LA Times Crossword Solution 26 May 16, Thursday

LA Times Crossword Solution 26 May 16 - 125%







Constructed by: Gareth Bain

Edited by: Rich Norris

Quicklink to a complete list of today’s clues and answers

Theme: Stock Split

The circled letters in today’s themed answers spell out a type of LIVESTOCK. The name of that animal is SPLIT between the start and end of the answers, so we have a STOCK SPLIT:

  • 58A…Wall Street announcement … or a hint to the circled letters..STOCK SPLIT
  • 18A…*Steinbeck novel set in Monterey..CANNERY ROW (c-ow split)
  • 23A…*Starter..HORS D’OEUVRE (h-orse split)
  • 35A…*China server..GRAVY BOAT (g-oat split)
  • 52A…*Refinery job..PIPEFITTING (pi-g split)

Bill’s time: 10m 08s

Bill’s errors: 0




Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies

Across

5…Parts of gigs..MEGS

In the world of computers, a “bit” is the basic unit of information. It has a value of 0 or 1. A “byte” is a small collection of bits (usually 8), the number of bits needed to uniquely identify a character of text. The prefix mega- stands for 10 to the power of 6, so a megabyte (meg) is 1,000,000 bytes. And the prefix giga- means 10 to the power of 9, so a gigabyte (gig) is 1,000,000,000 bytes. Well, those are the SI definitions of megabyte and kilobyte. The purists still use 2 to the power of 20 for a megabyte (i.e. 1,048,576), and 2 to the power of 30 for a gigabyte.

14…Parrier’s tool..EPEE

In competitive fencing, a parry is a maneuver that blocks an attack by an opponent. There are actually nine defined ways to execute a parry.

15…Rent-a-car choice..AVIS

Avis has been around since 1946, and is the second largest car rental agency after Hertz. Avis has the distinction of being the first car rental company to locate a branch at an airport.

16…African city that hosts an annual international film festival..CAIRO

The Cairo International Film Festival has been held almost every year since 1976. Egypt is home to the largest film industry in the Arab world.

18…*Steinbeck novel set in Monterey..CANNERY ROW (c-ow split)

“Cannery Row” is a novel by John Steinbeck that was first published in 1945. The title refers to the street in Monterey, California known as Cannery Row that is home to now-defunct sardine canning factories. Back in 1945 the street was called Ocean View Avenue, but it was renamed in 1958 in recognition of the Steinbeck novel.

20…”Homeland” airer, briefly..SHO

“Homeland” is a psychological drama shown on Showtime about a CIA officer who is convinced that a certain US Marine is a threat to the security of the United States. The show is based on a series from Israeli television called “Hatufim” (Prisoners of War”). I saw the first series of this show and highly recommend it …

21…GPS options..RDS

When planning a route, a Global Positioning System (GPS) recommends certain roads (rds.).

23…*Starter..HORS D’OEUVRE (h-orse split)

An hors d’oeuvre is the first course in a meal. “Hors d’oeuvre” translates from French as “apart from the work”, really meaning “not the main course”.

27…”__ the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown”..IT’S

“It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” is 1966 TV special featuring characters from the “Peanuts” comic strip by Charles M. Schulz. It was aired as a special for Halloween.

30…Viennese “a”..EIN

Vienna is the capital of Austria. Vienna has a long musical tradition and was home to Franz Schubert, Johann Strauss (I and II), Josef Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Liszt, Johannes Brahms and Gustav Mahler. As such, Vienna is sometimes called the “City of Music”. It is also called the “City of Dreams” as it was home to the psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud.

33…Story __..ARC

A story arc is a continuing storyline in say a television show that has a number of episodes. Story arcs are also found in comics, books, video games, and other forms of media.

34…Michaelmas mo…SEPT

“Michaelmas” is the feast of Saint Michael the Archangel, a day in the Western Christian calendar. Michaelmas is September 29th every year, and is associated with the beginning of fall.

35…*China server..GRAVY BOAT (g-oat split)

The ceramic known as “porcelain” can be referred to as “china” or “fine china”, as porcelain was developed in China.

46…Dark side..YIN

The yin and the yang can be explained using many different metaphors. In one, as the sun shines on a mountain, the side in the shade is the yin and the side in the light is the yang. The yin is also regarded as the feminine side, and the yang the masculine. The yin can also be associated with the moon, while the yang is associated with the sun.

47…Bill encl…SAE

An SAE is a “stamped, addressed envelope”. An SASE is a “self-addressed, stamped envelope”.

48…Texas home of Hardin-Simmons University..ABILENE

Hardin-Simmons University is a private school that was established in 1891 in Abilene, Texas as the Abilene Baptist College. The name changed in 1892 to Simmons College and to Hardin-Simmons University in 1934, in recognition of major benefactors.

51…All Hallows __..EVE

All Saints’ Day is November 1st each year. The day before All Saints’ Day is All Hallows’ Eve, better known by the Scottish term, “Halloween”.

