LA Times Crossword Answers 6 Mar 13, Wednesday

CROSSWORD SETTER: Robin Stears
THEME: It’s Homophonic. D’oh! … the last syllable in each of today’s themed answers sounds like “d’oh!”:

17A. __ Sam: 49ers mascot SOURDOUGH
24A. Lake Geneva water fountain JET D’EAU
34A. Fun Factory clay PLAY-DOH
51A. Mystery man JOHN DOE
58A. Olympic sport since 2000 TAEKWONDO

COMPLETION TIME: 8m 54s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
1. __ polloi HOI
“Hoi polloi” is a Greek term, literally meaning “the majority, the many”. In English, “hoi polloi” has come to mean “the masses” and is often used in a derogatory sense.

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

9. Jitter-free java DECAF
Back in 1850, the name “java” was given to a type of coffee grown on the island of Java, and the usage of the term spread from there.

14. ShopNBC competitor QVC
The QVC shopping channel was founded in 1986 in West Chester, Pennsylvania. The company now has operations not only in the US but also in the UK, Germany, Japan and Italy. That means QVC is reaching 200 million households. The QVC acronym stands for Quality, Value and Convenience.

15. Gulf State native OMANI
Oman lies on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula and is neighbored by the OAE, Saudi Arabia and Yemen.

16. Start of a historic B-29 name ENOLA
The Enola Gay was the B-29 that dropped the first atomic bomb, on Hiroshima in August 1945. Enola Gay was the name of the mother of pilot Col. Paul W. Tibbets, Jr.

17. __ Sam: 49ers mascot SOURDOUGH
Sourdough Sam is a mascot for the San Francisco 49ers football team. Sam is of course named for San Francisco’s famous sourdough bread.

19. Obie contender ACTOR
The Obies are the “Off-Broadway Theater Awards”. The Obies are presented annually and the recipients are chosen by “The Village Voice” newspaper.

21. Fate who spins the thread of life CLOTHO
The three Fates of Greek mythology were white-robed deities, and were also called the Moirai. The three Fates were Clotho the spinner, Lachesis the allotter and Atropos the unturnable.

24. Lake Geneva water fountain JET D’EAU
The “Jet d’Eau” (“Water-Jet” in English) is the famous fountain that spurts a tall jet of water out of Lake Geneva, just beside the city of Geneva itself. The fountain was inspired by a nearby jet of water that acted as a safety valve for a hydraulic power network. The more functional jet came to be regarded as a thing of beauty, and so the purely decorative “Jet d’Eau” was designed and installed in 1951.

26. Maker of Touch of Foam hand wash LYSOL
The disinfectant called Lysol takes its name from the words “lysosome” and “solvent”. Lysosomes are structures found within cells that have the job of breaking up waste material and cellular debris.

29. Hipbone-related ILIAC
The sacrum and the two ilia are three bones in the human pelvis.

31. Ape who rescues baby Tarzan KALA
Kala is the fictional ape that rescues the infant Tarzan from the dangerous leader of the apes. In the Edgar Rice Burroughs novel, Kala is killed a few years later by a hunter, for which Tarzan exacts the ultimate revenge. In the 1999 Disney adaptation of the story, Kala doesn’t die.

34. Fun Factory clay PLAY-DOH
Back in the 1930s, a manufacturer in Cincinnati produced a doughy compound that was used to clean wallpaper. Twenty years later, school-kids started using the cleaning material as a modelling compound, so the manufacturer reworked the formula, and sold it to local schools. It was given the name Play-Doh.

43. Caesar’s “Behold!” ECCE!
“Ecce!” is Latin for “look!” or “behold!”

47. Appearances MIENS
One’s mien is one’s bearing or manner. “Mien” shares the same etymological root as our word “demeanor”.

50. Napoleon’s exile isle ELBA
I had a lovely two-week vacation in Tuscany once, including what was supposed to be a two-night stay on the island of Elba. I had envisioned Elba as a place full of history, and maybe it is, but it is also overrun with tourists who use it as a beach getaway. We left after one day and we won’t be going back again …

51. Mystery man JOHN DOE
Though the English court system does not use the term today, “John Doe” first appeared as the “name of a person unknown” in England in 1659, along with another unknown referred to as Richard Roe. Joe Blow is just a variant of John Doe, and Jane Doe is an unknown female.

56. Firth or fjord INLET
“Firth” is a word used in England and Scotland for an inlet, and tends to be used in the same way as “fjord” in Scandinavia.

A drowned valley might be called a ria or a fjord, both formed as sea level rises. A ria is a drowned valley created by river erosion, and a fjord is a drowned valley created by glaciation.

