LA Times Crossword Answers 3 May 17, Wednesday










Constructed by: Thomas Takaro

Edited by: Rich Norris

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

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Theme: Out Of

Today’s themed answers comprise two words, both of which are often preceded by the words “OUT OF”.

  • 69A. Lacking, and what can go with each word in the answers to starred clues : OUT OF
  • 18A. *Cubicle, e.g. : WORKSPACE (“out of work” & “out of space”)
  • 27A. *Singing skill that enables good phrasing : BREATH CONTROL (“out of breath” & “out of control”)
  • 45A. *Number after a circled “c” : COPYRIGHT DATE (“out of copyright” & “out of date”)
  • 60A. *Unobstructed view : SIGHT LINE (“out of sight” & “out of line”)

Bill’s time: 6m 48s

Bill’s errors: 0




Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies

Across

1. Greek played by Anthony Quinn : ZORBA

“Zorba the Greek” the film, and “Zorba” the musical, are adaptations of the 1952 novel “Zorba the Greek” by Nikos Kazantzakis. The 1964 film version stars Anthony Quinn in the title role, and Alan Bates. The movie is set and was filmed on location on the island of Crete, the home of author Kazantzakis.

Anthony Quinn was a Mexican-born American actor who is perhaps best known for playing the title role in the 1964 film “Zorba the Greek”. Off the screen, Quinn was an accomplished artist, with his works being exhibited both domestically and internationally.

16. Sommelier’s prefix : OENO-

In Greek mythology, Oeno was the goddess of wine, giving us “oen-” as a prefix meaning “wine”. For example, oenology is the study of wine and an oenophile is a wine-lover.

“Sommelier” is the French word for a wine steward. If that steward is a female, then the French term is “sommelière”.

22. Chicken __ king : A LA

A dish prepared “à la king” (usually chicken or turkey), is food prepared in a cream sauce, with mushrooms, pimentos, green peppers and sherry.

24. Cultural funding org. : NEA

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an agency funded by the federal government that offers support and financing for artistic projects. The NEA was created by an Act of Congress in 1965. Between 1965 and 2008, the NEA awarded over $4 billion to the arts, with Congress authorizing around $170 million annually through the eighties and much of the nineties. That funding was cut to less than $100 million in the late nineties due to pressure from conservatives concerned about the use of funds, but it is now back over the $150 million mark. I wonder how long that will last though …

25. Mottled : PIED

Something described as “pied” is patchy or blotchy in color, piebald. The term comes from the Middle English “pie”, an old name for the magpie, and is a reference to the bird’s black and white plumage.

26. MGM motto word : ARS

It seems that the phrase “art for art’s sake” has its origins in France in the nineteenth century, where the slogan is expressed as “l’art pour l’art”. The Latin version “Ars gratia artis” came much later, in 1924, when MGM’s publicist chose it for the studio’s logo, sitting under Leo the lion. Who’d a thunk it?

33. Casino gratuity : TOKE

“Toke” is an informal term for a tip given to a dealer or other employee at a casino.

37. Harbor protectors : JETTIES

A jetty is a pier that juts out into a body of water. “Jetty” derives from the French verb “jeter” meaning “to throw”, the idea being that a jetty is a structure that is “thrown” out past the edge of the land surrounding the body of water.

39. “Vitruvian Man” artist : DA VINCI

Leonardo da Vinci was perhaps the most diversely talented person who ever contributed to society. He was a gifted painter, sculptor, architect, musician, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer and writer. Da Vinci’s mural “The Last Supper” is the most reproduced work of art in the world.

You know that drawing by Leonardo da Vinci, of a man with his arms outstretched, confined in a circle? Well, that drawing is known as the Vitruvian Man. Da Vinci was trying to illustrate the thesis by Roman architect Vitruvius, that pleasing architectural proportions were related to proportions found in the human boy.

