LA Times Crossword Answers 7 Jan 15, Wednesday

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
1. Neutral hue ECRU
The shade called ecru is a grayish, yellowish brown. The word “ecru” comes from French and means “raw, unbleached”. “Ecru” has the same roots as our word “crude”.

5. Book of legends? ATLAS
The famous Flemish geographer Gerardus Mercator published his first collection of maps in 1578. Mercator’s collection contained a frontispiece with an image of Atlas the Titan from Greek mythology holding up the world on his shoulders. That image gave us our term “atlas”.

10. Irreverent radio host IMUS
Don Imus’s syndicated radio show “Imus in the Morning” broadcasts from New York City. Imus has been described as a “shock jock”, a disc jockey who deliberately uses provocative language and humor that many would find offensive . I don’t like shock jocks …

15. Airboat area SWAMP
An airboat is a boat with a flat bottom and aircraft type propeller on the stern that provides forward motion. The propeller is often connected to a small aircraft engine. Believe it or not, the first airboat was built in 1905 by a team led by Alexander Graham Bell, who famously invented the first practical telephone.

18. Black-eyed peas dish HOPPIN’ JOHN (giving “Pope John”)
Hoppin’ John is a dish from the American South in which the main ingredients are black-eyed peas, rice, onion and bacon. There is a tradition that eating a bowl of Hoppin’ John on New Year’s Day will bring luck. Any Hoppin’ John that is left over after New Year’s Day is renamed to Skippin’ Jenny. The dish seems to have originated in the mid-1800s, when it was first called “Hopping John”.

The have been 23 popes who have taken the name John, the last being Pope John XXIII who led the Roman Catholic Church from 1958 until 1963. Pope John was born Angelo Roncalli in a village in Lombardy in the north of Italy.

20. Like some Netflix movies ON DISC
Netflix was founded in Los Gatos, California in 1997. Although now focused on video streaming, the company delivered it’s billionth DVD in 2007. I presume the renter wasn’t charged for that movie …

27. Pretend nothing’s going on LOOK INNOCENT (giving “Pope Innocent”)
There have been 13 popes with the name Innocent. Pope Innocent I took his name from his “supposed” father, a man called Innocens of Albano, which started the naming tradition. However, it is also believed that Innocent I was the son of the preceding pope, Anastasius I. The celibacy rules came later, I guess …

31. Empty the recycle bin, e.g. ERASE
Microsoft introduced its “Recycle Bin” feature in Windows 95. Modeled on Apples “Wastebasket” and “Trash”, the Recycle Bin is temporary storage for files deleted by the computer user. These files can be recovered if necessary (undeleted), up until the time that the user “empties” the Recycle Bin, deleting the files permanently.

32. Petri dish gel AGAR
Julius Richard Petri was a German bacteriologist and was the man after whom the Petri dish is named. The petri dish can have an agar gel on the bottom which acts a nutrient source for the specimen being grown and studied, in which case the dish plus agar is referred to as an “agar plate”.

38. “Also sprach Zarathustra” composer STRAUSS
“Also sprach Zarathustra” is a tone poem composed in 1896 by Richard Strauss. The musical work was inspired by a philosophical novel of the same name by Friedrich Nietzsche. The opening of the work is known as “Sunrise”. This section of the work was made incredibly famous when it was used in the movie “2001: A Space Odyssey”.

42. Reunion attendee ALUM
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.

44. Third Pillar of Islam subject ALMS
Followers of the Muslim tradition believe in the Five Pillars of Islam, five obligatory acts that underpin Muslim life. The Five Pillars are:

– The Islamic creed
– Daily prayer
– Almsgiving
– Fasting during the month of Ramadan
– The pilgrimage to Mecca (haj) once during a lifetime

47. Brunch fare EGGS BENEDICT (giving “Pope Benedict”)
Eggs Benedict is a dish traditionally served at an American breakfast or brunch. It usually consists of a halved English muffin topped with ham and poached eggs, all smothered in Hollandaise sauce. The exact origin of the dish is apparently debated, but one story is that it is named for a Wall Street stockbroker called Lemuel Benedict. In 1894 in the Waldorf Hotel, Benedict ordered toast, poached eggs, crispy bacon and Hollandaise sauce as a cure for his hangover. The hotel’s maître d’ Oscar Tschirky was impressed by the dish and added the variant that we use today to the hotel’s menu, naming it for the gentleman who had first ordered it.