54…”Four Quartets” poet..ELIOT

T. S. Eliot was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1948, largely due to his “Four Quartets”, a set of four poems that Eliot himself considered to be his life’s masterpiece.

56…Obsolescent PC component..CRT

Cathode Ray Tube (CRT)

58…Wall Street announcement … or a hint to the circled letters..STOCK SPLIT

The face value (also “par value”) of a stock changes with a stock split. For example, a 2-for-1 split results in twice as much stock outstanding, so the price is halved. In a reverse stock split, less stock is outstanding.

61…New Orleans feature..LEVEE

A levee is an artificial bank usually made of earth, running along the length of a river. A levee is designed to hold back river water at a time of potential flooding. “Levée” is the French word for “raised” and is an American term that originated in French-speaking New Orleans around 1720.

62…Self-defense spray..MACE

Mace is actually a brand name, originally introduced by Lake Erie Chemical when they started to manufacture “Chemical Mace”, with the name being a play on the club-like weapon from days of old. Mace was originally a form of tear gas, but Mace today uses a formula that is actually a pepper spray, a different formulation.

63…Skin..PELT

The “pelt” is the skin of a furry animal.

65…Rigel or Arcturus..STAR

Rigel is the sixth brightest star in the night sky, and the brightest star in the constellation of Orion. If you can imagine the stars in Orion laid out, Rigel is at his left foot. The name “Rigel” is an abbreviated version of the Arabic term for “Left Foot of the Central One”.

Arcturus is a star in the northern celestial hemisphere. It is the fourth brightest star in the sky, after Sirius, Canopus and Alpha Centauri. The name “Arcturus” comes from the Greek for “Guardian of the Bear”, as is lies in a constellation that is close to the Greater and Lesser Bears (Ursa Major and Ursa Minor).

Down

1…Tea ceremony participant..GEISHA

The Japanese term “geisha” best translates as “artist” or “performing artist”.

3…Hanukkah symbol..MENORAH

There is a seven-branched menorah used symbolically in ancient temples. However, the Hanukkah menorah is a nine-branched lampstand that is lit during the eight-day holiday called Hanukkah. “Menorah” is the Hebrew word for “lamp”.

5…Modern shortcuts..MACROS

A macroinstruction (usually shortened to “macro”) is a set of instructions in a computer program that are abbreviated to one simple command.

7…”Never needs sharpening” brand..GINSU

Ginsu knives are more famous for their hard-sell television ads than they are for their efficacy in the kitchen. The Ginsu phenomenon took off in the seventies when two brothers found a set of knives called “Eversharp” that were being manufactured in Ohio. The brothers changed the brand name to something more exotic, and Japanese in particular (Ginsu), and then produced ads that made references to Japanese martial arts. I think they made a fortune …

8…Tax form no…SSN

Social Security Number (SSN)

10…”Airplane!” actor Robert..HAYS

The 1980 movie “Airplane!” has to be one of the zaniest comedies ever made. The lead roles were Ted Striker (played by Robert Hays) and Elaine Dickinson (played by Julie Hagerty). But it was Leslie Nielsen who stole the show, playing Dr. Barry Rumack. That’s my own humble opinion of course …

12…Become covered with rime..FROST UP

Rime is that beautiful coating of ice that forms on surfaces like roofs, trees and grass, when cold water freezes instantly under the right conditions.

19…Physicist Fermi..ENRICO

Enrico Fermi was born in Rome, Italy. Fermi moved to the US just before WWII, largely to escape the anti-Semitic feelings that were developing in Italy under Mussolini. It was Fermi’s work at the University of Chicago that led to the construction of the world’s first nuclear reactor. Fermi died at 53 years of age from stomach cancer . Cancer was a prevalent cause of death among the team working on that first nuclear pile.

37…Ford, but not Lincoln..VEEP

Gerald Ford is the only person to have served as both Vice President and President of the US, without having been elected to those positions. Ford was nominated by President Richard Nixon to replace Vice President Spiro Agnew after he resigned in 1973. Vice President Ford assumed the presidency the following year after President Nixon resigned.

Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the US, elected in 1860 as the first president from the Republican Party. Lincoln’s electoral support came almost exclusively from the north and west of the country, winning only 2 out of 996 counties in the Southern slave states. Lincoln led the country through Civil War, and then was assassinated in 1865 just a few days after Robert E. Lee surrendered his army of Northern Virginia. President Lincoln was succeeded in office by Vice President Andrew Johnson.

40…Rosie, notably..RIVETER

Rosie the Riveter is a cultural icon that represented women working in factories across the country during WWII as part of the war effort. The term “Rosie the Riveter” first appeared as the title of a 1942 song that was a national hit.

