LA Times Crossword Answers 25 Sep 14, Thursday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: C.C. Burnikel
THEME: Pulled Muscles … each of today’s themed answers has the abbreviated name of a MUSCLE hidden inside:

37A. Common sports injuries … and a hint to hidden words that span both parts of the answers to starred clues PULLED MUSCLES

17A. *Hobby shop purchase MODEL TRAIN (hiding “delt”)
21A. *World Wildlife Fund symbol PANDA BEAR (hiding “ab”)
55A. *Florida city with over 400 miles of canals CAPE CORAL (hiding “pec”)
61A. *”Movin’ Out” choreographer TWYLA THARP (hiding “lat”)

BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 7m 52s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across

5. “Notes on a Scandal” Best Actress nominee DENCH
Dame Judi Dench is an outstanding English actress, known for decades in her home country mainly as a stage and television actress. Dench’s film career took off in the nineties with a relatively trivial role as “M” in the James Bond series of films. Since then she has played leading roles in several excellent movies including “Shakespeare in Love”, “Mrs. Brown” and “Notes on a Scandal”.

“Notes on a Scandal” is a powerful British film released in 2006, based on a novel by Zoë Heller. Stars of the film are Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett. Blanchett playes the role of teacher who has an affair with an underage student at her school, and Dench plays a lesbian teacher at the same school who has a crush on the character played by Blanchett. Also, the movie has a fabulous soundtrack composed by Philip Glass.

15. Villa on the Volga DACHA
Dachas are usually second homes in Russia and the former Soviet Union that are located outside the city limits in rural areas. Residents/tenants of dachas are often called dachniks.

The Volga is the longest river in Europe, and is considered the national river of Russia.

17. *Hobby shop purchase MODEL TRAIN (hiding “delt”)
The deltoid muscle is actually a group of muscles, the ones that cover the shoulder and create the roundness under the skin. The deltoids are triangular in shape resembling the Greek letter delta, hence the name.

19. Rte. 66 goes through it OKLA
The famous old highway called Route 66 has largely been replaced by modern interstates. It ran from Chicago to Los Angeles, right through the heart of America, and so it was often called the “Main Street of America”. The road gained notoriety because of Nat King Cole’s song “(Get Your Kicks On) Route 66”, and also because of the sixties TV show called “Route 66”.

20. African capital with a metro CAIRO
Cairo is the capital city of Egypt. It is the largest city on the continent of Africa and is nicknamed “The City of a Thousand Minarets” because of its impressive skyline replete with Islamic architecture. The name “Cairo” is a European corruption of the city’s original name in Arabic, “Al-Qahira”, which translates as “the Vanquisher” or “the Conqueror”.

The Paris Métro is the busiest underground transportation system in western Europe, carrying about 4.5 million passengers a day, about the same as the New York City Subway. The system took its name from the company that originally operated it, namely “La Compagnie du chemin de fer métropolitain de Paris”, which was shorted to “Métro”. The term “Metro” was then adopted for similar systems in cities all over the world.

21. *World Wildlife Fund symbol PANDA BEAR (hiding “ab”)
Taxonomic classification of the giant panda has been a subject of great debate for years, the main question being whether it belongs to the bear or raccoon family. The accepted opinion these days, based on molecular studies, seems to be that the panda is in fact a true bear.

Abdominal muscles (abs.)

The World Wildlife Fund was founded in 1961. It’s mission is …

… to stop the degradation of the planet’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature.

23. Health care org. AMA
American Medical Association (AMA)

24. Matter, in law RES
“Res” is the Latin for “thing”. “Res” is used in a lot of phrases in the law, including “res ipsa loquitur”. The literal translation of “res ipsa loquitur” is “the thing speaks for itself”. It refers to situations when there is an injury, and the nature of the injury is such that one can assume that negligence had to have taken place.

27. “Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown” channel CNN
Anthony Bourdain is a chef, author and television personality from New York City. Bourdain’s celebrity came with the publication of his book “Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly” in 2000. Bourdain moved on to host the television shows “Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations” and “Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown”.

42. Kenyan’s neighbor SOMALI
Somalia is a country located in the Horn of Africa that, sadly, is noted today for a devastating civil war and as a base for pirates who prey on ships passing through the Indian Ocean along the Somali coast.

43. John of England ELTON
Elton John’s real name is Reginald Dwight. Sir Elton was knighted in 1998, not for his music but for his charitable work. He founded his own Elton John AIDS Foundation back in 1992.

50. Yale alum ELI
Eli is the nickname for a graduate of Yale University, a term used in honor of the Yale benefactor Elihu Yale.

53. Batteries for mice AAS
A computer mouse might be powered by an AA battery.

55. *Florida city with over 400 miles of canals CAPE CORAL (hiding “pec”)
Cape Coral is very much a planned community in Florida, founded in 1957. The intention of the developers was to create a Waterfront Wonderland. The result is a city with 400 miles of navigable waterways, more than any other city on the planet!

