LA Times Crossword Answers 28 Sep 12, Friday

CROSSWORD SETTER: Marti DuGuay-Carpenter
THEME: ET TU … each of the theme answers is a well-known term, with the letters TU added to the front:

52D. Words of reproach, and a hint to how the four longest puzzle answers are formed ET TU

17A. Quarry for Henry VIII’s cat? (TU)DOR MOUSE
26A. Dutch exporter’s forte? (TU)LIP SERVICE
44A. New Orleans campus sign during spring break? (TU)LANE CLOSED
60A. Garb for a private pupil? (TU)TEE SHIRT

COMPLETION TIME: 9m 24s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
6. Phi follower? BETA
Phi Beta Kappa was the first collegiate Greek fraternity in the US, founded in 1776 at the College of William and Mary. The initials Phi Beta Kappa stand for “philosophia biou kybernētēs”, which translates into “philosophy is the guide of life”.

17. Quarry for Henry VIII’s cat? (TU)DOR MOUSE
Henry VIII was of course the English King with the most wives. Well, something rubbed off on his last wife, Catherine Parr. She was to become the English Queen with the most husbands! By the time she married Henry, she had been widowed twice, and after Henry died, she married once again.

19. Word in a boast VENI
The oft-quoted “Veni, vidi, vici” (“I came, I saw, I conquered”) is believed by many to have been written by Julius Caesar. The words date back to 47 BC and refer to the short war between Rome and Pharnaces II of Pontus.

20. King of fiction STEPHEN
Stephen King is a remarkably successful author having sold over 350 million copies of his books, many of which have been made into hit movies. I’ve tried reading two or three, but I really don’t do horror …

21. Martin Luther, to Pope Leo X HERETIC
Pope Leo X is remembered as the last pope who was not a priest before taking office. Leo X was also known for granting indulgences to those willing to donate funds for the reconstruction of St. Peter’s Basilica, a practice that contributed to the revolt against the church by Martin Luther. As a result of the revolt, Leo X excommunicated Luther.

Martin Luther wrote his “95 Theses on the Power and Efficacy of the Indulgences” in 1517, a document that is often seen as the spark that set off the Protestant Reformation. Luther’s main argument was that the Catholic Church’s practice of granting “indulgences”, forgiveness from punishment for sins, was wrong. It was especially wrong when such indulgences were granted in exchange for money.

23. European wine region ASTI
Asti is in the Piedmont region of northwest Italy. The region is perhaps most famous for its Asti Spumante sparkling white wine.

32. The Olympic Australis and others OPALS
The Olympic Australis is the largest opal ever found, and the most valuable. It was found in South Australia in 1956. That same year, the Summer Olympics were being held in Melbourne so the newly discovered stone was given the name “Olympic Australis”.

38. “The Prince of Tides” co-star NOLTE
The actor Nick Nolte got his first big break playing opposite Jacqueline Bisset and Robert Shaw in “The Deep”, released in 1976. Prior to that he had worked as a model, and in fact appeared in a magazine advertisement for Clairol in 1972 alongside fellow model, Sigourney Weaver.

The 1991 movie “The Prince of Tides” was adapted from a 1986 novel of the same name written by Pat Conroy. Stars of the film are Barbra Streisand and Nick Nolte.

40. Bend at a barre PLIE
The French word for “bent” is “plié”, and in the ballet move known as a plié, the knees are bent.

A barre is a handrail used by ballet dancers for warm-up exercises and to provide support when practicing certain moves.

41. LAPD section? LOS
The Los Angles Police Department (LAPD) is the third largest local law enforcement agency in the country, after New York PD and Chicago PD. Among other things, LAPD is famous for creating the first Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team in the US, in 1965.

42. Pay stub abbr. FICA
That Federal Insurance Contributions Act tax (FICA) was introduced in the 1930s as part of President Roosevelt’s New Deal.

43. Origami staple CRANE
The Japanese word “origami” is derived from ori (folding) and kami (paper).

44. New Orleans campus sign during spring break? (TU)LANE CLOSED
Tulane University is a private research university in New Orleans, Louisiana. Tulane was founded in 1834 as the Medical College of Louisiana. The university was privatized with the aid of an endowment from philanthropist Paul Tulane in 1884, and as a result the school’s name was changed to Tulane University.

59. Melville’s “grand, ungodly, god-like man” AHAB
Captain Ahab is the obsessed and far from friendly Captain of the Pequod in Herman Melville’s “Moby Dick”.

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 headed for Boston (a source for “Omoo”).

