LA Times Crossword Answers 13 Oct 14, Monday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: Carol Hacker
THEME: RV Park … today’s themed answers are each two words, the first beginning with R and the second with V:

51D. Place for Winnebagos … and for the answers to the starred clues? RV PARK

18A. *MTV staple ROCK VIDEO
31A. *Oral indication of anger RAISED VOICE
47A. *Trip to somewhere you’ve been before RETURN VISIT
62A. *Selling point of a home on the Hudson, say RIVER VIEW

BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 6m 17s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across

14. Songstress Lena HORNE
Lena Horne was an American jazz singer, actress, dancer and civil rights activist. Horne started out her career as a nightclub singer and then began to get some meaty acting roles in Hollywood. However, she ended up on the blacklist during the McCarthy Era for expressing left wing political views. One of Horne’s starring roles was in the 1943 movie “Stormy Weather” for which she also performed the title song.

18. *MTV staple ROCK VIDEO
The most successful branding campaign for MTV was centered on the slogan “I want my MTV”. The campaign was launched in 1982 and the slogan became so well-known that it was actually incorporated into the lyrics of the 1985 song by “Money for Nothing” recorded by Dire Straits.

22. Territory that became North and South states DAKOTA
The Dakota Territory was formed in 1861 and ceased to exist with the admission to the Union of the states of North Dakota and South Dakota. The territory was split into two states in 1889 largely due to lobbying by the Republican Party, which enjoyed a lot of support in the Dakota Territory. The admission of two states added to the political power of the party in the US Senate, by adding four safe Republican seats.

23. Mauna __ KEA
Mauna Kea is a dormant volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii, the peak of which is the highest point in the whole state. Mauna Kea is in effect the tip of a gigantic volcano rising up from the seabed.

24. Syst. with hand signals ASL
It’s really quite unfortunate that American Sign Language (ASL) and British Sign Language (BSL) are very different, and someone who has learned to sign in one cannot understand someone signing in the other.

26. “Blazing Saddles” director Brooks MEL
“Blazing Saddles” is a 1974 Mel Brooks movie that has become a modern-day classic. I really only enjoyed one Mel Brooks film, and “Blazing Saddles” wasn’t that one …

30. Nine-digit govt. ID SSN
A Social Security number (SSN) is divided into three parts i.e AAA-GG-SSSS, Originally, the Area Number (AAA) was the code for the office that issued the card. Since 1973, the Area Number reflects the ZIP code from which the application was made. The GG in the SSN is the Group Number, and the SSSS in the number is the Serial Number. However, this is all moot, as since 2011 SSN’s are assigned randomly.

34. Nickname of AA co-founder William Wilson BILL W
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) was founded in 1935, by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith in Akron, Ohio. As the organization grew, the guiding principles established by the founders were formatted into a 12-step program that was in place by the forties.

39. Home for the Heat MIAMI
The Miami Heat basketball team debuted in the NBA in the 1988-89 season. The franchise name was chosen in a competitive survey, with “Miami Heat” beating out “Miami Vice”.

45. Prophet whose name sounds like a mineral MICAH
The Book of Micah is one of twelve books in the Bible written by the so-called minor prophets. The name “Micah” translates into English from Hebrew as “Who is like God?”

Mica is a mineral, a sheet silicate. Thin sheets of mica are transparent and are used in place of glass in certain applications. This form of mica is called isinglass, and as it has a better thermal performance than glass it is a great choice for “peepholes’ in boilers and lanterns. Mica is also used in the electronics industry, making use of its unique electrical and thermal insulating properties.

50. “I need a short break,” in chat rooms BRB
Be right back (brb)

53. Brit. bigwigs PMS
The term “prime minister” as we know it, originated in the UK in the 1700s. That said, Cardinal Richelieu used the title prime minister (Premier Ministre) in 1625 France.

55. Explosive initials TNT
TNT is an abbreviation for trinitrotoluene. Trinitrotoluene was first produced in 1863 by the German chemist Joseph Wilbrand, who developed it for use as a yellow dye. TNT is relatively difficult to detonate so it was on the market as a dye for some years before its more explosive properties were discovered.

57. Either “Bye Bye Love” brother EVERLY
The Everly Brothers are noted for their steel guitar sound, and their great use of harmony. Their harmony onstage wasn’t reflected off the stage though. In 1973 the brothers decided to pursue separate careers and scheduled a farewell performance attended by many fans, family and stalwarts from the music industry. Don Everly came on stage too drunk to perform, and eventually brother Phil just stormed off into the wings, smashing his guitar as he left. The boys didn’t talk to each other for ten years after that incident. Phil Everly passed away in January 2014.

“Bye Bye Love” was published back in 1957, and was first recorded by the Everly Brothers, helping catapult them to stardom.

