LA Times Crossword Answers 22 Aug 14, Friday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: Tom McCoy
THEME: Mercury … one of today’s answers is MERCURY, which serves as the clue for the remaining themed answers:

17A. See 23-Down NEIGHBOR OF VENUS (MERCURY)
27A. See 23-Down BAROMETER FILLER (MERCURY)
45A. See 23-Down ROCKSTAR FREDDIE (MERCURY)
58A. See 23-Down DIVINE MESSENGER (MERCURY)

23D. Clue for 17-, 27-, 45- and 58-Across MERCURY

BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 13m 27s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across

5. “__-A-Lympics”: ’70s Hanna/Barbera spoof LAFF
“Laff-A-Lympics” is a segment on the cartoon show “Scooby’s All-Star Laff-A-Lympics” that originally ran from 1977 to 1979. “Laff-A-Lympics” was a spoof on the Olympic Games, with cartoon characters participating in goofy events while a “sportscaster” provided commentary.

14. It’s pressed in a corner ESCAPE KEY
The escape key is usually in the top-left corner of a keyboard.

16. Feature of some stickers AROMA
Apparently there are such things as aroma stickers, stickers that produce a scent when rubbed.

17. See 23-Down NEIGHBOR OF VENUS (MERCURY)
Mercury is the smallest of the planets in our solar system, and is the nearest to the Sun. Mercury orbits the sun relatively rapidly compared to the other planets, and this fact may have led to it being given the name “Mercury”, the Roman deity who was the speedy messenger to the gods.

The planet Venus is the second brightest object in the night sky, after our Moon.

19. “__ So Fine”: Chiffons hit HE’S
“He’s So Fine” is a great little song that was released by the Chiffons in 1962. Famously, the owners of the rights to the song sued George Harrison in 1971, claiming that he was guilty of plagiarising “He’s So Fine” in writing his hit “My Sweet Lord”. Harrison was found guilty of “subconscious” plagiarism. In a strange twist, the Chiffons recorded a version of “My Sweet Lord” a year before the case was decided.

The Chiffons were a female singing group from the Bronx in New York who were at the height of their success in the early sixties. Soon after releasing the 1962 hit “He’s So Fine”, the group released two singles as the Four Pennies. When “He’s So Fine” became such a great success, they abandoned the Four Pennies moniker and stuck with “the Chiffons”.

23. Cohort of Larry and Curly MOE
If you’ve seen a few of the films starring “The Three Stooges” you’ll have noticed that the line up changed over the years. The original trio was made up of Moe and Shemp Howard (two brothers) and Larry Fine (a good friend of the Howards). This line up was usually known as “Moe, Larry and Shemp”. Then Curly Howard replaced his brother when Shemp quit the act, creating the most famous trio, “Moe, Larry And Curly”. Shemp returned when Curly had a debilitating stroke in 1946, and Shemp stayed with the troupe until he died in 1955. Shemp was replaced by Joe Besser, and then “Curly-Joe” DeRita. When Larry Fine had a stroke in 1970, it effectively marked the end of the act.

27. See 23-Down BAROMETER FILLER (MERCURY)
Mercury is the only metallic element that is a liquid at room temperature. Mercury used to known as “hydrargyrum”, from the Greek “hydr-” meaning “water” and “argyros” meaning “silver”. As a result, Mercury’s modern chemical symbol is “Hg” (for “Hydrargyrum”).

34. Paul McCartney title SIR
The ex-Beatle Paul McCartney’s real name, including his knightly title, is Sir James Paul McCartney.

35. Sierra __ LEONE
The Republic of Sierra Leone is a country in West Africa, lying on the Atlantic Coast. The capital city of Freetown was originally set up as a colony to house the “Black Poor” of London, England. These people were mainly freed British slaves of Caribbean descent who were living a miserable life in the run-down parts of London. Perhaps to help the impoverished souls, perhaps to rid the streets of “a problem”, three ships were chartered in 1787 to transport a group of blacks, with some whites, to a piece of land purchased in Sierra Leone. Those who made the voyage were guaranteed British citizenship and protection. The descendants of these immigrants, and others who made the journey over the next 60 years, make up the ethnic group that’s today called the Sierra Leone Creole.

36. Watch readout abbr. LCD
Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)

37. Showy flier PEACOCK
A peacock does indeed “fly” a little bit. I checked …

The female peafowl, the peahen, has very dull plumage compared to the extravagant display on the tail of the peacock. The young of a peacock and peahen is known as a peachick (there’s a surprise!).

