LA Times Crossword Answers 9 Aug 14, Saturday

CROSSWORD SETTER: Mark Bickham
THEME: None
BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 16m 58s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across

1. Setting in the musical “Two By Two” NOAH’S ARK
“Two By Two” is a 1970 musical with lyrics that is based on the “The Flowering Peach”, a play by Clifford Odets. Both the musical and play tell the store of Noah and the Great Flood. The musical was only produced one time, on Broadway with Danny Kaye playing the lead.

9. Brightness measure IQ TEST
The original Binet-Simon Intelligence Scale for scoring IQ tests was developed by French psychologist Alfred Binet and his student Theodore Simon. The scale was revised in 1916 by Lewis M. Terman, a psychologist at Stanford University, resulting in the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale.

16. Colorful attire MUUMUU
A “muumuu” is a loose dress that originated in Hawaii. Many muumuus are brightly colored and made of the same material as the ubiquitous Hawaiian shirt. The word “mu’umu’u” means “cut off” in Hawaiian.

17. Darby Conley comic strip GET FUZZY
“Get Fuzzy” is a cartoon strip by Darby Conley that has been running since 1999. The strip’s main characters are an advertising executive called Rob Wilco and his pets Satchel Pooch and Bucky Katt.

19. Marlins’ div. NLE
The Miami Marlins baseball team started out life in 1993 as the Florida Marlins. The franchise changed its name to the Miami Marlins in 2011 when it relocated to the newly constructed Marlins Park.

20. Rock fan’s subj. GEOL
Geology (geol.)

26. Dark-eyed subculturists GOTHS
The goth subculture developed from the gothic rock scene in the early eighties, and is a derivative of the punk music movement. It started in England and spread to many countries around the globe. The term “goth” of course comes from the Eastern Germanic tribe called the Goths. Frankly, I don’t understand the whole goth thing …

33. Salon, e.g. EMAG
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.

38. “Candle in the Wind” dedicatee LADY DI
“Candle in the Wind” is a 1973 song written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin in honor of Marilyn Monroe, hence the lyric “Goodbye, Norma Jean”. Elton John rewrote some of the words in honor of Diana, Princess of Wales and performed it at the princess’s memorial service. The line most descriptive of Diana in the 1997 version is “Goodbye, English rose”.

40. Stat opposite NO RUSH
The exact etymology of “stat”, a term meaning “immediately” in the medical profession, seems to have been lost in the mists of time. It probably comes from the Latin “statim” meaning “to a standstill, immediately”. A blog reader has helpfully suggested that the term may also come from the world of laboratory analysis, where the acronym STAT stands for “short turnaround time”.

47. 2001 Microsoft debut XBOX
Xbox is made by Microsoft (I’m sure the kids have one around here somewhere!) and was introduced in 2001. There followed versions known as Xbox 360 and Xbox One.

49. Tired-sounding veggie BEET
“Beet” sounds like “beat”.

“Beat” is commonly used as an adjective to mean “tired”, as in “I am beat”. It’s an “informal” usage, and as far as I’m concerned, it’s bad grammar!

54. “A Touch of Class” actress Jackson GLENDA
Glenda Jackson is an outstanding retired actress from England. Jackson won two Oscars for performances in two wonderful films: “Women in Love” (1970) and “A Touch of Class” (1973). Jackson left her acting career behind in 1992 when she became a Member of Parliament, a job she has been doing ever since then. She was a junior minister for a while in Prime Minister Tony Blair’s government, and also ran an energetic but unsuccessful campaign to be elected Mayor of London.

“A Touch of Class” is a 1973 romantic comedy starring George Segal and Glenda Jackson. I haven’t seen the film in decades, but I remember really, really enjoying it. Segal was given the male lead in the movie after Cary Grant turned it down. Grant would have been a much older man that Jackson, should he have taken the role, which who have necessitated some changes to the script. Jackson won the Oscar for Best Actress for her performance.

56. Druids’ sacred hill TARA
Tradition has it the Hill of Tara was the seat of the High King of Ireland. That was back in the 11th century. More recently, Margaret Mitchell referred to the Hill of Tara as being the inspiration for the name of the Tara plantation in her novel “Gone with the Wind”.

Druids were priests in Celtic Europe during the Iron Age.

