LA Times Crossword Answers 29 Jun 15, Monday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: Patti Varol
THEME: Finally, a V-Sign … each of today’s themed answers ends with a word that can be communicated with a V-SIGN:

29D. Hand gesture for the last word of the answers to starred clues V-SIGN

20A. *Statue of Nike at the Louvre WINGED VICTORY
37A. *Had street smarts KNEW A THING OR TWO
51A. *Jesus, to Christians PRINCE OF PEACE

BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 4m 59s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across

1. Org. protecting people’s rights ACLU
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has its roots in the First World War when it was founded to provide legal advice and support to conscientious objectors. The ACLU’s motto is “Because Freedom Can’t Protect Itself”.

14. Box office bust FLOP
The term “box office” may date back to Shakespearean times. In those days long past, patrons would deposit fees for seeing theater performances in boxes. The full boxes would be collected and placed in an office called, imaginatively enough, the “box office”.

16. Parkway division LANE
The original “parkways” were scenic highways or roadways in or connecting parks. Sadly, many parkways are a lot less scenic these days, as buildings sprout up along them.

17. Biblical water-to-wine locale CANA
According to the Christian Bible, Cana is the place where Jesus performed his first public miracle. Jesus was attending a wedding feast with his mother when the party ran out of wine. Jesus turned water into wine, wine that was judged to be the best served at the feast.

18. “Little Rascals” girl DARLA
Alfalfa’s love interest in “Our Gang” was Darla, whose real name was Darla Hood. Hood became quite a successful singer after she grew out of her “Our Gang” role.

Hal Roach made a whole series of comedy shorts with “The Little Rascals”, also known as “Our Gang”. This very likable bunch of kids included Spanky and his kid brother, Porky. Porky had a speech impediment so he couldn’t pronounce “Okay, Spanky” very clearly and it came out as “Otay, Panky”.

20. *Statue of Nike at the Louvre WINGED VICTORY
“Winged Victory of Samothrace” is one of the most famous sculptures in the world, a work in marble that dates back to the 2nd century BC that today stands in the Louvre in Paris. The statue, which depicts the goddess Nike, is badly damaged and is missing it’s head and arms. But even in its current condition it is a magnificent sight to behold. Samothrace is a Greek island. The figure once formed part of teh Samothrace temple complex, hence its name.

23. Lucy’s longtime spouse DESI
Lucille Ball was at the height of her success while she was married to Desi Arnaz. The couple met in 1940 and not long afterwards eloped. Lucy had several miscarriages before she gave birth to her first child in 1951, just one month before her fortieth birthday. A year and a half later, while “I Love Lucy” was garnering large audiences, she became pregnant with her second child, a pregnancy that was written into the television show’s script. In fact, the day that Lucy gave birth on the show, was the same day that she gave birth in real life.

28. Month between mars et mai AVRIL
Three of the months of the year are, in French, mars (March), avril (April) et mai (and May). Note that the names of months usually aren’t capitalized in French.

34. “Brighton Beach Memoirs” playwright Neil SIMON
Neil Simon is one of my favorite playwrights. Simon has written over thirty plays and about thirty screenplays. He has received more nominations for Oscars and Tony Awards than any other writer. My favorite play penned by Simon has to be “Brighton Beach Memoirs”, but the list of his great stage works seems endless and includes “Barefoot in the Park”, “The Odd Couple”, “Sweet Charity”, “Plaza Suite”, “California Suite”, “Biloxi Blues” and “The Goodbye Girl”.

41. Pulitzer-winning novelist Jennifer EGAN
Jennifer Egan is an author who grew up in San Francisco. Egan’s 2010 work “A Visit from the Goon Squad” won the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Usually termed a novel, “A Visit from the Goon Squad” is structured in such a way that it is sometimes described as a collection of linked short stories.

45. Good, in Guadalajara BUENO
Guadalajara is a populous city in the Mexican state of Jalisco. The Mexican city is named after the city of the same name in the center of Spain.