57. Infant ailment COLIC
Baby colic is a condition in which a baby cries for no apparent reason for extended periods. At least one study has shown that breastfed babies are about half as likely to suffer from colic.

58. Olympic sport since 2000 TAEKWONDO
Taekwondo is the national sport of Korea. “Tae” means “to strike or break with foot”; “kwon” means “to strike or break with fist”; “do” means “way” or “art”. Along with judo, taekwondo is one of only two martial arts included in the Olympic Games.

63. S-shaped moldings OGEES
An ogee is like an s-curve. Specifically it is a figure consisting of two arcs that curve in opposite directions (like an S) but both ends of the curve end up parallel to each other (which is not necessarily true for an S).

66. Hot, spicy drink TODDY
The word “toddy” has come a long way. Its origins lie in the Hindi word for a palm tree, which is “tar”. The derivative word “tari” was used for palm sap, which came into English as “tarrie”, then “taddy” and “toddy”, all of which described an alcoholic drink made from fermented palm sap. That was back around 1600. Late in the 18th century, the palm sap drink called “toddy” had morphed into meaning any alcoholic drink made with liquor, hot water, sugar and spices.

Down
3. Post-op setting ICU
Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

4. Doomed city in Genesis SODOM
The two cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, as well as Admah and Zeboim, were destroyed by God for the sins of their inhabitants, according to the Bible. The name Sodom has become a metaphor for vice and homosexuality, and gives us our word “sodomy”.

7. “Young Frankenstein” seductress INGA
I am not really a big fan of movies made by Mel Brooks, but “Young Frankenstein” is the exception. I think the cast has a lot to do with me liking the film, as it includes Gene Wilder (Dr. Frankenstein), Teri Garr (Inga), Marty Feldman (Igor) and Gene Hackman (Harold, the blind man).

8. Govt. medical research org. NIH
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is made up of 27 different institutes that coordinate their research and services. Examples of member institutes are the National Cancer Institute, the National Institute of Mental Health and the National Institute on Aging.

12. Lei Day greetings ALOHAS
What’s known as May Day around the world is also called Lei Day in Hawaii. Lei Day started in the twenties and is a celebration of native Hawaiian culture.

18. __ Gorbachev, last first lady of the USSR RAISA
Raisa Gorbachova was the wife of Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. There’s no doubt that Raisa’s charm and personality helped her husband as he worked to change the image of the Soviet Union.

21. String quintet instrument CELLO
A string quintet is a musical composition that is written for a string quartet with the addition of an extra instrument. A standard string quartet is made up of two violins, a viola and a cello. The fifth instrument is usually a second viola or cello.

23. “Kills bugs dead!” spray RAID
Raid insecticide has been killing bugs since 1956.

24. Family name in “The Grapes of Wrath” JOAD
John Steinbeck’s “The Grapes of Wrath” is set during the Great Depression. The novel tells the story of the Joad family from Oklahoma, farmers who had to leave their home and head for California due to economic hardship.

25. Brooks of country music’s Brooks & Dunn KIX
Brooks & Dunn was a country music duo made up of Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn.

27. Video chat choice SKYPE
The main feature of the Skype application is that it allows voice communication to take place over the Internet (aka VoIP). Skype has other features such as video conferencing and instant messaging, but the application made its name from voice communication. Skype was founded by two Scandinavian entrepreneurs and the software necessary was developed by a team of engineers in Estonia. The development project was originally called “Sky peer-to-peer” so the first commercial name for the application was “Skyper”. This had to be shortened to “Skype” because the skyper.com domain name was already in use.

35. Long rides? LIMOS
The word “limousine” actually derives from the French city of Limoges. The area around Limoges is called the Limousin, and it gave its name to a cloak hood worn by local shepherds. In early motor cars, a driver would sit outside in the weather while the passengers would sit in the covered compartment. The driver would often wear a limousin-style protective hood, giving rise to that type of transportation being called a “limousine”. Well, that’s how the story goes anyway …

36. Jacques’s significant other AMIE
A male friend in France is “un ami”, and a female friend is “une amie”.

38. Guinness servers PUBS
Guinness is the most popular beer sold in Ireland. The beer is a stout and has that famous creamy white head, a result of mixing the beer with nitrogen as it is poured. You can also buy Guinness that has no nitrogen, which is sold in bottles bearing the the name Guinness Export. This carbonated version of the beer has a very different taste, and is my personal favorite.

39. Darjeeling, e.g. TEA
Darjeeling tea comes from the Darjeeling district of West Bengal in India.

42. Right-hand page RECTO
The left and right pages of a book or magazine are known in publishing circles as verso and recto. Recto comes from the Latin for “right”, and verso comes from the Latin word for “turned”. The idea is that the left side of the page is “turned” and is the reverse of the right side.

