LA Times Crossword Answers 27 Feb 16, Saturday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: Julian Lim
THEME: None
BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 15m 21s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across

1. Spot for a ride? CAR AD
A car ad might fill an advertising spot.

10. Pinking sound SNIP
Pinking shears are scissors that have sawtooth edges so that they cut in a zigzag pattern. It’s possible that the term “pinking” comes from the carnation flower, which is also called a “pink”. The pink/carnation has flowers with serrated edges that are similar to edges formed by pinking shears.

14. Meteorological prefix ANEMO-
“Anemo-” is a combining form meaning “wind”, coming from “anemos”, the Greek word for “wind”. An example of its use is in the word “anemoscope”, a device that shows the direction of the wind.

15. “United States of Tara” Emmy winner Collette TONI
Toni Collette is a marvelous actress from Australia who really started to garner the public’s attention playing the title role in the 1994 film “Muriel’s Wedding”. She went on to take major roles in films like “Emma” (1996), “The Sixth Sense” (1999), “About a Boy” (2002), all of which are favorites of mine. Collette also played the lead in the excellent Showtime comedy-drama “United States of Tara”.

16. Corsair’s syllables YO HO!
Corsairs were privateers, seamen who were authorized by France to attack and plunder vessels from nations who were at war with the French.

17. Colleague of Charms teacher Flitwick SNAPE
Severus Snape is a character in the Harry Potter novels, played by the wonderful Alan Rickman on the big screen. Snape has the pivotal role of using the Killing Curse on Professor Dumbledore, as an act of mercy.

19. “Bring a Torch, Jeannette, Isabella,” e.g. NOEL
“Noël” is the French word for the Christmas season, ultimately coming from the Latin word for “birth” (natalis). Noel has come to be used as an alternative name for a Christmas carol.

“Bring a Torch, Jeannette, Isabella” is Christmas carol that originated in Provence in the South of France (French title “Un flambeau, Jeannette, Isabelle”). Originating in the 16th century, the piece was written as dance music for French nobility, and only later began to be sung at Christmas. The Christmas tradition is that Jeanette and Isabella are two milkmaids who come across the newborn baby Jesus and run around summoning the villagers of Bethlehem while calling out for a torch.

20. Masters home AUGUSTA NATIONAL
The Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia was founded in 1933 by Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts. Famously, Augusta hosts the Masters Tournament each year. Augusta is very much a private club, and some of its policies have drawn criticism over the years. Prior to 1959, the club had a bylaw requiring that all caddies be African American. There were no African-American club members admitted until 1990, and no women until 2012.

24. Shimmering South American denizens NEON TETRAS
The neon tetra is a freshwater fish, native to parts of South America. The tetra is a very popular aquarium fish and millions are imported into the US every year. Almost all of the imported tetras are farm-raised in Asia and very few come from their native continent.

25. “Earth still holds __ her gate”: Thomas Nashe OPE
“Earth still holds ope her gate” is a line from a 1593 poem by Thomas Nashe called “In Time of Pestilence”.

Thomas Nashe was a playwright and poet active in the Elizabethan era. Nashe’s best-known work is his novel “The Unfortunate Traveller”.

28. Man in black NINJA
The ninjas were around in Japan at the time of the samurai, but were a very different type of warrior. The ninjas were covert operatives, specializing in the use of stealth to accomplish their missions. As they were a secretive cadre they took on a mystical reputation with the public, who believed they had the ability to become invisible or perhaps walk on water.

32. Harvard’s motto VERITAS
“Veritas” is Latin for “truth”.

Harvard University was founded in 1636 as “New College”, the college at New Towne. The school was renamed three years later after John Harvard, a deceased clergyman and who donated books and money.

37. 2000s Vienna State Opera conductor OZAWA
Seiji Ozawa is most famous for his work as music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, although he is also the principal conductor of the Vienna State Opera. Ozawa is renowned for wearing a white turtleneck under his dress suit when he conducts, rather than the traditional starched shirt and white tie.

38. Joelle Carter’s “Justified” role AVA
Joelle Carter is an actress best known for playing Ava Crowder, the female lead in the TV show “Justified”.