42. Pacific Rim continent : ASIA

The phrase “Pacific Rim” describes the countries that surround the Pacific Ocean. The related phrase “Pacific Basin” includes the islands in the Pacific Ocean, in addition to the Pacific Rim nations.

43. Mozart’s “__ fan tutte” : COSI

Mozart’s comic opera “Così fan tutte” is also known in English as “The School for Lovers”. The literal translation of the opera’s title is “Thus do all (women)”, or “Women are like that”.

44. Jupiter or Mars : GOD

Jupiter, also known as Jove, was the king of the gods in the Roman tradition, as well as the god of sky and thunder. He was the Roman equivalent to the Greek god Zeus.

Mars was the god of war in Ancient Rome. Mars was viewed as the father of the Roman people, and the father of Romulus and Remus, the twin brothers who founded Rome according to Roman mythology..

45. *Number after a circled “c” : COPYRIGHT DATE (“out of copyright” & “out of date”)

The term “copyright” really derives from the concept of giving another party the “right to copy”. Usually “copyright” gives the holder the power to financially benefit from any copies made. Copyright was invented in essence soon after the development of the printing press, with the first legal statutes put in place in Britain in the early 18th century.

50. EPA pollution std. : AQI

The air quality index (AQI) is monitored by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

53. Capri suffix : -OTE

A Capriote is a native of the Isle of Capri.

The island of Capri off the coast of Southern Italy has been a tourist resort since the days of ancient Rome. Capri is home to the famous Blue Grotto, a sea cave that is illuminated with sunlight that’s colored blue as it passes through the seawater into the cave.

55. Aviation stat. : ALT

Altitude (alt.)

56. “Flags of Our Fathers” setting : IWO JIMA

Iwo Jima is a volcanic island located south of Tokyo that today is uninhabited. The name is Japanese for “Sulfur Island”, referring to the sulfur mining on which Iwo Jima’s economy once depended. There were about a thousand Japanese civilians living on the island prior to WWII. In 1944, there was a massive influx of Japanese military personnel in anticipation of the inevitable US invasion. As the Japanese military moved in, the civilians were forced out and no one has lived there since. Control of the island was wrested from the Japanese in the five-week Battle of Iwo Jima in 1945. Said battle was one of the bloodiest in the Pacific theater in WWII.

“Flags of Our Fathers” is a 2006 war film directed by Clint Eastwood, based on a 2000 book of the same name by James Bradley. “Flags of Our Fathers” was a somewhat unique film, as it was filmed within a few months of a “paired” movie “Letters from Iwo Jima”, also directed by Eastwood. “Flags of Our Fathers” told the story of the WWII Battle of Iwo Jima from the American perspective, and “Letters from Iwo Jima” told the same story from the Japanese standpoint.

64. Cosmopolitan rival : ELLE

“Elle” magazine was founded in 1945 in France and today has the highest circulation of any fashion magazine in the world. “Elle” is the French word for “she”. “Elle” is published monthly worldwide, although you can pick up a weekly edition if you live in France.

“Cosmopolitan” magazine was first published way back in 1886! It started out life as a family magazine, then as a literary publication. “Cosmo” took its present form as a women’s magazine in the sixties.

66. First in a line of Russian princes : IVAN I

Ivan I was Prince of Moscow from 1325, succeeding his older brother Yuri III, who in turn succeeded their father Daniil Aleksandrovich. Daniil was the first Prince of Moscow, the first in a long line that culminated in Ivan the Terrible, who became the first Tsar of Russia.

67. River crossed by Charon : STYX

The River Styx in Greek mythology was the river that formed the boundary between the Earth and the Underworld (or Hades). The souls of the newly dead had to cross the River Styx in a ferry boat piloted by Charon. Traditionally, a coin would be placed in the mouths of the dead “to pay the ferryman”.