62. Two after do RE MI
The solfa syllables are: do, re, mi, fa, sol, la & ti. The solfa scale was developed from a six-note ascending scale created by Guido of Arezzo in the 11th century. He used the first verse of a Latin hymn to name the syllables of the scale:

Ut queant laxis resonāre fibris
Mira gestorum famuli tuorum,
Solve polluti labii reatum,
Sancte Iohannes.

The “ut” in this scale was changed to “do”, as “do” was a more “open ended” sound. “Si” was added (the initials of “Sancte Iohannes”) to complete the seven-note scale. Later again, “si” was changed to “ti” so that each syllable began with a unique letter.

66. Strong arms UZIS
The first Uzi submachine gun was designed in the late 1940s by Major Uziel Gal, who gave his name to the gun.

Down
1. Former fleet SSTS
The most famous Supersonic Transport (SST) was the Concorde, a plane that’s no longer flying. Concorde had that famous “droop nose”. The nose was moved to the horizontal position during flight to create the optimum aerodynamic shape thereby reducing drag. It was lowered during taxi, takeoff and landing, so that the pilot had better visibility. The need for the droop nose was driven largely by the delta-shaped wings. The delta wing necessitates a higher angle of attack at takeoff and landing than conventional wing designs, so the pilot needed the nose lowered so that he or she could see the ground.

6. “The Tenant of Wildfell Hall” author Anne BRONTE
The Brontë family lived in the lovely village of Haworth in Yorkshire, England. The three daughters all became recognised authors. The first to achieve success was Charlotte Brontë when she published “Jane Eyre”. Then came Emily with “Wuthering Heights” and Anne with “The Tenant of Wildfell Hall”.

7. Seine flower EAU
“Eau” is the French word for “water”.

There are two famous islands in the middle of the River Seine in Paris, one being the Île de la Cité, and the other Île Saint-Louis. Île de la Cité is the most renowned of the two, as it is home to the cathedral of Notre Dame.

8. Addams family nickname TISH
Gomez and Morticia (“Tish”) Addams were the parents in “The Addams Family”, a creation of the cartoonist Charles Addams. In the sixties television show, Gomez was played by John Astin and Morticia was played by Carolyn Jones.

9. Toward shelter ALEE
“Alee” is the direction away from the wind. If a sailor points into the wind, he or she is pointing “aweather”.

12. Durable fabric DENIM
Denim fabric originated in Nimes in France. The French phrase “de Nimes” (from Nimes) gives us the word “denim”. As an aside, the French phrase “bleu de Genes” (blue of Genoa) gives us our word “jeans”.

13. Evergreen shrub ERICA
It is a commonly held belief that heather and erica are the same thing botanically, but in fact, erica is another name for a different species, called “heath”.

22. Risqué RACY
“Risqué” is of course a French word, the past participle of the verb “to risk”. So in English we use “risqué” to mean “racy”, but in French it means “risky”.

24. Swift’s birthplace IRELAND
Jonathan Swift was an Irish author and cleric. Swift is most famous perhaps for his 1726 novel “Gulliver’s Travels”, but we Irishmen remember him also as the Dean of St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin. He was renowned for his wit and satire.

27. Prom night style UPDO
A prom is a formal dance held upon graduation from high school (we call them just “formals” over in Ireland). The term “prom” is short for promenade, the name given to a type of dance or ball.

28. Myanmar neighbor LAOS
The official name for the country of Laos is the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. In the Lao language, the country’s name is “Meuang Lao”. The French ruled Laos as part of French Indochina, having united three separate Lao kingdoms. As there was a plural of “Lao” entities united into one, the French added the “S” and so today we tend to use “Laos” instead of “Lao”.

30. Spot checker? VET
My guess is that most vets examine a dog called Spot at some time or other …

31. __-de-France ILE
Île-de-France (literally “Island of France”) isn’t an island at all. It is the name given to the most populous of France’s 26 administrative regions. Île-de-France is roughly equivalent to the Paris metropolitan area.

39. Andean tuber OCA
The plant called an oca is also known as the New Zealand Yam. The tubers of the oca are used as a root vegetable.

40. Arnie or Tiger, e.g. PRO
Arnold Palmer is one of the greats of the world of golf. He is very popular with many fans of the game, and his followers are usually referred to as “Arnie’s Army”.

By now, everyone must know everything there is to know about Tiger Woods. But did you know that Tiger’s real name is Eldrick Tont Woods? “Tont” is a traditional Thai name.