44. Graybacks REBS
During the Civil War, Confederate troops sometimes referred to the Rebels as “graybacks”, a reference to the color of the soldier’s uniform.

45. See 23-Down ROCKSTAR FREDDIE (MERCURY)
Freddie Mercury was a British singer-songwriter who was lead singer for the rock group Queen. Mercury wrote many of Queen’s hits, including “Bohemian Rhapsody”, “Somebody to Love”, “Don’t Stop Me Now” and “We Are the Champions”. Mercury’s real name was Farrokh Bulsara, and he was born to Parsi parents in Zanzibar (now part of Tanzania) in East Africa. He grew up mainly in India, and arrived in England at the age of 17 when his family had flee from the Zanzibar Revolution.

49. Elizabeth Darcy __ Bennet NEE
Elizabeth Bennet is the protagonist in Jane Austen’s novel “Pride and Prejudice”. Elizabeth has an up and down relationship with Fitzwilliam Darcy, before the couple finally tie the knot at the end of the story.

52. Joint high-tech project WIKI
A wiki is a website in which users are allowed to create and edit content themselves. The term “wiki” comes from the name of the first such site, introduced in 1994 and called WikiWikiWeb. “Wiki” is a Hawaiian word for “quick”, and is used because comprehensive content is created very quickly a there are so many collaborators contributing to the site.

58. See 23-Down DIVINE MESSENGER (MERCURY)
Mercury was a Roman god called “the messenger”, and the god of trade. Mercury’s name comes from the Latin word “merx” meaning merchandise (and therefore has the same roots as “merchant” and “commerce”).

64. Some entryways ANTEROOMS
An anteroom is a small room that serves as an entrance into a larger room. The anteroom (also “antechamber”) can be a place for visitors to wait, for example.

66. Sister of Luke LEIA
Anakin “Ani” Skywalker is the principal character in all six of the “Star Wars” movies. His progress chronologically through the series of films is:

– Episode I: Anakin is a 9-year-old slave boy who earns the promise of Jedi training by young Obi-Wan Kenobi.
– Episode II: Anakin is 18-years-old and goes on a murdering rampage to avenge the killing of his mother.
– Episode III: Anakin is 21-years-old and a Jedi knight, but he turns to the Dark Side and becomes Darth Vader. His wife Padme gives birth to twins, Luke and Leia Skywalker.
– Episode IV: Darth Vader, comes into conflict with his children, Luke Skywalker and the Princess Leia.
– Episode V: Darth Vader attempts to coax his son Luke over to the dark side, and reveals to Luke that he is his father.
– Episode VI: Luke learns that Leia is his sister, and takes on the task of bringing Darth Vader back from the Dark Side in order to save the Galaxy. Vader saves his son from the Emperor’s evil grip, dying in the process, but his spirit ends up alongside the spirits of Yoda and Obi-Wan. They all live happily ever after …

Down
3. Investigator in the USS Cole attack NCIS
NCIS is the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which investigates crimes in the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. The service gives its name to the CBS TV show “NCIS”, a spin-off drama from “JAG” in which the main “NCIS” characters were first introduced. The big star in “NCIS” is the actor Mark Harmon.

The USS Cole is a guided missile destroyer with a homeport in Norfolk, Virginia. Famously, the Cole fell victim to a suicide attack by Al-Qaeda bombers who detonated an explosion on a boat close to the navy vessel while it was at anchor in Aden. 17 of the Cole’s crew members were killed in the attack which blew a hole in the port side of the ship.

5. Some Tripoli natives LEBANESE
Tripoli is a city in northern Lebanon, and is the second-largest city in the whole country (after Beirut). The name “Tripoli” comes from the Greek for “triple city” and is a reference to Tripoli’s history as the center of a Phoenician confederation made up of the cities of Tyre, Sidon and Arados.

6. One-named “Lonely” singer AKON
Akon is a Senegalese American R&B and hip hop singer, who was born in St. Louis but lived much of his early life in Senegal. Akon’s real name is Aliaune Damala Bouga Time Bongo Puru Nacka Lu Lu Lu Badara Akon Thiam.