Down

2. Melville novel set on Tahiti : OMOO

Herman Melville mined his own experiences when writing his novels. Melville sailed from New Bedford, Massachusetts in 1841 on a whaler heading into the Pacific Ocean (a source for “Moby-Dick”). Melville ended up deserting his ship 18 months later and lived with natives on a South Pacific Island for three weeks (a source for “Typee”). He picked up another whaler and headed for Hawaii, where he joined the crew of a US navy frigate that was bound for Boston (a source for “Omoo”).

4. Split fruit? : BANANA

The banana split was created in Latrobe, Pennsylvania in 1904. This particular sundae was the idea of David Stickler, a young apprentice pharmacist at the Tassel Pharmacy’s soda fountain.

5. Mario who won IndyCar races in four different decades : ANDRETTI

Mario Andretti is a retired Italian American racing driver who was named US Driver of the Year in 1967, 1978 and 1984. Both of Mario’s sons, Michael and Jeff are successful auto racers, as well as Mario’s nephews, John and Adam Andretti. John and Adam are sons of Mario’s brother Aldo Andretti. Aldo also raced cars, but quit after a crash in 1969 that severely damaged his face. Aldo is Mario’s identical twin brother, but there is no resemblance after the reconstructive surgery necessitated by the accident.

6. Sussex stable area : MEWS

Back in the late 14th century, the king’s hawks were housed at a specific location in London known as the King’s Mews, with a “mew” being a cage for hawks. That location was converted to the Royal Stables in 1534, with the name Royal Mews persisting, even when the stables were relocated to the grounds of Buckingham Palace. The use of the term “mews” to describe stable blocks spread to outside of London, and indeed internationally. Early in the 20th century, stables/mews became obsolete with the growth of motorized transportation, and so many were converted into housing.

Sussex is a county in the very southeast of England, lying right on the English Channel. The county of Sussex has about the same boundaries as the ancient Kingdom of Sussex, a Saxon colony that existed for about five hundred years until the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Hastings, a town on the Sussex coast, was the site of the first battle of the Norman Conquest of England.

7. Anka’s “__ Beso” : ESO

“Eso Beso” is Spanish for “That Kiss”, and is the name of a hit song recorded by Canadian-born singer Paul Anka.

10. Rep. group : GOP

The Republican Party has had the nickname Grand Old Party (GOP) since 1875. That said, the phrase was coined in the “Congressional Record” as “this gallant old party”. The moniker was changed to “grand old party” in 1876 in an article in the “Cincinnati Commercial”. The Republican Party’s elephant mascot dates back to an 1874 cartoon drawn by Thomas Nast for “Harper’s Weekly”. The Democrat’s donkey was already an established symbol. Nast drew a donkey clothed in a lion’s skin scaring away the other animals. One of the scared animals was an elephant, which Nast labeled “The Republican Vote”.

11. Tony-winning actress for “Miss Saigon” : LEA SALONGA

Lea Salonga is a singer and actress from the Philippines who is known for originating the lead role in the musical “Miss Saigon” in both the West End and on Broadway. Salonga also provided the singing voice for the Disney princesses Jasmine (in “Aladdin”) and Fa Mulan (in “Mulan”). She was the first Asian woman to win a Tony Award, for her performance in “Miss Saigon”.

“Miss Saigon” is a musical that premiered in London in 1989, and one that is based on Puccini’s opera “Madame Butterfly”. “Miss Saigon” was written by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil, the duo responsible for “Les Misérables”. We saw both shows in London during their heyday, and I much preferred “Miss Saigon”. Back then the big thing was to have a big “special effect” in a stage musical, and for “Miss Saigon” this is the landing of a life-size helicopter on the stage. At the performance we attended there was an announcement that “the helicopter was broken”, so we had a fun time watching actors running around pretending there was a helicopter in that climactic scene …

13. Afrikaans speakers : BOERS

“Boer” is the Dutch and Afrikaans word for “farmer”, a word that was used to describe the Dutch-speaking people who settled parts of South Africa during the 1700s.