63. Composer Rorem NED
American composer Ned Rorem is famous for his musical compositions, but also for his book, “Paris Diary of Ned Rorem” that was published in 1966. Rorem talks openly about his sexuality in the book, and also about the sexuality of others including Noel Coward, Leonard Bernstein and Samuel Barber, much to some people’s chagrin.

64. Former associates ALUMNI
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.

68. Cindy Lou’s hometown, in kiddie lit WHOVILLE
Whoville is where the Whos live in Dr. Seuss’ children’s book “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!”

70. What an apostrophe may stand for NINETEEN
By using an apostrophe, one can abbreviate a date such as 1981 to ‘81.

Down
2. Verdi’s penultimate opera OTELLO
Giuseppe Verdi’s opera “Otello” was first performed in 1887 at La Scala Theater in Milan. The opera is based on Shakespeare’s play “Othello” and is considered by many to be Verdi’s greatest work.

Verdi wrote 28 operas in all. “Otello” was his penultimate opera, and “Falstaff” was the last.

4. Publishing nickname HEF
Hugh Hefner (often called “Hef”) is from Chicago. His first publishing job was in the military, where he worked as a writer for a US Army newspaper from 1944-46. He went to college after his military service and then worked as a copywriter for “Esquire” magazine. He left “Esquire” to found his own publication that he called “Playboy”, which first hit the newsstands in 1953. “Playboy” has been around ever since.

6. Cutting tool ADZE
An adze (also adz) is similar to an axe, but is different in that the blade of an adze is set at right angles to the tool’s shaft. An axe’s blade is set in line with the shaft.

11. Bomb TURKEY
The use of “turkey” to mean “failure” is showbiz slang from the 1920s. The term probably arose as the turkey is, rightly or wrongly, often deemed not to be the brightest bird on the planet.

25. No. with a decimal GPA
Grade point average (GPA)

27. Actress Thompson SADA
Sada Thompson was an actress from Des Moines, Iowa. Thompson is best known for playing the mother and wife in the eighties television drama series called “Family”.

30. It’s never right ACUTE ANGLE
An acute angle is less than 90 degrees, less than a right angle. On obtuse angle is greater than the right angle.

36. “Gigi” playwright LOOS
In the lovely musical film “Gigi”, released in 1958, the title song is sung by Louis Jourdan who plays Gaston. My favorite number though, has to be “Thank Heaven for Little Girls” sung by Maurice Chevalier. Many say that “Gigi” is the last in the long line of great MGM musicals. It won a record 9 Academy Awards, a record that only lasted one year. Twelve months later “Ben Hur” won 11 Oscars. In the 1958 film, Gigi was played by the lovely Leslie Caron. A few years earlier, “Gigi” was a successful Broadway stage play by Anita Loos, adapted from a novel by Colette. Chosen for the title role on stage was the then-unknown Audrey Hepburn.

39. Test center at Edwards, Calif., e.g. AFB
Air Force Base (AFB)

Edwards Air Force Base is in a desert area in Southern California. Edwards is a flight test center for the Air Force, and it was here that Chuck Yeager famously broke the sound barrier for the first time. And of course, Edwards was used for many landings of the Space Shuttle.

44. Former Fed chairman Bernanke BEN
Ben Bernanke was Chairman of the Federal Reserve for two terms after being appointed by President George W. Bush in 2006. Bernanke and his wife have a 30-year fixed rate mortgage with a rate of just over 5% and one car, a Ford Focus. Modest enough …

45. 2012 war film remake RED DAWN
“Red Dawn” is an interesting war film released in 1984 about a group of American high school students who resist an occupying force of Soviet allies who invade part of the US. The film’s cast includes Patrick Swayze, Charlie Sheen and Jennifer Grey. “Red Dawn” has the distinction of being the first movie to be released with an MPAA rating of PG-13. The film was remade in 2012, and this time the invading army came from North Korea.

48. Competition that includes motocross X GAMES
The X Games are annual events, with a Summer X Games held every year as well as a Winter X Games. It’s very much a commercial venture, with all aspects controlled by the TV station ESPN. The games focus on extreme action sports, like skateboarding and freestyle motocross in the summer and various extreme snowboarding events in the winter.

50. Stress-reducing discipline TAI CHI
More properly called tai chi chuan, tai chi is a martial art mostly practiced to improve overall health and increase longevity.