7. Supportin’ FER
“Fer” is slang for “for”.

8. Author Dostoyevsky FYODOR
Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s most famous novels are “Crime and Punishment” and “The Brothers Karamazov”. Dostoyevsky was arrested in 1849 and sentenced to death by Tsar Nicholas I for being part of a liberal intellectual group. He endured a mock execution before being told that his sentence was commuted to four years hard labor and exile in a camp at Omsk in Siberia.

12. Green-egg layer EMU
Emu eggs are very large, with a thick shell that is dark-green in color. One emu egg weighs about the same as a dozen chicken eggs.

13. Ph.D. students, perhaps TAS
Teaching assistant (TA)

15. With 1-Down, Mekong River capital PHNOM
(1D. See 15-Down PENH)
Phnom Penh (also “Pnom Penh”) is the capital of Cambodia, and has been so since the French colonized the country in the late 1800s. The city’s name translates from the Khmer language as “Hill of Penh”.

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.

18. Feudal land FIEF
In the days of feudalism, a “fief” was basically a “fee” (the words “fee” and “fief” have the same origins) paid by a Lord in exchange for some benefit to him, perhaps loyalty, or military service. The fief itself was often land granted by the Lord.

22. Whiting cousin COD
In the British Isles, the most common fish that is used in traditional “fish and chips” is Atlantic cod. Cod has been overfished all over the world, and is now considered to be an endangered species by many international bodies. Confrontations over fishing rights in the North Atlantic led to conflicts called “the Cod Wars” between Iceland and the UK in the 1950s and the 1970s, with fishing fleets being protected by naval vessels and even shots being fired.

Whiting is a food fish that is related to the cod. Both whiting and cod have been used for decades in the British favorite dish of “fish and chips”.

26. “Star Wars” surname KENOBI
Obi-Wan Kenobi is one of the most beloved of the “Star Wars” characters. Kenobi was portrayed by two fabulous actors in the series of films. As a young man he is played by Scottish actor Ewan McGregor, and as an older man he is played by Alec Guinness.

27. Claylike BOLAR
Bole is a soft fine clay that is a reddish brown. The term “bolar” means bole- or clay-like.

30. Don Quixote’s aunt TIA
In Spanish, an aunt (tia) is a member of the family (la familia).

The full name of the Cervantes novel is “The Ingenious Hidalgo Don Quixote of La Mancha”. In the story, Don Quixote is a retired country gentleman who heads out as a knight-errant and who renames himself Don Quixote of la Mancha. In his mind he designates a neighboring farm girl called Aldonza Lorenzo as his lady love, and renames her Dulcinea del Toboso.

32. Rizzuto’s Brooklyn counterpart REESE
Phil Rizzuto was a shortstop who spent his whole career with the New York Yankees. After retiring from the game, Rizzuto worked as a radio and television announcer for the Yankees for 40 years. He was famous for using the expression “Holy cow!”

Pee Wee Reese was a shortstop who played his professional career with the Brooklyn and LA Dodgers. Reese is remembered not only for his skill on the field, but for his very visible support for teammate Jackie Robinson, who famously struggled to be accepted as the first African American player in the majors.

39. Great Barrier Reef setting CORAL SEA
The Coral Sea is part of the South Pacific Ocean, lying off the northeast coast of Australia and home to the renowned Great Barrier Reef. The WWII Battle of the Coral Sea was a major engagement between the Japanese and the Allies in May 1942 that took place over a 5-day period. It was the first ever action in which opposing aircraft carriers engaged each other. In fact, the opposing fleets never even sighted each other, nor did they fire on each other directly. The Japanese inflicted the most damage in the battle, but both sides disengaged due to heavy losses. The US aircraft carrier Lexington was so badly damaged that she had to be scuttled to prevent her capture.

The Great Barrier Reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland, Australia. It is a system of almost three thousand individual reefs, and is the largest such system on the planet.

47. Sponge, e.g. ANIMAL
Sponges are multicellular organisms that live underwater. They are animals with bodies that are full of holes and channels through which seawater freely circulates. Sponges have no digestive or circulatory system as such and instead rely on the movement of water to supply food and oxygen, and to remove waste material.

54. Italian wine region ASTI
Asti is in the Piedmont region of northwest Italy. The region is perhaps most famous for its Asti Spumante sparkling white wine.

55. Harpsichordist Kipnis IGOR
Igor Kipnis was a German-born American harpsichord and piano player. As a harpsichordist, Kinis was famous for playing not just the classics from the 16th through 18th centuries, but also contemporary works and jazz pieces.

