LA Times Crossword Answers 12 Sep 13, Thursday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: Peter A. Collins
THEME: Tossed Salad … each of today’s themed answers contain a string of circled letters that are an anagram of a type of salad:

17A. Scrooge’s underpaid clerk BOB CRATCHIT (giving “Cobb salad”)
23A. Frighten off SCARE AWAY (giving “Caesar salad”)
37A. Reading in an unruly class? RIOT ACT (giving “taco salad”)
56A. Forest shade DARK GREEN (giving “Greek salad”)
11D. Divas have them BIG EGOS (giving “egg salad”)
42D. Beach acquisitions SUNTANS (giving “tuna salad”)

62A. Light lunch (and a hint to this puzzle’s circled letters) TOSSED SALAD

BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 10m 30s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 2 … BOB CRATCHIT (Bob Cratchet!), REID (Reed!)

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across

1. Meter site CURB
“Curb” is another of those words that I had to learn when I came to the US. We park by the “kerb” on the other side of the Atlantic. Oh, and the “pavement”, that’s what we call the “footpath” (because the footpath is “paved”!). It’s very confusing when you arrive in this country from Ireland, and a little dangerous when one has been taught to “walk on the pavement” …

5. After Chicago, the most populous Illinois city AURORA
Aurora, Illinois is the second most populous city in the state, after Chicago. Aurora’s nickname is “City of Lights”, a nod to the early implementation of all-electric street lighting, in 1881.

16. Syr. neighbor ISR
The area that is now Israel was ruled by the British after WWI as the British Mandate of Palestine. The British evacuated the area after WWII, largely responding to pressure from both Jewish and Arab nationalist movements. The British Mandate expired on 14 May 1948 and the State of israel was established at the same time. This declaration of a new state was followed by the immediate invasion of the area by four Arab countries and the start of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. A ceasefire was declared after a year of fighting and tension has persisted in the region ever since.

17. Scrooge’s underpaid clerk BOB CRATCHIT (giving “Cobb salad”)
Bob Cratchit is the underpaid clerk who works for Ebeneezer Scrooge in the Charles Dickens story “A Christmas Carol”.

The classic 1843 novella “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens has left us with a few famous phrases and words. Firstly, it led to popular use of the phrase “Merry Christmas”, and secondly it gave us the word “scrooge” meaning a miserly person. And thirdly, everyone knows that Ebenezer Scrooge uttered the words “Bah! Humbug!”.

Ty Cobb’s first cousin, Robert H. Cobb, owned the Brown Derby chain of restaurants. One of his regular customers was the famous Sid Grauman, who ran Grauman’s Chinese Theater. Late one night, Grauman asked for a snack, and Cobb came up with a chopped salad simply made from ingredients he happened to have in the refrigerator. Grauman liked it so much that continued to request it, and the Cobb salad was born.

19. Fed. property manager GSA
The US Government’s General Services Administration (GSA), as the name suggests, provides general services to other federal agencies. So for example, the GSA manages office space for the other agencies, and transportation.

20. Lotto-like game KENO
The name “Keno” has French or Latin roots, with the French “quine” being a term for five winning numbers, and the Latin “quini” meaning “five each”. The game originated in China and was introduced into the West by Chinese immigrants who were working on the first Transcontinental Railroad in the 1800s.

23. Frighten off SCARE AWAY (giving “Caesar salad”)
The Caesar Salad was created by restaurateur Caesar Cardini at the Hotel Caesar’s in Tijuana, Mexico. The original recipe called for whole lettuce leaves that were to be lifted up by the stem and eaten with the fingers.

28. First host of “America’s Got Talent” REGIS
Regis Philbin is an amazingly popular television personality. Philbin is in such high demand and has had such a long career, that he holds the Guinness World Record for the most time spent in front of a television camera (in excess of 16,000 hours).

NBC’s show “America’s Got Talent” is part of a global franchise based in the UK. The original show is called “Britain’s Got Talent”, and the whole franchise is owned by Simon Cowell. The first host of “America’s Got Talent” was Regis Philbin (2006), followed by Jerry Springer (2007-2008). Nick Cannon has been the host since 2009.

