LA Times Crossword Answers 26 Mar 16, Saturday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: Mark Bickham
THEME: None
BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 13m 19s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across

1. She played Madeleine in “Bel Ami” (2012) UMA
Robert Thurman was the first westerner to be ordained a Tibetan Buddhist monk. Robert raised his children in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition and called his daughter “Uma” as it is a phonetic spelling of the Buddhist name “Dbuma”. Uma’s big break in movies came with her starring role in Quentin Tarantino’s 1994 hit “Pulp Fiction”. My favorite Uma Thurman film is the wonderful 1996 romantic comedy “The Truth About Cats and Dogs”.

The 2012 film “Bel Ami” is based on an 1885 novel of the same name by French author Guy de Maupassant.

15. “The Diana Chronicles” author Brown TINA
Tina Brown is a British/American journalist and author. Brown wrote “The Diana Chronicles”, a biography of Diana, Princess of Wales, of whom Brown was a personal friend. She emigrated to the US in 1984 to become editor for “Vanity Fair”, and later took the helm at “The New Yorker”.

16. Rooks, e.g. AVIANS
The rook is a bird in the crow family.

20. Fashionable CHIC
“Chic” is a French word meaning “stylish”.

22. “Enough, José!” NO MAS!
“No mas!” translates from Spanish as “no more!”.

23. Shout after a muleta manipulation OLE!
The “muleta” is the red flannel cloth that a matador uses towards the end of a bull fight, instead of a cape. The muleta serves to distract the bull and also to hide the sword that is used for the kill. The term “matador” is only used in English, and translates aptly enough as “killer”.

28. Carrier of many old couples ARK
Genesis 6:19-20 states that Noah was instructed to take two animals of every kind into the ark. Later, in Genesis 7:2-3 Noah was instructed to take on board “every clean animal by sevens … male and female, to keep offspring alive on the face of all the earth”. Apparently “extras” (7 rather than 2) were needed for ritual sacrifice.

30. Historic Buddhist temple SHAOLIN
The Shaolin Monastery is a Buddhist temple in China that was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2010.

33. You can count on them ABACI
The abacus (plural “abaci”) was used as a counting frame long before man had invented a numbering system. It is a remarkable invention, particularly when one notes that abaci are still widely used today across Africa and Asia.

42. Lemony spice used in Middle Eastern cuisine SUMAC
The spice known as sumac comes from the sumac bush that is native to the Middle East. The spice is the bush’s red berries that have been dried and ground. The sumac bush used in making the spice is different from, although related to, the poison sumac that is found quite commonly in the southern US.

46. Half a drink TAI
The Mai Tai cocktail is strongly associated with the Polynesian islands, but the drink was supposedly invented in 1944 in Trader Vic’s restaurant in Oakland, California. One recipe is 6 parts white rum, 3 parts orange curaçao, 3 parts Orgeat syrup, 1 part rock candy syrup, 2 parts fresh lime juice, all mixed with ice and then a float added of 6 parts dark rum.

50. 2000s Showtime series, with “The” L WORD
“The L Word” is a Showtime drama series. The show deals with lesbian, bisexual and transgender people living in West Hollywood. “The L word” reference is to “lesbian”.

52. “Star Trek” initialism TNG
When Gene Roddenberry first proposed the science fiction series that became “Star Trek”, he marketed it as “Wagon Train to the Stars”, a pioneer-style Western in outer space. In fact his idea was to produce something more like “Gulliver’s Travels”, as he intended to write episodes that were adventure stories on one level, but morality tales on another. Personally I think that he best achieved this model with the spin-off series “Star Trek: The Next Generation” (TNG). If you watch individual episodes you will see thinly disguised treatments of moral issues such as racism, homosexuality, genocide etc. For my money, “The Next Generation” is the best of the whole franchise …

57. Party where lomi salmon may be served LUAU
Lomi-lomi salmon is a salad dish in Hawaiian cuisine that is made using raw salted salmon.

61. Treasury Dept. variable GNP
A country’s Gross National Product (GNP) is the value of all services and products produced by its residents in a particular year. GNP includes all production wherever it is in the world, as long as the business is owned by residents of the country concerned. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is different, although related, and is the value of all services and goods produced within the borders of the country for that year.