43. South Carolina university CLEMSON
Clemson University was founded in 1889. The school takes its name from the town in which it is located: Clemson, South Carolina.

45. Down sources EIDERS
Eiders are large seaducks. Their down feathers are used to fill pillows and quilts, giving the name to the quilt called an “eiderdown”.

46. First Nations tribe CREE
The Cree are one of the largest groups of Native Americans on the continent. In the US most of the Cree nation live in Montana on a reservation shared with the Ojibwe people. In Canada most of the Cree live in Manitoba.

52. Words of reproach, and a hint to how the four longest puzzle answers are formed ET TU
It was Shakespeare who popularized the words “Et tu, Brute?” (And you, Brutus?), in his play “Julius Caesar”, although the phrase was around long before he penned his drama. It’s not known what Julius Caesar actually said just before he was assassinated on the steps of the Senate in Rome.

53. “The Highway to India” canal SUEZ
“The Highway to India” is a nickname for the Suez Canal.

56. __ torch TIKI
A tiki torch is a bamboo torch that’s very commonly used in Tiki culture. Tiki culture is a modern invention, dating from the 20th century, and is the experience created in Polynesian-style restaurants. The word “Tiki” is borrowed from Polynesia.

57. Cockney toast starter ‘ERE’S
Here’s to you …

61. Clavell’s “__-Pan” TAI
“Tai-Pan” is a novel by James Clavell, the second in his famous “Asian Saga” suite of six titles. The six books are:

– “King Rat”
– “Tai-Pan”
– “Shōgun”
– “Noble House”
– “Whirlwind”
– “Gai-Jin”

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. It can keep a watch on you STRAP
6. Phi follower? BETA
10. Took the bus RODE
14. French fry? SAUTE
15. Transportation option RAIL
16. Carafe kin EWER
17. Quarry for Henry VIII’s cat? (TU)DOR MOUSE
19. Word in a boast VENI
20. King of fiction STEPHEN
21. Martin Luther, to Pope Leo X HERETIC
23. European wine region ASTI
25. Bouquet AROMA
26. Dutch exporter’s forte? (TU)LIP SERVICE
32. The Olympic Australis and others OPALS
33. Slippery EELY
34. Pop-ups, often ADS
37. Hollywood VIP IDOL
38. “The Prince of Tides” co-star NOLTE
40. Bend at a barre PLIE
41. LAPD section? LOS
42. Pay stub abbr. FICA
43. Origami staple CRANE
44. New Orleans campus sign during spring break? (TU)LANE CLOSED
47. Way up STAIR
50. Desperate DIRE
51. Horns in MEDDLES
54. Puts in a lower position DEMOTES
59. Melville’s “grand, ungodly, god-like man” AHAB
60. Garb for a private pupil? (TU)TEE SHIRT
62. Two after do RE MI
63. Go like mad TEAR
64. Pitched perfectly ON KEY
65. It’s pitched TENT
66. Strong arms UZIS
67. Racket NOISE

Down
1. Former fleet SSTS
2. Tense TAUT
3. Boorish RUDE
4. Sitting on ATOP
5. Noncommittal response PERHAPS
6. “The Tenant of Wildfell Hall” author Anne BRONTE
7. Seine flower EAU
8. Addams family nickname TISH
9. Toward shelter ALEE
10. Put on a pedestal REVERE
11. Have an outstanding loan from OWE TO
12. Durable fabric DENIM
13. Evergreen shrub ERICA
18. Muddle MESS
22. Risqué RACY
24. Swift’s birthplace IRELAND
26. Drudgery TOIL
27. Prom night style UPDO
28. Myanmar neighbor LAOS
29. Bugged? ILL
30. Spot checker? VET
31. __-de-France ILE
34. Melodramatic moan ALAS
35. Wine partner DINE
36. Word with poppy or top SEED
38. Zilch NIL
39. Andean tuber OCA
40. Arnie or Tiger, e.g. PRO
42. Roll up FURL
43. South Carolina university CLEMSON
44. Gossip morsel TIDBIT
45. Down sources EIDERS
46. First Nations tribe CREE
47. Sting SMART
48. Chuckle relative TEHEE
49. Not worth __ A DAMN
52. Words of reproach, and a hint to how the four longest puzzle answers are formed ET TU
53. “The Highway to India” canal SUEZ
55. “That’s terrible!” OH NO
56. __ torch TIKI
57. Cockney toast starter ‘ERE’S
58. Ocular nuisance STYE
61. Clavell’s “__-Pan” TAI

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