62. *Selling point of a home on the Hudson, say RIVER VIEW
The Hudson River flows through eastern New York State from Henderson Lake in the Adirondacks to the Port of New York and New Jersey. The river is named for the English explorer Henry Hudson who navigated it in 1609.

67. Actor Morales ESAI
Esai Morales is best known for his role in the 1987 movie “La Bamba”, which depicted the life of Ritchie Valens and his half-brother Bob Morales (played by Esai).

70. Spanish muralist José María SERT
José Maria Sert was a painter of murals from Catalan, and a friend of fellow-artist Salvador Dali.

Down
2. Western bad guy chasers POSSES
Our word “posse” comes from an Anglo-Latin term from the early 15th-century “posse comitatus” meaning “the force of the county”.

3. “Little __ Annie” ORPHAN
“Little Orphan Annie” is a comic strip created in 1924 by Harold Gray. The title was taken from a poem written in 1885 by James Whitcomb Riley called “Little Orphant Annie” (and yes, that spelling “orphant” is correct). Strangely enough, the original name of the poem was “Little Orphant Allie”, changed forever at its third printing, purely because of a typesetter’s error!

4. Top draft status ONE-A
The US government maintains information on all males who are potentially subject to military conscription, using what is called the Selective Service System(SS). In the event that a draft was held, men registered would be classified into groups to determine eligibility for service. Class 1-A registrants are those available for unrestricted military service. Other classes are 1-A-O (conscientious objector available for noncombatant service), 4-A (registrant who has completed military service) and 4-D (Minister of religion).

5. Classic Italian sports car FERRARI
Enzo Ferrari was an Italian race car driver, and founder of the Ferrari car manufacturing company. Ferrari died in 1988, and in 2003 the company named the Enzo Ferrari model after its founder.

7. N.Y. Yankee suspended during 2014 A-ROD
Poor old Alex Rodriguez earned more nicknames than just A-Rod. He has been called “the Cooler” by some players as there is a perception that teams go cold when he joins them and hot when he leaves. He has also been called “A-Fraud” by teammates because of another perception, that he is over-demanding. Rodriguez now seems to be in a world of hurt for using illegal performance-enhancing drugs.

10. Slightest amount WHIT
Both “whit” and “fig” are used to describe a trivial amount, a mere trifle.

11. Chutzpah AUDACITY
Our word “chutzpah” meaning “nerve, gall, impudence” is derived from the Yiddish “khutspe”, which has the same meaning.

13. Mel’s Diner waitress FLO
Florence Jean “Flo” Castleberry was a waitress in the sitcom “Alice” which aired on CBS in the 70s and 80s. Flo got her own sitcom (called “Flo”) which had a brief run in the early 80s. I saw a few episodes of “Alice”, but that’s about it. Oh, and Flo was played by Polly Holliday.

19. Swedish automaker VOLVO
Volvo is a Swedish manufacturers of cars, trucks and construction equipment. The Volvo name was chosen as “volvo” is Latin for “I roll”.

21. Biblical song PSALM
The Greek word “psalmoi” originally meant “songs sung to a harp”, and gave us the word “psalms”.

25. Actress Taylor LILI
The actress Lili Taylor had supporting roles in films like “Mystic Pizza”, “The Haunting” and “Rudy”, and she had a recurring role in the HBO series “Six Feet Under”.

32. Hindu teacher SWAMI
A swami is a religious teacher in the Hindu tradition. The word “swami” can also mean “husband” in the Bengali and Malay languages.

34. Boyfriend BEAU
A beau is the boyfriend of a belle, a young lady.

36. Fish that complains a lot? CARP
The word “carp” used to mean simply “talk” back in the 13th century, with its roots in the Old Norwegian “karpa” meaning “to brag”. A century later the Latin word “carpere” meaning “to slander” influenced the use of “carp” so that it came to mean “find fault with”.

49. Suitcase VALISE
“Valise” is a French word for “suitcase”.

50. Marathon city BOSTON
The Boston Marathon is the world’s oldest annual marathon, outside of the Olympic event. The first Boston Marathon was held in 1897 to celebrate Patriots Day, which marks the end of the American Revolution.

51. Place for Winnebagos … and for the answers to the starred clues? RV PARK
Winnebago Industries is a company that has been manufacturing travel trailers in Forest City, Iowa since 1958. The company made its first motor home in 1966. Winnebago motor homes were very successful because they were priced so reasonably. The line was so successful that “Winnebago” entered the language as a generic term for a motor home.