“Justified” is a TV drama that originally aired on FX from 2010 until 2015. It’s about a US Marshall behaving somewhat like a 19th-century lawman, while meting out justice in his hometown in Kentucky. The lead is played by Timothy Olyphant, who also played a lawman in the HBO western series “Deadwood”.

39. Geriatrics concerns: Abbr. SRS
Gerontology is the study of all aspects of aging, including the biology, psychology and sociology. Geriatrics is the study of diseases encountered in older adults.

40. Canterbury tales subject ARCHBISHOP
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the leader of the Church of England.

45. Jet Tila and Mario Batali RESTAURATEURS
From the French, a “restaurateur” (without a letter N) owns or manages a “restaurant” (with a letter N).

Jet Tila is a celebrity chef who specializes in Thai and Chinese cooking.

Mario Batali is an American celebrity chef who specializes in Italian cuisine. He is often referred to as “Molto Mario”.

50. Stop on the Turin-Genoa railway ASTI
Asti is in the Piedmont region of northwest Italy. The region is perhaps most famous for its Asti Spumante sparkling white wine.

The Turin-Genoa railway was built between 1845 and 1853. The line crosses the Apennines, which required the construction of the Giovi Tunnel. At the time of construction, the Giovi was the longest tunnel in the world.

51. Pad __ THAI
The delicious dish called Pad Thai is a meld of stir-fried rice noodles with tamarind juice, red chili pepper plus a mix of vegetables and possibly tofu, meat or fish. It is usually topped with crushed peanuts, coriander and lime. The name “Pad Thai” translates as “fried Thai-style”.

55. Myrrh, e.g. RESIN
Frankincense and myrrh are both tree resins, exuded when certain species of tree are damaged. The harvested resins are used to make essentials oils for perfumes, and are also burned to give off a pleasant fragrance.

Down
1. Condominio, por ejemplo CASA
In Spanish, a “condominio, por ejemplo” (condominium, for example) is a “casa” (home).

2. __ mirabilis: wonderful year ANNUS
The Latin phrase “annus mirabilis” translates as “wonderful year”, and is used to describe several years in history in which major events occurred. Examples are 1905, the year in which Albert Einstein published articles announcing many of his remarkable discoveries, and 1776, the so called Liberty Year. The English poet John Dryden first used the phrase in this context in his poem “Annus Mirabilis”, describing the year 1666. The events of 1666, including the Great Fire of London, were calamitous, but Dryden interpreted the the cessation of the those events as a miraculous intervention by God.

3. When Star Wars began REAGAN ERA
One of the positive outcomes of President Reagan’s Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI, also “Star Wars”) was a change in US defense strategy. The new approach was to use missiles to destroy incoming hostile weapons, rather than using missiles to destroy the nation attacking the country. The former doctrine of Mutually Assured Destruction went by the apt acronym of MAD …

4. Shot container AMPULE
An ampule is a sealed vial that is commonly used to hold pharmaceuticals. Ampoules are usually made from glass, and are opened by snapping off the neck of the container.

6. Land down under? ATLANTIS
The legendary city of Atlantis was first referred to in writing by the Greek philosopher Plato. The story is that a navy from Atlantis attempted to invade Athens but failed, and as a result the city of Atlantis sank into the ocean.

11. 2007 #1 hit for Alicia Keys NO ONE
Alicia Keys is the stage name of Alicia Cook, an R&B and soul singer from Hell’s Kitchen in New York City. Keys’ biggest hit is probably 2007’s “No One”.

21. 31-syllable Japanese poem TANKA
A tanka is a Japanese poem comprising five lines with thirty-one syllables, in the pattern 5-7-5-7-7.

22. “Dandy for your teeth” toothpaste IPANA
Ipana toothpaste was introduced in 1915 and was at the height of its popularity in the forties and fifties. Sales declined in the sixties and the product was withdrawn from the US market in the seventies. Bucky the Beaver was the “spokesman” for Ipana. Bucky the Beaver’s slogan was “Brusha… Brusha… Brusha. Get the New Ipana – it’s dandy for your teeth!”

