See y'all tomorrow.

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