LA Times Crossword Answers 25 Mar 13, Monday

CROSSWORD SETTER: David Steinberg
THEME: Both Ways … we have four pairs of two-word themed answers today, with one in each pair being the “reverse” of the other:

13A. Borscht vegetable RED BEET
64A. The color of embarrassment BEET RED

15A. Aromatic hybrid blossom TEA ROSE
63A. Beverage blend using buds ROSE TEA

19A. Original M&M’s filling MILK CHOCOLATE
54A. Brown cow product? CHOCOLATE MILK

35A. Product of boiled sap MAPLE SUGAR
41A. Tree with brilliant foliage SUGAR MAPLE

COMPLETION TIME: 08m 29s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
1. Playtex purchase BRA
Playtex Apparel makes bras and other lingerie. The most popular Playtex bras are iconic names such as “the Living Bra”, “the Cross Your Heart Bra” and “the Eighteen Hour Bra”. The famous slogan “it lifts and separates” is associated with the Cross Your Heart Bra and dates back to 1954.

4. Org. with a “Most Wanted” list FBI
What we know today as the FBI was set up in 1908 as the BOI, the Bureau of Investigation. The name was changed to the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 1935. The Bureau was set up at the behest of President Theodore Roosevelt. President Roosevelt was largely moved to do so after the 1901 assassination of President McKinley, as there was a perception that anarchists were threatening law and order .

7. Bygone fast flier, briefly SST
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.

10. Salsa or guacamole DIP
“Salsa” is simply the Spanish for “sauce”.

Guacamole is one of my favorite dishes, and is made by mashing avocados and perhaps adding the likes of tomato, onion and lime juice. The guacamole recipe dates back as early as the 16th century, to the time of the Aztecs. “Guacamole” translates as “avocado sauce”.

13. Borscht vegetable RED BEET
Borscht is a beetroot soup that originated from Ukraine. Borscht can be served both hot and cold.

15. Aromatic hybrid blossom TEA ROSE
The first tea roses were so called because they had a fragrance reminiscent of Chinese black tea.

18. Having material that “may not be suitable for children,” per the MPAA RATED PG
The Motion Picture Association of America’s (MPAA) film-rating system (R, PG-17, G etc.) is purely voluntary and is not backed by any law. Movie theaters agree to abide by the rules that come with the MPAA ratings in exchange for access to new movies.

19. Original M&M’s filling MILK CHOCOLATE
Forrest Mars, Sr. was the founder of the Mars Company. Forrest invented the Mars Bar while living over in England and then developed M&M’s when he returned to the US. Mars came up with the idea for M&M’s when he saw soldiers in the Spanish Civil War eating chocolate pellets. Those pellets had a hard shell of tempered chocolate on the outside to prevent them from melting. Mars got some of the funding to develop the M&M from William Murrie, the son of the president of Hershey’s Chocolate. It is the “M” and “M” from “Mars” and “Murrie” that gives the name to the candy.

23. Suffix with web or nanny CAM
From what I just read, it is legal to record video with a hidden camera, at least to monitor the behavior of a caregiver in your home. Apparently there is also a law that prohibits the recording of audio. So, “nanny cams” are sold without audio capability. But (disclaimer) that’s just what I read, so don’t take my word for it!

31. Vegas rollers DICE
As we all know, the numbers on dice are arranged so that the opposite faces add up to seven. Given this arrangement, the numbers 1, 2 and 3 all meet at a common vertex. Now, there are two ways of arranging the 1, 2 and 3 around the common vertex, a so called right-handed die (clockwise 1-2-3) or a left-handed die (counterclockwise 1-2-3). Traditionally, dice used in Western cultures are right-handed, whereas Chinese dice are left-handed. Quite interesting …

40. Buffalo nickel or Mercury dime OLD COIN
The Buffalo nickel is also called the Indian head nickel, and was minted from 1913 to 1938. The coin is so called because the obverse bears the profile of a Native American male, and the reverse an image of an American bison.

The Mercury dime was also called the Winged Liberty Head dime, and was minted from 1916 to 1945. The coin is so called because it bears the image of a young Liberty wearing a winged cap, an image that is often mistaken for the Roman god Mercury.

45. Tickle Me __ ELMO
The toy called Tickle Me Elmo was a sensational fad in the late nineties, with stores raising prices dramatically above the recommended retail price to take advantage of demand. Reportedly, prices as high as $1500 were paid at the height of the craze. The toy’s manufacturer, Tyco, originally planned to market the “tickle” toy as Tickle Me Tasmanian Devil (after the “Looney Tunes” character), but then went with “Elmo” after they bought the rights to use “Sesame Street” names.