25. Lacto-__ vegetarian OVO
A lacto-ovo vegetarian is someone who does not consume meat or fish, but does eat eggs (ovo) and dairy (lacto) products.

26. Candy created in Austria PEZ
PEZ is an Austrian brand name for a particular candy sold in a mechanical dispenser. Famously, PEZ dispensers have molded “heads”, and have become very collectible over the years. The list of heads includes historical figures like Betsy Ross and Paul Revere, characters from “Star Wars” and “Star Trek”, and even British royalty like the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (“William and Kate”). The name PEZ comes from the first, middle and last letters of “Pfefferminz”, the German word for “peppermint”.

29. K-Cup competitor NESPRESSO
A Nespresso machine brews espresso from single-use capsules of ground coffee. The machine was invented by a Nestlé employee in Switzerland in 1976.

A K-Cup is a single-portion cup of coffee, tea or hot chocolate in which the beverage is prepared in situ. K-Cup packs are used with brewing machines made by Keurig, a manufacturer of coffee brewers based in Reading, Massachusetts. Personally, I’ve never seen one …

30. Fantasy lit initials JRR
J. R. R. (John Ronald Reuel) Tolkien was an English author, best known by far for his fantasy novels “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings”. Although Tolkien lived in England and was a professor at Oxford, he served for many years as an external examiner at my old school, University College Dublin in Ireland.

31. Sancho’s “steed” ASS
Sancho Panza is Don Quixote’s squire, a character who spouts out humorous comments called “sanchismos”.

35. Where to see some kites AVIARIES
Kites are birds of prey that feed mainly on carrion.

41. 1961 Lenin Peace Prize recipient CASTRO
The Lenin Peace Prize was inaugurated in 1949 as the Stalin Peace Prize, and was the Soviet Union’s equivalent of the Nobel Peace Prize awarded in the West. Notable recipients of the Lenin Peace Prize include Fidel Castro, Salvador Allende and Nelson Mandela.

43. Spelling experts? HEXERS
“Hexen” is a German word meaning “to practice witchcraft”. The use of the word “hex” in English started with the Pennsylvania Dutch in the early 1800s.

45. 1953 A.L. MVP Al ROSEN
Al Rosen is a former Major League baseball player who played his whole career with the Cleveland Indians. As one of the best all-time players of the game with a Jewish heritage, his fans gave him the nickname “the Hebrew Hammer”.

47. Mail lead-in SNAIL
“Snail mail” is regular mail delivered by the postal service. The term “snail mail” arose as email gained in popularity, and is a reference to the difference in speed between email and paper mail.

48. Spanish morsel TAPA
“Tapa” is the Spanish word for “lid”, and there is no clear rationale for why this word came to be used for an appetizer. There are lots of explanations cited, all of which seem to involve the temporary covering of one’s glass of wine with a plate or item of food to either preserve the wine or give one extra space at the table.

49. Newcastle’s river TYNE
The River Tyne is in the northeast of England. The most famous city on the river is Newcastle upon Tyne. Newcastle upon Tyne is home to the famous Newcastle Brown Ale.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Spot for a ride? CAR AD
6. Floored AWED
10. Pinking sound SNIP
14. Meteorological prefix ANEMO-
15. “United States of Tara” Emmy winner Collette TONI
16. Corsair’s syllables YO HO!
17. Colleague of Charms teacher Flitwick SNAPE
18. Fly, commonly LURE
19. “Bring a Torch, Jeannette, Isabella,” e.g. NOEL
20. Masters home AUGUSTA NATIONAL
23. Chef’s staples SALT AND PEPPER
24. Shimmering South American denizens NEON TETRAS
25. “Earth still holds __ her gate”: Thomas Nashe OPE
27. Juvenile KID
28. Man in black NINJA
32. Harvard’s motto VERITAS
35. They’ll put you down ABASERS
37. 2000s Vienna State Opera conductor OZAWA
38. Joelle Carter’s “Justified” role AVA
39. Geriatrics concerns: Abbr. SRS
40. Canterbury tales subject ARCHBISHOP
45. Jet Tila and Mario Batali RESTAURATEURS
48. Not as much TO A LESSER EXTENT
50. Stop on the Turin-Genoa railway ASTI
51. Pad __ THAI
52. Place to find an argument, perhaps ESSAY
53. Best selling point PEAK
54. Smokescreen RUSE
55. Myrrh, e.g. RESIN
56. Get in on the deal ANTE
57. Goes (for) OPTS
58. Lifted STOLE