47. Crystal-bearing rock GEODE
A geode is a rock in which there is a cavity lined or filled with crystal formations.

49. Have an inkling FEEL
Our word “inkling”, meaning “suggestion, intimation”, apparently comes from the Middle English word “inclen” meaning “to hint”.

51. *Jesus, to Christians PRINCE OF PEACE
According to the Bible’s, Book of Isaiah:

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

57. James of “The Godfather” CAAN
James Caan is an actor from The Bronx, New York City. He is noted for his appearances in some very big movies such as “The Godfather”, “Misery”, “A Bridge Too Far”, “Rollerball” and more recently “Elf”. Caan is quite the sportsman. He plays golf with an 8 handicap, and is a 6-Dan Black Belt Master of Gosoku Karate.

“The Godfather” series of films is based on “The Godfather” novel by Mario Puzo, first published in 1969. Francis Ford Coppola worked with Puzo in partnership to adapt his novel into the screenplay for the first film, and to write the screenplays for the two sequels. Coppola holds that there are really only two films in “The Godfather” series, with “The Godfather Part III” actually being the epilogue.

58. Golf great Palmer ARNIE
Arnold Palmer is one of the greats of the world of golf. Palmer is very popular with many fans of the game, and his followers are usually referred to as “Arnie’s Army”. Off the course, Palmer was an avid pilot, but is now retired from flying. He resides in Latrobe, Pennsylvania for much of the year and the local airport is named in his honor: Arnold Palmer Regional Airport.

59. Bossa __ NOVA
Bossa Nova is a style of music from Brazil that evolved from samba. The most famous piece of bossa nova is the song “The Girl from Ipanema”.

61. Prilosec target ACID
Prilosec is a brand name for the drug omeprazole. It is a “proton-pump inhibitor”, meaning that is reduces the production of gastric acid.

64. Bic Cristal and uni-ball PENS
Société Bic is a French company, based in Clichy in France. The first product the company produced, more than fifty years ago, was the Bic Cristal ballpoint pen that is still produced today. Bic also makes other disposable products such as lighters and razors.

Uni-ball is a brand of pens and pencils made by the Mitsubishi Pencil Company. The Mitsubishi Pencil Company is unrelated to the Mitsubishi Group company that makes so many products, including Mitsubishi line of cars and trucks that we see on our roads.

Down
1. New Eng. Patriots’ org. AFC
The New England Patriots football team was founded in 1959 as the Boston Patriots. The “Patriots” name was selected from suggestions made by football fans in Boston. The team played at several different stadiums in the Boston area for just over ten years, before moving to their current home base in Foxborough, Massachusetts. At the time of the move, the “Boston” name was dropped and changed to “New England”.

3. Actress Anderson LONI
Loni Anderson’s most-remembered role was Jennifer Marlowe on the sitcom “WKRP in Cincinnati”. Anderson has been married four times, most famously to actor Burt Reynolds from 1988 to 1993.

5. Mineral-rich deposits LODES
A lode is a metal ore deposit that’s found between two layers of rock or in a fissure. The “mother lode” is the principal deposit in a mine, usually of gold or silver. “Mother lode” is probably a translation of “veta madre”, an expression used in mining in Mexico.

6. Maine national park ACADIA
Acadia National Park in Maine was created in 1919, although back then it was called Lafayette National Park in honor of the Marquis de Lafayette who famously supported the American Revolution. The park was renamed to Acadia in 1929.

7. “Jeopardy!” creator Griffin MERV
Merv Griffin was quite the entertainer, truly a mogul in the business. He started his career as a singer on the radio during the big band era. In the sixties he hosted his own talk show, and then famously developed such great game shows as “Jeopardy!” and “Wheel of Fortune”.