Afrikaans is a language spoken mainly in South Africa that was introduced there by Dutch settlers in the 18th century. The original settlers were mainly from South Holland, so Afrikaans evolved from the Dutch vernacular that they spoke.

19. Iraq’s __ City : SADR

Sadr City is a suburb of Baghdad, oft in the news in recent years. Sadr City is named after the deceased Shia leader Mohammad Mohammad Sadeq al-Sadr.

21. Western border lake : TAHOE

Lake Tahoe (often referred to simply as “Tahoe”) is up in the Sierra Nevada mountains, right on the border between California and Nevada. Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in the country, and the largest lake in general, behind the five Great Lakes. It’s also the second deepest lake, with only the beautiful Crater Lake in Oregon being deeper. Given its location, there are tall casinos that sit right on the shore on the Nevada side of the state line where gambling is legal.

25. “The Purloined Letter” writer : POE

“The Purloined Letter” is the third of Edgar Allan Poe’s short stories to feature Le Chevalier C. Auguste Dupin, Poe’s famous detective. The two earlier stories are the celebrated “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” and “The Mystery of Marie Roget”.

27. Westernmost Mexican state, familiarly : BAJA

Baja California is both the most northern and the most western of the Mexican states. The name translates from Spanish as “Lower California”.

28. Small deer : ROES

Roe deer are found mainly in Europe. They would be the deer shown on television and in movies when Robin Hood was out hunting in Sherwood Forest.

30. Bank statement listings: Abbr. : CKS

Check (ck.)

31. Japanese sash : OBI

The sash worn as part of traditional Japanese dress is known as an obi. The obi can be tied at the back in what is called a butterfly knot. The term “obi” is also used for the thick cotton belts that are an essential part of the outfits worn by practitioners of many martial arts. The color of the martial arts obi signifies the wearer’s skill level.

35. Edinburgh native : SCOT

Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland, and is a really beautiful city. In days gone by it might not have been quite so charming though. Like many cities, plumes of smoke hung over Edinburgh when coal and wood fires weren’t regulated. To this day, the city has the nickname “Auld Reekie”, Scots for “Old Smoky”.

38. Eastern spiritual path : TAO

The Chinese character “tao” translates as “path”, but the concept of Tao signifies the true nature of the world.

41. Director De Sica : VITTORIO

Vittoria De Sica was an Italian director and actor. De Sica was director of the film “The Bicycle Thief”, released in 1948. Many deem “The Bicycle Thief” to be the greatest movie ever made.

43. Spanish hero El __ : CID

Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar was known as El Cid Campeador, which translates as “The Champion” or perhaps “The Lord, Master of Military Arts”. El Cid was a soldier who fought under the rule of King Alfonso VI of Spain (among others). However, he was sent into exile by the King in 1080, after acting beyond his authorization in battle. El Cid then offered his services to his former foes, the Moorish kings, After a number of years building a reputation with the Moors, he was recalled from exile by Alfonso. By this time El Cid was very much his own man. Nominally under the orders of Alfonso, he led a combined army of Spanish and Moorish troops and took the city of Valencia on the Mediterranean coast, making it is headquarters and home. He died there, quite peacefully in 1099.

46. Start to fall? : PRAT-

“Prat” is a relatively new word for me, a slang term for the buttocks. A “prat-fall” is when someone falls and lands on the buttocks.

47. Soccer penalty card color : YELLOW

A series of colored penalty cards is used by referees and umpires in several sports, most notably in soccer. The cards were first used in the 1970 FIFA World Cup in Mexico, after language difficulties created confusion during the prior competition in 1966. The main cards used are a yellow card indicating a caution, and a red card indicating expulsion from the game.

48. Make more time for hobbies, say : RETIRE

Ain’t that the truth …

49. “Here we go again” feeling : DEJA VU

“Déjà vu” is French for “already seen”.

50. Cathedral areas : APSES

The apse of a church or cathedral is a semicircular recess in an outer wall, usually with a half-dome as a roof and often where there resides an altar. Originally, apses were used as burial places for the clergy and also for storage of important relics.