47. Above, to Shelley O’ER
The English Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley had strong views on vegetarianism. He was dedicated to the cause of all sentient beings, believing that the slaughter of animals by humans for the use of food was a barbaric practice. He wrote a famous essay on the subject called “A Vindication of Natural Diet” in 1813.

63. Beverage blend using buds ROSE TEA
Rose tea is more usually called rosehip tea, and is a herbal tea made from the fruit of the rose plant.

67. Mandela’s org. ANC
The African National Congress (ANC) started out as the South African Native National Congress in 1912 with the goal of improving the lot of Black South Africans. After years of turmoil, the ANC came to power in the first open election in 1964.

As a young man, Nelson Mandela led the armed wing of the African National Congress (ANC). Mandela was eventually arrested and admitted to charges of sabotage and was sentenced to life in prison in 1964. He remained behind bars for 27 years, mainly in the infamous prison on Robben Island. As the years progressed, Mandela became a symbol of the fight against apartheid. He was released in 1990, and immediately declared his commitment to peace and reconciliation with South Africa’s white minority. Mandela was elected president of the Republic of South Africa (RSA) in 1994, an office that he held until 1999.

Down
1. Author Stoker BRAM
Bram Stoker was an irish author whose real given name was Abraham (shortened to “Bram”). Stoker is most famous for his Gothic novel “Dracula”, first published in 1897.

3. One-named singer of “Skyfall” ADELE
The English singer Adele Adkins goes by the stage name “Adele”. Adele describes her musical style as “heartbroken soul”. Adele recently wrote and performed the theme song for the latest James Bond film, “Skyfall”.

5. “Little Women” woman BETH
“Little Women” is of course a novel written by American author Louisa May Alcott. The quartet of little women is Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy March. Jo is a tomboy and the main character in the story and is based on Alcott herself.

7. Razor sharpener STROP
A strop is a strip of leather used to sharpen a razor.

9. “Hasta la vista!” TATA
An Englishman might say “tata” or “cheerio” instead of “goodbye”. Well, supposedly so!

“Hasta la vista!” is Spanish for “goodbye!”

11. Way to the www ISP
An Internet Service Provider (ISP) is just what the name indicates, a company that provides its customers with access to the Internet. One way that ISPs differentiate themselves from each other is in the way in which end users are connected to the ISP’s network. So, there are cable ISPs, DSL ISPs, dial-up ISPs and satellite ISPs. I’d go with cable if I were you, if it’s available in your area …

The World Wide Web was effectively the invention of English computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee. The key to Berner-Lee’s invention was bringing together two technologies that already existed: hypertext and the Internet. I for one am very grateful …

24. With all one’s strength AMAIN
“Amain” is an old term meaning “at great speed” or “of great strength”.

25. Strategic WWI French river MARNE
The River Marne runs roughly northwestward for over 300 miles, running into the River Seine just outside Paris. The Marne was the site of two major battles in WWI, one fought in 1914, and one in 1918.

27. Muslim official IMAM
An imam is a Muslim leader, often the person in charge of a mosque or perhaps a Muslim community.

29. ’60s psychedelic drug LSD
LSD (colloquially known as “acid”) is short for lysergic acid diethylamide. A Swiss chemist called Albert Hofmann first synthesized LSD in 1938 in a research project looking for medically efficacious ergot alkaloids. It wasn’t until some five years later when Hofmann ingested some of the drug accidentally that its psychedelic properties were discovered. Trippy, man …

30. Fortune magazine founder LUCE
Henry Luce was a publisher, mainly of magazines. He was responsible for launching such iconic publications as “Time”, “Life”, “Fortune” and “Sports Illustrated”.

31. Bee Gees genre DISCO
Discotheques started up during WWII in Occupied France. American-style music (like jazz and jitterbug dances) was banned by the Nazis, so French natives met in underground clubs that they called discotheques where records were often played on just a single turntable. After the war, these clubs came out into the open. One famous Paris discotheque was called “Whiskey a Gogo”. In that Paris disco, non-stop music was played using two turntables next to a dance-floor, and this concept spread around the world.

The Brothers Gibb (hence, the name “The Bee Gees”) were born in England but grew up and started their musical careers in Australia. They moved back to Manchester in the north of England as youths, and there hit the big time.

34. State, to Jacques ETAT
In French, a state (état) is a political division (division politique).

53. Author Horatio ALGER
Horatio Alger was an American writer of the late nineteenth century. Alger was a prolific writer of novels for young people and creates tales of poor children making it good in the world, achieving the American dream as it were.