8. Island near Java BALI
Bali is the most important tourist destination in Indonesia and is an island lying east of Java. In recent years, Bali’s tourist industry has been badly hit in the aftermath of two terrorist bombings. The first one, in 2002, killed 202 people, mainly foreign tourists in a nightclub.

Java is a large island in Indonesia that is home to the country’s capital, Jakarta. With a population of over 130 million, Java is the most populous island in the world, with even more people than Honshu, the main island of Japan.

10. Transfusion fluid BLOOD
There is a well-known story, which may not be true, that Pope Innocent VIII was the first person to receive a blood transfusion, in 1492. His physician Giacomo di San Genesio had the pope drink the blood of three 10-year-old boys, who subsequently died. Pope Innocent passed away himself a few days later, as the treatment apparently had little effect.

13. Director Anderson WES
Wes Anderson’s most famous movie is probably “The Royal Tenenbaums”, released in 2001, not my favorite film by any stretch. However, his 2007 release “The Darjeeling Limited”, that I enjoyed.

21. Actress Davis GEENA
As well as being a successful Hollywood actress, Geena Davis is an accomplished archer and came close to qualifying for the US archery team for the 2000 Summer Olympics. Davis is also a member of American Mensa. She is quite the lady …

29. Hand gesture for the last word of the answers to starred clues V-SIGN
One has to be careful making that V-sign depending where you are in the world. Where I came from, the V-sign (for victory, the number two, or peace) has to be made with the palm facing outwards. If the sign is made with the palm facing inwards, it’s a very obscene gesture.

32. Yelled at a scarecrow? CAWED
A “caw” is the harsh cry of a crow.

36. Self-employed, as a writer FREELANCE
The term “free lance” was coined by Sir Walter Scott in his 1820 novel “Ivanhoe”, using it to describe a medieval mercenary warrior. Forty years later, a freelancer was a journalist who did work for more than one publication without a long-term commitment.

38. Cut short TRUNCATE
“To truncate” is to cut short. The term derives from the Latin “truncus” meaning “cut off, deprived of branches or limbs”. The same root gives us our word “trunk”.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Org. protecting people’s rights ACLU
5. Petting zoo newborns LAMBS
10. Huff and puff BLOW
14. Box office bust FLOP
15. Salty expanse OCEAN
16. Parkway division LANE
17. Biblical water-to-wine locale CANA
18. “Little Rascals” girl DARLA
19. Herb-infused cooking aids OILS
20. *Statue of Nike at the Louvre WINGED VICTORY
23. Lucy’s longtime spouse DESI
24. Tease KID
25. Tolerate ABIDE
28. Month between mars et mai AVRIL
31. HDTV brand RCA
34. “Brighton Beach Memoirs” playwright Neil SIMON
35. Smiley icon on a weather map SUN
36. Fright FEAR
37. *Had street smarts KNEW A THING OR TWO
41. Pulitzer-winning novelist Jennifer EGAN
42. Toupee RUG
43. “__ to your health” HERE’S
44. Triumphed WON
45. Good, in Guadalajara BUENO
47. Crystal-bearing rock GEODE
48. Family members KIN
49. Have an inkling FEEL
51. *Jesus, to Christians PRINCE OF PEACE
57. James of “The Godfather” CAAN
58. Golf great Palmer ARNIE
59. Bossa __ NOVA
61. Prilosec target ACID
62. Cessation of fighting TRUCE
63. Baby’s bed CRIB
64. Bic Cristal and uni-ball PENS
65. Double curves ESSES
66. Wriggly fish EELS

