LA Times Crossword Answers 11 Aug 13, Sunday

CROSSWORD SETTER: Robert W. Harris
THEME: Mock Time … each of today’s themed answers is a common phrase with an “ar” sound changed to an “o” sound:

22A. Drill presses, lathes and the like? SHOP OBJECTS (from “sharp objects”)
24A. Ways a fish avoids capture? COD TRICKS (from “card tricks”)
41A. Cop’s dog-days domain? HOT BEAT (from “heartbeat”)
43A. Queue at a rest room, to a tot? POTTY LINE (from “party line”)
67A. Time for promoting awareness about electrical hazards? SHOCK WEEK (from “Shark Week”)
93A. Promo for a prominent baby doctor’s book? SPOCK PLUG (from “spark plug”)
95A. Deity’s online forum comment? GOD POST (from “guardpost”)
115A. Aid in moving an army bed? COT WHEELS (from “cartwheels”)
117A. Late-afternoon marina observations? DOCK SHADOWS (from “dark shadows”)

BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 19m 56s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
1. GPS determination LAT
Lines of latitude are the imaginary horizontal lines surrounding the planet. The most “important” lines of latitude are, from north to south:

– Arctic Circle
– Tropic of Cancer
– Equator
– Tropic of Capricorn
– Antarctic Circle

9. BlackBerry downloads APPS
The PDA known as a BlackBerry was given its name because the keyboard on the original device resembled the surface on the fruit of a blackberry.

13. ’70s tennis star Nastase ILIE
I think that Ilie Nastase was the most entertaining tennis player of the 1970s, the days of Jimmy Connors, Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe. No matter how much pressure there was in a match, Nastase always had time to give the crowd a laugh.

20. Mmes., in Monterrey SRAS
Monterrey is a Mexican city, the capital of the state of Nuevo Leon in the northeast of the country. Monterrey is the second largest city in Mexico in terms of area, but third largest in terms of population (the largest area city in the country is Mexico City, and the most populous are Mexico City and Guadalajara).

21. Cloister group NUNS
Cloisters are usually such beautifully peaceful areas. They are found as part of religious buildings in particular. Cloisters are rectangular open spaces surrounded by covered walkways that are attached to other structures.

24. Ways a fish avoids capture? COD TRICKS (from “card tricks”)
In the British Isles, the most common fish that is used in traditional “fish and chips” is Atlantic cod. Cod has been overfished all over the world, and is now considered to be an endangered species by many international bodies.

26. Small, in Saint-Lô PETIT
Saint-Lô is a town in Normandy that was occupied by Germany in 1940. Saint-Lo stood at a strategic crossroads and so there was intense fighting there during the Normandy invasion of 1944. After a prolonged bombardment, very little of the town was left standing.

38. External hard drive capacity prefix TERA-
The prefix tera- signifies a trillion and comes from the Greek word “teras” meaning “monster”.

41. Cop’s dog-days domain? HOT BEAT (from “heartbeat”)
“Dog Days” is the term given to the warmest and most humid days of summer. The term derives from the ancient belief that hot weather was caused when Sirius (the Dog Star) was in close proximity to the sun.

47. “__ Was a Rollin’ Stone”: Temptations hit PAPA
The singing group known as the Temptations used to be known as the Elgins, and was formed in 1960 in Detroit. The group is still performing today, although only the second tenor, Otis Williams, was part of the original quintet. The Temptations were very much associated with their “sister group”, the Supremes.

53. Hard-to-approach type, perhaps SNOB
Back in the 1780s, a “snob” was a shoemaker or a shoemaker’s apprentice. By the end of the 18th century the word was being used by students at Cambridge University in England to refer to all local merchants and people of the town. The term evolved to mean one who copies those who are his or her social superior (and not in a good way). From there it wasn’t a big leap for “snob” to include anyone who emphasized their superior social standing and not just those who aspired to rank. Nowadays a snob is anyone who looks down on those considered to be of inferior standing.

56. Waterproof cover TARP
Originally, tarpaulins were made from canvas covered in tar that rendered the material waterproof. The word “tarpaulin” comes from “tar” and “palling”, with “pall” meaning “heavy cloth covering”.

64. Many an ex-lib NEOCON
By definition, a neoconservative supports the use of American power and military to bring democracy, liberty, equality and human rights to other countries.