63. __ Jima IWO
Iwo Jima is a volcanic island located south of Tokyo that today is uninhabited. The name is Japanese for “Sulfur Island”, referring to the sulfur mining on which Iwo Jima’s economy once depended. There were about a thousand Japanese civilians living on the island prior to WWII. In 1944, there was a massive influx of Japanese military personnel in anticipation of the inevitable US invasion. As the Japanese military moved in, the civilians were forced out and no one has lived there since.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Parody SPOOF
6. Infant BABY
10. Homeless child WAIF
14. Songstress Lena HORNE
15. Geometry class calculation AREA
16. Throw hard HURL
17. According to AS PER
18. *MTV staple ROCK VIDEO
20. D-flat equivalent C-SHARP
22. Territory that became North and South states DAKOTA
23. Mauna __ KEA
24. Syst. with hand signals ASL
26. “Blazing Saddles” director Brooks MEL
27. Baseball hat CAP
30. Nine-digit govt. ID SSN
31. *Oral indication of anger RAISED VOICE
34. Nickname of AA co-founder William Wilson BILL W
35. Word before limits or space OUTER
36. Home for a bird CAGE
39. Home for the Heat MIAMI
42. Dermatologist’s concern CYST
43. In front AHEAD
45. Prophet whose name sounds like a mineral MICAH
47. *Trip to somewhere you’ve been before RETURN VISIT
50. “I need a short break,” in chat rooms BRB
53. Brit. bigwigs PMS
54. Vote of approval YEA
55. Explosive initials TNT
56. Egg cells OVA
57. Either “Bye Bye Love” brother EVERLY
60. Comprehends GRASPS
62. *Selling point of a home on the Hudson, say RIVER VIEW
65. Take the part of ACT AS
66. Fancy pitcher EWER
67. Actor Morales ESAI
68. Mowing the lawn, e.g. CHORE
69. Small horse PONY
70. Spanish muralist José María SERT
71. Distance runs, briefly TEN-KS

Down
1. Crude dwellings SHACKS
2. Western bad guy chasers POSSES
3. “Little __ Annie” ORPHAN
4. Top draft status ONE-A
5. Classic Italian sports car FERRARI
6. Happy hour spot BAR
7. N.Y. Yankee suspended during 2014 A-ROD
8. Turned into BECAME
9. Gabbed YAKKED
10. Slightest amount WHIT
11. Chutzpah AUDACITY
12. Anger IRE
13. Mel’s Diner waitress FLO
19. Swedish automaker VOLVO
21. Biblical song PSALM
25. Actress Taylor LILI
28. Top poker pair ACES
29. Sassy PERT
32. Hindu teacher SWAMI
33. “That’s painful!” OUCH!
34. Boyfriend BEAU
36. Fish that complains a lot? CARP
37. “Can I get a word in?” AHEM!
38. Exacts revenge GETS EVEN
40. Fine spray MIST
41. Cake topping ICING
44. Washer’s partner DRYER
46. Draw, as flies ATTRACT
48. Uneasy “bundle” contents NERVES
49. Suitcase VALISE
50. Marathon city BOSTON
51. Place for Winnebagos … and for the answers to the starred clues? RV PARK
52. Lowest choral parts BASSES
58. Exceptionally VERY
59. 2014, for one YEAR
61. Hurt ACHE
62. Sales staff employee REP
63. __ Jima IWO
64. Quickness of mind WIT

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8 thoughts on “LA Times Crossword Answers 13 Oct 14, Monday”

  1. Good morning everyone.

    This one started a little slow this AM til the coffee kicked in then it
    was full speed ahead.

    Biggest groaner was 34A Bill W, Nickname? Really??? Meh!

    Have a great day all!

  2. Hello all,

    slightly crunchier for a Monday, but enjoyed it very much.

    I had a little trouble with 'spoof'. Not that good with crosswords, as you can figure out. Finally got it.

    Bill B., as you may well know, ASL differs from British Sign Language, because ASL was derived from French sign teachers, whereas the british system is an independent invention. I read a big tome,'When the Mind Hears – A history of the deaf', by Harlan Lane, Vintage Books (Random House) 1984.517 pp. – 100 pages of bibliography. Very fascinating and comprehensive book, I highly recommend it – reads like a suspense novel.

    One quote:(worth repeating …. )
    "What matters deafness of the ear, when the mind hears. The one true deafness, the incurable deafness, is that of the mind." – Victor Hugo.

    Have a nice week, all.

  3. @ Sfingi – "Had nest before cage"

    I can go you one better (worse?) – I went from nest to tree to cage. Doh!

    See you all back here tomorrow I hope.

  4. Agree, this grid started slow. But then again, so did my brain this a.m..

    If you had CAGE the first time out, you're not thinking properly. I don't think anyone should fault themselves.

    Standard crossfill today. ABout average for a Monday.

  5. I also had nest at first for 36A! Had to switch from pen to pencil – always discouraging on a Monday puzzle….lol!

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