62. Fitting game TETRIS
Tetris is a very addictive video game that was developed in the Soviet Union in 1984. The name Tetris comes from a melding of the prefix “tetra-” (as all the game pieces have four segments) and “tennis” (a favorite sport played by the developer). Since 2005 there have been more than 100 million copies of the game installed on cell phones alone.

63. 1970 Kinks hit LOLA
“Lola” is a fabulous song, written by Ray Davies and released by the Kinks back in 1970. Inspired by a real life incident, the lyrics tell of young man who met a young “lady” in a club, danced with her, and then discovered “she” was actually a transvestite. The storyline isn’t very traditional, but the music is superb.

The Kinks were an English band that participated in the British Invasion of America in the sixties, although only briefly. After touring the US in the middle of 1965, the American Federation of Musicians refused permits for the Kinks to book concerts for four years, apparently in response to some rowdy on-stage behavior by band.

66. Good place to see plays ESPN
ESPN is the Entertainment Sports Programming Network, a cable network that broadcasts sports programming 24 hours a day. ESPN was launched back in 1979.

67. Rocker Nugent TED
Ted Nugent was the lead guitarist with the Amboy Dukes, and is now a successful solo artist.

Down
1. “Spenser: For Hire” actor URICH
Robert B. Parker wrote a series of detective novels featuring a Boston private eye named Spenser. The series of novels was continued after Parker’s death by Ace Atkins. The character also features in a TV show called “Spenser: For Hire”, as well as series of “Spenser” films based on the original novels. Spenser was played by Robert Urich on the weekly show, and by Joe Mantegna in three TV movies. We never learn Spenser’s given name.

2. He’s no Johnny One Note MATHIS
Johnny Mathis had to face a tough choice in 1956. Mathis was a talented high jumper in college and was invited to try out for the US Olympic team destined for the Melbourne Games. At the same time he was scheduled to make his first recordings, in New York. Mathis opted to go to the Big Apple.

“Johnny One Note” is song from the 1937 musical “Babes in Arms” by Rodgers and Hart. It was also featured in the 1948 biopic about Rodgers and Hart called “Words and Music”, in which it was sung by Judy Garland.

Johnny could only sing one note
And the note he sang was this
Ahh

Poor Johnny one note sang out with gusto
And just overlorded the place
Poor Johnny one note, yelled willy nilly
Until he was blue in the face
For holding one note was his ace

3. Barely clear of the bottom AWEIGH
When an anchor is “aweigh” or “atrip”, it is just clear of the bottom, having just been lifted.

4. Co. with a bouquet in its logo FTD
Back in 1910, fifteen florists from around America agreed to fulfill each other’s orders using the telegraph system, setting up what they called the Florists’ Telegraph Delivery. The concept grew so large that in 1965 the group started to offer international service, and changed its name to Florists’ Transworld Delivery (FTD).

5. Bank security LIEN
A lien is the right that one has to retain or secure someone’s property until a debt is paid. When an individual takes out a car loan, for example, the lending bank is usually a lien holder. The bank releases the lien on the car when the loan is paid in full.

8. Iranian language FARSI
“Farsi” is one of the local names for Persian, an Iranian language.

9. Clark’s “Mogambo” co-star AVA
“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.

10. It helps you avoid seeing spots TIVO
Using a Tivo, or any DVR (digital video recorder), one can avoid watching the advertising spots.

11. Boxer who retired undefeated LAILA ALI
Laila Ali is the daughter of the great Muhammad Ali and is a very capable boxer in her own right. Laila’s professional record is an impressive 24 wins, including 21 knockouts. Now retired, she never lost a fight, and nor did she ever draw. One of those victories was against Jackie Frazier-Lyde, daughter of her father’s nemesis Joe Frazier. Laila is not a bad dancer either, coming in third place in the fourth season of “Dancing with the Stars”.

13. Humanities dept. PSY
Psychology (psy.)

The academic studies of human culture are collectively called the humanities. Subjects included in the humanities are languages, literature, philosophy, religion and music.