55. Sarah Connor portrayer Hamilton LINDA
Linda Hamilton is an actress from Salisbury, Maryland who is best known for portraying Sarah Connor in the first two “Terminator” movies. Hamilton’s second marriage was to film director James Cameron, with whom she worked on “Terminator 2”.

58. Ceramic cooker OLLA
An olla is a traditional clay pot used for the making of stews. “Olla” was the Latin word used in Ancient Rome to describe a similar type of pot.

59. Long in old politics HUEY
Huey Long was a Democratic US Senator for Louisiana from 1932 until 1935. Long announced a run for the US presidency in 1935 against the incumbent Franklin D. Roosevelt. Just one month later, Long was assassinated by a physician from Baton Rouge called Carl Weiss. Weiss shot Long in the abdomen with one bullet. Long’s bodyguards returned fire, hitting Weiss 62 times.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Setting in the musical “Two By Two” NOAH’S ARK
9. Brightness measure IQ TEST
15. Comer ATTENDEE
16. Colorful attire MUUMUU
17. Darby Conley comic strip GET FUZZY
18. It’s just one thing after another SERIES
19. Marlins’ div. NLE
20. Rock fan’s subj. GEOL
21. “Naughty!” TSK TSK!
22. Start of an addition ALSO
24. Controvert NEGATE
26. Dark-eyed subculturists GOTHS
28. Spot ESPY
29. Opening at a long lecture? YAWN
33. Salon, e.g. EMAG
35. Move easily SAIL
37. Cool __ CAT
38. “Candle in the Wind” dedicatee LADY DI
40. Stat opposite NO RUSH
42. Rear-end indicator AFT
43. Common crossword clue ending ABBR
46. Attack GO AT
47. 2001 Microsoft debut XBOX
49. Tired-sounding veggie BEET
51. They often include materials SPECS
54. “A Touch of Class” actress Jackson GLENDA
56. Druids’ sacred hill TARA
57. Bald statement? NO HAIR
60. Face with hands, maybe DIAL
63. Composer Rorem NED
64. Former associates ALUMNI
65. Liability factor, in contracts ACT OF GOD
67. Runs BLEEDS
68. Cindy Lou’s hometown, in kiddie lit WHOVILLE
69. Exhales during a physical? SAYS AH
70. What an apostrophe may stand for NINETEEN

Down
1. “Enough criticism!” NAG NAG!
2. Verdi’s penultimate opera OTELLO
3. Substantiated ATTESTED TO
4. Publishing nickname HEF
5. Unloose? SNUG
6. Cutting tool ADZE
7. Do a city planner’s job REZONE
8. __ entry KEYLESS
9. “But you need me!” I’M STAYING!
10. Pursuit QUEST
11. Bomb TURKEY
12. Broadcast EMIT
13. Tries to get money from, maybe SUES
14. Certain canine TUSK
23. “Goodness!” OH MY!
25. No. with a decimal GPA
27. Actress Thompson SADA
30. It’s never right ACUTE ANGLE
31. Used to be WAS
32. Vowelless adjective NTH
34. Mumbo jumbo GIBBERISH
36. “Gigi” playwright LOOS
38. Loose LAX
39. Test center at Edwards, Calif., e.g. AFB
41. Hardly daydreaming RAPT
44. Former Fed chairman Bernanke BEN
45. 2012 war film remake RED DAWN
48. Competition that includes motocross X GAMES
50. Stress-reducing discipline TAI CHI
52. Spicy cuisine CREOLE
53. Bring down SADDEN
55. Sarah Connor portrayer Hamilton LINDA
57. Collars NABS
58. Ceramic cooker OLLA
59. Long in old politics HUEY
61. Scores A TON
62. Word with bird or nest LOVE
66. Working out well? FIT

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14 thoughts on “LA Times Crossword Answers 9 Aug 14, Saturday”

  1. After a good week of solving,
    This one beat me up and took my lunch money.

    Some tough cluing, WTH (to put it mildly) moments and unknown names slew me.

    Was reluctant on a couple answers,
    atTESTed to/I.Q. TEST,
    KEYless/turKEY
    Looked too repetitive.

    Oh well, can't win em all

    Have a great day all!

  2. Hello All –

    I'll agree that this was a tough puzzle. The clues were tough enough, but there seemed to be not much relief via the crosses this time. I thought weekends were for relaxing…..