45. Restaurant chain with a hot pepper in its logo CHILI’S
The first Chili’s restaurant was opening 1975 in Dallas, Texas. There are now more than 1400 Chili’s restaurants all over North America.

56. “I hate the Moor” speaker IAGO
Iago is the schemer in Shakespeare’s “Othello”. Iago is a soldier who fought alongside Othello and feels hard done by, missing out on promotion. He hatches a plot designed to discredit his rival Cassio by insinuating that Cassio is having an affair with Desdemona, Othello’s wife. By the end of the play it’s Iago himself who is discredited and Othello (before committing suicide) apologizes to Cassio for having believed Iago’s lies. Heavy stuff …

59. Pince-__ NEZ
Pince-nez are eyeglasses clipped to the bridge of the nose. “Pince-nez” is French, translating as “pinch the nose”.

60. Scrappy-__ DOO
Scrappy-Doo is a Great Dane puppy who appears in the “Scooby-Doo” series of cartoons.

61. Beatle wife ONO
John Lennon and Yoko Ono married at the height of the Vietnam War in 1969. The couple decided to use the inevitable publicity surrounding their wedding and honeymoon to promote peace in the world. They honeymooned in the Presidential Suite of the Amsterdam Hilton, inviting the world’s press to join them and to witness their “bed-in”. They spent the week talking about peace, and an end to war. The marriage and bed-in is chronicled by the Beatles in their song “The Ballad of John and Yoko”.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. __ polloi HOI
4. Prom gown material SATIN
9. Jitter-free java DECAF
14. ShopNBC competitor QVC
15. Gulf State native OMANI
16. Start of a historic B-29 name ENOLA
17. __ Sam: 49ers mascot SOURDOUGH
19. Obie contender ACTOR
20. It comes straight from the heart AORTA
21. Fate who spins the thread of life CLOTHO
22. Of main importance PRIMAL
24. Lake Geneva water fountain JET D’EAU
25. Some Korean imports KIAS
26. Maker of Touch of Foam hand wash LYSOL
28. Old-style “once” ERST
29. Hipbone-related ILIAC
31. Ape who rescues baby Tarzan KALA
33. Filled (in), as a questionnaire box XED
34. Fun Factory clay PLAY-DOH
37. Back (out) OPT
40. Unsteady gait LIMP
41. Debate ARGUE
43. Caesar’s “Behold!” ECCE!
47. Appearances MIENS
50. Napoleon’s exile isle ELBA
51. Mystery man JOHN DOE
53. Jigger’s 1½ OUNCES
55. High society types ELITES
56. Firth or fjord INLET
57. Infant ailment COLIC
58. Olympic sport since 2000 TAEKWONDO
62. Fool TRICK
63. S-shaped moldings OGEES
64. Slice of history EON
65. Boneheads ASSES
66. Hot, spicy drink TODDY
67. Where the wild things are ZOO

Down
1. Command ctrs. HQS
2. Egg head? OVO-
3. Post-op setting ICU
4. Doomed city in Genesis SODOM
5. Indifferent to right and wrong AMORAL
6. How tense words are spoken TAUTLY
7. “Young Frankenstein” seductress INGA
8. Govt. medical research org. NIH
9. Handed out hands DEALT
10. Protect from a cyberattack, say ENCODE
11. Fastening pin COTTER
12. Lei Day greetings ALOHAS
13. “Like, wow, man!” FAR OUT!
18. __ Gorbachev, last first lady of the USSR RAISA
21. String quintet instrument CELLO
22. Stack PILE
23. “Kills bugs dead!” spray RAID
24. Family name in “The Grapes of Wrath” JOAD
25. Brooks of country music’s Brooks & Dunn KIX
27. Video chat choice SKYPE
30. Sgt.’s subordinate CPL
32. Sound of a light bulb going on? AHA
35. Long rides? LIMOS
36. Jacques’s significant other AMIE
37. Look like a creep OGLE
38. Guinness servers PUBS
39. Darjeeling, e.g. TEA
42. Right-hand page RECTO
43. Volcanic spewings EJECTA
44. Black and tan COLORS
45. Restaurant chain with a hot pepper in its logo CHILI’S
46. Inveigle ENTICE
48. “Thanks, already did it” NO NEED
49. Stewed SULKED
52. Cruise ship levels DECKS
54. Like long emails from old friends NEWSY
56. “I hate the Moor” speaker IAGO
58. Playpen player TOT
59. Pince-__ NEZ
60. Scrappy-__ DOO
61. Beatle wife ONO

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