Did you know that the former Pope, Benedict XVI, released a music CD while in office? His Holiness is featured singing on an album released not too long ago by the Vatican. “Alma Mater: Featuring The Voice of Pope Benedict XVI Deluxe Edition” is a collection of sacred music. All proceeds go to help underprivileged children around the world.

50. Bygone Detroit brewery STROH
Bernard Stroh was the son of a German brewer. Stroh immigrated to the US in 1848 and set up his own brewery in 1850 in Detroit. Years later, the Stroh Brewing Company introduced a European process called fire-brewing. This results in higher temperatures at a crucial stage in the brewing process, supposedly bringing out flavor. Stroh’s is the only American beer that still uses this process.

59. Country star with an un-countrylike name KEITH URBAN (giving “Pope Urban”)
Keith Urban is a country singer from Australia, who was actually born in New Zealand. Urban moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 1992.

There have been eight popes named Urban who have led the Roman Catholic Church. Pope Urban I was in office from 222 to 230 and is the only one of the eight to have been sanctified. Urban VII’s papacy was the shortest in the history of the church. He died from malaria just 13 days after having been chosen as Pope in September 1590.

62. What “will keep us together,” in a 1975 hit LOVE
“Love Will Keep Us Together” is a 1973 song that was co-written and recorded by Neil Sedaka. The most successful version of the song was recorded two years later by husband and wife duo Captain & Tennille. “Love Will Keep Us Together” was in fact the best-selling single of 1975.

63. Hamburg’s river ELBE
The River Elbe rises in the Czech Republic and travels over a thousand kilometers before emptying into the North Sea near the port of Hamburg in Germany.

Hamburg is the second largest city in Germany (after Berlin), and the third largest port in Europe (after Rotterdam and Antwerp).

64. “Transcendental” Liszt piece ETUDE
Franz Liszt (1811-1886) was a Hungarian composer and a fabulous pianist. Particularly towards the end of his life, Liszt gained a tremendous reputation as a teacher. While he was in his sixties, his teaching profession demanded that he commute regularly between the cities of Rome, Weimar and Budapest. It is quite remarkable that a man of such advanced age, and in the 1870s, could do so much annual travel. It is estimated that Liszt journeyed at least 4,000 miles every year!

The “Transcendental Études” are twelve piano pieces by Franz Liszt that were first published in 1852. Actually, the 1852 pieces were revised versions of a series of pieces published in 1837, which in turn were a refinement of exercises written in 1826 when the composer was only 15 years old.

65. Blunted blade EPEE
The épée that is used in today’s sport fencing is derived from the old French dueling sword. In fact, the the sport of épée fencing is very similar to the dualing of the 19th century. The word “épée” translates from French as “sword”.

68. Lowly worker SERF
A serf was a member of the lowest feudal class, someone attached to land owned by a lord. “Serf” comes from the Latin “servus”, meaning “slave”.

Down
3. It’s tender in Johannesburg RAND
The Rand is the currency of South Africa. Much of South Africa’s famed gold comes from mines around Johannesburg in the Witwatersrand (Afrikaans for “the ridge of white waters”). The Rand currency takes its name from this ridge.

Johannesburg is the most populous city in South Africa. The city developed from a prospecting settlement, and was named after two surveyors: Johannes Meyer and Johannes Rissik.

6. __-Face: duplicitous Batman foe TWO
In the Batman storyline, Harvey Dent was the squeaky-clean District Attorney of Gotham City. Dent worked alongside Batman to fight the city’s crime. However, during a trial of a mob boss, the defendant throws acid at him and scars the left side of Dent’s face. Dent loses his mind and becomes a criminal, calling himself “Two-Face” because of his unfortunate facial features. Two-Face decides whether to do good or evil deeds by flipping a coin.