56. Director Preminger OTTO
Otto Preminger was noted for his films that pushed the envelope in terms of subject matter, at least in the fifties and sixties. Great examples would be 1955’s “The Man with the Golden Arm” that dealt with drug addiction, 1959’s “Anatomy of a Murder” that dealt with rape, and 1962’s “Advise and Consent” that dealt with homosexuality. If you’ve seen these films, you’ll have noticed that the references are somewhat indirect and disguised, in order to get past the censors.

57. “Mamma Mia!” quartet ABBA
I am an unapologetic fan of ABBA’s music. ABBA was of course the Swedish group who topped the charts in the seventies and eighties. The name ABBA is an acronym formed from the first letters of the given names of each of the band members, namely: Agnetha, Benny, Bjorn and Anni-Frid.

The hit musical “Mamma Mia!” was written to showcase the songs of ABBA. I’m a big fan of ABBA’s music, so I’ve seen this show a couple of times and just love it. “Mamma Mia!” is such a big hit on the stage that on any given day there are at least seven performances going on somewhere in the world. There is a really interesting film version of the show that was released in 2008. I think the female lead Meryl Streep is wonderful in the movie, but the male leads, not so much …

By the way, one can tell the difference between “Mamma Mia” the ABBA song and “Mamma Mia!” the musical, by noting the difference in the punctuation in the titles.

59. Sneakers brand KEDS
Keds is a brand name of athletic shoe first introduced in 1916 by US Rubber. The shoe was marketed as a rubber-soled, canvas-topped sneaker.

60. __-Magnon CRO
Remains of early man, dating back to 35,000 years ago, were found in Abri de Cro-Magnon in southwest France, giving the name to those early humans. Cro-Magnon remains are the oldest human relics that have been discovered in Europe.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Playtex purchase BRA
4. Org. with a “Most Wanted” list FBI
7. Bygone fast flier, briefly SST
10. Salsa or guacamole DIP
13. Borscht vegetable RED BEET
15. Aromatic hybrid blossom TEA ROSE
17. Corroded ATE INTO
18. Having material that “may not be suitable for children,” per the MPAA RATED PG
19. Original M&M’s filling MILK CHOCOLATE
21. Very wide shoe size EEEE
22. Downs’ opposites UPS
23. Suffix with web or nanny CAM
26. Considers really cool DIGS
29. South American pack animal LLAMA
31. Vegas rollers DICE
35. Product of boiled sap MAPLESUGAR
38. Monogram component INITIAL
40. Buffalo nickel or Mercury dime OLD COIN
41. Tree with brilliant foliage SUGAR MAPLE
43. Feminine ending -ENNE
44. Orange container CRATE
45. Tickle Me __ ELMO
47. Above, to Shelley O’ER
48. “__ had enough!” I’VE
50. “This is __ test” NOT A
54. Brown cow product? CHOCOLATE MILK
60. Helter-skelter CHAOTIC
62. Surround with troops BESIEGE
63. Beverage blend using buds ROSE TEA
64. The color of embarrassment BEET RED
65. Haven’t yet paid OWE
66. Sphere ORB
67. Mandela’s org. ANC
68. Some SAT takers SRS

Down
1. Author Stoker BRAM
2. Fix, as shoelaces RETIE
3. One-named singer of “Skyfall” ADELE
4. Used an épée, say FENCED
5. “Little Women” woman BETH
6. “Was __ harsh?” I TOO
7. Razor sharpener STROP
8. Flippered fish eaters SEALS
9. “Hasta la vista!” TATA
10. Twelve-sided figure DODECAGON
11. Way to the www ISP
12. … square __ in a round hole PEG
14. Mountain wheels BIKE
16. No longer working: Abbr. RET
20. Tip of a crescent CUSP
24. With all one’s strength AMAIN
25. Strategic WWI French river MARNE
27. Muslim official IMAM
28. Elaborate celebration GALA
29. ’60s psychedelic drug LSD
30. Fortune magazine founder LUCE
31. Bee Gees genre DISCO
32. Get used (to) INURE
33. Holder of Cubans CIGAR CASE
34. State, to Jacques ETAT
36. Laze LOLL
37. Grades K-6: Abbr. ELEM
39. Wrath IRE
42. Banana throwaway PEEL
46. “Be right there!” ONE SEC!
48. More slippery, as roads ICIER
49. Eng. lesson with synonyms VOCAB
51. Neglect to mention OMIT
52. Wedding cake layers TIERS
53. Author Horatio ALGER
55. Tough row to __ HOE
56. Director Preminger OTTO
57. “Mamma Mia!” quartet ABBA
58. New driver, typically TEEN
59. Sneakers brand KEDS
60. __-Magnon CRO
61. By what means HOW


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