“Pecs” is the familiar term for the chest muscle, more correctly known as the pectoralis major muscle. “Pectus” is a the Latin word for “breast, chest”.

60. European range ALPS
There are eight Alpine countries:

– Austria
– Slovenia
– France
– Switzerland
– Liechtenstein
– Germany
– Monaco
– Italy

61. *”Movin’ Out” choreographer TWYLA THARP (hiding “lat”)
I love Twyla Tharp’s choreography, and her patented “moves”. Tharp was born in Portland, Indiana in 1941. She was named after Twila Thornburg, the “Pig Princess” of the 89th Annual Muncie Fair in Indiana. That’s one to tell to the grandkids …

If you ever get the chance to see it, I strongly recommend the Twyla Tharp musical “Movin’ Out”, a modern dance work that’s built around the music of Billy Joel. There’s no dialog, and a pretty thin plot, but it’s a wonderful series of fabulously choreographed dances to Joel hits. It’s guaranteed to have you dancing in aisles.

The muscles known as the “lats” are the latissimi dorsi, the broadest muscles in the back. “Latissimus” is the Latin for “broadest” and “dorsum” is Latin for “back”.

63. Flight unit STEP
Flight of steps/stairs

64. Movie toy in a cereal box, e.g. TIE-IN
In the world of advertising, a “tie-in” is a promotion involving the sale of two related products. For example, there may be a “book and movie tie-in”.

66. Hoopla TO-DO
The term “hoopla” means “boisterous excitement”. It probably comes from the “houp-là”, something the French say instead of “upsy-daisy”. Then again, “upsy-daisy” probably isn’t something said very often here in the US …

68. Sauna phenomenon MIST
As my Finnish-American wife will tell you, “sauna” is a Finnish word, and is correctly pronounced “sow-nah” (with “sow” as in the female pig).

Down
2. End of many a riddle WHO AM I?

Question: Say my name and I disappear. What am I?
Answer: Silence

3. Mauritius’ ocean INDIAN
The island of Mauritius lies in the Indian Ocean, about 700 miles east of Madagascar. One of Mauritius’ claim to fame is that it was the only place where one could find the renowned flightless bird called a dodo. The dodo became extinct less than a century after it was discovered, due to human settlement on the island.

4. Movie trailer? -GOER
Moviegoer

5. Banned pesticide 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.

6. Notable Old West brothers EARPS
The famous Earp brothers of the Wild West were Wyatt, Virgil and Morgan. All three brothers participated in what has to be the most famous gunfight in the history of the Old West, the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Arizona. Strangely enough, the fight didn’t happen at the O.K. Corral, but took place six doors down the street in a vacant lot next to a photography studio.

7. Sweet Sixteen org. NCAA
The Sweet Sixteen are the final sixteen teams competing in the NCAA Division 1 Basketball Championships each year.

8. Holiday dishes? CHINA
One might bring out the best china on holidays.

12. Its 2011 landing marked the end of the Space Shuttle program ATLANTIS
The Space Shuttle Atlantis had its first launch in 1985. The shuttle takes its name from the RV Atlantis, a two-masted sailboat that operated from the thirties through the sixties with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, the largest independent marine research organization in the country. The “odometer” reading on the Space Shuttle Atlantis after her 32nd flight, was about the same as 505 one-way flights from the Earth to the Moon!

18. “Because we’re worth it” sloganeer L’OREAL
L’Oréal is a French cosmetics company, the largest cosmetics and beauty company in the world.

29. Fla. University named for a pope ST LEO
Saint Leo University is a private Roman Catholic school located in the town of St. Leo, Florida. The school was founded in 1889 by a group of Benedictine monks, making it the oldest Catholic college in the state. Saint Leo University was named for Pope Leo I.

31. Actress Shire TALIA
The actress Talia Shire is best-known for playing Rocky’s wife Adrian in the “Rocky” series of movies. She also played the daughter of Don Corleone in “The Godfather” films. Shire is the sister of movie director Francis Ford Coppola and the aunt of actor Nicolas Cage. Her son is the actor Jason Schwartzman.

33. Vikings seek them, briefly TDS
Touchdowns (TDs)

The Minnesota Vikings joined the NFL as an expansion team in 1960. Founded in Minnesota, the team’s name reflects the location’s reputation a center of Scandinavian American culture.

34. Rock genre EMO
The musical genre of “emo” originated in Washington D.C. in the 80s, and takes its name from “emotional hardcore”. Not my cup of tea …

37. Silicon Valley city PALO ALTO
The city of Palo Alto, California takes its name from a specific redwood tree called El Palo Alto (Spanish for “the tall stick”) that is located within the bounds of the city. The tree is 110 feet tall and over a thousand years old.

The Santa Clara Valley, just a few miles from me at the south of San Francisco Bay, is better known as “Silicon Valley”. The term “Silicon Valley” dates back to 1971 when it was apparently first used in a weekly trade newspaper called “Electronic News” in articles written by journalist Don Hoefler.