19. Clothing giant GAP
The Gap is a San Francisco-based clothing retailer founded in 1969. The name “the Gap” was a homage to the popular sixties term “the generation gap”.

21. Starbucks latte order CHAI TEA
Chai is a drink made from spiced black tea, honey and milk, with “chai” being the Hindi word for “tea”. We often called tea “a cup of char” growing up in Ireland, with “char” being our slang word for tea, derived from “chai”.

Starbucks is a coffee company based in Seattle, Washington. It is the largest coffeehouse company in the world and has over 19,000 stores. In the 1990s, Starbucks was opening one new store every single day! Starbucks is named after the chief mate on the Pequod in Herman Melville’s book “Moby Dick”.

The term “latte” is an abbreviation of the Italian “caffelatte” meaning “coffee (and) milk”. Note that in the correct spelling of “latte”, the Italian word for milk, there is no accent over the “e”. An accent is often added by mistake when we use the word in English, perhaps meaning to suggest that the word is French.

25. Courvoisier and Hennessy COGNACS
Cognac is a famous variety of brandy named after the town of Cognac in the very west of France. To be called cognac, the brandy must be distilled twice in copper pot stills and aged at least two years in very specific French oak barrels.

Courvoisier is a brand of cognac that is produced in the commune of Jarnac in southwestern France. Legend tells us that Napoleon Bonaparte took several barrels of Courvoisier with him to the island of St. Helena, where he died in exile. The English officers on the ship who transported the former emperor regularly sampled the barrels and named it “The Cognac of Napoleon”, words which appear on every bottle that is produced today.

Hennessy is a distillery in the Cognac region of France. As one might expect from the name, Hennessy was founded by an Irishman, Richard Hennessy. He established the company in 1765, and one of his descendants runs the business today.

27. Taunt CATCALL
Back in the 1700s, a “catcall” was a noise-making device, one that emitted a squeak resembling that of an angry cat, hence the name. The device was used by unhappy audiences in play-houses to express dissatisfaction at the performers.

29. Surfer’s option KITE
A kiteboarder uses the power of the wind to propel himself or herself over the water on a small surfboard. The wind power comes from a large controllable kite that is attached to the kiteboarder’s body with a harness.

31. Garlic relative LEEK
The leek is a vegetable closely related to the onion and the garlic. It is also a national emblem of Wales (along with the daffodil), although I don’t think we know for sure how this came to be. One story is that the Welsh were ordered to wear leeks in their helmets to identify themselves in a battle against the Saxons. Apparently, the battle took place in a field of leeks.

34. Nocturnal bird BARN OWL
The barn owl is the most common species of owl. The barn owl is found everywhere in the world, except in desert and polar regions.

36. City name that looks like an oxymoron HILO
Hilo is the largest settlement on the big island of Hawai’i, with a population of over 43,000 (that’s not very many!). I love the Big Island …

The word “oxymoron” is in itself an oxymoron, as it is derived from the Greek words “Oxys” and “moros” meaning “sharp” and “stupid”.

39. “__ Hunger Force”: Adult Swim cartoon AQUA TEEN
“Aqua Teen Hunger Force” is an animated TV show that has run since 2001 on the Cartoon Network. The TV show was adapted into a film called “Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters”. Nope, not for me …

40. Ponder RUMINATE
Ruminants are animals that “chew the cud”. Ruminants eat vegetable matter but cannot extract any nutritional value from cellulose without the help of microbes in the gut. Ruminants collect roughage in the first part of the alimentary canal, allowing microbes to work on it. The partially digested material (the cud) is regurgitated into the mouth so that the ruminant can chew the food more completely exposing more surface area for microbes to do their work. We also use the verb “to ruminate” in a figurative sense, to mean “to muse, ponder, chew over”.

44. Milky Way component NOUGAT
“Nougat” is an Occitan word (Occitania being a region of Southern Europe) which translates as “nut bread”.