    I did this puzzle too early in the day for a shot and a beer to help with the stress. I won't make that mistake next Saturday. 🙂

    Least favorite was "I'm staying" for "But you need me". OK I get it, but it was really weak.

    Favorite was tired sounding vegetable. I saw the clue long before I got to that point in the puzzle so I was trying to figure it out without letters to help me. Good pun…even though I'll agree with Bill that the expression is awful grammer.

    Have a good weekend all

  3. …also I had "Monroe" instead of Lady Di. I can't tell you how much time that cost me..

  4. I always start way too literal on Saturdays, I need to unhook my mind. Upper right had me until IQ Test. And I still don't get "I'm staying" from that clue. Maybe someone can 'splain it to me. And I don't equate exhaling with the tongue depressor, just with making a sound.

    Decent week of action. Enjoy the weekend everyone!

  5. Hello Bill, and friends,

    I tried this puzzle. Wrong way and time to enter this field of endeavor.

    Bill, I have a question for you – rather a set of questions ….

    1. Did you google, or consult reference book when solving this puzzle ?

    2. What happens if YOU get stuck ?

    3. Do you have access to the answers ?

    4. Do have Rich Norris' private line phone number …. on speed dial ? ;-^)

    Thanks again.

  6. Hi Bill (great write-up!)I learned a lot today. I just couldn't figure out why an apostrophe could represent 19!!!
    Hi Vidwan,Sfingi,Addict,Jeff,Piano Man,Tony,Willie D,Ron, and brave Saturday solvers!
    I judge my success on how far I get.
    Got everything from LADY DI down. Top half was a sea of white.
    Had MONROE first too,Jeff.
    DIANA didn't fit.
    Never ever heard of "Two by Two"
    IQ TEST was a real surprise.
    After some time I just hit "solve word".
    Willie, I thought "I'M STAYING"
    was a real groaner as well.
    Picture taking care of a sick friend and the friend doesn't want to burden you anymore.
    "Pookie, go home now, I'm OK.
    "But you need me." or
    "I"M STAYING"
    That's all I can come up with.
    Have a nice weekend, everyone!

  7. Tough one today with clues a little bit obscure. Like others, I had MONROE as the dedicatee which held me back. And IMSTAYING was a big wha?

    Yes, turkeys are pretty dumb birds. There is a flock of wild turkeys near my house that stand in my driveway occasionally as if asking to be run over. Turkey breeders have to protect the birds when it rains because they will turn their beaks to the sky to drink until they end up drowning. True story.

  8. @Addict
    Commiserations on the tough solve. I was actually luckier than you on this one, as the GLENDA Jackson and LINDA Hamilton clues were gimmes for me. "A Touch of Class" is a favorite film of mine. Getting answers like those really help with the solve on a Saturday.

    @Jeff
    Sounds like you almost "got beat", but made it through in the end 🙂

    @Willie
    You hit on the two clues that got a relatively poor reception from me as well. Those and the "beet" clue.

    @Vidwan
    Question time!
    I'm a bit obsessive, and refuse to use help when solving. If I do get stuck, I "formally declare" a "did not finish" (and note the fact under the grid). Then I google something, and hopefully that one answer opens up therest of the puzzle for me. Downloading the puzzle from the Internet means that I can check the answers afterwards. And no, I don't have Rich Norris's phone number, but we have chatted via email. Rich is a real gentleman.

    @Pookie
    Thanks for explaining the I'M STAYING answer and clue. I always seem to gloss over the wrong clues in my write-ups! And, congrats on everything from LADY DI down 🙂

  9. @Anonymous visitor
    That's a good one for sure, the abbreviation for abbreviation 🙂 Glad you worked it out, and thanks for stopping by to comment.

    @Piano Man
    Looks like it was our turn to be the commenters passing in the night today. Thanks for sharing that story about turkeys drowning. I had heard the same thing years ago, and wondered if it was true.

  10. The write overs on the left middle (the Lady Di section) and the upper right (IQ test/quest/turkey) makes it look like someone stabbed me and I bled black ink all over the puzzle today. But eventually it came together for a clean week. Yea! Saturday puzzles generally come together, if the do at all, in such fits and starts all over the grid. But they don't ask how many, just if you win or not!

    See you all here next week and now I have a "streak" to protect…Oh the pressure! ;-D>

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