32. Piano concerto highlights SOLI
“Soli” (the plural of “solo”) are pieces of music performed by one artist, whereas “tutti” are pieces performed by all of the artists.

37. Reading in an unruly class? RIOT ACT (giving “taco salad”)
The Riot Act was a British law that was in force from 1715 to 1967. According to the Riot Act, government entities could declare any gathering of twelve or more people “unlawful”. Our expression “read the Riot Act” is derived from the requirement for the authorities to read out the Riot Act proclamation to a unlawful assembly before the Act could be enforced.

40. Morse’s rank: Abbr. INSP
“Inspector Morse” is a series of detective novels penned by English crime writer Colin Dexter. The novels were adapted into a very successful television show that occasionally appears in the US on PBS. Morse is a very colorful character with a penchant for classical music, real ale and crosswords. So do I!!

50. Toi et moi NOUS
In French, we (nous) are you and me (toi et moi).

60. Reversals, slangily U-IES
A u-turn (u-ie) is a turn through 180 degrees.

68. Hill VIP SEN
The six-year terms enjoyed by US senators are staggered, so that every two years about one third of the US Senate seats come up for reelection.

69. For hire to sire AT STUD
The word “stud”, meaning “a male horse kept for breeding”, is derived from the Old English word “stod” which described a whole herd of horses.

70. Tibetan priest LAMA
“Lama” is a Tibetan word, meaning “chief” or “high priest”.

71. His, to Henri SES
“Ses” is the French word for “his”, “her” or “its”, when referring to a group of items.

Down
1. Part of a pickup line CAB
A hansom cab is a very specific design of horse and buggy that was patented by Joseph Hansom in 1834 in England. The “cab” in the name is short for “cabriolet”, a prior design of carriage on which the hansom was based. It’s from “hansom cab” that we get our modern term “cab”.

2. Troupe for troops: Abbr. USO
The United Service Organization (USO) was founded in 1941 at the request of FDR “to handle the on-leave recreation of the men in the armed forces”. A USO tour is undertaken by a troupe of entertainers, many of whom are big-name celebrities. A USO tour usually includes troop locations in combat zones.

5. Yoga pose ASANA
“Asana” is a Sanskrit word literally meaning “sitting down”. The asanas are the poses that a practitioner of yoga assumes. The most famous is the lotus position, the cross-legged pose called “padmasana”.

6. Above Manhattan’s 59th Street, say UPTOWN
The island we know as Manhattan was inhabited by the Lenape Indians when the first Europeans explorers arrived in the area. According to the logbook of one of the officers on Henry Hudson’s yacht, the island was called “Manna-hata” in the local language, from which the modern name derives.

7. Ocasek of the Cars RIC
Ric Ocasek is an American musician of Czech heritage, and was the lead vocalist of the rock band known as the Cars.

8. Glaswegian’s “Gee!” OCH!
A Glaswegian is someone from Glasgow, Scotland.

Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and sits on the River Clyde. Back in the Victorian Era, Glasgow earned a reputation for excellence in shipbuilding and was known as “Second City of the British Empire”. Glasgow shipyards were the birthplaces of such famous vessels as the Lusitania, the Queen Mary and the Queen Elizabeth.

9. Tim or Tara of Hollywood REID
Actor Tim Reid appeared on the sitcom “WKRP in Cincinnati”. He played the character Venus Flytrap, one of the disc jockeys at the station.

Tara Reid is an actress known for roles she played on television and the big screen. My guess is her most remembered performances were in the “American Pie” series of movies in which she played Vicky. Sadly, Reid succumbed to the pressure to alter her looks with plastic surgery. In interviews, she has shared that her first experience under the knife “went wrong” leading to more surgeries in attempts to rectify the resulting deformity.

11. Divas have them BIG EGOS (giving “egg salad”)
“Diva” comes to us from Latin via Italian. “Diva” is the feminine form of “divus” meaning “divine one”. The word is used in Italy to mean “goddess” or “fine lady”, and especially is applied to the prima donna in an opera. We often use the term to describe a singer with a big ego.