41…Bob Marley song with the lyric “Let’s get together and feel all right”..ONE LOVE

“One Love” is a classic reggae song from 1977 recorded by Bob Marley and the Wailers. A ska version of “One Love” had been released by the Wailers as early as 1965, but it is the 1977 release that we all remember, I am sure.

48…Where the Zambezi flows..AFRICA

The Zambezi is the largest African river flowing into the Indian Ocean, and the fourth-longest river on the continent. The most famous spot along the Zambezi is Victoria Falls.

50…”Snowy” birds..EGRETS

The Snowy Egret is a small white heron, native to the Americas. At one time the egret species was in danger of extinction due to hunting driven by the demand for plumes for women’s hats.

53…Showiness..ECLAT

“Éclat” can mean a brilliant show of success, or the applause or accolade that one receives. The word derives from the French “éclater” meaning “to splinter, burst out”.

58…Utah metropolis, initially..SLC

Salt Lake City (SLC) was founded by Brigham Young, in 1847. The city takes its name from the Great Salt Lake on which it sits, and indeed was known as “Great Salt Lake City” up until 1868.

59…The U.K.’s Pitt the Elder and Pitt the Younger..PMS

William Pitt, the Elder was the Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1766 to 1768. Although a prominent figure in British politics for many years, he refused to accept a title until he took over government of the country. For this refusal, he earned the nickname “The Great Commoner”. It is William Pitt, the Elder who lent his name to the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

William Pitt, the Younger was Prime Minister of Britain from 1783 to 1801, and again from 1804 until 1806. When Pitt first took office, he was only 24 years of age, making him the nation’s youngest ever PM. William Pitt is known as “the Younger” as his father, William Pitt the Elder also served as prime minister, from 1766 to 1768.

60…Mail hub: Abbr…GPO

General post office (GPO)

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Complete List of Clues and Answers

Across

1…Teeth setting..GUMS

5…Parts of gigs..MEGS

9…Golf club part..SHAFT

14…Parrier’s tool..EPEE

15…Rent-a-car choice..AVIS

16…African city that hosts an annual international film festival..CAIRO

17…Lacks being..ISN’T

18…*Steinbeck novel set in Monterey..CANNERY ROW (c-ow split)

20…”Homeland” airer, briefly..SHO

21…GPS options..RDS

22…Stick homes..NESTS

23…*Starter..HORS D’OEUVRE (h-orse split)

27…”__ the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown”..IT’S

29…Stumped..AT A LOSS

30…Viennese “a”..EIN

31…Ale serving..MUG

32…”Git!”..SHOO!

33…Story __..ARC

34…Michaelmas mo…SEPT

35…*China server..GRAVY BOAT (g-oat split)

39…Guy friends..BROS

42…Like a few hours after midnight..WEE

43…Wait patiently..BIDE

46…Dark side..YIN

47…Bill encl…SAE

48…Texas home of Hardin-Simmons University..ABILENE

51…All Hallows __..EVE

52…*Refinery job..PIPEFITTING (pi-g split)

54…”Four Quartets” poet..ELIOT

56…Obsolescent PC component..CRT

57…With respect to..FOR

58…Wall Street announcement … or a hint to the circled letters..STOCK SPLIT

60…Poke fun at..GIBE

61…New Orleans feature..LEVEE

62…Self-defense spray..MACE

63…Skin..PELT

64…Salad green..CRESS

65…Rigel or Arcturus..STAR

66…Some lyric works..ODES

Down

1…Tea ceremony participant..GEISHA

2…Results..UPSHOTS

3…Hanukkah symbol..MENORAH

4…Solidified, as plans..SET

5…Modern shortcuts..MACROS

6…Gets around..EVADES

7…”Never needs sharpening” brand..GINSU

8…Tax form no…SSN

9…Project at the theater..SCREEN

10…”Airplane!” actor Robert..HAYS

11…Advertiser’s purchase..AIRTIME

12…Become covered with rime..FROST UP

13…Drag behind..TOW

19…Physicist Fermi..ENRICO

24…Arduous jobs..SLOGS

25…Way out..DOOR

26…Action word..VERB

28…Cpl.’s superior..SGT

33…Word to a captain..AYE

34…Support for the circus?..STILT

36…Is in store..AWAITS

37…Ford, but not Lincoln..VEEP

38…Slightly..A BIT

39…Sports schedule advantage..BYE

40…Rosie, notably..RIVETER

41…Bob Marley song with the lyric “Let’s get together and feel all right”..ONE LOVE

44…Put on a pedestal..DEIFIED

45…Raise up..ENNOBLE

47…Bike wheel parts..SPOKES

48…Where the Zambezi flows..AFRICA

49…Caustic..BITTER

50…”Snowy” birds..EGRETS

53…Showiness..ECLAT

55…Gets done in a bakery..ICES

58…Utah metropolis, initially..SLC

59…The U.K.’s Pitt the Elder and Pitt the Younger..PMS

60…Mail hub: Abbr…GPO




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