67. Time for promoting awareness about electrical hazards? SHOCK WEEK (from “Shark Week”)
“Shark Week” has been an annual event on the Discovery Channel, and has been so since 1987. The week is full of TV shows and specials about sharks, with the intent of promoting awareness and respect for sharks.

75. Funny Johnson ARTE
Arte Johnson, as well being a frequent judge on “The Gong Show”, played the German soldier on “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In”. His character’s famous catchphrase was, “Very interesting, but …”

80. Collecting Soc. Sec. RET
The Social Security Administration (SSA) was of course set up as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal. The first person to receive a monthly retirement benefit was Ida May Fuller of Vermont who received her first check for the sum of $22.54 after having contributed for three years through payroll taxes. The New Deal turned out to be a good deal for Ms. Fuller, as she lived to 100 years of age and received a total benefit of almost $23,000, whereas her three years of contributions added up to just $24.75.

90. __ cuisine HAUTE
“Haute cuisine”, literally “high cooking” in French, is the name given to skillfully and elegantly prepared food, especially if it is in the French style.

93. Promo for a prominent baby doctor’s book? SPOCK PLUG (from “spark plug”)
Dr. Benjamin Spock owes his fame to his 1946 best-selling book “Baby and Child Care”. For over fifty years, “Baby and Child Care” sold more books than any other, except for the Bible.

There are two main types of internal combustion engine. Most cars in the US use spark injection engines (gasoline engines) in which a spark plug sparks in order to ignite the fuel-air mixture. A diesel engine, on the other hand, has no spark plug per se, and uses the heat generated by compressing the air-fuel mixture to cause ignition.

97. Absinthe flavoring ANISE
Absinthe is an alcoholic spirit that is distilled from various plants and herbs, including “wormwood”. Absinthe was banned in the US in 1915 as it was deemed to be an addictive psychoactive drug. However, the accepted opinion today seems to be that absinthe is no more addictive or dangerous than any other spirit.

105. Electromagnetic physicist Michael FARADAY
Michael Faraday was a scientist from England who discovered electromagnetic induction among other things. It was Faraday who first observed that a conductor carrying an electric current has an associated magnetic field. Amazingly, the sum total of Faraday’s formal education was little more than a seven-year apprenticeship as a bookbinder and bookseller.

108. Enjoy, as a hammock LIE ON
Our word “hammock” comes via Spanish from Haiti, evolving from a word used there to describe a fishing net.

110. Lazy __ SUSAN
A Lazy Susan is a circular tray at the center of a dining table that can be rotated by those partaking in the meal. The term “Lazy Susan” was introduced in the early 1900s, first appearing in an article in the magazine “Good Housekeeping”. Before this designation, the device had been called a “dumbwaiter”, a term we now use for a small elevator used for transporting food from a kitchen to a dining room.

111. Actress Peeples NIA
Actress Nia Peeples played the character Nicole Chapman in the TV series “Fame”.

120. Sri Lanka setting ASIA
The name Sri Lanka translates from Sanskrit into English as “venerable island”. Before 1970, Sri Lanka was known as Ceylon, a name given to the country during British rule. The lion on the country’s national flag symbolizes the fight against British colonialism.

121. Courtroom fiction name ERLE
I must have read all of the Perry Mason books when I was in college. I think they kept me sane when I was facing the pressure of exams. Author Erle Stanley Gardner was himself a lawyer, although he didn’t get into the profession the easy way. Gardner went to law school, but got himself suspended after a month. So, he became a self-taught attorney and opened his own law office in Merced, California. Understandably, he gave up the law once his novels became successful.

124. Mao’s successor DENG
Deng Xiaoping was the Paramount Leader of the People’s Republic of China from 1978 to 1992. It was Deng Xiaoping who is given the credit for setting policies that led to China’s current economic boom. He moved the country towards a market economy and opened the borders to allow foreign investment.

126. Op-ed piece ESSAY
“Op-ed” is an abbreviation for “opposite the editorial page”. Op-eds started in “The New York Evening World” in 1921 when the page opposite the editorials was used for articles written by a named guest writer, someone independent of the editorial board.

127. “The Fountainhead” writer Rand AYN
Ayn Rand was a Russian-American novelist born Alisa Rosenbaum. Rand’s two best known works are her novels “The Fountainhead” published in 1943 and “Atlas Shrugged” in 1957. Back in 1951, Rand moved from Los Angeles to New York City. Soon after, she gathered a group of admirers around her with whom she discussed philosophy and shared drafts of her magnum opus, “Atlas Shrugged”. This group called itself “The Collective”, and one of the founding members was none other than future Federal Reserve chairman, Alan Greenspan.