56. Prefix meaning “half” DEMI-
Ever wonder what the difference is between the prefixes “hemi-”, “demi-” and “semi-”, all of which mean “half”? Well, the general observation is that words using the “demi-” prefix date back to the days of Norman influence over the English language. As a result, “demi-” turns up in the world of period costume and coats of arms. Words using “hemi-” tend to have Greek roots, and are prevalent in the world of the sciences and the medical field. Words with “semi-” tend to have Latin roots, and are most often found in music and the arts, and mathematics.

58. “Silent Spring” subj. DDT
DDT is dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (don’t forget now!). DDT was used with great success to control disease-carrying insects during WWII, and when made available for use after the war it became by far the most popular pesticide. And then Rachel Carson published her famous book “Silent Spring”, suggesting there was a link between DDT and diminishing populations of certain wildlife. It was the public outcry sparked by the book, and reports of links between DDT and cancer, that led to the ban on the use of the chemical in 1972. That ban is touted as the main reason that the bald eagle was rescued from near extinction.

59. Roth __ IRA
Roth Individual Retirement Accounts (Roth IRAs) were introduced in 1997 under a bill sponsored by Senator William Roth of Delaware, hence the name.

61. Suffix with ethyl -ENE
Ethylene (also called ethene) has a gazillion uses, including as an anesthetic and an aid to hastening the ripening of fruit. Ethylene’s most common use is as a major raw material in the manufacture of plastics (like polyethylene).

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Draft order PINT
5. “__-A-Lympics”: ’70s Hanna/Barbera spoof LAFF
9. “Wicked!” SWEET!
14. It’s pressed in a corner ESCAPE KEY
16. Feature of some stickers AROMA
17. See 23-Down NEIGHBOR OF VENUS
19. “__ So Fine”: Chiffons hit HE’S
20. Turkic flatbread NAN
21. Conks out DIES
22. Disadvantage CON
23. Cohort of Larry and Curly MOE
24. Sound of disapproval TSK
27. See 23-Down BAROMETER FILLER
33. Hadn’t settled yet OWED
34. Paul McCartney title SIR
35. Sierra __ LEONE
36. Watch readout abbr. LCD
37. Showy flier PEACOCK
40. Anguish WOE
41. Tickle AMUSE
43. ET carrier, supposedly UFO
44. Graybacks REBS
45. See 23-Down ROCKSTAR FREDDIE
49. Elizabeth Darcy __ Bennet NEE
50. Whatever ANY
51. Toy power sources AAS
52. Joint high-tech project WIKI
54. PC key ALT
55. Altar line I DO
58. See 23-Down DIVINE MESSENGER
63. Downed water, say DRANK
64. Some entryways ANTEROOMS
65. Having bite TANGY
66. Sister of Luke LEIA
67. Tom, Dick and Harry, e.g. TRIO

Down
1. See 15-Down PENH
2. “That makes sense to me now” I SEE
3. Investigator in the USS Cole attack NCIS
4. Place for a price TAG
5. Some Tripoli natives LEBANESE
6. One-named “Lonely” singer AKON
7. Supportin’ FER
8. Author Dostoyevsky FYODOR
9. Except SAVE
10. Have difficulty dealing (with) WRESTLE
11. Length of a boring class, so it seems EON
12. Green-egg layer EMU
13. Ph.D. students, perhaps TAS
15. With 1-Down, Mekong River capital PHNOM
18. Feudal land FIEF
22. Whiting cousin COD
23. Clue for 17-, 27-, 45- and 58-Across MERCURY
25. Impeded SLOWED
26. “Star Wars” surname KENOBI
27. Claylike BOLAR
28. “Pleeeeease?” AW C’MON!
29. Turn down REDUCE
30. Don Quixote’s aunt TIA
31. Category ILK
32. Rizzuto’s Brooklyn counterpart REESE
37. Foot, in anatomy PES
38. Not quite right OFF
39. Great Barrier Reef setting CORAL SEA
42. Distorting SKEWING
44. Short streets? RDS
46. Filming unit TAKE
47. Sponge, e.g. ANIMAL
48. Café customer EATER
53. Black INKY
54. Italian wine region ASTI
55. Harpsichordist Kipnis IGOR
56. Prefix meaning “half” DEMI-
57. Estimate words OR SO
58. “Silent Spring” subj. DDT
59. Roth __ IRA
60. From, in Dutch names VAN
61. Suffix with ethyl -ENE
62. “Kidding!” NOT!

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