Down
1. New Eng. Patriots’ org. AFC
2. Nail-removing hammer part CLAW
3. Actress Anderson LONI
4. Variable, like the stock market UP AND DOWN
5. Mineral-rich deposits LODES
6. Maine national park ACADIA
7. “Jeopardy!” creator Griffin MERV
8. Island near Java BALI
9. Giving in to the munchies SNACKING
10. Transfusion fluid BLOOD
11. Cozy hideaway LAIR
12. One and __: soul mate ONLY
13. Director Anderson WES
21. Actress Davis GEENA
22. Up to, on invites ‘TIL
25. Cockeyed ASKEW
26. “You got that right!” BINGO!
27. “See what __?” I MEAN
29. Hand gesture for the last word of the answers to starred clues V-SIGN
30. Sprint RUN
31. Nostalgically trendy RETRO
32. Yelled at a scarecrow? CAWED
33. Got out of bed AROSE
36. Self-employed, as a writer FREELANCE
38. Cut short TRUNCATE
39. Shade of color HUE
40. “My goodness!” OH GEE!
45. Coal container BIN
46. Cubicle setting OFFICE
48. Types KINDS
50. Olympics swords EPEES
51. Walk back and forth PACE
52. Ball game ruiner RAIN
53. Goofs up ERRS
54. Burden ONUS
55. Apple center CORE
56. Wicked EVIL
57. Mushroom top CAP
60. Six-pack muscles ABS

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9 thoughts on “LA Times Crossword Answers 29 Jun 15, Monday”

  1. A very easy Monday. Also notable for ACADIA is that you will find it immortalized in one of the quarters produced in 2012. As it has been since 1999, the US Mint has been producing multiple limited designs on quarters commemorating various states and territories in different ways. As of 2010, the specific subject has been National Parks.

  2. Good Monday puzzle. A few new things to me. Interesting theme.

    I saw an interview with Neil Simon once. Apparently he spends most of his time working on characters. He takes notes on what the character is like, he makes them amalgams of various people he knows or sees…and whatever other characteristics they might have. Once he has the characters down, he then writes the play. He says that the writing process once the characters are developed is very quick – i.e. he spends all of his time thinking about the characters and very little time actually writing anything.

    Best –

  3. The theme seems anachronistic. Who uses a victory sign or a two sign? And I may be wrong, but isn't the VSIGN something very different in Britain? Akin to the middle finger? The same middle finger I like to give to "that word" at 50D. Also, at 58A, shouldn't there be some hint that the answer is a nickname? He is Arnold Palmer, after all.

    Final thought: why do you drive on a parkway, and park on a driveway?

  4. We oldsters don't think the V sign is anachronistic. Don't worry, we're dying off. And Mr. Palmer is of my time, and I need no explanation. The one I didn't know was WES. He must be young – oh, he was born the year I was married.

    I actually liked this crossword. Nice and geezery!

  5. Nice and easy puzzle = finished in record time ( for me – ) unaided. Proves that I haven't got Alzheimer's, yet.

    Did Richard Cranshaw, a 17th cent. English poet, write, on Jesus' miracle of turning water into wine …. ' The conscious water saw its God (Lord), and blushed …'.

    BTW, I lost some money on the Grexit 'football pool', missed it by 7 days. Its really sad it had to happen. Totally confounding.

    The only complete life sized replica of the Parthenon is in Nashville, TN in the Centennial Park . It is magnificent building, complete with a 42 foot gold gilt Athena ( Athenos Parthenos) holding a winged NIKE (all of a mere 6 foot high -) in her hands. A must-see if you are in that wonderful city.

    Have a nice dayy, all.

  6. @Willie D – I think it all depends on which way you are showing your hand with the two fingers making the V sign whether or not it's a "peace" sign or something not at all polite (instead of "fighting words" maybe "fighting signs"?)

  7. I knew Arnie, too. I've seem him play. But usually there's some notation that it's a nickname, like "Mr. Palmer, fam." I don't mind that it's old-school. It's just strikes me odd that the L.A. Times would strike that tone, when they usually try and be a haute as possible.

    I've seen both Parthenons. The advantage of the replica, aside from being much closer to me, is that you don't have to deal with all the smog and noise in Athens, which is quite a dirty city IMO.

  8. Did not know EGAN or ACADIA.I liked the theme.
    Just right Monday. Really hot here. Ugh.

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