Down
5. Muslim’s pilgrimage HAJJ
A Haji (also “Hajji”) is the term used for someone who has made a pilgrimage to Mecca, and it is sometimes also used as a form of address for such a person. The journey itself goes by the name “haj” or “hajj”.

9. Fop’s tie ASCOT
An Ascot tie is that horrible-looking (I think!) wide tie that narrows at the neck, which these days is only really worn at weddings. The tie takes its name from the Royal Ascot horse race at which punters still turn up in formal wear at Ascot Racecourse in England.

11. Inflates, as a résumé PADS
A résumé is a summary of a person’s job experience and education and is used as a tool by a job seeker. In many countries, a résumé is equivalent to a curriculum vitae. “Résumé” is the French word for “summary”.

12. Retired flier SST
The most famous supersonic transport (SST) is the retired Concorde. Concorde was developed and produced under an Anglo-French treaty by France’s Aérospatiale and the UK’s British Aircraft Corporation (BAC).

15. Woven linen tape INKLE
An “inkle” is colored linen tape that is used as trim on clothing.

16. Latin 101 word ESSE
“Esse” is the Latin for “to be”. “Sum” means “I am” and “erat” means “he, she was”.

18. Fertilizer ingredient POTASH
Potash is the common name for potassium carbonate, and is also applied to other minerals containing the element potassium. The term arises from the old process for producing the chemical which involved soaking wood ashes in water and evaporating the mixture in an iron pot. The resulting material were called “pot ashes”.

23. Typesetting measure PICA
A pica is a unit of measure used in typography. It is equivalent to 1/72 of a foot, or 1/6 of an inch. Each pica unit contains 12 “points”.

32. Streisand classic PEOPLE
“People” is a song from the musical “Funny Girl” that is closely associated with Barbra Streisand, the singer who debuted the song on Broadway.

Barbra Streisand has recorded 31 top-ten albums since 1963, more than any other female recording artist. In fact, she has had an album in the top ten for the last five decades, a rare achievement in itself.

40. URL initials HTTP
“http” are the first letters in most Internet link addresses. “http” stands for HyperText Transfer Protocol.

Internet addresses (like NYTCrossword.com and LAXCrossword.com) are more correctly called Uniform Resource Locators (URLs).

42. Big __: WWI cannon BERTHA
Big Bertha was a very large-bore howitzer developed for the German military just prior to WWI. The shell that the gun fired weighed over 1800 lbs.

43. Cocoon occupants PUPAE
The pupa is an intermediate stage in the development of an insect. All four stages are embryo, larva, pupa and imago.

45. Court plea, briefly NOLO
“Nolo contendere” is a legal term that translates from Latin as “I do not wish to contend”. It’s the plea of “no contest” and is an alternative to “guilty” or “not guilty”, meaning that one doesn’t admit guilt but nor does one dispute the charge.

46. Jet-black, in verse EBON
Ebony is another word for the color black (often shortened to “ebon” in poetry). Ebony is a dark black wood that is very dense, one of the few types of wood that sinks in water. Ebony has been in high demand so the species of trees yielding the wood are now considered threatened. It is in such short supply that unscrupulous vendors have been known to darken lighter woods with shoe polish to look like ebony, so be warned …

47. Correspondent’s “Oh, and another thing …” PPS
One adds a PS (post scriptum, or simply “postscript”) at the end of a letter. A second postscript is a post post scriptum, a PPS.

48. NPR journalist Shapiro ARI
Ari Shapiro is the very able White House correspondent for National Public Radio (NPR).

49. South Carolina state tree PALMETTO
South Carolina is known as the Palmetto State. The palmetto is the state tree.

50. Map collection ATLAS
The famous Flemish geographer Gerardus Mercator published his first collection of maps in 1578. Mercator’s collection contained a frontispiece with an image of Atlas the Titan from Greek mythology holding up the world on his shoulders. That image gave us our term “atlas”.

52. Work for a captain CREW
To work for a captain on a boat is “to crew”.

55. Detroit athlete TIGER
The origins of the Detroit Tigers baseball team’s nickname seems a little unclear. One story is that it was taken from the Detroit Light Guard military unit who were known as “The Tigers”. The Light Guard fought with distinction during the Civil War and in the Spanish-American War. Sure enough, when the Detroit baseball team went into the Majors they were formally given permission to use “The Tigers” name by the Detroit Light Guard.