9. Dreidels and pinwheels SPINNERS
A dreidel is a spinning top with four sides, often associated with the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. Each of the four sides on a dreidel bears a letter from the Hebrew alphabet (nun, gimel, hei and shin). The four letters are the initials of the Hebrew phrase “Nes Gadol Hayah Sham” meaning “a great miracle happened there”. According to tradition, children would be taught Torah while hiding in caves away from the Greeks. When Greek soldiers approached, the children would hide their torah scrolls and play with their dreidels instead.

11. “A Visit From St. Nicholas” poet Clement Clarke __ MOORE
The poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas” was published anonymously in 1823, and is better known today by its first line “‘Twas the night before Christmas”. Most scholars believe that the poem was written by Clement Clarke Moore, a theologian from New York City. Others say that it was written by Henry Livingston, Jr. a poet from Upstate New York.

‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her ’kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap,
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash …

19. Frau’s refusal NEIN
In Germany, a “Mr.” (Herr) is married to a “Mrs.” (Frau).

25. Gable/Gardner classic set in Africa MOGAMBO
“Mogambo” is a 1953 film noted for its spectacular scenes set in the African jungle. “Mogambo” is actually a remake of a 1932 movie called “Red Dust”. Gable plays the romantic lead in both the original and the remake, even though they are filmed 21 years apart. Gable gets involved with Jean Harlow and Mary Astor in the original, and with a Ava Gardner and Grace Kelly in the remake.

27. Actress Olin LENA
The lovely Lena Olin is a Swedish actress, clearly someone who had acting in her blood. Her mother was the actress Britta Holmberg and her father the actor and director Stig Olin. Olin had a very successful career in Sweden, often working with the great Ingmar Bergman. Olin’s breakthrough international and English-speaking role was playing opposite Daniel Day-Lewis in “The Unbearable Lightness of Being” released in 1988. Way back in 1974, the lovely Miss Olin was crowned Miss Scandinavia in a beauty pageant for Nordic women held in Helsinki, Finland.

29. Pearl Harbor locale OAHU
O’ahu has been called “The Gathering Place”, although the word “O’ahu” has no translation in Hawaiian. It seems that O’ahu is simply the name of the island. One story is that it is named after the son of the Polynesian navigator that first found the islands. The island is made up of two volcanoes, Wai’anae and Ko’olau, joined together by a broad valley, the O’ahu Plain.

34. Native Arizonans HOPI
Much of the Hopi nation live on a reservation that is actually located within the much larger Navajo reservation in Arizona.

35. Obama attorney general Holder ERIC
Eric Holder is the Attorney General of the United States, and is the first African American to hold the position. Holder was close to President Obama during the presidential campaign. Holder was the campaign’s legal advisor and was also one of the three members on the Obama vice-presidential selection committee, which of course opted for Vice-President Joe Biden.

39. Swiss luxury watchmaker TAG HEUER
TAG Heuer is a watch manufacturer based in Switzerland that has diversified into fashion accessories and even mobile phones. The original company was founded by Edouard Heuer in 1860. The company’s current name came about when Heuer was acquired by an entity called Techniques d’Avant Garde (TAG).

49. Midday tryst NOONER
In its most general sense, a tryst is a meeting at an agreed time and place. More usually we consider a tryst to be a prearranged meeting between lovers. The term comes from the Old French “triste”, a waiting place designated when hunting.

50. Compete in a bee SPELL
Back in 18th-century America, when neighbors would gather to work for the benefit of one of their group, such a meeting was called a “bee”. The name “bee” was an allusion to the social nature of the insect. In modern parlance, a further element of entertainment and pleasure has been introduced, for example in a “quilting bee”, or even a “spelling bee”.

53. Luau strings UKES
The ukulele (“uke”) originated in the 1800s and mimicked a small guitar brought to the Hawaiian Islands by Portuguese immigrants.