40. Hanger hangout CLOSET
In old French a “clos” was an enclosure, with the diminutive form “closet” describing a small enclosure or private room. Over time this evolved into our modern usage, to describe a cabinet or cupboard.

44. Japanese electronics giant NEC
NEC is the name that the Nippon Electric Company chose for itself outside of Japan after a re-branding exercise in 1983.

46. Aquafina rival DASANI
Dasani is a Coca-Cola brand of bottled water. Dasani is filtered tap water with some trace minerals added.

Aquafina is Pepsico brand of bottled water. Aquafina is just plain old municipal water that has been purified.

48. Coup target DESPOT
A “despot” is a ruler with absolute power, often one who wields that power oppressively. “Despot” is an old French term from the 14th century, ultimately derived from the Greek “despotes” meaning “master of a household, absolute ruler”.

A coup d’état (often just “coup”) is the sudden overthrow of a government, and comes from the French for “stroke of state”. The Swiss German word “putsch” is sometimes used instead of “coup”, with “Putsch” translating literally as “sudden blow”.

51. Game most people lose LOTTO
Originally “Lotto” was a type of card game, with “lotto” being the Italian for “a lot”. We’ve used “lotto” to mean a gambling game since the late 1700s.

52. Novelist Shaw IRWIN
Irwin Shaw was an author from New York City. Shaw’s most famous works were his novels “The Young Lions” (1948) and “Rich Man, Poor Man” (1970). The former was made into a successful 1958 film of the same starring Marlon Brando, Montgomery Clift and Dean Martin. The latter became a successful TV miniseries of the same name starring Peter Strauss and Nick Nolte.

53. Kate’s sitcom pal ALLIE
“Kate & Allie” ran from 1984 to 1989, starring Susan Saint James as Kate, and Jane Curtin as Allie. Jane Curtin won two Emmy awards for her work on the series, while Susan Saint James … did not.

56. Old Bruin nickname ESPO
Phil “Espo” Esposito is a former professional hockey player who played for the Chicago Blackhawks, Boston Bruins and New York Rangers.

62. Raid target ANT
Raid insecticide has been killing bugs since 1956.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Stick on the ground TWIG
5. “Notes on a Scandal” Best Actress nominee DENCH
10. Legal suspension STAY
14. “How awful!” OH NO!
15. Villa on the Volga DACHA
16. After the bell LATE
17. *Hobby shop purchase MODEL TRAIN (hiding “delt”)
19. Rte. 66 goes through it OKLA
20. African capital with a metro CAIRO
21. *World Wildlife Fund symbol PANDA BEAR (hiding “ab”)
23. Health care org. AMA
24. Matter, in law RES
26. Burning sign ASH
27. “Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown” channel CNN
28. Glittery strand TINSEL
30. Utter STATE
32. Sweet and sour TASTES
36. Extremely dry ARID
37. Common sports injuries … and a hint to hidden words that span both parts of the answers to starred clues PULLED MUSCLES
41. Die down WANE
42. Kenyan’s neighbor SOMALI
43. John of England ELTON
45. Spurred GOADED
49. Showy wrap BOA
50. Yale alum ELI
53. Batteries for mice AAS
54. Something to grind AXE
55. *Florida city with over 400 miles of canals CAPE CORAL (hiding “pec”)
58. Lets up EASES
60. European range ALPS
61. *”Movin’ Out” choreographer TWYLA THARP (hiding “lat”)
63. Flight unit STEP
64. Movie toy in a cereal box, e.g. TIE-IN
65. Inner: Pref. ENTO-
66. Hoopla TO-DO
67. Early stage ONSET
68. Sauna phenomenon MIST

Down
1. Alley prowler TOMCAT
2. End of many a riddle WHO AM I?
3. Mauritius’ ocean INDIAN
4. Movie trailer? -GOER
5. Banned pesticide DDT
6. Notable Old West brothers EARPS
7. Sweet Sixteen org. NCAA
8. Holiday dishes? CHINA
9. Ones working around the clock? HANDS
10. Disorderly sort SLOB
11. “Be well!” TAKE CARE!
12. Its 2011 landing marked the end of the Space Shuttle program ATLANTIS
13. Pined YEARNED
18. “Because we’re worth it” sloganeer L’OREAL
22. Relaxed remarks AHS
25. “Anything __?” ELSE
29. Fla. University named for a pope ST LEO
31. Actress Shire TALIA
33. Vikings seek them, briefly TDS
34. Rock genre EMO
35. Total SUM
37. Silicon Valley city PALO ALTO
38. Yet to be used UNTAPPED
39. Epic tale SAGA
40. Hanger hangout CLOSET
41. Online program WEBCAST
44. Japanese electronics giant NEC
46. Aquafina rival DASANI
47. Puts forth EXERTS
48. Coup target DESPOT
51. Game most people lose LOTTO
52. Novelist Shaw IRWIN
53. Kate’s sitcom pal ALLIE
56. Old Bruin nickname ESPO
57. Shouts of support AYES
59. Polite interruption AHEM
62. Raid target ANT

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