68. Typically reddish-brown ape ORANG
Orangutans are arboreal creatures, in fact the largest arboreal animals known to man. They are native to Indonesia and Malaysia, living in the rain forests. Like most species in rain forests these days, orangutans are endangered, with only two species surviving. The word “orangutan” is Malay, meaning “man of the forest”.

69. Smokers’ buys: Abbr. CTNS
Cigarettes come in cartons (ctns.).

70. “Annie Hall” actress KEATON
I suppose if there is any Woody Allen movie that I enjoy watching, it’s “Annie Hall” from 1977. I think Diane Keaton is a great actress and she is wonderful in this film. You’ll see Paul Simon as well, making a rare movie appearance, and even Truman Capote playing himself. The film is also famous for sparking a movement in the fashion world to adopt the “Annie Hall” look, that very distinctive appearance championed by Diane Keaton as the Annie Hall character.

79. Actor Beatty NED
Ned Beatty is probably best remembered for the rather disturbing “squeal like a pig” scene in the movie “Deliverance”. Beatty also earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the 1976 movie “Network”.

87. Reprobate SCALAWAG
Scallywag is actually a term we use in Ireland to describe a rogue, usually one that is harmless, and it comes from the Irish word “sgaileog” meaning a farm servant. The American use of “scalawag” as a rogue was originally borrowed as a nickname for southern white people that supported reconstruction after the Civil War.

94. Kosher deli buy KNISH
A knish is a snack food from Germany and Eastern Europe made popular in the US by Jewish immigrants. A knish has a filling often made of mashed potato and ground meat, covered by a dough that is baked or fried.

95. Thyroid and pituitary GLANDS
The thyroid gland is found in the neck, just below the Adam’s apple. The gland produces several thyroid hormones, some of which control the rate at which the body uses energy i.e. the body’s rate of metabolism.

The pituitary gland is found at the base of the brain and is about the size of pea. The pituitary secretes nine hormones in all, and so affects many aspects of bodily function.

96. Clavell novel set in Hong Kong TAI-PAN
“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”

101. Prius automaker TOYOTA
The Toyota Prius is still the most fuel-efficient, gasoline-powered car sold in the US, according to the EPA. The name “Prius” is a Latin word meaning “ahead, leading”. In the US we pronounce the name “pree-us”, but across the Atlantic it’s pronounced “pry-us”. Oh, and I drive one …

109. Many a prep sch. ACAD
Academy (acad.)

112. Film terrier ASTA
Asta is the wonderful little dog in the superb movie “The Thin Man” starring William Powell and Myrna Loy (as Nick and Nora Charles). In the original story by Dashiell Hammett, Asta was a female Schnauzer, but on screen Asta was played by a wire-haired fox terrier called “Skippy”. Skippy was also the dog in “Bringing up Baby” with Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn, the one who kept stealing the dinosaur bone. Skippy retired in 1939, so Asta was played by other dogs in the remainder of “The Thin Man” films.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. GPS determination LAT
4. Hint SHADE
9. BlackBerry downloads APPS
13. ’70s tennis star Nastase ILIE
17. Altar agreement I DO
18. One working on a bench? PIANIST
20. Mmes., in Monterrey SRAS
21. Cloister group NUNS
22. Drill presses, lathes and the like? SHOP OBJECTS (from “sharp objects”)
24. Ways a fish avoids capture? COD TRICKS (from “card tricks”)
26. Small, in Saint-Lô PETIT
27. 12-Down, e.g. JET
28. Hostile calls HOOTS
30. Serving a purpose UTILE
31. Summary RECAP
33. Verbally assault LAY INTO
35. Nasty SNIDE
36. Rubs out ERASES
38. External hard drive capacity prefix TERA-
39. Part of a fancy setting CHINA
41. Cop’s dog-days domain? HOT BEAT (from “heartbeat”)
43. Queue at a rest room, to a tot? POTTY LINE (from “party line”)
47. “__ Was a Rollin’ Stone”: Temptations hit PAPA
51. Basketball tactic PRESS
52. Some religious sects CULTS
53. Hard-to-approach type, perhaps SNOB
54. One going on and on PRATTLER
56. Waterproof cover TARP
58. Pea house POD
60. __-pitch SLO
61. Most inane SILLIEST
62. Clothing line SEAM
64. Many an ex-lib NEOCON
66. Short read? MAG
67. Time for promoting awareness about electrical hazards? SHOCK WEEK (from “Shark Week”)
71. Passé TV hookup VCR
72. Fixed beforehand PRESET
75. Funny Johnson ARTE
76. Rebel’s crime SEDITION
80. Collecting Soc. Sec. RET
81. Tear RIP
83. Other considerations ANDS
85. Ready for the sea SAILABLE
86. Feed bag feed OATS
88. Makes EARNS
90. __ cuisine HAUTE
92. Property title DEED
93. Promo for a prominent baby doctor’s book? SPOCK PLUG (from “spark plug”)
95. Deity’s online forum comment? GOD POST (from “guardpost”)
97. Absinthe flavoring ANISE
98. Topog. map stat ELEV
99. Just down the road from NEAR TO
103. Bold poker bet ALL IN
105. Electromagnetic physicist Michael FARADAY
108. Enjoy, as a hammock LIE ON
109. Fields of study AREAS
110. Lazy __ SUSAN
111. Actress Peeples NIA
113. Check endorser PAYEE
115. Aid in moving an army bed? COT WHEELS (from “cartwheels”)
117. Late-afternoon marina observations? DOCK SHADOWS (from “dark shadows”)
120. Sri Lanka setting ASIA
121. Courtroom fiction name ERLE
122. Add value to, as a deal SWEETEN
123. Unwanted phone connection TAP
124. Mao’s successor DENG
125. Lock openers KEYS
126. Op-ed piece ESSAY
127. “The Fountainhead” writer Rand AYN