58. Less, musically : MENO

“Meno” is an Italian word meaning “less, minus”.

61. Bad spell : HEX

“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.

62. Game console letters : NES

The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) was sold in North America from 1985 to to 1995. The NES was the biggest selling gaming console of the era. Nintendo replaced the NES with Wii, which is also the biggest-selling game console in the world.

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Complete List of Clues and Answers

Across

1. Greek played by Anthony Quinn : ZORBA

6. Small plateau : MESA

10. Slick-talking : GLIB

14. “That is to say … ” : I MEAN …

15. Channel showing many games : ESPN

16. Sommelier’s prefix : OENO-

17. Incessantly : NO END

18. *Cubicle, e.g. : WORKSPACE (“out of work” & “out of space”)

20. Kids’ racing vehicles : GO-KARTS

22. Chicken __ king : A LA

23. Prefix with pass or plus : SUR-

24. Cultural funding org. : NEA

25. Mottled : PIED

26. MGM motto word : ARS

27. *Singing skill that enables good phrasing : BREATH CONTROL (“out of breath” & “out of control”)

32. Get an __: ace : A ON

33. Casino gratuity : TOKE

34. Overseer : BOSS

37. Harbor protectors : JETTIES

39. “Vitruvian Man” artist : DA VINCI

42. Pacific Rim continent : ASIA

43. Mozart’s “__ fan tutte” : COSI

44. Jupiter or Mars : GOD

45. *Number after a circled “c” : COPYRIGHT DATE (“out of copyright” & “out of date”)

50. EPA pollution std. : AQI

52. Wetland plant : REED

53. Capri suffix : -OTE

54. Bit of wordplay : PUN

55. Aviation stat. : ALT

56. “Flags of Our Fathers” setting : IWO JIMA

60. *Unobstructed view : SIGHT LINE (“out of sight” & “out of line”)

63. Inn postings : RATES

64. Cosmopolitan rival : ELLE

65. Gold diggers’ objectives : ORES

66. First in a line of Russian princes : IVAN I

67. River crossed by Charon : STYX

68. Old or Wild follower : … WEST

69. Lacking, and what can go with each word in the answers to starred clues : OUT OF

Down

1. Zest : ZING

2. Melville novel set on Tahiti : OMOO

3. Really stink : REEK

4. Split fruit? : BANANA

5. Mario who won IndyCar races in four different decades : ANDRETTI

6. Sussex stable area : MEWS

7. Anka’s “__ Beso” : ESO

8. Common sports injury : SPRAIN

9. Short sock : ANKLET

10. Rep. group : GOP

11. Tony-winning actress for “Miss Saigon” : LEA SALONGA

12. Run up, as debts : INCUR

13. Afrikaans speakers : BOERS

19. Iraq’s __ City : SADR

21. Western border lake : TAHOE

25. “The Purloined Letter” writer : POE

27. Westernmost Mexican state, familiarly : BAJA

28. Small deer : ROES

29. With allure : ENTICINGLY

30. Bank statement listings: Abbr. : CKS

31. Japanese sash : OBI

35. Edinburgh native : SCOT

36. Agree (with) : SIDE

38. Eastern spiritual path : TAO

39. One may be fetching : DOG

40. __ of hands : A SHOW

41. Director De Sica : VITTORIO

43. Spanish hero El __ : CID

46. Start to fall? : PRAT-

47. Soccer penalty card color : YELLOW

48. Make more time for hobbies, say : RETIRE

49. “Here we go again” feeling : DEJA VU

50. Cathedral areas : APSES

51. Blanket that’s often hand-sewn : QUILT

56. Superlative suffix : -IEST

57. “Do __ once!” : IT AT

58. Less, musically : MENO

59. “Not a chance!” : AS IF!

61. Bad spell : HEX

62. Game console letters : NES

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