Down
1. Condominio, por ejemplo CASA
2. __ mirabilis: wonderful year ANNUS
3. When Star Wars began REAGAN ERA
4. Shot container AMPULE
5. Inflicts on DOES TO
6. Land down under? ATLANTIS
7. Hurt, as feelings WOUNDED
8. All ears, say ENRAPT
9. One cutting in the kitchen DIETER
10. Abstract SYNOPSIS
11. 2007 #1 hit for Alicia Keys NO ONE
12. “It’s been said … ” I HEAR …
13. Exit __ POLL
21. 31-syllable Japanese poem TANKA
22. “Dandy for your teeth” toothpaste IPANA
25. Lacto-__ vegetarian OVO
26. Candy created in Austria PEZ
29. K-Cup competitor NESPRESSO
30. Fantasy lit initials JRR
31. Sancho’s “steed” ASS
33. Sentence opener in many teens’ stories I WAS LIKE …
34. Parisian fruit pie TARTE
35. Where to see some kites AVIARIES
36. Scold vigorously BASTE
38. Apprised (of) ABREAST
41. 1961 Lenin Peace Prize recipient CASTRO
42. Keep from spreading HUSH UP
43. Spelling experts? HEXERS
44. Get-go OUTSET
45. 1953 A.L. MVP Al ROSEN
46. Trouble greatly EAT AT
47. Mail lead-in SNAIL
48. Spanish morsel TAPA
49. Newcastle’s river TYNE

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9 thoughts on “LA Times Crossword Answers 27 Feb 16, Saturday”

  1. I probably shouldn't do these at 4AM, especially the Saturday grid. It took me longer, and with more errors than I care to admit to! But finish I did, with a lot of help from the on-line "show errors" feature. Happy Saturday, all!

  2. Julian Lim on a Saturday lived up to its billing. Even the "easy" answers had clues that made your head spin. Too many to mention. Impressive puzzle that beat me up a little bit.

    I'd still like to know if Mount Rushmore would qualify as a petroglyph (thoughts, Piano Man?). Everything I Googled seemed to mention Mount Rushmore and the petroglyphs of S Dakota separately, but I never saw anything exclusionary. Completely unimportant stuff, but I just can't ever let stuff like that go until an answer….even if I have to make one up 🙂

    Used a K Cup machine for the first time at a funcion a few weeks ago. It was nice. You could chose your own type of coffee, just pop it in and press the button.

    Best –

  3. Hi everyone! This is my first time posting on here (just found this website the other day). I was super excited to find this site. It's something that I've been unconsciously wanting for a long time – a place where all the definitions of the words I couldn't get are compiled in one place AND where people can talk about the LA times crossword! I try to do it everyday, and have been doing it for a while now. I've never finished a Saturday with no hints, but looking forward to sharing the daily struggles and victories with everyone, and hearing yours. 😀

  4. Hi Andrew and welcome. Good to have you join our merry band of crossword crazies!

    This was an exercise in thinking and staring and thinking some more. I did complete this grid with no final errors but the strike overs in black pen were flying hither, thither and yon! My biggest self inflicted goof came with trying to get "NASCAR" something in for 29 down. Sometimes my affinity for sports themed clues and answers has me seeing things that aren't there. When I got "Archbishop" for 40 Across that showed me I needed to scrap NASCAR and go with something else. Talk about a Doh! moment…

  5. To Jeff,
    It seems to me, and it's just my opinion, that a petroglyph is carved into rock, while the monument at Mount Rushmore is carved out of rock, making it more of a statue than a petroglyph.

  6. This was a tough one, but I managed to do about half the puzzle with no hints. I was particularly proud of getting (guessing) ReaganEra and AugustaNational correctly. Happy Saturday!

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