Down
1. Speech imperfection LISP
2. Stick ADHERE
3. Horn blower TOOTER
4. Bro or sis SIB
5. Muslim’s pilgrimage HAJJ
6. Slippery as __ AN EEL
7. Urgings, as of one’s conscience DICTATES
8. New England hrs. EST
9. Fop’s tie ASCOT
10. Diplomatic formality PROTOCOL
11. Inflates, as a résumé PADS
12. Retired flier SST
13. Signs off on, in a way INITIALS
14. Clear LUCID
15. Woven linen tape INKLE
16. Latin 101 word ESSE
18. Fertilizer ingredient POTASH
19. Warm-weather top T-SHIRT
23. Typesetting measure PICA
25. Like undercooked eggs RUNNY
29. __ shoestring: with little to spend ON A
32. Streisand classic PEOPLE
34. Baker’s supply YEAST
35. Doesn’t divulge, as bad news SITS ON
37. Emphasize STRESS
40. URL initials HTTP
42. Big __: WWI cannon BERTHA
43. Cocoon occupants PUPAE
44. Dedicate, as a book at a signing INSCRIBE
45. Court plea, briefly NOLO
46. Jet-black, in verse EBON
47. Correspondent’s “Oh, and another thing …” PPS
48. NPR journalist Shapiro ARI
49. South Carolina state tree PALMETTO
50. Map collection ATLAS
52. Work for a captain CREW
55. Detroit athlete TIGER
57. Set as a price ASKED
59. Crafty sort DEVIL
63. Bungle MESS UP
65. Slices in a pizza, often OCTAD
68. Typically reddish-brown ape ORANG
69. Smokers’ buys: Abbr. CTNS
70. “Annie Hall” actress KEATON
72. Paid players PROS
73. Get as a return REAP
74. It might match cuff links TIE PIN
77. Big rig fuel DIESEL
78. Bullfight cry OLE!
79. Actor Beatty NED
82. Mates PALS
84. Did a smith’s work SHOED
87. Reprobate SCALAWAG
89. With regret RUEFULLY
91. Progress ADVANCES
94. Kosher deli buy KNISH
95. Thyroid and pituitary GLANDS
96. Clavell novel set in Hong Kong TAI-PAN
98. Historic chapter ERA
100. Enjoy a story, say READ
101. Prius automaker TOYOTA
102. Like some airline tickets ONE-WAY
103. Got up AROSE
104. Allow to enter LET IN
106. Beasts of burden ASSES
107. “Heavens!” YIKES!
109. Many a prep sch. ACAD
110. Sun-cracked SERE
112. Film terrier ASTA
114. “Baseball Tonight” channel ESPN
116. Frightened reaction EEK!
118. Have yet to pay OWE
119. “Ahem” cousin HEY

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