18. Illegal smoke, quaintly REEFER
Marijuana cigarettes have been known as “reefers” since the twenties. It is thought that the term comes from either the Mexican Spanish for a drug addict (“grifo”), or from its resemblance to a rolled sail i.e. a sail that has been “reefed”.

22. Southwest sight MESA
“Mesa” is the Spanish for “table” and is of course is how we get the term “mesa” that describes a geographic feature. “What’s the difference between a butte and a mesa?” I hear you cry! Both are hills with flat tops, but a mesa has a top that is wider than it is tall. A butte is a much narrower formation, taller than it is wide.

23. Rice rival, briefly SMU
Southern Methodist University (SMU) is located in University Park, Texas (part of Dallas), and was founded in 1911. SMU is home to the George W. Bush Presidential Library.

Rice University is a private school in Houston, Texas. William Marsh Rice had made a will endowing the funds for the establishment of the school at the time of his death. When he was found dead one morning in his bed, his lawyer announced that his will had been changed, with the bulk of Rice’s estate actually going to the lawyer making the announcement. Upon investigation, it was discovered that the lawyer had paid Rice’s valet to murder his employer using chloroform and a fake will was written. Eventually the original will was deemed valid, and the funds were disbursed so that the school could be built.

25. Collection of literary odds and ends ANA
An ana (plural “anas”) is a collection, perhaps of literature, that represents the character of a particular place or a person. Ana can be used as a noun or as a suffix (e.g. Americana).

26. “The Sound of Music” setting AUSTRIA
The name “Austria” is a Latin variant of the German name for the country: “Österreich”. “Österreich” itself means “Eastern borderlands”, a reference to the country’s history as a prefecture of neighboring Bavaria to the west.

“The Sound of Music” is a Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, made into a celebrated movie in 1965 starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer. The musical is based on “The Story of the Trapp Family Singers”, a memoir by Maria von Trapp. The von Trapp family ended up in Stowe, Vermont after the war, and one family descended from the Vermont von Trapps lives here in the same town in which I live in California.

27. Interactive party song YMCA
“YMCA” was released by Village People and has been adopted as an anthem by the gay community. The song was written by Victor Willis, a straight member of the mostly gay band, and he clarifies that the lyrics are extolling the virtues of the “YMCA” as a source of recreation for black urban youth. I think he might have been winking when he said that …

31. Some lighters BICS
Société Bic is a French company, based in Clichy in France. The first product the company produced, more than fifty years ago, was the Bic Cristal ballpoint pen that is still produced today. Bic also makes other disposable products such as lighters and razors.

34. “In Her Shoes” co-star DIAZ
The Hollywood actress Cameron Diaz started out her professional life as a model. Diaz’s first acting role was in the 1994 film “The Mask”, starring alongside Jim Carrey.

“In Her Shoes” is a 2005 comedy-drama film starring Cameron Diaz, Toni Collette and Shirley MacLaine. MacLaine plays the grandmother of two very different sisters played by Diaz and Collette. The movie is based on a novel of the same name by Jennifer Weiner.

38. Page with views OP-ED
“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.

43. Hurdle for a jr. PSAT
I think the acronym PSAT stands for Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test. The PSAT is divided into three sections: Math, Critical Reading, and Writing Skills.

47. Roman numeral? TRE
“One, two, three” in Italian is “uno, due, tre”.

48. Le Tour de France time ETE
One might spend the summer (été) under the sun (le soleil) in French-speaking countries.

Back in the late 1800s, long-distance cycle races were used as promotional events, traditionally to help boost sales of newspapers. These races usually took place around tracks, but in 1902 the backers of the struggling sports publication “L’Auto” decided to stage a race that would take the competitors all around France. That first Tour de France took place in 1903, starting in Paris and passing through Lyon, Marseilles, Bordeaux, Nantes and then back to Paris.

49. Kit’s home DEN
A kit is a young mammal of several species, including the ferret and the fox. “Kit” is probably a shortened form of “kitten”.

59. Chris of “The Good Wife” NOTH
The actor Chris Noth is best known for his television roles. Noth played Detective Mike Logan on “Law & Order” and Big on “Sex and the City”. You can now see him in a leading role on the show “The Good Wife”.