Nowadays the word “luau” denotes almost any kind of party on the Hawaiian Islands, but to the purist a luau is a feast that always includes a serving of “poi”, the bulbous underground stems of taro baked with coconut milk.

54. Arg. miss SRTA
Señorita (Srta.) is Spanish and mademoiselle (Mlle.) is French for “Miss”.

Argentina is the second largest country in South America (after Brazil), and geographically is the world’s largest Spanish-speaking nation. The name “Argentina” comes from the Latin “argentum”, the word for “silver”. It is thought that the name was given by the early Spanish and Portuguese conquerors who also named the Rio de la Plata (the “Silver River”). Those early explorers got hold of lots of silver objects that they found among the native population.

56. Religious leader associated with the ends of the four longest puzzle answers POPE
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome and the leader of the Roman Catholic Church. The term “pope” comes from the Latin “papa”, and ultimately from the Greek “pappas”, with both terms being a child’s word for “father”.

58. Great Barrier __ REEF
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.

61. Oral health org. ADA
American Dental Association (ADA)

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Neutral hue ECRU
5. Book of legends? ATLAS
10. Irreverent radio host IMUS
14. Become painfully dry CHAP
15. Airboat area SWAMP
16. Narrow margin NOSE
17. Hardly noticeable amount HINT
18. Black-eyed peas dish HOPPIN’ JOHN
20. Like some Netflix movies ON DISC
22. Wore a belittling look SNEERED
23. Notable gap CHASM
26. More pleasant NICER
27. Pretend nothing’s going on LOOK INNOCENT
31. Empty the recycle bin, e.g. ERASE
32. Petri dish gel AGAR
33. Cast off SHED
37. Informal pass NAH
38. “Also sprach Zarathustra” composer STRAUSS
41. Miner issue ORE
42. Reunion attendee ALUM
44. Third Pillar of Islam subject ALMS
45. Short stroke TAP-IN
47. Brunch fare EGGS BENEDICT
50. Bygone Detroit brewery STROH
52. Gas leak warnings ODORS
53. Starts a revolution UPRISES
55. Comparable to, with “with” ON A PAR
59. Country star with an un-countrylike name KEITH URBAN
62. What “will keep us together,” in a 1975 hit LOVE
63. Hamburg’s river ELBE
64. “Transcendental” Liszt piece ETUDE
65. Blunted blade EPEE
66. Downhill coaster SLED
67. Pitching scout’s device RADAR
68. Lowly worker SERF

Down
1. Bounce back ECHO
2. Uppercut target CHIN
3. It’s tender in Johannesburg RAND
4. Market advances UPTICKS
5. Picnic area barrel ASHCAN
6. __-Face: duplicitous Batman foe TWO
7. __ cat LAP
8. Rock concert gear AMPS
9. Dreidels and pinwheels SPINNERS
10. Adds to a conversation, as a remark INJECTS
11. “A Visit From St. Nicholas” poet Clement Clarke __ MOORE
12. Seat finder USHER
13. Delight SEND
19. Frau’s refusal NEIN
21. Draws back in fear SHIES
24. Hairbrush targets SNARLS
25. Gable/Gardner classic set in Africa MOGAMBO
27. Actress Olin LENA
28. __ hygiene ORAL
29. Pearl Harbor locale OAHU
30. Led to CAUSED
34. Native Arizonans HOPI
35. Obama attorney general Holder ERIC
36. Bit of hail damage DENT
39. Swiss luxury watchmaker TAG HEUER
40. Strict STERN
43. Deserved MERITED
46. Source of TV revenue AD SALES
48. “Crikey!” GOSH!
49. Midday tryst NOONER
50. Compete in a bee SPELL
51. 34-Down, e.g. TRIBE
53. Luau strings UKES
54. Arg. miss SRTA
56. Religious leader associated with the ends of the four longest puzzle answers POPE
57. State as fact AVER
58. Great Barrier __ REEF
60. Future bloom BUD
61. Oral health org. ADA

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