Having lived on both sides of the Atlantic, I find the Mars Bar to be the most perplexing of candies! The original Mars Bar is a British confection (and delicious) first manufactured in 1932. The US version of the original Mars Bar is called a Milky Way. But there is candy bar called a Milky Way that is also produced in the UK, and it is completely different to its US cousin, being more like an American “3 Musketeers”. And then there is an American confection called a Mars Bar, something different again. No wonder I gave up eating candy bars …

49. Provider of answers, briefly FAQ
Most websites have a page listing answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ). There is a link to this blog’s FAQ page at the top-right of every page.

53. Provider of answers GURU
“Guru” is a Hindi word meaning “teacher” or “priest”.

55. Some summer births LEOS
Leo is the fifth astrological sign of the Zodiac. People born from July 23 to August 22 are Leos.

58. “Takin’ Care of Business” rock gp. BTO
Takin’ Care of Business” is a 1973 song that perhaps falls into the family of “rock anthems”. It was written by Randy Bachman and recorded by his band Bachman-Turner Overdrive (BTO). The song was used for many years in an advertising campaign by Office Depot.

60. Indian bread NAN
Naan (also “nan”) bread is very popular in Indian restaurants, as well as in other West, Central and South Asian cuisines. Indian Naan is traditionally baked in a clay oven known as a tandoor.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. She played Madeleine in “Bel Ami” (2012) UMA
4. Get really excited FLIP
8. Mug shot result? FAT LIP
14. __ data RAW
15. “The Diana Chronicles” author Brown TINA
16. Rooks, e.g. AVIANS
17. Social follower? -ITE
18. Levitate DEFY GRAVITY
20. Fashionable CHIC
22. “Enough, José!” NO MAS!
23. Shout after a muleta manipulation OLE!
24. Hard-to-hit pitch HIGH C
26. __ fail EPIC
28. Carrier of many old couples ARK
30. Historic Buddhist temple SHAOLIN
33. You can count on them ABACI
35. Response acknowledging familiarity I GET THAT A LOT
38. Couple getting away together? PARTNERS IN CRIME
41. Beyond reproach SQUEAKY CLEAN
42. Lemony spice used in Middle Eastern cuisine SUMAC
43. Question of time HOW LONG?
46. Half a drink TAI
47. Not out SAFE
50. 2000s Showtime series, with “The” L WORD
52. “Star Trek” initialism TNG
54. In a big way BADLY
57. Party where lomi salmon may be served LUAU
58. Runway highlight BEAUTY QUEEN
61. Treasury Dept. variable GNP
62. Fitting game TETRIS
63. 1970 Kinks hit LOLA
64. Stand in a barrel AGE
65. Outsmarts ONE-UPS
66. Good place to see plays ESPN
67. Rocker Nugent TED

Down
1. “Spenser: For Hire” actor URICH
2. He’s no Johnny One Note MATHIS
3. Barely clear of the bottom AWEIGH
4. Co. with a bouquet in its logo FTD
5. Bank security LIEN
6. Scoop INFO
7. Loan document PAYMENT SCHEDULE
8. Iranian language FARSI
9. Clark’s “Mogambo” co-star AVA
10. It helps you avoid seeing spots TIVO
11. Boxer who retired undefeated LAILA ALI
12. Building security device INTERCOM
13. Humanities dept. PSY
19. Clothing giant GAP
21. Starbucks latte order CHAI TEA
25. Courvoisier and Hennessy COGNACS
27. Taunt CATCALL
29. Surfer’s option KITE
31. Garlic relative LEEK
32. “Just doing my job” I TRY
34. Nocturnal bird BARN OWL
36. City name that looks like an oxymoron HILO
37. Over ANEW
38. “Hey!” PSST!
39. “__ Hunger Force”: Adult Swim cartoon AQUA TEEN
40. Ponder RUMINATE
44. Milky Way component NOUGAT
45. Farm GRANGE
48. Profundity metaphor ABYSS
49. Provider of answers, briefly FAQ
51. Had DUPED
53. Provider of answers GURU
55. Some summer births LEOS
56. Kennel noise YELP
58. “Takin’ Care of Business” rock gp. BTO
59. Bills left behind, perhaps TIP
60. Indian bread NAN

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