“The Good Wife” is a legal drama showing on CBS starring Julianna Margulies. I haven’t seen it, but I hear good things …

65. SoCal destination LAX
Los Angeles International Airport is the sixth busiest airport in the world in terms of passenger traffic, and the busiest here on the West Coast of the US. The airport was opened in 1930 as Mines Field and was renamed to Los Angeles Airport in 1941. On the airport property is the iconic white structure that resembles a flying saucer. This is called the Theme Building and I believe it is mainly used as a restaurant and observation deck for the public. The airport used to be identified by the letters “LA”, but when the aviation industry went to a three-letter standard for airport identification, this was changed to “LAX”. Apparently the “X” has no significant meaning.

66. Marcus Welby’s gp. AMA
The AMA has been publishing the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) since 1883.

“Marcus Welby, M.D.” is a television series that originally aired from 1969 to 1976. The title role was of course played by Robert Young.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Meter site CURB
5. After Chicago, the most populous Illinois city AURORA
11. Cave dweller BAT
14. Atlas section ASIA
15. Adds excitement to, with “up” SPICES
16. Syr. neighbor ISR
17. Scrooge’s underpaid clerk BOB CRATCHIT (giving “Cobb salad”)
19. Fed. property manager GSA
20. Lotto-like game KENO
21. Take down a few pegs DEMEAN
23. Frighten off SCARE AWAY (giving “Caesar salad”)
28. First host of “America’s Got Talent” REGIS
29. __ the cloth MAN OF
30. Senseless NUMB
32. Piano concerto highlights SOLI
33. Not impressed UNAWED
35. Lab subj. SCI
36. Entry-level pos. ASST
37. Reading in an unruly class? RIOT ACT (giving “taco salad”)
40. Morse’s rank: Abbr. INSP
44. 30-day mo. APR
45. Combed (through) SIFTED
50. Toi et moi NOUS
51. Time, in Germany ZEIT
53. North of Mexico NORTE
54. Hit __: run into trouble A SNAG
56. Forest shade DARK GREEN (giving “Greek salad”)
58. Shape of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula MITTEN
60. Reversals, slangily U-IES
61. Memorable period ERA
62. Light lunch (and a hint to this puzzle’s circled letters) TOSSED SALAD
68. Hill VIP SEN
69. For hire to sire AT STUD
70. Tibetan priest LAMA
71. His, to Henri SES
72. Bottom-of-the-line CHEAPO
73. Learning experience? EXAM

Down
1. Part of a pickup line CAB
2. Troupe for troops: Abbr. USO
3. Bone in a cage RIB
4. Auditorium late-comers’ seating BACK ROW
5. Yoga pose ASANA
6. Above Manhattan’s 59th Street, say UPTOWN
7. Ocasek of the Cars RIC
8. Glaswegian’s “Gee!” OCH!
9. Tim or Tara of Hollywood REID
10. Fall flower ASTER
11. Divas have them BIG EGOS (giving “egg salad”)
12. Goes after ASSAILS
13. It may be rapid TRANSIT
18. Illegal smoke, quaintly REEFER
22. Southwest sight MESA
23. Rice rival, briefly SMU
24. Axe CAN
25. Collection of literary odds and ends ANA
26. “The Sound of Music” setting AUSTRIA
27. Interactive party song YMCA
31. Some lighters BICS
34. “In Her Shoes” co-star DIAZ
38. Page with views OP-ED
39. Trace amounts TINGES
40. Really botched up IN A MESS
41. “Not on your life!” NO SIREE!
42. Beach acquisitions SUNTANS (giving “tuna salad”)
43. Hurdle for a jr. PSAT
46. Lawn sign FOR SALE
47. Roman numeral? TRE
48. Le Tour de France time ETE
49. Kit’s home DEN
52. Make even, to a carpenter TRUE UP
55. Pass, but not with flying colors GET A C
57. Buddy KIDDO
59. Chris of “The Good Wife” NOTH
63. Flint-to-Detroit dir. SSE
64. Depot: Abbr. STA
65. SoCal destination LAX
66. Marcus Welby’s gp. AMA
67. Block DAM

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